公共话语之中难免会产生争论，因为不同的个体或群体，由于其立场、认同感和价值观的不同，会产生不同的观点，这些不同的观点或许会在一定的场合中产生冲突。如果这些冲突不能有效地引导，那么，就会导致冲突升级，造成不可预见的损失。因此，社会学家达伦多夫得出一个结论，对于现代社会而言，建立在多元主义基础之上的社会生活本身就预设了冲突的发生，为此，社会的运转，必须依靠有效的冲突管理和解决机制，才能实现。而法兰克福学派的集大成者哈贝马斯，则提出“沟通行动”的理念，试图通过营造一个平等、尊重的对话机制，实现不同立场、不同观点和不同价值观之间的共处。但是，这样的一个“沟通理想型”，是否真的就能达到我们的目的？...
点击这里，阅读《南方周末》上的原文。
2008年，欧洲人对一场信用危机漫不经心，他们将之归结于依赖债务的奢侈的美国式生活方式，并认为自己对此类危机具有免疫能力。然而，国民经济密切相连，那些欧盟国家更是如此，危机迅速扩散。工厂倒闭，失业人口数量庞大，钱存银行非但不能保值反而贬值，政客们拿不出有效的解决方案，所有这些使得民怨沸腾，然后又加重了金融危机。乔纳森•芬比（Jonathan Fenby）为《耶鲁全球在线》写道：“虽然全球化让欧洲的公司获益巨大，但在过去的十年中，开放的边界和自由的贸易连同有害的金融垃圾一起被抛弃了”。民众要求立即解决长期以来形成的不平衡问题。然而，...
街头的愤怒：法国抗议者要求就业，走向保护主义解决方案的蹒跚步伐正在侵损欧洲的统一
巴黎：在50年来最严重的经济衰退的重击之下，我们这个时代最大最成功的超越民族的冒险尝试——欧盟——正处于解体的危险之中。随着保护主义压力的日增， 衰退正使得不同国家之间的分歧尖锐化，泛欧方案可能遭到破坏的担忧也日渐增加。那些在形势不错的时候尚能勉强相处的国家，现在却发现它们都在争先恐后地自 扫门前雪，而不是在寻求协作和努力。企业倒闭，失业人口激增，银行报告显示亏损，政客们拿不出公众呼吁的解决方案，...
In recent years, quinoa, a traditional Andean crop rich in amino acids and other nutritive properties, has become popular in health-food stores of the developed world. Foreign-aid organizations encouraged Bolivian farmers to take advantage of increased demand and grow more of the crop for export....
Click here for the article in The New York Times.
The world has many imbalances, including ballooning debt held by the US and China’s growing trade surplus. World leaders recognize the problems – but tend to place blame on policies from other countries. Economist Joseph Stiglitz suggests that the problems are interconnected in many ways, systemic...
Click here for the original article on The New York Times website.
The European Council meets April 29, to prepare for negotiations and its stance on the United Kingdom parting ways with the European Union. “The stage is set for a dramatic – traumatic – meeting with destiny for Britain and its former 27 partners,” explains author Joergen Oerstroem Moeller. “Five...
Hard to exit: British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to President of the European Council Donald Tusk; British fishermen may find it hard to eliminate EU competition
SINGAPORE: The European Council prepares to define the EU negotiating mandate...
The abrupt resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hairiri has raised numerous questions and exacerbates political tensions in the Middle East. As Martin Chulov observes for the Guardian: “Hariri’s unexpected departure has placed Lebanon at the heart of an intensifying power tussle between...
Read the article.
Henry Kissinger secretly visited China in 1971 to restore US ties, and the Chinese have respected him since. With a trade war underway and US concerns about intellectual property theft, the relationship has soured and transformed: from co-evolution, described by Kissinger as pursuit of domestic...
Then and now: Henry Kissinger, former US national security adviser, plans for opening China with Premier Zhou Enlai during a secret trip to Beijing in 1971, and almost five decades later, Xi Jinping and Donald Trump discuss trade over a more...
Islamic State terrorists struck the Iranian parliament and Khomeini shrine in Tehran, leaving 17 dead. Throughout the region and stretching into Afghanistan and beyond, the terrorist group has targeted Shias, moderate Muslims and anyone that does not agree with their extremist goals. Conspiracy...
