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The HICCup Manifesto

Esther Dyson — Fri, 24 May 2013 12:20:13 +0000

It is hard to find anyone in health care who does not believe that spending $100 now on healthy behavior could yield more than $200 in lowered costs and improved outcomes. So why do individuals and communities not act on the basis of this knowledge?

America’s Blinders

Kishore Mahbubani — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:20:14 +0000

While most of the world is preparing for the end of the era of US global dominance, Americans are not even entertaining the possibility. Worse, public intellectuals, who are supposed to think the unthinkable, challenge accepted views, and prepare people for crucial developments, are shirking their responsibility.

Britain, Ireland, and Europe

David Miliband — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:13:06 +0000

British Prime Minister David Cameron is increasingly beholden to Conservative backbenchers who want to pull the UK out of the EU. On May 22, former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband delivered the Irish Business and Employers Confederation Annual Lecture, in which he defended continued EU membership.

The Human City

Parag Khanna — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

The world is undergoing rapid urbanization, with the share of the population living in cities set to reach 60% by 2030. International institutions, governments, NGOs, and others must work together to make cities efficient, livable, and sustainable, using technology and public policy to support citizens’ welfare and aspirations.

Apocalypse Not Now

Tony Rothman — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:50:11 +0000

Apocalyptic prophecies – from Y2K to Mayan baktuns – divert resources and attention from more consequential scientific developments and debates. As journalism shifts toward sensationalism over empiricism, doomsday panics are becoming increasingly frequent – and increasingly damaging.

Overcoming East Asia’s Sovereignty Disputes

Charles Tannock — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:00:23 +0000

Disputes over territorial sovereignty are among the thorniest of all diplomatic disagreements. While the sovereignty disputes in the South and East China Seas involve seemingly non-negotiable claims, the resources surrounding the islands can nevertheless be shared, nurturing habits of closer regional cooperation in the process.

After Ahmadinejad

Mehdi Khalaji — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

The disqualification of two leading candidates for Iran's presidency sends a strong message from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei. Simply put, Khamenei is determined to avoid the type of friction that has characterized his relationships with previous presidents, particularly outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Invisible-Border War

Jaswant Singh — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

A half-century after the Sino-Indian War of 1962, the countries’ mutual border remains undefined and a constant source of friction – the latest episode being a three-week incursion by Chinese troops into Indian-held territory. Other Asian countries can no longer afford to ignore their own longstanding border disputes with China.

Managing Syria’s Meltdown

Christopher R. Hill — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

As Russian and American diplomats prepare for a Syrian peace conference, the Middle East is experiencing convulsions not seen since the Arab Spring two years ago. Indeed, in historical terms, the Syrian crisis, not the Arab Spring, will most likely be regarded as the region's seminal event in this decade.

America by Proxy?

Dominique Moisi — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

The demise of the Roman Empire resulted from a combination of strategic overreach and excessive delegation of security responsibilities to newcomers. The question for the US today is whether it can remain the world’s leading power while delegating to others or to technological tools the task of protecting its global influence.

Harnessing the Remittance Boom

Kanayo F. Nwanze — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

In Asia’s developing countries, the importance of remittances – the money that migrant workers send home to their families (many of whom live in poor and remote areas) – is immense. But, while remittances to these countries are five times higher than official aid, their potential economic-development benefits have not been realized.

Nationalism, Madness, and Terrorism

Liah Greenfeld — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:33 +0000

If we want to understand what drove the Boston Marathon bombing suspects to terrorism, the answer almost certainly does not lie in Dagestan, where the brothers lived before moving to the US, or in Chechnya's two wars in the last 20 years. Instead, the key to the Tsarnaevs’ behavior lies in developments in England 500 years ago.

A New Deal for Fragile States

Erik Solheim — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:50:12 +0000

Today, roughly one-fifth of the world’s population lives in conflict-affected and fragile states, despite vast sums of money spent aiding such states over the last 50 years. Obviously, the way that international and national partners engage such states must change radically.

The Importance of Doing Business

Ana Palacio — Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

There is much speculation that an independent panel currently reviewing the World Bank’s Doing Business project will recommend outsourcing it, removing its country rankings, or even eliminating it altogether. But gutting or cutting the annual report would be a serious mistake.

Oily Dirt

Randall Morck — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:26 +0000

Debates over the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would extend from Canada’s Athabasca tar sands to the Texas Gulf Coast, pit energy efficiency against energy security. By offering conditional approval of the pipeline, Barack Obama can advance its economic and diplomatic benefits, while mitigating its environmental costs.

Hugging a Burning Tree

Bjørn Lomborg — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

When most people think of renewable energy sources, they imagine solar panels and wind turbines. Globally, however, biomass – humanity’s oldest fuel – makes up 76% of today’s renewable energy and 10% of all energy, and its rising use promises more risk than reward.

The Distortion of Grief

Christopher Lane — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

According to the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, grieving the loss of a loved one can be considered depression after only two weeks. The implication that mourning should be fast and efficient is both disturbing and unnecessary.

Syria’s Sectarian Stalemate

Bernard Haykel — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

In Syria, what began as a revolt against an oppressive regime has devolved into a sectarian civil war and, more recently, into a proxy conflict. In the process, the struggle has become increasingly convoluted, with conflicting agendas among allies, rendering the situation nearly intractable.

The Resurrection of Congress

Shashi Tharoor — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:00:21 +0000

The overwhelming victory of the Indian National Congress in elections in the southern state of Karnataka in early May has shaken up the country’s political scene. While India’s scandal-ridden ruling party had appeared headed for certain defeat in the next general election, which must be held by May 2014, now all bets are off.

The Endangered Arab Christian

Fiorello Provera — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:20:17 +0000

In the wake of the Arab Spring, Christian communities across the Arab world have been facing a surge in discrimination and violence, driven primarily by Islamist militancy and the rise of political Islam. With few remaining options, Christians are increasingly seeking to flee the Arab world altogether.