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Robert Skidelsky

Robert Skidelsky

Writing for PS since 2003
204 commentaries

Robert Skidelsky, a member of the British House of Lords and Professor Emeritus of Political Economy at Warwick University, was a non-executive director of the private Russian oil company PJSC Russneft from 2016 to 2021. The author of a three-volume biography of John Maynard Keynes, he began his political career in the Labour party, became the Conservative Party’s spokesman for Treasury affairs in the House of Lords, and was eventually forced out of the Conservative Party for his opposition to NATO’s intervention in Kosovo in 1999.

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  1. Creeping Toward Dystopia
    skidelsky187_Getty Images_gpt-4 Getty Images

    Creeping Toward Dystopia

    May 25, 2023 Robert Skidelsky worries that even elected governments will appropriate emerging technologies in the name of national security.

  2. FrankenTech
    sherwin6_ Dimitrios KambourisGetty Images for The Met MuseumVogue_elon musk Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

    FrankenTech

    Apr 20, 2023 Robert Skidelsky sees little reason to believe that today’s Victor Frankensteins can or even want to rein in generative AI.

  3. Can Governments Still Steer the Economy?
    skidelsky185_Wiktor SzymanowiczAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_jeremyhunt Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    Can Governments Still Steer the Economy?

    Mar 28, 2023 Robert Skidelsky explains why international finance and geopolitics make it harder to influence major performance indicators.

  4. Globalization’s Latest Last Stand
    skidelsky184_Getty Images_deglobalization Getty Images

    Globalization’s Latest Last Stand

    Feb 20, 2023 Robert Skidelsky traces the growing backlash against economic integration to the faithful application of neoliberal principles.

  5. The Return of Thoughtcrime
    skidelsky183_Hollie AdamsGetty Images_UKpoliceprotest Hollie Adams/Getty Images

    The Return of Thoughtcrime

    Jan 17, 2023 Robert Skidelsky warns that the British government’s crackdown on peaceful public protest negates the presumption of innocence.

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  1. pisaniferry145_ Thierry MonasseGetty Images_eu green deal Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

    Europe’s Climate Quandary

    Jean Pisani-Ferry assesses the inevitable trade-offs the European Union must confront in achieving its clean-energy targets.
  2. basu92_Win McNameeGetty Images_samaltmanopenaisenate Win McNamee/Getty Images

    Governing the Unknown

    Kaushik Basu suggests a few principles to guide policymakers as they try to keep up with rapidly advancing technologies.
  3. oyebanji2_ PIUS UTOMI EKPEIAFP via Getty Images_lassa fever PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images

    Fast-Tracking a Lassa Fever Vaccine

    Oyeronke Oyebanji outlines what West African governments can learn from the development and distribution of the COVID-19 jab.
  4. schleussner1_David McNewGetty Images_heatwave David McNew/Getty Images

    Climate Science Beats Climate Fatalism

    Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, et al. show that the more ambitious 1.5º target for global warming is still feasible – and more necessary than ever.
  5. benami202_Burak KaraGetty Images_erdogan Burak Kara/Getty Images

    Turkey’s Pragmatic Islamist

    Shlomo Ben-Ami expects Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s latest electoral victory to have little impact on Turkish foreign policy.
  6. sierakowski98_Jaap ArriensNurPhoto via Getty Images_donaldtusk Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Poland's Electoral Inquisition

    Sławomir Sierakowski decries a new law designed to disqualify opposition candidates from running in this year's general election.
  7. stiglitz318_Drew AngererGetty Images_ira Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    Western Industrial Policy and International Law

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    With recent landmark legislation to support decarbonization and innovation, the United States is making up for lost time after its failed 40-year experiment with neoliberalism. But if it is serious about embracing a new paradigm, it will need to do more to help bring the rest of the world along.

    explains how to minimize the political risks of new spending packages in the US and Europe.
  8. mohan4_STEFANI REYNOLDSAFP via Getty Images_imf STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

    The IMF’s Turn to Lead on Climate

    Rakesh Mohan, et al. explain how the International Monetary Fund can best support green investment where it is needed the most.
  9. nye_Joe RaedleGetty Images_trump Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    If Trump Returns

    Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

    What would a second Donald Trump presidency mean for US foreign policy and the world? While the man himself is unpredictable, his first term and his behavior since losing re-election in 2020 offer plenty of clues, none of which will be comforting to America's allies.

    considers the implications of the 2024 presidential election for America's foreign policy and global standing.

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