Gideon Rachman, Financial Times | January 7, 2009
Three weeks after Hamas fired rockets on Israel, the latter’s retaliation plan seems to be producing a boomerang effect. ++ The Israeli people are wary of a ground invasion which threatens the lives of Israeli citizens; international public opinion condemns Israel’s attack as ‘disproportional’ and ‘non-discriminatory,’ and the usual US support might not be as solid. ++ As the tide turns, Israel should reconsider its strategy and examine the benefits to be secured from renewing the ceasefire and opening supply routes to Gaza.
Ruth Markus, The Washington Post | January 7, 2009
 The stimulus package needed to combat the economic downturn is a source of concern as its experimental character deprives it of any guarantee of success. ++ Due to the acuteness of the crisis, measures taken ought to be immediate rather than exhaustive and have a provisional character. ++ The next weeks will be a test for the new Congress and administration that bear the difficult task of preparing the package. ++ However, just as with medicine, one has to remember that “the application of economic stimulus is as much art as science.”
Mark Almond, Oriel College, Oxford | January 7, 2009
 We “wanted Russia to be a market economy, but Russia never asked how.” ++ Gazprom is like the East India Company, from which market economies grew. ++ Other sources are unreliable; China, Japan and India look to Russia for gas. ++ While the EU builds pipelines to pass unreliable ex-communist states, Russia builds east - and southwards. ++ Gazprom’s hard game is market economy and it refuses to subsidize the government in Kiev. ++ The EU wants to change a 300-year old poker game into a “granny’s game” of whist.
Erhard Eppler, Die Zeit (in German) | January 7, 2009
 The financial crisis has proven that there is still a major role for the state to play in our global era. ++ New challenges, such as intense capital transactions, have increased pressure on the state and require it to complement its traditional (albeit still capital) functions of protecting its citizens through the monopoly of force, promoting democratization and so forth. ++ In order to succeed in the fulfillment of this task, the state ought to be backed by both supranational and regional institutions, whose roles are likely to increase.
P. Kane, L. Montgomery, S. Murray | January 7, 2009
President Obama has introduced a new stimulus plan to revive the US economy. ++ While the plan aims to reduce tax payments by $300 and provide relief to both families and business, US officials warn against the unnecessary spending that usually accompanies tax cuts. ++ While the complete plan has yet to be worked out, the Obama administration has characterized it as ‘ideologically neutral.’ ++ Some Republican members seem to doubt the effectiveness of the new stimulus package but appreciate the President’s attempt to openly discuss the plan.
The Asia Foundation | December 2008
The 2008 Global Cities Index | Foreign Policy | December 2008
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Leonardo Matinez-Diaz | The Brookings Institution | December 2008
Joshua Kurlantzick | Carnegie Endowment | December 2008
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Ambassador Maliha Zulfacar taught sociology as a professor at California Polytechnic State University before her current position representing …
Jonathan Laurence is a Transatlantic Academy fellow at the German Marshall Fund, non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an …
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Andreas Eckert |
December 1, 2008
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From the Editorial Team |
January 7, 2009
During 2008 Afghanistan was among the most explosive political issues. The unstable state of the country will continue to affect the whole region. What are your recommendations for 2009? What is the most urgent action that needs to be taken in Afghanistan this year?
The internationalization of surveillance is susceptible to abuse and cyberterrorism. A means of assessing the possible side effects of …
Tim Foxley |
January 5, 2009 | 1 comment
Too little time, effort and analytical resources are dedicated to understanding what the Taliban are saying - and that a change in …
Dealing with Russia should not be left to cold warriors and Russian well-wishers. Both Old and New Europe will benefit from replacing …
The Western effort to conquer “hearts and minds” in Afghanistan is being hindered by a failure to recognize the core role of religion …
Nicolas Sarkozy governs according to his own agenda, to the disadvantage of Europe. His political style is similar to the unilateral …
Richard N. Rosencrance & Ehud Eiran |
December 24, 2008 | 8 comments
A Palestinian-Israeli peace settlement stands little chance, given current political realities. In the form of EU membership, Europe …
The nature of youth violence in Central America is deeply connected to social perceptions and …
The hegemonic behavior of the Bush administration during its first term almost led to the end …
International organizations aim to overcome inefficiencies in complex crisis management by …
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