[Andrew Sheng] Hong Kong problems are essentially a family quarrel

Summer 2019 will go on record as the hottest summer in human recorded history, but it will also be remembered as a summer of madness, when there are protests everywhere and violence seems to be on the boil. Who would have expected South Korea to be quarreling with Japan? Or India taking away the autonomy of Jammu/Kashmir to direct rule by Delhi? Or the Argentinian peso dropping 30 percent in one day? Why did the US put every one of their major trading partners, including Singapore, Malaysia and

Aug. 19, 2019

[David Ignatius] Beware ‘moral hazard’ in Hong Kong

Watching videos of Chinese protesters singing the US national anthem in the streets of Hong Kong, or hearing the tear-jerking chorus of “Les Miserables” during a sit-in at the Hong Kong airport, only someone with a heart of stone wouldn’t want to assist these brave people who are fighting for their freedom. But beware. The problem is that easy gestures of support could get these Chinese freedom fighters killed. It’s a problem that insurance companies call “moral haz

Aug. 18, 2019

[Leonid Bershidsky] Trump isn’t crazy to want to buy Greenland

Former Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called US President Donald Trump’s reported idea of buying Greenland, a self-governed Danish territory, an out-of-season April Fools’ Day joke. Trump’s idea may be outlandish -- and impossible -- but that doesn’t mean there’s no benefit in thinking about reviving the market in sovereign territories, which once made America great. Besides acquiring Louisiana from France, Florida from Spain, Alaska from Russia and much

Aug. 18, 2019

[Elizabeth Drew] What’s behind America’s mass shootings?

After every mass shooting in the United States, Americans and others around the world are confronted with the question of what lies behind this distinctly American horror. Though total gun deaths in the US have actually declined over time, mass shootings (those with at least four victims) have become deadlier and more frequent. Some have had an especially strong emotional impact on the country.The back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on the first weekend of August are

Aug. 15, 2019

[J. Bradford DeLong ] America’s superpower panic

Global superpowers have always found it painful to acknowledge their relative decline and deal with fast-rising challengers. Today, the United States finds itself in this situation with regard to China. A century-and-half ago, imperial Britain faced a similar competitive threat from America. And in the 17th century, the Dutch Republic was the superpower and England the challenger.History suggests that the global superpower should aim for a soft landing, including by engaging with its likely succ

Aug. 14, 2019

[Kim Myong-sik] Moon’s illusory ‘peace economy’ with North Korea

The physical world we live in is governed by constructive power and destructive power. Constructive power can be measured by the value of things that individuals or groups create over a period of time. They call it GDP on the national level. Destructive power is estimated by looking at the things that can be destroyed (annihilated) in a conflict; it represents security threats between adversaries.North Korea is believed to have stored 20 to 30 nuclear bombs, each having the destructive energy of

Aug. 14, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] Why boycotting Japan won’t work

As expected, tensions between South Korea and Japan have continued to worsen. On Aug. 2, Japan followed through with its threat to remove Korea from the “whitelist” of countries that Japan designates as preferential trading partners. This action means that companies exporting select products to Korea will need approval from the Japanese government before exporting. The Japanese government could use the approval process to restrict exports to Korea.The Korean government condemned the

Aug. 13, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] Proverbs that reflect indiscreet attitude of our society

Proverbs and maxims reflect the society from which they originate. Thus they vary depending on the peculiarities of nations, cultures and civilizations. If you are familiar with a certain nation’s proverbs, therefore, you can easily conjecture about the characteristics of the people of the country. Watching recent social and political disruptions of Korea these days, one can be reminded of Korean maxims that nicely match these situations.Among others, the famous Korean proverb, “You

Aug. 13, 2019

[Peter Singer] Can ethics be taught?

Can taking a philosophy class -- more specifically, a class in practical ethics -- lead students to act more ethically?Teachers of practical ethics have an obvious interest in the answer to that question. The answer should also matter to students thinking of taking a course in practical ethics. But the question also has broader philosophical significance, because the answer could shed light on the ancient and fundamental question of the role that reason plays in forming our ethical judgments and

Aug. 12, 2019

[Joseph E. Stiglitz] Trump’s deficit economy

In the new world wrought by US President Donald Trump, where one shock follows another, there is never time to think through fully the implications of the events with which we are bombarded. In late July, the Federal Reserve Board reversed its policy of returning interest rates to more normal levels, after a decade of ultralow rates in the wake of the Great Recession. Then, the United States had another two mass gun killings in under 24 hours, bringing the total for the year to 255 -- more than

Aug. 12, 2019

[James Stavridis] If Hong Kong avoids a bloody crackdown, it can thank Taiwan

As Hong Kong recovers from a general strike that paralyzed transportation and led to mob violence and tear gas fired on protesters, the Beijing-controlled government’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, is hinting at even stronger action. The Chinese government agency that oversees Hong Kong held a rare press conference Tuesday, announcing support for Lam and accusing the protesters of fomenting a revolution. Most ominously, Chinese authorities have mobilized troops near the border with the main

Aug. 11, 2019

[Shuli Ren] Down the rabbit hole with Trump and Xi

In the fable, the tortoise wins the race because the hare lies down to take a nap after bolting into the lead. Slow, dogged persistence triumphs over flighty arrogance. If this were the story of the US-China trade war, it’s easy to see which would be which.Trade wars are good and easy to win, President Donald Trump famously declared on Twitter in March 2018. Since then, US policy toward China has shifted repeatedly as the president bounced from one position to another, alternately offering

Aug. 11, 2019

[David Ignatius] In US-China relations, ‘friction is the new normal’

Where is the United States heading in its confrontation with China, which moved this week from a trade dispute to a currency battle -- with more dangerous tests in Hong Kong and Taiwan looming ominously in the background? Does the US have a strategy in this cascading competition? Do America’s military and diplomatic tools match the scope and subtlety of the challenges ahead? Is America’s growing anxiety about Beijing creating a policy panic that overstates the Chinese threat and unde

Aug. 8, 2019

[Noah Smith] America’s workers need labor union comeback

There are two basic ways to improve the economic situation of the middle and lower classes. First, you can use taxes and government spending to shift income down from the top, either via direct transfers or through services like health care. Second, you can change the laws governing markets, with the goal of producing better outcomes for low- and middle-wage workers. These two approaches are sometimes called redistribution and predistribution.Much of the Democratic presidential contest has focus

Aug. 8, 2019

[Tyler Cowen] In defense of the German saver

If there is one thing the world should have learned over the last decade, it is that politics is usually more symbolic than pragmatic. A good policy attached to the wrong symbols can fail, while impractical or even irresponsible leaders can succeed by promoting popular symbols.And yet this is a lesson we are still learning. Take, for example, the policy of the European Central Bank to charge negative interest rates, currently at minus 0.4 percent. Practically speaking, this does not bring big ma

Aug. 7, 2019

[Mahfuz Anam] 'Praise Freedom' is new press freedom

Press freedom was a fundamental pillar of modern civilization. Nearly all countries, save the communist bloc and dictatorial regimes, ensured special protection for the media in their constitutions.Jailing a newsperson was quite rare and closing down a media outlet was even more so.Sadly, not so anymore.In the age of populism, ultranationalism, rising authoritarianism, post-truth and the emergence of leaders who can commit no-wrong, there is a new incarnation of press freedom.It is “praise

Aug. 7, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] The moment we become emotional, we lose the battle

Regardless of our nationality, we all have merits and flaws. Of course, it all depends on people, but sometimes we unwittingly exhibit collective characteristics that contribute to the public image of a country. Living in America, for example, one can be impressed by Americans’ good-natured personality. Generally speaking, Americans are exceptionally nice and friendly. Look at their smiling faces, and you are compelled to smile back. You do not see any sign of malicious intention to hurt o

Aug. 6, 2019

[Tyler Cowen] Greta, It’s OK to fly

Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, recently announced that she would cross the Atlantic Ocean by boat to attend a United Nations global warming summit in New York. She does not believe in flying in airplanes, for the obvious reason that air travel is a contributor to the carbon emissions problem.I am here with a simple message: Greta, it is OK to fly. Indeed, I encourage you to fly.This isn’t just about Thunberg. I often hear it argued that Al Gore is a hypocrite for

Aug. 6, 2019