[Leonid Bershidsky] Before old Nazis vanish, let them bear witness

Oskar Groening, a former Nazi, is going to jail in Germany at age 96. Tony Hovater, 29, a current Nazi sympathizer, has lost his job in the US after being profiled by the New York Times. It’s a shame the two will never meet or even talk via Skype.After the Hovater profile ran, its author, Richard Fausset, admitted the existence of a “hole at the heart” of the story. He couldn’t understand how the former heavy metal drummer’s radicalization occurred. Behind this incomprehension lurked another que

Dec. 3, 2017

[Trudy Rubin] Trump retweets anti-Muslim video, spreads fake news

When President Donald Trump retweeted anti-Muslim videos from a far right British fringe group last week he went way beyond bigotry.The president chose to publicize the message of a neofascist group called Britain First that is so extreme even the British far-right disavows it. As if that weren’t enough, Trump dumped on Prime Minister Theresa May after she rebuked him.By his act Trump confirmed he will go to any lengths to whip up his uber-nationalist base, promoting groups that incite hatred of

Dec. 3, 2017

[Kugler & Schrup] Should the government get to track your phone?

If you’re one of the nearly 225 million Americans who owns a smartphone, you know that it is a window into your entire life -- your friends, your financial information, your pastimes and, most relevant to the Supreme Court this year, your comings and goings. On Wednesday, the court heard oral arguments in one of the most important privacy cases of the decade: United States vs. Carpenter. The justices are being asked to decide whether the 4th Amendment’s guarantee against unreasonable searches pr

Dec. 1, 2017

[Christopher Balding] China’s micro-lending mess

In their bid to reduce risk, China’s financial regulators are cracking down on a promising business: online micro-lending. Although the industry has some serious problems, killing it off would be a big mistake.　Last week, state media announced that broad changes were coming to the sector. Approvals of new lenders have been halted, and existing firms are likely to be severely curtailed.　To an extent, this crackdown reflects valid concerns. Outstanding loans offered on peer-to-peer platforms ballo

Nov. 30, 2017

[Teddy Crimmins] How vinyl fills a generation’s need for human interaction

The record player and the Polaroid camera, both antiquated technology, are making a comeback within my younger generation. These modernly useless machines have been embraced by “hipsters” and have assumed their own spot in a sort of new counterculture.But what makes people willing to pay for such impractical things?I have the most experience with the record player, having asked for one a couple of years ago for my 16th birthday. At first, my parents didn’t understand why I would want this bulky

Nov. 30, 2017

[Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry] How the fall of finance led to French tech‘s rise

France is emerging as a major European tech hub: La French Tech, as it is known, is improbably beating out Germany and rivaling London for funding levels and company valuations. A significant portion of France’s most talented young people now want to work in an innovation ecosystem rather than in secure jobs in government or traditional industries. The reason for the shift is not Emmanuel Macron, the reformer who has become French president. It long predates his rise.　Instead, it has its roots i

Nov. 30, 2017

[Adam Minter] How to protect China’s children

Nothing infuriates China’s online masses more than the belief that the powerless have been victimized by the powerful. The fury was particularly intense late last week, when allegations against a Beijing-area kindergarten blew up online. According to Chinese state media, kids as young as 3 years old were “reportedly sexually molested, pierced by needles and given unidentified pills.” The news came at a particularly raw time: Just two weeks earlier, China’s internet had convulsed in anger over vi

Nov. 29, 2017

[Chloe Morin] What’s left for France’s Socialists? They can’t say.

In September, the French Socialist Party took a practical decision freighted with symbolism: It put the party headquarters up for sale. Situated on Rue de Solferino, some hundred meters from the National Assembly and the iconic Musee d’Orsay, the imposing building had been acquired by the party in 1980, one year before Francois Mitterrand became the first Socialist president of the French Republic.　The decision, a sign of the party’s deep troubles after a crushing election, has been hotly debate

Nov. 29, 2017

[James Copeland] Opportunity missed on improving gender inequality

The government’s plan to introduce a 10-20 percent quota for women in senior level government positions and public institutions does not go far enough to effect a real change in gender inequality in Korea.Europe has a problem with gender inequality in the workplace -- women do not seem to receive the same salary as men for doing the same job. Figures released in October show this gap to be an average of 16 percent across the entire EU. Last week the European commission responded to this problem

Nov. 29, 2017

[Michael Pettis] Maybe China shouldn’t open up

China needs reform. This has long been the consensus advice from economists and multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, whose recent “China 2030” report argues that Chinese leaders should strengthen the role of markets and liberalize legal, financial and other institutions governing the economy. Their to-do list is virtually gospel by now: free up trade and investment, unshackle the exchange rate and ease capital controls.　Such reforms are held not only to be worthy in themselves, but

Nov. 28, 2017

[Ayalon, Sher, and Petruschka] Trump’s ‘ultimate’ Middle East peace plan

According to recent reports, President Donald Trump is going to unveil a Middle East peace plan early next year. Last month’s unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia by three top White House aides -- Jared Kushner, Jason Greenblatt and Dina Powell -- to discuss this plan, along with Vice President Mike Pence’s announcement that he will visit Jerusalem, Ramallah and Cairo next month, give the reports credence.As Israelis who have served at the forefront of our country’s security, diplomatic and economi

Nov. 28, 2017

[Doyle McManus] Forget ‘bad deals,’ it’s the GOP tax plan that’ll make the trade deficit even worse

President Donald Trump has spent decades blaming America’s economic woes on the trade deficit.“We can no longer tolerate unfair trading practices that steal American jobs, wealth and intellectual property,” he said after his trip to Asia this month. “The days of the United States being taken advantage of are over.”However, trade deficits aren’t caused primarily by unfair practices or poorly negotiated agreements. They’re caused mainly by economic fundamentals. And if Congress passes the tax plan

Nov. 28, 2017