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Kako Ito

Public insurance and the least well-off | Lane Kenworthy - 6 views

lanekenworthy.net/surance-and-the-least-well-off

public insurance economics welfare poor nordic model universalism targeting redistribution income inequality

shared by Kako Ito on 27 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • Public insurance also boosts the living standards of the poor. It increases their income, and it provides them with services for which they bear relatively little of the cost.
  • Critics charge that public social programs tend to hurt the poor in the long run by reducing employment and economic growth. Are they correct?
  • Does public insurance erode self-reliance? Is a large private safety net as helpful to the least well-off as a large public one? Are universal programs more effective than targeted ones? Are income transfers the key, or are services important too?
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • Once again we see no indication that public insurance generosity has had a damaging effect
  • Note also that the employment rate increased in nearly all of the countries during this period. On average, it rose by nine percentage points between 1979 and 2013. That’s not what we would expect to see if generous public insurance programs were inducing large numbers of able adults to withdraw from the labor market
  • What we see in the chart is that countries with more generous public insurance programs tend to have less material deprivation.
  • With globalization, the advance of computers and robots, increased pressure from shareholders for short-run profit maximization, union weakening, and other shifts, wages have been under pressure. Couple this with the fact that many people at the low end of the income ladder have labor market disadvantages — disability, family constraint, geographic vulnerability to structural unemployment — and we have a recipe for stagnation in the market incomes of the poor.
  • here’s a good reason for these shifts: government provision offers economies of scale and scope, which reduces the cost of a good or service and thereby makes it available to many people who couldn’t or wouldn’t get it on their own.
  • Government provides more insurance now than it used to. All of us, not just some, are dependent on it. And life for almost everyone is better because of it
  • hese expenditures are encouraged by government tax advantages.22 But they do little to help people on the bottom of the ladder, who often work for employers that don’t provide retirement or health benefits.
  • To make them more affordable, the government claws back some of the benefit by taxing it as though it were regular income. All countries do this, including the United States, but the Nordic countries do it more extensively. Does that hurt their poor? Not much. The tax rates increase with household income, so much of the tax clawback hits middle- and upper-income households.
  • Another difference is that public services such as schooling, childcare, medical care, housing, and transportation are more plentiful and of better quality for the poor in the Nordic countries. Public services reduce deprivation and free up income to be spent on other needs. It’s difficult to measure the impact of services on living standards, but one indirect way is to look at indicators of material deprivation,
  • Targeted transfers are directed (sometimes disproportionately, sometimes exclusively) to those with low incomes and assets, whereas universal transfers are provided to most or all citizens.
  • Targeted programs are more efficient at reducing poverty; each dollar or euro or kroner transferred is more likely to go to the least well-off. Increased targeting therefore could be an effective way to maintain or enhance public insurance in the face of diminished resources.
  • “the more we target benefits to the poor … the less likely we are to reduce poverty and inequality.”
  • Korpi and Palme found that the pattern across eleven affluent nations supported the hypothesis that greater use of targeting in transfers yields less redistribution
  • The hypothesis that targeting in social policy reduces political support and thereby lessens redistributive effort is a sensible one. Yet the experience of the rich countries in recent decades suggests reason to question it. Targeting has drawbacks relative to universalism: more stigma for recipients, lower take-up rates, and possibly less social trust.44 But targeting is less expensive. As pressures to contain government expenditures mount, policy makers may therefore turn to greater use of targeting. That may not be a bad thing.
  • Public insurance programs boost the incomes of the least well-off and improve their material well-being. If such programs are too generous, this benefit could be offset by reduced employment or economic growth, but the comparative evidence suggests that the world’s rich nations haven’t reached or exceeded the tipping point.
  • Spending lots of money on social protection is not in and of itself helpful to the poor. Total social expenditures in the United States are greater than in Denmark and Sweden, because the US has a large private welfare state. But relatively little of America’s private social spending reaches the poor.
  • Public services are an important antipoverty tool. Their benefit doesn’t show up in income data, but they appear to play a key role in reducing material hardship. Services expand the sphere of consumption for which the cost is zero or minimal. And they help to boost the earnings and capabilities of the poor by enhancing human capital, assisting with job search and placement, and facilitating work-family balance.
  • Kako Ito on 27 Sep 15
     
    Through this article I have gained a deeper insight in how public expenditures and public goods promote wealth equality in a society. "Public services are an important antipoverty tool."
  • ...2 more comments...
  • olivialum on 29 Sep 15
     
    This article really helped me deepen my understanding of redistributing wealth downwards. I never thought about it, but things like social security, affirmative action programs, and public education are actually insurances that attempt to provide everybody with more equality when it comes to living standards as well as basic human rights.
  • samoshay on 29 Sep 15
     
    Yeah, it is a very common argument to say that social expenditures disincentives workers; interesting analysis on how wealthy countries haven't reached the "tipping point." I am curious to see what happens to labor force participation and employment in the next decades as robots further divorce economic growth from labor supply/demand.
  • charlesleesohn on 29 Sep 15
     
    Cool theory in regards to "the tipping point". Interesting, and solid criticism of large social expenditures. Wonder how socialists view this, as opposed to free-market economists.
  • smowat on 29 Sep 15
     
    "Public services are an important antipoverty tool. Their benefit doesn't show up in income data, but they appear to play a key role in reducing material hardship." INteresting to see the statistics and how social expenditures help reduce poverty and the wealth gap.
Kay Bradley

Police Reform Is Necessary. But How Do We Do It? - The New York Times - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...police-reform.html

shared by Kay Bradley on 27 Aug 20 - No Cached
  • The United States spends more on public safety than almost all its peer countries and much less, relatively speaking, on social services
  • Now we’re having a conversation that’s not just about how black communities are policed, and what reforms are required, but also about why we’ve invested exclusively in a criminalization model for public safety, instead of investing in housing, jobs, health care, education for black communities and fighting structural inequality.
  • Budgets are moral documents, reflecting priorities and values.
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • Garza: In 2018 and 2019, my organization, Black Futures Lab, did what we believe is the largest survey of black communities in America. It’s called the Black Census Project. We asked more than 30,000 black people across America what we experience, what we want to see happen instead and what we long for, for our futures.
  • the No.1 issue facing them, and keeping them up at night, is that their wages are too low to support a family.
  • Imagine that you have a tool chest for solving social problems. It gives you options. Then you lose the tool of mental-health resources. You lose the tool of public education. They take out the tool of job placement. And then all you’ve got left is this one rusty hammer. That’s policing.
  • Simply defunding the police cannot be a legacy of this moment. I want to hear about investing in black communities more than I want to hear about defunding.
  • There has been such a massive disinvestment in the social safety net that should exist to give black communities an opportunity to thrive, whether it’s access to health care or housing or education or jobs.
  • They cause others to be armed, out of fear, who shouldn’t have to worry about defending themselves
  • The dispatcher would route calls that aren’t about crimes or a risk of harm to social workers, mediators and others.
  • In many cities, the police spend a lot of time “on traffic and motor-vehicle issues, on false burglar alarms, on noise complaints and on problems with animals,”
  • When a police report leads to criminal charges — only a subset of the whole — about 80 percent of them are for misdemeanors. Friedman argues that we should hand off some of what the police do to people who are better trained for it.
  • A tiny percentage of people are the ones destabilizing communities
  • There are a host of things that the police are currently responding to that they have no business responding to.
  • If you have a car accident, why is somebody with a gun coming to the scene?
  • Or answering a complaint about someone like George Floyd, who the store clerk said bought a pack of cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill?
  • Similarly, if you have a homeless man panhandling at a red light and you say to a cop, “Go fix it,” he’ll arrest the man. And now he has a $250 ticket. And how does he pay that? And what does any of this accomplish?
  • domestic disputes. They’re the subject of 15 to more than 50 percent of calls to the police
  • But might we get further in the long run if someone with other skills — in social work or mediation — actually handled the incident?
  • The women were deeply wary of the police in general, but 33 of them had called them at least once, often for help with a teenager. “Calling the police on family members deepens the reach of penal control,” Bell wrote. But the mothers in her study have scant options.
  • hey knew that if they called the police that real harm could come, and they didn’t want that.
  • When I did investigations for the Justice Department, I would hear police officers say: “I didn’t sign up to the police force to be a social worker. I don’t have that training.” They know they’re stuck handling things because there is a complete lack of investment in other approaches and responses.
  • In Eugene, Ore., some 911 calls are routed to a crisis-intervention service called Cahoots, which responds to things like homelessness, substance abuse and mental illness. Houston routes some mental-health calls to a counselor if they’re not emergencies. New Orleans is hiring people who are not police officers to go to traffic collisions and write reports, as long as there are no injuries or concerns about drunken driving. I’m borrowing these examples from Barry Friedman’s article. The point is that some cities are beginning to reduce the traditional scope of police work.
  • One of the most interesting studies about policing is a randomized comparison of different strategies for dealing with areas of Lowell, Mass., that were hot spots for crime. One was aggressive patrols, which included stop-and-frisk encounters and arrests on misdemeanor charges, like drug possession. A second was social-service interventions, like mental-health help or taking homeless people to shelters. A third involved physical upkeep: knocking down vacant buildings, cleaning vacant lots, putting in streetlights and video cameras. The most effective in reducing crime was the third strategy.
Stuart Suplick

Striking Syria: Mixed messages | The Economist - 2 views

www.economist.com/...striking-syria

syria syrian-people rebels regime economist

shared by Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13 - No Cached
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Interesting how the division may also be socio-economic: the wealthy in non-rebel held areas may not like Assad, but don't want to "take one for the team" (or perhaps they just want to avoid becoming collateral damage). Other Syrians (more middle class(?)) in rebel-held areas are more sympathetic to the rebel cause.
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Have news agencies been focusing too much on America's indecisiveness, and what it means for its PR? Shouldn't they focus more on how a strike can or will be a turning point, for better or worse, in the Syrian Civil War? Wouldn't such a discussion better help the general public and government officials make more informed and holistic decisions? Wouldn't it be ideal to have a greater emphasis on such a discussion by the help of the news agencies?
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      The U.S. is indeed the "global cop" when the UN is powerless (in Syria's case, virtually powerless b/c of Russia's veto power). For every dollar spent on global defense/security by the world's countries, 42 cents of it was spent by the U.S. (NPR).
    • Stuart Suplick
      Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
       
      Heard it this morning, can't recall what year.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Some wealthy Damascenes say that though they are keen to see the back of Mr Assad, they would rather America not strike because they fear the potential consequences. Syrians living in rebel-held areas, who have less to lose, seem more supportive of intervention.
  • many criticise America for not asking them which targets to hit
  • many are annoyed that the conversation about strikes revolves around America’s credibility and deterring other regimes, rather than putting an end to Syria’s war or Mr Assad’s rule.
  • Some Arab states, like Saudi Arabia, urge action in private, but keep quiet publicly, lest they be seen to be seeking Western help
  • One thing many Syrians do agree on, however, is their contempt for Mr Obama's indecisiveness: "Obama, you ass, are you going to hit us or not?" asks a young Damascene on Facebook.
  • Stuart Suplick on 05 Sep 13
  • olivialucas on 13 Sep 13
     
    I find it very interesting that the Damascenes' opinions on U.S. intervention seem to differ based on socio-economic status, but yet the majority of them all agree that Obama should be more decisive about his plans for or against invasion. In general, this article surfaces a lot of interesting points to ponder surrounding the conflict in Syria.
  • kian vafai on 13 Sep 13
     
    The article makes a very important point. U.S. engagement is not aimed at overthrowing Assad and establishing a new political government or regime, rather American involvement is serving as a deterrent for the prevention of chemical weapon usage by other countries. Such reasoning undercuts the moral virtue of American involvement in Syria and will serve to fuel greater anti-American sentiments in the region.
aaron_godinez

When Middle East Conflicts Become One - 5 views

www.nytimes.com/...east-conflicts-become-one.html

shared by aaron_godinez on 02 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • aaron_godinez on 02 Sep 14
     
    I chose this article about the Israel-Palestine conflict because it talks about how this conflict is not an isolated battle between Israel and Palestine. The Op-Ed columnist David Brooks writes that because of all the conflict in the Middle East each country, group, or "political contour" that is striving for power influences the actions of either the Palestinian or Israeli parties. For example, Brooks mentions how Egypt blocked 95% of the tunnels that connected Egypt to Gaza, which costed Hamas $460 million a year. Hamas could not attack Egypt, so they attacked Israel instead. The public dissatisfaction caused Egypt to end the blockade. Thus, the external parties in the Middle East have a large effect on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and Brooks says that the conflict should therefore be analyzed from a different perspective: "It, like every conflict in the region, has to be seen as a piece of the larger 30 Years' War" (Brooks). This article shows us that we need to think a little more broadly when analyzing certain conflicts.
  • ...4 more comments...
  • maxdewit on 04 Sep 14
     
    Dude. Best. Article. I. Have. Read. About. The. Conflict. Wow. In all seriousness though, this article really opens my eyes to the true reasons why Hamas is attacking Israel. Also never thought I'd see Egypt rooting for Israel but that cool!
  • maxdewit on 04 Sep 14
     
    I also liked this article so much I shared it on fahssbuk!
  • Katie Despain on 04 Sep 14
     
    What negative affects, if any, does the loss of $460 million a year have on citizens? How exactly do firing shots at Israel give Middle Eastern powers over each other? Perhaps the recent ceasefires have failed because of the lawmakers' outdated strategies. Maybe the "deft negotiators" themselves do not realize that the conflict is no longer self-contained.
  • miriambachman on 04 Sep 14
     
    It's interesting how this article helps to rid the reader of past notions and assumptions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It touches upon just how global the conflict and its effects are. The violence and chaos that has risen to an all time high is not solely isolated to the region (in geographic and cultural terms). Its interesting to think that Arab nations could/would play "games" with one another, involving the abuse Israel for financial or political gain.
  • janh97 on 04 Sep 14
     
    I think it's interesting that these outside countries are involving themselves by using all the deaths of the Israelis and Palestinians as leverage to get what they want. The violence in Gaza negatively influences all of its surrounding regions. Violence only brings more violence.
  • dredd15 on 04 Sep 14
     
    This article was a great way to clear the air on many misconceptions that have been floating around that make the Israel-Palestine conflict seem like a very straightforward conflict. This makes it clear that many of the warfare between Israel and Palestine isn't related to conflict between these two nations, rather in some cases it is attempts by Palestinian states and Muslim rebels to show dominance to other Middle Eastern countries and sects in order to make political and economic moves. With so much intertwining of conflict with the Egypt and the Islamists at the Arab Spring and the closing of the 95% of the tunnels being closed between Egypt and Gaza. The Brotherhood, ISIS, and other militant groups are vying for power throughout the Middle East and flexing their muscle on anybody and everybody to establish political dominance.
samuelws

How Armed Groups Turned the Pandemic Into a Human Rights Crisis - 3 views

theintercept.com/...emic-covid-human-rights-crisis

shared by samuelws on 03 Oct 21 - No Cached
  • samuelws on 03 Oct 21
     
    I think this is an interesting case study in how governments can make use of crises to seize more power. It makes us consider what checks and balances we can implement to maintain freedom.
  • arjunk2022 on 05 Oct 21
     
    I'd be interested in the kinds of laws different regimes have in relation to police and military forces in times of crisis
  • juliam814 on 05 Oct 21
     
    I think it is very interesting how governments can hide such harsh restrictions and violence under the guise of public safety. I agree with what Sam said about checks and balances that prevent these human rights violations, and I wonder what types of rights are protected by these governments.
nicolek2023

North Koreans trapped in 'vicious cycle of deprivation, corruption, repression' and end... - 0 views

news.un.org/...1039251

shared by nicolek2023 on 30 Nov 22 - No Cached
  • nicolek2023 on 30 Nov 22
     
    The state run public distribution system collapsed in North Korea in the 90s, forcing people to work in informal markets such as bribery. Right now, reporters asses that bribery (typically to state officials) seems to be the number one way that people are accessing their food, healthcare, shelter, and work. Due to the constant threat of possible arrest, some state officials are able to extort extra money and favors as well. Women are also being found to be more vulnerable to abuse, brokers, and traffickers.
  • duncanc2023 on 01 Dec 22
     
    I'm not surprised at the amount of corruption that has been uncovered. I'm mainly interested in how they are able to control the public image of the government so well. I'd like to know more about how the information about all of the North Korean government's shortcomings is kept under wraps.
  • Kay Bradley on 04 Dec 22
     
    See this article from 2018: "Inside A North Korea That Is Changing - But At Its Own Pace" NPR https://www.npr.org/2018/10/01/652037944/photos-inside-a-north-korea-that-is-changing-but-at-its-own-pace
miriambachman

Opposition in Syria Is Skeptical of Strikes - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...a-is-skeptical-of-strikes.html

Syria

shared by miriambachman on 30 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • miriambachman on 30 Sep 14
     
    This article is interesting in that it explains the US condoned airstrikes and military presence in Syria from the point of view of Syrian citizens. We've discussed in class how the US has developed a mentality where we assume a) that we are a well-liked global super power and b) that we are morally obligated to get involved in any conflict given our national power/influence. However, this article shows that some Syrian citizens are deeply disturbed by the presence of the United States, as air strikes have destroyed several communities of non-ISIS supporters and have caused numerous casualties. Additionally, the constant air strikes seem to have had the opposite effect of what was intended: many Syrians have developed anti-American attitudes and have begun to identify with ISIS. So, basically, the very actions we have taken to eliminate ISIS have increased public support of the Islamic State. That is not to say that every (or even the majority of) Syrians now support ISIS, but it is interesting to take a look at the repercussions of our actions in the eyes of a nation that is directly affected.
smowat

In Budget Plan, Japan Proposes More Spending and Aims to Borrow Less - The New York Times - 6 views

www.nytimes.com/...rease-government-spending.html

shared by smowat on 28 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • ublic spending in Japan will rise to a record level
  • But in a sign that the country may be starting to address its huge debt, budget planners said Japan would borrow less money even as it spent more.
  • Although the economy has been struggling, Japanese corporations are earning record profits
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • The key to the budget is a continuing expansion in tax revenue.
  • The government increased the national sales tax in April, a widely resented move
  • If the government’s budget projections hold, Japan will meet an official target of halving its deficit, minus the cost of debt service, to 3.3 percent of gross domestic product in fiscal 2015, from 6.6 percent in 2010.
  • jacquelinec56 on 29 Sep 15
     
    This article was incredible informative about the current major areas that are sucking up a lot of Japan's spending like social benefits and military spending. But it also gives a detailed outline on how Japan aims to combat their debt but I'm unsure if these predictions are too optimistic?
  • ...3 more comments...
  • quinnlewis on 29 Sep 15
     
    I found the Japanese projections to be a bit unreasonable given the rate of spending and borrowing. I am nowhere close to as qualified as these executives but from outside the country their plan seems idealistic and likely to result in more debt- especially seeing as they have the largest public debt at the moment I would think they would be more conservative in this situation
  • kylerussell on 29 Sep 15
     
    After visiting Japan this summer, the issue of massive migration to urban areas and the aging populations seems to not receive the attention it deserves. Although it is mentions, the aging population is going to cause a crisis because most of the agricultural industry is taken up by elderly people, who will soon be out of the workforce in a decade or less. With the future cost of healthcare, the Japanese government cannot afford to increase its military power in order to compete with China.
  • alisimons on 29 Sep 15
     
    It's strange that the increase in sales tax perhaps caused the recession in Japan but can also help Japan's economy recover. I don't quite understand how Japan plans to ease its national debt when it is increasing government spending. From where will they get their money?
  • Kako Ito on 29 Sep 15
     
    It's interesting to see how Japan's government is interacting with the market in an attempt to create a flow of money that will ease its deficit. The fact that they raised their sales tax is very interesting when we consider how Japan entered its recession in 1997 because the government raised the national consumption tax to 5% from. Has Japan learned its lesson and will it enter another recession again as a result of their new tax hike?
  • charlesleesohn on 29 Sep 15
     
    It is cool to see precisely which sectors are consuming the larger portions of Japan's budget through data. I also liked how Japan thought about balance their budget.
Katie Despain

Leadership and Calm Are Urged in Ebola Outbreak - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...alm-are-urged-in-outbreak.html

ebola

shared by Katie Despain on 02 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • Katie Despain on 02 Sep 14
     
    In order to remedy Ebola, Nations most affected by the virus, namely Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, must allow their leaders to calm and heal the general public. If political and social leaders fail to eradicate the disease, the number of people infected will quickly rise from 3000 to 20,000. So far, several countries have mismanaged the outbreak. Governments quarantined rural and urban areas of aforementioned African countries; a slum in Monrovia, the Capitol of Liberia, was one of the blocked off places. Instead of helping the people, as intended, the quarantines trap people. These people feel disregarded and sentenced to death. Fear causes people to run from the spaces and further spread Ebola, defeating the purpose of the quarantine. Even if African governments take necessary steps to prevent the spread of the disease, Western aid is still essential. Western countries should not supply weapons to help contain quarantines, but rather provide medicine and experienced medical personnel. Unfortunately, the pay is not high enough for many medics to risk their lives treating a disease that is the highest risk to doctors and nurses. The solution to Ebola is not an obvious one; the entire process is experimental. However, U.N. experts say a medical center need be established in West Africa where representatives of every African country can convene to discuss the disease.
  • big_red on 03 Sep 14
     
    Very interesting article. It is interesting how psychology must be considered in giving aid to African countries infected with Ebola (for example, the article mentions that soldiers shouldn't brandish their weapons so Ebola patients won't be afraid of the quarantine). The quarantines seem like an extra cause for panic. Imagine a Liberian seeing a quarantine being set up. Do you think they would act calmly and happily admit themselves to the quarantine, or just simply run away and spread the virus further?
  • Kay Bradley on 04 Sep 14
     
    Great analysis--see quotes below--but my question is, can the widespread response that is needed actually be pulled together? Especially, can it be pulled together fast? "Most agreed on many basic principles. All, for example, were sure the outbreak could be stopped without experimental drugs or vaccines. None expected it to take less than six months." "Pay is also an issue, experts said. Health workers taking huge risks must be compensated, and so must their families if they die." "Also, this outbreak is like SARS in that doctors and nurses are in the highest risk group. Training must be extra-thorough - especially in taking off protective gear that might be smeared with virus. Nigeria, for example, does not let anyone near victims without three days of training on wearing protective gear, said its health minister, Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu." "The new W.H.O. road map calls for 12,000 local health workers and 750 expatriates." ""There's no part of this you can't break down and make work," Dr. Aylward said. "But it took us 20 years to build the polio response, and this has to be done in 20 days."
ethana2020

Previously Unknown Sources Come Forward in a New Book About Harvey Weinstein - 6 views

I think it is really interesting how Gloria Allred, who is so against sexual harassment, believes that these settlements are an okay way to deal with the issue of sexual harassment, as it allows th...

https:__www.nytimes.com_2019_09_08_books_harvey-weinstein-book-kantor-twohey.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

started by dtarkoff on 08 Sep 19 2 follow-ups, last by ethana2020 on 09 Sep 19
audreybandel

Belarus Opposition Leader Sentenced to 11 Years In Prison- NY Times - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...elarus-kolesnikova-prison.html

shared by audreybandel on 07 Sep 21 - No Cached
  • audreybandel on 07 Sep 21
     
    I found this article interesting, as it indicates the different public and governmental opinions about democracy and dissent in different countries. It is also interesting to consider how historical context and modern day circumstance may contribute to this.
audreybandel

How the Pentagon Could Be Helping to Fight Wildfires - 2 views

www.nytimes.com/...fires-military-satellites.html

wildfires

shared by audreybandel on 28 Sep 21 - No Cached
  • audreybandel on 28 Sep 21
     
    An interesting piece on the place of technology in combatting climate related disaster as well as the push and pull between state and federal government in the context of California wildfires.
  • cole_reynolds on 28 Sep 21
     
    This is really interesting - and kinda sad. Hasn't military technology migrated into the public sector before and made our lives better as a result (like GPS)? Why are these satellites any different?
samueld2022

Pandora Papers: Secret wealth and dealings of world leaders exposed - BBC News - 1 views

www.bbc.com/world-58780465

shared by samueld2022 on 04 Oct 21 - No Cached
  • samueld2022 on 04 Oct 21
     
    It's interesting to see the wealth many leaders have been hiding from the public. It is also interesting to see how many of these leaders were or still are in charge of democratic nations which I did not expect.
nicksandford

Indigenous rights take center stage in Chile's new constitution – People's W... - 0 views

peoplesworld.org/...age-in-chiles-new-constitution

shared by nicksandford on 05 Sep 22 - No Cached
  • nicksandford on 05 Sep 22
     
    A referendum in Chile just rejected a draft of a new Constitution pushed by the new Chilean President Gabriel Boric and his extremely progressive coalition that would have replaced Augusto Pinochet's Constitution. The Constitution included the right to public health care, abortion, free speech, clean air and water, it would have given the federal government greater control over the Chilean economy, and would have officially recognized the sovereignty of Indigenous groups across the country, making it the third plurinational nation in South America. However, 61% of Chileans opposed the new Constitution, and a new assembly will have to be elected to redraft it. This rejection is interesting; does it highlight the overall mood in Latin American politics right now? Is this a rejection of liberal policies? What will the next few months have in store for Chile; bureaucratic breakdown, or unity around a new Constitution?
  • Kay Bradley on 06 Sep 22
     
    Really interesting article, Nick! Keep in mind that "liberal" in the international context means low government intervention and capitalism, so the correct way to phrase the question is "Is this a rejection of social democratic policies?" There was a wave of social democracy in Latin America in the 1990s and early 2000s, so I wonder if this is an effort to move that further, an effort which is contested. https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/chile-could-become-plurinational-what-does-that-mean/ As you know, there are many levels of inclusion and exclusion in different societies, and the indigenous rights movement in South America carries a dimension of racism held over from the colonial era, in addition to neocolonialism and extractive capitalism centered on banks and the owners of land.
alecstein

Cop27 climate summit's sponsorship by Coca-Cola condemned as 'greenwash' | Cop27 | The ... - 1 views

www.theguardian.com/...ca-cola-condemned-as-greenwash

shared by alecstein on 02 Nov 22 - No Cached
  • alecstein on 02 Nov 22
     
    Interesting how the sponsor (even that it has to have a sponsor) is Coca-Cola, which is still using and manufacturing a lot of plastic, which I would think would have been against the conference.
  • willbaxter on 03 Nov 22
     
    Its interesting as this could be interpreted as an effort to hold themselves accountable for climate change and plastic use but it can also be seen as a publicity stunt to attempt and hide the amount of emissions and plastic the Coca-Cola company has. I'm hoping its the former but time will tell.
  • slavatalanov on 03 Nov 22
     
    Absolutely wild PR move. Coca Cola has such a colorful history with ecology so it's very uncanny seeing them pop up at this event. Also brings up the question: why does a UN event need sponsors?
cole_bodner

Rishi Sunak is now going to COP27 climate summit - 1 views

www.bbc.com/...uk-politics-63484971

shared by cole_bodner on 03 Nov 22 - No Cached
  • cole_bodner on 03 Nov 22
     
    After initially stating that he was too busy to attend COP27, Rishi Sunak has since reversed his decision following backlash. Critics say that he is attending in an attempt to recover his reputation and better market himself politically, rather than doing it out of national/global interest. I also believe this about the event itself: it is more of a political marketing strategy where officials attend to "take on climate change", but end up blaming other countries' lack of commitment for their own lack of progress.
  • julianatseh on 03 Nov 22
     
    It will be interesting to see if he will be one of the leaders to be open to more radical plans to lower emissions and fight climate change. It may be a bad sign if he originally claimed to be too busy to attend and only changed his mind for his image.
  • duncanc2023 on 03 Nov 22
     
    I saw this article when I was scrolling through to find my own. I agree that this seems to be more of a marketing plan both to make himself seem more appealing to the public and to take some criticism away from the UK's climate change policies in order to direct it towards other countries' policies.
Rory Chipman

A Hit Man At 13 - 1 views

www.spectator.co.uk/...a-hit-man-at-13

The Spectator drug cartel hit man

shared by Rory Chipman on 15 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Rory Chipman on 15 Jan 13
     
    This was a very weird article... It was on the front page of The Spectator and I thought it would be interesting to read since there has been so much debate over guns in the US in the past two months. The article was weird because the reporter was very suspicious of the cartel member. It seemed a very odd article to be on the front page because it talked about very gruesome practices.
  • Rory Chipman on 15 Jan 13
     
    I also realize that this article isn't directly related to politics but I think it does a great job of giving insight into a whole world that the general public is ignorant about.
Aaron Lau

Surprise Russian Proposal Catches Obama Between Putin and House Republicans - 4 views

I found this article interesting because I really enjoyed the video and how both presidents used American media to sway public opinion. Assad was very calm and collected in from of camera and I thi...

nytimes

started by Aaron Lau on 10 Sep 13 1 follow-up, last by Aaron Lau on 11 Sep 13
bonnie_ko

German Military's Problems Prompt Talk of More Defense Spending - 1 views

www.nytimes.com/...-of-more-defense-spending.html

Germany MiddleEast Ebola Military

shared by bonnie_ko on 30 Sep 14 - No Cached
  • bonnie_ko on 30 Sep 14
     
    This article speaks mostly about Germany's struggle to remain an effective military force in the world. Since the dismantlement of the Nazi regime, attitudes towards military spending were generally conservative. However, after failing to send paratroopers to Iraq (they lacked clearance) and medical assistance to ebola-affected regions (they used really old planes), the German public is beginning to wonder whether or not to spend more money on its military. It think that it's not only interesting watching a previously domestically-focused country turn its eyes abroad, but what that means in context of the US being a "superpower".
samoshay

Merkel at her limit - 0 views

www.economist.com/...inion-turning-merkel-her-limit

shared by samoshay on 10 Oct 15 - No Cached
  • samoshay on 10 Oct 15
     
    Interesting article on the migration crisis. Germany torn over who and how many to take; it also seems that however many are taken will be compounded, as those granted asylum can bring their families over, too.
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