House of Wonks

American Values--what are yours?

2007-11-28T09:17:00.000-05:00

What are American Values? We hear a great deal about family values, traditional values, Judeo-Christian values, even liberal values. But we hear hear these from the megaphones of pundits and the ubiquity of mass mailings.I don't think any of those definitions are (at the very least by themselves) American Values. We're about to enter a primary season where 'values' of one stripe or another

Not a four-letter-word any more

2007-10-31T15:26:00.000-04:00

In polite society there are four letter words. We all know them, even if we manage not to use them. Politics, however, has simplified this a bit. Whether in Washington or anywhere else in America, we are now down to a three letter word. Tax. It may be heresy to say this, but both parties have found something to agree on: taxes are bad. The disagreement is one of degree, not of position.

An outsider's inside view of North Korea

2007-10-17T15:36:00.000-04:00

Jon Wolfsthal, Senior Fellow at CSIS, just published a short piece that does an excellent job painting the picture of the challenges faced by the American inspection teams about to head to North Korea to verify the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear facilities. And Wolfsthal would know better than most, since he spent a fair length of time in North Korea doing dismantlement verification in the

Globalization: Not as easy as it used to be

2007-10-12T14:40:00.000-04:00

Globalization is getting more complicated. Now we have labor in the U.S. fighting it, and big business in India and China pushing it. The two sides are presented clearly in this piece from Wednesday’s Times (via Reuters). India is having a huge public debate (usually in the form of protests) over whether to allow ‘big box’ retailers to set up shop. Not Walmarts, Targets, and Best Buys—foreign

What power?

2007-10-05T13:06:00.000-04:00

Fred Hiatt at the Washington Post has sparked quite an exchange today in Post Global, with his piece arguing that the U.S. should let China know it has a choice: a friendly regime in Burma, or a successful Olympics next year. This precipitated a detailed response in opposition from James Fallows, The Atlantic’s correspondent in China. Both men provide compelling arguments, but this

Burma update, before the weekend

2007-09-28T15:18:00.000-04:00

Following up on the post earlier this week about Myanmar/Burma’s unfolding saga, I should offer a quick update. Especially since for North America, Friday afternoon is on us, and the weekend’s distractions may soon begin. President Bush and the U.S. administration did, indeed, back words with actions this week by ratcheting up sanctions against the military regime. There are some doubts

The coming age of thirst

2007-09-27T18:04:00.000-04:00

If there was ever a need for the reminder of just how interconnected the world is, there is a piece in today’s New York Times (yes, I’m very happy Times Select is defunct) that helps bring it home. China is consuming its freshwater at runaway speeds. In the words of Fred Pearce, “If northern China were a separate country, it would be one of the most water-stressed in the world.” China’s

New plan

2007-09-24T10:30:00.000-04:00

The blog has been on life-support for almost a year now. Rather than mothballing it, I thought I'd make a couple of changes and take another run at it. The biggest change is that I'm moving out from behind the curtain. It's just me posting, so no real purpose in veiling my identity. It'll still be the same topics and format though. If anyone is still reading, I'm always interested in

The stirrings of a democracy

2007-09-24T08:43:00.000-04:00

President Bush has promoted his “Democracy Agenda” as a cornerstone of our foreign policy. Inevitably, Iraq has taken center-stage on that in the past several years. As Saturday’s Washington Post points out, there is an opportunity for the U.S. to bring greater attention to a movement that is actively pursuing real democratic reform in a country that is long overdue for it: Myanmar. Formerly

Victory!

2007-09-19T18:45:00.000-04:00

I am declaring victory in my one-man battle against Time Select. I discovered today (though it must have happened a few days ago) that the New York Times has discontinued it's strange and incomprehensible policy of trying to force online readers to pay extravagant amounts of money for today's news: Times Select is defunct. Let's hope it stays that way. And, just in case you want to find out

Overheard in Washington

2006-12-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

OK, so it wasn't overheard so much as received in an email, but it's both true and funny. I've played ultimate frisbee the past year-plus on a team. One of the players was quoted in a story in the Washington Post today on a fairly complicated, though significant, issue. My girlfriend, who also plays on the team, writes:"What a classic Washingtonian moment. Reading the Post, and the expert

What I've Learned

2006-12-11T10:44:00.000-05:00

At the risk of angering the publishers at the Washington Post, I'm reprinting, in its entirety (with a link to the site) Kofi Annan's Op-Ed that was published in today's post. The timing, with a new Congress preparing to start, couldn't be more appropriate. Hopefully someone will listen.What I've LearnedBy Kofi A. AnnanMonday, December 11, 2006; A19Nearly 50 years ago, when I arrived in

Incomes, Inequality, and the World Bank

2006-12-07T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Post has a story about a World Bank report that came out recently, describing the broad-spectrum failings of poverty alleviation programs. In short, according to the report, 60% of countries receiving poverty-alleviation loans from the Bank have remained stagnant, or actually lost ground in the "war on poverty". My favorite, exerpted quote, though is this: "For a sustained

The Anxiety Kingdom

2006-11-24T10:43:00.000-05:00

There is a story in today's Post that, in microcosm, describes China's growing economic problem: Unemployable college graduates. Not because they lack the skills to get decent jobs (the jobs their parents assume college will open the doors for them to get), but because China's economic and regulatory environment make it too hard for the business to start to provide an opportunity to the young

Global warming and economics

2006-11-02T00:10:00.000-05:00

Global Warming To Cost Up To 20% of Global GDPIn college and in grad school, I had ongoing debates with my roommates and friends about the need to quantify, in dollar terms, the costs of global warming, if we wanted the businesses and governments around the world to start taking it seriously. If there isn't a dollar value attached to it, it doesn't affect their bottom line, and they don't have

Bitter Partisanship

2006-10-23T13:04:00.000-04:00

If you thought bitter partisanship was constrained to the Western Hemisphere (where outside the U.S., Mexico is also bitterly--and evenly--divided) there is news from Eastern Europe showing how we are not alone in our "I'm right and you're wrong" attitude. At least we haven't resorted to tear gas, rubber bullets, or fire hoses yet, as is happening in Budapest now. Today is the 50th

North Korean Situation

2006-10-16T08:47:00.000-04:00

News From the FrontierThis is a good story from the Monterey Herald about the situation in one spot along the Chinese-North Korean border. It does a good job of giving a glimmer of what is and what could happen, depending on how the situation unfolds. Take a look, here.From the Security CouncilThe AP also has a good recap of the Security Council resolution, including additional restrictions

Shot heard 'round the world

2006-10-09T23:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who has called, written, or text messaged to let me know that, about 24 hours ago, North Korea detonated a nuclear weapon. For those who don't know me, I've spent the last year and a half procrastinating finishing a master's paper on North Korea. I'm just about finished (presented oral arguments a couple of weeks ago) and have been held up from making final corrections as life

A uniquely American crisis

2006-10-08T14:42:00.001-04:00

The U.S. is facing a crisis. It has to do with Iraq, but our involvement in Iraq is only a symptom of the broader problem. This thought is still forming, and remains a bit rough around the edges, but I want to through it out because it's been so long since my last post.The U.S. military has become so effective, so powerful, so efficient at it's job: defeating identified enemies, that it has far

Peacekeeping? Not a recipe for success

2006-08-01T04:54:00.000-04:00

The concept of peacekeeping troops seems to have gained great ascendancy, and suffered appropriate ignominy in the short span of my life. It came about as a response to the collapse of Somalia into what, euphemistically, was called a civil war but in reality was a number of uber-thugs and warlords fighting for control of territory in a country where the government had been stripped of all

Hiattus or the Hiccups?

2006-07-15T18:44:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since my last post, and a while longer since I'd posted before that. I wanted to write something to address why, as I've been getting a few questions about "what happened?"I've been easing into a new job over the past months. It's a job that has much more substance, and takes a fair amount more time, than what I've been doing previously. It's also a job that allows me to

Education and Defense in the U.S.

2006-06-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

OK thinkers, I've got a thought mulling, and I need some help with it, when you're brain has free time. This gets a bit long. Defense Department vs. National Education levels. Posit: The government is in the business of providing public goods. Why? Because public goods are those that the market wont supply, or wont supply at an efficient level because of disincentives. Ergo,

Those sneaky Capitalists...in North Korea

2006-06-01T13:42:00.000-04:00

A quick little piece to prove that I'm still around. Life's been busy, and I haven't seen a lot I've felt like commenting on lately, sorry. But here's a tidbit for you all: Unbeknownst to the world (and likely, even themselves) the DPRK (N. Korea) has become capitalist. I don't really have much to go on in asserting this. Only one teeny-weeny little web page. North Korea's Official

Wonk Paradise

2006-05-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

I have found it, and it is amazing. What is most surprising (or maybe not) is that it is run by the Federal Reserve. If you’re looking for some amazing numbers, give this a look.

A Glimmer of Sunlight

2006-05-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

This CBS story suggests a glimmer of sunlight in North Korea-Western relations. The Associated Press’s TV wing opened a North Korea bureau on Monday. This is pretty big news. Actually, it’s huge news. North Korea—long viewed as the most secretive country in the world, has just allowed a major media outlet to set up a permanent presence in its capital. I can’t think of a more meaningful

A China Strategy

2006-05-20T16:28:00.000-04:00

As a result of where I live, D.C., I've been hearing a lot recently about the U.S.'s China Strategy. Or more specfically, the U.S.'s lack of a China strategy. It's something I harp on from time to time, and usually offer nothing productive on.Today, I'd like to take a stab at providing a more constructive version of a U.S. China Strategy. President Bush has said that democratization is a goal

One nation, under Lock and Key

2006-05-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

One Nation, under Lock and Key, Indevisible with chain-links and barriers to protect us all.Read the Rahhhsian soliloquoy first, because this is follow-up to that.President Bush will be addressing the country on Monday to lay out his plan to stem the tide of illegal immigration. And it looks as though he will be taking a page out of Nikita Kruschev's playbook, and inverting the great rhetoric (

They feel our pain, but aren't afraid

2006-05-13T10:32:00.000-04:00

Cue Patriotic theme, vaguely reminiscent of TV News theme.Enter, stage right (far right), Prime Minister Ivanovichicov. Walks downstage to podium. Backdrop of flags, flag-waving, weapon wielding true-believers in the foreground."Friends. Countryman. Rahhhsians." "Today we embark on a dangerous and difficult undertaking. We have to secure the Motherland from dangerous adversaries. We face a

Those who do not learn from History

2006-05-12T10:05:00.000-04:00

The saying goes, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." That is why I find the history of China since 1949 such a fascinating topic. As would happen to any continent-sized country with a huge population, China is awash in contradictions. Not only that, but it seems that many in China are losing the ability to distinguish reality from hype. There is a sobering

First Call for the Crusades! First Call!

2006-05-11T12:22:00.000-04:00

Iranian President Ahmadinejad wrote a letter to Bush earlier this week that has been getting more than a little attention--it's not often that letters between heads of state who do not have diplomatic relations with one another become public. I'd like to point out two of the last paragraphs: "Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of

Baidupedia

2006-05-11T10:37:00.000-04:00

From the Financial Times: "China’s leading web search company has launched an online, user-generated encyclopedia modelled on Wikipedia, the hugely popular co-operative reference website that is blocked by Beijing censors." The new service, Baidupedia, is an local Chinese attempt to offer the same kind of service as internationally available products. "The service, which

Just enough room for disaster

2006-05-11T09:36:00.000-04:00

There is a story from "Open Source" which is apparently a radio show, from...somewhere... which describes the changes hitting China as the "floating population" of migrant labor from rural areas moves around the country in search of jobs. Increasingly though, this population is not just rural farmers being displaced by urban sprawl or newer farming techniques. It's also increasingly

A Constitution in America

2006-05-11T09:03:00.000-04:00

There have been rumors of this floating around DC for at least 5 months now, but the story on the cover of today's Post reduces rumor to mere news. There is a bill being proposed in Congress to give DC the vote. It would give DC's delegate a real seat in the House--with the ability to vote and everything. The "trade-off" is that Utah would get an additional representative as well.

Emerging from the depths

2006-05-09T13:32:00.000-04:00

but just for a moment. It's a helter-skelter week, and it's still a month until the summer swelter. This was one that I just couldn't let pass though. First, picking a fight with the Latin prelature: as most adults who grew up in Catholic schools attest, probably not a good idea. But now, claiming that people seeking asylum in ALBANIA are not really refugees. Sure, they were in

Lassoed

2006-05-05T13:47:00.000-04:00

There is an interesting piece in the BBC today outlining the growing fear that China is contravening the Monroe Doctrine, and infiltrating the Western Hemisphere. The concern out of Washington is that China is using its growing economic power, and its bland "profits first" international policy to woo South American populists already pre-disposed to dislike the U.S. (or at least our

David vs. Goliath, rnd 2.

2006-05-05T08:58:00.000-04:00

The Financial Times brings us the next installment of the Hu vs. the Pontiff. This round the Pope lands the first punch. Pope Benedict said on Thursday China’s appointment of two Catholic bishops without his blessing was a “grave violation of religious freedom” as a standoff with Beijing over control of church posts escalated. This is the kind of subtlety one should expect from

David and Goliath

2006-05-04T11:44:00.000-04:00

A battle has been joined. The Vatican and China are squaring off in what could be an epic duel. The cause: China's "patriotic association" Catholic Church ordained 2 bishops recently. The problem: the Pope did not approve these particular bishops. The result? According to Cannon Law (the Catholic Church's legal structure) a Bishop who is consecrated without Vatican approval is

Free Speech?

2006-05-03T09:50:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite dork-sites, OpenCRS has a report from CRS--Congress's analytical and investigatory arm, outlining the issues and efforts to allow churches greater freedom to participate in political campaigns and elections. I'm all for free speech, but I don't like the idea of loosening the restrictions separating tax-exempt organizations from participating directly in elections.

Game On!

2006-05-02T10:54:00.000-04:00

and in the end, you're left with a Snow Crash*. That's right ladies and gentlemen, video games are now cash-cows. Not just for the companies that sell them, but for people that play them too. And not just the people who win South Korean Game Shows. No, this is about a new cash card that will allow people to withdraw money made, in-game, from real cash machines. I feel like there is

Recanting

2006-05-02T09:13:00.000-04:00

As an uninformed, peripheral observer to the political process and currents that brought Evo Morales to the Presidency in Bolivia, I was cautiously optimistic about his chances about improving Bolivia's lot in the world. He's a leftist. He's a populist. But I didn't think he was nuts. Until today. In case you missed it, Bolivia just seized it's oilfields. In the grand tradition of

China vs. the U.S: Who can be less Green?

2006-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Orville Schell, noted China scholar and Dean of UC Berkeley's Journalism School, has recently published an op-ed about one of the greatest not-on-the-agenda items between China and the U.S. He apparently wrote it in advance of President Hu's visit last week, but I've just seen it this morning. In it he describes the biggest challenge not as Taiwan. Not trade or the economy. Not the 80

The problem with secrecy

2006-04-28T16:15:00.000-04:00

This is a story from MSNBC, via Chinadigitaltimes, about Wang Wenyi, the reporter arrested for heckling President Hu in D.C. during his visit. Wang claims she had to do what she did because of China's involvement in harvesting organs from live Falun Gong members. China "vehemently denies" the allegations. The U.S. can't confirm that this is actually happening. A lesson the U.S.

Dazed and Confused

2006-04-28T16:04:00.000-04:00

Washington, DC--In amazing news today, Charles Krauthammer wrote something I agree with. At least on the basic premise: the oil-price surge is based on supply and demand. He sites as evidence the fact that 10 years ago, President Clinton ordered an investigation into gasoline prices remarkably similar to the one President Bush has just ordered. And it found approximately nothing. The

Crisis, Conflict, or Ephemera?

2006-04-28T11:29:00.000-04:00

You Decide. The International Crisis Group has put out a good synopsis of the state of affairs in NE Asia. (Their pieces are nearly always good.) It focuses on the rise of Nationalism in Japan, Korea, and China; and the impact it is having on their relations in the region. The flashpoint for the most recent cacophony of saber-rattling stems from territorial disputes between Japan

Violence begets....what?

2006-04-26T18:07:00.000-04:00

Oh yes. This. As if Israel's treatment of Palestinians (and vice versa) over the past 40 years wasn't lesson enough, we've got another case study in how not to resolve ethnic-politico-economic tensions.

Political Crises and the Consequences of Economic Growth

2006-04-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

An experienced person whose judgment I respect recently offered the following as major concerns/crises facing the administration: a wavering domestic political consensus to stay the course in Iraq; the controversy over Rumsfeld's tenure; Hamas' election; Iran; Russia's potential backslide toward regional strong-man status; Stalemate on North Korea; Oil price

Now that's a stretch

2006-04-26T11:17:00.000-04:00

Far be it from me to criticize other countries, or their leaders, especially in a place where I know very little, but this one isn't getting through my five-hole. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is making statements covered in the Washington Post threatening consequences to U.S. interests around the world, if the U.S. attacks Iran: "The Iranian nation and its officials are

Weeping at what we Sow

2006-04-25T13:53:00.000-04:00

President Bush, recognizing limited public support for his positions, is taking a new political approach: go after the low hanging fruit. Stories in the Star Tribune has a story about the President seeking to calm American fears about rising gas prices. The Washington Post describes the President's efforts to alleviate American's at-the-pump costs this way: President Bush, faced

The Senate, by Blogspot

2006-04-24T12:13:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure, but I think Blogspot just got the contract for the Senate homepage. Don't believe me? Check it out.

Missing the boat

2006-04-18T13:27:00.000-04:00

"Fresh off the boat." A not-so-nice way to describe newly arrived immigrants who just haven't caught on to "being American" yet. Well, the expression of current U.S. policies towards China--as depicted in this Washington Post article--make it sound like Americans are the ones fresh off the boat. After spending the first 2 decades after World War Two creating an interlocking system of

China Woes

2006-04-10T19:27:00.000-04:00

In continuing bad news for the sick in China, there is news today of an explosion in Shanxi province (not to be confused with Shaanxi) that rocked building for over a kilometer, and broke windows as far as 2 km away. As near as I can tell from multimaps.com, Yuanping is about 200 km west of Shijiazhuang. And if you haven't heard of that provincial capital before, it's because the province

The rising cost of "it's someone elses problem"

2006-04-09T17:58:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post included this graphic on the rising cost of education in the online edition. I'd go to the living room to see if it was in the print edition too, but does anyone read the print edition for anything but sales and coupons anymore?While not trying to be crass, does it really come as a shock to anyone that the costs of public education are going up? The requirements and

Welcome to the Jungle

2006-04-07T08:54:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Jungle. Not Axel Rose's jungle, but Thomas Hobbes', or Upton Sinclair's. Apparently the declining college admission rate--the fact that there are so many students applying to college today that even students with rather good High School performances aren't getting in--has gotten so bad that the Washington Post is breaking from their political coverage to inform us of our

The Two Americas

2006-04-06T15:27:00.000-04:00

I was talking about the "Two Americas" last night with a co-worker from Spain. I was describing how it can mean a lot of things to a lot of people: the divide between rich and poor; educated or not; white-collar or blue collar; city vs. rural; coast vs. "heartland". He said he's seen some of that--between attending a U.S. high school in a rural part of a state bifurcated by the agriculture

A start, but a false start?

2006-04-05T10:07:00.000-04:00

OK, last one for the morning, I promise. Massachusetts's (am I the only one who hates spelling that?) legislature just passed a law requiring health insurance the same way states require car owners to purchase car insurance--you have to have it, or you have to pay a fine. From the Boston Globe. I can't find a copy of the bill online, but I haven't really put a lot of time into it

The un-Democratic, and un-democratic, too!

2006-04-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

I don't know if there's anyone left in this country who would accuse former House Majority Leader, the 'hammer' Tom DeLay of being a Democrat. He was, proudly and effectively, the un-Democrat. The man ran the Republican House machine for a decade (in name or in deed) by pulling all the levers of power that he needed to. The Post is running a story on him today saying that he wanted to

A Glimmer of Recognition

2006-04-05T09:24:00.000-04:00

The Beijing Morning Post ran a story (sorry, no link because it's in Chinese) about a problem that, for those who've spent any time around young people in China, has been readily apparent for a while: hiring discrimination. The story sites a survey in which 8 in 10 girls said they had been discriminated against in their job hunt. While there is some potential room for confusion--as I've

When 1.3 Billion people is not enough?

2006-04-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

According to this story in the New York Times, when you are China's economy. The story talks of how there are labor shortages in some provinces of China--notably the Pearl River Delta (adjacent to Hong Kong), as Chinese are either A. taking higher paying jobs in the Shanghai area, B. taking (close to) decent paying jobs nearer their homes, or C. staying on the farm because of agricultural

Lower the Bar

2006-04-02T10:37:00.000-04:00

We interrupt this broadcast for a bit ofinside-the-beltway who-haa that will likely beuninteresting to anyone living in the reality, which Ihave recently been informed, surrounds the island ofD.C. on all sides.The Washington Post is describing the problems ofRepresentative Katherine Harris's campaign in Florida.Apparently anyone with the seniority to havesomething to lose by being associated with

Boosting DC Revenues

2006-03-31T11:44:00.000-05:00

There are a couple of ideas floating around in my head for a while to boost revenues in the District--and make people's lives a bit easier. Here they are: 1. Get rid of SmarTrip cards. For those of you not from the District, SmarTrip cards are the local reusable, rechargeable public-transportation cards. The kind of thing you leave in your wallet so you don't have to fiddle with

Terrors of a One-Story!

2006-03-31T10:46:00.000-05:00

A doctor from a suburban D.C. country wrote an Op-Ed in the Washington Post today about the problem with American "boys." Except he isn't actually talking about boys, he's talking about men. According to the author, 1/3 of men between 22-34 live with their parents. Based on the census, this means that nearly 10 million men are living in their parents' basement. He doesn't offer any

Communism, not just for the Communists any more

2006-03-30T17:44:00.000-05:00

It looks like those in and around my generation in France may be attempting to revive communism. Or if not communism, then at least the Iron Rice Bowl. French youth have been protesting a law, passed out of the French Assembly, that would make it easier for employers to (among other things) fire those under 26. Because apparently, it's really hard. But it sounds like its not just hard

The Christians and the Pagans sat together at the Table...

2006-03-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Dar Williams for the title of this post. And thanks to the "War on Christians" for giving me reason to use it. Check it out in the Post, the Lawrence Journal World, and the Post again (via the SF Chronicle). According to Tom DeLay, Sam Brownback, and a host of other well known figures, there is a War on Christians. They claim it is being prosecuted by "radical secularism."

News and Views from Dongbei

2006-03-29T20:18:00.000-05:00

There are a couple of stories floating around the net that I want to bring up here. I've decided that just citing the post and BBC is probably very little value-added for all my loyal readers out there. I know who each and every one of the 12 of you are!First, sad news. There was a tragedy in Meihekou, Jilin province.It was reported in Xinhua, Agence France Press, and a few others. Aparently a

Drat! One-upped again!

2006-03-29T12:46:00.000-05:00

It looks like the U.S. attempts to set China apart as a big scary monster have been made to seem like efforts of "girlie men" by the Macho Macho Man, himself--Silvio Berlusconi. What could a rough-and-tumble Italian billionaire have done to ruffle Chinese feathers? Definitely nothing as bad as publishing a dubious drawing of the Prophet in his newspaper. No, instead he claimed that

Specialized Obsolescence

2006-03-29T12:21:00.000-05:00

Global Specialization. How the specialization of market niches is bringing the world closer together—and closer to conflict. The process of specialization, of the evolution of economies from generalists to specialists isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s not even remarkable. Adam Smith described it/prescribed it in

Too little, too late?

2006-03-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

Interesting news out of China today. Not the kind you'll find on Xinhua, the BBC or in the NYTimes. This is news in the best of Chinese tradition: word of mouth. The following paragraph floated across my inbox this morning, and lends a Chinese perspective (translated through a couple of non-Chinese) about the state of affairs in China. "Then he talked about the developing ; social

Where there's a will, there's a way

2006-03-28T17:00:00.000-05:00

If you think stories of China's booming economy, America's blossoming debt, and the approaching apocalypse that is Iraq, here's a story to remind you that when Americans--of any age--put their mind to something, it's just going to happen.Cliff's Notes version:3 year old boy not willing to settle for one toy from the retracto-claw machine at an Austin, Minn. Godfather's Pizza (Who knew they even

From Transparency to...something Else

2006-03-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

While I may be the last person to comment on this story...since it's about a week old, I still thought it worth bringing up. (Special Thanks to Times select for discouraging me from reading the NYTimes.) And much more sincere thanks to Genya for passing the story on to me. After this morning's story in the Post about Bernanke trying to open the Fed up to be more transparent, we are

Clear Messages, Mixed Signals

2006-03-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

The Federal Open Markets Committee will be meeting today--the first since Ben Bernanke became Chairman of the Federal Reserve. According to this story in the Post, he will start pushing for changes to make the Fed more transparent. Before you day traders and currency speculators start salivating, this transparency is going to look nothing like the real time data we can pull from the NYSE

Don't just know, Respect, your enemy

2006-03-27T17:12:00.000-05:00

Respect your enemy. It might require a hard sell, but at this time of year it seems an apt phrase to use as a basis for a redrafting of America’s foreign policy. And yes, in the next 700 words, that is what I will propose. America’s enemy has been defined as Islamic Extremism—anywhere and upheld by anyone. We

International Businesses, Start your engines

2006-03-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

It looks like FedEx is coming to China. Not like it was before, little by little, but in a much more concerted, and wholly-owned sort of way. And even though it is one of the basic facilitators of modern capitalism, it got itself covered in the Chinese national news agency, here. As someone who's considered starting a business in China, the idea that there could exist a reliable, rapid,

Paen to Performance

2006-03-27T10:35:00.000-05:00

Sebastian Mallaby's piece in today's Washington Post is a composite of slap-on-the-back, and falsely modest "why are we so great" when it comes to American businesses. He extols the performance and productivity gains in the U.S. economy over the past 10+ years, especially in comparison to our first-world competitors in Japan and Europe. He describes how our businesses and business models,

Never do battle with a mountain

2006-03-26T22:32:00.000-05:00

Never do battle with a mountain. Especially not one with a deceptively passive name like "Old Rag." Just when the mountain has lulled you into thinking you've won the immediate battle, it's likely that the mountain will win the war.At least that's how my body is feeling after hiking up Old Rag today. As threatened, my roommate had me out of bed at an early hour (for me) to meet with her hiking

Winners, and Everyone Else

2006-03-26T07:59:00.000-05:00

Apologies to myself for the early post, but am going to try something dangerous today: get out of the city and go for a hike--gasp!--outside!Edward Cody, whom I refer to frequently here, writes for the Washington Post. His story today is about the winners and losers in China's growing economy. Not revolutionary, since any time there is change there are winners and losers. But what is

Students of Hegemony, not of History; or How Republicans have failed to apply their own rise to power to the rest of the world

2006-03-24T12:29:00.000-05:00

The Republican ascendancy in this country was largely built on the idea that Conservatives are an oppressed majority. People who are in the mainstream, but are being cut-out of American political life by the “bad guys” of Hollywood, academia, and the media. Over the past twenty years they have built a network of people in key positions in media and research organizations to provide

The marginal costs of war

2006-03-23T15:00:00.000-05:00

It used to be that when a country went to war--any kind of country--it required the mobilization of a significant amount of resources from a very large portion of it's population. In the case of an offensive war, this was the case because you had to send in enough people, with enough bullets (or swords) and enough food to A. kill the other people, and B. hold their land long enough to

Entrepreneuring Health Care

2006-03-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

An idea just popped into my head--not really in keeping with the Asia-focus that I try to keep, but it's definately wonky, so I'm putting it up. If you have thoughts on this, please let me know. 1. One of the main reasons the United States has been so successful over the last 80 years is that government has

Not your father's 12 Step Program anymore

2006-03-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

Once again improving on an American invention, led by President Hu Jin Tao, the Chinese are now seeking to rival the Japanese for adding value to existing ideas and products. What did they do this time? I'm sure most of you are following the details of China's government-led moral crusades more closely than I, but I just came across an improvement on an American tried-and-true. The 12

A little Texas Two-step

2006-03-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

As I was sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office today, I was surprised to see President Bush on the screen. Not just waving after a speech or coming down from Air Force One, but actually interacting with the press corps. CNN has a decent transcript. Before I get into deconstructing the rather sophisticated way our President handled himself today, I'm going to say that I'm

Those Heady 1980s

2006-03-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

If the hype lives up to the news, Taiwan is going to be in for some excitement over the next couple of years. President Chen Shui Bian is being targetted by street demonstrations calling for him to tone it down. The stories in the BBC seem to be describing a Taiwan moving back towards those days in the 1980s when students and trade unions led pushes for democratization in Taiwan. In other,

Lost in the Beltway

2006-03-15T11:42:00.000-05:00

Dear Dr. Hasaclue, I'm really confused. I've been watching the Bush administration tread roughshod over the previously held standards of conduct for an administration for the past 5 years now. I've seen them squander 50 years of accumulated international good will in less than two years. I've watched as the Democrats' challenge to this President was a lackluster candidate with an

China's Quebec

2006-03-13T22:43:00.001-05:00

China's own version of Quebec is at it again. Some call it Formosa. Some call it Taiwan. Others call it the Republic of China. It doesn't really matter what you call it. It's a Mandarin speaking Quebec: a province that rattles its saber at the idea of recognized independence, but when push comes to shove is smart enough to know it has greater autonomy and flexibility under the currently

Avast ye! I be needing your warez!

2006-03-10T15:18:00.000-05:00

China is setting up a piracy court. Because, apparently, the country has a, "burgeoning market for fake goods." Yeah. Right. China might have an ENORMOUS market for fake goods. It's probably the biggest in the world. But I don't know that it would be possible to call it, "burgeoning." Burgeon: 1 a : to send forth new growth (as buds or branches) : SPROUT b : BLOOM2 : to grow

Are Singaporeans really --that-- dirty?

2006-03-10T15:05:00.000-05:00

A story in today's BBC has to make one ask, "how clean is clean enough?" A good friend of mine is from Singapore, and it's a place I've never been. Both reasons to hesitate when criticizing. There is still a question though: how clean is clean enough? The statement, attributed to a "manpower ministry" official is rather unambiguous: "Prescribing minimum terms and conditions for the

Nature is cruel

2006-03-10T13:56:00.000-05:00

Today in our nation's capital it is 77 degrees. I don't mean Kelvin. I mean real degrees. Check it out. We have not yet had winter, and we're already plunging headlong into summer. Who says global warming isn't occurring? Several of my colleagues are unhappy that the air conditioning is on instead of the heat today. It's the first day I've been comfortable in the office since

I like North Koreans

2006-03-10T11:52:00.000-05:00

Sing it with me now...to the tune of Monty Python's "I like Chinese..." For the past year + I’ve been working on writing a paper on N. Korea. It’s getting to the point where 4 friends have asked me in the last week if I was done yet. I’ve wondered, why have I been working on this for so long. And then, reading the news today, it became clear.

Large ironies in the Middle Kingdom

2006-03-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

A BBC headline today reads, China's foreign minister has urged the US, Taiwan's biggest arms provider, to take "concrete measures" against any Taiwanese bids for independence. Coming from a foreign ministry which has repeatedly warned the U.S. in the past that Taiwan is a breakaway province, and a purely domestic issue, it would seem that China is changing its policy, and asking for

Dogmatic adherence to stagnant policies

2006-03-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has been speaking a great deal recently on the need to improve opportunities and investment in rural China.According to some critics, what is needed isn't just greater government investment in rural areas, but giving rural people (farmers) a stake in the system by granting land ownership to them. Currently, Chinese farmers take out long-term leases of the land from the

"They Hate Our Health"*

2006-03-03T16:44:00.000-05:00

Osh Kosh, WISC—Addressing the annual meeting of the Association of American Towns that Used to Support Textiles (AATUST), Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona presented the Bush administration position on why more Americans need vaccinations. “These diseases, they hate our health,” said Carmona. “Just like we

Out Republicanning the Republicans, or How the Democrats have Lost America.

2006-03-02T17:00:00.000-05:00

Paul Wellstone defined politics as, “who wins, who loses, and who decides.” Another definition is, “a means to solve conflict without the use of force.” There are innumerable definitions for politics, but they all come down to a simple fact: politics is about winning. And winning necessitates an opposite: losing.

George's Will

2006-02-26T10:58:00.000-05:00

Washington Post columnist George F. Will has another piece of angry, angry writing today. It's the most consistent trait in his writing. But today, he takes up a point that (surprisingly) I tend to agree with. He writes about the need for an open society to be open. How constraints of free speech really aren't doing anything to promote a concept of openness.Amongst the constraints on free

Understanding, Close-mindedness, or Piety?

2006-02-25T23:47:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine posts daily reflections on the Gospel. I'm not one to go in for regular or lengthy discourses on religion, but there is frequently wisdom in his comments. In the Judeo-Christian-Muslim triad that exists in the modern world, with all three (I think) in agreement that the origins of the faiths are the same, and given the recent combination of violence in the Muslim world over

What do China and Texas have in Common?

2006-02-20T15:20:00.000-05:00

Both like to do things big.Say what you want about China or the government there, but don't accuse them of being afraid to think big. And I'm not just talking about thousands of years of history building the great wall, or irrigation programs that are large enough for all of Western Europe. I'm talking of modern marvels like the Three Gorges Dam, and their newest initiative 50% more electricity

Long Overdue Story

2006-02-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a story today that my friend Austin was talking about 3.5 years ago... how U.S. telecommunication and internet on-ramping is lagging farther and farther behind our Asian and European friends."High speed" connections in the states are between 1 and 4 megabits per second (Mbps). A megabit is 1/8th of a megabyte. Japan, South Korea, and third-wold-giant China all

World's greatest rumor-mill

2006-02-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Anyone who I've ever talked to about the rapidity with which information crisscrosses China will have heard me describe the country as the world's greatest rumor mill. There is a series this week in the Washington Post talking about the challenges and opportunities facing China as more and more Chinese log onto the internet. Yesterday's story was about the China Youth Daily, one of its editors,

Sibling Rivalry

2006-02-19T18:07:00.000-05:00

If you have siblings, you'll know what I'm talking about here. When you're little you take opportunities to just poke at your siblings (or even your parents). You know, the opportunities are rare, so you have to exploit them: any time in the car; sitting someplace (like church), those moments when neither mom nor dad are in the room.That's exactly what is happening between the world's two

Capitalist means, Soviet ends.

2006-02-18T11:12:00.000-05:00

One of the growing ironies of 21st Century American political rhetoric is the way it is beginning to establish goals that are nearly a perfect mirror of the Soviet actions of the last century. Don't be confused, not a mimic, but a mirror. A reflection. The same thing from the other side.The Soviets followed a single-minded planning system, organized from a central source and seeking a single end:

Something's wrong in Smallville

2006-02-10T18:50:00.000-05:00

There are times in life when you know you're just not keeping up with the Joneses. Normally I'm fine with that. But today, I'm just down. Because the newspaper has deemed fit to just rub my nose in it. Not only do I know that I'm not doing my duty as an American, keeping the economy running by spending lavishly, but now everyone else will too. How do I know this? Because the Star Tribune

6 Reasons I'm Tired of People Being Tired

2006-02-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

I’m tired of people being tired of Bush bashing. I’m tired of it for several reasons:It’s the political pass-time of the United States. We make fun of our Presidents. Ever hear of Saturday Night Live? Don’t believe me? I just have to ask those of you tired of Bush bashing how much Clinton Complimenting you did during the 1990s? By contrast, what “viciousness” is there in what is said about