Month: April 2022
Ending anti-satellite missile tests
Space is already full of junk: empty rocket stages, flecks of paint, nuts and bolts, toothbrushes dropped by careless astronauts and the like. It can stay aloft for decades. At orbital speeds, even small items can cause damage. The International Space Station (iss) has to dodge bits of junk roughly once a year. In June
Inflation Control
Inflation is regarded as costly because it erodes people’s savings and distorts price signals. And there are unquestionably instances when it has brought an economy to its knees. During Weimar Germany’s period of hyperinflation in the 1920s people’s savings evaporated, eliminating the middle class and paving the way for the rise of fascism. Inflation also
Preventing China from attacking Taiwan
The battle for survival of a young democracy against a bullying, autocratic neighbour that scorns its right to self-determination could one day be their own. When Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the despotic presidents of China and Russia respectively, say their friendship has “no limits”, Taiwan shudders. Two obstacles prevent the mainland from forcing “reunification”
Cannabis Legalization
Nearly 70% of Americans now favor legalization and several proposals are working their way through Congress on both sides of the aisle. In America, expected to introduce their long-awaited bill overhauling America’s cannabis policy, while Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace has put forward the States Reform Act, which has the strange bedfellow backing of billionaire Charles
Convergence in media companies
Consumers expect interactive experiences that blend content, community and commerce. Creating an all-inclusive media experience that combines content, community and commerce takes an ensemble cast of characters unaccustomed to sharing the screen together. The move toward “converged consumption” started with streaming and broadcast experiences that enabled viewers to chat virtually with friends and followers while
Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine
In February 2007, almost 70 years after the infamous Munich conference, Vladimir Putin openly announced his desire to dismantle the post-cold war order in Europe. The following year, he attacked Georgia. Six years after that, he occupied Crimea and set Donbas in eastern Ukraine ablaze. And, another eight years on, he began the bloodiest stage
Mr Macron Re-Election
Re-election for Mr Macron would defy critics of his imperious style of governance. In his way stands a resurgent Marine Le Pen, whose focus on the rising cost of living has matched the national mood. Internationally, the presidential race will be analysed as a barometer for the strength of populism. For much of the campaign
Human Rights Abuse in China
President Xi Jinping offered this history lesson at an online summit with the heads of European Union institutions on April 1st. It was prompted by efforts by EU leaders to explain why Europe’s dark past obliges them to raise rights abuses with China, and to urge Chinese rulers to use their influence to curb Russian
The battle for Donbas
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine has entered a new phase, and its forces in Ukraine have a new commander one with a history of targeting civilians. The next few weeks are likely to see huge, bloody battles for control of the eastern Donbas region. Russia wants to see results by May 9th. DO you think that
Federal Reserve Inflation
America’s Federal Reserve has suffered a hair-raising loss of control. In March consumer prices were 8.5% higher than a year earlier, the fastest annual rise since 1981. In Washington inflation-watching is usually the preserve of wonks in shabby offices. Now nearly a fifth of Americans say inflation is the country’s most important problem; President Joe