The Copenhagen syndrome: How far does your radius of empathy extend? Are you prepared to include "others" in pursuit of a more inclusive "we"? The impact of immigration and poverty on everyday life make these questions a matter of personal as well as intellectual and governmental concern. Ban Ki-moon on why we should welcome the dawn of the migration age: The negative aspects of the era of mobility too often overshadow its potential power: to bring millions out of poverty. From The Economist, the eight commandments: In 2000 the world set itself goals to cut poverty, disease and illiteracy. It will take more than aid to meet them; taking stock: The world is winning its fight against poverty, mostly; and mid-way through, the UN's drive against poverty remains half crusade and half charade. A review of The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier.
From Ovi, an article on Dante's vision of a united Europe. The EU has reached an agreement and sidestepped catastrophe — but only just. An op-ed on Europe’s non-European Europeans. Islamophobes rejoice! EU countries are becoming more Christian: A review of In God’s Continent: Christianity, Islam, and Europe’s Religious Crisis by Philip Jenkins. Sometimes voluntarily, sometimes through gritted teeth and sometimes without even knowing, countries around the world are importing the EU's rules. It is a trend that has sparked concerns among foreign business leaders and that irritates US policymakers. Europe and Queen were two pretty awful soft metal bands from the Eighties, but fortunately, neither has anything to do with this anthropomorphic map of Europe as a queen.
From Dissent, Mitchell Cohen on Bush's Murphy's Law (and other presidential evolutions). Sean Wilentz on Mr. Cheney’s Minority Report: Part of Iran-contra’s legacy has now become a legacy of the Bush-Cheney administration. Bush's handling of the Libby case, and the way the nation as a whole has dealt with the Iraq war, reek of cognitive dissonance. Pardon me, Mr. President, I swear, I'm innocent: The power to forgive is used and abused by political leaders the world over.
From Newsweek, across the divide: How Barack Obama is shaking up old assumptions about what it means to be black and white in America. Star Trek extra, fascist, horseshoer, dark priest and the other presidential candidates: More than 100 other Americans most people have never ever heard of have thrown their hats into the ring. Hearts over minds, he tells Democrats: Brain researcher Drew Westen says the party needs to connect with voters' emotions to win. From the web to the White House: Since the 1960s, television has been the dominant medium in US presidential election campaigns. But YouTube has changed all that. Will the new medium aid democracy, or is it just a passing fad? The Right to Spend: Has the age of campaign-finance reform come to an end? Jeffrey Rosen wants to know.
