From Open Democracy, responsibility and neo-liberalism: The triumph of neo-liberal globalisation is also the imposition of a new mode of governance of institutions and individuals, to which the idea of responsibility is central. Grahame Thompson examines this achievement and assesses what can be done to address it. From American, a review of The State After Statism: New State Activities in the Age of Liberalization by Jonah Levy; and a review of How Countries Compete: Strategy, Structure and Government in the Global Economy by Richard H.K. Vietor. The two most powerful jobs in global economics - - leadership of the IMF and the presidency of the World Bank - - are still old-fashioned stitch-ups. An epidemic of white jeeps: Aid is well-intentioned and the recipient countries are truly needy, a curmudgeonly and heretical thought occurs: is this overkill?
From YaleGlobal, an essay on Interrupting a History of Tolerance (and part 2 and part 3). Getting Comfy With Genocide: Is the word losing its power to shock us into action? Don't Worry, Be Happy: Things are not going as badly in the world as most people think. From Radar, an article on the the Most Powerful People You've Never Heard Of. Nelson Mandela marked his 89th birthday with the launch of a group, including ex-presidents, with "almost 1,000 years of collective experience" to deal with problems that governments are unable or unwilling to confront. A review of The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West, and the Fight Against AIDS by Helen Epstein. Extremophile Journalism: The role of science journalists in the developing world is more important than ever. Are volunteer vacations, the so-called voluntourism industry, merely overpriced guilt trips with an impact as fleeting as the feel-good factor? Or do they offer individuals a real chance to change the world, one summer jaunt at a time?
A review of Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy by Matthew R. Simmons. The Other Failed Invasion: Somalia is shaping up to be another disaster in the war on terrorism. Michael Scheuer on Al-Qaeda's theological enforcer: Libyan Abu Yahya al-Libi seems to be assuming the unique position of insurgent-theologian. Iraqi resistance groups are waging a devastating guerrilla war against British and US forces. Their leaders talk about plans for a united front and how they have come to hate al-Qaida for its indiscriminate killing. Irrelevant Exuberance: Phillip Carter on why the latest good news from Iraq doesn't matter. What explains the apparent paradox of America’s battered global image on one hand — and booming U.S. global earnings on the other?
From National Journal, who making what in the White House: The numbers are in, from the White House chief of staff to the most junior assistant. Form The Hill, the latest edition of the 50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill. A small but growing number of lobbyists who volunteer their services for a really special set of special interests: They're helping nonprofits push legislative agendas, asylum-seekers get citizenship and monuments get designated as federal landmarks. Downtown Geekville: The chief lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project has short, clean-cut blond hair, and wears crisp, dark suits and conservative red-and-blue patterned ties. There is not a hint of dope pusher about him. He doesn’t even have a tattoo. Summertime, and living in DC is easy: An ode to the beauty and contradictions of our nation's capital in the dog days of August.
