GenY on The World

	Poor rich people Nov 14, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ We've read, heard, and written a lot about how various levels of income can be likely to spur unrest in emerging economies. Some say rising incomes lead to higher expectations (think Maslow's pyramid), others say it's stagnation that cr ... [read more]
	Precedents in IR Nov 14, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ It's an interesting concept for precedents to be set in international affairs. The first case of decolonization was one such example. Arab leaders not being allowed to kill their own citizens seems to be another:The Arab League is today ... [read more]
	From Suez to Qom Nov 10, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ This quote by Harold Macmillan, UK finance and later prime minister at the time of the Suez crisis, can't help but remind me of something any Western policymaker could say regarding Iran in 2011: The truth is that we are caught in a te ... [read more]
	China's State revisited Nov 2, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Interesting topic how China will change the way we think about the State: [read more]
	Before Westphalia Nov 2, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Welcome to a world in which companies are safer bets than governments: [read more]
	Competitiveness matters more than aircraft carriers Oct 28, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Interesting point by Clyde Prestowitz: the US should make its presence in Asia felt, it should maintain or increase its share of the power market there, but the best way to do so is paradoxically to keep military commitments low, thereb ... [read more]
	Strange wording in FBI press release on Iran Saudi plot Oct 27, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ This strange sentence caught my eye when reading the FBI’s press release about Iran’s Saudi Ambassador murder plot: “During a series of Mirandized interviews, Arbabsiar allegedly confessed to his participation in the murder plot.” [read more]
	Can F1 tell us anything about the next convergence? Oct 26, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ This post is co-written with Guillaume Amigues. Both authors are writing in their personal capacity and the views expressed here are their own and do not necessarily represent those of their past or present employers. [read more]
	No BRIC hype for the World Bank Oct 21, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Do you think that it's hard to find a better place to invest than the BRICs these days? Well the World Bank doesn't agree. According to David Bosco: The World Bank has just released its annual Doing Business report, which assesses coun ... [read more]
	Maybe not a dinosaur, but not quite the brightest bulb Oct 21, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Some of you might have seen this angry Wall Street email circulating and reproduced by the FT’s alphaville: [read more]
	They found the map out of there! Oct 19, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Finally! It's taken years, but senior U.S. foreign policy leadership has finally said it loud and clear: the Middle East is simply not where history is being written! [read more]
	Unacceptable Oct 19, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ The below comment is simply unacceptable from any political leader in the advanced world. In fact, the "advanced world" is a pretty bad expression and the absence of such comments in its politicians' mouths should be part of how one dra ... [read more]
	Tehran politics go to Washington Oct 19, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Domestic and foreign politics are always intertwined. Could Iran's alleged plot against the Saudi Washington Ambassador be the latest example? Meir Javedanfar makes the case. [read more]
	It's all about the tone Oct 19, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ I get why we might negotiate with the Taliban. I get why we might pretend like we wouldn't and then do an about-face. But what I don't get is how we can chastise Pakistan so heavily for its ties with a terrorist group (namely the Haqqan ... [read more]
	Communication channels as infrastructure Oct 19, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Communication is like any other trade; it requires infrastructure. That's why, whether they use it or not, there's value for political actors in having channels of communication linking them. Stratfor argues that's what the Gilad deal h ... [read more]
	Afghans as the ultimate hedgers Oct 17, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ What do hedge fund managers and ordinary Afghans have in common? They're both knee-deep into the business of hedging in our uncertain world:What else do you do in a time of uncertainty? Well I suppose if there was one thing which I thin ... [read more]
	White academic males don't like the 1970s Oct 2, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ As I mentioned a few days ago, it recently dawned on me that there is more than a fair share of commonality between our current era of upheaval and transformation and the 1970s. In The Shock of the Global, his opus on the topic, Niall F ... [read more]
	The credit due to North Korea? Oct 1, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Over at Foreign Affairs, Leon Sigal makes the point that the West has not given enough credit to North Korea for its restraint in the nuclear realm. I have to say I'm not sure I agree with that, but Sigal does make a case worth consider ... [read more]
	The politics and economics behind the BRICs Oct 1, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Those of you with interest in political risk analysis will know that the whole sector is based on the idea that looking at a given business situation from a merely economic perspective will never tell you enough to assess your full risk ... [read more]
	Why GDP doesn't tell you much Sep 30, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ By now we’ve probably all heard about how GDP isn’t good enough a measure of societal prosperity and well-being and how important it is to find more suitable ways of assessing our successes and needs as societies. But one rarely hears a ... [read more]
	Another way out Sep 26, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ I'm sympathetic to Stephen Walt's concern that previous great crises have often been solved through war. But I also found it interesting to be reminded by Charles Maier that:Unlike "..." two earlier turbulent eras 1905-1914 and 1929-193 ... [read more]
	Another take on China's reform years Sep 26, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ I’ve always thought of China’s Cultural Revolution as the country’s last cry of hardcore Maoism before the beginning of Deng’s reform movement. In a way, that’s what it was indeed. But Odd Arne Westad suggests an alternative interpretat ... [read more]
	Why aren't we good with complexity? Sep 26, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ What prevents us from dealing effectively with complexity? That is the question the Harvard Business Review asked Michael Moubaussin. I like his answer:The biggest issue, in my mind, is that humans are incredibly good at linking cause a ... [read more]
	Asians in debt too?! Sep 25, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ I've made it quite clear I'm not sure we can bet the house on emerging markets saving the world from a great contraction. This new look by beyondbrics at Asian debt confirms that doubt and serves as a terrifying warning shot. The gist: ... [read more]
	The solution to global governance Sep 25, 2011 \| Author: Andrew D. Bishop \| Source: WHAT YOU MUST READ Could the solution to all of our global governance problems be to put our decision-makers on a spaceship and say bye-bye until they've found a common ground? Funny enough thought to check it out. Reminds me of my IR classes at Johns Hop ... [read more]
	RIP The Honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada Aug 22, 2011 \| Author: brent \| Source: made in Canada Jack Layton, the New Democratic Party leader who led his party to Official Opposition status in this year’s federal election, has died after a battle with cancer. Continue reading → [read more]
	Rex Murphy shares his thoughts on the Vancouver riots Jun 17, 2011 \| Author: brent \| Source: made in Canada Rex Murphy shares his thoughts on the Vancouver rioters. Continue reading → [read more]
	Sheila Fraser, Auditor General of Canada from May 31, 2001 – May 30, 2011 May 30, 2011 \| Author: brent \| Source: made in Canada After 10 years as Canada's Auditor General, Sheila Fraser retires today. During her 10 year mandate a Readers Digest poll listed her as one of the Top 10 Most Trusted Canadians. Continue reading → [read more]
	Lack of buyer’s remorse since election … May 30, 2011 \| Author: brent \| Source: made in Canada The package Canada bought on May 2nd has not been out of the box or turned on yet, but already pollsters are claiming a lack of buyer's remorse over the majority Conservative government and the new Official Opposition, the NDP under Jac ... [read more]
	One Year, One Canadian – Buying Canadian for a Year May 25, 2011 \| Author: brent \| Source: made in Canada For the year 2011, Darren Barefoot is living entirely Canadian... Continue reading → [read more]