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    Emmanuel Macron’s War on Welfare

    France is in chaos. For the last five years, the land of wine, cheese and chateaux has dominated headlines for all the wrong reasons: a series of terror attacks, the yearlong mobilization by the gilets jaunes, and now the longest transport strike in over two decades that crippled Île-de-France (greater Paris region) amid growing social […] More

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    To Out-Think Beijing, Washington Will Need to Adopt Visionary Planning

    Sino-US relations have been a marriage of mutual economic convenience that worked rather well for both countries for several decades. What is commonly referred to as “Chimerica” — where China produces products and purchases American treasury bonds, and the US purchases Chinese products and derives fiscal stability as a result of Beijing’s purchase of a […] More

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    After Its Win in Delhi, Is the AAP En Route to Replace the BJP?

    Until recently, elections in Delhi were not a big deal. In fact, the act that governs the National Capital Territory of Delhi grants very limited autonomy to the city administration. Some derisively call elections for the Delhi government to be a glorified municipality contest. That derision may be misjudged. The Delhi election is a key […] More

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    The Importance of Good Governance

    To the extent that people know anything about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), they reasonably assume that they have something to do with the economy (development), and with the environment (sustainability). They’re only partly right. The bigger challenge, especially for countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, is governance. The 17 SDGs were […] More

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    India: Autopsy and Resurrection of a Republic

    Citizenship is fundamental to any republic, and the executive branch has the right and obligation to keep track of the number of citizens and non-citizens residing in its territory. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the recently passed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India are worthy goals. However, considering the historical forces that have […] More

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    Michael Bloomberg’s Buy-In to Getting Elected

    The Daily Beast looks into the innovative methods used by multibillionaire Michael Bloomberg in his quest to buy his way into the White House. Taking a hint from successful tactics developed in the past by Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders, he is focusing in an original way on the power of social media. Bloomberg is […] More

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    For Lenin Moreno, Ecuador’s Economy Is a Key to Staying in Power

    Last October, Ecuador witnessed some of the largest mass protests in its modern history. Concentrated mainly in the capital city of Quito and, less intensely, in Guayaquil, Cuenca and Portoviejo, the protests ignited on October 3, when President Lenin Moreno’s government announced the elimination of long-standing fuel subsidies for gasoline and natural gas. The cancellation […] More

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    You Can’t Teach an Old Donkey New Tricks

    Not so long ago, John Kerry was the Democrats’ presidential candidate. Although he emphatically denies it, he appears ready — in case of an emergency — to have another go. Why would he do so? The reason should now be obvious. So obvious, in fact, that he explained it to a friend on a phone […] More