The Economist ‘Editor’s Picks’ Podcast (May 1, 2023) – A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, Israel: the survivor nation at 75, is Sir Keir Starmer ready to govern Britain? (10:25) And why ChatGPT raises questions about how humans acquire language (19:05).
Tag Archives: Israel
Previews: The Economist Magazine – April 29, 2023
As Israel turns 75, its biggest threats now come from within
The country needs a new political settlement that diminishes the power of extremists
As israel marks its 75th anniversary, take a moment to admire how it has triumphed against the odds. Before it declared independence in 1948 its own generals warned that it had only a fifty-fifty chance of survival. Today Israel is hugely rich, safer than it has been for most of its history, and democratic—if, that is, you are prepared to exclude the territories it occupies. It has overcome wars, droughts and poverty with few natural endowments other than human grit. It is an outlier in the Middle East, a hub of innovation and a winner from globalisation.
The West should supply Ukraine with F-16s
Or Russian fighter jets may win control of Ukrainian skies
As Ukraine prepares its forces for a crucial counter-offensive, the argument among its Western allies about what equipment to provide chunters on. Having finally received the tanks it had been pleading for since last year, Ukraine has increased the intensity of its demands for fighter jets. Yet its pleas are falling on largely deaf ears.
Preview: New York Times Magazine – April 23, 2023
The New York Times Magazine – April 23, 2023:
They Saw the Horrific Aftermath of a Mass Shooting. Should We?
The crime-scene investigators are the ones who document, and remember, the unimaginable. This is what they saw at Sandy Hook.
How Much Power Should the Courts Have?
In Israel, the United States and other democracies, bitter battles are being waged over the same question.
What Was Twitter, Anyway?
Whether the platform is dying or not, it’s time to reckon with how exactly it broke our brains.
The New York Review Of Books – May 11, 2023
Seeing Baya Anew
An exhibition of the Algerian painter’s work liberates it from the political symbolism of late colonialism.
In November 1947 a fifteen-year-old prodigy from colonial Algeria named Baya, described variously as Kabyle, Berber, Muslim, and Arab, exhibited her gouaches and clay sculptures at the Parisian gallery of the art dealer Aimé Maeght. Yves Chataigneau, the French governor of Algeria, and Si Kaddour Benghabrit, the rector of the Paris Mosque, were the sponsors of the exhibition, and the opening attracted some of the most influential cultural figures of postwar Paris: the writers Albert Camus, François Mauriac, and André Breton; the painters Henri Matisse and Georges Braque; the designer Christian “Bebè” Bérard.
The Perpetual Provocateur
For generations, Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s prints of Roman views defined the popular image of the Eternal City. A profusion of new exhibitions and publications shows why he still speaks to us.
Also in the issue: Jacqueline Rose on C. P. Taylor’s final play, Colin B. Bailey on the Impressionists’ decorations, Wendy Doniger on Bengali tales from the mangrove forests, Christopher Benfey on the Black American potters of the nineteenth century, Jed Perl on high-tech high art, poems by Sasha Debevec-McKenney, Mosab Abu Toha, and Cyrus Console, and much more.
News: Ukraine’s Focus On Crimea, France & EU Lobby China, Israel Strikes Gaza
The Globalist, April 7, 2023: Ukraine clarifies its stance on Crimea. Plus: an eventful week in Chinese foreign policy, depictions of mafia in the media and the latest theatre news.
Previews: The Economist Magazine – March 25, 2023
Why the China-US contest is entering a new and more dangerous phase
Chinese officials rage at what they see as American bullying
You may have hoped that when China reopened and face-to-face contact resumed between politicians, diplomats and businesspeople, Sino-American tensions would ease in a flurry of dinners, summits and small talk. But the atmosphere in Beijing just now reveals that the world’s most important relationship has become more embittered and hostile than ever.
How to fix the global rice crisis
The world’s most important crop is fuelling climate change and diabetes
The green revolution was one of the greatest feats of human ingenuity. By promoting higher-yielding varieties of wheat and, especially, rice, plant-breeders in India, Mexico and the Philippines helped China emerge from a famine and India avoid one. From 1965 to 1995 Asia’s rice yields doubled and its poverty almost halved, even as its population soared.
Israel should not squander the opportunity for meaningful constitutional talks
The government’s retreat has pulled Israel back from the brink. But its people remain deeply divided
Israel’s citizens have won a rare victory after marching, week after week, to defend judicial independence and the character of their democracy. On March 27th they forced their prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to suspend his plan to rein in the courts. Yet, although the crisis has abated, it has not passed.
News: Netanyahu Delays Judicial Reform, Russian ‘Tactical Nukes’ In Belarus
March 28, 2023: As protests against the judicial reforms of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, continue, we give you the latest.
Also in the programme: notorious Russian paramilitary organisation the Wagner Group increases its activities in Africa, while Hungary decides on Finland’s Nato bid. Plus: why Greenland has decided to stick to daylight saving time.
Opinion: The World Of Xi Jinping, Painful Central Bank Choices, Roald Dahl
March 27, 2023: A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, we explore the world according to XI. Also, we look at the excruciating trade-off central bankers face (09:56) and why editing Roald Dahl for sensitivity was silly (17:28).
The world according to Xi
Even if China’s transactional diplomacy brings some gains, it contains real perils
News: Netanyahu Visits UK, Macron Firm On Pension Reform, Honduras-China
March 24, 2023: Benjamin Netanyahu’s UK visit. Plus: Emmanuel Macron digs in his heels as pension-reform rallies erupt across France, Honduras switches ties from Taiwan to China and the latest business news.
Opinion: What’s Wrong With Banks, Bibi Breaks Israel, Sleep & Vaccines
March 20, 2023: A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, what’s wrong with the banks? Also, we ask whether Bibi will break Israel (10:39) and why men should get a good night’s sleep to ensure vaccines work properly (19:03).
What’s wrong with the banks
Rising interest rates have left banks exposed. Time to fix the system—again
Only ten days ago you might have thought that the banks had been fixed after the nightmare of the financial crisis in 2007-09. Now it is clear that they still have the power to cause a heart-stopping scare. A ferocious run at Silicon Valley Bank on March 9th saw $42bn in deposits flee in a day. svb was just one of three American lenders to collapse in the space of a week. Regulators worked frantically over the weekend to devise a rescue. Even so, customers are asking once again if their money is safe.
Will Bibi break Israel?
When Israel’s best and brightest are up in arms it is time to worry
This should have been Israel’s moment. As it approaches its 75th birthday in April the risk of a conventional war with neighbouring Arab states, for decades an existential danger, is at its lowest since 1948. The last Palestinian intifada, or uprising against occupation, ended 18 years ago. Israel’s tech-powered economy is more successful and globally relevant than ever. Last year gdp per person hit $55,000, making it richer than the eu.
To ensure vaccines work properly, men should get a good night’s sleep
The case for women is less clear
Vaccines get all the glory, but it is really the immune system that does the heavy lifting. Indeed, those with weak immune systems often benefit little from vaccines. Aware of this, researchers have long thought that people deprived of sleep also ought to benefit less from vaccines, as sleeping less is thought to reduce immune function. A new analysis reveals that this is clearly the case—though only in men.
Boomers Daily 