Tag Archives: Politics

Culture/Politics: Harper’s Magazine — June 2023 Issue

June 2023

Harper’s Magazine – June 2023 issue:

Why Are We in Ukraine?

On the dangers of American hubris by Benjamin SchwarzChristopher Layne

From Murmansk in the Arctic to Varna on the Black Sea, the armed camps of NATO and the Russian Federation menace each other across a new Iron Curtain. Unlike the long twilight struggle that characterized the Cold War, the current confrontation is running decidedly hot. As former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and former secretary of defense Robert Gates acknowledge approvingly, the United States is fighting a proxy war with Russia. 

Seeing Through Maps

by Madeline ffitch

I was splitting wood at sunset when the cat jumped up on the chopping block in front of me, arched her back, and took a long piss. My axe hung in the sky. The cat stared at me, tail up. I put my axe down and squatted before her. I hitched my gown to my waist. 

News: China ‘Peace Envoy’ In Ukraine, South Africa Ships Weapons To Russia

The Globalist, May 16, 2023: A Chinese ‘peace’ envoy arrives in Ukraine as Volodomyr Zelensky pushes for military supplies abroad, South Africa sticks to its controversial stance on Russia and the EU plans to build internet cables under the Black Sea.

Plus: we check in with film critic Karen Krizanovich as the Cannes Film Festival begins, and Monocle’s Fiona Wilson talks food diplomacy, as carbonara pancakes are on the menu in Hiroshima ahead of the G7 summit.

Special Report: ‘Digital Finance’ – The Economist

Image

The Economist – Special Reports (May 20, 2023): The fight over payments systems is hotting up around the world. There may be surprising winners, says Arjun Ramani.

As payments systems go digital, they are changing global finance

The fight over payments systems is hotting up around the world. There may be surprising winners, says Arjun Ramani

Payment is one of the most fundamental economic activities. To buy anything, you need something the seller wants. One option is barter, but that is beset by friction (what are the chances of having something your counterparty wants at any exact moment?). Early forms of money, from cowrie shells to beads to metal coins, offered a solution: they were always in demand to settle transactions.

Previews: The New Yorker Magazine – May 22, 2023

R. Kikuo Johnsons “Perennial”

The New Yorker – May 22, 2023 issue

How Philipp Plein Became the King of Low-Brow High Fashion

Philipp Plein jumps on a white couch.

The maximalist designer has positioned himself as an underdog hero of the common man, who is successful despite the falsity and the snobbery of the élites.

By Naomi Fry

Earth League International Hunts the Hunters

Andrea Crosta oversees an operation in Costa Rica.

A conservation N.G.O. infiltrates wildlife-trafficking rings to bring them down.

By Tad Friend

How a Disaster Expert Prepares for the Worst

Lucy Easthope writing on a notepad surrounded by smoke and debris.

Lucy Easthope, who has worked on major emergencies since 9/11, says that small interventions can make a significant difference.

By Sam Knight

News: Turkey Elections Head Into Runoff, Ukraine Advances, China-Australia

The Globalist, May 15, 2023: Monocle’s Istanbul correspondent, Hannah Lucinda Smith, and the editor of Free Turkish Press, Yavuz Baydar, join Emma Nelson to discuss Turkey’s elections.

Also in the programme: Ukraine pushes ahead in its counteroffensive and Andrew Mueller explains China and Australia’s complex relationship. Plus, Eurovision’s winners celebrate in style with Fernando Augusto Pacheco. 

Saturday Morning: News And Stories From London

Monocle on Saturday, May 13, 2023: The weekend’s biggest discussion topics, with Georgina Godwin. Siân Pattenden reviews the papers, Andrew Mueller recaps the week and Monocle’s Helsinki correspondent, Petri Burtsoff, brings us a taste of Finnish Eurovision mania.

Plus: Taipei Dangdai art fair.

News: Turkey Election Analysis, UK Sends Long-Range Missiles To Ukraine

The Globalist, May 12, 2023: Monocle’s Istanbul correspondent, Hannah Lucinda Smith, gives us the latest on Turkey’s elections, which will take place on Sunday.

Also in the programme: the UK agrees to send long-range missiles to Ukraine and Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, heads to the US. Plus: Andrew Mueller reflects on Donald Trump’s sexual-assault verdict and Liverpool welcomes Ukraine for the Eurovision Song Contest.

Politics: Why America Faces Debt Catastrophe

The Economist (May 11, 2023) – As America’s government hits the debt ceiling, US politics has become a multi-trillion dollar game of chicken. If neither side backs down, America could default on its debts for the first time in history, sparking global economic turmoil. What is the debt ceiling, and how can this crisis be resolved?

News: Imran Khan Arrest Roils Pakistan, Norway To Lead The Arctic Council

The Globalist, May 11, 2023: The arrest of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan ignites protests across the country. Plus: Russia hands over chairing the Arctic Council to Norway, and the latest aviation news.

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – May 12, 2023

Image

The Guardian Weekly (May 12, 2023) – The name Geof frey Hinton was little known outside the tech industry until last week, when the so-called “godfather of AI” gave an interview after leaving Google in which he warned that machine learning is leading us into uncharted territory.

So is now the time to get properly frightened about the capabilities unleashed by machine learning? Technology writer John Naughton in this week’s big story says an unequivocal yes as he explores a worrying near future, and what prompted Hinton to speak out. 

Britain spent last weekend watching avidly or determinedly avoiding the exuberant display of ancient ceremony around the coronation of King Charles III. Our coverage takes a fondly amused look at all the pageantry, personalities and gold braid with Rachel Cooke, while columnist Nesrine Malik unpicks the game of divide and rule, display and disguise through which the institution hangs on to popular support. We also visit Belize to find out how arguments about reparations for slavery are linked to its relationship to the British crown.