This is a brief note on elections - that bedrock of modern democracy. A key and indispensable pillar of modern democracy - heck modernity - is the notion of elections. Elections, many believe, are a fundamental way for people to express their voice, and some believe even for people to engage in self-determination as envisaged in the Charter of the United Nations. Without … [Read more...] about A Brief Note on Elections – that Bedrock of Modern Democracy…
politics
Perceptions of corruption in the US and PRC – not exactly what one would expect
I was casually browsing through Transparency International's website, and noticed something peculiar - even though citizens of the Republic of Georgia have a much higher opinion of their country's ability to deal with corruption in their country relative to their counterparts in the US, and a much more optimistic outlook on the future of public institutions, Georgia ranks 55th … [Read more...] about Perceptions of corruption in the US and PRC – not exactly what one would expect
Rich Texas teen kills 4, injures 2, gets away with slap on wrist
I wanted to follow up on YinYang's previous post about racial privilege by providing an example of another form of privilege in the US justice system - class privilege. I posted this story (reported through a different source) under the comments section in his post. But since more details have surfaced, I wanted to highlight this story in its own post because it reinforces … [Read more...] about Rich Texas teen kills 4, injures 2, gets away with slap on wrist
China “Withholding” Visas From Foreign Journalists. Plenty of Self-Censorship At Home.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/china-withholds-visas-nyt-bloomberg-reporters-21144608 This is apparently a continuation of an old story of how China is "expelling" foreign journalists en masse. However, there are some conflicting details in the story itself. "Withholding" visas means they accepted the applications, but won't issue the the visas. However … [Read more...] about China “Withholding” Visas From Foreign Journalists. Plenty of Self-Censorship At Home.
African Economist Dambisa Moyo: Is China the new idol for emerging economies?
Dambisa Moyo - Is China the new idol for emerging economies It is refreshing to see public intellectuals other than Eric X Li speak openly against the blind faith that most westerners place in their own brand of democratic governance and market capitalism (a faith that they attempt to impose on the rest of the world). However, I wanted to voice my skepticism on two of Moyo's … [Read more...] about African Economist Dambisa Moyo: Is China the new idol for emerging economies?