This was originally presented as a speech at the US-Ukraine Energy-Security Fusion Dialog in Kyiv on August 27, 2014. The famous sociologist and former president of Brazil, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, when asked why, with all its abundant natural … [Read more...] about Creation of a Prosperous Economy and A Just Society in Ukraine*
Economics
Through the Fog of War*
Through the fog of war, civil war, terrorism, separatist movements, sectarian and ethnic violence and millions of displaced persons, it is easy to overlook aspects of the situation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) which in the medium- to … [Read more...] about Through the Fog of War*
The Muslim Brotherhood: Breaking Rice Bowls
"Wealth and children are an ornament of life of the world." Sura 18:47. Let no one doubt. Within Islam, no censure is assigned to the personal accumulation of wealth. And no known member of the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan al-Muslimun) has been … [Read more...] about The Muslim Brotherhood: Breaking Rice Bowls
Is Economic Inequality Behind Rising Global Jihad?
History has shown for millennia that grotesque disparities in wealth and power, and ownership of resources, are unsustainable in the long run. I see ISIS as merely the visible tip of a regional economically-based unrest based ultimately upon wealth … [Read more...] about Is Economic Inequality Behind Rising Global Jihad?
Western Economic Policy Still Fighting Wrong Battle*
Labor is steadily becoming less valuable than capital, and boosting liquidity won't help. The US government recently lowered its estimate of economic growth for 2014 to slightly over two percent. During the first quarter of the year GDP growth was … [Read more...] about Western Economic Policy Still Fighting Wrong Battle*
Mexico: Mañana is Here*
Much has changed, obviously, since 1989 when I published "Mexico: chaos on our doorstep.** As so often has happened, my timing was bad. The book’s research identified a problem prematurely and the title raised hackles among some Latin American … [Read more...] about Mexico: Mañana is Here*
A Euro for Your Thoughts*
The European Union has entered a multifaceted and what promises to be an extended crisis. It will reshape European politics, and its outcome will have far-reaching effects on the world economy and international politics. Resolution of the crisis … [Read more...] about A Euro for Your Thoughts*