LA Times (February 14)
“California’s majestic Oroville Dam is currently in danger of spillway failure in a season of record snow and rainfall. That could spell catastrophe for thousands who live below it and for the state of California at large that depends on its stored water. The poor condition of the dam is almost too good a metaphor for the condition of the state as a whole; its possible failure is a reflection of California’s civic decline.”
Tags: California, Catastrophe, Danger, Decline, Failure, Oroville Dam, U.S., Water
Chicago Tribune (May 18)
“The danger of pot is commonly exaggerated.” Four years ago when Colorado legalized marijuana, there were all sorts of fears regarding negative consequences. These haven’t materialized. “Legalization has been remarkable for how unremarkable it’s been.”
Tags: Colorado, Consequences, Danger, Exaggerated, Fears, Legalization, Marijuana, Negative, Pot, Unremarkable
Washington Post (January 5)
“Saudi Arabia is a frightened monarchy.” That is both the root of the problem and the key to the solution. “What led Saudi Arabia to take these risky actions, and what U.S. policies might reduce the danger that the Middle East mess will get even worse? You can’t answer these questions without examining the Saudis’ insecurity, which has led them to make bad choices.”
Tags: Danger, Frightened, Insecurity, Middle East, Monarchy, Risky, Saudi Arabia, Solution, U.S.
Forbes (April 15)
It’s easy to underestimate the loss of Greece. “While it may be true that the economic damage of a Greek collapse would largely be confined to Greece itself, it nonetheless would undermine the great post-WWII dream of a united Europe that would never experience another catastrophic war….. Thanks to remarkably bad leadership, Europe’s post-WWII order is in mortal danger, threatening unimaginable political and economic repercussions.”
Tags: Collapse, Danger, Economic damage, Europe, Greece, Leadership, War, WWII
USA Today (February 9)
“The Internet has produced some of history’s most innovative, agile and disruptive companies…. But the Internet has long been in danger of being co-opted by its least competitive and innovative part: its service providers.” Verizon, Comcast and other ISPs have been trying to “get a cut of the action” by forcing content providers to pay for access. “It’s great news that the Federal Communications Commission, after years of delay, is set to stop this from happening” with the adoption of net neutrality rules.
Tags: Agile, Competitive, Danger, Disruptive, FCC, Innovative, Internet, ISPs, Net neutrality
Chicago Tribune (January 14)
“Each of the attacks in Paris that killed 17 people last week was an atrocity, an affront to freedom and an act of terrorism.” Still, this is unlikely to mark “the beginning of a rash of extremist violence in the West.” Since 9/11, “the danger posed by Islamic militants” has been chronically overestimated. Some of this is due to human nature. We “worry too much about dramatic, unusual dangers, like terrorism and Ebola, and too little about commonplace ones.” But there is also “a giant public-private network that has a stake in stoking these fears.”
Tags: 9/11, Atrocity, Attacks, Danger, Ebola, Extremists, Fear, Militants, Paris, Terrorism, Violence
Financial Times (July 24)
“With pressure mounting to act swiftly, commercial interests and jobs at stake and national pride in play, there is a danger that the EU’s effort to respond coherently to Russian actions will get bogged down in acrimony. Avoiding that fate requires a willingness to compromise and some clear thinking.”
Tags: Act, Clear thinking, Commercial interests, Compromise, Danger, EU, Jobs, Pressure, Pride, Russia, Swiftly
Financial Times (February 24, 2014)
“Twenty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Europe again echoes to the sound and fury of revolution.” With the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovich, the Ukraine now has a chance at a fresh start. “This is a moment of immense opportunity–and immense danger–for Ukraine, for the EU and for Russia. More than any single moment since the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the revolution that began in Kiev heralds ‘the hour of Europe.’”
Tags: Berlin Wall, Danger, EU, Europe, Kiev, Opportunity, Overthrow, Revolution, Russia, Soviet bloc, Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich
Washington Post (October 8)
John Boehner, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives “doesn’t know how to get out of the predicament. A shutdown is bad; a default on the debt, which looms 10 days from now, could be catastrophic…. At some point, Mr. Obama and the Democrats will have to throw the speaker a lifeline…. But throwing a lifeline is pointless until the victim realizes he may be drowning. It’s not clear the Republicans have reached that point. The danger is they will take the country down with them.”John Boehner, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives “doesn’t know how to get out of the predicament. A shutdown is bad; a default on the debt, which looms 10 days from now, could be catastrophic…. At some point, Mr. Obama and the Democrats will have to throw the speaker a lifeline…. But throwing a lifeline is pointless until the victim realizes he may be drowning. It’s not clear the Republicans have reached that point. The danger is they will take the country down with them.”
Tags: Danger, Debt, Default, Democrats, House, John Boehner, Lifeline, Obama, Predicament, Republicans, Shutdown, U.S.
The Economist (May 25, 2013)
“Unfortunately, the idea that the euro is yesterday’s problem is a dangerous figment. In reality, Europe’s leaders are sleepwalking through an economic wasteland…. For everyone’s sake, Europe’s leaders must shake themselves out of their lethargy. They must grasp that if they do not act, the euro zone faces stagnation or break-up—possibly both.”
