The Economist (June 18)
“A vote to quit the European Union on June 23rd…would do grave and lasting harm to the politics and economy of Britain. The loss of one of the EU’s biggest members would gouge a deep wound in the rest of Europe. And… it would mark a defeat for the liberal order that has underpinned the West’s prosperity.”
Tags: Britain, Defeat, Economy, EU, Liberal order, Politics, Prosperity, Vote
Washington Post (June 17)
“Donald Trump must be the biggest liar in the history of American politics, and that’s saying something.” He “lies the way other people breathe.” There’s no “other political figure who so brazenly tells lie after lie, spraying audiences with such a fusillade of untruths that it is almost impossible to keep track.”
Barrons (November 10)
“Politics and religion may divide people, but everyone loves a good sale.” On Wednesday, Alibaba Holdings, the e-commerce giant, will start “its sixth annual 11.11 Global Shopping Festival. The 24-hour shopping-palooza, also known as Singles Day, generated $9.3 billion in sales last year, dramatically more than the $2.7 billion sold during America’s Cyber Monday. Analysts predict sales will set a new record this week.”
Tags: 11.11, Alibaba, Cyber Monday, E-commerce, Politics, Religion, Sale, Sales, Singles Day, U.S.
New York Times (September 27)
Big money politics is reaching new highs in the U.S. “Top-tier Republican donors will pay $1.34 million per couple for the privilege of being treated as party insiders, while the Democratic Party will charge about $1.6 million.” Make that lows. “More big money can only leave less hope for voters concerned that the richest donors are buying ever more influence over politicians, with favoritism and corruption an inevitable result.”
Tags: Big money, Corruption, Democrat, Donors, Favoritism, Influence, Insiders, Politics, Republican, U.S., Voters
The Guardian (September 9)
“Whatever your views of the monarchy, it is hard not to admire Elizabeth Windsor’s stamina. As of today, she has sat on the throne for longer than anybody in a line of predecessors…. Fast approaching her 90s, she continues to meet, speak and travel her way through an itinerary that owes a great deal more to duty than to whim.” And she maintains her demanding schedule without “putting a foot out of place.” Her “achievement has been to take the politics out of the monarchy.”
Tags: Achievement, Demanding schedule, Duty, Elizabeth II, Itinerary, Monarchy, Politics, Throne
Chicago Tribune (January 9)
“A fast-evolving yet underappreciated phenomenon in American life and politics” is being brought about by millennials who “are so smitten with mobile technology and its social and economic applications that they see tech as the solution to just about everything.” Their digital mindset is driving their politics to become increasingly libertarian. They are “very liberal on social issues such as gay marriage and legalized pot, yet very skeptical of government efforts to regulate the economy or levy taxes.”
Tags: Applications, Economy, Liberal, Libertarian, Life, Millennials, Mobile technology, Politics, Taxes, Tech, U.S.
Washington Post (December 3)
“In authoritarian politics, as in life, attitude is everything, or almost everything.” Vladimir Putin has demonstrated a relentless desire to hold onto power by any means necessary. “Those who hope that falling oil prices, or Western sanctions, or a combination of the two, will force a change of course in Moscow — much less a change of regime — must reckon with the fact that Putin has seen that scenario once already, in Gorbachev’s time. And he seems determined that the sequel, if any, will end differently.”
Tags: Attitude, Authoritarian, Gorbachev, Moscow, Oil prices, Politics, Power, Putin, Western sanctions
Euromoney (August Issue)
“Key energy suppliers are increasingly politically unstable and Europe faces a rise in prices, even though demand is falling.”
Washington Post (July 18)
“Energy politics underlie the explosive Ukraine crisis, as Europeans weigh U.S. calls for tougher sanctions against the ability of Russia to disrupt gas supplies this winter.” Despite the roll out of stronger penalties by Washington, the Europeans were dragging their feet, “a sign that many of its governments fear Moscow’s energy leverage more than U.S. displeasure.” With the downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight, Europe may finally be forced to react and Europeans “may be facing a cold winter.”
Tags: Crisis, Downing, Energy, Europe, Gas supplies, Leverage, Malaysian Airlines, Penalties, Politics, Russia, Sanctions, U.S., Ukraine, Washington, Winter
The Economist (May 31)
It has been 25 years since China stepped back from the abyss that was Tiananmen. This led to China’s longest stretch of stability “since the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911.” Nonetheless, “it is still wise to be cautious about the cohesion of Chinese politics.” While there is no immediate cause for alarm, “political risk is as important to bear in mind as the wobbles that are causing growing numbers of observers to worry about China’s economy.”
Tags: Cautious, China, Cohesion, Collapse, Economy, Politics, Qing dynasty, Risk, Stability, Tiananmen
