The Economist (October 29)
“Irredeemably dull by reputation, less brash and bellicose than America, Canada has long seemed to outsiders to be a citadel of decency, tolerance and good sense.” Especially now, “in this depressing company of wall-builders, door-slammers and drawbridge-raisers, Canada stands out as a heartening exception,” both in terms of immigration and free trade.
Tags: Canada, Decency, Dull, Free trade, Immigration, Tolerance, U.S.
The Economist (November 21)
“The West has two things to defend: the lives of its citizens, and the liberal values of tolerance and the rule of law that underpin its society. Where these are in conflict, it should choose policies that minimise the damage to values in order to make large gains in protection. Sadly, in the scramble for security, that principle often seems to be the first thing to go.”
Tags: Citizens, Conflict, Liberal values, Lives, Protection, Rule of law, Security, Society, Tolerance
Bloomberg (March 25)
A recent poll showed that “only 11.3 percent of Chinese had a favorable opinion of Japan.” Nevertheless, “Chinese tourists can’t seem to get enough of Japan.” This apparent contradiction may be explained by the fact that only five percent of Chinese travel overseas. Still, there “is reason to hope that China’s growing wave of outbound tourists will serve as a force for openness and tolerance—if only so they’ll have somewhere good to shop.”
