Retirement
Several academic and professional opportunities have presented themselves. Given that they involve social scientists and policymakers whose work I've long admired, I want to devote as much of my time, attention, and resources to them. Something must be sacrificed, and unfortunately, the blogosphere must be it. James has been kind enough to keep OTB's door open to me. At this point, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on August 1, 2005 11:27
Which Countries Are on the Brink of Failure?
Foreign Policy has partnered with the Fund for Peace to issue the first annual Failed States Index. Here's the Top 20: RankCountry1 Cote d'Ivoire2Congo3Sudan4Iraq5Somalia6Sierra Leone7Chad8Yemen9Liberia10Haiti11Afghanistan12Rwanda13North Korea14Colombia15Zimbabwe16Guinea17Bangladesh18Burundi19Dominican Republic20Central African Republic No real surprises here. What's equally unsurprising (though nonetheless appalling) is how little coverage the press is giving the high-ranking countries: I'd venture to guess that some of the disparities are even ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 26, 2005 21:25
The Original 1040 Form
The Tax Foundation provides this historical Internal Revenue Service document, which stands out for at least two reasons: (1) it's only four pages long and (2) it allows filers to calculate tax liabilities on their own. For additional information on tax simplification, see this earlier post. And if you've ever wanted to know the origin of the term "red tape" ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 18, 2005 03:26
Roger Ebert: Grade Inflater?
The answer to the following question, in my humble opinion, is "yes": Thumbstruck: Is Roger Ebert a Little Too Kind? (TimeOut Chicago) There's no doubt that Ebert still loves movies, which is admirable given that he's reviewed more than 5,200 of them over the past 38 years. But maybe he loves them too much. Consider his recent double take on the lame ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 11, 2005 09:32
British Investigations Yield Few Clues Thus Far
As Londoners returned to work today, they found little encouraging news: With No Leads, British Consult Allies on Blasts (NYT | RSS) British intelligence officials, frustrated by their failure to quickly crack the worst terrorist attack here since World War II, have sought help from counterparts in the United States and two dozen European allies to develop possible leads, European counterterrorism officials ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 11, 2005 08:42
Contenders Emerge for Secretary-General of OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is beginning to field candidacies for its premiere position: Candidates Vie for Top OECD Post (FT) The most senior candidate nominated so far is Marek Belka, prime minister of Poland. A former economics professor and finance minister, Mr Belka was previously the Polish representative on the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. Mexico has named Angel Gurria, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 11, 2005 07:54
Property Ruling Angers Groups of All Kinds
The 5-4 Kelo v. New London decision may have split the Supreme Court, but it's drawn virtually universal opposition. First, the religious right fears for their places of worship: Ruling on Property Seizure Rallies Christian Groups (NYT | RSS) In the aftermath of a Supreme Court ruling two weeks ago in favor of using eminent domain for development that increases a city's ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 11, 2005 07:37
Filipino Bishops Refrain from Advocating Resignation
Bishops Refuse to Ask Macapagal to Quit (FT) Catholic bishops on Sunday refused to join mounting calls for the resignation of embattled Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. They instead urged the creation of a fact-finding commission or initiation of impeachment proceedings to look into corruption and vote-rigging allegations against her. "In the spirit of humility and truth, we declare our prayerfully discerned ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 10, 2005 16:26
A Decade Later, Srebrenica Continues to Haunt
Tomorrow marks the tenth anniversary of the Srebrenica Massacre, prompting appropriate remembrances in the press. The Australian starts with the grave failures of the United Nations, particularly Kofi Annan: 10 Years on, Bungles Haunt UN Annan was in charge of UN peacekeeping operations in 1995 when Serbian forces led by General Ratko Mladic entered the so-called UN "safe area" and in front ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 10, 2005 15:30
Philippine President Hears Calls for Resignation
Trouble returns to my native land: Pressure Mounts on Philippine Leader (WaPo) Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo faced intense pressure Friday to step down as 10 of her cabinet members and former president Corazon Aquino added their voices to those demanding her resignation. Arroyo, trying to weather allegations that she cheated in the last election, sought to preempt a cabinet mutiny earlier in ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 9, 2005 20:04
Nike Revives Kobe Bryant Advertisements
The NBA superstar, whose endorsement deals suffered when he became embroiled in a very public rape case, has returned to the marketing business: Kobe's Picture Reappears in Nike Magazine Ads (ESPN) Nike is using photos of Kobe Bryant for the first time since his arrest two years ago for an alleged assault on a female employee at a Colorado resort. The ad appears ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 9, 2005 19:15
Spain Speaks Out on 7/7: A Call for UN Action
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose rise to power after 3/11 sparked debate about whether Spaniards bowed to terrorists, has a Financial Times op-ed on the London bombings: A Global Consensus Is Needed to Defeat Terrorism Terrorism can only be defeated by a collective response on the part of the international community. In pursuing their criminal cause, terrorists do not hesitate ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 9, 2005 15:58
A Disney Truce Emerges
Momentarily, it is again "the happiest place on earth": Feud at Disney Ends Quietly (LAT) Walt Disney Co.'s incoming chief executive and its leading rebel shareholder declared a truce Friday, the most dramatic sign yet that the new boss is committed to sweeping aside the ill will that festered under outgoing CEO Michael Eisner. The agreement between Robert A. Iger, the new chief, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 9, 2005 12:40
The American Reaction to 7/7
[Note: My thoughts and prayers extend to the British, whose compassion and resilience I've admired since my days at Oxford.] Tim Naftali makes the rather persuasive case that, in an ideal world, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff would have refrained from raising the terror alert and calmly beefed up police presence instead. But his op-ed closes with a whimper: Chertoff's Bad ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 7, 2005 23:48
Bolton: The First Casualty of the Supreme Court Battle
In preparing for the most heated kind of nomination battle, the Bush administration seems to be distancing itself from yesterday's fight: Bush Backs Away from Recess Appointment of Bolton (FT) President George W. Bush is unlikely to seek a recess appointment for John Bolton in the near future, increasing the sense that his nomination for US ambassador to the United Nations is ...Posted in Outside The Beltway on July 6, 2005 20:48
