Viernes, 7 de octubre de 2022 (Continuación)

A community leader lays a wreath during a memorial service for HM The Queen at St Paul's Cathedral in Kampala, Uganda. Photo by Luke Dray/Getty Images

Europa,

The Commonwealth’s breadth allows a wide diversity of countries of different sizes, geographies, cultures, and values to be members – it is both rich and poor, north and south, and ethnically diverse. This makes it more interesting than many other multilateral institutions such as the G7, NATO, and the European Union (EU).

But it suffers from an unclear purpose. Since its inception, successive UK governments have grappled with its role – whether it is a preferential trading bloc or merely a source of most of Britain’s post-war immigration.

This lack of purpose – and structure – has left the Commonwealth impotent in dealing with a host of bilateral difficulties between the UK, its overseas territories, and Commonwealth partners in recent years.…  Seguir leyendo »

The broadcast tower at Berlin's Alexanderplatz stands without illumination on September 8, amid energy saving measures.

EuropaUnión Europea,

When I entered my neighborhood gym recently in the late afternoon, I couldn’t help but notice that the foyer and weight room were uncharacteristically darkened.

Usually, bright overhead fluorescent lights illuminate every nook and cranny of the place – including my own sweaty reflection in the full-length mirrors.

Upon inquiry, the trainer told me that the fitness center had undertaken more than a couple energy saving measures: switching to LED lighting, using just half of it at any given time, as well as turning down the thermostat to 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) and slashing a few hours from the sauna schedule.…  Seguir leyendo »

Europa, , ,

Vladimir Putin began the war in Ukraine in the belief that it would be a cosplay of triumphs in 1945, that his troops would be marching through Kyiv and he, like Stalin, would be watching the parade in the Red Square. Now it looks as though he is trying to cosplay 1941—the dramatic start of the Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany.

This is the third version of the Kremlin’s original plan. The first, a blitzkrieg to capture Kyiv, failed within the first month. The second, the seemingly inevitable offensive, stalled in the summer and was abandoned in early September following the success of Ukraine’s counter-offensive.…  Seguir leyendo »

As President Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine continues, pressure is mounting to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. | Dmitry Serebryakov/AP Photo

MundoAméricaEuropaInternacionalTerrorismo Internacional, , ,

As President Vladimir Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine continues, pressure is mounting to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism — a move that would apply new sanctions to Moscow and put it on a short list of countries the U.S. treats as pariahs. But while Russia’s atrocious and aggressive conduct in Ukraine deserves both condemnation and a strong response, a state sponsor designation is the wrong tool at the wrong moment.

President Joe Biden has resisted taking this step. Yet Congress, with direction from senior leadership, including  Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is pushing ahead, with bills in  both the House and the  Senate that would designate Russia legislatively.…  Seguir leyendo »

They Wanted to Blow Up Britain’s Economy, and Liz Truss Let Them

Europa

Set in a maze of streets flanking the Palace of Westminster, the red brick townhouses of Tufton Street are anonymous; no corporate logos attempt to catch the curiosity of passers-by. In fact, the street itself is usually deserted. But this sleepy facade conceals a welter of activity. For the past decade or more, Tufton Street has been the primary command center for libertarian lobbying groups, a free-market ideological workshop cloistered quietly in the heart of power.

In September, it stepped out of the shadows. The “mini-budget” presented on Sept. 23 by Kwasi Kwarteng, Britain’s finance minister and key ally of Prime Minister Liz Truss, clearly owed a debt to Tufton Street.…  Seguir leyendo »

La primera deflación global comenzó. Y no hay manera de saber qué tan grave será

InternacionalEconomía

Por todo el mundo, la rápida recuperación económica de la sacudida de la covid desató la mayor oleada inflacionaria que habíamos visto desde principios de los años ochenta. Para enfrentarla, en el verano de 2021, algunos bancos centrales comenzaron a elevar las tasas de interés. Brasil fue el primer país en hacerlo. A principios de 2022, la Reserva Federal estadounidense hizo lo propio y provocó una tendencia arrolladora: en cuanto la Reserva Federal aplica medidas y el dólar se fortalece, otros países también aumentan sus tasas de interés o enfrentan una devaluación aguda, que aviva aún más la inflación.

Este patrón es familiar.…  Seguir leyendo »