It was interesting to see this argument for an admissions lottery advanced earnestly; I think I’ve seen a similar example somewhere advanced by critics of luck egalitarianism as a kind of reductio ad absurdum. (“Imagine what the admissions letter would say: Congratulations, you’ve won the lottery…?”) But that makes this project all the more useful … Read more
Earlier this month I wrote a blog documenting three elections in Africa, and I wrote it with the idea that I would continue to update the struggles for democracy in Tanzania, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire. While it’s cool to actually follow through on my idea and follow the political climates in these three nations, recent … Read more
Never in recent decades have tensions in the Korean peninsula been so high. North Korea’s recent artillery barrage against a South Korean island has caused the latter to raise its state of military readiness to its highest level short of war. Assuming the North’s artillery barrage had been calculated to occur shortly after its revelation … Read more
This month, the Fed began their second round of quantitative easing, a $600 billion that seeks to pump liquidity into the economy. While the policy has its critics, its defenders drew justification from a compelling source – the story of Japan’s ruined economy – where fiscal inaction had plunged the country deeper into a deflationary … Read more
In today’s Crimson, Dylan Matthews has a provocative column arguing that Harvard ought to randomize its admissions process. Dylan claims that Harvard’s current admissions system entrenches existing inequalities—including inequalities of talent. Talent, Dylan thinks, is pretty much beyond our control. Channeling John Rawls, Dylan assumes that success in life shouldn’t be “contingent” on “arbitrary factors” … Read more
This post is in effect a response to a comment that Caroline Cox posted to my Post-Midterm Predictions, in which she inquired if all this Republican rhetoric of fiscal conservatism would actually translate into action. I agree that it will be interesting to see if the deficit becomes a real policy issue rather than a … Read more
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan held parliamentary elections this month that were hailed by the State Department, the National Democratic Institute, and the International Republican Institute as a clear step in the right direction for democratic progress in the region. There is no denying that Jordan has made strides over the past few years by … Read more
Among my American friends, I’ve not met a single person who hasn’t had some kind of reaction after watching this. Of the recent spate of anti-Chinese ads that’s been done (such as here and here), this one stands out as it points towards an uncomfortable truth: as the U.S. government continues to spend its way … Read more
In 2003, Columbia University, a private university in New York City, announced plans to build a new 17-acre campus in Manhattanville, West Harlem. This, it explained, was necessary to maintain its role as a leading educational and research hub. Moreover, the university emphasized the economic benefits that expansion would bring to the community. But, this … Read more
I’m not exactly known for my warm feelings towards the Harvard Crimson, but I’ll defend their decision to run an article about the allegations that are swirling around the recent Harvard Republican Club elections. (Brief summary: One of the candidates for president of that club withdrew after he was accused by another candidate of forging … Read more