Articles by Bloomberg
Bloomberg
-
[Jonathan Bernstein] Anti-harassment wave could swing US Congress
With resignations in the US Congress piling up and rumors that two or three dozen members could face charges of sexual misbehavior in the near future, it’s not too early to start thinking through the political impact. Could such a wave of resignations affect swing the House? Nate Silver thinks it “probably helps Democrats’ chances” to do so, further explaining: 1. The Republican Party has more exposure to losses because they hold most of the swing seats in the House. 2. Voters will “punish” memb
Viewpoints Dec. 12, 2017
-
[Tyler Cowen] How’s immigration going? Check the menus
I’ve written an online ethnic dining guide to the Washington area for over 20 years, and I find food a useful way to grasp how rapidly this country can change. These days, a lot of the biggest trends just aren’t on most people’s radar screens.The first and most striking dining development is the rise of Chinese regional cuisine. There are now Nanjing, Shanghai, Uighur, Shanxi, Taiwanese and other regional restaurants readily available. Real Hunan and Sichuan offerings are plentiful, in contrast
Viewpoints Dec. 11, 2017
-
[Leonid Bershidsky] Only one side compromised for this Brexit breakthrough
After UK and EU negotiators reached a deal opening a path for trade negotiations on Friday, arch-Brexiter Michael Gove declared British Prime Minister Theresa May had “won.” That is a statement worthy of all the now-debunked Brexit slogans. The parties‘ agreement shows the EU has given up virtually no ground, and that’s what‘s likely to happen in the trade talks, too.In plain terms, the 15-page document that closes the first stage of the talks -- according to a EU-determined sequence -- seals th
Viewpoints Dec. 11, 2017
-
[Pankaj Mishra] Asia’s new politics of outrage
Stunning mini-revolutions have erupted in recent months in two of the world’s largest Muslim countries. The first shock came in Indonesia, where a little-known group of activists led a mass protest against the Christian governor of Jakarta. Accused of disrespecting the Prophet, the governor, a close ally of the country’s president Joko Widodo, is now in prison. In Pakistan in late November, another pop-up political outfit besieged the capital city Islamabad, forcing the government to concede to
Viewpoints Dec. 10, 2017
-
[Leonid Bershidsky] Putin wants to win, but not at all costs
As Russia has worked to convince the world that its military power is growing, it has concealed its costs in terms of blood and treasure. But newly revealed statistics show surprisingly low casualties despite engagements in Crimea, eastern Ukraine and Syria. It was the latest evidence that President Vladimir Putin’s military strategy is far more calculated than that of his predecessors. Boris Yeltsin’s losses in Chechnya gutted his public support and the Soviet Union’s costly, failed Afghanistan
Viewpoints Dec. 10, 2017
-
[Daniel Gordis] Trump is clear on Jerusalem, even if his motives are not
Calling it a “recognition of reality” and “the right thing to do,” President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the US was recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and that the American Embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to the contested city. The announcement leaves many questions, two of which are primary. The first is whether violence will ensue. The Palestinians and Turks are making threats, and Israel’s security establishment is said to be on alert. But many Israelis are dismissing th
Viewpoints Dec. 8, 2017
-
[Leonid Bershidsky] Europe’s far right won’t keep winning if it can’t govern
From Liechtenstein and Bulgaria to Norway and the Czech Republic, it was a good year for far-right parties in Europe. While none of the strong election results were sufficient for a full takeover, it was enough to allow most of them to become a full-fledged part of government. So are they leaping at this opportunity? And if not, why not? It’s not such a crazy thing to expect. Even in Germany, extreme parties have become an accepted part of the political landscape. Die Linke, the successor of the
Viewpoints Dec. 7, 2017
-
[Stephen L. Carter] What a technophobe doctor shows about future of work
What if your profession has never required much computer literacy -- and then all of a sudden it does. Should you be fired? Should your license be yanked? That’s the question raised by the bizarre case of Anna Konopka, a physician who claims that New Hampshire has barred her from the practice of medicine because she does not know how to use the internet.Konopka, 84, received the bulk of her medical training overseas. She voluntarily surrendered her license this fall after allegations that she wa
Viewpoints Dec. 7, 2017
-
[Christopher Balding] Maybe China can’t take over the world
Almost daily, newspapers in the US, Europe and China release eye-catching headlines about China’s technological advances and economic prowess. The accomplishments are real. But they’re not necessarily evidence of Western failure or Chinese invincibility.In touting such achievements, commentators too often overlook the structural factors that have shaped them. Economists now recognize just how much of economic interaction is driven by such forces. For instance, the gravity model in international
Viewpoints Dec. 5, 2017
-
[Noah Feldman] Unbearable slowness of war crimes justice
The suicide of Croatian war criminal Slobodan Praljak in open court last week was bizarre. Sure, Hermann Goering famously cheated the executioner at Nuremberg by swallowing cyanide. But Praljak wasn’t going to be executed, no matter how many innocent civilians he was found guilty of killing. In the highly civilized, highly bureaucratic world of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the worst thing that can happen is a long jail sentence -- like the 20 years awarded to Pr
Viewpoints Dec. 4, 2017
-
[Leonid Bershidsky] Why Europe is literally stuck in weeds
Glyphosate, the ubiquitous herbicide, may not really be poison, but it could well be the most politicized substance in Europe. In recent days, a glyphosate controversy has revealed much about the continent’s decision-making processes. Most European countries don’t allow the cultivation of genetically modified crops. But glyphosate, the effective weed killer produced by US-based Monsanto specifically for those kinds of crops, just survived another round of approvals. From a scientific point of vi
Viewpoints Dec. 4, 2017
-
[Eli Lake] The upside of giving up on North Korea
Ambassador Nikki Haley’s remarks this week at the United Nations after North Korea’s latest missile test sounded like what a superpower should say. If war comes, “the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.” If China doesn’t cut off oil to the Hermit Kingdom, “we can take the oil situation into our own hands.” It would have been a great speech in 1997. That was when signatories to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty were loath to violate it. It was before North Korea had tested its first
Viewpoints Dec. 3, 2017
-
[Adam Minter] China transforms trucking business
Travel to the edge of any Chinese city and eventually you’ll find a parking lot full of idling trucks and suffocating diesel emissions. In bigger cities, such as Shanghai, these lots sprawl for tens of acres and can lead to paralyzing traffic jams when they overflow. Even as China embraces ride sharing and delivery drones, and builds vast networks of airports and high-speed rail, it still depends on long-haul trucks to carry 80 percent of its cargo. It’s a dirty, low-tech and inefficient industr
Viewpoints Dec. 3, 2017
-
[Leonid Bershidsky] Before old Nazis vanish, let them bear witness
Oskar Groening, a former Nazi, is going to jail in Germany at age 96. Tony Hovater, 29, a current Nazi sympathizer, has lost his job in the US after being profiled by the New York Times. It’s a shame the two will never meet or even talk via Skype.After the Hovater profile ran, its author, Richard Fausset, admitted the existence of a “hole at the heart” of the story. He couldn’t understand how the former heavy metal drummer’s radicalization occurred. Behind this incomprehension lurked another que
Viewpoints Dec. 3, 2017
-
[Christopher Balding] China’s micro-lending mess
In their bid to reduce risk, China’s financial regulators are cracking down on a promising business: online micro-lending. Although the industry has some serious problems, killing it off would be a big mistake. Last week, state media announced that broad changes were coming to the sector. Approvals of new lenders have been halted, and existing firms are likely to be severely curtailed. To an extent, this crackdown reflects valid concerns. Outstanding loans offered on peer-to-peer platforms ballo
Viewpoints Nov. 30, 2017
Most Popular
-
1
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law
-
2
'Is this happening in 2024?' South Koreans in panic, disbelief
-
3
Ruling party leader denounces Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law
-
4
South Korea sees first martial law in over 40 years
-
5
Assembly passes motion to revoke martial law
-
6
Seoul defense chief calls meeting of key commanders
-
7
Does cross atop Christmas tree at Seoul Plaza reflect religious bias?
-
8
Assembly speaker declares martial law as invalid
-
9
Chief auditor, prosecutors to face Assembly impeachment vote
-
10
Seoul police agency issues level B emergency following martial law