October, 2009
Nobel’s non-economics prize
The Nobel Prize in economics awarded to Elinor Ostrom and Oliver Williamson surprised many, and not just because Ostrom was the first woman to be honoured with it.
Negotiation inevitable in Afghanistan
It’s now the conventional wisdom that all options in Afghanistan have become bad options. But one that still earns only occasional and sometimes grudging mention – negotiation – is different from the others in one important sense. It’s inevitable.
Setting Out the Conditions for 'Success' in Afghanistan
President Obama is right to be deliberate in contemplating General Stanley McChrystal's request for a troop surge in Afghanistan, as that decision may determine the outcome of the eight-year U.S. engagement in Afghanistan and perhaps even the broader state-building process.
Iraq's New Realities
The political system remains somewhat unpredictable, as political alliances change with the seasons. The elections scheduled for January 2010 hold many uncertainties, from the type of electoral law to whether Prime Minister Maliki will be reelected, say Ellen Laipson and Mokhtar Lamani.
One Year On: The G20 and Economic Leadership
The economic crisis has transformed international governance, signaling a break with the established economic architecture. Initially, measures taken appeared in an ad hoc or temporary manner, but the decision at Pittsburgh 20 Summit to make the G20 "the premier forum for international economic cooperation" reflects a definite shift in economic leadership. New players, institutions and issues are now centre stage.
Assessing the G20's 'big bang' theory: Economic crisis transformed governance
International governance has been transformed by the 2008 economic crisis, signalling a break with the established economic architecture. Initial responses by governments appeared ad hoc. But decisions at the recent Pittsburgh Summit to institutionalize the Group of 20 leaders' summit reflects a decided shift in economic leadership. New players, new institutions and new issues have moved to the centre of the agenda.
He should have turned it down
Barack Obama simply doesn't match up to previous Nobel Peace Prize recipients, or indeed many who haven't won the award
Brazil and the Honduran crisis
By taking on Honduras as a foreign policy priority, Brazil is expressing a powerful Latin American consensus. The notion that this could somehow damage Brazil and its global objectives is profoundly mistaken.
The demise of Maurice Bishop
The release of Bernard Coard and his fellow inmates from prison after 26 years behind bars has put on the table once again the question of what happened in October 1983 in Grenada. In a previous column, I examined the role played by Bernard Coard in that extraordinary course of events.