Free Exchange
An amateur's discourse on international politics
Matthew Lu's Links
SEPTEMBER 24, 2009 8:57PM
Hot air and simple gifts
Your correspondent is currently reading Alexander Wendt's A Social
Theory of International Politics: I hope to finish it by the end of
this week. Nevertheless, I also read an article Wendt wrote which
preceded and inspired his book; the article is: Anarchy is what
States make of it: the social constr…
SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 6:58AM
Me, My Friends, and I
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN31455925
President Obama's National Security Advisor Jim Jones declared that Mr Obama's foreign policy has aided and enhanced America's counter-terrorism capabilities.
"We have better human intelligence. We know where the terrorists are moving...Because of th/…
President Obama's National Security Advisor Jim Jones declared that Mr Obama's foreign policy has aided and enhanced America's counter-terrorism capabilities.
"We have better human intelligence. We know where the terrorists are moving...Because of th/…
AUGUST 29, 2009 9:15AM
The once and future guide
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/27/AR2009082704192.html
Not so long ago, the United States made the pursuit and maintenance of moral authority one of the tenants of it's foreign policy. The incident that comes first to this blogger's mind is one that Henry Kissinger has ro/…
Not so long ago, the United States made the pursuit and maintenance of moral authority one of the tenants of it's foreign policy. The incident that comes first to this blogger's mind is one that Henry Kissinger has ro/…
MAY 19, 2009 12:32AM
A heart happy birthday to Mr X
I have taken a long break from blogging because the end of my high
school career is fast approaching and I want to spend more time
doing things I never had time to do before and become better
friends with people I never had the chance to in the years past…
APRIL 9, 2009 11:46AM
Renovating the political pillar
The exciting stock-market rally of the last few weeks persisted in
part because the government and the Fed's announcements of optimism
and detailed plans to shore up the American financial system have
given investors a sense of confidence. Confidence in America's
political stability and the rule of l…
APRIL 7, 2009 10:09PM
The Mexican Question
Two weeks ago, CNN reported on a website called BlueServo.net,
where vigilant private citizens may watch 15 cameras that monitor
the Mexican-American border.
From the article:
"Lawmakers are raising concerns about drug-related violence spilling into the United States from Mexico. And, bucking an upward…
From the article:
"Lawmakers are raising concerns about drug-related violence spilling into the United States from Mexico. And, bucking an upward…
APRIL 7, 2009 8:58PM
Gee Mr Hague, what large teeth you should have
More Isocratic business, I'm afraid. I do end with a proposal
though. This time, your correspondent is responding to a heartfelt call for
morally inspired foreign policy. My response is below.
--
I'm afraid I am an unapologetic member of a different club; if you recall, our time-honored clubs played a…
--
I'm afraid I am an unapologetic member of a different club; if you recall, our time-honored clubs played a…
APRIL 7, 2009 12:12PM
The pundit-citizen
In addition to school-work I have been occupied at Isocracy:
In response to a post on the Isocracy Network, I wrote:
--
The Platonic vision of citizenship is one I respect tremendously: a good citizen is one who is active in the politics of his society. I think you have characterized the relationship be…
In response to a post on the Isocracy Network, I wrote:
--
The Platonic vision of citizenship is one I respect tremendously: a good citizen is one who is active in the politics of his society. I think you have characterized the relationship be…
MARCH 21, 2009 5:07AM
Rigorous statistical analysis [UPDATED]
On March 9th, I wrote:
--
...
This is less a criticism of President Obama's budget, and much more a criticism of his projections. The statement "3.1 percent by 2019" assumes a certain figure for GDP in 2019. The economic forecasts of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, the Treasury and the Fed have all been…
--
...
This is less a criticism of President Obama's budget, and much more a criticism of his projections. The statement "3.1 percent by 2019" assumes a certain figure for GDP in 2019. The economic forecasts of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, the Treasury and the Fed have all been…
MARCH 21, 2009 4:46AM
Frying the wrong fish
Reuters reports on the rumor that Timothy Geithner, America's
Secretary of the Treasury, would finally release the details of his
plan to remove toxic assets from bank's portfolios:
"The slow start of the new Federal Reserve consumer lending program this week has been seen as a sign that private capit…
"The slow start of the new Federal Reserve consumer lending program this week has been seen as a sign that private capit…
MARCH 20, 2009 3:19AM
The silver lining
The silver lining in the economic gloom is the political effect it
has had on the EU:
From the BBC:
"Mr Barroso said doubling the emergency funding ceiling to 50bn euros would be "a good signal that the EU is ready to show solidarity and support... to the countries that may need it.""
This…
From the BBC:
"Mr Barroso said doubling the emergency funding ceiling to 50bn euros would be "a good signal that the EU is ready to show solidarity and support... to the countries that may need it.""
This…
MARCH 18, 2009 2:57PM
Following an old script or writing a new one?
Bryce's graph,
the founder of Prospective Value may be
eerily prescient. We will see how closely we follow the trend of
the Great Depression. Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Federal
Reserve, is a student of history and specializes in the Great
Depression; he is intimately familiar with the mistakes…
MARCH 17, 2009 4:26AM
The specter of Smoot-Hawley
Though lacking Karl Marx's sense of the dramatic (not to mention
the metaphysical), your correspondent is nonetheless concerned that
Mexico has retaliated to the US' protectionism by imposing
tariffs.
The specter of Smoot-Hawley is not truly rising; at least, not yet. When Senator Reed Smoot (R - UT)…
The specter of Smoot-Hawley is not truly rising; at least, not yet. When Senator Reed Smoot (R - UT)…
MARCH 16, 2009 4:06PM
Flying over the coup coup's nest...again.
"Hitherto Mr Zardari may have trusted to support from America,
Britain and Pakistan’s army, who are all, to
varying degrees, wary of the populist and conservative Mr Sharif.
He can no longer do so—the Punjab
police’s decision to free Mr Sharif from
confinement was very likely in response to an…
MARCH 14, 2009 10:43PM
The war continues
A more detailed look at The Street's interview of Jim Cramer:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/08/05/more-on-scott-moritz-and-the-jim-cramer-street-misinformation-engine/
Some quotes from Jim Cramer --
1. "...fomenting the market [the act of using disinformation to manipulate stock prices[... [is] act…
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/08/05/more-on-scott-moritz-and-the-jim-cramer-street-misinformation-engine/
Some quotes from Jim Cramer --
1. "...fomenting the market [the act of using disinformation to manipulate stock prices[... [is] act…
MARCH 14, 2009 4:37AM
Stewart's point
Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC's investment show "Mad Money", and Jon
Stewart, the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon
Stewart", spent twenty minutes together on Stewart's show.
Actually, to be precise, Cramer spent twenty minutes with Stewart
being lectured to.
Here it is: http://www.thed… Read full post »
Here it is: http://www.thed… Read full post »
MARCH 11, 2009 3:23AM
Watching the Watchmen
Who watches the Watchmen? I just saw the 2009 film adaptation of
Alan Moore's critically acclaimed graphic novel, Watchmen. The
graphic novel is the only comic book to make Times magazine's top
100 books of all time. The film does not disappoint.
Free Exchange, at my leisure, will spend the next month…
Free Exchange, at my leisure, will spend the next month…
MARCH 9, 2009 2:02PM
Rigorous statistical analysis
David Brooks needs to be more rigorous with his analysis:
"The White House has produced a chart showing nondefense discretionary spending as a share of G.D.P. That’s spending for education, welfare and all the stuff that Democrats love. Since 1985, this spending has hovered around 3.7 percent of G.D…
"The White House has produced a chart showing nondefense discretionary spending as a share of G.D.P. That’s spending for education, welfare and all the stuff that Democrats love. Since 1985, this spending has hovered around 3.7 percent of G.D…
MARCH 4, 2009 6:09PM
Isocratic thought
To date, your correspondent has been invited to co-author two new
blogs: Prospective Value and at the Isocracy Network.
http://www.prospectivevalue.com/
Prospective Value, is, in part, a blog about investments. I will be posting much of my policy analysis over there to aid their efforts. Check it out!
h… Read full post »
http://www.prospectivevalue.com/
Prospective Value, is, in part, a blog about investments. I will be posting much of my policy analysis over there to aid their efforts. Check it out!
h… Read full post »
MARCH 3, 2009 7:01PM
Cloak and letters
Yesterday, the New York Times published a report about Mr Obama's
"secret letter" to President Medvedev, the president of Russia.
"President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia’s president last month suggesting that he would back off deploying a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe if Mosco…
"President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia’s president last month suggesting that he would back off deploying a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe if Mosco…
FEBRUARY 25, 2009 11:14PM
Best wishes from Darwin to the President
Reuters
reports on Mr Obama's speech:
--
The economy cannot sustain "21st century markets with 20th century regulations," Obama told reporters after the meeting with lawmakers.
"If we once again guide the market's invisible hand with a higher principle, our markets will recover, our economy will once ag/… Read full post »
--
The economy cannot sustain "21st century markets with 20th century regulations," Obama told reporters after the meeting with lawmakers.
"If we once again guide the market's invisible hand with a higher principle, our markets will recover, our economy will once ag/… Read full post »
FEBRUARY 25, 2009 9:39PM
Best wishes from Darwin to the President
Reuters reports on Mr Obama's speech:
--
The economy cannot sustain "21st century markets with 20th century regulations," Obama told reporters after the meeting with lawmakers.
"If we once again guide the market's invisible hand with a higher principle, our markets will recover, our economy will once ag…
--
The economy cannot sustain "21st century markets with 20th century regulations," Obama told reporters after the meeting with lawmakers.
"If we once again guide the market's invisible hand with a higher principle, our markets will recover, our economy will once ag…
FEBRUARY 24, 2009 8:52PM
We are still living in an era...
Mr Obama plans to include this in his speech tonight, reports
Bloomberg:
“We have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election."
That's ironic. The economics that s…
“We have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election."
That's ironic. The economics that s…
FEBRUARY 23, 2009 8:18PM
Positive Freedom
Amartya Sen, the Economics Nobel Prize winner in 1998, said this in
defense of free-market economics:
"To be generically against markets would be as odd as being generically against conversations between people (even though some conversations are clearly foul and cause problems for others—or even fo…
"To be generically against markets would be as odd as being generically against conversations between people (even though some conversations are clearly foul and cause problems for others—or even fo…
FEBRUARY 23, 2009 2:45PM
Who watches the watchers who watch the watchers?
From Reuters:
--
Obama said he would name a team of managers to ensure that billions of dollars slated for infrastructure projects would be spent wisely.
"The American people are watching. They need this plan to work," Obama said at a gathering at the White House with dozens of the nation's mayors.
"And…
--
Obama said he would name a team of managers to ensure that billions of dollars slated for infrastructure projects would be spent wisely.
"The American people are watching. They need this plan to work," Obama said at a gathering at the White House with dozens of the nation's mayors.
"And…
skewz
Chris MacDonald
Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com