Jay Nordlinger, National Review
On the homepage today, we have an Impromptus column, with a variety of issues. The first has to do with the long reach of the Chinese government. They make sure that Chinese students on American campuses stay in line. The students always have families back home. And some students inform on other students. This has been going on a long time. I first learned about it when I myself was in grad school. A Chinese classmate of mine told...
Richard Pildes, New York Times
The political fragmentation that now characterizes nearly all Western democracies reflects deep dissatisfaction with the ability of traditional parties and governments to deliver effective policies. Yet perversely, this fragmentation makes it all the more difficult for governments to do so. Mr. Biden is right: Democracies must figure out how to overcome the forces of fragmentation to show they once again can deliver effective government.
Murdo Fraser, Scotsman
It produces a range of products based on that old Scottish favourite, the clootie dumpling, available in a variety of exotic flavours, dressed in tartan, and one even comes as a character from Star Wars. The business now employs nine people, and is a real success story for the Scottish food and drink industry.
A. England & N. Bozorgmehr, FT
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei bided his time before publicly offering his seal of approval to the 2015 nuclear accord Tehran signed with world powers. But as moderate Iranian politicians and their supporters celebrated, hoping the deal would usher in a new era for the pariah state, the supreme leader made clear his mistrust of the US, the other prime actor behind the agreement.
Luis Rubio, Worldcrunch
MEXICO CITY — His discourse, body language and tone are increasingly intolerant and suggest rising desperation. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (aka AMLO) has become so verbally radical this year that he has indiscriminately attacked educational institutions, journalists and individuals who, paradoxically, had been among those who defended and...
Aaron Maclean, Wall Street Journal
The West's elites are naive about autocrats, who put ambition ahead of approval.
Christopher Caldwell, New York Times
This year, at the height of what used to be called the Christmas season, a Pew Research Center poll on religion revealed that only slightly more Americans described themselves as Roman Catholics (21 percent) than as believers in "nothing in particular" (20 percent). The millennial generation, which includes most adult Americans under 40, is the first one in which Christians are a minority.
John Keiger, Spectator
Viewed from Paris these days Germany is seen as ever less French compliant, most recently on issues from nuclear power to a deepening energy dependence on Moscow. The one moment when Germany appeared to be heading off in an independent direction - to France's severe consternation - was over Ostpolitik in the 1970s when she increasingly flirted with Soviet Russia. This recalled a deep French historical anxiety, that of a Russo-German rapprochement. Rather as French diplomacy... Читать дальше...
Economist
Chinese bureaucrats have to learn to read between the lines
Andrew Michta, 1945
If the demands to negotiate have a larger aim it is to divide the alliance. Most importantly, the idea that Russia would need a written treaty guarantee to forestall Ukraine or Georgia's accession to NATO is absurd. Putin knows that so long as he occupies Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine and Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, the countries have no chance of making it into NATO, for a vote to enlarge the alliance would mean in effect
George Friedman, Geopolitical Futures
When nations negotiate, a quiet settles in before the threats begin. Such is the case now between the U.S. and Russia, which will soon hold talks over the status of Ukraine and any number of other issues. Moscow has published its list of demands - more of a wish list, really - to try to set the agenda. But in the end, agendas are set by reality. A quick recap of Russia's year is a good place to begin establishing that reality.
