U.S. President Joe Biden is caught between “two opposing forces” when it comes to Saudi Arabia, according to Frederick Kempe, president and CEO of the Atlantic Council.
During his presidential campaign, Biden said Washington would make Riyadh the “pariah that they are” and hold the kingdom accountable on human rights issues. However, the president now sees that Saudi Arabia’s support is important for his agenda in the Middle East region, Kempe said.
Read more at:
Biden needs Saudi support, that makes it tough to push for human rights
Showing posts with label Fragile. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fragile. Show all posts
3/2/21
1/13/21
USA: What saved American democracy? – By Bo Rothstein
Democracy is a fragile form of government. History has shown democracies can be undermined in several ways. It can happen quickly, as in a coup, but democracies can also erode more slowly, as is now taking place in Poland and Hungary.
Based on research on how democracies have collapsed, political science has highlighted what to be especially wary about. If political leaders do not unequivocally take a stand against political violence, do not respect the democratic rights of their opponents and refrain from promising to respect an election result that goes against them, then democracy is in danger.
During his election campaign and even more during his time as president, Donald Trump undoubtedly violated these three principles. His many false claims that the election was rigged, and that he actually won, his support for his Republican party colleagues’ efforts to impede minority turnout and his incitement to the mob that forcibly broke into Congress on January 6th were clear examples.
Read more at: What saved American democracy? – Bo Rothstein
Based on research on how democracies have collapsed, political science has highlighted what to be especially wary about. If political leaders do not unequivocally take a stand against political violence, do not respect the democratic rights of their opponents and refrain from promising to respect an election result that goes against them, then democracy is in danger.
During his election campaign and even more during his time as president, Donald Trump undoubtedly violated these three principles. His many false claims that the election was rigged, and that he actually won, his support for his Republican party colleagues’ efforts to impede minority turnout and his incitement to the mob that forcibly broke into Congress on January 6th were clear examples.
Read more at: What saved American democracy? – Bo Rothstein
9/8/20
: The US on the crossroads: America democracy more fragile than ever - by Haviland Smith
During the Putin era it has become clear that the
Russians are in the process of trying to reestablish themselves among
the most powerful and influential countries in the world. To do that,
they see the diminution of American power and prestige as critical for
their goals. They must be encouraged by what is happening in America
right now.
Our democracy looks more fragile every day. The U.S. is a chaotic place. Nothing really works. Our legislature is paralyzed by hostility between the Republicans and Democrats. This is a reality recognized around the world. It makes “democracy” anything but attractive. Despite the likelihood that most Americans are democratically disposed, there are clearly some who believe that there is not sufficient central authority being used to change the situation, reduce conflict and force stability on the nation.
Back Lives Matter began as a spontaneous, peaceful reaction to what were viewed as police excesses. It was widely supported in both the white and black communities in this country and continues to be today.
Recently BLM has been actively and often violently opposed by racist and white supremacist groups as well as by outside activists who appear to be interested solely in fanning disorder and conflict, fomenting violence.
It is probably fair to say that the White House, if it were so inclined, could slow, if not completely stop the violence. An appropriate word from the White House could blunt the motivation of those violently opposed to the BLM. And yet, that does not happen as the White House even praises various violent anti BLM supporters.
That praise has been reinforced by continuing statements from White House personnel, most emphatically including the president, which have praised the character of those racists and white supremacists. The now retiring adviser to the president, Kellyanne Conway, recently said that the more violence there is, “the better it is for Trump’s re-election prospects.” How could this be? Is it not the primary job of any White House to calm and quiet discontent in our country rather than encourage it?
Read complete report at:
Haviland Smith: America democracy more fragile than ever - VTDigger
Our democracy looks more fragile every day. The U.S. is a chaotic place. Nothing really works. Our legislature is paralyzed by hostility between the Republicans and Democrats. This is a reality recognized around the world. It makes “democracy” anything but attractive. Despite the likelihood that most Americans are democratically disposed, there are clearly some who believe that there is not sufficient central authority being used to change the situation, reduce conflict and force stability on the nation.
Back Lives Matter began as a spontaneous, peaceful reaction to what were viewed as police excesses. It was widely supported in both the white and black communities in this country and continues to be today.
Recently BLM has been actively and often violently opposed by racist and white supremacist groups as well as by outside activists who appear to be interested solely in fanning disorder and conflict, fomenting violence.
It is probably fair to say that the White House, if it were so inclined, could slow, if not completely stop the violence. An appropriate word from the White House could blunt the motivation of those violently opposed to the BLM. And yet, that does not happen as the White House even praises various violent anti BLM supporters.
That praise has been reinforced by continuing statements from White House personnel, most emphatically including the president, which have praised the character of those racists and white supremacists. The now retiring adviser to the president, Kellyanne Conway, recently said that the more violence there is, “the better it is for Trump’s re-election prospects.” How could this be? Is it not the primary job of any White House to calm and quiet discontent in our country rather than encourage it?
Read complete report at:
Haviland Smith: America democracy more fragile than ever - VTDigger
5/27/20
EUROZONE: Keeping the promise of eurozone convergence – by Philip Heimberger, Maximilian Krahé, Dominic Ponattu and Jens van 't Klooster
Covid-19 is first of all a health crisis. Its economic consequences,
however, are no less severe. Given the pandemic’s uneven progression
across Europe, unequal fiscal starting points geographically and this
month’s ruling by the German constitutional court, the coming months and
years will put the eurozone to the test once more.
In its current architecture, the eurozone is a web of glass—superficially stable, but brittle when subject to shocks. To avoid a break-up and render it resilient for the long term, the sources of this fragility must be identified and remedied.
Read more at:
Keeping the promise of eurozone convergence – Philip Heimberger, Maximilian Krahé, Dominic Ponattu and Jens van 't Klooster
In its current architecture, the eurozone is a web of glass—superficially stable, but brittle when subject to shocks. To avoid a break-up and render it resilient for the long term, the sources of this fragility must be identified and remedied.
Read more at:
Keeping the promise of eurozone convergence – Philip Heimberger, Maximilian Krahé, Dominic Ponattu and Jens van 't Klooster
6/16/14
U.S. economy remains fragile despite Wall Street reaching new heights
As the stock market continues to boom, financial experts and
economists in the U.S. are grappling with dual realities. Philly.com
reported on June 14 that experts on the economy are saying that the U.S.
economy seems fragile, and the labor participation rate is lousy.
“When companies are doing well, stock prices do well, so the economy must steam full ahead,” says Esme Faerber, professor of business at Rosemont College. “But it often doesn’t work that way.”
Experts say that these conflicting realities are confusing. Financial assts are reaching new heights, prompting some market-watchers to wonder whether another crash lurks around the corner. But, stocks buyers are complacent. The so-called fear gauge, the CBOE Volatility Index, is nearing its historic low of 9.89 in January 2007 – just before the world economy and the markets plummeted and launched the Great Recession.
So what to make of these incongruities? The economy is at an inflection point, experts say. “We sometimes see this sort of paradox between economic conditions and the financial markets. The reason is, the stock market reflects sentiment right now, as well as economic fundamentals in the future,” says Joe Davis, global chief economist at Vanguard in Conshohocken.
According to the data service Capital IQ, the biggest buyers of stocks in the first quarter 2014 were the companies of the S&P 500 itself, which cumulatively repurchased $160 billion of their own shares. The S&P 500 has risen 5.4 percent year to date and 22 percent in the last 12 months. However, experts say that as corporate America buys back its own shares and bolsters the markets, they are failing to invest in new business and equipment that could propel the economy.
On the other side of the equation, by keeping interest rates low, the U.S. Federal Reserve is doing everything it can to prevent a feared economic downturn, but at the same time, the central bank recognizes that some financial assets may be overheating.
Read more: U.S. economy remains fragile despite Wall Street reaching new heights | The State Column
“When companies are doing well, stock prices do well, so the economy must steam full ahead,” says Esme Faerber, professor of business at Rosemont College. “But it often doesn’t work that way.”
Experts say that these conflicting realities are confusing. Financial assts are reaching new heights, prompting some market-watchers to wonder whether another crash lurks around the corner. But, stocks buyers are complacent. The so-called fear gauge, the CBOE Volatility Index, is nearing its historic low of 9.89 in January 2007 – just before the world economy and the markets plummeted and launched the Great Recession.
So what to make of these incongruities? The economy is at an inflection point, experts say. “We sometimes see this sort of paradox between economic conditions and the financial markets. The reason is, the stock market reflects sentiment right now, as well as economic fundamentals in the future,” says Joe Davis, global chief economist at Vanguard in Conshohocken.
According to the data service Capital IQ, the biggest buyers of stocks in the first quarter 2014 were the companies of the S&P 500 itself, which cumulatively repurchased $160 billion of their own shares. The S&P 500 has risen 5.4 percent year to date and 22 percent in the last 12 months. However, experts say that as corporate America buys back its own shares and bolsters the markets, they are failing to invest in new business and equipment that could propel the economy.
On the other side of the equation, by keeping interest rates low, the U.S. Federal Reserve is doing everything it can to prevent a feared economic downturn, but at the same time, the central bank recognizes that some financial assets may be overheating.
Read more: U.S. economy remains fragile despite Wall Street reaching new heights | The State Column
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)