"The United States doesn't f***** torture!"

There was time when I too believed in a type of American Exceptionalism. I, perhaps naively, thought that the USA was leading the world to a better future by pressing for expanded human rights and  improving on our own constitutional ideals, among other things. But then the last eight years happened. The most egregious example of this loss of leadership is the question of torture. Stunningly, a Fox News anchor said it as clearly as it can be said. The United States just doesn't do it. Or shouldn't. It's such a simple argument. You can't complain about others if you do it yourself. Maybe Shepherd Smith's outcry will become the rallying cry that reminds us what we stand for. 

Current Reading

Just started Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson. Slowly working my way through Rawls' Theory of Justice. I'll share thoughts soon.

Warm fuzzies

Cosmopolitanism in the animal kingdom. Who knew?

The times have changed

Yglesias is correct. It's well past time to turn the page on these old conflicts. I think the default position in most cases is to engage and include. I think that's the better path to bringing all nations into the world community. The two take home points from this article are these countries are not a threat, and less trade restrictions would make everyone richer and more pleasantly disposed to each other. 

JUST STOP IT!

Let's get over this once and for all. We will not bomb our way to a better future. 

There is probably a place for thoughtful, multilateral, limited military intervention in specific instances, although the recent adventure by the United States into Iraq has probably hamstrung that option for generations. Paul Collier does a good job explaining the concept in his book, The Bottom Billion. 

However, notions like this proposed by David Samuels in Slate, Why Israel Will Bomb Iran, conclude with some kind of magical domino effect that leads to greater peace. Matt Yglesias deals with this succinctly in this post, David Samuels Says Bombing Iran Will Lead to a Palestinian State.

How are ideas like this called "realism"?

More cosmopolitanism through more cosmopolitanism

Sounds silly, but it seems to be true. The individuals and countries that are most comfortable with cooperation and integration are the most globalized. That earns a "duh". The important take away point is that more integration begets more integration. Therefore, we need to understand the underlying mechanisms that increase the acceptance of integration, globalization, and cosmopolitanism. Easier and increased trade, increased cross-cultural contact, and language education would seem to be essential.

I read a recent study that investigated the question as to whether increased globalization will lead to a retreat into parochialism and xenophobia or more acceptance of global cooperation.

Read the study "Globalization and human cooperation". It's only 5 pages. Get to it.

Wow, I think he is the first cosmopolitan president...

Today's video address by President Barack Obama.

Reform, Stimulate, Repeat (Well hopefully that last part won't be necessary)

I'm more optimistic about the US stimulus package than the banking bailout plan, but hopefully it will all work. I've been reading about European foot-dragging on stimulus and while I hope they do what's necessary, Europe already has a cushier safety net than the US. So, while stimulus is important, what I really hope the G20 gets right next month is financial system reform. This article, Obama Urges G20 Leaders to Act Fast to Boost Growth, seems to emphasize the stimulus over the reform. 

The world learned important lessons after the Great Depression; lessons we have forgotten or dismissed. If you let people do what they want to do (create crazy financial instruments and make unwise loans) people are going to do what they want to do. Regulate, please. Then don't forget why you did it.

It's one world economy now. 

Super sovereign reserve currency

Sounds impressive. I'm intrigued. Now I must learn more.

I read The End of National Currency (log in req'd) in Foreign Affairs in 2007. I thought the argument was compelling. Now, the Chinese are moving the argument forward (article here)with a call to reform global monetary markets by making an IMF monetary instrument the new international reserve. 

Now, I need to find a clearer, deeper explanation of  how this works. Initially, I like the general concept. The current world economic slowdown might be an opportune time, if this turns out to be a worthy idea. 

How the world would have voted in the US presidential election

The Economist's Global Electoral College.

What's bigger than a landslide?

Cosmopolitan Democracy, the movie

It's 90 minutes long, but this video from a conference on cosmopolitan democracy is worth the time. As a result, I've ordered two books by Daniele Archibugi, The Global Commonwealth of Citizens: Toward Cosmopolitan Democracy, and Cosmopolitan Democracy: An Agenda for a New World Order.

You can watch the video here.

I learned that cosmopolitan democracy is much bigger in Europe (which makes sense), the world may love Obama, the first cosmopolitan president, even more than the US does, and Keynes had a idea in the 1940's for an international currency clearing house that is fascinating. Another well-made point is that United States has been a force in opposition to authoritarianism around the world, a fact the world appreciates, but Bush screwed everything up. Hopefully we'll get back on track.

Btw, the site that hosts the vid, globaldemo.org, will be getting more of my attention soon.

"Global New Deal"

I'm looking forward to the G-20 meeting this April. Gordon Brown is calling for a "global New Deal" to ameliorate the global economic slowdown, and a reform of the international financial system. Other Euro leaders concur. 

Read the article here.

Expanding the EU, sort of

This is from last summer's Economist. If economics is driving integration, this development might accelerate the process. Does money trump culture? 

Club Med http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11707183

The Med's Moment Comes http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11703160

The view from Club Med http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11735453

Sarko's Southern Dream http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11751636

I like the idea of wedding the know-how and experience of an aging EU with the labor and energy of a youthful northern Africa and Middle East. I haven't seen anything new on this idea since July's Economist.

Rereading Appiah, #2

From page xv of Cosmopolitanism, (quoted from Christoph Martin Wieland)

Cosmopolitans... regard all the peoples of the earth as so many branches of a single family, and the universe as a state, of which they, with innumerable other rational beings, are citizens, promoting together under the general laws of nature the perfection of the whole, while each in his own fashion is busy about his own well-being.

The perfection of the whole. I think we've moved slightly in that direction, but only inches compared to the miles that are necessary. I'm curious as to the mechanisms necessary to continue this promotion of perfection of the whole. It's something I intend to pursue.

Rereading Appiah, #1

From page xiii of Cosmopolitanism,

The challenge, then, is to take minds and hearts formed over the long millennia of living in local troops and equip them with ideas and institutions that will allow us to live together as the global tribe we have become.

Appiah meets evolutionary psychology. How long until a critical mass of people realize we have become a global tribe?

The Beginning

For the first time in my life, I worked hard on for a political candidate... and it was all good.

Here's hoping Barack Hussein Obama, President-elect of the United States, will be the first one president world I want him to be. I wish him all the best.

Now that all the work and hullabaloo is over, I promise to get back to blogging.

Financial crisis may lead to financial integration

Bretton Woods was an momentous step in human integration that 99% of the world's population knows nothing about. That was 60 years ago. It's time in our increasingly integrated world to take another step. I don't know if there is a specific "engine of history". It's been argued that religion, culture, and our human nature are candidates, but I know that economics is important in driving history. What European leaders are contemplating (read the Economist article here) should be the guide for the world. They meet with Bush today, and it is likely that the current administration will balk. But the day will come, hopefully sooner than later.

Culture wars in Gaza

Let Islamist's govern. I've heard that idea before. Islamists are more appealing as opponents to regimes than leaders of regimes. The bloom quickly is off the rose once the Islamist leadership can't run an economy while more worried about head scarves. Of course, I wonder when the United States will tire of it's nutty Republican Party. Perhaps that proves the idea wrong. 

Here's the link to Matt Yglesias' take, Culture War in Garza, and here is the link to the original NYT article, Watching 'Friends' In Gaza: A Culture Clash. 

Nationalism, Clash of Civilizations, and One World

One problem with Huntinton's Clash of Civilizations is the divisions within the so called civilizations. Matt Yglesias comments on an article about Asian nationalisms.  Read Yglesias' short take here in, Nationalism in Asia, or, read the original in the Washington Post, So Far, It Just Isn't Looking Like Asia's Century.

Ditto Matthew Yglesias

Another defense of Obama's cosmopolitanism. Read here.