Every successful revolution puts on in time the robes of the tyrant it has deposed.
— Barbara Tuchman, who died on this date in 1989
Perhaps Putin is a megalomaniac myopically succumbing to his lust for
power. But a more plausible explanation for Putin’s recent decisions is
that he is neither economically illiterate nor libidinously violent, but
motivated instead by political commitments that we do not fully
understand “Mr. Putin is not rational”
Former NSW Labor minister Eddie Obeid appeared to be acting "on behalf of constituents" when he lobbied a state government authority about retail leases at Circular Quay. He didn't reveal his family was making $1000 a week from two cafes on the wharves, the Supreme Court has heard Eddie Obeid pleads not guilty to misconduct charges
"Every year since 2006 more democracies have experienced erosion in political rights and civil liberties than have registered gains, as we find in our annual Freedom in the World report. In all, 110 countries, more than half the world’s total, have suffered some loss in freedom during the past 10 years."
That is from Mark P. Lagon and Arch Puddington at the WSJ. I would like to see a good theory of how liberty, democracy, and liberalism — or however we wish to characterize that bundle — comove across the globe, in both positive and negative times.
Freedom House – “Freedom in the World 2016 – Global freedom declined for the 10th consecutive year in 2015, as economic pressures and fear of unrest led authoritarians to crack down on dissent, while migration and terrorism fueled xenophobia in democracies.”
Freedom House – “Freedom in the World 2016 – Global freedom declined for the 10th consecutive year in 2015, as economic pressures and fear of unrest led authoritarians to crack down on dissent, while migration and terrorism fueled xenophobia in democracies.”
The authors are Christophre H. Achen and Larry M.Bartels, and the subtitle is Why Elections Do Not Produce Representative Government.
This book is brutally depressing, not to mention very well presented,
though I cannot say the core message is surprising at this point.
Voters choose on the basis of partisan loyalties, and these days party
voting has a much bigger influence on state and local elections than it
used to. So where is the accountability? Some voters engage in
“retrospective voting,” but on the basis of super-short time horizons,
and often the voters hold politicians accountable for matters those
politicians cannot control, even storms and other natural disasters.
The authors really do demonstrate these points with lots of rigorous
analysis.
OK, now a segue. Given all this, the natural and appropriate policy response should be to a) expand the responsibilities of democratic government, or b) consider limiting the responsibilities of democratic government?
You are allowed only two guesses…
The book is due out in April.
- See more at: http://marginalrevolution.com/#sthash.X3DUXbsa.dpuf
… The Holocaust as ‘white on white crime’ and other signs of intellectual decay — The Washington Post.OK, now a segue. Given all this, the natural and appropriate policy response should be to a) expand the responsibilities of democratic government, or b) consider limiting the responsibilities of democratic government?
You are allowed only two guesses…
The book is due out in April.
- See more at: http://marginalrevolution.com/#sthash.X3DUXbsa.dpuf
The
authors are Christophre H. Achen and Larry M.Bartels, and the subtitle is Why
Elections Do Not Produce Representative Government. This book is
brutally depressing, not to mention very well presented, though I cannot say
the core message is surprising at this point. Voters choose on the basis
of partisan loyalties, and these days party voting has a much bigger influence
on state and local elections than it used to. So where is the
accountability? Some voters engage in “retrospective voting,” but on the
basis of super-short time horizons, and often the voters hold politicians
accountable for matters those politicians cannot control, even storms and other
natural disasters. The authors really do demonstrate these points with
lots of rigorous analysis.
OK, now
a segue. Given all this, the natural and appropriate policy response
should be to a) expand the responsibilities of democratic government, or b)
consider limiting the responsibilities of democratic government? You are
allowed only two guesses… The book is due out in April
Federal inquiry asks if there-is-too much scrutiny of the ATO
Human subjects research/Institutional Review Boards: “The Obama administration is quietly trying to make it harder to study public officials” [Michelle Hackman, Vox]
CIA Director Melts Down After Being Asked to Apologize for Spying on the Senate District Sentinel
Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan lashed out at foreign-owned multinationals such as the tech giants for deliberately thwarting Australia's tax collection efforts. "Their clear tactic is to delay and obstruct," he told a senate committee hearing. "They game the system. Enough is enough." Mr Jordan said the ATO had written to 26 companies already under audit to tell them to "get their house in order", and another 60 letters were in the post Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan says enough is enough
Federal inquiry asks if there-is-too much scrutiny of the ATO
Human subjects research/Institutional Review Boards: “The Obama administration is quietly trying to make it harder to study public officials” [Michelle Hackman, Vox]
CIA Director Melts Down After Being Asked to Apologize for Spying on the Senate District Sentinel
Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan lashed out at foreign-owned multinationals such as the tech giants for deliberately thwarting Australia's tax collection efforts. "Their clear tactic is to delay and obstruct," he told a senate committee hearing. "They game the system. Enough is enough." Mr Jordan said the ATO had written to 26 companies already under audit to tell them to "get their house in order", and another 60 letters were in the post Tax Commissioner Chris Jordan says enough is enough
Cash rewards for dobbing in multinational tax cheats and greater protection for whistleblowers are being considered by the Turnbull government to reduce tax avoidance. In the US, whistleblowers who have provided information that lead authorities to tax cheats have received a cut of the billions of dollars recouped Whistleblower Legislation With Reward
Simone Segouin, the 18 year old French Résistance fighter, 1944
18 year old French Résistance fighter, Simone Segouin, with war name
Nicole Minet. She had come from Chartres to help liberate the capital.
Paris, August 19, 1944.
Lebanon returns Israeli vulture cleared of spying
Liberal democracy is so widely admired that we conflate liberalism and democracy. But democracy can be an illiberal train wreck. Liberal Democracy“An improvement of four places from 14th to 10th in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an opportunity for the UK to lead on global corruption at the Prime Minister’s forthcoming Anti-Corruption Summit in May – but carries the risk that if he fails to deliver, the UK will once again sink down the rankings. Transparency International has warned that to be a world-leader on anti-corruption efforts, the UK must also ensure its own house is in order. Measures should include:
- Strengthen the UK’s anti-money laundering defences – stop the UK being a safe haven for the corrupt
Perhaps it's time now to stop mapping political differences along the left-right dichotomy. The great political, intellectual and emotional chasm of our world runs between transnational elites with access to diverse forms of social, economic and cultural power, and masses who feel left out from the global party and who express their fury and resentment through social media and xenophobic movements.
We have entered a perilous new era in politics, where a whirlwind of raw emotions is blowing away all the verities of the past. The global elites, whose competence and moral legitimacy are questioned like never before, need, as Martin Wolf wrote in the Financial Times last week, "to work out intelligent responses." Until then, progressively more and more intemperate outbursts against posh boys will define political life
Using SEC filings, Federal Communications Commission applications and other public records, Finance Uncovered managed to show that the director of a major US defence contractor was on the board of directors of a Jersey company controlling assets in North Korea (via companies in the Cayman Islands, natch). This story about tax havens and secrecy has been described as a bombshell by veteran North Korea watcher Marcus Noland, get the full story on Finance Uncovered’s website.
Thinking of a career switch to the other side of the fence? Drew Clarke and
Frances Adamson are the latest in a long line of public servants moving to
ministerial offices. But is it a risk to your career?
Bureaucrat in the ministerial office: career risk or boon?