Reading Around the World Over the Weekend - December 3, 2021
India
· Foreign Policy “Modi’s Growing Crackdown on Bollywood”
India’s film industry is under growing pressure to bend it knew to Hindu nationalists.
· Foreign Policy Research Institute Podcast “Episode 8: India’s Status as a Great Power”
How successful has India been at securing its position as a great power? In this episode of Global Demons, Robert D. Kaplan and Ashley J. Tellis discuss India’s status as an Asian great power, its future under Narendra Modi, and how it deals with the U.S.- China Rivalry.
EU & UK
· Der Spiegel “The First Fractures Become Apparent in Berlin”
The coalition talks were secretive, and the three parties involved sought to exude unity and harmony. Now that Germany's next coalition agreement has been presented, though, fractures are becoming apparent. And surprisingly, the Greens may not be the Social Democrats' favorite child.
· Politico EU “Europe Reins in Big Tech: What You Need to Know”
Ministers sign off on new EU tech rulebook to curb abuse and harm online. But what does that really mean for the tech sector and tech users?
· The Spectator “Is this the beginning of the end for Nicola Sturgeon?”
Sturgeon has been the long-time leader of Scotland’s Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) and helped lead the failed vote for independence. Now, there is growing speculation her tenure on top of the party has peaked.
· Nouriel Roubini & Brunello Rosa “Why Italy’s Presidential Election Matters”
With its poor track record of managing EU funds, Italy’s recovery plan will be a major test for the future of EU policymaking more generally. While it is widely agreed that Prime Minister Mario Draghi must remain on the scene to oversee the plan’s implementation, in what capacity would he be most useful?
North Africa
· The New Yorker “The Secretive Prisons that Keep Migrants out of Europe”
Tired of migrants arriving from Africa, the EU has created a shadow immigration system that captures them before they reach its shores and sends them to brutal Libyan detention centers run by militias.
Latin America
· Americas Quarterly “Why Lulu vs. Bolsonaro in Brazil Leave Little Room for Others”
Five reason a “third way” candidate will struggle to break through in a polarized contest.
China
· VOX EU/CEPR “The Global Footprint of Chinese Banks”
The global footprint of Chinese banks is substantial and growing, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. While they are similar to other banks from emerging countries in terms of their ownership and asset structure, their global footprint often resembles that of banks from advanced countries. Geographical distance acts as a barrier for Chinese banks’ lending, comparable to that for the US or European banks. Also like their US peers, the lending of Chinese banks strongly correlates with trade. Some differences are present, such as an atypical negative correlation between bank lending and portfolio investment.
United States
· US State Department “Invited List for Upcoming Summit for Democracy”
On December 9-10, President Biden will host the first of two Summits for Democracy, bringing together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to renew democratic ideals and goals. Of note, the President has invited Taiwan, much to the furor of China.
· Foreign Policy “The Beautiful, Dumb Dream of McDonald’s Peace Theory”
In the rich, lazy, and happy 1990’s, Americans imagined a world that could be just like them. One of the measures created to show this was Thomas Friedman’s “Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention” – which hasn’t stood the test of time very well.
· Pew Research “Where Do You Fit in the Political Typology?”
Are you a Faith and Flag Conservative? Progressive Left? Or somewhere in between? Take Pew’s online quiz and find out where you actually are in today’s weird and wild political typology.
Russia
· Carnegie Moscow Center “The Coming Deluge: Russia’s Looming Lost Decade of Unpaid Bills and Economic Stagnation”
Russia faces a litany of long-term economic challenges that will hobble its growth potential but likely won’t be severe enough to force far-reaching political change.
Singapore
· RestofWorld.org “Singapore’s Tech-Utopia Dream is Turning into a Surveillance State Nightmare”
Singapore is one of the most technologically sophisticated places in the world – one of the safest. Yet, according to this report, it is taking something of an Orwellian turn: The city is constantly watched by 90,000 police cameras, and by the end of the decade, there will be 200,000. Sensors, including facial recognition cameras and crowd analytic systems, are positioned across the city. More recently, the city has begun piloting a new kind of robot that “can automatically detect anti-social behavior, from smoking to illegal food stalls and gatherings, barking orders out of its speakers, recording video and reporting back to HQ.”
Kenya
· Institute for Security Studies “Sweet Deals for Kenya’s Sugar Smugglers”
High production costs and the mismanagement of factories have led to a drop in sugar production in Kenya over the past two decades, opening the door for smugglers – particularly from Somalia and potentially funding the terrorist organization, Al Shabaab. In 2020, sugar made up 48% of the goods smuggled into the country, according to the National Crime Research Centre.
Lebanon
· Gallup Polls “Leaving Lebanon: Crisis Has Most People Looking for Exit”
Quality of life has deteriorated so much in Lebanon that most people -- a record-high 63% in 2021 -- say they would leave the country permanently if they could. Canada and Germany are the most desired destinations for this group: 28% would like to go to Canada, and 19% would like to move to Germany.
