From the Web

How to Dodge Unmanned Drones

The Al-Qaida Papers – Drones Al-Qaida or Ansar al-Sharia linked document detailing counter drone tactics to be employed in Yemen. From June 2011.

Thomas P.M. Barnett on Obama’s “Minority Report” doctrine.

Nice roundup of mainstream economic thought with regard to the fiscal cliff deal.

Einstein’s Brain Not Larger But “More Complex”

Great piece over at Science Magazine Why Einstein Was a Genius. A study of 14 newly discovered photographs of Einstein’s brain, which was preserved for study after his death, concludes that the brain was indeed highly unusual in many ways. But researchers still don’t know exactly how the brain’s extra folds and convolutions translated into … Continue reading →

China’s “social risk assessment”

Thomas Barnett has been arguing that the world has entered a progressive era; a global shift to the left. I think he is absolutely right. We are watching the rise of a global middle class – a first in human history. As these formerly poor people rise in socioeconomic status they are going to demand … Continue reading →

Mark Coddington on Journalists versus Nate Silver

Why political journalists can’t stand Nate Silver: The limits of journalistic knowledge. The journalistic norm of objectivity is more than just a careful neutrality or attempt to appear unbiased; for journalists, it’s the grounds on which they claim the authority to describe reality to us… Silver’s process — his epistemology — is almost exactly the opposite of … Continue reading →

allAfrica.com: Africa: Investing in African SMEs – a New Approach to Private Equity

allAfrica.com: Africa: Investing in African SMEs – a New Approach to Private Equity. Ciudad de Malaga al atardecer con los Montes de Africa (Photo credit: carloscASTROweb) Africa is expected by many to become the home of the world’s next economic tigers and I – and many others – eagerly await the rise of the African … Continue reading →

Wal-Mart: Work For Welfare

Great Op-ed piece by former Congressman Alan Grayson about the recent Wal-Mart strikes. They were small but it’s about time this companies policies and practices become more public. I was a Wal-Mart associate for my first job and it was a completely crap job; I didn’t like it neither did my co-workers. Wal-Mart takes up too … Continue reading →

Did Morsi overreach in the aftermath of the latest Israeli and Palestinian war to get back at an old enemy the Supreme Judicial Council? I don’t know just a thought. All I know is that it’s not good for a budding democracy to restrict the rule of law. Democracy doesn’t work without checks and balances … Continue reading →

Israel Is Now The Middle East’s Sole Superpower

Fareed Zakaria on Israel’s strength and position in the new Post-Arab Spring Middle East. In fact, as the relatively quick cease-fire between the parties shows, there is a very low likelihood of a broader regional conflict. It’s true that we’re in a new Middle East, but it’s one in which Israel has become the region’s … Continue reading →