Month: April 2012
April 29, 2012
Whys and Wherefores of Prosperity
As in the unhappy families of Tolstoy’s fame, each of the poor countries is unhappy in its own way. The mystery of prosperity is something that has intrigued innumerable scholars...
April 22, 2012
Modern Security
In the seventies, when the Anglo-Saxon countries were besieged with Japanese products, Charles Tilly published an article on the paradoxical effect of WW II on industrialized countries. The heart of...
April 15, 2012
Contradictions
The Library of Babel, one of Jorge Luis Borges’ most provocative works, is not a rational tale. The universe that he constructs, the library itself, is not something logical: saturated...
April 08, 2012
Many Gambles
In “The Blues Brothers”, after Jake (John Belushi) left her standing at the altar and with a dinner for 300 guests, his former fiancée shrieks at him, “You betrayed me!”...
April 01, 2012
Open Society
From Plato on, the idea of an open society has entailed transparency, a capacity to respond, and a government that is tolerant of and respectful toward the citizenry. Karl Popper...