Alworth Institute

David Hume, the 18th century Scottish philosopher, and Iran

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:03:46 -0600

I caught myself wondering what David Hume, the 18th century Scottish philosopher and mitigated skeptic, would make of the Iranian government and the politics it seems to engender. This may be an unhelpful idea and certainly Iran is a bit of a mystery in many respects. All of this is speculative but it might be interesting to explore. How might Hume have gone about examining the constitutional and political life of Iran?

Making Sense of the 2009 Iranian Elections

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:39:52 -0600

In this guest web log, Dr. Khali Dokhanchi (UWS) writes: The presidential election of 2009 is perhaps the most devastating development to the Iranian regime since the end of the Iran-Iraq war. Most people assumed that the next crisis in Iran would be "external"--namely a military attack on its nuclear installations either by the US or Israel. No one expected that the regime in Iran would nurture the seeds of its own destruction. Irrespective of truth about how many people voted and who they voted for, people who felt that the elections were "rigged" took to the streets to demonstrate their unwillingness to continue with the status quo. What are we supposed to learn from these events? What do they mean?

The UK political crisis

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:13:06 -0600

The transformation from economic downturn to political crisis started slowly enough. At first the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown was a ‘hero’ in the way that he took action to secure the banking system and seek international agreement. But a strange little time bomb was ticking away inside Parliament, the question of MPs’ expenses, and when the details went public, the electorate turned nasty. This gave it a specific emotional focus for a whole set of issues. Gordon Brown has been on the back foot ever since, even although the expenses are a matter for the Speaker’s Office and not for the government. The Speaker has already paid the price and has gone. One blow after another has landed upon Brown: Ministerial resignations, defeat in the local government and European elections. The crisis has two elements: a lack of confidence in Parliament, in the House of Commons in particular, and a slow ebbing away of authority from the Government of the day. What has gone wrong?

The Financial Crisis and the European Union

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:06:53 -0600

Dr. Marek Wroblewski (University of Wroclaw, Poland) Visiting International Fellow at the Alworth Institute has contributed this web log on financial crises. He writes: It is general knowledge that there is a financial crisis not only in the United States but also amongst European economies and in the world more generally. It would be hard to miss such significant news. But what is a financial crisis? How is it experienced, in the various countries of the European Union (EU), and what are its consequences?

The Development of the Russian Economy and its Impact on Eastern Europe

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:49:47 -0600

In this guest weblog, Visiting International Fellow, Dr. Marek Wroblewski writes: Russia is the largest country in the world as far as the occupied land is concerned, with a great natural resource potential, and a strong political and military position in the international arena. These attributes for a long time predestined Russia to imperialism and global power. Imperial collapse, however dramatic and painful for the country, only temporarily undermined its role of a hegemonic leader. Russia’s marginalization and exclusion of did not deprive the former superpower of effective instruments to influence decision-making processes taking place in the region and in the world. How does Russia use its economy to influence its immediate external environment?

Economic Transformation in Poland: Success or Failure?

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:48:10 -0600

This guest web log by Alworth International Visiting Fellow Dr. Marek Wroblewski (University of Wroclaw, Poland) looks at changes in the Polish economy. He writes: Economic transformation in Poland is a product of the fall of the communist system and of the spread ofliberal capitalism. In the economic sphere, transformation initiated a difficult and costly process of transforming of a centrally planned economy into a market system. What were the changes and how were they implemented? What have been the outcomes for Poland?

Adam Smith is back, in a surprising way, on the ideas agenda

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:53:16 -0600

The global economic order is under serious scrutiny. The significant economic philosopher, Amartya Sen, has put Smith back at the centre of the discussion by reminding anyone who will listen that Smith was a moral philosopher, a friend of the poor (as Malthus described him) and interested in ethical issues and the market. He disliked monopolies (particularly monopolies of land and of trade). He admitted the role of “interest” in the motivation of merchants and business people. Smith did not, as far as I can establish, use the term “self-interest” but thought of interest in prudential (hence moral) terms. Sen stresses Smith’s understanding of institutions and the need for trust: repetition and consistency through trust are important in sustaining economic life. Prudent behavior is not to be underestimated as it contains within it the idea of honest-dealing. Sen’s article may be seen at Financial Times, March 11th 2009. This blog is simply going to give a few pointers, rarely quoted, to what I would like to call the radical-conservative Smith who we rarely here about, using Smith’s own words. Smith could be pithy as well as insightful and many of his comments on the behaviors of landlords and merchants are satirical.

G20 and policy perspectives.

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:09:12 -0600

There were differences at the G20. Obama was willing to accept some blame on the part of the United States. Sarkozy wanted to energetically wave the finger and blame that old-French, Gaullist, target the “Anglo-Saxons” though in the face of the first black President of the United States this seemed always a non-starter. Was there a split between Europe and the United States? Policy stances, as outlined below, are taken along domestic political and often historically-determined lines.

John Ruskin, the1860s and the eventual end of laissez-faire.

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:27:19 -0600

In 1860 John Ruskin first attempted to publish four essays that he later published as Unto this last. This was a condemnation, in difficult and sometimes stunningly beautiful prose of the state of England. Ruskin saw the glaring contrast between the alleged wealth of industrial production and the pattern of pollution and its long term consequences or of the exploitation of the laboring poor. What briefly (he wrote volumes) did Ruskin argue? Has Ruskin anything to tell us for today? What follows is a summarization of a longer piece on John Ruskin by Willie Henderson.

Is “economic globalization” worth saving?

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:48:53 -0600

The endings of periods of sustained globalization have been dangerous times: the Napoleonic Wars; the First World War. Globalization has its good points and bad points. Its good points have been the dramatic changes in the prospects for sustained economic growth in India and China and the pace at which people have been pulled out of extreme poverty and the relative cheapening of production. Its bad points have been the dramatic increase in inequalities in countries where previous policy has been built around the notion of avoiding huge differences in income and the growth of pollution and waste together with the unevaluated spread of western consumption practices. Some argue that the greatest threat to the world economy is the possibly irresistible rise of protectionism. Some might feel that a pause in the reckless development of China or in the destruction of communities by international economic forces beyond their control are good things, allowing time to reflect on the environmental and social impact of the global economy. Leaders are face with a choice of doing nothing (already rejected but still supported by right wing libertarians); doing something to stimulate demand (though the outcomes are uncertain); protecting that stimulus package in-country by protectionist methods (probably very attractive in the short-run); going for global coordination (difficult to achieve).

Gordon Brown, United States protectionism and the special relationship

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:37:53 -0600

Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, was in Washington D.C. this week, telling the Congress things that it likes to hear (how forward looking the United States is) and telling them a few things that on the whole it did not wish to hear. He also sent them a message about the so-called “special relationship” between Britain and the United States. He did not tell it that the present economic crisis originated in the United States though this is the case nor did he add that hence there is an obligation not to make the present situation worse by turning to protectionism. Nor did he tell them that he presided as Chancellor over the UK economy for several years leading up to this crisis. There is wobbly ground all around! What did Brown say and why?

Protectionism and recession

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:51:38 -0600

Protectionism has been for a number of years a dirty word. It is now a term that seems to be creeping back into fashion. This tendency is politically understandable in an economic downturn as international trade can be easily represented as putting domestic jobs at risk. International trade is and always has been a domestic political issue, especially in a country such as the United States where protectionism has a long history. Trade involves exports as well as imports and anything that diminishes imports is likely to rebound on exports both as a result of other countries’ policy and also as a result of further downturns in international income levels leading also to a reduced demand for exports. There are forces working for and forces working against the growth of protectionism. Who is saying what and to whom?

Gordon Brown, Sarkozy and the economic crisis.

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:10:30 -0600

The entente cordial is in trouble once more. The President of France in a well-publicized and lengthy television interview publically criticized British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and his economic policy towards the recession. Downing Street was not much amused by the statements made though they were made in the context of Sarkozy defending his approach to the recession and the development of French government policy. Sarkozy is intent on boosting state infrastructure rather than manipulating demand directly. Brown, who is on the political slide again, was irritated and Sarkozy’s own performance was seen to be weak and incoherent. Sarkozy’s broadcast was an attempt to gain back some popular support and to reassure the French that his government was actively pursuing the right policy for France. There was none the less a certain amount of diplomatic activity to smooth down ruffled feathers in London as Sarkozy vowed to avoid British government mistakes. Is there anything in this that needs reflecting upon?

Israel, Gaza and criticisms and controversy in the UK

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:09:43 -0600

Israel and the Middle-East are emotive issues and the question of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is no exception. The BBC has prevented the broadcast of humanitarian appeals for funds for Gaza on the basis that it needs to preserve its “neutrality" as a trusted international broadcaster, a stand that has led to further political controversy. The trouble is that there does not seem to be any “neutral" position to occupy when it comes to civilian deaths and humanitarian aid to Gaza. The BBC has found this to its cost. Its decision is seen to be pro-Israeli rather than neutral, as the veteran labour-party politician Tony Benn argued on BBC news just a few days ago. During the conflict itself, Sir Gerard Kaufman, Labour MP for Manchester Gorton gave a critical and challenging speech in the House of Commons comparing Israel’s policy towards civilian deaths as typical of “Nazi behavior". What was his argument and how has it been evaluated?

Wrocław (Poland) and the past in the present.

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:59:47 -0600

We can live life in the presence of the past or reject it and start again, as the revolutionary Thomas Payne argued in the late 18th century. The religious reformers who destroyed the Lady Chapels in England in 1548, roughly two centuries prior, chose to rub out the past and destroy with hammers elaborate gothic ornamentation, in passionate acts that subsequent ages would think of as little short of vandalism. The United States of America has been characterized, by Gore Vidal , as the “United States of Amnesia". The Vietnam War is practically unknown to the present generation of college students. World War II is even more remote. The same is not true for European memories of WWII. The European Union was born out of the desire, in the aftermath of the second war, for a peaceful continent. Berlin is still coming to terms, in the sphere of public commemoration, with the fate of its Jewish citizens under the Nazis regime. In Eastern Europe, where borders were disrupted and populations moved the past and the present weave together into the very fabric of life, particularly in the city of Wroclaw, a significant city in modern-day Poland but a city with a complex past. How then does the city cope with the relationship between the present and a Polish past with a "gap", of six hundred years when the city itself was under, in turn, Austrian, Prussian and German rule?