My book on the economic history of the 20th century, published last fall, did not include a chapter on the question of the future or “what we should do next,” because my frequent co-author, Stephen S. Cohen, convinced me that whatever I wrote would come to look outdated and silly within six months. He was right: Such arguments are better left to commentaries like this one. So, if I had written a final chapter looking to the future, what should I have said? Prior to the phantom text,

Winter is coming! It’s a famous line often cited from US fantasy series “Game of Thrones.” Russia was able to defeat Napoleon’s invasion in 1812 and to stop Hitler’s advance in 1941 thanks to the cold weather. Perhaps, Russian President Vladimir Putin might have expected such a weather chance when he decided to invade Ukraine. But, his attempt to block the EU’s intervention by threatening to cut Russia's supply of natural gas to Europe turned out to be a

The Biden administration announced last week that the US will provide 31 Abrams M-1 tanks to Ukraine, and Germany said it will send 14 of its Leopard tanks to Kyiv. The tank deal and the first anniversary of the start of the war in February offer an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness and future direction of US military aid to Ukraine, which has been authorized at more than $27 billion in the last year alone -- an annual amount not seen since the height of the Vietnam War. American arms an

  The state visit of the Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kyrgyzstan ended Jan. 27. Undoubtedly, the significance of its results will go down in the history of bilateral relations. Moreover, they mark a new stage in the process of regional cooperation. I would even say that the significance of the results of the visit goes beyond the region and may even play an important role in stabilizing the entire system of international relations. There are good reasons for such an assertion. Duri

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s rush to mend fences with Japan stokes both hopes and concerns. The hopes are for a modest achievement -- a certain degree of amity after years of bitter feuds. The concerns constitute a minefield. They defy the administration’s contention that its predecessors were “driven by short-sighted anti-Japanism” and the results will be different this time. Frankly, concerns override hopes. The first hurdle to rapprochement is the long-festering

One of the most iconic images of our time shows a polar bear marooned and adrift on an ice floe. Few other images capture the reality of climate change so viscerally. And now, ironically, Davos Man finds himself in a similar metaphorical position. His natural habitat, the hyper-globalized world of the past half-century, is shrinking, and he has gone from skiing in the Swiss Alps to skating on thin ice. Of course, globalization long predates Davos Man. Ever since the dawn of industrialization in

In the US and Japan, men are not required to fulfill mandatory military duty. Therefore, both Americans and Japanese find military life irrelevant to them. In the case of America, for example, the Council on Foreign Relations has recently revealed that presently there are 1.3 million US soldiers on active duty, which consist of only 0.5 percent of the American population. In South Korea, where military service is compulsory, things are radically different. Except for teenagers, nearly all Kore

You will not believe the video that was released Friday night showing Memphis police officers beating -- ultimately to death -- a young Black man. I don’t really mean that, of course. If you live in the US, and participate in society, you likely have no difficulty believing that a gang of violent police officers fatally pummeled Tyre Nichols in what the city’s police chief accurately described as a “heinous” attack. Indeed, if you have an internet connection or a televi

Top diplomats from South Korea and Indonesia pledged to forge a closer friendship and stronger partnership during a talk held online and in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday. The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Korea. Speaking to attendees gathered at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who attended the event online, called for closer friendship and partnership, including in building a greener and more sustain

New Indian ambassador to Korea says evolving bilateral ties, consistent policies makes India lucrative investment destination for Korean companies

The Indian Embassy in Seoul on Thursday celebrated its 74th Republic Day with traditional dances and performances. The event commemorates the Jan. 26 anniversary on which the Indian Constitution came into effect in 1950. Delivering Indian President Droupadi Murmu’s message at the event, Indian Ambassador to Korea Amit Kumar outlined India's recent changes, development projects, achievements and future vision to the Indian diaspora in Korea. Kumar also spoke about India–Korea cul

Despite favorable indices, it is too soon to tell whether inflation has been tamed. Nonetheless, two clear lessons have emerged from the recent price surge. First, economists’ standard models -- especially the dominant one that assumes the economy always to be in equilibrium -- were effectively useless. And, second, those who confidently asserted that it would take five years of pain to wring inflation out of the system have already been refuted. Inflation has fallen dramatically, with the

Technology will save us! No, it won’t! Whenever the climate-policy debate addresses specific economic sectors, potential carbon-abatement technologies, or energy strategy, the same fundamental question always arises: How much can we rely on “simple,” preferably “cheap,” technofixes? Can climate change be addressed by counting on people to switch to lower-carbon technologies, or will it take more fundamental changes to how we live and organize ourselves as a society?

France has waged a counterterrorism campaign in the small West African country of Burkina Faso since 2018. But on Jan. 20, hundreds of protesters in the capital city of Ouagadougou waved Russian flags and demanded the French army’s ouster. Days later, the country’s military government told the French to leave within a month. Burkina Faso is just the latest African country where the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-linked mercenary organization, has become the face of Russia’s foreign po