Category: Current Affairs

Climate change is not a game… or is it?

“We deserve a safe future. And we demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask?”. The words of the 16 year old climate change activist and The Times’ person of the year 2019, Greta Thunberg, ring true all the way into the new decade. And the answer seems straightforward: no, it is not too much to ask.

In the 1990’s scientists determined a definite link between humanity’s considerable greenhouse gas emissions and the disproportionate heating of the planet. Thus, this year marks three decades of awareness of the world-wide issue. However, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), rather than getting better, the problem is only getting worse. Continue reading “Climate change is not a game… or is it?” →

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The King is (Nearly) Dead: How can the Founding Fathers help us understand Impeachment?

 

On Wednesday, December 18th, the US House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump– making him only the third president in history to be formally charged with committing high crimes and misdemeanours and to face removal by the US Senate.

Mr Trump was sentenced to two articles of impeachment in total for violating his “constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States”. 

The first, abuse of power, centred on accusations that Mr Trump had overstepped executive authority by illegally soliciting electoral assistance from the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Trump had asked the foreign leader to launch investigations into Democratic Presidential front-runner Joe Biden’s son Hunter, who had previously served on the board of private Ukrainian natural gas company, Burisma. Mr Trump had pressured the Ukrainian government to complete this investigation by withholding valuable U.S. government actions including $391 million of military aid already approved by Congress.  The second article, Obstruction of Congress, surrounded Mr Trump directing his White House to defy lawful subpoenas throughout the Impeachment enquiry.

Continue reading “The King is (Nearly) Dead: How can the Founding Fathers help us understand Impeachment?” →

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Is Democracy Dying in the West?

Is Democracy Dying in the West?

These were no doubt the thoughts echoed by many on viewing the results of the House of Representatives vote on Impeachment against President Trump. Faced with repeated constitutional violations, the Republican party was largely silent. Although both bills were able to pass the House, (230 vs 197 and 229 to 198 respectively),  support was distinctly split down party lines- not a single member of the Republican party voted in favour of impeachment.

Continue reading “Is Democracy Dying in the West?” →

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WES Exclusive: PIIE on China’s model of governance and its growing influence 

NB: This article reflects the view of the writer, and does not reflect the stance of The Warwick Economics Summit

A democratically elected government, in recent times, have been synonymous with the image of good governance. The picture of smartly dressed MPs debating passionately on the UK’s green parliament bench, coupled with the relatively melodious “odd-deur” bellowing loudly from former speaker John Bercow’s deep vocals, has been etched on the minds of voters as the embodiment of free speech and democracy. 

Free speech, the belief that everyone’s voice and opinions deserve recognition, has been the cornerstone of Western democracy. It goes by unchallenged, lacking a credible ideological competitor, where many in the world accept it as an inherent good that is pursuable as an ends to itself. But its once unquestionable dominance as the most optimal model of governance is now being contested by China, whose meritocratic, yet very much autocratic, model of governance have paid out substantial dividends to the country in terms of economic growth and development. 

Continue reading “WES Exclusive: PIIE on China’s model of governance and its growing influence “ →

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If you like it put a ring on it: LVMH buys Tiffany

In November, LVMH, a French luxury goods giant, announced it is buying American jeweler Tiffany & Co as part of a $16.2bn (£12.6bn) deal. The deal came after months of speculation and an earlier rejected offer at $120 per share. LVMH was able to tie the knot after raising its offer price to $135 per share – a shiny premium over Tiffany’s $90 share price in October.

In the classic 1961 film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly muses that Tiffany’s is a place where “nothing very bad could happen to you”.  Can the same be said for LVMH after undertaking this acquisition?

Continue reading “If you like it put a ring on it: LVMH buys Tiffany” →

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Why the US’s feud with Huawei transcends security concerns

Huawei, the telecommunications company that promises to revolutionise connectivity, faces a powerful adversary in the form of the US. Founded in 1987, Huawei has become the dominant player in its field, outcompeting its European 5G rivals. The technology company is also a significant player in the smartphone industry, beating Apple in overall sales, thus jumping to second place and in the process separating the two smartphone giants; Apple and Samsung, for the first time in seven years. Huawei’s tenure as the dominant 5G provider has not been a comfortable one.

Continue reading “Why the US’s feud with Huawei transcends security concerns” →

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Behind Bars: Rethinking the Morality and Economics of Prisons

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” The words of Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa and a man who spent 27 years locked up as a political prisoner, ring true even in the modern age.

Therefore, the question is: how do the nations of today present themselves when put under the scrutiny of these words?

Continue reading “Behind Bars: Rethinking the Morality and Economics of Prisons” →

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Gold is losing its sparkle, yet the economy cheers

With rising fears about the US-China trade war and an imminent global recession, investors sought safety in assets like precious metals and sovereign bonds to hedge the risk against unfavorable market conditions. Gold prices move inversely with inflation, and bonds are perceived to be a safer bet as the risk of default is lower than equities. In recent months, demand for gold has risen as global outlook looks increasingly pessimistic. That trend, perhaps comfortingly, started to falter last week.

Continue reading “Gold is losing its sparkle, yet the economy cheers” →

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