G8 Supports Reform and Democratization in the Greater Middle East

Some extremely ambitious -- and in my opinion encouraging -- output coming from the G8 summit so far, particularly with regards to the process of reform and democratization in the broader Middle East and North Africa. Not long ago, these proposals were said to be the delusional dreams of a handful of neocons, and now they are part of the official policy of the G8 countries. It's good to see the rest of the world waking up to the idea of liberty for all. Here's some highly recommended reading from the summit: Fact Sheet: Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative G-8 Plan of Support for Reform Financial Times: G8 leaders launch Middle East reform plan Partnership for Progress and a Common Future with the Region of the Broader Middle East and North Africa Bush Calls Freedom in Mideast 'Imperative'

Link | June 10, 22:20

Reagan dies

Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, has passed away. To understand why he was such a fantastic inspiration to so many, you need no words of mine, but rather to read his own. May he rest in peace.

Link | June 06, 08:44

Spring Time in the Markets Too?

Reports Bloomberg, last week U.S. stocks had their largest weekly gain in almost two months.

Link | May 31, 17:45

Neoconservatives and the American Mainstream

Interesting piece in the latest issue of Policy Review by Zachary Selden, the director of the Defence and Security Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly: "[Many Europeans] overlook the deep historical roots of the current direction of American foreign policy. It is not driven by a 'neocon cabal.' Rather, it is that certain individuals associated with the neoconservative label have been particularly articulate in expressing a set of policies that flow from two ideas that resonate deeply in American public opinion."

Link | May 26, 19:07

In Televised Debate on the US and Iraq

Today, as the leader of the Norwegian Friends of America, I took part in another televised debate on Norway's largest TV station, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. The subject was the situation in Iraq after the events in Abu Ghraib become known, and how they will affect both the situation there and the political situation in the United States. There were eight participants in all, including -- in addition to yours truly -- Mr. Jan Petersen, the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Kristin Halvorsen, leader of the Socialist Left Party and member of the Norwegian Parliament and Mr. Espen Barth Eide, former Norwegian State Secretary (Deputy Minister) of Foreign Affairs. I was asked three questions in total, and here are my responses, quickly transcribed and translated, plus some still images.

Link | May 25, 23:01

Historic Advertising

Just discovered the History of Advertising Trust Archive, storing a vast collection of Britain's "advertising and brand communications heritage".

Link | May 23, 21:14

The Stock Market

Professor Jeremy Siegel of Wharton School on The Short- and Long-Term Outlook for Stocks.

Link | May 19, 21:25

Spanish troops after leaving Iraq: "We should have stayed"

From the Boston Globe: While all of the [Spanish] soldiers interviewed said they were relieved to be home and out of the harrowing dangers of serving in Iraq, most of them -- even some originally opposed to the war -- also expressed regret over Prime Minister Zapatero's decision to pull out of Iraq. They said they were forced to abandon what they felt was a useful humanitarian mission. "We should have stayed and finished our mission," said sergeant Jose Francisco Casteneda. "America's reason for going to war was cynical," said communications specialist Cesar Royo. "But when you are there on the ground, you see the poverty and people living in mud houses next to Saddam's palaces, [and] the work we were doing seems justified. It had valor." Added infantry corporal Marco Antonio Torvisco: "The great majority do not understand what we were doing there or what we went through. I think it was worth it to bring peace to a country at war, as we had helped to do in Kosovo and Afghanistan. But I also know that I won't be able to convince a lot of people in this country of that." The only Spanish troops still in Iraq are folding up their tents and packing military equipment. The final phase of their withdrawal is to be completed by the end of this week...

Link | May 13, 19:47

A quick update

There's a simple reason why I've been fairly quiet on this site for the last few days, and that's because I'm busy studying for my upcoming exams at school. I can reveal, however, that I'll be going to Boston for about eight weeks this summer, more precisely to Cambridge where I'll be taking finance classes at Harvard's summer school. I'm very much looking forward to experiencing some of the college atmosphere over there, albeit just for a couple of months. Also worth noting, perhaps, is that in the last couple of weeks, I've been featured both on American and Norwegian radio. The former was an hour-long interview on the show of the very kind and intelligent Mr. Dennis Prager, and the latter was a short debate on the Iraqi prisoner abuse story. As for the prisoner abuse story, I'm quite upset indeed, first and foremost because this sort of behavior contradicts everything that I admire in America. At the same time, I've been impressed by the way the US administration has handled the situation, and appreciate very much their openness and concern -- in contrast with Iraq's former regime. I trust that this will be resolved quickly and decisively, so that the reputations of the vast majority of US and coalition troops serving admirably around the world is not uneccesarily tarnished. As for the situation in Iraq in general, I found Charles Moore's description in the Telegraph to be on point. Recommended.

Link | May 12, 09:04

EU and US: Drifting Apart?

The WP's Robert J. Samuelson expertly articulates one of Europe's fundamental dilemmas: "The truth is that Europe is too weak to lead and too proud to follow".

Link | May 06, 18:37

On Globalisation and American-German Relations

Jean-Francois Revel on why Anti-Globalism = Anti-Americanism and, on another note, an interesting NYT backgrounder on The German Question.

Link | May 05, 21:52

Europe's non-Strategy

The latest issue of the Weekly Standard aptly points out that for all its complaining about the US strategy in Iraq, Europe isn't offering any alternative.

Link | May 03, 18:10

Historic Day For Europe

Last night, the European Union added 10 new members (more info: 1, 2, 3) to become a group of 25 countries in total with about 450 million inhabitants. While promising on its surface, this enlargement could also mean the start of vast challenges for the Union. Ultimately, the "honeymoon" period will end, and the new EU will have its first real test. There's no lack of potential for conflict, with referendas being held in the UK and other countries, possibly dooming the constitution entirely, ever more ethnic/cultural groups struggling for special consideration and economies becoming increasingly stagnant compared to the dynamic American market. We're either witnessing the end of the beginning for the European Union, or the beginning of its end. It'll be quite interesting in the years to come to see which it is.

Link | May 01, 14:48

Swedish PM Persson Meets with US President Bush

Yesterday, President Bush met with Swedish Prime Minister Göran Persson, and it's quite interesting to read what Persson thinks about Bush in leading Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. Here's a quick translation: "He's intelligent, well-read and a very nice guy indeed. It's rare to meet a politician at his level who is so up-to-date on details. He even knew the Swedish unemployment rate. Bush is easy to speak with, makes you feel respected and seen and he gives you the chance to make your case. He's really under-appreciated in Europe. He's described as a person who doesn't know what he wants. That's not true. He's goal-oriented and knows exactly what he's doing." On European anti-Americanism, Persson commented: "I never had that blind hate towards the American society, the USA is a fantastic nation. Rich, large and complex -- which is often forgotten. There's not one political view or a criticism that's not better articulated in America than in Sweden."

Link | April 29, 08:40

Wilson and Porter Coming to Oslo

Two geniuses in two very different fields of work are coming to Oslo this fall: Brian Wilson and Michael Porter, of Beach Boys and HBS fame respectively. I was fortunate to get to see Mr. Wilson in London earlier this year, performing Smile, and that was obviously a won-won-wonderful experience (pardon the pun). Dr. Porter is pretty much the father of modern competetive strategy, and certainly one of the greatest business thinkers of all time. What a treat to get to experience them both right here in Norway! (Just discovered the price of the Porter seminar: $850! Ouch.)

Link | April 27, 18:47

Ahlmark on Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights

Per Ahlmark, Sweden's former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour, has just released a new book called It's the Democracy, Stupid. Among other things, Ahlmark discusses why Democracies should work together against totalitarian states, the demise of the United Nations, the indifference that many Western countries showed towards the Iraqi liberation and how Muslim fundamentalism is the third totalitarian movement with global aspirations. Although I think other factors may be more fundamental for individual liberty than democracy, this looks like a rather interesting read, particularly when you take into consideration that it's written for a Scandinavian audience. (Swedish only).

Link | April 17, 15:30

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