Have the United States and the West hit such a dead end in terms of economic policy that war, as a way of economic recovery, is inevitable? Columnist K. Selim of Algeria’s Le Quotidien d’Oran warns his readers that given the dire economic state of the world and America’s huge military, it is time to prepare for a new world war. For the Le Quotidien d’Oran, K. Selim writes in part: The colossal debt of nations and bleak prospects for growth are creating a panic situation on financial...

Which is worse: the debt crisis and partisan bickering in the United States, or the debt crisis and dysfunctional confluence of national political systems in Europe? This editorial from Brazil’s O Globo asserts that despite the dark clouds over America, Europe lacks the historic dynamism and resilience repeatedly demonstrated by America. The O Globo editorial says in part: Although the wrestling match between the government and opposition in the U.S. has been the spark for this wave of pessimism,...

When it comes to social media, are officials in the United States once again following a policy of ‘do as we say, not as we do’? La Stampa columnist Juan Carlos De Martin warns U.S. and British officials that shutting down cell phone service and social media to prevent protest is precisely what the Chinas and Irans of the world are hoping for. For Italy’s La Stampa, Juan Carlos De Martin writes in part: A rally against the killing of a homeless person by a Bay Area Rapid Transit...

What will become of Iraq when U.S. forces leave at the end of this year? Is the current Iraqi government capable of dealing with life on its own? And if not, what should Iraqis do about it? Columnist Atheer Al Katib of Iraq’s Kitabat newspaper admonishes his readers to begin a great debate about what kind of government – and what kind of country – they want. For Iraq’s Kitabat, Atheer Al Katib writes in part: A ‘Plan B’ is of great importance, particularly with...

Here’s a truism that Americans need to better absorb: U.S. policy is global in impact and is the concern of a good portion of the world’s inhabitants. And here’s another truism: a lot of people out there are deeply frustrated because they can’t vote, so they intend to do everything in their power to liberate themselves from U.S. influence. But as this column by Maksim Blant of Russia’s Yezhednevniy Zhurnal shows, that doesn’t mean they don’t admire certain...

The shocking statistics about Black family income released by the Pew Research center have not only caught the attention of Americans. For Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza, columnist Mariusz Zawadzki writes with surprise that all the gains of the civil rights movement seem to have been either lost or diminished in the span of the last few years. For the Gazeta Wyborcza, Mariusz Zawadzki writes in part: Lincoln, Parks, King and Obama: In these for words, one could assemble a Hollywood version of the...

With the economic crisis/collapse and the incapacity of leaders to effectively resolve it, there is a profound and existential fear gripping the modern world. According to columnist Jean-marc Vittori of France’s Les Echos, Western-style democracy, which has long been considered the most advanced system of governance, may be irretrievably unraveling. For Les Echos, Jean-marc Vittori writes in part: Global finance is built on a simple idea: the debt of the United States is 100 percent secure....

The odd set of circumstances that has led to a credit downgrade of U.S. debt, a weakened dollar and hence a stronger yen, is setting off alarm bells in Tokyo and around the world. This editorial from Japan’s Asahi Shimbun explains the phenomena to readers and comes close to begging Washington to do something to reverse the trend, which is damaging Japan’s post-quake recovery. The Asahi Shimbun editorial says in part: The government is relying on exports to speed recovery and reconstruction...

Is it time for the United States to stop standing up for human rights and democratic reform in other nations and start taking its own advice at home? According to this article by the thought-to-be-fictitious Communist Party columnist Ding Gang, U.S. presidents should stop inflaming China by meeting the Dalai Lama and selling weapons to democratic Taiwan, and start figuring out how the U.S. fits into a 21st century world with an empowered China. For China’s state-run Hanqui, someone using the...

How badly does the United States want to maintain the value of the dollar? According to columnist Nazanin Amirian of Publico, what has been behind most recent U.S. wars is not human rights or weapons of mass destruction, but the imperative of beating back all challengers to the dominance of the greenback as the world’s currency. For Publico, Nazanin Amirian writes in part: When Bush invaded Iraq in 2003, some analysts cited Saddam Hussein’s decision to abandon the dollar for the euro...

What message should the United States government take away from the first credit rating downgrade in its entire history? According to this bluntly-worded editorial from Xinhua, the state news agency of America’s largest creditor, the U.S must break its ‘addiction’ to borrowed money, the political ‘wrangling’ in Washington must end, and China’s dollar denominated assets must be protected. The Xinhua editorial that everyone seems to be quoting today says in part: The days when...

Are we witnessing a collapse in faith in paper currency – and hence, the very social contract society is based on? For Germany’s Die Welt, historian Michael Sturmer warns that unless a way is found to restore confidence in the currency, the days are numbered for democracy and the way of life we have all come to expect. For Germany’s Die Welt, Michael Sturmer writes in part: This is not just about trillions of dollars on debt. It’s about the fate of the long-time largest...

Now that the White House and Congressional lawmakers have agreed to raise the debt ceiling, there is considerable concern in other nations about the bipartisan “super committee” that will be charged with the next round of budget cuts. According to this editorial from the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japanese are not only concerned that the lawmakers will be unable to agree, but that continuing disagreement will further weaken Japan’s post-earthquake recovery. The Yomiori Shimbun editorial...

Does the acrimonious process of raising the U.S. debt ceiling demonstrate the genius of the American system in action? According to this editorial from Brazil’s O Globo, the deal arrived at by feuding Republicans and Democrats was a lesson for other nations – particularly Brazil – about getting ahead of debt and tax-related issues. The O Globo editorial says in part: There will always be contradictory views on tradeoffs adopted in situations like this. You win some and lose some...

Will the U.S. Supreme Court rule according to its tendency to favor corporate America, or will it strike down recent state law that cracks down on undocumented immigrants in the United States – which would undercut the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? Columnist Arturo Balderas Rodríguez of Mexico’s La Jornada warns that the undocumented can’t count on the Court to protect their ‘fundamental rights.’ For La Jornada, Arturo Balderas Rodríguez writes in part: If the Supreme...

Can it credibly be said that George W. Bush and U.S. neoconservatives are partly responsible for the emergence of Norwegian terrorist and mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik? According to columnist K. Selim of Algeria’s Le Quotidien d’Oran, Western media has been careful not to draw the right conclusions about where a man like Breivik really came from. For Algeria’s Le Quotidien d’Oran, K. Selim writes in part: The profile of the criminal who plunged Norway into mourning really...

Delegitimizing those who win elections is not strictly an American preoccupation. According to this article by Louis Bassets of Spain’s El Pais, the struggle over the debt ceiling that is apparently winding down in Washington has analogues in other venues and countries, and is a trend that is pushing the world toward anarchy. For El Pais, Louis Bassets writes in part: Living on the edge and challenging each one another to a game of the “chicken” has become the widespread sport of ungoverned...

Have U.S. lawmakers lost the plot over the last few weeks? This editorial from Sweden’s Upsala Nya Tidning offers members of the U.S. Congress some practical advice about what to do about the U.S. debt ceiling, and some comparative politics just to remind them that America isn’t the only developed country struggling with debt and social safety net reform. The Upsala Nya Tidning editorial says in part: Now it’s really becoming embarrassing. We’ve been following the circus...

Should President Obama stop allowing himself to be ‘made a fool of’ and present Republicans with a ‘fait accompli’ on the U.S. debt ceiling? For Germany’s Financial Times Deutschland, Matthias Ruch argues that Republicans have only one goal – to defeat Obama – so he implores the president to stop playing the ‘fool’ and resort to the 14th Amendment of the Constitution to end the debt ceiling crisis. For the Financial Times Deutschland, Matthias...

Are people who warn of serious consequences in case of a U.S. default exaggerating? Not according to economist Sergio Sebold, who tells readers of Jornal Do Brazil of the dire consequences which will ensue if America fails to maintain the reliability of the world’s sole ‘zero-risk asset’: U.S. Treasury bonds. For Jornal Do Brazil, economist Sergio Sebold writes in part: Ever since the Declaration of Independence, Americans have issued Treasury bonds – as all countries do....