The empty quadrant. Can you spot the gap? The gap is the empty quadrant, the purple corner in the bottom right. This matrix comes from the Political Compass. It describes the approximate dimensions of political choice. What is your approach to organising the economy? What is your approach to social issues? I encourage you to take the quiz yourself.
It’s simple: the horizontal access considers the economy. The vertical access considers social issues, including distribution. Here is the problem with most politics, most of the time. Yet the bottom right quadrant remains empty. In that quadrant you have an open, decentralised approach to the economy: incentives work, markets generally clear prices, tax-takes trend downwards, entrepreneurship not state planning generally, but not always, solves problems. Applying this to British parties: The Conservatives believe that markets clear, prices are useful and decentralisation works. The political quadrant shows where the main parties stand. Dealing with the threats. Will the Arab revolutions spread? The end of the Tunisian story hasn't yet been written.
We don't yet know whether the so-called Jasmine Revolution will produce fundamental change or a return to a cosmetically-modified status quo ante, democracy or a newly configured authoritarianism. But most of the policy community has long since moved on to ask whether the Tunisian protests will spread to other Arab countries -- Egypt, of course, but also Jordan, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, and almost every place else. Most experts on each individual country can offer powerful, well-reasoned explanations as to why their country won't be next. I'm skeptical too. But I found it unsatisfying to settle for such skepticism as I watched the massive demonstrations unfold in Egypt on my Twitter feed while moderating a panel discussion on Tunisia yesterday (I plead guilty).
The arguments for skepticism are strong ones. Without belaboring the obvious, every Arab country is different. Another argument for skepticism is authoritarian learning. Copenhagen results viewed by the IHT. L'élevage, accusé de nuire à l'environnement, riposte - LeMonde. LE MONDE | • Mis à jour le | Par Gaëlle Dupont Manger moins de viande, c'est bon pour la planète. Impossible d'ignorer le message : la consommation de produits carnés a fait, à l'occasion du sommet de Copenhague sur le climat, l'objet d'attaques inédites.
L'ancien Beatles Paul McCartney a ouvert les hostilités en appelant, début décembre, depuis la tribune du Parlement européen, à ne pas en consommer un jour par semaine. Plusieurs personnalités françaises, dont les politiques Corinne Lepage et Yves Cochet, l'écologiste Allain Bougrain-Dubourg et le botaniste Jean-Marie Pelt, ont observé à Copenhague une "grève de la viande". Leur message : l'industrie de l'élevage est une "aberration" qui produit des dégâts considérables sur l'environnement. Un repas avec viande et produits laitiers équivaut, en émissions de gaz à effet de serre, à 4 758 km parcourus en voiture, contre 629 km pour un repas sans produits carnés ni laitiers. State of the Nation. Sometimes you have to wonder if irony, like satire, can actually survive another decade like the one now coming to an end. Last week, the chief of NATO asked the Russians to contribute helicopters as its part of the escalation to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The image of Russian helicopters used in another fight against Afghan rebels has got to be one of the major propaganda coups of our time. A fitting end to the Zero Decade. If Moscow says yes, the choppers will become part of the expanding effort that we have been told will stabilize that nebulous entity called Afghanistan, weaken the Taliban, shatter al-Qaeda, and turn over control for national security to the Afghan National Army and national police.
There’s just one problem. Starting in the 18th Century, the British tried it four times. Each has failed, frustrated by war, invasions or the stubborn ways of conservative tribesmen. But surely the situation has changed in two-and-a-half years? That was then, and this is now.
Moon hole might be suitable for colony. Scientists report finding a lunar hole that might make a good candidate for a moon colony. Scientists find deep hole on moon that could be suitable for colony Discovery of "lava tube" is published in journal of American Geophysical Union Lava tubes have been found before, but this one is protected by "lava sheet" Report says that shield protects hole from meteorites and harsh temperatures (CNN) -- Building a home near a moon crater or a lunar sea may sound nice, but moon colonists might have a much better chance of survival if they just lived in a hole. That's the message sent by an international team of scientists who say they've discovered a protected lunar "lava tube" -- a deep, giant hole -- that might be well suited for a moon colony or a lunar base. More important, the scientists say, the hole is protected from the moon's harsh temperatures and meteorite strikes by a thin sheet of lava.
Lave tubes exist on Earth and also have been found on Mars. Google to Stop Censoring Search Results in China - Google - Life.