The economics of peacekeeping are difficult to unpack but there are signs that when a mission has a strategy that includes long-range economic planning, it can have positive long term effects on the host country’s economy. This could help us understand the strategic value of communication technology as not just a tool for good governance … Continue reading Peacekeeping, economic growth and technology
Political Economy
China to United States: We’ll see your “investment” and raise you a peacekeeping deployment
How apropos that my last post was focused on why the United States needs to think of investment in Africa in terms larger than ROI, especially if we want to compete with China. Apparently China got the memo, since they're committing to send a multi-dimensional peacekeeping force to support the MINUSMA mission in Mali that … Continue reading China to United States: We’ll see your “investment” and raise you a peacekeeping deployment
Obama in Africa: Too much talk about ‘investment’, not enough about political economy
Obama is touring Africa, and all the talk has been about how this is meant to lay the stage for an increased American effort to invest across the continent. More specifically, it is investment and business development that is meant to counter the weight of China's interests in Africa. But there needs to be more … Continue reading Obama in Africa: Too much talk about ‘investment’, not enough about political economy
Kristof’s False Comparison
My friend Emily pointed me to a post on Facebook from Nick Kristof about girls seeking education in Pakistan. The article highlights the risks faced by girls and women seeking educational opportunities in the tribal regions; it's well written and inspiring. It's good, mass consumption media about a serious problem. But his framing comment on … Continue reading Kristof’s False Comparison
“Africa’s Silicon Savannah”…What will Kenya get from Konza?
I was on BBC earlier today and came across this article on Konza Technology City, a tech center that will be built in Kenya outside Nairobi. In a bit of excitement I posted a comment on Facebook that this could be a boon to investment...then I re-read the article. I think that, indeed, it could be … Continue reading “Africa’s Silicon Savannah”…What will Kenya get from Konza?
Bad Economic Analysis
I can't help myself...I saw this on Facebook and had to comment. But instead of bombing my friend's comment section, I decided something that was becoming a 300 word blog post should just be a proper blog post. Read the picture below; I've provided commentary underneath. There are a few problems with the above analysis. … Continue reading Bad Economic Analysis
Facepalmz: Gun control, armed guards in schools, etc. (Part 2)
Basically I'm just going to focus on the political economy, and problems of information asymmetry and game theoretic issues with the assertion that armed guards in schools will lead to no more mass shootings. For those who missed Wayne LaPierre's speech, Jason Linkins at the Huffington Post provides a really good assessment of it. With … Continue reading Facepalmz: Gun control, armed guards in schools, etc. (Part 2)
Facepalmz: More gun control thoughts (Part 1)
My last post got a little snarky toward the end, so I'm going to try to stick to purely behavioral or game theoretic arguments in this installment. I can already tell you I will fail. Without further ado, into the Thunderdome (of game-theoretic gun control arguments). 1 ) If they charge them, they will win … Continue reading Facepalmz: More gun control thoughts (Part 1)
The political economy of cynicism: What else could you do with $100,000 in Pakistan?
I'm generally not big on entering into the fray when it comes to the politics of the Muslim world, since I'm not an expert on the topic. But I am an expert on political economy and coalition behavior is contested spaces. The news of Pakistan's Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour's $100,000 reward to anyone who murders Nakoula … Continue reading The political economy of cynicism: What else could you do with $100,000 in Pakistan?
Philippe Le Billon: Wars of Plunder (Columbia University Press: 2012)
Philippe Le Billon’s Wars of Plunder takes previous research on the mathematical relationship between natural resources and conflict and combines this with qualitative understandings of power and space to create a nuanced explanation of how different natural resources relate to conflict. Focusing initially on work done by economists such as Paul Collier and Macartan Humphreys, … Continue reading Philippe Le Billon: Wars of Plunder (Columbia University Press: 2012)
Charles P. Martin-Shields 