archive

Who runs the world?

From ResetDOC, Jurgen Habermas on a “post-secular” society; and where is Benedict XVI's church going? Former Rep. Curt Weldon tests legal bounds in Middle East arms bazaar. From The Nation, as the planet is rocked by multiple shocks, here's a look at how disaster capitalists are reaping the benefits—leveraging the Iraq War, the push for arctic drilling and the global food crisis; and a review of books by Bill McKibben. From Foreign Policy, from Seoul to Tegucigalpa, countries around the world celebrate their independence with unique and vibrant style (and more). Who runs the world? The post-war global institutions have largely worked well, but rising countries and growing threats are challenging their pre-eminence. Does Osama bin Laden still matter? Peter Bergen wants to know. Holy Bookworms! Superheroes take to the page (and from Bookforum, Karin L. Kross reviews Douglas Wolk’s Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean; an essay on Rodolphe Topffer, inventor of the graphic novel; a look at the work of Jack Kirby; and article on Fletcher Hanks’s bleak comics vision). Charles Babbage's 1822 design for a mechanical "difference engine", the world's first computer, was never actually constructed — until now. A look at how the ’60s begin to fade as liberal professors retire. Education for profit: Why is everyone flaming the University of Phoenix?