From Foreign Policy, Gold, Silver, and Brazen: The Olympic Games are inherently political—and it’s time we admit it; and a look at the World’s Most Valuable Disputed Turf: A look at real estate that, at least for some countries, just might be worth fighting for. Finders keepers in the Arctic? The Doctrine of Discovery is still alive in the modern world. The Pirate Hunters: Though buccaneering is back with a vengeance, stepped-up law enforcement and high-tech tools are helping protect shipping on the high seas. From Open Democracy, the ties that bind: The fervour of missionaries from the world's great universalist faiths - and of their secular partners in belief - has shaped globalisation; and on the algebra of revolution: Why do some "colour revolutions" succeed and others fail? A mathematical model provides the basis of an answer.
From Mute, as money expands, society contracts. In the UK the unholy trinity of Private Finance Initiatives, Private Equity and Pensions embodies this logic, turning jobs, services and infrastructure into factories for finance capital. Rob Ray explains how the 3 P's interact to pile up corporate fortunes and devolve risk on to the rest of us. A review of Nationality: Wog: The Hounding of David Oluwale by Kester Aspden. From Prospect, London's new sex "theme park" aims to find a middle ground between pornography and sex education. Does it succeed? Religion is still in the picture in Northern Ireland. But for the first time in history, it no longer frames the argument.
From The Village Voice, Rudy Giuliani's Five Big Lies About 9/11: On the stump, Rudy can't help spreading smoke and ashes about his lousy record. From LRB, a review of A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton and Hillary Clinton: Her Way: The Biography. How strong is the Democratic presidential field? Not as strong as you think. A devil's advocate probes for weaknesses among the front-runners. The Long View: Before Democrats get excited about taking back the White House in 2008, they'd do well to remember that history is shaped by long-term trends, not short-term revolutions. Don’t Go There: Here are the top 20 taboo topics for presidential candidates. Getting Pssssst-y in Iowa: Whispering campaigns reveals the power of soft sweet slander.
