Haiti and the Economics of Kidnapping
Not all kidnappings are transactional in nature. Not all kidnappings are opportunistic occurrences by those willing to go the distance to fill their pockets through the negotiating tactics of plata o plomo (silver or lead). There are kidnappings in Haiti (and elsewhere) wherein an opposing gang member is snatched up, held, and tortured for a period, and then killed. There is a certain type of value attributed to such an act. But there is no exchange of goods, monies, or services.
When Martyrdom Comes A-Knocking: Does Andrew Cuomo have a Political Future?
The week of August 1 - 7, a few friends and I had a chat about the Cuomo allegations. We concluded that his term was over and that he was done. We saw no possible political future given the climate. Last week, while talking to other New Yorkers, I’ve come to realize that the idea of Cuomo’s political demise wasn’t universal. In fact, some are opposed to his stepping down from the governor’s chair. “Cuomo has done a lot for the state”, some said. Others remarked on his leadership during the pandemic (standing up to Trump) and don’t see further
Should Claude Joseph have Stepped Down?: The Aftermath of the Assassination of Jovenel Moïse (Thus Far)
In the aftermath of President Jovenel Moïse's brutal assassination, speculations have run amok concerning possible culprits. One of the names that seem to be dominating conspiratorial spaces is that of Claude Joseph, Haiti's (now former) Interim Prime Minister. Joseph took up the function of acting president for the period until elections are held in the fall. Joseph earned a Ph.D. in public and urban policy from the Milano School of International Affairs, Management, and Urban Policy at The New School in 2018. His dissertation was entitled Three Essays on Foreign Aid, Institutions, and Development (The New School; see also SAGE). No
Muslim Radicalization Hearing is a Bad Idea
It’s amazing what lawmakers are doing with taxpayers’ money. Representative Peter T. King, the New York Republican and Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, began a “congressional investigation of Muslim American radicalization.”[1] King claims that the catalyst which led him to conclude that a hearing was necessary, was the consistent warning from the Obama administration concerning the rise of homegrown terrorism. I see more problems than benefits. Here are three: A Commercial for Radical Islam The hearing provides an opportunity for real Islamic radicals to argue that their hatred for America, and the west for that matter, is reciprocal. They will be