Francis Fukuyama
30 Dec 2015
STANFORD • As 2016 begins, a historic contest is under way over competing development models - that is, strategies to promote economic growth - between China, on the one hand, and the United States and other Western countries on the other. Although this contest has been largely hidden from public view, the outcome will determine the fate of much of Eurasia for decades to come.
Most Westerners are aware that growth has slowed substantially in China, from over 10 per cent a year in recent decades to below 7 per cent today (and possibly lower). The country's leaders have not been sitting still in response, seeking to accelerate the shift from an export-oriented, environmentally damaging growth model based on heavy manufacturing to one based on domestic consumption and services.
But there is a large external dimension to China's plans as well. In 2013, President Xi Jinping announced a massive initiative called "One Belt, One Road", which would transform the economic core of Eurasia. The One Belt component consists of rail links from western China through Central Asia and thence to Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. The strangely named One Road component consists of ports and facilities to increase seaborne traffic from East Asia and connect these countries to the One Belt, giving them a way to move their goods overland, rather than across two oceans, as they currently do.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Moral Dispute or Cultural Difference?
By CAROL ROVANE
NEW YORK TIMES OPINIONATOR
NOVEMBER 23, 2015
The word “relativism” tends to generate strong reactions. This is odd, given that the word is not generally used with a clear and agreed upon meaning. I want to offer a specific proposal about what it means, with a view to navigating the following “real-world” problem, discussed by Alex Rosenberg here at The Stone in July: What should we do when we face what are often described as irresolvable moral disagreements?
It’s possible for two people to live in different moral worlds, in which different moral truths hold.
In a disagreement, two parties affirm and deny the same thing; because the parties contradict each other, they cannot both be right; because they cannot both be right, there is something to be resolved between them by figuring out which of them is mistaken; a disagreement remains unresolved so long as both parties continue to think the other is mistaken; it is irresolvable when there is no method by which to resolve it.
Are there any such irresolvable disagreements?
NEW YORK TIMES OPINIONATOR
NOVEMBER 23, 2015
The word “relativism” tends to generate strong reactions. This is odd, given that the word is not generally used with a clear and agreed upon meaning. I want to offer a specific proposal about what it means, with a view to navigating the following “real-world” problem, discussed by Alex Rosenberg here at The Stone in July: What should we do when we face what are often described as irresolvable moral disagreements?
It’s possible for two people to live in different moral worlds, in which different moral truths hold.
In a disagreement, two parties affirm and deny the same thing; because the parties contradict each other, they cannot both be right; because they cannot both be right, there is something to be resolved between them by figuring out which of them is mistaken; a disagreement remains unresolved so long as both parties continue to think the other is mistaken; it is irresolvable when there is no method by which to resolve it.
Are there any such irresolvable disagreements?
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Falling oil prices and Saudi Arabia
Saudi posts record US$98 billion deficit in 2015: Ministry
Revenues were estimated at US$162 billion, well below projections and 2014 income.
28 Dec 2015
RIYADH: OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia posted a record $98 billion budget deficit in 2015 due to the sharp fall in oil prices, the finance ministry said on Monday (Dec 28).
Revenues were estimated at 608 billion riyals (US$162 billion), well below projections and 2014 income, while spending came in at 975 billion riyals (US$260 billion), ministry officials announced at a press conference in Riyadh.
Revenues were estimated at US$162 billion, well below projections and 2014 income.
28 Dec 2015
RIYADH: OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia posted a record $98 billion budget deficit in 2015 due to the sharp fall in oil prices, the finance ministry said on Monday (Dec 28).
Revenues were estimated at 608 billion riyals (US$162 billion), well below projections and 2014 income, while spending came in at 975 billion riyals (US$260 billion), ministry officials announced at a press conference in Riyadh.
Future Trends 2065: Whither Singapore?
[Some of these may have been saved previously, but this is a thematic collection of the essays.]
JUN 14, 2015
Chua Mui Hoong
Opinion Editor
What do you get when a bunch of thinkers - some sombre, some out-of-the-box, all specialists in their fields - are tasked to put on their horizon-scanning caps to imagine the future?
A cornucopia of ideas, that's what.
The Straits Times has been running a series of essays on Mondays in the Opinion pages from leading thinkers, titled SG+50: Future Trends 2065.
Their brief: Write about trends that will affect Singapore in the next five decades.
We have published five so far; and have another 15 to go. The series is supported by Singapore's port operator PSA.
As the editor in charge of commissioning and shaping this series, I've been having an exhilarating journey reading the essays as they land in my mailbox.
JUN 14, 2015
Chua Mui Hoong
Opinion Editor
What do you get when a bunch of thinkers - some sombre, some out-of-the-box, all specialists in their fields - are tasked to put on their horizon-scanning caps to imagine the future?
A cornucopia of ideas, that's what.
The Straits Times has been running a series of essays on Mondays in the Opinion pages from leading thinkers, titled SG+50: Future Trends 2065.
Their brief: Write about trends that will affect Singapore in the next five decades.
We have published five so far; and have another 15 to go. The series is supported by Singapore's port operator PSA.
As the editor in charge of commissioning and shaping this series, I've been having an exhilarating journey reading the essays as they land in my mailbox.
Tips for First-Time Buyers [New York City housing situation]
With the median price for a Manhattan apartment nearing the $1 million mark, buying your first home can be a daunting task. And don’t forget to add in the fees.
By MICHELLE HIGGINSNOV. 20, 2015
After renting a one-bedroom for seven years, Catherine and Peter Bertazzoni had saved enough for a down payment and were ready to buy their first apartment together. They knew it would be a challenge to find a move-in-ready two-bedroom on the Upper West Side within their $1.5 million budget, but with a baby on the way, they needed more space.
It wasn’t until they made their first offer, about $1.3 million for a two-bedroom one-bath listed for $1.25 million, that they realized just what they were up against.
“We came in at what we thought was significantly above ask and ended up sixth out of 11 bids,” said Mrs. Bertazzoni, 31, a tax manager at an asset management company. “It was a real wake-up call.”
By MICHELLE HIGGINSNOV. 20, 2015
After renting a one-bedroom for seven years, Catherine and Peter Bertazzoni had saved enough for a down payment and were ready to buy their first apartment together. They knew it would be a challenge to find a move-in-ready two-bedroom on the Upper West Side within their $1.5 million budget, but with a baby on the way, they needed more space.
It wasn’t until they made their first offer, about $1.3 million for a two-bedroom one-bath listed for $1.25 million, that they realized just what they were up against.
“We came in at what we thought was significantly above ask and ended up sixth out of 11 bids,” said Mrs. Bertazzoni, 31, a tax manager at an asset management company. “It was a real wake-up call.”
Monday, December 28, 2015
When gun violence felt like a disease, a US city turned to the CDC
DECEMBER 25, 2015
WILMINGTON (Delaware) — When epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came to this city, they were not here to track an outbreak of meningitis or study the effectiveness of a particular vaccine.
They were here to examine gun violence.
This city of about 70,000 had a 45 per cent jump in shootings from 2011 to 2013, and the violence has remained stubbornly high; 25 shooting deaths have been reported this year, slightly more than last year, according to the mayor’s office.
A city councillor, Dr Hanifa G N Shabazz, said the violence felt like an illness, so city and state leaders turned to the nation’s best-known disease specialists for help investigating it.
“Just like any other epidemic,” Dr Shabazz said, “we need to be quarantined, categorised by severity, infused with nutrients, healthy substance, programmes and healed.”
WILMINGTON (Delaware) — When epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came to this city, they were not here to track an outbreak of meningitis or study the effectiveness of a particular vaccine.
They were here to examine gun violence.
This city of about 70,000 had a 45 per cent jump in shootings from 2011 to 2013, and the violence has remained stubbornly high; 25 shooting deaths have been reported this year, slightly more than last year, according to the mayor’s office.
A city councillor, Dr Hanifa G N Shabazz, said the violence felt like an illness, so city and state leaders turned to the nation’s best-known disease specialists for help investigating it.
“Just like any other epidemic,” Dr Shabazz said, “we need to be quarantined, categorised by severity, infused with nutrients, healthy substance, programmes and healed.”
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Dying art? A recipe to save Hong Kong’s handmade dim sum
December 25, 2015
HONG KONG — For the past 60 years, Mr Chui Hoi has risen in the early hours of the morning to prepare bite-size steamed morsels for his small but popular dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong.
Sun Hing opens its doors at 3am, seven days a week, with a loyal clientele from students to the elderly filling the 60-seat restaurant in the western district of Kennedy Town.
At 85 years old, Mr Chui is committed to handmaking his dim sum — parcels of meat, seafood and sweet fillings served in stacks of bamboo baskets — saying that freshness is key to their success.
But many in the industry fear the traditional art of making dim sum is dying as restaurants choose factory-made versions to save money and meet demand.
“Fresh handmade foods are beautiful after they are steamed, but many are made in factories now,” says Mr Chui.
Younger chefs are less interested in the hard graft it takes to prepare dim sum, he adds — it is usually eaten in the morning, so cooks must get up in the night to prepare.
“Young people think being in this industry means no freedom because you have to get up early and the hours are long,” he said.
At Maxim’s Palace in the harbourfront City Hall building — a favourite with locals and tourists — chandeliers sparkle over dim sum diners in the buzzing banqueting hall.
But, like Mr Chui, Maxim’s supervising chef Tang Leung-hung says there is a dearth of young talent to produce its handmade fare.
“The problem with the industry is the manpower. Young people are not willing to join us,” he told AFP.
“Many of them have turned to hotels’ western restaurants and sushi restaurants for jobs instead of Chinese ones,” says Mr Tang, with younger people seeing them as more fashionable and with better hours.
TEENAGE HOPES
Dim sum — which means “touching the heart” — is a Cantonese-style cuisine from southern China, often served with pots of tea.
Typical dishes vary from parcels of ground pork and shrimp “siu mai” to sweet treats including custard buns and “ma lai go” steamed sponge cake.
Once mainly part of a leisurely weekend ritual which could take hours, many dim sum joints in Hong Kong now have a quickfire approach, including take-away kiosks inside subway stations.
With demand growing and rental costs high, mass-produced buns and dumplings imported from mainland China are a way to up the volume and cut costs.
But there are those who are actively seeking to prevent a culinary art from dying out.
In the kitchen of Hong Kong’s famous five-star Peninsula hotel, teenagers don chefs’ whites to knead dough and fill intricate parcels as part of a cooking contest.
“We need to attract youngsters to join this trade. Craftsmanship is what is needed,” says Mr Frankie Tang, executive chef of the Peninsula’s Spring Moon Restaurant and organiser of the contest.
Of the five finalists making dim sum from scratch, 17-year-old Wu Cheng-long won after making dishes including crunchy lotus-seed pastry and a spring roll filled with fruit.
“We should make people not forget (how to make) dim sum. We should continue to develop this tradition,” said Mr Wu, who won HK$25,000 (S$4,528) cash and a one-year apprenticeship at the hotel.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
There is also hope among the city’s food experts, who say dim sum’s enduring popularity at home and increasing appeal abroad will inspire young chefs.
Several of the city’s local dim sum restaurants have received international accolades, including Michelin stars.
“The tradition (of eating dim sum) is still thriving... On Father’s Day, for example, you don’t go to a western fast food restaurant, you go to ‘yum cha’,” says Hong Kong food blogger KC Koo.
“Yum cha” — Cantonese for “drink tea” — is the name for the meal during which dim sum are eaten, washed down by hot tea.
Mr Koo adds that it is important to preserve the handmade tradition as it is a key facet of Cantonese culture.
“I have confidence that there will be new blood as the market is there,” he said.
Back at Sun Hing, the elder Chui’s 48-year-old son Chui Kwok-hing is following in his father’s footsteps.
“I come in at 1.30 am. Sometimes I feel like I have migrated to another country as the hours are upside down,” he says of the exhausting routine.
But he sees a reason for waking up in the dark.
“People like to have dim sum in the morning, to be energised with some tea before going to work,” he told AFP.
“I feel happy when people think the food is delicious.”
He adds that he wants to preserve the restaurant’s hard-won reputation.
“My dad is already 85-years-old but he still works here — as the young generation, we should try to be even better.” AFP
HONG KONG — For the past 60 years, Mr Chui Hoi has risen in the early hours of the morning to prepare bite-size steamed morsels for his small but popular dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong.
Sun Hing opens its doors at 3am, seven days a week, with a loyal clientele from students to the elderly filling the 60-seat restaurant in the western district of Kennedy Town.
At 85 years old, Mr Chui is committed to handmaking his dim sum — parcels of meat, seafood and sweet fillings served in stacks of bamboo baskets — saying that freshness is key to their success.
But many in the industry fear the traditional art of making dim sum is dying as restaurants choose factory-made versions to save money and meet demand.
“Fresh handmade foods are beautiful after they are steamed, but many are made in factories now,” says Mr Chui.
Younger chefs are less interested in the hard graft it takes to prepare dim sum, he adds — it is usually eaten in the morning, so cooks must get up in the night to prepare.
“Young people think being in this industry means no freedom because you have to get up early and the hours are long,” he said.
At Maxim’s Palace in the harbourfront City Hall building — a favourite with locals and tourists — chandeliers sparkle over dim sum diners in the buzzing banqueting hall.
But, like Mr Chui, Maxim’s supervising chef Tang Leung-hung says there is a dearth of young talent to produce its handmade fare.
“The problem with the industry is the manpower. Young people are not willing to join us,” he told AFP.
“Many of them have turned to hotels’ western restaurants and sushi restaurants for jobs instead of Chinese ones,” says Mr Tang, with younger people seeing them as more fashionable and with better hours.
TEENAGE HOPES
Dim sum — which means “touching the heart” — is a Cantonese-style cuisine from southern China, often served with pots of tea.
Typical dishes vary from parcels of ground pork and shrimp “siu mai” to sweet treats including custard buns and “ma lai go” steamed sponge cake.
Once mainly part of a leisurely weekend ritual which could take hours, many dim sum joints in Hong Kong now have a quickfire approach, including take-away kiosks inside subway stations.
With demand growing and rental costs high, mass-produced buns and dumplings imported from mainland China are a way to up the volume and cut costs.
But there are those who are actively seeking to prevent a culinary art from dying out.
In the kitchen of Hong Kong’s famous five-star Peninsula hotel, teenagers don chefs’ whites to knead dough and fill intricate parcels as part of a cooking contest.
“We need to attract youngsters to join this trade. Craftsmanship is what is needed,” says Mr Frankie Tang, executive chef of the Peninsula’s Spring Moon Restaurant and organiser of the contest.
Of the five finalists making dim sum from scratch, 17-year-old Wu Cheng-long won after making dishes including crunchy lotus-seed pastry and a spring roll filled with fruit.
“We should make people not forget (how to make) dim sum. We should continue to develop this tradition,” said Mr Wu, who won HK$25,000 (S$4,528) cash and a one-year apprenticeship at the hotel.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
There is also hope among the city’s food experts, who say dim sum’s enduring popularity at home and increasing appeal abroad will inspire young chefs.
Several of the city’s local dim sum restaurants have received international accolades, including Michelin stars.
“The tradition (of eating dim sum) is still thriving... On Father’s Day, for example, you don’t go to a western fast food restaurant, you go to ‘yum cha’,” says Hong Kong food blogger KC Koo.
“Yum cha” — Cantonese for “drink tea” — is the name for the meal during which dim sum are eaten, washed down by hot tea.
Mr Koo adds that it is important to preserve the handmade tradition as it is a key facet of Cantonese culture.
“I have confidence that there will be new blood as the market is there,” he said.
Back at Sun Hing, the elder Chui’s 48-year-old son Chui Kwok-hing is following in his father’s footsteps.
“I come in at 1.30 am. Sometimes I feel like I have migrated to another country as the hours are upside down,” he says of the exhausting routine.
But he sees a reason for waking up in the dark.
“People like to have dim sum in the morning, to be energised with some tea before going to work,” he told AFP.
“I feel happy when people think the food is delicious.”
He adds that he wants to preserve the restaurant’s hard-won reputation.
“My dad is already 85-years-old but he still works here — as the young generation, we should try to be even better.” AFP
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