Showing 1 - 10 of 79
Surviving the collapse of the population
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 13/02/2026
» 'To them that hath shall [more] be given" is generally a reliable guide, especially in economic matters, but it doesn't work if the beneficiaries are too stupid to take advantage of the gift. The scarce and precious commodity in this case being people, who are in increasingly short supply.
Breaking men: a conscript's tale
Oped, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 19/01/2026
» His face looks tired and strained. His voice trembles, carrying the pain and bitterness from the dehumanisation he endured as a conscript.
When Buddhism falls silent during war
News, Sanitsuda Ekachai, Published on 27/12/2025
» The Buddha once stopped a water war between relatives by asking a simple question: What is more valuable: water or human life?
Bolt from the blue
Oped, Postbag, Published on 29/09/2025
» Re: "Safety first in golf", (PostBag, Sept 25) & "Caddie dies after being hit by lightning on golf course", (BP, Sept 23).
Demographic time bomb threatens Chinese society
Oped, Nancy Qian, Published on 22/08/2025
» News stories about China nowadays largely focus on geopolitical developments, particularly the Sino-American rivalry. But China's 1.4 billion people, while aware of these issues, are more preoccupied with a problem that hits much closer to home: their shrinking families.
Tech-free zones are required to save humanity
Oped, Mariano Miguel Carrera, Published on 24/07/2025
» Several recent interactions and observations have led me to believe that humanity needs technology-free zones where people can interact and be themselves. Ironically, better human contact leads to better technology. The purpose of technology is to serve humans, whereas the reverse appears to be happening now!
Do you know what kids do at school?
Oped, Mariano Miguel Carrera, Published on 09/05/2025
» In the 1970s and 1980s, regular public service announcements (PSAs) went along: "It's 9pm. Do you know where your children are?" These announcements contributed to a major pendulum shift in parenting (positively and negatively). Having PSAs in the 2020s is required to create the required major shift in education to put the focus on parents' role in learning rather than just making sure their kids attend school. "Do you know what your child is doing at school?" should be the new announcement.
Agent of insurrection Trump's 'Cultural Revolution'
Oped, Orville Schell, Published on 21/02/2025
» When US President Donald Trump's factotum, JD Vance, held forth on Europe's "threat from within" at the recent Munich Security Conference, his audience was left struggling to make sense of America's confounding new approach to foreign policy. Chinese President Xi Jinping, for his part, has been relatively silent since Mr Trump's return to the White House -- but that doesn't mean he is any less vexed by what it portends. Nor could he have been reassured by Mr Trump's brazen response to a question last October about what he would do if Mr Xi blockaded Taiwan: "Xi knows I'm f***ing crazy!"
Putting a price on draft dodging
Editorial, Published on 19/01/2025
» 'Pay your way out of the draft!" When the general in charge of compulsory conscription proposed this idea earlier this month, it was quickly slammed, and rightly so.
Is there a quiet isolation pandemic now?
Mariano Miguel Carrera, Published on 01/12/2024
» This may seem an exaggeration, but there is an ongoing isolation pandemic. The current wave of loneliness, along with the decreasing number of family members; and even the growth of pet care businesses are signs of this problem.