Showing 1 - 10 of 21
Adam Smith and the moral economy we have lost
Oped, Antara Haldar, Published on 12/11/2025
» With the 250th anniversary of The Wealth of Nations approaching next year, the world is gearing up to honour Adam Smith. But which Smith should be recognised? The hard-nosed "founding father" of modern economics, or the philosopher who wrote The Theory of Moral Sentiments? Scholars have wrestled with this question, a riddle known as "Das Adam Smith Problem", for centuries, because it concerns not just dualities within Smith's thought, but also our own uneasy relationship with morality and markets.
How to rebuild a community following the fire
Oped, Nicole Lambrou, Published on 09/07/2025
» When a wildfire burns through a community, the initial concern is identifying what is lost: businesses, homes, landscape. Reports tally the damage in raw numbers -- hectares burned, buildings destroyed, dollars lost. Similarly, wildfire recovery success is overwhelmingly measured by how closely the post-disaster housing count compares to pre-disaster numbers. But rebuilding, for people displaced by fires, is not measured in claims settled or roofs repaired.
Thai heritage deserves better laws
Oped, Wimonrart Issarathumnoon, Published on 30/05/2025
» The faltering conservation of Thailand's built cultural heritage is a quiet national crisis.
Support the people's revolution
Oped, Daw Zin Mar Aung, Published on 23/05/2025
» Myanmar is at a pivotal and promising historical crossroads that may resemble the transformative journey of its northern neighbour.
Asia must unite to survive Trump 2.0
Oped, Lee Jong-wha, Published on 01/04/2025
» US President Donald Trump has raised the spectre of economic and geopolitical turmoil in Asia. While individual countries have few options for pushing back against Mr Trump's transactional diplomacy, protectionist trade policies, and erratic decision-making, a unified region has a fighting chance.
The tyranny of anarchy and what to do
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 21/03/2025
» It is both exciting and alarming to be a student of international affairs as the world is being turned upside down. In just two months, the second administration of President Donald J Trump has sent shockwaves rippling through the international system as the United States pulls back from its role as leader, underwriter, and guardian of the nearly 80-year-old international order that it instrumentally constructed after WWII. In view of the US's portentous withdrawal, relative anarchy in the international system is back with a vengeance, leaving Asean members and smaller states elsewhere to fend for themselves in a self-help geostrategic environment.
What's happened to the Asian Century?
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 14/02/2025
» Until recently, the "Asian Century" seemed a compelling narrative but now it is not what it used to be. It was supposed to herald a shift in global economic power from the West to the East, driven by China's rapid rise, India's economic dynamism, and the broader development of Asia. But a quarter of the way into the 21st century, the promise of Asian dominance appears less certain. The enduring technological and economic might of the United States, coupled with its geopolitical backlash against China, has lowered expectations. While Asia remains formidable, the trajectory of global power is open and fluid, with potential dominance shifting not necessarily to any nation or region but perhaps to a non-state entity.
The late Manmohan Singh, India's 'reformer' PM
Oped, Anne O Krueger, Published on 30/01/2025
» At a time when demagogic populists often overshadow experienced, empathetic politicians, the recent passing of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the age of 92 serves as a stark reminder of how our perceptions of leadership have changed.
How India's past helped shape 3 US political leaders
Oped, Moira Shourie, Published on 17/10/2024
» On Aug 15, 1947, my father, George Mayer, celebrated India's freedom from 300 years of British colonial rule by flying kites with his friends off Howrah Bridge over the Hooghly River in Kolkata.
Govt bruised but not undone by debate
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 06/04/2024
» No sooner had the two-day general debate come to an end on Thursday than there emerged speculation about a possible cabinet reshuffle, which seems inevitable given the dire need for the Srettha Thavisin government to shore up its popularity.