Commentary / World Jan 24, 2021
Lessons from living through a pandemic
COVID-19 has revealed that collectively we are not very good at dealing with situations of uncertainty.
Commentary / Japan Jun 5, 2019
Security in 'Society 5.0'
As Japan moves toward Society 5.0, there is a need for a much more transparent accounting of the possible downsides surrounding this transition, and further consideration of how some of the risks can be minimized.
Commentary / World Dec 4, 2017
Putting democracy's troubles in context
History shows us that democracy has survived crises far greater than the present moment.
Commentary / World Nov 20, 2016
Easy punditry, hard problems
The experience of the Bush years suggests that the institutions of U.S. democracy are not necessarily strong enough to prevent dangerous and reckless decisions being made. This does not bode well for a Trump presidency.
Commentary / Japan Aug 18, 2015
To counter Abe, opposition must offer viable alternatives
Simply rejecting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policies on defense and nuclear power is not sufficient. The opposition must formulate viable alternatives and advance different visions of Japan's future.
Commentary / Japan Jul 20, 2015
The tragedy of Shinzo Abe
If Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's concern is with strengthening the position of Japan, why he has made so little progress on economics reforms?
Commentary / Japan Mar 2, 2015
Terrorism is low on the list of dangers threatening Japan
The history of the U.S. and other Western democracies since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 has been a depressing tale of massive over-reactions to a very limited threat.
Commentary / World Oct 5, 2014
The 'evil' in Iraq and Syria
Questioning the use of force by the U.S. and its allies in response to the crisis in Iraq and Syria does not mean we should sit idly by as innocents continue to be killed and abused.
Commentary / Japan Apr 24, 2014
Rebuilding trust in Tepco
Tepco's task of regaining the trust of Japan's public will be just as difficult as resolving the technical challenges in the decades-long work of decommissioning the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
Commentary / Japan Feb 7, 2014
Lessons for fixing Fukushima
In March 2011 all of Japan was united by the terrible experience of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. Three years later this unity is increasingly fracturing as a more uneven reality emerges.