Athletes competing in the ancient Olympic games were venerated for their prowess and ability. Here, on these original Olympiad grounds of now toppled temples and former glory, visitors are reminded of the elevated role honor played within competition.Two thousand years ago, competitors heading toward the stadium tunnel walked between two rows of statues. On their right was a famous marble row of heroic athletes, victors all. On the left, however, stood 16 statues of Olympic cheaters, eternally d

President Dilma Rousseff has responded to the Brazilian public’s increasingly loud cry for greater accountability by mocking it. Her blatant attempt to protect her predecessor from prosecution will not end well -- for her or Brazil.　On Thursday, a federal judge blocked the appointment of former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as Rousseff’s chief of staff, where, as a cabinet minister, he would have been shielded from probes by all but the Supreme Court. The judge argued that it would put the

Both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are blaming free-trade deals for the decline of working-class jobs and incomes. Are they right?Clearly, America has lost a significant number of factory jobs over the last three decades. In 1980, about 1 in 5 Americans worked in manufacturing. Now it‘s about 1 in 12.Today, Ohio has a third fewer manufacturing jobs than it had in 2000. Michigan is down 32 percent.Trade isn’t the only culprit. Technological change has also played a part.When I visit one of Amer

Vladimir Putin says he is withdrawing most Russian forces from Syria because his “objectives” have been achieved. How to judge that boast?　On such goals as keeping the dictator Bashar Assad in power, increasing Russian influence in the Middle East, restoring Moscow’s seat at the table of global power, and sending a message of strength to Islamic extremists inside Russia‘s own borders, the jury is still out.　But it’s not too early to consider Russian success on another front: showcasing military

Of the many dangerous trends in the 2016 election, the revolt against free trade that has captured both parties could do the most long-term damage. That’s because protectionism would undermine future growth of the U.S. economy and subvert America’s role as global leader. Globalization has undeniably hurt some American workers and cost some manufacturing jobs. But there’s strong evidence that trade has benefited the U.S. economy and created whole new industries in which America is dominant. That’

What accounted for Vladimir Putin’s surprise decision Monday to start pulling Russian forces from Syria? Is it possible that he spent last weekend reading Jeffrey Goldberg’s piece in the Atlantic and decided that President Obama was right about the Syria mess, and that he should quit before he got any deeper in the quagmire?Goldberg’s account of how Obama fell out of love with the Arabs has inspired much commentary. But here are a few brief thoughts, occasioned in part by Putin’s adoption of wha

As the cease-fire, concluded by the USA and Russia, mercifully holds in Syria, the Kremlin has announced a critical shift in strategy. Vladimir Putin’s declaration on Monday night that Russian troops would begin a partial withdrawal from Syria is without question a surprise move that could mark a major shift in the conflict. On closer reflection, the Russian President’s signal of intent was only very logical in the aftermath of the truce in the troubled land, one that he had brokered with Barack

Indonesia created a historic moment at the fifth extraordinary summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The summit concluded with a cornerstone on the peace process and independence of the Palestine state. After two years of nearly no signs of progress, the world now has new hope in solving the Israel-Palestine conflict. As the host of the latest OIC summit, Indonesia could push forward Palestine issues to the wider international arena and play a bigger role in the OIC from merely part

Artificial intelligence has achieved another milestone. On March 15, Google’s AlphaGo, an AI program, beat one of the world’s best Go players, champion Lee Se-Dol of South Korea, 4-1 in a five-game match.This underscored the computer’s capability to further outsmart humans in complex tasks such as playing the complicated board game, Go.Previously, IBM’s Deep Blue computer had defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov.Since the 1900s, when computers emerged in the form of tabulation; and the 1

The elections in three states of Germany would scarcely have triggered much excitement across the continent were it not for the resounding setback for Chancellor Angela Merkel and her open-door policy toward migrants. The elections have turned out to be a referendum on her geostrategy, one that allowed more than a million migrants to enter the country last year. The electoral setback must be stunning, however much she may be trying to conclude a deal with Turkey to curb the influx. Unmistakable

Customers are surely the beneficiaries when rival players in a given industry engage in a price war, such as the current one taking place between app-based transportation service providers grouped under Grab and Uber versus conventional transportation service operators. But given the generously discounted prices offered by the new players, which seem to go beyond business common sense, the outrage of many who make a living working in the traditional transportation industry has a strong basis.On

Human rights reports make for depressing reading. Filled with accounts of cruelty, they can inspire despair for the human condition. But while I have read many such reports over the years, I cannot recall one as packed with horror as the one recently published by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic.The commission, established in 2011 by the United Nations Human Rights Council, was denied access to Syria. It based its findings on 415 interviews, supplem

The Obama administration is moving toward what could be a dangerous showdown with China over the South China Sea. The confrontation has been building for the past three years, as China has constructed artificial islands off its southern coast and installed missiles and radar in disputed waters, despite U.S. warnings. It could come to a head this spring, when an arbitration panel in The Hague is expected to rule that China is making “excessive” claims about its maritime sovereignty. What makes th

California made a bold move last week by passing legislation that raises from 18 to 21 the legal age for purchasing and using tobacco products. If Gov. Jerry Brown signs the measure, California will join Hawaii and a number of major American cities that ban anyone younger than 21 from smoking legally.　Laws that limit Americans’ freedom to smoke -- combined with higher cigarette taxes and public awareness campaigns -- have transformed the face of smoking in America in a good way. The National Cen

Deep into the night, after my 9-year-old has finally tuckered out, I sometimes gently fold down the covers to see how much he has grown. And grown he has. The other day, he finally beat me in a wrestling match, fair and square.But when I see him asleep in his pajamas, I notice how tender his little body is, how fragile his young bones are. And it’s not just physically. When he is scared, fear leaps into his eyes. When he is sad, I can see the sorrow in them. He may seem like a tough kid at times

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the Russian public’s acquiescence in direct government control of news media have many people wondering if Russians are predisposed to authoritarianism. It seems like a sensible question. But I have learned from experience that we have to be very careful about drawing conclusions about national character from isolated events.In 1989, I was invited to an economic conference in Moscow, then in the Soviet Union, sponsored jointly by the Soviet think tank IMEM

Outdated drug policies around the world have resulted in soaring drug-related violence, overstretched criminal justice systems, runaway corruption and mangled democratic institutions. After reviewing the evidence, consulting drug policy experts and examining our own failures on this front while in office, we came to an unavoidable conclusion: The “war on drugs” is an unmitigated disaster.For nearly a decade, we have urged governments and international bodies to promote a more humane, informed an

It was shortly after the war and we little boys back in our country homes on summer vacation had few means of passing the time. My house had a large shed where all kinds of tools for farming and other trades were stored, along with old furniture and curios collected by ancestors. One day, we decided to make an inventory of the shed to see if there was anything of our interest.   　In one corner, we found a Go board and wooden bowls containing white clamshells and very little black pebbles. The Go

The story of a Tesla Model S which was slapped with a S$15,000 ($10,923) carbon surcharge here throws up several questions. The one that goes up in neon must be: Are electric cars as clean as we think?　And there are conflicting answers, just as there are for diesel cars, hybrid cars and natural gas cars.Detractors point out that electric cars are actually dirtier than conventional cars if one adopts a lifetime comparison. They say the cars’ biggest shortcomings have to do with the production of

Although Chinese growth numbers are sliding in comparison to India, this may be temporary and based on curves in the business cycle; China’s economic fundamentals are stronger than any other emerging economy.The vice governor of China’s central bank, Yi Gang, was not far from the truth when he said, “Chinese foreign exchange reserves are ample and reasonable.”Thus according to him, expectations are high on the yuan; therefore it should remain steady and cross-border capital flows should be manag