Politics

So are we all really being watched over by "machines of loving grace"? If you've never seen the documentaries by Adam Curtis, full as they are of quirky and strangely compelling arguments, patterns and links between the seemingly unlinked, then sit back, ingest a huge pinch of salt, take it all in and think for yourself.

What did ancient Rome look like in A.D. 320?  Rome Reborn is an international initiative to answer this question and create a 3D digital model of the Eternal City at a time when Rome’s population had reached its peak (about one million) and the first Christian churches were being built.

Calling for a re-evaluation of what we label fascism, a recent book argued that, by using the word as a synonym for anything that is undesirable, we are blinded to the examples around us of real fascism from both Left and Right wing governments. 

...such was the aim of the World Economic Forum's event in Vienna, on 8-9 June 2011.

The future of global power is likely to include more South-to-South development strategies, new issues in territory and sovereignty, and the potential for the collapse of states.

For example, imagine a world with a strong China reshaping Asia; India confidently extending its reach from Africa to Indonesia; Islam spreading its influence; a Europe replete with crises of legitimacy; sovereign city-states holding wealth and driving innovation; and private mercenary armies, religious radicals and humanitarian bodies playing by their own rules as they compete for hearts, minds and wallets.

A recent study into adapting to climate change showed that it is no longer an issue for governments to resolve alone.  The private sector needs to be more involved in making decisions too.  Natural resource constraints, manufacturing or logistical interruptions, and financial or economic crises mean the private sector has to take action.

During the 2011 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, CNBC hosted a full-panel debate engaging business and political leaders in a televised discussion entitled 'The West Isn't Working', foreshadowing many of the economic problems that would hit the U..S and, in particular, Europe, during 2011.

Leading economist and activist Jeffrey Sachs believes that there are many practical things individuals can do to make a positive difference in the world.