PARIS ― The Japanese and the British may seem very different, but a closer look reveals something akin to a parallel destiny for these two island peoples. With their old imperial ambitions and widespread distaste for the great continents from which the narrowest of seas divide them, both the British and the Japanese are vulnerable to the siren song of isolationism. Unfortunately, both now appear to be succumbing to that dangerous temptation.Perhaps geography is destiny. As islanders, Britons and

Ann Romney is on the record: She would like to see a woman as her husband’s running mate. And so would any number of Republicans who are concerned about their party’s standing with female voters. But for all the excitement that the topic stirs up, don’t hold your breath: It’s unlikely a woman will share the spotlight at the top of the GOP ticket.It’s not for lack of qualified candidates ― former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Gov. Nikki Haley of South Ca

The recent release of yet another superhero film ― Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) ― raises the question of why, and in what sense, these figures still speak to us today. From Superman to Spider-Man, what they all seem to share is an exemplary sense of morality: they are above all moral heroes, unique individuals willing to put their lives at risk to do the right thing at the right time. But if one is not in possession of superpowers and a fancy suit, how does one ever know th

UTRECHT ― Gloria Taylor, a Canadian, has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Over a period of a few years, her muscles will weaken until she can no longer walk, use her hands, chew, swallow, speak, and ultimately, breathe. Then she will die. Taylor does not want to go through all of that. She wants to die at a time of her own choosing.Suicide is not a crime in Canada, so, as Taylor put it: “I simply cannot understand why the law holds that the able-bodied who

The lesson from recent economic data and policy moves in Asia is this: Hubris still has its costs. In recent years, Asia believed its own press a little too much. The way it steered around the financial crisis of 2008, the dizzying stock gains, the migration of bankers from New York to Hong Kong and the region’s mergers-and-acquisitions binge were all interpreted as immutable signs of Asia’s economic arrival. Decoupling-from-the-West euphoria flooded emerging markets in general. The BRIC economi

As the 2012 presidential election season in South Korea heats up a major dispute is brewing over the process by which the political parties will select their presidential candidates. Many of the less popular candidates have argued for opening up the candidate selection process to all voters in a thinly veiled attempt to improve their abysmal chances. However, this proposal for an open primary process has been rejected by the leading candidates due to concerns of fraud and opportunistic voting by