Introduction Since there is a fair chance that this article is going to be widely read – after all, procrastination drives you to do the craziest things during the exam week – I felt morally obliged to write on THE Topic of our era. In doing so, this article builds forth on Rostra’s long standing
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Much has been said about the American presidential elections. Too much, I would argue. In an endless number of accounts opinion-makers have expressed their concerns over the vulgar tone of the presidential debates, the complete failure to discuss policy-issues during these debates and the fact that the candidates have pushed the frontiers of the politically
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A dangerous idea?
Your phone rings. The bright letters on the screen make you reluctant to answer, but after a moment of hesitation you decide to pick up. Silly you, always trying so hard to be a good friend. The words ¨hey man, how are you¨ have barely left your mouth, when your friend starts a five minute
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Part II: Money for Nothing
This interview constitutes the second interview of the “The End of History” interview series. For an introduction to this interview series please see part I of the series. How would you feel about receiving a monthly paycheck that covers all your living expenses without you having to do anything in return? I am talking about
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Part I: The Libertarian Alternative
The end of history With the fall of the Berlin Wall politics has entered a period of ideological hollowness, characterized by the absence of viable alternatives to Western Liberalism. Some even believe that the rise of Western liberal democracy marks the endpoint of humanity´s socio-cultural evolution and argue that the collapse of the Soviet-Union symbolizes
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All you need to know about the EU-Ukraine association agreement
On April 6th, a referendum gives Dutch citizens the chance to advise their government on whether or not to ratify the association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine. It might be that you – in spite of Room for Discussion’s session on the topic and ample media coverage – have completely missed the fuzz about
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How the definition of indicators shapes economic policy
Since macroeconomic indicators have no physical representation in the natural world, we must admit that their definition ultimately depends on arbitrary human choices. In other words, macroeconomic indicators are fundamentally subjective. Yet, macroeconomic indicators not only form the backbone of contemporary academic economics, they also guide political decisions aimed at making our lives more enjoyable.
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Where are we going to?
As families all over the Western world gather to spend the final days of the year together, the ever restless economic system goes through a period of relative tranquility. Of course, massive amounts of Christmas trees, stuffed turkeys and home entertainment sets are being sold during the time you read this article. But, although these
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Unraveling the Syrian conflict with WikiLeaks
If one thing has been made clear by the horrendous events of the past few weeks, it is that the Syrian conflict is getting more and more complex on a daily basis. Simultaneously, due to rising emotions, media coverage becomes ever more biased and less informative. This article aims to transcend myopic conclusions which are
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