Look who’s at the head of the digital currency line-up
by Rashmee
Posted on May 5, 2021
/ TAKE UP ONE IDEA Britain is arriving fairly late to the digital currency party. On Monday, April 19, the British Treasury and the Bank of England announced a joint task force to evaluate the creation of a central bank digital currency. Look who’s already quaffed the punch. At least 60 central banks are exploring … Continue reading “Look who’s at the head of the digital currency line-up”
Read MoreLook east…e-commerce is the new mail order and it has ‘Chinese characteristics’
by Rashmee
Posted on April 22, 2021
/IT’S THE BUSINESS In the before times, tourists in Chicago would be treated to a potted history of how the city led the world in terms of commerce. Nineteenth century commerce. So, there was Aaron Montgomery Ward of Chicago, who produced a mail order catalogue and built a successful business by removing the middleman, thereby … Continue reading “Look east…e-commerce is the new mail order and it has ‘Chinese characteristics’”
Read MoreAI, the tank and the ‘blitzkrieg’ concept: The US needs to think in a whole new way
by Rashmee
Posted on April 10, 2021
/ FAITH, HOPE… Can America think asymmetrically in the struggle with China? It’s a pressing and difficult question, but Michele Flournoy recently offered a remarkable answer: Yes, there’s hope, if the US starts to see Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the 21st century’s tank. She didn’t use those words exactly but the story she told Demetri … Continue reading “AI, the tank and the ‘blitzkrieg’ concept: The US needs to think in a whole new way”
Read MoreMoney talks. Mitch McConnell and corporate America’s First Amendment rights
by Rashmee
Posted on April 9, 2021
/ LANGUAGE I thought the Huffington Post offered the most succinct analysis of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s call to corporations to stay out of politics. “Shut up and donate,” said HuffPo’s headline. The strap provided all the other context anyone might need: “Congress’ biggest defender of corporate political speech rights changes his tune.” Quite. … Continue reading “Money talks. Mitch McConnell and corporate America’s First Amendment rights”
Read MoreThe international order itself is racially structured
by Rashmee
Posted on April 7, 2021
/ TAKE UP ONE IDEA Some of the biggest arguments about power – who should have it and why – revolve around race. It goes beyond the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States and allegations of institutional racism in the UK. The very structure of the world order rests has a racial basis. … Continue reading “The international order itself is racially structured”
Read MoreThe journalist who wasn’t and other stories
by Rashmee
Posted on April 4, 2021
/ TRAVELS IN MY MIND China’s alleged attempt to fake approval by western journalists is like something out of a rather unbelievable short story. According to reports, Beijing conjured up someone called Laurene Beaumond (see screenshot of her piece on the CGTN site) and described her as a French journalist who had studied at the … Continue reading “The journalist who wasn’t and other stories”
Read MoreWords have long been a weapon against Asian Americans
by Rashmee
Posted on March 26, 2021
/ LANGUAGE As America confronts a yearlong escalation in anti-Asian violence, the role of language in the whole situation is noteworthy. I don’t mean only Donald Trump’s language – “China virus”; “Kung flu” etc – but the way Asian Americans are often categorised. As Axios has pointed out, Asian Americans are often burdened with the following phrase: … Continue reading “Words have long been a weapon against Asian Americans”
Read MoreJobs after Covid-19: business not as usual
by Rashmee
Posted on March 2, 2021 / The National
This will be a significant week in terms of job prospects for millions around the world. In Britain, Wednesday’s annual budget will include £126 million ($175.6m) in new funding for 40,000 traineeships and “flexi-job” apprenticeships. In the US, the employment report for February is expected to show the strongest pace of hiring since November. And … Continue reading “Jobs after Covid-19: business not as usual”
Read MoreBiden wants the US to be a values-driven leader but is the world buying it?
by Rashmee
Posted on February 16, 2021 / The National
This weekend marks US President Joe Biden’s first month in the Oval Office, which means it is still early days for any concrete foreign policy decisions to have been taken. Thus far, Mr Biden has limited himself to feel-good postures on complex global issues. On February 19, he will deliver a virtual address at the … Continue reading “Biden wants the US to be a values-driven leader but is the world buying it?”
Read MoreIt really will be the year of the ox. We will all have to pull a heavy load
by Rashmee
Posted on February 10, 2021
/ TAKE UP ONE IDEA Looking ahead to Lunar New Year, Chinese Chunjie, Vietnamese Tet, Korean Solnal, Tibetan Losar, the Spring Festival, the ox is anointed as representative of 2021. I know that the Chinese have very particular meanings for the zodiac calendar (and something called the sexagenary cycle, which is a combination of 10 heavenly stems … Continue reading “It really will be the year of the ox. We will all have to pull a heavy load”
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Rashmee has lived and worked in several countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Tunisia, the UAE, US and UK