Pax Orbis

I have just read with interest a freshly published book “The United States of the World” by Antonio Ragusa.  The basic thesis of the book is that a global federal government is desirable, and could potentially solve some of the worlds more persistent problems, such as incessant wars and climate change. The U.S has for […]

When a large tree falls in a forest, that is a dramatic event. However, it is also the start of new life as young saplings get the chance to reach for the sun. The current world order is crumbling. Established norms are proving  flimsy. The U.S.A has a president who could best be described as […]

Intro this have been widely recognised by the scientific community for some thirty years. The necessary solution, which involves cutting and eventually eliminating net global emissions has been widely recognised for a long time. Despite this humanity as a whole has so far been unable to implement the needed reductions in net global emissions. Solutions […]

I must confess that I have often avoided writing on the subject of War and Peace  in the Middle East.  The subject is not easy , is rather close to home and it may be difficult to cover all the aspects in a comprehensive manner. That being said , recent events have brought home the […]

For the last few months the public sphere in Israel has been dominated by legislation,  discussions and protests revolving around the concepts and practice of democracy or the threats to democracy of one sort or another. This makes quite an interesting and refreshing change from the regular staple of economic and security tensions which most […]

Have recently reread the book “The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable” by Nassim Taleb.  The basic premise of the book is that human history especially in recent times is dominated by unexpected but extremely consequential events. The outbreak of the Coronavirus epidemic which came as a surprise to most of us, certainly […]

One of the remarkable features of the current measures being widely taken today to control the spread of the Coronavirus  is how much they are a throwback to measures historically taken when dealing with infectious disease. For all of the medical progress that has taken place the most effective method of dealing with this virus […]

The recent climate conference COP25 has ended as many before with  little concrete action on the climate crisis we are experiencing. Clearly the current mechanisms for dealing with the climate crisis are woefully inadequate. The essential question we must ask ourselves  is what can be done to change the current course of affairs. It may […]

I have been somewhat occupied lately with understanding and trying to influence Israel’s policy, or to be frank lack of effective policy, on Climate Change. There are no real technological barriers to stopping greenhouse gas emissions from the extraction and usage of fossil fuels. Certainly In Israel we have plenty of sun and also some […]

It is refreshing to see that a recently formed group in the UK called Extinction Rebellion are showing dedication to the cause of reversing climate change via direct action . The direct action includes demonstrations in the middle of London’s busy roads and bridges etc. Morally I think this is perfectly justified , however the […]