On the face of it, The Wire is merely another crime drama in the milieu of the dying, violence filled streets of an ordinary American city, yet is often considered one of the greatest television shows of all time. Spawning multiple books and being the subject of various courses at elite universities, The Wire isContinue reading “Broken Window Theory, Gini Coefficient and The War on Drugs: 5 Lessons from “The Wire””
Category Archives: Editor’s Desk: Salil’s Weekly
The Death of SSR: Cognitive Dissonance, Due Process and Sensationalism
The death of Sushant Singh Rajput has captured the imagination of the Indian public for the past 4 months, since that fateful day, June 14th; the day the Bollywood actor was found dead in his Bandra home. The nation’s attention and reaction to the case however has become larger than the death of Sushant itself,Continue reading “The Death of SSR: Cognitive Dissonance, Due Process and Sensationalism”
How to Fix American Democracy? Allow Ranked Choice Voting to Disrupt the Two-Party System
As another election cycle approaches for the US Presidential elections, and candidates from both major parties remain largely unsatisfactory to the electorate outside of their own voter bases, the perennial question persists, whether or not a third party candidate can successfully run for President of the United States and win? Regardless of one’s political leaning,Continue reading “How to Fix American Democracy? Allow Ranked Choice Voting to Disrupt the Two-Party System”
Realism, Idealism and The Reagan Doctrine: Israel-UAE Peace Is Realpolitik Backlash to Oppose Iran
Last week on Thursday, August 13th, a historic accord was signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, mediated by the United States. As a result of the accord negotiated by the Trump Administration, the UAE became the third Arab nation after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 to fully normalise relations with Israel,Continue reading “Realism, Idealism and The Reagan Doctrine: Israel-UAE Peace Is Realpolitik Backlash to Oppose Iran”
What is the Monetary Value of Life?: The Cost-Benefit Analysis Conundrum in Coronavirus Lockdowns
In recent months as governments have responded to COVID-19 in different ways, and especially as the toll of global lockdown on the world economy and on India is slowly being felt, some questions arise. Millions have lost their jobs, millions others have been reduced to poverty, unable to meet even their basic necessities, raising theContinue reading “What is the Monetary Value of Life?: The Cost-Benefit Analysis Conundrum in Coronavirus Lockdowns”
Russell Conjugation and Political Polarisation: The (Emotional) Elephant and it’s (Rational) Rider
The Elephant and The Rider The psychologist Jonathan Haidt uses a helpful analogy for thinking about the relationship between reason and emotion in human behavior, arguing that we have two sides: an emotional side (the Elephant), and an analytical, rational side (its Rider). Haidt’s analogy has it that the Rider is rational and can, therefore,Continue reading “Russell Conjugation and Political Polarisation: The (Emotional) Elephant and it’s (Rational) Rider”
Stochastic Tinkering, Techne vs. Episteme, and the COVID-19 Vaccine: How Science Really Works?
There has been much speculation regarding progress towards the creation of a COVID-19 vaccine, which some believe may be the only lasting solution to the pandemic. Without mass immunization it is likely that lockdowns will persist across the world as cases continue to rise. How soon can we expect the vaccine, how long does scientificContinue reading “Stochastic Tinkering, Techne vs. Episteme, and the COVID-19 Vaccine: How Science Really Works?”
Game Theory in Modern Warfare: Sino-Indian Galwan Standoff
On Monday night, Chinese soldiers killed at least 20 Indian soldiers, including the Commanding Officer of a battalion at Galwan valley in the ongoing violent standoff between Indian and Chinese forces at the Galwan river valley. The question that South Block has been, and will be agonising over is, how to effectively respond to continuedContinue reading “Game Theory in Modern Warfare: Sino-Indian Galwan Standoff”
5 Economics Classics – Thorough Introduction to College-Level Understanding
As an economics student going into IB, I along with many friends will be studying and revising to be well prepared for our continued studies when the academic year begins. As an avid reader on the subject I created this list of timeless classics which if read carefully provide a solid foundation for a thoroughContinue reading “5 Economics Classics – Thorough Introduction to College-Level Understanding”
On Avoiding Apocalypses: A Re-Evaluation
“We are now gods, but for their wisdom.” Eric Weinstein Over the last 6 months I have had to take pause to really process that something as catastrophic as a viral pandemic, is not just the stuff of spectacular, explosion filled, Michael Bay movies, but a genuine, hard reality. Looking at the economic impact ofContinue reading “On Avoiding Apocalypses: A Re-Evaluation”
The Candid Contrarian 