by James Armel Smith | May 24, 2020 | "Planet of the Humans", Climate change, COVID-19, Economics, Michael Moore, Netherlands | Journalism |
There is indeed much to be critical of in Michael Moore’s new film “Planet of the Humans.” But the film also contains a legitimate critique of society, according to Jan Rotmans, professor in Sustainability Transitions at DRIFT, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Rarely has... 
by James Armel Smith | Apr 14, 2020 | Coronavirus, COVID-19, Donald Trump, Misinformation, Netherlands, Pandemic | Journalism, Political Science |
Now that America has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump is slipping back into a familiar role: that of television personality. The U.S. president is so pleased with his almost daily press conferences that he is taking to Twitter to... 
by James Armel Smith | Mar 10, 2020 | Bernie Sanders, Ewald Engelen, Income inequality, Mark Rutte, Netherlands, Social justice | Journalism, Political Science |
Is the Netherlands an egalitarian oasis in a world of uneven wealth distribution and growing inequality? It depends on which ideological lens you use to look at it, as Casper Thomas demonstrates in an eminently readable article about global inequality in De Groene... 
by James Armel Smith | Mar 9, 2020 | 2020 Election, Bernie Sanders, Democratic Party, Democratic Primary, Income inequality, Netherlands | Journalism, Political Science |
Critics who call Bernie Sanders too radical and unelectable because he stands in the way of consensus are missing the point of his appeal, write three social scientists. Bernie Sanders is leading in the Democratic primaries.* The frontrunner, who is dismissed by the... 
by James Armel Smith | Feb 10, 2020 | ASML, China, Europe, Netherlands, Trade war, United States | International Relations, Journalism, Political Science |
The scene is familiar: the White House Oval Office, President Donald Trump signing a large white document as Vice President Mike Pence and other high-ranking officials look on approvingly in the background. Last Wednesday, the guest and fellow signatory was the... 
by James Armel Smith | Nov 25, 2019 | Endless wars, Military spending, NATO, Netherlands, United States | International Relations, Journalism, Political Science |
The Cabinet must renounce NATO’s defense spending requirements. Rather than allocating an extra 6 billion euros (approximately $6.3 billion) for defense and contributing to endless wars and the arms race, the Netherlands should instead invest in education and national... 
by James Armel Smith | Feb 16, 2019 | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Netherlands, OxyContin, Philanthropy, Purdue Pharma | International Relations, Journalism |
Philanthropy Hiding behind the virtuous façade of philanthropy is an elite class that determines political agendas in the absence of any form of control, write Menno Bosma and Roeland Muskens. Two hundred people in the United States, including actor Heath Ledger, have... 
by James Armel Smith | Jun 11, 2018 | Deterrence, NATO, Netherlands, Nuclear Policy, Opinion | International Relations, Journalism, Political Science |
A coherent nuclear policy is not only in the national interest, but also contributes to a strong trans-Atlantic bond, argues guest columnist Elmar Hellendoorn.* Lack of understanding of nuclear weapons constitutes one of the greatest risks for international security.... 
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