Critiques the assumptions on which US policy in Burma/Myanmar is based, arguing that any progress toward improving human rights conditions there requires transcending moral absolutism & pursuing long-term goals. The flawed assumptions are that (1) all problems stem from the government; (2) regime change will resolve Burma/Myanmar's troubles; & (3) external pressure can bring down the current regime. A call is made to end sanctions with an eye toward fostering gradual progress toward a future transition. Adapted from the source document.
Theodor Adorno's engagement with fantasy is contemplated. An overview of the etymology of "fantasy" is provided, emphasizing its connection to the words "phantasy" & "fancy." Rather than interpret fantasy as a form of distraction or recreation, it is stated that Adorno perceived fantasy as a necessary component of scientific & scholastic projects. Even though Karl Marx (1906) acknowledges the role that fancy plays in economics, it is argued that the concern with fantasy was stronger in Adorno's works. After further illustrating Adorno's position that fantasy is central to the development of knowledge, his distinction between fantastical thought & the commodification of fantasy in the form of literature is addressed. The issue of whether Lenin's (1977) assessment of capitalism's development in late-19th- & early-20th-century Russia is problematic since it emphasizes fact while discounting fantasy is subsequently contemplated. Additional attention is dedicated to the appearance of the fantastic in the works of William Burroughs; specifically, it is claimed that Burroughs uses aspects of fantasy to highlight the shortcomings of contemporary American society. The need to acknowledge that fantasy is crucial to establishing knowledge & developing judgments about the world is again stressed. 31 References. J. W. Parker
Describes Sept. 11, 2001 attacks as motivated by fantasy ideology, defined as seizing an opportunity offered by a political group's lack of realism and dreams of reviving ancient glories, and how fantasists use symbols and rituals; historical perspective on European eruptions of collective fantasy since the French Revolution. European examples of fantasy ideology are the French Jacobin fantasy of reviving the Roman Republic, Mussolini's of reviving the Roman Empire, and Hitler's of reviving German paganism in the 1000-year Reich; Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) was a Prussian military scientist who wrote the classic work "On war" and defined war as rational and as politics carried out by other means.
Facts -- Models of business cycles -- International business cycles -- New Keynesian models -- Business cycles in emerging market economies -- Matching the model to the data -- Future areas for research
