Category Archives: History

RIP: Albert Hirschman Exits

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Exit, Voice and Loyalty

Some 20 years ago I was working with a Russian colleague to assess labor market developments in Russian enterprises during the economic transition. As these firms struggled in the face of a transition to a market economy, I was struggling to get a handle on the behavior of their management, workers and consumers. Then, my co-author pointed me to Exit, Voice and Loyalty, a little book by the economist Albert Hirschman.

Published back in 1970, Hirschman’s book offered a succinct and nuanced view of human interaction in economics and politics. Economics, in particular, had tended to oversimplify decision-making, emphasizing the role of price in driving choices of consumers, managers, suppliers and others. The decision to buy or sell was mainly seen as being driven by price. But, Hirschman took note of other factors that may on occasion cause some stickiness in the way the market functions.

Consumers, for example, may demonstrate loyalty in the face of declining quality in a product and, instead of switching, may agitate for management to fix the problems. Workers in a failing firm may speak up for reforms instead of simply quitting. Members of political parties may lobby for change within, rather than changing their allegiance to a rival party. On the other hand, in other cases, these folks might simply break the existing relationship and move on. Using engaging illustrations and clear explanations, Hirschman noted conditions that may shape the paths that such decision-making might take.

Hirschman’s optimism and clear writing style made Exit, Voice and Loyalty a pleasure to read. Discovering the analytical framework laid out in the book was a real eye-opener for me. It helped me to tackle the confusing situation in the Russian enterprises that we were studying. Here is one illustration: Back in the mid-1990s, why would so many Russian workers stay on with their employers, despite being unpaid for months? Answer: They still reaped some social and economic benefits from their affiliation, like housing or healthcare. Outside of the firms, conditions could be even worse for these individuals.

Hirschman’s analytical framework also had many other applications for me. Suddenly, I found a new means to assess, for example, my own difficult employment situation at the time or to ponder the political developments in my country. From time to time I still make reference to this book, which is now more than 40 years old.

Thus, it was with some sorrow that I learned last December that Albert Hirschman had passed away. Aged 97, he had lived a long and fruitful life. Hirschman made other contributions to economics, in particular with respect to challenges of economic development in Latin America. But, it was only upon reading his obituary that I learned of his other impressive  accomplishments.

And here is the amazing part

According to the New York Times obit, Albert Hirschman was born in Berlin in 1915 and by the 1930s had advanced in his study of economics. However, he also made time to join in the Spanish civil war on the side of the anti-fascists. He later joined the French Army to resist the Nazis. After France fell, he worked as part of a team helping people escape via routes over the Pyrenees. He then made his way to the United States and joined the Office of Strategic Services to assist the US army in North Africa and Italy, as well as to serve during an early war crimes trial. And that was all before he moved to Bogota, Colombia, as an economic adviser for a few years and then launched a 30 year academic career at Yale, Colombia and Harvard.

Wow! A full life indeed! Thank you, Albert Hirschman. May you rest in peace.

French-American Cultural Exchange: Fulbright, Cassatt & Bismarck

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Tradition of French-American Cultural Exchange

Since the early days of the French and American republics, their political relations have been intense, vacillating between amity and periodic squabbles. Cultural ties, however, have been more consistently positive. From the Marquis de Lafayette to Patti Smith and beyond, there is a long tradition of French and Americans crossing the Atlantic and contributing to the cultural life in both countries. French-American cultural exchange plays an active and on-going role in intellectual cross-fertilization between the countries, contributing to wide-ranging developments such as the US Constitution and the rise of hip-hop in France. Much of this exchange is spontaneous, but some of it is more structured and supported via programs such as the Fulbright program for academic exchanges.

While French-American cultural exchange takes place through a variety of channels, its scale is quite significant. One indication of the scale can be found in Disneyland: In 2012, Disneyland Paris was the top tourist destination in France with 16 million visitors (though, of course, just a fraction of the visitors were French). Another indication can be found in several recent best-selling histories by authors such as David McCullough (1) and Stacey Schiff (2) documenting numerous exciting stories of the deep French-American cultural ties over the centuries.

A recent example

Living as an American in Paris, one has the opportunity to participate directly in the dynamic cross-cultural relationship between France and the United States through a variety of institutions. This weekend, for example, two wonderful institutions — the Mona Bismarck Center for Art and Culture and the Fulbright alumni association — came together to offer a great cross-cultural experience in the form of a guided tour of the first exposition in France of a special collection of Mary Cassatt’s etchings, drawings and pastels.

Stamp shows picture of "The boating party" by Mary Cassatt, circa 1966. Photo credit: rook76 / Shutterstock.com

US stamp (ca. 1966) shows a picture of               “The boating party” by Mary Cassatt
Photo credit: rook76 / Shutterstock.com

Mary Cassatt (1844-1926) is a prime example of such cross-cultural ties. She was the only American among the leading Impressionist artists in France. She was an extraordinary artist who pioneered new approaches for etchings and pastels, for which she was awarded the French Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur in 1904. This was an amazing achievement, particularly given that she was an immigrant working in a foreign culture in field that was at the time largely male-dominated.

Fulbright and Bismarck

The Fulbright program as founded after WWII at the initiative of US Senator J. William Fulbright with the objective of promoting mutual understanding. The program sponsors students and faculty wishing to study, research or teach abroad; it supports Americans going abroad as well as foreigners coming to the USA. In France, it is supported by both the US and French governments.

As an alumnus of the Fulbright Fellowship program (Germany, 1979-80), the chance to belong to the Fulbright alumni association in Paris gave me a ready-made social group and access to the flow of cross-cultural exchange here including the Cassatt exhibition. The Fulbright alumni association helps to renew the Fulbright experience in an ongoing fashion via cross cultural events. An annual reunion of alumni and celebration of those going or coming under the program is attended by hundreds of folks at the residence of the American ambassador in Paris. The depth of cross-cultural good will at the reunion events is evidence of the potential for such programs to bridge international divides.

Mona Bismarck (1897-1983) is an example of an American expatriate who left a legacy promoting cross-cultural understanding: the Mona Bismarck American Center for Arts and Culture. Bismarck grew up on a horse farm in Kentucky and was a wealthy American heiress. A socialite with extraordinary connections, she worked to promote friendship between France and the United States. After the death of her first husband, American industrialist Harrison Williams, she married Edward Bismarck, the grandson of former German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. The Foundation and center that she established have carried on after her death to promote Franco-American friendship via exhibitions, events, educational programs and hosting non-profit associations. There is a steady stream of cross-cultural activity at the Center, which is located in a villa on the Seine with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower.

Why it matters

Institutions such as the Fulbright Fellowship program and the Mona Bismarck American Center deliver substantive and qualitative programs that help to expand peoples’ horizons. Such cross-cultural exchange can be positively transformative for individuals, broadening their perspectives and range of experience. I think this cross-cultural exchange also helps society more broadly. The influence of institutions such the Fulbright Program and Mona Bismarck American Center is amplified in France and the United States in that they deliver benefits beyond the direct participants. Indirectly, the larger circle of professional contacts, friends and families of participants is also influenced. From anecdotal evidence and experience at French-American cultural events, it certainly appears that this outreach to the larger society helps to provide learning opportunities, combat prejudices and promote mutual understanding. And that is in all of our interests!

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(1) David McCullough (2011), The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, Simon & Schuster.

(2) Stacy Schiff (2005), The Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America.

Aachen – A Medieval Gem

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Aachen, Germany, is a wonderful small city near the border with Belgium and Netherlands. Charlemagne, king of the Franks made Aachen his capital in the 790s, in part because of the warm springs that are to be found there. His empire united the two halves of the Frankish people, both the Latin and Germanic oriented populations. Even today, the French and German peoples count Aachen as part of their heritage (though the French call it Aix-la-Chapelle).

However, even though Aachen is just a few hours drive from Paris, it has much different feel. Coming from Paris, the signs along the highway already shift from French to German a few kilometers before reaching the Belgian-German border. (There are a few German-speaking towns in Belgium.)

Once in Aachen, we are always struck by the restaurants, cafes, pubs and bakeries and the obvious gastronomic contrasts with those in our hometown in France. In Aachen, the food and drink are tuned to central European preferences and sensibilities. The beer offering shifts away from the sour and strong brews of Belgium (or sometimes watery beers of France) and towards the lighter but flavorful Pilsners and Koelsches. Goose and schnitzel turn up on the menus. Savory rolls of rye or whole wheat are to be had, along with kaiser rolls decked out with lox, onions and lettuce.

Aachen’s center has a comfortable feel with an extensive pedestrian zone that meanders among the old stones of the medieval city. It offers a balanced mix of museums and sites of historical interest, eating and drinking establishments, shops and parks.

The chapel from Charlemagne’s palace survives and forms the center of the current cathedral. It may be that one of the towers of city hall incorporates another part of the palace, but in any event the city hall is a splendid old structure in its own right. There are several of the original city gates still standing, as well as other interesting architectural features in some of the houses and shops. Together, these structures give Aachen an old and dark, but warm atmosphere.

Aachen has become a traditional destination for my family just prior to Christmas. Each December (through 23 Dec), there is a sprawling Christmas market along the pedestrian zones. The city is decorated with holiday lights and greenery. There is a festive atmosphere with convivial crowds of happy people patronizing stands selling hot mulled wine, stollen, cookies, bratwurst and potato pancakes, as well as all sorts of holiday gifts. Many stands offer handmade and artisanal products. There are brass bands and piped in Christmas music in the city squares, as well as choral presentations at the cathedral and other churches. The weather is often lousy, but the Christmas decorations brighten everything, regardless. It is wunderbar!

Recommendations:

Nobis: fine bakery; eat in (self-serve) or carry out; great for lunch (nice sandwiches), or coffee & cakes, special cookies, gingerbread, and other baked treats.

Rose am Dom: nice restaurant in an old inn (14th century) serving hearty, quality meals. In season, they serve game such as duck, goose, wild boar and venison as well as wild mushroom soup.

Aachener Dom (cathedral): a wonderful architectural gem built to house relics of the Virgin Mary. The heart of the structure is Charlemagne’s octagonal palace chapel, with an amazing, newly restored interior with elements from various periods. Take the docent tour, which offers interesting history and explanations, as well as a chance to see the throne of the Frankish kings possibly dating back to Charlemagne’s time.

Cathedral treasury museum: this is also worth a visit! It contains many interesting artifacts and relics including a marvelous reliquary with part of Charlemagne’s arm (bones).

City hall: Tourists can visit this medieval structure and see the great hall and several other fine rooms. Be sure to check out the city council chamber, which includes portraits of Napoleon and Josephine (gifts from the Napoleon to the city).

Aquis Grana Hotel This hotel is very centrally located, near the cathedral and Nobis, and offers a fine breakfast. Park your car in the city garage across the street and leave it there during your stay. Aachen is a city to explore on foot.

Low-Cost Stimulus: Regulation and the US economy

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Regulation and the US economy

As the US economy slowly recovers from the Great Recession while fiscal challenges still loom, one missing element in the discussion seems to be the potential to liberate economic potential via further regulatory reform. Regulatory reform is not a silver bullet solution, but it can deliver economy-wide medium to long-term benefits via improved performance of American business and government, all at a relatively low up-front cost.

US competitiveness

While the United States remains a dynamic and powerful economy, continued regulatory shortcomings in some areas are nonetheless contributing to a slow erosion of competitiveness. This is evident in several international indicators. For example:

  • The Fraser Institute compiles the annual Economic Freedom of the World index for 144 countries. The EFW index “measures the degree to which the policies and institutions of countries are supportive of economic freedom. The cornerstones of economic freedom are personal choice, voluntary exchange, freedom to compete, and security of privately owned property.” According to the Fraser Institute, the US rank has declined from 3rd place during the 1980s and 1990s to 19th in 2010.
  • The World Bank maintains the Ease of Doing Business index focused more specifically on regulations as they affect business. In 2013, the index employed 11 sets of objective indicators and covered 185 economies. The United States has maintained a 4th place ranking by performing fairly well in most of the indicator sets, while many other countries were inconsistent (e.g., in some cases performing highly in some categories, but poorly in others). Nonetheless, when one looks into the underlying indicators there are some areas where US performance falls well below the top 10. For example, with respect to the challenges faced by a medium-sized business located in New York City, the indicators of regulatory burdens place the US at 22nd in terms of trading across borders, 25th in terms of registering property, and 69th in terms of paying taxes. The particularly low score with respect to paying taxes is associated with both administrative burdens and financial costs. With a ranking of 69th in this category, the United States places just below Madagascar (68) and just ahead of Mongolia (70).
  • The World Economic Forum maintains a Global Competitiveness Index, which is a structured inquiry that takes into account executive opinion of key dimensions of economic competitiveness in 144 economies around the world. The United States has slipped from 1st place in 2006-07 to 7th place in 2012-13 (though subsequently climbing up a few places). Business executives listed inefficient government bureaucracy, tax rates and tax regulation as the top three problems in this context.

International institutions are not only monitoring progress on regulatory issues. Quite a few concrete initiatives are underway to improve regulatory frameworks around the world. For example, the OECD conducts an active program to promote regulatory reform using approaches such as country reviews and development of tools for improving regulation (e.g., a regulatory impact assessment tool). Since 1999, OECD has completed 31 country reviews — including one for the United States in 1999 — to “assess how countries manage the design, adoption and implementation of regulations.”

What to do?

Appropriate regulation is an essential part of a modern economy. The regulatory framework provides rules of the game for business, non-profits, government and other economic institutions. When the rules are properly specified, they provide clear objectives for economic actors without unduly constraining freedom. And, businesses and others should be free to innovate and find efficient ways to attain the regulatory objectives (e.g. reduction of pollution, improvement of safety, facilitation of trade, among others). In striving for these objectives, care should be taken to avoid unnecessarily burdening economic actors, as that would risk gumming up the functioning of the economy.

The United States has succeeded in previous regulatory reform initiatives. For example, one of the significant economic achievements of the Clinton-Gore administration was a streamlining of government regulation. A consensus approach was employed in identifying areas where action would be helpful. According to the Clinton Presidential Center, during the Clinton-Gore tenure some 16,000 pages of regulation were eliminated and 31,000 pages of regulation were redrafted in plain English. Some 640,000 pages of internal government agency rules were cut. In addition, government performance was reviewed and actions were taken to reduce the size of the bureaucracy while improving the operational performance of government agencies. Through such actions, the initiative known as Reinventing Government realized savings of some USD 136 billion during the years from 1993 to 2000. But the benefits extended beyond walls of government, because these actions also liberated businesses to improve their performance and the performance of the economy more broadly.

The OECD’s Review of Regulatory Reform in the United States (1999) was positive in its assessment of this period, while noting areas for improvement with respect to social issues and bureaucratic functioning. As stated in the blurb for the report:

“The United States has been a world leader in regulatory reform for a quarter century. Contrary to popular belief, the United States is not less regulated than other countries, but differently regulated due to the pro-competition policy stance of federal regulatory regimes, and the openness and contestability of regulatory processes. Far-reaching economic deregulation combined with efforts to improve the quality of social regulation have supported the construction of one of the most innovative, flexible and open economies in the OECD, while maintaining health, safety and environmental standards at relatively high levels. However, significant regulatory problems still exist. Improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of expensive social regulations and government formalities is a key challenge for regulatory quality. In a word, the challenge of regulatory reform in the United States is not how much regulation, but how good.”

Regulation remains on the political agenda in the US. Some action is underway, led by the Executive Branch. In May of 2012, the White House announced a series of measures intended to “save nearly $6 billion in the next five years by eliminating outdated requirements and unjustified costs. To ensure that the federal government continues this important work, the President also signed a new Executive Order today, making it a continuing obligation of our government to scrutinize rules on the books to see if they really make sense.”

But, as the international indicators demonstrate, more needs to be done. Some aspects, such as reform of tax regulation, will require co-operation of the Legislative Branch, including a degree of bipartisanship and frank consultation with a broad range of stakeholders. And, this is not to say that regulatory reform is a silver bullet solution. Many aspects of competitiveness are beyond easy reach of regulation or deregulation (e.g., quality of education). In addition, mistakes can be made in deregulation (e.g., some of the blame for the US financial crisis in 2008 may be due to failures of deregulation or failures to properly implement regulations that were on the books). Nonetheless, regulatory reform remains an underexploited policy lever, one that should be pursued because it is clearly in the national interest.

 

Patti Smith, Mikhail Bulgakov & Emperor Constantine’s Mom

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“…and I trust my guitar…”
Patti Smith

Patti Smith and Me

Patti Smith burst into my world in 1978 via her album Easter. The driving energy and the lyrics fit well with my personal reflections, philosophy readings and humor. It was poetry. It challenged my beliefs. It was wild. I soon explored her music catalog backwards and then forwards. I soaked it in.

Horses, Radio Ethiopia, Easter. This was music that made statements; it delivered existential moments; it energized. Her voice was alternately strident or low and heavy. Much of it moved me. Some of it did not agree with me; some of it did not speak to me. But, even those bits, I respected. Since that time, Patti Smith has drifted in and out of my play lists. Some of her albums seemed more relevant to me than others. I built a digital collection, so that I could focus on what worked for me.

Patti Smith's Exposition at the Fondation Cartier in Paris

Guide to the exposition, presenting her Polaroid Land Camera photos

And out there in the real world she would periodically become manifest in my life in various ways. A few years ago, Patti Smith launched a revival tour with a show in Switzerland and there was a glowing review in the Swiss paper, Neue Zuericher Zeitung, that caught my eye and prompted a revival in my listening. In 2007, she recorded an iTunes Originals album with interviews and new editions of old songs that provided insights into her perspectives on life. In 2008, I visited an exposition of her art at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, a show that was anchored by a long series of photos that she had taken with a Polaroid Land camera. Again, there were parts of the show that really spoke to me (e.g., a lone horse in a barren field) and other bits that I did not “get”. Then, there were a few concerts in Paris that stirred up discussion with some of my friends, but I never managed to get tickets to these sold out shows.

And now, Patti is back with a recently released album entitled Banga (June 2012). The deluxe edition includes a hard cover book of photos, text and lyrics. The book tells the story of the development of the album and its intellectual underpinnings. The project draws on her recent travels and the art and writings that she encountered. The music and poetry of the album provide a fresh sound, at times mellow, but often with a certain energy and strength. It is a wonderful, mature artistic expression.

In accomplishing this project, she pursued some lines of exploration where I lack first-hand experience. For example, she visited sites in Italy associated with St Francis of Assis and she sailed on the Costa Concordia (the same ship that later ran aground and partially sank off of the coast of Italy early in 2012). Nonetheless, reading through the short book gave me goosebumps. Unbeknownst to me, she was also out exploring paths that I’d been down in the last few years in search of Mikhail Bulgakov and Constantine the Great.

Bulgakov Lives!

In Banga, Patti Smith tells of discovering Mikhail Bulgakov’s writings. Bulgakov was a great Russian writer of fiction that spoke to reality during the first half of the 20th century. His classic book The Master and Margarita is a tale of oppression under Stalin, but also Christ’s crucifixion, Satan’s return to the Earth, and a large black cat. At about the same time that Patti Smith was discovering Bulgakov, my dear friend Volodya G was pointing me to Bulgakov as well. The Master and Margarita instantly became one of my favorite books: it made me laugh and challenged me to reflect on history and religion. There were layers of meaning. It was splendid.

Patti Smith’s album title is a reference to Banga, Pontius Pilate’s dog in Bulgakov’s tale of The Master and Margarita. The dog is the one creature to whom Pilate could tell his woes about his blinding headaches and torment.

Entrance to Bulgakov's House

The entrance to Bulgakov’s Apartment House, now a museum and a place of pilgrimage for fans        (© Doug, 2009)

On one visit to Moscow, I made time for a pilgrimage to Bulgakov’s apartment, which is now a museum. The walls of the stairwell are covered with graffiti from devoted fans. The museum presents artifacts from his life. A docent patiently explained a few things to me about the collection despite my broken Russian language skills. I felt right at home. There was camaraderie between the visitors. I would not have been surprised to find a few Patti Smith fans among them.

Constantine and His Mom

Constantine's Throne Hall in Trier

Constantine’s Throne Hall in Trier, Germany            (© Doug, 2006)

Constantine the Great was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. In Banga, Patti Smith tells the story of a painting she saw in Italy that presents a view of Constantine’s dream, a story that is recounted in various ancient sources. It appears that Constantine had a dream or vision of the Christian cross, which encouraged him to emblazon this and symbols for Christ’s name on his army’s standards and shields at a decisive battle for control of Rome. The battle was won and Constantine initiated reforms that greatly improved the situation of Christians. Constantine’s reach was impressive, with military campaigns and periods of residence stretching from Britain to Italy to Anatolia. Thus, his religious reforms helped align the Christian Church with the State and promoted a far-reaching diffusion of its teachings and influence.

Haggia Sophia in Instanbul

Haggia Sophia was the main cathedral in Constantinople (though it was built after Constantine’s time and was converted into a mosque after the Turkish conquest). Image is of a ticket to the museum from a visit in 1996.

Helen, the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine, accompanied him during his rise. In Trier, Germany, where he was resident for a time, there are still structures such as the emperor’s throne hall, where Helen may have walked. Sometime during 327-28 AD Helen visited Jerusalem. Legend has it that she supposedly found the true cross from Christ’s crucifixion under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. She is also said to have found Christ’s seamless robe, a relic that was given to the church in Trier. Having visited Trier many times, the connection to Jerusalem really hit me when I later stood in the basement of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. So many have transited the ancient halls and chapels, in effect making the connection between Constantine, his mom, the spread of Christianity, and now perhaps Patti Smith!

A passage under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

A passage under the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (© Doug L., 2009)

A chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

A chapel in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (© Doug L., 2009)

Fellow travelers

As I look back across several decades of life, it is surprising to me to see how often Patti Smith has cropped up. I have never met her, but I feel that she is a fellow traveler. She is 12 years ahead of me and has in some ways led the way, though at times our paths have also diverged. Still, her music, art and poetry have influenced me and over the years have become something familiar to which I periodically return. Life has taken many turns and, for me, the journey has conflated music, religion, art, poetry, history, and people like Constantine, his mom, Bulgakov and others, in a changing mix. While it can seem dark out there on the trail sometimes, I take comfort in knowing that there are fellow travelers exploring these places and that some of these folks are probably not too distant.

No Escaping Geneva

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No escaping Geneva

Geneva was meant to be a part of my life, apparently. It keeps inserting itself into my agenda. I find myself often pondering what I need to say or do there, when I can go next, how to fund the trip. It is not an unpleasant thing to contemplate. But when I am there, I know it will be intense. And, it happens a few times each year. There is no escaping Geneva.

A bit of history and geography

The geography of Geneva is wonderful, with the Alps to the South and the Jura Mountains to the North West, and Lake Léman (aka, Lake Geneva) to the East. The city is bisected by the Rhone River, which flows westward from the lake. Coming from Paris the high-speed train (TGV) runs up the winding Rhone Valley, revealing remote and wonderful mountain vistas. Lake Léman is one of the largest lakes in western Europe and accommodates a fleet of large steamships that transit the lake in the milder seasons.

Geneva is a fascinating place: a Protestant, French-speaking city that broke with the Roman Catholic church in 1536, a city that invited John Calvin (1509-64) to come and serve in leadership and that hosted other famous protestants including John Knox (1513-72), Théodore de Bèze (1513-1605) and Guillaume Farel (1489-1565). The city itself struggled for its autonomy from time to time, suffering an attack from Savoy (1603) and invasion by France (1798), for example. Finally, in 1815, Charles Pictet-de-Rochemont and colleagues succeeded in having the city definitively attached to Switzerland and the country’s neutrality established.

Geneva grew into a major center of diplomacy. In 1863, Henry Dunant and Gustave Moynier, founded the International Committee of the Red Cross (a private institution) in Geneva. In the first half of the 1900s, the city was designated to host the League of Nations and the International Labor Organisation (ILO), international organizations founded at government initiative in the wake of WWI in the hope of promoting peaceful means to resolve conflicts and advance the cause of social justice. Unfortunately, the US failed to join the League of Nations.

In the aftermath of WWII, world leaders made a new attempt at development of an international framework for peace, this time with full US engagement and eventual membership. The result was the establishment of the United Nations and the UN family of international organizations (including the ILO). Later, other international organizations established headquarters or branch offices in Geneva. A recent notable example is the World Trade Organization (WTO), which began operations in 1995.

Making the world a better place

The big multilateral organizations are far from perfect. As institutions intended to be global, many compromises were necessary to get buy-in from around the world. The global scale of their operations entails complexity and makes it difficult to operate efficiently and effectively. But, constitutions underpinning these institutions and the international agreements they have subsequently achieved, form a body of rules for the conduct of international affairs ranging from economics, to technical standards, to war, among other policy areas. Though there have been some tragic failures (e.g., in Bosnia), the multilateral system has delivered many successes big and small, ranging from trade liberalization to progress in satisfaction of development objectives (Millennium Development Goals), peace truces and humanitarian relief.

Mutual respect for the rules is important for the system to function. Member nations expend time and resources to meet their obligations and commitments; to justify these actions, they expect that other members will generally play by the rules or that there will be consequences for those Member nations that do not. Thus, for example, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and subsequent amendments establish rights and protections for prisoners of war and non-combatants. There is to be reciprocity. This is why it was so dangerous, when in 2001-2002 the US administration decided to suspend the application of the Geneva Conventions in cases involving “enemy combatants“; this established a precedent that some individuals or governments might have interpreted as leaving some US citizens without reciprocal rights and protections. While the Geneva Conventions have not always functioned well (some nations, big and small, have violated these accords), they have helped to mitigate some of the misery of war for many.

In some areas of the multilateral system, there have been improvements in efficiency and effectiveness over the years. For example, the establishment of the WTO introduced a dispute settlement mechanism that has improved the possibility to enforce binding trade commitments. Further reforms are underway in other international organizations and there is continued pressure for progress in the functioning of the multilateral system.

Old Town and Tourism

Geneva is about more than a beautiful location and international organizations, of course. One highlight for tourists is the somewhat sleepy old town. The medieval part of the city is built on a hill that at one time afforded some defensive advantage. Now, it is a place of cafes and restaurants, historic sites and leafy parks. Many of the historical sites relate to the Protestant Reformation and the earlier Roman Catholic foundations. St. Pierre’s Cathedral offers splendid vistas from its two towers, a plain interior and a restored and ornate Chapel of the Maccabees. Inside the main cathedral one can see John Calvin’s fairly plain and minimalist chair, as well as wonderful, ornate carved choir stalls. Underneath the cathedral is an archeological site with layers going back 1600 years.

Along the base of the hill (facing the Rhone River) is a nice park with the Reformation Wall, with sculptures commemorating the Protestant reformation, including Geneva’s shift to Protestantism in 1536 and statues of key founding theologians of this movement. (A small monument to Ulrich Zwingli, a Swiss theologian and an intellectual father of the Anabaptist reform movement sits vandalised in the park across from the Reformation Wall, as if he were outcast.) Along the base of the hill facing the lake, there is a fancy shopping district. After a few hours of hiking around the old town, there are wonderful cafes and pubs where a traveler can relax. Fortunately, some of the austerity of the puritan forefathers has worn off and comfortable establishments abound.

Time for a visit to Geneva?

Certainly, there is luxury and even a measure of grandeur to be found in the international hotels and institutions of Geneva. The many watch shops and the Patek Phillippe museum are certainly upscale. But, on balance, the urbanism is somewhat understated, in contrast to what one finds in Paris with its grand spaces. For me, “comfortable”  is indeed a good word for Geneva. The natural setting, the neighborhood cafes and bistros, the streetcars, the fairly compact city center, the fact that most things work most of the time, the calm on Sundays, all work together to create a comfortable environment. If this is your cup of tea, then it may be time for a visit to Geneva. You, too, may find it difficult to escape the charms of this city.

Photos from a recent visit to Geneva (October 2012)

(Use the arrows to scroll down to see additional photos)

Visit to the UN and surrounding area

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Visit to Geneva Old Town

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Map showing Geneva in relation to Paris

The Beatles and Me

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The Beatles and me in Edison, NJ

The Beatles and me, we go way back. Earlier this month, the BBC and Apple iTunes released a restored edition of the Beatles 1967 movie entitled “Magical Mystery Tour.” This film had not been widely distributed in the USA and its existence came as news to me. Watching it and listening to a newly purchased remastered edition of the corresponding album really “came to take me away” (in the words of the title song) … to Edison, New Jersey, in fact.

Beatles Lao Stamp

© StampGirl / Shutterstock.com
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This stamp ties together two unrelated dimensions of my life: the Beatles and Laos. Unfortunately, based on a notice from the Universal Postal Union (19 March 2001), it seems that the stamp may be among several that were not officially authorized in Laos and not valid for postal use. (The Union’s notice on this is linked, here: notice.)

As a kid living in New Jersey during the 1960s I had a transistor radio that enabled me to listen to AM rock and roll broadcasts emanating from across New York harbor. One of my staple programs was the Cousin Brucie Show from WABC, a show that often led me to stay up beyond my bedtime (rock and roll corrupting the youth?). I would also listen to more distant broadcasts when the conditions in the ether permitted me to capture radio waves from another state or even Mexico. The Beatles were at their prime at this time and across these various radio platforms they often had a hit in the top ten, sometimes two hits simultaneously.

At one point, our cousins came to stay with us while their new house was being constructed nearby. One cousin was an older teenager who shared with me his insights on the latest Beatles developments and let me listen to his copy of Rubber Soul. Wow! Shortly thereafter I purchased my first albums and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was on the list. That album marked a real breakthrough as the Beatles had begun to mature musically and push the limits of recording technology. It was different and amazing.

Do you believe in Beatles?

My vinyl collection then expanded to include subsequent Beatles albums and old 45s purchased from yard sales. Although I moved to Maryland and my musical tastes broadened to include other genres, I still played the Beatles’ music with special attention. I played tracks backwards in search of their embedded messages. I tried to mimic riffs on my guitar. I studied the lyrics. I looked for clues to meaning in the album covers (well, not the White album). Notably, the quasi-classical or country interludes in the later Beatles tunes were part of what helped me to be open-minded about music from other genres. I played the orchestral bits for my parents to show them that this stuff was really okay.

In 1973, I bought Some Time in New York City, an album from the Plastic Ono Band. In the song “God”, John Lennon says “I don’t believe in Beatles.” That line really troubled me. Not that I saw anything God-like in the Beatles, but surely their collective accomplishments were phenomenal. They had attained excellence. I understood from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Pirsig, 1974) that pursuit of excellence was a worthy cause. John’s statement seemed to reject all that was good from the Beatles, to throw the baby out with the bath water. It took an act of David Bowie three decades later in his song “Afraid” (2002) to set the record straight. In that song, Bowie sings out “I believe in Beatles!”

Rock on

Thanks to the remastering and re-release of much of the Beatles catalog, most is now available digitally, including many previously unavailable tracks and related materials. Settlement of the long-running Apple Corps-Apple Computer trademark legal battles made it possible to distribute many Beatles tracks via iTunes. After loss or damage to most of my vinyl collection over the years, these developments have helped me to resuscitate my Beatles collection.

Listening to the Beatles’ music as I draft this post, I am really struck by the quality of the recording and the continued relevance of much of the music to my life. Unlike me, however, it has aged well. While there is other music that has since moved me or given me more profound insights or made me laugh, the Beatles influence on my music world remains substantial. We have lost George and John, but their contributions live on.

My recent tour of old interviews, hits and films with the Beatles and their associates is yielding new insights for me into the era in which I grew up. As a kid, naturally, I was much less aware of the context leading up to those times and the larger world surrounding the music. Understanding this context now is helpful in knowing where I came from. Not that the times were idyllic, but the context was richer in meaning than I knew back then. Knowing more about the past helps one to think more clearly about the future. And, so, with that in mind, it is time to rock on.

History and Faith

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History and faith, and empirics

Today, there will not be an opportunity for my traditional jog up to the prehistoric monolith that some ancient tribe erected on the hill behind our town, no chance to place my hand on it in a symbolic gesture of connecting to the past. It is a grey and wet day in Paris, a good day for catching up on my indoor to-do list. Some of the items on this list are mundane sorts of things like clearing and filing the papers on my desk. To get my history fix while going about these tasks, I’ve been listening to a lecture series on the Beginnings of Judaism by Isaiah M. Gafni, a professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The lectures offer an interesting view into use of empirical approaches to understanding history and faith in the Middle East.

The Gafni lectures were given to me by a friend in Jerusalem a few years ago. So, this is not the first time I’ve listened to them. They are quite extensive and a rich source of insights into the historical record and the origins of the theological orientations of Judaism (some of which were carried over into Christianity and Islam). Prof. Gafni has a deep knowledge of ancient texts relating to Judaism and an engaging ability to weave together the cross-cutting themes from religious and literary texts and to place theological developments in their historical contexts. He works in an empirical way, making references to the tangible historical record as he presents the material. His lectures proceed in an orderly, stepwise fashion.

Show me the evidence

While there are certainly big gaps in the ancient historical record in the region, it is impressive how much documentation has survived. Through ancient official documents, commentaries and letters, we can listen in to the actual narrative from a previous era. From time to time, Prof. Gafni presents the various historical figures via their own words. He may quote, for example, a Jewish resident of Alexandria (Egypt) seeking to appeal a tax levy or reference a text by Cicero defending Anatolian interests in a trial in the Roman senate. What strikes me is that some themes in the narrative seem familiar, even though we are separated in time by two millennia or more. For example, one theme is the desire of people to maintain relationships with friends, family or cultural roots, despite being separated geographically.

Naturally, the historical record leaves room for interpretation. We peer into the distant past based on incomplete information. Different methods of inquiry can point to conclusions that vary somewhat. Thus, it is important to consider history from multiple perspectives. In addition to Isaiah M. Gafni, four other authors have been particularly helpful to me in starting to get a handle on the history of this region:

There are certainly many others that could be cited here. Next on my reading list is the huge, intimidating tome by Diarmaid MacCulloch, Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years.

History, More Than A Hobby

From my partial reading of the record, it certainly seems that human nature for better or worse has not changed very dramatically over the centuries. Despite the many changes in some areas such as technology, people are still driven to some extent by emotions and motives such as compassion, anger, greed, lust, and fear of the unfamiliar, among others. We have improved our collective ability to respond to some of the negative tendencies (e.g., via international accords) and nurture the positive ones (e.g., by recognizing those who promote peace or by organizing associations to do good works). But, we remain far from where we need to be.

In my view, earnest efforts to understand this history merit respect. Insights into recent developments can be gleaned from a study of the historical antecedents. By proceeding in an empirical fashion one may have a chance to approach those with different views, to find common ground, to combat misunderstandings and to find a way forward. I think that such an approach can be constructive in various realms, from politics to theology. It is certainly not easy and requires a bit of humility, but it could prove better than the alternative for all concerned.

Neither here nor there…

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Expatriate life in France

On 5 October 1992, I started my career at OECD in Paris. While the experience since then has been rich and interesting, occasionally wonderful, I can’t say that it has been easy. Somehow I managed to make it this far and, with mixed feelings, celebrated my 20th anniversary last Friday with a few colleagues at Le Mozart (Le Mozart being the pub of choice these days for OECD economists). After all these years in France, I am still not certain where we will settle. Long discussions with spouse, family and friends have proven inconclusive. Where will we find the optimal setting for the next phase of life: here? there? or perhaps neither here nor there?

Living internationally has brought rewarding experiences and personal growth, albeit accompanied by the stresses and strains of cross-cultural life, as well as various challenges at work and in daily life. It makes me want to celebrate “Life’s Rich Pageant“, in the words of Inspector Clouseau; that is, I would like to have access to the best bits of both my home and adopted cultures simultaneously, though without falling into the fountain as Clouseau did.

France has welcomed my family and the quality of life here has been quite high for us. Our kids got a solid education here in the public schools. I love our house and the forests surrounding our little town. The countryside is gorgeous and the food is wonderful. The list of pros — and, admittedly, a few cons — goes on and on. Judging by several best-sellers, such as Peter Mayle’s “A Year In Province”, recounting my personal experience in this regard could easily fill a book.

What to do for an encore?

Once a person has lived for a prolonged period in another culture, one’s horizons shift a bit. There is a good chance that whatever one does for an encore (stay or return home or move on to somewhere else), something will be missing from the next phase of life. And, during a prolonged absence from one’s native land, it too will have changed. A bit like the situation of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, pondering her return to Kansas: can one really go home again or will home now be a different place? Kids growing up in such multicultural  situations are sometimes called “third culture kids”, because they have hybrid roots in two or more countries. Their cultural perspectives extend beyond a traditional base. Together with other expatriate kids they share a culture that is neither wholly from here or there, but has elements from various international sources.

In truth, my reflections on expatriate life leave me a bit conflicted. Surely, if we return to the US, there will be things that we will miss from France. (Where to find a proper stinky cheese?) And, if we stay, some things will be things missing here. (Where to find a proper bagel?) Therein lies the rub. For me, the experience of living internationally has been a positive one on balance, but it is not without trade-offs. I am not alone in this sentiment. I’ve had the conversation many times as I meet folks around the world who are living internationally. This is a real hazard of expatriate life: having one foot here and one foot there, or perhaps both feet on shifting lands.

Ethiopian epilogue?

This week I found myself careening down the Dulles airport access road in a mini-van taxi driven by an Ethiopian immigrant. We were discussing what it was like to live outside of our homelands. With my bags sliding off the seat and jacket long since slipped onto the floor, he turned and said “I love this country. Here, in the US I am free to say what I want.” Among a long list of other injustices in Ethiopia, he was explaining to me the plight of journalists reporting there: two Swedish journalists wrongly incarcerated in Ethiopia were recently released, but a number of Ethiopian reporters are still being held. (The media rights group Reporters without Borders discusses the situation on their website.)

But as he spoke of his homeland, he grew a little wistful. He went on to tell me how Ethiopian expatriates often buy property back home, seeking to maintain ties. With a sense of longing, he explained that he is hoping the situation will permit him to visit next Spring. Though committed to his life in the US and grateful for the welcome he has had, he seemed to me a bit unsettled. He proudly told me that his son, having mastered English and Amharic (the main language of Ethiopia), is now learning Spanish. It seemed to me like the family might be caught between homes, and not quite at home, neither here nor there…

Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more

Such stories are certainly not rare in the mobile, modern world. During the 1990s, I co-authored a study of the US labor market for the OECD. One factoid that struck me as remarkable: 25% of the US population moved more than 25 miles from home every 10 years. That pace has decreased somewhat with the housing finance crisis, but certainly many people are not where they used to be and some are cut off from their roots.  Dislocation is a common phenomenon in a globalized world with constant adjustment pressures and far-flung economic opportunities. And, this comes on top of more traditional drivers of dislocation such as strife.

Thank goodness that distance is now less of a definitive impediment to maintaining relationships. Back when I lived in Burkina Faso, a move away from home meant being cut off from real-time communications. Now thanks to services such as Skype, Microsoft Messenger or Apple Face Time staying in touch is less of a challenge. Still, it is not the same as being there.

For me, the question of what to do when I grow up and where to do it remains unresolved. A bit like Kurt Vonnegut’s Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse Five, my geographic center has come unstuck in the space-time continuum. It is anchored by relationships that span vast distances, contexts and years, but it is no longer fixed to a specific place. But, maybe that is the point?  Perhaps the relationships are what matter most.

Reflecting on the past at 30,000 feet

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    29 September

At the present time I am cruising through the air over the East coast of the USA, flying in an Airbus 380 and listening to the album Murray Street by Sonic Youth on noise cancelling headphones. The sound is great. “Sympathy for the Strawberry.” I am reflecting on the past at 30,000 feet.

Looking down through the clouds at places from my earlier days got me to reminiscing fondly about people who have left us. Here are a few observations that have stuck with me:

– Great Aunt Coressa had an opinion about Woodrow Wilson’s long-ago Presidential candidacy (positive overall: “a decent man, who wanted peace”).

– The US Navy made port calls to mainland China after the end of WW2. I have photos of my Dad in Shanghai, riding in a rickshaw and chatting with a military policeman from India (a Commonwealth soldier) on the Bund, the waterfront.

– My Dad’s family raised turkeys in their garage in Aurora, Colorado, to help make ends meet during the Great Depression. Dad did not like dealing with the birds.

– As a child, my Mom used to swim in the stream behind her Dad’s ice plant in Glen Burnie, Maryland (something unimaginable now).

– My Uncle Bob extolled the virtues of having a longish walk at one end of his daily commute. He worked in Baltimore and one day he was mugged. He still walked, though.

– My Mom’s Irish grandmother had a house on the South River near Baltimore. Mom used to love to go there and visit with her. The grandmom had a goose who was mean-spirited and used to bite the kids.

I am grateful to have such memories enabling me to reach back into history through a first-person narrative. These family stories provide a view into the pre-digital era, linking me personally to the past. My reflections in mid-air remind me that it is important to take time for such conversations, because such opportunities are transient.