Round-up

Farai Chideya and John McWhorter discuss racial integration of schools during a teleconference. I agree with McWhorter on this one.

Andrew Sullivan and Bob Wright discuss Buddhism, mysticism, and being at peace with the universe.

The Globe and Mail’s foreign correspondent in Africa, Geoffrey York, writes a feature story about Canada’s African foreign aid reductions. Key quote: “The real reason for the shift, of course, is a new calculation of Canada's business and geopolitical interests. Instead of Malawi and the seven other African countries, where most people are so desperately poor that they earn less than $2 a day, a bigger share of Canada's foreign-aid money will flow to middle-income places such as Peru, Colombia, Ukraine and the Caribbean, where Canada's commercial interests are more attractive. Canada's foreign aid seems to have become an instrument of its trade policy.”

Fantastic piece on George Orwell’s work from the 1940s. It points out his contradictions, commends Orwell’s singular voice, and, like so many others have done, asserts its relevance to our current world.

New York Times Magazine covers Bill Clinton’s post-presidency. It’s an overview of his foundation’s work in, primarily, developing world issues, but it’s also a bit of a character study. For instance: “Two sides of Clinton’s persona have long warred with each other, sunny optimism versus angry grievance. Clinton succeeded in politics largely because he projected the former; his worst moments usually came when he gave in to the latter. Both sides are genuine reflections of who he is.” We’re painted a picture of a man with a long memory for slights who is simultaneously very capable of reconciliation.