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The US-China Rivalry
The Singapore Straits Times published my op-ed on this rivalry in October 2020. Now seems like a good moment to update my thoughts about it.
6 days ago2 min read


Maybe the US Population Should Be Smaller
In 2020 I advanced the radical idea that the USA doesn't need a larger population. I riff on this idea as I add the piece to my website.
6 days ago5 min read


Keeping Score on Globalization
Today, “globalization” is a curse word for many people. Five years ago I co-authored a piece that tried to be realistic but seems optimistic in today’s world.
Apr 137 min read


Trump 45 vs. Trump 47
After Trump's election in 2016, four of my blog pieces about him were published on the Brookings website. Here I assess what I wrote then.
Feb 255 min read


Extraordinary China-US Collaboration
Here’s a story about my collaboration with a student on an essay about “China’s Demographic Future” published in 2024 by Scientific American
Jan 75 min read


Myanmar Update, December 2024
Some good news about Parami U but Myanmar remains in chaos due to the ongoing conscription. Some modest territorial gains by the opposition.
Dec 17, 20245 min read


A Better Growth Strategy for India
The services sector has been leading India's recent economic growth. Critics say manufacturing should lead in the future. I argue for focusi
Dec 9, 20245 min read


Nine Students from War-Torn Burma in Washington DC
Nine rising Juniors from Parami University had internships in Washington DC this summer with nine great organizations. This is their story.
Nov 4, 202410 min read


China's Demographic Future--Updated
We have updated the story published by Scientific American in May 2024. Our short update has just been posted by a think tank in Hong Kong.
Sep 20, 20249 min read


My View of the Immigration Issue in 1986--and in 2024
I sent a letter to the Council of Economic Advisors in 1986 taking issue with the Council’s position on immigration. My view hasn’t changed.
Sep 3, 20243 min read


A Radical Approach to Acquiring Land for Major Projects
In December 2015, I presented a paper at a conference in Hong Kong on a radical approach to developing a site in Myanmar as a new city.
Aug 28, 202453 min read


The Peace Corps Is Broken: Here Are Ways to Fix It
On 3 April 2024, the DC-based newspaper The Hill published a short version of this co-authored essay. Here is the long version.
Aug 1, 202413 min read


One of My Lifetime Best Stories
It starts in India in 1965, I was in the Peace Corps, continues in Bali, and finishes up in Paris. The main character is a French woman.
Jul 16, 20247 min read


Settling Estates in France
Two of my distant French cousins died and I ended up being the heir of one estate and settling the other in the absence of a will...
Jul 2, 202417 min read


Saving Ukraine
In 2022, I joined a group of ex-US Treasury officials to advise the Ukraine
government on key issues in international finance.
Jun 3, 20246 min read


Myanmar Update June 2024
There is only bad news in this update. The military junta started conscripting men for the army, plunging the country into chaos.
Jun 1, 20246 min read


Update on 21 May 2024: Yes, Elizabeth, banking needs to be boring again!
A few weeks ago, I stumbled across an ad from PNC Bank, perhaps embedded in a Google search. It featured the President of PNC Bank...
May 21, 20243 min read


China's Demographic Future
This is my lifetime best publishing achievement. I don't expect to ever top it in terms of readership and policy significance.
May 6, 202410 min read


Stopping the Rich from Getting Richer
The essay in The Atlantic proposes global wealth cap, resonating with my 2016 message to the President of Brookings on wealth inequality.
Apr 17, 20246 min read


We Think the Peace Corps Needs to be Fixed
Kevin Quigley and I drafted a 3,000-word essay last summer on "The Future of the Peace Corps". A short op-ed version has just been posted on
Apr 6, 20242 min read
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