Blog posts from 2012

This commentary appeared in The Orange County Register on December 31, 2012.

News reports suggest the Obama administration is drafting a "rule book" to govern the targeted killings of terrorists. Greater transparency about the standards used to target terrorists would be an important step toward ensuring greater understanding and accountability about an inherently controversial policy.

The CIA and U.S. military are presumed to have undertaken hundreds of drone strikes and killed hundreds of people since President Obama took office, according to news reports. Details of these operations, which have been discussed in general terms by President Obama himself, remain classified.

This video was recorded at RAND's Politics Aside event on November 16, 2012.

Former U.S. pay czar Kenneth Feinberg says politics has seeped into the financial regulatory process, causing it to grind to a halt. Former FDC Chair Sheila Bair and M&T Bank CEO Robert Wilmers also weigh in on the need for political leadership in the financial industry during a panel discussion moderated by Reuters Breakingviews Editor Rob Cox at the RAND Corporation's Politics Aside conference in Santa Monica, Calif.

This fall, advertisements for flu shots in U.S. drug stores have been competing for attention with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and, now, Christmas displays. Unfortunately, if this season's statistics follow those of previous years, these ads will fail to rally shoppers to action more often than not. What's needed, according to RAND research, is more proactive engagement by doctors and medical staff.

First a bit of background. Despite the convenience of "retail clinics" and the flu's astounding financial costs ($87 billion, according to a 2007 Lancet study), vaccination rates for influenza among adults have remained flat over the past two years at under 40%. Even during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, more than half of all health care workers declined vaccinations, putting both themselves and their medically vulnerable patients at risk for transmission.

A month ago the second costliest-storm in U.S. history wreaked havoc on the East Coast. New York is seeking $42 billion in federal aid, and New Jersey is seeking nearly $37 billion. While the federal government has distinct capabilities that are essential for disaster response and recovery, including disaster aid, it is also uniquely positioned to sponsor the research required to develop new technologies, strategies, and tactics to better deal with large-scale disasters.

One objective of the National Health Security Strategy of the United States of America is to ensure that all systems that support national health security are based on the best available science, evaluation, and quality improvement methods. A first step is to understand how research funds are currently being spent.

This commentary appeared on South China Morning Post on December 1, 2012.

While people tend to roll their eyes when they hear a new catchphrase being unveiled by the upper echelons of the Communist Party, it is worth thinking about what the "new modernisations" might mean for the growing role of civil society in China.

The slogan refers to economic reforms—the new push for industrialisation, information technology, urbanisation and agricultural modernisation—that the new leadership has indicated it will emphasise in the next 10 years. These reforms will also have far-reaching social consequences.

I began studying suicide in the military in 2008 and since that time, the number of American men and women in uniform who have taken their own lives has continued to rise. USA Today reported this week that approximately 323 service members have died by suicide this year—the highest it has been in the past decade. I have written before on what is needed to prevent military suicides. Key among these recommendations are removing the institutional barriers that prevent military personnel from seeking professional mental health counseling and considering creative ways to restrict access to firearms and ammunition.

Today, however, I would like to reflect not on preventing suicides but on the nation's need to support the families of those who take their own lives. As Americans celebrate the love and support of their families and friends in these weeks between Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, it is a bittersweet time for my family. We will be celebrating for the first time without my father, who died after undergoing surgery in October. Although the circumstances are not equivalent, the shadow of my family's loss reminds me that this season will be especially tough for the parents, siblings, children, grandparents, friends, and colleagues of the 323 men and women in uniform who have died by suicide this year. (The sad truth is that this number is actually a low estimate; it does not include members of the reserve and National Guard, nor does it include veterans who are no longer serving in the military.) These will be the first holidays they will spend without their loved ones.

This commentary appeared on U.S. News & World Report on November 28, 2012.

A pall hangs over the Egyptian political transition, with apparent presidential power grabs, the judiciary up in arms, and new protests filling the public squares. But the latest tumult does not mean the transition is doomed to failure.

Many transitions around the world in recent decades have been just as chaotic, yet 180-degree returns to autocracy have been exceedingly rare. Less than two years into the transition in Egypt, after an unusually abrupt regime change, it is still early days, and inexperienced new political leaders are still feeling their way.

Reports this week suggest the Obama administration is considering reducing the number of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan to around 10,000 by 2014. Unfortunately, this discussion is happening in something of a vacuum. As the U.S. withdraws its forces, military and civilian officials have yet to clearly outline strategic objectives for the region and discuss the tasks required to achieve those objectives.

Indeed, the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan is only one of several important policy choices—and not necessarily the most important one. For example: What will the U.S. do about the insurgent sanctuary in Pakistan? In a country where tribes, sub-tribes, and clans still retain substantial power in rural areas, how much will the U.S. strategy depend on Afghan central government action?

Efforts to come to grips with intellectual property rights aren't dying down after the European Parliament voted down the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) last summer. Indeed, the need for evidence of the scale and impact of counterfeiting has only become more pressing.

A new RAND report points to a potential solution and has already been dubbed "tech's Holy Grail" by a Fortune.com contributor. It was commissioned by the European Commission, which—before throwing millions of euros at enforcing intellectual property rights—wants to understand the real economic losses to European businesses and whether they are increasing or not.

This video was recorded at RAND's Politics Aside event on November 16, 2012.

A panel of Hollywood heavyweights at RAND Corporation's Politics Aside conference in Santa Monica, Calif., discusses the international influence of American entertainment programming and delves into how popular films can shape the public perception of historic events. Sony CEO Michael Lynton joins actor Michael Sheen, "Homeland" producer Howard Gordon and Showtime Entertainment President David Nevins.