Latest news with #Socratic
Hindustan Times
15-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Trump May End Up Sorry He Tried to Control the Fed
Our conspiracy-minded, deep-state-vigilant president has suggested that there is no great scandal surrounding the life and death of Jeffrey Epstein, but there is a Jerome Powell scandal. While we are assured that Mr. Epstein's long history of ties to politicians, royals, Wall Street figures and others stemmed only from the man's generous hospitality, magnetic personality and promise of evenings of Socratic interlocution, Mr. Powell's sin is to be the first bureaucrat in history to oversee large overruns in a construction budget. It seems renovations to the Federal Reserve's new headquarters in Washington are on the lavish side, and the chairman might even have been a little economical with the truth in his public accounting for them. Scandals, like beauty, are in the eye of the beholder. They play an instrumental role. We choose to believe a conspiracy because it suits our larger narrative and discount another when it doesn't. My conspiracy is your screw-up. So it must be that the 'Epstein Files,' whatever they are, aren't as helpful to Donald Trump and his conspiracy sniffer dogs as they'd hoped. Perhaps even unhelpful. Mr. Powell's architectural transgressions, however, are very helpful. It is no secret that Mr. Trump wants the Fed chairman gone. Just last week he was complaining again about the man he calls 'Too Late Powell,' telling reporters he was doing a 'terrible job' and that interest rates should be '3 points lower' than the current target 4.25% to 4.5% fed-funds rate. I shall refrain from the pearl-clutching of much of the media about Mr. Trump's efforts to pressure the Fed to be more accommodating. Since the Fed gained true independence in the 1950s, almost every president has complained that the central bank was holding back the economy with high interest rates. What's more, there are reasonable grounds for thinking Mr. Powell has gotten things badly wrong. Even the Fed agrees it was too slow in responding to the inflationary surge that followed the Covid-19 pandemic. You don't have to believe the theories that a politically partisan Mr. Powell worked to help President Biden and harm Mr. Trump to think he erred repeatedly on the side of easy money in the past four years and may now be overestimating the inflationary risk today. The problem, though, is that replacing him with someone committed to doing Mr. Trump's bidding would make things much worse. If it's true that Arthur Burns, Fed chairman under President Richard Nixon, said that the Fed's independence is 'so precious that we dare not risk exercising it,' it is also true that the central bank's incompetence is so proprietary that a president dare not risk trying to correct it. However bad Fed policy is, if markets think the central bank is run according to the president's priorities, the likely consequence will be tighter, not easier, money. If Mr. Trump could really find a person on the planet who thinks rates should be '3 points lower' than they are—pushing the policy rate down to 1.25%, a negative real rate of about 1.5% in an economy the president himself touts as 'booming'—yields on everything from Treasurys to corporate bonds would surge on confident expectations that the Fed was lighting an inflationary bonfire. Central-bank independence isn't divinely ordained. The Fed's policymaking framework was largely set by the Treasury until 1951. Most countries have had independent central banks only in the past 50 years—in the post-Bretton Woods global monetary regime. There are lots of reasons—from gold to crypto to artificial intelligence—to think our current model of monetary-policy management may need an overhaul. But there's one important sense in which independence is more important now than ever. The crisis of democracy on display in Washington—in which fiscal prudence has been completely sacrificed to immediate political objectives—is precisely why we need a monetary-policy architecture that constrains rather than amplifies politicians' desires. There's another sense in which Mr. Trump should be careful what he wishes for. History suggests the propulsive logic that makes central banks lean against political preferences is hard to shake, even by a determined president. Ronald Reagan tangled repeatedly with Paul Volcker in the 1980s and eventually replaced him with Alan Greenspan. Five years later his Republican successor, George H.W. Bush, blamed Mr. Greenspan in part for his re-election defeat after the Fed kept policy tight during the 1992 recession. In his epic history of the Fed, the late Allan Meltzer recounts the case of Harry S. Truman and William McChesney Martin. In 1951 the Fed was chafing under the Treasury's monetary control, forced to cap bond yields at 2.5% to assist in the Korean War effort. Martin was the Treasury official running point, and when Truman forced out Fed chairman Thomas McCabe, he replaced him with his favorite at Treasury. The new Fed boss promptly became one of the most famously hawkish central-bank governors, royally infuriating a succession of presidents, starting with Truman himself, who, it is said, later called Martin a 'traitor.' Surely that would never happen to Mr. Trump?
Spectator
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Watch: Glastonbury crowd chant ‘death to the IDF'
Is this year's Glastonbury line-up the worst ever? There's Kneecap, of course: those tough-talking IRA cheerleaders who simply LOVE revelling in the imagery of terrorist violence, right up until the point it risks costing a British state grant – or actually serving some jail time. But it seems they now have some fierce competition in the moron stakes from Bob Vylan, an English punk duo. Their music (predictably) focuses on being black in the UK and how terribly tough it is to live in one of the most prosperous, peaceful and established democracies on Earth. So with all their penetrating insight and profoundly original thought, it is no surprise that they brought their Socratic wit to the Glastonbury stage today when they entertained the crowd with their musings on the Middle East. 'Death, death to the IDF' and 'From the river to the sea' were just some of the duo's chants as they gyrated around the stage. Already it has got Tory MPs asking why the BBC chose to broadcast the performance, while others are citing it as proof of Glasto's problems with Jews. Lisa Nandy has certainly come out blazing, with her spokesman telling the Telegraph: The Culture Secretary has spoken to the BBC director-general to seek an urgent explanation about what due diligence it carried out ahead of the Bob Vylan performance, and welcomes the decision not to re-broadcast it on BBC iPlayer. So much for all that talk about love eh?
India Today
21-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Setting the bar National Law School Of India University, Bengaluru
With innovative curricula and AI foresight, NLSIU equips future lawyers for a tech-driven legal world, while retaining its numero uno status No. 1: NATIONAL LAW SCHOOL OF INDIA UNIVERSITY, BENGALURU 5 REASONS WHY IT IS THE BEST NLSIU follows a demanding Socratic method of teaching, blending structured classroom learning with continuous research and writing. This ensures students develop sharp analytical and professional skills. The introduction of 3-year LLB (Hons) and BA (Hons) programmes, in addition to its flagship 5-year BA LLB, reflects NLSIU's leadership in shaping modern legal education. NLSIU is proactively preparing students for a future shaped by generative AI. The curriculum integrates foundational disciplines such as Political Science, History and Economics, alongside early exposure to technology, encouraging students to become creators—not just users—of AI tools in the legal domain. NLSIU graduates are highly sought after, with 50-60 per cent joining top corporate law firms, 20-30 per cent pursuing litigation, and others entering academia, higher studies or judicial clerkships. A massive infrastructure revamp is underway. The expansion includes modern academic blocks, new hostels and facilities on a newly allotted 7-acre campus.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Healthy Interactions Primary Care Alliance Supports Clinics to Improve Cardiometabolic Care
JACKSON HOLE, Wyo., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthy Interactions LLC, a global leader in experiential education for healthcare professionals and patients, is teaming up with the DARTNet Institute, to accelerate transformation of primary care by driving structural and behavioral change toward improving obesity and cardiometabolic health across the United States. By establishing a new collaborative organization, the Healthy Interactions Primary Care Alliance, primary care clinics will be introduced to new tools and workflows that accelerate the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based obesity and cardiometabolic strategies and advance primary care delivery across thousands of primary care practices. The DARTNet Institute is a nonprofit organization known for its expertise in supporting practice-based research. DARTNet will play a key role in scaling new initiatives to the most innovative primary care practices nationwide. DARTNet brings extensive experience engaging and collaborating with a consortium of partner practices that empower healthcare professionals to implement the most up-to-date and effective care management processes. The collaboration brings together a diverse group of primary care practices, academic centers, and health systems. Since nearly all metabolic care is initiated in primary care settings, the program will focus initially on the diagnosis and treatment of obesity and associated comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, prior cardiovascular events, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and peripheral vascular disease. An important initial focus of the work will be to enhance community health care teams by introducing reimbursable primary care educational support services. Practice Facilitators will be engaged to support clinical workflow and operational changes in care delivery. This exciting new collaboration brings together the educational expertise of Healthy Interactions with the practice expertise of the DARTNet Institute to improve care for people with obesity and cardiometabolic health issues. "DARTNet is excited to be collaborating with Healthy Interactions to aggressively support primary care clinicians and practices in helping the majority of the US population at considerable risk for cardiometabolic complications. With new approaches to support behavioral change as well as medical therapy for risk factors such as obesity, primary care clinicians are asking for training and supportive systems for which Healthy Interactions and DARTNet can provide education and implementation support," noted Dr. Wilson Pace, Chief Medical and Technology Officer. About Healthy InteractionsHealthy Interactions LLC is a global leader in experiential education programs focused on cardiometabolic health. The organization is known for its Conversation Map® platform, which blends visual learning with Socratic dialogue to engage patients meaningfully. In addition to its in-person and virtual education tools, Healthy Interactions is also expanding its impact through the development of AI-powered platforms designed to support healthcare professionals and patients in managing chronic conditions more effectively. With a presence in 129 countries and over 50 million lives impacted, Healthy Interactions continues to raise the bar in both healthcare professional and patient education. To learn more, please visit Media Contact:Shelly LeonardEmail: sleonard@ Alliance Inquiries:If you're interested, contact us at alliance@ Executive Contact:Paul LasiukCEO & Co-founder, Healthy InteractionsEmail: paullasiuk@ DARTNet ContactMedia ContactKaari VanAukenEmail: Executive ContactWilson Pace, MD. FAAFPChief Medical and Technology View original content: SOURCE Healthy Interactions, Inc
Express Tribune
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
The insecurity of power
Listen to article For millennia, humankind has feared ferocious beasts, unforeseen calamities, "divine retributions", forces beyond comprehension, and natural phenomena beyond their control. Notwithstanding the powerlessness and inherent ignorance in prehistoric times, some individuals seized opportunities to emerge as leaders — such as the 'big men' or chiefs — who embodied mythical figures like Prometheus, Heracles, Theseus, Perseus, Apollo and Asclepius, selflessly pursuing their people's welfare and guiding them, however briefly and imperfectly, to safety and light. This was primarily because the legitimacy of most of them was rooted in transparency, proven abilities and a consensus built sincerely, albeit informed by limited knowledge. However, as societies became more complex and knowledgeable, so did the rules of legitimacy and the nature and scope of transactions between the rulers and the ruled. The evolution of language, which drives reason, logic and philosophy, has equipped humans with reliable tools to examine themselves and their environment, shedding light on their ignorance and gaining a deeper understanding of their surroundings. From nascent reasoning to the Socratic and dialectical methods, and from the Age of Enlightenment and the Renaissance to the dawn of the scientific method, all helped liberate humankind from threats - real or perceived - posed by nature and from fears rooted in nature's apparent meaninglessness or the metaphorical tabula rasa of human cognition. These developments, which have dispelled the fog of ignorance and introduced humanity to greater knowledge, ethical understanding and political education, should ideally have fostered greater transparency in statesmanship and collective affairs, promoting an informed collective will and legitimacy in statecraft. However, greater knowledge has fostered enlightened deceit and hypocrisy, which perpetuate carefully controlled ignorance or empower influential figures with vested interests in society, thus fostering opacity and undermining legitimacy in modern statecraft and statesmanship. This manifests, among other ways, in the rising authoritarianism and securitisation of democracies worldwide. Under the guise of the people's will, totalitarian and Orwellian tendencies are being fostered by the very institutions and leaders tasked with upholding democratic values. Consequently, hard power and brute force supplant the collective public will, imposing self-serving policies that disregard the interests of the people. Although marked by authoritarianism and disdain for the people's will, such regimes rarely abandon democratic forms entirely for three reasons: First, a democratic façade shields them from international sanctions. Second, it legitimises their authority under the pretense of democracy. Third, it sustains false hope among the populace, thereby deterring rebellion against those in power. This is because, unless informed, transparent and popular, those in power - whether individuals or institutions — tend to channel most of their resources and energy into masking their insecurities, sustaining their authority, and guarding their misdeeds against potential retribution. In other words, power obtained through questionable means or brute force both stems from and reveals underlying insecurities, driving all efforts to maintain it. This underlying insecurity of power ultimately and inevitably succumbs to the weights of its follies, corruption and abuse. Had it not been so, all the states that our status quo gets inspiration from would not have been consigned to the dustbin of history. Thus, rather than being lasting and self-sustaining, the autocratisation of democracy is both a cause and a manifestation of insecurity, fear of losing control, and potential retribution for wrongdoings. In other words, authoritarian power reflects the hidden insecurities of vested interests, ill-gotten resources, and fear of retribution for past transgressions. Like dogs or snakes that strike when threatened, authoritarian power escalates aggression toward its people as its insecurities deepen. These insecurities drive further aggression and unlawful acts, ultimately leading the regime to collapse under the burden of its errors, delusions and misdeeds.
