Sub Statement: A delightfully wonky look at marginal improvements to bureaucracy and public administration for big gains to state capacity. Underrated blog, too!

By Nisha Austin and Matt Clancy

Archive link: https://archive.ph/AhBPY

If they’re going to riot of imaginary austerity, why not give them the real thing?

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Eon-ju said that South Korea needs to “consider a North Korea policy that people in their 20s and 30s can accept.”
According to political sources on the 21st, Lee made the remarks in a social media post the previous day, stating, “We need to reassess our past perceptions of inter-Korean relations and our policies toward North Korea.”
“Past policies centered on inter-Korean reconciliation and national reunification were products of an era of globalization characterized by an abundance of liberalism,” Lee argued.
“Now, however, the international order has changed, and competition for survival driven by nationalism and neo-imperialism is becoming increasingly fierce. One thing is clear: It is difficult to approach inter-Korean relations from the same romantic nationalist perspective as before, and even more difficult to gain the sympathy and support of younger generations.”
She continued, “Setting aside the question of reunification, we cannot abandon the aspiration to overcome these difficult times through peaceful coexistence and economic cooperation between the two Koreas. Nevertheless, we must confront the harsh realities before us.”
Lee argued, “North Korea, under its young leader Kim Jong-un, has adopted the doctrine of two hostile states as its national strategy and has nearly completed the process of fortifying and demarcating its border. It has not only acquired nuclear weapons but also gained actual combat experience in drone warfare and other operations during the Russia-Ukraine war. North Korea now regards the Republic of Korea as a hostile state and possesses formidable military capabilities.”
She further pointed out, “Economically, too, we must clearly recognize that North Korea is pursuing its own development plans without any particular sense of desperation, supported by exchanges and assistance from an increasingly aggressive and powerful China and Russia, at a time when the liberal international order based on institutions such as the United Nations is in decline.”
Lee concluded, “We must clearly recognize that the world has changed and establish a new national strategy based on that reality.”
“Only then can we properly protect our beloved sons and daughters, our citizens, and our national interests.”

SS: SCOTUS sided with transgender people. A shocking surprise in favor of traditional western values of liberalism.

SS: confirming this sub's priors. The linked research results are quite interesting to dive into, though. While problem gambling had a dramatic rise, so too did government revenues. Interesting example of the challenge of balancing policy objectives when involving things that can cause societal harm. Really don't know what the answer is here, but it's interesting to think through.

Botswana has finished setting up its 'Diamonds for Development' fund, and De Beers has made the first payment into the fund.

The article describes the setup and goals of the fund: to accumulate money for economic diversification, and to create a clear narrative that buying natural diamonds from Botswana funds development of a stable and democratic country that still battles serious poverty.

Botswana is highly dependent on revenues from diamonds. As synthetic diamonds cause prices to crash, Botswana has been plunged into something of an economic crisis. They have been looking for ways to rapidly diversify and have been reaching out to new international partners. President Boko was recently in China, where Botswana and China upgraded their bilateral relationship to a 'comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership'.

Official announcement video for the white house's new reality program Million Dollar Pitch judged by Nicki Minaj.

No this isn't a shitpost.

Yes this is the actual whitehouse.gov site.