Notations On Our World (Special M-End Edition): On Making A Difference

As we await a new month and go dark for the Labor Day Week-End here in the United States, we decided to feature this courtesy of the Economist to provide a snapshot of the challenging times in our World as we look forward to the continued journey of service.

We wish all in the United States a Happy and joyful Labor Day Week-End as it is officially the End of Summer: 

The Economist this week Highlights from the latest issue

This week we have two connected covers. In Britain, where Boris Johnson has announced that he will suspend Parliament for five weeks from mid-September, we ask who can now stop a no-deal Brexit. The sense of inevitability about no-deal, cultivated by the hardliners advising Mr Johnson, is bogus. The European Union is against such an outcome; most Britons oppose it; Parliament has already voted against the idea. When MPs return to work next week, they will have a fleeting chance to avert an unwanted national calamity. Mr Johnson’s muzzling of Parliament has made clear why they must seize it. Mr Johnson’s ploy is legal, but it stretches the conventions of Britain’s constitution to their limits. His scheming is just one example of the cynicism that is gnawing at Western democracies—and which is the focus of our cover in the rest of the world. Democracies are generally thought to die at the barrel of a gun, in coups and revolutions. These days, however, they are more likely to be strangled slowly in the name of the people. Old-established polities, such as Britain and America, are not about to become one-party states, but their democracy is already showing signs of decay. Once the rot sets in, it is formidably hard to stop.  Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s picks Must-reads from the current edition Pharmaceuticals Opioids Inc in the dock Companies accused of fuelling America’s opioid crisis face a legal reckoning Business India’s economy Meagre fare Narendra Modi’s government is scrambling to spice up growth Finance and economics Israel v Iran The plots thicken New fronts open up in a festering conflict, as Israel braces for an attack Middle East and Africa Chaguan Getting a grip How China might bring Hong Kong to heel without sending troops from the mainland China Banyan Wars without end A Chinese development scheme adds an extra dimension to long-running conflicts Asia Horticulture Growing brighter New ways to make vertical farming stack up Science and technology Bird life in New Zealand Cheep dates Efforts to conserve the kakapo, a pudgy parrot, are at last being rewarded Asia The world this week Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party and the populist Five Star Movement reached an agreement to form a new coalition government that would see Giuseppe Conte remain prime minister. Mr Conte recently quit his job after Matteo Salvini, the hard-right leader of the Northern League, withdrew his support from the government. The deal keeps Mr Salvini out of power. He had served as interior minister, overseeing a crackdown on migrants. More from politics this week The latest escalation of the trade war saw China announcing new tariffs on $75bn-worth of American goods from September 1st. Donald Trump responded by announcing a five-percentage-point increase on existing and planned tariffs on Chinese exports. More from business this week See full edition The world ahead Your guide to the future If Egypt collapses Pyramid scheme What might cause the country to collapse, and what would the consequences be if it did? From Economist Films Film What does a cashless future mean? Many countries are going cashless at great speed. What are the advantages of ditching hard cash and what are the dangers?