The Simplification Game

Julian Assange has recently been taken into custody by the British government, after his asylum in the Ecuador embassy has been revoked. While the public may be divided on whether Assange should face extradition, there is one thing that should be noted. Extradition can be abused. Like most of the government's capabilities, it can be utilised as a political tool, whether it is to achieve internal political aims or to fulfil international diplomacy goals. With that in mind, there have been times that the British government has not extradited people, even when it seems obvious that they should. Well, why do government's extradite? Nobody is above the law Many British MPs were quick, with the prime minister to be no exception, to stand by the narrative that nobody is above the law. The context is that Assange currently faces allegations of sexual assault while he was in Sweden. He should face the the Swedish authorities and undergo the proper investigation process. He shou...

What is the Wealth Effect? The Wealth Effect, the term used by Jeffrey Chwieroth and Andrew Walter in their book about this topic, is an argument that seeks to justify the growing involvement of the government in the regulation and maintenance of the economy. Thorough research into the facts has shown that there was a correlation between the growing wealth of the middle class and the increasing responsibility to intervene in the economy that the government has found itself to bear. According to the authors (Chwieroth and Walter) there has been evidence that shows how governments have been given this burden over time. One of these proofs was the tone of reporting on economic action that has evolved over time. In 1873, the New York Times (note: liberal) argued that there was no necessity for the government to protect depositors in banks, should anything happen to harm their state of savings. Yet in 1984, it applauded the nationalisation of the Continental Illinois Bank. What seeme...