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	<title>Future Atlas</title>
	<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog</link>
	<description>The geography of the future</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:59:40 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>China Rises in Science</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Washington Post covered China&#8217;s rising scientific prowess today, revealing both impressive gains and some weak spots.
China is steadily accumulating bragging points:

China has the world&#8217;s second-fastest supercomputer.
China has gone from 14th place in 1995 in publications in scientific and technical journals to 2nd now, behind the US.
A Chinese institute made the largest-ever purchase of high-tech [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/06/30/china-rises-in-science/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Confucianism as Chinese Soft Power</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Washington Post reports that Confucianism is enjoying a revival in China, propelled both by state promotion and popular enthusiasm.
The Party, Andrew Higgins suggests, sees the philosophy as a counter to Westernization, but it is not without danger to existing power structures, as it requires rulers to be virtuous and benevolent.  Still, Confucianism could [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/21/confucianism-as-chinese-soft-power/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Iron Man and Real Battle Suits</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The powered armored battlesuit is a staple of science fiction, and is getting increasing attention from real militaries. They are the future of warfare in Friedman&#8217;s The Next 100 Years.  But how close are they to reality?  The science fiction site Io9 has broken down the capabilities of the battlesuit in &#8220;Iron Man,&#8221; [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/05/08/iron-man-and-real-battle-suits/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Has the EU Made Itself Too Diverse?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Modern Western European societies have had the advantage of social cohesion, cultivated on the basis of relative linguistic, ethnic, and racial homogeneity, and they made that social cohesion self-reinforcing, by pursuing egalitarian economics that ironed out class differences.
As the Greek economic crisis unfolds, it becomes clear that, by forming the European Union, Europeans may have [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/04/30/has-the-eu-made-itself-too-diverse/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Is US Stability at Risk?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The AP reported last week that some &#8220;Tea Party&#8221; leaders and Oklahoma legislators are discussing forming a militia to defend against encroachment by the federal government.
There are other indicators that extremism is finding new purchase.
In February, a man used his light plane to launch a terrorist suicide attack on a government office in Austin, Texas. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/04/19/is-us-stability-at-risk/</link>
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		<title>The Debate over Bombing Iran</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Economist held a debate earlier this week about taking military action against Iran&#8217;s nuclear program.
In favor of military action was General Chuck F. Wald, a director at Deloitte.  Dr. Emily Landau, a senior research associate at Israel&#8217;s Institute for National Security Studies, opposed the option.
For military action
General Wald offered these forecasts:

&#8220;There remain levers, [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/13/the-debate-over-bombing-iran/</link>
			</item>
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		<title>Killer Micro Drones</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Wired reports that the Air Force is developing tiny, armed drones.
The articles quotes a military document reporting the development of &#8220;a Micro-Air Vehicle (MAV) with innovative seeker/tracking sensor algorithms that can engage maneuvering high-value targets.”  Such a system could allow precision and stealth, with small charges replacing relatively indiscriminate munitions such as the Hellfire [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/09/killer-micro-drones/</link>
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		<title>Bruce Sterling&#8217;s State of the World</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Author Bruce Sterling offered his &#8220;State of the World 2010&#8221; on The Well this week.  A few excerpts follow.
As a result of &#8220;an emergent, market-driven global financial system that was all about a faith-based market fundamentalism,&#8221; he says, 
we&#8217;ve ended up with our current &#8220;It&#8217;s a Wonderful Life&#8221; Pottersville, where Rupert Murdoch plays our [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/07/bruce-sterlings-state-of-the-world/</link>
			</item>
	<item>
		<title>Beyond Af-Pak and Yem-Som</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Yemen has now joined the list of prominent theaters in the battle against Islamist extremism.  This is no surprise to anyone who had noted its place in governance rankings.
Where next?  Here&#8217;s the basic list: the 20 least-stable countries in the world, with those in play in that battle in red, and others with [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2010/01/06/beyond-af-pak-and-yem-som/</link>
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		<title>World in 2010: Climate Change and Energy</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The environment was prominent on the program of The Economist&#8217;s World in 2010 conference this week.  Some particularly interesting points:
Joe Lockhart, Founding Partner and Managing Director, The Glover Park Group:

The rest of world is going ahead on climate change. If the United States steps away from leading on climate change again, it will continue [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.futureatlas.com/blog/index.php/2009/12/09/world-in-2010-climate-change-and-energy/</link>
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