Author Archives: Matthew Cordell

Please Stop Saying That

January 26, 2010 by Matthew Cordell

Frankly, I’m sick of hearing “it’s the economy, stupid,” both the medium and the message. Yes, it was a catchy Carville phrase 18 years ago, but, in the meantime, it’s lost its luster being uttered by every talking head and tucked into every blog post each time any elected official shows any sign of being politically confused. I get it. It’s no longer a fresh idea; it’s a crutch used to embody a stale philosophy when one’s got nothing new to say.

U.S. Politics | 2

IAEA Sends Much-Needed X-Ray Machines to Haiti

January 25, 2010 by Matthew Cordell

If that headline strikes you as surprising, you are not alone. I, for one, thought that the IAEA had enough on its plate acting as the world’s nuclear watchdog, but, it turns out, they also run a “Department of Technical Cooperation,” which fosters “the role of nuclear science and technology in sustainable development.” How cool?

Just a taste of some recent projects:

Security | Haiti | 1 Comment

Dominican Peacekeepers in Haiti

January 21, 2010 by Matthew Cordell

Security | Haiti | 1 Comment

Not Ban’s Katrina

January 20, 2010 by Matthew Cordell

Like Mark I’m excited that seasoned reporter Colum Lynch now has more room to stretch his legs on UN issues, but I hope that his reporting in this morning’s “Ban Ki-moon’s Katrina?” is off the mark.

Lynch writes:

Security | Haiti | 2

Living in an Earthquake Zone

January 19, 2010 by Matthew Cordell

I live in Guatemala, where we frequently experience “seismic activity,” which is to say that the earth ceases to be bedrock, the room shakes like it’s 3am, and those of us who have never lived in regions prone to such attacks start to understand what it’s like to fear the ground you walk on.