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William L. Silber

William L. Silber

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William L. Silber, a former professor of finance and economics at New York University’s Stern School of Business, is the author of The Power of Nothing to Lose: The Hail Mary Effect in Politics, War, and Business (William Morrow, 2021).

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  1. Trump and the Risk of a US Debt Default
    silber3_William Thomas CainGetty Images_trumpplazahotel William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

    Trump and the Risk of a US Debt Default

    Apr 23, 2024 William L. Silber thinks the former president would be even more reckless if awarded another term this year.

  2. The Danger of “Nothing to Lose”
    silber2_Nasser IshtayehSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images_israel and palestine Nasser IshtayehSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images

    The Danger of “Nothing to Lose”

    Aug 26, 2021 William L. Silber warns of what can happen when a military or political adversary runs out of both options and hope.

  3. America First, Fallout Later
    op_silber1_Bettmann-Getty-Images_political-cartoon1 Bettmann/Getty Images

    America First, Fallout Later

    Feb 22, 2019 William L. Silber sees eerie parallels between the Trump era and one of the darker episodes of the 1930s New Deal.

  4. Will the Euro Dethrone the Dollar?

    Will the Euro Dethrone the Dollar?

    Jul 2, 2007 William L. Silber

  1. strain27_Philipp von Ditfurthpicture alliance via Getty Images_AIeducation Philipp von Ditfurth/picture alliance via Getty Images

    What the AI Pessimists Are Missing

    Michael R. Strain points out that the technology will help to address many of the risks it creates.
  2. ito37_Spencer PlattGetty Images_columbiaprotests Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The Innocent Bystanders of College Protests

    Takatoshi Ito laments that a radical minority can disrupt the lives of so many in the broader university community.
  3. lacamera1_Wang DongzhenXinhua via Getty Images_COP28 Wang Dongzhen/Xinhua via Getty Images

    Only Public-Private Cooperation Can Accelerate Decarbonization

    Francesco La Camera & Bruce Douglas explain how to translate political commitments into actual wind turbines and solar panels.
  4. haass167_ANATOLII STEPANOVAFP via Getty Images_ukrainesoldiers Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images

    Defining Success in Ukraine

    Richard Haass

    Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Adviser, has expressed the view that 2025 could be the time for Ukraine to once again mount a counter-offensive against Russian troops. Given the strategic math, that would be a serious mistake.

    calls for a shift to a defensive posture and efforts to bring about a long-term ceasefire.
  5. aslund75_Pierre CromGetty Images_ukraineconflict Pierre Crom/Getty Images

    A Unified Western Strategy for Ukraine

    Anders Åslund proposes a maximalist approach to military aid to replace the current piecemeal injections of old weapons.
  6. khrushcheva180_ContributorGetty Images_shoiguputin Contributor/Getty Images

    Russia’s Battle of the Ministries

    Nina L. Khrushcheva sees a high-ranking official's recent arrest as a sign of declining confidence in Vladimir Putin's leadership.
  7. ghosh77_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_ajaybanga Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

    The “Billions to Trillions” Charade

    Jayati Ghosh

    Multilateral development banks and international financial institutions argue that mobilizing private investment is crucial to meeting developing economies’ needs for climate and development finance. But boosting government revenues is far more likely to generate the trillions of dollars needed to close these financing gaps.

    explains why using development banks' resources to incentivize private-sector finance is unlikely to succeed.
  8. aljasser1_SEYLLOUAFP via Getty Images_dakarairport Seyllou/AFP via Getty Images

    Leveraging Islamic Finance for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure

    Muhammad Al Jasser shows how a hybrid financing model could help fund desperately needed projects in the developing world.
  9. GettyImages-1357300450

    Adekeye Adebajo on the Non-Aligned Movement, United Nations peacekeeping, African institution-building, and more

    Adekeye Adebajo argues that Israel’s war in Gaza is accelerating the trend toward global apartheid, highlights the strengths and weaknesses of United Nations peacekeeping missions, criticizes the militarization of US engagement with Africa, and more.

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