Russia and Cuba: “doomed” comrades?

In 1991 Vitaly Churkin, a Soviet Minister for Foreign Economic Cooperation, stated that economic links between Russia and Cuba were “doomed” to continue. This gave a very negative impression of the relationship, but quickly he appeared to be incorrect because by the end of 1992 little seemed to remain of the 30-year relationship. However, as the 1990s progressed, the relationship continued to function and then improve. Fundamental to this were the principles of the realist paradigm of International Relations, which has been vital since the relationship’s inception in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution, in conjunction with a long-term legacy. The outcome is that Russia and Cuba are indeed “doomed” comrades.     

PUBLIC POLICY NETWORKS AND ‘WICKED PROBLEMS’: A NASCENT SOLUTION?

The last two decades have seen a shift in public services organizations from hierarchies to networks. Network forms are seen as particularly suited to handling ‘wicked problems'. We make an assessment of the nature and impact of this shift. Using recent evidence from the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS), we explore the nature and functioning of eight different public policy networks. We are also interested in whether there has been a radical transition – or not – from hierarchical to network forms.     

‘What Counts is What Works’? Constructing Evaluations Of Market Mechanisms

This paper draws on a study of the introduction of market testing in the UK civil service to explore ways in which managers involved in the implementation of the new policy constructed evaluations of its impact. It is structured around three arguments. The first concerns the problems of evaluating 'what works' in the multi-stakeholder, multi-goal context of public management. The research highlights a range of overlapping and sometimes conflicting evaluation criteria across different organizational and occupational groupings. The second argument explores the difficulties of evaluation in the context of shifting policy objectives and the dynamic nature of institutional change. The research shows how the practitioners involved shaped and reshaped their construction of events over time as unanticipated benefits and disbenefits became evident. It also suggests ways in which they responded to the changing policy context, constructing new rules and norms of action over time. The third argument concerns the different levels of analysis underpinning managers' constructions of 'efficiency' and 'effectiveness', and how these constructions were deployed as strategies of legitimation in shaping the process of institutional change.     

牧童遥指×××

这个时代造了一个新词，叫做城中村。官方资料说，这里城市化进程相对滞后，人口密度大，外来人员集中，违法建设、违章建筑和私搭乱建严重，市政基础设施匮乏，房屋破旧，环境脏乱，社会管理混乱，公共安全隐患多，已成为困扰城市化进程的“痼疾”。     

O·J·辛普森获罪

由上级工会向基层工会委派法律顾问，把工会法律援助由被动咨询变为主动参与，事后救助变为事前控制，使职工法律援助真正地融入到劳动关系协调的全过程。9月26日，这一全国首创的新举措在四川省泸州市启动。     

百姓·洋人·官

小时候，每当得到了一样只能由一人享受的好东西而我们是两个人时，就要做个小游戏来决定谁是幸运者。如你所知，这种把戏叫做“石头、剪子、布”，这三种东西循环相克，你出其中某一样，正好被别人克住，就失败了。这种游戏有个古老的名称，叫做“百姓、洋人、官”，我相信这名称是清末民初流传下来的，当时洋人怕中国的老百姓，中国的官又怕洋人。     

楚楚·翘楚·拙荆

“荆”和“楚”是同一种灌木的不同名称。这“异名同实”的二者，也有细微的区别，就是——“荆”是这种灌木的雌株，“楚”是这种灌木的雄株。春秋战国时期，地处南方的楚国旧称“荆国”，中原地区的国家有时称其为“楚”或“荆”，或称之为“荆楚”“楚荆”，或蔑称之为“荆蛮”。这也证明了“荆”“楚”二者的异名同实。     

为民·务实·清廉

春节前，中央纪律检查委员会召开第三次全体会议，胡锦涛同志在会上发表了重要讲话，全会要求全党同志紧密联系加强和改进党和国家的各项工作，大兴求真务实之风。     

新招·高招·实招

前不久，北京市工会十一大胜利闭幕。这次大会，认真总结了市工会十大以来首都工人运动和工会工作的基本经验，研究确定了今后五年工会工作的指导思想和目标任务，选举产生了新一届市总工会领导机构。大会指出，要以与时俱进、求真务实的精神，开创工会工作的新局面，团结动员全市职工为实现“新北京、新奥运”的各项目标而努力奋斗。     

维护·关爱·贴近

在我们生活的这个城市里。处处留有外来务工人员的身影、足迹。他们为首都的发展、建设做出了贡献。同样。首都的各行各业也在用不同的方式、形式维护着他们的权益、关爱着他们的生活……     

砒霜·水银·鸩酒

砒霜、水银、鸩酒是《水浒》中写到的三种毒药。分别写在书中的第二十五回“王婆计啜西门庆，淫妇药鸩武大郎”及第一百二十回“宋公明神聚蓼儿洼，徽宗帝梦游梁山泊”中。     

房地产·粉丝·鱼翅

那些喜欢并且得益于高房价的人，只看到了房地产可以被变成鱼翅的一面，却忽视更多的人需要粉丝的实情，只看到了鱼翅可以卖高价的表面现象，却忽视了鱼翅是剥夺别人享用粉丝的权利而后获得的事实本质。企图把房地产变成远离大众的鱼翅就可以肆意提高房价，或者愚弄百姓逆来顺受，是竭力掩盖事实真相之举，绝非科学发现的灵光闪现。     

创造力·凝聚力·战斗力

新中国成55周年了，在这个伟大的节日到来之际，我们向工作在不同岗位上的广大职工群众、工会工作者，致以最亲切的问候!     

重视·关怀·爱护

国庆期间，中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席胡锦涛同志，专程来到北京市，亲切看望了广大基层干部。他强调，广大基层干部是党和国家的宝贵财富，各级党委和政府都要从提高党的执政能力、巩固党的执政地位、实现党的执政使命的战略高度，真正重视、真情关怀、真心爱护广大基层干部，满腔热忱地支持和帮助基层干部做好工作。     

状元·驸马状元·女状元

状元是中国科举制度诸多名词中最光彩、最炫耀的一个。是创始于唐代，完备于宋代，延续至元、明、清，长达一千三百年历史。进士第一名为之状元。     

武则天：身世·男宠·无字碑

武则天的身世，长期以来是一个谜。陈寅恪先生在《李唐武周先世事迹杂考》中已指出武则天之父武士“其起家之始末皆不能详”，又在《武望与佛教》中指出武则天之母杨氏是“隋宗室观王雄弟始安侯达之女”。     

No man’s land? A comparative analysis of the EU and Russia’s influence in the Southern Caucasus

The article investigates, through a comparative analysis, the different mechanisms of influence that the EU and Russia are projecting in their shared neighborhood in shaping domestic politics. It focuses on the economic and energy sectors in order to analyze two relevant policies for contrasting EU and Russia’s influence in the case of the Southern Caucasus. Contrary to commonly held opinions, Russian influence is receding in both areas and is a dominant external actor only in Armenia. In contrast, the EU is slowly increasing its presence in the economic area and has become a key player in the energy sector.