Research
- +10
Rosa Balfour, Frances Z. Brown, Yasmine Farouk, …
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Metaphors Against Social Ills
Although declaring war on social problems has become popular among politicians, these metaphors rarely translate into better results and can frequently lead politicians to cling to failing policies.
By Moisés Naím
Published on Mar 14, 2011
Source: TVO
“Declaring war” on social problems such as drugs and poverty has become popular among politicians. Speaking on TVO's The Agenda, Carnegie's Moisés Naím argued that while declaring war may be appealing to politicians, and criticizing or defunding these "wars" can be attacked as unpatriotic, the metaphor rarely translates into better results. These “wars” often have no clear markers of victory, and those that declare them get “boxed into absolutist policies in which compromise is impossible,” said Naím.
About the Author
Moisés Naím
Distinguished Fellow
Moisés Naím is a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a best-selling author, and an internationally syndicated columnist.
- The World Reacts to Biden’s First 100 Days
- View From Latin AmericaCommentary
Moisés Naím
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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