Reads of the Week: The 5G Race, the Green Economy, and African Free Trade

Each week, we’ll be featuring opinion pieces from the alumni and current participants of AF’s Writing Fellows Program. A few highlights from the past week are below. Do you dream of having bylines like these? Learn more about how the Writing Fellows can help boost your writing career!

America Cannot Afford to Lose the Race Against China to 5G by Satya Marar (Spring 2020) in the National Interest

The United States and other liberal democracies are falling behind authoritarian China in the global 5G race. And if a recent report from Boston Consulting Group is any indication, then it’ll be an expensive race to lose. Only expedient action by U.S. policymakers can remove barriers currently impeding our companies and innovators from repeating American success in the global 4G race.

The Boston Consulting Group’s report finds that the U.S. 5G economy will create 4.5 million jobs and contribute $1.5 trillion in GDP from 2020-30. It also warns that every six-month delay in network deployment means a potential average loss of $25 billion in economic benefits…

Biden should cut red tape to unleash the green economy by Quill Robinson (Spring 2020) in The Hill

At a ceremony in Pittsburgh tomorrow, President Biden will announce his sweeping $3 trillion plan to rebuild America’s aging infrastructure. The White House has said that the “Build Back Better” package will aim to revive American manufacturing, increase competitiveness with China and address the climate crisis. Yet, as Biden prepares to unveil his ambitious vision, he must realize that government bureaucracy is the biggest roadblock to green jobs and cleaner economy. 

Biden, with his deep ties to unions and blue collar communities, worked hard on the campaign trail to present rebuilding America’s infrastructure as an opportunity to create millions of good-paying jobs and combat climate change. At tomorrow’s speech, physical infrastructure projects, including investments in roads and bridges, as well grid modernization and clean energy, will take center stage. While Biden is optimistic that his infrastructure package can overcome Republican opposition in Congress, actually breaking ground on physical infrastructure projects will require navigating miles of red tape…

Africa Tries Free Trade by Alexander Hammond (Spring 2019) in the Reason

Economic nationalism has plagued Africa since decolonization. In 2021, that is set to change.

On January 1, the long-awaited African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) came into effect. Aside from the economic benefits that the arrangement will bring to the continent, Africa’s newfound support for free trade and liberalization marks a clear rejection of the socialist ideology that has tormented African politics for decades…