United States
Dave Levin is a New York based commentator and columnist for CNBC Africa where he writes about business, U.S. politics, Africa and foreign affairs. Unafraid to say what others won’t, Levin's sharp, no-holds barred articles have additionally appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Townhall.com, Forbes Africa and South Africa’s Business Day Live among others.
Maybe it's me, but U.S. politics, and the Democrats in particular, are starting to remind me of an episode of South Park. With an ensemble of panic-stricken, ageing politicos facing off against young, socialist insurgents with man-buns, it makes for hours of riveting binge-watching.
Right now, socialism is all the rage in America. Bernie Sanders is surging in the polls and packing in throngs of young fanatics at his rallies like they were going to a free Beyonce concert.
By David S. Levin, writer from New York Right now, socialism is all the rage in America. Bernie Sanders is surging in the polls and packing in throngs of young fanatics at his rallies like they were going to a free Beyonce concert.
By David S. Levin, writer from New York All of these new, high-tech gadgets out there are making me a little uneasy lately. People walk around forever plugged into their iPhones looking like vacant cyborgs from one of those futuristic science fiction movies.
By David S. Levin, writer from New York For what it's worth, I'm not an alarmist. I write what I see in an attempt to make sense of the bedlam swirling all around us. But frankly, a lot of what's happening lately is actually pretty damn alarming.
By David S. Levin, writer from New York It's hardly a secret that many Republicans across the United States hold Donald Trump directly responsible for the creeping demise of their once grand political party. The party of Lincoln, Reagan and Teddy Roosevelt. A proud party with a long, conservative lineage and history.
I love baseball. I've been watching since 1964, when I was seven years old. It's in my blood as it is for many of my generation. It's uniquely American. Just like mom and apple pie. And July 4 th and fireworks.
By David S. Levin, micro-blogging on all things Africa from New York In January, I wrote an article about what I thought Donald Trump's policies toward Africa might look like once he took office. I based my theories, in part, on the frequency that he mentioned Africa - or any of its countries assuming he could even name one - during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Sorry, but somebody had to say it. "Africa Rising" was a good thing while it lasted. Great slogan. Short and punchy. Five syllables. Great PR value. And the media was using it in nearly every story they wrote about Africa. Actually, they invented it. It was all things Africa.
We're at the dawning of a new era and it's flickering right up there on the giant movie screen like a new blockbuster hit - and you're in it. Actually, so are all of the other 7.4 billion people on earth.
Dear President Trump, I realize it's been quite a while since we last spoke but I really need to talk to you about something important. You're obviously kind of busy with the new job and the move down to DC, so let me just get right to it.
On November 8 th, to everyone's surprise, American voters - and perhaps to a lesser extent, Vladimir Putin - gave Donald Trump the keys to the Kingdom. As Trump prepares to assume the throne on January 20th, he'll have a full plate of foreign policy challenges awaiting him on day one.
The Democrats are having a major branding problem these days. Ever since they were blindsided by Donald Trump and lost the White House, they've been flapping around violently like freshly-caught fish on the dock, trying to figure out who's to blame for their near terminal state.
The political centre has dissipated, Americans are polarised and neither of the main candidates is well liked
By David Levin There are approximately 4.5 billion people worldwide between the ages of 15 and 64 years old. If each of them had just 5 fewer opinions, that would add up to roughly 22 billion fewer opinions or, looked at differently, 22 billion fewer opportunities for disagreement.
Our two-party system had proved pretty durable until recently. Both political brands performed as intended. If you were a Democrat, you believed in certain core values: Big government programs for the poor and middle class, higher taxes on the rich, the environment and global warming, civil rights, abortion rights, gender rights, gay marriage, and so on.
This past Saturday night, there was yet another heinous Islamic terror attack in London. As I was walking my dogs the next morning, I passed the newspaper stand on my corner and noticed the New York Post. The headline read: AGAIN!!!
Theories about Donald Trump's colluding with the Russians in the 2016 election are as plentiful as the 128,824,224 people that voted in it. We'll find out who's right and wrong soon enough, though.But guilty or innocent, there's a big, bad, murderous herd out there that wants to stomp him straight into the ground.
That is worrisome because his election has changed the way the game is played. And once his term in office is over, America will bare its new, no doubt angrier, political soul. And if you think it's foul and acrimonious today, wait until you see what's coming.
When Donald Trump took office back in January he was like a rookie quarterback starting his first game in the National Football League. He knew it would be tough, but not like this. He's getting flattened on nearly every play.
The good vibes only last so long, especially when the results do not match the hype. And after that happens, people stop believing, writes David S Levin
You've probably heard the old adage "be careful what you ask for because you just may get it..." Well, we got it. But I'm not saying what you think I am. There's no shortage of opinions already out there regarding the kind of president Donald Trump is and how he will ultimately be judged in the end.
I love baseball. I've been watching since 1964, when I was seven years old. It's in my blood as it is for many of my generation. It's uniquely American. Just like mom and apple pie. And July 4th and fireworks.
Its certainly a brave new world were living in these days. Back in 2016, Donald Trump set off a barge-full of booming red, white and blue fireworks all over the country and won the White House to everyones surprise. .05/05/2017 22:02:12PM EST.
By David S. Levin I went to one of those Halloween stores in my neighborhood the other day that sells all kinds of costumes, character masks, fake blood and ghoulish, green make-up among other things. They've got it all - from Disney princesses and mermaids to Superman, racy cocktail waitresses, Frankenstein, Dracula, skeletons and Sponge Bob.
Welcome to 2016 in the Divided States of America. Who would have ever thought that Donald Trump would be elected president when all this first began back in March of last year? Well, at 2:32AM on November 9, 2016, hell officially froze over and America elected Donald Trump the 45th President of the United States.
By David Levin I have always loved a really good magic trick. The kind that makes you think to yourself, "there's no way he did that..." A few years ago, I went to one of those over-the-top, magic shows in Las Vegas while I was on vacation.
I saw a beautiful, multi-coloured map the other day of the "Fifty Most Innovative Economies" in the World. It was really quite impressive. North America, Asia, Western Europe, Russia and Australia were all shaded in a dark, steely blue indicating they were among the world's top innovators.
A New York investor's view of Africa and other emerging economies. David Levin is a Partner at Nexus Capital Markets, a leading Pan-African/U.S. investment bank located in NY and Johannesburg. School's Out South Africa's university system is on fire. Literally. Student protests and riots are raging everywhere. Campus buildings are being set ablaze.
What most Americans know about Africa you can fit into a small shoe box. I mean the real Africa. Not the one we see on CNN or read about in the New York Times. That Africa is a largely negative one dominated by stories of poverty, terrorism, disease, hunger and corruption among other things.