In The News

Is Brand America in Trouble?

Paul Maidment September 26, 2005
While US brands like Marlboro and Disney remain popular all over the world, the popularity of America itself is diminishing, stoked by grievances that far surpass the war in Iraq. Echoing pop star Bono's impression of "a brick through the storefront of Brand America," reporter Paul Maidment argues that there is a new, more active tone of counter-Americanism, and that it is "...

The Railway Across the Roof of the World

Jonathan Watts September 21, 2005
They said it couldn't be done. The miles-high terrain of the Kunlun Range seemed no place for a railroad, yet the Chinese government forged ahead with plans for a route to the furthest reaches of Tibet. The 48-hour journey from Golmud to Lhasa, along the soon-to-be completed rail line, represents an opportunity for growth as well as a potentially dangerous expansion of China's...

Murdoch Says News Corp. Has Hit a "Brick Wall" in China

Ron Rhodes September 20, 2005
Media tycoons have long salivated over China's huge market potential. But a government investigation into Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. underscores the challenges of operating a media business in China. "A year ago I would have said there's a lot of opening up going on," Murdoch said. "The present trend is the reverse," he continued, referring to the government...

Our House of Cards

Andrew Leonard September 16, 2005
Most critics of globalization point to the suffering of workers, the ordeals of displacement, or the brutality of poverty that it causes. Others, like Barry Lynn, former editor of Global Business, shirk such conventional leftist rhetoric. In his book, "End of the Line: The Rise and Coming Fall of the Global Corporation," Lynn sketches the demise of the prevailing economic order in its...

A Pocket-Sized Famine Fighter

Esha Bhandari September 14, 2005
Last year, reports of an impending famine in Niger did little to rouse action within the global giving community. Though thousands have died from the predicted food shortage, many thousands have been saved, thanks to the work of one woman's company. Until recently, Fatchima Cissé ran a small nutritional food company in her native Niger, selling to relief agencies at no profit. With help from...

Ford Looks Abroad for Half of Parts

Daniel Howes September 14, 2005
When auto executive Mark Fields takes his position at the head of Ford's North and South American operations next month, he will face losses of US$1 billion per quarter and corporate debt rated "junk." To spur the company's recovery, industry analysts have revealed that Ford will double the number of parts that it outsources to low-cost countries. According to Detroit News...

India's Mini-Multinationals Make Waves in Western Markets

Anand Giridharadas September 2, 2005
As India gains economic strength, its entrepreneurs are acquiring increasing numbers of overseas companies. In the first eight months this year, Indian companies paid US$1.7 billion for 62 foreign businesses, including a German metal forge, a South Korean truck maker, and a British tea company. The Indian as global owner marks a clear reversal for a country with vivid memories of its own...