In The News

'Offshoring' Has Its Trade-Offs

Steven Pearlstein February 11, 2004
The offshoring of US jobs is becoming a hot topic in political and economic debates. Earlier this week, President Bush's top economic advisor, Greg Mankiw, weighed in on the controversy by claiming that the offshoring of service jobs - like software design - to India and other countries can only make US businesses stronger. But that's not necessarily the case, says Steven Pearlstein...

Democrat Hopefuls, Lawmakers Denounce Outsourcing

February 7, 2004
The outsourcing of high-tech jobs to the developing world has become a potent issue in U.S. electoral politics. As job growth remains stagnant, politicians are turning on corporations that outsource to save money and evade American taxes. John Kerry, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination, has criticized CEOs who move “profits and jobs overseas”. US politicians from both...

At Least 7 Nations Tied To Pakistani Nuclear Ring

Peter Slevin February 7, 2004
US and Pakistani intelligence officials recently denounced the founder of Pakistan's nuclear program Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan for illegally trading nuclear technology to other nations. After Dr. Khan's confession, officials now find themselves confronted with the terrible realizations this new information. Dr. Khan's network to sell nuclear materials seems to have extended to, at...

Khan, Scapegoat or Magician Extraordinary?

Ayaz Amir February 5, 2004
Dr. A. Q. Khan, the 'father' of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, publicly admitted that he traded weapons secrets to multiple nations in "good faith". President Musharraf immediately pardoned Khan, who is considered a national hero. By staging a neat ending to Pakistan's nuclear weapons problem, author Ayaz Amir argues that the government hopes America and other...

Cost Differentials and Labour Flexibility Mean Opportunity for Outsourcing

Edward Alden January 28, 2004
Although the US Senate just passed an amendment to prevent the outsourcing of government work to foreign countries, private-sector business in the US won't be following suit. According to this Financial Times article, sending more blue-collar and white-collar work to India and elsewhere is a smart business play for companies in the US, the UK, and other countries with relatively high labor...

Thai PM Risks Losing Populist Touch

Tim Luard January 28, 2004
Thailand's prime minister may be the next victim of the avian bird flu - politically speaking, at least. After denying the disease was a problem for weeks, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra was forced to change his tune when it became apparent that thousands of small chicken growers - part of his political base - were going to lose livestock and perhaps even their own lives. Thaksin has proven his...

Foreign Makes Top Brands List

Choosak Jirasakulthai January 27, 2004
Thais prefer foreign brands to domestic ones, a recent survey shows. Japan's manufacturers appear to be the most favored with Toyota, Mitsubishi, and Sanyo all receiving top marks. But Korea's LG, Taiwan's Acer, and Finland's Nokia also performed well. Thais did well in real estate, but that is to be expected, as national law prevents foreign ownership. While Japan still seems...