In The News

The Omnipresent Craft: Graft

Nayan Chanda February 4, 2014
The “opening up of a country to trade and investment has created opportunities for bribery and corruption on a scale greater than at any other time in the past,” writes Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal’s editor, in his column for Businessworld. But the internet rallies citizens to protest corruption, too. Corruption in politics or business – including bribes and kickbacks, abuse of power, nepotism,...

The Specter of Mass Killings in Burma

Larry Diamond February 3, 2014
Myanmar, or Burma’s struggle to build a democracy is visible in many spheres of life including many problematic provisions in the new constitution: “These give the military a quarter of the seats in parliament (and thus a veto over constitutional reform) … and complete immunity from civilian oversight,” writes Larry Diamond for the Atlantic. “They also continue to deny Burma’s minorities (...

“Snowden Effect” Threatens US Tech Industry's Global Ambitions

Gerry Smith January 28, 2014
Claims by a former US National Security Agency contract worker that multinational companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft cooperate in handing over user data has reduced global trust in the US tech industry. Equally alarming are Edward Snowden’s claims that the US engages in industrial espionage. “The impact of the Snowden leaks could threaten the future architecture of the modern Internet...

Venezuela's President Blames Soap Operas for Crime

Fabiola Sanchez January 28, 2014
Once the United States ended its love affair with late afternoon soap operas, a result of women joining the workforce and television turning to talk shows, South America filled the void with telenovelas. Some creators and analysts credit the popular long running storylines with reducing birthrates, increasing awareness of women’s rights and reflecting society’s increasing violence. Venezuelan...

A Torrent of Hyperbole

Nayan Chanda December 23, 2013
Those arrested or detained in the United States, women and men of all ages, charged with small crimes or large, are routinely searched for their own protection and the protection of others held. Two contrasting stories have emerged about treatment of domestic help by an Indian diplomat charged with lying on a visa application. Politics and media as entertainment have combined to elicit extreme...

Canadian Pizza Eateries in Bind as Cheese-Import Loophole Closes

Barrie McKenna December 19, 2013
Trade barriers protect industries only briefly. Canada has a 200-plus percent tariff on imported cheeses, designed to protect its diary industry. Restaurants took advantage of a loophole to purchase special cheese-and-pepperoni kits from the United States, but the government revised rules; packages with fresh cheese now include the tariff. “Restaurants have long chafed at special Canadian rules...

Delhi Should Avoid Lasting Damages to India-US Ties

Rajesh Rajagopalan December 18, 2013
A junior diplomat stationed in New York City was charged by US marshals for underpaying a maid. Standard procedure for such detainees includes a strip search, and India is furious. The United States responds that junior diplomats do not have immunity; Indian leaders contend that the arrest could have been handled more sensitively. The United States and India should not allow the incident to ruin...