In The News

Ben Sisario November 29, 2007
China, with 1.3 billion people and rapidly growing wealth, is an irresistible market for many industries, and rock 'n’ roll is no different. The Internet has flooded China with Western tunes, building an appetite for rappers like Talib Kweli and mainstream bands including Linkin Park. While the musicians appreciate the opportunity to play to rapt crowds and experience culture shock, the...
Moisés Naím November 26, 2007
China is intent on using the 2008 Olympics as a stage to display the strength of its culture, organized political system and rising economic power. Activists on a range of issues, particularly human rights, are equally earnest, planning to use the Olympics as a platform for exposing flaws of China’s one-party authoritarian regime. State-of-the-art technology common among tourists – including cell...
Jürgen Kremb November 12, 2007
The recent pro-democracy protests in Myanmar’s major cities overshadow the ongoing civil war raging near the border. Forcible conscription and the devastation of war have prompted an influx of refugees into neighboring Thailand. These illegal immigrants face formidable challenges, including corrupt police, unemployment and organized crime. Because of their illegal status, they cannot secure work...
Branko Milanovic November 2, 2007
Corrupt states thrive on producing goods and services that are illegal but increasingly profitable in the global world. Due to low costs of transportation, more illegal goods enter middle-class markets. Once criminal groups start controlling an economy, they throw their support behind corrupt politicians in government, complicating the work of local activists or international organizations that...
Dan McDougall October 31, 2007
Western consumers enjoy inexpensive, yet intricate fashions – and don’t pay close attention who might be supplying the bargains. Reputable firms promise to monitor workplaces for any hint of abuse, yet children as young as 10 leave their homes and toil long hours in Indian sweatshops, sewing clothes for popular chains like the Gap. The children receive no pay other than the quick fee that goes to...
Elaine Sciolino October 17, 2007
With Swiss elections on the horizon, the campaign of the country’s strongest party, the Swiss People’s Party, or SVP, has turned alarmingly xenophobic. The SVP campaign has featured posters, films and speeches attesting to its staunch stance against the immigrant population. SVP offers a vision of foreigners as the “hell” that invades “heavenly” Switzerland, and the party supports the deportation...
Saw Yan Naing October 10, 2007
Demonstrations against the government ruling Burma, renamed Myanmar, have evolved to include protests against China, for keeping the military junta in power. A drive-by shooting targeted the Chinese consulate in Mandalay, and local observers suggest that the event reveals rising hostility toward Beijing. Since violent riots between Burmese and Chinese residents of Rangoon 40 years ago, the...