In The News

Malay-Muslims Have a Role in Remaking Singapore

Lee Hsien Loong May 27, 2003
In the contemporary moment, no country is immune from the possibility of religious and sectarian violence, and the threat of global terrorism. In this speech to a Malay-Muslim youth organization, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, emphasizes the importance of cultural and religious pluralism, and the critical role of Malay-Muslims in Singapore's continued growth and...

Remake Man

Tad Friend May 26, 2003
In a telling commentary that combines capitalism in Hollywood with the American Dream, a contributor to the New Yorker magazine, Tad Friend, takes the reader through the making of Roy Lee as the "remake king." Lee, a Korean-American, whose parents moved from South Korea to the United States in the late 1960s, has carved out a unique role for himself in Hollywood: It is one that...

The War on Terror Requires Subtler Weapons

Daniel Byman May 26, 2003
As the "war on terrorism" continues, the U.S. and its allies find it increasingly difficult to eradicate terrorist groups. With much of al-Qaeda's senior leadership still alive, and with new sites emerging as potential "training grounds" for terrorists in various corners of the world – Chechnya, Kashmir, the Chinese province of Xinjiang, Indonesia, etc. – it has become...

The Unseen War

Michael Massing May 19, 2003
In this article, veteran journalist Michael Massing expresses concern about the American media's coverage of the Iraq war. The Coalition Media Center in Baghdad was a very "uninformative" source for the media, as described by Massing, yet its official news briefings – which were usually very upbeat and pro-Coalition – seemed to be accepted as 'the final word' by most...

NGOs Must Fight Against Govt Attack

May 15, 2003
The Thai Government has come under criticism from local media for attempting to prevent collaboration between local non-government organizations (NGOs) and their international counter-parts. A series of exchanges between the central government and Thai bureaucrats indicate the government has made repeated attempts to undermine local NGOs, which it criticizes as being motivated by self-interest...

Korea’s New Wave

Suki Kim May 10, 2003
North Korea and South Korea have vastly different political systems and economies, and occupy distinct positions in world politics. Yet in recent years, people in North and South Korea seem to be share a growing resentment towards American involvement in Korean affairs. In spite of the apparent ‘Americanization’ of South Korea, most South Koreans believe that American involvement has impeded a...

Early Globalization and the Slave Trade

Robert Harms May 9, 2003
While many are aware of the "triangular" slave trade among Europe, Africa and the Americas in the 18th century, few people realize that Asian-European trade was also instrumental in sustaining the exchange of human slaves. For example, French ships carrying European goods to Asia returned with cowry shells and Indian textiles valued by West Africans. On the African coast, traders...