In The News

The Perils of Soft Power

Josef Joffe May 16, 2006
Any nation has an array of options for extending influence throughout the world: One is “hard power,” or military escalation. Another method, touted by a group led by Harvard Professor Joseph S. Nye Jr., is “soft power,” or cultural capital deployed across the globe. But soft power can produce antagonistic reactions. US movies, music and education may be popular in other nations, but world...

Globalization’s Grave Challenges for the West

Robert A. Levine May 12, 2006
Globalization will proceed despite protectionism, and the West would be wise to devise policies that incorporate globalization’s inevitability. Without such policies, the standard of living in both the US and Europe could diminish: In Europe, slow growth will leave the continent trailing the US and Asia, making it ultimately dependent on tourism. The US may abandon its own guiding principles of...

Iranian Embassy Denies Dress Code

Chris Wattie May 11, 2006
The original article was retracted. – YaleGlobal

Google in China: The Big Disconnect

Clive Thompson May 11, 2006
The Chinese are fascinated with the possibilities of the internet. When the head of operations for Google in China gave a lecture at one Chinese university, thousands attended and scalpers sold tickets. Despite strict government controls, the internet and search engines foster learning and a free exchange of ideas – including even China’s long-neglected rural population. Despite censorship, young...

Prejudice Forms a New Line Between East and West

Nicholas Watt May 9, 2006
A new boundary is forming between east and west in Europe. While official policy in the west has extended tolerance toward the gay community, conservative governments in the east take a hard-line stance to control what they regard as a growing threat. In countries like Poland and Russia, politicians openly declare homosexuality to be a deviant lifestyle that must be reigned in. Often, anti-gay...

Request Stokes Debate Over Yale Student With a Taliban Past

Alan Finder May 8, 2006
Impoverished Afghanistan was racked by war for 10 years after the Soviet invasion in 1979. Sayed Rahmatulla Hashemi’s formal education ended with the fourth grade, and he learned English from aid workers. The brutal Taliban regime soon took control over the nation, and with minimal skills, Hashemi worked as a translator and then diplomat for the Office of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. After...

The Global News War

Marcel Rosenbach May 5, 2006
The terms used to describe media globalization rely on metaphors of war – as more countries realize that a strong media presence is as powerful as traditional diplomacy. More industry leaders and governments struggle to portray events with new perspectives and reach new audiences. Emerging networks include Aljazeera International, a French version of CNN, and a BBC Arabic channel. Several...