In The News

Our House of Cards

Andrew Leonard September 16, 2005
Most critics of globalization point to the suffering of workers, the ordeals of displacement, or the brutality of poverty that it causes. Others, like Barry Lynn, former editor of Global Business, shirk such conventional leftist rhetoric. In his book, "End of the Line: The Rise and Coming Fall of the Global Corporation," Lynn sketches the demise of the prevailing economic order in its...

The Center of the World

Brook Larmer September 15, 2005
After the global narcotics trade, sport is the world's most globalized and profitable business. With a television audience spanning 200 countries, the NBA boasts a larger global footprint than the United Nations. The crown jewel in the basketball league's push to lure international talent is undoubtedly Yao Ming, the center for the Houston Rockets. Yao's towering stature casts a...

Europe's Political Parties Buffeted by Globalization

Jonathan Fenby September 8, 2005
September 18, the date of the German elections, marks a crucial moment in European politics. The poll results will reveal whether the burgeoning protest movements will continue to nibble away at the mainstream parties. As Jonathan Fenby writes, moderate left-right political polarity in Europe may be giving way to a more fragmented system. Haunted by the specter of the ‘Polish plumber’ and...

India's Mini-Multinationals Make Waves in Western Markets

Anand Giridharadas September 2, 2005
As India gains economic strength, its entrepreneurs are acquiring increasing numbers of overseas companies. In the first eight months this year, Indian companies paid US$1.7 billion for 62 foreign businesses, including a German metal forge, a South Korean truck maker, and a British tea company. The Indian as global owner marks a clear reversal for a country with vivid memories of its own...

Invisible Earth

Annalee Newitz August 31, 2005
Technology giant Google has recently extended its global reach. It's new product, Google Earth, is a 3-D mapping program that allows users to view any point on the planet at the click of a mouse. With detailed satellite photos, Google Earth is touted as a tool not just for education, but also for communication; special features include comments "tagged" to specific locations, as...

Creating Islamist Phantoms

Adam Curtis August 30, 2005
In a Guardian commentary, Adam Curtis writes that it was a mistake, in the wake of 9/11, for the West to exaggerate the status of al-Qaida by painting a hyperbolic picture of an organized and far-reaching terrorist network. Curtis suggests that the true threat came not from a sophisticated network, but from individuals and groups linked by an idea. After the London bombings, many experts seem...

Cellphones Catapult Rural Africa to 21st Century

Sharon LaFraniere August 25, 2005
In areas where electricity and indoor plumbing are rarities, a surprising trend is taking shape. Despite infrastructure shortcomings and widespread poverty, Africa is now the world's fastest-growing market for cellphones. Mobile technology is drastically changing business and daily life – speeding up communication and allowing for previously impossible interactions – in rural areas where...