In The News

Egyptian Coup Splits Middle East

Dilip Hiro July 11, 2013
Massive protests on Egyptian streets, followed by a swift military coup, have underscored confusion in the region. Syrian leaders, struggling with their own insurrection, relying on support from the Islamist government in Iran, have suggested that religion is no basis for governance; Iran, after crushing opposition protests in 2009, urged Egypt’s protesters to resist frustration. Some US...

Why India Trails China

Amartya Sen June 20, 2013
India as a democracy has made great strides in education, poverty reduction and economic reform, but the country, destined to the world’s most populous, still lags behind China. “The far greater gap between India and China is in the provision of essential public services — a failing that depresses living standards and is a persistent drag on growth,” writes Amartya Sen in an opinion essay for the...

A Start in Lahore

Hassan Siddiq June 11, 2013
Pakistan’s election was the first democratic transfer of power in the country’s history – and also a start in giving voice to Pakistan’s minorities, writes Hassan Siddiq in an opinion essay for Outlook India. Such minorities include bonded laborers as well as Hindus, Sikhs and Christians. Of course, protecting minority rights is work that is never finished. Ramesh Singh Arora is a social...

Syria Opposition Seeks to Unify

Khaled Yacoub Oweis May 27, 2013
The US and Russia are trying to schedule peace talks and end war in Syria, amid “new reports of atrocities, accusations of chemical weapons were used and the rise of al Qaeda–linked fighters among rebels,” writes Khaled Yacoub Oweis for Reuters. Washington threatens to provide more support for the rebels, but also wants to review a list of opposition leaders to ensure that moderates are included...

End the Campaign to Spread Democracy

Dov Ronen May 1, 2013
Global citizens are familiar with democracy’s joys and pains, and there is no need for proponents to promote the system of governance. Citizens in any given land must exercise self-determination in selecting a government, argues Dov Ronen of Harvard University. Referring to Woodrow Wilson, who as US president prioritized self-determination in the Covenant of the League of Nations, Ronen suggests...

Foxconn Union Heralds End of Cheap Era

David Pilling February 12, 2013
The ability to vote is generally suspect in China. But Foxconn, the world’s biggest contract manufacturer of electronics, will allow its million-plus workers to vote for 18,000 representatives, reports Financial Times columnist David Pilling. The Fair Labor Association, based in the US, will monitor the process. “[The] intention may not be to give his workers the wage-bargaining power that often...

Delhi Gang Rape Spurs China Debate, Censorship

Ananth Krishnan January 1, 2013
A horrific crime in one country can spur reflection and debate about social mores in another. A gang rape in Delhi, and the victim's subsequent death, went from being widely reported in China to subject of censorship. Many official news outlets and commentators used the incident to criticize the unruliness of democracy, but other commenters marveled at massive protests throughout India. “...