In The News

Argentina Stuck on the Periphery of a Globalized World

Jean-Pierre Lehmann February 20, 2004
Although once renowned for its prosperity and rich culture, Argentina has seen its fortunes decline as it suffered authoritarian rulers throughout the 20th century. Democratic strides in the 1980s and 1990s did not bring success, either - the "liberal" leaders of those two decades implemented free-market policies that many blame for Argentina's current economic woes. Yet...

China's Taiwan Dilemma

Michael Yahuda February 18, 2004
China's leadership believes strongly in the goal of a unified country - and for Beijing that means preventing Taiwan from declaring independence. For many Chinese, uniting with Taiwan is a matter of national pride. China scholar Michael Yahuda argues that pushing the issue politically or militarily would stimulate hostility abroad and cause an economic downturn at home, possibly leading to...

As It Wields Power Abroad, U.S. Outsources Law and Order Work

Andrew Higgins February 2, 2004
The US seems unwilling to face the hardships of maintaining a police force in Iraq. Instead, it has delegated the charge of keeping order to DynCorp, a multinational police contractor headquartered in California. DynCorp was subcontracted by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, or INL, a division of the US State Department. Since 1994, the INL has dispatched...

A Rising New Force in World Public Opinion

Immanuel Wallerstein January 28, 2004
The slogan of the World Social Forum reads, "another world is possible" - as in, a world devoid of capitalism and neo-liberal trade policies. From a small group of protesters who successfully scuttled the 1999 WTO meeting in Seattle, the group has quickly grown to global proportions, says social theorist Immanuel Wallerstein. Over 100,000 people attended the most recent WSF meeting in...

One Hand Clapping in the Caucasus

Kenneth Weisbrode January 26, 2004
As Georgia's newly elected president takes office this week, much of the world has high hopes for the future of his new government. Outsiders have been trying to influence developments in Georgia and neighboring Azerbaijan for some time now, says Eurasia scholar Kenneth Weisbrode, but if recent history is any indication, the path to stability in the Caucasus region is still quite rocky....

Souring Relations

Ashraf Khalil January 16, 2004
The US effort to stabilize Iraq may not be going as planned, reports this article in Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper. Several arguments have erupted of late that threaten to divide Iraq's Interim Governing Council (IGC) and the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority. Disagreements over appointees to the Council, disputes over the role of the United Nations in facilitating a...

Why Globalisation Can't Work Globally

Leon Hadar January 14, 2004
Globalization has taken some hard blows recently, says this column in the Business Times. The rapid spread of SARS, the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US, and rising protectionism stand as sharp counterpoints to the "Globalisation-is-the-Messiah" outlook of some observers in the 1990s. But to backtrack on economic globalization would risk throwing the baby out with the...