In The News

Let There Be Wi-Fi

Robert McChesney January 26, 2006
To most people, broadband is simply a faster internet connection than dial-up. When it comes to powering economies, however, broadband could be as essential an innovation as electricity. Soon, television, radio and the web will find their way into a person’s home as a result of a single broadband connection. In the largest sense, broadband is poised to become a vital part of economic, personal...

Fearing Social Unrest, China Tries to Rein in Unbridled Capitalism

January 24, 2006
China’s economy continues to grow at more than 9 percent per year, and Beijing fears that a sudden crash would bring immeasurable consequences. Low consumer spending, government planners worry, would provide little cushioning for a slump. At the same time, distressed debt, a flimsy infrastructure, and increasing air and water pollution present further incalculable costs of China’s rapid...

Populist Delusions Block Latin America’s Progress

Marifeli Perez-Stable January 23, 2006
With the overwhelming victory of Evo Morales in Bolivia’s recent presidential election and the continued popularity of Venezuela’s outspoken Hugo Chávez, populism has become a powerful force in Latin America. Recent surveys show that the majority of Latin Americans lack faith in political parties and other democratic institutions, and are more concerned about jobs and wages. Yet most still...

Why the US Malaise Over China?

Kenneth Lieberthal January 19, 2006
US-China relations have become wide-ranging, complex, and mature, and Beijing is touting its commitment to peaceful development. Nevertheless, there is pervasive unease in America about China's impact on American vital interests. China scholar and former National Security Council official Kenneth Lieberthal explains five fundamental issues that exacerbate America's sense of malaise...

They’re Rounding the First Turn! And the Favorite Is…

Nicholas D. Kristof January 19, 2006
Anticipating President Bush’s February trip to India, Nicholas D. Kristof evaluates the other Asian giant ready to seize the 21st century as the great world power. While autocratic China boomed over the past decade, democratic India has lumbered under the weight of its overly bureaucratic civil society and socialist economic policies, producing fewer jobs than its potential. But with flourishing...

U.S.-China Ideological Rivalry Heats Up

Eric Teo Chu Cheow January 6, 2006
While the US relies on free markets and free societies as the basis for contemporary socioeconomic and political movement, China focuses on stability as the essence of its foreign policy. The Anglo-Saxon model, which has fueled globalization, stems from a collection of neo-liberal practices called the “Washington Consensus,” whereas the Chinese model, based on a dual economy of private and public...

U.S.–China Ideological Rivalry Heats Up

Eric Teo Chu Cheow January 6, 2006
While the US relies on free markets and free societies as the basis for contemporary socioeconomic and political movement, China focuses on stability as the essence of its foreign policy. The Anglo-Saxon model, which has fueled globalization, stems from a collection of neo-liberal practices called the “Washington Consensus,” whereas the Chinese model, based on a dual economy of private and public...