In The News

AFL-CIO Asks Penalties Against China

Stephen Franklin March 17, 2004
In the latest attack in the outsourcing debate, the AFL-CIO – America's largest and politically strongest union – seeks sanctions against China for allegedly having an "abusive, low-pay system that has cost thousands of American jobs". Using a trade law that has thus far only been used to protect American exports, the AFL-CIO is asking the government to cut trade with China in...

Thaksin's Chance for Leading Role in the Region

John D. Ciorciari March 10, 2004

Small and Smaller

Thomas L. Friedman March 4, 2004
Falling transportation and telecommunications costs have taken the world from a "size large" to a "size small," according to New York Times Foreign Affairs Columnist Thomas Friedman. But the most recent globalization phenomenon, he argues, has shrunk the world to a "size tiny." The worldwide proliferation of personal computers and the bandwidth and common software...

It Must Be Something in the Water

Gamal Nkrumah March 3, 2004
The Nile River Basin of Africa marks one of the poorest areas of the world. Population numbers are unsustainable with the current water resources and are only expected to grow. With too many people competing for too little water, the Nile River has become a bastion of controversy. Downstream lies Egypt, the most well-developed of the nations and the one that takes the most water. Upstream,...

Moments Before the Union, "Old" Europe Gets Cold Feet

Shada Islam March 3, 2004
As Europe's leaders prepare for their expansion party, they fear immigrant gate-crashers. Shada Islam notes that widespread fears of immigrants flooding Western Europe in search of employment, welfare, and health benefits has forced many governments to enact restrictions to stem this supposed flood. But the facts prove that these fears are unfounded. Past history shows immigration slows once...

Can the ADB Resurrect Itself?

Pana Janviroj March 2, 2004
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), beset by poor results and politicization, needs to reform. It has been overshadowed by the World Bank and been mired by its own factional infighting, says this article in The Nation. Based originally in Manila, the ADB now plans to open a satellite office in Bangkok. This could be the change it needs. Far from inter-office rivalry, the satellite will help oversee...

Outsourcing Debate - Part III

David Dapice March 1, 2004
Despite the political debates over outsourcing that are emerging in this US presidential election year, the economic story is quite simple. In the final installment of a three-part series on outsourcing, economist David Dapice says that outsourcing allows hundreds of thousands of people in developing countries like Vietnam the chance to earn wages, pull themselves out of poverty, and - in turn...