In The News

Obstacles to Zero Tariffs

November 29, 2002
For many people, economic globalization means the dismantling of all barriers to free trade, a process which would eliminate all taxes on imported manufactured goods and agricultural subsidies. At the Doha round of world talks, the United States proposed zero tariffs on industrial and consumer goods by 2015. Though few can argue that lower tariffs will eventually benefit consumers, many...

Hollywood in the Era of Globalization

Allen J. Scott November 29, 2002
Hollywood films represent more than half, and sometimes more than two-thirds of total box-office receipts in major markets. Films that succeed in the US market also tend to succeed in foreign markets. This suggests that a convergence of popular taste may be coming about, though in many countries this phenomenon also occurs against a backdrop of cultural contestation. Hollywood has been a success...

Postcards from Planet Google

Jennifer S. Lee November 28, 2002
With 150 million queries a day coming to its search engine site from more than 100 countries and in 86 languages Google is the ultimate proof that global village has arrived. As the New York Times story notes "Despite its geographic and ethnic diversity, the world is spending much of its time thinking about the same things. Country to country, region to region, day to day and even minute to...

Mexican Immigration Still Up in Air

Dane Schiller November 27, 2002
A meeting between US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Mexican Foreign Secretary Jorge Castañeda ended with a $25 million pledge to help coordinate border security efforts between Mexican and US law enforcement officials. The larger issue of whether the US will permit temporary workers to enter the US from Mexico is still elusive, despite being one of Mexican president Vicente Fox's main...

A Beleaguered Hemisphere

November 22, 2002
Hailed as a shining example of the merits of free trade and democratic reforms in the early 1990s, Latin America has become burdened by a series of economic downturns and tumultuous political conditions. Addressing its concerns in isolation does not seem like a viable option. With events in other world regions demanding attention from the United States, the problems of its southern neighbor have...

US, Singapore on Brink of Sealing Free-Trade Pact

November 19, 2002
American and Singaporean negotiators spent most of last night negotiating the final terms of the first American-Asian free-trade agreement, which, if all goes smoothly, could be signed as early as next year. The two sides agreed on all but one major issue (that of capital transfers in-and-out of Singapore). Singapore’s geopolitical importance, with its modern technology and peaceful political and...

A Troubled Project Holds Warnings for Kazakhstan's Oil Sector

Mark Berniker November 19, 2002
Investments by multinational corporations can help bring skills, capital, and income to developing countries. But creating a mutually beneficial relationship isn't necessarily a smooth process, as this report from Central Asia explains: "ChevronTexaco has been Kazakhstan's primary oil and gas investor since 1993. Now, with disagreements halting a joint venture between the company...