In The News

The Legacy of Lee Kyung Hae

John Feffer August 29, 2005
The organic farms that line the Han River in South Korea may be the country's agricultural future – and sadly, they tell the story of its troubled past and present. More broadly, the Korean agricultural crisis is a story of small farmers forced to negotiate among the shifting currents of globalization. The industrialization of South Korea's agriculture, the Green Revolution, rendered...

Prices Transform Oil into a Weapon

Ian Bremmer August 29, 2005
Alongside the fear that high oil prices will dampen global economic growth lies another serious threat: It is increasingly likely that certain oil-producing states may use the valued fuel as a political weapon – and effectively so, according to Ian Bremmer. Given the current state of global markets, any interruption of output will likely drive up prices. At the same time, petro-states are...

US Wants Changes in UN Agreement

Colum Lynch August 25, 2005
Just weeks before an upcoming UN summit, the United States has proposed more than 750 amendments to an agreement to be signed at the meeting. Organized as an effort to better address world poverty, terrorism, and human rights abuses, the summit is slated to host leaders of 175 nations. The Bush administration's last-minute changes, designed to better reflect US concerns, have received much...

Why the India Deal Is Good

Selig S. Harrison August 24, 2005
Washington's agreement to support India's nuclear program – for civilian, not military, purposes – has been criticized for undermining the international nonproliferation regime. As Selig A. Harrison writes, much of the antagonism is unfounded. According to Harrison, India's increasing energy demands – along with ample deposits of a rare radioactive mineral – have allowed New...

The Creative Evolution of World Trade

Susan Esserman August 23, 2005
Often subject to accusations of inadequate transparency and insufficient accountability, the World Trade Organization took a big step toward more open practices. A dispute panel on hormone-fed beef in the EU has decided to open hearings to the public – allowing closed-circuit television cameras to record the proceedings. Many delegates oppose the move, contending that some level of secrecy is...

China's Rise Threatens to Divide Asia, Not Unite It

Daniel Twining August 22, 2005
As the catalyst of Asia's recent economic growth, China has widely been seen as the first non-Western power since Japan to emerge with the potential to transform the global order. Instead of facilitating regional integration, however, China's ascendancy is threatening to divide Asia, causing a clash of national identities and fueling nationalist sentiments. Perceiving China's...

The Breaking Point

Peter Maass August 22, 2005
As world oil prices continue to surge past $US60 per barrel, and as Chinese companies aggressively pursue acquisition of energy assets, anxiety is growing in many quarters about global energy security. Focusing his inquiry on the world's largest exporter, Saudi Arabia, Peter Maass uncovers some unsettling realities about the global oil supply. Maass reports on the difficulties in...