In The News

Wake Up To Old-Fashioned Power of New Oligopolies

Barry Lynn February 15, 2006
While the term “monopoly” is familiar, the related term, “oligopoly” – which refers to control of markets by a handful of major corporations – is less well known. Yet business journalist and author Barry Lynn contends that the citizens and politicians must wake up to the tightening grasp of “global mega-institutions” on the global marketplace. Global oligopolies pose dangers, often associated...

Boom Town

Adam Nicolson February 13, 2006
The future of the modern world is being raised, literally, from the sandy depths of the waters surrounding the city of Dubai. A developer’s paradise, this fastest-growing city in the world is open to all with a checkbook and an imagination. Dubai, centered between the rising powers of the East and the traditional powers of the West, is man-made, from its sky-high towers and luxury ski resorts in...

NAFTA and Nativism

Harold Meyerson February 10, 2006
Shortly before the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect in 1994, then US President Bill Clinton optimistically predicted, as more Mexicans gained the ability to support themselves at home, a gradual decline in illegal immigration. Contrary to Clinton’s promise, however, the US has seen a four-fold increase in undocumented Mexican workers in the last decade. Putting...

Some Assembly Needed: China as Asia Factory

David Barboza February 10, 2006
Although a wealth of products pour into the US, bearing the label “made in China,” few are made completely in that nation at all. These days China is just the last stop in the complex global production networks run by multinational companies in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US. By confusing between what really is assembled in China with the common label of “made in China,” one...

Managing Globalization: If It’s Here to Stay, What Do We Do Now?

Daniel Altman February 10, 2006
It has been approximately two decades since the word “globalization” became standard in business and economic discussions. In the beginning, the word described the challenges facing Western companies that had to compete with lower-priced, sometimes better quality imports from countries like Japan, South Korea, and China. Over time, however, the term’s meaning expanded as Asian companies started...

China, the WTO and Globalization

Dorothy Guerrero February 6, 2006
Most commentators, stunned at China’s growth, are interested in projecting how soon the country will overtake the US as the world’s largest economy. But for the Chinese people, the more pertinent forecast is when the benefits of WTO accession and foreign investment will make their way to them. China has succeeded in making itself a top destination for foreign direct investment by offering tax...

Luxury Industry Goes Global, Knock-Offs Follow

Alessandra Galloni February 3, 2006
When Giuseppe Festa, an Italian man who owned a small store in Naples became involved in counterfeiting, he also became a global businessman. Mr. Festa imported watches from Hong Kong through Georgian and Egyptian contacts, paid for the goods through New York and Swiss bank accounts, and distributed them throughout Europe in what amounted to one of the continent’s most successful luxury-goods...