In The News

The Goodness of Globalisation

Lord Mandelson June 15, 2009
World Trade Week may have been based in the UK, but it was aimed at sending the world a very powerful message: protectionism is not the way out of the current global recession. As UK Secretary of State for Business Lord Mandelson points out, it was the dismantling of global trade barriers over the last 80 years that led to the past century’s unrivaled economic progress. And, although times are...

The End of the Globalization Debate?

Edward Gresser June 2, 2009
The Obama administration’s first four months suggest the team is pro-trade and anti-protectionist – all to the positive, according to Edward Gresser, director at the Progressive Policy Institute. But lurking in the background are protectionist measures being promoted by various interest groups with the support of a range of politicians. Such measures call for the re-opening of the debate on the...

India’s Election Shows Equitable Globalization Can Succeed

Sadanand Dhume May 21, 2009
India’s Congress Party’s big win in the recent election has as much significance for citizens of that country as it does for citizens of the world. It shows that democracy and development can go hand in hand, according author Sadanand Dhume. A country that is slated to grow above 5 percent amid the financial crisis is a model for developing nations. That India can do this while sporting the world...

Swine Flu: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Outbreak

Bryan Walsh April 27, 2009
The World Health Organization recently called the outbreak of swine flu a health emergency of “international concern.” Government responses have been varied with the US noting that none of the cases domestically have been fatal; Europe and Hong Kong urging its citizens to avoid travel to the US and Mexico; and some countries banning pork imports, even though the flu is not communicable through...

Losing $63 Billion in Diverted U.S. Goods Is Sleuth Obsession

Carol Wolf April 9, 2009
Old-fashioned arbitrage on an international level has a new name: “product diversion.” It means the same thing though: buying low in one market and selling higher in another. The difference is that many multinational corporations (MNC) are now employing investigators and litigators to identify and crack down on the practice. Some MNCs have gone so far as to end business relationships with...

The G-20’s Uncertain Roadmap

Jonathan Fenby April 8, 2009
The recent G-20 summit was significant not only as a representation of how globalized the world has become – China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and other developing countries sat down with the US, the EU, and Japan – but also that there was sufficient agreement to plan a further meeting. But, as journalist and author Jonathan Fenby argues, the dire strait of the world economy needs short term...

The Real Summit has been Between China and the US

Hamish McRae April 2, 2009
Posturing and theatrics aside, the most discussed issues of the G-20 summit – tax havens, financial regulation, or the IMF’s voting powers – are of marginal importance at best. The crying need of the hour is to ensure that the current financial crisis does not worsen: a difficult task given that governments so far have tended to exacerbate, rather than solve, recessions. This means governments...