In The News

Planned Chinatown Raises Hackles in Rural Germany

Markus Feldenkirchen March 25, 2008
The city council of rural Oranienburg has approved construction of a Chinatown for its community, but agreement has stopped there. While Germans demand meticulous and time-consuming documentation and construction that conforms to city codes, the Chinese would prefer informal and rapid “guan xi” decision-making. The definition of “home” can increasingly blur as local flavors change with the influx...

The Global Rose as Social Tool

Roger Cohen March 18, 2008
Roses are also a modern-day global product, grown over thousands of acres in developing nations like Kenya before shipment to supermarkets in Great Britain. The British pay about $10 for a small bouquet while the Kenyans earn about $70 per month. “Look at the global economy one way and Buyaki earns the equivalent of seven bunches of roses for a month's labor,” explains Roger Cohen for the...

India’s Forgotten Farmers

Tarun Khanna March 7, 2008
Can India’s burgeoning economy lead to prosperity for all of its citizens, urban and rural alike? Thus far, India’s economic growth has been concentrated almost exclusively in urban centers, while rural areas remain largely mired in appalling poverty. Since 70 percent of India’s population lives in rural communities, the vast majority of Indians find themselves cut off from their nation’s...

China Comes to Town

Dena Rashed March 4, 2008
Chinese-made goods turn up all over the globe, including Egyptian fairs and markets, and some rival the local products both on quality and price. Consumers can now choose from a range of goods, including clothes, electronics, vehicles and even Egyptian flags. Chinese exports to Egypt grew by 50 percent last year, yet still lag behind US imports, the value of which were more than double China’s....

The Lure of Protectionism in Ohio

Susan Froetschel, Morgan Robinson March 3, 2008
Ohio, part of the country’s Rust Belt, was a swing state in the 2004 US presidential election, and the state’s voters will play a big role deciding the 2008 Democratic nominee and probably the next president of the United States. Their choice might set the US agenda for global economy. As one of the country’s leading manufacturing states, Ohio suffers as companies shift factory jobs to low-wage...

Globalization “A Blessing” for West Europe

Chris Giles February 29, 2008
Globalization – by way of trade and off-shoring jobs – can eliminate inefficiency and add to the total number of jobs, reports the European Economic Advisory Group, an academic research group organized by the Ifo Institute in Munich. “Although the gains from trade have the side-effect of increasing inequality, the group recommends that governments avoid policies that try to preserve employment...

Mobilization for Globalization

Steven Pearlstein February 27, 2008
As economies move through cycles, the countries experiencing problems envy the countries enjoying growth. At this moment in time, US politicians and workers view China and India as “imminent threats to US prosperity and economic hegemony,” writes Steven Pearlstein for the Washington Post. Big imbalances in wages and benefits within the country prompt a majority of Americans to question the value...