In The News

Globalization and God – Part I

Pratap Bhanu Mehta November 23, 2006
The politics of religious respect has become more complex in recent years as the magnifying glass of the secular West focuses on Islam – and religion in general. This two-part series examines the globalization of religion and its influence on international politics. The judgmental quality of any moral system instigates conflict with others who do not believe. Policy analyst Pratap Bhanu Mehta...

Competitiveness, Not Offshoring, Is EU Weakness

Natascha Gewaltig November 15, 2006
Inexpensive cheap global labor poses fewer problems for the EU than accelerating technological change and the inability to adapt, according to a study from the European Commission. The global outsourcing market grew over the previous decade, from 8 percent of the world GDP in 1990 to 11 percent in 2003. The EU outsourcing market represented almost 15 percent of its GDP in 2003. “Technical...

Protectionist Stance Is Gaining Clout

Gregg Hitt November 13, 2006
With Democrats in charge of Congress, a protectionist sentiment could envelope Washington, DC, with politicians eager to prove that they are protecting US borders, firms, jobs and wages. The business community spent large sums to defeat candidates opposed to business interests: Executives identify protectionism as the biggest threat to growth after terrorism, and the US Chamber of Commerce spent...

And Now for a Word About Globalization

Jon Talton November 9, 2006
Troubled by violence in Iraq, corruption in politics and uncertainty over the economy, US voters threw Republicans out of power in Congress. With voters increasingly concerned about a loss of manufacturing jobs, Democrats in Congress are expected to impose conditions on any trade agreements – and Republican critics will probably label any changes as “protectionist.” But journalist Jon Talton...

Kazakhs Seek Stronger Ties With Israel

Ruth Eglash November 7, 2006
Kazakhstan is abruptly the center of global attention, thanks to a film set in the US with a British star who is Jewish. British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen poses as a Kazakh television reporter, who is congenial, but also sexist and anti-Semitic. Kazakhstan officials protested the satiric film – “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” – for an...

Islam, Terror and the Second Nuclear Age

Noah Feldman November 1, 2006
Iran’s defiance over international demands that it stop nuclear research could galvanize Shiites to demand more power throughout Asia, leading to nuclear proliferation on the continent. With violence escalating between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq, author Noah Feldman ponders how the competing sects might handle a nuclear weapon in their midst. Nuclear weapons have less meaning as deterrents in...

Vietnam’s Roaring Economy Is Set for the World Stage

Keith Bradsher October 30, 2006
Vietnam’s renunciation of statist economics in favor of capitalism in the early 1990s was a surprising development for the global markets. Along with China’s embrace of the market, Vietnam’s success story has raised the living standards of its citizens, drawn a large contingent of high-skilled émigrés back to the country and created a strong base for future development. Multinational...