In The News

Young People's Protests Are Easy to Mock – But Ignore Them at Your Peril

Gary Younge June 19, 2006
Young political protesters mobilize around the globe, with successful protests conducted by younger, poorer and darker-skinned activists. Gary Younge, columnist for The Guardian, rejects nostalgia over May 1968, noting that the generation grew older and quickly embraced policies of fear and insecurity. Instead, he welcomes young achievements burgeoning in new ways: Chilean student walk-outs,...

Greek Fleet Swells

Robert MacDonald June 16, 2006
Shipping by sea is a cyclical business, reliant on global trade, and shipping magnates pay close attention to global affairs. Freight rates were at record highs from 2003 to 2005, but have slipped since. Recent developments, all interconnected, cause worries for the shippers: China’s move to increase interest rates to curb inflation could slow its economic growth; the massive US deficit could...

Managing Globalization: Selling Globally, Pitching Locally

Daniel Altman June 16, 2006
Critics of globalization claim that the domination of global brands such as Coca-Cola and Nike has squashed local business and culture. Multinational corporations, however, find it more effective to play on local cultures in advertising their products. Technology allows advertisers to create more than 200 separate ads – changing colors of a flag or language of a greeting with a touch of a button...

Elections Expand Voting Rights for Foreigners, Younger Citizens

Cho Chung-un June 15, 2006
South Korea seeks to make the most of democracy by granting foreigners and young Koreans the right to vote in larger numbers than ever before in the country’s local elections. Integration of foreigners is a major concern throughout the world, but South Korea is the first Asian country to grant voting rights to foreigners who have lived in the country for three or more years. The move could prove...

The Geopolitics of Football

Pascal Boniface June 14, 2006
Can sports – and football in particular – be globalization’s answer to deeply rooted conflict? Do football matches unleash or build tensions between countries who struggle diplomatically? Rituals of the match, such as waving flags or singing anthems, can inject new passion into national rivalries or also diffuse hostility. Games reflect larger issues and allow “for symbolically limited...

Global Capital on the Run

Robert J. Samuelson June 14, 2006
Around the world, stock markets are in a sharp decline, and analysts are trying to determine if herd mentality is at work or if the trend reveals other risks. At the same time, more investors venture beyond national borders in search of opportunities. Thirty years ago, foreign investing was tightly restricted, with the US as an exception to the rule, although the wealthiest of citizens always...

Opportunities in Globalization

Rocco Leonard Martino June 13, 2006
The global telecommunications industries are potential sutures to wounds in the US economy brought on by corporate outsourcing to countries with low labor costs, according to Rocco Leonard Martino, the CEO of CyberFone Technologies. The technological advances of the internet provide the US with extraordinary opportunities to advertise innovative products at a rapid pace, allowing for increased...