In The News

Put Movie Scenes Into Perspective

Rousseau Chen May 26, 2006
Like any other residents whose city is featured in a major film, the people of Shanghai have eagerly awaited the Chinese release of “Mission: Impossible III.” Some of the scenes shot in the metropolis, however, must be cut before the film’s release in China, according to a ruling by humorless censors in the Chinese Film Bureau. Images of drying laundry and criminal activity offended the bureau...

With Jobs Scarce, US Pilots Sign on at Foreign Airlines

Susan Carey May 24, 2006
After 9/11, the US airlines laid off more than 10,000 pilots, many still out of work. As US airlines struggle, the pilots take early retirements and fret about the safety of pension plans. Many abandon seniority systems or union protection in the US to land jobs with the booming aviation industry in China, India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. With a global shortage of skilled commercial...

Chinese Influence in Brazil Worries US

Humphrey Hawksley May 24, 2006
The US has claimed the right to influence Latin America since the 1823 Monroe doctrine. Yet China diligently presents itself to the developing world, including Latin America, as a formidable model for ending poverty. Nations in South America like Brazil have taken notice, and the US can only fret about protecting the Americas as its turf. China continues to invest billions for infrastructure,...

Globalization Needs a Reality Check

Lyal White May 23, 2006
Globalization offers no guarantees – and does not necessarily lead to diversity, innovation and competition. Sometimes, large players present multiple brands, using globalization to mask ownership and monopolies. Consolidation of markets into global monoliths can encourage a standardization that inhibits innovation. Economic globalization does influence politics, because countries seeking...

Outsourcing Your Heart

Unmesh Kher May 23, 2006
People forced to pay their own health-care costs tend to hunt for bargains. As a result, medical tourism is booming, with patients in the US, Canada and UK scheduling flights to obtain surgery in India, Thailand, and other countries with trained physicians and procedures that cost 25 percent or less than those based in the US. Uninsured or underinsured patients in particular arrange for plastic...

L’Europe face à la mondialisation – Part II

Bruce Stokes May 18, 2006
L’économie de marché peut amener des bénéfices macroéconomiques, mais il fait aussi des victimes humaines- des ouvriers qui sont heureux de trouver un nouveau travail et moins bien payé. Les nations développées d’Europe, avec leurs protections sociales généreuses, tentent une série de stratégies pour entrer dans la compétition mondiale avec des nations dont la population a de plus faibles...

Europe Faces Globalization – Part II

Bruce Stokes May 18, 2006
Free trade may offer macroeconomic benefits, but it also claims human victims – laid-off workers who are lucky to find new jobs for less pay. The developed nations of Europe, with established manufacturing centers and generous social benefits, employ a range of strategies to compete globally with nations that have lower wages and minimal social protections. The second in this two-part series...