In The News

The Specter of Mass Killings in Burma

Larry Diamond February 3, 2014
Myanmar, or Burma’s struggle to build a democracy is visible in many spheres of life including many problematic provisions in the new constitution: “These give the military a quarter of the seats in parliament (and thus a veto over constitutional reform) … and complete immunity from civilian oversight,” writes Larry Diamond for the Atlantic. “They also continue to deny Burma’s minorities (...

Of Aam Aadmi Party and the Aam Aadmi

Nayan Chanda January 24, 2014
In India, the Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man’s Party, has shaken the establishment. A successful appeal to many can rely on promises of quick fixes and protection of special interests. “While AAP has plenty of positive attributes and is doing important work in terms of promoting transparency and accountability, not everything it stands for is necessarily in the country’s long-term economic...

Leaked Records Reveal Offshore Holdings of China’s Elite

Marina Walker Guevara, Gerard Ryle, Alexa Olesen, Mar Cabra, Michael Hudson, Christoph Giesen January 23, 2014
A report from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists exposes secret offshore accounts among family members of high-ranking Chinese politicians and business leaders. The report is based on 2.5 million leaked files from two firms that assist with high-wealth trusts and banking. “As the country has moved from an insular communist system to a socialist/capitalist hybrid, China has...

The Plight of the Globe’s Domestic Workers

Susan Froetschel January 15, 2014
Domestic workers and diplomats may be but pawns for nations struggling with their own internal quarrels and place in the world. The arrest of an Indian consulate officer in New York City for filing false information on a nanny’s wages triggered outrage in India. The immediate official reaction was that Devyani Khobragade has immunity from arrest including a standard body search and that the crime...

Not Educating the Masses

January 6, 2014
The Chinese government has announced plans to reform its university entrance exam known as gaokao, allowing more tries for the English portion and accounting for extracurricular activities. Critics suggest such changes could decrease the numbers of university students from poor rural areas, according to the Economist. “China’s elite universities already resemble their Western counterparts in one...

The Bad Bargain

Daniel Altman December 27, 2013
Wages are largely stagnant. Data suggest that growing profits earned by corporate investors is coming from shrinking incomes of workers. “Labor's share of national income has been falling slowly since the 1970s in rich countries around the world,” writes Daniel Altman for Foreign Policy. Increasing technology along with global integration and competition has pressured unions and eroded labor...

A Torrent of Hyperbole

Nayan Chanda December 23, 2013
Those arrested or detained in the United States, women and men of all ages, charged with small crimes or large, are routinely searched for their own protection and the protection of others held. Two contrasting stories have emerged about treatment of domestic help by an Indian diplomat charged with lying on a visa application. Politics and media as entertainment have combined to elicit extreme...