In The News

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...

As Death Stalks Iraq, Middle-Class Exodus Begins

Sabrina Tavernise May 23, 2006
Ongoing violence in Iraq forces middle class and wealthy citizens to abandon homes and confess a lack of faith in the newly forming government. Murders of teachers, sanitation workers and even children are routine. Businesses often receive warnings to leave, parents withdraw their children from schools in record numbers, and families move to countries like Jordan and Syria. About 7 percent of...

Islamist Threats to Dutch Politician Bring Chill at Home

Andrew Higgins May 18, 2006
Born in Somalia, Ayaan Hirsi Ali grew up in Muslim countries, escaped an arranged marriage and arrived in the Netherlands as a refugee disgruntled about women’s rights in Islamic culture. She soon emerged as a member of Dutch parliament and a formidable critic of Islamic extremism. After extremists targeted Hirsi Ali with death threats, her fearful neighbors demanded that she be ousted from her...

China’s Union Push Leaves Wal-Mart With Hard Choice

Mei Fong May 16, 2006
Wal-Mart views China as the next frontier for profits, but the retailer’s non-union policy could prove a stumbling block in the People’s Republic. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions, known as the ACFTU is backed by the Chinese government and pushes for a change in Wal-Mart’s attitude. The Chinese union does not engage in collective bargaining, organizing more events and discussions about...

Beyond Macro Reforms

Luis Alberto Moreno May 11, 2006
Economies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean are flourishing, enjoying steady growth rates along with inflation and fiscal deficits under control. Still, Latin American countries have low incomes and a low share of world trade, struggling to compete with Asian competitors in India, China, Japan and Korea. Luis Alberto Moreno, banking executive and former economic official for Colombia,...

Africa’s Bitter Harvest

G. Pascal Zachary May 10, 2006
For years, Souley Madi has had many advantages as a cotton farmer in Badjengo Cameroon. He requires no complex, costly machinery to plant his fields. He has a beneficial arrangement with a state-owned company that collects his harvest on time for a satisfactory rate. With these earnings, he sends his five children in school, which he believes is the key to their future. Yet Madi wonders how...

Can the Doha Round Be Salvaged?

Ernesto Zedillo May 9, 2006
The Doha Round began in 2001 as an attempt to eliminate trade barriers and encourage global commerce among developing nations. But countries submitted lengthy wish lists to the negotiators. With collective agreement required among 149 member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it’s no surprise that the round has stalled. The Doha Round struggles from an inherent contradiction –...