In The News

Chinese Turn to Civic Power as a New Tool

Howard W. French April 19, 2006
It’s human nature to complain. As China encounters more social problems – land seizures, accidental AIDS transmissions, pollution and corruption – citizens expect some legal recourse. Disgruntled citizens turn to the media, community groups and even public protests to point out social problems. Nongovernmental organizations – more than 280,000 registered in all – have taken a lead in giving...

Anti-Christian Extremism Attacked

United Press International April 19, 2006
Newspapers in the Arab world have weighed in on recent attacks against Christian churches in Alexandria, addressing issues of extremism’s threat to Egyptian society. To overcome the forces of ignorance, hatred and sectarian sedition, leading newspapers call for concerted action on the part of government, religious and civil institutions to unify citizens against extremism that could lead to a “...

Off the Job, Onto the Streets

Miriam Jordan April 16, 2006
As US Congress takes a vacation away from debating proposals aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration, immigrants and their supporters remind the rest of the US how much the country depends on their work. Latino workers have walked off their jobs in droves, joining large pro-immigrant demonstrations in more than 100 cities. The protests forced some employers to scramble and close a gap...

Xenophobia’s Threat to Prosperity

Charles Prince April 5, 2006
In the wake of the abortive acquisition of terminal operations at US ports by Dubai Ports World, Congress is considering more than thirty proposals to tighten the rules governing foreign investment in the US. Some of these proposals, writes Charles Prince, CEO of Citigroup, Inc., would spell disaster for the US economy – choking off the foreign investment that now fuels American economic growth...

In Afghan Christian, Story of a Larger Conflict

Roger Cohen March 28, 2006
The public demand in Afghanistan for a death sentence on Abdul Rahman, an Afghan man who converted to Christianity 15 years ago, has excited outrage on the part of the West. Germany, in particular, with more than 2000 troops in Afghanistan and a fervent regard for religious choice, has expressed discontent. The US has weighed in as well, upset about the “flouting of universal democratic values.”...

Latin Blues

Ernesto Zedillo March 27, 2006
Some analysts anticipate that successful populist campaigns, with irresponsible campaign promises and unrealistic goals, could plunge Latin America into economic disaster and thus reverse democratic gains from the past 20 years. Yet former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, now director of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, notes that every Latin American politician recognizes the...

Exporting Censorship

Xeni Jardin March 15, 2006
Censorship of the internet extends well beyond China and search-engine firms that cooperate. Xeni Jardin, co-editor of BoingBoing.net, recognized massive censorship was underway after receiving dozens of emails from readers who complained they were blocked from the site. A Silicon Valley product called Smart Filter prevented access because BoingBoing.net contained “nudity” – pictures of...