In The News

A Retreat from Great Europe? – Part II

John Brenkman June 2, 2005
The highly anticipated French referendum on the EU constitution arrived this weekend: The vote was a resounding "Non." And with the Netherlands casting an even more strident "Nee" vote, observers, both European and worldwide, now wonder what lies ahead for the European Union. YaleGlobal examines the fallout of the referendum in a two-part series. In part two, John Brenkman...

Just Say No to Progressive Values

Ian Williams June 1, 2005
For reasons that many observers feel are inscrutable, France voted "no" this weekend to the new EU constitution. The constitution, which guarantees health care, social services, and workers' rights to European citizens found united opposition from both France's ultra-conservative element and, more surprisingly, its left. At a glance, it seems that workers in France voted...

Drug Deal

Kelly Hearn May 26, 2005
In coming weeks, the US Congress may ratify the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA), creating a new free trade area. One of the often-overlooked but controversial aspects of the agreement is its intellectual property protections. According to journalist Kelly Hearn, the new protections could halt production of the generic medications that AIDS patients depend on...

A Dangerous Mix of Politics and Trade

Philip Bowring May 23, 2005
China's surging textile exports have recently been subject to international scrutiny, with the United States re-imposing quotas. On Friday, Beijing voluntarily raised its textile export tariffs, a largely symbolic gesture designed to calm nerves overseas while asserting its own sovereignty. These examples of world trade tit-for-tat are not only short-sighted, writes commentator Philip...

A French Region Considers the Costs of a New Europe

Craig S. Smith May 18, 2005
A recent decision by a tiny transformer factory in the French city of Schirmeck to move its facilities to Romania has energized opponents of the EU constitution. As people become increasingly angered by the loss of jobs to countries new to the EU, the French government has stepped up its campaign to win support of the constitution. Arguing that France cannot match the cheaper production costs...

A Global Alliance Against Forced Labor

May 12, 2005
The International Labor Organization (ILO) has issued an update on its four-year-old report on slavery and other types of forced labor. The new report, issued May 2005, takes a longer view on the issue, describing developments in the last four years and looking toward the future. After defining and identifying the scope of the problem, the group evaluates efforts in the past years to stem the...

China Owes Japan for Riots

April 21, 2005
Citing the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Japanese officials and experts in international law say that Beijing must apologize to Japan and compensate for property damage incurred in recent anti-Japanese demonstrations. The windows of the Japanese embassy and consulates were shattered and the walls smeared with paint by protestors throughout China. Many Japanese businesses have also...