In The News

Europe’s Old Boys Need to Make Way for Women

Margot Wallström June 9, 2008
Europe has been a progressive leader on many political issues, but women are still underrepresented in continental politics, argues Margot Wallström, vice president of the European Commission in an essay for the Financial Times. In selecting candidates for ministerial positions, top leaders often strive for diversity but overlook glaring gender imbalances, she notes. People naturally tend to...

China and Wal-Mart: The Champions of Equality

Christian Broda June 5, 2008
Workers worry about being on the losing side of trade and losing jobs. But inflation and higher prices can also quickly erode wealth. “National statistics ignore the fact that inflation affects people in different income groups unevenly because the rich and poor consume different baskets of goods,” writes Christian Broda for the Financial Times. In the US, where unemployment stands at about 5...

Overseas, Excitement Over Obama

Kevin Sullivan June 5, 2008
After a long campaign, Barack Obama has been named presumptive nominee by analysts and the Democratic Party, an event viewed by many in the international community as “an important racial and generational milestone for the United States,” according to this Washington Post article. “The primary race generated unprecedented interest outside the United States, much of it a reflection of a desire for...

China Leader Makes Debut in Great Wall of Facebook

Edward Wong June 4, 2008
In the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, amongst the rubble, aid and rescue operations, a Facebook profile of the Chinese leader Wen Jiabao has surfaced. Regardless of the actual identity of the profile creator, its existence suggests unprecedented level approachability. Increasing numbers of politicians, including US presidential candidates, recognize the value of online social networking...

Falling Behind: Globalization and Its Discontents

Henry A. Kissinger June 3, 2008
An emerging global economy and accompanying systems have prompted some countries to cling to power and display nationalistic tendencies. “The basic premise of globalization is that competition will sort out the most efficient, a process that, by definition, involves winners and losers,” writes Henry Kissinger in an opinion essay for the International Herald Tribune. Even occasional losers are...

Linked Global Groups Are Not Political Parties: Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Fantasy of the Caliphate

Jean-Pierre Filiu June 3, 2008
Some Islamists believe that establishing a broad jurisdiction under an Islamic leader, last seen with the Ottoman Empire in 1924, could deliver stability. Calling for such a caliphate is Hizb ut-Tahrir, or the Islamic Party of Liberation, which has re-emerged in Palestine since the divisive clash between Hamas and Fatah. Hizb ut-Tahrir refuses to participate in elections, and its supporters blame...

Supply Chinks

Nayan Chanda June 3, 2008
Even though the global supply chain has grown tremendously, the quality of products produced in other parts of the world has diminished. In fact, labels have become more misleading. A label stating that the product is “Made in China” is not necessarily true. According to Nayan Chanda, it is actually "made in the world." And the origin of some products or ingredients is never truly...