In The News

The Poor Get Richer

Geoffrey Colvin March 17, 2006
Educators and politicians have long argued that a college degree provided substantially more income than the high-school degree. Now that income gap is showing small signs of closing; between 2000 and 2004, the income of high school graduates rose 1.6 percent, and the income of college graduates dropped 5.2 percent. The reason is disturbing, with the changing demands of a global economy, reducing...

The Bolton Archipelago

Ian Williams March 16, 2006
The UN General Assembly's majority vote to create a new Human Rights Council reduced US global prestige as well as some maneuvering by John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN. The US was one of only four votes opposing a plan to replace the former Commission on Human Rights, widely regarded as ineffective. Notably, the other three votes came from Israel, the Marshall Islands and Palau - major...

One-Time Highways to Growth Take a Toll on the Japanese Economy

Yasuyo Yamazaki March 16, 2006
Japan's economy faces enormous challenges in the years ahead. It must both continue to compete with other fast-growing economies, like China, while finding a way to support and replace its aging work force. A critical challenge for Japan is how to handle the fast-graying population and the attendant health and retirement costs. By far the most problematic of such issues is the enormous...

After Rush to China, Manufacturers Look Back to Southeast Asia

Wayne Arnold March 16, 2006
China has been a formidable competitor to its neighbors in Southeast Asia as well as the West. Since China's entry into the WTO in 2001, jobs and manufacturing plants from Southeast Asia were moved to low-cost China. Unlike China, Southeast Asia has not created a single international brand, whereas China invests in research and development. But nations like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia,...

This Is Why the Islamists Are Winning

Rami G. Khouri March 16, 2006
Conservative Islamist candidates have met with success in Palestine, Iraq, Egypt and other countries, leaving Western analysts to speculate about Islamist motives and platforms. Author Rami G. Khouri analyzes the Islamist political success and suggests that Western pundits are confused by the integration of factors such as religion, national identity, good governance, and resistance to foreign...

US Backs First-Strike Attack Plan

March 16, 2006
The Bush administration has released a document outlining its national security strategy - one that touches on many sensitive points all over the world. The document is released as polls continue to show a majority of US citizens questioning the war in Iraq and the direction of their own country. Singling out Iran as the greatest single current danger, the document defends the Bush administration...

Negative Perception of Islam Increasing

Claudia Deane March 15, 2006
As the war in Iraq enters its fourth year, a majority of US citizens express unfavorable views of Muslims, surpassing levels just after the 9/11 attacks, according to a Washington Post – ABC News poll. Most respondents noted that Islam contributes to violence. US citizens with an understanding of Islam stated that the religion is essentially peaceful, but were as likely as other respondents to...