In The News

"Voice of the People"

January 23, 2006
After polling more than 50,000 people from around the world, a World Economic Forum survey, administered by Gallup, "overwhelmingly found that political leaders are dishonest, have too much power and are too easily influenced." The results of the survey, branded the "Voice of the People," were announced just before the start of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in...

David's Friend Goliath

Michael Mandelbaum January 20, 2006
Foreign leaders, demonstrators and citizens in opinion polls around the world do not think twice about, criticizing the US as a threat to international stability. Despite such widespread criticism, few attempt unified action to oppose or restrict the world power. Michael Mandelbaum calls this discrepancy the most significant feature of 21st-century international relations and offers two reasons...

Aussies Tackle Global Warming

Alan Goodall January 20, 2006
Amidst rising energy demand and a growing concern about environmental degradation, Australia is emerging as the new leader in the effort to combat global warming in the Asia-Pacific. At a meeting in Sydney last week, Australia along with India, China, South Korea, Japan and the US mapped out practical solutions to eliminate deficiencies of the Kyoto Protocol. The participants – who together...

A Firebrand in a House of Cards

Dariush Zahedi January 19, 2006
While under the crosshairs of international scrutiny, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boldly moved to break the seals of his nation’s nuclear facilities, raising the ire of governments from Moscow to Washington and increasing the possibility of large-scale UN sanctions on the Islamic Republic. But an op-ed in the New York Times insists that, despite the longstanding tensions and enmity between Iran...

Why the US Malaise Over China?

Kenneth Lieberthal January 19, 2006
US-China relations have become wide-ranging, complex, and mature, and Beijing is touting its commitment to peaceful development. Nevertheless, there is pervasive unease in America about China's impact on American vital interests. China scholar and former National Security Council official Kenneth Lieberthal explains five fundamental issues that exacerbate America's sense of malaise...

Peru May Join Latin America’s Populist Tilt to Left

David Luhnow January 18, 2006
A populist movement is gathering momentum in Latin America. Moderate socialist candidate Michelle Bachelet has just been elected as the first female president of Chile. More radical Peruvian presidential candidate Ollanta Humala’s support has also been rising rapidly in recent polls. Humala is a left-wing politician who, if elected in early April, would likely wrestle with free trade and free-...

No Level Playing Field in Football’s Globalisation

Larry Elliott January 14, 2006
In an increasingly prevalent variation on the “brain drain” issue that troubles small, poorer nations, “leg drain” is taking its toll on the world of football. But this trend is a mixed bag. A recent study suggests that globalization has a two-prong effect on the sport: It contributes to increasingly higher salaries for the best football players in Europe, yet also serves as an equalizer for...