In The News

China, India Superpower? Not so Fast!

Pranab Bardhan October 25, 2005
Every day, countless commentators prophesize the ascendance of the world's next superpowers, China and India, the two "Asian giants" shaking off their ancient slumber and rising to the call of the 21st century. According to popular punditry, their place in the firmament of globalization's success stories is already guaranteed. Yet economist Pranab Bardhan argues that a much...

Wolfowitz Calls for End to Farm Subsidies

Mark Tran October 24, 2005
Developed and developing nations must reduce their agricultural subsidies if the World Trade Organization’s current round of trade talks is to succeed, World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz said today. The EU and US must cut subsidies and guarantee market access to developing countries, he said, or “the people who will suffer the most are the world's poor." Yet Mr. Wolfowitz also called on...

Bolivia Provides a Tragic Lesson for Latin America

Norman Lamont October 21, 2005
Bolivia often escapes the notice of Europeans and Americans, writes Norman Lamont, and the country's current troubles merit much greater international attention. Bolivia has seen several governments overthrown over its recent history, and its likeliest contender for the leadership, Evo Morales, now seems determined to force through measures that will further destabilize the country. Morales...

Iraq: Life After the Constitution

Dilip Hiro October 20, 2005
The White House certainly chalked up a few political points following Iraq's constitutional referendum last week. But whether it will spark a wildfire of democratic activity throughout the Middle East – a tenet of President Bush's Iraq strategy – remains doubtful, writes author Dilip Hiro. The constitutional future of Iraq itself is questionable. While Sunni Arabs turned out in...

Globalization Explained to the French

Philip H. Gordon October 18, 2005
Following France's decisive May 29 referendum against the proposed EU Constitution, many observers condemned this once great imperial power's rejection of the international system. Decrying the predations of "Anglo-Saxon capitalism," the "Non!" camp had clung to an alternate vision of polity, rooted in commitments to social development and market regulation. But an...

China's Color-Coded Crackdown

Yongding October 18, 2005
In response to the recent democratic "color" revolutions in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan, the Chinese government is taking action to prevent similar uprisings in its own country. Under new "counterrevolution" measures approved by President Hu Jintao, censorship of web sites, books, and blogs has increased. But non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have borne the brunt of...

'Protect Regime Now, Feed People Later'

Shim Jae Hoon October 18, 2005
Locked in a food shortage approaching crisis proportions – which reportedly caused two million deaths in the past five years – the government of Kim Jong-il has been wooing neighboring China and its brethren to the South for more far-reaching aid. As Seoul-based journalist Shim Jae Hoon reports, this move comes at the expense of broader, international emergency efforts coordinated by...