In The News

We Are Getting Richer, But More Insecure and Cynical About Politicians. What Can Be Done?

Hamish McRae July 8, 2007
On the surface, the British economy is doing well. It is the richest EU country in terms of national net income per head, and has a reputation for attracting global talent. Yet citizens express little trust in their government and report a feeling of insecurity. Worrying economic signs include rising levels of debt and dissatisfaction about public services. Low morale presents a challenge for...

Fast, Freewheeling Globalization for All

Susan Froetschel July 5, 2007
Any attempts to analyze globalization must wrestle with its heady speed. Daniel Altman’s latest book, Connected: 24 Hours in the Global Economy, is one such effort. Altman, who also writes a column on managing globalization for the International Herald Tribune, uses a sample of events from a single day – June 15, 2005 – to analyze all manner of economic connections. He suggests that every person...

The Life of the Chinese Gold Farmer

Julian Dibbell July 4, 2007
World of Warcraft, produced by Blizzard Entertainment, is one of the most profitable massively-multiplayer-online (MMO) games in history. Players collect currency to buy weapons and other gear to fight monsters, by looting or selling items to other players. At a normal playing rate, the process of collecting currency, known as “the grind,” takes about four months to complete. However, Chinese...

Norway Looks After its Elderly – In Spain

Dale Fuchs July 3, 2007
Norway sends some of its elderly who require medical treatment to Spain. Five medical centers are run and staffed by Norwegians, many of whom are willing to take pay cuts to work in Spain. The sunny climate benefits the patients, and lower costs of living and land prices save Norway money. This trend goes beyond “health tourism,” with Norwegian doctors approving patient visits to Spain. Once...

In a World on the Move, a Tiny Land Strains to Cope

Jason DeParle June 28, 2007
In Cape Verde, the number of people who have migrated approaches the number of people who have stayed behind, and everyone has a close relative in either Europe or North America. So many Cape Verdeans, such as Antonia Delgado, receive money from those abroad. She raises her granddaughter’s son, who rarely sees his mother because she works in Portugal. Despite stricter immigration policies, many...

In the Amazon, Giving Blood but Getting Nothing

Larry Rohter June 26, 2007
Blood samples from Amazon tribes are ideal for certain types of research because their isolation from the outside world allows scientists to track illnesses through generations. Researchers promised future medicine to Amazon tribes in Brazil in exchange for donating blood. The first research teams arrived in the 1970s. Using the internet, the Karitiana tribe has since discovered that their blood...

The Prison Poets of Guantanamo Find a Publisher

Yochi J. Dreazen June 21, 2007
The word “poetry” comes from an ancient Greek word meaning “I create.” Poems draw on the power of language and connections to express emotions, ideas, experiences and aspirations. Such writing requires solitude and reflection, readily available for prisoners, including those of Guantanamo Bay. The prisoners originally had to hide their creations from guards, using pebbles or spoons to scratch...