In The News

Megaplayers Vs. Micropowers

Moisés Naím July 12, 2006
The globe has entered an era of instability according to Moisés Naím, editor in chief of “Foreign Policy,” and that has opened opportunities for small, but highly competitive forces in the business, political and financial worlds. Some examples: Multinational corporations like Royal Dutch Shell no longer protests movements toward nationalization of oil supplies in small Latin American countries...

Immigration – and the Curse of the Black Legend

Tony Horwitz July 12, 2006
In the current US debate on illegal immigration, one argument stresses the threat posed to a unique culture by the “’invasion’” of aliens. Many assume that this culture, as evidenced by the recent push to make English the country’s official language, is based on an Anglo heritage. Many forget that US history includes Spanish exploration and settlement, according to author Tony Horwitz. Prejudices...

So You Think 7/7 Has Brought Britain and America Together? Think Again

Gerard Baker July 10, 2006
Gerard Baker, a British ex-pat living in the US, monitors the increasingly negative views of his countrymen towards the US. The British not only strongly dislike the Bush administration and its policies, but also target American society with their criticism. The British do not see President Bush as an aberration, but a symbol of American swagger. Since a lack of nuance is one of the...

China's Brutal Crackdown on Dissidents

Andreas Lorenz July 5, 2006
In the name of economic development, many Chinese citizens find themselves forced from their land and homes for construction of dams, roads or other projects. Added to the displacement are paltry offers of compensation and corruption, funneling the gains of China’s “economic miracle” away from its poorest people. The conflicts invite protest, but, as many of the country’s “difficult citizens”...

Globalization and Muslim Identity Challenges and Prospects

Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk July 3, 2006
Providing five definitions, author Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk describes how most Muslims understand “globalization” as an ongoing and ancient concept that is in its most rapid stage of development. Using the theories of scholars such as Francis Fukuyama and Samuel P. Huntington, Abushouk chronicles historical clashes between what have been termed as “Western” and Muslim civilizations, as well as the...

The Perils of Underestimating Ahmadinejad

Simon Tisdall July 3, 2006
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not an easy foe for the US, and it would be a mistake to underestimate him as a “wildman” or “loose cannon.” Even as Ahmadinejad has let loose with extremist statements that are alarming, his political power is based on real concerns of the Iranian people. Despite the widespread perception that he is a mouthpiece for religious clerics, Ahmadinejad’s...

Behind the Rise of Iran's President: A Populist Economic Agenda

Bill Spindle June 30, 2006
Extravagant government spending could cause more economic harm to Iran than any sanctions by Europe and the US over the country’s nuclear program. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s promise to “put the oil revenue on the dinner table of every Iranian” garners him the loyalty of Iran’s working class. Buoyed by oil money, he has proposed $4 billion for school renovations, raised salaries for state...