In The News

The Arrogance of Chinese Power

Brahma Chellaney July 2, 2010
According to CIA estimates, China has the largest population, the largest labor force, the greatest number of people fit for military service and the third largest GDP at purchasing power parity. In addition to its massive, sustained economic and military growth, the nation plays an increasingly prominent role in international relations. The US, burdened by debt and two ongoing wars, hesitates to...

Seizing the Moment for Clean Energy

Ann Florini July 1, 2010
Government and corporate helplessness to stop oil gushing from a broken pipe in the Gulf of Mexico is a depressing reminder of the world’s utter dependence on a limited supply of fossil fuel that poses so many environmental threats. US President Barack Obama suggested that the accident could transform the nation’s energy policy, much as the 9/11 attacks altered US approach to security. But the...

Germany's Export Boom Has Trade Partners Stewing

Armin Mahler, Christian Reiermann, Wolfgang Reuter, Janko Tietz June 30, 2010
Fortunes turn quickly, and the experience of German manufacturers shows that some firms emerge from recession with renewed strength. But global trade partners that rely on deficit spending claim that German prosperity comes at others’ expense, as suggests this Spiegel Online article. Critics complain that a weak euro, German wage stability and failure to stimulate domestic demand decrease the...

African Migrant Workers Find Slim Pickings in Strawberry Fields of Southern Spain

Jean-Jacques Bozonnet June 28, 2010
In Spain, migrant men called “ghosts,” live in hidden plywood shacks adjoining berry fields, and wait for the next season’s harvest. But weather and laws have disrupted the plans of many who travel from Africa and Eastern Europe seeking work on berry farms. In 2008, Spain aimed to reduce immigration by reducing the number of temporary work permits for harvests. The country’s unemployment rate...

Growing Challenges of Energy and Environment – Part II

Olivier Cattaneo June 24, 2010
Reliance on carbon fuels varies wildly among developed and undeveloped countries. Nations that have yet to take action on limiting carbon emissions are not necessarily the globe’s major polluters. This two-part series examines government responses to transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and the second article describes US and European proposals to impose tariffs on nations that...

The Breach

Mark Hibbs June 14, 2010
The Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons seeks to prevent the spread of such weapons and ultimately achieve global nuclear disarmament. Only a handful of states have not ratified the treaty, among them historical rivals Pakistan and India, which amassed nuclear arsenals after the international binding agreement came into force. In 2006, a plan was announced allowing the US to sell...

Ahmadinejad’s Sugar Daddy

Gal Luft June 10, 2010
The Brazilian government is developing closer ties to Iran, even as Iran faces stringent economic sanctions for its nuclear program. By exporting ethanol, President Lula da Silva’s government seeks to help Iran, a major oil exporter that lacks refinery capacity, lessen its dependence on foreign gasoline. Assisting Iran complicates Brazil's relationship with the United States, one of the...