In The News

Globalization and the Middle East: Part Two

Frank Griffel January 21, 2003
Far from being anathema to Islamic societies of the Middle East, globalization has strengthened Islamic fundamentalism in the region by facilitating extensive networks of formerly dissociated Muslims - so says Yale Islamic Studies professor Frank Griffel, in the second half of this series on globalization and the Middle East. "A close look into the Islamic world reveals that it does indeed...

Globalization and the Middle East: Part One

Barry Rubin January 16, 2003
Globalization has been heralded both as the savior and the damnation of the world. Especially the attitude of Islamic countries towards all that globalization brings has been a matter of intense debate. In the first of two-part series, Middle East scholar Barry Rubin argues that unlike regions like Latin America or East Asia the Islamic nations of the Middle East have responded negatively to...

A Discussion On Ethical Globalization

January 15, 2003
Is globalization unethical? That seems to be the view of many critics of globalization. Former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson is taking an initiative to address that concern. The Ethical Globalization Initiative that she directs seeks to integrate human rights norms and standards into a more ethical globalization process and to...

Globalization: Concept and Concerns

C. Rangarajan January 6, 2003
Writing for The Hindu, India’s national newspaper, C. Rangarajan outlines the concept of economic globalization and its problems. One of the concerns of the current period of globalization is its connection to unequal distribution of wealth within and between countries. Looking at ‘developing economies,’ and at India in particular, Rangarajan examines the impact globalization has had so far and...

Looking at History in the Light of Globalization

Bruce Mazlish January 3, 2003
Although there is nothing totally new under the sun, there is merit in studying the past from the newly acquired global perspective. The traditional way of looking at history - bound in geographical space and bracketed in a particular time period - is no longer adequate. Scientific and technological advance allows us to look at the earth from “outside” as a unit, and challenges us to trace...

Pew Survey Finds America’s Global Stature Diminished

December 4, 2002
The globalization of media and the information technology revolution have made American actions visible to the entire world. In a wide-sweeping survey of 38,000 people in 44 countries – a feat accomplished in large part thanks to globalization – the Pew Foundation finds a gloomy image of the US overseas. From the state of American democracy to America's unilateralist stance in the...

Behold the Leviathan

Kari Huus November 26, 2002
In a time of much political and economic uncertainty at the international level, MSNBC conducted a series of interviews with people around the world, asking them to comment on several aspects of American policy and culture. Democracy, equality, and freedom—fundamental virtues and values—received much admiration from those surveyed abroad. When asked about America’s foreign policy, they changed...