In The News

Diplomatic Pressure Narrows Iran’s Nuclear Options

Leonard S. Spector May 25, 2010
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons allows non-nuclear nations to engage in scientific research on using nuclear power for peaceful purposes. States cannot engage in the transfer of nuclear material without safeguards, and non-nuclear states agree to accept safeguards and verification to prevent any diversion from peaceful uses toward weapon programs. The five-year NPT review...

Moscow Furious, Says US Not Pushing Drug War in Afghanistan

Fred Weir May 25, 2010
Perhaps better than anyone, veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan understand the challenges confronting NATO in its attempt to stabilize the region. But Russians express concern that more drugs from Afghanistan cross over their borders and those of former Soviet satellites. Russian authorities suggest that the drug trade is linked to terrorism and NATO could do more to control and destroy...

The Web of Globalization

Nayan Chanda May 24, 2010
Can a country withdraw from globalization, or for that matter, give up democracy in order to benefit from global capital flow? In this column, YaleGlobal editor Nayan Chanda dissects the recent argument offered by Harvard economist Dani Rodrik, who suggests that “economic globalization, political democracy, and the nation-state are mutually irreconcilable.” Crises that disrupt global capital...

Behind the Drama in Europe Lies a Global Crisis

Edmund Conway May 20, 2010
The debt crisis in Greece exposes challenges for lenders and borrowers throughout Europe – testing cooperation and governance on the continent. National governments disagree on many matters ranging from stricter regulations for hedge funds to a proposal requiring approval for national budgets from the European Commission. Politicians – seeking to maintain their hold on power – are wary of...

Taming Globalization? Kebabs, Mini-Skirts and Meth – Part I

Jamsheed K. Choksy and Carol E.B. Choksy May 18, 2010
Politicians try to rile or sooth citizens as needed with a few select details of globalization. Yet with the speed and far-reaching nature of modern trade, travel and communication, these attempts to corral bits and pieces of globalization are futile. A savvy public – young or old – comes to understand other intricate connections and recognize the attempts as distractions from far more serious...

Fears Intensify That Euro Crisis Could Snowball

Nelson D. Schwartz, Eric Dash May 17, 2010
As Europe strives to bail out Greece and other nations in serious debt, global investors ponder the long-term effects of huge imbalances. The worry is that countries with massive debt like Spain and Portugal can weaken strongholds like Germany and France, reports an article in the New York Times. Economically strong countries that hold problem debt may be forced into restructuring plans even as...

Emerging Green Technology Poses Threat of Trade Wars

Bruce Stokes May 14, 2010
Smart investors recognize that cheap oil won’t last forever and emerging green technologies could revolutionize everyday business as much as computers did. As with any new technology, nations compete to perfect and produce new products for the world, making lots of money along the way, explains international economics columnist Bruce Stokes. But Stokes warns that the global trading system lacks...