In The News

Copenhagen: Yet Another Giant Beginning with an Uncertain End

Scott Barrett December 21, 2009
As feared by many, the UN conference on climate change has produced a lame document which can, most charitably be described as a beginning. As environmental economist Scott Barrett notes, previous meetings on the environment were also called a beginning but have not ended in anything tangible. Despite a long period spent on negotiations, the final outcome is a short text that reflects a lowest-...

Bickering by Champions of Globalization in Asia Worries the Region

Sadanand Dhume December 17, 2009
India and China seem to be locking horns more frequently of late, setting off alarm bells that a long standing rivalry may rekindle overt conflict. As journalist Sadanand Dhume relates, the countries have sparred over issues as diverse as delimiting borders, development loans from international agencies, trade, and the Dalai Lama. While India might be the weaker of the two, China has more room...

Laos Steps into the Globalized World

Bertil Lintner December 15, 2009
Laos’ hosting of the Southeast Asian Games is in some way a metaphor for the country’s entrance into the globalized world. And Laos has crossed that threshold holding China’s hand, according to journalist Bertil Lintner. As a land-locked country, Laos decided to become “land-linked” to China. In other words, the constraints of geo-politics meant Vientiane had two choices: wallow in isolation or...

Liberals Losing the Battle?

Shahid Kardar December 11, 2009
Liberals and moderates in Pakistan are becoming a minority. In a recent poll, 86 percent of the respondents believed that religion should have some role in politics. Such a statistic is not surprising when moderate and civilian governments are unable to provide Pakistanis with a decent education, good governance, or basic health services. Is it any wonder, then, that so many gravitate to madrasas...

US Opinion Turns Against the Globalism of its President

Bruce Stokes December 10, 2009
All of President Obama’s internationalist and multi-lateral policies may come to naught if he cannot convince Americans that such a strategy is in their best interest. Moreover, if American public opinion cannot be reversed, an insular country could erode US international standing and weaken its ability to obtain a consensus on a wide range of issues, according to columnist Bruce Stokes....

U.S. Faces Rising Resistance to Its Latin American Policy

Jose de Cordoba, David Luhnow December 4, 2009
Recent developments in Latin America − Brazil’s rising power, China’s growing influence, and Venezuela’s anti-American bloc − are undercutting American influence in a region where the US has long maintained a preeminent position. The Obama administration is finding more resistance to its plans and decisions. This was seen most recently in the failure of an American plan to resolve the political...

Iranian Crackdown Goes Global

Farnaz Fassihi December 4, 2009
Iranians abroad who used Facebook and Twitter to protest the controversial elections are receiving emails threatening their relatives back in Iran. Immigrants who return home are detained at the airport, where they are shown videos taken of them participating in protests in countries of their residence or are forced to log in to their Facebook accounts. Residents of Iran report being harassed and...