In The News

BMW, Mercedes, Porsche Upstage Motown Makes

Heidi Sylvester January 10, 2003
Globalization has resulted in the creation of multinational corporations whose activities span the globe. Now, even as Germany experiences an economic downturn, with the demand for new automobiles declining, German automakers have been able to enjoy profits thanks to the increasing demand for their products in the United States. The companies predict continued growth in the demand for German...

Chiang Mai Aviation: Outcry over Air-Hub Plan

Choosak Jirasakunthai January 9, 2003
Thailand's government is being criticized for even considering allowing Singapore Airlines to turn the Thai city of Chiang Mai into a regional aviation hub. Several Thai airline operators believe that the idea of a regional hub is sound, but that its development should not be handled by foreigners. One executive worries that "If Singapore Airlines is allowed to operate the regional...

Power to the Privileged

Amy Chua January 7, 2003
A central theme of global integration in recent years has been the spread of free markets and democracy. Yale professor Amy Chua argues that these features of globalization can create serious problems in countries where economic levers lie in the hands of an ethnic minority. She gives the example of Venezuela, where a president elected by the poorer section of society and the majority ethnic...

Latin America's Explosive Debt

Hilton L. Root December 19, 2002
The spiraling economic woes of Argentina, Brazil, and other Latin American countries virtually fill the headlines every few months. What can governments in the region do to reverse negative trends and move their economies back to an era of growth and prosperity? Many people in Latin America blame open-market economic policies for their dilemma, and many politicians looking to win on election...

The Next Africa?

Nicholas D. Kristof December 10, 2002
Argentina has preceded its South American neighbors in one of the worst financial crises the continent has ever seen. Its once-prosperous inhabitants are scrounging for food and collecting recyclables to make a living, and Argentina is poised to become the next Africa, Nicholas Kristof writes. Tumultuous political situations and falling per capita income are leaving the people Venezuela, Brazil...

Vivendi Set to Agree Shanghai Theme Park

Richard McGregor December 6, 2002
In a surprise turnaround for Disney, Shanghai has decided to favor Universal Parks and Resorts, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal, with plans to open a theme park outside the city. Disney had originally negotiated with Shanghai to open its own theme park outside of the city. However, the slow process of the deal, the competition with Disney’s proposed theme park in Hong Kong, and the exorbitant...

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...