In The News

Toyota, Moving Northward

Paul Krugman July 25, 2005
When Toyota decided to build a new assembly plant in Canada's Ontario, despite being wooed by many American states, they opted for a location with a publicly funded health care scheme as well as high-quality public education. The idea that big government can actually help attract global business is a commonplace in Canada, but is anathema to most American decision makers. If more businesses...

America’s Truth Deficit

William Greider July 18, 2005
With countless jobs moving overseas and a growing trade deficit amounting to 25 percent of GDP, the United States today is losing ground in global competition and becoming more dependent on its strategic rivals. Leaders in politics, business, finance, and the news media have long been reluctant to discuss these problems. Instead they have obscured the trade problems with debates about currency...

Brazilians Streaming into US Through Mexican Border

Larry Rohter June 30, 2005
After Mexicans themselves, Brazilians make up the largest proportion of migrants entering the US via the Mexican border. Taking advantage of Mexico's waiving of entrance visa requirements for Brazilians, those looking to enter the US for work and residence frequently sign up with a trafficking agency to transport them into America. Though Brazil's economy is flourishing, employment and...

Brazil's Trade Perspectives: Avoiding the "Flight of the Chicken"

Marcos Jank June 22, 2005
The ascending economic star of South America, Brazil has enjoyed a substantial trade surplus in recent years, profiting from macroeconomic factors such as the devaluation of the Brazilian currency and productivity gains in export-oriented sectors of the economy. To sustain these favorable trade conditions, recommends InfoBrazil contributor Marcos Jank, Brazil should implement a series of short...

In Spite of Offshoring, US Students Can Still Engineer a Career

David Wessel June 20, 2005
A new report by McKinsey & Co. concludes that the nominal demand for engineering jobs in the US will not wane in the next few years in spite of the potential of offshoring. While there are more university-trained professionals in low-wage countries, many of them, according to the report, are unfit for the jobs demanded by foreign employers. Furthermore, it concludes that by the end of the...

Fallout from the War on Terror – Part II

J Alexander Thier June 16, 2005
The complex effects of the US war on terror extend far beyond security – and the unintended results are not all positive. In this two-part series, YaleGlobal explores how US anti-terrorism policy is changing America's position in the world. In part two, J Alexander Thier , a former legal adviser in Afghanistan, considers the effects of human rights violations on the US standing in the Muslim...

The Insidious Wiles of Foreign Influence

June 16, 2005
Since the end of the Cold War, and now with George W. Bush in office, the US has grown notably resistant to foreign legal influence, writes The Economist. According to this commentary, Washington exhibits a striking ambivalence with regard to international law: While the Bush administration advocates global rules on trade, finance, and international investment, it also opts out of other...