In The News

Field of Tears

Jonathan Watts September 16, 2003
Although we cannot know whether Lee Kyung-hae intended to die when he stabbed himself in the heart at last week's WTO meeting in Cancun, people in his hometown see him as a hero who would have given his life to bring attention to the plight of South Korean farmers displaced by trade liberalization. Once a successful farmer and advocate of modern farmer techniques – he even received an award...

Concern over GM Papayas Raised by Jao

Chiu Yu-Tzu September 16, 2003
Genetically modified foods are not only causing a stink in the US, Europe, and Africa. In Taiwan, legislators and environmentalists are crying foul over the discovery of two GM papaya plants found growing outside of an experimental field. One environmental activist argues that "the government should immediately launch a safety assessment regarding GM papayas," citing a US case in...

China Protectionism Equals Votes

Christian Bourge September 15, 2003
US Treasury Secretary John Snow's failure to convince China to float its currency has been met with dismay by the Bush administration. As American unemployment grows in the manufacturing-heavy swing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, Bush is looking to place blame elsewhere before he has to compete in the 2004 presidential election. China seemed like a good target – the US has a...

The War on Terror is Not a Clash of Cultures

Alexander Downer September 15, 2003
Following the violence of September 11th and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it has become common to hear that Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations" thesis (presented over a decade ago in a Foreign Affairs article) has come to pass. Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer is not so quick to agree. Rather than see the war on terror as a vindication of...

China Joins the Global Economy - Part One

David Zweig September 15, 2003
Just over two decades ago, China was a vast, poor country whose centrally-planned economy offered its citizenry little hope for an improved standard of living. After a series of market-oriented reforms, however, many Chinese now regularly enjoy luxuries that were once reserved for the elite. In part one of a 2-part series on China's entry into the world economy, China expert David Zweig...

Only a Miracle Can Save China

Moisés Naím September 14, 2003
China may be growing too strong too fast for its own good. Rapid urbanization, an upwardly mobile middle class, and strained utilities and resources make an economic or political "accident" within the next decade inevitable, argues Moisés Naím. No state thus far has managed to expand so quickly in so many different directions without experiencing some sort of collapse—and China's...

Australians Wake Up to Risks of Air Travel

Ross Peake September 13, 2003
The Australian government is considering subsidizing decoy systems to protect against missile attacks on its commercial airliners. The move comes in the wake of government reports that such an attack is more likely than a traditional hijacking. At least 24 terrorist organizations are said to possess shoulder-launched missiles. Terrorists have already fired the weapons at an Israeli charter plane...