In The News

Climate Change After Kyoto – A Blueprint for a Realistic Approach

Peter J. Wilcoxen May 28, 2008
Leaders of developed nations have long attempted to push the US into action on climate change – and public support has been building in the US itself for such action. As a result, the candidates competing for US president are in agreement that climate change is a problem and that the US government should take action. One obstacle, though, to strong, quick action is the reliance of US citizens on...

The Paradox of Muslim Weakness

Sadanand Dhume May 27, 2008
Seven years after 9/11, views on the Islamist threat remain polarized and both are flawed, argues journalist and author Sadanand Dhume: The right overplays the danger to Europe and the United States, while the left underestimates its impact on Muslim-majority countries. Ironically, the very patterns of weakness in Muslim societies strengthen minority Islamists, among the most organized and...

Crisis and Response – Part III

Wenran Jiang May 23, 2008
An earthquake, 7.9 in magnitude, struck China on May 12, in the midst of global protests about the country’s crackdown on Tibet, complaints about press censorship and grumbling about trade imbalances. This YaleGlobal series compares the domestic and international responses to the earthquake disaster in Sichuan Province and the May 2 cyclone that devastated Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta. The Burmese...

YouTube Declines Senator Lieberman Request to Remove Terrorist-Produced Videos

Heather Havenstein May 23, 2008
If US Senator Joe Lieberman had his way, videos of a droning Osama bin Laden and fuzzy car bombs would be banned from the internet. YouTube – the popular site for short internet videos on all manner of topics, from pets to politics – rejected his request to remove videos sponsored by terrorist organizations that “promote violence against the West,” writes Heather Havenstein for Computerworld....

Ethiopia Puts Logo on Its Hottest Export

Aaron O. Patrick May 21, 2008
Legend has it that centuries ago a young Ethiopian shepherd first discovered the taste and energy-boosting powers associated with the coffee plant. Globalization was not a word then, but the drink made from the plant’s beans quickly gained popularity the world over. The government of Ethiopia – setting out to highlight the special quality of its coffee and pursue licensing agreements with...

Crisis and Response – Part II

Bertil Lintner May 21, 2008
When natural disasters strike citizens expect government – authoritarian or democratic – to provide fast, efficient relief using all means possible. This YaleGlobal series explores various responses to two crises, the fierce cyclone that struck the Irrawaddy Delta of Burma and the earthquake that hit the Sichuan province of China. Burmese generals have been slow to admit the need for assistance,...

German Rift Over Dalai Lama Visit

Hugh Williamson May 20, 2008
The Dalai Lama is visiting Germany, and German political parties quarrel over his welcome and the possibility of offending China. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier refused to schedule a meeting with the Nobel laureate – and Christian Democrats, the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel, accused him of cowardice. “The differences reflect a deeper rift between Ms. Merkel and Mr....