In The News

The Challenge of Global Health

Laurie Garrett December 20, 2006
Wealthy nations and their citizens donate billions in cash to end AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and some other high-profile problems in the developing world. But with uncoordinated programs, lacking in sustainability and long-term planning, the fast flow of cash could make problems worse, not better, argues health analyst and author Laurie Garrett. Studies have shown that focusing on high-profile...

Theologians Battle Female Circumcision

Amira El Ahl December 19, 2006
The World Health Organization estimates that up to 140 million women worldwide are circumcised, most living in Africa, with some also in Asia and the Middle East. Some cultures – mostly in Africa, but also in Asia – have embraced female circumcision for thousands of years, expecting it to decrease sexual desire in women. The practice is common in Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, but not in Iraq,...

Recalculating the Costs of Global Climate Change

Hal R. Varian December 18, 2006
Without immediate action to reduce global warming, the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change warns that governments around the world risk severe economic damage, predicting a 20 percent reduction in the global gross domestic product. Economists have scrutinized the 700-page report, and express some concerns. William D. Nordhaus of Yale questions Stern’s valuation of future generations...

What I've Learned

Kofi A. Annan December 13, 2006
Global security does not rest in one nation seeking supremacy over all others, notes Kofi A. Annan, who ends his term as UN secretary general. Rhetoric alone cannot resolve global problems as immense and far-reaching as nuclear proliferation to global warming, and cohesive action from multiple nations is necessary. Likewise, poverty anywhere threatens the stability of nations around the globe. “...

Everybody Wants One Now

December 12, 2006
English-language television news channels have been cropping up all over the globe, in places as diverse as China, Russia, the Middle East and, surprisingly enough, in France. Many of these stations are at least partly government-owned, and some viewers question their ability to avoid becoming a mouthpiece for certain policies. Proponents counter that these broadcasts will cover areas neglected...

“Fair Trade” Lifts the Wrong Boats

Rick Newman December 12, 2006
Subsidies, tariffs and other forms of protectionism shield weak competitors – sometimes ending their ability to ever compete again in the global markets. The US auto and textile markets serve as examples. Three decades ago, US auto firms had protections in place, bashing competitors in Japan, but Japanese auto firms thrive and present efficient, desirable models. The textile industry, with its...

“Fair Trade” Foolishness

Robert Samuelson December 8, 2006
US politicians may oppose new trade agreements with nations like Peru and Colombia, but other nations will fill the void. The US could punish its own exporters by rejecting such trade agreements. The basis for such rejection is not so much traditional protectionism, suggests columnist Robert Samuelson, but rather an obstructionism and alarm at the notion of any trade at all. US citizens worry...