In The News

A Path to Global Disarmament

Hans Blix October 5, 2006
With North Korea threatening to test a nuclear weapon and openly blast its way into the nuclear club, the world is at a dangerous crossroads. The world community must craft careful responses to the states that are determined to become nuclear powers, writes Hans Blix, chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission. History has shown that incentives work better than threats. The...

How to Fix the Global Economy

Joseph E. Stiglitz October 4, 2006
The world has many imbalances, including ballooning debt held by the US and China’s growing trade surplus. World leaders recognize the problems – but tend to place blame on policies from other countries. Economist Joseph Stiglitz suggests that the problems are interconnected in many ways, systemic in nature, and therefore require a global effort. He urges every country to examine its own...

How to Buy Image

Ayman El-Amir October 2, 2006
Some Muslim leaders ponder the value of investing in Western media corporations to encourage greater appreciation of Islamic culture and ideas globally. But buying a new image is not so easy, and propaganda makes no profits, warns journalist Ayman El-Amir. “A successful media venture has to be an integral part of the socio-economic and political fabric of the nation,” he writes. Value systems...

Man and His Endangered Home

Bo Ekman September 28, 2006
In their single-minded pursuit of economic growth and wealth, human beings could be collectively working themselves out of a home. Human activities systematically degrade the water, air and other surroundings that sustain life. The problem is not with pending shortages of resources, argues systems analyst and philanthropist Bo Ekman, but a rapidly growing population and new generations that...

Bouquet of Roses May Have Note: “Made in China”

Keith Bradsher September 27, 2006
China’s plan to export cut flowers is less about conquering another industry and more about creating jobs in provinces other than those along the crowded, booming coast. Roses from impoverished Yunnan Province, grown and packed by workers who earn about $25 per month, have suddenly swept the global market. The Chinese government invested in greenhouses, airports, roads and other infrastructure...

Sobering Conclusions on Why Jihad Has Spread

Karen DeYoung September 27, 2006
Statisticians caution that correlations don’t necessarily prove cause and effect. After the leak of a US intelligence document that bleakly points out the war in Iraq has rallied extremists globally, the US president did not argue with the consensus document from 16 intelligence agencies. Instead, he quickly declassified a few sections and insisted that the findings demonstrate US progress in...

Economic Forum Warns US of Budget Deficit's Ill Effects

Marcus Walker September 27, 2006
Mired in debt, the US has lost its competitive edge, dropping from first to sixth place in one year, according to the World Economic Forum. While debt decreases the nation’s flexibility and ability to sustain economic growth, the US still leads in innovation, as demonstrated by patents and quality of university of research, notes a chief economist for the forum. However, an $8.49 trillion debt...