In The News

Migration Laws May Be the End of Globalization

Branko Milanovic August 1, 2006
The first worldwide era of economic globalization ended with the carnage and insecurity of two World Wars separated by a Depression, according to author Branko Milanovic. The end of the current era, he writes, will not necessarily come from global catastrophe, but rather with “an economic retrenchment that brings economic stagnation and consigns billions of people to grinding poverty.”...

The Core Issue: Musharraf

V. Sudarshan July 31, 2006
As recently as 2005, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared an “irreversible” peace process between their two countries. However, terrorist attacks in a series of Indian cities undermined that accord, and the G-8, abiding by India’s request, has put the Pakistani government on watch. Government sources in India speculate on potential connections...

Managing Globalization: Why Trade Talks Do Little for the Poorer Countries

Daniel Altman July 31, 2006
With failure of the Doha Round talks, many ask whether free trade really benefits developing countries. Two studies suggest no, though each differ on the root cause of such a global dilemma, according to “International Herald Tribune” columnist Daniel Altman, and that reveals the complexities of trade. Sandra Polaski of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argues that lowering tariffs...

US Shares Blame for Trade Talk Collapse

Lael Brainard July 28, 2006
An unsatisfactory end to the Doha Round of trade talks also signals the end of a US policy of “competitive liberalization,” writes economist Lael Brainard. Until now, this policy included pursuing bilateral and regional trade agreements with the hope of unlocking worldwide multilateral negotiations. The failure of Doha, with midterm elections approaching in the US, makes it unlikely that...

The Future of Globalization

July 27, 2006
The failure of the Doha Round represents the “defeat of the common good by special interest politics,” leaving both the world’s richest and poorest nations at a disadvantage. World Trade Organization members react with the same apathy that led to the breakdown. In the context of robust global economic growth and temptation toward one-on-one trade agreements, apathy led to the breakdown and...

Why Monday’s Collapse of the Doha Round Negotiations Is the Best Outcome for Developing Countries

Walden Bello July 27, 2006
Many mourn failure of the Doha Round as a setback for the citizens of the world’s most impoverished countries, yet author Walden Bello contends that the outcome may be best for the developing economies. Rather than delivering aid, Doha’s unequal provisions could strip farmers of any means to protect their products with tariffs, subjecting them to fierce competition of a global economy. Non-...

Pascal Lamy: What Now Trade Ministers?

Pascal Lamy July 27, 2006
The stalemate in the Doha Round could yet be overcome, suggests Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization. Disputes over subsidies for agriculture and rich nations stalled the trade agreement. According to Lamy, the strongest advocates for slashing subsidies balk at opening markets and vice versa. As a result, poor nations will feel the brunt of unequal trade policies. As a...