In The News

The Fighters and the Freeloaders

Sebastian Mallaby July 17, 2006
Hezbollah’s attacks have focused on Israel, but growing extremism combined with North Korea’s missile tests and Iran’s nuclear-weapon program threaten many countries. Israel’s bombing campaign in response to Hezbollah could foreshadow a major war. Unfortunately, nations lack diplomatic options to negotiate with extremists who thrive in failed states. To avoid major conflicts, powerful nations...

The New Face of Globalization...

Evgeny Morozov July 16, 2006
The hemming and hawing of the management of the European steel company Arcelor could be seen as either an astute strategy for forcing Lakshmi Mittal to increase his bid for the company or as an attempt by the anachronistic “Old Guard” of Europe to maintain nationalism in trade. Either way, writes author Evgeny Morozov, the takeover shows that globalization has taken hold in Europe: “The Mittal...

The Death of Doha Signals the Demise of Globalization

Martin Jacques July 13, 2006
The deadlock at the Doha round signals the end of an era. The past 25 years of globalization coincided with the promotion of multilateral trade, but now both the developing and developed nations turn their interests elsewhere. As the US and other developed countries slide toward protectionism, developing countries refuse to accept the type of unfavorable agreements that once characterized...

Deadly Conversations

Gabriel Weimann July 13, 2006
One tends to tar the Islamic militants with the same brush of terrorism, and the internet is seen as the outlet for their propaganda and grisly videos. However, conflicting perspectives of Al Qaeda and other terrorist factions found on the web could be a valuable tool for understanding their motivations and strategies, thus enabling governments to develop effective counter-strategies and prevent...

Megaplayers Vs. Micropowers

Moisés Naím July 12, 2006
The globe has entered an era of instability according to Moisés Naím, editor in chief of “Foreign Policy,” and that has opened opportunities for small, but highly competitive forces in the business, political and financial worlds. Some examples: Multinational corporations like Royal Dutch Shell no longer protests movements toward nationalization of oil supplies in small Latin American countries...

Why Globalization Isn’t a Win-Win Situation

Stephen Roach July 12, 2006
A bilateral US-China trade relationship poses some dangers, according to global economist Stephen Roach. US policies encourage over-consumption and under-production in the global economy, resulting in a low saving rate and stagnating wages for middle-class workers. China’s policies focus on rapid over-production, a massive surplus of goods, a high savings rate, as well as wage inflation of...

Effect of Climate Change on Oceans Gaining Attention

Tom Paulson July 11, 2006
Richard Feely of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has long reported on how carbon emissions increase acidity of the world’s oceans. In June, a panel of scientists confirmed his findings about the destruction of ocean habitat in a federal report. The report recommends more fieldwork about the effect of carbon dioxide in acidifying the ocean. The oceans have long absorbed...