In The News

Controlling Carrots and Sticks

Michael M. Phillips July 5, 2006
By creating the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in 2002, the Bush administration attempted to reshape how the US distributes foreign aid. The MCC allocates aid based on more than a dozen criteria, such as control of corruption and civil liberties. Thus far, the MCC has not had any qualms about denying or suspending aid to countries that do not meet its guidelines. This strict adherence...

A Nuclear Hand of Friendship

Vinod Khosla July 4, 2006
India is not a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; its first nuclear tests were conducted after the treaty’s 1967 deadline, and it is not formally recognized as a nuclear power. Because India will unlikely submit its reactors to the NPT guidelines without such recognition, Vinod Khosla sees the agreement between that country and the US as a positive way to draw India into the...

Globalization’s Hidden Benefits

Richard W. Fisher July 4, 2006
Globalization has its roots in the logic of capitalism and will continue to advance, unless authorities make a concerted effort to reverse or halt it. While some critics malign globalization, increasing evidence suggests that its benefits go hand in hand with fair, conscientious policies. Globalization rewards decision-making that serves the interests of many types of people living in diverse...

Globalization and Muslim Identity Challenges and Prospects

Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk July 3, 2006
Providing five definitions, author Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk describes how most Muslims understand “globalization” as an ongoing and ancient concept that is in its most rapid stage of development. Using the theories of scholars such as Francis Fukuyama and Samuel P. Huntington, Abushouk chronicles historical clashes between what have been termed as “Western” and Muslim civilizations, as well as the...

Dealing With Terrorists: Sometimes Talking Is the Lesser Evil

Martin Griffiths July 3, 2006
Using dialogue to find political solutions to conflicts involving “terrorist groups” has largely been discounted in the arena of international diplomacy, writes the director of the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. Reasons for discarding this approach are threefold: By resorting to violence, terrorist groups forfeit their right to dialogue; engagement could legitimize the terrorists’ tactics; and...

Melding Faith and Tolerance

Jim Hoagland July 2, 2006
Secularism dominated the globe for the last half-century, but a religious backlash of Islamic and Christian fundamentalism is making gains. Religious fervor is the reason behind some brutal violence, from blowing up abortion clinics to suicide bombings in Jerusalem. Citing the phenomenon as a response to the rapid modernization of the globe, Author Jim Hoagland calls on political leaders to...

A Promise Not Kept

Paul Blustein June 30, 2006
Few can deny that the wealthiest nations have an edge over poor countries when it comes to trade – and many economists argue that opening US and European markets to agricultural goods from small nations could substantially reduce poverty. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has repeatedly tried to address the inequities since 2001, with its Doha round of talks. Reducing farm tariffs and subsidies...