In The News

Big Water Companies Quit Poor Countries

John Vidal March 22, 2006
Multinational water companies are fleeing risks in developing nations that desperately need the services, reports the UN second world water development report. The report was released today with the close of the World Water Forum, which aims to raise awareness on water issues and influence policy at the global level. Companies complain about not making profits in the poor countries and...

A Floundering WTO – Part I

Edward Gresser March 21, 2006
The long-term future of global trade hangs in balance as the World Trade Organization struggles to reach consensus on desperately needed reform. A two-part series analyzes the promise WTO once held and how the pursuit of narrow and immediate gain by the richer nations may threaten the future for all. In the first article, policy analyst Edward Gresser notes that trade agreements among nations...

Tit-for-Tat Protectionism

March 20, 2006
Western powers have lost their competitive edge in the global marketplace and are responding with a wave of protectionism. Excuses range from protecting “sensitive” industries to economic “patriotism,” but global investment is under attack. One reason could be that the West has lost a competitive edge, suggests this editorial from a Singapore newspaper. Internal friction among EU member nations...

West Urged to “Tell Truth on Globalisation”

John Thornhill March 20, 2006
Western governments must stop blaming China and other developing Asian countries for trade woes and failing to tackle their own economic problems, suggests Chinese diplomat Long Yongtu, speaking at a conference in France. His comments, urging western politicians to tell the truth about the inevitable process of globalization, responded to EU and US criticisms of China’s trade practices,...

The Bolton Archipelago

Ian Williams March 16, 2006
The UN General Assembly's majority vote to create a new Human Rights Council reduced US global prestige as well as some maneuvering by John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN. The US was one of only four votes opposing a plan to replace the former Commission on Human Rights, widely regarded as ineffective. Notably, the other three votes came from Israel, the Marshall Islands and Palau - major...

Globalization Offered Two Ways: à la Carte and Prix Fixe

Daniel Gross March 15, 2006
US property owners love the high prices paid by foreign investors. But the nation can get prickly about some overseas investors: rejecting a Chinese oil company’s bid for Unocal in summer 2005 and an Arab firm’s proposal to manage operations of six US ports this month. Author Daniel Gross labels this tendency as “selective globalization syndrome.” Politicians attack symbolic deals, like the...

That Good Education Might Not Be Enough

Peter G. Gosselin March 15, 2006
During a trip to India, US President Bush met with a group of talented Indian business students, and used the occasion to dispense advice to young Americans about pursuing an education to compete in the global marketplace. By now, everyone knows that because of lopsided wages, living costs and health care benefits across the globe, the students from India can work for less income than their US...