In The News

A Tool for Democracy Could Use Some Help

Robert E. Hunter August 19, 2005
In 2000, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright formed the Community of Democracies, an organization dedicated to fostering cooperation among democratic nations and promoting democracy worldwide – starting with 10 nations. Former diplomat Robert Hunter details the challenges for the CD, including perceived competition with the UN and some contradictory membership criteria. Hunter points out...

Shared Pasts, Different Futures

Abdel-Moneim Said August 19, 2005
Often, examining the past sheds light on events of the present. It is in this vein that Abdel-Moneim Said, in Al-Ahram Weekly, explores a crucial issue: "Is jihad a reaction to colonial oppression?" Using China's turbulent history as a basis for comparison, Said finds that violence is not always the only viable response to such oppression. Indeed, from the Opium Wars to forced...

Edwardian Summer

Larry Elliott August 18, 2005
Can the world learn from its past follies? The Guardian economics editor Larry Elliott examines this question, as he draws parallels between the "first" age of globalization – just prior to World War I – and the current second phase. There are several similarities between the two eras: belief in unrestricted capital flows and free trade, profound income inequality, and large-scale...

How to Be Weapon-Ready NPT Members

Leonard S. Spector August 16, 2005
The simmering trouble with the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs has come to a head, raising serious questions about the future of nonproliferation. These two countries' – one former and one current signatory of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) – new demands that bend, but do not explicitly break, the NPT rules have resulted in a dangerous standoff. Nonproliferation expert...

World Is Heading for Oil Price Shock

George Magnus August 16, 2005
Global oil prices have been gradually approaching record levels. While many analysts believe the implications of this increase are minor, there may actually be cause for concern. Increasing demands for energy, particularly from China and India, highlight a growing supply problem. The global supply of oil is not going to run out, per se, but producers will likely struggle to meet the increased...

Wiki-mania

Rory O'Connor August 12, 2005
Wikipedia – the free online encyclopedia that allows anyone to create or modify its contents – is revolutionizing information technology. Drawing more traffic than the websites of The New York Times and USA Today combined, Wikipedia has seen explosive growth in merely two years, becoming one of the 50 most-visited websites in the world. In addition to its use of open-source technology, what...

Muslims Unite! A New Reformation Will Bring Your Faith into the Modern Era

Salman Rushdie August 11, 2005
The British government's strategy of relying on traditional, but essentially orthodox, Muslims to help eradicate Islamist radicalism is ineffective, writes Salman Rushdie. Traditional Islam is a broad church that includes millions of tolerant, moderate believers – as well as those at odds with the cultures among which they live. What is truly needed to combat terrorism, says Rushdie, is a...