In The News

A Camellia Grows in Boston

Peter Del Tredici November 26, 2002
According to many scientists, the Industrial Revolution and the explosion in the use of fossil fuels have led to a worldwide rise in air and sea temperatures. Although some skeptical politicians and scientists argue against the evidence for global warming, the personal experience of Harvard's arboretum director indicates otherwise. This seasoned horticulturalist finds a degree of joy in...

Bin Laden Material Found at Alleged Bali Mastermind's House

November 25, 2002
The interrogation of the prime suspect of the Bali blast in October and forensic evidence have raised the tantalizing possibility that the attack was a suicide bombing. If this turns out to be true this would be the first suicide attack by a Muslim in Indonesia, perhaps in Southeast Asia. While suicide attacks by Tamil Tiger guerillas in Sri Lanka has been a common phenomenon and in recent years...

Tragic Mistake

November 24, 2002
The globalization of television and bigger opportunities for commercial gain by promoters of beauty contests have in recent years expanded the number of countries who want to host such international contests. But that commercial drive has run up against tradition and religious beliefs in many countries. A Saudi Arabian English-language paper blames the Nigerian government for the violence by...

The Globalist Cookbook

Chris Mooney November 24, 2002
Images of American cultural dominance – McDonald’s, Hollywood, and megastores – rile groups as diverse as Muslim fundamentalists, French nationalists, and anti-globalization activists. But Tyler Cowen, a pro-free market cultural economist, sees opportunity in the globalization of culture. “Capitalist multiculturalism” offers consumers different options – in their restaurants, music, and fine...

Thaksin Dismisses 'Time' Terror Report

November 22, 2002
Governments understand the influence of international publications. A Time magazine article disclosing terrorist training bases in Thailand has riled Thai officials. "It is not acceptable that a world-standard magazine like Time would run a report that quoted only a single source. The magazine's report… is close to fiction," said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. A Royal Thai...

Police Say Bali Mastermind Was a Cool Killer

November 22, 2002
Imam Samudra, who Indonesian authorities say was the mastermind behind the bombing of a nightclub in Bali, can be seen as a product of the dark side of globalization. A star student in high school, police describe him as an "architectural computer expert" and an engineer. In addition to his computer skills, he is also believed to have spent some time in Malaysia and completed terrorist...

A Beleaguered Hemisphere

November 22, 2002
Hailed as a shining example of the merits of free trade and democratic reforms in the early 1990s, Latin America has become burdened by a series of economic downturns and tumultuous political conditions. Addressing its concerns in isolation does not seem like a viable option. With events in other world regions demanding attention from the United States, the problems of its southern neighbor have...