In The News

Japanese Computer Is World’s Fastest, as U.S. Falls Back

John Markoff April 20, 2002
Japan recently unveiled a supercomputer so powerful that it would take the 20 fastest American supercomputers combined to rival it. The innovation has shocked U.S. computer scientists who have dominated the supercomputer-building scene for the last decade. Some believe the reason that the Japanese model was able to outstrip American models was the focus behind its production. The Japanese...

Bush Trades His Principles

Jagdish Bhagwati April 17, 2002
President George W. Bush is supposed to stand for free trade and open immigration. However, his recent policies speak otherwise. New steel tariffs have been applied in a preferential fashion, and immigration initiatives favor Mexicans. While some friends of the U.S., like Brazil, South Africa, and South Korea, are exempt from steel tariffs, the E.U. is not. And although the Immigration and...

New Allies May Hit Support for Anti-Globalisers

Alan Beattie April 16, 2002
While some in the anti-globalization movement, like Gail Taylor of the Colombia mobilisation, see a direct link between trade liberalization and support for leftist guerillas, others like Thea Lee of the AFL-CIO worry about the risk of merging anti-globalization and anti-war protests. Lee remarks about the AFL-CIO’s absence from protests at the IMF-World Bank meetings: “A lot of the protests seem...

The War on Terrorism Takes Aim at Crime

James Dao April 7, 2002
The United States has expanded the global war on terrorism to include fighting drug and crime syndicates that operate in countries across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Officials are targeting these networks because evidence shows a complex nexus between crime, drugs, and terrorism. The link between these networks has strengthened since the end of the Cold War, when terrorist...

Sushi Comes Home, With Cream Cheese and Chili

Howard W. French April 4, 2002
The Japanese have eaten sushi for centuries, making it an important part of their traditional cuisine. Eventually, however, sushi made its way across the Pacific, landing on American plates as an exotic luxury. Once in the United States, sushi morphed to fit American tastes, and un-Japanese ingredients like avocados and cream cheese became staples in American sushi restaurants. This globalized...

Farewell, my lovely

Christopher Parkes April 4, 2002
Hollywood has been a major force of globalization. It has successfully marketed American entertainment to the far corners of the world, and spread ideas about freedom and fun. Its success often resulted in wiping out other producers of entertainment. But the forces of globalization seem to be pinching some in Hollywood as well. This Financial Times report raises the prospect of hollowing...

From Pest to Meal: A Leap Forward?

Chris Buckley April 3, 2002
Once considered a pest by the Chinese government, sparrows have now been placed on the endangered species list. The reason: China’s widespread use of pesticides – some of which are banned in many countries – have killed many of the sparrows; in other instances, the sparrows are grilled and eaten as a snack the Chinese prize. The dwindling numbers of sparrows marks the possibility of far greater...