In The News

Abe to Seek Cuba’s Help Over North Korea and Boost Trade

Ayako Mie September 21, 2016
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making an unprecedented trip to Cuba off the heels of North Korea’s fifth nuclear test and the UN General Assembly. Cuba has been an ally of North Korea, while Japan and North Korea have strained relations due to the abduction of Japanese citizens and the potential for a close-range nuclear attack. Increased investment in Cuba reflects a larger pattern in...

Unpalatable Choices: Facing North Korea's Nuclear Reality

Bennett Ramberg September 20, 2016
North Korea has alarmed the international community by detonating another nuclear weapon, its fifth, along with other missile tests. The United States and other nations must develop new military and diplomatic strategies as Pyongyang positions itself as a credible nuclear-armed state, urges author and security analyst Bennett Ramberg. Unfortunately, North Korea cannot be trusted and the regime...

Even Peace May Not Save Syria

Robin Wright September 20, 2016
Russia and the US had tried for a ceasefire, starting September 12, that lasted a week. Fighting has resumed after the United States mistakenly fired on Syrian troops and then accused Syrian troops of firing on an aid convoy. Russia and Syria each denied striking the convoy. The UN has suspended aid deliveries and a consensus has emerged among experts that Syria may never be a united country...

Is the Bayer-Monsanto Merger Too Big To Succeed?

David Francis September 19, 2016
Bayer, a major pharmaceutical and chemical multinational based in Germany, seeks to expand reach in agriculture and crop science. Its proposed acquisition of Monsanto is “the largest all-cash transaction in history” and a crescendo of “a string of combinations in the industry,” explains David Francis for Foreign Policy. This consolidated corporation would sell approximately one quarter of the...

A Giant Problem

September 19, 2016
In the age of globalization, giant “superstar companies” such as Apple and Google are skilled at eliminating competition which poses a risk for backlash. The Economist suggests that levels of market concentration in the Americas are especially worrying. Many corporations search out tax havens, evade regulations and collect data from customers. Public trust is wearing thin. The Economist urges...

Globalization Goes National

Tyler Cowen September 16, 2016
Global trade is slowing and a contributing factor could be that large and geographically fragmented nations focus on internal economic integration, as explained by Tyler Cowen for Bloomberg: “many nations lack integrated economic relations within their borders, and thus they could reap high gains from trade by opening up internally.” Improved communications via the internet strengthen internal...

Hawaiian Seafood Caught by Foreign Crews Who Are Confined on Boats

Martha Mendoza and Margie Mason September 16, 2016
Some fishing fleets along the US West Coast rely on foreign crews confined onboard for months at a time even when the vessels are in port. Federal laws allow the immigrant labor with low wages and no labor protections for what is ranked among the most dangerous jobs in the world. “With no legal standing on U.S. soil, the men are at the mercy of their American captains on American-flagged,...