In The News

The New Backlash Against Globalization

Harold James June 9, 2016
Globalization has shifted in recent years and the anti-globalization movement has, too, with more focus on immigration than trade. In an essay for Project Syndicate, Harold James, professor of history at Princeton University, suggests trends in travel may contribute to diminished trust. Many people embark on global travel, but with “quick, superficial experiences” rather than immersion in another...

American Capitalism’s Great Crisis

Rana Foroohar June 8, 2016
Young Americans no longer perceive benefits from capitalism, and such sentiments will influence the outcome of the US presidential election. The system of US market capitalism is broken, explains Rana Foroohar, author and Time magazine’s assistant managing editor for economics and business. Only about 15 percent of wealth from individual and corporate savings is invested in businesses for adding...

China’s Internet Policy Offers the Wrong Kind of Lessons

Pete Hunt June 8, 2016
Authoritarians may eye China’s system of internet censorship, known as the Great Firewall, with envy, but other governments may struggle to apply the Chinese model, suggests internet policy analyst Pete Hunt. “China’s real lesson to the world, in turns out, is that maintaining cyber sovereignty is an expensive endeavor with sizable opportunity costs,” he writes for the Diplomat. “The government’s...

Ambition and Chinese Hostility Push India Closer to the US

Harsh V. Pant June 7, 2016
Narendra Modi, on his fourth visit to the United States as India’s prime minister, makes a case for strengthening ties between the two nations. The relationship centers on trade, defense cooperation and concerns about China. “Indian moves towards the United States are driven in large measure by China’s openly hostile acts vis-a-vis India,” explains author Harsh V. Pant. “The Modi government’s...

Cheap Money Helped Inflate Energy Balloon

Rani Molla and Lisa Abramowicz June 7, 2016
An easy monetary policy applied by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks since 2008 to stimulate the economy after the global debt crisis may have contributed to the shale oil boom and bust. The reduced interest rates and borrowing costs may have encouraged speculative behavior among investors searching for high yields. “The increase in debt went hand in hand with a drastic increase in U...

Modi in America: Strategic Convergence Alone Won’t Deflect Scrutiny on Treatment of NGOs and Minorities

Nayan Chanda June 6, 2016
The United States fought a war in Vietnam to prevent the expansion of communism, and more than 40 years later, the two countries are strengthening ties to curb Chinese expansionism. The United States lifted a ban on arms sales to Vietnam but human rights concerns could still block transactions. US President Barack Obama, during his visit to Vietnam, insisted that human rights reinforce rather...

Why Parents Are Often the Biggest Obstacle to Achievement

Paul Phillips June 6, 2016
Education is a long route to prosperity. Parents who view children as a resource that can contribute to a family farm, business or retirement often dissuade children from pursuing full education opportunities. “Because they equate education with loss,” writes Paul Phillips, principal and chief executive of Weston College. “That is to say, if a person gets an education they will leave and never...