New technology, particularly in transportation and communication sectors, hastens many global interconnections. The US presided over much technological innovation throughout the 20th century, and so supp0rters and opponents of globalization alike often equate the phenomenon with Americanization. Even so, the US often embraces some anti-global policies.
China’s rise has begun to change the system itself as well as the U.S. role in it. Given the wide ramifications of our relations, both countries have no choice but to get along with each other. The U.S. government should consistently make clear that it supports China’s rapid growth, that it views China as a necessary collaborator in international affairs whatever our differences, that the United States will remain deeply engaged in East Asia, and that it will not pursue an anti-China alliance.
Contemporary globalization has been severely jeopardized by recent turmoil. The end of the economic expansion of the 1990s, the 9/11 tragedy, and the war in Iraq have shocked the international system to an extent not seen in years. Not only have the fairness and adequacy of globalization been doubted by various parties for some time now, but lately its very irreversibility has been called into question by the sheer force of geopolitical and economic turbulence. This book considers the forces that propel globalization and those that resist it.
Shari’a is considered by many as Islamic religious law. But the cultural concept covers not only moral and legal matters, including religious rituals and rules for marriage, taxation and war, but also issues of behavior and etiquette. Modern and fundamentalist Muslims are polarized over how much modern nations can rely on Shari’a. Yale professors Abbas Amanat and Frank Griffel are editors “Shari’a: Islamic Law in the Contemporary Cotext,” a book of essays that analyze Islamic thought on justice, global citizenship, democracy, social contract and other legal topics.
Immigration allows people to escape poverty, argues Philippe Legrain, British economist and journalist. Combining reporting and economic analysis, Legrain argues that relentless patrolling borders carries hidden costs while the diversity provided by low-skilled or high-skilled migrant workers offers many benefits. In the end, Legrain, who has served as special adviser to the director-general of the World Trade Organization, argues for open borders and offers recommendations for integration.
For more than a century, the Korean Peninsula has been the focus of major powers, most recently through the six-power talks, with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States striving to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear-weapons program. Yoichi Funabashi, editor in chief of the Asahi Shimbun in Tokyo, explores the historical and security concerns of the six nations since 2002 and provides insights into future diplomacy and policymaking for the region.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to haunt the Middle East, and peace remains an elusive goal for world leaders. Journalist Mark Matthews details and analyzes the many lost opportunities for resolving the conflict in recent years, starting with George Bush’s first visit to Israel as governor of Texas and potential presidential candidate, as described in this excerpt. Matthews’ thorough reporting reveals how people affected by such conflict depend on their leaders to seek out connections, overlook cultural differences and persist in genuine dialogue that leads to peace.
The West tends to overlook Latin America, but the politics and economics of the continent remain dynamic, argues Michael Reid, editor of the Americas section of the Economist who has reported on Latin America for that publication as well as the BBC and the Guardian since 1982. Two categories of leaders have emerged in the region, one set populist and the other set outward looking, and struggle to establish a vision for the continent.
Appreciation for democracy runs deep in countries around the globe, but instability can present challenges for the system of governance. “The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World” analyzes the elements of democracy and how they have transformed global relations, the prospects for democracy in specific regions and ways to revitalize the system even in nations where regression has emerged. Renewing democracy requires education and mobilization of citizens themselves, argues Larry Diamond, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.
Entrepreneurs in the emerging economies of India and China demonstrate that they have the money, the education, the management skills and the creativity to build successful firms. In “Billions of Entrepreneurs: How China and India Are Reshaping Their Futures and Yours,” Tarun Khanna, the Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School, compares the two nations’ governance, information accessibility, infrastructure, rural challenges, soft power and foreign ties. The comparative analysis offers insights into the distinct styles and strategies of the two Asian giants.
