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Confucius vs. Avatar: And the Winner is…

January 25, 2010
When the movie Avatar was mysteriously pulled from the cinemas in China, bloggers and pundits alike suspected censorship. But why would a science fiction movie about 10 foot tall blue hominids cause such a stir? For one, the themes of land expropriation and forced evictions featured in the movie...

Who's Winning the War on Terror?

September 5, 2003
Two years after the September 11 attacks on the US, the American-led war on terror is far from over. Writing from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, veteran journalist and author Ahmed Rashid says that the Taliban is growing in strength, drawing support from Islamic extremists and tribal brethren in...

China Needs a National Pension System: Caixin

April 17, 2019
China posts a high savings rate, but the country needs pension reforms. Some workers do not receive benefits to which they are entitled. The median age is 37.3 and with a low fertility rate and improved health care, the population is aging. Caixin describes the pension system in crisis and need...

How Climate Disasters Can Drive Violent Conflict Around the World

August 3, 2016
Higher temperatures and rising sea levels associated with climate change are expected to contribute to food and water shortages, in turn displacing communities. “Overall, multiple studies have indicated a connection between climate and conflict, although several have suggested that the link may be...

Is Iraq Becoming a New Vietnam? - Part One

July 14, 2003
Is the American occupation of Iraq turning into a Vietnam-style quagmire? With American casualties mounting almost daily and the Bush Administration hinting at increasing troop levels, it is a question that will be asked. Historical comparisons are often misleading, because the actors and the...

Imran in Washington: Times of India

July 31, 2019
President Donald Trump, long opposed to US involvement in lengthy military campaigns, counts on Pakistan to help “extricate” his country from the war in Afghanistan. Nayan Chanda identifies a pattern in Trump’s approach on foreign challenges like North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. “Following...

America's Vulnerable Imperialism

November 24, 2003
'American imperialism' has become a common refrain for people seeking to understand the glue holding together the current international order. A variety of scholars and commentators claim authority on the topic, says author Jonathan Schell. But, he cautions, in their rush to proclaim...

Personal Privacy Is Only One of the Costs of NSA Surveillance

July 30, 2014
Politicians in the United States have not considered the economic ramifications of intrusive National Security Agency surveillance, bulk collection of data stored for future examination and a cavalier attitude that security fears trump privacy protections. Exposure of the surveillance capabilities...
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