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Looking Back on a Good Year for Humankind
Looking back on 2011, we now can recognize that we lived through the most consequential year since the end of World War II.
The dramatic citizen uprisings and protests across the world in 2011 are signals of an emerging era that demands a renewal of democracy itself
Can Democracy Survive the Decline of the Middle Class?
The global financial crisis and the ongoing euro crisis are both products of the model of lightly regulated financial capitalism that emerged over the past three decades. Yet despite widespread anger, there has been no great upsurge of populism in response
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Globalization and the Threat to the West
Thanks to globalization, a crisis of governability has beset the Western world. The mismatch between the growing demand for good governance and its shrinking supply is one of the gravest challenges facing the West today
The Reconciliation of Capitalism and Democracy
The United States is trapped in political dysfunction, Europe is broke, authoritarian China is on the rise. Today's troubles are real enough, but they relate more to policies than to principles
The international monetary system rests on just two currencies: the dollar and the euro. They are essential to global trade and finance. Were they not widely accepted, the global economy could not sustain current levels of international trade and investment.
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2012 could be the make-or-break moment for the embattled eurozone. Europe could either continue on the path of ever-greater integration - or return to being a regional group of rival states.
Balancing the East, Upgrading the West
The United States' central challenge over the next several decades is to revitalize itself, while promoting a larger West and buttressing a complex balance in the East that can accommodate China's rising global status
Global Health: Eradication and Elimination
Historically, infectious disease eradication campaigns have achieved differing levels of success, without reaching their ultimate goal.
Global Governmental Corruption
International Security: Balanced Transition
Global Health: The Beginning of the End of AIDS?
Humanitarian Assistance:
Dead or Live AidUnited States and Europe Threaten Their Own Energy Independence
The Double Dilemma Facing Weaker National Economies
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By clinging to a paternalistic attitude and an antiquated Washington Consensus, the United States has opened up space for a broad Chinese role in Africa
While security and defense contracting in Africa is nothing new, the awarding of another multi-million dollar contract by the US State Department to a controversial private security operation is perhaps indicative of how thinly stretched the US military is
International Security: Balanced Transition
'Starting from scratch' is the term used widely to describe the challenges facing South Sudan. More recently, it has been used to describe the difficulties to be faced in Libya. While the two states are in entirely different situations both face similar difficulties in what is effectively nation building in a post-war context
Somalia: Yemen Returnee Numbers Soar
Continuing unrest and xenophobia in Yemen have prompted an upsurge in the number of migrants and refugees returning to Somalia, with up to 6,000 reported to have travelled back across the Red Sea
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South Africa: Outcry and Protest
The arrival of democracy in South Africa brought with it unprecedented freedom for its media. No longer shackled by the myriad of laws it had to endure under apartheid, the right to freedom of expression had now been enshrined in its new negotiated Constitution
The Beginning of the End of AIDS?
Simply put, the AIDS response is rightly viewed as one of the greatest success stories in modern global public health
South Africa Launches New HIV, TB Plan
South Africa has launched its new national strategic plan that, for the first time, will guide not only the national fight against HIV but also tuberculosis (TB) until 2016.
Malawi: The Rush to Rationalize on AIDS Response
As international HIV funding declines, nations are bracing for a future with less money and tougher choices. In countries like donor-dependent Malawi, a new UNAIDS tool is already beginning to shape how to rationalize their HIV responses to cope with the altered circumstances
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Famine in Somalia: From Worst to Better
Red Cross Food convoys have completed their distribution of emergency rations to nearly one million Somalis aimed to tide them over until harvest season
Avoiding Ethnically-Driven Elections in Guinea
Politics remain ethnically divisive in Guinea a year after violent clashes marred a bitterly divided Presidential election. Analysts and civil servants say more concerted reconciliation efforts between ethnic groups are needed on the part of the President and opposition leaders to avoid another pitched battle in upcoming legislative elections
Somalia: Mohamud Mohamed Ali, 'Two years later, I am back to square one'
Mohamud Mohamed Ali, 21, was a high-school student when he fled the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in June 2009, in fear of being forcibly recruited into Al-Shabaab. His dangerous journey ultimately took him to South Africa
Thousands Flee Congo Election Tension
Better Funding Key to Improving Rural Kenya HIV Care
Kenya: Floods, Rains Wreak Havoc
Caravan of Hope Seeks Awareness of Climate Change Impacts
Lesotho: Pastoralists Fear Land 'Modernization' Act
Donors Deliver Despite Sanctions on Madagascar
Niger Delta Still Unstable Despite Amnesty
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According to a growing chorus of pundits and economists, China -- already the world's most prolific exporter, largest sovereign creditor, and second-largest economy -- will someday soon provide the world's reserve currency
Changing Geopolitics and Tasks Before Indian Foreign Policy
While India's ability to handle the challenges may be constrained by a slowing economy, it would need to manage them through requisite diplomatic skill and finesse
South Korean parliamentarian Kim Geun-Tae was a soft-spoken man dedicated to reunification of the Koreas
Renewed Focus on Pacific Region Intended to Distract from Unrest at Home?
What is at stake between China and the United States? We are on the opposite sides of the world with next to nothing to fight about. Industrial domination of the world? What does that actually mean, and what is it worth? Bragging rights about who is top nation? That's what Washington seems to care about
If you want to copy China because its authoritarian capitalism is better than our democratic capitalism, it seems pretty obvious that what you envy is the authoritarianism
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Threats and censure go unheeded in Pakistan because Islamabad's leaders do not fear the United States. This is because the United States has so often demonstrated a fear of Pakistan
Pakistan: All-Weather Friendship?
As Pakistan and China reinforce their relationship, questions have arisen around the changing nature of this alliance, the rhetoric that sustains it, and the implications of greater Chinese influence in Pakistan, particularly for the US and India
Pakistan: A Tough Way to Do Business
Pakistan has once more shut its border with Afghanistan, blocking a third of NATO supplies. What are the alternatives, and how much do they cost?
China Says Exports to West Face Challenges
China's commerce ministry says its exports face 'severe challenges' because of economic problems in its key Western markets
Australia is rapidly re-posturing in the face of a militarized East Asia
Radioactive Water Leaks at Japanese Nuclear Plant
Workers at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear facility plant have discovered a leak of 45 metric tons of contaminated, radioactive water. It is not yet clear if the contaminated water reached the Pacific Ocean
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All eyes are on North Korea after Kim Jong Il's death. But the real changes are taking place in the South
North Korea on the Verge of a New Era?
The Obama administration has a chance to use the death of Kim Jong Il to open a new chapter in its relationship with North Korea
North Korea More Dependent on China Than Ever
More than ever, North Korea will likely turn to China as its primary provider of food, money and material resources
The only safe prediction about Burma's future is that any prediction will probably be incorrect
Is the notoriously powerful military junta of Burma really loosening its grip?
China is emerging as the leading economic force in Burma, and the Burmese are starting to get uncomfortable
Is detente with Burma just around the corner?
Asia Stands Poised to Join Global Revolution
Nepal Rated Second Most Corrupt Country in South Asia
Nepal: Himalayan Glaciers Melting Fastest than Ever
Nepal: The Latest on Ice Melt at The Third Pole
China's Looming Economic Crisis
Should United States Engage North Korea?
Pakistan Says It Can Live Without U.S. Aid
Disaster Times Two in Pakistan
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The euro should now be recognized as an experiment that failed. The political goal of creating a harmonious Europe has also failed
Nearly 10 years ago, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld provoked outrage by referring to 'Old Europe.' Yet the more things change in Europe, the more they stay the same
2011 was a tense and difficult year for most countries across the globe, including the Balkans.
The Double Dilemma Facing Weaker National Economies
At the heart of this particular crisis is the unpleasant fact that the common European currency project is, in its present form, simply not working
Crisis Gratuitously Self-Inflicted
In both Europe and the United States, the current public debt woes are attributable to mistakes made by political leaders going back more than a decade
Europe's Structural Reforms Are Serious
The markets are tumbling, the euro is crumbling, but I'll say it anyway: Europe is doing a better job handling its debt crisis
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Denis MacShane looks at some of the issues raised by Martyn Bond's book, The Council of Europe: structure, history and issues in European politics
The dominant view has been that the Greek debt is the creation of a clientelistic political system that has historically resulted in a bloated public sector, unable to collect taxes. This is not a serious view
What Happens if Italy's Economy Collapses?
While Europe panicked about Greece, Italy drew closer to the brink of economic ruin. No one was paying attention while Rome was burning. Until recently
Europe's Crisis and the Radical Right
The severe economic upheaval in Europe has not been matched by a political resurgence of the radical right. Why is this and could it still happen?
Europe's Crisis: Beyond Finance
Everyone is wondering about the next disaster to befall Europe. Italy is one focus; Spain is also a possibility. But these crises are already under way. Instead, the next crisis will be political, not in the sense of what conventional politician is going to become prime minister, but in the deeper sense of whether Europe's political elite can retain power
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After a decade in the doldrums, during which the Kremlin co-opted or marginalised all competition, Russia's political scene has come alive
Russians United against United Russia
Russians are coming out onto the streets to transform their country once again
Uncertainty Rises as Eurozone Crisis Deepens
With no end in sight for the two-year-old euro crisis, the question now is can the EU survive it while remaining united?
What made Europe a compelling political, economic, and social alternative wedged between Anglo-American free marketeers and Soviet nomenklatura is rapidly becoming a thing of the past
Europe, the International System and a Generational Shift
The financial crisis had its greatest impact in Europe, where it is triggering a generational shift. Since 1991, the idea of an integrated Europe has been a driving force of the global economy. Europe also has been presented as an implicit alternative to the United States as the global center of gravity
The Perverse Side Effect of the Euro
Europe's Woes Make Their Way Across the Mediterranean
Europe's Crisis Is a Global Issue
Europe's Economic Measures Too Little Too Late
Restructuring Euro Debt and Latin Lessons
Troubled Spain Elects New Leadership
Stage Set For 2012 Euro Cup Finals
German Chancellor Warns Financial Crisis Solution Will Take Years
Bank of England Warns U.K. Banks that Eurozone Crisis Poses Biggest Threat
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American Border Law Enforcement Uses More Military Equipment
New surveillance equipment and weapons being deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico are prompting some Mexicans to complain that U.S. law enforcement is becoming too military
2012 Anything But Boring in the Americas
2012 is likely to be eventful in the Americas: there will be elections in the United States, Mexico and Venezuela, as well as other news events that could change the political map
Latin America is Beating Poverty -- Sort Of
A new United Nations report has good news for Latin America: it says that poverty levels in the region have dropped to their lowest levels in 20 years. But are the U.N. figures about Latin America as great as they sound?
Democratic Speed Bumps in Latin America
Attitudes toward democracy are on the decline in Latin America, and U.S. foreign policy isn't helping
Community Of Latin American And Caribbean States Officially Launched
The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) was officially launched at a summit attended by most of the region's heads of state. The new group aims to work on economic and political integration, as well as to adopt joint stands in global affairs, without the presence of the United States or Europe
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Still Growing, But Economic Fiesta Is Over
A key United Nations think tank that has been very bullish about Latin America in recent years is sounding a little less optimistic about the region's economies for 2012
Latin America May Split into Pacific and Atlantic Blocs
President Obama's announcement that he will seek to create what may be the world's largest trading bloc along the Pacific rim raises an interesting question in this part of the world: whether we will see a de facto split of Latin America into a Pacific and Atlantic bloc
This time exactly 10 years ago, in December 2001, Argentina was sinking under the weight of its debts and hardly anyone was watching. In Argentina, you could feel the relentless slide towards catastrophe
China and the End of the Monroe Doctrine
Is a superpower confrontation over the Falkland islands a real possibility?
A Call for an Enlightened Foreign Policy toward Latin America
With a little under a year remaining until the next U.S. presidential election, a coherent and sustainable area policy toward Latin America remains absent from the campaign literature and both parties' electoral strategies
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Cuba Asking Advice from IMF? Don't Laugh
Despite big increases in tourism, some investments in mining and massive subsidies from Venezuela, Cuba's economy remains in the doldrums. The main constraint slowing the Cuban economy is not U.S. trade sanctions, but Cuba's own outdated economic model
Mexico's Drug Cartels are no 'Terrorist Insurgency'
Like in every election season, when legislators compete to make headlines, there are some bizarre ideas being discussed in the U.S. Congress these days
The Inequality Behind Chile's Prosperity
Although Chile boasts one of Latin America's most stable economies, the economic inequality amidst Chile's growing affluence has been a significant challenge for the well-reputed Andean nation
Helping Cuban Reforms through Agricultural Trade
The Cuban government is encouraging the creation of small businesses and private farming. More than 180,000 'self-employment' licenses have been issued since 2010, and the government has turned over four million acres of land to 143,000 private farmers since 2008
The Mexican Drug Cartel Threat in Central America
Central America is experiencing increasing levels of crime and the prospect of heightened competition from Mexican drug cartels in its territory. The institutional weakness and security vulnerabilities of Guatemala and other Central American states mean that combating these trends will require significant help, most likely from the United States
Brazil and Colombia: An Unexpected Alliance
A 'Major Win' for Panamanian Corruption
Mexico Seeks to Extradite Americans Linked to 'Operation Fast And Furious'
Latin American Politicians Renew Suggestions to Legalize Drugs
Alabama Law Against Illegal Immigration Suffers Setback
OAS Makes Bad 'Error' in Nicaragua
Venezuela Among World Leaders in Red Tape
Never-Ending Drug War Moves to Central America
Condoleezza Rice Book Shows 'Inattention' to Latin America
Anonymous vs. Zetas Amid Mexico's Cartel Violence
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The Arab countries where people have successfully overthrown the dictatorial regimes now face the daunting task of moving forward with democratic processes, economic development and institution building
Arab Awakening Begins to Resemble European Enlightenment
What exactly is it today that is 'awakening' in the Middle East? It is the people. They demand justice. But are they capable of creating just and modern governments?
Given the history of Western support for corrupt secular governments, the popularity of moderate Islamist parties should come as little surprise nor should it be cause for concern
Arab Spring:
The Fog in Our FutureThe most dramatic contemporary event from which one can attempt to extrapolate future world change is the political and social uprising of the Arab peoples of the Mediterranean basin. The consequences are unpredictable, highly political in the short run, and wholly unfathomable in the longer term
Tahrir Square Protestors Losers in Egyptian Elections
Egypt's flawless elections, big turnout, and the expected win for Islamists leave liberal opposition adrift
Expected Win by Egypt's Islamists Poses Dilemma for U.S. Policy
For the Obama administration, which has pushed for free and fair elections in Egypt, the process itself might be considered a victory. The outcome, however, would be a bitter pill to swallow, as U.S. policymakers are forced to reach out to the Muslim Brotherhood to protect their interests in the region
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Syrian Opposition Sends Mixed Signals
The Syrian opposition can't seem to decide whether or not it wants the West to intercede
Egypt: The Importance of History and Process
Egyptians are voting for what is hoped to be the first freely elected parliament in decades. Although an encouraging development, these elections do not yet signal a new dawn in Egyptian politics
Journalist Joseph Mayton saw firsthand over 13 hours of detention in the new Egypt, a country where the military rules, the police and the torturers act as enforcers
Plunging Foreign Reserves Pose New Threat to Egypt
While Egyptians make repeat visits to the polls over the next three months to elect a new government and debate the future of their country, the country's foreign currency reserves are rapidly running down to perilous levels
The Catastrophic Consequences of a Nuclear Iran
Can anyone reasonably expect a newly-nuclear leadership in Tehran to be reliably rational?
Israel: Air Force Reorganizes Air Defenses to Meet Missile Threat
Israel has begun a major overhaul of its air defenses, which have been rushed to the field with newly designed anti-rocket batteries backed up by an integrated central control center
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'Bad Wind' Blowing Through Israel
Now that a far right-wing government has governed Israel for almost three years, settlers feel emboldened so that Jewish extremists are wreaking havoc and mayhem
Israel's Tax-Deductible Occupation
New Israeli legislation limits and taxes contributions to organizations opposed to the occupation
For several years now, pundits and policymakers have been debating whether the United States should attack Iran and attempt to eliminate its nuclear facilities
Iraq: The Unstoppable Force and the Immovable Object
Less than three years ago, Iraq occupied the attention of the world. With the sectarian conflict ending in 2008, and attention turning to Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, Libya, and the Eurozone crisis, Iraq has been ignored. But its problems have not gone away
Iraqi Regionalism and its Discontents
The incompetence of Iraq's central governance is fuelling demands for the formation by local provinces of self-governing regions. But such a course is most unlikely to solve the core problems Iraqis are facing
Afghanistan and Iraq:
A Tale of Two SurgesAfghanistan poses far more challenges than Iraq. Instead of Iraq's billions of dollars in state oil revenue, impoverished Afghan gangs export opium. Iraqis are part of the larger Arab world, living in its most strategically important area. Afghans are far more isolated and less critical to the world economy
Syria: Assad Denies Ordering Killing of 4,000 Anti-Govt Protesters
Arab Spring Takes Surprising Toll on Expats
Jordan Urges Palestinians to Stay Out of Local Unrest
Speculators are to Blame for High Oil, OPEC Says
Debt Woes Come Back to Haunt Dubai
Yemen: Children at Risk as Aid Access Denied
United Arab Emirates Tighten Sanctions Knot with Iran
Fatter Paychecks Promise Little Boost for UAE Economy
'Unity And Non-Violence' Requisites For Palestinian Statehood
Saudi Arabia: Deadly Blaze Throws Spotlight on Saudi Girls Schools
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United States Has Seen Much Worse
From a civil war, to impeachments, to assassinations, the U.S. government has seen worse
2011 was not literally the worst year for the U.S. government in American history. Still, of the 223 years since the government first convened under the Constitution, 2011 must be ranked in the bottom 10
A Year Americans Would Like to Forget
2011 wasn't the worst of times, just a year to be quickly and gladly forgotten
The theme of most political and social commentary is that things are more complicated than you think. For once, I wish to write that things are simpler than you think. This concerns two matters at the core of the present American political crisis
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American Border Law Enforcement Uses More Military Equipment
New surveillance equipment and weapons being deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico are prompting some Mexicans to complain that U.S. law enforcement is becoming too military
Alabama's Immigration Aftershock
HB 56 -- the nation's strictest immigration law -- has been a disaster for agriculture, Alabama's No. 1 industry
We need outside-the-box immigration solutions that both protect human rights and make economic sense
United States and Europe Threaten Their Own Energy Independence
Decisions by Europe and America in the past month have pushed away Canada and its oil overtures. So America and Europe can explore petroleum deals with unstable Middle Eastern and African regimes?
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Balancing the East, Upgrading the West
The United States' central challenge over the next several decades is to revitalize itself, while promoting a larger West and buttressing a complex balance in the East that can accommodate China's rising global status
Too many states are choosing to balance budgets on the backs of children
United States in Decline -- If We Allow It
Is the United States in decline? With protesters in the streets, Washington in gridlock and our economy on life support, it's easy to understand why the question is being asked a lot these days.
Is the National Security Complex Too Big to Fail?
Despite modest rumblings in Washington about the Pentagon and intelligence budgets and the deficit, it's not just considered too big to fail, but generally too big to question, and too deeply embedded to think much about
Congress Examines Homegrown Islamic Terrorism
With Fracking America Can Escape the Energy Trap
Afghanistan and Iraq: A Tale of Two Surges
Alabama Law Against Illegal Immigration Suffers Setback
Statue of Liberty Turns 125
Old Immigration Attitudes Alive as Well
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Turkey's Erdogan Most Popular Leader Among Arabs
Turkey is viewed as having played the 'most constructive' role in the past year's events and its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, emerged as the most admired leader by far in the region
United States Reacts to Indian Government's Efforts to Censure Online Content
The United States issued a cautious reaction to the recent requests by India to social networking sites to take down potentially offensive content
Major Economies Headed for Slowdown
A top European economic think-tank is predicting that the world's largest economies -- and several large developing ones -- are heading for anemic growth and continued fiscal malaise
Is the National Security Complex Too Big to Fail?
The National Security Complex is forever (at least as its managers see it). Despite modest rumblings in Washington about the Pentagon and intelligence budgets and the deficit, it's not just considered too big to fail, but generally too big to question, and too deeply embedded to think much about
Squeezed By Israel, Palestinians Aim to Collect More Taxes
Palestinian Authority Prime Minster Salam Fayyad is determined to wean his government off reliance on foreign assistance and tax transfer from Israel and one way he aims to do that is by collecting more taxes from Palestinians
Europe's Woes Make Their Way Across the Mediterranean
Europe's seemingly intractable financial crisis is threatening to make itself felt across the Mediterranean in the economies of North Africa that can least afford another blow, economists say
Pity the Children of Afghanistan
Hardly anyone noticed, but the Afghan government cut the budget for the state's Independent Human Rights Commission by half this year, evidencing 'the government's lack of interest and political will in the promotion of human rights'
Seven Billion People: So Why Do Some Fear Population Decline?
This week the world population is projected to reach seven billion. Yet in some countries the prospect of a decline in population is worrying policymakers far more. This columns asks what the people think, focusing on a survey from the Netherlands. It turns out that most people are in favour of global population decline, but 'not in my backyard'
Lack of Education Hinders Arab Economies
Across the Arab world -- from the wealthiest oil economies to the resource-poor countries of North Africa and the Levant -- education remains a key obstacle to making the region's economies economically competitive, a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has found
UNESCO Vote to Admit Palestinian Authority Stirs Tempest
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to admit Palestine to full membership, adding heft to the Palestinian Authority's bid for membership to the United Nations and triggering a possible substantial loss of funds for the UN agency
India: 'Enclave' Residents Campaign for Citizenship
Thousands of ethnic Bengalis living near the Bangladesh-India border have for decades found themselves citizens of one nation but bound within the sovereign territory of another. In recent months they have escalated their campaign for a land swap that will align their citizenship with cartography
Pre-election politics and planned development schemes have fuelled an upsurge in inter-communal killings and forced displacement in Kenya's northern Isiolo area, which if left unaddressed, is likely to escalate
Why Does America Defend the Weak and Small?
Only the United States seems to have an affinity for protecting tiny, vulnerable countries. Israelis, anti-communist Chinese, Kurds, Greeks and Armenians have a few things in common. They have relatively small populations, aggressive neighbors, few strong allies, many expatriates and refugees in the United States, and a tragic history of persecution and genocide
Restructuring Euro Debt and Latin Lessons
Comparing past sovereign restructurings, William R. Cline, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, says that Uruguay's orderly default in 2003 offers a constructive example for Greece. The tentative Greek plan is similar to the path Uruguay
China's Health Crisis: The Sick Man of Asia
Although China has made remarkable economic progress over the past few decades, its citizens' health has not improved as much. A look at China's disease burden also reveals a worrisome picture
Eurozone exit rules would decrease the probability of a breakup of the Eurozone by enhancing market discipline, increasing the political bargaining power of EZ members vis-a-vis the profligate countries, enhancing internal discipline in the profligate countries, and reducing market uncertainty
Colombia and Panama Trade Deals Just a Chance
In the new crisis-ridden global economy, free trade agreements are no longer what they used to be. In the past, when the U.S. economy was growing fast, gaining preferential access to the U.S. market was a make-or-break deal for countries like Colombia or Panama.
Turkey: Is Quake Aftermath Widening Ankara-Kurdish Rift?
The catastrophic earthquake that struck eastern Turkey on October 23, and the ensuing aid and rescue effort, has brought wide sections of Turkish society together. But as the atmosphere in Gedikbulak attests, it has also at times underscored the bitter dispute dividing Turks and the country's Kurdish minority
Gaddafi's End and Libya's New Beginning
The death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is prompting reactions from inside the White House and outside its front gates as tourists and passersby share in expressing their opinions
United States Hesitant to 'Reckon With Evil' in Syria
More than eight months after Assad showed himself to be a mass murderer, guilty of crimes against humanity, Washington has proffered a few fallow sanctions and carefully worded statements. That's all. Syria is a state sponsor of terror and a nuclear-weapons aspirant. Shouldn't Washington care?
If ever there was a time when 'see, I told you so' was warranted, it is now as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that Iran is close to developing a nuclear weapon
As The World Turns and The Centrifuges Whirl in Iran
Gosh, what a surprise: According to the United Nations, Iran seems to be at work on developing a nuclear weapon. I am shocked -- shocked. Goodness, what target do you think the mullahs and their nutcase president, the all too imitable Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, might have in mind?
China Obsessed With Occupy Wall Street
Right now, China is obsessed with the Occupy Wall Street movement, deathly afraid that it will spread there
Is Alarm About Seven Billion People Just Modern-day Eugenics?
From corporations to conspiracy theorists, many scoff at concerns about overpopulation
France Planning Eurozone Breakaway
The current European Union is under threat no longer just from the debt contagion caused by weaker members, but also by plans of more prosperous members to form a breakaway group
Remember his name. Park Won Soon is perhaps the first politician to win with an Occupy Wall Street platform
Two-State Solution is Only Solution in the Middle East
How could Israel think that the life of one captive soldier, Gilad Shalit, is worth releasing over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners with the blood of innocents on their hands?
Never-Ending Drug War Moves to Central America
While Mexico's bloody war against the drug cartels is making headlines worldwide, there is a little-known fact that is sounding alarm bells among U.S. and Latin American officials: Central America's drug-related violence is far worse than Mexico's
Ghana: Dismantling Elmina Castle
For some like the nation of Ghana, the longer the United States and other heavily consuming countries maintain their energy status quo, the better. Lying along the West African coast, Ghana is the latest entrant to the club of African oil producers
Mutual distrust between the United States and Pakistan in part results from mistakes and misjudgments by both countries that date back to the 1979-89 Russian occupation of Afghanistan. But at its heart is an American strategy that not only runs counter to Pakistan's interests
The Occupy Wall Street movement is a protest uniquely suited to a generation schooled in social media. There are no leaders: it's crowd-sourced. Nor does it have any specific demands beyond a thorough reorientation of American priorities. It's as if thousands and thousands of people have 'unliked' Wall Street
Sluggish America Can Still Be a World Leader
A new survey shows that a majority of Europeans want the United States to continue exerting 'strong leadership in world affairs.' One wonders why Europe holds so much faith in America right now when Americans, trapped in a deep national malaise, have so little faith in themselves
America is once again getting the upper hand in this long war against Middle Eastern terrorists with the use of Predator drone targeted assassinations that the terrorists have not yet an answer to. In systematically deadly fashion, Predators are picking off the top echelon of al-Qaeda and its affiliates
The Conservative Case Against a Border Fence
A fence along the U.S. border with Mexico illustrates a lack of understanding of the logistics and costs, the historical motivations driving U.S. immigration, and ignores a profound systemic change that must be achieved in order to address illegal immigration problems in a sustainable and cost efficient manner
Arab Spring, Israeli Isolation
With the Arab uprisings gradually reconfiguring the regional political landscape, Israel is finding itself increasingly isolated. For at least a decade, Israel has identified Iran as its main strategic nemesis, but the Arab spring has rekindled simmering tensions between Israel on one hand, and Arab states as well as Turkey on the other
Over the last few years, use of China's currency for international trade has been growing steadily. Some argue this is the start of a journey that will see the renminbi displace the dollar and become the international reserve currency within a decade.
A massive new study helps put the current world troubles in perspective. It says that, despite major threats on various fronts, the world is becoming a better place to live in
Children Man Barricades in Northern Kosovo
Tensions along the border in northern Kosovo are high after KFOR announced plans to dismantle the barricades on roads leading to the border crossing of Jarinje and Brnjak
China and the South China Sea Dispute
The publication in the Global Times of two very contradictory articles on the same day on the South China Sea dispute clearly underlines the fact that the Chinese leadership is divided
The Western Sahara is the last country in Africa that has not been correctly decolonised -- instead, the right of the Sahrawi people to post-colonial independence has been frozen in time
The nation-state, as far as I'm concerned, is an obsolete fiction. The division of the world into 194 random fragments, mostly born of war and exploitation, locked in a state of perpetual mistrust and ever-shifting tensions toward one another, is more problem than solution in the 21st century
As the greatest beneficiary of the Arab Spring, Turkey is going head to head with both Syria and Israel
Other Leaders Should Copy Brazil's Anti-graft Measures
I read a press report that Brazil's tourism minister was illegally using a government driver as his wife's private chauffeur. By the time I arrived in Brasilia seven hours later, the minister had already been sacked. What a difference with what is happening in many other Latin American countries
Afghanistan is Obama's Gordian Knot
Useful advice can be found in the past. Alexander drew his sword and slashed the knot. Barack Obama has promised a withdrawal of many or most American troops from Afghanistan in the months to come
Americas to Become Mecca of World's Energy
The turmoil for reform sweeping most Middle Eastern oil producers is grabbing big headlines today, but that region may lose some of its economic clout in the future: there are signs that the Americas will replace the Middle East as the world's biggest oil-producing region
A Nuclear Retaliation Alternative for India
Since the infliction of unacceptable damage may not deter Pakistan from breaking the nuclear taboo, a 'tit for tat' strategy in case of lower order nuclear use is worth considering
Bono's African Philanthropy Could Use a Remix
Bono's new ONE campaign to help with famine in the Horn of Africa ignores the political causes of the crisis
The Economics of the Arab Spring
Arab economies are as varied as the region's politics -- from poor Yemen, to much richer Libya, to the very wealthy gulf states, with countries such as Egypt, Tunisia, Syria and others being something of a median. Yet the performances of these economies are as critical to the long term success of the Arab Spring as the region's laws
Western powers must accept responsibility for their detrimental influence in the Congo and fulfill their obligation to help structure stability in the war-ravaged country
China-Indian Trade: Smoothening the Rough Edges
The composition of the Indian delegation to the ongoing Strategic Economic Dialogue is suggestive that issues such as telecom, water, infrastructural development and railways are being discussed on a priority basis
Israel's Truths and Omissions on Vote for Palestine State
So what's wrong with the United Nations voting for creation of a Palestinian state, I asked Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon in a recent interview
The single European currency is the first of its kind -- a union where monetary policy is decided centrally and fiscal policy decided nationally --something that many argue is the root cause of its troubles. The chief lesson, however, from the history of the next best thing, federal states with common currencies, is clear : no bailouts