Regions

In part 1 of this series, I reviewed a joint presentation of The Brookings Institution and UNU on the unequal distribution of wealth under globalizing conditions.  Once again, states are charged with redistributing this income through policy planning and the social contract, and courting investment from other states, international organizations, and most of all, transnational […]

One long-held belief in globalization literature is that developed nations find themselves torn between the lure of expanding investment opportunities at the same time that jobs for its middle and lower class begins to fall apart.  A lecture on "The Impact of Globalization on the World's Poor" at The Brookings Institution announced a new study […]

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 411-3 this week to delay a Bush Administration plan to provide Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways.  Proponents of allowing full access say it will save American consumers hundreds of millions of dollars.  Opponents are concerned that the Mexican trucks will not meet U.S. safety standards.  The House […]

China's role in Africa will continue to grow in the coming decades. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is China's voracious appetite and need for oil. But the Chinese have shown little interest in issues related to human rights, which they always shrug off as being a matter of internal […]

Last week, I posted critical thinking from the blogosphere on the metaphors commonly used when discussing Afghanistan. Now I want to contribute my own two cents on a common metaphor used in Central Asia: The New Great Game.   The N.G.G. is a term that now stands for more than one aspect of Central Asian affairs, which has confused the set of […]

(Tokyo Sexwale Pictured With Nelson Mandela.)  Tokyo Sexwale is an ANC Stalwart, former premiere of Gauteng, and multimillionaire businessman. The chairman of Mvelaphanda Group has been in the news a great deal lately. He recently drew headlines for joining the Washington, DC-Based Brookings Institution's International Advisory Council (IAC).  The IAC is a “group of 24 […]

Russia is accusing the US of tying strings to its accession to the Asian Development Bank, saying that the US expects Russia to complete debt write-offs to Afghanistan and Iraq before it will sponsor its ADB membership.  This new development ostensibly arrived during the ADB meeting in Kyoto earlier this month, RIA Novosti reported.  Japan […]

Tensions between Australia and Zimbabwe are reaching unprecedented heights as the Aussies are unexpectedly taking global leadership in isolating Robert Mugabe's thugocracy. First Australia decided to cancel its cricket tour in Zimbabwe in September. Now the Australian government has announced that it is going to fund Mugabe's opponents to the tune of $18 million Australian, […]

Russia's Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is planning new military contingency plans in Central Asia, according to today's Ria Novosti article. The CSTO military activities include anti-terror military training exercises.

Crossposted from dcat. There is probably no better major newspaper in America when it comes to the issue of Northern Ireland than The Boston Globe. That probably should come as no surprise given Boston's affinity for and association with the Irish. The Globe's editorial this past week on the ongoing transitions in Northern Ireland, in […]

In recent weeks there have been several travel articles on South Africa. Cape Town and its environs , of course, are always popular, as recent articles in The New York Times and Washington Post reveal.    But the country's hinterlands are also popular. The Eastern cape, one of my regular stomping grounds, is a wonderful and often-overlooked part […]

Just some quick updates on stories I have reported in recent days:   Australian Prime Minister John Howard has heard the voices of conscience in his country and across the globe and he has announced the cancellation of the Aussie cricket team's tour of Zimbabwe that was scheduled for September. Australia's governing body for the sport, […]