One of the historic strengths of the U.S. economy has been its flexibility. Dust bowl migrants relocated to Michigan for auto jobs in the thirties. Hiring and firing has been less fraught with regulation in the U.S. than in other countries. Labor mobility has helped buoy U.S. productivity growth in years past. Rapid adjustment could […]
Recent events have shown Iran’s rising clout in the Middle East. Despite its economic losses stemming from reduced oil prices and increased international sanctions, Iran has been posturing itself for an increased regional role for quite some time. The controversial and firebrand President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been outspoken in his challenges to the West, his […]
This week, the Council on Foreign Relations released an interesting backgrounder on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The report discusses ASEAN’s relevance in the region’s politics and security. “Now experts say the group may pursue a bigger role in the region to help its members cope with the global financial crisis. As the downturn […]
Five weeks since taking office, President Barack Obama’s policies towards rising powers remain somewhat unclear. The new face of the United States can be seen in Obama’s campaign promises, his rhetoric and initial actions, the makeup of his foreign policy and national security teams, his Cabinet members’ confirmation hearings, Vice President Biden’s speech in Munich […]
Given the rise of new powers in the world and America’s relative decline, do the neo-cons in the Republican Party and the liberal institutionalists in the Democratic Party both have it wrong on foreign policy? Do we need a new realism in American foreign policy? John Hulsman, a scholar at the German Council on Foreign […]
The most recent edition of Foreign Policy reveals the findings of a survey of international relations professors in the United States. Inside the Ivory Tower highlights the professors’ views on US foreign policy priorities and rising powers. When asked which country they would fear surpassing the US as the world’s hegemon, Russia topped the list […]
Our friend Patrick Frost from the Afghanistan FPA blog has done a very interesting post on Great Power Politics, ranking the world’s “Great Powers” in terms of their power, economy, resources, ideology and state strength. According to the top 10 rankings, the US comes out ahead, but China appears to be giving Washington quite a […]
The SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) has grown in prominence during the past several years as a regional counterweight to NATO. Comprised of China, Russia, and 4 of the “Stans” (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan), the SCO was formed in 1996 with the signing of the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions. The organization […]
At the Foreign Policy Association’s Rising Powers blog, we have highlighted news stories about China’s buying and lending spree across the globe, including in Russia and Latin America. Today’s New York Times published an article detailing strategic deals China has made with natural resource companies worldwide, exploiting today’s low equity prices and dearth of capital […]
The recession this year may not in fact be global. Planet Earth could possibly squeak by with slightly positive growth in 2009. This is thanks to growth, albeit slower, in the major Emerging Market economies, notably the BRICs, and in spite of contraction in the advanced industrialized world. Certainly, forecasting growth this year will be as accurate […]
China’s rise has been export-driven, like Japan’s and Korea’s before it. China took note during the Asian Financial Crisis of the late 1990s that foreign exchange reserves are king. By keeping its currency undervalued, China has encouraged exports (the latter helped as well by tax rebates) and amassed foreign exchange. With the drivers of demand […]
On Tuesday, Russian and Chinese leaders signed a massive $25 billion energy deal. The agreement sees Russia providing energy-hungry China with secure oil supplies (300,000 barrels per day) for the next 20 years. In return, China will provide Russia with advantageous loans with $15 billion to Rosneft (the state-owned oil company) and $10 billion to […]
Russia’s recent increased ties with Latin American countries can hardly go unnoticed. In late 2008, Russian President Dimitry Medvedev paid visits to Venezuela and Cuba, Peru and Brazil, securing a host of bilateral deals. Medvedev concluded his visit by stating: “Russia has already returned to Latin America, including Cuba”. Read more about his visit here. […]
Tom Friedman wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times today casting some light on various green enterprises in India, focusing on the specific example of a solar-powered car made by India’s Reva Electric Car Company and driven by 2 American women across the Subcontinent. Other than referencing the Indian Youth Climate Network, Friedman’s piece […]
Al-Qaeda. Taliban. Hezbollah. Hamas. Jamaah Islamiyah. Islamic Courts Union. al-Shabaab. Fatah al-Islam. The Muslim Brotherhood. Abu Sayyaf. Lakhshar-e-Taiba… the list goes on. These are just a few of the many organizations that can be described as “Islamist Groups”. Though Wikipedia is not a proven reliable source for facts, it does have a list of many […]