The New York Times published an article highlighting the schism in the environmental movement between those who choose to fight development of alternative energy programs which may cause some environmental harm and others willing to cede some ground for progress in broader environmental goals. For example, strict environmentalists are fighting against the development of wind […]
U.S. leadership of the global financial system has been called into question by the global economic crisis. In the latest chapter of this ongoing story, China has proposed the creation of a new international reserve currency to replace the dollar. According to this report in The New York Times: In another indication that China is […]
Many analysts and commentators disagree on the implications of the global economic turmoil for China. Will China gain or lose relative power? Will China be a winner or loser in the game for geopolitical influence? Experts are of two minds. On the one hand, an estimated 20 million have already lost their jobs and exports […]
Maldives – This island nation, about a thousand miles southwest of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, has declared its intention to become the world’s first carbon-neutral country. President Mohamed Nasheed made the announcement after a screening of the new climate change film, “The Age of Stupid.” President Nasheed has also said that he will […]
Turkey will host an April 1 conference between Afghanistan and Pakistan mainly to discuss security issues. We have discussed Turkey’s diplomatic ascendance in previous posts, here and here. Turkey’s continual assistance (some could consider it interference) in regional issues makes Ankara indispensable for peace brokering in the Middle East.
Following a similar proposal by Russia, China called for the creation of a new international currency reserve to replace the dollar. The governor of the People’s Bank of China, Zhou Xiaochuan, said the International Monetary Fund could manage a new currency reserve system that would be more effective in “safeguarding global economic and financial stability.” […]
A recent New York Times article explores a quizzical addition to the U.S. media scene: Chinese state-run media. Several, in fact the largest, state-controlled media plan to spend a small fortune in order to expand overseas. In the midst of what looks like a major crisis for journalists and readers, media companies and outlets left […]
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is holding a hearing today aimed at asking what the U.S. can do to address the current global food crisis. A bill co-sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (PA) and Senator Richard Lugar (IN) has been introduced to Congress to improve US and global efforts to increase crop yields, create […]
China called for the creation of a new currency to eventually replace the dollar as the world’s standard, proposing a sweeping overhaul of global finance that reflects developing nations’ growing unhappiness with the U.S. role in the world economy.
After a series of provocative incidents between U.S. and Chinese naval vessels in international waters, China released a statement denying a naval buildup in the South China Sea: China has no plans to beef up its naval presence in the South China Sea following a confrontation earlier this month between Chinese boats and a U.S. […]
On Monday, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced plans for a summit on the global food crisis at the 36th Session of the Conference of the Organization in Rome this November. The proposal for the meeting had already received support from the heads of State and Government of the League of Arab States […]
This past week Pope Benedict XVI took his first trip to Africa, and yesterday, he celebrated a mass for 1 million in Angola. There were three major headlines from the Pope’s trip to Cameroon and Angola. The first was the controversial statement about condoms and how they do little to help fight AIDS. The second […]
Indian Tata Motors company announced a new car over the weekend: the Nano. It’s cheap, and meant to be consumed by the “common man” in India. While Detroit’s auto makers are failing, and Sweden’s Saab appears to be even worse off, Tata is so far putting its best foot forward and hoping a cheap product […]
It’s been almost a week now since the Pope told a reporter that condoms increase the number of AIDS cases. And yet the evidence is incontrovertible, the science sound, the facts are there. Condoms prevent the spread of infectious disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is explicit Latex condoms, when used consistently and […]
The Ascent of Money By Niall Ferguson (Penguin Press, 2008) For both the financial history enthusiast and the newcomer to the global financial markets alike, Prof. Niall Ferguson offers an excellent survey of the development of money in his latest of financially themed books. Ferguson, regarded as one of Britain’s most noted […]