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Robert Parsons, The Telegraph | August 11, 2008 Western support of Kosovo's declaration of independence and NATO’s assurance of Georgia and Ukraine’s eventual Atlantic Alliance membership erode Russian influence on former states of the USSR. ++ Georgia pays a high price for adopting a pro-Western foreign policy and choosing new allies. ++ This intervention is a clear message to the West to stay ...More

N. Sethi, The Wall Street Journal | August 11, 2008 The Pakistani government finally decided to impeach President Musharraf. ++ The US declared the impeachment "an internal matter" of Pakistan, which demonstrates that Musharraf has lost the support of the US, his biggest advocate in the past. ++ But in the light of Musharraf's domestic unpopularity, a working relationship with the new civilian order has better ...More

Byron Wien, Pequot Capital Management | August 11, 2008 After 1945, the US was clearly the world’s leader but it took its supremacy for granted and became complacent. ++ Since then, the US has become dependent on foreign oil and relied on debt to finance its economy. ++ American students are behind while universities fill with foreigners. ++ Leadership in technology and entertainment does not provide enough ...More

Dani Rodrik, The Guardian | August 11, 2008 The Doha round was constructed on the myth that a negotiating agenda focused on agriculture would make it a "development round" and could help reduce global poverty. ++ But the underlying assumption that the trade regime can only legitimize itself by continuous liberalization collapsed as the US and India refused to deregulate their farm sectors. ++ However, ...More

Qi Li (in German), Die Zeit | August 11, 2008 The West not only dominates the issues of the day, it also neglects perspectives other than its own. ++ Human rights and Tibet are in the center of the Western media coverage of China, but not all countries share this critical view on People's Republic. ++ In contrast to people in the Western countries, Chinese are very interested in foreign press and the way ...More

David P. Calleo, Project Syndicate | August 8, 2008 In times when there is no overbearing enemy, the transatlantic alliance is challenged by the geopolitical interests of each partner, which differ from one another. ++ For instance, the EU needs good relations with Russia and the Muslim world because they border on its territory and supply its energy demands, but these protagonists oppose the US hegemonic global ...More

Philippe Legrain, The Guardian | August 8, 2008 Despite the EU's claim to be the continent of human rights, immigrants are being mistreated in Spain and Italy. ++ Furthermore, the EU strengthens efforts to close its borders and approved a "return directive," which allows governments to detain unauthorised migrants for up to 18 months. ++ The EU must to recognize the fact that not every undocumented migrant ...More

N. Sharansky and B. Eid, The Wall Street Journal | August 8, 2008 Regarding the issue of Palestine, Israel, the US, and the free world overemphasized the aim to have a strong partner in the peace process, and in doing so even supported corrupt and violent leaders. ++ But the path towards peace must pursue a radically different approach and must be linked to strengthening Palestinian civil society and the rule of law in the ...More

Zhiwu Chen, Yale School of Management | August 8, 2008 With regard to the global slowdown, it would be wise if China privatized state-owned assets in order to transform China's growth model from being export-driven to being stimulated by domestic consumption. ++ Even if the country's assets in government hands supported the emergence of an industrialized economy in the past, it is time for the government to share ...More

T. Homer-Dixon and S. Elgie, Globe and Mail | August 8, 2008 The problem of modern capitalist markets in times of global warming is that we do not have to pay the true environmental costs of the products we buy. ++ There are two possible solutions: either we apply green taxes to reflect a product's environmental harm, or we create a market for nature's services. ++ Economists prefer the first suggestion as it is more ...More