Beyond Gadhafis, revolts

Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi remains an obsession for advocates of decency. He personifies what is unknowable about the uprisings roiling the Arab world. What does the revolution mean, besides being an outlet for rage? What new order might emerge? After unwanted leaders are removed, what is there to stop like-minded individuals from insinuating themselves into power? Of what enduring value could

March 4, 2011

Japan’s 2011 budget faced with hurdles

The Democratic Party of Japan and its junior coalition partner People’s New Party managed to pass the fiscal 2011 92.411 trillion yen budget through the Lower House early Tuesday morning. The opposition-controlled Upper House is certain to vote down the budget. But the budget will be enacted anyhow. Article 60 of the Constitution says that the budget will be enacted within 30 days of being sent to

March 4, 2011

Taiwan needs diplomacy to get U.S. visa-waiver

As of January this year, Taiwanese travelers can visit the Schengen Area visa-free, marking yet another step toward the island’s goal of acquiring wider visa exemption privileges for its passport holders.The inclusion of the European Union brings the number of countries and territories offering Taiwanese citizens visa exemptions to 96, with 75 granting Republic of China passport holders visa-waive

March 4, 2011

Feckless inaction on piracy off Somalia coast

The Obama administration put out a disturbingly weak statement last week after the latest piracy outrage off the coast of Somalia. Four Americans vacationing on a 58-foot yacht died during a standoff between a U.S. warship and the pirate crew that seized their vessel.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the act deplorable, which it was, but what did she urge? More “decisive action” by the “in

March 3, 2011

Libya uprising requires low-key U.S. response

The Obama administration predictably is taking heat from conservatives about its restrained response to the crisis in Libya. There are even calls for a U.S. military response to hasten dictator Muammar Gadhafi’s departure. While well meaning, these critics seek short-term action that ignores substantial longer-term consequences.The administration’s initial restraint was appropriately designed to p

March 3, 2011

[Edward Glaeser] China: Not a carbon copy of the U.S.

If per capita carbon emissions in China and India rose to car-happy U.S. levels, global emissions would increase by 127 percent, according to the International Energy Agency. If their emissions stopped at the levels found in hyper-dense Hong Kong, world emissions would go up less than 24 percent. As the Asian economies prosper, the United States should hope that they embrace the skyscraper more th

March 3, 2011

[Michael Waldman] Obama needs Clinton rerun for budget gain

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes, Mark Twain is thought to have said. Democrats are hoping that’s true.Fifteen years ago, fierce budget fights between Bill Clinton and the Republican Congress forced the government to shut down twice. The conflict boosted the president, revitalized his vision for government and branded Republicans as extreme.Now, as battles loom over the debt ceiling an

March 3, 2011

Consequences of Mideast democratic tsunami

In recent weeks, dictators across the Middle East and North Africa must have been afflicted with a severe case of agoraphobia ― the morbid fear of open spaces. After all, the groundswell of antigovernment protests have all occurred in squares ― Tunis’ Nov. 7 Square, Cairo’s Tahrir Square and, more recently, Tripoli’s Green Square.By far, Libya’s experience has been the most tragic. On Tuesday, Col

March 2, 2011

Protecting children from abuse by parents

The Justice Ministry’s Legislative Council on Feb. 15 handed Justice Minister Satsuki Eda a recommendation that the civil law be revised so that parental prerogatives can be suspended for up to two years if necessary. The proposed step will make it possible to protect children against abuse and neglect by their parents ― such as violence, molestation, refusal to give meals and medical neglect ― mo

March 2, 2011

[William Pesek] Indian inflation above 9% shows bankers are no longer gods

Duvvuri Subbarao knows a thing or two about inflation. India’s central-bank head defeated price gains exceeding 10 percent twice in the past two years alone.Now, Subbarao is back at battle stations as a chorus of traders say he’s behind the curve. It’s hard to argue with the wisdom of markets with Indian inflation back above 9 percent, the highest among Asia’s 10-biggest economies.Yet the Reserve

March 2, 2011

[Matthew Lynn] Euro saviors flinch at place in history’s dustbin

The euro wasn’t just meant to provide economic harmony. It was supposed to ensure political stability as well. Neither has happened and a generation of politicians will pay for it.Parties win and lose elections all the time. But it is rare to be destroyed as completely as Fianna Fail was in Ireland on the weekend. The party that has dominated Irish politics since independence in the 1920s was push

March 2, 2011

[Daniel Kurtzer] The best U.S. policy for the Middle East

Does the U.S. have the assets, influence and will to affect the course of Middle East politics?At first glance, the answer appears self-evident given the extent of the country’s involvement in the region. Since the 1970s, the U.S. has been seized with Arab-Israeli peacemaking and has given Egypt more than $70 billion in aid. The U.S. has deployed military assets in the Persian Gulf to secure oil e

March 2, 2011

Finding common ground with Chinese tourists

In the past decade Hong Kong and Macau have benefited substantially from mainland Chinese policies of letting an increasing number of tourists into the two cities. Many believed that mainland tourists were part of the contributors that helped lift Hong Kong’s economy out of the abyss following the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) crisis. Mainland travellers, especially high rollers, a

March 1, 2011

Much ado about nothing but fantasy

Here comes the latest on China and India. This one’s from American financial services company Citi. It says India, thanks to its robust growth, is expected to surpass China ― and the United States ― by 2050 to become the largest economy in the world. Of course, China is expected to overtake the U.S. to become the largest economy by 2020. The paeans India has received for its fast economic growth (

March 1, 2011