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From Seoul to Cannes

As the Sherpa of the Republic of Korea, I found one of the most rewarding outcomes of the Seoul Summit was that it delivered on all of the commitments made at previous Summits. For instance, member nations reached an agreement on quota reform of the International Monetary Fund (IMF); it was a difficult endeavor because reform was long viewed as a “zero sum game.” The G20 nations also adopted new international standards for bank capital adequacy, leverage ratios, and liquidity standards. They agreed upon general principles for regulation of systemically important financial institutions (SIFIs). These IMF quota and core financial regulatory reforms were originally scheduled for early 2011, but the Seoul Summit facilitated a November 2010 agreement on these issues.

By Changyong Rhee  |  December 24, 2011
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Perspectives, Print Perspectives, Americas
The Chilean Way

Over the past 20 years, Chile has established a successful social democracy in which public policies complement and temper market forces. Economic growth and targeted social policies have led to a major reduction in poverty, while other reforms have improved the judicial system and expanded cultural liberties.

By Richard Lagos  |  December 24, 2011
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Perspectives, Print Perspectives, Middle East
Beneficial War

In 1925, crusader for American airpower Brigadier General William Mitchell argued that using an independent US air force to attack an enemy nation’s industrial and economic works would benefit not only the United States but also the enemy nation. The benefits of airpower, according to Mitchell, would arise from avoiding costly land battles along the lines of World War I, shortening wars by attacking the heart of the enemy nation instead of its military forces, and ultimately saving blood and treasure on both sides. It was an idea grounded upon the ideals of American Progressivism, a school of thought that places full faith in expert opinion, efficiency, and humanitarian motives for making wars less costly.

By Gian P. Gentile  |  December 24, 2011  |  1
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Perspectives, Web Perspectives, Asia Pacific
Thailand

Siam, the former Thailand, abolished its centuries-old absolute monarchy and adopted a constitutional democracy through a bloodless revolution in 1932. As the only country that had never been officially colonized by Western powers, Siam was proud of its independence. Much of this pride was attributed to, as most conservative Thai historians would argue, the farsightedness and the wisdom of the Siamese kings. In particular, King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), who ruled the kingdom during the high tide of colonialism in Southeast Asia, was extolled for his shrewd strategy in managing his relationships with external powers. But Chulalongkorn’s unsurpassed ability to safeguard his kingdom from the threats of colonialism was not translated into a guarantee of a long-lasting royal institution.

By Pavin Chachavalpongpun  |  December 24, 2011  |  3
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Perspectives, Web Perspectives, Americas
Occupy Wall Street: A Protest Against a Broken Economic Compact

During the early months when Occupy Wall Street maintained tent cities in lower Manhattan and other metropolitan areas around the country, the occupations attracted an array of young counter-culturalists and itinerant radicals. To many people seeing the images of the encampments on the news, it looked like a motley assembly, not something out of the American mainstream.

But while some of the images of Zuccotti Park that defined Occupy Wall Street in its infancy may have appeared to depict a fringe, the movement as a whole is far bigger than any of its encampments. In truth, the Occupy movement is a protest against a broken economic compact that reaches into the very middle of America and that is resonating in other parts of the world as well.

By Amy Dean  |  December 24, 2011
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Perspectives, Web Perspectives, Asia Pacific
Responsibility to Protect in North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea) continues to commit acts of genocide and crimes against humanity that are unparalleled in the world today in terms of brutality and loss of life.

Korean Holodomor

To date, over four million have died of starvation in North Korea since 1995. Photographs from Reuters AlertNet published in October confirm refugee testimonials of a continued famine. The United Nations reports that over six million North Koreans, particularly children and pregnant and breast-feeding women, are currently at risk of death due to starvation.

By Robert Park  |  December 7, 2011  |  1
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Perspectives, Web Perspectives
North Korea and the Genocide Movement

"Factionalists or enemies of class, whoever they are; their seed must be eliminated through three generations." – Kim Il-sung (1972)

While it is certain that North Korea has committed a political and ideological genocide, which has claimed millions of innocent lives, it is often overlooked that the North Korean regime has also in every aspect violated the UN Genocide Convention, to which it is a state party.

By Robert Park  |  September 27, 2011  |  3
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Africa, Perspectives, Web Perspectives
On Egypt: What Should America Do Now?

For decades, the United States stood by as the Egyptian government suppressed the freedom and democracy of its people, sowing anti-Americanism in the masses.  As the Egyptian people rose up, demanding greater democracy, the Obama administration succeeded in realigning its stance so as to support this development, bringing US policy into greater harmony with its values.

By Steven Kull  |  March 9, 2011  |  4
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Corruption Reduction

AMITAI ETZIONI is Professor of International Relations at George Washington University. He served as a senior advisor to the Carter White House and has authored 22 books. In 2001, Etzioni was named among the top 100 American intellectuals in a study by Richard Posner.

By Amitai Etzioni  |  March 7, 2011
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Perspectives, Print Perspectives, Middle East
Considering Kurdistan

MICHAEL S. BERNSTAM is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University. He has served as an economic advisor to the Russian government, the Azerbaijani government, and the Iraqi Ministry of Finance. He is currently affiliated with the Iraqi Institute for Economic Reform.

By Michael S. Bernstam  |  March 6, 2011  |  1
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