Argentina Seeks to Be Reintegrated into the World

Cristina Fernández will initiate an marathon international tour to further markets

Posted by , 23rd October 2008

argentinareinsercion.jpgCristina Fernández resumed the offensive on the international plane and will begin a long period of trips to consolidate Argentinean export markets. The destinations will include African, European, Latin American, and Asian nations, and this frames her policy of the reinsertion of Argentina into the international stage, firmly announced during the presidential campaign.

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Wall Street: debunking the myths

Lessons that Latin America can take away from the crisis

Posted by , 16th October 2008

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Latin America must reexamine the regulation, speculative practices, extreme inequity, role of public policy, and many other very important underlying affairs of the tragic collapse of Wall Street. The region should immediately leave behind narrow economic policies, and get an idea of what basic components of social capital, like trust and ethics, weigh heavily on the economy. The time is now.

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UNASUR’s first success

A display of “smart power” in Latin America

Posted by , 16th October 2008

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Aside from giving Bolivia a breather, the recent emergency meeting of the twelve countries of UNASUR – for which Michelle Bachelet took the initiative – has, above all, amounted to a display of smart power, and is further proof of the solidity of the consensus for stability and development in Latin America.

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The rise of the borderline poor in Latin America

The lower-middle class is sinking

Posted by , 15th October 2008

ambulante.jpgWandering street vendors, self-employed workers, specialized workers, repairmen, small entrepreneurs, pensioners and even university professionals are faced with a paradoxical and hopeless reality in Latin America. They see that, no matter what they do, they remain mired in a life of poverty from which they cannot escape.

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Ten key answers, following the Lehman Brothers’ bankruptcy

Why it is necessary to coordinate global measures to regulate the financial system

Posted by , 9th October 2008

lehman1.jpgWhat lessons can be learned from the fall of Lehman Brothers? Is Lehman’s bankruptcy only a financial matter? How can an investment bank go bankrupt? What happens when it goes bankrupt? Why has Washington not intervened now if it did do so in the bankruptcies of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Bear Stearns? Can more banks go bankrupt? Why is this crisis lasting so long? How did it all begin? What consequences can this have for the average citizen?

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Mistakes are piling up: the Russian drift and European indecision

Energy in Europe and Central Asia after the Caucasian war: a real head scratcher

Posted by , 9th October 2008

medputin.jpgEurope’s mistake regarding Russia’s latest actions in Caucasus stems from its inability to articulate a strong position in keeping with its interests. Moscow wishes to diversify its economy and not limit itself to being a mere energy provider, and in this sense Brussels has some negotiating leverage. The author says that if the EU does not take advantage of this opportunity, Russia will end up rerouting its energy supply to Asia.

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Russia: the bear wakes up

How to achieve a stable relationship between the West and Moscow

Posted by , 18th September 2008

rusiamedput.jpgA giant like Russia cannot be threatened with retaliation by its Western neighbors, above all because the energy that makes the European countries run comes in a large part from Gazprom, the most important oil company in the world. The author says that by merely understanding Moscow’s historic need to have a safety line, a stable relationship between the Russian bear and its Western neighbors can be achieved.

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ASEAN’s single market has yet to live up to its promise

The strategically located association is plagued by internal problems

Posted by , 11th September 2008

aseanflags.jpgAs its neighboring giants India and China continue to make significant inroads into the global economy, the still charter-less ASEAN is mired in integration problems and struggling to forge a single market. The author points to a disparity in the amount of foreign direct investments received by the member states, as well as the weak trade within the association, as possible reasons for the association’s heretofore failure to integrate.

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Pervez Musharraf’s Legacy

Nine Years of Failure

Posted by , 4th September 2008

musharrafseva.jpgNow that Pervez Musharraf has finally resigned as Pakistan’s president, the author analyzes his legacy, and attempts to pick apart the unstable coalition currently ruling Pakistan. Read on to discover why the Pakistani people gradually turned against a man they initially trusted, and why a poor civilian government is always better than a poor military one.

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