Attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos recently made frequent references to ESG. An acronym for environment, social, and governance issues, ESG has become shorthand for what had been known as “corporate social responsibility” or “sustainability.” Judging from programs and conversations in Davos, there is a growing sentiment, at least in some quarters, that global companies need […]
In November, Qatar will host the World Cup, the most popular global mega-sporting event after the Olympics. The soccer tournament will be the first such event to take place in the Middle East—a significant milestone for the region. Since it was selected to host the World Cup in 2010, the Qatari government has undertaken a […]
The first casualty of war is truth. Variations of that famous aphorism are attributed to California Senator Hiram Johnson at the turn of the 20th century and the ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus, among others. The truth certainly has been a casualty of Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian regime in Russia, where state-sponsored media outlets have dispensed a […]
Since the end of World War II, thousands of Western-based companies have benefited from the advent of the globalized economy. They have profited from selling their products to consumers in China, India, and other far-flung markets while reducing costs by shifting manufacturing of everything from clothing to digital devices to low-wage economies. Western-based mining and […]
Thirty-five years ago, when Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” Americans across the political spectrum stood behind their president. Reagan articulated a long-standing bipartisan commitment to human rights and democracy: “We believe that freedom and security go together,” he said, “that the […]
In January, Tesla, a company with a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion, announced “breakthrough” 2021 profits of $5.5 billion. But there is trouble in the company’s supply chain. The batteries in electric cars like the ones Tesla manufactures require cobalt, a mineral found in abundance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While electric […]
Next month, China will host the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the most ill-advised venue for the games since Adolf Hitler brought the 1936 Olympics to Berlin. Even as China has become one of the world’s largest economies, President Xi Jinping’s government has accelerated its crackdown on dissent and free speech in Hong Kong and its mass […]
On November 2, Peng Shuai, a Chinese tennis star and former Olympian, posted a statement online accusing a former senior Chinese government official of sexually assaulting her. Chinese censors quickly removed the post and Peng disappeared from the public eye for weeks.She has since resurfaced in videos and images, but the Beijing government has restricted Peng’s ability to speak […]
Ethiopia is a country in crisis. In the last year, the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been locked in a violent confrontation with the Tigray People’s Liberation Army (TPLF) , an armed conflict that has resulted in wholesale violations of human rights by both sides. The government has just declared a state of emergency as TPLF forces march toward the […]
In today’s globalized economy, large companies increasingly outsource production to factories they neither own nor operate. Outsourcing can dramatically reduce the costs of production, while also benefiting low-wage workers, many of whom migrate from farms to cities in search of a predictable income and better quality of life. Over the last 40 years, this model […]
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