Best Events of 2002

Is anti-Americanism really running as rampant as the media would have us believe? Does the world stand behind the American war on terror? Do developing nations -- and the silent majorities that exist in any country -- see America as a savior or predator? What does this attitude mean for our future as a superpower?

Please join us as Bruce Stokes, Elizabeth Gross, and Mary McIntosh -- all of whom helped lead and organize a major… more

Charles Kupchan is one of America's leading foreign policy intellectuals, and has produced an important book that cuts against the grain of Washington's contemporary military and economic triumphalism. In his book, Kupchan argues that the current political landscape -- including the end of the Cold War, the emergence of a significantly more competitive Europe, a waning interest among American citizens in foreign policy, a growing tendency toward U.S. unilateralism, and the profound impact of the digital age --… more

Over Labor Day weekend 2002, while Americans focused on the prospect of war with Iraq, the first anniversary of September 11, and the last days of their summer vacations, thousands of government officials, non-governmental advocates, and business executives gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa for the third global summit on the environment. With the world?s attention elsewhere, the World Summit on Sustainable Development was an anticlimactic conclusion to three decades of global environmental activism. What did emerge from Johannesburg… more

This autumn events in Tokyo led many observers to believe that Japan was ready to restructure its profoundly dysfunctional banking system. These hopes were soon dashed, however, as the "forces of resistance" to economic reform marshaled their resources and persuaded Prime Minister Koizumi to eviscerate the banking program. A mood approaching dejection has subsequently fallen over Japan specialists in that country and around the world.

Robert Madsen contends that the temporary surge in optimism was unrealistic. Not only are the political… more

Did America vote foreign policy or economy? Is there really an 'emerging democratic majority'? What will a Republican/Democratic Congress mean for Bush's next two years in office? Did Wellstone's pep rally-like memorial service help or hurt Walter Mondale? What were the deciding issues in other key races?

Please join us as our informed panel discusses the political and social implications of one fo the most controversial and closely watched elections in U.S. history.

The Bush Administration's recently enunciated national security doctrine with its emphasis on pre-emptive regime change and the pursuit of permanent military dominance does not serve American interests. Nor does it provide the foundation for a stable world order conducive to American values and long-term well-being. This panel of experts explains why the Bush doctrine is wrong for both the United States and the world and offers an alternative set of ideas for a foreign policy more suited to the international… more

The wave of financial liberalization which is closely linked with the ongoing process of globalization has indirectly led to significant environmental impacts. At the same time this increasingly free flow of capital has undermined the ability of national regulations to mitigate these problems. This talk proposed a framework for thinking about the environmental effects of international financial flows and for designing beneficial regulations.

On behalf of the New America Foundation and American Institute for Contemporary German Studies, we are pleased to invite you to a "just in time" brown bag lunch meeting titled "The World and George W.: A Foreign Policy Conversation" with one of Germany's, and Europe's, most important perspective-shapers on foreign policy: Stefan Kornelius, Foreign Editor of Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany's largest mainstream commercial paper.

Kornelius previously served as Washington Bureau Chief of the Süddeutsche Zeitung and regularly writes… more

One of America's most important voices on the American relationship with Europe is Jeffrey Gedmin, former Executive Director of the New Atlantic Initiative and the newly appointed Director of the Aspen Institute Berlin. In a very brief period, Jeff has transformed what was largely an antiquated and partially stale organization crafted primarily for Cold War relationship maintenance to a vibrant, provocative institution asking important questions about the stresses and strains of the evolving international system.

In March the FCC classified cable modem Internet service as an "interstate information service," thereby exempting cable broadband from the common carrier obligations of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, as well as from local regulation. The FCC's decision -- together with a pending rule that would likewise exempt high-speed telephone modems (DSL) -- has the potential to undermine the Internet as an open and unfettered medium of communication and innovation. By allowing cable and regional Bell companies to close… more

The Asset Building Program of the New America Foundation is pleased to host its first "Assets Roundtable" featuring authors of both the first and the latest books to emerge in the increasingly global asset building movement.

Michael Sherraden, author of the seminal Assets and the Poor (M.E. Sharpe) -- a book that revolutionized the way people in the U.S. and around the world understand and combat poverty -- will discuss his theory of assets, present new research… more

Please join us as Ray Boshara discusses the promise, prospects, and limits of the "assets paradigm" to combat poverty and inequality in the U.S. and abroad. Reflecting on 12 years of experience, Boshara will make the case for asset-based policies, summarize existing research, and discuss current legislative initiatives. He will also describe proposals in the U.K. and other countries to build assets.

Of course, the stock market's lost capitalization of about $4 trillion has diminished the… more

Conventional wisdom regarding Japanese economy holds that it needs structural reform. That is correct, but news and opinion seem to focus too much on banking industry (e.g. writing off bad loans) and government sector reform (like postal savings). When we assess the current situation of Japan, we should focus more on what kind of reforms are needed for the corporate sector to become more efficient, and how much they have achieved in that context.

Actually, there have been a… more

During the last decade, six countries have enacted new legislation giving their citizens access to government information and 26 countries enacted formal statutes guaranteeing their citizens will continue to enjoy that freedom. The concept of freedom of information is evolving from a moral indictment of secrecy to a tool for market regulation, more efficient government, and economic and technological growth. However, in the months following September 11th, troubling signs emerged that governments might be shutting the door on… more

Historically, America stays engaged in the world only under threat, as it is doing now to fight terrorism. But once the threat recedes, America cycles between reform (e.g. Bill Clinton's nation-building) and withdrawal (e.g. George W. Bush's original "more humble" foreign policy). Will it cycle again, attacking the roots of terrorism but overreaching and then retreating to homeland defense? In his new book, At Home Abroad: Identity and Power in American Foreign Policy, Nau explores the role… more

Please join us as Harvey Himberg explores the role of financial institutions in foreign direct investment (FDI) and the implications of their role for the relationship between investment and the environment. Without legitimate and relatively functional national and supra-national regulatory mechanisms to set the "rules of the game" and arbitrate disputes, like those enjoyed by trade, how can FDI and its environmental impact be regulated? As of now, financial institutions are, by default, becoming the de facto arbiters of environmental… more

For most of its 53 years of existence, the Geneva Convention of 1949, the treaty regulating conflict between and within states, has been largely ignored. But it took on new life in the decade after the Cold War ended, following massive atrocities in Bosnia and in Rwanda. The establishment of UN tribunals to prosecute violations breathed new life into humanitarian law and led to a movement to establish an international criminal court. The events of 9/11 and the Bush administration's… more

The Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 was signed into law in March. Much has taken place in the subsequent months to challenge the very existence and meaning of the law. Numerous plaintiffs, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, have sued the government claiming that the soft-money ban and campaign advertising provisions are unconstitutional. The Federal Election Commission, tasked with interpreting and enforcing the law, seems destined to misinterpret or ignore the Congressional intent to ban soft money and… more

Pop-star Bono and Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill have just returned from their fact-finding trip to Africa to determine whether foreign aid works and how wealthy nations can successfully aid developing nations. But did they miss the biggest issue: Can information technology and the Internet help Africa develop economically and politically? What will the consequences be if the digital divide is added to Africa's other problems?

Nicholas Thompson discusses the extent to which the Internet has helped Ghana,… more

Senator John McCain will outline a new bill that would provide vouchers for political candidates to buy time on the nation's broadcast media, funded by a small fee on broadcasters who currently pay nothing to use the public airwaves. Broadcasters were given licenses -- at no cost -- to use spectrum now valued at $250 billion in return for in-kind "public interest obligations," such as educational and civic programming. However, the industry has increasingly shirked these obligations… more

Since September 11th, the Bush administration has taken many steps, financial, military and policy-wise, with the goal of destroying one of the most organized and well-funded terrorist networks in the world. However, the short- and long- term effectiveness of these drastic measures has yet to be proven. Is Al Quaeda weakened or is it successfully regrouping? Does it still have the capabilities to commit more acts of terror? How has its infrastructure changed? Who is… more

The anti-globalization movement first gained notoriety in Seattle two and a half years ago. But what is this movement? In what ways does it unite such unlikely bedfellows as George Soros, the legendary financier, and Jose Bove, the French farmer who trashed a McDonald's building site? What does "street politics" have in common with "consumer politics"? And will this explosion in protest ultimately destroy democracy or serve as the catalyst to reinvigorate it?

Please join us as Noreena Hertz presents her… more

Please join us as Ricardo Bayon and John Shilling explore innovative ways to convert sustainability into a valued service in the marketplace. They will discuss the ingenuity and capital required to create demand and profit for environmental services. Furthermore, utilizing examples of successful and unsuccessful endeavors, both at home and abroad, they will identify the market conditions and interventions necessary to foster the growth and success of these environmental businesses.

In the wake of the Enron scandal, the retirement savings of many Americans are now seen as less secure. The need to reform our current pension policies, including 401(k) plans, is emerging as a national priority. Legislation has already passed the House and will soon be debated in the Senate.

Senators Grassley and Corzine will present their views on current legislation to remedy the current state of 401K plans -- and on the larger context of retirement security. … more

Please join us at the New America Foundation as Adam Posen and Steven Vogel address these compelling issues:

After ten years of stagnation, few people today expect a Japanese return to prominence, either economically or in U.S. consciousness. Of course, at the start of the 1990s, few people expected hyper-competitive Japan to recede so quickly from being the "Number One" economy. Looking beyond today's difficulties, what should American policymakers expect of Japan in 10 years' time? Will relations… more

The cloning debate has highlighted deep divisions in the U.S. over the future of biomedical research. Biotechnological advances beyond cloning promise to enhance human capacities by dramatically extending lifespans and boosting intellectual capabilities. Ronald Bailey, science correspondent for Reason magazine, discusses why no new ethical limits need be placed on genetic enhancements.

In Silent Theft -- a new book by New America's Public Assets Program -- David Bollier describes America's vast "common wealth" and the increasing threat of commercial enclosure that is denying a fair return to taxpayers and eroding shared cultural values. The American Commons encompasses both tangible assets and resources that are neither private nor public property in a conventional sense including natural systems, such as the atmosphere, the airwaves and the human genome, but also resource management regimes,… more

Why shouldn't people who deplete our natural assets have to pay, and those who protect them reap profits? Conservation-minded entrepreneurs and others around the world are beginning to ask just that question, as the increasing scarcity of natural resources becomes a tangible threat to our own lives and our hopes for our children. The New Economy of Nature brings together Gretchen Daily, one of the world's leading ecologists, with Katherine Ellison, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, to offer an engaging and… more

Can a centrist agenda be radical? Looking at both the UK and the US, John Gray argues that standard liberal and conservative policy mixes are inadequate responses to some of the central issues faced by both countries. In areas such as the proper scope and limits of the market, drugs, energy policy and the war against terrorism, policy and debate remain fixated in ideological positions that have become irrelevant and harmful.

John Gray is a professor of European… more

The Chastening is the first book to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the International Monetary Fund during an extraordinarily turbulent period in modern economic history. Based on interviews with more than 200 officials at the IMF, the World Bank, the U.S. Treasury, the Federal Reserve, the White House and many foreign governments, The Chastening recounts the struggle to stem the financial crisis that flared in Thailand in mid-1997 and spread to three continents. Its disquieting conclusion: at a time when… more

On September 11th, the nation discovered that our current cellular communications infrastructure is incapable of managing high volumes of both public safety and consumer phone traffic. In response, the National Communications System, a federal agency, has suggested a "priority access" system to wireless cellular networks in the event of an emergency -- a system that could block civilian calls during a crisis.

Reed Hundt, former Chairman of the FCC, proposes another option: a separate emergency wireless network that… more

Modern societies face a cruel paradox: Fast-paced technological and economic innovations may deliver unrivalled prosperity, but they also render rich nations vulnerable to crippling, unanticipated attacks. By relying on intricate networks and concentrating vital assets in small geographic clusters, advanced Western nations only amplify the destructive power of terrorists -- and the psychological and financial damage they can inflict.

Thomas Homer-Dixon is Director of the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at the University of Toronto, and Associate Professor in the… more

The Enron scandal has raised the awareness of the accounting profession in the minds of millions of Americans. Where does the industry go from here? Is the separation of the accounting and consulting businesses enough or will the industry have to take additional steps to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest? Was Enron a rogue elephant or does the federal government need to put into place new laws and regulations to restore investor confidence? … more

TechNet and CSPP, two coalitions of high-tech CEOs, recently asked the government to set an ambitious goal - a National Broadband Policy - to connect 100 million homes and businesses to a next generation Internet 50 to 100 times faster than today?s broadband connections. President Bush is expected to preview his broadband initiative in Tuesday?s State of the Union. Since Internet connections at these faster rates cannot be delivered on the current infrastructure that carries DSL and cable… more

Robert D. Kaplan is a correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly and the bestselling author of seven previous books on travel and foreign affairs, translated into many languages, including Balkan Ghosts, The Arabists, The Ends of the Earth, and The Coming Anarchy.