According to Kishore Mahbubani, a strategist in Singapore, the West – especially Europe – has presumed too long that Asia is and will remain “dormant.” As Marmon explains, Mahbubani is perhaps the most articulate exponent of a widely-held view in Asia: that Westerners are dangerously behind the curve in reading the major trends of global change.
The Commission hopes to help put in place a Europe-wide approach to sovereign wealth funds designed to avoid a situation in which the investors play off EU countries against each other. A common European attitude may help sensitize the funds about the value of transparency concerning their own rules of the road.
European defense firms can find U.S. markets. The Pentagon's procurement budget will be cut by billions, and no Congress will turn down proposals that offer many more weapons, far more cheaply – especially when U.S. companies do not even produce the same systems. There are many niche markets.
The Transatlantic Economic Council was a major U.S.-EU innovation designed to negotiate away non-tariff barriers between the two markets. To consolidate the promise of its first year at work, it needs to choose its issues and do something tangibly effective about them, according to Dan Price, the White House point man in the TEC.
Where Have all the Soldiers Gone? The Transformation of Modern Europe. By James J. Sheehan. Reviewed by Michael Mosettig A cogent reading of 20th-century history in which the author recounts how Europe became “a military state” and then after the cold war reacted against that trend to become a “civilian state” – in which dying in wars was no longer part of the social contract. Now, martial values may be due for revival.
Topic:
International Relations and International Political Economy
Globalization and Europe: Prospering in the New Whirled Order By Daniel S. Hamilton and Joseph P. Quinlan. Reviewed by Megan Watson Two proven analysts turn to statistics (rather than fear-mongering or cheerleading) to weigh the questions of whether globalization is good or bad for Europeans. The verdict? Good overall. Job losses are outweighed by new jobs created in the process. But individuals remain fearful about their personal fate.
McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal World By Misha Glenny. Reviewed by Michael Mosettig Organized crime in Russia became a key component of the now-defunct Soviet system and in the post-cold war era it has become a new multinational venture. The author takes us on a journey through this underworld, showing how, through the Balkans, new mafias reach into the EU.
Shortly after the Irish voted “no” in their referendum on the Lisbon treaty, John Bruton, speaking in his personal capacity, addressed The European Institute and explained the reasons for the outcome and what should happen next. A former Irish prime minister as well as a high EU representative, he offers unique insights into the issue.