Accountability and Insurgency in Afghanistan
The U.S.-backed Afghan government of Hamid Karzai is stamping out local government, which only inflames the country’s insurgency.
Mexico’s Movement for Real Democracy
The recent elections in Mexico have created a youth-led movement for change.
One Weak Domino
Other countries have problems, but Greece’s are an encyclopedia of bad behavior.
Afghanistan’s Corrupt Oligarchy
The brothers of Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s incompetent, impossibly vain, and dishonest president, have amassed astonishing fortunes.
Walmart’s Arrogance
The Walmex bribery scandal casts a spotlight on the retail giant’s many offenses in North America.
Dollar Democracy
Some eras are more corrupt than others.
Nigeria with Nukes
Millions of people have thronged the streets of cities all over the world this last year to protest the influence of money on power–the corruption in Mubarak’s Egypt and Ben Ali’s Tunisia, the malign effects of Wall Street and other financial institutions, the power elite in Russia.
Thief in the Living Room: The Defense Department
Thanks to clever PR teams, the murderous and thieving excesses of the Pentagon continue to be spun as sacrifices worth of our national security.
Reduce Corruption, Defeat the Taliban
The United States wants to negotiate with the Taliban from a position of strength. But reining in Afghan government corruption, not applying ever more military pressure, is the key to gaining a strong hand.
The Death of Nigerian Progressive Politics?
Two weeks before Nigeria’s election, Ike Okonta takes aim at progressive politics in Nigeria – or the lack thereof.
The Age of Activism
We must fight hard in our Age of Activism to construct a new political entity: the activist state. If we fail, we will slip, inexorably, into an Age of Apocalypse.
“Scam Fatigue” May Save Singh’s Hide
The 2G spectrum scandal has shaken India.
Money Bags
Thanks to a recent Supreme Court ruling, candidates for office in the United States accept unlimited donations from unspecified sources.
Author Event: The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth Behind America’s Favorite Soft Drink
The Coke Machine takes readers deep inside the Coca-Cola Company and its international franchisees to reveal how they became the number one brand in the world, and just how far they’ll go to stay there.
Ever since its “I’d like to teach the world to sing” commercials from the 1970s, Coca-Cola has billed itself as the world’s beverage, uniting all colors and cultures in a mutual love of its caramel-sweet sugar water. The formula has worked incredibly well-making it one of the most profitable companies on the planet and “Coca-Cola” the world’s second- most recognized word after “hello.” However, as the company expands its reach into both domestic and foreign markets, an increasing number of the world’s citizens are finding the taste of Coke more bitter than sweet.
Does Corruption Create Poverty?
Bribery and sweetheart deals are a curse for democracy and civil society. But as columnist Walden Bello explains, corruption is not the principal cause of global poverty.