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This Week at ISN

25 29 November 2013

Our Weekly Editorial Roundup

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Here Come the PC-16

China's economic transformation is expected to help a host of developing nations reap the benefits of low-wage industrialization. However, while the emergence of the so-called Post China-16 (PC-16) will add a new dimension to the global economy, we need to remember that these countries are located in volatile regions. The PC-16's economic growth will thus depend on their abilities to cope with a host of security-related problems. What they won't have to worry about, however, is the developed world trying to parallel their efforts. If Japan and the US are anything to go by, reintroducing high-wage reindustrialization to stimulate economic growth isn't a viable option for them.

Opportunities in Economic Crisis

25 November 2013

Can the low-end manufacturing potential of the Post-China 16 states benefit a faltering global economy? Karen Hooper thinks so. These countries not only have a readily available labor force, they have also enacted policies that allow them to exploit their political, regulatory and geographical advantages. More

Is Indonesia Ready for PC-16 Status?

26 November 2013

Given Indonesia's sound economic base and ideal demographic mix, is it ideally suited to benefit from low-wage industrialization? As Makmur Keliat warns in today's podcast, long-term environmental insecurity and growing political unrest may prevent this economic next step from happening. More

Mexico Makes It
27 November 2013

The rapid growth of Mexico's manufacturing and services sectors arguably makes it the economic powerhouse of the PostChina 16. Shannon O'Neil warns, however, that if the country wants to build on its success, it needs to address a number of familiar problems, most notably its struggle with organized crime. More

The Path to Renewed Growth

28 November 2013

Should developed states have their own version of the PC-16 strategy -- i.e., should they try to kick-start economic growth with high-wage reindustrialization? Not according to Dean Baker. He thinks that the West should take a page out of Japan's playbook if it wants to recover from its economic malaise. More

"Hollowing Out" in U.S. Manufacturing: Analysis and Issues for Congress

29 November 2013

The critical dependence of US manufacturers upon outside actors is a national security problem, writes Marc Levinson. Worse still, it implies that the country cannot rely upon a hollowed out industrial sector to kick-start what it needs most a long-term economic recovery. More

// Security Watch
Will Madagascar's Elections End the Perennial Crisis?
25 November 2013

Public discontent and unrest in Madagascar is expected to increase ahead of next month's presidential runoff elections. Today, Brian Klaas and Piers Pigou discuss the bitter political rivalries and social conditions that have made this island and its politics so volatile. More

The 26/11 Attack, Five Years Later

26 November 2013

On the fifth anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, Prem Mahadevan reviews what has been subsequently learned about their planning and significance. The conclusions? Pakistan's culpability in the attacks is now beyond question and the operation ushered in a 'new normal' in terrorist practices. More

Myanmar-China-US: The Potential for Triangular Cooperation

27 November 2013

Should China be concerned about the increasingly warm ties between the United States and Myanmar? Not according to David Steinberg. Because Beijing and Washington have overlapping interests in this former pariah state, they can work together to help rehabilitate it. More

Egypt's Economic Challenges

28 November 2013

Rising unemployment, energy shortages and a faltering economy may have led to massive protests against the Morsi regime, James Martin observes, but the current government should expect more of the same if it doesn't make a dent in the country's myriad economic problems. More

How Snowden Strengthens U.S. Efforts Against Jihadi Terrorism

29 November 2013

Has anything good come out of the highly-damaging and embarrassing Edward Snowden affair? Absolutely, says Barak Mendelsohn. Some of the materials leaked by the former NSA contractor highlight the US's ongoing and indeed growing - commitment to countering Jihadi terrorist activities. More

// Blog
Where Have All the Peace Treaties Gone?
25 November 2013

International humanitarian law has created disincentives for states to end interstate conflicts with formal peace treaties, or so argues Tanisha Fazal. But the news isn't all bad. The use of peace treaties to end civil wars appears to be on the rise. More

From Civil to Civic Conflict? Violence and the City in 'Fragile States'
26 November 2013

Continuous civil unrest, gang-related violence and terrorist attacks define our era. It is, in other words, an era of urban conflict rather than peace. Today, Thomas Goodfellow and others explore the link between this type of conflict and the fragility of nation states. More

Against the Gospel of 'Africa Rising'

27 November 2013

Those who promote the 'Africa is rising' narrative are distorting reality and reinforcing a one-dimensional storyline, or so argues Solome Lemma. She believes that by celebrating only those states that are doing well, the poorest countries on the continent are getting pushed out of the dominant narrative. More

Mediation Perspectives: Armenia and the Customs Union Window of Opportunity for NagornoKarabakh?
28 November 2013

Will Armenia's proposed membership in the Russian-led Customs Union (CU) help the OSCE's long-standing efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem? The CSS' Anna Hess Sargsyan has her doubts. Instead, she thinks that closer ties between Yerevan and Moscow may result in Russia taking the lead in mediation efforts. More

Can Trust-Building Be Risk Free?

29 November 2013

How might the US and China go about injecting more trust into their diplomatic, military and technological exchanges? According to Tong Zhao, there are three possible approaches that Beijing and Washington can take. Unfortunately, none of them are perfect. More

// Video
Bangladesh at a Crossroads: Bangladesh's Economy Prospects and Challenges
In this video, a mix of experts and practitioners discuss the growth, greater internationalization, and future prospects of Bangladesh's economy. They also focus on Dhaka's evolving relationship with its bilateral and multilateral trading partners. More

Derrida & Violence

In this video, Syracuse University's Gregg Lambert talks about the life and work of Jacques Derrida, with a particular emphasis on his ideas about sovereignty and violence. Lambert also looks at Derrida's views of the US, his discomfort with the idea of 'the enemy' in modern conflicts, and his thoughts on religiously motivated violence. More

The Role of Economics in Democratic Transitions: Kenya

In this video, Carole Kariuki, who is the CEO of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), discusses why economic and democratic reforms in Kenya are inextricably linked together. She also talks about the growing economic opportunities within the country and their vulnerability to political instability. More

Coming Up
Next week, we consider the current social, economic and political challenges facing democracy and whether authoritarianism now provides a viable alternative.

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