[Kim Jin-guk] New subcontracting law will damage the economy

It has been more than a year since the government introduced the “fair society” concept as its governing philosophy. One major aspect of it has been encouraging “joint growth” between small and medium-sized enterprises and big business groups ahead of major elections next year. The revised bill on fair subcontracting transactions allows SME industry associations the right of collective negotiation

June 20, 2011

Philippines Independence Day under a Chinese cloud

What an irony that as the Philippines celebrates two historic moments, part of its territory is coveted by the most powerful nation in Asia, and its sovereignty and territorial integrity have to be guaranteed by yet another power which happens to be the most powerful in the world today.This week began with the 113th anniversary of the day first Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo cast off the co

June 20, 2011

[Albert R. Hunt] Voters want Obama to put winning the present first

White House strategist David Plouffe says all President Barack Obama’s messages should be directed to a middle-aged, white woman in Ohio. When a person in this target audience considers the economy and the administration, which of the following is her first thought: a.) There are “signs of real strength.” b.) The top priority is jobs. c.) There are “bumps on the road to recovery.” d.) The chief ch

June 20, 2011

[Margaret Carlson] Is Mr. Romney now Mr. Right for Republicans?

Mitt Romney has had the kind of smooth life that makes people want to trip him as he bounds up stairs two at a time. But he has become a steadying presence in a field of Republican presidential candidates who raise the blood pressure ― and not in a good way. At this week’s debate in New Hampshire, Romney was a mighty oak planted at center stage, with little saplings arrayed around him. In every Re

June 19, 2011

Dispel concerns before signing Hague Convention

When international marriages fall apart, how should cross-border disputes over child custody be handled?The Japanese government is in the process of formulating legislation in preparation for joining the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which sets international rules for settling such disputes.If Japan becomes a signatory to the convention, perhaps as soon as

June 19, 2011

[Peter Goldmark] Generation of weapons: small, smart, anonymous

A new generation of weapons is being born.They are small, smart and anonymous.There’s a company on contract to the Pentagon building a drone ― a remotely piloted air-going craft ― no bigger than a small bird. Another military contractor is developing an invisible mist to be sprayed on enemy individuals or vehicles, thus “painting and tagging” them to be recognizable electronically without their kn

June 19, 2011

[Laurence Kotlikoff] ‘Vouchercare’ is the right name for Medicare

There’s a lot in a name. Just ask the so-called pinkos from the 1950s, or any ethnic group denigrated with a nasty epithet. In our Medicare debate, the role of invective has been foisted upon the word “voucher.” If we want to get our government’s finances under control, it’s time we rehabilitated it. The use of the V-word screams “far right wing.” Its public utterance has become so dangerous that

June 19, 2011

[Noah Feldman] Praise the Arab Spring, prepare for the Arab Fall

For all the excitement about the twilight of the dictators, only two ― Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia ― have been officially knocked over since the start of the so-called Arab Spring six months ago. It isn’t even clear whether that count will reach three. Yemeni strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh is in neighboring Saudi Arabia for medical treatment after a bomb in his own

June 17, 2011

India, Pakistan must cooperate for peace

To ensure its control over the government, the Pakistan army has always exaggerated the threats from India, often referred to as the No. 1 enemy. It has been able to secure billions of dollars from the U.S. ostensibly in the fight against terror. The Pakistani government has followed the policy of running with the hare and hunting with the hound. Although an ally of the U.S. in its fight against g

June 17, 2011

Weapons-export ban threatened

In meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Singapore on June 3, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa told him that Japan would allow the United States to export to other countries an anti-missile missile being jointly developed by Japan and the U.S. if certain conditions are met.Japan is expected to confirm this position in a meeting of Japanese and U.S. foreign and defense ministers to b

June 17, 2011

Japan ruling party’s punishment of rebels lenient

Was this the best the Democratic Party of Japan could do to put its foot down?The ruling party on Monday decided on punishments for 15 of its House of Representatives lawmakers who did not attend or abstained from voting on a recent no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Naoto Kan.Former DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa and seven other lawmakers had their party membership suspended for three months

June 17, 2011

[William Pesek] Goldman cools on economy ignoring ‘China years’

Just when we thought we’d seen everything from Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai prime minister has managed to clone himself. The genetic copy in question is Thaksin’s younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who is running for his old job. If you think this sounds like the political version of a cheesy horror film, imagine how Thailand’s 68 million people feel. They’ve seen this one before and it d

June 16, 2011

Church-state clash will tell China’s future

“As a sensitive day known to all fell in this week, many brothers and sisters began to be restricted at home,” report the leaders of the Shouwang congregation, one of the largest unauthorized “house churches” in Beijing. “Some were told to report at their respective local police stations or neighborhood committees” that answer to the communist government.The “sensitive day” is June 4, the annivers

June 16, 2011

[Ramesh Ponnuru] Free Republicans from middle-class tax trap

For more than 30 years Republicans have won elections by promising to cut middle-class taxes, or at least to stop middle-class tax increases. No domestic issue has been as reliable a vote-winner. But now Republicans are in a bind. The huge deficit makes tax-cut promises seem impractical. They also worry that cutting middle-class taxes will leave high earners paying an even larger share of income t

June 16, 2011