President Obama tried to use the announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden to get Americans to think big again. The successful end of a 10-year manhunt, he declared last week, was a “testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.”But bin Laden’s death instead seemed to feed stubborn domestic divisions and conjure thorny geopolitical stalemates. Maybe the

Viewpoints May 13, 2011

The language was a bit murky at first but inevitably the true nature of Pakistan-U.S. relations began to unravel. Immediately after the reported death of Bin Laden, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari would only speak in general terms about military and intelligence cooperation between the two countries, and would not go into specifics about the operation ― specifics that Islamabad didn’t have in

Viewpoints May 13, 2011

“I can’t repay loans for my house and fishing boat, which were swept away by the tsunami.”“I was fired by my company immediately after the disaster.”Day after day, these and other complaints are heard during legal consultations for people in areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.Local lawyers associations have generously given counsel at evacuation centers and elsewhere. So have

Viewpoints May 13, 2011

The involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate in the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai will be publicly aired in Chicago on May 16 when the trial of Hussain Rana of Pakistani origin, owner of an immigration consulting firm, begins. Six Americans were among 166 people killed in the Mumbai attacks. Though the 33-page charge-sheet does not mention ISI, it names Major Iqbal of the

Viewpoints May 13, 2011

The security relationship between the United States and Pakistan is at risk of breaking down over the Osama bin Laden case. The U.S. would be disadvantaged in its Afghanistan withdrawal timetable and federal budget pruning if a rupture happened. Pakistan could as penance be made to take a cut in the $3 billion annual military aid it receives, but it will probably manage. Just how bad the relations

Viewpoints May 12, 2011

Our country has become a shining beacon of hope for luxury brands as Chinese consumers are driving the growth in many luxury sectors.As the luster of luxury fades in Japan, luxury brands are expanding their presence and retail locations in China.McKinsey & Co. estimates that the country’s luxury spending will more than double by 2015. If so, we will surpass Japan to become the world’s largest mark

Viewpoints May 12, 2011

In a far-off land called I’m Right, You’re Wrong, a fierce drug-legalization debate is raging. Half the people, libertarians, say drug use should be legal. The other half, moral purists, insist it shouldn’t.They disagree even on what to call it when those who buy or sell drugs are led off to jail. The libertarians call this a form of taxation ― specifically, a tax on the time of the buyer and sell

Viewpoints May 12, 2011

The People’s Action Party’s (PAP) standard line that it starts preparing for the next general election the day after the last one ends has probably never been truer. Traditionally, a committee is formed to study voting patterns. This year, it will have its hands full divining why various precincts cast their ballots the way they did.On the one hand, there is bound to be a secular decline in suppor

Viewpoints May 12, 2011

The defining characteristic of crony capitalism is the ability of favored elites to loot with impunity and the failure of regulators to do their jobs.We have seen this in the financial crisis that started in 2008 and in an earlier era, when the savings-and-loan industry collapsed.In the Texas “Rent-a-Bank” scandal of the 1970s, for example, two ringleaders created a fraud network of 50 lenders tha

Viewpoints May 12, 2011

Incheon Transit Corporation has invested 85.3 billion won to build a monorail system linking the major sightseeing spots in Incheon. The project, touted as the nation’s first urban sightseeing light rail, was completed last year but is still not open for public use. The main reason is that serious safety problems were found during trial operations. The system is now under scrutiny by an independen

Editorial May 11, 2011

The divisive debate on tax cuts has resurfaced in the ruling Grand National Party following the election on Friday of Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, a neutral four-term lawmaker, as the party’s new floor leader. Hwang pledged to scrap the planned tax cuts for the companies and individuals in the highest corporate and personal income tax brackets, saying he would use the money for low-income people who suffer

Editorial May 11, 2011

The killing of Osama bin Laden could be a transformational moment for Pakistan and its military. The country has an opportunity now to decide whether it wants to decisively confront Islamist violence or face the consequences of the military’s current policy of giving support to jihadis with one hand even as it slaps them with the other. If Pakistan chooses this second path, it will be increasingly

Viewpoints May 11, 2011