BRIC
BRIC
Fair Observer provides analysis of important issues, events and trends in the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China.
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China / Global Power Shift / India / Finance & Economics / Focus Article / BRIC / AsiaBy Sonia KatyalSonia Katyal argues that free trade, innovation and world power are not the legacy of the West alone. The balance of world power is cyclical, and shifts again — but can China and India reclaim a piece of their history? Some find it irksome if not provocative to hear recently shaken corridors of power in the West ascribe India and China’s now visible and rising economic success to essentially being a ripple effect of the values of free trade that the West claims to have solely evangelised. Yes, these values powered the rise of the current capitalist powers for the last two centuries but to allude that the West has exclusive historic title to the promotion of ‘open...
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Politics / United States / Europe / Focus Article / BRIC / Middle East / Americas / Africa / Asia / OceaniaFair Observer's five best articles of March. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. Perhaps that is why China is moderating its approach to the disputed Diaoyu or Senkaku Islands. Pakistan has just seen an elected government complete its first full term, marking a victory for democracy. Now it will have to confront the more intractable issue of poor governance that its democratic neighbor India is still struggling with. Another woman was tragically gang raped in India; this time a married Swiss tourist who was on a camping trip with her husband. President Obama visited Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. He gave a great speech...
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360° Analysis / ANC / Mail & Guardian / Mandela / Politics / Protection of State Information Bill / BRIC / Arts & Culture / AfricaAs a new freedom of information bill is making its way through South Africa’s legislature, Mark Silberstein looks at the history of press freedom and asks whether the ANC has lost its way. The freedom of the press was central to the African National Congress (ANC) leader Nelson Mandela during his presidency until the end of his term in 1999. Speaking at the International Press Institute Congress, 14 February, 1994 he stated: “A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials.” Yet, as the millennium...
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360° Analysis / India / Politics / Sonia Gandhi / BRIC / AsiaHaving spent twenty-five years serving the Congress Party, Archana Dalmia makes sense of Sonia Gandhi and her role in Indian politics. Sonia Gandhi is not a career politician in the conventional sense of the word. She was virtually thrown into the ring, and yet has shown more political astuteness than most of her contemporaries. Her Caucasian origins have often been thrown at her. But she has silenced her political critics with the courage, determination and fortitude that she has shown in these past fifteen years; in fact demonstrating that she is more Indian than most. The tenure of a leader can be judged by the growth of an organization they inherit. Sonia Gandhi has excelled in that...
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360° Analysis / Afghanistan / Carnegie Endowment / Politics / Syria / Syrian Civil War / United States / Europe / BRIC / Middle East / Global SecurityTwo years into the Syrian crisis, Russia and the United States are united by the same concern: how to prevent an “Afghanistan on the Mediterranean”. Now and then, there are reports suggesting that a US-Russian deal on Syria might be imminent. The closure has not happened yet, but since the crisis in Syria first erupted two years ago, both the US and the Russian positions have evolved. Russia no longer fears the United States leading a Libyan-style military intervention in Syria. Nor does Moscow believe that Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad will eventually prevail over his opponents. Washington, by contrast, has tempered its initial expectations of Assad’s imminent...
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360° Analysis / brazil / Middle Class / Social Welfare / Finance & Economics / BRIC / Global Change / AmericasBrazil, while quickly becoming an emerging economic power, is still struggling to improve the socioeconomic problems brought on from the legacy of its autocratic past. This is the final part. Read part one here. Policy Options For Brazil’s Future For Brazil to completely emerge from the quagmire of poverty, corruption and inequality, the people and government must engage in a public debate, as well as a frank and open discussion about how to construct viable poverty alleviation models. This discussion must pertain to Brazil’s structural conditions, and her policy weaknesses. Still, it must not ignore her world renowned strengths and her lesser known attributes. Even...
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360° Analysis / Dynasty / India / Indira Gandhi / Kashmir elections / Nehru / Politics / Sepoy Mutiny / BRIC / AsiaBy Atul SinghFair Observer’s Editor-in-Chief, Atul Singh, argues that India can only progress if it buries the ghosts of Nehru and Indira. Democracy is more than elections. It requires institutions. It requires rule of law. It has been 63 years since India declared itself a republic. Yet the country is in many ways a de facto monarchy. At the national level, one family has largely remained in power since 1947. This has led to tragic consequences for the country. During the Indian independence struggle, the Indian National Congress (INC) was a movement. Elections were held regularly and even Mahatma Gandhi was outvoted on occasion. Subhas Bose was elected as President of the INC against Gandhi...
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360° Analysis / Politics / BRIC / AsiaBy Mayank SinghThe promotion of Nehru’s great grandson, Rahul Gandhi, as future prime minister despite his party’s poor governance, his lack of administrative experience or ideology, and close association with corrupt characters, is extremely damaging both to the Congress Party and to India. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s frontal assault on the Congress party, accusing it of sacrificing national interest at the altar of “the family”, has unnerved the Grand Old Party. The cacophony of sycophancy which greeted the ascension of Rahul Gandhi as vice president of the Congress seems to be withering before Modi’s charismatic personality. Congress spokespersons who have...
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Gandhi dynasty / government / Independence / India / Politics / 360° Context / BRIC / AsiaIn the 21st Century, Indian politics is still dominated by dynasties, raising concerns about the health of its democracy. Background India is a country where familial ties run strong. This often makes individuals secure and society stable. The old adage that blood is thicker than water is more true in India than elsewhere. Given India’s social structure, it is perhaps inevitable that dynasties have emerged in various professions. Nepotism helps members of powerful families ascend to positions that would otherwise have been beyond their reach. In Bollywood, in big business and, especially, in politics, certain dynasties have come to the fore. However, it is important to remember...
