World Policy Journal

Japan is Asia's most powerful economy in the region's emerging economic integration. The two stages of economic regionalism in Asia have been closely connected to Japan's economy. The first stage was mainly influenced by trade and aid, while the second was driven by foreign direct investment. Japan will continue to be Asia's economic center and any future regional development will be dependent on Japan's domestic economic forces.

Humanizing nationalism.

Nationalism has become closely related with the spatial dividers of race, language, religion and state. From a noble concept that promised freedom and fulfillment for people, nationalism has turned into the antithesis of the universality of the human condition. The state as a spatial divider has the strongest influence on nationalism that the modern concept of nationalism is interminably linked with the state's political ambitions.

Nehru: A Tryst With Destiny.

New York, New York: cultural life and civic experience in the global city.

New York City's cultural products offer recreation and build a shared civic culture among its citizens. As a trans-shipment center in the past, the influx of new ideas paved the way for the creation of cultural products, making New York the cultural center of the US. These cultural attractions not only provided entertainment, but also established the basis for a common public discourse that developed the shared belief on civic participation.

Terrorism as warfare: the lessons of military history.

Terrorism is a form of military warfare that can only be eradicated by the armed forces. As a military tactic, terrorism aims to kill soldiers and lower the morale of citizens. To combat terrorism, the US armed forces should attack its military counterparts in countries sponsoring global terrorism. By focusing on military targets, civilian lives and properties are spared. The US armed forces can also conduct commando raids to seize and execute enemy leaders in foreign countries.

The 'new' South Africa: violence works.

The refusal of the African National Congress (ANC) and the Inkatha to accept the blame for the current cycle of violence in South Africa only shows that violence works. The pattern of exploitation between criminal and political interests will continue in the absence of legitimate law and of legal accountability for crimes. Without lawful justice, people will continue to take the law into their hands and seek protection from either the Inkatha or ANC.

The Cyprus impasse: what next?

Turkey versus Greece Greek-Turkish dispute over Cyprus can only be settled by a territorial compromise between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Both Greece and Turkey are motivated by different reasons for fostering a comprehensive Cyprus settlement. Since Ankara and Athens remain restricted, the initiative should come from the Cypriots themselves. Most Greek Cypriots have accepted the inevitability of sharing Cyprus with a willing Turkish Cypriot minority.

The dangers of a foreign policy consensus.

A foreign policy consensus hides the serious dangers confronting the US as a major world power. The passage of the Helms-Burton Act can weaken US relations with other countries, while the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would isolate Russia. The US cannot force China to stop human rights violations because of the former's trade deficit. The US foreign policy consensus merely disguises the Americans' unwillingness to face the negative effects of being a world leader.

The happy twilight of Washington.

US as an emerging Roman empire Washington is analogous to the Roman republic on the verge of a new and all-powerful era. In his book, 'The Twenty-First Century Will Be American,' Alfredo Valladao claims that the Cold War parallels the defeat of Carthage in Romans' hands. He envisions the US as a supreme economic and cultural force in the whole world. The US is reshaping world economy to suit its needs by creating a capitalist world where it acts as security and financial guarantor.

The unwinnable drug war: what Clausewitz would tell us.

Karl von Clausewitz's strategic principles The fight against drugs has been a failure because of policymakers' neglect of the principles of Karl von Clausewitz's 19th-century book on strategy, 'On War.' Contrary to Clausewitz's concepts, the current drug war strategy lacks clearly-defined political objectives and military mission. It also uses force and coercion, which are improper means of reducing drug supply. The drug war will continue to fail as the drug trade's market nature remains ignored.

Uneasy rooms: the concept of space in modern Japan.

The Japanese concepts of principal space, or 'omote' and subordinate space, or 'ura' have been lost with the adoption of Western architecture. In Japanese culture, the 'ura/omote' spatiality provides psychological boundaries in houses. While the Japanese in the Meiji era sought refuge in their houses as Western architecture was introduced, the modern Japanese can no longer escape from the onslaught of current Western developments.