Unequal Portions: The Perilous Politics of Food

	Global Asia: Volume 3, Number 2 Summer 2008
	A Letter from the Editors Chung-in Moon and David Plott
	Dear Reader, Sharply higher food prices are weighing heavily on the dining tables of consumers worldwide. In poorer parts of the globe, including many in developing Asia, these price rises pose a serious threat to political stability if they continue unchecked... more... PDF Version
	Cover Story: Unequal Portions: The Perilous Politics of Food
	Food Fight: Why the Current Crisis Threatens Global Stability By Lester R. Brown
	Past food crises have been largely event driven. The current crisis is starkly different. It is the result of global trends that pose long-term challenges to food supplies. PDF Version
	Manufacturing a Food Crisis: Lessons for the World Bank, IMF, and WTO By Walden Bello
	Much of the suffering in poor parts of the world caused by rising food prices is man-made. Neoliberal agricultural policies have left them at the mercy of global markets. PDF Version
	The Anatomy of a Rice Crisis By John Berthelsen
	Geography, a burgeoning population and a corrupt and inattentive government in the Philippines have defined the country’s vulnerability to rice shortages. PDF Version
	Markets and Famine in North Korea By Stephen Haggard, Marcus Noland and Erik Weeks
	North Korea is no stranger to food shortages. With global agricultural prices soaring, the country is set to experience yet another famine. PDF Version
	The Debate: Who Should Control the Proliferation Security Initiative?
	Put the Proliferation Security Initiative Under the UN By Mark Valencia
	PSI has chalked up a mixed record, and lacks the kind of widespread support it needs. It’s time to move beyond an arrangement dominated by the US and entrust PSI to the UN. PDF Version
	Can PSI be Perfect in an Imperfect World? By Yong-joon Lee
	Putting the Proliferation Security Initiative under UN auspices would expose it to political complications in a world of compromised multilateralism. PDF Version
	Feature Essays
	Efforts for a Nuclear-Free North Korea Are Bearing Fruit By Leon V. Sigal
	It would be folly now to listen to critics who believe the US should take a tougher approach to North Korea. Diplomacy is starting to yield results. Don’t blow it. PDF Version
	Negotiation with North Korea: Clinton vs Bush By Walter C. Clemens, Jr.
	President Clinton and President Bush had very different approaches to dealing with North Korea. Comparing them puts into stark relief the failures of the Bush administration. PDF Version
	Russia Beyond the Looking Glass By Nikolay Petrov
	The recent ascent of Dimtry Medvedev to the Russian presidency has triggered the usual Western wishful thinking about new Russian leaders.Why was Medvedev chosen? PDF Version
	Shifting Ground: The Political Impact of China's Earthquake By Hugo Restall
	For millennia the Chinese have viewed earthquakes and other natural disasters as portents of a dynasty about to crumble. The latest earthquake,though, provoked a surprising reaction. PDF Version
	Taiwan's Political Balancing Act By Baohui Zhang
	After years of tension between China and Taiwan, the election f Ma Ying-jeou as Taiwan’s new president in March was a turning point in cross-Strait relations. PDF Version
	Refining the Future: Oil and Gas in Indonesia By Andrew Steele
	Indonesia is at a crossroad. Its vast energy resources are being depleted. Unless it develops additional oil and gas reserves, it could lose the backbone of its economic development. PDF Version
	Book Review
	Excelling in the Shadows: Singapore's Unsung Hero Reviewed by David Plott
	Goh Keng Swee is the quintessential unsung hero. That is what makes Tan Siok Sun’s compelling biography such a welcome addition to the history of modern Singapore. PDF Version