THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES A CLOSE LOOK AT NORTH KOREA, A COUNTRY WITH A DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY FOR COMING UP WITH UNPLEASANT SURPRISES. THE OBJECTIVES OF NORTH KOREA WERE THE UNIFICATION OF THE ENTIRE KOREAN PENNINSULA UNDER ITS RULE, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PROGRAM OF SUSTAINED SOCIALIST GROWTH. THE NORTH KOREAN SYSTEM HAS NOT ACHIEVED EITHER OF THOSE OBJECTIVES. THE FAILURE TO ACHIEVE THEM MARKS THE END OF ANY POSSIBLE PURPOSE FOR THE NORTH KOREAN STATE.
Fall in birth and marriage rates and rise in mortality rates in the post-communist countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; causes and implications.
THE PRINCIPLE FOCUS FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE IN THE 1990S PROMISES TO BE THE FORMER SOVIET UNION. APART FROM THE IMMEDIATE SYMBOLISM OF THE GESTURE, THIS ARTICLE ASKS WHAT WESTERN DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO THE FORMER SOVIET UNION IS SUPPOSED TO ACCOMPLISH, AND EXACTLY HOW IT IS EXPECTED TO ACHIVE THESE RESULTS. IT PONDERS WHY THE DONOR COMMUNITY SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO SUCCEED IN THIS CHALLENGE WHEN IT HAS CONSPICUOUSLY FAILED IN MANY EASIER TESTS. IT SUGGESTS THAT THE ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION IN THE WEST MAY NOT ONLY PROVE TO BE WASTEFUL, BUT MAY EVEN ULTIMATELY RETARD REFORM WORTHY OF THE NAME.
ANALYSTS OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE OFTEN PLACE THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN) AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA IN THE SAME CATEGORY. HOWEVER, A CLOSE ANALYSIS OF THESE TWO "OUTLIER STATES" REVEALS STRIKING DIFFERENCES. THE ROC ON TAIWAN WAS A REGIME ESTABLISHED UNDER THE AUTHORITY AND MAINTAINED UNDER THE CONTINUED DIRECTION OF A SINGLE POWERFUL AND COHESIVE POLITICAL PARTY, THE KUOMINTANG (KMT). IN SOUTH KOREA, HOWEVER, INSTITUTIONALIZED PARTIES WERE ALL BUT ABSENT FROM THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE FOR MOST OF THE ROK'S HISTORY. THE PROCESSES OF "DEMOCRATIZATION" IN BOTH COUNTRIES ALSO DIFFERED. IN THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE TRANSITION TO A MORE OPEN POLITICAL ORDER WAS A KMT DECISION; THE EXECUTION OF THE POLICY WAS CAREFULLY MANAGED BY THE PARTY AS WELL. SOUTH KOREA HAD NO COMPARABLE GUIDING FORCE ON ITS JOURNEY; ITS TRAJECTORY WAS DEMARCATED BY ERRATIC REVERSALS, NEAR-DEBACLES, AND ON-THE-SPOT IMPROVISATIONS. THE EXPERIENCES OF BOTH COUNTRIES DO SHARE SOME SIMILARITIES: NEITHER TAIWAN NOR SOUTH KOREA YET QUALIFY AS "LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES"; THERE IS NOTHING INEVITABLE ABOUT THE REFORMS ADOPTED BY BOTH STATES; BOTH NATIONS' EXPERIENCES WERE GREATLY INFLUENCED BY PARTICULAR LEADERS; AND, BOTH WERE AFFECTED BY EXTERNAL PRESSURES AND CONSIDERATIONS.
THE AUTHOR ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT SOME GENERAL MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PROBLEMS IN AFRICA'S MAJOR SUB-SAHARAN COUNTRIES. THESE MISCONCEPTION, OR MYTHS, HE COMMENTS ON ARE RELATED TO POPULATION GROWTH, DEGRADATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THEIR DEBT, AND POLICY REFORM EFFORTS.
Argues that the World Bank was originally founded as a public institution to avoid instability affecting many private institutions at the time, and that current economic conditions favor private institutions; with comments.
