It doesn’t take much to rally the troops in the “mommy wars.”The latest call to arms has been sounded by Amy Chua, a mother of two girls, Yale University professor and author, most recently, of “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” a memoir of parenting.In a pithy, take-no-prisoners style, Chua lets readers in on the secrets to raising children who will validate their parents’ decision to bring them

Rahm Emanuel as a poor innocent victim of ruthless insider Chicago politics?It seems to be the approved narrative. Especially now that he’s been knocked off the mayoral ballot in Monday’s ruling by the Illinois Appellate Court because he didn’t meet the state’s residency requirements.Now Rahm will have to troll for sympathy, and demand that the rights of the people be respected. You know, the regu

When the White House invited me to the state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao, I knew that I was being used as a symbol ― to signal a tougher approach on human rights. The Obama administration was widely seen as having flubbed the November 2009 summit in China. In the lead-up to his visit, President Obama had refused to meet the Dalai Lama, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had i

Although the recent rumour about the impending resignation of celebrated songwriter Nitipong Hornak from music industry leader GMM Grammy has not been substantiated, it reflects the stark challenge facing the local entertainment industry from the pervasive evolution of digital technology. In a telling interview with Channel 3 news talk show host Sorayuth Suthassanajinda, Nitipong admitted that he

You might think this is a great time for the offshore-banking industry. There is a lot of spare cash sloshing around the world. The mega-rich are still piling up money. Taxes are likely to go up as every developed country tries to cope with huge deficits, creating even more incentive to shift money to some island hideaway.But it’s not so easy anymore.A former Julius Baer Group Ltd. banker has hand

FLORENCE ― At the recent annual meetings of the American Economic Association, there was widespread pessimism about the future of the United States. “The age of American predominance is over,” declared one economist. “The U.S. should brace for social unrest amid blame over who was responsible for squandering global primacy,” said another.We have heard this story many times before, not only in the

In 1966, my father sent a resume to the Peace Corps. A few days later, he found himself sitting across a table from the agency’s director, Sargent Shriver.“Want to go to India?” Shriver asked.My dad was 33 years old, he had three kids, and his only overseas experience was two vacations in Europe. But he had also attended Yale Law School, like Shriver, which made both of them “certified smart guys,

China, which is on the way to superpower status with its economic wealth and military strength, has become increasingly assertive. Moves by this rising nation have the potential to bring structural changes to the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region.While calling on Beijing for self-restraint, Japan must join hands with neighboring countries and show a resolute stance against China if it ta

You know we’ve got problems when Barbra Streisand and Herbie Hancock understand the global economy better than John Boehner and Harry Reid. Singer Streisand and jazz great Hancock were on hand for the Chinese president’s White House dinner last week, while House Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Reid and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell wimped out and stayed away. Lawmakers are right to obj

It is pretty amazing reading the story of Jung Heung-won. This Korean lived in Argentina for 10 years, then another five in Lima, until finally moving to Chanchamayo, where he has helped many of those in need. In reward for his efforts, he was easily elected mayor of the latter city this year, since any “foreigner granted residence in Peru can run for public office if he or she lives in the same e