Monday, November 20, 2000
Mighty Is the Mongrel? Winning in the Global Economy ()

Featuring G. Pascal Zachary, Author, The Global Me and senior writer for the Wall Street Journal; with comments by Peter Skerry, Senior Fellow, Governmental Studies Brookings Institution; Tyler Cowen, Author, In Praise of Commercial Culture and professor of economics at George Mason University.

What does it take to succeed in an increasingly global economy? In his new book, The Global Me, G. Pascal Zachary argues that those companies and nations with a strong commitment to diversity and openness will rise to the top, while those that seek to insulate themselves from outside people and influences will languish. Zachary rejects notions of a global "monoculture," in which local customs and practices fall victim to colorless commercialism. Instead, he argues that mixing trumps isolation, that it "spawns creativity, nourishes the human spirit, spurs economic growth, and empowers nations." Racial, ethnic, and national identities do not vanish, he says, but rather "join the many pieces inside a kaleidoscope, presenting a different image from one instant to the next." Please join the author for a discussion of his book, followed by comments from two respected scholars.

A transcript of the event (or in PDF, 60 pp, 109 kb)

Watch the Event in Real Video

Wednesday, November 15, 2000
What Should the Next President Do about the Record U.S. Trade Deficit ? ()

Featuring Murray Weidenbaum, Chairman, Trade Deficit Review Commission;  Daniel Griswold, Associate Director, Center for Trade Policy Studies, Cato Institute; Robert Z. Lawrence, Member, President's Council of Economic Advisers.

Americans will import about $350 billion more in goods and services this year than they will export, setting another record for the U.S. trade deficit. Skeptics of free trade charge that the deficit destroys jobs, drags down growth, and piles up foreign debt; proponents counter that the deficit reflects a strong domestic demand, growth, and investment. A special Trade Deficit Review Commission appointed by Congress will weigh in November 14 with a report on the causes and the consequences of the deficit. A panel that includes the chairman of the commission and one of the president's economic advisers will discuss whether the deficit poses a threat to U.S. prosperity and what, if anything, the new president and Congress should do about it. 

Watch the Event in Real Video 

Thursday, October 26, 2000
Nailing the Homeowner? Assessing the Impact of Trade Restrictions on Softwood Lumber ()

Featuring Michael Carliner, National Association of Home Builders; Christopher Boesen, National American Indian Housing Council; Dave Modi, Georgia Pacific; and Scott Cameron, CHEP USA, Inc.

Even though Canada is the United States' largest trading partner and most goods flow freely across the border, one U.S. industry-softwood lumber-continues to lobby successfully for the imposition of trade barriers against our neighbor to the north. Currently, the Softwood Lumber Agreement imposes quotas on exports from four Canadian provinces. A recent Cato study, "Nailing the Homeowner: The Economic Impact of Trade Protection of the Softwood Lumber Industry," finds that trade restrictions add an estimated $50 to $80 per thousand board feet to the price of lumber-a 20 to 35 percent increase over the free-trade price level. Critics of the current policy claim that trade barriers drive up costs for lumber-using businesses and price some 300,000 lower-income families out of the housing market. Advocates of lumber protection, on the other hand, claim that trade barriers are necessary to offset unfair subsidies enjoyed by Canadian lumber producers. The SLA is set to expire in April 2001, and the U.S. and Canadian governments are considering options that might replace the SLA.

A transcript of the event (or in PDF, 48 pp, 88 kb)

Watch the Event in Real Video

October 19, 2000
18th Annual Monetary Conference: Monetary Policy in the New Economy ()

Has the New Economy made traditional tools of monetary policy obsolete or simply made it more difficult for central banks to conduct policy? What should the Fed do? At the Cato Institute's 18th Annual Monetary Conference, cosponsored with The Economist, leading policymakers and monetary experts discussed those questions and related issues.

Friday, October 6, 2000
Global Money, Sovereignty, and Privacy ()

Featuring Bradley Jansen, Legislative Director for banking and monetary affairs Rep. Ron Paul's office; Adrian Day, Editor, Adrian Day's Global Analyst; Bill Tucker, former Section Chief, Organized Crime/Narcotics division, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar, Ambassador of Bahrain.

In the face of overwhelming public opposition, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation failed last year to implement a "know your customer" rule that would have required U.S. banks to closely monitor their customers' banking habits. Now Congress is considering applying the same principles to foreign countries, institutions, and transactions. The "International Counter-Money Laundering Act" would give the Treasury Department wide latitude to impose restrictions on foreign banks, both those that refuse to adopt stringent financial reporting standards and those located in jurisdictions that offer "unfair" tax or regulatory advantages. Supporters of the measure argue that it is needed to combat increasingly sophisticated international criminals. Opponents say it ignores the legitimate privacy concerns of law-abiding customers, violates the sovereignty of small countries, and opens the door to domestic privacy abuses. Please join us for an interesting discussion of privacy in the global financial system.

A transcript of the event (or in PDF, 63 pp, 114 kb)

Watch the Event in Real Video

Wednesday, October 4, 2000
Will the FSC Dispute Ignite a Transatlantic Trade War? ()

Featuring Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.); John Richardson, European Commission; Willard Berry, European-American, Business Council; Gary Hufbauer, Institute for International Economics.

In February a World Trade Organization appeals panel ruled that a U.S. law on foreign sales corporations (FSCs) amounts to an illegal export subsidy. Congress is working to change the law before an October 1 deadline, but European Union trade officials complain that the proposed changes, contained in a House bill passed on September 13, do not go far enough. If the EU is not satisfied, it could seek to impose more than $1 billion in trade sanctions against U.S. exports, dwarfing those the United States imposed on the EU in a dispute over beef and bananas. Which side is right in the FSC dispute? Will sanctions ensure compliance or spark a trade war? Discussing this showdown between the world's two largest trading entities were the leading experts in Congress on FSC reform, a representative of the European Commission, and other experts.

A transcript of the event (or in PDF, 49 pp, 89 kb)

Watch the Event in Real Video

March 30, 2000
Trouble in the Taiwan Strait? ()

A Cato policy forum featuring Adm. Eugene Carroll (Ret.), Ross Munro, and Doug Bandow. Is a major conflict brewing in the Taiwan Strait? Could it pull the United States into a military confrontation with China? A recent Beijing white paper warned that China would be forced to take "drastic measures," including use of military force, if Taiwan continued to delay talks on eventual reunification. And President Jiang Zemin has emphasized that he intends to make the reunification of China the centerpiece of his legacy.

Watch the Event in Real Video

February 15, 2000
The Cuban Economic Embargo: Time for a New Approach? ()

A Cato policy forum featuring Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.); Philip Peters, Lexington Institute; and Thomas Donohue, President U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The story of six-year-old Elian Gonzalez has thrust U.S.-Cuban relations back on the front page. For almost four decades now, the United States has imposed an embargo against trade with and travel and investment in communist-ruled Cuba. Advocates of the embargo argue that it has weakened the Castro regime and remains our best hope of encouraging democracy in Cuba. Critics contend that it has hurt the people of Cuba, compromised the liberty of Americans, and provided Castro with a convenient excuse for his own failures. With the Cold War receding into history, should U.S. policy toward Cuba be changed? Rep. Mark Sanford explains his bill to lift restrictions on Americans traveling to Cuba, and other panelists join in discussing the economic and foreign policy impact of the current trade embargo.

A TRANSCRIPT of the event The Cuban Economic Embargo: Time for a New Approach? (2/15/00)

Watch the Event in Real Video