Articles by Nigel Harris

For long, the term "imperialism" was popular to denote a world political order embodying systemic relations of domination with Washington at the centre. That thesis is no longer considered valid. Washington itself is victim to a global capitalist order and is mired in an apparently insoluble economic crisis. Here are some notes for discussion on an alternative approach to characterising the world order.

Government attitudes to migration - internal and external - have changed radically in recent years. Formerly seen as evidence of chronic social and economic breakdown, internal migration is now seen as a major mechanism for the redistribution of resources from richer to poorer localities and a vital means of raising the incomes of the poor. The same revision of view is affecting international migration. Remittance flows have become major components in the foreign exchange earnings of a number of countries. After some reluctance, governments have come to embrace emigration for work, to facilitate and reinforce its effects on the alleviation of poverty. However, there are problems in the loss of the most enterprising and best-trained workers of developing countries. Can the interests at stake - developing countries, migrants, developed countries - be reconciled? Temporary circulatory migration for the purposes of training would seem to be the best outcome, so that migration becomes a means to enhance the human capital of developing countries for the task of reducing world poverty. There are, however, many options for developed countries without immigration - from the reform of their domestic labour markets to off-shoring. The real choice is about what sort of world we want.

Ariel Sharon has lots of potential room for making mischief and wrecking the elections in the occupied territories, scheduled for January 9. And although he has promised Washington not to sabotage the elections, the devastation of the occupied territories continues, with house demolitions, random arrests and roadblocks that cut up the territory into tiny isolated pockets.

Past migrations took place in a relatively open world. Since the second world war continual obstructions have appeared in the free movement of people; ironically these have coincided in a period of increasing globalisation and closer interdependence between nations. Although the numbers of people moving internationally remain quite small, nations, as in the case of many in the European Union, are becoming increasingly protectionist - a policy that excludes certain immigrants in the name of defence or to safeguard 'national' identity. However, recent years have shown that the old migratory regime is crumbling. This allows an unprecedented opportunity to open the debate about the alternatives that might replace the present unsatisfactory order. Governments, as this article suggests, may set in place several transitional arrangements that while recognising free migration and the need for open borders, would also develop suitable regulation for employment of native-born workers versus the foreign-born.

Trade in Early India: Themes in Indian History edited by Ranabir Chakravarti (Oxford in India Readings); Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2001; pp 506, Rs 650.

Origins of the European Economy: Communications and Commerce, AD 300-900 by Michael McCormick; Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2001; pp 1130, £ 40.