Rather, America is still relying on the more fundamental mercantilist idea of dominance. The situations of China and Russia are also explained and related to the theme of elevator assets and the importance of intellectual capital before the author concludes. Article # 4: WTO

Matthews' (2013) recent article about the World Trade Organization (WTO) previewed their General Council's selection to head its organization by reviewing nine of the most probable candidates to fill that role.

The article begins by noting the deceptive power that this organization still holds. The author used the example of the WTO's ruling that the United States had violated international trade law in 2002 in dealing with steel tariffs. The article then transitions into identifying Pascal Lamy, the current head of the WTO and her reasons for departing.

The article proceeds to list the nine candidates and explains some interesting aspects about their career and their likelihood of being named to the top position. The process itself is also explained in this piece. Matthews explained " that the process lasts from Wednesday through next Tuesday, at which point the four candidates with the least support will be asked to withdraw. Second, the process is repeated, but with members stating only two preferred candidates each. The three candidates garnering the least support will then withdraw, leaving two finalists. A final vote will then take place, with the winner becoming director-general. As Elliott notes, the WTO likes to operate on consensus, so a really hard-fought battle at the end is unlikely."

Next the nine candidates are listed, all with pictures and odds of success. The three most heavily favored candidates, are all given the odds near 20% to become appointed. These top three people include Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen from Ghana, Anabel Gonzalez from Costa Rica and Tim Groser from New Zealand.

ARTICLE #5 Topic: International Business Strategy

Cohen and Arkhipov's (2013) article explained the BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa- intent on developing a new bank for their themselves. The article stemmed from a summit that recently took place in Durban, South Africa during the last week of March 2013.

The article equivocates this action as a "new Breton Woods type institution" that is inclined to helping these developing nations, and others to increase their investment capital....

The power of the BRICS nations were also noted as they represent 43% of the population of the world and currency reserves of nearly $4.4 trillion. These countries newly formed alliance has garnered them enough strength to now demand equality within the global marketplace demanding new strategic outlooks for all the key players in global trade.
The amount of trade that the west has been conducting with these countries was also discussed in this piece. The authors' noted that "trade within the group surged to $282 billion last year from $27 billion in 2002 and may reach $500 billion by 2015, according to data from Brazil's government. Foreign direct investment into BRICS nations reached $263 billion last year, accounting for 20% of global FDI flows, up from 6% in 2000. " These facts and figures helped shape their argument by suggesting the importance of this summit and its ultimate impact on international strategic outlooks.

The article concluded by noting the specific importance of this summit's results towards the host nation of South Africa. Many other African leaders were invited to this gathering and is seen as a regional display of significance for this country and its leaders.