Politicians in Asia and some economists contend that developing countries are at the mercy of the rapidly changing winds blowing from international capital markets. We are indeed witnessing another episode of volatility in capital flows, with foreign investors suddenly fleeing emerging markets...

Several developing economies witnessed a large number of systemic financial and currency crises since the 1980s which resulted in severe economic, social, and political problems. The devastating impact of the 1982 and 1994-95 Mexican crises, the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, the 1998 Russian...