Globalization and the Race to the Bottom

Today I bring forth two interesting, long, articles, each with the same simple lesson.

Scientific American: Does Globalization Help or Hurt the Poor, by Pranab Bardhan
Reason: Why Poor Countries are Poor, by Tim Harford

Pranab Bardhan’s discussion reminds me of debates in school on the foretold ‘race to the bottom’. I fought vehemently against labor and environmental standards, because [...]

Microfinance - and why it may not work

Microfinance has long been declared THE solution to the problems of the poor. Like a magic wand, it would lift the poor out of poverty by giving them credit to expand their horizon of opportunity. There seemed to be plenty of cases to back up theory. And it seemed to solve, very nicely, the problem [...]

Zurich’s Day Off

Yesterday was Zurich’s big day. I arrived from Geneva on the morning train, to find not a single grey suit. Now usually I would think I got off at the wrong place, for the city of bankers is one grey carpet on weekdays. Today, however, was a cantonal holiday. All of Zurich was headed not to [...]

Economics vs. Culture - How Katrina Helped the Poor

The Asia Times is carrying a story on how Katrina did for the poor of New Orleans, what China’s growth, and urbanization, is doing for its poor (Katrina and China’s whirlwind growth). It points out a New York Times article that says:
the average evacuee has landed in a neighborhood with nearly twice the income as [...]

Photos from the Czech Republic

I managed to get the photos from the Czech Republic online. Included: Prague, Trutnov and its vicinity, Adrspach in the North, and Kutna Hora (1 hour from Prague).
Enjoy.

Capitalism and the Lack of Trust

Traveling in the Czech Republic, where people can speak up to 4 languages - Czech, German, Polish, or Russian - I had no way of communicating with most anybody. Such a handicap makes even the simplest of tasks difficult. Ordering food, getting directions, finding train timings - all become an exercise in patience and sign [...]

Prague. Take Two

Back in Prague, the weather has improved. And so has my impression of this city. There are still hordes of tourists outside, but now I know where to avoid them. The beergarden across the river and up the hill. Or the plateau next to it that once held Stalin and is now overrun by the [...]

Greetings from the Czech Republic

Greetings. I write this from Trutnov, a small town in the Czech Republic, about 10 minutes by car from Poland.
I was in Prague earlier this week, but the greyness of Geneva followed me there. That, combined with the hordes of tourists, made for a disappointing visit. Somehow the magic of this ‘magical’ city eluded me.
The [...]