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Finding economic growth when there is no world outside
Written by Gavin Chait
Imagine you were on an island. It isn’t small, has plenty of resources and lots of people. Despite this, society is divided. There is wealth, there is poverty and there is significant unemployment.
The way to change this - to create jobs and reduce poverty - is through economic growth. There must be more people producing more things, and more people must have more money to buy those things. It is a virtuous circle.
Governments around the world are doing their best to ensure that they promote production at home and consumption abroad. Yet not everyone can be a producer.
Read more: Finding economic growth when there is no world outsideShould South Africa get a Brazilian ... model ... of business?
Written by Gavin Chait
As recently as 2007, Brooke Unger at The Economist posed the question, “Brazil is big, democratic, stable and rich in resources. So why is it not doing a lot better?”
With a population of almost 200 million, its economic growth rate - at 3.3% - felt anaemic next to other emerging markets. Yet Brazil was also one of the last big countries to enter recession during the credit crisis and the first of the G20 nations out of it. From having one of the most economically unequal societies in the world they are now right about average.
Read more: Should South Africa get a Brazilian ... model ... of business?Safety, Stability and Regulating the Regulators
Written by Gavin Chait
Bernie Madoff holds the dubious title of running the world’s largest Ponzi scheme and getting away with it for almost 20 years. Numerous analysts and journalists demanded that the US Securities and Exchange Commission investigate. The SEC cleared him of wrongdoing in 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2008 it fell apart.
Afterwards, no-one could believe how he got away with it.
Read more: Safety, Stability and Regulating the RegulatorsVuvuzelas: The difference between culture and imperialism can be subtle
Written by Gavin Chait
Katie Price, a UK "celebrity" mostly famous for her, um, "large tracts of land", has a new perfume out. It is called Besotted. And it has been withdrawn from UK shelves for "ethical" reasons.
The fragrance is made in India by workers paid about 40 US cents an hour. Minimum wages in the UK vary from $5.30 to $8.60 per hour so this difference has caused outrage.
Read more: Vuvuzelas: The difference between culture and imperialism can be subtleThe long, hard road of self-publishing a web comic
Written by Gavin Chait
Every morning, as I sit down at my desk with my morning coffee, I indulge in a tiny pleasure. I spend 20 minutes ambling through my favourite online comics.
On 4 May, though, my coffee tasted that little bit less peppy. Jonathan Rosenberg has taken an indefinite hiatus. Goats, which follows its characters hapless attempts to save the universe from being accidentally rebooted, has been running since 1997. Rosenberg, in a heartfelt message to his fans, is throwing in the towel and planning to find a "real" job.
Read more: The long, hard road of self-publishing a web comicPage 6 of 54
