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Analysis

Nestle, Mugabe and the Devil’s Alternative

Written by Gavin Chait
31
Dec
2009

This is the farm that Grace stoleResidents of Sakhile township in Standerton, Mpumalanga, have celebrated their grievances against their elected officials in the traditional way: by setting fire to businesses.

It is tough running a business in the world’s most unstable countries.  A business, no matter how small, is a permanent structure.  It takes a lot of money to create, and is difficult to move when circumstances change.

Read more: Nestle, Mugabe and the Devil’s Alternative
 

And then there were Twenty

Written by Gavin Chait
24
Dec
2009

Some people are never pleased...Large global organisations are notoriously inefficient.  Detractors like to accuse them both of forming shadowy international conspiracies that threaten the Earth, to being incompetent, incapable and corrupt.

The World Trade Organisation is often subject to such protests.  Every one of its 153 members (even tiny Rwanda at 0.006% of the world economy) has a veto and can prevent any meaningful work being done.  Accordingly, the Doha round of trade talks has been in dead-lock since 2001.

Read more: And then there were Twenty
   

Kenya and the mixed expectations of technical investment

Written by Gavin Chait
17
Dec
2009

Yes, I have broadband.The wealthiest Kenyans are barely distinguishable from the poorest South Africans, yet East Africa is now a flurry of excitement as investors congregate.

In August, the first of three major undersea broadband cables which will link East Africa directly to the global telecommunications network went live. Seacom cables have a capacity of 1280 gigabits per second.  However, the best residential speed offered by Kenya's largest ISP remains capped at one megabit per second. That speed is available only at night and on weekends, for over $100 per month. Other cables, including Teams and Eassy, expected to come online soon may result in increased competition.

Read more: Kenya and the mixed expectations of technical investment
   

Self-sufficiency implies a tolerable level of dead babies

Written by Gavin Chait
10
Dec
2009

How many dead babies?In 1967, President Julius Nyerere of newly independent Tanzania, announced the Arusha Declaration.  In it, he described a new African Socialism and the imposition of self-sufficient collective farming villages.

The Ujamaa policy would reduce Tanzania’s people to the poorest in the world, and disrupt the nation as the army and police forced them onto barren and famine-struck land.

Nyerere wasn’t alone in his fatuous and violent pursuit of self-sufficiency through collectives.

Read more: Self-sufficiency implies a tolerable level of dead babies
   

The delicate subject of patents

Written by Gavin Chait
03
Dec
2009

Innovation or monopoly?Obesity is proof, if ever we needed it, that human beings have an innate lack of understanding of how much the society in which we live has changed.

Our evolutionary antecedents lived in a world of uncertainty and anxiety, more so than today.  Food was seasonal, and seasons could be good or bad.  All the more reason to tuck in and put on the fat while the going was good.  Those with a better ability to store weight would better survive future famine, drought, fire or flood.

Circumstances have changed.  Our intelligence has allowed us to circumvent circumstance.  We don’t need to store fat against future lack; we can just head down to the supermarket.

Read more: The delicate subject of patents
   

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