Economics
-
14.08.2020
Latest Phase of the Trade War between Japan and South Korea
The author has reported, on more than one occasion, that over the course of the history-related dispute between Japan and South Korea, the issue of comfort women is being gradually replaced with that of forced labor. In fact, its victims are trying to receive as much compensation from Japan as possible via legal action. And […]
-
13.08.2020
Turkey: The Political Economy of Hagia Sophia
Turkish lira, as of recently, has been in a freefall, indicating the overall health of Turkish economy. Since the beginning of 2020, Lira has fallen by 20 per cent against US dollar. Its adverse impact on the economy and politics has, however, been largely absorbed by the euphoria of Hagia Sophia and the intense symbolism […]
-
12.08.2020
Nord Stream 2: Is European Self-Interest Finally Surpassing US Influence
The United States has always regarded itself as the “exceptional “nation. That view may in many circumstances be relatively benign. It becomes less so when it is used as a justification for treating other countries as being less significant in the overall order of things. It is even less justifiable when that exceptionalism is taken […]
-
10.08.2020
Is This a Remake of the 1941 Hitler Stalin Great War?
If we step back from the details of daily headlines around the world and try to make sense of larger patterns, the dominant dynamic defining world geopolitics in the past three years or more is the appearance of a genuine irregular conflict between the two most formidable powers on the planet—The Peoples’ Republic of China […]
-
07.08.2020
America’s Royals Bid the Common Folk to “Find Something New”
When I read this week that Princess Ivanka Trump telling American workers they need to eat cake, I’ll admit still being surprised by the Trump White House. According to the reports, Ivanka told the country’s laid-off workers to consider alternative career paths because their old jobs won’t be coming back. For those of you in […]
-
06.08.2020
Sino-Iran Deal and the Future of Gulf Geo-Politics
Whereas the recently announced Sino-Iran deal cuts at the US policies vis-à-vis both China and Iran, China’s multi-billion dollar is quite likely to change the balance of power in the Middle East to Iran’s favour. With China establishing a direct presence in Iran and around the Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz, not only will Iran’s military […]
-
28.07.2020
PETA-UK Scam a Warning to Trading With West
Animal rights front PETA and British retailers and media have teamed up to deliver a collective and politically-motivated blow to Thailand’s agricultural exports and in particular its large coconut industry (second largest coconut exporter in the world). PETA makes the absurd claim that Thailand’s immense coconut industry depends on “monkey labour” to collect coconuts from […]
-
27.07.2020
China’s Vision in a Post-COVID World
On 13 July an international newscast reported that the European Commission will discuss as a priority on how the EU should react to China’s national security law for Hong Kong, a sovereign decision taken by Beijing to protect the citizens of the Chinese territory, Hong Kong, from western instigated riots and acts of terror. This is apparently an […]
-
24.07.2020
Shifting Business Models of Higher Education
I suspect some colleges and universities will go under in the wake of COVID 19, as they faced with bankruptcy and are having to deal with lower enrollments too. It might be a good time for military recruiters, at least in the US. The capitalist model is in dire straits, some claim is even falling, […]
-
20.07.2020
Is America’s Second Corona Wave a Political Hoax?
For several weeks, just as most states across the United States began to reopen, following three months of lockdown to “flatten the curve”, several states including Texas and Florida began reporting record new numbers who tested positive for the coronavirus. At least that is what the world is being told. More careful investigation suggests what […]
-
20.07.2020
Saudi Arabia: Ambitious Plans and Facts on the Ground
Saudi Arabia has announced plans to implement an ambitious $800 billion initiative aimed at increasing the size of Riyadh in the next decade, and at transforming the capital into an economic, social and cultural hub in the Persian Gulf region. The ambitious strategy was presented by Fahd Al-Rasheed, the President of the Royal Commission for […]
-
17.07.2020
2020: Welcome to Our Brave New World!
A hundred years from now a scraggly little kid in a crumbling old library building in Melbourne will stumble across an interesting book on a dilapidated leather top table. The cover will show a collage of profiles of men and women at podiums. The title will read simply “2020”. The author’s name will be obscured […]