Financial Times (March 29)
“The challenge facing Japan’s new leadership in escaping from economic stagnation and deflation was underscored on Friday as data showed further declines in consumer prices and an unexpected contraction in factory output. Haruhiko Kuroda, the new governor of the Bank of Japan, could struggle to reach his goal of generating 2 per cent inflation in two years, analysts said, after the government data indicated core consumer prices fell 0.3 per cent in February compared with a year earlier.”
Tags: BOJ, Consumer prices, Deflation, Economy, Factory output, Inflation, Japan
New York Times (March 28)
“Should Scotland be an independent country?” On September 18, 2014, Scottish voters will answer this question. “After more than three centuries of political union, breaking up would be complicated…. Looking at the financial woes of small, independent European states like Cyprus and Iceland, Scottish voters may want to think twice about going it alone.”
Washington Post (March 28)
During his trip to Israel, President Obama “spoke more bluntly about Israel’s occupation and the case for a Palestinian state than any U.S. president has in the past…. Obama has recognized and employed the strongest — and perhaps only — path toward peace and a Palestinian state: an appeal to Israel’s conscience.”
Tags: Conscience, Israel, Obama, Palestine, Peace
Bloomberg (March 28)
“The first attempt to bail out Cyprus was such a shambles that the second looks smart by comparison.” The second plan, however, is by no means a success. In fact, it’s “still a disaster.”“The first attempt to bail out Cyprus was such a shambles that the second looks smart by comparison.” The second plan, however, is by no means a success. In fact, it’s “still a disaster.”
Wall Street Journal (March 27)
“Nothing is ever simple with a euro-bailout, and the Cyprus fiasco is proving that again. On Thursday the tiny island disaster will become the first euro-zone country to impose capital controls since the single currency was introduced. This will spare Cyprus from immediate economic collapse, but the curbs are a worrying precedent.”
Forbes (March 25)
The world’s ranks of billionaires has expanded to 1,426 and as a group they are richer than ever. “The impressive increase in the net worth of the world’s billionaires and the fact that there are 200 more of these folks than there were a year ago will have leftists everywhere decrying the growing gap between the haves and the have-nots…. But don’t blame these rich…. The overwhelming majority of these people have moved ahead through meeting the needs and wants of other people, not through inheritances or crony capitalism. Their successes didn’t come at the expense of everyone else. Free-market capitalism is not a zero-sum system.”
Tags: Billionaires, Capitalism, Free market, Have nots, Haves, Inheritance, Success
Institutional Investor (March Issue)
Chile is facing a “Paradox of Prosperity: Strong growth puts Chile on the verge of becoming Latin America’s first developed economy while fueling popular discontent.”
Tags: Chile, Discontent, Economy, Growth, Latin America, Prosperity
Forbes (March 23)
“Forget Cyprus. A much bigger story in the coming weeks and months will be in Japan, where one of the greatest economic experiments in the modern era is about to begin. A country where government debt even dwarfs those of Europe’s crisis-ridden nations, Japan will attempt to inflate its way out of a 23-year deflationary spiral.” While the consensus seems to be that an accomodative monetary policy may jump start Japan’s economy, some fear it will instead “lead to a hyperinflationary disaster.”
Financial Times (March 22)
“China is on track for a fourth consecutive decade of rapid growth and will overtake the US as the world’s biggest economy in 2016.” The prediction comes from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which predicts China’s economy will reach 8.5% growth in 2013 and 8.9% in 2014.
Wall Street Journal (March 21)
“The TPP will go ahead with or without Japan. For Tokyo, sitting on the sidelines would only serve to isolate the country at a time when it needs to open up. Japan would lose benefits as high as $295 billion by 2025.” Despite Prime Minister Abe’s recent moves, membership is hardly a done deal. “To secure his country’s future, Shinzo Abe will have to overcome entrenched interests at the party, state and international levels.”
Tags: Abe, Entrenched interests, Free trade, Isolation, Japan, Membership, TPP