Economics – Page 2

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Farming in the Middle of the Desert: Gulf Emirate of Qatar Pioneers Farming in a Sea of Sand

In an effort to reduce its dependence on imports of fruit and vegetables, the Gulf emirate of Qatar is pioneering farms in the middle of its vast, barren deserts. Thus far the project has yielded flowers but hopes for the future include full-scale vegetable and fruit production. Hamad Ben Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, has […]

The Return of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to the Diet: Will Shinzo Abe Reverse Japan’s Course?

Newly elected though not unfamiliar to the office, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces a daunting task ahead of him as his Liberal Democratic Party successfully retakes the reins of Japan’s government from the upstart Democratic Party of Japan. The return of the LDP to power in Japan signals a shift back to the post-war […]

Japanese Economy Heading Towards a Recession

Preliminary figures suggest that the economy of Japan is heading for a recession after a year with strained relations with China, a major trading partner, and an extremely strong yen currency, both of which have combined to result in a slowdown for the world’s third largest economy. Revised official data on Monday morning showed that […]

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Newly Elected French President Francois Hollande Declares: ‘My enemy is the world of finance.’

Francois Hollande, fresh off of his victory over former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, declared during the campaign that the ‘world of finance’ is his enemy and now he has a chance to make good on his promises to dilute the power of the financial sector in French politics. Among his proposals include increasing taxes on […]

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The Return of Peronism in Argentina: Neo-Corporatism and Axel Kicillof

Limits on foreign currency exchange have led to the development of an underground market for dollars – such is the economic climate in Argentina today. Six months after tightening currency controls, it is not uncommon to find such ‘cash vendors’ in metropolitan areas like Buenos Aires, the capital, and, though illegal, it often is an […]

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Argentina’s Shift Left: How President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s Flirtation with Socialism Hampers Prospects for Economic Growth

Argentina’s move to seize control of national oil giant YPF (Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales) has cheered domestic supporters of embattled Peronist President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, but the move has angered Argentina’s trans-Atlantic friends in Spain. What began as a business issue has now become a full-blown diplomatic incident. The proposed nationalization of YPF follows Kirchner’s previous […]

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President of Argentina Cristina Fernández Kirchner Nationalizes 51% of YPF, the Former State Oil Company

The move is widely considered an economic catastrophe for Argentina but the nationalization of former state oil enterprise YPF, a hallowed mark in Argentina, will not only address energy and cash shortages but may also shore up the president’s popularity. Yet, many find this most recent move by Cristina Fernández disturbing because, like Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, […]

Euro Bonds Are Rejected by Germany as a Solution to the Euro Zone Financial Crisis.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeated her nation’s rejection of a common euro bond market as a solution to the financial crisis gripping the euro zone following a failed bond auction on the part of Germany to raise money for the joint effort to save the common market currency. The German focus has remained on […]

Is Germany Approaching Superpower Status?

Simon Winder of the United Kingdom’s The Telegraph argues that the recent events in the euro zone and the threat of imminent collapse without German intervention has placed the country in the position as an emergent, yet reluctant, superpower. Does Germany’s preeminence in the European Union qualify it for such lofty status? Simon Winder argues that […]

Richard Wilkinson: “How Economic Inequality Harms Societies.”

Richard Wilkinson has studied History at the London School of Economics and receives his Masters from both the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Nottingham, his second being in “Socio-economic Factors in Mortality Differentials.” Along with Kate Pickett he founded the Equality Trust, an organization that attempts to explain the social benefits of a […]