In The News

Capitalism as Victim of Covid-19? Salon

Matthew Rozsa June 18, 2020
The pandemic and climate change demonstrate that survival depends on the ability to learn while relying on best evidence. Political leaders who downplay or deny the consequences of Covid-19 and climate change – trying to protect economies for the short term, rejecting early warnings and refusing to adapt – actually risk more economic damage. Such disasters also show that the free-market...

Europe Pursues Digital Tax After US Pulls Plug: FT

Sam Fleming, Jim Brunsden, Chris Giles and Victor Mallet June 18, 2020
The United States walked away from global negotiations led by the OECD on a digital tax for multinationals, claiming an “impasse,” and threatened tariffs against nations that impose such taxes. “The move heightens transatlantic tensions, with the threat of more trade disputes as individual countries pursue their own taxation plans,” reports a team for Financial Times. “Robert Lighthizer, US trade...

Huawei Equipment Ban: Asia Times

David Goldman May 19, 2020
Huawei Technologies held a strong lead in the world’s 5G mobile broadband race, but the Trump administration is keen to slow that rollout. The US president, in an unprecedented move, tries to block sales to Huawei of any products made with US equipment, reports David Goldman for Asia Times. The move could block Huawei’s access to needed equipment and chips. “The ban may apply not only to the...

Work-From-Home Becomes New Normal: Korea Times

Anna J. Park March 20, 2020
With countries encouraging isolation and shelter-in-place and communities put into lockdown, companies encourage employees who can to work from home. “A recent report by Hana Financial Investment pointed out that so-called ‘telecommuting,’ or working from home, has been increasing since the 2000s with the rapid development of information technology, and it was to grow in the near future, even...

COVID-19 Not Globalization Crisis: Financial Times

Robert Armstrong March 18, 2020
Global and community leaders most understand the nature of the COVID-19 crisis to develop effective strategies. The crisis calls for global cooperation rather than competition. People may pursue fewer person-to-person connections, but will still rely on global communications and data on best practices. “The virus has revealed the hidden costs and fragility of global supply chains, triggering a ‘...

Central Banks Line Up to Rescue Markets: Asia Times

Umesh Desai March 15, 2020
Financial markets fell sharply during the second week of March, rivaling the 1987 plunge. Central banks try to stabilize economic systems hit by the health crisis of COVID-19. “Expectations of fiscal support measures are rising in addition to the deep rate cuts by various central banks already included in bond prices,” explains Umesh Desai for Asia Times, describing how a new series of liquidity...

Globalization Spreads Contagion of All Kinds: FT

Ian Goldin March 3, 2020
The swift spread of COVID-19 followed by market declines alarms citizens and policymakers. “As trade, finance, travel, cyber and other networks grow in scale and interact, they become more complex and unstable,” writes Oxford University professor Ian Goldin for Financial Times. “The super-spreaders of the goods of globalisation, such as major airport hubs, are also super-spreaders of the bads.”...