Stories about Economics & Business from January, 2009
China and U.S: The Timing of Charter 08
Roland discusses about the timing of Charter 08, a joint statement for political reform signed by more than 300 intellectuals, in relation to the politics in the U.S to account for its impact.
Ukraine: “Gas Humor”
Ukrainiana shares some “gas humor” from Ukraine.
Russia, Ukraine: “Gas War IV”
Leopolis analyzes the Ukraine-Russia gas dispute and the agreement signed: “There is a natural temptation to assess the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ of the Russian-Ukrainian Gas War IV, which emerged from a commercial crisis to a political game.”
Russia, U.S.: Igor Panarin
The Ivanov Report writes about Igor Panarin, “the second most hated Russian in the United States.”
Russia: “Creeping Police State or Looming Anarchy”
RFE/RL's The Power Vertical writes that “[r]ecent commentary on Russia has tacked back-and-forth between these two apparently contradictory narratives — the creeping police state vs. looming anarchy.”
Poland: Back Home From the UK
the POLSKI blog writes that due to the crisis, many Poles are returning home from the UK – and others are encouraged to by a UK-based organization called “Poland Street.”
Russia, Ukraine: “Far From Over”
Streetwise Professor writes: “In short, the Gas War is just the surface of things. Under the surface one finds the true dynamic–Russian imperial ambition resisted by a nation struggling to realize an independence long denied, but doing so under a confused, divided, and corrupt leadership.”
Estonia: A Different Path
Giustino of Itching for Eestimaa writes that “most international English-language news coverage of the recent riots in Latvia and Lithuania has shocked me by the lack of basic knowledge about Estonia”: “There is a general meme descending in the pages of usually reliable media that the economic crisis is going...
Estonia: Blogger's Response to Edward Lucas
AnTyx responds to the Economist's Edward Lucas: “So why does he, or anyone, seriously think that the economic crisis will be a test of Estonia's national spirit? We may become disillusioned with Europe – although on any significant scale, that's highly unlikely – but why would we become disillusioned with...
EU, Russia, Ukraine: “Everyone A Loser”
Michael Berendt of Blogactiv.eu writes that “[a]ll those directly affected [by the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute] were the biggest losers of all,” but that “[o]n the other hand the long-term case for a proactive EU energy policy has received a major boost.”
Ukraine, Russia, EU: Gas Politics
Antal Dániel of Central Europe Activ believes that Ukraine is “one of the most corrupted countries, a quasi-bankrupt and quasi-failed state” and quotes Gazprom's deputy chairman to emphasize that “the EU must find out what it want to do with Ukraine.” Hugo Lane of Lands Far Away… argues in the...
Czech Republic: Recession
A Fistful of Euros writes on the state of the Czech economy – here and here.
Kenya: The Bandits of Kenya
Do you know the “bandits” of Kenya?: They’re the highest paid legislators in the world, despite Kenya being one of the poorest countries in the world and having a human development index ranking of 148 out of 177.
China: Debate over RMB exchange rate
China matter sums up the debate over RMB valuation between the U.S and China government.
Kenya: Kenyan Banks in Trouble
Kenyan banks are in trouble over loan defaults given to individuals under 30 years of age.
Cambodia: Demolition of Dey Krahorm Community
A community in Phnom Penh was demolished last Saturday. Aside from the violence, the demolition attracted attention because it was “one of the biggest urban redevelopment stories in the capital over the last decade.” But city officials denied the action was an eviction.
Brazil: A Glance at Campus Party Brazil in Pictures
Campus Party Brazil 2009 in São Paulo comes to a close this Sunday. Around 6,500 people have taken part in this second edition of what is arguably Latin America's largest technology and digital culture event. In this article, you will see some of the most interesting pictures of the seven day meeting.
Japan: Looking back on 2008
The last year in Japan saw, among other things, an economic crisis, employment instability, and the beginnings of the collapse of journalism. While the year was already recapped here last month, we add to that recap the reflections of bloggers looking back over the year. Blogger Motohiko Tokuriki wrote about...
Russia, Ukraine: Gas Deal and Gazprom's Stock
Streetwise Professor writes this about the Russian-Ukrainian gas deal: “So, if the masterful Gasputin has really engineered such a coup, one that in addition to pulling Ukraine into Russia’s orbit, also secures Gazprom’s economic interests, why has the company’s stock performed so badly? The market certainly doesn’t seem to think...
Brazil: A true competition between e-books and paper books?
The Brazilian blogsphere is full of literature available online at collective blogs and websites, individual authors' blogs and governmental initiatives. The nations' best selling author, Paulo Coelho, is right when he says that the free distribution of e-books actually encourages the sales of paper books - at least in times when the reader still prefers reading on paper.
Malaysia: Support for retrenched workers
As companies reduce their operations in Malaysia, anilnetto highlights the need for a national retrenchment fund to support workers.
