Global Economy
No, the IMF did not cause the Ebola crisis
Headlines blaming the IMF for the Ebola crisis are something you may expect in the tabloid press. However, a robust debate on the role of the IMF in the spread of Ebola was…
Is China fragile?
The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, is a parable for unanticipated risk: the possibility of 'unknown unknown' events that no-one sees coming.
In a new essay, The Calm…
Cambodia's controversial dam seems set to go ahead
What is happening with Cambodia's Lower Se San 2 dam?
Elliot Brennan's citation of a Bangkok Post report of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's speech at the opening of the Stung…
Oil drops 50%, world shrugs
What does the fall in the price of oil do for global economic growth?
If the price of oil had swiftly risen by 50%, economic commentators would be calling this an economic…
Lima climate conference: Slow movement on Planet UNFCCC
As haggard negotiators left the UN climate change conference in Lima in the early hours of Sunday morning, many observers noted the contrast between the political acrimony that…
Murray Report: Capital levels a domestic concern, not international
One of the most striking aspects of the final report from the Australian Financial System Inquiry (AFSI), chaired by David Murray, is the proposal that the future capital…
Why Peter Thiel is wrong about monopolies
A few weeks ago Sam Roggeveen quoted PayPal founder Peter Thiel, who argued that competition is over-rated and monopoly would enhance innovation. We shouldn't be surprised that…
G20 Brisbane Summit: Australia's adolescence on show
Australia had a prime chance to demonstrate its adult status in chairing the G20 Summit this year. What did it do with the opportunity?
It showcased some of the characteristic…
A 'barbarous relic': Why can't interest rates be negative?
Overnight, the European Central Bank once again opted for timidity, with interest rates remaining unchanged. The scale of the deflationary threat Europe faces is awesome. However,…
Sanctions and the coming Russian recession
The IMF, OECD and the Russians themselves have substantially downgraded their Russian economic growth forecasts for 2015. The fall in the oil price is partly responsible. However,…