Op 15 januari 2025 waarschuwde de vertrekkende Amerikaanse president zijn landgenoten voor de "machtsconcentratie bij ultrarijken" (VRT), en "een tech-industrieel complex" (Trouw). Zijn woorden houden mij al langere tijd bezig: is deze verwachting een dystopische perceptie, of een realiteit?? "Ik wil het land waarschuwen voor enkele zaken die mij grote zorgen...
For the government, our identity is almost equal to our (Dutch) Social-Fiscal number, or our Social Security number (eg, USA). That number contains some relevant information, like our name and birthdate (source). Wikipedia: “[..] the Social Security number has become a de facto national identification number for taxation and other purposes.“...
Introduction LO: China is well-known for its trade-off between (its promise of) economic progress and (the lack of individual) freedom (eg, AEA-2018, HBR-2015). However, that trade-off has been deteriorating ever since its disastrous zero-Covid policy. Unemployment issues have been worsening due to China’s political targeting of its entrepreneurs (eg, disappearance,...
Recently, I had a discussion about a geographical distance. She asked if distance is an obstacle. I replied that distance is not necessarily an obstacle. Obstacles come in many shapes and forms (eg, distance, judging, negativity, pessimism). There’s a famous Henry Ford quote that gives the right angle for this topic: “Obstacles are those frightful things you see...
Recently, a Kenyan acquaintance posted the following: "Alone is not always loneliness. Alone is getting to find myself. [..]" In my view, she meant solitude. Hence, I replied by stating: "Solitude and loneliness are two very different concepts, despite being alone in both." She agreed. Several days later, I noticed a quote by Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860), a...
"Despite the fastest inflation in decades, consumer spending has held up relatively well so far. But this may not last, and that’s where elasticity comes in. The price elasticity of demand, to use its full name, measures how sensitive buyers are to price changes." (NYT, 19 August 2022) Why has consumer spending held up so long? I think, feel and...
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