Until about a year ago, many articles claimed that China would surpass the USA as an (economic) SuperPower. I never believed those articles. China did and does not meet the SuperPower criteria. Today, many articles assume that USA may not be surpassed. I doubt that too. The Roman Empire was - probably - the first global empire. Alternatively, it was a multi-regional...
Spain
Why there are so few babies in southern Europe (the Economist)
25 Feb, 2023
The Economist title: Why there are so few babies in southern Europe Economist subtitle: It’s mostly economics Date: 16 February 2023 "The museo degli innocenti in Florence has an unusual name and hosts an unusual display: a collection of small broken objects, mostly medallions. They were split in two when a baby was delivered to Florence’s hospital for...
Life is colour, warmth and light
16 Nov, 2022
I've borrowed my title from a 1915 war poem by Julian Grenfell (1888-1915), called Into Battle. For some time, I've been aiming to write about my (daily) gratitude for the colours, the light, and the warmth. That line in Julian Grenfell's poem captures my meaning well. Without our sun, there is no life. My interest in this topic may well be the result of the dark...
Global housing meltdown (Bloomberg)
7 Aug, 2022
Bloomberg title: Global meltdown (via email)By: Alice Kantor Date: 2 August 2022 "Housing slowdown? Try a possible global meltdown. As economies flash recession signals, cracks are forming in housing markets that surged in the first years of the pandemic. In New Zealand, which has been the world’s frothiest real estate market, prices are plunging and homes...
Western Europe’s cynicism about Ukrainian suffering (FT)
18 Jun, 2022
Introduction LO: Simon Kuper is a great writer and he proves it again, below. This must-read article should make you think (again) about the various European and the American position(s) in this war between Russia and Ukraine. Yesterday, the EU announced its backing of the EU candidate status of Ukraine (and Moldova ! ). Its “assessment [is] based on the...
From pandemic to endemic
21 Jan, 2022
On 10 January 2022, the Spanish PM urged Europe to treat Covid-19 as a more endemic illness following the Omicron variant (eg, VOA, Bloomberg, NYT). In more simple words: "Just treat it like the flu" (Fortune). This news must have alerted the people with a micro and a macro perspective (my blogs on micro vs macro). People with a micro view will be confused as they...
Recent Comments