Polymath's Guide to News and Ideas
Will the Safety Net Catch Economy’s Casualties?
NEW YORK TIMES :Economists rarely agree on anything, but a great many do agree on one unfortunate matter these days: the current economic downturn is likely to develop into the worst recession since the downturn of 1981-82... READ MORE
As Italy Enters It's Fourth Recession Since 2000, Who Will Bail-Out Unicredit?
ITALIAN ECONOMY WATCH : Italy, which is still the eurozone's third biggest economy, slipped into a recession in the third quarter... READ MORE
Unhappy People Watch TV, Happy People Read/Socialize
WWW.NEWSDESK.UMD.EDU :A new study by sociologists at the University of Maryland concludes that unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as "very happy" spend more time reading and socializing... READ MORE
The Perils of Efficiency
NEW YORKER :This spring, disaster loomed in the global food market. Precipitous increases in the prices of staples like rice (up more than a hundred and fifty per cent in a few months) and maize provoked food riots... READ MORE
An appetising spread
THE ECONOMIST : SHERLOCK HOLMES might have called it “the curious case of the corporate-bond market”. Most commentators agree that bonds issued by companies offer spreads over treasuries that more than compensate for the risk that the issuer might default. But few investors are tempted to buy... READ MORE
It might be politically toxic - but we must join the euro now
GUARDIAN : When the euro launched nearly 10 years ago, an unnamed euro-sceptic currency trader - now almost certainly redundant - famously called it a toilet currency. Last week it climbed to an all-time high against the pound... READ MORE
Kilcullen on Afghanistan: “It’s Still Winnable, But Only Just.”
NEW YORKER :I wrote about David Kilcullen two years ago, in a piece called “Knowing the Enemy.” Few experts understand counterinsurgency and counterterrorism better than this former Australian army officer and anthropology Ph.D... READ MORE
Chronic malnutrition in Gaza blamed on Israel
THE INDEPENDENT :The Israeli blockade of Gaza has led to a steady rise in chronic malnutrition among the 1.5 million people living in the strip, according to a leaked report from the Red Cross... READ MORE
Administrative Virtues: The Case of Larry Summers
STANLEY FISH : Now that the election has been decided, pundits and commentators, desperate to have something to talk about, have been obsessing about the formation of President-elect Obama’s cabinet... READ MORE
House price recovery 'could take ten years'
TIMES ONLINE : Homeowners will have to wait a decade before property prices return to 2007 levels, a leading estate agent said yesterday... READ MORE