Interesting Readings 12 March 2018
Asia's Big Developers ‘More Vulnerable’ to Shocks, BIS Warns
Higher interest rates, sinking property prices or falling currencies are shocks that could worsen developers’ financial health, with the potential for significant economic repercussions, according to the organization known as the central banks’ central bank. Even without external jolts, falling returns on assets and declining interest coverage ratios “could pose problems” for the firms, it said.
The BIS Quarterly review is a must read itself.
How Blackstone Turned India Into Its Most Profitable Market
Interesting points
“Limited partners always used to complain that it’s easy to invest in India and hard to get the money out,” Dixit said in an interview at Blackstone’s office in Mumbai. “That has changed now -- since 2014, there has been a good exit environment.”
How to Construct a New Invisible Hand: A Conversation with Peter Barnes
This conversation needs to be read and re-read. A lot of what he talks about needs to be discussed in detail. It is interesting that Peter talks about lot of benefit arising from common property. I just came across this article about Singapore.
Indian banking purgatory – 2/3 (the Dharma of blocking the defaulter)
There are many links within it. Be sure to read them all.
The Real Engine of the Business Cycle
Credit-driven household demand channel rests on three main conceptual pillars. First, credit-supply expansions, rather than technology or permanent income shocks, are the key drivers of economic activity. Second, credit-supply expansions affect the real economy by boosting household demand, rather than the productive capacity of firms. Third, the main problem is that the economy has a hard time “adjusting” to the precipitous drop in spending by indebted households when credit dries up, usually during banking crises.
Returning the UK’s privatised services to the public
Article illustrates my gripe with unabashed Thatcherism / Reganism. There is a distinct role for the state in the modern economy and no more. Anything too "free market" and too "state-linked" is a problem. Maintaining that sweet-spot is difficult. Read it in conjunction with article about Singapore. How would you compare the ideas in these two?
Time to tweak the bankruptcy code, again
Indian Bankruptcy Code needs modification again. I do not see why this should be a problem. These codes need to be iterative. My problem is most of the codes do not provide the principles behind the legislation in clear terms. This makes it difficult to interpret the legislation for the judiciary. Indian Judiciary is quite slow in any case. This adds delays and makes process cumbersome.
MIB: Ryan Holiday
Ryan describes how the media works on the eve of his book launch Conspiracy the battle between Hulk Hogan and Gawker! Must read for those who want to reinvent journalism.
Multinationals pay lower taxes than a decade ago
This ties in with what I have written in Subverting Capitalism and Democracy in 2009. Rana Foroohar's Makers v Takes explains the a very similar issue. The evidence is compelling. What we need is a global tax deal that prevents such manipulation.
The Blockchain Pipe Dream
Nouriel Roubini aims to dismiss the Blockchain promise. Some fundamental points there.
Dictatorial China
Will China Out-Innovate the West?
Edmund Phelps asks this question more for what West needs to do rather than will China succeed in this. For that answer refer to articles below.
China Is Not a Garden-Variety Dictatorship
This is thanks to V Ananthanageswaran. Very impressive
Start of the end of China's rise: Xi is reversing elements of Deng formula
A must piece discusses another author's book and interpretation of events.
World War Watch
Assessing Joint Strike Fighter Defence Penetration Capabilities
Others
Big Sugar Versus Your Body
Sugar is now getting hit as cause of disease. Gary Taubes' case against sugar started this line of research. Now others are getting to speed. We will know soon. Meanwhile carbohydrates - particularly staples - wheat and rice are getting bad rep too.
Buy my books "Subverting Capitalism & Democracy" and "Understanding Firms".