Thinking-Too-Loud

Interesting article over on Satyajit Das’s blog on China and its place in the global economy today - especially the opening insight: China’s economic model is reminiscent of 17th century mercantilist policies. Thomas Mun, a Director of the East India Company, in England’s Treasure by Foreign Trade (1664), wrote that the purpose of trade was to export more than you imported. At the same time, a country should amass foreign ‘Treasure’ that would be the basis of acquiring foreign colonies to allow control of essential natural resources. The strategy required reducing domestic consumption and imports and export of goods manufactured with imported foreign raw materials. ...

You almost want to set a musical to images like those found at this brand-spanking-new tumbl-log. I’ve largely tried to stay out of saying anything on this “credit crisis” because there are far more credible experts out there, such as Nobel Laureates who blog (a first?). However, it’s getting to the point where I just have to ask one thing - why is everyone in a position of authority seemingly caught unawares? ...

“Mate, it’s almost Christmas soon.” Shit. There goes another year. It’s October again, all of a sudden, and I’m just wondering what happened to the months Feb - Sep inclusive. 2007, which feels like I’ve only just gotten used to writing, is about to disappear - a couple of months to go yet, sure but in the context of the year it’s nearly over! What on earth did I get up to this year? ...

Primary Rule of Writing: Show, don’t tell. Resolution: Stick to it, for frig’s sake.

I have a theory as to why it was the English, and the Europeans more generally, who came to dominate the world, instead of say some racial group from the tropics, say. Something set these guys apart - something made them go out to other places and take over, something made them the inventive people who worked so hard. The reason? Cold. Miserable, wet, windy, cold weather you wouldn’t want to hang around in too long. Unfortunately enough for these people, that’s where they were destined to spend their whole lives if they didn’t go about changing things. So I say to you, an accident of geography and meteorology is more responsible for the European domination than anything else. ...