Latest columns From Russia With Love These days Russia is a land of contradictions – at least to this set of Western eyes – as it presents a curious mix of economic policies, some of which make Roger Douglas look an apparatchik of the Looney Left, some akin to Michael Cullen’s programme of re-nationalisation, and then there’s the straight corruption and Mafia-style behaviour that is not only tolerated but it appears, encouraged.... 8 September 2008 - northern lights - Gareth Morgan  Encounter With Three Baltic Sisters Emerging temporarily from our Russian traverse for a quick tour of the Baltic States, involved simply crossing a border line but was more akin to pulling the curtains apart and seeing another world. Estonia, (population 1 million in an area less than 20% of New Zealand’s) is one of the Baltic Tigers and the impact on us was immediate...... 1 September 2008 - northern lights - Gareth Morgan  North Russia –Forgotten and Neglected Russia as we all know is in the midst of an economic revival. The sequence of Glasnost, Perestroika, Gorbachev, Yeltsin et al and now the high price of energy – has afforded this clunky, lumbering giant a new lease of life and its economy is on a tear. At least that would be the impression you’d get if you visited Moscow or St Petersburg.... 25 August 2008 - northern lights - Gareth Morgan  Tale of Two Countries Imagine a country that was fortunate to have two real world beaters in terms of natural resources – oil and hydro electricity. These were in so much abundance that the country could earn as much as it wanted in world markets and while these industries alone couldn’t employ everybody, there was plenty of money to go around and so generous welfare benefits were set at a level to the average wage. ... 18 August 2008 - northern lights - Gareth Morgan  Lasting Impressions of Iceland As the ferry pulls away from Iceland to take us on a three day voyage across the North Sea to Denmark, we reflect on what has been a fun week riding around the island and venturing here and there from the ring road to find as much that Iceland can offer the quick tourist. So what are our lasting impressions?... 11 August 2008 - northern lights - Gareth Morgan  Illuminating the Northern Lights Illuminating the Northern Lights... 5 August 2008 - northern lights - Gareth Morgan  Up England And so it was, as the English cricket team crumbled under the sheer firepower of New Zealand’s one day attack and its great white hope at Wimbledon, Andy Murray found Rafael Nadal a match too far, that we rode for John O’Croats where we would leave this island of green and village, lane and hedgerow, for the barren isle of ice and fire that lay far to the north.... 28 July 2008 - northern lights - Gareth Morgan       Libyan Yobbos The good news about Libya is that people are honest and the petrol's dirt cheap. The bad news is everything else.... 15 November 2007 - africa - Gareth Morgan  Saharan Climate Change In 100,000 year cycles, the Egyptian Sahara changes from lush grassland to desolate desert. We're in a dry phase.... 6 November 2007 - africa - Gareth Morgan  Nile-ation There's a Blue Nile and a White Nile, and both of them are brown.... 31 October 2007 - africa - Gareth Morgan | home article index column archive company analyses culture, arts & heritage currency / b. of payments education families farming govt spending / budget health housing / property income distribution industry policy investment labour market / jobs law, order, & crime local government maori markets / regulation migration money markets / policy motorbike trips silkroad - backblocks america - kimchi kiwis - africa - antarctica - northern lights - other overseas economies politics retirement / super taxation welfare 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 |