overseas economies

When Good Deflation Turns Bad
The notion that deflation in the US could turn nasty, is not far-fetched....
31 July 2003 - Gareth Morgan

Bush's New Paradigm and Economic Prospects
The Bush Paradigm. Why can't the rest of the world get it into it's head. When you are the biggest boy on the block you are nowhere near as keen as allowing a committee of your weaker brethren to tell you what to do. This is why the US is telling the UN to take a hike....
29 January 2003 - Gareth Morgan

Distributive Justice and Incentives: A Global Perspective
16% of the world's population controls 80% of global wealth If all the world's citizens consumed the amount of resources the average American does we'd need the resources of 7 globes Over the 1990's management of US firms have increased their remuneration proportionally more than the increase...
26 September 2001 - Gareth Morgan

Muslims and the West
Having just returned from almost a month living under the shadow of the Pakistan and Afghanistan regimes in West Asia, it is easy to bring a somewhat different perspective of events around the World Trade Centre and the general relationship between Islamists and the West. The most chilling impression one returns with is that there are...
19 September 2001 - Gareth Morgan

Impressions of Britain
Having been in the UK for the last 6 weeks one can't help but notice the contrast between life there and here. Certainly their economy is performing pretty well with unemployment now below 5% and job ads appearing in every third or fourth shop front - almost across the country. And employers are having to compete for labour against the super-charged...
19 November 1999 - Gareth Morgan

All the better to eat you with
The arrogance of the US authorities in matters of trade has been to the fore in recent weeks. The country that has recognised free trade as good for all is now of the opinion that it is good for everybody except itself. Interest in the matter here was sparked by a ruling made in the US on February 11. The US International Trade Commission decided that...
3 March 1999 - Gareth Morgan

An uneasy calm
The dark days of August - when western financial markets were rocked by Russia's collapse and Latin America's tremors, hedge funds failed and confidence in equities tumbled - have given way to an uncanny composure, particularly in the US. It seems that interest rate cuts have assured jaded investors that American companies can continue to...
9 December 1998 - Gareth Morgan

Malaysian Madness
The arrest of Malaysia’s deputy PM, Anwar, was an explosive climax to the political drama that’s been unfolding in the country since early September when the PM, Mahathir, fired his deputy amid a torrent of lurid allegations ranging from sodomy to treason. Police commandos decked out with ski masks and assault rifles raided...
23 September 1998 - Bridget Smith

Haven't the Aussies done well
They cleaned us up at rugby over the winter, they have mined a swag of gold medals at the Commonwealth games and their rate of economic growth over the first half of 1998 is truly impressive. Why is it that Australia, which is even more exposed to Asia than New Zealand, has enjoyed growth of 4%pa over the first half of this year while our...
16 September 1998 - Andrew Gawith

Japan's new PM - just another staller
Obuchi, Japan's new Prime Minister, doesn't look like he has what it takes to lead the country out of recession. Obuchi is just another Hashimoto - an "old guard", conservative Liberal Democratic Party politician held hostage by internal party loyalties. Not only that, but he has almost no experience in economic policy-making. He's not...
29 July 1998 - Bridget Smith

Will the Hong Kong's peg be maintained? You bet
The Hong Kong economy is under mounting pressure. It shrank by 2% in the first quarter of 1998. The contraction came as a shock to many. Government forecasters who were predicting a "business-pretty-much-as-usual" 3% growth in GDP are now furiously revising down their estimates for 1998. Reduced growth, combined with a bevy of other...
1 July 1998 - James Walker

The edge of darkness
Given the harsh changes that are being imposed from outside Asia it's not difficult to argue that Asia's economic and political crisis has the potential to spiral into a nationalist-driven rush to protectionist trade and economic policy. Dr Mahatir of Malaysia was certainly a strong advocate of such a fortress approach to the unfolding crisis...
17 June 1998 - Andrew Gawith

Will China devalue?
In the midst of the exchange rate crises that have beset many South East Asian nations China has steadfastly refused to devalue the renminbi (RMB). In doing so it has had a steadying influence in the region. If China had devalued, or was to devalue tomorrow, it would probably reignite the vicious cycle of currency depreciations in South East...
29 April 1998 - James Walker