By R. Grynberg, D. Munro & M. White
Listener 26 April, 2003
Keywords: Macroeconomics & Money;
Those involved – including Fijian coup leader and subsequently Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rambuka – were anxious not to have too public the story of the financial crisis of the National Bank of Fiji (NBF). Instead the authors – then academics at the University of Fiji although two have since left – pieced it together from the public record and the investigative reporting of a few courageous journalists. Their story goes like this.
Keywords: History of Ideas, Methodology & Philosophy;
It is best to think of this as a draft – and very preliminary. Comments welcome. Further of my writings on the left will be found at Economics of Socialism (Index).
The Listener column, ‘The Left and Economics (3 May 2003) elicited a number of the readers of the draft version asking me what a modernised economics of the left might look like. My response was ‘Who me? I’m only an economic columnist’. In any case few would put me among the Left, other than those who are so far to the right they object to the road rules.
Listener: 19 April, 2003.
Keywords: Globalisation & Trade; Macroeconomics & Money;
We see only vaguely the world order which will follow the flames of Iraq. The whole episode has confirmed the American (Hard) Right’s suspicions of the old order, based on alliances and multilateral institutions, which Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman (and, indeed Peter Fraser) contributed to creating after the Second World War. They argue the case for, what amounts to, an American imperium – a world empire over which it wields unqualified power. With President Bush they have an administration which could pursue such a unilateralist goal, with profound international political and military implications. But as this is only a short economics column, the focus is on the economic and financial ones.
Note in response to questions arising from the ‘Disorder Afterwards’ Listener Column of 19 April, 2003
Keywords: Globalisation & Trade; Macroeconomics & Money;
In the past few weeks I have been asked by a number of people about published opinions that argue the US is invading Iraq in order to get access to its oil, and to strengthen the role of the US dollar, it being noted that a few years ago Iraq decided to settle its oil deals would be transacted in euros.
Listener 5 April, 2003.
Keywords: Environment & Resources; Growth & Innovation;
Lincoln University meteorologist, Neil Cherry, wonders aloud whether New Zealand is too windy to convert its wind power into electricity. Germany with the most wind power installations has winds averaging 6 metres/second. Denmark, the world leader in wind turbine manufacturing, has sites up to just over 7m/s, as has California the biggest wind power state in the US. A typical New Zealand site is 10m/s, which yields at least twice as much power. That means much more stress on the machinery. Half the European made gear boxes on one New Zealand wind farm had to be replaced within the guarantee period (and ten percent of them re-replaced).
Lawrence Simmons and Brian Easton in dialogue
The following is based on a dialogue between Lawrence Simmons and Brian Easton, which took place in early 2003. It is the basis of a chapter in speaking Truth to Power: Public Intellectuals Rethink New Zealand, edited by Laurence Simmonds and published by Auckland University Press in 2007.
Keywords: History [...]