Attention Economy


Wednesday, May 31, 2017

China's Monetary Policy Conundrum

China’s Monetary Conundrum

Printers, Cartridges and a Momentous Supreme Court Ruling

How a Supreme Court ruling on printer cartridges changes what it means to buy almost anything
“Last week, the Supreme Court dealt a major blow to corporations that try to use patent law as a weapon against other firms, saying that companies can only be sued for patent infringement in the places they actually do business.
Now, the Court has ruled again along those same lines, handing a victory to consumer groups in a case about printer cartridges — or more specifically, toner cartridges, the kind used by laserjet printers. The case has huge implications for the way we think about technology ownership in America, and your rights as a user”

Monday, May 29, 2017

Rajan on Populism

Populist Insurrections: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Reactions

Technological Progress and Future Economic Growth

A timely piece from Satyajit Das:
Das wisely observes –
“Most new technologies have significant benefits but don't radically reshape the modes of doing things. A driverless or electric automobile is just a new type of car. It isn't the quantum leap that motorized transport was over its animal-powered predecessors. Email improves the speed of communication but it isn't as radical as the advent of telephony. Platforms such as EBay Inc., Uber Technologies Inc. and Airbnb Inc. are merely new marketplaces matching buyers and sellers. Big data is just a more sophisticated way to handle information and statistical analysis.”

Brexit and the British Economy

Why ‘Brexit’ Will Make Britain’s Mediocre Economy Worse by SIMON TILFORD
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/29/opinion/britain-brexit-economy.html

Related:
My paper on Brexit

Housing Debt and Government Subsidies

Harvard’s Jeffrey Frankel - The Case Against Subsidizing Housing Debt
https://www.project-syndicate.org/print/case-against-subsidizing-housing-debt-by-jeffrey-frankel-2017-05

China and the Global Economy

Yale economist Stephen Roach's take on China’s economic future

FT asks - Is China’s economy turning Japanese?

Chinese Investment in Sri Lanka – A Debt Trap?

China’s Ill, and Wealthy, Look Abroad for Medical Treatment by SUI-LEE WEE

China’s ‘New Silk Road’ strategy
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-05-24/the-boosterism-behind-china-s-silk-road-story

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Economic Openness in the 21st Century

Nobel Laureate Mike Spence on Economic Openness
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/open-economies-and-structural-reform-by-michael-spence-2017-05

The Middle East Mess and Lessons in Foreign Policy

Roger Cohen’s brilliant column in the NYTIMES should be required reading for anyone interested in understanding the world’s most dangerous region:
Related:

[MUST READ] - Smart commentary from Reuters:

Unhealthy Preference for Strongman Leaders Abroad
https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trump-abandons-human-rights-promotion-by-aryeh-neier-2017-05

Unemployment Rate and Inflation Rate – The Missing Link

Interesting piece from Bloomberg BusinessWeek
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-19/unemployment-in-the-u-s-is-falling-so-why-isn-t-pay-rising

Technology Giants and Tech Users

Google now knows when its users go to the store and buy stuff
Washington Post article notes:
“Google has begun using billions of credit card transaction records to prove that its online ads are prompting people to make purchases – even when they happen offline in brick-and-mortar stores, the company said Tuesday.
The advance allows Google to determine how many sales have been generated by digital ad campaigns, a goal that industry insiders have long described as “the holy grail” of online advertising. But the announcement also renewed long-standing privacy complaints about how the company uses personal information.”

Expectations and the Macroeconomy

Yale economist and Nobel Laureate Robert Shiller’s intersting hypothesis:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/may/23/the-economy-is-stagnant-because-people-fear-for-the-future
“My own theory about today’s stagnation focuses on growing angst about rapid advances in technologies that could eventually replace many or most of our jobs, possibly fueling massive economic inequality. People might be increasingly reluctant to spend today because they have vague fears about their long-term employability – fears that may not be uppermost in their minds when they answer consumer confidence surveys. If that is the case, they might increasingly need stimulus in the form of low interest rates to keep them spending.”

Monday, May 22, 2017

Bitcoin Bubble?

Extraordinary surge in Bitcoin value:
Interesting fact noted in the CNBC piece –
“If you bought $100 of bitcoin at the 0.003 cent price on May 22, 2010, you'd now be sitting on around $75 million.”

Related:

Global MBA Rankings from FT

2017 Financial Times Rankings of MBA Programs Worldwide:
https://www.ft.com/content/69a61dd4-d9be-11e6-944b-e7eb37a6aa8e

Modern Finance - Quants and FINTECH

WSJ - The Quants Run Wall Street Now

Related:

[VIDEO] - Interesting conversation between Harvard's Larry Summers and Princeton's Markus Brunnermeier