The World’s Strangest Borders Part 3: Enclaves and Exclaves
18 Jun 2017 Leave a comment
in International law Tags: economics of borders, maps
How important was colonial trade for the rise of Europe?
18 Jun 2017 Leave a comment
in economics
In the interview, we discuss at one point the matter of how important was colonial (and otherwise intercontinental) trade for macroeconomic outcomes such as growth and urbanization in Europe. As I notice in the interview, my position on this (see my Cliometrica article for details) stands between two extremes:
- that of Eric Hobsbawm or Immanuel Wallerstein, who argue Europeans profited a huge deal from the colonies. This view is very prevalent in some political circles today, if not the person on the street, who often believes that “imperialism” or “colonialism” is what what made the West Rich, through exploitation of the rest of the world. It is related to “dependency theory”.
- by contrast, that of many if not…
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Disaster economics
18 Jun 2017 Leave a comment
in economics
The UK is rightly transfixed with the unfolding story of the catastrophic fire at Grenfell Tower in Kensington, London, which at the time of writing had led to 30 confirmed deaths. This follows – as the Queen pointed out in her birthday message – terrorist attacks on Westminster and London Bridges, and in Manchester.
‘Disaster economics’ seems like an inappropriately technocratic topic at a time like this. But disasters often have their root in the inherent challenges of disaster economics [or rather disaster economics and statistics]. And failing to rise to them can lead to more disasters than is necessary.
One of the main challenges is figuring out the frequency of disaster-events of different severity, when such things are relatively rare. In small samples of a few years, you will have many observations of rainfall around the most common quantity, but you will have very few – perhaps even no…
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.@GeorgeTakei inadvertently explains why tattoos and piercings harm your job chances
18 Jun 2017 Leave a comment
in industrial organisation, personnel economics
George Takei nailed when he said tattoos, piercings and unnatural hair colour are expressions of individuality.
It’s high time these expressions of self and individuality be celebrated– not judged
Employers are often looking for team players, not necessarily people going out of their way to say I am different, way different from you and apart from the crowd.
People especially young people new to the labour market with agreeable, conformist personalities have an edge in job search. Too many people want to go their own way but still have it all that we squares have from conforming with the rules even those rules we do not particularly like.
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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