Econ&Fin What's Up

[Gandalf]

Interesantan Q&A

 

Q: Do you believe that philosophy plays an important role in economics? For instance, you have promoted Michael Huemer's The Problem of Political Authority. Do the ethical arguments put forward by Huemer have any bearing on your work in or your views regarding economics?

 

A: Every economist who gives policy advise is implicitly relying on philosophy. Unfortunately, most economists want to rely on philosophy without really reflecting on it, so they're usually just crude utilitarians (with a heavy bias toward the status quo and democratic fundamentalism).

 

 

Edited February 12, 2014 by Gandalf

[Otto Katz]

After five banker deaths in January, a sixth: J.P. Morgan exec jumps in Hong Kong 

 

Can somebody debunk this for me please?

 

+1

[Indy]

 

 

Angry Apple CEO tells climate deniers to get out of his stock

By Giles Parkinson on 2 March 2014

 

The boss of computer and software giant Apple has made a blistering response to climate denial and fossil fuel lobby groups, telling them that if they don’t like Apple’s switch to renewable energy, then they should sell their stock.

Tim Cook made the remark at the company’s annual general meeting after the National Centre of Public Policy Research, a conservative think tanks similar to Australia’s Institute of Public Affairs (they share a disdain of climate science and renewables) tried to force the company to move away from clean energy.

“We object to increased government control over company products and operations, and likewise mandatory environmental standards,” NCPPAR counsel Justin Danhof wrote. “This is something [Apple] should be actively fighting, not preparing surrender.”

Apple has vastly increased its commitment to renewable energy since Cook became CEO and more than three-quarters of its data base facilities now run on solar, wind, hydroelectric or geothermal power – a three-fold increase since Cook inherited control of the company. It aims to have 100 per cent of its electricity requirements. It has also appointed Lisa Jackson, the former head of the Environmental Protection Authority, to spearhead its sustainability program.

Cook told the NCPPR that investing in renewables make environmental sense, and anyway, there are a lot of things for reasons besides profit motive.

The normally mild-mannered Cook was visibly angry when he told the meeting: “When we work on making our devices accessible by the blind,” he said, “I don’t consider the bloody ROI (return on investment).”

“We want to leave the world better than we found it,” he said.

He then looked directly at the NCPPR representative and said: “If you want me to do things only for ROI reasons, you should get out of this stock.”

As one close observer of Apple noted, it was a clear rejection of the climate change denial, anything-for-the-sake-of-profits politics espoused by the NCPPR. It was also an unequivocal message that Apple would continue to invest in sustainable energy and related areas.

The NCPPR’s proposal was rejected by shareholders. Less than 3 per cent of votes were cast in favour of its motion. They probably decided that Apple, one of the world’s most successful companies, didn’t need the advice of a conservative think tank about how to make money. Especially a think tank driven by the narrow confines of ideology and a rejection of science.

Apple’s position presents an interesting contrast with Australia, where a government heavily influenced by the IPA is basing nearly every policy decision around so called “ROI” and little else.

[MayDay]

Umirem.

 

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/pimco-tweet-2014-3

[Eraserhead]

Moelis files IPO. S1 je predat SECu. Ken Moelis je veliki igrac i ovo govori o ocekivanju trzista od nastupajuceg perioda.

[Eraserhead]

Zanimljivi podaci o proizvodnji medju top 25 izvoznika u svetu

[Zaz_pi]

U stvari, bolje ovde:

 

 

China to Pass U.S. as Largest Economy This Year By PPP, FT Says

 

Ne znam da li je ovo bas tacno ali definivno je trenutak blizu, najdalje 3 godine. Ali vidim FT kaze vec ove.

[halloween]

Nikako da upitam nekog nepristrasnog ekonomistu zbog čega svi državni organi pred sam kraj kalendarske godine navale da potroše sav novac koji im je preostao u budžetu, trudeći se da ne vrate nijedan jedini dinar u trezor? Ovu činjenicu su mi potvrdili i zaposleni u bankama koji se u tom periodu (obično bude druga i treća nedelja decembra) razbijaju od naloga za plaćanje budžetskih korisnika. Navodno obrazloženje je da se projekcija sredstava za narednu godinu vrši na osnovu utrošenih sredstava iz prethodne godine i niko nije lud da se samoinicijativno odriče novca za narednu godinu.

Edited May 2, 2014 by halloween

[rajka]

umro gary becker

[Budja]

RIP.

Pionir.

Uveo u ekonomiju nova polja interesovanja ono sto je do tada radila sociologija, obrazovanje, porodica, brak, kriminal. Sve te oblasti su danas mainstream u ekonomskim istrazivanjima.

[Eraserhead]

Evo mozda nekome bude zanimljivo.

 

[hazard]

Nikako da upitam nekog nepristrasnog ekonomistu zbog čega svi državni organi pred sam kraj kalendarske godine navale da potroše sav novac koji im je preostao u budžetu, trudeći se da ne vrate nijedan jedini dinar u trezor? Ovu činjenicu su mi potvrdili i zaposleni u bankama koji se u tom periodu (obično bude druga i treća nedelja decembra) razbijaju od naloga za plaćanje budžetskih korisnika. Navodno obrazloženje je da se projekcija sredstava za narednu godinu vrši na osnovu utrošenih sredstava iz prethodne godine i niko nije lud da se samoinicijativno odriče novca za narednu godinu.

 

Ovo je jako rasirena pojava i u razvijenom i uredjenom svetu (npr. u Kanadi) - a obrazlozenje koje si dobio je prilicno tacno. Ako kao drzavni organ potrosis manje nego sto si projektovao, bices "nagradjen" manjim budzetom sledece godine. Dakle ne postoji nikakav podsticaj da se stedi.

[Shan Jan]

To je posledica loseg gledanja na biznis. Ima toga i u privatnom biznisu medju prodajom. Npr. neki ce dogovorene poslove da namerno prebace za sledecu godinu ako procene da bi ince skok u prihodima firme bio prevelik jer gazda ce sledece godine da trazi slican rezultat. 

[Roger Sanchez]

Pizaz, ovaj prosto uništava tvoj storyline!

 

The law of diminishing returns always takes its toll, with ever more capital inputs generating ever smaller additions to output. Also, the Little Dragons soon ran out of cheap labor as their countrysides emptied out.

True, runs a classic riposte, but China is different because it still has an “industrial reserve army” of 700 million eager to flood into the cities. Ample low-wage labor will continue to fuel rapid growth, so China won't turn into tomorrow’s Japan.

Look again. China’s demography is a disaster. About 2015, the seemingly boundless labor pool will begin to shrink. One reason is rapid aging, which presages that China will become old before it becomes rich. By 2050, China will have lost one-third of its working-age population. Meanwhile, the U.S. will bestride the earth as the youngest industrialized nation after India.

Also in this decade, the number of China’s dependents will start to soar. The U.S. curve will rise only slowly, due to high fertility and immigration, two classic sources of rejuvenation. By midcentury, one Chinese worker will have to support two dependents, a ratio worse than anywhere in the West. If ample labor is the food of growth, China is looking at starvation.

Another data set should also have given pause to the World Bank: China’s cost advantage in manufacturing is almost history. Wages have risen exponentially since 2000, by an average of 19 percent annually. The figure for the U.S. was 4 percent.

Edited May 14, 2014 by Roger Sanchez

[fonTelefon]

Britanska Kancelarija za nacionalnu statistiku saopštila je danas da će prostitucija i uvoz, proizvodnja i korišćenje droga biti uračunati kada Vlada bude iznela tromesečni račun bruto domaćeg proizvoda (BDP).

 

Uračunavanje nelegalnih delatnosti neće značajno doprineti britanskom BDP, a statistička služba navodi da prostituciju i droge treba uračunati kako bi se dobili uporedivi podaci širom Evropske unije pošto su one legalne u pojedinim zemljama članicama.

Uračunavanja prostitucije u BDP možda i neće biti jednostavan zadatak, pošto će morati da se uzmu u obzir vrednosti stvari poput najama bordela, prodaje kondoma, kao i šminka i odeća seksualnih radnica i radnika.

Kad je reč o drogama, britanska statistička služba će ispitati proizvodnju i prodaju kreka, kokaina, heroina, marihuane, ekstazija i amfetamina.

Uzgajanje biljaka iz kojih se dobija droga biće klasifikovana kao "proizvodnja", kupovina kao "trošak", a prodaja kao "prihod".

Trenutno se u Velikoj Britaniji od ilegalnih aktivnosti uključenih u BDP računaju samo krijumčarenje alkohola i duvana.

Britanska Kancelarija za nacionalnu statistuku saopštila je da će nove procene dodati oko 10 milijardi funti (12,3 milijardi evra) na nivo BDP-a iz 2009. To je ipak mali deo britanskog BDP-a koji sada iznosi oko 1.500 milijardi funti.

Ta služba navodi da su neke od tih delatnosti legalne u ponekim zemljama EU, a da sve članice treba da koriste iste standarde pošto se oni koriste za procenu doprinosa budžetu Unije pojedinih članica.

Šef te statističke službe Džo Grajs rekao je da se statistika razvija zajedno s privredom kako bi adekvatno mogla da je meri.

 

Jak razvoj statistike.