Articles

The gains from job losses

In 1991, many Indians were terrified that globalisation would cost us millions of jobs. Today, American politicians are terrified that millions of their jobs will be outsourced to India . What a compliment to our global success! And what a …

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Trade diversion down under

Few Indian observers have commented on the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are becoming a dime a dozen, and most yield only marginal changes. So why should we pay particular attention to the newly-signed AUSFTA? Because it …

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Why Iraq matters so little

The Democratic Party primaries in the US have once again shown that too many Indian foreign policy analysts are victims of wishful thinking. Many of them hoped Afghanistan would prove another Vietnam. This was soon exposed as wishful thinking. The …

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The feel-bad factor

Predicting elections is a mug’s game. Even the best-designed opinion polls and exit polls can go badly wrong. Opinion polls that turn out to be correct often owe a lot to serendipity: errors for and against a party neatly cancel …

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Feel good or feel sick?

GNP, exports and the stock market are booming. What could disturb this idyllic feel good factor, which the BJP is betting on to win the elections? Bird flu could. The deadly H5N1 flu virus is sweeping across Asia , ravaging …

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The great Indian dreamer

One of my favourite posters says “Some people see the world as it is, and ask why. But I think of things that never were, and ask, why not? “ Management gurus may wax eloquent over sticking to the knitting …

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Jaswant versus Yashwant

A successful finance minister typically has three characteristics: good luck, political savvy, and wisdom. Yashwant Sinha was neither lucky nor politically savvy, though he showed flashes of wisdom. Jaswant Singh has demonstrated both luck and political savvy. He still needs …

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