Will China inexorably become the hegemon of the 21st century? Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 100th anniversary of China’s Communist Party declared that “socialism with Chinese characteristics” would beat the rest of the world. Is he right? Or, like […]
As incomes rise, Xi will have to change his China model Read More »
The Chinese Communist Party is celebrating its 100th anniversary, confident of making China the superpower of the 21st century. In purchasing power terms, it has overtaken the US as the world’s biggest economy, and will soon do so in dollar
Lee Kwan Yew is the tallest Chinese leader Read More »
The BJP administrator of the Lakshadweep Islands has created a furore through proposals such as prohibiting anybody with over two children from contesting local elections. Similar prohibitions exist in Assam, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This is silly.
Two-child cap and other disincentives should go. We need more babies, not less Read More »
The Group of 7 rich nations has agreed on a new global framework for ending low-tax havens by having a minimum corporate tax of 15%, and by sharing the excess profits of the 100 largest companies with the countries where
Why G7’s global minimum corporate tax won’t work Read More »
Why put all savings into traditional forms of wealth such as land or shares? Why not into non-traditional forms such as Bitcoin and NFTs (non-fungible tokens)? These have made millionaires of initial investors. I advise ordinary folk to steer clear
Bitcoin & NFTs: Opportunities or Ponzi schemes? Read More »
The disastrous spike in Covid cases has changed many mindsets. The Election Commission was slammed for a lengthy voting schedule in the recent state elections, helping spread the disease. The Kumbh Mela at Haridwar was castigated for promoting mass contact.
Put brakes on farm protests; they pose risk to public health Read More »
Anger and despair about Covid dominate news and conversation. How pathetically Indian public health has failed! Every party points fingers at others. Yet in some sense voters in a democracy must be part of the problem. Voters have had chances
Poll reforms can help fix myopia and crookery Read More »
Many liberals have cheered Mamata Banerjee’s election victory in West Bengal as the event of the year. Actually, it was utterly predictable. The BJP invariably gets fewer votes in state elections than general elections, because Narendra Modi is far more
Bengal: Win for secularism but not human rights Read More »
A court in Uttar Pradesh has asked the Archaeological Survey of India to investigate the claim of a Hindu petitioner that the Gyanvapi mosque at Varanasi was created by destroying a Hindu temple. Another court has admitted a petition to
Apex court must stop conversion of places of worship Read More »
The recent flash flood in Uttarakhand was widely called a “glacier burst” although glaciers are not balloons and do not burst. It has spurred renewed warnings that global warming threatens quick melting of the Himalayan glaciers, decimating flows in the
Yes, glaciers are melting but no need for panic Read More »
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