The last time Canada voted, in 2011, the result was an election of first-in-a-while’s: the first party to win a majority government since 2000 the first Conservative party to win a majority government since 1988 the first time since 1962 that a Conservative party won three consecutive federal elections the first time in Canadian historyContinue reading “Canada Goes to Vote!”
China’s Hidden Regionacracy, part 1: China’s Borderlands
How can one measure China’s economic stability? In the West, it is common to look to Hong Kong and Tibet as litmus tests of the strength of the central Chinese government. While it is true that both Hong Kong and Tibet are very important places, their combined populations do not account for even one percentContinue reading “China’s Hidden Regionacracy, part 1: China’s Borderlands”
Why Israel Won’t Let the West Bank Go
Most of Israel’s critics argue that any Israeli claim to the moral high ground is compromised by the fact that the Israeli military has been dominating the West Bank since 1967, thereby denying the Palestinians the ability to ever form their own state. While of course there is some truth to this argument, it neverthelessContinue reading “Why Israel Won’t Let the West Bank Go”
Canada’s Election – and what it could mean for the TSX
[Update– My predictions in this article were incorrect: the Liberals, led by Justin Trudeau, ended up winning a majority government in parliament. I didn’t see that coming!] In most countries, investors usually have a clear idea of what they want to see from an election. They want the victory of a competent, “market-friendly” candidate, withContinue reading “Canada’s Election – and what it could mean for the TSX”
Iran’s Weakening Position
Originally written for Times of Israel There is a fear in Israel that, with the signing of the nuclear deal two days ago, the United States may soon become allies with Iran. While this is not an irrational fear, it is important to remember that such an alliance actually already took place about a decadeContinue reading “Iran’s Weakening Position”
Iran’s Weakening Position
Why Iraq is Still So Important
10 Consequences of US-Iranian Reengagement
1. Iraq Iran is the key to stabilizing or destabilizing Iraq. The Iranians have close religious and political ties with Iraqi Shiites, who make up a majority of the overall Iraqi population and control most of Iraq’s oil wealth. Iran also has potentially close ties with the Iraqi Kurds, since Iran’s own Kurdish regions areContinue reading “10 Consequences of US-Iranian Reengagement”
Finally Passing Gas: 10 Winners and Losers of the Panama Canal Expansion
When the Panama Canal expansion is finally finished this spring, the canal will have two new features: 1. Serve larger ships that can carry up to 3x as many containers 2. Serve liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers It is not entirely clear what effects this will have on world trade, but Panama’s hope isContinue reading “Finally Passing Gas: 10 Winners and Losers of the Panama Canal Expansion”
Estonia in 2015: Energy, the Euro, and Elections
It is probably just a coincidence, but there is a strong correlation between being a member state of the Eurozone and being dependent on energy imports. The Eurozone imports upwards of two-thirds of the energy it consumes (compared to just 10-15 percent for the US and China, and 30-40 percent for Britain and India); onlyContinue reading “Estonia in 2015: Energy, the Euro, and Elections”
Future Economics 