Do Alipay and Tenpay misuse their market power?
“LET THE users decide who wins the game, not monopoly and power.” So said Jack Ma in 2014 when Alipay, the slick payment service…
What it takes to become an academic economist is changing
Aug 8th 2020WASHINGTON, DCNABBING A TOP academic job in America requires obtaining a PhD, preferably from a good university. That,…
Dollar dominance is as secure as American global leadership
Aug 8th 2020IT HAS BEEN an ugly summer for America and the dollar. The greenback fell by more than 4% against a basket of other…
Economic forecasts are too rosy. That can be costly
Over-optimism at the IMF and the World Bank can have serious consequencesAug 4th 2020MOST PEOPLE, when presented with bad news,…
In emerging markets, short-term panic gives way to long-term worry
Aug 1st 2020FATIGUE. SHORTNESS of breath. Frayed nerves. Lungs mottled by scars. Months have passed since early survivors of covid-19…
The fear of robots displacing workers has returned
Jul 30th 2020COVID-19 PRESENTED employers with a simple choice: find ways for workers to do their jobs safely, or shut down. At…
The SPAC hack
Aug 1st 2020IN AN EPISODE of “The Phil Silvers Show”, a 1950s TV comedy, Ernie Bilko (played by Silvers) discovers that his…
Has India’s moratorium on loan payments delayed the pain for banks?
Aug 1st 2020SOON AFTER India went into a strict lockdown in March, its central bank allowed borrowers to put off loan repayments…
The EU’s recovery fund revives a debate on common taxes
NOTHING IN THIS world is certain, mused Benjamin Franklin, except death and taxes. He never had to contend with the European Union’s…