Holding Pattern

Obesity

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Since the World Health Organisation recognised first recognised obesity as a growing health problem in 1980, no country has succeeded in reducing obesity rates. Capitalism promotes the benefits of competition. Undoubtedly there are some. But as long as there are profits to be made from it, competition among food companies will lead them to resist regulation and to […]

Another Great Capitalist Innovation

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We all know about sub-prime home loans in the USA. Now there are sub-prime car loans- Loans to lower income earners with poor credit ratings. The loans are secured by a technological innovation. Using GPS systems to track the vehicle, lenders are now able to deactivate the vehicle remotely should payments be missed. The deactivation device is […]

Paying the Price for Ignoring Iraq Warnings

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(This article is an expanded version of an article which appeared in ‘The Age’ on 2 October 2014). The idea that the Islamic State (IS) does not represent “real Islam” might be well intentioned. It is also nonsense. The IS  denounces moderate Islam as not representing “real Islam”. This equally, is nonsense. There is no such […]

‘The Undivided Past’- Book Review

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Summary:  David Cannadine says that people have defined themselves (and others) by applying the identities of religion, nation, class, race, gender or civilisation.  But he argues these categories lead to  over simplifications of the human condition and human history, because most people have multiple identities. He also argues that rather than history being made up of endless conflicts within these identities, human […]

Thomas Piketty- Some Observations

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Piketty’s Importance and Basic Theory Thomas Piketty’s book ‘Capital in the 21st Century’  has spurred vigorous public discussion in developed countries about the growth in inequality and what to do about it. Others have previously raised the issue of inequality. But Piketty has been hard to ignore because  his book relies upon painstaking analysis of taxation and other data […]