As always, the evil scientist laughing diabolically does not realize how his monster will one day wreck him. He is too giddy about his temporary gains, blinded by the opportunity to finally matter and lord over those who dismissed him. It’s a great storyline, but increasingly a realistic one, where life imitates art. When Smart…
Tag: IMF
Free World Rising: Resurrgence of the Fighting Turks
It is without wonder that the Turks of southeastern Europe are known as a stout population. In 1923 the Turks won a fierce war against a host of allies and Western European powers to secure its ancestral homeland. Many are wondering why Turkey and its tenacious leader has come to the fore. While economic and…
Serbia Test EU Resolve and International Institutions Amid Covid Spike
Greece just barred citizens from the landlocked country of Serbia following that state’s declaration of a state of emergency on July 3, 2020. The news comes on the heels of growing COVID-19 numbers in the Balkans, with Serbia currently registering 16,420 cases and 317 deaths. Ironically, Belgrade made the decision on the same day that…
Eating the Developing World: A Pandemic Response
The recent pandemic has once again highlighted the built in ineptitude and inadequacies of the current world financial system. This time, it can be easily highlighted in the ballooning IMF loans and financial arrangements wresting a strangle-hold on the developing world. The IMF is providing a different kind of leadership in the Pandemic. Unlike China…
The West and the Rest: Growth and A Green-Eyed Monster
“The West vs. The Rest,” a term coined from the ideology of famed political science professor Samuel Huntington, seems to be a growing phenomenon in the world today. In Huntington’s book, the Clash of Civilization, he appeared to be more narrowly focused on the rise of the Mideast, rather than the growing dichotomy that has…
Make The Deal: A Case Study on Decision-Making
Making a good deal requires understanding what you will gain and what you must lose. Deal-making is almost as old as time. Part of what makes some people better deal-makers than others, is their ability to evaluate a deal beyond their emotions. Emotions are essential in making a deal; often emotions can signal red flags…
Globalization and Labor: Gigs Grow As Stability Falters
In 2017, there were nearly 600 million entrepreneurs recorded, according to figures from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). There are an estimated 27 million in the United States alone, 0.05 percent of that giant worldwide figure. While the signs of growing entrepreneurship seem encouraging, are they indicative of a much larger issue throughout the world? …
A Trade War of the Worlds
In 2014, China held over a third of U.S. debt, amounting to nearly 18 trillion USD. In just four years, that number has dwindled to a paltry 1.18 trillion, due in large part to China’s rapid sell-off of American currency. In the past, nations sought U.S. dollars as a guarantee to ensure fiscal stability due…
Angola and The Changing Face of Debt
In early February 2018, Angola signed a 70-million-dollar agreement with the World Bank to develop the nation’s local economy. The loan is specifically targeted at infrastructure construction of medical centers, staff residences and other public works. The African nation has unsuccessfully sought to attract investors and appears to be turning its aspirations inward. Like many…
Panama’s Multinational Future
The Panama Trade and Investment Agency (PROVINEX) hails itself as the “Ultimate Destination for Multinationals investing in Latin America.” For many developing economies, attracting foreign investment has been the primary goal. According to figures released by PROVINEX, more than 140 multinationals have invested in the Latin American nation since 2007. It’s top three investors being…
Congo: The Sleeping Giant Battling Back to Relevance
In 2016, the Democratic Republic of the Congo had a GDP of just over $32 Billion USD. These numbers are staggering for a nation with a population of 83 billion souls and a 800 GDP per capita. The horror is that the nation leads the world in some of the most precious metals and timber…
Lela Winston 