Embracing failure is key to reviving Western growth November 11, 2012 IN AMERICA, a new parenting book is causing a stir. The author Paul Tough argues that an overly hands-on approach can harm a child’s development. Instead, parents should be more laissez-faire. They should give children the chance to fail in order to encourage the development of qualities like grit and optimism. Perhaps this is a [...]
Will Canada struggle to retain its position as the world’s financial centre? November 11, 2012 YES Rob Harbron Financial services in Canada will remain under increasing pressure over the coming years. As the UK economy recovers and global expansion begins to gather pace again, output in the financial sector will eventually regain its pre-financial crisis peak. However, growth in the City is unlikely to ever reach the [...]
Rapid responses November 11, 2012 Canterbury calling [Re: End of quantitative easing will stop mad monetary recycling, Friday] It’s not a new development that a religious leader is worrying about sin in business. Did Jesus not throw the moneylenders out of the Temple? Yes, stockbrokers don’t tend to wear hair shirts and traders don’t tend to spend their mornings in [...]
America is failing to face up to the truth behind its looming fiscal cliff November 8, 2012 AMERICA, we are told, is a nation divided. But this wasn’t the closest presidential election in recent times. Far from it. Barack Obama won both the popular vote by a reasonable margin and stormed the electoral college. Obama’s fellow Democrats also rebuffed their opponents in races for the Senate. The only consolation for the Republicans [...]
The Lord Mayor’s Show: A celebration of commerce and military discipline November 8, 2012 COMMERCE and peace do best together. In her history of trade and culture in the Renaissance, Worldly Goods, Lisa Jardine points out that, within days of the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Genoese sent ambassadors to negotiate their continued right to trade within the Ottoman Empire. The work that commerce still does today to [...]
Economic realities push Europe closer to a Greek decision November 8, 2012 ONE down, one to go. The Greek government has got through one crucial vote this week, and looks likely to ride out its budget vote on Sunday. Although markets and Eurozone leaders will breathe a sigh of relief, as Greece makes it through another crucial week in its economic crisis, the government has not been [...]
After the Bank of England held interest rates at 0.5 per cent, should it soon consider a rise? November 8, 2012 YES Andrew Sentence Monetary policy has reached its limits in supporting growth via more stimulus. The challenge now is to adjust to the “new normal” – a world which has been forged by the financial crisis and the rapid growth of emerging market economies. As part of this adjustment, we need to gradually return interest [...]
Rapid responses November 8, 2012 Special relationship [Re: It was attitudes not demographics that determined the US campaign, yesterday] Stephan Shakespeare’s insightful piece has interesting implications for UK politics. Firstly, David Cameron can be reassured that a leader presiding over a lacklustre economy won’t necessarily be voted out of office. But secondly, Cameron should be concerned that even attitudes in [...]
It was attitudes not demographics that determined the US campaign November 7, 2012 THERE are three things that matter about the US election result, seen from my pollster’s point of view. What do we learn about the role of demographics against attitudes in determining outcome? What might the result mean for the next UK general election? And why did we get that Mitt Romney phantom swing? A lot [...]
The President has a mandate but must now battle the second term curse November 7, 2012 AS AMERICANS congregated around their television sets on election night, all eyes were on Florida. With its 29 electoral college votes, losing the state would put an early end to Mitt Romney’s hopes of winning the White House. But, with quick and decisive victories elsewhere, it was clear that President Barack Obama would win re-election [...]