The US presidential elections are scheduled for next week Tuesday, Nov 6th. A lot hangs on the outcome for the US — and perhaps the world. In a piece that I wrote a few days ago for NitiCentral.com, I argue that its importance for India is overblown since what happens in the US does not materially affect India’s fortunes. For the record, here it is below the fold. If you wish to comment, please do so on NitiCentral.
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Category: About
Sex-selection is a good thing
Over at Quartz, my piece on the topic of sex-selection in India is titled, “Why Indian parents should be allowed to choose whether to have girls.” Writers often don’t have control over the titles of pieces but this one is not bad compared to the really lousy title of my piece in NitiCentral published yesterday which should have been titled “Sonia Gandhi’s travels are more mysterious than the Shroud of Turin & costlier than going to Mars.” C’est la vie and all that. Anyway, an extended excerpt below the fold.
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Leaving on a Jet plane to Chicago
The time has come for me to go traveling. Off to Chicago I go today. SFO to Chicago Midway. Then on Monday, to New Delhi. Say bye.
Why Socialism Fails – Part 1
Ken Olson, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corp, said in 1977, “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” Even very smart people sometimes make statements which, in retrospect, are proven to be ridiculously mistaken. Technology is hard to predict, partly because innovation which drives its evolution is by definition unpredictable. Those foolhardy enough to make predictions about technology get generally ridiculed years later when everyone knows what no one knew before. Hindsight is awesomely accurate while foresight often misses the barn, leave alone the target painted on it.
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Ideas dictate the destiny of economies
What is poverty? Who’s a poor person? What’s a rich economy? These questions have engaged some of the brightest people for centuries — and no doubt it will continue to fascinate some for centuries. My answer to what is poverty is simple: poverty is a lack of stuff. A poor person is one who does not have enough stuff. It is a technical word. You may not see it used very extensively elsewhere but stuff is a very important word.
After this we’ll be right back
Happy Bengali New Year
Shubho Nobo Borsho. This Bengali new year I am spending in New York City. There’s a conference at the Columbia Business School tomorrow (Saturday 14th April). Rajesh is making a presentation there on “Transforming India.” We will also meet Prof Jagadish Bhagwati and Prof Panagariya.
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Off to Mexico City
I am off to Mexico City in a few hours. I will be back at home in Northern California in a week. My next few posts will be from Mexico. Be well, go good work, and keep in touch.
Go have some of my Soup
Anyone from Mumbai to SF Bay Area?
If you know of anyone traveling from Mumbai to the SF Bay area in the next week or two, I need a very small favor. Please get in touch. I am atanudey at gmail.com. Thanks very much. (This is a sticky post. I will remove it shortly.)
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 