Economy
Birth, Death, and Shopping in Japan
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Prices for real estate are sky high in Tokyo, not just in life, but in death too. It’s not just expensive to die in Japan, it’s expensive to be born. At least there’s deals to be had for New Year’s shopping in Tokyo.
Also on the podcast, Russians, Indians, and Israelis have arrived in Mississippi. And they may no longer be going for Olympic gold in Australia.
One state’s trade boom…
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During the first three months of the year, trade fell across the board in 49 U.S. states. Which state managed to buck the trend? Tune into the podcast to find out.
Also on this edition of the podcast: A socialist toy fair in Venezuela, Britain begins labeling food from the West Bank as either Israeli or Palestinian, and young voices in Spain talking about their country’s soaring unemployment rate.
Romance and Freedom… Making Sales
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The Global Economy Podcast was recently voted one of iTunes top podcasts for 2009! Quite an honor. Thank you, good folks at iTunes.
Some of the themes on this edition of the podcast: love and freedom. Or rather, using love and freedom to sell products. How can you not tune in for that? Now you see why this is one of the year’s best podcasts!
Business in the Developing World, Part II
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A year ago, inflation in Zimbabwe was a mind-blowing 231 million percent. (And that was before the government stopped bothering to update the figure!) A new government came to power in February and life has much improved. The Zimbabwe dollar, or Zim dollar, is gone. But that has spawned problems of its own.
Stories from Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa, Bangladesh, India and Peru on Part II of this two-part podcast about econonics and business in the developing world.
Business in the Developing World, Part I
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Bank bailouts and Wall Street bonuses may enrage many in the United States, but they’re hardly top of mind for most people in places like Nicaragua, Senegal, and Peru. The majority of people in the developing world were poor when the Great Recession began, and they’re poor today. Do the ebbs and flows of the banks in London and New York impact their daily lives? Part I of this two-part podcast looks at econonics and business issues in the developing world.
Cokes, Kit Kats, and Men’s Undies
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There are numerous ways to gauge how the economy is faring. Economists look at gross domestic product, unemployment figures, and the leading economic indicators. But can a quick peek in our underwear drawers tell us almost as much? Or more specifically, can underwear sales tell us about the strength of the economy? Some economists say, you betcha!
And question: How many flavors of Kits Kats is one too many? 10? 20? Try 200 in Japan. Also on the podcast: Mexican Coke, German taxes, and the tricky economic relationship between the U.S. and China.
How Happy is the Economy?
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The U.S. recession is over! (Technically speaking by one measure.) That’s because the nation’s gross domestic product is back in positive territory. But for the 10 percent of Americans who are out looking for work, it sure doesn’t feel like much of an economic recovery. Should GDP be the bar by which we judge economic health? And what about measuring a nation’s economic prowess by Big Mac sales? Many have argued that the mark of economic progress, or the triumph of American capitalism depending on your vantage, is when a nation serves up McDonald’s. By that argument, what does it say about a nation when its golden arches disappear?
The Economics of Renewable Energy
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Policymakers are working towards their self-imposed deadline to come up with a successor climate treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. Their mission is to set target reductions for atmospheric carbon levels by the conclusion of United Nations’ sponsored climate talks this December in Copenhagen. A deal is looking unlikely for December. But assuming a climate deal does eventually get done, this will no doubt be a boon for the renewable energy industry. That could mean big business for solar panels, wind turbines, biofuels, and nuclear energy.
The Economic View in Western Europe
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For more than 180 years, if you wanted to buy an “Evening Standard” paper in London, you had to pay for it. No longer. The paper is now free. Is this a sign of the economic times? On this edition of the global economy podcast, the view from Western Europe: Stories from Spain, Italy, Germany, and England. Download MP3
Migrating Money and People
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For some poor nations, money sent back home from family members working in Western Europe and the U.S. is a lifeline. How has the financial crisis impacted this flow of money? Millions of migrant workers have lost their jobs or seen their incomes cut. The value of remittances is expected to fall for the first time since records have been kept. Download MP3China Turns 60
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The People’s Republic of China officially turned 60 this week. From agricultural society to the world’s third-largest economy, China is all grown up; and still growing quickly. In this podcast, The World’s Beijing correspondent Mary Kay Magistad reports on the surging Chinese economy.
The G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh
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The G-20 Summit was held in Pittsburgh this week. World leaders agreed on far-reaching efforts to revamp the global economic system. They called for tighter regulation over financial institutions, complex financial instruments and executive pay. The World’s Jason Margolis was in Pittsburgh for the summit, and he got to see more than just the inside of the convention center where the meetings took place.
One Year After the Financial Crash
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A year ago this week, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch agreed to sell itself to Bank of America, and Wall Street, and the world, appeared headed for chaos. One year later… What’s changed? What have we learned? Was the financial bailout of Wall Street necessary? Can we ever really know? Also, what have changes on Wall Street meant to China?
Traders, Smugglers, and Legos
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How are North Dakota, Ukraine, and Angola all linked together? Want cheap cigarettes? Do couples argue more in IKEA in Beijing or Boston? All this and more, if you can believe it, in this week’s podcast.
The U.S. Healthcare Debate Viewed From Abroad
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What does the rest of the world think of the U.S healthcare debate? Some American critics of healthcare reform are suggesting the U.S. will end up with a bureaucratic and inefficient system, which they say would be like Britain. How do Brits feel about this label? Also aging doctors in Japan and the recession in Europe is over! (Maybe.)
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