Entries categorized as ‘Political Economy’
Bio-Colossus 3-David Mach
It is stimulating (Please not to confuse with stimulus plans or whatever) to discover the strength of new approaches to the progress of economy and the human being in general terms. This is the case of the biomedical field, which is opening a new frontier to the extension of life and to the development of a economic sector with a huge future. Far from expired economic recipes recommending to insist in public expenditure, financial engineering or real state, this sector shows that the next economic lanscape will be linked to serious Research, Development and Innovation, where science plays a major role. In a similar way than the renewable energy sector (but with less protectionism and ideological bias), the biomedical field is emerging in several developed countries and obtaining big investments from entrepreneurial institutions. In fact, many Governments are working desperately to set up biomedical clusters in their areas, but it is not only a matter of money and facilities. Highly educated human capital has the key to success in this sector and a long experience in medical sciences and engineering are also needed. You cannot improvise.
Nevertheless, the topic is so popular on the block and strategists are looking for the best roadmap to create a biomedical matrix to compete in the new economic league. It is understandable, because as members of The Stockholm Network point out,
“Biomedical innovation, including advances in biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, is at the heart of human society, not least because this type of innovation helps to save lives and to improve the quality of life. Furthermore, it is one of the major drivers of the modern market economy”.
In From Test Tube to Patient –National Innovation Strategies for the Biomedical Field, authors offer several recommendations to those public policy officials who want to create or improve their opportunities to establish a proper environment for the development of the biomedical sector. We can summarize the main ones:
1. To set up a quality research and development infraestructure, in terms of human capital, technology and facilities.
2. To promote R&D in the biomedical field and to favour basic research and technology transfer.
3. To protect Intellectual Property and provide a legal framework which do not constrain the work with hard regulatory procedures or public intervention.
4. To promote private investment in R&D on the biomedical field. Authors believe public support should not restrain entrepreneurs and researchers free initiative.
I could add another one: do not think about celebrating any Copenhagen Summit over the global development of the biomedical sector.
Categories: Healthcare · Political Economy
Tagged: biomedical, entrepreneurship, future_of_the_economy, Stockholm-network, think_tank
Death and Taxes, by Curious Spider in Flickr
Taxes! Taxes! Everybody hates them but they are as necessary as the air we breathe. However, it is hard to know taxation is growing all the time, beyond the good or bad economic environment. Modern Democracy is a thirsty monster who always asks for more money, more civil servants, more resources. Although we constantly create new public needs to solve public problems, the middle taxpayer feels things could be better. In fact, citizens believe public budget should be managed more efficiently. It is not an easy task as officials keeping the money depend on the increase of resources to survive. To play a political role is nowadays a professional career and no one wants to retire at 45. I would like, but I am not a politician. (more…)
Categories: General · Political Economy
Tagged: fiscal_neutrality, fiscal_policy, social_market_foundation, think_tank, United_Kingdom
Kropotkin according to SergeyRod
We can decide whether to maintain our old and no perfect market economy or looking for new paradigms. It is not an easy task as Masters of the Universe prefer to live in cyclical crisis which is very profitable for them. If economy shows a positive balance, they win. If economy is going down to the Hell, they win. On the contrary, ordinary people do not perform very well. They are being pushed to run in a bigger wheel of consumption and debt that is causing domestic bankruptcy for generations. And do not mention the rampant public debt. (more…)
Categories: Political Economy
Tagged: anarconomy, Copenhagen_institute_for_future_studies, financial_crisis, public_debt
The short term and populist politics our politicians are used to practise is delaying the end the global crisis. They are not the only factor of the solution, but their fear to face the real problems of the economic system is causing so much pain in our societies. At the moment, the only big action they have taken is to increase the public expenditure as it is an easy and popular policy. (more…)
Categories: Political Economy
Tagged: crisis, Heritage, Keynesianism, Public_deficit, public_sector, think_tank
Chain, a photograph by Shoothead (http://www.flickr.com/photos/leecullivan/)
I cannot explain better:
“The specter of protectionism is rising. It is always a dangerous and foolish policy, but it is especially dangerous at a time of economic crisis, when it threatens to damage the world economy. Protectionism’s peculiar premise is that national prosperity is increased when government grants monopoly power to domestic producers. As centuries of economic reasoning, historical experience, and empirical studies have repeatedly shown, that premise is dead wrong. Protectionism creates poverty, not prosperity. Protectionism doesn’t even “protect” domestic jobs or industries; it destroys them, by harming export industries and industries that rely on imports to make their goods. Raising the local prices of steel by “protecting” local steel companies just raises the cost of producing cars and the many other goods made with steel. Protectionism is a fool’s game”. (more…)
Categories: Political Economy
Tagged: atlas_foundation, economics, financial_crisis, freedom_to_trade, liberalism, think_tank, think_tanks-alliance
It is easy to propose solutions after crisis have come, but also it is necessary to think about if we want to avoid a new arrival of chaos. Mortgage lending has been one of the main factors of the financial nightmare and we need to improve the control over the issue, as many families make a enormous effort to be owners of a house. Here there one recommendation over the question. (more…)
Categories: Political Economy
Tagged: credit_crunch, housing, Institute_for_Public_policy_Research, mortgage_lending, Northern_Rock
It is always Africa. The forgotten continent. It could be an empty lost planet, like Mars, but there are millions and of persons fighting to survive in its beautifully sad lands. You can see the metaphor of Africa in a sequence of The Constant Gardener, when people run away through the desert as bandits come to rob and kill them. While white men could get on the plane, black people only have the choice of running faster than their captors. The support of the white man is only an illusion because if times go harder, like in the movie, there is no chance to save Africans. (more…)
Categories: International Relations · Political Economy
Tagged: Africa, Cato_Institute, corruption, free_trade, liberalism, public_debt, think_tank
