What Does Davos 2011 Have to Do with Universal Education Reform?

This video is almost as exciting and thought-provoking as watching Francine Lacqua host a debate on Davos 2011 live on Bloomberg. It made me feel like I am back in college: starring Niall Ferguson as the ever-annoying know-it-all who just won't shut up. He would argue everyone's ears off, wasting the entire class in useless dialogue with the unfortunate Economics professor desperately trying to teach theory to that particular group of sorry economist-wannabes. And sure enough, he wouldn't make many friends in the class.



The above video is just slightly less intriguing than Stanley Fischer's mischievous smile or Mehmet Şimşek, Turkey's Finance Minister, who was the only person I listened to with appreciation and respect.

When the RSA Animate video is added to this video, however...



both of them combined create such a powerful sensation of importance and immediacy that it'll be foolish to ignore them. While global, international economic forums will continue to spark debates (that is the whole point of a forum after all), a major TV network is yet to televise one such forum focused around the issue of a universal education reform.

Gold doesn't get out of style

Bernanke is out, Ron Paul is in.

Anyone will agree that during inflation, the price of gold remains a relatively stable measure of how bad the situation is for all the currencies and their respective countries out there. However, we are also painfully aware of what happened during and after 1) the Gold Rush and 2) the Gold Peg to name a few memorable historic moments.

Paul has the advantage of sounding like a lovable grandfather. Otherwise, no one would take him seriously as a financial adviser (or at least shouldn't).

Prohibit Fumar

On my last visit a couple of years back, Spain (or at least a part of it, namely Catalunya) made an impression for having the need to specify prohibition of use of illegal substances in public spaces. As a New Year's resolution, the country has joined several other European neighbors in the fight against smoking of tobacco in those same venues used by the public.

I won't dwell on the health benefits of reducing second hand smoke, however, I will reflect on the economic downside of the huge drop of bars' revenue as seen on CNN. 'Tis the season to be jolly as a popular folk song reminds us. There is no merriness inside Spanish bars this holiday season, however. Since the legislation has gone this far, one can only suspect that the next smoking ban would target el botellón. And then... all matadors will break loose!

Spain's amicable neighbor Italy, apparently among those already under the public smoking ban, has decided to take a slightly less controversial approach to the European trend of the January 1st prohibition. Instead of banning another vice such as increasing the legal drinking age from 16 as it is currently the case or a sin like taking God's name in vain (or blatantly calling God a pig or a dog), the current threat is aimed at the arch enemy of all Italians - the plastic bag. Those fashion paper bags must have a pretty strong union. All I can do is hope that they're all recyclable.