Foot(Glo)ballisation by World Cup

Foot(Glo)ballisation by World Cup The most relevant ad-hoc study on the current state and fate of our planet

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

If people were to tell their story to the inhabitants of other worlds in this universe, it would suffice to produce a chronicle of earthly discussions containing the keyword or hashtag #WorldCup. I believe we can safely leave out “football” from this label – the elliptical expression “World Cup” instantly directs our thoughts to the sport that will have grown into a religion defined by the “new testament” of Diego Maradona (1986) and his “second coming” in the form of Lionel Messi (2022). The secular religion of football is economic as well as political in nature; in other words, it is an instance of “scientifically” exploited “culture”. The Qatar edition is one of the clearest examples thus far of how the downright scientific marketing of a symbolic good (i.e., football) can contribute either insidiously or ostentatiously to the planetary management of cultural values (a potpourri of frigid conservatism and frivolous progressivism): a campaign worth some $300 billion meant to wash the image of some and the brains of others on the shores and hydrocarbon reserves of the Gulf. More

Global Initiatives and Supply Chains

Global Initiatives and Supply Chains

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The security of global supply chains is a topic that the global public is actively debating for the first time since the OPEC crisis of 1973.There have been incidents since then that have highlighted the vulnerabilities produced by this stage of globalization, but none with universal and widespread impact until the coronavirus pandemic, which was followed up by the war in Ukraine starting in February 2022 and the sanctions levied against Russia. Two contradictory phenomena occurred during the pandemic – on the one hand, border closures and measures to reserve domestic production of medical supplies and equipment produced supply crises. On the other side, when restrictions were eased, global transportation thawed and the economy recovered, several nations experienced a crisis in both domestic and global logistical capacity (the USA and the UK being the best-known cases). Notable recent examples from 2020-2022 include: the oil tanker crisis waiting off the US coast due to a lack of oil storage capacity in the context of declining demand (leading to negative oil prices in futures markets); the international freight transport capacity crisis; the semiconductor crisis, which forced production cuts in the automotive industry, including in Romania; the raw materials crisis for the pharmaceutical industry, felt for example in India; the plastics production crisis; domestic fuel and freight supply crises in countries such as the UK; US problems in unloading container ships and ensuring multimodal transport, etc. There are several causes for these events, including government restrictions, consumer elasticity, the influence of economic uncertainty on business decisions to cut back on transportation fleets (especially road freight), the pandemic’s effects on employee health, and more. They all have one thing in common: the pandemic’s role as a persistent source of uncertainty and a force disrupting international and domestic economic connections.  More

Breaking the Long Truce

Breaking the Long Truce

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element of democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the ruling power of our country.[1] – Edward Bernays, 1928Ressentiment is directed at something which at the deepest level of his being the individual recognizes as good. Although there may be evil mixed with it (as in the sinful preacher), it is not the evil which is hated primarily but the good. Dwelling on the evil is ressentiment’s ploy for attacking the good.[2] – James Hitchcock, c. 1983  More

Inflation Is Back: What Is to Be Done?

Inflation Is Back: What Is to Be Done?

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The pressing matter of inflation is once again on the minds of the citizens and the National Bank of Romania (NBR), whose goal is to preserve and maintain price stability. Over the previous year, inflation has dramatically risen. It continues to include a significant external component, amplified by the economic consequences of the war between Russia and Ukraine, most notably the sharp increases in the price of energy and raw materials. Over the last couple of months, inflation has intensified and spread, leading to it eventually being internalised. As a consequence, the normalisation of monetary policy is necessary. More

The 17th International Conference on Business Excellence

The 17th International Conference on Business Excellence Rethinking business: Sustainable leadership in a VUCA world (23-25 March 2023, Bucharest, Romania)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Business excellence is about achieving superior business results in relation to the competitors by means of developing and strengthening the management systems and processes of an organization; it is targeted at improving performance and delivering value for all the stakeholders, in a three-dimensional space characterized by uncertainty, complexity and dynamism.The first goal of this international conference is to reunite specialists from the triple-helix fields: university and research, consultancy and business, and policy making pursuant to optimizing the business added value by providing a stimulating environment for knowledge and knowhow business excellence transfers and alliance formation. More

My Brentry after Their Brexit

My Brentry after Their Brexit Upon revisiting the UK, I’ve found it just as I’d left it: as if the EU had never existed

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Could Britain be immutable as well as irreplaceable? This is a question worth pondering, given several of Britain’s attributes: its greatness as an island with tendrils reaching across the entire planet, even if it is limited today to a mere geo-cultural-symbolic rite as its geo-politico-economic clout has somewhat waned; its unity, if only among its own constituents, insofar as in Europe it hasn’t been particularly long-lived due to an overly Brussels-based rigid and (op)pressing bureaucracy; its kingship, even if henceforth God must Save the King after having watchfully protected Queen Elisabeth II throughout her 96 years of life, 70 of which spent as a reigning monarch. To a Euro-citizen recently returned to the United Kingdom after the Brexit, having to hand over the passport instead of the more familiar ID card at the border control represents the most immediately apparent change of tone. Looking strictly at the ambience, just as entering the (predecessor of the) European Union didn’t perturb the daily affairs of the Brits, neither did Britain’s divorce from the EU generate any depression. Yet, one cannot always perceive the subtleties beneath people’s (changes of) mind and (pre)judgments, even if these people are His Majesty’s subjects, yet also subject to error. More

Italy’s New Populist Government, in Context

Italy’s New Populist Government, in Context

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Contrary to many pundits, many of them hysterics with crypto-fascist hallucinations, I do not believe the victory of Giorgia Meloni has a meaningful significance at the European level. There were many voices anticipating an advance of populist political movements in the context of economic difficulties and the energy crisis. The same voices are certainly right in a way – voters tend to lean towards anti-system, radical or just populist parties when they are not satisfied with the existing situation and pessimistic about the future. However, the mania of the European mainstream for populist prediction is an artifact of the media cycle, since any event must be exploited to the maximum for sensationalism and to introduce an anxious sense of vertigo in the public, to maximize clicks and views. More

Cold War Ballet Battles

Cold War Ballet Battles The Arts of Diplomacy [VI]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

From 1959 through 1962, a series of ballet exchanges between the United States and the Soviet Union led to mutual admiration for the arts as well as some miscommunication. Both the public and the dance critics from the US and USSR (both being highly distrustful of each other’s actions) were undecided if what they were seeing deserved a series of standing ovations and curtain calls, or maybe no reaction at all.The early years of the Cold War brought with them a new diplomatic tool that appeared to be harmless, simply a means of educating and introducing people on the subject of ballet – this theatrical, gentle and graceful art form. Little did the public know that the use of these cultural exchanges was to undermine the enemy and spread propaganda and ideas meant to influence their views and make them question what they believed: the Americans were supposed to switch from seeing Russians as uncultured, rigid and shut out from the world, while the Russians were supposed to gain further confirmation that their lifestyle was the norm and that the western world is not one they would like to live in.  More

The Woodstock Days of Peace and Music

The Woodstock Days of Peace and Music The Arts of Diplomacy [V]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The 60s and 70s in the United States of America were eras whose counter-cultures were defined by war, racial tensions, and a population of youth defying their government. Held in Bethel, New York, from August 15 to 18, 1969, The Woodstock Festival was a cultural playground of drugs and rock’n’roll that symbolized America’s political and social climate.Like many prestigious music events, Woodstock is a one-off. Yet the impact of the 1969 festival has been felt for decades, changing the live music industry and inspiring millions of people, many of whom weren’t even born then. Woodstock was preceded by the 1967 Summer of Love, the Monterey International Pop Festival and the Atlantic City Pop Festival. But it would overshadow them all. Why? Woodstock was the culmination of a decade of turmoil, marking the awakening of American youth. The 1960s were marked by the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War controversy, riots at the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention and several high-profile assassination attempts. The second half of the decade in particular was marked by a value war and a surge of anti-establishment sentiment among the country’s young citizens. Woodstock showed that the counterculture was alive and thriving, and that its members were more conscious than ever. More

“Comfort Woman” and an Uncomfortable History

“Comfort Woman” and an Uncomfortable History The Arts of Diplomacy [IV]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

More than 200,000 girls and women from Korea and other parts of Asia were kidnapped from their homes, trafficked, and held captive at front-line brothels by the Japanese army during World War II. These women and girls were given the euphemistic name “comfort women”. They were sexual slaves who endured rape, cruelty, and inhumane living conditions.Only after Kim Hak-sun, a comfort woman victim, gave her first-ever testimony about her ordeal as a Korean comfort woman in 1991 did these crimes receive widespread notice. Due to this testimony, the topic gained international attention. More

On Sustainability Today

On Sustainability Today Economy Near Us (LIX)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The current period characterised at global level by the action of economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal and technological crises is leading to the transformation of production and consumption systems, making it necessary to accept for a moment some compromises in the distribution of natural and human wealth in order to eliminate the economic and social inequalities that have appeared in our societies. The unequal distribution of prosperity is a factor that is currently generating growing political and social tensions. More

A Drive with the Devil

A Drive with the Devil Ford’s affair with Nazi Germany (War creatures, great and small [III])

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

World War 2… When you think of it, you think of all the pain and destruction that it has caused from 1939 until 1945. Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, Soviet Russia and the United States have been some of the most important participants in this worldwide conflict, but sometimes we need to look way beyond the battlefields and the bunkers in order to see how some of the biggest companies of the world have also fueled the war. One of the firms that drove the conflict forward was actually the famous Ford Motor Company.  More

Is Neutrality the Answer?

Is Neutrality the Answer? Switzerland’s economy in the aftermath of the World Wars (War creatures, great and small [II])

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Ever since before the establishment of the first settlements, people engaged in wars for various reasons, at first for survival and territorial expansion and then out of economic, political, religious and ideological reasons. When talking about war, one would automatically think of its destructive repercussions in terms of the human, cultural and economic losses suffered by the belligerent states and less to their supposed gains. Thus, in the light of the negative consequences brought by armed conflicts over the course of history, it is only natural that some countries decide to avoid war, step aside and choose neutrality.  More

The Fashion of War

The Fashion of War The mark bellicosity put on clothing
(War creatures, great and small [I])

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The wars that our parents and grandparents fought and died for in the last century drastically changed the people’s minds and views in regards to many aspects, from creating special rules for the conduct of war to reaching goals through peaceful means rather than through the barrel of a gun. War not only affected the economies of the world, but also the wardrobe of the people, changing the clothing industry in a blink of an eye, causing uproars that led to the modern fashion of clothing.  More

R&D Expenditure of Major Economic Actors. Romania, Last Place in the EU

R&D Expenditure of Major Economic Actors. Romania, Last Place in the EU

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In 2021, the EU spent €328 billion on research & development (R&D), up by 6% compared with the previous year (€310 billion). Compared with 2011, there was a 43.9% increase. These rates of change are in current prices, meaning they reflect both price changes and real changes in the level of expenditure.  More

What Cost Disinflation?

What Cost Disinflation?

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The debate over the causes of the 2021 worldwide surge in inflation has been superseded by events without having furnished a consensual conclusion. Many economists and policymakers still hold that the key determinants are supply-side distortions, shortages generated by the pandemic lockdowns, which were accentuated by Russia’s war against Ukraine, particularly in energy markets. Others insist that it is essentially a demand-side phenomenon, generated by a miscalculation in monetary policy: prolonged expansionary credit policies, put in place in the decade following the Great Recession, were too keenly extended and in many cases supplemented by generous fiscal stimulus measures with the onset of the pandemic, leading to increased money balances chasing too few goods once vaccination against the virus – which can be viewed as a positive demand shock – was available and quarantine measures were gradually lifted, while the war in Ukraine played only a secondary role, primarily through hoarding, congestion and panic in oil and gas markets often dependent on sanctions-hit Russian infrastructure and supply.  More

The Dark Side of Black Friday: Expensive Cheapness

The Dark Side of Black Friday: Expensive Cheapness MIND(s that filled) THE GAP(s) [XIX]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Black Friday has become a well-known commercial event, but how many of us know what it means? Is it a boon to our pockets or is it really just a way for the big retailers to sell their products?People believe that Black Friday is named after the concept that businesses operate at a loss until the day after Thanksgiving, when massive sales help them make a profit. Although, this does not apply. More

Robotize This! The (Im)Personal Care Industry

Robotize This! The (Im)Personal Care Industry MIND(s that filled) THE GAP(s) [XVIII]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In recent years, there has been more and more talk about digitalization and the use of robots in redundant activities, and the discussions also touch on people’s fear of being replaced by robots. Specialists appreciate, however, that robots do not come to replace humans, but to bring value to a company. At the same time, there is a greater openness on the part of decision-makers on the integration of the digital technologies in the activities of companies. Robots can bring a certain degree of satisfaction even to employees, since they no longer have to do certain repetitive tasks and have more time to learn something new, develop in another direction or simply focus on their basic work. More

Alibaba and the Opened Treasure of Online Trading

Alibaba and the Opened Treasure of Online Trading Jack Ma’s brief (business) life story, the reformer that few believed in – MIND(s that filled) THE GAP(s) [XVII]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Ali Baba is an Arabian folktale hero, conjured up by Scheherazade in one of her 1001 tales, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”. But how do you get from this fairy tale character to naming a company after him? Perhaps it has something to do with an entrepreneur’s knack for knowing how to say “Open, Sesame!” when it comes to discovering a company’s hidden treasures and “Close, Sesame!” to keep them safe. By the way, staying out of sight is Jack Ma’s current ruling concern. The Chinese capitalist-entrepreneur has been living in Tokyo for the past six months, after communist authorities in Beijing tightened their grip on what was becoming a much too liberal domestic high-tech sector.  More

The Value of Agricultural Output in Romania, Up by 25% in 2021

The Value of Agricultural Output in Romania, Up by 25% in 2021

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The value of agricultural output in Romania increased by 25% in 2021, according to the economic accounts for agriculture (EAA) for 2021 published by Eurostat. The sharpest rate of increase was recorded in Bulgaria (+37%) and the third best performance belonged to Czechia (+16%). By contrast, the values of agricultural output in Finland, Malta and Cyprus remained broadly unchanged in 2021 from their respective levels in 2020, and decreased in Denmark (-2%) and Slovenia (-4%).  More

The Future of the Outer Space Economy: Powerful States and Visionary Entrepreneurs in the Exoeconomic Paradigm

The Future of the Outer Space Economy: Powerful States and Visionary Entrepreneurs in the Exoeconomic Paradigm Call for articles

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The analysis of the economic integration of the off-planet space in the sphere of human activities is an arduous and complex process, a crucial, even vital one. The exploitation of the outer space has become a decisive component of the technologically advanced economies, offering capabilities that result from applications linked to critical goods and services with millions of users and billions of beneficiaries. More

Evergrande – a Test of China

Evergrande – a Test of China

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

For several months, the financial world has been watching with concern the evolution of Evergrande Group in China, whose financial problems have conjured up the specter of an economic contagion that can destabilize not only China's opaque financial system but also that of a world in which China has assumed a central role of the economic engine. China's biggest real estate company is, in some ways, emblematic of its explosive business model in the world's most dynamic economy. The company has more than 770 projects in 200 Chinese cities and has nearly two million apartments to deliver to buyers who, in some cases, have pre-paid the delivery price in the overheated real estate market of this country. The non-delivery of these units could generate social disturbances and affect the trust of the population in the economic governance of the country provided by the Communist Party, whose "Chinese dream" and "national regeneration" have an important economic component based on ensuring the prosperity of the common Chinese. After a series of delays in due bond payments, Evergrande found last-minute resources to make some payments and resume construction, sparking theories of government involvement. At the same time, even policies of the government precipitated this crisis against the background of the attempt to restore financial order in an economy characterized by speculative bubbles, primarily in real estate.  More

Sovereignty, Security, Prosperity, and the Future of the Eurasia Project

Sovereignty, Security, Prosperity, and the Future of the Eurasia Project

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

It is time to think big, far beyond China’s Belt and Road. From the Arctic Circle bordered by the Nordic nations in Europe to the steppes of Central Asia, the peoples that live and work across the breadth of the world’s oldest trade routes have an opportunity to secure their own future, dictated not by the whims of great powers, but by a common bond, seeking shared prosperity, security derived from stability and peace, and respect for national sovereignty. More

Three Seas Initiative: New Direction Foreign Policy Council

Three Seas Initiative: New Direction Foreign Policy Council Dubrovnik, Croatia, 14 October 2022

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Since its founding in 2015, the Three Seas Initiative has grown in importance in the region, uniting the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and becoming the primary forum for discussion of investment opportunities and energy security. However, in the last few years it equally begun to represent the collective interests of nations that have most strongly voiced their objection to Russia’s expansionist foreign policy. The Three Seas Initiative now represents a golden opportunity to boost the economies of the region, and defend the interests of its members on the world stage. More

The Digital Economy – Generating Opportunities or Vulnerabilities?

The Digital Economy – Generating Opportunities or Vulnerabilities? Economy Near Us (LVIII)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

I have argued several times (including in papers published in TMFI) that technological progress can be approached as an opportunity, since, through education and the training of new skills on the labour market, it creates circumstances conducive to the growth of the country and the development of the inclusive nature of the labour market. Digital technology plays a key role in transforming the economy, but also society. On the one hand, impending changes (both emerging and planned) can be very promising; on the other hand, the influence of technologies on production, consumption and employment patterns can provide major challenges that require understanding and managing change from the level of the individual to that of the government. More

Romania: The Highest Shares of Children in Poverty or Social Exclusion in the EU

Romania: The Highest Shares of Children in Poverty or Social Exclusion in the EU

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Among the EU Member States in 2021, the highest shares of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Romania, according to Eurostat data. The percentage of 41.5% was well above those for Spain (33.4%) and Bulgaria (33.0%). On the other hand, the lowest shares were reported in Slovenia (11.0%), Finland (13.2%) and Czech Republic (13.3%).  More

Some Reflections on My Experience of Romania

Some Reflections on My Experience of Romania

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

My first direct contact with Romania took place in July 1965. It was choreographed in such a manner that opportunities to meet members of the public were limited. An inescapable feature of life in Romania under the Communist regime was the ubiquity of the Securitate or the security police, known officially for much of the period as the Department of State Security of the Ministry of the Interior. I realised as much from this visit and that realisation was reinforced during my subsequent experience of the country. My professional and personal involvement with Romania encompassed the entire duration of Ceausescu’s rule, from 1965 until 1989, and it was inevitable that this familiarity and my friendship with historians and writers should attract the Securitate’s attention, as confirmed by my consultation in 2007 of my Securitate file.  More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. ∞): The Industrial Revolutionizing of the Social Contract: 4.0 Generation Updates

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. ∞): The Industrial Revolutionizing of the Social Contract: 4.0 Generation Updates Read more on that in the VISIO JOURNAL latest issue

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The “egg-and-chicken” problem when, for instance, reasoning on and ruminating about the history-long and worldwide plethora of technological shifts/rifts/drifts and social/political/economic realities is secondary to a principal obviousness: these two dimensions of the human(e) existence are involved in a co-evolutionary relationship, implying mutual and bi-directional causes and effects. Hence, defining (or decreeing) the “technological” as the independent variable and the “socio-” as the dependent one, or maybe vice versa, solely provides the scholar with insights onto limited segments from what it is, yet, a continuum; but, for the scientist, understanding each and every modest and simple link gets him/her closer to the underpinnings of the mega-complex chains of events. Studying Industrial Revolutions’ (IR) imprint on the functioning of polities is such a link, a compound of the chain of capturing the practical means which get us closer to our principled ends. More

The Restless Desire of Power for Power

The Restless Desire of Power for Power

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Today, the regulatory operations of central governments impinge upon virtually all areas of life, leading to widespread efforts by interest groups to have their vision of the good life implemented through law and regulatory oversight. Much of the resulting fiscal, educational, and social intervention is largely invisible to the electorate. Nevertheless, what Thomas Hobbes called “the restless desire of power for power” has set into motion an insatiable empire of debt and dependency, redistribution and retribution, while it divides and rules. More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 12): The Truth per Thaler Spent (or the Return on Insightfulness)

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 12): The Truth per Thaler Spent (or the Return on Insightfulness) The Economics of Science

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

That Economics is a science is a statement against which it is difficult to argue. Be that as it may, enquiring “what kind of science it is” (exact or social science) should be taken as a pertinent question in its own right. Economists, both those that have already made a name for themselves and those that are still learning the ropes needed to master the theoretical or applied approaches, are the ones expected to have addressed, in foro interno, such dilemmas. Notably, the profession is far from reaching a consensus among its members in such regard. However, investigating what sets economics apart that it finds itself in the position to judge the other sciences, actually, Science, is a track of inquiry that is rarely taken, let alone trod, yet one that could prove surprising if we consider all that it may reveal. The type of judgement we are alluding to refers to one’s capacity of logical reasoning, not that of bringing to a court of justice, i.e., of identifying culprits and casualties. Economic analysis is a way of judging/reasoning about things. More

The Hunger Games: Weaponizing Food

The Hunger Games: Weaponizing Food

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Since the beginning of time, food has been used as a weapon of war. Enemies have tried to starve each other to death. The Romans did it, and so did the Germans, the Americans, and Britain weaponized food against India and the Central Powers. Food has always been used as a weapon of choice in almost every conflict or war.An ugly contradiction is playing out in war-torn Ukraine, as thousands of Ukrainians are starving in cities besieged by Russian forces, even though Ukraine is a key supplier in the global food supply chain, responsible for significant food commodity export. More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 11): Across (Twelve) Land(s) and (Three) Sea(s)

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 11): Across (Twelve) Land(s) and (Three) Sea(s) 3SI. And a déjà-vu

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Phoboskerdos and doxa: fear, egotism and glory. These are the inner forces of human nature, according to Thucydides, the “grandfather” of political realism, if we are to concede paternity in modern times to H. Morgenthau. These forces animate (or do they animalize?) this world since the world began. Realists, as weighers and counters of power both between individuals and nations, look towards and “chart” this world through “balances of power”. They poke fun at idealists, who naively seek concord among men and states through institutionalized bargains and norms (pace Kant and W. Wilson), by claiming that institutions, otherwise upheld as triumphs of reason, are nothing more than secondary products of a primary balance of power. Physical nature is the stage for human nature’s growls and pantomimes: it does not determine, nor dictate, but amplifies or blots human impulses and inferences. Geographies may not hold complete explanations, but they do present complications, as Eastern Europe has learned to its sorrow. More

Material Consumption, a Key Problem for Sustainable Development in Romania

Material Consumption, a Key Problem for Sustainable Development in Romania

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Romania is on the podium in the top 3 in terms of domestic material consumption between EU Member States and holds the first position in the category of non-metallic materials, which includes household garbage. The data were presented by Eurostat for the year 2021 and are calculated in tonnes per person, by resource category, which also includes biomass, metal ores and fossil-based materials.  More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 10): Samuel F.B. Morse, the Janusian Creator

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 10): Samuel F.B. Morse, the Janusian Creator America’s Da Vinci (de)code(d)?

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

“What hath God wrought?”, the Biblical wonder in the face of divine creation, was spelled out by a creative man of science and of art, a man of faith, as well as of feud. Samuel F.B. Morse by his name, the founding father, in the electro-magnetic “field” of the Industrial Revolution, of the present-day USD 6 trillion global information and communications technology sector (ICT), aired these words, in the code bearing his name, in the first telegraph transmission on May 24, 1844. What at that time linked Baltimore to Washington, now connects an entire planet in a variety of ways, of which the Metaverse is the latest mutation. And whilst for many the Metaverse was a concept formerly confined to Sci-Fi which is now coming true, resembling some sort of “second life”, few know that the invention of the telegraph occurred during Morse’s… second life. Yet, it is not the kind of parallel existence that Meta is offering us, but a life that was the second in a chronological series of two lives, of which fine arts occupied the first 46 of his 81 years on Earth. In 1837, Morse surrendered, deeply disappointed, from the artistic front, only to enter immediately the “tech” battlefield. More

Give Us, God, Our Daily Experts (Part II)

Give Us, God, Our Daily Experts (Part II) Economy Near Us (LVII)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

I continue now with the other remaining two classes of incompetency (or, equally, of incompetents), which give themselves the high title of expert. In other places and moments, I have spoken about the conceptual distinction between the politician (expert of purpose) and the expert (politician of means). Therefore, I wait for an expert to pronounce his/her opinion about the means (ways, strategies, programs, and so on) able to objectify purposes that, themselves, are proposed by politicians. Unfortunately, (too) many politicians talk about means, as well as (too) many experts talk about purposes. Although, of course, it doesn’t exist such a categorical separation between politicians from experts – so there is not a net line between the two categories –, thus, it is a good thing that everyone be careful to talk about its „reserved” field.  More

From Apollo to Artemis and Beyond

From Apollo to Artemis and Beyond

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

I consider human curiosity and quest for knowledge to be the main element that propels space exploration. We want to know what lies beyond the limits of our planet, beyond the limits of our solar system, beyond the limits of our galaxy, and to discover the mysteries of the Universe. We want to discover worlds similar to ours, and to understand where we come from and where we are going to, what cosmic events and what dangers await us in the near, distant and very distant future. Where can we start, besides just the observation of the sky? From the closest celestial bodies to our Earth, and the closest one is the Moon.  More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 9): The Green New Deals Tango

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 9): The Green New Deals Tango The European and American eco face-lifts. And a point on the circular economy’s ruggedness

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

It is currently common sense (regardless of the amount of actual sense) to proselytize the teachings of “climate-changes-caused-by-man-and-to-be-reversed-also-by-man”. Before long, “Dubito” will be summarily excised from René Descartes’ famous witticism, which will suddenly become more laconic (as well as lacking in meaning, apparently) and will go like this: “I think (that something might exist), therefore it exists”! Then, we may get down to business: taxes, subsidies and regulations. Thus, we have the cocktail, the cool panacea brewed by the “majores terrae” (the planet’s greatest, in literal translation), served to a world stuck in the heat of the developments following the First Industrial Revolution. In the name of progress, we need to help temperatures regress back to pre-industrial levels, and we need to do so by “decarbonizing the green economy” and by socially just taxes.  More

The Theory of Inflation Expectations on Trial

The Theory of Inflation Expectations on Trial

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The concept of expectations has, arguably, been the crown jewel of contemporary macroeconomics. In itself, it represents roughly half of all so-called “micro-foundations” innovations that distinguishes modern macroeconomics from its Keynesian origins. Incorporated into economic modelling beginning with the 1970s, it is the theory of expectations more than anything else that basically lays the foundation for modern-day central bank policy which – until a decade or so ago – seemed to have finally mastered the ups and downs of the economy. Inflation targeting, policy guidance, transparency, commitment, credibility, time consistency and so on are just another way of saying the successful central banks manage the economy by managing expectations. Thoughts are future actions and words can shape reality before it even comes into being, altering 19th century style classical causality – this is in a nutshell the Sci-Fi appeal and semiotic charm of a concept that undergirds current economic theory! Recent economic events has put the theory of expectations to the test like never before, but the outcomes are far from satisfactory. More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 8): Profit to the People!

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 8): Profit to the People! However, spelling CSR with “C” from compassion, not compulsion

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

“Profit to the People!”. But not by taking from (i.e., taxing) Peter in order to give to (i.e., to spend on) Paul (or putting it more bluntly, “robbing Peter to pay Paul”), but by letting Peter being Paul’s partner, employer or employee, supplier or customer and, if there is no other way out, benevolent benefactor in times of hardship. The American economics-&-business way of thinking mirrors the second part of the phrase. Except for the periods when the Democrats take over the power from the Republicans at the White House and/or the Capitol. At the National Museum of American History, there is an 8,000-square-foot space covering the role of business and innovation in building America as we know it today in the last 300 years. Called “American Enterprise”, it hosts, besides exhibits amongst the most prominent practical offshoots of the US-borne ingenuity and inventiveness, some billboards covered with condensed tribulations reflecting the competing narratives grouped under the heading “Debating Enterprise”. This reminded me of an article published two years ago, entitled “«Mens Sana in Sound Corporations»: A Principled Reconciliation between Profitability and Responsibility, with a Focus on Environmental Issues” (authors: Octavian-Dragomir Jora, Matei-Alexandru Apăvăloaei, Vlad I. Roșca, and Mihaela Iacob), where we argued that corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the creation and running of for-profit organizations are not two distinct objectives that are at odds with one another, but complementary, even co-generative ones. Briefly put (for the detailed expose see the article here), we found (at least) three lines of defense in the attempt to rediscover (not to “re-invent”!) the common-sense (“wheel”) that moves forward a basic truth: “the generous have to be let to generate (wealth)”.  More

The Geopolitical Game of Thrones and Europe’s Energy Crisis

The Geopolitical Game of Thrones and Europe’s Energy Crisis

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Ever since the Russia-Ukraine conflict started, it has evolved into an economic war between Russia, on the one side, and the European Union and the United States, on the other. While the US and the EU imposed heavy sanctions to cripple the Russian economy due to its actions in Ukraine, President Putin has played the geopolitical “Game of Thrones” so well that now Europe is facing an economic crisis. The EU annual inflation rate for energy has touched a record high of 42%, food inflation has increased to 9.8% – the highest in 20 years –, and now the GDP growth rate is slowing down, with Russia being blamed for this. At the same time, rising inflation is ending an era of negative real interest rates and increasing the risk of a fracturing Eurozone economy. More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 7): The Noble (and Nobel-Winning) Losing Fight Against Poverty

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 7): The Noble (and Nobel-Winning) Losing Fight Against Poverty We are still rich in poor judgments

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In the essay The Soul of Man Under Socialism, Oscar Wilde puts forth a mindboggling argument for socialism. The poet thereby finds poor people uncomely, so he’d want someone (or something) to redeem them from the desolation of this “picture”. The Wildean argument for socialism turns explicitly aesthetic in its essence: the artist within him wishes for a social order where the problem of aesthetic deficiency is central(ized). If the “aesthetically challenged” were eradicated and the “aesthetically gifted” were privileged, everything would be great. And there was no shortage of intellectuals who chose the comfort of complicity with the “cultural militia”. Nevertheless, both a priori and a posteriori, socialism, egalitarianism or, in other words, hyper-statism is a triple monstrosity: economically, ethically and, yes, aesthetically too. To wit: the social realism in “art”, the depersonalizing ethics of “the commune” and “the economics of penury” – the three heads of a hideous hydra. More

Protecting Fiscal and Constitutional Integrity

Protecting Fiscal and Constitutional Integrity

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Liberty thrives under rule of law when it applies equally to all. What Francis Lieber called institutional liberty hinges on a willingness of the public and their leaders to recognize and uphold constitutional limitations on the state. Civil liberty and self-government suffer when the law is misused as an ideological instrument to remold society. Given the relative ease with which institutions are captured and diverted from their original purposes, political courage is required to resist, oppose, and reverse any acquired needs or rights which might result. Two 19C American exemplars of principled resistance to plunder are President Grover Cleveland and Justice Stephen Field.  More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 6): The Gam(bl)er (Former and Future?) POTUS

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 6): The Gam(bl)er (Former and Future?) POTUS Trump, beyond the Mar-a-Lago “nuclear”/“unclear” foray

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

As a student, I used to sleep at night, as my days were fulfilling and filled with my studies and the like. My nights as a student in the dorm room were (for the most part) buzzing with an “audio-video” ecosystem. I contributed to the “video” aspect with a blindingly bright lamp that glowed with the power of the noon Sun itself, which watched over me as I dozed off to sleep under the sway of a book or gazette. The “audio” side was supported by my nocturnal roommates, masters/slaves (?) of games – video games, to be more precise. The poorly silenced background noise that occasionally startled me in the dead of night was woven of dialogues, spoken ritualistically and rhythmically with the melodic cadence of a talking lathe. Yet, it was not my companions that spoke. It was the “conversation” between the interfaces of the video games and the players viewing them on the screens, its phraseology both mechanistic and minimalistic. Into that blurry state between wakefulness and sleep, between reality and dreams, the environment would pour into my ears either the robotic “communiqués” of the proto-AIs in Age of Empires and Warcraft (strategy rodeos) or the commando-esque “communication” from Counter-Strike and Half-Life (adrenaline simulators), only rarely interrupted by rounds of human speech, except for when multiplayer sessions were in order. More

Give Us, God, Our Daily Experts (Part I)

Give Us, God, Our Daily Experts (Part I) Economy Near Us (LVI)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

On the concept of expert, as semantically opposed to the concept of the politician, I had spoken many times before, including, if I remember well, under this heading too. More exactly, in principle, the politician is an expert of purposes, while the expert is a politician of means. Beyond the paronomasia involved, I want to say that the politician should be required to establish the purposes by ignoring the necessary means for their achieving, while the expert should be required to establish the means (most) appropriate for a given purpose. One consequence of such a Manicheism is the following: it is recommended to avoid the appointment of a (genuine) expert as a minister, for example, and, symmetrically, to avoid the appointment of a politician as an expert. Of course, the social practice usually ignores such a “normative” conclusion. However, essentially, this time, I do not want to take over this important distinction, but I would talk about the army of experts (some of which being genuine and some impostors), generally giving consultations through the TV screen on any issue you could imagine.  More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 5): The Antinomies of the Universe

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 5): The Antinomies of the Universe Humaneness’s case

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Philosophers, scientists, theologians, all appear to live with a somehow implicit and inbuilt mindset that the physical/metaphysical Universe is, despite its obvious oneness, a binary being. More

Voices from the Goulash Archipelago

Voices from the Goulash Archipelago Thoughts on the Orbán speech

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has made his yearly pilgrimages to Băile Tușnad (Tusnádfürdő in Hungarian) in Romania into opportunities for oracular speeches on the fate of the Hungarian nation and for the West. This is part of his successful attempt to portray himself to the electorate back home and in the Hungarian near abroad, but also for partners in the West and the East, as a visionary statesman addressing civilizational and national decline rather than just another opportunistic politician seeing a line he could cynically use. His forays into ideological dialogue with American and European political forces (through appearances by him and his allies in CPAC in the US and the recent National Conservatism Conference in Brussels) have made him a persona non grata to the European liberal set, but also raised his and his country’s stature in the minds of disaffected Westerners. His recent speech in Băile Tușnad / Tusnádfürdő was erudite and wide ranging, and inspired significant outcry in Europe and, partly, in the US, through his use of racial language in describing Western decline and his hopes for Hungarian continuity and flourishing. Everybody and his mother are either praising or attacking Orbán for this speech and I thought I would briefly throw my hat into the ring, not necessarily for commenting his speech but rather the metapolitical context in which it was made.  More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 4): The Smithsonian Republic of Knowledge

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 4): The Smithsonian Republic of Knowledge An old world in the New World

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Patronage is living proof that exceptional public goods can be produced, at least in part, privately. And this goes against the emphatical treatises on economics that theorize and preach the contrary. And when the theory seems far too dry for a journalistic incursion, history comes with (un)sweet(ened) evidence. In the summer of 1829, a certain James Smithson had bitten the dust in Italy, the one from whose glorious gens, that of ancient Rome, Gaius Maecenas descended, diplomat and advisor to the emperor Octavian Augustus and documented as, indeed, the first “patron of the arts”. Smithson, a respected British chemist and mineralogist (after whom zinc carbonate was dubbed Smithsonite), an early member of the Royal Society of London (only a year after graduating from college), had left behind him a will with a strange stipulation: should his only grandson die without issue, his fortune would go the way of the United States of America “to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge”. Okay, but what’s the catch? Smithson had never set foot in America!  More

Today We Are Paying the Bill for Rapid Economic Growth

Today We Are Paying the Bill for Rapid Economic Growth

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Rapid economic growth brings a lot of good things. If it also improves people's quality of life then we can talk solely about the benefits themselves. Except that something makes a difference. This rapid prosperity has to be paid for, sometimes long after the fact.Today we are faced with a confluence of many adverse phenomena and events. The Covid-19 Pandemic and the war in Ukraine accelerated the crisis and in fact already in some countries recession and caused a multi-level spiral of consequences. Added to all this is the global climate crisis.  More

Political Uncertainty and Inflation

Political Uncertainty and Inflation

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Recent political events in Romania (the removal of some ministers, the dissolution of the ruling coalition, the dismissal of the government by a motion of no confidence etc.) created a great deal of uncertainty regarding fiscal, monetary and legislative policy. The measures promised or claimed by politicians in response to the powerful impact of the energy crisis on the Romanian economy and society, which have already been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, increase this uncertainty. In particular, uncertainty concerns the nature, magnitude, and timing of financial support measures for the population and businesses, the monetary policy measures projected by the National Bank for the inflation slowdown, absorption of EU funds, sustainability of public debt etc. Many public voices, from journalists to analysts of credit rating agencies and international financial institutions, warned that this uncertainty about the conduct of economic policy is affecting the behavior of businesses and the population in terms of production and consumption expenditure, investments, new jobs creation etc. More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 3): The Price of Pricing the Priceless

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 3): The Price of Pricing the Priceless Beauty is also in the eye of the money-holder

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The intensifying dialogue among social sciences is one of the most insightful contemporary academic advancements. Promising gains stem from interdisciplinarity, by connecting themes and concepts from a variety of fields, engaging them as parts of a Wertfrei system (of scientific nature), as well as a Weltanschauung (of cultural nature), rather than stockpiling merely discrete ingredients. For instance, the bonds between cultural studies and economic sciences – perennial, as they exist “materially” married, yet peripheral, as they seem “spiritually” divorced – may be revisited and reviewed against the intertwined backgrounds of: ideological mindset (e.g., liberalism, statism), technological mastership (e.g., industry “4.0”) and ecological momentum (e.g., climate, recycling). It is in the midst of the cogitations on the future of “humanity” (both the species and its spirit) – given chronic/acute ideological clashes, given technological shifts in leisure habits and in labor markets, also recasting micro-/meso-/macro-/mondo- business structures/relations, and given ecological encumbrances, under- or over-valued – that I’m roaming some of the finest American museums and libraries.  More

The Three Seas Initiative – Much Ado about Something

The Three Seas Initiative – Much Ado about Something A useful initiative hobbled by structural issues

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In pre-war Poland, Marshal Józef Piłsudski developed a grand strategy titled Prometheanism, which meant to weaken the Russian Empire and its successor state, the Soviet Union, by encouraging national independence movements. The movement eventually incorporated a related initiative, that of the Intermarium, a system of alliances, which some had hoped would become a future Federation, linking the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, as a united front against the advance of the Soviet juggernaut. It failed, but the concept held lingering appeal and was resurrected time and time again as a geopolitical solution to perennial Eastern European insecurity in relation to Russia in its various incarnations.  More

When Art Is Becoming Digital, Should Everyone Get a Piece?

When Art Is Becoming Digital, Should Everyone Get a Piece?

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Contrary to other types of commodities that went through a process of digitalization before becoming more accessible to the general public, the art world is not getting there yet. Until now, the digitalization of art seems to enhance the hyper competitiveness that exist in the secondary markets for art, crafts, and all kinds of cultural goods, making it relatively difficult to invest.  More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 2): “Enlightenment” and “Environment”

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 2): “Enlightenment” and “Environment” Europe vs. Edison

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C. are, par excellence, propitious places for memory. Universal, and also personal. Walking through the National Museum of American History, I made the acquaintance, in sculptural form, of a certain Mr. Thomas Alva Edison, and was reminded of what I had written about him a decade ago, when the EU was starting up its eco-crusade against its beloved baby, the incandescent lightbulb. I said back then: “Mr. Edison, a lightbulb went on in our good European heads and made us turn off your bloody wasteful invention, once and forever!” Mr. Edison is a grown-up, no doubt, and he knows how to cash in this historical punch. In his time, the brilliant guy is said to have “first” invented the lightbulb only after other gentlemen did the same before, but none had flashed the exquisite ideas to “fill in” a brighter-burning filament, to immerse it in a “more void” vacuum, while having a “more enduring” electrical resistance. Having gorged himself on patents and being the 4th most well-protected “luminary” in the history of technology, he became known for eagle-eyeing others’ ideas, while draping his own in government paperwork, for none could be allowed to think up similar ideas to him and independently of him. He then played God, despite being a free-thinking atheist, and libeled the alternative current of rival George Westinghouse by cunningly associating it with the electric chair, in whose creation Edison had had a hand in. More

Romania, Last in the EU Regarding the Expected Duration of Working Life

Romania, Last in the EU Regarding the Expected Duration of Working Life

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Romania was placed last among the EU Member States regarding the expected duration of working life, according to data provided by Eurostat for 2021. The duration of 31.3 years was lower than in Italy (31.6 years), Greece (32.9 years), Bulgaria (33.1 years) and Croatia (33.5 years). The highest durations in the EU were recorded in the Netherlands (42.5 years), Sweden (42.3 years) and Denmark (40.3 years). More

Ersatz Liberals (Part II)

Ersatz Liberals (Part II) Economy Near Us (LV)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In my last communication, I have identified some issues based on which I would illustrate the weaknesses of those I called the ersatz liberals. I want to now add another issue, so I shall examine, below, five cases that are on the table of current political debate: a) a flat tax rate; b) tax adjustments; c) prices increases; d) social responsibility and solidarity on the part of the large companies; e) inter-dependencies between the private sector and the public sector.  More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 1): Industrial Revolutions

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 1): Industrial Revolutions Herald and hubris

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Industrial Revolutions (IR) are manifestations of the delightful concept of “creative destruction” (J. Schumpeter). This means destroying the useless as a force of creation for the useful, not vice versa, that is being creative in destroying. Destruction qua creation is about capitalising and making the most of resources, whereas creativity in destruction sooner resembles blunt vandalism (war, for instance, is creative in its nihilistic annihilation). Apparently, an IR is like TV: it isn’t necessary to understand how it works, what matters is to have the remote at the ready. However, some economists and historians continue to fiddle with the explanatory and predictive mechanism of a phenomenon that has already reached its fourth generation. Thus, for IR 1.0 (manufactured by the British), the main contributing factors identified were cheap energy and somewhat improved wages, coupled with metropolitan freedoms and the extortion of colonies, or perhaps the establishment of a general climate of “bourgeois equality” (D. McCloskey), where the ideas of common people could be expressed and experimented with free from the tyranny of statutes. Debates remain vivid here.  More

The Economic Consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian War

The Economic Consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian War

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The Russian invasion in Ukraine marked a new war in Europe, which started four months ago and whose end is not yet in sight. The longer the conflict lasts, the larger the threats to world peace will become. The Western world’s reaction was to apply severe economic sanctions, to impose penalties, mainly as deterrence. Even though it is too early to see the end of this war, some economic consequences are already visible.When Ukraine was invaded by the Russian army, the world’s economy was already in a huge stagflation, not comparable to the one from 1973-1974. This economic shock was strong enough to impact the demand in different sectors: fossil energy (oil, gas and coal), food (corn), chemical fertilizers (based on potassium and nitrogen) and industrial raw materials (nickel, titanium). Those goods accounted for a good percentage of the exports of Russia and Ukraine, and the war led to an increase in the world prices for those goods. More

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 0): New World Orders

CAPITOL LETTERS (Ep. 0): New World Orders All is old and new indeed

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

When we speak of “order” where the international system is concerned (international relations, to be precise), the discussion gives the impression of value-neutrality, in the same vein as the scientific approach to a problem. However, the minute we enclose this word in the syntagma “new world order”, there is a distinct feeling of veering into vain gossip and idle chatter. Thus, there are conspiracies, occult and confined to tenebrous spaces, away from common decency, standing opposite the rigorous, refined academic thinking that inhabits the halls of universities. Such rhetorical pedantry cannot, however, rule out the raw fact that human society, beyond the intensiveness and extensiveness of the (hierarchical and/or anarchical) relations between humans, seeks order (including “novel” and “worldly” ones), and not just any kind of order, but that order in which we are creative, proactive architects instead of passive artefacts. To this end, we employ tangible or symbolic means, be they transparent or opaque, genuine or deceitful. And politicians, who enact this (dis)order as per their (ir)responsibility, are far from being accused of a lack of ambidexterity (as they are naturally born “on the one hand… and on the other hand…” cynical calculators). More

The Future of the Cultural Economy: Ideological Assumptions, Technological Breakthroughs and Ecological Constraints

The Future of the Cultural Economy: Ideological Assumptions, Technological Breakthroughs and Ecological Constraints Call for articles

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The “economic” and “cultural” traits of human existence are brought together by the objective fact of subjective values (that incite our sought ends) and valuations (that inform our chosen means). While “cultural economy” is that interplay of activities related to producing/distributing/consuming spiritualized materiality, “cultural economics” allows us to view/review/preview all of the above. Blamed for obsessively “pricing the priceless” and for stuffing artistry into “production functions”, cultural economics still has many paths open for scrutiny, yet with epistemic prudence and prowess. More

Fostering Recovery through Metaverse Business Modelling

Fostering Recovery through Metaverse Business Modelling The 5th International Conference on Economics and Social Sciences (icESS), June 16-17, 2022

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The past years’ uncertainties and pressures resulted from the pandemic, alongside new developments in social technology, 5G, cloud computing, augmented and virtual reality, generated the perfect setting for the Metaverse to gain traction. Several companies found there’s a critical need to redefine the work environment and started exploring the Metaverse concept beyond the entertainment sector. Thus, new tools for collaboration and data visualization within a digital shared space are being created, aiming for a fully immersive interaction between the virtual and the physical worlds within the next few years. While still in its early developments, the Metaverse can be seen as an extension of the social media platforms, and an opportunity to leverage remote work even further. More

Ersatz Liberals (Part I)

Ersatz Liberals (Part I) Economy Near Us (LIV)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

(Too) many of today’s politicians in Romania claim an intellectual and/or moral affiliation to different political ideologies or schools. Ignoring the fact that such a claim resonates with the voters if and only if the population reaches an average level of political sophistication (or even general culture) at the minimum level required for such complex issues, the problem is whether those claims are justified, i.e., morally legitimate. Of course, we have here two ‘sources’ of information in solving the question: a) the politicians’ declarations; b) the facts, that is, the political decisions and actions (either as acts or abstentions) of the politicians in question.  More

Inflation: Old Wine in New Bottles

Inflation: Old Wine in New Bottles

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Inflation is rapidly rising at present across most of the world. This happens in the aftermath of a first pandemic year during in which the fears of deflation that have characterised the decade following the 2008 financial crisis resurfaced in earnest. The new inflation wave is commonly blamed on the pandemic supply shock to global supply chains, as well as on the negative effect of Russia’s war in Ukraine, particularly with regard to grain prices. These aggregate supply rationales are real and correct as far as they go, but insufficient to explain the phenomenon. The pandemic affected both supply and demand, whence sustained efforts in large consumer-driven economies such as the United States to preserve the latter. Less financially constrained consumers accumulated large cash balances at the height of the pandemic which have been reinjected into the economy since the most draconian restrictions have been gradually lifted. And excessively cautious monetary policies, oriented towards recovering lost growth from years past, have reinforced the inflationary effect of post-pandemic spending.  More

How Many Healthy Life Years for Romanians in EU Context

How Many Healthy Life Years for Romanians in EU Context

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In 2020, the number of healthy life years at birth in the EU was 64.5 years for women and 63.5 years for men. Romanians had a significantly shorter healthy life span, four years less for women and 4.2 years less for men. Nevertheless, we ranked at 17 for women and at 19 for men in-between the EU27 member states.  More

Economic Sovereignty: Between Slogans and Realities

Economic Sovereignty: Between Slogans and Realities

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In the speeches of some politicians and in the writings of some Romanian journalists and economists, the slogan of economic sovereignty is often present. The economic conception expressed by this phrase is obviously inspired by the xenophobic-autarchic model of the Communist economy, but it is also reminiscent of the “Through Ourselves” policy applied in the interwar period. In order to be economically independent, Romania must come out of the world in one way or another! The problem is that in the face of globalization, leaving the world can have serious consequences. Ultimately, autarky means reducing imports and limiting foreign capital inflows, which impedes economic development and makes economic sovereignty impossible.  More

The Post-Cold War Hybridization of Geopolitical Concepts

The Post-Cold War Hybridization of Geopolitical Concepts

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

On November 9, 1989, humanity registered an event whose concrete, yet symbolic value continues to echo to the present day: the wall that had split not only Berlin, but Europe and the whole world as well, started to crumble… Was the Cold War ending? Did the bipolar world not exist anymore? Were the spheres of influence disintegrating? What was going to happen to the US and USSR, the two superpowers? These questions were waiting for an answer. Scenarios such as The End of History (Fukuyama, 1992) and The Clash of Civilizations (Huntington, 1996) were trying to predict what the world would look like after the fall of the Berlin Wall while new phrases were starting to materialize gradually, first in the media, then, timidly in the academic circles, both as discourse and in university courses, after half a century of geopolitical “prohibition”. However, the great international events were not waiting. The start of a new geopolitical world and international order were foreshadowed. More

Europe’s Self-Inflicted Energy Disaster

Europe’s Self-Inflicted Energy Disaster

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The European Union has many inherent advantages and a number of good policy decisions made over the years, to promote convergence and take advantage of its size for economies of scale. However, there are a few sore spots as regards major policy trends that produced significant damage to the fabric of the European Union and divided it. One such problem is that of energy, and the impact of the recently begun war in Ukraine and the response of the EU to the war throw these issues in stark relief. Having achieved a surprising unity of perceptions throughout the West as regards the illegality of Russia’s actions in Ukraine and the need to both deter, discourage and punish those actions, a comprehensive set of sanctions was agreed upon and implemented. More

The Grapes of Parnassos: Is the West Withering on the Vine?

The Grapes of Parnassos: Is the West Withering on the Vine?

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The West – what Philip Rieff called “church civilization” – is succumbing to the false fruits of cultural revolutions which succeed in part because the passing of a single generation is all it takes to wipe the slate and in part because its custodians lack the requisite faith and courage to resist. First, the public memory fades or is subtly reinterpreted. Then, citizens fail to convey the wealth of their experience and tradition through nurturing, teaching, and testing. Finally, they even neglect to produce heirs to carry the enterprise forward.  More

Faux Treaty on Witch-Hunting

Faux Treaty on Witch-Hunting On the ethics of economic sanctions

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

“Russia has invaded Ukraine! Russia must be punished!” Thus goes the most commonly expressed sentiment these days, postulating an imperative that seems, however, by far easier said than done. “Economically, politically”, the speech then emphatically continues, “...and militarily” in a rather light whisper. Yet, even if we were to content ourselves with “verba” without moving further to “facta”, a heady operational riddle is evident to those who pay close attention to the words being used (said usage being, in itself, a factum as much as an intended expression of facts). Which Russia are we referring to? All of Russia? Should V.V. Putin, the “ringleader” who originated this crisis, be condemned before anything and anyone else? Should we also not punish the (active and passive) accomplices of the now infamous head of state: the apparatchiks (who fill the ranks of the country’s political leadership); the oligarchs (from the pseudo-private business); the state-serving intelligentsia (with both its academic and artistic branches)? Maybe sanction the Russian nation itself, for surely it has democratically legitimized the tyrant, either involuntarily (through ignorance) or voluntarily (through deluded conviction)? Why not the Russian culture altogether, with its departed and unborn, since the racketeers have the same unhealthy origins as the Karamazov brothers and poor Karenina?  More

The European Significance of the War in Ukraine

The European Significance of the War in Ukraine

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The all-out war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022, after months of Sitzkrieg (a play on words between blitzkrieg – lightning war – and sitting around) on its North-Eastern borders, is obviously of primordial concern for European security and politics. However, its fundamental significance for the continent’s contemporary political project has not been clearly recognized to date.  More

Mayday, May 9!

Mayday, May 9! The art of(fsets) war

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Europeans believe that on a day like May 9 the European Union was made. In fact, it was on the 9th of May 1950 that the idea was launched, in the form of a public declaration that was assured of its impact. It is the famous “Schuman Declaration”, not after the name of the composer, which is spelt with two “n” at the end, but after the name of the French Foreign Minister of the time, Robert Schuman. It is an emblematic text, clear and quite concise, which rightly underpins everything that has been built along the lines of European unity since then.  More

Some Aspects on Complexity Economics in the Actual Context

Some Aspects on Complexity Economics in the Actual Context Economy Near Us (LIII)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In Stephen Hawking’s terms, the 21st century will be regarded as “the century of complexity”, implying the ability to unify accepted definitions of complexity from mixed fields, under the auspices of an exhaustive theory which is built under the fundamental laws of operation principles, in common conditions, of matter.  More

Why Columbus Was Not Chinese

Why Columbus Was Not Chinese An argument for decentralised rule

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Christopher Columbus, the world’s most famous explorer, represents a unique case study in world history and innovation. He is regarded as being a (very) controversial figure, his story being filled with mass murders and enslavement. However, he may have left us a unique perspective about where innovation come from and how we can encourage it.  More

The US Supreme Court – Kritarchy and Compartmentalizing Manias

The US Supreme Court – Kritarchy and Compartmentalizing Manias

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

A recent leak from the Supreme Court of the United States (a very serious breach of trust, probably with political aims) is whipping up a severe political disturbance, right before the mid-term elections, which the Party in the White House traditionally loses when all does not become milk and honey after the Presidential elections. The leak hit a particular sore point for American politics, since it is on the issue of abortion, a problem that arouses massive emotional reactions in inverse proportion to the actual ability of politicians to address the issue. Apparently, the current Supreme Court, following a tactical case brought to its attention from Texas (Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization), is leaning towards repealing the 50 year-old constitutional ruling on Roe v. Wade (1973), which set hard limits on the restriction of abortion rights. Chief Justice Roberts confirmed that the draft by Samuel Alito was real, but mentioned that it is an old version and it is not indicative of the current version of the Court’s opinion. Following this possible repeal, individual states would be able to set a wider variety of abortion policies which are much more restrictive than the current norm and likely more in keeping with the view of the median American voter, who is more conservative than American elites. This has naturally resulted in much wailing and gnashing of the teeth and much posturing by politicians of all stripes. It is impossible to even discern right now the motivation behind the leak – whether it was a Republican sympathizer trying to drum up support from conservatives now that they are tantalizingly close to an important dream, or maybe it was a Democrat sympathizer trying to galvanize a disappointed electorate to show up to vote for an Administration which, in most practical ways, has been quite moderate and an overall failure on the big issues.  More

Complicity and Complacency: American Liberalism’s Radical Turn

Complicity and Complacency: American Liberalism’s Radical Turn

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

What will it take to bring politics back down to earth? We must stop lifting it to heaven! In this age of political religions, all ideologies are best seen as Christian heresies. Since man is made in the image of God, all imitate, covet, even worship this image. Idolatry in its countless forms is at the root of their power and popular appeal. More

Romania, Second Lowest Hourly Labour Cost in EU

Romania, Second Lowest Hourly Labour Cost in EU

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Romania had the second lowest hourly labour cost in the EU in 2021, according to data published by Eurostat. The recorded value (€8.5) was higher than in Bulgaria (€7.0), but under the levels for Latvia (€ 11.1), Croatia (€ 11.2), Lithuania (€ 11.3) and Poland (€ 11.5). The highest labour costs were recorded in Denmark (€46.9), Luxembourg (€43.0) and Belgium (€41.6) (see infograph).  More

The Boomerang Effect of the Russia - Ukraine Conflict on the Wheat Supply Chain

The Boomerang Effect of the Russia - Ukraine Conflict on the Wheat Supply Chain

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

One of the most significant shockwaves to be felt outside of Ukraine since the Russian invasion is not in Europe, but in Africa. With an export of $14.75 billion, Russia stood in 8th position of total exports to Africa in 2021. Even though the import statistics of Africa decreased by 35.4% YoY, the import from Russia saw an increase of 19% YoY.  More

The Triad Nature - Nurture - Culture and the Social Justice in the Context of the Current Crises

The Triad Nature - Nurture - Culture and the Social Justice in the Context of the Current Crises Economy Near Us (LII)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Discussions about the trinomial nature - nurture - culture back in topically in situations where our living conditions are threatened. Whenever our minimal comfort is threatened, we turn to values such as personal identity, self-respect, ethics, morality, equity etc. and call for measures of justice (global, climate, energy, social etc.), trying to find solutions, again starting from the analysis of the main values that govern our existence. A brief discussion of the elements of the triad will help us understand its implication in today’s reality of economic change. More

The War Economy: Of Bits and Bobs

The War Economy: Of Bits and Bobs With your shield or on it?!

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

There are some key assertions which are axiomatic for the pureblood moralists and demonstrable for utilitarians, such as – “war means defeat even for the victors”, “war is the health of the state”, “peace between nations is inconceivable without limiting the power of states over their own nations”, “a durable order cannot be maintained by the sword”, “in a world of free trade and democracy, there are fewer temptations for war and conquest”. These do not exclude the need for an answer to the following question: “if we are to inevitably have war, how can it be waged rationally from an economic standpoint?”. War is the supreme immorality, - indisputable when it is a war of aggression, but also when it constitutes a hasty rejoinder -, but isn’t it also an immorality, of a lower degree, when it is waged with means that delay or hinder winning it in the most efficient/efficacious way for society? More

The New Liliput’s Warlord

The New Liliput’s Warlord The Arts of Diplomacy [III]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The Munich Conference of 1938 marked a turning point in World War II. Leading European politicians in Britain and France then succumbed to the demands of the Nazi regime in Germany, while offering them resources to engage in a possible war. After Nazi Germany annexed Austria in early 1938, the Sudetenland, which was inhabited mainly by ethnic Germans, was added to its territorial claims. The pretext for the desire to annex this region was the “reunion of Germans”. The annexation would have been even more likely, as the people of the Sudetenland had the same desire for unification. But, being in the minority in the Czechoslovak state, they were not the only decision-makers in this matter. More

Semiconductors – the “Future Currency” for Development

Semiconductors – the “Future Currency” for Development

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

“Semiconductors became as scarce as gold”. As weird this phrase it may look at first glance, it is actually a reality. And it may be a very grim reality if the demand rate will continue to be way higher than supply. These small electronic components are vital for manufacturing electronic devices and, by extension, for a very broad spectrum of common and industrial goods. Practically, modern humans depend on devices that run on electrical power, and almost all of these depend on semiconductors, chips and other tiny parts. In a way, even if it is not so evident, and even if we are so reluctant to admit it openly, contemporary human society has become deeply dependent on electronics.  More

The “Czar” and the Sankt…ions

The “Czar” and the Sankt…ions Can wars be won just by a stroke of the pen?

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Judging by recent events, we may be witnessing the last days of the conventional war as we know it. Although conventional weapons are still an asset of the great military powers, we have recently seen a shift from physical, tangible military techniques, with troop movements and defensive positioning, to less immediately visible practices such as cyber-attacks, fake news or misinformation with the role of destabilizing the rival nation. Here we can also discuss the issue of economic sanctions, the most recent targeting the Russian Federation following the invasion of Ukraine. Are we entering a new era in which military leaders will be trained in finance and trade and not in the martial field? More

Address of the Scientific Community of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv to the Partners and Friends in the World Scientific Community

Address of the Scientific Community of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv to the Partners and Friends in the World Scientific Community

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Dear Friends, On February, 24, 2022, Ukraine and its people faced an act of the aggression by the Russian Federation. For mostly a month Ukraine is suffering from brutal, open and large-scale aggression and terror by the Russian Federation in our territory. Aggressor’s troops attack Ukraine’s cities; civilian population, houses, kindergartens, schools, universities are under shelling. These actions are absolutely unacceptable in the 21st century and have already endangered the existence of the democratic world. A lot of our academicians went to the West to save their kids and aged relatives. These are women-scientists as men are forbidden to go out of the state during the war period. The European Union and mostly entire world are supporting those who are struggling to leave their homes and went abroad to save their lives. There are a lot of study programmes and options for our students, PhD students, there are work temporary options for staff and researchers. More

The Increase in Energy Prices Puts Romania in the Middle of EU Member States

The Increase in Energy Prices Puts Romania in the Middle of EU Member States

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Romania ranked in the 13-14th place among EU Member States regarding the increase of prices for energy in January 2022, compared to the same month of the previous year. With a level of 24.1%, our country is below the European average of 27%, after Bulgaria (24.6%), tied with Finland and slightly above Sweden (23.8%).  More

American Foreign Policy toward Eastern Europe

American Foreign Policy toward Eastern Europe

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

In the election for the American President in 2024, foreign policy and national security in America will become a political football in the wake of President Biden’s bungling of American policy toward Russia. Much of this is self-inflicted due to the Democrat Party's and “Progressive’s” attack on fossil fuels and Europe’s reliance on Russian oil.  More

We Still Have Paris!

We Still Have Paris! The Arts of Diplomacy [II]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The Germans occupied Paris on June 14th, 1940 without a fight. The event came one month after the Germans entered France and just a few months after the war started. Everyone expected France to intervene against Hitler’s attack on Poland on September 1st, 1939. But the France of the Right was admiring his regime and even the France of the Left was not substantially against it and was also against war and in favour of pacifism, especially after the huge losses from World War I. France made no moves. Moreover, Germany found an open city in Paris and an entire nation believing in Hitler’s victories everywhere. France was divided in two after the occupation: the North, including Paris and the entire west coast, was under German occupation; the Southern half was controlled by a newly formed government with Vichy as its capital, being in fact just a puppet state under the same authority. More

The Highest Proportion of Young People Who Were Severely Materially and Socially Deprived, Recorded in Romania

The Highest Proportion of Young People Who Were Severely Materially and Socially Deprived, Recorded in Romania

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Among the EU Member States in 2020, the highest proportion of young people who were severely materially and socially deprived in 2020 was recorded in Romania (24%), followed by Bulgaria (21%) and Greece (16%). On the other hand, the proportion was less than 3% in 11 of the 26 Member States with available data: Luxembourg, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Slovenia, Poland, Netherlands, Czechia, Cyprus, Sweden and Austria.  More

A Possible Relationship Between the Inclusive Nature of the Modern Labour Market and Technological Progress

A Possible Relationship Between the Inclusive Nature of the Modern Labour Market and Technological Progress Economy Near Us (LI)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The article aims to bring to the attention or debate a possible relationship between the inclusive nature of the modern labour market and technological progress. From this relationship, labour market policy options arise that would favour inclusion through the use of technology in the current context. There are a variety of definitions, approaches and methodologies for measuring the inclusive, easily accessible labour market thanks to the internet (coming from EU, OECD, ILO, etc). Because to this volume of official information we may add the specialized literature of experts and researchers in the field, each and every one striving to fully capture the concept, this brief article tries its own answer to the following two questions:  More

The Coronavirus Epidemic in Romania: A Government Failure All-Along (II)

The Coronavirus Epidemic in Romania: A Government Failure All-Along (II)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

When vaccination began simultaneously in all 27 EU states, in late December 2020, Romania reported for a short while some of the highest figures in the bloc, but it quickly became the second least vaccinated member country. It is now customary to attribute this dismal performance to rampant anti-vaccine sentiment among the Romanian population, even though some survey evidence pointed to more pronounced vaccine skepticism and vaccine hesitancy in Western countries such as France in particular[1]. On closer inspection, however, the finger pointed at anti-vaccine ideas and groups by high government officials in Romania constituted – without denying in the least the deleterious effects of anti-vaccination propaganda and activism – more of an abdication from responsibility which obscures the serious blunders of the government itself in vaccination matters. This was particularly the situation with the much-publicized case of some anti-vaccine Christian Orthodox clergy. For 30 years, many Liberals in the country decried the absence of a government-independent Church, and one was to believe that it emerged all of sudden in the midst of the pandemic! In the end, it was not the spread of anti-vaccine ideas which determined the vaccination rate in a country, but the actions or non-actions of public authorities.  More

A Far-Reaching Book

A Far-Reaching Book The Sustainable Development Theory: A Critical Approach: Vol. 1. The Discourse of the Founders; Vol. 2. When Certainties Become Doubts, Palgrave, London, 2020; 2021. Authors: Ion Pohoață, Delia Elena Diaconașu, Vladimir Crupenschi

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Erudition and research stand to gain from the publishing of this outstanding two-volume study. Sailing against the winds, three scholars from Iași set out to write not just a mere scientific paper – to keep up with the times – but a book. And it turned out to be an excellent book, meeting the quality standards that a reputable publishing house like Palgrave requires.  More

The Coronavirus Epidemic in Romania: A Government Failure All-Along (I)

The Coronavirus Epidemic in Romania: A Government Failure All-Along (I)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

More than two years after the start of the coronavirus epidemic, the real magnitude of the disaster it has wrought in Romania is plain for everyone to see. Although it entered into lockdown as one of the least affected countries, at least according to official statistics, in March 2020, it currently occupies a hard to believe 9th place worldwide in terms of coronavirus deaths per one million inhabitants, one notch above Brazil whose epidemic disaster has received more attention in the world’s media[1]. Furthermore, commonplace stories about rampant vaccine skepticism, anti-scientific thinking and bigotry among the Romanian population obscure the fundamental cause of the catastrophe: a failed government run by even more failed politicians.  More

Canvassing the Freedom of a Nation

Canvassing the Freedom of a Nation The Arts of Diplomacy [I]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Among the four paintings created by John Trumbull that adorn the walls of the Capitol Rotunda to commemorate the greatest events of the American Revolution, one in particular makes reference to a salient part of the history of the United States, if not even the history of the world. For it depicts the moment on 28th of June, 1776, when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was submitted for consideration at the Second Continental Congress which was held in the Pennsylvania State House, now the Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The painting from the Capitol Rotunda was commissioned by the US Congress in 1817 and represents an enlarged version of the original painting the artist started to create back in 1786. Trumbull’s work illustrates 47 delegates, having in the foreground the five members of the committee in charge of drafting the document with Thomas Jefferson, its main author, handing in the first draft to John Hancock, president of the Congress (Architect of Capitol, n.d.). To be fair, if one would judge John Trumbull’s creation for its historical accuracy, then the essence of the painting would be lost in vain. Right from the very beginning, his intention was not to offer an accurate representation of the events from June, 1776, but to immortalize a moment with implications of great importance in the birth of the United States, as legacy for next generations, and to preserve the authentic likenesses of the extraordinary individuals to whom the United States owes “the memorable act and all its glorious consequences” (Trumbull, 1817 cited in Hazleton, 1907), while making sure to include all five members of the committee submitting the draft, rather than Thomas Jefferson alone like in reality (Yale University Art Gallery, n.d.).  More

Did the Pandemic Reverse Pasokification?

Did the Pandemic Reverse Pasokification? Are the left-wing parties in Europe ready for a comeback?

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Most of us probably do not remember the Greek political former hegemon PASOK. Instead, some of us may be inclined to skip over the letter “S” and think of another kind of Greek hegemon, the football team PAOK. However, PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement) made its way in the history books by dominating (in an ideological sense) the political landscape of Greece. On the other hand, its downfall became a textbook case of the loss of popularity of the left-wing political parties, not just in Greece, but in all of Europe. This trend is called “Pasokification” and refers to the failures of socialist parties in the West to attract members and gain votes in the last decade. Will this trend remain relevant in the current pandemic context?  More

Some Aspects of Today’s Economic Growth

Some Aspects of Today’s Economic Growth Economy Near Us (L)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

We include in the conceptual framework of economic growth, in a broader sense, the individual, the society, the institutional performance, the investment, geopolitical situation, but also issues of natural resource management and the current state of technological development. In this context, we can look at individuals both in terms of their own cultural evolution, in terms of the evolution of the society of which they are part, but also in terms of the environment in which they operate. More

Pieces of a Puzzling 2050

Pieces of a Puzzling 2050 As seen from the present of 2022

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Imagining the future is frequently a delightful pastime, as evidenced by the numerous science-fiction works that have been published over the last century. The various authors pondered how humanity and the role of human beings (both collectively and individually) will be shaped by the interplay between technological advancement, societal dynamics, cultural trends, political reorganisation, space exploration and environmental change. It would not be wrong to state that some of these works have anticipated or even encouraged the development of some of today’s mundane features: the internet and wireless communication, gadgets with ever-increasing computational power and storage capacity, artificial intelligence, the search for intelligent life in the universe, plans to colonise other planets (i.e., Mars), genetic engineering as well as the negative impact of human activity on the environment and the climate. Of course, while predicting the future is challenging for even the keenest and most knowledgeable of scholars, educated guesses and analyses are still welcome and well-worth engaging in. Below are several takes by Romanian students from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, the Master’s Programme “Geopolitics and Business”, on various issues of interest and how we can expect them to impact the world of less than three decades from now. In short, it is more or less on “their life in 2050”. The selection, assumedly casual rather than scholarly, is based on their subjective current concerns with regard to a future to be objectivated one way or another, which some of them perceive as implacably possible / plausible / probable, whilst others envisage as preferable and somehow influenceable. And if there is one thing to known for certain about the(ir) future, it is just the certainty of its arrival.  More

The Russia-Ukraine Crisis: A Deceptive Geopolitical Jigsaw

The Russia-Ukraine Crisis: A Deceptive Geopolitical Jigsaw

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Seven years after the Crimean annexation and the events in Eastern Ukraine, there has been talk again of a possible Russian attack on the Ukrainian state, scheduled for early 2022. One should remember that these speculations were not fuelled by Russia, but by the Western press and policymakers. A state attack is never announced in advance, just as it is not announced by states that do not plan to attack. Behind these speculations was an exercise in anticipation, warning and active deterrence.  More

The Rise of the Administrative State

The Rise of the Administrative State

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Before the Great Depression, President Calvin Coolidge restated an earlier vision of America which had been memorialized at Independence Day celebrations for 150 years. In his sesquicentennial address entitled “The Inspiration of the Declaration,” he described the convictions which shaped the thinking of the ordinary people who agreed together to separate from imperial Britain: “They were a people who came under the influence of a great spiritual development and acquired a great moral power.” More specifically, the President stated: “No one can examine this record and escape the conclusion that in the great outline of its principles the Declaration was the result of the religious teachings of the preceding period.” Coolidge concluded with this observation:  More

Pirouettes and Profits: Pointe Shoes Updated

Pirouettes and Profits: Pointe Shoes Updated MIND(s that filled) THE GAP(s) [XVII]

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Have you ever wondered how ballerinas make executing such delicate movements look so effortless? From the 19th century, when Maria Taglioni was the first ballerina to ever perform a full-length ballet on pointes, this specific footwear was never meant to comfort the dancers’ feet, but only to pleasure the eye of the spectator. But as everything rapidly evolves, the art of ballet had to do so as well. That is when Eliza Minden decided to ease the dancers’ activity by creating what is considered today to be the ‘perfect’ pair of pointe shoes.  More

Of Sand and Time – Life, Dignity and Age in a World of the Self

Of Sand and Time – Life, Dignity and Age in a World of the Self

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

For the first 18 years of life, people are dependent on others. Their productive years are perhaps from 18 to 60, or more, if they are lucky. Then, they become reliant on others again. After having gotten used to independence, they revert to a childlike status. In the West, especially the US, they might move in to assisted living facility and have their belongings, including their home (including through specialized products such as reverse mortgages), sold so that they can afford a good care facility in their old age. And then, just like that… damnatio memoriae! They are one step closer to being forgotten, along with obsolete models of lifestyle, mores, and economic thinking. Almost as if fearing the reminder of impending old age and eventual death, contemporary society is quick to hide elders away, to put them in a place where we will not bother or depress anyone with the reality of their existence. More

On Normative Violence

On Normative Violence Economy Near Us (XLIX)

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

The social contract (no matter its type: contractarian – John Rawls, of capability – Martha Nussbaum, or of resilience – Robert Nozick) was born precisely to eliminate or avoid the private violence or, at least, to guarantee protection against it, with the state as protector. The social arrangement against private violence is very sophisticated and, generally, functional enough to provide freedom and democracy – first of all, based on Constitution as the basic structure of the society. The problem is: what about public violence? Public violence can take the following three forms: a) violence between states (either economic, diplomatic or military); b) the violence of a dictatorial state against its own people; c) the violence of a democratic state against its own people. Since the first two forms are outside any problematization, I shall discuss more analytically the third one.  More

The Year 2050, the Imaginary and the Unimaginable

The Year 2050, the Imaginary and the Unimaginable We do not know what tomorrow will bring, but we are getting ready for the day after

No. 33-38, Jan.-Dec. 2022

Both “imaginariums” and “histories”, while differing on essential ingredients, visions and vestiges respectively, share an essential imperfection – incomplete information and/or bounded rationality. We compose mosaics (using also our imagination) about a past which we did not witness; and we extrapolate tendencies/trends (undoubtedly, with a historical basis) for a future which we may or may not be there to witness. Combining “path dependencies” with “disruptive revolutions”, we can generate scenarios with varying confidence.  More

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