Global Economic Downturn: A Crisis of Political Economy Read more: Global Economic Downturn: A Crisis of Political Economy | STRATFOR

By George FriedmanClassical political economists like Adam Smith or David Ricardo never used the term “economy” by itself. They always used the term “political economy.” For classical economists, it was impossible to understand politics without economics or economics without politics. The two fields are certainly different but they are also intimately linked. The use of the term “economy” by itself did not begin until the late 19th century. Smith understood that while an efficient market would emerge from individual choices, those choices were framed by the political system in which they were made, just as the political system was shaped by economic realities. For classical economists, the political and economic systems were intertwined, each dependent on the other for its existence.

Read More

Analyst Lauren Goodrich examines the reasons behind Moscow’s plan to privatize strategic Russian firms. Read more: Dispatch: Russian Privatization and Modernization

Analyst Lauren Goodrich examines the reasons behind Moscow’s plan to privatize strategic Russian firms.(http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20110801-dispatch-russian-privatization-and-modernization?utm_source=freelist-f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110802&utm_term=gweekly&utm_content=videotitle&elq=10f23edaa0f84823b2e2962fbd2d105a)The Russian government submitted its revised list for Russian privatization to President Dmitri Medvedev today. It’s one of the world’s largest privatization programs in years, as well as a controversial one inside of Russia.

Read More

Geopolitical Journey: Indonesia’s Global Significance

By George FriedmanI am writing this from Indonesia. Actually, that is not altogether a fair statement. I am at the moment in Bali and just came from Jakarta. The two together do not come close to being Indonesia. Jakarta, the capital, is a vast city that is striking to me for its traffic. It takes an enormous amount of time to get anywhere in Jakarta. Like most cities, it was not built to accommodate cars, and the mix of cars with motor scooters results in perpetual gridlock. It is also a city of extraordinary dynamism. There is something happening on almost every street. And in the traffic jams, you have time to contemplate those streets in detail.

Read More

Cetățenii rușii își exprimă o neîncredere pasivă față de autorități

În preajma alegerilor sociologii ruși au desfășurat o serie de sondaje de opinie publică cu privire la încrederea pe care o manifestă cetățenii ruși față de autoritățile actuale și dacă este utilă existența opoziției. Potrivit datelor cercetării, primul indicator în fiecare lună este într-o descreștere, în schimb cel de-al doilea sporește. Sociologii înclină să creadă că nu este vorba despre o ”deteriorare”, ci, de o ”schimbare naturală a sistemului”.

Read More

Marea Britanie in economia globala

Voci oficiale din Regatul Unit sustin ca traim o perioada de veritabila revolutie in ordinea globala, fara precedent de la revolutia industriala incoace. Recunoscand ca, de data aceasta, rolul sau s-a diminuat fata de perioada revolutiei industriale in care fusese actorul principal, Regatul Unit isi cauta cu realism locul in acest proces de schimbari profunde ce vor configura economia globala pentru secolele viitoare, scrie dr. Radu Serban pentru Euractiv.ro.

Read More