There are two camps of the former Soviets: one of the happy people because they are now free, and the second one of the unhappy, who still think everything back then was basically okay. I belong to the former and I am proud that I also took part in all possible types of anti-Soviet/communist activities.
Until the 19th century, the birth of Jesus was nothing more than a strictly religious holiday. Two centuries ago, the industrial revolution brought mass production, the still lasting exponential growth of wealth, health, population, and standards.
Many of the projects and ideas presented by the Georgian government are good examples of wishful thinking. However, when the ruling party is called Georgian Dream, a pursuit of wishes and dreams should not surprise anyone.
Reflecting and reporting on the impact of the new coronavirus on the ages-old obsessive (in)equality academia, media and others are swinging between claims that SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 (the pathogen / the disease) is either a blindfolded leveler or, on the contrary, a balance destroyer.
Mark Zuckeberg appeared before U.S. representatives, again. He sat alone at an austere table, being looked down on by the mighty politicians from their raised podium. Yet, the founder of Facebook yields more power than all those politicians combined.
Today´s world is a product of values, stances, and deeds of previous generations. Those were formed by political institutions, economies, and social relations. These factors guided the world´s modus operandi. But this world is disappearing.
Marx is on a victory march. Even in Slovakia. And despite the local uproar caused by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker´s recent visit to Marx´s childhood nest to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the philosopher´s birth by celebrating his intellectual heritage.
It is not a conceptual disagreement, nor a philosophical objection to the foundations of capitalism, not even an opposition to all the capitalists. It is an arbitrary chosen threshold of profit based on the comparison between one and the other individual, and supported by sentiments (not reason), such as deceit of inequality.
For the fifth time, Institute of Economic and Social Studies INESS was honored to organize event commemorating Milton Friedman.
Ukraine shows that, when pressure is applied, Potemkin institutions reveal themselves for what they really are. The lessons for countries in the neighborhood, most of all Russia, should be apparent, as, although there are major differences between Ukraine and its anxious neighbor, at the most fundamental levels, the institutional stagnation is the same.
