Columns

Hadas: Crypto-currencies presage new monetary era

21 September 2017

No, bitcoin and its peers won’t become an electronic version of the gold standard. Rather, the speculation surrounding them indicates a financial system out of control. If the frenzy ends in a crash, it’s a chance to revive the old idea of a centrally controlled money supply.

Cox: Donald Trump is failing America’s gun lobby

13 September 2017

The candidate's campaign messaging echoed the National Rifle Association's efforts to sow fear and sell weapons. Trump promised to "come through for" the NRA, which backed him. But a profit warning from Smith & Wesson’s parent and other signs suggest he’s not delivering.

Hadas: EU single economy eases way for separatism

13 September 2017

Catalan and Scottish nationalism have bubbled up recently. Besides sentiment, the European Union has played a part. The super-national single market not only provides economic protection, but opens up a new vision of sovereignty. It’s the same idea Brexit fans have rejected.

Holding: GrubHub serves up a gig-employment pickle

11 September 2017

If the $5 bln food-takeout service wins a rare trial over the job status of workers, discontent could grow in a labor force demanding more benefits. A loss, though, may put the so-called sharing economy at risk. It’s time for a sector that shuns regulation to work with Uncle Sam.

Dixon: No escape from debtors’ prison for Greece

11 September 2017

Alexis Tsipras is desperate to avoid surveillance of his actions by the country’s creditors when its third bailout ends next August. The best the Greek prime minister can hope for is to move from a high-security unit to an open prison – and only if he behaves.

Hadas: Good companies don’t have to self-harm

6 September 2017

Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt may be justified in not wanting to subsidise research critical of the web giant. Even so, powerful companies have serious social responsibilities. They can do better by expanding their mission, moderating greed and helping where they have hurt.

Hadas: Economists aren’t as sexist as economics

29 August 2017

Insulting comments about women economists on an online forum have shocked the profession. The problem exists in other fields. The difference here is the dismissive attitude embedded in a discipline that tends to ignore cooperation and the care work usually done by women.

Cox: No, wait, this is the real crisis anniversary

24 August 2017

Anyone who witnessed the subprime debacle has a single event they identify as its origin or apex, from HSBC's losses to Lehman's bust. Like all bubbly delusions, understanding the collective failure to act pre-emptively requires an appraisal of the full arc of what transpired.

Hadas: Corporate do-gooders are due a revival

23 August 2017

Paternalistic companies planted the seeds of government welfare programmes. Their ideas now seem out of date. But the rise of the left-behind, and the kind of social rifts shown in Charlottesville, show the need for more active, personal and short-term costly interventions.

Holding: The law rides shotgun on Uber obfuscation

21 August 2017

Whether the ride-hailing app fixed prices may remain a secret after a court sent a case to arbitration. It’s the same deal on whether drivers were stiffed on expenses or female workers sexually harassed. It’s tough to make Uber fess up when it's allowed to operate in the shadows.