How Microloans can Change the Third World Economy

Microloans Create Self Employment and Promote Entrepreneurship among the Poorest

A very large part of human population still awaits the benefits of global economic growth in the Third World, including in emerging economic giants like China and India. In some of these countries, microloans have emerged as the major solution for encouraging entrepreneurship among them. They serve to fill a vacuum that traditional means of investment have failed to fill.

Microloans fill the biggest gap in the economies of third world - they provide small amounts of capital right in the hands of willing entrepreneurs. By doing so they make the most efficient use of that capital, at the least managerial and administrative cost.

Is Lowering of Taxes a Viable Alternative for Governments Today?

Improving Tax Design & Structure is the Solution, Not Lowering of Taxes

Lowering of taxes is one of the most populist proposals any government can make. The aversion of people to the word ‘tax’ makes every such proposal politically welcome. However, given the central role of taxes in our economies, and the role of taxpayers as the lender of the last resort, it is generally not possible for governments to go for it. What does happen quite often, though, is a sophisticated manipulation in design, invariably favouring those who have the means to lobby for it…

Demand for fiscal stimulus has always co-existed with similar demands for monetary stimulus, ever since the global economy took a dive following an economic crisis ten years back. While the governments and the central banks have been far more accommodating in acceding to the demand for quantitative easing, they have generally not obliged with fiscal relief. One of the main reasons for this dichotomy may lie in the fact that the costs of all economic packages are recovered finally through taxation. A relief in taxes will need another viable source for funding the damage control, and as of now, no such source seems to be available with the governments.

What do We Mean by Poverty?

With differing Perceptions of Poverty, it may be Difficult to Find a Universal Solution

So much is said about poverty and the need to eradicate it, but then let us first understand first as to what we mean by poverty ? In a city of billionaires, even millionaires can be considered poor. On the other hand, a person with enough food can be considered better off in a community of destitute. Is our quest to make everyone rich actually rational ? Could this obsession for a mirage lead to the destruction of our environment, culture and in the end even ourselves ?

Who is Poor ?

Someone once said that a rich man is not necessarily the one who has a lot of money, but one whose needs are less than what he or she owns. If we apply the same logic to poverty, then a poor man will not necessarily be one who has too little money, but one who needs much more than what he actually has. Before you conclude that I am trying to write a philosophical sermon, let me just remind you a simple fact.

Should People be Forced to Use Public Transportation?

Drastic Challenges call for Drastic Measures, but they Must First be Accepted by People

With global warming and climate change becoming acceptable as impending reality, there is need to develop a consensus about improving the ways we burn fuels, and making people use public transport is one of the most important steps in this direction. It is a dire need today, even if it comes at the cost of forcing people by rules. However, in democratic societies, such enforcement can come only when it is backed by social opinion.

Public Policy problems that threaten us with dire consequences need to be addressed with strong and effective measures, even if they lead to some inconvenience for some people. So the question that we need to ask, in respect of climate change and environmental damage is the extent of damage that humanity, in particular, the subsequent generations will have to bear, if we are unable to do enough today.

An Overview of Beer Brewing Styles and Methods

Each brewing Style leads to a Distinct Beer Flavor

Beer is a part of modern life. Surprisingly, the awareness about its origin and different brewing styles is not very common. Few know about the manner it is processed, the different grains that are mashed and rested as part of the processing, and how subtle differences in each of these steps provides a distinct variation to its taste and flavor. Each distinct step in the brewery results in a distinctive characteristic.

Beer Today

Beer is available today in hundreds of varieties, each with its own characteristic flavour and appearance. Even though they are produced from fermentation of starch extracted from cereals, minor modifications in the brewing process give rise to innumerable variants. These differences can be subtle or significant depending upon the overall method of brewing. That is why the beer brewing styles adopted by breweries in different parts of the world are identified as unique and have a bearing on the quality.

To appreciate how minor variations in brewing process can affect the beer quality, it is essential to first have an overview of the process itself.

Why We Need to Reverse Climate Change Now

With every passing day, we may be losing the battle for our survival. The signs of climate change and the impending crisis are becoming more and more obvious every year, and will only get worse from here. From here on, it may not be enough to just slowdown the carbon emission. We need to reverse the process of climate change.

A Bomb About to Explode!

Once you reach dangerously close to a bomb that is about to explode, simply standing there will not protect you from the forthcoming catastrophe. The only way, if you wish to survive, is to run back and away from disaster. The same is true for climate change today.

Is the Human Civilization Actually Developing ?

There seems to be so much emphasis on development today that hardly anybody seems to be interested in objectively asking as to whether what we are witnessing in our age is actually in the overall interest of human civilization. Long back, Rousseau cautioned against the tendency of equating pursuit of luxury with advancement. May be it is time we heed his words once again. 

“Our greatest evils flow from ourselves”, these words of Rousseau remind us of one of the most important threats that we face all the time. It is the threat from our own selves. It is a threat that can arise from our own misconceptions about what is good for us and what is not.