United States: Delaying Implementation of IMF Requested Financial Transparency Regulation
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has blamed the United States for not implementing regulations that would stop the use of shell and front companies as recommended by the Financial Action … Continue reading
Technology: Choice of Margins vs. Market Penetration for Apple
The conventional wisdom regarding Apple is that it has lost its way and these complaints have only grown louder following the release of the company’s two new iPhones, the 5S … Continue reading
India: Economy Slows but Defense Sales Retain Potential
Reflecting the structural weakness of the Indian economy, the country’s currency (Indian rupee) has fallen 20 percent since the beginning of the year. Consequently, the initial $37.7 billion defense budget … Continue reading
Saudi Arabia: The Syria Bombing’s Biggest Benefactor and Beneficiary
Last week, I wrote a post on how it was unclear how Jordan would benefit from the US bombing Syria. Today, I want to focus on the one country that … Continue reading
Dubai: Here We Go Again
A few years ago, when the Arab emirate of Dubai was facing the brunt of the global financial crisis, the government of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum blamed rampant real … Continue reading
Pakistan: Islamabad should Negotiate an Agreement with the Taliban
Over the past few months, Pakistan has undergone the first democratic transition in its history. Unfortunately, this change has done nothing to solve the country’s problems, which include, but are … Continue reading
India: If it was the US, there would be no Economic Doldrums
After many years of warnings and dire predictions, the bad news for the Indian economy is finally coming true. I have to admit that as one of the soothsayers who … Continue reading
Syria: The Best Solution is Exile for Assad
I generally don’t write about the same country multiple times in a week but was forced to make an exception in the case of Syria since it looks like the … Continue reading
United States: Housing Recovery is a Farce
According to news reports, the US housing sector has finally begun to recover from its historic crash as home prices are rising and the associated industries are all seeing an … Continue reading
Technology: Microsoft Should Outsource Its Leadership
The recent news that Steve Ballmer will leave his position as CEO of Microsoft (MS) within the next 12 months caused the global financial markets to improve their forecasts for … Continue reading
All Sorts of Things 