Chessboard Development ♘
Asia
Friends of Development
Throughout the course of our 5-month sabbatical in South and Southeast Asia, my wife and I were continuously exposed to a crushing poverty that, if most Americans were to see it themselves, they would find it abhorrent and intolerable. From each child attempting to kiss my feet in desperation for money, to the men who … Continue reading
The Fall and Rise of Saigon
In the spring of 1975, the Vietnamese city of Saigon fell to communist forces and closed the final chapter of the Vietnam War. While Marxism seemed to prevail, a walk through Saigon today suggests otherwise. This thriving metropolis of lights, modern buildings, and activity has become Vietnam’s commercial hub with an expanding influence throughout the … Continue reading
Tsunami of Trash (Video)
The continued economic development of Bali, Indonesia, is dependent upon a thriving tourism sector. However, ocean plastic pollution threats to derail progress on this island paradise.
Tsunami of Trash – Ocean Plastic Pollution in Bali
On the beaches of Bali, Indonesia, where tourists arrive from around the world to experience the island’s amazingly warm culture and climate, there is a quiet crisis brewing. You can see it around the colorful pontoon fishing boats when they come ashore after pulling in their morning catch. It lurks beneath the surface of the … Continue reading
Islamic Finance and Economic Development
Question of the Day: Can the principles of Islamic finance, where no interest on loans can be charged, be reconciled with the fundamentals of economic development and the need for flexible lending arrangements for small businesses? Photos Courtesy of TriciaAnneMitchell.com
Bombs Away! JMAS De-mining of UXO in Laos
The rear door of the SUV opened and the six of us stepped out into a fog-shrouded field in eastern Laos. My eyes peered through the haze, methodically scanning the horizon for the attraction that had brought my wife and me out into this remote corner of Southeast Asia. Then, a puff of fog swept by, … Continue reading
Capital vs. Labor
Question of The Day: How do countries with cheap, abundant labor pools develop an incentive to save and invest in capital?
“Please Sir, Give Me a Job!” – Underemployment in Bali, Indonesia
On the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean, there is an island that the world must visit and understand. The people that inhabit this paradise believe that what goes around, comes around in the next life, and they will go to great lengths to ensure that their interactions with others are of the highest integrity. … Continue reading
Skyward Strategies
After flying aboard three Boeing 777s from Frankfurt, Germany, to Dubai, U.A.E, to Singapore to Denpasar, Indonesia, I can’t help but reflect on the old days of air travel when ash trays were standard components of the arm rests, and a cassette tape Walkman was your only form of electronic entertainment. Back then, the food … Continue reading
