What We Read Today 08 April 2014

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

• Deadbeat Chinese shipyards stick banks with default bill (Shanghai Newsroom, Fayen Wong, and Keith Wallis, Reuters) Refund guarantees for late delivery by Chinese shipbuilders may end up being paid by banks. The potential bill is uncertain but could easily be several billion dollars.

• Will Russia Go to War Over Ukraine? Don’t Bet on It (Vitaliy Katsenelsen, Institutional Investor) An American born and raised in Russia provides a detailed analysis of why the crisis may continue for some time and why it is unlikely to end with war.

• Gold Stuck At $1300 (Barry Norman, FX Empire)  Gold settled back Monday after the big gain on Friday.  Tuesday morning in Asia gold was struggling to stay above $1,300.  Barry Norman reviews the factors at play.
  

• My Generation (Ajay Shah, Economic Times) Ajay Shah, a Global Economic Intersection contributor, had a recent column which describes the promising human capital of India. Ajay’s point that it is not specifically the young demographic of the subcontinent but the emerging quality of the educated Indian than will drive the economy in the 21st century. He sites the rapidly improving communications skills of the populace and the establishment of professional women among the revolutionary changes taking place. He specifically mentions computer programming as a field which will see great progress for India. But Ajay’s point is not that progress will be accomplished by numbers; rather emergence of top quality will be the important factor. His concluding statement is that “there is much more to human capital than headcount“.

• Russian riposte (Vladimir Radyuhin, Frontline – India) Russia is sending a clear message to the U.S. and its Western allies that the unipolar world order is not viable anymore and the rules of engagement have to be changed. This article analyzes the current situation in the context of a centuries old western policy of containment for Russia.

• The ‘Recency Effect’ Can Trip Up Investors (Simon Constable, The Wall Street Journal) Another name might be “herd instinct”. Something for all you lemmings to think about.

• Charles Koch Fights Back (Larry Kudlow, Money News) Hat tip to John O’Donnell. An impassioned plea for free markets with no government involvement.

Today there are 12 articles discussed ‘behind the wall’.

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