Janar Wasito

Brazil needs to be more innovative

Brazil needs to be more innovative: The excellent Schumpeter column drives home the point that not all BRICs are equal. “Can their country become an innovator in its own right, or is its recent growth little more than a by-product of China’s appetite for commodities?” “Yet Brazil suffers from two huge blocks to growth: redContinue reading “Brazil needs to be more innovative”

Brazil and Peacekeeping: Policy Not Altruism

The Economist covers Brazil’s military/ police competence in peace-keeping, which is virtually identical to the counterinsurgency (COIN) as practiced by American Marines in Iraq and Afganistan – a parallel which should be noted if Brazil and American interests align in Latin America or Africa, where Brazilian cultural strengths (official census documents note 130 ethnic shades)Continue reading “Brazil and Peacekeeping: Policy Not Altruism”

The Big Mac index

The Economist’s Big Mac Index shows that a burger is undervalued in China, but overvalued in Brazil. “Since 14.5 yuan can buy as much burger as $3.71, a yuan should be worth $0.26 on the foreign-exchange market. In fact, it costs just $0.15, suggesting that it is undervalued by about 40%. The tensions caused byContinue reading “The Big Mac index”

Brazil’s Bolsa Familia

The Economist covers the Brazilian bolsa familia anti-poverty program which has been copied elsewhere, and may have lead to some development of an emerging markets middle class. “Brazil has made huge strides in poverty reduction and the programme has played a big part. According to the Fundaçao Getulio Vargas (FGV), a university, the number ofContinue reading “Brazil’s Bolsa Familia”

The New Middle Class in Emerging Markets: Burgeoning Buergeoisie

Articles on the middle class in emerging markets make me believe that the recent violence leading to better security in Rio de Janeiro is long-term bullish for Brazil and Emerging Markets; phases of counterinsurgency in Iraq or Afghanistan could be useful comparison — much, much less violence was seen in Brazil, though pictures of rocketContinue reading “The New Middle Class in Emerging Markets: Burgeoning Buergeoisie”