-
Recent Posts
- Reading Nov-Dec 2025 and Jan 2026
- AI as an existential threat – Kevane preliminary draft
- “What can it do?” A living list of computational problems that deep learning/AI/neural nets can or seems likely to “do” (at varying cost and efficacy)
- Reading August-September 2025
- The typical popular sci-fi version of AI posing an existential risk?
Archives
Categories
Friends of African Village Libraries (I post regularly here)- Sumbrungu Community Library nighttime reading
- Résumé du livre Une grande mère criminelle
- Organisation d’une séance de discussion autour d’un livre à la bibliothèque de Dimikuy
- Librarians of Tuy monthly meeting January 2026, Burkina Faso
- Impressions sur la production de livres CMH au Burkina Faso
- Compte rendu de la première rencontre des gérants de la zone du Tuy
- Science fiction books for libraries in Burkina Faso and Ghana
- Animation d’une séance de lecture à la bibliothèque de Dimikuy
- Nyariga Community Library in Ghana, photos January 2026
- Visite à la bibliothèque de Béréba, Burkina Faso
Category Archives: International trade issues
Some tariff basics?
Context Consider a country in South America, say Bolivia. The population is about 12 million, with about a third living in rural areas. GDP per capita in 2025 might be around $4,000 per capita. There is significant inequality, so cities … Continue reading
Posted in Development thinking, International trade issues, Teaching international trade
Tagged china, economics, Economy, politics, tariffs
Comments Off on Some tariff basics?
How much is the Trump trade war helping African consumers of soybean?
According to the IITA, Africa imports about 1.5 million tons of soybean a year. Let’s say that Trump’s trade war with China has been the reason that soybean prices have fallen from $10 a bushel to $7.50 a bushel over … Continue reading
Posted in Burkina Faso, International trade issues
Comments Off on How much is the Trump trade war helping African consumers of soybean?
More on the TPP trade talks from WikiLeaks
Two of the more contentious areas in the IP area relate to copyright and pharmaceuticals.For example, current patent law allows drug companies a monopoly on drugs they have created for a defined period, meaning other companies are not allowed to … Continue reading
Posted in International trade issues
Comments Off on More on the TPP trade talks from WikiLeaks
TPP trade talks are making the news
Over the last year or two, critics of trade agreements have stepped up their attacks on the “secrecy” of trade negotiations. Discussing these agreements behind closed doors, or only with corporate advisers, they argue, undermines democracy and the rule of … Continue reading
Posted in International trade issues
Comments Off on TPP trade talks are making the news
Investor rights and environmental rights in the OceanaGold case
An Australian-Canadian mining company, OceanaGold, is suing the Salvadoran government for refusing to grant it a gold-mining permit to its subsidiary, Pacific Rim. Manuel Pérez-Rocha, a researcher at the Institute for Policy Studies, explained the situation: “OceanaGold is demanding more … Continue reading
Posted in International trade issues
Comments Off on Investor rights and environmental rights in the OceanaGold case