Sanjeev Sabhlok's Tumblr blog

The answer is very simple and abrupt: Get out of the way.

This is a quick note in response to Timur Kuran’s comment on BBC the other day (here) in which he reminded us that the corporation was the distinguishing institution that underpinned European economic growth and allowed it to overtake the Islamic Ottoman Empire (Islamic law did not encourage such unlimited liability concepts).

This is an intriguing question that I’ve not paid much attention to, but came across analysis which shows that “while the number of cellphones on the road has skyrocketed in recent decades, traffic deaths and traffic accidents have declined” [Source].

Since 1995, there’s been an eightfold increase in cellphone subscribers in the United States, and we’ve increased the number of minutes spent on cellphones by a factor of 58. What’s happened to traffic fatalities in that time? They’ve…

A few days ago I mentioned that Harold Demsetz kindly sent me a signed copy of his book, From Economic man to Economic System, a gift that I will always treasure.

I made a calculation today that shocked me.

It appears that there is a serious conflict between the Australian pension system and the Australian superannuation system. One promises to pay out a good amount of TAX-FREE money after age 67. The other motivates you to save (through tax benefits) so that you can presumably get a “higher” level of income in old age without needing to access the age pension.

But why would anyone (particularly an economist) reject the offer of free money? The…

Leaving aside the question of biased referencing of the “science” by IPCC (its main writers have been citing each other, like a small club), it turns out that 30.15 per cent of IPCC references were to ‘grey literature’ (things like this blog). [Source]

I know there are still a few die-hards who refuse to admit that:

(a) IPCC is a close-knit POLITICAL coterie that cherry picks papers, lies and fudges at every step;

(b) there is NO CONSENSUS among “97 per cent” of “climate scientists”…

People find it VERY HARD to understand what I’m saying, so I’ve go to keep trying different ways of saying the same thing.

I wrote that a bigger population is richer. Most commentators got even more confused than ever before.

What I’m saying is that the SHEER NUMBER OF PEOPLE IS NEVER A PROBLEM. Indeed, on average, a larger population is more productive because of network effects, and adoption of ideas from smarter people.

If at all there’s a problem with population it is because…

Team Anna is in shambles. India Against Corruption is in shambles.

Anna Hazare still holds a lot of respect, but he needs to fix the problems in his team.

Raju Parulekar has published the following blog post in which he he notes that Lokpal bill CAN’T REMOVE CORRUPTION. What is needed (as I’ve been saying for 13 years now) is SYSTEMIC change. The book, BFN outlines how.

In Parulekar’s words: “What we really need is proper order in this country which will bring systemic change and…

Truly heart warming news from India:

“We have wasted a lot of time in acrimonious debate in the past. The time has come to write a new chapter in relations,” Dr. Singh said

The decision to move towards a Preferential Trade Agreement with Pakistan under SAFTA that will lead to zero customs duty on all traded goods by 2016

He also said a liberalised visa regime to replace the current onerous system would be implemented soon. [Source]

Both India and Pakistan (and Bangladesh) are…

For those in India who are DEEPLY confused about population (and are likely to remain so, given that our socialist education system has not taught them to think critically), here’s a VERY SIMPLE table.

hope this at least raises a few questions in their mind, if not making clear the underlying dynamics of this reality.

(I’ve not verified this data but it…