2012: The Year in Review (Q4)

October: PRB report published. Big B turns 70. Felix goes supersonic. Biden-Ryan debate felt more presidential. Apple launches the iPad mini. Gotham prepares for Sandy's visit.

November: Boolell explains Romney's defeat. Zlatan christens stadium with wonder goal. 44% of poll see sweep for Remake. Jimi turns 70. How you know a politician is a socialist. Killer to strike again. Hard-earned anti-inflation credibility at risk.

December: PM claims large victory in village elections. A good reason for men to quit smoking. Municipal voters send multiple signals. Sitar genius dead at 92. State fails more than 9,000 CPE students. Obama reacts to Connecticut tragedy. Kozelidir Person of the Year 2012 attributed to the CPE student for putting up with a badly designed learning process.
     
Read the review for Q1, Q2, Q3.

Biden-Ryan Debate Felt More Presidential

Than the one Romney won against Obama. Biden was definitely more confident and slammed his opponent with the 47% controversy. It was also a very relevant debate for us here in Mauritius because we are grappling with almost identical issues (save the military ones): low and unsustainable tax rates that create a debt mountain and hinder growth, competitiveness (btw, no one advocated any idiotic "competitive depreciation"), health care and even abortion.

The moderator, Martha Raddatz, did a terrific job: she was not complacent and asked many good questions that allowed her to stay in control of the hostilities. And fair.

Here's a chance for you to catch-up if you missed it.

Obama Meets Challenger in Debate

The first of three. They will be discussing domestic policy and veteran Jim Lehrer will moderate the hostilities. Starts at 9PM EST which means 5AM in Dodoland. So set your alarm.

Barack is going into this debate with a 4% lead over Mitt and on track to be the first $1 billion Presidential candidate this month. Or about 10% more than the GOP's total. Costly campaign, eh? Both sides will then buy huge amounts of advertisement time and space to try to make a difference on Tuesday November 6.

UoM Students Unconvinced By Sithanen Electoral Proposal

With one student getting an ovation after rightly concluding that his reform proposal doesn't solve anything. Others have concluded that his explanation was opaque. I guess a bit like his stimulus package and economic policies.

I hope he was brave enough to explain the main purpose of his proposal: reduce the democratic space. Something which would have helped some of Karl's children see clearer.

Debate at Keats College

The Debate Can Now Happen

Between the two zinku who have been Minister of Finance given that the last hurdle that was preventing it to happen has now been overcome: the junior one is now also not even a member of a district council.

As I've said before I am prepared to be the moderator for this debate between our two former chancellors. Possible topics include:

1. How much gold should go in our reserves portfolio?
2. The fallacy of the triple external shocks argument
3. The relationship between tax rates and growth rates
4. The effect of a flat tax on income distribution
5. Inflation, the worst enemy of the poor
6. Chronic rupee depreciation and living standards
7. How to destabilize the Governor of the Central Bank
8. The effect of savat leponz and gato pima on the eradication of poverty
9. Putting incompetent buddies in positions of high responsibility
10. Borrowing billions we don't need from the World Bank and what it's like being a Bretton-Woods puppet

That's a tentative list of course. So gentlemen, how fast can it happen?

Kozelidir Media Resources 3

Hein, ala enn lot ti deposit.

Eski u met sulye avan soset (pu kompran toll road)

Depresyasyon ek satini lapo pipengaye pa parey sa

Linflasyon dimunn mizer plis elve

Linflasyon se kuma radioaktivite

Enn minis de finans se pa enn peroke

U anvi amelyore relasyon indistriel?

FDI sipoze fer nu vinn plis ris

Kozelidir Media Resources 2

Here's a second installment. Enjoy!

Pu Moris vinn pli riss

Kan depresiasyon vinn ene maladi

To krwasans en dollar komie

Prodwi ek lindistri ena zot sikl

Kifer li pa grav si enn lentrepriz ferme

Prev politik ki reform ekonomik ti mari dan dife

Kuma Sithanen inn fer Moris vinn plis vilnerab

Komie FDI bizin pu met nu pei korek?

Kifer IRS finn mor

Kozelidir Media Resources

I am making a number of sound bites that deal specifically with crucially important issues available to media people. Students of economics and citizens wishing to get their facts right will also find them quite useful. Think of it as another small contribution to raise the level of debate in our country.

Kifer entrepriz gayn problem

Eski bizin sov bann entrepriz

Santaz Bann Gourma Laminn Dipin (kuma u konne wen entreprener)

Kuma pe touye nu lekonomi

Ki fer nun perdi 25,000 jobs dan textil

Amenn sa baget mazik la (lala na pa ti la)

Don remed mem ler pa malad (pu kompran stimilis pakeg)

Ena resofe ladan mam (kuma nun turn en ron)

Last Prime Ministerial Debate Starts in One Hour

For the UK elections of May 6. Gordon Brown will be facing off the two other leaders who want his job on the economy. That should be interesting given the beating the British economy has taken with the financial crisis.

Why can't the MBC arrange for a debate between Ramgoolam and Berenger so that they come and explain to us what they want to do with our economy?

Are you sure we're in 2010?

Political Leaders Show Little Respect For Our Democracy

Manifestos are still not out less than 12 days before Mauritius goes to vote. In 2005, I think Labour released it 9 days before July 3rd. Technically, they can still beat this poor record if it becomes available in the week-end. I don't think the MMM did any better.

And of course Ramgoolam and Berenger will not face off in any televised live debate and grilled by a discerning audience. Unlike what's going on in the UK these days.