Chinese Economy World's Largest, For 50 Years

After which it could be India's turn to grab the top spot. If we extrapolate the assumptions used in one article which appeared some four years ago. Of course forecasting over such long periods is usually fraught with errors. But that doesn't look too outlandish when we remember the size of the economy of 1960 China. Besides India had the world's largest economy for 1,700 of the past 2,000 years. And Lonely Planet reminds us that Pataliputra with a circumference of 33.8km was spaceship Earth's biggest city of the Mauryan empire. 2,500 years ago.

One bet looks safer than others. It's going to be Chindia for a long time. Which makes it all the more necessary for the two giants to sort out the problems on their 2,100-mile border.

Democratisation of the Economy: Cader vs. Kee Chong

I listened through most of that debate on Radio + this afternoon and thought Kee Chong scored many political points against Cader. The latter was his usual self beating around the bush. He had little to show given that he did almost nothing during the last five years. Guess he will definitely need those 800 years to get something done.

Kee Chong also kept insisting that Sithanen has been very unfairly treated. Is he thinking that Sithanen did a great job and should have kept his job?

That would be quite a change from what he said a short couple of months ago.

Not Exactly What Karl Had in Mind

A year after the power-sharing deal had ended in 2005 the poorest 20% households had 0.3% less while the top fifth saw their share of total income increase by 1.6%. Drill down the data and you will find that in fact the top 10% got 1.8% more. Drill it some more and it turns out that 1.6% is twice what the poorest 5% households got in 2006/07 as share of the national pie. Naturally, it's absolutely fine to view the above table while listening to Soldat Lalit Militant.

Think About How the Economy has Been Managed Before You Vote

That was the 2003 invitation of Rama Sithanen to voters in riding no. 7 in the bye-election that sent Rajesh Jeetah to parliament for the first time. He further added in L'express that the real unemployment number was probably 1% higher than the official one because some 10,000 people had been taken out of the computation through the infamous Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).

It will however be more difficult for the voters in next Sunday's bye-election in constituency no. 8 to say loud and clear to the government in general and to Sithanen in particular what they thought of its managing of the economy given that the Labour Party has chickened out of the race.

But not having a candidate in this electoral contest is in itself an unambiguous indication of how bad Ramgoolam thinks things are out there. That was after he gave another mandate to the current President in last October. He seems to be getting quite desperate about his chances for 2010. Panic now appears to be within a stone's throw.

Etienne Doesn't Make the Grades

But Rashid Beebeejaun, who apparently did, reassured everybody when he said that Sinatambou is a bright guy. I found all of that kind of weird because I can't remember what Beebeejaun should be remembered for since he returned to power in 2005. As a matter of fact, I have an extremely hard time recalling what he achieved as a Minister between 1996 and 2000.

If my math is as good as yours that's a full eight years in the cabinet (1/5 of the time since the Union Jack was lowered if you prefer fractions). Granted he did not literally transform his ministerial responsibilities into a job search as one globe-trotting MSM-MMM Minister did. But then again, the latter performance hardly qualifies as a benchmark.

In a similar vein you get the impression by looking at how they work and what they say that Nita Deerpalsing and Cader Sayed-Hossen need at least 800 years each to finally achieve some tangible democratisation of the economy. And of course there is Navinchandra: 8 years as Prime Minister and all that he's achieved in the top job of the land fit comfortably on a stamp.