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		<title>Inflation Control Should Not Eat Away Growth</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/economics/inflation-control-should-not-eat-away-growth/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/economics/inflation-control-should-not-eat-away-growth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:04:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/ramkey">ramkey</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food price]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pranab Mukherjee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Run batted in]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Inflation control in India is hurting growth. This is because of wrong policies of the RBI. In USA, right policies are followed by the government but at a wrong time and hence problems are aggravated.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><u>Inflation control should not eat away growth</u></strong></p>
<p><strong><u>People are concerned about food prices</u></strong></p>
<p>It is the food price inflation that worries a vast majority of the population and not non-food inflation. It the cost of an aircraft or a ship or a car increases steeply, it will not hurt anybody, because the most frequent fliers and travellers are men of means. But food price inflation is not like that. It affects the poor people and the middle class. They will be forced to cut their food consumption and their anger will turn against the government.</p>
<p><strong><u>Government has taken steps</u></strong></p>
<p>Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee claims that it is because of the Central government&#8217;s efforts that inflation was brought down from a high of 22% in February 2010 to 8.35% now. He also stated that it will have to be brought down to 5% further to mitigate the sufferings of the people. Of course, the government has taken steps to ease the life of the poor through its MGNREGS scheme. Now, in view of the global meltdown, the high price of many commodities including crude oil is coming down and that will be a solace to India. The writing off of farmers&#8217; loans has also helped poor people a great deal. Crude oil is still ruling high above $100 per barrel in international markets. In 1991, the price of oil was $16 and when the UPA government assumed office first in 2004, it was at $36. Even after the price increase effected several times on petrol, diesel and LPG, the under recovery of oil companies worked out to a mind-boggling Rs.122000 crore.</p>
<p><strong><u>Why subsidise the rich?</u></strong></p>
<p>The government&#8217;s move to raise the diesel price for cars is correct. Why should the affordable people who own cars be subsidised? Unlike the USA, there is no Republican Party in India to oppose this move of the government. Out of the total diesel availability, 10% is used by industries, 6% by Railways, 12% by agriculture, 8% by power generation companies, 12% by buses, 37% by trucks and 15% by cars.</p>
<p><strong><u>Colossal waste</u></strong></p>
<p>C. Rangarajan says that inflation may ease in the last quarter. If the monsoon turns adverse, food price will again start rising. Food inflation this time is triggered by the rise of vegetables, fruits and eggs. 40% of the vegetables and fruits produced in India go waste every year due to lack of storing facilities. This wastage amounts to a colossal Rs.58000 crore every year &#8211; much more than the entire production of fruits and vegetables in Britain. If the government spends Rs.50000 crore alone or jointly with private sector to create cold storage facilities, then this wastage can be avoided and inflation can be controlled.</p>
<p><strong><u>Inflation will erode FD advantage</u></strong></p>
<p>Subba Rao, RBI Governor feels that rate hike is necessary to curb inflation. If inflation is due to excess money supply, then RBI Governor&#8217;s prescription is correct. But in the present context, food price hike is due to demand supply mismatch which in turn is due to wastage of food produced. Under the circumstances, an interest rate hike will not bring in the desired results. Only fiscal measures can bring the desired solution to the problem. Rate hike will only help the fixed deposit investors to enjoy more returns. But here again, the fixed deposit return can be eroded by high inflation and the investor is a net loser. But he has no choice.</p>
<p><strong><u>USA</u></strong><strong><u> doing right thing at wrong time</u></strong></p>
<p>On repeated rate hikes by RBI targeting inflation, growth can suffer. This can reduce India&#8217;s GDP growth to below 8%. RBI feels that containing inflation is crucial to growth. But the measures to contain inflation are hampering growth. In other words, the medicine is aggravating the disease. If certain policy measures are taken on a long term basis, inflation will come to more manageable levels. A cut in public expenditure gradually can help for example. This is what USA is doing now, but it is doing this right measure at a wrong time when growth is tapering. Level of subsidies provided should be reduced over a period of time. Next, an atmosphere to create growth should be made. In that case, growth can overtake inflation and it will not hurt people greatly. FDI in retail may bring about reduction in food price at the retail level due to better distribution of food items and competition. Inflation has made Indians to spend Rs.5.8 lakh crore more in the period 2008-11. Paving the way for GST will also ease the constraints and reduce inflation. Unrealistic assumptions made while fixing fiscal deficit targets have come unstuck and may hurt efforts to control inflation.</p>
<p><strong><u>RBI feels helpless</u></strong></p>
<p>RBI may be targeting inflationary control through its monetary policies. But rising commodity prices due to speculation, increased fuel subsidies and risk of overshoot in government borrowing are the factors which will make RBI&#8217;s task more difficult. In fact, RBI Governor himself admitted that inflation targeting is not feasible in India. RBI Committee has also stated that inflation will persist for more time to come. Continuing uncertainty about energy and commodity prices may damage the investment climate. A higher than budgeted fiscal deficit, negative real rates and the need to contain second round effects of the food and energy shocks will keep the central bank of a country in a tightening mode. Of course, a good farm output will bring down inflation to around 6%.</p>
<p><strong><u>Emerging economies exhibiting growth</u></strong></p>
<p>Price of grain and oil are climbing in part because of strong growth in China, India and other emerging economies. These emerging economies have shown the developed world a clean pair of heels ever since the global financial crisis began in 2008. Taming prices should not result in a trade off of growth. But at the same time, soaring prices should not be allowed to affect growth. It is a tight rope walking exercise for the Central Bank of a country and the government. Ultimately, the tool kit to fight inflation should be a mix of interest rates, exchange rates, fiscal tightening and capital controls. Prices have to be narrowed down between farm gate and the retail shop. Middlemen loot money at the cost of consumers and farmers. The government&#8217;s actual record of actions, omissions and commissions that could redress common man&#8217;s concerns about inflation leaves much to be desired.</p>
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		<title>Inflation &#8211; Stanley Fischer&#8217;s Advice Will Not Work in India</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/government/inflation-stanley-fischers-advice-will-not-work-in-india/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/government/inflation-stanley-fischers-advice-will-not-work-in-india/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:12:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/ramkey">ramkey</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pranab Mukherjee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reserve Bank of India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stanley Fischer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USA]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Stanley Fischer's advice may work in the European countries and USA. But in India, any Western remedy will not be suitable to cure the ills of the economy.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><u>Inflation &#8211; Stanley Fischer&#8217;s advice will not work in India</u></strong></p>
<p>Recently Bank of Israel Governor (our RBI Governor&#8217;s counterpart in Israel) Stanley Fischer stated that Central banks need to support price stability and efficiency of the financial system. That is said fine. But will it be possible in a country like India where the monetary policies framed by the RBI are not supported by the fiscal measures of the government? Worse still, the fiscal deficit contradicts any interest rate increase to bring about price stability. This is because fiscal measures are introduced with an eye on the next elections and with the vote bank of various groups of people in consideration whereas monetary policies are introduced by the RBI with the economy under focus.</p>
<p><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stanley_Fischer.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/readers/2011/07/27/stanleyfischer_1.jpg" alt="" width="540" height="645" border="0" /></a></p>
<p>Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stanley_Fischer.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></p>
<p>Stanley Fischer has added that an approach towards a flexible inflation targeting is the best way of conducting monetary policy for any central bank. Again correct fully. Here our RBI had been following this approach over the years since the times of Jawaharlal Nehru as the Prime Minister. But the policies had not brought about full success because of fiscal contradictions. Stanley Fischer was also a high ranking IMF official. He was in Mumbai recently to deliver a lecture on &lsquo;Central Bank: lessons from the global crisis&#8217; on the occasion of P R Brahmananda Memorial lecture.</p>
<p>Stanley Fischer stated that there is a lot the central bank can do to run an expansionary monetary policy through unconventional measures such as quantitative easing, even when it has cut the interest rates to zero as was done by the US Fed, the Bank of England, Bank of Japan and other central banks during the financial crisis. But here in India this point is of no relevance as India was not as deeply affected by the countries mentioned by Stanley Fischer in his lecture and here India the RBI has raised interest rates to combat inflation.</p>
<p>Fischer stated that the Fed became the market maker of the last resort in this regard. In fact Bank of Israel was the first among central banks to unwind monetary easing resorted to by central banks, post-global financial crisis in 2008. Here again Fischer&#8217;s remarks are useless to Indian conditions. We are not following right now any monetary easing but rather monetary tightening policies to control food price which is affecting the lives of common man.</p>
<p>On asset price bubbles, Fischer said that prior to the crisis, major central banks such as the Fed argued that a central bank should not react to asset prices and situations that it regards as bubbles until the bubble bursts. This is known as the &lsquo;mopping up approach&#8217;, which is to say, to wait for the bubble to burst and then to mop up the mess that results. There is a shift in the perspective about whether the monetary policy should react to asset price bubbles. After the crisis, this question would likely to be answered in terms of macro-prudential supervision and the possibility that regulatory measures may be employed to supplement the effects of interest rates on asset prices. In India, asset prices are decided by various other factors apart from monetary policies and hence Fischer&#8217;s observation is not applicable to Indian situation.</p>
<p>If we analyse Fischer&#8217;s speech in the lecture, we can only conclude that he had not prepared his lecture to suit the needs of India. Of course Fischer is a great economist and his points are relevant to USA and European countries. Maybe Fischer was not country-specific while preparing his lectures and talked about general world situation keeping in mind the 2008 financial crisis and his experience regarding it. There are supply side restrictions also in India while framing policies to combat inflation. For example, imports as a means to supplement domestic availability is not a viable option in India given its current account deficit which is rising from the already high 3.5% now because of the increased oil price. But RBI can certainly play a positive role in checking increased wages and higher input costs. But here again, the fiscal policies overrule the monetary policies because of vote bank politics that the political parties in power are compelled to follow. If the organised employees show their trade union power particularly in an election year, the government yields and very little can be done by the central bank to check this trend.</p>
<p>Buoyant demand conditions and rising costs can spiral inflation. Wholesale price inflation has been put upwards at 7% from 5.5% by the RBI in its recent report. Increasing the repo and reverse repo rates by a modest 0.25% will not bring about any desired effect as the retail level inflation is in double digits. Possible the RBI will have to raise the interest rates again in its monetary policy announcement due in March 2011. Industrial growth has registered lowest growth in recent years (November figure was just 2.7%). Food inflation is at a peak. In futures market, commodities like food grains and other food items are cornered by speculators thereby raising their price to an artificial level over which the RBI does not have any control. Similarly metals are also cornered in the London futures market.</p>
<p>First half of 2010-11 saw a growth rate of 8.9%. For the whole year, GDP is expected to post a growth of at least 8.5% with possibilities of an upward swing. GDP growth rate may decline if agriculture flops but there are reports of a bumper wheat crop in UP. RBI was also scared of reducing CRR rate as that would have reduced funds flow and affected industrial growth still further which will accentuate supply side pressure on inflationary spiral. In fact RBI has allowed more liquidity in the banking system by reducing SLR.</p>
<p>If food inflation persists at a higher level even after normal monsoon, it only shows that prices are artificially raised high by the black marketers and the food cartel. RBI has limited scope of dealing with this problem and only the respective state governments with law and order machinery can impose strong measures to bring the cornered food into the market to ease the price pressure.</p>
<p>In the past, the government has options to resort to imports to curb the price rise of a particular commodity. Now that option has dried up. First of all, commodity production has declined world wide. For example the Russian harvest failure caused a slump in wheat production worldwide. Next, food price has skyrocketed worldwide and it is not possible to resort to huge scale imports which will pinch on our foreign exchanges. Next, we have no storage facilities to store oil, food and other items. For example USA can store 60 days requirement of oil, Germany 90 days requirement but India does not have storage to store even 15 days requirement of oil. Therefore any import has to be contracted at spot price which is usually high.</p>
<p>Helpless, the government may have little control over inflation rearing its head time and again. We can only take satisfaction that companies have produced satisfactory performance as revealed in their unaudited financial results for the quarter ended 31.12.10 and also the GDP growth rate is quite healthy and normal. If agricultural production exceeds 4% growth, then we may just manage for the fiscal year 2010-11. For the next year 2011-12, we have to pray the weather gods to save our economy again.</p>
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		<title>Budget &#8211; No Bouquets or Brickbats</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/issues/budget-no-bouquets-or-brickbats/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/issues/budget-no-bouquets-or-brickbats/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:56:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/ramkey">ramkey</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food price]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pranab Mukherjee]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Pranab's Budget was very docile. It did good to nobody nor bad to anybody. You cannot blame his budget for the present ills of the economy.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Budget &#8211; no bouquets or brickbats</p>
<p><strong><u>&nbsp;</u></strong></p>
<p>Some financial analysts and economists say that the present inflation and high cost economy is the direct result of Pranab Mukherjee&#8217;s Budget presented in the Parliament in February 2011. In my opinion, this is a grossly exaggerated statement. Pranab&#8217;s budget was very docile &#8211; capable of doing neither good nor bad. One will take it with a pinch of salt that such a docile budget can cause a devilish impact on the economy. Let us see the budget.</p>
<p>It is neither good nor bad. This description perfectly befits the Budget 2011. Even aged people above 80 will not rejoice the budget for the tax concessions showered on them because they will have to shell out more by way of hospital bills and increased diagnostic charges. What the left hand has given, the right hand has taken away. Even in stock market this holds good. No particular sector received any bonanza and no sector has been punished also. Usually the tobacco industry receives heavy punishment at the hands of the finance minister. But this time, maybe because the FM himself is a hookah smoker and knows the problems of his compatriots, was kind enough to spare them. That is why the sensex was up initially up to 500 points but later on fluctuated to close at 120 points higher.</p>
<p>What drove the sensex further by 620 points the next day is not clear. Even international scenario is not rosy with oil prices shooting up every day and FAO warning of increased food prices in the coming months. The IT exemption limit was increased from Rs.1.60 lakh to Rs.1.80 lakh but this will give a meagre relief of Rs.2000 to the hard pressed middle class people reeling under the pressure of food price increase. The government is prepared to sell spectrum to rich telecom companies at a low price and the Prime Minister is even justifying this allocation and comparing it to the subsidies given to the poor people. But the same government is not prepared to offer something substantial to the middle class people who constitute the majority of Indian population.</p>
<p>The finance minister was also overburdened with increasing interest expenses on government borrowings and defence layout. Therefore he had no alternative to bringing some sectors like health care under tax net. If the food security bill is passed by the parliament next fiscal, it could increase the government expenses substantially. If the disinvestment target of Rs.40000 crore fails to materialise due to poor market response, then the government borrowing will shoot up and hence the interest rate also. This will affect credit offtake by core industries.</p>
<p>The budget might have benefited to sectors like big software companies, FMCG, banks, metals and autos while sectors like branded garments will be affected. Therefore investors can switchover their portfolio appropriately. Industries can celebrate the fact that the standard excise duty has been kept unchanged at 10%. Already there are good reports about manufacturing sector putting up a good show. Without increasing price of their products, industries can generate sales and profit on growing demand. Automobile sector is witnessing tremendous growth now. Another good news for the industry is the announcement of the government&#8217;s commitment to implementing GST (Goods and Services Tax). This will eliminate multi level taxation of goods and services and makes taxation a very simple affair. Moreover it is applicable throughout the country. But GST will be implemented only in 2012 and so companies will have to wait to reap its fruits.</p>
<p>But even in 2012 it is not clear how the government will go about in implementing it. This requires a constitutional amendment and the government does not have the required two thirds majority in either house of parliament to achieve this. Naturally it needs the support of other political parties and particularly that of the principal opposition BJP. But the Prime Minister accused BJP of trying to put up obstacles towards implementing GST because of the arrest of a Gujarat Minister Amit Shah by the CBI. This kind of dirty politics can spoil even a good scheme like GST. We can only hope that ultimately reason may dawn on the politicians. The appointment of Sushil Kumar Modi, deputy Chief Minister of Bihar belonging to BJP as the head of the panel on GST may pave the right path &#8211; let us hope.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Irish Inflation Reaches 30 Month High</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/education/irish-inflation-reaches-30-month-high/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/education/irish-inflation-reaches-30-month-high/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 May 2011 18:18:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/PixelatedPrince">PixelatedPrince</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[costs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[European Central Bank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insurance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ireland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Irish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[middle east]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mortgages]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rise]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Rising mortgage and oil prices bring inflation to 2&#189; year high.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Inflation in the Republic of Ireland hit a 30 month high in April, as higher mortgage costs along with surging oil prices drove up the cost of living. Inflation in April stood at 3.2 per cent on an annualised basis, up from 3.0 percent in March. This was the highest rate of inflation seen since late 2008. Inflation rates are expected to slow in the coming months, however, as government intervention will see the VAT (Value Added Tax) rate fall from 13.5 percent to 9 percent in tourism-related industries.</p>
<p>Much of the surge in the rate of inflation can be attributed to rising mortgage costs, as lenders have passed on the rising costs incurred when borrowing. Holders of variable rate mortgages have seen their rates rise by multiple &frac14;-points already this year. It is expected that recent rate rises by the European Central Bank will also drive further interest rate rises for mortgage holders. The other major driver behind inflation in April was the rising price of oil, caused by unrest in the Middle East. Year-on-year, the price of diesel has risen by 18.2 percent, while petrol prices are up 13.8 percent on average. The price of heating oil has risen by a staggering 33% in the space of the last 12 months.</p>
<p>Alcohol and tobacco prices fell slightly during the point, driven by sizeable reductions in wine and spirit prices, though beer prices climbed marginally. The price of furnishings, food products and clothing fell during April, but insurance costs rose, as premiums on health, car and house insurance all climbed. Inflation has primarily been driven by external factors, as the domestic economy remains in a weakened state, and is set to remain so for the visible future.</p>
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		<title>The Effects of Imperialism on The United Kingdom</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/issues/the-effects-of-imperialism-on-the-united-kingdom/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/issues/the-effects-of-imperialism-on-the-united-kingdom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:09:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/John+D.">John D.</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[britain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[effects]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[geography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Imperialism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industrial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Revolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wages]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Analysis on the effects of British imperialism in the 1800s-early 1900s on its own country.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many countries around the world, and especially in Europe, sought to expand their territory in the 1800s, with great reasons for doing so. The United States, for example, needed some &#8220;elbow room&#8221; and expanded west by the Louisiana Purchase and subsequent annexations. However, other countries had different reasons for land expansion. Britain, for example, took over various areas in Africa and Asia, through imperialism, or the domination of by one country of the political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region. They saw specific effects and consequences, such as a stronger military and political force, increased trade, and social reforms. All in all, British imperialism had economic, political, geographic, and social effects upon their own country.</p>
<p>Before mentioning the effects of imperialism on Britain, let us first discuss the motives for it. Some of the motives for imperialism for Britain involved economic, social, and political reasons. In the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution led to greater demand for raw materials to mass produce commodities, such as clothing, weapons, and newer appliances. Another cause was the use of expansion as an excuse to diminish labor class discontent. Some British politicians and economists provided imperialism as a way to appease the anger of labor unions and the working class. Yet another motivation was the humanitarian need to help and aid more primitive peoples by setting up missions and hospitals to care for them. Finally, a little competition from neighboring countries such as France and Germany pushed Britain to imperialize. Regardless of the motives, imperialism ultimately helped Britain to rise up as a worldwide power, as shown in the following paragraphs.</p>
<p>Imperialism allowed Britain to have a stronger economy and free market. Before the expansion of the British Empire, many economists and investors were looking for new markets to sell their products and goods to. Many products, such as textiles and leather, were overproduced, and needed consumers to balance out the supply. Annexing other countries allowed them to sell to new markets and, therefore, new consumers, ultimately boosting the local economy. Another economic effect was cheap and abundant labor for production of goods. Much like today&rsquo;s outsourcing of businesses to other countries, Britain was able to save money on production costs by producing commodities in annexed nations. For example, in India, massive tea, cotton, and jute plantations were run by wealthy British landowners and required little overhead to maintain. Finally, imperialism allowed Britain to tax their colonies and monopolize certain raw goods. This was most famously exhibited by the Stamp Act, Molasses Act, and various other taxes and tariffs upon the Thirteen Colonies, which led to the Boston Tea Party and the subsequent American Revolution.</p>
<p>British imperialism also had political effects on their own country. As trade increased and the economy prospered, many middle and working class residents started to support the government. They saw Britain as a powerful and mighty empire, ready to take on the future. Starting in 1831, Queen Victoria reigned over some 300 million subjects worldwide and gained worldwide popularity as the empire expanded.</p>
<p>Imperialism also had social effects on Britain. A result of the expanding economy was the growth of capitalist ventures and investments in novel ideas and inventions. For example, the Corn Laws were repealed in the 1820s in order to accommodate free trade. This in turn greatly increased the power of liberals and capitalists. The middle and working class also benefited from imperialism. As more money was available for government spending, labor reforms improved the lives of countless workers. In 1847, women and children were, by law, limited to work a maximum of ten hours a day. Soon after, the government started sending inspectors to regulate the safety conditions of factories and mines. Other laws included setting a minimum wage and maximum hours of work. Other reforms included accident and health insurance, and pensions for older people.</p>
<p>One of the effects of imperialism was changes in geography. The increase in British lands allowed Britain to have more profitable and tillable land for agriculture, which fueled the economy, as mentioned earlier. Other effects included more resources, such as flax, rubber, spices, cash crops, and produce for consumers in Britain. Expansion also opened up more trade routes and ports, allowing increased efficiency of trade. When the Suez Canal was built in British-controlled Egypt, the shipping route from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea was significantly shortened from thousands of miles to just 101 miles.</p>
<p>In conclusion, there were economic, political, geographic, and social effects in Britain due to its imperialism. As they expanded their borders and conquered worldwide regions, their economy, political power, social class system, and geography changed, each overlapping to influence the other. For example, more efficient trade routes (a geographic effect) helped move supplies around the empire more quickly, helping free trade and the economy prosper (an economic effect). Although imperialism has now faded away due to ethical and political concerns, those effects led to massive reforms in the country&#8217;s labor, work ethics, economy, and government.</p>
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		<title>Man and Environment</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/issues/man-and-environment/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/issues/man-and-environment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:59:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/mmblxbx">mmblxbx</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carbon dioxide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[damage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[duty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[earth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[man]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[manufacturing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[outlook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-center]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Man is an integral part of the environment, and yet he is the arch-enemy of it.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Man is an integral part of the environment, and yet he is the arch-enemy of it. In the quest to make life even simpler and more luxurious, he has turned a blind eye to the damage caused to the environment. Our need to get the most out of everything has made us neglect the environment, although we all know that our very existence depends upon it. A careful analysis of why there are imbalances in the environment will highlight numerous mistakes and aberrations on our part.</p>
<p>Primarily our world had been divided into two major categories based on the quality of life-developed and developing.The problem in the&#8221;Developed&#8221; is this that most of the countries have not attained this status without damaging the environment. Every element of the environment, be it land or water, has been exploited.<br />In order to progress every country needs to set up industries for manufacturing essential commodities. Both developed and developing countries have extensive set-up of such industries that cause more pollution than any other thing on the planet.</p>
<p>The amount of carbon dioxide has already reached dangerous levels. Carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas, is the main cause of global warming. It has been reported that the average global surface temperature has been risen by 0.56 degree C. Which has resulted in melting of antarctic ice-caps thereby making sea-level rise.<br />If people understand their duties and change their outlook a bit, the problem can be readily solved.</p>
<p>The second trait that has lead to the damage of the environment is self-centredness. The motto of people now goes like &#8221; If it suits you, carry on and forget about everything else&#8221;. Unfortunately the word &#8220;everything&#8221; in that seems to refer to the environment because it is that one thing which everyone tends to forget about, so it should not be surprising that after enduring so much, the environment also runs out of patience sometimes. And then it&#8217;s fury is unleashed in forms of natural-disasters.</p>
<p>It is the time man undid the damage done to his surroundings. Both the developed and the developing nations should come together to protect the environment.<br />At the end of the day we must understand that maintaining the balance would not only help us but more importantly, would ensure he very existence of life on earth.</p>
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		<title>Why We Raised The Price of Gas</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/issues/why-we-raised-the-price-of-gas/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/issues/why-we-raised-the-price-of-gas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:54:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/sihana">sihana</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[global]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[obesity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[price]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Warming]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[A proposed ad to be published in major newspapers and stupid websites such as Yahoo.com.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><p>Following the recent increase in gas prices there was some public outcry accusing us, your favorite oil companies, of greed and corruption. The reality, however, is that nothing can be farther from the truth. Most environmentalists agree that an increase in gas prices results in reduction of green house gases emissions, thus slowing the global warming. Another positive effect of that price increase is a rise in food prices which many economists believe will lead to less food consumption and thus help in our efforts to reduce obesity. It is such considerations, rather than greed which we loath, that convinced us to raise the price of gas.</p>
<p>It may seem to some that we do not have any expenses and this, too, is far from being true. In addition to the bribes we have to pay the rulers of the oil-producing countries we also have to donate large amounts of money to the campaign funds of most US politicians in order to prevent any investigations of our price policies. Just the donations to congressmen alone, without taking account of local politicians, use a major part of our increased profits.</p>
<p>Remeber, gas is still cheaper than other common commodities such as coffee in Times Square or champaign in Champs Elysees.</p>
<p>We therefore reject all the allegations against us and will be more than happy to supply all your energy needs as long as you&#8217;re stupid enough to pay.</p>
<p>Your beloved oil companies</p></p>
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		<title>Gold: At It&#8217;s Highest Price?</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/economics/gold-at-its-highest-price/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/economics/gold-at-its-highest-price/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:27:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/raph1612">raph1612</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bullion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gold]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[specie]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[What is Gold? What is it worth?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:3sovriegns.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2009/06/24/3sovriegns_1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>
<p>Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:3sovriegns.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></p>
<p>Gold, also known as the element &#8220;Au&#8221; on the periodic table, has been popular since it was first&nbsp;disocvered in turkey in 600 bc, which&nbsp;was soon after used in their coins.&nbsp;The ancient people understood how rare and difficult to find gold was, and it was a treat for only the rich. Kings and other rulers had as much gold as they could around them, because it was a sign of power, wealth and conquest. The more gold you could bring back home the better a ruler you were. Gold was and still is seen by many as the&nbsp;prettyest element. It&#8217;s the only shiny yellow element.&nbsp;During medieval time gold was used to cure the sick, while it was believed that anything that looked nice was healthy. In modern day gold is still used in making Jewelry,&nbsp;Dentistry, and other precious items are often plated with gold. &nbsp;</p>
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		<title>The Recession and Canada</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/economics/the-recession-and-canada/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/economics/the-recession-and-canada/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:05:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/ecrivan+wordwizard">ecrivan wordwizard</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interest rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mortgage rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recession]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sweden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[US]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WWII]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[How being in this country is not so bad as being in many other countries during this economic crisis.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am supposed to feel relaxed compared to my colleagues living in the US although I should still be sorry when there is less stability in the market. Last night I watched a commentary on the repercussions of the crash in American stocks outside of the US and I came to conclusion that I should be alert about certain changes but not alarmed. Apparently Canada is fortunate to be one of the fortunate countries to be less hurt by this recent economic storm. Here are ten reasons why.</p>
<ol>
<li> Canada has less a banking system, which is not as much a risk taker as its American counterpart. This maybe due to our history of not being as much a gambler as our cousin is in remaining in perpetrating open ended conflicts and allowing the housing market to go wildly in debt.</li>
<li> Canada has other banking rules, which make it less vulnerable than those risk takers. We invest but the rules required by lenders is much more stringent, I understand.</li>
<li> Canada has fewer bank branches, which can be affected by the current drop in lending rates. This means fewer banks will lose less money on account of the faulty borrowing that has been going on.</li>
<li> Interest rates in Canada are likely to remain low compared to American counterparts but mortgage rates are expected to increase. Lower interest rates will invite more people to borrow and will stimulate the economy (as long as those people are solvent).</li>
<li> Canada is on the top of the list of the most stable banks. Sweden is second. Both these countries enjoy a relatively high standard of living and attract a good deal of foreign investment even during difficult times.</li>
<li> People have lost billions south of the border. Thankfully the amount of money lost through the Canadian system has been much smaller.</li>
<li> Our jobless rate is less than half of what it was in the early eighties when the recession was the worst since the WWII</li>
<li> There will be cuts in the demand for our commodities but those will be less in proportion than those felt by our American friends</li>
<li> Economic growth is predicted to be smaller but not negative as can be other harder hit countries</li>
<li> Banks will continue to cut interest rates to help vitalize economic growth through this economic slump</li>
</ol>
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		<title>The Suez and Panama Canals: Two Shipping Canals of Great Importance</title>
		<link>http://socyberty.com/history/the-suez-and-panama-canals-two-shipping-canals-of-great-importance-2/</link>
		<comments>http://socyberty.com/history/the-suez-and-panama-canals-two-shipping-canals-of-great-importance-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:21:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><a target="_blank" href="http://www.triond.com/users/nobert+soloria+bermosa">nobert soloria bermosa</a></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[1902]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[commodities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[de]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[egypt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[engineering]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Ferdinand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[import]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Mediterranean]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[of]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Panama]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Suez]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Can you imagine how long it would take for goods to reach their destination if the Panama and Suez canals were not built?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Could you imagine how long it would take for goods (either imported or exported) to reached its destiny if Panama and Suez canals were not built?</p>
<p>Even with the emergence of modern -day aircrafts that made transportation swift, ships are still and will always be of major importance for the transportation industry, specifically in the transportation of commodity goods worldwide.</p>
<p>First, it is much cheaper than air transportation. Energy consumption of an airplane is far greater than consumption of a ship.</p>
<p>Second, it is by far safer to travel on water than on air. When a plane crushes, survival rate is almost zero. Whereas, when a ship submerges, there is still a big chance to survive.</p>
<p>And lastly, ships can transport more cargoes than airplanes, thought ships travel much slower.</p>
<p>And because of these, the Suez and Panama canals play a major role in the transportation of export and import products worldwide. And both are vital too, in the tourism industry.</p>
<h3>Map of the Suez Canal</h3>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/socyberty/2008/04/08/140996_0.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>A view of the Suez Canal</h3>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/socyberty/2008/04/08/140996_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>SUEZ CANAL</h3>
<p>Suez Canal is a ship canal in Egypt and a major navigational route for world trade. It crosses the Isthmus of Suez and links the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, an arm of the Red Sea.</p>
<p>The Isthmus of Suez connects the continents of Asia and Africa</p>
<h3>IMPORTANCE:</h3>
<p>It eliminates the long voyage around Africa for ships traveling between East and West. Thus, saving lots of money time and effort and thereby, reducing the risks of voyage from calamities like typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, and others.</p>
<h3>REASON WHY CONSTRUCTION WAS EASIER AND CHEAPER:</h3>
<p>It has no locks because there is virtually no difference in the levels of the Mediterranean and Red Seas.</p>
<h3>BUILDER:</h3>
<p>Ferdinand de Lesseps &#8211; a French diplomat and engineer.</p>
<h3>COMPANY:</h3>
<p>Suez Canal Company</p>
<h3>DURATION OF CONSTRUCTION:</h3>
<p>It took ten years to complete the canal from 1859 to 1869.</p>
<h3>LENGTH:</h3>
<p>The length of the canal is slightly more than 100 miles (160 km.)</p>
<h3>COST:</h3>
<p>$100,000,000.00</p>
<h3>OPENED:</h3>
<p>November, 1869</p>
<h3>A view of the Panama Canal</h3>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/socyberty/2008/04/08/140996_3.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>PANAMA CANAL</h3>
<p>Panama Canal is a ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama joining the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is an impressive engineering feat.</p>
<p>The Isthmus of Panama connects the continents of North America and South America.</p>
<h3>IMPORTANCE:</h3>
<p>It eliminates the long journey around South America for ships traveling between East and West. Thus, saving lots of money time and effort and thereby, reducing the risks of voyage from calamities like typhoons, hurricanes, tornadoes, and others</p>
<h3>REASONS WHY CONSTRUCTION WAS HARDER AND MORE EXPENSIVE:</h3>
<ol>
<li>The Panama Canal has locks to raise and lower ships because the water levels of Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are different.</li>
<li> Outbreak of Yellow fever and malaria during the construction period</li>
<li> Massive machines were needed to dig through solid rocks.</li>
<li> Frequent landslides.</li>
<li>Temporary railways was built to transport men and supplies</li>
<li> Average labor force was 40,000 men.</li>
</ol>
<h3>BUILDER:</h3>
<ol>
<li> Ferdinand de Lesseps began the construction but went bankrupt.</li>
<li>The US took over through the Spooners Act of 1902 passed by the US Congress.</li>
</ol>
<h3>COMPANY:</h3>
<p>Isthmian Canal Company</p>
<h3>DURATION OF CONSTRUCTION:</h3>
<p>10 years from 1904 to 19914</p>
<h3>LENGTH:</h3>
<p>The length of the canal is 50 miles (80 km.) half the length of Suez Canal.</p>
<h3>COST:</h3>
<p>$366,650,000.00. It cost more than three times as much the cost of Suez Canal.</p>
<h3>OPENED:</h3>
<p>1914</p>
<p>
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<h3><strong>For more articles in History see</strong></h3>
<h3><strong><a href="http://www.socyberty.com/History/Top-10-Most-Famous-and-Historically-Significant-Tombs-in-the-World.260513" target="_blank">Top Ten Most Famous and Historically Significant Tombs in the World</a></strong></h3>
<h3><strong><a href="http://www.socyberty.com/History/Modern-day-Heroes.118912" target="_blank">Modern-day Heroes</a></strong></h3>
<h3><strong><a href="http://www.socyberty.com/History/The-Most-Horrifying-Mass-Killings-of-Civilians-by-Bombing-in-History.347477" target="_blank">The Most Horrifying Mass Killings of Civilians (by Bombing) in History</a></strong></h3>
<h3><strong><a href="http://www.socyberty.com/History/The-Most-Horrifying-Political-Mass-Murders-in-History.339379" target="_blank">The Most Horrifying Political Mass Murders in History</a></strong></h3>
<h3><strong><a href="http://www.purpleslinky.com/Trivia/Why-is-Greenland-Just-an-Island-Not-a-Continent.332227" target="_blank">Why is Greenland Just an Island Not a Continent?</a></strong></h3>
<h3><strong><a href="http://www.socyberty.com/History/Philippine-Events-with-Great-Impact-and-Importance-in-World-History.292847" target="_blank">Philippine Events with Great Impact and Significance in World History</a></strong></h3>
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