Taken to Task

Guilty as charged, I guess! For those unfamiliar with the expression, being "taken to task" means being reprimanded for failing to do something - which in my case related to this Blog. For some time now I have been less consistent in writing. This has been partly because the "viewing" statistics that I track suggest that I get a lot of hits if I write about the Hong Kong or Dubai economies, and less so if I go off on a different course. My concerns have therefore centred on the wisdom of writing frequently about subjects where at times there is not much happening, and therefore writing for the sake of it, or where those topics are well covered by others - and with whose opinions I agree.

Well, fair enough said the critics, but actually we read the other stuff too because we find it interesting, and also not everyone reads the same commentaries that you do, so your view is still valid. Thank you for the clarity and support, so off we go again with a little more consistent frequency of output. For those critics of my "apparent obsession" with anti USA or anti UK comments - you don't have to read them, and anyway, I still maintain I keep a balance. After all I note with some, admittedly perverse, pleasure that Mr. van der Kamp is back at the SCMP in Hong Kong, and keeping a balance has generally eluded him - and yet I still read him from time to time!

So, there are a few things going on in this world of ours that probably lend themselves to comment. House prices in Hong Kong seem to remain on top of the list here, together with the penalties to be extracted if you leave your car engine running for more than three minutes when stationery - rest of the world - except Toronto - please note! (I can just see the traffic wardens waiting by "human controlled" Stop/Go signs at road works, timing the three minutes - should make a lot of money that way).

Interest rates, which can help make or break the economic recovery are just beginning to stick their heads above the parapet, particularly in the USA where the cost of financing America's debt is about to get more expensive, especially if China continues to offload US Treasury Bills.

Elections in Britain are looming – and I just left the UK in the nick of time. Out before the volcanic ash stopped all UK flight movements, and before the "leaders" of the three main parties had their big publicly televised debate. The first of its kind in Britain (actually, on both counts), but the debate was hardly volcanic. It seems that Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats emerged the surprising victor. How much Britain really loves the underdog will be demonstrated on May 6 when they go to the polls, but I think the winner is likely to be the party that manages to secure the services of Vince Cable, the Lib Dems financial spokesperson. He won the debate between himself, Osborne (Conservative) and Darling (Labour) - but as I just don't see the Liberal Democrats getting into power (other than as the swing vote in a "hung" parliament"), Cable is going to be the force to be reckoned with.

China still heads the list of topics for most people I meet outside Asia, and for many inside. Sad to see that natural disasters (yet another big earthquake), and unnatural disasters (coal mining troubles) still plague them. You can do nothing about the former other than be prepared, but you can deal with the latter. However, the most significant talking points in relation to China are going to take place in the run up to 2012 with the transfer of power to the next generation. A process that will be subject to much rumour and speculation - and of course the predictions by many pundits who claim to have the inside knowledge track. We shall see.

That is, of course, as long as the world doesn't end in 2012. Let’s be honest, the crazy weather changes together with the extremes of wind, waves and earth movements we have been having of late do nothing to soothe the troubled breasts of those who believe in the doomsday scenario!! Me? I am a fatalist. Live each day you are given to the best of your ability. Be nice to one another, irrespective of the differences between us because one thing is constant - we are all human beings!