Posted in coffee, decisions decisions, economics, perception on June 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Today I was at Rwandex, as I am from time to time, when one of the Rwandan quality controllers saw me watching a couple dozen women sorting coffee by hand.
“Do you know how much they pay those women?” He asked me.
“No, how much?”
“I think it’s about 1.3 dollars for one 60-kilo bag.”
“Would you work for [...]
Posted in economics, parable, perception on February 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
For many in the US, the word “recycling” conjures up images of plastic bins that in many cases do a better job collecting rainwater than anything else. Recycling is thus perceived in the same way as that particular example of it: inconvenient drudgery with altruism as the main motivator. What this misses, however, is that [...]
Posted in aphoristic goodness, perception, politik on January 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Those who display the most vehement distrust in the ability of their government to act well in domestic affairs will often be the most fervent believers in the ability of their government to act well in foreign affairs.
The opposite also holds.
Posted in income, perception, statistics on November 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Ask anyone on the street these days about middle class incomes and, if they don’t threaten to mace you if you don’t please step away, they might tell you a sad story of stagnation. Adjusting for inflation, the typical household is earning but a pittance more than the 1970s, while all the gains in wealth [...]
