This week in Editors’ Picks, we take a look at Bitcoin’s unexpectedly continuing success, the increasingly impenetrable Australian housing market, the impact of the situation in Crimea on Australian beef exports, how using Garamond can save the US Government millions and the ideological background of China’s one-child policy.
Bitcoin’s strength lies in its libertarian status – Sam Dallyn
Bitcoin has weathered it all: from negative publicity and exchange site woes to being declared illegal in Russia, yet how does it continue on with a strong exchange rate of $500-600? Sam Dallyn explores the political and ideological factors behind how Bitcoin defies standard economic reasoning.
House prices enter danger zone – Rebecca Thistleton
In an economic climate of rising unemployment and slow GDP growth, the housing sector is an anomalous situation, recently becoming the most stretched housing market amongst English-speaking countries. Rebecca Thistleton considers its resultant macroeconomic implications and how the RBA will manage this volatile sector.
Russian ban of Australian beef imports ‘premature’ says the Department of Agriculture – Olivia Garnett
Olivia Garnett examines the political and alleged health reasons why Russia has recently banned all Australian beef exports, potentially threatening hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of revenue.
Teen to government: Change your typeface, save millions – Madeleine Stix
Grade 6 student Suvir Mirchandani’s novel idea of US Federal and State governments saving up to $400 million by switching to a Garamond typeface ignited global media coverage. Madeleine Stix explores how a school science project became a potential fiscal solution.
Malthus, not Mao, inspired this horrible Chinese experiment – Matt Ridley
As China’s controversial one-child policy gradually draws to a close, analysis granted by hindsight has been scathingly critical. Matt Ridley draws upon Harvard anthropology professor Susan Greenhalgh’s ground-breaking research to report how, far from being a Maoist doctrine, the policy instead has its roots in population pessimist Thomas Malthus’ ideas and overly-simplistic mathematics.