To accurately characterise Bitcoin and predict its trajectory in the decade ahead, it helps to revisit the message embedded in its genesis block: “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks”. Bitcoin kicked off the blockchain revolution and became a poster child of fintech. Over time, it is regarded as a monetary… Continue reading Is Bitcoin a Technology or Ideology?
Tag: Politics
The Spirit of 1776 vs. The Spirit of 2016
The Spirit of 1776, by Archibald Willard, represents the zeitgeist of the American Revolution. It refers to the attitude of self-determination and individual liberty. The Spirit of 2016, by David Parkins for The Economist, typifies the global sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US president. It is an unsettling zest for tribalism and authoritarianism.
Factionalism in War and Peace
In Tolstoy's War and Peace, Prince Andrey enumerated the factions within the Russian high command during Napoleon's invasion. You usually see the full range or a subset of these dynamics as a group responds to situations. Rigid military theorists Non-planners favoring spontaneous actions Courtiers reconciling the first two groups Advocates of surrendering to Napoleon Adherents… Continue reading Factionalism in War and Peace
The Political Logic of China’s GDP Growth Target
I'm a political analyst, not an economist. But in many situations, it's more than enough for me to understand the logic behind the Chinese economy. As an important example: in the March 2016 National People's Congress session, why did Xi Jinping set 6.5% as the GDP growth target for the next 5 years? This number… Continue reading The Political Logic of China’s GDP Growth Target
On Posture
In politics, posture is very important. This includes physical posture. The picture shows Japan's surrender to China at the end of WWII. Standing on the left and right are the Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese (Ho Ying-chin) and the Japanese (Yasuji Okaruma) Army respectively. It looks as if China was bowing to Japan. The relative heights… Continue reading On Posture
Andy Yee 