It’s almost a decade after the Berlin Wall has fallen, and Russia is coming to grips with the introduction American “culture” in their country. As President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev was responsible for the dissolution of the USSR. The resulting economic transition was confusing for many, as the advertisement shows disagreement among family members about the state of Russia in the years following the end of Soviet rule.
Last Week Tonight — Wealth Gap
John Oliver looks at the wealth gap in the United States following the announcement by President Obama that income inequality was “the defining challenge of our time.” Critics immediately accused the President of class warfare. Oliver discusses popular reasons for growing inequality but also highlights some of the current policies that contribute to its growth. An interesting extension of his coverage on the estate tax is a framing argument that by simply telling people the threshold required to pay those taxes can cause people to switch their support for the tax.
Milton Friedman — Free Trade and the Steel Industry
Dr. Friedman discusses the benefits of free trade and the inconsistencies of placing tariffs and quotas on the steel industry in order to increase domestic production. He notes (around the 2:00 minute mark) that allowing for free trade would reduce employment in one sector of the economy, but it would increase employment in other sectors.
Thanks to Jacob Clifford for the suggestion!
BBC — 200 Countries, 200 years, 4 minutes
What does the world look like (wealth and health) over the past 200 years, but squeezed into 4 minutes. Hans Rosling looks at the change in a income and life expectancy for countries across the world over the past 200 years. What’s nice about this visualization is that it’s color coded to be able to show how different regions changed over time. We can also see how globalization has affected major countries like China, Japan, and India.
Outsourced — Understanding Cultures
Mr. Todd discusses with his new Indian staff that they must understand the culture of the clients that will be calling them. They go over examples related to the differences between US and Indian culture and also practice with callers.