Debate - Monorail vs Metro    Building a new mass rapid transit system in an established city is always difficult as it requires lot of existing buildings and trees to be demolished. While, monorails need minimal space, is usually less expensive to build, the tracks cannot be used for any other train service and also difficult to evacuate in an emergency as it is on an elevated track. Should a city use monorail instead of the metro? Given that hundreds of cities have implemented these systems, participants can cite advantages and disadvantages of both the systems with real life examples.

Book review - In depth analysis of business systems across various countries    While this was a text book for one of my courses during my MBA, once I started reading this, I realised this is much more than just another business school text book. The initial pages on capitalism can be a bit heavy for someone not interested in economics and business, the following chapters on various forms of capitalism across the world should be an eye opener to functioning of the global markets. Ever wondered why certain countries have a larger concentration of heavy industries, high end manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, technology and financial services. The chapters on state co-ordination and finance systems should answer most of those queries.

External Feed - Music Through The Ages   

Debate - Is increased government spending the only way out of recession?    When the economy goes into recession, thousands of people lose their jobs and also corporate profits decline. This reduces both the income tax and corporation tax flow to the government. Because of high unemployment, there is increased use of government programs such as social security benefits. In this given situation, is it prudent for governments to increase their spending causing the deficit to spiral, thereby affecting the sovereign debt rating, and in turn causing further damage to the economy? Should not monetary policy actions such as quantitative easing, increased business lending, and reducing the interest rates be enough to stimulate the economy? Or is increased government spending the only way out of a recession?