Author: Kurt L. Davis Jr.

(Photo Credit: AFP)
Posted in Middle East / Asia

Is Pakistan’s Economic Turnaround Now Underway?

By fostering an environment conducive to foreign investment and collaboration, Pakistan can harness its untapped potential and emerge as a beacon of economic opportunity. While challenges remain, the recent developments in foreign investment (i.e., Aramco investment in Gas & Oil Pakistan, Japanese investor interest in Pakistan’s automotive industry, PIA privatization, etc.) and key loans from international institutions, highlight Pakistan’s capacity for growth and resilience…

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Posted in United States

Fed Rate Cuts For 2024 May Be Too Ambitious

Despite the downward pressure on inflation, supply-side dynamics and numbers do not suggest the underlying inflation rate is near (or approaching) the Fed’s target. Thus the Fed should not have a shocked face each month when the underlying market data exhibits something other than a perfectly normalizing market … despite our deepest desire to see one…

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(Photo Credit: iStock)
Posted in Africa Europe Latin America Middle East / Asia United States

Top 10 Economies To Watch In 2024

2024 is the year of elections…for most voters, “It’s the economy, stupid” may reign supreme…these are 10 bellwether economies to watch in 2024…

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Posted in Europe Middle East / Asia United States

Foreign Policy Re-Think Ahead of the Presidential Election Cycle: U.S. Top 5 Strategic Allies Going into 2024

Whether an internationalist or isolationist approach, there are some alliances that will be strategically vital with five countries being at the top of that list…

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Posted in Europe Middle East / Asia United States

The Balance of ‘Enduring Partnerships’ vs. ‘Transactional Relationships’

While there are some long-standing partnerships that continue to endure through time, U.S. politicians will have to become more accustomed to the transactional nature of international diplomacy…

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Posted in Europe Middle East / Asia United States

Saudi Arabia wants the Indian Premier League: Why Is There No Discussion of ‘Sportswashing’?

Saudi Arabia’s reported interest in the Indian Premier League has not raised any significant discussion of “sportwashing”…Why is that the case?

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(Photo of General Abdourahamane Tiani)
Posted in Africa Europe United States

Niger Is A Reminder That the War in Ukraine Is Not About a Fight for Democracy

The latest sequence of events in Niger is a reminder that the war in Ukraine (and sanctions against Russia) is not about a fight for democracy…

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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Posted in United States

The US Has A Budgeting Problem…Not Exactly A Debt Ceiling Issue

The U.S. Congress should consider switching from a federal debt ceiling as a nominal value to one fixed as a percentage of GDP. This debt ceiling should, on the one hand, be high enough that the government cannot reasonably cross it, but punitive enough that it disincentivizes profligate spending. This will save the U.S. from the annual political theater that occurs around debt ceiling talks and focus the discussion on the federal budget (and potentially taking revenue and spending decisions to actually control the deficit)…

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(Photo Credit: TheMortgageNote.org)
Posted in United States

The Fed, Investment Firms, And Rising Interest Rates

There are some simple life lessons in business: It is hard to be liked by all people and it is hard to be liked all the time.  Leaders at central banks and investment firms know this very well… today’s economic crisis will likely end with a simple reminder of these lessons…

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