魏剑峰的经济学人笔记

来自魏剑峰，公众号：经济学人赏析1.IfMrYanukovychclingson,weakenedathomeandostracisedabroad,MrPutinwillbecontent,forhewillhaveanotherdependentleadertoaddtohiscollectionofpliableclients.2.Fiscalshamemayhelppreventafiscalfright.3.Up-to-dateinformationonthesefiscallifelinesisnoteasytocomeby.Buttheirsizecanbeinferredfromotherratiospresentedintheprovincialauditreports.4.Butthedaysofangerandrecriminationhavebeenforgotten.5.By2010thenumberhadrisenmorethantenfoldthankstoahugeexpansioninadmissionstouniversitiesandtechnicalcollegessincethebeginningofthecentury.6.Theinterestinmembershipisabyproductoftheexpansionofcollegeenrolment,whichhascreatedaglutofgraduatesinthejobmarket.7.Incompetitionforjobsatstate-ownedenterprises(SOEs),whichareamongthemostcovetedofall,alackofpartymembershipappearstobenobar.8.Butmeritocracyextendsonlysofar:thepartystillkeepsthetopslotsforitsown.9.ThatcouldbearecognitionbySOEsthatabilitytrumpspoliticalloyaltyforentry-leveljobs.10.Chinesedirectorsandofficialswereecstatic.11.MrDiaoishopefulhisfilmcandotheimprobable:thrillviewersathomeandabroad,passChinesecensorsandstaytruetohisartisticvision.12.Theopeningscenesdepictdismemberedbodypartstumblingalongacoalchute.13.AUNreportaccusesNorthKoreaof“unspeakable”human-rightsabusesandhintsatChina’scomplicityinsomeofthem14.prisonerswereforcedtoforageforfoodinthewild15.Itinterviewedanother240victimsconfidentially(manyfearreprisalsonfamilymembersstillinNorthKorea).16.ItincludesacatalogueofcrueltiesmetedoutbytheNorthKoreanregimetoitsmaintargets:17.thefiercenessofitscondemnation.Itdescribesatotalitarianstatethatiswithoutparallelinthecontemporaryworld.18.NorthKoreahasflatlyrejectedtheUN’saccusations,justasitcontinuestodenytheexistenceofitsnetworkofprisoncamps.19.Althoughscepticsarguethatthereportamountstolittlemorethanacallformoreengagement(includinginter-Koreandialogueandhumanitarianaid),itmayhelptopushhumanrightshigheruptheagenda.20.TheAmericangovernmentwillnownolongerbeabletoprioritiseoneissueovertheother,21.Chinahasavisceraldislikeofhuman-rightsinvestigations.22.Itfearsthatcondoningtheexposureofothercountries’abusesmightinvitescrutinyofitsown.23.OneisthattheChinesepublicmightstepupcriticismoftheirgovernment’ssupportfortheNorth.24.suchissuesmightpromptMrKimtobecomemorebellicose.25.Andtheviralnatureofitsappealmeansithasachievedallthiswithoutspendingapennyonmarketing.26.entrepreneurscancreateglobe-spanningbusinessesonshoestringbudgets.27.Indeed,WhatsApp’ssuccessinmanywaysmirrorsthatofFacebookitself,whichcamefromnowheretodominatesocialnetworking.28.Recently,however,Facebookhasbeenlosingsomeofitscool,especiallyamongyoungerusers.29.ThatmayexplainwhythefamouslyparanoidMrZuckerbergiswillingtopayaking’sransomforacompanythatmightultimatelyeclipsehisowncreation.30.MrKoum,whohasawell-knownaversiontocollectingpeople’sdataandplasteringadvertisingoverhisapp,seemsanoddbedfellowforFacebook.31.Thehalfoption—seeminglykeptaliveasasoptoBorisJohnson,London’smayor—istoshutHeathrowandbuildagiantmodernairporteastofthecapital.32.Inbigcitiesbusinessisdownatmanyofthebestprivateclubsandrestaurants.33.Meanwhile,thecampaignforofficialfrugalitypresseson.34.ONTHEnightofJanuary30th700mviewerswillseeintheyearofthehorsebywatchingthe“SpringFestivalGala”onChinesetelevision,afour-hourparadeofsong,danceandatraditionalformoftwo-mancomicreparteecalledxiangsheng.Popular35.ONTHEnightofJanuary30th700mviewerswillseeintheyearofthehorsebywatchingthe“SpringFestivalGala”onChinesetelevision,afour-hourparadeofsong,danceandatraditionalformoftwo-mancomicreparteecalledxiangsheng.Popularopinionamongtheincreasinglysophisticatedurbanpopulaceisthattheprogrammeischeesyandthejokeslame.36.Fodderforjokesrangesfromtheuniversal—citylife,loserslookingforagirlfriend—tothelatestsocialissuessuchasunaffordablehousing.37.TopicsforjokesincludeChina’suncouthnouveauxrichesandfood-safetyscandals.38.Politicscanbehintedatbutonlyobliquely:39.Popularangeragainstmedicalstaffsometimesspillsover.40.Oneofthemainreasonsforsuchhostilityisthehighpriceofmedicinesandthecorruptionthatcontributestoit.41.Yetarecentspateofscandalsinvolvingpublichospitalssuggeststhatfewheedtheprohibition.42.Butitisalsotheresultofasystemthatinflatesthecostofmedicine.43.EventhecheapestgenericdrugssoldinChinesehospitalsaremuchmoreexpensivethantheirinternationalbenchmark.44.Thegovernmenthastakenaseriesofmeasurestoattackthisproblem,45.“sinceyoudon’tletmetakekickbacksopenly,I’lldoitunderthetable.”46.InJulylocalauthoritiesinthecityofZhangzhouinFujianprovincerecoveredover20myuan($3.3m)thatmorethan1,000medicalprofessionalshadtakeninbribesfrompharmaceuticalrepresentatives.47.Drugfirmshaveastrongincentivetogettheirproductsintothehandsofdoctorsathospitals,48.Somedistributorsissueorbuyinflatedinvoicestoextractlargesumsofcash,creatingslushfundstobribeofficialsanddoctors.49.Fourseniorexecutivesofthecompanyhavebeendetainedoverallegationsoffunnellinguptothreebillionyuan($490m)totravelagenciestofundbribestodoctorsandgovernmentofficials.50.theprofitmarginsofdrugcompaniesaresqueezedastheystrivetoofferbig