Rhymes and randomness, Gini and Mussolini?

The Gini coefficient is a common measure of variability with popular applications to inequality in income or wealth.

It is named after its inventor, the Italian statistician Corrado Gini. He was also demographer and sociologist. In addition, he was active in policy in his time and lent his skills to help enhancing fascit theory. He wrote The Scientific Basis of Fascism which was published in the Political Science Quarterly in 1927.

I cannot help writing the following questions which have been spinning in my head since I have read Gini's article:

1. Should 21st century policy-makers keep supporting multidisciplinary research and if so, by steering it in what direction? I will offer a temptative answer with a forthcoming blog entry on Max Weber.
2. Who was the editor of Political Science Quarterly in 1927? Did the article by Gini go through a thorough referee process? It is a well written piece but the conclusions are rather speculative.
3. Are such contributions to theory driven by the "holes" in medical, scientific knowledge as well as in social sciences? To what extent has such contribution helped to fill the hole rather than increasing its size?

Gini coefficient fails to rank perils for bikers: leopards and SUVs!

The Gini coefficient is a measure of variability in a variety of phenomena. It has become popular thanks to its applications to inequality of income or wealth where For example, inequality is lower in Italy with a coefficient equal to 0.35 and higher in South Africa where it is equal to 0.6.

However, the measure surprisingly fails to account for the puzzling empirical evidence suggesting that the risks that bikers in Italy or in South Africa are alike : both SUVs and leopards are little pleasant encounters as one rides along!

Perhaps Corrado Gini was not a biker?! Additional information about this Italian statistician with a taste for interdisciplinarity in the next blog entry.

ابتهاج والألعاب النارية والاحتجاجات تتحول إلى احتفالات

Cheers and fireworks as protests turn to celebrations!

Yo yo: freedom to all the brothers in Egypt from Wyclef

Freedom

Fish, Leviathan, Mubarak and Obama

"Big fish eat little fish" according to Darwin. However, whales are not democratically elected as no vote is casted under the sea level.

Democracy and elected governments are a more complex matter as they may degenerate in "big fish eat small fish" with losses for all parties involved but a few corrupted executives. However, the status quo may still be justified or simply tolerated at home and abroad. An example is Egypt and its support by the USA for decades and up to a few weeks ago.

The withdrawal of the support by the USA to the Egyptian president and the refusal by its president Mubarak to step down have puzzled the public opinion and perhaps embarassed the government in the USA.

Such puzzle is easily solved by looking underwater for a key assumption that supported the Egyptian government. Here is where the Leviathan , is a rather big fish that is referred to in the Bible, belongs to.

An inspring book by Thomas Hobbes, "Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil" , exploits the powerful image of the biblical monster to argue that Leviathan-type governments are necessary to avert chaos and civil war, "the war of all against all" in Hobbes' words.

The assumption is uncovered in Egypt and the support that Egypt obtained abroad: the Egyptians needed a Leviathan to behave in an orderly and peaceful fashion (Israel is out of temporarily out of the picture but I bet it will come back in the press as the government changover in Egypt unfolds). The recent popular, orderly and peaceful uprise may make such an assumptions less tenable in 21st century Egypt than it was in the early 20th century. (Recent history in Egypt and the international disputes over the Suez canal will be dealt with separately.) Additional evidence to support this are the deprecable tortures by the Egyptian secret police

Mubarak to retire: who is next?

Bookmakers may soon revise the odds about Mubarak's political record in office in Egypt as he seems closer to retirement than ever according to the BBC.

Years ago The Economist offered a very innovative proposal for early retirement of non-democratic leaders in exchange for retirement benefits such life-long accomodation on a tropical island. Such a proposal may still be lure 21st century leaders whose extraordinary committment to improve their countries has proven tiring sooner than expected.

Who may join the plan among Ahmadinejad, Gheddafi, Kim Jong Il and Mugabe? Would Berlusconi and Putin also qualify in case they were interested? Did I miss anyone else? The list is in lexicographical order to avoid disclosing my personal one!

However, I envisage some potential backfire of extending such an initiative as "tropical retirement plan for dictators" on a large scale. It may end up looking more like a "become a dictator to then enjoy a tropical retirement plan"!

Any thoughts about an improved retirement package free of adverse selection and moral hazard!?

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

Do you identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person?

To be considered Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you must:

1. Be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent,
2. Consider yourself to be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and,
3. Be accepted as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander by the community in which you live or have lived.

Such a question in a new job application reminds me of the adventurous stories of Aboriginals, such as Pemulwuy, giving a less than warm welcome to the ships of the British Navy that were led to Australia by Captain J. Cook.

Back to job applications now...