| How to put Zim back on the right path
Officially, annual consumer price inflation climbed from around 55 percent in 2000 to about 1 300 percent in 2006. However, the calculation of this official rate is thought to understate the true position. The new black economic empowerment and "indigenisation" drive could further damage an economy already hard-hit by other policies. Although there has already been considerable "indigenisation" of the Zimbabwean economy in recent years, the plan now is to transfer control of all companies, including foreign banks and some mining companies, to local control under the black empowerment legislation. This suggests that Mugabe may again be seeking to influence voters. This could make the economy's recovery even more problematical when the time comes. There is little doubt that the Zimbabwean crisis has had a negative and traumatic impact on the country's people, and the human costs have been high.
Bankruptcy Basics
ANYONE WHO HAS considered filing for bankruptcy will tell you it's not easy to find someone to talk to about it. After all, the subject isn't exactly something you'd bring up while standing around the office water cooler. Even if you know someone who has filed, broaching the topic can be rather delicate. At the same time, declaring bankruptcy is a complicated maneuver that must be carefully considered. In other words, it's exactly the type of thing that should be frankly discussed. That's why it's always a good idea to work with both a bankruptcy lawyer and a financial adviser before and after you file. .
Will Bush’s Stimulus Package Work? It Depends on Who You Ask
As the middle and poorer classes get crushed under a mounting pile of debt, and living costs grow faster than wages, we're becoming a country of two classes: the top 1% and everyone else. Similarly, we are two economies. The national one is comprised of items like GDP (Gross Domestic Product), corporate profits, stock market performance and CNBC. Then, there's the other one in which most people live: stretching to afford health care, a mortgage, commuting costs, education, kids, parents, and the credit cards that act as temporary pain killers. The rhetoric surrounding George W. Bush's economic stimulus package, as boastfully "bi-partisan" as it is (we are, after all, in an election year), indicates a complete lack of comprehension of the difference between this ‘national' economy and the ‘people's' economy, and the extent of the gap between the two.
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