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Top-Down Whims

Most journalism has the shelf life of chaat—it must be consumed immediately. But this collection of articles is an exception, and has stood the test of time.

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Top-Down Whims
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An interesting three-pager, written in 1998 amidst political uncertainty in India, proposes an alternative voting system that would yield decisive majorities. Basu’s scheme weeds away ‘marginal parties’, encourages them to make pre-election alliances. But common sense, not a different voting system, has caught up: the 2004 elections were contested by such alliances.

The longer essays are even better. A review of Joseph Stiglitz’s Globalisation and its Discontents morphs into an excellent survey of the Asian Crisis and the sloppiness of the IMF. The title essay is an excellent take on a global paradox: as the world moves towards greater democracy, institutions that claim to represent all nations become increasingly top-down, led by rich-nation whims. Basu’s standout essay begins with an exploration of SEWA’s activities in Gujarat, to become a survey of trade policy and WTO. His conclusion—the system that has evolved is not the best, but surely the least bad—is one I share.

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