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Showing posts with the label Brazil

Decision Making as Output and Bounded Rationality

  The classical economics theories proceed on the assumption of rational agents. Rationality implies the economic agents undertake actions or exercise choices based on the cost-benefit analysis they undertake. The assumption further posits that there exists no information asymmetry and thus the agent is aware of all the costs and benefits associated with the choice he or she has exercised. The behavioral school contested the decision stating the decisions in practice are often irrational. Implied there is a continuous departure from rationality. Rationality in the views of the behavioral school is more an exception to the norm rather a rule. The past posts have discussed the limitations of this view by the behavioral school. Economics has often posited rationality in the context in which the choices are exercised rather than theoretical abstract view of rational action. Rational action in theory seems to be grounded in zero restraint situation yet in practice, there are numerous restra

Cost Benefit Analysis and the Brazilian Rainforests

Reports all around suggest fires are raging around all over in the Brazilian rainforest. The Amazon rainforests seem to be headed towards deforestation and destruction. Unlike the forest fires of Australia or California or South East Asia, the fires in the Amazon are not due to natural causes but seemingly man made. Apparent encouragement of manmade fires to clear vast swathes of land for cattle grazing to agriculture to possible industrialization is adding to the woes. The global community seems to be overworked especially given the pandemic originating in Wuhan. The government in Brazil is apparently encouraging these fires. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsanaro is perhaps a bete noire to the left liberal chatterati across the world and this has given just another opportunity to go hammer and tongs at him. Woke entails articulation and perhaps practice at least symbolic of environmental protection and towards minimizing pollution. Anything contrary is frowned upon.   It is a differen