Info on, Global Health & U.S. Elections/Macroeconomics, 2016
Posted on January 23rd, 2017
Sunil Wimalawansa
The macroeconomic issues (e.g., trade) are poorly handed by many south Asian countries, including successive governments in Sri Lankan. This seems to be getting worse in recent years, leading to increasing weakening of local currency and increasing debt. The latter further increases the cost of borrowing and loan payments to creditors, and credit ratings.
This is exemplified by the several unwise macroeconomic decisions made the government, poorly prepared national budgets, central bank issue(s), and giving away the prime- and strategic-land to China that will have lasting and serious long-term consequences.
It is time that the S/L government be top of the incoming new wave of globalization and trade shakeups,” soon to be instigated by the new U.S. government. While these will be made to protect the national interest (America First” agenda), it will have bilateral trade consequences (negative for Sri Lanka). If S/L wishes to negate the worsening economic situation (and reverting to a developing” country status), it must play its cards strategically; following the same old wouldn’t help.
NATO is essential for the time being for the global peace, especially with increasing threats from Russia and brewing issues in North Korea and Iran. It is highly unlikely that Trump administration will dump the NATO. He is a businessman, positioning himself [US] to negotiate with a stronger position to increase contributions from each of 27 NATO alliance member country (seems fair), so that the US contributions can be reduced by ~$20 billion. Currently U.S. is contributing over 32% of the NATO budget ($48 billion/year). U.S. however, cannot ignore the critically important contributions (support troops) made by NATO countries (especially U.K. and Germany) in Afghanistan.
Theme is, “American First;” [it serves and gain first], is a nationalistic view that is going to SPREAD across the Europe in coming years.
Please find the following two URLs providing information published during the past 4-weeks (mostly related U.S.) but applicable to SL, particularly to the healthcare.
A). Global Health and Social Issues (will expand with few more articles):
https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/0_2WW_7KGt9LjotCBqA_ZZLE?trk=prof-sm
B). 2016-United States Elections, Economy and the Future:
http://www.slguardian.org/bookclub/successes-failure/
[parts 13th through 18th covers issues related to Obamacare and replacement solutions (some of these concepts are relevant to Sri Lanka).