Odysseys on The World

 You Only Live Once. The catchphrase of the youth seems to be catching on with everyone. It's the excuse to cannonball off a cliff and to live your life to the fullest. What could it mean in the long run? A seemingly innocent phrase is having some definite consequences. According to RBI's latest data, the gross financial savings of an Indian household has decreased from 3.05 lakh crores to 2.59 lakh crores from 2020-21 to 2021-22. That's alot for just one year. This declining culture comes from the increasing spending on seemingly insipid things.  In India alone, the average monthly per capita consumer spending in urban areas increased to $73 from $30 (approx). This pattern, if continued, could lead to serious economic issues, as the citizens would not be able to afford the basic necessities. The YOLO mentality has also lead to young people climbing atop dangerous structures and ignoring safety guidelines. Is the photo really worth risking your life? Among more recent trend...

  Donald Trump is a man of controversy and hypocrisy. He has done some good things, some are very commendable, but as with anyone, the spotlight is on the bad. Toying with global markets has become part of his daily routine. He wakes up, orders a cup of coffee, sighs, sees his name in a couple of articles, feels proud and thinks, whose tariffs should I hike today? This time he chose India. 50% tariff rates imposed on India. Why? India has bought arms and jets from Russia since the 1950s. This fact is not new for anyone. Due to sanctions on Russian oil, it comes at a discounted rate. India buys it, not for political reasons but for economic ones. India needs to meet the commercial needs of its population.   "It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their national interest," the brief statement read. (from BBC)  This statement clearly expresses the Indian...

 China. A global superpower for manufacturing, trading, culture, cuisine and c-dramas (what? it's true). So why did countries find alternatives to China?  And what is the China Plus One Strategy (C+1)? Everyone relied on China for its cheap goods and resources. China had a population, and labour was cheap there; hence, it began producing goods at a cheaper rate than other countries. All the countries supplying their goods were happy, content, and loved their extremely new, reliable partner, China. China had an excellent supply chain, free trade, and tax agreements. China's economy grew, and along with it, so did labour costs, making things less competitive in the industries where labour costs were almost even.  Around 2008, the idea emerged. China plus One, diversifying manufacturing and sourcing to reduce dependency on a single country. In 2013, it gained some traction and became a global business trend (MNCs especially). In 2017, China implemented new environmental rule...

 241 people killed onboard, 19 people on the ground and only one lucky survivor. London's Gatwick-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed tragically on 12th June.  There were many speculations (nope, what am I saying, there are still many), including some crazy ones. A preliminary report was published last week (Saturday), let's see what it entails. The AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) publishes this preliminary report, which includes routine information on the plane's conditions and such. At 1:37 pm, the doomed flight is cleared for takeoff. What happened in the following minutes? At around 39 seconds past 1:38, the aircraft took off. 3 seconds later, the plane was jetted and at peak speed. With a difference of a second between each, the cutoff switches were turned off. The fuel supply was cut, and the pilots probably discussed who turned the switches. The plane loses thrust. The first switch turns on, and 4 seconds later, the second switch turns on to...

  G7 is a bloc of developed nations, all of which are first-world countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the USA. It was formed in the 1970s to coordinate major economic policies and financial regulation and approach and attempt to resolve global conflicts and crises. It is built on the foundations of democracy, free market capitalism (supporting private company owners), humanitarian laws, and security. So why are two UN veto countries not in the G7? Russia was part of ' G8 '   from 1997 to 2014, and then they were suspended and expelled in 2014 after annexing Crimea from Ukraine (no surprise there). These actions were considered Russia’s defiance of the G7’s core values ( since when does Russia stick to the rules anyway). What about China? It is a single-party authoritarian state (complete rule in the hands of one party) led by the  Communist Party. This goes against the G7’s democratic principles. China also has a state-driven economy with restric...

  The Great Emperor (first a dictator), Napoleon Bonaparte , was almost killed in a stampede of bunnies. Yes, those furry white creatures with the terrified look and pompom-sized tails. The bigger irony of an emperor almost killed by bunnies is that it was during a bunny hunt he organised.  In July 1807, after signing the Treaty of Tilsit, the one that ended the war between France and Russia, Napoleon wanted to celebrate. He asked his chief of staff, Alexandre Berthier , to arrange a rabbit hunt for him and his generals. Berthier skipped across town (no, I'm making this up) to gather thousands of rabbits (no, I'm not making this up). Instead of wild rabbits, he found domestic, farm-raised rabbits. Napoleon and his generals were hoping to have a laugh and a good time killing thousands of bunnies, but when the cages opened, hell broke loose. Instead of scampering in fear, the rabbits thought they were going to be fed. They charged at Napoleon and his generals with a war cry o...