links for 2011-03-21

• Social Contract | This American Life
  ACT ONE. MISTER FIX IT.
  Richard Ravitch has helped fix three governmental crises, including when New York City nearly went bankrupt in 1975. What's changed, to make it so much harder for him to solve the state's current financial crisis? Host Ira Glass reports.

  ACT TWO. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND AND COULD ONLY BRING ONE ECONOMIC PLAN…
  Why is it that Barbados and Jamaica faced almost identical financial crises, but now Jamaica is incredibly poor and Barbados is prospering? Alex Blumberg reports on the surprising strategy Barbados used to survive its crisis.

  (tags: government finance politics currency radio lessons history budget negotiation recommended policy economics crisis deficit)

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