Testing income inequality impact on economic growth through political economy: Income and profit taxes as a proxy of redistributive pressure

Turkish exchange rate policy in these days: Take it easy!

I will talk a bit on Turkish economic policy which is driven by the President in 5-minute speech.

USD/TRY exchange rate has reached to 3,58 on December, 2. Four days later, Mr President decided to take control of USD/TRY through some suggestions, saying that higher USD/TRY exchange rate is a complot against Turkey.
 

Apart from the dependency of Central Bank and this speech, I am wondering if it is thought as our economy as closed economy and not affected by US monetary policy, or other countries' currencies which we are in relations with? 

The second thing Mr President says that banks should lower the interest rates. If interest rate is lowered, why people would keep their assets in TRY.

His speech was only on USD/TRY. What about EUR/TRY? Should people exchange their EUR assets in TRY or gold then? What about ECB monetary policy then?
Same for FED policies. How does he aim to control their monetary policies?

I think he assumed no other central banks, no trade, no other currency than USD and TRY...
 

Inequality vs. Clustering

To be threaten as unequal, first step is to be clustered into one group, or groups. This means that every person should take place within a sub-group before fighting for equality.
This is also related to human being. Let's imagine that we have an opportunity to give to all people equal opportunities under equal starting points. There will always be people who aim to achieve more, this is natural even for all living units. Hopefully, there will be, since we would never have seen any innovation or development in the world.
Apart from this situation, when we mention inequality, we have pre-learnt sub-groups. Even there might be other sub-groups (small or large), statistically or in order to have more credibility, one has to wait until these groups become clustered naturally or cluster through the global attention.
If we believe in equality, and fighting for it, should we really wait for this clustering? If we would achieve, shouldn't we really threat all sub-groups equal, and think about more inequality may exist in all tiny sub-groups even they are not yet sub-groups?

English dreams without having human rights

In the UK, I met many Arabic people, many Arabic students, many Arabic PhD students, many Arabic women PhD students. The story is not about their race, their studies or their gender. 

The story is about how a country may be absurd and how women may be blind. 

The story is about being scholarship holders such that their studies are paid from their country, and when they will be graduated, they will hold a job at university as lecturers. 
Up to here, everything that I wrote, is quite perfect. It may seem, but it is not. The story begins here.

A woman cannot leave her country for this education opportunity unless her responsible man (if she is married her husband, if she is not married her father) allows her to do so. A woman cannot leave in a city unless her responsible man protect him in the city where she lives, even at home where she lives. Her country does not allow her to live alone at home, even in the city. "Alone" means here "without man". If she does not respect, her scholarship won't be paid. Probably, she will have to return her country. This could have become a story on her freedom war if she had tried to have more rights or if she had not been content. Unfortunately, not :( This is not a freedom story and she is very content. She says that fathers and husbands allow them to go. In her case yes, maybe in her friends' cases yes too... But she cannot see that she is not allowed to do by herself, she cannot walk, she cannot just go away; she cannot just see that another woman cannot go to anywhere if she is not allowed, although she wants to. 

The story continues with another example of freedom. She asked me if I drive. Yes, I do, replied I. I replied the same question to her. The answer should have started by "we are not allowed." But it did not. In her world, she believes that men take care of them. In her world, she believes that this is the best. Because, having car with driver or paying for a taxi are better for her. My mind, my mind goes to another woman who would drive and cannot drive, because she is not allowed... I cannot stop my mind thinking of this "another woman" :) Maybe, they can fight for their rights together, but since most of them believe (or are believed) this situation is more comfortable. 

This story probably will never end. My mind goes to another woman who have never had a choice... and my mind goes where I see them here, how they can update their country's values  according to their demands. They can choose another country to live where they have freedom. They say they believe their country's government type is the best, while not living in their country... 

2016 Turkish Democracy for dummies

2016 Turkish Democracy for dummies 

June, 15: Coup -> Coup attempt
June, 15-20: number of people, death: 290, arrested: 6000

June, 20: Travel ban on academics
June, 20: State of emergency for 3 months

And this is not the end of history. As for now, all people who are against the government will be accused as supporters of the coup...Now, this is the end of story. 

TBD

NB. We are witnessing a new history. I hope that it won't end with a new regime and new borders. 

Hello modern slavery vs high housing demand in England

Let's just say hello to modern slavery in the UK. A country where room prices are from £400 per month, where minimum hourly wage is £7.20. Why these numbers? Because I will tell you a story. A story on modern slavery. Even, a slavery that you pay while working...

First type of slavery is "volunteering". If I am not able to pay £400, I am basically homeless. Even if I can pay £200 or £300 per month, since I cannot find any room at those prices, I cannot afford a room. I go on volunteering with babysitting for 2 children, we agree on 5 hours per day and 5 days per week with a foreign lady. I pay my rent through my labour 25 hours per week. If I work 25 hours, I can make £180 per week which means £720 per month! My room is an ensuite room and I have free meal that  may cost maximum £600 or £700 totally, since ensuite room prices start from £500 where I live. Until this point, everything seems okay, under the condition that everyone respects volunteering hours. However, the most of days, I found myself waiting for her 4-5 hours more than agreed hours. I have decided to stay there just because my budget was not enough for paying a room £400 (plus deposit for the starting) after paying university fees and many expenses on my UK visa. In the case of volunteering, for exceeding 10 hours per week, she should have paid £72 per week which means £288 per month. This amount that she should pay is just equal to my labour which is not paid!!! If you have no chance, you find yourself in a modern slavery! She does not pay for the service that she receives, and someone else who really needs this volunteering as a job cannot find this job because of this volunteering.

Another modern slavery story is called as "home carer". In this case, there is an elderly person who needs soft help such as cooking, cleaning, shopping, and helping if needed but not personal care. There are many companies which work on this, and only these companies profit from caring :) Elderly person pays £99 to the company. The carer pays £149 to the company and provides this service for the elderly person. If you do not have enough budget for a room, just pay less and work! In the beginning they say that there are 10 hours per week working/or helping. However, on the contract, you find that there is a condition stating you have to sleep every day at home and only 3 days you are allowed to be out in one month, and you have some free time in the afternoon. The companies advertise this opportunity as a low cost accommodation and as an opportunity for meeting with new cultures. You pay, you work! Hello modern slavery to be bought!

My RG Profile

Hello after a very longtime :) Please visit my Research Gate profile. A new page of a PhD to be :) Here is the link: 

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Goeksu_Aslan