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The Economist cites IMF economist estimates that the public debt of the 10 largest industrialized countries will jump from 78% to 114% of GDP by 2014, leading to higher interest rates and inflation.
06/11/2009
The rising public debt and its unsustainability is what the future holds. For governments and decisionmakers there are very difficult choices, as fiscaly austerity and premature fiscal tightening or raising interest ratescan choke off a recovery. Raising taxes as happened earlier in Japan's lost decade also can choke off a recovery. Seriously tacklig health care costs and raising the retirement age, are much needed steps.
Linked Articles
Get Ready for Inflation and Higher Interest Rates
Wall Street Journal 06/11/2009
The biggest bill in historyEconomist 06/11/2009
S. Korea's second household debt binge in the 15 years since the 1997 financial crisis
05/18/2009
The first period of rising household debt ocurred with the credit card boom when the government promoted consumer spending as a way to stimulate the economy. By 2003 this became a serous problem and the government rescued a credit card issuer in 2003. Household debt is again a major problem in 2012 with the increasing number of companies in financial lending that are not regulated.
Linked Articles
Notes From Another Credit Card Crisis
New York Times 05/18/2009
S. Korea tries to curb mounting debt and avert a crisis - The Washington PostWashington Post 07/09/2012
Interest rate swap contracts sold by banks to the city of Detroit in 2005 and the "kiko" derivative contracts sold by banks to exporters in S. Korea before the 2008 global financial crisis
04/03/2009
The huge losses suffered by Detroit and by exporters in S. Korea and how the issues raised were handled in the two places. What takes precedence fairness or contracts, how much of a contract has to be intelligible to the investor and the broader question of why banks needed to write such contracts or conduct business in this way which could hurt their reputation. An example is given by Floyd Norris of NYT where Bankers Trust reputation suffered badly in 1994 for selling such contracts to P&G.
Linked Articles
New York Times 04/03/2009
'Safe Harbor' in Bankruptcy Upended in Detroit CaseNew York Times 12/23/2013
Child hunger in India and India's Food Security legislation in August 2013
03/13/2009
Food expert Rieff cites figures showing child malnutrition at over 40% in India for children under the age of 5 in 2009. A World Food Program report says 230 million people in India are hungry each year. India's Food Security legilation has to be seen in this context. Rieff says India is in danger of losing its demographic dividend as a result of child malnutrition. All developing countries can learn from each other and their programs to reduce child malnutrition, improve health care and vaccinations, and introduce healthy food and sanitary practices. Programs are in place in Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, India, and China.
Linked Articles
As Indian Growth Soars, Child Hunger Persists
New York Times 03/13/2009
India's Lower House Passes Food Bill to Help PoorWall Street Journal 08/26/2013
Robert Khuzami and the S.E.C.'s ambivalent enforcement mindset 2010-2012
02/10/2009
The lack of corrective acton that changes the leadership and culture at financial companies in the U.S. following the 2008 financial crisis. Where the action by enforcement agencies has required admitting wrongdoing as part of the settlement, the changes in leadership and culture have put the companies on a new path to renewal. Barclays under one of the respected names in British finance, David Walker, is a recent example.
Linked Articles
Top Enforcer at the S.E.C. Steps Down
New York Times 02/10/2009
SEC's Top Cop Oversaw Deutsche CDOsWall Street Journal 04/24/2010
The untold story of civilians caught in the crossfire in the wars in places like Gaza and Afganistan that have lasted decades.
12/25/2008
A physiotherapist from Turin, Italy, who runs the Red Cross Rehabilitation Center in Afghanistan, and a wounded surgeon who loses his wife and child in the cross fire between militants and Israelis in Gaza City, both have an untold story of civilians in both places.
Linked Articles
A Foreign Face Beloved by Afghans of All Stripes
New York Times 12/25/2008
Despair and a Defiant Smile in a Gaza HospitalNew York Times 01/09/2009
Le Clezio and Chinua Achebe look at Nigeria
10/10/2008
Le Clezio looka at Nigeria during the British colonial period in "Onitsha." Onitsha is the second largest city in Nigeria after Lagos. Achebe offers a hometown writer's verson of Nigeria during the hopeful period after independence in the sixties and the struggles and strife of the decades following this.
Linked Articles
French Writer Wins Nobel Prize
New York Times 10/10/2008
Chinua Achebe, Famed Nigerian Writer, DiesWall Street Journal 03/22/2013
How good were the U.S. Federal Reserve's stress tests of 2012?
07/16/2008
Reilly questions the leveraging aspect of the Fed's 2002 stress test results as they leave U.S. banks leveraging at between 20-30 times capital, the situation that prevailed before the crisis. Experts including Anil Kashyap at the University of Chicago pointed out how the process of deleveraging works in reverse before the collapse of Lehman in 2008- for every $1 of bank losses the deleveraging cycle reduces bank lending by $20- $30.
Linked Articles
Stressing the Bank 'Stress Tests'
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2012
How Bad Will It Get on Wall Street?BusinessWeek 07/16/2008
Imbalances in the global economy that will take time to correct- the situation in the U.S., Europe and emerging markets in 2012-2013
05/05/2008
The perception that "this time is different" is a typical behavioural reaction in history to to financial crises studied by Rogoff and Reinhart. Economic weakness is part of the mechanism for correcting global imbalances which happens over a number of years.
Linked Articles
Economy May Face Prolonged Pain, History Suggests
Wall Street Journal 05/05/2008
Boom, Bust. Repeat.Wall Street Journal 10/09/2009
Popular Eastern European automobile brands that stand for quality in Europe at low price points- Renault's Dacia in Romania
02/11/2008
The Dacia and Logan brands manufactured in Romania are expected to cross the 1 million sales mark in 2012. The Logan and Dacia have established a presence in Europe as models known for reliability. Sales of these lower cost cars are popular with buyers in France who see this as a choice replacing buying a used car.
Linked Articles
Frugal Dacia Stars in Renault's Overhaul
Wall Street Journal 02/11/2008
Renault Takes Low-Cost LeadWall Street Journal 04/16/2012
Saudi Arabia's $600 billion investment plan in aluminum, chemicals, and new cities.
12/12/2007
What does the investment binge in Saudi Arabia mean in terms of how well its been thought through, the productive use of the money, will it create enough jobs, what it means for oil prices.
Linked Articles
The Construction Site Called Saudi Arabia
New York Times 01/20/2008
Saudi Industrial Drive Strains Oil-Export RoleWall Street Journal 12/12/2007
Great Moderation and Monetary policy
09/20/2007
Bernanke's views about the half point interest rate cut in 2002 in his first months as Fed governor showed his concerns for overheating of residential construction but also that this was overweiged by his concerns for deflation and economic gloom current at the time.
Linked Articles
Economist 09/20/2007
Fed in 2002 Feared Deflation, Newly Released Transcripts ShowWall Street Journal 04/11/2008
Doug Parker of US Airways and the proposed merger with American Airlines (AMR) in 2012
11/20/2006
Linked Articles
Lessons Learned? How US Airways Would Navigate Merger - WSJ.com
Wall Street Journal 11/20/2006
Steven Pearlstein: Two can play the airline bankruptcy game - The Washington PostWashington Post 04/29/2012
The huge downsizing in the auto industry creates the need for big government supported initatives in retraining.
05/21/2009
Vicotr Brown and the 60,000 former workers at GM's BUick City have worked at GM all their lives, and can't imagine anything else. How does one get them from joining the ranks of the permanently unemployed, is a challenge for the government. THe labor underutilization rate expected to reach 20% for 2010, could threaten the economic recovery, and put everything at risk.
Linked Articles
Stuck at Unemployed: When A Layoff Becomes a Lifestyle
Washington Post 06/06/2009
The Last Holdouts Cast Their Lot With G.M.New York Times 05/21/2009
The smaller stimulus and selective investments in 2012-2014 in China and how this affects construction and heavy equipment manufacturers
04/30/2009
The impact on Caterpillar, Volvo AB, Komatsu, John Deere, Cummins and domestic Chinese manufacturers of the smaller stimulus and selective investments in China in the years ahead. Manufacturers are exporting from China during this period of slowing sales in China.
Linked Articles
China Bets Sour for Heavy Equipment Firms
Wall Street Journal 08/16/2012
China's Stimulus Spurs U.S. BusinessWall Street Journal 04/30/2009
Peter Eavis thinks the Geithner plan isn't based on sound logic.
03/23/2009
If only the confidence and liquidity were an issue then maybe the Geithner Public Private Investment Program plan might work. But says Eavis, the underlying price structure for these mortgage securities is gone with this crisis,so that the recovery in their price for banks to avoid huge losses is going to be elusive. He cites Credit Sights which estimates losses of US banks through 2010 of $250- $450 billion.
Linked Articles
Treasury’s Got Bill Gross on Speed Dial
New York Times 06/21/2009
Geithner's Gamble Needs SpeculatorsWall Street Journal 03/23/2009
Consumer spending surging in Indonesia in 2008-2012
02/24/2009
Consumer spending represents about 55-56% of GDP in Indonesia in 2011 and 2012. Honda Motor with motorbicycles, Phillips in healthcare equipment and the Lippo Group in retail stores are seeing amazing growth in Indonesia.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 04/26/2012
Motorcycles Drive Honda's ProfitWall Street Journal 02/24/2009
Microsoft's history with internet related search ads and the $6.2 billion loss for internet businesses in 2012
01/16/2009
Linked Articles
Microsoft's Web Woes to Wipe Out Profit
Wall Street Journal 07/02/2012
Microsoft Bid to Beat Google Builds on a History of MissesWall Street Journal 01/16/2009
New heights in fund raising - president Obama in 2008 and the Koch Brothers plans for 2016
12/06/2008
U.S. congresswoman Sheila Bair once said it was the task of fund raising that deterred her and others like her from pursuing careers of national service at higher levels. Obama outspent McCain and Romney by wide margins in 2008 and 2012, right wing groups such as the Koch brothers are organizing similiar efforts of their own for 2016 so as not to be outspent by their opponents.
Linked Articles
Final Fundraising Tally for Obama Exceeded $750 Million
Washington Post 12/06/2008
Koch Brothers’ Budget of $889 Million for 2016 Is on Par With Both Parties’ SpendingNew York Times 01/26/2015
The poverty rate and wealth gap between rich and poor in New York city and in China and the rest of the world.
08/27/2008
How the New York City experience compares with China's.
Linked Articles
Poverty Rate Declines in New York
New York Times 08/27/2008
World Bank Finds More People Live in Steep PovertyNew York Times 08/27/2008
Leveraging of banks U.S. banks in 2012 under the U.S. Federal Reserve stress tests of March 2012 and the leveraging at the time of Lehman's collapse in 2008
07/16/2008
The high rate of leveraging of banks today compared to 2008, suggests that the U.S. Federal Reserve may have prematurely declared the banks safe, say experts.
Linked Articles
Stressing the Bank 'Stress Tests'
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2012
How Bad Will It Get on Wall Street?BusinessWeek 07/16/2008
Lower incomes in manufacturing and and a general lowering of expectations in U.S. midwestern states like Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin (1)
04/20/2008
Improving unemployment figures in Ohio in 2012 with 7.2% unemployment has come with lower incomes in manufacturing and a lowering of expectations about the future.
Linked Articles
Ohio economy improving, but residents can’t feel it - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/08/2012
The Wage That Meant Middle ClassNew York Times 04/20/2008
The crisis at Motorola in 2008 and at Nokia in 2012
02/01/2008
Smartphone competition from Chinese and Korean brands, Huawei and Samsung, and new technologies with the Android smartphones and the Apple iPhone have upended the market for mobile phones. Nokia an established competitor finds itself in a dangerous situation with a precipitious loss of market share at the low end and the high end, and eroding margins.
Linked Articles
Motorola to Spin Off Handset Unit, As Icahn Waits
Wall Street Journal 02/01/2008
Nokia Posts $1.2 Billion Loss as Sales Drop 29%New York Times 04/19/2012
The 2012 drought in the U.S., corn prices and problems with the ethanol mandate
11/28/2007
Linked Articles
Ethanol Craze Cools As Doubts Multiply
Wall Street Journal 11/28/2007
Prices Surge as Drought Stunts Corn CropWall Street Journal 08/12/2012
Virgin America's first flights
08/06/2007
The way Virgin does it to link San Francisco and New York at $250, with more amentities and attracting attention by decking SF city hall in Virgin's colors, Branson style.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 01/05/2008
Will Virgin America Enjoy Much of a Honeymoon?Wall Street Journal 08/06/2007
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