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Apple products at manufacturing plants in China and at retail stores in the U.S.- low worker pay and lack of future prospects
05/29/2010
The high margins for Apple achieved through a combination of keeping costs low- even at the risk of providing poor wage and working conditions for the majority of employees employed in the retail stores in the U.S. and in supplier Foxconn plants in China- and by a grasp for innovation and technology. The paradox of a well deserved image for pioneering in technological innovation and the indifference to working conditions and prospects for employees who add value in manufacturing and customer interface. This model of growth is a recent development, put in place after 1997. In 1995-1997 Apple was nearing collapse under Michael Spindler and Gil Amelio, as documented by WSJ technology reporter Jim Carlton in his book- "Apple- The Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania, and Business Blunders." Steve Jobs returned as CEO in 1997 and set the future course and this model in place emphasizing design, his ability to grasp technologies that would appeal to customers, and hired Tim Cook to set up the manufacturing which had high rate of defects and higher costs. The model was as full of paradoxes, of genius combined with mediocre behavioursas the man Steve Jobs. Tim Cook has responded to criticism in 2012 by having the Fair Labor association audit Foxconn plants in China. Foxconn increased wages in 2012, shifted plants to the interior of China, and increased use of robotics.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 05/29/2010
Apple Stores Army, Long on Loyalty but Short on PayNew York Times 06/23/2012
Hope and reality in Nigeria (2)- President Goodluck Jonathan 2011-2015, and President Muhammadu Buhari 2015-2019
02/20/2010
The hope of so many young Nigerians rest on Buhari getting things right and restoring confidence in government and the management of the economy after four years of the Jonathan adminsitration.
Linked Articles
Muhammadu Buhari Defeats Goodluck Jonathan in Nigeria Election
Wall Street Journal 04/01/2015
An Accidental Leader Stirs Hopes in NigeriaNew York Times 02/20/2010
Shrinking news coverage and fewer journalists in the newspaper shift to digital online
11/25/2009
It says a lot about the changes underway in the newspaper industry when a paper like the Washington Post closes its bureaus in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and covers the news there with travelling reporters. As local newspapers such as the New Orleans Times- Picayune move to three editions a week and an online edition, the number of journalists overing the area around New Orleans will shrink by a third in 2012. Advance Publications which runs the New Orleans paper will do the same for its papers in Huntsville and Birmingham i in Alabama.
Linked Articles
New Orleans Times-Picayune to limit printing to three days per week - The Washington Post
Washington Post 05/25/2012
Washington Post shutters last U.S. bureausWashington Post 11/25/2009
Iran, N. Korea and President Obama's approach to nuclear weapons proliferation
07/05/2009
The views of Nunn, Perry, Shultz and Kissinger after meetings at the Hoover Institution on developing a new approach to nuclear proliferation after decades of relying on "mutually assured destruction", and the approach of President Obama. During the Cold War the U.S. and the Soviet Union faced each other, the situation in 2012 is very different with Iran, N. Korea, Pakistan, and the risks of terrorism.
Linked Articles
Youthful Ideals Shaped Obama Goal of Nuclear Disarmament
New York Times 07/05/2009
Deterrence in the Age of Nuclear ProliferationWall Street Journal 03/07/2011
The shortcomings of the regulatory reform proposal. Its dependence on having good regulators in place.
06/17/2009
Unltimately the behaviour of markets and regulators depends on the quality of the people. Obama's reluctance to change the entire structure.
Linked Articles
Obama’s Remarks on Financial Regulatory Reforms
Wall Street Journal 06/17/2009
Steven Pearlstein - Regulatory Reform That Falls Far Short of ItWashington Post 06/19/2009
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
IMF Conditionality that ignored people in developing countries and exacerbated crises and the new G20 focus on social help and stimulus spending.
03/31/2009
The new G20 mandate for social help and stimulus spending makes official the new policy direction for the IMF. It and marks the end of old style conditions that worsened the living conditions of people in countries that accepted IMF help, and exacerbated crises. Which is why the very word IMF scares people in S.Korea and in Pakistan and in so many other places.
Linked Articles
Steven Pearlstein - A Rare Triumph of Substance at the Summit
Washington Post 04/03/2009
An Empowered IMF Faces Pivotal TestWall Street Journal 03/31/2009
The crisis in Eastern Europe and other developing countries and the G20 policy mandate to the IMF to support social help and stimulus spending
03/28/2009
The G-20 mandate that the IMF be the conduit for funds to help emerging countries, with the policy direction that an additional $850 billion be used not only to fix finances, but also emphasize social goals, and help people in these countries cope with the crisis. This is of great help to countries in difficulty, and assurance that the social fabric in these countries will not be torn apart as has happened before, and that people will get the necessary assistance.
Linked Articles
Steven Pearlstein - A Rare Triumph of Substance at the Summit
Washington Post 04/03/2009
Eastern Europe and the Financial CrisisWall Street Journal 03/28/2009
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
How global imbalances in savings were ignored as the risks increased.
12/26/2008
Prof. Portes on global imbalances in savings. What happened and why the risks were not understood by Bernanke, Greenspan, and others. The view that successful models are very hard to change, reluctance in China to disturb the status quo, and the difficulty of getting people to accept the need to move away from this without a crisis.
Linked Articles
Imbalance in Nations' Savings Clouds Forecasts for Recovery
Wall Street Journal 03/23/2009
Chinese Savings Helped Inflate American BubbleNew York Times 12/26/2008
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
Even as sales of the Prius and hybrids also drop the small Honda Fit shows impressive results.
10/19/2008
Honda Fit that appeals to a lot of people as arefined quality car with excellent fuel efficiency.
Linked Articles
New York Times 10/19/2008
Toyota delays new Prius plantDetroit News 12/16/2008
Campbell Soup's acquisition of Bolthouse Farms as it diversifies away from canned soup
02/22/2010
The high end juice maker provides Campbell with products in a growing market. Store brands have eroded sales of Campbell brand canned soups. Campbell also hopes to tackle a younger demographic.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 07/10/2012
Headwinds Threaten Campbell's ChargeWall Street Journal 02/22/2010
Danone and P&G's (Procter & Gamble) innovative strategies for reaching low income customers in emerging markets.
12/12/2009
In 2004 Indonesian managers showed Franck Riboud, CEO of Danone, a pyramid of customers in Indonesia's population of 240 million people. It showed only 20 million customers at the top of the pyramid as the only ones who could afford Danone products. At that point Ribaud made up his mind to go after the large number of people at the lower end of the pyramid and come with strategies to do this profitably. By 2010 46% of Danone's sales were from emerging markets, up from 10% a decade earlier, showing the pace of the change. Unilever, P&G, Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive and other companies are following similiar strategies. P&G has used Mexico as a lab for experimenting with new products at low price points and Danone has done this in Indonesia.
Linked Articles
Danone Expands Its Pantry to Woo the World's Poor
Wall Street Journal 06/25/2010
P.& G. Sees the World as Its ClientNew York Times 12/12/2009
David Rieff provides insights on why all developing countries, Mexico, Brazil, India, Indonesia and China need to take child malnutrition seriously
10/11/2009
The Indian lower house of parliament passed a Food Security bill in August 2013. Rieff says China made serious progress to reduce malnutrition from over 21% for children under 5 years to around 7% today after 1990. In India malnutrition for children under 5 years is above 40%. There is a lot that developing coutnries can learn from each other in this area including the Bolsa Familia program in Brazil which uses the concept of improving vaccination for children and school attendance as requirements for subsidy payments to the poor. Mexico and Indonesia have different versions of programs to help the poorer sections of society. The problem is acute in India because of indifference induced by caste and other considerations and the high level of malnutrition for children. Rief says how good is ademographic dividend when many of these children are permanently and silently impaired by malnutrition by the age of three. India's Congress party leader, Sonia Gandhi, put it differently in parliament: "What is our responsibility to these people?"
Linked Articles
New York Times 10/11/2009
India's Lower House Passes Food Bill to Help PoorWall Street Journal 08/26/2013
BP, Shell and other foreign oil companies expand production in Iraq in 2012-2014
07/01/2009
Ambitious goals for oil production are set by the Iraqi government as oil companies from the, U.S., Europe, Russia and China, provide the expertise to increase production from older oil fields. Problems of infrastructure and national oil legislation hinder rapid development.
Linked Articles
Crude Oil Output Is Soaring in Iraq, Easing Markets
New York Times 06/02/2012
Oil Companies Reject Iraq's Contract TermsWall Street Journal 07/01/2009
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
Views of experts from Raghuram Rajan, Paul Krugman and Simon Johnson are at odds with the Obama administration's recycling of prior Paulson's bank rescue plans
04/21/2009
Rajan and Johnson call for smaller, more transparent financial institutions through the government takeover of insolvent banks and breaking them up into smaller financial institutions that pose less risk to the country's economy and are easier to manage, and less prone to excessive risk taking. And they propose crafting policy and antitrust laws to make this work. Questions raised about the administration having too many people on its economic team who are deferential to Wall Street and not with a mindset that questions key assumptions -some call them sacred cows- that are put forward by Wall Street.
Linked Articles
Economists Seek Breakup of Big Banks
Wall Street Journal 04/21/2009
Time for Bank Creditors to Share the Pain?New York Times 04/29/2009
The deeper changes underway in America, as American business and corporate ways of working are themselves changing.
03/29/2009
The ways in which business and companies operate are changing in America as this crisis continues. The social fabric and people and the kinds of lives they live are becoming important in American business view of the country and the world.
Linked Articles
Steven Pearlstein - A Rare Triumph of Substance at the Summit
Washington Post 04/03/2009
How Crisis Shapes the Corporate ModelNew York Times 03/29/2009
Demonstrations across France call for more government efforts to protect jobs as the US add its voice for more Stimulus.
03/13/2009
Estimated 2.5 million people across France call for more government action to protect jobs. At the April 2, 2009 G20 summit the US will forcefully call for more Euopean Stimulus spending.
Linked Articles
New York Times 03/20/2009
Geithner Hires a Seasoned 'Temp'Wall Street Journal 03/13/2009
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
The ranks of the uninsured swell with the 533,000 layoffs in November,
12/06/2008
More people stuck with large medical bills or foregoing medical care for themselves and their families as they are laid off. And the ranks of the uninsured keep rising.
Linked Articles
For Workers, Medical Bills Add to Pain as Firms Fail
Wall Street Journal 12/06/2008
When a Job Disappears, So Does the Health CareNew York Times 12/07/2008
Struggle for civil rights and financial rights of women in the U.S. Deep South- Linda Boggs and Rutha May Harris
11/05/2008
In Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia and other states of the Deep South women's rights and civil rights for black people were a result of decades of effort by women like Linda Boggs and Rutha May Harris, hard work against entrenched prejudice with many setbacks and resilience towards adversity, compared to the soft work of campaign strategy, image making, polling and fund raising of today.
Linked Articles
A Time to Reap for Foot Soldiers of Civil Rights
New York Times 11/05/2008
Ex-Congresswoman Lindy Boggs Dead at 97Wall Street Journal 07/28/2013
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