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Britain's RBS Bank and the incredulous- huge losses and large bonuses in the "Hard Times" of the 2008 financial crisis and again in 2014
02/09/2009
Linked Articles
In U.K., Getting Tough With Nationalized Banks
Wall Street Journal 02/09/2009
Royal Bank of Scotland to Slash Costs as Losses DeepenWall Street Journal 02/28/2014
Obama looks for a stimulus spending plan that packs the greatest punch for the middle class and unemployment.
01/05/2009
About $300 billion of an estimated $800 billion stimulus spending plan by the Obama administration will be for tax cuts to individuals and businesses. There will be incentives for businesses to make net new hires and make new investments. The idea is to avoid wasteful spending if there is only spending on infrastructure and other spending.
Linked Articles
Obama Eyes $300 Billion Tax Cut
Wall Street Journal 01/05/2009
Government Spending Is No Free LunchWall Street Journal 01/22/2009
Money managers Grantham, Rodriguez and Scheiff fears about the economy and IMF Chief Economist Rajan's concern.
01/02/2009
Raghuram Rajan of the University of Chicago, told the 2005 annual Jackson Hole gathering of central bankers economists and finance professionals, that he thought the world had become much riskier with the changes in financial markets in the 18 year Greenspan tenure. He was received rather coldly by others, including former Treasury Secretary Summers. Concerns expressed by Grantham, Rodriguez and Scheiff about these and other problems became louder by the time of the Rajan paper at Jackson Hole.
Linked Articles
Mr. Rajan Was Unpopular (But Prescient) at Greenspan Party
Wall Street Journal 01/02/2009
The Doomsayers Who Got It RightWall Street Journal 01/02/2009
How the automakers overcapacity by about a third of the 94 million capacity worldwide will play out similiarly over time in other industries.
12/31/2008
The automakers with their huge overcapacity face a rapidly developing crisis, as they will be forced to close plants quickly. A similiar situation is likely to develop gradually in other industries that have overcapacity from falling sales and a reluctant consumer, who is now focussed on saving.
Linked Articles
Automakers' Overcapacity Problem
BusinessWeek 12/31/2008
The Doomsayers Who Got It RightWall Street Journal 01/02/2009
The euro currency area and the situation in Spain, Italy and Britain.
12/30/2008
How being in the euro currency is on balance a good thing for Italy, being outside good for Britain given its asymmetric shock, and being inside complicates things in Spain which had an outsize boom in construction.
Linked Articles
Economist 12/30/2008
Longer dole queuesEconomist 12/30/2008
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
Replacing lost auto jobs with renewable energy jobs in the midwestern states.
11/02/2008
How things are changing in Newton Iowa and other places in the midwest.
Linked Articles
Google at 10: Searching Its Own Soul
New York Times 11/08/2008
A Splash of Green for the Rust BeltNew York Times 11/02/2008
Britain puts Europe including Russia first before old style cold war replays.
08/20/2008
Britain and other European countries want to continue dialogue and integration with Russia and not let Georgia affect their relationships with Russia.
Linked Articles
U.K. Takes Softer Tack In Dealing With Russia
Wall Street Journal 08/20/2008
Russia Never Wanted a WarNew York Times 08/20/2008
The presidential candidates Obama and McCain, agents of change or agents of lobbyists?
07/23/2008
Fannie and Freddie takeover and the reporting of high level ties with lobbyists of both candidates shows the agents of change argument like the free markets argument "as only a thin veneer" as one expert puts it. In this case though the lobbyists who are in other roles as close advisors to the two candidates and the candidates themselves may not realize that politics as usual here had huge implications. Without the hard work of Secretary Paulson and Bernanke the collapse of Fannie and Freddie could have endangered the American economy, not an overstatement, and could also have serious ripple effects all over the world economy.
Linked Articles
For ’08 Rivals, a Skein of Ties to Loan Giants
New York Times 09/10/2008
The Fannie Mae GangWall Street Journal 07/23/2008
The impact of energy costs on the Chines export model of low cost low margin textiles, shoes household goods
06/20/2008
Higher energy prices are showing up in the higher cost of Chinese goods abroad along with other cost increases.
Linked Articles
China's Export Machine Threatened by Rising Costs
Wall Street Journal 06/30/2008
China Sharply Raises Energy PricesNew York Times 06/20/2008
Karen Elliott House, expert on Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, on the U.S., the EU, and Saudi Arabia- demographics, aspirations and the princes 2007-2014
05/14/2008
Pulitzer prize winning journalist for reporting from the Middle East and expert on Saudi Arabia, Karen Elliott House, describes the changes in Saudi Arabia with the huge young demographic, and what it means for Saudi society, U.S.-Saudi relations, meeting the aspirations of young people.
Linked Articles
As the Middle East Burns, the Saudis Ease Up at Home
Wall Street Journal 06/25/2014
Our Friends in RiyadhWall Street Journal 05/14/2008
FDIC Bair's proposal to aid homeowners anticipating the banking and mortagage crisis.
04/30/2008
FDIC Sheila Bair seen in retrospect after her anticipation of the mortgage and credit crisis and helping prepare FDIC for it. And for the comprehensive approach she took and which later convinced people at Treasury who had earlier adopted a case by case approach not realizing how deep and far reaching this crisis would be.
Linked Articles
Agency’s Head Expects Banking’s Crisis to Worsen
New York Times 08/27/2008
Bair Proposal Seeks Government Loans To Aid HomeownersWall Street Journal 04/30/2008
Renault's bold strategy with the lowcost Logan and Dacia models targeted at European markets
02/11/2008
The success of the Logan and Dacia in France and other European markets has helped Renault. Profit margins on the two low cost vehcles is about 6%, higher than Renault's 2-3% margins on other cars. This turns the accepted logic in the auto industry on its head about higher margins with larger more expensive cars.
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
Declining foreign trade and how this affects U.S. GDP and GDP in other nations.
01/13/2009
How the decline in foreign trade unlike anything seen since 1945 is affecting the US and global economy.
Linked Articles
Trade Secret: GDP's Pillar Looks in Peril
Wall Street Journal 01/13/2009
Global Trade Posts Sharp DeclineWall Street Journal 01/14/2009
An Alternate View of U.S., and EU relations with Russia from Gates and German public opinion
01/05/2009
A look back at former Defense Secretary Gates views about Russia in the larger context of the postwar years and what it is today, including Georgia (and Crimea) and other issues. A similiar perspective fom the German side as seen by former chancellor Kohl, Merkel, Schroeder, and Ischinger, going back to the days of Wily Brandt. Brandt was Mayor of West Berlin in the period of enormous tensions between the Soviets and the Federal Republic during the sixties and later initiated the policy of constructive engagement.
Linked Articles
Pentagon Chief Sees Opportunities In Russia and the War on Terrorism
Washington Post 01/05/2009
Germany's Angela Merkel Treads Softly With Russia's Putin On UkraineWall Street Journal 04/08/2014
China's strategy of bringing in Smithfield Foods and other western companies to tackle the problem of contaminated food products
01/01/2009
Linked Articles
Former Head of Chinese Dairy Pleads Guilty
New York Times 01/01/2009
On Becoming Chinaâs Farm TeamNew York Times 11/05/2013
Sales slowing, inventories piling up of electronics goods, and the Capps and Muirs of Boise, Idaho.
12/31/2008
The dramatic shift to a savings oriented and thrifty lifestyle reminiscent of the thirties and forties in some ways, is seen in the new lifestyles and spending habits of the Capps and Muirs in Boise, Idaho. With its high tech factories Boise has held up well in previous recessions. If things are changing this much in a place like Boise then its aserious sign of changes in the whole country. This is leading to buidup of inventories of cars, electronics goods, and other goods in retail stores. It has a serious global aspect as products made in China are affected, and products made elsewhere that go into these products are affected, and the equipment manufacturers in Germany for these products made in China are also affected.
Linked Articles
BusinessWeek 12/31/2008
Hard-Hit Families Finally Start Saving, Aggravating Nation's Economic WoesWall Street Journal 01/06/2009
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
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
Sheila Barr voices concern about lack of serious homeowner help, only institutional help.
08/27/2008
FDIC's Sheila Barr voices concern for a lack of serious homeowner help and an incomprehensible reluctance to do anything serious for homeowners in Congress or the Bush Administration even as Barr, Paulson and Bernanke offered no choice to CEO's of leading banks at the meeting last week in Paulson's offices but to sign term sheets for accepting $125 billion from the government. Another $125 billion goes to smaller banks. And a unspecified amount goes to buy troubled assets under TARP, and money to buy commercial paper, and other institutional help. Still nothing on a large comprehensive basis to help homeowners in difficulty which is at the root of this crisis according to Feldstein, Hubbard, Bair.
Linked Articles
FDIC Chief Raps Rescue for Helping Banks Over Homeowners
Wall Street Journal 10/16/2008
Agency’s Head Expects Banking’s Crisis to WorsenNew York Times 08/27/2008
Did Putin overreact in Georgia 2008 and Ukraine 2014? Russia and the dangers to the Russian economy of not maintaining good relations with the West
08/13/2008
Russia tones down its overreaction as 66% of Russians polled in June say Russian forces should not enter Ukrainian terrritory. Putin and Russians in the administration policy making may have underestimated the reaction in the U.S. as reflected in this WSH editorial saying Americans should remember the words of Gen. Lucius Clay during the Berlin Blockade and the subsequent airlift. This could be why analysts in Russia now maintain that good relations with the West must be maintained, and entry of Russian forces into Ukraine would have disastrous consequences for Russia in terms of western sentiment and foreign investor sentiment. In such a situation Germany would be likely to support the stronger U.S. position seeing this in terms of the language used in theBerlin Airlift of 1948. For Germany and Russia this would be reversing the hard won gains of building relations from the time of Brandtand Kohl till today, fifty years of effort to build better relations and economic relationships- just too much for sober heads in Moscow Paris, and Berlin to accept, and closing another chapter in Russia's interactions with the West.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 08/13/2008
Seeing Cost of Saber Rattling in Ukraine, Putin Alters CourseNew York Times 07/11/2014
Rising wages in China a definite trend as sentiment of workers and the government changes towards low wages and low wage jobs
06/30/2008
The government's efforts to shift China away from low wage sectors to more advanced technologies with higher wages. And the growting sentiment in China among workers with the rise of the internet and mobile phones to organize efforts for higher wages in industries that range from older textile plants to automobile factories of Japanese makers, and factories that make parts for western tech hardware companies such as Apple, Dell and H-P. This includes Honda plants and Foxconn factories. This sentiment is shifting to other emerging markets such as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Linked Articles
China's Export Machine Threatened by Rising Costs
Wall Street Journal 06/30/2008
The Rise of a Chinese Worker's MovementBusinessWeek 06/10/2010
Geithner's style and the contrast with Summers as they contend for Treasury Secretary
05/30/2008
Geithner's has a prepared structure of questions which he uses to get informed, and other aspects of his style and how he has approached crises in the past.
Linked Articles
Summers and Geithner, Two Contenders for Treasury Job, Have Close Career Ties
Wall Street Journal 11/08/2008
Fed's Fireman On Wall Street Feels Some HeatWall Street Journal 05/30/2008
Winding down Fannie and Freddie- the warnings from WSJ and other experts (6)
05/06/2008
Linked Articles
Doubts Raised on Big Backers of Mortgages
New York Times 05/06/2008
Loan Giant Overstated the Size of Its Capital BaseNew York Times 09/07/2008
The steep decline in Cherry's car sales in China and the precarious condition of the Chinese consumer- 2008
04/24/2008
The precarious condition of the Chinese consumer and first time buyer of cars, with no safety net in the economy for health care or unemployment. The severe downturn for Cherry and why GM cannot look to China for any kind of relief.
Linked Articles
With First Car, a New Life in China
New York Times 04/24/2008
China's Car Makers Seek Different Help: Lower Sales TaxesWall Street Journal 11/20/2008
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