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Geneal Motors Board and its top management hobble along without a vision or timely decisions at critical turning points.
06/28/2008
The lack of vigorous discussion at the Board and top management levels of Gneral Motors is the most striking thing about the company. Classic example how the larger and more successful an institution, there is no assurance that even the vital skills of vigorous discussion and openness to fresh thinking promoted by its founders like Alfred Sloan in this case in one of his meetings, that these skills will be available in the future.
Linked Articles
GM's Massive Quarterly Loss Adds to Turnaround Pressure
Wall Street Journal 08/02/2008
McCain Offers Aid, No 'Bailout' on AutosWall Street Journal 06/28/2008
CarMax used SUV and truck prices for early months of 2008 show stunning declines prompting GM rethinking its entire product lineup.
06/19/2008
CarMax, a used car retailer says price declines for SUV's and pickup trucks were severe in early months of 2008 with a 25% decline. The declines were sharpest in May and early June suggesting that things could get very bad for carmakers which don't make an abrupt and dramatic shift away from these types of vehicles.
Linked Articles
GM Puts Off Truck, SUV Redesigns In New Focus
Wall Street Journal 06/19/2008
Grim CarMax News Hits Auto MakersWall Street Journal 06/19/2008
How all carmakers and Detroit automakers in particular missed what was happening in the economy and the market with dire results.
05/20/2008
Even as late as May 22, 2008 Ford pared its outlook to 14-15 million cars as reported by Jeff Bennett in the WSJ. That puts the situation in October 2008, with a 30-40% drop in sales year over year only 5 months away.
Linked Articles
Car Makers' Boom Years Now Look Like a Bubble
Wall Street Journal 05/20/2008
Ford Motor Pares OutlookWall Street Journal 05/22/2008
Greenspan and his philosophy that let him take such an ambitious experiment in unrestrained markets.
04/08/2008
Grennspan took huge risks in his ambitious experiment with the American economy of a philosophy that simply said allow markets to operate unrestrained and trust in humans benevolent intentions and enlightened self interest. Goodman and Ip document the details. Did he believe that there was something miraculous that would prevent things from imploding, something inherently sacred about an idea of markets, when plain common sense like Buffets said that the arithmetic did not add up and in the end thats all that counts common sense.
Linked Articles
Taking Hard New Look at a Greenspan Legacy
New York Times 10/09/2008
His Legacy Tarnished, Greenspan Goes on DefensiveWall Street Journal 04/08/2008
Debt gorged Britain and the U.S.
03/22/2008
British debt is even worse than the American debt with household debt to income ratio at 1.62 in Britain compared to 1.42 in the USA. Continental cousins in Germany have a ratio of 1.09.
Linked Articles
Debt-Gorged British Start to Worry That the Party Is Ending
New York Times 03/22/2008
Frugality Forged in Today's Recession Has Potential to Outlast ItWall Street Journal 04/06/2009
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
Bush-Paulson stimulus package in 2008 and bipartisan cooperation
01/26/2008
Treasury Secretary Paulson and the deft diplomacy and bridgebuilding that led to bipartisan agreement on a stimulus package and set the stage for cooperative work from Republicans and Democrats to restore public confidence in the political leadership of the country to act concertedly.
Linked Articles
Paulson’s Deal-Making Revives Treasury’s Relevance
New York Times 01/28/2008
Stimulus Deal Spurred by Fears Of Voter BacklashWall Street Journal 01/26/2008
IBM's aggressive internationalization.
01/15/2008
The aggressive internationalization plan of IBM. How its being executed and the financial results that show this in 4th quarter 2008 with 10% gain in revenues and 24% in profits.
Linked Articles
Foreign Sales Help I.B.M. to a Strong Quarter
New York Times 01/15/2008
IBM Sales, Profit Give Tech a Healthier LookWall Street Journal 01/15/2008
Tata Motors and meeting crash and emissions standards for the Nano automobile
01/08/2008
The new small car from Tata will meet current and future European emissions standards Mr. Tata said in an interview. There were doubts in the NYTimes of Jan 8, 2008 about the emissions, and it was thought that this car would just meet the lower Indian emissions standards. If this is true then this is part of the foresight of the vision of Ratan Tata. In fact Tata said that it was easier to meet the emissions standards than to meet the crash and safety standards because of the lightness of the car.
Linked Articles
Tata's High-Stakes Bet on Low-Cost Car
Wall Street Journal 01/10/2008
Four Wheels for the Masses: The $2,500 CarNew York Times 01/08/2008
A tolerant Islamic world- the world of Hamza
01/06/2008
A more tolerant world has existed in Islamic Central Asia, South Asia and Iran, over long perids that were also punctuated by periods of conflict. Europe has experienced this also as the ebb and flow of religious strife and of tolerance prevailed in different periods.
Linked Articles
New York Times 01/06/2008
Eat Your Heart Out, HomerNew York Times 01/06/2008
Pakistan, Jinnah and the dominant role of the military in the state
01/06/2008
It takes a deep knowledge of a place to know why things are turning out the way they are. Part knowledge of history, sidelining of Muslims after the British drove out the Mughals, knowledge of choices, choice of a separate state on religious lines, the creation of Pakistan, and knowledge of the cast of characters, Mohammed Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League whose picture here and his manners show a person aloof and more fitted to the British era,and the generals Ayub,Yahya, Zia and Musharraf.
Linked Articles
New York Times 01/06/2008
In Musharraf’s Shadow, a New Hope for Pakistan RisesNew York Times 01/07/2008
India's Tata family and vision of industry and progress over the last 100 years
01/03/2008
The Tata family's vision and the particular vision of Ratan Tata in restructuring the Tata businesses and his vision for a $2500 car. How this will work out, what is Ratan Tata's thinking that makes this a idea and product that will help put Tata in cars in a big way and help India develop its manufacturing industry.
Linked Articles
BusinessWeek 01/03/2008
Four Wheels for the Masses: The $2,500 CarNew York Times 01/08/2008
Russia's sovereign wealth fund modeled on the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund
11/16/2007
Russia is trying to model its wealth fund on the Norwegian example with no more than a 5% stake in a company allowed.
Linked Articles
Russia Government Fund Will Tread Carefully
Wall Street Journal 01/25/2008
Sovereign Funds Look to NorwayWall Street Journal 11/16/2007
Sales of the Honda Civic, Toyota Prius,Ford Focus and the Honda Fit , all smaller cars are doing well
06/20/2008
Even so Toyota will not go ahead with making the Prius at the new plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi, is a sign of the severity of the economic downturn that is shaping up for 2009 and 2010.
Linked Articles
The Smaller the Better, Automakers Are Finding
New York Times 06/20/2008
Toyota delays new Prius plantDetroit News 12/16/2008
Differing timelines for Bill Ford and Mullaly at Ford and Wagoner at GM in their shift to smaller cars.
06/04/2008
GM was late in the shift to smaller cars than Ford even as the shift was taking place. Both companies though remained mired in a decades long stagnation in fuel efficency even as companies like Honda moved forward, and as the gap with the Europeans and the Japanese in the technology and skills of making small cars widened.
Linked Articles
G.M. Closing 4 Plants in Shift From Trucks Toward Cars
New York Times 06/04/2008
Bill Ford on Tipping Points and Thinking SmallBusinessWeek 07/31/2008
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
Labor costs in China, Ireland, and newly emerging countries.
03/27/2008
How the foreign investment model for countries that attracted Foreign Investment with lower wages is changing and the differentials with the US are closing, Irish hourly pay higher than US hourly pay.
Linked Articles
Ireland: The End of the Miracle
BusinessWeek 03/27/2008
China's Factory BluesBusinessWeek 03/27/2008
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
Rising price of products Made in China on American retail shelves.
01/31/2008
China's demand for energy is not going to go down that much so expect continued pressure on oil prices and on inflation from China in addition to the increase of about 10% in prices of Chinese goods on retail shelves in the USA in 2008 as wages and raw material costs rise.
Linked Articles
China’s Inflation Hits American Price Tags
New York Times 02/01/2008
China's Impact On Oil Prices: Not So MuchWall Street Journal 01/31/2008
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01/23/2008
The EU has newbiofuels law that requires that a biofuel production and use reduce emissions by 35% to meet its standards, rapeseed oil at 37% passes and corn for ethanol as in the US at 22% fails.
Linked Articles
EU Is Planning Measures To Protect Biofuels Industry
Wall Street Journal 01/23/2008
U.S. Given Poor Marks on the EnvironmentNew York Times 01/23/2008
Starbucks losing its upscale appeal with rapid expansion
01/08/2008
Among the changes in the mass market downscaling of Starbucks was the introduction of hot breakfast sandwiches. Schultz did not like the smell of the sanwiches taking away the aroma of coffees that was a key part of the Starbucks experience.
Linked Articles
Schultz Takes Over to Try to Perk Up Starbucks
Wall Street Journal 01/08/2008
Starbucks Shares Rise as CEO ReturnsWall Street Journal 01/09/2008
Rapid expansion of Starbucks 2000-2008
01/07/2008
Starbucks with 10,000 store locations in the USA and 1600 planned new stores for 2008 finally realizes that this breakneck expansion was destroying the original starbucks experience and vision as its reduced to becoming more like a fast food place.
Linked Articles
Schultz Takes Over to Try to Perk Up Starbucks
Wall Street Journal 01/08/2008
McDonald's Takes On A Weakened StarbucksWall Street Journal 01/07/2008
The military and civilian leadership in Pakistan for six decades since independence and the U.S. involvement in S. Asia
01/06/2008
Militancy shifts to a younger generation of leaders in the border provinces of Pakistan, Baluchistan, Northwest Frontier province and Waziristan. Taliban was a creation of the Pakistan army to create strategic depth for Pakistan by getting a Islami militant run organization take over Afghanistan after the Russians left. It has turned into a complete mess as that militancy has spread to Pakistan's border provinces.
Linked Articles
New York Times 01/06/2008
Next-Gen TalibanNew York Times 01/06/2008
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01/06/2008
After the assasination of Benazir Bhutto sentiment in the Sindh province to go its own way, fears that Sindh is not getting a fair share and benefit in Pakistan compared to the larger Punjab province.
Linked Articles
New York Times 01/06/2008
Bhutto Killing Roils Province, Spurring Call to Quit PakistanWall Street Journal 01/08/2008
Failure of political and military leaders in Pakistan since independence
01/02/2008
Zardari is another one of the cast of characters in the Pakistan story, this one associated with the Bhutto family. Brought down 2 civilian governments by engaging in widespread enrichment from government contracts.
Linked Articles
New York Times 01/06/2008
Pakistan's Zardari Poses A Quandary for U.S.Wall Street Journal 01/02/2008
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