Looking back at Hong Kong and China today and yesterday- China in 1842 and in 1945, nationalism and commercial interests of foreign powers

01/09/2015

A wariness with foreign powers in China stems from the influences left behind from the British commercial interests and the Japanese invasion of China. Compared to that period, the period of collaboration on an equal footing and playing field is is a short and recent one that has taken place for just three decades 1985-2015. Fears that the accelerated development in China could slow down without a strong central government, combine with the awareness of the need for western technology and open communications in today's global economy to accelerate the development, create in the Chinese mind a problem that needs to be tackled carefully to continue progress. Awareness of the huge inequalities and corruption in the rush towards modernization, need to tackle extensive contamination of air and water, and need for social security and healthcare for an aging population create a new urgency for careful policy making to sustain progress.

Linked Articles

Gentlemen Drug Dealers

Wall Street Journal 01/12/2015

George Walden, George, Walden

New York Times 01/09/2015

Thomas J. Christensen, Thomas, J., Christensen

The miscalculations and missteps of Russian president Putin in 2014 leading to a major crisis for the Russian economy in 2015

12/18/2014

A major miscalculation was totally misjudging Merkel and post-war German public opinion about policies that remind people about the period between the two World Wars- this is anathema to Germans who see the European Union as a way to build a new and different Europe. The other miscalculation was on how a foreign adventurous policy in Syria would affect Sunni world opinion, in particular Saudi Arabia. Just as Brezhnev took Russia into Afghanistan where Russia had no vital interest leading to eventual Soviet collapse, Putin risked alienating a key member in OPEC pricing moves and hurting Russia's economic interest. By not listening to Kudrin, the head of Sberbank, and other economic advisers from the first and second terms of the Putin-Medvedev administrations, Putin opened the door to two years of serious missteps, risking the very real accomplishments of the first and second term of creating a stable growing Russian economy with close economic ties to Europe. The only positive outcome of the crisis and low oil prices would be making the shift away from oil dependence, which was talked about but never seriously attempted in the Putin administrations. For this to happen major new investments would have to be made and technology links to the outside strengthened, both hammered by the missteps in 2013-2014. The irony of all this is that Putin gained the support of rural Russians in the countryside in the 2012 presidential elections by promising no return to the economic crisis conditions following earlier ruble collapses. Now by ignoring Kudrin and other wiser counsel from the first and second administrations he does just that.

Linked Articles

Putin’s Year of Defiance and Miscalculation

Wall Street Journal 12/18/2014

Gregory White, Gregory, White, Anton Troianovski, Anton, Troianovski

Wall Street Journal 12/18/2014

Alexander Kolyandr, Alexander, Kolyandr, James Marson, James, Marson

Obama's second term- (5) the U.S. president's foreign policy failures in Syria and Iraq seen up close by Clinton and Panetta

08/11/2014

A Defense Secretary and Secretary of State in the Obama administration describe up close president Obama's failure to act at key moments in the crisis in Iraq and Syria. This has badly damaged the U.S. credibility and what it stands for in the Middle East and the rest of the world.

Linked Articles

A Rift in Worldviews Is Exposed as Clinton Faults Obama on Policy

New York Times 08/11/2014

Mark Landler, Mark, Landler

Wall Street Journal 10/07/2014

Felicia Schwartz, Felicia, Schwartz

Hope and reality in India and Nigeria- The Singh administration in India 2010-2014, and the Jonathan administration in Nigeria 2011-2015

02/21/2014

Are too many young people in the most populous countries of Africa and Asia seeing their hopes dashed and their dreams vanish with the mismanagement of the resources of the country and of the economy? Is the demographic dividend in these countries about to be wasted? Is the goodwill of foreign investors in Europe and the U.S. eager to bring the latest technologies to these countries, as they did in China, about to be wasted by sheer mismanagement and misallocation of resources? These questions are on the minds of young people in Nigeria and India as they rest their hopes on the Buhari and Modi administrations.

Linked Articles

Nigerian Central Bank Governor Ousted

Wall Street Journal 02/21/2014

Drew Hinshaw, Drew, Hinshaw

New York Times 08/25/2014

Neha Thirani Bagri, Neha, Thirani, Bagri

Putin and the excessive cost of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia approaching $51 billion

11/05/2013

The need for infrastructure spending in other parts of Russia, for R&D development and making the transition away from dependence on oil revenues, as competing needs for capital. This also happens as currency values are declining for emerging markets and it is increasingly difficult to attract foreign investment in 2014, leading to slowing growth with high inflation.

Linked Articles

Putin's Olympian Construction Zone

Wall Street Journal 11/05/2013

Anne Jolis, Anne, Jolis

New York Times 01/22/2014

Steven Lee Myers, Steven, Lee, Myers

Questions of fairness- could the U.S. government have done more to help homeowners in foreclosure? (2)

09/13/2013

Linked Articles

Fannie, Freddie Payments Nearly Match Aid

Wall Street Journal 11/08/2013

Nick Timiraos, Nick, Timiraos

Wall Street Journal 09/13/2013

Michael Corkery, Michael, Corkery, Al Yoon, Al, Yoon

The Egyptian military and Gen. Sissi's rejection of the E.U. envoy Bernardino Leon's deal for a peaceful removal of Morsi protester camps followed by talks and new elections

08/15/2013

Burns, Leon and the foreign ministers of Qatar and the UAE arranged the deal which was supported by El Baradei and then rejected by Gen. Sissi leading to the violent military crackdown and 525 dead on Aug. 14, 2013.

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U.S. allies were near a deal for peaceful end to Egypt crisis - The Washington Post

Washington Post 08/17/2013

Anne Gearan, Anne, Gearan, Colum Lynch, Colum, Lynch

New York Times 08/15/2013

Amr Darrag, Amr, Darrag

Obama's second term- (2) the U.S. president Obama's foreign policy failures in Syria-Iraq, Woodward and the U.S. Senate on Libya

05/19/2013

Linked Articles

Woodward: It Isn’t Watergate, but It Is Nixonian

Wall Street Journal 05/19/2013

Don Nissenbaum, Don, Nissenbaum

New York Times 01/15/2014

Mark Mazzetti, Mark, Mazzetti, Eric Schmitt, Eric, Schmitt, David D. Kirkpatrick, David, D., Kirkpatrick

Policy contrast between socialist governments in Venezuela and Bolivia

04/12/2013

Bolivia's socialist government of Evo Morales has taken a different approach by reducing subsidies and increasing gasoline prices to about $2.00 a gallon in 2013. Salaries of governent workers was also increased by 20% in 2013, and additional 10% added to price of locally produced grain and corn, in policy actions. Morales cited as a reason the $150 million in smuggling to neighboring countries of the $660 million in gasoline imports, wasting a significant part of the $380 million annual state gasoline subsidy which could be used for infrastructure. In Venezuela both opposing candidates for president Maduro and Capriles supported the state subsidy for gasoline that is exceptional among developing countries, and at a time when Venezuela is short of foreign currency for other imports.

Linked Articles

Almost-Free Gas Comes at a High Cost

Wall Street Journal 04/12/2013

Ángel González, Ángel, González

New York Times 02/16/2014

William Neuman, William, Neuman

The old views of the Defense Department and the new views at Israeli newspaper Haaretz on the way forward for peace and economic progress in the Middle East

03/12/2013

The old perceptions of the foreign policy establishment and the defense department and the new perceptions at Israeli newspaper Haartez, on the way forward for peace and economic progress in the Middle East. Out of the rubble of failed policies, lack of far sighted leadership, and the failures of Middle Eastern elites and leaders, must arise a right way forward.

Linked Articles

U.S. Officials Fear Losing an Eager Ally in the Egyptian Military

New York Times 08/16/2013

Thom Shanker, Thom, Shanker, Eric Schmitt, Eric, Schmitt

New York Times 03/12/2013

Ari Shavit, Ari, Shavit

The Swiss central bank's effort to keep Swiss Franc at 1.20 to the dollar and Japan's Abe government's push for the yen at 90 to the dollar

12/25/2012

A determined effort by the Swiss National Bank to preserve export competitiveness as eurozone economies contract in 2013, by printing francs and buying up euros and foreign assets. The effort is designed to counteract declining wages and prices in Switzerland. The newly elected Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe supports aggressive action by Japan's central bank to keep the yen between 85 yen and 90 yen to the U.S. dollar.

Linked Articles

Global Currency Tensions Rise

Wall Street Journal 12/25/2012

Tatsuo Ito, Tatsuo, Ito, William Mallard, William, Mallard

Wall Street Journal 01/09/2013

Brian Blackstone, Brian, Blackstone, David Wessel, David, Wessel

Dangers facing Turkey's economy with its dependence on foreign capital inflows and excessive growth in domestic credit for growth

10/04/2012

Foreign capital inflows that partly support the sharp growth in domestic credit could slow or reverse as happened in the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The IMF sees a credit to GDP ratio of over 5% as a warning light for developing economies. The IMF forecast is for this rato to be 7.28% for Turkey in 2103.

Linked Articles

No Ticker Tape Parade for Brazil's Currency Heroes

Wall Street Journal 06/06/2013

Liam Denning, Liam, Denning

Wall Street Journal 10/04/2012

Andrew Peaple, Andrew, Peaple