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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
Turnabout in Bolivia as Economy Rises From InstabilityNew York Times 02/16/2014
A more cautious Shinzo Abe as prime ministerof Japan in 2013- compared to 2006-2007
12/17/2012
Abe is determined not to repeat the mistakes of his first term as Japan's prime minister following the LDP's popular prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi. That term ended with adefeat in the upper house elections and lasted only 10 months. This means staying close to the U.S. and toning down a nationalist message, with focus mainly on creating economic revival.
Linked Articles
Japanâs Next Leader, Shinzo Abe, Shifts Focus
New York Times 12/17/2012
Japan Voters Sweep In New LeaderWall Street Journal 12/17/2012
The EU debate between France's Hollande and Germany's Merkel before and during the EU's Oct. 2012 meeting
10/17/2012
The issue was direct aid to Spanish banks and the early setup of an EU banking supervisor so that Spain could get early debt relief as its economy struggles with high unemployment of over 25%. Chancellor Merkel turned down direct aid to Spanish banks, and partly relented on banking supervision by agreeing to have the legislation completed by Jan 2013 and the actual setup of the supervision authority during the course of 2013, probably after elections in Germany in Sept. 2013.
Linked Articles
German Refusal on Bank Aid Mars European Summit
New York Times 10/19/2012
Hollande fires warning shot at Merkel over austerity on eve of EU summit | World news | guardian.co.ukThe Guardian 10/17/2012
David Walker, the new chairman of Barclays Bank in 2012- the man to set Britain's banking on the right path
08/09/2012
Linked Articles
A True Brit Is the Choice by Barclays
Wall Street Journal 08/10/2012
Barclays New Chairman’s on What a Chairman Should BeWall Street Journal 08/09/2012
The basics for European financial architecture go in place- ECB as single banking supervisor in the eurozone, Dec. 12, 2012
06/26/2012
Linked Articles
EU Reaches Deal on Bank Supervisor
Wall Street Journal 12/13/2012
Report Suggests ECB Bank SupervisionWall Street Journal 06/26/2012
Nakanishi at Hitachi and Sasaki at Toshiba- a new set of CEO's in Japan breaking from the past
04/09/2012
Linked Articles
Hitachi President Prods Turnaround
Wall Street Journal 05/11/2012
Toshiba's Chief Takes StockWall Street Journal 04/09/2012
Research In Motion's Blackberry 10 and the effort to put together a patchwork of technologies
03/30/2012
Research in Motion failed to come up with a smartphone in time to match the iPhone and Android based smartphones. The Blackberry 10 was put together in crisis mode by June 2012. This is a classic example of the chaos created for established players by new entrants and new technologies.
Linked Articles
RIM's New BlackBerry 10: The Patchwork Smartphone
Wall Street Journal 06/07/2012
BlackBerry Maker in TurmoilWall Street Journal 03/30/2012
The risks facing Spain in 2012 with austerity measures when unemployment is at 23%
03/06/2012
Finance Minister Luis de Guindos sees Spain loosing either way with spending cuts that worsen high unemployment and lower economic growth leading to a worsening debt to GDP ratio in 2012, and this situation in turn raising its borrowing costs on $86 billion in debt issuance for 2012. He estimates the debt to GDP ratio will increase under the 2012 budget of 27 billion euros in cuts and an economy shrinking by 1.7% in 2012, by 10% from 2011 to 78%. Markets are focussing on debt in Portugal and Spain in 2012, after focussing on Greece and Italy in 2011.
Linked Articles
Spain Faces Risks in Budget Refit
Wall Street Journal 04/03/2012
Spain Struggles to Unite Regional Leaders on CutsNew York Times 03/06/2012
Greece and EU in 2015- (4) How are the structural issues such as tax evasion in Greece being tackled, after Monti's effort to tackle this in Italy in 2012?
02/18/2012
Surprisingly the Syriza government in 6 months in office did not come up with a plan to implement for tax evasion. This was a major issue for the IMF and in Greece's interest, even though it was going contrary to long standing practice in Greece as it was in Italy. Estimates of lost revenue are about $11 billion each year for tax evasion. By comparison the IMF payment due was less than $2 billion on June 30, 2015. Sustainable long term finances make this a major issue in Greece's own interest. Greece has an aging population and the number of retirees are growing in relation to young working people making this an important issue for stable finances under any administration, and regardless of the euro.
Linked Articles
How Greek tax evasion sunk the global economy
Washington Post 07/10/2012
A Hollow Target for Greek DebtWall Street Journal 02/18/2012
The U.S. unemployment rate and the long term unemployed dropping out of the labor market (2)- 2011-2013
12/12/2011
Ezra Klein points out that the real unemployment rate in November 2011 was 11%- when taking into account the long term unemployed dropping out of the labor market- not about 9%.
Linked Articles
Piecing Together the Job-Picture Puzzle
Wall Street Journal 03/12/2012
Wonkbook: The real unemployment rate is 11 percent - The Washington PostWashington Post 12/12/2011
China's move forward with nuclear energy after the Fukushima nuclear accident
10/10/2011
A move away from coal used for electricity supplies towards nuclear energy. The increase planned is from 11 gigawatts of nuclear energy in 2012 to 40 gigawatts by 2015 and 60-70 gigawatts by 2020. Five nuclear energy projects will be planned at a cost of $27 billion with financing help from a Shanghai IPO offering in 2012.
Linked Articles
China Nuclear Firm Plans Up to $27 Billion IPO
Wall Street Journal 06/06/2012
China Marches On With Nuclear Energy, in Spite of FukushimaNew York Times 10/10/2011
Increasing domestic consumption in Saudi Arabia will diminish reserve supplies and put pressure on oil prices in 2012-2013
06/23/2011
Saudi domestic consumption increasing at 10% a year will diminsh the Saudi role as a reserve supplier. Estimates are for zero reserve supplies by 2020 and oil imports by 2038, so large is the effect of growing use of oil at home. The Arab Spring means subsidies and social spending will increase, supporting continuing use of oil at current levels for a rapidly growing population.
Linked Articles
The End of the Saudi Oil Reserve Margin
Wall Street Journal 04/03/2012
Rising Saudi Thirst for Oil Drives Plans to Go NuclearWall Street Journal 06/23/2011
Greece's Path Back (10)- Germany's and chancellor Merkel's view of the euro and the changes needed
01/30/2011
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 04/10/2013
Merkel's Defense of Euro Forged in East GermanyNew York Times 01/30/2011
Setting the record straight and restoring the credibility of credit ratings- the U.S. Justice Department's struggle with S&P 2013-2015
02/05/2013
U.S. Associate Attorney General Dillery, the governments top negotiator in a $1.5 billion settlement in Jan 2015, says never has the Justice Department produced 290 million documents in discovery in Justice Department history.This is how many documents were produced in this case which he said showed S&P in serious breach of duty, which affected the U.S. financial system leading to many adverse consequences.
Linked Articles
S&P to Pay $1.5 Billion to Resolve Crisis-Era Litigation
Wall Street Journal 02/04/2015
S. & P. E-Mails on Mortgage Crisis Show Alarm and Gallows HumorNew York Times 02/05/2013
German chancellor Merkel and the EU plan for aid to Spain's banks in Oct. 2012
10/18/2012
Merkel turns down an effort pushed by France and Spain at the Oct. 2012 EU leaders meeting for direct aid to Spanish banks. Instead money has to go from the European Stability Mechanism fund to Spain after a request by Spain for aid. The aid request by Spain would be met under program of conditionality set by the IMF, EU and ECB. Spain is delaying a request for aid as borrowing rates on Spanish bonds declined to about 5% by late October 2012. The Rajoy government in Spain faces regional spending problems and separatis sentiment in addition to high unemployment and a worsening situation with its banks. Merkel faces elections for chancellor in Germany in Sept. 2013 and says more time is needed to setup the eurozone banking supervisory authority- to be set up in the course of 2013 with the legal setup completed by Jan 2013 as a concession to France. This would push banking supervision and financial architecture till after the election.
Linked Articles
German Refusal on Bank Aid Mars European Summit
New York Times 10/19/2012
Europe Seeks a Spain StrategyWall Street Journal 10/18/2012
An assessment of Germany's Angela Merkel's 10 years in office (1)- from the eurozone crisis to Ukraine and the refugee crisis
09/25/2012
Linked Articles
Economist 11/11/2015
Matthew Kaminski: The Accidental Architect of a New EuropeWall Street Journal 09/25/2012
The failure of Barclays bank management under CEO Diamond in setting artificially low LIBOR rates
06/28/2012
Linked Articles
Barclays Executives Are Said To Know of Low Rates
New York Times 07/02/2012
Lie Bores Into Credibility of Barclays and the CityWall Street Journal 06/28/2012
Spain to inject 9 billion euros into Bankia- analysts estimate the capital hole at Bankia at 25 billion euros
05/21/2012
Analysts estimate the capital requirements at Bankia to cope with 12% nonperforming real estate loans on a 190 billon loan portfolio for BFA-Bankia, and to meet other capital requirements, is 25 billion euros. The Spanish government said it would inject 9 billion euros to recapitalize Bankia in May 2012.
Linked Articles
Limbo on Bankia Undermines Confidence in Spain's Handling of Crisis
Wall Street Journal 05/21/2012
Spain to Recapitalize Bankia in Latest BailoutWall Street Journal 05/24/2012
Wide divergence in P/E ratios of France and Germany compared to the U.S. in March 2012
04/06/2012
The 10 year P/E ratios of France and Germany at 12 compared to the U.S.'s at 22 show a wide divergence in the P/E ratios. Analysts say this shows the U.S. equity market is overextended. One estimate shows a price valuation divergence of 10%, more than what is justified by "safety" and other concerns.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 04/07/2012
Job Growth Loses SteamWall Street Journal 04/06/2012
Wage hikes and excess demand for labor in China in 2012-2013 reduce the need for Stimulus
03/14/2012
The need for stimulus to keep jobs for migrant workers and maintain social stability does not exist in 2012 the way it appeared in 2008, when about 20% of migrant workers lost their jobs and wages for migrant workers fell by 10%, according to estimates by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Stanford University. In 2012 there is excess demand for labor and reports show the efforts to reduce the 60 hour work week in some factories is running into problems with a shortage of labor. This means less need for stimulus that would aggravate problems in the housing bubble and inflation.
Linked Articles
China's Workers in No Need of Stimulation
Wall Street Journal 06/04/2012
China's Wage Hikes Ripple Across AsiaWall Street Journal 03/14/2012
Tax increases on the wealthy in Japan by the Shinzo Abe government to go with an increase in the sales tax to 10%
03/04/2012
Linked Articles
Tokyo Set to Raise Levy on Wealthiest
Wall Street Journal 01/11/2013
Prime Minister Noda says tax hike essential for Japan's sustainability - The Washington PostWashington Post 03/04/2012
The passage of the unpopular sales tax hike and political uncertainty in Japan
12/27/2011
Critics say the Democratic Party of Japan should have invested efforts in its election promises to cut wasteful spending. Polls show a majority of Japanese oppose the doubling of the sales tax to 10%.
Linked Articles
Vote Ensures Japan Will Double Sales Tax to 10%
Wall Street Journal 06/27/2012
Tokyo's Move to Raise Tax Hits SnagWall Street Journal 12/27/2011
The flawed transition framework to democratic government in Egypt set by the military and the Muslim Brotherhood
11/26/2011
Linked Articles
Where Is the Muslim Brotherhood?
Wall Street Journal 11/26/2011
A Coup, but Backed by the PeopleNew York Times 07/04/2013
Question for Turkey- can it reduce its current account deficit of 10% in March 2011 to 6% before a sharp swing in capital inflows leads to a crisis?
09/21/2011
Only 25% of capital inflows to Turkey are direct foreign investment. The current account deficit of 10% is partly financed by foreign capital inflows. Any swings in consumer sentiment- especially as the eurozone crisis continues in 2012-2013- could mean rapid capital outflows leading to a crisis. The IMF's Warning Light Indicator in 2011 for countries with excessive credit growth to GDP ratios covers Turkey.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 04/13/2012
A Warning Light to Alert the I.M.F.New York Times 09/21/2011
OPEC disagreement on setting production quotas in June 2011
06/08/2011
Saudis argued in favor of increasing production to meet rising demand. Iran, Venezuela and other countries were opposed. The result was that no agreement was reached. The spare capacity of Iran and other countries opposed to increasing production is small. Analysts expect the Saudis to increase production unilaterally.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 06/09/2011
OPEC Keeps Lid on Oil Production TargetsNew York Times 06/08/2011
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