The Women20 Summit in Berlin and the path for women to the workplace in Europe, the U.S., and other countries

05/08/2017

The views expressed at the Women20 Summit at the G-20 summit in Berlin reflect the views of women leaders including Angela Merkel. Problems women in the U.S. are facing are covered here by Fed chairwoman Janet Yellen. For the first time leaders of the stature of Merkel and Yellen are talking about these issues openly to drive the debate and clear the path for women.

Linked Articles

The real issues at Women20 | Business | DW.COM | 26.04.2017

DW.COM 04/26/2017

Tamsin Walker

The New York Times 05/05/2017

Binyamin Appelbaum

Sharp contrast between the Trump and Clinton economic plans- Trump's negative in the long run, Clinton's positive in the long run

10/18/2016

Economic experts look at the Trump and Clinton economic plans, Trump's based on extreme borrowing and Clinton's careful about deficits. Trump's plan aggravates the wide disparities in income in America after the tech booms and Clinton's reduces these disparities. Clinton's preserves global trading system while addressing the problems, Trump's moves in the direction of protectionism and high tariffs with potential unintended consequences for the global economy.

Linked Articles

Donald Trump’s Economic Plan, Up Close, Doesn’t Add Up

WSJ 10/18/2016

Greg Ip

WSJ 10/17/2016

Richard Rubin

Speaker Paul Ryan's House seat in Janesville, Wisconsin- improving economy in a U.S. midwestern factory town and the debate on trade, help for working class families

08/10/2016

The unemployment rate in Janesville, Wisconsin drops to 4.4% in May 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was over 9% following the closing of the GM plant and the recession from the 2008 financial crisis. A working class town Janesville was hit hard by the closing of the GM plant in 2008. Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post describes the impact of losing about 5000 jobs at the GM plant, and the problems typical of most manufacturing dependent towns. Throughout the period since being first elected to Congress in 1998 Ryan has continued to be able to get elected on the basis of faith, family and public service, even though some of his policies may not have helped the poor and elderly or laid off workers. Ryan voted for rescuing the auto industry and worked hard to keep the GM plant, and listens to his constituents, and as the economy recovered by 2016 won easily in this old industrial midwestern town. His influence in national politics gives Janesville an opportunity to be heard, as it tackles problems common to many midwestern towns in the U.S.

Linked Articles

Could Paul Ryan’s ideas help his struggling home town? - The Washington Post

Washington Post 08/19/2012

Amy Goldstein, Amy, Goldstein

The Guardian 08/10/2016

David Smith

Donald Trump and the themes for the 2016 U.S. presidential election as seen at the Republican National Convention- law and order, and blue collar lives

07/22/2016

Linked Articles

Donald Trump positions himself as the voice of ‘the forgotten men and women’

Washington Post 07/22/2016

The Guardian 07/22/2016

Public focus on good governance, corruption and the rule of law- the situation in Mexico and Brazil in 2016

06/10/2016

The Worker's Party in Brazil and the PRI have seen a sharp decline in popularity by 2016 with public discontent over governance, corruption and the rule of law.

Linked Articles

Mexico’s Ruling Party Loses Gubernatorial Races in Several States

WSJ 06/10/2016

New York Times 05/12/2016

Andrew Jacobs, Andrew, Jacobs

Charles Koch and the New York Times on Trump's statements about Mexicans, and the campaign for presidency of the U.S.

04/24/2016

Linked Articles

Charles Koch suggests that another Clinton in the White House might be better than Trump or Cruz - The Washington Post

Washington Post 04/24/2016

New York Times 04/26/2016

The Editorial Board, The, Editorial, Board

Donald Trump's proposal for 45% tariff on China's exports to the U.S.- how a policy of bringing jobs home could lead to the loss of 1 million U.S. jobs

03/08/2016

By damaging the international trading system including with allies such a Canada, Britain, France and Germany, the result of a downward spiral through higher tariffs in other countries, could end up costing the U.S. 1 million jobs. Under such a system the U.S. would lose many of the advantages of its booming tech sector, its tech driven global advantages in many industries, without signifcant gains in low cost imports such as clothing which would simply migrate to other countries such as India. The problem of worker wage stagnation in the U.S., and loss of jobs in certain sectors, is very real, but this is the wrong way to tackle the problem. China is already moving towards a consumer driven economy. Economists show that trade with Mexico would be seriously hurt both ways, creating more pressure of migrants at the border under such proposals as a 45% tariff and its indirect effect on Mexico, when the actual fact is that net migration from Mexico is the lowest it has ben in decades. Politics can do strange things as when two senators Smoot and Hawley from agricultural states Utah and Oregon, at the head of important committees in the U.S. Congress pushed and passed legislation for a 60% tariff in 1930 for the industrial sector they had no idea about. When Smoot and Hawley lost reelection in 1932 they left behind a lot of damage, especially for the farmers and workers they thought they were fighting for.

Linked Articles

How Trump’s Hard Line on Trade Could Backfire

Wall Street Journal 03/25/2016

Bob Davis, Bob, Davis

Wall Street Journal 03/08/2016

Holman W. Jenkins Jr., Holman, W., Jenkins, Jr.

Jeremy Corbyn and the proposal in 2015 for a National Investment Bank in Britain to make investments in education, health services and infrastructure

09/11/2015

A new leader of the Labor Party in Britain proposes a National Investment Bank. Some of the funding would come from an estimated 20 billion pounds of tax debt, 20 billion pounds in tax evasion, and 80 billion pounds in tax avoidance, according to experts in the Labor Party. Corbyn says he would reverse the introduction of fees for university education by previous Labor governments and has publicly apologized for the fees. The fees plan would cost about 7.1 billion pounds and be paid for by a 2.5% increase in the corporate tax, slower deficit reduction or increase in the insurance tax, says Corbyn. Germany continues to provide free university education.

Linked Articles

Leftist Jeremy Corbyn elected leader of Britain’s Labour Party - The Washington Post

Washington Post 09/12/2015

Griff Witte, Griff, Witte

New York Times 09/11/2015

Stephen Castle, Stephen, Castle

The huge contrast between Chancellor Merkel's approach and the approach of Obama and Cameron to the Syrian refugee crisis

08/20/2015

The German chancellor will be remembered in history for the way she handled the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015, and for the courage to say, "if Europe fails on the question of refugees, its close connection with universal civil rights will be destroyed." Reports in the Guardian newspaper say Germany is likely to accept about 1 million refugees in 2015. Chancellor Merkel says about 800,000 refugees will be admitted in 2015. Contrast this with the UK reports the Guardian which has 166 refugees admitted to the UK, and reports in the WSJ that about 1500 refugees have been admitted to the U.S.. Merkel has taken on the challenge in a spirited way as Europe faces anti-immigrant sentiment and rallied German society in a way that is remarkable. The withdrawal of the Obama administration from the Middle East led to the collapse of the fragile situation in Libya, Iraq and Syria, and the unravelling of these countries, leading to the current refugee crisis with about half of the Syrian population dislocated and large parts of the population of Libya, Iraq, and Kurdish regions dislocated.

Linked Articles

U.S. Pressed to Take More Syrian Refugees

Wall Street Journal 09/05/2015

Felicia Schwartz, Felicia, Schwartz

Washington Post 08/20/2015

Rick Noack, Rick, Noack

Errors made by the IMF, Syriza Tsipras far left government, leading to the third bailout program of 2015 for Greece

07/06/2015

Just when the first signs of growth in the economy were taking place in 2014 the IMF held back on a 7.2 billion euro payment to Greece which would have increased liquidity to the private sector for growth. The IMF hope to gain leverage with a future Syriza far left government. The first half of 2015 led to economic anxiety in Greece with a failed negotiating strategy of Syriza far left government focussing only on the debt and not on the economy. The damage led to about 85 billion in addtional financing needed following the closing of Greece's banking system in July 2015.

Linked Articles

IMF Warns Eurozone That Greece Needs Far More Debt Relief

Wall Street Journal 07/15/2015

Ian Talley, Ian, Talley

New York Times 07/06/2015

Gikas Hardouvelis, Gikas, Hardouvelis

Ban on election advertising on commercial television and radio in Britain and strict limits of $29.5 million for each party in general elections- contrast with the U.S.

05/02/2015

Britain disproves the popular belief that an ever upward trajectory for election spending is inevitable. The 2010 general election in Britain cost half that of the 1880 general election in 2002 prices, say researchers. In the U.S. spending has increased to the point where candidates may be spending more time fund raising than talking about the issues. The 2016 presidential election in the U.S. is estimated to lead to $10 billion in spending. India, Brazil, and other developing countries face a similar situation.

Linked Articles

Britain’s Campaign Finance Laws Leave Parties With Idle Money

New York Times 05/04/2015

Stephen Castle, Stephen, Castle

New York Times 05/02/2015

Eric Lichtblau, Eric, Lichtblau

Lufthansa in denial about the need for effective screening of pilots and Germany's culture of privacy

03/28/2015

Linked Articles

Germanwings Co-Pilot Andreas Lubitz Concealed Depression From Airline

Wall Street Journal 03/28/2015

William Boston And Andrea Thomas, William, Boston, And, Andrea, Thomas

New York Times 04/18/2015

Nicholas Kulish, Nicholas, Kulish, Nicola Clark, Nicola, Clark