The lifting of the mood in Mexico as a moderate position emerges on NAFTA, trade with Mexico, and sets the goal of mutually beneficial relations

04/14/2017

Linked Articles

Mexico is growing less pessimistic about Donald Trump

The Economist 04/14/2017

WSJ 03/30/2017

William Mauldin In Washington, Paul Vieira In Ottawa, Juan Montes In Mexico City

The 1976 Montreal Olympics, the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2014 Sochi Olympics and the Rio Olympics- decades long debt hangovers and costs growing from the $1+ billion in Montreal to $50+ billion in Sochi

08/24/2016

Developing and developed countries alike have seen the cost of the Olympics as a huge burden. Many countries or cities that committed to hosting the Olympic games during boom years were facing economic hard times by the time of the games. Corruption and mismanagement of public funds, overspending and cost overruns added to the problems. Citizens uproar caused cities such as Boston and Oslo to withdraw bids for the Olympics. The Olympics appears to be a costly way to show off a country, and raises questions about better allocation of funds in other directions, especially when upward mobility is a problem for the middle and working class, countries have other infrastructure needs, and neglected basic needs in education, healthcare, public services.

Linked Articles

The 40-year hangover: how the 1976 Olympics nearly broke Montreal

The Guardian 07/06/2016

The New York Times 08/23/2016

Michael Powell

Pope Francis's roots in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the message of humility, a humbler Church and concern for the poor, that resonate in the U.S. and around the world

09/18/2015

Linked Articles

A Humble Pope, Challenging the World

New York Times 09/18/2015

Jim Yardley, Jim, Yardley

Washington Post 09/20/2015

Michael S. Rosenwald, Michael, S., Rosenwald, Michelle Boorstein And Scott Clement, Michelle, Boorstein, And, Scott, Clement

The new multiyear program proposed by Germany and France to replace the June 2 proposal, following the Greece July 5, 2015 referendum, which sets more reforms

07/07/2015

Linked Articles

Merkel’s German Critics Say Greek Bailout Was Doomed From Start

Wall Street Journal 07/08/2015

Anton Troianovski, Anton, Troianovski

Wall Street Journal 07/07/2015

Gabriele Steinhauser, Gabriele, Steinhauser

The difficult dynamic between eurozone negotiator Dutch finance minister Dijsselbloem and Greece's negotiator Varoufakis that led to the collapse of talks on June 25, 2015- leading to the referendum and the Third Bailout program

07/02/2015

Linked Articles

Hopeful Start to Greek Debt Negotiations Quickly Soured

New York Times 07/02/2015

Landon Thomas Jr., Landon, Thomas, Jr.

Wall Street Journal 07/17/2015

Gabriele Steinhauser, Gabriele, Steinhauser

Lack of individual accountability for banks in legal settlements with regulators- (2) the old management still in place, " a solution to the problem or part of it?"

05/24/2015

The question put by Mr. Han Martin-Buhlmann of shareholder association VIP at the June shareholder meeting of Deutsche Bank was- "Mr. Jain are a solution to the problem or part of it?" Over a week later a new CEO was appointed.

Linked Articles

A bigger stick

Economist 06/13/2015

Economist.Com

Wall Street Journal 05/24/2015

Eyk Henning, Eyk, Henning

The response of financial markets to Russian intervention in Ukraine 2014-2015, as arms aid to Ukraine is seen as not a good option

02/11/2015

Linked Articles

In Ukraine, It’s Putin’s Game

New York Times 02/11/2015

Andrew Higgins, Andrew, Higgins

Wall Street Journal 02/11/2015

Roger C. Altman, Roger, C., Altman

Resilence of the Russian economy in 2015-2016 compared to other emerging markets- (1) the decision to let the ruble float in Nov. 2014

02/09/2015

Linked Articles

Russia and Turkey Show Oil Prices Aren’t Everything

Wall Street Journal 01/25/2016

Richard Barley, Richard, Barley

New York Times 02/09/2015

Andrew E. Kramer, Andrew, E., Kramer

Lt. Gen "Ben" Hodges, Commander U.S. Army in Europe, on the Russian moves towards Mariupol in eastern Ukraine in Feb. 2015

02/08/2015

Ben Hodges describes the Russian threat to peace in Eastern Europe under president Putin and the need for U.S. preparedness.

Linked Articles

The View From NATO’s Russian Front

Wall Street Journal 02/09/2015

Sohrab Ahmari, Sohrab, Ahmari

New York Times 02/08/2015

Rick Lyman, Rick, Lyman

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

China and corruption under the Xi Jinping administration

12/02/2014

Transparency International gives China 36 points , a decline of 4 points in 2014. Since 2013 China has dropped 20 place in the Corruption Perceptions Index, only Turkey had a steeper drop in points in 2014. Transparency, independent judiciary, free speech, whistleblower protection, and accountable government are factors that determine ranking in the index.

Linked Articles

A Beijing House of Cards

Wall Street Journal 12/09/2014

Wsj Editorial, Wsj, Editorial

New York Times 12/02/2014

Didi Kirsten Tatlow, Didi, Kirsten, Tatlow

Abenomics advisers Yamamoto and Hamada, and Japanese prime minister Abe's decision in Nov. 2014 to challenge the Finance Ministry's views

11/20/2014

Abe calls for a snap election in Dec. 2014 after delaying the second increase in the consumption tax from 8% to 10% in 2015. About 53% of the Japanese public opposed the doubling of the consumption tax by 2015 in 2011 poll as the DPJ party Noda administration pushed for it on the advice of the Finance Ministry. Now after the 3rd quarter showed Japan in a recession over 70% of the Japanese public oppose a second increase in the consumption tax to 10% from 8% in 2015. Abenomics advisors Hamada and Yamamoto now say this increase in the tax (especially when wages are only gradually increasing) was never a part of the Abenomics.

Linked Articles

Japan’s No. 1 Reflationist Does a Victory Dance

Wall Street Journal 11/20/2014

Eleanor Warnock, Eleanor, Warnock

New York Times 11/20/2014

Martin Fackler, Martin, Fackler