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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
Wall Street Journal 01/12/2015
‘China 1945,’ by Richard BernsteinNew York Times 01/09/2015
The failure of Maliki to reduce sectarianism in Iraq, and the failure of the Obama administration's Middle East policy, lead to reversal of years of effort in Iraq
08/15/2014
WSJ reporter Bradley talks to Maliki's aides who say he is only interested in personal power not the future of Iraq. Gen. James Jones, National Security Advisor to U.S. president Obama 2009-2010, says Maliki's corrupt policies and using increased sectarian conflict to further personal power, and president Obama's failure to act in Syria when chemical weapons were used as well as not maintaining a training presence after the withdrawal, are both responsible for the summer 2014 collapse in Iraq.
Linked Articles
How to Save Iraq and Honor American Sacrifice
Wall Street Journal 08/15/2014
Iraq Crisis: Nouri al-Maliki QuitsWall Street Journal 08/15/2014
Jeb Bush and Edward Lazear throwing a different light on the Republican side in the debate on U.S. immigration- a look back at Benjamin Franklin in a past debate
04/07/2014
Linked Articles
An Immigration Game Plan for the New Congress
Wall Street Journal 12/05/2014
Jeb Bush to Decide by Year-End Whether to Run for PresidentWall Street Journal 04/07/2014
Faces of workers quitting work or reducing hours as they qualify for subsidies on health insurance under the Obama Healthcare Law
02/05/2014
Faces of the workers taking subsidies available to lower income workers under the Obama Health Care Law. The Congressional Budget Office projections for 2021 show about the equivalent of 2.3 million workers worth of hours reduced as a result of the healthcare law subsidies giving workers more choice. Many use the time to work on startup business or child care for grandchildren. The jobs freed up and the hours could be taken up by other workers looking for jobs. Gains in childcare would be another result.
Linked Articles
Health Law To Cut Into Labor Force
Wall Street Journal 02/05/2014
They quit their jobs, thanks to the health law - The Washington PostWashington Post 02/09/2014
Parents reading books to children- iPad or paper book, a question of medium?
10/15/2013
Linked Articles
Is E-Reading to Your Toddler Story Time, or Simply Screen Time?
New York Times 10/11/2014
Librarianâs Love of Books Began in Her Struggles to ReadNew York Times 10/15/2013
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.
Linked Articles
U.S. allies were near a deal for peaceful end to Egypt crisis - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/17/2013
Egyptâs Blood, Americaâs ComplicityNew York Times 08/15/2013
Amazon's use of temporary workers in Germany and the issue of lower wages
06/19/2013
Linked Articles
Amazon Wage Dispute Spreads Beyond Germany
Wall Street Journal 12/17/2013
Amazon Vexed by Strikes in GermanyWall Street Journal 06/19/2013
Getting economic policy right- A second look at Japan, the European Union and the U.S. in 2014-2015
06/09/2013
In taking a second look, economists Stiglitz and Krugman ask if much derided Japan has avoided the worst effects of unemployment that have affected Spain, Italy, Greece, and France in the eurozone, and for the the long term unemployed in the U.S. And in doing so also avoided the widening income and wealth gaps opened up in the other industrialized countries.
Linked Articles
New York Times 10/30/2014
Japan Is a Model Not a Cautionary TaleNew York Times 06/09/2013
Job interviewing at Amazon- emphasis on cultural fit and use of "skilled evaluators"
05/01/2013
Linked Articles
What It's Like to Interview at Amazon
Wall Street Journal 05/01/2013
Amazon's Current Employees Raise the Bar for New HiresWall Street Journal 01/08/2014
The LNG ship Prelude and the oil drilling rig Noble Bully 1- New technology changing the prospects and look of deep water oil drilling making it safer, cost effective and increasing production
01/03/2013
Shell's experience and technological improvements are changing the way oil drilling in deep waters is done. Chevron and other companies are also developing their expertise as this is critical in reaching the more difficult to access reserves deep in the ocean floor.
Linked Articles
A Novel Ship Extends Shell's Reach
Wall Street Journal 01/03/2013
Shell Plans Boat to Tap Gas FieldsWall Street Journal 01/29/2014
The Reagan tax reforms of 1986 and U.S. tax reforms in 2013
11/22/2012
Contrasting views on how the Reagan tax reforms of 1986 and the approach used can help come up with a good plan in 2013.
Linked Articles
New York Times 11/29/2012
A Starting Point for Tax Reform: What Reagan DidNew York Times 11/22/2012
The Obama admnistration and the conflict in Syria
08/28/2012
A brief history shows the Alawite community constitutes about 13% of the population in Syria and live mainly in the coastal region near the Mediterranean. Under the French Alawites generally supported the colonial regime and the community was used by the French colonial regime to act as a buffer as they ruled a predominantly Sunni population. The Alawites joined the military and Hafez Assad, an Alawite general, seized control in 1971. His son now rules Syria. The Obama administration has largely missed the struggle of the people for freedom from dictatorships in Syria and Egypt under Mubarak.. With Turkey and Egypt supporting the young people in Syria, the U.S. investment is minor in military and other support compared to the cost of letting the war continue with unintended consequences for the entire region.
Linked Articles
New York Times 11/13/2012
Assad Draws Shock Troops From Elite Sect in SyriaWall Street Journal 08/28/2012
Canada's DBRS, a little known credit ratings firm that made a large difference for the credit ratings of Italy and Spain
08/09/2012
Canada's DBRS put less weight on the political shifts in Italy and more on the low growth rate. It rated Italy A (low) in November 2013, much higher than the ratings given by Moody's and S&P. This was important in the eurozone crisis because the European Central Bank uses the highest rating on a sovereign country's bonds to decide discounts on collateral pledged by banks to the ECB. DBRS has more faith in the lasting value of the euro and sees through the ups and downs of the crisis. It takes a similiar upbeat long term view of Spain. DBRS has credibility because it did not move ratings up as much before the 2008 financial crisis, and did not move the ratings down as much during the crisis, as the large credit ratings firms.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 08/09/2012
The Key to Italy's Rating Is Kept in CanadaWall Street Journal 11/02/2013
Much needed boost from lower oil prices for eurozone countries Germany, France, Italy and Spain
10/09/2014
For countries like Germany in the eurozone with what Draghi calls "fiscal space" but did not use it, the drop in oil prices from $100 to $65 in 2014 offers relief at the right time to get back to growth in 2015.
Linked Articles
Falling Oil Prices Spur New Bets on Global Economic Growth
Wall Street Journal 12/08/2014
Merkel Hints at Economic Policy Shift in GermanyNew York Times 10/09/2014
Tim Cook's effort to fill the role played by Steve Jobs at Apple, and fill in gaps where Jobs could have done more
06/15/2014
Linked Articles
Tim Cook, Making Apple His Own
New York Times 06/15/2014
Jonathan Ive on Apple's Design Process and Product PhilosophyNew York Times 06/16/2014
GE (General Electric) low tax rate of 4.2% in 2013, 10.3% in 2014, and the move to a normal tax rate in 2015
03/05/2014
An aggressive policy of tax reduction using GE Capital at GE leads to an astonishingly low tax rate. Shareholders see the uncertainty from GE Capital's volatile earnings and tax strategies with great skepticism. GE shares dropped to $6 during the 2008 global financial crisis because of GE Capital losses, and GE needed government rescue funds. The day CEO Immelt announced the decision to exit the banking business GE shares went up by 11%. GE's tax rate without the banking business will go up to about 20%.
Linked Articles
Price of Selling GE Capital? Tax Breaks
Wall Street Journal 04/14/2015
How corporate America is losing the debate on taxesWashington Post 03/05/2014
South Africa's Mandela's willingness to challenge established bias, restraint and generosity of spirit
12/09/2013
Ross Sorkin gives the example of Mandela changing his thinking on nationalization when confronted with the facts and Friedman points out Mandela's vision in giving whites a sense of pride in the new South Africa. Friedman goes further to compare this with the effort to get just enough votes to win elections, zip code by zip code using computer generated data on demographics and other parameters, that he sees in the U.S..
Linked Articles
How Mandela Shifted Views on Freedom of Markets
New York Times 12/09/2013
Why Mandela Was UniqueNew York Times 12/10/2013
Janet Yellen and mentor Yale economist James Tobin- concern for the long term unemployed and parttime workers looking for full time jobs
10/09/2013
Linked Articles
Yellenâs Path From Liberal Theorist to Fed Voice for Jobs
New York Times 10/09/2013
Yellen Assures Markets on Interest RatesWall Street Journal 04/01/2014
Executing with small teams - the ideas and practice of Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Kayak's Paul English
07/25/2013
The management style of using small teams to get things done quickly at Amazon and Kayak.
Linked Articles
Paul English of Kayak, on Nurturing New Ideas
New York Times 07/25/2013
Jeff Bezos, The Post’s incoming owner, known for a demanding management style at Amazon - The Washington PostWashington Post 08/08/2013
Apple CEO Tim Cook's management style
06/12/2013
Linked Articles
Jonathan Ive on Apple's Design Process and Product Philosophy
New York Times 06/16/2014
Apple's Rising Star: Craig FederighiWall Street Journal 06/12/2013
The advice of General Keane in May 2013, decisions for Syria and Iraq by president Obama ignoring this advice, and the situation in September 2014
05/22/2013
Gen. Keane's advice was to destroy the 50 airstrips used by the Assad regime and its air defense system with cruise missiles and American airpower, the alternative would be to establish a no fly zone such as the one used in Libya. Direct use of American airpower early in the conflict would make it possible to keep American involvement constructive, and effective.
Linked Articles
Jack Keane and Danielle Pletka: How to Stop Assad's Slaughter
Wall Street Journal 05/22/2013
A President Whose Assurances Have Come Back to Haunt HimNew York Times 09/08/2014
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
Unemployment in the U.S. in 2010-2013 with fewer workers looking for work
12/07/2012
Linked Articles
The Case of the Missing Workers
Wall Street Journal 12/07/2012
A Jobless Dilemma: What's Wrong With Fort Wayne?Wall Street Journal 12/07/2012
Mo Yan and Wang Xiaofang exposing corruption and arrogant government officials in China through fictional characters and humor
10/11/2012
Both writers use fictional characters to vent people's anger at arrogant officials from the government and party- this predates the communist regime and goes back to the days from the earlier part of the twentieth century down to the present day.
Linked Articles
The Deeply Odd Lives of Chinese Bureaucrats
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2013
Mo Yan Mines a Deep Well of Material in ChinaNew York Times 10/11/2012
How keeping seniors as a protected class in current Social Security proposals impacts the young and leads to shrinking investments in defense, social programs, research, education and infrastructure
08/16/2012
This includes the Republican Paul Ryan proposal which also stays away from touching Social Security for today's seniors and passes on the costs to the young. Democrats are using demagoguery and intimidation on this issue. Samuelson cites CBO estimates which show that even with shrinking defense and nondiscretionary spending by a third the U.S. deficit would still be 6.75% of GDP in 2023.
Linked Articles
Robert Samuelson: Ryan’s budget asks nothing of the elderly -; unfortunately - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/16/2012
Mr. Biden falls flat - The Washington PostWashington Post 08/16/2012
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