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China's new leader Xi Jinping, the military and the Communist party- securing party and military ties with the idea of "China Dream"
02/14/2013
Linked Articles
For Xi, a 'China Dream' of Military Power
Wall Street Journal 03/13/2013
Vowing Change, Chinaâs Leader Airs Other Message in PrivateNew York Times 02/14/2013
Governor Jerry Brown of California and investing in higher education- Brown's effort to replicate a remarkable feat under Edmund Brown
01/10/2013
Jerry Brown's father, Edmund Brown, was Governor of California in the 1960's when he helped build the UC and Cal State university system into a beacon for other states. The state's higher education system became a gateway into the U.S. middle class and powered the state's tech industry.
Linked Articles
Brown Looks at Reshaping Californiaâs Higher Education
New York Times 01/28/2013
State’s Rare Sight: A Budget SurplusWall Street Journal 01/10/2013
Russian president Putin and BP's 20% stake in Rosneft
10/18/2012
Putin sees the larger British ownership stake in Rosneft a offering more stability to the company. This also provides Russia with a reliable partner on other projects and access to new technology. Putin defended the deal for Rosneft to acquire TNK-BP because of the endless conflicts between the partners, which he says he warned against at the outset. He pointed to the 50-50 ownership arrangement in TNK-BP as inherently unstable leaving no one in control.
Linked Articles
Moscow Had 'Mixed Feelings' on TNK-BP Deal, Putin Says
Wall Street Journal 10/25/2012
BP Nears Deal to Sell TNK-BP StakeWall Street Journal 10/18/2012
The view that with P5+1 talks with Iran ending in no agreement, the crisis with Iran is reaching a critical stage in August 2012
08/06/2012
Israeli views on the continued development of nuclear weapons capabilities by Iran in the face of tightened sanctions and diplomatic efforts. Oren and Yadlin see this has having reached a critical stage before military action.
Linked Articles
Get ready to fight Iran - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/18/2012
Time Is Short For Iran DiplomacyWall Street Journal 08/06/2012
Spain macroprudential supervision of its banking system once lauded now turns out to be "timid" and false, could the same be true for China?
07/18/2012
Spain's central bank had a reputation of providing good supervision for Spain's banking system. The problems at the Cajas Savings banks and the current assessment after the request for $125 billion in EU funds for Spain's banks shows how this turned out to be false. Does China face a similiar problem with its housing bubble. The U.S., UK and Spain, failed to control and manage the effects of a housing bubble, can China be a lone exception? Rapid growth enabled China to cope with bad loans in the banking system, with slower growth, a weak European market for exports, and a stimulus that is about one eighth the size in annual investment- one trillion yuan over 4 years in the current stimulus compared to 4 trillion over 2009-2010 in the last stimulus plan. Can China manage this bubble, does it have the experience managing this type of problem or has it papered over the problems as Spain did? This has repercussions for industries and countries from the export sector in Germany, Australia and Brazil to industries such as the German automobile industry, and companies such as Caterpillar.
Linked Articles
As China’s economy slows, real estate bubble looms - The Washington Post
Washington Post 10/03/2012
Spanish Official: Slow Reaction to CrisisWall Street Journal 07/18/2012
Germany's distorted national priorities- underinvestment in childcare centers and in wages for childcare and early education teachers
06/06/2012
Melissa Eddy of the NYT provides these two exceptional accounts of Germany's national priorities gone awry as the economic revival takes place in manufacturing, but leaves behind important areas such as early childhood education and child care centers. A lack of investment in the people who form the backbone of the educational system, is one of the forms of the distorted priorities. It may be recorded as the singular lapse of the Merkel administration in the last decade.
Linked Articles
German Child Care Workers’ Strike Brings Debate on Priorities
New York Times 06/05/2015
Germany Considers Subsidies for Non-State Child CareNew York Times 06/06/2012
Span's Cajas Savings bank, problems with managment and culture, lack of financial controls, and the large losses from the real estate bubble
05/24/2012
Bankia was the new name for seven troubled cajas savings banks that were merged. The failure of the government's handling of the bad real estate debt, the collapse of the IPO price for bankia's IPO, and the insovency followed by takeover of Bankia by the government, is what led to the $125 recapitalization request by Spain to the EU. The cajas in Galicia give an insight into the operation of these savings banks, in many cases run by leaders who became influential in the political system and expanded healvily int real estate during the bubble years. Management remained in place for decades with authoritarian leaders and there were no financial controls.
Linked Articles
Clash of Cultures Upends Spain's Cajas
New York Times 08/20/2012
Spain to Recapitalize Bankia in Latest BailoutWall Street Journal 05/24/2012
Must Follow Rules for Bank Cleanup and Bailout for the U.S. and Europe
05/10/2012
Five rules that would provide a prudent approach to cleanup of the banking systems in the U.S. and Europe. Failure to follow these rules for prudent and safe financial management in banking cleanup, bailout and recapitalization can lead to prolonged problems in the banking system and the economy.
Linked Articles
Wall Street Journal 06/01/2012
Avoiding the Next Big BailoutWall Street Journal 05/10/2012
John Cochrane on how to build a truly open competitive system of healthcare the day after Obama healthcare
03/05/2012
Cochrane points to regulations and laws that support high prices of medical carein the U.S., by reducing competition and restricting supply of doctors and suppliers of medical care. He says the mandate most likely would not even be necessary under such a system because the costs of healthcare in the U.S. would be so much lower.
Linked Articles
What to Do on the Day After ObamaCare
Wall Street Journal 04/03/2012
Why an MRI costs $1,080 in America and $280 in France - The Washington PostWashington Post 03/05/2012
Unemployment at 14.6%, with 60% long term unemployed, and a worsening of the economic crisis in Ireland in 2012
03/01/2012
The situation in Ireland is worse now than it was in 2010 after the burst of the housing bubble and the failure of its banking system.
Linked Articles
A Bedraggled 'Celtic Tiger' Struggles to Retrain Workers
Wall Street Journal 04/20/2012
Ireland becomes a test for E.U. crisis remedy - The Washington PostWashington Post 03/01/2012
"Hiroshima" 1945 and the Siege of Leningrad 1941-1942 - What a post war Russian, American and Japanese generation could understand and what is lacking in the Middle East
01/27/2012
Noonan asks the question about what a post war generation of Americans, Russians and Japanese could understand about the horrors of nuclear war and of the Second World War, and how this is lacking in the Middle East as each nation strives for nuclear weapons from Iran to Saudi Arabia. Separately in another link Kaname Harada asks a different question- has a new generation in Japan born after 1945, both leaders and the public, forgotten about that period including "Hiroshima."
Linked Articles
Vladimir Putin Describes Loss of a Brother at Ceremony
New York Times 01/27/2012
Misplaying America’s Hand With IranWall Street Journal 04/04/2015
Spending by regional governments and the deficit in Spain
01/18/2012
Under Spain's decentralized system of government regions prove education, healthcare and other services. The 2011 deficit target in Spain was exceeded largely because of spending by local governments. The new government of Mariano Rajoy has announced moves to control regional spending.
Linked Articles
Madrid to Curb Spending by Powerful Regions
Wall Street Journal 01/18/2012
Spanish Regional Governments to Get AidNew York Times 01/19/2012
The beginning of a negotiated settlement of the Afghan conflict through direct talks with the Taliban in 2012
11/13/2011
America's veteran diplomat, Richard Holbrooke- who is known for the Dayton Accords that settled the conflict in Yugoslavia-initiated the early efforts for a negotated settlement with all the warring factions including the Taliban, the ISI and the Pakistan military. After his death in 2010, these efforts were continued by Marc Grossman, a former ambassador to Turkey. The Taliban's willingness to open an office in Qatar and the willingness of all sides to talk directly opens the path to a negotiated settlement.
Linked Articles
Against Odds, Path Opens Up for U.S.-Taliban Talks
New York Times 01/11/2012
Book review: ‘The Unquiet American: Richard Holbrooke in the World’ - The Washington PostWashington Post 11/13/2011
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
Russian president Putin and the Rosneft-BP deal
10/18/2012
An effort by Putin to end the shareholder conflict inherent in the 50-50 TNK-BP joint venture which he says he warned about in the beginning.
Linked Articles
Moscow Had 'Mixed Feelings' on TNK-BP Deal, Putin Says
Wall Street Journal 10/25/2012
BP Nears Deal to Sell TNK-BP StakeWall Street Journal 10/18/2012
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
The Russian government's crackdown on activists protesting corruption
07/31/2012
Linked Articles
Russia Accuses Activist of Embezzlement
Wall Street Journal 08/01/2012
Russian Activist Aleksei Navalny Charged With EmbezzlementNew York Times 07/31/2012
The reports of audit and consulting firms on bad loans in Spain's banking system in 2012 and the need for credible estimates to restore confidence
06/20/2012
Linked Articles
For Spain, Accusations of Lagging on Reforms
New York Times 06/20/2012
Spain Tallies the High Cost of Riding Out Bank CrisisNew York Times 06/21/2012
The July 2012 Report by an independent parliamentary panel on the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster and prime minister Naoto Kan's testimony
05/28/2012
The report calls the disaster "a profoundly man-made event," and "a disaster 'Made in Japan,' " citing cultural factors that contributed to the accident. It is sharply critical of TEPCO and the Japanese government's response. Both the report and the testimony of the prime minister at the time of the accident, Naoto Kan, refer to the 'nuclear bloc' or 'nuclear village' in Japan that promotes nuclear energy. Some of its actions are dangerous to safety, such as locating the nuclear safety agency NISA inside the same ministry that promotes nuclear power, a critical flaw. Ironically Germany made the decision to make a gradual shift out of nuclear power after looking at the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster and near collapse in Japan, while Japan is reactivating its nuclear plants to meet energy needs without having obtained public confidence in the system of nuclear energy including the essential safety actions. The result is a profound credibility gap about the nuclear plant industry, and public opposition in Japan.
Linked Articles
Report blasts Japan’s preparation for, response to Fukushima disaster - The Washington Post
Washington Post 07/06/2012
Japan's Ex-Premier, Naoto Kan, Condemns Nuclear PowerNew York Times 05/28/2012
Alexei Kudrin and other experts see the potential for a deep economic and political crisis in Russia as the situation in the eurozone worsens
05/23/2012
The Center for Strategic Studies in Moscow was prescient in predicitng political dissatisfaction before parliamentary elections. The former finance minister, Alexei Kudrin, anticipated the 2008 global financial crisis and set aside reserves in the sovereign wealth fund to cope with the crisis. Both now see the potential for a worsening economic and political situation in Russia as Greece nears exit from the eurozone and the banking crisis in Europe leads to reduced loans to Russia. At the same time the political polarization in Russia between pro and anti Putin factions creates other tensions.
Linked Articles
Report Says Support for Putin Is Dropping
Wall Street Journal 05/23/2012
Russian Recession Could Prompt Political Woes, Report SaysNew York Times 05/24/2012
De Anza College in Cupertino, California where a Apple co-founder got his start and the implications of tax avoidance strategies
04/28/2012
A U.S. Senate Report in May 2013 points to tax avoidance strategies by Apple, and Apple CEO Tim Cook appears before a Senate hearing. EU leaders meet in Brussels to address the problems of tax avoidance by digital companies which aggravate the budget deficits of EU countries, especially at a time of cutbacks in infrastructure spending and education that supports the digital companies access to to human resources. De Anza College in Cupertino is where on of the Apple cofounders went to school. The head of the college describes the effects of cutbacks in funding on the college. On the other side of the Atlantic Fredrik Reinfeldt, Sweden's prime minister makes a similiar case saying the digital companies need access to infrastructure and educational centres which makes the payment of taxes used to fund this necessary for the whole system not to fall into dysfunction.
Linked Articles
Apple's Tax Strategy Aims at Low-Tax States and Nations
New York Times 04/28/2012
Europe Tackles Tax EvasionWall Street Journal 05/22/2013
Israeli military chief Jodi Rudoren's view about a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear crisis and the views of ordinary Israelis in 2012
03/05/2012
Linked Articles
Israeli Army Chief Says He Believes Iran Wonât Build Bomb
New York Times 04/26/2012
Israelis Embrace Washington's View Regarding Unilateral Military StrikeWall Street Journal 03/05/2012
The views of Condoleeza Rice and Vladimir Putin on Russia's evolution through democratic processes
02/09/2012
Rice points out that diversification of the economy away from oil utilizing Russian technological capabilities will help Russia move away from the corruption of a resource based economy and build a healthy democratic setup. Putin says he recognizes the need for democratic processes to keep pace with the development of civil society and the growing middle class, but emphasizes that democracy cannot be built overnight, and places a higher priority on what he calls the "sovereignty of the people," the right to work, the right to education and free medical care.
Linked Articles
How Russia’s urban middle class can bring an end to Putinism - The Washington Post
Washington Post 03/09/2012
Vladimir Putin: My vision for a better Russia - The Washington PostWashington Post 02/09/2012
Introduction of teacher evaluations in American schools in 2012
01/18/2012
Efforts to introduce the system of teacher evaluations.
Linked Articles
Teacher Evaluations Pose Test for States
Wall Street Journal 03/08/2012
Cuomo Pushes Teacher EvaluationsWall Street Journal 01/18/2012
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
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