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

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 women's vote in 2016 U.S. presidential election and the antiincumbency mood of 2016- risks for Clinton running a cautious campaign and big risks for Trump

06/11/2015

Hillary Clinton needs a vigorous campaign away from the cautious instincts of the early days of her campaign, as Trump seeks to deflect criticism by attacking Hillary Clinton, say experts. The risks are high for Trump if the effort backfires alienating the vast majority of women, including Sanders supporters, independents and traditional Republican moderates. This is one of the wild twists of the campoaign of 2016- a candidate apparently making sexist comments to attract the support of white women voter- and men.

Linked Articles

Hillary Needs More Than the Obama Coalition

Wall Street Journal 06/11/2015

William A. Galston, William, A., Galston

New York Times 04/28/2016

Amy Chozick, Amy, Chozick, Ashley Parker, Ashley, Parker

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

The Obama administration's efforts on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), after losing allies in Asia and Europe to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

04/17/2015

The Obama administration pushes a free trade pact that includes the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. This free trade pact is now seen as a U.S. effort to counter China in the Asian region. India, UK, Germany, France, Italy and other European countries decided to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank sponsored by China, on its merits, after the U.S. refused to join.

Linked Articles

TPP: Momentum on Trade Deal Bolsters U.S., Japan Efforts to Counter China

Wall Street Journal 04/17/2015

Jacob Schlesinger, Jacob, Schlesinger, Mitsuru Obe, Mitsuru, Obe, And Mark Magnier, And, Mark, Magnier

Wall Street Journal 04/17/2015

William Mauldin, William, Mauldin

"Operation Car Wash"- Petrobras, construction firms Odebrecht SA, Andrade Gutierrez, the Workers Party, and young prosecutors in Curitiba, Brazil

04/07/2015

Linked Articles

Brazil Arrests the Heads of Construction Giants in Graft Probe

Wall Street Journal 06/19/2015

Rogerio Jelmayer And Paul Kiernan, Rogerio, Jelmayer, And, Paul, Kiernan

Wall Street Journal 04/07/2015

Will Connors And Luciana Magalhaes, Will, Connors, And, Luciana, Magalhaes

Deep differences in 2015 between Alexis Tsipras of Syriza and the Merkel government in Germany on debt forgiveness and the bailouts for Greece

01/26/2015

The deep differences between Greeks and Merkel operate at two levels. On the level of austerity policies Greece shares the view with other EU countries, the governments of Hollande in France and Renzi in Italy that austerity is not the best course for the eurozone. This view is also shared by people in Spain facing unemployment exceeding 20%, though the government of Rajoy in Spain like that of Samaras in Greece lived with the austerity policies with some changes. At this level there is also support from within Merkel's coalition government from Social Democrats. The other level of deep differences is on debt forgiveness and bailouts where Greece has to find its own way out in negotiations hoping that the EU and the IMF will agree to make concessions based on action taken by Syriza to ensure prudence in fianncial management. On issues such as minimum wage one would expect Syriza to be firm and make concessions where the hardship does not fall on the poorer and working class, winning support from the Social Democrats in Merkel's coalition. Beyond the symbolic moves and posturing the actual negotiations are likely to take into account the eurozone's need for help on the fiscal side desired by the ECB's Draghi to support monetary easing to fight deflation, and the need to keep the eurozone intact at a sensitive time. Syriza for its part is aware that a majority of Greeks favor staying in the eurozone.

Linked Articles

Greece’s new prime minister wants Germany to pay for Nazi war crimes - The Washington Post

Washington Post 01/26/2015

Ishaan Tharoor, Ishaan, Tharoor

Washington Post 01/27/2015

Griff Witte, Griff, Witte

Two party systems and Malaysia's UMNO Party- (2) the future economic prospects of Malaysia under Razak, India under Modi, Indonesia under Widodo

12/08/2014

Najib Razak follows his father Tun Abdul Razak, Mahathir before him, all the way back to Tunku Abdul Rahman, all of the UMNO party, in an uninterrupted control of the United Malay Naional Organization Party which has ruled Malaysia for almost 6 decades. Malaysia has followed the example of Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore by keeping the opposition parties weak to maintain control. Both the UMNO and the party of Lee in Singapore face questions about the merits of suppressing the development of two party systems, at a time when government is changing hands to opposition parties in most of the region and improving economic prospects in each country with a change of government- Abe in Japan, Widodo in Indonesia, Modi and Sharif in India and Pakistan, Aquino in the Philippines, Wickremesinghe in Sri Lanka. A economic drift with no clear direction under Singh and Bhutto in India and Pakistan was reversed with the election of Modi and Sharif, the economic drift and deflation under the Kan and Noda governments was reversed in Japan with the election of Abe, and the economic drift in Indonesia is being reversed by the Widodo government. This shows how critical two party systems are to functioning democracies as middle classes develop and voters look for competing views of the future to choose from.

Linked Articles

Fund Controversy Threatens Malaysia’s Leader

Wall Street Journal 06/19/2015

Tom Wright, Tom, Wright

Wall Street Journal 12/08/2014

Patrick Mcdowell, Patrick, Mcdowell, Ben Otto, Ben, Otto, Matt Murray, Matt, Murray

Republican party gains in U.S. 2014 elections as differences with Democrats for the women's vote narrows

10/23/2014

Linked Articles

Election Results: Republicans Win Senate Control With at Least 7 New Seats

New York Times 11/04/2014

Jonathan Weisman, Jonathan, Weisman, Ashley Parker, Ashley, Parker

Wall Street Journal 10/23/2014

Janet Hook, Janet, Hook

Lufthansa low cost carrier Eurowings and Air France-KLM low cost carrier Transavia in 2015- an effort to setup separate airlines to remain competitive

09/28/2014

Linked Articles

Lufthansa Chief Carsten Spohr Defends Airline’s No-Frills Push

New York Times 12/08/2014

Nicola Clark, Nicola, Clark

New York Times 09/28/2014

Nicola Clark, Nicola, Clark

Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide and the Justice Department's investigation of Countrywide in 2014

08/22/2014

Nocera and Morgenson of the NYT on the Justice Department's delayed 2014 investigation of Angelo Mozilo of Countrywide which was at the center of the 2008 mortgage financial crisis in the U.S.

Linked Articles

An Unfinished Chapter at Countrywide

New York Times 08/23/2014

Gretchen Morgenson, Gretchen, Morgenson

New York Times 08/22/2014

Joe Nocera, Joe, Nocera

Russia's effort to fight western sanctions in 2015, Euroskeptic parties and the European Union

04/25/2014

Linked Articles

Russia Wields Aid and Ideology Against West to Fight Sanctions

New York Times 06/07/2015

Peter Baker, Peter, Baker, Steven Erlanger, Steven, Erlanger

Wall Street Journal 04/25/2014

Ilan Berman, Ilan, Berman