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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
F.E.C. Can’t Curb 2016 Election Abuse, Commission Chief SaysNew York Times 05/02/2015
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
Germanwings Crash Exposes History of Denial on Risk of Pilot SuicideNew York Times 04/18/2015
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
A young, impatient leftist is Greece’s defiant new face - The Washington PostWashington Post 01/27/2015
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
GOP Gains in Key Senate Races as Gender Gap NarrowsWall Street Journal 10/23/2014
Warnings at a banking conference in Moscow in October 2014, and the ruble on the brink of collapse on Dec. 17, 2014
10/02/2014
The central bank head, Nabiullina, the Economy minister, Ulyukayev, and the head of Russia's largest bank Sberbank, German Gref, all expressed skepticism about president Putin's confidence in economic policy at a banking conference in Moscow in Oct. 2014. The architect of Russia's finances in the first and second terms of Putin, Alexei Kudrin, expressed alarm in Nov.-Dec. 2014 about lack of confidence in economic measures as the ruble took a hit from lower oil prices. The Putin administration made errors in handling economic policy leading to the ruble going to the brink of collapse by Dec. 17, 2014. This was preceded by miscalculations in policy towards the European Union and Germany leading to a loss of international confidence, and deteriorating relations with OPEC's leading member Saudi Arabia leading to OPEC's production decisions hurting Russia.
Linked Articles
Russia Introduces Measures to Calm Economic Jitters
New York Times 12/17/2014
Putin Trumpets Economic Strength, but Advisers Seem Less CertainNew York Times 10/02/2014
Profiles in courage, women renewing large organizations- Christine Lagarde at the IMF and Ginni Rometty at IBM
08/25/2014
Lagarde says in an intervew in the Washington Post, that she believes women come into leadership at large organizations when the job is tough, requiring everything you can give.
Linked Articles
Christine Lagarde: ‘Don’t let the bastards get you’ - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/25/2014
Behind Ginni Rometty’s Plan to Reboot IBMWall Street Journal 04/21/2015
The West and policies towards Russia- (2) Steinmeier and Merkel on Germany's policy in 2015-2016
08/23/2014
Linked Articles
Merkel Seeks to Defuse Ukraine Crisis as Convoy Returns to Russia
Wall Street Journal 08/23/2014
Frank-Walter Steinmeier Meets With Vladimir PutinNew York Times 11/19/2014
Changes in American breakfast eating habits affect cereal and orange juice sales in 2012-2015
07/22/2014
Linked Articles
As Cereal Slips, a New Battle Over Breakfast Dollars
Wall Street Journal 07/22/2014
U.S. Orange-Juice Sales Fall to Record LowWall Street Journal 07/22/2014
More women without jobs in 2014 compared to 2010, and the 20% of U.S. households in 2014 either underwater or with less than 20% equity in their homes
05/19/2014
Most parts of the Democratic base badly damaged in the Obama administration's policy decisions in the housing and mortgage crisis of 2008-2009. A delayed economic recovery with weakness in consumer spending as one of the predictable outcomes of the policy decisions taken for homeowners.
Linked Articles
Economic Recovery Yields Few Benefits for the Voters Democrats Rely On
New York Times 05/19/2014
Mortgage, Home-Equity Woes LingerWall Street Journal 05/20/2014
BaFin, German federal financial regulatory authority, and the problems at Deutsche Bank- regulators slow to act on information
03/28/2014
Eyk Henning of the WSJ points out the slow response of regulator BaFin to information about problems at Deutsche Bank that suggest a broken culture in a report on March 28, 2014. This comes 6 years after the WSJ first reported the LIBOR rate manipulation in 2008 leading to British and U.S. regulatory investigations. In April 2015 Deutsche Bank made a legal settlement for LIBOR rate manipulation of $2.5 billion with U.S. and British regulators. As the time when regulatory authority passes to the European Central Bank, and after a period of 7 years since the 2008 WSJ report, BaFin finally sends its report on the broken culture at the bank. A month later the two co-CEO's at the bank resign.
Linked Articles
Germany Blasts Deutsche Bank Executives Over Culture
Wall Street Journal 07/17/2015
German Financial Watchdog Bites BackWall Street Journal 03/28/2014
Setting a path for a better future for the people of Ukraine- Germany, the EU and the U.S.
02/23/2014
Linked Articles
What the West Must Do for Ukraine
New York Times 02/23/2014
Aiding Ukraine's DemocratsWall Street Journal 02/24/2014
A call for increasing the minimum wage from 600 American economists saying this will help 28 million working age Americans, most disproportionately women
02/08/2014
Linked Articles
The Case for a Higher Minimum Wage
New York Times 02/08/2014
Over 600 Economists Sign Letter In Support of $10.10 Minimum Wage: Economist Statement on the Federal Minimum Wage | Economic Policy InstituteUnknown 02/09/2014
Growing inequality in the U.S. and Germany with declining incomes and wealth of the bottom half of households- 1985-2015
12/03/2013
Linked Articles
How Quantitative Easing Contributed to the Nation's Inequality Problem
New York Times 10/22/2014
Americanized Labor Policy Is Spreading in EuropeNew York Times 12/03/2013
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
Lawmakers Introduce ‘Fast Track’ Trade Bill, Triggering Democratic DiscordWall Street Journal 04/17/2015
Ukraine and the Minsk 2 agreement of Feb. 2015- (2) German and Italian views on implementation by June 2015
02/11/2015
Linked Articles
Hardening of Positions Undercuts Ukraine Peace Accord
New York Times 06/04/2015
In Ukraine, It’s Putin’s GameNew York Times 02/11/2015
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
Russian President Vladimir Putin Seeks to Reassure on EconomyWall Street Journal 12/18/2014
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
Advice for women in management- Stick with it and Stand Up
08/25/2014
Linked Articles
Christine Lagarde: ‘Don’t let the bastards get you’ - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/25/2014
Executive Women, Finding (and Owning) Their VoiceNew York Times 11/13/2014
German chancellor Merkel and U.S. president Obama on an increasing NATO presence in the Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
08/23/2014
Linked Articles
Obama Pledges NATO Backing for Baltic Allies
Wall Street Journal 09/03/2014
Merkel Seeks to Defuse Ukraine Crisis as Convoy Returns to RussiaWall Street Journal 08/23/2014
Ways to build representation of women in Tech companies
08/13/2014
Linked Articles
Engage Girls With Tech Education, Leadership Early, Women CIOs Say
Wall Street Journal 12/04/2014
Apple Says Its Workforce Is 70% MaleWall Street Journal 08/13/2014
Ways to get more women in tech, business and management and obstacles to tackle
05/23/2014
Linked Articles
Engage Girls With Tech Education, Leadership Early, Women CIOs Say
Wall Street Journal 12/04/2014
Even Scandinavia Has a CEO Gender GapWall Street Journal 05/23/2014
Putting together the basis for a common approach of Germany and the U.S. to Russia
04/18/2014
Linked Articles
Twin Shocks Shake Foundation of German Power
New York Times 04/18/2014
In Cold War Echo, Obama Strategy Writes Off PutinNew York Times 04/19/2014
The role of Germany's Siemens and U.S.'s Exxon in promoting dialogue and de-escalation following the Ukraine crisis
03/06/2014
Linked Articles
Siemens Chief Meets Putin in Russia
Wall Street Journal 03/27/2014
Exxon Says Russian Projects Remain on TrackWall Street Journal 03/06/2014
Studies on mammograms by the British Medical Association and Harvard researcher Keating show lack of effectiveness of mammograms
02/11/2014
More mammograms are done the more cancer is suspected, with many women being treated when there was no cancer. Some lives are saved but the large number of women who begin treatment when they have no cancer shows the technology is still not there for effective screening without arousing fears that are not founded. Both studies confirm this from decades of data of women taking mammograms.
Linked Articles
More Doubts About Mammograms' Value Are Raised in Large Study
Wall Street Journal 04/02/2014
Study Adds New Doubts About Value of MammogramsNew York Times 02/11/2014
China's steadily growing automobile market in 2014-2015 (2)- the 49% increase in SUV sales in 2013 over 2012
12/16/2013
Ford Motor's early push into SUV's in China is helping it catchup with GM and Toyota.
Linked Articles
Renault to Focus on Building SUVs in China
Wall Street Journal 12/16/2013
Ford's SUVs Propel Its China GainsWall Street Journal 04/08/2014
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