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

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

Andrew Roth, Andrew, Roth

New York Times 10/02/2014

Andrew E. Kramer, Andrew, E., Kramer

Scotland's past and its future in the referendum for independence from Great Britain in 2014

09/05/2014

Linked Articles

The Scotsman Who Forced the U.K. to the Brink of Disunion

Wall Street Journal 09/10/2014

Jason Douglas, Jason, Douglas, Jenny Gross, Jenny, Gross

New York Times 09/05/2014

Gordon Brown, Gordon, Brown

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

James L. Jones, James, L., Jones

Wall Street Journal 08/15/2014

Matt Bradley, Matt, Bradley

Gen. James Jones, former National Security Advisor to U.S. president Obama, joins Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, describing the failure of Obama's Middle East policy

08/11/2014

Linked Articles

How to Save Iraq and Honor American Sacrifice

Wall Street Journal 08/15/2014

James L. Jones, James, L., Jones

New York Times 08/11/2014

Mark Landler, Mark, Landler

China, the U.S. and Japan- the task of reestablishing peaceful cooperation in the Pacific region after the missteps of 2011-2013

07/09/2014

Meetings for the sixth round of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Bieijing between the U.S. and China, and Japanese prime minister's address to the Australian parliament in Canberra, at about the same time in July 2014, showing how the path of peaceful cooperation will have to be actively pursued to remain a reality. Underpinning the hopes of China, Japan and neighboring countries in Asia is the U.S. will and purpose for maininting the post war peace and stability for the benefit of all, that at times has been missing in the words and actions of the Obama administration. Lack of peace in the region would seriously affect China's effort to bring better incomes to the large majority of people still in the countryside and leave China stuck in middle income status of countries like Mexico, damage the prospects of improving incomes of billions of people in India, other parts of Asia and Latin America. In this sense the Japanese people have shown the wisdom of keeping the conditions of peace that have prevailed for the post war period, and the U.S. with undiminished will and purpose in its post war role can affirm the hopes of the people of the region, including the hope of people in China, India, Japan, S. Korea, and Latin America.

Linked Articles

U.S., China try to emphasize potential for cooperation - The Washington Post

Washington Post 07/09/2014

Simon Denyer, Simon, Denyer

Wall Street Journal 07/09/2014

Yuka Hayashi, Yuka, Hayashi

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

Jonathan Weisman, Jonathan, Weisman

Wall Street Journal 05/20/2014

Conor Dougherty, Conor, Dougherty

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

Ted Mann, Ted, Mann

Washington Post 03/05/2014

Jia Lyn Yang, Jia, Lyn, Yang

The deep losses and loss of public confidence at RBS bank in Britain

02/28/2014

Linked Articles

Royal Bank of Scotland to Slash Costs as Losses Deepen

Wall Street Journal 02/28/2014

Max Colchester, Max, Colchester, Margot Patrick, Margot, Patrick

Wall Street Journal 02/28/2014

Andrew Peaple, Andrew, Peaple

The events in Lviv and in the Square in Kiev Feb-20-21, 2014, that led to the collapse of the Yakunovych government in Ukraine

02/22/2014

A parallel diplomatic effort that may have been driven by the events in Lviv and in the Square and underestimated the depth of feeling in Ukraine and the organization of the protest movement.

Linked Articles

As His Fortunes Fell in Ukraine, a President Clung to Illusions

New York Times 02/23/2014

Andrew Higgins, Andrew, Higgins, Andrew E. Kramer, Andrew, E., Kramer, Steven Erlanger, Steven, Erlanger

Wall Street Journal 02/22/2014

Bertrand Benoit, Bertrand, Benoit, Laurence Norman, Laurence, Norman, Stephen Fidler, Stephen, Fidler

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

Louise Radnofsky, Louise, Radnofsky, Damian Paletta, Damian, Paletta

Washington Post 02/09/2014

Sandhya Somasekhar, Sandhya, Somasekhar

The 150 million single children of parents, and the 61 million children of migrant workers- today's young generation in China growing up in unusual conditions

01/17/2014

The children of migrant workers were mostly brought up away from parents in rural areas by grandparents. The children born under a single child policy in urban areas had the opposite happen, with too much attention from doting parents. Both groups were raised in a manner not seen anywhere else in the world and face growing pains and lives with different burdens and needs than the rest of us. China's social and economic experiment may have come too fast, as policy planners may only now begin to realize. A lot may need to be done to address their needs and burdens, not so easily seen as the burdens of pollution and contamination whicha are easily observed.

Linked Articles

End of China’s One-Child Policy Stings Its ‘Loneliest Generation’

New York Times 11/13/2015

Javier C. HernÁndez, Javier, C., HernÁndez, Amy Qin, Amy, Qin

Wall Street Journal 01/17/2014

Andrew Browne, Andrew, Browne