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Mitch McConnell on the Senate floor "dithering and hesitation have compounded the challenges we face" and the passage of $61 billion aid to Ukraine April 2024
04/26/2024
Mitch McConnell persuades 31 Republican Senators a majority of his caucus to support Ukraine's defense by joining Democrats, working "shoulder to shoulder" with Democrat Pat Schumer to get passage of Ukraine aid legislation in the vote 79 to 18 in April 2024. It comes at a critical moment of the defense of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, just 25 miles from the border as shown by NYT in April 24 coverage. It is part of the larger effort to secure a peace in Ukraine with the help of India and China as the war drags on for another year.
Linked Articles
Bucking G.O.P. Isolationists, McConnell Was Linchpin in Winning Ukraine Aid
NYTimes.com 04/24/2024
Senate Approves Aid for Ukraine and Israel, Sending It to Biden’s DeskNYTimes.com 04/24/2024
A second Macron vs. Le Pen presidential debate in France in 2022
04/21/2022
Cost of living and Le Pen's ties to Russia emerge as key issues in the debate. Macron appears to be the more convincing in his grasp of facts and claity of thinking, with a Elabe snap poll showing 59% think Macron more convincing to 39% Le Pen. France's welfare state in a way that the US and Britain are less so, means that other solutions are needed for cost of living and the decaying small towns and rural areas. A next generation industrial revolution is needed to bring jobs home and closer to home to revive both France and Europe after decades of shifting jobs and industry to China. Needed only is the will and aspiration to do so.
Linked Articles
Macron and Le Pen clash on Russia in feisty debate ahead of presidential run-off
France 24 04/21/2022
France’s Macron and Le Pen Clash During Presidential DebateWSJ 04/20/2022
What Bill Gates and France had in common in the fight for health preparedness
05/11/2020
France had learned lessons from SARS epidemic and prepared for the H1N1 epidemic at the time that Bill Gates of Microsoft was pushing for greater awareness of public health priorities. Today Gates says this was not enough, that he did not do enough and feels terrible about it. The irresponsible banking practices that caused the financial crises first in the global financial crisis of 2009 and then in the eurozone financial crisis that followed by 2011 led to the ditching of the pandemic preparedness effort in France and Britain. In all of the western world including the U.S. austerity practices were the response without addressing the root causes of financial crises. Investments in public services and infrastructure were neglected leading to a level of unpreparedness that is shocking. Countries in lesser developed countries with more consciousness of the importance of public services and care of the vast majority of people were better protected in the crisis as a result than the more developed countries.
Linked Articles
WSJ 05/11/2020
Pandemic disarmament: Why France was ready for Covid-19 a decade too soonFrance 24 05/17/2020
Broken promises to Ireland- Boris Johnson's version of Brexit
10/05/2019
Even dire hard loyalists in Northern Ireland are now shifting their position to favor a united Ireland, says a report in The Times. Polls now show a majority in Ireland may now be in favor of a reunited Ireland for the first time in history. The Unionist DUP party may no longer reflect the views of the people of Ireland. The Guardian points out that Boris Johnson's version of Brexit means broken promises to Ireland made by Britain. People in Ireland are beginning to realize that they may be better off in a united Ireland than in the Britain visualized by Boris Johnson which puts Ireland's interests last.
Linked Articles
How Brexit is pushing even loyalists towards a united Ireland
The Times 10/05/2019
The Guardian view on the backstop proposals: Britain’s broken promise | EditorialThe Guardian 10/03/2019
The relationship of French president Macron with president Trump and the task of "bringing the U.S. president back into the circle."
07/13/2017
Linked Articles
Emmanuel Macron to Welcome Trump, an Unlikely Partner, to France
The New York Times 07/12/2017
Trump accepts Macron’s invitation to visit France for Bastille Day on July 14Washington Post 06/28/2017
Emmanuel Macron and the project to revive the French economy and the European Union
05/08/2017
Linked Articles
Macron's presidency: It's the economy, stupid! | Business | DW.COM | 08.05.2017
DW.COM 05/08/2017
Five reasons why Macron won the French election - BBC NewsBBC News 05/08/2017
Governance, corruption and rule of law- new political dynamics and voter focus in Mexico in 2016-2017
06/10/2016
Public discontent with governance and rule of law are major issues in Mexico in 2016-2017
Linked Articles
Mexico’s Ruling Party Loses Gubernatorial Races in Several States
WSJ 06/10/2016
Mexico Stubbornly Resists AccountabilityNew York Times 01/04/2016
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
Donald Trump’s Gender-Based Attacks on Hillary Clinton Have Calculated RiskNew York Times 04/28/2016
Hard realities- what a Greek exit from the eurozone in 2015 could do for Greece and for the European Union
04/29/2015
The Economist says Greece could end up becoming a failed state at the doorstep of the European Union. With the major parties losing support extreme parties on the right and left would increase support. The economy of Greece would suffer serious damage. As prices have declined by 16% with no surge in exports, a devaluation of the drachma would not be of much help. Argentina went through a period of severe hardship following the default on the currency. Greece, says the Economist, may be engaging in a strategy to extract concessions from the EU by waiting till the last minute. Yet this strategy has its drawbacks because of the damage to Greece's economy in the process, with the slight growth under the Samaras administration turning into a recession with the 6 months of the Syriza government in 2015.
Linked Articles
What Greece Faces if It Defaults
New York Times 04/29/2015
My big fat Greek divorceEconomist 06/20/2015
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
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
Competition for China Eastern and other major airlines in China from Hainan Air
03/20/2014
Linked Articles
Delta, China Eastern Try to Solve Air Traffic Riddle
Wall Street Journal 03/20/2014
Hainan Air Elbows Its Way Into China’s SkiesWall Street Journal 12/05/2014
A major problem for western oil companies- the rapid increase in cost of oil and gas exploration and pipelines
01/29/2014
Projects are exceeding estimates and costs tripling or quadrupling in some cases. The search for solutions includes building processing plants for LNG on ships to eliminate the cost of building pipelines.
Linked Articles
Shell Plans Boat to Tap Gas Fields
Wall Street Journal 01/29/2014
Big Oil Companies Struggle to Justify Soaring Project CostsWall Street Journal 01/29/2014
Carlos Tavares and the contrast with Fiat Sergio Marchionne, Tesla Elon Musk- the need today for new role models for health and worklife balance, respect for dignity of workern
02/05/2024
Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis that brings together Fiat, Chrysler and Peugeot, as shown in a WSJ report, respects workers right to have a weekend free of email requests to recharge their batteries for the new week starting Mondays. Tavares sees great value in worklife balance, respect for dignity and health of workers. He believes this delivers productive work better than alternatives such as that under Sergio Marchionne the Fiat leader running Chrysler who worked constantly, with excessively long hours, unending travel and smoking incessantly say reports, that took its toll on health- setting a poor role model for managing business and for the younger generation. A similar situation is presented by Mr. Musk compared to Mr. Tavares. Striking is the respect for the dignity of workers that comes with respecting worklife balance. This was a major issue in this years UAW negotiations. Leaders from Scholz in Germany and Biden in US, Modi in India, have called for respect for dignity of work and workers as the kind of society we want to build and we want to live in. The founder of Silicon Valley Andy Grove who founded Intel that powers the chips on every laptop always reminded his readers this is the kind of society he wanted to live in.
Linked Articles
Elon Musk Says Donald Trump Should ‘Sail Into the Sunset’ in Latest Spat
WSJ 07/12/2022
WSJ News Exclusive | The Money and Drugs That Tie Elon Musk to Some Tesla DirectorsWSJ 02/04/2024
Macron's role in setting up the nonrepayable $390 billion common funding for the European Recovery Fund
07/31/2020
Macron's effort to persuade Merkel and Germans of the need for common funding for European recovery and his persistence at negotiations with the Dutch and Swedes to secure 390 billion euros of funding aid has earned him increasing popularity in France. It also brings Spain, Italy, Greece and eastern European nations closer together with France and Germany as they fight the pandemic.
Linked Articles
Macron's popularity climbs after signing EU pandemic stimulus, reshuffling gov't
France 24 07/30/2020
Opinion: Extraordinary times call for extraordinary EU measures | DW | 21.07.2020DW.COM 07/21/2020
Eliud Kipchoge and Roger Bannister - contrasts and the running style
10/13/2019
Kipchoge's entire focus is on running in 2019 with the world watching and the richest man in Britain heading company Ineos backing him. Bannister is only shown later on BBC and is focussed on completing his medical studies, with no major financial supporter.
Linked Articles
The barrier broken on salad and spikes
The Times 10/13/2019
London Marathon 2019: Eliud Kipchoge on freedom, simplicity & power of the mindBBC Sport 04/26/2019
Economic losses of 3% in GDP per head with Brexit and 8% with no-deal Brexit leaving Britons poorer
12/01/2018
As the Brexit option becomes clear as a hit to ordinary Britons and the British economy prime minister Theresa May takes her deal to the British parliament for a vote. Most opinion says it will be rejected, if not rejected outright by Conservatives and Labour MP's. A second vote may be taken. The Opposition Labour Party prepares for a new election with a divided government.
Linked Articles
The Economist 11/30/2018
Don’t write off the prime minister’s deal just yetThe Economist 11/30/2018
Emmanuel Macron and the challenge of reviving France's economy
05/08/2017
France's central bank chief Noyer points out that once the public sector crosses the line of 55% of the economy France loses ground. Jobs created are from an earlier period, and fewer new technology jobs of the future are created. The challenge for Macron is to rein in the public sector and revive French industry so new jobs are created for young people.
Linked Articles
Macron's presidency: It's the economy, stupid! | Business | DW.COM | 08.05.2017
DW.COM 05/08/2017
The Emperor Creates No JobsWall Street Journal 05/29/2013
Why initiating Brexit by invoking the Lisbon Treaty's Article 50 could go into 2017, or even past 2020 into new general elections- (3) the inclusion of key "Leave" supporters in Theresa May's cabinet
08/16/2016
By including a key member of the "Leave" vote, Mr Boris Johnson, former Mayor of London, in the cabinet as Foreign Secretary, Theresa May has given herself a lot more flexibility in tackling the Brexit issue so that it does not hurt the British economy. It would be hard for a key cabinet member not to be part of the team position on issues, and for the team to ignore the Bank of England's role in steadying the economy. By making the issues important to working class people in Britain her priorities Theresa May also lays the ground for everyone in Britain to gain moving forward as the economy recovers.
Linked Articles
Wait and see: Theresa May is in no hurry on Brexit | Europe | DW.COM | 15.08.2016
DW.COM 08/15/2016
Theresa May, New British Prime Minister, Gives Boris Johnson a Key PostThe New York Times 07/13/2016
The 2016 Republican Convention rules requiring a majority of delegates to be the nominee and the prospect of a second or third ballot
04/21/2016
Linked Articles
Let’s Get This Straight About the Convention
Wall Street Journal 04/21/2016
Trump’s Emptiest ThreatWall Street Journal 04/21/2016
Norway parliament's decision to divest holdings in companies 30% dependent on coal opens up debate on coal- (3) Coal India and the 1 billion ton target for 2020
05/14/2015
With about 300 million people without electricity, and India lagging behind Brazil and Indonesia in the percentage of population lacking electricity, the goal is to modernize the coal industry and increase production. This shows the different tradeoffs in less developed countries such as India, which face a completely different set of tradeoffs, and are moving in the opposite direction out of necessity. China is just entering a period after rapid modernization where the discussion about the tradeoffs is shifting, whereas India remains in a very different phase.
Linked Articles
Norway Will Divest From Coal in Push Against Climate Change
New York Times 06/05/2015
Indian Prime Minister Prods Coal MonopolyWall Street Journal 05/14/2015
What Greece won in the negotiations and what Greece lost in the failure of talks with the EU, capital controls, closing of banks and the referendum on July 5, 2015
02/27/2015
Major concessions were won by Greece on the most important issues of the surplus, and the size of the public sector with high unemployment. Compromise was being reached on the value added taxes and age for getting pensions, next down the list. Next on the list were pension cuts which undoubtedly would hurt pensioners but in the larger picture of the economy would come after the size of the surplus and dateline, and the size of public sector. The size of these cuts is small compared to the cost of 60 billion euros from the damage done to the economy, and the alternatives for pensioners and the rest of the country. under bank closure. For the EU this was seen as part of pension reforms and for left leaning Syriza compromising on behalf of pensioners.
Linked Articles
IMF Raises Referendum Stakes With Call for More Aid for Greece and Debt Relief
Wall Street Journal 07/03/2015
What Greece WonNew York Times 02/27/2015
The challenges facing K-12 education in the U.S. in 2015 with a larger proportion of children from less affluent and poor backgrounds, and two thirds of American children failing math and reading proficiency required levels in 8th grade for 2015
01/17/2015
With a majority of children in California, Texas, and some midwestern states in the U.S. from less affluent or poor backgrounds, and about two thirds of all American students failiing to meet required proficiency in math and reading at 8th grade, the educational challenge of of creating a well qualified work force to build America's future is daunting. Eight years of policy changes in education and private efforts have failed to produce adequate results.
Linked Articles
U.S. student performance slips on national test - The Washington Post
Washington Post 10/28/2015
Majority of U.S. public school students are in poverty - The Washington PostWashington Post 01/17/2015
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
Abe's Constitutional Reform Push SlowsWall Street Journal 07/09/2014
A former mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, a VW plant, and the city of Detroit
02/15/2014
Linked Articles
Detroit files plan to fix debt, leave bankruptcy - The Washington Post
Washington Post 02/22/2014
Corker's Campaign Behind Union RejectionWall Street Journal 02/15/2014
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