Four days after Sen. Barack Obama called on a reluctant Germany to get more involved in Afghanistan, German commentators are still debating who has a clearer vision of Afghanistan's real needs. A column of German vehicles serving as part of the Quick Reaction Force in Afghanistan. The estimated 200,000 people who gathered in Berlin last Thursday to hear US presidential candidate Barack Obama speak (more...)are a testament to both his personal popularity in Germany and the country's hope that US voters will embrace his promise of change when they go to the polls in November. When it comes to the touchy subject of NATO obligations and Afghanistan, however, Germans were hoping Obama's speech would tread lightly (more...). "Obama should only ask of us what we are able to deliver," Niels Annen, a member of Germany's federal parliament within the left wing of the SPD, told SPIEGEL ONLINE three days before Obama spoke. In the end, though, Obama did not steer clear of the topic, saying: "This is the moment when we must renew our resolve ... in Afghanistan. .... America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda...."
Four days after Sen. Barack Obama called on a reluctant Germany to get more involved in Afghanistan, German commentators are still debating who has a clearer vision of Afghanistan's real needs.
A column of German vehicles serving as part of the Quick Reaction Force in Afghanistan. The estimated 200,000 people who gathered in Berlin last Thursday to hear US presidential candidate Barack Obama speak (more...)are a testament to both his personal popularity in Germany and the country's hope that US voters will embrace his promise of change when they go to the polls in November.
When it comes to the touchy subject of NATO obligations and Afghanistan, however, Germans were hoping Obama's speech would tread lightly (more...). "Obama should only ask of us what we are able to deliver," Niels Annen, a member of Germany's federal parliament within the left wing of the SPD, told SPIEGEL ONLINE three days before Obama spoke.
In the end, though, Obama did not steer clear of the topic, saying: "This is the moment when we must renew our resolve ... in Afghanistan. .... America cannot do this alone. The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda...."
More and more Afghan civilians have been killed by NATO in recent months, as ISAF solidiers have upped their fight against the Taliban. Some of the latest victims, SPIEGEL has learned, were killed in a NATO training exercise. ISAF soldiers on patrol in southern Afghanistan. More and more civilians are losing their lives in Afghanistan, as NATO troops have upped their fight against Taliban insurgents. According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, at least 97 civilians have been killed in seven Afghan provinces this year alone during anti-terror operations. Among the most recent victims are three Afghan farmers who were killed by NATO troops earlier this month while harvesting melons. They came under fire during a training exercise, SPIEGEL has learned, and not as previously claimed during an attack on Taliban forces. The farmers -- and it is believed a child -- were killed on July 20 in the province of Paktika, south-east Afghanistan, by mortar grenades fired by NATO-led troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
More and more Afghan civilians have been killed by NATO in recent months, as ISAF solidiers have upped their fight against the Taliban. Some of the latest victims, SPIEGEL has learned, were killed in a NATO training exercise.
ISAF soldiers on patrol in southern Afghanistan. More and more civilians are losing their lives in Afghanistan, as NATO troops have upped their fight against Taliban insurgents. According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, at least 97 civilians have been killed in seven Afghan provinces this year alone during anti-terror operations.
Among the most recent victims are three Afghan farmers who were killed by NATO troops earlier this month while harvesting melons. They came under fire during a training exercise, SPIEGEL has learned, and not as previously claimed during an attack on Taliban forces.
The farmers -- and it is believed a child -- were killed on July 20 in the province of Paktika, south-east Afghanistan, by mortar grenades fired by NATO-led troops of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
WASHINGTON: 'Iran is not in a revolutionary or even prerevolutionary stage." That was the assessment of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in August 1978, at a time when Iran's ruler was America's closest ally in the Middle East. The Defense Intelligence Agency, a month later, predicted that the shah of Iran "is expected to remain actively involved in power over the next 10 years." Famous last words. The shah fled into exile four months later, forced out by increasingly violent demonstrations against his autocratic rule. An estimated six million people massed in Tehran to greet the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the elderly cleric who had rallied opposition against the shah, on his triumphant return from exile in February 1979. Later that year, Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, beginning a 444-day crisis in which 52 Americans were held hostage. Washington broke off diplomatic relations in 1980, and they have yet to be restored. If U.S. intelligence on Iran was bad in the 1970s, when the United States had a sizable embassy and officials could move freely around the country, how is it now, after 28 years without official contacts and no American presence on the ground? Just as bad? Very bad? Barely there?
WASHINGTON: 'Iran is not in a revolutionary or even prerevolutionary stage." That was the assessment of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in August 1978, at a time when Iran's ruler was America's closest ally in the Middle East. The Defense Intelligence Agency, a month later, predicted that the shah of Iran "is expected to remain actively involved in power over the next 10 years."
Famous last words. The shah fled into exile four months later, forced out by increasingly violent demonstrations against his autocratic rule. An estimated six million people massed in Tehran to greet the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the elderly cleric who had rallied opposition against the shah, on his triumphant return from exile in February 1979.
Later that year, Iranian students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, beginning a 444-day crisis in which 52 Americans were held hostage. Washington broke off diplomatic relations in 1980, and they have yet to be restored.
If U.S. intelligence on Iran was bad in the 1970s, when the United States had a sizable embassy and officials could move freely around the country, how is it now, after 28 years without official contacts and no American presence on the ground? Just as bad? Very bad? Barely there?
One even remembers some announcement about its anniversary: The 50th Anniversary of the CIA's First Coup d'Etat Celebration Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
One even remembers some announcement about its anniversary: The 50th Anniversary of the CIA's First Coup d'Etat Celebration
That is taken directly from the pages of the Onion isn't it? Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
Thanks for the compliment. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Although I said that every pixel is mine, the quotes are from actual CIA documents of the time, and perhaps I found a real signature from Mr. Tenant and CIA logo and things like that.
Fun times when there is time to do things like that. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
JAKARTA, Indonesia: To understand why fuel prices around the world have soared over the last year, it helps to talk to the captain of a battered wooden freighter here. He pays just $2.30 a gallon for diesel, the same price Indonesian motorists pay for regular gasoline. His vessel burns diesel by the barrel, so when the government prepared for a limited price increase this spring, he took to the streets to protest. "If the government increases the price of fuel any more, my business will collapse totally," said the boat captain, Sinar, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. From Mexico to India to China, governments fearful of inflation and street protests are heavily subsidizing energy prices, particularly for diesel fuel. But the subsidies -- estimated at $40 billion this year in China alone -- are also removing much of the incentive to conserve fuel. The oil company BP, known for thorough statistical analysis of energy markets, estimates that countries with subsidies accounted for 96 percent of the world's increase in oil use last year -- growth that has helped drive prices to record levels.
JAKARTA, Indonesia: To understand why fuel prices around the world have soared over the last year, it helps to talk to the captain of a battered wooden freighter here.
He pays just $2.30 a gallon for diesel, the same price Indonesian motorists pay for regular gasoline. His vessel burns diesel by the barrel, so when the government prepared for a limited price increase this spring, he took to the streets to protest.
"If the government increases the price of fuel any more, my business will collapse totally," said the boat captain, Sinar, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.
From Mexico to India to China, governments fearful of inflation and street protests are heavily subsidizing energy prices, particularly for diesel fuel. But the subsidies -- estimated at $40 billion this year in China alone -- are also removing much of the incentive to conserve fuel.
The oil company BP, known for thorough statistical analysis of energy markets, estimates that countries with subsidies accounted for 96 percent of the world's increase in oil use last year -- growth that has helped drive prices to record levels.
Car ownership in China is exploding and the Chinese aren't buying hybrids, they're buying big SUVs and forming Hummer clubs, Ariana Eunjung Cha writes. She tells us that "China alone accounts for about 40 percent of the world's recent increase in demand for oil, burning through twice as much now as it did a decade ago." And the price of gasoline there is subsidized. <...> Meanwhile, China, India and other nations have people who also want to have a nice ride and ask why they should be blamed for tough times at the U.S. gas pumps. As Cha writes, "...China bristles at criticism of its growing oil use, noting that per capita it will remain a small fraction of U.S. consumption for decades to come." We'll start with book134, who wrote, "It is not China that is the problem in regard to the world's demand for oil... As is often the American inclination, we often blame others for our own self-induced problems because it is always easier to blame others than to change our own bad policies..." BeijingStudent said, "Blaming us for the high price of oil is extremely unfair and injustice. Who really consumes most oil and gasoline in the world? Don't blame us . Look at your self. Stop to treat us like second class citizen." hairguy01 lectured that "If America had used the last eight years to transition away from fossil fuels we would not be competing with the Chinese for the world's diminishing reserves." jia123 shouted, "THE WHOLE CHINA IS USING LESS OIL THAN CALIFORNIA!"
Meanwhile, China, India and other nations have people who also want to have a nice ride and ask why they should be blamed for tough times at the U.S. gas pumps. As Cha writes, "...China bristles at criticism of its growing oil use, noting that per capita it will remain a small fraction of U.S. consumption for decades to come."
We'll start with book134, who wrote, "It is not China that is the problem in regard to the world's demand for oil... As is often the American inclination, we often blame others for our own self-induced problems because it is always easier to blame others than to change our own bad policies..."
BeijingStudent said, "Blaming us for the high price of oil is extremely unfair and injustice. Who really consumes most oil and gasoline in the world? Don't blame us . Look at your self. Stop to treat us like second class citizen."
hairguy01 lectured that "If America had used the last eight years to transition away from fossil fuels we would not be competing with the Chinese for the world's diminishing reserves."
jia123 shouted, "THE WHOLE CHINA IS USING LESS OIL THAN CALIFORNIA!"
Actually, the last dude should have written "China consumes less oil and diesel than California", while having only 2.8% the population of China -- but should have added that China is set to overtake California in oil and diesel consumption this year. Cynicism is intellectual treason.
Again, China had better beware using these per capita numbers so much, because they're not looking good for China. China's carbon emissions per capita are already pretty much equal to those of a country like France. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
In any case, your other point is well taken. If the United States could make a significant commitment to unilaterally reducing fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions -- and then making significant progress on that commitment -- then that would take away a huge swath of Chinese retorts to the effect that "You 'Westerners' have no right to pressure us, since you're still such unreconstructed dirty energy hogs." Cynicism is intellectual treason.
California is the second largest consumers of gasoline and diesel fuels in the world, surpassed only by the United States as a whole. In 2006, Californians consumed an estimated 20 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel on the state's roadways, an increase of nearly 50 percent over the last 20 years.
Doing the calculations, if you estimate 23 gallons of gasoline from one barrel of oil, that gives you:
20 billion gallons of gasoline in 2006 ÷ (23 gallons of gasoline/barrel of oil) ÷ (365 days/year)
≈ 2.4 million barrels of oil/day in 2006
(i.e. exactly within your estimate)
In 2006 China's oil consumption was estimated at 6.3 million barrels per day.
(I assume that since then China's oil consumption has grown much faster than California's.)
Don't understand why or how that report states that California is the second largest consumers of gasoline and diesel fuels in the world, surpassed only by the United States as a whole. Cynicism is intellectual treason.
Light distillates consist of aviation and motor gasolines and light distillate feedstock.
Middle distillates consist of jet, heating kerosenes, gas and diesel oils (including marine bunkers).
So, China uses inordinate amount of oil as fuel, which skews the comparisons. California probably uses even less oil as fuel, further biasing the comparison based on population alone.
Syria has said it wants direct talks to seal a peace deal with Israel if the Jewish state withdraws from the strategic Golan Heights border region it captured in the Six Day War 40 years ago. The peace overtures from Syria's ambassador to the United States came as Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, poured cold water on hopes of a quick deal with the Palestinians, ruling out an agreement on the key issue of Jerusalem by the end of this year. Mr Olmert's statement was the first public admission by an Israeli leader that President George Bush's prediction of an accord being signed by the end of 2008 was overly optimistic. He was also cautious about the offer of face-to-face talks with Syria, telling a weekly cabinet meeting that Damascus continued to support the Hezbollah militia movement in Lebanon and had close ties to Iran.
Syria has said it wants direct talks to seal a peace deal with Israel if the Jewish state withdraws from the strategic Golan Heights border region it captured in the Six Day War 40 years ago.
The peace overtures from Syria's ambassador to the United States came as Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, poured cold water on hopes of a quick deal with the Palestinians, ruling out an agreement on the key issue of Jerusalem by the end of this year.
Mr Olmert's statement was the first public admission by an Israeli leader that President George Bush's prediction of an accord being signed by the end of 2008 was overly optimistic.
He was also cautious about the offer of face-to-face talks with Syria, telling a weekly cabinet meeting that Damascus continued to support the Hezbollah militia movement in Lebanon and had close ties to Iran.
The next US president is expected to face a record federal budget deficit of almost half a trillion dollars. The White House has lifted its deficit forecast for 2009 to $482bn (£242bn) up from $407bn. The budget deficit measures how much more the government is spending than it is raising through taxes. The slowing economy is reducing the tax take and the government has launched a stimulus plan by making payments to 130 million households to boost spending. The forecast figure excludes about $80bn of war costs. The budget deficit is measured from the beginning of October to the end of September.
The next US president is expected to face a record federal budget deficit of almost half a trillion dollars.
The White House has lifted its deficit forecast for 2009 to $482bn (£242bn) up from $407bn.
The budget deficit measures how much more the government is spending than it is raising through taxes.
The slowing economy is reducing the tax take and the government has launched a stimulus plan by making payments to 130 million households to boost spending.
The forecast figure excludes about $80bn of war costs.
The budget deficit is measured from the beginning of October to the end of September.
First, this is the Unified Budget deficit. By these projections, the General Fund deficit (the President's responsibility) will be around $600 billion this year, and $700 billion next year.
Second, these projections are probably optimistic. Der Amerikaner ist die Orchidee unter den MenschenVolker Pispers
One caveat: the war(s) costs must be included and must include the increasing cost of fuel for the US military (the world's number one (ab)user as well as any cute black funds that we learn about (such as the 50 million approved for special ops against Iran.
...not that I want to mitigate any of the special terrors of the Reagan administration. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
A clash between the United States and two big emerging markets, China and India, over cutting farm and industrial tariffs threatened to derail more than a week of work to salvage a world trade deal today. "We are very much concerned about the direction that a couple of countries are taking," US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said during a break on the eighth day of World Trade Organisation talks. "I am very concerned it will jeopardise the outcome of this round," she told reporters.
"We are very much concerned about the direction that a couple of countries are taking," US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said during a break on the eighth day of World Trade Organisation talks.
"I am very concerned it will jeopardise the outcome of this round," she told reporters.
Nine of the European Union's 27 member states, including Ireland, have formed an alliance to press for better terms for the EU in compromise proposals being discussed at global trade talks. An Italian government spokesman said this evening that the group wants to "improve the negotiating basis proposed by [World Trade Organisation chief] Pascal Lamy in order to protect the interests of European businesses and citizens". The nine countries are: France, Poland, Hungary, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Lithuania, Cyprus and Italy, he said.
An Italian government spokesman said this evening that the group wants to "improve the negotiating basis proposed by [World Trade Organisation chief] Pascal Lamy in order to protect the interests of European businesses and citizens".
The nine countries are: France, Poland, Hungary, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Lithuania, Cyprus and Italy, he said.
Pickens' Pampa Project could be the world's largest wind power plant when construction is completed, but power projects currently under construction in Asia are also vying for that particular honor. "China is witnessing the start of a golden age of wind power development, and the magnitude of growth has caught even policymakers off guard," Junfeng Li, secretary general of the China Renewable Energy Industries Association, wrote in a paper last month, The Guardian reported. "It is widely believed that wind power will be able to compete with coal generation by as early as 2015. That will be the turning point in China, which by then will be the world's largest energy consumer." That's no small claim, as China is currently the global leader in coal consumption, which also makes the Asian giant the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases. But the Beijing government seems to be taking its alternative energy policy a bit more seriously of late, forgoing its previous preference for "cheap" over "clean" energy sources. "Our task is tough, and our time is limited. Party organizations and governments at all levels must give priority to emission reduction and bring the idea deep into people's hearts," President Hu Jintao was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency, after the meeting with several energy experts during a recent politburo study session on climate change. If the Chinese government enacts policies to favor wind power investments, China could reach a wind power capacity of 122 GW by 2020, according to the environmental group Greenpeace. That would be enough power to meet 10% of China's energy needs and be equivalent to five times the output of the Three Gorges Dam, the country's massive hydroelectric plant.
Pickens' Pampa Project could be the world's largest wind power plant when construction is completed, but power projects currently under construction in Asia are also vying for that particular honor.
"China is witnessing the start of a golden age of wind power development, and the magnitude of growth has caught even policymakers off guard," Junfeng Li, secretary general of the China Renewable Energy Industries Association, wrote in a paper last month, The Guardian reported. "It is widely believed that wind power will be able to compete with coal generation by as early as 2015. That will be the turning point in China, which by then will be the world's largest energy consumer."
That's no small claim, as China is currently the global leader in coal consumption, which also makes the Asian giant the world's leading emitter of greenhouse gases. But the Beijing government seems to be taking its alternative energy policy a bit more seriously of late, forgoing its previous preference for "cheap" over "clean" energy sources.
"Our task is tough, and our time is limited. Party organizations and governments at all levels must give priority to emission reduction and bring the idea deep into people's hearts," President Hu Jintao was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency, after the meeting with several energy experts during a recent politburo study session on climate change.
If the Chinese government enacts policies to favor wind power investments, China could reach a wind power capacity of 122 GW by 2020, according to the environmental group Greenpeace. That would be enough power to meet 10% of China's energy needs and be equivalent to five times the output of the Three Gorges Dam, the country's massive hydroelectric plant.
In terms of percentage, China is building less from xwind. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
And less than it could and should, if this report is to be believed:
Global Wind Energy Council - GWEC: China Wind Power Report
If the policy environment could be further improved, the installed capacity of wind energy could reach 80GW by 2020, accounting for 7% of installed capacity. However, if the Chinese government could give full policy support to wind power, then the installed capacity of wind energy could exceed 120GW by 2020, accounting for up to 10% of the total installed capacity of the country.
Although you may scoff at the following report's claim that China could well be on its way to blowing the U.S. out of the water when it comes to harnessing wind energy, hopefully it is on to something when it describes what apparently amounts to a recent "gold rush" towards wind energy in China:
U.S., China lead way in tapping wind power - CNN.com
Like their American counterparts, Chinese tycoons are increasingly directing their investment into renewable power. Zhu Yuguo, ranks at 102 on the Forbes China Rich List, with a personal fortune of 5.71 billion Yuan and has invested heavily in the wind power industry. Steve Sawyer of the Global Wind Energy Council said: "China's wind energy market is unrecognizable from two years ago." "It is huge, huge, huge. But it is not realized yet in the outside world," Sawyer said in an interview with London's Guardian newspaper. China's wind generation has increased by more than 100 percent per year since 2005...
Like their American counterparts, Chinese tycoons are increasingly directing their investment into renewable power.
Zhu Yuguo, ranks at 102 on the Forbes China Rich List, with a personal fortune of 5.71 billion Yuan and has invested heavily in the wind power industry.
Steve Sawyer of the Global Wind Energy Council said: "China's wind energy market is unrecognizable from two years ago."
"It is huge, huge, huge. But it is not realized yet in the outside world," Sawyer said in an interview with London's Guardian newspaper.
China's wind generation has increased by more than 100 percent per year since 2005...
In particular,
In a paper last month, [Junfeng Li of the China Renewable Energy Industries Association] wrote: "China is witnessing the start of a golden age of wind power development and the magnitude of the growth has caught policymakers off guard.
If so, maybe these policymakers will be pushed by the greed of Chinese "wind tycoons" (among others) to "give full policy support to wind power", thereby making 122GW by 2020 attainable, as recommended in the Global Wind Energy Council report. Cynicism is intellectual treason.
China's needs are much bigger, but the wind installations are not (yet). If that proportion changes, then China will be able to make more substantive claims about its wind industry. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
China is also importing western greed, which has caused all manner of overblown assumptions about the industry there. From Chinese officials to the manufacturers themselves, the industry will have to focus on performance.
In the US, turbine performance is off some 4% from that achieved by the same machines in Europe. Most of this is due to the lack of infrastructure, where the US still needs to build up its cadre of trained and experienced service technicians and spare parts stores. China will need several years minimum to achieve the equivalent.
It will take a bit longer for Chinese technology to achieve European standards. I don't believe the industry is yet aware of how serious this problem might be. "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
My example is from my tangential view from the broadcast business. They have gone from extremely limited capabilities, perhaps zero capability to make a contribution 10 years ago, to the ability to understand and contribute to a huge undertaking at the Olympics.
They are still buying in from the west and have a number of western advisors, but they will not be embarrassing themselves next week in an extremely complex undertaking.
Usually, after every Olympics there is a huge glut of equipment and the market crashes in the host country for all the used gear around. China will suck it up and just keep creating more since they have so much of the country still to bring up to standards...and now they can do it with their own people on their own time.
Point being, apres-Olympics, they will release a lot of talent and focus and energy on other things...and since the US is no longer capable of maintaining its willing addict status, they will focus much of that inward. Given the exploding impact of energy costs, I'd guess a lot of focus will go to alternative energy sources.
Doesn't 2020 seem like a long way away? Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Banks struggling to recover from multibillion-dollar losses on real estate are curtailing loans to American businesses, depriving even healthy companies of money for expansion and hiring. Two vital forms of credit used by companies -- commercial and industrial loans from banks, and short-term "commercial paper" not backed by collateral -- collectively dropped almost 3 percent over the last year, to $3.27 trillion from $3.36 trillion, according to Federal Reserve data. That is the largest annual decline since the credit tightening that began with the last recession, in 2001. "The second half of the year is shot," said Michael T. Darda, chief economist at the trading firm MKM Partners in Greenwich, Conn., who was until recently optimistic that the economy would continue expanding. "Access to capital and credit is essential to growth. If that access is restrained or blocked, the economic system takes a hit."
Two vital forms of credit used by companies -- commercial and industrial loans from banks, and short-term "commercial paper" not backed by collateral -- collectively dropped almost 3 percent over the last year, to $3.27 trillion from $3.36 trillion, according to Federal Reserve data. That is the largest annual decline since the credit tightening that began with the last recession, in 2001.
"The second half of the year is shot," said Michael T. Darda, chief economist at the trading firm MKM Partners in Greenwich, Conn., who was until recently optimistic that the economy would continue expanding. "Access to capital and credit is essential to growth. If that access is restrained or blocked, the economic system takes a hit."
And the beat goes on.
It is important to understand that monetary orders do not fall because of a problem, but two problems one of which breaks the other. Inflation has been solved over the last 30 years by offshoring and reduction in wages in developed nations. This meant the increase in capital aimed at producing consumable goods. However, no matter how many car parts are made in China, it will not increase the amount of oil in the world. Quite the contrary, if the objective is to reduce energy, investing in China is almost the worst thing that can be done, since China uses more energy to make the same GDP, and the energy they use is dirtier. The correct response is to dramatically shift incentives for consumers away from borrowing and consuming, and towards saving and investing. However to do this, there has to be - surprise - an incentive. Presently they have no incentive, political, social, or economic. Instead they have every incentive to consume now, before consumption later is too expensive, every incentive now to not vote for political change now of any meaningful sense, because none is on offer, and every social incentive to continue to put up appearances so they can sell their houses and get out. It is this social revolution which is the ultimate preventative to violent revolution. The country is ripe for it, and wants it, but is not being offered it, because the powers that be, and the powers that wannabe, all want the American public to go back to chewing the cud of entertainment and consumption. From Ron Paul to Barak Obama, every figure now being talked about is part of the problem, not part of the solution. However, Obama, alone, of all of the major figures being offered, has at least an incentive to look at the problem in a longer term, and an incentive to change the direction. Public investment is the key to the solution, and not public investment in wars in the Middle East. To get public investment means to tax, and not just tax domestically, but globally. To tax globally is to work through the G-7.
It is important to understand that monetary orders do not fall because of a problem, but two problems one of which breaks the other. Inflation has been solved over the last 30 years by offshoring and reduction in wages in developed nations. This meant the increase in capital aimed at producing consumable goods. However, no matter how many car parts are made in China, it will not increase the amount of oil in the world. Quite the contrary, if the objective is to reduce energy, investing in China is almost the worst thing that can be done, since China uses more energy to make the same GDP, and the energy they use is dirtier.
The correct response is to dramatically shift incentives for consumers away from borrowing and consuming, and towards saving and investing. However to do this, there has to be - surprise - an incentive. Presently they have no incentive, political, social, or economic. Instead they have every incentive to consume now, before consumption later is too expensive, every incentive now to not vote for political change now of any meaningful sense, because none is on offer, and every social incentive to continue to put up appearances so they can sell their houses and get out.
It is this social revolution which is the ultimate preventative to violent revolution. The country is ripe for it, and wants it, but is not being offered it, because the powers that be, and the powers that wannabe, all want the American public to go back to chewing the cud of entertainment and consumption. From Ron Paul to Barak Obama, every figure now being talked about is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
However, Obama, alone, of all of the major figures being offered, has at least an incentive to look at the problem in a longer term, and an incentive to change the direction. Public investment is the key to the solution, and not public investment in wars in the Middle East. To get public investment means to tax, and not just tax domestically, but globally. To tax globally is to work through the G-7.
besides, that money 'on the table' is flooding up, not trickling down.
'trickle down', is there any phrase so nakedly condescending in the language? the obvious outcome of this will be to save in other ways, perhaps creating subeconomies, based on untaxable scrip, instead of trusting in (failing) banks. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
A senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) official on Tuesday played down concerns about Beijing's air quality, saying that the possibilities of rescheduling outdoor endurance events would be low. Felli said the low visibility doesn't necessarily mean the air quality is bad. "Most of the people see the fog, they say it's pollution. But we know here it's not pollution. It's mist, a fact of the nature," Felli told Xinhua during an exclusive interview. Felli expected the air quality to be up to par with more rains in the coming days. "Probably more rains will come, and it will get better," he said.
Felli said the low visibility doesn't necessarily mean the air quality is bad.
"Most of the people see the fog, they say it's pollution. But we know here it's not pollution. It's mist, a fact of the nature," Felli told Xinhua during an exclusive interview.
Felli expected the air quality to be up to par with more rains in the coming days.
"Probably more rains will come, and it will get better," he said.
Right. While I have not been to Beijing myself, everyone I have talked to who has been there recently -- both Chinese and foreigner -- say the air is utter shite. Cynicism is intellectual treason.
All members of Japan's Olympic team will be provided with face masks more commonly used on construction sites to protect them against the pollution in Beijing. The mask is a disposable type made by manufacturer Koken and has already been trialled by the cycling squad. Other national Olympic teams are taking similar precautions following reports that the air quality in the city remains a risk in particular for endurance athletes.
The American and Kiwi Olympic athletes will have masks available to them if they want them as well. The Americans were given masks four years ago in Athens, in case of terrorist attacks. This time it would be for pollution. Cynicism is intellectual treason.
I remember Mexico City also as a horror for air pollution. But anyone who has been there during a 4 day holiday weekend will see the difference that shutting down cement plants and other factories will do.
And remember the attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. Oops, they've never had the Olympics. Forget that example.
Beijing has already shut down the cement factories. They'll handle the problem. Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
I am still skeptical. But let's hope so.
Seems to have gotten better between yesterday and today. Cynicism is intellectual treason.
Power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's opposition and negotiators for President Robert Mugabe have broken off, officials said on Monday. One said the main sticking point was Mugabe's insistence that he be president of any new government. Two officials said the chief negotiators for Mugabe -- Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche -- were flying home. They were expected to consult Mugabe about their mandate, one of the officials said. snip The agreement to hold power-sharing talks was reached a week ago with increasing violence putting pressure on the opposition while intense international disapproval -- including some African governments saying they could not recognise Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe -- appeared to sway Mugabe's ruling party. Tsvangirai has been criticised by his own party members for agreeing to the talks without insisting that his followers, including some newly elected legislators, be freed from jail. Last week's agreement called for an end to all violence. Though beatings and abductions of opposition activists have diminished, the violence still continues, according to doctors and analysts in Zimbabwe. The agreement also calls for the government to reverse an order barring NGOs from distributing food.
snip
The agreement to hold power-sharing talks was reached a week ago with increasing violence putting pressure on the opposition while intense international disapproval -- including some African governments saying they could not recognise Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe -- appeared to sway Mugabe's ruling party.
Tsvangirai has been criticised by his own party members for agreeing to the talks without insisting that his followers, including some newly elected legislators, be freed from jail.
Last week's agreement called for an end to all violence. Though beatings and abductions of opposition activists have diminished, the violence still continues, according to doctors and analysts in Zimbabwe.
The agreement also calls for the government to reverse an order barring NGOs from distributing food.
This is Zimbabwe
Two MDC activists, Witness Maambire, who was Chief Election to Samuel Muzerengwa (MDC senator for Buhera), and a friend were abducted at gun point by Colonel Morgan Mzilikazi at Chapanduka Business Centre on 24 July 2008. The MP elected for the area Mr. Naison Nemadziwa, who was in the company of the abductees, had to run into the mountains for his safety. The three had gone to fetch 17 MDC activists who were tortured on 17 July 2008 and were injured with bad cuts all over their bodies and broken legs and arms.
Two MDC activists, Witness Maambire, who was Chief Election to Samuel Muzerengwa (MDC senator for Buhera), and a friend were abducted at gun point by Colonel Morgan Mzilikazi at Chapanduka Business Centre on 24 July 2008. The MP elected for the area Mr. Naison Nemadziwa, who was in the company of the abductees, had to run into the mountains for his safety.
The three had gone to fetch 17 MDC activists who were tortured on 17 July 2008 and were injured with bad cuts all over their bodies and broken legs and arms.
