The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman
Neda Agha Soltan, the young Iranian woman whose face became the international symbol of protest against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told her fiancé she was prepared to "take a bullet in the heart" in the fight against the president's regime.The revelation comes as her boyfriend speaks out for the first time after being imprisoned following Neda's death last June, when she was shot by Iranian police at a demonstration in Tehran. Caspian Makan, a photographer, spent two months in prison for criticising the authorities after her death. In a moving interview, he told the Observer that far from being a bystander caught up in the demonstrations, she was committed to the overthrow of Ahmadinejad. As a result of her high-profile presence at the protests, he believes she was targeted by the regime loyalists who killed her.Makan has fled Iran and given two in-depth interviews. His meeting with director Angus Macqueen, which is featured in today's Observer Review, will appear in a BBC film about Neda. In both interviews she emerges as a markedly different figure to the young woman depicted at the time of her death. Her fiancé describes her as politically active and assertive, convinced she was fighting for "democracy and freedom" for Iranians. Neda joined the first wave of protests. After the election results were announced, she headed to the Interior Ministry in central Tehran - a focal point for the emerging movement supporting Ahamdinejad's election rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi. Makan remembers telling her that the scenes she described to him would quickly lead to a violent response from the regime.She said: "No, they will continue because the people are too many and the scale too widespread... Everyone is responsible for reaching democracy," Makan recalls her as saying. "If I get shot in the heart or arrested, it's not important because we are all responsible for our future."Although he was nervous about Neda going to the demonstrations, Makan said she insisted on participating. The last time he spoke to her, they had an argument over whether she should continue attending, as the violence increased.
Neda Agha Soltan, the young Iranian woman whose face became the international symbol of protest against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, told her fiancé she was prepared to "take a bullet in the heart" in the fight against the president's regime.
The revelation comes as her boyfriend speaks out for the first time after being imprisoned following Neda's death last June, when she was shot by Iranian police at a demonstration in Tehran. Caspian Makan, a photographer, spent two months in prison for criticising the authorities after her death. In a moving interview, he told the Observer that far from being a bystander caught up in the demonstrations, she was committed to the overthrow of Ahmadinejad. As a result of her high-profile presence at the protests, he believes she was targeted by the regime loyalists who killed her.
Makan has fled Iran and given two in-depth interviews. His meeting with director Angus Macqueen, which is featured in today's Observer Review, will appear in a BBC film about Neda. In both interviews she emerges as a markedly different figure to the young woman depicted at the time of her death. Her fiancé describes her as politically active and assertive, convinced she was fighting for "democracy and freedom" for Iranians. Neda joined the first wave of protests. After the election results were announced, she headed to the Interior Ministry in central Tehran - a focal point for the emerging movement supporting Ahamdinejad's election rival, Mir Hossein Mousavi. Makan remembers telling her that the scenes she described to him would quickly lead to a violent response from the regime.
She said: "No, they will continue because the people are too many and the scale too widespread... Everyone is responsible for reaching democracy," Makan recalls her as saying. "If I get shot in the heart or arrested, it's not important because we are all responsible for our future."
Although he was nervous about Neda going to the demonstrations, Makan said she insisted on participating. The last time he spoke to her, they had an argument over whether she should continue attending, as the violence increased.
Splits within the Arab world's foremost Islamist opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, with its ties to Muslim communities in Germany and elsewhere, could be signs that the group is not interested in democracy. For much of its 80-year history, the Muslim Brotherhood's very name symbolized promotion of a violent, anti-western movement bent on strict imposition of Islamic law. Much of the first generation of the current violent Islamist movements trace their roots to the Brotherhood and were inspired by the organization's radical ideologues. Yet, for the past 30 years, the Brotherhood's loosely aligned chapters in various Arab countries have participated in elections, shed secrecy for internal party democracy and justified the electoral path as their way forward. When asked in 1980 after the fall of the Shah of Iran, whether the Islamic revolution constituted a model for Egypt, then Muslim Brotherhood leader Omar el Telmesani told this reporter: "No, our Shah died in 1970," a reference to the late Egyptian nationalist leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. But rather than encouraging the Brotherhood's more recent democratic inclinations, Arab governments are cracking down in a move that threatens to widen the credibility gap between regimes and public opinion and could drive moderate Islamists toward the movement's radical jihad-preaching fringe. In response to the Brotherhood's emergence from elections in 2005 as Egypt's main opposition group, the government of President Hosni Mubarak has constitutionally banned religion-based political parties, introduced legislation preventing Muslim Brothers from standing in elections as independent candidates and sought to cripple the movement by arresting hundreds of Brothers, among them some of the Brotherhood's most moderate leaders.
For much of its 80-year history, the Muslim Brotherhood's very name symbolized promotion of a violent, anti-western movement bent on strict imposition of Islamic law. Much of the first generation of the current violent Islamist movements trace their roots to the Brotherhood and were inspired by the organization's radical ideologues.
Yet, for the past 30 years, the Brotherhood's loosely aligned chapters in various Arab countries have participated in elections, shed secrecy for internal party democracy and justified the electoral path as their way forward. When asked in 1980 after the fall of the Shah of Iran, whether the Islamic revolution constituted a model for Egypt, then Muslim Brotherhood leader Omar el Telmesani told this reporter: "No, our Shah died in 1970," a reference to the late Egyptian nationalist leader Gamal Abdel Nasser.
But rather than encouraging the Brotherhood's more recent democratic inclinations, Arab governments are cracking down in a move that threatens to widen the credibility gap between regimes and public opinion and could drive moderate Islamists toward the movement's radical jihad-preaching fringe.
In response to the Brotherhood's emergence from elections in 2005 as Egypt's main opposition group, the government of President Hosni Mubarak has constitutionally banned religion-based political parties, introduced legislation preventing Muslim Brothers from standing in elections as independent candidates and sought to cripple the movement by arresting hundreds of Brothers, among them some of the Brotherhood's most moderate leaders.
Barack Obama acknowledged today that time has run out to secure a binding climate deal at Copenhagen and began moving towards a two-stage process that would delay a legal pact until next year at the earliest.During a hastily convened breakfast meeting in Singapore, the US president supported a Danish plan to salvage something from the moribund negotiations by aiming for a broad political agreement and postponing contentious decisions on emissions targets, financing and technology transfer.While this falls short of hopes that Copenhagen would lock in place a new action plan for the world, it recognises the lack of progress in recent preparatory talks and the hold-ups of climate legislation in the US Senate. "There was a realistic assessment ... by the leaders that it was unrealistic to expect a full internationally legally binding agreement to be negotiated between now and when Copenhagen starts in 22 days," said Michael Froman, deputy national security adviser for economic affairs.Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the host and chairman of the climate talks, flew overnight to Singapore to pitch the deferral plan to 19 leaders, including Obama and Chinese president Hu Jintao, at an unscheduled event during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. He insisted that the Copenhagen talks could still set political targets and outline commitments."Given the time factor and the situation of individual countries we must, in the coming weeks, focus on what is possible and not let ourselves be distracted by what is not possible," he said. "The Copenhagen agreement should finally mandate continued legal negotiations and set a deadline for their conclusion."
Barack Obama acknowledged today that time has run out to secure a binding climate deal at Copenhagen and began moving towards a two-stage process that would delay a legal pact until next year at the earliest.
During a hastily convened breakfast meeting in Singapore, the US president supported a Danish plan to salvage something from the moribund negotiations by aiming for a broad political agreement and postponing contentious decisions on emissions targets, financing and technology transfer.
While this falls short of hopes that Copenhagen would lock in place a new action plan for the world, it recognises the lack of progress in recent preparatory talks and the hold-ups of climate legislation in the US Senate. "There was a realistic assessment ... by the leaders that it was unrealistic to expect a full internationally legally binding agreement to be negotiated between now and when Copenhagen starts in 22 days," said Michael Froman, deputy national security adviser for economic affairs.
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the host and chairman of the climate talks, flew overnight to Singapore to pitch the deferral plan to 19 leaders, including Obama and Chinese president Hu Jintao, at an unscheduled event during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. He insisted that the Copenhagen talks could still set political targets and outline commitments.
"Given the time factor and the situation of individual countries we must, in the coming weeks, focus on what is possible and not let ourselves be distracted by what is not possible," he said. "The Copenhagen agreement should finally mandate continued legal negotiations and set a deadline for their conclusion."
President Obama and other APEC leaders agreed there wasn't enough time to reach an agreement on climate change at the Copenhagen summit next month. President Obama ran as a climate-change candidate who said that the time to act was now. But at the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, Obama has joined the chorus of doubters that say that a global deal on cutting emissions won't be reached at a key summit next month in Copenhagen. The 19 leaders agreed that the gap between rich and poor nations over what to do about global warming was too big to bridge in the next three weeks. The December meeting in Denmark would be an interim step to any final agreement.
President Obama ran as a climate-change candidate who said that the time to act was now.
But at the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, Obama has joined the chorus of doubters that say that a global deal on cutting emissions won't be reached at a key summit next month in Copenhagen. The 19 leaders agreed that the gap between rich and poor nations over what to do about global warming was too big to bridge in the next three weeks. The December meeting in Denmark would be an interim step to any final agreement.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan is sinking into a political and constitutional crisis that threatens to sideline its vital role in the battle against Islamist insurgents and U.S.-led efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan. The trigger for the crisis is the expiration of a legal amnesty for politicians at the end of this month, which will leave key officials, including the interior minister, open to prosecution and could even jeopardize the position of Asif Ali Zardari, the pro-Western Pakistani president.The political opposition and the military appear to be using the crisis to force the unpopular Zardari to give up most of his powers or be ousted. Soon ministers of the government could find themselves hauled before the courts over long-standing criminal charges, ranging from murder to corruption, or they could rush to seek pre-arrest bail, legal experts said. This "would make our democracy look like a thieves' bazaar," newspaper columnist Shafqat Mahmood wrote Friday in The News, a Pakistani daily.The amnesty, known as the National Reconciliation Ordinance, was approved by a previous government under U.S. pressure in 2007. Unless it is ratified by parliament, which now seems unlikely, the amnesty expires Nov. 28, according to a ruling by the country's powerful chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan is sinking into a political and constitutional crisis that threatens to sideline its vital role in the battle against Islamist insurgents and U.S.-led efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan.
The trigger for the crisis is the expiration of a legal amnesty for politicians at the end of this month, which will leave key officials, including the interior minister, open to prosecution and could even jeopardize the position of Asif Ali Zardari, the pro-Western Pakistani president.
The political opposition and the military appear to be using the crisis to force the unpopular Zardari to give up most of his powers or be ousted. Soon ministers of the government could find themselves hauled before the courts over long-standing criminal charges, ranging from murder to corruption, or they could rush to seek pre-arrest bail, legal experts said.
This "would make our democracy look like a thieves' bazaar," newspaper columnist Shafqat Mahmood wrote Friday in The News, a Pakistani daily.
The amnesty, known as the National Reconciliation Ordinance, was approved by a previous government under U.S. pressure in 2007. Unless it is ratified by parliament, which now seems unlikely, the amnesty expires Nov. 28, according to a ruling by the country's powerful chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry.
SINGAPORE--Declaring the world at "one of those rare inflection points in history," President Obama told the leaders of China and other Asian countries Sunday that they can no longer rely on debt-laden American shoppers to fuel their economies and that the United States must consume less and export more. "The recession we're just now recovering from has clearly taught us the limits of depending on the American consumer to drive economic growth," Obama told a summit of Pacific Rim nations in Singapore, a vibrant Southeast Asian city-state that symbolizes Asia's economic transformation. Obama's comments, made at the annual meeting here of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, hammered home what has become a leitmotif of his eight-day tour of Asia: the need for "sweeping change" in the way the world economy works. Obama touched on a wide range of issues during a whirlwind day of meetings here. Significantly, he demanded the release of Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi in a meeting that included the Burmese prime minister, a general who is a close associate of the country's reclusive and hardline leader Than Shwe. It was the first encounter between a U.S. president and a member of Burma's military junta, which is under sanctions for human rights abuses. Obama's willingness to sit in the same room with a Burmese leader reflects his administration's view that the United States must engage with regimes that it doesn't like, a sharp reversal of the Bush-era approach.
SINGAPORE--Declaring the world at "one of those rare inflection points in history," President Obama told the leaders of China and other Asian countries Sunday that they can no longer rely on debt-laden American shoppers to fuel their economies and that the United States must consume less and export more.
"The recession we're just now recovering from has clearly taught us the limits of depending on the American consumer to drive economic growth," Obama told a summit of Pacific Rim nations in Singapore, a vibrant Southeast Asian city-state that symbolizes Asia's economic transformation.
Obama's comments, made at the annual meeting here of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, hammered home what has become a leitmotif of his eight-day tour of Asia: the need for "sweeping change" in the way the world economy works.
Obama touched on a wide range of issues during a whirlwind day of meetings here. Significantly, he demanded the release of Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi in a meeting that included the Burmese prime minister, a general who is a close associate of the country's reclusive and hardline leader Than Shwe. It was the first encounter between a U.S. president and a member of Burma's military junta, which is under sanctions for human rights abuses.
Obama's willingness to sit in the same room with a Burmese leader reflects his administration's view that the United States must engage with regimes that it doesn't like, a sharp reversal of the Bush-era approach.
... the 2008-9 plunge in world trade was one for the record books. What it mainly reflected was the fact that modern trade is dominated by sales of durable manufactured goods -- and in the face of severe financial crisis and its attendant uncertainty, both consumers and corporations postponed purchases of anything that wasn't needed immediately. How did this reduce the U.S. trade deficit? Imports of goods like automobiles collapsed; so did some U.S. exports; but because we came into the crisis importing much more than we exported, the net effect was a smaller trade gap. But with the financial crisis abating, this process is going into reverse. Last week's U.S. trade report showed a sharp increase in the trade deficit between August and September. And there will be many more reports along those lines. So picture this: month after month of headlines juxtaposing soaring U.S. trade deficits and Chinese trade surpluses with the suffering of unemployed American workers. If I were the Chinese government, I'd be really worried about that prospect. Unfortunately, the Chinese don't seem to get it: rather than face up to the need to change their currency policy, they've taken to lecturing the United States, telling us to raise interest rates and curb fiscal deficits -- that is, to make our unemployment problem even worse. And I'm not sure the Obama administration gets it, either. The administration's statements on Chinese currency policy seem pro forma, lacking any sense of urgency. That needs to change. I don't begrudge Mr. Obama the banquets and the photo ops; they're part of his job. But behind the scenes he better be warning the Chinese that they're playing a dangerous game.
But with the financial crisis abating, this process is going into reverse. Last week's U.S. trade report showed a sharp increase in the trade deficit between August and September. And there will be many more reports along those lines.
So picture this: month after month of headlines juxtaposing soaring U.S. trade deficits and Chinese trade surpluses with the suffering of unemployed American workers. If I were the Chinese government, I'd be really worried about that prospect.
Unfortunately, the Chinese don't seem to get it: rather than face up to the need to change their currency policy, they've taken to lecturing the United States, telling us to raise interest rates and curb fiscal deficits -- that is, to make our unemployment problem even worse.
And I'm not sure the Obama administration gets it, either. The administration's statements on Chinese currency policy seem pro forma, lacking any sense of urgency.
That needs to change. I don't begrudge Mr. Obama the banquets and the photo ops; they're part of his job. But behind the scenes he better be warning the Chinese that they're playing a dangerous game.
... they've taken to lecturing the United States, telling us to raise interest rates and curb fiscal deficits -- that is, to make our unemployment problem even worse.
My My My. Isn't that the neocon remedy given to previous third world countries who had massive foreign debts? Welcome to third world status, dear old US of A, and China is your America. Bend over America, it's your turn! In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
The president landed this afternoon in Beijing, where he is scheduled to have dinner with Chinese President Hu Jintao. In response to a question at the forum with the students, Obama said he is in China to seek "a meeting of the minds" with Hu about how their nations can lead the way on global issues. Obama singled out climate change as one of the key areas where the two countries can cooperate and show leadership. He said it was a burden both countries share and noted that nations around the world will be watching.... Trade and the global economy are top issues for Obama while in China, the third stop on a four-nation trip to Asia. He told his audience that trade between the U.S. and China has driven economic growth in both countries and that a more balanced relationship will provide greater prosperity. "This trade could create even more jobs on both sides of the Pacific," Obama said. "As demand becomes more balanced it could lead to even broader prosperity." The administration estimates that every percentage point of increase in U.S. exports to Asia [sic] could create 250,000 U.S. jobs, according to Michael Froman, Obama's deputy national security adviser for international economics....
Obama singled out climate change as one of the key areas where the two countries can cooperate and show leadership. He said it was a burden both countries share and noted that nations around the world will be watching....
Trade and the global economy are top issues for Obama while in China, the third stop on a four-nation trip to Asia. He told his audience that trade between the U.S. and China has driven economic growth in both countries and that a more balanced relationship will provide greater prosperity. "This trade could create even more jobs on both sides of the Pacific," Obama said. "As demand becomes more balanced it could lead to even broader prosperity."
The administration estimates that every percentage point of increase in U.S. exports to Asia [sic] could create 250,000 U.S. jobs, according to Michael Froman, Obama's deputy national security adviser for international economics....
"Asia" is not a nation. A correlative relationship of economic inputs or output changes between some national jurisdiction and a geographic region, with respect to calculating a current account balance, is ill-conceived, possibly bullshit.
In addition to economic issues, Obama's agenda includes pressing China to take a tougher stance on Iran, which the U.S. says is seeking to develop nuclear weapons capability. China has been reluctant to back more sanctions against Iran.... Obama spoke out against censorship of the Internet, telling the students that an open exchange of information makes nations stronger rather than weaker. "Unrestricted Internet access is a source of strength, and I think, should be encouraged," he said, adding that the criticism he receives in the U.S. "makes me a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don't want to hear."
Obama spoke out against censorship of the Internet, telling the students that an open exchange of information makes nations stronger rather than weaker. "Unrestricted Internet access is a source of strength, and I think, should be encouraged," he said, adding that the criticism he receives in the U.S. "makes me a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don't want to hear."
[Old] GM intends to make a payment of $1 billion a quarter, with the first installment Dec. 31, said the person, who requested not to be identified because the transaction hasn't been announced publicly. The Treasury Department is unlikely to recover all of the aid it provided, a congressional oversight panel said in a report Sept. 9.... "[New?] GM's sales in North America and China, especially, are doing quite well," said Masatoshi Nishimoto, a Tokyo-based analyst at auto consulting company CSM Worldwide. "The company may finally be seeing some light at the end of the tunnel."... [New] GM Chairman Ed Whitacre said in an interview Nov. 10 that "it's conceivable" the automaker [Old GM] could repay some of the government aid this year. The Obama administration named Whitacre, the former chief executive officer and chairman of Dallas-based AT&T Inc., to lead the board after the U.S. bailout gave the government a 61 percent ownership stake. The automaker [Old, New GM] is trying to build on its results in October, when its monthly U.S. sales rose for the first time since January 2008 and market share topped 20 percent. [New] GM sales of cars and trucks rose 6.6 percent in October. In China, the company more than doubled sales from a year earlier last month.... "GM's decision to keep Opel is also a sign that the new GM is performing better than earlier expected," CSM's Nishimoto said.
"[New?] GM's sales in North America and China, especially, are doing quite well," said Masatoshi Nishimoto, a Tokyo-based analyst at auto consulting company CSM Worldwide. "The company may finally be seeing some light at the end of the tunnel."...
[New] GM Chairman Ed Whitacre said in an interview Nov. 10 that "it's conceivable" the automaker [Old GM] could repay some of the government aid this year. The Obama administration named Whitacre, the former chief executive officer and chairman of Dallas-based AT&T Inc., to lead the board after the U.S. bailout gave the government a 61 percent ownership stake.
The automaker [Old, New GM] is trying to build on its results in October, when its monthly U.S. sales rose for the first time since January 2008 and market share topped 20 percent. [New] GM sales of cars and trucks rose 6.6 percent in October. In China, the company more than doubled sales from a year earlier last month....
"GM's decision to keep Opel is also a sign that the new GM is performing better than earlier expected," CSM's Nishimoto said.
...But a federal work-share program is winning some support from nonpartisans. Prominent economists pushing the work-share idea include Mark Zandi, an economic advisor to Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential campaign who also advises Democrats. Dean Baker, co-director of the left-leaning Center for Economic and Policy Research, and Paul Krugman, the New York Times columnist. Krugman touted the benefits in his column Friday, noting that German's work-share program has helped drive down its unemployment rate, which has gone from about 9 percent last year to less than 8 percent in October. Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, said that increased small business loans and more work-share programs could be an economical way to create more jobs. Zandi told the Joint Economic Committee last month that expanding work share to all 50 states would cost less than $2 billion and would provide more "bang for the buck" than unemployment insurance extensions. Congress passed and Obama signed last week a extension of unemployment benefits that cost $2.4 billion....
Prominent economists pushing the work-share idea include Mark Zandi, an economic advisor to Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential campaign who also advises Democrats. Dean Baker, co-director of the left-leaning Center for Economic and Policy Research, and Paul Krugman, the New York Times columnist. Krugman touted the benefits in his column Friday, noting that German's work-share program has helped drive down its unemployment rate, which has gone from about 9 percent last year to less than 8 percent in October.
Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, said that increased small business loans and more work-share programs could be an economical way to create more jobs. Zandi told the Joint Economic Committee last month that expanding work share to all 50 states would cost less than $2 billion and would provide more "bang for the buck" than unemployment insurance extensions. Congress passed and Obama signed last week a extension of unemployment benefits that cost $2.4 billion....
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Where's my ass at? 1932. (Energy Survey of North America is no longer on the web. See references to technocracy.org, Scott, Hubbert, and North American Technate 1, 1, 1, What we do not have? body count. Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
Man-Hours and Distribution II: THE DECLINE OF MAN-HOURS Theoretical Considerations In any given field of production whether of goods or of services, there is a relationship between: the number of units produced in a given time, the number of man-hours of human effort required to produce a single unit, the number of hours worked per man in that time, the number of men employed. In any given field of production let: q be the number of units produced per year, m be the number of man-hours required to produce one unit, I be the number of man-hours per year per man, n be the number of men engaged, e be the total number of man-hours required for the entire production. A man-hour is defined as one man working one hour, regardless of the occupation. From the above definitions the following relationships are obtained: The total man-hours per year for the entire production are the product of the man-hours per unit and the total number of units produced in a year, e=mq. (1) Also the total number of man-hours per year is equal to the total employees multiplied by the average hours per employee per year. Thus, e=nl. (2) Equating (1) and (2) together, nl = mq or n = (mq)/l (3) Thus we see that the total number of employees at any time in a given industry is directly proportional to the man-hours per unit and to the rate of production, and is inversely proportional to the number of hours worked by each employee. If at a given time mq is some finite amount, the number of employees, n, may be made as large as one wishes provided the working hours, I, be made short enough. Variation of Production, Total Man-Hours and Man-Hours per Unit, with Time In general, in any given industry, production, man-hours per unit produced, and total man-hours do not remain fixed but undergo changes with time. If the total production, q, and the man-hours per unit, m, are considered to vary independently, the total man- hours, e, are uniquely determined by equation (1), e = mq, at any given time, the amount of work available is determined by total production and by the human time required to produce each unit.
II: THE DECLINE OF MAN-HOURS
Theoretical Considerations
In any given field of production whether of goods or of services, there is a relationship between:
q be the number of units produced per year,
m be the number of man-hours required to produce one unit,
I
be the number of man-hours per year per man,
n be the number of men engaged,
e be the total number of man-hours required for the entire production.
A man-hour is defined as one man working one hour, regardless of the occupation.
From the above definitions the following relationships are obtained: The total man-hours per year for the entire production are the product of the man-hours per unit and the total number of units produced in a year,
e=mq. (1)
Also the total number of man-hours per year is equal to the total employees multiplied by the average hours per employee per year. Thus,
e=nl. (2)
Equating (1) and (2) together, nl = mq or n = (mq)/l (3)
Thus we see that the total number of employees at any time in a given industry is directly proportional to the man-hours per unit and to the rate of production, and is inversely proportional to the number of hours worked by each employee. If at a given time mq is some finite amount, the number of employees, n, may be made as large as one wishes provided the working hours, I, be made short enough.
Variation of Production, Total Man-Hours and Man-Hours per Unit, with Time
In general, in any given industry, production, man-hours per unit produced, and total man-hours do not remain fixed but undergo changes with time. If the total production, q, and the man-hours per unit, m, are considered to vary independently, the total man- hours, e, are uniquely determined by equation (1), e = mq, at any given time, the amount of work available is determined by total production and by the human time required to produce each unit.
So goeth putz (pl. as in herd of deer, bounding). Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
General Motors Co. said Monday it lost $1.2 billion from the time it left bankruptcy protection [10 July 2009] through Sept. 30 [i.e. Q3], far better than it has reported in previous quarters and a sign that the auto giant is starting to turn around its business.... GM's global presence helped the company, particularly in China, where its sales of 478,000 in the third quarter increased 6 percent over the second quarter. GM earned $429 million before taxes and interest [EBIT? or EBITDA?] at its Asia Pacific unit, which includes China, and $245 million in Latin America. It had pretax losses of $651 million in North America and $437 million in Europe.... Its third-quarter revenue totaled $26.4 billion, an improvement over the first quarter when its revenue dropped almost 50 percent to $22.4 billion from a year earlier. Revenue was aided by sales boosts in July and August [Q3] from the U.S. government's Cash for Clunkers rebates.... GM entered bankruptcy protection with roughly $94.7 billion in debt. It emerged with $17 billion, including the $6.7 billion owed to the U.S. government. The government has given GM a total of $52 billion, including $45.3 billion in exchange for a 61 percent equity stake in the company.
GM's global presence helped the company, particularly in China, where its sales of 478,000 in the third quarter increased 6 percent over the second quarter. GM earned $429 million before taxes and interest [EBIT? or EBITDA?] at its Asia Pacific unit, which includes China, and $245 million in Latin America. It had pretax losses of $651 million in North America and $437 million in Europe....
Its third-quarter revenue totaled $26.4 billion, an improvement over the first quarter when its revenue dropped almost 50 percent to $22.4 billion from a year earlier. Revenue was aided by sales boosts in July and August [Q3] from the U.S. government's Cash for Clunkers rebates....
GM entered bankruptcy protection with roughly $94.7 billion in debt. It emerged with $17 billion, including the $6.7 billion owed to the U.S. government. The government has given GM a total of $52 billion, including $45.3 billion in exchange for a 61 percent equity stake in the company.
General Motors Co., signaling confidence in its recovery from bankruptcy, said it generated $3.3 billion in cash in the third quarter and plans to start repaying government [$6.7 billion contingency] loans early.... GM's 8.375 percent bonds maturing in 2033, which will convert into equity in the new company, jumped 2.63 cents to 20.3 cents on the dollar at 9:14 a.m. in New York, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. A closing price at that level would be the highest since January. Cash Drain Headwinds this quarter will include a cash drain as the loan repayments begin and from a U.S. auto market that will be 8.5 percent smaller than in the previous three months, GM said. The U.S. government is owed $6.7 billion and also owns a 61 percent stake in the biggest domestic automaker, which said it still expects an initial public offering in 2010's second half. Third-quarter revenue was $28 billion, including $26.4 billion for the post-bankruptcy period. [Old] GM reported unaudited data for July 1 through July 9 for General Motors Corp., and for [New GM] the period since July 10.
GM's 8.375 percent bonds maturing in 2033, which will convert into equity in the new company, jumped 2.63 cents to 20.3 cents on the dollar at 9:14 a.m. in New York, according to Trace, the bond-price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. A closing price at that level would be the highest since January.
Cash Drain
Headwinds this quarter will include a cash drain as the loan repayments begin and from a U.S. auto market that will be 8.5 percent smaller than in the previous three months, GM said. The U.S. government is owed $6.7 billion and also owns a 61 percent stake in the biggest domestic automaker, which said it still expects an initial public offering in 2010's second half.
Third-quarter revenue was $28 billion, including $26.4 billion for the post-bankruptcy period. [Old] GM reported unaudited data for July 1 through July 9 for General Motors Corp., and for [New GM] the period since July 10.
Obama singled out climate change as one of the key areas where the two countries can cooperate and show leadership ...
Isn't this the worst possible thing to say to a country that holds a huge chunk of your debt - short of 'The bombing starts now'?
... short of 'The bombing starts now'?
The bombing of WHOM? China or US cities? If you think Obama is on the side of average US citizens, think again. In the end, might makes right. Nothing has changed since the caveman.
While President Obama's decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan is primarily a military one, it also has substantial budget implications that are adding pressure to limit the commitment, senior administration officials say. The latest internal government estimates place the cost of adding 40,000 American troops and sharply expanding the Afghan security forces, as favored by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top American and allied commander in Afghanistan, at $40 billion to $54 billion a year, the officials said. Even if fewer troops are sent, or their mission is modified, the rough formula used by the White House, of about $1 million per soldier a year, appears almost constant.So even if Mr. Obama opts for a lower troop commitment, Afghanistan's new costs could wash out the projected $26 billion expected to be saved in 2010 from withdrawing troops from Iraq. And the overall military budget could rise to as much as $734 billion, or 10 percent more than the peak of $667 billion under the Bush administration.Such an escalation in military spending would be a politically volatile issue for Mr. Obama at a time when the government budget deficit is soaring, the economy is weak and he is trying to pass a costly health care plan.
While President Obama's decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan is primarily a military one, it also has substantial budget implications that are adding pressure to limit the commitment, senior administration officials say.
The latest internal government estimates place the cost of adding 40,000 American troops and sharply expanding the Afghan security forces, as favored by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top American and allied commander in Afghanistan, at $40 billion to $54 billion a year, the officials said.
Even if fewer troops are sent, or their mission is modified, the rough formula used by the White House, of about $1 million per soldier a year, appears almost constant.
So even if Mr. Obama opts for a lower troop commitment, Afghanistan's new costs could wash out the projected $26 billion expected to be saved in 2010 from withdrawing troops from Iraq. And the overall military budget could rise to as much as $734 billion, or 10 percent more than the peak of $667 billion under the Bush administration.
Such an escalation in military spending would be a politically volatile issue for Mr. Obama at a time when the government budget deficit is soaring, the economy is weak and he is trying to pass a costly health care plan.
WASHINGTON -- President Obama has sent the Senate far fewer judicial nominations than former President George W. Bush did in his first 10 months in office, deflating the hopes of liberals that the White House would move quickly to reshape the federal judiciary after eight years of Republican appointments. Mr. Bush, who made it an early goal to push conservatives into the judicial pipeline and left a strong stamp on the courts, had already nominated 28 appellate and 36 district candidates at a comparable point in his tenure. By contrast, Mr. Obama has offered 12 nominations to appeals courts and 14 to district courts. Theodore Shaw, a Columbia University law professor who until recently led the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., said liberals feared that the White House was not taking advantage of its chance to fill vacancies while Democrats enjoy a razor-thin advantage in the Senate enabling them to cut off the threat of filibusters against nominees. There are nearly 100 vacancies on federal courts."It's not any secret that among the civil rights community and other folks there has been a growing concern about the pace of nominations and confirmations," Mr. Shaw said. "You have to move fairly quickly because things are going to shut down before you know it, given that next year is an election year and who knows what is going to happen in the midterm elections. No one wants a blown opportunity."The departure of the White House counsel, Gregory B. Craig, announced on Friday, raises another concern: a leadership vacuum may be forming at the highest ranks of the administration's judicial selection team. The administration also recently announced that Cassandra Butts, a deputy White House counsel who had played a leading role in judicial nominations, is leaving.
WASHINGTON -- President Obama has sent the Senate far fewer judicial nominations than former President George W. Bush did in his first 10 months in office, deflating the hopes of liberals that the White House would move quickly to reshape the federal judiciary after eight years of Republican appointments.
Mr. Bush, who made it an early goal to push conservatives into the judicial pipeline and left a strong stamp on the courts, had already nominated 28 appellate and 36 district candidates at a comparable point in his tenure. By contrast, Mr. Obama has offered 12 nominations to appeals courts and 14 to district courts.
Theodore Shaw, a Columbia University law professor who until recently led the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., said liberals feared that the White House was not taking advantage of its chance to fill vacancies while Democrats enjoy a razor-thin advantage in the Senate enabling them to cut off the threat of filibusters against nominees. There are nearly 100 vacancies on federal courts.
"It's not any secret that among the civil rights community and other folks there has been a growing concern about the pace of nominations and confirmations," Mr. Shaw said. "You have to move fairly quickly because things are going to shut down before you know it, given that next year is an election year and who knows what is going to happen in the midterm elections. No one wants a blown opportunity."
The departure of the White House counsel, Gregory B. Craig, announced on Friday, raises another concern: a leadership vacuum may be forming at the highest ranks of the administration's judicial selection team. The administration also recently announced that Cassandra Butts, a deputy White House counsel who had played a leading role in judicial nominations, is leaving.
WASHINGTON -- In the official record of the historic House debate on overhauling health care, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident. Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world's largest biotechnology companies. E-mail messages obtained by The New York Times show that the lobbyists drafted one statement for Democrats and another for Republicans. The lobbyists, employed by Genentech and by two Washington law firms, were remarkably successful in getting the statements printed in the Congressional Record under the names of different members of Congress.
E-mail messages obtained by The New York Times show that the lobbyists drafted one statement for Democrats and another for Republicans.
The lobbyists, employed by Genentech and by two Washington law firms, were remarkably successful in getting the statements printed in the Congressional Record under the names of different members of Congress.
With the U.S. unemployment rate now having climbed into double digits and no dip in sight, here's one job opening that's, well, still open. McDonald's is looking for an assistant manager willing to relocate to the one McDonald's burger joint on the communist island of Cuba. That McDonald's is, however, still able to serve freedom fries because it's located on the 45-square-mile U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay. .... Besides ample sun and being surrounded by miles of barbed wire and numerous rapid-firing guns, the job at the fast-food franchise has a few perks. They include possible tax-free status for year-round residents and half your rent paid. No mention of salary in the Worker Wanted ad.
McDonald's is looking for an assistant manager willing to relocate to the one McDonald's burger joint on the communist island of Cuba. That McDonald's is, however, still able to serve freedom fries because it's located on the 45-square-mile U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay.
....
Besides ample sun and being surrounded by miles of barbed wire and numerous rapid-firing guns, the job at the fast-food franchise has a few perks. They include possible tax-free status for year-round residents and half your rent paid. No mention of salary in the Worker Wanted ad.
Stacy Kwinn and Gregory Perez and Kris Konopka and Justin Denney -- two American expat couples who are friends -- got together the other day for dim sum and swapped stories about the computer software business in China. These are among the thousands of Americans living and working here. Their experiences have given them insights into what U.S. policymakers should do about this economic juggernaut. Their advice: Teach more American kids the Chinese language and higher-level math and science. Keep innovating. Take seriously China's ambition to invent, not just manufacture. Help China improve consumer safety and conserve energy. Understand how cultural differences translate in the marketplace. Dan Kuzmanovic, a stamping and tooling specialist on a three-year assignment in China for Ford, was back in Shanghai after a two-week break in Michigan. "My parents left Yugoslavia for America," Kuzmanovic said. "Now I've left America for China. . . Being in China is probably a good thing for any company if you're a global company but you can't do it at the expense of America. I think Ford's found that balance. At the government level, you need to have the same thought process."
Their advice: Teach more American kids the Chinese language and higher-level math and science. Keep innovating. Take seriously China's ambition to invent, not just manufacture. Help China improve consumer safety and conserve energy. Understand how cultural differences translate in the marketplace.
Dan Kuzmanovic, a stamping and tooling specialist on a three-year assignment in China for Ford, was back in Shanghai after a two-week break in Michigan.
"My parents left Yugoslavia for America," Kuzmanovic said. "Now I've left America for China. . . Being in China is probably a good thing for any company if you're a global company but you can't do it at the expense of America. I think Ford's found that balance. At the government level, you need to have the same thought process."
Opponents of the Goldstone report might well be hoping that after its lopsided condemnation in the US House of Representatives and successful relegation back to the UN's Human Rights Commission, the report will become little more than an historical footnote in a decades-long conflict. .... Why would the House go so far out of its way to stamp out even the consideration of war crimes accusations against Israel? And why would Barack Obama, the US president, have pressured Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, not to push the report in the UN when he had to know that such actions would cost Abbas most of his little remaining credibility among Palestinians? There are two reasons for this. Firstly, if Israel is guilty of committing systematic war crimes across Gaza and the West Bank, then the US, which supported, funded and armed Israel during the war, is an accessory to those crimes. Goldstone explains in no uncertain terms that Gaza was not an aberration in terms of Israel's treatment of Palestinians....Put simply, if there is blood on Israel's hands, than it is has dripped all over America's shirt. There is also the larger context of the peace negotiations. If Israel can be guilty of humanitarian crimes at this level, then it puts the entire Israeli narrative about the occupation - that it is ultimately about preserving the country's security - into question. In fact, the report declares precisely this, in paragraph 1674, when it argues that the Gaza invasion "cannot be understood and assessed in isolation from developments prior and subsequent to it. The operation fits into a continuum of policies aimed at pursuing Israel's political objectives with regard to Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a whole". (Emphasis added.)
Why would the House go so far out of its way to stamp out even the consideration of war crimes accusations against Israel? And why would Barack Obama, the US president, have pressured Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, not to push the report in the UN when he had to know that such actions would cost Abbas most of his little remaining credibility among Palestinians?
There are two reasons for this.
Firstly, if Israel is guilty of committing systematic war crimes across Gaza and the West Bank, then the US, which supported, funded and armed Israel during the war, is an accessory to those crimes. Goldstone explains in no uncertain terms that Gaza was not an aberration in terms of Israel's treatment of Palestinians....Put simply, if there is blood on Israel's hands, than it is has dripped all over America's shirt.
There is also the larger context of the peace negotiations. If Israel can be guilty of humanitarian crimes at this level, then it puts the entire Israeli narrative about the occupation - that it is ultimately about preserving the country's security - into question. In fact, the report declares precisely this, in paragraph 1674, when it argues that the Gaza invasion "cannot be understood and assessed in isolation from developments prior and subsequent to it. The operation fits into a continuum of policies aimed at pursuing Israel's political objectives with regard to Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a whole". (Emphasis added.)
If the people that mattered cared about the Israeli/Palestinian situation, it would already be over. Calling the Israeli's all kinds of bad names (deserved or not) isn't going to change that fact.
US Rep. Jan. Schakowsky (D-Illinois), is the first congressperson to visit Honduras since the June 28 coup that did not come in prefabricated support of the de facto regime. [...] Schakowsky's three day visit from November 10-12 included meetings with family members of victims that have died directly from violence from the coup, media outlets such as Channel 36 and Radio Globo that have been attacked for honestly reporting on the resistance movement, and also a visit to the Brazilian Embassy where ousted President Zelaya and approximately 40 others have taken refuge for the last 53 days. The Chicago Congresswoman commented on her opportunity to hear a recording of some of the sounds bombarded into the Embassy and see the blinding lights set up outside, in addition to the crane set up for the military to spy into the Embassy.
Also, Zelaya to Obama: Walk the Walk "Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne
