Showing posts with label the economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the economy. Show all posts
7/10/2008
What a World.....
It has been another eventful week. As I continue to analyze the world and write about it in my current affairs blog (http://www.outsiderviews.com) , I continue to be concerned and taken aback by the utter disregard that our political leaders around the world seem to show towards the long-term benefit of our world. The latest sabre-rattling has to do with Israel. This is on top of the fact that the U.S. Economy continues to deteriorate, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae' stock tumbled on fears of being under-capitalized and yet somehow, our leaders want to potentially start another war. We have to step back, focus on the fundamentals and also push the need to negotiate. Diplomacy has to be fashionable again. It has to be so for the sake of the world we live in.
7/05/2008
The Economy...And the Stimulus Package.....
The stimulus checks have apparently made a bit of difference. Although some say that the difference has been negligible at best because the price of food and gas continues to rise. When I see the price of a bottle of Frapuccino at Starbucks rise to $ 2 from 80 cents (almost a 3 fold increase) that shows how tough things are. Starbucks has announced a massive job cut and a scale-back of its' expansion plans. It has no choice. People are increasingly reluctant to pay for $ 5 coffee. Yes, there are 18 thousand different ways to make coffee. But, who cares, right?
As for the stimulus check, I nearly fell off my chair when I read in the June 9, 2008 edition of Business week about folks who spent their stimulus check. As reported by Stephen Baker, ".....Dorothy, a 72-year-old from Carlsbad, Calif., wrote in to say she had donated her $ 600 to help build a school in Uganda, adding: "Sorry, George." Now, that's telling the President of the United States!!!
As for the stimulus check, I nearly fell off my chair when I read in the June 9, 2008 edition of Business week about folks who spent their stimulus check. As reported by Stephen Baker, ".....Dorothy, a 72-year-old from Carlsbad, Calif., wrote in to say she had donated her $ 600 to help build a school in Uganda, adding: "Sorry, George." Now, that's telling the President of the United States!!!
3/07/2008
The Week That Was....
As I reflected upon John McCain and the continued Democratic Struggles, I was again amazed by what happened in Latin America. The Columbians killed a Senior FARC leader by crossing into Ecuador. The whole region went through a tyriad. Presidents called each other liars and threatened to start a war. But, a sensible guy in the person of the President of the Dominican Republic brought them back from the brink. As the BBC's Americas Editor Emilio San Pedro said, it was like Kids fighting and the teacher basically brought them back and told them not to do it again. I thought that to be the funny part.
Coming back to the United States, I was sorry to see the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Barrack Obama quit over a ill-advised comment regarding Senator Clinton. I heard her recently on Democracy Now and found her to be thoughtful, reflective and truly insightful. She was right in that such comments have no place as we as a country strive to go beyond the politics of the past seven years. The worrisome development is the economy, though. Through my current business interests, I am being directly affected by it. It is a worrisome development. The President admitted it as such. Although he refuses to acknowledge that the economy has officially gone into recession. When Warren Buffett noted that the economy is in a recession, then we're in a recession. The Fed has been worried, too. We'll have some rather tough times to navigate through over the ensuing months.
Coming back to the United States, I was sorry to see the Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to Barrack Obama quit over a ill-advised comment regarding Senator Clinton. I heard her recently on Democracy Now and found her to be thoughtful, reflective and truly insightful. She was right in that such comments have no place as we as a country strive to go beyond the politics of the past seven years. The worrisome development is the economy, though. Through my current business interests, I am being directly affected by it. It is a worrisome development. The President admitted it as such. Although he refuses to acknowledge that the economy has officially gone into recession. When Warren Buffett noted that the economy is in a recession, then we're in a recession. The Fed has been worried, too. We'll have some rather tough times to navigate through over the ensuing months.
10/21/2007
Another Interesting Week......
It has been an interesting week, to say the least....
First of, the Carnage in the Middle East continues. The daily challenges of Iraq has largely fallen off the "mainstream" press. Right now, it is the Turks and the Kurds that is causing the greatest challenge. The Kurds just killed 12 Turkish Soldiers. What bothered me was Talabani, Iraq's President, telling the PKK guerrillas to lay down their arms or leave Iraq. What further bothered me was Barzani, the Kurds' Iraqi leader, saying that the kurds will defend against any Turk Incursion--as if the Government in Baghdad did not exist. To me, they are both hypocrites. They are hypocrites simply because the Kurdistant Regional Government is an independent country in every regard but name only. To add insult to injury, Talabani said that the Turks have no right to invade Iraqi Kurd territory. Well, the United States took the lead on the doctrine of pre-emption. Therefore, Talabani has no credibility whatsoever to discuss this.
Benazir Bhutto went back to Pakistan and was almost killed. Pakistan is on the brink and whether it can be saved remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: the killing in Pakistan is but another example of the side effect of the "war on terror" that has unleashed so much anger and frustration that can't be contained that easily.
As for the economy, it seems to be going downhill. There was a massive sell off on Friday. This is also the 20th anniversary of the 1987 stock market crash. The housing market correction is set to continue..and I'm not ashamed to say that I am worried to death.
The struggle does continue....and it is a valiant struggle indeed!!!
:-)
First of, the Carnage in the Middle East continues. The daily challenges of Iraq has largely fallen off the "mainstream" press. Right now, it is the Turks and the Kurds that is causing the greatest challenge. The Kurds just killed 12 Turkish Soldiers. What bothered me was Talabani, Iraq's President, telling the PKK guerrillas to lay down their arms or leave Iraq. What further bothered me was Barzani, the Kurds' Iraqi leader, saying that the kurds will defend against any Turk Incursion--as if the Government in Baghdad did not exist. To me, they are both hypocrites. They are hypocrites simply because the Kurdistant Regional Government is an independent country in every regard but name only. To add insult to injury, Talabani said that the Turks have no right to invade Iraqi Kurd territory. Well, the United States took the lead on the doctrine of pre-emption. Therefore, Talabani has no credibility whatsoever to discuss this.
Benazir Bhutto went back to Pakistan and was almost killed. Pakistan is on the brink and whether it can be saved remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: the killing in Pakistan is but another example of the side effect of the "war on terror" that has unleashed so much anger and frustration that can't be contained that easily.
As for the economy, it seems to be going downhill. There was a massive sell off on Friday. This is also the 20th anniversary of the 1987 stock market crash. The housing market correction is set to continue..and I'm not ashamed to say that I am worried to death.
The struggle does continue....and it is a valiant struggle indeed!!!
:-)
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