All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Revovery? Japanese companies report double dip decline in profits, predicts continued declines into next year, blames the crashing U.S. dollar

Major Japanese companies are reporting a second quarter of declining profits.  And that’s before taxes!

SMBC Nikko Securities has compiled the profit results of more than 1,200 companies.  Overall profits are down by 12%.  They also predict profits will continue to fall into next year, by at least 2%.

Business analysts in Japan blame the decline on lack of electricity, due to more than half of Japan’s nuclear plants being shut down, and the crashing U.S. dollar.

As the U.S. dollar falls, the yen is rising in value, making Japanese products more expensive for foreign customers to buy.  Most of Japan’s economy is based on exporting products to other countries.

Japan is also the second largest foreign holder of U.S. government debt.

 

International, U.S.

Turkey gives Syria ultimatum, threatens war, United States makes the usual statments that preceed military action

“If these operations do not stop, there will be nothing left to say about the steps that would be taken.  This is our final word to the Syrian authorities, our first expectation is that these operations stop immediately and unconditionally.”-Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkish Foreign Minister

August 15, Turkey gave Syria an ultimatum; stop military operations or face the consequences.  This follows the increase of Turkish troops along the border with Syria, and the recall of all military officers who retired within the last five years.

Also, on the the same day U.S. President Obama issued this statement, through his spokesman Jay Carney: “We are looking, together with a broad array of international partners, to increase pressure on President Assad.” Also: “By his actions he has demonstrated that he has lost legitimacy to lead, and the president has no doubt that Syria will be better off without him.”

The statements from the Obama administration are now stereotypical in signalling military action.  Turkey is a member of the U.S. led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

 

Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho economic forecast good on one hand, bad on the other, and completely dependent on a U.S. economic recovery

The Idaho Division of Financial Management revised its projected economic outlook, no thanks to the recent U.S. debt limit debacle.

Officials still project increased tax revenues, but now think employment will be down.

Some reasons they hope tax revenues are up; previous tax collections were higher than predicted, and they expect personal income to increase (somehow).

The drop in employment is expected in the construction industry.

These latest revisions are assuming the U.S. economy actually grows for the rest of the year!  If the U.S. economy continues to go south, forget it.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Government & Corporate Incompetence: Idaho punishes California’s Molina for screwing up Medicaid payments, some health care providers went out of business

Idaho is still trying to get back $10 million in overpayments, that Molina screwed up when they took over Idaho’s Medicaid payment system in 2010.

Idaho officials say they turned over the payment system to California based Molina Medicaid Solutions, to comply with Federal regulations.

The move cost taxpayers big time, and it shut down a few health care providers.

What happened was that at the beginning of Molina’s take over providers weren’t getting paid, for as long as two months!  Many providers came close to bankruptcy, and a few went out of business.

The state made emergency payments, then Molina went and finally responded by paying the original claims.  The result was double payments!

The state of Idaho is punishing Molina by reducing the amount of money they were originally to be paid.  Also, Idaho is trying to recoup the money from the double payments.

Molina has made improvements to their customer service, but as of this year they still have 10,000 claims pending, with just under 5% being more than a month old.  One northern Idaho mental health provider says her payment claims still get delayed for no reason.

 

Opinion, U.S.

Dumb Americans: New study shows that many U.S. citizens, living in big cities, don’t know that mosquitoes spread disease

“High general knowledge of mosquitoes and concern about mosquito biting was not sufficient to encourage residents to dump standing water, and even in yards where residents did empty containers, there were still many mosquito breeding sites.”-Zara Dowling, researcher

The University of Maryland discovered that many city dwellers are unaware that standing water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.  Not only that, those people who know are too lazy to dump the water.

The study also looked at the class level of the city dwellers and found, surprisingly, that while upper income families were more educated about the dangers of mosquitoes, they were less likely to take action (wealth breeds laziness?), compared to middle and lower income families!

54% of the families surveyed had a high number of mosquitoes on their property.

However, the University of Maryland must be criticized for trying to imply that most U.S. citizens are dumb, or lazy, when it comes to mosquito control.  The study looked at only 242 urban households!  That’s not enough to make such an extrapolation.

International

Riots in Northern Ireland, pro English parade sparks response from those wanting independence

August 14, in Northern Ireland a pro-English Protestant parade sparked a violent response from those who still seek independence (Irish Catholics).

Northern Ireland is controlled by the United Kingdom.  Recently a report revealed that indeed the U.K. government (and thereby the Royal Family) actively supported pro-English terrorists with weapons and money in Northern Ireland, during the time of “The Troubles”.

Sunday’s Londonderry riots quickly moved to targeting police vehicles and other government vehicles.  One person described it as “sustained rioting”.

This year is starting to look like peace has ended in Northern Ireland.  This isn’t the first time a pro-English parade sparked violence, riots also broke out during the pro-English parade in Belfast.

 

U.S.

U.S. Army suicides break record again

“There’s actually two things that we’re doing; one is we’re returning them back, we’re letting them have a little break and returning them back to the battle zone.  And if they’re not going back, if they’re being discharged, or staying in the service away… we’re trying to tell them they’re not sick.  If they insist that they’re sick or stressed we’re giving them a lot of anti-psychotics medication.”–Karen Kwiatkowski, former Pentagon official

Despite claiming to have increased efforts to solve the suicide problem, the U.S. Army hit another record in July, 2011: 22 active-duty soldiers and ten reservists killed themselves, the highest number for any month since the U.S. Army began publishing monthly suicide reports in 2009.

So far 160 active-duty and reserve Army soldiers have committed suicide this year.  That’s not counting veterans.

Percentage wise the U.S. Marine Corps isn’t far behind the U.S. Army.  Each of the past six years has seen a record number of active duty and reserve suicides.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? 2.5 million new jobs, not for the U.S., for Iran

The Iranian government is working to create 2.5 million jobs in the Iranian calendar year 1390 (March 21, 2011 – March 19, 2012).

The Iranian government claims to have the essential human and financial resources to achieve this goal.  Iran created 1.6 million new jobs last year.

To do what the United States government can’t seem to do, Iranian labor unions, and companies, are cooperation with their government.  It’s all part of a strategic 20 year socio-economic plan.  The 20 year plan is broken up into smaller tactical five year plans.  Iran recently started its fifth five year plan, which ends in 2015.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Israel preparing to let go of United States, finds new supporter: China

Israeli military industries have long had cooperative relationships with Chinese military industries.  Now the Israeli government is making big moves towards wooing the Chinese government.

On August 14, General Chen Bingde, of China’s People’s Liberation Army, met with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, in Tel Aviv.  Barak visited China two months ago.

The Israelis are trying to win increased support from the Chinese.  Possibly they realize the United States government is flat broke, and can’t continue to give Israel billions of the U.S. taxpayers’ money.

A Jewish commentator, Eran Shayshon, stated, on the same day that General Chen showed up in Israel, that Israel must adopt an “open tent” policy towards the BRIC economies.  BRIC stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China.  They’re the only countries with good economies.

This is the first time a Chinese military official has visited Israel.  General Chen will be there for the next three days.


Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: World Bank says China’s Yuan would make a good replacment for the U.S. Dollar

“The Chinese policy mix includes a tool box of administrative measures … In general, one of the lessons that the United States and others can learn (from China) is that to have supervisory policies for bank regulatory systems can be a useful part of the tool set.”–Robert Zoellick, World Bank president

Zoellick gave a speech in Australia, August 14, and made it clear that China was a shining example of how economic policies should work.  In fact he said that China’s yuan may help the world pull through “a time of danger.”

Zoellick did warn that the current inflation situation, in China, might be tougher to control than Chinese officials think.

The World Bank president also hinted that China’s cooperation with the bank, creating a “catalyst for consensus”, would benefit China in the near future.