Category Archives: Business/Economics

Business/Economics, International

New problem in Japan: Why keep paying for a house no longer there? Why pay employees when your business is gone?

Attorneys in Japan are dealing with disaster survivors asking for advice concerning paying debts, and even paying employees.

Those asking for advise have lost everything; jobs, homes, businesses, etc.

Apparently there are no legal parameters in Japan for dealing with legal issues that will arise from a catastrophic event.

One attorney, who is also a disaster survivor, has been offering free advice.  Most of the time he tells the people that they must wait until the Japanese parliament comes up with new laws to handle the situation.

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

Why does the Federal Reserve feel optimistic about the Economy? They made a big Profit

The Federal Reserve Bank, a privately run bank established by Congress, feels better about the economic recovery. Why?  They made a $81.7 billion profit in 2010.

The Federal Reserve makes profit by charging interest on the money it loans to other banks and financial institutions.  It can also make money buying and selling U.S. bonds.

As we’ve seen over the past year, many big banks reported profits. Now the Fed is reporting big profits.  In other words the economy is good if you’re in banking.

 

Business/Economics, Fukushima

Toyota restarts hybrid production

People who just have to have a hybrid car will be glad to know that Toyota plans to start making them again.

Toyota’s hybrids are made in Japan, and production was shut down due to parts shortage (thank Mother Earth, 11 March 2011 quake-tsunami). They plan to resume production on Monday.

Production of non-hybrid Toyota vehicles, made in Japan, remains halted.

 

Business/Economics, Fukushima

No farming in parts of Japan thanks to radiation

Some farming villages that escaped the tsunami, did not escape radiation from Fukukshima Daiichi nuclear plant.

What has people amazed is that these farming villages are outside the government’s 30km nuclear disaster zone.

Soil samples have revealed that radiation levels are more than 1,000 times normal.  Wind and rain is suspected for bringing the radiation outside the 30km zone.

This is proof that nuclear disasters affected far greater areas than what most people think.  This will just add to the world’s growing food supply problems.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Toyota preparing to close North American factories

Toyota announced that if the supply problems in Japan continues it will be forced to close plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Toyota continues to delay restarts of its plants in Japan, for the same reason.

Toyota has already cut overtime work at its North American plants.

Today’s announcement is meant as a warning, so North American plant officials can prepare.

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

BBC beggars U.S. for money, while U.S. Congress mulls cutting PBS

More proof that the British Empire (aka British Commonwealth) is taking over the United States.

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is asking for money from the U.S. taxpayer (Department of State). This while Congress debates cutting major funding from our own PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).

BBC is dealing with huge cuts from the government of United Kingdom (aka Britain).  U.S. State Department likes the BBC because of it’s world wide audience. It’s possible that the BBC might be used to spread U.S. propaganda (isn’t that what Voice of America is for?).

Is this what Hillary Clinton meant when she asked Congress to increase funding for a stronger “American” media presence around the world?

Britain taking over U.S. oil industry. Britain taking over U.S. municipal water systems. Now Britain taking over U.S. public television!  Our founding fathers would commit suicide if they were alive today!

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

While our government has no budget, Obama spending money around the world

The U.S. government continues to pass temporary budgets.  Political leaders have stated “We’re broke”.  State governments continue to enact austerity measures, cutting funding for social programs.  Yet, President Obama is tripping around the world starting fights and making promises of money.

The current attacks on Libya are costing the Unite States hundreds of millions of dollars every day.  It’s expected to cost a billion dollars in one months time.

On his Latin American trip Obama just promised the Central American countries $200 million dollars to fight drugs trafficking.   Obama signed a deal with Brazil that involves $1 billion dollars of financing. From where, us?

Critics say Obama’s promises to Latin America have to be false because we’re broke.

Many people in Latin American countries say they don’t trust what Obama said anyway. They point to the UN approved, and currently U.S. lead,  attacks on Libya as proof that you can’t trust the United States.

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

Qatar helping to bomb Libya because of Bribes?

Qatar is the only Arab League country that will take part in the attacks on Libya (so far), even after the Arab League changed their mind on supporting UNSCR 1973.  Is this because of the $1 billion Qatar beggared from U.S. and European companies back in 2008?

Reuters says it’s gotten hold of leaked diplomatic documents (thanks to WikiLeaks), that show U.S. and European companies were shocked when Qatar hit them up for $1 billion to help build a state of the art hospital (gee it’d be nice if U.S. companies would spend that much on health care here in the U.S.).  The shock was due to the fact that Qatar is supposed to be rich, and in fact the Qatar Foundation is funding the hospital to a tune of $7.9 billion, the most for any hospital in the world. Sidra Medical Center is set to open in 2012.

Reuters says each company doing business in Qatar was hit up for anywhere from $80 million to $240 million.  “The IOCs (international oil companies) are shocked and angered by the request. None of the U.S. IOCs are considering donations … and they are aware the perception of a quid pro quo could be construed as violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.”  -leaked document

Reuters says a few companies did not donate. Others say they are still in discussions over the donations (more than 2 years later?), but most, like several oil companies and even Microsoft, are declining comment.  Mmmm, have payments been made, and is Qatar’s involvement with UNSCR 1973 quid pro quo, or just international political ambition?

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Sanctions against Iran are Fake, U.S. Companies did $15 million in sales to Iran in January

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. corporations sold $15.9 million worth of goods to Iran, in January 2011, despite U.S. sanctions.

Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions (pushed by the United States), targeting the country’s energy and banking sectors, including a U.S. boycott of gasoline supplies.

Iranian officials say the sanctions have forced their businesses to become more efficient, and has actually increased their production capabilities.

More proof that our exalted leaders here in the U.S. are idiots (or liars)!