Category Archives: International

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

What Economic Recovery? Whirlpool announces big layoffs, will close factories around the world

“…recessionary demand levels in developed countries, a slowdown in emerging markets and high levels of inflation in material costs.”, that’s what Whirlpool Chief Executive Jeff Fettig says about the economy, basically it stinks!

As a result Whirlpool sales are down, and they have to layoff 5,000 employees, and shut down their Arkansas refrigerator factory!

Whirlpool joins the growing number of big businesses that say: “During the quarter, we experienced weaker than expected global industry demand and elevated material costs.”

No sh*t Sherlock, Corporate America keeps laying people off.  Ironically even Whirlpool CEO Fettig blames Corporate America’s job cuts!

Whirlpool will also close a dishwasher factory in Germany, moving production to Poland (Poland is a member of the European Union, but does not use the Euro, they use their own money).

The result is not only lost jobs, but if you need a new home appliance in the near future it’s gonna cost you more; Whirlpool is jacking up their prices (hello inflation).

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Occupy America! Police begin shutting down protests, arrests across the U.S.

“…handful of gigantic banks that have simply hijacked the economy and the populations of the world for their own interest.”-F. William Engdahl, economic researcher

Police in New York City have been busy arresting protestors today, the day before major international protests are to take place.  OWS personnel are planning a major march on Times Square.

Also, police in Denver, Colorado, have been dispersing protestors, who were camped out in front of the state’s capitol building.  In San Diego, California, police are busy arresting protestors there, as well as police arresting protestors in Austin, Texas.

October 13, police in Washington DC arrested at least six protesters, some of them elderly.  Many of the protestors in the country’s capitol are disgruntled elderly people, not just disgruntled youth.  According to the local NBC TV station, they were “…arrested for unlawful conduct – demonstrating.”

Economic analyst F. William Engdahl, says one answer is to nationalize the too big to fail banks: “…nationalize major banks and draw a fence around the problematic institutions until they can be sorted out.”

Engdahl says nationalization is not socialism, it is a way of admitting that a capitalist system has failed, and needs to be fixed!

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Occupy the World! Italian Protestors attack Goldman Sachs office, international protests to hit Idaho

Italian students stormed the central Milan office of one of the world’s leading investment banks, Goldman Sachs.  Police chased them off.

Protesters also threw eggs at the headquarters of UniCredit, Italy’s biggest bank.

The attack on the Goldman Sachs office comes a day before planned international protests.  October 15 will see coordinated international demonstrations against the finance industry.

People living in eastern Idaho get ready to take part: Occupy Idaho Falls and Pocatello (as well as smaller communities) are planning to take part.

Watch Occupy Pocatello’s march, from Wednesday October 13.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. Navy to establish new base in South Korea, China the target

“There is a growing resentment in the two Koreas, and also in Okinawa and Guam. Everywhere people are saying, ‘We have had enough of the US military occupation, it is time to close down the bases and time to find different ways for achieving security.'”-Christine Ahn, Korea Policy Institute

To remember the 2010 sinking of a South Korean ship, South Korea commemorated a new naval base.  It will be the United States who uses that new base.

Local Koreans are opposed to the base.  The base will be completed by 2015.  Analyst say it will increase tensions between the U.S. and China: “If this base is tied to the U.S. missile defense system, it might be part of the U.S. strategy to contain China. Beijing is concerned with the U.S. military getting closer to its territories.  This deal is going to foment a regional arms race, which pits Korea in between the U.S. and China.”- Christine Ahn, Korea Policy Institute

Who said Obama was a man of peace?

 

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Obama increases U.S. troops in Africa, kill so called ‘Christian’ militia leader, it’s really about the oil

U.S. President Barack Obama is sending 100 troops to central Africa, officially to fight terrorism.

According to the Associated Press the U.S. troops will be stationed in the Central African Republic, Congo and the newly independent South Sudan.

Former U.S. President George Bush Jr established the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).  The creation of AFRICOM was greatly influenced by a January 2002 report from the African Oil Policy Initiative Group (whose purpose is to find new oil sources for the U.S. in Africa).  Now Obama, the man who said he’d reverse Bush’s policies, is expanding its operations.

Officially Obama says the troop increase is to take out the Lord’s Resistance Army, a “christian” militia group that’s been accused of just about every human rights violation you can think of.  The goal is to remove the group’s leader, Joseph Kony, “from the battlefield.”

I find it interesting that the civil wars in central Africa have been going on for decades, and now the United States wants to do something about it?

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? The truth is that Europe, not the U.S., is China’s biggest trading partner

As a matter of incompetence, or conspiracy, when the list of China’s top trading partners is presented, it shows the United States as the top dog.  But that’s misleading, because the European Union, as a whole, is not counted.

Instead, EU members are broken up into the individual member states.  If you look at the European Union as one trading unit, which it should be, then it’s Europe that is China’s number one trading partner.

Not only that, but the percent of trade between Europe and China has been going up.  This is more proof that China does not need the United States to be economically viable.

However, recently the Chinese General Administration of Customs announced a second straight month of decline in their trade surplus.  Lu Peijun, vice minister of the General Administration of Customs, said China’s trade conditions are deteriorating due to worldwide falls in demand, and rising domestic costs.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Canada being urged to arrest George Bush Jr

“Canada is required by its international obligations to arrest and prosecute former president Bush given his responsibility for crimes under international law including torture.  As the U.S. authorities have, so far, failed to bring former president Bush to justice, the international community must step in.  A failure by Canada to take action during his visit would violate the UN Convention against Torture and demonstrate contempt for fundamental human rights.”-Amnesty International

Bush Jr is expected to attend an economic summit in Surrey, Canada, on October 20.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Overwhelming majority of people say the U.S. is doomed, Congress blocks Jobs Bill, Nobel Prize winning economists say we are screwed

On the night of October 11, the U.S. Senate blocked President Obama’s proposed Jobs creation bill.

In the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, 74% of people says the United States is going in the wrong direction.  32% said the economy will get worse.  45% said it will stay the same.

On October 11, the CBS Early Show interviewed two Noble prize winning U.S. economists.  They asked them what could be done to give the U.S. economy “a boost”.  There was a long pause before one tried to give an answer: “Ah, that’s a very difficult question to answer. There’s a lot of uncertainty now, both in Europe and the United States, about what future government policy is going to be. Um, and probably the best thing politicians can do is, um, quickly reach compromises, um, and have coherent plans going forward…”-Thomas Sergant, Nobel winning economist

Basically he said it’s completely, totally, up to our government!  Can you say we’re screwed?

The other Nobel prize winning economist, Christopher Sims, basically blamed the whole situation on the government.  Watch the CBS interview.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Occupy America! Protests to hit college campuses, janitors and security guards join Wall Street protest

October 13, there are protests planned for at least 90 college campuses across the United States today.

Also today, hundreds of janitors and security guards have joined the Wall Street protests in New York City.

Across the world, there have been anti-government, anti-corruption and anti-corporation protests in about 1,400 cities, so far.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that 82% of U.S. citizens are aware of the Occupy movement, and 38% support it.  35% are unsure, with only 24% opposed.

 

International, Technology

World War 3: Russia building up military on islands just north of Japan, Japan wants islands

“Buk-M1 surface to air missile systems, modern communications systems and heavy armor, including a battalion of T-80 tanks, have already been delivered to the Kurils. The provision of modern weapons and hardware for the troops in the Kurils will continue.”-Russian Defense Ministry statement

On islands just north of Hokkaido, Russia is modernizing and increasing its military presence.  Recently, the new Japanese government had made several statements about taking the islands back from Russia.

Russia is taking Japan’s threats seriously and has been upgrading weapon systems on the Southern Kuril Islands, as well as increasing troop numbers.

New bases are also being built, which includes family housing.  Russian officials say the buildup was actually ordered by President Dmitry Medvedev back in February.