Category Archives: International

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? British Prime Minister claims 0.2% GDP is positive growth

The United Kingdom is reporting 0.2% GDP for the last quarter, many officials calling it a sign of economic “growth”.  Prime Minister David Cameron calls it “positive news” for the U.K.

0.2% is not “growth”!  It’s stagnation!  Anything from zero to 3% is stagnation.  The U.S. and U.K. mainstream media, and politicians, keep trying to trick people into thinking that proof of economic stagnation is really economic “growth”.

A country needs to see more than 3% GDP (over so many quarters) before it can be called “growth”.   If David Cameron thinks 0.2% is so great then we’re really in trouble!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

No Economic Recovery for U.S.: Property owners put U.S. land up for auction in China, offers immigrant applications to high bidders

According to the Chinese media, 73 Chinese have won internet auctions for land in Florida.

United Solutions of America auctioned off land belonging to a bankrupt company in Florida.  The auction specifically targeted Chinese buyers, as it was a Chinese auction host, Zhuang Nuo, who ran the auction.

1,000 square kilometers of land was split into 100 sections.  Bidders were also enticed with 30 immigration applications if the total bids went over $200,000.

All 100 sections sold on July 22.  73 Chinese won the auctions, with one of them snatching up 20 of the 100 sections.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

No Economic Recovery for U.S.: Nissan boosting production…in China

Nissan is going to invest $7.7 billion into the world’s largest car market…no not the United States…China!

Nissan entered into a joint venture with China’s Dongfeng Motor, and together they’re investing billions to boost car production in China.  They expect to produce 2.3 million vehicles per year by 2015.

Nissan’s U.S. sales mirror that of Toyota, up at the beginning of the year, but down by the end of May.

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

No Economic Recovery for U.S.: Toyota doubles production…in India

Toyota announced that demand is up so much that they’re doubling production…in India.

Toyota will invest $220 million into its Indian operations, with the goal of increasing production to 310,000 vehicles per year by 2013.  Toyota added that it’s all types of vehicles that are enjoying increased demands, from economy cars to SUVs and mini vans.

India is one of the fastest growing car markets, last year overall sales grew by 34%.  Toyota admitted that it does not expect high sales in Japan, and sales in the U.S. are not good.

For the United States Toyota has reported some confusing sales numbers.  At the beginning of 2011 they reported an increase in sales, yet as of the end of May, Toyota says U.S. sales dropped by 27.9%.  That’s based on “daily sales rate (DSR) basis”, when you look at their raw volume it gets worse, sales down 33.4%.

How about Toyota’s divisions?  Lexus reported a drop of 46.3%, and TMS Hybrids sales dropped 49.2%.

Of course Toyota officials blame the March 11 disasters in Japan for causing part of the sales decrease, by interrupting the production of  parts.  But, I remember reading an article that said there were already dockyards full of Toyotas, both in Japan and the U.S., because there was a lack of orders from U.S. dealers.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Will spread of Radiation topple Japan’s longest life expectancy claim? Forget Obama Care, U.S. life expectancy keeps dropping

The latest results of life expectancy around the world, puts Japan in number one spot for the 26th year in a row, at least for Japanese women.  Women in Japan average 86.39 years.  Japanese men hold the number four spot at 79.64 years.

Hong Kong women are in second place, while men in Hong Kong take first place.  Men from Switzerland hold second place.  Women from France hold third place, while men from Israel hold third in their category.  Women from Spain hold fourth place.

Where does the United States rank?  Despite spending the most money on health care, of any other country, life expectancy continues to drop.  Last year the U.S. ranked 36th, this year the U.S. ranks 38th.

In a separate study, looking at U.S. counties, it was discovered that some counties had fallen to the level of third world countries back in the 1950s.  So much for corporate/insurance controlled health care systems.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Chrysler insults taxpayers, Chrysler claims they lost $370 million in stock buy back

Taxpayers in the United States lost $1.3 billion when Fiat bought back all the remaining Chrysler stocks held by the U.S. government (U.S. taxpayers lost at least $14 billion, between Chrysler and GM).

Now Chrysler/Fiat is claiming they lost money too.  Chrysler would have reported a profit for the second quarter of 2011, it weren’t for the stock buy back, which they claim cost $551 million.

Chrysler is also reporting a 30% increase in sales revenue (compared to the second quarter of 2010), but don’t think you can buy some of that Chrysler stock, they’re privately held by Fiat and Union trust funds.

International

Anti Government Protests do work, even if only by bankrupting law enforcement: London Police spent millions dealing with demonstrations

Scotland Yard (Metropolitan Police, aka Met) has come forward with the cost of dealing with all the various anti government protests.

From April 2010 to March 2011, the Met spent $56.7 million to provide security for demonstrations for everything from anti spending cuts, to anti student fee increases, to even elections and a visit from the Pope, and, protecting former Prime Minister Tony Blair for his appearance before the Iraq War Inquiry.

The most expensive single event was the December 9, 2010, anti tuition fee increase demonstration.  It cost $2.1 million.

To be sure, the yearly costs to the London Met wouldn’t have been so high if it weren’t for all the anti government demonstrations.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

End of an Era: British Prime Minister says the Best Days are Behind Us, Rupert Murdoch scandal may be straw that breaks camel’s back

British Prime Minister David Cameron lamented that “…a general feeling that maybe our best days as a country are behind us…”. He was talking about everything from the economic disaster to the scandal involving Rupert Murdoch’s media empire and public officials.

Cameron says it’s become clear that elected leaders, as well as corporate leaders, even government employees, are acting out of pure greed: “I’m talking about the expenses scandal, the financial crisis, this whole disgraceful and sorry episode of phone hacking. There’s a sense that the rich and the powerful – politicians, bankers, the press and the police – have been serving themselves…”


International

Norwegian Christian Terrorist says at least 80 other Christian Terror groups in Europe, led by the Knights Templar

Anders Behring Breivik, the man who confessed to blowing up and shooting people in Norway (but plead not guilty to charges of terrorism), says he is part of a network of at least 80 pro-Christian/anti-Islam terror cells in Europe.

Breivik says their goal is to overthrow any European government that tolerates Islam.  He published his comments in a handbook titled; “2083: A European Declaration of Independence”.  He calls politicians who tolerate any religion, other than Christianity, “multiculturalist traitors”.

He claims he was the only one doing the shooting at a camp where at least 76 people were killed, but witnesses say they saw more than one shooter.

Breivik says he was recruited in 2002, at a meeting in London which he claims was organized by the supposedly extinct Knights Templar.

The Knights Templar were a group of Catholic knights during the time of the anti-Islam Crusades.  They were excommunicated, and many killed, after their wealth and power threatened the Catholic leaders.  Some conspiracy buffs believe there is still a secret active Knights Templar organization today.

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Don’t want to die? Stay out of hospitals in Canada, United States and Europe! Another reason for increased health care costs

“If you were admitted to hospital tomorrow in any country … your chances of being subjected to an error in your care would be something like 1 in 10. Your chances of dying due to an error in health care would be 1 in 300.”-Professor Liam Donaldson, World Health Organization envoy

The United Nations released a study saying that hospitals in the ‘western’ world are sure places to catch a deadly disease, or die from mistakes made by medical personnel.

The UN World Health Organization discovered that your chances of dying in a hospital, by medical errors, are far greater than dying in a plane crash.

More interestingly, Canada takes the number one spot for worst hospital related infections, at an 11.6% infection rate.  The European Union has a 7% rate, followed by the United States with 4.5%.

But lets put that U.S. rate of 4.5%, which sounds low, into real numbers.  According to the research 1.7 million infections are acquired in U.S. hospitals, which leads to 100,000 deaths each year.  That’s 100,000 people in the U.S. being killed because of hospital uncleanliness.

Catching an infection while in the hospital means a longer stay and more treatment.  The study suggests that the increased infection rate while being in the hospital, along with medical mistakes, are partly to blame for increasing medical costs.

To be sure most health care systems around the world are in trouble, but, what surprised the WHO researchers is that the developed ‘western’ world has made no progress in improving medical care inside hospitals.  Former United Kingdom chief medical officer Liam Donaldson, said this: “It shows that health care in general worldwide still has a long way to go.  Health care has not achieved the level of safety of many other high-risk industries.”