Category Archives: U.S.

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

China continues to sell off U.S. bonds

China is the biggest buyer of U.S. sovereign debt (bonds), but has been selling off that debt at a steady pace. In February China sold off $1.15 trillion (yes, trillion) in U.S. bonds.

Chinese officials say the sell off of U.S. bonds could continue for another two months, or as long as the Federal Reserve continues with its quantitative easing (QE) policies.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, China holds $4.47 trillion in U.S. sovereign debt.  China wants to cut it to less than $1 trillion.  Even then, Chinese officials say holding that much U.S. debt is only good for the short run.  I guess they don’t think the future looks very bright for the United States.

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

China refuses to pay U.S. debt

“The U.S. wants China to pay its economic bills by raising the value of the yuan. This is preposterous!”-Zhang Yansheng, Institute of Foreign Economics

Officials from China and the United States are meeting this week to discuss, what else, economic issues.  Many U.S. officials want the Chinese to raise the value of their money, the yuan, in order to help the U.S. dollar.  But the Chinese say bullsh*t!

Ma Xiaoye, of the China Foundation for International & Strategic Studies, says U.S. leaders created the economic problems, so “How can the U.S. count on a foreign currency to solve them?” Zhang Yansheng added “The U.S. should take responsibility for its own policies, instead of asking China to pay for it.”

The U.S. wants China to raise the value of their money, against the U.S. dollar, to help fight inflation in the United States.

Chinese analysts say the problem is that every time the Federal Reserve implements a quantitative easing (QE) policy, it sends “hot money” into the world economy creating “market bubbles”, which is what China does not want.

Maybe if the Federal Reserve stops issuing money that really isn’t there, the Chinese might decide to raise the value of their money.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Only 45.4% of U.S. workers employed, all time Historic low

Think the recent jobs data are a good sign of recovery?  Think again!

Since 2007 the United States has lost 7.25 million jobs.  According to a USA Today report, only 45.4% of workers, both men and women, were employed.  When you look at just men, only 66.8% of male workers had jobs in 2010.  That’s a record low!

Another way to look at it: The number of unemployed adults is surpassing the number of children in the U.S.

“No matter how wealthy you are, you have a problem if half the population are not working and depending on those who are.”- John Goodman, National Center for Policy Analysis

 

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

U.S. corporate executives continue to make bank, while the rest of us struggle

A report by Standard & Poor’s shows that while the workers of the United States continue to struggle, the corporate leaders are raking in the dough.  In fact corporate executives are making more now, than they did before the 2007 market correction.

S & P’s 500 reports that in 2010, the average yearly salary of a corporate executive was $9 million, NOT counting bonuses.  That’s a 24% increase over 2009.  Are you making that much?  Did you get a 24% raise?

The S & P’s report proves you are not making that much.  The report says the average worker got a piddly 3% increase in pay.  The average pay for those who are employed is $40,500 per year (41% earn less than the average).  That’s only one half a percent of the average salary for a CEO.

When are workers going to wake up?  Who is really doing the work that makes the corporations money?  It’s NOT the executive officers!

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

Proof the housing market is still crashing; Fannie Mae wants another $8.5 billion bailout

The top mortgage lender in the United States, Fannie Mae, wants another $8.5 billion dollars to save its butt.  This after reporting a loss of $6.5 billion during the first three months of 2011.

Fannie Mae blames the loss on credit expenses. They also blame falling home prices.  If Fannie Mae gets the new bailout money (at taxpayer’s expense) it will make it the costliest government bailout, of a single company, in U.S. history; $99.7 billion.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

China wants to move Cinese companies to U.S., but says U.S. blocking them

“As the U.S. government continues to request accessibility to the Chinese market for its firms, we now raise a similar request on behalf of Chinese firms.”-Zhu Guangyao, Vice Finance Minister

For decades U.S. companies have been shipping off factories, and jobs, to China.  Now China says the United States is blocking their attempts to bring factories and jobs to the U.S.

“We have received many complaints from Chinese companies that have met discrimination as they try to invest in the United States, even though the U.S. side has repeatedly stated that Chinese companies are welcome.”- Zhu Guangyao, Vice Finance Minister


International, U.S.

Iran claims U.S. and Israel smuggling Crack & Meth into Iran from Afghanistan

Iranian investigator Majid Abhari, says he has proof that drugs being brought into Iran, through Afghanistan, are being run by the CIA and Mossad.  He has some convincing evidence.

First, traditionally opium, and marijuana/hash, were the drugs that came through.  Now, Iranian drug police are confiscating morphine, crack and meth.  Those drugs are considered “western” drugs and are not normally used by addicts in the region.

Second, Iranian police have discovered that transactions connected to the “western” drugs are being made with credit cards.  Traditional drug dealers operate “cash only” businesses.

Iran claims to be the most active anti-drug enforcers in the world.  Last year they seized 85% of the world’s illegal opium.  In the past five years Iran has spent $50 million to fight drug trafficking from just Afghanistan.  Iran also claims thousands of their anti-drug police have been killed.

Iranian police say drug trafficking from Afghanistan has jumped 40 times higher after the U.S. invaded .  According to the UN, Afghan opium production was at 185 metric tons (204 U.S. tons) per year, before the U.S. invaded.  The United Nations says opium production is now at 3,400 tons (3748 U.S. tons) per year (in 2007 it hit a record of 8,200 metric tons [9039 U.S. tons]).

Iran should know how the CIA and Mossad operates, after all, during the reign of the pro-U.S. Shah the CIA, and Mossad, trained Iran’s intelligence agencies (especially the infamous SAVAK).

IRAN SAYS U.S. & ISRAEL BEHIND REGIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING