TOP NEWS
Behind Battle Over Debt, a War Over Government
By JACKIE CALMES
Intense
exchanges over the debt limit have made it clear that it is not so much a
budget negotiation as a broader clash between the two parties over the
size and role of government.
China Urges U.S. to Protect Creditors by Raising Debt - Subsidy Programs Show Political Staying Power
- Minnesota Leaders Reach Deal to End State Shutdown
- Video: TimesCast | Debt Ceiling Strategies
New Herbicide Suspected in Tree Deaths
By JIM ROBBINS
The product, Imprelis, was hailed as environmentally friendly but is now a suspect in thousands of fallen trees.
Sound of Post-Soviet Protest: Claps and Beeps
By ELLEN BARRY
Street politics
have lost their relevance in many former Soviet countries, as the
political opposition has withered away. But innovative forms of protest
are popping up.
QUOTATION OF THE DAY
"I think there will be a lot of emotion. I think there will be a lot of happy tears."
SHERRY KLEIN HEITLER of State Supreme Court in Manhattan, who has volunteered to officiate on the first day when gay couples can wed in New York.
Business
Video:
Influence Battle Over Dodd-Frank
It has been
almost a year since the passage of a major financial reform bill.
Lobbyists are fighting a behind-the-scenes - and some say unequal -
battle to determine how the law will affect banks.
Opinion
Opinionator
Anarchists and Tasseled Loafers
By TIMOTHY EGAN
The debt-ceiling debate suggests that a wing of the G.O.P. is willing to flirt with chaos.
WORLD
For Murdoch Loyalist, Another Stint in the Spotlight
By JEREMY W. PETERS
Les Hinton, now
of The Wall Street Journal, is coming under scrutiny for what he did and
did not know when he ran Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers.
Murdochs Now Say They Will Appear Before Parliament
By SARAH LYALL
In an abrupt
about-face, News Corporation said Thursday that Rupert Murdoch and his
son James would testify before a parliamentary panel.
- F.B.I. Opens Inquiry Into Hacking of 9/11 Victims
- The Lede: Can Parliament Compel Testimony?
- DealBook: News Corp. Hires Top Criminal Defense Lawyer
News Analysis
In Shadow of Death, Iraq and U.S. Tiptoe Around a Deadline
By TIM ARANGO
Iraq and the
United States privately agree that American soldiers should stay beyond
2011; the trouble is in selling it to the citizens of both nations.
U.S.
New Faces, New Maps, New Battles
By MONICA DAVEY
Politicians are
using redistricting battles to advance their own agendas - ones that
often have nothing to do with Latino representation.
Interactive: Nevada's Redistricting BattleDeal Is Made for Ending Shutdown in Minnesota
By MONICA DAVEY
The governor of
Minnesota and the state's Republican lawmakers reached a deal on the
budget, bringing what is expected to be a swift reopening of government
services.
Baboon Study Shows Benefits for Nice Guys, Who Finish 2nd
By JAMES GORMAN
Alpha males may
hold power and attract females, but a study of baboon troops in Kenya
shows they also have very high levels of stress.
BUSINESS
Europe Looks for Hope in Bank Test Results
By LANDON THOMAS Jr. and JACK EWING
The European
Union hopes that the results of an examination of its financial
institutions, to be announced Friday, will quell fears about the banks'
ability to provide loans.
- Europe Delays Greece Meeting Amid Italy Turmoil
- Italy to Adopt Austerity Plan to Fend Off a Debt Crisis
Food Makers Push Back on Ads for Children
By WILLIAM NEUMAN
As pressure
increases on the food industry to fight childhood obesity, a group of
food makers suggested guidelines that are short of nutritional standards
proposed by regulators.
The Real Winnie the Pooh Returns to the Hundred Acre Wood
By BROOKS BARNES
After a decline
in merchandise sales, Disney is returning to Winnie the Pooh's
hand-drawn look that was abandoned in 2007 for slick Pixar-style
animation.
SPORTS
Japanese Team Comes of Age, and Lifts a Country
By JERE LONGMAN and KANTARO SUZUKI
Japan will play in the final Sunday, carrying the hopes of a country still recovering from a devastating earthquake and tsunami.
With Deal on Rookie Wages, N.F.L. Lockout Nears the End
By JUDY BATTISTA
Negotiators for players and owners finally settled on a rookie wage system, paving the way for an end to the N.F.L. lockout.
Clemens Judge Declares Mistrial
By JULIET MACUR
After
prosecutors used information Judge Reggie Walton had ruled inadmissible,
he called a mistrial in the perjury trial of the former pitcher Roger
Clemens.
ARTS
The Hot List
A Single Pleasure Ere Summer Fades
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
The New York
Times arts critics share the single item at the top of their summer
bucket list. What one thing - read that book, see that movie, watch
that show - must you do this summer?
Post a Comment Movie Review | 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2'
Class Dismissed
By MANOHLA DARGIS
Childhood ends
with tears and howls and swirls of smoke, the shock of mortality and
bittersweet smiles in the grave, deeply satisfying final movie in the
"Harry Potter" series.
Bittersweet Feeling Among Fans Awaiting Final 'Harry Potter' Film
By MATT FLEGENHEIMER
Harry Potter fans lined up for the opening of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," marking the end of a 13-year saga.
Slide ShowMOVIES
Movie Review | 'Tabloid'
Was It Love? The 'Manacled Mormon' and His Kinky Weekend
By A. O. SCOTT
"Tabloid" revisits the case of the "Manacled Mormon," which offered good, clean, dirty fun.
Movie Review | 'Life, Above All'
Burdened in a Ravaged South Africa
By MANOHLA DARGIS
"Life, Above
All" traces the tribulations of a 12-year-old overburdened with
responsibilities in a South Africa racked with AIDS.
A House Tour For Cinephiles
By MANOHLA DARGIS
Manohla Dargis
plans to take in the celebration of the centenary of the architect John
Lautner, some of whose homes became movie sets.
EDITORIALS
Editorial
The Debt Alarm Is Heard
Congress and the White House can no longer ignore the imminent threat to the economy.
Editorial
More Horrors in Mumbai
With many questions unanswered in the Mumbai attacks, India is exercising admirable restraint.
Editorial
Ireland Confronts the Vatican
Ireland has made
it a crime for church officials to fail to report child abuse to civil
authorities. The Vatican has a valuable lesson to learn from the new
law.
Editorial
Another Dirty Water Act
The House has approved a destructive bill that would strip federal oversight of state water quality standards.
OP-ED
Op-Ed Columnist
Getting to Crazy
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Commentators
seem shocked at Republican unreasonableness as a debt default looms, but
it is the end result of a process that has lasted decades.
Op-Ed Columnist
Death and Budgets
By DAVID BROOKS
Much of the budget mess may stem from a deep cultural antipathy toward recognizing our own mortality.
Op-Ed Columnist
A Year of Waste
By ROGER COHEN
Israelis and Palestinians are lurching toward a September train wreck after a year of squandered opportunity.
Op-Ed Contributor
The Pentagon's Financial Drawdown
By GORDON R. ENGLAND
Leon Panetta must cut the defense budget dramatically, but carefully.
Op-Ed Contributor
Outlaws Make Better Lunches
By ZACH BROOKS
The catalyst for a crackdown on food trucks in Manhattan was the recent explosion of high-end vendors in Midtown.
|
15 luglio 2011
Bertone ha la febbre, vuole il San Raffaele
E mette sul tavolo 200 milioni di euro. Ma l'acquisto dell'ospedale di don Verzé minaccia di trasformarsi in un boomerang, per il cardinale segretario di stato. Fallisce anche il suo tentativo di conquistare il controllo dell'Università CattolicaBertone Has a Fever, He Wants the San Raffaele
And he's putting 200 million euros on the table. But the purchase of the hospital of Fr. Verzé is threatening to turn into a boomerang for the cardinal secretary of state. His attempt to win control of the Catholic University is also failingBertone a de la fièvre, il veut San Raffaele
Et il met 200 millions d’euros sur la table. Mais l'acquisition de l'hôpital du père Verzé risque de se transformer en boomerang pour le cardinal secrétaire d'état, qui échoue également dans sa tentative de prendre le contrôle de l'Université CatholiqueBertone tiene fiebre, quiere el San Rafael
Y pone sobre la mesa 200 millones de euros. Pero la adquisición del hospital de don Verzé amenaza transformarse en un boomerang, para el cardenal secretario de Estado. Fracasa también su intento de conquistar el control de la Universidad Católica
|
Après
la mort de six soldats français ces dernières 48 heures, le patron de
l'armée de terre est envoyé en mission pour étudier sur place une
adaptation des conditions d'intervention du contingent.>>
 |
|
La
candidate d’Europe écologie-Les Verts préfèrerait un «défilé citoyen».
Marc Laffineur, le secrétaire d’Etat aux Anciens combattants, est
«scandalisé».>> |
|
«Il
est très probable que nous devrons aller, dans le cadre de la loi de
finances 2012, au-delà des 3 milliards de réduction de niches prévus», a
déclaré le ministre de l'Economie.>> |
|
Après quatre jours de blocage, le personnel navigant a cessé la grève.>> |
|
Le
président égyptien déchu a démenti en bloc devant les enquêteurs les
accusations de corruption et de responsabilité dans la mort de
manifestants anti-régime.>> |
|
Une
commission d'enquête a déterminé que Safouat el-Chérif, également chef
du parti présidentiel, était le «cerveau» d'une vaste opération visant à
briser la contestation, le 2 février.>> |
|
Un contribuable américain a avoué avoir caché des fonds au fisc en les plaçant sur un compte tenu par l'établissement zurichois.>> |
|
Ils avaient décliné une première invitation.>> |
|
A ECOUTER
Kourosh
Yaghmaei, Kid Loco, Samuel et FéFé, The Japanese Popstars: les
chroniqueurs de Libé et les internautes font découvrir leurs choix de
musique caliente.>> |
|
VIDEO Il
était venu en mars dans notre studio: le chanteur-poète mexicain
Guillermo Velázquez a enregistré un deuxième titre: «Las Mañanitas».>> |
|
Ne
ratez pas ce numéro de «Mystères d'Archives». Dans ces images
retrouvées des Khmers rouges qu'Arte reprogramme le 14 et 16 juillet
(1), il y a au moins deux pépites.>>
LIRE
LES REVUES DE PRESSE
LIRE AUSSI
ÉCOUTER
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
‘Decision time’ on debt, Obama says
As negotiation falters, Senate works on framework to raise debt limit.
(By Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane)
Banks, investors show no default leeway
U.S. outreach seeking ways to soften blow of possible debt-limit breach proves unfruitful.
(By Zachary A. Goldfarb)
Ahmed Wali Karzai’s killer had been a Taliban foe
Afghan officials are exploring signs that Taliban convinced the police commander to switch sides.
(By Joshua Partlow)
Woman, child survive Beltway bailout
A woman holding a toddler in her arms jumps out of a moving car after a man forced his way into the vehicle, police say.
(By Justin Jouvenal)
Why is the world so wild about Harry Potter?
With the release of the final movie, where does a cultural touchstone that defined a decade go now?
(By Monica Hesse)
POLITICS
Murdoch protege Rebekah Brooks resigns
LONDON — News International says that CEO Rebekah Brooks has resigned.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Phone hacking scandal casts light on Murdoch's political role around the globe
WASHINGTON — Rupert Murdoch is a political kingmaker in Britain and his native Australia. In the United States, he’s best known for promoting conservative opinion through media properties like the Fox News Channel. And in China, he’s primarily a businessman working to give his News Corp. empire a toehold in that country’s tightly controlled media market.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Campaign finance reports give hint into Republicans' presidential hopefuls and their viability
WASHINGTON — Six months before the first votes are cast, Republican presidential contenders are disclosing how much cash they have available — and how much debt they have to overcome — to win the GOP’s nomination.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Obama's hands-on negotiations with lawmakers each day 'the only option' as debt crisis deepens
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s decision to haul lawmakers in day by day to negotiate a debt deal comes down to reality: He has no other choice. The president has essentially cleared his agenda to deal with one enormous crisis.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Cool places, high prices
Al Kamen’s In the Loop, on a BIA budget meeting in Bar Harbor, Maine, and Donald Rumsfeld’s TSA pat-down.
(, The Washington Post)
STYLE
Hints From Heloise: Grout in doubt
Tips on cleaning stubborn tile grout.
(, King)
Ask Amy: Family joins elephant in the room for visits
A well-meaning grandmother arranges reunions with her deadbeat son and his disinterested adult child. What she nor her son will acknowledge, though, is his absence and neglect during her grandson’s youth
(, Tribune Media Service)
Absence made the heart grow distant
A reader’s boyfriend has changed since a three-week overseas trip.
(, The Washington Post)
‘Chinese Flowers’ at Freer
Every blossom tells a story in “Chinese Flowers,” the latest in the Freer Gallery’s series of season-related exhibitions.
( by Mark Jenkins , The Washington Post)
Blazing a lot of firsts as top lady
Betty Ford blazed trails as a progressive political wife, but the office of the first lady has not done much with those trails.
(, The Washington Post)
SPORTS
Re-Bjorn: Returning to site of 2003 meltdown, Dane roars to 65 for early British Open lead
SANDWICH, England — Enough about 2003. Thomas Bjorn is trying to create some new memories at Royal St. George’s.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Thursday's Sports in Brief
FOOTBALL
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
On Baseball: With Bonds and Clemens, you can't put a baseball star on trial without a mistrial
NEW YORK — Seems you can’t put a baseball star on trial without a mistrial.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Cesar Cielo's doping case overshadows preparations for swimming world championships
SHANGHAI — Cesar Cielo’s doping case overshadowed the preparations of other athletes a day before the opening of the world swimming championships.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
St. Louis Cardinals finally healthy for 2nd-half run at division, playoffs
ST. LOUIS — Tony La Russa rapped his head several times, part a superstitious plea that the tough times are finally past for the St. Louis Cardinals.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
WORLD
Thai Foreign Minister visiting Germany in bid to rechieve the Crown Prince's impounded plane
BERLIN — Germany says Thailand’s foreign minister is coming to Berlin in a bid to retrieve Thai Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s plane, which was impounded earlier this week.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Pirates holding S. Korean hostages demand compensation for deadly Korean navy raid
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali pirates holding South Korean hostages demanded on Friday that the South Korean government release pirate prisoners and pay compensation for a commando raid that killed several pirates earlier this year.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Belgian court upholds acquittal of sleepwalker who sexually assaulted 9-year-old girl
MONS, Belgium — A Belgian court says it believes a man accused of sexually fondling a 9-year-old girl is not guilty because he did it in his sleep.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Indian army kills 3 suspected rebels during raid in disputed Kashmir
SRINAGAR, India — The Indian army says it has killed at least three suspected rebels in a raid in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Washington's former ambassador to UN says Palestinian campaign for recognition means little
JERUSALEM — A Palestinian attempt to gain U.N. recognition without a peace agreement with Israel means “next to nothing” even if it succeeds, a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. said Friday.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Women's World Cup final: U.S. vs. Japan preview
Previewing the 2011 Women's World Cup soccer final between the United States and Japan in a live discussion between Washington Post readers and Navy women's soccer coach Carin Gabarra.
(, vForum)
Emmy nominations: Lisa de Moraes on the TV Column
Post TV columnist Lisa de Moraes is back and ready to chat about all the drama, comedy and heartbreak of the world of television -- both onscreen and behind-the-scenes!
(, vForum)
Free Range on Food
Free Range on Food is a forum for discussion of all things culinary.
(, vForum)
Five myths about Jane Austen
Carol Adams separates Jane Austen fact from fiction.
(, vForum)
Got Plans? Discuss great ideas for local entertainment, dates and family fun with the Going Out Gurus.
The Going Out Guide staff discuss great ideas for local entertainment, dates and family fun.
(, vForum)
TECHNOLOGY
Japan Earthquake Pushes Sony Ericsson To A Q2 Loss; Smartphones Account For 70 Percent Of Sales
( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)
Daily Crunch: Smart Home
( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)
DoAT Quickly Adds Google+ Sharing From The iPhone In A Clever Way
( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)
AP source: FBI opens investigation into whether News Corp tried to hack 9/11 victims' phones
NEW YORK — The FBI has opened an investigation into allegations that media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. sought to hack into the phones of Sept. 11 victims, a law enforcement official said Thursday.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Nintendo DS Still Outselling 3DS Two To One
( by TechCrunch.com , TechCrunch.com)
BUSINESS
Volkswagen AG announces record 1st-half group sales of more than 4 million vehicles
BERLIN — Germany’s Volkswagen AG, Europe’s largest automaker, said Friday it set a new first-half group sales record, as strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region boosted deliveries.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Europe awaits bank stress test results with hope
FRANKFURT, Germany — Ninety European banks get their test results back Friday, as regulators seek to increase transparency and convince the markets that the global financial system can withstand big shocks like a possible Greek debt default.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
SKorean lawyer and iPhone fan wages legal fight against Apple over privacy
SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean lawyer and self-described iPhone fan is waging a legal battle against Apple Inc. over the device’s tracking capabilities.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Italy to give final approval to austerity measures seen as key to avoiding debt crisis
ROME — The lower house of Italy’s parliament has begun discussing a €70 billion ($99 billion) austerity package ahead of a final vote on the measures seen as crucial to averting a debt crisis in the eurozone’s third largest economy.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
Justice Department probing Credit Suisse
GENEVA — Swiss bank Credit Suisse says its cross-border business is the subject of a U.S. Justice Department investigation.
( Associated Press Associated Press , AP)
 |
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
Messages In This Digest (9 Messages)
- 1.
- 2011 On Track To Be Deadliest Year For Civilians In 10-Year Afghan W From: Rick Rozoff
- 2.
- China, Russia Refuse To Attend Libya Contact Group Meeting In Turkey From: Rick Rozoff
- 3.
- Clinton In Turkey: U.S. Missile System In Turkey - Or Caucasus? From: Rick Rozoff
- 4.
- Britain Deploys Warship For NATO Libyan Operations From: Rick Rozoff
- 5.
- NATO's Air War In Libya: 15,193 Sorties, 5,721 Strike Missions From: Rick Rozoff
- 6.
- Pakistan Demands U.S. End Secret Operations On Its Territory From: Rick Rozoff
- 7.
- Germany Sued Over U.S.-NATO Nuclear Bomb Flights From: Rick Rozoff
- 8.
- Pentagon Unveils Cyberspace As Fifth Battlefield From: Rick Rozoff
- 9.
- "Global Energy Security": Sixth Annual Silk Road Conference In Chica From: Rick Rozoff
Greece and the Euro:
Towards Financial Implosion
By Prof. Rodrigue Tremblay
URL of this article: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=25632
Global Research, July 14, 2011
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 3rd President of the United States (1801-09)
"Having seen the people of all other nations bowed down to the earth under the wars and prodigalities of their rulers, I have cherished their opposites, peace, economy, and riddance of public debt, believing that these were the high road to public as well as private prosperity and happiness."
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 3rd President of the United States (1801-09)
On the 4th of July, the credit agency Standard & Poor called Greece what it is, i.e. a country in de facto financial bankruptcy. No slight of hand, no obfuscation, no debt reorganization and no “innovative” bailouts can hide the fact that the defective rules of the 17-member Eurozone have allowed some of its members to succumb to the siren calls of excessive and unproductive indebtedness, to be followed by a default on debt payments accompanied by crushingly higher borrowing costs.
Greece (11 million inhabitants), in fact, has abused the credibility that came with its membership in the Eurozone.
In 2004, for instance, the Greek Government embarked upon a massive
spending spree to host the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, which cost 7
billion euros ($12.08 billion). Then, from 2005 to 2008, the same
government decided to go on a spending spree, this time purchasing all
types of armaments that it hardly needed from foreign suppliers. —Piling
up a gross foreign debt to the tune of $533 billion (2010) seemed the
easy way out. But sooner or later, the piper has to be paid and the debt
burden cannot be hidden anymore.
Greece's current financial predicaments (and those of other European countries such as Spain, Portugal, Ireland and even Italy) are not dissimilar to the ones Argentina had to go through some ten years ago. In each case, an unhealthy membership in a monetary union of some sort led to excessive foreign indebtedness, followed by a capital flight and a crushing and ruinous debt deflation.
In the case of
Argentina, the country had decided to adopt the U.S. dollar as its
currency, even though productivity levels in Argentina were one third
those in the United States. An artificially pegged exchange rate of one
peso=one U.S. dollar held for close to ten years, before the inevitable
collapse.
Indeed,
membership in a monetary union and the adoption of a common currency for
a group of countries can be a powerful instrument to stimulate economic
and productivity growth, with low inflation, when such monetary unions
are well designed structurally, but they can also turn into an economic
nightmare when they are not.
Unfortunately
for many poorer European members of the euro monetary union, the rules
for a viable monetary union were not followed, and its unraveling in the
coming years, although deplorable, should be of no great surprise to
anyone knowledgeable in international finance.
What are these rules for a viable and stable monetary union with a common currency?
1- First and foremost, member countries should have economic structures and labor productivity levels
that are comparable, in order for the common currency not to appear
persistently overvalued or persistently undervalued depending on any
particular member economy. An alternative is to have a high degree of labor mobility between regional economies so that unemployment levels do not remain unduly high in the least competitive regions.
2- Secondly, if either one of
the two above conditions is not met (as is usually the case, since real
life monetary unions are rarely “Optimum Currency Areas”),
the monetary union must be headed by a strong political entity,
possibly a federal system of government, that is capable of smoothly
transferring fiscal funds from surplus economies to deficit economies
through some form of centrally managed fiscal equalization payments.
This is to avoid
the political strains and uncertainty when the standards of living rise
in surplus regional economies and drop in regional deficit economies.
Indeed, since the regional exchange rates cannot be adjusted upward or
downward to redress each member country's balance of payments, and since the law of one price applies
all over the monetary zone, this leaves fluctuations in income levels
and employment levels as the main mechanism of adjustment to external
imbalances. —This can turn out to be a harsh remedy.
Indeed, such a system of income or quantity adjustment rather than price adjustment is somewhat reminiscent of the way the 19th century gold standard
used to work, albeit with a deflationary bias, except that it was
expected to have price and income inflation in surplus countries and
price and income deflation in deficit countries, caused by money supply
expansions in surplus economies and money supply contractions in deficit
economies. In a more or less formal monetary union, we are left with
income inflation and deflation while the central bank holds the rein on
the overall price level.
3- A third
condition for a smoothly functioning monetary union is to have free
movements of financial and banking capital within the zone. This is to
insure that interest rates are coherent within the monetary zone,
adjusted for a risk factor, and that productive projects have access to
finance wherever they take place.
In the U.S., for instance, the highly liquid federal funds market
allows banks in temporary deficit in check clearing to borrow
short-term funds from banks in a temporary surplus position. In Canada, large national banks
have branches in all provinces and can easily transfer funds from
surplus branches to deficit branches without affecting their credit or
lending operations.
4- A fourth
condition is to have a common central bank that can take account not
only of inflation levels but also of real economic growth and employment
levels in its monetary policy decisions. Such a central bank should be
able to act as lender of last resort, not only to banks, but also to the
governments of the zone.
Unfortunately
for the Eurozone, it currently fails to meet some of the most
fundamental conditions for a smoothly functioning monetary union.
Let's look at them one by one.
-First, labor productivity levels (production
per hour worked) vary substantially between the member states. For
example, in 2009, if the index of productivity level in Germany was 100,
it was only 64.4 in Greece, nearly one third lower. In Portugal and
Estonia, for instance, it was even lower at 58 and 47 respectively. What
this means is that the euro, as a common currency, may appear
undervalued for Germany but overvalued for many other members of the
Eurozone, stimulating net exports in the first case but hurting badly
the competitiveness of other member countries.
-Secondly, and
possibly an even more important requirement, the Eurozone lacks the
backing of a strong and stable political and fiscal union. This leaves
fiscal transfers between member states to be left to ad hoc
political decisions, and this creates uncertainty. In fact, there are no
permanent mechanisms of equalization payments between strong and weak
economies within the Eurozone. —For this reason, we can say that there
is no permanent economic solidarity within the Eurozone.
-Thirdly, the designers of the Eurozone elected to limit the European Central Bank
to a narrowly defined monetary role, its central obligation being to
maintain price stability, while denying it any direct responsibility in
stabilizing the overall macroeconomy of the zone and preventing it from
lending directly to governments through money creation, if needs be.
—For this reason, we can say that there is no statutory financial
solidarity within the Eurozone.
Finally, even though capital
and labor mobility within the Eurozone is fairly high, historically
speaking, it is far less secured, for instance, than it is the case with
the American monetary union.
In retrospect,
it seems that the creation of the Eurozone in 1999 was more a political
gamble than a well-thought-out economic and monetary project. This is
most unfortunate, because once the most estranged members of the zone
begin defaulting on their debts and possibly revert to their own
national currencies, the financial shock will have real economic
consequences, not only in Europe, but around the world.
Many economists think that the best option for Greece and the rest of the EU should be to engineer an “orderly default”
on Greece’s public debt which would allow Athens to withdraw
simultaneously from the Eurozone and to reintroduce its national
currency, the drachma, at a debased rate. This would avoid a prolonged
economic depression in Greece.
Refusing to
accept the obvious, i.e. an orderly default, would please Greece's
banking creditors but will badly hurt its economy, its workers and its
citizens. That's what bankruptcy laws are for, i.e. to liberate debtors
from impossible-to-repay debts.
Of course, the most debt-ridden nation on earth is not Greece, but the United States.
Let me say this
as a conclusion: If American politicians do not stop playing political
games with the economy, a lot of Americans are going to suffer in the
coming months and years, and this will spill over to other countries.
With Europe and the United States both in an economic turmoil, this is very bad news for the world economy.
Dr. Rodrigue Tremblay, author of the book “The Code for Global Ethics, Ten Humanist Principles”,
Please visit the book site at: TheCodeForGlobalEthics.com/
Send contact, comments or commercial reproduction requests (in English or in French) to: bigpictureworld@yahoo.com
Lockheed Martin has delivered the first secure airborne, maritime / fixed station joint tactical radio system (AMF JTRS) to the US Army AH-64D Apache avionics integration lab.
ESC to Provide Man-Portable Remote Control Systems to Asian Nation
ESC BAZ has won a contract to supply its advanced AMI man-portable remote control system to an Asian customer following extensive evaluation and field tests.
Smiths Detection to Supply LCD to Swedish Military
Smiths Detection has received a contract to supply the Swedish armed forces with 1,800 lightweight chemical detectors (LCD) that sample the air for chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals.
Afghanistan Forces Undergo IED Detection Training
The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are receiving training from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) instructors in identifying and countering improvised explosive devices (IED) in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
CORPORATE NEWSAqeri Signs Agreement with New Partner in the UK
Aqeri
Smiths Detection Wins LCD Contract with Swedish Military
Smiths Detection
Pelican Rolls Out the 9435 as its First Hazardous Location Approved Remote Area Lighting System
Pelican Products
OPCW Renews Contract with Hotzone Solutions
Hotzone Solutions
Airborne Systems Announces Contract with France for Commando Boat Airdrop
Airborne Systems
RFE/RL Watchdog
7/15/2011 1:25:54 PM
A blog of human rights, media freedom, and democracy developments from RFE/RL's broadcast region.
For more, please visit and bookmark Watchdog . |
Citizen Journalism Scores Breakthrough In Turkmenistan
The deadly explosions last week in Turkmenistan mark the unprecedented emergence of citizen journalism in one of the world's most isolated countries. More 
Russian Activist's Killer 'Protected'
Rights groups are claiming that Russian secret services are protecting those behind the murder of Natalya Estemirova, a rights activist working in the North Caucasus who was kidnapped and killed on July 15, 2009, in the Chechen capital, Grozny. More 
Jailed Iranian Journalist Appeals To UN Rapporteur
A prominent jailed Iranian journalist has urged a newly appointed UN human rights investigator to visit Iran as soon as possible in order to inform the world about the "heinous acts" committed in the country's prisons. More 
Belarus Drops Lawsuits Against Two Independent Newspapers
Authorities in Belarus have dropped lawsuits aimed at closing two independent newspapers at the request of the Information Ministry. More 
Kazakh Bloggers Say Blockage Of Blog Website For 'Political Reasons'
Some prominent Kazakh bloggers say the government's blockage of the Wordpress blog platform since June is politically motivated. More 
Uzbek Journalist Ends Hunger Strike
One of the two journalists protesting media censorship in Uzbekistan has ended her hunger strike after being forcibly hospitalized. More 
Two Iranian Political Prisoners Denied Medical Leave
The relatives of two jailed Iranian political activists have expressed concern about the health of their loved ones. More 
Turkmen Opposition Leader Says Jail Terms Prevent Dissidents' Return
An exiled Turkmen opposition leader says President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov's call for dissidents to return and take part in the 2012 presidential election is unrealistic because most have been sentenced in absentia. More 
RFE/RL Reporter Fined In Belarus
Mikhail Karnevich, who photographed the July 3 demonstrations in Minsk, called today's sentence "fabricated" and insisted on his right to practice journalism. More 
Protesting Uzbek Journalists Say Press Conference Thwarted
Two Uzbek journalists on hunger strike to protest media censorship claim that authorities have thwarted their planned press conference. More 
10 Years Since Ukraine Journalist Murder
Before his brutal slaying in 2001, Ihor Aleksandrov had authored a series of television programs, called "Bez Retushi" (Without Touching Up), focused on the connections between officials in the Donetsk regional city of Sloviansk and criminal gangs. More 
Andijon Protester Dies In Uzbek Jail
Abdumannon Ortiqov, 34, was convicted of terrorism for his role in the 2005 Andijon protests, which were brutally suppressed by Uzbek security forces and led to hundreds of deaths. More 
Jailed Iran Blogger Has Kidney Transplant
Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, who is serving a 15-year sentence at Evin prison outside of Tehran, had recently undergone the operation after contracting a kidney disease. More 
Kurdish Journalist On Hunger Strike In Iranian Prison
Jailed Kurdish journalist Kamal Sharifi's sister, Mahnaz Sharifi, told Radio Farda on July 6 that he began the strike in late May in the Minab prison in southeastern Iran. More 
OSCE To Tajiks: Release Reporter
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) representative on freedom of the media has urged Tajik authorities to release detained BBC reporter Urunboy Usmonov. More 
Supporters Say Jailed Iranian Cleric In Poor Health
Some followers of dissident Iranian cleric Ayatollah Hossein Kazemeyni Boroujerdi say his health has further deteriorated in prison. More 
Azeri Activist Denied Bail
An appeals court in the Azerbaijani city of Ganca has ruled to keep political activist Baxtiyar Haciyev in jail. More 
OSCE Makes Belarus Media Appeal
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic has demanded that Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka put an end to the repression of media since the disputed December 19 presidential election. More 
Uzbek Hunger Striker Denied Treatment
One of two journalists on a hunger strike to protest media censorship in Uzbekistan has been denied treatment at a Tashkent hospital. More 
Russia Concern Over Blogger Detention
Russian diplomats have expressed concern over the fate of a Russian blogger detained in Chisinau on suspicion of inciting riots more than two years ago. More 
Kazakh Officers Convicted Of Torture
Seven Kazakh prison guards have been found guilty of torturing 26 prisoners last year at a penitentiary in northern Kazakhstan. More |
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Subscribe
| Via Smartphone |
July 15, 2011
In-Depth Issues:
Hizbullah and Iran in the Americas - Amb. Roger Noriega (U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security)
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States Roger Noriega testified on July 7 before the House Subcommittee on Intelligence and Terrorism, on Hizbullah and Iran's operations in the Americas.
We have identified at least two parallel terrorist networks growing at an alarming rate in Latin America.
One is operated by Hizbullah, aided by its collaborators, and another is managed by a cadre of operatives of the notorious Qods Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
These networks cooperate to carry out fundraising, money-laundering schemes, narcotics smuggling, proselytization, recruitment, and training.
We can identify more than 80 operatives in at least 12 countries.
Of particular interest are several published reports, citing U.S. law enforcement and intelligence sources, that Hizbullah operatives have provided weapons and explosives training to drug trafficking organizations that operate along the U.S. border with Mexico and have sought to radicalize Muslim populations in several Mexican cities.
By infiltrating or establishing mosques or "Islamic centers" throughout the region, Hizbullah is spreading its influence, legitimizing its cause, and advancing its violent jihad on our doorstep.
Our research indicates that the most tempting target for Hizbullah in the region is Brazil, with an estimated population of one million Muslims.
See also Hizbullah in Mexico - Anna Mahjar-Barducci (Hudson Institute-New York)
Poll: 6 in 10 Palestinians Reject Two-State Solution - Gil Hoffman (Jerusalem Post)
Only 34% of Palestinians accept, while 61% reject, two states for two peoples as the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a survey of 1,010 Palestinians completed this week by American pollster Stanley Greenberg.
66% said the Palestinians' real goal should be to start with a two-state solution but then move to it all being one Palestinian state.
92% said Jerusalem should be the capital of Palestine, while just 3% said it should be the capital of both Palestine and Israel.
72% backed denying the thousands of years of Jewish history in Jerusalem, 62% supported kidnapping IDF soldiers and holding them hostage, and 53% were in favor of teaching songs about hating Jews in Palestinian schools.
The poll was conducted with the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion and sponsored by the Israel Project.
Anti-Aircraft Missiles On the Loose in Libya - C. J. Chivers (New York Times)
Five months after the armed uprising erupted in Libya, a new round of portable anti-aircraft missiles - weapons that governments fear could be obtained by terrorists and then fired at civilian jetliners - have been slipping from storage bunkers captured by rebels.
In February, large numbers of the missiles slipped from the hands of Gaddafi's government as the rebels established control over eastern Libya. Recently, rebel gains in the western mountains opened up new ammunition stores.
On a recent day, 43 emptied wooden crates had been left behind on the sand inside the entrance to an ammunition depot captured last month from Gaddafi's forces after repeated NATO bombings. The stenciled markings showed each crate had contained a pair of lightweight missiles called SA-7s.
Gaddafi is thought to have acquired as many as 20,000 of these missiles in arms deals with the former Eastern bloc.
Andrew J. Shapiro, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, described the unsecured missiles in Libya as "one of the things that keep me up at night."
| Daily Alert Blog Selected features from the Daily Alert for busy readers |
| Follow the Jerusalem Center on: YouTube |
| Daily Alert Mobile Link for Blackberry and iPhone Daily Alert is now available from your smartphone anywhere, at anytime. Add the Daily Alert link to your bookmarks now. Double-click on any headline to view the excerpt. |
Report: Three Countries Interested in Israel's Iron Dome Anti-Missile System (Globes)
Israel Defense reports that the U.S. and two Asian countries are interested in procuring Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defense system, which proved its operational capability earlier this year.
An Israeli defense source said the U.S. "now realizes that there has been a technological achievement that provides a response to a huge problem of theirs."
One of Iron Dome's most important successes is its radar system which can distinguish between threats to a populated area and incoming rockets that will hit open ground, avoiding firing interceptors unnecessarily, and preventing the enemy from saturating defenses.
What Killed Yasser Arafat? - Yossi Melman (Ha'aretz)
According to the assessment of an Israeli source knowledgeable about the issue, Arafat died of leukemia that had worsened due to an error in judgment or even negligence on the part of the attending doctors.
IDF "Super-Reservist" Honored - Hanan Greenberg (Ynet News)
After serving in the IDF for 58 years, both as a regular soldier and as a reservist, Brig.-Gen. Motti Katz has been honored by the army with a lifetime achievement award.
Katz, 77, continues to serve as an active reservist and is tasked with producing scenarios to surprise Israel's military intelligence.
| Google Search the Recent History of Israel and the Middle East Use Google Search to explore 8 years of back issues of Daily Alert since May 2002. |
| Add the Daily Alert Israel News Ticker to Your Website |
| Send the Daily Alert to a Friend If you are viewing the email version of the Daily Alert - and want to share it with friends - please click Forward in your email program and enter their address. |
Daily Alert Blog
Search
Key Links
Media Contacts
Back Issues
Fair Use/Privacy
- Iran Moves Nuclear Enrichment Program to Underground Bunker - Damien McElroy
Installation of centrifuge and other manufacturing equipment was at a preparatory stage at Fordow, a facility deep inside a mountain near Qom, Iran, intelligence reports said. Tehran disclosed the existence of Fordow, which is designed to withstand air and missile strikes, after Western intelligence detected the covert nuclear plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency has expressed concern over continuing access to the facility at Fordow.
Leading experts believe the shift to the mountain facility would increase the danger of Iran successfully launching a final push to make a bomb. "We see Iran moving in the direction of becoming a nuclear weapons-capable state," said Olli Heinonen, a former head of UN nuclear inspections. British Foreign Secretary William Hague wrote this week that Iran would need less than three months to turn the enriched uranium into weapons-grade material at Fordow.
An IAEA report in May said new intelligence indicated Iran was involved in studies on uranium conversion, high explosives testing and the adaptation of a ballistic missile cone that would only be useful to the production of a nuclear warhead. (Telegraph-UK) - Syrian Protests Spread, But Regime Holds Firm - Liz Sly
As the Syrian uprising enters its fifth month, activists and human rights groups say they are detecting a new momentum, with demonstrations now taking place on a near-daily basis around the country. There were also demonstrations in several suburbs of Damascus. Dozens have been detained in recent days, human rights groups say, including around 30 actors, journalists and writers who staged what amounted to a celebrity demonstration in the central Damascus neighborhood of Midan on Wednesday. (Washington Post) - Arab League Backs Palestinian Statehood Plan - Tobias Buck
The Arab League has given formal backing for an ambitious bid by the Palestinians for statehood at the UN. Nabil al-Arabi, Arab League secretary-general, said on Thursday that the group had agreed to "submit a call to the member states of the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state." The league, he added, would press both the UN Security Council and the General Assembly to support "full membership of a Palestinian state" at the UN.
Palestinian officials were particularly angered by the U.S. position at a meeting this week of the Middle East Quartet, which brings together the U.S., UN, EU and Russia. According to several officials, the U.S. tabled a draft statement that called, among other things, on Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and to accept significant revisions to the pre-1967 "green line." (Financial Times-UK)
See also U.S. Rejects Arab League Support for PA Statehood Bid - K. Abu Toameh, T. Lazaroff, and H. L. Krieger
An Arab League decision to ask the UN to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines would not serve the peace process, the U.S. said on Thursday. "We've been clear in our conviction that unilateral approaches to try to seek statehood via the United Nations will not lead to a comprehensive settlement," State Department spokesman Mark Toner told the Jerusalem Post in a statement. "That will only come via the hard give and take of negotiations and mutual agreement." (Jerusalem Post)
- Former Palestinian Terrorists Predict Reaction to September UN Vote But No Intifada - Avi Issacharoff
On Wednesday in Nablus, the largest city in the West Bank, several leading formerly wanted men from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade spoke to Ha'aretz about the amnesty they received from Israel and about September's Palestinian bid for recognition of an independent state at the UN. They were the ones who led the fighting against Israel between 2000 and 2008, but said they wouldn't join in if a third intifada broke out. Under the amnesty, nearly 400 former terrorists turned in their weapons and agreed to refrain from terrorist activity.
L., who evaded the Israeli army for years, later joined the PA general intelligence service. He said, "The Palestinian Authority wants to calm the situation and is doing so. We're living at a time when people are less interested in the homeland and more in their salaries." "The second intifada took us 20 years backwards - the deaths, the siege on the cities - so in my opinion there won't be a third intifada. But a reaction following September will definitely come. The young people will take to the streets." (Ha'aretz) - In Syria, Alawite Minority's Days in Power Numbered, Analysts Say - Amos Harel
Israeli defense officials said in a recent analysis it's just a matter of time before the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad falls. Over the past three months, more than 2,000 soldiers have deserted the Syrian army, which has been showing major signs of fatigue. Israeli defense analysts stress the increase in the demonstrations' size and the protesters' greater willingness to risk their lives. The protests could lead to a more direct confrontation between the Sunni Muslim majority and Assad's Alawite minority, and the disintegration of the army. (Ha'aretz) - Six Rockets Hit Israel - Shmulik Hadad
Six Kassam rockets fired from Gaza on Thursday exploded in open areas in southern Israel. Following the rocket attacks, Israeli aircraft struck several Hamas targets in Gaza. (Ynet News)
- White House Admits War with Iran - Editorial
The U.S. is engaged in a deadly proxy war with Iran. Two senior Obama administration defense officials have addressed the open secret of Iran's active support for insurgent groups fighting U.S. troops overseas. During a visit to Iraq, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta strongly denounced Iranian support for increasingly violent Shiite militia groups in that country. "We are very concerned about Iran and the weapons they are providing to extremists here in Iraq," he said. "We're seeing more of those weapons going in from Iran, and they've really hurt us." "We cannot sit back and simply allow this to continue to happen....This is not something we're going to walk away from. It's something we're going to take on head-on."
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Pentagon Press Association, "Iran is very directly supporting extremist Shiite groups, which are killing our troops. There is no question they are shipping high-tech weapons in there...that are killing our people. And the forensics prove that." Iran has been directly or indirectly responsible for more U.S. combat deaths than any other country since the end of the Vietnam War.
There is nothing improvised about the explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) that Iran has been supplying to militant groups. These sophisticated weapons are powerful enough to defeat the heaviest U.S. armored vehicles. A 2006 classified intelligence report leaked in the New York Times asserted, "All source reporting since 2004 indicates that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Corps-Quds Force is providing professionally-built EFPs and components to Iraqi Shia militants."
The latest State Department report on Iranian support for international terrorism states, "Iran's Quds Force provided training to the Taliban in Afghanistan on small unit tactics, small arms, explosives and indirect fire weapons. Since at least 2006, Iran has arranged arms shipments to select Taliban members, including small arms and associated ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds, 107 mm rockets and plastic explosives." (Washington Times) - Iran's Most Dangerous General - Ali Alfoneh
On May 18, the U.S. imposed sanctions against Maj.-Gen. Qassem Suleimani, chief of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), who is identified as "the conduit for Iranian material support" to the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate. Suleimani is an accomplished tactical leader, but not an adept strategist. Suleimani's strategic deficiencies not only affected military operations, but also earned him powerful enemies in the politics of the IRGC in the past. The writer is a resident fellow at AEI. (American Enterprise Institute)
Palestinians
- Palestinians' Gambit for UN Recognition Wobbles - Joshua Mitnick
Palestinians are trying to get the UN to recognize Palestine as an independent state - and, ideally, welcome it as a new UN member. But now, with the potential vote just two months away and the paperwork due this month, PA officials appear to be getting cold feet. The U.S. has vowed to veto the move, all but guaranteeing that Palestinians would be denied full UN membership.
While the UN could instead make a symbolic declaration or upgrade the PA's observer status, officials are increasingly worried that a toothless measure could prompt popular frustration and anger that would weaken the PA and strengthen hard-liners like Hamas. "The Palestinian leadership has been promising or expecting to deliver in September. When it fails, it will undermine its public standing and strengthen the standing of the opposition," says Palestinian government spokesman Ghassan Khatib.
Israel views the UN campaign as a unilateral move that violates past peace treaties between the Palestinians and Israel. Israeli and Palestinian security forces are concerned about mass protests pegged to the UN move and inspired by the spirit of popular demonstration spreading through the region.
President Obama and U.S. lawmakers, seeking to protect Israel and viewing the UN move as a challenge to its leadership on the peace process, have strongly opposed the statehood bid. On June 29, the U.S. Senate passed a unanimous resolution urging Palestinian leaders to "cease all efforts at circumventing the negotiation process," specifically calling out the UN campaign. If the PA fails to cease such efforts, the resolution warned, Congress could place restrictions on the roughly half-billion dollars in annual aid it sends to the PA.
Palestinian analyst Hani al-Masri believes that Abbas' aides are looking for an exit strategy. "They are afraid of stopping aid from the U.S. They are afraid of Palestinian protests," he says. (Christian Science Monitor) - Washington's Former Ambassador to UN Says Palestinian Campaign for Recognition Means Little
A Palestinian attempt to gain UN recognition without a peace agreement with Israel means "next to nothing" even if it succeeds, former U.S. ambassador to the UN John Bolton said Friday. He said the General Assembly is certain to support the current Palestinian effort to win backing for a unilateral declaration of a state in September. But he said it will be meaningless without approval in the Security Council, where it almost certainly faces a U.S. veto.
Visiting Israel on Friday, Bolton said Israel and the U.S. should not "take it so seriously....You don't want to invest authority and legitimacy in something that doesn't have authority and legitimacy." (AP-Washington Post)
Arab World
- For America, An Arab Winter - Aaron David Miller
During most of the time it has been engaged with the Arab world, the U.S. has dealt either with acquiescent authoritarians who were its allies (in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia) or with adversarial authoritarians (in Syria and Libya). A great part of this has now come undone. With some exceptions, most notably Saudi Arabia, every major U.S. ally or adversary in the Arab world has faced disruptive change.
The growing influence of Arab public opinion on the actions of Arab governments and the absence of strong leaders will make it much tougher for the U.S. to pursue its traditional policies. For America, the Arab Spring may well prove to be more an Arab Winter. The historic changes loosed this year throughout the Arab world represented a legitimate and authentic response by the Arabs to the need to reshape their own societies. Even if the U.S. had desired a stronger role, it would have only made matters worse by intervening.
In May, as part of his Arab Spring speech - largely in an effort to demonstrate that he was still committed to a solution and to persuade key European countries not to support the Palestinian UN recognition initiative - Obama laid out a U.S. position on borders based on those in place before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war with mutually agreed land swaps. The speech sparked an intensely negative reaction from the Israelis, and not much of a positive one from the Palestinians, and reflected the reality that the administration really didn't have the strategy, capacity, or opportunity to translate any of its ideas into serious negotiations, let alone an agreement. (Wilson Quarterly) - In Syria: A Strange Political Beast - Amir Taheri
The present system in Syria cannot be reformed because it lacks any mechanism for reform. Syria is a one-party state with the Baath holding a monopoly on power. However, in reality, the Baath is an empty shell. Because it has systematically destroyed all institutions and historic, social and cultural interfaces between power and people, the Assad regime has left the country without a mechanism for change. There are no tribal leaders, religious and/or intellectual elites, or political party or even military personalities with enough moral authority to mediate between a wounded populace and a frightened power. (Asharq Al-Awsat-UK) - Insecure in Egypt - David Schenker
Five months after the revolution that ended the 30-year tenure of Hosni Mubarak, large protests have become routine if not habitual in Egypt. Lately, the demonstrations have largely focused on demands to prosecute former regime officials more quickly and provide financial compensation to families of those killed during the revolution.
While it might be tempting for Washington and the international community to shovel more financial assistance at post-revolution Egypt, further cash infusions will do little to improve the state's long-term outlook. Absent physical security, the prospects for sustained economic growth are bleak. Egypt's police forces have been significantly degraded. It's estimated that only 30% of the once ubiquitous black-uniformed officers remain on the job.
At the same time, the atmosphere of political and security uncertainty has considerably slowed foreign direct investment, leading to a -4.2% growth rate this quarter, the first negative period in nearly a decade. The combination of economic stress, a diminished security apparatus, and the flight of criminals from state jails during the revolution has, not surprisingly, resulted in a rising crime rate. The writer is director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. (Weekly Standard)
See also Egypt Purges Mubarak-Era Police Officers - David D. Kirkpatrick
Egypt's transitional military government announced the early retirement of more than 600 senior police officers on Wednesday in an effort to mollify thousands of protesters at a six-day-old protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square. The Interior Ministry said 18 police generals and 9 other senior officers were forced into early retirement because they were accused of killing protesters during the 18-day uprising. 54 lower-ranking officers were shifted to jobs where they would no longer interact with civilians. (New York Times) - Hanging with the Muslim Brotherhood - Michael J. Totten
I just met with a high-ranking member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo while large ongoing demonstrations against Egypt's ruling military junta continue 24 hours a day in Tahrir Square. Every political party in the country is at that square except the Muslim Brotherhood. The range of political opinion right now in Egypt is much wider than it was before. It's politically unrecognizable as the Egypt I knew.
The Muslim Brotherhood was the largest and best organized opposition group during Hosni Mubarak's rule, but that was partly a function of it being the only sizeable organization that was semi-tolerated by the regime. Now there are roughly 40 different political parties. The Muslim Brotherhood isn't the only available "protest vote" any more. And the Brotherhood itself is rupturing into relatively moderate and reactionary fragments. The Brothers will no doubt have an impact on regional politics even if they do end up, at the end of the day, smaller (and therefore with a harder core) than they recently were.
The interview here with Muslim Brotherhood executive bureau member Esam El-Erian speaks for itself. (Pajamas Media) - Great Darkness in Egypt - Eldad Beck
Recent months have seen a significant escalation in violent clashes between radical Islamists and members of the Copt minority across Egypt. Maha, an Egyptian merchant in her 40s and a Christian Copt, has no doubt as to who stands behind the growing violence against Copts - the Salafiyun, the ultra-conservative Islamic camp.
"They hate everyone," said Maha. "They also hate Muslims who are not like them, but they mostly hate us, Christians. One of their leaders said during a TV show that he dreams of waking up one day and discovering that Egypt is free of Christians....We were in this country hundreds of years before Islam and the Arabs arrived." According to official figures, some eight million Copts live in Egypt, comprising 10% of the population. The Copt Church claims the community numbers 13 million.
"At first we thought that the revolution would put Egypt on the right path," said Maher, who immigrated to Canada and returned to visit his family. "We believed that the many minorities in the country would be able to live freely in a new society, yet today we no longer believe it. The Islamists are reckless and are taking over the country. It's only a matter of time before they impose Islamic law here." (Ynet News)
Other Issues
- Can Israel Be a "Jewish State?" - Elliott Abrams
The Palestinians refuse to acknowledge Israel as a "Jewish state." Their argument is that if Israel is a "Jewish state," it will necessarily discriminate against non-Jews. The problem with this debating point is that those who use it apply it only to Israel; none ever voices any concern about states based on Islam and discriminating in favor of Muslims.
There are four states whose very name contains a religious reference: the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. But beyond those, in every Muslim-majority country the constitution asserts a special role for Islam. The Jordanian constitution says, "Islam is the religion of the State" and "No person shall ascend the Throne unless he is a Muslim.of Muslim parents." The religion of the state is Islam in Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Muslim states are not alone in their religious ties. The constitution of Denmark states that "The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the Established Church of Denmark, and, as such, it shall be supported by the State," and "The King shall be a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church." Same for Norway. So the usual arguments against the acknowledgement of Israel as a Jewish state are hypocritical and specious. Every Arab state is far more Islamic than the "Jewish state" of Israel is Jewish.
When Arab political leaders say they will never acknowledge Israel as a Jewish state, it is a reminder of their continuing refusal to make peace with the very idea that the Jews can have a state in what they view as the Dar al-Islam ("abode of Islam"). (Council on Foreign Relations)
Iran
- The Palestinians are divided today into two camps - one that is radical and another that is less radical. The radical camp, headed by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, says: We want 100% of everything and we will not make any concessions to Israel. We want all the land. We want to replace Israel with an Islamic state. There is no point in talking about the possibility of negotiating with this radical camp about peace, especially as its declared goal is to eliminate Israel - not make peace with it.
- The less radical camp, headed by the PLO, says it wants 100% of the pre-1967 lines - meaning the entire West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem. The "moderate" camp is also saying that it will not and cannot make any concessions to Israel on its territorial demands. They say they are ready to return to the negotiating table, but only if Israel agrees in advance to give them 100% of their demands.
- Yet even if Israel does accept all their demands, neither camp is willing to commit to ending the conflict. Further, no "moderate" Palestinian leader would dare sign such a document out of fear of being denounced by his people - and the rest of the Arab and Islamic countries - for having "sold out" to Israel by giving up the claim to all of the land.
- The Palestinian Authority today is hoping that the international community will give the Palestinians what Israel is not giving it at the negotiating table. The goal of the PA leadership is to internationalize the conflict with the hope of imposing a solution on Israel. This is why it has decided to go to the UN in September with a request to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines.
- But the Palestinians will only get a state on paper. The only way to achieve a state is through negotiations with Israel, whether the Palestinians like Israel or not.
| Newsletter | 15.07.2011, 13:45 UTC |  |
||
|
Die Themen des Tages | |
|
|
Berichte, Hintergründe, Meinungen | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Friedensfahrplan für Libyen |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Banken-Stresstest 2.0 - wieder ein Placebo? | |
||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
| Die
Europäische Bankbehörde gibt die Ergebnisse des zweiten
Banken-Stresstests bekannt. Den ersten Test empfanden die
Marktteilnehmer als Lachnummer. Ist diesmal strenger geprüft worden? [mehr] |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
Stabilitätskultur in der Zwickmühle | |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
| Deutschlands
politische Rolle im Ringen um eine Stabilisierung der
Gemeinschaftswährung Euro ist umstritten. Zögert die Bundesregierung zu
lange oder betreibt sie eher eine besonders besonnene Politik? [mehr] |
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Neue Cyberstrategie im Pentagon | |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
| Das
US-Militär ist immer wieder Ziel von Hackern. Erst kürzlich wurden
24.000 geheime Daten von Unbekannten entwendet. Mit einer neuen
Cyberstrategie nehmen die Militärs nun den Kampf im virtuellen Raum auf. [mehr] |
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||
|
|
|
||
| Die
Scorpions sind auf Welttournee. Der Film BIG CITY NIGHTS dokumentiert
diese Reise und taucht ein in die faszinierende Geschichte der Band. Auf
unserer Website gibt es alle Infos zu den Dreharbeiten und zur Tour. [mehr] |
|
||
|
||||
|
|
|
||
|
||||
|
||||
|
Der Nahe Osten zwischen Freiheit und Diktatur | |
||
|
|
|
||
| Seit
Wochen ist zwischen Marokko und dem Jemen nichts mehr wie es war. Das
Volk begehrt auf. Diktatoren werden gestürzt oder klammern sich
verzweifelt an die Macht. Wir haben die Ereignisse zusammengefasst. [mehr] |
|
||
|
||||
|
|
|
||
|
||||
|
||||
|
Alltagsszenen im Getto | |
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
| Die
Ausstellung "Das Gesicht des Gettos" im Kölner NS-Dokumentationszentrum
zeigt Fotos aus dem polnischen Getto Litzmannstadt. Die Aufnahmen
stammen von jüdischen Fotografen, die selbst dort inhaftiert waren. [mehr] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
||||
|
||||
|
Hans Falladas neuer Ruhm | |
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
| Der
letzte Roman des Autors ist 64 Jahre nach dessen Tod bei deutschen
Lesern gefragt. Zuvor hatten Verlage im Ausland "Jeder stirbt für sich
allein" mit großem Erfolg wieder aufgelegt. Ein Besuch im
Fallada-Museum. [mehr] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
||||
|
||||
|
60 Jahre Goethe-Institut | |
||
|
|
|
||
| Die
Goethe-Institute fördern nicht nur die deutsche Sprache im Ausland. In
rund 100 Ländern geht es genauso um Kunst und Kultur. Wir zeigen, was
hinter der weltweiten Sprach- und Kulturarbeit steckt. [mehr] |
|
||
|
||||
|
|
|
||
|
||||
|
||||
|
Märchen zum Mitnehmen! | |
||
|
|
|
||
| 22
Lieblingsmärchen aus aller Welt, ausgesucht von Mitarbeitern und
Mitarbeiterinnen der Deutschen Welle – adaptiert, übersetzt, vertont,
animiert. Jetzt auch als Podcast! [mehr] |
|
||
|
||||
|
|
|
||
|
||||
|
||||
|
Und es war doch der Meteorit! | |
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
| Das
Ende der Dinosaurier besiegelte wohl doch ein großer Meteorit. Ein
internationales Team von Wissenschaftlern hat das weltweit jüngste
Fossil eines großen Dinosauriers entdeckt - er lebte lange Zeit vor dem
Einschlag. [mehr] | |
- EUR/USD Resumes Bearish Stance after Bullish Correction
- EURUSD breaks lower and tests 100 hour MA again
- Republic Speaker of the House Boehner on CNBC
- Stress test official results to be released at noon
- Univ of Michigan falls sharply. USDJPY tests support line.
- Citigroup sees BOE rate increase in 2Q 2012
- Italy Berlusconi survives vote of confidence chamber vote
- Industrial Production Lower, Capacity Utilization Stays Unchanged
- Fed says supply disruptions effected auto output in the 2Q
- S&P’s Chambers says risk to US losing AAA is increased
- Bank of Italy releases quarterly bulletin
- GBPUSD approaches 1.6071 support
- The EURUSD has moved lower after economic resistance
- Canada Manufacturing Sales Falls
- US CPI Weakens & Empire Manufacturing Shows Another Negative Number
|
 |
Nachrichten
Umfrage: Nein zur Töchterhymne70 Prozent der Österreicher sind gegen eine Änderung der Bundeshymne. Doch die Politiker haben jetzt schon die Landeshymnen im Visier » mehr |
|
WERBUNG
Traumpartner gesucht? Lerne den Traumpartner einfach & unkompliziert in Deiner Nähe kennen. Jetzt kostenlos registrieren! » mehr |
|
| ||
|
|
|
| ||
|
| ||
|
|
|
Vulkan in Indonesien ausgebrochen
|
|
Eva Joly "n'a pas une culture ancienne des valeurs françaises", juge Fillon
Une trentaine de pays reconnaît pleinement l'opposition libyenne
|
|
SYRIE. Les forces de sécurité tirent sur les manifestants
|
Dix-sept manifestants ont été tués à Damas et Idleb, où
des centaines de milliers de personnes continuent de manifester pour la
chute du régime de Bachar Al-Assad. |
Eva Joly, aussi Française que ceux qui la critiquent
|
OPINION. Après sa proposition de supprimer le défilé
militaire du 14 juillet, il ne faut pas remettre en question la
nationalité de la candidate à la présidentielle d'EELV. Par Bruno
Roger-Petit, Chroniqueur politique du Plus. |
"Enfants d'immigrés" : une plainte déposée contre la rectrice d'Orléans
|
Huit enseignants de Blois ont déposé une plainte pour
propos diffamatoires et racistes après ses propos sur les résultats
scolaires des enfants d'immigrés. |
L'Italie entérine définitivement son plan d'austérité
|
Ce plan, qui a pour ambition de parvenir à un quasi-équilibre budgétaire en 2014, vient d'être voté par le Parlement. |
Le verdict des tests bancaires européens attendu ce vendredi
|
91 banques ont été testées par l'Autorité bancaire européenne sur leur capacité à traverser une récession de deux ans. |
Dette américaine : l'épreuve de force de Barack Obama
|
Le président américain est contraint de demander aux élus
de la Chambre des représentants le vote du replafonnement de la dette
publique. |
PÊCHE. Le projet de Bruxelles est "inacceptable" pour Paris
|
La réforme de la politique commune de la pêche de la
Commission européenne "signifierait un arrêt de mort pour la pêche en
France", estime Bruno Le Maire. |
Pour François Fillon, les soldats ne sont "pas morts pour rien"
|
En visite à Abidjan, le Premier ministre a répondu aux critiques de Ségolène Royal. |
Manifestations pour l'indépendance de la Palestine à Jérusalem
|
A l'occasion d'une demande d'adhésion à l'ONU d'un Etat
Palestinien, des milliers de manifestants défilaient dans la ville
"trois fois sainte".
|
Les acteurs du scandale Murdoch
|
"Thank You and Goodbye". Après 168 ans de scoops, le News
of the World a tiré sa révérence le 10 juillet, pris dans un scandale
d'écoutes téléphoniques. Peu à peu les têtes tombent. Retour sur
l'affaire qui ébranle l'empire Murdoch. |
Flash-back : Miles Davis, artisan et popstar du jazz
|
L'Ina et Nouvelobs.com s'associent pour vous proposer,
chaque semaine, une mise en perspective historique d'un sujet
d'actualité. Cette semaine, Miles Davis à l’occasion des célébrations du
20e anniversaire de sa disparition. |
Premiers retraits américains d'Afghanistan
|
Un contingent quittant l'Afghanistan sans être remplacé marque le coup d'envoi du départ des troupes états-uniennes. |
VENEZUELA. Le retour incertain du Comandante
|
Hospitalisé à Cuba pour un cancer, Hugo Chavez est de retour au pays. Pour combien de temps ? |
Les Anonymous se mettent au vert et attaquent Monsanto
|
Le groupe de cyber-activistes affichent son côté écolo en
publiant les données personnelles d'employés du géant de
l'agroalimentaire et en dénonçant "la destruction" du désert du Montana. |
Côte d'Ivoire. Fillon inaugure une plaque en mémoire des tués du Novotel
|
Quatre personnes dont deux Français avaient été tuées en avril par des partisans de l'ex-président Laurent Gbagbo. |
Toujours aucune trace de la jeune femme disparue près de Rennes
|
Les recherches se poursuivent pour tenter de retrouver Anne Caudal enceinte, qui a disparu depuis une semaine. |
Le Médiator directement lié aux problèmes cardiaques d'une patiente
|
"Nous n'avons pas trouvé de cause pouvant expliquer la
survenue de cette pathologie en dehors de la prise de Mediator", indique
un rapport d'expertise. |
Le Sénat cautionne les emplois déguisés sous forme de stages
|
OPINION. Pour nos élus, le stagiaire est et restera la
variable d'ajustement de notre économie. Par Hela KHamarou, chroniqueuse
sur Le Plus. |
Le retour tonitruant de Laure Manaudou
|
En améliorant deux fois son record personnel du 50 m pour
son retour à la compétition, la Française a montré qu'elle n'a rien
perdu de son immense potentiel. |
Clap de fin pour Patrick Vieira
|
Le footballeur a annoncé jeudi 14 juillet qu'il mettait un terme à sa carrière de joueur professionnel. |
Chili : un soulèvement étudiant sans précédent
|
Près de 200 000 étudiants ont manifesté jeudi 14 juillet pour la démocratisation de l'éducation supérieure. |
Fin de la grève à Air Algérie
|
Les premiers vols devraient repartir à la première heure ce vendredi, après des négociations directes avec le gouvernement. |
La vie pas tranquille des Lavier
|
Après Outreau, le couple, poursuivi pour violences sur
mineurs et corruption de mineurs, ne remonte pas la pente. Par Bérénice
Rocfort-Giovanni |
Au moins 500.000 personnes réunies pour le feu d'artifice à Paris
|
Martine Aubry, Eva Joly et François Hollande ont applaudi le concert organisé par SOS Racisme. |
INFO OBS. Quand Aubry croyait à la "neutralité" d'Ayrault...
|
La Première secrétaire du PS s'agace du soutien public de Jean-Marc Ayrault à François Hollande. |
Six candidats à la primaire PS
|
Martine Aubry, Ségolène Royal, François Hollande, Arnaud
Montebourg, Manuel Valls et Jean-Michel Baylet ont déposé leurs
parrainages. |
Triple attentat à Bombay : toujours aucun indice
|
Les pluies de la mousson menacent de brouiller des traces essentielles aux enquêteurs. |
Le président Wade propose une élection présidentielle anticipée
|
"J''entrerai dans l'arène et je gagnerai", a affirmé Abdoulaye Wade, en réponse à la série de manifestations de la fin juin. |
Le Sud-Soudan devient le 193e Etat membre de l'ONU
|
Une semaine après son indépendance, le Sud-Soudan a été adoubé par l'Assemblée générale des Nations unies. |
DSK. Tristane Banon s'explique sur sa décision de porter plainte
|
"J'ai cru qu'on pouvait oublier, mettre tout dans une boîte, ranger. Et en fait c'est pas possible", a déclaré la jeune femme. |
"Adresse à Béji Caïd Essebssi", par Taoufik Ben Brik
|
"Un sombre été. [Le Premier ministre tunisien] Béji Caïd
Essebssi, dit "El Boj", se réveille. Y a-t-il pire ?",
lance journaliste-écrivain tunisien. Tribune. |
THAILANDE. La revanche du proscrit
|
La victoire électorale de Yingluck Shinawatra, sœur de
l'ex-Premier ministre en exil Thaksin, est une gifle pour l'armée et les
élites. La laisseront-ils gouverner ? |
Banier aime toujours Bettencourt et chérit les clochards
|
Le photographe revient sur son altercation avec un SDF,
son rapport avec les médias et sa relation avec la milliardaire.
Interview par Stéphane Arteta |
INFO OBS. Brice Hortefeux croit plus à Morin qu'à Borloo
|
"Le candidat centriste de la majorité sera Hervé Morin", soutient Brice Hortefeux. |
| VIDEOS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 La fondation WWF célèbre ses 50 ans avec un nouveau clip |
 14 Juillet : les Champs Elysées "sous le vent" de la Polynésie |
 Afghanistan: Cinq français tués au lendemain de la visite de Sarkozy |
 Découvrez en avant-première le défilé du 14 Juillet 2011 en 3D |
 Soldats tués en Afghanistan : Fillon exprime sa solidarité aux familles |
|
| Blogs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Festival d'Avignon: Petit Gourdin, Grand Langhoff Par Odile Quirot |
|
Vive Bourguiba ! Par Jean Daniel |
|
FUKUSHIMA (suite 40) Des décennies pour nettoyer la centrale de Fukushima Par Dominique Leglu |
|
La ”Youtubisation” de la vie privée Par Jérôme Hourdeaux |
| Voir tous les blogs | |||
