ATT Launches Landmark China Telecoms Venture
The Financial Express March 23, 2002 ATT Launches Landmark China Telecoms Venture Shanghai, March 22: Telecoms titan ATT Corp launched China's first foreign telecoms venture on Friday and gained a window into broadband Internet services in the country, a nascent market that will take time to gather steam. After seven years of negotiations, ATT announced in December 2000 a groundbreaking tie-up with China Telecom's Shanghai branch and the city government. The $25 million venture kicked off in east Shanghai on Friday and ATT said it was a step towards its goal of providing lucrative data services to corporations nationwide. The US firm said it expects the green light to expand to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen by end-2002, after China's accession to the World Trade Organisation last year opened the sector to foreign investment. We've kicked off an initiative with China Telecom to evaluate the four city expansion case immediately, said Mr Geoffrey Webster, ATT's president of international ventures. We very much hope within a matter of months to receive the necessary approvals from the Government ministry and sort out the right commercial model with China Telecom, Mr Webster said. But ATT would have to apply for approval in each individual city, a process that could take up much of the rest of the year. ATT holds 25 per cent in the Shanghai venture, which China has selected as a test case to evaluate the impact of inviting foreign investment into the insular telecoms sector. The Shanghai branch of state giant China Telecom holds 60 per cent, while the Shanghai Information Investment Inc -- a firm controlled by the city's government -- holds the remaining stake. The venture will provide services including Internet, virtual private networks and high-speed data communications. For ATT, the venture -- Shanghai Symphony Telecom --represents a key step towards eventually offering services to its global clients in 17 Chinese cities, a business potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars, executives said. But they noted that this was predicated on being able to expand beyond Shanghai. The impact is really in the hundreds of millions of dollars, said Mr John Polumbo, president of enterprise marketing and international ventures organisation. We intend to push for rapid expansion. Symphony will give ATT's clients within China unprecedented connections to other overseas operations via the US firm's own international bandwidth, executives said. The firm won approval late last year to install connections to its own global network. ATT has said clients in China include US auto giant General Motors and financial group Citibank. It has lined up a slew of multinational clients, executives said. They want services on a single platform. In this case that means an IP-based platform. And they want a single point of contact to ensure reliability, ATT's chairman and Chief executive officer Michael Armstrong said at Symphony's launch. China pledged to phase in foreign investment in the telecomservice sector upon joining the World Trade Organisation. But industry executives remained mindful that most past attempts to break into the cloistered sector have failed. In the mid-1990s foreign investors sunk $1.4 billion into more than 40 telecoms service ventures with state carrier China Unicom, but Beijing declared them irregular in 1998 and forced them to unwind. - Reuters © 2002: Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. All rights reserved throughout the world.
the US in the 1990s -- good for workers?
I have just one major one minor comment about what's left out of the following: Major: the soaring exchange rate of the dollar isn't mentioned at all. That allowed real wages to soar after 1995 or so because it made imports much cheaper. It also put pressure on export-competing employers, keeping them from raising prices. (Having a similar effect was the relative stagnation of economies outside the U.S.) Normally, a rising dollar would pull down aggregate demand (as in the early 1980s), but the credit- and optimism-based private sector boom more than counteracted that drag (along with the drag of the rising federal government surplus). It also meant increasing external debt. Minor: the rise of house ownership was also encouraged by lowering standards in mortgage loaning (partly encouraged by Clinton-era policies). This makes consumer spending more prone to a fall. Of course, other pen-l comments are welcome. --- APRIL 1, 2002/BusinessWeek [ignore the publication date: the stuff below isn't a joke.] Restating the '90s By Michael Mandel. We now have enough perspective to look back at the last decade and assess what was real--and what wasn't. Conjure up the economic gains of the 1990s, and what comes to mind? Perhaps it was how the stock market ruled: All those initial public offerings that raked in unprecedented billions for venture capitalists. Or the dramatic rise in 401(k)s and mutual funds. Or the growing ranks of the Investor Class who cashed in big-time as the Standard Poor's 500-stock index quadrupled. And wasn't it a great time to be a top manager, with productivity gains boosting the bottom line and igniting executive pay? While it was going on, venture capitalist L. John Doerr called the boom the largest single legal creation of wealth in history. For both investors and managers, it seemed like nirvana. Well, yes and no. With the recession apparently over, it's now possible to make a more realistic assessment of the entire business cycle of the 1990s: The sluggish recovery that started in March, 1991, the extraordinary boom, the tech bust, and the downturn of 2001. And guess what? A lot of things happened that defy the conventional beliefs about the decade. For starters, over this 10-year period, productivity rose at a 2.2% annual rate, roughly half a percentage point faster than in the 1980s--a significant gain. But the real stunner is this: The biggest winners from the faster productivity growth of the 1990s were workers, not investors. In the end, workers reaped most of the gains from the added output generated by the New Economy productivity speedup. This revelation helps explain why consumer spending stayed so strong in the recession--and why businesses may struggle in the months ahead. The key is that wage growth accelerated dramatically for most American workers in the 1990s business cycle. Real wage gains for private-sector workers averaged 1.3% a year, from the beginning of the expansion in March, 1991, to the apparent end of the recession in December, 2001. That's far better than the 0.2% annual wage gain in the 1980s business cycle, from November, 1982, to March, 1991. The gains were also better distributed than in the previous decade. Falling unemployment put many more people to work and swelled salaries across the board: Everyone from top managers to factory workers to hairdressers benefited. Indeed, the past few years have been the best period of wage growth at the bottom in the last 30 years, says Lawrence F. Katz, a labor economist at Harvard University. By contrast, the return on the stock market in the 1990s business cycle was actually lower than it was in the business cycle of the '80s. Adjusted for inflation and including dividends, average annual returns on the SP-500 index from March, 1991, to the end of 2001 were 11.1%, compared with 12.8% in the previous business cycle. Bondholders and small savers saw their returns drop even more in the '90s. The real return on six-month certificates of deposit, for example, was only 3.1% over the past decade, compared with 4.7% in the '80s. Overall, BusinessWeek calculates that workers received 99% of the gains from faster productivity growth in the 1990s at nonfinancial corporations. Corporate profits did rise sharply, but much of that gain was fueled by lower interest rates rather than increased productivity. Why did workers fare so well in the 1990s? The education level of many Americans made an impressive leap in the '90s, putting them in a better position to qualify for the sorts of jobs that the New Economy created. Low unemployment rates drove up wages. And a torrent of foreign money coming into the U.S. created new jobs and financed productivity-enhancing equipment investment. Meanwhile, U.S. corporations were hit by a one-two punch: an economic slowdown overseas following the 1997 Asia financial crisis and the tech bust at home in 2000. To the dismay of tech investors, the hundreds of
fiscal stimulus
March 23, 2002 Sharp Rise in Federal Spending May Have Helped Ease Recession By LOUIS UCHITELLE When a bitterly divided Congress failed to pass an economic stimulus bill last fall, many predicted the recession would only worsen. But while few were paying attention, government spending surpassed the amounts envisioned in the stimulus measure, exceeding what even the most vociferous advocates wanted. The unexpected surge - along with the remarkable strength in consumer spending - helps to explain why the recession, to nearly everyone's surprise, has been so mild and may be ending. The mood was much different last fall. Anticipating harder times, Democrats and Republicans pushed for an additional $80 billion to $100 billion in federal outlays. While they agreed on this goal, they deadlocked over how to allocate the money. Democrats wanted the government to spend nearly all of the money, while the Republicans emphasized new tax breaks for business and consumers, not outright spending. Despite the bill's failure - a severely watered-down version finally passed this month - government outlays rose sharply in response to dozens of uncoordinated decisions and fortuitous windfalls. The surge, which started in October, has continued into this month at a rate of more than $100 billion, new government data suggest. And income tax cuts that went into effect at the beginning of this year are expected to provide a further lift to the economy. You can reasonably argue that the recession, which seems to have ended, came to an end because of aggressive government spending, said Mark M. Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com, a forecasting and data gathering firm. Some of the stepped-up outlays, of course, went to the military and to pay for domestic actions to fight terrorism in response to the Sept. 11 attacks. Significantly more, however, was delivered in the form of increased spending on highways, school construction, Medicaid, unemployment insurance and numerous municipal projects. After shrinking last summer, the American economy reversed course and grew from October through December at an annual rate of 1.4 percent. The results of aggressive government spending - not only at the federal level, but among states and cities as well - accounts for much of the swing from contraction to expansion, even without adding in the tax breaks, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. The rise in government outlays, along with the remarkable bounceback in consumer spending after Sept. 11, more than offset declines in other sectors, particularly business spending on new equipment, offices and factories. Will that last? The hope is that the momentum from consumers and government, two powerful engines of demand, will restart business investment and the recovery will be on its way. The danger, however, is that both may falter before the economy picks up sufficient speed. Mortgage refinancing, rising wages, bargain prices, falling energy costs, tax cuts and rebates, rock-bottom interest rates - all these have sustained consumers through the recession, despite rising indebtedness. And while this year's income tax cuts promise to provide more stimulus, most of the other supports show signs of fading. Something similar may be happening to government spending - not at the federal level, where the outlays in response to terrorism seem open-ended, but in the states and cities. Most experts thought that spending at the state and local level would decline as tax revenue fell during the recession. Reflecting this view, the advocates of a stimulus package pushed last fall to include subsidies that would permit states and cities to keep up their spending. To nearly everyone's surprise the states and cities found ways to sustain their spending anyway, despite balanced-budget laws that require them to keep spending in line with revenue. This rear-guard resistance, however, seems likely to give way by early summer when many new budgets, mandating cuts, go into effect for the fiscal year 2003. You can expect the drop in state and local spending that did not occur last fall to begin to occur now, said Kevin Carey, an analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. So far, good luck and ingenuity have helped the states and cities dodge that bullet. There was, for example, a windfall in 1998 and 1999 from a federal excise tax on gasoline and autos. That tax, earmarked for the states, produced an unanticipated $10 billion during those boom years that is now being spent to build and repair highways. It takes time to arrange to pour concrete, said William Hoagland, a senior staff member of the Senate Budget Committee. There were other tactics for sustaining spending, despite falling tax revenue. Reserve funds, built up to record levels during the boom, have been drawn down. Some spending cuts have been announced and then postponed. And some states and cities have simply crossed their fingers. Consider Vermont. Faced with
Aside on Michael Frede, Scary
The curriculum goes from the Greeks to Descartes, Hume, and Kant. I had one (elective) class in the scholastics at Tigertown, and sat in on Michael Frede's class on Scotus's ontological argument. That was a scary experience. jks ^ Charles: What was scary about it ? Frede attains a level of depth, thoroughness, and insight that is really alarming. He's very nice, but he's frighteningly smart. Not smart like, I'm a tenth or a hundredth as smart as he is, but smart like the Grand Canyon is big in comparison to a child's mud puddle. Going through a text with him his like nothing in this world. In a class on Plato he spend a week on the _title_ of the Theatetus. In 14 weeks we got through 40 lines of the dialogue. He was my junior paper advisor, I wrote on the final good in Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics. When he was done with that paper, every bolt, nut, screw, wheel, and bearing had been disassembled, stripped down, cleaned up, and put back together differently (and better). He devotes the same attention to his students' work that he does to Plato or Aristotle (Platon or Aristotles, sufein, he's German). He'd do all this without making you feel dumb. He look at some particularly inane bit of argument with gentle puzzlement, then say Oh, sufein, ach, jawohl, I zee, vat you are trying to zay, iss . . . . And he'd say something that you never throught of, but really it would have been much better if you had. He'd smoke Gitanes in class too, but this was more than 20 years ago, and besides, he's left Tigertown for Oxford, where, as far as I know, they don't care if you smoke in class. Jim H? Zat still true? Frede could dance, too. jks _ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
growin' gunstocks W-stylee
true solicitation received recently. dont even know where to begin with this one! - Friends, acquaintances, economists, investors: Are you interested in investing a bit of your assets or pension funds in defense (Raytheon, Northrup, etc.) or corporate/airport security (Wackenhut, etc.) companies? If so, let me know with a positive reply. I'll be making some recommendations based on research that I'll be using for my personal investing. Bush is clearly going to be spending so much readying the armed forces to threaten and then go to war with Iraq, and anyone else who dares standup to the American Economic Globalization Empire (China?), that even tiny defense sub-constractors will soon be rolling in dough. Esp. those firms run by his friends and Cheney's friends in Texas, and in states where he needs to keep joblessness low to win re-election (as he did for PA recently). Even the US Marines will be spending more money for advanced ship to beach landing craft. Maybe they will actually come ashore in the Tigris-Euphrates delta marshes at Basra this time, instead of just faking it like they did in the Gulf War. Remember, only a reply saying Guns Yes will keep you on this list after this first notice. Otherwise, no more on this topic will be sent to you.
Re: Aside on Michael Frede, Scary
He devotes the same attention to his students' work that he does to Plato or Aristotle (Platon or Aristotles, sufein, he's German). He'd do all this without making you feel dumb. He look at some particularly inane bit of argument with gentle puzzlement, then say Oh, sufein, ach, jawohl, I zee, vat you are trying to zay, iss . . . . sufein? Gently puzzled. Do yu zink of Sufi, surfin', saufen, or saufein?? Ziss iss ze Frege. But as you continue And he'd say something that you never throught of... with the nice ellipsis of drought and throat I suppose you was thinking of saufen. It's time for a pint of bitter. Cheerio hk
BLS Daily Report
BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, DAILY REPORT, MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2002: Despite the holiday-shortened week, look for a bevy of economic data, most of which are expected to underscore the strengthening economy, says the Los Angeles Times in an Internet article that combines reports from Reuters, Bloomberg News, and the Associated Press (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-21526mar25.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines %2Dbusiness. Economists expect a decrease in last month's sales of existing homes, though new-home sales are likely to have risen in February, when compared with January results. One of the week's most closely watched set of numbers will be reported Tuesday with the release of February orders for costly durable goods, which includes such items as washing machines and computers. Earlier this month, data showed U.S. businesses were building up inventories, anticipating an increase in demand from consumers and businesses amid the economic upturn. Now, investors are looking for evidence that anticipated growth in demand is showing up in orders. A final revision to fourth-quarter U.S. gross domestic product data is expected Thursday. Economists expect GDP to show a gain of 1.4 percent -- same as the previous revision. Consumer spending, which makes up approximately two-thirds of the economic activity in the nation, remained strong throughout the downturn and traders are watching for indications that it has continued to stay resilient. The Conference Board's index of consumer confidence, due Tuesday, is expected to show a gain to 98.8 in March from 94.1 in February. On Thursday, University of Michigan's final March consumer sentiment report will be released. The forecast calls for a reading of 95.1, up from 90.7 in February. The New York and Chicago regional manufacturing surveys are due Thursday. Taking into account savings, severance benefits, and financial adjustments they say they've made, most job hunters can afford a job search lasting close to half a year, according to a poll of 725 outplaced workers by career-services firm Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH), in Woodcliff Lake, N.J. Some 56 percent of respondents believed severance alone would cover them for the duration of their search. Those polled reported a median severance of 15 to 16 weeks (http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0325/p16s05-wmgn.html). DUE OUT TOMORROW: Regional and State Employment and Unemployment: February 2002 application/ms-tnef
Sufaein (was] Re: Aside on Michael Frede, Scary)
sufein? Gently puzzled. Do yu zink of Sufi, surfin', saufen, or saufein?? Ziss iss ze Frege. But as you continue And he'd say something that you never throught of... with the nice ellipsis of drought and throat I suppose you was thinking of saufen. It's time for a pint of bitter. No, sufein is a private verbal tick of his, sort of like Um, he uses it as a placekeeper while thinking. Former Frede students will meet in a bar in Kinshasa or Bangkok and tip a pint of the local bitters, toasting Sufein! You can tell us by our furrowed brows and marked up copies of ancient philosophical texts, every word and syllabe of the first 40 lines heavily annotated, and nothing thereafter. jks hk _ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com
RE: growin' gunstocks W-stylee
General Electric has a plant in Pennsylvania working 24/7 to replenish the supply of bombs to use in Iraq in 6 months... M.P. --- Original Message --- From: Forstater, Mathew [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 3/25/02 9:31:12 AM true solicitation received recently. don't even know where to begin with this one! - Friends, acquaintances, economists, investors: Are you interested in investing a bit of your assets or pension funds in defense (Raytheon, Northrup, etc.) or corporate/airport security (Wackenhut, etc.) companies? If so, let me know with a positive reply. I'll be making some recommendations based on research that I'll be using for my personal investing. Bush is clearly going to be spending so much readying the armed forces to threaten and then go to war with Iraq, and anyone else who dares standup to the American Economic Globalization Empire (China?), that even tiny defense sub-constractors will soon be rolling in dough. Esp. those firms run by his friends and Cheney's friends in Texas, and in states where he needs to keep joblessness low to win re-election (as he did for PA recently). Even the US Marines will be spending more money for advanced ship to beach landing craft. Maybe they will actually come ashore in the Tigris-Euphrates delta marshes at Basra this time, instead of just faking it like they did in the Gulf War. Remember, only a reply saying Guns Yes will keep you on this list after this first notice. Otherwise, no more on this topic will be sent to you.
Aside on Michael Frede, Scary
Aside on Michael Frede, Scary by Justin Schwartz 25 March 2002 17:02 UTC The curriculum goes from the Greeks to Descartes, Hume, and Kant. I had one (elective) class in the scholastics at Tigertown, and sat in on Michael Frede's class on Scotus's ontological argument. That was a scary experience. jks ^ Charles: What was scary about it ? Frede attains a level of depth, thoroughness, and insight that is really alarming. He's very nice, but he's frighteningly smart. Not smart like, I'm a tenth or a hundredth as smart as he is, but smart like the Grand Canyon is big in comparison to a child's mud puddle. Going through a text with him his like nothing in this world. In a class on Plato he spend a week on the _title_ of the Theatetus. In 14 weeks we got through 40 lines of the dialogue. CB: Sounds truly scholastic, a real book worm, textiphilia. So, you mean scary like good-scary. He was my junior paper advisor, I wrote on the final good in Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics. When he was done with that paper, every bolt, nut, screw, wheel, and bearing had been disassembled, stripped down, cleaned up, and put back together differently (and better). He devotes the same attention to his students' work that he does to Plato or Aristotle (Platon or Aristotles, sufein, he's German). He'd do all this without making you feel dumb. He look at some particularly inane bit of argument with gentle puzzlement, then say Oh, sufein, ach, jawohl, I zee, vat you are trying to zay, iss . . . . And he'd say something that you never throught of, but really it would have been much better if you had. He'd smoke Gitanes in class too, but this was more than 20 years ago, and besides, he's left Tigertown for Oxford, where, as far as I know, they don't care if you smoke in class. Jim H? Zat still true? Frede could dance, too. jks
Re: Aside on Michael Frede, Scary
Aside on Michael Frede, Scary by Justin Schwartz 25 March 2002 17:02 UTC CB: Sounds truly scholastic, a real book worm, textiphilia. So, you mean scary like good-scary. Yes, very. Very good, very scary, scary-good. --hjs _ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
Fightin' Yids
Thursday, April 4, 2002, 10 pm on PBS (check your local listings): Resistance: Untold Stories of Jewish Partisans I saw a screening of this. It's pretty good. Producer is a friend of mine. mbs
RE: Fightin' Yids
a friend of mine -- an anthropologist named Martin Cohen -- has done a lot of research on this (and he's not the only one). He argues that there was an amazing amount of Jewish armed resistance to the Nazis, even in Germany. Also, he argues that the U.S. Jewish establishment hates this stuff and wants to push the image of the European Jews before during WW2 as being basically passive victims. Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 1:08 PM To: Lbo-Talk; PEN-L Subject: [PEN-L:24314] Fightin' Yids Thursday, April 4, 2002, 10 pm on PBS (check your local listings): Resistance: Untold Stories of Jewish Partisans I saw a screening of this. It's pretty good. Producer is a friend of mine. mbs
Re: New Democratic World
At 23/03/02 09:11 +, I wrote: At 21/03/02 14:12 -0600, you wrote: Sabri Oncu wrote: As far as I can see, we are about to engage in the same old fight between reformists and revolutionaries(not necessarily Marxist-Leninists). I am sure everybody here heard enough of such fights, so let us leave this at that. Whether the fight takes that form or not depends (or should depend) on given historical conditions. If we are talking about the U.S. I believe the divide _at this time_ is between those whose hopes reside in a mass movement (whether they think in terms of reform or revolution) and those whose hopes reside in reforming or persuading various power centers (The Democratic Party, the U.S. Ruling Class, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the Labour Party) to do good things. The conflict between reform and revolution will remain, but it can be put on the back burner as it were. To see the havoc putting that conflict first does, subscribe to the AUT list. To see the havoc that the hope to transform power centers does, just keep on reading the poster you are responding to. Carrol What is the meaning of 'havoc' in this context? Chris Burford It looks like I will have to try to answer this, since in the past Carrol has declared that he never reads my posts, and presumably he just made a mistake with the previous one. According to the Oxford English Dictionary there are two broad meanings of havoc 1. In the phrase cry havoc orig, to give an army the horder havoc!, and so of general spoliation or pillage. In later use (usually after Shakes.) fig., and associated with sense 2 1385 2. Devastation, destruction; esp. in phr. to make havoc, play havoc (freq,. const. with) in which the earlier sense of spoliation or plunder has gradually passed into that of destructive devastation. Also in weakened sense: confusion and disorder, disarray. 1480 I am intrigued by the possibility that even to entertain the proposition I advanced, is a signal of political or theoretical pillage, but perhaps he just meant confusion. If so, I have to suggest the confusion is his. I am not familiar with the AUT list but if there is a conflict between reform and revolution that conflict is surely dialectical. Only a revolutionary idealist would think you can get to a revolution without striving with others for reforms, even if those reforms are unlikely to be granted. So all people who seriously want to change the world radically, whether or not by revolution, are likely to be struggling for some reforms. Such as Land, Peace, and Bread, for example? The pertinent discussion is whether the struggle for a particular reform is one that will strengthen the popular movement, or weaken it by allowing the oppressive forces just to reimpose their domination by a minor change which does nothing to alter the balance of power. Carrol suggests that the hope to transform power centers causes havoc. This is an odd formulation. To struggle for a reform does not mean that one is particularly expecting to transform a centre of power. The class composition of the Bush government will remain the same whether the hawks have won out and launch an invasion of Iraq, or whether the doves (relative doves) have succeeded in diverting this. Indeed I understood on LBO-talk that Carrol has argued it is pointless to attempt to do anything to try to deter the US government from more offensive wars. This seems an odd concept of how to avoid political havoc, but has the orderliness presumably of philosophical detachment, while the reactionaries pursue their goals in good order. There are many contradictions in a complex political process. Carrol has singled out one as the crucial one for left wingers to orientate themselves around. It is misleading: I believe the divide _at this time_ is between those whose hopes reside in a mass movement (whether they think in terms of reform or revolution) and those whose hopes reside in reforming or persuading various power centers (The Democratic Party, the U.S. Ruling Class, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the Labour Party) to do good things. Yes it mistaken to think that an existing centre of power will necessarily become progressive through political struggle. The US Democratic Party, or the UK Labour Party have the job of winning elections and will tack and turn as seems necessary. But a struggle which relies on popular support outside such institutions to change policy, is one that should enhance the confidence of people in struggle, and does not need to creat illusions in the institution. For example in Britain the low voting figures show that few people have idolatrous trust in the British Labour Party. It is still progressive to make a distinction between major British parties as to whether they will cut the welfare state or not. On the world stage, which was the focus of my original contribution under this thread title, Bush has just announced in
RE: RE: Fightin' Yids
if true, one reason could be the extent to which the resistance was intertwined with the Soviets. the documentary makes heavy use of Soviet archives, including old reenactments that use Russian soldiers. portraying both partisans and Nazi's. mbs a friend of mine -- an anthropologist named Martin Cohen -- has done a lot of research on this (and he's not the only one). He argues that there was an amazing amount of Jewish armed resistance to the Nazis, even in Germany. Also, he argues that the U.S. Jewish establishment hates this stuff and wants to push the image of the European Jews before during WW2 as being basically passive victims. Jim Devine [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/~jdevine
RE: RE: RE: Fightin' Yids
I wrote: a friend of mine -- an anthropologist named Martin Cohen -- has done a lot of research on this (and he's not the only one). He argues that there was an amazing amount of Jewish armed resistance to the Nazis, even in Germany. Also, he argues that the U.S. Jewish establishment hates this stuff and wants to push the image of the European Jews before during WW2 as being basically passive victims. if true, one reason could be the extent to which the resistance was intertwined with the Soviets. the documentary makes heavy use of Soviet archives, including old reenactments that use Russian soldiers. portraying both partisans and Nazi's. mbs I think it's slightly more sinister: the elite wants passive donors to their cause and support for Israel no matter what. Zionism and standing-and-fighting are seen as mutually exclusive alternatives. Further, the Bund tradition of socialist or labor-oriented Jews is anathema, whether or not the socialists were pro-Soviet. jgd
Re: Iraq war and the Turkish economy
Maybe some of our Turkish Pen-lers might have comments on this. Cheers, Ken Hanly Ken, I am not ignoring your question. I was waiting for a response from those Turkish Pen-lers who live in Turkey. As far as I remember from an earlier post of Michael, from some six months ago or so, there are some. Very interesting things are happening in Ankara in these days and I am as curious as you are about getting insider information/comments. In the mean time, I will look for a few English articles on the topic. Best, Sabri
RE: Re: Iraq war and the Turkish economy
This doesn't say anything about the economy but it shows how important Turkey is to the US operation in Iraq. Sabri Former CIA chief says Iraq-Al-Qaeda links obvious Turkish Daily News - March 25, 2002 Former director of the U.S. intelligence agency, the CIA, James Woolsey said that links between the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Iraq were obvious, commenting that only Turkey's support of an operation on Iraq would be vital. Taking part in a CNN television program, Woolsey spoke about the possibility of the United States opening their second stage of the war on terrorism against Iraq. Woolsey drew attention to CIA Director George Tenet's remarks at the U.S. Congress, where he referred to the links between Iraq and the Al-Qaeda network, which was behind the Sept. 11 attacks. Woolsey stated that Iraq has been training terrorists on how to hijack with knives, and that the Iraqi intelligence officials' contacts with leading terrorist Muhammed Atta in the Czech Republic have been confirmed by Czech intelligence. Woolsey indicated that there was considerable evidence to prove the Iraq-Al-Qaeda link. Arguing that the United States would not need the support of any state apart from Turkey, Woolsey said that Turkey's support was crucial. I think difficult negotiations will be needed, he stated. The support of Kuwait is also needed, but their support will gradually be provided. We need the support of Britain and Saudi Arabia, but Turkey is the key state here. Its support should be secured. If the help of the other states cannot be secured, there would not be significant consequences, because, for a military strike, we just need a few U.S. infantry, which means a few good men, Woolsey continued. Michael O'Hanlon of The Brookings Institute, based in Washington, on the other hand, said that there was limited evidence of links between Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and the Al-Qaeda. It would mean committing suicide for Saddam to be on close terms with the Al-Qaeda. We don't see strong evidence, such as extensive cooperation, financing contacts, weapons of mass destruction or education, he said. Stating that Saddam knows he would be toppled in the event of any step taken by him against the United States, O'Hanlon said that if a serious link between Saddam and the Al-Qaeda were to be found, the United States should seriously think about ousting him.
RE: RE: RE: RE: Fightin' Yids
I think it's slightly more sinister: the elite wants passive donors to their cause and support for Israel no matter what. Zionism and standing-and-fighting are seen as mutually exclusive alternatives. Further, the Bund tradition of socialist or labor-oriented Jews is anathema, whether or not the socialists were pro-Soviet. jgd Not necessarily. Properly reconstructed, the resistance could serve the purposes of elites. For instance, the recent TV movie about the Warsaw ghetto uprising was leached of left political content and framed the rebellion as a more honorable form of suicide: stand-and-fight as a matter of Jewish honor. The implicit subtext was the ancient Jewish version of the Alamo -- Masada -- a staple of zionist macho discourse. Little or no hint of some overarching, historical purpose in fighting fascism. As I think of it, I don't remember the word 'fascism' ever being uttered in the movie. mbs
RE: Re: Iraq war and the Turkish economy
These should give you some information on the current economic conditions, of course, if you take them at the face value. Sabri +++ Privatization Minister says sell-offs so far unsatisfactory Turkish Daily News, March 25, 2002 Turkey has carried out $7.4 billion worth of sell-offs since 1985, which is an unsatisfactory figure, Privatization Minister Yilmaz Karakoyunlu said. Of this total, $4 billion has been performed in the last four years. In response to an official question by Saadet (happiness or contentment) Party (SP) Deputy Zeki Celik, Karakoyunlu said a shortage of capital and technology accumulation and political instability had deterred privatization over the past 15 years. Substantial progress has been made in privatization in the past four years, particularly during 1998-2000, he added. Turkey aims to carry out $1.5 billion worth of privatizations in 2002. In its first major privatization attempt since the financial crisis that broke in February 2001, the government last week secured $183 million in proceeds from the secondary public offering of a 16.5 percent stake in oil retailer POAS. Another major company slated for privatization this year is oil refiner Tupras, which the government wants to put on a third offer by June. Looking at the track record on privatization, the government has largely failed to meet its targets. Turkey projected $4 billion in privatization receipts in 1999 and managed to raise $38 million. In 2000 the target was $5.2 billion and the figure that actually turned out was $2.7 billion. Last year, the government expected $1 billion worth of privatization operations and managed only $119 million. Karakoyunlu suggested that the agency responsible for privatization should acquire autonomy, so that sell-offs can be carried out more efficiently and swiftly. He added that work on the legislative changes that will establish an independent privatization body has been completed. The government has drafted a privatization bill to accelerate sell-off operations by handing over the final decision-making to a privatization agency, which will partly transform from the current Privatization Administration. The bill empowers the Cabinet for marking the companies slated for privatization, but after that the autonomous privatization agency will be responsible for the whole sale procedure. -- OECD urges time, patience for economic growth Turkish Daily News, March 25, 2002 The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said recent developments in Turkish financial markets were an indication that the Turkish economy has started picking up. Economic recovery will resume, provided that Turkey implements the measures in the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed program as planned, OECD Turkey desk chief Alexandra Bibbee said in remarks quoted by the Anatolia news agency. But a little time and patience is needed, Bibbee added. OECD chief Bibbee also said they need fresh economic data to make predictions about the economy. Financial markets in Turkey have stabilized since late 2001, on the back of the optimism created by the new IMF-backed economic program. The U.S. dollar has weakened to below 1.35 million to the lira as of last week's close, from above 1.6 million in October last year. Lower-than-expected February inflation figures have also created optimism, prompting the Central Bank to cut short-term interest rates twice in a month's time, thereby triggering a rate cut spree. Despite increased optimism in the markets, however, economic actors are not so positive about the outlook, as there is yet too little -- if any -- evidence that would suggest the growth process has resumed. Bibbee's remarks address concerns in business and industry circles that the economy might be heading for a deflation under tight IMF policies, while international finance institutions see the strict implementation of the program as the key to resolving once and for all the problems that deter economic growth. In an earlier report on Turkey the OECD had suggested that the emergency issue in the Turkish economy was a restructuring in the banking sector and that economic stability depends on sustained reform efforts. The OECD has also cautioned of the wide gaps in income distribution, calling for a fair wage policy across social masses.
Re: RE: RE: RE: RE: Fightin' Yids
I remember hearing an interview on KPFA in Berkeley sometime ago regarding a story of several teenagers, boys and girls, who were Jewish partisans. Perhaps somebody knows the book. They showed incredible courage and ingenuity. Eventually they settled in Israel. The leader, hardened by the war, continued his guerrilla activities by behaving violently against the Arabs. I have no idea how common such a transition was. On Mon, Mar 25, 2002 at 06:15:00PM -0500, Max Sawicky wrote: I think it's slightly more sinister: the elite wants passive donors to their cause and support for Israel no matter what. Zionism and standing-and-fighting are seen as mutually exclusive alternatives. Further, the Bund tradition of socialist or labor-oriented Jews is anathema, whether or not the socialists were pro-Soviet. jgd Not necessarily. Properly reconstructed, the resistance could serve the purposes of elites. For instance, the recent TV movie about the Warsaw ghetto uprising was leached of left political content and framed the rebellion as a more honorable form of suicide: stand-and-fight as a matter of Jewish honor. The implicit subtext was the ancient Jewish version of the Alamo -- Masada -- a staple of zionist macho discourse. Little or no hint of some overarching, historical purpose in fighting fascism. As I think of it, I don't remember the word 'fascism' ever being uttered in the movie. mbs -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Fightin' Yids
Not necessarily. Properly reconstructed, the resistance could serve the purposes of elites. For instance, the recent TV movie about the Warsaw ghetto uprising was leached of left political content and framed the rebellion as a more honorable form of suicide: stand-and-fight as a matter of Jewish honor. The implicit subtext was the ancient Jewish version of the Alamo -- Masada -- a staple of zionist macho discourse. Little or no hint of some overarching, historical purpose in fighting fascism. As I think of it, I don't remember the word 'fascism' ever being uttered in the movie. I don't remember a reference to fascism, but surely the Nazis were mentioned. Also, I saw a little of it and I remember hearing a reference to the Bund. JGDevine
Re: RE: RE: RE: Fightin' Yids
I wrote: a friend of mine -- an anthropologist named Martin Cohen -- has done a lot of research on this (and he's not the only one). He argues that there was an amazing amount of Jewish armed resistance to the Nazis, even in Germany. Well, what's an amazing amount? I visited the very moving Museum der Wiederstand in Berlin, in the former OKW (Wejrmacht) HQ, somewhat out of theway, though right byt the Tiergarten. They hanged Stauffenberg and the chief July conspirators there; there werewreaths and flowers still left to them. The museum fully documents every bit of resistance the Germans have found, they had an exhaustive exhibit on DieRote Kapelle, the Red Orchestra, Soviet spies (nonviolent but very effective), the White Rose, etc. Not much on arme Jewish resistance in Germany. The museum is an absolutely must see if you are within 300 miles of it, it will given you renewed faith in the human race. I struggled on, despairing only when there was merely injustice, and no resistance. (Brecht again, Luke: An den Nachgeboren, To Those Born Later--my own theme poem.) Now in the East it was a different story, Jews held off Stroop's SS in theWarsaw Ghetto for weeks with a handful of pistols and grenades, Jewish partisans played hell with the Nazis in the Pripet marches near Minsk, etc. Jewish resisters burned down Treblinka and revolted at Sobibor. Also, he argues that the U.S. Jewish establishment hates this stuff and wants to push the image of the European Jews before during WW2 as being basically passive victims. Plausible, but has he evidence? NB the passive victim stuff was perceived there at the time. ANyone know the great song Dona Dona, a Yiddish hymn written by a songwriter who perished in Auschwitz? On a wagon, bound for market, lies a calf with a mournful eye/High above him flies a swallow, winging swiftly through the sky/Dona dona dona dona, dona dona don' . . . . On the other hand there is We Are coming, the Partisan Song, This was was written in blood and not with lead (pehncil lead, that is); we sing that at Pesach in my house, reminds me I have to get out the songsheet. What would be rationale? Maybe the thought is, we need to be strong and fierce to prevent that from happening again, if the Jews had resisted, more of them would have lived. But from a Zionist point of view, isn't the key thing that you need a nation, mere resistance without land to defend isn;t enough? if true, one reason could be the extent to which the resistance was intertwined with the Soviets. the documentary makes heavy use of Soviet archives, including old reenactments that use Russian soldiers. portraying both partisans and Nazi's. Right. Effective resistancewas pretty much Communist. Consider: the White Rose (Catholic) got rolled up in months after its firsat action. The Red Orchestra lasted years. mbs I think it's slightly more sinister: the elite wants passive donors to their cause and support for Israel no matter what. Surely. Zionism and standing-and-fighting are seen as mutually exclusive alternatives. Why? Further, the Bund tradition of socialist or labor-oriented Jews is anathema, whether or not the socialists were pro-Soviet. jgd Absolutely. As one of the last few in the old tradition, I'm a dinosaur. jks _ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
From the Turkish Media
Really interesting things are happening there. I think we are going to war. Also of interest is the change in strategy of the Kurdistan Workers Party, as mentioned in the third piece below. Sabri ++ MILLIYET - March 25, 2002 SENATOR MCCAIN: ''YOU SHOULD PRERARE YOUR LIST'' U.S. Senator John McCain addressed on March 20 a group of Turkish and American businessmen, and said that U.S. President George W. Bush would call Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit on the phone sooner or later about the issue of Iraq. He said that Turkey should prepare its list of demands, and added that the U.S. Congress could not reject them. Giving the example of Pakistan, McCain said General Musharraf had put forward a series of demands, and reached all of them. He said that success of a possible military operation against Iraq depended on Turkey's support. + NTVMSNBC - March 25, 2002 ISAF talks continuing: Ecevit Ecevit said that Cheney told him the US would provide Turkey with a two part funding package totalling $228 million. March 25 The conditions set out by Turkey for it to assume command of the international peacekeeping force in Afghanistan have not yet been met and technical talks are continuing, Turkish Premier Bülent Ecevit said on Monday. Speaking at a press conference at Ankara airport before departing for a NATO meeting in Romania, Ecevit said that there were problems over the responsibilities and area of the deployment of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF). These had yet to be resolved he said. Referring to a proposal from the US to provide funds for Turkey to meet the expenses of taking over command of the 4,800 strong ISAF, mooted during the recent visit of US Vice President Dick Cheney to Turkey, Ecevit said that the fund would come in two parts and there was no information as where the instalment of $200 million was to be spent. NTVMSNBC - March 25, 2002 PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) to try the political arena Meeting called on Turkey to improve the conditions of the PKKs imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, currently being held on an island in the Marmara Sea and under a sentence of death. March 25 The so-called 8th Congress of the terrorist organisation the PKK has voted to drop the groups name in favour of the Peoples Freedom Party. The PKK agreed to the proposal to lay down its weapons and end its armed struggle, on the condition that all PKK members barring the head Abdullah Öcalan would be granted an pardon as part of a general amnesty. The meeting of senior PKK figure, which took place in a number of locations in Northern Iraq also declared that the execution of the groups imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, would constitute a cause to return to the use of armed force. The PKK also wants Ocalan to be moved to another prison than the island where he is currently being held as the only prisoner and demand better conditions for him. The meeting of the PKK also was reported to have called for only the minimum the usage of the word Kurdistan and then only for geographical purposes. + Anatolian Agency - March 25, 2002 Cem: Turkey Has Two Targets ISTANBUL, March 25 (A.A) - Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said on Sunday that Turkey had two targets, noting that one was full membership to the European Union (EU), and the other one was to be a center to Eurasia. Cem attended a lunch in the opening of a Conference held by East-West Institute Eurasia Strategy Group, based in the United States. Cem, who made a speech at the opening of the conference, pointed out that Turkey supported the works of East-West Institute and that they would continue to expend support. Cem said the institute, which has been set up 21 years ago, was very important with its dynamic structure. ''Turkey has two targets; one is to be a full member of the EU, and the other one is to be a center to Eurasia,'' Cem said, noting that Turkey wanted improve relations both with the EU and Eurasia. ''I believe the fact that the more our relations are positive with the EU, the more our relations would be positive with the Balkans and Eurasia,'' Cem stressed, and noted that thus Turkey's image would be better in the EU circles. Cem said Turkey was one of the several countries situated both in Europe and Asia, and added that it was closer to Asia in historical and cultural means. ''There are many clashes in the region, there is intolerance toward religion. There is lack of radicalism and democracy. However, it is a region where there are international investments.'' Pointing out that Georgia was a key country in the region and that problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan was within the field of interest of Turkey, Cem said foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan would convene within two months, and discuss general issues. Cem said this was a positive development. Cem said another important item on the agenda was Afghanistan, and voiced the seriousness of the problems in the
extract of my new Intellectual Property Book
Doug Henwood graciously put an extract from my new IP book at his web site: I just got my copy a couple of days ago. An excerpt on intellectual property from Michael Perelman's forthcoming book is now at http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/MPonIP.pdf. According to the file info box, it's Acrobat 3.x format. -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University [EMAIL PROTECTED] Chico, CA 95929 530-898-5321 fax 530-898-5901
RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Fightin' Yids
[In re the TV version of the Warsaw uprising] Sure the film was lousy with Nazis. But there was nothing about fascism -- only terribly bad guys called 'Nazis' some pretty bad guys called 'Poles,' and some schlemiels who were jews (one of whom redeems himself). The Bund was referenced in the context of a bunch of left (and maybe other) factions agreeing on the need to fight, or something like that. What do I want from a TV movie? A little more. --mbs I don't remember a reference to fascism, but surely the Nazis were mentioned. Also, I saw a little of it and I remember hearing a reference to the Bund. JGDevine
RE: Re: RE: RE: RE: Fightin' Yids
www.forward.com Have you read the Forward recently? It's under new (old) ownership, I'm told. One of the old-timers told me it's back on track. mbs Absolutely. As one of the last few in the old tradition, I'm a dinosaur. jks
Did the boom benefit workers????
APRIL 1, 2002/BusinessWeek Restating the '90s By Michael Mandel. We now have enough perspective to look back at the last decade and assess what was real--and what wasn't. Conjure up the economic gains of the 1990s, and what comes to mind? Perhaps it was how the stock market ruled: All those initial public offerings that raked in unprecedented billions for venture capitalists. Or the dramatic rise in 401(k)s and mutual funds. Or the growing ranks of the Investor Class who cashed in big-time as the Standard Poor's 500-stock index quadrupled. And wasn't it a great time to be a top manager, with productivity gains boosting the bottom line and igniting executive pay? While it was going on, venture capitalist L. John Doerr called the boom the largest single legal creation of wealth in history. For both investors and managers, it seemed like nirvana. Well, yes and no. With the recession apparently over, it's now possible to make a more realistic assessment of the entire business cycle of the 1990s: The sluggish recovery that started in March, 1991, the extraordinary boom, the tech bust, and the downturn of 2001. And guess what? A lot of things happened that defy the conventional beliefs about the decade. For starters, over this 10-year period, productivity rose at a 2.2% annual rate, roughly half a percentage point faster than in the 1980s--a significant gain. But the real stunner is this: The biggest winners from the faster productivity growth of the 1990s were workers, not investors. In the end, workers reaped most of the gains from the added output generated by the New Economy productivity speedup. This revelation helps explain why consumer spending stayed so strong in the recession--and why businesses may struggle in the months ahead. The key is that wage growth accelerated dramatically for most American workers in the 1990s business cycle. Real wage gains for private-sector workers averaged 1.3% a year, from the beginning of the expansion in March, 1991, to the apparent end of the recession in December, 2001. That's far better than the 0.2% annual wage gain in the 1980s business cycle, from November, 1982, to March, 1991. The gains were also better distributed than in the previous decade. Falling unemployment put many more people to work and swelled salaries across the board: Everyone from top managers to factory workers to hairdressers benefited. Indeed, the past few years have been the best period of wage growth at the bottom in the last 30 years, says Lawrence F. Katz, a labor economist at Harvard University. By contrast, the return on the stock market in the 1990s business cycle was actually lower than it was in the business cycle of the '80s. Adjusted for inflation and including dividends, average annual returns on the SP-500 index from March, 1991, to the end of 2001 were 11.1%, compared with 12.8% in the previous business cycle. Bondholders and small savers saw their returns drop even more in the '90s. The real return on six-month certificates of deposit, for example, was only 3.1% over the past decade, compared with 4.7% in the '80s. Overall, BusinessWeek calculates that workers received 99% of the gains from faster productivity growth in the 1990s at nonfinancial corporations. Corporate profits did rise sharply, but much of that gain was fueled by lower interest rates rather than increased productivity. Why did workers fare so well in the 1990s? The education level of many Americans made an impressive leap in the '90s, putting them in a better position to qualify for the sorts of jobs that the New Economy created. Low unemployment rates drove up wages. And a torrent of foreign money coming into the U.S. created new jobs and financed productivity-enhancing equipment investment. Meanwhile, U.S. corporations were hit by a one-two punch: an economic slowdown overseas following the 1997 Asia financial crisis and the tech bust at home in 2000. To the dismay of tech investors, the hundreds of billions poured into Internet ventures and new telecom equipment ended up lowering prices for users, not raising profits for corporations. We convinced ourselves we had discovered some magic elixir of productivity that would elevate corporate profits far above historical standards, says Gary Hamel, head of consulting firm Strategos and author of the 1994 best-seller Competing for the Future. But most of the productivity gains that are made possible by e-business will never go to the bottom line. They will all go to customers. The fact that workers reaped the bulk of the benefits of New Economy productivity gains helps explain why consumer spending and the housing market stayed strong during the 2001 recession. Heftier wages have sustained consumption at levels higher than we would have expected, says Barry Bluestone, an economist at Northeastern University. Moreover, it is now easier to understand why corporate executives remain relatively bleak about the future despite the apparent recovery.
RE: extract of my new Intellectual Property Book
with regard to Michael's reference to Hoffman's STEAL THIS BOOK, investigative comedian Bob Harris has a book titled STEAL THIS BOOK AND GET LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE. The change in the title reflects the change in the U.S. political economy since Hoffman's book. -- JD -Original Message- From: Michael Perelman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 3/25/02 5:49 PM Subject: [PEN-L:24327] extract of my new Intellectual Property Book Doug Henwood graciously put an extract from my new IP book at his web site: I just got my copy a couple of days ago. An excerpt on intellectual property from Michael Perelman's forthcoming book is now at http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/MPonIP.pdf. According to the file info box, it's Acrobat 3.x format. -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University [EMAIL PROTECTED] Chico, CA 95929 530-898-5321 fax 530-898-5901
Re: RE: extract of my new Intellectual Property Book
I did not choose the title. The publisher insisted on it. On Mon, Mar 25, 2002 at 06:12:20PM -0800, Devine, James wrote: with regard to Michael's reference to Hoffman's STEAL THIS BOOK, investigative comedian Bob Harris has a book titled STEAL THIS BOOK AND GET LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE. The change in the title reflects the change in the U.S. political economy since Hoffman's book. -- JD -Original Message- From: Michael Perelman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 3/25/02 5:49 PM Subject: [PEN-L:24327] extract of my new Intellectual Property Book Doug Henwood graciously put an extract from my new IP book at his web site: I just got my copy a couple of days ago. An excerpt on intellectual property from Michael Perelman's forthcoming book is now at http://www.leftbusinessobserver.com/MPonIP.pdf. According to the file info box, it's Acrobat 3.x format. -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University [EMAIL PROTECTED] Chico, CA 95929 530-898-5321 fax 530-898-5901 -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: RE: Re: Iraq war and the Turkish economy
Former director of the U.S. intelligence agency, the CIA, James Woolsey said that links between the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Iraq were obvious, commenting that only Turkey's support of an operation on Iraq would be vital. Taking part in a CNN television program, Woolsey spoke about the possibility of the United States opening their second stage of the war on terrorism against Iraq. Interesting, especially in light of Woolsey's statements on the morning of 9/11 in a phone interview with Peter Jennings on ABC. He said the attack was due to regulations imposed on the CIA and the FBI after the Church Commission hearings in 1970's (These supposedly ended domestic spying, assassinations of foreign leaders and the FBI's COINTELPRO program which will come under scrutiny again on April 8 in Oakland CA in the Judi Bari vs. FBI Oakland Police trial in federal court.) His interview was immediately followed by Jennings interviewing, again by phone, former Secretary James Baker (the architect of the Florida vote scam) who said almost exactly the same thing as Woolsey. Jennings had to ask what the commission in the 70's was. It seemed to me at the time that Woolsey and Baker were reading from the same script. This was before the buildings collapsed and when all the networks were talking about the plane that had crashed into Camp David, or that it is believed that one of the planes was headed for Camp David. I've always wondered if Woolsey and Baker got their scripts from the same people who floated the unfounded -- but important -- rumor about Camp David, 9/11 being the anniversary of the accords and all. By the way, Jennings did ask Woolsey then or since about the terrorism regulators say Sun HealthCare Group, Inc imposes on many of this nation's elderly. Woolsey sits on its board. Dan Scanlan Grass Valley CA
Re: RE: Re: Iraq war and the Turkish economy
The US simply does not want any nation to have an effective defence against it, if that can be avoided. Iraq is no doubt attempting to develop weapons that would make US attempts to simply impose their will on Iraq quite costly. The US is convinced it has the power to simply replace Hussein one way or another and install a more compliant regime. By the way I understand that Kuwait is not in favor of a US attack and that Iraq has just recently made conciliatory gestures toward Kuwait. Given that the US is publicly committed to a unitary state in Iraq I can't see how they can get much support from the Kurds or even Shiites in the south who might want to join Iran. Cheers, Ken Hanly - Original Message - From: Sabri Oncu [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: PEN-L [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 5:01 PM Subject: [PEN-L:24320] RE: Re: Iraq war and the Turkish economy This doesn't say anything about the economy but it shows how important Turkey is to the US operation in Iraq. Sabri Former CIA chief says Iraq-Al-Qaeda links obvious Turkish Daily News - March 25, 2002 Former director of the U.S. intelligence agency, the CIA, James Woolsey said that links between the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Iraq were obvious, commenting that only Turkey's support of an operation on Iraq would be vital. Taking part in a CNN television program, Woolsey spoke about the possibility of the United States opening their second stage of the war on terrorism against Iraq. Woolsey drew attention to CIA Director George Tenet's remarks at the U.S. Congress, where he referred to the links between Iraq and the Al-Qaeda network, which was behind the Sept. 11 attacks. Woolsey stated that Iraq has been training terrorists on how to hijack with knives, and that the Iraqi intelligence officials' contacts with leading terrorist Muhammed Atta in the Czech Republic have been confirmed by Czech intelligence. Woolsey indicated that there was considerable evidence to prove the Iraq-Al-Qaeda link. Arguing that the United States would not need the support of any state apart from Turkey, Woolsey said that Turkey's support was crucial. I think difficult negotiations will be needed, he stated. The support of Kuwait is also needed, but their support will gradually be provided. We need the support of Britain and Saudi Arabia, but Turkey is the key state here. Its support should be secured. If the help of the other states cannot be secured, there would not be significant consequences, because, for a military strike, we just need a few U.S. infantry, which means a few good men, Woolsey continued. Michael O'Hanlon of The Brookings Institute, based in Washington, on the other hand, said that there was limited evidence of links between Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and the Al-Qaeda. It would mean committing suicide for Saddam to be on close terms with the Al-Qaeda. We don't see strong evidence, such as extensive cooperation, financing contacts, weapons of mass destruction or education, he said. Stating that Saddam knows he would be toppled in the event of any step taken by him against the United States, O'Hanlon said that if a serious link between Saddam and the Al-Qaeda were to be found, the United States should seriously think about ousting him.
more on steel tariffs
From a free trade perspective, the moves make no sense at all (neither the tariffs by the US or the European retaliation). From a strategic trade perspective, though, they make perfectly good sense. The US trade policy strategizers want higher steel prices, even if they have to be artificially created in the NA trade bloc first. And they want consolidation and restructuring to follow a flow that is advantageous to US interests. The Europeans are now scrambling for a policy to counter that. And the E. Asians are left out in the cold more or less. So far everything is going as planned. - http://www.newsteel.com/2001/0101vp.htm Obstacles to consolidation include union issues, legacy liabilities, integration risks, new-technology risks, low perceived synergies, and the apparent huge scale of consolidation required before any sort of pricing-power benefits might be seen, says Richard Aldrich, v.p., Lehman Brothers. Mergers and acquisitions can be painful. Chrysler suffered financially after it bought American Motors; now its hurting as part of DaimlerChrysler. Corus is having growing pains, too. Global consolidation is inevitable, Wilhelm writes. Whats required is sound analysis and strong leadership. Each company must determine where its strengths and weaknesses lie and then find ways to build on its strengths and consider outsourcing operations in which its weak. Steel executives should look long and hard at the long-term viability of cokemaking, ironmaking, and steelmaking in the U.S. They shouldnt depend just on one market, such as automotive, or even one part of the world. The diversification of Allegheny Technologies products and strength in certain global markets, notably aerospace, power generation, oil and gas, and medical, should offset some of the expected weakness in commodity stainless steel, said Robert Bozzone, ATs new chairman, on Dec. 19th. The notion of national producers will give way to global and regional producers, says Guy Doll?, exec. v.p., Usinor. The reduction in the number of players will increase the return on capital. Steelmaking is a strategic industry necessary for military preparedness. But that didnt stop British Steel from merging with its neighbor across the North Sea to form Corus?or Ispat from buying Inland. Another key question steel executives must ask: What do my customers want, and will they pay for it? Its easy to fall in love with the latest technology, but too many projects havent returned enough capital. We can divide todays North American steel industry into three tiers: (1) sound, consistently profitable companies, such as Nucor, AK, U.S. Steel, Commercial Metals, CarTech, Allegheny Technologies, Dofasco, and Steel Dynamics; (2) basically sound companies that arent always profitable, such as Birmingham and Ispat Inland; and (3) imperiled companies that are in Chapter 11, have applied for a government loan, or are losing a lot of money, such as Wheeling- Pittsburgh, Acme, and LTV. Too many companies teeter on the brink of falling from Tier 2 to Tier 3. Companies in Tier 1, plus strong companies overseas (such as Usinor), may find partners or acquisitions in any of the three tiers. All steel companies should consider closing down unprofitable operations. Government should do nothing to discourage that. Rather, it should make it easier to offload pension and retirees health-care costs to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.; this enabled Oregon Steel to buy CFI. Steel is a marvelous material with a bright future once the industry is restructured worldwide. Global consumption of steel has grown by a whopping 98 million metric tons in the past five years, from 654 m.m.t. in 1996 to 752 m.m.t. in 2000. The global steel industry is huge, with over $500 billion in annual sales, second only to oil; the scope for value creation is quite large, Aldrich says. Basic metals can provide a good return for shareholders, as Alcoa has proven. The aluminum industry has more than twice the global steel industrys market capitalization despite having less than one-third the steel industrys sales, Aldrich says. After World War II, the global steel industry focused on adding capacity; in the 1980s and 1990s, on improving efficiency; and then on serving the customer. Now we need to focus on adding value that customers will pay for and reconfiguring the industry so that its financially attractive. -- Posted by Charles Jannuzi
Re: more on steel tariffs
First, I'm not sure why what I wrote somehow ended up looking like it was quoted from a previous mail with the symbols--must be a quirk of shifting fonts on this Japanese OS I'm using. Next: And of course you can't contemplate US strategic trade policy without getting the more obviously venal aspects out of the way. That is, I wonder how artificially high prices and distressed assets will benefit the makers, shakers and breakers at Carlyle Group? They sure do have interests in steel. Steel yourself for the shocking news! http://www.hoovers.com/co/capsule/3/0,2163,105173,00.html Available only to Hoover's Online subscribers. See Samples. 2101 W. 10th St. Anniston, AL 36202(Map) Phone: 256-237-2841 Fax: 256-235-9699 Toll Free: 800-235-0015 http://www.spdforgings.com Corporate Hierarchy United Defense Steel Products Division knows what it takes to forge ahead. A branch of United Defense Industries, United Defense Steel Products manufactures forged products for the mining and petroleum industries, including flight bars, hubs, treadlinks, and wing nuts. It also makes brake spiders, daggers, pivot shafts, and other products used by the equipment and heavy-truck industries. The division operates the largest forging facility in the southeastern US, where it also offers precision machining along with assembly and heat-treating services. United Defense Steel Products' forging facilities are in close proximity to Anniston Army Depot, the US military's primary site for combat vehicles. --- Posted by Charles Jannuzi
Why Carlyle Group wants to own a big Japanese bank
To finance and gear investments like this: http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/180800/detECO06.htm Carlyle of US to invest $250 mn in IT sector HT Correspondent (New Delhi, August 17) CARLYLE GROUP, the US based leading private equity fund has decided to invest $250 million in Indian information technology (IT) sector. An announcement to this effect was made by company group managing director David here today. Talking to media, Rubenstein said that the proposed investment will be made in next three years and group's exposure in India would be one-third of the total investment of $750 million in Asia. The group plans to build a portfolio that consists primarily of strategic investments in technology initiatives supporting Asia's telecommunications infrastructure, wireless communication, Internet and software industries. Speaking on the occasion, Carlyle痴 managing director, Asia, Tony Jansz said that the company has already invested more than $20 million in six technology companies in India during the last five months. The limit for equity investment in the lower-end companies is two to ten million dollars and for that of high-end companies from $10-40 million, he said and added that the average investment period ranges from three to five years. Out of total $750 million, the group has earmarked $250 million for India and China each and balance $250 million for other Asian countries. However, Jansz ruled out making any investment in those dotcom companies whose revenue streams are based on advertisement. 展e are looking at technology and the proper revenue stream before taking fresh exposures.・ The group will also take exposures in telecom infrastructure like national long distance telephony. Jansz said that the group would also provide world-class supporting services to technology initiatives in India, China, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. --- Charles J
Re: RE: marx's proof regarding surplus value and profit
On reading the material surrounding the passage I chose to comment upon I see that I have indeed misunderstood your remarks. However, you still seem to commit a petitio since in reply you insist that what you identify as a fallacy is such when that is part of the issue- even though my response is off the mark. The remarks I took issue with are as follows: If you claim that something someone said can't be right, you have to show that there is *no* interpretation under which it is right. It just doesn't wash to say, here's my interpretation of Keynes. Under my interpretation, there is this error, that internal inconsistency, etc. Ergo, Keynes committed this error, that internal inconsistency, etc. There's a missing premise, namely that one's interpretation has been proven to be correct. But to disprove the claim, all one needs to do is show that there's some possible other interpretation according to which it makes sense. In the first sentence I was not reading can't as a logical can't but I gather that is what you intend, that there is an internal inconsistency that entails that what is said cannot be true. By the way if there is simply an error in Keyne's, on a certain interpretation, the claim would surely be more accurate that what he said was not true as a matter of fact. There may not be any logical inconsistency. I agree that there is a sense in which if there is some other possible interpretation according to which what is said is not inconsistent this would be sufficient to disprove the claim that what Keynes or Marx or whomever said can't be true. I assume this is what making sense is supposed to mean. I read can't as meaning extremely unlikely or implausible, in conflict with what seems well established. I didnt think of it as logically impossible which is what you seem to mean. I look at the gas gauge and it shows almost empty. That can't be right I say because I just filled it up last night. Well of course it could be. I could have had my gas stolen etc. That sort of can't. That being so your interpretation of my remarks as exhibiting your fallacy is incorrect because I am not using can't as you understand it. Of course they could still be ludicrous... I have remarks on your specific criticisms of my example below but now that I understand what you are getting at somewhat better, I will make a few comments off the top of my head. 1) It seems to me that you impose a too stringent requirement when you require that a person prove that their interpretation is correct as a precondition to claiming correctly that there is an inconsistency in what someone says and so it cant be true. Why? a) In some cases there may be universal agreement what is the correct interpretation and so proof would seem unnecessary at least until such time that someone presents an objection. b) It is not even clear to me what a proof of an interpretation would be. Isn't the best you can get is agreement on the basis of pointing out evidence in texts and context that support your interpretation and relying upon a common understanding of language? c) Wouldn't it be OK to preface one's derivation of the inconsistency by noting that there may be other interpretations that are not inconsistent but that on this plausible, widely supported, or whatever interpretation what is said cannot be true. d) Some interpretations might be consistent only because they interpret terms in ways that may seem unwarranted given the ordinary meanings of words normal interpretation of syntax etc. Are any consistent interpretations no matter how weird sufficient to show an interpretation that claims inconsistency and thus what is said cant be true is unjustified? 2) Nevertheless I agree that if there is an interpretation of what a person says that is consistent and has some degree of evidence for it then anyone who claims that what is said can't be true is obviously wrong. Not only that but it would seem that there is principle of charity in interpretation by which a consistent interpretation should be chosen over an inconsistent one when it is at all plausible. It would seem that many critics of what Marx has to say about his value theory to the effect that it contains inconsistencies are obviously wrong since there are competing interpretations that are not inconsistent. Here's why Ken Hanly's supposed analogy is ludicrous. 1. I was dealing with cases in which there are various possible interpretations of what someone said. In Ken's analogy, by assumption, there are not various possible interpretations of what someone (X) says. Rather, there are various interpretations of certain other events. This is not a reductio ad absurdum. It is a bait and switch. (What's the Latin for bait and switch?) COMMENT: X's claim is intended to be in words. Those who believe strongly enough in Shazzam will not be harmed etc. There are various interpretations of what X says. I interpret what is said as
