News Stories

[solomon]

How would McCain's policies trump up health care prices?

Anyways, yea. The Democrats are totally limpdicked at advancing social and economic policies. They don't have a message for people outside blacks, singles and "special groups"

[ganbaru]

China media reins in criticism over train crash
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7700ET20110801

For a week, many Chinese newspapers defied censorship orders and pursued unusually aggressive reporting of the crash on July 23 that killed at least 40 people on two high-speed trains -- a technology the government has promoted as a shiny symbol of the nation's growing technological prowess.

But censors have stepped up demands for news media to wind down often withering criticism over the train disaster near Wenzhou in eastern China, according to the China Media Project at the University of Hong Kong.

How many day would survive a ''Fox News'' made in China ?

Scores die as Syrian forces attack defiant cities
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...07-31-18-59-25
70 death Associated Press say, 100 on another site: this time the term ''massacre'' really fit.

[Decagon]

Originally Posted by Sugetsu

Is this true??? Please do expand on this news. This will have HUGE implications in the near future if not already...

There's no new news here. Traders started shorting on a number of industries they believe will be weak to the credit downgrade ever since last Monday, but especially after Moodys and S&P both said the US would get a credit downgrade regardless of a debt ceiling increase on thursday or friday. You have people moving to cash to wear a potential storm, and some people moving to make money off of or hedge against falling stock prices; just business as usual.

[speedyexpress48]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

China media reins in criticism over train crash
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7700ET20110801

How many day would survive a ''Fox News'' made in China ?

Having been to China several times and knowing how the goverment loves to cover up anything that would look bad on them, this isn't really all that surprising.

As for a Chinese version of Fox News, it would only last one hour before all the staff and their families are shot and killed ("mysteriously" of course.) Then any records of it existing on Chinese sites would be wiped off by the Chinese authorities and any records of it on sites outside of China would be blocked. And no, that really wasn't a joke, even tho it sounds like one.

[GDB]

Why would a Chinese Fox News be offed? I'd think, with China's current big pro-business anti-individual activities, they'd thrive like no other.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by GDB

Why would a Chinese Fox News be offed? I'd think, with China's current big pro-business anti-individual activities, they'd thrive like no other.

Not if they're reporting something the government doesn't want them to report. China's government still shares a lot of similarities to Stalin's USSR to this day, which goes without saying, and anyone actually speaking out against the government tends to be dealt with in one way or another.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

*sarcasm* Well this will lift your spirits.

PIMCO chief: Deal won't prevent downgrading of US AAA credit rating

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...ting-is-coming

It'll lift mine. It's nice to get confirmation that, despite being based in America, the notation agencies really are bastards to everyone.

[Decagon]

Originally Posted by Tsuyoshi

Not if they're reporting something the government doesn't want them to report. China's government still shares a lot of similarities to Stalin's USSR to this day, which goes without saying, and anyone actually speaking out against the government tends to be dealt with in one way or another.

I'd argue otherwise. My mother recently attended middle school and college reunions (she was born in the early 50s) last year and though she left the country in the 80s, her classmates who went on to work for the government (now retired) or became tenured scholars or even own their own businesses have been very vocal about their criticisms about the government and their policy shortfalls. The government only goes for people who have lots of young or international followers like Ai Wei Wei, and even then they let Ai Wei Wei get away with a lot of public and vocal criticism before they cracked down on him.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by Decagon

I'd argue otherwise. My mother recently attended middle school and college reunions (she was born in the early 50s) last year and though she left the country in the 80s, her classmates who went on to work for the government (now retired) or became tenured scholars or even own their own businesses have been very vocal about their criticisms about the government and their policy shortfalls. The government only goes for people who have lots of young or international followers like Ai Wei Wei, and even then they let Ai Wei Wei get away with a lot of public and vocal criticism before they cracked down on him.

Of course. I was mainly referring to people who're able to send a message across wider channels like the Chinese version of FOX News or any other alternative news source. It's nothing like the purges which were spurred by Stalin's paranoia more than anything else and individual people suffered for it. Like I said, China today resembles the USSR but it's a far cry from Mao's days.

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

It'll lift mine. It's nice to get confirmation that, despite being based in America, the notation agencies really are bastards to everyone.

Ha!

To quote "The 5th Element" movie:

"Good philosophy...see good in bad."

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by Vexx

He (and the Dems in Congress) have blinked every single time... which leads credence to the notion they're in the pockets of the Transnational Corporati and Wall Street anyway. It looks more and more like a puppet show with the same puppeteer behind every puppet.

For the first time ever I think the general public might be starting to catch on too. It's really hard to play this game this time and make it look like anything other than an ineffective system of government when THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!!!

[SaintessHeart]

I find it interesting that from both the debt ceiling and the Chinese train news, no matter what the government tries to do for the people, Big Corp will always try to get a slice through corner-cutting or "interests of business" measures.

And Big Corp always win.

[Tsuyoshi]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

I find it interesting that from both the debt ceiling and the Chinese train news, no matter what the government tries to do for the people, Big Corp will always try to get a slice through corner-cutting or "interests of business" measures.

And Big Corp always win.

It's good to know that no matter where one is in the world, we'll always get f***ed from our backside by Big Corp. It's not really funny anymore tho......

[DonQuigleone]

Eh, most of the Big Corps went down here in the crash. Well, the property developers anyway. And they were bestest best friends with the governing party of the time...

On the other hand, the multinationals are still going strong, but they rarely interfere, unless there's talk of corporate tax rates increasing (which is reasonable).

Maybe Ireland is too small for anyone to care about it's laws? +1 to living in a small country.

[MeoTwister5]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

Eh, most of the Big Corps went down here in the crash. Well, the property developers anyway. And they were bestest best friends with the governing party of the time...

On the other hand, the multinationals are still going strong, but they rarely interfere, unless there's talk of corporate tax rates increasing (which is reasonable).

Maybe Ireland is too small for anyone to care about it's laws? +1 to living in a small country.

And yet, small countries like Ireland and the Philippines will probably go to hell if the US debt defaults and the dollar becomes worthless...

So much for a stable global currency.

[Bri]

Originally Posted by GundamFan0083

*sarcasm* Well this will lift your spirits.

PIMCO chief: Deal won't prevent downgrading of US AAA credit rating

That has been expected for a while, given the deficit problems. But going from AAA to AA+ is not a disaster, a country will have to pay a bit more interest on new loans. Japan went from AA to AA- in Januari and the financial markets didn't even blink. A default is another matter intirely, which can triger a domino effect on the world market and cut a country off from the sovereign debt market completely.

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

And yet, small countries like Ireland and the Philippines will probably go to hell if the US debt defaults and the dollar becomes worthless...

So much for a stable global currency.

Eh, not so sure. While certainly we do have ties to the US economy, I think Ireland is in a better position then many to be self sufficient, our population density is low, we can produce all our own food, and we have a domestic energy supply which could support our own meager needs for at least 100 years, if tapped. Furthermore our biggest exports are computers and agricultural products, which are not really being hit by recessionary pressures. Furthermore our biggest ties are to the UK and Europe. I'd be more afraid of the UK going down, which would very likely bring Ireland down with it.

Our biggest problems are purely of our own making. Also, if the US defaulted, we might be able to default ourselves! As a country that's been sicced with huge debt any measure that would destroy debt internationally would benefit us...

However none of that is going to put a dent in our 14% unemployment rate...

[ganbaru]

Foxconn to use more robots; said up to 1 million in 3 years
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...77016B20110801

[Tom Bombadil]

Here is what the netizens have to say about the China today. (In case you are wondering, "miracle" was the "official explanation" as to why there is a surviving baby many hour after "there is no life sign and rescue operation has concluded". "Believe it or not, I believe it anyway" was said when giving a "explanation" for burying the train).

1,读世界上最贵的书；2,看世界上最贵的病；3,住世界上最贵的房；4,吃世界上最毒的食品；5,干世界 上最长的工时；6,交世界上最多的税；7,享世界上最少的权利；8,养世界上最多的官；9,受世界上最重的 剥削；10,领世界上最离奇的死法。信不信由你,我反正是信了!在中国,活着就是奇迹!这是一个创造奇迹的 民族!

1, get the world's most costly education; 2, see the world's most costly doctors; 3, live in the world's most costly apartment; 4, eat the world's most poisonous food; 5, work the world's longest hours; 6, pay the world's highest taxes; 7, enjoy the least rights among the world; 8, support the world's largest bureaucracy ; 9, be the world's most heavily exploited; 10, die in the world's most bizarre way. Believe it or not, I believed anyway! In China, life is a miracle! This is a nation that creates miracles!

小时候，奇迹是一个柔软的奶瓶，三聚氰氨在里面，良心在外面；长大后，奇迹是一座燃烧的礼堂，孩子在里面， 领导在外面；再后来，奇迹是一辆着火的大巴，人在里面，救生锤在外面；到现在，奇迹是一节血迹斑驳的车厢， 你在里面，铲车在外面。

When we were babies, a miracle is a soft milk bottle,
melamine is inside, the conscience is outside;
We grow up, a miracle is a burning hall,
the children are inside, the officials are outside;
Later, the miracle is a bus that caught fire,
people are the inside, safety hammer are outside;
To now, a miracle is a bloody train car,
You are inside, shovel loader are outside.

记者采访一位扫地大妈：“您对这次7.23动车事故有什么看法？”大妈一脸正义：“没让老百姓赔动车就不错 了！”

A journalist interviews a janitor Obasan (old women) :" what do you think about the the high speed train crash incident?"
"It is a good thing that they didn't ask the people to compensate for the highspeed train." The Obasan said this as a matter of course.

有一种所谓真相叫至于你信不信反正我信了。有一种杀/仁味遂叫那是奇迹。有一种案/发时间叫推迟七分钟。有一种死忙人数叫永恒的35有一种毁师灭/迹叫掩买世故车体。

There is a kind of "truth" called "believe it or not, I believe it anyway";
There is a kind of failed homicide called "miracle";
There is a kind of crime time called "postponed for 7 mins"; *
There is a kind of body count called "eternal 35"; **
There is a kind of destroying evidence called "burying the train".

***note: These two are more unconfirmed internet rumor. "eternal 35" is a internet myth that a lot of body counts in various big accidents all have the number near 35. It is said that if the number exceed that, the local official will be sacked. whether true or made-up is unclear. But it is not secret that officials try to cover things up. The death count (40) for this train incident is a big fat lie.

[GDB]

This seems pretty sensible to me.

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-bl...t-is-not-a-cut

When a cut is not a cut
By Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) - 08/01/11 12:15 PM ET

One might think that the recent drama over the debt ceiling involves one side wanting to increase or maintain spending with the other side wanting to drastically cut spending, but that is far from the truth. In spite of the rhetoric being thrown around, the real debate is over how much government spending will increase.

No plan under serious consideration cuts spending in the way you and I think about it. Instead, the "cuts" being discussed are illusory, and are not cuts from current amounts being spent, but cuts in projected spending increases. This is akin to a family "saving" $100,000 in expenses by deciding not to buy a Lamborghini, and instead getting a fully loaded Mercedes, when really their budget dictates that they need to stick with their perfectly serviceable Honda. But this is the type of math Washington uses to mask the incriminating truth about their unrepentant plundering of the American people.

The truth is that frightening rhetoric about default and full faith and credit of the United States is being carelessly thrown around to ram through a bigger budget than ever, in spite of stagnant revenues. If your family's income did not change year over year, would it be wise financial management to accelerate spending so you would feel richer? That is what our government is doing, with one side merely suggesting a different list of purchases than the other.

In reality, bringing our fiscal house into order is not that complicated or excruciatingly painful at all. If we simply kept spending at current levels, by their definition of "cuts" that would save nearly $400 billion in the next few years, versus the $25 billion the Budget Control Act claims to "cut". It would only take us 5 years to "cut" $1 trillion, in Washington math, just by holding the line on spending. That is hardly austere or catastrophic.

A balanced budget is similarly simple and within reach if Washington had just a tiny amount of fiscal common sense. Our revenues currently stand at approximately $2.2 trillion a year and are likely to remain stagnant as the recession continues. Our outlays are $3.7 trillion and projected to grow every year. Yet we only have to go back to 2004 for federal outlays of $2.2 trillion, and the government was far from small that year. If we simply returned to that year's spending levels, which would hardly be austere, we would have a balanced budget right now. If we held the line on spending, and the economy actually did grow as estimated, the budget would balance on its own by 2015 with no cuts whatsoever.

We pay 35 percent more for our military today than we did 10 years ago, for the exact same capabilities. The same could be said for the rest of the government. Why has our budget doubled in 10 years? This country doesn't have double the population, or double the land area, or double anything that would require the federal government to grow by such an obscene amount.

In Washington terms, a simple freeze in spending would be a much bigger "cut" than any plan being discussed. If politicians simply cannot bear to implement actual cuts to actual spending, just freezing the budget would give the economy the best chance to catch its breath, recover and grow.

Maybe there's a fault in this that I'm not seeing, but it looks relatively sound to me. At least, much more sound than anything else we've been hearing from Washington lately.