News Stories

[ganbaru]

How the U.S. coaxed Myanmar in from the cold
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BL0IT20111222

Myanmar's generals were looking for a chance to improve ties with the United States. A disturbed American gave them one in May 2009, when he swam across Yangon's Inya Lake on "a mission from God" to rescue Aung San Suu Kyi.

[mechabao]

Jacob Goldman of Xerox PARC has died at age 90.

[ganbaru]

French breast implant fears spread around world
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BL0NK20111222

[sneaker]

Originally Posted by Kokukirin

Eurozone members cannot devalue their currency to make their products more competitive, and the more competitive German exporters reap the most benefits. And there are other benefits for having a common currency with trading partners.

Yes, German exporters could make money. But exports to the Euro zone have in no way exploded, their share in the total exports has been decreasing since the Euro implementation. Greece only gets some 0.x%, the subsidiaries it gets from Germany probably exceed the profits German firms make there. Italy and Spain are bigger partners, but the question is if that plus in exports is worth bailing-out with hundreds of billion Euros every decade. There is no guarantee that this will be the last crisis, far from it, new permanent bail-out systems are to be installed next year. The question remains: how much should Germany pay until the cons outweigh the pros. No politician has ever bothered to answer or even pose that question.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by sneaker

Yes, German exporters could make money. But exports to the Euro zone have in no way exploded, their share in the total exports has been decreasing since the Euro implementation. Greece only gets some 0.x%, the subsidiaries it gets from Germany probably exceed the profits German firms make there. Italy and Spain are bigger partners, but the question is if that plus in exports is worth bailing-out with hundreds of billion Euros every decade. There is no guarantee that this will be the last crisis, far from it, new permanent bail-out systems are to be installed next year. The question remains: how much should Germany pay until the cons outweigh the pros. No politician has ever bothered to answer or even pose that question.

Slap stickers on Greek infrastructures and foreclose them? *sarcastic*

[Mentar]

Originally Posted by Kokukirin

Euro has not devalued much against USD because USD has also devalued in the same time period.

The Euro hasn't devalued against the USD at all, it's 30% up since its inception, like I wrote. It's even more up against the British pound, and it's stable on around parity against the Japanese Yen.

Inflation is below 3% because Europe is in a recession and Euro has not devalued too much.

Inflation of the Eurozone has been low _the entire time_, in fact even better than the Deutschmark. The Euro is among the most stable currencies there is.

They are not signs of healthy economy in any way. But feel free to ignore the structural problems in certain European countries, the risk of insolvency and bank failures, unaffordable sovereign bond rates, and the likely long term stagnation in part of Europe.

Oh, I'm not _ignoring_ them. I'm all for doing something about them. But please more than just printing money and throwing it on the fire, to keep it going just a little bit longer, by placating "the market", which is currently wallowing in hysteria. I'm for getting the fundamentals back in order, implementing some rigorous regulation of banks, including a financial transaction tax to dissuade financial gambling and having the banks pay back SOME of the damage they've done. And on these grounds, provide the Euro members with the money they need to get by. But no more than that.

[Kokukirin]

Originally Posted by sneaker

Yes, German exporters could make money. But exports to the Euro zone have in no way exploded, their share in the total exports has been decreasing since the Euro implementation. Greece only gets some 0.x%, the subsidiaries it gets from Germany probably exceed the profits German firms make there. Italy and Spain are bigger partners, but the question is if that plus in exports is worth bailing-out with hundreds of billion Euros every decade. There is no guarantee that this will be the last crisis, far from it, new permanent bail-out systems are to be installed next year. The question remains: how much should Germany pay until the cons outweigh the pros. No politician has ever bothered to answer or even pose that question.

No one raises the question because an Italian default is worldwide economic catastrophe that cannot be allowed to happen no matter what. Whether they should be saved is not the right question. They have to be saved one way or another. The question is how to do it. I can't claim to know the solution, but it is likely a mix of cash and policy changes to bring down the interest rate of their bonds in the short term and fixes for their longer term budget balance.

[killer3000ad]

Edrogan hits back at France over genocide denial,accuses French of genocide in Algeria

Turkey's leader accused France of "genocide" last century during the war in Algeria, a ratcheting up of rhetoric over controversial French legislation that would criminalize any public denial of what the bill calls the Armenian genocide last century in Ottoman Turkey.

[Kokukirin]

Originally Posted by killer3000ad

Edrogan hits back at France over genocide denial,accuses French of genocide in Algeria

Well...pretty much all the European colonial forces committed atrocities in some ways. The Turks are right to point that out to the French, but it's still no excuse to deny their own genocide against Armenians.

The move to make the denial illegal in France is probably part of the election strategy though.

[DonQuigleone]

The turks have a point, all of Europe has a pretty sketchy colonial past.

[Ithekro]

How many deny their sketchy colonial pasts? Especially when the former colonies remind them of it every few years. The Americans remind the British of it every once in a while to this day...some of it is even covered in the Bill of Rights to avoid similar practices from being done by our own governement.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

How many deny their sketchy colonial pasts? Especially when the former colonies remind them of it every few years. The Americans remind the British of it every once in a while to this day...some of it is even covered in the Bill of Rights to avoid similar practices from being done by our own governement.

and Native Americans remind the US govt of that every time a tribe want to built a Casino.

[Ithekro]

Our Westerns remind us of it even. There isn't much denial of those times. (Some are proud of it even, oppression and all)

My only objection to the casinos was when the Proposition showed up in California...my objection was not that they could or coud not build...it was that California is suppose to have no say in the matter, as all Indian Lands are under Federal responsability, as they are considered foreign nations. It was not a state issue, but an "international"/national issue. I voted no because I didn't believe California had a right to decide that issue.

Them having casinos is fine. No objection to that.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

and Native Americans remind the US govt of that every time a tribe want to built a Casino.

It would work actually when players must bet their scalp. And in the event the banker loses at amy table, he is sacrificed to the gods.

[ganbaru]

Where's the Beef: U.S. beef consumption in decline
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BL1MI20111222

French breast implant boss wanted by Interpol
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BM1O420111223

[konart]

The second day of protests in Moscow:

Spoiler for Academician Sakharov Prospect:

via @kiwibukkake

[ganbaru]

Mourning Syrians rally for Assad
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7NO07E20111224
Paid protesters or they really belive thatn it's comming from outside ?

[Ithekro]

Now this is entirely unfair.

California soldier shot at his homecoming party
http://www.contracostatimes.com/nati...ld/ci_19617574

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.—An Army soldier recovering from injuries suffered in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan has been shot at his homecoming party, and family members say he's paralyzed and in critical condition.


Christopher Sullivan, 22, was shot late Friday while trying to break up a fight between his brother and another man at a San Bernardino, Calif., residence.

"My son didn't deserve this. He served his country," his mother, Suzanne Sullivan, told the San Bernardino Sun

Suzanne Sullivan said her son suffered two gunshot wounds to his back, which shattered his spine. Family members told the newspaper that the shooting late Friday left Sullivan paralyzed and in critical condition.

Police said Sullivan's brother and a partygoer got into an argument. When Sullivan moved to intervene, the man pulled a gun and opened fire.

The gunman fled the scene before police arrived.

Sullivan was wounded in a suicide bombing attack last year in Kandahar while serving with the 101st Infantry Division.

He suffered a cracked collar bone and brain damage in the attack and has been recovering in Kentucky where he is stationed.

He was home on leave when the shooting occurred.

His enlistment would be complete in April, after which Sullivan had planned to come home to go to college.

Family members are calling on the shooter to surrender.
Police have not identified the suspect.

[GundamFan0083]

Twin tower-like building design in South Korea sparks memories of Sept. 11 attacks – The Star-Ledger


http://www.aboutkorean.com/twin-towe...e-star-ledger/

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by Ithekro

Now this is entirely unfair.

California soldier shot at his homecoming party
http://www.contracostatimes.com/nati...ld/ci_19617574

That's what I called Retirony.