Will the UK Guardian Please Stop Informing Readers About the U.S. 'Heartland'

The last time I checked out their coverage on U.S. politics they were informing the reader that McCain faced a fight for survival in the Republican primary. That was ludicrous; J.D Hayworth was sent packing in his last local election and there never was a chance he would win statewide.

Now they are making up Heartland anger against Nancy Peolsi, who most Americans have never heard of - and by the way, San Francisco happens to be a place Americans love to visit. Living in a conservative area of this famous Heartland I have noticed a complete lack of anti-Pelosi anger or awareness.

Basically the UK Guardian, like many English elitist organs, has a vision of the average American as a racist neanderthal; it's like the county is unchanged since 1960. It's ridiculous and inaccurate.

If the Democrats get swamped it's because unemployment is at + 9 % and our standard of living is decreasing. Politics 101.

Full Retirement in France is 65, not 60

Yet the royal stenographers are not headlining that. They are headlining the retirement age for partial benefits, which is not dissimilar from Social Security's early opt-in. Much better to make the French look silly and demanding then be fair and balanced.

On Chinese 'Subsidies'

The Obama administration is launching a broad investigation into whether the Chinese government improperly supports its alternative energy companies, one of the sharpest challenges yet to Beijing's alleged efforts to seize world leadership in particular industries.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced on Friday he had accepted a petition from the United Steelworkers union contending that the subsidies and other benefits China grants to its clean-energy companies violate World Trade Organization rules.

Why wouldn't any right-minded country subsidize the development of new technology ? For that matter, the U.S. government subsidies all sorts of research through its military, much of which gets put to civilian use.

Basically this sounds like a case of a bully who gets punched in the nose and runs off to the teacher crying. The Washington Consensus is losing, so of course the other side is cheating. Not persuasive.

1'U.S. to investigate Chinese subsidies to alternative energy companies' - Washington Post

Striking Detroit Musicans Write a Letter

Dear Ms. Chang,

The musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra applaud your courageous decision not to perform a recital at Detroit's Orchestra Hall tonight. When the DSO management asked you to play at a replacement concert for those canceled during our strike last week, they placed you in an impossible situation.

I guess these wunderkinds think they can just play along with a C.D., much like the violinists on The Tube in London used to (or still do, maybe).

1'Letter to Sarah Chang from the Musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra'

'Modern war is about metrics (and Powerpoint)'

Says CNN's Adam Levine:

Modern war is about metrics (and Powerpoint). The numbers right now suggest that the surge in troops has, not surprisingly, led to a surge in offensives. Last month there were 700 airstrikes, according to Air Force data obtained by National Security producer Jennifer Rizzo. A year ago only 257 strikes were logged.

More numbers: In the last 90 days NATO forces have killed 300 senior Taliban and insurgent leaders and commanders, as well as 800 fighters and detained 2,000 more, a senior military official in Afghanistan told Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr.

Would The New York Times Ever Run This as an Editorial ?

Yes, it's probably to talk down domestic disconnect, but at least China feels the need to do so - either through pressure within or without the Communist Party.

'Widening wealth gap proves obstacle to prosperity'

When night falls, a middle-aged man walks slowly toward a trash bin near the busy Xuanwumen intersection in downtown Beijing, and looks around before swiftly taking out an empty plastic bottle and then moving on to the next bin.

His tidy clothes and behavior suggest he is neither a street cleaner nor a scavenger from outside the Chinese capital, but a local resident of a low-income family who hopes to make some money through collecting recyclable bottles.
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For the world's most populous nation and the second largest economy, the widening wealth gap is an obvious obstacle on the road to a "xiaokang" -- moderately prosperous -- society.

That poses grave challenges for Communist Party of China (CPC) leaders, who gathered Friday in Beijing to discuss the formulation of China's 12th Five-Year Program (2011-2015).

U.S. Consumption and Consumption Share of GDP

Looking at the BEA numbers there is little correlation between Consumption and Consumption Share, it's around the -.15 range. Therefore, it's initially puzzling to know what people like Soros, Geithner and Obama mean when they say the US has to reduce its dependence on consumption as a way to 'rebalance' the world economy, using consumption share as the illustration. It would be fairly easy to reduce dependence on consumption within GDP simply by boosting public investment, as was most obviously done during World War 2. Likewise, there is no reason to believe that a reduction in consumption will reduce consumption share - i.e. dependency - if it results in a collapse in investment. For instance, US consumption has been decelerating since the mid-1970's even as its importance in the economy has grown from about 63% to 70%. Similar numerator based thinking exists in regards to China, and in fact World War 2 United States looks a lot like China now, with booming consumption and falling consumption share due to heavy investment.

I would argue the end game has nothing to do with fat Americans and stingy Chinese, or a desire for rebalancing, but a desire by the Western finance establishment to take down the Chinese banking system. Floating the yuan on the currency markets would allow that to happen.

Privatizing Our Language

How do expressions start ? Who invents them ? As with music, the form I am most familiar with, there is little that originates with one person. Rather, expressions usually come from the exchange of ideas and millions of social interactions that organically grow, and are preserved or rejected based up social response. Language is a reservoir of our collective intelligence. It is the ultimate social and public asset we have.

So it is noteworthy that the private sector is increasingly muscling into our collective property - our Commons - through the branding of long established expressions and slogans. The 'Fair and Balanced' meme of a few years ago is one example. Recently while looking into a 2010 flu shot, and I noticed that a pharmacy has privatized the expression 'Arm Yourself' through trademark. As if no one ever said this before the pharmacy company's marketing department, with the backing of money and lawyers, decided to appropriate it.

Our Commons seems to be open for looting at every level.
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One could imagine a future scenario, in a population encoded with microchip implants tied to a central clearinghouse - that one would have to pay a small fee for the use of privatized expressions. So, if one exclaimed "Chill Out !" , the company who owned the trademark would deduct a nickel from one's savings account. Why not ? After all, they would "own" it. Such is the insane and endgame logic of privatization.

Links

Ocean debris turning Hawaiian beach 'into plastic' -BBC

UBS Is Going Gaga For NJ Gov Chris Christie With Parties, Excited Emails, And Speeches - Business Insider

Obama seems to enjoy golfing with UBS America President Robert Wolf.

U.S. Corn Facts -Monsanto

America's unsexy but internationally dominant export product, Big Ag. But how many times has Tommy Friedman traipsed out to Fresno ?

Iceland's politicians forced to flee from angry protesters - UK Guardian

Much linked to, but still enjoyable.

The Shockingly Fast Hand Speed Of Chinese Factory Workers- Business Insider

Though I have been assured by many people over the years that 'all' Chinese are doctors or engineers, etc. etc... sample bias, perhaps. The Chinese working class is invisible to Americans.

Michael Gove promises 'new deal' for teachers on classroom discipline - UK Guardian

'OK, you're going to have your wages and pensions cut, but at least you get to take your frustrations out on the students with a little physical violence. It's good for them.'

EU's Offer To Give Up IMF Board Seats Likely To Be Denied - WSJ

The U.S. and E.U. are both trying to bring BIC (sans Russia) around to their side. The U.S. will never give up its veto power, so its scolding of the EU is mostly amusing.

The Oil in Our Food Chain. Yummy.

Detroit Symphony on Strike

One of the most significant arts organizations in the history of the United States stands on the verge of collapse. Though it may make some uncomfortable to talk about money and the arts, if wages are drastically cut, people of talent will choose other careers or work in other countries. And elite musicians are educated and capable enough to do both.

'The Musicians of the Detroit Symphony'

The bottom line is the people of this country need to figure out what the hell is important in life and how to get there in a collective manner.

Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela

Danzon #2, Arturo Marquez