Inside the so-called Chinese military buildup. Doesn't look so threatening when you get a closer look.
"the looming Chinese threat is the explicit justification for all the big-ticket weapons systems that have nothing to do with fighting terrorists or insurgents."
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
World's Largest Economies
What do you notice about this list? How about the huge gap between #1 and the rest? And the large gap between #2 and the rest?
"Past imperfect
When China revised its 2004 GDP numbers last year, it bumped Italy as the sixth-largest economy. China has since risen to No. 4.
(2004 GDP, in trillions)
U.S. $11.7
Japan 4.6
Germany 2.8
Britain 2.1
France 2.0
China 1.9
Italy 1.7
Spain 1.0
Canada 0.99
Mexico 0.68
Source: International Monetary Fund"
"Past imperfect
When China revised its 2004 GDP numbers last year, it bumped Italy as the sixth-largest economy. China has since risen to No. 4.
(2004 GDP, in trillions)
U.S. $11.7
Japan 4.6
Germany 2.8
Britain 2.1
France 2.0
China 1.9
Italy 1.7
Spain 1.0
Canada 0.99
Mexico 0.68
Source: International Monetary Fund"
Give or Take a Quarter Trillion
It's going to be awhile before there is a standardized measure of economics in China - as it will be awhile before many other things are standardized in the huge country.
"Late last year, China proclaimed itself the world's sixth-largest economy, edging out Italy. That proud moment wasn't triggered by surging exports of textiles, toys and cellphones. The government simply made a 'statistical revision,' boosting its 2004 gross domestic product by $278 billion, a sum larger than the entire economy of Austria.
That startling announcement, boosting the previous year's GDP in one stroke by 16% to nearly $2 trillion, was a reminder of just how unreliable China's economic numbers can be."
"Late last year, China proclaimed itself the world's sixth-largest economy, edging out Italy. That proud moment wasn't triggered by surging exports of textiles, toys and cellphones. The government simply made a 'statistical revision,' boosting its 2004 gross domestic product by $278 billion, a sum larger than the entire economy of Austria.
That startling announcement, boosting the previous year's GDP in one stroke by 16% to nearly $2 trillion, was a reminder of just how unreliable China's economic numbers can be."
Monday, May 15, 2006
Illegal Immigrants in US
Now called "undocumented workers."
Wow, there are 3 times as many of them in the US as the entire population of the country I live in!
"the estimated 11.5 million undocumented workers in the United States."
Wow, there are 3 times as many of them in the US as the entire population of the country I live in!
"the estimated 11.5 million undocumented workers in the United States."
The New Louvre
Local products become global products which have local impact around the globe.
Dan Brown's book has been a marketing success for the Louvre museum in Paris, where attendance is up 25% in the past three years. This has got to make the French wince - pop culture bringing in hordes of tourists (a French word!).
Yet some, like the Louvre's director, are aggresively taking advantage of the opportunities for global entrepreneurship (how could the French have even invented that word?)
"Unlike past directors, Loyrette has aggressively sought funding from private sources to augment the museum's resources. In April, he announced the formation of a partnership between the Louvre and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Between 2006 and 2009, the Louvre will lend the High enough art for three special exhibitions, including masterpieces by Raphael and Nicolas Poussin.
Meanwhile, U.S. sponsors of the exhibitions — including Delta, UPS and Coca-Cola — have pledged $6.4 million for refurbishments to the Louvre's collection of 18th century French furniture.
In 2002, Loyrette welcomed the founding of the American Friends of the Louvre, a New York-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the museum financially, strengthen French-American cultural ties and improve how the museum addresses the needs of visitors from the U.S. Its current initiatives include English translations of the museum's Web database and installation of panels describing key artworks in English and Spanish.
The society is a new concept at the Louvre, although a similar group has long been active at Versailles. 'It never occurred to the Louvre before, but Loyrette is shaking things up,' said Christopher Forbes, head of the board of directors of the American Friends of the Louvre. 'He represents a new generation of directors, plugged into what's happening at museums worldwide.'"
Dan Brown's book has been a marketing success for the Louvre museum in Paris, where attendance is up 25% in the past three years. This has got to make the French wince - pop culture bringing in hordes of tourists (a French word!).
Yet some, like the Louvre's director, are aggresively taking advantage of the opportunities for global entrepreneurship (how could the French have even invented that word?)
"Unlike past directors, Loyrette has aggressively sought funding from private sources to augment the museum's resources. In April, he announced the formation of a partnership between the Louvre and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Between 2006 and 2009, the Louvre will lend the High enough art for three special exhibitions, including masterpieces by Raphael and Nicolas Poussin.
Meanwhile, U.S. sponsors of the exhibitions — including Delta, UPS and Coca-Cola — have pledged $6.4 million for refurbishments to the Louvre's collection of 18th century French furniture.
In 2002, Loyrette welcomed the founding of the American Friends of the Louvre, a New York-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the museum financially, strengthen French-American cultural ties and improve how the museum addresses the needs of visitors from the U.S. Its current initiatives include English translations of the museum's Web database and installation of panels describing key artworks in English and Spanish.
The society is a new concept at the Louvre, although a similar group has long been active at Versailles. 'It never occurred to the Louvre before, but Loyrette is shaking things up,' said Christopher Forbes, head of the board of directors of the American Friends of the Louvre. 'He represents a new generation of directors, plugged into what's happening at museums worldwide.'"
Global Economic Boom
This article cites an amazing statistic:
"Of 60 nations tracked by investment firm Bridgewater Associates, not one is in recession — the first time that has been true since 1969.
They go on to analyze:
"'This is the first recovery where developing economies are playing a dominant role,' said James Paulsen, chief strategist at Wells Capital Management in Minneapolis, which manages money for big investors such as pension funds.
"The trend is being driven by free trade, which has created millions of jobs in emerging nations in recent years, fueling stunning new wealth in those countries."
Later making another amazing observation:
"The breakaway growth of the developing world is why the global economy overall is on track to post its fourth straight year of 4%-plus expansion, the IMF estimates. The last such streak was in the early 1970s."
This after noting that the developed world is "lagging" in its growth at 3%, while the developing world is growing phenomenally at nearly 7%.
Even though it seems like most of the news in the world is bad, and most of the leaders in the world are poor, somebody must be doing something right for this kind of broad stability and extended growth.
"Of 60 nations tracked by investment firm Bridgewater Associates, not one is in recession — the first time that has been true since 1969.
They go on to analyze:
"'This is the first recovery where developing economies are playing a dominant role,' said James Paulsen, chief strategist at Wells Capital Management in Minneapolis, which manages money for big investors such as pension funds.
"The trend is being driven by free trade, which has created millions of jobs in emerging nations in recent years, fueling stunning new wealth in those countries."
Later making another amazing observation:
"The breakaway growth of the developing world is why the global economy overall is on track to post its fourth straight year of 4%-plus expansion, the IMF estimates. The last such streak was in the early 1970s."
This after noting that the developed world is "lagging" in its growth at 3%, while the developing world is growing phenomenally at nearly 7%.
Even though it seems like most of the news in the world is bad, and most of the leaders in the world are poor, somebody must be doing something right for this kind of broad stability and extended growth.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Draft Hollywood
The writer of this article in the LA Times is calling on more pro-American propaganda, and I heartily agree with him.
One of the great aspects of America and its Christian roots, is the demand that we examine our own sins before we judge others. The American culture supports lots of diversity in opinion and lots of self-criticism.
But we also need reminding of what is good about American culture and what is bad in those who want to destroy America and what it stands for.
The US government is not good at that, and Hollywood is great at it. Why? The government uses words and actions. Hollywood uses stories, which are emotionally powerful.
Why can't we get the opinion-shapers involved in promoting a more inspiring vision of what America was conceived and birthed as, and what it still aspires to be? A defender of freedom, a help for the oppressed, a force for justice and equality and opportunity.
By the way, I like this writer's term for the alternative in today's world: islamo-fascism. They are intolerant, vicious, and need to be stopped.
"the distinctly American message that it's not bloodlines but national creeds that make a people, and that while even so great a creed as ours can't guarantee the decency of individuals, evil creeds surely sweep them up into destructive madness and therefore must be opposed."
One of the great aspects of America and its Christian roots, is the demand that we examine our own sins before we judge others. The American culture supports lots of diversity in opinion and lots of self-criticism.
But we also need reminding of what is good about American culture and what is bad in those who want to destroy America and what it stands for.
The US government is not good at that, and Hollywood is great at it. Why? The government uses words and actions. Hollywood uses stories, which are emotionally powerful.
Why can't we get the opinion-shapers involved in promoting a more inspiring vision of what America was conceived and birthed as, and what it still aspires to be? A defender of freedom, a help for the oppressed, a force for justice and equality and opportunity.
By the way, I like this writer's term for the alternative in today's world: islamo-fascism. They are intolerant, vicious, and need to be stopped.
"the distinctly American message that it's not bloodlines but national creeds that make a people, and that while even so great a creed as ours can't guarantee the decency of individuals, evil creeds surely sweep them up into destructive madness and therefore must be opposed."
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