LAKATOI

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58474032011-06-08T08:16:48.848+02:00LAKATOIBrought to Weblogging by James CumesJozef Imrich, Esq.noreply@blogger.comBlogger1471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1164905682482716622006-11-30T17:53:00.000+01:002006-11-30T17:54:42.520+01:00Private Equity

Private Equity"Private equity" is a term that is comforting and, in a sense, politically correct. It conjures up pictures of private people with a few dollars saved up putting it into equities. Perfectly normal and harmless; in fact, it's just the way the economy should work, for the benefit of the widows and orphans as well as most everyone else.However, private equity is a good deal more than

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1164904725807651022006-11-30T17:37:00.000+01:002006-11-30T17:38:45.836+01:00The Danger of Hedge Funds

EditorialHedging on Hedge Funds Published: November 30, 2006In October, a month after the Amaranth hedge fund lost $6.6 billion — the most ever by a hedge fund — Henry Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, spoke with Bloomberg News about the importance of “transparency” at hedge funds and “liquidity” in the system. His remarks were interpreted at the time as a warning, perhaps even a harbinger of

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1163766491519061252006-11-17T13:26:00.000+01:002006-11-17T13:28:11.660+01:00The Self-destructive Decline of a Superpower

In the piece below, Martin Jacques looks at the imperial decline of the United States with a good deal of validity - but with a blindness to the fundamental economic and financial weakness of the United States that is so significant a part of the American decline.It can be argued that, in "America's Suicidal Statecraft", I have over-emphasised the economic and financial aspects and have tended to

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1163326882946358792006-11-12T11:19:00.000+01:002006-11-12T11:21:22.966+01:00Is the American Economy really "STRONG"?

Bushwhacked on the EconomyThere were two rather interesting points worth repeating in Barron's Up and Down Wall Street column this morning. The first will be familiar, the 2nd, perhaps less so.As we noted the day before Election Day, It is Still the Economy, Stupid. Voter insecurity -- about Jobs, rising costs of healthcare, education, housing, automobiles, food and energy -- has much of the

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1162807272630464402006-11-06T10:54:00.000+01:002006-11-06T11:01:12.653+01:00"America's Suicidal Statecraft"

Blogs are devices to enable bloggers to achieve their own narcissistic aggrandisement; but they do have incidental social, political, literary and even civilising purposes too.They provide a link between the media and the individual, between information/intelligence and the individual, and they allow all sorts of ideas and notions, plus good and bad emotions to flow among individuals.They are

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1162042541081445822006-10-28T15:34:00.000+02:002006-10-28T15:37:41.013+02:00Water is More Precious than Oil or Gold

Investing in transporting water...New technology is about to make shortages of potable water a thing of the past...Jonathan Kolber - Other articles Fri 27 Oct, 2006New technology is about to make shortages of potable water a thing of the past. I recently met with a representative of this new venture in California, who told me that there are a collection of companies capable of, well, making water

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1162042341283870202006-10-28T15:31:00.000+02:002006-10-28T15:32:21.286+02:00Water is more vital than Oil or Gold

Investing in transporting water...New technology is about to make shortages of potable water a thing of the past...Jonathan Kolber - Other articles Fri 27 Oct, 2006 New technology is about to make shortages of potable water a thing of the past. I recently met with a representative of this new venture in California, who told me that there are a collection of companies capable of, well, making

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1162035042525733852006-10-28T13:29:00.000+02:002006-10-28T13:30:42.546+02:00Water: More Precious than Oil or Gold

Investing in transporting water...New technology is about to make shortages of potable water a thing of the past...Jonathan Kolber - Other articles Fri 27 Oct, 2006 New technology is about to make shortages of potable water a thing of the past. I recently met with a representative of this new venture in California, who told me that there are a collection of companies capable of, well, making

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1139400927289248002006-02-08T13:14:00.000+01:002006-02-08T13:15:27.306+01:00Feeding 7, 8, 10 Billion People

Absurdity or not, rather than abolish the CAP, the best course might be to modify it to preserve its best features and to use it to achieve a more efficient food production and distribution around the world. A solution to the food problem might lead, somewhat paradoxically, to a solution to the population problem – which is likely to preoccupy us more and more as the years pass. For the

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1135879773166594342005-12-29T19:08:00.000+01:002005-12-29T19:09:33.183+01:00VOW: Our Fourth Birthday

Our Fourth BirthdayJust four years ago, in the early days of January 2002, we launched the initiative for Victory Over Want (VOW). It was - and is - a visionary concept; but, above all, it was - and remains - practical, pragmatic and based on precedents that succeeded brilliantly in the past.Roosevelt's Four FreedomsIt is more than sixty years since President Franklin D. Roosevelt called for

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1129875976997946622005-10-21T08:23:00.000+02:002005-10-21T08:26:17.010+02:00Terrifying Incompetence and Error

Powell Aide Blasts Rice, Cheney- Rumsfeld 'Cabal'by Jim LobeWASHINGTON - As top officials in the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s office await possible criminal indictments for their efforts to discredit a whistleblower, a top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Wednesday, accused a ''cabal'' led by Cheney and Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld of hijacking U.S. foreign policy

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1128927487306200892005-10-10T08:56:00.000+02:002005-10-10T08:58:07.323+02:00Sordid Dealers in Death

Published on Sunday, October 9, 2005 by The Sunday Herald (Scotland)From Factory to the Firing Line:The Story of One BulletHow do legally manufactured AK-47 bullets get into the hands of mercenaries and child soldiers?Their journey tells us much about the modern world.by David PrattTHIS is the story of a journey; one that begins in a drab industrial complex, shifts to the splendour of luxury

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1128355111806968862005-10-03T17:56:00.000+02:002005-10-03T17:58:31.830+02:00The War Party's Waterloo?

October 3, 2005Scooter-gate A criminal conspiracyby Justin RaimondoIt isn't generally known that I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff – now revealed as New York Times reporter Judith Miller's source in the Plame affair – is a novelist, as well as a policymaker. Aside from being a co-author of the Bush administration's narrative of "weapons of mass destruction" and

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1128323469818339342005-10-03T09:00:00.000+02:002005-10-03T09:11:09.836+02:00Corruption Everywhere

The Plamegate Scandal seems to have bred an even more worrying Judy Miller scandal. The Press - which we tend to rely on as something of an independent, impartial and professional voice - is itself engaged in propaganda and pretence, in make-believe and in downright and deliberate misrepresentation.If the account below is correct, the American society - and perhaps other Western societies with

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1126855089436528952005-09-16T09:15:00.000+02:002005-09-16T09:18:09.443+02:00A Song for America's Poor

Music That Bush Clearly Doesn't Hearby John NicholsLast spring, in an attempt to make President Bush appear to be more of a regular guy, the White House released a list of the tunes the commander in chief was listening to on his iPod.The list featured mostly country, alt-country and blues artists, including John Fogerty, John Hiatt, Alan Jackson, George Jones and Stevie Ray Vaughan.Perhaps the

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1126164921885439292005-09-08T09:33:00.000+02:002005-09-08T09:35:21.893+02:00"How Rotten the Structure has Become..."

Published on Wednesday, September 7, 2005 by the Globe & Mail (Canada)Legacy of Neglectby Roger MorrisThe calamity was enormous, the toll in lives and ruin like nothing the country knew. Yet the ultimate disaster was in the staggering negligence of the government and its oblivious leader. Despite years of warnings and then the stark sight of suffering, help was disgracefully slow, too late for so

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1125836833748100362005-09-04T14:23:00.000+02:002005-09-04T14:27:13.756+02:00A Breaching of the Political Levees?

Breaching the Political Levees? Ian Buchanan of the Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Northern Australia, has written an interesting account of the fascinating book, "After the New Economy" by Doug Henwood. The Tom Frank to whom he refers was an off-stage character in "Uncle Rupert". Frank has a feeling for what is happening in the United States and to our present society, that is sensitive

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1125736422453436952005-09-03T10:31:00.000+02:002005-09-03T10:33:42.463+02:00Huey Long: A Voice from the Past

Huey Long says he came to the U.S. Senate for only one purpose--to push his "Share The Wealth" philosophy. And push it he did (see the excerpts from the section on his Senate speeches). This excerpt from his autobiography makes the case for the crisis that Long sought to address with his plan."I HAD come to the United States Senate with only one project in mind, which was that by every means of

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1125727087205142402005-09-03T07:54:00.000+02:002005-09-03T07:58:07.213+02:00Is there a Democratic Party - Anywhere?

Bush Strafes New Orleans, Where's Huey Long?by Greg PalastThe National Public Radio news anchor was so excited I thought she'd piss on herself: the President of the United had flown his plane down to 1700 feet to get a better look at the flood damage! And there was a photo of our Commander-in-Chief taken looking out the window. He looked very serious and concerned.That was yesterday. Today he

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1125726254856119222005-09-03T07:40:00.000+02:002005-09-03T07:44:14.863+02:00In America: Poverty - and Shame

Published on Friday, September 2, 2005 by CommonDreams.orgIn Americaby Joy-Ann ReidIt's hard to look at the images coming out of New Orleans and believe that you are looking at scenes from America. If our eyes are not playing tricks on us, we're watching helplessly as the world's only remaining superpower declares itself unable to rescue some 15,000 people abandoned in a lonely convention center,

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1125724961502971012005-09-03T07:17:00.000+02:002005-09-03T07:22:41.510+02:00End their impunity; Truth must have Consequences. James Cumes

End their impunity; Truth must have Consequences. James Cumes Sep 02, 2005 22:16 PDT Published on Friday, September 2, 2005 by CommonDreams.org Ending the Impunity of the Bush White House by Norman SolomonThe man in the Oval Office is fond of condemning "killers." But his administration continues to kill with impunity. "They can go into Iraq and do this and do that," Martha Madden, former

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1125655709075834002005-09-02T12:03:00.000+02:002005-09-02T12:08:29.083+02:00Post-Katrina Economic Prospects

The evidence seems to be emerging that, just as Bush contrived to convert his negligence vis a vis Al Quaeda into robust strength through his "leadership" of the war on terror after 9/11, so now he is trying to convert the major disaster of Katrina into a means of restoring his fortunes and his standing - and even perhaps of advancing his claims to an honourable place in the history books.The

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1125644262356707522005-09-02T08:56:00.000+02:002005-09-02T08:57:42.363+02:00The Traffic in Arms

Published on Thursday, September 1, 2005 by the Associated Press U.S. Sells the Most Weapons to Developing Nationsby Lolita BaldorThe United States is the largest supplier of weapons to developing nations, delivering more than $9.6 billion in arms to Near East and Asian countries last year.The U.S. sales to the developing countries helped boost worldwide weapons sales to the highest level since

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1125641873849909812005-09-02T08:15:00.000+02:002005-09-02T08:17:53.860+02:00"Funding for Hurricane planning was cut..."

Published on Thursday, September 1, 2005 by Knight-Ridder Federal Government Wasn't Ready for Katrina, Disaster Experts SayThe slow response to Katrina and poor federal leadership is a replay of 1992's mishandling of Hurricane Andrewby Seth Borenstein WASHINGTON - The federal government so far has bungled the job of quickly helping the multitudes of hungry, thirsty and desperate victims of

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1124948037189095452005-08-25T07:27:00.000+02:002005-08-25T07:33:57.200+02:00End Poverty by being Smart and Determined

My involvement in aid of a variety of kinds goes back to the years immediately after WW2, with UNRRA and post-UNRRA Relief, then the Point Four Programs, the Colombo Plan, Marshall Aid, UNCTAD, World Food Program, UNIDO and so on and on - and on.We can divide aid into two broad categories: (1) emergency aid - essential to prevent threats to life right now - and (2)longer term aid, intended to

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1123336244917449122005-08-06T15:45:00.000+02:002005-08-06T15:50:44.926+02:00Terror and the Self

by Scarlette McCallum (reader) at 7/17/2005 11:29:37 AMMr. Cumes, I just read your terrific article, “Terror and the Self” forwarded by Dr. Valkin. Thank you for the insight into “group think” phenomena. You present a fascinating perspective. I have written two little articles about the Domestic Violence Movement because I found myself swept up it’s in tide wave. I am a nubile writer who can not

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1121963901318595332005-07-21T18:33:00.000+02:002005-07-21T18:38:21.326+02:00Is There a "Constructive Option"?

There is no sign that the Bush Administration contains any significant tolerance for what you call the "constructive option." Indeed, there is no sign that anyone in the Administration has the faintest idea what such a "constructive option" may be - except to persist with what they're doing now.There is no sign either that, buried in the gobbledegook that he customarily employs, there is any

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1121855308885756272005-07-20T12:11:00.000+02:002005-07-20T12:28:28.906+02:00Bretton Woods and American Power

The PIMCO piece below provides a very interesting analysis. There are some factual points about which we can quibble. For example, Chris refers to OECD when he means OECD's predecessor, OEEC.His analysis is weak too in the impression he gives of the environment post-WW2. He does not seem to understand the strength of our determination then to avoid the miseries and disasters of the Great

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1121752491463219162005-07-19T07:51:00.000+02:002005-07-19T07:54:51.473+02:00Globalisation of Disaster

William Greider says -"But to describe plausible remedies is to explain why none are likely. The webs of mutual interests connecting government, corporate boardrooms and Wall Street are too deeply woven, as are habits of thought among policy makers and politicians. So I do not expect anything fundamental will be altered in time. We are going to find out if the dissenters are right."This is an

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1121601290953715532005-07-17T13:54:00.000+02:002005-07-17T13:54:50.963+02:00Terror and the Self

Terror and the Self How often do you fall in love with yourself? That is a serious question, especially in the light of the monstrous acts of terror in London on 7 July. We tend often - indeed, most often - to fall in love with someone who mirrors our own self, physically and/or spiritually. Not always. Sometimes we have a fling with an off-beat or an opposite; but a

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1121083293994026052005-07-11T13:57:00.000+02:002005-07-11T14:01:34.016+02:00"How to Deal with the Rise of China" (2)

Thanks, John.A lot of people will agree with you. As seen from my viewpoint, that is a very large part of the problem.The IMF did not impose a "gold standard". Certainly that was not the intention of Keynes and White or those who signed the Articles of Agreement in 1944. Rather was it an attempt to give a stability to the foreign exchange market that we had not had in the 1930s. It was an attempt

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1120983633751594632005-07-10T10:17:00.000+02:002005-07-10T10:20:33.766+02:00"How to Deal with the Rise of China"

Report by Australian Broadcasting CorporationOn 28 June 2005, a report from the Australian Broadcasting Commission read as follows:"The ABC has learned that concern about offending China prompted the Australian Government to decline an invitation from the United States to take part in secret talks on how to deal with the rise of China. Calling themselves the 'Halibut Group', the talks were to

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1120470265804067702005-07-04T11:39:00.000+02:002005-07-04T11:44:25.926+02:00"A Fortunate Life"

A 'damnable struggle', but he wonJuly 1, 2005Ray Parkin, Writer, artist, philosopher 1910-2005Ray Parkin liked to tell a story, to illustrate the difference between optimism and pessimism, about a father and his two sons.One Christmas the father gave one son, a pessimist, many expensive presents. He filled the other son's room with horse manure. The pessimist was critical of his gifts but the

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1120379609522878602005-07-03T10:31:00.000+02:002005-07-03T10:33:29.530+02:00VOW and Direct Democracy

The report below illustrates why it is so vital that we utilise the processes of "Direct Democracy" advocated by Victory Over Want (VOW) to formulate ideas and launch programs to abolish poverty and tackle the many other problems that confront our world today.We have yet another Group of Eight Meeting in Edinburgh in a week's time. We will see how effectively that meeting tackles the development

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1119972156780561882005-06-28T17:07:00.000+02:002005-06-28T17:22:36.786+02:00Debts We Owe

I am constantly reminded of the contribution that past generations have made to our sovereign independence and our democratic rights and freedoms.Just as one example, my primary school was Wooloowin State in Brisbane. Nearly every fit boy who went to school with me served in the forces in World War Two, mostly as teenagers.A friend of mine who now has two sons at Wooloowin, has become deeply

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1119772121656072762005-06-26T09:31:00.000+02:002005-06-26T09:48:42.116+02:00The Digger Legend

Stephen Matchett's article shows much more than the usual superficial understanding of Kokoda and the fascination it has for so many of us.He is correct that we tend to grow more, not less fascinated as time passes.One of the most persuasive drives for the individual and the society is the quest for identity. Gallipoli gave us something that, painfully, we needed; Kokoda is a major, more recent,

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1118479170310895252005-06-11T10:36:00.000+02:002005-06-11T10:39:30.323+02:00Live 8, The British Initiative and Victory Over Want

Live 8, The British Initiative and The Project for Victory Over WantBob Geldof's campaign for Africa is magnificent and unique. His persistence over a full generation is a measure of his dedication to a great humanitarian cause.The proposals of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, his Treasurer Gordon Brown and their Government also deserve support, both in themselves and in the impact that we hope

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1118221811760364672005-06-08T11:08:00.000+02:002005-06-08T11:10:11.766+02:00"Dollar Hegemony" and China

There's no country that's quite "like China" in the sense that it's as big as; but the China "phenomenon" started long ago with the Asian Tigers and the most recent country "like China" is India which is very big too, though, so far as we can judge at the moment, it doesn't have quite the potential of China.A related and very relevant question too is whether, in this "dollar hegemony" context,

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1117186077170049612005-05-27T11:26:00.000+02:002005-05-27T11:27:57.180+02:00A New Paradigm

Dear Richard,I haven't heard of your activities lately but I imagine that, whether right within the scenes or behind them, you continue to play a part in the major questions of the day.You might be interested in the exchange below. Richard Werner has written a distinguished book on world economic policies, with special reference to Japan (where he was living until recently).You will recall that,

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1116134227505803982005-05-15T07:16:00.000+02:002005-05-15T07:17:07.513+02:00Cannes: Where are the Aussies?

Cannes: Where are the Aussies?by Christopher JamesI'm here at the Cannes Film Festival where the celluloid heart of the film world throbs with the hot blood of passion, anticipation and ambition. The stars shine bright, the hoardings scream their news about smash hits from around the world, the film brokers do their billion-dollar deals...But I hear not a word about an Australian story, a great

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1114680214007652092005-04-28T11:22:00.000+02:002005-04-28T11:23:34.020+02:00The United States: A Hollow Shell

Boeing: Flying Into a MountainThursday, March, 31st, 2005 http://www.jpri.org/members/BoeingFingleton.pdfThe Boeing company has now become so hollowed out that its next plane, the super-advanced 787, will be more a Japanese product than an American one. This article, by Eamonn Fingleton, was first published in the January 31, 2005 issue of The American Conservative. First of two parts.One evening

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1114271479294840282005-04-23T17:45:00.000+02:002005-04-23T17:51:19.303+02:00Does Aid Work?

Does Aid Work? As we were coming out of World War Two, a great part of the world was in ruins: almost the whole of Europe as well as much of Asia and the Pacific. Weestablished the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration(UNRRA) to deliver emergency aid. A Commission for the Reconstruction ofDevastated Areas in both Europe and Asia evolved into the United NationsCommissions

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1112360203787351042005-04-01T14:55:00.000+02:002005-04-01T14:56:43.790+02:00Woltowitz and the World Bank

What I find objectionable - though hardly extraordinary - is the way Wolfowitz' appointment has been sewn up by the Americans and Europeans between them.Originally, of course, the IBRD was supposed to "reconstruct" and "develop" everyone. I recall that, at one stage, I think during the 1950's, even Australia qualified for an IBRD loan. (I seem to recall that it was for a railway to open up the Mt

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1109756640579739272005-03-02T10:39:00.000+01:002005-03-02T10:44:00.586+01:00The Banana Men

The Banana Republic:The Alternative was Always Thereby former Australian Ambassador Dr James CumesI have explained, over and over again, for the past 36 years, the alternative policies for our country that I believe to have been and to be still now necessary. I have explained them in several books. I have explained them orally. I have explained them through the medium of the internet. They have

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1109435543747214662005-02-26T17:25:00.001+01:002005-02-26T17:32:23.766+01:00United States Deficits Risk Crash

What is ironic in the Australian discussion of the "American bubble economy" is that the Australian Treasury, which Dr Henry heads at the public-service level, has followed United States economic and financial policies faithfully and uncritically - we can, fairly, say slavishly - for the past thirty years.Australia has a trade and payments deficit of much the same relative magnitude as the United

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1109435539564119922005-02-26T17:25:00.000+01:002005-02-26T17:32:19.580+01:00United States Deficits Risk Crash

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1106391522437626162005-01-22T11:53:00.000+01:002005-01-22T11:58:42.436+01:00The Error of Modern Macroeconomic Policy

From: Gunnar Tómasson To: gang8@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 8:32 PM Subject: Re: [gang8] Correction: Re: Re: Richebacher: The Missing Link - reflections on trade James, I agree with you "that, antecedent to the collapse of the IMF and, indeed, a crucial cause of it, was the misunderstanding of interest-rate and fiscal effects, especially in relation to inflation from 1969

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1105620516457682992005-01-13T13:46:00.000+01:002005-01-13T13:48:36.456+01:00The Vital Force of Investment

The Vital Force of Investment If the more favourable prospects for the future are to be realised, the vital importance of a satisfactory investment policy must be acknowledged. Investment foreshadows the future of a person, a country or the world economy. The competitive position of those countries - the highly-developed, free-enterprise economies for the most part - which continue to apply

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1104659834886978272005-01-02T10:56:00.000+01:002005-01-02T10:57:14.886+01:00A Silver Lining

"Look for the silver lining, Whene'er a cloud appears in the blue..." The words of Jerome Kern's famous song buoyed our spirits in the depths of the Great Depression. Perhaps they can do something the same for us now. The devastation wrought by the tsunami has reminded us of the common vulnerability of us all. The natural extension should be that we hold together for our common protection and

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1104424557086250652004-12-30T17:34:00.000+01:002004-12-30T17:35:57.086+01:00The Outlook for Victory Over Want (VOW)

I launched Victory Over Want in early 2002 - that's nearly three years ago. The abdication of economic and social responsibilities by governments and international agencies, at that time, were huge and becoming ever more massive. In large part, their economic and social policies were by any standard, technically economic or emotionally humanitarian, simply plain wrong. There was then too a lot of

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1104328437308461372004-12-29T14:52:00.000+01:002004-12-29T14:53:57.310+01:00VOW: A Call to Action

I see the campaign for Victory Over Want as calling for a direct democratic initiative in which representatives of countries from all continents, all regions, all races and religions will meet to draw up their own charter and program for a Marshall-Plan-type assault on poverty. Such a program would not only moderate and, shortly, eliminate poverty in the poorer countries but would simultaneously

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1102739476775236862004-12-11T05:28:00.000+01:002004-12-11T05:31:16.776+01:00China "cures" Australia's Inflation

Trade deficit made in China By David Uren December 11, 2004 CHINA has overtaken the US as Australia's biggest source of imports, as our appetite for its cut-price clothes, furniture, electrical goods and machinery continues to fuel the growing trade deficit.Imports from China totalled $1.8billion in October, moving ahead of the US for the first time. Our imports from the US totalled $1.6 billion.

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1102694746645372962004-12-10T17:02:00.000+01:002004-12-10T17:05:46.646+01:00The Multiple Abyss

The Multiple Abyss by James Cumes The Four Themes (1) The Economic Theme (2) The Power Theme (3) The Political-Philosophy Theme (4) The Multiple-Abyss Theme The Economic Theme The thrust of my economic analysis is as follows: (1) The interwar/Great Depression period produced vigorous debate of economic, social and political issues. Two ideas, in particular, broadly identified with Keynes' "

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1101540127255766552004-11-27T08:20:00.000+01:002004-11-27T08:22:07.256+01:00China: The Yuan Rate

Beijing could let yuan appreciate By Tung Chen-yuanFriday, Nov 26, 2004,Page 8 At the APEC summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao for the first time declared that China would allow a floating Chinese currency on the condition that it would not have a heavy impact on the economy. Is this the prelude to an adjustment of the Chinese yuan? Or is it superficial talk to deal with international pressure?

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1101461316018412862004-11-26T10:26:00.000+01:002004-11-26T10:28:36.020+01:00China, the Superpower - and India

Arno, One very interesting development is not only the way in which the United States - and other Western countries - persist in self-destruction - one deficit that gets little attention is the extent of the DISinvestment in the Unites States - and Australia - in public infrastructure - but the extent to which the beneficiaries of our wrong policies are now cooperating among themselves. They are

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1101370535726830312004-11-25T09:12:00.001+01:002004-11-25T09:15:35.726+01:00China, the Superpower (2)

John, The key to economic strength and, ultimately, to political and strategic power is fixed capital investment that enhances productivity and production.It was that which drove the United States to its position as the world's superpower. That is what it has forgotten in recent decades. United States policies have provided China - and other countries, of course - with opportunities for economic

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1101370532982730742004-11-25T09:12:00.000+01:002004-11-25T09:15:32.983+01:00China, the Superpower (2)

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1101291550981697622004-11-24T11:13:00.000+01:002004-11-24T11:19:10.983+01:00China, the Superpower

China, the Superpower James Cumes Nov 24, 2004 02:04 PST China, the Superpower "It seems to me that as long as the pegging goes on, the US is sucked dry of power and becomes less of a threat to an emerging China etc" As I've said so many times before, it is the United States, through its own ill-considered policies, that has brought about its own approaching self-destruction as the world's

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1100332599897991282004-11-13T08:54:00.000+01:002004-11-13T08:56:39.896+01:00A Better Mix for the Mixed Economy

Jeffa Please see my piece on "The Death of Public Investment."What we need is a better mix in the mixed economy. The communism of the Soviet Union had obvious and glaring weaknesses, covering an extensive field.Equally, the "free" economies - and the "free societies" - of the West today have glaring weaknesses, injustices, inequalities, instabilities and the rest.There will have to be a move

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1100331171259301052004-11-13T08:31:00.000+01:002004-11-13T08:32:51.260+01:00The Death of Public Investment

Economic boom wasted by states By Mike SteketeeNovember 13, 2004 CAPITAL spending by governments on hospitals, schools, railways and electricity has sunk to record lows, despite strong economic growth producing soaring revenues from stamp duties and the GST.The fall, revealed in Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday, means Australians will have to cope with substandard

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1098381186655520952004-10-21T19:51:00.000+02:002004-10-21T19:53:06.656+02:00The Moral Vacancy of an Unfeeling President

THE UNFEELING PRESIDENTBy E.L. Doctorowhttp://www.easthamptonstar.com/20040909/col5.htmI fault this president for not knowing what death is. He doesnot suffer the death of our twenty-one-year-olds who wanted tobe what they could be. On the eve of D-day in 1944 GeneralEisenhower prayed to God for the lives of the young soldiers heknew were going to die. He knew what death was. Even in ajustifiable

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1098170147395226482004-10-19T09:13:00.000+02:002004-10-19T09:15:47.396+02:00Australian Manufactures: Rapidly Disappearing

October 19, 2004 Today's Australian Financial Review (subscription required) has the first in a series of articles on Australian manufacturing, by Peter Roberts. There's an odd disconnect between the front page (and the editorial referring to it) and the body of the article. The opening includes the optimistic declaration The Australian manufacturing sector is now made up, not of survivors, but

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1097990126810631292004-10-17T07:11:00.000+02:002004-10-17T07:15:26.810+02:00Yes, Please, More Happiness!!

RE: Natural Highs James Cumes Oct 16, 2004 21:58 PDT Dear Jeffa,You're absolutely right.All those things you mention do make life worthwhile.Our eighteen-year-old daughter is just starting at university. We sit and talk about it. We dream about the future... New friends she'll make... Old friends she'll keep... New thoughts she'll have... Old thoughts she thinks still have value... We drink a

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1097989695381795732004-10-17T07:07:00.000+02:002004-10-17T07:08:15.383+02:00Happiness

Natural Highs Jeffa Oct 13, 2004 01:58 PDT All the doom and gloom on here, I've complained that we don't hear enough about what humans are doing right, almost only what we are doing wrong. While this isn't actually news worthy, maybe you'll enjoy it's positive nature. A vacation from the relentless focus on the bad news.Think about them one at a time BEFORE going on to the next one...IT DOES

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1097989419565716642004-10-17T07:02:00.000+02:002004-10-17T07:03:39.566+02:00Democracy Banking

Banking on a backlashBy Cortlan BennettOctober 17, 2004 OLD-FASHIONED service and community development are paying off for Bendigo Bank, which is now targeting small business in WA.The move follows the success of Bendigo's community banking scheme that has rapidly filled the void left by bigger banks deserting small towns and suburbs across Australia. In six years, the Victorian rural bank has

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1096007820666484062004-09-24T08:12:00.001+02:002004-09-24T08:37:00.666+02:00Even if We have no Reason, Bomb Iraq!

IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT, BOMB IRAQ Author Unknown If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq. If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq. If the terrorists are frisky, Pakistan is looking shifty, North Korea is too risky, Bomb Iraq. If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq. If we think that someone's dissed us, bomb Iraq. So to hell with the inspections, Let's look tough for the elections, Close

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1095748256158766722004-09-21T08:14:00.000+02:002004-09-21T08:30:56.156+02:00Who is chaff? Who is grain?

I've just been reading about the rankings of Australian economists; but I have to ask - Are these rankings based on simple lines/words of text in certain selected journals? Wouldn't a better measure be the extent to which particular economists contributed to the economic - and social - pickle in which we have landed ourselves - or have been landed - domestically and internationally - by following

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1095501295555325572004-09-18T11:32:00.000+02:002004-09-18T11:54:55.556+02:00Central Banks, Interest Rates and Inflation

A learned and able professor of economics has suggested to me that the Australian Government should be given "credit" for leaving the Reserve Bank of Australia "alone." One of the fundamental policy mistakes - probably THE fundamental policy mistake - of the past 35 years has been the belief that a hike in interest rates will cure inflation. No central bank has yet put us right on this

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1091347621545427532004-08-01T10:02:00.000+02:002004-08-01T10:07:01.546+02:00Australia's Economic Problems

Like the US, Australia's economic - and, increasingly, social - problems go back more than thirty years and fundamentally derive from the attempt to "fight inflation" by hiking interest rates and "damping down" the economy. All that did was produce, first, stagflation, and then shift domestic inflation to huge and chronic deficits in the balance of trade/payments. In the process, we - both the US

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089877510846886072004-07-15T09:42:00.000+02:002004-07-15T09:45:10.846+02:00Sixty Years on, the Australians Take the Bait

The US Catches Another Poor Fish on its FTA Line James Cumes July 15, 2004 Ever since 1948, when they sent a special negotiator to Australia to try to conclude a Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation with Australia, the Americans have sought this kind of free entry into the Australian market - or, more correctly, into the Australian economy. Now at last they have got what they want

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089354522824164302004-07-09T08:25:00.001+02:002004-07-09T08:28:42.823+02:00Who Wants Freedom - All of It?

"...Total freedom...and damn the torpedoes" Very, very good. "Come as you like" is the toughest invitation ever issued. "Black tie only" makes life dead easy. Diplomats are about the greatest nongs you'd ever find in a seven-day exploration of the universe in a jet that regularly breaks the sound barrier. They know that they'd never cope with what they call their job if they didn't have a set of

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089354511873519872004-07-09T08:25:00.000+02:002004-07-09T08:28:31.873+02:00Who Wants Freedom - All of It?

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089271779340627452004-07-08T09:29:00.000+02:002004-07-08T09:29:39.340+02:00The Banking Business

How to deal with the banks There are a number of legitimate reasons for concern about the banking and financial system, some trumpeted from the rooftops, some overlooked because they are more complicated: 1. The “total level of debt” 2. The “amount being borrowed on plastic”. 3. To me, the usurious rates banks can charge for lending on plastic. (2 is of course a direct consequence of 3) 4. The

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089271802859480692004-07-08T09:23:00.001+02:002004-07-08T09:30:02.860+02:00The Banking Business

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089271449820037732004-07-08T09:23:00.000+02:002004-07-08T09:24:09.820+02:00The Banking Business

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089270741256330522004-07-08T09:07:00.000+02:002004-07-08T09:12:21.256+02:00Australian Neo-colonialism

The very serious thing about the Australian Government's recent policies is our reversion to a neo-colonial status. We are just as we were more than sixty years ago, with our cult figure and our narcissistic transference object the United States instead of Britain. Of course, Britain has recently - through Blair though not through its people - been doing a fair job of cult fanaticism and

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089203241416322142004-07-07T14:24:00.000+02:002004-07-07T14:27:21.416+02:00Cold River: A Book We All Should Read

This is the Escape that will Never Be Duplicated: The Seventh of July of Our Tragic Escape: Declaring Independence From Fear... It is important from time to time to remember that some things are worth getting mad about. The cold hard truth is that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, so we should not be surprised if or when Madmen Run the Asylum... Once Upon A Bad Time, the

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089122209554033872004-07-06T15:56:00.000+02:002004-07-06T15:56:49.553+02:00Kokoda and Haverleigh

Kokoda Peter FitzSimons is in the process of publishing another of his distinguished books. This one describes one of the most crucial campaigns of World War Two - Kokoda. Kokoda has a special fascination for me personally. On 6 June 1942, as a teenage soldier, I disembarked in Port Moresby, from the old Bass Strait ferry MV Taroona, to join New Guinea Force. We were regularly bombed and strafed

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089095236375489172004-07-06T08:26:00.000+02:002004-07-06T08:27:16.380+02:00Kokoda and Haverleigh

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089094880489869902004-07-06T07:36:00.001+02:002004-07-06T08:21:20.490+02:00Kokoda and Haverleigh

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089094806278554772004-07-06T07:36:00.000+02:002004-07-06T08:20:06.283+02:00Kokoda and Haverleigh

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089037601884994582004-07-05T16:24:00.000+02:002004-07-05T16:26:41.886+02:00The US: Five Years to a Soviet-like Collapse?

Dissing the Republic To Save It - A conversation with Chalmers Johnson by Marc Cooper http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/32/features-cooper.php In the darkest days of the Cold War, UC Berkeley professor and sometimes consultant to the CIA Chalmers Johnson heartily denounced anti-Vietnam War protesters as misguided. Nowadays, Johnson is a hero to a new generation of peace protesters. One of the most

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089011747341297612004-07-05T08:42:00.000+02:002004-07-05T09:15:47.340+02:00Kokoda

Peter FitzSimons is in the process of publishing another of his distinguished books. This one describes one of the most crucial campaigns of World War Two - Kokoda. This book has a special fascination for me personally. As a teenage soldier, I disembarked in Port Moresby on 6 June 1942 to join New Guinea Force. Six weeks later, a Japanese force of some 10,000 crack troops, battle-hardened already

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089009738182360842004-07-05T08:37:00.006+02:002004-07-05T08:42:18.183+02:00The Chronic Blockheadedness of Interest-Rate Policy

In what is almost certainly the most threatening economic and financial situation, world-wide, in my lifetime and perhaps since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, we find ourselves in the hands of policymakers and "experts" who have no idea either of the nature of the problem - or the complex of problems - or the way in which it/they should be addressed. The suggestion that a hike in

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089009705929243172004-07-05T08:37:00.005+02:002004-07-05T08:41:45.930+02:00The Chronic Blockheadedness of Interest-Rate Policy

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089009680038871372004-07-05T08:37:00.004+02:002004-07-05T08:41:20.036+02:00The Chronic Blockheadedness of Interest-Rate Policy

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089009629583561502004-07-05T08:37:00.002+02:002004-07-05T08:40:29.583+02:00The Chronic Blockheadedness of Interest-Rate Policy

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089009616533020452004-07-05T08:37:00.001+02:002004-07-05T08:40:16.533+02:00The Chronic Blockheadedness of Interest-Rate Policy

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1089009557152988662004-07-05T08:37:00.000+02:002004-07-05T08:39:17.153+02:00The Chronic Blockheadedness of Interest-Rate Policy

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1088958971413277732004-07-04T18:28:00.000+02:002004-07-04T18:36:11.413+02:00The Class War we have to WIN

This is the Fight of Our Lives by Bill Moyers Keynote speech Inequality Matters Forum New York University June 3, 2004 "The middle class and working poor are told that what's happening to them is the consequence of Adam Smith's 'Invisible Hand.' This is a lie. What's happening to them is the direct consequence of corporate activism, intellectual propaganda, the rise of a religious orthodoxy

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1088858737595041392004-07-03T14:29:00.000+02:002004-07-03T14:45:37.596+02:00The Comeback Kid

From 28 May to 3 July - I've been away a long time. Has anyone missed me? I'm sure no one has. Most of the time, I've been trying to outfight an aggressively negative computer. It won hands down - until today. I wonder will my victory last? If it doesn't, I can just relax on "a fine evening...in the stillroom of darkess, when the ears can listen to no music save what the moonlight breathes

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1085737968715382702004-05-28T11:51:00.000+02:002004-05-28T11:52:48.716+02:00No Light from Bush's Light Bulb

How many members of the Bush Administration are needed to replace a light bulb? The Answer is SEVEN: - One to deny that a light bulb needs to be replaced; - One to attack and question the patriotism of anyone who has questions about the light bulb; - One to blame the previous administration for the need of a new light bulb; - One to arrange the invasion of a country rumored to have

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1084715466246056332004-05-16T15:43:00.000+02:002004-05-16T15:51:06.246+02:00

Prologue to "The Multiple Abyss" by James Cumes Those of us, in the Western democracies, who grew up in the Great Depression knew a world in which almost all of us were poor and our future uncertain. We dreamed of a prosperity we were told was just around the corner; but the good times remained a dream while the threat of war became ever more real. Most of us left school early to grab what jobs

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1084626536778913822004-05-15T15:07:00.000+02:002004-05-15T15:08:56.776+02:00VOW: A Call to Action

VOW A Call to Action Bringing Activism to Life with Practical, Coordinated Democratic Action Victory Over Want (VOW) is a vital instrument for peaceful change. Our cooperative effort to rebuild the world economy and to ensure its future strength, will empower and enrich men, women and children everywhere, rich and poor, developing and developed, of all races and all religions on all the

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1084259787265396142004-05-11T09:15:00.000+02:002004-05-11T09:16:27.266+02:00On the Edge of the Financial Abyss?

The faltering U.S. Financial Sphere Bubble by Doug Noland http://www.prudentbear.com/creditbubblebulletin.asp Moments after the release of Tuesday's FOMC statement, CNBC's Ron Insana put a question to Pimco's astute Bill Gross: "From an investor's perspective, what do you do in the bond market as a consequence of what the Fed decided and said today?" Mr. Gross's interesting response: "Well, I

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1084082983711265442004-05-09T08:09:00.000+02:002004-05-09T08:14:14.170+02:00Weak "Leaders" and Weak Democracy

Follow the leader and swallow the spin May 9, 2004 The Sun-Herald Page Tools Email to a friend Printer format The decision to invade Iraq has weakened the position of democratic nations, Margo Kingston writes. (For the latest Webdiary on American torture, see The human spirit one year after war on Iraq) John Howard is a weak man, the worst possible leader of Australia in an era with

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1083999384688493022004-05-08T08:56:00.000+02:002004-05-08T09:00:53.123+02:00Our Atrocities? Saddam was "Much Worse"!!!

You're soaking in it, Mr Howard By Alan Ramsey May 8, 2004 Abu Ghraib military prison is 50 kilometres west of Baghdad. What happened there between October and December last year was known right up the US military's chain of command for five months. The Pentagon kept the lid on the scandal until nine days ago. Then the American CBS network ended the cover-up by showing a set of explicit

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1083996793247924852004-05-08T08:13:00.000+02:002004-05-08T08:17:42.216+02:00The Cult of the Bushes

Bushwhackers have had their day April 24, 2004 THERE is a new sort of Australian in public life who, accusing fellow Australians of being unAustralian, expresses his or her patriotism by singing Hail To The Chief rather than Waltzing Matilda. These whackers, hereinafter known as Bushwhackers, congregate in right-wing politics, shock-jockery and both tabloid and broadsheet punditry. They

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1083928151056616032004-05-07T13:09:00.000+02:002004-05-07T13:13:38.996+02:00The G7 Charade Stumbles on

ECONOMIC NEWS UPDATE IRWIN M. STELZER 3 May 2004 "Thank goodness they've left town, whoever they were," sighed Washingtonians after days of traffic mayhem. Not satisfied with the security assured by their anonymity, the G-7 finance ministers roared around Washington in their black SUVs, led by police with sirens wailing, and accompanied by armed security guards peering menacingly out of the

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5847403.post-1083222455499789552004-04-29T09:07:00.000+02:002004-04-29T09:11:52.246+02:00Reality and Illusion

Jeff, You're right: there is a great deal that is happening or that has happened for which we should be grateful. In many ways, we are at a peak of human achievement. This applies not only to material things but to our conceptions of freedoms and individual rights, the rule of law, concern for our fellow men in non-racist terms and so on. Many of our moral concepts are embraced in a way that

James Cumeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08826567889576066390noreply@blogger.com0