Monthly reports on finance, business, trade,
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NEWNATIONS BULLETIN 01 MARCH 2009
THE WORLD IS WAITING
As the daily news depresses us and the financial news frightens us and people try to live normal lives, we are all rather pathetically waiting for Obama to solve our problems.
sixty years ago, but which should now be completely restructured to deal with the problems of the 21st century.
Monday 2 March 2009
newnations.com
The first line of problems remain with the banks, the wellspring of our economic system. Just as we think we have heard the worst, more collapse talk comes along. Not just banks but nation states are in the firing line. Small nations that have guaranteed their banks are themselves looking rocky. Iceland was a very small state with a banking system which completely over-reached itself, but many banks elsewhere did exactly that.
Now the impersonal market is casting its beady eye on the ultimate lenders, 'bankers of last resort' - the taxpayer, and the resources available to the smaller states. The Irelands, the Luxemburgs, even the Swiss are having questions asked about them.
When such paragons of capitalist virtue as Germany, Japan and Taiwan, nations who have long been the great makers and exporters of manufactured goods, are grinding to a halt for want of buyers, then what about those nations who have nothing much to sell but the services of their educated, relatively low-cost workforce, like Ireland? Or like the UK which doesn't make a lot anymore, but lives on the back of 'financial services' as Mrs Thatcher was once proud to proclaim, the very place where the heart of the crisis is playing out?
The Group of Twenty meeting next month is supposed to be the critical decision maker for a co-ordinated, joined-up policy of all the key nations, to deal with these problems.
Then they have to agree on how to stop it happening again? We address these questions in this month's Overview and say that it is time to re-found the United Nations, created for the perceived problems of
Also in April comes the Nato Heads of government meeting where we review the big issues - obviously AFGHANISTAN now joined with PAKISTAN as an integrated problem area, on which agreement is vital. But what's the plan?
It is also a great opportunity for Obama to finally shut down the Cold War with RUSSIA where bad relations serves nobody's interests except those of the military industrial complex.
An important report on SOUTH AFRICA where the presidential elections will be held on April 22nd. The lineup this election includes COPE the breakaway from the ANU, but there all is not plain sailing. Jacob Zuma indicted under multiple counts of fraud and racketeering to be answered in August, will nevertheless stand for the ANC with every expectation of becoming elected as the next president.
The news from Israel is that the election results indicate that the Israeli-in-the-street is not yet ready for peace. We look at the situation as it unfolding. SYRIA on the other hand is moving positively and looks as though its relations with SAUDI ARABIA are improving, as well as a real prospect of the US Embassy re-opening and an actual relationship forming with the USA. In fact all key criteria towards advancing a permanent peace between Israel and the Palestinians now seem possible, at the very moment that the new Israeli government dominated by 'no negotiations' reactionary leaders is about to take office. A tragedy - or what?
Reactionary leaders however can surprise, as in SAUDI ARABIA. A whole raft of progressive measures have been ordained by King Abdullah - even to the extent of taking on the Wahhabi Ulema and their religious police. Mind, it did seem excessive when the now-fired Supreme Judicial Council leader issued a fatwa that owners of satellite TV channels showing 'immoral content' should be killed! It would be hard for Rupert Murdoch to survive here, given what 'immoral' could be held to mean in Saudi.
We point to several of our March country reviews describing the Impact of the Crisis and particularly sound Alarm Bells for UKRAINE & PAKISTAN.
We discuss the state of play in IRAN now in the spotlight for 'the Obama treatment'.
IRAQ and the final US withdrawal is in line with our predictions - that they are not really going to withdraw. 50,000 troops to remain? It hasn't happened yet, but the soon-to-be elected government of the independent state of IRAQ, might have something to say about that, like NO WAY?
In NORTH KOREA we review this month's surprises and speculate on what Kim Jung Il is up to now. Also some clues about his succession
King of Kings (in Africa): LIBYA reports recognition for Colonel Qaddafi greeted with this title by thirty African traditional leaders on his election as President of the African Union - on an ambitious programme of creating a United States of Africa!
Hall of Shame this month looks at the UK tabloid story of a British Colonel under arrest for breaching the Official Secrets Act, and a front line woman Human Rights Watch worker, holding down a dangerous job in Afghanistan.
An ugly story which must not be covered-up
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