“An
imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment
of all republics.” Plutarch
Wording:
“Chinese
investors haven’t been investing based on how the economy is doing,
but rather, based on what they think the government will do to prop
up the market.” Really,
just Chinese
investors?
Food
For Thought:
“The
first half of 2015 has seen the worst decline in world trade since
the 2009 crisis.”
Wading
In:
The NASA now says that the IPCC's 2013 estimate of sea level
rise was a tad conservative and it is now expected to be at least
three feet in the next century. That will force 150 million people
to relocate and will flood several major cities. The increase is due
to the rapidly increasing rate that ice sheets in Greenland and
Antarctica are melting.
It's
Half Time: The
BEA has revised its guesses of 2015 GDP growth. First quarter grew
at a 0.6% annual rate, second quarter 3.7% (up from 2.3%i) and third
quarter growth is now projected to be about 1.4%. Don't bank on
it.
Business
is Booming: A
Chinese arms dealer has sold $20 million in weaponry to South Sudan,
where Israeli
weapons are widely used in the civil war. Where is the money for
these weapons coming from, and why?
Perspective:
Drought
has
so severely reduced maize (corn to Americans) production in Zimbabwe
that less than 25% of children under 2 get minimum levels of
nutrition. Half of all children under 5 years old suffer from
anemia. Maybe
we could encourage the Republicans who so want to force unwilling
mothers to bring unwanted children into the world to refocus their
fervor on feeding some of those that are already here.
Technically
Speaking: 26
Japanese universities are
abolishing
courses in the
humanities and
social sciences. Doesn't
pay.
Magic
Decoder Ring:
When
analysts say “At
a time when the oil price is languishing at its lowest level in six
years, producers need to find half a trillion dollars to repay debt.”
What
they mean is that they've got to borrow another half trillion
buckeroos to pay back their current debts so
they can keep drilling for oil no one wants. Sounds like a plan.
Can't
Win: Widespread
Roundup use has caused the monarch butterfly population to plummet by
a billion. Now their Mexican wintering habitat is being degraded by
illegal logging. Say goodnight, Gracie.
She's
Right: "There
is no tolerance for those people who question the dignity of others,
no tolerance for those who are not willing to help where legal and
human help is required.” Angela Merkel. To
bad a
lot of Germans don't agree, and Hungarians
want to stop migrants at the border, while Denmark
is considering toughening its citizenship laws.
Porn
O'Graph: No
future in the futures.
5 comments:
Re Zimbabwe: i'd assume that republicans would want to export anti-abortion laws to zimbabwe. could be a new american business model - exporting laws to to ensure the power of old white men over woman.
Re Merkel: watch out, she will be right - for some meaning of the word, at last. Selling weapons and exporting misery into crisis zones worked perfectly, building new border defence system will come next.
What could go wrong?
RE "She's Right": Which of course explains why the Germans insist on yet more punishing austerity in Greece. From my perspective her comment is a perfect example of "Pay no attention to the man behind the screen" or "do as I say not as I do". I expect more of this sort of posturing drivel as long as there's money to be made from the refugee crisis.
Today we found four Monarch caterpillars on the milkweed we planted to attract them. How the butterflies found them I'll never know, but we were thrilled to see them! Some of us ARE trying to perpetuate the species even though we know we may be fighting an impossible war...
“An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.” Plutarch
It is an excellent and insightful quotation. Unfortunately I am pretty sure it is apocryphal and that Plutarch never wrote that, even in a loose translation.
Hey CK. You okay? You usually post notice when you're going to be out for few days. I'm feeling a little concerned about you, friend.
Post a Comment