A Billion Here, A Billion There!
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Less than intelligent politicians in Washington, DC are plentiful and to some extent acceptable. When they do something smart however, it’s time to acknowledge that feat. CEO’s of multibillion dollar companies on the other hand, are generally considered to be a step up from normal intelligence, if for no other reason than they [...]
China’s Shenzhen Special Economic Zone
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Chinese antiques shop thinking is not at the top of any to-do list in downtown Shenzhen these days. Shenzhen, beautifully located by the sea near Hong Kong, was the first Special Economic Zone, and has created a magnificent new mega city that produces enormous volumes of luxury products. No autos or microwaves to the world [...]
National Security Perspectives: A Post-Election Insider View
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Recently I participated in an event entitled National Security Perspectives held at the famous Congressional Country Club in Maryland. The featured panelists had impressive credentials from the NSA, DHS and the CIA. The topics of discussion ranged from Current Geopolitical Threats and Evolving Technology Demands to predictions about the New Administrations Intelligence, Defense and Homeland [...]
Wars And Stratagems And … Cigars?
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A tobacco tax that has its origins in the rivalry between a king and his courtier? Increased sales due to war? And plague?
It’s all part of the story of tobacco. Smoking has always been bound up in the history of European politics. After all, it’s likely that no one of European origin would ever have [...]
Recession? Depression? Deflation? The ABC’s of the Economic Downturn
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News of the economy is inescapable these days and most of it is bad news. The economy dominates the headlines, the evening news and our daily conversations. Sorting out what all the terms mean and what they have to do with your individual bottom line can be difficult. Here is a quick [...]
Recession? Depression? Deflation? The ABC’s of the Economic Downturn
Filed Under World Affairs | Leave a Comment
News of the economy is inescapable these days and most of it is bad news. The economy dominates the headlines, the evening news and our daily conversations. Sorting out what all the terms mean and what they have to do with your individual bottom line can be difficult. Here is a quick [...]
Barack Obama: The Hawaii Connection
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Hawaii is especially proud of our new president, Barack Obama. He was born here and spent many of his formative years living in Honolulu. We believe this time spent in Hawaii had an indelible effect on the formation of his character, because the history of Hawaii makes this place unique.
Of course, his other international [...]
China’s Chairman Mao: Savior Or Backward Leaper
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As if a book from a Chinese antiques shop, the myth of Chairman Mao has classic Communist ideology, in that the dear leader is usually glorified as one with super human powers. Mao Zedong did it from the Long March and through his life, and even in death his body is almost given sacred [...]
The Great Bailout Stall, Part IV: A Bad Dream
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Today, it’s nothing but a bad dream, but, many years ago, before modern medicine had come up with more humane procedures for dealing with hemorrhoids, I suffered through a period of extreme discomfort in the sensitive posterior of my anatomy. Because I had vivid memories of my father howling in agony after undergoing a hemorrhoid [...]
China And Its History Of Dynasties
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If you are browsing in a Chinese antiques shop and the owner shows you an object for any dynasty, you would probably need help to be assured which century that was. And so it has been in China for the thrity thousand years that human beings have populated this portion of earth. We know that [...]