Europe Media

Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Steen Jakobsen, chief economist at Saxo Bank A/S, discusses the outlook for Europe's sovereign debt crisis and the U.S. economy. He speaks with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television's "Asia Edge." (Source: Bloomberg)

Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- David Gosset, director of the Euro-China center for international and business relations at the China Europe International Business School, talks about German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Beijing and the prospects for relations between Europe and China. Gosset speaks from Shanghai with Rishaad Salamat on Bloomberg Television's "On the Move Asia." (Source: Bloomberg)

The head of the EU delegation to Beirut, Angelina Eichhorst, has told a local newspaper that it is essential to keep the country isolated from unrest in the region and said she expects European countries to increase their economic support of Lebanon.

Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Erwin Sanft, deputy head of Asian equities research at BNP Paribas SA, talks about the outlook for the region's emerging stock markets and economies, and his investment strategy. Sanft also discusses Federal Reserve monetary policy and Europe's sovereign debt crisis. He speaks with Susan Li, Rishaad Salamat, Stephen Engle and John Dawson on Bloomberg Television's "Asia Edge." (Source: Bloomberg)

BELGRADE, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The debt of a failing aluminum complex in Montenegro is threatening the tiny Balkan state with economic collapse, reported Radio Television Serbia (RTS) on Saturday. The Aluminum Plant Podgorica (KAP) is jointly managed by the Montenegrin government and the Central European Aluminum Company (CEAC) controlled by Oleg Deripaska, a Russian billionaire, each with roughly 30 percent of the shares. According to Minister of Economy Vladimir Kavaric, the Montenegrin g ...

By Tariq Shadid

The essence of the Palestinian struggle is the battle against Zionism. It is a battle against its racism, against its murderous war crimes, against its insatiable territorial hunger, against its disdain for non-Jewish human rights, and against its devoted attempts to destroy Palestinian national identity. As voices of normalization are on the rise, and social media is invaded by paid pro-Zionist bloggers, there is an increased need for anti-Zionists to draw attention to the crimes committed by 'Israel', and to speak up against the ongoing media silence and the apologist activities of those misleadingly portraying themselves as 'peace doves'. Let us first look briefly at the history of the anti-Zionist struggle, and then see where we stand today.

The Ideology of Zionism

Years before the creation of the state of 'Israel', there was already a full-blown battle going on against Zionism. On one side, the Palestinians were resisting against the usurpation of their land, having grown aware of the far-stretching implications of the Balfour declaration of 1917, which laid the foundation for the mass-immigration of European Jews into Palestine. In those same decades, there was also an ongoing struggle within the Jewish communities in Europe, where many were opposed to the tenets of Zionism either on a religious basis, or on the realization that colonizing an inhabited land would inevitably cause an injustice that would continue to reverberate for many years to come. A famous example of this in that period of time was the famous genius Albert Einstein, who in 1938 already expressed his opposition to the creation of a 'Jewish state', and in a letter to the New York Times that he wrote together with a number of prominent Jews in 1948, strongly denounced the horrendous Deir Yassin massacre.

The ongoing struggle of the Palestinians against Zionism and the continuing expropriation of their land is well-known, but not everyone is aware that within Jewish ranks, true ideological opposition against Zionism still exists. The most well-known group among these is Neturei Karta ('Guardians of the City'), an organization of international Jews united against Zionism. On another note, within the current framework of the Zionist state, a coalition of groups that call themselves 'Campus Watchdogs' recently went as far as labeling 10 % of Israeli academics as 'anti-Zionist'. It is likely that this number is highly overrated, since this McCarthyism-like approach can be expected to have lumped together a wide variety of people who expressed criticism at their government's actions. In a similar way that outside criticism of 'Israel' quickly gets labeled as 'anti-Semitism', many of the one thousand mentioned academics, publicists and journalists are likely to have received the label of 'anti-Zionist' despite adhering to many of Zionism's principles.

Tribal, Religious, or Ideological?

For some, the ongoing misery is a war between two peoples, basically a 'tribal war'. Others prefer seeing it as a war between religions, with Judaism on one side and Muslims on the other side. Those who adopt this view are ignoring the pluralistic ethnic and religious composition of the Palestinian people, and are for instance ignoring the fact that many Palestinians are Christians, who have not been spared the gruesome fate of their Muslim compatriots. Thirdly, there are those who view the struggle as a battle between ideologies: Zionism on one side, and anti-Zionism on the other.

As the original PLO manifesto (28 May 1964) stated, the organization declared that "Palestine with its boundaries that existed at the time of the British mandate is an integral regional unit"  and that it sought to "prohibit the existence and activity of Zionism". It also contained statements calling for a right of return and self-determination for the Palestinians. When reading the manifesto, it becomes clear that the PLO, the first more officially organized Palestinian movement against the land theft and expulsion committed by the Zionist terrorist organizations that later declared the Zionist state, was an explicitly anti-Zionist movement. The PLO incorporated the various existing political movements in one body, and was declared to be the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. This was widely accepted by an overwhelming majority of Palestinians.

The Oslo Disaster

As illustrated above, the foundations of the Palestinian struggle were based on the territorial integrity of Palestine (i.e. the one state solution) and the right of return of all expelled Palestinians. These original foundations became embedded in an entire generation of Palestinians worldwide. In 1993, the leadership under Yaser Arafat adopted the two-state solution instead, which largely happened in a top-down manner and led to the Oslo accords, However, it soon became clear to all that the Oslo accords were only accepted by 'Israel' as a deceptive method to hypnotize the Palestinians as well as the masses of the world into an illusion of Israeli willingness for territorial concessions, while in truth confiscating huge swathes of land, building a separation wall and almost tripling the settler population (from 250,000 to 700,000). It should be no surprise that even early on, as the scam became blatantly clear to all except seemingly to the leadership of the newly created Palestinian Authority, the original tenets of the struggle were yet again embraced by many Palestinians inside of Palestine as well as in the diaspora.

Return to the Struggle

As the state of confusion created by the Oslo accords lingered on, some defeatist voices however also turned to normalization, instead of returning to the basics of the struggle. It is not to be wondered at that disillusion and opportunism play their role in such a complex situation, wherein many lose hope when faced with the overwhelming military, economical and strategic dominance of the Zionist state. Nevertheless, youth movements that are currently active in keeping the struggle for Palestinian rights alive, predominantly see anti-normalization as one of their main strategic goals. They adhere to the above-mentioned basic tenets of the struggle, and reject the failed formula of negotiations that is still pursued by the Palestinian Authority, despite its lack of popular mandate for it. For most Palestinians it is blatantly clear, that the so-called 'Peace Process' has only caused damage to their cause and has not brought even the slightest prospects of a better future, let alone of self-determination or independence.

Internationally, pro-Palestinian activists also largely adhere to the basic tenets of the Palestinian struggle, namely the one-state solution and the right of return of the Palestinian refugees.  There are other issues as well that are deemed non-negotiable to the majority of Palestinians, such as strong opposition against the Judaization of Jerusalem (Al Quds) which is projected as the future capital of liberated Palestine, and the release of all thousands of Palestinian political prisoners.

There is definitely also a group of 'two-staters', but their numbers are dwindling fast, and they rarely engage in activism since their views are largely represented by the Palestinian Authority. The strongest cure for the fallacy of the two-state solution was seeing the Palestinian side of that solution being gobbled up by the Zionist state over the years, faster than one could issue statements of protest against them.

New Shape of the Struggle: Back to Anti-Zionism

It is clear nowadays that the Palestinian Authority is not a useful apparatus for waging any form of struggle, but an administrative body that functions mainly as an extension of the Israeli security apparatus, in a framework inherited directly from the Oslo agreements. This does not mean that the people have stopped struggling. The modern Palestinian struggle has moved towards preferring popular resistance over armed struggle, and employing BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) as a main strategy of generating pressure against the Zionist state. What has also changed, is that this struggle has gained large numbers of international supporters all over the world, who support the Palestinians in their pursuit of freedom from Zionist oppression.

These changes have also brought anti-Zionism back to the forefront, and this has far-reaching implications. Whereas a two-state solution almost automatically implies the undertaking of steps towards normalization, since it implies an acceptance of Zionism and relinquishing the claim of 78 % of Palestinian territory to it, a one-state solution which aims to create a state for all of its inhabitants that does not discriminate on the basis of race of religion, requires a strong and uncompromising return to anti-Zionism as a unifying strategy.

Anti-Zionism versus Normalization

In a struggle that aims to achieve this, normalization is an extremely damaging concession that can never be combined with the dismantling of Zionism, which is the ultimate goal of its strategy. After all, a struggle against racism cannot be successful if the inherently racist tenets of Zionism are accepted. The 'Oslo-period' has however sown its sorrowful seeds in more places than may directly become apparent. The vast majority of the Arab masses have not accepted Zionism in their midst, but there are stubborn strands of normalization that seem to be enjoying an increasing momentum within 'progressive' ranks of various Arab communities.

Two Egyptian examples can be mentioned in this context. One is Mona Eltahawy, who seems to consider 'Israel' to be a civilized state and refused to condemn the genocidal massacre in Gaza that claimed the lives of 1,400 Palestinians (including at least 300 children) by massive attacks from drones, tanks, Apaches and F-16's - on a population that possesses no bombing shelters or anti-aircraft artillery. Another even more mind-blowing example is Maikel Nabil, an Egyptian blogger who enjoyed wide campaigns for his release when he was arrested for criticizing the SCAF military junta of post-Mubarak Egypt. He expressed his love for Israel on his blog and in Israeli media with an enthusiasm rarely ever seen before in the Arab world. There are other examples too, such as Arab-American comedian Ray Hanania of Palestinian origin, who proclaimed himself a candidate for Palestinian presidency in a video that he posted on Youtube, wherein he called for an acceptance of Israeli settlements, and an end to the Right of Return.

The Only Ziocracy in the Middle East

It is true that these examples do not represent the sentiments of the majority of Palestinians and other Arabs, whether in the Arab world or outside of it, but these voices cannot be ignored either. The main reason for this is that voices of normalization like the ones mentioned above often receive disproportionate attention in Western-dominated mass-media, and thereby have a number of insidious destructive effects upon the struggle.

First of all, they make those who are true to the anti-racist struggle against Zionism seem extremist, by offering alternatives that at first sight strike the general public as being more inspired by peaceful motives. This is a distortion of reality: support for 'Israel', the most belligerent state in the Middle East, the only state in the region in possession of (over 300) nuclear arms, and the only 'Ziocracy' where ones ethnic background automatically categorizes one as having less rights than others, can never be truthfully designated as 'peace-loving'.

Secondly, the apparently human inclination of the masses to flock around the famous without delving deeply into their philosophies, brings multitudes of people close to positive truth-distorting evaluations of the Zionist state. For example, progressive Arabs who embrace Mona Eltahawy's feminist activities, are inclined to also automatically defend their idol's views on 'Israel', simply because they are already in a state of adoration of her person. Another example involves Maikel Nabil: when progressive activists rallied for him due to his unjust incarceration by SCAF, his shocking pro-Israel views seemed to be lumped together with his anti-SCAF views under the label of 'freedom of speech', effectively paving the way for the perceived 'right' of Egyptians to view 'Israel' in an undeservingly positive and gruesomely distorted loving manner.

The Struggle Goes on

The true and original struggle of the Palestinians is a struggle against Zionism, and this is entirely incompatible with the views mentioned above. Normalization must therefore be opposed, vocally, directly, loudly and clearly. There is definitely a need for increased activity on this front, since anti-normalization and BDS do not enjoy the support of mass media, unlike the voices of normalization.

If this means that these voices need to be confronted even on a personal level, then so be it. It may not be a pleasant thing to do, and some might argue that it distracts from calling attention to the continuing atrocities that the Zionist state is inflicting on a daily basis upon the defenseless Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. However, as has been argued in the article "Anti-normalization: an necessary part of BDS campaigning", calling attention to these injustices will remain highly ineffective if the public is simultaneously exposed by mass media to Arab voices that aim to paint a misleading image of 'Israel' as if it were a beacon of civilization, and a saviour for mankind.

In other words: if you value BDS and wish it to be effective, and if you believe in opposing the racist ideology of Zionism, one of your tasks is also to confront those who suck up to power for their own personal gain. And since their number is increasing, it looks like you have work to do.

- Tariq Shadid is a Palestinian surgeon living in the Middle East, and has written numerous essays about the Palestinian issue over the years. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

“Shoah,” the French documentary about the mass murder of Jews under the German Nazi regime, was broadcast on Turkish television to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- European Union Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht talks about the need to keep world markets open and Europe's trade relations with China. De Gucht speaks with Maryam Nemazee on Bloomberg Television's "The Pulse" at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. (Source: Bloomberg)

CAPE TOWN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- If South Africa follows the U.S. and the European (EU) by banning new contracts for crude oil and petroleum products from Iran, South Africa's oil refineries may have to carry out multimillion-rand reconfigurations, the Cape Argus newspaper in Cape Town reported on Thursday. The newspaper reported that the Iran embargo is a political conundrum for South Africa, which is serving as rotating chair of the United Nations Security Council. South Africa's ruling Af ...

Six major European dailies, well-known to the readers of Presseurop -- Le Monde, El País, Gazeta Wyborcza, Süddeutsche Zeitung, The Guardian and La Stampa […] (News in brief)

EU rules designed to boost third-party participation in Russian pipelines shipping gas to Europe could trigger legal steps by Russia, the head of Gazprom said in an interview with a German newspaper published today (26 January).

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The people behind the forthcoming European Reggae Festival have announced the launch of their own dedicated television channel.

Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Nathan Sheets, global head of international economics at Citigroup Inc. and former head of the Federal Reserve's international economic division, talks about the outlook for additional stimulus from the Fed. Sheets, speaking with Sara Eisen on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack," also discusses actions by the European Central Bank to stem the debt crisis and the performance of the euro. (Source: Bloomberg)

Jan. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Christian Meissner, Bank of America Corp.'s co-head of global corporate and investment banking, discusses sentiment in Europe and outlook for the banking industry. He speaks with Maryam Nemazee on Bloomberg Television's "The Pulse" on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. (Source: Bloomberg)

New Vision (Kampala)-With the introduction of a television programme about Uganda, known as Uganda Vision, on the London-based BEN Television (Bright Entertainment Network), the Ugandan government has continued to grace the TV to air views about Uganda. BEN television is a British television channel aimed mainly at expatriate Africans living in Europe and North Africa.

[1] HBO has developed quite a reputation for attracting high-profile, high-quality talent, with the likes of Steve Buscemi and Dustin Hoffman leading shows on the network, and now they've brought on one of their biggest names yet. Ben Stiller has signed on to star, direct, and executive produce All Talk, a comedy from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close novelist Jonathan Safran Foer, with Alan Alda in talks to co-star. Scott Rudin is set to executive produce with Foer, Stiller, and Eli Bush. More details after the jump. Deadline [2] reports that All Talk will be a "politically, religiously, culturally, intellectually and sexually irreverent" series centered around a Jewish family living in Washington, D.C. The series marks Stiller's return to the small screen, where he got his start on The Ben Stiller Show and other series. Although Stiller has continued to appear on television as a guest star on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, and Freaks & Geeks, All Talk will be his first regular TV gig since he made his leap into film in the '90s. Rudin's been on a roll with HBO lately. In addition to All Talk, he's also behind the upcoming Aaron Sorkin drama Newsroom and the Jonathan Franzen adaptation The Corrections. Both series also boast heavyweight talents: Jeff Daniels and Emily Mortimer will lead the cast of former, while Noah Baumbach will direct Chris Cooper, Dianne Wiest, and Ewan McGregor in the latter. Stiller and Rudin have worked together several times previously, most recently in Baumbach's 2010 film Greenberg, while Stiller has co-starred with Alda on Flirting With Disaster and Tower Heist. Foer will be making his first foray into television with All Talk, after seeing two of his novels (Everything is Illuminated and freshly minted [3] Oscar nominee Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) turned into feature films. Even as he's making his move back into television, Stiller's big screen career continues to thrive. He'll next be heard in the Baumbach-penned Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, and seen in Fox's long-gestating comedy Neighborhood Watch. Beyond that, he's slated to reunite with Baumbach, again, on While We're Young, and to direct and star in the remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. [1] http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/Ben-Stiller-3.jpg [2] http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/ben-stiller-to-star-direct-and-produce-hbo-comedy-pilot-produced-by-scott-rudin-alan-alda-in-negotiations-to-co-star/ [3] http://www.slashfilm.com/84th-academy-award-oscar-nominations/

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Fiat

Recognize that tag line? It was used in the first ad for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee , a 90-second spot devoted to resetting our image of Jeep and, subtly, America itself. Chrysler parent Fiat evidently thinks so much of the tagline that they've taken it to Italy for use in the ad campaign for the 2012 Fiat Panda .

Italy's had a tough time of late: just as it was trying to get Berlusconi and his "bunga bunga" in the rearview, its debt crisis went from 'critical' to 'euro-zone threatening,' austerity measures led to social and labor unrest, and now comes the capsized Costa Concordia and an Italian captain with the unique ability to trip and fall into a lifeboat before his passengers.

The Panda doesn't softly beat the drum of national spirit, it instead presents the Panda as just one symbol of what Italy can be if it is dedicated to working its way out of its funk. The Panda is so symbolic that, unlike in the Jeep commercial, the narrator never mentions the car. It's airing on Italian television now, and you can see it after the jump.

Continue reading Fiat co-opts Jeep tagline for new Panda campaign

Fiat co-opts Jeep tagline for new Panda campaign originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- David Owen, chief European economist at Jefferies International Ltd., and Peter Chatwell, fixed-income strategist at Credit Agricole SA, discuss the outlook for euro-zone bonds and the European Central Bank's role in easing credit concerns. They talk with Owen Thomas and Linzie Janis on Bloomberg Television's "Countdown."

Financial markets are gradually regaining confidence in the eurozone, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Sunday.

"This can be seen in the market reaction," Schaeuble said in an interview with German public television ARD.

"We're not yet in the clear, but we have seen in recent weeks and during recent bond sales that the markets are slowly regaining confidence."

He said this was generated by decisions taken by European heads at a summit in December.

Schaeuble was speaking the day before the year's first meeting of finance ministers from the eurozone.

Quick to condemn as a "violation of freedom of expression" the revocation of the licence of a television station which blatantly called for and helped organize a coup d'état, European countries have no qualms about the silencing, on obviously fallacious arguments, of satellite TV stations that criticize their policies. We may recall in 2004 the decision of the French State Council to ban the Hezbollah channel, Al Manar, for allegedly disturbing public order, or more recently the European (...) - 04. News in Brief / Iran , United Kingdom , Communication

Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Steven Blitz, an economist at ITG Investment Research, Daniel Alpert, managing director at Westwood Capital LLC, and Stephen Wood, chief market strategist at Russell Investments, talk about the U.S. housing market, increased lending standards at banks and the European sovereign debt crisis. They speak with Pimm Fox on Bloomberg Television's "Taking Stock." (Source: Bloomberg)

Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Paul Watters, head of corporate credit research at Standard & Poor's, talks about the risk of corporate defaults in Europe. Julie Palmer, a partner at Begbies Traynor Group Plc, also speaks with Andrea Catherwood on Bloomberg Television's "Last Word."

The Christian Science Monitor - It's notorious for its mix of gossip, inflammatory language, and sensationalism, which includes a daily picture of a topless woman on the front page. It receives more reprimands from Germany's independent press watchdog than any other paper. And it engenders fear in the hearts of politicians, who rarely dare to cross Bild – Europe's largest newspaper – which reaches 12 million readers daily.

By Yousef M. Aljamal, Gaza

For the second week in row, the Center for Political Development Studies [CPDS] holds a video link on the role of Zionist lobby in US election. Ali Abunimah, the founder of The Electronic Intifada joined Gaza activists via Skype and emphasized the reasons of this "unshakable" relation between Israel and the US, which is known to Palestinians more than any other nation in the world.

"The reason of this would be briefly put up into two theories. Some people say Israel plays an important role in U.S Imperialism, in allowing it controlling the Middle East and its resources. Meanwhile, there are other people (theory) that say there are powerful organizations and networks that consider support for Israel very important and they influence the politics of the United States through elections and contributions to political campaigns to make candidates adopt to Israel's position", he emphasized.

Still, America is a country of institutions and it has its own political interests, so that no one can say Israel controls all walks of life there, or it gets its way to everything it wants.

"We have seen a historical battle in the United States over the role of Israel and the Israeli lobby and it's focusing on Iran more than Palestine, where there is a lot of pressure from pro-Israel groups to take a very hard line towards Iran and even to launch a war against it. Some of these battles are taking place behind the scenes. There is a growing feeling in the United States that Israel is turning to be a burden and a problem to the United States. That’s why America is favoring a diplomatic solution to this issue. The is an emerging idea that Israel and US interests are not identical and conflicting to each other", he added.

General Petraeus was quoted last year saying the activities of Israel are making the position of the US harder. There is a conflict about the value of Israel to the United States and the Israel lobby is worried about this and they are fighting to maintain the idea that Israel and the United States have the same interests.

"Palestinians are few in number, though they take an important place in the primary elections, which asserts the role of the Zionist lobby. One candidate called Palestinians ‘invented’ people while another went further by saying they never existed at all", Abunimah clarified.

This happens while millions of people in the US are jobless and the country is going through crisis. Some analysts shed light on the unusual rise of the Republican nominee Ron Paul, who believes in pulling America out of its wars and closing military bases.

"The very unique and public thing about him is that he said he wants to cut aid to Israel to zero. What I think is that he is not going to be the Republican candidate and he has his own reasons to believe in this. The message is that many voters voted for him, though he says he wants to cut aid to Israel. They don't care enough about Israel and this does not mean they are pro-Palestine", he continued. But this is "an indication that Politics is changing in the U.S", he stressed.

There has been an increasing political marriage between supporters of Israel and extreme Islamophobia in the U.S, particularly after September, 11. They did their best to make use of the attacks to spread the Israeli propaganda. "On September, 12, Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in opposition in Israel by then, said to TNT newspaper " I think the attack was very good", but he corrected himself later by saying " It's good to Americans to understand terrorism we face", Abunimah noted.

"Isamophobia was very beneficial to Israel in the short run, but in the long run, it will backfire on Israel. The reason is that there is a change in the character of support for Israel in last 30 years. In the past, all parties, leftist or rightist, used to support Israel. Nowadays, things are changing", he disclosed.

"In the short run, this is not in our interest for the world is turning to the right, but in the long run, things will be in our favor, especially among young people in Europe who are pushing towards universal and open Politics. They are interested in equality and understanding. More and more young people are attracted to the kind of Politics that oppose this kind of domination and racism. We see that a lot of pro-Israel groups in the US are worried about this. They teach young people about Israel and organize trips to Israel to show how wonderful Israel is. The next election will bring the most Islamophic and anti-Palestinian people. But later, things will change to the favor of Palestinians", Abunimah added.

-Yousef M. Aljamal works with the Center for Political Development Studies [CPDS] , a Gaza based non-profit organization facilitating Palestinians representing themselves "in the tongues of its own people" to convey their own message to the world and enhance Palestine's presence in world forums and international organizations.

YANGON, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Thein Sein and visiting French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Alain Juppe discussed Myanmar's recent political development in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday, state radio and television reported. Their discussions also covered mutually-beneficial international and bilateral cooperation, the report said without disclosing further details. Juppe arrived in Myanmar on Saturday on a three-day official visit to the country During his visit, Jup ...

It wasn't that long ago that, as an editor at a daily newspaper, I brought my Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) laptop to an editorial meeting and received an extra helping of abuse from everyone at the table but the head of the graphics department for bringing my "game" computer to a serious meeting.

That former daily paper now only does home delivery three days a week, and the number of pages in its Sunday product now rival a weak Tuesday. Ah, how times have changed. I don't know how many of its reporters and editors now use MacBookAirs, iPhones and iPads, but I'm guessing the number tends toward a majority.

A couple of months ago, an AllThingsDigital story pointed out that Macs--desktops in particular--were becoming more common in the workplace (actually, the story said, "There's really no other way to say this: The Mac is kicking ass").

Click here to zoom in on this chart.

Just last week, new Forrester numbers said Apple is riding high on the bring-your-own-device wave, forecasting it could see a boost to its revenues of up to $19 billion this year as enterprises pony up $10 billion for iPads and another $9 billion for Macs. But, according to Forrester's Global Tech Market Outlook, that could be small potatoes in light of the $16 billion and $12 billion it expects enterprises to spend for iPads and Macs in 2013.

There's more news this week to back that up, certainly on the tablet front.

IDG Connect, in a survey titled iPad for Business, said the device has become as ubiquitous in business as the BlackBerry once was, becoming the go-to tool for some 60 million users around the world. According to the survey, IT and business professionals use their iPads intensively, across a wide range of scenarios. More than half (51 percent) of IT decision-makers say they "always" use their iPad at work (and a further 40 percent say they sometimes use it at work). Out-of-home usage is even more intense, with 79 percent of IT decision-makers saying that they "always" use their iPads "on the move."

Predictably, this survey confirms that iPads are better suited to consumption, rather than generation, of content. Around three- quarters use their iPads for news consumption and web browsing.

Surprisingly, IT and business users in South America and Europe have embraced the iPad more than their North American counterparts. Twenty-seven percent of South American respondents said they'd "completely replaced" their laptop with an iPad, and 23 percent of Europeans did likewise.

Click here to zoom in on this chart.

Increasingly, business users are turning to their iPads for work communications, said IDG.

IDG didn't break out any data that defined whether iPads were being used in VoIP applications, email, video calling, videoconferencing, or for collaboration, but it did say that in North America, a whopping 67 percent said they "always" use their iPad for work communications. That number, considering only 40 percent of iPad sold have 3G connectivity and Wi-Fi, will likely go up when Apple rolls out its next iteration that includes LTE.

IDG saw the iPad as a significant potential market for technologists. Judging from the spate of enterprise communications apps that have hit the market in recent months--from video conferencing to VoIP calling--they're not alone.--Jim

This year is going to be harder than 2011, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in a television interview on Sunday. Unemployment will rise, the European...

The French finance minister announced tonight that Standard & Poor's had stripped the nation of its top-notch credit rating, again throwing Europe's ability to fight off its debt crisis into doubt. Speaking on France-2 television, Finance Minister Francois Baroin confirmed that France had been lowered by one notch. That would mean a rating of AA+, the same rating the United States has had since S&P downgraded it last August. Baroin said France had received a change to its rating "like most of the eurozone" referring to the 17 European nations that use the euro currency, but there was no confirmation from S&P that any other nation had been downgraded. S&P had warned 15 European nations in December that they were at risk for a downgrade. A credit downgrade would escalate the threats to Europe's fragile financial system and raise the costs at which the affected countries - some of which are already struggling with heavy debt loads and low growth - borrow money. Borrowing costs for the French government rose earlier today, when rumours of a looming downgrade began swirling through financial markets. The yield on France's...

By Paul Craig Roberts

Only the blind do not see that the US government is preparing to attack Iran. According to Professor Michel Chossudovsky, “Active war preparations directed against Iran (with the involvement of Israel and NATO) were initiated in May 2003.”
 
Washington has deployed missiles directed at Iran in its oil emirate puppet states, Oman and the UAE, and little doubt in the other US puppet states in the Middle East. Washington has beefed up Saudi Arabia’s jet fighter force. Most recently, Washington has deployed 9,000 US troops to Israel to participate in “war games” designed to test the US/Israeli air defense system. As Iran represents no threat unless attacked, Washington’s war preparations signal Washington’s intention to attack Iran.
 
Another signal that Washington has a new war on its agenda is the raised level of Washington’s rhetoric and demonization of Iran. Judging by polls Washington’s propaganda that Iran is threatening the US by developing a nuclear weapon has met with success. Half of the American public support a military attack on Iran in order to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capability. Those of us who are trying to awaken our fellow citizens start from a deficit that the minds of half of the US population are under Big Brother’s control.
 
As the International Atomic Energy Agency’s reports from its inspectors on the ground in Iran have made clear for years, there is no evidence that Iran has diverted any enriched uranium from its nuclear energy program. The shrill hype coming from Washington and from the neoconservative media is groundless. it is the same level of lie as Washington’s claim that Saddam Hussein in Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Every US soldier who died in that war died in behalf of a lie.
 
It could not be more obvious that Washington’s war preparations against Iran have nothing to do with deterring Iran from a nuclear weapon. So, what are the war preparations about?
 
In my judgment, the US government’s war preparations are driven by three factors.
 One is the neoconservative ideology, adopted by the US government, that calls for the US to use its superior military and economic position to achieve world hegemony. This goal appeals to American hubris and to the power and profit that it serves.
 
A second factor is Israel’s desire to eliminate all support for the Palestinians and for Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israel’s goal is to seize all of Palestine and the water resources of southern Lebanon. Eliminating Iran removes all obstacles to Israel’s expansion.
 
A third factor is to deter or slow China’s rise as a military and economic power by controlling China’s access to energy. It was China’s oil investments in eastern Libya that led to the sudden move against Libya by the US and its NATO puppets, and it is China’s oil investments elsewhere in Africa that resulted in the Bush regime’s creation of the United States Africa Command, designed to counter China’s economic influence with US military influence. China has significant energy investments in Iran, and a substantial percentage of China’s oil imports are from Iran. Depriving China of independent access to oil is Washington’s way of restraining and boxing in China.
 
What we are witnessing is a replay of Washington’s policy toward Japan in the 1930s that provoked the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan’s bank balances in the West were seized, and Japan’s access to oil and raw materials was restricted. The purpose was to prevent or to slow Japan’s rise. The result was war.
 
Despite the hubris in which it wallows, Washington understands the vulnerability of its Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf and would not risk losing a fleet and 20,000 US naval personnel unless it was to gain an excuse for a nuclear attack on Iran. A nuclear attack on Iran would alert both China and Russia that they could suffer the same fate. The consequence would be that the world would face a higher risk of nuclear armageddon than existed in the mutually assured destruction of the US-Soviet standoff.
 
Washington is getting all of us in over our heads. Washington has declared the “Asia-Pacific” and the South China Sea to be areas of “America’s national interest.” What sense does this make? It makes the same sense as if China declared the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea to be areas of China’s national interest.
 
Washington has deployed 2,500 Marines, promising more to come, to Australia in order to do what? Protect Australia from China or occupy Australia? Encircle China with 2,500 Marines? It would not mean anything to China if Washington deployed 25,000 Marines in Australia.
 
When you get right down to it, Washington’s tough talk is nothing but a silly pointless provocation of Washington’s largest creditor. What if Washington’s idiocy causes China to worry that Washington and its UK and European puppets will seize its bank balances and refuse to honor China’s holdings of $1 trillion in US Treasury bonds? Will China pull its balances from the weak US, UK, and European banks? Will China decide to strike first, not with nuclear weapons, but by selling its $1 trillion in Treasury bonds all at once?
 
It would be cheaper than war.
 
The Federal Reserve would have to quickly print another $1 trillion dollars with which to buy the bonds, or US interest rates would shoot up. What would China do with the $1 trillion in newly printed paper? In my opinion, China would dump it all at once in the currency market, because the Federal Reserve cannot print euros, UK pounds, Japanese yen, Swiss francs, Russian rubles, and Chinese yuan with which to buy up its newly printed currency.
 
The US dollar would take a beating. US import prices–which now include, thanks to offshoring, almost everything Americans consume–would rise. The hard-pressed 90% would take a further beating, endearing their Washington oppressors to them to an even greater extent. The rest of the world, anticipating nuclear war, would flee the dollar, as Washington would be a primary attack target.
 
If the missiles aren’t launched, Americans would wake up the next day a bankrupt third world country. If the missiles were launched, few Americans would wake up.
 
We, as Americans, need to ask ourselves what all this is about? Why is our government so provocative toward Islam, Russia, China, Iran? What purpose, whose purpose is being served? Certainly not ours.
 
Who benefits from our bankrupt government starting yet more wars, picking this time not on defenseless countries like Iraq and Libya, but on China and Russia? Do the idiots in Washington think the Russian government does not know why Russia is being surrounded with missile bases and radar systems? Do the Washington morons really believe that the Russian government will fall for its lie that the missiles are directed against Iran? Only American idiots who sit in front of Fox “news” could possible believe that the real issue is an Iranian nuclear weapon.
 
How much longer will the Russian government permit the US National Endowment for Democracy, a CIA front, to interfere in its elections by financing opposition parties led by the likes of Vladimir Kara-Murza, Boris Nemtsov, and Alexei Navalny, who organize protests of every election that Putin’s party wins, alleging without any evidence whatsoever, but providing propaganda for Washington, who no doubt pays well, that the election will be and was stolen? 
 
In the US, such activists would be declared to be “domestic extremists” and be subjected to rough treatment. In Amerika even anti-war activists are subjected to home invasions by the FBI and grand jury investigations.
 
What this means is that “the criminal state of Russia” is a more tolerant democracy than the US, or for that matter, Amerika’s puppet states in Europe and the UK.
 
Where do we go from here? If not to nuclear destruction, Americans must wake up. Football games, porn, and shopping malls are one thing. Survival of human life is another. Washington, that is, “representative government,” consists only of a few powerful vested interests. These private interests, not the American people, control the US government.
 
That is why nothing that the US government does benefits the American people.
 
The current crop of presidential contenders, except for Ron Paul, represent the controlling interests. War and financial fraud are the only remaining American Values.
 
Will Americans again give the sheen of “democracy” to rule by a few by participating in the coming rigged elections?
 
If you have to vote, vote for Ron Paul or for a more extreme third party candidate. Show that you do not support the lie that is the system.
 
Stop watching television. Stop reading newspapers. Stop spending money. When you do any of these things, you are supporting evil.

- Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His Internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Read more articles by Paul Craig Roberts: www.paulcraigroberts.org.

Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Andrew Balls, head of European portfolio management at Pacific Investment Management Co., talks about Spanish bond and Italian bill auctions. Balls speaks with Sara Eisen on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack." (Source: Bloomberg)

The European Union's top diplomat Catherine Ashton on Wednesday condemned the killing of French television journalist Gilles Jacquier in Syria and demanded a rapid...

Jan. 9 (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy meet today for the first time in 2012 as they seek to craft a master plan for rescuing the euro over the next three months. Linda Yueh and Caroline Hyde report on European leaders' efforts to resolve the region's debt crisis and the outlook for the common currency. They speak on Bloomberg Television's "First Look." (Source: Bloomberg)

New European Central Bank board member Joerg Asmussen has defended the bank's purchases of government bonds but said they must remain limited, in a television interview to be aired...

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, BMW, Mini, Racing

Mini has reportedly confirmed its 2012 World Rally Championship entry after initially missing the December 19 entry deadline. According to Autosport , the delay may have had something to do with concerns Mini parent company BMW had over television coverage of the sport in Germany. Now it would seem the FIA is working to address those issues and Mini is once again slated to join both Ford and Citroën as full manufacturers in the series. The delay may have been a tactical move by BMW and Mini to convince series promoters to come up with more amicable coverage terms.

As it sits, Mini will campaign a John Cooper Works WRC in all 13 rounds, though it remains unclear whether driver Dani Sordo will be behind the wheel at every stage. Mini may look to save some cash by turning to a private driver in some of the more expensive rounds like New Zealand. Either way, Mini is slated to return to the WRC at the Monte Carlo Rally starting on January 17.

Was Mini's late registration in WRC just an attempt to play hardball? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Citizen (Dar es Salaam)-I was pretty amused when, courtesy of a recent news bulletin on the Aljazeera television network, I learnt that the incidence of vandalising outdoor metallic objects like historical works of art in recreation parks was on the rise in a major city of a relatively prosperous European country.

The auditor said The Wall Street Journal Europe had “circuitious” arrangements but that an investigation had turned up “no clear evidence” of violations.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government is considering applying for loans from the European Union's rescue fund and the International Monetary Fund to finance the restructuring of the country's financial industry, Spanish newspaper Expansion is reporting this morning, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the matter.

Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Peter Dixon, global equities economist at Commerzbank AG, talks about euro-zone inflation data, which fell to 2.8 percent in December. He speaks from London with Maryam Nemazee on Bloomberg Television's "The Pulse." (Source: Bloomberg)

A European financial transaction tax will be in place by the end of year, French minister for European affairs Jean Leonetti said on Wednesday, apparently speeding up the timetable.

"This is on the programme for the next European summit (on January 30). (French President) Nicolas Sarkozy and (German Chancellor) Angela Merkel have decided on this and it will be put in place before the end of 2012," Leonetti said on LCI television.

A European financial transaction tax will be in place by the end of year, French minister for European affairs Jean Leonetti said today, apparently moving up the programme. Leonetti said on LCI television today: "This is on the programme for the next European summit (on January 30). (French President) Nicolas Sarkozy and (German Chancellor) Angela Merkel have decided on this and it will be put in place before the end of 2012. Malta has so far opposed the introduction of the tax, despite pressures by, among others, Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier, who visited Malta last month. Addressing his EU counterparts on December 7, Foreign Affairs Minister Tonio Borg said: “Let me make it clear for another time on the Commission’s persistent demands to introduce the financial transaction tax. We continue to oppose this measure if this is not introduced on a global level.” Leonetti said Germany and France were already in agreement on the tax and that Italy was not opposed to it. He said that of the 27 members of the European Union, only Britain and Sweden were opposed to the idea. Last month, French Finance...

Malta will return two Mirage fighter jets to Libya soon, after they were flown to the island by defecting pilots in February. The Arab News newspaper reported Foreign Minister Tonio Borg saying the fighters would be returned to Libya 'soon' when he was questioned during a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fighters were flown to Malta when their pilots refused to bomb compatriots in Benghazi early in the Libyan uprising. They returned to Libya shortly after Tripoli was liberated while their fighters remain immobilised at Malta airport. Dr Borg in his press conference said he was calling on the Arab League and the European Union to strengthen the process of dialogue within the framework of the Malta-based EU-Arab League liaison office. He said that in his talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal he discussed the need for such Arab League-EU collaboration at great length. Europe and the Arab world had yet to establish an effective, permanent forum for political and economic dialogue, despite multiple attempts to do so. “The liaison office can play a more effective role following...

Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Paul Schulte, Hong Kong-based global head of financial strategy at CCB International Securities Ltd., a unit of China's second-largest bank, talks about the outlook for Asia's banking industry and his investment strategy. Schulte speaks with Zeb Eckert on Bloomberg Television's "First Up." (Source: Bloomberg)

Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Andrew Sullivan, principal sales trader at Piper Jaffray Asia Securities Ltd., talks about the outlook for the Chinese economy, Asian equities and Europe's sovereign debt crisis. He speaks from Hong Kong with Caroline Hyde on Bloomberg Television's "First Look." (Source: Bloomberg)

Jan. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Christopher Gothard, head of foreign exchange at Brown Brothers Harriman (Hong Kong) Ltd., talks about his forecast for the euro.¶ European leaders return to work this week seeking to buy time for the Spanish and Italian governments to wrest control over their debt and rescue the single currency from fragmentation in its 10th anniversary year. Gothard also discusses the yen, pound, Australian dollar and yuan. He speaks with Rishaad Salamat on Bloomberg Television's "On the Move Asia." (Source: Bloomberg)

By Ramesh Jaura – Berlin

If the year 2011 appeared to be a beacon of hope for freedom and democracy in the Middle East and North Africa, indications are that 2012 will be marked by rough battles to protect the fruits of valiant revolts across Europe's Mediterranean frontiers.
 
In fact, the conflict brewing over the Strait of Hormuz bodes ill for peace – the spinal cord of freedom and democracy – in the region and beyond, unless it is prevented from turning violent and gory.

The curtain on the impending battles was raised on December 29 when the Egyptian security forces raided the offices of civil society and human rights organizations in Cairo. The aim, according to the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), was "to intimidate activists and rights advocates, gag their mouths, and freeze their activities in support of human rights and against repression and torture."
 
ANHRI said: "Some police officers in military uniforms bearing the emblem of Commandos and men who claimed to be public prosecution personnel stormed the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP). All people present were held inside the center and prevented from exiting. Moreover, the files, documents, and computers were seized. There are even scattered news and talk about raiding 18 other organizations. . . (including) rights centers and international organizations."
 
Explaining the perturbing dimensions of the attack which it said was part of a "systematic campaign" against civil society organizations, ANHRI averred: "(President Hosni) Mubarak’s regime did not dare to undertake such practices prior to the uprising."
 
The U.S.-based International Freedom of Expression eXchange network (IFEX) said the offices raided by security offices included those of Freedom House, the International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and at least two Egyptian organizations, the ACIJLP and the Budgetary and Human Rights Observatory (BAHRO). German media reported that the office of Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), named after the first West German chancellor, was also raided.
 
"Staff members present at the Freedom House offices during the raids were held incommunicado; cell phones, laptops, funds and documents found during the raids were confiscated; and the office was closed. The raid on Freedom House comes just three days after it formally submitted papers to register its offices in accordance with Egyptian law," IFEX informed.
 
Freedom House president David J. Kramer agreed with ANHRI that the raids "represent an escalation of repression unheard of even during the Mubarak regime." These come, he alleged, "in the context of an intensive campaign by the Egyptian Government to dismantle civil society through a politically-motivated legal campaign aimed at preventing 'illegal foreign funding' of civil society operations in Egypt."
 
Freedom House was founded in 1941 and had as its first chairperson Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States in times of worldwide economic crisis and world war.
 
The profound significance of the raid in the view of Freedom House's current president is that it is "the clearest indication" yet that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the military chiefs now ruling Egypt, "has no intention of permitting the establishment of genuine democracy and is attempting to scapegoat civil society for its own abysmal failure to manage Egypt's transition effectively."
 
Freedom House calls on the Egyptian government to return confiscated property; permit the re-opening of all offices of non-governmental organizations closed in the recent raids; and allow the free and unfettered operation of local and international NGOs in Egypt as they work to expand respect for human rights and help the Egyptian people in their efforts to form a more just, open and democratic political system.
 
It also urges the Obama Administration to scrutinize the $1.3 billion that the United States annually provides the Egyptian military to fund arms purchases and training.
 
"In the current fiscal environment, the United States must not subsidize authoritarianism in Egypt while the Egyptian government is preventing NGOs from implementing democracy and human rights projects subsidized by the US taxpayer," said Charles Dunne, director of Middle East and North Africa programs.
 
Journalists Jailed
 
In advance of the Cairo raids, ANHRI drew attention to the "arbitrary and degrading expulsion" of journalist Radwan Hifani from his office at the 'Assabah' newspaper on December 21, due to his public and continuing solidarity with Rachid Nini, the imprisoned editor-in-chief of 'el-Masaa' newspaper.
 
Despite being one of the founding members of the newspaper and having spent over 11 years working for it, ANHRI said, Hifani was denied access to his office after he returned from his annual leave. He was denied access on the grounds that he had been absent without prior permission.
 
"The real reason, however, relates to the strained relations between Hifani and Khaled al-Herry, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, due to Hifani's solidarity with Nini, who has served six months of his one year sentence in the Okasha Central Prison in Casablanca," ANHRI said.
 
In addition to being the editor-in-chief of 'el-Masaa', 41-year old Nini is also the writer of a well-known column entitled "Look and Reflect". In June, the Court of First Instance in Casablanca convicted and upheld a one-year prison sentence and 1000 Dirham fine (approx. US$115) against him, for "contempt of a judicial entity" and "reporting false criminal circumstances". There have been calls for the release of Nini, especially after the drafting of the new constitution that was approved in July.
 
"Such arbitrary practices by the 'Assabah' newspaper's administrative board are unacceptable and antithetical to professional standards. They should have allowed room for negotiations and discussion if they truly found the matter to be purely administrative in nature and nothing to do with freedom of expression or Hifani's solidarity with Nini," said ANHRI.
 
Detailed descriptions of harassment highlight the manner in which normal life is made impossible for journalists who hardly have a room for manoeuvre.
 
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that as of December 1, 2011 the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide shot up more than 20 percent to its highest level since the mid-1990s, an increase driven largely by widespread jailings across the Middle East and North Africa.
 
CPJ and IFEX condemned on December 28 the attacks on at least eight journalists on December 24-25 by armed forces loyal to outgoing President Ali Abdullah Saleh. "The clashes between pro-Saleh forces and protesters left nine people dead," a news agency reported.
 
"These attacks indicate how tenuous the situation remains for journalists to work in Yemen," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "Despite the political solutions being offered to address the crisis, journalists are still being attacked. We call on Yemeni authorities to allow journalists to carry out their work unharmed and without threat."
 
News reports stated that Ahmed al-Musebli, a presenter for the pro-opposition broadcaster Suhail TV, was beaten and arrested by security forces on December 24 at a protest in the neighborhood of Dar Slim in Sana'a, the capital. He was detained in an unknown location, but released the next day.
 
Ahmed al-Jabr, a journalist with the official Saba news agency, was attacked by pro-Saleh forces while covering the protests in Dar Slim on December 24, according to news reports. The journalist was injured under one eye, and his car windows were smashed, news reports said. Another freelance journalist, Walid Ablan, was also assaulted by pro-Saleh armed factions at the same protest, reports said.
 
On December 24, Suhail TV cameraman Kamal al-Mahfady was reporting on protests in Taiz, the country's third largest city, when he was attacked by a group of pro-Saleh armed forces, according to news reports. He sustained a head injury, news reports said. Another journalist, BBC reporter Abdallah Ghoraib, was also attacked by pro-Saleh forces.
 
Three journalists - Samia al-Aghraby, a reporter for the opposition weekly Al-Thawry, Marwan Ismail, with the news website Yemenat, and freelancer Arwa Abdo Othman – were attacked by Republican Guards at a protest in Sana'a on December 24. In a statement, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate said the soldiers pulled at al-Aghraby's clothes, threatened to beat Othman, and confiscated three cameras.
 
CPJ has documented the ongoing stream of protest-related attacks against journalists in Yemen, including deaths, physical assaults, detentions, harassments, and attacks on news outlets. Suhail TV in particular has been targeted before, and the BBC's Abdallah Ghoraib was beaten while covering a protest in September.
 
"Yemeni troops appear to have unlawfully killed as many as 35 civilians in the city of Taizz since a United Nations Security Council resolution demanded on October 21, 2011 that Yemen stop attacks on civilians, Human Rights Watch said on November 25. Most of these civilians were killed in artillery shelling by the Yemeni army that indiscriminately struck homes, a hospital, and a public square filled with protesters, witnesses told Human Rights Watch.

- This article was provided by IDN-InDepthNews, Analysis That Matters. Visit: www.indepthnews.info.

Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Robert Mundell, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and professor of economics at Columbia University, talks about the possibility that former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi may stage a comeback. Mundell, speaking with Sara Eisen on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack," also discusses European Central Bank's loans to euro-area banks and the outlook for the region's debt turmoil. (Source: Bloomberg)

Japan is considering a dollar swap arrangement with India to provide emergency liquidity in case the European debt crisis reaches emerging economies, the Nikkei business newspaper said Sunday. The agreement would set the total swap arrangement at $10 billion, or 780 billion yen, the Nikkei said. ...

By James Petras

The economic, political and social outlook for 2012 is profoundly negative. The almost universal consensus, even among mainstream orthodox economists is pessimistic regarding the world economy. Though even here their predictions understate the scope and depth of the crises.

There are powerful reasons to believe that beginning in 2012, we are heading toward a steeper decline than what was experienced during the Great Recession of 2008 – 2009. With fewer resources, greater debt and increasing popular resistance to shouldering the burden of saving the capitalist system, the governments cannot bail out the system.

Many of the major institutions and economic relations which were cause and consequence of world and regional capitalist expansion over the past three decades are in the process of disintegration and disarray. The previous economic engines of global expansion, the US and the European Union, have exhausted their potentialities and are in open decline. The new centers of growth, China, India, Brazil, Russia, which for a ‘short decade’ provided a new impetus for world growth have run their course and are de-accelerating rapidly and will continue to do so throughout the new year.

The Collapse of the European Union

Specifically, the crises wracked European Union will break up and the de facto multi-tiered structure will turn into a series of bilateral/multi-lateral trade and investment agreements. Germany,France , the Low and Nordic countries will attempt to weather the downturn. England, namely the City of London, in splendid isolation, will sink into negative growth, its financiers scrambling to find new speculative opportunities among the Gulf petrol-states and other ‘niches’. Eastern and Central Europe, particularly Poland and the Czech Republic, will deepen their ties to Germany but will suffer the consequences of the general decline of world markets. Southern Europe (Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy) will enter into a deep depression as the massive debt payments fueled by savage assaults on wages and social benefits will severely reduce consumer demand.

Depression level unemployment and under-employment running to one-third of the labor force will detonate year-long social conflicts, intensifying into popular uprisings. Eventually a break-up of the European Union is almost inevitable. The euro as a currency of choice will be replaced by or return to national issues accompanied by devaluations and protectionism. Nationalism will be the order of the day. Banks in Germany, France and Switzerland will suffer huge losses on their loans to the South. Major bailouts will become necessary, polarizing German and French societies,between taxpaying majorities and the bankers. Trade union militancy and rightwing pseudo ‘populism’ (neo-fascism) will intensify the class and national struggles

A depressed, fragmented and polarized Europe will be less likely to join in any Zionist inspired US-Israeli military adventure against Iran (or even Syria). Crises ridden Europe will oppose Washington’s confrontationalist approach to Russia and China.

The US: The Recession Returns with a Vengeance

The US economy will suffer the consequences of its ballooning fiscal deficit and will not be able to spend its way out of the world recession of 2012. Nor can it count on ‘exporting’ its way out of negative growth by turning to previously dynamic Asia, as China, India and the rest of Asia are losing economic steam. China will grow far below its 9% moving average. India will decline from 8% to 5% or lower. Moreover, the Obama regime’s military policy of ‘encirclement’, its economic policy of exclusion and protectionism will preclude any new stimulus from China.

Militarism Exacerbates the Economic Downturn

The US and England will be the biggest losers from the Iraqi post war economic reconstruction. Of $186 billion dollars in infrastructure projects, US and UK corporations will gain less than 5% (Financial Times, 12/16/11, p 1 and 3). A similar outcome is likely in Libya and elsewhere. US imperial militarism destroys an adversary, plunging into debt to do so, and non-belligerents reap the lucrative post-war economic reconstruction contracts.

The US economy will fall into recession in 2012 and the “jobless recovery of 2011” will be replaced by a steep increase of unemployment in 2012. In fact, the entire labor force will shrink as people losing their unemployment benefits will fail to register.

Labor exploitation (“productivity”) will intensify as capitalists force workers to produce more, for less pay, thus widening the income gap between wages and profits.

The economic downturn and growth of unemployment will be accompanied by savage cuts in social programs to subsidize financially troubled banks and industries. The debates among the parties will be over how large the cuts to workers and retirees will be to secure the ‘confidence’ of the bondholders. Faced with equally limited political choices, the electorate will react by voting out incumbents, abstaining and via spontaneous and organized mass movements, such as the “occupy Wall Street” protest. Disatisfaction, hostility and frustration will pervade the culture. Democratic demagogues will scapegoat China ,the Republican demagogues will blame the immigrants.Both will fulminate against “the islamo-fascists” and especially Iran..

New Wars in the Midst of Crises: Zionists Pull the Trigger

The 52 Presidents of the Major American Jewish Organizations and their “Israel First” followers in Congress, State, Treasury and the Pentagon will push for war with Iran. If they are successful it will result in a regional conflagration and world depression. Given the extremist Israeli regimes’ success in securing blind obedience to its war policies from the US Congress and White House, any doubts about the real possibility of a major catastrophic outcome can be excluded.

China: Compensatory Mechanisms in 2012

China will face the global recession of 2012 with several possibilities of ameliorating its impact. Beijing can shift toward producing goods and services for the 700 million domestic consumers currently out of the economic loop. By increasing wages, social services and environmental safety, China can compensate for the loss of overseas markets. China’s economic growth which is largely dependent on real estate speculation will be adversely affected when the bubble is burst .A sharp downturn will result.. This will lead to job losses, municipal bankruptcies and increased social and class conflicts. This can result in either greater repression or gradual democratization. The outcome will profoundly affect China’s market - state relations. The economic crises will likely strengthen state control over the market.

Russia Faces the Crises

Russia’s election of President Putin will lead to less collaboration in backing US promoted uprisings and sanctions against Russian allies and trading partners. Putin will turn toward greater ties with China and will benefit from the break-up of the EU and the weakening of NATO.

The western media backed opposition will use its financial clout to erode Putin’s image and encourage investment boycotts though they will lose the Presidential elections by a big margin. The world recession will weaken the Russian economy and will force it to choose between greater public ownership or greater dependency on state funds to bail out prominent oligarchs.

The Transition 2011 – 2012: From Regional Stagnation and Recession to World Crises

The year 2011 laid the groundwork for the breakdown of the European Union. The crises began with the demise of the euro, stagnation in the US and the outbreak of mass protests against the obscene inequalities on a world scale. The events of 2011 were a dress rehearsal for a new year of full scale trade wars between major powers, sharpening inter-imperialist struggles and the likelihood of popular rebellions turning into revolutions. Moreover, the escalation of Zionist orchestrated war fever against Iran in 2011 promises the biggest regional war since the US-Indo-Chinese conflict. The electoral campaigns and outcomes of Presidential elections in the US, Russia and France will deepen the global conflicts and economic crises.

During 2011 the Obama regime announced a policy of military confrontation with Russia and China and policies designed to undermine and degrade China’s rise as a world economic power. In the face of a deepening economic recession and with the decline of overseas markets, especially in Europe, a major trade war will unfold. Washington will aggressively pursue policies limiting Chinese exports and investments. The White House will escalate its efforts to disrupt China’s trade and investments in Asia, Africa and elsewhere. We can expect greater US efforts to exploit China’s internal ethnic and popular conflicts and to increase its military presence off China’s coastline. A major provocation or fabricated incident in this context is not to be excluded. The result in 2012 could lead to rabid chauvinist calls for a new costly ‘Cold War’. Obama has provided the framework and justification for a large scale long-term confrontation with China. This will be seen as a desperate effort to prop up US influence and strategic positions in Asia. The US military “quadrangle of power” – US-Japan-Australia-South Korea – with satellite support from the Philippines, will pit China’s market ties against Washington’s military build-up.

Europe: Deeper Austerity and Intensified Class Struggle

The austerity programs imposed in Europe, from England to Latvia to southern Europe will really take hold in 2012. Massive public sector firings and reduced private sector salaries and hiring’s will lead to a year of permanent class warfare and regime challenges. The ‘austerity policies’ in the South, will be accompanied by debt defaults which will result in bank failures in France and Germany.. England’s financial ruling class, isolated in Europe but dominant in England, will insist that the Conservatives ‘repress’ labor and popular unrest. A new tough neo-Thatcherite style of autocratic rule will emerge ; the Labor-trade union opposition will issue empty protests and tighten the leash on the rebellious populace. In a word, the regressive socio-economic policies put in place in 2011 set the stage for new police-state regimes and more acute and possibly bloody confrontations with workers and unemployed youth with no future.

The Coming Wars that Ends America “As We Know It”

Within the US, Obama has laid the groundwork for a new and bigger war in the Middle East by relocating troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and concentrating them facing Iran. To undermine Iran, Washington is expanding clandestine military and civilian operations against Iranian allies in Syria, Pakistan, Venezuela and China. The key to the US and Israeli bellicose strategy toward Iran is a series of wars in neighboring states, world- wide economic sanctions , cyber-attacks aimed at disabling vital industries and clandestine terrorist assassinations of scientists and military officials.

The entire push, planning and execution of the US policies leading up to war with Iran can be empirically attributed to the Zionist power configuration occupying strategic positions in government, mass media and ‘civil society’. A systematic analysis of policymakers designing and implementing economic sanctions policy in Congress finds prominent roles for mega-Zionists like Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Howard Berman; in the White House, Dennis Ross and Jeffrey Feltman in State; Stuart Levy and his replacement David Cohen in Treasury. The White House is totally beholden to Zionist fund raisers and takes its cue from the ‘52’ Presidents of the Major American Jewish Organizations. The Israeli-Zionist strategy is to encircle Iran, weaken it economically and attack its military.

The Iraq invasion was the US’s first war for Israel; the Libyan war the second; the current proxy war against Syria is the third. These wars have destroyed Israel’s adversaries or are in the process of doing so. During 2011, economic sanctions, which were designed to create domestic discontent in Iran were the principle weapon of choice. The global sanctions campaign engaged the entire energies of the major Jewish-Zionist lobbies. They also faced no opposition in the mass media, Congress or the White Office. The Zionist power configuration (ZPC) faced virtually no criticism from any of the progressive, leftist and socialist journals, movements or grouplets – with a few notable exceptions.

The past year’s relocation of troops from Iraq to the borders of Iran, the sanctions and the rising Big Push from Israel’s fifth column in the US means War in the Middle East. This likely means a “surprise” aerial and maritime missile attack by US forces. This will be based on a concocted pretext of an “imminent nuclear attack” cooked up by Mossad and transmitted by the ZPC to the Congress and White House for consumption and transmission to the world. It will be a destructive, bloody, prolonged war for Israel. The US will bear the direct military cost by itself but the rest of the world will pay a dear economic price. The Zionist promoted US war will convert the recession of early 2012 into a major depression by the end of the year and probably provoke mass upheavals.

Conclusion

All indications point to 2012 being a turning point year of unrelenting economic crises spreading outward from Europe and the US to Asia and its dependencies in Africa and Latin America. The crises will be truly global. Inter-imperial confrontations and colonial wars will undermine any efforts to ameliorate this crisis. In response mass movements will emerge which will move over time from protests and rebellions , hopefully to social revolutions and political power.

- James Petras, a former Professor of Sociology at Binghamton University, New York, owns a 50-year membership in the class struggle, is an adviser to the landless and jobless in Brazil and Argentina, and is co-author of Globalization Unmasked (Zed Books). Petras’ most recent book is The Arab Revolt and the Imperialist Counterattack. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com. Contact him at: jpetras@binghamton.edu.

The Japanese government is considering a dollar swap arrangement with India to provide emergency liquidity in case the European debt crisis reaches emerging economies, the Nikkei business newspaper said on Sunday.