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The World's News - The hard facts about the the global economic arena
Free Trade is not trade. It is primarily about moving production from place to place anywhere in the world for the sake of cheaper labor. The value of workers and labor has been degraded and deflated. This represents trillions of dollars lost in the process
New York Times report says Workforce shrinks
An estimated 342,000 Americans dropped out of the job market altogether in April. That is why the unemployment rate fell to 8.2 percent from 8.1 percent — not because more workers found jobs, but because so many people left the work force.
The share of working-age Americans who are either working or actively looking for a job is now at its lowest level since 1981, when far fewer women chose to do paid work. The share of men taking part in the labor force fell in April to 70 percent, the lowest figure since the Labor Department began collecting these data in 1948.
The addition of just 115,000 jobs in April was disappointing, but economists urged no panic just yet. Maybe the unusually warm winter had encouraged companies to do their spring hiring a little early, they offered in one of several theories. Maybe high gas prices, now falling, temporarily discouraged job growth. Better yet, maybe this latest report understates how many jobs were added, since the initial estimates for earlier months have since been revised upward.
This what we had to say about as posted in NY Times
Ray Tapajna
Cleveland
Only about 38 percent of all workers qualify for unemployment insurance. This means there are more the 60 percent living in some sort of economic limbo. Hopefully, our underground economy will get us through the hard times.
The unemployment rate is fiction compared to the past when primarily only full time jobs were counted. Today we have temporary, leased, part-time, contract, casual labor and contract jobs in the mix. Even someone making only a 100 dollars a month is considered employed.
Once President Obama bailed out big money and put them back in charge of a failed system with many states giving tax credits to a limited few, we have a whole new ball game. With some getting a deal and others not, the foundation of our economy has been severely damaged. And as long as economists keep things like the trade deficit off the table, not much good will happen.
Our economies based on making money on money instead of making things are burning out. The trillions of dollars of bail out and subsidies represent a mortgage on future generations. We have taken tariffs off products and put them on workers. The major cause of our economic crisis is free trade and globalization. We should be preparing for the post-globalization era and stop playing all these games.
I worked in several factories while going to college, if these jobs were still available, there would be thousands standing in line to get them including college grads.
Communications by Rank
May 4, 2012 at 3:45 p.m.
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Reference:
New York TImes Article and Comment 183
Ray Tapajna Today Issues and News Network
How to White Wash the Blackwater Mercenaries - Just change their name to Academi and name some prominent person as Chairman of the Board for an "Academy."
This is an introduction to Thomas Palaima's notes below. Palaima is a professor of Classic history at University of Texas. He tells about the new Blackwater image. Texas U. Business School is named the McCombs School of Business. It was named after Red McCombs in honor of his 50 million dollar donation. The motto of the school reads something like this: Transforming lives for the benefit of society
In the new world of disorder....
Red McCombs is transforming lives in a different way now.
Changing Black Knights into White Knights just by applying new labels
Now Red McCombs has a new job. He found a way to transform some of our "Black Knights." He is now Chairman of the Board for Academi, the military contractors formerly know as Blackwater. Everything sounds academic this way. This comes after Blackwater has been accused of many infractions for their tactics. They have received 100s of millions of dollars for their work in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are mercenaries but are officially labeled as a independent security force by their employers - The United States.
To get away from all the bad publicity and accusation, they now call themselves the Academi. Sounds great doesn't it. However in the new world of disorder, they represent a new way of fighting wars. Private companies do not have to report their casualties. Their tactics and mode of operations are
private. They do not have to reveal much of any thing unless they get
caught.
Thomas Palaima tells more of the story as only he can being part of the Texas U. community.
Published 18 Apr 2012 at 11:58 PM By Andrew Messamore
Really Long Link
Academi, the private military company formerly known as Blackwater
USA that was contracted to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, has
acquired a new director with close ties to UT.
Billionaire entrepreneur Red McCombs, namesake of the McCombs School
of Business, is now the chairman of Academi's board of directors.
McCombs joined the company during its restructuring last December to
"manage the company and enhance its governance and oversight
capabilities," according to a December press release announcing the
decision.
More recently, as part of an article published in Harper's April
issue, the publication released a series of videos on their website
showing alleged Blackwater contractors indiscriminately firing at
Iraqi traffic, smashing into cars and running over civilians.
Beginning in 2003, the U.S. State Department contracted Blackwater to
provide a wide variety of services in Iraq and Afghanistan from
training and deploying special-forces soldiers to providing aerial
reconnaissance.
Management and sociology professor John Butler said McCombs is likely
joining the company as a good business practice, similar to when he
donated $50 million to the business school in 2000, resulting in the
naming of the school.
"Mr. McCombs understands the importance of defending this country,
and you need someone like him to build an organization that's so
important," Butler said. "Red McCombs has the leadership you require
in such a company, and I expect that as part of his plan he will be
rebranding its image as part of effective entrepreneurship."
The company drew wide criticism in 2007 when Blackwater military
contractors allegedly shot and killed 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians in
Nisoor Square, Baghdad, which resulted in the company temporarily
losing its contract to operate. The company was also investigated
that year by the State Department for allegedly smuggling arms into
Iraq for designated terrorist organizations.
McCombs could not be reached for comment.
Finance junior Philip Kaminer said he believed that it wasn't an
issue to have McCombs associated with the company.
"Despite the fact that Blackwater has done military contracting, it's
a legitimate corporation and has to be seen as legitimate
enterprise," Kaminer said. "It would be different if he was funding
mercenaries, but if its acceptable for the government to put millions
of dollars behind these companies then it is perfectly fine for a
businessman to support them as well."
Thomas Palaima, a professor of classics and middle eastern studies
who researches war and violence, said that while he was concerned
about the activities of Blackwater, it was more important to
understand where funding comes from and how it is spent.
"It's a very dangerous thing to get private contractors involved in
fighting our undeclared wars, but that's a different question,"
Palaima said. "Does Red McCombs have the right to throw his money
into Blackwater, make a profit and then put his money into the
University? Of course he does. At least, President Powers seems to
think so."
It is common for large sums of money to enter institutions through
questionable means and institutions still accept funding, Palaima
said. He added it was more important to raise discussion about
institutional priorities allowing this to happen.
"If you're really concerned about where money comes from, just look
at how many of the great fortunes are attached to conflicts that
later get donated to charity," Palaima said. "Rockefeller was behind
the killing of innocent [miners in the infamous Ludlow Massacre], but
nobody says we can't have money from the Rockefeller foundation any
longer. Someday people will look at [Blackwater-Academi] the same
way."
Palaima said the controversies surrounding Blackwater cannot change
large public indifference or affect the business school's image.
"The general public just doesn't care very much to be informed about
Blackwater and Afghanistan - the former vice president of the United
States was highly involved in Blackwater," Palaima said. "The bigger
issue is the U.S. being able to conduct informal wars by using highly
profitable private companies like Blackwater."
Printed on Thursday, April 19, 2012 as: McCombs chairs private security firm
COMMENTS
Samian:
Really Long Link
Red McCombs can do whatever he wants with his money, as he's earned
it legitimately and legally.
Now, how about we start discussions on Texas taxpayers' money for Dr.
Thomas Palaima?
Does President Powers think it's fair to pay $134,000 (quadruple the
Texas median wage) annually to a guy that just makes his students
read Greek fables that they could check out from the library and read
for free at a book club?
Source:
Really Long Link
Oh, now we're getting a bit sensitive with money issues, aren't we?
"Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house."
(Edited by author 4 days ago)
TPalaima
Dear Samian,
Unless I misunderstand my own quote, I agree with you. I am quoted as
saying and I did say, because I believe as you do, that Red McCombs
can do whatever he wants with his money; he can make lots of it; and
he can donate it to the University. And I said that President Powers
thinks so, too.
The issue I raised, not quoted here, was whether we should be using
contractors and an all-volunteer military force to fight what are not
formally declared wars, but open-ended congressionally authorized
presidential uses of armed forces.
I have no idea why what I make is a relevant issue here, but your
reducing what I do to the one course that you describe and then
describing it the way you do show that you are not careful in your
use of information.
In fact, President Powers does think that I am deserving of my
salary. He signs off on all faculty salaries in making official
letters of appointment every year, and he has signed off on mine
every year he has been president.
Many thanks for your interest in the topics of the day.
Next time you are in the library, I recommend that you check out
Lombardo's tranlsation of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Jonathan Shay's
Achilles in Vietnam and Odysseus in America, Larry Tritle's From
Melos to My Lai, T. Christian Miller's Blood Money, Paul Woodruff's
Hackett Press translation of selections from Thucydides, UT graduate
James Tatum's The Mourner's Song, and UT graduate Stacey Peebles'
Welcome to the Suck, and contemplate seriously what our being at war
means.
And I remind everyone of the old saying, if we ignore the classics and history, we are doomed to repeating the same mistakes over again
Ray Tapajna Today Network Sites - Free Trade Traps
Suicide rate climbs in the Free Trade world
Suicide Rate Surges in Free Trade Global Arena
" After trying a few comebacks, many I know disappeared like old elephants going off to die in some hidden place in the free trade jungle."
The U.S.economic slow down will most likely last for decades. The future has been mortgaged by President Bush and President Obama bails outs. They act as tariffs on work and workers too. People want the minimum wage increased to $10 per hour. Even if this happens, it comes too late and acts as just another tariff on worker and products. The increase will force the need to raise prices. This would have the economy just running in the dark place is it in with no place to go.
Many are resorting to suicide due to losing a job or a business. It is a worldwide epidemic. President Roosevelt said economic diseases are highly communicable. Record Suicides rates highest with jobless, middle age workers.
This economic disease also reaches into the factories in China. Foxcom is a major manufacturer for Apple and caters to companies like Dell, HP, Motorola, Nintendo, Sony and Nokia. Twenty Chinese universities compiled a report on Foxcom which they labeled as a labour camp. In 2012, 150 Foxcom workers had to be coaxed down from a roof where they were threatening to jump off. At a Microsoft Xbox production line for Foxcom, 200 workers threatened to jump off a building over pay. These stories make news but it is obvious that the they are only a small part of the whole picture in the free trade world where more than a billion workers are willing to work for practically nothing to economically survive.
The U.S. has chopped up its economy and spread it across the world and now find they must defend their interests across the globe. The everlasting wars in the Middle East plays a part in this economic disease too with many soldiers committing suicide while in the service or soon after leaving the military and not being able to find a job.
The suicide epidemic is rapidly consuming many in Europe too. Austerity measures are triggering suicides too. Financial crisis affects all from the top to the bottom. A New York Times report by Elizabeth Povoledo and Doreen Carvajal tells about Antonio Tamiozzo as an example. At age 53, he hanged himself in the warehouse of his construction business after several debtors did not pay what they owed him. Three weeks earlier, Giovanni Schiavon , 59, a contractor, shot himself in the head at his debt-ridden construction company. A desparate 77 year old retiree who shot himself outside the Greek Parliament, turned his despair into a dramatic public expression of anger. In Greece, the suicide rate among men increased more than 24 percent from 2007 to 2009. In Ireland, suicides among men rose more then 16 percent during the same period. In Italy, suicides due to economic conditions increased 52 percent.
People who have jobs and the news media scan past these things while this fatal disease keeps growing due to consequences of free trade and globalization. Over the last year a "record breaking" number of people called the Samaritans suicide prevention hot line where the director Eileen Davis cites the economy as the cause. These economic diseases are hitting main stream America.
This all reminds me of my time on the rack when I lost about a 1,000 customers and top prospects in a very short period after spending more than twenty-five years building my customer base. More than a thousand computer companies similar to mine went out of business in a short period of time in just Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. I know this because I still have the print out. I thought I was immune and last longer but when I lost three of my major customers, the handwriting was on the wall. I went down with the rest. I wonder what happened to all the business friends I had that took the hit too. After one or two attempts at making a comeback, they disappear like old elephants going off to die in some hidden place.
Ref- search by any of the keywords, names and terms above.
Ray Tapajna Today
The major news channels report about our economic crisis as if it only began in about 2008. Pundits also tell us there are economic cycles where the economy grows for a time and then drifts into a recession only to bounce back again.
The Silent Depression captures generations while the news about it goes unreported
However, we have been living in a bewildered new world for about two decades with not much adding up. Looking over my notes back to the 1990s, I find that nothing much as changed. The FTC published by letter back in 1998 titled - If this is a good economy I would hate to see a bad one. It listed about 33 points about the state of the economy during that time. To mention just a few, The Feinstein Foundation, send a letter to President Clinton to make a commitment to end hunger in America. They said it was a disgrace to have about 40 million people going hungry. or unsure of what they will eat next. They reported hunger threatens our moral fabric and our future productivity. Since then not much changed. Other conditions also remain. It was reported back then that one third of all Americans have no savings, no investments and are in debt.20 percent have zero assets.
Part time jobs without any benefits had grown tenfold. 40 percent had no medical insurance. One report said if one counts all over 18- adults who are healthy and not in school, medical institution or jail and who could be working and are not, one finds that almost half the country's human capacity was not being used. A church bulletin read - Success is being able to file for social security before having to file for bankruptcy.
Michael Hammer, co author of a best selling book , "Re-Engineering the Corporation," stated " I think there are a lot of people who will never find a job again."
"American workers cannot compete with someone making $45 a week." as quoted by a steelworker in Cleveland.
America De-jobs
Martin Jaffe and Mimi Patterson, Info-PLACE career counselors at the county library's job counseling center said, " I feel like I'm working without a safety net - the world is out of control." Whether they were blue collar, white collar, pink collar, managerial professional - what ever job they used to do, they're facing a turbulent future as America de-jobs.
Public and private employers have continued an unprecedented dispossession aimed at the heart of the typical American suburban Republican voter: middle-aged, middle class, college educated men are as irrelevant the new American economy as the Dust-Bowl Okies fo the 1930s or the blue-collar workers they downsized during the 1930s.
About 15 years ago, it was also reported that one third and older who lost their jobs will never find another one. And a title of a book read "Bobby J. dead of a year without a job," written by a friend after Bobby jumped off a bridge.
Today much of this has been muffled and a second new decade has replaced it. Not much is any different. However our latest leaders leave free trade, NAFTA and GATT trade agreements and the Trade Deficit out of any debates. The news media follows their lead. The Trade Deficit represents one of the greatest losses of financial stability in history - which is now a loss of trillions of dollars. Nothing is even said about it. Free trade is the major cause of our economic crisis and it too is a silent issue that goes unreported.
Reference: Workers Dignity Betrayed and
Economic reporting in a time warp
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