Day 181 of 2011:

"It's Good When People Can Agree"
by Jerry Waxman

Although the people of Greece and their elected lawmakers do not see eye to eye, at least the lawmakers can agree with each other. They can get more done in that way than if they were vehementally at each other's throats. And even though they went against the public outcry - perhaps even against majority demand- at least there was a semblence of humanity in the process.

Both China and Sudan have a dubious relationship with human rights. But they are able to talk to each other? On the bright side; trade in one country is good for trade in the other country. And if they are able to talk to one another, so much the better.. Perhaps a better financial standing will lead to more friendly relationshps.

Greece, the cradle of western culture, is having a hard year. In their favor they are planning a recovery sheme and the leaders of the different camps treated each other in a friendly way.. the other country. And if they are able to talk to one another, so much the better.. Perhaps a better financial standing will lead to more friendly relationshps.

In the U.S. it is hard to estimate the value of a Republican-backed justice agreeing with the president on the health care bill. But it has happened. And perhaps the world will bea better place.

. . .Snapshot 30 June 2011 . . .

. . .Headlines . . .

Greek Parliament Approves Austerity Plan . . .

Tensions Beneath the Stability in the U.A.E . . .

Federal appeals court in Cincinnati upholds health overhaul, handing Obama important victory . . .

Egypt unprepared for September elections . . .

. . .World History Timeline . . .

• Greece Current Events
  Greek Parliament Approves Austerity Plan (NY Times) ATHENS — The Greek Parliament backed Prime Minster George Papandreou’s bitterly contested package of austerity measures on Wednesday, clearing the way for crucial international lending to stave off default over the summer. But thousands of Greeks took to the streets in protest, and some clashed violently with police officers, who responded with tear gas.
  
  The vote, 155 to 138, removes a serious obstacle to the release of $17 billion by the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund, funds the Greek government needs to pay its expenses through the summer. Questions remain about whether the measures would ultimately cure the debt-ridden country of its many ills. The shape and size of a second bailout, whose planning can now begin, could become clear at a meeting on July 3 of euro zone finance ministers in Brussels.
  
  Stock markets, which began rallying earlier in the day across Europe and much of Asia amid indications that the measures would be approved, moderated after the vote. Investors had feared that a collapse in Greece might have repercussions throughout the international financial system. Two other European Union countries — Ireland and Portugal — have also turned to international lenders for assistance.
  
  Only one member of the ruling Socialist Party voted against the measure, and one opposition deputy voting crossed party lines to support the measure. (Five others voted present, and two members were absent.)
  
  The measures approved include tax increases, wage cuts and the privatization of 50 billion euros, or about $72 billion, in state assets. A second vote will be held Thursday to enact the measures, with crucial sticking points expected to include the timing of the privatizations, especially of the state electric utility, the Public Power Corporation, whose powerful union has close ties to the Socialists.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |

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• China-Sudan Current Events
  Sudan Leader Celebrated in Beijing Visit (NY Times) BEIJING — The president of Sudan, formally accused of abetting war crimes and genocide in an international arrest warrant issued a year ago, met President Hu Jintao of China and reviewed an honor guard in Beijing on Wednesday, a ceremonial start to a visit overshadowed by the impending division of Sudan into two nations next month.
  
  Meeting in the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square, the Sudanese president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, called Mr. Hu “a friend and brother” before the two entered private talks. Earlier, the two nations signed agreements to expand cooperation in oil exploration and to finance a range of agricultural programs.
  
  China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said the leaders would discuss Sudan’s partition and the conflict in Darfur, on Sudan’s border with Chad.
  
  China has long supported Sudan, which supplies roughly 7 percent of China’s oil, despite longstanding accusations of Sudanese atrocities against civilians in the breakaway Darfur region.
  
  That relationship has been complicated by Sudan’s planned breakup into two states. South Sudan, which is separating from the Khartoum government, controls much of the region’s oil. But the oil is largely carried to ports through a pipeline that crosses the north.
  
  Mr. Bashir’s visit began a day late, apparently because his aircraft was denied permission to cross the airspace of central Asian nations obligated by treaty to enforce the arrest warrant, issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Mr. Bashir had sought to fly to China from Iran, where he was attending a conference.
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• U.A.E. Current Events
  Tensions Beneath the Stability in the U.A.E (NY Times) Amid the upheavals that have roiled the Middle East this year the United Arab Emirates has remained an island of stability — an achievement that has paid dividends as business and tourism have fled neighboring unrest to refocus on the federation.
  
  The allegiance of emiratis — who make up an estimated 20 percent of the 8.26 million population — to their rulers is underpinned by a social pact in which they receive benefits including free health care, education and even housing, along with guaranteed monthly salaries and subsidized food and fuel, paid for from the federation’s vast oil revenues.
  
  Yet two events this month have brought into the open the existence of tensions beneath the surface calm of U.A.E. political life.
  
  On June 14, the trial formally opened in Abu Dhabi of five pro-democracy activists accused of undermining public order by seeking free elections; and earlier in the month the head of a prominent independent regional research institute announced it was leaving Dubai after being denied an operating license.
  
  Among the defendants were the human rights campaigner Ahmed Mansoor and Nasser bin Ghaith, a lecturer in international economic law at the Abu Dhabi branch of the Paris Sorbonne University. Together with three online activists, Fahad Salim Dalk, Hassan Ali al-Khamis and Ahmed Abdul Khaleq, they had been detained without bail since early April, a month after they signed a petition seeking political reforms. If found guilty, they face up to five years’ imprisonment.
  
  After registering not guilty pleas from all five, the court set a July 18 date for further hearings.
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• U.A.E. Current Events
  UAE - Caviar Capital Of The World? (NY Times) ABU DHABI — Abu Dhabi is talking caviar on a scale that would make czars blush.
  
  The emirate, already home to the world’s first gold-bar automatic teller machine and a Christmas tree so chock-full of bling it earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, has now said it will be host to the world’s largest indoor caviar farm. At full production, expected in 2015, the factory will churn out 35 tons of the prized fish eggs — more than a quarter of current global production.
  
  Royal Caviar Company makes its home in a low-slung building the size of six soccer fields in the Musaffah industrial area of Abu Dhabi and counts cement factories, rental car depots and distribution companies as neighbors. Yet, inside, organizers say, conditions are even better than the Caspian Sea that sturgeon call home.
  
  “In the wild, sturgeon are available only four months of the year,” said Christoph Hartung, chairman of the board of United Food Technologies Group, the German company that is providing the technology for the farm.
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• Egypt Current Events
  Egypt unprepared for September elections (Wash. Post) CAIRO — Egypt’s first post-revolution parliamentary elections are due to take place in three months. But a near-total lack of preparation is prompting fears that the vote will be flawed, undermining its legitimacy and marring a revolution that empowered the people.
  
  The vote is slated for September, but a new election law has not been finalized, no electoral system has been announced, no districts have been drawn and no specific date has been set. Egyptians who had hoped to see democracy after three decades of Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic rule worry that a troubled election in the Arab world’s most populous country could instead endanger reform efforts in their country and beyond.
  
  “What happens as a result of the elections will define the features of Egypt and the region,” said Farid Zahran, a member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, which has pushed for the elections to be postponed. “Now is the time when the revolution ends in success or failure.”
  
  Amid a growing debate about postponing the vote, the Muslim Brotherhood and other established political groups point to a March referendum on constitutional changes as evidence that the transitional military council governing the country can move quickly. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces organized the March vote in just a few weeks, but it was hardly perfect. There were allegations that people voted multiple times and reports of voter intimidation. In most polling places, election monitors were not to be seen.
  
  As uprisings continue across the Middle East, many in the region are looking to Egypt as a bellwether for what happens when a dictator is deposed. That attention means a marred September vote would not be just an Egyptian failure, Zahran said.
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• U.S. Current Events
  Federal appeals court in Cincinnati upholds health overhaul, handing Obama important victory (Wash. Post) CINCINNATI — In the first ruling by a federal appeals court on President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, a panel in Cincinnati handed the administration a victory Wednesday by agreeing that the government can require a minimum amount of insurance for Americans. A Republican-appointed judge joined with a Democratic appointee for the 2-1 majority in another milestone for Obama’s hotly debated signature domestic initiative — the first time a Republican federal court appointee has affirmed the merits of the law.
  
  "The White House and Justice Department hailed the panel’s affirmation of an earlier ruling by a federal court in Michigan; opponents of the law said challenges will continue to the U.S. Supreme Court.
  
  At issue is a conservative law center’s lawsuit arguing on behalf of plaintiffs that potentially requiring them to buy insurance or face penalties could subject them to financial hardship. The suit warns that the law is too broad and could lead to more federal mandates.
  
  The Thomas More Law Center, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., argued before the panel that the law was unconstitutional and that Congress overstepped its powers.
  
  The government countered that the measure was needed for the overall goal of reducing health care costs and reforms such as protecting people with pre-existing conditions. It said the coverage mandate will help keep the costs of changes from being shifted to households and providers.
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• S. Korea Current Events
  Environmental Investigation Underway on US Base in S. Korea (VOA News) In South Korea, an investigation is underway to determine if the toxic defoliant Agent Orange was buried at a U.S. military base three decades ago. At least 3 American veterans claim that the U.S. government covered up the incident that took place at Camp Carroll, about 135 miles south of Seoul.
  
  Environmental activists say that this is just one example of how the U.S. military has polluted their land. And as American forces prepare to return many of their facilities to the South Korean government, analysts say the environmental damage is already taking a toll on the U.S. image among locals. For several weeks, Camp Carroll has been at the center of a dispute between the U.S. forces Korea, USFK, and South Korean environmental activists.
  
  Outside the base, banners call on the United States to tell the truth about the use of toxic chemicals such as Agent Orange and to compensate victims for damages.
  
  The dispute comes after three American veterans who were stationed at Camp Carroll in the late 1970s recently claimed they were ordered to bury Agent Orange on the grounds of the base. Agent Orange is a defoliant that was used during the Vietnam War era and known to cause cancer and other serious illnesses. It was also sprayed at locations on the Korean demilitarized zone, to ward off any infiltration from North Korea in the sixties.
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The Friendly Universe - Law of Attraction in Action 

Day 180 of 2011:

"Women To The Front"
by Jerry Waxman

Half the world's population is female. Though women's rights movements have been active for decades, it is only recently that women have trickled into the forefront as political leaders and business leaders. There is no indication that they do a better or worse job than men. But input from women's perspectives should be welcomed. After all, women comprise half the constituency, and at least half of the market for most businesses.

The history of women in politics is not an easy one. Indira Gandhi was assassinated while she was India's Prime Minister. While prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto was ousted over some shenanigans from the opposition. Then, while running for office again, she was assassinated. Golda Meir, as Israel's prime minister faced the toughest war Israel had to fight in its young history. She accepted responsibilities for mistakes made and was forced to leave office.

Today in Germany, Andea Merkel appears to be enjoying some success as Germany's Chancellor. In the U.S., Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has come close to being the first woman to seriously bid for the White House.

Today, with Christine Lagarde becoming the first woman to head the IMF, it looks like a good decision. Hopefully she will add a perspective to the role that has been missing. As for business women in countries where they have been suppressed by tradition, they deserve praise for their courage and support for their efforts.

. . .Snapshot 29 June 2011 . . .

. . .Headlines . . .

Christine Lagarde Becomes First Female Head Of International Monetary Fund . . .

In South Korea, fairness is the new ideal . . .

Benefit of mammograms even greater than thought . . .

Women Break Down Barriers in Mideast Finance . . .

. . .World History Timeline . . .

• International Current Events
  Christine Lagarde Becomes First Female Head Of International Monetary Fund (NY Times) PARIS — Christine Lagarde on Tuesday became the first woman to be appointed to the helm of the International Monetary Fund, taking on one of the most powerful positions in global finance as a worsening crisis in Greece threatens the euro currency union and rattles financial markets worldwide.
  
  Her victory was sealed when the U.S. Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, said the United States would endorse her over the Mexican central bank governor Agustín Carstens — her only competitor for the job.
  
  “Minister Lagarde’s exceptional talent and broad experience will provide invaluable leadership for this indispensable institution at a critical time for the global economy,” Mr. Geithner said in a statement.
  
  In a statement, Ms. Lagarde, currently the French finance minister, said she would strive to ensure the I.M.F. remained “relevant, responsive, effective, and legitimate, to achieve stronger and sustainable growth, macroeconomic stability, and a better future for all.”
  
  As a top official of one of Europe’s most powerful economies, Ms. Lagarde has been at the forefront of efforts to contain the European debt crisis, which led Greece, and then Ireland and Portugal, to seek bailouts to help them pay their huge sovereign debts.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |

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• Sudan Current Events
  Preparing For Split, North And South Sudan Work On Disputed Regions (NY Times) JUBA, Sudan — Sudan’s government and southern-allied opposition forces in northern Sudan signed a framework agreement on Tuesday that called for the two sides to govern contested border states together and for opposition fighters to be absorbed into Sudan’s national army.
  
  The agreement stopped short of declaring a ceasefire in the Nuba Mountains along the border, the scene of heavy fighting over the past few weeks.
  
  But the framework agreement, a seven-page document, outlined a plan to bring peace to two difficult areas along Sudan’s north-south border, the states of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, which are technically part of northern Sudan though many people in these two states sided with southern Sudan during Sudan’s north-south civil war.
  
  “Are we satisfied? Well, let’s just say we can live with it,” said Malik Agar, governor of Blue Nile, who signed the agreement on behalf of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement’s northern branch.
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• Germany - China Current Events
  Chinese Leader's Visit to Germany Ends With Large Trade Deals (NY Times) BERLIN — Wrapping up a five-day visit to Europe, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of China concluded trade deals in Germany worth several billion euros, including a contract to purchase 88 Airbus A320 aircraft.
  
  The deals, announced during a signing ceremony in the Chancellery here, signaled a major shift in German-Chinese relations as China tries to modernize its economy and Germany seeks more markets for its high-technology goods.
  
  Germany and China agreed to establish special government consultations, which means representatives of the two countries will meet regularly and will discuss a wide range of topics, like trade, investment, education, environment, human rights, security and the rule of law. “A new chapter has been built,” Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany said during a news conference with her Chinese counterpart.
  
  Mrs. Merkel’s decision to meet the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, in 2007 provoked sharp criticism from the Chinese leadership and the threat that German companies would lose out on lucrative contracts as a result of that meeting — also held in the Chancellery.
  
  While no contracts were canceled, Mrs. Merkel has in the meantime given far more attention to trade and economic ties with China as Germany has ridden out the global financial crisis. Germany is Europe’s strongest economy, with one of the bloc’s lowest unemployment rates, because of its export-driven economy and more flexible labor force.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |

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• Middle East Current Events
  Women Break Down Barriers in Mideast Finance (NY Times) Hoda Abou-Jamra still remembers the meeting when potential investors for her private equity fund thought she was the secretary.
  
  “I would ask a question, and they would answer to the man next to me. I would answer their question, and they would look at him,” she said, laughing. “I didn’t let it bother me. I just stood up straighter and talked louder.”
  
  Women deal makers, financiers and entrepreneurs are a rare breed in the Middle East. As a founding partner of a $40 million health care fund in Dubai, Ms. Abou-Jamra operates in a male-dominated industry globally and a male-dominated work force locally.
  
  In private equity, women account for roughly 9 percent of the senior management positions worldwide, with the share varying from 9.1 percent in Europe to 8.7 percent in the United States, according to a study this year by the industry research firm Preqin. The gender imbalance is even more extreme in the Middle East, market participants say. While few statistics are available on the region’s nascent industry, only 25 percent of women enter the job market at all, compared with nearly 60 percent in the United States.
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• South Korea Current Events
  In South Korea, fairness is the new ideal (Washington Post) SEOUL — With its rapid economic rise, South Korea has earned its reputation as a ruthless, competitive, go-go society. But now fairness has become chic.
  
  Students protest for it; government ministries promise to uphold it; newspaper editorials say the president has been too slow to deliver it. Experts say the fairness fixation reflects dismay at what rapid change has wrought: a widening gap between rich and poor, and residual corruption.
  
  For the president, Lee Myung-bak, this is more than a passing problem, because a string of frauds, scandals and middle-class economic concerns have convinced Koreans that theirs is anything but the “fair society” that he has touted.
  
  Some Koreans, Lee included, describe fairness as a prerequisite for reaching democratic maturity. But the value also contradicts the winner-take-all ethos that drove South Korea’s postwar boom, with the emergence of dominant conglomerates, an ultra-competitive education system and few social safety nets to help the non-elite.
  
  In a fair society, Lee said, “the winner does not take all.”
  
  The push for fairness has created some unconventional test cases. Several months ago, Lotte Mart, a conglomerate department store, began selling buckets of fried chicken — so cheap that they sold out daily within hours. But small- and medium-sized chicken shacks couldn’t compete with those prices and protested the unfairness of it all. After five days, Lotte Mart surrendered, saying it would fry cheap chickens no longer, in deference to societal ideals.
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• Science And Health Current Events
  Benefit of mammograms even greater than thought (Reuters) - The longest-running breast cancer screening study ever conducted has shown that regular mammograms prevent deaths from breast cancer, and the number of lives saved increases over time, an international research team said on Tuesday.
  
  The study of 130,000 women in two communities in Sweden showed 30 percent fewer women in the screening group died of breast cancer and that this effect persisted year after year.
  
  Now, 29 years after the study began, the researchers found that the number of women saved from breast cancer goes up with each year of screening.
  
  "We've found that the longer we look, the more lives are saved," Professor Stephen Duffy of Queen Mary, University of London, whose study was published in the journal Radiology, said in a statement.
  
  Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a radiologist at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, New York, who was not involved in the study, said radiologists have been quoting results of the Swedish study for years and the new findings show breast cancer screening is "even more of a benefit than we understood."
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• Science And Nature Current Events
  Gene machines may help save endangered Tasmanian devil (Reuters) - Scientists are using high-tech gene sequencing machines in a desperate attempt to save the Tasmanian devil from an infectious cancer called devil facial tumor disease that is threatening to wipe out the species.
  
  "The disease is like nothing we know in humans or in virtually any other animal. It acts like a virus but it actually is spread by a whole cancerous cell that arose in one individual several decades ago," Penn State University's Stephan Schuster, who is working on the project, said in a statement.
  
  The cancer, first observed just 15 years ago, is quickly spreading among populations of the already endangered Tasmanian devil, the world's largest surviving carnivorous marsupial that lives on the Australian island state of Tasmania.
  
  Devil facial tumor disease disfigures the victim and causes death from starvation or suffocation.
  
  "It has 90 to 100 percent lethality in a few months. In many regions of Tasmania, it is completely lethal," said Schuster, who worked on the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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The Friendly Universe - Law of Attraction in Action