The economy of Ukraine is the flip side of Japan. Japan has to import everything, but they make value-added products and do very well. If ever there was a country that had a right to just moan and say, "Life is unfair." it is Japan. On the other hand, Ukraine is fairly rich in natural resources (especially much excellent farmland) and they do have industry,*but the management makes them one of the poorest countries in Europe. In fact, people run benefits to help support their army! Former Prime Minister and current Presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko said she will donate her campaign money to the Ukrainian military! That is how sick the country is.
Before one gets too excited about Tymoshenko, her "not-so-pretty" past is hardly encouraging though, for all I know, she may have changed. "...she apologized to the crowd in Kiev last night for the unspecified mistakes of the past and talked about turning a page." ** She became wealthy in the natural gas business*** seemingly though sweetheart deals with the then President Lazarenko who was subsequently indicted, convicted, and jailed in the U.S. for money laundering among other crimes:
“Lazarenko received money from companies owned or controlled by Ukrainian [sic] business woman Yulia Tymoshenko … in exchange for which Lazarenko exercised his official authority in favor of Tymoshenko’s companies, and … Lazarenko failed to disclose to the people and government of Ukraine that he was receiving significant amounts of money from these companies.”**
Though the numerous criminal cases against Tymoshenko are complex, they appear to be political in nature and are given little credence.
* http://stopcontinentaldrift.blogspot.com/2014/03/not-again.html
** http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/23/yulia-tymoshenko-she-s-no-angel.html
*** Tymoshenko's company was United Energy Systems of Ukraine
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
NOT AGAIN (NATION BUILDING)?
This last weekend, I heard a lot of comments on the TV news programs that the solutions to the Ukraine's problems is to make them an economically sound nation. Sounds like nation building to me. So here we go again?
The Ukraine has enough natural resources (including perhaps the best farmland in the world) and industry that it should be a reasonably wealth nation.*
It seems by now that we have abundant examples that the transition from a dictatorship (Monarchy, Communism, etc.) to democracy is not easy. People who have not lived in a democracy have a lot of difficulty transitioning to it. Take the case of the Ukraine that has suffered much political turmoil.**. They had the "Orange Revolution" in 2004. The current government of a few months ago (and elected as recently as 2012) was a duly elected government, including the President Viktor Yanukovych who was ousted by the mob at Kiev. But much of the government is corrupt and stealing the country blind, which seems to be the trend.
Now there is to be a new election in May. But will the results be any better than last time? The mob represented a very small part of the Ukraine so my guess is that the results are unknown. Americans are more docile than people in much of the rest of the world and wait for elections to topple politicians, but often the replacements are worse than the incumbents. Replacing incumbents in the U.S. has resulted in political gridlock. Though the public complains about the degree of unemployment in the U.S., the voters seem inclined to vote-in those who perpetuate the current situation. It wouldn't be a surprise to me if the voters in the Ukraine will perform even worse.
So the big question remains, how do you lift an economy and employment when you have an uncooperative government? Perhaps the biggest success story of nation building by another nation is Japan (Germany had the Wiemar Republic experience to build upon.), but in that case Japan lost a war and had a long occupation to facilitate the change to a democracy. Are there any examples of nation building that have not involved an occupation, perhaps Brazil? Perhaps it is too early in the Ukiraine and the Middle East evolution to tell, but the difficulties are clearly apparent in Iraq and Afghanistan or for Egypt and Libya, etc. as well.
* http://stopcontinentaldrift.blogspot.com/2014/03/ukraine-failed-state.html
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verkhovna_Rada
The Ukraine has enough natural resources (including perhaps the best farmland in the world) and industry that it should be a reasonably wealth nation.*
It seems by now that we have abundant examples that the transition from a dictatorship (Monarchy, Communism, etc.) to democracy is not easy. People who have not lived in a democracy have a lot of difficulty transitioning to it. Take the case of the Ukraine that has suffered much political turmoil.**. They had the "Orange Revolution" in 2004. The current government of a few months ago (and elected as recently as 2012) was a duly elected government, including the President Viktor Yanukovych who was ousted by the mob at Kiev. But much of the government is corrupt and stealing the country blind, which seems to be the trend.
Now there is to be a new election in May. But will the results be any better than last time? The mob represented a very small part of the Ukraine so my guess is that the results are unknown. Americans are more docile than people in much of the rest of the world and wait for elections to topple politicians, but often the replacements are worse than the incumbents. Replacing incumbents in the U.S. has resulted in political gridlock. Though the public complains about the degree of unemployment in the U.S., the voters seem inclined to vote-in those who perpetuate the current situation. It wouldn't be a surprise to me if the voters in the Ukraine will perform even worse.
So the big question remains, how do you lift an economy and employment when you have an uncooperative government? Perhaps the biggest success story of nation building by another nation is Japan (Germany had the Wiemar Republic experience to build upon.), but in that case Japan lost a war and had a long occupation to facilitate the change to a democracy. Are there any examples of nation building that have not involved an occupation, perhaps Brazil? Perhaps it is too early in the Ukiraine and the Middle East evolution to tell, but the difficulties are clearly apparent in Iraq and Afghanistan or for Egypt and Libya, etc. as well.
* http://stopcontinentaldrift.blogspot.com/2014/03/ukraine-failed-state.html
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verkhovna_Rada
Sunday, March 23, 2014
LONG LEAF PINES (Poem)
The Long Leaf pines reach up against the night sky
Like ink blots against a blue-gray background speckled with stars,
Slowly swaying with a gentle evening breeze like a sigh.
We sit transfixed watching tree tops move their heavy load.
But they go nowhere, only move back, bye and bye.
So tall, so tall and, yet, trunks so slender with needles long.
Anchored by roots deep and wide, hidden from the eye.
They sway, they sway while we sit hypnotized as time passes.
The pine cones fall from high up on the pine trees so tall.
Some can be found as large as a child’s head.
Here is, a keeper! No, that one’s too small!
Which is the largest, the best shaped, open just right?
A thousand to the yard trash dump we haul.
The best are placed on the mantle or given as gifts to visitors.
But there is some fear that a pine cone on my head might fall.
While walking around the yard on a soft bed of pine straw
Like ink blots against a blue-gray background speckled with stars,
Slowly swaying with a gentle evening breeze like a sigh.
We sit transfixed watching tree tops move their heavy load.
But they go nowhere, only move back, bye and bye.
So tall, so tall and, yet, trunks so slender with needles long.
Anchored by roots deep and wide, hidden from the eye.
They sway, they sway while we sit hypnotized as time passes.
The pine cones fall from high up on the pine trees so tall.
Some can be found as large as a child’s head.
Here is, a keeper! No, that one’s too small!
Which is the largest, the best shaped, open just right?
A thousand to the yard trash dump we haul.
The best are placed on the mantle or given as gifts to visitors.
But there is some fear that a pine cone on my head might fall.
While walking around the yard on a soft bed of pine straw
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
ADVERTISEMENTS ON THE INTERNET
Have you clicked on any of those advertisements on the internet. I've done a few and they go on and on. After 5 min. or more they finally get to the point. Why do they do this? I was taught that you should get to the point in the first paragraph and then explain things. In technical writing they want you to get to the point in the first sentence.
Do these guys just like to hear themselves talk or what? I think of the few I've clicked on, I never finshed the advertisement except the first. If they had gotten to the point, I might have been interested in the product. In the one I finished, I was so upset that I wouldn't have bought the product unless my life depended on it, which it didn't.
The latest one I clicked on was about learning a new language. I am intereested in learning Japanese so I might have been interested in the product, but after about 2 min. of listening to what I call "throat clearing," I gave up and turned it off. I wonder who told them that this is a good way to advertise? I've gotten so that I don't click on any advertisement in Newsmax that seem to love these sorts of ads.
Do these guys just like to hear themselves talk or what? I think of the few I've clicked on, I never finshed the advertisement except the first. If they had gotten to the point, I might have been interested in the product. In the one I finished, I was so upset that I wouldn't have bought the product unless my life depended on it, which it didn't.
The latest one I clicked on was about learning a new language. I am intereested in learning Japanese so I might have been interested in the product, but after about 2 min. of listening to what I call "throat clearing," I gave up and turned it off. I wonder who told them that this is a good way to advertise? I've gotten so that I don't click on any advertisement in Newsmax that seem to love these sorts of ads.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
THE POOR IN THE BIBLE
About 14.9% of the U.S. population are classified as living in poverty (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html).
There are 16.4 million American children living in poverty. That's nearly one quarter (22.6 percent) of all of our children. More alarming is that the percentage of poor children has climbed by 4.5 percent since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. And poor means poor. For a family of three with one child under 18, the poverty line is $18,400.
(https://www.huffpost.com/entry/americas-greatest-shame-c_b_4238566
"Poor" and "poverty" appear 446 times in 384 separate verses in the Bible
(http://sojo.net/blogs/2011/11/01/hole-y-bible-gets-digital-makeover; http://www.zompist.com/meetthepoor.html) It is amazing how a political party that is dominated by so-called Evangelicals feel that the poor are poor because they apparently want to be and are treated too well. The latest is that providing the poor with health care will just encourage them not to work, as if health care is the only reason to have money. After all there is rent or mortgages, food needs, and clothes, all of which require money.
Then there are those who feel that the poor are paid too much to work and want to do away with the minimum wage to provide more "jobs." I wonder how these Evangelicals can read the bible and come to the conclusion that the poor shouldn't be supported. They even want to decrease money for food stamps (SNAP): http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/05/23/2053081/congressmans-misuse-of-bible-verse-belies-bad-theology-and-ideology-on-food-stamps/#
Much emphasis by those who feel the poor should starve if they cannot find work paying a living wage is placed upon the phrase of St. Paul that "If you do not work, you should not eat." http://biblehub.com/2_thessalonians/3-10.htm
It is harder to get out of poverty now than before the economic crash, even with some college or even with a degree. http://www.cnbc.com/id/101498261
There are 16.4 million American children living in poverty. That's nearly one quarter (22.6 percent) of all of our children. More alarming is that the percentage of poor children has climbed by 4.5 percent since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. And poor means poor. For a family of three with one child under 18, the poverty line is $18,400. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/les-leopold/americas-greatest-shame-c_b_4238566.html)
There are 16.4 million American children living in poverty. That's nearly one quarter (22.6 percent) of all of our children. More alarming is that the percentage of poor children has climbed by 4.5 percent since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. And poor means poor. For a family of three with one child under 18, the poverty line is $18,400.
(https://www.huffpost.com/entry/americas-greatest-shame-c_b_4238566
"Poor" and "poverty" appear 446 times in 384 separate verses in the Bible
(http://sojo.net/blogs/2011/11/01/hole-y-bible-gets-digital-makeover; http://www.zompist.com/meetthepoor.html) It is amazing how a political party that is dominated by so-called Evangelicals feel that the poor are poor because they apparently want to be and are treated too well. The latest is that providing the poor with health care will just encourage them not to work, as if health care is the only reason to have money. After all there is rent or mortgages, food needs, and clothes, all of which require money.
Then there are those who feel that the poor are paid too much to work and want to do away with the minimum wage to provide more "jobs." I wonder how these Evangelicals can read the bible and come to the conclusion that the poor shouldn't be supported. They even want to decrease money for food stamps (SNAP): http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/05/23/2053081/congressmans-misuse-of-bible-verse-belies-bad-theology-and-ideology-on-food-stamps/#
Much emphasis by those who feel the poor should starve if they cannot find work paying a living wage is placed upon the phrase of St. Paul that "If you do not work, you should not eat." http://biblehub.com/2_thessalonians/3-10.htm
It is harder to get out of poverty now than before the economic crash, even with some college or even with a degree. http://www.cnbc.com/id/101498261
There are 16.4 million American children living in poverty. That's nearly one quarter (22.6 percent) of all of our children. More alarming is that the percentage of poor children has climbed by 4.5 percent since the start of the Great Recession in 2007. And poor means poor. For a family of three with one child under 18, the poverty line is $18,400. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/les-leopold/americas-greatest-shame-c_b_4238566.html)
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
UKRAINE, A FAILED STATE
If the economy of Ukraine was doing well, we wouldn't be having all these problems there, but it isn't. This should be a relatively rich country with marvelous farmlands* plus iron ore, important manganese ore, coal, plus some oil, and natural gas.** Perhaps the best remaining oil is in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The Ukraine is not just a producer of raw materials., but is a major manufacturing country.*** It is a leading producer of steel, transportation equipment (locomotives, agricultural equipment, cars, trucks, freight cars, and ocean-going ships), heavy machinery, and a variety of chemicals and food plus other products.
Unfortunately, a corrupt political system, seemingly in constant turmoil, has squandered the GDP of Ukraine until today they are in need of an infusion of capital.
The word Ukraine has long been in use. I find it difficult to determine what it means. So far as I can tell, it is a large group of people who speak the Ukrainian language, as a first or second language, though most are more or less conversant in Russian also.
I'm also not sure what the title of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea means. If it is autonomous, it would seem to mean that it is a part of Ukraine as a matter of choice, but the constant political turmoil and corruption are such, that the Crimea may well choose to join Russia, which in my view is escaping the frying pan for the fire.
* http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30095/Soils
** http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30105/Resources-and-power (In addition to coal-fired power plants, Ukraine has nuclear power and, unfortunately, was the home of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident.)
*** http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30107/Manufacturing
Unfortunately, a corrupt political system, seemingly in constant turmoil, has squandered the GDP of Ukraine until today they are in need of an infusion of capital.
The word Ukraine has long been in use. I find it difficult to determine what it means. So far as I can tell, it is a large group of people who speak the Ukrainian language, as a first or second language, though most are more or less conversant in Russian also.
I'm also not sure what the title of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea means. If it is autonomous, it would seem to mean that it is a part of Ukraine as a matter of choice, but the constant political turmoil and corruption are such, that the Crimea may well choose to join Russia, which in my view is escaping the frying pan for the fire.
* http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30095/Soils
** http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30105/Resources-and-power (In addition to coal-fired power plants, Ukraine has nuclear power and, unfortunately, was the home of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident.)
*** http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/612921/Ukraine/30107/Manufacturing
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
THE BREADBASKET OF EUROPE IS NOW A BASKET CASE
The title of this piece, that regards Ukraine,* is not original with me, but I couldn't resist using it. But I am getting increasingly upset with certain politicians who insist on undermining our President in foreign relations. Prominent, of course, is senile John McCain who seemingly never saw a war he didn't like; however, when pressed by Charley Rose as to what should be done over the Soviet, I mean Russian, occupation of the Crimea said that the first thing he would do is to freeze the foreign assets and visas of the Russian oligarchs, something that Secretary John Kerry has mentioned as a possibility.
I'm also disappointed in Lindsey Graham, Senator of South Carolina, for his comments making fun of the President in a serious international incident, as, at times, he has shown some statesmanship. Supposedly the reason he is doing this is because of his Tea Party challenge in his reelection bid. Unfortunately, this puts his reelection ahead of his country. He seems to think that we should have bombarded the leader of Syria even after the promise of getting rid of the poisonous gases. Unfortunately, there are no good solutions in Syria as if Assad is overthrown the real civil war will begin with the likelihood that the country will become a conservative Muslim state like Iran. As awful as the situation is in Syria, perhaps the best state is a status quo.
At the age of 82, I do remember some things in the lead up to WW-II, and the Russian occupation of the Crimea to "protect" the Ukrainian citizens of Russian heritage reminds me a lot of the Nazi occupation of the Sudetenland** to protect citizens of German heritage at the very beginning of WW-II. I don't recall any news about threats to the Russian speaking peoples anywhere in Ukraine. And Putin does seem to be trying to generate an excuse for more occupation of Ukraine by having some of his soldiers shoot over the heads of some Ukrainian troops:
But not every scene was so calm. Video showed more than 100 unarmed Ukrainian troops trying Tuesday morning to return to Belbek air base north of Sevastopol, only to have Russian forces fire warning shots over their heads.***
As the situation in Ukraine is still in flux, I have little more to say at this time.
History of Ukraine:
Crimea has had a long and complex history but more recently for more than 300 yrs it was a part of Turkey, then in 1783 became a part of Russia, more or less, and then of the Soviet Union. Mysteriously, Kruschov gave the Crimea to Ukraine in 1954. Speculation is that he was drunk at the time. Crimea has spent little time as an independent nation though it was called the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. It became recognized as a part of Ukraine by Russia in 1997. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Crimea).
Eastern Ukraine has been largely Russian since late in the 17th century. In 1991, 75% of ethnic Russian said they no longer identified themselves as Russian and 55% voted for Ukrainian independence. Many Russian speaking Ukrainians bemoan the fact that Russian is not an accepted official language of Ukraine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_Ukraine)
Western Ukraine likewise has a complicated history and was a part of Poland most of the time for several hundred years which ended in 1939. After WW-II, Ukraine became the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic with some independence from the Soviet Union. West Ukraine is largely west looking. Though the country is largely of the Eastern Orthodox religion, around 4 million Roman Catholics are present, mainly in western Ukraine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Ukraine; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ukraine)
* http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/bread-basket-europe.html
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_Czechoslovakia
*** http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-tensions/
I'm also disappointed in Lindsey Graham, Senator of South Carolina, for his comments making fun of the President in a serious international incident, as, at times, he has shown some statesmanship. Supposedly the reason he is doing this is because of his Tea Party challenge in his reelection bid. Unfortunately, this puts his reelection ahead of his country. He seems to think that we should have bombarded the leader of Syria even after the promise of getting rid of the poisonous gases. Unfortunately, there are no good solutions in Syria as if Assad is overthrown the real civil war will begin with the likelihood that the country will become a conservative Muslim state like Iran. As awful as the situation is in Syria, perhaps the best state is a status quo.
At the age of 82, I do remember some things in the lead up to WW-II, and the Russian occupation of the Crimea to "protect" the Ukrainian citizens of Russian heritage reminds me a lot of the Nazi occupation of the Sudetenland** to protect citizens of German heritage at the very beginning of WW-II. I don't recall any news about threats to the Russian speaking peoples anywhere in Ukraine. And Putin does seem to be trying to generate an excuse for more occupation of Ukraine by having some of his soldiers shoot over the heads of some Ukrainian troops:
But not every scene was so calm. Video showed more than 100 unarmed Ukrainian troops trying Tuesday morning to return to Belbek air base north of Sevastopol, only to have Russian forces fire warning shots over their heads.***
As the situation in Ukraine is still in flux, I have little more to say at this time.
History of Ukraine:
Crimea has had a long and complex history but more recently for more than 300 yrs it was a part of Turkey, then in 1783 became a part of Russia, more or less, and then of the Soviet Union. Mysteriously, Kruschov gave the Crimea to Ukraine in 1954. Speculation is that he was drunk at the time. Crimea has spent little time as an independent nation though it was called the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. It became recognized as a part of Ukraine by Russia in 1997. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Crimea).
Eastern Ukraine has been largely Russian since late in the 17th century. In 1991, 75% of ethnic Russian said they no longer identified themselves as Russian and 55% voted for Ukrainian independence. Many Russian speaking Ukrainians bemoan the fact that Russian is not an accepted official language of Ukraine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russians_in_Ukraine)
Western Ukraine likewise has a complicated history and was a part of Poland most of the time for several hundred years which ended in 1939. After WW-II, Ukraine became the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic with some independence from the Soviet Union. West Ukraine is largely west looking. Though the country is largely of the Eastern Orthodox religion, around 4 million Roman Catholics are present, mainly in western Ukraine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Ukraine; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ukraine)
* http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/bread-basket-europe.html
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_Czechoslovakia
*** http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-tensions/
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