by Diane Wilson
Years ago, when we were in London, we ended up in a cheeky section of a really great department store. Amidst all the practical and lovey-dovey items were whips and cat of nine tails and other scary gizmos, giving the display the name of Agent Provocateur. All of which brings me to the recent flotilla of ships to Gaza, and whether they were bringing loving humanitarian stuff or were they really there just to whip Israel? Afterall, it has been pointed out that humanitarian aid ships do not come bringing people, but supplies. The Turkish ships were at the very least Agent Provacateurs.
Now, Iranian ships are making their way to Gaza. This is no longer Agent Provacateur. When you have Israel's darkest enemy approaching, it is dead serious.
Let's be clear. Back in 2005, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that Israel must be wiped off the map. On October 30, The New York Times published his speech in full, in which he says "that the occupying regime must be wiped off the map...."
Israel has difficult decisions to make in the days ahead, and so do we, for most of us must realize that this is not really about Palestine or Israel. This is a larger matter of East versus West. Some say it was EU's apparent rebuff of Turkey that led to its disenchantment with the West. I would not know. However, I am sure that many of the questions and answers still reside in Turkey, which until recently had been friends with Israel and America.
Thomas Friedman wrote recently in The New York Times about the importance of Turkey and Israel, noting that "both Israel and Turkey have gotten out of balance lately, and it is America’s job to help both get back to the center — urgently."
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan is no doubt pleasing the street these days, but when I visited, I had thought that Turkey was preparing itself for a more splendid future. I was hopeful that Turkey was accomodating both its secular and religious populations, and seeking its place among developed nations.
Given that our future hinges on spanning differences among nations and cultures, it would be wonderful and logical if Turkey could serve as a nexus for economic and social development between the eastern and western worlds, as well as between Muslim, Christian and Jewish worlds. Unlike Iran, Turkey has everything and everybody at its disposal. Over the years, Turkey has created immense goodwill that must not be lost.
It would be more than unfortunate to see Turkey move into the Iranian fold because the EU wasn't kind, or because an opportunity exists to lead the East. Turkey could have a bigger and better role than all that. Turkey could be the focal point for negotiation and resolution. Turkey could be the example the West needs to understand the East. Then there's geography. Given the fact Turkey spans Asia and Europe, we need the leadership Turkey could offer.
Anybody who has listened to the call to prayer and looked out on the Bosphorus knows that Turkey harbours dreams. It is time for Turkey to create lasting and meaningful realities.
April 9, 2010
Virginia, the Vatican and Palin: Time to Give Back
by Diane Wilson
Virginia's proclamation that April is Confederate History Month -- remember the good ol' days -- is mind numbing. The New York Times has weighed in on this strange turn of affairs. There have been debates. And then Gov. Bob McDonnell made a hasty apology for neglecting to mention slavery when he declared April Confederate History Month.
McDonnell explained that the failure "to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed," The Richmond Times Dispatch reports. He even suggested that slavery was a really bad thing that divided the nation and "left a stain on the soul of the state." He makes no sense. You don't just plain forget to mention slavery. And you don't want to wax romantic about the glory days of the slave states and their hateful relations with the Union.
Enter the Vatican, which is a long way from putting its house in order. According to The Globe and Mail, the Priesthood was aware of the priest who molested altar boys in the Ottawa Valley a full decade before the crime became public, but they sought to keep the issue secret due to their worries about the church's image.
Many people have weighed in on the Church. Maureen Dowd does so in the New York Times, and she does it effectively as a Catholic believer, who laments that Vatican II left out the rule about celibacy when they went about liberalizing the religion. Dowd notes that the vow about celibacy had to do with potential heirs making claims on church money and land: "But it ended up shrinking the priest pool and producing the wrong kind of candidates — drawing men confused about their sexuality who put our children in harm’s way."
Tacit acceptance of slavery remains incomprehensible. A moral body that acts immorally is frightening. We were riding so high after the election of Barack Obama. Now, the passage of the watered down health care bill has made people divided and angry. Listen to de facto Republican Leader Sarah Palin as she espouses the beauty of the Tea Party wanting to take back America. Darkness descends, and we know that for these people, the concept of giving back is forgotten.
Which brings us to CNN's Heroes. After Virginia, the Vatican and Palin, along comes a group of truly remarkable individuals who are busy doing great stuff for others. Their work is real, and people are paying attention. Heroes has become one of the hottest tickets of the year.
Goodnight Virginia.
Virginia's proclamation that April is Confederate History Month -- remember the good ol' days -- is mind numbing. The New York Times has weighed in on this strange turn of affairs. There have been debates. And then Gov. Bob McDonnell made a hasty apology for neglecting to mention slavery when he declared April Confederate History Month.
McDonnell explained that the failure "to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed," The Richmond Times Dispatch reports. He even suggested that slavery was a really bad thing that divided the nation and "left a stain on the soul of the state." He makes no sense. You don't just plain forget to mention slavery. And you don't want to wax romantic about the glory days of the slave states and their hateful relations with the Union.
Enter the Vatican, which is a long way from putting its house in order. According to The Globe and Mail, the Priesthood was aware of the priest who molested altar boys in the Ottawa Valley a full decade before the crime became public, but they sought to keep the issue secret due to their worries about the church's image.
Many people have weighed in on the Church. Maureen Dowd does so in the New York Times, and she does it effectively as a Catholic believer, who laments that Vatican II left out the rule about celibacy when they went about liberalizing the religion. Dowd notes that the vow about celibacy had to do with potential heirs making claims on church money and land: "But it ended up shrinking the priest pool and producing the wrong kind of candidates — drawing men confused about their sexuality who put our children in harm’s way."
Tacit acceptance of slavery remains incomprehensible. A moral body that acts immorally is frightening. We were riding so high after the election of Barack Obama. Now, the passage of the watered down health care bill has made people divided and angry. Listen to de facto Republican Leader Sarah Palin as she espouses the beauty of the Tea Party wanting to take back America. Darkness descends, and we know that for these people, the concept of giving back is forgotten.
Which brings us to CNN's Heroes. After Virginia, the Vatican and Palin, along comes a group of truly remarkable individuals who are busy doing great stuff for others. Their work is real, and people are paying attention. Heroes has become one of the hottest tickets of the year.
Goodnight Virginia.
January 6, 2010
Income Taxes and You Can't Take it With You
January 2, 2010
Stand By Your Man
The Importance of Supporting President Obama
by Diane Wilson
President Obama arrived at his office at a most unpleasant hour, when the economy was a shambles with credit frozen, banks failing, companies faltering, and people losing homes and jobs. President Obama assumed his high office with two wars well underway, and terrorists on the doorstep. Moreover, he took office with a middle class under seige and a political divide threatening the country's greatness.
Today's Globe and Mail characterizes the current state of American politics: liberalism versus libertarianism or put simply, Glenn Beck versus Rachel Maddow. Obama vs. Palin or Cheney, take your pick. The Globe carefully articulates the history of the current culture of paranoid speak, indicating it has a long history south of the 49th parallel.
Given this current state of meanness and paranoia, one could almost forget that Obama was airborne upon his arrival. He brought fresh thinking to a government yearning for ideas and clarity and morality. He assembled a fine group of people around him, and they have not let the country fail. Far from it! They have injected money into the system and they have boosted the economy. The stock market has come back. The President and his team have thought long and hard about wars and committed more troops to Afghanistan. They are taking homeland security seriously. And, they are about to create some sort of national health care system, which is the most important new legislation in decades.
This is the work of a progressive western democratic nation of which all Americans should and could be proud. It is not perfection. The current level of American debt is scary. However, we rarely hear any positive ideas from those who seek to diminish the current Presidency. How would the critics win the wars at home and abroad? President Bush didn't find it so easy. Why do Rush and Glenn pretend otherwise?
Clearly, there is very legitimate pain among those without work and those without homes. More work must be done. However, it is inconceivable that Americans would seek to diminish the stature or the work of the current presidency out of animosity alone, thus undermining America.
America proudly elected Barack Obama and change one year ago. President Obama saw the opportunity for greatness in the darkness of America's night. Today, America must stand by its collective decision and support President Obama in a constructive forward thinking manner. That kind of rededication is sorely needed because without it, America risks losing its star status as the strongest nation on earth.
by Diane Wilson
President Obama arrived at his office at a most unpleasant hour, when the economy was a shambles with credit frozen, banks failing, companies faltering, and people losing homes and jobs. President Obama assumed his high office with two wars well underway, and terrorists on the doorstep. Moreover, he took office with a middle class under seige and a political divide threatening the country's greatness.
Today's Globe and Mail characterizes the current state of American politics: liberalism versus libertarianism or put simply, Glenn Beck versus Rachel Maddow. Obama vs. Palin or Cheney, take your pick. The Globe carefully articulates the history of the current culture of paranoid speak, indicating it has a long history south of the 49th parallel.
Given this current state of meanness and paranoia, one could almost forget that Obama was airborne upon his arrival. He brought fresh thinking to a government yearning for ideas and clarity and morality. He assembled a fine group of people around him, and they have not let the country fail. Far from it! They have injected money into the system and they have boosted the economy. The stock market has come back. The President and his team have thought long and hard about wars and committed more troops to Afghanistan. They are taking homeland security seriously. And, they are about to create some sort of national health care system, which is the most important new legislation in decades.
This is the work of a progressive western democratic nation of which all Americans should and could be proud. It is not perfection. The current level of American debt is scary. However, we rarely hear any positive ideas from those who seek to diminish the current Presidency. How would the critics win the wars at home and abroad? President Bush didn't find it so easy. Why do Rush and Glenn pretend otherwise?
Clearly, there is very legitimate pain among those without work and those without homes. More work must be done. However, it is inconceivable that Americans would seek to diminish the stature or the work of the current presidency out of animosity alone, thus undermining America.
America proudly elected Barack Obama and change one year ago. President Obama saw the opportunity for greatness in the darkness of America's night. Today, America must stand by its collective decision and support President Obama in a constructive forward thinking manner. That kind of rededication is sorely needed because without it, America risks losing its star status as the strongest nation on earth.
December 31, 2009
It's a Wonderful Life and You
The Huffington Post brings us a wonderful montage of film and news about banking. Simplistic, but thought provoking. And of course, it makes us question those bank bonuses again!
December 13, 2009
Sarah Palin's Magic
by Diane Wilson
Sarah Palin isn't going away.
Never far from the public spotlight, Palin was in the news this past week over Copenhagan and climate change. The Huffington News reports on an exchange between talk radio's Laura Ingraham and Palin, in which Palin says she is not sure whether she wishes to debate Al Gore on the issue of climate change. Nothing to do with competence. According to Palin, "it depends on what the venue would be, what the forum....if it would be some kind of conventional, traditional debate with his friends setting it up or being the commentators I'll get clobbered because, you know, they don't want to listen to the facts."
Okay, that's clear -- she's right, he's wrong. Very reassuring to know that Sarah Palin alone has the correct information and that the rest of the world is making an issue out of climate change when it is not.
Ingraham kept asking Palin about debating Al Gore, perhaps in a proper debate format. Palin's response: "I don't know, I don't know. Oh, he wouldn't want to lower himself, I think, to, you know, my level to debate little old Sarah Palin from Wasilla."
To my mind, this interview is quintessential Palin -- never mind, she doesn't know what she is talking about, just knock the other guy out. Ever the point guard, Palin still runs offense to deliver the message. And, it's always about her and how right she is and how victimized she is. This is personality politics at its best.
My politics and Palin's have nothing in common, and yet I enjoy her, which really disturbs me. Why? Sarah Palin is moderately bright. Not well educated. Good looking. Conservative. Every bone in my body thinks she is incapable of holding any reasonable office in the United States.
However, Palin is not going anywhere soon, because she is open, bright eyed, engaging and fun. Palin is very friendly. And while she talks about and does weird stuff (moose chili, snow machines, the infamous turkey slaughter), she is enthusiastic. Palin takes us to a place we would like to be, where few problems exist, and perhaps she even believes her simplistic narrative. I also think she's got a bit of Teflon in her because she rebounds nicely from skirmishes, unfazed.
Sarah Palin makes the Republican Right Wing more reasonable in a crazy way, and certainly more palatable, which is very spooky. This is clearly the secret to Sarah Palin's success, and the reason she has a good crack at being the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2012. And that means people -- all people -- better start paying attention to Palin, like her or not.
Sarah Palin isn't going away.
Never far from the public spotlight, Palin was in the news this past week over Copenhagan and climate change. The Huffington News reports on an exchange between talk radio's Laura Ingraham and Palin, in which Palin says she is not sure whether she wishes to debate Al Gore on the issue of climate change. Nothing to do with competence. According to Palin, "it depends on what the venue would be, what the forum....if it would be some kind of conventional, traditional debate with his friends setting it up or being the commentators I'll get clobbered because, you know, they don't want to listen to the facts."
Okay, that's clear -- she's right, he's wrong. Very reassuring to know that Sarah Palin alone has the correct information and that the rest of the world is making an issue out of climate change when it is not.
Ingraham kept asking Palin about debating Al Gore, perhaps in a proper debate format. Palin's response: "I don't know, I don't know. Oh, he wouldn't want to lower himself, I think, to, you know, my level to debate little old Sarah Palin from Wasilla."
To my mind, this interview is quintessential Palin -- never mind, she doesn't know what she is talking about, just knock the other guy out. Ever the point guard, Palin still runs offense to deliver the message. And, it's always about her and how right she is and how victimized she is. This is personality politics at its best.
My politics and Palin's have nothing in common, and yet I enjoy her, which really disturbs me. Why? Sarah Palin is moderately bright. Not well educated. Good looking. Conservative. Every bone in my body thinks she is incapable of holding any reasonable office in the United States.
However, Palin is not going anywhere soon, because she is open, bright eyed, engaging and fun. Palin is very friendly. And while she talks about and does weird stuff (moose chili, snow machines, the infamous turkey slaughter), she is enthusiastic. Palin takes us to a place we would like to be, where few problems exist, and perhaps she even believes her simplistic narrative. I also think she's got a bit of Teflon in her because she rebounds nicely from skirmishes, unfazed.
Sarah Palin makes the Republican Right Wing more reasonable in a crazy way, and certainly more palatable, which is very spooky. This is clearly the secret to Sarah Palin's success, and the reason she has a good crack at being the Republican Presidential Nominee in 2012. And that means people -- all people -- better start paying attention to Palin, like her or not.
December 9, 2009
Trouble at the Bank
Dear Mumsie,
Rather unfortunate news today. Apparently, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has seen seen fit to rob Muffin and Todd of their very special Christmas this year ( according to The Telegraph). Last year had been such a tough slog, had it not, and now that the bank was just getting back on track, I was expecting a rather sizeable down payment on life, shall we say. The lake season had finished and I had such a fine holiday planned!
There is a little wrinkle in my plans, due to Mr. Darling's insistence on taxing my bonus before it leaves the bank. This will affect all bonses of more than £25,000 and it will be applied to all banks operating in the UK, including foreign banks. And, as you well know, I was to get considerably more than that 25,000!
I calm myself with the knowledge that I am far from alone. In fact, this new one time tax will affect about 20,000 people, poor sods. All this in a shabby effort to play to the voters who insist bankers are paid too much. (The public has never been quite right since the British government provided more than £1 trillion pounds to prop up the banks during last year's credit crisis, has it?)
Well, the chit chat around the water cooler was really fine today. One American fellow, who thought he had died and gone to heaven when he was hired in London two years ago, was on the telephone today making arrangements for a transfer to Wisconsin.
As for me, I know I must be chin up and know that bonuses can be deferred and so forth, but still I dread the moment when I must confront our toddlers and try to explain that they will not be going on the private jet to the private villa this year. Perhaps worst of all, they will not have the opportunity to see all of their friends! And that is why Mr. Darling has me so ticked off. It is simply unfair to little children!
Your loving son,
Roger
Rather unfortunate news today. Apparently, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has seen seen fit to rob Muffin and Todd of their very special Christmas this year ( according to The Telegraph). Last year had been such a tough slog, had it not, and now that the bank was just getting back on track, I was expecting a rather sizeable down payment on life, shall we say. The lake season had finished and I had such a fine holiday planned!
There is a little wrinkle in my plans, due to Mr. Darling's insistence on taxing my bonus before it leaves the bank. This will affect all bonses of more than £25,000 and it will be applied to all banks operating in the UK, including foreign banks. And, as you well know, I was to get considerably more than that 25,000!
I calm myself with the knowledge that I am far from alone. In fact, this new one time tax will affect about 20,000 people, poor sods. All this in a shabby effort to play to the voters who insist bankers are paid too much. (The public has never been quite right since the British government provided more than £1 trillion pounds to prop up the banks during last year's credit crisis, has it?)
Well, the chit chat around the water cooler was really fine today. One American fellow, who thought he had died and gone to heaven when he was hired in London two years ago, was on the telephone today making arrangements for a transfer to Wisconsin.
As for me, I know I must be chin up and know that bonuses can be deferred and so forth, but still I dread the moment when I must confront our toddlers and try to explain that they will not be going on the private jet to the private villa this year. Perhaps worst of all, they will not have the opportunity to see all of their friends! And that is why Mr. Darling has me so ticked off. It is simply unfair to little children!
Your loving son,
Roger
October 4, 2009
Turkey: Quite Possibly the Most Important Piece of Real Estate in the World
by Diane Wilson
In the last weeks of summer, we scooted off to Turkey, and were dazzled by the old and the new, the sobriety and the splash, the generosity of the people we met, and the unavoidable, disquieting but hopeful fact of Turkey's geography.
Turkey finds its home in both Europe and Asia. It borders Bulgaria and Greece. It also borders Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. But Turkey's longest borders are shared with Iraq, Syria and Iran. While driving through Istanbul, our guide pointed out the Iranian Consulate and noted that they have had a peaceful relationship with Iran for 300 years.
Home to a mostly Muslim population, Turkey is a secular democratic country established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923, following the demise of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish Armed Forces are the second largest standing force in NATO, and Turkey was a founding member of the United Nations. More recently, Turkey had applied for membership to the EU, and I had thought negotiations were still ongoing. When I was there, the question of membership made people bristle: "We have been rejected by the EU. The subject is now closed."
To a Westerner, the Turkey I saw feels foreign, but in a dreamy romantic sort of way. It was Ramadan and there were calls to prayer from the Blue Mosque. At nightfall, restaurant owners would put their chairs out on the street for locals, who had been observing Ramadam, but activity continued during the day. A constant stream of boats went up and down the Bosphorus. I was most struck by the graciousness of the people I met in Istanbul: "You will come back?" we were asked time and again. When we answered in the affirmative, there was satisfaction: "So you like Turkey."
I do like Turkey, but the more I saw, the less I understood it, having just scampered around Istanbul and Ephesus. What would I find elsewhere in the country? How welcome are Westerners? Come to think of it, how well does Turkey really understand the West. Even in Istanbul, which is chock a block with Four Seasons Hotels, how well do they really know us?
Turkey knows that we are suckers for clothing and handbags with names on them. Genuine Prada and Polo knock-offs are found throughout the Grand Bazaar, along with their other up-market cousins. However, The Grand Bazaar is just for the tourists, we were told. The Turkish people shop elsewhere.
I had made a reservation for dinner atop an older hotel. The selling point was its view of two continents. I was so looking forward to the excitement of seeing both Europe and Asia while dining, but our guide nixed my plan because it was in the wrong neighbourhood. Instead, he sent us to a very opulent four star affair on the Bosphorous. But my original choice still haunts me because I want to know what I missed, even if it wasn't grand luxe. Quite possibly that venue was more authentic. If the West is going to advance its relationship with Turkey, we have to understand it better, rather than having it fashioned for our consumption.
Turkey was once perhaps the most powerful empire. At the height of its power in the 16th to 17th centuries, Turkey or the Ottoman Empire comprised three continents, including much of northern Africa, western Asia and southeastern Europe.
Turkey remains a stunningly beautiful country, whose excellent climate makes it self-sustaining. But today's Turkey must grapple with double digit unemployment and staggering interest rates, realities that were largely absent during our quixotic adventures. This past September, a report entitled Turkey in Europe: Breaking the Vicious Cycle was issued. It is a call to re-engage, and mentions the resentment we noticed on the streets of Istanbul. It also talks about Turkey's key strategic location, due to oil, the Middle East, and so much more.
If the world really does subscribe to location, location, location, then Turkey ought to be the go-to country in the years ahead. With that comes the hope that religious and political divides can be bridged, and a new sharing of knowledge can occur.
In the last weeks of summer, we scooted off to Turkey, and were dazzled by the old and the new, the sobriety and the splash, the generosity of the people we met, and the unavoidable, disquieting but hopeful fact of Turkey's geography.
Turkey finds its home in both Europe and Asia. It borders Bulgaria and Greece. It also borders Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. But Turkey's longest borders are shared with Iraq, Syria and Iran. While driving through Istanbul, our guide pointed out the Iranian Consulate and noted that they have had a peaceful relationship with Iran for 300 years.
Home to a mostly Muslim population, Turkey is a secular democratic country established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923, following the demise of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish Armed Forces are the second largest standing force in NATO, and Turkey was a founding member of the United Nations. More recently, Turkey had applied for membership to the EU, and I had thought negotiations were still ongoing. When I was there, the question of membership made people bristle: "We have been rejected by the EU. The subject is now closed."
To a Westerner, the Turkey I saw feels foreign, but in a dreamy romantic sort of way. It was Ramadan and there were calls to prayer from the Blue Mosque. At nightfall, restaurant owners would put their chairs out on the street for locals, who had been observing Ramadam, but activity continued during the day. A constant stream of boats went up and down the Bosphorus. I was most struck by the graciousness of the people I met in Istanbul: "You will come back?" we were asked time and again. When we answered in the affirmative, there was satisfaction: "So you like Turkey."
I do like Turkey, but the more I saw, the less I understood it, having just scampered around Istanbul and Ephesus. What would I find elsewhere in the country? How welcome are Westerners? Come to think of it, how well does Turkey really understand the West. Even in Istanbul, which is chock a block with Four Seasons Hotels, how well do they really know us?
Turkey knows that we are suckers for clothing and handbags with names on them. Genuine Prada and Polo knock-offs are found throughout the Grand Bazaar, along with their other up-market cousins. However, The Grand Bazaar is just for the tourists, we were told. The Turkish people shop elsewhere.
I had made a reservation for dinner atop an older hotel. The selling point was its view of two continents. I was so looking forward to the excitement of seeing both Europe and Asia while dining, but our guide nixed my plan because it was in the wrong neighbourhood. Instead, he sent us to a very opulent four star affair on the Bosphorous. But my original choice still haunts me because I want to know what I missed, even if it wasn't grand luxe. Quite possibly that venue was more authentic. If the West is going to advance its relationship with Turkey, we have to understand it better, rather than having it fashioned for our consumption.
Turkey was once perhaps the most powerful empire. At the height of its power in the 16th to 17th centuries, Turkey or the Ottoman Empire comprised three continents, including much of northern Africa, western Asia and southeastern Europe.
Turkey remains a stunningly beautiful country, whose excellent climate makes it self-sustaining. But today's Turkey must grapple with double digit unemployment and staggering interest rates, realities that were largely absent during our quixotic adventures. This past September, a report entitled Turkey in Europe: Breaking the Vicious Cycle was issued. It is a call to re-engage, and mentions the resentment we noticed on the streets of Istanbul. It also talks about Turkey's key strategic location, due to oil, the Middle East, and so much more.
If the world really does subscribe to location, location, location, then Turkey ought to be the go-to country in the years ahead. With that comes the hope that religious and political divides can be bridged, and a new sharing of knowledge can occur.
October 2, 2009
Rio Fallout -- Let's Think North American
I have never thought of myself as a person who obsesses about the Olympics, but Rio's win today was thrilling. It was interesting to see the four films on the bid cities -- Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro. Chicago's promo film failed to send a strong message about a forward thinking environment. Tokyo's was sort of predictable, but more majestic. Madrid was trying too hard. And then there was Rio. All the IOC had to do was take a look at five seconds of this film and say, "Okay, that's it. We're going to hit this place in 2016. That's where the beauty and the passion lie." Clearly, what happens in Rio won't stay in Rio -- the party will be a grand international affair.
Now, as happy as I am for Rio -- and I am! -- I see us all drifting while the newer world gathers momentum. Aside from gorgeous beaches and mountains, Rio has shown us how wonderful it is to be shiny and new. Brazil has been amazingly successful over the past number of years, even swallowing iconic Inco for a cool $17 billion three years ago.
It is time to reinvent ourselves. How about starting to call all of us -- Mexican, American and Canadian -- North American? How about rethinking and repositioning the brand? I think North American could far outsell American at the moment. North America speaks of unity and diversity and newness. If we are going to proceed and outsell, we are going to have to be the go-to people for ideas. We will require some grandeur and some greatness, nothing tired or broken.
America has too many skeletons -- both old (slavery) and new (Iraq) -- in its closet. Canada is too small to make the difference it should be making, because Canada is a truly extraordinary nation. Mexico would add history and culture, and Mexico could really use the re branding as well. If we could ever sort out the cross border trade squabbles (Buy America) and the passport issues and the clogged borders, we could have enormous advantages having an EU type entity called North America. Republicans like Senator Corker who alledge that Canada has a parasitic relationship with America will need to be convinced, as will TV anchor Lou Dobbs.
Chicago's loss and Rio's win together point to a need for a fresh new entity -- North America just might help.
Now, as happy as I am for Rio -- and I am! -- I see us all drifting while the newer world gathers momentum. Aside from gorgeous beaches and mountains, Rio has shown us how wonderful it is to be shiny and new. Brazil has been amazingly successful over the past number of years, even swallowing iconic Inco for a cool $17 billion three years ago.
It is time to reinvent ourselves. How about starting to call all of us -- Mexican, American and Canadian -- North American? How about rethinking and repositioning the brand? I think North American could far outsell American at the moment. North America speaks of unity and diversity and newness. If we are going to proceed and outsell, we are going to have to be the go-to people for ideas. We will require some grandeur and some greatness, nothing tired or broken.
America has too many skeletons -- both old (slavery) and new (Iraq) -- in its closet. Canada is too small to make the difference it should be making, because Canada is a truly extraordinary nation. Mexico would add history and culture, and Mexico could really use the re branding as well. If we could ever sort out the cross border trade squabbles (Buy America) and the passport issues and the clogged borders, we could have enormous advantages having an EU type entity called North America. Republicans like Senator Corker who alledge that Canada has a parasitic relationship with America will need to be convinced, as will TV anchor Lou Dobbs.
Chicago's loss and Rio's win together point to a need for a fresh new entity -- North America just might help.
August 22, 2009
Where in the world is Janet Napolitano? And how Canada is suffering from new US border laws
by Diane Wilson
Canada better start beefing up its relationships with Europe and Asia because our biggest trading partner is making it increasingly hard to play ball. The Americans are rightfully concerned with their rising unemployment. The Americans are rightfully concerned with 9/11 and its repercussions. But their concerns have been amplified by a national anger designed to keep outsiders out and Americans in. That kind of thinking is leading to border havoc -- long and costly delays at crossings -- and a steep decline for Canadian business.
The Globe and Mail reports that the new passport rule, enacted June 1, is keeping Americans out of our great country. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, travel to Canada from the United States in June has sunk to its lowest number since the agency started tracking cross border travel in 1972. Last year, Americans accounted for about 70 per cent of Canada's $75-billion tourism industry. The problem is this: only 30% of the American citizenry have passports.
The largest undefended border is now so defended that it saddens the heart. Drones fly south of Saskatchewan. If you happen to be drinking a Tim Horton's coffee as you cross the border into the US, you best declare it as a food item. Forget cheerful memories conjured up by Queenston/Lewiston or Buffalo/Fort Erie. The lovely flow of people and goods has come to a halt, as if Queenston/Lewiston is about to be returned to its 1812 standing.
This is not good news for wee little Canada or the hermetically sealed United States of America. However, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the former Governor of Arizona, has said repeatedly that the northern border must be brought in line with the southern Mexican border. According to The Economist, Napolitano told reporters she wanted to “change the culture” along the 8,900km border. So she wants a real border despite the $1.8 billion worth of daily trade crossing the border. Napolitano talks heat-detecting sensors, surveillance drones and cameras along the the St. Clair River.
Buy American. Erect a big wall on both borders. Treat 'em the same and show 'em there's a new sheriff in town. Big. Tough. And oh so out of of touch with the reality that is 2009. Rather than partnering with Canada to encourage trade and tourism, the US has decided to go it alone and has essentially isolated itself, hoping that money just keeps pouring in from China et al. But we have only to look at other countries and unions, such as the EU, which are designed to foster a free flow of goods and people from countries with different languages and customs. What they share is a strong belief in progress.
Earlier, I was hopeful that Janet Napolitano might change her thinking about our border, but this issue seems to be much bigger than Ms. Napolitano. She merely echoes a chorus from the culture of Lou Dobbs. It is a sad inward looking United States whose people don't get out much. Then again, when only 30% of the population own a passport, you aren't going anywhere!
Canada better start beefing up its relationships with Europe and Asia because our biggest trading partner is making it increasingly hard to play ball. The Americans are rightfully concerned with their rising unemployment. The Americans are rightfully concerned with 9/11 and its repercussions. But their concerns have been amplified by a national anger designed to keep outsiders out and Americans in. That kind of thinking is leading to border havoc -- long and costly delays at crossings -- and a steep decline for Canadian business.
The Globe and Mail reports that the new passport rule, enacted June 1, is keeping Americans out of our great country. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, travel to Canada from the United States in June has sunk to its lowest number since the agency started tracking cross border travel in 1972. Last year, Americans accounted for about 70 per cent of Canada's $75-billion tourism industry. The problem is this: only 30% of the American citizenry have passports.
The largest undefended border is now so defended that it saddens the heart. Drones fly south of Saskatchewan. If you happen to be drinking a Tim Horton's coffee as you cross the border into the US, you best declare it as a food item. Forget cheerful memories conjured up by Queenston/Lewiston or Buffalo/Fort Erie. The lovely flow of people and goods has come to a halt, as if Queenston/Lewiston is about to be returned to its 1812 standing.
This is not good news for wee little Canada or the hermetically sealed United States of America. However, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the former Governor of Arizona, has said repeatedly that the northern border must be brought in line with the southern Mexican border. According to The Economist, Napolitano told reporters she wanted to “change the culture” along the 8,900km border. So she wants a real border despite the $1.8 billion worth of daily trade crossing the border. Napolitano talks heat-detecting sensors, surveillance drones and cameras along the the St. Clair River.
Buy American. Erect a big wall on both borders. Treat 'em the same and show 'em there's a new sheriff in town. Big. Tough. And oh so out of of touch with the reality that is 2009. Rather than partnering with Canada to encourage trade and tourism, the US has decided to go it alone and has essentially isolated itself, hoping that money just keeps pouring in from China et al. But we have only to look at other countries and unions, such as the EU, which are designed to foster a free flow of goods and people from countries with different languages and customs. What they share is a strong belief in progress.
Earlier, I was hopeful that Janet Napolitano might change her thinking about our border, but this issue seems to be much bigger than Ms. Napolitano. She merely echoes a chorus from the culture of Lou Dobbs. It is a sad inward looking United States whose people don't get out much. Then again, when only 30% of the population own a passport, you aren't going anywhere!
July 24, 2009
Yes He Can! Obama and Health Care
by Diane Wilson
This week President Obama stood before the American people and made his case for health care. As The Economist reports, reforming health care is perhaps the biggest challenge facing the President. Whether it is or it isn't, this is something that needs doing, as close to 50 million Americans are currently uninsured -- this in a land that is called the wealthiest nation on earth.
In this can-do country that others only seek to emulate, exorbitant health insurance premiums cripple the middle class, and insurance is routinely denied to people with pre-existing conditions. Careers are planned around health benefits. Contract workers lose their jobs, their homes and their health insurance. President Obama pointed out, "If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day.”
There is one single question that most disturbs opponents of the Obama plan: Who will pay for it? In this what's in it for me moment, the government would be hard pressed to proceed with any initiative that betters life for the citizens. Transportation. Public Buildings. The whole purpose of government is to provide services and protect the public good.
Perhaps the issue has been framed so wrong for so long that people just see red at the mention of public health care. It is possible that people just cannot grasp that we are not talking about some vague issue but rather the health of of their fellow countrymen. America depends on its productivity. That said, productivity and health run hand in hand.
President Obama has said that his health care plan will not add to the deficit and that two-thirds of the program could be paid for by trimming the fat on existing programs. But it is the taxation component that has people riled. It will fall on those most able pay -- the wealthiest -- to shoulder the burden of health care through taxes. This horrific information is offset by the fact that Obama is eager to drive costs down. Given that burgeoning American health care costs are not sustainable, Obama's desire to trim costs should appeal to everybody.
Obama's health care plan will not be popular. His opponents will continue to run ads depicting shoddy medical treatment in Canada. The fear factor will not work because Obama currently has people on his side. He needs to grab the legislators and make health care happen now, or he will miss the opportunity to keep American people -- all American people -- well.
This week President Obama stood before the American people and made his case for health care. As The Economist reports, reforming health care is perhaps the biggest challenge facing the President. Whether it is or it isn't, this is something that needs doing, as close to 50 million Americans are currently uninsured -- this in a land that is called the wealthiest nation on earth.
In this can-do country that others only seek to emulate, exorbitant health insurance premiums cripple the middle class, and insurance is routinely denied to people with pre-existing conditions. Careers are planned around health benefits. Contract workers lose their jobs, their homes and their health insurance. President Obama pointed out, "If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day.”
There is one single question that most disturbs opponents of the Obama plan: Who will pay for it? In this what's in it for me moment, the government would be hard pressed to proceed with any initiative that betters life for the citizens. Transportation. Public Buildings. The whole purpose of government is to provide services and protect the public good.
Perhaps the issue has been framed so wrong for so long that people just see red at the mention of public health care. It is possible that people just cannot grasp that we are not talking about some vague issue but rather the health of of their fellow countrymen. America depends on its productivity. That said, productivity and health run hand in hand.
President Obama has said that his health care plan will not add to the deficit and that two-thirds of the program could be paid for by trimming the fat on existing programs. But it is the taxation component that has people riled. It will fall on those most able pay -- the wealthiest -- to shoulder the burden of health care through taxes. This horrific information is offset by the fact that Obama is eager to drive costs down. Given that burgeoning American health care costs are not sustainable, Obama's desire to trim costs should appeal to everybody.
Obama's health care plan will not be popular. His opponents will continue to run ads depicting shoddy medical treatment in Canada. The fear factor will not work because Obama currently has people on his side. He needs to grab the legislators and make health care happen now, or he will miss the opportunity to keep American people -- all American people -- well.
July 23, 2009
Toronto: A City in Peril
Garbage and Pandemic Planning
by Diane Wilson
Toronto's month long civic workers strike that has crippled garbage collection has its tentacles in more services than you know. It even affects pandemic planning. In today's The Toronto Star, renowned microbiologist Allison McGeer warns that Toronto may suffer more H1N1 deaths because of the civic workers' strike. I will say that again: Toronto may suffer more H1N1 deaths because of the civic workers strike. McGeer is head of infection control at Mount Sinai Hospital and a noted authority on pandemic planning. She was also the voice of reason during the SARS outbreak.
Apparently, there are about 1,800 unionized employees from the Toronto Public Health Unit on strike. These individuals were supposed to be spending the summer planning for the second wave of the H1N1 virus, which is scheduled to hit North America in September. During the summer, pandemic management advice should have been going out to institutions and plans for vaccination clinics should have been made.
McGeer's comments are in line with the thinking of the World Health Organization, which has declared a level 6 pandemic -- news that should not have been taken lightly. We are told to wash our hands and all that to prevent the spread of germs. But wouldn't our city be cleaner if we took away these towering hills of aging garbage? I worry about the spread of disease through vermin when you have so much uncollected garbage sitting for weeks on end in our neighbourhoods.
Okay, health's not your thing. How about a sagging economy? When the world is sputtering in a global recession and travel dollars are being squeezed like never before, isn't it a crying shame that Toronto has turned off the lights? The ferries to the island are on strike, leaving places like Centreville closed. Public pools are closed. Builders have been unable to collect building permits and have had to lay off employees. Day camps are closed.
Toronto is a city of contradictions. Torontonians are paying five cents a bag at all stores. The idea was that we would use our cloth sacks to bring home the goods and then we would compost and recycle. We are a noble lot of foolish people! We go to all this trouble and expense and now the strike has us throwing all our waste -- compost and not -- into monstrously large green plastic garbage bags, which are tossed next to our neighbours to rot for weeks on end.
Few of us fully understand the reasons these city workers went out on strike, although I bet some of the reasons are very good. Unfortunately, nothing can top the urgency and importance of a global pandemic and a global recession. We have precious few days to get down to serious planning and confront a future in which sick days will be so consumed that prized sick banks will vanish. This strike has run its course. It is time for the mayor and the premier to lead.
by Diane Wilson
Toronto's month long civic workers strike that has crippled garbage collection has its tentacles in more services than you know. It even affects pandemic planning. In today's The Toronto Star, renowned microbiologist Allison McGeer warns that Toronto may suffer more H1N1 deaths because of the civic workers' strike. I will say that again: Toronto may suffer more H1N1 deaths because of the civic workers strike. McGeer is head of infection control at Mount Sinai Hospital and a noted authority on pandemic planning. She was also the voice of reason during the SARS outbreak.
Apparently, there are about 1,800 unionized employees from the Toronto Public Health Unit on strike. These individuals were supposed to be spending the summer planning for the second wave of the H1N1 virus, which is scheduled to hit North America in September. During the summer, pandemic management advice should have been going out to institutions and plans for vaccination clinics should have been made.
McGeer's comments are in line with the thinking of the World Health Organization, which has declared a level 6 pandemic -- news that should not have been taken lightly. We are told to wash our hands and all that to prevent the spread of germs. But wouldn't our city be cleaner if we took away these towering hills of aging garbage? I worry about the spread of disease through vermin when you have so much uncollected garbage sitting for weeks on end in our neighbourhoods.
Okay, health's not your thing. How about a sagging economy? When the world is sputtering in a global recession and travel dollars are being squeezed like never before, isn't it a crying shame that Toronto has turned off the lights? The ferries to the island are on strike, leaving places like Centreville closed. Public pools are closed. Builders have been unable to collect building permits and have had to lay off employees. Day camps are closed.
Toronto is a city of contradictions. Torontonians are paying five cents a bag at all stores. The idea was that we would use our cloth sacks to bring home the goods and then we would compost and recycle. We are a noble lot of foolish people! We go to all this trouble and expense and now the strike has us throwing all our waste -- compost and not -- into monstrously large green plastic garbage bags, which are tossed next to our neighbours to rot for weeks on end.
Few of us fully understand the reasons these city workers went out on strike, although I bet some of the reasons are very good. Unfortunately, nothing can top the urgency and importance of a global pandemic and a global recession. We have precious few days to get down to serious planning and confront a future in which sick days will be so consumed that prized sick banks will vanish. This strike has run its course. It is time for the mayor and the premier to lead.
June 26, 2009
Smart: The 2009 Word that Defines Obama's Call to Action
by Diane Wilson
Earlier this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the use of smart power, which she said included "the full range of tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural... With smart power, diplomacy will be the vanguard of foreign policy," as recorded by ABC News. Not surprisingly, foreign affairs is framed this way.
According to China View, Obama has "displayed his advocacy of the so-called 'smart diplomacy' ever since he took office in January. He has extended an olive branch to Cuba and Venezuela in Latin America, and softened tones on Iran and Syria."
Then there's smart grid investment, which is about to soar as a result of the stimus package. Intelligent grid technologies are projected to top $70 billion by 2013.
President Obama has ushered in a new tone of smart responsiblity, knowledge and language, and it is having an effect. Rapper Jim Jones told The Daily Beast that Obama inspired him to clean up the language of his music. Gone is the word "nigga." The word is now replaced with Obama, as in "Yo, did you see them Obamas last night?”or “Now that’s a real Obama.”
Talk about smart power. From rappers to corporate titans. Look at IBM's latest ads that ask us to buy into smart power Apparently, "smart work is transforming our organizations to take advantage of the capabilities of a smarter planet."
Smart is clearly the word that best defines our response to the urgent needs of 2009 and it is a more than gentle reminder of the dearth of smartness in the preceding eight. The Times reminds of a time when life was much less smart in a recitation of President Bush's top 20 gaffes. While it's nice to finally go in the right direction -- smart, that is -- Bush warms the heart with his downright nuttiness. Then we remember Iraq and all that is ugly about dumb politics, and we thank our lucky stars for the smart, new White House.
Earlier this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the use of smart power, which she said included "the full range of tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal, and cultural... With smart power, diplomacy will be the vanguard of foreign policy," as recorded by ABC News. Not surprisingly, foreign affairs is framed this way.
According to China View, Obama has "displayed his advocacy of the so-called 'smart diplomacy' ever since he took office in January. He has extended an olive branch to Cuba and Venezuela in Latin America, and softened tones on Iran and Syria."
Then there's smart grid investment, which is about to soar as a result of the stimus package. Intelligent grid technologies are projected to top $70 billion by 2013.
President Obama has ushered in a new tone of smart responsiblity, knowledge and language, and it is having an effect. Rapper Jim Jones told The Daily Beast that Obama inspired him to clean up the language of his music. Gone is the word "nigga." The word is now replaced with Obama, as in "Yo, did you see them Obamas last night?”or “Now that’s a real Obama.”
Talk about smart power. From rappers to corporate titans. Look at IBM's latest ads that ask us to buy into smart power Apparently, "smart work is transforming our organizations to take advantage of the capabilities of a smarter planet."
Smart is clearly the word that best defines our response to the urgent needs of 2009 and it is a more than gentle reminder of the dearth of smartness in the preceding eight. The Times reminds of a time when life was much less smart in a recitation of President Bush's top 20 gaffes. While it's nice to finally go in the right direction -- smart, that is -- Bush warms the heart with his downright nuttiness. Then we remember Iraq and all that is ugly about dumb politics, and we thank our lucky stars for the smart, new White House.
June 25, 2009
Another Republican Hopeful Bites the Dust: AWOL Sanford Confesses
by Diane Wilson
The Republicans always wade knee deep in talk of God and family values at their Convention. Nobody knows more about this type of thing than South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who went missing for seven days to visit his mistress, as reported in The Huffington Post. Sanford heads the Republican Governors Association and was said to have been a presidential candidate for 2012.
While he was initially rumoured to have gone hiking, Sanford secretly flew to Argentina for a visit with his honey, and then came home and had a lot of explaining and apologizing to do to his wife and four sons and the country. In a fascinating press conference, Sanford danced around, talking about his love of the Appalachians and his need for faith. He spoke of his wonderful family, none of whom were in attendance. (Mrs. Spitzer showed up for Eliot's mea culpa.)
Sanford is resigning as head of the Governors Association. But Sanford's role these past few months has been particularly noteworthy in his refusal to accept recovery funds for his state, according to the The Washington Times. President Obama actually brought a lovely young girl from South Carolina to the State of the Union to help sell educational funding, but Sanford wanted to use the money to pay down debt.
It was a minor miracle when Sanford joined the other 49 governors in taking federal money to create or save about 3.5 million jobs. But at least we now know why this guy's thinking was so messed up. He had been good to great friends with the lady in Argentina for eight years and then it got romantic, and his wife got wind of it five months ago -- roughly the time frame of the Obama presidency. This guy had other stuff on his mind, and it sure wasn't education.
The Republicans always wade knee deep in talk of God and family values at their Convention. Nobody knows more about this type of thing than South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who went missing for seven days to visit his mistress, as reported in The Huffington Post. Sanford heads the Republican Governors Association and was said to have been a presidential candidate for 2012.
While he was initially rumoured to have gone hiking, Sanford secretly flew to Argentina for a visit with his honey, and then came home and had a lot of explaining and apologizing to do to his wife and four sons and the country. In a fascinating press conference, Sanford danced around, talking about his love of the Appalachians and his need for faith. He spoke of his wonderful family, none of whom were in attendance. (Mrs. Spitzer showed up for Eliot's mea culpa.)
Sanford is resigning as head of the Governors Association. But Sanford's role these past few months has been particularly noteworthy in his refusal to accept recovery funds for his state, according to the The Washington Times. President Obama actually brought a lovely young girl from South Carolina to the State of the Union to help sell educational funding, but Sanford wanted to use the money to pay down debt.
It was a minor miracle when Sanford joined the other 49 governors in taking federal money to create or save about 3.5 million jobs. But at least we now know why this guy's thinking was so messed up. He had been good to great friends with the lady in Argentina for eight years and then it got romantic, and his wife got wind of it five months ago -- roughly the time frame of the Obama presidency. This guy had other stuff on his mind, and it sure wasn't education.
June 18, 2009
The Painful Death of Paper Newpapers and Plastic Garbage Bags
by Diane Wilson
This month, Ontario stores started charging five cents per shopping bag, which sounds like no big deal. The shopping bag brouhaha has been happening at the same time as financially challenged newspapers are being faced into oblivion or into cyberspace. Back in March The New York Times showed the sorry faces of the folks at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which has become an Internet-only news source -- the largest American newspaper to do so. The paper version was completely ditched.
Don't get me wrong -- I don't want plastic bags in rivers and streams. No! And I am hardly afraid of the Internet. I love The Huffington Post and other online sources. But, the physical read of a good newspaper is different from surfing -- it is reading.
But why couldn't they use recyclable paper that won't be going to newspapers for store bags? As it currently stands, you see foolish looking consumers leaving shops arms full of naked groceries: Mr. Clean, meat, lettuce and a chocolate cake. One shopkeeper tells me that shoplifting is on the rise. We have all purchased the necessary linen sacks to carry our loads, but they will get dirty, and I do not find them ergonomically friendly. And then, if you want to line your compost bin with a plastic bag, you now have to fork out a few dollars for a bunch of plastic bags. That is downright nuts.
Clearly, we are going to have to think longer and harder about what we take away from our way of living and the implications. First, in a time challenged world, we are spending too much of it on weird garbage related matters. And second, newspapers have always been a way of life, a culture. We always knew that if they were good for nothing else, they were good for wrapping food and waste. And so we have come to a new point in time. Should you wish to wrap a piece of fish, simply stick it between the keyboard and the screen and close the laptop.
This month, Ontario stores started charging five cents per shopping bag, which sounds like no big deal. The shopping bag brouhaha has been happening at the same time as financially challenged newspapers are being faced into oblivion or into cyberspace. Back in March The New York Times showed the sorry faces of the folks at The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which has become an Internet-only news source -- the largest American newspaper to do so. The paper version was completely ditched.
Don't get me wrong -- I don't want plastic bags in rivers and streams. No! And I am hardly afraid of the Internet. I love The Huffington Post and other online sources. But, the physical read of a good newspaper is different from surfing -- it is reading.
But why couldn't they use recyclable paper that won't be going to newspapers for store bags? As it currently stands, you see foolish looking consumers leaving shops arms full of naked groceries: Mr. Clean, meat, lettuce and a chocolate cake. One shopkeeper tells me that shoplifting is on the rise. We have all purchased the necessary linen sacks to carry our loads, but they will get dirty, and I do not find them ergonomically friendly. And then, if you want to line your compost bin with a plastic bag, you now have to fork out a few dollars for a bunch of plastic bags. That is downright nuts.
Clearly, we are going to have to think longer and harder about what we take away from our way of living and the implications. First, in a time challenged world, we are spending too much of it on weird garbage related matters. And second, newspapers have always been a way of life, a culture. We always knew that if they were good for nothing else, they were good for wrapping food and waste. And so we have come to a new point in time. Should you wish to wrap a piece of fish, simply stick it between the keyboard and the screen and close the laptop.
June 2, 2009
The Day the Music Died: Musings on GM and America
by Diane Wilson
Many years ago, I listened incessantly to a song called American Pie, and the words stick in my mind, "Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, Singin, this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die." Yesterday, June 1, 2009, I felt the music really did die as GM went under, as contained in The Huffington Post.
Alright, let's consider American Pie another way: "Drove my Corolla to the levee, But the levee was dry." Or, if we really want to go 2009, "Drove my Prius to the wind turbine, but the blades were rubbing, while top math and science students were drinking lattes, saying I need more credentials." Where's the magic?
I still think the fates of GM and America are intertwined. A quick look at the history of the Dow components provides a fascinating glimpse of the movement of the economy from America to points beyond. Who today has even heard of Dow components American Beet Sugar and American Can and American Car and Foundry and American Locomotive? Today, a good investment manager will weigh AT & T(T) and China Mobile (CHL) and decide the latter has greater prospects for growth. Similarly, as the world tilts towards Asia, Chinese carmakers are aggressively eyeing Hummer and all of the other American leftovers, savouring the tasty treats, according to The Financial Times. Make a note of a company called Geely -- it is looking at Volvo, according to reports.
Clearly the American management of the big carmakers did a terrible job for many years and abandoned defense. While they were up to I don't know what, Toyota and Honda and others scored goal after goal on an open net. Then the housing and credit crises hit and the music really did die. Exit Chrysler. Exit GM. But not until most of the American banks had been rearranged in one way or another. Lehman Brothers -- you do remember that investment bank? How about Bear Stearns? We could go on.
So, now we have Obama in net, which cynics could laugh at, given that his knowledge of the game ranks lower than bowling. However, I think Obama has put in a floor for American industry and said, "Enough. These are our businesses and we are not letting them go. Even if the government must own them, we are keeping them alive."
Which means it might be cooler in the future to drive your Chevy to the place where they make solar panels, and pick up arugula on the way home. You will not want to miss how President Obama puts the economy and businesses back together again. This is fascinating stuff, worthy only of someone with a mind like an Obama or a Geithner. And, I believe this Administration would dearly love to put the word America back into the many companies it now oversees.
Many years ago, I listened incessantly to a song called American Pie, and the words stick in my mind, "Drove my chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry. And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye, Singin, this'll be the day that I die, this'll be the day that I die." Yesterday, June 1, 2009, I felt the music really did die as GM went under, as contained in The Huffington Post.
Alright, let's consider American Pie another way: "Drove my Corolla to the levee, But the levee was dry." Or, if we really want to go 2009, "Drove my Prius to the wind turbine, but the blades were rubbing, while top math and science students were drinking lattes, saying I need more credentials." Where's the magic?
I still think the fates of GM and America are intertwined. A quick look at the history of the Dow components provides a fascinating glimpse of the movement of the economy from America to points beyond. Who today has even heard of Dow components American Beet Sugar and American Can and American Car and Foundry and American Locomotive? Today, a good investment manager will weigh AT & T(T) and China Mobile (CHL) and decide the latter has greater prospects for growth. Similarly, as the world tilts towards Asia, Chinese carmakers are aggressively eyeing Hummer and all of the other American leftovers, savouring the tasty treats, according to The Financial Times. Make a note of a company called Geely -- it is looking at Volvo, according to reports.
Clearly the American management of the big carmakers did a terrible job for many years and abandoned defense. While they were up to I don't know what, Toyota and Honda and others scored goal after goal on an open net. Then the housing and credit crises hit and the music really did die. Exit Chrysler. Exit GM. But not until most of the American banks had been rearranged in one way or another. Lehman Brothers -- you do remember that investment bank? How about Bear Stearns? We could go on.
So, now we have Obama in net, which cynics could laugh at, given that his knowledge of the game ranks lower than bowling. However, I think Obama has put in a floor for American industry and said, "Enough. These are our businesses and we are not letting them go. Even if the government must own them, we are keeping them alive."
Which means it might be cooler in the future to drive your Chevy to the place where they make solar panels, and pick up arugula on the way home. You will not want to miss how President Obama puts the economy and businesses back together again. This is fascinating stuff, worthy only of someone with a mind like an Obama or a Geithner. And, I believe this Administration would dearly love to put the word America back into the many companies it now oversees.
May 13, 2009
Miss California: Check this out!
Apparently, the oldest depiction of a woman has been described today by archaeologists in southwestern Germany, according to The Globe and Mail. The little figurine, which was carved from the tusk of a mammoth 35,000 years ago, is X-rated and lacks a head.
According to archaeologists from the University of Tubingen, the figure is quite sexually explicit. The dishy little figurine joins an important group of finds from southern Germany, including mammoths, horses, cave lions and two creatures that are half-man, half-animal.
According to archaeologists from the University of Tubingen, the figure is quite sexually explicit. The dishy little figurine joins an important group of finds from southern Germany, including mammoths, horses, cave lions and two creatures that are half-man, half-animal.
Barack Obama: Déjà vu or New and Improved
by Diane Wilson
A country spots a young, telegenic leader who campaigns on the concept of a just society and the spirit of change. He has been influenced by John Kenneth Galbraith and is a deep believer in Keynesian economics. Always the outsider, he developed his unique world view as a student at Harvard. He was an associate professor of law, whose views tilted towards a liberal position in favour of the rights of an individual.
He captivates actors and statesmen alike. His campaign wins the hearts and minds of the media and mobilizes youth, who see him as a symbol of change. He is quickly labelled a socialist, while his own personal motto is "Reason before passion." Some praise him for his keen intellect, while others simply bash him for arrogance, economic mismanagement and favouring the authority of the federal government. (Wikipedia.) He leads his country through a rough period in history, and is often the centre of attention.
His name is Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and he was Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1984, save for a few unfortunate months.
A country spots a young, telegenic leader who campaigns on the concept of a just society and the spirit of change. He has been influenced by John Kenneth Galbraith and is a deep believer in Keynesian economics. Always the outsider, he developed his unique world view as a student at Harvard. He was an associate professor of law, whose views tilted towards a liberal position in favour of the rights of an individual.
He captivates actors and statesmen alike. His campaign wins the hearts and minds of the media and mobilizes youth, who see him as a symbol of change. He is quickly labelled a socialist, while his own personal motto is "Reason before passion." Some praise him for his keen intellect, while others simply bash him for arrogance, economic mismanagement and favouring the authority of the federal government. (Wikipedia.) He leads his country through a rough period in history, and is often the centre of attention.
His name is Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and he was Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1984, save for a few unfortunate months.
Good Diversions: More Heroes
Former FDIC Chairman Bill Seidman who died Wednesday in Albuquerque, N.M. at the age of 88, reports The Huffington Post. The affable Seidman held a Harvard LLB and an MBA from Michigan, and served in the US Navy during World War II. While Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under the first President Bush, Seidman headed up The Resolution Trust Corp (RTC), which efficiently cleaned up the Savings and Loan mess. Recently, due to his success with the RTC, Seidman became the go-to guy to discuss the current banking debacle. Seidman was always straight forward and calming in his assessments. In no particular order, he was also Managing Partner of BDO Seidman, biked to work because he liked to be around young people, consulted with many corporations, wrote, and was a regular on CNBC. A prince of a guy!
Pilot Pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger who not only decided to ditch his bird-burdened plane in the Hudson River, but actually succeeded in doing so, without harming anybody or even losing his cool!
Jennifer Figge, a 56-year-old American woman who dreams big, swam across the Atlantic Ocean, a 4,000 km. journey from the Cape Verde Islands off west Africa to Trinidad, a 24 day trek that had her swimming in a shark cage and finishing unafraid.
Pilot Pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger who not only decided to ditch his bird-burdened plane in the Hudson River, but actually succeeded in doing so, without harming anybody or even losing his cool!
Jennifer Figge, a 56-year-old American woman who dreams big, swam across the Atlantic Ocean, a 4,000 km. journey from the Cape Verde Islands off west Africa to Trinidad, a 24 day trek that had her swimming in a shark cage and finishing unafraid.
May 12, 2009
GM and GE: The importance of staying relevant
by Diane Wilson
Poor, poor, poor GM, which as of Tuesday had a market cap of $690-million, making it the littlest company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, according to The Globe and Mail. I am mixing apples and oranges but you'll get the point when I tell you that Canada's own George Weston announced sales of $34 billion and earnings of nearly one billion and yet, many people could not tell you what that company does. Weston has a market cap in excess of $8 billion.
It would appear that GM may be turning out the lights now that its executives have been busy dumping their stock in the company, sending shares to $1.09, a level last seen in 1933. This is the company whose products your parents really, really wanted. This is the company, that save for a short stint, has occupied a prestigious spot in the Dow. How many people dreamt of Cadillacs and Camaros and Firebirds? Lots. This was definitely the top car maker, as anybody who grew up on Pontiac Parisiennes while aspiring to Sedan deVilles will tell you. The moment -- the very moment -- that a person had achieved the latter meant that he had arrived. (This was more of a he thing than a she thing, back then.) It was not a debt ridden moment but a signature event in the life of an individual because Cadillac was the very hallmark of wealth and success.
So the Dow is going to soldier on in all likelihood without GM. General Electric will now be the lone link to the past because GE is the only original component of the Dow, dating its inclusion to 1896. It will be interesting to see where the Average meanders over the next few years by way of components. It was exciting when Intel and Microsoft were added because it indicated tech was more than a passing fad. Perhaps the Dow will go for a biotech next?
The Dow provides a nice reading of America and progress. It is at once a graveyard for companies that fail to adapt and a prism through which to analyze corporate success.I am going to toast Thomas Edison's General Electric, and congratulate Jeff Immelt for keeping his company relevant 119 years later, as he has built up infrastructure and wind energy and medical technology and water treatment, and tossed out the old. As Immelt and others were redefining their companies, what the heck was going through the minds of execs at GM? I would really love to know.
Poor, poor, poor GM, which as of Tuesday had a market cap of $690-million, making it the littlest company in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, according to The Globe and Mail. I am mixing apples and oranges but you'll get the point when I tell you that Canada's own George Weston announced sales of $34 billion and earnings of nearly one billion and yet, many people could not tell you what that company does. Weston has a market cap in excess of $8 billion.
It would appear that GM may be turning out the lights now that its executives have been busy dumping their stock in the company, sending shares to $1.09, a level last seen in 1933. This is the company whose products your parents really, really wanted. This is the company, that save for a short stint, has occupied a prestigious spot in the Dow. How many people dreamt of Cadillacs and Camaros and Firebirds? Lots. This was definitely the top car maker, as anybody who grew up on Pontiac Parisiennes while aspiring to Sedan deVilles will tell you. The moment -- the very moment -- that a person had achieved the latter meant that he had arrived. (This was more of a he thing than a she thing, back then.) It was not a debt ridden moment but a signature event in the life of an individual because Cadillac was the very hallmark of wealth and success.
So the Dow is going to soldier on in all likelihood without GM. General Electric will now be the lone link to the past because GE is the only original component of the Dow, dating its inclusion to 1896. It will be interesting to see where the Average meanders over the next few years by way of components. It was exciting when Intel and Microsoft were added because it indicated tech was more than a passing fad. Perhaps the Dow will go for a biotech next?
The Dow provides a nice reading of America and progress. It is at once a graveyard for companies that fail to adapt and a prism through which to analyze corporate success.I am going to toast Thomas Edison's General Electric, and congratulate Jeff Immelt for keeping his company relevant 119 years later, as he has built up infrastructure and wind energy and medical technology and water treatment, and tossed out the old. As Immelt and others were redefining their companies, what the heck was going through the minds of execs at GM? I would really love to know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)