June 2009 – Stanley's blog

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Centre of economic gravity goes east

June 29, 2009

Vince Cable makes the point (see yesterday’s post) that the centre of gravity of the economic world has moved to the east, particularly to China. Today’s Financial Times carries an op-ed by Liu Mingkang, chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission. He rightly asserts that, unfortunately, many people have forgotten the old-fashioned principle of setting… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

China

, China, China Banking Regulatory Commission, Liu Mingkang, Vince Cable

The Storm : a very worthwhile read

June 28, 2009

Vince Cable (the UK Liberal Democrat “shadow” finance minister) has written a superb book on the world economic crisis and what it means, entitled The Storm (Atlantic Books, 2009). In only around 160 pages, he writes clearly and with considerable economic authority. Cable was one of the few who anticipated the current crisis. The book… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

China, US

, Anglo-Saxon capitalism, economic recession, financial crisis, financial regulation, gordon brown, Keynes, sub-prime mortgages, The Storm, Vince Cable

B for bastion!

June 23, 2009

Faites vos jeux! Who will be the four bastions of the Union’s future when the Lisbon Treaty comes into force? Commission Barroso? Parliament Buzek? European Council Blair? ‘Foreign Minister’ Bildt? The odds are shortening on the four Bs.

Posted by Stanley Crossick

EU Institutions, EU Treaty & Institutions, Lisbon Treaty

, Commission President, EU foreign minister, EU High Representative, European Council President, European Parliament President, Lisbon Treaty

Iran: the power struggle

June 16, 2009

The Guardian Council today announced that there will be a partial recount of the disputed presidential election results: this is not expected to change the outcome. It is surprising that the western media before today failed to report much beyond the public outrage and demonstrations. The two opposing sides are divided by class rather than… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

Iran

, Ahmadinejad, Iran, Khameini, Mousavi, Rafsanjani

Have we forgotten our history?

June 15, 2009

The columnist, Gwynne Dyer, has drawn my attention to an article, written by Colonel Sergei Kovalev, Director of the scientific research department at the Institute of Military History. It is entitled “Fictions and Falsifications in Evaluating the USSR’s Role On the Eve of the Second World War.” Kovalev asserts that the Poles, not the Germans,… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

EU, Germany, international, Russia

, balance of power, BRIC, European Community, multipolar world, Russia, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, US hegemony

The new European Parliament: reflections

A few reflections on last week’s European Parliament Election results: · The results are broadly as expected, with the centre-right clear winners, the centre-left clear losers, and the extreme right and euro-sceptics doing well. · In comparing the sizes of the old groups with the current sizes of the new groups, the reduction of the… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

EU, EU Institutions

, euro-sceptics, European Parliament, European Parliament elections, extreme right, Irish referendum, UK Conservatives

W(h)ither the EU-China relationship?

June 13, 2009

This is a good time to review the state of the EU-China relationship, after the postponed summit which took place in Prague on 20 May and the High Level Economic & Trade dialogue which met in Brussels on 7-8 May (see post of 14 May). The official reports and communiqués, following both meetings, are full… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

China, EU

, EU-China, EU-China High Level Economic & Trade Dialogue, EU-China Parlership & Cooperation Agreement, EU-China summit, G2, Wen JIabao

Israel and the silent Jewish Diaspora

June 7, 2009

Peace between the Israelis and Palestinians is further away than ever. Animosity between Westerners and Muslims continues to grow. Traditional anti-Semitism is on the rise. The composition of the current Israeli government is frightening. Prime Minister Netanyahu does not acknowledge a two state solution. Foreign Minister Lieberman continues to express his contempt for his Arab… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

Middle East

, anti-semitism, Israel, Jewish Diaspora, Middle East peace

Obama in Cairo seeks are new dawn

June 6, 2009

President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo University on 4 June, rivals the brilliance of John F Kennedy’s Ich bin ein Berliner 1963 speech in Berlin. Shrewdly, the event was hosted by Cairo University, founded in 1908, al-Azhar University, founded in 975. I could not resist watching its entire 54 minutes. Of course, words alone are… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

Iran, Islam, Middle East, US

, Cairo speech 4 May, democracy, Israelis-Palestinians-Arabs, J F Kennnedy’s 1963 Berlin speech, John F Kennedy, nuclear weapons, Obama, religious freedom, terrorism, women’s rights

International trade: the rise & fall of the Havana Charter

June 4, 2009

Whether or not the Doha Development Round collapses, thought needs to be given to reforming the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the current trading system. A starting point would be to dust down the Havana Charter of 1947. The developing countries do not trust the developed world to dismantle its protectionist measures in the fields… » read more

Posted by Stanley Crossick

international

, Doha Round, GATT, Havana Charter, WTO

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