The Bipartisan Environment | OnEarth Magazine

http://www.onearth.org/article/the-bipartisan-environment

Lindsey Swift

What Does 'Obama Didn't Focus on Jobs' Mean, Anyway?

I thought you would find this interesting:

What Does 'Obama Didn't Focus on Jobs' Mean, Anyway? - http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AtlanticBusinessChannel/~3/bG9ZoMMJ-UI/click.phdo

Shared from TheAtlantic, an iPhone app made with www.AppMakr.com

Lindsey Swift

NYTimes: Antibiotics Research Subsidies Weighed by U.S.

From The New York Times:

Antibiotics Research Subsidies Weighed by U.S.

Government officials are considering financial incentives to spur the development of vitally needed antibiotics.

http://nyti.ms/c68GH3

Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes

Lindsey Swift

NYTimes: Dead Coral Found Near Site of Oil Spill

From The New York Times:

Dead Coral Found Near Site of Oil Spill

The large swaths of darkened coral were almost certainly dying from exposure to toxins, scientists said.

http://nyti.ms/bQ9LMf

Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes

Lindsey Swift

NYTimes: Savoring Baghdad, Where Each Night Is a Battle

From The New York Times:

Savoring Baghdad, Where Each Night Is a Battle

A night on Baghdad's streets offers little certainty about which side is prevailing.

http://nyti.ms/aoARqG

Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes

Lindsey Swift

Globalization is destroying the American Dream

Globalization is a great idea--with modern technology reducing the barriers to trade and commerce between regions and countries allowing economies to take advantage of whatever uniqueness and efficiencies those areas can contribute. But for the U.S. the current picture of globalization is driven by the "efficency" of lower labor costs. Wages/labor costs are unique in that they represent two conflicting elements in business models--as a cost they raises the price of a product, as a wage they represent potential demand. Keeping that relationship in balance is crucial to a vibrant economy. Before the advent of modern technology a company/corporation had an investment in it's region/country. It was in a relatively closed market for both labor and consumption with, in fact, the labor as consumer. So it was in the best interest of a company to maintain some adequate wage level so that it could sell its products. And, in a related way, the taxes that an entity paid went into the local economy and had a long term benefit for the taxpayer. With the advent of modern technology and the consequent reduction in barriers to globalization a company/corporation was no longer in a closed market. That relationship of labor as consumer was broken and those corporate entities were no longer tied to a region/country. As a multinational corporation it could sell enough product worldwide so that it no longer had an investment in the wage level of any particular region and,in fact, sought the cheapest labor available. The consequence was that as wages went down so did prices and/or profit margins increased. And in the short term as those prices went down more product was sold. But the long term effect was that as wages went down so did demand--as wages represent the ability to buy any product. But is wasn't just a reduction in wages, it was a wholesale migration of jobs to those areas offerring lower wages. As wages represent demand the lowering of wages represents a lowering of demand and lost jobs meant the complete loss of demand.( A recent analysis by EPI indicated that the U.S. has a deficit of 11,000,000 jobs caused by these recession.) The U.S. responded to this loss by racheting up debt and establishing asset bubbles which has ultimately resulted in our current situation.
A major point  in conservative business philosophy is to reduce the power of labor and reduce the wage level.  As indicated this can result in short term profitability but damages the long term economic health of any country. But, as also indicated, multinationals are no longer tied to any countries economic health.
The relationship between wages, taxes, regulation, productivity is a complex interactive one and this is a pretty simplistic model but when you support conservatives you support this model.
 

It Was the Banks | CommonDreams.org

It Was the Banks CommonDreams.org

This is a good read--It addresses the failure of President Obama to address a few of the issues that many liberals are concerned about and resulted, unfortunately, in the low liberal election turnout. The basic message is that banks are not our friends and do not have our interests as a core value of theirs. But as a liberal, our failure to turn out for this election and attempt to repudiate those values means that those conservative values that are so damaging to a liberal worldview will be our values.

NYTimes: Rare Earths Stand Is Asked of G-20

From The New York Times:

Rare Earths Stand Is Asked of G-20

A business coalition asked the organization to oppose the interruption of the flow of the crucial minerals because of industrial policies or political disputes.

http://nyti.ms/aony83

Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes

Lindsey Swift

Huffington Post: The Fed Rains Money On Corporate America -- But Main Street Left High And Dry

 

		The Fed Rains Money On Corporate America -- But Main Street Left High And Dry
	Bill Gross will be one of the few to benefit from the Federal Reserve's announcement this afternoon. The legendary money manager, who oversees more than...

 

Lindsey Swift

living in actively moving water

http://www.activelymovingwater.com/

Lindsey Swift