Economist (January 11)
“The industries that will suffer most from new regulatory barriers to frictionless trade are those like aerospace, cars, chemicals, food and drink, and pharmaceuticals that rely on uninterrupted supply chains across Europe. They are concentrated in the midlands and north—exactly where Mr Johnson won his new Tory majority. If his weakness in the negotiations causes him to lose favour in those areas, his new domestic strength will be at risk.”
Tags: Aerospace, Brexit, Cars, Chemicals, Drink, Europe, Food, Frictionless trade, Johnson, Pharmaceuticals, Regulatory barriers, Supply chains, Tory, Weakness
Bloomberg (January 10)
Today’s “easy-money policies” appear to be “setting up global markets for the next Minsky Moment.” If economist Hyman Minsky is right and the modern “economic cycle is driven more by surges in the banking system and in the supply of credit,” we can expect a tremendous crash when it ultimately comes.
New York Times (January 9)
“Given that the Japanese justice system is also on trial, it may be better for this saga to play out in the court of public opinion…. Japan needs to take a close look to see whether its justice system is due for a fundamental rethinking.”
Tags: Court, Japan, Justice system, Public opinion, Rethinking, Saga, Trial
Washington Post (January 8)
“Money for war, but not for the poor.” Arguments over Mideast intervention overshadow “our failure to invest in or prioritize the safety and health of 327 million people living in the United States.” This “is also a threat to our safety and well-being.” In the U.S., 15% of children live in poverty, an opioid epidemic rages, suicide presents a massive threat, and life spans are actually declining.
Tags: Arguments, Children, Epidemic, Failure, Health, Intervention, Invest, Life spans, Mideast, Money, Opioid, Poor, Poverty, Safety, Suicide, Threat, U.S., War
The Guardian (January 8)
“The former Nissan boss is right to point the finger at a legal system that the UN has described as ‘medieval.’” While he may not be a sympathetic character, Carlos Ghosn’s “allegations are not far-fetched” to “anyone familiar with the Japanese justice system.”
Tags: Allegations, Ghosn, Japan, Legal system, Medieval, Nissan, Right, UN
Chicago Tribune (January 7)
“Australia burns as the planet bakes.” There’s no mystery why events like these have grown more common and more destructive,” but there’s still widespread inaction and occasionally denial of global warming. “If we want more of what Australia is suffering, doing more of the same is fine. If we hope to see a better future, we will have to take action to bring it about.”
Tags: Australia, Burns, Denial, Destructive, Future, Global warming, Inaction
Barron’s (January 6)
“After nearly a decade without a ‘true international crisis,’” the Eurasia Group thinks 2020 may be a tipping point as “conditions are more vulnerable to a global crisis.” The upcoming U.S. election is considered the largest risk as it could lead to contested results, extended court cases and a global power vacuum.
Tags: Power vacuum
LA Times (January 6)
“President Trump threatened to destroy 52 Iranian sites — ‘some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture’ — on Twitter on Saturday.” This “amounts to an announcement of an intention to commit war crimes.” Doing so would be in direct contravention of the Hague Convention and the Geneva Convention, which prioritize the preservation of religious, humanitarian and cultural heritage sites.
Tags: Contravention, Culture, Geneva Convention, Hague Convention, Heritage, Humanitarian, Intention, Iran, Threat, Trump, War crimes
South China Morning Post (January 5)
“The truth is more likely to emerge now that Ghosn and Nissan can each tell their own stories.” This “might not only give Ghosn a chance to salvage his reputation but also prompt Japan to reflect on whether its justice and corporate governance systems serve its best interests amid competitive globalisation.”
Tags: Best interests, Corporate governance, Ghosn, Globalisation, Japan, Justice, Nissan, Reputation, Salvage, Truth
New York Times (January 4)
“President Trump’s decision to authorize the killing of a top Iranian military leader could be the match that sets off a regional conflagration, or it could have only marginal geopolitical impact…. But it is just the latest example of the capricious way in which the president, as commander in chief, has chosen to flex his lethal powers.”
Tags: Authorize, Capricious, Conflagration, Geopolitical, Impact, Iran, Killing, Military, Trump
