Trading with the Goose and Gander alike
This week, two stories regarding trade economies caught my eye.
Exports to part of the “evil empire” of Iran increased tenfold since President Bush took office. While the administration rants against the nuclear ambitions of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have stirred calls to block imports, over half a billion dollars worth of products have been shipped to Iran since 2001, with nearly $146 million shipped in 2007 alone.
The good news is that the US shipped $158 million worth of cigarettes to Iran, more than any other product. How appropriate to send the country something that could kill them so slowly!
The Associated Press analysis showed shipments of bras, bull semen, musical instruments and military apparel.
The analysis showed in some detail that the government doesn't really have a handle on what is, and what is not, being shipped to Iran as well as other countries. Sloppy bookkeeping and slack regulation leaves many exporters operating on the honor system. Given that our government can screw up a two-car parade, I honestly believe that our government isn't paying sufficient attention to what goes out of our country and to whom.
What Iran would really like to import from the US is much of our technology, particularly for waging war. I'm hopeful that we won't have to worry about any one from this nation even trying to send them any assistance.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reports that China's getting a bigger piece of the pie. In a study released by economist Albert Keidel, the economy of China will overtake that of the US by 2035 and be twice its size by 2050. Keidel says the growth is driven not so much by exports but by domestic demand. Really? How has this dollar-a-day economy creating this much demand for goods?
Considering, though, that we continue to close more factories and ship more jobs offshore, and that China is more than willing to pick up the slack, I'm not surprised.
By opening factories that don't comply to it's own countries lax environmental standards (never mind our countries standards), China is fast becoming the world's number one exporter of pollution. And if China ramps up it's consumption of fossil fuels at the same speed of ramping up it's economy, well, there's your Global Warming threat.
Finally, a study that backs up what I've been saying about CO2. According to Hans-Joachim Weigel of the Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute for rural areas, forestry and fisheries in the central German city of Brunswick, increasing exposure to carbon dioxide appears to boost crop yields. Barley, beets, and wheat yields increased about ten percent when they were subjected to higher levels of CO2.
All the concern about coal fired power plants convinces me we need to funnel this excess CO2 into plants...or flower fields.
One oilman has switched sides.
T. Boone Pickens is calling for more development in renewable energy sources like wind and to move from oil to natural gas as a transportation fuel.
While I think that much of our energy needs can be met from solar and wind, neither are consistent and dependable. There will need to be backup supplies either stored offline or available on demand.
Nuclear, anyone?
The Rasmussen Reports polling firm reports that the approval rating of Congress has fallen to a new all-time low ofjust nine percent. (And the president's approval rating was...)
More proof that all the present campaign has the potential to do is replace a “C” student with a “D” student and think it's an improvement...
Note to Clark County School District: Hire teachers, lay off administrators. Too damn many of them as it is...
To all those people who keep looking to the gubmint for help during the economic/energy/housing/jobs crisises: reflect on the truest words ever spoken into Rush Limbaugh's golden microphone.
Any time you hear someone from the government talking about helping you, susbtitute the word “screw” for “help”.
Then you have truth in gubmint.
Wyatt Cox believes in honesty and integrity in government. He also believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Share your beliefs at rant.wyattcox.net.
Exports to part of the “evil empire” of Iran increased tenfold since President Bush took office. While the administration rants against the nuclear ambitions of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have stirred calls to block imports, over half a billion dollars worth of products have been shipped to Iran since 2001, with nearly $146 million shipped in 2007 alone.
The good news is that the US shipped $158 million worth of cigarettes to Iran, more than any other product. How appropriate to send the country something that could kill them so slowly!
The Associated Press analysis showed shipments of bras, bull semen, musical instruments and military apparel.
The analysis showed in some detail that the government doesn't really have a handle on what is, and what is not, being shipped to Iran as well as other countries. Sloppy bookkeeping and slack regulation leaves many exporters operating on the honor system. Given that our government can screw up a two-car parade, I honestly believe that our government isn't paying sufficient attention to what goes out of our country and to whom.
What Iran would really like to import from the US is much of our technology, particularly for waging war. I'm hopeful that we won't have to worry about any one from this nation even trying to send them any assistance.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace reports that China's getting a bigger piece of the pie. In a study released by economist Albert Keidel, the economy of China will overtake that of the US by 2035 and be twice its size by 2050. Keidel says the growth is driven not so much by exports but by domestic demand. Really? How has this dollar-a-day economy creating this much demand for goods?
Considering, though, that we continue to close more factories and ship more jobs offshore, and that China is more than willing to pick up the slack, I'm not surprised.
By opening factories that don't comply to it's own countries lax environmental standards (never mind our countries standards), China is fast becoming the world's number one exporter of pollution. And if China ramps up it's consumption of fossil fuels at the same speed of ramping up it's economy, well, there's your Global Warming threat.
Finally, a study that backs up what I've been saying about CO2. According to Hans-Joachim Weigel of the Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute for rural areas, forestry and fisheries in the central German city of Brunswick, increasing exposure to carbon dioxide appears to boost crop yields. Barley, beets, and wheat yields increased about ten percent when they were subjected to higher levels of CO2.
All the concern about coal fired power plants convinces me we need to funnel this excess CO2 into plants...or flower fields.
One oilman has switched sides.
T. Boone Pickens is calling for more development in renewable energy sources like wind and to move from oil to natural gas as a transportation fuel.
While I think that much of our energy needs can be met from solar and wind, neither are consistent and dependable. There will need to be backup supplies either stored offline or available on demand.
Nuclear, anyone?
The Rasmussen Reports polling firm reports that the approval rating of Congress has fallen to a new all-time low ofjust nine percent. (And the president's approval rating was...)
More proof that all the present campaign has the potential to do is replace a “C” student with a “D” student and think it's an improvement...
Note to Clark County School District: Hire teachers, lay off administrators. Too damn many of them as it is...
To all those people who keep looking to the gubmint for help during the economic/energy/housing/jobs crisises: reflect on the truest words ever spoken into Rush Limbaugh's golden microphone.
Any time you hear someone from the government talking about helping you, susbtitute the word “screw” for “help”.
Then you have truth in gubmint.
Wyatt Cox believes in honesty and integrity in government. He also believes in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Share your beliefs at rant.wyattcox.net.
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