Sarkozy will be the only French president since World War II with two recessions under his belt, if current forecasts are correct. Recessions are rare in France: between the war and the financial crisis, there were two. Against this backdrop, Sarkozy faces a tough reelection campaign. And front runner François Hollande has vowed to oppose the German dictate on how to save the Eurozone. So it might all unravel.
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Merde! Chinese Wines Did What to French Wines?
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Merde! Chinese Wines Did What to French Wines?
In France, the litany of job reductions continues. Today, it was Air France. It followed automaker PSA Peugeot Citroën, French banks, nuclear-power conglomerate Areva, drug maker Sanofi, newspapers, ferry operator Seafrance, etc. It’s tough out there. And now, France’s heavily subsidized signature industry—wines—got slapped in the face. By China.
The Trade Debacle With China
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The Trade Debacle With China
The US trade deficit with China will hit a record $300 billion for the year, a big hit to the economy. It’s politically convenient to blame China, particularly its yuan policy. But the driver is a broad strategy by US corporations to shift an increasing range of economic activities to China. And now a trade war has broken out. Politicians, have a word with your corporate sponsors!
Noodle Guy Wins In Dispute Between Japan and Taiwan
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Noodle Guy Wins In Dispute Between Japan and Taiwan
Udon noodles came, like so many things in Japan, from China. Kūkai, a Buddhist monk from the province of Sanuki on the Japanese island of Shikoku, had brought them back. Today, the province is called Kagawa Prefecture, but the noodles are still called Sanuki udon—which sparked an international dispute between Japan and Taiwan. All because of a noodle guy.
My Weight In Stone
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on My Weight In Stone
Germany’s Last-Ditch Compromise, At A Price
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Germany’s Last-Ditch Compromise, At A Price
“I’m very happy with the result,” Merkel told the cameras. But the agreement may be illegal under EU law and may devastate weaker economies. It elevated Germany to a leadership role that other countries perceive as domineering. By isolating the UK, it cut a deep gash into the EU. And it can’t be put into a treaty. But it did offer a compromise of sorts.
The Shriveling Middle Class In California
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The Shriveling Middle Class In California
An ominous trend picks up speed: the middle class is shriveling. In 1980, 60% of Californians lived in middle-income families. By 2010, only 47.9% did, according to a study by the Public Policy Institute of California. Main culprits: declining incomes and disappearing jobs. And where the heck is the recovery?
Sarkozy: “The Risk That Europe Will Explode”
by Wolf Richter • • 3 Comments
The Swiss government is preparing for a collapse of the euro while 27 heads of state convene for another EU summit in Brussels to find that elusive solution to the debt crisis. Goal: treaty changes that would impose Germany’s new religion of budgetary discipline on all 27 member states. But opposition has cropped up, and timing turns out to be impossible.
The Strenuously Hushed-Up Basic Flaw In The Tax Code
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The Strenuously Hushed-Up Basic Flaw In The Tax Code
“Corporate Tax Dodging In The Fifty States” found that the largest corporations paid little or no state income taxes in any state. A prior report found that some of the most profitable corporations paid no federal income taxes. Both reports point at a major problem dogging the US economy: the tax code—and its basic flaw that not even tax reformers dare to mention.
The Endgame: Japan Inc. Plays By Its Own Rules
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The Endgame: Japan Inc. Plays By Its Own Rules
Plunging approval ratings of Prime Minister Noda follow tradition. Public approval is high at the start when voters still have hope. As reality sets in, approval skitters down a steep slope for 8 to 15 months. Then a new guy is installed. But bureaucrats and corporate interests stay in place, public debt turns into a mushroom cloud, and the endgame continues.