whoar.co.nz

“…In 2010 Correa was taken hostage in an attempted coup d’etat.

After the attempt he launched a controversial counter-offensive Ecuador’s media – which he blames for the coup attempt.

Even at the lowest ebb of his popularity, according to a U.S. Embassy cable from Quito – Rafael Correa held “the… record for popularity among all presidents in Ecuador since 1979.”

Correa is a transformative president for Ecuador.

Since taking office in 2007 he has taken unprecedented moves to revolutionize the small Latin American country.

In 2008, he declared Ecuador’s national debt illegitimate.

His defiant stance eventually led to a favourable renegotiation of Ecuador’s repayment terms…”

(cont..)

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 Julian Assange Interviews President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa    : Information Clearing House.

“…Citgroup’s outgoing chairman Dick Parsons’ career is the perfect example of how 1 percenters reward utter failure at the expense of the rest of us…”

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The Super “Connected” 1% CEO: The Incredible Tale of Billions of Dollars of Failure | Economy | AlterNet.

“…The last time things got this bad was about 150 years ago -

- and we needed a Civil War to resolve it…”

(cont..)

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Today’s GOP: Worst Political Party Since the Civil War | | AlterNet.

“…For nearly 30 years Jake Willams has lived as a hermit in the Scottish wilderness.

He explains why he could never go back to a ‘normal’ life..”

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Life as a hermit: ‘My life is a great adventure’ – Features – Health & Families – The Independent.

“…Wasn’t financial regulation supposed to have turned over a new leaf?

With phrases like “proactive”, “intrusive” and “harsh” -

- taking over from “light touch” and “risk based”.

That is certainly what the Financial Services Authority would have us believe.

Talking tough has been the name of the game in recent months.

The FSA’s outgoing boss, Hector Sants, even suggested that banks should feel “frightened” of the watchdog.

If events at JP Morgan are anything to go by that fear is about the same as what you might expect to feel from watching a Walt Disney cartoon in the middle of the day with all the lights turned on.

And a teddy bear at the ready.

Like most banks JP Morgan has griped about the FSA’s new regulatory landscape.

But then banks are pre-programmed to complain vociferously about any increase in regulation -

- however small that increase might be.

Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.

The question that needs to be asked is whether the FSA’s talk resulted in any real action.

The JPMorgan affair doesn’t suggest an answer we should be comfortable with…”

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James Moore: London’s regulators are as scary as a Disney movie with the lights turned on – Business Comment – Business – The Independent.

“…Last summer I travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to help establish the first free legal advice centre in Kinshasa.

I arrived with grand aspirations and bags of enthusiasm.

But it was short lived.

It was not long before I discovered the vast sexual exploitation of young Congolese women at the hands of peace keeping troops, aid workers, non-governmental organisation employees -

- and others acting on behalf of the international community.

At restaurants, bars and clubs, white men in smart suits dangled dollars as bait before impoverished young girls’ eyes – some as young as 12.

They did so with no shame and arrogant impunity.

Their actions are despicable; they rape the most vulnerable children and adults in the world -

- the very people they are supposed to protect.

It is hard to imagine a more grotesque abuse of authority and flagrant violation of human rights…”

(cont..)

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Charitable rape: Peacekeepers’ dirty little secrets | | Independent Editor’s choice Blogs.

“…The crisis at JP Morgan escalated yesterday as it emerged its trading losses in London could rise to as much as $7bn (£4.5bn) – and the US bank cancelled a share buyback.

Fears were growing that the losses could spiral from an initial $2bn which was declared on 10 May -

- as JP Morgan struggles to unwind the massive bets made by the so-called “London Whale” trader Bruno Iksil…”

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Double trouble at JP Morgan: trader’s losses could exceed $7bn – Americas – World – The Independent.

“…Human rights judges today gave David Cameron six months to honour the coalition Government’s pledge to give prisoners the vote…”

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Europe: UK has six months to give prisoners the vote – UK Politics – UK – The Independent.

“…Former MF Global Holdings Ltd chief Jon Corzine received more than $8 million in pay and stock options from the futures brokerage in the year before it went bankrupt…”

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Jon Corzine, Ex-MF Global CEO, Netted More Than $8 Million Before Firm’s Collapse.

“..The popularity of Robert Caro’s magisterial new book on Lyndon Johnson is easy to understand.

Passage to Power evokes a time when the ability of government do good was largely unquestioned -

- and when a gargantuan personality such as LBJ could and did use government to unite the country in the pursuit of sweeping goals and giant tasks.

As someone who knew most of the principals Caro writes about I can attest to his portrait of LBJ – and to the way LBJ was seen by others – including Jack Kennedy.

I was close to Adlai Stevenson who was a rival of both men.

I was chairman of the Federal Communications Commission in the Kennedy Administration.

Simply put the LBJ I knew hungered for power and knew he knew how to use it.

The Kennedy I knew grudgingly but genuinely admired LBJ’s ability.

Had Kennedy not put aside his personal animus the nation might not have had the man best suited to take the reins in the days after the assassination.

As Caro amply demonstrates that man was Johnson -

- at least in the earlier minutes and months of national crisis -

- before he created his own by escalating the Vietnam War.

Caro’s book reminded me of a sad conversation I had with LBJ during the time he was languishing in the vice presidency…”

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Newton N. Minow: Caro Is Right About LBJ: I Know, I Was There.

“…Facebook shares are melting down again on Tuesday, and though the rest of the stock market doesn’t seem to care, it should: -

- This episode will likely further cement Main Street’s hatred and distrust of Wall Street.

That’s because the Facebook IPO had examples of pretty much everything that is wrong with the stock market today.

Media and analyst cheerleading? Check.

The destructive influence of high-speed trading? Check.

A system built for insiders to profit while retail investors pick up scraps? Duh.

“This constantly erodes the confidence of the average investor,” said Joseph Saluzzi, co-head of stock trading at Themis Trading.

“It’s why we see money coming out week after week from stock mutual funds.

People are tired – frustrated with it.”..”

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Facebook Stock Collapse Contributes To Mistrust Of Wall Street.

“…Growth warning from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development comes ahead of European leaders’ crisis talks in Brussels..”

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Strict austerity risks derailing global economic recovery, warns OECD | Business | The Guardian.

“…At this point, TED is a massive, money-soaked orgy of self-congratulatory futurism..”

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Don’t mention income inequality please, we’re entrepreneurs – Media Criticism – Salon.com.

“…Secret world-controlling society yet to weigh in on Mitt Romney running mate pick..”

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Will Bilderberg endorse Rubio? – 2012 Elections – Salon.com.