The Financial Express, an English language daily in Bangladesh covering international, regional and national business, ran an editorial yesterday (Dec. 26) citing government corruption as the primary reason investors are reluctant to invest in Russian ventures.
The piece, labeled an editorial and written by Arkady Ostrovsky in Moscow, cites reports by Paris-based think-tank the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation, Transparency International, the Berlin-based corruption watchdog, and a joint study by the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has also recorded an increase in the number of "unofficial payments" for licences and state procurement contracts. Unofficial payments? Those would be bribes.
Why worry about what a financial newspaper in Bangladesh has to say about the Russian government? First of all, it's not just The Financial Express saying it. It's several international groups that study business and government corruption. Someone arguing the other side can question their credibility, their data, and their methods, but two of the groups are directly related to international business. Second, a fairly sound argument can be made that government at all levels in the United States is more corrupt than it's been in a while (can't say it's all the Republicans' fault, but it has happened on 43's watch), and more business friendly that it's been in a while.
It can't happen here? It can if we let it.
More later,
Russ
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Young people don't follow the news. Duh!
Having a PhD doesn't make a person wise or even knowledgeable. Take Dr. David T.Z. Mindich, author and chair of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department at St. Michael's College in Vermont, says that young people are "more tuned out than we think," even though a Knight Foundation survey of high school students suggests that just over half of the students surveyed (much higher than I would have guessed) check the mainstream news at least weekly. Of course, Dr. Mindich is the author of Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don't Follow the News (Amazon.com Sales Rank: #416,912), and book sales won't go up if he admits that young people do follow the news.
Mindich spoke at Plattsburgh State's (NY) annual Media Ethics and Law Conference, this year's theme was bringing young audiences back to the news. Mindich and his cronies: Plattsburgh State's Center for Communication and Journalism Co-Director Ron Davis, and vice dean and professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism David Klatell, seem to be purveyors of conventional wisdom when it comes to young people and the news. Their suggestions for news improvements included such things as bringing passion to the news with Fox News cited as a prime example (although it also was referred to as a "terrible propaganda factory," and praising The Daily Show for treating viewers intelligently.
The PhDs involved may or may not deserve the criticism suggested here, but coverage in the Plattsburgh Press Republican and at PoynterOnline does what modern media coverage often does: dumbs down the debate.
The final quote from Dr. Mindich in the Press Republican story gets to the heart of the matter. He says that young people should insist on quality journalism. Unfortunately, the definition of quality journalism is up for debate. The two extremes seem to be giving the audience/readers lowest common denominator news to get a big audience, or spinach news - what the editor thinks is good for you.
What's really happening to news is that we have many more sources and many more definitions of quality. News is no longer a homogenized product with - more or less - the same thing on every channel and on every front page. Too many academics are invested in what was, and so can't see clearly what's happening. Not unusual, just sad.
More later,
Russ
Mindich spoke at Plattsburgh State's (NY) annual Media Ethics and Law Conference, this year's theme was bringing young audiences back to the news. Mindich and his cronies: Plattsburgh State's Center for Communication and Journalism Co-Director Ron Davis, and vice dean and professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism David Klatell, seem to be purveyors of conventional wisdom when it comes to young people and the news. Their suggestions for news improvements included such things as bringing passion to the news with Fox News cited as a prime example (although it also was referred to as a "terrible propaganda factory," and praising The Daily Show for treating viewers intelligently.
The PhDs involved may or may not deserve the criticism suggested here, but coverage in the Plattsburgh Press Republican and at PoynterOnline does what modern media coverage often does: dumbs down the debate.
The final quote from Dr. Mindich in the Press Republican story gets to the heart of the matter. He says that young people should insist on quality journalism. Unfortunately, the definition of quality journalism is up for debate. The two extremes seem to be giving the audience/readers lowest common denominator news to get a big audience, or spinach news - what the editor thinks is good for you.
What's really happening to news is that we have many more sources and many more definitions of quality. News is no longer a homogenized product with - more or less - the same thing on every channel and on every front page. Too many academics are invested in what was, and so can't see clearly what's happening. Not unusual, just sad.
More later,
Russ
Friday, July 21, 2006
Bush Working to Make Domestic Spying Legal After the Fact
The Bush administration has spied on Americans. There's no doubt about that; Mr. Bush addmitted and even bragged about it. It's legal, say Mr. Bush and his advisors. So why does the administration need a bill to make domestic spying without FISA court approval legal? At least the bill may not pass.
Daily Kos: How Very Nixonian Of You, Mr. Bush:
Daily Kos: How Very Nixonian Of You, Mr. Bush:
How Very Nixonian Of You, Mr. Bush
by georgia10
Fri Jul 21, 2006 at 08:55:11 AM PDT
Do you remember that MoveOn ad, the one where Nixon's face morphs into that of President Bush?
When the domestic spying scandal broke, there was a huge focus on the President's lawyers ("he was just following their advice"), or on General Hayden ("it was his idea!") or on Vice-President Cheney ("it's just another step in Cheney's quest to restore executive power").
Well, let there be no doubt now. The President himself is leading a cover-up.
First, let's talk about recent developments with the Arlen Specter's bill. The bill, as you recall, does not require the President to submit the program for review to the FISA court. But, according to Specter, the President pinky-promised that he would seek approval of the program, so apparently, that makes everything better.
One bright spot, even if the bill passes to give the president permission for domestic spying, it seems to me that the courts could declare it unconstitutional.
More later,
Russ
Technorati tags: George W. Bush, NSA, domestic spying
More later,
Russ
Technorati tags: George W. Bush, NSA, domestic spying
Inhofe: Global Warming Is a Hoax
I don't get it. How can adults ignore scientific evidence? I haven't researched global warming extensively, but the only people who to deny its existence seem to be those with conflicts of interest about slowint or stopping global warming.
Think Progress � Sen. Inhofe: ‘Gore Is Full of Crap,’ ‘All Recent Science…Confirms This Thing Is A Hoax’:
Think Progress � Sen. Inhofe: ‘Gore Is Full of Crap,’ ‘All Recent Science…Confirms This Thing Is A Hoax’:
Sen. Inhofe: ‘Gore Is Full of Crap,’ ‘All Recent Science…Confirms This Thing Is A Hoax’
Yesterday, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) attacked Al Gore and global warming science, claiming that Gore was “full of crap” on global warming.
Appearing on Glenn Beck’s radio show and CNN television program, Inhofe said that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which concluded that global warming was real and caused by humans, used “one scientist.” Inhofe added: “[A]ll of the recent science…it confirms that I was right on this thing. This thing is a hoax.”
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Britain shows sense about assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon
I have no doubt that Hezbollah includes some nasty types. they have killed civilians, but Britain seems to be the only country that thinks bombing the hell out of civilians is not a good idea. As noted below, the Americans think Israel's plan of action is just dandy, and why shouldn't they, it's the same plan of action the Americans are using in Afganistan and Iraq. Of course, it's a plan that isn't working.
Britain fears assault on Hezbollah will backfire - Britain - Times Online:
More later,
Russ
Britain fears assault on Hezbollah will backfire - Britain - Times Online:
Britain fears assault on Hezbollah will backfireIsrael is already hated in the middle east. This won't help.
By Bronwen Maddox, Foreign Editor
BRITAIN fears that Israel’s assault on Hezbollah is failing to cripple the guerrilla group and that continued bombardment will bring huge civilian casualties in Lebanon for little military gain.
The rising concern that any further Israeli military action could intensify the crisis, expressed by senior officials yesterday, strikes a much more urgent tone than the American position, which accepts a continued Israeli campaign to crush the Shia militant group.
Yesterday was the heaviest day for civilian casualties since Israel’s bombardment began last week, with at least 63 killed and scores more wounded. A total of 315 Lebanese, mostly civilians, have been killed and hundreds injured since the start of the Israeli offensive.
Last night dozens of planes dropped 23 tonnes of explosives on what the Army said was a bunker in south Beirut used by Hezbollah’s leadership. The group said none of is leaders where killed in the attack.
More later,
Russ
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