WEEKLY BLOG COMMENTS – No. 52
DATES: 2013/02/17– 2013/02/24
ANALYST: Domingo Trassens
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Dear Friends:
Hello! I would like to share with you a series of comments posted by
myself in the WSJ Journal Community during the last seven days about news
related to politics, economy and business in United
States
The special themes of this week are:
- Cyber Attacks: A New Cold War?
- Gloomy Days for Dell Inc
- Mergers Don’t Fix Problems of Traditional Retailers
Next, you will find the other comments organized in the following
sections: United States Europe , The
World (Asia , Africa , Middle
East …), Latin America and
Economy, Business and Technology.
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THEME:
Cyber Attacks: A New Cold War?
Subject: Chinese military is
accused of stealing data from more than 100 U.S.
My Comment: After all
the recent “cyber attacks” suffered by American companies during the last
weeks, the sources confirm that we are entering a new “war” full of risks and
uncertainty.
This story
of Wall Street Journal titled: “China Lashes Back at Hacking Claims” also shows
how the Chinese authorities act when we point at them and we say they are the
attackers.
Last
Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei denied accusations
from the United States China U.S.
First at
all, through this statement, the Chinese foreign office is recognizing
officially that there is a “cyber-war.”
Second,
when Hong Lei says the “cyber attacks are anonymous”, he is demonstrating the
contrary. Anybody who knows a little about the Internet can affirm today that
it is possible to track the legal and illegal “movements” in cyber-space.
Also
through the statement of Mr. Lei, we see the Chinese try to diminish these
attacks with the childish expression: “it is hard to trace the origin of these
attacks…”
Who is one
of the observers of this cyber-war? Its name is Mandiant, an American company
that is expert in Internet security.
During the
last weeks, due to the series of “cyber-attacks” suffered by American
companies, Mandiant’s executives went public and explained what they know about
the attacks and the locations of the attackers.
On
Wednesday Feb. 19, 2013, a journalist for the TV network PBS
in an interview titled: “U.S. Security Firm Report Says Chinese Hackers
Targeted Over 140 Victims” talked with the chief security officer of Mandiant,
Richard Bejtlich, who commented about a study his company made to follow the
recent attacks to technology companies and media with these words: “The study
found evidence that linked it to a Chinese military unit.”
The
Mandiant’s executive explained also that in a building located near Shanghai
According
to my own research, Mandiant is a technology company of services and products
founded in 2004 for Kevin Mandia, an industry guru expert in Internet security.
Through
Mandiant and other similar organizations focused on the security of the
information systems of corporations and government agencies to detect the
intrusion of hackers, we see that today the cyber attacks are a huge continuous
threat.
In recent
days, the news confirmed cyber attacks against Facebook, Apple, Microsoft,
Twitter, Wall Street Journal, New York
After any
analysis of all these events, we have to conclude that the activities that we
are talking about are not the actions of a group of amateur hackers working
underground for some patriotic ideas against western targets.
We have to
agree that the Chinese attacks against our government agencies and companies
are a new kind of “cold war” that professional military troops with expertise
in Internet are fighting against the United States and other allied nations.
(2013/02/24)
Subject: According to different
sources Microsoft ‘s computers were attacked by hackers during the last few
days.
My Comment: The information available about the
cyber-attacks that Microsoft suffered during the last few days doesn’t give
enough elements to know the identity of the attacker/s and his/her/their
targets.
Despite the shortage of technical elements that confirm the hacker activities, the news says that the attack against Microsoft was similar to the infiltration that Apple and Facebook suffered before.
Coincidences or not, during the last few weeks, Wall Street Journal, New York Times and other media also suffered hacker attacks.
When we put all these events together, the conclusion is clear: technology companies and media are the focus of the attackers.
The previous observation confirms the presumption that the hackers are not apprentices of criminality, they are professionals.
Probably, they are the same cyber-warriors who were attacking government institutions of our country recently.
From our perspective, they look like members of a “new unit” from a strong military organization. (2013/02/23) 4 Recommendations
Despite the shortage of technical elements that confirm the hacker activities, the news says that the attack against Microsoft was similar to the infiltration that Apple and Facebook suffered before.
Coincidences or not, during the last few weeks, Wall Street Journal, New York Times and other media also suffered hacker attacks.
When we put all these events together, the conclusion is clear: technology companies and media are the focus of the attackers.
The previous observation confirms the presumption that the hackers are not apprentices of criminality, they are professionals.
Probably, they are the same cyber-warriors who were attacking government institutions of our country recently.
From our perspective, they look like members of a “new unit” from a strong military organization. (2013/02/23) 4 Recommendations
Subject: Apple attacked by the
same hackers who struck Facebook’s systems.
My Comment: The news talks about hackers who
attacked Apple Inc, probably the same criminals who struck Facebook.
This is a big threat that we –America
The problem is that a lot of American technology companies acted in an ingenious mode during a long period when they shared with Chinese universities and organizations linked with theChina
The same situation happened in our friendly openness to the universities and research centers of other countries likeVietnam
We have to learn that in totalitarian regimes, the universities are the “doors” to introduce technology and critical knowledge with the “pretext” that in the university environment everybody pursues only academic goals.
But the universities of the totalitarian regimes are inhabited by a lot of “friends” of the regime. Normally, the common people have no access to the high intellectual circles of those universities.
And also these universities are the training campus of the intelligent services of the regime and the military organizations.
For all these reasons, from now, we have to be careful when we share crucial information and knowledge with those people with “big smiles” on their faces and a sharpened knife hidden in their backpack. (2013/02/19) 2 Recommendations
This is a big threat that we –
The problem is that a lot of American technology companies acted in an ingenious mode during a long period when they shared with Chinese universities and organizations linked with the
The same situation happened in our friendly openness to the universities and research centers of other countries like
We have to learn that in totalitarian regimes, the universities are the “doors” to introduce technology and critical knowledge with the “pretext” that in the university environment everybody pursues only academic goals.
But the universities of the totalitarian regimes are inhabited by a lot of “friends” of the regime. Normally, the common people have no access to the high intellectual circles of those universities.
And also these universities are the training campus of the intelligent services of the regime and the military organizations.
For all these reasons, from now, we have to be careful when we share crucial information and knowledge with those people with “big smiles” on their faces and a sharpened knife hidden in their backpack. (2013/02/19) 2 Recommendations
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THEME:
Gloomy days for Dell Inc.
Story: Dell Profit Drops 31%
Subject: Dell Inc posted its last
financial results with decline of its net income and revenues.
My Comment: The story talks about the new fall
of the Dell, the famous PC maker of the 90s and the beginning of the new
Millennium.
When I saw the news, I entered the online press room of Dell where I found the official source of the information, the news release titled: “Dell Reports Fourth Quarter, Full Fiscal Year Financial Results”
Dell published its financial results of the 2013 fourth quarter and 2013 full-year with the fall of its revenues, operating income and net income in both the quarter and the year compared with a year ago.
This is the official information from the company distributed through a news release:
Fourth quarter
2013 Revenue: $14.31 billion
2012 Revenue: $16.03 billion
Year-over-year: -11%
Fourth quarter
2013 Operating income (GAAP): $698 million
2012 Operating income (GAAP): $931 million
Year-over-year: -25%
Fourth quarter
2013 Net income (GAAP): $530 million
2012 Net income (GAAP): $764 million
Year-over-year: -31%
Fiscal year
2013 Revenue: $56.94 billion
2012 Revenue: $62.07 billion
Year-over-year: -8%
Fiscal year
2013 Operating income (GAAP): $3.01 billion
2012 Operating income (GAAP): $4.43 billion
Year-over-year: -32%
Fiscal year
2013 Net income (GAAP): $2.37 billion
2012 Net income (GAAP): $3.49 billion
Year-over-year: -32%
A fast review of all these figures shows a very different picture from the Dell that we knew 10 years ago. Really, the landscape for this PC maker looks gloomy.
The story says that: “For the last few years, Dell has been tacking away from its reliance on PCs, building out a portfolio of products and services that it can sell to businesses. These include security software, storage systems, networking gear and the like, all of which usually have higher profit margins than PCs.”
My point: It is true that during the last few years, Michael Dell tried to build a portfolio of products and services with the intention to reduce the dependence of his company on the PC sales, but it is also true that Michael never made enough effort to re-create his company at the right time.
In different opportunities I explained that in 2000 I was invited to a Dell Conference inAustin
In summary, the fall of the PC business is hitting hard on Dell Inc. (2013/02/23)
When I saw the news, I entered the online press room of Dell where I found the official source of the information, the news release titled: “Dell Reports Fourth Quarter, Full Fiscal Year Financial Results”
Dell published its financial results of the 2013 fourth quarter and 2013 full-year with the fall of its revenues, operating income and net income in both the quarter and the year compared with a year ago.
This is the official information from the company distributed through a news release:
Fourth quarter
2013 Revenue: $14.31 billion
2012 Revenue: $16.03 billion
Year-over-year: -11%
Fourth quarter
2013 Operating income (GAAP): $698 million
2012 Operating income (GAAP): $931 million
Year-over-year: -25%
Fourth quarter
2013 Net income (GAAP): $530 million
2012 Net income (GAAP): $764 million
Year-over-year: -31%
Fiscal year
2013 Revenue: $56.94 billion
2012 Revenue: $62.07 billion
Year-over-year: -8%
Fiscal year
2013 Operating income (GAAP): $3.01 billion
2012 Operating income (GAAP): $4.43 billion
Year-over-year: -32%
Fiscal year
2013 Net income (GAAP): $2.37 billion
2012 Net income (GAAP): $3.49 billion
Year-over-year: -32%
A fast review of all these figures shows a very different picture from the Dell that we knew 10 years ago. Really, the landscape for this PC maker looks gloomy.
The story says that: “For the last few years, Dell has been tacking away from its reliance on PCs, building out a portfolio of products and services that it can sell to businesses. These include security software, storage systems, networking gear and the like, all of which usually have higher profit margins than PCs.”
My point: It is true that during the last few years, Michael Dell tried to build a portfolio of products and services with the intention to reduce the dependence of his company on the PC sales, but it is also true that Michael never made enough effort to re-create his company at the right time.
In different opportunities I explained that in 2000 I was invited to a Dell Conference in
In summary, the fall of the PC business is hitting hard on Dell Inc. (2013/02/23)
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THEME: Mergers Don’t Fix Problems of Traditional
Retailers
Story: Office Stores' Merger News Jumped Gun – Part 1
Subject: The boards of Office
Depot and OfficeMax agreed about the merger of both office retail companies
My Comment: When we observe from a distance,
the merger between Office Depot and Office Max looks reasonable. They are
retail department companies focused on office products and services with very
similar profiles, but…
But there are at least two negative points in this merger:
1) Today in some locations, both companies have stores very near each other. In all those cases, one of the current stores will be closed. This implies a cut of employment, more spaces empty in the shopping centers, less commercial activities in some areas.
2) The “power” to be one company instead of two implies less competition in a segment that the competition is very important because both companies are providers of tools, services and supplies for small business, freelancers and private people who need these supplies and services to manage their own businesses in a professional way. For example, from now on when the “new company” plans to offer copy and office services it will not have to look at prices of its competition.
In summary, during the last decade we learned that the majority of the big mergers are not a guarantee of business efficiency. They are only “killers” of employment and competition. (2013/02/21)
But there are at least two negative points in this merger:
1) Today in some locations, both companies have stores very near each other. In all those cases, one of the current stores will be closed. This implies a cut of employment, more spaces empty in the shopping centers, less commercial activities in some areas.
2) The “power” to be one company instead of two implies less competition in a segment that the competition is very important because both companies are providers of tools, services and supplies for small business, freelancers and private people who need these supplies and services to manage their own businesses in a professional way. For example, from now on when the “new company” plans to offer copy and office services it will not have to look at prices of its competition.
In summary, during the last decade we learned that the majority of the big mergers are not a guarantee of business efficiency. They are only “killers” of employment and competition. (2013/02/21)
Story: Office Stores' Merger News Jumped Gun – Part 2
My Comment answering to
another member of the Journal Community: I agree that through the merger at least one of either
office retailers will survive. This presumption can works in the short
term.
But this is not the solution in the long term. All the “classic” department stores with hundreds of branches across the country have to change their business model if they want to survive and compete in a reasonable way with non-traditional competitors and Internet companies.
Other case similar to Office Depot and OfficeMax is Best Buy. All these companies have big buildings rented with high costs and they are not efficient in the interaction of seller-customer. Also, normally they separate their “tradition” shops from the online transactions departments like some complete business units.
My suggestions:
1) They have to integrate their face-to-face sales and Internet sales like one kind of transaction reducing all the costs to maintain two different organizations to sell the same products and the same customers.
2) In the way to reduce fixed costs, they have to install “sell-automatic-machines” in their stores like the ATMs of the banks. Also today some supermarkets have these machines.
3) They have to train the employees of the stores to be really “advisers” for the customers, no-classic-bored-sellers. By Internet or in the stores, all the transactions have to follow the same procedures and “end” in the same way. With this initiative, they will need less sellers than before, but they will hire better employees (professional employees) across the new key functions of the organization.
4) As part of the change, they have to “move” their old physical stores to new smaller and more automatic stores located in the best places in the cities and towns across the country. With this initiative they will reduce fixed costs but they will continue open in the majority of the locations that today have shops. This conversion of business happened before in the banking industry. Today when you enter into a bank, you find a lot of “friendly automatic machines” to manage normal transactions, a lot of literature to guide the customers according to their needs and 1 or 2 employees with less stress than before. Also with this criteria, in areas that are safe, they have the possibility to have 24/7 shops.
5) The package of the initiatives that I mentioned before require several important actions:
- A complete redefinition of their business model including their information and operational systems.
- A strong and intelligent training for the employees.
- An important improvement in the storage, handling and delivery systems of the products and stuff they sell.
- The education of their customers about the benefits of the new way to buy products and services.
I think there are more initiatives that Office Depot – OfficeMax, Best Buy and the others can take… These are only a series of simple suggestions, but through these suggestions these old “dinosaurs” of the retail business can change their luck, continue alive and make more profit. (2013/02/22)
But this is not the solution in the long term. All the “classic” department stores with hundreds of branches across the country have to change their business model if they want to survive and compete in a reasonable way with non-traditional competitors and Internet companies.
Other case similar to Office Depot and OfficeMax is Best Buy. All these companies have big buildings rented with high costs and they are not efficient in the interaction of seller-customer. Also, normally they separate their “tradition” shops from the online transactions departments like some complete business units.
My suggestions:
1) They have to integrate their face-to-face sales and Internet sales like one kind of transaction reducing all the costs to maintain two different organizations to sell the same products and the same customers.
2) In the way to reduce fixed costs, they have to install “sell-automatic-machines” in their stores like the ATMs of the banks. Also today some supermarkets have these machines.
3) They have to train the employees of the stores to be really “advisers” for the customers, no-classic-bored-sellers. By Internet or in the stores, all the transactions have to follow the same procedures and “end” in the same way. With this initiative, they will need less sellers than before, but they will hire better employees (professional employees) across the new key functions of the organization.
4) As part of the change, they have to “move” their old physical stores to new smaller and more automatic stores located in the best places in the cities and towns across the country. With this initiative they will reduce fixed costs but they will continue open in the majority of the locations that today have shops. This conversion of business happened before in the banking industry. Today when you enter into a bank, you find a lot of “friendly automatic machines” to manage normal transactions, a lot of literature to guide the customers according to their needs and 1 or 2 employees with less stress than before. Also with this criteria, in areas that are safe, they have the possibility to have 24/7 shops.
5) The package of the initiatives that I mentioned before require several important actions:
- A complete redefinition of their business model including their information and operational systems.
- A strong and intelligent training for the employees.
- An important improvement in the storage, handling and delivery systems of the products and stuff they sell.
- The education of their customers about the benefits of the new way to buy products and services.
I think there are more initiatives that Office Depot – OfficeMax, Best Buy and the others can take… These are only a series of simple suggestions, but through these suggestions these old “dinosaurs” of the retail business can change their luck, continue alive and make more profit. (2013/02/22)
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THEME: United States
Subject: Republican Senators and
the White House don’t agree in budget cuts.
My Comment: With aggressive rhetoric we will
not solve this problem. All the “parts” involve in this “mess” (Congress and
the White House together) have to sit around the same table with the same (fact
sheets) “spreadsheet” of federal expenditures and cut all the items they can
delete.
If they don’t know how to eliminate lines of the “spreadsheet” by hand, they have to use an Excel (or similar electronic spreadsheet program) and zero all cells with “stupid” spending items. It is fast! It is easy!
I believe till now there are a lot of “items” that nobody touched because everybody wants to protect the “corner” of his/her grandmother or grandfather and the “free-tuition college” of the grandchildren that probably will be born in 10 years from now.
The “deletion” of expenditures through an electronic spreadsheet is easier than “calls” to the press every minute with a new “statement” that they said before hundred of times. (2013/02/20) 1 Recommendation
If they don’t know how to eliminate lines of the “spreadsheet” by hand, they have to use an Excel (or similar electronic spreadsheet program) and zero all cells with “stupid” spending items. It is fast! It is easy!
I believe till now there are a lot of “items” that nobody touched because everybody wants to protect the “corner” of his/her grandmother or grandfather and the “free-tuition college” of the grandchildren that probably will be born in 10 years from now.
The “deletion” of expenditures through an electronic spreadsheet is easier than “calls” to the press every minute with a new “statement” that they said before hundred of times. (2013/02/20) 1 Recommendation
My Comment: In my previous comment, I pointed
out that everybody – including the White House - has to sit next to others
around the same table with the unique mission: cut expenditures from the same
spreadsheet.
No lectures! No speeches! Only cuts! And whoever makes more “cuts” will receive a symbolic award as the “Patriot of Federal Budget”.
Now is not more time for elections. This is a different political time. For this reason nobody has to leave the table till the job finishes.
After that if somebody wants to visit his/her friends inOhio Illinois California
No lectures! No speeches! Only cuts! And whoever makes more “cuts” will receive a symbolic award as the “Patriot of Federal Budget”.
Now is not more time for elections. This is a different political time. For this reason nobody has to leave the table till the job finishes.
After that if somebody wants to visit his/her friends in
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THEME: Europe
Subject: Across different Spanish
cities the unrest against the corruption of the government grows.
My Comment: I always was an advocate of the
democratic institutions and the authorities elected through a democratic
process.
However, after I knew about the secret payoffs to Mr. Rajoy and other leaders of the ruling Popular Party, I think the best is the current government calls to new elections and resigns.
The normal people, the decent workers, the jobless workers and the rest of the citizens of a country deserve authorities without dubious actions. They are tired of the rotten handling by their leaders and politicians.
For this reason, I believe that it is right that hundreds of thousands of people acrossSpain
However, after I knew about the secret payoffs to Mr. Rajoy and other leaders of the ruling Popular Party, I think the best is the current government calls to new elections and resigns.
The normal people, the decent workers, the jobless workers and the rest of the citizens of a country deserve authorities without dubious actions. They are tired of the rotten handling by their leaders and politicians.
For this reason, I believe that it is right that hundreds of thousands of people across
Subject: After all the
accusations against his previous government. Mr. Berlusconi returns to the main
political scene of Italy
My Comment: Again a new Italian election
spreads uncertainty about the future of this country and the European Union.
After all the efforts that Primer Minister Mario Monti made to clean the institutions and reform the government with a package of economic and financial initiatives, the former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi comes to the main scene with the intention to retake control of the Italian government through the election.
If the Italian voters give Silvio Berlusconi the possibility of a political comeback, the world will not believe more onItaly
After all the efforts that Primer Minister Mario Monti made to clean the institutions and reform the government with a package of economic and financial initiatives, the former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi comes to the main scene with the intention to retake control of the Italian government through the election.
If the Italian voters give Silvio Berlusconi the possibility of a political comeback, the world will not believe more on
Subject: The economy of the euro-zone
group is shrinking.
My Comment: Nobody can make miracles in a
community like the EU where everybody drives in its way without care for the
common regulations themselves approved. (2013/02/22)
Subject: Bulgarian government
resigned amid protests despite it was working hard to change the financial
situation of the country.
My Comment: The story says that Bulgarian Prime
Minister Boyko Borisov announced the resignation of his government after “the
crowd accused the government of corruption, chanting “Mafia”.
We will not discuss the pro-austerity initiative of the government that is resigning were right or wrong. Frequently in very corrupt countries, the corrupt people accuse to the non-corrupt people as “corrupt” to create confusion and continue handling their businesses without problems.
But we don’t understand what criteria was used the the EU authorities when they opened its doors toBulgaria Bulgaria
Everybody who is following the European events since the times of the Iron Curtain know that Bulgaria is a very poor and a corrupt country where Mafia groups wait at crossroads of the routes to steal from tourists and other occasional drivers.
Definitively the EU’s umbrella cannot include nations where the economic initiatives of austerity are very painful and they are refused by anybody till a decent and strong government can do hard “purges” across all the layers of the society. (2013/02/20) 2 Recommendations
We will not discuss the pro-austerity initiative of the government that is resigning were right or wrong. Frequently in very corrupt countries, the corrupt people accuse to the non-corrupt people as “corrupt” to create confusion and continue handling their businesses without problems.
But we don’t understand what criteria was used the the EU authorities when they opened its doors to
Everybody who is following the European events since the times of the Iron Curtain know that Bulgaria is a very poor and a corrupt country where Mafia groups wait at crossroads of the routes to steal from tourists and other occasional drivers.
Definitively the EU’s umbrella cannot include nations where the economic initiatives of austerity are very painful and they are refused by anybody till a decent and strong government can do hard “purges” across all the layers of the society. (2013/02/20) 2 Recommendations
Subject: A well-organized group
of robbers with machine guns stole at least US$50 million in diamonds from
a aircraft at a Belgium
My Comment: The 120 packages of diamonds worth
at least $50 million stolen at a Belgium Airport
The eight
masked robbers who assaulted a Helvetic Airways jet plane with machine guns
remind me of the best command operations of highly trained terrorist groups
that we saw in Latin America during the 1970s.
In those
times, at least two or three terrorist groups – Montoneros, ERP, AAA… - acted
with total impunity in Argentina South America nation to robbing fortunes for the
financing of their campaigns, kidnapping important Argentine and foreign
entrepreneurs and other business and political personalities.
By the way,
one of those operations was perpetrated by Montoneros at one important Mexican
airport to capture an Argentine businessman who was flying to that country in a
private aircraft.
And what is
my point? Always the terrorists are the best “teachers” of professional robbers
who plan and execute spectacular robbery operations. For this reason, every
time that we kill a terrorist we are killing a terrorist and more than one
robber. (2013/02/19) 1 Recommendation
Subject: German Economy Minister Rösler said the economic future of EU and Germany
My Comment: I agree with German Economy
Minister Rösler that the economic future of the European Union and Germany
But I
really don’t know if the other members of the EU have the willpower to work
together with Germany
The
Sunday’s voting in Cyprus
Soon Italy
In addition
the current list of countries with problems includes Spain Portugal
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THEME: The World, Asia , Middle East , Africa …
Subject: The guns and mortal
arsenal of the former Libyan regime is helping the terrorist operations of the
Islamists in the African desert.
My Comment: The story talks about the recent
actions of the Islamist extremists in the African desert and all the concerns
related to their next steps in a new field.
From centuries,Africa always was the perfect ground for cruel and bloody battlefields. Since
the Roman times, we can read hundreds of pages of history related to the
African campaigns.
Now, after the fall of the Libyan regime, a lot of its weapons and mortal arsenals were hidden in the desert and others have been moved to different territories of the Saharan countries.
In front of all this landscape, we have to remark that heavy weapons, hard warriors and extreme ideologies are three of the most important components to generate long and deadly wars.
For all that we explained before, we suspects the campaign against the al Qaeda-backed militants inAfrica will be difficult and with uncertain results. (2013/02/22)
3 Recommendations
From centuries,
Now, after the fall of the Libyan regime, a lot of its weapons and mortal arsenals were hidden in the desert and others have been moved to different territories of the Saharan countries.
In front of all this landscape, we have to remark that heavy weapons, hard warriors and extreme ideologies are three of the most important components to generate long and deadly wars.
For all that we explained before, we suspects the campaign against the al Qaeda-backed militants in
Subject: The rift among members
of the Bahrain U.S.
My Comment: The rift among different members of
the Khalifa royal family anticipates serious palace quarrels with possible
implications in the domestic and international politics of Bahrain
In front of this scenery, it is evident that U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet and Navy Central Command that use this territory as a hub ofU.S.
From my point of view, it is good that Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Dennis C. Blair is urging the Pentagon to move the Fifth Fleet’s headquarters out of this country. (2013/02/20) 5 Recommendations
In front of this scenery, it is evident that U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet and Navy Central Command that use this territory as a hub of
From my point of view, it is good that Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Dennis C. Blair is urging the Pentagon to move the Fifth Fleet’s headquarters out of this country. (2013/02/20) 5 Recommendations
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THEME: Latin America
Subject: Venezuelan Hugo Chávez returned sick
to Caracas Cuba
My Comment: The sudden return of the Venezuelan
President Hugo Chávez to Caracas Cuba
Is he returning home because due to his disease, he believes that he will die soon and he wants to die on his national land?
Is he returning home because the vice president now in charge of the Venezuelan government wants to avoid an internal turmoil that can knock down the Chávez’s regime?
Is he returning home because he feels well enough to resume his job?
Behind the photos of the Venezuelan leader in a bed next to his two daughters distributed by his government nothing is clear even now. (2013/02/21)
Is he returning home because due to his disease, he believes that he will die soon and he wants to die on his national land?
Is he returning home because the vice president now in charge of the Venezuelan government wants to avoid an internal turmoil that can knock down the Chávez’s regime?
Is he returning home because he feels well enough to resume his job?
Behind the photos of the Venezuelan leader in a bed next to his two daughters distributed by his government nothing is clear even now. (2013/02/21)
Story: Ecuador Leader Has Advantage
Subject: Ecuadorian President
Rafael Correa extends his power through a new presidential election.
My Comment: I don’t have doubts that Ecuadorian
President Rafael Correa will be re-elected for a new term and he will extend
his power in his own country and through Latin America .
This strategy was planned in 2009, when his government modified the Ecuadorian constitution and nobody really put up a strong objection.
He is an advanced student of government “tricks” from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. He knows exactly what he wants and he has the charisma, willpower and intelligence to handle all from his side.
He was educated inBelgium Ecuador Belgium US
From the other side, he integrates a group of left-wings leaders ofLatin America together with Hugo Chávez, Cristina
Kirchner from Argentina Bolivia Uruguay Central America .
By the way, Cristina Kirchner used the same tricks of Rafael Correa to extend her period as president ofArgentina
Probably, the Brazilian President will also do her best with arrangements to continue in power when her term finishes because Ms. Dilma Rousseff is a good friend of Hugo Chávez and she practices the same ideology and visits the Venezuelan President in the Cuban hospital together with Cristina Kirchner.
But we – as theUnited States Bolivia
As I said in different times through comments that I posted in Journal Community, during the last four years we didn’t show a clear foreign politics line about Latin American issues. The more we showed to the world that we really don’t care a lot for the events below theRio Grande Mexico
More serious too: We didn’t understand till now why through the Latin America countries we find the most strong fighters lifting the flags of the anti-Washington politics. When something like this phenomenon happens, we have to look inside our foreign office and come to realistic conclusions. (2013/02/18) 3 Recommendations
This strategy was planned in 2009, when his government modified the Ecuadorian constitution and nobody really put up a strong objection.
He is an advanced student of government “tricks” from Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. He knows exactly what he wants and he has the charisma, willpower and intelligence to handle all from his side.
He was educated in
From the other side, he integrates a group of left-wings leaders of
By the way, Cristina Kirchner used the same tricks of Rafael Correa to extend her period as president of
Probably, the Brazilian President will also do her best with arrangements to continue in power when her term finishes because Ms. Dilma Rousseff is a good friend of Hugo Chávez and she practices the same ideology and visits the Venezuelan President in the Cuban hospital together with Cristina Kirchner.
But we – as the
As I said in different times through comments that I posted in Journal Community, during the last four years we didn’t show a clear foreign politics line about Latin American issues. The more we showed to the world that we really don’t care a lot for the events below the
More serious too: We didn’t understand till now why through the Latin America countries we find the most strong fighters lifting the flags of the anti-Washington politics. When something like this phenomenon happens, we have to look inside our foreign office and come to realistic conclusions. (2013/02/18) 3 Recommendations
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THEME: Economy, Business and Technology
Subject: Alcatel-Lucent named a
new CEO who is famous as a “cost-cutter”.
My Comment: After the resignation of the CEO
Ben Verwaayen, Alcatel-Lucent named a new CEO. His is name is Michel Combes,
former head of Vodafone’s European operations.
According to the story, Mr. Combes is a famous “cost-cutter”. What does it mean? It means that the new Alcatel-Lucent top executive will cut costs everywhere.
Is this initiative enough to rescue the French-American telecom-equipment maker? We believe the cut in costs is an important point to return to the profitability but...
But during the last few years we saw that Alcatel-Lucent has other problems like the inability to compete on different grounds with rivals like Huawei Technology selling products to any kind of customer.
Alcatel-Lucent has to increase its revenues and it needs to gain new customers and new markets. Normally, a cost-cutter is a “guillotine”. However, in this case, the formula to be successful requires two components: profitability and more income.
We have to observe the arrival of Michael Combes to Alcatel-Lucent and his efforts to recreate the telecom-equipment during a reasonable period. After that, surely all the observers will make new conclusions. (2013/02/23)
According to the story, Mr. Combes is a famous “cost-cutter”. What does it mean? It means that the new Alcatel-Lucent top executive will cut costs everywhere.
Is this initiative enough to rescue the French-American telecom-equipment maker? We believe the cut in costs is an important point to return to the profitability but...
But during the last few years we saw that Alcatel-Lucent has other problems like the inability to compete on different grounds with rivals like Huawei Technology selling products to any kind of customer.
Alcatel-Lucent has to increase its revenues and it needs to gain new customers and new markets. Normally, a cost-cutter is a “guillotine”. However, in this case, the formula to be successful requires two components: profitability and more income.
We have to observe the arrival of Michael Combes to Alcatel-Lucent and his efforts to recreate the telecom-equipment during a reasonable period. After that, surely all the observers will make new conclusions. (2013/02/23)
Subject: Wal-Mart says it expects
flat U.S.
My Comment: The news talks about the financial
results of Wal-Mart. It says that the company expects flat U.S.
We believe that the “sales information” of this department store is a better indicator of the fluctuation of the domestic economy of the country than the unemployment rates of the US Labor Department.
When we travel across the country, in small cities and in remote locations, in the Rocky Mountains or on the beach, every time that we find a Wal-Mart store, we can perceive the current symptoms of the domestic economy through the observation of big or small bags the customers carry out and the level of activity and number of cars around each store. (2013/02/21) 1 Recommendation
We believe that the “sales information” of this department store is a better indicator of the fluctuation of the domestic economy of the country than the unemployment rates of the US Labor Department.
When we travel across the country, in small cities and in remote locations, in the Rocky Mountains or on the beach, every time that we find a Wal-Mart store, we can perceive the current symptoms of the domestic economy through the observation of big or small bags the customers carry out and the level of activity and number of cars around each store. (2013/02/21) 1 Recommendation
Subject: After all the bad news
from HP, the technology company posted its profit went down 16% in the last
quarter.
My Comment: A fall of 16% in the last quarter
earnings of Hewlett-Packard is nothing after the huge mistakes its top
management committed during the last decade. (2013/02/21) 7
Recommendations
Subject: Apple has naming
problems in Brazil
My Comment: I don’t understand why when Apple
launches a new product to the market, before all the launching process, it doesn’t
register the new “brand” everywhere across the world.
This is the way to avoid headaches. It costs less than the money it has to pay to acquire “brands” that are in the hands of others.
A company like Apple has tools and knowledge to project new business operations and products worldwide before possible speculators register its brands as their own brands in countries with strong potential like Brazil, Mexico, China, India, Indonesia, Russia and more.
In the consumer market the famous “brands” of the products have similar value that the products themselves.
In particular, when the Apple’s fanatics buy an Apple’s product they want to show its logo and brand very visible in the way that everybody knows they have an “Apple iPhone” or "Apple iPad" or "Apple iPod", (2013/02/18)
This is the way to avoid headaches. It costs less than the money it has to pay to acquire “brands” that are in the hands of others.
A company like Apple has tools and knowledge to project new business operations and products worldwide before possible speculators register its brands as their own brands in countries with strong potential like Brazil, Mexico, China, India, Indonesia, Russia and more.
In the consumer market the famous “brands” of the products have similar value that the products themselves.
In particular, when the Apple’s fanatics buy an Apple’s product they want to show its logo and brand very visible in the way that everybody knows they have an “Apple iPhone” or "Apple iPad" or "Apple iPod", (2013/02/18)
