WEEKLY BLOG COMMENTS
DATES:
2013/11/03 – 2013/11/10
ANALYST:
Domingo Trassens
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Dear
Friends:
During
the last few days the newspapers and press comments of the United States generated a lot of stories and
analysis columns about the voting in New Jersey, Virginia and New York and their results.
Another
important subject of the bloggers was the negative impact of the cancellation
of the healthcare insurance plans and the new rules related to the
implementation of ObamaCare.
In the
international sphere, the typhoon that hit Philippines closed the week with dramatic
pictures of panic, grief and chaos.
Now 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 the top news of the week.
The
comments are organized in the following sections:
- United States
- Europe
- The
Rest of the World
- Crime
-
Economy, Business, Technology.
DAT
November 10, 2013
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UNITED
STATES
WSJ Story: The ObamaCare Dozen
Subject: Dozen Democrats who voted for ObamaCare in
the Senate are now scrambling for the reelection.
My Comment: 2014 elections will be the most important
test for ObamaCare in the short term.
The reactions of the voters will determine the future or non-future of the
Affordable Care Act. (2013/11/10) 6 Recommendations
WSJ Story: Noonan: 'I'm Gonna Be the Republican Nominee'
Subject: Interview to Senator Mitch McConnell who
talks about the shutdown's failure, ObamaCare's future, and his own primary
challenge. - By Peggy Noonan
My Comment: The opinion of the minority leader of the
U.S. Senate, Mitch Connell that the parties must “run candidates that don’t
scare the general public” is right.
However, the current moment demands crucial decisions that probably are not
nice for a sector of the general public.
The politicians without ethical principles will lie to capture the vote of the
general public, but we need decent politicians to fix the mess in Washington.(2013/11/09)
5 Recommendations
WSJ Story: Opinion: Andrew Kohut: The GOP Is in Better
Shape Than You Think
Subject: Independent voters favor the GOP on handling
the economy by a whopping 46%-30% margin. - By Andrew Kohut
My Comment: During the last months, each political
issue was a new test for Republicans and/or Democrats.
If ObamaCare continues in the top of the headlines, the
Republicans will consolidate in the polls.
WSJ Story: The Worst Is Yet to Come
Subject: Pessimist view from a journalist who
predicts the ObamaCare debacle. By James Taranto
My Comment: The title of this story: “The Worst Is
Yet to Come” transmits a huge uncertainty to everybody who really needs medical
assistance.
Personally, I suspect that “technical problems” are not the core of the
problem. If this suspicion is true, we are entering into a labyrinth where will
be very difficult to find the best alternative for each healthcare user.
Complexity is the problem. (2013/11/07) 2 Recommendations
WSJ Story: Wonder
Land - Obama's
Negative Force Field
Subject: The bad vibe around ObamaCare's meltdown is
the president's own making. By Daniel Henninger
My Comment: ObamaCare was the “banner” of President
Obama . Now it is his “cross”. (2013/11/07) 9 Recommendations
WSJ Story: William Whalen: Hillary 2016 and the 'War on
Women' Trope
Subject: The possibility that a woman becomes
American president in 2016. - By William Whalen
My Comment: When we choose a candidate for the presidency, we have to select
the best according to our belief independently of being a woman or a man.
(2013/11/07) 1 Recommendation
WSJ Story: Who Sabotaged ObamaCare?
Subject: Somebody said that the Republicans sabotaged
ObamaCare. - By James Taranto
My Comment: The argument that “Republicans have
sabotaged Obamacare” is comically ridiculous. It is the classic excuse of
incompetent technical people.
When somebody designs an
information system (website…) without a perfect analysis of its complexity, its
“creature” will be not unreliable. It is like assembling a “machine” without a
clear visualization of how its components plug together. (2013/11/06)
3 Recommendations
WSJ Story: New York City
Takes Left Turn
Subject: Election of Bill de Blasio as Mayor Could Be
Test of Revival of Liberalism in American - By Sophia Hollander
My Comment: New York City
is moving from the right to the left in an angle of near 180 degrees.
We have to observe if this experiment works for everybody
including Wall Street. 1 Recommendation
WSJ Story: Christie, McAuliffe Win Governor's
Races
Subject: Wins by Each Party in New
Jersey, Virginia Send Mixed Messages to the Two
Sides. - By Patrick O'Connor, Neil King Jr. and Heather Haddon
My Comment: The victory of Chris Christie
(Republican) was his merit, while the victory of McAuliffe (Democrat) looks
like it was a mistake from Cuccinelli (Republican).
In the times that we are living, the candidates have to be careful how they
introduce themselves in front of young voters and women about conflicted social
subjects.
3 Recommendations
WSJ Story: Christie Sets Himself Up for Run in 2016
Subject: New Jersey Governor, Who Hasn't Signaled His
Presidential Plans, Criticizes Obama Over Health Law on Election Day. -
By Heather Haddon
My Comment: Congratulations Gov. Chris Christie! You
are building a solid road to achieve more important challenges. I am following
the steps of Christie since he became New Jersey Governor in his first term and
I think like you that he is "a decent man". (2013/11/06) 6 Recommendations
WSJ Story: U.S.
Hails Saudi Arabia
as Major Arab Player in Middle East
Says Kingdom Has Supplanted Egypt
in Turmoil
Subject: According to some analysts, Saudi
Arabia is now the most important Arab
partner of the United States
after the Egyptian turmoil - By Ellen Knickmeyer
My Comment: The visit of Secretary of State John Kerry to Saudi Arabia – according to the story – was a
way to woo the Riyadh’s government after that country
renounced a seat on the U.N. Security Council. We cannot expect this visit will
change something in the Middle East. (2013/11/05)
WSJ Story: The Tea Party Battles to Come
Subject: The future of the Tea Party in the next
Republican voting and the 2016 campaign of Hillary Clinton. - By Stephen
MooreMatt Kibbe
My Comment: According to the end of this story about
the Tea Party, we can assume that it was written with the intention to make the
campaign “pro-Hillary Clinton”.
From now to 2016, we will see a lot of issues that can change the
"winds" from one side to another and vice versa. And before 2016, it
is 2014. (2013/11/04)
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EUROPE
WSJ Story: Northern Europe
Beckons to Desperate Syrians
Subject: Thousands of middle-class Syrians are trying
to get to Europe's Northern countries to seek asylum.
- By Joe Parkinson in Bulgaria
and Matina Stevis in Sweden
My Comment: If the massive immigration of people from
the Middle East, Asia and Africa
continues, in a short time, Europe will become a big
refugee camp.
The problem is a lot of European taxpayers are tired of supporting this human
wave that is hitting the continent. .(2013/11/09) 3 Recommendations
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THE
REST OF THE WORLD
WSJ Story: Venezuelan Authorities Free U.S.
Reporter, Newspaper Says
Subject: Venezuelan authorities took in custody a
Miami Herald reporter who was working across the South American country. The
incident produced diverse international reactions and after that, they released
him. - By Ezequiel Minaya
My Comment: It is bad news that Venezuelan authorities try to put hurdles into
the work of the international press.
Normally,
the countries that make difficult for the journalists like in the current
Venezuelan incident are totalitarian. (2013/11/10)
WSJ Story: In Philippines,
Death Count From Typhoon Grows
Subject: The typhoon that hit Philippines
is the strongest tropical cyclone to strike this nation since 1991. - By
Cris Larano
My Comment: The fury of Nature has hit again in the Philippines. It is terrible sad when you
lose all your stuff and the members of your family and friends, and you say:
“Oh! God has compassion for us!”, but nobody answers… (2013/11/09) 1
Recommendation
WSJ Story: Iran
Nuclear Talks End Without Agreement
Subject: The first international conference with Iran
about its nuclear program ended without progress reported. Talks expected to resume
November 20 - By Laurence Norman and Jay Solomon
My Comment: Nothing new! From Geneva,
the cables say that Iran
nuclear talks ended without agreement after three days of meetings.
Iran likes to
play in the diplomatic way. Periodically, they generate expectations and the
western countries run to the conferences with a list of conditions. After that,
nothing happens.
Meanwhile, we are expending effort and time in talks that only generate more
frustration because our negotiators are naive.
The real agreement will come when Iran
enters into the Nuclear Club. In that moment, everybody will say: “Hello Iran,
we are partners!” (2013/11/09)
WSJ Story: Chinese Party Meeting to Test Xi's Clout on
Reforms
Subject: After a year in office, Chinese President
Xi Jinping meets the top members of the Communist Part with a new economic
plan. - By Jeremy Page
My Comment: The big sickness of the new powerful China
is the corruption of its elite. We have to see if Xi Jinping includes this
issue in his speech to the members of the Party. (2013/11/07) 1 Recommendation
WSJ Story: Brazil
Spied on U.S.
Diplomats
Subject: Brazil's
government admits that it spied on U.S.
and other diplomats in 2003 and 2004. - By Tom Murphy
My Comment: Everybody spies on everybody. Now the
Brazilians are recognizing they are not innocent children. (2013/11/05)
WSJ Story: India
Launches Mars Mission
Subject: Indian scientists expect a satellite from
the Asian country will enter Mars orbit in September 2014. - By Joanna Sugden
My Comment: India
is a country with contradictory shades. It is investing in a Mars mission while
32.7% of its people live below the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 per
day according to World Bank’s reports. (2013/11/05)
WSJ Story: Bangladesh
Court Gives Death Sentence to U.S. Citizen,
Briton
Subject: A Bangladesh
court gives death sentences to American and British citizens without real
evidences against the suspects. - By Syed Zain Al-Mahmood
My Comment: This trial looks like part of a political
propaganda of the current government of Bangladesh.
A trial without strong evidences against the suspects of serious crimes is not
a trial.
Always when a court condemns a suspect to the death penalty
without real evidences, the trial is unfair and the members of the court are
committing a felony. (2013/11/03) 3 Recommendations
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CRIME
WSJ - Story: What Mass Killers Want—And How to Stop Them
– Part 1
Subject: This story asks how to stop the mass killers
and it also says that we should do everything possible to avoid the slaughters.
- By Ari N. Schulman
My Comment: The question: “How to stop mass killers?” has not been answered
till now.
The mass
killers are sick people who enjoy spilling the blood of others. The violent
series on TV and the video games help to motivate to the killers, but there are
a lot of factors that only the psychiatrists can discover after responsible
treatments of a sick mind.
The
problem is nobody who is sick wants to be treated by psychiatrists, and society
is passive in these cases till the tragedy happens. (2013/11/09) 1
Recommendation
WSJ Story: What Mass Killers Want—And How to Stop Them –
Part 2
My Comment answering to another Journal member who says
the guns are the main problem: My friend XXX, thank you for all your
information about guns spread across the United
States. I see that you always like to deploy
interesting statistics.
I lived for a period in the
Teton Valley, Idaho, in a town of less than 2000 people; where in the white
nights of the long winters, strange visitors - wolves, bears and other animals
– knock on our doors for food. (I lived personally this experience.)
However, during my great days in the Tetons, I never learned
that my neighbors have been to the school of the town to kill the friends of
their children with the rifles.
The guns themselves are not the killers of children and adults. Sick minds are
the killers. (2013/11/10) 5 Recommendations
Shooting at Los Angeles
Airport Leaves TSA
Officer Dead, Three People Wounded
By Tamara Audi and Nick Pinto
My Comment: The shooting at Los
Angeles Airport
has two possible readings.
1) The suspect of the killing of TSA officer is a sick person. Individuals who
suffer of paranoia frequently act with extreme aggression by any irrational
suspicion.
2) Or this crime was committed in revenge on a previous incident between the
suspect killer and a Transportation Security Administration officer.
Through the description provided by the writer of this story, we cannot assume
that it was an extremist attack for religious or political reasons. (2013/11/03)
5 Recommendations
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ECONOMY,
BUSINESS, TECHNOLOGY
WSJ Story: Twitter IPO: Relief, Riches and a $25
Billion Finish
Subject: Twitter IPO: shares rose 73% from IPO price
in a smooth trading debut. - By Telis Demos, Chris Dieterich and Yoree Koh
My Comment: Congratulations Twitter! Now you are part
of the Wall Street’s family.
I like to “tweet” every time that I can.
I hope you don’t lose your head. (2013/11/09)
WSJ Story: Google's Eric Schmidt Lambasts NSA Over Spying
Subject: Google Chairman complains against NSA over
spying. - By Deborah Kan
My Comment: Ironic situation! During the first term of President Obama, Eric
Schmidt was a good friend of the White House, technology adviser of the
President and donor for his presidential campaigns.
Now, Mr.
Schmidt is criticizing NSA over spying on the Google data centers.
As we
see, the list of the “friends” who are upset for the surveillance programs of
the National Security Agency is growing. (2013/11/04) 5 Recommendations
WSJ Story: BlackBerry Abandons Sale
Process
Subject: CEO Thorsten Heins leaves the Canadian
smart-phone maker after a series of bad results. - By Will Connors
My Comment: Always the CEO is the “fuse” when a
company doesn’t work properly.
In this case, it is reasonable that Thorsten Heins has to leave the Canadian
maker, but BlackBerry needs a CEO with "magical arts" to survive.
The news
says that the new top leader is coming from Sybase and some comments are very
positive.
It is
true that Sybase knows about enterprise mobility and this expertise can help
BlackBerry to develop itself in more lucrative niches of business solutions.
However,
in front of the current landscape, BlackBerry should not pretend to compete
against the current leaders of the smart-phone business in the consumer niches.
In that effort, it will have to sacrifice its profit and will lose its focus.
In
summary, if the new CEO is visionary and pragmatic, BlackBerry will surpass its
current inflection point and its business will climb to new heights. (2013/11/04)
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SOURCES:
1)
External Sources: Wall
Street Journal, The New York Times and PBS NewsHour
2)
Own Sources: My
own research for previous publishing projects: TTT of Comlab Corp, Spanish
English Club online.
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