COMMENTS - 2013/11/10

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.

Website: http://world-rethink.blogspot.de/

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