Majorityrights News > Category: Economics & Finance

TNO, “81% of Americans Oppose “Aid” to Israel”, 22 September 2016:

Some 80.8 percent of Americans oppose the $38 billion in “aid” that the Jewish lobby-controlled U.S. Government last week pledged to Israel, an IRmep poll fielded by Google Consumer Surveys has found.

At the same time, the Jewish lobby will pour money into campaign funds of politicians who support this “aid” package, while the controlled media will demonize any candidate for office who dares to oppose it.

The poll found that the vast majority of Americans want the $38 billion “aid” pledge to be redirected toward other priorities, such as caring for vets, education, and lowering national debt.

The “aid” deal, signed last week in Washington D.C., is the single largest aid package ever given by the U.S.—even though Israel is a wealthy nation in its own right.

The majority of the spending is for “Foreign Military Financing” (FMF) to provide Israel with advanced and upgraded jet fighters, to continue developing Israel’s missile defense systems and to purchase weapons—even though Israel has a booming arms industry of its own and sold $5.7 billion of arms in 2015 alone.

More at TNO

NyaDagbladet, “The EU lends Bonnier billions” 20 September 2016:

       
        Carl Johan Bonnier         Foto: Peter Jönsson

European Investment Bank, the EIB, has granted loans of over 950 million kronor to the Swedish media group Bonnier. The reason given is that they want to support major media players during ongoing digitization.

Bonnier used the loan to continue to invest in research, development and innovation.

- The European Investment Bank’s main tasks under the investment plan for Europe is to support innovation. The media landscape becomes increasingly competitive, and investment in innovation and digitalisation will therefore be very important to continue. Transactions of this nature reveal situations in which the EIB can be an asset for European companies, regardless of sector, says Jan Vapaavuori, EIB Vice President responsible for lending operations in Sweden, in a press release .

EurActiv, “Russian MP: ‘We will buy Bulgaria, we already bought half of the coast”, 20 September 2016:

   
    Piotr Tolstoy [United Russia]

A statement by a Russian parliamentarian has sent shockwaves through Bulgaria, as the country begins to realise that the many Russians who bought real estate in the country may sooner or later become a powerful political force.

The MP, who is from Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, was asked on Bulgarian television if his country would pursue a benevolent policy towards Bulgaria, if his party won the Sunday elections (18 September). In fact, United Russia won with more than 50% of the votes.

“Of course,” Piotr Tolstoy answered, adding: “We will just buy out the entire [Bulgaria]. Half of its coastline we have already bought,” he added.

Piotr Tolstoy is a great grandson of famous writer Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy. By profession, he is a journalist and is one of the most popular personalities on Russia’s Channel 1 television station, which is considered to be the voice of the government.

Tolstoy added that the EU, of which Bulgaria is a part, needs deep reform and that it should abandon the policy of enlargement with countries in “Russia’s zone of national interest.”

According to the Consulate General of Russia in Bulgaria, as quoted by the Bulgarian daily, Sega, Russian citizens have bought 500,000 homes in Bulgaria, many of which are located on the Black Sea coast.

Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Daniel Mitov, called Tolstoy’s statement “arrogant, categorically wrong and in no way helpful for the development of the bilateral relations”.

Mitov added that the statement was not in line with Russia’s official positions, adding that he would appreciate if Russia’s official institutions distance themselves from it.

Julian Popov, a London-based Fellow of the European Climate Foundation, wrote on Facebook that the statement of the foreign minister is not enough, and that Bulgaria needs to find out what the real goals of the Russian Federation are vis-à-vis Bulgaria.

Breitbart, “Migrants Granted Refugee Status Are Holidaying In Countries They ‘Fled’, At Taxpayers’ Expense” 12 September 2016:

Migrants with recognised refugee status are holidaying in the countries they supposedly “fled”, with their vacations funded by German taxpayers, a newspaper has found.

Newspaper Welt am Sonntag learnt that migrants are returning to countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Lebanon for holiday purposes, then travelling back to Germany where they continue to receive comfortable welfare payments.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has been aware for some time that some recognised refugees are taking leisure trips to the very spots they claim their lives are in danger.

The government body sent a written request to Berlin’s employment agencies in June, asking that they report the travel arrangements of migrants granted asylum holidaying in their countries of origin.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Employment Agency confirmed that “there are such cases” but reports that there is “no analysis or statistics on this subject and therefore we do not have information”.

The lack of information is down to data protection laws. But people who are familiar with the processes report that it is also happening in other regions of Germany.

Hartz IV, the welfare system migrants granted asylum receive, allows 21 days per year “local absence” where recipients collect full welfare payments while away from their usual area.

Receivers of Hartz IV must “notify the local absence, the expected duration, but not exactly where they go to,” the federal agency said, adding that “there is also no legal basis to demand this information.”

Welt am Sonntag reported that even if the migrant told welfare centre staff he was taking a trip to Syria, data protection laws would prevent this information being passed on to the federal agency.

Germany’s Interior Ministry indicates that European Union rules state that travel to so-called countries of persecution can lead to individual cases being looked at and, ultimately, asylum being withdrawn.

A spokesman from the ministry said there may be reasonable grounds for such trips, such as a family member’s serious illness.

“In the case, however, to travel for leisure purposes, this may be an indication that for the refugee no fear of persecution exists,” the spokesman added.

Armin Schuster, chairman of Chancellor Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party, said it “leaves one almost speechless” that migrants are holidaying in the countries they supposedly fled qualify for asylum.

Mr. Schuster said he could imagine only a few cases where a brief return would be acceptable, but commented that it’s “imperative that we continue to permit the refugees to apply for such a trip, and to be approved by BAMF.”

Despite the narrative which portrays migrants arriving in Europe as having fled for their lives, researchers have found increasing numbers are wanting to return to their home countries, dissatisfied with the standard of accommodation and welfare they are given on the continent.

Auckland Chinese Lantern Festival: Lighting up the controversy over boundaries and limits in living space.

There needs to be more thought and discussion given to fair quotas in living space and enclaves between Asians and Europeans. It’s piquing as an issue in New Zealand.

NZHerald.co.nz,  “Auckland too much like China says Chinese immigrant and real estate agent,  14 August 2017:

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters last week talked about an email he had received from a Chinese real estate agent in Auckland about immigration and the housing market. Peters said the agent backed up his claim that speculation was rife. The agent has worked in the industry for three years. He expands on his views here.

 

I am a Chinese property agent working in Auckland. Recently I emailed the New Zealand First leader Winston Peters expressing opinions on the housing crisis and immigration policy.

I thought as I am an immigrant, who happens to have been sitting in the box seat of Auckland’s real estate scene, the rest of the country might find relevancy in what I have to say.

My family moved to central Auckland in 2001 from mainland China. We came here with the hope of embracing a new lifestyle as well as for the younger generation to receive a superior education.

We remember Auckland as being a city with a unique blend of European and native cultures that is termed “Kiwi”, while the influx of migrants from different ethnicities steadily added vibrancy, colour and prosperity to the city.

Years went by and something curious happened.

Instead of seeing a balanced ethnic mix, Auckland started to acquire an unwholesomely Chinese flavour.

These are the supplement shops, internet cafes, restaurants plus a few seemingly dodgy places that are catering exclusively to Chinese customers.

Most of them have part time Chinese students as sole employees.

A recent encounter with two young Japanese professionals in Tokyo amused me.

“Going to Auckland is like going to China” they said.

“You don’t hear English, you don’t see Kiwis, there is just Chinese, Chinese and Chinese.”

They felt disillusioned and bewildered. Similar voices are heard among local international students, “Are we here to study English or Chinese?”

The same relates to the real estate scene.

While the statistics show there has been 3-5 per cent foreign buyers in the market, is it what we have been seeing across the auction rooms or at open homes for the past half decade?

I remember seeing young couples with their hands clenched and eyes glued to the auction screen, only to find their first dream house outbid by someone screaming in mandarin.

I shudder to imagine their feeling when they see the very house they missed out back on the market within months, this time, with 200k added on top; meanwhile, a champagne is uncorked at another New Zealand property expo in China.

During a recent interview with Newshub, I was asked whether I was worried about Chinese domination. No, it is not, and never has been about any race dominating another. Otherwise it would be blunt racism.

It is about how do you want your Auckland and your New Zealand to be? Do we want trained, skilled professionals to bring our economy to the next level or all we want to see is another Chinese restaurant around the corner, or foreign visitors mistaking Auckland for China?

When New Zealand First’s Winston Peters said many immigrants choose New Zealand when they have failed entering Canada, US, UK and Australia he is right.

At least it is a well perceived notion among my fellow Chinese that only the “less fortunate” choose New Zealand.

As a consequence, we have been absorbing lower quality immigrants who neither have the intention to assimilate to our culture nor the intention to set up all inclusive businesses that provide jobs for Kiwis.

In the event of any of the above-mentioned countries loosening their immigration policies, brace yourself for a downward ride: far fewer people will be willing to pay the same for your home or to lease your shop.

This is because while the property market has been reflecting an exhilarating population growth it is also fuelled by the widespread assumption that “the Chinese pay the most.” It is irrational exuberance at its worst.

It is time for us New Zealanders to rethink.

- NZ Herald

Visigrad Post, Dubrovnik, Croatia – A two-day forum was attended by Croatia with heads of state and officials from twelve countries of Central and Eastern Europe, all members of the European Union, to discuss common challenges to strengthen economically and politically the area between the three seas – the Adriatic, the Baltic and the Black Sea. This was the Three Seas Initiative.

“The area between the Adriatic, the Baltic and the Black Sea is the lifeblood of Europe,” said the host of the forum, Croatian President Grabar-Kitarović. Thursday, August 25, a round table gathered in Dubrovnik, on the cost of the Adriatic Sea, the presidents of Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovenia, as well as ministers and deputy ministers of Austria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Romania and Slovakia.

The region (BABS: Baltic – Adriatic – Black Sea) accounts for 28% of EU territory, 22% of its population but only for 10% of its GDP. Discussions about the economy have focused on the need to improve the infrastructure of the whole region and in particular energetic cooperation, mainly to promote the plurality of energy sources and reduce energy dependence. According to the Croatian President, 50 billion euros are needed to overcome the current shortcomings. However, she also drew attention to the major challenges of the region, namely the demographic decline and emigration.

Polish President Duda for his part stressed that cooperation should be extended to other areas to be sufficiently strong: culture and science as well as student exchanges must come to reinforce this cooperation. But the heart of this cooperation is the creation of a true north-south European axis, stressed the Polish president. In conclusion for his speech, Andrzej Duda announced that the next summit would be held in Poland in Wroclaw in June 2017.

Chinese and American speakers were also present. Chinese Ministerial Assistant for Foreign Affairs Liu Haixing in charge of Central and Eastern Europe region recalled that China was very interested in the development of the area. China believes it will serve her project of New Silk Road.

American General James L. Jones, president of Jones Group International and former adviser for the National Security of President Obama said that the development of the Three Seas Initiative must be an element not only for European development but also for security. General Jones stressed the use by Russia of her position as an energy supplier to increase her economic influence and to strengthen her geopolitical goals.

TNO, “US ‘Aid’ to Israel Jumps to $3.8bn per Year”, 13 September 2016:

The Jewish lobby-controlled U.S. Government has agreed to increase “aid” to Israel from the current $3.1 billion per year to $3.8 billion in what the State Department has described as “the single largest pledge of bilateral military assistance in U.S. history.”

The ten-year, $38 billion handout was described by the Times of Israel as a “massive” deal which would help Israel maintain its “qualitative edge” over the Palestinians.

       

The agreement, which replaces a previous deal that is set to expire next year, will be signed next Wednesday in a State Department ceremony.

According to the Times of Israel, the acting head of Israel’s National Security Council, Yaakov Nagel, who is already in Washington, will sign the agreement on behalf of Israel.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel has “pledged not to seek additional funding from Congress for the next decade”—an act of chutzpah which the controlled media is presenting as some type of “concession.”

The new aid package will see Israel receive $3.8 billion annually—up from $3.1 billion—starting in 2019 and through 2028.

EP President Schulz: “Germany exists only in order to ensure the existence of the Jewish people.”

Addendum 25 August 2016: EU President, Juncker -  ‘Borders are the worst invention ever!’