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September 22, 2014
European Economy: Why Europe is terrified of deflation - by Paul Ames
From Putin’s hordes massing over the eastern borders of Ukraine to
the army of home-grown Islamic State fanatics threatening a murderous
return from the Middle East, Europe has a lot be frightened of right now.
Yet there’s another nightmare haunting Europe’s economic policy makers: a monster called deflation that’s already clawing at the continent’s financial fundaments.
“We are meeting here at the time when Europe is facing a great threat,” Polish Finance Minister Mateusz Szczurek warned in a recent speech. “We are on the verge of deflation,” he told a Sept. 4 conference in Brussels. “As Europeans we should never forget that it was depression and deflation … that brought to power the totalitarian regime that devastated our continent through the world war and unspeakable atrocities 75 years ago.”
At first glance deflation doesn’t sound so bad.
Prices go down, what’s not to like?
Yet the cold economic reality means that when prices fall people stop spending, hoping things will get even cheaper. In response, businesses cut production and lay off workers. That means even less demand, and prices drop further.
By then, your economy’s in a vicious downward spiral.
Making things worse, those falling prices bring declining wages and worsening debt burdens.
Anybody who doubts how bad it could get should look back to the last time the United States caught a serious dose of deflation, from 1929-33. They called that the Great Depression.
Why Europe is terrified of deflation - Salon.com
Yet there’s another nightmare haunting Europe’s economic policy makers: a monster called deflation that’s already clawing at the continent’s financial fundaments.
“We are meeting here at the time when Europe is facing a great threat,” Polish Finance Minister Mateusz Szczurek warned in a recent speech. “We are on the verge of deflation,” he told a Sept. 4 conference in Brussels. “As Europeans we should never forget that it was depression and deflation … that brought to power the totalitarian regime that devastated our continent through the world war and unspeakable atrocities 75 years ago.”
At first glance deflation doesn’t sound so bad.
“Anybody who doubts how bad it could get should look back to the last time the US caught a serious dose of deflation. They called that the Great Depression.”
Yet the cold economic reality means that when prices fall people stop spending, hoping things will get even cheaper. In response, businesses cut production and lay off workers. That means even less demand, and prices drop further.
By then, your economy’s in a vicious downward spiral.
Making things worse, those falling prices bring declining wages and worsening debt burdens.
Anybody who doubts how bad it could get should look back to the last time the United States caught a serious dose of deflation, from 1929-33. They called that the Great Depression.
Why Europe is terrified of deflation - Salon.com
Netherlands: Dutch ambassador to the US talks trade in visit to Portland, Maine - by Seth Koenig
More aggressive promotion of Maine tourism and lobster on an
international scale can open the doors to more diverse economic
activity, a top European diplomat suggested Tuesday.
But Cary, whose organization partnered with Preti Flaherty
to hold the after-lunch talk, said more infrastructure changes must be
Read more: Dutch ambassador to the US talks trade in visit to Portland — Portland — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine
Rudolph Simon Bekink, ambassador to the U.S. for the Kingdom
of the Netherlands, told an audience at the Portland office of the law
firm Preti Flaherty on Tuesday afternoon that Maine can still do more to
capitalize on its trademark seafood and vacation offerings on the
international market.
And doing so can introduce influential people to all that
Maine has to offer, he suggested. After all, that’s what brought him
here. Bekink began vacationing in Maine in the 1980s, and now has a
second home in Scarborough, where he plans to retire next year.“It’s so beautiful here,” he said.
“The Dutch are probably the logistics kings of the world in
terms of the import and export business,” said Janine Cary, director of
the Maine International Trade Center. “Even if it starts on the tourism
side or the logistics side, it can expand out into more economic
activity.”
Cary said the Westbrook-based IDEXX Laboratories, one of
Maine’s largest employers, is one example of that. Founder David Shaw
loved Maine and wanted to live here when he established his business,
she said.
While Maine seeks to attract business leaders with its
natural beauty, Bekink said federal, state and city officials should
build up the infrastructure necessary to support their companies should
those people begin thinking of relocating here permanently.
Much progress is being made through the return of container
shipping out of Portland’s International Marine Terminal, where the
Icelandic firm Eimskip has been operating for more than a year now.
Read more: Dutch ambassador to the US talks trade in visit to Portland — Portland — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine
September 21, 2014
The Netherlands: Refreshingly Different Dutch Vocalist JO SARAH Launches "Citizens of the world"
Soulful world music sung and played by a vocalist who has traveled
and lived in many countries around the world.
JO SARAH is more than a vocalist; she’s a songwriter and a percussionist too. She writes songs inspired by her roots, soul, jazz and world music (Brazilian, African and Middle Eastern).
JO SARAH, a vocalist that takes you on a magical journey of ethnical
sounds in the world. With her philosophical lyrics, interesting choice
of harmonies and uplifting danceable rhythms, JO SARAH intrigues with
her authenticity. From intimate Surinamese ballads to groovy
African/Brazilian rhythms, JO SARAH will whisk you away!
Passionate and driven, she tells her story about what she’s seen and experienced in the many different cultures. With her sounds she paints a sounds cape that shows you where her roots lie; India, Ghana, Surinam and the Indian tribes of the Amazon.
After studying two years of Law JO SARAH decided to quit and fully focus on her music. She auditioned at the ArtEZ Conservatory of Zwolle and she got accepted right away.
Here she took singing lessons from Ronald Douglas, Adrienne West, Zosja El Rhazi and Izaline Calister. She partook in many master classes from artists like Gino Vanelli, Nancy Morano, Lilian Vieira, Josee Koning, David Linx, Kurt Elling and many more. During her study in Zwolle JO SARAH trained her songwriting-, piano- and percussion skills.
At the beginning of her last year at the conservatory JO SARAH decided to study at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark. Here she got many master classes from musicians all over the world (Cuba, Brasil, Papua New Guinea, Gambia, Mali, Iceland etc.)
During this time JO SARAH had a lot of time and space to think about who she is as a singer, artist and as a person. In this time of self-reflection JO SARAH wrote songs that were dear to her and close to her heart. She realized that singing her own songs makes her the happiest, especially when it’s influenced by world music, soul & jazz.
Coming back from Denmark, she quit all her bands and started her new journey.
After a few try outs JO SARAH was happy with her fresh new band: Jesse Buitenhuis(guitar), Roel van den Nieuwenhoff(keys), Jeroen van der Ley(bass), Roman Sielert(percussion) and Tuur Moens(drums).
JO SARAH is paving her way with her amazing band.
She just graduated honor fully with a 9 at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Zwolle. Currently she has plans to release her Debut EP “Citizen of the World” in November 2014.
Read more about: JO SARAH
JO SARAH is more than a vocalist; she’s a songwriter and a percussionist too. She writes songs inspired by her roots, soul, jazz and world music (Brazilian, African and Middle Eastern).
 |
| JO SARAH |
Passionate and driven, she tells her story about what she’s seen and experienced in the many different cultures. With her sounds she paints a sounds cape that shows you where her roots lie; India, Ghana, Surinam and the Indian tribes of the Amazon.
After studying two years of Law JO SARAH decided to quit and fully focus on her music. She auditioned at the ArtEZ Conservatory of Zwolle and she got accepted right away.
Here she took singing lessons from Ronald Douglas, Adrienne West, Zosja El Rhazi and Izaline Calister. She partook in many master classes from artists like Gino Vanelli, Nancy Morano, Lilian Vieira, Josee Koning, David Linx, Kurt Elling and many more. During her study in Zwolle JO SARAH trained her songwriting-, piano- and percussion skills.
At the beginning of her last year at the conservatory JO SARAH decided to study at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark. Here she got many master classes from musicians all over the world (Cuba, Brasil, Papua New Guinea, Gambia, Mali, Iceland etc.)
During this time JO SARAH had a lot of time and space to think about who she is as a singer, artist and as a person. In this time of self-reflection JO SARAH wrote songs that were dear to her and close to her heart. She realized that singing her own songs makes her the happiest, especially when it’s influenced by world music, soul & jazz.
Coming back from Denmark, she quit all her bands and started her new journey.
After a few try outs JO SARAH was happy with her fresh new band: Jesse Buitenhuis(guitar), Roel van den Nieuwenhoff(keys), Jeroen van der Ley(bass), Roman Sielert(percussion) and Tuur Moens(drums).
JO SARAH is paving her way with her amazing band.
She just graduated honor fully with a 9 at the ArtEZ Conservatory in Zwolle. Currently she has plans to release her Debut EP “Citizen of the World” in November 2014.
Read more about: JO SARAH
September 17, 2014
US blows off Netherlands in ISIS fight - by Maxime Zech
The United State has deemed The Netherlands unfit to address the threat of the Islamic State (IS) in a powerful enough manner. Because of the country’s hesitation to contribute heavy weaponry, The Netherlands
will not be part of the so-called coalition of the willing, in which nine allies are joining forces in the fight against IS, the Dutch daily Volkskrant reports.
At the NATO summit in Wales last week, American Foreign Affairs Minister John Kerry called on nine allies to join the coalition of the willing and contribute to the armed struggle.
According to a source, The Netherlands was very surprised not to be on the list. The coalition is now made up out of The United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Poland, Canada and Australia.
Note Almere Digest: The list who is in or out among the nations participating in the fight against ISIS keeps changing daily. Recently Turkey stated they would not participate with troops.
Read more: US blows off Netherlands in ISIS fight - NL Times
will not be part of the so-called coalition of the willing, in which nine allies are joining forces in the fight against IS, the Dutch daily Volkskrant reports.
At the NATO summit in Wales last week, American Foreign Affairs Minister John Kerry called on nine allies to join the coalition of the willing and contribute to the armed struggle.
According to a source, The Netherlands was very surprised not to be on the list. The coalition is now made up out of The United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Turkey, Poland, Canada and Australia.
Note Almere Digest: The list who is in or out among the nations participating in the fight against ISIS keeps changing daily. Recently Turkey stated they would not participate with troops.
Read more: US blows off Netherlands in ISIS fight - NL Times
Muslims on the move against ISIS: German Muslims invite all faiths to day of prayer against ISIS - by Bethan John
More than 2,000 German mosques have invited Germans of all religions
to join their Friday prayers to present a united front against the
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to try to dissuade young Muslims
from travelling to fight with radical Islamists in Syria and Iraq.
Germany’s four main Muslim groups announced their plan on Tuesday in response to concerns that German Muslims are joining ISIS and returning home with radical ideas and combat experience, posing a domestic security threat.
“We want to make clear terrorists and criminals do not speak in the name of Islam, they have trampled on the commandments of our religion, and that murderers and criminals have no place in our ranks, in our religion,” the head of the Central Council of Muslims, Aiman Mazyek, told a news conference in Berlin.
The groups are also organising peace rallies across Germany on the same day which senior officials, including Interior Minister de Maiziere and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, are expected to attend.
Authorities estimate 400 Germans have joined IS in Iraq and Syria. De Maiziere, announcing a ban on the group last week, urged the country’s 4 million Muslims to be vigilant about IS recruitment, especially on the Internet.
A 20-year-old man charged with joining IS in Syria went on trial in Frankfurt on Monday, the first such case in Germany.
Ali Kizilkaya, a spokesman for the umbrella group behind Friday’s initiative, said the Muslim community needed the support of the rest of German society to stop the radicalisation of young Muslims.
Note EU-Digest: excellent initiative by German Muslim organizations Should be copied by Muslim organizations around the world . Also more in-depth investigations should be conducted as to the actual provenience of so-called "radical Muslim" organizations. This could possibly lead to some surprising results?
Read more: German Muslims invite all faiths to day of prayer against ISIS - Al Arabiya News
Germany’s four main Muslim groups announced their plan on Tuesday in response to concerns that German Muslims are joining ISIS and returning home with radical ideas and combat experience, posing a domestic security threat.
“We want to make clear terrorists and criminals do not speak in the name of Islam, they have trampled on the commandments of our religion, and that murderers and criminals have no place in our ranks, in our religion,” the head of the Central Council of Muslims, Aiman Mazyek, told a news conference in Berlin.
The groups are also organising peace rallies across Germany on the same day which senior officials, including Interior Minister de Maiziere and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, are expected to attend.
Authorities estimate 400 Germans have joined IS in Iraq and Syria. De Maiziere, announcing a ban on the group last week, urged the country’s 4 million Muslims to be vigilant about IS recruitment, especially on the Internet.
A 20-year-old man charged with joining IS in Syria went on trial in Frankfurt on Monday, the first such case in Germany.
Ali Kizilkaya, a spokesman for the umbrella group behind Friday’s initiative, said the Muslim community needed the support of the rest of German society to stop the radicalisation of young Muslims.
Note EU-Digest: excellent initiative by German Muslim organizations Should be copied by Muslim organizations around the world . Also more in-depth investigations should be conducted as to the actual provenience of so-called "radical Muslim" organizations. This could possibly lead to some surprising results?
Read more: German Muslims invite all faiths to day of prayer against ISIS - Al Arabiya News
Scottish referendum on a knife edge: Two polls put No at 52% - with undicided at 14%
Scotland is heading for a cliffhanger result in Thursday's independence referendum, two eve-of-vote surveys are indicating.
Both opinion polls put the No campaign on 52 per cent, with support for Yes on 48 per cent, setting the scene for a highly-charged final 24 hours of campaigning.
The final result could lie in the hands of voters who are yet to make up their minds.
An ICM poll for the Scotsman put the undecided vote at 14 per cent, but suggested the Yes campaign was gaining ground.
Read more: Scottish referendum on a knife edge: Two polls put No at 52% - Scottish independence - UK - The Independent
Both opinion polls put the No campaign on 52 per cent, with support for Yes on 48 per cent, setting the scene for a highly-charged final 24 hours of campaigning.
The final result could lie in the hands of voters who are yet to make up their minds.
An ICM poll for the Scotsman put the undecided vote at 14 per cent, but suggested the Yes campaign was gaining ground.
Read more: Scottish referendum on a knife edge: Two polls put No at 52% - Scottish independence - UK - The Independent
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