Network Archives

Wealth and Prosperity Do Exist … if You Know Where to Look

"The pursuit of prosperity for ourselves and our children is the underpinning of the American dream – the idea that being all that you can be is possible. But it seems things are changing… The 2012 Legatum Prosperity Index has just been made public. It reveals that America is no longer among the Top 10 countries for the first time ever. We are now 12th. The essential question is: What pulled America out of the top 10? Was it our health care system? An antiquated educational system? Eroding personal freedoms? No. It was the rather significant decline in 'entrepreneurship and opportunity.' Many U.S. citizens no longer believe that hard work pays off." Continue reading →

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French officials furious at Economist “time-bomb” taunt

"French officials angrily rejected a charge by Britain's The Economist weekly on Friday that France was the 'time-bomb at the heart of Europe' and a danger to the euro single currency, accusing the magazine of sensationalism. French public spending accounts for 56 percent of gross domestic product, the highest level in the euro zone, and public debt reached 90 percent of GDP this year. Hollande's deficit-reduction strategy is based two-thirds on tax increases, much of it on businesses, and one-third on spending cuts." Continue reading →

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Why The U.S. Job Market Remains Terribly Bleak

"Full time work is about to get scarcer. The reason? By hiring part-time workers who put in less than 30 hours per week, employers can avoid a mandate dictated by the new health reform law: either provide expensive health insurance or pay a fine equal to $2,000 per worker. Avoiding the mandate becomes even more attractive for low-wage employees, since they can get highly subsidized insurance in the newly created health insurance exchanges. Even though employers will have the option of paying a $2,000 fine, does anybody think the fine is likely to stay that low?" Continue reading →

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Petraeus Scandal is Neocons Loss

If there is a positive to come out of the unfolding scandal involving General Petraeus, it might be a more sober accounting of America’s involvement in Afghanistan. Risks to our national security have been heightened by our continued presence there: Our handpicked president, Hamid Karzai is seen as a joke. Anti-American sentiment has grown considerably. Terrorists recruit. The Taliban endures. To the degree Americans [...]

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Pilots Know More Than Just How to Fly Planes

"The Airline Pilots Association sure understands the importance of government regulation to create benefits for a small group and the value of limiting supply. According to WSJ, new regulations require newly hired pilots to have at least 1,500 hours of prior flight experience. That number is that is six times the current requirement. At the same time a large number of pilots are going to be forced to retire because they are bumping up against the current mandatory retirement age of 65." Continue reading →

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Guy Who Started Alabama’s Secession Petition Wants His Topless Car Wash Back

"'I'm working poor. And I work -– I've never taken a dime from the government. I'll starve before I take a handout. That's what being a true American is all about.' Belcher blamed the government for shutting down his former business. Belcher said his Euro Details car wash, which featured topless women, was successful for a decade on Halls Mill Road in Mobile. But he said he was arrested and charged with obscenity by city officials in 2001. 'The government ripped my business away, and now they're choking America to death with rules and regulations,' he said." Continue reading →

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Spain halts evictions of vulnerable homeowners

"Spain announced Thursday a two-year halt to evictions of the most vulnerable home owners as a public outcry mounted over suicides linked to desperate people facing expulsion. The Spanish Banking Association announced Monday it was freezing mortgage-related evictions for two years in extreme cases. Savings banks, too, suspended expulsions while awaiting new government rules. Many people were shocked by two suicides in 15 days by indebted homeowners facing expulsion in Spain, where both banks and borrowers were hammered by a 2008 property crash." Continue reading →

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Wal-Mart workers plan Black Friday walkout

"A group of Wal-Mart workers are planning to stage a walkout next week on Black Friday, arguably the biggest holiday shopping day for the world's largest retail store. The walkout builds on an October strike that started at a Wal-Mart in Los Angeles and spread to stores in 12 other cities. More than 100 workers joined in the October actions. According to Anthony Bianco, author of Wal-Mart: The Bully of Bentonville, butchers at a Wal-Mart supercenter in Jacksonville, Texas, voted to form a union in 2000 -- the first time employees had done so. But soon after that, Wal-Mart eliminated butcher departments in its stores across the country." Continue reading →

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HUD director tapped to lead Sandy recovery

"President Obama appointed the director of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Shaun Donovan, to lead the government’s efforts to help states in the wake of Hurricane Sandy’s havoc. Donovan will be in charge of recovery plans for states hit by the storm and direct federal assistance. The storm is expected to cost about $50 billion. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he expects the federal government to provide the estimated $33 billion in damages and losses suffered in the state." Continue reading →

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