europe | The Obama Diary

Posts Tagged ‘europe

Sep

The Great Migration

Categories: All Photos and Articles
Tags: europe, humanity, iraq, ISIL, refugees, syria

A group of migrants leaves a collection point in the village of Roszke, Hungary, September 7, 2015, as they decided to go the nearest town of Szeged. - Reuters/Marko Djurica

With the new millennium, Europe increasingly became a magnet for migrants. Such a migration engendered nativist movements, racism, and violence. (In the former East Germany, migrants’ hostels were firebombed at an alarming rate. In France, the National Front kept gaining in popularity as the immigrant population kept increasing.)

But what we’re seeing this year is something Europe hasn’t witnessed since the end of World War II. Frankly, it’s something Europe has never witnessed. A swathe of humanity is on the march, and it’s heading for European shores.

Continue reading ‘The Great Migration’

Jul

#ThisIsACoup - Updates on Greece

By Liberal Librarian 107 Comments

Categories: All Photos
Tags: austerity, bailout, europe, european, Germany, Greece, political tweets, tweets

As most of you know, I was hoping for a “Yes” vote in the Greek referendum, especially as the proposal which the Tsipras government put forth this week encompassed most of the demands which Greece’s creditors had been making.

The Syriza proposals were approved by the creditors, and sent to the Eurozone finance ministers. And then Germany got in the act.

In an act of suicidal hubris, Germany is demanding nothing short of humiliation for Greece. Even though I had hoped for a Yes vote, this petty revenge is unbelievable from a country which plunged Europe into two World Wars. It is Germany’s gambit to establish the EU as merely a Greater German Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Here is where we stand at the moment.

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Newspaper headlines.

Frankfurter Allgemeine

Translation: Trust has been lost; Doubts of Greece’s willingness to reform.

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Le Figaro

Translation: Greece has driven a wedge between France and Germany

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Liberation

Translation: What game is Germany playing?

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Wall Street Journal

Continue reading ‘#ThisIsACoup - Updates on Greece’

Oct

Jobs? ✔ Economy Growing? ✔ Thank You, President Obama

By Nerdy Wonka 138 Comments

Categories: All Photos and Articles
Tags: Auto Industry, Barack Obama, Consumer Spending, Consumers, economy, europe, factory, Federal Reserve, gdp, jobs, Jobs Report, manufacturing, michigan, Obama, Political And Funny Tweets, President, production, spending, tweets, workers

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Loraine Woellert: Factory Production Rebounds As U.S. Sustains Expansion

Production at American factories rebounded, claims for jobless benefits fell to a 14-year low and households held the most optimistic views in two years, signs the world’s largest economy is overcoming a global slowdown. Manufacturing output climbed 0.5 percent in September, springing back from a 0.5 percent drop the prior month, as factories pushed out more computers, appliances and building-supplies, according to Federal Reserve data issued today in Washington. Other reports showed the momentum is being sustained as the fewest workers since April 2000 filed applications for unemployment insurance last week and more consumers said this month that the economy will get better.

The reports bolster forecasts that the U.S. expansion will survive the weakening in Europe and emerging nations that has roiled global financial markets. American consumer spending, which accounts for almost 70 percent of the economy, is likely to strengthen as employment keeps growing and confidence climbs. Ford Motor Co. is among those automakers that remain upbeat. The second-biggest U.S. carmaker is adding workers at its Dearborn, Michigan, plant as it prepares for its new aluminum-bodied F-150 pickup. The truck is scheduled to arrive in showrooms by the end of the year. “These new jobs will help meet anticipated customer demand,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas, during an Oct. 13 announcement. The company has hired more than 23,000 employees since 2011.

More here

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