VOD: China’s growth figure closer to 2%

This stat has been bandied about in the absence of any believable figures from the government for some time…

Property Pear

Since China’s property bubble went pear-shaped and threatened to pop, figures having been fighting a turning tide of debt fueled domestic demand, and generally flat export and rising wages.

June’s black-Monday on the Shanghai stock exchange have only highlighted what many China insiders have been speculating for a long time.

Foreign Dumping

The whole thing’s a house of cards and it’s not a case of ‘if’, but ‘when’.

The authorities are holding out – perhaps in the hope they can dump the blame elsewhere when things eventually do go tits up. The current South China Sea situation plays into this whole scenario…

Many reckon that rather than risk political and economic destruction, it would be simpler for the government go to war and call for national cohesion in the face of the ‘foreign devils’ who threaten the heavenly kingdom’s 5,000 year old culture and envy at it’s regime.

Here’s the video.

China's growth closer to 2pc
China’s growth closer to 2pc

TPP – the secret bill to affect 40% of world trade

If you ever thought moving to another planet was a good idea, here’s a reason why.

TPP countries

TPP is being negotiated in secret by governments of the above countries. None of the residents of these countries can read the bill, yet they are all effected.

The main bones of contention

ISDS, investor-state dispute settlement; Provides exceptional legal privileges to foreign investors not enjoyed by domestic companies or the public by providing private arbitration funded by the tax-payer.
Not a new thing, ISDS has been re-vamped to ensure that multi-national corporations do not suffer from changes in the law in host countries,even when those laws are in the public interest.
ISDS link #1 | ISDS link #2

IP/DRM: Making sharing of a multi-national companies sensitive information a criminal offense. The sharing of copyright material a criminal offense, even for non-commercial purposes.
Under proposals, ISP’s will be responsible to report you, the consumer, to the authorities if you’ve breached copyright law.
Under TPP, I could be prosecuted for quoting these articles, even though they’re for the public information. I’m not seeking to claim they belong to me in any way…. Still a criminal offense….
TPP DRM Copyright

Overall, the TPP represents a radical shift in the role of intellectual property across the Pacific Rim. Under the agreement, intellectual property will be transformed into a means of protecting the investments of multinational companies in culture, advertising, and medicine.

The public interest in access to knowledge, public health and technology transfer has been given short shrift under the plan.” – Dr Matthew Rimmer

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