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Greece’s demographic problem threatening economic recovery

October 7, 2018 By administrator

Greece’s demographic problem

Greece’s aging population is seriously undermining the long-term growth prospects of the country’s economy, official data suggest amid warnings by prominent economists.

At the outset of the financial crisis in 2010, Greece’s active population – those aged between 20 and 64 – stood at 7.045 million people. Today that number stands at 6.8 million. People aged 20-40 years account for 40 percent of the population now compared to 46 percent in 2010.

And things are only likely to get worse, according to the United Nations, which forecasts that by 2025 the proportion of the active population in Greece will have dropped below 6.5 million, with only 2.3 million people forming the 20-40 age group.

Moreover, the number of people aged 65 and over is expected to soar to 2.535 million by 2025 from 2.1 million in 2010 and 2.237 million in 2015.

Greece’s falling birth rate has been highlighted as a serious problem by international organizations and prominent economists.

Tellingly, the number of children up to the age of 4 is already on the slide, dropping from 585,000 to 503,000 in the period stretching from 2010 to 2015, while this figure is expected to plummet to 404,000 by 2025, according to projections by the UN.

In Greece, the fertility rate – children per couple – stands at 1.26 compared to 1.49 in the European Union. According to the EU’s statistics agency Eurostat, Greece and Italy have the third lowest fertility rates in the EU, behind Germany and Portugal.

In comments to Kathimerini, Zsolt Darvas, a senior economist at the Bruegel think tank, said Greece’s demographic problem poses a very real threat to the country’s fragile economic recovery. The dwindling of the population leads inexorably to a shrinking of the economy, investments and growth, he said.

The same problem was highlighted by former International Monetary Fund official Bob Traa in an article for Kathimerini last month.

The country’s protracted economic crisis has resulted in a faster demographic slowdown than previously expected, Traa wrote, warning that it could take a full generation for the Greek population to stabilize from the impact of the “economic shock.”

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: demographic, Greece’s, problem

Netanyahu ‘bigger problem’ in Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Trump

October 8, 2017 By administrator

US President Donald Trump has described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the bigger anathema of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. 

Both leaders of Israel and Palestine are problematic; however, Netanyahu is the bigger problem, Trump said in a meeting last month with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to seven Western and Israeli sources, who were either present at or briefed on the meeting, Israeli Haaretz newspaper wrote on Friday.

On September 19, Trump had held a 15-minute meeting with Guterres on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. According to six Western diplomats and one former senior Israeli official, all of whom asked to remain anonymous, at least half of the meeting dealt with the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Trump, who had met with Netanyahu in New York the previous day, told Guterres his impressions of that meeting and his own views on the peace process.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is very old and needs a legacy to leave behind. Netanyahu, in contrast, understands that he’ll never have a president more understanding of Israel’s security needs, Trump told Guterres, adding that Netanyahu would be the harder one to persuade.

On September 18, Trump met in New York with Netanyahu. There he surprised Netanyahu when, at a joint press event before the meeting, he focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In the days before the meeting, Netanyahu and his staff had repeatedly stressed that the meeting would focus on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Netanyahu told Israeli reporters in a post-meeting briefing that despite the prominence Trump gave the Israeli-Palestinian issue in front of the cameras, at the meeting itself it wasn’t a major topic of discussion.

Netanyahu was likely convincing Trump to get tough with Iran and create problems over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

A few days after he returned from New York, Netanyahu briefed the Israeli regime’s security cabinet and the ministers about his meeting with Trump.

“I presented our positions to the president,” Netanyahu told the ministers about his meeting with Trump.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Netanyahu 'bigger, problem, Trump

The Clinton University Problem: Laureate Education Lawsuits Present Problem For Clinton’s [Updated]

June 10, 2016 By administrator

Jonathan turley.

Jonathan turley.

(jonathanturley.org) While largely ignored by the media, the Clintons have their own university scandal. Donald Trump has been rightfully criticized and sued over his defunct Trump University. There is ample support for claiming that the Trump University was fraudulent in its advertisements and operations. However, the national media has been accused of again sidestepping a scandal involving the Clintons that involves the same type of fraud allegations. The scandal involves a dubious Laureate Education for-profit online college (Walden) and entails many of the common elements with other Clinton scandals: huge sums given to the Clintons and questions of conflicts with Hillary Clinton during her time as Secretary of State. There are distinctions to draw between the two stories, but the virtual radio silence on the Clinton/Laureate story is surprising. [I have updated the original column with some additional thoughts, links, and clarifications for readers).

I have long been a critic of many online courses, though I am increasingly in the minority even on my faculty. However, the rise of online courses has allowed for an increase in dubious pitches and practices that prey upon people who cannot afford or attend a traditional academic institution.  I should also reveal a general opposition to for-profit universities, a view shared by many teachers and experts.  While there are some good for-profit programs from student camps to specialized training courses, Laureate is a massive, mega-corporation that is often criticized for its impact on education.  As companies maximize profits, students often become a mere cost of doing business.  The rate of default has been higher at such for-profit universities and less than half of students at for-profit schools actually finish such programs accordingly to Brookings.  Laureate is often cited as the leader in reducing education to a commodity in a mass for-profit enterprise.  The company has made huge profits and is worth over $4 billion.

Laureate Education was sued over its Walden University Online offering, which some alleged worked like a scam designed to bilk students of tens of thousands of dollars for degrees. Students alleged that they were repeatedly delayed and given added costs as they tried to secure degrees, leaving them deeply in debt.  Laureate itself has been criticized for “turbocharging” admissions while allowing standards to fall and shortchanging education.

The respected Inside Higher Education reported that Laureate Education paid Bill Clinton an obscene $16.5 million between 2010 and 2014 to serve as an honorary chancellor for Laureate International Universities.  Various news outlets said that neither Clinton nor Laureate were forthcoming on how much he was paid for the controversial association.

Bill Clinton worked as the “honorary chancellor” which sounds a bit like the group’s pitchman. He gave speeches in various countries and was heavily touted by the for-profit company to attract students.  The size of this payment (which has been widely reported) raises obvious concerns as to what the company was seeking to achieve and whether Laureate received any benefit from the association with the State Department given its massive international operations.

Various sites have reported that the State Department funneled $55 million in grants during Hillary Clinton’s tenure to groups associated with Laureate’s founder.  That would seem a pretty major story but virtually no mainstream media outlet has reported it while running hundreds of stories on the Trump University scandal.  The stories on the grants do not name Laureate directly.  Accordingly, the company might have not received direct grants (my first column did not make that clear and, in fairness to Laureate, there is no evidence of a quid pro quo arrangement or even direct grants).  However, there are references to the International Youth Federation (connected to Laureate chairman Douglas Becker) as receiving USAID funding.  Becker, who reportedly did not graduate college, is a controversial figure and the Washington Post wrote that “Becker’s peers in the education industry paint him as a tireless promoter, skilled at pitching Laureate to investors and persuading universities to sell to him.”  Becker is reportedly a major donor to the Clintons and the Clinton Foundation.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Laureate was able to “skirt” regulations on reporting “gainful employment” due to its large number of schools and students outside of the country who do not receive federal aid.  The Journal noted “[o]nly 31% of students who enroll at another Laureate school, Santa Fe University of Art and Design, graduate. After 10 years, a mere 58% earn more than Americans with a high school diploma.”

Clinton resigned from his post just before his wife declared her candidacy but praised the company for producing high quality education.  Yet, MarketWatch reported “five out of its six U.S. campuses are on a list of 544 schools the Department of Education is monitoring over concerns about shaky finances or regulatory compliance.”

Indeed, Laureate has come up in the Clinton email scandal.  In her first year as Secretary of State, Clinton is quoted as directly asking that Laureate be included in a high-profile policy dinner — just months before the lucrative contract was given to Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton later references “Laureate Universities, started by Doug Becker who Bill likes a lot.”

Of course, there is a good reason why Clinton would ask for a more inclusive listing since “It’s a for-profit model that should be represented.”  Even though most teachers (including the unions supporting Clinton) tend to be opposed to such for-profit companies, there is no denying that this model is on the rise.  Later, Clinton called for a crackdown on for-profit companies but was criticized for the former association with Laureate.

There was even a class action — like the Trump University scandal. Travis et al v. Walden University LLC, was filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Maryland but dismissed in 2015. It is not clear why it was dismissed. However, the size of the contract to Clinton, the grants from State and the complaints over alleged fraud should warrant a modicum of attention to the controversy. The controversy has many of the familiar complaints over fraudulent online programs that take advantage of hard working people.

As an academic, I find both Trump University and Laureate to be deeply troubling stories. Yet, only one has been pursued by the media to any significant degree. I am not suggesting that Laureate as a whole is fraudulent.  It clearly is a large for-profit educational company that has far more to show for its work than Trump University.  Indeed, this is a huge global company with tremendous financial assets and profits.   Moreover, there are distinctions that can be drawn with a university like Trump that is based entirely on the presumptive nominee and his promises in advertising. However, the money given to the Clintons, the involvement of the State Department, and the claims of fraud make this an obviously significant story in my view.  The ridiculous amount of money given to Clinton alone raises legitimate questions.  This is a company that was expanding exponentially in foreign countries. The association with Clinton was obviously greatly desired by the company.  The question is whether the association with the Clintons resulted in any favorable treatment for the company or its affiliates.

What do you think?

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: problem, The Clinton, university

Turkey problem with every neighbore, Turkish jets enter Greek air space for second day

April 12, 2016 By administrator

turkish_jets_web-thumb-largeTurkish fighter jets violated Greek air space for the second time in as many days Tuesday, fueling concern in military and diplomatic circles.

Just after 8 a.m. two Turkish F-16s entered the Athens Flight Information Region between Lesvos and Chios and flew over the islet of Oinousses.

About an hour later, one Turkish F-16 entered the same area of Greek air space and also flew over Oinousses.

In both cases, the Turkish jets were chased off by Greek aircraft.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: enter, Greece, jet, problem, Turkey, Turkish

The wife of Turkish President Erdogan Like Husband do not think that the Armenian & Kurdish question in Turkey exist

February 27, 2016 By administrator

122657-383x286The wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke at a public meeting on the issues of national minorities in Turkey. According Haber.sol, Emine Erdogan during a meeting in the lounge of the Sheraton to Atashehir (Turkey), became involved in politics, surprising the audience present at the meeting. “In Turkey region fight with all these problems is determined. In this country we went to war for those who do not want to move forward and as a nation we won. Currently international forces wish to advance their interests and achieve their goals on our land, “said the First Lady Emine Erdogan of Turkey, adding that Turkey does not believe that the Armenian question and the Kurdish question exist …

Krikor Amirzayan

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: Armenian, Kurd, problem, turkish erdogan, wife

Our RoA Problems

January 19, 2016 By administrator

Garen-Y.13-1BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

I doubt any serious person has doubts that the Republic of Armenia has serious problems. A few might not grasp that much of it stems from the system in place that is built on corruption. But, many probably do not fully grasp the intertwined and confusing causes of this corruption and problems.

I am one of those who is perhaps just starting to assemble all the pieces conceptually. By sharing some of these thoughts and realizations, many stemming from a very interesting discussion at a recent ARF meeting, I hope to develop the necessary awareness among our nation to support solutions to these devastating problems.

The first thing to realize is that the RoA’s problems are manifestations of global, regional, and local factors.

The global aspect comes from the dominant, neo-liberal, economic prescriptions freely distributed by the developed countries to everyone else. These “medications” treat money, profit, and “the economy” as paramount. Human needs are secondary. These prescriptions led to the misery we witnessed in Asia and Latin America in the 1980s and 1990s.

This brings us to the regional factors. They are the side-effects of the same prescriptions (as above) that were handed out in the post-Soviet space by “advisors” who, effectively, took advantage of unsuspecting populations’ desires for political freedom and economic well-being. Not knowing how the West’s economies/polities/societies functioned, the people of the region could not have imagined what was to befall them. In the absence of the regulations, the checks-and-balances, that had been built into western systems, those who had any kind of power during the Soviet period used it to avariciously and destructively enrich themselves, weld economic and political power, and secure it firmly in their hands.

Locally, because of two belligerent (Azerbaijan, Turkey), one untrustworthy (Georgia), and one friendly but constrained (Iran) neighbors Armenia has, everything is impacted and perceived through the prism of security, especially with the Genocide as an ever-present reminder of what is possible. That lesson has been refreshed often: property grabs during the early-Ataturk-republic period, Varlik Vergisi during WWII, looting in the 1950s, Cyprus in the 1970’s, Kurdish massacres throughout the last century, de-Armenianization of Nakhichevan, Azeribaijan’s massacres of Armenians from 1989 onward, Turkey’s support of IS/Daesh, and Azerbaijan’s ongoing adventurism along the front. The country is landlocked. Plus, the civil war between Ankara’s forces and the Kurds in Western Armenia, along with IS/Daesh in Iraq and Syria, could easily spill across the Arax River into the RoA or enter circuitously through Azerbaijan – remember the Afghan mercenaries who fought against NKR’s liberation in the early nineties.

Now, couple this with the level of civic awareness and economic destitution in the RoA. It seems to me that the mindset of a vast majority of the people in the RoA is what best might be described as that of subjects and not citizens. The exceptions are of course the exploiting oligarch class and the relatively small numbers of (mostly young) people who have taken to the streets to protest various wrongs (Electric Yerevan, mining, Trchgan, etc.). This is what enables the buying of votes by the abusers who then maintain their “elected” hold on power and perpetuate the skewed (or ignored, or “bent”) rules and laws. Of course the cycle continues with people then being forced into poverty and desperation allowing the future buying of votes. The sense of “this is mine and I won’t let some creep ruin it” does not yet exist for most people, and when it does, the need to feed their kids often overrides it.

This subjugation exists in one form or another worldwide. The massive campaign monies that flow in the U.S. maintain the hold of the money elites over power. In Saudi Arabia, oil money handed out to the people (in various forms and subsidies) buys their quiescence. In Turkey, the party in power, recently shifted from Ataturk’s to Erdoğan’s, gets all kinds of spoils, and pays off its supporters (think of all the scandals that have emerged over just the past 2-3 years involving high level government officials and even Erdoğan’s son). Moscow’s corruption needs no description. Beijing’s “controlled” capitalism come sat the cost of people’s social and political freedom.

The RoA is just like everywhere else, but with security concerns unlike almost anywhere else. This leads to a fear, an internal constraint people put upon themselves in protesting and trying to achieve changes in a flawed system, lest the country be endangered due to internal instability or strife.

So what’s to be done? We can hope for the oligarchs to attenuate their abuses out of the goodness of their hearts, or for the sake of the country, since current conditions are driving a massive exodus of young and talented people. Given that the oligarchs have probably set up nicely padded nests of stolen money internationally, most of them probably don’t care very much. This does not seem like a very promising option, unless somehow the oligarchs come to fear for their hold on power.

The other approach is activism, both in and out of country, with the aim of systemic change. If the destructive trend of driving wages to the lowest possible levels though artificially created international “competition” can be reversed and the power of money elites once again contained, then analogous changes will be much easier to implement in our homeland as well. Simultaneously, we must help our compatriots develop a strong sense of citizenship and ownership of the RoA so they can more assertively pursue the necessary reforms.

Consider this when voting in this year’s U.S. elections. Let’s start working towards a livable world for all, not just the hyper-rich.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Armenia, problem

Farewell Time: Turkey is ‘Problem Child’ NATO Needs to Ditch “ties with Islamic extremists”

November 26, 2015 By administrator

1030774092With the changing times and different threats the international community is currently facing, Turkey should be removed from NATO, the US magazine American Thinker said.

Turkey’s admission into NATO in 1952 had a clear military purpose — the country’s membership was supposed to help the Western alliance to avoid Soviet expansion in the region. From the Western point of view, it might have been the right decision to make during the Cold War era.

However, right now NATO doesn’t need Turkey and it’s time to ditch Ankara, especially after finding out that the Turkish government has ties with Islamic extremists in the Middle East, the US newspaper said.

“Old adversaries need to be re-evaluated, as do old ‘allies’ — which were never likely allies to begin with… The time has come: Turkey should be removed from NATO,” the American Thinker reported.

Turkey has always been “the problem child in NATO,” the magazine said. The Turkish government has been using its NATO membership as an effective tool to achieve its own political goals, which don’t coincide with NATO’s interests.

In 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, causing a split in NATO, which resulted in Greece withdrawing its forces from the alliance until 1980. Then in 2012, after repeated and deliberate airspace violations the Syrian Air Force shot down a Turkish plane causing NATO unwanted headaches.

According to the American Thinker, Turkey has always had Islamic ties due to its complex history. Under the protection of its NATO membership, Turkey managed to increase its influence in the region to the point that it supported ISIL by carrying out illegal oil sales with the terrorist organization, the US magazine said.

Following the rise of ISIL and a series of terrorist attacks in Europe, the EU and the United States need to defeat ISIL. NATO can’t afford to have a country that “pretends to be a friend while stabbing [the West] in the back” and that’s why Turkey needs to be dropped from the Western alliance, the American Thinker explained.

Instead, NATO should find a common ground with Russia since both parties are currently involved in the fight against Islamic extremism.

The Russian Su-24 Fencer bomber was shot down by two Turkish F-16s Tuesday morning while conducting operations over Syria.

One of the pilots from the downed Su-24 was rescued by the Syrian Army Tuesday morning. The other pilot was killed by fire from the ground after ejecting from the plane. A Russian naval infantry soldier also lost his life after an Mi-8 chopper was downed during a rescue operation.

The Turkish president said that Ankara acted in line with its sovereign right to respond to threats, claiming that the Russian jet had violated Turkish airspace. However, flight data released by the Russian Ministry of Defense shows that the Su-24s never entered Turkey, and were attacked while performing legitimate maneuvers over Syria.    

Source: sputniknews

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Child, NATO, problem, Turkey

The commemoration of the centennial of the Armenian Genocide problem in Germany

April 2, 2015 By administrator

As we approach the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide dispute appeared in the Bundestag on the commemoration is considered. While the Greens and the Left want to talk about the genocide as such, the federal government and the advice of coalition parties have expressed reservations about it.

Der Tagesspiegel newspaper according to the “apparently, it is feared a conflict with Turkey, which rejects the classification of the massacre as genocide today.”

On April 24, a one-hour debate in the Bundestag should take place on the occasion of the anniversary.

Bundestag in recent months, an informal working group of politicians from all four groups discussed how to handle this anniversary. For members Cem Özdemir of the Green Party and the party die Petra Pau Link, it was clear they want to use the word genocide with their fractions. In turn the competent Rapporteur of the CDU and SPD, Christoph Bergner and Dietmar Nietan wanted face forward the position there are more than ten years without mention of the word genocide.

In the common text they had made late last week, the word genocide was in the title. But after finalization by the heads of factions and the German Foreign Ministry, the controversial term has disappeared again.

Der Tagesspiegel newspaper according to the “apparently it is feared an affront to Turkey at an inopportune time. In June, there will be elections. Turkey is also a partner in the fight against the terrorist militia “Islamic state” (IS) that is necessary. “

MEPs will vote at their next group meeting on April 21 on the resolution. But it is likely that the term genocide will be used again in the preamble.

“Personally, I am disappointed that he seems to lack a critical point of courage, even to say what happened,” said the deputy Dietmar Nietan SPD. He does not think it useful to give in to pressure Turkey and the word genocide is not pronounced. Over the last ten years the debate has changed there Nietan said. “If the German Parliament called genocide openly, we can also strengthen those of civil society in Turkey working for a renewal.”

His colleague CDU Christoph Bergner is “that we should try to clarify the dimension that had events there 100 years clearly indicate them.”

The German Foreign Ministry, told the contrary, a culture of remembrance can not be prescribed “from outside and from above” as stated by the Minister of State for Europe, Michael Roth. She needs space and time to grow within the company.

“We welcome the fact that the endless suffering, expulsion and murder of Armenians in Turkey for many years are no longer a taboo and publicly criticized and is also discussed” said the politician of the SPD.

“It is important to contribute to the understanding and reconciliation between Armenians and Turks, which is why we continue to promote dialogue and exchange projects,” said Roth.

However, the chairman of the Green Party Cem Özdemir believes this is not enough. He criticized the federal government does not ready 100 years after the genocide, to name the genocide by name.

“The Federal Republic is the legal successor of the German Empire and therefore the closest ally of the Ottoman Empire in the responsibility,” he has said.

The debate is just beginning in Germany.

Thursday, April 2, 2015,
Stéphane © armenews.com

Filed Under: Articles, Genocide Tagged With: armenian genocide, Germany, problem

Foreign Minister of Sweden: Authoritarian political regime of Azerbaijan will create problems for us

July 17, 2014 By administrator

swedish-FMSwedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt expressed doubts about the sincerity of the Azerbaijani authorities for participating in the EU program “Eastern Partnership”, reports the Azerbaijani news agency “Turan.”

“Azerbaijan is a special story. They are sitting on oil and have a somewhat more authoritarian political development that would create problems for us,” he said during his speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington.

Bildt noted that the program of “Eastern Partnership” faces greater challenges than in the time of its adoption in 2008.

According to him, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine are actively moving forward on the path of European integration, Armenia has decided to join the Customs Union and the situation with Belarus remains unclear.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Azerbaijan, FM, problem, Sweden

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