| The Kensington Review |
1 July 2005 |
| Latest Commentary: | Volume IV, Number 78 |
|
Bush Gets Africa Right Part II -- The bungled foreign policy of George W. Bush does not include Africa. On this continent, he is getting things largely right, and this journal has been cheering for him on this point for two years now. In advance of the G-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, he has announced a three-pronged initiative targeting malaria, female education, and aid to provide legal support for women who are victims of violence or sexual abuse. It’s enough to make one proud to be an American.
Israel’s Gaza Mess Has Soldiers Disobeying Orders -- The hard-line Jewish resistance to Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his plan to withdraw the settlements from Gaza suffered a tactical defeat this week, which turned into a strategic victory. The Israeli Defense Force sealed off all 21 settlements to keep non-resident protesters out, and then raided a former hotel to push out 150 protesters. By Friday, the situation was well enough in hand that the IDF could reopen the settlements to outsiders. Support for the withdrawal plan had also reached 48% in one poll, down from 70% earlier this year. More significantly, some of the troops aren’t obeying orders. Fed Hikes Interest Rates Again -- The Federal Open Market Committee Meeting raised interest rates in America 0.25% yesterday. This is the ninth straight meeting that has resulted in increased interest rates. This was not a surprise, but the tea-leaf readers on Wall Street focused not on what was said but how it was said. They needn’t have bothered; there will be more rate hikes in the future. AMC Offers Movie Fans Money Back Guarantee -- Demanding one’s money back is a recent development in the market place. In the early days of economics, the term was “caveat emptor,” but this has changed. Now, a consumer who’s dissatisfied with a product or service can get replacements or even void the transaction. This week, AMC Entertainment offered a money back guarantee on the Russell Crowe feature film “Cinderella Man.” This could prove interesting. © Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux. |
|