For what it's worth

Justacommeman

I just spent 16 days in Europe and it was a very hinky trip. Lot's of tension in the air. I was in Paris and Spain during National Strikes a week a part and lot's of demonstrations in London this past weekend. ( locals there told me the city has been on edge of late).

Cities visted on this trip- Milan, Florence, Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante and London.

I think the price of gold is sniffing out tension thoughout the globe............

I'll be in Japan for a week and China for two more at the end on October. Anxious to to Japan's tempature although the culture there tends to be a lot more passive then the Eurozone. Not sure I'll learn anything.

MJ

edited for spelling

Wingsrule

Supposed to be a PM...

57loaded

i am very interested in your "China" report, if you can get past the propaganda that is veiled over most Western travelers
best of luck

Justacommeman

<< <i>i am very interested in your "China" report, if you can get past the propaganda that is veiled over most Western travelers
best of luck >>



I was in China last month.........Exports to the west are decreasing. China domestic consumpion is increasing exponentially amd will outstrip the US sooner then anticipated. There is a glut of expensive housing. Finding qualified factories is very difficult. Keeping workers in the coastal industrial cities post Chinese New Year will be tenous at best this year. Last year A LOT of workers returned to their ancestral villages never to return to work after Chinese New Year. Not worth it anymore as the wages in the "hinderlands" have narrowed the gap. Cambodia and Vietnam are the new cheap alternatives to China. China is building up their infrastructive at a neckbreak pace. FYI- Shanghai is at least 8 times larger then NYC and in my opinion more advanced technically. China consumes 50% of the world's cement and 33% of the steel. They are planning a China/Europe train where goods cargo by rail in 9 days. Currently it takes over 30 days by boat in most cases. This is everything from the top of my head..............I'm exhausted.........

As for getting a read on the "pulse" of the people in China...........the young people want what we have in the West. However, patience is their strength and I have seen no change in this virtue. MJ

InYHWHWeTrust

Thank you for taking time to post your observations here!! Those of us who are not able to travel or get out of the city limits much appreciate some first-hand reports, gut-feelings and whatever else you can share (even in state of jet-lag) about our global interconnectedness.

tydye

Wow that is a lot of traveling!

jmski52

Demonstrations over workweeks? holidays? pensions? entitlements? religion?

Wages?

COINB0Y

Great Post....

calleocho

Dont they have weekly protests of some sort in Europe?

I was in Rome once and i saw a fairly large strike, very organized with signs , chantings etc...I asked our friends over there what they were protesting about ...turns out it was a baber's union strike over some new tax.

I wonder what a little austerity over in Europe and the US will do to China's trade surplus ...hmm

Justacommeman

<< <i>Demonstrations over workweeks? holidays? pensions? entitlements? religion?

Wages? >>



nutshells

Spain the General Strike was in protest for 20% unemployement (official). 30% unofficial. I think the ones that were striking were the ones that were unemployeed. First official General Strike since 2002. Just about everything shut down.

France- General Strike was in protest of raising retirement to 62 from 60. More are planned.

Italy- calleocho there seems to be an ineffective random strike their all the time. That's why I didn't mention Italy

London- a lot of political tension as well as religious/Muslim. The UK insiders I spoke to said it hasn;t felt like this for 30 years. Oxford St was still mobbed with shoppers while I was there. The undisputed best retail street in the world.

MJ

CaptHenway

Hey, I was in DETROIT over the weekend!!!!
Talk about your fear, loathing and discontent!!!!!!!

DoubleEagle59

I'm very curious if you find Japan and China also very hinky.

Justacommeman

<< <i>Hey, I was in DETROIT over the weekend!!!!
Talk about your fear, loathing and discontent!!!!!!!

>>



I BEG some of you to please check out this Johnny Knoxville segement on Detroit. It may rock some of your worlds. Slow's BBQ I mentioned to this group before. The kid is amazing. We need more Americans like this. The ones that do...........The Hindenberg Project in Part 3 is sheer brillance. I do love Detroit. MJ

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

mrearlygold

<< <i>

<< <i>i am very interested in your "China" report, if you can get past the propaganda that is veiled over most Western travelers
best of luck >>



I was in China last month.........Exports to the west are decreasing. China domestic consumpion is increasing exponentially amd will outstrip the US sooner then anticipated. There is a glut of expensive housing. Finding qualified factories is very difficult. Keeping workers in the coastal industrial cities post Chinese New Year will be tenous at best this year. Last year A LOT of workers returned to their ancestral villages never to return to work after Chinese New Year. Not worth it anymore as the wages in the "hinderlands" have narrowed the gap. Cambodia and Vietnam are the new cheap alternatives to China. China is building up their infrastructive at a neckbreak pace. FYI- Shanghai is at least 8 times larger then NYC and in my opinion more advanced technically. China consumes 50% of the world's cement and 33% of the steel. They are planning a China/Europe train where goods cargo by rail in 9 days. Currently it takes over 30 days by boat in most cases. This is everything from the top of my head..............I'm exhausted.........

As for getting a read on the "pulse" of the people in China...........the young people want what we have in the West. However, patience is their strength and I have seen no change in this virtue. MJ >>




It's exciting to watch what's going on. When I was there I was greatly moved. In Vietnam you'll see the vendors starting to set up right at the crack of dawn.

Meanwhile this place is collapsing under the socialism and militaryism.

Sad to watch.

secondrepublic

Great video on Detroit. I'm rooting for that city to bounce back.

jmski52

Part I of the Detroit video - good stuff! I'll watch the rest when I get back from errands.

EddieSweat

<< <i>

<< <i>Hey, I was in DETROIT over the weekend!!!!
Talk about your fear, loathing and discontent!!!!!!!

>>



I BEG some of you to please check out this Johnny Knoxville segement on Detroit. It may rock some of your worlds. Slow's BBQ I mentioned to this group before. The kid is amazing. We need more Americans like this. The ones that do...........The Hindenberg Project in Part 3 is sheer brillance. I do love Detroit. MJ

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3 >>



I was born, grew up, lived and worked for the City of Detroit. The idea that there is some sort of rebirth or growth in Detroit is rediculous. Finacially the city has been hanging on by a thread trying to avoid going into recivership.

As far as automotive engineering goes, the LARGE magority of those jobs have been outsourced to places like India ect.

derryb

<< <i>Wow that is a lot of traveling! >>


I thing MJ is a stewardess.

Justacommeman

<I was born, grew up, lived and worked for the City of Detroit. The idea that there is some sort of rebirth or growth in Detroit is rediculous. Finacially the city has been hanging on by a thread trying to avoid going into recivership.

As far as automotive engineering goes, the LARGE magority of those jobs have been outsourced to places like India ect>

I was also born and raised in Detroit (I moved back to Michigan in 2005 after 20 years in NYC/LI). Detroit will never be what it once was and that's perfectly ok. I repeat Detroit will never be the Detroit of 1945-1972. The old model does not work. The idea that you call a rebirth or growth in Detroit "rediculous" is well, short sighted in my opinion and so old school and so mainstream. My Saturday will be spent at Eastern Market food shopping, dinner at Slow's and a concert downtown. Sunday I'm skating at the Joe, going to the Lions game (argghh) and dinner afterwards. I can't wait......Dream a little. MJ

DerryB- the politically corect term is Flight Attendant

EddieSweat

<< <i><
I was also born and raised in Detroit (I moved back to Michigan in 2005 after 20 years in NYC/LI). Detroit will never be what it once was and that's perfectly ok. I repeat Detroit will never be the Detroit of 1945-1972. The old model does not work. The idea that you call a rebirth or growth in Detroit "rediculous" is well, short sighted in my opinion and so old school and so mainstream. My Saturday will be spent at Eastern Market food shopping, dinner at Slow's and a concert downtown. Sunday I'm skating at the Joe, going to the Lions game (argghh) and dinner afterwards. I can't wait......Dream a little. MJ

DerryB- the politically corect term is Flight Attendant >>



If living in downtown Detroit works for you that's great. The city needs more like you. No sarcasm intended.

There is not going to be a renaissance of Detroit in our lifetime. OK, so I added lifetime. Short sighted, old school and mainstream? I've had the benefit of a lifetime of observation and financial ties to Detroit to make that statement. It's just reality. Not a dream.

Justacommeman

Berlin reminds me of what's starting to happen in Detroit. It also was /is bleak. However, because it is cheapest city in Europe to live young artists and entrepaneurs from Copenhagen, Stockholm, London etc moved there slowly then en masse. Now it is thriving in young talent and hope. Don't underestimate the determination of talent, youth and opportunity. I admire the resilence of the folks in the videos. I'm exploring development opportunities daily in Detroit. Eddie, having onced lived there you can surely attest to beauty of the French architecture and the potential of the riverfront. Detroit's renaissance may take root in the movie industry. Hollywood is triping over themselves to pull permits to shoot in Detroit and the surrounding area. Richard Gere just recently filmed a French movie here. Electric car batteries manufacturers and alternative energy industries are earmarking Detroit because of the Automation Alley status it has. One such plant just opened. It won't by Ford, GM or Chysler that revives the city. That dream is dead. Slow baby steps. Five years ago I may have agreed with you. Now, no way. You of all people should know never to count a Detroiter or Detroit out .

Edited to add- My sister just drove the Volt today. SHE LOVED IT.

Also, I won't be rebutting any response as this thread wasn't supposed to be about Detroit. The good Cpt steered this thread off course. Another ex Detroiter.

MJ

wpr101

Detroit is the worst. Went to U of M at Ann Arbor. Only went there a couple times, but each time it was driving through 20 minutes of abandoned houses where there wasn't anyone in sight.

Only worse place I've seen was Rosario, Argentina lol.

TWQG

MJ,
I really enjoy reading your international perspective.
Keep it coming!

Justacommeman

Thank you! That was very kind.............

One more tidbit. There was lots of chatter in the Northern European countries of the Euro becoming two separate currencles. The northern countries and the Neuro as their currency. The southern countries and the Zero as theirs. Discourse is alive and well

MJ