finance
Money talks; reviewing the global economy, government spending, taxes, and economic policy that affect our social and political future.
The New Silk Road Part 1
Introduction: The People's Republic of China has experienced impressive growth in recent decades, becoming the world's great factory and aspiring to rival the United States. His ambition is not just limited to the economy, however, as China also seeks to play a prominent political role on the world stage. In this two-part article, we'll explore one particular aspect of Chinese strategy: the New Silk Road, a massive infrastructure project that seeks to spread Chinese influence across the globe. In this first part, we will see the historical background and the evolution of the project, as well as its main objective.
The New Silk Road Part 2
Read the first part... CRITICISMS AND CHALLENGES OF THE NEW SILK ROAD Although the New Silk Road has aroused interest and participation from many countries, it has also faced criticism and challenges. Some of the concerns and discussion points are:
Brazil
Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest country in the world by area. It is located in the tropics, and its climate is hot and humid. The country has a population of over 210 million people, making it the fifth most populous country in the world. Brazil is a federal republic, and its capital is Brasília.
Nouman YousafPublished 11 months ago in The SwampMontana's governor become the 1st state in US to ban TikTok
Montana's Governor Greg Gianforte has officially enacted a ban on TikTok by signing a bill, thus becoming the inaugural state in the United States to prohibit the widely-used social media platform. This historic decision comes after the bill successfully passed through the state's legislature, marking a notable turning point. While the ban is slated to be implemented in 2024, potential legal hurdles loom, potentially influencing the timing and execution of the prohibition.
Indra ShambahamphePublished 11 months ago in The SwampAladdin - BLACKROCK
Aladdin (Asset, Liability, Debt and Derivative Investment Network) is a technology platform developed by the world's largest investment management firm, BlackRock, to manage risk, portfolio construction, and trading for institutional investors. The platform was launched in 1999 and has since become a central component of BlackRock's operations. In this article, we will take a closer look at Aladdin and its impact on the investment industry.
$141 Million Settlement to be Issued to TurboTax Customers
Millions of American taxpayers who were eligible for free tax services but were misled into paying TurboTax will soon receive settlement checks as compensation. In a settlement reached last year, Intuit Inc., the owner of TurboTax, was ordered to pay $141 million to approximately 4.4 million individuals nationwide. These individuals, who were low-income consumers qualifying for free federally-supported tax services, were charged by TurboTax to file their federal tax returns for the years 2016, 2017, and 2018 due to deceptive and predatory marketing practices, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.
FinTech - The New Paradigm for Business
Businesses have always looked for ways to operate efficiently and stay ahead of the competition. Technology is now an essential part of businesses and aids them in achieving these goals. Traditionally the purpose of using technology was to automate manual tasks. Today, companies use technology to work smarter by using data and analytics to stay ahead of the competition.
Ryan WilliamsonPublished 12 months ago in The SwampRussian aluminum billionaire hounded by FBI, regularly blogs about the death of the U.S. dollar
Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, according to Forbes magazine, with a fortune of 2.6 billion USD in 2023, regularly writes on his own blog about the death of the US dollar, the collapse of the US financial system and asshole executives in Washington.
Robert WaldoPublished 12 months ago in The SwampTurkey's "Gas for Gold" Scandal: A Corruption Scheme That Shook the World
In recent years, Turkey has been embroiled in one of the biggest corruption scandals in modern history: the "Gas for Gold" scheme. This scandal involved the Turkish government's use of gold to evade sanctions imposed by the international community and to fuel a vast web of corruption that implicated some of the country's top political and business leaders.
Muhammad HamzaPublished about a year ago in The SwampUkraine's Missing Millions: The Disappearance of $40 Billion in State Assets
In recent years, Ukraine has been plagued by corruption scandals and economic instability, with billions of dollars in state assets disappearing under mysterious circumstances. The disappearance of these funds has contributed to Ukraine's ongoing economic crisis, with the country struggling to make ends meet and meet its obligations to international creditors.
Muhammad HamzaPublished about a year ago in The Swamp"Inside FIFA's Football Parallel Universe: Rampant, Systemic and deep-rooted corruption"
FIFA, the international governing body of football, has created a parallel universe that exists beyond national borders and transcends cultural differences. This universe is built around the global game of football, which has become the most popular sport in the world, with an estimated 3.5 billion fans worldwide.
Muhammad HamzaPublished about a year ago in The SwampDear World Economic Forum
Dear World Economic Forum, You had me worried for a minute there world economic forum. I saw ‘support the middle class’ and ‘reduce income inequality’ and thought maybe the liberals had gotten to you. Once I got to the part about the magic of tax cuts and how they solve every economic and social problem known to man I knew you had only included those as classic leftie head fakes. Nice job not talking at all about who specifically should get the miracle growth creating magic juice shots (aka tax cuts). Obviously they should go to the wealth creators, bankers, financial industry insiders, top economists, CEOs, etc. Basically all the people who make up the membership of the world economic forum. Of course we will want to reduce or eliminate that pesky corporate tax as well. I’ll never understand how anyone could think that asking a company to pay its fair share to contribute to the common good of the people in exchange for the right to operate and turn a profit for itself and its investors could possibly be fair. I mean what the fuck did the people ever do for the corporations. Nothing that’s what, except tax and regulate the fuck out of ‘em. Way to go people, you have hurt poor little corporations feelings, he is going to cry now, are you proud of yourselves, assholes.
Everyday JunglistPublished about a year ago in The Swamp