Daily Archives: July 21, 2003


Late Night Reads

White Rose relates that the RCMP in Newfoundland want to tighten the rules on the purchase of cell phones so that their war against drugs might cost less. It might be most economic to just drop the war.
Kim at free pie quotes from this June article titled Death on the Road to Basra.
The Corner says that Hilory want Bush to win in ’04. It’s just politics you know.
Brett takes a look at term limits. You should too.


Do Not Interfere!

Spade found this delicious quote from Paul Wolfowitz:

“I think all foreigners should stop interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq,” said Wolfowitz, who is touring the country to meet U.S. troops and Iraqi officials.

’nuff said.


Foreign Policy Economics

I have not seen any statistics on the impact of the many cries to boycot French products we heard during the buildup to the Iraq war and I wonder just how happy the bushies corporate funders will be if current foreign policy has a large negative impact on worldwide sales.

Echoing harvard Professor Business School Professor John Quelch’s April warning:

Selling the American dream has paid off handsomely. Eight of the ten most valuable brands in the world, according to the Interbrand consultancy, are American, and each derives more than half its sales from outside the United States. But now a deepening opposition to American foreign policy is threatening the long-term strength of these brands.

Newsweek reports:

Does the rising tide of anti-Americanism hurt American multinationals? The vocal antiwar protesters would like to think so, but there hasn�t been much evidence for a broader consumer turnoff, until now.

Reporting on the same study the Independent headlines:

Americans are used to resentment of their global dominance. Since the war on Iraq, however, this hostility has begun to hit them where it hurts: in corporate balance sheets.

Countering the gloomy reports Nike and Mcdonalds say that their European revenues are respectiviely either up or flat. It will be interesting to watch these figures over the next 6-12 months.
Via Alternet.