Bizzy’s AM Coffee Biz-Econ Links (021406)

Free Links:

• Europe on verge of steep decline? Fareed Zakaria thinks so, and lays is out at MSNBC/Newsweek. I think there may be exceptions to the malaise, such as Poland and the Baltic states, and that the UK may muddle through with at least acceptable economic performance, but unfortunately I believe Zakaria is otherwise dead on.
• In a story totally related to the previous item, the German public sector has walked out in its biggest strike in 14 years (HT EU Rota). For fans of socialized medicine, be advised that this includes hospitals. Expatica also has a story.
• Old news, yes, but a different and I would say accurate spin — Cliff Kincaid sees trouble in the fine print of the documents that came out of the Tunisia United Nations Internet Summit. It’s never really over with these folks.
• “Mom Was Right” Headline of the Day — “Money really doesn’t buy happiness, study finds.”
• When I see a story about how Michelle Kwan’s endorsement deals might dry up as a result of her injury-driven withdrawal from the Olympics, my immediate reaction is that she probably doesn’t care about those things, and never has. She has to be one of the classiest acts ever to appear in any sport.
• More news on Katrina fraud than I can stand to recount. If you can handle it, there’s a PDF link to the results of a Government Accountability Office report investigation into the extent of fraud. One word: pervasive.
• It looks like Alan Greenspan will get $5 million or more for his memoirs — I’m all for it, if his wife and NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell’s retirement is part of the deal.
• I’m sorry, this irritates me (US near full employment, White House says”) — What that means is that full employment for whites is just below its current 4.1% and full-employment for African-Americans is just below its current 8.9%. That’s not acceptable — I realize there are any number of reasons not relating to discrimination for the difference that won’t be solved overnight, but employers have to exert themselves a bit more to get, train, and keep people when times are good. No coasting, please, when people are still looking for work.