Ukraine’s Downward Spiral
By Kenneth CourtisA report from Kiev on corruption and hopelessness.Kiev had an eventful week. On Wednesday, a global cyber attack, launched from Ukraine, spread like wildfire globally. While all of...
View ArticleUkraine: Something Is Happening Here…
By Kenneth CourtisAfter using the Russian invasion diligently for plenty of international support, Ukraine’s elites aren’t holding up their side of the bargain: They keep ruining their...
View ArticleBad News from the Global Oil Market
By Kenneth CourtisTrump’s tweet-based badgering of the Saudis to increase production will not ease pressures resting on the global oil market. High time to do a reality check.Trump’s tweets badgering...
View ArticleJapan and Weimar
By Kenneth CourtisHow are Japanese nationalists trying to change the constitution "without anyone noticing"?Japan’s deputy prime minister, Taro Aso — formerly the foreign minister and even the prime...
View ArticleJapan: Still Not Owning Up to Its Dark History
By Kenneth CourtisPrime Minister Abe's fourth arrow should be a credible national apology.One of the deep issues which still bedevils Japan is that dark, dark decade and a half of fascist rule, from...
View ArticleRussia-China Energy Agreement: The World’s Largest Ever Commercial Deal
By Kenneth CourtisRussia Pivots to AsiaThe $400 billion, 30-year natural gas deal just announced by China and Russia is the biggest single trade agreement in history. With this deal, Russia has...
View ArticleJust How Deeply Ingrained is Corruption in China?
By Kenneth CourtisChina’s anti-corruption fight requires another revolution.China is today in the midst of an anti-corruption campaign that is unprecedented in scale and importance. With everything...
View ArticleJapan Rolls the Dice: A Report From Tokyo
By Kenneth CourtisOn the global consequences of a large economy refusing to reform itself. On October 31, 2014, the government of Japan, through its subservient monetary arm, the Bank of Japan, made...
View ArticleChina: Hiding Your Strength and Biding Your Time
By Kenneth CourtisAPEC Summit reflections on China’s impressive policy and reform path.At a time when Europe’s economy is in bad shape and U.S. President Barack Obama has been taken to the cleaners by...
View ArticleObama, Move Over
By Kenneth CourtisStrong performances by Xi and Putin at the APEC Summit. I have been APEC-conferencing all day. Xi Jinping spoke in the morning – with much confidence and ease. Of course, China’s top...
View ArticleThe Oil Price Crash: Who Dunnit?
By Kenneth CourtisObservations on the latest Saudi-American geo-strategic drone.Traders always have theories of what is driving markets. In energy markets, where there is always a high political...
View ArticleJapan Vs. China: Oil and a Tale of Two Countries
By Kenneth CourtisHow the oil price drop has very different effects on China and Japan.Traders in world energy markets have been reporting over the last two months that “big hands” have been in the oil...
View ArticleJapan: From Abenomics to Abeggedon
By Kenneth CourtisJapan’s lack of political circumspection has economic consequences. This is a tale of two countries. One of them features two decades of fundamentally misguided policies. The other...
View ArticleWhy Single Out China?
By Kenneth CourtisGovernments everywhere respond to stock market turmoil -- not just China's.There has been lots of nattering recently about China‘s government becoming involved in the country’s stock...
View ArticleSunny London Sunday… and Other Satanic Verses
By Kenneth CourtisCalls for still more military action against Syria? We have been here before... Too many times.A sunny London Sunday. The Lamborghinis and other muscle cars are thundering about...
View ArticleSyria: The Equation Changes As Germany’s Merkel Makes a Move
By Kenneth CourtisWill the U.S. government catch up to Russia, China, Iran and Germany as they shape a new global consensus on Syria?Angela Merkel’s recent statement that any resolution of the war in...
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