US Politics & Economy: Scott Lucas on the BBC About the Debt Crisis

Complementing James Miller's summary of the battle in Washington over the Federal Government's debt, with the prospect of a US default next week, I was in a discussion on BBC Radio 2 this lunchtime about the political and economic causes of the problem and on the question, "Does this mean America is on its knees and finished as a superpower?"

(The answer to the question is easy, "That is the wrong way to look at the current situation." Explaining the causes is a lot more complex, although James Miller's "Start with the tax cuts", and the Government spending binge of the last decade is a good beginning.)

The discussion begins just before the 1:11.00 mark. My contribution is from 1:20.45.

And later in the afternoon, I had the chance on BBC West Midlands to offer an introduction to the "debt ceiling", the politics of the crisis, and the question, "Does it really matter if the US defaults next week?"

The chat starts just after the 1:41.30 mark.

The Latest from Iran (27 July): Foreign Manoeuvres

1755 GMT: Border Watch. Iranian state media are reporting that two Revolutionary Guards and 21 Kurdish insurgents have died in further fighting near the Iraq border. Two Guards were reportedly wounded in the clash in the city of Sardasht.

A senior Revolutionary Guards commander and five troops were killed in fighting earlier this week. Iranian officials say at least 50 members of the insurgent group PJAK have died in the battles over the last fortnight.

1535 GMT: Cyber-Watch. An official of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has explained that linking to social networks is a "computer crime".

Click to read more ...

Libya, Syria (and Beyond) LiveBlog: "No Talks"

2119 GMT: We close the live-blog with news from Libya. Rebels launched a new military campaign in the west, near Nalut (noted earlier):

A rebel spokesman told Reuters that a small attack had been launched against pro-Gaddafi forces earlier on Wednesday, resulting in the destruction of three of their tanks. He said that Gaddafi's forces had fired Grad rockets, but that no casualties had been reported.

Meanwhile, the United states is reviewing a request from the National Transitional Council to open an embassy in Washington.

The rebels have been pledging to use Ramadan as an opportunity to refocus on toppling Gaddafi. The opposition in Syria and Bahrain, based on the spectacular video below, has similar ideas. Come back tomorrow and watch what happens, and thanks for reading ~ James Miller

2111 GMT: Night protests in Al Dair, Bahrain:

Night protests in Al Kawara, Bahrain:

Night protests in Qariya, Bahrain:

Click to read more ...

Afghanistan Latest: Mayor of Kandahar Killed by Suicide Bomber (AFP)

UPDATE 1000 GMT: The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the killing of the Mayor of Kandahar by a suicide bomber.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said Mayor Ghulam Haider Hamidi had ordered the destruction of homes that city officials claimed had been illegally constructed. He added that the mayor was killed to avenge the deaths of two children who allegedly were killed during the demolition.
---
The French agency AFP reports:

The mayor of Kandahar, the biggest city in southern Afghanistan and the birthplace of the Taliban movement, was killed in a suicide attack on Wednesday, police said.

Click to read more ...

Iran Interview: The Imprisonment of Actress Marzieh Vafamehr

Nasser Taghvai spoke to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran about the arrest of his wife, actress Marzieh Vafamehr, who was seized in June: "[Last month] they contacted us on the phone. First we ignored them. Then they contacted us again, without sending the summons home. They promised me that they only needed Marzieh Vafamehr for a few questions and answers. They said, “If you tell her to come in, we will solve the problem through mediation.” They said, “We respect you personally, and we don’t wish for a case to be built against her.” They didn’t serve the summons. I told my wife, “Go, things will be resolved.” I trusted what they told me, but she went and did not return. The next day they issued her temporary detention orders for a month.

Click to read more ...

Iran Document: 500 Activists Condemn Escalation of Violence Against Women

This week 500 activists and supporters of the women's movement in Iran issued a statement protesting the “systematic violence against women,” “constant insults and humiliation,” and “the blaming of victims for acts of sexual violence against them” by regime officials. The signatories demanded that authorities be held responsible for sexual violence and rape against male and female prisoners, and they defended a woman’s right to choose her clothing.

Click to read more ...

US Politics & Economy: Explaining Washington's Dangerous Game of Chicken on the Debt (First, Look at the Tax Cuts)

Photo: Jewel Samad (AFP)Right now the American conversation is being driven by fear, creating a further crisis in the attempt to solve the initial one.  That fear is embodied in the idea that Obama is driving a far-left social agenda and a tax-and-spend socialism, and in the belief that taxes cannot be raised without killing the American economy. But President Reagan raised taxes 11 times, including during a recession, and Obama has cut taxes. Reagan raised the debt ceiling 18 times, and Obama is trying to pass a plan that will only require him to do it once. President Eisenhower stimulated the economy by subsidizing higher education and by building infrastructure, but today he would be considered a socialist for his initiatives. Fifty years later, taxes are at an unrealistic historic level, far lower than they were under all Republican administrations.

The fear is unfounded. The taxes are too low, the debate has gone on too long, and it is time that the Republicans compromise on revenue so that the nation is brought into line with what all of the facts are telling us.

Click to read more ...

The Latest from Iran (26 July): Ahmadinejad is a "Repair and Maintenance Project"

2000 GMT: Economy Watch. Despite US-led sanctions, foreign direct investment in Iran rose to a new record in 2010 of more than $3.6 billion dollars, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

UNCTAD's "World Investment Report" found that the foreign direct investment increased around 20% in 2010. FDI has soared from $1.6 billion in 200.

Global FDI flows grew 4.9% in 2010 to $1.24 trillion, but were 15% below the rate of $1.472 trillion before the 2008 financial crisis and nearly 37% below their peak in 2007 of $1.971 trillion.

Click to read more ...

Syria, Bahrain (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Zombie March

2010 GMT: A protest tonight in Harasta outside Damascus, with chants, "Syria is ours, not for Assad´s family" and "Leave, Bashar".

And in Tal Kalakh in southern Syria:

Click to read more ...

Libya 1st-Hand: A Tour of the Frontline in Zlitan (Watson/Karadsheh)

Photo: CNNWhen Libyan government minders last brought CNN to Zlitan about a week and a half ago, it was to see a large pro-Gadhafi rally in the city's main square. Crowds of Libyans waved green government flags, fired guns in the air, and fervently pledged their loyalty to their embattled leader.

But the scene was dramatically different Monday, as fire trucks and ambulances regularly raced through the city's largely deserted streets. Many shops appeared to be closed, and the ominous rumble of warplanes could be heard overhead periodically.

Click to read more ...