ENB #16: Most Corrupt Nations, Star Wars in Czech, Unproductive Americans, and Two Faced China

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

ENB #16: Most Corrupt Nations, Star Wars in Czech, Unproductive Americans, and Two Faced China
Transcript Below

Hello I’m Richard Bluestein and This is the Eclectic News Brief for Monday, January 29, 2007, This podcast is sponsored by podshow.com and godaddy.com. You can save 10% or more on domain names using the discount codes insane1, insane2, or insane3 when you check out at godaddy.com.

THE LEAST CORRUPT NATIONS IN THE WORLD FOR 2006 ARE IN. THEY ARE FINLAND, ICELAND, AND NEW ZEALAND.
THE MOST CORRUPT NATIONS INCLUDE HAITI AND IRAQ. THE SURVEY WAS PUBLISHED BY TRANSPARECY INTERNATIONAL.
THE SURVEY EXAMINES OPINIONS ON HOW CORRUPT A COUNTRY IS PERCEIVED. OVERALL, SIXTY NINE PERCENT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE THEIR GOVERNMENT IS EITHER CORRUPT, INCAPABLE OF FIGHTING CORRUPTION, OR NOT DOING ANYTHING TO PREVENT CORRUPTION.

FORTY TWO PERCENT OF EUROPEANS AND FIFTY PERCENT OF NORTH AMERICANS BELIEVE THEIR GOVERNMENTS ARE INEFFECTIVE IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION.

ON THE SAME HAND, NINETEEN PERCENT OF NORTH AMERICANS, FIFTEEN PERCENT OF ASIANS AND TWENTY THREE PERCENT OF LATIN AMERICANS BELIEVE THEIR GOVERNMENTS ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE CORRUPTION.

LAST YEAR, THE TRANSPARENCY ORGANIZATION MEASURED THE MOST CORRUPT SECTORS PER COUNTRY, WHICH SHOWED THAT POLITICAL PARTIES CAME IN FIRST, FOLLOWED BY LEGISLATURE, POLICE, LEGAL SYSTEMS, AND BUSINESSES, ALL IN THE TOP FIVE.

THE UNITED STATES, MEANWHILE, IS LISTED AS THE 20TH LEAST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, JUST BEHIND CHILE AND AHEAD OF SPAIN. DETAILS OF THE SURVEY CAN BE FOUND AT TRANSPARENCY DOT ORG.

THE CZECH GOVERNMENT HAS AGREED TO ALLOW THE US MILITARY TO PUT MISSLE DEFENSE PENIS SUBSTITUTES ON THE FORMER COMMUNIST COUNTRY’S SOIL.

ACCORDING TO THE GUARDIAN, THE CZECH PRIME MINISTER GAVE THE OK TO BUILD THIS MONSTROSITY. THE SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THE UNITED STATES FROM INTERCONTINENTAL MISSILE ATTACKS FROM HYPOTHETICAL ENEMIES.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAUSED AN ANGRY RESPONSE FROM RUSSIA, WHICH CONSIDERS THE SYSTEM A THREAT. THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT WILL NOW QUOTE: RETHINK THEIR MILITARY PLANS.

MISSILE SITES HAVE ALREADY BEEN BUILT IN CALIFORNIA AND ALASKA, ALTHOUGH TESTS OF THE SYSTEMS HAVE FREQUENTLY FAILED. THE COMPLETE PROGRAM WILL COST AMERICAN TAX PAYERS 1 TRILLION DOLLARS.

FURTHERMORE, IT HAS DRAWN INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM AS A STEP TOWARDS SPARKING A NEW ARMS RACE.

THE UNITED STATES HAD THE LOWEST PRODUCTIVITY RATE IN A DECADE, ACCORDING TO LABOR STATISTICS.

FALLING WELL BEHIND GERMANY AND JAPAN, THE STUDY POINTS TO THE SERVICE SECTOR AS THE CAUSE. THE FINANCIAL TIMES ALSO POINTS OUT THAT A RISE IN UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE US IS ALSO TO BLAME.

IN SCANDINAVIA, MEANWHILE, FINLAND AND SWEDEN POSTED A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES THAN THE REST OF EUROPE.

IN CONTRAST, MEDITERRANEAN COUNTRIES POSTED VERY WEAK RESULTS. THIS BEGS THE QUESTION, WHAT IS SCANDINAVIA DOING RIGHT, AND WHAT ARE COUNTRIES LIKE THE US AND SPAIN, DOING WRONG?

OTHER DATA SHOWS CHINA, INDIA, AND THE 12 NEW EU COUNTRIES ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST PRODUCTIVITY IN THE WORLD. RECORD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE ARE MOVING FROM FARMING TO MORE “PRODUCTIVE” SECTORS IN THESE DEVELPING NATIONS

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS BEING BEEN CRITICIZED FOR DOING BUSINESS WITH THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT.

CHINA HAS INVESTED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THE SUDAN WHILE GIVING LIP SERVICE TO INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO STOP SUDANESE GENOCIDE

ONE THIRD OF CHINA’S OIL COMES FROM SUDAN, AND CHINESE COMPANIES ARE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN MINING, ENERGY, AND MILITARY COOPERATION.

THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMS THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW IT IS HELPING SUDAN TO DEVELOP AND FIGHT POVERTY.

THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT IS ALLOWING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO BE RAPED AND MURDERED, WHILE DISPLACING MILLIONS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE.

OF COURSE, CHINA, EXECUTES YOGA PRACTITIONERS ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS TO GET THEIR ORGANS, SO WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT A FEW THOUSAND DEAD BLACK PEOPLE, RIGHT?

For more information or to reply to this news, go to eclecticnewsbrief.com. You can also host your podcasts for free at podshow.com

Please also visit my daily audio podcast at yeastradio.com. I do bar/bas mitzvahs.

This program was written by bicyclemark.

I’m RB and dit was het niews.