Has Capitalism Finally Won?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11399884

Had Stalin Expected the Failure of Communism?

Had Stalin ever expected that his country would be the absolute follower of the U.S?


Had Stalin ever expected the USSR's strongest technology in aviation would have to serve the capitalists in order to survive?


The title of the news article directly tells everyone, that, the Soviet Model, has totally been beaten by Capitalism.


As an alternative of capitalism, the Soviet Model could be generally explained in ways of politics, economy and culture. It had created great achievements. However,  the forced collectivelism in economy; repression of free expression and democracy; ultra centralization of decision-making in the party were also the reasons for its  failure.  

In economy, there were appropriate strategies of rapid industrialization . The industrialization was the only fully reliable means of developing a socialist economy.

In industry, the state assumed control over all existing enterprises and understood an intensive program of industrialization. There had been the successes of the economy. There had achieved extraordinary rates of economic growth at a time when capitalist world stumbled through great Depression. Therefore the Soviet Model was prototype for the post colonial world. Prior to its collapse, the Soviet Union had the largest centrally directed economy in the world. The government established its economic priorities through central planning, a system under which administrative decisions rather than the market determined resource allocation and prices.

The author mentioned that the aviation technology of Russian, is still  very top in this world, but ironically have to beg money from free market because the government doesn't support anymore. And the author analyzed the current situation of the aviation business in a very comprehensive way with rational thinking, including the details and shortages in service and regulation parts of Russian business in the transition period. I am happy to be fulfilled.

Russian's Technology in Aviation is Still Very Advanced Today.

 

However, as a reader from the biggest communist country in this world, I desperately want to see some decent  future prospects to the communist countries in the third world, in today's new political and economic environment. I believe every reader from the communist countries would have the same feeling.

The Soviet Model’s ideology offered a model of social development which attracted the Third World. Many on the left in the Third World and even in the West had looked to the Soviet Union as a viable alternative political and economic system to that of capitalism. By the 1950s, the Soviet Model had become one of the two models which had been in irreconcilable conflict over global hegemony. This encouraged the growth of communism throughout the Third World.

However, the author didn't think about these issues and I can't access to relevant information following the links of other business stories below this article.





Read More

Russian aviation still more technologically advanced

Currency Intervention Can be Praised Is a Ugly Lie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11311802

The author of this news article indicated his opinion very clearly in the title , currency intervention is right , and has been successful so far.

"Plaza Accord" was the start of disasters of Japanese Economy.

It disgusted me. Dear liar, are your serving for the US presidents and the evil new liberal economists? How much money they paid you? As someone writing for BBC News, don't you think you need to publish something at least looked like the facts instead of telling the bullshit?

Poor Yen, you were the first victim.

Globalization, so far, is institutional enmeshment rather than economic transactions or the reconfiguration,  of social space that has most constrained the state. On this view, states are increasingly rule-takers over a vast array of rules, laws and norms that are promulgated internationally but which affect almost every aspect of how they organize their societies domestically . And of course, many states lost their rights  in deciding the currency.

Then, who can decide everything? Yes, the Americans and their followers.

The current global governance are full of U.S hegemony. The most typical example of currency intervention is "Plaza Accord" in 1986, which changed everything in Asian economy and was the true reason for the bubbles which has lasted more than 20 years in Japanese economy.

With looking at the sub titles, I saw that the author analysed all parts of the world, how the currency intervention was necessary for more balanced competition between nations and  brought benefits to the people.

You westerners are jealous with our, the developing countries', rise. That's all.

I had studied political economy for years and I have never heard about that currency intervention can be good. Everyone who has little common sense in this area knows that currency intervention is totally robbery.

Dear journalist,  the readers are not idiots. Shame on you.

New Challenge for Media Arts

http://money.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=7950739&rf=true

As an advertising student, I am familiar with a new term, "Media Arts". Media Art describes the way

iTunes Dancer was the pioneer work of "Media Arts"

to make the packaging of touch points of the products and consumers (the retail presence, the content of the website, the PR program, the CRM initiatives etc.) tell the brand’s story gracefully and artfully.

The news article attracted me because the title told me that the pioneer success of Media Arts, iTunes, was reported to be insecure in protecting the consumer's account privacy. This was the first doubt about iTunesI have seen in the mainstream media.  

However, I would never read this article is I was not familiar and interested in Media Arts. This article was published without any pictures to attract readers' attention and show the key information.

I used to believe that iTunes is the most perfect strategy which combined marketing and advertising  in a creative way. A brand engages the audience in the new digital world is the key for its success and the pioneer works have helped the silhouette iPod dancer, paired with the revolutionary iTunes Music Store, to hold the largest share of the fragmented portable digital MP3 music player market at 50%.  

This multi faced story reported  different opinions from both the side with complains and the side rejecting the complains. These conflicts showed that the new technology creates new marketing opportunities as well as creates problems. I believe there is no perfect computer system ;you can't imagine how intelligent the human beings are in breaking these system.

I was expecting some future analysis about the future of marketing and advertising in the new digital time. Should the government limit the new application of marketing and advertising? Should we update the relevant law?  Unfortunately I cannot find any answer from this and other news article with similar topic.

This problem is probably new for Media Arts, but it is not new for online users. Did ebay , Strawberrynet meet similar problems ? How did they solve them? If I was the author, I would make my discussion linked with broader ways of thinking , and offer the access to future information.

New Kind of Business

http://www.news.com.au/business/breaking-news/new-era-of-journalism-ahead-hartigan/story-e6frfkur-1225910555655#ixzz0xhztBdSU

 

The Future of Journalism Is Not Predictable



Everything in the new digital world changes. And so does journalism.

I didn't really understand that what is special of new era of journalism before I start a course called “online and mobile media" this semester. However, after more than 10 weeks training from my lecture, an expert from this new area, I get new thinking.



I was interested in other people's thinking when I was reading this article. In fact, journalism has been changed in many ways, from the format, audience, regulations to even the ethnics.

Since there were no pictures to remind me through what perspective the author would like to discuses, I had to read this article word by word. It was tired.

However, I was disappointed the mainly thing the author discussed was about the increasing demand of journalism in the new era because of he increasing demand of information from the Internet.

There are many people who are not optimistic with the future of the journalism because in the new digital world the mass decides everything. Journalism, which used to stand for elites' culture, is going to die.

I got different opinion. Because of increasing amount of sub-cultures because of the Internet and mobile tools, elite culture is no longer the leading one. They do have stronger competitors now. Then, journalism is going to be divided into different parts. The traditional journalism has to brand itself in the free market.

So I am different with the attitude the person who accepted the author's interview at the end of this article. Looking to the future, I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic.

I did really expect another people’s opinions from this article, about alternative development of journalism industry in the non-democratic countries such as China or North Korea. Probably If I was the author, I would at least to put set some accesses towards relevant information to the audience like me.

Males bosses are better? There are many exceptions!

http://www.news.com.au/business/business-smarts/women-bosses-a-nightmare-finds-survey/story-e6frfm9r-1225904707948



To be honest, to discuss male or female who is better in the workplace, is not a new topic to me, who took sociology as one of the majors in the first degree.

However, this article attract my attention because it showed the very simple conclusion in its title that, male are better.

After reading this whole article, I found that what the article really discuss is different. What some survey really showed was that , sometimes female manager were less popular because of the characteristics of females' personalities.

Don't you think journalism should not put misleading information in the title because sometimes the title is the like the hypothesis. Some readers only read the title. And this article is very sensitive to the women.  

Dear Author,journalists have the responsibility make sure that his published article are ethical.

When I was study social research method, I was taught that there was rule for every sociologists that to avoid make hypothesis which might have negative impacts to the society. It means, to help to society to operate in the right track is an very important issues for every human being.





On the other hand, I think the result of this social research still need to be discussed with analysing other factors which make the female managers are less popular in the workplace.

Is it because of the predominance of the male manager? ( Male's manager's working style has probably been the standard) Is it because of the average education background of female? Is it because of other social responsibility of female?

If other factors such like these do have effect to the popularity of female bosses' popularity, then the problem is not only about being a female; the problem would be discussed in the further level. 

If you want to report some sociological economic survey result, please choose a decent survey.

No matter how much she earns, woman is always the loser in a relationship

http://www.news.com.au/business/business-smarts/men-who-earn-less-more-likely-to-cheat/story-e6frfm9r-1225906112849#ixzz0xbiWV300



So Women Are Always the Losers?



It is really rare to see articles about relationship in the "business story" . Is that reminding people that, it is wrong to be less rational and careful than doing business when you are choosing your partner?



The topic is interesting because it seems like to discuss the relationship between income and cheating.

The article is consisting with 2 parts: to discuss the case if women learn more money; and to discuss the general cases.

September 9, 2010 7:37 AM

if the hypothesis of these social research is true, then there is nothing a woman can do to to protect their relationships or marriages. because no matter who you are, man is averagely twice as likely as woman to be unfaithful.

However, it become bored with just giving the result of study about the other factor which can affect the faith to relationship for women and men.

Thanks so much to this article. As an investment, men are full of risks.

I have no doubt there still are many nice , decent guys who are faithful in this world. However, happiness is something to be given.nothing can be important than To be who you really are.

Anyway, if i was the author, i will add some more deep discussion with some current news or issue.

Is Japan Going to The End of "Miracle Economy"?

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/world-business/japans-export-growth-slow-on-waning-global-demand-20100825-13r3q.html
Japanese economy was a miracle. Although this economy was partially the product of the cold war. In the new era of global economy, Japanese economy is exhausted with the threatens from US, EU and other rising Asian powers.



Japanese Economy Was The First Asian "Miracle Economy"

The Japanese export growth continued to slow down. The title indicated the key information. At the beginning, the author indicated that all the downturn had started since the currency intervention of the US 15 years ago. This background is very important and is the true reason for bubbles. I knew at that time, the author is a person who understood this issue very well and this article was going to be successful.

In order to make this multi-faced story, the author interviewed some very big people, including the chief Japan economist at Morgan Stanley, Finance Minister of Japanese government. These interviews brought some this hard news very powerful explanations to support the title information.



Japanese Quality Vehicles Are Well-Known



In the first part, the author described the current situation of Japan's export growth rate, with analysing the causes and the effects. From currency intervention to the domestic policy making, I was very fulfilled with the information I could get.



The second part of this article was actually about the future prospects. How could the currency intervention continue to influence Japanese economy in the future? Will there be any recovery in Japan's biggest markets overseas ( China and the US)? Is the future of car and electronics export ( the leading export industries) optimistic? The author also showed official figures to support his opinion.

You get what you pay for: discounting quality is false economy

http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/you-get-what-you-pay-for-discounting-quality-is-false-economy-20100812-121gu.html

"Pedigree" is a pioneer work of  new business model

This article is written by a professional in advertising industry. This interested me alot because I am taking an Master's degree related to advertisgin recently.

The Author seemed upset to see the economic downturn because the whole industry is highly effected by the big economic enviroment, especially in the Western countries like Australia.

This author choosed an very interesting topic. What is the role of advertising in the new digial era under economic downturn is a very big issues. However, this author disappoited me because all he was talking about is to complain the client's side.  The most important thing for advertising professionals is to think what they need to do to become trustworth and  then the clients would spend more money on advertising to help the business.

for example, beyond advertising, Disruption ( the philosoly of an advertising agency 'TBWA") believes that by changing the rules, the brands could gain a distinct competitive advantage and create new market. It doesn’t believe that brands could outperform the market if they simply keep doing what everyone else does. TBWA has helped its clients break free of conventional thinking by applying Disruption. A great example of this is Pedigree. It has moved from a product-based packaged good strategy to a brand-based strategy. Pedigree’s success shows the shifts in corporate behavior, marketing and communications, and resulting brand perceptions, could be enormous.

Disruption has also been used by some of the world’s leading companies. It opens up new levels of creativity by challenging a business’ conventions to create new ways of marketing, communicating, and even offering products and services. A disruptive idea has been considered as the best, fastest and most effective way to overturn conventions and achieve an expected vision.

In addtion, I hoped I can hear any clue for the future of advertising industry and its future development because since the tranditional business is now discouted the only thing advertising can to is to transfer its rules and change the tranditions.

Personaly, I have 4 ways of thinking. First, the practical way of creativity is changing. For example, Adidas believes that “impossible is nothing” is not a fact, but an opinion; Pepsi revitalized the Pepsi generation theme by reminding us that “every generation refreshes the world”. In this turbulent world, the role of disruption has pivoted. Advertising needs to create a reference point that can be constantly looked back to unexpected directions the market may have taken people in. In addition, people are living in a new digital world; and then actions speak louder than words. Brands are judged in the way they act and in all the initiative they take. Therefore, Disruption about brand belief needs to be augmented with another discipline, Media Arts, at a deeper level.

Second, advertising communications can contribute to reinforce companies’ business strategies more deeply.Today’s market has changed and the business world has involved beyond recognition in the internet age. Therefore advertising needs to offer something new to corporations that are creating their own rupture in their business model, services and communications, in order to change its path and accelerate growth.

Third, under the Global Financial Crisis, creativity is essentially important because advertising needs to help companies seek branding and marketing opportunities in a downturn. The moments to be remembered forever in human history are all from the hard times. The downturn is the time to reset. It demands that advertising acts smarter and does things differently.

Finally, Disruption needs to be applied properly. It needs to be applied on the right product at the right time in the right place with all the right people.  For example, advertising for human rights organization against Chinese Government with the background of 2008 Olympics  has annoyed the biggest market, China

'Lost Generation' in the Global Scale

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/13/2982810.htm?section=world

As someone born in the baby boom of China, I totally understand how desperate the jobless "lost generation" could be.  This news article attracted me because the title reminded me that not only the Chinese university graduates, but also all the young people worldwide are facing to the same problem: employment difficulty. However, I didn't fulfilled with the information provided by this news article.



Japan already has one 'Lost Generation' of youth during a hiring 'Ice Age' from 1994 to 2004.



The first part of this article introduced that the as the effect of current global economic crisis, " young people except the ones in living in the Europe, are facing to the job opportunity crisis. And political and social instabilities could possibly be caused by this trend. This is a very good and true summary of the some current issues in a global scale and inspired people that some complicated issues has been linked with population.

But how would be political and social instabilities could be caused will be differed from country to country. According to other news article with similar topic, I realised that most Chinese young people might be unsatisfied with the lack of social welfare system because even they can get a junior level job they still cannot  afford their urban life without social financial support. However, some young people in advanced countries might blame the ongoing process of globalization because the relocation of the capital reduced their comparative advantage as labours.

 

Second, it is mainly discussed the 'poerty trap"  focusing on the developing countries. And many government of the poorest countries have offered the training  program. But, how about the the semi-peripheral countries and the developed countries, has there any solution been applied?

With extra readings , I also realised that societies with aging population have been threatened by this job crisis in a more deeper level. For example, Japanese society has very low average fertility rate but Japan already has one 'Lost Generation' of youth during a hiring 'Ice Age' from 1994 to 2004. It means Japanese elder generation are under greater pressures to looking after their grown-up children.

At last part, the future prospect, it indicate the warning offered by the UN, that this crisis will continue. the picture offered by UN in this article described the working person in a farm but without indicating the key messages. However, I really hope I can get some advise and future, professional, deeper analysis from experts. And relative information is linked under this article.  

To Be An Overseas Student Is Going To Be More Expensive

Bussiness Stories: Economy doubts curtail rent increases - for now: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/property/economy-doubts-curtail-rent-increases--for-now-20100810-11xp5.html



The Uni Lodge of ANU has expansded as the on-campus
accommodation has been more prefered since the rent it
Canerra has increadibley increased

I have been studying in Australia for a while. Accommodation has always been an important issue for every overseas student. I had evidenced that Canberra's rent has raised 30% percent before I went to Sydney; and everyone ( except the landlords) complained the greater pressure of paying the rent.

Since the demand is biggest reason for the rising of price, I believe that the change of the average rent is linked with amount of overseas students. I am wondering what is the mainstream opinion about the tightened immigration policy ( because of this, the international education market has been threatened) . I carefully read this news article.

The first part was drawing the big picture . The rent increase has stopped currently. And to rise again is possible only if economic conditions is good.

If I am a investor, I could not be inspired because I cannot find any clue to see what would the main trend be. In addiction, I would be disappointed because before reading this, I expected to be educated about in what ways I can analysis the whole market. It would be better to add the prediction about the economic enviroment ( and the recovery from GFC , immigration policy change, the income level, employment, price of the house...etc)

I am also very disappointed that this article didn't have any analysis, except simply offering some figures. There was no pictures to support the information and there was no links to any information which interested me in the same page.
In addition, the order in the second part could be reorganized. ---first, the data show there are the renter would accept the rent increase; second, tendency union people said , cant squeeze much more out of the renters; third, the quality of the market need to be improved; fourth, the uncertainty of the market become the attractive goal of home ownership. -- that's the multi faced reply from the current trend of rent increase. however,i can't see any logic.

Cheap overseas labour threatens jobs

 http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/05/2973949.htm?site=news

I believe that the author is anti-globalization.

The Anti-Globalization movements are against unfair wealth distribution, deepened polarization. For the advanced countries, redistributing the share of global resources to the poor reduced the share of the rich. Untrammelled free trade and reduction of public-sector regulation have brought benefits, such as foreign investment, to poor countries. However, it has reduced employment opportunities and welfare quality for the people in the advanced countries.



ALMOST $4 billion worth of government
goods and services will have to
be sourced from Australian companies
 first in a ban on "made in China" products
 which is to be imposed in tomorrow's State Budget.



Since the author is discussing how the Australian employment opportunities had been threatens by the flow of labour, he was blaming the labour from the 3rd world countries.

For the less advanced countries, the result of market-led globalization in the South has been unsatisfactory since the 1980s. Global policies practiced by supranational organizations have legitimized the hugely disproportionate gains obtained by the top 10 percent of world income distribution, by global firms based largely in the West, and by the USA. Many developing countries can hardly get foreign investment and get into global markets; and these countries in difficult situations are treated unconcerned by these supranational institutions. For example, Africa has experienced economic turmoil that frustrates hopes for market-base development. Meanwhile, even in the China, the most successful case of corporate globalization, the economic growth has been unprecedented and there have been profound inequalities. In these circumstances there is a legitimate worry that the current course of corporate globalization may not be appropriate to meet the development challenge that lies ahead.

I expected some deeper analysis about these issues started from the " job threatened by overseas labour". however, I was disappointed because the author was like a irrational person just simply against that some benefits of the Western countries have been take away by the 3rd world countries, without thinking about globalization comprehensively in a big picture.


However, globalization is not only negative to the western countries.


People against corporate globalization, who are from different part of the world, might have opposite opinions.  While some Westerners are supporting protectionism to protect their jobs, the people from peripheries want to get into markets in advanced countries and more capital flows to increase their job opportunities. Some movements in the West are even accused of attempting to block poorer countries from undertaking the same path that led to their own stage of prosperity and that allows them the freedoms to voice their concerns about the state of global inequality.

Luxury brands send out secret cues, Journal of Marketing study finds

http://www.news.com.au/business/luxury-brands-send-out-secret-cues-journal-of-marketing-study/story-e6frfm1i-1225900624252

This topic cannot really attract attentions. especially in the post GFC world, and the target audiences are Australian people ( where the fasion industry is less advanced). However, I read this because I want to know if the author is going to discuss something about anti-globalization movements started from the consuming culture.

The anti-globalization movements are against the unfairness from world orders. And I am one of people who are against the on-going globalization.

I believe that the popularity of luxury consuming is partially because of globalization. luxury consuming has already became a culture in many Asian societies, although many of them are not rich.



You Can Show Off The Labels Everywhere



The influence of foreign, predominantly American, culture may result that the developing countries unable to enter the areas of influence occupied by multinational companies of developed countries. The traditional cultural are in danger of extinction; the people’s national identity are reducing and the Western companies are occupying large proportion their cultural market.


Unfortunately, I haven't seen any discussion about this issue. As someone from the developing country, I understand how crazy our poor people for the luxury Brand. However, in Australia, Luxury, no matter as a life style of part of self-concept, is very very negative.



Today's main market of luxury brands is China

 There is a lack of evidences to support the idea of "divisions of consumer of luxury brands"---for example, in Australian's case, what kind of people are stereotypically belonging to poseurs". Before I move to Sydney, every time when my friends and I came to Sydney to spend our weekend, the no.1 routine is to do window shopping in the Pitt Street. I have observed that 90% of the consumers of some luxury brand, have been the Assn face.Why didn't the author discuss little bit about this?


The conclusion in the first part of the article: "These results support the idea that there is a class of consumers that is willing to pay a premium for luxury goods that display the brand name less conspicuously.". the discussion is not pioneer. I have seen the similar conclusion from the previous  news article,some of which were really OLD!


In the second part, i personally think the most pioneer opinion is " gender nature' of the brand, however, it had only been the decoration in the context. And i personally think this part would be separate with a subtitle( just like next part) , and it can come to the comparison with the argument from the second part,as the strategy of visual text.








related stories:

http://www.warc.com/News/TopNews.asp?ID=27380

http://www.property-report.com/site/luxury-expert-asia%E2%80%99s-unstoppable-real-estate-9618

http://www.ttglive.com/c/portal/layout?p_l_id=3208370&CMPI_SHARED_articleId=4369475&CMPI_SHARED_ImageArticleId=4369475&CMPI_SHARED_articleIdRelated=4369475&CMPI_SHARED_ToolsArticleId=4369475&CMPI_SHARED_CommentArticleId=4369475&articleTitle=Australasia:%20Luxury%20lodges