USA gifts to UN Security Council
Thursday, October 26, 2006
After 41 rounds of voting the UN still can't decide whether they want Venezuela or Guatemala on the Security Council.
What's certain is that if the current trend continues, whoever wins the vote will get a lot more money from the US and a fair bit more from the UN.
Research from Harvard academics Ilyana Kuziemko and Eric Werker says that countries that take one of the two non-permanent security council seats usually see a whopping 59% increase in aid from the US.
This little nugget comes from fellow Harvard don Greg Mankiw, whose blog is certainly worth a read.
It would be very interesting if Venezuela got the seat. I doubt Bush would want to give Chavez any sweeteners.
Of course, the US already ploughs money into Venezuela, but it does so in the form of 'pro-democracy programmes' which allegedly aim to undermine the Chavez government.
posted by Blamerbell @ 11:14 pm,
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Korea Service
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Fancy a holiday in North Korea?
You'd better book quickly because if America gets its way there'll soon be no crossing the 38th parallel.
The American nuclear envoy has been in Seoul, fluffing cushions in preparation for Condolezza Rice's imminent visit.
And he 's not happy that South Korean tourists are feeding money into the North Korean economy at a time when sanctions are supposed to be starving the country into submission.
For more, see this article in the Digital Chosunilbo.
Labels: North Korea, South Korea, USA
posted by Blamerbell @ 11:17 am,
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