2013년 12월 31일 화요일

Watchdog Group Soros Funding Conflict in Israel


Watchdog Group Soros Funding Conflict in Israel

Billionaires philanthropy funds anti-Israel boycott campaigns, fringe groups. By Maayana Miskin First Publish: 8/7/2013, 1:46 AM
Leftist demoIsrael news photo: Flash 90Billionaire George Soros philanthropy is bad news for Israel, according to an in-depth report from the NGO-Monitor watchdog group.The report listed the many causes in Israel, or pertaining to Israel, that are funded by Soros Open Society Foundations.Among the top beneficiaries of OSF funding is Human Rights Watch, which has been criticized for targeting for criticism, andfalsely libeling, the state of Israel. Another is J Street, which describes itself as “pro-Israel” buthas been termed anti-Israel
by others for, among other things, welcoming proponents of a boycott on
Israel at its national conference and honoring IDF soldiers who refused
orders.Another
recipient of OSF funding is the Institute for Middle East
Understanding, which, NGO-Monitor reports, is headed by staff who have
accused Israel of war crimes and have termed Israel an “apartheid
state.”
NGO-Monitor expressed concern primarily over “problematic” OSF recipients in Israel.Among
the Israeli recipients is Adalah, which promotes the so-called “right
of return” to Israel, which would allow millions of descendants of Arabs
who fled Israel during the War of Independence to claim Israel as their
home.OSF
also funds Al Haq, an Arab organization based in the Palestinian
Authority-controlled city of Ramallah, north of Jerusalem. NGO-Monitors
researchers described Al-Haq director Shawan Jabarin as “a human rights
campaigner by day and a terrorist by night,” who is among the senior
members of the PFLP terrorist group.The extreme-left Israeli group BTselem also receives OSF funds. BTselem is notorious for publishingone-sided reports, and forinflating Arab civilian casualty figures.
For example, the group included hundreds of Hamas policemen in Gaza as
“non-combatants,” and counted Sheikh Ahmed Yassin – then the leader of
Hamas – as not a definite combatant.BTselem
has listed OSF as a source of support, but OSF has not listed BTselem
as a recipient, indicating that the grant may have come through an
overseas entity.The report listed several other controversial, far-left Israeli groups that receive direct or indirect OSF Funding, includingRabbis for Human Rights, Ir Amim, Yesh Din and the New Israel Fund.Overall,
information on Soros OSF “suggests a deliberate emphasis on
influencing the highly complex Israeli-Palestinian arena,” NGO-Monitor
concludes.“There
is no comparable focus by Soros family and OSF gifts or his foundation
network on promoting democracy or economic development in Palestinian
society, nor on surrounding Arab societies,” it added.NGO-Monitor
called on Soros philanthropies to implement transparency regarding
overseas grants, and to ensure that beneficiaries “act in strict
accordance with universal moral principles by abstaining from the
promotion of totalitarian regimes, such as in Iran, as well as from
participating in demonization of Israel through the exploitation of the
language of human rights.”The
group noted that there is no indication that George Soros himself or
his family are hostile to Israel, despite frequent criticism of Israeli
policy.
Egyptians Enraged by U.S.Brotherhood Outreach
Front Page Magazine, by Raymond IbrahimOriginal Article
Posted By:SpeedMaster- 8/12/2013 7:18:32 AM
In
the eyes of tens of millions of Egyptians, Senators John McCains and
Lindsey Grahams recent words and deeds in Egypt — which have the
“blessing” of President Obama — have unequivocally proven that U.S.
leadership is aligning with the Muslim Brotherhood. Egyptian media is
awash with stories of the growing anger regarding this policy. A top
advisor to Egypts Interim President Adly Mansour formally accused
McCain of distorting facts to the benefit of the Brotherhood. He
dismissed McCains recent remarks as “irrational” and “moronic.”Thanks Don S.

That was fast! Arkansas Supreme Court rules there is no mandatory ban in custody and visitation cases on the presence of a nonmarital partner


That was fast! Arkansas Supreme Court rules there is no mandatory ban in custody and visitation cases on the presence of a nonmarital partner


Seems like I just wrote about the case of Moix v. Moix. Oh....I DID just write about it! The Arkansas Supreme Court heard oral argument earlier this month, andtwo weeks later it ruled. The trial judge was wrong, the court held, in finding that the state has a "blanket ban" on the presence of a romantic partner during visitation. Instead, the primary consideration in every case is the best interests of the child. Because it ruled for the father on this state family law ground, it declined to address the constitutional arguments made on the father's behalf.

The court did not provide much analysis other than the best interests test, but its reference to one particular case stands out. In Taylor v. Taylor, the Arkansas Supreme Court reversed a trial judge who ruled against a mother who was living with a lesbian but was not in a romantic relationship with her. The mother also testified that she was not herself a lesbian. The trial judge feared that others would believe there was such a romantic relationship, but on appeal the court said that the outcome of the case could not turn on the false perceptions of others. It would be easy to read the Taylor case as saying only that a mother can win as long as she isn't really a lesbian. But the Moix opinion says more than that about Taylor. It points out, accurately, the Taylor cited cases from other states for the proposition that "there must be concrete proof of likely harm to the children from the parent's living arrangement before a change in custody can be made...'Evidence-based factors must govern,' rather than stereotypical presumptions of future harm." And those cases (although Moix does not explicitly say this) were cases in which the parent actually was gay or lesbian. From this, I think it's fair to read Moix as requiring proof of harm before there can be a restriction on a parent's relationship with a same-sex partner.

Unfortunately for Mr. Moix and his son, the court remanded the case for further proceedings. The trial judgemade a factual finding that the partner posed no threat to the health, safety or welfare of the child and that there was nothing else that militated against the overnight visitation, but these findings weren't enough for the Supreme Court to simply remove the restriction. Rather, the trial court is now to determine whether a restriction is in the child's best interests. Let's hope the trial judge acts as quickly as the Supreme Court did.


Prayerfully Consider ...


Prayerfully Consider ...


I know it has been awhile and I hate that it has, but when you are tired and working on many projects you just have to put somethings aside for awhile... that being said I haven't gone anywhere :)

Last time I talked about how we committed to the Waiting Child program through our adoption agency, Addy's Hope. The next thing to do was to fill out the application. Now I'm putting this in here because again this my healing, releasing the emotions that went along with this process. Essentially filling out this application was the same equivalent to taking a pregnancy test... it was our beginning. The only difference is, when you find out your pregnant you don't get to pick and choose the ingredients for your child. They are part ofthe combination of genetics between the man and woman... in our case, however, we had a lotof things to consider. After you fill out your name, address, bla bla all that... you come to a section that for our agency said "Prayerfully consider any diagnosis and disabilities that you would accept in your home." Wow.Prayerfully consider... the list was quite large.

So pray we did.

And let me just say, I work as a physical therapist for children and adults of all ages (from birth to90+)... and I have seen just about everydiagnosis and disability that was listed on that page. It was extremely a struggle for me to pick and choose what I wanted, or more so what God wanted in our children. I had the opportunity to do what most parents only hope and pray for... choose the characteristics of a healthy child. Normal parents don't get a say if their child is missing a limb, is bling, deaf, or has developmental delays... but here on this paper we had a choice. I will say that God helped us fill out that page and we prayed over each item specifically. In the end the check marks were done and we moved to the rest of the application... (telling about our family which was easy to do so I won't go on about that).

After turning in our application, it seemed like everything went suddenly so fast. April is much of a blur to me as we began the next phase in our process... TRAINING.
Amidst acquiring all necessary documents and paperwork (yes there is a lot more than just an application), we began training to become adoptive parents. Robert and I with Holly Ann and another couplespent over 30 hours together reviewing the bad, the worst, and the even worse situations that our potential kids could have, most likely did, and definitely experienced from birth to whatever age they come to us. There were a few tears, several awkward moments, and lots of highs in our emotions. This training helped us to see past just a child who may throw a fit or steal or hide or run away... it helped us see the hurt they had gone through and the mindset behind the behavior. I wish every parent could go through this bc if I was having a baby I would feel more ready to understand my child and a little more in the know.
This training covered various levels of abuse, feelings and emotions regarding the abuser and the abused, typical behavior patterns, what not to do and what you need to do, and opening up a world of resources for us to pursue. I feel that this training helped me understand my patients at work better and I now have a different mindset when they get upset or throw a fit depending on their lifestyle circumstances.

30 hours of training... we squeezed it into every spare few hours we had...after work, on the weekends between events, you name it we were training fools. And I appreciate Holly Ann for being so willing to accommodate our schedules but to also not drag out the training over months and months bc after the training we had a lot more things waiting for us and we needed to have our time invested in those things while our hearts were so invested in the adoption.

The technicalities were pretty much over with after the training. We had to have a home study as required by all adopting and foster parents but with Holly Ann it was quite fun having her ask use questions about our marriage, family, our relationship with each other, with other kids, our church, and so on. So we were ready to start looking for our kids... to start seeing faces and reading stories and preparing our home for their arrival... but God had a few more lessons for us to learn first. A lesson in Waiting.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.



Michael Monroe - Horns and Halos


Michael Monroe - Horns and Halos


Three
albums into his post Hanoi Rocks career (2nd phase) and
Michael Monroe is looking to close the gap with the past.Everything
has come full circle in the best possible way, and with his band he
is redefining the rock and roll landscape again by dragging us all
back into the gutter where we can imagine that the stars are within
our grasp.While I
was impressed with the debut, and it's proper studio follow up, they
are now relegated to being magnificent rungs in the ladder that we
stepped on as we made our way to Horns and Halos.When
Ginger moved on to pastures new I mourned his passing right up until
it was announced that Dregen was on board, and then I did that dance
around the room that you would rather others didn't know about.The
shading he has brought to the material is no better, or worse, than
what Ginger brought to the band, just different, and equally as
entertaining.With Sami
Yaffa, Steve Conte and Karl Rockfist, and Dregen of course, backing
up Michael on stage, in the studio, and on the song-writing this may
just be the best band on the planet right now.In fact
you can scratch that.Right at
this moment in time no one is coming close to touching them.Between
them all they have an enviable track record and best of all they have
the gang mentality that all great bands need.Everything
has simply clicked into place.The piano
in Child of the Revolution, the guitars in.....well, in everything
actually.
It's them
against the world and the rest of the world may come in as a poor
second in this fight.There's
nothing you could throw at them that they would flinch away from.They
deliver one hundred percent, one hundred percent of the time.The
guitar work dueling back and forth between Steve Conte and Dregen is
sublimely and ecstatically fluid.It's rock
and roll nirvana.
Blisteringly
good.There was
probably a moment when Sami and Karl were listening back to the album
when they looked at each other and smiled knowing that they had built
a foundation that was unshakable.If so,
then they were right.
You could
build a skyscraper on the back of their input and no storm would
topple it.Michael
is the consummate ringmaster throughout.The icing
on the cake.A glam
punk demigod dipping into reggae, clash styled sonic attacks and New
York Dolls blues influenced sleaze while barely taking a breath.Any self
respecting rock fan would be in thrall to this.The
frightening thing about it all is that in reality the band are still
in their infancy to.
If world
domination doesn't materialize then I'm kicking off a revolution as
who really wants to live in a world that doesn't celebrate such life
affirming music as this?


Important Types of Marine Electronic Systems


Important Types of Marine Electronic Systems


It is the type and quality of marine electronic systems that determines the capability and dependability of a boat. The interrelation of these aspects has a distinct effect on the speed and performance of boats that fall within any given category. To put it even clearer, the comfort, performance and safety of boats rely upon the systems installed in different departments of boats.

Divided into four essential categories together with power, navigation, entertainment and communication Marine electronic systems like display and Radar supports a lot in sustaining work efficiency in poles apart department of boat including:Power
Navigation
Communication and
Entertainment.

To identify sensors accuracy and data integration in boats these systems are used.

For power: Electrical energy being the foremost source of power in boats, power systems in boats include battery monitors, alternators and regulators, AC and DC panels, generators, battery banks and much more.

Navigation: irrespective of the boat type, it is vital to have a sound and competent navigation system. Radar, chart plotters, satellite weather systems, fish finders, and windlasses are the system types.

One more indispensable type of marine electronic systems is Communication; at the least a VHF marine radio is the minimum requirement for safety of boats. Cellular networks and Wi-Fi are other useful communication systems of boats.

In order to fill up the Entertainment quotient boats also come with different entertainment systems. Comprised of systems like satellite TV and Radio, this will help you to be aware of what's going on in different parts of the world.

Maritime Professional and Services use Seafolks to network with experts in Marine Industry.



Expectations of Troublous Times


Expectations of Troublous Times


Joseph Herrin (11-29-2013)

I have had some individuals write to me asking me what my expectations are for the end of this year, and for 2014. Some are mindful of an article I posted earlier in the year that discussed an advertisement in ESPN Magazine.
























It is a bit premature to offer any conclusions of this year, or the fourth quarter in particular, as there is more than a month remaining. It is possible that we will experience some further shaking before this year is out, but I will share publicly, as I have with others in private, that my anticipation lies more with what will occur in 2014.

Last January I posted a blog titled 2013 - Year of Acceleration.

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-year-of-acceleration.html

In that post I shared my expectations for this current year. I foresaw it as a time when darkness would accelerate, and when events would occur in rapid fire order to set the stage for the establishment of a New World Order (Satans kingdom). This year has certainly fulfilled those expectations. We have observed in this year an immense focus on government spying programs. The mainstream media has even given this subject great attention, which leads me to conclude that the powers that be want the populace to become conditioned to the thought of government intrusion into all areas of their lives.

This topic has been discussed at great length, especially as it relates to the disclosures of Edward Snowden. With each new announcement of some further government spying program, the people become inured to such news. They are growing accustomed to the thought of the government breaching everyones privacy. The result is that mankind is becoming more accepting of the idea of a global caretaker government that reaches into the most private parts of every citizens life.

We have also seen an acceleration of the militarization of Americas police organizations. We observed one of Americas great cities, Boston, Massachusetts, locked down under martial law with all citizens commanded to remain in their homes. That the citizens passively accepted such an extreme suspension of their personal liberty, all because the authorities were searching for a single person, reveals how far American attitudes have changed in the last decade since the “war on terror” was first declared.

Another area of acceleration has been the expansion of the Executive Office of the President. Throughout Obamas tenure he has relied upon Executive Orders to alter laws and set in place national policies that will have far reaching repercussions in coming days. He has used Executive Orders to empower agencies under his authority to wrest control of all facets of national life during a time of emergency. All travel can be suspended at the Presidents command (it worked just fine in Boston.) All communications can be placed under the governments control. All farming activity can be federalized, including taking possession of the private property, lands and farming equipment, that belong to private citizens.

In recent months we have observed the President making alterations to laws without consultation, deliberation, or vote of Congress. At his whim, the President has altered dates for compliance with various parts of the Affordable Care Act. This is a serious infringement of the powers of the Congress who alone are tasked with writing the nations laws. All of this is further conditioning the people to receive their direction from a single figure who acts with dictatorial powers.

This year has seen a great acceleration of moral depravity. Homosexuality is now not only accepted in the military, but expressing any judgment of homosexuality as immoral will result in acts of discipline, even discharge, from the military ranks. In the nation at large, the government has overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, removing anything that would hinder homosexuality from being normalized, even redefining marriage to include two members of the same sex. Such actions have been forced upon the people, despite the objection of the majority of voters. This too serves to demonstrate to the people that their government does not serve them, but they serve the government.

This year has seen 15 states make homosexual marriage legal. It has also seen California laws enacted that would permit school students to choose which sex bathrooms they will use, opening the door (literally) for young men to go into girls bathrooms. Such immoral policies are also being adopted in other states. When two young girls in a Colorado public school complained that a male transgender student was harassing them in the girls bathrooms, they were threatened by the school staff, being told that they could be banned from participating in school athletic teams and could even be charged with a hate crime.

Transgender advocates are now declaring that the story was fake, citing an article in the Transadvocate (a publication promoting transsexuality) that reports that the school officials have not been able to substantiate that actual harassment took place. The basic facts of the matter, however, are not disputed. The school does have a male student who is transsexual who has been using the girls bathrooms, and some of the girls have reported harassment. America is quickly becoming Sodom, and the government is intentionally corrupting the lives of the nations youth.

I could go on and on citing examples of the different ways in which great darkness is falling upon the nation. The economy is in no better shape. The number of unemployed is over 20% yet the government touts numbers that are far less. The nation is hemorrhaging jobs, and the obviousness of Americas dire state would be far more obvious if the government were not creating so many federal jobs, massively expanding the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies. All of these government jobs add a further drag to the economy as salaries must all be paid from taxes, or from the trillions of dollars the government is borrowing from the international bankers who own the Federal Reserve.

The charade of a healthy economy is further bolstered by a record stock market, one that is very clearly manipulated by the governments plunge protection team and the Federal Reserve. The nation is being subjected to increasing deception, as lies are now the norm, rather than the exception, in the pronouncements of the mainstream media and the government.























This year has most assuredly seen an acceleration of all forms of darkness. Lying and deceit are the principles upon which the government and media now subsist. The populace are becoming accustomed to feeding upon falsehood. Right has become wrong, and wrong has become right.

Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Darkness is accelerating in order to prepare the way for the establishment of Satans kingdom. His kingdom is marked by lies and deception, for he is “the great deceiver who deceives the whole world,” and Christ declared Satan to be “the father of lies.” His kingdom is marked by stealing, violence, and murder, for he is the thief who comes only to “kill, steal, and destroy.” Is it any wonder that in a nation of growing darkness that youth are now roaming the streets of their respective cities and sucker punching strangers in what has become known as “the knockout game”? When joy is found in acts of random violence committed upon women, the elderly, the homeless, and others who are unable to defend themselves, a nations epitaph is not long to be written.

Why do I have an anticipation that the darkness that has been accelerating in this year will manifest in profound changes to this nation in the next? There are numerous reasons. First is the record of history. Satan follows patterns in the same way that Yahweh does.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Americas capital, Washington, D.C., was burned by the British in the year 1814. This is symbolic of the destruction of government.




















Washington, D.C. in Flames

This happened during the time of the 13th Congress. The number 13 in Scripture signifies “rebellion, apostasy, defection, corruption, disintegration, revolution, or some kindred idea.” (Source: E.W. Bullinger, Number in Scripture) It seems hardly coincidental that it was in the year 1913 that the Federal Reserve Act was passed, leading to the American government falling under the control of international bankers. The Affordable Care Act that has kicked off in 2013 is simply a continuation of the transformation of American society into a socialist/communist system ruled by the global money powers. The middle class will be completely destroyed as the entire burden of paying for trillions of dollars of medical care is placed upon their shoulders. It is the greatest redistribution of wealth ever carried out in America. Thus the years 1913 and 2013 stand forth as the darkest of years for this nation.

The 113th Congress runs through the end of the year 2014. I therefore anticipate far greater “rebellion, apostasy, defection, corruption, disintegration, and revolution” to manifest before the end of this Congress present term. Additionally, the One World Trade Center is scheduled to be opened for occupancy in 2014. This is 13 years after the destruction of the former World Trade Center towers.

For a greater understanding of the symbolism of this tower, and what it signifies for America and the world, I recommend the following two writings.

Babylon Rising
http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/babylon-rising.html

The Darkness Draws Nearer - Part One
http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-darkness-draws-nearer-part-one.html

Satan has certainly chosen the date and time for this occult monument to be completed. It parallels the rise of his own kingdom of darkness.
























One World Trade Center - Almost Complete

There is a parable to be observed in the construction of this tower, which is a monument to Satans New World Order, his one world government. Even as the previous towers were destroyed in a planned, cataclysmic event that occurred suddenly, so too must the New World Order arise out of the ashes of the old system. There has to be a complete destruction of the Old World Order of independent nations, and specifically of Americas government as a constitutional republic, in order for that which is new to replace it. Like a great phoenix rising from the ashes of destruction, the New World Order must arise out of the ashes of the old order. The ushering in of the New Order will be accomplished only through great violence, massive destruction, and the loss of millions of lives.

A brother in Christ (thank you Mark) informed me yesterday of a movie to be released in March of 2014. The movie is titled Noah. Understanding that Hollywood is controlled by Satan, I look with suspicion upon the messages being proclaimed in any production that arises there. Following is a movie poster for Noah. Pay attention to the words on the poster.
























The words under the name Noah state, “The end of the world... Is just the beginning. COMING SOON.”

This present world system must end in order for Satan to initiate something new. This message is further revealed in the movie trailer.

http://youtu.be/6qmj5mhDwJQ



Note that at the beginning of the trailer that Noah, played by Russell Crowe, dreams of walking outside and he finds that blood is leaching up out of the ground. This is an allusion to the following Scripture.

Genesis 4:10
The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.

Truly, the blood of more than 60 million babies is crying out from the soil of America. Their voices are crying out for judgment, and judgment will come. The trailer proceeds to reveal that Yahweh is judging the earth due to the violence and bloodshed that has become rampant. Is not the world ripe once more for judgment?

The movie focuses on the destruction of the earth and new beginnings that follow. Christians should anticipate that this movie strays widely from the Biblical narrative. It has many embellishments, including Emma Watson playing the character of Noahs adopted daughter, and the presence of six angels that protect Noah and his family from wicked men, and a fallen angel named Samyaza. There is also a character named Og, who is described as a Watcher, who aids Noah and his family. This is part of Jewish myth.

Og is mentioned in Jewish literature as being alive from the time of Noah up until the time of his death in battle with the Israelites. It is also written in the Midrash that he had a special compartment in Noah's Ark just for him. Aggadah suggests an alternative to this; that he sat upon the top of the ark, riding out the flood for the duration of the storm from this location.
[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Og]

Christians should not expect in this Hollywood production a faithful Bible narrative of the story of Noah, but I believe there are messages in the movie of which they should be aware. Satan is announcing the destruction of the world in order to start over with a new beginning. He would mimic what Yahweh did in the days of Noah, seeking to annihilate all who stand against his kingdom and his wickedness. He would promise his human servants a future world in which they rule, and have the mastery of all things and all people.

A few days ago I received a visit from a brother in Christ named Joe Boes. He told me of an experience he had recently. He was driving in his car (he is from the Atlanta area) when the vehicle directly in front of him was involved in a very serious collision. A pick-up truck pulling a large trailer with landscaping equipment on it, pulled out directly into the path of the person in front of him. Joe said he barely saw the cars brake lights flash before the vehicle struck the trailer. The car was demolished.

Joe got out of his vehicle and cautiously approached the wrecked car. He did not know what he would find. Someone shouted out to him to not move the person. He did not know whether the driver was dead, alive, or greatly injured. Upon getting closer he saw that every airbag in the car had deployed. There was an Asian woman inside, and she was shaking violently in a state of shock. She was initially unresponsive to his words, but after a while began to calm down. She was encouraged to remain seated until the ambulance arrived as there did not appear to be any danger of her vehicle catching fire.

The woman was checked out on site by EMTs when they arrived, and appeared to be fine, complaining only of soreness where her seat belt had restrained her. Joe was asked by police to write up a report as he was a direct witness to what occurred.

Joe expressed to me that he had a strong witness from the Father that what is coming to the nations will be very much like this accident. Something sudden and shocking will happen. He will be a witness to it. I believe Yahweh has been preparing a remnant to render assistance, counsel, and comfort to many in the days ahead.

Will we see some calamitous event before 2013 has closed? I have no revelation from the Father on the matter. My anticipation is more toward the year 2014. I believe 2013 has been a year when the plans of the adversary have been accelerating and many things prepared for that which is to follow. Even as this year saw great progress in the construction of One World Trade Center, and it will be open for occupancy in 2014, I anticipate that we will see a fuller revelation of Satans kingdom in the coming year.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063


Chinese ready to overhaul rail line


Chinese ready to overhaul rail line


From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
ByAthuman Mtulya, The Citizen

A China construction company is willing to overhaul the central railway line, says a statement

China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which also built a 1,860km Tanzania-Zambia railway from 1970-1976 told Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda who is China that they are ready for the job and they waiting for the green light from the government of Tanzania.

CCECC president Yuan Li told Pinda that China was talking to the ministry of Transport over the matter.

Mr Yuan expects that the two parties would agree on the matter.

Mr Pinda said the overhaul would reduce a burden of damaged roads as a result of a big bulk of heavy loads being transported by trucks after the collapse of the railway line decade ago.

“When the reconstruction is done it will also opened more doors for economic opportunities. It will boost trade with Rwanda, Burundi and DRC and we can even transport Ugandan cargo via Mwanza,” he said.

Read full story.


A Tripartite Mandate for Central Banks


A Tripartite Mandate for Central Banks


The U.S. Federal Reserve operates under what is commonly called a "dual mandate," which basically means that it should take both inflation and unemployment into account when making its decisions. The dual mandate means that the Fed does not take into account the risk that asset market bubbles are destabilizing the economy. Should the dual mandate be turned into a tripartite mandate, with the risk of a financial crisis as the third factor that the Fed (and other central banks) should also take into account. In the most recent issue of the Journal of Economic Perspectives, Ricardo Reis discusses"Central Bank Design,"and in particular what the economics literature has to say about a range of issues related to how central banks should choose their goals, their decision-makers, their policy tools, their communication methods, and more. Reis explains why economists have typically not supported a treble mandate in the past, and also why he thinks that this may change in the not-too-distant future.

Why have central banks typically not focused on asset market bubbles and financial instability in the past? Here's how Reis explains it (as usual, citations and footnotes are omitted):"A more contentious debate is whether to have a tripartite mandate that also includes financial stability. After all, the two largest US recessions in the last century—the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Great Recession that started in 2007—were associated with financial crises. ... [I]f financial stability is to be included as a separate goal for the central bank, it must pass certain tests: 1) there must be a measurable definition of financial stability, 2) there has to be a convincing case that monetary policy can achieve the target of bringing about a more stable financial system, and 3) financial stability must pose a trade-off with the other two goals, creating situations whereprices and activity are stable but financial instability justifies a change in policy ... Older approaches to this question did not fulfill these three criteria, and thus did not justify treating financial stability as a separate criterion for monetary policy."
As a recent example, think back to the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s. Sure, the price tech stocks seemed to be soaring implausibly high. But was it really the role of the Federal Reserve to decide that stock prices were "too high," and to change monetary policy, perhaps bringing on a recession, in an effort to bring stock prices down? As Reis notes: "Yet, at most dates, there seems to be someone crying “bubble” at one financial market or another, and the central bank does not seem particularly well equipped to either spot the fires in specific asset markets, nor to steer equity
prices."

When the dot-com boom was followed by a short and shallow recession in 2001, the Federal Reserve did what it could to cushion the economy with lower interest rates at that time. I'm probably not alone in being someone who watched the housing price boom around 2006 and thought: "Sure, there might be a recession eventually, like in 2001, but it works OK to have the Federal Reserve react after the fact when unemployment goes up. The Fed isn't well-equipped to judge when housing prices or stock prices are "too high" or "too low," nor to adjust monetary policy to alter such prices.

But as Reis points out, more sophisticated ideas of how to define the rising risk of a financial crisis have come into prominence in the last few years. Instead of focusing on whether stock prices or house prices are rising, or seem "too high," these approaches look at factors like whether total borrowing is rising. Reis explains:"A more promising modern approach begins with thinking about how to define financial stability: for example, in terms of the build-up of leverage, or the spread between certain key borrowing and lending rates, or the fragility of the funding of financial intermediaries. This literature has also started gathering evidence that when the central bank changes interest rates, reserves, or the assets it buys, it can have a significant effect on the composition of the balance sheets of financial intermediaries as well as on the risks that they choose to take. ... While it is not quite there yet, this modern approach to financial stability promises to be able to deliver a concrete recommendation for a third mandate for monetary policy that can be quantified and implemented."

A final point here is that implementing a tripartite mandate may also mean changing how one describes the policy tools of a central bank does in a different way. Up to 2007, it was reasonable to describe the policy tools of a central bank mainly in terms of its ability to raise or lower interest rates. But when the central bank starts looking at the total amount of bank credit being extended or at stress-testing whether financial institutions are well-positioned to be resilient in the face of an shock, these sorts of goals can also be accomplished by so-called "macroprudential regulation," which involves adjusting credit conditions by adjusting the rules and standards to be applied by financial regulators.