Comments for Economic Gangsters http://blog.economicgangsters.com Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:17:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 Comment on Ask the Authors by Amber Boone http://blog.economicgangsters.com/ask-the-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Amber Boone Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:18:25 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?page_id=22#comment-64 Let me start by telling you both that I loved your book. The chapter that correlated international corruption rates to UN diplomat parking tickets was brilliant. What I wonder is if you both have looked at the role that women play in international governments and the rate of economic corruption in differing countries. Thanks for a great read! Amber Let me start by telling you both that I loved your book. The chapter that correlated international corruption rates to UN diplomat parking tickets was brilliant. What I wonder is if you both have looked at the role that women play in international governments and the rate of economic corruption in differing countries. Thanks for a great read! Amber

]]> Comment on Ask the Authors by Hanh Dao http://blog.economicgangsters.com/ask-the-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-59 Hanh Dao Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:56:56 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?page_id=22#comment-59 I just read your book. I was very dissapointed on the part about Vietnam. I am a Vietnamese American who left Vietnam 14 years ago. I came back there on 2000 and 2006 and still being connected and updated information about the country through friends and news. You should not base only on the government data. You forget it is a communist country, where there is no demoracy (and those who talk about it were, are and will be imprision). The country is totally corrupted and ruined. People don't trust the law, nor leaders (who do not have basic education). It makes me question about other case study of other countries. Best regards, I just read your book. I was very dissapointed on the part about Vietnam. I am a Vietnamese American who left Vietnam 14 years ago. I came back there on 2000 and 2006 and still being connected and updated information about the country through friends and news. You should not base only on the government data. You forget it is a communist country, where there is no demoracy (and those who talk about it were, are and will be imprision). The country is totally corrupted and ruined. People don’t trust the law, nor leaders (who do not have basic education). It makes me question about other case study of other countries.
Best regards,

]]> Comment on Economic Gangsters in the Blogosphere by Jeff Mowatt http://blog.economicgangsters.com/2008/11/02/economic-gangsters-in-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Jeff Mowatt Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:11:53 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?p=113#comment-58 Ted and Ray, This may amuse. The suspect is alleged to be an economic hit man in the guise of a peace foundation. More interesting is the dialogue about TNK-BP that follows: http://eng.maidanua.org/node/295 Then it gets better (or worse) as the use of bearer instruments raises concerns. http://www.mw.ua/1000/1550/62947/ Jeff Ted and Ray,

This may amuse. The suspect is alleged to be an economic hit man in the guise of a peace foundation. More interesting is the dialogue about TNK-BP that follows:

http://eng.maidanua.org/node/295

Then it gets better (or worse) as the use of bearer instruments raises concerns.

http://www.mw.ua/1000/1550/62947/

Jeff

]]> Comment on Ask the Authors by Ted & Ray http://blog.economicgangsters.com/ask-the-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-57 Ted & Ray Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:35:31 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?page_id=22#comment-57 Hi Shyh-Fang Ueng - great idea on using public toilets. There's definitely a potential paper there, although we wouldn't want to be the ones measuring the data on cleanliness personally ;) Hi Shyh-Fang Ueng - great idea on using public toilets. There’s definitely a potential paper there, although we wouldn’t want to be the ones measuring the data on cleanliness personally ;)

]]> Comment on Economic Gangsters in the Blogosphere by Ted & Ray http://blog.economicgangsters.com/2008/11/02/economic-gangsters-in-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-56 Ted & Ray Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:33:58 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?p=113#comment-56 Thanks Jeff, this is really cool stuff. We appreciate you pointing us to your website and we look forward to checking it out. -- Ted Thanks Jeff, this is really cool stuff. We appreciate you pointing us to your website and we look forward to checking it out.
– Ted

]]> Comment on Economic Gangsters in the Blogosphere by Jeff Mowatt http://blog.economicgangsters.com/2008/11/02/economic-gangsters-in-the-blogosphere/comment-page-1/#comment-55 Jeff Mowatt Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:19:41 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?p=113#comment-55 Hi Ray and Ted, Good to see this subject explored. Our work began with my colleague's paper which he delivered to President Clinton's re-election committee. In the same week, 5 years before 9/11 it warned of the terrorism risk of leaving multitudes in poverty. It also described ideas for digital and economic inclusion which have since been embraced as social business and creative capitalism. A year later , it was "blogged" as an "idea virus" on the web. He'd gone on to Russia to leverage a bottom up development initiative and microfinance bank, and had run ins with FSB and corrupt government, including drugging and short term incarceration. We've been working on leveraging social enterprise in Ukraine since 2002, delivering 3 papers based upon swords to ploughshares strategy to the Senate Foreign relations Committee over the last 6 years. A lot of our activism, and needless to say reaction to it was conducted through the web, but we're pleased to see progress in Ukraine and what we see as a firm US response in the launch of the East Europe Foundation at Davos. Most of this stuff will be found on my website link, but this document in particular may be of interest with regard to tensions in Eastern Europe this year. An interview with a diaspora leader about an obstructed strategy for peace broking economic development. http://www.iccrimea.org/scholarly/economicdev.html Jeff Mowatt Hi Ray and Ted,

Good to see this subject explored. Our work began with my colleague’s paper which he delivered to President Clinton’s re-election committee. In the same week, 5 years before 9/11 it warned of the terrorism risk of leaving multitudes in poverty.

It also described ideas for digital and economic inclusion which have since been embraced as social business and creative capitalism. A year later , it was “blogged” as an “idea virus” on the web.

He’d gone on to Russia to leverage a bottom up development initiative and microfinance bank, and had run ins with FSB and corrupt government, including drugging and short term incarceration.

We’ve been working on leveraging social enterprise in Ukraine since 2002, delivering 3 papers based upon swords to ploughshares strategy to the Senate Foreign relations Committee over the last 6 years.

A lot of our activism, and needless to say reaction to it was conducted through the web, but we’re pleased to see progress in Ukraine and what we see as a firm US response in the launch of the East Europe Foundation at Davos.

Most of this stuff will be found on my website link, but this document in particular may be of interest with regard to tensions in Eastern Europe this year. An interview with a diaspora leader about an obstructed strategy for peace broking economic development.

http://www.iccrimea.org/scholarly/economicdev.html

Jeff Mowatt

]]> Comment on Ask the Authors by Rich http://blog.economicgangsters.com/ask-the-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Rich Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:12:50 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?page_id=22#comment-39 Doing research on NGO/Multilateral involvement in violation of anti corruption and anti bribery conventions and treaties. These commissions can be either willful, unintended, and/or by coercion). Especially, those organizations that have run afoul of FCPA and/or EU member states. Was wondering if you could point me is some good databases of information other than World Bank, IMF, etc. Thanks in advance for any assist on this. Regards, Rich PS, just ordered your book Doing research on NGO/Multilateral involvement in violation of anti corruption and anti bribery conventions and treaties. These commissions can be either willful, unintended, and/or by coercion). Especially, those organizations that have run afoul of FCPA and/or EU member states.

Was wondering if you could point me is some good databases of information other than World Bank, IMF, etc.

Thanks in advance for any assist on this.

Regards, Rich

PS, just ordered your book

]]> Comment on Ask the Authors by Shyh-Fang Ueng http://blog.economicgangsters.com/ask-the-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Shyh-Fang Ueng Sun, 26 Oct 2008 04:33:24 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?page_id=22#comment-37 Does the bad behavior in using public toilets resemble corrupt behaviors in political, business, or academic arena? Both types of abusing actions are taken in secrecy; and there seems to be a high correlation between the reported corrupt level of a country and the filthiness of its public toilets (an observation derived from world wide travelling experiences) Does the bad behavior in using public toilets resemble corrupt behaviors in political, business, or academic arena?

Both types of abusing actions are taken in secrecy; and there seems to be a high correlation between the reported corrupt level of a country and the filthiness of its public toilets (an observation derived from world wide travelling experiences)

]]> Comment on Parking shenanigans at the FBI by Asif Dowla http://blog.economicgangsters.com/2008/10/24/parking-shenanigans-at-the-fbi/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Asif Dowla Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:54:33 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?p=103#comment-30 In your infamous paper, you provided indictment about country and culture based on parking ticket violations of one or two diplomats. What does then this story in Washington Post says about the culture of corruption in the United States. You guys forgot to mention that the corruption index is a perception index--it does not measure actual corruption. Now Ted is taking that one step and connection foul committed by foreign players with their country's corruption index. It is one think being playful, but using a flawed measure to indict countries as corrupt! This is too much. I think you should incorporate these data and redo your paper. You owe it to Cameroon that much! In your infamous paper, you provided indictment about country and culture based on parking ticket violations of one or two diplomats. What does then this story in Washington Post says about the culture of corruption in the United States. You guys forgot to mention that the corruption index is a perception index–it does not measure actual corruption. Now Ted is taking that one step and connection foul committed by foreign players with their country’s corruption index. It is one think being playful, but using a flawed measure to indict countries as corrupt! This is too much.

I think you should incorporate these data and redo your paper. You owe it to Cameroon that much!

]]> Comment on Ask the Authors by Geoff Willcher http://blog.economicgangsters.com/ask-the-authors/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Geoff Willcher Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:27:42 +0000 http://blog.economicgangsters.com/?page_id=22#comment-29 Please comment on American and European economic gangsters as detailed in the book: Confessions of an economic hit man by John Perkins. The author describes his work for economic aid and development instutitions where he scoped various aid projects, falsely estimated the capability of the target countries to pay off the aid and over inflated the benefits from the aid. This lead to defaults and to the Western governments stepping into essentially take over the countries being aided. This looks like Western governments being gangsters and if so, I think you should aggressively target them in your talks and research. http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Economic-Hit-John-Perkins/dp/0452287081/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224797173&sr=8-1 Please comment on American and European economic gangsters as detailed in the book: Confessions of an economic hit man by John Perkins. The author describes his work for economic aid and development instutitions where he scoped various aid projects, falsely estimated the capability of the target countries to pay off the aid and over inflated the benefits from the aid. This lead to defaults and to the Western governments stepping into essentially take over the countries being aided. This looks like Western governments being gangsters and if so, I think you should aggressively target them in your talks and research.
http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Economic-Hit-John-Perkins/dp/0452287081/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224797173&sr=8-1

]]>