Word: growth
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Mountain High, Emperor Far Away No matter how well intentioned, China's stimulus package may provide little more than a short-lived growth blip if officials are unable to control the perennial bugbear of Chinese economic development: pervasive corruption in local and provincial governments, which make their own way far from the brilliant technocrats in Beijing. (Read "The Secret Memoir of a Fallen Chinese Leader...
...rife in construction projects long before the current downturn. "Public spending is already subject to considerable siphoning off and, perhaps even more critically, waste," says Andrew Wedeman, a political scientist and Chinese-corruption expert at the University of Nebraska. During the boom years, such waste mattered less because growth was so robust. But if China's GDP expands only 6% to 8% this year, as some predict, corruption could dampen recovery. "What really matters is not if funds will be siphoned off or how much will be siphoned off," Wedeman says, "but rather whether the siphoning will have a clear...
...Michael Griffin, then President Clinton "spent millions on investigations. It had a real chilling effect on pro-life groups." Financial contributions went down and churches became skittish about hosting pro-life speakers, Mahoney said. "If you demonize the messenger you undermine the message." (See a TIME graphic on the growth of crisis pregnancy centers...
...Israelis want Washington to permit the "natural growth" of the settlements - i.e., allow the children of existing settlers to build new homes - which U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she opposes. The Israelis also argue that while sacrifices are being asked of them, little is being demanded of the Palestinians. Abbas, who, according to aides, came away from Washington convinced of "Obama's seriousness" in pushing Israel to remove settlements, says he refuses to hold peace talks with Netanyahu until the Israeli Premier publicly backs the two-state solution, something he has been loathe...
...Labor, in the words of Knesset member Ophir Pines, wants Netanyahu to face his "moment of truth." Says Pines: "The government needs to decide whether it prefers good relations with the American Administration or whether it prefers the illegal settlement in the territories. All of the talk about natural growth in the settlements is a bluff, and the Americans know that." Obama may just call Netanyahu's bluff, which would undoubtedly complicate the friendship between the U.S. and its closest Middle East partner. But the chances of reviving peace talks between the Israelis and Arabs will be the better...