Headlines From Around the Globe

A review of what the non-US press is saying:

The Times (London), Obama warned over ‘welfare spendathon’:

RONALD REAGAN started it, Bill Clinton finished it and last week Barack Obama was accused of engineering its destruction. One of the few undisputed triumphs of American government of the past 20 years – the sweeping welfare reform programme that sent millions of dole claimants back to work – has been plunged into jeopardy by billions of dollars in state handouts included in the president’s controversial economic stimulus package.

Pravda, America's last dominant industry starts to leave:

America has begun the initial steps to final outsourcing of it's last dominant industry. As before, a recession is the key to making the move. Even as we speak, the oil/gas and oil/gas services industries, always a US dominated industry, has begun mass layoffs. From Schlumberger to Baker to Halliburton and dozens of smaller firms, tens of thousands of jobs are either already gone on being shoved into the guillotine. America has always been the dominant player in the oil/gas services field as it had led the way, back in the late 1800s, in oil and later gas exploration and exploitation. Oil services companies do everything that it takes to deliver the product to their clients, the major private and national oil companies. This includes everything from locating deposits, up to 10km under the ground, to drilling to them, to developing the wells and managing production, to transferring the product to refineries and storage facilities. As such, these companies employ an immense amount of technology and industry.

The Tocqueville Connection, FRANCE SAYS AUTO BAIL-OUT NOT PROTECTIONIST:

France on Wednesday fiercely defended its plan to pump almost nine billion euros into its struggling carmakers after EU countries labeled it protectionist and called a crisis summit.

Hindustan Times, China announces military dialogue with US:

Suspended contacts between the US and Chinese militaries will resume later this month shortly after a visit by newly appointed US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Chinese state media reported on Monday. US officials say China suspended most military dialogue with Washington after the Bush administration approved a $6.5 billion arms package to Taiwan last October that included guided missiles and attack helicopters.