Jack de Vries: Helping or Saint Nicholas statesman

jack_de_vries.jpgIn the realm of State Secretary Jack de Vries (Defense, CDA), the sun never. At least, that you would think judging from the smile on his face which is always carved. More so than in other state secretaries hanging around De Vries the smell of help Santa Claus. That is because he is long-term confidant of the prime minister a year ago was interim appointment.
Today, the budget of Defense discussed and De Vries, a firm scolding of the Second Chamber activities. That has to do with his headaches file: the purchase of new fighter aircraft of the Air Force. It is about the Lockheed F35 Lightning II, better known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Cost 6 billion euro, final decision is 2010. State in the coalition.
De Vries headed in a while on a hard collision with the Court. Not because he's been a busy year, smiling to the parliament the American fighter aircraft by the throat pushing. No: it has incorrect information.
Here the reader in mind hears sirens wail, because "false information" is tantamount to a political mortal sin. That means empty bench, box, plant them: Go. Why is this a political mortal sin "? Since the Second Chamber, care should be confident that the information from the government is correct: only thus can the people representing the ministers and state secretaries check. Cabinet shows incorrect information, then that trust is at issue.

But that has happened. De Vries is still there - the smile on his face screwed. What is wrong? As part of the endless series of salami slices in which the Defense JSF project has changed, wants De Vries that the Court authorizes least two test aircraft from Lockheed to buy. Entirely free, of course.

Meanwhile, the Court may consider whether the best Swedish Saab Gripen Next Generation perhaps better or cheaper. The fractions of PvdA and Christian Union in the Room, which the government support, now have the fucking huge noise that makes the F35 (two times more than the F16) as an opportunity to leverage the purchasing decision. De Vries said on October 30 that was not yet known whether the Next Generation had a quieter engine than the F35. Well, Saab left by return mail apekool know that this was incorrect information.

information about the driver of the Saab was incorrect. When Jack de Vries still just spin doctor of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende was, he thought of all the basic principles of his box. Line 1 was: "Never Lie" (Image). Rule 2: 'Give only that which is good for you. " Short said the half-truth is better than a whole lie.

And he does now as State Secretary. In the letter De Vries writes that the Defense organization knows what engine in the new unit of Saab's. But as Secretary of State that he "personally unaware" would have been, so he compared the process of candidates can not influence.

The Court is all not very happy with De Vries. He wants a little bit more useful. That he should at least pay with the loss pace. The Government of PvdA and CU groups like the decision on the purchase of the test aircraft three months. Yesterday was a motion adopted.

And that is also better. Defense is examining at the moment what the military needs in 2020 and what it should cost. In 2010 opt for the JSF project means that the 'strategic reconnaissance' is not taken seriously.

It is nice that officials explore the future but about choices for the future of the Armed Forces
Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

should political parties in their election decision. It is a crucial part of the government: on international aspirations, the Dutch image, on membership of NATO, on peacekeeping operations, on European defense. About Dutch men and women who fight in foreign parts. There must be citizens judge can give. Instead of avid performer of the desire of its officials would Jacques de Vries process that can give direction. He could graduate from aid Sinterklaas to seriously reign person.

"The interest rate may be higher, but not down '

Let the banks lowering their mortgage rates, now that the European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate has also scaled down. A majority of the Lower House wants Finance Minister Wouter Bos of the banks to issue calls, now that the variable mortgage rates not go down, while they previously had equal with the European left interest rates rise.

The ECB has interest in a short time with a full percentage decreased. Officially juggles the bank, responsible for the conduct of monetary policy in the euro area, with only the interest rate to curb inflation. Stimulating the economy with the 'interest rate weapon' was more an American thing. Now there lies an economic motive behind the interest rate cut. The central bankers want a deep recession prevent or alleviate.

"The rate cuts are intended to stimulate the economy and not the pockets of the banks' coffers," had Consumentenbond know Monday. "The banks have the advantage of interest rate cuts to consumers." The association accuses the abuse of the banking institutions cheaper funding.

From CDA to SP sounds the call for action. The PvdA calls on banks to start lending to the margins and not to get too screws. The VVD advocated restraint in the demand for cheap credit.

The banks left their storage on the average European rate by almost 2 percent increase, calculated the Consumer Association. Postbank recently reduced the variable mortgage rates by more than 1 percent, "and this indicates that there is much room in the margins that banks apply to the mortgage."

A good story of the Consumers' Association, says Jasper Maes, director of mediation chain The Mortgage Advisor. "Without external pressure that bank interest rates do not go down."

The banks are abuse of the situation, find Maes. "What's now easier than addressing more margin as interest rates fall? They also know the customer can with the current housing market difficult road. Who gets his house now quickly lost if he wants his loan off? "

The banks now into perspective the importance of European interest. The cost of attracting money have risen sharply, according to them. Will money borrowed in the European context, it must be paid a cash storage, which would be significantly increased. The margins would have proved equal, despite a lower central rate.

Fix economy by 2009 '

The first tentative recovery of the world economy will only occur at the end of 2009. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warns, however, in the latest report on the world economy that this recovery is largely dependent on the speed with which the crisis in the financial markets to resume.


The longer the unrest by raging, the longer the recovery has been delayed. The whole world economy will, however, first by a deep valley should go. It is also the emerging economies are not spared. Even in China will enhance economic growth, according to the World Bank next year to fall to its lowest level since 1990.

According to new forecasts from the OECD, the Dutch economy next year for the first decline since 1982.

Pleas appeal Fortis find sales on Thursday

There will be argued Thursday in the appeal procedure in which certain small shareholders of Fortis have been launched following the decision of the Brussels commercial court. Those are the parties agreed Monday on an introductory session.

"Helicopter Ben" nickname does honor to

And again the U.S. government is investing 800 billion into the banking system. This time, however, the aid is free.

Why should we now already 800 billion dollars in the American banking system be pumped?

The Bush administration this time had no other choice. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the two largest mortgage banks in the country, are de facto nationalized early September. Since then, the government guarantees all the debts of these mortgage giants, which together half of U.S. mortgages are financed.

Fannie and Freddie have many bad loans on their balance sheets and credit crisis by the dozens or perhaps hundreds of billions of losses. Alone in the third quarter, when the real crisis was only beginning, she joined members a loss of over 50 billion dollars.

It let fall of the banks is not an option, because then all debts to the government rightly so. To prevent this and also to ensure that Freddie and Fannie continue to provide mortgages - given the free fall of the house-price is sorely needed - Freddie and Fannie have their bad mortgage loans are redeemed.

The U.S. government is actually paying 600 billion to its own banks? That sounds absurd.

No. That does not exactly public. In that case, the budget deficit to 600 billion increase, and taxpayers will suffer. Now pay the Fed, the American System of Central Banks. Those finance the takeover of the debt by printing money.

Bijdrukken just money? Just as in Zimbabwe or the Weimar Republic?

They were indeed their economic problems to tackle money by the press ever harder to run. The result was that inflation quickly ran into the thousands of percent.

The U.S. currently do not be afraid of a sharp inflation. The risk of deflation, a fall in prices is much larger. Deflation also has a lot desastreuzer effect. If prices fall, wages will fall, allowing the U.S. debt mountain proportionately only widens.

As long as deflation threatens, central banks may therefore unlimited money the machines running.

According to Ben Bernanke, the current Fed president, well. Deflation is never a problem, he concluded in 2002. If necessary step you with a stock of banknotes in the helicopter and that you sprinkle over the country, saying the prices go up. Bernanke owes it to his nickname Helicopter Ben.

Now equally seriously.

This is serious. You can also another way to determine that the step of Americans do not have to be so unwise. The credit crisis, all banks to shorten their balance sheets. In plain English: they borrow less. This is in essence that they have money to the destruction. This has stalled the flow of funds, the lubricant of the economy and threaten the economic engine to run all the way down. There is so much to say that the Fed directly inject oil into the system and not as usual through the detour of interest rate cuts - which now barely more help.

The Fed has also already decided to print 200 billion to that - through the banks - to students, car buyers, small businesses and credit card holders can be borrowed. It takes the Fed, in essence, the money-creating role of the banks.

Five hundred pounds of fireworks seized

Following an anonymous tip is called the Regional environmental teams of police-Noord Brabant and people of Customs Monday morning made a raid on two locations in Heusden. In a premises to the Parallelweg, four rolls illegal fireworks were found.

In a premises to the Grotestraat, by the same owner, were 25 boxes of illegal fireworks were found. The stock is seized five hundred pounds. The Customs found 30 cartons of cigarettes on which no duty was paid on. A 24-year-old resident of Heusden is interrogated as a suspect. He gets both facts for a Minute.

U.S. Army is investing $ 50 million in "games for training"

The American military wants the next few years a lot of money investing in games. These games are designed for soldiers who are prepared for a possible war or mission. From 2010, the "games for training" program. Until 2015, is fully invested in the program and its own games.

The game 'DARWARS Ambush "is one example. This game was launched in 2006 and is now used by soldiers in training. It also wants the army to retain the current game market and therefore also look at the technical developments of commercial games. Lt. Col. Gary Stephens, the manager of this project, says the following:

"The Army takes this seriously. We own gaming for the Army - from requirements through procurement."

But the game industry has now become a large market. Will the army who would benefit?

"We want to take advantage of that, but we do not have the intent to become a competitor with the commercial gaming industry. We do not have the intent or capability to be a commercial house game."