Windows to Russia

In January 2009, when I started writing the book China and the Credit Crisis: the emergence of a new world order, I could see that the financial crash of September and October 2008 had seriously weakened US financial power, and that some big changes would follow as a result. What I did not know then was how long these changes would take, nor did I realize that Europe had been as badly affected as the US by the boom and bust of the first eight years of the millennium.

Now, nearly four years later, the destruction wrought by the West’s love affair with debt and derivatives, and the extent of Western economic decline since 2008 has become plain for all to see. Most people thought that the G20 summit held in Washington after the crash, in November 2008, would mark a temporary weakness of the West, and that normal service would be resumed after at most a couple of years. The expression “From G8 to G20” would become “From G8 to G20 and back again”.

Although the G8 has continued to meet (supported particularly by Japan, which in China’s absence can aspire to the G8 role of leading Asian power), it is the larger G20 grouping that is starting to show the real staying power. It is not hard to see why. As usual, it comes down to money.

The larger emerging countries, led by China, have the economic growth and the ready cash that the West lacks and increasingly needs. The question now is: How long before China and the other BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa) come to play the dominant role in the international arena?

The statement issued by the G20 leaders when the summit ended in the Mexican seaside resort of Los Cabos on June 19 shows the impact of the emerging-country agenda, in a way that would have been thought impossible five years ago. For many years, in contrast to the US-led Western unilateral approach to global problems marked by the end of the Cold War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, China has stressed a multilateral approach that champions the unique situation and characteristics of each country as a key factor in promoting global peace and prosperity.

This approach is underlined in clause 8 of the G20 summit leaders’ declaration: “Despite the challenges we all face domestically, we have agreed that multilateralism is of even greater importance in the current climate, and remains our best asset to resolve the global economy’s difficulties.”

In other words, a different perspective – of inclusion, not exclusion, and of collaboration – not confrontation, is starting to govern the way global affairs are conducted. The superiority of a global grouping that includes a number of important countries from each continent, including Africa, over a narrow, US-dominated, Western-oriented grouping like the G8 is beginning to follow naturally from the new economic and financial influence exerted since the credit crisis by the big emerging countries, led by China.

An important question that follows from the reshaping of global governance is: Can the International Monetary Fund resume the pre-eminent and beneficial position that it occupied in global financial affairs after 1945? Or will it be left to enjoy the peaceful backwater of global affairs to which it retreated in the 1980s and 1990s, in the face of an increasingly strident US, which ignored it? Does the IMF have a key role to play in the new, post-crisis world of multilateralism? You might think that the IMF is an obvious winner from a multilateral world in financial crisis. In reality, though, it is still unclear how important the IMF will be in global affairs, because it remains controlled by the Western powers, particularly the US, which still holds 17 percent of the voting power, in an organization in which the agreement of 85 percent or more of shareholders is needed for any important policy changes.

The overdue changes in IMF voting power of 2010, which shifted about 6 percent of votes toward China and other emerging countries, have still to be ratified. Meanwhile, the next stage in the reform of IMF voting power (due to take effect in 2014) has yet to begin. For the IMF the danger is that the formerly dominant, but now financially weak, West continues to drag its feet in yielding control over the organization and other institutions of global governance, so that these potentially valuable institutions become irrelevant in a world driven by the economic and cultural power flowing from China, India, Russia, Brazil and the rest of the emerging world.

The continuing euro crisis makes the role of the IMF in global financial affairs particularly important. The raising of $456 billion (360 billion euros) from a wide range of countries to provide the IMF with additional means to support financially troubled countries indicates the potentially central role that the IMF could play. While China, Germany, France and Japan contributed 44 percent of these new support funds, the US contributed nothing. US global power, previously dominant, may have been substantially reduced by the financial crisis, but the country is still powerful enough to prevent the effective execution of any global solution with which it disagrees. So although the IMF could become the key global institution at a time of financial crisis and economic change, one has to wonder whether it really can play a significant role in the resolution of the European financial crisis, even with more than half a trillion US dollars at its disposal.

In the long section of the G20’s final declaration that was devoted to resolving the European financial crisis, it is possible to see a reflection of several different, competing views, from the establishment of the Europe-wide fiscal compact beloved of German believers in spending discipline, to the more liberal French growth-oriented perspective of making better use of European financial means, such as the European Investment Bank and structural funds, to support investment that can restore growth and employment and improve economic competitiveness.

Whatever the competing views, it is clear from the G20 summit declaration that, at last, almost all the steps necessary to resolve the European crisis are now being considered, from fundamental banking reform and recapitalization to fiscal retrenchment and economic reflation by way of targeted investment projects. Only debt forgiveness, an important feature in resolving earlier financial crises, failed to make an appearance in Los Cabos. Here, it is easy to guess that Germany successfully opposed any mention of easier repayment terms for Greece and other indebted Euro countries, although debt rescheduling will undoubtedly feature significantly in reduced European financial stress as lenders are forced to share the burden of economic readjustment with borrowers.

For the first time since the end of World War II, resolution of a major financial crisis will not happen because US money has underwritten a financial solution, thus extending US global influence. The latest G20 summit has shown that the post-1945 US-dominated world has gone for ever, to be replaced by something quite different – a multilateral world in which many different countries will increasingly be able to express their particular concerns, viewpoints and interests, supported by the financial power of the large emerging economies. Whether this new world order turns out to be better and more stable than the one it replaces depends on the wisdom and far-sightedness of its leaders. Among these China will count as pre-eminent.

The author (Giles Chance) is a visiting professor at Guanghua School of Management, Peking University. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Windows to Russia.

If body language is what you go by, then Putin and Obama had a terrible meeting and the Reset that never was born properly, died a painful death, as it was stomped in the ground finally by Putin. It was time that Putin put that sham to rest and I am sure that Obama had the longest hours of his life dealing with Putin that day. I doubt Obama will want a repeat….

I have chuckled at seeing most of the pictures that were taken of the two leaders sitting after the meeting. Oh yes all was proper and cordial, but oh yes things were said that had to be said and Putin will say it. Obama is worried about re-election and nothing but re-election and Putin never cared about his re-election in the first place. He is favored in Russia by a long shot and Obama lives on the edge of loosing the election all the time…

From what is being expressed in Russia and Chinese news, Putin made sure his point was direct and hardline…

Obama spent the whole time worrying about his election chances and wanted to present a good facade for America and Russia together…

The picture speaks a thousand words and while Putin looks like that all the time and I would expect nothing different from him, but we saw a worried Obama and as Obama should be! Putin tells it like it is and he is not playing games. Obama messed up several times before this meeting with Putin and the short sightedness of American politics is what puts the hot seat under his ass time and time again…

Why they even had McFaul the Envoy from America to Russia try to help cover up the tension between Putin and Obama. Now that is desperate when you have McFaul say anything about anything in Russia, for he has already destroyed his reputation 10 times over…

Going to be interesting to see what happens in the world…

Ding Dong the Reset is Dead. We need a new trick to play with now…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia!

The first picture was a Burger King that I found at the Moscow, Russia – Sheremetyevo International Airport! I did not have time to stop, but I was thinking about it and a Double Whopper with cheese sounded really good, no not good for me, but really good to eat… 🙂

The second picture was the jet on the Ukraine runway and the third picture was everyone boarding the airliner. In Russia we always get a ramp from the terminal to board, but in Ukraine it is bus to the parking area, I have never boarded any other way at Ukraine…

The boy in the last picture that is a blur, is the one that sat next to me and he moved constantly the whole trip to Moscow. Until we were 5 minutes to landing and he fell sound asleep and they had a rough time in getting him awake again. He did share his candy with me though… 🙂

Could you imagine all these people going through American border with all there plastic sacks of food, water, beer, wine and other illegal stuff, by American standards? The flight served, limited to two glasses of free wine and beer and the flight was mainly made up of Russians! I had seen several opening cans of fish (sardines) and one lady was passing around her cabbage pie that she made in Ukraine…

One man walked aboard with an open bottle of beer and it all brought back memories of flying in the old days. I remember when we smoked on board the jets and I promise you that these people would love to be able to do that now. I watched the vodka and wine bought at the Duty-Free area get cracked open during the flight and several rounds of vodka shots were presented for toasting during the flight home…

The girls (Stewardesses) took it all in-stride and smiled the whole time. They allowed lots of things to slide by, but they refused to allow seat belt violations, cell phone violations and kept everyone seated during take off and landing. They were vicious during those two times and other than that, hell – it was a free for all… 🙂

Another thing that I loved to see was during the flight to Ukraine, the cockpit door was open the whole time. The pilot came and went as he wanted and and even came back into the passenger area and spoke to several people. It has been a long time since I have seen the inside of the cockpit as they are sealed up like Fort Knox anymore. It was rather nice and a very very comfortable laid back trip…

This is why I love Russia and Ukraine very very very much! It is so free and wonderful to experience and live…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

PS: Oh yes, Russian clap like crazy when we successfully land with no issues! Gotta love it…

Finally after months and months of constant work. After months and months of e-mails and phone calls. After months and months of pushing, prodding and asking for help. We got a break in this story. Albeit a small break for now, but a break none the less and lets hope that this will open the door for help for these kids. The local jurisdiction has looked the other way, way too long…

Lets hope that the boy is not a victim of the SYSTEM…

E-mail: Kyle, I did an interview with Voice of Russia in America yesterday. It aired in the DC and NY area; it will begin to stream on the internet sometime today…which I guess will be your tomorrow? The name of the person who conducted the interview was Rod Sachs. If it hadn’t been for you, it wouldn’t have happened…so thanks once again. Hope you and Svet are well. (The boy is still missing….the two girls ran away again but were caught again…there is a new Texas Child Protective Investigation on the situation.) Blessings, Diane

The Article by Voice of Russia… (Source Article with a podcast of the interview!)

Issue of Americans adopting Russian children has become a hot button political issue since 2010 when a Tennessee mother shipped back to Russia an 11-year-old boy on an 11-hour-flight. That turned suspension to all Russian adoptions and a greater scrutiny of the type of parents who adopt. This leads us to the case of three children in Texas adopted from Russia and who had many difficulties with their new life in America. Joining us now to tell us her story is Diana Black, she runs a home for abused children in Silsbee, Texas.

So, tell us about these three children in Texas?

I first met the children when I was sent by Child Protective Services to spend time with them and to do an interview, because numerous reports of abuse have been made. I went to their home in August in 2008 and talked to the 3 children and documented information from them and then I returned this information to Child Protective Services. I had a concern immediately because little response was made and the children weren’t removed from the home which concerned me because the abuse was the worst type of child abuse I’ve ever seen: the conditions were deplorable and things that were being done to the children were outrageous. And actually child abuse is against the law as you know, but in my experience I found that often times instead of legal action being taken civil servants were sent to take care of the situation and the philosophy in Texas is that the children should remain with parents if at all possible, I agree with that. But sometimes it goes too far and when children are in danger we have a responsibility to protect them. These three Russian children don’t have any extended family in Texas and so I was unable to give them the help they needed. Over the years the children repeatedly ran away from the home and they oldest child has been missing now for about a week and the two younger children ran away this past Sunday, they were found on Thursday and returned to their home. There is another CPS case that’s been open. This has been going on since they arrived in America in 2002.

What types of abuse were you seeing?

Oh, gosh. When I talked to a little boy, he had his teeth broken and I asked him about that he told me his adoptive mother had hit him in the mouth with a shoe. Also he was undernourished, he was 12 years old and he weight about 58-60 pounds and I know that because we weight him at some point at the children’s home. He was being denied food occasionally, he was punished by not receiving food and he was often times locked in a room with a bucket to use as a toilet. There was a mattress in the room and on the floor. I saw this, I went to his home. And he said sometimes they left a mattress for him to sleep on and sometimes they dragged it out of the room and he had to sleep on the floor. When child abuse reports were being made and numerous reports were made by many people and I have names and numbers of at least 2 dozen people who made reports from 2002 to this current day, it was very difficult for me to speak to the child and hear these awful things that were being done to him. It just broke my heart.

And when you see these types of things happening and continue to happen, who do you put the blame on? Is it the adoption agency, is it the state of Texas, of course, the parents, but when you try to get things to have changed where do you see to be the root of the problem?

I think the problem is in part the lack of requirements of the adoption agencies. Post-adoption services are very important, once children are placed, someone needs to go into the home periodically to make sure that everything’s ok. It’s partly because the adoption agency doesn’t have strong outlines and it’s partially could be because at a home study that wasn’t done carefully enough, Child Protective Services in Texas, like I said, have a philosophy of leaving children in the home when at all possible and sometimes they just carry that too far and they do family safety services. So, first thing they did, I guess, after they were involved in the case, the adoptive mother had to leave the home and so she left for about 6 weeks and then returned. Things like that don’t actually solve any problems when there are more abuses of the two.

We saw that as many as hundred thousand Russian children have been adopted by foreigners since the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago and fewer than 20 of them have died as a result of negligence or abuse. So, when we look at this case as tragic as it is, do you think it’s more just a horrible tragedy of one particular family abusing these children rather than a symptom of something larger?

I think most children who were adopted by Americans are in wonderful homes and I know some families who have adopted Russian children and they are in just fabulous situation. I think that just like there is abuse of American children in the United States, occasionally children who are adopted from other countries fall into some of these unfortunate situations. This particular situation we are talking about, I don’t think is typical. I was really surprised that I was unable to find anyone to protect the children and I turned to detective services and the law enforcement and I was unable to get any help for the kids. The boy, the oldest boy who was 12 at the time, he is now 16, continued to run away repeatedly and to stay in the woods several neighbors helped him to come in, gave him a place to stay. Each time he was found and returned. He was in the children’s home, I ran the home for abused children, I had him 4 times and 6th time he ran away I took him here to Child Protective Services in the state because I was unable to attain help for him locally. So, I went to the top and I had full confidence that they would resolve the situation and take care of these children but that didn’t happen.

What do you think the role of the Russian government should be in this particular case?

I think that Russian government should enforce any law, I don’t know the laws they have, but if they have any law, any requirement, any even recent things that have been agreed upon between Russia and the United States, any improvements that have been made since 2002 when these children were adopted, I think that should be retroactive and that someone should be able to go into the home and talk to the children, the two who are still there.

Speaking of that, the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security announced back in July 2011 that there was bilateral agreement about adoptive children and cooperation to strengthen safeguards between Russia and the United States. The agreement provides the safeguards to protect the welfare of children and the agreement also designs to improve post-adoption reporting and monitoring to insure that perspective adoptive parents can receive more complete information about adoptive children’s social and medical histories and anticipated needs. What do you make of that agreement and do you see any ramifications of that agreement in this particular case?

The things you’ve just mentioned are wonderful and necessary. I think we’ll go a long way in preventing situations like this in the future. I am hopeful that those stipulations can be applied to these children. The children I am speaking about were adopted in 2002 before these new regulations were put into place but since the children are still underage, I think those regulations you just told me about should apply to all underage children in America and not just the children who are being adopted in the future.

You mentioned that this case is still fluid. Where do you think it stands now and what do you think is going to happen in the future? I guess the oldest child is going to be an adult in 2 years. What do you see things happening from here?

With these particular children?

Correct.

There is an new CPS, Child Protective Services, a new CPS case was opened I think sometime last week. The investigator has, I believe 10-14 days to gather information and to make a determination. The problem with this situation is right now, that the two children are still in the abusive home, are afraid to say anything because in the past they’ve told the truth to Child Protective Services and they weren’t removed. So, they have been put in a more dangerous situation and if they are being asked questions and if they are not taken out from home, they are afraid to talk about the things that have been done in the home because when the Child Protective Services worker leaves, then the children stay with their adoptive parents. The oldest child, the one who is missing right now, was very brave and he always told the truth and he told to anyone who would listen to him and he begged for help and asked for help. In 2008 when I met him, he has been asking for help for quite sometime and I don’t know if I mentioned the children were taken out of public school and were kept in home for about 2,5 years because school authorities were calling Child Protective Services. The children weren’t allowed to leave the home, the windows were boarded up with plywood. And after I met them, some changes were made and the children were in public school but they were under strict instruction cause the adoptive parents did not just say anything to teachers or anyone in the school and so still they have controlled the two youngest children in particular, and the oldest child, a boy, like I said he has been very forthcoming in asking for help and he told me at the day when I met him “I keep telling my sisters to tell the truth so that somewhat would help us”.

We are out of time. But thank you so much for bringing in this issue to light.

It was Diane Black, she runs a home for abused children in Silsbee, Texas.

Now I can start using her real name and information. I have tried to get something broke open on these kids and it finally happened…

Now I just am worried sick about the boy. He is still missing and I have hopes that the system will protect the girls now that it is in the open. But the boy is still gone a week and a half later and we all know what that means many times…

I pray that the boy is safe and sound and not…

Remember this has been going on since 2008 with Diane, the children have been asking for help way before that and it is now 2012…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

PS: If you find this situation happening near you and no one is listening. I will listen and just contact me. If I can help I will, as I will never give up and I will do my best…

Article that triggered it all… (Link below!)

http://windowstorussia.com/three-more-adopted-children-from-russia-being-abused-in-america.html

Current Human Terrain System (HTS) program manager Colonel Sharon Hamilton will be retiring after 27 years in the US Army. She will be replaced by another active duty Army colonel according to sources.

One source wryly pointed out that “now we will find out if she [Hamilton] used US government funds in pursuit of her PhD.”

As the program undergoes yet another leadership change and budget reductions for 2013, personnel are trying to figure out how to make the most of a precarious employment situation. Apparently there are moves afoot by some within HTS to be reclassified from Human Terrain Analysts (all due to be fired by July) to Research Managers. As one source pointed out, all manner of schemes will be used to salvage employment, return favors and ensure that “comp time” gets paid.

There is even a glimmer of hope that the United States will continue its warring ways in Syria. Paraphrasing one enterprising HTS’er,”We would hate to lose that person’s skills with Syria on the horizon.”

Meanwhile, according to Colonel Hamilton, “This is a time of many transitions in HTS…Once we have the authority to enact the revised HTS support plan, we will conduct a responsible transition to the FY13 level of support while still providing all required HTS mission support to ISAF. Our teams redeployments and personnel transitions will occur in conjunction with ISAF mission transitions and priorities. Team redeployments and personnel transitions will occur prior to the end of FY 12in order to avoid spillover costs to the already reduced FY13 budget. The reduction of the number of deployed teams will also result in personnel reductions in the support provided by RRC, Training, and staff.

Due to the planned reduction of the overall number of HTS deployed teams in FY13, we are not able to bring new personnel on board in FY 12. As a result, on 8 June 2012 we informed the HTS support contractor CGI that we will not conduct a July HTS class. The current April cycle class will graduate on 2 July as scheduled, however their swear-in as DA civilians will not occur prior to FY 13 (OCT 12). The May training cycle was released back to CGI and will not continue training.

Organizationally, we are undergoing a leadership transition. As many of you know, last October, I submitted my retirement packet after 27 years of service. My retirement ceremony is 29 June and my official retirement date is 1 SEP. The HTS Director position is a priority for DA and TRADOC G2 and they have selected an active duty colonel to replace me; he is due to report in July. COL Steve Bentley, formerly AF2 Team Leader, is now on board and conducting his overlap with COL Mark Bartholf as the Deputy Director. Effective 29 June, COL Bartholf will be acting HTS Director until my replacement gets on board.

We expect that the impact of leadership transition will be minimal due to the solid HTS staff structure and processes we built over the last two years to ensure continuity of operations. We have professional and extremely effective staff directors in place and they ensure that OCONUS and CONUS HTS employees receive professional support. The staff Directors will ensure that during my transition, COL Bartholf’s transition in OCT, and the pending mission transitions in AFG there is no change in support to all deployed teams, CONUS HTS staff, and our mission.

I sincerely understand the personal effect that these changes will have on our employees. All of you as DA military and civilian supervisors have the professional responsibility to provide this information to our employees in the context of DA wide changes in funding and the overall ISAF missiontransition.”

At the end of the day, according to sources, Hamilton “is swimming away from the sinking ship, and will leave this mess for Bartholf to handle. Bartholf will play dumb and stall for time. The first wave of cuts must be completed prior to 1 October. The second wave, prior to 1 January 2013, and the third wave will automatically kick in on 1 January. They are already moving the pieces into place to shut down the program…Do not take any work or download anything that doesn’t belong to them. You may see a lot of that amongst the Social Scientists who will want to prove they did something of note.”

John Stanton is a Virginia based writer specializing in national security matters. Reach him at cioran123@yahoo.com

The views of the above author are not strictly the views of Windows to Russia. They are an independent view from an outside source and country that brings a better light on the world in general and Windows to Russia is pleased to have John Stanton’s article on its pages today. It is hoped that we will have many more of his writings in the future…

Windows to Russia!

Japan and China thumbed their noses at America and found a way to legally keep the Iran oil flowing. The Western media is downplaying the happening, but it really is a very important issue. Much more important than the media is giving it credit. This is huge in the real world situation and the East is become much more sufficient as you read this…

It is a sign of the future and as the West shoots itself in the foot time and time again…

As London insurance coverage of oil shipments from Iran is to come to an end on July 1st when the European Union’s embargo on Iranian oil takes effect. The Japanese Parliament has voted to extend $7.6bn worth of government guarantees to tanker companies shipping oil from Iran. Henceforth countered the embargo and effect on Japan, who needs this oil as it is some of the best grade oil in the world…

China it seems will get around the issue and supply tankers to Iran to ship their oil to China. That solves the issue as China is dealing with their own tankers. China has more than enough tankers and as China said, “A senior Chinese oil executive said last week that the European insurance ban would not pose a problem and that Iran delivering the crude on China’s own tankers would be one of the options!”

What this really does is to make Asian Insurance grow into the big time and they will start to cover the world in insurance as the Western insurance falters under governmental regulations…

We are talking about billions and billions in lost revenue for the West…

Is the West that rich they can forgo billions in capital?

Kinda like – cutting your nose off to spite your face…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

I get to keep my shoes on. I get to keep my belt on. I can carry a bottle of water aboard the jet. I don’t have my liquid Nitro spray thrown away. I don’t get molested. Only one metal detector and about 10 minutes thru the line. No one thinks we are terrorists and no one treats us as such. Border patrols say thank you and how may I help you and have a nice day…

I feel human and free…

Love to travel on this side of the world…

Kyle

The War Drums are beating from Russia and I will be honest with you! The Russians are ready to take America on…

These drums may be in response to the years of war drums from America, but everyone has their limit and Russia is fast reaching her limit…

That should worry you…

Putin has made it clear and the West is downplaying it…

Don’t be stupid…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

http://windowstorussia.com/three-more-adopted-children-from-russia-being-abused-in-america.html

The link above is to the article that I asked for some help. Go ahead and have a look at it first if you missed it…

Well today at 2:00pm Texas time in America an interview will happen over this situation. I found out this weekend that the little boy is still missing after over a week, but the two girls are under observation and are safe. I hope that the little boy is okay and I feel so helpless and sad for him…

A Washington DC organization has contacted the woman in social services that has been trying to save these kids. It took me to send a hundred e-mails and write a post to get this even this far. I am amazed that no news organization in America will touch it and I do know that a few Russian organizations are ready to deal with it, if the American media drags their feet farther…

We will see what happens the next few days after an interview is done. At least communication has finally been established and lets hope that this young boy is not in a ditch somewhere dead or dying…

This is not the first time that I have had to get involved in a situation like this and it seems that too many people look the other way as kids all over are being abused. In this case the local jurisdiction who has authority over this situation has let the ball drop and has actually turned on the woman who is trying to help the kids. I was amazed at this woman’s perseverance and I have come to find out that she has been in trouble and arrested for trying to help these children. She has been doing this since 2008 and no one in the local departments of justice cares what happens to these kids. I get the image of, “Hey they are just adopted Russian children and who cares?” 🙁

Last e-mail from this lady was this: Thank you Kyle. The two girls ran away last Sunday but were found on Thursday and returned to the home. The boy is still missing. I am not too worried about trouble for me. The truth is the truth and the focus needs to be on the kids. Prayers are needed. I’ll let you know how the interview goes Monday. Blessings…

Good lady and her needs are secondary to the kids. What a shame that these kids did not get a mother and father who care as much as this stranger for their well being…

Now you have a better understanding of why I have such issues with Americans adopting Russians, If you have dealt with that I have over the years, you would see that there are many many many more problems than what gets out in the news…

Enough of that though and It is time to thank the Washington DC groups that responded to my article and definitely to the Kremlin responses. It took a combination of Russian prodding America on this to get the American side to at least try to see what is happening…

I will say again: “I have a ton of information on these kids and I will pass it on to the correct people if I m contacted. ” I am not worried about myself also, but I am worried about this little boy who has been missing for a week and nothing in the news about his disappearance. That is what I mean about America and American news…

My mind is trying to tell me that this little boy has a protector in another family that sees the issues and I hope that is true because for over a week now he has been on the streets alone or worse…

Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…

PS: I will be out of town for a day or so, but as soon as I am back and hear something about this I will print what I can…

Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined Moscow’s vision of the main challenges facing the G20 in the era of growing economic and financial instability in an article published in Mexico’s El Universal daily on Monday.

Measures taken by the G20 to deal with the 2008 crisis have proven successful in many aspects but “the systemic problems are still far from all solved” and the effects of the past crisis “are still visible today,” Putin wrote in his article, entitled The G20 and Global Economic Challenges.

Negative market trends over the past few months have prompted analysts to make “very pessimistic forecasts,” the article, which was published on the first day of a G20 summit n Mexico’s Los Cabos, reads.

To survive a new wave of global crisis, Russia and its partner states should find a “reasonable balance” between fiscal consolidation and strict budget discipline on the one hand, and job creation, economic growth, and tackling social problems, on the other hand, Putin said.

In order to avoid “outbreaks of financial panic” due to growing market instability, it is important to ensure that the global financial architecture is “tied to real assets and values,” he said.

He called on partner states to agree to implement tougher regulation of derivatives trading, facilitate the emergence of new reserve currencies and expand their use in global trade and investment, and increase the role of developing countries and “new economic powers” in managing international financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

He also warned against excessive trade protectionism as a means to deal with the crisis. He cited a 12-percent decrease in global trade in 2009, the biggest slide in the entire post-World War II period, as an example, which he said was largely due to some countries’ “extensive de-facto use of tough protectionist measures to protect their own markets.”

“It is time to recognize that governments are, on the one hand, declaring protectionism unacceptable, but, on the other hand, are devising ever more sophisticated ways to protect their own economies, disguising protectionist measures as environmental or technical restrictions, for example,” he said, adding that such practice must stop.

All those issues will be among Russia’s priorities when it takes over the G20 presidency next year, he added.

“It is equally important to ensure that the G20 does not become just another elite club that selfishly looks after its members’ interests alone,” but that it lays down “fair rules for sustainable development throughout the entire global economy.”

Russia’s Economy Stable, but Needs Quicker ‘Change’

Russia, the world’s sixth-biggest economy in terms of purchasing parity power, has strengthened its financial and budget system over recent years, being one of the fastest growing large economies in Europe with a growth rate of 4.3 percent, Putin wrote.

He admitted, however, that Russia’s budget stability was due to its high oil and gas revenues, and if those are deducted, the country would see “high budget deficit figures,” which Putin said have grown over the years of the crisis to the “maximum level which may be allowed.”

“We are very much aware that we need to speed up the pace of change” that would reduce Russia’s dependence on raw material exports, he added.

In order to achieve this, he said, the Russian government has been working to “radically” improve the investment climate, reduce infrastructure bottlenecks and build up human capital in order to make Russia a “globally competitive place to do business” while respecting the government’s social commitments.

Windows to Russia…