Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
unhappycamper
unhappycamper's Journal
unhappycamper's Journal
April 19, 2014
Conservative activists may hate Common Core math and English standards, but the former Florida governor remains an unrepentant backer.
Why Jeb Bush's Greatest Political Achievement Could Sink a White House Run
—By Tim Murphy
| Fri Apr. 18, 2014 3:00 AM PDT
I met Jeb Bush's biggest nightmare during a breakout session at March's Conservative Political Action Conference held outside of DC. In a side room, Phyllis Schlafly, the octogenarian den mother of the religious right, was explaining why attendees should be afraid of a set of national educational standards, little noticed by the national political press, called Common Core. The standards are arguably Bush's biggest political legacy. They are also the source of a rising tide of activism on the political right. One after another, conservative activists in the standing-room-only audience stood up to express their alarm. "If you are a white male boy—God forbid you're Jewish!—you're being targeted and it's very scary," fretted a woman from Texas. "Very scary."
~snip~
In recent weeks, Bush—the former governor of Florida, brother of the 43rd president, and son of the 41st—has emerged as the Republican Party's presidential sleeper of the moment, a political heavyweight who could commandeer the nervous donor class, lure Latino voters back to the GOP, and stand toe-to-toe with Hillary Clinton.
~snip~
But if Bush runs, he'll have to contend with an obstacle every bit as daunting as his last name—Common Core. His educational nonprofit, the Foundation for Excellence in Education, has been a leading supporter of Common Core, and he has recently joined another group, Conservatives for Higher Standards, to defend the standards against what he calls an "avalanche" of opposition. If that avalanche grows any bigger, it threatens to block any path Bush may have to becoming the Republican Party's 2016 standard-bearer.
Adopted five years ago by 45 states, the guidelines are designed to provide a modicum of standardization across the country, so that a child in Idaho and a child in Florida might reasonably be expected to learn the same things at the same times. From the start, the standards were derided by some conservatives for the expenses they would bring, or as a power grab that would erode local control, water down existing state curricula, or, yes, even brainwash children with leftist material. But it's only in the last two years, as students have begun to take the Core-compliant standardized tests, that parents—and in turn, politicians and key right-leaning news outlets—have begun to take note.
Why Jeb Bush's Greatest Political Achievement Could Sink a White House Run
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/04/jeb-bush-biggest-nightmare-common-coreConservative activists may hate Common Core math and English standards, but the former Florida governor remains an unrepentant backer.
Why Jeb Bush's Greatest Political Achievement Could Sink a White House Run
—By Tim Murphy
| Fri Apr. 18, 2014 3:00 AM PDT
I met Jeb Bush's biggest nightmare during a breakout session at March's Conservative Political Action Conference held outside of DC. In a side room, Phyllis Schlafly, the octogenarian den mother of the religious right, was explaining why attendees should be afraid of a set of national educational standards, little noticed by the national political press, called Common Core. The standards are arguably Bush's biggest political legacy. They are also the source of a rising tide of activism on the political right. One after another, conservative activists in the standing-room-only audience stood up to express their alarm. "If you are a white male boy—God forbid you're Jewish!—you're being targeted and it's very scary," fretted a woman from Texas. "Very scary."
~snip~
In recent weeks, Bush—the former governor of Florida, brother of the 43rd president, and son of the 41st—has emerged as the Republican Party's presidential sleeper of the moment, a political heavyweight who could commandeer the nervous donor class, lure Latino voters back to the GOP, and stand toe-to-toe with Hillary Clinton.
~snip~
But if Bush runs, he'll have to contend with an obstacle every bit as daunting as his last name—Common Core. His educational nonprofit, the Foundation for Excellence in Education, has been a leading supporter of Common Core, and he has recently joined another group, Conservatives for Higher Standards, to defend the standards against what he calls an "avalanche" of opposition. If that avalanche grows any bigger, it threatens to block any path Bush may have to becoming the Republican Party's 2016 standard-bearer.
Adopted five years ago by 45 states, the guidelines are designed to provide a modicum of standardization across the country, so that a child in Idaho and a child in Florida might reasonably be expected to learn the same things at the same times. From the start, the standards were derided by some conservatives for the expenses they would bring, or as a power grab that would erode local control, water down existing state curricula, or, yes, even brainwash children with leftist material. But it's only in the last two years, as students have begun to take the Core-compliant standardized tests, that parents—and in turn, politicians and key right-leaning news outlets—have begun to take note.
April 19, 2014
Ask an Expert How to Avoid Exploitative Clothing Companies
—By Dana Liebelson
| Mon Jan. 6, 2014 4:36 PM PST
"
The supervisors) said we would get less work if we slept with them." That's what a 19-year-old Indian woman told me this year, about her experience working in a factory that makes products for international clothing companies. She's one of thousands of "sumangali girls" who take jobs at textile factories under false promises, believing that they will earn enough money for education or a dowry. After traveling to India to learn about the brutal conditions under which sumangali girls work—and getting chased by thugs in the process—it's been hard for me to shop for clothes in Washington, DC, without feeling guilty. So what's the solution?
At 11 AM EST on Tuesday, January 7th, I'll be discussing this question with Sindhu Kavinamannil, a native of Southern India who investigates government contracts for labor violations and served as my translator during my reporting trip, and Elizabeth Cline, author of the 2012 book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. We'll talk about the sumangali scheme, efforts by US clothing companies to reform their supply chains, and tips for American consumers who want to make sure that their clothes don't support exploitation. Here's our discussion:
Before you guiltily buy another pair of $10 skinny jeans, watch this.
Ask an Expert How to Avoid Exploitative Clothing Companies
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/sumangali-google-hangout-india-clothesAsk an Expert How to Avoid Exploitative Clothing Companies
—By Dana Liebelson
| Mon Jan. 6, 2014 4:36 PM PST
"
The supervisors) said we would get less work if we slept with them." That's what a 19-year-old Indian woman told me this year, about her experience working in a factory that makes products for international clothing companies. She's one of thousands of "sumangali girls" who take jobs at textile factories under false promises, believing that they will earn enough money for education or a dowry. After traveling to India to learn about the brutal conditions under which sumangali girls work—and getting chased by thugs in the process—it's been hard for me to shop for clothes in Washington, DC, without feeling guilty. So what's the solution?
At 11 AM EST on Tuesday, January 7th, I'll be discussing this question with Sindhu Kavinamannil, a native of Southern India who investigates government contracts for labor violations and served as my translator during my reporting trip, and Elizabeth Cline, author of the 2012 book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. We'll talk about the sumangali scheme, efforts by US clothing companies to reform their supply chains, and tips for American consumers who want to make sure that their clothes don't support exploitation. Here's our discussion:
Before you guiltily buy another pair of $10 skinny jeans, watch this.
April 19, 2014
On Feb. 24, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a law allowing for life sentences for homosexuals. Since then, members of the country's gay and lesbian community have been going into hiding or leaving the country. Western pressure has been ineffective.
Mistrust and Hate: The Frightening New Lives of Homosexuals in Uganda
By Jan Puhl in Kampala, Uganda
April 17, 2014 – 04:29 PM
Michael Kawuba is sitting in his church office reflecting on tumescence. "We Ugandans get an erection when we see a beautiful woman," he says. "Anything else is unnatural."
During the day, Kawuba works as a financial advisor, but once he is finished, he rejoins the battle against homosexuality. A friendly man of 31, Kawuba is married and has three children -- and he is not one to rant. But every second Sunday, he preaches to the Kakumba congregation. "The Bible forbade homosexuality. God rained down fire onto Sodom and Gomorrah" -- he continues in this vein for hours at a time, standing behind a wooden pulpit. The sanctuary is spacious with a roof made of palm fronds. A band including guitar, bass and drums players pumps out gospel music while worshippers sing along, sway to the rhythm and stretch their arms heavenward as they call out "praise the Lord!"
On Feb. 24, God would seem to have finally heard their entreaties. That was the day that President Yoweri Museveni signed a law making "aggravated homosexuality" punishable with sentences of up to life in prison. A first draft of the law had even called for the death penalty. Michael Kawuba invited friends over for the event and they watched their head of state sign the new statute. "We cheered like we were watching football," Kawuba says.
According to one survey, 96 percent of all Ugandans find homosexuality unacceptable and many are in favor of locking away gays, lesbians and transsexuals. Uganda has long been a model country in Africa: Though the regime is authoritarian, the country is stable and economically successful. Now, it has one of the most draconian anti-gay laws on the continent, trailing only Nigeria's Muslim north, Mauretania, Somalia and Sudan. Now, homosexuality is a punishable offense in 36 of Africa's 54 countries.
Mistrust and Hate: The Frightening New Lives of Homosexuals in Uganda
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/gays-and-lesbians-in-uganda-under-pressure-after-new-law-a-964632.htmlOn Feb. 24, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed a law allowing for life sentences for homosexuals. Since then, members of the country's gay and lesbian community have been going into hiding or leaving the country. Western pressure has been ineffective.
Mistrust and Hate: The Frightening New Lives of Homosexuals in Uganda
By Jan Puhl in Kampala, Uganda
April 17, 2014 – 04:29 PM
Michael Kawuba is sitting in his church office reflecting on tumescence. "We Ugandans get an erection when we see a beautiful woman," he says. "Anything else is unnatural."
During the day, Kawuba works as a financial advisor, but once he is finished, he rejoins the battle against homosexuality. A friendly man of 31, Kawuba is married and has three children -- and he is not one to rant. But every second Sunday, he preaches to the Kakumba congregation. "The Bible forbade homosexuality. God rained down fire onto Sodom and Gomorrah" -- he continues in this vein for hours at a time, standing behind a wooden pulpit. The sanctuary is spacious with a roof made of palm fronds. A band including guitar, bass and drums players pumps out gospel music while worshippers sing along, sway to the rhythm and stretch their arms heavenward as they call out "praise the Lord!"
On Feb. 24, God would seem to have finally heard their entreaties. That was the day that President Yoweri Museveni signed a law making "aggravated homosexuality" punishable with sentences of up to life in prison. A first draft of the law had even called for the death penalty. Michael Kawuba invited friends over for the event and they watched their head of state sign the new statute. "We cheered like we were watching football," Kawuba says.
According to one survey, 96 percent of all Ugandans find homosexuality unacceptable and many are in favor of locking away gays, lesbians and transsexuals. Uganda has long been a model country in Africa: Though the regime is authoritarian, the country is stable and economically successful. Now, it has one of the most draconian anti-gay laws on the continent, trailing only Nigeria's Muslim north, Mauretania, Somalia and Sudan. Now, homosexuality is a punishable offense in 36 of Africa's 54 countries.
April 19, 2014
Study: Popular movements strangled by influence of the wealthy elite in Congress
By Travis Gettys
Friday, April 18, 2014 12:19 EDT
A forthcoming study found that ordinary citizens exert little influence on the political process, even when they form coalitions to compete against corporate interests.
~snip~
“The basic idea is that maybe ordinary citizens don’t have a whole lot of influence on their own, but they’re represented by groups,” said co-author Benjamin Page, a Northwestern University political science professor.
He said, in theory, everyone ought to be represented “pretty well” in the U.S. political system, but “it turns out that’s just not true.”
“Mass-based interest groups have much less influence than corporations and business-oriented groups,” Page said. “If you like the idea of democracy, it’s got to be a little disturbing.”
Study: Popular movements strangled by influence of the wealthy elite in Congress
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/18/study-popular-movements-strangled-by-influence-of-the-wealthy-elite-in-congress/Study: Popular movements strangled by influence of the wealthy elite in Congress
By Travis Gettys
Friday, April 18, 2014 12:19 EDT
A forthcoming study found that ordinary citizens exert little influence on the political process, even when they form coalitions to compete against corporate interests.
~snip~
“The basic idea is that maybe ordinary citizens don’t have a whole lot of influence on their own, but they’re represented by groups,” said co-author Benjamin Page, a Northwestern University political science professor.
He said, in theory, everyone ought to be represented “pretty well” in the U.S. political system, but “it turns out that’s just not true.”
“Mass-based interest groups have much less influence than corporations and business-oriented groups,” Page said. “If you like the idea of democracy, it’s got to be a little disturbing.”
April 18, 2014
An Int’l Trail of Death and Heartbreak: How the Bush Wars came home with the Vets
By Juan Cole | Apr. 18, 2014
(By Ann Jones)
~snip~
War Comes Home
During the last 12 years, many veterans who had grown “worse” while at war could be found on and around bases here at home, waiting to be deployed again, and sometimes doing serious damage to themselves and others. The organization Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) has campaigned for years for a soldier’s “right to heal” between deployments. Next month it will release its own report on a common practice at Fort Hood of sending damaged and heavily medicated soldiers back to combat zones against both doctors’ orders and official base regulations. Such soldiers can’t be expected to survive in great shape.
Immediately after the Lopez rampage, President Obama spoke of those soldiers who have served multiple tours in the wars and “need to feel safe” on their home base. But what the president called “that sense of safety… broken once again” at Fort Hood has, in fact, already been shattered again and again on bases and in towns across post-9/11 America — ever since misused, misled, and mistreated soldiers began bringing war home with them.
Since 2002, soldiers and veterans have been committing murder individually and in groups, killing wives, girlfriends, children, fellow soldiers, friends, acquaintances, complete strangers, and — in appalling numbers — themselves. Most of these killings haven’t been on a mass scale, but they add up, even if no one is doing the math. To date, they have never been fully counted.
The first veterans of the war in Afghanistan returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2002. In quick succession, four of them murdered their wives, after which three of the killers took their own lives. When a New York Times reporter asked a Special Forces officer to comment on these events, he replied: “S.F.’s don’t like to talk about emotional stuff. We are Type A people who just blow things like that off, like yesterday’s news.”
An Int’l Trail of Death and Heartbreak: How the Bush Wars came home with the Vets
http://www.juancole.com/2014/04/trail-death-heartbreak.htmlAn Int’l Trail of Death and Heartbreak: How the Bush Wars came home with the Vets
By Juan Cole | Apr. 18, 2014
(By Ann Jones)
~snip~
War Comes Home
During the last 12 years, many veterans who had grown “worse” while at war could be found on and around bases here at home, waiting to be deployed again, and sometimes doing serious damage to themselves and others. The organization Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) has campaigned for years for a soldier’s “right to heal” between deployments. Next month it will release its own report on a common practice at Fort Hood of sending damaged and heavily medicated soldiers back to combat zones against both doctors’ orders and official base regulations. Such soldiers can’t be expected to survive in great shape.
Immediately after the Lopez rampage, President Obama spoke of those soldiers who have served multiple tours in the wars and “need to feel safe” on their home base. But what the president called “that sense of safety… broken once again” at Fort Hood has, in fact, already been shattered again and again on bases and in towns across post-9/11 America — ever since misused, misled, and mistreated soldiers began bringing war home with them.
Since 2002, soldiers and veterans have been committing murder individually and in groups, killing wives, girlfriends, children, fellow soldiers, friends, acquaintances, complete strangers, and — in appalling numbers — themselves. Most of these killings haven’t been on a mass scale, but they add up, even if no one is doing the math. To date, they have never been fully counted.
The first veterans of the war in Afghanistan returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2002. In quick succession, four of them murdered their wives, after which three of the killers took their own lives. When a New York Times reporter asked a Special Forces officer to comment on these events, he replied: “S.F.’s don’t like to talk about emotional stuff. We are Type A people who just blow things like that off, like yesterday’s news.”
April 18, 2014
Egypt’s gay community fears government crackdown
By Patrick Kingsley, The Guardian
Thursday, April 17, 2014 8:51 EDT
Egypt’s gay community fears it is the latest target of the country’s authoritarian government, after a series of recent raids on gay people.
Activists interviewed by the Guardian said they had collectively documented up to nine raids across the country since October 2013 – an unusually high rate of arrests. Most significantly, at least seven raids have seen people arrested at home rather than at parties or known meeting places, raising concerns that the community is facing the start of a targeted crackdown.
The latest and most concerning raid saw four men seized from their east Cairo apartment on 1 April, within hours of signing the lease, according to activists. Within a week, the four were given jail-terms of up to eight years – sentences unusual for both their length and the speed of their application.
Interviewees warned against exaggerating the oppression levelled at a flourishing underground gay community. But almost all agreed the recent arrests had frightened and perplexed many of its members.
Egypt’s gay community fears government crackdown
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/17/egypts-gay-community-fears-government-crackdown/Egypt’s gay community fears government crackdown
By Patrick Kingsley, The Guardian
Thursday, April 17, 2014 8:51 EDT
Egypt’s gay community fears it is the latest target of the country’s authoritarian government, after a series of recent raids on gay people.
Activists interviewed by the Guardian said they had collectively documented up to nine raids across the country since October 2013 – an unusually high rate of arrests. Most significantly, at least seven raids have seen people arrested at home rather than at parties or known meeting places, raising concerns that the community is facing the start of a targeted crackdown.
The latest and most concerning raid saw four men seized from their east Cairo apartment on 1 April, within hours of signing the lease, according to activists. Within a week, the four were given jail-terms of up to eight years – sentences unusual for both their length and the speed of their application.
Interviewees warned against exaggerating the oppression levelled at a flourishing underground gay community. But almost all agreed the recent arrests had frightened and perplexed many of its members.
April 18, 2014
Study: People of color breathe air that is 38 percent more polluted than white people’s
By Scott Kaufman
Thursday, April 17, 2014 8:06 EDT
~snip~
“We were quite surprised to find such a large disparity between whites and nonwhites related to air pollution,” Marshall told The Minnesota Post. “Especially the fact that this difference is throughout the U.S., even in cities and states in the Midwest.”
Across the country, the study found, people of color are exposed to 38 percent more NO2, which comes from vehicle exhaust and power plants, and which has also been linked to an increase in asthma and heart disease. The Environmental Protection Agency considers NO2 concentration one of the most significant threats to air quality, and monitors it alongside other pollutants, such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and lead.
According to Marshall in the article, “the researchers studied NO2 levels in urban areas across the country and compared specific areas within the cities based on populations defined in the U.S. Census as ‘nonwhite’ or ‘white.’”
“The health impacts from the difference in levels between whites and nonwhites found in the study are substantial,” Marshall continued. “For example, researchers estimate that if nonwhites breathed the lower NO2 levels experienced by whites, it would prevent 7,000 deaths from heart disease alone among nonwhites each year.”
Study: People of color breathe air that is 38 percent more polluted than white people’s
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/17/study-people-of-color-breathe-air-that-is-38-percent-more-polluted-than-white-peoples/Study: People of color breathe air that is 38 percent more polluted than white people’s
By Scott Kaufman
Thursday, April 17, 2014 8:06 EDT
~snip~
“We were quite surprised to find such a large disparity between whites and nonwhites related to air pollution,” Marshall told The Minnesota Post. “Especially the fact that this difference is throughout the U.S., even in cities and states in the Midwest.”
Across the country, the study found, people of color are exposed to 38 percent more NO2, which comes from vehicle exhaust and power plants, and which has also been linked to an increase in asthma and heart disease. The Environmental Protection Agency considers NO2 concentration one of the most significant threats to air quality, and monitors it alongside other pollutants, such as ozone, carbon monoxide, and lead.
According to Marshall in the article, “the researchers studied NO2 levels in urban areas across the country and compared specific areas within the cities based on populations defined in the U.S. Census as ‘nonwhite’ or ‘white.’”
“The health impacts from the difference in levels between whites and nonwhites found in the study are substantial,” Marshall continued. “For example, researchers estimate that if nonwhites breathed the lower NO2 levels experienced by whites, it would prevent 7,000 deaths from heart disease alone among nonwhites each year.”
April 18, 2014
‘Liking’ companies on Facebook could give away your right to sue them
By Travis Gettys
Thursday, April 17, 2014 9:57 EDT
Be careful what you like online, Facebookers.
General Mills has quietly added fine print alerting consumers that they give up their right to sue the food manufacturer when they download coupons, interact with the company on social media, or enter company-sponsored sweepstakes, the New York Times reported.
These new terms now require consumers who receive anything that could be perceived as a benefit from the company to go through arbitration instead of filing a lawsuit, the paper reported.
In fact, the Times reported, the company made additional changes Tuesday, after a reporter contacted General Mills, suggesting that even a purchase of their products – which include Betty Crocker, Bisquick, and Fiber One – would bind customers to the new terms.
‘Liking’ companies on Facebook could give away your right to sue them
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/17/liking-companies-on-facebook-could-give-away-your-right-to-sue-them/‘Liking’ companies on Facebook could give away your right to sue them
By Travis Gettys
Thursday, April 17, 2014 9:57 EDT
Be careful what you like online, Facebookers.
General Mills has quietly added fine print alerting consumers that they give up their right to sue the food manufacturer when they download coupons, interact with the company on social media, or enter company-sponsored sweepstakes, the New York Times reported.
These new terms now require consumers who receive anything that could be perceived as a benefit from the company to go through arbitration instead of filing a lawsuit, the paper reported.
In fact, the Times reported, the company made additional changes Tuesday, after a reporter contacted General Mills, suggesting that even a purchase of their products – which include Betty Crocker, Bisquick, and Fiber One – would bind customers to the new terms.
April 17, 2014
UnitedHealth's 1Q profit tumbles 8 percent
By TOM MURPHY
AP Business Writer
April 17, 2014 Updated 12 minutes ago
UnitedHealth Group's first-quarter net income slid 8 percent as fees and funding cuts from the health care overhaul helped dent the performance of the nation's largest health insurer.
UnitedHealth said Thursday it earned $1.1 billion, or $1.10 per share, in the three months that ended March 31. That's down from $1.19 billion, or $1.16 per share, a year earlier. Revenue rose nearly 5 percent to $31.71 billion.
Analysts expected earnings of $1.09 per share on $32.01 billion in revenue, according to FactSet.
The Minnetonka, Minn., company said the overhaul and government budget cuts added about 35 cents per share in costs during the quarter. The overhaul aims to provide coverage for millions of uninsured people, but it also began charging an industry-wide fee this year, and the law is scaling back funding for Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately run versions of the government's Medicare program.
--
Is it time for a single-payer health care yet?
UnitedHealth's 1Q profit tumbles 8 percent
http://www.adn.com/2014/04/17/3429272/unitedhealths-1q-profit-tumbles.html?sp=/99/171/UnitedHealth's 1Q profit tumbles 8 percent
By TOM MURPHY
AP Business Writer
April 17, 2014 Updated 12 minutes ago
UnitedHealth Group's first-quarter net income slid 8 percent as fees and funding cuts from the health care overhaul helped dent the performance of the nation's largest health insurer.
UnitedHealth said Thursday it earned $1.1 billion, or $1.10 per share, in the three months that ended March 31. That's down from $1.19 billion, or $1.16 per share, a year earlier. Revenue rose nearly 5 percent to $31.71 billion.
Analysts expected earnings of $1.09 per share on $32.01 billion in revenue, according to FactSet.
The Minnetonka, Minn., company said the overhaul and government budget cuts added about 35 cents per share in costs during the quarter. The overhaul aims to provide coverage for millions of uninsured people, but it also began charging an industry-wide fee this year, and the law is scaling back funding for Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately run versions of the government's Medicare program.
--
Is it time for a single-payer health care yet?
April 17, 2014
In this photo taken Wednesday April 16, 2014, vehicles are parked outside a factory of SGMW, a joint venture between Chinese carmakers and General Motors in Qingdao in east China's Shandong province. China’s automakers are the underdogs heading into next week’s Beijing auto show, where foreign and domestic brands will jostle for attention in a crowded market. Facing intense competition from General Motors, Volkswagen and other global rivals, local brands such as Chery, Geely and SUV maker Great Wall have seen sales and market share shrink this year while China’s overall market grew.
Chinese auto brands limp into Beijing show
By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer
April 16, 2014 Updated 12 minutes ago
BEIJING — China's automakers are the underdogs heading into next week's Beijing auto show, where foreign and domestic brands will jostle for attention in a market that is increasingly difficult for homegrown models.
Facing intense competition from General Motors, Volkswagen and other global rivals, local brands such as Chery, Geely and SUV maker Great Wall have suffered shrinking sales and market share this year while China's overall auto market has grown. That is a blow to Chinese leaders who have made it a national priority to catch up with neighboring Japan and South Korea by creating globally competitive automakers.
"I am pretty pessimistic about the domestic brands," said Wang Chao, auto editor for the newspaper China Youth Daily. "They have to work even harder to win customers."
China is the world's biggest auto market, with last year's sales rising 15.7 percent from 2012 to 17.9 million vehicles. That has supported the rapid growth of Chinese brands. But it also has attracted U.S., European, Japanese and Korean automakers that have more advanced technology and are spending heavily to appeal to local tastes in a market they see as a key to their future growth.
Chinese auto brands limp into Beijing show
http://www.adn.com/2014/04/16/3429095/chinese-auto-brands-limp-into.html?sp=/99/171/In this photo taken Wednesday April 16, 2014, vehicles are parked outside a factory of SGMW, a joint venture between Chinese carmakers and General Motors in Qingdao in east China's Shandong province. China’s automakers are the underdogs heading into next week’s Beijing auto show, where foreign and domestic brands will jostle for attention in a crowded market. Facing intense competition from General Motors, Volkswagen and other global rivals, local brands such as Chery, Geely and SUV maker Great Wall have seen sales and market share shrink this year while China’s overall market grew.
Chinese auto brands limp into Beijing show
By JOE McDONALD
AP Business Writer
April 16, 2014 Updated 12 minutes ago
BEIJING — China's automakers are the underdogs heading into next week's Beijing auto show, where foreign and domestic brands will jostle for attention in a market that is increasingly difficult for homegrown models.
Facing intense competition from General Motors, Volkswagen and other global rivals, local brands such as Chery, Geely and SUV maker Great Wall have suffered shrinking sales and market share this year while China's overall auto market has grown. That is a blow to Chinese leaders who have made it a national priority to catch up with neighboring Japan and South Korea by creating globally competitive automakers.
"I am pretty pessimistic about the domestic brands," said Wang Chao, auto editor for the newspaper China Youth Daily. "They have to work even harder to win customers."
China is the world's biggest auto market, with last year's sales rising 15.7 percent from 2012 to 17.9 million vehicles. That has supported the rapid growth of Chinese brands. But it also has attracted U.S., European, Japanese and Korean automakers that have more advanced technology and are spending heavily to appeal to local tastes in a market they see as a key to their future growth.
Profile Information
Member since: Wed Mar 16, 2005, 11:12 AMNumber of posts: 60,364
