At Davos, Leaders are Debating Whether Corporations are More Powerful Than Governments. In 2008, after Lehman Brothers fell and the financial crisis and global recession began, the conventional wisdom was that we were entering an era in which government would take back power from business. In fact, just the opposite has happened. The high profile political figures here at Davos disappointed — Merkel was angry and depressed by turns, and Geithner was defensive. Europe remains a mess, the U.S. vulnerable, and emerging markets — the only bright spot in the last three years — are slowing down. Politicians have few solutions to the huge problems of the day — labor bifurcation, debt, and inequality. Markets want answers, but leaders can’t give them — in part because for them, nearly any sort of action poses political risk. Meanwhile, the top companies seem to exist in a world apart — they are booming, and their executives are prospering.
(LIST: The Heavy Hitters of Davos 2012) It’s an argument that has more moral weight that you might think. It’s a problem that will only deepen. Huffington: Financial Crisis or Empathy Crisis? Last night at a cocktail party I attended in Davos, the queen of new media, Arianna Huffington, did a surprising thing. She asked people to unplug from their Blackberries and—gasp—slow down. Multi-tasking is ubiquitous at Davos, as are any number of unpleasant behaviors. The 1% (or 1% wannabes) in attendance are well known for looking over the left ear of whomever they are speaking with to make sure nobody more important is in the room.
(There usually is.) Staring at peoples’ chests — not salaciously, but in order to check the status of their participant badge — is also common. Huffington is, of course, the patron saint of networkers, but at last night’s party, which was to honor female entrepreneurs, she raised an important point. (VIDEO: Watch From Davos: Is Capitalism Failing? And it’s men, more than women, said Huffington, who are at fault. (MORE: The Big Winner of the Great Recession Is . . .) That may be a bit rich coming from a woman who’s made a fortune on quick hit journalism. All About the Benjamins. The Wealth Divide. The Impact of Online Giving [INFOGRAPHIC] Convio, a leading provider of engagement solutions that helps non-profits fundraise and do more for their missions, announced today the results of its 2012 Online Marketing Nonprofit Benchmark Index Study.
The annual study focuses on non-profits' website traffic and registration, email file growth, online revenue and advocacy. This year's study analyzes data compiled from more than 700 non-profit organizations in the United States and Canada. It also looks at 19 different non-profit sectors, including animal welfare, disaster and international relief, disease and health services, and human and social services. The full study can be accessed here. "At a macro-level, online engagement is continuing to grow at a healthy clip," said Vinay Bhagat, founder and chief strategy officer for Convio, in a press release.
"In fact, the past six years of data illustrate that online fundraising is mirroring the growth rate of retail e-commerce, which is good news for non-profits.
Banks. "The Vanishing Middle Class" Tax-Related. Wall Street. The Upper Class. Housing Crisis. Legal Actions. Feb. 2012 Mortgage Settlement. Too Much Consulting? Last night I discussed the popularity of law, finance, and management consulting with Tyler and many somewhat-libertarian-leaning others. I was surprised that most were skeptical that firms get their money’s worth from consulting, more skeptical than for law or finance. I was also surprised that most focused on explaining why kids from elite schools work at such firms, rather than on why firms pay so much for this consulting. To me, it is easy to understand why consulting firms attract so many elite students, given the wages, prestige, and job experience they offer. And it is also easy to see why firms might pay a ton for consulting, relative to law and finance – changing your basic business strategy can conceivably add enormous value, while minor changes to contract details and financing terms have limited value.
Some say that consulting firms use their access to collect data on best practices, data that other firms are eager to pay for. Wealth and Income Inequality. Small Business: Doctors going broke - Jan. 5. Dr. Mike Gorman has taken out an SBA loan to keep his rural solo practice running in Logandale, Nev. "If things don't improve fast, I will have no choice but to close my doors," he said. NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Doctors in America are harboring an embarrassing secret: Many of them are going broke. This quiet reality, which is spreading nationwide, is claiming a wide range of casualties, including family physicians, cardiologists and oncologists. Industry watchers say the trend is worrisome. "A lot of independent practices are starting to see serious financial issues," said Marc Lion, CEO of Lion & Company CPAs, LLC, which advises independent doctor practices about their finances.
Doctors list shrinking insurance reimbursements, changing regulations, rising business and drug costs among the factors preventing them from keeping their practices afloat. Loans to make payroll: Dr. 12 entrepreneurs reinventing health care "These cuts have destabilized private cardiology practices," he said. Dr. Study: 1 in 10 doctors admits lying to patients.
The capitalist network that runs the world - physics-math - 19 O... The 1318 transnational corporations that form the core of the economy. Superconnected companies are red, very connected companies are yellow. The size of the dot represents revenue (Image: PLoS One) 1 more image AS PROTESTS against financial power sweep the world this week, science may have confirmed the protesters' worst fears. The study's assumptions have attracted some criticism, but complex systems analysts contacted by New Scientist say it is a unique effort to untangle control in the global economy. The idea that a few bankers control a large chunk of the global economy might not seem like news to New York's Occupy Wall Street movement and protesters elsewhere (see photo). "Reality is so complex, we must move away from dogma, whether it's conspiracy theories or free-market," says James Glattfelder. The Zurich team can. The work, to be published in PLoS One, revealed a core of 1318 companies with interlocking ownerships (see image).
The top 50 of the 147 superconnected companies 1.