Post-Subprime Crisis: China Banking and GATS Liberalization

The Article first presents a brief history or survey of the some of the earlier problems that associate with China’s banking and financial institutions. The Article then addresses specific problems, in the context of the rules, procedures, and practices of the banking and finance sector, which widely range from non-performing loans, to China’s money market and interbank lending business. These problems also directly associate with the liberalization of the banking and finance sector of the economy, and the requirements of both the WTO rules and China’s WTO Protocol on accession. The Article also briefly explores the US sub-prime mortgage crisis and its contagion effect throughout the world, including the Asian region. In the context of China and the subprime crisis, the Article summarizes some of the problems that associate with China banking and financial institutions, by focusing on the policy implications of the history of banking and finance in China, and what this means in terms of both WTO compliance and greater liberalization of banking and financial institutions, especially pursuant to the WTO GATS, as service industries. All of this, eventually, allows for the presentation of certain conclusions concerning China banking and finance in the new era of a global subprime crisis.China, banking, finance, WTO, GATT, GATS, subprime crisis, Interbank lending

Western Institution Building:The War, Hayek’s Cosmos and the WTO

Despite the shortcomings of Hayek’s spontaneous order, there is a positive side, perhaps even a positive feedback. Hayek left us with a “what if” question and returns us to that initial opening of Pandora’s Box, or perhaps the initial onset of neo-realism, neo-liberalism, developmentalism, globalism, transnationalism and other concepts, precepts and adjectives justifying institution building by bargaining and military force. In terms of new world order, institution building by necessity requires fundamental changes in governmental structures in non-Western cultures and nation-states such as China, Afghanistan and Iraq. Such changes are being prompted by means of political, economic and military powers of the U.S. and other developed nation-states, and international intergovernmental organizations dominated by developed nation-states such as the World Trade Organization. However arguably well intended there remains the question of what will eventually result from the introduction of Western institutions into non-Western cultures and developing countries. This article explores F. A. Hayek’s discourse concerning taxis and cosmos (Kosmos), in terms of institution building. This article addresses why China presents an instance of institution building by bargaining, while countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan offer instances of institution building by military force, then directs emphasis toward institutional and constitutional reform, and an evolution of Western law in non-Western cultures and developing nation- states such as China, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Although Hayek may have had contrary intentions, his discourse on taxis and cosmos (Kosmos), and spontaneous order, nonetheless, challenges a modern Western world to rethink its priorities and policies, and perhaps even foundational ideologies, especially in the realm of rebuilding non-Western cultures and developing countries.Western, Institution building, F. A. Hayek, War, WTO, Cosmos, constitutions, laws, international, politics, economics, military, force, neo-realism, neo-liberalism, developmentalism, globalism, transnationalism

Western Institution Building: The War, Hayek’s Cosmos and the WTO

Despite the shortcomings of Hayek’s spontaneous order, there is a positive side, perhaps even a positive feedback. Hayek left us with a “what if” question and returns us to that initial opening of Pandora’s Box, or perhaps the initial onset of neo-realism, neo-liberalism, developmentalism, globalism, transnationalism and other concepts, precepts and adjectives justifying institution building by bargaining and military force. In terms of new world order, institution building by necessity requires fundamental changes in governmental structures in non-western cultures and nation-states such as China, Afghanistan and Iraq. Such changes are being prompted by means of political, economic and military powers of the U.S. and other developed nation-states, and international intergovernmental organizations dominated by developed nation-states such as the World Trade Organization. Though arguably well intended there remains the question of what will eventually result from the introduction of western institutions into non-western cultures and developing countries. This article explores F. A. Hayek’s discourse concerning taxis and cosmos (Kosmos), in terms of institution building. This article addresses why China presents an instance of institution building by bargaining, while countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan offer instances of institution building by military force, then directs emphasis toward institutional and constitutional reform, and an evolution of western law in non-western cultures and developing nation-states such as China, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Although Hayek may have had contrary intentions, his discourse on taxis and cosmos (Kosmos), and spontaneous order, nonetheless, challenges a modern western world to rethink its priorities and policies, and perhaps even foundational ideologies, especially in the realm of rebuilding non-western cultures and developing countries

The Intersection of Mindfulness, Teacher Efficacy and School Climate: A Pilot Study

Burnout, teaching self-efficacy, and school climate are hot topics in education. Daily stressors create feelings known as burnout, including emotional exhaustion, detachment from teammates, and a decline in feelings of professional competence. The alarmingly high rate of educator turnover illustrates a critical juncture in education. Therefore, interventions are required to improve a teachers\u27 ability to manage student behaviors, provide quality instruction, maintain student engagement, and sustain an atmosphere of collegiality with teammates and administrators. Mindfulness is a concept that is best understood as moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness cultivated through the practice of meditation and calming activities. These interventions are being utilized in schools all over the world to improve student and teacher outcomes. This study identified how mindfulness trainings improve teacher self-efficacy and perceptions of school climate during four weeks of training using a mindfulness curriculum. A convenience sample of public educators from a large urban district in Colorado were participants. The researcher hypothesized that participants will change perceptions of teaching self-efficacy and school climate. Results indicated that mindfulness trainings had a positive impact on educators\u27 sense of efficacy in instructional strategies and school, parent and community relationships

Augmenting the Global Positioning System with Foreign Navigation Systems and Alternative Sensors

The United States Global Positioning System (GPS), with its great accuracy, receives extensive use by civilians and military organizations throughout the world. However, in areas with limited or partially obstructed views of the sky, such as amongst tall buildings or imposing geographic features, a position solution can be difficult or impossible to obtain as the limited view of the sky decreases the number of visible satellites. Augmenting the GPS constellation by receiving signals from foreign satellite navigation systems as well as using measurements from inertial and barometric sensors can increase the availability of a position solution in a degraded reception environment. This thesis investigates combining the GPS system with foreign navigation systems (i.e., Galileo, GLONASS, and Compass), a barometric altimeter, and inertial sensors. Data for the GPS and GLONASS systems were collected, and the data for the Galileo and Compass systems were simulated. A simulation of downtown Dayton, OH was developed and various combinations of the systems were tested throughout the model to measure the availability of a position solution. A simulation also was developed for an autonomous aerial vehicle flight through the model using a Kalman filter to combine the various sensors with GPS. Augmenting GPS showed great improvements in availability throughout the model of downtown Dayton. Furthermore, augmenting the GPS system with foreign systems allowed the autonomous aerial vehicle to successfully navigate in the simulation, whereas, using only GPS, the vehicle was unable to navigate successfully. This opens up the urban environment to more robust navigation solutions