ExpatExchange Blog

Lately it seems as if China continues to find its way into our blog. It’s little wonder given its emergence as an economic powerhouse. In this article on KansasCity.com, the experiences and insights of a few American expats in China there offer some ideas about how we should approach our relationship with China. How should we react to them? What should our strategy be to benefit from their large market without selling out our own future? Obama’s trip there is a good time for us to ask these tough questions, and be honest with ourselves about past and current mistakes. What should we be doing differently?

The recent election in Iran has punctuated the unbelievable impact that the Web has had on the way we digest news and the steps goverments take to convey legitimacy to the world. Regardless of how much we actually may be able to dissect results, the media revolution seems to be firmly intact. While these events might have been much more closed off in the past, it seems as if the Web hs forced regimes to take some steps to head off world reaction. Recently, China mandated that Web filtering software be pre-installed on all computers sold in the country. One of the best parts of working on ExpatExchange.com is getting feedback from our users all over the world regarding the perceptions of these type of events in the countries in which they reside. So tell us… what are you hearing about these events, or those like them?

Can there be any doubt that we are living in historic times? The turmoil in the financial markets and the political posturing by both Republicans and Democrats (don’t kid yourself, party loyalists) has transformed an already historic election season to one that will likely be remembered as monumental.

Important Note - Most of the members of the House of Representatives that voted against the bill are involved in close bids for re-election. Read about it in the Wall Street Journal’s article: ‘No’ Votes Came from All Directions

The New York Times has posted an article with some answers to questions that are likely on your mind.

An article in TimesOnline.co.uk reports that Congress scrambles for Wall Street bailout deal as Bush warns of failure

Give your thoughts below in the comments section! What are you hearing from expats and locals about the financial crisis?

Welcome to the inaugural entry of the ExpatExchange.com Blog! We’ve launched just in time to cover some of the most interesting times we are likely to live through. To be sure, many expatriates will be impacted by what is happening in the realms of politics, the financial markets, foreign affairs, and more. Additionally, we will also introduce aspects of culture and art that embrace or embody the international experience. And lastly, we’ll do our best to introduce you to resources useful for expats.

With that in mind, here we go…

We’ll always start with a slice of what is happening on ExpatExchange.com’s forums and in reports submitted by ExpatExchange.com members. This could be as practical as using U.S. appliances in the U.K. or what to bring to the U.A.E., or as simple as someone looking to meets some friends in Belgium.

Some news to know:

Our news highlights will range from world events, politics and the financial side of life to humorous articles and anecdotes. In short, at times we’ll be serious, and at others we’ll poke fun at those that take themselves too seriously.

Financial Meltdown on Wall Street:

The financial markets continue to contend with the firestorm that roiled Wall Street this past weekend. (Actually, who are we kidding… this firestorm was unleashed a long time ago.)

Wall Street Journal - Markets Swing Amid AIG Drama
New York Times - Wall St. Holds Steady; Fed Is Set to Meet on Interest Rates
TimesOnline - Financial disaster to dwarf Lehman looms as AIG takes a pounding
New York Times Blog - New York’s Mayor Bloomberg Compares London’s Situation to New York’s

In the campaign for the U.S. presidency:

MSNBC - Economy roars back to center of the campaign
FoxNews - Chevy Chase Wants Tina Fey to ‘Decimate’ Sarah Palin
FoxNews - Streisand to Perform at Hollywood Fundraiser for Obama

That’s all for now from ExpatExchange.com