Cure For Multiple Sclerosis? Treatment Wildly Popular Despite Scant Evidence It Works | Singularity Hub

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">There are <a href="http://www.nationalmssociety.org/about-multiple-sclerosis/what-we-know-about-ms/faqs-about-ms/index.aspx" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">2.1 million people worldwide</a> suffering from multiple sclerosis. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the body's own nervous system. To date there is no known cure. At best, some therapies can slow the progression of the disease. The array of symptoms, such as loss of muscle control, some vision and widespread pain plague patients. Desperate, some of these patients are turning to a treatment that is widely condemned by experts in the MS field. The treatment, pioneered by an Italian surgeon, also has powerful support from a small handful of practitioners and patients continually in search of options.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The layer of cells surrounding neurons, myelin, have been shown to be <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001747/" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">damaged in the brains and spinal cords of MS patients</a>. Myelin serves as an insulator for neurons and is vital to the ability of neurons to pass electrical signals to one another. When they're damaged, as in MS, signaling between neurons is impaired, resulting in lack of bodily control, pain, and other symptoms.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Most researchers and clinicians attribute the myelin damage to autoimmunity, the cause of which still remains uncertain. But <a href="http://singularityhub.com/2010/07/13/cure-for-multiple-sclerosis-controversial-liberation-procedure-moves-forward/" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">Paolo Zamboni</a>, a vascular surgeon at the University of Ferrara in Italy, disagrees. He doesn't think MS is primarily an autoimmune disorder. Instead, he hypothesizes that the disease is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/a-controversial-cure-for-multiple-sclerosis.html?_r=3&ref=magazine&" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">caused by chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency</a>, or CCSVI, a vascular disorder that results in the insufficient drainage of blood from the brain and spinal cord. Zamboni thinks that the accumulation of blood in the brain causes a buildup of iron and that the iron damages the layer of tissue surrounding neurons, myelin.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Zamboni published a study in 2009 in which he found CCSVI to be present in 100 percent of M.S. patients at a particular stage in the disease. Following the finding he tested a treatment for M.S. that included inflating a balloon to open the veins that carry blood away from the brain and thus restoring normal blood flow.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">But there were problems with the study. First, with only 65 subjects, it wasn't large enough to reach a robust conclusion about whether or not the treatment was effective. And even though the study compared the treatment between people with MS and healthy controls, Zamboni wasn't blinded to the groups – he knew which participants had MS and which did not, making bias a serious concern.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">But for many patients these concerns paled in comparison to the possibility, no matter how remote, of being cured. In the face of this new demand the procedure spread quickly. The first neck angioplasty for MS in the US was thought to have been performed in 2009. The unproven procedure was restricted in many countries, but patients could still travel to the US, Costa Rica, Poland, Bulgaria and Egypt to have it performed.</p><div id="attachment_55794" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 1.5em 1.5em 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline; float: left; max-width: 100%; background-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.199219) 0px 1px 4px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; width: 310px; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="http://singularityhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/image1B.jpg" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkl5YQ0iHXQvgSClSh7hQ8iVKpSdFUsDi9yvfYekGWiH1wWiluShAhP-8_lEC9D9_q6jcOBL5-zx8oNc_QaMVqcI0ArMa7XGvSzNWUnCW2_XbLLzFqovb5_Ze7FNHqxTqJ-sf6XkligUs/s1600/image1B-759926.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5806764692216051938" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkl5YQ0iHXQvgSClSh7hQ8iVKpSdFUsDi9yvfYekGWiH1wWiluShAhP-8_lEC9D9_q6jcOBL5-zx8oNc_QaMVqcI0ArMa7XGvSzNWUnCW2_XbLLzFqovb5_Ze7FNHqxTqJ-sf6XkligUs/s320/image1B-759926.jpg" /></a></a><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-top: 0.8075em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.8075em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-align: left; ">Paolo Zamboni's procedure to treat MS has generated great enthusiasm among patients. Not so much among fellow researchers and clinicians.</div></div><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Patients also generated pressure to investigate the link between CCSVI and MS, eventually prompting the US National Multiple Sclerosis Society to<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/a-controversial-cure-for-multiple-sclerosis.html?_r=3&ref=magazine&" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">announce</a> in 2010 that $2.4 million, or about 7 percent of its research funding, would support research on CCSVI.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Robert Fox, medical director at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic, was not impressed. As he <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/a-controversial-cure-for-multiple-sclerosis.html?_r=3&ref=magazine&" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">told the New York Times</a>, "People without a scientific background often view all scientific papers with equal weight. Well, scientists don't. I don't know of a more prominent example where there's been such profound pressure, driven by a nonmedical and nonscientific – though rightfully very self-motivated – constituency on what specific treatments should be explored with weak scientific basis."</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Zamboni isn't the only one to look into CCSVI. The largest study to date was performed by Robert Zivandinov at State University at Buffalo. He did find an association between CCSVI and MS but at just 56 percent association compared to 23 percent in healthy controls, it falls well short of Zamboni's all-or-nothing finding. Furthermore, the increased CCSVI wasn't seen only in MS patients but in patients with other neurological disorders, suggesting that it may not have a specific link to MS.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Florian Doepp, a researcher at the Department of Neurology at Charité Hospital in Berlin, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20695010" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">published a study</a> in 2010 looking at blood flow in 56 MS patients. Except for a single patient, blood flow for the group was perfectly normal. As Doepp decisively <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/a-controversial-cure-for-multiple-sclerosis.html?_r=3&ref=magazine&" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">told the New York Times</a>, "I conclude there is no evidence for CCSVI in multiple sclerosis and no evidence to support" the surgical procedure to treat it.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The notion that MS is caused by faulty blood flow and too much iron – and not primarily an immune disorder – is not only weak on evidence, it's also weakened <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; ">by</em> evidence. Previous research has pointed to over 50 genes associated with M.S., and all of them are involved in the immune system. Also, Parkinson's disease patients have abnormally high levels of iron in their brains, yet do not consequently develop MS.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The proper study would be to perform the angioplasty on some MS patients and a sham operation on others – in a double-blind study where neither the patients nor the researchers know who received the procedure and who received the sham. But these studies are hard to perform because they're costly and unattractive for a condition like MS which is incurable, and for which present medications can significantly prolong life. However, two such studies are now being conducted, largely due to patient demands.</p><p style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; ">This past May the FDA issued a <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm303538.htm" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">warning about CCSVI</a>, saying "there is no reliable evidence from controlled clinical trials that this procedure is effective," adding that "the criteria used to diagnose CCSVI has not been adequately established." One person has died following the procedure, and the FDA has learned of "stroke, detachment and migration of the stents, damage to the treated vein, blood clots, cranial nerve damage and abdominal bleeding associated with the experimental procedure."</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">What the science lacks in hard data, patients are making up for in an abundance of testimonials. The CCSVI procedure overwhelmingly makes them feel better, sleep better, move around better with more energy. Many patients even come back for repeat procedures when the effects of a previous one had seemed to wear off.</p><p style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; ">Is there something to Zamboni's procedure or is this some kind of mass placebo effect? Michael Arata, a vascular surgeon who has performed the procedure on about 1,200 patients, thinks it works, but for CCSVI patients. Not those with MS. He acknowledges that changing a person's blood flow will make them feel different regardless of whether or not it's beneficial. As he <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/magazine/a-controversial-cure-for-multiple-sclerosis.html?_r=3&ref=magazine&" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(100, 100, 100); ">told the New York Times</a>, "If I would operate on people's veins, I'm quite sure I'd have effects. Yet I know those effects will disappear and will not be really clear."</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Sounds like placebo to me, and probably also to attendees at a recent conference of European MS researchers and clinicians. Data from a study was presented at the conference that included 462 patients. The study showed that, while the CCSVI surgery lacked any benefits revealed by "objective measurements," about half of the patients reported feeling better. One professional group at the meeting attributed the effects to "high expectations."</p><p style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 300; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); position: static; z-index: auto; ">More studies, like the ones being performed by the Multiple Sclerosis Society, are still needed to definitively assess any link between CCSVI and MS. Hopefully, at the end of it all, the patients will be proven right, that the surgery does work. It would be a shame to reach the alternate conclusion with so much time, work, and funding wasted on a procedure with lots of devotion but not much data.</p></div><a href="http://singularityhub.com/2012/11/03/cure-for-multiple-sclerosis-treatment-wildly-popular-despite-scant-evidence-it-works/">http://singularityhub.com/2012/11/03/cure-for-multiple-sclerosis-treatment-wildly-popular-despite-scant-evidence-it-works/</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Cure For Multiple Sclerosis? Treatment Wildly Popular Despite Scant Evidence It Works | Singularity Hub

There are  2.1 million people worldwide  suffering from multiple sclerosis. It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder in which the immune s...

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Bridging the gap between job seekers and recruiters

<br /><div class="RXart" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding-right: 20px; text-align: left;"><div class="ArticleHeadline" style="margin-top: -30px;"><div class="hdr_org_bld" style="color: #ff6600; font: normal normal bold 18px/normal arial, helvetica;"><h1 id="articleHeadline" style="color: #000066; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span id="cbArticle_lblHeadline">Bridging the gap between job seekers and recruiters</span></h1></div><b><span id="cbArticle_lblByLine">By Jennifer Seith, CareerBuilder's managing director of emerging solutions</span></b><br /><div class="cb_share_more_wrapper"></div></div><br /><div class="ArticleContent"><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="media-image" src="http://art.icbdr.com/sites/all/files/styles/large/public/bridging%20the%20gap%20between%20recruiters%20and%20job%20seekers.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" /></div>Companies today are struggling to find employees with the right skills, despite the number of job seekers. While many experts blame a lack of skills on the worker side, recent research indicates that the <a href="http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2012/07/03/the-impact-of-the-u-s-skills-gap-and-vacancies-on-revenue-and-turnover/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">difference between how employers and job seekers think and behave</a> is contributing to the problem. In other words, there is a fundamental gap between how recruiters search for new employees and how job seekers search for jobs. This gap is causing missed opportunities for both sides.<br />Here are five areas where the disconnect between recruiters and job seekers is most apparent:<br /><br /><strong>1. Job-search sources: </strong>Job seekers use an average of five sources in their job search<strong>,</strong> including job boards, the company career website, social media, search engines and peer networks. Recruiters tend to be creatures of habit; they usually use one or two tried-and-true sources. However, by not using every possible outlet to connect with job seekers, they may miss out on quality employees.<br /><br /><strong>2. Job titles: </strong>When it comes to job titles, recruiters and job seekers tend to speak a different language. Recruiters often fall into the trap of using job titles that are too broad ("nurse" could mean many different positions), too vague (are candidates really entering terms such as "rock star" or "evangelist" when searching for available positions?) or too internal (do people outside your company really know what a "project-development manager – level II" is?). Many recruiters can't change the job titles they post due to technology or process restrictions.<br />Understanding how and where job seekers search for jobs is crucial to targeting the most qualified workers. Job seekers today use between seven and 10 terms when job searching, so recruiters should consider the different ways in which job seekers might be entering these search terms. They should also be descriptive but concise when creating job titles.<br /><br /><strong>3. The application process: </strong>An <a href="http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2012/01/31/the-surprising-reason-youre-not-getting-the-candidates-you-need/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">estimated 34 percent of job seekers</a> who start to apply for jobs don't complete the application process. Thanks to technology, such as smartphones, that provides seamless interaction and instant gratification, today's job seekers expect ease and speed in the application process and won't tolerate anything else. The more hoops they have to jump through to apply for a job, the less likely they are to do so. Yet, not only is it hard for recruiters to view the application process objectively, but even if they could see what the application process is really like, they often lack the resources and technology to create a better process.<br /><br /><strong>4. Brand perception: </strong>Today's most in-demand job seekers aren't just looking for jobs; they're looking for a place to fit in. They want to work for a company where they feel comfortable culturally and have opportunities to grow and develop. They do their research and weigh an employer's brand perception when considering where to work. Unfortunately, recruiters have limited control over how their company is perceived. Just as job seekers are "always on" in their job search, so is a company's brand. Social sites such as <a href="http://www.facebook.com/careerbuilder" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Glassdoor</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/careerbuilder" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">YouTube</a> and others are difficult to control, but job seekers are on these sites researching various employers. By the time workers apply, they've already done extensive research and are actively engaged in the company.<br /><br /><strong>5. Engagement: </strong>Recruiters can't always continuously engage job seekers. They don't have the time, resources and technology to do so. Today's job seekers expect ongoing engagement throughout the hiring process. They expect to receive emails and newsletters -- even text messages -- with information about their application status and new job opportunities in which they might be interested. The traditional post-application auto-response email, followed by weeks of silence, doesn't cut it anymore. The more that companies engage job seekers, the better their perception of the company will be.<br /><br />Understanding where these gaps between recruiters and job seekers lie will help employers navigate their hiring challenges as they identify new ways to connect with potential employees. Even those who are strapped for time and resources can take advantage of new tools that create a faster, more efficient and more engaging hiring process. One such tool is <a href="http://thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/2011/01/10/fill-your-pipeline-with-the-best-and-brightest-talent-introducing-talent-network/" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">CareerBuilder's Talent Network</a>, which uses more than 16 years of job-search behavior to help employers build a database of potential employees, engage candidates and measure the success of their efforts.<br />The marketplace for great workers is competitive, but those employers who make the effort to connect with the right candidates and keep them engaged will find themselves ahead of the curve.<br /></div></div><div class="clear" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; text-align: left;"><h2 style="color: #c7560a; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Related Articles</h2><ul style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li><a href="" id="mxsrRelatedArticles__ctl1_cbhlRelatedArticles" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">INFOGRAPHIC: How to make a resume shine</a></li><li><a href="" id="mxsrRelatedArticles__ctl2_cbhlRelatedArticles" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">5 career paths for retail workers</a></li><li><a href="" id="mxsrRelatedArticles__ctl3_cbhlRelatedArticles" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">Can you switch careers and remain financially stable?</a></li><li><a href="" id="mxsrRelatedArticles__ctl4_cbhlRelatedArticles" style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none;">9 jobs that pay $95,000 a year</a></li></ul><iframe class="Ad" frameborder="0" height="240" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="NO" src="http://ads.adsonar.com/adserving/getAds.jsp?placementId=1266420&pid=617757&ps=-1&zw=326&zh=240&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.careerbuilder.com%2f%3flr%3dcbrockl%2fJobSeeker%2fcareerbytes%2fCBArticle.aspx%3flr%3dcbrockl%26ArticleID%3d3197%26%26strcrit%3dQID%3dA6659272956687%3bst%3da%3buse%3dALL%3bCID%3dUS%3bSID%3dCO%3bTID%3d0%3bENR%3dNO%3bDTP%3dDRNS%3bYDI%3dYES%3bIND%3dALL%3bPDQ%3dAll%3bPDQ%3dAll%3bPAYL%3d0%3bPAYH%3dgt120%3bPOY%3dNO%3bETD%3dALL%3bRE%3dALL%3bMGT%3dDC%3bSUP%3dDC%3bFRE%3d30%3bCHL%3dal%3bQS%3dsid_unknown%3bSS%3dNO%3bTITL%3d0%3bOB%3d-modifiedint%3bRAD%3d30%3bJQT%3dRAD%3bJDV%3dFalse%3bHost%3dUS%3bMaxLowExp%3d-1%3bRecsPerPage%3d25&v=5" vspace="0" width="326"></iframe></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;"><b>Article Reprints</b></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: xx-small; text-align: left;">Permission must be obtained from CareerBuilder.com to reprint any of its articles. 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Bridging the gap between job seekers and recruiters

Bridging the gap between job seekers and recruiters By Jennifer Seith, CareerBuilder's managing director of emerging solutions Companies...

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ARGENTINIEN: MASSIVER SCHLAG GEGEN STEUERHINTERZIEHENDE AGRAREXPORTEURE

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4LYwWUq-BOnAZ7m8UL5hgBghqs84FfaZkCJ7gZSCry1Bg8rh2QVsbRIZMAcObCIiRY4lQclAxUsOVHzqJJL-TsjPsORHCVMR0fFuqRYIDZEoWoofe55G2eIN4NTFfDNxCcNC6bR24Nty/s1600/ft-soya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4LYwWUq-BOnAZ7m8UL5hgBghqs84FfaZkCJ7gZSCry1Bg8rh2QVsbRIZMAcObCIiRY4lQclAxUsOVHzqJJL-TsjPsORHCVMR0fFuqRYIDZEoWoofe55G2eIN4NTFfDNxCcNC6bR24Nty/s400/ft-soya.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE-AT; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ARGENTINIENS </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Regierung zieht jetzt die Daumenschrauben gegen steuerhinterziehende Unternehmen im Agrarsektor massiv an. Davon betroffen sind vor allem die großen Getreide- und Sojaexporteure des Landes. Wer jetzt nicht spurt und den Anweisungen der Regierung Folge leistet, dem enthält die Steuerbehörde fällige Rückerstattungen der Umsatzsteuer in Höhe von hunderten von Millionen US-Dollars vor. Die Drohungen gehen soweit, weitere Firmen von der nationalen Exportliste zu streichen, womit wichtige Steuervergünstigungen wegfielen.  </span></b><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ARGENTINIENS Steuerbehörde zieht massiv die Daumenschrauben im Unternehmenssektor an</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Bereits seit einiger Zeit tobt eine Schlacht zwischen der argentinischen Regierung und den größten Exportunternehmen des Landes. Laut Regierung entziehe sich eine ganze Reihe von wichtigen Unternehmen ihrer heimischen Steuerpflicht, indem Schlupflöcher gnadenlos ausgenutzt würden. Doch damit wird jetzt definitiv Schluss sein. Denn die </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://www.afip.gov.ar/home/index.html#arriba" target="_blank"><span lang="DE-AT" style="color: blue;">nationale Steuerbehörde</span></a></span><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> blockiert seit Beginn dieser Woche fällige Umsatzsteuerrückerstattungen an Exporteure im Getreide- und Sojabohnensektor.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Die Kapitalsummen belaufen sich auf mehrere hundert Millionen US-Dollars, wodurch die betreffenden Unternehmen zur Raison und Steuerehrlichkeit gerufen werden sollen. Ganz besonders im Fokus der Behörden steht neben dem Agrarexporteur BUNGE auch die Firma MONSANTO. MONSANTO wird vorgeworfen, seine Steuerobligationen in Argentinien durch eine Aufnahme von hohen Krediten bei Tochterfirmen im mittel- und südamerikanischen Ausland zu unterlaufen.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Die vereinbarten Zinszahlungen würden gegen steuerpflichtige Gewinne in Argentinien gegengerechnet, wodurch sich der Konzern seinen Verpflichtungen entzogen habe. Insgesamt soll dem Staat dadurch ein Steuerschaden von mehr als $70 Millionen entstanden sein. Im Fall der Firma BUNGE ging die nationale Steuerbehörde nun sogar soweit, den Exporteur von Getreide und Sojabohnen von der wichtigen Exportliste des Landes zu streichen. Mit dieser Maßnahme gehen dem Unternehmen gewichtige Steuervorteile verloren.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Zum Beispiel steigen die Steuern auf im Inland erwirtschaftete Agrarhandelsgewinne von 2% auf satte 15%. Zudem unterliegt die Firma ab sofort einer Verkaufssteuer, die bei 10,5% pro Jahr liegt. Firmen, die auf der Exportliste vertreten sind, brauchen diese Steuer nicht zu entrichten. Neben BUNGE droht eine ähnliche Entwicklung auch einer ganzen Reihe von anderen Firmen wie CARGILL, aus dem Agrarsektor. Auch diesen Unternehmen drohen jetzt massive Vergeltungsschläge durch die Regierung.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Schon im Frühsommer dieses Jahres zog die Regierung die Daumenschrauben im Minensektor des Landes an. Ein neues Minengesetz soll die Importe von </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://breakingimportexportnews.com/2012/05/28/argentina-targets-mining-firms-in-import-crackdown/" target="_blank"><span lang="DE-AT" style="color: blue;">Minenunternehmen nach Argentinien beschränken.</span></a></span><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> Dadurch werden alle Importe von im Land aktiven Minengesellschaften unter die Kontrolle der Regierungsbehörden gestellt, was dazu beitragen soll, die ausländischen Devisenreserven Argentiniens zu erhöhen und den jährlichen Handelsüberschuss mit anderen Nationen auszuweiten.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Um Bohrausrüstungen und sonstige für die Exploration und den Abbau von Rohstoffen benötigte Güter einzuführen, benötigen die Unternehmen ab sofort eine Genehmigung der Behörden. Importe müssen zudem mindestens drei Monate vor Bestellung bei den Behörden angemeldet werden. Laut der argentinischen Präsidentin Kirchner soll auf diese Weise auch die heimische Industrie geschützt werden, was ebenfalls bedeutet, dass im Land operierende Minenkonzerne – falls machbar – ihre Ausrüstung und technisches Equipment bei argentinischen Herstellern erwerben sollen. Man kann dieses Gesetz auch mit einem anderen Wort umschreiben: nämlich mit einem massiv wachsenden argentinischen Protektionismus!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzvhflRM5FaFSy8eX5BOb50NJhj-zMPQdPFAmC79Ib0Krnw3-xqJqb4t33DcJUxPIpPIDD-qnTRjoI9PsfciKbtCP4YA3To1v5PMdwAur2_e3THX_kz0jEaowp482y1tCewDQz7eM-00v/s1600/20100428_carte_big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzvhflRM5FaFSy8eX5BOb50NJhj-zMPQdPFAmC79Ib0Krnw3-xqJqb4t33DcJUxPIpPIDD-qnTRjoI9PsfciKbtCP4YA3To1v5PMdwAur2_e3THX_kz0jEaowp482y1tCewDQz7eM-00v/s640/20100428_carte_big.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Protection rates imposed on <b>exporting</b> countries' <b>agricultural exports</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="DE-AT" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span><br /><b></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ARGENTINA´S SOY BEAN CROP WILL REPRESENT 8BN USD IN LEVIES FOR THE TREASURY</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Soy export taxes for the 2010/2011 crop will represent 8 billion US dollars for the Argentine Treasury compared to 6.3bn in the previous season, according to estimates from the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /><br />“Revenue from export duties for the 2010/2011 harvest will be in the range of 8.041 billion USD”, said the ministry in its portal. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This year’s soy crop is estimated to be between 49.6 and 50.4 million tons, which is significantly less that the record 55 million tons of the 2009/2010 season.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Based on international prices the ministry estimated the value of the crop to be in the range of 25 billion US dollars.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In 2010, soy revenue totalled 6.3 billion US dollars, a main source of resources for the Treasury.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“The difference is based on the fact that the oilseed price in Chicago, which acts as a world reference for global trading soared 60% compared to a year ago”, added the official portal.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bzPy1XuMxK9TTnfmiG2-iIX2RPlt9L5n95xdq0nlTiMHAg1zN8Kaq97ZRzjSp9A-oP8o1EgL4PcEehxqTG1SbrH_0Weantbe3aCoas09qahIDilyKY97x3NvoSPMtE_q9_lWJ8Y-1u6c/s1600/world_corn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bzPy1XuMxK9TTnfmiG2-iIX2RPlt9L5n95xdq0nlTiMHAg1zN8Kaq97ZRzjSp9A-oP8o1EgL4PcEehxqTG1SbrH_0Weantbe3aCoas09qahIDilyKY97x3NvoSPMtE_q9_lWJ8Y-1u6c/s400/world_corn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The harvest is estimated to have covered 95% of the area planted, 18.7 million hectares. The provinces of Buenos Aires and Cordoba are the main soy areas of Argentina.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Ministry of Agriculture estimates Argentina will export this year 5.587 billion US dollars of soy beans, 10.6 billion of soy flour and 8.45bn of soy oil.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The harvesting of soy beans has partially delayed corn collecting but has already reached 80% of the 4.3 million hectares planted.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Argentina is the world’s second exporter of corn and according to official estimates total production should reach 20.9 million tons.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Argentina’s global crop for the 2010/11 agriculture year which includes oilseeds and other grains should total 100.64 million tons. The figure was first released last March.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Argentina is the world’s leading exporter of soy-oil, third of soy beans, second of corn and fourth of wheat.</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">La Nación reported:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">What is the cause of so much optimism in 2013? The government estimates it will bring in an extra $20bn from the increase of all farm exports, especially soya whose price is currently above $600 a tonne. And it will only have to pay $4.5bn in foreign debt repayments next year, much less than the $13bn it has to cough up in 2012. “This year was all about austerity and controls on dollars and imports to pay debts and fuel imports. In 2013, we’ll be back to spending and growth to reactivate consumption, employment and to win the elections,” one minister told La Nación.</span></blockquote><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtb_VCfdpP_yMimFeJCI-4ceTg3EzD5aIDfXFlMjDCKjJklZ5U2xiupUqke9eUS_3EYcqMqWODMpl_MuHK1sanrirYSN2F4KA0v-US05dNCYsU64B28S607q-WqaTBH8hQybu46V2FCG4/s1600/image002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtb_VCfdpP_yMimFeJCI-4ceTg3EzD5aIDfXFlMjDCKjJklZ5U2xiupUqke9eUS_3EYcqMqWODMpl_MuHK1sanrirYSN2F4KA0v-US05dNCYsU64B28S607q-WqaTBH8hQybu46V2FCG4/s640/image002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>

ARGENTINIEN: MASSIVER SCHLAG GEGEN STEUERHINTERZIEHENDE AGRAREXPORTEURE

ARGENTINIENS  Regierung zieht jetzt die Daumenschrauben gegen steuerhinterziehende Unternehmen im Agrarsektor massiv an. Davon betroffen si...

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IN 10 YEARS ISRAEL WILL CEASE TO EXIST

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="gray"><br /></div><div class="xl"><br /></div><div class="xl"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_VCRDlVcVBhhyphenhyphenqmLqpTwVcxP8in1G-M_dS73NzaxraIG1JhplM-yXB-in4l6XEOUCUyyBLDDCZ_zdFTnmN7es5aXBcT4l-JONFHhRvgPz7a5knz8TF3QEM04VfntvJkXJdWufu5I6LOn/s1600/Israel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_VCRDlVcVBhhyphenhyphenqmLqpTwVcxP8in1G-M_dS73NzaxraIG1JhplM-yXB-in4l6XEOUCUyyBLDDCZ_zdFTnmN7es5aXBcT4l-JONFHhRvgPz7a5knz8TF3QEM04VfntvJkXJdWufu5I6LOn/s400/Israel.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="xl"><br /></div><div class="xl"><br /></div><div class="xl" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>DAVID'S SLING; IS IT BROKEN? ISRAEL CAN BECOME A PRICE FOR RESETTING RELATIONS WITH ARABS </b></span></span></div><div class="xl"><br /></div><div class="gray"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">By Alexander Maistrovoy</span></div><div class="gray"><br /></div><div class="gray"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2-a3ckWcOGyT1sefyTd2RCG6M8QXcn6TdMN96XmESdO5iEJIWUzsq2sT1hG6S9jvJioPjYcOV9Iq0GmHv3BMCONQYGSG7XWjyo9f4ENy_TMMGC6gwyxJwSj10mu_RaUDBu5l7Biwq5h3/s1600/5350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2-a3ckWcOGyT1sefyTd2RCG6M8QXcn6TdMN96XmESdO5iEJIWUzsq2sT1hG6S9jvJioPjYcOV9Iq0GmHv3BMCONQYGSG7XWjyo9f4ENy_TMMGC6gwyxJwSj10mu_RaUDBu5l7Biwq5h3/s200/5350.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Henry Kissinger’s recent statement, that in 10 years ISRAEL will cease to exist, borders with senile. Although one of his staff members denied it, Cindy Adams from New York Post insisted: Henry Kissinger has stated - and I quote the statement word for word: 'In 10 years, there will be no more ISRAEL.<br /><br />Kissinger is a controversial figure. He can hardly be suspected of excessive sympathy for ISRAEL. He perhaps, inclines to the "syndrome of self-hatred" so fashionable nowadays in the Jewish elite. At the same time, Kissinger is not an exalted pop-diva, cheap populist or rebellious professor. He is an experienced, prudent politician who takes responsibility for his utterance.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />What drove him to such a dramatic conclusion? Is there a real and grave threat to ISRAEL?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE MIDDLE EAST THAT EXISTED SINCE CAMP DAVID AGREEMENT HAS COLLAPSED</b></span><br /><br />Let's try to analyze the situation. The first impression is rather unfavorable. ISRAEL has been in the midst of historic upheaval. The political structure of the MIDDLE EAST that existed since Camp David agreement has collapsed, forming a giant cloud of dust and chaos, from which the new threatening reality can crystallize. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrOkq462yB9wvDwgKc4TVNcGDCSwWdJZ5drLls_MQjHfOuxlNGMRws_bPtQiMn7scG4Q6mUHkbPK1Sl6mZjvPTEqsdfVjs7F8rh6SIOmHLTUfBdS4ScEUu8YccA3qDaLYqAnEVl_xsV26/s1600/us_20_21_pic_carter_sadat_begin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrOkq462yB9wvDwgKc4TVNcGDCSwWdJZ5drLls_MQjHfOuxlNGMRws_bPtQiMn7scG4Q6mUHkbPK1Sl6mZjvPTEqsdfVjs7F8rh6SIOmHLTUfBdS4ScEUu8YccA3qDaLYqAnEVl_xsV26/s320/us_20_21_pic_carter_sadat_begin.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">America under Obama is deserting the MIDDLE EAST. The future of EUROPE becomes vaguer as it loses its perspective. IRAN becomes a regional power with nuclear weapons while TURKEY - recently a strategic ally of ISRAEL, raves Ottoman greatness.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>A closer analysis of the situation reveals a different picture - not so bleak. </b><br /><br />ISRAEL indeed remains an alien backed to sea nation in a world of anarchy, religious fanaticism, rioting crowds and insane dictators. Regardless, the country has a strong and viable economy, advanced technology, modern army and flexible democratic system. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="color: blue;"><b>IRAN IS DOOMED TO SINK DEEPER IN THE SWAMP OF THE SUNNI-SHIITE CONFLICT</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />On the other hand, the ARAB regimes that emerge from the remains of the collapsed autocracies are extremely unstable, as in EGYPT. In some cases they will not be able to establish a state in any form for a long time, like in SYRIA.<br /><br />They have neither financial nor intellectual recourses to challenge ISRAEL. IRAN is doomed to sink deeper in the swamp of the Sunni-Shiite conflict (SYRIA and BAHRAIN are good examples); its economy is unilateral and vulnerable; its armament is outdated.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Nuclear bomb is an excellent means of blackmail, but its use against ISRAEL - given the nuclear - missile power of the latter - would end the regime and the country itself.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>KURDS ARE THE “ACHILLES HEEL” OF THE TURKS</b></span><br /><br />Erdogan's TURKEY managed to alienate all its neighbors - from GREECE , CYPRUS and the BALKAN Christian states to IRAN and the Assad regime. KURDS are the “Achilles Heel” of the TURKS and the wounds inflicted by the PKK militants are bleeding stronger.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />In a way ISRAEL goes back to antiquity. Like in the Kingdom of David, it stands alone and confronts numerous, but scattered, non-disciplined and feuding enemies. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Similar to the biblical era, EGYPT is swamped in its own problems, internal intrigues and fighting with armed nomads. Deserts - Sinai and Negev create a powerful natural buffer between two countries. Even with the help of AMERICAN weaponry, the EGYPTIAN army is scarcely ready for modern warfare, based on sudden and daring decisions.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />For weak Hashemite dynasty, like for the kingdom of Moab, the very existence of the Jewish state is the key to the relative safety in the face of hostile and aggressive neighbors. Abdullah II, like his father, Hussein, is well aware of the fact that ISRAEL’S agony would become his own agony.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SUNNI RADICALISM THREATENS "HEZBOLLAH" IN LEBANON</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />SYRIA is traditionally hostile to ISRAEL, but unaided it is doomed to failure. Just like King David had slammed the pride of Aram-Damascus kings, ISRAEL did not leave the SYRIANS even a slight chance of winning - neither on the ground in 1967 and 1973. Also, modern Syria, the same as the ancient one, is not more than mosaic, eclectic and shaky formation.<br /><br />As the Philistines in ancient times, Hamas in Gaza and "Hezbollah" can strike painful blows to ISRAEL, but they do not present a fatal threat to the country. Besides, today, they struggle for their own survival. Sunni radicalism threatens "Hezbollah" in LEBANON. Hamas is forced to face and confront the growing discontent of the population, on the one hand, and the Salafi groups, on the other.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />At last, lax, corrupt, parasitical and clinging on international handouts PA government may be trying to undermine ISRAEL’S influence, but these attempts, as the efforts of Ammonites, cannot change the balance of power.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />IRAN, like TURKEY, has a very long way to go to claim the role of Assyria and Babylon upon themselves.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />As a result, with its powerful army and stable economy, the Jewish state, as the Kingdom of David, can maintain its security by playing with the contradictions of its enemies and by engaging in short-term alliances with its neighbors.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>INTERESTS OF THE KREMLIN AND ISRAEL LARGELY OVERLAP</b></span><br /><br />Russia is the only superpower which is theoretically capable of enhancing its influence in the region. However, on a paradoxical level, the interests of the Kremlin and ISRAEL largely overlap. It’s not accidental that Putin’s recent visit (first in the Middle East after his reelection) was perceived by Jerusalem as a very successful one. The relations between the two countries are a classic example of a basic law of politics: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Moscow, like Jerusalem, has two dangerous enemies in the Middle East: bellicose TURKEY, and even more belligerent Sunni Islamism. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />In the long run, a fatal threat to ISRAEL may come from the unified Arab world but it is still too far from reaching its dream of the Caliphate.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Is there any powerful force that can fatally undercut the strength of ISRAEL? There is, it is the West.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />ISRAEL is part of the West and has associated itself with the West. The West, on the contrary, increasingly perceives ISRAEL as a burden. This can already be considered a fait accompli for EUROPE, Obama has chosen this path too. From the beginning he preferred rapprochement with the ARAB world at the expense of the Jewish state. We have too many proofs of this fact: from admiration of Edward Said and fondness for Rashid Khalidi (initiator of raising funds for the Peace Flotilla in 2010) to his real policies (from the speech at the Cairo University, bowing to the SAUDI monarch and to shameful shout outs to ISRAEL to stop construction in the settlements and even in Jerusalem). </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><span style="color: blue;"><b>THE POLICY AND ACTIONS OF BOTH USA UNDER OBAMA AND THE EU HAVE THEIR OWN LOGIC</b></span></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">.</span><br /><br />Tectonic turmoil in the Middle East forms a new reality. In theory, it allows the West to regenerate the relations with the Arabs - the "reset" of Obama. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Logic dictates getting rid of all obstacles that prevent this reset and the betrayal of Mubarak - the cornerstone of U.S. policy in the MIDDLE EAST during many years is the writing on the wall.<br /><br />If getting rid of Mubarak was one of the requirements of the reset process, what will stop them from doing the same with ISRAEL? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUHdVbxOjsg__2iJ0c08Ybv07LWYDKQHLaVTIxFZJFvYb1x-UkvYH8rqXlPsOUdD9nd1EYP-7VwrPS6m2fFS6NZZEKlC4B0k7qT4LL53nBo9awtVKsqJ0ZoIMLlq0q75yieAKhX88JJUj/s1600/islam_decline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUHdVbxOjsg__2iJ0c08Ybv07LWYDKQHLaVTIxFZJFvYb1x-UkvYH8rqXlPsOUdD9nd1EYP-7VwrPS6m2fFS6NZZEKlC4B0k7qT4LL53nBo9awtVKsqJ0ZoIMLlq0q75yieAKhX88JJUj/s1600/islam_decline.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Absolutely nothing, the second term will loosen Obama’s hands. ISRAEL'S economy is tied to the EU; ISRAEL'S security and political legitimacy based on the relations with US. Shut these channels - ISRAEL will go down in few years, because it will not withstand a state of total isolation.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />ISRAELIS are accustomed to high standards of living; they cannot imagine their existence without close professional, scientific and cultural contacts with the West. ISRAELI military power is vastly based on AMERICAN development and support systems. </span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>WEST’S OSTRACISM WILL GIVE A POWERFUL IMPETUS FOR DOMESTIC CONFLICTS</b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />For example, missile defense system “David's Sling” for intercepting ballistic missiles in radius of 260 km., so vital to ISRAEL, is a joint venture with American Raytheon Company.<br /><br />Cut back on cooperation will weaken ISRAEL, denying its missile shield against SYRIA and "Hezbollah". And this applies to all military areas.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Moreover, West’s ostracism will give a powerful impetus for domestic conflicts - a mortal threat to the Jewish statehood: from the Kingdoms of David and Solomon to Hasmonean dynasty to ISRAEL in the present.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Isolated and split, it will lose its binding capacity. SOUTH AFRICA is the example of how easy it is for the West to wipe off the map a country, which is connected to it and virtually dependent on it. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />The "Munich Syndrome" is deeply rooted in the political psychology of the West: the banal shortsightedness, futility and cowardice are traditionally called "pragmatism"- and pragmatism is respected. In this context Kissinger’s forecast is quite pragmatic...</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

IN 10 YEARS ISRAEL WILL CEASE TO EXIST

DAVID'S SLING; IS IT BROKEN? ISRAEL CAN BECOME A PRICE FOR RESETTING RELATIONS WITH ARABS  By Alexander Maistrovoy Henry Kissinger’s re...

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