The real frontline of the Chinese in Africa

The Achilles Heel of China’s dramatic economic growth has been its reliance on imported energy, everything from oil to natural gas to coal. Quite aside from draining China’s treasury to pay for energy imports, the Chinese government frets that such reliance on imports diminishes the country’s independence by tying its prosperity to political turmoil in the Middle East and Africa while making those imports viable to interdiction by U.S.

As I’ve often said, conservative politics in the United States of America has nothing to do with free markets. It has a lot to do with identity politics and it has a lot to do with interest group politics.

World Bank Crisis Talk submits: Last week I attended a World Bank discussion on "Chinese Investment in Africa's Industrial Zones: prospects, challenges, and opportunity for Africa".

The post-recession real estate boom helped to fuel a thriving retail market for small home appliances, which kept going in 2012 despite a more tepid market. Sales of kitchen appliances such as blenders, “healthy” deep-fry systems and single-serve coffee makers have jumped 30% to $598.3-million in the four-year period ending December 2012, according to market research from NPD Group Canada.

By David Moenning: We need to call a spade a spade here. So many analysts, managers, and pundits come on TV to tell us - with absolute certainty, by the way - (a) what the market is going to do next, (b) what will happen next to the economy, (c) what the Fed will do and when, and (d) what will happen in Europe.

Miriam Metzinger submits: Stocks discussed on Jim Cramer's Stop Trading! TV Segment, Monday June 14.