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Friday, August 31, 2012
''Turn in Saudi Foreign Policy Imminent?''
From Strategic Culture
By Wayne Madsen
''Saudi Arabia may experience another lurch into change as another of the kingdom’s aging royal leaders is, according to news reports, seriously ill. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal al Saud is reportedly sidelined by a terminal medical condition and foreign affairs responsibilities are being turned over to his deputy, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah al Saud. Saud has been foreign minister of Saudi Arabia ever since 1975 when a nephew of King Faisal shot and killed Faisal during a royal audience at the royal palace in Riyadh.''
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By Wayne Madsen
''Saudi Arabia may experience another lurch into change as another of the kingdom’s aging royal leaders is, according to news reports, seriously ill. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal al Saud is reportedly sidelined by a terminal medical condition and foreign affairs responsibilities are being turned over to his deputy, Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah al Saud. Saud has been foreign minister of Saudi Arabia ever since 1975 when a nephew of King Faisal shot and killed Faisal during a royal audience at the royal palace in Riyadh.''
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''Vietnam, China lurch towards crisis''
From Asia Times
By Peter Lee
''Dee Woo, a columnist and provocateur from the pro-panda side of the street, contended in a column that war between China and Vietnam was "inevitable" since the PRC would find the temptation to give Vietnam a military comeuppance irresistible, and the United States and the international oil companies would see no alternative to abandoning Hanoi for the sake of joint development of South China Sea oil resources.''
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By Peter Lee
''Dee Woo, a columnist and provocateur from the pro-panda side of the street, contended in a column that war between China and Vietnam was "inevitable" since the PRC would find the temptation to give Vietnam a military comeuppance irresistible, and the United States and the international oil companies would see no alternative to abandoning Hanoi for the sake of joint development of South China Sea oil resources.''
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Pepe Escobar: "Morsi delivers his calling card''
From Asia Times Online
''Morsi may be walking like the proverbial Egyptian in popular imagination; sideways. In fact he's advancing all the time. By now it's clear that Egypt's new foreign policy if focused on restoring Cairo, historically the intellectual hub of the Arab world, to its leadership position - usurped by the oil-rich barbarians from the House of Saud during those decades when Egypt was a mere lowly servant of Washington's geopolitical designs.
Those were the (long gone) days - over three decades ago - when Tehran broke relations with Cairo over Egypt's signing of the Camp David accords. Morsi's attendance of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran may not yet signal the return of full diplomatic relations, as Morsi spokesman Yasser Ali has been spinning. But it's an earth-shattering diplomatic coup.''
read more
''Morsi may be walking like the proverbial Egyptian in popular imagination; sideways. In fact he's advancing all the time. By now it's clear that Egypt's new foreign policy if focused on restoring Cairo, historically the intellectual hub of the Arab world, to its leadership position - usurped by the oil-rich barbarians from the House of Saud during those decades when Egypt was a mere lowly servant of Washington's geopolitical designs.
Those were the (long gone) days - over three decades ago - when Tehran broke relations with Cairo over Egypt's signing of the Camp David accords. Morsi's attendance of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran may not yet signal the return of full diplomatic relations, as Morsi spokesman Yasser Ali has been spinning. But it's an earth-shattering diplomatic coup.''
read more
Egypt: ''Activists protest IMF loan''
From Daily News Egypt
''The statement added that the fight against this loan is not temporary and that it is a matter of life and death. The group added “we reject the loan through all peaceful methods as we are a generation that refuses having Americans and foreigners dictate conditions and policies to us.”
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''The statement added that the fight against this loan is not temporary and that it is a matter of life and death. The group added “we reject the loan through all peaceful methods as we are a generation that refuses having Americans and foreigners dictate conditions and policies to us.”
read more
''Obama Steps Up Foreign Weapons Sales, Overwhelming Other Arms Makers''
From ALLGOV
''Business is booming for American arms exports, thanks to multiple billion-dollar deals between the Obama administration and Arab dictatorships.''
''According to the annual report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the United States, already the world’s leader in international weapons sales, outdid itself in 2011 when it sold a record $66.3 billion in military equipment. Last year’s arms exports shattered the previous high mark of $31 billion in 2009, and were three times higher than what was sold in 2010, when $21.4 billion in deals were completed.''
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''Business is booming for American arms exports, thanks to multiple billion-dollar deals between the Obama administration and Arab dictatorships.''
''According to the annual report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the United States, already the world’s leader in international weapons sales, outdid itself in 2011 when it sold a record $66.3 billion in military equipment. Last year’s arms exports shattered the previous high mark of $31 billion in 2009, and were three times higher than what was sold in 2010, when $21.4 billion in deals were completed.''
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''How Many More Food Recalls Will It Take to End Delay on New Food Safety Rules?''
''The Saudi Brotherhood President of Egypt Earns His Pay By Disrupting Tehran’s NAM Summit''
From 'There are no Sunglasses'
Mohammed Mursi, making the first visit to Iran by an Egyptian leader since 1979, said the movement had an “ethical duty” to support the uprising.
His comments sparked a walkout by the Syrian delegation.
The Nam summit, which represents 120 countries, will also discuss human rights and nuclear disarmament.''
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''Egypt’s president has told a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (Nam) that the Syrian uprising is a “revolution against an oppressive regime”.
Mohammed Mursi, making the first visit to Iran by an Egyptian leader since 1979, said the movement had an “ethical duty” to support the uprising.
His comments sparked a walkout by the Syrian delegation.
The Nam summit, which represents 120 countries, will also discuss human rights and nuclear disarmament.''
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''Bob Murphy on the debt crisis, the Great Depression, and gold''
From GoldMoney............''Subscribe to our newsletter at http://www.goldmoney.com/goldresearch. GoldMoney's Alasdair Macleod discusses Austrian economics and the current state of the world economy with the Mises Institute's Bob Murphy, who also runs the website http://consultingbyrpm.com/blog. Murphy gives a broad outline of how Austrian economic analysis differs from Keynesian analysis, and how this leads economists from these rival schools to propose radically different policy recommendations.''
''China urges Germany and France to solve euro-crisis''
From EU Observer
''Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on Thursday (30 August) offered vague promises to buy bonds from troubled euro-countries, but said that it is ultimately up to Germany and France to solve the crisis.
"The European debt crisis recently has continued to deteriorate, giving rise to serious concerns in the international community. Frankly, I am also worried," Wen said during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.''
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''Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on Thursday (30 August) offered vague promises to buy bonds from troubled euro-countries, but said that it is ultimately up to Germany and France to solve the crisis.
"The European debt crisis recently has continued to deteriorate, giving rise to serious concerns in the international community. Frankly, I am also worried," Wen said during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.''
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''What are the alternatives to mainstream media disinformation?''
From Global Research
''The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit is under way in Tehran. This extraordinary gathering of world leaders is being ignored or distorted because of the venue. The mainstream media is not reporting about the NAM summit or on the reality about the events in Syria. The military build-up in the Asia-Pacific around China is also being causally brushed aside as if it has minimal importance.
The destruction of the environment, the growing deficit of social justice, civil liberties, economic depression, the gnawing of worker’s rights, political frustration in North America, media disinformation, and so many other topics are all regularly focused on by Global Research. We are committed to giving readers critical coverage on these issues and much more.''
Thursday, August 30, 2012
''Gold heads for 12th year of gains''
From Bullion Street
''Gold is poised to climb the most in two years as prospects for additional economic stimulus by governments from the US to China stoke demand for the precious metal as a bet against inflation, a survey showed.''
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''Gold is poised to climb the most in two years as prospects for additional economic stimulus by governments from the US to China stoke demand for the precious metal as a bet against inflation, a survey showed.''
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''The monetary Maginot of the Gold Standard''
From The Telegraph
''Some gold bugs – though not ones with historical memory – seem to have greeted Republican talk of a renewed Gold Standard with near ecstatic delight.
They need their heads examined. Gold must be free if it is to police the political class.
The beauty of gold is that it is a store of value beyond political or state control, or largely so.''
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''Some gold bugs – though not ones with historical memory – seem to have greeted Republican talk of a renewed Gold Standard with near ecstatic delight.
They need their heads examined. Gold must be free if it is to police the political class.
The beauty of gold is that it is a store of value beyond political or state control, or largely so.''
read more
''Morsi sparks controversy with anti-Assad comments in Tehran''
From Ahram Online
''President Mohamed Morsi entered Tehran's Summit Conference Hall on Thursday morning to hand over the presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The fact that Morsi chose to accept the Iranian invitation to be in Tehran, with which Cairo has not had full diplomatic relations for three decades, was itself a revolutionary move.
What was indeed more revolutionary was Morsi's speech to the opening session of the NAM summit, the 16th since its establishment during the Cold War.''
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''President Mohamed Morsi entered Tehran's Summit Conference Hall on Thursday morning to hand over the presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The fact that Morsi chose to accept the Iranian invitation to be in Tehran, with which Cairo has not had full diplomatic relations for three decades, was itself a revolutionary move.
What was indeed more revolutionary was Morsi's speech to the opening session of the NAM summit, the 16th since its establishment during the Cold War.''
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''The Eagle Has Crash Landed–Pax Americana is over''
From Immanuel Wallerstein via 'There are no Sunglasses'
''The United States in decline? Few people today would believe this assertion. The only ones who do are the U.S. hawks, who argue vociferously for policies to reverse the decline. This belief that the end of U.S. hegemony has already begun does not follow from the vulnerability that became apparent to all on September 11, 2001. In fact, the United States has been fading as a global power since the 1970s, and the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks has merely accelerated this decline. To understand why the so-called Pax Americana is on the wane requires examining the geopolitics of the 20th century, particularly of the century’s final three decades. This exercise uncovers a simple and inescapable conclusion: The economic, political, and military factors that contributed to U.S. hegemony are the same factors that will inexorably produce the coming U.S. decline.''
read more
''The United States in decline? Few people today would believe this assertion. The only ones who do are the U.S. hawks, who argue vociferously for policies to reverse the decline. This belief that the end of U.S. hegemony has already begun does not follow from the vulnerability that became apparent to all on September 11, 2001. In fact, the United States has been fading as a global power since the 1970s, and the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks has merely accelerated this decline. To understand why the so-called Pax Americana is on the wane requires examining the geopolitics of the 20th century, particularly of the century’s final three decades. This exercise uncovers a simple and inescapable conclusion: The economic, political, and military factors that contributed to U.S. hegemony are the same factors that will inexorably produce the coming U.S. decline.''
read more
''China defense chief plans rare India trip, to discuss border''
From Chicago Tribune
''India and China fought a brief war in 1962 over the Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh regions, parts of which both countries claim. Trade between them is soaring but they compete for resources and influence in Asia.
China is also suspicious that India's blossoming ties with the United States are part of a strategy to contain China's rise on the world stage.
Despite numerous rounds of talks in recent years, the nuclear-armed giants still disagree about large stretches of the border and are spending billions of dollars on beefing up defenses in disputed areas, as well as extending road and rail links.''
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''India and China fought a brief war in 1962 over the Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh regions, parts of which both countries claim. Trade between them is soaring but they compete for resources and influence in Asia.
China is also suspicious that India's blossoming ties with the United States are part of a strategy to contain China's rise on the world stage.
Despite numerous rounds of talks in recent years, the nuclear-armed giants still disagree about large stretches of the border and are spending billions of dollars on beefing up defenses in disputed areas, as well as extending road and rail links.''
read more
''Keiser Report: Fat Gorillas vs Middle-Class Monkeys'' (E333)
From RT.com............''In this episode, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the sound of one monkey-hand clapping as Alan Greenspan finger-painted the markets and grand heists ensued. In the second half of the show, Max Keiser talks to a former senior corporate and banking executive, David Smith, about Switzerland wearing concrete boots as it tries to maintain a currency peg to the euro with its only exit strategy being the Iraq one -- that is, they have no plan at all. They also discuss how HSBC might have missed the 7,000 suitcases of cash that would have been needed to launder $7 billion in drug cartel money.''
''US Plan for a Base in Uzbekistan to Materialize?''
From Strategic Culture
''Geopolitically, the dust is settling in Central Asia in the wake of the noisy Arab Spring. Part of the outcome is likely to be Uzbekistan's policy swing that would place it solidly in the camp of the US military allies as the next leap after the republic put on hold its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization. In the meantime, Washington is making vigorous efforts to reset to zero the Russian influence over Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the two Central Asian republics where Russia currently maintains military bases.''
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''Geopolitically, the dust is settling in Central Asia in the wake of the noisy Arab Spring. Part of the outcome is likely to be Uzbekistan's policy swing that would place it solidly in the camp of the US military allies as the next leap after the republic put on hold its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization. In the meantime, Washington is making vigorous efforts to reset to zero the Russian influence over Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the two Central Asian republics where Russia currently maintains military bases.''
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''Rule by the Rich''
From New Left Project
"Binghamton University professor emeritus James Petras sums up the new growing problem this way in “Canadian Dimension” (April 7, 2011): “The current concentration of wealth exceeds any previous period in history; from King Midas, the Maharajahs, and the Robber Barons to the Silicon Valley–Wall Street moguls.” Petras argues that in most countries, including the United States, the sudden emergence of a large, super-rich class of billionaires has been significantly promoted by nation-states and lower-level governments, conspiring with the wealthiest classes to serve their interests over all others."
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"Binghamton University professor emeritus James Petras sums up the new growing problem this way in “Canadian Dimension” (April 7, 2011): “The current concentration of wealth exceeds any previous period in history; from King Midas, the Maharajahs, and the Robber Barons to the Silicon Valley–Wall Street moguls.” Petras argues that in most countries, including the United States, the sudden emergence of a large, super-rich class of billionaires has been significantly promoted by nation-states and lower-level governments, conspiring with the wealthiest classes to serve their interests over all others."
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''Spiegel Interview with Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann''
From Der Spiegel
''Jens Weidmann, the 44-year-old head of Germany's central bank, has made a name for himself by championing price stability and opposing bond purchases by the European Central Bank. In a SPIEGEL interview, he criticizes the ECB's latest plans and insists he only wants to secure the euro's long-term future.''
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''Jens Weidmann, the 44-year-old head of Germany's central bank, has made a name for himself by championing price stability and opposing bond purchases by the European Central Bank. In a SPIEGEL interview, he criticizes the ECB's latest plans and insists he only wants to secure the euro's long-term future.''
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''Fears of Anti-Kurdish Campaign by Syrian Arab Opposition''
From Rudaw
''Kurdish leaders in Syria say that a number of Arab opposition figures are leading a campaign to inflame hostility against the Kurds.
''Kurdish leaders in Syria say that a number of Arab opposition figures are leading a campaign to inflame hostility against the Kurds.
A Kurdish opposition source told Alkurdiya News that parties are receiving support from regional powers and prominent Arab journalists in order to continue their campaign against Syria’s Kurds.''
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
''Jim Willie: Morgan Stanley Faces IMMINENT FAILURE & RUIN, May See 1st Private Stock Account Thefts''
jim willie is a must read................From Silver Doctors
''My European banker source indicates that as Morgan Stanley suffers the spectacle of failure, so will both Deutsche Bank in Germany and Credit Agricole in France collapse. The three failures will bring about other failures, like in London, as the entire Western banking system will be brought to its knees. In short, this event could serve as a jump in thefts from segregated futures brokerage to stock brokerage accounts, causing more collapses and certain bank runs. Witness the full glory of the Fascist Business Model. Much discussion has come from corners like Steve Quayle, concerning the potential merger of all surviving Wall Street banks into JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. That would mean Citigroup and Bank of America would fold under the new twin towers of financial tyranny, as the Jackass prefers to call them. So after eleven years since the well planned and highly coordinated collapse of the Twin Towers to conceal the grandest bank heist in US history, the emergence of the new Twin Towers with deep intricate financial root cellars is being hatched. It will fail.''
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''My European banker source indicates that as Morgan Stanley suffers the spectacle of failure, so will both Deutsche Bank in Germany and Credit Agricole in France collapse. The three failures will bring about other failures, like in London, as the entire Western banking system will be brought to its knees. In short, this event could serve as a jump in thefts from segregated futures brokerage to stock brokerage accounts, causing more collapses and certain bank runs. Witness the full glory of the Fascist Business Model. Much discussion has come from corners like Steve Quayle, concerning the potential merger of all surviving Wall Street banks into JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. That would mean Citigroup and Bank of America would fold under the new twin towers of financial tyranny, as the Jackass prefers to call them. So after eleven years since the well planned and highly coordinated collapse of the Twin Towers to conceal the grandest bank heist in US history, the emergence of the new Twin Towers with deep intricate financial root cellars is being hatched. It will fail.''
READ MORE
''U.S. Banks Are Doing Okay, Made $34.5 Billion Profit Last Quarter''
From The Consumerist
''While the big banks plead hardship and whine about having their profits eroded by regulatory reform, they fail to mention that the American banking industry appears to be doing okay, with 12 straight quarters of year-over-year growth and $34.5 billion in profit in the second quarter of 2012 alone.''
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''While the big banks plead hardship and whine about having their profits eroded by regulatory reform, they fail to mention that the American banking industry appears to be doing okay, with 12 straight quarters of year-over-year growth and $34.5 billion in profit in the second quarter of 2012 alone.''
read more
''Marine detained for Facebook posts speaks out''
From RT.com.......''Last week a judge found that there was no legal basis to hold Brandon Raub in a psychiatric ward against his will. This after the Twenty-six year old Raub was taken away by authorities for controversial posts to his Facebook page. He was arrested outside his Virginia home on August 16 and was confused asking the authorities about what crime he committed. The FBI found his posts to be anti-American and "terrorist in nature." John Whitehead, the marine's attorney joins RT's Liz Wahl to discuss what does this case mean for freedom of speech in the US.''
''Spain in wait-and-see mode as recession worsens''
From EU Observer
''Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday (28 August) said his government has not yet taken a decision on asking for European help in refinancing its debt, pending a key meeting of the European Central Bank next week.
Speaking alongside EU council chief Herman Van Rompuy, who interrupted his vacation in Spain to meet the Prime Minister, Rajoy re-stated his commitment to "take all necessary measures" to get the country out of the worsening crisis.''
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''Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday (28 August) said his government has not yet taken a decision on asking for European help in refinancing its debt, pending a key meeting of the European Central Bank next week.
Speaking alongside EU council chief Herman Van Rompuy, who interrupted his vacation in Spain to meet the Prime Minister, Rajoy re-stated his commitment to "take all necessary measures" to get the country out of the worsening crisis.''
read more
''Libor’s Trillion-Dollar Question''
From Bloomberg
''The global investigation into the manipulation of Libor has so far done a good job of exposing how bankers corrupted one of the world’s most important financial indicators. Now authorities need to take a giant step further: Make banks release the data needed to determine how much damage was done and who should bear the most responsibility.''
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''The global investigation into the manipulation of Libor has so far done a good job of exposing how bankers corrupted one of the world’s most important financial indicators. Now authorities need to take a giant step further: Make banks release the data needed to determine how much damage was done and who should bear the most responsibility.''
read more
''Archbishop Desmond Tutu pulls out of event with Tony Blair because of Iraq War''
From The Telegraph
However Mr Blair hit back in a statement, insisting that such "decisions are never easy morally or politically”.''
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''The Nobel Peace Prize winner who was the first black archbishop of Cape Town made the protest because of the former Prime Minister's “morally indefensible” decision to lead British forces into Iraq in 2003.
However Mr Blair hit back in a statement, insisting that such "decisions are never easy morally or politically”.''
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''Demise of the American war machine''
From FTM Daily via WND
''In this podcast, economist, columnist, radio host and international conference speaker Jerry Robinson of “Follow the Money Weekly” ponders the demise of the bankrupt American war machine.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. military is shifting its war machine to the Far East, and while the move is being sold as a way to “contain North Korea,” Robinson points out that keen observers know the elephant in the room is China, the real target.''
podcast with Gerald Celente
listen to podcast
''In this podcast, economist, columnist, radio host and international conference speaker Jerry Robinson of “Follow the Money Weekly” ponders the demise of the bankrupt American war machine.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. military is shifting its war machine to the Far East, and while the move is being sold as a way to “contain North Korea,” Robinson points out that keen observers know the elephant in the room is China, the real target.''
podcast with Gerald Celente
listen to podcast
''Greece Awaits Its Destiny''
From Eurasia Review
''The eurozone’s debt crisis remains the focus of attention of the EU leaders. On Monday, France and Germany agreed upon a plan to set up a new body to coordinate the debt problems of Greece, Spain and Italy. In late September-early October, the “troika” of international money lenders – the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund – will assess the economic and financial situation in Greece and its ability to fulfill the terms of new loans.''
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''The eurozone’s debt crisis remains the focus of attention of the EU leaders. On Monday, France and Germany agreed upon a plan to set up a new body to coordinate the debt problems of Greece, Spain and Italy. In late September-early October, the “troika” of international money lenders – the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund – will assess the economic and financial situation in Greece and its ability to fulfill the terms of new loans.''
read more
''Arctic ice melts to record low levels''
From The Telegraph
The government-backed ice centre, based at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said in a statement that the decline in summer Arctic sea ice "is considered a strong signal of long-term climate warming."
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''The extent of ice observed on Sunday broke a record set in 2007 and will likely melt further with several weeks of summer still to come, according to data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the Nasa space agency.
The government-backed ice centre, based at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said in a statement that the decline in summer Arctic sea ice "is considered a strong signal of long-term climate warming."
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''Egypt's President Morsi agrees on development projects with China's Hu''
From Ahram Online
''Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi met his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on Tuesday in Beijing to discuss bilateral relations, with Morsi stressing that China is important for Egypt's economic prosperity.
Morsi's spokesman Yasser Ali highlighted some of the elements of the discussion. Morsi had pushed for stronger ties between both countries, suggesting increasing Egypt-China flights from two per week to ten. He also requested that China build a high speed train route between Cairo and Alexandria.''
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''Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi met his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao on Tuesday in Beijing to discuss bilateral relations, with Morsi stressing that China is important for Egypt's economic prosperity.
Morsi's spokesman Yasser Ali highlighted some of the elements of the discussion. Morsi had pushed for stronger ties between both countries, suggesting increasing Egypt-China flights from two per week to ten. He also requested that China build a high speed train route between Cairo and Alexandria.''
read more
''Media Ignore New Report Questioning U.S. Role in Honduras Drug Raid''
From NACLA
''Annie Bird of Rights Action and Alexander Main of the Center for Economic and Policy Research have published a new report titled, “Collateral Damage of a Drug War: The May 11 Killings in Ahuas and the Impact of the U.S. War on Drugs in La Moskitia, Honduras.”
The 53-page paper provides new evidence through eyewitness testimonies and in-country interviews that the U.S. government’s rendering of a lethal U.S.-Honduran raid three months ago, which killed four Honduran civilians, was misleading.''
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''Annie Bird of Rights Action and Alexander Main of the Center for Economic and Policy Research have published a new report titled, “Collateral Damage of a Drug War: The May 11 Killings in Ahuas and the Impact of the U.S. War on Drugs in La Moskitia, Honduras.”
The 53-page paper provides new evidence through eyewitness testimonies and in-country interviews that the U.S. government’s rendering of a lethal U.S.-Honduran raid three months ago, which killed four Honduran civilians, was misleading.''
read more
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
''From hell to heaven: Egypt Islamists change tack on IMF loan''
From Ahram Online
''Once seemingly opposed to international borrowing, Islamist parties are now giving approval to Egypt's request for a $4.8 billion loan; Ahram Online compares the Islamists' stances to IMF funding before and after Morsi's election.''
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''Once seemingly opposed to international borrowing, Islamist parties are now giving approval to Egypt's request for a $4.8 billion loan; Ahram Online compares the Islamists' stances to IMF funding before and after Morsi's election.''
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''Eric Sprott Cautions Investors to Fear the Financial System''
From The Gold Report
''The Gold Report: You've stated before that the price of gold should be above $3,200/ounce (oz) and the price of silver above $200/oz but market manipulation keeps both metals artificially low. Who is manipulating it?
Eric Sprott: I suspect the G6 central banks have a hand in subverting the gold price because as the canary in the coal mine, high gold prices might tip everyone off to the severity of the ongoing financial crisis. I don't think anyone can doubt that we're in the middle of a financial crisis, primarily in the banking system, when month after month one program after another is rolled out to save somebody, whether it's Long-Term Refinancing Operations (LTROs), quantitative easings (QEs), bank bailouts in Spain or rollovers of debt in Greece.''
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''The Gold Report: You've stated before that the price of gold should be above $3,200/ounce (oz) and the price of silver above $200/oz but market manipulation keeps both metals artificially low. Who is manipulating it?
Eric Sprott: I suspect the G6 central banks have a hand in subverting the gold price because as the canary in the coal mine, high gold prices might tip everyone off to the severity of the ongoing financial crisis. I don't think anyone can doubt that we're in the middle of a financial crisis, primarily in the banking system, when month after month one program after another is rolled out to save somebody, whether it's Long-Term Refinancing Operations (LTROs), quantitative easings (QEs), bank bailouts in Spain or rollovers of debt in Greece.''
read more
''Global wheat prices expected to soar''
From Daily News Egypt
''The drought that recently hit the United States and Russia, the largest wheat exporters in the world, triggered fears of a global price rise of the strategic commodity.
One of the world’s largest wheat importers, Egypt is expected to suffer greatly as a result.
In addition, Egyptian wheat imports are minor compared to imports of other countries. Noamany said last season, Egypt imported 300,000 tonnes of wheat, compared to 3.6 million tonnes imported by Russia. The US drought will definitely force up international wheat prices during the current year, he added.''
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''The drought that recently hit the United States and Russia, the largest wheat exporters in the world, triggered fears of a global price rise of the strategic commodity.
One of the world’s largest wheat importers, Egypt is expected to suffer greatly as a result.
In addition, Egyptian wheat imports are minor compared to imports of other countries. Noamany said last season, Egypt imported 300,000 tonnes of wheat, compared to 3.6 million tonnes imported by Russia. The US drought will definitely force up international wheat prices during the current year, he added.''
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''Our Terror War Is Making Some of US Very Rich''
From 'There are no Sunglasses'
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''War is the only thing that drives the American economy. International arms transfers by the United States are just selling some of our potential wars to somebody else. Last year was our best year yet--all thanks to Obama's bloodthirsty wars of aggression. It should be a crime to sell arms to small, unstable countries. We are the Wall-Mart of weapons.''
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''Interest Rates Swaps being mis-sold to SMEs: a layman's guide to a textbook banking rip-off ''
From Ripped-off Britons
''To understand a rip-off of this scale, designed to be incomprehensible to customers, regulators and lawmakers, you need an insider's insight. Provided by our guest author Honestly Banking, the undercover banker.''
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''To understand a rip-off of this scale, designed to be incomprehensible to customers, regulators and lawmakers, you need an insider's insight. Provided by our guest author Honestly Banking, the undercover banker.''
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''Gold standard: Global powers would risk new trade war''
From Economic Times
''Gold prices would likely surge to $10,000 an ounce, the greenback's credibility would vanish and global superpowers would risk a new trade war if Republicans were to restore the link between the U.S. dollar and gold that was severed 40 years ago. But that isn't stopping Republicans from considering the idea, who will call for a commission to look at restoring a fixed value for the dollar, according to a draft of the party platform to be adopted at the Republican National Convention that begins on Monday in Tampa, Florida.''
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''Gold prices would likely surge to $10,000 an ounce, the greenback's credibility would vanish and global superpowers would risk a new trade war if Republicans were to restore the link between the U.S. dollar and gold that was severed 40 years ago. But that isn't stopping Republicans from considering the idea, who will call for a commission to look at restoring a fixed value for the dollar, according to a draft of the party platform to be adopted at the Republican National Convention that begins on Monday in Tampa, Florida.''
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''NAM in the shadow of Arab Spring''
From Indian PunchLine
By MK Bhadrakumar
''All indications are that Egypt’s return to the forefront of the Non-Aligned Movement will be the big news this week from the summit meeting at Tehran. The summit’s focus can be expected on three main West Asian issues — Syrian crisis, Iran nuclear issue and the blossoming of the Egypt-Iran relationship.''
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By MK Bhadrakumar
''All indications are that Egypt’s return to the forefront of the Non-Aligned Movement will be the big news this week from the summit meeting at Tehran. The summit’s focus can be expected on three main West Asian issues — Syrian crisis, Iran nuclear issue and the blossoming of the Egypt-Iran relationship.''
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''Ron Hera-Silver is massively undervalued''
From USA Watchdog..........''Economic researcher Ron Hera thinks, "Silver is massively undervalued. A smart investor would just buy silver and wait for the supply/demand fundamentals . . . to cause the price to rise." Rising food prices are especially troubling to Hera because of the negative impact on global stability. He says, "You are going to see political instability on a large scale." Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com as he goes One-on-One with Ron Hera of Heraresearch.com.''
''Larry Summers and the Imperialism of Economics''
From The Globalist
By H Woody Brock
''Economists may have been latecomers to the halls of political power, but in recent decades they have become indispensable advisors to prime ministers and presidents. Despite the influence economists now wield over public policy, writes H. Woody Brock in "American Gridlock," many of the most pressing problems remain political in nature — and will require political solutions.''
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By H Woody Brock
''Economists may have been latecomers to the halls of political power, but in recent decades they have become indispensable advisors to prime ministers and presidents. Despite the influence economists now wield over public policy, writes H. Woody Brock in "American Gridlock," many of the most pressing problems remain political in nature — and will require political solutions.''
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''The Endless War: Saudi Arabia Goes on the Offensive Against Iran''
From Oil Price via Financial Sense
''Ongoing disorders in the island kingdom of Bahrain since February of 2011 have set off alarm bells in Riyadh. The Saudis are convinced that Iran is directing the protests and fear that the problems will spill over the twenty-five kilometer long COSWAY into oil rich Al-Qatif, where the bulk of the two million Shia in the kingdom are concentrated. So far, the Saudis have not had to deal with demonstrations as serious as those in Bahrain, but success in the island kingdom could encourage the protestors to become more violent.''
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''Ongoing disorders in the island kingdom of Bahrain since February of 2011 have set off alarm bells in Riyadh. The Saudis are convinced that Iran is directing the protests and fear that the problems will spill over the twenty-five kilometer long COSWAY into oil rich Al-Qatif, where the bulk of the two million Shia in the kingdom are concentrated. So far, the Saudis have not had to deal with demonstrations as serious as those in Bahrain, but success in the island kingdom could encourage the protestors to become more violent.''
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''Racism at the Heart of Empire''
Book Review From New Left Project
''In Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, Deepa Kumar, an Associate Professor of Media Studies and Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University in the US, identifies a cluster of such myths: that Islam is a uniquely sexist religion, that Muslims are irrational, that Islam is inherently violent and that Muslims are incapable of democracy and self-rule. Underlying each of these, she argues, is the view of Islam as a monolithic religion. This, according to Kumar, is the original sin from which all other Orientalist fallacies flow, for it is only by ignoring the conspicuous diversity and historical contingency of Middle Eastern societies that generalisations about ‘Muslim culture’, ‘Islamic civilisation’ or the ‘Muslim mind’ can gain any intellectual credibility.''
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''In Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, Deepa Kumar, an Associate Professor of Media Studies and Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University in the US, identifies a cluster of such myths: that Islam is a uniquely sexist religion, that Muslims are irrational, that Islam is inherently violent and that Muslims are incapable of democracy and self-rule. Underlying each of these, she argues, is the view of Islam as a monolithic religion. This, according to Kumar, is the original sin from which all other Orientalist fallacies flow, for it is only by ignoring the conspicuous diversity and historical contingency of Middle Eastern societies that generalisations about ‘Muslim culture’, ‘Islamic civilisation’ or the ‘Muslim mind’ can gain any intellectual credibility.''
read more
Monday, August 27, 2012
''Authoritarian Politics in the Age of Casino Capitalism''
From CounterPunch
By Henry Giroux
''The United States has entered a new historical era marked by a growing disinvestment in the social state, public goods, and civic morality. Matters of politics, power, ideology, governance, economics, and policy now translate unapologetically into a systemic disinvestment in institutions and policies that further the breakdown of those public spheres which traditionally provided the minimal conditions for social justice, dissent, and democratic expression. Neoliberalism, or what might be called casino capitalism, has become the new normal.''
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By Henry Giroux
''The United States has entered a new historical era marked by a growing disinvestment in the social state, public goods, and civic morality. Matters of politics, power, ideology, governance, economics, and policy now translate unapologetically into a systemic disinvestment in institutions and policies that further the breakdown of those public spheres which traditionally provided the minimal conditions for social justice, dissent, and democratic expression. Neoliberalism, or what might be called casino capitalism, has become the new normal.''
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''China’s Debt Problem''
From Financial Sense
By Michael Pettis
........''China itself is seeing noticeable capital outflows as business owners and other wealthy people begin disinvesting and withdrawing deposits. Capital flight from China began surging in early 2010, and it seems to be getting worse, with some monthly withdrawal estimates as high as $40-50 billion, and this can’t help but put increasing pressure on China’s ability to finance the infrastructure, manufacturing and real estate bubbles that have driven the economy.''
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By Michael Pettis
........''China itself is seeing noticeable capital outflows as business owners and other wealthy people begin disinvesting and withdrawing deposits. Capital flight from China began surging in early 2010, and it seems to be getting worse, with some monthly withdrawal estimates as high as $40-50 billion, and this can’t help but put increasing pressure on China’s ability to finance the infrastructure, manufacturing and real estate bubbles that have driven the economy.''
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''Russia’s War Games Make Georgia Nervous''
From ISN Blog
''In June and July Russia held several military exercises with its regional partners. There are more to come in August and September. Of course, none of the planned events are quite as extensive as the one that an Iranian news agency falsely reported on June 19th, in a bit of wishful thinking. There won’t be joint war games involving 90,000 troops held in Syria by Russia, China and Iran.''
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''In June and July Russia held several military exercises with its regional partners. There are more to come in August and September. Of course, none of the planned events are quite as extensive as the one that an Iranian news agency falsely reported on June 19th, in a bit of wishful thinking. There won’t be joint war games involving 90,000 troops held in Syria by Russia, China and Iran.''
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Egypt: "Dictatorship through democracy''
From Daily News Egypt
''A reported leak of the new emergency law drafted by Minister of Justice Ahmed Mekki appeared in several news outlets Sunday.
The law, which is made up of ten articles, makes it harder for the President to declare a state of emergency, but gives him near-dictatorial powers if he does so.''
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''A reported leak of the new emergency law drafted by Minister of Justice Ahmed Mekki appeared in several news outlets Sunday.
The law, which is made up of ten articles, makes it harder for the President to declare a state of emergency, but gives him near-dictatorial powers if he does so.''
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Book Review: "China and the Persian Gulf''
From Asia Times
''China's rise, according to many analysts, has been the world's most significant geopolitical and economic development of the 21st century. Central to China's rise has been the energy it needs to fuel economic growth. Importing more than 42% of its crude oil from the Persian Gulf, Beijing views that region as vital for this economic development. China's growing influence in the world's most oil-rich region is the subject of Bryce Wakefield's and Susan Levenstein's China and the Persian Gulf: Implications for the United States.''
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''China's rise, according to many analysts, has been the world's most significant geopolitical and economic development of the 21st century. Central to China's rise has been the energy it needs to fuel economic growth. Importing more than 42% of its crude oil from the Persian Gulf, Beijing views that region as vital for this economic development. China's growing influence in the world's most oil-rich region is the subject of Bryce Wakefield's and Susan Levenstein's China and the Persian Gulf: Implications for the United States.''
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''US Plan for a Base in Uzbekistan to Materialize?''
i thought we were broke?...............From Strategic Culture
..........''No doubt, Moscow would be confronted with a situation calling for a tougher than ever strategy if the Operative Reaction Center – a US military base to stay indefinitely in the post-Soviet space regarding which Russia has serious ambitions - pops up in Uzbekistan. Picking up after several makeshift bases narrowly geared to supply the Western coalition in Afghanistan, the facility would come as a slap in the face to Moscow, a humiliation comparable to what Washington would have experienced seeing Russia install a military base in Mexico, Nicaragua, or Cuba.........''
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..........''No doubt, Moscow would be confronted with a situation calling for a tougher than ever strategy if the Operative Reaction Center – a US military base to stay indefinitely in the post-Soviet space regarding which Russia has serious ambitions - pops up in Uzbekistan. Picking up after several makeshift bases narrowly geared to supply the Western coalition in Afghanistan, the facility would come as a slap in the face to Moscow, a humiliation comparable to what Washington would have experienced seeing Russia install a military base in Mexico, Nicaragua, or Cuba.........''
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''Paul Craig Roberts: America’s Descent Into Poverty''
From Strategic Culture
''The United States has collapsed economically, socially, politically, legally, constitutionally, environmentally, and morally. The country that exists today is not even a shell of the country into which I was born. In this article I will deal with America’s economic collapse. In subsequent articles, i will deal with other aspects of American collapse.
Economically, America has descended into poverty. As Peter Edelman says, “Low-wage work is pandemic.''
''The Hidden Costs of Egypt’s IMF Loan''
From URUKNET
"We still don’t know anything about the program under which Egypt will get the loan or the measures and steps that will be taken to cut government spending, reform fiscal policy and collect unpaid taxes," he said. With the amount to be borrowed now being put at $4.8 billion rather than the original $3.8 billion "we need to consider who will bear the burden of repayment."
Highly interesting is the fact that the FJP did not take issue with the loan on ideological grounds, given the Islamic prohibition on usury. Sawi argued that it is permissible to pay interest on loans under the expediency provisions of Islamic law, especially when alternative support from fellow Muslims is unavailable – "for example, when the wealth of the Gulf is spent on buying palaces in Paris rather than helping the poor on the Comoros Islands." Sawi added that he hoped it would one day become possible "to propose Islamic ways of providing finance to the international institutions."
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"We still don’t know anything about the program under which Egypt will get the loan or the measures and steps that will be taken to cut government spending, reform fiscal policy and collect unpaid taxes," he said. With the amount to be borrowed now being put at $4.8 billion rather than the original $3.8 billion "we need to consider who will bear the burden of repayment."
Highly interesting is the fact that the FJP did not take issue with the loan on ideological grounds, given the Islamic prohibition on usury. Sawi argued that it is permissible to pay interest on loans under the expediency provisions of Islamic law, especially when alternative support from fellow Muslims is unavailable – "for example, when the wealth of the Gulf is spent on buying palaces in Paris rather than helping the poor on the Comoros Islands." Sawi added that he hoped it would one day become possible "to propose Islamic ways of providing finance to the international institutions."
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''The Arab Spring comes to Saudi Arabia''
From Stratrisks
''Of all the changes brought on by the Arab Spring, it is the ongoing unrest in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province – home to a large Shiite minority, and holding 90% of the country’s oil reserves – that could prove to be the most important in the long run.''
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''Of all the changes brought on by the Arab Spring, it is the ongoing unrest in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province – home to a large Shiite minority, and holding 90% of the country’s oil reserves – that could prove to be the most important in the long run.''
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''Iran or the US? India caught in a diplomatic dilemma''
From Deutsche Welle
"India is caught in a diplomatic dilemma," Iran expert Qamar Agha told DW. The closer India and the US got - especially after the signing of the Indo-American nuclear deal in 2008 - the stronger the pressure became on India to distance itself from Iran.
"But India has always said that its national interests go before all else. And for the country's rapidly growing economy, India needs energy and oil."
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"India is caught in a diplomatic dilemma," Iran expert Qamar Agha told DW. The closer India and the US got - especially after the signing of the Indo-American nuclear deal in 2008 - the stronger the pressure became on India to distance itself from Iran.
"But India has always said that its national interests go before all else. And for the country's rapidly growing economy, India needs energy and oil."
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''Hundreds of DHS employees arrested for laptop thefts, drug smuggling, other crimes''
From Government Executive
''A Citizen and Immigration Services worker charged $1,500 to approve citizenship applications. A Customs and Border Patrol agent collected $5,000 to smuggle 30 undocumented aliens across the border. Another officer received $10,000 to let a car filled with 1,700 pounds of marijuana through a port of entry into the United States.''
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''A Citizen and Immigration Services worker charged $1,500 to approve citizenship applications. A Customs and Border Patrol agent collected $5,000 to smuggle 30 undocumented aliens across the border. Another officer received $10,000 to let a car filled with 1,700 pounds of marijuana through a port of entry into the United States.''
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''Foreclosure mediation angers bankers, pleases housing advocates''
From STL Today
''The mortgage industry is in an uproar over a proposal that would require banks to participate in professional mediation before foreclosing on St. Louis County homeowners.
Bankers predict big problems if the St. Louis County Council approves the measure, which they say would burden lenders, discourage mortgage lending and drive up interest rates.
“You would have to do something entirely different when servicing properties in St. Louis County. If every municipality tried to impose their own guidelines, imagine the havoc,” said Keith Thornburg, general counsel of the Missouri Bankers Association.“It's very chilling for home buyers trying to get a loan.”
Baloney, say mediation advocates.''
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''The mortgage industry is in an uproar over a proposal that would require banks to participate in professional mediation before foreclosing on St. Louis County homeowners.
Bankers predict big problems if the St. Louis County Council approves the measure, which they say would burden lenders, discourage mortgage lending and drive up interest rates.
“You would have to do something entirely different when servicing properties in St. Louis County. If every municipality tried to impose their own guidelines, imagine the havoc,” said Keith Thornburg, general counsel of the Missouri Bankers Association.“It's very chilling for home buyers trying to get a loan.”
Baloney, say mediation advocates.''
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''The World Will Soon be One Giant Parking Lot''
From TreeHugger
''As the developing nations like China, India, and Brazil continue to boom, millions of citizens are lifted into the ambiguously defined arena of the "middle class" every year. But how might we define what actually constitutes this ever-elusive middle class? A new study says it's simple: look at car ownership.''
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''As the developing nations like China, India, and Brazil continue to boom, millions of citizens are lifted into the ambiguously defined arena of the "middle class" every year. But how might we define what actually constitutes this ever-elusive middle class? A new study says it's simple: look at car ownership.''
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Sunday, August 26, 2012
''Red Ice Radio - Rosa Koire - Hour 1 - Behind the Green Mask: U.N. Agenda 21''
From Red Ice Radio.........''Activist, speaker, and blogger, Rosa Koire is a forensic real estate appraiser specializing in eminent domain valuation. Her research into and fight against redevelopment led her to UN Agenda 21 and was the genesis to co-found the Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition, Democrats Against UN Agenda 21, and the Post Sustainability Institute. She has been speaking and inspiring groups nationally to take action. She is the author of Behind The Green Mask. Don't miss this important program as Rosa details how Agenda 21 is being used to transition the world into a global totalitarian state where one must pay to live. She'll explain how this agenda is the biggest public relation scam in history. We'll cover how this plan is designed to destroy the individual, create scarcity and make us vulnerable to control. Rosa talks about the ideology of Communitarianism, which is similar to Communist China, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Later, we'll discuss the hypocrisy, the propaganda and how to fight back.''
http://www.youtube.com/user/RedIceRadio?feature=watch
''Suez Canal chairman: US requested to strike Iranian weapons ship''
From Egypt Independent
''The Egyptian Navy refused a US request to strike an Iranian ship loaded with weapons that was on its way to Syria through the Suez Canal, Lieutenant General Mohab Mamish, Suez Canal Authority chairman, said Saturday.
In an interview with private satellite Channel Al-Hayat, Mamish also confirmed that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces had objected to the presence of US ships at the southern entrance of the Suez Canal during the 25 January revolution.''
'Marc Faber's forecasts for the global economy'
From Investment Summits...........''Marc Faber discusses what opportunities are likely to emerge for institutional investors if sovereign debt continues. He assesses the possible impact of social and political unrest in North Africa and the Middle East, and how hedge funds can invest in emerging markets.''
''The NAM Summit, Iran and Syria: A Coup Against the West?''
From 'Stop NATO Blog'
''The upcoming summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) will be held in Tehran from August 26 to 31, 2012. The NAM and its summit are mostly ignored in the Atlanticist world of the United States and NATO, but this year’s gathering has gotten the attention of the Atlanticists and their press. The reason is that the NAM summit’s venue has upset the political establishment in Washington, DC.
The US government has gotten its feathers ruffled and even gone out of its way to berate NAM leaders for gathering in Iran. US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland – the spouse of neo-con Project for the New American Century (PNAC) co-founder and arch-imperialist Robert Kagan – has asked Egypt’s new president, Mohamed Morsi, and even UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Washington’s own steward at the UN, not to travel to Tehran. Nuland and the US State Department have bitterly declared that Iran is not deserving of such “high-level presences.” The US, however, is forced to grin and bear the gathering of world leaders in Tehran.''
''After Afghanistan War, a New Great Game Kicks Off in Central Asia''
From Jakarta Globe
''Since 9/11, America’s priority in Central Asia has been to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan. But as the United States and NATO pull out, there is a new danger: that the West could become entangled in regional rivalries, local strongman politics and competition with Russia and China. Central Asian governments have sought for years to manipulate foreign powers’ interest in the region for their own benefit.''
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''Since 9/11, America’s priority in Central Asia has been to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan. But as the United States and NATO pull out, there is a new danger: that the West could become entangled in regional rivalries, local strongman politics and competition with Russia and China. Central Asian governments have sought for years to manipulate foreign powers’ interest in the region for their own benefit.''
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''Whose Interests Will the Fed Always Protect?''
an excellent sunday morning read..............From GoldSeek
By Gary North
''Central banks adopt policies favorable to large commercial banks. They sacrifice the interests of politicians whenever the politicians' goals seriously threaten large commercial banks' goals.
The hard money movement in the United States is presently experiencing a kind of intellectual schizophrenia. First, it has long taught that central bankers favor the goals of large commercial banks. Second, it has also taught that governments will eventually run up debts so large that only hyperinflation can save the politicians' hides from the voters, by concealing the reality of government default by hyperinflation.''
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By Gary North
''Central banks adopt policies favorable to large commercial banks. They sacrifice the interests of politicians whenever the politicians' goals seriously threaten large commercial banks' goals.
The hard money movement in the United States is presently experiencing a kind of intellectual schizophrenia. First, it has long taught that central bankers favor the goals of large commercial banks. Second, it has also taught that governments will eventually run up debts so large that only hyperinflation can save the politicians' hides from the voters, by concealing the reality of government default by hyperinflation.''
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''Lebanon fears a firestorm as old rifts that led to civil war open up again''
From The Guardian
''A respite from almost a fortnight of clashes in Lebanon's second city, Tripoli, raised hopes yesterday that the release of some kidnapping victims would ease a growing threat of unchecked violence spilling over from the Syrian civil war.
But the lull failed to douse an enduring fear elsewhere in Lebanon that the enmity in the north will inevitably spread to other parts of the country. Another day of soaring violence in neighbouring Syria instead fuelled concerns that the raging civil war would further spill beyond the borders of its unstable neighbour.''
'Keiser Report: Debt Bomb' (E332)
From RT.com...........''In this episode, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss CNBC swooning for Biebanke,' Warren Buffett waving many red flags and tax revenue plummeting in UK after a dose of Georgie Porgie's bubble and fraud pudding. In the second half of the show, Max Keiser talks to Dominic Frisby, resident gold bug at Moneyweek, about debt bombs and the City of London. They also discuss how North Sea oil enabled the big bang and how a property bubble could undo it.''
Saturday, August 25, 2012
''It’s “Worth Nuclear War” to Save the Dollar''
From FYX News
“Americans are told that ‘their’ government cannot afford to help them because of the budget deficit and the burden on our grandchildren,” Roberts explains. “But Americans see the trillions of dollars that are lavished on banksters, on wars, and on Homeland Security. . .
“The spiel will be about our brave troops who are fighting and dying to make the world safe for democracy and women’s rights. Washington will wrap itself in the flag and exhort Americans to ‘support our troops’ in the orchestrated war of the day.”
However, Iran stands in the way; it’s the last nation-state holdout to attain complete control of the future of the petrodollar (or whatevercurrencymay comes next), and Russia and China are quite aware of the neocons’ plans, drawing the line there—no farther, or it’s war—WWIII. And according to Roberts, the plan about to be implemented by the neocons is nothing short of insane.
“America, Putin acknowledged, wants to rule the world. But Washington is not going to rule Russia and China,” Roberts explains. “If the current White House moron keeps his promise to Israeli prime minister Netanyahu that the U.S. will attack Iran next June if Iran does not close down its nuclear energy program (a non-weapons program permitted to Iran as a signatory of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty), the White House will have opened the door to World War III.''
''Russian Press Reports US Acquiring Uzbek Military Base After 2014''
i thought we were broke???............From 'There are no Sunglasses'
''Uzbekistan negotiates with the creation of a rapid reaction center after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2014, reports Russian daily Kommersant today.
“This is the largest U.S. military base in Central Asia,” said the newspaper citing Uzbek Foreign Ministry sources.
The center would coordinate military actions in the event of a worsening of the situation after the withdrawal of Allied troops from Afghanistan.''
''Tunisia to Reject Odious Debt''
From The Real News Network
''If you watch The Real News, you might have seen a series we did a few months ago exploring the concept of odious debt. That's where a country's ruled by dictators, borrows money, in modern sense, from, usually, Western big banks, and those banks understanding and knowingly lend this money to this dictatorship knowing the money will not benefit the people of that country, knowing that that country's unlikely to be really capable of repaying these debts. And the concept of odious debt is that a subsequent government can declare these debts odious, that the banks should have known better, and not pay them back. Well, now an African country is apparently saying exactly that.''
video and text
''If you watch The Real News, you might have seen a series we did a few months ago exploring the concept of odious debt. That's where a country's ruled by dictators, borrows money, in modern sense, from, usually, Western big banks, and those banks understanding and knowingly lend this money to this dictatorship knowing the money will not benefit the people of that country, knowing that that country's unlikely to be really capable of repaying these debts. And the concept of odious debt is that a subsequent government can declare these debts odious, that the banks should have known better, and not pay them back. Well, now an African country is apparently saying exactly that.''
video and text
''Doug Casey Predicts Day of Economic Reckoning Is Near''
From The Gold Report via GoldSeek
By Karen Roche
By Karen Roche
''The Gold Report: There will be a Casey Research Summit on "Navigating the Politicized Economy" in Carlsbad, Calif., in September. The thesis behind the summit is that governments have made a Faustian bargain, a pact with the devil, that saves the empire with overspending, but drives it to the brink of collapse by creating fiat currencies. Doug, where in that story is the economy currently?
Doug Casey: It's extremely late in the day. Since World War II, and especially since 1971 when the link between the dollar and gold was broken, governments around the world have accepted the Keynesian theory of economics, which boils down to a belief that printing money can stimulate the economy and create prosperity. The result has been to create huge amounts of individual and government debt. It's become insupportable. All it has done is purchase a few extra years of artificial prosperity, and we're heading deeper into a very real depression as a result.''
''Food prices skyrocket''
From Russia & India Report
''Dry riverbeds, idle wind power stations, vast fields of shriveled, withered corn – the U.S. is experiencing the worst drought in fifty years. The Mississippi River has become so shallow that tourist boats are no longer allowed to sail in it. But the U.S. is not the only country affected by the drought – in Brazil, rainfalls are destroying the sugar cane crops while in India, the rainy season is late and much of the crops have been destroyed by heat. Australia and Russia have also been hit with a heat wave. According to estimates from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, the heat wave has already destroyed 6 percent of cultivated area in the country, with the Southern Federal District suffering the most.''
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''Dry riverbeds, idle wind power stations, vast fields of shriveled, withered corn – the U.S. is experiencing the worst drought in fifty years. The Mississippi River has become so shallow that tourist boats are no longer allowed to sail in it. But the U.S. is not the only country affected by the drought – in Brazil, rainfalls are destroying the sugar cane crops while in India, the rainy season is late and much of the crops have been destroyed by heat. Australia and Russia have also been hit with a heat wave. According to estimates from the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, the heat wave has already destroyed 6 percent of cultivated area in the country, with the Southern Federal District suffering the most.''
read more
''Collapse of New Bridge Underscores Worries About China Infrastructure''
From NYTimes
''One of the longest bridges in northern Chinacollapsed on Friday, just nine months after it opened, setting off a storm of criticism from Chinese Internet users and underscoring questions about the quality of construction in the country’s rapid expansion of its infrastructure.
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''One of the longest bridges in northern Chinacollapsed on Friday, just nine months after it opened, setting off a storm of criticism from Chinese Internet users and underscoring questions about the quality of construction in the country’s rapid expansion of its infrastructure.
According to the official Xinhua news agency, the Yangmingtan Bridge was the sixth major bridge in China to collapse since July 2011. Chinese officials have tended to blame overloaded trucks for the collapses, and did so again on Friday.
Many in China have attributed the recent spate of bridge collapses to corruption, and online reaction to the latest collapse was scathing.''
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''Water Deficit May Cause New War In Asia''
From Voice of Russia
''The Middle East is making preparations for the import of drinking water from South America. That is why it is working hastily to create strategic reserves of drinking water. India and Pakistan may enter into a new conflict over water. Experts warn that the water deficit in Asia may trigger new wars there.''
Friday, August 24, 2012
''19 people shot in overnight shootings across Chicago''
From Chicago Tribune
''Nineteen people were shot across the South and West sides from Thursday evening through early Friday morning -- 13 of them wounded over a 30-minute period, authorities say.
The overnight shootings peaked between 9:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. That's when eight people, many of them teens, were shot at 79th Street and Essex Avenue about 9:30 p.m.''
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''Nineteen people were shot across the South and West sides from Thursday evening through early Friday morning -- 13 of them wounded over a 30-minute period, authorities say.
The overnight shootings peaked between 9:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. That's when eight people, many of them teens, were shot at 79th Street and Essex Avenue about 9:30 p.m.''
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''New Silk Road: China’s long, steady march into the Middle East''
From Stratrisks
''By virtually any benchmark you choose – market capitalisation, profits, assets and deposits – Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is the largest bank in the world. Tian Zhiping is the chief executive of its Middle East regional division. Here, he talks about the bank’s ambitions in the region, the prospects for the Chinese economy and what his compatriots think about bankers.
How did ICBC come to set up a subsidiary in Dubai?
We’ve been here five years now. We were the first Chinese bank to set up in the region and we did a lot of research and evaluation before we took the decision. The important thing about the UAE was its stability and safety. We found that it is one of the safest places in the world and that’s one of the reasons we’re here.''
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''By virtually any benchmark you choose – market capitalisation, profits, assets and deposits – Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) is the largest bank in the world. Tian Zhiping is the chief executive of its Middle East regional division. Here, he talks about the bank’s ambitions in the region, the prospects for the Chinese economy and what his compatriots think about bankers.
How did ICBC come to set up a subsidiary in Dubai?
We’ve been here five years now. We were the first Chinese bank to set up in the region and we did a lot of research and evaluation before we took the decision. The important thing about the UAE was its stability and safety. We found that it is one of the safest places in the world and that’s one of the reasons we’re here.''
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''FBI Agrees to Share Facial Recognition Searches with All Police Departments''
From ALLGOV
''Police departments across the United States will soon have access to facial recognition software developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Under the expanding pilot project, the FBI will provide its Universal Face Workstation to police for free. The program will allow local law enforcement to compare photos of suspects against a repository of nearly 13 million criminal mug shots.''
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''Police departments across the United States will soon have access to facial recognition software developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Under the expanding pilot project, the FBI will provide its Universal Face Workstation to police for free. The program will allow local law enforcement to compare photos of suspects against a repository of nearly 13 million criminal mug shots.''
read more
''Around the World with Pepe Escobar'' (Video)
From Corbett Report
''Tonight we talk to Pepe Escobar, roving correspondent for ATimes.com, about the flashpoints in the middle east and North Africa. We discuss the latest round of Iran war hysteria, the Israeli position in the region, the Turkish role in the Syrian war, and the latest moves of newly-elected Muslim Brotherhood President of Egypt, Mohammed Morsi.''
watch the video here
''Tonight we talk to Pepe Escobar, roving correspondent for ATimes.com, about the flashpoints in the middle east and North Africa. We discuss the latest round of Iran war hysteria, the Israeli position in the region, the Turkish role in the Syrian war, and the latest moves of newly-elected Muslim Brotherhood President of Egypt, Mohammed Morsi.''
watch the video here
''Scared and Silent: Censoring the Truth Under Obama''
From URUKNET
''This administration has punished so-called whistleblowers – those who reveal certain illegal actions by US government agencies – more than any other in US history. It has used the obscure Espionage Act, a WWI law meant to go after spies, more than all other presidential administrations combined. Similar to George W. Bush, the Obama administration has also been over-classifying documents that deal with US torture, corruption, and imperial misadventures, making it much easier to label and charge so-called enemies of the state.''
''The left, imperialism and the Syrian revolution''
From URUKNET
''Prominent British leftists Tariq Ali and George Galloway have come out stridently in opposition to the insurrectionary aims of the uprising, claiming that the revolution has been taken over by reactionaries and arguing that a negotiated settlement with the regime is the only answer. Ali, in an interview with Russia Today, said the choice was between a "Western imposed regime, composed of sundry Syrians who work for the Western intelligence agencies…or the Assad regime." Galloway, the left populist MP best known as a campaigner against the Iraq war, goes even further, denouncing the Syrian resistance for not accepting the peace plan advanced by the UN.''
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''Prominent British leftists Tariq Ali and George Galloway have come out stridently in opposition to the insurrectionary aims of the uprising, claiming that the revolution has been taken over by reactionaries and arguing that a negotiated settlement with the regime is the only answer. Ali, in an interview with Russia Today, said the choice was between a "Western imposed regime, composed of sundry Syrians who work for the Western intelligence agencies…or the Assad regime." Galloway, the left populist MP best known as a campaigner against the Iraq war, goes even further, denouncing the Syrian resistance for not accepting the peace plan advanced by the UN.''
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''Barack Obama asks eurozone to keep Greece in until after election day''
its all about obama..................From Independent
''The Obama administration will pressure European governments not to let Greece fall out of the eurozone before November's Presidential elections, British Government sources have suggested.
Representatives from the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission are due to arrive in Athens next month to assess Greece's reform efforts.''
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''The Obama administration will pressure European governments not to let Greece fall out of the eurozone before November's Presidential elections, British Government sources have suggested.
Representatives from the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission are due to arrive in Athens next month to assess Greece's reform efforts.''
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''113 arrested in Chile student protests''
From France24
''Over a hundred students were arrested in Santiago in clashes between police and demonstrators demanding better public education, after the occupation of several schools.
Some 4,500 students, mostly from high schools and universities, took to the streets to demand improvements in Chile's public education system, said to be among the most expensive and unequal in the world.''
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''Over a hundred students were arrested in Santiago in clashes between police and demonstrators demanding better public education, after the occupation of several schools.
Some 4,500 students, mostly from high schools and universities, took to the streets to demand improvements in Chile's public education system, said to be among the most expensive and unequal in the world.''
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Tomgram: ''Greg Muttitt, Whatever Happened to Iraqi Oil?''
From TomDispatch
''It was about oil (though not oil alone, given the over-determined nature of all events on this planet of ours), while so many of the sophisticated types as well as the geopolitical visionaries of the Bush administration proved dismally wrong, completely mistaken in their assessment of our world of energy and how it might be controlled. Now, more than eight years later, no one here even wants to think about Iraq and the multi-trillion-dollar war we fought there. Mission accomplished? You be the judge. Recent headlines indicate that the new Iraq is actually helping Iran evade the Obama administration’s oil sanctions. Think of it as the grim geopolitical version of slapstick comedy.''
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''It was about oil (though not oil alone, given the over-determined nature of all events on this planet of ours), while so many of the sophisticated types as well as the geopolitical visionaries of the Bush administration proved dismally wrong, completely mistaken in their assessment of our world of energy and how it might be controlled. Now, more than eight years later, no one here even wants to think about Iraq and the multi-trillion-dollar war we fought there. Mission accomplished? You be the judge. Recent headlines indicate that the new Iraq is actually helping Iran evade the Obama administration’s oil sanctions. Think of it as the grim geopolitical version of slapstick comedy.''
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Study: ''Chinese imports cost 2.7 million jobs in the United States since 2001''
From Commercial Appeal
''A new report from a liberal think tank says Chinese imports caused the loss of 2.7 million jobs in the United States, including 96,300 in the Mid-South, since the industrializing nation joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.''
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''A new report from a liberal think tank says Chinese imports caused the loss of 2.7 million jobs in the United States, including 96,300 in the Mid-South, since the industrializing nation joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.''
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''Monsanto's GMO corn to flood Walmarts''
From RT.com..........''Walmart will soon be stocking their shelves with GMO corn developed by Monsanto despite of all the protests by activists. Millions of Americans shop at Walmart, but that doesn't mean that they all know what they're getting as they check out in shopping centers across the country. The retail giant says they won't advertise which of their products are made with genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, which could become a big problem very soon. RT's Liz Wahl is joined by Ken Abala, history professor at University of Pacific and author of "The Lost Arts of Hearth and Home" to speak about what does it all mean for the corn consumer.''
James Turk: ''A short history of the gold cartel''
From 2009 and GATA.org
''So the U.S. government intervenes in the gold market to make the dollar look worthy of being the world's reserve currency when of course it is not equal to the demands of that esteemed role. The U.S. government does this by trying to keep the gold price low, but this is an impossible task. In the end, gold always wins -- that is, its price inevitably climbs higher as fiat currency is debased, which is a reality understood and recognized by government policymakers.''
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''So the U.S. government intervenes in the gold market to make the dollar look worthy of being the world's reserve currency when of course it is not equal to the demands of that esteemed role. The U.S. government does this by trying to keep the gold price low, but this is an impossible task. In the end, gold always wins -- that is, its price inevitably climbs higher as fiat currency is debased, which is a reality understood and recognized by government policymakers.''
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''China Weighs New Hubs to Broaden Yuan Use''
From WSJ
''China is planning to expand the international use of its currency, with Latin America and the Middle East the next possible regional hubs for settling trade deals in the yuan, Hong Kong's U.S. envoy said in an interview.''
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''China is planning to expand the international use of its currency, with Latin America and the Middle East the next possible regional hubs for settling trade deals in the yuan, Hong Kong's U.S. envoy said in an interview.''
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''A Shortage of PHYSICAL Gold & Silver IS Devleoping'' - Alasdair Macleod
From SGT Report.....''Must Hear interview Alasdair & I discuss the developing shortage of physical gold and silver, and the total DENIAL of the average American that there is any problem whatsoever. Even talking about these issues with the average sheeple makes the informed among us "party poopers", or worse, "gloom & doomers".
Alasdair Macleod is the head of research at GoldMoney.com and a precious metals pundit of the highest order.''
Alasdair Macleod is the head of research at GoldMoney.com and a precious metals pundit of the highest order.''
''Keiser Report: Liquidity Drought (E331)''
From RT.com..............''In this episode, Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert discuss the fact that we're all cows eating candy during the global liquidity drought and yet Central Bank 'farmers' can't see the ill-effects because the stock markets are at four year highs. In the second half of the show, Max Keiser talks to Dmitry Orlov about 2013: revolutionary travel advisories, economic and supply chain collapse and food stamp lines at Walmart.''
''Deeper Asian splits possible after South China Sea spat'': Indonesia
Thursday, August 23, 2012
F. William Engdahl - ''Obama’s Geopolitical China ''Pivot''
From Voltaire.net
''The US military has been steadily positioning itself along the strategic sea lanes surrounding China to deal potentially deadly blows to the mainland as well as cutting off its oil corridors to the Middle East and Africa. This author breaks down a situation where the noose tightening around China could generate a major new conflict zone in the not too distant future.''
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''The US military has been steadily positioning itself along the strategic sea lanes surrounding China to deal potentially deadly blows to the mainland as well as cutting off its oil corridors to the Middle East and Africa. This author breaks down a situation where the noose tightening around China could generate a major new conflict zone in the not too distant future.''
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Pepe Escobar: ''Realpolitik blurs US red line on Syria''
From Asia Times
''So now even a few mustard gas containers slightly wobbling inside a depot may constitute a casus belli. But is it that clear-cut? Obama said this is "a" red line - implying there may be unspecified (covert) others.
Obama also stressed Washington's "fears" of Syria's WMDs "falling into the hands of the wrong people". Considering the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is in the business - alongside Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stalwarts Saudi Arabia and Qatar - of weaponizing the myriad gangs that constitute the Not Exactly Free Syrian Army (FSA), including hundreds of Salafi-jihadis, this is a stark admission that in fact they are the "wrong people". Ergo, the "right people" is the Assad regime.''
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''So now even a few mustard gas containers slightly wobbling inside a depot may constitute a casus belli. But is it that clear-cut? Obama said this is "a" red line - implying there may be unspecified (covert) others.
Obama also stressed Washington's "fears" of Syria's WMDs "falling into the hands of the wrong people". Considering the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is in the business - alongside Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stalwarts Saudi Arabia and Qatar - of weaponizing the myriad gangs that constitute the Not Exactly Free Syrian Army (FSA), including hundreds of Salafi-jihadis, this is a stark admission that in fact they are the "wrong people". Ergo, the "right people" is the Assad regime.''
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''Gold and silver price move: Is this the real thing?''
From Mineweb
''Recent news that mega investors George Soros and John Paulson have been climbing back into the GLD gold ETF may have given things a fillip, as had an appearance of a little more stability in the Eurozone situation (but don't bank on the latter to continue) and the prospect of more Chinese monetary easing.''
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''Recent news that mega investors George Soros and John Paulson have been climbing back into the GLD gold ETF may have given things a fillip, as had an appearance of a little more stability in the Eurozone situation (but don't bank on the latter to continue) and the prospect of more Chinese monetary easing.''
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''Why Internet freedom is sacred''
From Indian Punchline
By MK Bhadrakumar
''The innocuous-sounding press release Friday by the State Department in Washington on the ‘Sentencing of Nabeel Rajab’ came as a surprise. It seemed the US broke its stony silence, finally, to condemn the appalling human rights record of its close Persian Gulf ally — Bahrain.
So, why this press release? Why Rajab when scores of Shias were brutally killed while agitating for reform in Bahrain and Washington simply looked away?
By MK Bhadrakumar
''The innocuous-sounding press release Friday by the State Department in Washington on the ‘Sentencing of Nabeel Rajab’ came as a surprise. It seemed the US broke its stony silence, finally, to condemn the appalling human rights record of its close Persian Gulf ally — Bahrain.
However, it cannot be that the US is piling pressure for ’regime change’ in Bahrain, which is where the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based.
So, why this press release? Why Rajab when scores of Shias were brutally killed while agitating for reform in Bahrain and Washington simply looked away?
The point is, it’s all about Twitter. Rajab’s “crime” was that he twitted about Bahrain’s all-powerful, Saudi-backed autocratic prime minister. And he was given a 3-year sentence even before his lawyers could represent him. Rajab had over 1.5 lakhs followers on Twitter. ''
''Under the Radar: the Crisis in Madagascar''
From ISN Blog
"Isolated for around 80 million years, the island of Madagascar is home to hundreds of animals and plants that exist nowhere else in the world. A biodiversity hotspot of exotic fauna and flora, the Indian Ocean island is often likened to paradise. Yet Madagascar continues to be rocked severe economic and political crises – problems that remain largely unnoticed by Western audiences.''
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"Isolated for around 80 million years, the island of Madagascar is home to hundreds of animals and plants that exist nowhere else in the world. A biodiversity hotspot of exotic fauna and flora, the Indian Ocean island is often likened to paradise. Yet Madagascar continues to be rocked severe economic and political crises – problems that remain largely unnoticed by Western audiences.''
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''Brazil's defense industry booms''
From AFP
''Brazil, the world's sixth largest economy, was ranked as the world's eighth largest arms exporter in the 1980s but today languishes in 30th place, according to industry experts.
Brazil still boasts the biggest armed forces in the region, although they have been considerably weakened by a lack of investment in equipment for more than two decades.
President Dilma Rousseff, like her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has gone head-to-head with the armed forces over the establishment of a truth commission to probe rights abuses during the 1964-1985 military dictatorship.''
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''Brazil, the world's sixth largest economy, was ranked as the world's eighth largest arms exporter in the 1980s but today languishes in 30th place, according to industry experts.
Brazil still boasts the biggest armed forces in the region, although they have been considerably weakened by a lack of investment in equipment for more than two decades.
President Dilma Rousseff, like her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has gone head-to-head with the armed forces over the establishment of a truth commission to probe rights abuses during the 1964-1985 military dictatorship.''
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''Colombian paramilitaries participated in failed Venezuela coup''
From Columbia Reports via Democratic Underground
''Colombian paramilitaries participated in failed Venezuela coup'
Wednesday, 22 August 2012 14:51 Courtney Scott
Colombian paramilitary organization AUC participated in a 2004 attempt to overthrow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a demobilized member of the group told Colombian prosecutors Wednesday.
A former member of the AUC's Catatumbo Block told Colombian officials that the paramilitaries were involved in planning the failed coup.''
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''Colombian paramilitaries participated in failed Venezuela coup'
Wednesday, 22 August 2012 14:51 Courtney Scott
Colombian paramilitary organization AUC participated in a 2004 attempt to overthrow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a demobilized member of the group told Colombian prosecutors Wednesday.
A former member of the AUC's Catatumbo Block told Colombian officials that the paramilitaries were involved in planning the failed coup.''
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David Cromwell: ''Reclaiming Your Mind From the Delusions of Propaganda''
Book Review From New Left Project
''Since 2001, David Cromwell, his co-founder David Edwards, and their supporters and subscribers, have been attempting to “correct for the distorted vision of the corporate media”, by which we all gather information about the world. This distorted vision has its own strange declension, in which “we” have a government, while “they” have a regime; “we” intervene, “they” attack; “we” act in accordance with values, while “they” pursue interests and ambitions; and so on.
The “good guys” in question, in case you were wondering, are not Media Lens themselves, but the West, or more specifically the US-UK-NATO bloc, and the elites of the global North, prepared to sacrifice the prosperity, lives, and the very possibility of existence of billions of people in their pursuit of power, wealth and resources. In common with two previous Media Lens books,[1] WAWTGG features further reports from Cromwell and Edwards’ encounters with, in the words of Edward Herman, those representatives of “experts and the mainstream media” whose function it is “to normalize the unthinkable for the general public”.[2] There is, in these reports, a focus on the big themes that feature in most of Media Lens’ work: the wars in Afghanistan and and Iraq; military adventures across the Middle East; climate change; and the financial crisis.''
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''Since 2001, David Cromwell, his co-founder David Edwards, and their supporters and subscribers, have been attempting to “correct for the distorted vision of the corporate media”, by which we all gather information about the world. This distorted vision has its own strange declension, in which “we” have a government, while “they” have a regime; “we” intervene, “they” attack; “we” act in accordance with values, while “they” pursue interests and ambitions; and so on.
The “good guys” in question, in case you were wondering, are not Media Lens themselves, but the West, or more specifically the US-UK-NATO bloc, and the elites of the global North, prepared to sacrifice the prosperity, lives, and the very possibility of existence of billions of people in their pursuit of power, wealth and resources. In common with two previous Media Lens books,[1] WAWTGG features further reports from Cromwell and Edwards’ encounters with, in the words of Edward Herman, those representatives of “experts and the mainstream media” whose function it is “to normalize the unthinkable for the general public”.[2] There is, in these reports, a focus on the big themes that feature in most of Media Lens’ work: the wars in Afghanistan and and Iraq; military adventures across the Middle East; climate change; and the financial crisis.''
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