From The Guardian
''Governor Brown signed the bill at Google's HQ in Mountain View. This was
good PR on his part, but it also made sense because Google has led the
charge into autonomous (aka driverless) vehicles. For several years,
Toyota Prius hybrids that have been specially adapted by the company's
engineers have been driving the roads of California. To date, they have
logged 300,000 miles with only one accident – caused by a
human-controlled car that ran into one of them. And they have now logged
50,000 miles without a human having to take the wheel.''
read more
Sunday, September 30, 2012
''US military deaths in Afghanistan hit 2,000''
this war should have ended 10 yrs ago...........................From Ahram Online
''U.S. military deaths in the Afghan war have reached 2,000, a cold reminder of the human cost of an 11-year-old conflict that now garners little public interest at home as the United States prepares to withdraw most of its combat forces by the end of 2014.''
read more
''U.S. military deaths in the Afghan war have reached 2,000, a cold reminder of the human cost of an 11-year-old conflict that now garners little public interest at home as the United States prepares to withdraw most of its combat forces by the end of 2014.''
read more
''European Union closer to trade war with U.S.''
From Post Bulletin
''The European Union inched closer to a trans-Atlantic trade war Thursday, saying it would seek to impose up to $12 billion a year in sanctions against the United States in retaliation for U.S. government subsidies to Boeing.
The European Commission, the EU executive, said it was seeking the sanctions to compensate for the impact of illegal subsidies to Boeing that it said gave Boeing an unfair advantage over its European archrival, Airbus.The move, which follows a similar trade threat against Europe made by Washington this year, is the latest salvo in a seven-year battle over aircraft subsidies.''
read more
''The European Union inched closer to a trans-Atlantic trade war Thursday, saying it would seek to impose up to $12 billion a year in sanctions against the United States in retaliation for U.S. government subsidies to Boeing.
The European Commission, the EU executive, said it was seeking the sanctions to compensate for the impact of illegal subsidies to Boeing that it said gave Boeing an unfair advantage over its European archrival, Airbus.The move, which follows a similar trade threat against Europe made by Washington this year, is the latest salvo in a seven-year battle over aircraft subsidies.''
read more
UK: ''The Great DNA fishing trip''
From Big Brother Watch
''Across the country, police forces are now busy tracking down people to hand over a DNA sample, not based on any current suspicion of committing an offence but purely because of historical offences that took place decades ago.
The civil liberties implications of this kind of operation are clear. People, currently not under suspicion for any crime and who have served their punishment for past offences, are now hunted down simply in the hope that the force will get lucky and clear up a case.''
read more
''Across the country, police forces are now busy tracking down people to hand over a DNA sample, not based on any current suspicion of committing an offence but purely because of historical offences that took place decades ago.
The civil liberties implications of this kind of operation are clear. People, currently not under suspicion for any crime and who have served their punishment for past offences, are now hunted down simply in the hope that the force will get lucky and clear up a case.''
read more
''Chavez gets Russian oil investment—and a puppy''
From MercuryNews.com
''Russia agreed to deepen its investments in Venezuela to tap new oilfields, while President Hugo Chavez thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for a personal gift—a puppy.
Venezuelan and Russian officials signed eight agreements to boost cooperation in energy projects Thursday. Igor Sechin, the CEO of Russia's state-controlled Rosneft oil company, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying he also gave Chavez a 3-month-old black terrier puppy as a present from Putin.''
read more
''Russia agreed to deepen its investments in Venezuela to tap new oilfields, while President Hugo Chavez thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for a personal gift—a puppy.
Venezuelan and Russian officials signed eight agreements to boost cooperation in energy projects Thursday. Igor Sechin, the CEO of Russia's state-controlled Rosneft oil company, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying he also gave Chavez a 3-month-old black terrier puppy as a present from Putin.''
read more
''Keiser Report: Defraudsters (E347)''
''Rat reality show: Russian scientists to broadcast GMO experiment''
From RT.com
''After a French study suggested that rats fed on Monsanto GMO corn suffered tumors, Russian researches plan their own, this time public, experiment. The unique reality show with rats is expected to prove or deny GMO’s health-threatening influence.
The Russian scientists, who oppose genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food, expect that their year-long experiment will show whether the controversial cultivation process has effects as dangerous as French revelations claimed on September 19.''
read more
''After a French study suggested that rats fed on Monsanto GMO corn suffered tumors, Russian researches plan their own, this time public, experiment. The unique reality show with rats is expected to prove or deny GMO’s health-threatening influence.
The Russian scientists, who oppose genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food, expect that their year-long experiment will show whether the controversial cultivation process has effects as dangerous as French revelations claimed on September 19.''
read more
''Russia's Arms Exports: Prospects in Iraq''
From Voice of Russia
''Speaking about Iraq, we should say that Russia’s participation in the re-equipment of its army coincides with Moscow’s strategic interests. Today when the relations between Iraq and Iran are becoming more and more friendly with every passing day, the Persian Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia first of all, are again turning into the main enemy for Iraq’s armed forces. The military threat in the face of Iran may weaken Riyadh’s activity and also that of its allies in transforming the Middle East according to its model.''
read more
''Speaking about Iraq, we should say that Russia’s participation in the re-equipment of its army coincides with Moscow’s strategic interests. Today when the relations between Iraq and Iran are becoming more and more friendly with every passing day, the Persian Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia first of all, are again turning into the main enemy for Iraq’s armed forces. The military threat in the face of Iran may weaken Riyadh’s activity and also that of its allies in transforming the Middle East according to its model.''
read more
Pat Buchanan: '' The Clinton-Rice Credibility Gap''
From Pat Buchanan
"Two weeks after Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were murdered in Benghazi, Libya, the Obama administration has conceded it was an act of terrorism.
The attack on the U.S. Consulate, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton now admits, was part of a broader effort by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, working “with other violent extremists to undermine the democratic transitions under way in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi.''
read more
"Two weeks after Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were murdered in Benghazi, Libya, the Obama administration has conceded it was an act of terrorism.
The attack on the U.S. Consulate, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton now admits, was part of a broader effort by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, working “with other violent extremists to undermine the democratic transitions under way in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi.''
read more
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Max Keiser & Rob Kirby: ''Derivatives complex & international financial grid''
''Why An Islamic Revolution In Saudi Arabia Is A Surefire Way To Send Oil To $300 A Barrel''
From 'There are no Sunglassses'
By Martin Katusa
''To see $300/bbl oil, or to watch the news as Saudi troops attack Tehran, or to see a stranglehold on US oil imports, watch what a failed succession battle in the House of Saud that ends up destroying the whole family and ushering in an Islamist age in Saudi Arabia would do to the price of oil.
It could happen sooner than you think.
The king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Aziz bin Saud, is almost 90 years old. In Saudi Arabia’s royal system, the throne passes not from father to son but from brother to brother. The problem with the system is that none of King Abdullah’s brothers are exactly young and full of vigor.''
............... ''It would also mean the end of the era of friendly US-Saudi relations… and the demise of the petrodollar. That is a story in itself – one of great significance to anyone who owns US dollars. I have discussed previously how a US-Saudi deal to only use dollars to trade oil created a deep pool of support for the US currency - and what will happen if the petrodollar dies. The short version is that as the global oil trade moves away from US dollars into yuan, yen, rubles, and pesos, the world would have yet another reason to devalue the dollar.''
read more
By Martin Katusa
''To see $300/bbl oil, or to watch the news as Saudi troops attack Tehran, or to see a stranglehold on US oil imports, watch what a failed succession battle in the House of Saud that ends up destroying the whole family and ushering in an Islamist age in Saudi Arabia would do to the price of oil.
It could happen sooner than you think.
The king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Aziz bin Saud, is almost 90 years old. In Saudi Arabia’s royal system, the throne passes not from father to son but from brother to brother. The problem with the system is that none of King Abdullah’s brothers are exactly young and full of vigor.''
............... ''It would also mean the end of the era of friendly US-Saudi relations… and the demise of the petrodollar. That is a story in itself – one of great significance to anyone who owns US dollars. I have discussed previously how a US-Saudi deal to only use dollars to trade oil created a deep pool of support for the US currency - and what will happen if the petrodollar dies. The short version is that as the global oil trade moves away from US dollars into yuan, yen, rubles, and pesos, the world would have yet another reason to devalue the dollar.''
read more
''Ex-TSA agent reveals epidemic of thefts from passengers as he admits he took almost $1MILLION in possessions''
From ABC via Daily Mail
''It was a scandal that rocked the nation - a New York Transport Security Agency security officer found guilty of stealing close to $1million worth of belongings from passenger luggage.
But according to the convicted officer, the problem was even more widespread than ever feared and is still going on today.
In a candid tell-all interview Pythias Brown told ABC News thefts from aircraft baggage were 'commonplace', allowed to prevail by a 'culture' of indifference.''
video/text
''It was a scandal that rocked the nation - a New York Transport Security Agency security officer found guilty of stealing close to $1million worth of belongings from passenger luggage.
But according to the convicted officer, the problem was even more widespread than ever feared and is still going on today.
In a candid tell-all interview Pythias Brown told ABC News thefts from aircraft baggage were 'commonplace', allowed to prevail by a 'culture' of indifference.''
video/text
''Berlusconi: euro is a 'swindle' and Germany wants ''hegemony''
From EU Observer
''Italy's derided and populist ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi is trying to make a comeback ahead of general elections due in spring 2013.
Speaking at a book presentation event in Rome on Thursday (27 September), he called the euro a "big swindle" and said that it would be no "tragedy" if Germany - which has displayed "hegemony, not solidarity" in the crisis - left the common currency.''
read more
''Italy's derided and populist ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi is trying to make a comeback ahead of general elections due in spring 2013.
Speaking at a book presentation event in Rome on Thursday (27 September), he called the euro a "big swindle" and said that it would be no "tragedy" if Germany - which has displayed "hegemony, not solidarity" in the crisis - left the common currency.''
read more
''How The Fed Crushed China's Ability To Join The Ease-Fest''
great article and great comments in the comments section................From ZeroHedge
''The latest round of easing by the U.S. will increase inflationary pressures for emerging-market economies, Mr. Chen said. "This contributes to a monetary-policy dilemma for Chinese authorities", he added. While markets have looked for signs of more forceful action by China's leaders to rekindle growth, some officials attribute the government's caution to fears of reigniting inflation.
This confirms previous comments by the PBoC that "A domestic policy may be optimal for the U.S. alone. However at the same time it is not necessarily optimal for the world," he said at the time. "There is a conflict between the U.S. dollar's domestic role and its international settlement role."
read more
''The latest round of easing by the U.S. will increase inflationary pressures for emerging-market economies, Mr. Chen said. "This contributes to a monetary-policy dilemma for Chinese authorities", he added. While markets have looked for signs of more forceful action by China's leaders to rekindle growth, some officials attribute the government's caution to fears of reigniting inflation.
This confirms previous comments by the PBoC that "A domestic policy may be optimal for the U.S. alone. However at the same time it is not necessarily optimal for the world," he said at the time. "There is a conflict between the U.S. dollar's domestic role and its international settlement role."
read more
Pepe Escobar: ''Why Qatar wants to invade Syria''
From Asia Times Online
''Make no mistake; the Emir of Qatar is on a roll.
What an entrance at the UN General Assembly in New York; Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani called for an Arab coalition of the willing-style invasion of Syria, no less. [1]
In the words of the Emir, "It is better for the Arab countries themselves to interfere out of their national, humanitarian, political and military duties, and to do what is necessary to stop the bloodshed in Syria." He stressed Arab countries had a "military duty" to invade.''
read more
''Make no mistake; the Emir of Qatar is on a roll.
What an entrance at the UN General Assembly in New York; Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani called for an Arab coalition of the willing-style invasion of Syria, no less. [1]
In the words of the Emir, "It is better for the Arab countries themselves to interfere out of their national, humanitarian, political and military duties, and to do what is necessary to stop the bloodshed in Syria." He stressed Arab countries had a "military duty" to invade.''
read more
''Syrian crisis: polarization of opinion''
From Voice of Russia
''Participants of the 67th General Assembly in New York have remained at odds over the situation in Syria. On Thursday, Qatar urged interference in the political standoff between Syrian authorities and rebels, something that was supported by France and Tunisia. Moscow, Tehran and Cairo, for their part, continue to call for a diplomatic solution to the Syrian conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the discussion in absentia, warning against taking decisions on Syria that bypass the UN.''
read more
''50 Countries Label Genetically Engineered Foods – When Will Americans have the Right to Know and Choose?''
From Mercola.com
By Dr Mercola
''The greatest opportunity to give people the right to know if their food is genetically engineered will occur with the California ballot initiative – officially known as Proposition 37 – which is coming up for vote on November 6. Proposition 37 will require labeling of genetically engineered foods, and end the routine industry practice of labeling and marketing such foods as "natural."
read more
By Dr Mercola
''The greatest opportunity to give people the right to know if their food is genetically engineered will occur with the California ballot initiative – officially known as Proposition 37 – which is coming up for vote on November 6. Proposition 37 will require labeling of genetically engineered foods, and end the routine industry practice of labeling and marketing such foods as "natural."
read more
''What If the Fed Has It All Wrong?''
From Financial Sense
By John Mauldin
''Denis Ouellet wrote today's Outside the Box and graciously gave me permission to use it. I asked him a little about who he is. Turns out he lives in Montreal (but winters in Florida), is almost 60, and has retired after nearly 35 years in the investment business as an analyst and head of research for a brokerage company, an equity manager for various investment organizations (pension, mutual, and hedge funds], head of global equity investments at a major pension fund, and chairman of the equity investment committee of a major pension and mutual fund investment organization. Like me, he travels around the world and has lots of kids (just 5 in his case). His blog is New$ to Use.''
read more
By John Mauldin
''Denis Ouellet wrote today's Outside the Box and graciously gave me permission to use it. I asked him a little about who he is. Turns out he lives in Montreal (but winters in Florida), is almost 60, and has retired after nearly 35 years in the investment business as an analyst and head of research for a brokerage company, an equity manager for various investment organizations (pension, mutual, and hedge funds], head of global equity investments at a major pension fund, and chairman of the equity investment committee of a major pension and mutual fund investment organization. Like me, he travels around the world and has lots of kids (just 5 in his case). His blog is New$ to Use.''
read more
''Surreal: Clinton Pledges $45 Million in Aid to Al Qaeda in Syria''
From Land Destroyer
''September 28, 2012 - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the US would be providing an additional $45 million in "non-lethal aid" to the "opposition" in Syria, reported the Associated Press. The Western press chose their words carefully, ensuring that the term "civilian opposition" was repeatedly used to describe the armed terrorist forces attempting to violently overthrow the Syrian government.''
read more
''September 28, 2012 - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the US would be providing an additional $45 million in "non-lethal aid" to the "opposition" in Syria, reported the Associated Press. The Western press chose their words carefully, ensuring that the term "civilian opposition" was repeatedly used to describe the armed terrorist forces attempting to violently overthrow the Syrian government.''
read more
Friday, September 28, 2012
Paul Craig Roberts: ''America, The Next Banana Republic''
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/ ''
''Bankrupt Cities, Municipalities List and Map''
From Governing.com
''Many local governments across the U.S. face steep budget deficits as they struggle to pay off debts accumulated over years. As a last resort, some have filed for bankruptcy.
Governing is tracking the issue, and will update this page as more municipalities seek bankruptcy protection.
The majority of Chapter 9 bankruptcy filings have been submitted by utility authorities, special districts and other taxing entities. In Omaha, Neb., nine Sanitary and Improvement Districts have filed for bankruptcy since 2010.''
see the map
''Many local governments across the U.S. face steep budget deficits as they struggle to pay off debts accumulated over years. As a last resort, some have filed for bankruptcy.
Governing is tracking the issue, and will update this page as more municipalities seek bankruptcy protection.
The majority of Chapter 9 bankruptcy filings have been submitted by utility authorities, special districts and other taxing entities. In Omaha, Neb., nine Sanitary and Improvement Districts have filed for bankruptcy since 2010.''
see the map
''Why Putin called off Pak visit''
From Indian Punchline
By ML Bhadrakumar
By ML Bhadrakumar
''The Kremlin’s decision can be seen in many lights. The
quadrilateral forum has lost its fizz. Russian-Tajik ties are
meandering; Afghan-Pakistani ties are tense; Tajik-Pakistani ties are
indifferent. So, where is the scope for Moscow to galvanize regional
cooperation? And Putin is a purposive statesman who won’t like to
measure life in coffee spoons.
Then, there is continuing strategic ambiguity about the US’
regional strategy in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Things may become
clearer only after the election in November in the US. Alongside, US-Pak
relations, Afghan peace talks, etc. are also in a state of animated
suspense. Most important, the jury is still out whether Pakistan is
willing to turn conclusively away from its past policy of power
projection into Afghanistan. ''
Chris Hedges: "How Do You Take Your Poison?''
From TruthDig
By Chris Hedges
''We will all swallow our cup of corporate poison. We can take it from nurse Romney, who will tell us not to whine and play the victim, or we can take it from nurse Obama, who will assure us that this hurts him even more than it hurts us, but one way or another the corporate hemlock will be shoved down our throats. The choice before us is how it will be administered. Corporate power, no matter who is running the ward after January 2013, is poised to carry out U.S. history’s most savage assault against the poor and the working class, not to mention the Earth’s ecosystem. And no one in power, no matter what the bedside manner, has any intention or ability to stop it.''
read more
By Chris Hedges
''We will all swallow our cup of corporate poison. We can take it from nurse Romney, who will tell us not to whine and play the victim, or we can take it from nurse Obama, who will assure us that this hurts him even more than it hurts us, but one way or another the corporate hemlock will be shoved down our throats. The choice before us is how it will be administered. Corporate power, no matter who is running the ward after January 2013, is poised to carry out U.S. history’s most savage assault against the poor and the working class, not to mention the Earth’s ecosystem. And no one in power, no matter what the bedside manner, has any intention or ability to stop it.''
read more
''Economic collapse is inevitable, here’s why…''
From Hang The Bankers
''America is quickly approaching a catastrophic economic collapse. Before you dismiss this as hype or paranoia, take a few minutes to review the facts outlined on this page. The numbers don’t lie. At this point, the dollar crash is unavoidable… far from an exaggeration this is a mathematical certainty. As repelling as that sounds, it’s in your own best interest to learn just how bad the situation is.''
read more
''America is quickly approaching a catastrophic economic collapse. Before you dismiss this as hype or paranoia, take a few minutes to review the facts outlined on this page. The numbers don’t lie. At this point, the dollar crash is unavoidable… far from an exaggeration this is a mathematical certainty. As repelling as that sounds, it’s in your own best interest to learn just how bad the situation is.''
read more
''We've Reached the Point of NO RETURN'': Andy Hoffman
''IS CENTRAL ASIA ON THE VERGE OF A WATER WAR?''
From 'There are no Sunglasses'
''Whether it’s Israel maybe pre-emptively striking Iran, Afghanistan spiralling into sectarian violence, Libya becoming home base for Al-Qaeda, or Syria continuing to be the site of a government-led genocide, there’s no shortage of potential dirty wars and ominous harbingers in the Middle East and Central Asia. While everyone is focusing on the recent turmoil in Benghazi, a new kind of conflict is rising in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan that could eventually lead to the first water war of the 21st century.''
read more
''Whether it’s Israel maybe pre-emptively striking Iran, Afghanistan spiralling into sectarian violence, Libya becoming home base for Al-Qaeda, or Syria continuing to be the site of a government-led genocide, there’s no shortage of potential dirty wars and ominous harbingers in the Middle East and Central Asia. While everyone is focusing on the recent turmoil in Benghazi, a new kind of conflict is rising in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan that could eventually lead to the first water war of the 21st century.''
read more
''Afghan schools and clinics built by British military forced to close''
From The Guardian
''Schools and health centres built by the British in Afghanistan as part of the military's counter-insurgency strategy are being forced to close down because President Karzai's government cannot afford to pay for them, the Guardian has learned.
Britain has spent hundreds of millions of pounds in the province over the last six years building and restoring services decimated by conflict and the years of Taliban rule.''
read more
''Schools and health centres built by the British in Afghanistan as part of the military's counter-insurgency strategy are being forced to close down because President Karzai's government cannot afford to pay for them, the Guardian has learned.
Britain has spent hundreds of millions of pounds in the province over the last six years building and restoring services decimated by conflict and the years of Taliban rule.''
read more
''Chris Martenson on peak prosperity and fiat currency flaws''
Martenson explains the reasons for renaming his website "Peak Prosperity" -- as owing to economic and environmental trends, many people are going to be faced with declining living standards in the years ahead. However, this should not necessarily be equated with declining quality of life, as there are lots of things that cannot be measured in terms of dollars -- such as safety, community and purpose.''
''The Neonicotinoid View: Economics & Power Of Pesticide Lobby''
Podcast From Blog Talk Radio
''Regardless of the surmounting scientific evidence by the
scientific community combined with the French ban on Thiamethoxam, the
EPA, the UK and European regulators have continued to allow the use and
expansion of neonicotinoids. Could economics be a factor? How
influential is the pesticide lobby with our elected officials?''
Thursday, September 27, 2012
''In 2012, more soldiers have died from suicide than combat''
Ike was right, Beware the Military Industrial complex!!...............From The Guardian
By James Jeffrey
''The US army has instigated a service-wide "stand down" today, Thursday 27 September, so that soldiers can focus on suicide prevention training. In 2012, more soldiers have died from suicide than combat. The army isn't ignoring the problem and trying to be proactive. The same can be said for how the US deals with its veterans, which gives me pause for thought.
When I left the British army, in 2010, I became a veteran – though that is barely recognised or relevant in the UK. You become a straightforward civilian, severed from your military past. But when I went to study in the US, I discovered my veteran status was enthusiastically acknowledged and lauded.''
read more
By James Jeffrey
''The US army has instigated a service-wide "stand down" today, Thursday 27 September, so that soldiers can focus on suicide prevention training. In 2012, more soldiers have died from suicide than combat. The army isn't ignoring the problem and trying to be proactive. The same can be said for how the US deals with its veterans, which gives me pause for thought.
When I left the British army, in 2010, I became a veteran – though that is barely recognised or relevant in the UK. You become a straightforward civilian, severed from your military past. But when I went to study in the US, I discovered my veteran status was enthusiastically acknowledged and lauded.''
read more
Keiser Report: ''Boom & Bust Vicious Cycle'' (E346)
''The Currency Experiment Has Failed''
From Financial Sense
By Julian Phillips
''During the 42 years of the currency experiment with no gold or silver standing behind currencies we have seen the gold price multiply from $35 to $1,770. That's over 50 times in 42 years. And there's still much more to come it seems, with the assistance of governments.
If one was fortunate to get out at anywhere above $800 back in the eighties and back in at $300 in the next twenty years that number goes up to 64 times $35. That's what solid long-term funds should have done, to maximize profits. (It is far better than trading and far less nerve-racking.)
But don't look at that as a profit figure. That's not the point we are making here. Look at it as a statement on the failure of the currency experiment and currencies' ability to measure value. Now translate that into the value of savings over that period –a harsh reality indeed!''
read more
By Julian Phillips
''During the 42 years of the currency experiment with no gold or silver standing behind currencies we have seen the gold price multiply from $35 to $1,770. That's over 50 times in 42 years. And there's still much more to come it seems, with the assistance of governments.
If one was fortunate to get out at anywhere above $800 back in the eighties and back in at $300 in the next twenty years that number goes up to 64 times $35. That's what solid long-term funds should have done, to maximize profits. (It is far better than trading and far less nerve-racking.)
But don't look at that as a profit figure. That's not the point we are making here. Look at it as a statement on the failure of the currency experiment and currencies' ability to measure value. Now translate that into the value of savings over that period –a harsh reality indeed!''
read more
''9/11 Insider Trading - Mark Gaffney on GRTV''
Chris Clancy: ''The Worst Has Yet to Come'' – Part 1
From The Moral Liberal
''Marin Katusa pulls things together nicely in this superb article:
''Marin Katusa pulls things together nicely in this superb article:
“By 1975 all of the members of OPEC
agreed to sell their oil only in US dollars. Every oil-importing nation
in the world started saving their surplus in US dollars so as to be able
to buy oil; with such high demand for dollars the currency
strengthened. On top of that, many oil-exporting nations like Saudi
Arabia spent their US dollar surpluses on Treasury securities, providing
a new, deep pool of lenders to support US government spending.”
He continues:
“The “petrodollar” system [as it came to
be called] was a brilliant political and economic move. It forced the
world’s oil money to flow through the US Federal Reserve, creating
ever-growing international demand for both US dollars and US debt, while
essentially letting the US pretty much own the world’s oil for free,
since oil’s value is denominated in a currency that America controls and
prints. The petrodollar system spread beyond oil: the majority of
international trade is done in US dollars.”''
''How Bad Is America’s Pension Funding Problem?''
From TIME
''No sooner had the Chicago teachers’ strike been settled than a new crisis emerged last week in the Windy City. The Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund was reported to be on the brink of collapse. That fund is not alone. Although the troubles that plague the Social Security system get the most attention, similar dangers now threaten many other kinds of retirement funds. Some plans are being inadequately funded, some have earned unexpectedly low returns, and some suffer from a Baby Boom bulge in the number of retirees. Moreover, the problems facing these funds will in many cases be harder to fix than those for Social Security. And the scale of the total potential shortfall is immense.''
read more
''No sooner had the Chicago teachers’ strike been settled than a new crisis emerged last week in the Windy City. The Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund was reported to be on the brink of collapse. That fund is not alone. Although the troubles that plague the Social Security system get the most attention, similar dangers now threaten many other kinds of retirement funds. Some plans are being inadequately funded, some have earned unexpectedly low returns, and some suffer from a Baby Boom bulge in the number of retirees. Moreover, the problems facing these funds will in many cases be harder to fix than those for Social Security. And the scale of the total potential shortfall is immense.''
read more
“Queen Elizabeth II the largest landowner on Earth.”
From Who Owns The World
''Queen Elizabeth II, head of state of the United Kingdom and of 31 other states and territories, is the legal owner of about 6,600 million acres of land, one sixth of the earth’s non ocean surface.
She is the only person on earth who owns whole countries, and who owns countries that are not her own domestic territory. This land ownership is separate from her role as head of state and is different from other monarchies where no such claim is made – Norway, Belgium, Denmark etc.
The value of her land holding. £17,600,000,000,000 (approx).''
read more
''Queen Elizabeth II, head of state of the United Kingdom and of 31 other states and territories, is the legal owner of about 6,600 million acres of land, one sixth of the earth’s non ocean surface.
She is the only person on earth who owns whole countries, and who owns countries that are not her own domestic territory. This land ownership is separate from her role as head of state and is different from other monarchies where no such claim is made – Norway, Belgium, Denmark etc.
The value of her land holding. £17,600,000,000,000 (approx).''
read more
''THE ROAD TO WORLD WAR III RUNS THROUGH CHICAGO''
From News With Views
By Dave Hodges
''For individuals who think a false flag upon Chicago sounds crazy, ask yourself why Rahm Emanuel, most likely a Mossad agent, would leave a high level cabinet post in the Obama Administration and step down to the relative lowly position of being a mayor of city? The simple and obvious answer is that this foreign asset was put in place to carry out the task over overseeing a false flag event, so big, so devastating, that the Obama Administration will have their pretext to execute martial law in order to stem the wave of massive protests which will surely accompany the globalist plans to have the United States commence a war in the Middle East.''
read more
By Dave Hodges
''For individuals who think a false flag upon Chicago sounds crazy, ask yourself why Rahm Emanuel, most likely a Mossad agent, would leave a high level cabinet post in the Obama Administration and step down to the relative lowly position of being a mayor of city? The simple and obvious answer is that this foreign asset was put in place to carry out the task over overseeing a false flag event, so big, so devastating, that the Obama Administration will have their pretext to execute martial law in order to stem the wave of massive protests which will surely accompany the globalist plans to have the United States commence a war in the Middle East.''
read more
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Jim Willie: ''Death Knells for the USDollar''
Jim Willie's latest............From Silver Doctors
''The recent decision by the US Federal Reserve to contaminate the financial body until it responds favorably was the last straw in my book. Witness a declaration of permanent QE and hyper monetary inflation of the most virulent strain, unsterilized. The USFed is essentially admitting failure. The signal serves as the loudest death knell for the USDollar among many in a sequence. On a similar parallel note, lighter and more humorous, one might be reminded of the pirate swash buckling style of yelling at the swabbies that the beatings will continue until morale improves. The QE bond monetization of USGovt debt has turned viral and entrenched. It is sold as stimulus, when in fact it acts like a giant wet blanket on the USEconomy.''
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''The recent decision by the US Federal Reserve to contaminate the financial body until it responds favorably was the last straw in my book. Witness a declaration of permanent QE and hyper monetary inflation of the most virulent strain, unsterilized. The USFed is essentially admitting failure. The signal serves as the loudest death knell for the USDollar among many in a sequence. On a similar parallel note, lighter and more humorous, one might be reminded of the pirate swash buckling style of yelling at the swabbies that the beatings will continue until morale improves. The QE bond monetization of USGovt debt has turned viral and entrenched. It is sold as stimulus, when in fact it acts like a giant wet blanket on the USEconomy.''
read more
''End to USAID Spying Looms in Latin America''
how much does it cost taxpayers to have CIA stationed all over the world????..............From Strategic Culture
"In Latin America, USAID has long earned a reputation of an organization whose offices are, in fact, intelligence centers scheming to undermine legitimate governments in a number of the continent's countries. The truth that USAID hosts CIA and US Defense Intelligence Agency operatives is not deeply hidden, as those seem to have played a role in every Latin American coup, providing financial, technical, and ideological support to respective oppositions. USAID also typically seeks engagement with the local armed forces and law-enforcement agencies, recruiting within them agents ready to lend a hand to the opposition when the opportunity arises."
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"In Latin America, USAID has long earned a reputation of an organization whose offices are, in fact, intelligence centers scheming to undermine legitimate governments in a number of the continent's countries. The truth that USAID hosts CIA and US Defense Intelligence Agency operatives is not deeply hidden, as those seem to have played a role in every Latin American coup, providing financial, technical, and ideological support to respective oppositions. USAID also typically seeks engagement with the local armed forces and law-enforcement agencies, recruiting within them agents ready to lend a hand to the opposition when the opportunity arises."
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''Manufacturing "Failed States"
From VoltaireNet.org
''The United States has mastered the art of undermining its targets by fomenting domestic terrorism, and then laying the responsibility on them for the crimes sponsored by Washington itself. This method affords it the possibility both to justify military intervention and to carry it out without risk. The well-oiled scheme described here by Edward S. Herman is now being applied in Syria.''
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''The United States has mastered the art of undermining its targets by fomenting domestic terrorism, and then laying the responsibility on them for the crimes sponsored by Washington itself. This method affords it the possibility both to justify military intervention and to carry it out without risk. The well-oiled scheme described here by Edward S. Herman is now being applied in Syria.''
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''Russia halts imports of Monsanto corn over cancer fears''
From RT
''Russian authorities temporary suspended the import and sale of Monsanto’s genetically-modified corn after a French study suggested it may be linked to cancer.
The Russia’s consumer-rights regulator Rospotrebnadzor asked scientists at the country’s Institute of Nutrition to review the study. The watchdog has also contacted to European Commission’s Directorate General for Health & Consumers to explain the EU’s position on GM corn.''
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''Russian authorities temporary suspended the import and sale of Monsanto’s genetically-modified corn after a French study suggested it may be linked to cancer.
The Russia’s consumer-rights regulator Rospotrebnadzor asked scientists at the country’s Institute of Nutrition to review the study. The watchdog has also contacted to European Commission’s Directorate General for Health & Consumers to explain the EU’s position on GM corn.''
read more
''The CIA, 9/11, Afghanistan, and Central Asia''
From VoltaireNet.org
To mark the release of the French version of Peter Dale Scott’s latest book, "The American War Machine", we are publishing a detailed study undertaken by this Canadian diplomat on the attacks of September 11. He brings to light evidence of premeditation on the part of a faction within the U.S. military-industrial complex.
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To mark the release of the French version of Peter Dale Scott’s latest book, "The American War Machine", we are publishing a detailed study undertaken by this Canadian diplomat on the attacks of September 11. He brings to light evidence of premeditation on the part of a faction within the U.S. military-industrial complex.
read more
Pepe Escobar: ''Hawk, dove, butterfly, bee''
From Asia Times
''What's that unheard-of political specimen spreading its wings over the geopolitical spectrum? It is aggressive as a hawk, compromising as a dove; it dances like a butterfly and stings like a bee. What kind of plumed composite is that? A hawdovebutterbee (HDBB)?
Get used to it. The HDBB happens to be no other than the President of the United States (POTUS), Barack Obama. Yet the question is inevitable. Will it fly?''
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''What's that unheard-of political specimen spreading its wings over the geopolitical spectrum? It is aggressive as a hawk, compromising as a dove; it dances like a butterfly and stings like a bee. What kind of plumed composite is that? A hawdovebutterbee (HDBB)?
Get used to it. The HDBB happens to be no other than the President of the United States (POTUS), Barack Obama. Yet the question is inevitable. Will it fly?''
read more
''China's security boss surveys Hindu Kush''
From Asia Times
By MK Bhadrakumar
''With the "transition" in Afghanistan set to shift up a gear through 2013 - as the last residues of the United States' "surge" are pulled back from the war theater and as the 2014 deadline approaches for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to withdraw - Beijing seems destined to play a larger role. In terms of China's national priorities over the development of its eastern regions, especially Xinjiang, and the consolidation of its rapidly expanding economic investments in Afghanistan and Central Asia, Beijing has no choice but to project itself as a stakeholder in the stabilization of Afghanistan.''
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By MK Bhadrakumar
''With the "transition" in Afghanistan set to shift up a gear through 2013 - as the last residues of the United States' "surge" are pulled back from the war theater and as the 2014 deadline approaches for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to withdraw - Beijing seems destined to play a larger role. In terms of China's national priorities over the development of its eastern regions, especially Xinjiang, and the consolidation of its rapidly expanding economic investments in Afghanistan and Central Asia, Beijing has no choice but to project itself as a stakeholder in the stabilization of Afghanistan.''
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Paul Craig Roberts: ''USA to continue its wars as long as dollar remains reserve currency''
From Pravda
''Pravda.Ru interviewed Paul Craig Roberts, an American economist, who served as an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan Administration and became a co-founder of Reaganomics - the economic policies promoted by the U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. We asked Mr. Roberts to share his views about the current state of affairs inside and outside the United States. ''
''Pravda.Ru interviewed Paul Craig Roberts, an American economist, who served as an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan Administration and became a co-founder of Reaganomics - the economic policies promoted by the U.S. President Ronald Reagan during the 1980s. We asked Mr. Roberts to share his views about the current state of affairs inside and outside the United States. ''
Q: During the 80s,
relying on the revived economic power of the United States, Ronald
Reagan managed to convince the Soviet government to end the Cold War.
All those agreements, as you believe, were destroyed by Reagan's
successors. Russia shares a completely different opinion about Reagan.
The Russians think of him as the man, who resumed the arms race,
designed the space shield and "cut out the cancer of communism" having
won (or maybe bribed) Gorbachev over to his side for cooperation. Maybe
one shouldn't strike him out of the list of the authors of today's
American "idiotism?"
A: Reagan was not a
member of the Republican Establishment. He defeated the Establishment's
candidate, George H. W. Bush (father of George W. Bush) for the
Republican presidential nomination. By appealing to Democratic as well
as Republican voters, Reagan had a great electoral victory. Reagan had
two goals: one was to end stagflation, the other was to end the cold
war. He was not much interested in anything else. The "arms race" and the
"anti-ballistic missile defense--star wars" were never real. They were
threats used to bring Gorbachev to negotiate the end of the cold war.
Unlike the present Republican Party, Reagan wanted peace, not war.''
The CIA opposed Reagan's effort to end
the cold war, as did the powerful military-security complex, about which
President Dwight Eisenhower warned the American people in his last
address to the American nation. The end of the cold war threatened the
profits of the powerful military industries and the power of the CIA.
The CIA said that the Soviet Union would
win an arms race, because the Soviet Union could control investment,
unlike the US, and could allocate the entire Gross Domestic Product of
the Soviet Empire to the military. Reagan's secret committee over-ruled
the CIA.''
''Sequestration: How a Spending Stalemate Would Affect the States''
a must read.............From Governing.com
''But for state and local governments in particular, the budget cuts would have acute and tangible ramifications. The reductions, known as the "sequester," would be made across the board to a broad swath of federal spending. The cuts could not only ravage economies, but also force states to backfill funding and scale back countless safety net programs.
Under the sequester, as laid out in the resolution to the 2011 debt ceiling crisis, the cuts would be divided between defense and non-defense discretionary spending. In the next fiscal year, for example, defense-related discretionary spending would be cut $54.6 billion, or 10 percent. Non-defense would be cut $38 billion, or 7.8 percent.''
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''But for state and local governments in particular, the budget cuts would have acute and tangible ramifications. The reductions, known as the "sequester," would be made across the board to a broad swath of federal spending. The cuts could not only ravage economies, but also force states to backfill funding and scale back countless safety net programs.
Under the sequester, as laid out in the resolution to the 2011 debt ceiling crisis, the cuts would be divided between defense and non-defense discretionary spending. In the next fiscal year, for example, defense-related discretionary spending would be cut $54.6 billion, or 10 percent. Non-defense would be cut $38 billion, or 7.8 percent.''
read more
''Manipulation of the Gold Price and the Crash of Paper Gold''
another must read...............From Market Oracle
By GoldSilverWorlds
The Crash of Paper Gold
''Here is an assessment of how this is likely to play out:
The demand for allocated gold increases. Traditionally, a large portion of gold investment has been in ETFs and similar methods. As more investors get word of rumours that banks are actually holding only a small fraction of the gold that has been sold, they will decide only to buy if the gold is “allocated”; that is, that specific numbered bars or specific boxes of coins are being held for the buyer. (This trend already exists and is becoming more prevalent.) At this point, there is no panic, as the allocated gold simply replaces the ETFs. The amount of money invested in gold with the banks overall remains about the same.
Fear increases that allocated gold is no safer than ETFs. Rumours surface that the “allocated” gold does not exist. Either it never existed, or it has been sold without advising the owner. (This stage has also begun.)
Investors begin to lose faith in the banks. Holders of allocated gold show up at the bank, demanding to view their gold. They will be shown a portion of the gold that the bank actually holds. Some owners will recognise that what they have been shown is not the gold that had been allocated (incorrect serial numbers). The owners may then demand to withdraw their gold from the bank. (This has begun in a small way in London, Zurich and other European centres, but is, at present, a rarity.) As rumours spread of the above, an increasing number of owners will show up at their banks to view their gold and will demand to withdraw it.
The ability of the banks to deliver gold on demand breaks down. At some point, a given bank will have to deliver more than it has in its vaults, as very little of what has been sold exists. That bank will then fail to provide the gold to the owner on that given day. As more banks reach this point, rumours become rampant.
There is a run on the banks. As word gets around that banks are failing to deliver, owners panic and make demands upon the banks en masse. In a very short space of time, all the bullion banks in the world who rely on a fractional reserve system will fail to deliver, and the paper gold industry will end abruptly.''
read more
By GoldSilverWorlds
The Crash of Paper Gold
''Here is an assessment of how this is likely to play out:
The demand for allocated gold increases. Traditionally, a large portion of gold investment has been in ETFs and similar methods. As more investors get word of rumours that banks are actually holding only a small fraction of the gold that has been sold, they will decide only to buy if the gold is “allocated”; that is, that specific numbered bars or specific boxes of coins are being held for the buyer. (This trend already exists and is becoming more prevalent.) At this point, there is no panic, as the allocated gold simply replaces the ETFs. The amount of money invested in gold with the banks overall remains about the same.
Fear increases that allocated gold is no safer than ETFs. Rumours surface that the “allocated” gold does not exist. Either it never existed, or it has been sold without advising the owner. (This stage has also begun.)
Investors begin to lose faith in the banks. Holders of allocated gold show up at the bank, demanding to view their gold. They will be shown a portion of the gold that the bank actually holds. Some owners will recognise that what they have been shown is not the gold that had been allocated (incorrect serial numbers). The owners may then demand to withdraw their gold from the bank. (This has begun in a small way in London, Zurich and other European centres, but is, at present, a rarity.) As rumours spread of the above, an increasing number of owners will show up at their banks to view their gold and will demand to withdraw it.
The ability of the banks to deliver gold on demand breaks down. At some point, a given bank will have to deliver more than it has in its vaults, as very little of what has been sold exists. That bank will then fail to provide the gold to the owner on that given day. As more banks reach this point, rumours become rampant.
There is a run on the banks. As word gets around that banks are failing to deliver, owners panic and make demands upon the banks en masse. In a very short space of time, all the bullion banks in the world who rely on a fractional reserve system will fail to deliver, and the paper gold industry will end abruptly.''
read more
''QE4? Why The Wall Street Banks Will Still Want More''
From ETF Daily News
''QE3 has barely even started and some folks on Wall Street are already clamoring for QE4. In fact, as you will read below, one equity strategist at Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) says that he would not be “surprised” if the Federal Reserve announced another new round of money printing by the end of the year. But this is what tends to happen when a financial system starts becoming addicted to easy money. There is always a deep hunger for another “hit” of “currency meth”. ''
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''QE3 has barely even started and some folks on Wall Street are already clamoring for QE4. In fact, as you will read below, one equity strategist at Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) says that he would not be “surprised” if the Federal Reserve announced another new round of money printing by the end of the year. But this is what tends to happen when a financial system starts becoming addicted to easy money. There is always a deep hunger for another “hit” of “currency meth”. ''
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''Twin Demons of War and Central Banking''
From Market Oracle
By Lew Rockwell
''It isn’t terribly often that people discuss the development of total war in tandem with the development of modern central banking, which – although antecedents existed long before – also came into its own in the twentieth century. It’s no surprise that Ron Paul, the man in public life who has done more than anyone to break through the limits of what is permissible to say in polite society about both these things, has also been so insistent that the twin phenomena of war and central banking are linked. "It is no coincidence," Dr. Paul said, "that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking."
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By Lew Rockwell
''It isn’t terribly often that people discuss the development of total war in tandem with the development of modern central banking, which – although antecedents existed long before – also came into its own in the twentieth century. It’s no surprise that Ron Paul, the man in public life who has done more than anyone to break through the limits of what is permissible to say in polite society about both these things, has also been so insistent that the twin phenomena of war and central banking are linked. "It is no coincidence," Dr. Paul said, "that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking."
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''Global Currency Wars in Full Escalation''
From IBTimes
By Michael Pento
''The worldwide currency debasement war has now entered a new and more deadly phase. Central banks have escalated the combat plan to bring about the world's weakest currency for their individual countries. On the heels of the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank's promises of unlimited counterfeiting forever, the Bank of Japan announced last week that it would expand its purchase of Japanese Government Bonds (and other assets including equities) by 10 trillion Yen. This brings the latest round of BOJ intervention to a total of 80 trillion Yen!''
read more
By Michael Pento
''The worldwide currency debasement war has now entered a new and more deadly phase. Central banks have escalated the combat plan to bring about the world's weakest currency for their individual countries. On the heels of the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank's promises of unlimited counterfeiting forever, the Bank of Japan announced last week that it would expand its purchase of Japanese Government Bonds (and other assets including equities) by 10 trillion Yen. This brings the latest round of BOJ intervention to a total of 80 trillion Yen!''
read more
''U.S. Military Aid To Central Asia: Who Benefits?''
From EurasiaNet
''Over the past few years, military aid has taken up an increasingly large portion of total U.S. aid to Central Asia, from around 5 percent throughout the 1990s to more than 30 percent since 2007. But that aid hasn't been closely examined, a situation I attempt to rectify in a new report (pdf), "U.S. Military Aid to Central Asia: Who Benefits?" The report focuses on aid to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Among the findings:
-- U.S. training and equipping aid focuses on special forces, including OMON and Alfas, and on occasions when those forces may have acted in ways contrary to stated U.S. interests, U.S. officials have tended to not take an active role in investigating those incidents and continue to support those units.''
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''Over the past few years, military aid has taken up an increasingly large portion of total U.S. aid to Central Asia, from around 5 percent throughout the 1990s to more than 30 percent since 2007. But that aid hasn't been closely examined, a situation I attempt to rectify in a new report (pdf), "U.S. Military Aid to Central Asia: Who Benefits?" The report focuses on aid to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Among the findings:
-- U.S. training and equipping aid focuses on special forces, including OMON and Alfas, and on occasions when those forces may have acted in ways contrary to stated U.S. interests, U.S. officials have tended to not take an active role in investigating those incidents and continue to support those units.''
read more
''Romney Foreign Policy Shows Strong CFR, Neo-con Influence''
endless wars 'as far as the eye can see'...........................From The New American
''Readers unfamiliar with the CFR should know that the organization was founded in 1921, largely in response to the refusal by the U.S. Senate to approve the treaty allowing the United States to join the League of Nations. CFR members were prominent among those establishing the United Nations near the conclusion of World War II and have also been disproportionately represented among cabinet member in both Democrat and Republican administrations since the late 1940s, particularly as heads of the State Department. As for the significance of the CFR in U.S. foreign policy, consider this list of secretaries of state who have been CFR members, with the party affiliation of the administration in which they served in parentheses following each:
As a result of this pervasive CFR influence, U.S. foreign policy rarely changes to any significant degree from one presidential administration to another, even when the party in power changes. When Barack Obama became president, he kept on former president Bush’s Secretary of Defense, CFR member Robert M. Gates, until 2011.''
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''Readers unfamiliar with the CFR should know that the organization was founded in 1921, largely in response to the refusal by the U.S. Senate to approve the treaty allowing the United States to join the League of Nations. CFR members were prominent among those establishing the United Nations near the conclusion of World War II and have also been disproportionately represented among cabinet member in both Democrat and Republican administrations since the late 1940s, particularly as heads of the State Department. As for the significance of the CFR in U.S. foreign policy, consider this list of secretaries of state who have been CFR members, with the party affiliation of the administration in which they served in parentheses following each:
Edward Stettinius (D), George Marshall
(D), Dean Acheson (D), John Foster Dulles (R), Christian Herter (R),
Dean Rusk (D), William Rogers (R), Henry Kissinger (R), Cyrus Vance (D),
Edmund Muskie (D), Alexander Haig (R), George Shultz (R), James Baker
(R), Lawrence Eagelberger (R), Warren Christopher (D), William
Richardson (R), Madeleine Albright (D), Colin Powell (R), and
Condoleezza Rice (R). Though Hillary Clinton is not a CFR member, Bill
Clinton is.
As a result of this pervasive CFR influence, U.S. foreign policy rarely changes to any significant degree from one presidential administration to another, even when the party in power changes. When Barack Obama became president, he kept on former president Bush’s Secretary of Defense, CFR member Robert M. Gates, until 2011.''
read more
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
''Keiser Report: Bankstatocracy (E345)''
Gold replaces coca for Colombian mafia
From Deutsche Welle
The Colombian drug mafia is looking for new business interests. In eight of the country's provinces, illegal mining has replaced coca farming as the main source of income for organized crime. Mines are proving lucrative - the worldwide financial crisis has kept the gold price high for years, which makes it well worth mining.''
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''Illegal mining, with serious environmental consequences, has
replaced coca cultivation as the main source of income for the Colombian
mafia. Millions have been thrown out of their homes as a result.
The Colombian drug mafia is looking for new business interests. In eight of the country's provinces, illegal mining has replaced coca farming as the main source of income for organized crime. Mines are proving lucrative - the worldwide financial crisis has kept the gold price high for years, which makes it well worth mining.''
read more
''Trading in RMB grows''
''The Summer of Muslim Discontent: It’s Not “The Amateur Film” Stupid[1]!''
a must read.................From James Petras Website
''In its place, throughout the Muslim world, a new wave of reactionaries, corrupt and servile politicians have taken the reins of power buttressed by the same military, secret police and judicial power who sustained the previous rulers[2]. Death and destruction is rampant, poverty and misery has multiplied, law and order has broken down, retrograde thugs have seized political power, where previously they were a marginal force. Living standards have plunged, cities are devastated and commerce is paralyzed. And presiding over this “Arab Winter” are the Western powers, the US and EU, - with the aid of the despotic Gulf absolutist monarchies, their Turkish ally and a motley army of mercenary Islamic terrorists and their would-be exile spokespeople.''
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''In its place, throughout the Muslim world, a new wave of reactionaries, corrupt and servile politicians have taken the reins of power buttressed by the same military, secret police and judicial power who sustained the previous rulers[2]. Death and destruction is rampant, poverty and misery has multiplied, law and order has broken down, retrograde thugs have seized political power, where previously they were a marginal force. Living standards have plunged, cities are devastated and commerce is paralyzed. And presiding over this “Arab Winter” are the Western powers, the US and EU, - with the aid of the despotic Gulf absolutist monarchies, their Turkish ally and a motley army of mercenary Islamic terrorists and their would-be exile spokespeople.''
read more
''Why Exxon Is More Interested In The Caspian Than The Gulf Of Mexico''
From StratRisks
''We all know the story. Analyst goes to a far flung location; said analyst gets told farfetched stories about potential investors coming into the region. ‘Take it as gospel, honest guv. It’s a dead cert’. Normally you forget this stuff 10,000 feet above sea level on your flight back home. By the time you’re a couple of G&T’s down, it’s all a distant memory. That was my first hunch after hearing interesting stories in Azerbaijan for the past few days, but the rumours might have some credible clout given they are coming directly from SOCAR, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan.
The assertion: Exxon is coming into Azerbaijan, and expect it to be big in Baku.''
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''We all know the story. Analyst goes to a far flung location; said analyst gets told farfetched stories about potential investors coming into the region. ‘Take it as gospel, honest guv. It’s a dead cert’. Normally you forget this stuff 10,000 feet above sea level on your flight back home. By the time you’re a couple of G&T’s down, it’s all a distant memory. That was my first hunch after hearing interesting stories in Azerbaijan for the past few days, but the rumours might have some credible clout given they are coming directly from SOCAR, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan.
The assertion: Exxon is coming into Azerbaijan, and expect it to be big in Baku.''
read more
''JAMES TURK - Part 1: This Always ENDS the Same Way: Zimbabwe''
PART 1 of 2: James Turk, Founder of GoldMoney calls in from Spain to explain how the FED's latest actions spell doom for the Dollar. James reminds us that what is happening in the United States RIGHT NOW thanks to the privately owned Central Bank always ends the same way: In disaster for the currency. We've seen it before: Weimar Germany, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Serbia... and we'll soon see it in AmeriKa.''
James' website:
http://www.goldmoney.com
''Obama’s Benghazi moment''
From Indian Punchline
By MK Bhadrakumar
''The Saudi lobby in the US is indeed hitting out at Obama: “Syria burns and calls for help, but the call goes unanswered. The civil war there has become a great Sunni-Shiite schism. Lebanon teeters on the edge. More important, trouble has spilled into Turkey. The Turks have come to resent the American abdication and the heavy burden the Syrian struggle has imposed on them. In contrast, the mullahs in Iran have read the landscape well and are determined to sustain the Assad dictatorship.” Yes, Saudis are indeed turning up the heat.''
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By MK Bhadrakumar
''The Saudi lobby in the US is indeed hitting out at Obama: “Syria burns and calls for help, but the call goes unanswered. The civil war there has become a great Sunni-Shiite schism. Lebanon teeters on the edge. More important, trouble has spilled into Turkey. The Turks have come to resent the American abdication and the heavy burden the Syrian struggle has imposed on them. In contrast, the mullahs in Iran have read the landscape well and are determined to sustain the Assad dictatorship.” Yes, Saudis are indeed turning up the heat.''
read more
''The Cartel And Hedgies Are Short Paper, But Long Physical Gold''
From MilesFranklin Blog
By David Schectman
''The following bulletin from Jim Sinclair explains where gold is headed and who will benefit. In typical fashion, Sinclair’s information is superb but his writing style isn’t exactly clear. In fact, after reading it, my wife asked me what he meant by “7 touches”? (See following bulletin) Half a dozen years ago it was fashionable within the gold community to point out that a few bullion banks (Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and a few friends) were always “short” gold. Sinclair stated then, that the bankers weren’t stupid and as the bull market advanced, the same bankers that were “short” would be the ones who were “long” and they would make a fortune on their gold holdings. That’s right, they would be “long,” not “short!” ''
read more
By David Schectman
''The following bulletin from Jim Sinclair explains where gold is headed and who will benefit. In typical fashion, Sinclair’s information is superb but his writing style isn’t exactly clear. In fact, after reading it, my wife asked me what he meant by “7 touches”? (See following bulletin) Half a dozen years ago it was fashionable within the gold community to point out that a few bullion banks (Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and a few friends) were always “short” gold. Sinclair stated then, that the bankers weren’t stupid and as the bull market advanced, the same bankers that were “short” would be the ones who were “long” and they would make a fortune on their gold holdings. That’s right, they would be “long,” not “short!” ''
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''GREEK DEBT: under-reported in 2007, over-reported in 2009, and indeterminate in 2012''
From The Slog
''A couple of days ago, Der Spiegel gave the Greeks something of a hammering by sensationally alleging that the country’s deficit isn’t €12.5bn at all, but in fact €20bn. But from Day One, the real size of the country’s problem has been the subject of wildly differing views.''
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''A couple of days ago, Der Spiegel gave the Greeks something of a hammering by sensationally alleging that the country’s deficit isn’t €12.5bn at all, but in fact €20bn. But from Day One, the real size of the country’s problem has been the subject of wildly differing views.''
read more
Monday, September 24, 2012
''Peak oil & the end of our industrial civilization with Max Keiser''
''Foxconn China plant closes after clash involving 2,000''
From Reuters
''Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group, which assembles Apple's iPhones and makes components for top global electronics companies, closed a plant in China on Monday after about 2,000 workers were involved in a brawl at a company dormitory.
It was not clear how long the shutdown would last at the plant, which employs about 79,000 people in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan, while police and company officials investigate the cause of the disturbance.''
''Spain is headed off a cliff''
Félix states that Spain is heading off a cliff with a fiscal gap of €150 billion a year. While government revenues declined after the pop of Spain's real estate bubble, government spending actually increased. He argues that must off the newly implemented "cuts" in reality are tax increases which will further slow the economy.''
''Siemens and Iran: A checkered past''
From Haaretz
''Siemens has been key to the Iranian regime not just in pursuing its nuclear ambitions. It has also been key in huge infrastructure deals, and its subsidiary Nokia-Siemens Networks has been accused by Iranian human rights activists of supplying the Islamic Republic with the apparatus to spy on opposition members' phone calls and social networking during the Green Revolution. The company tried to deflect these accusations but by the end of 2011, Nokia-Siemens admitted that international sanctions were making"it almost impossible for Nokia Siemens Networks to do business with Iranian customers."
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''Siemens has been key to the Iranian regime not just in pursuing its nuclear ambitions. It has also been key in huge infrastructure deals, and its subsidiary Nokia-Siemens Networks has been accused by Iranian human rights activists of supplying the Islamic Republic with the apparatus to spy on opposition members' phone calls and social networking during the Green Revolution. The company tried to deflect these accusations but by the end of 2011, Nokia-Siemens admitted that international sanctions were making"it almost impossible for Nokia Siemens Networks to do business with Iranian customers."
read more
''Arctic Turning into Hotbed of Instability''
From Strategic Culture
''The Arctic was peacefully divided between the Soviet Union, Norway, Denmark, the USA and Canada till 1982. No disputes had been raised. It was not an ax to grind. Actually the region was viewed as nothing more than a useless desert covered by ice. Since then the borders are still not clearly defined and tested by international law.
The discovery of hydrocarbons and other natural resources deposits changed it all. The Arctic region has 22% of the world’s undiscovered energy resources – and 84% of those resources are expected to occur offshore (so 18.5% of the undiscovered resources are on or under the Arctic seabed). The Arctic’s natural riches have made it a very lucrative place for exploration – and potentially a «hot» one. Now we have stiff competition supported by new national security strategies stressing the territorial claims as matters of vital importance.''
''US Economy Sustained by Export of Dollars and Wars''
From Strategic Culture
''What the recurrent US liquidity dumps clearly provoke in the outside world are local armed conflicts. The Arab Spring was a completely predictable consequence of the first and second rounds of the US quantitative easing. The recent outbreaks of unrest - regime changes in Egypt and Tunisia, the civil war and intervention in Libya, the mounting pressure on Syria, the slide towards a war against Iran, the UN blessing to carve up Sudan, etc - are attributable not so much to the raging global crisis as to the attempts to overcome it by expropriating the countries which are not responsible for the downturn but own the resources on which the West's liquidity can be spent. These are the countries dragged one after another into latent economic wars in which international sanctions serve as a weapon or into large-scale armed conflicts with extremist and terrorist groups.''
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''What the recurrent US liquidity dumps clearly provoke in the outside world are local armed conflicts. The Arab Spring was a completely predictable consequence of the first and second rounds of the US quantitative easing. The recent outbreaks of unrest - regime changes in Egypt and Tunisia, the civil war and intervention in Libya, the mounting pressure on Syria, the slide towards a war against Iran, the UN blessing to carve up Sudan, etc - are attributable not so much to the raging global crisis as to the attempts to overcome it by expropriating the countries which are not responsible for the downturn but own the resources on which the West's liquidity can be spent. These are the countries dragged one after another into latent economic wars in which international sanctions serve as a weapon or into large-scale armed conflicts with extremist and terrorist groups.''
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''Why You Should Prepare for Econcomic Catastrophe''
From Market Oracle
By Gary North
By Gary North
UNFUNDED LIABILITIES
''Why do I believe this? Because I believe in the analysis supplied by Professor Lawrence Kotlikoff of Boston University. Each year, he analyzes the statistics produced by the Congressional Budget Office on the present value – not future value – of the unfunded liabilities of the U.S. government. The latest figures are up by $11 trillion over the last year. The figure today is $222 trillion.
This means that the government needs $222 trillion to invest in private capital markets that will pay about 5% per year for the next 75 years.
Problem: the world's capital markets are just about $222 trillion. Then there are the unfunded liabilities of all other Western nations. These total at least what the U.S. does, and probably far more, since the welfare state's promises are more comprehensive outside the USA.
Conclusion: they will all default.''
''Is everybody getting ready for a war?''
From Voice of Russia
''Against the background of the growing political tensions in the region, on September 19 Israel conducted a brief but full-scale military exercise on the Golan Heights that was designed to test the level of combat readiness of the Israeli Army in the event of a sudden attack. The observers believe that the most probable reason for such an attack from the states neighboring the Golans would be a potential Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.''
''Global Warming Victims in Alaska Lose Novel Suit''
From Court House News
''Native Alaskans whose village is teetering on the edge of survival cannot use a federal public-nuisance law to nail energy giants on global warming, the 9th Circuit ruled Friday.
Kivalina is a tiny town on Alaska's northwest coast, located at the tip of a barrier reef some 70 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Most of the residents are self-governing Inupiat Native Alaskans.''
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''Native Alaskans whose village is teetering on the edge of survival cannot use a federal public-nuisance law to nail energy giants on global warming, the 9th Circuit ruled Friday.
Kivalina is a tiny town on Alaska's northwest coast, located at the tip of a barrier reef some 70 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Most of the residents are self-governing Inupiat Native Alaskans.''
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''How the West Helps Obstruct Democracy in Bahrain''
From New Left Project
''Since an Islamophobic film sparked protests across the Muslim world two weeks ago, we seem to have found ourselves drawn back towards the old “Clash of Civilisations” narative that framed a lot of mainstream discourse during the Bush-Blair era. The narrative presents a liberal, progressive, democratic West in opposition to a backward, religious and intolerent East. But this time around, thanks to the Arab uprisings, it’s a bit easier to see that narrative for what it is: a caricature and a false dichotomy that is, at the same time, both conceited and racist.''
audio/text
''Since an Islamophobic film sparked protests across the Muslim world two weeks ago, we seem to have found ourselves drawn back towards the old “Clash of Civilisations” narative that framed a lot of mainstream discourse during the Bush-Blair era. The narrative presents a liberal, progressive, democratic West in opposition to a backward, religious and intolerent East. But this time around, thanks to the Arab uprisings, it’s a bit easier to see that narrative for what it is: a caricature and a false dichotomy that is, at the same time, both conceited and racist.''
audio/text
''Neither East nor West for Russia''
From RT
''The West has formed a political-military coalition that does not include Russia; China, a fiercely insular country has a historical wariness of building alliances. This forces Russia into a position of severe self-reliance and pragmatism.
''The West has formed a political-military coalition that does not include Russia; China, a fiercely insular country has a historical wariness of building alliances. This forces Russia into a position of severe self-reliance and pragmatism.
''ACLU Sues CIA Over Drone Killings''
From Steve Lendman's Blog
''Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been around since the Vietnam era. They were used as reconnaissance platforms. In the 1980s, Harpy air defense suppression system radar killer drones were employed. In the Gulf War, unmanned combat air systems (UCAS) and X-45 air vehicles were used. ''
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''Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been around since the Vietnam era. They were used as reconnaissance platforms. In the 1980s, Harpy air defense suppression system radar killer drones were employed. In the Gulf War, unmanned combat air systems (UCAS) and X-45 air vehicles were used. ''
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Sunday, September 23, 2012
''Morsi sets terms for US-Arab ties''
From Indian Express
''On the eve of his first trip to the US as Egypt’s new Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi said the US needed to fundamentally change its approach to the Arab world, showing greater respect for its values and helping build a Palestinian state, if it hoped to overcome decades of pent-up anger.
A former leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt’s first democratically elected president, Morsi sought in a 90-minute interview with The New York Times to introduce himself to the US public and to revise the terms of relations between his country and the US after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak.''
California: ''Prison, parole officers face layoffs''
From Monterey Herald
''With the state's prison population shrinking rapidly by order of the U.S. Supreme Court, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is scaling back operations and issuing pink slips to many prison guards and parole agents next week.
The downsizing comes a year after Gov. Jerry Brown's realignment plan took effect, when the CDCR handed off the supervision of certain low-level inmates and parolees to county sheriff's deputies and probation officers.''
''India PM allows Walmart while New York ''shuts Walmart out''
From Hindustan Times
''Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani said on Sunday Walmart was being allowed in India even as it was facing protests in the US and New York "shut Walmart out". "On the same Friday (Sep 14) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rolled out the red carpet for Walmart, New York City, America's largest, shutWalmart out," Advani wrote in his blog Sunday.''
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''Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani said on Sunday Walmart was being allowed in India even as it was facing protests in the US and New York "shut Walmart out". "On the same Friday (Sep 14) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rolled out the red carpet for Walmart, New York City, America's largest, shutWalmart out," Advani wrote in his blog Sunday.''
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''Brazil may fire up tax artillery in ''currency war''
From Chicago Tribune
''Brazil threatened on Friday a further clampdown on speculative foreign capital, firing a warning shot in a "currency war" its finance minister blamed on money-printing by Western central banks.
Finance Minister Guido Mantega said Brazil would not allow its currency, the real, to strengthen as a result of aggressive monetary stimulus by the United States and other developed nations.''
''Lehman Brothers ordered to pay compensation''
From RadioAustralia.net
''A group of Australian councils, charities and churches has won a Federal Court case against defunct investment bank Lehman Brothers in a case which could have global ramifications.''
''Members of the group were advised by Lehman's Australian arm before buying subprime mortgage-related derivatives or collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) branded locally as federation notes.''
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''A group of Australian councils, charities and churches has won a Federal Court case against defunct investment bank Lehman Brothers in a case which could have global ramifications.''
''Members of the group were advised by Lehman's Australian arm before buying subprime mortgage-related derivatives or collateralised debt obligations (CDOs) branded locally as federation notes.''
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''David Cameron 'to lobby Barack Obama, Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande' to back BAE-EADS deal''
From The Telegraph
Ms Merkel and Mr Hollande discussed the merger when they met on Saturday.
"We didn't make any decisions... it wasn't expected that we would, but Germany and France will stay in close contact on this issue," Mrs Merkel said, following the talks.''
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''David Cameron is reported to back the deal and will argue its merits with
President Barack Obama, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
French president Francois Hollande.
Ms Merkel and Mr Hollande discussed the merger when they met on Saturday.
"We didn't make any decisions... it wasn't expected that we would, but Germany and France will stay in close contact on this issue," Mrs Merkel said, following the talks.''
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Saturday, September 22, 2012
''Pew unveils the US-China pantomime''
a must read...........From Indian PunchLine
By MK Bhadrakumar
By MK Bhadrakumar
''The real winner of the Daiaoyu/Senkaku tensions of the past few
weeks is of course Washington. It utilized the developing tide of
nationalism in Japan to get away with the deployment of the
anti-ballistic missile defence system [BMD] on Japanese soil. It’s a
first-class scoop. With this, the US’ BMD arc around Russia is further tightening.
The BMD deployment in Japan is supposedly against North Korea’s missiles, while Russian commentators insist it is against China,
but in reality, it is part of the US’ global strategy to establish
nuclear superiority, which entails deflating Russia’s assertions of
keeping a global strategic balance with the US despite its loss of
superpower status. ''
''Centuries of Indian life could be extinguished by the arrival of Walmart''
From The Guardian
India: ''Last week it decided to face down opponents and show its free-market muscles by reviving planned reforms that will allow familiar European and American names – Walmart, Tesco, Carrefour — to build stores in cities of more than a million people, providing the local state government agrees.''
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money doesnt grow on trees?????????...................please tell that to Ben Bernanke!!..................Video from IBNLIVE
India: ''Last week it decided to face down opponents and show its free-market muscles by reviving planned reforms that will allow familiar European and American names – Walmart, Tesco, Carrefour — to build stores in cities of more than a million people, providing the local state government agrees.''
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''PM says money doesn't grow on trees, we need reforms, backs FDI''
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