Wednesday April 14th 2010

Tuesday April 13th 2010

The American Way: In Defense of George W. Bush
Must Read - From the History File -- aprox. Wed May 20, 2009 -- A quote...."The Case for the Prosecutionalt  To see the Bush Faction in the dock -- charged with launching a war of aggression and creating a worldwide gulag of torture and illegal detention -- is of course the fervent dream of millions of people across the globe. Such a sight would seem to provide tangible proof that the ideal of justice cannot be vanquished entirely by the brute force of elite power. -- The evidence supporting these charges is mountainous, and growing all the time. What's more, the essentials are undisputed, even by the defendants themselves."

Hamid Karzai, R.I.P.
Must Read -- A quote...."The war in Afghanistan, which George W. Bush started and Barack Obama pledged to win, is over – and we lost. No one realizes this, quite yet, but give them time – because the fruits of our defeat are already a veritable cornucopia. And the reason can be summed up rather neatly in two words: Hamid Karzai. -- The fashion-plate heralded as the savior of Afghanistan by the Bush administration is turning into the Americans’ harshest critic: from quite credibly claiming that the US was trying to manipulate the recent Afghan election in order to give its sock-puppets the advantage, to declaring that he’s about ready to join the Taliban, President Karzai is making waves – and coming in for a barrage of disdain from the Washington cognoscenti, who cavil he’s an "unreliable partner." Translated into ordinary language, this means he isn’t kowtowing to Washington’s whims, and is instead seeking to pursue his own aims – shocking, isn’t it"  - also posted at ICH

The Puppet Tries To Cut His Strings
Must Read - Related Article - A quote...."As Henry Kissinger once rightly observed, it is often more dangerous being America’s ally than its enemy. -- Watching Washington’s growing anger at Afghan president Hamid Karzai, one recalls the unhappy endings of such former US allies as South Vietnam’s Diem, Iran’s Shah, Indonesia’s Suharto, Nicaragua’s Somoza, and Pakistan’s Zia ul-Haq. -- Washington has been loudly hinting it would like to oust Karzai, but so far it has not managed to identify a suitable replacement who commands any respect or tribal support from Afghans."

Take This Empire and Shove It!
Must Read - A quote...."By Cindy Sheehan -- April 12, 2010 "Information Clearing House" -- Dear Reader—raise your hand if you don’t know that atrocities happen in war. Now put your hands in the air like you just don’t care. -- Psychologist, Robert Jay Lifton, who is a pioneer in the study of what drives otherwise “normal” human beings to commit war crimes calls war: “an atrocity-producing situation.” Atrocities have been committed in every war since the beginning of time, and the sad thing is the barbarity hasn’t decreased. Recently a US soldier tried to justify to me committing atrocities because the "British did it to the Native Americans" in the French-Indian War. This soldier was essentially agreeing with Lifton."

Why Politics Is Not the Answer - Hey folks, just DON'T vote for DemoRepubs!! - mpg
Special Note - Quote of the Day...."Political action has rarely in human history caused government to shrink in size and power. The natural tendency of government is to grow and expand its powers. The events of 2008–2010 illustrate that. Over time, it will tend to tax and spend more, hire more people and assume more power over our lives, liberty and property. Government policies change continually but if you look closely, it is almost always in the direction of bigger government. If you favor bigger government, you really don’t have to do anything. Just sit back and enjoy the show. By the natural laws of politics, governments will tend to grow. If you check back in five years, it is highly likely that the government will be bigger and more powerful. Government in America has grown enormously since about 1917, the start of American involvement in World War I. No coincidence there; war grows the state."

Tax Day 2010: Most of every dollar you pay in federal taxes is spent on...
Special Note - A quote...."Health care? Social Security? An economic stimulus bill? Wars? Bailing out Wall Street banks? Education? Our nation's infrastructure?  Each may be a good guess based on the issues that get attention in the mainstream media. -- The correct answer may be that 53% of the federal tax being collected in 2010 has already been allocated for defense spending."

Your Tax Dollars at War: More Than 53% of Your Tax Payment Goes to the Military
Special Note - Related Article - A quote...."April 13, 2010 "Information Clearing House" -- The budget for the 2011 fiscal year, which has to be voted by Congress by this Oct. 1, looks to be about $3 trillion, not counting the funds collected for Social Security (since the Vietnam War, the government has included the Social Security Trust Fund in the budget as a way to make the cost of America’s imperial military adventures seem smaller in comparison to the total cost of government). Meanwhile, the military share of the budget works out to about $1.6 trillion." - also posted at CommonDreams

Engineers of Human Souls: The Pentagon's Cult of Killing Strikes Again
Must Read - Some quotes...."U.S. Troops Fire on Afghan Bus, Killing at Least 5 Civilians -- American troops raked a large passenger bus with gunfire near the southern city of Kandahar on Monday morning, killing as many as five civilians and wounding 18, Afghan authorities and survivors said...." -- "....it is very clear why these troops would have decided to "light up" a bus crammed with civilians that was pulling subserviently off the road to let even more of the occupier's military muscle barrel through their invaded homeland. It's because for generations, the Pentagon has been employing every mind-bending technique it can find to turn human beings into killing machines."

One Marine’s ‘Liberty Walk’ for the Rest of Us
Must Read - A quote...."I met  Ernest Logan Bell, a 25-year-old Marine Corps veteran, as he walked along Route 12 in upstate New York with a large American flag strapped to the side of his green backpack. There was a light drizzle and he was wearing a green Army poncho. Bell was on a six-day, 90-mile-long self-styled “Liberty Walk” from Binghamton to Utica in a quixotic campaign to challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Michael Arcuri in the 24th Congressional District. He camped out along the road for three nights and stayed in cheap motels the other nights and was accompanied by Kevin Barlow, an unemployed welder. Bell opposes the health care law, calls for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, advocates the abolishment of the Federal Reserve, is against the bailouts for Wall Street and wants to see immediate government relief for workers trapped in prolonged unemployment, including his own." - also posted at ICH

Planning the Peace and Enforcing the Surrender: Deterrence in the Allied Occupations of Germany and Japan - PDF
Special Note - Alt/PDF -- A quote...."What exactly did the United States plan to do in the case of resistance? This study seeks to address the gap in both the historical and political-science literature by examining policy designed for the initial period of occupation in Germany and Japan. - Journal of Interdisciplinary History, xl:1 (Summer, 2009) - Posted April 13,2010"
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Chances of Maliki’s reappointment slim
A quote...."BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s chances of being reappointed appear to be fading as potential coalition partners turn against him a month after a general election that produced no clear winner."

Anti-American anger grows in Afghanistan
A quote...."Protesters take to the streets after U.S. troops open fire on passenger bus outside Kandahar city, killing four civilians " - also posted at CommonDreams
    
Kandahar crossroads for NATO
A quote...."ISLAMABAD - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has threatened to attempt to delay or have cancelled the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's planned summer offensive against the Taliban in the southern province of Kandahar, even as more than 10,000 American troops have poured in for the battle. -- However, there may be a more compelling reason to delay the Kandahar offensive, which, after the recent operation in Marjah in Helmand province, would be the biggest in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in 2001: across the border in Pakistan, the tribal areas are not, as had been planned, cleared of militants."

Gods and Monsters - Fighting American Wars From On High
Special Note - A quote...."The Greeks had it right.  When you live on Mount Olympus, your view of humanity is qualitatively different.  The Greek gods, after all, lied to, stole from, lusted for, and punished humanity without mercy, while taking the planet for a spin in a manner that we mortals would consider amoral, if not immoral.  And it didn’t bother them a bit.  They felt -- so Greek mythology tells us -- remarkably free to intervene from the heights in the affairs of whichever mortals caught their attention and, in the process, to do whatever took their fancy without thinking much about the nature of human lives.  If they sometimes felt sympathy for the mortals whose lives they repeatedly threw into havoc, they were incapable of real empathy.  Such is the nature of the world when your view is the Olympian one and what you see from the heights are so many barely distinguishable mammals scurrying below.  The details of their petty lives naturally blur and seem less than important. -- In the last week, we’ve seen -- literally viewed -- a modern example of what it means in our day to act from the heights, and we’ve read about another striking example of the same." - also posted at CommonDreams

Pakistan air force 'killed scores of villagers'
A quote...."Dilla Baz Khan was pulling a woman from the rubble of an air raid when Pakistani jets screamed back into the valley for a second bombing run, killing scores of people in a village which locals say had been supportive of army offensives against militants along the Afghan border." - also posted at Uruknet

"U.S. military playing expanded role in Pakistan --Officials: Elite trainers number more than 100 12 Apr 2010 U.S. Special Operations Forces on a 'training' mission in Pakistan are playing an expanded but largely unseen role in the country's counterinsurgency campaign, working with paramilitary units to "hold and build" tribal areas as militants are cleared. A Pentagon proposal would deepen that role by creating a special $10 million pool of funds the trainers could spend more quickly on civil affairs and humanitarian projects contractors' bogus 'rebuilding' projects in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in coordination with their Pakistani counterparts." - Paragraph quoted from CLG - Gee whiz, US-NRE special forces on continuous "training" missions in Pakistan.  We've all seen this sort of fiasco before. - mpg
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Israel Up To No Good On Kidnapping Propaganda
War Alert - This looks very serious, Israel is up to NO good!! We will see how this shakes out, but I see trouble coming....


"I've just read this so called "frantic terror alert" issued by the Zionists in full HERE. Claiming that "all" Israelis in the Sinai must return to Israel immediately due to the "threat "of being kidnapped. I don’t buy this for one minute, not one second, not one nano second!"

Iran: Haven’t We Seen This Movie Before?
War Alert - The parasitic class's techniques are so childish and so boring it brings one to tears.  It's truly tiresome to see them use the same stupid game plan over and over again. The only way it could work is to have a population so dumbed down, so indifferent to truth, so immoral, that they just let it happen. - mpg -- A quote...."In the joint interview* with Hillary Clinton and Robert M. Gates on Sunday, the buzz words were all there: international terrorism, Al Qaeda, Iran’s nuclear program, the need for UN Resolutions and the fact that such Resolutions will not stop the USA from taking further action, an international coalition being built, Teheran not wanting to follow the diplomatic path…and Iran was mentioned no less than eighteen times." - also posted at WarInIraq

'NATO supported Jundallah'
A quote...."Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sent a letter to the UN chief, condemning NATO intelligence forces' support of the leader of the Jundallah terrorist group." - For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror - MEK-PKK-Others

Brazil rejects new Iran sanctions
A quote...."Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim has stated that Brasilia prefers diplomacy for solving the dispute over Iran's nuclear program rather than tough measures."

China still favors diplomacy on Iran
A quote...."Chinese President Hu Jintao has asked his US counterpart Barack Obama to give diplomacy a chance in dealing with Iran's nuclear program. "

U.S., Israeli attack on Iran would be 'unacceptable' - Russia military
A quote...."Any airstrike against Iran by the United States or Israel would be "unacceptable," the chief of the Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov said on Monday."

Iran’s calls for a nuclear-free Middle East should be backed - posted at OnlineJournal
A quote...."From April 17-18, Iran intends to host a nuclear disarmament summit just four days after Washington concludes a nuclear security summit to which Tehran was not invited. Under the banner “Nuclear energy for everyone, nuclear arms for no one,” Iran calls for a nuclear-free Middle East and an end to nuclear proliferation globally."

Israel must denuclearize, Erdogan says
A quote...."The Turkish premier says the international community should take action to disarm Israel as part of the efforts to make the Middle East a nuclear weapons-free zone."
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Kyrgyzstan Row: Bakiev agrees to resign, interim govt promises security for ousted leader
Video - RussiaToday  —  April 13, 2010  — The interim government is preparing for talks with the ousted president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Human rights lawyers are on their way to the president's native town in the south of the central Asian country to mediate the talks. Earlier Bakiyev agreed to step down as president on the condition of guaranteed security for him and his family."

Kyrgyz interim gov't abolishes Bakiyev's immunity, issues ultimatum demanding surrender
A quote...."BISHKEK, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyz interim government on Tuesday issued an ultimatum for President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to surrender hours after it abolished his presidential immunity, said a senior official of the interim government on Tuesday."
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Latvia’s Cruel Neoliberal Experiment
Special Note - A quote...."Latvia is being devastated by two global wars. On the geopolitical front is the Cold War’s coup de grâce. Neoliberals have managed to de-industrialize Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union, persuading parliaments to dismantle government support for economic renewal. The “Washington Consensus” has backed a policy of giving away public enterprises and land to a newly minted oligarchy of insiders, and helped them sell shares to Western investors. The ensuing economic wreckage has helped avert future military rivalry to U.S. hegemony."

Webster Tarpley Breaks Down Mysterious Polish President Kaczynski’s Death on Alex Jones Tv
Must View Videos - posted at TheAlexJonesChannel - AJ&WT(1/2) - AJ&WT(2/2) -- A quote...."Alex welcomes back Webster Tarpley to discuss the latest on the Mysterious death surounding Polish President Kaczynski."

Venezuela: Coup and Countercoup, Revolution
Special Note - A quote...."Venezuela commemorated the eighth year anniversary of the coup d'etat backed by Washington that changed the bolivarian revolution forever -- In just 47 hours, a coup d’etat ousted President Chavez and a countercoup returned him to power, in an extraordinary showing of the will and determination of a dignified people on a revolutionary path with no return. The mass media played a major role in advancing the coup and spreading false information internationally in order to justify the coup plotters’ actions. CIA documents revealed US government involvement and support to the coup organizers."

Pulse of the Planet - WOLA vs. Honduran Democracy
A quote...."America, the past year has seen increasing U.S.-Latin American hostilities, largely centered around the June 28th, 2009 violent military coup d'etat that ousted democratically-elected Honduran president Manuel Zelaya. And while the U.S. role in Honduras appears to many Latin Americans to be a continuation of its imperialist policies in the region over the past century, there is one new twist in the case of Honduras: much of the State Department's behind-the-scenes work is being carried out by one of the most respected human rights NGOs in Washington: the Washington Office on Latin America." -- also posted at Uruknet
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Liberals Smear Wikileaks
Must Read - A quote...."Activists intent on releasing evidence of crimes committed by a powerful government are harassed and followed by police and intelligence agents: a restaurant in which they are meeting comes under surveillance, and, subsequently, one of their number is detained by the police for 21 hours. Their leader is followed on an international flight by two agents: and, in a parking lot of foreign soil, one of their number is accosted by a "James Bond character" and threatened. Computers are seized, and on the group’s Twitter account the following message appears...."

Unprovoked Cops Viciously Beat Student Then Charge Him With Assault
A quote...."Charges against a Maryland student were dropped yesterday after video was released showing three unprovoked police officers violently beating him to the ground with batons following a basketball game last month."

Shurtleff leads 7 states in gun fight
A quote...." Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and six other states filed a brief in federal court in Montana on Monday, arguing that the federal government has no constitutional authority to regulate firearms manufactured and sold within their borders."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Deport the Palestinians to Where They Came From – Israel
Special Note - A quote...."It was bound to happen. The Israelis have decided to opt for outright ethnic cleansing. As of April 13, 2010 - the Israelis military will be accorded the power to deport any Palestinian or any foreigner in the West Bank if their papers ‘aren’t in order.’ The IDF has already made it clear that the order will not apply to Israeli citizens in the West Bank - you know - the illegal Jewish settlers. In fact, if you are Mongolian and can produce a faded newspaper clip announcing your grandfather’s bar mitzvah - that will be sufficient documentation to acquire immediate Israeli citizenship and get a red carpet reception when you relocate to the occupied territories. They’ll even provide you with subsidized housing if you take them up on the offer." - bold by website editor - also posted at ICH & Uruknet

Ethnic cleansing in Palestine by ~Latuff2
Cartoon - (click on the image to enlarge)

UK's discriminatory criminalization of dissent
Special Note - This is what Israel/AIPAC wants to do here in this country!! - mpg -- A quote...."We are very angry, very afraid, very sad, very upset. My wife, she is depressed. When she sees police in the street she's very frightened. They destroyed our life," says Badi Tebani. -- In January 2009, Tebani's teenage son Yahia was one of tens of thousands of people who joined demonstrations in London against the Israeli bombing of Gaza. At one of those demonstrations Yahia and many others were "kettled" -- surrounded by a police cordon and slowly let out in return for giving their names and addresses and for being filmed. -- That was the last Yahia knew of it until the following April, when the family home was raided by 20 to 30 police at 5am. The front door was forced open and Badi Tebani and his family were ordered to lie on the floor. His four sons were all handcuffed. Three police officers knelt on the back of Hamza, 23. He was sleeping in shorts, but they refused to let him put on any clothes, even though they'd opened the windows, letting in the cold. Computers, mobile phones and clothes were all taken and the family car was broken into. Badi and Hamza described how police played games on the boys' iPhones and made themselves coffee in the kitchen." - also posted at AlethoNews

Grassroots organizer targeted by PA, Israeli forces - Ditto!! - mpg
A quote...."Mousa Abu Maria, father of a newborn baby and co-coordinator of the grassroots Palestine Solidarity Project (PSP) in the occupied West Bank village of Beit Ommar, was used to the sound of boots running on the ground and surrounding his home in the middle of the night."

Anat Kam: I stole IDF documents to expose West Bank war crimes
A quote...."Classified documents reveal that the Israel Defense Forces had committed war crimes in the West Bank, Anat Kam, the former soldier indicted for espionage over an alleged theft of top secret material, told the court earlier in the year, according to police documents released allowed for publication Monday at the request of Haaretz." - also posted at Uruknet

7th Anniversary of the shooting of Thomas Hurndall
A quote...."The 11th April marks the seventh anniversary of the ultimately fatal shooting of British ISM activist, Thomas Hurndall. Tom was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper in Rafah, Gaza, whilst attempting to move two young girls out of the line of fire. He went in to a coma, and died in hospital 9 months later, on the 13th January 2004."

Cementing Our Solidarity with the People of Gaza
Action Alert - A quote...."The Free Gaza Movement calls on communities, schools, hospitals, trade unions and families across Ireland and the world to sponsor bags of cement and school supplies to send to Gaza. They will be loaded onto our Irish cargo ship, the MV Rachel Corrie, as part of an international flotilla of ships sailing to Gaza in May."

Israel's 'crisis of legitimacy' -- Jared Malsin
A quote...."I know something about how Israel's security forces treat journalists they view as hostile. In January, I was held for over a week in a dingy detention center at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport before being deported." - also posted at AlethoNews

Gaza militant: Hamas stopping rocket fire into Israel
A quote...."Hamas is forcing other Gaza Palestinian factions to guarantee they do not launch rockets or mortar bombs at Israel, a source told the French AFP news agency on Monday."

Interview - Richard Becker - Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire - Alt - (YuTb - 27m50s - April 13, 2010)
Video Interview -- A quote...."talkingsticktv — April 13, 2010 — Interview with Richard Becker, author of Palestine, Israel and the US Empire."
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A Banana Republic With No Bananas
Must Read - A quote...."Experts on third world banana republics from the IMF and the Federal Reserve have said the U.S. has become a third world banana republic (and see this and this).  -- Are they right? Well, let's look at Wikipedia's description of the four factors which make a country a banana republic."

"Never Even a Whisper" at Fed's Open Market Committee Meetings
Special Note - Ben Bernanke, William Dudley and Donald L Kohn are on the Fed's Open Market Committee (FOMC). -- They are also on the board of directors of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) - often called the "central banks' central bank". And Kohn is an alternate director for BIS. -- Alan Greenspan, of course, was a BIS director for many years. -- Dudley is also chairman of BIS' Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems. (Tim Geithner - previously on the FOMC - previously held that post). -- So there is clearly quite a bit of overlap between the two groups"

Is the Fed Helping the Big Banks to Cook the Books?
Special Note - A quote...."April 12, 2010 "Information Clearing House" -- On Friday, the Wall Street Journal revealed details of a cover up by the nations largest banks that have been engaged in potentially-criminal accounting activities to conceal the amount of debt on their balance sheets. The SEC has been notified of the allegations and has launched a probe to determine whether further action is needed. Among the banks implicated, are Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Bank of America, and Citigroup."

CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN - Money good
Special Note - A quote...."The trump card of the belief that a reliably moderate rise in the general price level promotes economic dynamism and financial stability has been massive issuance of government "money". That card is now in play and is profoundly distorting market perceptions."

Keiser Report: Special Greenspan Bubble edition - Alt - (MKRTYuTb - 24 min 45 sec - April 13, 2010)
Must View MKVideo - A quote...."This time Max Keiser and co-host Stacy Herbert look at the scandals of financial crisis show trials in America; Citigroup alleges they could not possibly have predicted the collapse of a very obvious housing bubble; and former Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan, tells the show trial commissioners that the financial world is far too complex for mere mortals. In the second half of the show, Max talks to economist Dean Baker about Citigroup's alleged profits."

Report cites staggering level of US maternal mortality
Another sobering statistic that proves the US-NRE is sooooo NOT number one! - mpg -- A quote...."Women in the US have a greater chance of dying from complications of pregnancy and childbirth than women in 40 other countries. A report from Amnesty International (AI), “Deadly Delivery: The Maternal Health Care Crisis in the USA,” shows that US maternal mortality ratios have soared in recent years, rising from 6.6 deaths per 100,000 lives births in 1987, to 13.3 deaths per live births in 2006." - bold by website editor

Nine Myths about Socialism in the US
By the numbers - A quote...."The fact is that the US is not really all that generous to our working and poor people compared to other countries. - Consider the US in comparison to the rest of the 30 countries that join the US in making up the OECD - the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. These 30 countries include Canada and most comparable European countries but also include some struggling countries like Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Slovak Republic, and Turkey. See www.oecd.org - When you look at how the US compares to these 30 countries, the hot air myths about the US government going all out towards socialism sort of disappear into thin air. Here are some examples of myths that do not hold up." - From CommonDreams

Iceland Crisis Report: Banks’ Owners Owed the Most
A quote...."The majority owners of the three largest Icelandic banks, Kaupthing, Landsbanki and Glitnir, and of the investment bank Straumur-Burdarás, were also their largest debtors, as the Special Investigative Commission’s crisis report, which was made public yesterday, has revealed."

Argentina seizes pension funds to pay debts. Who's next?
A quote...."Here is a warning to us all. The Argentine state is taking control of the country’s privately-managed pension funds in a drastic move to raise cash. - Should we worry about our pensions?" - also posted at BLN -- Not at all!!  Worry implies doubts about the future, in this case there are no doubts, the government (i.e. the parasitic class) is going to loot, rob and steal every single dime from every single pension out there.....especially Social Security. - mpg

IMF Prepares For Global Cataclysm, Expands Backup Rescue Facility By Half A Trillion For "Contribution To Global Financial Stability" -- Financial Alert - (The parasitic class is nervous about something, the PIIGS have already been pretty well discounted, although they're substantially increasing the strains on the world's financial system.  So what they're nervous about appears to be something else....but what? If this sort of thing keeps happening this website editor is going to have to markedly increase the chances  for a depression era economic down leg - currently 10% - versus the chances for severe stagflation - currently 90% - mpg) -- A quote...."And all the pundits thought that the IMF would be on the hook for just €10 billion... The IMF has just announced that it is expanding its New Arrangement to Borrow (NAB) multilateral facility from its existing $50 billion by a whopping $500 billion (SDR333.5 billion), to $550 billion."

Emergency bailout plan for Greece: A new stage in world economic crisis
A quote...."The European emergency plan for Greece represents a substantial reversal of the deal agreed at the EU summit just two weeks ago. At their meeting in Brussels at the end of March, European heads of state agreed to a proposal pushed by the German government aimed at avoiding a bailout of the Greek economy. At the summit, the German delegation, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, offered a guarantee to the Greek government on condition that it pay punitive rates of interest for the repayment of its debt, while making clear that any assistance would be given only as a “last resort.”

Is the World's Second Biggest Economy On the Ropes?
A quote...."Iceland has approximately the 101st biggest economy in the world. -- Dubai is also tiny. -- Greece is somewhat bigger, with the 27th biggest economy. -- When Iceland, Dubai and Greece tanked, that was horrible ... but not catastrophic. -- Portugal - the 37th biggest economy - may be next. It would be horrible if Portugal tanks. -- But Spain is also in real trouble. As the 9th biggest economy, a default by Spain could be major. -- But none of these are in the same ballpark as Japan - the world's 2nd biggest economy. Only the U.S. is bigger."

Visualizing America's Tax Inequality, The Wealthiest 11,000 People, And Why Obama's Campaign Promises Mean 77%-91% Taxes For The Richest - Chart - A quote...."Now that healthcare "reform|takeover" has passed, Obama is rightfully shifting his attention on tax "reform|takeover" for the very simple reason that America is getting bankrupter by the day, and at some point even our ever so patient creditors will say 'enough'. We take this opportunity to disclose the massive pain that lies in store for those who are currently benefiting the most from the endless stock market rally, of course assuming the president keeps his #1 campaign promise (which is a vast assumption). As the charts below demonstrate, American society is currently stratified beyond repair. In this vein, the Tax Policy Center calculates, that for a return to economic normalcy, or deficits at a "mere" 2% of GDP, households earnings more than $200/250k would see their tax rates going up to a stunning 91%. If the economic underperformance target is reduced to more palatable deficits at 3% of GDP, then the top earners would be hit with "only" 77% taxes."

Monday April 12th 2010

No posts. - mpg

Sunday April 11th 2010

Ex-Bush Official Willing to Testify Bush, Cheney Knew Gitmo Prisoners Innocent
Special Note - Oh Goody, now we'll have an "investigation" (a few meaningless speeches by the DemoRepubs)....that will last about a week....and than they'll close it down....and that will be that. - mpg -- A quote...."....in a sworn declaration obtained exclusively by Truthout, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, who was chief of staff to former Secretary of State Colin Powell during George W. Bush's first term in office, said he would be willing to state, under penalty of perjury, what top Bush officials knew and when they knew it." - also posted at Uruknet & WarInIraq - For more on this issue see....9/11-Iraq-Torture Fables

US Military Still Lying About Special Forces Night Raid in Afghanistan
And the military's disinformation swill keeps right on flowing....mpg -- A quote...."U.S. officials are "probing a possible attempted coverup" in the deaths of five Afghan civilians in February in a raid carried out by U.S. Special Forces accompanied by Afghan troops, the Los Angeles Times reports. Among the charges is that the bodies were tampered with by U.S. forces to conceal the cause of death. -- But even as the U.S. is supposedly investigating, U.S. officials say allegations that bullets were dug out of the bodies as part of a coverup are baseless, the LAT says. -- Jerome Starkey had reported in the Times of London that Afghan investigators said U.S. Special Forces soldiers dug bullets out of their victims' bodies. But U.S. Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, General McChrystal's spokesman, said no forensic evidence or eyewitness testimony had been presented to support that account, the LAT says."

Obama going off the deep end  - (Notice there's no question mark. - mpg)
A quote...."A recent analysis by Roger Simon of PJTV Media maintains that Obama is showing signs of mental illness. A wide variety of commentators have observed that Obama displays severe narcissism. Obama is conceited, and he is demonstrating a serious disassociation from reality." - also posted at WarInIraq

Tax Day and America’s Wars
A quote...."Matt Ryan, the mayor of Binghamton, New York, is sick and tired of watching people in local communities “squabble over crumbs,” as he puts it, while so much local money pours into the Pentagon’s coffers and into America’s wars. He’s so sick and tired of it, in fact, that, urged on by local residents, he’s decided to do something about it.  He’s planning to be the first mayor in the United States to decorate the façade of City Hall with a large, digital “cost of war” counter, funded entirely by private contributions."
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Iran to complain to UN over US threat
A quote...."The Iranian Foreign Ministry says Tehran will lodge a formal complaint with the United Nations against US President Barack Obama for threatening the country with a nuclear strike." - also posted at WarInIraq

Iran boosts air defenses with new missile system
A quote...."Iran has developed and successfully tested its first domestically-built air defense system capable of destroying aircraft at low and medium altitudes, Press TV cited the country's defense minister as saying. - Ahmad Vahidi announced on Sunday that the new system, dubbed Mersad (Ambush), is equipped with a sophisticated radar, an advanced launcher, and modern guidance and target acquisition electronics." - also posted at WarInIraq

Iran to mass-produce faster centrifuges
A quote...."Iran's nuclear chief says second generation centrifuges will soon be mass-produced, stating that the country is moving toward nuclear self-sufficiency." - also posted at WarInIraq

Iran backs unity government in Iraq with Sunnis
A quote...."BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iran urged leaders in neighboring Iraq on Saturday to form a national unity government that included Sunni Muslims. - Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi said the Iraqiya coalition, which includes Sunnis and Shi'ites and won the largest share of seats in last month's parliamentary election, would hold discussions in Tehran in the coming days.- From Reuters - also posted at YahooNews
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Maliki Claims Massive Fraud as Iran Backs Sunnis’ Inclusion in Govt
Related Article - A quote...."If last night’s comments by Iranian Ambassador Qomi in favor of a “national unity government” in Iraq including the Sunni dominated Iraqiya bloc  was a step forward for settling the Iraqi election in a timely fashion, the comments by the State of Law bloc today were several steps backward."

The Peace Pipeline
A quote...."Obama is a flexible puppet in the empire-builders hands, readily facilitating the decades-old scheme to seize control of the former Soviet satellite nations and all of their vast energy resources. But, unlike Bush and Cheney, he seems to have a strong sense of conscience that is occasionally revealed on his face as a furrowed brow or clenched lips, whenever he is taking another immoral step for Empire, which carries a heavy human toll."

Arresting Taliban To Cover America’s Ass
Special Note - Timeline & Analysis - A quote...."The multitude of theories on the reasons for the arrests are divided between cooperation and confrontation theories, either it is explained by mutual interests or by rivalries.  In my opinion, it is both."

Republican senator: no START treaty passage this year
Oh Sure!  Like next year when the Republicans gain control of Congress it'll be passed?!?!  It was a meaningless photo-opp for Obama anyway and would have imposed almost no actual cuts whatsoever, so good riddance to a useless treaty. But Alexander's disingenuous statement is part and parcel of what passes for dialog in the empire nowadays. - mpg -- A quote...."WASHINGTON (AFP) – The landmark nuclear arms reduction treaty President Barack Obama signed with former Cold War foe Russia may have to wait until next year for Senate approval, a Republican lawmaker said Sunday. - "There's not a chance the treaty will be approved this year," Senator Lamar Alexander told Fox News Sunday, noting that "it took a year and a half to approve the START I treaty," the 1991 pact which expired last December." - From YahooNews

Chinese president leaves for nuclear summit in Washington
A quote...."BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao left here Monday morning for the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit on April 12-13 in Washington at the invitation of the U.S. President Barack Obama."

Up to 250,000 Gulf War veterans have 'unexplained medical symptoms'
A quote...."As many as 250,000 veterans of the first Gulf War "have persistent unexplained medical symptoms" whose cause may never be found, although genetic testing and functional brain imaging may eventually shed some light on the problem." -- For more on this sort of issue see article and comments shown below....


Vietnamese Company to Build Copper Plant in Bolivia
A quote...."LA PAZ – Vietnam’s Viet-Han Corporation, or VHG, plans to invest between $10 million and $12 million to build a copper plant in southwestern Bolivia, the La Razon newspaper reported Sunday."

Canada’s security forces refuse to release their files on long dead CCF-NDP leader
A quote...."A recent Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) decision to block the full release of police files dealing with a long dead leader of the social-democratic New Democratic Party and its predecessor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), has underscored CSIS’s function as a political and thought police directed, first and foremost, against the working class and left."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

The Forgotten Child of the Holocaust
Special Note - Contains Videos - Nakba/Vid - PNA/Vid -- A quote...."Sunday evening at sundown, sirens will sound throughout Israel to commemorate the start of Holocaust Remembrance Day. On Monday, ceremonies will be held in various cities, the main one being at Yad Vashem, the memorial park in Jerusalem. - Friday was the anniversary of the massacre at Deir Yassin, the start of the ‘other holocaust’, known as the Nakba. There were no sirens to signify this as the Nakba is the ‘forgotten child of the holocaust’. In Israel today it is forbidden to even speak of this, to make sure it remains forgotten."

Israel is Oblivious to the Lessons of the Holocaust
Special Note - A quote...."It is difficult to not remember the holocaust if you live in Israel…. it is not only something that occurred in history, it is something that is unfolding right here, right now. We read of the horrors in our history books…. we continue reading about them in our daily newspaper reports…" - also posted at Uruknet

Deir Yassin Remembered
Special Note - Contains Video - DYR/Vid - (GoggleVid - 33:17 - 3 years ago) - A quote...."Early in the morning of April 9, 1948, commandos of the Irgun (headed by Menachem Begin) and the Stern Gang attacked Deir Yassin, a village with about 750 Palestinian residents. The village lay outside of the area to be assigned by the United Nations to the Jewish State; it had a peaceful reputation. But it was located on high ground in the corridor between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Deir Yassin was slated for occupation under Plan Dalet and the mainstream Jewish defense force, the Haganah, authorized the irregular terrorist forces of the Irgun and the Stern Gang to perform the takeover. In all over 100 men, women, and children were systematically murdered....."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu to UC Berkeley: Divesting is the Right Thing To Do
Action Alert - - Boycott, Divest and Sanction - Because if WE, the world community fail to act, "never again" will happen again, right before our horrified eyes. - mpg -- A quote...."It was with great joy that I learned of your recent 16-4 vote in support of divesting your university’s  money from companies that enable and profit from the injustice of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and  violation of Palestinian human rights. Principled stands like this, supported by a fast growing number of US civil  society organizations and people of conscience, including prominent Jewish groups, are essential for a better world in  the making, and it is always an inspiration when young people lead the way and speak truth to power." - For more on how to Boycott, Divest and Sanction the state of Israel see the upper-left-corner of the "Front Page" of this website. - mpg

Report: Israel shuts off water to Jordan Valley farms
A quote...."Bethlehem – Ma'an – Four days after an Israeli minister threatened to restrict the West Bank's water supply, Israeli authorities closed off the main water source used for agriculture in a Jordan Valley village on Sunday, committee members and lawyers said." - also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq - For more on this issue see....Israel's Scorched Earth

Israeli occupation forces round up 14 including foreigners, journalists
A quote...."AL-KHALIL — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 14 civilians in Beit Ummar, north of Al-Khalil, on Saturday night including foreign activists and journalists." - also posted at WarInIraq

MADA: IOF shoots demonstrators and journalists
A quote...."Gaza, April 11, (Pal Telegraph) Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedom (MADA), strongly condemns the arrest  of the correspondent and cameraman of France-press agency Hazem Bader, yesterday, by the Israeli occupation forces in the village of Safa (Hebron). -- MADA also condemns the Israeli occupation army’s actions when they opened fire on journalists and demonstrators during a peaceful demonstration in the Atatra area of Beit Lahiya in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday 6/4/2010."

Gaza: travelling thru tunnles seeking medical treatment
A quote...."Gaza, April 11, (Pal Telegraph) I met today with a soft-spoken village man named Abu Ala’a (see picture) who is suffering from a serious but treatable spinal condition which is causing him to slowly loose sensations in his limbs. He walks with a lim[p] and can barely feel his left leg. His condition has reached a critical point, and if [he] does not get emergency surgery within the month, he could suffer permanent paralysis...."
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Radical Concentration of Wealth is Destroying Both Capitalism and Democracy
Must Read - A quote...."Note: If you wish, feel free to substitute the word "republic" for "democracy". -- As I wrote in 2008: -- The economy is like a poker game ... it is human nature to want to get all of the chips, but noted that - if one person does get all of the chips - the game ends. -- In other words, the game of capitalism only continues as long as everyone has some money to play with. If the government and corporations take everyone's money, the game ends."

LBMA Gold Manipulation Story Hits The Mainstream
A quote...."First, the gold manipulation story that Zero Hedge and select others have been beating a drum over for months, had finally made inroads into the broader public, first via the Huffington Post, and earlier today via the NY Post. It has also gone global thanks to the Melbourne Herald Sun, the largest newspaper in Australia, whose column by John Beveridge "More bull than bullion" is reproduced below, courtesy of the GATA. Most importantly, Zero Hedge will soon disclose some very stirring details on the manipulated gold market courtesy of yet another whistleblower, and add a new twist in the greatest precious meals fraud saga of all time. Stay tuned."

Eurozone partners pledge 30 billion euros on Greek rescue package
A quote...."BRUSSELS, April 11 (Xinhua) --Eurozone finance ministers on Sunday hammered out further details of a Greek rescue package, pledging 30 billion euros (41 billion U.S. dollars) in the first year to bail out debt-hit Greece if necessary."

Greek PM: Nobody can play games against euro after latest Eurogroup decision
Related Article -- Well it looks like somebody just did. See article shown below - mpg -- A quote...."ATHENS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Papadreou expressed his country's satisfaction with the decision reached by Eurogroup in an urgent teleconference on Sunday, when he arrived in Cyprus for a visit on Sunday afternoon. -- "Today the safety net for Greece we talked about on the EU Summit on March 25 took a clear format. European solidarity was reaffirmed. It is an important decision for Greece and the EU. Europe sends a clear message," Papandreou said."

And The Proverbial Moral Hazard Foot-Shooting Ensues: With Ink Not Dry On First Bail Out, Greece Already Demands Another €50 Billion - Related Article -- A quote...."Here is what happens when you green light Moral Hazard - in less than two hours after the videoconference in which the EMU announced €30 billion in aid for Greece, a Greek senior official has already come up and said that they were only kidding about needing just €40 or so billion (with the IMF's 10). The full amount will actually be double that, or €80 billion, for the three year period. Look for Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, and Lithuania to come knocking in the next 45 minutes."

Saturday April 10th 2010

Home Free: No Worries for Dr K as Complicity is Revealed
Special Note - A quote...."Just think, it was once a "scandal" that an American secretary of state gave the green light to a program of "targeted killings" -- assassinations -- murders -- that he knew was about to take place. This was once considered a deeply serious matter -- so staining and shattering to the official's reputation that he has spent almost 35 years lying about it, and having other people lie about it for him: Cable Ties Kissinger to Chile Scandal (AP):" - also posted at Uruknet

Alex’s Farewell Interview with Dr. Paul Craig Roberts on The Alex Jones Show
Special Note - Videos - AJ&PCR(1/5) - AJ&PCR(2/5) - AJ&PCR(3/5) - AJ&PCR(4/5) - AJ&PCR(5/5) --
A quote...."Alex welcomes back to the show economist and a nationally syndicated columnist Paul Craig Roberts, who recently announced his journalistic retirement in an article entitled “Truth Has Fallen and Taken Liberty With It.”

Think Progress Shows its Neoliberal/Carl Rovian Pro-War Roots
War Presstitute Alert - Some quotes...."A strong cap on carbon would significantly cut the flow of petrodollars to Iran’s hostile regime, a ThinkProgress analysis shows. The economic and political strength of Iran’s dictatorship is a threat to the national security of the United States and the world, and its nuclear ambitions threaten to destabilize the Middle East."  --  "    …Other unfriendly regimes propped up by carbon-fuel money, such as Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela, will also feel the pinch, improving our national security… "  --  *ThinkProgress*
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Official says Guantanamo detainees were held without cause - VOR/Alt - More on the issue
RTVideo - A quote...."A high-ranking former official in the Bush Administration has admitted that many of the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay were innocent."

Scott Horton Interviews Daphne Eviatar
Audio Interview - A quote...."Daphne Eviatar, Senior Associate in Law and Security for Human Rights First, discusses the inefficient  and bizarre  proceedings of Guantanamo’s military commissions, the steady erosion of Constitutional protections for foreigners and US citizens alike, the few indications that Obama has improved on Bush administration torture practices and the revelation from Lawrence Wilkerson (former chief of staff  to Secretary of State Colin Powell) that Bush knew many Gitmo inmates were innocent." --  ||  MP3 here. (29min:32sec)  ||

For more on the two articles shown above see....9/11-Iraq-Torture Fables
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Iraq: Seven Years of Occupation
Special Note - A quote...."On April 9, 2003, exactly seven years ago, Baghdad fell under the US-led occupation. Baghdad did not fall in 21 days, though; it fell after 13 years of wars, bombings and economic sanctions. Millions of Iraqis, including myself, watched our country die slowly before our eyes in those 13 years. So, when the invasion started in March of 2003, everyone knew it was the straw that would break the camel's back."

Scott Horton Interviews Dahr Jamail
Audio Interview - A quote...."Independent journalist Dahr Jamail  discusses the common occurrence of unprovoked US military violence like the incident revealed by Wikileaks, Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s two-month window to eliminate the competition and stay in power, the inability of Americans to parse through media nonsense to get the real story on Iraq, “atrocity producing” situations in Iraq fed by dehumanization and arbitrary rules of engagement and why it’s difficult to turn off the boot camp-indoctrinated killer instinct." --  ||  MP3 here. (48min:25sec)  ||

Iraq anti-US cleric Sadr urges unity vs Americans
A quote...."Anti-U.S. cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, likely to be a key player in forming a new Iraqi government following elections last month, urged Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims on Friday to unite to oust American troops."

Iraq murder video leaked by [US Military] officers
A quote...."Wikileaks Co-founder Julian Assange says the website obtained the video of the killing of Iraqi civilians by US soldiers in 2007 from American military officers."

APNewsBreak: Abu Ghraib MP unit to return to Iraq
Wonderful! Guess Obama wants his own set of snuff vids. - mpg -- A quote...."HAGERSTOWN, Md. — The Army Reserve unit tarnished by the Abu Ghraib detainee-abuse scandal has been mobilized to return to Iraq in its first deployment since photographs of naked, humiliated prisoners surfaced more than six years ago, the Army said Friday."

[Dutch] Foreign minister knew Iraq posed no threat
A quote...."The former Dutch military intelligence chief denies allegations by former Foreign Minister Jaap de Hoop Scheffer that intelligence services had failed to inform him that Iraq did not pose a security threat as suggested by the United States." -- Awwww C'MON!!  Everybody knew the US-NRE's "intel" was complete bullsh-t from day one! - mpg
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Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, threatens to block Nato offensive
A quote...."The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, has cast doubt over Nato’s planned summer offensive against the Taliban in the southern province of Kandahar, as more than 10,000 American troops pour in for the fight."

Afghan officials say Pakistan's arrest of Taliban leader threatens peace talks
A quote...."KABUL -- Senior Afghan officials are now criticizing as counterproductive the arrest in Pakistan this year of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the No. 2 Taliban official. Its main effect, the Afghan officials say, has been to derail Afghan-led efforts to secure peace talks with the Taliban, making that peace ever more remote."

U.S. officials say Pakistani spy agency released Afghan Taliban insurgents
A quote...."The recent capture of the Afghan Taliban's second in command seemed to signal a turning point in Pakistan, an indication that its intelligence agency had gone from helping to cracking down on the militant Islamist group."
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Russia eyes U.S. air base in Kyrgyz turmoil
A quote...."(Reuters) - Russian-backed coup or not, the uprising in Kyrgyzstan means the United States may have to bargain hard to keep its last military base in Central Asia."

US suspends Kyrgyzstan troop flights at Manas
A quote...."The US has stopped all troop flights to Afghanistan from its controversial air base in Kyrgyzstan, a day after the country's new leadership said it would close the key military base in the country. " - also posted at WarInIraq

1,300 U.S. troops stranded at airfield in Kyrgyzstan, military says
A quote...."Washington (CNN) -- About 1,300 U.S. troops have been stuck at the Manas airfield in Kyrgyzstan because of the civil unrest there. - A U.S. military spokesman, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the security situation, said the troops have been unable to move because of the suspension of U.S. military operations at the airfield."

Kyrgyzstan: The not so great game
A quote...."As the sun shone on Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev when they signed a nuclear arms control treaty in Prague yesterday, a popular uprising 2,800 miles away in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, provided a somewhat more brutal test of the new era of co-operation between Moscow and Washington. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the man propelled to power in the name of democracy and the so-called tulip revolution in 2005 has gone the way of all flesh. He rigged an election, appointed family members to key government positions, and began locking up the opposition. The trigger for a bloody revolt was a large increase in fuel prices. Yesterday, the opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva, a former foreign minister, proclaimed herself head of an interim government, but – amid widespread looting – chaos still reigned."

The National Endowment for Democracy’s Kyrgyzstan Legacy
Photo - A quote...."This is a photo of an undercover policeman kicking the head of a Kyrgyz demonstrator this week. - The National Endowment for Democracy and the Bush adminsitration were proud of their role in the uprising that led to the current government taking power in Kyrgyzstan. - Maybe the Endowment’s apologists will claim that the demonstrator is getting a pro-democracy kick in the head. - Kudos to Vladimir Pirogov, the brave Reuters photographer who got this shot. And triple kudos to the Kyrgyz people for stalwartly fighting an oppressive government." - bold by website editor - What!!  The US-NRE missed one, quick, lets go to Kyrgyzstan and introduce him to one of our helicopter gun ships.  Heck, it worked in Iraq right?  - mpg
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AFRICOM Backs Bloodshed in Central Africa
A quote...."The eastern Congo remains awash in bloodshed due to western mining companies and their proxy armies, the military regimes of Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), and Joseph Kabila (DRC), all hidden behind reams of western newsprint blaming Congolese victims for their own suffering. Across the continent a new rebellion in western Congo has reportedly engaged Belgian paratroopers and UN “peacekeepers” in alliance with the DRC government. With massive casualties and more than 200,000 civilians forced to flee western Congo the United Nations and western media have covered up the new rebellion. Meanwhile, AFRICOM under the Obama administration has major base constructions and secret deployments across Central Africa, with NATO, Dyncorp and Special Operations Command shipping Ugandan grunts to the U.S. wars in Somalia, Afghanistan, Darfur and Iraq." - also posted at WarInIraq

U.S. Pushes for Somalia Offensive, But Settles for Starving Somali Civilians
A quote...."What's a super-power to do when its puppet is too weak to wage a proxy war on the big guy's behalf? Starve the population, to make the whole country scream. The U.S. used the UN Security Council to sabotage the international body's aid program for Somalia, endangering the lives of millions. So much for Washington's doctrine of “humanitarian intervention.” - also posted at Uruknet

For more on the two articles shown above see....Africa - the Next Target - 02-28-08 - mpg
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Poland’s Leaders Move to Weaken Currency, Then Die in Plane Crash
A quote...."There’s no telling if the two events are connected, but their timing is mighty interesting. -- The Polish government and the National Bank of Poland, in a “rare moment of unity,” agree to weaken Poland’s currency, the zloty, in an act that would benefit Poland’s exporters at the expense of Poland’s trading partners—that is, the European Union, among others. Then, the next day, Poland’s president and the president of its national bank die in a plane crash." - also posted at DProgram

Bolivia’s Morales Invites Greater Russian Presence In Latin America
A quote...."Bolivian President Evo Morales on Sunday confirmed that during a recent meeting with Russian Prime Minister Putin in Venezuela he asked for a “greater Russian presence in Latin America” and especially in Bolivia. -- Morales also confirmed that a delegation of Bolivian leaders will travel to Russia April 25 – 28 to begin negotiations about future Russian investment in Bolivia in the energy sector. On their trip, the ministers also will seek to close a deal on a US$100 million loan requested by the Morales government to outfit and modernize the country’s armed forces and for the purchase of a new presidential jet."

Ex-Members of U.S. Military Were Members of Hutaree Militia Extremist Group
A quote...."Federal investigators have discovered that two members of the extremist Michigan-based Hutaree militia group charged with plotting to assassinate law-enforcement officers are former U.S. military servicemen, including a Marine Corps corporal who was a Persian Gulf War veteran and decorated expert rifleman."

Scotland’s First Minister calls for Israel trade rethink
A quote...."Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, has called for legal action and a review of trading relationships with Israel after David Miliband announced that Britain formally blamed the country for cloning UK passports during the Dubai operation." - From TheJC - also posted at WarInIraq
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Why are American Jewish groups so intent on defending illegal Israeli settlements and other human rights violations?
A quote...."A coalition of nearly 20 Jewish groups, ranging from the right-wing David Project and the Jewish National Fund to the liberal J Street, is distributing a misleading statement condemning a Student Senate bill at UC Berkeley. The ground-breaking bill calls for divestment from companies that profit from the perpetuation of the Israeli military occupation in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and Gaza. They refer to the bill as "dishonest" and "misleading" and "based on contested allegations." - also posted at AlethoNews

Jailing, Torturing and Destroying the Children
A quote....95% of convictions based on coerced confessions;

• "They stripped us out of our trousers and T-shirts. They then started to throw stones at our backs while laughing and making fun of us."
• "While we were walking to the gate, the soldiers hit us with their rifles in our backs and laughed."
• "I was interrogated for three days. My hands and feet were tied to the wall in the shape of a cross. I spent one full day in this position. I felt extreme pain and swelling in my hands. The soldiers then moved me to solitary confinement where I spent 15 days. I used to urinate in the cell."

The Ghosts of Deir Yassin  April 11, 2010
Special Note - A quote...."ISRAEL HAS LONG played on its “heroic” beginnings to stir up support for its less than heroic exploits today. The problem is that those heroic beginnings have always been a fiction. Israel’s bloody birth and subsequent actions were crimes against humanity which continue to this day. The veneer of Israel’s manufactured “legitimacy” cannot hide the rot eating away at the core of its existence—its original sin of violent dispossession and its current colonialist and apartheid policies. And, without acknowledgement of, and reparations for, the atrocities committed against the Palestinians, the ghosts of Deir Yassin and elsewhere in Palestine will continue to loom large in any peace talks."

Hamas: Documents Revealed by Ha'aretz Enough to Sue Israel's Leaders
A quote...."A Hamas movement's spokesman said on Friday that the secret documents revealed by the Israeli media on the Israeli war on Gaza are enough to be a proof to sue the Israeli leaders at international courts. -- An investigative report published in the Israeli Ha'aretz Daily Thursday revealed documents showing that the Israeli army leaders gave instructions to soldiers to kill Palestinians "in cold blood" instead of arresting them." - also posted at Uruknet & WarInIraq

IDF order will enable mass deportation from West Bank - It's starting! - mpg
A quote...."A new military order aimed at preventing infiltration will come into force this week, enabling the deportation of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank, or their indictment on charges carrying prison terms of up to seven years. -- When the order comes into effect, tens of thousands of Palestinians will automatically become criminal offenders liable to be severely punished."

Israeli army fires at peaceful protesters in Al Atatra border area, North Gaza
A quote...."This demonstration, which took place on the 6 April, is one of several weekly demonstrations happening in different places alongside Gaza’s border with Israel."

The plight of Israel's 'targeted citizens'
Film Review - A quote...."Of all the myriad tags used to define Israel's Palestinian population, "targeted citizen" has to be one of the more appropriate. It's the title both of a track by the "Arab-Israeli" rappers, Dam, and a short film in which they and others expose the persistent double dose of discrimination and suspicion meted out to "Arabs of Israel"."
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The Guy Who Brought Down AIG - and Maybe the World Economy - Gets Off Scott-Free, and Gets to Keep $315 Million in Loot -- A quote...."Jospeh Cassano, the guy who brought down AIG - and maybe the world economy - with trillions in risky derivatives deals which AIG couldn't back up, is getting prosecuted ... and the government will claw back all the money he made, right? -- Uh, no. -- In reality, Cassano is walking away scott-free with $315 million." - For more on this issue see....Having Fun With Your Tax Dollars

33 states out of money to fund jobless benefits
A quote...."NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With unemployment still at a severe high, a majority of states have drained their jobless benefit funds, forcing them to borrow billions from the federal government to help out-of-work Americans."

Soros Says Pound Devaluation Is Option for Next U.K. Government
A quote...."Billionaire investor George Soros said the next U.K. government after the May 6 election should decide whether to allow a further devaluation of the pound to rebalance the economy and assist the recovery." - There's an inducement for you, buy US-NRE and UK bonds and get a future  %20 to %40 guaranteed hair cut when these countries currencies depreciate. What a WONDERFUL deal!  Sure hope the Chinese, Russians and the Saudi Government are paying attention. - mpg

Misery for [UK] Motorists as Petrol Hits £6 a Gallon
A quote...."THE £6 [aprox $9 US] gallon arrived at Britain’s petrol pumps yesterday as motorists ­continue to be hammered by Labour."

Fitch downgrades credit ratings of five Greek banks
A quote...."ATHENS, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Fitch rating agency downgraded the credit ratings of five major Greek banks with a negative outlook on Saturday, a day after it downgraded the credit rating of Greece, while the Greek government weighs the prospect of asking for the activation of the EU-IMF financial support mechanism."

Sovereign debt crisis at 'boiling point', warns Bank for International Settlements
A quote...."The Bank for International Settlements does not mince words. Sovereign debt is already starting to cross the danger threshold in the United States, Japan, Britain, and most of Western Europe, threatening to set off a bond crisis at the heart of the global economy. "

U.S. slaps anti-dumping duties on Chinese steel pipe in new protectionist move
Let the Depression era games begin....Smoot Hawley anyone. - mpg -- A quote...."WASHINGTON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Friday imposed anti-dumping duties ranging from 30 percent to 99 percent on imports of steel pipes used in oil and gas wells, a move that might escalate trade disputes between the two countries."

Friday April 9th 2010

Thursday April 8th 2010

Understanding Deep Politics Conference
Revealing the Driving Forces Behind World Events and Creating Alternative Solutions
University Inn & Conference Center   Santa Cruz, CA   May 14 - 16th, 2010
For Complete Information See Our Website: http://understandingdeeppolitics.org 
To Register Please Visit: http://understandingdeeppolitics.eventbrite.com/  

Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
Salle Marie-Gérin-Lajoie (730 seats)
405, Ste-Catherine St. E., Local J-M400 (Metro Berri level)
Metro: Berri-UQAM
Find on Google Maps
May 3rd, 2010 @ 6:30 pm