The Real World: Mercenaries, Murder and the American Way
Special Note - A quote...."Who could possibly have suspected this? A Beltway-wired mercenary company hired by the American government to act as freebooting muscle in the war of aggression against Iraq has been accused -- in sworn affidavits from company insiders -- of operating a murder and gun-running racket in order to push its hard-right owner's religious extremism. Can such a thing even be contemplated? Why, the next thing you know, they'll be telling us that good, clean-limbed, all-American agents used KGB-derived torture tactics against helpless captives or something!"

Countdown-The Nation's Jeremy Scahill on Blackwater chief Eric Prince's deep troubles
Must View Video - Related Video - (YuTb 6m10s 08/04/09) -- A quote...."The Nation's Jeremy Scahill on Blackwater chief Eric Prince's deep troubles".

Joseph Stiglitz and Linda J. Bilmes: Adding up the true costs of two wars
Special Note - A quote...."Last week the U.S. "stood down" in Iraq, finalizing the pullout of 140,000 troops from Iraqi cities and towns -- the first step on the long path home. After more than six years, most Americans are war-weary, even though a smaller percentage of us have been involved in the actual fighting than in any major conflict in U.S. history."

Errant Home -- 18.54 Minutes of a Soul Wound.
Video - A quote...."Introduction By Layla Anwar - An Arab Woman Blues. -- Someone forwarded me this very moving and powerful video. -- The four artists interviewed, summed up in 18.54 minutes, my three years of blogging. -- I have mentioned, referred, inferred to, in all of my previous posts -- the Iraqi Soul. Yes I believe that there is a collective Soul of a People, in particular an ancient people like the Iraqis. -- I don't want to say much. I invite you to watch closely this short documentary. Watch it closely with attention and listen to what is, and most importantly to what is not said."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

'Did Western troops come here to kill my children?' Afghan villagers' despair as three boys are killed in airstrike
Heck No!  They came there to kill you, your wife, your children, your relatives, your neighbors, anyone in the general vicinity, anyone in the next town, the country next door to you, the OTHER country next door to you, more countries in the future.....  If you're confused about all this "help" the NRE and its lackeys are trying to give you, their motto is "Kill We Must". – mpg -- A quote..."Outraged southern Afghan villagers said today that a pre-dawn airstrike killed three children and a man in the latest case of civilian deaths at the hands of Western troops. -- The U.S. military said it had killed four insurgents on motorcycles in that area and could not confirm any civilian fatalities."

Depleted Uranium Ammunition in Afghan War: New Evidence
A quote...."A classified German Army manual has thrown doubt over US and UK assurances that no depleted uranium munitions have been used in Afghanistan." - also posted at DProgram -- Oh No!  They lied again, can you believe it? (giggle, snicker) - mpg

In kingdom, Saudi prince's coup 'fails'
A quote...."Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the kingdom's former ambassador to the United States, is reportedly under house arrest over a conspiracy against the monarch. -- Saad al-Faqih, head of the opposition group Islamic Reform Movement, told Arab-language TV al-Alam that Prince Bandar has been disappeared and the media has published no word from the ex-diplomat's whereabouts since nearly three months ago."

Pakistan bans 25 Islamist organizations
A quote...."Pakistan has banned 25 Islamist and charity organizations across the country under the 1997 Anti-Terrorism Act saying the move was aimed at stopping growing militancy in the country."
    
U-turn Puts Hezbollah In The Driving Seat
Special Note - A quote...."DAMASCUS - Those who rejoiced at the election results in Lebanon on June 7 had a big surprise this week, as the tables seemed to turn on the pro-Western coalition in favor of the Hezbollah-led opposition, and Damascus."

Hezbollah reportedly stockpiling 40,000 rockets
A quote...."The Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah has stockpiled 40,000 rockets near the border with Israel and is training its guerillas to use missiles capable of striking Tel Aviv, The Times of London reported on Wednesday".
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Iran/Russia - a deadly embrace
Must View Videos - All three videos; part one was posted 08-04-09 - mpg -- A quote from part two...."After 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq, the Chinese leadership was more than ready to counteract the US advancement in Eurasia - and turn it on its head. In the second part of this report, Pepe Escobar analyzes what's at stake at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and what really matters for emerging global power China and regional power Iran: the Asian Energy Security Grid and the re-emergence of the fabled Silk Road, now as a vehicle for energy security as well as trade."

Iran, Oman Sign Security Pact
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- The Islamic Republic of Iran and Oman signed a security agreement on Wednesday."

Iran develops new pilot training jet
A quote...."Iran has managed to manufacture a new training fighter jet, a senior Iranian military official says. -- Commander of Iran's Air Force Brig. Gen. Hassan Shahsafi made the announcement without revealing more details about the new training jet called Kosar."

Iran's Report Slams Violation of Human Rights in West
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Ministry released an annual report on the challenges that Muslims face in Western countries because of human rights violations."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Turks turn anti-Islam Dutch MP into 'monkey'
This is funny - mpg -  A quote...."Turkish hackers have put an edited picture of the controversial Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders on hundreds of websites, which depicts him as a monkey. -- The move to hack the Dutch websites was spearheaded by a Turkish hacker code named as "aLpTurkTegin", Turkey's Yenisafak newspaper reported."

Russian PM to discuss energy, economy in visit to Turkey
A quote...."ANKARA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to Turkey will focus on energy and economic issues and ways to boost cooperation and enhance relations between the two countries, said Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday."

Politkovskaya murder retrial begins in Moscow, critics question quthorities' will to solve case
A quote...."Three suspects in the murder of journalist and Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya went on trial for a second time in Moscow Wednesday, according to news reports. No one has been sentenced for the October 2006 killing of Politkovskaya, who published scathing exposes of official corruption and rights abuses."

ROAR: “Georgia is using old tactics towards South Ossetia”
A quote...."The Russian media and analysts say the recent provocations on the Georgian-South Ossetian border resemble last year’s events. -- Georgia will continue to maintain tension on the border with South Ossetia to gain support from the West, observers believe, commenting on the upcoming anniversary of the war in the Caucasus."

“Saakashvili preparing for another war” – deserted Georgian soldier
Video - Special Note - A quote...."06 August, 2009, 08:41 -- A soldier who deserted the Georgian army and has now fled to Russia says US instructors are currently training Georgian soldiers for a war – just as they did before Georgia’s assault last year on South Ossetia."

Painful memories of S. Ossetian War
Video - A quote...."06 August, 2009, 08:47 -- It is almost one year since Georgia launched its assault on the Republic of South Ossetia. In the days that followed scores of Ossetians died and homes were reduced to rubble, and the scars of war still remain."

Latin American leftist leaders assail U.S. troop plan
A quote...."CARACAS (Reuters) - South America's hard-line leftist leaders on Wednesday criticized U.S. plans to deploy extra troops at bases in Colombia, accusing Washington of using the war on drugs as a pretext to boost its regional military presence."

Bolivia: Evo Morales Nixes US Bases -- Oh, oh, looks like another US-NRE inspired coup is coming up soon.
A quote...."La Paz, Aug 5 (Prensa Latina) President of Bolivia Evo Morales again rejected on Wednesday the installation of US military bases in Latin America and his country''s call to the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) to reject such plans."

Why the U.S. Government Hates Venezuela
Because they refuse to pay the outrageous vig to the Empire and kiss its ass, that's why. - mpg -- A quote...."The propaganda wheels are turning fast.  The barrage of anti-Venezuela misinformation that began while Bush was in office has intensified in recent months.  Not a week goes by without the U.S. mainstream media running at least one story about the "dictatorial" Venezuelan government.  Historically, the U.S. government’s foreign policy "coincidentally" matches the opinion of the media and vice versa."

Chavez to buy Russian tanks over U.S. troop buildup in Colombia
A quote...."MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said at a press conference the country plans to buy weapons and Russian tanks over a possible increase in U.S. military personnel in neighboring Colombia. -- Chavez urged U.S. President Barack Obama not to increase the country's military contingent at bases in Colombia and said the move could lead to a war in the region."

Chavez cherishes his Chinese-built satellite 
A quote...."Last October, a new Chinese-built US$241 million communications satellite called Simon Bolivar or Venesat-1 was launched from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China on a CZ-3B rocket. It is owned by Venezuela. Uruguay also obtained a 10% stake in this satellite because Venesat-1 now occupies an orbital slot - essentially a parking space for a satellite approximately around 35,900 kilometers above Earth - assigned to Uruguay. "
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

No one's fooled – we [British] colluded in torture
A quote...."This week, one of Parliament's most active bodies, the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), made up of both peers and MPs, reports on the allegations of government involvement in and knowledge of the torture of terrorist suspects by foreign powers. If you're like me, you find it hard to read anything about torture, but this report is very important because it makes plain these barbaric practices have been commissioned in our name. Those who have read it say it is "truly shocking" and that the government cannot avoid a formal response to the allegations." -- Hey, WOW!!  Look at the British, actually investigating their complicity with torture.  Look at the US-NRE, still torturing people.  Guess it's not "behind us" after all. - mpg

Hundreds Of [British] ISPs Refuse To Go Along With Big Brother Spy System
A quote...."A group of over 300 internet service providers and telecommunications firms is fighting back against the British government's plans to monitor all emails, phone calls and internet activity nationwide. -- The London Internet Exchange (LINX), which represents some 330 companies, including BT, Virgin and Carphone Warehouse, says that the government is misleading the public about the extent to which it plans to monitor their communications and internet activity. "  OH WOW!!  Another coup by the British, guess their elites will have to stage another 7/7 bombing attack.  Meanwhile, here in the New Roman Empire it's spy 24/7 on everyone.  Can anybody say "Bannana Republic"?? - mpg

You Tube Pulls Hundreds Of Ron Paul Videos - What's wrong with YouTube? - mpg
A quote...."The C-Span Junkie user channel, a non-partisan archive of short clips taken from C-Span broadcasts of events in the Congress and the Senate, has been the home of the vast majority of You Tube videos you have seen of Bernanke, Geithner, Paulson and others being confronted in Congress, as well as Ron Paul’s speeches on the House floor. A total of more than 6400 videos in all have been pulled, hundreds of which featured the Texan Congressman.  --  Whether or not C-Span itself requested that You Tube pull the channel is not known, but it is clearly in the public interest and constitutes fair use to show a clip less than 10 minutes in length of what the people who are supposedly our Representatives are saying in Congress on our behalf." -- also posted at RockTheTruth

Cheney assassination team involved Pentagon chain of command - posted at OnlineJournal
Special Note - A quote...."(WMR) -- Pentagon officials revealed important details of Vice President Dick Cheney’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) assassination at a Special Operation/Low Intensity Conflict (SOLIC) conference in Arlington, Virginia, just weeks before the U.S. invasion of Iraq. -- Reporting to the Pentagon’s Undersecretary for Plans and Policy Douglas Feith, the assassination team was known as “Black Special Operations Forces” or “Black SOF” and the assassination team was part of a group responsible for “special programs,” according to information revealed at the conference sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA)."

Federal judges order California to release 43,000 inmates
Right on time for the thirty year cycle folks, it's gonna be like the late sixties, early seventies soon, with depressed neighborhoods, violent crime, and a plethora of new "Death Wish" movies. Just unbelievable, this society is totally pathetic. It's going to release all of these people, many of whom shouldn't have been incarcerated in the first place, into a Great Depression without any help what-so-ever. - mpg -- A quote...."California must shrink the population of its teeming prisons by nearly 43,000 inmates over the next two years to meet constitutional standards, a panel of three federal judges ruled Tuesday, ordering the state to come up with a reduction plan by mid-September." -- also posted at RogueGov
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

John Conyers: “There is no one more disappointed than I am in Barack Obama.”
Special Note - Some quotes...."Congressman John Conyers says Barack Obama’s stance on health care has been wrong, and it’s going to cost the president “big time.” It might even cost Obama his second term in the White House". ---  "The truth is, Obama killed the prospects for real health care reform when, no sooner than he had taken the oath of office, he began threatening to cut Medicare and attempting to marginalize single payer advocates like John Conyers. What begins badly, usually ends badly. " - bold by website editor -- also posted at OhBummer

Inadequate Coverage for Basic Needs - The Myth of Medicare for All
Special Note - A quote...."When Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) announced to the media last week that he has been diagnosed with prostrate cancer, he also commented on the importance of getting annual physical examinations. Good thing Dodd is not on Medicare. Medicare does not provide coverage for annual physical exams. As the leading Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Dodd is a key player in the plan to overhaul the US health care system. So one would assume he knows that today’s Medicare has no dental coverage; no coverage for eye exams or eyeglasses; no coverage for hearing aids, no coverage for annual physical exams, or foot care."

A Glide Path to Disaster - The Incredible, Shrinking Health Care Plan
Special Note - A quote...."Like soap in a rainstorm, “healthcare reform” is wasting away. -- As this week began, a leading follower of conventional wisdom, journalist Cokie Roberts, told NPR listeners: “This is evolving legislation. And the administration is now talking about a glide path towards universal coverage, rather than immediate universal coverage.” -- Notions of universal healthcare are fading in the power centers of politics -- while more and more attention focuses on the care and feeding of the insurance industry." -- Money talks, health takes a walk. - mpg

Real Health Care Reform - Universal Single Payer
Special Note - By The Numbers -- A quote...."Organizations like Physicians for a National Health Program want Americans to have the same system in place in all other Western countries and elsewhere, including Venezuela, South Korea, Japan, Cuba, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. But not in America - the only industrialized country without it despite spending more than double per capita than the other 30 OECD countries and delivering less for it. -- In a September 2007 report to Congress, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) compared 2004 US health care spending with other OECD countries:

-- America then averaged $6,102 per person, well over double the average $2,560 for OECD countries;

-- US health care spending was 15.3% of the economy compared to 8.9% on average for OECD countries; for Canada it was 9.9%; Germany - 10.6%; Great Britain - 8.1%; France - 10.5%; and Japan 8.0%;

-- "US prices for medical care commodities and services are significantly higher than in other countries (delivering comparable care) and serve as a key determinant of higher overall spending;" high insurance and drug costs are the most significant factors;
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More on the Iranian Election.....

White House spokesman withdraws remarks on Iran's presidential election - Oh, oh, a most unfriendly act. - mpg
Special Note - White House Says OK for Overthrow of Iranian Government - mpg - A quote.... "WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Wednesday withdrew his remarks that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is "the elected leader," saying the Iranian people can decide whether the election is fair." - bold by website editor -- In other words, to paraphrase what Mr. Robert Gibbs actually wanted to say.....

"Who gives a crap about the actual vote count, we didn't care about it during a couple of our most recent Presidential elections, so you Iranians go ahead and knock yourselves out, start a civil war, and if we can help in anyway to better destroy your country, your government, and your people, just as we're trying to do in Honduras, you let us know OK"?!?!

For this website editor's prior comments on Mr. Gibb's prior remarks, see article shown below.....


“Iranian patriots have always been labeled by the West”
Video - A quote...."Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s uncompromising policies are what makes the Western media portray him in a negative way, believes Kian Mokhtari, an Iranian political commentator."

Ahmadinejad sworn in, dismissing Westen stance on congragulation
A quote...."Ahmadinejad took the oath of office as Iran's new president, saying he was not awaiting congratulation messages from Western leaders."  -- It's great for a change to see somebody take an OATH of office, and actually mean it. - mpg
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More On The Palestinian Situation....

Abbas Goes Mental...Becomes Delusional
Special Note - A quote...."Oh, where do I start, me says whilst shaking my head in disbelief. Here’s the subject of the opening statement from Abbas the dictator and Israeli Agent. Notice how he shoots himself in the foot (hint-bolded words are a clue):" -- For more on how the US-NRE, Israel and Egypt helped to stir things up in Palestine, and get a lot of innocent people killed in the process, see....US Sponsored Civil Wars - Palestine

Jimmy Carter was correct in his assessment of Israel
A quote...."General (Ret) James David (who wrote the introduction to the Haaretz article below) is mentioned on the cover of the third edition of former Republican Congressional representative Paul Findley’s ‘The Dare to Speak Out’  book about the power/influence of the pro-Israel lobby (AIPAC and similar) on the US political system and media:"

AIPAC slams Obama for honoring 'anti-Israel' ex-Irish president
Oh look folks, the Mini-Nazis are at it again. [By the way, Obama gets no points for properly honoring an ex-head of state.] - mpg -- A quote...."The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Tuesday slammed the Obama administration for its decision to give a former Irish president the presidential Medal of Freedom, saying they were "deeply disappointed" by the move."

Israeli GESTAPO agents to pre-approve Zionist judges - Good little Mini-Nazis. - mpg
Special Note - A quote...."Israel's internal security service has been given a de facto veto over the appointment of judges in an unprecedented decision that has the country's embattled liberals up in arms. -- The move by the Judges Selection Committee on Friday is likely to make it harder for members of Israel's Arab minority and others with views that are not mainstream to become judges, according to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (Acri). Zahava Galon, a former MP of the dovish Meretz party, said the decision was "a scandal". She said: "We are turning into a kind of police state with Big Brother everywhere. A judge shouldn't have to pass the Shin Bet's tests. This is just something that isn't done."

Human rights report notes 200 arrests in Barta’ and 900 Palestinians in prison without family visits
By The Numbers - A quote...."PNN - Some 900 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family visitation for over two years. -- The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights report for the week of 23 through 29 July also notes this week that Israeli forces arrested 200 workers from Barta’a Village which is isolated by the Wall. -- A report by the Prisoners’ Society noted today that three Palestinians have just passed 17 years in Israeli prisons while Israeli forces arrested 312 Palestinians during month of July and 3,372 since beginning of the year."

Untermenschen
A quote...."This is Jana Hannoun. I met her after a Palestine Literature Festival event at the British Council in occupied east Jerusalem. We were at the British Council because our original venue, the Palestine National Theatre, had been closed down by the Israeli occupiers. The British Council is just down the road from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, where Jana lived, and which Israel wants to Judaize."

Palestinian state proposal by ~Latuff2
Cartoon - Click on the image to enlarge it. - mpg

Hail the mighty Emperor! Congress performs pilgrimage to motherland Israel
A quote...."Note: Nothing new about it, Congressmen and women from both parties perform pilgrimage [Is that what you call it when you perform various genuflections, prostrations, and the kissing of boots and other parts of the Israeli anatomy -- for money?  And here this website editor thought that was called corruption, or even treason. - mpg] various times a year to swear allegiance and affirm loyalty to Israel. Hail the mighty Emperor! -- "GOP Lawmakers Visit Israel, Followed by Dems -- Meanwhile in Jerusalem, a group of Republican lawmakers met with Israeli officials Tuesday in what they billed as a solidarity mission with the Israeli government." - bold by website editor
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

A Media Blackout in Honduras
Must View Video - A quote...."By: GRITtv Wednesday August 5, 2009 9:00 am -- News from Honduras has been in short supply even though the standoff between ousted leader Manuel Zelaya and Roberto Micheletti continues. July 30 marked one of the bloodiest days since the military coup and efforts to achieve some kind of power sharing agreement between the two parties and ensure Zelaya’s return have failed. So what’s happening on the ground? And why aren’t we hearing about it? "

Speaking of Democracy, Honduras, and President Obama. . .
A quote...."In writing my new book Hoodwinked (Random House, Nov 2009 publication date), I recently visited Central America. Everyone I talked with there was convinced that the military coup that had overthrown the democratically-elected president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, had been engineered by two US companies, with CIA support. And that the US and its new president were not standing up for democracy."
========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

From Recession to Depression - The Destruction of the Black Middle Class
Not a tear will be shed, not one! This is what happens when you vote FOR a man because of the color of his skin and NOT because of the content of his character. You pay dearly.  Remember folks, everyone in this country still has the RIGHT to vote, hopefully you'll still have that right to cast it come next November.  If you're stupid enough to AGAIN vote for a DemoRepub after all that's happened, well, you'll deserve exactly what you'll get....nothing. – mpg -- A quote...."To judge from most of the commentary on the Gates-Crowley affair, you would think that a "black elite" has gotten dangerously out of hand. First Gates (Cambridge, Yale, Harvard) showed insufficient deference to Crowley, then Obama (Occidental, Harvard) piled on to accuse the police of having acted "stupidly." Was this "the end of white America" which the Atlantic had warned of in its January/February cover story? Or had the injuries of class - working class in Crowley's case - finally trumped the grievances of race? -- Left out of the ensuing tangle of commentary on race and class has been the increasing impoverishment-or, we should say, re-impoverishment--of African Americans as a group. In fact, the most salient and lasting effect of the current recession may turn out to be the decimation of the black middle class." - bold by website editor

Monumentally Tragic Disappointment on the Horizon
A quote...."Whenever the herd mentality lines up along a compass point leading to “permanent prosperity,” or a yellow brick road lined with green shoots, or something like that, I tend to see the edge of a cliff up ahead. We are now completely in the grips of the deadly diminishing returns of information technology.  The more information comes to us about How Things Are, especially from TV, the more confused or wrong the conventional view gets it. -- A broad consensus has formed in the news media and among government mouthpieces and even some “bearish” investors on the street that “the worst is behind us” in this tortured economy.  This view is completely crazy.  It will only lead to massive disappointment a few weeks or months from now, and that disappointment might easily transmute to political trouble.  One even might call the situation tragic, except a closer look at the sordid spectacle of what American culture has become — a non-stop circus of the seven deadly sins — suggests that we deserve to be punished by history."

It's Not Hard to Be a Job-Slashing, Pension-Grabbing CEO -- If You're a Sociopath
A quote...."The Wall Street Journal reported last week that "Executives and other highly compensated employees now receive more than one-third of all pay in the US... Highly paid employees received nearly $2.1 trillion of the $6.4 trillion in total US pay in 2007, the latest figures available." -- One of the questions often asked when the subject of CEO pay comes up is, "What could a person such as William McGuire or Lee Raymond (the former CEOs of UnitedHealth and ExxonMobil, respectively) possibly do to justify a $1.7 billion paycheck or a $400 million retirement bonus?"

Bailed out Buffett: Buffett firms got $95 billion of bailout cash
A quote...."The richest man in the world doesn’t need $95 billion dollars. -- But apparently, the companies he invests in did. According to a new report, companies in which Warren Buffett owns sizable minority stakes received a whopping $95 billion in Troubled Asset Relief funding, as Buffett was shilling for investments in common stocks."

MSM: US companies axe 371,000 jobs in July
A quote...."(Times) – American businesses cut 371,000 jobs from their workforces in July in a further sign that recovery in the labour market remains far off despite positive signs in other areas of the economy."

ISM service sector index dips unexpectedly in July
A quote...."NEW YORK — Shrinking business activity, fewer new orders and lower employment sapped some modest momentum from the U.S. services sector in July, although economists said the setback likely was a blip and not the start of a troubling trend." -- Folks, this is not to say that the Market is going to go up, or that it's going to go down.  But you know those guys who stated repeatedly everything was fine right up until the dot com boom went bust, and the same guys that stated repeatedly that the banks, housing and the markets were fine right up until they weren't.....these are those same guys. - mpg

About half of U.S. mortgages seen underwater by 2011
Deflation Alert - A quote...."NEW YORK (Reuters) – The percentage of U.S. homeowners who owe more than their house is worth will nearly double to 48 percent in 2011 from 26 percent at the end of March, portending another blow to the housing market, Deutsche Bank said on Wednesday."


Skip the Happy Talk -- This Depression is just beginning
Must Read - A quote...."August 03, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- Too bad Pulitzers aren't handed out for blog-entries. This year's award would go to Zero Hedge for its "The 'Money on the Sidelines' Fallacy" post. This short entry shows why the economy will continue its downward slide and why the US consumer will not get off the mat and resume spending as he has in the past. The fact is the Net Wealth of US Households has "declined from a peak of $22 trillion to just under $12 trillion in early March." -- Ouch! -- The problem is compounded by the fact that Total US Household debt, as of first quarter 2009, amounts to roughly $13 trillion, and has stayed within that range for the last 3 and a half years." -- also posted at DProgram

Feds Hit With Biggest Tax Revenue Drop Since 1932
Must Read - A quote....The numbers could hardly be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion. -- Other figures in an Associated Press analysis underscore the recession's impact: Individual income tax receipts are down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent. Social Security tax receipts could drop for only the second time since 1940, and Medicare taxes are on pace to drop for only the third time ever. -- The last time the government's revenues were this bleak, the year was 1932 in the midst of the Depression."

Geithner Won’t Rule Out New Taxes for Middle Class
Must Read - (For the outrage) --  A quote...."To get the economy back on track, will President Barack Obama have to break his pledge not to raise taxes on 95 percent of Americans? In a “This Week” exclusive, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told me, "We’re going to have to do what’s necessary.” -- Geithner was clear that he believes a key component of economic recovery is deficit reduction. When I gave him several opportunities to rule out a middle class tax hike, he wouldn’t do it." -- So the "brilliant boy" gives tens of trillions of dollars to his rich Bankster friends and we'll all be forced to pick up the tab!  You Obamatrolls happy yet? - mpg

Double-Dip Recession Still in the Picture: Roubini
"Dr. Doom" speaks. - mpg -- A quote...."The United States, Europe and Japan still face the possibility of a double-dip recession and at the very least will experience below-potential economic growth for the next couple of years, economist Nouriel Roubini told  -- By contrast, China and India have the best chance of leading the recovery, Roubini said. -- The double-dip is still possible because of very large budget deficits that are being monetized by monetary-policy authorities, Roubini, co-founder and chairman of RGE Monitor, said, speaking at the Diggers and Dealers mining conference in Kalgoorlie, Australia. -- If central banks continue to monetize the deficits, "long-term bond yields may go higher, and they may crowd out the economic recovery leading to a double dip," he said."

Double Dip Still in the Cards
Full Quote...."In May, CNBC wrote that we are in danger of a double-dip recession. --Hasn't that risk passed? -- No. According to a lot of top economists and financial analysts, the risk is still very real...."

• Alan Greenspan and Tim Geithner
• Nouriel Roubini
• Martin Feldstein, professor of economics at Harvard University.
• The chief economist for MarketWatch, distinguished scholar of economics at Dowling College, Irwin Kellner
• And many others
  

Comparison of the current situation with the Great Depression provides important food for thought. And the demographic trends and crash in commercial real estate (and see this) both argue for another crash. -- Indeed, it is not just the U.S. -- For example, some analysts think that even China may head into a double dip downturn: -- Andy Xie, a Sino-bear and commentator for Caijing, said Western analysts are in for a rude shock if they think that China's surging demand for raw materials implies genuine recovery...Mr Xie thinks the spring recovery is an inventory spike, to be followed a double-dip downturn into next year as [the] stimulus wears off."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Prolonged aid to unemployed is running out
A quote...."Over the coming months, as many as 1.5 million jobless Americans will exhaust their unemployment insurance benefits, ending what for some has been a last bulwark against foreclosures and destitution."

Rewarding Bad Actors
A quote...."Americans are angry at Wall Street, and rightly so. First the financial industry plunged us into economic crisis, then it was bailed out at taxpayer expense. And now, with the economy still deeply depressed, the industry is paying itself gigantic bonuses* If you aren’t outraged, you haven’t been paying attention." - also posted at CommonDreams -- *link added by website editor -- FYI:  Regarding Krugman's criticism of "high frequency" trading.  Faster order execution is actually a good idea, it makes markets more efficient.  Arbitraging trades however, although conceptually a good idea because it can also make markets more efficient, only does so when all of the participants have access to the same systems and information. When you arbitrage trades with a proprietary system that has access to information "unavailable" to the general public (legally questionable) and the system has the capability to substantially increase or decrease order volume at will (a potential to "paint the tape", which is illegal) and appears to execute orders with the foreknowledge of, and prior to, other participants' transactions (also known as "front running", which is also illegal), it is not efficient or beneficial and becomes as Krugman pointed out, a hidden a tax on market participants. – mpg

Wall Street's not so-secret profit engine (the Fed)
A quote...."Henny Sender has a story in the FT about the fact that Wall Street firms have been making lots of money trading with the Federal Reserve. I can think of two valid reactions to this:

1) No duh! Ensuring the health (a.k.a. profitability) of the financial system is a major responsibility of the Fed. The financial system was near collapse last fall, so enabling some easy trading profits is a straightforward way to get banks back on their feet.

2) What an outrage! Traders on Wall Street are going to be getting multi-million-dollar bonuses for doing nothing but taking advantage of the Fed's largesse.

Inflation: An Intractable Political Phenomenon - Eventually, but not yet. - mpg
A quote...."In 1963, Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz wrote "Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon." The thrust of this statement is that inflation is caused by unsound monetary arrangements – not by those who are raising prices or asking for higher wages, and not by oil speculators or by dealers in foreign exchange. This statement was made at a time when blame was being placed for inflation on groups in society."

U.S. July ISM factory index rises to 48.9% - More good news. - mpg
A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Conditions for the nation's manufacturers continued to get better in July, the Institute for Supply Management reported Monday. The ISM index rose to 48.9% in July from 44.8% in June. The July index is the strongest since September. The consensus forecast of estimates collected by MarketWatch was for the index to rise to 46.2%. Readings below 50 indicate contraction. Below the headline, the report was strong. The data is showing that the manufacturing downturn is coming to an end. Both production and new orders rose above 50%. The ISM index has been improving slowly since hitting a low of 32.9% in December. The index was last above 50% in January 2008." - bold/underline by website editor

Chinese manufacturers continue to expand, data shows
A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- China's manufacturing sector has expanded for the fifth straight month, fueled in part by a large government stimulus program." - bold by website editor -- Yes, but the Chinese have the money to stimulate their economy, the US-NRE just borrows it....from the Chinese.  It's an awful lot to ask the Chinese to support both their economy and ours.  As recent bond market statistics show, they're going to support their economy first. - mpg
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More War, Please
Must Read - A quote...."In "Julius Caesar" Shakespeare’s Brutus counsels "There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken on the flood, leads on to fortune." Shakespeare was describing how powerful men seeking yet more power, blinded by hubris, collectively brought about the destruction of the very republic that they claimed to love. Brutus was urging his fellow conspirator Cassius to fight the forces of Anthony and Octavian on the following day at Philippi in the belief that one more battle would end the civil war that had begun with the assassination of Caesar. Brutus concludes his exhortation with a personal note revealing that for all his high mindedness he was not unmindful of the lure of military glory, "omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries." As has become increasingly clear to many, in "Julius Caesar" Shakespeare could have as easily been writing about contemporary America as the Roman Republic."

Scott Horton Interviews Jeremy Scahill
Must Listen Audio Interview - A quote...."Jeremy Scahill, author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army, discusses the dwindling ranks of antiwar Democrats in Congress, the “cruise missile” liberals that support war in Darfur without questioning the aims of U.S. imperialism, the mercenary surge accompanying the troop surge in Afghanistan, the history of bipartisan executive assassination programs and the “birther” conspiracy theories that completely miss the point." -- MP3 here. (36min:45sec)

Bowing to US's 'naked political power'
Must Read - A quote...."Suppressing evidence of torture, as the US is asking Britain to do in the Binyam Mohamed case, is a criminal offence." -- also posted at ICH

A Day of Reckoning for Bush's 'Torture' Lawyers
Must Read - A quote...."Article 8 of the London Charter that established the Nuremberg court made clear that obedience to an order from a superior to commit a crime is not a defense but can be considered only in mitigation of punishment. Since Nuremberg, following orders has ceased to be a valid defense in international law. Until 2001, the United States firmly and rightly adhered to that standard. -- If the rule of law is to have any meaning at all, then lawyers must function within accepted boundaries of the legal discipline. Those boundaries are very large, but they are not unlimited."

Guantánamo As Hotel California: You Can Check Out Any Time You Like, But You Can Never Leave
A quote...."Imagine if you were imprisoned for seven years without charge or trial, and then a judge ruled that the government’s case against you consisted solely of unreliable allegations made by other prisoners who were tortured, coerced, bribed or suffering from mental health issues, and a “mosaic” of intelligence, purporting to rise to the level of evidence, which actually relied, to an intolerable degree, on second- or third-hand hearsay, guilt by association and unsupportable suppositions, and stated that the government “should take all necessary diplomatic steps to facilitate“ your release."

Fear is Not a Christian Value
A quote...."If you are Christian, the importance of the Bible is obvious to you."

Just as calls for Australia to pull out of Afghanistan Get Louder, 'Terrorists' are Dramatically Arrested in Melbourne
A qutoe...."The recent spate of allied deaths in Afghanistan, including an Australian last month, has led to increased calls for Australia to withdraw its troops from this un-winnable war. Recent polls have already indicated that Australians generally are not interested in continuing to support the war in Afghanistan but with the upsurge in deaths last month the call to get out has got louder." -- also posted at Lataan

Fresh evidence of British collusion in torture
A quote...."Further evidence of British collusion in the torture of UK citizens has come to light. Alam Ghafoor, a British businessman, was seized in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in July 2005 while on a business trip. He was subjected to days of mistreatment and torture."

Army families 'forced to rely on charity food handouts'
There is something truly obscene, incredibly stupid, and redolently evil about soldiers going overseas to kill, maim and even torture other people they don't know, so a bunch of lazy, filthy rich, little sh-ts get to be even more filthy rich and even more lazy -- all the while these soldiers families can't even make ends meet. - mpg -- A quote...."Army families are being forced to rely on charity food handouts because they cannot make ends meet on the wages paid to low-ranking soldiers, it has been reported." -- also posted at RogueGov

Wham Bam Bananastan
Must Read - A quote...."The New York Times reports that those wily guerillas in Afghanistan are throwing a curve ball at us. They’re fighting back, the so-and-sos, and it sounds like they know how to do it. "In Iraq, they hit you and run," says one Marine who served three combat tours in Iraq’s deadly Anbar province. "But these guys stick around and maneuver on you."

Shiite group agrees to renounce violence in Iraq
A quote...."An extremist Shiite group believed responsible for the killing of five American soldiers in a bold raid south of Baghdad and the kidnapping of five British men has agreed to renounce violence, a government adviser said Monday."

French FM calls for dialogue with Taliban
A quote...."PARIS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called for dialogue with the Taliban in Afghanistan in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper published on Monday. --      Kouchner said he supported negotiations with the Taliban, "at least with those who are ready to lay down their weapons and talk."

Lebanese cleric: Arab patience with Obama wearing thin
A quote...."An influential Lebanese Shi'ite cleric said Friday that President Barack Obama's outreach to the Arab and Islamic worlds has failed to improve ties strained under George W. Bush, warning that the United States was sliding back toward the policies of the previous administration."

Iran to end petrol import - So much for the US-NRE's sanctions on gasoline imports to Iran. - mpg
A quote...."Iran will be able to export gasoline in the next one and a half years as refinery upgrades and construction plans will also end costly petrol imports to the country."

Iran privatizes 14 more state companies
A quote...."As President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad starts his second term in office, his government announces the privatization of 14 state-owned, giant companies."

France finds no evidence against Iran N program
A quote...."(PressTV) – The Foreign Affair Committee of France Senate has affirmed in its latest report that there is no decisive evidence on the military nature of Iran nuclear program."

Russia's nuclear missile chief quits: Report
A quote...."The commander of Russia's strategic nuclear missile forces has resigned, Interfax news agency reported on Monday, the latest in a spate of departures from the military top brass."

Japan opposition says it's ready to stand up to US
A quote...."Japan's main opposition party said Monday that if it comes to power in this month's elections it will confront the United States on key military and diplomatic issues, but still regard it as the Asian nation's most important ally."

China’s Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean
Special Note - Official Policy Paper - A quote...."On November 5, 2008, the Chinese government released a policy paper on Latin America and the Caribbean, as it had previously done so for Europe in 2003 and for Africa in 2006. Although it may not come as a huge surprise that Latin America is the most recent region for which China has formally spelled out its foreign policy position, the region has been historically perceived as being under the United States’ sphere of influence. Perhaps the importance of the Chinese policy paper lies in the timing of its release. The release of the paper deliberately coincided with the unfolding of the current financial crisis; this congruence of events has allowed China to expand its influence in this somewhat neglected region without attracting any lasting venom from the U.S. China’s policy paper formally evidences the importance of Latin America and the Caribbean as part of China’s growth plan for its long-term strategic interests. " -- also posted at Creative-i
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Panetta: ‘Reality’ of 9/11 excuses Bush scandals
A quote...."(Obama’s man at the CIA (or should I say, “Clinton’s man”?) sings a different tune now that he is in charge of the CIA.  It’s all about 9/11.   9/11 justifies ALL HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.   9/11 means we have to ignore WAR CRIMES and CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.  This rationalization from the “CHANGE” regime?  This rationalization from someone in charge of the CIA?…"

Mr. Panetta Needs a History Lesson
Must Read - Full Quote..."CIA director Leon Panetta implied Sunday that the "reality of 9/11" excused the unconstitutional and criminal acts of the Bush administration: -- The country was frightened, and political leaders were trying to respond as best they could. Judgments were made. Some of them were wrong. --  Panetta makes it sound like all of the illegal decisions were made after 9/11, in response to that horrific event."

But as I've previously pointed out:

• The government's spying on Americans began before 9/11 (confirmed here and here)
• The Patriot Act was written before 9/11
• The Afghanistan war was planned before 9/11
• The decision to launch the Iraq war was made before 9/11
• The decision to launch a war against Iran was made before 9/11
• Cheney advocated strengthening the powers of the White House to the point of monarchy before 9/11
  

In addition, while the decision to torture appears to have been made after 9/11, it appears to have been made for the purpose of creating a false linkage between Iraq and 9/11 in order to justify the Iraq war. In other words, the post-9/11 decision to torture appears to have been made to rationalize the pre-9/11 decision to invade Iraq. --- Moreover, it was known long before 9/11 that torture doesn't work to produce accurate intelligence.

More proof of WTC 7 lie - Alt - (YouTube - 2 min 22 sec - August 03, 2009)
Must View Video - Great video - mpg - A quote...."A couple clips showing how a building responds when only SOME of its supporting structure is compromised." -- For more on this issue see....9/11 - WTC7

Left Progressive Media Inside The Propaganda Model
Must Read  - Data Base Table - A quote...."In a recent study by Peter Philips and the Project Censored team, the progressive US press is appraised for coverage of “sensitive” issues. The authors ask: “Are independent media strong enough to operate outside the dominate filters of corporate media in the US? … Does the propaganda model extend to the liberal press in areas where news stories are seriously denigrated or ignored by the corporate media?” -- Here’s a table summary of one of their empirical findings with an accompanying excerpt. The authors conclude that self-censorship pressures and the propaganda model also accounts for the news story selection process inside the left liberal media.

Former Irish president Mary Robinson 'bullied' by pro-Israel lobbyists
A quote...."Former Irish president Mary Robinson accused "certain elements" of the Jewish community of bullying after a number of pro-Israel lobby groups voiced concerns over her being awarded the top US civilian honour." -- For more on this issue see....Judeo-Christian C/C & US

Rove's Efforts to "Spin" Take Him Into Criminal Territory
A quote...."My buddy Roger Shuler has an excellent post up regarding Karl Rove's interviews with the media in apparent contradiction to his agreement with the House Judiciary Committee. I reported on the agreement here. Here is what Shuler writes...."

Report: Oil reserves less than estimated
Special Note - A quote...."PARIS, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- World oil supplies will pass their peak production sooner than expected, creating conditions for a global energy catastrophe, an energy analyst in France said."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More on the Iranian Election.....

In Leader approval, Ahmadinejad warned over critics
A quote...."As certain political figures join opposition in rejecting the disputed election results, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution strongly backs the president for a second term, but urges him to heed the views of his “critics.”

Iran police quell protests after endorsement
A quote...."Hours after the Leader of the Islamic Revolution formally approved the second-term presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, clashes erupt between security forces and protestors in Tehran."

Iranian MPs accuse Mousavi and Khatami of being main culprits behind unrest
Full quote...."/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and reformist former President Mohammad Khatami on Sunday blasted the trials of people arrested in post-election demonstrations, CNN reported. -- Those on trial had been tortured into confessions, Mousavi said in a statement posted on his Ghalam News Web site. "They have been stepped on so severely that they would have confessed to anything else, had they been instructed to do so," Mousavi said. -- Nearly 100 Iranians arrested in the aftermath of the disputed June 12 presidential elections went on trial Saturday. In addition, another 10 people went on trial Sunday. -- Meanwhile, Hojatoleslam Mohammad Taghi Rahbar, a member of parliament's Judicial Commission, on Sunday accused Mousavi and Khatami of being the main leaders of the recent disturbances. -- "A complaint ... regarding the extremist and destructive behavior of Mousavi has been handed to the judiciary and we hope that the judiciary would take up this case quickly," he said."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More On The Palestinian Situation....

A Jeremiad
Special Note - A quote...."I have received the distressing letter that you recently sent to a limited number of friends. You paint the Israeli reality in dark – but true – colors, and end by cutting your ties with it. -- “Therefore I, a 95 year old Sabra (native born Israeli Jew), who has plowed its fields, planted trees, built a house and fathered sons, grandsons and great-grandsons, and also shed his blood in the battle for the founding of the State of Israel, -- “Declare herewith that I renounce my belief in the Zionism which has failed, that I shall not be loyal to the Jewish fascist state and its mad visions, that I shall not sing anymore its nationalist anthem, that I shall stand at attention only on the days of mourning for those fallen on both sides in the wars, and that I look with a broken heart at an Israel that is committing suicide and at the three generations of offspring that I have bred and raised in it.”

Life in the Bubble: At Home in the Israeli Settler State
Special Note - A quote...."....this at-home feeling went beyond appearances. It was in the attitudes. The non-activist Israelis I met reminded me of many folks back in the US. Here were nice, hospitable, English-speaking people who – just as in the US – live in what I call the “Bubble.” Colonizing and nationalizing our minds, the Bubble is spun by our governments and mainstream media. It narrows our horizons, drowns our dissent, stifles the voices of the voiceless. Distracting and trivializing, the Bubble shelters us from others’ pain."

A Third Uprising?
Special Note - A quote...."Jabal Mukabber has no sewer system. And it has an antiquated water system that usually runs dry. Its streets are broken, there are no libraries or parks. The school is falling down. In other words, Jabal Mukabber's infrastructure is broken because since 1967 the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem municipality spends 10 times more on Jewish neighborhoods and settlements than this one. -- Now here's the catch: When the Palestinians try to build and improve their lot, they are denied building permits in places like Jabal Mukabber. And if they build anyway, Israeli bulldozers destroy the building. I saw the rubble of one. In the last 10 years, the Israeli army has demolished 300 Palestinian homes within the city limits of Jerusalem."

Israeli Provocation of Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon Increasing
War Alert - A quote...."Yesterday’s unprovoked attack by Israeli armoured vehicles firing into the Gaza Strip at Palestinian farmers and their homes near Khan Younis in south Gaza seems to have been a follow on from an earlier incursion by Israeli on Tuesday when Israeli tanks and bulldozers rolled into the Gaza near the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north of the Strip to destroy agricultural plots. Both of these attacks against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip seem to be part of a deliberate program by the Israeli Defence Forces to deliberately provoke Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against the Israelis just as the Israelis are attempting to provoke Hezbollah in Lebanon by moving tanks up to the border and increasing their overflights in Lebanese airspace."

50 Palestinians evicted from their Jerusalem homes
A quote...."JERUSALEM – Israeli police evicted two Palestinian families in east Jerusalem on Sunday, then allowed Jewish settlers to move into their homes, drawing criticism from Palestinians, the United Nations and the State Department."

Former Jenin Al-Aqsa leader: Fatah must adopt 'program of resistance'
A quote...."Bethlehem – Ma’an Exclusive – Zakariya Zubeidi, the prominent former leader of the Al-Aqsa Brigades in Jenin Refugee Camp, called for Fatah to adopt a platform that includes “resistance” during its conference which begins on Tuesday."

Hamas goes to the movies
A quote...."The audience in the Gaza Strip clapped and cheered as the actor delivered the movie's most memorable line – "To kill Israeli soldiers is to worship God". -- Imad Aqel, which premiered at the weekend, is the first feature film produced by the Islamist Hamas movement and the title is the name of a Palestinian militant whom Israel held accountable for the deaths of 13 soldiers and settlers."

Palestinian fishing boats attacked in Gaza, home confiscated in Jerusalem
A quote...."GAZA, Aug 2 (KUNA) -- Israeli military boats opened fire Sunday morning towards Palestinian fishing boats in Gaza waters. -- Israeli military boats stationed in Gaza Strip waters opened heavy fire towards a number of Palestinian fishing boats, Palestinian sources told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA). Meanwhile, a Palestinian of Jerusalem was severely injured today when Israeli settlers and police forces attempted to takeover his house in Jerusalem."

Israeli court recognizes the right of return...for Jews
A quote...."One of the fundamental issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the "right of return" - the right, acknowledged by decades-old U.N. resolutions, for those Palestinians evicted and terrorized out of their homes in 1948, to return to their homes. This isn't to be confused with the Israeli "right of return" law, which allows Jews anywhere in the world to "return" to a place neither they nor their ancestors have ever been, Israel, to become citizens."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Gag on Honduran media gets tighter in month since coup, critical media obstructed
A quote...."The interim government in Honduras has been maintaining a selective censorship of news in the country since the June 28 coup d’état. Media regarded as critical of President Roberto Micheletti are being systematically obstructed."

Venezuela, Brazil agree to intensify pressure on Honduras' interim gov't
A quote...."CARACAS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez agreed to intensify international pressure on Honduras' interim government, the Venezuelan government said on Thursday."

Honduras Honors Murdered Teachers
A quote...."Tegucigalpa, Aug 3 (Prensa Latina) Teachers and other members of the National Front against the coup d''Etat continue Monday paying tribute to two teachers who were murdered by police agents."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

So Much for the Promised Land
Must Read - A quote...."LeAlan Jones, the 30-year-old Green Party candidate for Barack Obama’s old Senate seat in Illinois, is as angry at injustice as he is at the African-American intellectual and political class that accommodates it. He does not buy Obama’s “post-racial” ideology or have much patience with African-American leaders who, hungry for prestige, power and money, have, in his eyes, forgotten the people they are supposed to represent. They have confused a personal ability to be heard and earn a comfortable living with justice." -- also posted at ICH & CommonDreams & AxisOfLogic

Joe Bageant: A Yard Sale in Chernoybl
Must Read - A quote...."And all those hushed and not so hushed shopper cell phone conversations, this one consoling someone at the home base pod: -- ‘Oh I am so sorry, baby, but I think they’ve quit making the Ranch flavored Pringles. Yes I know you don’t like the jalapeno Pringles. I am so sorry. Really I am.’ Both parties seemed genuinely distraught. -- And I imagine Allen Ginsberg in this supermarket, as he once imagined Walt Whitman in a supermarket in California and wonder, as Allen wondered, ‘What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate their brains and imaginations?’ -- The meat department workers in blood stained white smocks recite their corporate programmed litany: ‘Welcome to Food Lion. How can I best serve you today?’ I cannot help but politicize such moments, so I say, ‘Humiliating, isn’t it, to say that a thousand times a day to people who just want to be left alone to shop.’ Once in a while I get a knowing glance back, but usually they do not respond, because cameras cover every inch of the place."

MSM: Antidepressant use doubles in US, study finds
Related Article - A quote...."(Reuters) – Use of antidepressant drugs in the United States doubled between 1996 and 2005, probably because of a mix of factors, researchers reported on Monday. -- About 6 percent of people were prescribed an antidepressant in 1996 — 13 million people. This rose to more than 10 percent or 27 million people by 2005, the researchers found."


Is It Really So Important? -- Alt/Vid-1/2 -- Alt/Vid-2/2 -- (YouTube - aprox 5-7 min - July 30, 2009)
Must View Videos -- A quote...."This is a good interview. Typically I wouldn’t bother with Laura Flanders but she is interviewing Chris Hedges about his new book “Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle” (tad bit of irony here, she misidentifies a Martin Luther quote as a Martin Luther King quote to start the interview) -- During the interview, Hedges, while he is describing the differences (and inherent dangers if we aren’t aware of the difference between the two) between working toward our “dreams” and living in an “illusion” of democracy, Flanders chimes in with her insipid “good news is important” mantra." -- Regarding "Corporatisim" and "Social Therapy" see.....Happiness Consultants Won’t Stop a Depression

The Obama opiate: Crisis deepens, crowds cheer
Special Note - A quote...."Six months since taking the reins, the Barack Obama administration has met its primary objective. It has swiftly ramped up the murderous imperial agenda inherited from Bush-Cheney while the masses, pacified and deceived by the appeal of the Obama image, pay no attention to realities. -- No attention to the fact that the Obama administration’s global war strategy, which puts Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Latin America, and other regions into new military-intelligence crosshairs, promises the expansion of global instability, resource conquest, and "war on terrorism" ruin."

The Biden and Clinton Mutinies
A quote...."Time bombs tossed seemingly casually in the past month by his vice president and his secretary of state disclose president Obama, in the dawn of his first term,  already the target of carefully meditated onslaughts by senior members of his own cabinet. -- At the superficial level Obama is presiding over an undisciplined administration; on a  more realistic and  sinister construction, he is facing mutiny, publicly conducted by two people who only a year ago were claiming that their qualifications to be in the Oval Office were far superior to those of the junior senator from Illinois".  - also posted at Creative-i -- Some people are already comparing Obama to Carter.  That's sheer, unadulterated, vicious, slander.  Jimmy Carter is a man of decent principals, who as President believed in democracy and neighborly relations with all peoples in all the other nation states.  A man who was overwhelmed by circumstances he did not create and who was even betrayed by members of the opposition who treasonously colluded with a foreign power over a hostage crisis.  Obama on the other hand is an avid, lickspittle, wannabe, New Roman Empire flunky who has cravenly catered to every whim of AIPAC, Israel, and a bunch of thieving Banksters and is probably going to be deservedly stabbed in the back by all three. After all, there really is no honor among thieving murderers or any mercy shown toward those who swim in the sewer with them. - mpg

“Responsibility to Protect” is Warmed-Over Imperialism
A quote...."The United Nations last week began what will become a protracted debate over the doctrine “Responsibility to Protect,” or R2P. The doctrine is a warmed-over version of so-called “humanitarian” military intervention – another excuse for big powers to make war on weaker nations. Its primary champion in the Obama administration is UN ambassador Susan Rice, who would use the “Responsibility to Protect” doctrine to justify U.S. military action in Somalia, Sudan and elsewhere. One important opponent of R2P is Rev. Miguel D’Escoto, of Nicaragua, president of the UN General Assembly."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

US troops now a 'coalition of one' in Iraq
A quote...."The war in Iraq was truly an American-only effort Saturday after Britain and Australia, the last of its international partners, pulled out." -- And the US-NRE will be there FOREVER. - mpg - also posted at WarInIraq & RevRadio

Iraq: Nine women face imminent execution
A quote...."Amnesty International is warning that at least nine women in Iraq are facing imminent execution after recently having their death sentences confirmed. -- Amnesty has learnt that Iraq's Presidential Council has ratified death sentences against the women and that a number of women prisoners have recently been transferred to the 5th section (al-Shu'ba al-Khamisa) of Baghdad's al-Kadhimiya Prison, where condemned prisoners are usually held immediately before execution. At least three women have already been executed since early June."

Iran, US do a 'war on terror' somersault
A quote...."The fierce raid this week by Iraqi military and police units on Camp Ashraf, a base for the militant Iranian dissident outfit - Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) or "People's Holy Warriors" - was a game changer in Iran's quest to control the banned organization. -- The timing of the intense two-day siege of the camp, which left six people dead and dozens injured, is clearly linked to the progressive transfer of security operations from American to Iraqi troops."

UK ambassador: We’ll be in Afghanistan ‘for decades’ -- (He meant to say the US-NRE....not "we". - mpg)
A quote...."Sir Nigel Sheinwald, the UK Foreign Office’s representative in Washington, told the Boston Globe Friday: “We’re going to have a very long-term commitment to Afghanistan’s future. … This is not just one year; this is going to be for decades. We’re going to help them get to a state which they can ward off the return of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. That’s our strategic objective.” -- Oh, oh.....there goes that dreaded word again.  That's the end of Afghanistan and everybody in it.  Look what happened after seven years of "help" in Iraq.  Over one million dead, hundreds of thousands injured, close to five million displaced, and hundreds of billions in damages.  Think of what will happen to Afghanistan if the US-NRE "helps" them for "decades".  Actually, it really doesn't even bare thinking about. - mpg

Russia to reinforce troops in Kyrgyzstan
A quote...."ALMATY, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Russia will send another battalion to Kyrgyzstan, according to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed Saturday, reports from Bishkek said. -- Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and his Kyrgyz counterpart Kurmanbek Bakiyev signed the MOU after a bilateral meeting."

Inauguration ceremony of Bakiyev held in Kyrgyzstan
A quote...."BISHKEK, August 2 (Itar-Tass) - The ceremony of inauguration of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev who has been re-elected for the second term of office was held in the House of Government of Kyrgyzstan on Sunday. He won the July 23 presidential election in the country getting almost 77 percent of votes in his favour."

South Ossetia claims Georgian mortar attack
A quote...."Authorities in the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia on Saturday said two mortar shells were fired into the territory from Georgia proper. Georgia denied the claim and suggested it was a provocation ahead of the anniversary of last year's war with Russia."

Russia warns of force if more Georgia 'provocations'
A quote...."MOSCOW (AFP) – Russia on Saturday warned Georgia its military reserves the right to use force if the ex-Soviet state continues "provocations" in the Caucasus, one week ahead of the first anniversary of their 2008 war."

Russia could use military force to defend S. Ossetian residents
A quote...."MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Defense Ministry is concerned over recent shots on South Ossetia's capital Tskhinval and its suburbs and could use military force to defend the republic's nationals, the ministry said Saturday."

The Crumbling U.S. Embargo On Cuba
A quote...."When the first Pastors for Peace Friendship Caravan departed in 1992, it was initiated to defy the U.S. travel and trade embargo on Cuba that has been in place since 1962. The most difficult challenges to the Friendship Caravan were during the later years of the Bush administration when buses and humanitarian cargoes were detained or confiscated by U.S. Customs agents at the Mexican border under the most severe enforcements of the blockade. A test of the Obama administration’s intentions came when the twentieth Friendship Caravan crossed the U.S.-México border at McAllen, Texas on July 21, 2009. After undergoing inspection of its cargoes, all vehicles, material aid, and 130 caravanistas were allowed to leave the United States. This alone is uncommon because most departures by road from the United States into Mexico are not even stopped or inspected. Nevertheless, the change in enforcement is a significant departure from previous years. The U.S. embargo on Cuba is crumbling."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Anthrax investigation too narrow, congressman says
A quote...."Washington -- A key congressional critic of the FBI's investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks called Friday for a broader inquiry into the government's handling of the case, saying he remained deeply skeptical of the bureau's assertion that a Maryland scientist acted alone in carrying out the country's worst bioterrorism attack."

Fake Al Qaeda Actors EXPOSED! Adam Gadahn & Yousef al-Khattab - Alt
Videos - (YouTube - 3 min 44 sec - July 31, 2009) -- It's pretty funny, except for the ten trillion dollars to be spent and  the well over a million dead to be counted. - mpg

Student's coded emails 'part of terror plot'
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

2nd victim dies amid Honduran unrest
A quote...."Violence in Honduras has claimed its second victim since the coup-propelled ouster of the country's President Manuel Zelaya. -- On Saturday, school teacher Roger Vallejo died from a headshot he had received on Friday during the police suppression of popular protests, the Associated Press reported."

Ousted Honduran president vows peaceful resistance
A quote...."TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya vowed on Saturday to return to power through peaceful means and denied he was rallying groups of armed supporters near the border with Nicaragua."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More On The Palestinian Situation....

Settlers attempt to kill a Palestinian in Hebron
A quote...."Palestinian sources reported Saturday that a group of extremist settlers of the Dabbouya illegal outpost, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, attempted to kill a Palestinian man in Al Shuhada Street in the center of the city."

Israeli forces evict the Hanoun and al-Ghawe families from their Sheikh Jarrah homes
A quote...."At around 5:30 in the morning, Israeli police arrived at the Hannoun family home and broke into the house through the windows. They forcefully removed Maher Hanoun, his wife Nadia and their 3 children. The police violently separated the family from the international and Israeli solidarity activists that were staying in the home. Police then arrested the international and Israeli solidarity activists that were staying with the family. Similarly, Israeli police came into the al-Ghawe family home at 5:30am and removed the family and internationals staying in the home."

Report: Israel kidnapped 312 Palestinians last month
A quote...."GAZA, (PIC)-- A Palestinian report said that the IOF troops kidnapped 312 Palestinian citizens during last July at a rate of 11 Palestinians everyday. -- The report, which was prepared by specialist in prisoners’ affairs Abdelnasser Farwana, stated that the total of Palestinians who had been kidnapped since the beginning of the year rose to 3,372 citizens, dozens of them were children and women." -- also posted at Uruknet

10 Y.O. Gaza child: What did I do to them?
A quote...."Lamont Carolina, Member of the Viva Palestina U.S. Convoy and Staff member of Councilman Charles Barron recorded these videos in Gaza. Visit his YouTube Channel to see the many videos of the Viva Palestina U.S. lamontcarolina -- "These little girls explain finding their families dead after Israeli bombs destroyed their home."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Happy Days Aren’t Here Again
Must Read  - A quote...."Proof of the [supposed] turn was apparently revealed by the 2nd quarter GDP figures that showed that the economy declined by only 1%. After four consecutive quarters of negative GDP, the green shoots now assure that growth will resume over the summer. But before we pop the corks, it may be worthwhile to ask, “what really has changed, and what is responsible for our new lease on life?” -- In truth, because of the continued profligacy of the government and Federal Reserve, the imbalances that caused the current recession have actually worsened. We are now in an even deeper hole than when the crisis began. Rather than wrapping up a recession, we are actually sinking into a depression. If things look better now, it’s just because we are in the eye of the storm."

1929 All Over Again?
Must Read - Charts - A quote...."I think many will agree with me that the economic resume for 2009 has major differences from 1929-30. For that reason alone there should be limited expectation of continuation of the remarked similarities to date in the above graph. I emphasized "limited expectation" because I do not want anyone to infer that I meant "rejection". -- There are some significant parallels in the two time periods. Among these are the worldwide nature of the collapse, multigenerational deflationary pressures, massive insolvency issues in financial systems around the world, dramatic reduction in industrial production and drying up of international trade."

Institutional Trader on Bloomberg says markets are manipulated and volumes ficticious - Alt (YuTb 4m57s 070609)
Video - A quote...."Joe Saluzzi talks on Bloomberg and explains how machine trading is distorting the financial markets."

BIS Slammed Federal Reserve and Other Central Banks for Blowing Bubbles and then "Using Gimmicks and Palliatives" which "Will Only Make Things Worse" -- "If you have any doubt that the Fed and other central banks should have known that a crash was coming, all you have to do is look at this June 2007 article from the Telegraph:"

Market Review: Weakening Dollar, Rising Urban Unemployment
A quote...."The Treasury’s borrowing need have been exploding and the auctions are getting progressively weaker. This presents a serious problem for the dollar. Once 78 on the USDX is broken the index should freefall. We expect the government will staunchly defend 78, but will lose the battle probably in October or at least by the end of the year. As a result you will see more bonds being issued in foreign currencies such as the yen, yuan and euro bonds."

Jim Willie: US government may soon issue bonds denominated in yuan
Bond Alert - A quote...."The tables are fast turning against the deeply indebted USGovt officials. USA Inc is in deep trouble. Its productive engines in both finance and industry are either wrecked or sputtering, even as its debt burden grows exponentially. Debt default litters the landscape. Next its sovereign bonds will be have to be sold to some extent outside the US$ Sphere, which will put at great risk its stock, namely the USDollar itself. Let’s call them USGovt Dragon Bonds. The custodians desperately seek creditors to supply much needed capital in order to fund the gigantic and growing USGovt debts, which by the way are grossly understated. The last resort is to monetize the USTreasury Bond issuance, a process well along. With the aid of the USDollar Swap Facility, the USFed has been able to secretly bid on USTBonds from foreign soil, have it appear like foreign bids, and conceal the continued and broadening monetization initiative." - bold by website editor -- This is speculative and unconfirmed, but if true it would not be surprising. - mpg



Origins of the American Empire: Revolution, World Wars and World Order - Part II -- Part I
Must Read - A quote from Part II...."By the 1870s, John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Empire had a virtual monopoly over the United States, and even many foreign countries. In 1890, the King of Holland gave his blessing for the creation of an international oil company called Royal Dutch Oil Company, which was mainly founded to refine and sell kerosene from Indonesia, a Dutch colony. Also in 1890, a British company was founded with the intended purpose of shipping oil, the Shell Transport and Trading Company, and it “began transporting Royal Dutch oil from Sumatra to destinations everywhere,” and eventually, “the two companies merged to become Royal Dutch Shell.”[1]" -- also posted at Creative-i

Symbol for Sale: Obama Cashes Cronies' Chips
Must Read - A quote...."The only difference, the only real change, that Barack Obama brings to the White House is the color of his skin. As I've said before, this racial factor does have symbolic significance (see below); but in substance, there is no real difference between Obama and any of the other run-of-the-mill greasy pole-climbers seeking temporary management of the imperial machinery, with all of the fleeting power -- and lifelong perks -- that comes with it."

Everybody Knows
Must Read - A quote...."Whether the photos and videotapes were produced professionally or not, they are evidentiary photography, which really is the true goal of photojournalism. The adage goes that the picture tells the story—of what happened, how and when it happened. In some cases an image can even reveal much, much more. In this case, the photos reveal details of the methods and extent of the abuses. If evidentiary photos are not allowed—if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it—did it happen? Or will it have happened in a future devoid of witnesses or hard evidence? The answer could be a legal "no," and a policy of continued suppression of evidence could conceivably prevent anyone, ever again, being held accountable for abuse regardless of being on the scene or higher up in a future chain of command. With this kind of immunity, then, as the saying goes, the gates of hell open." -- On  Torturing Democracy

A Conversation with Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano
Must Read - A quote...."Janet Napolitano had a little chat with the ruling class the other day at the Council on Foreign Relations, during which she made sure to confirm that Obama’s Homeland Security policies wouldn’t be all that different from Cheney’s; and of course we see that more and more these days as the Obama administration does everything it can to not only protect the previous administration from rightful investigations, but also to continue their unitary executive powers. -- The jist of her little talk was to continue with the fraudulent notion that we are a nation under attack from abroad and especially from within.  The attacks against this nation on 911 continue to be the lynch-pin for their progressively fascist remodeling project here in the United States and in many other nations across the world. -- There hasn’t been a single, credible domestic terrorism plot broken up in this country since 911… that doesn’t factor in anymore, now that the “CHANGE” regime has taken over."

Exile: The Wandering Arab.
Must Read - A quote...."Forget politics, "extremism", "terrorism", "moderates', "freedom", "democracy", "liberation", "road maps." Abandon "experts", "think tanks", "Institutes" and "Foundations" that study the Middle East - though seldom as areas of gut wrenching history, beauty, warmth; flesh and blood. -- Take time out, read some Arab literature - all that is needed to understand. -- In every letter, in every word of every sentence, of every paragraph, a soul on the page. A mourning for lands beloved, loves lost, for the departed, the exiled. For remembered scents, for homes now rubble or denied; for separation. They are songs of absence, yearning, displacement; of crushed olive, apricot and citrus groves, of dashed youthful dreams and hopes - yet a resilience to shame the reader."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Tony Blair to be called to Iraq War Inquiry - Grill him like a steak!!  Ask him about the memos!! - mpg
A quote...."Sir John Chilcot warned that his team would "not shy away from making criticism" if they uncovered mistakes. -- Launching the long-awaited inquiry on Thursday, Sir John said the former prime minister, who sent British forces into the conflict alongside the US, would be among witnesses called; and he also suggested the current premier, Gordon Brown, would be on the list."

As US Winds Down, Iraq Tilts Toward Iran
A quote...."A raid by Iraqi security forces on a camp of Iranian dissidents is widely seen as a sign that Iraqi authorities are establishing their independence as the U.S. occupation winds down – and tilting instead towards Iran." -- also posted at AntiWar

9,969 Iraqi detainees in U.S. prisons – advisor
Full quote...."BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The number of Iraqi detainees in U.S. prisons in Iraq have been reduced to 9,969, a media advisor of U.S. forces said Thursday. “This reduction is due to the ongoing process of releasing detainees as per the Iraq-U.S. security pact,” Kareem al-Sayiab told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “During the current month, July 2009, U.S. forces in Iraq have been releasing 25 detainees per day,” he said."

Iraq Ministries Forbid Workers to Join Unions
A quote...."Iraq Ministries Forbid Workers to Join Unions -- Below is a translation of recent edict issued by the Minister of Industry and Mines of Iraq to management of state enterprises and employees. -- This is the third such edit. Similar ones have been issued by the Ministry of Oil and the Ministry of Transportation."

Paradise Lost: Fertile Crescent will disappear this century
A quote...."Is it the final curtain for the Fertile Crescent? This summer, as Turkish dams reduce the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to a trickle, farmers abandon their desiccated fields across Iraq and Syria, and efforts to revive the Mesopotamian marshes appear to be abandoned, climate modellers are warning that the current drought is likely to become permanent. The Mesopotamian cradle of civilisation seems to be returning to desert."

[More] Sandstorms hits Baghdad, sends hundreds to hospitals
Related Article - A quote...."BAGHDAD - A heavy sandstorm has blinded Iraq's capital and flooded hospitals with people suffering from respiratory problems. -- Police officers wore masks as they directed traffic in downtown Baghdad, and visibility was only a few yards." -- Regarding the two articles shown above, see the quote below...


Scott Horton Interviews Gareth Porter
Audio Interview - A quote...."Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for Inter Press Service, discusses the Iraqi government’s more aggressive stance on the Mujahedin-e Khalq, how the Bush administration’s wishful thinking and ignorance guaranteed a disastrous Iraq policy, the de-emphasis of the MEK’s Islamic Marxism in U.S. Congress lobbying efforts and the political scheming behind the Iraq/U.S. Status of Forces Agreement." -- [MP3 here. (25:00min)]

Iran, Japan Lay out Roadmap for Boosting Relations
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- Tehran and Tokyo managed to lay out a roadmap for promoting their bilateral relations, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said."

Iran Decries Conduct of Saudi Morality Police
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran objected to the government of Saudi Arabia over the mistreatment of Iranian pilgrims at the hands of the country's 'morality police'."

Iran Grants $280mln in Loan to Bolivia‎
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's top representative in Bolivia said Tehran has approved a $280 million loan for the Bolivian government to develop its industry and energy sectors."

Scott Horton Interviews Pepe Escobar
Must Listen Audio Interview - A quote...."Pepe Escobar, writer for the Asia Times, discusses the Pentagon’s “arc of instability” that follows the same path as a potential Western-dominated oil pipeline, how U.S. aggression abroad has united Russia, China and Iran, the internal economic-fueled strife in China and Joe Biden’s wacky rant against Russia." -- [MP3 here. (21min:59sec)]

Iran, China and the New Silk Road
Must Read - A quote...."HONG KONG - Does it make sense to talk about a Beijing-Tehran axis? Apparently no, when one learns that Iran's application to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was flatly denied at the 2008 summit in Tajikistan. -- Apparently yes, when one sees how the military dictatorship of the mullahtariat in Tehran and the collective leadership in Beijing have dealt with their recent turmoil - the "green revolution" in Tehran and the Uighur riots in Urumqi - reawakening in the West the ghostly mythology of "Asian despotism". -- Part 1:  Iran and Russia, scorpions in a bottle 

Brazil, Spain question US Colombia bases
A quote...."Brazil, Chile and Spain challenged the United States' decision to use and expand military bases in Colombia, saying they feared the move could heighten simmering tensions in Latin America."

Cuba, Russia Ink Deal on Zarubezhneft's EEZ Gulf
A quote...."According to the RIA-Novosti news agency, Russia and Cuba have inked a preliminary agreement for operations in Cuba's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Gulf of Mexico. -- Signed yesterday by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, the agreement relates to Russian oil company Zarubezhneft's activities in Cuba's sector of the Gulf. Sechin met with Cuban President Raul Castro and other officials during a working visit in Havana." -- also posted at AtheoNews

EU Georgian watch: we have enough observers without the United States
A quote...."MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Andrei Fedyashin) - Brussels seems to be increasingly wary of the democratic Georgian president and his relentless attempts to blow the Caucasian issue out of all proportion."

South Ossetia to make territorial claim on Georgian gorge
A quote...."MOSCOW, July 31 (RIA Novosti) - South Ossetia intends to demand the return of its former territory, the Truso Gorge, which is currently a part of Georgia, the former Georgian republic's president said on Friday."

Russia's Nerpa nuclear sub starts sea trials in Far East
A quote...."VLADIVOSTOK, July 31 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's Nerpa nuclear attack submarine, damaged in a fatal accident during tests in November last year, started on Friday the second stage of new sea trials, a source involved in the tests said."

Russia expects $2.6 bln in military aircraft sales in 2009
A quote...."MOSCOW, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport has said military aircraft will continue to dominate the company's foreign sales in 2009, and will total about $2.6 billion."

Putin says pipeline to boost Far Eastern development
A quote...."GEORGIYEVKA (Khabarovsk region), July 31 (Itar-Tass) -- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who attended the construction commencement ceremony of the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok gas pipeline on Friday, said the large-scale project will boost regional economic recovery and also supply natural gas to Asia and the Pacific Rim."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Obama’s Secret Police
Special Note - A quote...."Well, we can relax, because the bad old days of the Bush administration, when government agencies routinely spied on the antiwar movement and other dissidents, are over --- right? --- Wrong  --- very wrong."

Dan Rather Slams the Corporate Media
Chart - A quote...."Dan Rather slammed the corporate media in a talk Tuesday for the erosion of quality journalism, and the corporatization, politicization, and “trivialization” of news. He also said:  ---  "A democracy and free people cannot thrive without a fiercely independent press". ---  This is true, of course. An uninformed public cannot maintain a democratic republic."

"KBR 2Q profit surges 40 percent on revenue boost 30 Jul 2009 Engineering and construction company [terrorists] KBR Inc. posted second-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street expectations as revenue rose on work in its energy and power projects and contracts in Iraq. Net income of $67 million, or 42 cents per share, was up 40 percent from $48 million, or 28 cents per share, in the same quarter last year." -- Paragraph quoted from CLG --  What KBR would really say if they had the guts to tell the truth.....


The Hell of War Comes Home: Newspaper Series Documents Murder, Suicide, Kidnappings by Iraq Vets -- A quote...."A startling two-part series published in the Gazette newspaper of Colorado Springs titled “Casualties of War” examines a part of war seldom discussed by the media or government officials: the difficulty of returning to civilian life after being trained to be a killer. The story focuses on a single battalion based at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment. Soldiers from the brigade have have been involved in brawls, beatings, rapes, drunk driving, drug deals, domestic violence, shootings, stabbings, kidnapping and suicides. The Army unit’s murder rate is 114 times the rate for Colorado Springs. We speak with the reporter who broke the story and get the Army’s response. [includes rush transcript]" --  ||  Real Video Stream  ||  Real Audio Stream  ||  MP3 Download  ||  More…  || 

US Military To Work With FEMA During Swine Flu Pandemic
A quote...."According to a CNN report, the military will assist civilian authorities in the event of a significant swine flu outbreak in the U.S. this fall, stoking fears that the pandemic, which has claimed relatively few lives so far, will be used as an excuse to implement martial law and a mandatory vaccination program."

E-Mails Show Larger White House Role in Prosecutor Firings
A quote...."Political adviser Karl Rove and other high-ranking figures in the Bush White House played a greater role than previously understood in the firing of federal prosecutors almost three years ago, according to e-mails obtained by The Washington Post, in a scandal that led to mass Justice Department resignations and an ongoing criminal probe."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More on the Iranian Election.....

In Iran, police clash with mourners of post-vote victims
A quote...."Iran's opposition supporters, gathered at a cemetery in Tehran for a memorial service for the victims of the recent post-election unrest, have been met by Iranian police. -- Police forces on Thursday used tear gas to break up supporters of defeated presidential candidates Mehdi Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi who had gathered at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery to commemorate the lives lost in recent unrest in the country."

Iran to Free Majority of Inmates Detained in Post-Election Unrests
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- A majority of the detainees arrested during post-election frenzy in Iran will be set free in coming days, an Iranian legislator announced on Thursday."

Key witness disputes Hejazi account of Neda death
A quote...."More than a month after Neda Aqa-Soltan was killed in the post-election frenzy in Iran, a key witness to the incident moves to set the record straight. -- Neda, 26, was shot dead on June 20 in an alley away from the scene of clashes between security forces and demonstrators in Tehran."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More On The Palestinian Situation....

Israel shuts down Gaza crossings
A quote...."Gaza – Ma’an - All crossings between Israel and Gaza will be closed Friday, Israeli authorities told Palestinian crossing official Raed Fattouh. -- The official said no reason was given as to why the crossings would be closed. The past several weeks crossings operated six days a week, with Fridays seeing crossings closed early for the Jewish Shabbat."

Israeli Settlement Continues To Steal Palestinian Land With Intimidation And Fences
A quote...."Representing just a tiny piece in the enormous puzzle of settlements that litter the West Bank, the settlement of Karmei Tzur is striving to expand. Founded just 25 years ago by students from the Zionist Har Etzion Yeshiva, 120 families, or 700 settlers - out of a total settler population of roughly 500,000 - currently inhabit Karmei Tzur. However, the settlement has several obstacles in the way of its desire to increase in size, notably its distance of only 100 meters from the large agricultural village of Beit Ommar with almost 15,000 Palestinian inhabitants." -- also posted at Uruknet

30th July Video Free Gaza news Is Israel guilty of piracy - (YouTube - 8 min 19 sec - July 30, 2009)
Video - A quote...."Is Israel guilty of piracy? Watch the video and decide for yourself how many international and maritime laws Israel has broken. The Israeli navy hijacked the Spirit of Humanity in international waters. The Israeli government hijacks Palestinian fishing boats, in Palestinian territorial waters, kidnaps the fishermen, and sends its military out to shoot to wound and kill them as they struggle to make a living. After watching this video, you will be convinced that Israel has committed acts of piracy against Palestinians and against internationals. No other country would be allowed to do what Israel does on a daily basis."

LEBANON:  No Law for Detained Palestinians
A quote...."BEIRUT, Jul 28 (IPS) - Palestinian refugee Youssef Shaaban was released from prison early this month - after serving 16 years in a Lebanese prison for a crime he did not commit." -- also posted at ElectIntifada

Why Obama's peace process is still going nowhere
Considering Obama stood by, with a wink and a grin, while Israel slaughtered over 1,400 men, woman and children in Gaza with white phosphorous, flechette, and DIME weapons.....maybe the Palestinians should consider themselves lucky he's not doing "more" for them! – mpg --  A quote...."Much of the debate about US President Barack Obama's push for Middle East peace resembles the proverbial argument about whether the glass is half full or half empty. But even a full glass is not very useful if you need to fill an entire reservoir." -- also posted at OhBummer

The moneyman behind the Jewish expansion in East Jerusalem
A quote...."(WMR) -- The take down by the FBI of a group of Syrian-Jewish rabbis who have held fund raisers for the Binyamin Netanyahu coalition partner, the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, has highlighted the financing of the expansion of Jewish building in East Jerusalem, which is not recognized as part of Israel by the United Nations."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

EXCLUSIVE: Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya Speaks from Nicaraguan Border on Who’s Behind the Coup, His Attempts to Return Home, the Role of the United States and More -- A quote...."In a Democracy Now! national broadcast exclusive, ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya joins us from the Nicaragua-Honduras border for a wide-ranging interview on his attempts to return home, who’s behind the coup, the role of the United States, and much more. “I think the United States is going to lose a great deal of influence in Latin America if it does not turn the coup d’état around,” Zeleya says. “It will not be able to put forth its idea about democracy. It won’t be credible before anyone.” On his message to the Honduran people, Zelaya says they should “maintain their resistance against those who want to take their rights away…so that no one will be able to disrespect them, which is what the coup regime is doing today.” [includes rush transcript]" --  ||  Real Video Stream  ||  Real Audio Stream  ||  MP3 Download  ||  More…  || 

Thursday, Bloody Thursday in Honduras
Breaking - A quote...."Posted by Al Giordano - July 30, 2009 at 7:29 pm -- At a stretch of the road at the bottom of the miles-long hill stood three hundred or more military soldiers, National Police and specialized riot police with the acronym COEDO on their uniforms. They stood alongside the remains of burning matter, rocks and other debris that had just been cleared to the shoulders. The terrible sting of teargas clung to nostrils and throats and burned the eyes. But no remaining protesters could be seen anywhere. -- The ANSA press agency would report that here, in Cuesta de la Virgen, the coup regime’s show of force against the nonviolent blockaders wrought a toll of 156 arrests, including three seriously wounded." -- also posted at Uruknet

Honduran Coup Over?
A quote...."Bloomberg is reporting that Honduran coup leader, Roberto Micheletti has accepted the Arias plan, which means -- if true -- that Manuel Zelaya will be, with conditions, as president. Though Micheletti is still begging for time, saying he needs Arias’s help in convincing his co-coup leaders to agree. -- The terms are unclear about what is covered in the Arias’ amnesty, but it is doubtful there will be any investigation or prosecution of the human-rights violations that have taken place, including nine, perhaps ten murders, all against Zelaya supporters, over the last month."
========= ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

Statistical Deceptions - How Fake is the "Recovery"?
Must Read - A quote...."It is not at all clear that the Treasury will be able to sell its debt instruments in 30 months, and it has nothing to do with health care costs.  The Treasury debt marketing problem has to do with two back-to-back US fiscal year budgets, each with a $2 trillion deficit.  The size of the US deficit exceeds in these troubled times the supply of world savings available to fund the US government’s wars, bailouts and stimulus plans. If the Federal Reserve has to monetize the Treasury’s new borrowings by creating demand deposits for the Treasury (printing money), America’s foreign creditors might flee the dollar."

NAFTA Trade Takes Record 35.4 Percent Dive
Deflation Alert - A quote...."Trade using surface transportation between the United States, Canada and Mexico dropped 35.4 percent in May, the largest year-over-year decline on record for the North American Free Trade Agreement partners, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation. -- In the eighth consecutive month of falling trade, imports from Canada and Mexico to the United States in May were down 38.1 percent from May 2008 while exports from the United States declined 32 percent."

Japan’s Jobless Rate Rises to Six-Year High; Prices Decline at Record Pace
Deflation Alert - A quote...."July 31 (Bloomberg) — Japan’s unemployment rate rose to a six-year high in June and consumer prices fell at a record pace, adding to evidence the domestic economy is struggling to recover even as exports start to improve. -- The jobless rate advanced to 5.4 percent from 5.2 percent in May, the statistics bureau said today in Tokyo, higher than the 5.3 percent median forecast of economists surveyed. Consumer prices excluding fresh food, the central bank’s preferred gauge, fell a record 1.7 percent in June, a separate report showed". -- bold by website editor

U.S. 5 Year Bond Auction Effectively Fails
Bond Alert - A quote...."And here's the math: -- 1.923 BTC X 61.59% Primary Dealer bid = 1.18 BTC (PD), greater than 1.0. Or to put it a different way, but for the primary dealers the bid-to-cover was less than one, meaning that some of the issue would have been left on the table. -- Thats a fail; but for the primary dealers the issue would not have subscribed. -- Primary dealers are required to bid. That's the deal in exchange for their being named as "primary dealers." For this reason short of thermonuclear war you will never see an actual (BTC < 1.0) "fail" on a US Treasury Auction - Treasury has rigged the process so as to insure that cannot be reported."

U.S. Initial Jobless Claims Rise by 25,000 to 584,000 (Update2)
A quote...."Applications rose by 25,000 to 584,000 in the week ended July 25, higher than forecast, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. More than 600,000 claims were filed every week last month. The number of people collecting unemployment insurance decreased for a third week."

US job cuts, foreclosures mount
A quote...."What is emerging is a protracted period of extremely high unemployment and growing social misery, which will be used to further slash wages, increase productivity and lower the standard of living and social position of the working class."

New law triggers fear for housing
A quote...."A new law passed by the Arizona Legislature that makes homeowners liable for tens of thousands of dollars on homes lost to foreclosure is now the focus of an intense repeal battle. -- An amendment to the state's foreclosure laws, passed in the recent legislative session, was designed to protect small community banks from people buying speculative new homes they can't sell for a profit."

So Just What Did Happen to all that TARP Money?
Special Note - Data Base -- A quote...."NY AG Andrew Cuomo has reported that more than 4,700 employees of the 9 top banks that received Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) money, have been given bonuses in excess of $1 million dollars.  836 of them received more than $3 million."

Banks Paid $32.6 Billion in Bonuses Amid U.S. Bailout (Update4)
Quote of the Day...."When the banks did well, their employees were paid well. When the banks did poorly, their employees were paid well,” Cuomo’s office said in the 22-page report. “When the banks did very poorly, they were bailed out by taxpayers and their employees were still paid well. Bonuses and overall compensation did not vary significantly as profits diminished.”  -- also posted at RogueGov  & OhBummer

Study: Bank Bonuses Far Exceeded Profits
A quote...."(CBS)  Several financial giants that received federal bailout money in the last year paid out bonuses to employees in 2008 that greatly exceeded the amount of profit generated by the banks, according to a study on executive compensation released by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Thursday." -- also posted at RogueGov

For more regarding the three articles shown above see....Having Fun With Your Tax Dollars

Wednesday July 29th 2009

"A lot of things happened, a lot came together, [and] created probably the worst financial crisis, certainly since the Great Depression and possibly even including the Great Depression."