Wednesday August 12th 2009

Question for Bernanke:  "Do You Have The Cojones To Raise Rates?"
Must Read - Answer from Bernanke:  "No, I won't raise rates because I want to keep my cojones". - mpg -- A quote...."Bernanke can prove to his critics that the US economy doesn't need the Fed's monetization programs and price fixing; that it doesn't need the liquidity injections and the buying up of junk mortgages. ($80 billion last month alone) After all, as Bernanke opines, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong!" -- Right. Now prove it. -- All Bernanke has to do is boost rates by a point or two and demonstrate that he's willing to mop up some of the $13 trillion he's pumped into the financial markets. With just one announcement, the Fed chair could show our biggest creditor--China--that he's serious about defending the dollar and the trillion dollars of US Treasuries China purchased believing that the US was a responsible trading partner who would never write checks on an account that was overdrawn by $12 trillion. (The National Debt) -- So, go ahead, Ben. Raise"

U.S. Government Stages Fake Coup To Wipe Out National Debt
Video Satire - Oh it's funny alright....it least until the powers that be try to stage a real coup. - mpg

This So Called Recovery Is Going Nowhere
A quote...."The Fed’s Wall Street bubble, as we forecast in January, will need at least $2 trillion more in 2010, if the economy is to just stay on an even keel. The massive debt liquidation particularly in banking, Wall Street and in insurance demands many more trillions of dollars. $23.4 trillion is not going to be enough. Presently the Fed is in the process of monetizing $2 trillion in Treasuries, Agency paper, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and collateralized debt obligations held by lenders. It is a secret what the Fed is paying for this almost worthless paper. Is it any wonder the public has lost trust and confidence in these players and our government?"

Home Price Declines Accelerate in Second Quarter
A quote...."Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Home price declines in the U.S. accelerated in the second quarter, dropping by a record 15.6 percent from a year earlier, as foreclosures weighed on values."

About half of U.S. mortgages seen underwater by 2011
A quote...."NEW YORK – 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. -- Home price declines will have their biggest impact on prime "conforming" loans that meet underwriting and size guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the bank said in a report. Prime conforming loans make up two-thirds of mortgages, and are typically less risky because of stringent requirements."

Consumer, Celebrity Bankruptcies May Hit 1.4 Million (Update1)
A quote...."Aug. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Consumer bankruptcies show no sign of abating after rising more than a third this year and may hit 1.4 million by Dec. 31 as jobs are lost and loans are harder to get, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute."

Spinning the Economic News
A quote...."August 12, 2009 "Information Clearing House" --- Last Friday a Bloomberg.com headline read: U.S. Stocks Gain, Treasuries Drop as Unemployment Rate Declines. --  Let’s have a look at the reported decline in the rate of unemployment. Do you believe that the US auto industry added 28,000 jobs in July amidst GM bankruptcy, sell-off and close-down of GM auto divisions, and demise of GM suppliers?  No?  Well, that’s what the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. --  The 28,000 new jobs were created by “seasonal adjustments."

Pay Raises Are the Worst in 33 Years
A quote...."Feel like your company has been particularly stingy on the raises this year? You're not imagining it. For 2009, the typical non-hourly worker will see a 1.8% bump in salary, according to a survey by the human-resources consultancy Hewitt Associates. That increase, the smallest in at least 33 years, doesn't even keep up with inflation."

US corporations squeezing more output from workers and paying lower wages
A quote...."US Labor Department data released yesterday showed productivity up 6.4 percent in the second quarter, the largest gain since 2003 and higher than economists’ forecasts of 5.5 percent. Over the same period, workers’ compensation fell sharply." -- Perhaps productivity went up, perhaps not, see article shown below....

Wholesale inventories fall for 10th straight month
Related Article - Some quotes...."WASHINGTON — Businesses slashed inventories at the wholesale level for a record 10th consecutive month in June, a decline that has contributed to the longest recession since World War II. -- The Commerce Department said Tuesday that wholesale inventories declined 1.7 percent in June, nearly double the 0.9 percent decrease economists had expected." -- "The latest inventory drop left the inventory to sales ratio at 1.26, meaning it would take 1.26 months to exhaust stockpiles at the June sales pace. That was slightly lower than the 1.28 ratio in May, but still well above the 1.11 inventory to sales ratio of a year ago." - bold by website editor

[Canadian] Personal bankruptcies climb 54.3 per cent in June
A quote...."OTTAWA — Cash-strapped Canadian consumers were once again hit harder than businesses by the economic downturn as personal bankruptcies jumped 54.3 per cent in June compared with a year earlier."

UK unemployment rate hits 13-year high
A quote...."Official figures show that unemployment in the United Kingdom is now at its highest level with a total number of 2.44 million people being out of jobs."

Australian jobless statistics reveal deep cuts to hours
A quote...."Australia’s unemployment figures for July, released last week, revealed a dramatic cut to working hours over the past 12 months, and an ongoing shift from full-time to part-time work. The slashing of hours is a direct consequence of the Rudd Labor government’s policies, which put the burden of the deepening global economic breakdown on working people."

For more regarding the articles shown above see....White Man's Burden
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Italy, Germany and Japan: Former World War II Axis Nations Repudiate Bans against "Preparing for War"
Special Note -- Well, HECK YEAH!  If the US-NRE can throw away the Geneva Conventions, the ABM treaty, the Nuremburg statutes, the entire concept of the United Nations, trash it's OWN constitution, sponsor dozens of terrorist organizations which are than used as a flimsy excuse to launch several wars of aggression based on a series of patently obvious falsehoods, wars which kill millions of people, displace millions more and cause trillions of dollars worth of damage, create a gulag archipelago across the length and breadth of the planet and engage in blatantly sick, twisted, depraved, homo-sadistic torture/murders in front of the ENTIRE WORLD, all in an effort -- according to plans hatched twenty years ago which are publicily available  --  to seize other countries natural resources ....why the heck can't its erstwhile allies (for the moment) do the same thing??  We'll all just call them "Mini-New Roman Empires" or better yet “The Empirettes” - mpg -- A quote...."A press report on August 10 revealed that the government of Italy is planning to modify if not dispense with its post-World War II constitutional limitations on conducting offensive military operations; that is, to reverse a 61-year ban on waging war. - The news story, reminding readers that "Italy's post-World War II constitution places stringent limits on the country's military engagements," stated the Italian government intends to introduce a new military code "specifically for missions abroad," one that - in a demonstration of evasiveness and verbal legerdemain alike - would be "neither of peace nor of war." [1]"

The Sheikh Down
Special Note - A quote...."How the Pentagon bought stability in Iraq by funneling billions of taxpayer dollars to the country's next generation of strongmen." -- also posted at CommonDreams

Addicted to War: America's Brutal Pipe Dream in Afghanistan
Special Note - A quote...."Looks like the "Good War" in Afghanistan is morphing even more directly into the "Drug War" that the U.S. government has been waging all over the world -- and especially against its own people -- for almost 40 years now, with all the attendant aggrandizement of authoritarian powers and degradation of civil liberties and human rights. -- As The Times reports, and Pentagon brass confirmed, the "continuity government" of the Obama Administration has drawn up yet another "hit list" of people to be arbitrarily assassinated: 50 "drug lords" allegedly associated with the Taliban. No doubt the many drug lords associated with the American-installed Afghan government -- and those cooperating directly with the Western occupation -- are exempt from this dirty laundry list." -- also posted at SOTTnet

Obama's torture hangover
A quote...."The lawyer president still hasn't reversed Bush's flouting of the Geneva conventions, despite lofty words and election pledges." -- also posted at CommonDreams

CIA torture for fun and profit? - It is an outrage!! - mpg
A quote...."There's an article in today's New York Times about Bruce Jessen and Jim Mitchell, two military retirees and psychologists with no expertise on al-Qaeda, no foreign language skills, no experience in real interrogations, and with no relevant degrees ("...their Ph.D. dissertations were on high blood pressure and family therapy")."

Guantánamo And The Courts (Part Two): Obama’s Shame
Special Note - A quote...."In the first part of this three-part series examining the Guantánamo prisoners’ attempts to secure their release via the US courts, Andy Worthington, author of The Guantánamo Files, examined the Bush administration’s record in the seven months after the Supreme Court’s ruling, in June 2008, that the prisoners had constitutionally guaranteed habeas corpus rights, and explained how, despite obstruction by the Justice Department, District Court judges reviewed 26 cases, and in all but three found that the government had failed to establish, "by a preponderance of the evidence," that it was justified in holding the men. This second article (and the final part next week) examine the Obama administration’s record, in its first seven months in office, presenting an under-reported story of ongoing obstruction by the Justice Department, apoplectic judges, and, in the majority of the cases in which a judge has been able to make a ruling, more humiliation for the government. "

Even wars have laws - Not the US-NRE's - mpg
Special Note - A quote...."A NUMBER of disturbing statistics emerged from a recent survey commissioned by Australian Red Cross. More than 40 per cent of Australians believe it is okay to torture captured enemy soldiers. -- Yet almost all of the 1030 people interviewed believe those accused of war crimes should be prosecuted, and 90 per cent think the international community needs to strengthen and enforce the rules of war. It appears we have a strong case of "it is bad when others do it but okay for us". - also posted at CommonDreams -- Again see....White Man's Burden

Exclusive: Kill Them All and Cover Them with B-llshit 
A quote...."Hicks and colleagues report in the April 16, 2009 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine regarding civilian non-combatant deaths during the current Iraq War period (2003-2008) was seriously flawed. Their stated goal was to analyze the causes of these deaths. To accomplish this purpose they used the database of Iraqbodycount.org that estimates 91,358 deaths due to “armed violence”. For this report the database was pared down to 60,481" - also posted at Uruknet -- For more on this issue see....US Fake Intel / Propaganda - Iraq Deaths

Crazy Horse
Video - Auqote...."Why can't white men act like human beings. - Crazy Horse, from Bone Days by John Trudell. - To those who have gone on before us. - Wounded Knee Massacre December 29, 1890. -
Lest we forget - Thanks you walkingbear56"

Where are the Arabs to Stand Up for the Hanoun and Ghawi Families?
A quote...."I would like you to try and imagine someone forcing his way into your home without permission and ordering you at gun point to leave the safe home you have built through a lifetime of toil and hard work and turned into a nest for your children and grandchildren.  Imagine foreign soldiers coming from the far ends of the world armed to the teeth with inherited hatred against you to expel you from your home, replace you, occupy your land, and put an end to your existence and history."

"US soldiers largest swine flu-infected group in Iraq 12 Aug 2009 US soldiers in Iraq have become the largest group in the country to be infected with the deadly A/H1N1 virus, which is rapidly spreading in Asian countries. Iraqi health officials reported on Wednesday that some 67 American soldiers have been diagnosed with swine flu, adding that 23 Iraqis and six other foreigners have tested positive for the deadly virus. [They were likely vaccinated with it. Notice how disease outbreaks and pandemics usually begin at US military bases and Army medical research facilities?] -- Pargraph quoted from CLG

US-Russia stand-off looms as Moscow announces expansion of military bases
A quote...."The prospect of a US-Russian naval stand-off in the Black Sea loomed today after Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow would spend nearly half a billion dollars next year beefing up military bases in Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia."

Putin pledges military support for Abkhazia
A quote...."The Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has pledged Moscow's military support for the breakaway region of Abkhazia in any new conflict with Georgia."

Medvedev Condemns Yushchenko, Hopes for New Ukrainian Leadership - posted at AntiWar
A quote...."Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced today that his government will postpone sending a new ambassador to the Ukraine until he sees a prospect for “real developments in Russian-Ukrainian relations.” He also publicly chastized Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in an open letter released through the Kremlin web site."

Venezuela, Guatemala sign energy agreement
A quote...."CARACAS Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela and Guatemala have signed an energy agreement to guarantee Guatemala a daily supply of 20,000 barrels of crude and refined products, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said Wednesday."

Iran Opposes Expansion of US Military Deployment in Latin America
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)-Iran is against the expansion of US military presence in Latin America as well as other parts of the world, asserted Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki."

Obama Continues Bush Policies in Latin America By Mark Weisbrot - Alt - (YuTb - 3m3s - 08/05/09)
Video - A quote...."There were great hopes in Latin America when President Obama was elected.  U.S. standing in the region had reached a low point under George W. Bush, and all of the hemisphere’s left-leaning governments expressed optimism that Obama would go in a different direction. -- These hopes have been dashed.  President Obama has continued the Bush policies and in some cases has done worse."

Eva Golinger: U.S. Privatizes Colombian War with its Transnational Mercenaries - posted at VenezuelanAnalysis
A quote...."For the year 2009 the State Department of the United States will invest approximately $520 million in Plan Colombia. More than half of this money went to private North American contractors charged with developing, promoting and furthering irregular warfare in Colombian territory and in Latin America; this was revealed to the Bolivarian News Agency by the lawyer and researcher Eva Golinger" -- also posted at FrmTheWildnrs

Trade-Venezuela: Out with Colombia, In with Argentina - Another country heard from!  Yeah! - mpg
A quote...."Ten thousands cars, 80,000 tons of beef, 100,000 tons of corn, 18,000 tons of milk, 9,000 tons of beans, 18 million eggs, two million pairs of shoes: Argentina has agreed to 1.1 billion dollars worth of sales to Venezuela, which has decided to stop importing goods from Colombia and get its supplies from other sources." - also posted at IPS -- For more on this issue see.....Ecuadorian ban cuts Colombian trade by 15.5% -- posted 08-12-09

Clinton Threatens War in Horn of Africa
Contains Audio - A quote...."Hillary Clinton has confirmed that the Obama administration is bent on pursuing the same “war on terror” and regime-change strategy in the Horn of Africa as its predecessor. Having made George Bush’s wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan his own, President Obama dispatched his Secretary of State to draw battle lines in Somalia and to threaten the neighboring nation of Eritrea. " - also posted at OhBummer -- Heh, Heh -- Ho, Ho -- Hideous Hillary's got to go!   --   Heh, Heh -- Ho, Ho -- Hideous Hillary's got to go! - mpg

Slipping Into Darkness - Nigeria on the Brink
A quote...."When Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and her entourage touch down this week in Abuja, the bright new capital of the Nigerian federation, their hosts will try to put the best face on what is the gravest political crisis the country has faced since the civil war ended almost four decades ago.  The uninspired government of President Musa Yar’ ‘Adua, who took office in 2007 on the back of elections massively fraudulent even by Nigeria’s  appallingly low standards, is confronting a dual political crisis of considerable gravity." -- For more on this issue see....Africa - the Next Target - 02-28-08 - mpg

Thai court ruling stands to potentially expose U.S. and Israeli connections to arms and other smuggling
A quote...."(WMR) -- A Thai judge has rejected an American request to extradite Tajikistan-born arms dealer Viktor Bout to the United States on charges that he tried to sell surface-to-air missiles to U.S. agents, including Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operatives, in Bangkok who posed as representatives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)."
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Obama On Health Care: A Comprehensive Betrayal – Where Do We Go From Here?
Must Read - A quote...."At some point in last year's presidential election campaign, Barack Obama went on Bill O'Reilly's show to concede that maybe the war in Iraq, and Bush's murderous escalation of that war, the so-called surge, were not such bad ideas after all. Obama met with the admirals and generals and came away declaring that withdrawal from Iraq really meant withdrawal to secure bases inside Iraq. A US troop pullout would not happen until well into his second term, if then, with the accent on the “if." -- also posted at OhBummer

How Obama's Deal With Big Pharma Undermines Democracy
A quote...."I'm a strong supporter of universal health insurance, [Hopefully he means single-payer] and a fan of the Obama administration [Poor thing, we'll see if we can set Mr. Reich in the right direction one day]. But I'm appalled by the deal the White House has made with the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying arm to buy their support."

"Did Obama sabotage health care reform? By Lori Price 13 Aug 2009 The health care CEOs are making millions of dollars per year, mainly by denying people coverage. President Obama would have won popular support for quality reform ('single-payer' health care) by putting this issue front-and-center. But he didn't. Instead, he allowed the rightwing to hijack the debate. Did Obama do that on purpose, so that he would not be held accountable to his campaign promise (apparently, a lie) that he would push for universal health care coverage? Health Insurance Company CEOs Total Compensation in 2008 By Michael Ricciardelli 20 May 2009 Ins. Co. & CEO With 2008 Total CEO Compensation:Aetna, Ronald A. Williams: $24,300,112 Cigna, H. Edward Hanway: $12,236,740 Coventry, Dale Wolf: $9,047,469 Health Net, Jay Gellert: $4,425,355 Humana, Michael McCallister: $4,764,309 U. Health Group, Stephen J. Hemsley: $3,241,042 Wellpoint, Angela Braly: $9,844,212]" -- Pargraph quoted from CLG

How “The Crazies” Silenced Critics on the Left and Saved Obamacare
A quote...."Just a few weeks ago I was starting to have a little “hope”.  Just a little.  Don’t go crazy. - I was witnessing what I thought must have been some kind of waking daydream; pseudo “progressive” blogs actually starting to reject the Obama healthcare plan and pressing openly for real single payer healthcare. - I was amazed.  AfterDowningStreet, Op Ed News, DailyKos, and even, believe it or not… the Huffington Post actually carried articles seriously critical of HR 3200 and the senate versions of the Obamacare plan. - Obama’s and Rahm’s hopes of fulfilling their promise to the insurance lobbyists was about to take a dive – not because of the opposition from the “Right” but because of the dissent from the “Left”. - But then along came “the crazies” and now it seems Obamacare is saved. - What a coincidence."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

A Day of Reckoning in Honduras
A quote...."Something unprecedented is occurring in Honduras. Since the military coup which occurred on June 28th, the people of Honduras have mounted 6 weeks of sustained, massive, non-violent resistance to the violent take-over of their country. Perhaps even more astounding, is that this resistance shows no signs of tapering off. On the contrary, the movement continues to build in momentum and numbers despite violent repression on the part of the military."

Dispatches from Honduras
A quote...."Thousands of people protesting the Honduras coup regime marched August 11 in the capital city of Tegucigalpa, taking their demonstration to the presidential palace where coup leader Roberto Micheletti seized power in late June."

Honduras Resistance on Day 46
A quote...."Tegucigalpa, Aug 12 (Prensa Latina) The peaceful resistance against the military coup in Honduras on Wednesday entered day 46, despite the repression police forces has parked off in the last few hours."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Fatah leadership in Gaza resign
A quote...."Gaza – Ma’an – The Fatah higher leadership committee in the Gaza Strip submitted its resignation on Wednesday, a day after the movement elected new leadership. -- The resignation was submitted to President Mahmoud Abbas, and the movement’s Central Committee, the governing body the movement elected this week."

60 Years of Zionist Lies and Treachery
A quote...."In March 1948, a Joint Chiefs paper titled “Force Requirements for Palestine” predicted that the “Zionist strategy will seek to involve [the U.S.] in a continuously widening and deepening series of operations intended to secure maximum Jewish objectives.” Those objectives included an expansionist agenda for Greater Israel that envisioned the taking of Arab land, ensuring armed clashes in which the U.S. was destined to become embroiled."

HRW: “Israeli army killed 11 civilians carrying white flags”
A quote...."Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported Thursday that Israeli soldiers shot and killed during the war against the Gaza Strip eleven Palestinian civilians, including five women and four children, and wounded eight others in seven separate attacks, although they were carrying white flags."

Israel troops 'shot Gaza civilians'
A quote...."Israeli soldiers unlawfully shot and killed 11 Palestinian civilians, including four children, who were in groups waving white flags during the Gaza war, a report prepared by the US-based Human Rights Watch says. --
Civilians Killed Holding White Flags in Gaza, published on Thursday, is HRW's third lengthy publication in five months condemning Israel's actions during the Gaza conflict, following allegations over white phosphorous and drones."

Bil’in village will hold a mass demonstration against the ongoing Israeli arrest and intimidation campaign
A quote...."Bil’in village will hold a mass demonstration against the ongoing Israeli arrest and intimidation campaign on Friday, 14 August 2009 at one PM. Bil’in residents along with Israeli and international supporters will attempt to march to the village land beyond the Apartheid Wall."

EGYPT:  Israel Gas Deal Inflames Opposition
If you think about it, It's actually the US-NRE's foreign aid to Egyp that's being funneled to Israel through this deal. More of your tax dollars at work folks. - mpg -- A quote...."CAIRO, Aug 12 (IPS) - Opposition figures and political activists have slammed a new deal to sell Egyptian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Israel at what they say are vastly reduced prices."
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Tuesday August 11th 2009

Monday August 10th 2009

Nader Was Right: Liberals Are Going Nowhere With Obama
Must Read - A quote...."The American empire has not altered under Barack Obama. It kills as brutally and indiscriminately in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan as it did under George W. Bush. It steals from the U.S. treasury to enrich the corporate elite as rapaciously. It will not give us universal health care, abolish the Bush secrecy laws, end torture or “extraordinary rendition,” restore habeas corpus or halt the warrantless wiretapping and monitoring of citizens. It will not push through significant environmental reform, regulate Wall Street or end our relationship with private contractors that provide mercenary armies to fight our imperial wars and produce useless and costly weapons systems. -- The sad reality is that all the well-meaning groups and individuals who challenge our permanent war economy and the doctrine of pre-emptive war, who care about sustainable energy, fight for civil liberties and want corporate malfeasance to end, were once again suckered by the Democratic Party. They were had. It is not a new story. The Democrats have been doing this to us since Bill Clinton." -- also posted at ICH & CommonDreams & Uruknet

This is No Recession - It's a Planned Demolition
Must Read - A quote...."August 10, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- Credit is not flowing. In fact, credit is contracting. That means things aren't getting better; they're getting worse. When credit contracts in a consumer-driven economy, bad things happen. Business investment drops, unemployment soars, earnings plunge, and GDP shrinks. The Fed has spent more than a trillion dollars trying to get consumers to start borrowing again, but without success. The country's credit engines are grinding to a halt. -- Bernanke has increased excess reserves in the banking system by $800 billion, but lending is still slow. The banks are hoarding capital in order to deal with the losses from toxic assets, non performing loans, and a $3.5 trillion commercial real estate bubble that's following housing into the toilet. That's why the rate of bank failures is accelerating. 2010 will be even worse; the list is growing. It's a bloodbath." -- also posted at CounterPunch

How Corrupt is the Economic System of the U.S.A. Today?
Must Read - By the numbers  - Comparing the US-NRE to the top thirty industrialized nations. - mpg -- A quote...."That is the question.  At one time the high standards of the American lifestyle were the envy of the world.  That day is gone with the wind. -- The 30 nation survey of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2008 placed the poverty rate of the U.S.A. only above Mexico and Turkey.  The economic gap between rich and poor in the U.S.A. was explained in this report in the Seattle Times December 15, 2008: -- "In the United States, the richest 10 percent earn an average of $93,000 -- the highest level in this 30 nation survey.  The poorest 10 percent earn an average of $5,800 -- about 20 percent lower than the average of the 30 nation survey." -- also posted at ICH

Max Keiser: On Unemployment and Government misleading Fake Numbers - Alt - (YuTb - 9m 25s - Aug 07,'09)
Video - Max is ALWAYS fun to watch. - mpg -- A quote...."Max discusses the financial headlines with France24. US unemployment numbers better than expected, markets rally. Max offers his opinion on how Treasury bonds are sold. - http://maxkeiser.com

Lost Couple of Decades’ Looming for U.S. Economy
A quote...."Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. economy may be just as sluggish during the next 20 years as Japan’s economy was in the last 20, according to Comstock Partners, a money manager founded and run by Charles Minter. -- Stimulus programs and a surging money supply aren’t likely to “solve a problem of excess debt generation that resulted from greed and living way beyond our means,” the firm wrote yesterday in an unsigned report on its Web site. “We could wind up with a lost couple of decades.”

FusterClucked Again: The Commercial Real Estate Crash Is On
Chart - A quote...."News about the economy has gone from apocalyptic to merely bad. Stock indexes and commodity prices have been on a five month tear. Hints are showing up that at least the worst of the home mortgage disaster might be over. Unemployment is still at scary levels, but at least the rate of its increase is slowing."

Paulson and Goldman Sachs: A dirty secret of the Wall Street bailout
A quote...."An article in Sunday’s New York Times on the behind-the-scenes dealings between Henry Paulson, treasury secretary under President George W. Bush, and Goldman Sachs, the giant investment bank Paulson headed before joining the Bush administration, sheds a measure of light on the corrupt relationship between government officials and the banks which underlies the multi-trillion-dollar bailout of Wall Street."
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The American Colonies - link posted at AntiWar
Special Note - A quote...."How does one recognize the looming inevitable? In the 1760s, the British, having defeated the French in America and expanded George III’s overseas empire, saw only profit and prestige ahead. A New England cleric, the Reverend Samuel Cooper, told his congregation that the colonists were indebted “not only for their present Security and Happiness, but, perhaps for their very Being, to the paternal Care of the Monarch.” The legitimacy of royal rule was little questioned. In that future seedbed of sedition, Boston, Thomas Foxcroft declared, “Above all, we owe our humble Thanks to his Majesty and with loyal Hearts full of joyous Gratitude, we bless the King, for his Paternal Goodness in sending such effectual Aids to his American Subjects. . . when we needed the Royal Protection.”

The Devastating Effects of the New Colonialists
Special Note - Read this article folks, this isn't even colonialism anymore; this is feudalism, with serfs, starving peasants, brutal repression, utter impoverishment and the whole nine yards of dark, dank, unenlightened, medievalism.  This world is going backwards so fast we'll all be in the thirteenth century by the end of the year.  Just in time for the great plague. – mpg -- A quote...."August 10, 2009 "The Independent" -- Thousand of protesters took to the streets, waving the orange flags of the opposition. Before long, looting began. Buildings were set on fire. But the turning point came when a crowd moved from the main square towards the presidential palace. Amid the confusion, someone panicked and gave the order to the troops guarding the palace to open fire. Scores died. The leaders of the army decided they'd had enough and stormed the palace, causing the president to flee." -- also posted at ICH

The Downing Street Memo Pt1 - The Dowing Street memo Pt.2 - Alt/Pt.1 & Alt/Pt.2 - (YuTb aprox 10m 081009)
Real News Videos - Special Note - A quote...."Ray McGovern: The "Memo" shows a premeditated war of aggression with intent to deceive."

ElBaradei Regrets Not Doing More to Stop Iraq War - posted at AntiWar
Related Article -- A quote...."Hundreds of Thousands of People Lost Their Lives on the Basis of Fiction" ["Fiction" is a really nice way of saying lies, and more than a million have died in Iraq so far, but who's counting, certainly NOT the world's newest Un-Holy Roman Empire. - mpg] -- In an interview with Time Magazine, outgoing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei said that his most disappointing moment of his life was the US invasion of Iraq, and says that “I should probably, before the Iraq war, have screamed and howled harder and louder to prevent people from misusing the information that was made available by us.”

Afghan war will exceed cost of Iraq, say experts
A quote...."AS THE US expands its involvement in Afghanistan, military experts are warning that it is taking on security and political commitments that will last at least a decade and a cost that is likely to eclipse that of the Iraq war." -- First off, they're occupations, not wars.  Second, no one knows which occupation is going to be more expensive because the US-NRE is still occupying Iraq and intends to do so indefinitely.  Thirdly, who knows just how many OTHER countries the US-NRE intends to occupy in the meantime? - mpg

Taliban in Cahoots With Drug Lords!
Special Note - Also known as a short fun lesson in history - or - the more things change, the more they remain the same. - mpg -- A quote...."Wait a minute. Is it just me or does anyone else see the inherent absurdity of this headline from the August 10 edition of the New York Times: "U.S. to Hunt Down Afghan Drug Lords Tied to Taliban." -- My, my. The War On Terror may be over… well, renamed… but the War On Drugs sure has spread. I wonder if there ever will be an end to it. Either way, Drug Lords! For shame, Uncle Scam better get some of those Special Forces dudes in there toot sweet and take ’em out pronto! Can’t have heroin flooding our impoverished and neglected ghettos of forgotten and disposable people now can we? And God forbid that Afghan Drug Lords are funding the Taliban!"

Lebanon army on high alert as Israel moves forces
War Alert - A quote...."Lebanon's army has put its forces on high alert after Israeli forces made advances toward the area of Shaba farms amid heightened tensions with the Hezbollah movement."

[Verbal Warfare (for the moment)] between Israel, Hezbollah continues
A quote...."BEIRUT, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- The past few weeks witnessed increasingly vehement speeches between Israel and Lebanese Shiite armed group Hezbollah, as the two sides accused each other of intending to wage another war after the one that was fought in 2006. -- The Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported that Hezbollah's deputy chief Sheik Naim Qassem said on Monday that resistance against Israel is neither an option of the political moment nor a momentary reaction, but a fortification of independence."

Chavez accuses Colombia of acting against regional unity
A quote...."QUITO, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused the Colombian government of acting against the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) by intending to sign a military agreement with the U.S."

Hugo Chávez tells army to prepare for conflict with Colombia
A quote...."Venezuela ordered its army yesterday to prepare for conflict, after accusing Colombia of making a provocative incursion into its territory."

Ecuador's Correa: new term will favor poor, Indians
A quote...."QUITO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Flanked by two of Latin America's foremost indigenous leaders, President Rafael Correa vowed on Sunday to favor Ecuador's poor and Indian people in deep social reforms he plans in his second term."

Kremlin bill on using army abroad - link posted at AntiWar
Russia should be very careful, they don't want to end up like the US-NRE, bankrupt and hated by most of the world for it's acts of agression. - mpg -- A quote...."Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has introduced a bill to parliament that would allow the country's armed forces to intervene beyond Russia's borders. -- The bill would allow Russian troops to be used abroad "to rebuff or prevent an aggression against another state" or "protect Russian citizens abroad". -- Mr Medvedev said the bill was linked to last year's war with Georgia over South Ossetia, Russia's Interfax reports."
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If You Don’t Like Team DLC Obama™ Brand’s Neoliberal, Corporatist Policies… You’re a Racist
A quote...."What we are watching now in the healthcare debate is just deplorable, bottom of the barrel, desperation muck-raking politics of the absolute worst kind.  And I am talking about what is coming from the White House and their “progressive” minions.  It is the EXACT same thing as when someone who is critical of ultraconservative “Likudesque” policies of Israel is accused of being anti-Semitic in an attempt to shame them into silence."

Obama Presses Supreme Court to Block Release of Abuse Photos - posted at AntiWar
A quote...."The Obama Administration has today asked the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court decision which would require the Pentagon to release dozens of heretofore unseen photos of the abuse of prisoners in US military custody, claiming the release would pose a significant risk to the military."

Judge: 9/11 plotter's counsel can't know how CIA treated him
A quote...."A Pentagon appointed defense attorney's request for specific information about the CIA interrogations of her client, Ramzi bin al Shibh, an alleged co-conspirator of the US attacks on 9/11, was recently rejected by a military judge." -- And the cover-up of what REALLY happened on 9/11 continues. - mpg -- For more on this issue see....9/11 - Iraq - Torture Fables

Donald Rumsfeld makes $5m killing on bird flu drug
He also made a "killing" from 9/11, must be "one ol'dem dare co-in-cee-dints-cez" - mpg -- A quote....."A quote...."Donald Rumsfeld has made a killing out of bird flu. The US Defence Secretary has made more than $5m (£2.9m) in capital gains from selling shares in the biotechnology firm that discovered and developed Tamiflu, the drug being bought in massive amounts by Governments to treat a possible human pandemic of the disease."

"Governors oppose new DoD emergency powers --Governors: Current law already allows the Pentagon to order personnel to key areas inside the U.S.10 Aug 2009 A bipartisan pair of governors is opposing a new Defense Department proposal to handle natural [well, lab-generated] and terrorism-related disasters, contending that a murky chain of command could lead to more problems than solutions. Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R), chairman of the National Governors Association, and Vice Chairman Gov. Joe Manchin (D) of West Virginia penned a letter opposing the Pentagon proposal, which they said would hinder a state's effort to respond to a disaster." -- Paragraph quoted from CLG

Trial by FBI Investigation
A quote...."Beginning in the early 1990s, I spent about a dozen years slowly collecting, analyzing and compiling tens of thousands of FBI files detailing how dozens of American anthropologists were investigated and harassed by the FBI and various loyalty boards during the late-1940s and 50s. In most of the cases I encountered, the scholars under investigation were targeted because they were involved in unpopular (legal) political causes—the most common of which involved activist campaigns fighting for racial equality, in others they challenged gender roles, economic stratification, the unbridled militarism or other conventions of their era. Many of those investigated already stood out amongst their colleagues as individuals unwilling to go along with the polite social conventions that supported the world they were challenging."

[Britain's] march of the state spies: One in 78 adults came under state-sanctioned surveillance last year
A quote...."Britain's extraordinary march towards a surveillance state is revealed today by shock new figures. -- They show that one request is made every minute for officials to spy on someone's phone records or email accounts. -- The number of Big Brother snooping missions by police, town halls and other public bodies has soared by 44 per cent in two years."

Ministers' admission links MI5 and MI6 to 'torture victim
A quote...."Ministers have admitted the Government sent secret agents to interview a British detainee in Afghanistan, supporting allegations MI5 and MI6 officers were present while he was tortured by his American captors."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Argentine Embassy’s Timerman flies the flag of constitutionality & of the legitimacy of Honduran Pres Manuel Zelaya
Resistance to the Empire is NOT futile; every country should simply NOT recognize the current junta in Honduras – ever - and treat Manuel Zelaya as the current head of state.  In fact, no recognition of the government in Honduras can occur period, unless and until, legitimate elections are held in Honduras, elections in which Zelaya's people can freely campaign.  And please note: such a policy would really annoy Hideous Hillary, tweak the nose of the US-NRE's Neocons and serve notice to other would-be coup plotters that these sorts of activities will not be permitted, which is reason enough to implement it. - mpg -- A quote...."An ebullient reception was held last night at the Argentine Embassy in Washington for the newly arrived Honduran Ambassador to the U.S., Enrique Reina, representing the constitutional president of his country, Manuel Zelaya. The event was also meant to introduce Ambassador Reina to Washington’s “Think Tank Community,” which attended in rousing numbers."

Honduras Coup: Template for a Hemispheric Assault on Democracy
A quote...."The people of Honduras have now suffered more than 40 days of military rule. The generals’ June 28 coup, crudely packaged in constitutional guise, ousted the country’s elected government and unleashed severe, targeted, and relentless repression. -- The grassroots protests have matched the regime in endurance and outmatched it in political support within the country and internationally. Its scope and duration is unprecedented in Honduras history. Popular resistance is the main factor affecting the international forces attempting to shape the outcome of the governmental crisis. It weighs heavy on the minds of the coup’s authors and their international backers. -- As Eva Golinger has convincingly documented1, the United States took part in conceiving, planning, and staging the coup. The U.S. ambassador in Tegucigalpa, Hugo Llorens, coordinates a team of high-ranking U.S. and Honduran military officials, and creatures from the old Bush administration, using the Soto Cano (Palmerola) U.S. air force base."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

The Islamic Resistance Movement Grows Up
A quote...."In 2006, Hamas began to evolve from a dogmatic organization located outside the political system into a functioning opposition party within the Palestinian body politic. This shift was followed by a transformation from a radical opposition party into the majority party of the Palestinian territories and, after the 2006 elections, the de facto governing party of Gaza. In a surprisingly short time, Hamas has largely abandoned religious rhetoric and calls for the violent liberation of Palestine, in favor of the increasingly secular and pragmatic task of state building." -- Which is EXACTLY why A)  The US-NRE, Israel, Egypt and the Saudi Royals initiated a policy to foment a brutal civil war in Gaza and the West Bank.  B)  Why the above parties imposed a draconian blockade against Gaza's population not seen since the Warsaw Ghetto and C)  Why Israel launched one of the most vicious, senseless, sadistic, blitzkriegs not seen since WWII against innocent civilians trapped in Gaza using white phosphorous, DIME and flechette weapons. - mpg

Hamas: PA tortured prisoner to death
A quote...."Hamadneh is the fourth Hamas member to die in a PA prison since 2007, when the Islamic movement took full control of the Gaza Strip, triggering a Fatah power grab in the West Bank."

Israeli Medical Association Severs Ties with Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) Over Torture Allegations
As Ann Coulter would say with a leer and spastic looking, idiotic, grin...."torture is...like...so...Jewish-ee" - mpg -- A quote...."The recent decision of Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) President Ruchama Marton to sign a petition against the torture of prisoners by Israel has led the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) to sever ties with the organization, Haaretz reports." -- also posted at Uruknet

Israeli Diplomat Undergoes Lobotomy
Satire - (With a chart no less....) -- A quote...."In a shocking malfuntion of the Zionist brain, Israel's consul-general in Boston, Nadav Tamir, has suffered a rapid growth to the "reasonable" region of the brain. As such, he has been immediately "summoned" back to Israel. The Diplomat will now ASS-ume the position for a good whacking. After which he will undergo a lobotomy at a re-programing camp to remove the "offending growth".

Nablus booms as barriers fall in occupied West Bank
A quote...."NABLUS, Occupied West Bank: A few weeks ago Ahmad Shataye rarely attempted the journey from his tiny village to his market stall in Nablus. Israeli roadblocks made the trip almost impossible. But these days business is booming. In June, Israel decided to remove checkpoints across the city as part of a plan for “economic peace” with Palestinians."
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Sunday August 9th 2009

"The flippancy with which US media apply the word "terrorism" to Arab populations reinforces the notion that violence in the Arab world is ahistorical and therefore senseless. Arabs in turn become a people without narratives who belong to a culture incapable of rationality."

Saturday August 8th 2009

No posts. - mpg

Friday August 7th 2009

The World Needs A Breather From The US[-NRE]. - And they'll get it sooner than many think
Must Read - A quote...."An example may help to explain how they really work: -- Say you bought a house at the peak of the bubble in 2005 and paid $500,000. Then prices dropped 40% (as they have in Calif) and your house is now worth $300,000. If you only put 5% down, ($25,000) then you are underwater by $175,000. Which means that you own more on the mortgage than your house is currently worth. (This is essentially what has happened to the entire financial system. The equity has vaporized, so institutions are using dodgy accounting tricks instead of reporting their real losses.) So Bernanke comes along and gives you $175,000 no interest, rotating loan to you so that no one knows that you are really busted and you can continue spending just as you had before. Not bad, eh? This is what the lending facilities are all about. It is a charade to conceal the fact that a large portion of the nation's financial institutions are insolvent and propped up by state largess."

"But there's more, too."

"Now that Bernanke has given you $175,000 no interest, rotating loan; you expect that eventually he will ask for his money back. Right? So your only hope of saving your home, in the long run, is to engage in risky behavior, like dabbling the stock market. It's like playing roulette, except you have nothing to lose since you are underwater anyway."

"This is exactly what the financial institutions are doing with the Fed's loans. They're betting on equities and hoping they can avoid the Grim Reaper." -- also posted at CounterPunch
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The International: The TRUE Value of Conflict (and the nature of “Globalization”)
Must View Video - Alt - A fictional account which gives one an idea of how "Globalization" really works. - mpg -- A quote...."Insider trading prior to 9/11,  Put Options, the promise of the privatization of Iraq’s central banking system… (one of the first things Paul Bremmer did in Iraq when he was brought in as Bush’s head of the newly formed Coalition Provisional Authority, was to establish a privatized central bank) -- In May of 2003, just days after Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” statement…"



"But even MORE valuable than the control of the banking system 2nd biggest oil producing country in the world, was the debt that the “Endless War on Terror” would produce for the banks. For hidden within that debt, is control. -- Imagine: Endless war against an invisible enemy, anywhere in the world, producing limitless debt… and ultimately, complete control."
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Entering the Greatest Depression in History - Alt - (YouTube - 2 min 8 sec - May 21, 2009)
Video - Special Note - A quote...."While there is much talk of a recovery on the horizon, commentators are forgetting some crucial aspects of the financial crisis. The crisis is not simply composed of one bubble, the housing real estate bubble, which has already burst. The crisis has many bubbles, all of which dwarf the housiness". -- also posted at LewRockwell & RevRadio & Creative-i

'Experts' Never Learn
Special Note - A quote...."There is an inexplicable, but somehow widely held, belief that stock market movements are predictive of economic conditions. As such, the current rally in U.S. stock prices has caused many people to conclude that the recession is nearing an end. The widespread optimism is not confined to Wall Street, as even Barack Obama has pointed to the bubbly markets to vindicate his economic policies. However, reality is clearly at odds with these optimistic assumptions. -- In the first place, stock markets have been taken by surprise throughout history. In the current cycle, neither the market nor its cheerleaders saw this recession coming, so why should anyone believe that these fonts of wisdom have suddenly become clairvoyant?"

US deficit climbs to 1.3 trillion dollars
Special Note - A quote...."The US budget deficit reached 1.3 trillion dollars for the current fiscal year in July, official data showed, news set to fuel opposition to US President Barack Obama's ambitious health care and climate change proposals." -- But of course, they're not what's causing the problem. - mpg

Come together - Right and left set aside differences to support auditing the Federal Reserve System
A quote...."Would you like your money to be held in a bank that’s never been audited?” asks Kevin Duewel, Sacramento Campaign for Liberty organizer. There’s a pregnant pause. “That’s a rhetorical question.” -- The Folsom resident is speaking about the Federal Reserve System, the system of one central and 12 regional banks that controls the U.S. money supply, and the U.S. Senate and House of Representative bills recently introduced to reform the auditing process for that system."

MSM: Fannie Mae seeks $10.7B in US aid after 2Q loss
(AP) – Fannie Mae plans to tap $11 billion in new government aid after posting another massive quarterly loss as the taxpayer bill from the housing market bust keeps growing."

California Won’t Accept Its Own IOUs
A quote...."SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - Small businesses that received $682 million in IOUs from the state say California expects them to pay taxes on the worthless scraps of paper, but refuses to accept its own IOUs to pay debts or taxes. The vendors’ federal class action claims the state is trying to balance its budget on their backs."

Two More Banks Fail Bringing 09’s Total To 71
A quote...."Florida banking regulators on Friday shut down two regional banks, bringing the national tally up to 71 for 2009."

‘Grand Closings’ in Evanston, Illinois, as recession hits
A quote...."EVANSTON, Il -- At first, the crater in the ground where the basement was supposed to be before crews quit working looked like the aftermath of a drone attack. -- But soon weeds began encroaching, white tailed rabbits bounded up and down the berms and a flock of goldfinches settled in, each perching in a cyclone fence slot in an avian pyramid."

Job losses moderate in July - Jobless rate dips to 9.4% [from 9.5%] as 247,000 nonfarm payrolls lost
Charts - A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- In another hopeful sign that the worst recession in generations is finally easing, the government estimated Friday that fewer jobs were lost in July than in any month in nearly a year."

If Americans Do Not Return to Work, There Is No Recovery
A quote...."First, a historical note... -- US equities have just come off their best July since 1989. Overall, the market is up over 8% for the year. -- But if we look backward (after all, hindsight is 20/20), March 1989 also saw a huge run up. It was followed by an even stronger rally in July, during which volume dried up. It appears the same is happening now. What came next in 1989 was a big sell-off in September, followed by an even greater one in October. -- Don't look now, but history tends to repeat itself." -- For more on this article's prediction of the market's direction see....Standard Disclaimer and the Ten Year Cycle

Jim Rogers Says U.S. Commodity Curbs to Drive Markets Overseas
Financial Alert - War Alert - A quote...."Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. proposals to place curbs on commodities trading will drive business overseas, particularly to Asia, said Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings. -- “It is remarkable because America is shooting itself in the foot again,” he said in an interview in Singapore today. “It’s going to drive the business away and the rest of the world is going to welcome it with open arms.”  --

Why is the article shown above considered a "Financial Alert"?  Because this purposed action by the Obama administration is most likely a sign that the US-NRE has already secretly monetized some of its debt and will monetize even more of it in the future.  This will entail a dollar collapse, an interest rate spike, a massive commodities spike, and a crushing blow to the economy.

Why is the article shown above considered a "War Alert"?  Because such control could potentially be used to conceal a sudden crude oil price spike which would be a tip-off that the long planned war with Iran was about to commence, also such an action would give the administrtion much needed control over commodity spikes in general and specifically spikes in crude oil prices, as any war in the Persian Gulf would most certainly interrupt world oil supplies, possibly for a very long time. - mpg
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Long Term Joblessness Chart & The Ten Year Cycle
Chart - Special Note - Percentage of US workers unemployed at least 27 weeks and the Ten Year Cycle. - mpg
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IMF boosts loan to Pakistan by 3.2 billion dollars
Special Note - This article is related to the financial articles shown above.  As long as Pakistan continues to be at war, a war promoted by the US-NRE, it will go deeper and deeper into debt and the country will soon be owned by the banks. -- For more on this issue see.....It Will Happen Every Single Time -- A quote...."WASHINGTON (AFP) – The International Monetary Fund on Friday said it had approved an additional 3.2 billion dollar loan to Pakistan to help the country weather the global economic crisis. -- The IMF said the extra funds for the loan program to Pakistan would "help the country address increased balance of payment needs" and increase the total loan to 11.3 billion dollars." - bold by website editor

Rand: Iraqi air force will remain dependent
THAT, of course is the idea!! Why would the Rand Corp. pretend otherwise?  The US-NRE keeps the Iraqis dependent, they're forced to buy everything from the US-NRE's MIOC elites at horrendous prices, the US-NRE gets to stay there with its Air Force to "protect" them "poor little darkies", and so on and so forth. Otherwise known as a classic case of colonialism (or what the US-NRE Air Force likes to call command, control and communication or C3). - mpg -- A quote...."The Air Force’s future over Iraq could look a lot like operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch, the patrols U.S. fighters flew over Iraq between the end of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003."

Ex-employees claim Blackwater pimped out young Iraqi girls
A quote...."Since the revelation earlier this week of allegations by two former employees of security firm Blackwater that its owner was complicit in murder in order to cover up the deliberate killing of Iraqi civilians, explosive charges have continued to emerge. -- Perhaps the most shocking of those charges — quoted by MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann on Thursday from the employees’ sworn declarations — is that Blackwater was guilty of using child prostitutes at its compound in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone and that owner Erik Prince knew of this activity and did nothing to stop it." - also posted at RawStory -- The New Roman Empire at work folks....hey, for all you so-called "Christians" out there who eagerly supported this sick, twisted, rampage, there's probably no doubt Mr Reficul is really pleased with you....and one day he'll be coming to see you to collect what you owe him, hopefully sooner rather than later. - mpg

US Still Paying Blackwater Millions
A quote...."Just days before two former Blackwater employees alleged in sworn statements filed in federal court that the company's owner, Erik Prince, "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe," the Obama administration extended a contract with Blackwater for more than $20 million for "security services" in Iraq, [so that's what they call molesting small children, they call it "security services".  "Services" paid for with your tax dollars folks. - mpg] according to federal contract data obtained by The Nation. The State Department contract is scheduled to run through September 3. In May, the State Department announced it was not renewing Blackwater's Iraq contract, and the Iraqi government has refused to issue the company an operating license." -- bold by website editor

Kurdish Party Threatens to Set Up Rival Provincial Govt
A quote...."With the growing split between Kurds and Arabs in Iraq’s restive north, the top Kurdish political party in the Nineveh Province, which includes the key northern city of Mosul, has threatened to establish a parallel provincial government to rival the existing administration of the Hadba coalition."

IRAQ:  Shi’a Unity Deal Explodes U.S. Proxy War Myth
Must Read - A quote...."WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (IPS) - The agreement announced Monday between Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and a Shi’a resistance group called the "League of the Righteous" (Asa'ib al-Haq) formally ended the group’s armed opposition to the regime in return for the release of its leader and eight other Shi’a detainees. This deals a final blow to the U.S. military’s narrative of an Iranian "proxy war" in Iraq."

Britain['s Elite Morons] Looks at 40-Year Afghan War - Sure, just like they stayed in Iraq, right? (snicker)
A quote...."In an interview with The Times, Britain’s incoming military Chief of Staff General Sir David Richards has cautioned that the ongoing military operation in Afghanistan could last for 40 years. The news comes after the deadliest month the British military has experienced since the 1980’s, and as three more British troops were killed in an IED attack Friday."

Tons of Imperial Fun: Hellfire Hillary Pours Oil on Somalia's Fire
Must Read - A quote...."There is apparently no path blazed by George W. Bush that Barack Obama will not eagerly follow. Surges, assassinations, indefinite detention, defense of torture, senseless wars and rampant militarism -- in just a few short months, we've seen it all. -- To this dismaying record of complicity and continuity, we can add an increasing direct involvement in the horrific, hydra-headed conflict in Somalia, whose latest round of fiery hell was instigated by the American-backed invasion of Somalia by Ethiopia in late 2006."

Seven New US Military Bases in Colombia Is Hardly a Move to the Left
A quote...."In a recent edition of the Wall Street Journal, Mary Anastasia O'Grady laments an apparent shift left in the Obama administration's Latin America policy.  Clearly, O'Grady hasn't been keeping up to date with current events. If she had been, she would have heard about negotiations underway between the U.S. and Colombia to establish at least seven U.S. military bases in Colombia. Last I heard, folks on the left tend to oppose increased militarization; it's tough to see seven new military bases as a move to the left."

US military forces in Colombia included in Unasur’s agenda
A quote...."The deployment of US military personnel in Colombian bases and its implication for the region has been included in the agenda of the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, which convenes this week in Quito, Ecuador, according to the country’s Foreign Affairs minister Fander Falconi."

Saakashvili was preparing the August war for years – Georgian scholars -- With US-NRE & Israeli support. - mpg
A quote...."07 August, 2009, 22:24 -- Participants in a round table discussion in Tbilisi put the blame on the Saakashvili regime for a series of actions that brought about the August war. The roundtable discussion, called “August 2008 – the tragedy of Georgian statehood: causes and results,” took place days before the one-year anniversary of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict." -- For more on this issue see....American Selective Attention Deficit Disorder (ASADD) - 08-16-08 - mpg
    
Russia parries US thrust in Central Asia
Special Note - A quote...."The Uzbeks explain the ingenuity of their mind by often repeating a saying that goes: when they speak, they seldom mean what they say; and when they act, they almost always disregard what they have in mind."

Russian court refuses new Politkovskaya inquiry
A quote...."A Moscow court rejected a plea by the family of slain Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya for a new investigation into her death, leading critics again to accuse authorities of not being interested in hunting the perpetrators."
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The Folly and Wickedness of War
A quote...."Most people, I suppose, are familiar with the novelist Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), the author of War and Peace and a harsh critic of both war and the state. Writing in 1894, Tolstoy powerfully described the folly and wickedness of war:"


"Just think how many millions of innocent lives could have been spared from the horrors of both World Wars had the participants listened to Tolstoy."

It Pays to Have a Nuke
A quote...."Let’s suppose a country has endured half a century of continuous attack by assailants based in the United States, with nearly 4,000 dead and 2,000 wounded. Let’s further suppose that when this country, trying to expand its tourist industry, listens to widely broadcast plans by these assailants to sabotage these plans by attacking the tourists – which they duly do, killing one. Now let us suppose that this country sends investigators to infiltrate the assailants, and hands the results of their probe to the FBI and…  I’m talking about the Cuban Five – courageous men who went to southern Florida, and penetrated the Cuban gusano gangs, specifically Alpha 66, the F4 Commandos, the Cuban American National Foundation, and Brothers to the Rescue."

Ex-CIA Analyst Criticizes State Secrets
A quote...."My 24 years as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency (1966-90) taught me that national security is only the ostensible reason for using the state secrets privilege in cases before the court. The real reason usually has more to do with national embarrassment and not national security."

EXCLUSIVE UPDATE: DoJ Pressures Ohio Election Commission to Block Edmonds Testimony
A quote...."Long-gagged FBI whistleblower re-iterates request for citizen media in D.C. to show up at Saturday morning deposition... -- The DoJ is now jumping into action, at least on behalf of covering the FBI's rear, if not yet to issue any "states secrets" claims to stop the scheduled testimony of FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds in D.C. tomorrow morning in the Ohio Election Commission (OEC) case of Schmidt v. Krikorian."
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More on the Iranian Election..... 

Report: Israel planned to strike Iran during riots
Special Note - A quote...."Kuwaiti paper quotes 'US diplomat in Jerusalem' as saying Israel asked Obama administration for green light to attack Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities during country's post-election riots. US reportedly ignored request, causing Israel to back down." -- It was probably too early, they (the MIOC/Neocons and AIPAC/East Coast Banksters) have to wait till their "brethern" are properly positioned in various financial markets, (although Goldman Sachs was obviously ready to go for it) in addition they'd probably perfer another false flag op. to start it all off. - mpg

Karroubi: New circumstances must not dispirit us
A quote...."With Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad officially sworn in for a second term, leading opposition figure Mehdi Karroubi says he will accept the new circumstances and move on. -- Mehdi Karroubi, in a Friday meeting with members of his party Etemad-e Melli (National Confidence), said he would not let his second consecutive defeat in the presidential elections negatively influence his plans."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Zionists Smear Catholics
Special Note - A quote...."Today I was looking at news articles and came across several regarding the former Irish President Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and Champion of Women’s Rights internationally. Having been born in the North of Ireland, she has experienced first hand oppression, bigoty and racism. As such, she then went on to do human rights work within the United Nations and has been a friend to oppressed people like the Palestinians. President Obama is honouring her with the Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honour. As you would expect, the Zionists in AIPAC are not happy about this and have begun to attack Obama, Mary Robinson and even the Catholic religion. So, let’s talk about the subtlety of Zionist racism with a glaring example."

"Breaking the Silence" or silencing the critics?
A quote....""Breaking the Silence" is a member of the Israeli human rights, peace and social justice community. The group's only crime, so it seems, lies in its effort to offer an alternative ethical voice in a society that is arguably losing its way. Breaking the Silence provides a platform for soldiers to testify to acts of violence and other violations of Palestinian rights that they may have witnessed or taken part in during their service in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. "

Five years of illegality
A quote...."In an advisory opinion, rendered on 9 July 2004, the International Court of Justice stated that Israel’s construction of the Wall in the occupied Palestinian Territory was illegal and called for its immediate dismantling. Five years later, the advisory opinion has been met only by inaction: Israel continues constructing the Wall and the international community remains silent. Oxfam International underscores the urgency of addressing this situation in a compilation of testimonies that is published today."

UN concerned over potential further evictions in East Jerusalem
A quote...."In the wake of the evictions of dozens of Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem earlier this week, the United Nations today voiced concern that more families could be forced out of their homes by Israel, causing further humanitarian suffering. Two families, comprising 53 people registered with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), were forced out by Israeli security forces last weekend from the Arab neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, with Israeli settlers moving into their homes."
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Will Venezuelan Destabilization Follow the Honduran Coup? - Does night follow day? - mpg
A quote...."After ten and a half years in office, Hugo Chavez is very savvy about America's intentions. On January 17, even before Obama's inauguration, he said "Barack Obama has the 'stench' of his predecessor as US president and was at risk of being killed if he tries to change the American 'empire.' " -- also posted at MWC & OhBummer & CounterCurrents

A Month Without Zelaya: The Honduran Crisis Deepens, No Quick Solutions on the Horizon
A quote...." -- also posted at Creative-i

• Although the de facto Micheletti regime has stated that it supports the San Jose Accord, events on the ground indicate that it is not pushing for the reinstatement of Zelaya.
• Zelaya’s return is complicated by an entrenched interim government; a restoration of the deposed leader would only be possible through extreme international pressure.
• Zelaya’s border spectacle aimed at keeping the deposed president in the headlines, since his visibility is somewhat fading.

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Thursday August 6th 2009

The Expiring Economy - Man oh man, those Un-Holy Neo-Roman Empires can be so darned expensive!! mpg
Must Read - A quote...."Tent cities springing up all over America are filling with the homeless unemployed from the worst economy since the 1930s. While Americans live in tents, the Obama government has embarked on a $1 billion crash program to build a mega-embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, to rival the one the Bush government built in Baghdad, Iraq. -- Hard times have now afflicted Americans for so long that even the extension of unemployment benefits from 6 months to 18 months for 24 high unemployment states, and to 46 - 72 weeks in other states, is beginning to run out. By Christmas 1.5 million Americans will have exhausted unemployment benefits while unemployment rolls continue to rise." -- also posted at OhBummer & CounterPunch & OnlineJournal

The Lies used to Justify the Iraq War. The Infamous Downing Street Minutes
Must Read - A quote...."The Iraq War set a new low for the blatant openness of the lies used to justify it, and those lies included a secret memo signed by Jay Bybee, head of the Office of Legal Counsel, that purports to legalize any illegal wars launched by a U.S. president. If that memo and the OLC memos purporting to legalize specific war crimes like torture are left unchallenged, or if an attempt is made to prosecute those who exceeded the crimes "legalized" by the memos, the United States will henceforth be understood to openly treat as legal anything a president instructs a lawyer to "legalize" including the supreme international crime banned by the UN Charter, except when that crime is committed by nations other than the United States or Israel. Vice President Joe Biden recently remarked that Israel had the right to attack Iran if it chose to, a remark that would legitimize the worst crime there is, and yet a remark that Biden clearly made in an attempt to avoid any scandal or controversy by articulating what he and those he spends his time with understood to be universally accepted."

Scott Horton Interviews Eric Margolis
Must Listen Audio Interview - A quote...."Internationally syndicated columnist Eric Margolis discusses the troop surge increase and mission creep in Afghanistan, U.S. alliances with Central Asian despots, the subservience of the State Department to the Pentagon in foreign policy and consequences of the sanctions on Iran."

"Secret deal to keep Karzai in power 07 Aug 2009 With less than two weeks to go until national 'elections,' the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, is trying to cut a secret deal with one of his rivals to knock out his leading contender and ensure a decisive victory to avoid the chaos that a tight result might unleash. Afghanistan's second 'democratic polls' threaten to split the country along sectarian lines... Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Karl Eikenberry, the US ambassador, are understood to have discussed the proposal with [third candidate] Ashraf Ghani late last month. "It makes sense," a policy analyst with close links to the US administration said... [Later, in the same article:] US embassy officials have denied any involvement in back-room deals." -- Paragraph quoted from CLG -- Ah yes, the New Roman Empire's Consuls deciding who will rule and who will be cast aside, who will live and who will die....who knew being a Neo-Roman could be such fun! – mpg

Mounting popular opposition to the war in Afghanistan -- The "elites" response; the one fingered salute. - mpg
A quote...."Popular anti-war sentiment, however, finds no expression in the policies of governments or, for that matter, those of opposition parties within the bourgeois political establishment. -- The US and European governments are making clear that their military intervention in the war-torn land is open-ended. Within the framework of official politics and the media, they are being criticized by their political opponents for not pursuing the war with sufficient ruthlessness."

Adviser: US has 2 more tough years in Afghanistan - He left off the zero! - mpg
A quote...."WASHINGTON — An incoming adviser to the top U.S. general in Afghanistan predicted Thursday that the United States will see about two more years of heavy fighting and then either hand off to a much improved Afghan fighting force or "lose and go home." -- David Kilcullen, a counterinsurgency expert who will assume a role as a senior adviser to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has been highly critical of the war's management to date. He outlined a "best-case scenario" for a decade of further U.S. and NATO involvement in Afghanistan during an appearance at the U.S. Institute of Peace. [How utterly Orwellian.] -- Under that timeline, the allied forces would turn the corner in those two years, followed by about three years of transition to a newly capable Afghan force and about five years of "overwatch." -- Yep, it's all been decided folks, the US-NRE is gonna keep killing, and killing, and spending and spending -- OR -- come this following November all you people out there could actually go to the polls and vote for anybody other than a DemoRepub.  The lives and dollars you'll save might very well be your own, or those of your family. - mpg -- For more on these plans of mayhem and murder check out....9/11 - Planning Guidance
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US Kills Five Afghan Cucumber Farmers in Air Strike
A quote...."A US military helicopter launched an overnight attack on a group of what it believed were “militants loading munitions into a van,” killing five of them. According to police in the rural district of the Kandahar Province, they weren’t militants, and those weren’t munitions."

Iraqis speak of random killings committed by private Blackwater guards
A quote...."Guards employed by Blackwater, the US security company, shot Iraqis and killed victims in allegedly unprovoked and random attacks, it was claimed yesterday. -- A Virginia court also received sworn statements from former Blackwater employees yesterday alleging that Erik Prince, the company’s founder, “views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe”. -- also posted at Uruknet

Kurds turn up the heat on Baghdad
A quote...."DAMASCUS - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's recent visit to Iraqi Kurdistan was aimed to test the waters on how loudly and aggressively the Kurds are willing to push their claim for the oil-rich Kirkuk region. -- Maliki received a uniform answer from all his interlocutors, that the Kurds want to go until "the curtain falls", which makes dialogue, let alone solutions, between the camps virtually impossible."

UPDATE 1-Colombia Ecopetrol barred from Orinoco zone-Chavez
A quote...."CARACAS, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Venezuela will impose economic sanctions on some Colombian companies, President Hugo Chavez said on Wednesday, ratcheting up a diplomatic spat between the two countries over U.S. plans to station more troops in Colombia."

Chavez turns up heat on Colombia
A quote...."Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced trade measures against Colombia, amid a growing diplomatic row between the two nations. -- Mr Chavez said he would halt the import of 10,000 cars from Colombia and ban a Colombian energy firm from exploring Venezuela's oil-rich Orinoco region."

Mercosur works if Brazil makes it work, said Uruguayan presidential hopeful
A quote...."The Uruguayan ruling coalition presidential candidate Jose Mujica said Brazilian president Lula da Silva promised to help speed power inter-connection between the two neighbouring countries, in the framework of Mercosur, in spite of Argentina’s non supportive attitude. He also underlined Mercosur depends on Brazil’s willingness."

Turkey approves Russia gas pipeline
Geo-Political Alert -- Oil/Gas -- A quote...."Russia has signed an agreement with Turkey that will allow Moscow to transport Russian natural gas through Europe under Turkish waters. -- Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, signed the deal on Thursday in Ankara, Turkey's capital, with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan."

Saakashvili returns to war
A quote...."The United States does not find it very comfortable to supply Georgia with weapons during the crisis because it has no money to pay for them. Under George Bush, Washington already committed itself to put all Georgian bureaucrats on its payroll, having paid a little more than $1 billion as a compensation for Saakashvili's small war. The first tranche of $250 million has already been transferred. According to the Treasury, these funds will be spent on old age pensions, scholarships, social payments, and assistance to refugees. However, and this is the main point, a considerable part of these funds will be allocated for compensation and salaries of government officials of all ministries, except for the defense and interior ministries. In other words, all of Georgia's government officials are already on U.S. payroll, a fact which nobody even tried to conceal during the last few years of Bush's term."

On South Ossetia
A quote...."About the anniversary of the conflict -- “Now we are again going to witness information wars over the interpretation of the last August’s events. We remember that a real war flared up in the media a year ago. I am not talking about the Georgian media. During this war, war criminal Saakashvili was being misrepresented, and Russia’s view was being ignored for two months running. In fact, the aggression as such was being ignored, as well as the losses sustained by South Ossetians and Russian peacekeepers. They were all totally neglected. --  “Since then the media have changed their tune. Western public opinion admitted that Saakashvili is primarily to blame for the war in South Ossetia, and acknowledged his numerous wrongdoings. But it prefers to qualify them as political mistakes, even huge political mistakes but not as war crimes." -- For more on this issue see....American Selective Attention Deficit Disorder (ASADD) - 08-16-08 - mpg

North Korea and Iran: So what does the West want? By William Bowles
A quote...."Well last night, I was watching Channel 4 News’ coverage of the return of the two US journalists to the US from North Korea and the carefully orchestrated ‘low key’ PR event, managed no doubt by Obama’s Twittering, Myspaced, Facebookie posse. But how can anything be low-key when exposed to the News Corporation’s gaze? -- The entire thing looked like the final night of the Big Brother house replete with copious tears, and profuse thanks to BC etc. Hey look, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that they’ve returned safely (but really, what were the odds of two of the Empire’s finest doing twelve years hard labour?) -- That said, the entire thing is a gigantic charade that takes place in an alternative universe...."
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"The Health Insurers Have Already Won"
A quote...."Even that is not quite sufficient, but is directionally correct. One of the defining characteristics of Team Obama [is] its preference for spin in lieu of substance. Admiittedly, the Bushies had a variant of that, in their obsession with the visual staging of any presidential appearance (the attention to props and lighting detail would do Annie Liebowitz proud). -- But with the Obama cohort, the focus is Orwellian, the use of language to misrepresent substance. Recall the totally mislabeled "stress tests" which were not tests. The tests were self-administered and the result pre-determined, since Administration officials said repeatedly that the point of the exercise was to show that the banks were sufficiently well capitalized. And since there were doubts about the seriousness of the exercise, it was helpful to the PR process that the banks got pissy and pushed back, which gave the misleading impression that they were being handled roughly (as opposed to they were given a yard and wanted to see if they could take a mile). -- A similar charade is in motion on the health care front."

Turning the US army against Americans
Special Note - A quote...."It was an odd little story, tucked well inside the front section of this past Sunday's New York Times. -- An antiwar activist in the state of Washington had been exposed as an undercover informant for the US army, stationed at massive Fort Lewis, south of Tacoma. And in one of those Kafkaesque twists for which our government is renowned, the army is now investigating itself to determine how such an arrangement came to pass. --
Although the Times gave no credit, the story had been broken on 28 July by Democracy Now!, a leftwing television programme co-anchored by Amy Goodman, a longtime progressive journalist."
also posted at ICH & CommonDreams

The Plague of Punitive Populism
Videos - Photos - Special Note - Related Article --  Otherwise known as the "Iraqification" of the US-NRE - mpg -- A quote...."In Virginia, police officers raid a baptismal party for two small boys. Without cause or provocation they assault the grandfather who owns the home, tasering him three times while children and other guests look on in horror."
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More on the Iranian Election.....

Scott Horton Interviews Robert Dreyfuss
Audio Interview - A quote...."Robert Dreyfuss, author of Devil’s Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam, discusses the discontent in Iran’s business community with sanctions and an unstable pariah government, the possibility Iranian political opposition leaders may soon be arrested (or worse), Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s inextricable association with Ahmedinejad and the shift in U.S. war and propaganda effort from Iraq to Afghanistan."

At Iran post-vote prison, dereliction of duty confirmed
A quote...."After speaking to prisoners and sources at the recently shut down Kahrizak prison, the Iranian police force has come to the conclusion that violations of detainee rights along with dereliction of duty have been evident at the notorious detention center."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Enforcing backwardness in the Middle East - Don't fool yourselves folks, it's deliberate cultural destruction.
Special Note - A quote...."More than six months after Israel's winter invasion of Gaza, a number of partially or largely damaged universities await reconstruction. Raw materials essential for rebuilding are unavailable in Gaza primarily because of Israel's 26-month blockade of the tiny territory. Coupled with the wide-scale destruction from Israel's 22-day onslaught, the siege has crippled most aspects of public life for Gaza's 1.5 million residents." -- also posted at AtheoNews -- For more on this sort of issue see....The Method - 05-07-07 - mpg

Israeli military blocks road and access to health, water services for approximately 700 Palestinians....
A quote...."At noon on 5 August between the villages of Mfaggara and Jinba located in the South Hebron Hills an Israeli military bulldozer and a hummer with five soldiers created three earth mounds, blocking the road. In addition, the military damaged the road by digging it up to create the earth mounds."

First-hand [Isreali] Account Details Israeli Cruelty to Children
A quote...."In a new interview with the BBC, Eran Efrati explained how the routine ill-treatment of Palestinian children in custody takes place. -- "You take the kid, you blindfold him, you handcuff him, he's really shaking... Sometimes you cuff his legs too. Sometimes it cuts off the circulation. He doesn't understand a word of what's going on around him," he said. -- "He doesn't know what you're going to do with him. He just knows we are soldiers with guns. That we kill people. Maybe they think we're going to kill him."

Israeli Occupation is Profitable, It Should be Less So
A quote...."The associations that come into the minds of most of us when hearing the common phrase "Israeli occupation" are generally tied to concepts such as army, settlers, terror and peace process. Few pay attention to the economic aspects of this ongoing project and generally when people do mention this, it's in the context of the occupation being an economic burden on Israel. Fewer still ask who is profiting from the occupation, to which social groups do these profiteers belong and what political power do they possess. The idea is simple. Damage to these profits is liable to transform a continuation of the occupation into something less profitable." -- For more on how to boycott Israel see the upper-left-corner of the "Front Page" of this website. - mpg
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More on the US-NRE's Honduran Coup....

Honduran Coup: The U.S. Connection
Must Read -- A quote...."The story most U.S. readers are getting about the coup is that Zelaya — an ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — was deposed because he tried to change the constitution to keep himself in power. -- That story is a massive distortion of the facts. All Zelaya was trying to do is to put a non-binding referendum on the ballot calling for a constitutional convention, a move that trade unions, indigenous groups, and social activist organizations had long been lobbying for." -- also posted at CommonDreams

A Coup for Lobbyists at the White House
Must Read - A quote...."Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, ousted in the middle of the night just over a month ago, enjoys global support for his return, with the exception of the Obama White House. Though Barack Obama first called the Honduran military’s removal of Zelaya a coup, his administration has backpedaled. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Zelaya’s attempt to cross the Nicaraguan border into Honduras “reckless.” Could well-placed lobbyists in Washington be forging U.S. foreign policy?" -- also posted at CommonDreams

HONDURAS:  Military Back on the Political Scene
A quote...."TEGUCIGALPA, Aug 6 (IPS) - The demilitarisation process that got underway in Honduras 15 years ago was buried on Jun. 28 when more than 100 soldiers surrounded President Manuel Zelaya's home, pulled him out of bed at gunpoint and sent him into exile. Now the armed forces are making no effort to conceal their interest in political protagonism."

Brazil Opposes Holding Elections in Honduras under De Facto Government
A quote...."Brasilia, 4 August 2009, ABN -- The government of Brazil rejected on Tuesday the idea of holding elections in Honduras under the de facto government headed by Roberto Micheletti, which was installed into power after the coup d'état on the 28th of June. -- That is the message sent by the principal international adviser to the Brazilian presidency, Marco Aurelio Garcia, who called for stronger action, by the international community and especially by the United States, against the rupture of the constitutional order in the Central American country."

Clashes at Honduras student protest
A quote...."Riot police in the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa, have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse students rallying in support of the country's ousted president, Manuel Zelaya."

Siding With The Generals: The Independent On Honduras
A quote...."Mark Weisbrot, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, describes how the Honduran people have been “risking their lives, confronting the army’s bullets, beatings, and arbitrary arrests and detentions”. And yet the US media has reported this repression “only minimally, with the major print media sometimes failing even to mention the censorship there.”
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The Banks Own the Fed, and the Central Banks Own BIS - Just follow the money folks, that's all you have to do
Special Note - Bankster Alert -- A quote...."You know that the 12 Federal Reserve Banks are owned by private banksters. -- And you've heard of the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), which is the "Central Banks' Central Bank". -- But you probably don't know who owns BIS or how it is regulated. -- Spiegel provided the answer last month:"


"So the private banks own the Fed (and other central banks), and the central banks, in turn, own BIS." -- also posted at GlobRsrch

“Federal Reserve doesn’t know where $1.5 trillion went” -- Of course, sometimes it's hard to follow the money.
A quote...."The US media’s attempts to use the Freedom of Information Act to find out which banks received financial bailouts were blocked, said legal analyst Nicole Kardell, and the Federal Reserve doesn’t know the answer itself. -- At a time of financial crisis in the United States – after a nearly $800 billion stimulus package was passed this year and after nearly $700 billion in bailout money was passed in 2008 by the Bush administration – Americans are wondering where all the money has gone."

We Can NOT Inflate Our Way Out of The Debt Trap
A quote...."UBS economist Paul Donovan shows that governments can't inflate their way out of debt traps:


U.S. food stamp list tops 34 million for first time
A quote...."WASHINGTON (Reuters) - For the first time, more than 34 million Americans received food stamps in May, the government said on Thursday, another symptom of the longest and one of the deepest recessions since the Great Depression."

Bleaker Fed Fund Outlook Now Than At Bottom Of Market
Deflation Update - A quote...."The poll for what the Fed Fund Rate will be on December 16 indicates that a progressively higher number of people see no chance of a rate increase (or vote in the 0.25% bracket) compared to a majority who in March saw a marginal increase to 0.5%. Inflation - good luck with that. The people have spoken, and deflation is here to stay."

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080609-081209 - links page

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