Tuesday September 23rd 2008

No posts. - mpg

Monday September 22nd 2008

The Mugging of America
Must Read - A quote...."If our business leaders and government leaders had learned from the LTCM collapse and NASDAQ collapse, we would not be experiencing this current crisis. Instead, Wall Street, Alan Greenspan, George Bush’s administration, and Congress attempted to put off the pain of recession by encouraging more risk taking by companies and citizens. We are now reaping what they have sown."

Quo Vadis, America?
Must Read - A quote...."Contemporary America is rather like an overdosed crack addict sprawled face-down in the gutter. For decades, our economy has been smoking the heady drug of cheap credit, which served to "stimulate demand" and produce pleasurable but artificial booms. Unfortunately, each boom was followed by an inevitable bust as the credit-fueled bubbles burst – first in internet stocks, and now in real estate. -- Like every addict who finally "hits the bottom," America now faces a stark choice: Do we suffer through a violent, shaking withdrawal, or do we turn away from the painful rigors of "going clean" and reach for the bong one last time?"

E pluribus hokum or When the gamblers bail out the casino
Must Read - A quote...."Paulson's dreadful scheme will become law, because Americans love their bankers. The bankers enable their collective gambling habit. Think of America as a town with one casino, in which the only economic activity is gambling. Most people lose, but the casino keeps lending them more money to play. Eventually, of course, the casino must go bankrupt. At this point, the townspeople people vote to tax themselves in order to bail out the casino. Collectively, the gamblers cannot help but lose; individually they nonetheless hope to win their way out of the hole.
Americans are so deep in the hole that they might as well keep putting borrowed quarters into the one-armed bandit. They have hardly saved anything for the past 10 years. Instead, they counted on capital gains to replace the retirement savings they never put aside, first in tech stocks, then in houses. That hasn't worked out."

House To Hold Hearing on Scheme to Disenfranchise Foreclosed Homeowners
A quote...."The controversy over Michigan Republicans' reported plans to identify people whose homes are in foreclosure and publicly challenge their right to vote on Election Day -- a report that Republican Party officials now deny -- is continuing to escalate."

Don't that beat all?  They rig the system to steal trillions of dollars and artificially force housing prices up so they can cash in on the gravy,  they force millions of homeowners into these deals telling them essentially either you come in and participate - or - you don't get to own a home.  They lie to them saying prices are always going to go up, real estate is a safe investment, it's unlike stocks (well it used to be 'till they got their greasy, dirty hands on the system).  The  bubble, as all bubbles must, finally pops putting millions of homeowners into foreclosure, on which basis these same bastards proceed to deny them their right to vote, and now they're trying to get the government to pay for the whole fiasco and send these foreclosed, disenfranchised, former homeowners the bill for trillions of dollars.

Ain't life sweet?  Aren't these guys the greatest?  Can they turn lemons into lemonade or what? – mpg
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Europeans on left and right ridicule U.S. money meltdown
A quote...."They list greed and Greenspan among the culprits, and there are comparisons to . . . Albania. But amid the gloating, there is fear for financial systems in Britain, Spain, Italy and elsewhere."

Cash for Trash
A quote...."Some skeptics are calling Henry Paulson’s $700 billion rescue plan for the U.S. financial system “cash for trash.” Others are calling the proposed legislation the Authorization for Use of Financial Force, after the Authorization for Use of Military Force, the infamous bill that gave the Bush administration the green light to invade Iraq."

Financial Bailout: America's Own Kleptocracy
A quote...."A kleptocratic class has taken over the economy to replace industrial capitalism. Franklin Roosevelt's term "banksters" says it all in a nutshell. The economy has been captured - by an alien power, but not the usual suspects. Not socialism, workers or "big government," nor by industrial monopolists or even by the great banking families. Certainly not by Freemasons and Illuminati." -- "The pretense, of course, is that all this frenetic trading creates real "capital." It certainly does not do so in the classical 19th-century concept of capital. The term has been decoupled from producing goods and services, hiring wage labor or from financing innovation. It is as much "capital" as the right to conduct a lottery and collect the winnings from the hopes of the losers. But then, casinos from Las Vegas to riverboats have become a major "growth industry," muddying the language of capital, growth and wealth itself."


Revolution for the Rich
The Death of a Myth?
The scam is over, only gangsters are left.
Upholding the Horrendous Business Practices of US Financial Institutions: "Thank You, Ladies and Gentlemen"
Wall Street bailout plan explained, universally reviled [Update 14 It's unanimous]
The $700 Billion Wall Street Bailout: One More Weapon of Mass Deception
Naomi Klein - The Bomb Has Yet to Detonate - Video
Naomi Klein - Now is the Time to Resist Wall Street's Shock Doctrine
10 Things You Should Know About Bush's Trillion Dollar Fleecing Plan
The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty - September 2008
Fleecing What’s Left of the Treasury
Glenn Greenwald - Growing right-wing opposition to the Paulson plan
Senator Leahy and New York Times Criticize Paulson's Shock Doctrine - Art2 - Art3 - Art4
Dirty Secret Of The Bailout: Thirty-Two Words That None Dare Utter
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Robert Scheer & Dean Baker the Proposed $700 Billion Bailout - Video - Real Audio - MP3
Wall Street Journal Says, "The End of Wall Street As We Know It"
The Government Is Not Promoting Stability
Socialism US-Style and Ronald Reagan
Ross says Fed actions don't address root
Conflict Of Interest? Report Says Goldman Sachs ‘Among Biggest Beneficiaries’ Of Paulson’s Bailout
What Nobody's Saying: The Bailout Will Kill the Dollar
Flashback - Paulson hedge fund now looks to buy banks
Flashback - Greenspan Urges Congress To Fuel Growth of Derivatives
Loan Titans Paid McCain Adviser Nearly $2 Million
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Ashes of Empire
A quote...."Reading history books may not be required at the Naval Academy, but Adm. Mullen should consider some historical analogies. Afghanistan has been the graveyard of empires ever since Alexander the Great had trouble crossing the Khyber Pass in 326 B.C. He wisely decided to pretty much leave the tribesmen alone and moved south to India. From the Middle Ages on, waves of invading Mongols, Moghul rulers of India, and Persians have swept through the area, but the Afghan tribes have always proved fractious and hard to rule. "

Robert Fisk's Week: Horrors of war our leaders never have to confront
A quote...."I'm not sure of this, but I think – I suspect and feel – that the Great War, the war of 1914-1918, is beginning to dominate our lives even more than the terrible and infinitely more costly conflict of 1939-1945. As the years go by, the visitors to the great cemeteries of the Somme, Passchendaele and Verdun grow greater in number. The Second World War may haunt our lives. The First World War, it seems to me, imprisons us all." -- Also posted at TruthDig

Calling Gitmo What It Is
A quote...."I would like to share with you how one goes about becoming a concentration camp guard without ever having really made many decisions. I was 17 years old when I joined the Army National Guard in Michigan. I was living with friends. I decided to join the military Nov. 20, 2001, because I had no other options. My family was poor, I was poor, and I wanted to go to school. I was promised a significant amount of money for this purpose, which I have yet to receive. I was in the field artillery, Charlie 1st of the 119th Field Artillery, where I served, quite happily, for… no. That's a lie. I was miserable; I hated it, but I served nonetheless."

Marine Speaks Out on Using Depleted Uranium Munitions in Iraq
Contains Video - A quote...."We’re poisoning our soldiers, we are poisoning the people of Iraq, but make no mistake we are poisoning the people of the world. I can test every single person in this room and I can find depleted uranium in your hair."

IRAQ:  Awash in "Missing" Weapons
A quote...."SAN FRANCISCO, Sep 22 (IPS) - Clandestine gun suppliers, funded by the U.S. and Iraqi governments, have flooded Iraq with a million weapons since 2003, charges a new Amnesty International investigation." -- For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror - Money & Guns for Everyone

A Modest Proposal
A quote...."We live in the time of lies. The Media have taught us that the slide from advertising to propaganda is really just a matter of meaningless words. The Media also demonstrated that a lie, said with conviction and repeated a few times, becomes accepted fact. We, the people, accept that where there is smoke there must be fire. Oh yeah? "

Court: US govt can't block detainee photos release
A quote...."NEW YORK - The United States cannot conceal pictures of abusive treatment of detainees by its soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan by saying their release might cause enemies to hurt someone, a federal appeals court said Monday in ordering the release of 21 photographs."

U.S. frees Afghan fixer after 10-month detention he describes as 'hell'
Special Note -- A quote...."KABUL — In the U.S. military cells where he saw daylight only once a week, where he says they broke his ribs with beatings, his captors gave him a nickname: "the Canadian reporter." -- His formal designation was a detainee number: 3370. Last night, after almost a year in custody, the 22-year-old settled into a king-sized bed at the best hotel in Kabul with a big smile and started to regain his true names: Javed Yazamy, the name on his business card, or Jawed Ahmad, as he's known to friends." -- For more on this issue see....US - Killing the Messenger

French opposition withdraws support for 'war of occupation' in Afghanistan
A quote...."The French opposition yesterday withdrew its support for the country's military deployment in Afghanistan and accused President Sarkozy of sending under-equipped troops into an unwinnable "war of occupation"."
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Pakistan Bombing: Video, All suggesting Marriot Hotel Bombing Suspicious! And Not the Taliban.
A quote...."One report says: “Why haven’t the Taliban claimed responsibility for the Marriot”. - Another report points out Islamabad is the most closely surveilled place in Pakistan. - How could a Tribal possibly drive a truck all the way to the Marriot, and not be stopped?"

Was Marriott Hotel Islamabad an attack on US Marines and What Was Stored On Floors 4 And 5 U.S. military equipment? -- A quote...."Was there a top secret and mysterious operation of the US Marines going on inside the Marriott when it was attacked on Saturday evening? No one will confirm it but circumstantial evidence is in abundance."

Little-known Islamic group claims Pakistan attack 23 Sep 2008
A quote...."A little known Islamic group [CIA] claimed responsibility for Saturday's suicide attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad which killed 53, Al Arabiya television reported on Monday. The group calling itself Fedayeen Islam (Partisans of Islam) demanded the closure of U.S. and NATO military bases in the region and the U.S. embassy in Pakistan, and an end to U.S. attacks against tribal areas in Pakistan and Afghanistan." -- Paragraph quoted from CLG

JI links Marriott blast to Delhi bombings 22 Sep 2008 - Alt#1 - Alt#2 - Alt#3
A quote...."Jamaat-e-Islami has linked Saturday's suicide attack at the Marriott Hotel to the terror bombings in New Delhi exactly a week ago, saying there may be "one force" behind the attacks in both countries, reported Mid Day, an Indian newspaper. "There can be one force behind blasts in New Delhi and the blast in Islamabad," Jamaat-e-Islami deputy chief Liaqat Baloch told IANS, adding that a foreign hand cannot be ruled out. The Marriott blast took place in the high-security Red Zone of the federal capital and there must have been a very well organized group [is] behind it [such as the one in Langley, Virginia], he maintained. Lashkar-e-Taiba denies role in India blasts: A Pakistan-based Islamist militant group said Sunday it was not involved in a series of orchestrated bombings across India, angrily denying allegations by investigators. [See: What Was Mysterious Activity In Marriott Hotel Islamabad by U. S. Marines? 21 Sep 2008.]  -- Paragraph quoted from CLG

Taliban denies role in hotel attack
A quote...."A senior commander of the Taliban in Pakistan has denied that his group was responsible for a bomb attack at Islamabad's Marriott hotel, in which at least 53 people died and 270 were injured. - Baitullah Mehsud said on Monday that the Taliban had no role in Saturday's attack, Kamal Hyder, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Islamabad, reported. - "Mehsud said that their group does not believe in killing so many locals [Note: this is the Taliban, not al-Qaeda] in the attack," Hyder said."

Zardari Warns US on Raids as Pressure Mounts Over Bombing
A quote...."Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to pressure President Bush to halt its recent policy of escalating attacks in Pakistan’s tribal areas during their upcoming meeting in New York. The recently elected President Zardari is under increasing pressure to find a more coherent strategy for his government’s terror war amid speculation that US raids were among the causes of Saturday’s bombing."

Pakistan blames US raids for hotel bombing
A quote...."The Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari, will plead with President George Bush today to change a policy which is being blamed for one of his country's worst terrorist atrocities."

Pakistani troops fire on intruding U.S. helicopters
A quote...."ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani troops fired on two U.S. helicopters that intruded into Pakistani territory on Sunday night, forcing them to turn back to Afghanistan, a senior Pakistani security official said on Monday. -- The helicopters violated the border in the area of Lowara Mandi, 80 km west of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal region, at around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject."

China eyes closer military exchanges with Pakistan
A quote...."BEIJING, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese military official Guo Boxiong pledged on Monday to further strengthen military exchanges between China and Pakistan."
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Lebanon reports Syrian troop build-up on border
War Alert - A quote...."BEIRUT: The Lebanese army said on Monday that Syria had boosted troop numbers along the border but that Damascus had stressed the move was linked to a crackdown against smugglers. -- Syria thinks Israel is going to do "something" obviously. - mpg

New York Jews Welcome Ahmadinejad. Rabbis Say Iran Seeks Peace, Respects Judaism - Calls for True Dialogue....
A quote...."NEW YORK, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, spokesman of Neturei Karta International, issued the following statement on the eve of the arrival of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. -- “It has been our honor and privilege to meet with President Ahmadinejad, as well as other Iranian leaders, several times in the past. In addition we have had the pleasure of visiting Iran on different occasions. At each encounter with the Iranian leadership, we have emphasized to them that, despite media hysteria and the statements of some misinformed Jews, we have found the Iranian people and their leaders to be friendly and respectful.”

Great Photo
Photo - Posted at Willyloman

U.S. reaps what it sows in Bolivia
A quote...."The near breakdown of relations between the United States and Bolivia is a perfect example of the baleful consequences of the inherent disrespect the U.S. historically has exhibited toward the region." -- Also posted at Creative-i

Cold War Revisionism: Once Again the Major Historical Task
Special Note - A quote...."As the regime gears up to wage a new Cold War against Russia over its alleged "aggression" against the "democratic" (read: pro-U.S.) state of Georgia, it is time to remind ourselves once again that the first Cold War was a scam of epic proportions perpetrated by both the Democrats and the Republicans, for the sole purpose of providing an excuse for the worldwide expansion of Anglo-American imperialism and mercantilism."

Russian Navy Squadron heads to Venezuela: Deployment to Western Hemisphere unprecedented since Cold War
A quote...."Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the nuclear-powered Peter the Great cruiser accompanied by three other ships sailed from the Northern Fleet's base of Severomorsk on Monday. The ships will cover about 15,000 nautical miles to conduct joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy, he said."

Kazakhstan seeks to export oil via Russia
A quote...."AKTYUBINSK (Kazakhstan), September 22 (RIA Novosti) - Kazakhstan will increase oil production by 12 million metric tons in 2009 and is interested in pumping it via Russia, the Kazakh president said Monday.

The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia - 2 articles - Monday - [ Day 46 ] =====  ==========

Russia plans pipeline to South Ossetia
A quote...."22 September 2008 -- Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister Vyatcheslav Sinyugin said on September 16 that Moscow is to speed up the construction of a new gas pipeline to the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali. “We are targeting June 2009 as the completion date,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying at a meeting with officials responsible for dealing with the aftermath of the recent conflict in Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia. Prior to Tbilisi’s invasion, natural gas was delivered to South Ossetia from Georgia via a pipeline, which was partially destroyed during Russia’s operation to protect the breakaway republics."

Europe mediates Russia-Georgia crisis - (YouTube - 1 min 9 sec - Added:  September 22, 2008)
Video - A quote...."A Council of Europe delegation is in Moscow to assess the state of Russian-Georgian relations, following the conflict in South Ossetia. The crisis will be the main focus of the group's parliamentary assembly, known as PACE, which opens in Strasbourg next week."

End - The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia - 2 articles - Monday - [ Day 46 ] =====  ==========

U.S. Senate Recognized Soyuz as Inviolable
A quote...."The United States is unable to reject Russia’s Soyuz spaceships for making flights to the International Space Station (ISS). The respective statement was made in the U.S. Senate yesterday and it provided a partial answer to the issue of ending the U.S. space cooperation with Russia advocated by presidential candidate Senator John McCain in the wake of the war for South Ossetia. But the Congress has the last word and it will say it Tuesday."

China's Moon Shot
A quote...."Last week NASA worried aloud that chilling relations with Russia would cut off U.S. astronauts from catching rides on Russian rockets to the International Space Station, once NASA's Space Shuttle fleet has completely retired around 2010. -- Based on news coming out of China today, maybe they can hitchhike on China's new moon-landing, space-station-building rocket fleet, which this week will support Beijing's first spacewalk."

Quick, stop talking about the economy, Al Qaeda will attack in October...
False Flag Alert - A quote...."Okay, let's run some bets here. Is the single source "intel official" being cited in the below article:

The Lies and Crimes of 911: A Canadian View of the War on Terror's Origins - (Gogl Vid - 54m 55s - Sep 14, 2008)
Video - A quote...."by Professor Anthony J. Hall Founding Coordinator of Globalization Studies: Lethbridge University. Paper for Delivery at "Edmonton Questions 9/11: Convention and Film" Stanley A. Milner Public Library Theatre 6 September 2008. Excerpt from this paper: The absence of any disinterested third-party investigation and arbitration of the crimes of 911 together with the timidity, laziness, or outright complicity of the commercial news media have opened up a huge field for the intervention of a concerned citizenry who do not buy the officially-sanctioned conspiracy theory. -- For more on this issue see....9/11 & It's Fallout - Videos
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Fed to supervise Goldman, Morgan
A quote...."Investment banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have been put under Federal control as part of a package aimed at rescuing the US finance system."

Precious Metals Soar On Falling Dollar
A quote...."LONDON (Reuters) - Gold and the other precious metals soared on Monday as the dollar wilted against the euro and the yen, boosting bullion's appeal as a currency hedge."

Oil Soars $25 A Barrel
A quote...."Oil prices spiked more than $25 a barrel Monday—the biggest one-day price jump ever—as anxiety over the government's $700 billion bailout plan battered the dollar and touched off frenzied buying of safe-haven investments including crude. "

Dollar Gets Biggest Hit In Seven Years From Treasury Plan
A quote...."Concern about the price the U.S. could pay to rescue the financial system is crushing the dollar and raises questions about whether the government could ultimately intervene to prop it up."

Sunday September 21st 2008

If you must break the law, do it to seize power: in all other cases observe it. ~ *Julius Caesar*

Heads Roll in German Lending Bank Scandal & 'Certain Mistakes Just Can't Be Allowed to Happen'
Special Note - WHAT is WRONG with the Europeans!?!?!?!  - mpg -- A quote...."German ministers have announced three suspensions in the wake of a scandal at KfW, the government bank that inexplicably sent hundreds of millions of euros to Lehman Brothers as it went bankrupt on Monday. -- Two managers and one division head of the German state lending bank KfW were suspended Thursday after an emergency meeting of the administrative board in Berlin, amid uproar over a suspicious €300 million ($426 million) transfer made by the bank to Lehman Brothers on Monday -- just as the New York financial institution collapsed. -- Are the Germans stupid or WHAT ?!?!  Even the Koreans, who are brand new to how the US truly "plays the game" weren't that stupid (see below)....almost half a billion dollars simply GONE ?!?!  Man oh man what a bunch of rubes. -- posted 09-20-08 - mpg

Lehman Brothers in freefall as hopes fade for new capital
Special Note -- A quote...."Published: Tuesday September 9, 2008 -- Shares of Lehman Brothers went into a freefall Tuesday as hopes faded for an injection of fresh capital for the ailing Wall Street investment bank, analysts said. - Lehman, one of Wall Street's most prominent investment firms, saw its shares tumble 34 percent to 9.38 dollars at 1815 GMT. The shares have plunged some 85 percent since February. -  Selling pressure accelerated Tuesday after the Wall Street Journal reported the Korea Development Bank, the state-run South Korean firm, had put talks on hold with the US firm. KDB had reportedly been eyeing a 25 percent stake for some four billion dollars." -- Good for the Koreans, all they have to do is wait about a year and there'll be much better looking, much less expensive corpses, laying all over the place. Besides think of it this way, why should the Koreans do the Federal Government's job anyway? -- posted 09-11-08 -- mpg -- For more on this issue see....The Green Light 01-16-08 - mpg

See also....Debt Doesn't Matter When the Rubes Pay 02-29-08 - mpg

Saturday September 20th 2008

Lehman Brothers in freefall as hopes fade for new capital
Special Note -- A quote...."Shares of Lehman Brothers went into a freefall Tuesday as hopes faded for an injection of fresh capital for the ailing Wall Street investment bank, analysts said. - Lehman, one of Wall Street's most prominent investment firms, saw its shares tumble 34 percent to 9.38 dollars at 1815 GMT. The shares have plunged some 85 percent since February. -  Selling pressure accelerated Tuesday after the Wall Street Journal reported the Korea Development Bank, the state-run South Korean firm, had put talks on hold with the US firm. KDB had reportedly been eyeing a 25 percent stake for some four billion dollars." -- Good for the Koreans, all they have to do is wait about a year and there'll be much better looking, much less expensive corpses, laying all over the place. Besides think of it this way, why should the Koreans do the Federal Government's job anyway? -- posted 09-11-08 -- mpg -- For more on this issue see....The Green Light 01-16-08 - mpg

Friday September 19th 2008

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The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia - 3 articles - Friday - [ Day 43 ] =====  ==========

State of independence: South Ossetians hold victory parade
A quote...."September 20, 2008, 9:08 -- It is 18 years since South Ossetia unilaterally declared its independence, sparking a bloody war with Georgia. But it wasn’t until last month, following another attempt by Georgia to seize the territory through force, that the tiny nation was finally recognised by its large northern neighbour – Russia."

No more ‘iron curtain’ - Medvedev - RT/Vid - Video - (YouTube - 3 min 3 sec - Added:  September 19, 2008)
Video - A quote...."September 19, 2008, 22:28 -- The conflict in the Caucasus was provoked by NATO, Russia's President said at a meeting of representatives from non-governmental organisations at the Kremlin on Friday. But Dmitry Medvedev said Russia wouldn’t let anyone push it from the path of democracy towards self-isolation and dictatorship."

Who Started the Georgian Five-Day-War?
More evidence of the "Old Gray Lady" whoring around again....after awhile it really gets to be pretty disgusting. - mpg -- A quote...."September 19, 2008 -- Saakashvili's splendid little war in early August was accompanied by a lot of propaganda. But it still it was obvious to most people that Saakashvili started the war with an artillery barrage against civilians and Russian peacekeepers. Only some 12-15 hours later Russian troops from outside South Ossetia arrived to help their besieged comrades. After two days the outcome was obvious. Georgian troops were beaten and the Russian Federation forces had won the fight. " -- For more on this issue see....American Selective Attention Deficit Disorder (ASADD) - 08-16-08 - mpg

End - The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia - 3 articles - Friday - [ Day 43 ] =====  ==========

9-11 Authoritative Military (former commander of U.S. Army Intelligence) and political (former Bob Dole’s chief of staff) voices against 9-11 official story -- A quote...."Stanley Hilton was a senior advisor to Sen Bob Dole (R) and has personally known Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz for decades. This courageous man has risked his professional reputation, and possibly his life, to get this information out to people.- “This (9/11) was all planned. This was a government-ordered operation. Bush personally signed the order. He personally authorized the attacks. He is guilty of treason and mass murder.” – *Stanley Hilton*

My New Business Venture!
Another great poke at the NIST comedy piece. - mpg

Charges Against Journalists at RNC Dropped; Questions Remain
A quote...."ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Local authorities in St. Paul announced today that they will not prosecute journalists who were arrested on misdemeanor charges during the Republican National Convention earlier this month."

Incredible Documentary Footage of Mass Arrest in St. Paul
Video - A quote...."Newly released footage, which was buried to avoid confiscation, shows riot cops arresting and abusing a giant group of people for nothing." -- Doesn't fun count?? - mpg

Brigade homeland tours start Oct. 1 for deployment during 'civil unrest,' 'horrific scenarios'
False Flag Update - A quote...."[The 'horrific scenerio' of the 2nd American Revolution after a third GOP coup d'etat?] 08 Sep 2008 The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle. Now they’re training for the same mission -- with a twist -- at home. Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or manBushmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks. This new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom. They may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack. -- Paragraph quoted from CLG

Time's Up: Comcast Must Come Clean about Internet Blocking
A quote...."WASHINGTON -- Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, must disclose to the Federal Communications Commission the full details of its past and future "network management" practices by midnight tonight. This disclosure is required as part of the FCC's enforcement order sanctioning the cable giant for blocking Internet users' access to lawful online content and services."

‘Einstein’ replaces ‘Big Brother’ in Internet surveillance
A quote...."(WMR) -- WMR has learned from government sources that the Bush administration has authorized massive surveillance of the Internet using as cover a cyber-security multi-billion dollar project called the “Einstein” program. - Billed as a cyber-security intrusion detection system for federal computer systems and networks, WMR has been told that the actual intent of Einstein is to initially monitor the email and web surfing activities of federal employees and contractors and not in protecting government computer systems from intrusion by outsiders.

Night of the Living Vote-snatchers - from Steal Back Your Vote!
A quote...."When a Bush tells you he’s going to “help” you vote - look out! -- The result: in the 2004 presidential election, over three million votes - 3,006,080 - were cast and not counted. Like, what the !@#!? -- That’s from the official data from an agency created by George Bush called the “Elections Assistance Commission.”  When a Bush tells you he’s going to “assist” our elections... (well, you get it)."

Bush Frees Fed Oil-Sex Scandal Crooks
A quote...."WASHINGTON — The Interior Department's watchdog criticized the Justice Department on Thursday for declining to prosecute the managers of an oil- and gas-royalty program that's been tainted by allegations of illicit sex, drug use and taking favors worth thousands of dollars." -- Well of course he did....they're just some good'ol boys (and girls) having a little fun while making a few million at the public's expense, just like every other member of the Bush crime family. What's the big deal? - mpg
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Thursday September 18th 2008

Wednesday September 17th 2008

America Needs a Shadow Government - posted at ICH
Must Read - Action Alert - A quote...."17/09/08 "ICH" -- - I think I can speak for many Americans when I say that our government has been less than responsive as far as ending militarism and holding our civil liberties sacrosanct. In fact, less than responsive is being generous, as we have seen this nation totally scrap the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, station troops in bases world-wide in over 130 different nations, and wage aggressive war on three nations, become complicit with another nation to wage war (Georgia) and institute trade sanctions (another Act of War by International law) on Iran."

Life And Death  - posted at ICH
Must Read - A quote...."17/09/08 "ICH " - -- When it becomes obvious to the rest of the country that we are truly locked into a life or death struggle the people will rise-up from their easy chairs and demand answers. If we cannot make them aware of the obvious fateful track we are now on before then, then it will be too late for us all."

U.S. Senate passes $612 bln defensee [endless war] spending bill
A quote...."WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a $612.5 billion defense spending bill for fiscal 2009, including $70 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan."
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Creative Destruction: The Solid Core Behind the Financial Crisis
Must Read - A quote....."Fed’s $85 Billion Loan Rescues Insurer (NY Times)

"Do you get it now? The rich and powerful spend years making foolish deals in a market they rigged with the connivance of utterly corrupted politicians on both sides the aisle; their fraudulent scheme finally collapses, exposing them to some of the most horrific financial losses in history....and YOU will have to pay for it. For generations. Not only directly, with the tax money straight from your pocket, but even more so in the further degradation of national life: infrastructure, services, programs, amenities that will be starved or abandoned as even more of the government's money is poured out to shield the wastrel elite from suffering the consequences of their own rapacious folly."

A Discussion About the Crisis on Wall Street - Alt - (Google Vid - 56 min 1 sec - Sep 16, 2008)
Must View Video - Special Note - A discussion about the crisis on Wall Street with Lawrence Summers, Andrew Ross Sorkin of The New York Times Charles Gasparino of CNBC, Josh Rosner of Graham Fisher & Co. and Nouriel Roubini. Lehman Brothers, the fourth-largest US investment bank, has filed for bankruptcy protection, stock markets and the US dollar have tumbled in reaction to Lehman's collapse."

The Financial Elite Can't Bailout Everyone
A quote...."It is difficult to know where to begin when analyzing the unraveling global financial system as so much has happened over the past couple of weeks and months. The one thing that is for sure is that neither the Federal Reserve nor the U.S. government can bailout everyone. We are seeing a mass consolidation of wealth on a wide scale and this is all being done by design. What is happening now is the result of fiscal policies put into place by the Federal Reserve that encouraged reckless lending and borrowing on all levels."

Fibber McCain and Mommy, “economic reformers?”
A quote...."Think Progress makes quick work of this whopper. And, speaking of names in the news – whose lobbyists are working for the McCain Campaign?" -- From "McCain Source"

McCain Attacks Wall Street Greed—While 83 Wall Street Lobbyists Work for His Campaign
And for a much more extensive list -- A quote...."Of those 177 lobbyists, according to a Mother Jones review of Senate and House records, at least 83 have in recent years lobbied for the financial industry McCain now attacks. These are high-paid influence-peddlers who have been working the corridors of the nation's capital to win favors and special treatment for investment banks, securities firms, hedge funds, accounting outfits, and insurance companies. " -- Your government is bought and paid for folks, so just exactly WHY are you voting for these guys? - mpg

Lehman Layoffs: Will They Include George Herbert Walker IV?
A quote...."Will George Herbert Walker IV be laid off? The President's second cousin is the global head of investment management for now-bankrupt Lehman Brothers, at the managing director level." -- Proves the old adage that "the family that steals together, stays together". - mpg

What is Jeb Bush's role in the Lehman Brothers meltdown?
A quote...."Lehman Brothers was founded in 1850. The firm managed to get through the Civil War, WWI, and WWII, the Great Depression, and the attacks of September 11, 2001. Yet after hiring Jeb Bush in late August of 2007, the firm suddenly goes belly up in a year. It also should be noted that in 2006, George H. Walker IV was also hired by Lehman Brothers."

Why the Poker Game is Ending
A quote...."In his book "Secrets of the Temple: How the Federal Reserve Runs the Country", leading journalist William Greider said that the economy is like a poker game. He said that it is human nature to want to get all of the chips, but noted that - if one person does get all of the chips - the game ends. -- In other words, the game of capitalism only continues as long as everyone has some money to play with. If the government and corporations take everyone's money, the game ends."

AIG Bankruptcy Would Be “Extinction” Event
Special Note - Financial Warning - A quote...."We’e survived the collapse of Lehman Brothers (LEH) and the sale of Merrill Lynch (MER), but money manager Michael Lewitt argues that AIG (AIG) is a different story. - In an op-ed for the Times, Lewitt argues that a liquidity crisis at AIG will hammer everyone on Wall Street by interrupting the $60 trillion market for credit default swaps, in which AIG is a central player."

Three-month Libor marks biggest jump in nine years - TED spread widens to level not seen since Black Monday 1987
Special Note - Financial Warning - A quote...."SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- A closely watched measure of global borrowing costs made its biggest jump in nine years Wednesday and another lending risk gauge rose to a level not seen since Black Monday in October of 1987, as banks grew increasingly wary to lend to each other and sell-shocked investors sought refuge in safe-haven short-term Treasury bills." -- bold by ebsite editor.

Rush to cancel AIG policies
Video - Special Note - A quote...."The Singapore office of insurance giant AIG has been besieged by people desperate to cancel their policies. - The rush follows an announcement by the US Federal Reserve that it is launching an $85bn (£48bn) rescue package to save AIG from bankruptcy."

WaMu next to fall?
Special Note - A quote...."NEW YORK - US OFFICIALS are fiercely putting out a series of economic fires with all eyes now focused on the fate of Washington Mutual after AIG became the latest company to be thrown a lifeline."

August housing starts at 17-1/2-year low
Special Note - A quote...."WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Construction starts on new U.S. homes plunged to a 17-1/2-year low during August as builders scaled back sharply to try to cope with the worst slump in U.S. housing since the Great Depression."

US account deficit rises in the second quarter
A quote...."WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US current account deficit widened to 183.1 billion dollars in the second quarter of 2008, from a downwardly revised 175.6 billion dollars in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said Wednesday."

Gold prices post biggest 1-day gain ever
A quote...."NEW YORK (AP) — Gold prices exploded Wednesday — posting the biggest one-day gain ever in dollar terms — as fears of more credit market turmoil unnerved investors and triggered a flood of safe-haven buying."

Safe-haven buying drives U.S. gold higher
A quote...."U.S. gold futures soared 7 percent on Wednesday as investors sought a safe haven in the gold market amid financial turmoil, triggering a sudden technical breakout, traders said. -- The most-active gold contract for December delivery was up $52.0, or 6.7 percent, at $832.50 an ounce at 10:49 a.m. EDT on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The session high was $835.30 an ounce, which marked the loftiest level since Sept 2."

This is very unusual,  the world is headed into what looks like a planet wide depression (so much for de-coupling the other economies from America's [the N.R.E.'s] war time profligacy - if only those international bankers hadn't bought all that junk from the N.R.E.!) yet gold is going UP.  This is not a good sign and indicates a profound distrust in currencies and bonds, specifically the N.R.E.'s dollars and bonds. - mpg

Banking crisis: Is Britain heading for the worst recession since the 1930s?
A quote...."Just two weeks ago, the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, was being roundly condemned for exaggerating the size of Britain's economic crisis by saying it was the worst for 60 years. -- But with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, his doom-laden predictions are beginning to look optimistic, with many respected City figures openly comparing events with the Wall Street Crash of 1929."

Markets plunge as global financial crisis hits Russia
A quote...."Russia's stock exchanges suspended trading for the second day on Wednesday as a heavy sell-off sent the value of shares plummeting. The Finance Ministry has taken urgent steps to support the markets by offering liquidity to state-owned banks."

Facing the Financial Fallout
A quote...."

by: Bill Moyers Journal, t r u t h o u t | Programming Note
Airtime: Friday, September 19, 2008, at 9:00 PM (EDT) on PBS (check local listings here).

========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== ====

The American War Moves to Pakistan
A quote...."The decision to make public a presidential order of last July authorizing American strikes inside Pakistan without seeking the approval of the Pakistani government ends a long debate within, and on the periphery of, the Bush administration. Senator Barack Obama, aware of this ongoing debate during his own long battle with Hillary Clinton, tried to outflank her by supporting a policy of U.S. strikes into Pakistan. Senator John McCain and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin have now echoed this view and so it has become, by consensus, official U.S. policy." -- Also posted at ICH & CommonDreams

Washington Is Risking War with Pakistan - posted at ICH
A quote...."17/09/08 "Time" - -- - As Wall Street collapsed with a bang, almost no one noticed that we're on the brink of war with Pakistan. And, unfortunately, that's not too much of an exaggeration. On Tuesday, the Pakistan's military ordered its forces along the Afghan border to repulse all future American military incursions into Pakistan. The story has been subsequently downplayed, and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Mike Mullen, flew to Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, to try to ease tensions. But the fact remains that American forces have and are violating Pakistani sovereignty" -- Article from Time

US confronts Pakistan once again
A quote...."The US has taken its confrontation with Pakistan to a new level, reportedly firing missiles into the country despite warnings from Islamabad."

US did not warn of missile strike :Pakistan
A quote...."ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -Pakistan said Thursday it was not warned about a suspected U.S. missile strike in its northwest that came amid American assurances that it respects the sovereignty of its anti-terror ally. - The suspected strike reportedly killed six people Wednesday in the South Waziristan region, a militant stronghold bordering Afghanistan."

Former Official Calls for Iran-Pakistan Military Alliance
Special Note - A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- A former Pakistani official said Tehran and Islamabad are required to form a military alliance in a bid to thwart the plots hatched by the US against the two Muslim nations."

Bush Agrees to War on Iran
War Alert - A quote...."The United States has agreed to sell to Israel 1,000 of the very advanced bunker buster GBU-39 bombs. This is a major development as the Bush Administration had denied previous recent Israeli requests for large numbers of this weapon system. The GBU-39 has a stand off range of 110 km and uses pop-out wings with extremely accurate fire and forget technology. It is capable of penetrating 90 cm of steel reinforced concrete."

Maliki: US hesitant to respond to Iraq
A quote...."Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki says Washington is hesitating about responding to Baghdad's demands over a controversial US security deal.

Scottish Activist Films Israeli Navy Shooting at Gaza Fishermen
Must View Video - A really nice bunch of guys, aren't they?  Imagine if you were treated this way every single day, it would be really hard to make a living, not to mention getting you really ticked off. - mpg

Exit polls: Livni clear winner in Israeli primary
A quote...."JERUSALEM - Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won a clear victory in the Kadima Party's primary election Wednesday, TV exit polls showed, placing her in a good position to become Israel's first female leader in 34 years and sending a message that peace talks with the Palestinians will proceed."

Ukraine PM refuses to resign amid political crisis
Full quote...."Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Wednesday said she would not resign as required following the collapse of the country's ruling pro-Western coalition. -- Asked at a press conference whether she would resign as specified in a coalition pact, Tymoshenko said: "The coalition has not collapsed... We are not a flock of sheep who jump into the abyss just because one sheep has done so."

The Paramilitary Massacre in Bolivia Reactionary Rampage
A quote...."Bolivian President Evo Morales’ expulsion of US Ambassador Phillip Goldberg on September 10 for alleged coup plotting sparked the latest diplomatic crisis in the Americas. But the diplomatic fallout has overshadowed the internal dynamics that led to the massacre of some 30 campesinos with perhaps as many as 40 more disappeared in El Porvenir, Pando, near Bolivia’s northeastern border with Brazil. The massacre coincided with the 35th anniversary of the violent overthrow of socialist president Salvador Allende in Chile."

The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia - 3 articles - Wednesday - [ Day 41 ] =====  ==========

Crimea Calls for Recognition of South Ossetia, Abkhazia as Enclaves Sign Russia Defense Deal
A quote...."Posted September 17, 2008 -- The Crimean Parliament voted today 79-8 to press the Ukrainian government to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It seems highly unlikely that the Ukrainian government will act on the call given the collapse of its coalition government and the strongly anti-Russian sentiment of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko."

Georgia violated UN charter – UN Assembly chief
A quote...."September 17, 2008, 14:14 -- Georgia commited an act of aggression and violated the UN charter by invading South Ossetia, the incoming President of the UN General Assembly said at the opening of its 63rd session."

Moscow vows to bring security to the Caucasus
A quote...."September 17, 2008, 23:18 -- Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia have sealed a friendship agreement at a historic signing ceremony in the Kremlin. It follows Russia's recent decision to recognise the independence of the two Caucasus countries. President Medvedev told the leaders of the two states that Russia will not allow anymore aggression from neighbouring Georgia."

End - The US Neocon's New Proxy War in Georgia - 3 articles - Wednesday - [ Day 41 ] == ==========

911Infowarrior Calls Alex Jones About Youtube Censorship S1959 & HR1955 - (YuTb - 6m55s - 09/16/08)
Must View - Action Alert - Censorship Alert - A quote...."I called the Alex Jones show today after learning about S1959 and that even though it has not passed into law, youtube is banning patriot accounts saying they are terrorists. Learn more about this issue by watching Nufffrespect's video which you can find here."

Germany: Stern.de exposes CIA link to 'Islamic' terror plot
Must Read - (for the outrage) -- MANNHEIM, Sep. 15 (911video.de) -- According to information from sources within the German authorities, a German contact person for the CIA was involved in the planning of what would have been the largest Islamic terror attacks on German soil. He supposedly helped transport 20 detonators." -- For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror

Media Blackout as Ike Death Toll Rises
Special Note - A quote...."The official death toll for Hurricane Ike creeps upward, while photos reveal the catastrophic damage inflicted by the storm. So far 51 people are known to have died in the storm. Authorities have banned the press from many of the hardest hit areas, but they can't stop the steady stream of images appearing online showing the true extent of the damage."

As ACLU Challenges FISA Law in Federal Court, Justice Department Moves to Immunize Spying Telecoms
A quote...."Last Friday the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) in Federal District Court in New York. But on the same day, Wired reported that Justice Department special counsel Anthony Coppolino informed U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco that the government would seek blanket immunity under FAA for spying telecoms."

Statement of The Honorable Russ Feingold
A quote...."

"Tomorrow, September 17, is the 221st anniversary of the day in 1787 when 39 members of the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in Philadelphia. It is a sad fact as we approach that anniversary that for the past seven and a half years, and especially since 9/11, the Bush Administration has treated the Constitution and the rule of law with a disrespect never before seen in the history of this country. By now, the public can be excused for being almost numb to new revelations of government wrongdoing and overreaching. The catalogue is breathtaking, even when immensely complicated and far reaching programs and events are reduced to simple catch phrases: torture, Guantanamo, ignoring the Geneva Conventions, warrantless wiretapping, data mining, destruction of emails, U.S. Attorney firings, stonewalling of congressional oversight, abuse of the state secrets doctrine and executive privilege, secret abrogation of executive orders, signing statements. This is a shameful legacy that will haunt our country for years to come." -- *Russ Feingold*, US Senator - Dem. representing the state of Wisconsin since 1993