Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien: Obama's New Advisor Stands By His War Crimes
Must Read - A quote...."Just to be clear, Barack Obama's brand-new foreign policy advisor, Colin Powell, wants you to know that he continues to support the decision to launch a war of aggression against Iraq in March 2003 -- an act that, according to principles established by the United States and its allies at Nuremberg in 1945, is a war crime punishable by death. -- In fact, the only thing that Powell -- the wise and steady statesman, the "grown-up," the "moderate" -- can find to criticize in the conduct of the war he helped launch is the fact that it wasn't savage enough to begin with. We should have "surged" those sand monkeys from the git-go, he told CNN...."

Is America Fascist?
Must Read - A quote...."October 20, 2008 "Information Clearinghouse" If it hasn’t gone the way of Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler’s Germany, it’s sure teetering on the brink. America is a nation in deepening crisis, a nation whose leaders repeatedly plunge their citizens into, and make them pay for, serial wars abroad, while stealing their liberties at home. USA has become a country that trashes its citizens(New Orleans), tortures its enemies(Abu Ghraib), threatens other nations with nuclear fire(Iran), flouts international treaties(UN Charter re Iraq), and spies on(FISA), and intimidates, its critics(No Fly). Americans that can clearly see the totalitarian machinations of Vladimir Putin in Russia and Hu Jintao in China are blind to the fascism threatening to envelop them as well."
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Saudis resurrect a rival for Hezbollah - a.k.a. "The Redirection Deux"
Special Note - Future Terrorism Warning - A quote...."DAMASCUS - Word is coming out of south Lebanon that Saudi money under United States urging is being pumped into the Shi'ite community - in vain - to create a bloc among Lebanese Shi'ites against Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah." -- bold/undrline by website editor.  Another up and coming future al Qaeda wannabe, courtesy the usual suspects....never ending Saudi Royal and US (N.R.E.) support and financing. - mpg -- For more on this issue see....US Support of Terror

"Bush Guilty Of First Deg Murder" - (YouTube - 7 min 14 sec - Added:  July 25, 2008)
Video - A quote...."Former L.A. County Prosecutor, Vincent Bugliosi and author of "The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder", which details prosecutable evidence of murder by George Bush and Dick Cheney and others."

On the Terms of the Powerful - Translating Propaganda and Thinking the Unthinkable
A quote...." Propaganda in the US rests mostly in what is not said, but rather assumed. Such a system of indoctrination is extremely powerful as it serves the purpose of making certain thoughts not so much undesirable, but  unthinkable, strikingly reminiscent of Orwell's depiction of totalitarian control and manipulation of the English language in his novel, 1984. -- The language of US propaganda is indeed a foreign tongue to anyone who takes seriously the factual historical record, the nature of powerful institutions, and fundamental human decency with respect for human rights."

Judith Miller Lands at Fox News
She finally got a job where she actually belongs. - mpg -- For more on Judy see....Fake Intel / Propaganda - Judy Miller -- A quote...."Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller, whose misleading stories about alleged Iraqi weapons of mass destruction helped make the Bush administration's case for war, has joined Fox News as a contributor, where she will provide "commentary and analysis on national security issues, counterterrorism, and international affairs."

Another Million Iraqi demonstrators: Get out of our country
A quote...."Baghdad witnessed another demonstration with more than one million Iraqi, Arabs and Kurds and others, Muslims and Christians and others, Sunnis and Shiites and others demonstrated together against the occupation and the long term agreement, asking for a complete withdrawal the leaves no permanent bases, no troops, and no mercenaries."

US Presses Iraq on SOFA as Support Dries Up
A quote...."In a speech in Baghdad, US Ambassador Ryan Crocker defended the latest draft of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) as “an important agreement that fully restores Iraq’s sovereignty.” But massive public opposition to the agreement has scared away political support from even much of Iraq’s ruling coalition (who negotiated it in the first place). They are now seeking further amendments to the deal."

US/IRAQ:  "We Have to Share This Pain"
A quote...."PORTLAND, Oregon, Oct 20 (IPS) - Veterans from the U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, along with Iraqis, Afghanis, Vietnam veterans, and family members of U.S. military personnel converged in this west coast city over the weekend to share stories of atrocities being committed daily in Iraq, in a continuation of the "Winter Soldier" hearings held in Silver Spring, Maryland in March."

Pakistan muzzles its guns
A quote...."KARACHI - Cash-strapped Pakistan, after the failure of operations against militants in Bajaur Agency and the Swat Valley, has had to call off an offensive in the North Waziristan tribal area, and instead negotiate ceasefire deals."

Afghanistan: Italian foreign minister rejects call for extra troops
A quote...."Islamabad, 20 Oct. (AKI) - On a visit to Pakistan, Italian Foreign Minister,Franco Frattini, announced no extra troops would be sent to war-torn Afghanistan."I do not think sending more troops is the right solution today," Frattini told the media on Monday, while en route to Pakistan. Frattini arrived in the country's capital, Islamabad, for talks on bilateral ties and regional issues with his counterpart, Makhdoom Qureshi. "

Video of latest Israeli navy attack on Gazan fishermen
Video - A quote...."October 19, 2008 -- At approximately 12:30, a Palestinian fishing vessel from the port in Gaza City, was trawling 6km off the coast of Deir Al Balah. An Israeli Dvora class gunboat (no. 831) approached the fishing boat, began circling it and opened fire. The incident lasted several minutes and was witnessed and documented by a human rights observer with the International Solidarity Movement - who was present on the Palestinian boat. A short video of the incident is posted here."

ElBaradei: Iran is nowhere near nukes
A quote...."UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei disputes Western claims about Iran, saying the country is far from developing nuclear weapons."

Iran calls for strategic partnership with Russia
A quote...."TEHRAN: Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili has called for a “balanced strategic partnership” between Tehran and Moscow. -- Such a strategic partnership would be a “two-way street”, but to realize this requires “firm determination” by the two sides, Jalili told the visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and his delegation here on Saturday. Jalili said that the “two great countries of Iran and Russia” have the potential to achieve this goal."

Venezuela plans new Caribbean naval base
A quote...."President Hugo Chavez says a big naval base will be built on Venezuela's largest island. - Chavez says Margarita Island's strategic location off Venezuela's coast in the Caribbean Sea makes it perfect for "a naval base of large proportions." - Margarita covers an area of 1,020 square kilometers (394 square miles). It is a popular tourist destination and is home to about 450,000 Venezuelans."

Venezuelan president meets with Russian FSB director
A quote...."CARACAS, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday met with Director of Russian Federal Service of Security(FSB) Nikolai Patrushev at the Miraflores Palace to discuss the visit of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev to Venezuela and both navies' maneuver scheduled for Nov. 10-14 in the Caribbean Sea. "

UNASUR decides to establish South American Parliament in Bolivia
A quote...."LIMA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) decided at a meeting on Friday to set up a South American Parliament in Bolivia to promote the bloc's integration."

Orange Revolution implodes to leave a nation in despair
A quote...."Their leaders are at war, their country is verging on bankruptcy and the Russians are growling on their doorstep. Ukrainians have been plunged into disillusion and despair by the lethal combination as they witness the death throes of the Orange Revolution that brought President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Julia Tymoshenko to power."

Ukraine postpones ‘apocalyptic’ election
A quote...."The President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, has signed a decree to postpone a snap parliamentary election in the country by seven days, moving them back to December 14. It follows Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko's insistence that going to the polls early would be fatal for the economy."

Indonesia navy chief to discuss military ties in Moscow
A quote...."JAKARTA, October 21 (RIA Novosti) - Indonesia's navy chief of staff will start an official visit to Russia on Wednesday to discuss bilateral military-technical cooperation."

Russia Not Backing Down From Missile Plans In Syria
A quote...."Jerusalem - Contrary assurances received during Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's recent visit to Moscow, Russia has not backed away from its plans to station S-300 anti-aircraft missiles on Syrian soil."

Boeing to Supply Security Systems for Minuteman III Launch Facilities
A quote...."OGDEN, Utah.- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that it will manufacture and deliver control system hardware and modification kits to improve security at more than 450 Minuteman III facilities as part of the U.S. Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Security Modernization Program."

India joins Asia space race in first moon mission
A quote...."NEW DELHI - India will launch its first unmanned moon mission on Wednesday, following in the footsteps of rivals China and Japan, as it tries to show off its scientific know-how and claim a bigger chunk of the global space business. -- Chandrayaan-1 (Moon vehicle), a cuboid spacecraft built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will blast off from a southern Indian space centre in the early hours and enter the moon's orbit after 16 hours of flight, scientists say."
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Hate You Can Believe In: ACORN Deluged with Threatening and Racist Voicemails and Emails
A quote...."It’s bad enough that the employees of ACORN have had to endure days of baseless and outlandish attacks by John McCain and the RNC. But after McCain outrageously claimed before a national audience on Wednesday night that ACORN was “maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy,” the group came under attack, literally. In the following days, ACORN’s Boston and Seattle offices were vandalized and at least one employee received a death threat."

Could The US Election Be Stolen?
A quote...."TOLEDO, Ohio - With John McCain and Barack Obama already swapping accusations of widespread voter fraud, experts warn that a bitter and protracted fight could ensue if the race to the White House is decided by a narrow margin. -- The legal battle over election rules has already made it all the way to the Supreme Court as Republicans fight to block potentially false registrations from being validated and Democrats struggle to prevent voter disenfranchisement."

GOP admits plan to use foreclosure list to challenge voters
A quote...."In a startling concession, the Republican Party has admitted to participating in an illegal scheme to use foreclosure lists to challenge predominantly Democratic voters in Michigan on Election Day."

GOP terrified of American voters
A quote...."John McCain’s statement in the debate that ACORN and the liberals are “on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history … maybe destroying the fabric of democracy” is probably the most overwrought, ridiculous statement by a major-party nominee in living memory." -- Also posted at CommonDreams

NSA Spying and the Shredding of the Constitution
Special Note - A quote...."The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests demanding that the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) and the National Security Agency (NSA) disclose "any policies and procedures" that protect Americans' privacy rights when the ultra-spooky agency "collects, stores and disseminates private U.S. communications."

Oops! McCain asks Russia’s U.N. envoy for money - This is sort'a funny. - mpg
Some quotes...."In the letter, McCain urged Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin to contribute anywhere from $35 to $5,000 to help ensure McCain’s victory over Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama, currently ahead in voter preference polls." -- "Moscow’s mission to the United Nations issued a terse statement on the Republican presidential candidate’s letter, saying that the Russian government and its officials “do not finance political activity in foreign countries.”
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Paulson panics as UK, Germany find own solution - posted at Online Journal
A quote...."America’s de facto finance czar, US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, has reached for the panic button and made a dramatic 180-degree reversal of his financial bailout plan passed only days before."

Licensed Kleptocracy for Years to Come - The ABCs of Paulson's Bailout
A quote...."Treasury Secretary  Paulson’s bailout speech on Monday, October 13, poses some fundamental economic questions: What is the impact on the economy at large of this autumn’s unprecedented creation and giveaway of financial wealth to the wealthiest layer of the population? How long can the Treasury’s bailout of Wall Street (but not the rest of the economy!) sustain a debt overhead that is growing exponentially? Is there any limit to the amount of U.S. Treasury debt that the government can create and turn over to its major political campaign contributors?"

Up in smoke: The abridged history of US investment banking - posted at Online Journal
A quote...."It worked. The credit markets have begun to thaw. Overnight LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) dropped 27 basis points to 1.67 percent, the lowest level since September 2004. Three month LIBOR shed 40 basis points last week to 4.42 percent. The LIBOR-OIS spread and TED spread are edging downward, too." -- Perhaps, but than again perhaps not, this website editor thinks the damage was too great.  Keep in mind we still have two more years to go. - mpg

Bubbles Are Bursting Worldwide
A quote...."Remember that a housing bubble has burst not only in the U.S., but in France, Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, and many other regions. China is slowing down as well."

The Problem Was Never Liquidity, But Insolvency ... And We Should Let Insolvent Banks Fail
Special Note - A quote...."The problem was never really liquidity. Says who? Says Anna Schwartz, co-author of the leading book on the Great Depression, and someone who actually lived through it."

Fed backs new stimulus plan
A quote...."WASHINGTON (AFP) – The head of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke backed a stimulus plan for the flagging US economy on Monday as stock markets worldwide bounced back from recent lows."

US faces worst recession in 26 years
A quote...."The US economy appears to be plunging into what many experts believe will be its worst recession since 1982." -- It will obviously be worse than the 1982 recession. - mpg

The European Financial Solution vs. the US Bailout
A quote...."There is a distinct difference between the US government response to the current economic crises and the European.  European nations have a long history of experience with nationalized companies.  Europeans have a significantly longer experience with trading and commodity markets, including currencies.  Also, European nations still maintain strong checks and balances in their political, legislative and judicial systems. "

22 states facing budget gaps More job cuts, service losses likely
A quote...."The moribund economy is drying up tax revenues more dramatically than expected, forcing 22 states to confront growing budget gaps. Some states already have eliminated jobs and services - and more cuts are likely."


America Loses Its Dominant Economic Role
Absolute Must Read - This article sums it ALL up quite nicely - it's one of those "please post and pass it on" type of deals. It should be on every website so everyone can read it. - mpg -- A quote...."The banking crisis is upending American dominance of the financial markets and world politics. The industrialized countries are sliding into recession, the era of turbo-capitalism is coming to an end and US military might is ebbing. Still, this is no time to gloat. -- There are days when all it takes is a single speech to illustrate the decline of a world power. A face can speak volumes, as can the speaker's tone of voice, the speech itself or the audience's reaction. Kings and queens have clung to the past before and humiliated themselves in public, but this time it was merely a United States president. -- Or what is left of him." -- If only it would lead to a graceful end of the New Roman Empire and the restoration of the United States of America.  But it won't, the wealthy elites who have totally insulated themselves from the economic calamity that will result from their ongoing and ceaseless attempts to prop up this unholy empire will not stop until the entire system collapses.  It's the way they think, it's in their blood, and it’s what they are. - mpg
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Whole World Feels Effect of US Intent, Activist Says
From the History File....a warning that was disregarded - mpg -- A quote...."Published on Friday, March 14, 2003 --  After visiting Iraq last year for a firsthand look at what 12 years of sanctions and U.S. bombing attacks have done to its battered infrastructure, Mr. Perez Esquivel scoffed at the notion that Iraq poses any significant threat. - A U.S. attack, on the other hand, would open "a Pandora's box, threatening to set free the demons of death and destruction," he wrote recently. - "The chief danger in the world today is not Saddam Hussein," Mr. Perez Esquivel said. "It is the United States."

Did PBS Bury an Expose on Torture?
A quote...."On Thursday evening WNET in New York will air an important new documentary by Emmy and Dupont Award winning producer Sherry Jones entitled “Torturing Democracy.” It appears on WNET and several other affiliates independently because PBS would not run the show—at least not until President Bush has left office. The show delivers impressively on a promise to “connect the dots in an investigation of interrogations of prisoners in U.S. custody that became ‘at a minimum, cruel and inhuman treatment and, at worst, torture’” (quoting Alberto Mora, who served as general counsel of the Navy under Donald Rumsfeld, and features in an interview). -- See excerpts below...

"Torturing Democracy" - Videos  Exrpt #1 - Exrpt #2 - Exrpt #3 - Exrpt #4 - Exrpt #5 - Exrpt #6
(YouTube - aprox 1 to 3 min each - excerpts - Added:  October 09, 2008) -- Full length not available....yet. - mpg

Use It or Lose It? How to Manage an Imperial Decline
A quote...."Do empires end with a bang, a whimper, or the sibilant hiss of financial deflation? -- We may be about to find out. Right now, in the midst of the financial whirlwind, it's been hard in the United States to see much past the moment. Yet the ongoing economic meltdown has raised a range of non-financial issues of great importance for our future. Uncertainty and anxiety about the prospects for global financial markets -- given the present liquidity crunch -- have left little space for serious consideration of issues of American global power and influence." -- Also posted at CommonDreams

The Failed Presidency of George W. Bush: A Dismal Legacy
A quote...."Whoever is elected president in the coming November 4 American election will inherit a most miserable situation on nearly all fronts. This is because George W. Bush has been one of the worst presidents the U.S. has ever had, if not the worst. It is widely recognized that he was a below average politician who led his country on the wrong track, both domestically and internationally. Today, only a meager 9 percent of Americans dare to say that their country is moving in the right direction."

Payback’s A B-tch
A quote...."Once small problem, though.  If you sat down with a pen and paper and tried to invent a more thorough litany of failure on the right’s watch, you’d be hard pressed to top what they’ve actually done.  I suppose inadvertently nuking all the major cities of the United States would be worse, but I can’t think of much else.  The simple truth is that the regressive movement took a great and proud and prosperous country and ran it into the ditch at 130 miles an hour.  Worse yet, for them – and unlike the bad old years of Willie Horton, or invading Panama, or Clinton’s faux scandals – the public isn’t fooled anymore.  They had already caught on to the game, in large part, a few years back, which is why Bush has been moribund in the absolute cellar of job approval ratings for almost the entirety of his second term.  Things were already tough for the black hats, but then this economic crisis came and walloped people severely, right in the wallet.  One thing about Americans – they’re seriously selfish.  You take away their reputation and their liberties and their democracy and they might – might! – vote against you.  You take away their money, they’ll rip your f-cking lungs out, Bro." -- Yeah....Americans tend to get a little hyper-active when it concerns their money. - mpg -- Also posted at CommonDreams

America's National Strategy of Global Intervention
A quote...."October 18, 2008 "Information Clearinghouse" --  Paris, October 15, 2008 – Last June the U.S. Department of Defense unexpectedly issued a new version of its National Defense Strategy. It was unexpected because there will be a new administration in Washington in January which might be expected to issue a statement of its own ideas about military strategy."
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Tens of Thousands of Iraqis Mass for Anti-SOFA Protest
A quote...."At least 50,000 Iraqis joined a protest in the streets of Baghdad today, organized by followers of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, chanting anti-US and anti-occupation slogans and waving banners opposing the controversial Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) which would keep US troops in Iraq through 2011."

Maliki Implies Odierno Ouster; Thousands Protest Security Pact
A quote...."Although Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has approved a draft agreement on US troops in Iraq, it faces severe opposition from many parliamentarians and may not actually be enacted into law. A major stumbling block is immunity for US troops from Iraqi law. -- Meanwhile, al-Maliki said Friday that Gen. Ray Odierno may have lost his position as commander of US forces in Iraq because of his charge that Iran is bribing Iraqi parliamentarians to reject the agreement. -- Odierno told The Washington Post on Monday that intelligence reports indicated that Iran was bribing Iraqi lawmakers. -- Odierno's remarks provoked a wave of outrage in Iraqi political circles." -- *Juan Cole*

Civilian dead are a trade-off in Nato's war of barbarity
A quote...."The killing of innocent Afghans by US bombs is the result of a calculation, not just a mistake. And it is fuelling resistance. -- While the eyes of the western world have been fixed on the global financial crisis, the military campaign that launched the war on terror has been spinning out of control. Seven years after the US and Britain began their onslaught on Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and capture Osama bin Laden, the Taliban surround the capital, al-Qaida is flourishing in Pakistan and the war's sponsors have publicly fallen out about whether it has already been lost." -- Also posted at ICH

Attack on Iran Off the Table?
A quote...."On Sept. 23, the neo-conservative chiefs of the Washington Post's editorial page mourned, in a tone much like what one hears on the death of a close friend, that "a military strike by the United States or Israel [on Iran is not] likely in the coming months."  One could almost hear a wistful sigh, as they complained that efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program has "slipped down Washington's list of priorities...as Iran races toward accumulating enough uranium for a bomb." -- For more regarding this issue see....The Iran Game - All Over Again - 05-27-08 - mpg

On the other hand....

Has the 'Amber Light' Turned Green?
War Update -- A quote...."According to "a senior Pentagon official," President George W. Bush gave the Israeli government in July the "amber light" for future military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. -- "Amber means get on with your preparations, stand by for immediate attack and tell us when you're ready." -- Might the "amber light" turn green? Yes, "if negotiations with Tehran break down."

Czech government trounced in regional election rout
A quote...."PRAGUE (Reuters) - The leftist Czech opposition has trounced the ruling center-right in regional elections, sending shock waves through the cabinet of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek ahead of the country's EU presidency next year."

What a Real Financial Collapse Looks Like
Contains Video - A quote...."How Argentina was Sold Down the River -- This 59-minute documentary excerpt tells the story of how Argentina experienced financial collapse and what the aftermath looked like. It’s not a pretty sight, especially for Americans, as Argentina was brought down primarily by a ruling class that sold them out and took on a huge national debt."
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Main Core, PROMIS and the Shadow Government (Pt.2)
A quote...."In a very real and terrifying sense, our Government is the CIA and the Pentagon, with Congress reduced to a debating society. Of course, you can't spot this trend to fascism by casually looking around. You can't look for such familiar signs as the swastika, because they won't be there. We won't build Dachaus and Auschwitzes; the clever manipulation of the mass media is creating a concentration camp of the mind that promises to be far more effective in keeping the populace in line."

GOP Strategy: Voter Suppression
A quote...."In the 2000 Presidential election, reporter Greg Palast, author of "The Best Democracy Money can Buy," broke the story of Florida's illegal voter purges, in which Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris kept 57,000 votes, most of them African-American, from being counted. Their names resembled names of persons convicted of crimes. The state eventually acknowledged that the purge was improper - two years after the Supreme Court selection of George W. Bush." -- Also posted at CommonDreams

ACORN Offices Ransacked; $5,000 Reward For Information
ACORN hit by vandals, workers threatened
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Guided by an invisible hand
Special Note - A quote...."The events of these weeks will be to market fundamentalism what the fall of the Berlin Wall was to communism. Last month in the United States almost 160,000 jobs were shed - making more than three-quarters of a million this year. My guess is that things will get considerably worse. I have been predicting this for some time, and so far, unfortunately, I have been right." -- Also posted at CommonDreams
 
Cronytopia: What the World Knows -- and Americans Don't -- About the Bailout
A quote...."Having laid out the thrust of the story very plainly in the headline and sub-head, the paper then detailed the way that the Bush-Obama bailout (the most apt moniker for a scheme devised by the top echelons of the bipartisan elite) is yet another inside job by the Beltway bandits who move in and out of the revolving door between "public service" and vast feeding troughs of Cronytopia. So while Americans looking at the nations's "leading newspaper," the New York Times, found a vast belching of psychobabble and personal gossip about Cindy McCain taking up the front page, the rest of the world was learning this:  --  Financial workers at Wall Street's top banks are to receive pay deals worth more than $70bn (£40bn), a substantial proportion of which is expected to be paid in discretionary bonuses, for their work so far this year - despite plunging the global financial system into its worst crisis since the 1929 stock market crash, the Guardian has learned."

Spending Surge Pushing Deficit Toward $1 Trillion [This Year] - Oh, don't worry....it'll be a lot more than that. - mpg
A quote...."Congressional leaders and both presidential candidates are proposing billions of dollars in tax breaks and other measures to stoke economic growth, a surge in spending that could send the federal deficit soaring toward $1 trillion this year, creating the deepest well of red ink since the end of World War II."


A Letter to America: Why Must the Show Go On? - posted at the Palestine Chronicle
Must Read - A quote...."It's not easy or even fun to be an expatriate. Unless you didn't know, that is just a highfalutin word that is used especially for American emigrants. Why the special word? Because people who "leave" America are expected to see it with a critical (perhaps even artistic) eye, and Americans who "remain" are expected to disregard the criticism, and even accuse the expat of Anti-Americanism or sheer snobbery. In writing, you will see the word distorted to "ex-patriot".

Now the Cost of War Really Matters
A quote...."The Finance Crisis Means the U.S. Can No Longer Continue Two War-Quagmires and Must Reconsider Military-Based Foreign Policy  --  Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz predicts the Iraq war will cost the United States $3 trillion.  Nouriel Roubini, the economist who predicted today’s financial crisis in 2006, predicts the U.S. will suffer its worst recession in 40 years, lasting up to two years with 9% unemployment and another 15% drop in housing prices.  He predicts we are seeing only the first round of government injection of funds into the finance system."

Q&A:  "The U.S. President Is Not a King"
A quote...."DETROIT, Michigan, Oct 17 (IPS) - At 76, Daniel Ellsberg is still vocal. The man who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1969, leading to the fall of President Richard Nixon, is speaking out this time on the 2008 presidential election." -- Also posted at AntiWar

Anti-US protesters rally against US-Iraqi pact, ME
A quote...."BAGHDAD (AP) -- Tens of thousands of followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr rally Saturday in Baghdad in a mass public show of opposition to a U.S.-Iraqi security pact that would extend the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq. -- The march came as U.S. and Iraqi leaders face a Dec. 31 deadline to reach agreement on the deal, which would replace an expiring U.N. mandate authorizing the U.S.-led forces in Iraq.

Iraq's PM slams top US soldier over comments - link posted at ICH
A quote...."BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq's prime minister slammed America's top military commander in the country on Friday, saying he "risked his position" when he said Iran sought to bribe lawmakers to vote against a U.S.-Iraq security agreement."

Iraqi Clerics Speak Out Against SOFA
A quote...."There aren’t many things that a confidant of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a council of Iraqi Sunni religious leaders and the followers of firebrand Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr can all agree on, but they seem to have found common ground on one thing: they all oppose the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States."

The Forgotten U.S. War On The Iraqi People
Special Note - A quote...."On October 3, 2008, the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is paying $300 million to U.S. contractors to produce pro-U.S. propaganda for Iraqi audiences “in an effort to ‘engage and inspire’ the local population to support U.S. objectives and the puppet government”. The aim of this psychological warfare is to normalise the murderous Occupation and cover-up the slaughter of innocent Iraqi civilians."

Private Military Contractors Writing the News? The Pentagon's Propaganda at Its Worst
A quote...."Months after the Pentagon pundits flap, the Department of Defense continues to hand down contracts for propaganda in Iraq and beyond."

A War for Empire - Afghanistan: Not a Good War Gone Bad
A quote...."For the people of Azizabad, a small village in western Afghanistan, the dark early morning hours of August 22, 2008 suddenly turned into a nightmare of devastation and death. As villagers slept, U.S. forces attacked—first with guns, then air strikes. By the next morning, according to UN investigators, over 90 people had been massacred, including 60 children and 15 women."

NATO PESSIMISM - The West Is at a Loss in Afghanistan
A quote...."More and more military and civilian leaders are voicing pessimism when it comes to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. As the fight continues, ideas for how to break through the ongoing stalemate are few. Some are beginning to think that victory -- for either side -- is impossible. "

Commander Says Taliban Won’t Fight Pakistani Forces in Waziristan
A quote...."In a statement delivered by spokesman Ahmedullah Ahmedi, local Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander Qari Gul Bahadar said that militants in North and South Waziristan will continue to abide by the peace deal signed with the Pakistani government earlier this year in spite of the escalating US attacks in the region."

Palestinians dismantle road blockade
Video - A quote...."Palestinian residents of the Al-Mazra’a ash Sharqiya village dismantle roadblock as symbol of resistance"

Photo essay: Colonialism in the West Bank
Photos - A quote...."The following photo essay from 2003 is by Montreal photographer and community worker Scott Weinstein, who traveled to Palestine to work with the Palestine Red Crescent Society as a registered nurse. His photographs document the contemporary realities of Israeli colonialism and occupation in the West Bank, specifically focusing on settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank city of Hebron."

Iran slams assault on Iraqi Christians
A quote...."The Iranian embassy in Baghdad has condemned the recent aggressions against the Christian civilians in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul."

China Blocking US Anti-Iran Efforts
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- China has hampered US efforts to convene permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany to discuss new sanctions against Iran."

Heavy fighting engulfs Mogadishu
A quote...."Heavy fighting has left at least 20 people dead and dozens more injured in clashes across the Somali capital, Mogadishu, officials and witnesses say."

Russia to ship equipment to finish Iranian nuclear plant
A quote...."TEHRAN, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will soon ship around 1,000 tons of equipment necessary to complete the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a top Iranian nuclear official said on Friday."

Russia could resume naval presence in Yemen
A quote...."SANA, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - The speaker of Russia's upper house of parliament said on Thursday that Russia could resume a naval presence in Yemen. -- Authorities in the Middle East country are calling on Moscow to help fight piracy and possible terrorist threats. The U.S.S.R. had a major naval base in the former socialist state of South Yemen, which merged with North Yemen in 1990 to form the present-day Yemen."

UN Security Council elects new non-permanent members
A quote...."UNITED NATIONS (October 17) - Japan, Turkey, Austria, Mexico and Uganda will join the UN Security Council as non-permanent members on January 1, 2009, the head of the UN General Assembly announced on Friday."
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Bill Moyers Interviews Mark Crispin Miller
Must View Video - A quote....."Bill Moyers sits down with Mark Crispin Miller, professor of Media, Culture and Communication at NYU, who has been following voter fraud allegations in his blog News from the Underground. An expert on propaganda and media, Miller's book "Loser Takes All" [Gogl Srch]*  is an anthology of writings covering election fraud." -- ||  Transcript  || Podcast Mp3 || -- *link added

[US Supreme] Court blocks Ohio vote challenge
A quote...."The US Supreme Court has blocked attempts by the Republican Party to challenge the right of 200,000 new voters to cast their ballots in Ohio."

Breaking: GOP Attempts to Disenfranchise 600,000 Voters In Ohio
A quote...."With millions of new voters registering nationwide, the GOP has gone on the offensive to prevent as many of these new voters from making it to the polls as possible.  And as of today, they've scored a massive victory in Ohio..."

Breaking: Obama Demands Special Prosecutor Investigate GOP Voter Fraud Activities
A quote...."Charging that the FBI probe of ACORN represents an “unholy alliance” between Republican operatives and potentially illegal conduct by law enforcement targeting voter fraud, the Obama campaign demanded Friday that the U.S. special prosecutor looking into the U.S. attorneys scandal investigate the matter."

The Republican ACORN Hoax - article posted at Consortium News
A quote...."ACORN and election fraud. Hang on. As soon as I can get the alligator that crawled out of my toilet back into the New York City sewers where it belongs, I can turn my attention to this very important topic. You see, the ACORN “election fraud” story is one of those urban legends, like fake moon landings and alligators in the sewers, and it appears three or four weeks before every recent national election with the regularity of the swallows returning to Capistrano."

Ex DOJ Voting Rights Chief: "It's Going to Take a Long Time to Cleanse" Department
A quote...."A former top Department of Justice voting rights official -- who once worked with John McCain in defense of the senator's campaign-finance reform bill -- has added his name to the growing chorus that is denouncing the department's investigation of ACORN as a shameful and inappropriate politicization of Justice along the lines of the US attorney firings."

GOP Exploits ACORN Probe
A quote...."In a replay of a tactic used to help secure President George W. Bush’s second term, Republicans – aided by investigative agencies of the federal government – are making a campaign issue out of voter-registration forms with fake names like “Mickey Mouse.”

Death threat, vandalism hit ACORN after McCain comments
US Republicans target ACORN: the great “voter fraud” fraud
GOP Attacked ACORN Before 2004 Election
Returning to the Scene of the Crime
ACORN Fires Back, Claims McCain Ignored Impending Crisis
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Zero: An Investigation Into 9-11 - Prt1 - Prt2 - Prt3 - Prt4 - Prt5 - Prt6 -Prt7 - Prt8 - Prt9 - Prt10 - Prt11
Must View Videos -- (YouTube - aprox 10 min each - Added:  July 26, 2008)
A quote...."ZERO: An Investigation into 9/11, has one central thesis - that the official version of the events surrounding the attacks on 9/11 can not be true. This brand new feature documentary from Italian production company Telemaco explores the latest scientific evidence and reveals dramatic new witness testimony, which directly conflicts with the US Government's account." -- For more on this issue see....9/11 & It's Fallout - Videos

EFF Challenges Constitutionality of Telecom Immunity in Federal Court
A quote...."San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Thursday challenged the constitutionality of a law aimed at granting retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in the president's illegal domestic wiretapping program."

Oft-spurned Senator repeats request for White House torture docs
A quote...."Patrick Leahy, in his role as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has often found himself on the receiving end of a metaphorical middle finger from the White House when he's tried to exercise oversight of the Bush administration."

Is Israel's booming high-tech industry a branch of the Mossad?
A quote...."In 2006 the Check Point Software Technologies company, which specializes in protecting computer systems from hackers and data theft, wanted to acquire an American company called Sourcefire, which works in the same field. The great advantage of Sourcefire was that its clients include the American Defense Department and the National Security Agency. The U.S. administration, however, by means of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, did not approve the acquisition. -- The committee made its decision based on an opinion by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NSA security officers. The two organizations were afraid that Check Point, which was founded by Gil Shwed and fellow graduates of Unit 8200, the Israel Defense Forces' high-tech intelligence unit, would have access to top-secret information, which it could pass on to Israel's intelligence community."
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Parsing Mr. Paulson’s Bailout Speech: The Unprecedented Giveaway of Financial Wealth
A quote...."Everything that I have read in economic history leads me to believe that we are entering a nightmare transition era. The business cycle is essentially a financial cycle. Upswings tend to become economy-wide Ponzi schemes as banks and other creditors, savers and investors receive interest and plow it back into new loans, accruing yet more interest as debt levels rise. This is the "magic of compound interest" in a nutshell. No "real" economy in history has grown at a rate able to keep up with this financial dynamic. Indeed, payment of this interest by households and businesses leaves less to spend on goods and services, causing markets to shrink and investment and employment to be cut back."

Dr. Paulson's Magic Potion Is Pure Poison for Us
A quote...."American capitalism is having a nervous breakdown, losing confidence and acting out in self-destructive ways. Let's try talk therapy. No, wait, it's more serious -- a case for high-powered drugs. No response? Maybe high finance has a brain tumor. Time for surgery! Cut out the bad parts and things will stabilize. Hold on. The patient is swooning now, gasping for air and trembling with seizures. Oxygen! Blood! We need a massive transfusion to rid the body of toxins. Doctor, the patient is flat-lining. What's next? Shock therapy? -- My mordant medical metaphor sounds a trifle cruel, given the massive losses people are suffering, but it roughly describes the stages of diagnosis and cures with which the government has hesitantly attempted to heal the collapsing financial system."

A Gigantic Armed Robbery
A quote...."Amid the astonishing details of the Fed's fierce money pumping, the Treasury's partial nationalization of the banking industry, and the madcap exchange of its legal tender for the banks' rotten mortgage-backed securities, we may lose sight of the overall character of these actions: they are, in effect, nothing short of a gigantic armed robbery."

These Firefighters Are Pyromaniacs!
A quote...."In the last 100 years there have only been two fires similar to that of today. The first inferno was in 1929, centered in New York. The second was in 1989, when Tokyo went up in flames. In both instances, rescuers took extraordinary measures. And in both cases, they not only failed to save the economy, they scorched it even more. Obviously, few economists share this analysis with us. The few who do are probably either insolvent or insane, or perhaps both. So, the burden of proof is on us."

"The New Kleptocracy" - "The largest financial theft in American history" - posted at ICH
Must Listen - Audio Interview - A quote...."By Guns & Butter -- Economist Dr. Michael Hudson on Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson's "Plan" passed by Congress on October 3, 2008. We discuss what is being purchased, the congressional vote, what this means for the oligarchs, and what this means for the rest of us."

Wall Street banks in $70bn staff payout -- Hah, ha, ha, ha, ha....Americans are such rubes, it's really sad. - mpg
Special Note - A quote...."Pay and bonus deals equivalent to 10% of US government bail-out package -- Financial workers at Wall Street's top banks are to receive pay deals worth more than $70bn (£40bn), a substantial proportion of which is expected to be paid in discretionary bonuses, for their work so far this year - despite plunging the global financial system into its worst crisis since the 1929 stock market crash, the Guardian has learned."

[British] Bankers' £16bn bonus bonanza - Hah, ha , ha....the British are rubes too. - mpg
Special Note - A quote...."City bankers have not lost a penny of their multimillion-pound bonus packages so far, despite the credit crunch which has caused the worst financial crisis in 80 years, new figures show. -- Official statistics reveal that, in the financial year to April, City workers took home £16bn, almost exactly the same as in 2007."

As Economic Storm Brewed, Congressional Wealth Grew 11% Last Year
A quote...."WASHINGTON -- An economic recession is looking increasingly likely, but the personal finances of members of Congress suggest they will be able to withstand the slowdown far better than most Americans, according to a new analysis of lawmakers' latest personal financial reports by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics."

Lahde Quits Hedge Funds, Thanks `Idiots' for Success (Update1)
A quote...."I was in this game for money,'' Lahde, 37, wrote in a two-page letter today in which he said he had come to hate the hedge-fund business. ``The low-hanging fruit, i.e. idiots whose parents paid for prep school, Yale and then the Harvard MBA, was there for the taking. These people who were (often) truly not worthy of the education they received (or supposedly received) rose to the top of companies such as AIG, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and all levels of our government. -- ``All of this behavior supporting the Aristocracy, only ended up making it easier for me to find people stupid enough to take the other sides of my trades. God Bless America.''  -- *Andrew Lahde*

Inflation Or Deflation? BOTH
A quote...."I have previously discussed the debate between inflation and deflation. There are good arguments on both sides. But there are strong arguments that we will experience both inflation and deflation. How is that possible?" -- For more on this issue see....Some Tentative Laws - July 20th, 2008 - mpg

Home Prices Seem Far From Bottom
A quote...."The American housing market, where the global economic crisis began, is far from hitting bottom. Home prices across much of the country are likely to fall through late 2009, economists say, and in some markets the trend could last even longer depending on the severity of the anticipated recession."

US bank losses wipe out years of paper profits
A quote...."A milestone was reached Thursday by the US banking system: With the announcement by Citigroup and Merrill Lynch of billions of dollars in additional losses in their third quarter reports, all of the profits accumulated by the nine biggest banks during the three-and-a-half-year housing boom had vanished."

Banks borrow record $437.5 billion per day from Fed
A quote...."Financial institutions ran to their lender of last resort for record amounts of cash in the latest week, under extreme pressure from the worst global financial crisis in a generation, Federal Reserve data showed on Thursday. -- Banks and dealers' overall direct borrowings from the Fed averaged a record $437.53 billion per day in the week ended October 15, topping the previous week's $420.16 billion per day."

Housing starts fall to second-lowest rate in 50 years
A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Construction of new homes dwindled to the second-lowest level in 50 years last month, as home builders sought to reduce the number of unsold inventories in an elusive quest to find the bottom of the historic housing collapse, according to government data Friday."

French bank hit by €600m rogue trading scandal
A quote...."France's favourite savings bank admitted yesterday that it had suffered a €600m (£470m) loss caused by rogue trading in the futures market in a scandal that is eerily reminiscent of the €5bn Kerviel affair that rocked the country earlier this year."


A political farce, not a debate
Must Read - A quote...."Wednesday’s nationally televised encounter between Barack Obama and John McCain was less a debate than a ritualized episode of a peculiarly American form of political theater. -- The two candidates, both multi-millionaire representatives of the upper crust of American society, shared the stage with another multi-millionaire, an aging TV anchorman who confined the subjects and questions to the banal and predictable, excluding anything that would call into question the overarching right-wing framework of the discussion. (Where in this debate, for instance, was there a question on the latest figures showing that 28 countries have a lower infant mortality rate than the US, or on the growth in the number of working poor, or on the plunge towards bankruptcy of state and local governments?)"

The Illusion Of Democracy
A quote...."It seems like the citizens of this country should be enjoying the proceeds of the largest economy on Earth. Instead, 1% of the families in the United States own 54% of its wealth. This is up from 38% last year. Basing an economy on debt and then subsidizing the very people that profit from that debt is outrageous. One of the main reasons that we are in the predicament that we find ourselves in is that politicians in Washington rely on advice from those that have an inherent interest in the status quo. These politicians are the Democrats and Republicans."
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U.S. Loses Its Grip on Europe - Or perhaps Europe is finally getting a grip on itself? - mpg
A quote...."PARIS—Events since the beginning of August have made a deep impression on West European perceptions of European possibilities and European-American relations, now and in the future."

Europe and the Middle East: Will the EU be a more just mediator? - posted at Online Journal
A quote...."Europe has showed greater willingness in recent months to play a larger part in the Middle East’s most protracted conflict, that of Israel and Palestine. But willingness doesn’t necessarily indicate readiness."

The NATO Alliance: Dangerous Anachronism
A quote...."Until recently, NATO was treated like a social club, with invitations extended pro forma to anyone within geographic reach that exhibited proper manners. But the conflict in the Caucasus brought home to NATO's 26 members the unpleasant prospect of war with Russia. Moscow is truculent and the Europeans are nervous, yet US officials are pushing to bring both Georgia and Ukraine into NATO. This step would directly bring conflict and war into the alliance."

Report: NATO Air Strike in Helmand Kills 25 Civilians
A quote...."NATO forces launched an air strike in Nad Ali District, Helmand Province, early this afternoon, killing a reported 25 civilians. The number of dead were reported by local residents, who took some of the bodies to Lashkar Gah to complain to the governor about the killings. NATO said it was “aware of an incident,” but declined to confirm any civilian casualties as of yet."

Road to Perdition: Yet Another Atrocity in Afghanistan, More to Come
Related Article - A quote...."On Wednesday night, the BBC reported that a British soldier had been killed in Helmland province in Afghanistan. On Thursday night, the BBC reported that an airstrike by as-yet unidentified "foreign forces" has killed at least 18 civilians -- in Helmland province. From the BBC:"

Former FM: Taliban May Split With al-Qaeda Over Afghan Peace
A quote...."Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, a former Foreign Minister for the pre-invasion Taliban government in Afghanistan, says that the Taliban might cut ties with al-Qaeda in the course of reconciliation talks with the post-war government, though the move should not be a pre-condition for such talks. Muttawakil said al-Qaeda was a guest of the Taliban and an ally in the present fight, but they “will not be allowed to create an obstacle” to peace negotiations."

Taliban 'seizes 180 Afghan troops'
A quote...."A spokesman for the Taliban movement has told Al Jazeera that the movement's fighters have captured at least 180 Afghan soldiers in southern Helmand province."

Afghan Forces See Growing Defections to Taliban
A quote...."As the fighting in Afghanistan continues to worsen, Al Jazeera reports that a growing number of members of Afghan security forces are switching sides and joining the Taliban. The article focuses on Sulieman Ameri, a member of Afghanistan’s police border patrol in Herat Province who, along with his 16 subordinates defected to the Taliban."

The trail of torture
A quote...."The revelation, in yesterday's Washington Post, that the Bush administration "issued a pair of secret memos to the CIA in 2003 and 2004 that explicitly endorsed the agency's use of interrogation techniques such as waterboarding against al-Qaida suspects" will increase calls for the administration to be held to account for its actions." -- Also posted at CommonDreams

Scott Horton Interviews Lawrence Wilkerson
Must Listen - Audio Interview - A quote...."Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, (US Army Ret.), former chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell, discusses the coalition of Oil and Israeli interests in pushing the invasion of Iraq, all the reasons that everyone should have known that the WMD and terrorism pretexts were just that, the disgrace he felt during Powell’s UN speech and his surprise at the positive coverage, the status of Anar al-Islam in Kurdistan before the war, the after the fact creation of al Qaeda in Iraq by Zarqawi and his allies, how he came to understand how the Cheney-Neocon cabal operated - too late, the continued polarization of American politics, the responsibility of David Addington, Jim Haynes, Doug Feith, Jay Bybee, John Yoo, Timothy Flanigan and Alberto Gonzales for the torture policy adopted after 9/11, its consequences, John McCain’s pro-torture Detainee Treatment Act, how the administration killed the Iranian peace offer of 2003 and how the administration let Osama bin Laden escape from Afghanistan in 2001." -- For more regarding the "oil" issue see....War Resource 9/11. -- Regarding Rumsfeld's "Office of Special Plans", see....Fake Intel / Propaganda - OSP -- Regarding torture and prisons see....The Convenient Silence of Guantanamo Bay - 05-31-08 - mpg

U.S. troops close down outlets of Sadr City-MP
A quote...."BAGHDAD/Aswat al-Iraq: A lawmaker from a bloc loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday said the U.S army forces closed down the outlets of Shiite Slum Sadr City to prevent demonstrations to be staged by Sadrists this weekend. - [In opposition to the recently concluded negotiation between the N.R.E and Maliki regarding the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), an agreement by the way, that has to be approved of by the Iraqi parliament, which given the agreement's infringement on Iraqi sovereignty, is something that is unlikely to happen anytime soon.] - mpg

Sadrists refuse presidential invitation to discuss US security pact
A quote...."Baghdad - The Sadrist bloc in Iraq's parliament refused a presidential invitation for a meeting to be held on Friday to discuss the US-Iraqi security pact, the bloc's spokesman said."

Darkness
A quote...."It wasn't a good couple of days for journalists in Iraq or a positive reflection on a government that is supposed to be a fledgling Democracy. -- When a press conference by the advisory commission of the Shabak, an Iraqi ethnic minority demanding their rights, turned heated today parliament security guards held 35 journalists against their will and confiscated their equipment. They stopped broadcasts and cut off internet lines so no journalist could file the news to their offices, the Journalistic Freedom Observatory an independent Iraqi organization that monitors violations of press freedom."

America, Get Out Today and Not Tomorrow!
A quote...."Your democracy, which we applauded, turned us into those bereaved of children, widows, and orphans of the street begging for mercy and a piece of the bread from a government that has made itself deaf to our hunger and our eternal subjugation."

Yousef Abudayyeh - It Was Never About Borders
They say a picture is worth a thousand words....it's true. - mpg -- A quote...."the Palestinian-Zionist conflict is not about disputed borders, it’s about the very existence of the indigenous inhabitants of Palestine. The Zionist invaders came to Palestine because according to the Zionists, Palestine was a land with no people and needed to be filled with “people who have no land. -- Unless the whole world and especially the Arab Palestinians understand this, things will get worse. What we saw in Akka (Akko) this week is a continuation of the emptying of Palestine of its original people. This has always been a fruitless undertaking, fueled by the invader’s realization of the ultimate failure of the Zionist adventure - make no mistake about it.”

The Phantom Peace - posted at Palestine Chronicle
A quote...."The end of Ehud Olmert's Israeli Prime Ministership should see the likely new leader Tzipi Livni continue peace talks with the Palestinian Authority. She will have a difficult time. The illegal settlement movement supported by every Israeli administration to date has burgeoned out-of-control and its right-wing leaders are vehemently opposed to negotiating land for peace. More than likely, we will see Livni use the same stalling tactics that have up until now allowed land grabs from the Palestinians for the Zionist dream of a greater Israel."

Settlers smash Palestinian family’s car while soldiers refuse to intervene during olive harvest in Azmut
A quote...."At approximately 10:40 on Thursday morning a Palestinian family from Azmut, in the northeast of Nablus, was harvesting their land near the illegal Elon Moreh settlement when a group of five settlers terrorized the family."

Pogrom Acre-style
A quote...."Racism raised its ugly head in the northern coastal town of Acre this week, exposing Israelis' shocking bigotry and intolerance towards its non-Jewish citizens, especially the sizeable Palestinian minority which constitutes nearly one fourth of Israel's population."

Pentagon bans SERE interrogation techniques - Too little, too late. - mpg
A quote...."WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon has revised a directive on detainee interrogations to specifically prohibit the use of techniques developed for a pilot survival training program from Chinese torture methods, officials said Wednesday."

In Nicaragua, political dissidents targeted
A quote...."Although Nicaragua's government has moved from the far right to the far left, it's remained consistently repressive, say its opponents. Political analysts say that the crackdown against Carlos and other critical voices is the latest step by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government to move the country toward a totalitarian regime by limiting political and civic participation. His tightening control over other state institutions has resulted in an "institutional dictatorship," according to dissident leader Edmundo Jarquin from the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS)."

Nigerian court orders Shell to hand over oil terminal land
A quote...."LAGOS (AFP) - A Nigerian court has ordered Shell to hand over land around its giant Bonny oil terminal to the local population, a key demand of armed rebels in the volatile region, the Anglo-Dutch group said Wednesday." -- One could speculate at cynical length regarding the putative reasons for this remarkable decision, however, taking it at face value, this editor sincerely applauds the independence of the Nigerian courts and the judge presiding over the case for standing up to a large muti-national corporation like Shell on behalf of the "little people". - mpg

Venezuela buying Russian tanks, armored vehicles
A quote...."CARACAS (AFP) – Venezuela is buying more Russian weapons, including armored personnel carriers and tanks, to replace aging ordnance and to improve the country's security and defense capabilities, a top military commander said Thursday."

Russia to build second missile frigate for Indian Navy by March
A quote...."KALININGRAD, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian shipyard said on Thursday it would complete the construction of the second of three missile frigates for the Indian Navy by March 2009."

The Monroe Doctrine Revisited: China’s Increased Role in Latin America
A quote...."The presence of Chinese communities in cities like Rosario is not surprising. Chinese immigration and adaptability is common worldwide. In 2006, reported Chinese remittances from abroad totaled over $22 billion, and the global Chinese Diaspora is estimated to be 40 million strong. What is noteworthy is the symbolism of their success: the ability of the Chinese to seamlessly integrate and flourish in business climates all throughout Latin America is symbolic in a region ever more open to trade with these business owners’ country of origin."

Calm seas in Azerbaijan ahead of presidential election
A quote...."MOSCOW. (Gyulnara Mamedzade for RIA Novosti) - Incumbent Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will win the presidential election on October 15. Pollsters predict that he will get over 86% of the 4.8 million votes."
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Shadowplay : Part 1 9/11 Puppetmasters - (YouTube - 10 min 20 sec - Added:  July 26, 2008)
Video - A little theatrical, but the analysis is spot on....enjoy. - mpg -- A quote...."What if 9/11 was not an act of Islamic extremism, but something far more sinister... an evil from within? -- In the past, invisible elites lurking behind thrones have tightened their grasp on power by provoking attacks on their own people, then blaming the enemy as a false-flag pretext for imperial wars. The idea that this could happen today is almost unimaginable. - Or is it?

Howard Stern - Jesse Ventura on 9/11 - (YouTube - 10 min 20 sec - Added:  July 29, 2008)
Video - A quote..."Howard has Jesse Ventura back on the show and he lets rip his views on the vietnam war, the gulf of tonkin false flag event, the PNAC documents, the new pearl harbor and 9/11..." -- See also....9/11 - WTC7

Peter Dale Scott's "Deep Politics" lecture at McGill University - (blinkx video - 1hr 22m 47s - Sub | Sept. 22, 2008)
Vidoe - A quote...."Deep Politics: How 9/11 Changed America ", given by Peter Dale Scott , chaired by Michel Chossudovsky and organized by the Centre for Research on Globalization in Montreal on September 19 2008. Filmed and edited by Montreal 9/11 Truth .
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Meet the Protester Who 'May Have Received a Minor Injury' at the Hofstra Debate
A quote...."Last night Americans waited for presidential candidates, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, to take the stage at Hofstra University for the final debate before the elections. Outside the debate "15 protesters" were arrested. Oh, and "one person may have received a minor injury." That according to the Associated Press."

The Final Debate - Democracy Now! - Audio, Video and Transcript - posted at ICH
A quote...."October 16, 2008 -- Third-Party Candidates Ralph Nader & Cynthia McKinney Respond to Final McCain-Obama Debate -- Senators Barack Obama and John McCain met last night for the final debate before the November 4th presidential election, sparring over the economy, tax policy, negative campaigning, trade agreements, abortion and the educational system. As with the other debates, third-party candidates were not invited to participate. We break the sound barrier and hear from Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney and independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader" -- Article from DemocracyNow -- One does not have to vote for a DemoRepub, see....You Have a Choice Democracy or Empire - 07-24-08 - mpg

Unsked Questions in the Four Debates
A quote...."1.  What assurances can you offer the American people that you will return to a Constitutional form of Government with a renewed respect for the Bill of Rights and the balance of power that has been eroded in the last ten years?" .... and many others. - mpg

G.O.P. Donor Is Accused of Overcharging Pentagon
A quote...."The Democratic chairman of a House investigative committee presented documents to the Pentagon on Thursday charging that a top Republican fund-raiser, Harry Sargeant III, made tens of millions of dollars in profits over the last four years because his contracting company vastly overcharged for deliveries of fuel to American air bases in Iraq."
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Peril of Corporations Issuing Public Money
Special Note -- Some great quotes - mpg -- A quote...."

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Good and Bad Credit
A quote...."It is true that credit is the key for economic growth. However, one must make a distinction between good credit and bad credit. It is good credit that makes real economic growth possible and thus improves people's lives and well-being. False credit, however, is an agent of economic destruction and leads to economic impoverishment."

'Great Depression' Lessons from 'It's a Wonderful Life'
A quote...."In the 1930s, disillusioned Americans might have embraced full blown socialism. The 'right wing' was spooked. The FBI considered 'It's a Wonderful Life' to be a subversive film, because it "deliberately maligned the upper class" and attempted to show that "people who had money were mean and despicable characters". They might do so again if it might avoid another Great Depression --still misunderstood by most writers, historians and economists."

Government’s Last Stand
A quote...."The money circle is closed. This is the ultimate in recycling. The Fed prints it and lends it to the Treasury who lends it to the banks who lend it to Americans who give it up to the Treasury. -- Charles E. Wilson was the chairman of General Motors Corporation (GM). In 1953, he said "because for years I thought what was good for the country was good for General Motors and vice versa." GM stock recently traded at $4 a share. Toyota’s market value is roughly 25 times that of GM."

The Guy Who Called It Right
A quote...."Major sources of future stress in the financial system remain. These include the risk of a credit default swap market blowout; the collapse of hundreds of hedge funds; the rising troubles of many insurance companies; the risk that other systemically important financial institutions are insolvent and in need of expensive rescue programs; and the risk that some significant emerging-market economies, and some advanced ones too (Iceland), will experience a severe financial crisis."

October 21st is Pay Day
Financial Warning - A quote...."October 10th was "D-Day", where D stands for "derivatives". That was the day that an auction for Lehman's $400 billion dollars worth of credit default swaps determined that sellers of swaps would have to pay out 91.375 cents on the dollar."

Credit Default Vultures Turn Focus on Main Street
Financial Warning - A quote...."As Markit analyst Paul Davies wrote yesterday:  'Credit derivative markets turned their attention away from financial armageddon towards plain old recession on Wednesday morning, pushing up the costs of protection on the main indices for the first time this week.'"

Have You Heard? Credit Default Swaps
Related Article - A quote...."You may recall that I have previously pointed out that the current Wall Street crisis was not caused by 1) Barney Frank, 2) Democrats forcing Fannie and Freddie to give liars loans, 3) poor people not being able to pay their mortgages....."

Fire or Ice: Are We Headed Towards Hyperinflation or Deflation
Special Note - A quote...."The most important debate among economists, high-level investment advisors and financial experts is whether the U.S. economy will heat up or cool down - that is, whether it will go into runaway inflation or deflation." -- This is the key question, and if as an investor you get it wrong, you could lose your shirt, along with your pants, shoes, socks and everything else you own, as has happened to many hedge funds recently.  - mpg -- See...The Dollar's Spike - 10-06-08 - mpg

Is China Shielded From Derivatives?
Special Note - Some quotes...."Conventional wisdom is that China is shielded from the derivatives hurricane battering the rest of the world."  --  "Is this true?"

Bank of New York Mellon Will Oversee Bailout Fund
A quote...."The Bank of New York Mellon was named the master custodian firm overseeing the Treasury Department’s $700 billion bailout fund, the agency announced Tuesday."
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Recession looms despite global interventions
A quote...."NEW YORK (Reuters) - Government steps to shore up the banking system and unfreeze credit markets showed some signs of progress on Thursday, but grim news from major economies reinforced fears of recession and hammered global markets."

Citigroup posts another loss amid credit woes
A quote...."Citigroup Inc. suffered its fourth straight quarterly loss and cut another 11,000 jobs, drubbed again by the relentless downturn in housing and turmoil in the financial markets. -- The New York-based bank said Thursday it lost $2.8 billion, or 60 cents per share, in the third quarter, compared with a profit of $2.2 billion, or 44 cents per share, a year ago. The deficit for the June-to-September period brings Citi's total losses over the past 12 months to $20.2 billion."

Merrill posts $7.5 billion third-quarter loss
A quote...."NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merrill Lynch & Co reported a third-quarter net loss of $7.5 billion on write-downs and credit losses on complex debt securities. The brokerage house, which last month accepted a takeover bid from Bank of America, said on Thursday that the net loss applicable to common shareholders widened to $5.58 per share from $2.3 billion, or $2.82 per share, a year earlier. The loss was worse than analysts' expectations of a $5.18 loss per share, according to Reuters' Estimates."

Birmingham on the brink (of bankruptcy) - link posted at ICH
A quote...."With $3.2 billion in debt, the county that is home to Alabama's largest city is about to go bust. How the credit crisis went South."

Philly Fed Oct factory activity crashes
A quote...."The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank said its business activity index slumped unexpectedly hard to -37.5 in October from 3.8 in September. That was its lowest since October 1990. - "The data, put simply, were horrendous coming out of the Philadelphia Fed region today," said Dana Saporta, economist at Dresdner Kleinwort in New York."

Home builders' confidence tanks in October
A quote...."WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The doom and gloom mood in the U.S. home-building industry worsened in October as "profound uncertainties" about credit availability sent the home builders' sentiment index down to a record low, an industry trade group reported Thursday."

Crisis spreads to Eastern Europe as Ukraine, Hungary and Serbia call IMF
A quote...."A team of IMF trouble-shooters rushed to Kiev on Wednesay to draw up a possible standby loan to help Ukraine stabilize its bank after a panic run on deposits this month."

[British] Banks in bail-out scheme cannot pay dividends for five years under EU law
A quote...."Banks taking part in Gordon Brown's emergency bailout are to be banned from paying dividends for up to five years under European laws."

[British] Gradient [Capital] close to collapse as hedge funds feel heat
A quote...."One of London’s best known hedge funds, Gradient Capital Partners, is on the brink of collapse after dropping nearly 42pc in value last month." - One of many more to fail over the next two years. - mpg