(Author's note: The
term teh "Great" War originally referred to
Bush's Global War On Terror, G.W.O.T. Now It is
beginning to include the other war news based
upon the notion that the US should maintain
complete superiority over all possible
contenders and prevent any potential rival from
becoming an actual one. Something the Bushites
made specific and which, it seems, has carried
on. 07/27/10)
Jim
Lobe reports on what is the "usual" these days,
a report on the drumbeat for an attack on Iran.
(071110h)
Regarding
the US contention that "we do not kidnap" we
have this article from Wikipedia.
(071510d)
Scott Horton: interviews
Colonel Wilkerson regarding
the operations at Guantanamo concerning why the
prisoners there were not all that important in
any way - and how this "problem" was massaged by
the Bushite
revisionistas
(071210a)
Sudha Ramachandran reports
on
rising unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, other
articles have reported Al Qaida wants a hand
here, as do others with their
agendas. India
has reacted by sending in the army.
(071210h)
William J. Astore writes
about seven
issues and cures for the rampant US
militarism;
you know it is always nice to see that there are
solutions being thought of however unlikely it
is that any will be implemented.
(070910d)
David
Ray Griffin talks about 9/11 and focuses on the
"left wing" of the "denial school" who believe
in all the government's "miracle
stories".
(070810c)
Mark Thompson reports on
the US
Navy presence changing up the mix in the oceanic
regions near and about
China
(070910a)
From
the AFP we hear that European nations are still
relying on torture for their Intel.
This makes
for good PR with the world at large. (063010b)
Glenn
Greenwald reports on the growing list of US
citizens on the US governments assassination
list. Interesting thought
that (062710e)
Andrew
Fowler The "WikiLeak" story keeps on thrillin'
but we're waitin' on the
Killin'
(062410b)
Ira
Chernus reports on the movement of US and
Israeli naval units through the Suez canal. Iran
says it is sending a pair of ships carrying
relief to Gaza and Egypt says they'll let them
pass, so what is a country to do?
One wonders if
this will result in the spark, at long last,
that sets larger fires ablaze.
(062210d)
From Reuters we hear that
the
SCOTUS has judged an anti-terror bill
constitutional despite its conflicts with the
first amendment.
(062110a)
Jack
Khoury reports on the movement of US and Israeli
naval vessels through the Suez.
(062010b)
Protesters were kept off by the Egyptian
military.
Allan
Lengel gives us to understand that the Us govt.
case against the "Times Square bomber" now
states specifically that the Taliiban are
involved.
(061910a)
Amy Goodman reports on
a
Canadian who has had a run in with US
extraordinary rendition "proceedings".
Apparently things went awry from the beginning,
well, even before the
beginning
really, and the upshot is that the Canadian man
gets 11 million and change for compensation and
Canada is looking to take action against those
who "goofed up" in the US. (061610b)
Philip Shenon tells of a
"secret cache of
a quarter of a million "sensitive state
department memos" that may be
released by a
whistle blower who is world renown. (061210c)
Stephen Maher has a piece
on US
foreign policy in the Middle East. The theme is
that US power is waning, being challenged or
countered, betimes
successfully.
The status quo, in existence as long as Israel,
is breaking down. (060610a)
Peter Finn and Jerry
Markon report on the
trend of US citizens going overseas to join
"terrorist"
groups.
(060710d)
Gareth Porter gives us
more
on the Brazil to Turkey to Iran nuclear fuel
swap and how this may well shake things up a bit
(053010c) and
Steve Hynd
reports the evidence that the plan had approval
from Obamawankenobi but now it does
not, the proof
is in a letter published for the public. But not
up here of course. (053010d)
Dilip
Hiro provides support for the theory that the US
century, begun so recently, is now
over.
(053010e)
John
Nichols reports on a congressional move which
will make clear the cost of a never ending
war.
(052510a)
Robert Naiman According to
this the
deal between Turkey and Brazil to assist Iran in
a nuclear plan had Obama's go ahead. But,
"Whoosh" it be gone an
sheeeit". So
US media coverage is made to fit the 180 degree
turn of Obama and they go so far as to clean
pages posted on the web. (052510d) Mark Weisbrot
of The Center for Economic and Policy Research
talks about how
this plan is, in and of itself, a kind of threat
to Obamasan and his crew. Yes, I've had a change
of heart regarding "Da Masa- 'bamawankenobi" as
my friend, "Fiteecent" has
it
(052510e)
Kathy
Kelly and Joshua Brollier, drones and democracy
- what details
we, as US citizens do not know, about the
strikes is causing a build up in pressure for
"blow back" (052310a)
H.P.
Albarelli Jr. and Jeffrey Kaye give an overview
of "torture, American Style"
a tour of the
programs initiated in the early 50's up to the
present date, also we get some coverage of a
lying bastard who is "whitewashing" the worst of
the events and who, of course, has "legitimacy"
in the eyes of the media and so forth and so on.
(052310b)
Chris
Hedges reports on the "little Eichmans" in our
world. How
wonderful, a cute name for something so awful.
(051710b)
Gareth Porter demonstrates
yet another instance where US
policy regarding Iran is, well, going
nowhere. All
while rhetoric, reported in other articles, is
ramped up. (052010b)
David Sirota a brief
reiteration of the notion that the New York
Times
Square bombing attempt was just a matter of blow
back.
(051410c)
from the BBC we hear
of
the latest US effort to defend Israel against
its enemies.
How wonderful. It is pathetic and, ultimately,
self defeating but no one is going to be
realizing that for some time to come.
(051410d)
Barbara Plett reports on
the
changing perception of the Arab world regarding
Iran's nuclear program - the brouhaha raised by
the US has Iran's neighbors reconsidering
Israel's weapons and programs
and a 1995
accord calling for a nuclear free middle east,
which the US endorsed. (051310e) Nice stuff to
have in the "mix" of the debate, no?
Robert Dreyfuss has it
that while the "big issue" in the US, regarding
Iran is how to put more sanctions in
place,
the authors of the legislation and promoters of
the effort agree that they won't really work,
which is to say result in Iran changing its mind
about what it is doing. So the question becomes
"Well, why
then is the US pursuing this means?" (050710d)
Alex
Rodriguez provides coverage of the emerging tale
of connections between the "Times Square, would
be, Bomber and
Pakistan.
(050610e) Yana Kunichoff reports on this story,
and some others, including a famous dimwad,
Limpdick
Lieberman who, it seems, has taken leave of his
senses, such as they may have been, and
inspiration, if after a fashion, from Arizona
and proposed stripping citizenship from those
accused of terrorism in the
US. (050610f)
Ray
McGovern talks about the talk revving up the US
for war with
Iran, the
comparison is made to the efforts that led to
Iraq; and we know how successful that has been.
(050610a) Philip
Giraldi goes a bit farther and offers
prognostication: he thinks action on Iran will
take place before August of
2010.
(050610b) Scott Peterson then chimes in with
another analysis
of whether or not Iran stands in violation of
the NPT, clearly the issue is not completely
clear cut, but essentially they've been
compliant,
more so than Israel or Pakistan, US allies in
the region. (050610c)
Francis Shor talks
about
how the war against terrorism needs to come
home, indeed, should come
home.
(050510d)
Re the "Great War" Jeremy
Scahill reports on an the
over exposure of Blackwater's Erik Prince - keep
in mine, while reading this, that he is
influential and "can do
things" Talk
about "through a glass darkly" (050410a)
From Spengler at AToL we
have a report on the
Magic General Petraeus who has milking his
"surge success" by attempting to duplicate it in
Afghanistan and in the West
Bank. Only
time will tell how soon it all comes acropper
but he already has a "fall guy" and Israel can't
do a thing about it. (050310d)
You'll
want to read part one of the story first I guess
(050310e)
From
Reuters we see mention of the first car bomb
attempt being foiled because of a food vendor's
tip. The bomb
would have gone off in Times Square when it was
crowded; could have caused havoc. No one is
bragging about it yet; I guess we'll have to
wait until one goes off - then we'll get some
coverage. (050210c)
From the Christian Science
Monitor we see some
coverage of the upcoming deadline for decision
regarding the sanctioning of gasoline imports
into Iran.
Only a naval
blockade could do that and that, my dear
friends, is an act of war.
(042510d)
Victor
Kotsev reports that the US warms to strike on
Iran. Whether
it is all "smoke and mirrors" or rumor mongering
with a purpose the tensions on the rise and
rumors have the run of the news coming out of
the region. (042510b)
Sami Moubayed reports on
the SCUD affair, it seems
that
despite doubts as to verity, the "story" can
stand and be very useful, if, as many fear, it
will be used as an escuse for a new war in the
Middle East
(042510a)
Nicholas C. Arguimbau
reports on: The
Imminent Crash Of The Oil Supply What Iis Going
To Happen And Why Weren't We
Forewarned
(042310a)
Congressman
Ron Paul's statement in the US House of
Representatives regarding HR 2194 the
Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and
Divestment Act spoken on April 22, 2010
(042310b) Les
and Wars
William
Pfaff reports on Lies and
Wars (042310c)
Michael
Gass presents some speculation as to why the US
"fears" a nuclear
Iran.
(042110a)
COHA Research Associate
María Gabriela Egas reports on
the
annual human rights brouhaha prompted by the
report issued by the US which points fingers
every-which-way but
home.
(042110b)
Dr. Matthew Feldman talks
about that
"leaked tape" where US service personnel are
heard laughing and cracking wise as the machines
they control, some thousands of miles away
slaughter
innocents.
(041910c)
Deepa
Kumar wonders if we have a "green scare" meaning
of Muslim peoples being
promoted. I am
to young to remember the "red scare" but the
parallel begin drawn is interesting enough to
consider. (041710g)
William Fisher talks about
an
individual caught up in the GWOT as the "great
jackass" Bush was called
it. The man, a
US citizen, has been imprisoned for years
without trial and, really, without much of a
cause, yet ... there he remains. (041510d)
Grant Smith thanks to this
article we
have some idea of where Israel got its nuclear
materials
from, they
were Made In The USA! (041510g) Ben Smith
if
you ever doubted the power of the "Israeli
Lobby" in the
US, this
letter should put the doubt to rest. (041510h)
and add to that this, a posting on the ICH
website,
interesting list of military figures who've
visited
Israel.
(041510i)
J. Sri Raman, writes
about
the Mumbai terrorist attack and you know you
read this story and you have to ask, well, I
THOUGHT this guy was on OUR
side? You have
to wonder WTF is up with all this?
(041410d)
Tom Engelhardt talks about
hubris
and an "Olympian perspective" have skewered the
"humanity" of the US effort in
Afghanistan.
Thus atrocities that are not named as such occur
daily and are working against whatever our
efforts are in that forsaken land. (041410b)
Terry Macalister reports
from the Guardian that the
US military is becoming concerned about "peak
oil", once the stuff of nut cases and odd ball
web sites. The
current price run up may only be greed,
according to other articles I've not cited, but
the limit may be real enough now. (041210c)
Alexander Cockburn reports
on the murderous
cover-ups that caused a bit of shit to hit the
proverbial
fan.Murder for
hire by the US in Iraq (041110c)
Jason
Leopold reports on the "worst of the worst"
As Bush and
Dumbsfeld called them, those definitely
dangerous "Gitmo Guys". Turns out not only were
a goodly number innocent but this status was
known to "those on high". Amazing. (041110a)
Andy Worthington expands
the story talking about how prisoners were
tortured into confessing, how the one time "most
valuable prisoner" was treated and so
forth
(041110b)
Mark
Weisbrot reports on what he calls a "great
policy flaw" in US foreign
policy. Are we
"at it" again? (040810d) Is this why we get into
so many "long wars" where we don't seem to
belong?
Philip Giraldi speaks on
the unspeakable "what if". That
is to say Israel "going for it" vis a vis Iran.
They are a wild and crazy bunch, he says, and
"anything" is
possible. Oh,
but they'd have to use nukes to do it right, if
that would be a proper word that is. (040810e)
Chris
Hedges talks about a "yearning in the US for
fascism
(033010e)
Cesar
Chelala
the trivial lives of men in far away places make
the life and death choices
that kill
anonymously. WWIV. (032510a) John Pilger reports
on the
"rumors" being heard and the extent of our new
"long war"
(032510b) Jeremy Bowen reports on
the
general perception that war, of some kind,
between someone or other, is on the horizon as
many see it in the Muddle
East (032510c)
Barnabe F. Geisweiller
discusses why
and how Israel and the US seem to be diverging
as to "what is best" in the greater middle
east.
(032410b)
M K Bhadrakumar reports on
a "bit of a sticky wicket".
It seems a US "asset" was "involved" in the
"Murders in Mumbai" that caused a row not far
back. The US does not want to let Indian
authorities get a hold of
him, because,
well, other secrets or things might leak out.
(032310f) India is, to say the least, not
pleased.
David
Michael Green want to know about the end of
empire? I did, read this, oh
well (032110e)
Dahr Jamail
implies
the musical question, "Hey, when de hail be we
getsin outa dat flearidden dust bin called
Eye-rak?"
Well, maybe
not musical, mystical maybe. (031810e)
Brad
Knickerbocker talks about how the
"radicals" are being made right here in the US
of A. We have
enough angry people to fill more than a few
boats. And so we can only expect that as the
economic downturn continues and violence grows
overseas that the disaffected, disenchanted or
disenfranchised will discover their
determination to be destructive. It is early in
this game yet. (031210d)
Ray
McGovern reports on why Mike Mullen, Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is worried that
Israel is getting a heat on or maybe a hard on
and wants to "get it on" with that feisty skirt
Iran. He's
worried that the US will be drawn into a menage
a trois, so to speak. (030810b)
William
Fisher the title of the article provides more
than is needed to see how far this nation has
fallen from its
prime: Senate
Debates Indefinite Detentions, we hasten to add
that these "detentions" are without recourse to
trial, representation or facing one's accusers.
(030610a)
The
Decline of the American Empire Remains a Movie
for the CIA Samir
Amin "It is
customary for the ruling classes not to imagine
the possible end of the system that assures the
perpetuation of their domination," (030310f)
Ian Traynor tells us that
the
US is concerned about the "pacification of
Europe" I
wonder if that would be the "old Europe as
opposed to the "new Europe; just asking
(022610a)
Dahr Jamail reports on
a
book which details the "life of a medic" in the
war zones. One
cannot imagine it really. (021810d) that's why
the book was written I guess.
Nathan Vardi
reports
on the success the US and others have had in
cutting of the cast flow to Al
Qaida,
however, being resourceful, the dude is
morphing. (021610c)
From, you'll read this
right, Pat Buchanan who reports that
our
own people state Iran cannot enrich to 20%. If
that is true, why are we making such hay over
them making a
bomb - which
requires a much higher percentage? (021610f)
Syed
Saleem Shahzad reports on Al Qaida's latest
"message" to the
west.
(021510c)
Jeremy Scahill reports on
the
"hidden" war the US is involved with in
Pakistan.
Blackwater is mentioned in the story, surprise,
surprise. (020510d)
Julian
E. Barnes reports on the US "beefing up" Iran's
smaller neighbors, "defensively" as it
were (020110a)
Ewen Cook reports
on
the killings at Fort Hood. The reflective piece
had me consider this event as a harbinger of
others,
perhaps our "enemies" could do something like
that, there are enough stories of lone gunmen or
small teams of same "going postal" as it were.
(011510a)
Melvin
A. Goodman reports on Obama's "cover up man" who
is to "investigate" the underwear
bomber. Say it
ain't so! I know, I know just another
disappointing moment that will be flushed down
this increasingly Bush like memory hole.
(011110d)
One person, and only one,
asks the vital question of "Why" As in why do
they hate us, the Jihadists and AQ and others.
No
one in this administration, as with the last,
seems to give a clear and direct answer to
this.
(010910b)
Tom Englehardt and Nick
Turse take a
speculative look at 2010 and what may be
happening in the "Great"
war.
(010810g)
Paul Sullivan tells us
that the recent
reports of the US military meeting its
recruitment goals have not been
reflective of
the truth (010810a)
Orville Schell reports on
what
the decline of the US looks like from
abroad, where
a compare and contrast study over the past
number of years is now disconcerting, to say the
least (010810d)
Europe's
News:
Sebastian
Abbot reports for AP about Pakistan's
ISI and its support for the Taliban,
this story has
been around for some time, but this is the
latest iteration and has riled up the Pak's
something fierce. Do they protest to much?
(061310f)
John
Agnew and Claudio Guler this article provides
an
overview of the overstated effect of the Iraqi
surge, that is
to say the mainline US media promulgating the
notion that it was the surge which ended the
civil war in Iraq. (061310a)
Claudio
Guler provides the source article and web site
for the information in the previous
citation. Go
to the sites and see for yourself. (061310b)
Jayati
Ghosh reports on racism and recession in Europe
one bad thing leads to another.
And it seems
the governments are pushing the trends (061210a
Meanwhile
in the US of A we have persons of Hispanic
culture leaving
Arizona. For a
load of American style "dumbbell" argumentation
read the comments - lots of heavy smokers in
that bunch. (061210d)
Chronis
Polychroniou talks about the Neo-LIberal attack
on Europe, both old and new.
I guess
people don't like it when they first get ripped
off, then are expected to pay the thieves to fix
the problem. (060810a)
From
Chris Bryant out
of Vienna we hear of the "European Troubles"
that have roiled the world's
markets and
harmed the Euro. (060710c)
Reuters
has it that Hungary
is going to make economic amends and balance its
budget; it
will not be Greece (060510a) Also from Reuters
we've
a speculation that zero growth in Europe is
possible as are further
dangers, time
will tell (060510b)
From
Reuters we hear of the European
woes as economic turmoil, such as that in
Greece, threatens nations such as Spain and
France.
(053110c)
Pierre
Ivorra reports on the "troubles
in Europe" and some of the "decision making
processes that are, well,
problematical
(050510c)
Kate
Connolly in Berlin tells us that
the
German people are just about fed up with the
idea of helping out the
Greeks.
Politics being what it is, it may be difficult
for an effective deal to pass in Deutschland.
(042810d) Tom
Petruno provides one reason why bailing out
Greece is not such a good idea
- it simply
may not work. (042810e)
Hervé
Kempf, Reporterre.net It seems
the
greedy bastards in charge of "FrankenFoodz" GMO
have gotten a rotten potato to pass in the EU.
Will the people react "over there" and tell us a
thing or two?
(031210e)
England:
Gilad
Atzmon reports on the disproportionate influence
of Jews in England's government and other areas.
Simple
statistics can be misleading or illuminating.
The US, he says, is in the same boat. Why is
that he asks, and what does it mean, he asks.
(062420d)
France:
Angela
Charllton gives
some coverage of France where the people are not
at all happy with government
plans and are
striking against those efforts.
(062610b)
Greece:
Renee
Maltezou and Yannis Behrakis give us
an
update on the protests in Greece and suggest
that they may be on the
wane (062910e)
Iason
Athanasiadis reports on the "bullies
in the streets" that target immigrants in Greece
and drive them
from neighborhoods. (051610d)
Maurice
Ulrich reports on the "Great Greek
Grab" seems
like the rich of that nation made their bundles,
shipped them out to Switzerland and then left a
bankrupt government to balance the debt on the
backs of the people, sure sounds like good work
if you can get it. (051010a)
BBC
advises that the Greek "crisis" has caused some
exchanges to tumble a bit over the last couple
of days. If
the thread of instability has this much impact,
how "strong" is this recovery?
(050610h)
From
the BBC we hear how global markets are being
effected by the street action in
Greece.
(050510e)
News
reports of protests, large scale national
protests, in
Greece. The
stock markets round the world took hits based on
the fear that the "game is up" and the people
are "mad as hell and aren't going to take it
anymore" as it were (050410g)
Henry Chu gives us an
update
on the Greece Debt Plan, which is not yet
passed, but totals out at an astounding 146
billion dollars
worth of
credit over a three yeare period, last I heard
greek bonds were selling at 11%, now that is
painful. (050210g)
Steven
Hill reports on the way in which the "emergency
in Greece" is being covered in the
US, surprise -
surprise it is not all as it seems. (042310a)
From Reuters we have
word
from Greece that after ousting thier previous
government people are willing to give the "new
boss" a chance
but time is
short and the medicine bitter. (041710h)
Michael
Hudson for those curious about the Greek
financial problem and "what all the fuss is"
this article gives a few
clues.
(041110d)
Reuters
has an article on
Greece and its financial woes seem to be "coming
to a head"
there are some
nasty comments about "nanny capitalism" and so
forth and Germany harboring "responsibility"
(040810c) The worry seems to focus on the crisis
spreading.
By
David Francis, Berlin Greeks riot and the
Germans don't like the idea of bailing the lazy
bums out.
(031110e)
From
the BBC we hear as bit about why the problems in
Greece matter.
I think it serves as a "wake up call" to other,
more far flung nations in terms of understanding
how "world debt" no matter where it is effects
one's every day life. (021510a)
Italy:
From
AlJazeera we hear of a large scale strike in
Italy and that others are occurring as
well.
(062710f)
Spain:
We
hear
from Madrid that the protests in Spain and
elsewhere are gathering
momentum
(060810b)
Muddle
East News, Central Theater: Palestine
Gaza,
Israel,
Lebanon,
The
West Bank and
Syria
The
area in general:
Michael
Gass asks
the one salient question in this article
regarding the US, Turkey, Israel and the
"flotilla
incident".
What would happen if Turkey sent a naval escort
along with the next flotilla? (062310a)
From
Reuters we hear, ironically perhaps, that the
"powers that be" in the UN have voiced support
for a nuclear free Middle East idea.
Of
course we know how far that will go, why is
won't go at all, who is targeted and who is
being protected. I'd like to be surprised but
don't think I will
be. (050610d)
Bassem
Mroue via the AP reports that the Hezbollah,
Israel, Syria, Iran and Lebanon SCUD brouhaha
continues on and
on. (050110c)
Amos
Harel and Avi Issacharoff write about the MESS.
No kidding it IS an acronym and as far as I can
tell they named without a trace of irony.
So,
their Middle East Security Survey, not
surprisingly reports that Israel is in trouble.
Really? What a
surprise.
(042010a) Then,
the AP, reports on the SCUD brouhaha with Israel
accusing Syria of supplying Hezbollah with the
aforementioned
missiles ...
well? (042010b) This is the long term
picture:
the population trends for "Palestine" and or
Israel show that the percentage of Jewish
populations declining as Palestinian percentages
increase. What
then? Whither democracy? One wonders about the
long term. (042010f)
Haaretz
Service reports on the rise of "other radicals"
threatening Hamas in Gaza. Recall that part of
Israel's "response' to the PLO was early support
of Hamas, and
now that Hamas is "to radical" and being forced
into difficult straits by Israeli efforts, why
we have another set of groups vying to take the
place of Hamas. Sounds like "evolution to
me. (030610c)
Also from Haaretz Service we have word
that
certain West Bank shrines are the site of street
battles but the reporting says there is
considerable interest
abroad.
(030610d) This must be Haaretz's day, as
they
report that Dubai wants to seek NuttyYahoo's
arrest over the Mossad's bungled killings in
that same
country.
(030610e)
Gaza:
From
the BBC we get an update that the aid ship from
with Libyan connections is approaching
Gaza. Later
articles said that Israel was preparing to
intercept and that the ship had turned toward
Egypt. (071310g)
Joshua
Mitnick reports on the latest personage sending
a ship of aid to Gaza, hint it has to do with
Libya
(071210g)
Stephen
Lendman has a round up of aid shipments being
prepared to make runs for
Gaza, the most
interesting is that Turkey may escort theirs
with their naval forces and carry along the
nation's president. (062320e) This story is a
few days old.
From
Reuters the
UN says the blockade of Gaza must end completely
or more than what the Israelis
want anyway.
(062110c)
Mark
LeVine talks about the meaning
of
the word "strangulation" as US Senator Mark
Schumer used it in reference to Gaza. In a
racist context his comments go unnoticed while
Helen Thomas' has her career ruined by a similar
statement. Fair is fair, after all
(061710b)
Ian
Black says that Iran
might offer an escort to the next flotilla
offering aid to
Gaza,
wonderful (060610b) Catrina
Stewart reports on what was not seen when the
Israeli's boarded a vessel and the killing
began.
(060610c)
Reuters
reports on a peaceful boarding
of
a Gazan relief vessel called the Rachel Corrie.
This protest action seems to be highlighting the
plight of the Gazan people - the hope is that
publicity will lead to change in
policy.
(060510c)
From
Reuters we
hear of the Gaza relief flotilla being fired
upon by Israelis and at least 15 are dead; later
reports have it at 20
dead.
(053110a) From
Gideon Levy of Haaretz, an Israeli paper, we
have a blistering opinion on the event and a
reasonable assessment of its ripple
effect.
(053110b)
Erin
Cunninghamand Safwat Kahlout
covers
the financial crisis that is overlaid on top of
all the others Gaza faces.
(052210c)
Max Aji describes
to us
the situation of a Gazan family harvesting
lentils in the "borderlands"
near Israel,
harrowing is the word I would use and it is
appropriate (051310c)
Max
Ajl talks about tunneling in
Gaza.
Apparently it could be halted any time Egyptian
police decide to do so .. well? (042810f)
Max
Ajl gives us a bit of insight as to what his
happening at the Gaza border with some
nonviolent
protests.
(041710f)
Pam
Rasmussen describes the "no go NGO zone" in
Gaza, a place
where Israeli security concerns remove vital
territory from use. Another tale of suffering
visited by the bully upon their victims.
(030710a)
Al
Jazerra reports on the status of
the
Gaza Egyptian border, a bit of an opening before
an iron curtain goes
down?
(010810b)
Israel:
Mehdi
Jedinia the Iranian aid ship that was to be sent
to Gaza was not.
Here is a take
on just why that was. (071510a)
Anthony
DiMaggio reports on how
the US and Israel are nuclear partners and the
NPT seems to be brushed
aside, even if
quietly and confidently (071110d)
Laila El-Haddad provides
an
interview with the author of "Israel's Secret
Relationship with Apartheid South
Africa"; the
title says it all and it expands on the
information in prior articles I've archived.
(070310a)
Daniel Tencer has
yet
another report on an "impending attack by Israel
on Iran".
Well, a month from now we'll see what we see, I
guess. (062910g)
Ari
Shavit reports on the status of Israeli
millionaires as well his belief in the angst
that should be guiding the nation's policy, but
is not.
(062410e)
Reuters
reports on another ripple of the Israeli's
deadly raid on the high
seas.
(060710a) Reuters report on the continuing
reaction to that raid; it
may be that Israel's relations with many of its
neighbors are going through a sea
change.
(060710b)
Ira
Chernus reports that Israel is putting three
submarines on station in the Gulf of Persia.
These carry nuclear
missiles.
Could there be any MORE Israel can do to ramp up
the pressure? (060310a)
Chris McGreal talks about
the
nuclear dealings between Israel, remember they
are the "responsible nuclear power" and
Apartheid South
Africa. This
was back in the day. You may recall a story
about a nuclear like detonation that was seen
from orbit and made the news for a couple of
days, again, back in the day.
(052410b)
Thalif
Deen reports that Israel is catching some flack
at a nuke conference. Who knows it could amount
to something
(050310c)
Ben Hancock reports on
Israel's
rejection of a US idea: limiting the housing
construction in
Jerusalem.
(042210d)
Lara
Friedman
reports on the AIPAC "talking points" regarding
the current brouhaha brewing between the US and
Israel
regarding housing, the peace talks and a host of
other issues. (032310d) Oh, you'll have to speak
either fluent "Dickwad" or "Anuswind" to make
sense of it. And from the BBC,
we
hear about Hillasaurus Wrecks speaking out on
how the "status quo" was "unsustainable"
Well, No
scheiss Sherlock but give her a break she's only
had forty years to come to that "new idea".
(032310e) Ralph
Nader illuminates the "debt Israel owes the US"
and how misappropriated US gift giving has
become.
(032310i)
Jim Lobe talks
about
the US - Israeli "spat" that has come to light
regarding housing being build, Joe Biden's visit
and more
(031910c) David Moon speculates
that
the "real" story behind "Biden's backfire" is
the idea that China needs to be convinced that
Israel will act against
Iran, if
nothing is done, and create confusion in the sea
lanes bringing the oil along with prosperity.
(031910d)
Reuters
reports on the latest unrest in Jerusalem where
recent events triggered stone throwing and some
shooting.
(031610b) Ira Chernus has it
that
the real "news" is that the US military is
finding it prudent to talk about the "Israeli"
elephant in the
lebensraum.
(031610d)
Mark
Perry has it that the
US is "advising" Israel that its actions vis a
vis the Palestinians is impacting the "broader
interests" of the US in the greater middle east
region.
Supposedly there were "sharp" words
(031510c)
From
the BBC we hear that Israel is considering
building a nuclear power
plant. Now
pardon me if I wonder, out loud, so how will
this play in Iran? How can the US claim its
nuclear plant is "bad" when Israel's is so much
worse? They HAVE nuclear weapons, have stood in
defiance of UN resolutions for 50 years and has
been an impediment to peace for that long as
well. (030810a)
James
Petras reports on Israel's "long arm of the
murdering law".
It seem they
too want to send out their own killing squads,
no matter where their victims may be. (030310d)
Ali Fathollah-Nejad demonstrates that
when
someone tries to speak up on any kind of
national or international stage, well, Israel
sees to it that problems
"happen"
(030310e)
William
A. Cook If we looked at Israel as one might if
one were not blinded by its "magic" and awed by
its "mysterious power" one might be able to read
this list and ask "What
the hell are we doing supporting this apostate
and vomitous state which stands for everything
we do not stand
for. Not that
we don't lean, now, in their direction.
(022310f)
Alan Hardt provides some
thoughts on Zionism,
not a flattering thing when "big lies" are
exposed I
guess
(021310a)
Avi
Issachar for HAARETZ quotes a US official
stating that UN resolutions, regarding Hamas and
arms in southern Lebanon, is being
violated,
imagine that, Israel complaining about those who
violate UN resolutions. (013110b)
Ira
Chermus reports on the growling growing from
that blot on the map called
Israel. Gaza
is again generating wrath and not so veiled
threats. (011410a)
Lebanon:
Syria:
The
West Bank:
Muddle
East News: Western Theater: Egypt, Kurdistan,
Turkey
Egypt:
Eric
Margolis gives us a peek into Egypt.
"Our
man" on the scene runs the place, of course, but
who will replace the old
futzakutzah?
(052610c)
Kristen
Chick explains what Egypt gets out of
maintaining its half of the Gazan
blockade
(040310e) and
here are some further details of that
story.
(040310f)
Turkey:
From
Reuters we hear of further reactions by Turkey
vis a vis Israel's raid on the "high seas".
(061610c)
David
Boyajian, has it that the recent
brouhaha
regarding Turkey and the Armenian genocide has
had precedents, the US has made such a claim
several times.
I guess whenever it comes up they get pissed
off. (041310g)
Robert
M Cutler tells us that
the Nabucco pipeline may yet come into being
providing the "west" with something of a come
back for other pipeline
failures or
the successes of those opposed to the west.
(031110b)
Robert
Tait in Istanbul and Ewen MacAskill in
Washington consider
Turkey's "upset" at a US congressional committee
using the "G" word in reference to their actions
of nearly a century
ago. (020510c)
Caleb
Lauer reports on the architect of Turkey's
foreign
policy.
(022210g)
Also
from Haaretz we have an update on
relations
between Israel and Turkey. Continued
disagreement festers, consequences of this
divergence may not be
soon, but it
could be a matter of time before it "matters" to
someone, somewhere. (013110c)
Jerrold
Kessel and Pierre Klochendler report on how a
seating arrangement has added
one
more insult in an unexpected train of such which
have chilled relations between Turkey and
Israel.
(011610c)
Afghanistan:
From
Aljazeera we hear of an Afgan soldier killing
several Ghurkas.
(071310f)
By
James Denselow Does anyone know the count of
Afghan dead during this
war?
(070510e)
Ann Jones reports on the
disappointing answers to
several essential questions concerning the
"progress" the US is making in
Afghanistan.
(070110d)
Matthew Rosenberg talks
about the
river of cash flowing out of
Afghanistan,
if the legitimate flow is any indication, the
illegitimate may be several times greater.
(062910f)
Karen
DeYoung reiterates a story that has been around
for a while, how US funds the Taliban,
indirectly in
Afghanistan.
(062210g)
Robert
Fox asks whether or not there is any end in
sight for Afghanistan. One
wonders.
(062210c)
James
Risen reports on the "Afghan bonanza" and
tempers the enthusiasm a bit.
(061810c)
Jim
Lobe
looks behind the "Trillion Dollar Story"
regarding
Afghanistan,
the news, it is true, is not new. So why the
brouhaha? (061510a)
From James Risen
we
hear of the "wondrous wealth" that Afghanistan
possesses.
Some trillion or more dollars worth of a variety
of minerals - sweet, now who will get what?
(061410e)
Gareth
Porter shows that Afghanistan is in need of a
"successful surge"
at this point
in time as support for the war wanes. It is not
good news that the "big operation in Kandahar"
is delayed again. (061310c)
Gareth
Porter shows that Afghanistan is in need of a
"successful surge"
at this point
in time as support for the war wanes. It is not
good news that the "big operation in Kandahar"
is delayed again. (061310c)
Jim
Lobe asks the musical question, do we have good
news from Afghanistan? What happened to Marja
the "big game
changer"?
(061110a)
Karim Talbi lets us know
that the
fighting in Afghanistan continues on with a
particularly bad
day for NATO
forces. Also the big offensive is being readied.
(060810h)
Ramzy
Baroud reports on Karzai's visit to the US and
the impending "action" to "save"
Kandahar.
(051810a)
From Aziz Ahmad we hear
about how the
price for the poppy is way up in Helmand
province, Afghanistan
- didn't we
JUST have a big operation there? (050110a)
Jean MacKenzie reports
from Kabul. A
new offensive is to be laughed and it is called
"hope".
(041910b) Gareth
Porter talks about why it has problems before it
began,
promises made and not kept already have the
population more than 90% opposed to Allied
military action. (041910) Murder for hire by the
US in Iraq.
Eugene Robinson talks
about a small place over a brief period of time,
a
valley in Afghanistan which the US never quite
held, never quite lost but is leaving
nonetheless to its
enemy.
(041710c) the macrocosm in a microcosm?
T. Christian
Miller
speaking of bungled and bollixed up we have a
take on Afghanistan - a bit of analysis which
shows the "hired guns" are being "offed" at an
increasing
rate.
(041510b)
Habiburrahman
Ibrahim talks about why
Afghani's are so angry with the
US, even when
we make generous compensation for the killing of
innocents. (041310a) Gareth Porter has
some
of the gruesome details that make the US effort
SO unpopular
there
(041310b) Syed
Saleem Shahzad has it that a planned offensive,
a large one, has problematical conditions that
are not being
addressed.
(041310c)
Afghanistan,
the war is over, all but the shouting, touting
and fighting. Karzai
has verbally made himself a liability or, at
best, is of no use to any real power broker in
the country
(041210a)
Reuters
has it that although there is something of dent
in Afghanistan's opium production, marijuana
production is
up. (033110a)
From
TomDispatch we hear about the
knotty problem of drug production in the
narco-state, Afghanistan. The US pushed
production to fund the anti-russian rebellion in
the 80's in the decades since instability has
led to many farmers depending on a dependable
crop - current
efforts by the US ignore the "on the ground,
societal complexities" that make successful
prosecution of the war so darned hard.
(033110d)
From
TomDispatch
we hear about the "readiness" of the Afghan
police and the effectiveness of the training
program, we've
a long way to go buddy, looks like (032310c)
Gareth
Porter, So, Afghanistan, right? This place
called Marja, you must have heard of it, even if
you get your news from Fox (Faux) news. Well,
this has been described as the one of the
biggest cities in Helmand. It is vital. We'll
make an impression. Well,
the problem is this: it is not a city. There is
no city called that. There is an AREA, a
collection of villages and market towns, but no
city. Why the
lie? (030810c)
Dave
Lindorff reports on a massacre of handcuffed
children in
Afghanistan.
Well, they were not all children but they were
handcuffed. (030510e)
Gareth
Porter reports on the Marja offensive and how it
may well be
a "political move" meant to sway
US polls
concerning the "value" of "staying the course".
(022310a) Rabi'
al-aw gives the resistance's view o the Marja
battle.
Perhaps this is why the battle is proceeding so
slowly? Whose to say. (022310d)
Spencer
Ackerman reports that Blackwater made off with
hundreds of weapons and gave them to whomever
for "personal
use" The guns
haves not been returned yet, but don't worry, no
one seems worried. (022310e)From the BBC we hear
that Karzai
is "taking over" the Electoral Complaints
Commission, which means he's in charge of who
looks into electoral
fraud ... nice
move boy, now you won't have to worry about
close elections any more. (022310c)
Charles
Fromm reports on the deaths of civilians in
Afghanistan which may cause one of the NATO
nations to pull
out.
(022310b)
Jean
MacKenzie and Mohammad Ilyas Dayee talk about
the current Afghan
operation, the
original article in Global Post has better
comments but the gist of the article is a poor
evaluation (022210c) Tom Engelhardt offers
something of
a take on the media coverage of the effort, how
the language we use reflects upon the US in ways
we do not
appreciate and
where do we get off being a model for good
governance? (022210f)
Battle
for Marjah: The US Has Already Lost by Dave
Lindorff - need I write more? read
on
(021810e)
Glyn
Strong has a report on the woman leading the
Afghanistan government's resistance to treating
with the Taleban.
She thinks it would be bad for women, I'd have
to agree.
(021610d)
Nick
Turse talks about the Afghan "Base Boom" good
times for construction
companies
(021010e)
Rita Daou talks about the
changes in Lebanon, after the Hariri
assassination and a brush with civil war it may
be that western
allies in the nation are taking a back
seat.
(021010h)
Syed
Saleem Shahzad lets us know what
Pakistan, the US, India and other players in
Afghanistan's ongoing tragedy hare having to say
for themselves these
days. Oh, a
BIG offensive is brewing.
(020810f)
Jean MacKenzie talks
about
the laughably silly and much touted poll that
purports to show that 70% of Afghani's think the
country is "moving in the right
direction".
(012910a)
Anand
Gopal gives us some idea of why we are so
disliked in Afghanistan
and how Obama,
continuing on with what is most disliked, is
losing further ground especially in the "hearts
and minds" region. (012810b) Andy Worthington
reports on
the "secret prisons" as a global
phenomena. One
wonders how long such abuse can go on and when,
when Americans will wake up and smell the blood.
(012810c)
Tom
Englehardt answers the question as to how much
longer we'll be in Afghanistan.
According
to the "ideas being floated" we'll be there
through 2016.
(012610a)
Jeffrey
Kaye reports on the despair of Afghan women, I
mean to say self immolation as a way out?
(011910d)
Matt
Renner reports on the attack inside Kabul. It
seems to be modeled after the Mumbai attack in
India, a
platoon sized contingent in this case, wreaked
havoc in the capital for several hours.
(011810c)
Marisa
Taylor, goes to Afghanistan and, guess what,
finds enormous
waste in a program that is supposed to bring
electricity to the
place, oopsie
baby, Iraq Redux. (011710c)
BBC
Aid programs in Somalia have been forced back
from deliveries by
violence.
(010510b)
Iraq:
From
Reuters we hear of more car bomb attacks against
Baghdad's central bank.
(062010e)
Jason Leopold provides us
with some
more details regarding the plans for invading
Iraq, hint, it was long in the planning; I know
surprise, surprise, the Plame affair, torture
and more.
(051310b)
Meanwhile
back in Iraq
Jonathan Adams reports that some 30 were killed
today in attacks although later reports had the
count at 100 or
so. Can anyone
spell Oopsie Daisey? (051010g)
And now a word from
William Blum and
the Anti-Empire report, a baby with three heads,
a cyclops and much
more (040610a)
From Iraq and "other places"
By Rod Nordland and Riyadh
Mohammed depict
a spate of bombings in Baghdad, it is enough to
make one wonder, again, about
stability.
(040510a)
From
Kristen Chick we hear of the third day of
bombing in
Baghdad. If
this goes on and escalates ... I would guess
that is what people are thinking. What I'd like
is the answer to that question. (040610b)
On the anniversary of the
Iraqi invasion we have these thoughts to
consider, first this: Lieven De Cauter
provides
a look at the cultural cleansing of
Iraq (032010a)
and then t r u t h o u t's Staff Editorial
regarding
a perspective on the war, now seven years old
and its deleterious effects on the population
the war was
meant to "save", "serve" or "protect" (032010b)
Jane Arraf reports
on
the most recent bombings targeting Shiites in
Karbala, Iraq.
Sectarianism?
If not that, certainly some one would like it to
be. (020510a) Ayaz Gul, Islamabad
Shiites
targeted in Karachi,
Pakistan
(020510c)
Edward
Yeranian, Cairo reports on
the removal of Iraqi candidates from the lists,
the court's decision to reinstate them and now
the government's meddling, presumably, to keep
them off.
(020510b)
Janee
Arraf reports on the ongoing bombings in Iraq,
there seems to be an uptick, of
sorts, but
we've not returned to the "pre surge" levels.
(020110d)
Dahn
Jamail reports on the
upcoming Iraqi election in which 14 parties,
mainly Sunni, have been banned, arrests of Sunni
men is ramping up and tensions are on the
rise. Should
Baghdad "stay the course" it has severe down
side. (011510d)
Nick
Mottern has a bit of a report on the prison
system in
Iraq, well
that is a bit of an oxymoron but if a timely
"withdrawal" or draw down is to proceed the
justice system has to be better than this
(011410d)
Raed
Jarrar reminds us of how fragile "democracy" as
it might be called, is in Iraq,
banning
parties and persons from the upcoming election
has problems and Obama is the one that will get
the criticism if things go awry, not that people
will recall George "the global village idiot"
Bush worked up this hell hole of a mess in the
first place. (011110a)
Hannah
Allam reports on the coalition of the willing
becoming that of the
one
(010210c)
Iran:
Justin
Raimondo gives us an update on the Iranian
scientist who was or was not kidnapped, is or is
not a nuclear
scientists,
knows or does not know about Iran's programs,
did or did not provide intelligence to the US,
was or was not tortured, was or was not allowed
to freely return to Iran and was or was not
part
of a US intel plan to help ramp up the
perception of Iran's nuclear ambitions.
(071510c)
Robin
Pomeroy reports from Teheran that some sanctions
are generating reactions, plane fueling for
one. (070610f)
From Reuters we have
reports that
the UK, UE and Germany are refusing to refuel
Iranian commercial airliners. Iran says it will
retaliate. My
question is this, essentially, if the Iranian's
refining capacity is their Achilles heel, so to
speak, and this has been true for at least a few
years, why haven't they done something about
that? I know, I know, just asking (070510c) in
another story on this issue, from the
BBC,
we hear "a supplier" has been at fault. No names
are named
however.
(070510d)
Victor Kotsev has it that
the "Iran
Attack" reports are "up" and rumors are
flying. People
are thinking about "the impossible" again.
(070210e) Regarding Iran, Matthew Cole reports
on
the near comedic antics of an Iranian nuclear
scientist who, reportedly, is "re-defecting" to
Iran. videos
are on the web - is it a sideshow?
(070210f)
Borzou Daragahi gives
us
the overview of the Iranian conditions for
nuclear talks, the salient point is that they
want a public commentary on Israel's
weapons. Nice
move on their part. (063010c)
Patricia Wilson and
Mohammad Zargham have it
that
the US believes the sanctions are "biting"
Iran. The main
nugget seems to be the Russians changing their
minds about supplying antiaircraft systems. No
one from Iran is quoted in the piece.
(062210h)
From
Reuters we hear of the latest in Iran's struggle
with the west, this time in the form of the
IAEA.
(062110b)
From
the BBC we hear that Iran is has hanged one of
its terrorists, one that claims he was on his
way to get US support when he was
captured.
(061910b) from AFP we
hear that polling shows support for military
action against Iran. The support is quoted as
coming from the US, much of Europe and some of
Iran's
neighbors,most
notably Pakistan seems to be against the idea -
now imagine that. (061910c)
Chris
Zambelis reports on Iran's
burgeoning relations with Central and South
America whose leaders tend to distrust the US
what after decades of
"involvement."(061810b)
Ismael
Hossein-zadeh talks about what ever happened to
Iran's "Green Movement"?
This is part
one (061510b) In part two you
see
the specifics that are outlined as a cause for
the evaporation of support for the Green
Movement. I
recall the stories which debated the issue at
the time and thought that the election did have
problems, this update argues that the opposite
is the case. (061510c)
Reuters
has it that Russia
has flip-flopped on delivering "real" air
defense missiles to
Iran now
they'll be more vulnerable to
attack.(061110b)
Yana
Kunichoff gives a brief update on several
stories, the one I found interesting was
that
Iran has said it is sending two ships full of
aid to Gaza,
what remains to be seen is, of course, what
happens. (061510e)
Peter
Walker follows up with details about Iranian aid
ships making their way to Gaza
(061510f)
From
Reuters we understand that
there will be another round of sanctions against
Iran as all the veto bearing powers seem to be
"on board"
(060810f)
Reuters
reports that the honeymoon between Russia and
Iran is over.
Harsh words
and raw feelings get the news. The key concern
is whether or not this will so isolate Iran that
the US, or Israel, will think an attack is now
feasible. (052610c)
Borzou
Daragahi talks about the
"latest two step" in the Iran dance.
Turkey and
others are involved in a deal to provide
enriched fuel to the Iranians. Only time will
tell. (051710a)
Pepe
Escobar the
latest wrinkle in the "never ending dance"
concerning Iran and nuclear power involves
Brazil who may be interested in "doing some
enriching" for
Iran. The
article covers the basic puzzle pieces and
reiterates how stable the unstable situation
seems. (042810h)
R.
Jeffrey Smith and Joby Warri talk about
Pakistan's "nuke man" the renown Mr. Khan.
It
seems the Iranians wanted to buy nuke stuff from
him, despite no previous "revelations" to this
effect. There are questions, now, about the
"stories" he's told in the past
and for that
matter the ones the Pakistani government has
told. Someone is lying. One suspects the timing?
(031510a) Rob
Edwards reports that some few hundreds of
"bunker busters" are headed for Diego Garcia.
The concern is
that these are, ultimately, destined for Iran,
or rather use in Iran. One more step in the
tantalizing tango? (031510b)
Mahan
Abedin reports on the demise of a US supported
terrorist employed against
Iran.
(031310b) Amineh Soghdi
follows up with a wider range of details
concerning its import to the
region.
(031310c)
Noam
Chomsky: Iran Pursuing Nuclear Weapons Out of
Fear by Matthew W.
Hutchins This
says what needs to be said, but no on is
listening, or rather those who matter will
dismiss this perspective.
(031210a)
Jim
Lobe reports on the "pressure" for "action"
against Iran.
The cheerleaders are pantyless so it should be
exciting and the team is not circumcised so it
should have smelly smegma.
(030510d)
Mark
Landler examines the
latest in the "love waltz" starring that daring
wench Iran and the stodgy old US while there is
a bit of a change in China's tune the ball goes
on and on and
on.
(022610c)
Warren
P. Strobel reports on another
report that Iran wants to put nukes on
missiles, what
like the US, China, England, Russia, France or
Israel? (021810c)
Gavin Dahl asks, have you
heard of Iran's call for global nuclear
disarmament? No? Not surprising if you live in
the US. The
"great electronic wall" is still up and running
filtering the world's events for the convenience
and profit of the few over the needs of the
many.
(021510e)
Reuters
has it that Iran says it is near to making bomb
grade HIU.
(021010d)
Kaveh L Afrasiabi shows us
the
latest steps in the decades long ballroom
extravaganza as the US and Iran compete for the
longest dancing
couple.
(020810e)
From
the BBC we hear of the
"great waltz" with Iran still continues with
this latest
iteration.
(020310c)
Grace
Huang reports that the
"Iran Sanction" bill has passed the Senate, the
only questions are: does it still contain
provisions which would allow a naval blockade of
Iran and will Obama's promised veto be over
ridden?
(013010b)
Recall that provisions in this act would allow a
blockade, which is an act of war, which could be
"bad". (013010b)
Kaveh
L Afrasiabi reports on last weekends meeting
concerning Iran. With China being a "hold out"
it seems the fascists of Israel and the US have
to wait on any real consequences what with the
US military "a bit busy"
However a "solution" is working its way through
the Senate.
(011910b)
Dilip Hero reports on the
"at distance" analysis of Iran's
protest, the camera reveals much, protests
spread but do they
grow?
(011410b)
From
the BBC we hear some more of the Turkmenistan
deal to export "carbon wealth" to Iran
and "cut out"
the "Ruskies" (010810h)
Gareth Porter reports
on
the debunking of the "nuclear trigger" story
regarding
Iran. Now that
this has been done away with, so who did the
forgery? And why? (010510c)
From
Reuters we have coverage of the most recent few
days of Iranian
unrest, the
opposition leader's claim that he is willing to
join martyrs and hard-liners getting harder.
(010110d)
Pakistan:
Syed Saleem Shahzad
reports the Pakistani
military weapons has seized in have seized
28,000 kilograms of explosives in the city of
Lahore, as well as antiaircraft guns,
rocket-propelled
grenades, small arms and ammunition and suicide
vests - sounds like a party preparation to me.
(062910h)
Joshua
Brollier and Kathy Kelly talk about Pakistan. It
is simmering to be sure. Protest is common as is
dislike for the national government and the US.
What
is wanting is a means by which the disparate
groups of the discontent can focus and take
action. A spark is all that is needed.
(062210k)
BBC
reports a
damaging attack on Nato supply trucks that
happened just outside
Islamabad,
closest one yet. (060810i)
M
K Bhadrakumar reports on the Iranians capturing
the 31-year-old leader of the dreaded
Pakistan-based terrorist group Jundallah,
Abdulmalik Rigi.
He may "spill the beans" concerning US
involvement and support of his terrorist group,
the US calls it that anyway, and its role in the
efforts to destabilize
Iran. Probably
not a good bit of news for the US.
(022610g)
Gareth
Porter looks closely at
the recent capture of a Taleban Big Wig by the
Pakistani's seems he's still their
man
(021810a)
Liam
Stack's story makes it official, the US is
taking casualties in Pakistan
now. The war
has expanded. (020310b)
Saudi
Arabia and neighbors:
Saudi
Arabia:
Dubai:
Bradley
Burston gives us a dissatisfied Israeli's
opinion on the "Death in
Dubai", the
killing that keeps on dying.
(022810b)
Yemen:
Oliver
Holmes talks about Yemen, now a
days, it is
still an uneasy place and peace though present
is not persistent. (041910a)
From
Al Jazeera we hear of a partial cessation to the
fighting in
Yemen.
(031910a)
From
Al Jazeera reports that calls for secession in
southern Yemen are gaining in
popularity.
(022710b)
From
the BBC we have the Yemeni truce with one of the
three "resistance
groups"
(021010c)
James
R. King reports out on Yemen, its "triple
threat" and its long standing
problems. The
article finishes off with reasonable suggestions
that, of course, will not be a part of US
policy. (012910b)
Diana Priest has it that
US
involvement with Yemen becomes direct,as Obama
expands the
war.
(012710a)
Haley
Sweetland Edwards reports on the training of
Yemeni security by US and UK
experts. The
population does not like western presence at all
and they believe we've been using drones to
kill. It is touchy. (012410i)
Heather
Murdock provides a "person on the street"
perspective from Sanaa,
Yemen
(011110e)
Randall
Amster J.D., Ph.D. reports on how the US is
again, seeming to play into AQ's hand in
Yemen.
(010510d)
Eric Margolis gives "the
skinny" on Yemen's counterattack on the US air
liner. The
appropriate term in as much as in the weeks
preceding US forces participated in the ongoing,
three or more way, civil war in
Yemen.
(010310e)
Maya Shenwar reports on
Obama's statements on Yemen
and how it may be the next "war" the US will
wage.
(010210a)
Sherwood
Ross rails that there is no "new approach" in
Afghanistan and that the surge there
escalation, as
it were, will effect none of the changes the US
would like to see. (010210b)
Asia:
Greater Asia Islamic Theater News: China,
India,
The Koreas,
Russia,
China:
Jian Junbo adds to the
recent information about China's
burgeoning interest and proprietary interest in
the seas near and about its long
shoreline.
(071310e)
China
seems to have its own way of viewing North Korea
and that is to say it seems to be using it as a
pawn in the
regional struggle with the US and its allies.
One would be excused for guessing such in any
event. (070910c)
Joseph
Y Lin looking at recent
changes in how China budgets resources and
promotes its military personnel gives us clues
to China's plans for the mid term
future. I
think it does spell "Blue Water Navy" (070810a)
Peter J Brown reports on
a more active Chinese navy than many may assume
it is
(070810b)
From
Reuters we get a a vision of the long term view
on the "movement" of the
Yuan. The
figures seem to off, however, when they talk
about the US GDP, several recent articles pegged
that at 13 to 14 trillion, however the article,
when talking about debt to GDP, seems to think
that a debt of 19+ trillion will be equal to the
GDP. When it won't. This issue has cropped up in
other articles too. (062310b)
Brian
McCartan reports on China's moves to bridge the
Mekong and bolster trade with the
region.
(061710a) Also
from Reuters labor unrest spreads in China, how
interesting.
(061110d)
Reuters
talks about a trend of labor unrest in
China.
Suicides got the headlines but times may be
changing there. (061010a) Nick Harding has a
more intimate story about how
US
consumers are only slowly becoming aware of the
labor practices overseas that benefit them with
low cost
goods.
(061010b) The comments are particularly salient,
do a search for "Coltan Wars" and see the
horrors mentioned.
Clayton
Jones so why DID China go along with sanctions?
This is
another take on that question. (061010f)
Peter Lee talks about
China's
about face on sanctions for Iran.
Rest assured
all is not as it seems, that is what the Chinese
officials are officially saying.
(052410g)
Peter
J Brown has a report on China's dealings with
Iran and how this is playing out in that
country's efforts to defend
itself.
(052110f)
Sudha Ramachandran reports
on China's
plans to tap the water sources of India's
biggest river
and so cause
some concern in that country regarding plans for
dams and diversions. (050110b)
Brian McCartan as in some
prior reports the "hand of China" moves south,
this time as a river, or rather, the lack of
one. "Diplomacy"
takes many damned forms it seems, pardon the
pun. (031310e)
Ashwini Srinivasamohan
reports on how China
is taking the lead in "greening" its
economy. You
know, once the US was the preeminent leader in
all manner of things but we've been giving away
the store for some time now. (030310h)
From Reuters we get a
quickie lesson on how
the Chinese might "strike back" at the US for
its recent dealings with
Taiwan. The
letters show the opposite tack. Which is right?
Who cares? Stay tuned. (013010d)
From
the CSM we have a two-pager on
China's
bubble, which, if it too goes pop it will be the
equivalent of the second shoes dropping, the
first was that of the
US. (012410b)
And part two, some salient
details
(012410c)
Part
one: M K Bhadrakumar gives
us
the "skinny" on the US vs China in the greater
Indian Ocean, specifically that area around
Yemen, Aden, Somalia and
Iran. The
great game has a naval turn in this area as the
US and its allies India and Israel seek to
circumvent any Chinese naval or any other kind
of presence in the area. (010910d)
And
part two of the
article
(010910e)
India:
Mark
Magnier and Anshul Rana tell of a rebel -
terrorist - insurgent strike that caused 75 or
so deaths in India's
military.
(040610e)
Nita
Bhalla reports from Lanjigarh,
India where the famed movie "Avatar" is being
played out in real
life; will the
natives win this one? (030710b)
Koreas:
From
the BBC we hear of a South Korean rocket blowing
up. The
Korean peninsula has its own "space
race"?
(061010e)
Choe
Sang-Hon says the Koreas are talking less, but
we wonder if they are really enjoying it more?
(052710a)
Reuters
gives some
coverage to the "tense" Korean situation.
I guess
keeping the "war game going" is to the benefit
of many involved. The only concern will be when
and if it boils over. (052410h)
Never
far from the headlines the BBC shows that Korean
peninsula has some troubled
waters. If the
original event is proven to be a hostile act it
could only make matters worse.
(040310d)
Kyrgyzstan:
M
K Bhadrakumar talks about Kygryzstan's
difficulties and how neither the US nor Russia
are "taking hold" he speculates that China
might.
(062610d)
Reuters:
Some shooting in Kyrgyzstan gets
headlines
(062110d)
Reuters
has it that 400,000 refugees are homeless
because of Kyrgyz
violence.
(061710c)
From
the BBC we hear tell of the slow regional
response to Kyrgyzstan's ethnic
violence
(061410a)
From
Reuters we get some background on Kyrgyzstan's
ethnic
violence
(061310d) Also from Reuters we hear that
Russian
paratroopers have landed to protect their
base. The US
base is in the North and is not in danger. I
still wonder if there is some competition going
on for this country. It remains to be seen.
(061310e) Sasha Merkkushev and Yuras Karmanau
report for AP that
tens of thousands have fled Osh, victory has
been delcared there and killing is rampant with
more to come.
(061310g)
Michael
Schwartz has a report that Kyrgyzstan still has
"blowback" from the recent overthrow of its
government.
My thinking is that a proxy struggle is being
waged. Both the US and Russia have bases in the
country and the US faction has the upper hand,
at the moment.
(061110e)
Fred
Weir talks about the newest discontent in
Kyrgyzstan - are things getting
dicey?
(042010c)
From
the BBC we have a report that the US base in
Kyrgyzstan is "ok for one more
year"
(041710b)
Owen
Matthews offers an overview assessment of the
Kyrgyzstan change.
The US is down for the time bing but not out,
nor is the
ex-president.
(041310e)
David
L. Stern reports on the situation
in
Bishkek, Kygyzstan. Seems as though the new boss
may not be the same as the old boss and the US
is wondering about its "hold" there - Russia is
not, it seems
(041210b)
M
K Bhadrakumar
The new regime in Kyrgyzstan has been a surprise
to the US, Russia has made nice while the US, by
having kept in place a minor corrupted tyrant,
have some catch up to
play.
(041110f)
Kyrgyzstan
is in the news, Peter Finn is first with the
chaos
(040810a) Rick Rozoff gives us some other
details and
some reports
conflict
(040810b)
Nepal:
Peter
Lee talks about the instability in Nepal.
It seems that
the US has concerns, China has interests and
India may be out in the cold. (051410g)
Russia:
Mary Beth Sheridan reports
on how the
US is still "supporting' Georgia and how Russia
has bases in the so called "break away regions"
which it calls independent
nations.
(070610e)
From
Moscow we hear that the successor organization
to the KGB now has the power to arrest and
detain persons who may do something in the
future.
(061210b)
Fred
Weir reports on Moscow's downplay of its
involvement with Iran and burgeoning
rapprochement with the
US (052110g)
M
K Bhadrakumar says that reports have appeared in
the
Russian media doubting the pedigree of the
revolution in Kyrgyzstan, maybe, they speculate,
that the US and some drub barrons were behind
the "move" ot
oust the erstwhile president. (042510c)
Simon
Shuster reports on how the
"gains" "against" Russia by the US have been
reversed of
late and what
that means, signals or portends. (042310b)
From
the BBC we hear that Russia's
2009 economy contracted nearly 8% as compared to
2008; that
can't be good for the common man.
(020110b)
Thailand:
Brian McCartan gives us
some coverage of the
aftermath in Bangkok now that the protesters
have been cleared from the city's
center.
(052010g)
Simon Montlake
covers
the reestablishment of military control over the
protesters' main site in
Bangkok. What
is next? We all want to know.
(051910c)
From Reuters we hear of
some military
action in Bangkok where the protesters were
pushed back a bit
but the
question is how risky are such moves.
(051810b)
By Patrick Winn reports on
the
inconclusive street battles in Bangkok
(051610e)
Reuters reports that the
situation may get much worse as the government
has rejected talks,
more protests
sites come into existence, the emergency spreads
and neither side shows signs of pulling back.
(051610f)
Reuters
has it that bloodshed
may occlude any process at peaceful resolution
of the crisis in Bangkok,
Thailand.
(051510a)
Reuters
has an update on Thailand. It
seems the protests continue as does some
violence and death. This all goes back to a
thwarted election of a populist leader who,
surprise, surprise, wanted some
reforms.
(050810b) The economic situation in the world is
now, no doubt, a factor in the situation.
BBC
reports on "the action" in Thailand
where the government is weakening and looks like
to fall. The economic issues prompting the
protests are present in other nations as well -
a long, hot
summer?
(041210e)
Also
from the BBC is a report that
Thailand
is in the throes of its own discontent and its
government may fall to popular
uprisings
(040710d)
Ukraine:
From
the Washington Post we have a report that
Ukraine's
"Orange Revolution" has seen better days with
the election, near certain, of the one it threw
out. Amazing.
(020810a) The "roll back" of America's "Bush
expansion" is clearly underway.
Clifford
J. Levy reports on the "Battle for Ukraine" as
the proxies for western and Russian influence
"duke it out" in a run
off. It is
"Beauty vs. Blubber" while Mr. "Acid Face" is
out of the running, everyone is free to
speculate as to the outcome and its
repercussions. (011810b) A rollback of the Bush
"the Global Village Idiot's "color revolutions?
News
from Africa and the Sub Sahara Theater
James
McEnteer takes us to contemporary South Africa
where there is quite a hoopla about hosting the
World Cup. Well,
there is a lot of history still burbling up from
the festering dark that is the blind side of
history -
informative read however, you'll enjoy it.
(061210g)
Morocco:
Stephen
Zunes, gives us some insight, just as you think
we could not possibly do more wrong
we,
the US goes and does it. For the first time the
US is backing the legitimizing of a military
take over by supporting Morocco's "claim" on
Western Sahara
(040510e)
Somalia:
Jeffrey Gettleman reports
on the
use of child soldiers by the US allies fighting
in Somalia, a
war that is a Bush legacy and now an Obama
albatross (061410c)
From
the BBC we hear of heavy
fighting for
Mogadishu as
US backed forces challenge the local resistance,
with most of the country still awaiting
"conquest" or "liberation" you call it.
(060310d)
Lutfi
Sheriff Mohammed and Jeffrey
Fleishman
report on a Somali effort to establish control
over
Mogadishu. The
"Bushist" efforts in this nation are still
"coming a cropper" more legacy than we need.
(051310d)
Tristan
McConnell reports on the
continued fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia -
another example of US policy "working
wonders.
(050510a)
From
the BBC we get a story that shows Islamists
taking over a Somali pirate's
town. It is
not clear, from the article, if this means that
piracy will decline or not. (050210d)
Brian
Smith reports on the
ongoing struggle of the US backed "government"
of Somalia and
its bid to retake almost the entire country
including its capital Mogadishu from the people.
(031310d)
Pacific
and Australian News:
Australia:
Bertil
Lintner has an article about Australia's "near
abroad" as it might be called. They have some
strategic little islands, as does England and
France. They
happen to be watching China's activities in
getting naval stations in Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Myanmar.
(062410c)
Japan:
Japan
actually has deflation happening. Prices
dropping, people having fewer or no
children they
must be second guessing their "can do" attitude
(040610f) by Christopher Johnson (040610f) As
for the other "Asian Giant" China Mike Whitney
wonders
if their time is short or their bubble(s) are
about burst.
(040610g)
From
the BBC we hear of Japan's deflationary cycle
ramping up.
As prices drop people hold on to money,
expecting further drops; so a cycle sets
up. The US has
avoided this by dumping huge amounts of cash
into the economy if not into the hands of
consumers overall. Here inflationary and
deflationary pressures are balancing.
(013010e)
News
from the land south of the Ol' Rio Grande:
Mark
Weisbrot talks about
the "issues" the US "leadership" has with
democracy in South America
and how, down
there, success has come to those who "share the
wealth" (071110e)
Cyril
Mychalejko reports on the trend of
mercenaries
being used by the US to tackle problems in South
America with
less oversight than is given to the toy industry
one wonders what IS going on "down there"
(061410d)
Brian
Smith reports on
the
perspective of some who view US "developments"
in South America as a prelude to military action
of some sort,
certainly the capability is "being grown"
(031310a)
Columbia:
htmTom
Hennigan in Bogotá - we
hear of the easy way to deal with an insurgency,
first hire cripples and the extremely poor then
sell them off to the military who then
slaughters them and counts the bodies as
guerillas.
Perhaps a few thousand have died this way. I
guess a body count is a body count.
(062010c)
Cuba:
Tom
Melle gives us a report that
Fidel
Castro is saying that a war on Iran is immanent
- apparently
he thinks it could ramp up any day now.
(071410e)
El
Salvador:
Paul
Jay presents the 100 million dollar law suit by
a Canadian company against El Salvador.
It seems a
treaty that Canada did not sign is being touted
as the vehicle which allows the suit - but they
have a Cayman based subsidiary to its all good.
Could this be why the peoples South of the Rio
Grande don't like us murdering gringos?
(062010a)
Haiti:
Beverly
Bell and Laura Wagner report on
the
crisis of aid in Haiti; the news reports
billions in aid has been set up but it has not
arrived and a good portion of it winds back up
in the US or
in corporate pockets. It is a mixed bag at best.
(062710b)
Beverly
Bell, reports
on the ten thousand Haitians, most of them
peasant farmers, marched against Monsanto's
recent donation of seeds and for food
sovereignty on June 4
(061710i)
Beverly
Bell tales us to Haiti to see how a center piece
of the aid program, something called HOPE II for
the "Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through
Partnership Encouragement Act of
2008"
if you unscramble that puzzle you'll see it
spells out "sweatshop" and other unsavory
concepts.
(061210h)
Beverly
Bell provides coverage of the situation in
Haiti. I had
hoped that stories like this would be gone by
now. My failure is not archiving the others, but
this one gives a big as well as particulate
portrait of the extent of the problem. (052310c)
Peggy Simpson
reports on the effect of micro
loans in Haiti. This grassroots and simplified
means of extending aid is off an running while
other programs are just setting up
shop, amazing.
(020110e)
Ben
Ehrenreich talks about Haiti and the
beaurocratized US military response to the
difficulty
there.
(012210e)
Greg
Palast gives us the facts, Haiti, the Right
Testicle of hell as it's been called.
Why do they
have problems? How is the US involved, over the
decades, what about Aristide? Papa and Baby Doc?
(011710a)
William
River's Pitt continues, if indeed it is needed,
to evidence how Jackass like Rushed Limburgher
and Fat Robberson have
become. Word
Rush: Haiti has NEVER been under communist role
so you cannot say that is the reason they are so
damned messed up. Perhaps it was the decades
under the DuValliers who ripped off 80% off
international aid over those same years you fat
blathering blubbering bloated piece of shark
bait. (011710b)
Honduras:
Laura
Raymond and Bill Quigley give us an
update
on Honduras and the US backed coup
that is still
in power despite justice and resistance.
(062810c)
Well,
if you can believe Pravda as a source the US and
Honduras have joined to create a new naval base
for the US.
(042010d)
Mark
Weisbrot gives us all the skinny on why such a
behemoth and ubermachtigen leute als is der
Vereinigten Staaten () US is, is interested in
Honduras and
Haiti. Is it
(s) chess and pawns? (b) Is it simple zero sum
thinking? (c) Or is it mindless, greed
masquerading as beneficent bureaucracy? Or, (d),
all of the above. Decode your answers now.
(020410a)
From
the BBC it seems that Sudan may let bygones be
bygones and so to the North and South peaceably
split?
(012710b)
From
the AP, we hear of Honduras putting its deposed
president into
exile. The US
backed coup is complete (012710c)
Mexico:
Michael
Smith talks about how US banks help the Mexican
drug cartels with money handling/laundering.
Nice profits too!
(070610a)
Mike
Whitney talks about "the war next
door".
In Mexico the drug war has caused thousands of
deaths in a few years time. The role of US
policy plays a part, an important part, in what
goes on in the streets.
(042610b)
Laura
Carlsen takes a peek, and takes us along, to
consider
the "murder capital of the world" Ciudad Juarez,
Mexico
(020810d)
Peru:
Dan
Collyns of the BBC reports
on
the government of Peru rejecting a law regarding
the land rights of indigenous
peoples. China
is seen, in this piece, as a "big investor" and
the reason for the law being rejected is that it
could be "bad for economic development."
(062510c)
It's
not nice to fool Mother Nature:
Jon
Jensen reports on an off shore oil spill in the
Red Sea. The
government issued contradictory reports and no
one seemed to know anything as the company,
thought to be involved said they knew nothing.
(071610b)
Rupert Wingfield-Hayes
reporting for the
BBC tells of Russia's heat wave and its effects
on crops -
another "chaotic" large scale weather event.
(071510e)
Randy Boswell talks
about
the shrinkage of the Arctic ice
sheet.
(071210c) From Margaret Munro we have
a
counter balancing story which reports on a new
method of assessing the state of the Arctic ice
cover.
(071210d)
Patrik
Jonsson reports on how the "climate gate"
scandal of last year played out.
It seems the science of global warming is fine
but the behavior of some of its proponents is
not. Not
though the media back then and now will portray
it that way. (070810d)
Juliette Jowit and
Christine Ottery talk about how
the
tipping point in global warming has been
reached.
Changes, once thought to be very risky, are now
all but certain while much worse consequences
are increasingly likely. (070610b) Carolyn
Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau reports
that, when
asked, environmentalists think the usual dead
zone is comparable to the new dead zone created
by BP and the corporate "interests", lobbyists,
and bought off government officials and
regulators.
(070610c) Jason Leopold reports,
if
you need to know, about BP's Alaskan operations
and how any whistle blower is "taken care
of". (070610d)
Arthur
Max has a report on the level of toxins present
in whales the world over. It is something that
needs to be
known.
(062410a)
Pallab
Ghosh indicates how the scientific community is
"divided" on the subject of Global
Warming. It is
amazing that though the science is nailed down
the skeptics still hold so much sway (062210i)
BBC
also reports on an experiment where painting a
mountain white is an attempt to bring back a
glacier. I've
had similar ideas for the arctic ice cap. That
is to say fields of inflated, biodegradable
white balloons, fixed to the surface to protect
the ocean beneath from heat pollution. What, no
takers? (061710e)
Stephen Kurczy
Continues
the thread of stories regarding the decline of
snakes. And
while the story also provides an explanation for
the decline in frogs and salamanders it does not
indicate that that trend has reversed. (061010c)
Stephen Kurczy, Correspondent also reports on
the
movement of Galapagos fauna to Peru, speculating
on the cause experts cite global warming as a
factor.
(061010d)
From Richard Black of the
BBC we
hear about snakes being in decline.
The newt's
and frog's decline had a cause but there was no
word on what kind of "fix" was made for that
problem. (060810g)
Sue Sturgis of Facing
South talks about the uses that coal ash are
being put to.
Some create more problems but much of this
"recycling effort" including its use as a soil
amendment in food crops, has little or no
oversight.
(053010b)
Jim Witkin reports on
the
mega study of bio-diversity reports and data
which show that bio-diversity is, overall,
decreasing - and seriously so
(052410c)
Victoria
Gill reports on an "artificial" life form, one
that was made through the efforts of human
kind and has
replicated billions of times. Call me old
fashioned but there is a danger here that cannot
be matched by even global warming.
(052110e)
Dahr Jamail has a story
about the "development" of Canada's tar sands.
It seems the "means of production" "has" to be
hauled across the northern US, but the trucks to
be used require a nearly complete retrofitting
of the highways to be used. Then
there is the fact that the whole project will
aid and abet global warming - once started the
project will be the single greatest source of
carbon pollution on the
globe.
(052210d) Says
here that spring is coming about 10 days earlier
and that this is a global warming
fact.
(052010a)
Sebastian Smith reports on
a dire prediction concerning
the
ocean's fish stocks - we are, amazingly enough,
fishing them out, imagine
that.
(051810d)
Michael McCarthy and David
Usborne let us know that the BP oil spill is not
the worst one in history, right now it may only
be fourth, however
there is some dispute about just exactly how
much oil is roiling out and into the
ocean.
(051710c)
Mark Sappenfield
reports
on the "biggest oil spill in history" it seems
the science, for this kind of thing, is
inaccurate and so some investigations are
underway. It
is thought that much of the oil rising is not
coming to the surface. In fact the leak may be
producing over 3 million gallons a day and
wreaking unknown havoc at various layers of the
ocean. Most all oil spills, up until this time,
have been from ships already on the surface so
this event is "new" (051610a)
Riki Ott has some
suggestions as to what
you can do about the "big spill" which is quite
the gusher, some reports today suggest that
instead of 200k gallons per day it is just over
800K, nice
sweet oil, yup. It's a killer. (051410f)
H.P. Albarelli Jr. reports
on a "new
disease" making waves and the kicker is that it
has a human element in its genesis
(050710g)
Marcy
Wheeler some whisper as to the "real cure" for
cancer is in
prevention.
This would have us look at causes and then we'd
find chemicals, reagents, industry, food
companies and health methodologies and supplies.
So I WONDER why we don't go down that path;
could it be MONEY? Or would it be simple GREED?
Your pick (050710e)
Greg Palast reports
on
the history of the current oil disaster by
relating it to a previous
one. Some of
the same "players" are in the field again and so
is corruption, wealth, ignorance, pride and
probably each and every one of the seven deadly
sins. (050510b)
William Rivers Pitt
reports on
a few domestic stories, the "great spill" for
one - some science has it that, as big as it is,
it could get very much
larger. Also,
the means need to repair it, conventionally, are
wanting. Nukes are mentioned as a way of sealing
it up. (050410b) Linh Dinh gives
us a bit of a walk through the history of oil in
this country.
(050410c)
Rebecca Solnit talks about
how we've
already gone beyond the turning point when it
comes to global warming
(042210c)
Dr. Mercola brings us
updates on the
lawsuits facing Monsanto, the nature of their
"business" and what is happening to agriculture
that seems, to me,
ominous.
(042320e)
Prof. Michael Ash or Prof.
James K. Boyce let us in on
the biggest corporate polluters on record.
Mother Nature must be mighty proud of
them!
(040310c)
If that is not enough for
you Lamu, Kenya has it that
dirty water kills more people, globally, than do
the sprinkling of wars humanity currently
suffers from
(032310l)
Juliette
Jowit reports on how the "human element" is
driving up the rate of extinction's, primarily
through environmental
destruction.
(030810d) Oh, yes, evolution cannot keep
up.
By
Les Blumenthal:
Ok today's term children is hypoxia, that is the
depletion of oxygen, generally in ocean water.
What this
means is fish die off. Well, at one time
pollution was considered a factor, but now, it
seems, a warming ocean can accelerate and extend
the range of "dead zones" (030810e)
Reuters,
Hmmm Methane, can't you just smell it now? Seems
more
of this GW gas is pouring into the atmosphere,
warming it ever faster. This newly discovered
source is big, but is it
new? Inquiring
minds want to know. (030510b)
From
science we learn that the sea level rise that
could come if
Antarctica
(022610b)
Agnés Rousseaux
talks about
the budding field of nanotechnology which is
making its presence known in our food products
among other
things (022210d)
Eugene
Robinson talks about
the "debate" over global warming as it relates
to the snow
dump this
winter in the DC area. (022110a)
Matthew Berger lets us see
how climate
change deniers are using the cold snap back
east, part of
the global warming scenario by the way, to deny
warming and talk about a cooling problem,
amazing. (021310c)
Joshua
Frank covers the ground with
the "Global Warming" debate by outlining a
point,
counterpoint.
(021010g)
From
the BBC we hear of the latest storm to hit
DC. It IS a
storm by the way. Of a kind that the global
warming theory predicts, as the Gulf Stream
portion of the "great conveyer" breaks down the
winters in the North East US and Northern Europe
will get harsher. (020610b)
Jill
Richardson reports on shrimp, America's favorite
food - we eat tons of it and at such as cost as
we do not
consider.
(020410b)
Michael Winship reports on
the
reports of "Global Cooling" He goes so far as to
cite a pair of publicly make and purposeful lies
to that effect. The persons quoted in the
cooling articles never said what the media has
stated they've said. Simply
Amazing
(011610a)
Kyra
Ryan reports from Taos NM where food
independence is on the menu so to speak and a
movement is
afoot.
(011610b)
Kathy Freston talks about
the current flu epidemics and how they are
related to the production methods in the pork
and poultry industry. We
have already seen how this system produces
deadly diseases, swine and bird flues for
example, but the question is what is the
downside.
(010910a)
From the BBC we
have
more on the European "Snow
Out". This is
in line with the global warming scenarios
wherein the Gulf Stream slows and, eventually,
fails to deliver. First comes harsher winters,
later springs and shorter summers. Later on, if
it continues, spring migrates into summer and
fall expands as does winter. (010910f) From
Patrick Johnson we
have a related story about a cold winter in
Florida; it is a mixed blessing in that invasive
species, some
anyway, are being killed off.
(010910g)
Art
Levine covers, or rather uncovers a "dirty
little secret"
when nuclear
power advocates talk about how clean the plants
are they may have a point, somewhat, but what
about the messes that the mining operations
leave behind? (010810f)
The
Future in the News!
AND our Presstitutes inacton:
From
Media Matters we have, finally, the overview of
the Faux (Fox) News News cycle:
1. Right-wing
bloggers, talk radio hosts, and other
conservative media outlets start promoting and
distorting the story; 2, Fox News picks up the
story and gives it heavy, one-sided coverage; 3,
Fox News and conservative media attack the
"liberal media" for ignoring the distorted
story; 4, Mainstream media outlets eventually
cover the story, echoing the right-wing
distortions; 5, Fox News receives credit for
promoting the story and 6, The story is later
proven to be false or wildly misleading, long
after damage is done. Plus they give examples
(071610f)
Henry
A. Giroux talks about the
"disappearing intellectual" in the mix of
cacophony that public
dialogue on
"issues of the day" (071310a) Robert Reich gives
us some basic "facts
of the field" to explain how we got to be in
this mess and why it may be a good long while
before we "get out of
it".
(071310b)
From Rethinking Schools
Editors we hear about the
corporate media's trend to "bash teachers"
It is a
growing trend, threatening the equality and
quality of education. (070610h)
From the BBC we see a
sample of what passes for news. They are right,
perhaps, in reporting the story, but the story
itself boils down to reporting
a
kind of "he said; she said" exchange, except
this is not on a elementary school playground
but in the diplomatic theater of the greater
muddle east.
(070110e) Glenn Greenwald also reports on
how
US media is "slanted" to such a degree that it
is easily
demonstrable.
(070110f)
Robert
Fisk gives us some coverage of the language used
when the muddle east is being discussed.
The terms and
how they are used shape the debate, discussion
and perception of the peoples whose governments
are involved - nice - but who makes these
definitive choices? (062210b)
John
Pilger write a piece that talks about the art of
making a war happen. He calls it the "Black
Art" (060610h)
Leslie Thatcher reviews a
book on the
media, its slanted approach to things and how
out of kilter it makes the perspective with
which we US citizens see the
world.
(052610a)
When
Patrick J. Buchanan writes you have to "consider
the source" but the point is to be considered,
is the war coming back home?
(051210a)
Julia
Harte although consensus grows regarding peak
oil and its event horizon is not seen to be in
the mid term, less than five years, we have
plenty of Egyptians, those in denial, holding on
for dear life.
(051210c)
Melvin A. Goodman reports
on the
leading CIA apologist, David "Ignatz" of the
Moonie Rag, the Washington Post. Ignatz is all
over the map explaining away and denying
facts. Such is
the state of our "media" (050810a)
Ernest Partridge brings
us
a cogent article on the uneven contest in the US
media which is used to explain the "death of the
left" in terms
of effecting the nature of public debate,
information and decision making. Perception is
king and the truth will not, it seems, come out.
(050610g)
Dave
Lindorff talks about a specific incident of Iran
demonizing which only makes the larger picture
more clear.
(050410f) Our lovely media strikes again.
Bill
Quigley reports on the Arizona immigration "law"
which though challenged has provided some other
states with "inspiration" and the national
government to agree, even if after a
fashion
(050110d)
Kevin
G. Hall reports that the economy
grew. This is
the latest in the "good news" that has come to
dominate the perception in the media and public
debate. Everything is "getting back to normal"
is the message. (050110f)
Noam Chomsky, what a
writer, so read this.
If you are tired of uninformed parallels being
drawn between the US and fascist Germany, well
this is a good one. He says "history is to
complex to repeat
itself" but
hastens to add that we still have lessons to
learn. The US is collapsing to the right it
seems to me and out of that mess something God
awful may arise - heads up ... yo. (042010g)
Emily
Spence gives us another mention of "peak oil"
and this
source gives quick consideration as to what the
event may mean for Americans, or those who live
like them. (041710d
George Lakoff talks about
democracy, but if
democracy depends on an informed electorate then
the nature of how a polling question,
proposition, or ballot initiative is phrased
becomes
important.
Phrasing counts and with swings of 60% or more
possible, depending on how something is "framed"
then you can see that word-smithing is
"everything' especially in California. (041510e)
Art Levine reports on
the
latest mine disaster, one wonders if all the
dozens, no many more than that safety violations
were addressed would it have
happened? The
press seems to think that it is a dangerous job
and leaves it at that. But the company running
the place resists any and all oversight by a
weak, underpowered governmental agency.
(041210g)
Barnabe F. Geisweiller,
the NYT
and, by implication, other "information outlets"
or "media" have an objectivity
problem, I
know, news flash, but this IS serious (040610c)
Lewis R. Gordon says but
this problem is broader than just the media,
academia has been "polluted" as well.
It is a place
where "everyone" thinks it is a "liberal" place.
NOT. The creepy creeping creeps have crept in
and slept with them all (040610d)
Matthew Duss reports on
the
amazing amount of "flotsam and jetsam" that one
finds in a single paragraph of the erstwhile
"dimbulb" otherwise known as "Weird Al"
Dershowitz in the "Gall Street
Journal" basic
facts are tossed aside. I think that is usually
called lying, but it passes muster in today's
world of Presstitution. (032410a) Why it's
enough to drive a war with Iran through!
William Rivers Pitt talks
about the recent Time Magazine cover which,
again, reports
on the most recent victory in Iraq. Lucky for us
it is just in time. Now that you've stopped
laughing read
this article, lots of juicy quotes from "that
whacky, whackoff Bush's admin and sycophants.
(031810a) Meanwhile: Melvin
A. Goodman has an arduous task, reporting on the
lies of Karl "I can put anything up my ass and
eat it" Rove.
I know, I know, I cleaned up the quote, I had
to. (031810b)
Scott
Sanders and James Owens report on a plan to
"balance the media" or ensure its
neutrality. I
think it is a great idea, but wonder how far the
effort will go in terms of achieving its aim.
(031610a)
Taboo
Thwarts Candor on Israel/Iran by Ray McGovern -
the
writer poses questions that should be presented
in the discussion were it "fair and balanced"
which it was
not. The
Jewish Elephant with its giant pulsating and
pearlescent pudenda precluded proper
prioritizing. (021210b)
Glenn
Greenwald talks about how "crazy" is defined.
To
the best of my limited understanding it "crazy"
is used to describe anything or anyone that is
not meet with the standards of those with the
power to define others, set agendas, in short
the powerful
(030410b)
Tom
Fenton reports on how reporting is being
cut back. Not
a new story, just the latest wave in the change
which effects how the information stream people
and their nations depend upon is being
dammed and
drying up. (030310g)
David
Sirota reports on the frightening aspects of
what our "media moguls" are supportive
of, I mean
Glen "Der ScheissGefressenden Uber Mensch" calls
for death, and not really in a metaphorical
sense, oh sorry Glen that is a word with more
than two syllables. (022610f)
Glenn
Greenwald reports on the American Torturers and
how liars lie big to deny the
truth, it is
amazing what they do, watch the magic.
(022210e)
Tom
Engelhardt gives us a much needed perspective,
which means
you won't see this on prime time - covered are
the media's "reaction" to the "underpants
bomber" the notion of how "Big Terrorism" has
changed the landscape of US politics and how the
"Reich Wing" media megaphone has distorted the
world for us.
The casualty list for terrorism is minuscule
compared to the "everyday" killing spree the US
population is subject to. (021510b) In what I
see as a related article,
Norman Solomon reports on "Dollars for Death,
Pennies for
Peace"
(021510d)
Sebastian
Jones reports on the "experts" that the
corporate news structure provides the public;
what
were not told would tell a tale,
however
(021310b) Speaking of the "media" however, Barry
Eisler adds his bit as to how
our media help the terrorists succeed beyond
their means.
(021310f)
Randy
Baker reports on the reasons why Journalism,
reporting and "hard nosed news" are
failing,
partly the model of advertising based support,
partly corporatization, partly a lazy public, in
my mind, and then the solution being suggested,
something I thought of years ago, may well not
be what it appears; you read; you decide.
(010110a)
The
legacy: America's
"selection of 2000" Repuglican'
Party, Obama
and North
of the Rio Grande
The
lame George W. Jackass Legacy:
Michael Reynolds brings us
coverage
or rather illumination of the American
right-wing Christian movement
(ARWCM) that
is playing a role in the "development' of
Kurdistan. The volatile mix in a volatile area
being done in a volatile manner gets heavy
support from the US in various ways. The Kurds
take what they can from the deal as do the ARWCM
- both think they are "getting over" it seems to
me. (071410f)
Rachel
Maddow has us going back to Katrina and what
turned out to be lying, murdering police in
action caught and now confessing to it all.
(071410h)
From
The Telegraph comes
a brief which indicates the depth and heights to
which the lying about Iraq, pre-invastion, sunk
or rose to.
(071210b)
Jason
Leopold reports
on the legal opinions given to the CIA, amongst
others, regarding torture techniques. Let's just
say the CIA, and others, seemed to have had
their own take on the opinions and went "their
own way"
(071610e)
César
Chelala reports on George Wanker Bush, the
historians are weighing in,
as has
happened before, he places in the bottom decile
or so. I think that will be about as good as it
gets for W. (070610g)
Adele
M. Stan reports on the "Tea-Party" and the
dismissive myths that occlude its reality and
diminish its
threat.
(070510a)
Mark
Weisbrot reports on the lack of congressional
support for extending unemployment
benefits.
Other papers reported relief efforts from 200Bln
to 100Bln down to 24Bln and now - zip. That is
how powerful the Damnocrps are and the
Rethuglicans they seem to think this is a
"darned good idea". (062610b)
Prof. David Ray Griffin
takes us back to the "real start" of Bushism,
9/11.
The question of whether or not the Afghan war is
legal turns on the events of that day, and the
subsequent events related to it. The
government's narrative falls apart upon
examination.
So what does that leave us? (062610g)
Eugene
Robinson talks about the state of the "so
called" GOP
mindset. Joe
Barton is still being defended for his carefully
worded piece sympathizing with BP. (062210j)
Paul Owen and agencies
report that
G.W.Jackass, the one and only "Global Village
Idiot" and president select has admitted to
torture. Just
as when his whacky, boozing, drugged out shotgun
toting dimbulb compadre the "Dickless Wonder"
himself, Chainey, was blathering about his
okaying torture, the media ignores it, no
charges will be brought, indeed no one gives a
flying furburger, it would seem. (060310c)
Dave Johnson reports on
the
Regan legacy, which is the Repuglican legacy
which is the Bush dynasty's royal flushdown of
our economy.
(052510f)
Eugene
Robinson reports on the tea party's effects in
the recent election, lots to speculate on
(052110h)
Brad
Knickerbocker reports on the
Texan's effort to revise historical perceptions
via the state's school books.
Sounds like a
"forward" step to me. (052210e)
Brad Knickerbocker reports
on those
"crazy Tea Partiers" raising a fuss again, this
time knocking out a Repuglican who fell into
their disfavor, well, well, well. Idiocy IS on
the rise and the
march.
(050910c)
As
if we need further proof that the nutjobs and
flapdoodle squads are in charge of the media
which "informs" the public we see some
"revisionist screeds" gaining
traction as
Caroline Arnold reports on Kent State 40 years
on. (050210a) Then, from Randall Amster,
we
have another "report" on the "coverage" of the
Reich Wing Dimbulb, fat butted faction that the
sunken oil rig off the US southern coast was an
"act of war".
If you can
stand to even hear Rush's voice, or the other
bottom feeding blimpoids, you'd have heard them
blame the North Koreans, Eco-terrorists, Al
Gore, the Russians and or the Chinese. (050210b)
And from Wayne Hay we hear
about the source of the well-known photo of a
pistol toting "red shirt" at a protest in
Thailand.
(050210e) from the persons who took that
picture. And now, from Patrik Jonsson we have
the essential history that runs from the
"there
is no leak" phase to the "we have 1,000 bbls a
day" to "we have 5,000 bbls a day" to "5,000
bbl/day is the extreme low end of the rate and
there may be much more to come and a three month
wait for a
fix." and that
wold be today. (050210)
James Howard Kunstler
When
G.W. Bush said "This sucker could go down" he
was talking about the US economic
system. Mr.
Kunstler agrees and predicts that "all hell to
pay day" is coming to a neighborhood near you.
(042710a)
Chris
Hedges reports on the newest and strongest
secessionists.
He mentions both Vermont and Texas where the
sentiment is favored by about one in three
persons. The common thread is that people
believe the system, such as it is, has been
corrupted and can not be fixed. (042610a)
Dr. Evaggelos Vallianato
reports on those
madcap daffy Bush years when the EPA was the
best public servant money cold
buy, and it
did! (041110e)
Eric Boehlert reports on
how the
"militia movements message" gets into the media
via "Big Mouth" Beck.
(040710a)
From the BBC we hear
of
yet another Bush legacy falling and failing in
its once touted promise - Kyrgyzstan's troubled
government may
h ave fallen and maybe no one can take credit
except the people of the nation itself.
(040710c)
From Daniel Cancel and
Maria Kolesnikova we hear of
Chavez
and Putin firming up and expanding ties, yet
another Bush
legacy
(040510b)
William Rivers Pitt knows
it is not April Fool's Day but goes into the
strange territory of
the Reich wing nut jobs whose "antics" last week
fomented a spate of hooliganism and violent
threats.
(040210a) Glynn Wilson follows up with
another,
pinpoint specific, example of the same "journey
into
hatesville"
(040210b) And Bob Burnett provides
a
somewhat hyperbolic overview but the comments
are both illustrative and
illuminating.
(040210c) From
the NYT we have Frank Rich weighing in on the
same topic as Burnett, perhaps more reasonably
so. (040210d)
And
Joe Conason gives some other details regarding
the issue at
hand.
(040210e)
David L. Clark reports on
Canada and the simple tale that goes like this
"Little Annie Coulter wants to talk to the
"great white north" but her
racist and violent rants area not welcome. So
when the welcome mat is withdrawn "all Hades
erupts from the bowels of the American Reich
Wing, flapdoodle and wingnut
set. (033110c)
Davidson Loehr note that
meanwhile,
in their own private Idaho, the whorey likes of
Coulter, the buffalo buttiness of Limbugher and
"speck brain"
Beck have much
in common with their NAZI precedents as far as
ignorant, dimbulb, anus mouthed gimcrackery
(031110c)
Rose
Aguilar reports on the lack of intelligent life
forms in our very own Utah.
I know that is
no surprise but they are now vying for "bottom
feeder" status with the "old South."
(031110d)
Jeremy R. Hammond takes us
back to the thrilling days of yesteryear, 9/11
when he reports on a Washington Post editorial
which "slammed" the 9/11 "conspiracists".
Unfortunately,
the slammer is slammed by the facts. The most
damning of which is that thermite has been found
in the dust from the 9/11 remains. Gee, how
would that get
there?
(030910a) had the Washington Post considered the
article found in
The Open Chemical Physics Journal Volume 2 ISSN:
1874-4125 they
would have found the link that would let them
download the report in full, with photos, graphs
and all sorts of data. (030910b)
Jason Leopold reports on
the
torture issue and John Yoo, Bush and others who
were "on board with the waterboard" as it
were.
(022110b)
James Ridgeway
reports
on the Repuglican attitude toward those millions
that their billionaire buddies have broken - it
may be summed up as follows: "tough
shit"
(022810c)
From NTI we hear that
the
house wants to continue investigating into the
Anthrax
mailings that
the FBI announced was closed. (022810a) Seems
like the 9/11 narrative us "not fading
away"
Paul Craig Roberts
introduces the
burgeoning organization of engineers and others
professionals who doubt the governments 9/11
"story". Some
thousand in number they are on a growth track as
the evidence of falsity remains
(022710a)
And here we go back to
those thrilling days of yesteryear when "Anthrax
was King" You'll
be glad to know that the official investigation
into the Anthrax mailings has been
closed. What
we did not "find anyone" that's ok. All is well.
After all we have not had another Anthrax scare
since then. Our defense must be working.
(022110c)
Ben
Aris in Berlin and Duncan Campbell take us back
to those heady days in 2004
When Bush the
Jackass was busy stealing his second term in
orifice. This tale is the Bush - Nazi connection
given a simple overview. It never became an
issue in the election. (013010g)
Howard
Fineman gives us the word about a GOP leader who
passes unrecognized as such, Roger
Ailes, head of
"Faux" News, brings Palpitating Palin's
Portentous Pudenda to millions of Gibbering Old
Punters and other Zombie Brained Zitwarts.
(011810e)
Joe
Bageant reports that the Battle for US Culture
is over and guess who won? I know you'll have
some idea of who lost, enjoyable read, so,
enjoy.
(011510e)
Robert
Parry talks about what is called the "lost
decade" that
of the aughts or more apropos, the naught, the
00;s or just O's. He seems puzzled about what
went wrong, describes some things but I think
there is more. (011710d)
Job
losses for December are only part of the story.
A "lost decade" seems to continue
on.
(010810e)
Chris Adams reports on the
continuing fall out of Bush the Jackass,
as
mortgage failures outpace current efforts to
rescue them.
(010310b)
Repuglican
Party:
Roberto
Cintli Rodriguez reports from Arizona and the
upheaval its "lawmakers" have
caused. The
article goes on to explain that persons born in
the US ARE US citizens by right of birth, but
Arizona seems to be challenging that bit of the
Constitution, the "Law of the Land" as it were.
(061210e)
Joshua
Holland gives us a tour of the "Radical Right's
so called "mind".
We learn about what drives them and their
"secret fears" it is a veritable "turd bowl" of
delights, believe me
(061210f)
Dahr Jamail reports on
Arizona's
war on
immigrants.
There is a death toll and damages.
(051610b)
But that is "not enough" now school programs are
being targeted and a sea change seems to be on
the way
(051610c)
Christine
Ahn gives us some "on the ground perspective" in
Arizona in the aftermath of the new
law.
(051410e)
Yana
Kunichoff reports that other states are
considering an "Arizona like response" to
immigration "reform", as it
were
(051310a)
Rick
Ungar has a piece refuting the great and
"brainless bimbo Palin" when she appeared
recently on Bill O'Reilly's TV
show, Palin
advised that what we need to do in this country
is - "Go back to what our founders and our
founding documents meant &emdash; they're quite
clear &emdash; that we would create law based on
the God of the bible and the ten commandments -
I've heard such claims before but a few simple
facts, quotes from our founding fathers,
demolish the "barf brained bellicose bellowing
bimbo" (051310g)
Ruth
Marcus reports on Arizona; by now you've heard
of their infamy, however the genesis of that has
unusual sourcing, some of the best campaign
reform legislation in the
nation.
(050610i)
Adele
M. Stan talks about the "Tea
Partiers" specifically that they are not as
"dumb" as critics make them out to be; there is
an old saying "crazy like a fox"
this may be
the case, she says. (050410e)
MJ
Rosenberg reports on
Israel's Guardian in the Senate, self
proclaimed.
And this is
the sort of "mind" that makes decisions for us
these days OMG (050310b)
Wendy
Norris might say,
speaking of "Nut cases in dangerous places" we
have the sordid tale of a would be politician
who has been arrested for hat crimes and still
keeps on "doing his
thing".
(050310a)
From
the CSM Michael B. Farrell reports on
Utah's
growing dissent and dislike for the Federal
government which owns 60% of the state. Alluded
to is a growing perception that taking back
federal land is an idea whose time has come.
States rights
is the issue that covers a plethora of diverse
grievances. My take is that as times get worse
this will be ever more important. Consider the
Tea Party and other such things such as Palin
for a distressful example (050210f)
Bernard
Weiner talks about how
the "Tea Party" is being not only misread but
misunderstood.
As the times
on this planet get worse their "force" may only
be augmented. The left appears helpless and
hopeless to deal with this and although the
corruption of the media, politics, business and
the intelligencia have played a debilitating
role it has one wonder when "the left" will make
any sort of effort (042810a)
Greg Palast has a related report from Arizona
where racism and ignorance have reached new
heights and
power -
profiling is legal there and the Repuglcians are
making hay off of it eyeing the next election.
(042810b) Yana Kunichoff completes
the
triangulation of the portrait of an electorate
in trouble and looking for trouble. There is
"anti-incumbent" attitude becoming more
pervasive and
this may be influential - even as the left is
passive and not at all ready for any kind of
fight this fall. (042810c)
Ruth
Marcus talks about the
Reich wing, "tea party", tin foil hat, wingnut,
rimjobbers are out in force and with deadly
force are increasingly violent and willing to
"do something about
it." (041410c)
David
Lightman, Halimah Abdullah and Grace Gagliano
let us hear about the latest Repuglican to
batter his own brains out.
He wants to "cut off" unemployment extentions to
"balance the budget" no matter his own
profligacy or
"courage"
(041110g) From TomDispatch we hear of
a
land called "GlenBeckistan" where the "Tea
Party" rules -
or it gets as close as it can to doing just
that. Humans with functioning memories and at
least average IQ's call it Utah. (033010a)
Beau
Hodai writes about a key "luminary" of the Tea
Party, Mr. Dick, "I AM a jackass" Armey, or as
he is known in certain circlets, "old
Jerkey".
His "interests and history pose interesting
inconsistencies with his current flame out
position with the
TP. (032610a)
If that is not enough then you can read about
the idiotic collagist ranting from the "twilight
zone of the mind" (aka Tea Party)
who
have crafted nonsense into the dreaded
"Cloward-Piven
strategy".
This is a vast conspiracy destined to lead the
US toward fascism and or communism and the
economic crash and Obama are proof! (032610b)
Rich
Benjamin gives us a peek at the Tea Party
Convention.
Only the whitest of the white take the podium
and Sara "the penis pumper" Palin flaps her yap
flapper as a keynote. As if the world needs any
more proof that the US has entered the Twilight
Zone (020610a)
Froma
Harrop talks about the
health plan Massachusetts already had and how it
had its effect on the recent election
there. Oh,
they do mention the irony of the repoglican
candidate who voted for the Mass. plan but says
he plans to vote against the national plan
modeled after it ... go figure
(012110a)
Obama:
Matthew Brown and Ramit
Plushnick-Masti discuss
the effects the BP spill is having on the
ecological web on the
Gulf.
(071410c) Vern Radul if
all the "happy talk" about the BP well is not
enough for you, then you can read this and see
the real worst case
scenario.
(071410d) Mike Ludwig a
oil well blow out in Pennsylvania was nearly a
headline generating problem due to corporate
errors and poor
oversight.
(071410i)
Mark
Seibel talks about how the effort to UNDO BP's
error is
going. Maybe
by mid-August we could see some results. We
shall see what we shall see.
(070910e)
Anne McClintock reports on
the
implications of the militarization of the
language being used to describe the BP disaster.
Salient
points are that the relief well is being
drilled, since two weeks after the blowout, it
says; the wide range of the estimates of just
how much oil IS flowing and how difficult it is
to actually cover the scene, take pictures now
that, as stated in other articles, one has to
have permission to approach clean up sites, do
fly overs and more, thanks Obamawan Nobody.
(070810e)
Dahr Jamail and Erika
Blumenfeld take us to
Barataria, one time pirate hold of legend and
now a place where the toxic effects of the BP
disaster are in "full
bloom"
(071310d)
Joe
Conason talks about what is called "conventional
wisdom" the essence of this article is
that
in unconventional times or during similar
conditions is "conventional" what is
wanted?
(070910b)
Mr. Clifton has one
wonder, if the US is "so concerned" about
nuclear proliferation - I mean to say they've
pressed for interdiction of North Korean vessels
and want ever tougher sanctions on Iran,
but
when it comes to China and Pakistan, well, it's
a whole different
story.
(070110g)
Stephen
Kinzer brings us the "birth of BP' how this
monster got started and bathed in
blood.
(062910i)
Dallas Darling talks
about
the risk of exercising free speech if you happen
to be a school teacher -
what lessons
are learned or taught by the silencing of
dissent or pacifism? (062710c)
Jim
Lobe reports on the latest round of US
unilateral sanctions against
Iran; the
article does not say it will allow a blockade to
be imposed, at least not directly. (062610a) But
if AIPAC is happy it's got to be bad.
From
Reuters we see
that the original BP calculations and estimates
of flow were horrifically wrong
and obviously
so. The one comment on this article is from
someone who has written BP with ideas but now,
it seems a storm is approaching and the well may
just gust until such time as the storm blows
over. And then what? (062510d)
Mark
Morford goes for a laugh and, it seems, makes
the gaffe. He
talks about the worsening worst case scenarios
for the BP disaster. What was, perhaps, meant as
humor inspired little of that. Great comments
with interesting links, a good read nonetheless
(062510a)
Joel
Achenbach talks about the varying figures that
the BP mess has
generated. The
comments that follow are rich and varied, worth
the read - all the way to the bitter end.
(062310c)
This site has a live video feed from the well
head as well
as many comments dozens upon dozens, a nice read
too. (062310d)
James
Carroll talks about a pending failure in the US
- without being specific as to how he just
describes several unfolding and simultaneous
crises that
are bedeviling our Mr. "no drama Obama" (062210a
Nice argumentative comments however.
From
Bloomberg Businessweek we
hear that the BP well had serious problems
months before it blew
up, nice to
know now. (062210e)
Clancy Sigal reports on
the blow
back that "no drama Obama" is garnering from
those who once supported him. I, personally,
have been done with him since before "health
care" "debate" Oh, well.
We DO have a
choice, however, in this country. We DO have a
chance to elect either a conservative
corporatist or a more liberal sounding one -
can't beat that with a schtick, yo! (062010d)
Lots of comments on this one and nice
argumentative ones at that.
Ryan
Chittum gives us some nuggets allowing insight
into how the US gets, wastes and uses
energy, how
big the banking crisis is, and the level of
corruption in the housing "industry"
(062010f)
Patrik
Jonsson reports regarding the big spill - it
seems that the US is short of skimmers, no
matter that offers have come in from over seas
(061910d)
Nick Turse has the
Pentagon BP connection you've all been waiting
to hear. If
the US wants to "get tough" with BP Obama could
order the US military to cease buying from BP,
how about that for a "big gun"?
(061710h
Mike
Ludwig reports on the exoneration of ACORN.
Now that it
is dead as the proverbial door nail. Those who
set it up are unapologetic, are not being held
accountable - in any meaningful or real sense -
and the world moves on (061710k)
James
Russell gives us the "nutshell" version of some
top stories.
(061710j)
Comparing
BP's disaster to others, saying "it is no three
mile island" which maybe true but check the
argumentative
comments.
(061410b)
Jason
Leopold reports that BP's Alaska operations have
problems too.
This article has more specifics than the ones
prior to it. (061510d)
Reuters
says that US govt. has i that the debt will be
at 19.6 Trillion by
2015. Now, if
our GNP is only about 13tn or so, figuring in a
decline, then the debt to GNP ration will be in
the 130% range which is what Greece has now and
which has caused all sorts of hell to be paid.
Portents anyone? (061110c)
BBC has it that
the
oil gushing in the gulf is more than we've been
told by "official" sources
- anyone
surprised? (061110f)
From the BBC we have
another "SO NOW THEY TELL
US"
kind of story about the AIG blowout bailout -
they say it was "toxic" and taxpayers will
"loose". NICE
TO KNOW FOLKS (061010g)
Mike
Ludwig reports on the damages that BP's "cure"
is effecting.
Big die offs from the dispersants seem to be
happening. This time access to the beaches are
not blocked by police under the direction of BP
as in earlier cases. (060810d) Renee School and
Erika Bolstad report that
the well, even after some success, may still be
putting out some 100,000 Bbls of
oil.
(060810e)
Marcus
Baram reports on a BP whistle blower who blew
loud and long.
It is the contention of the article that some of
the methods used by BP in it current crisis were
methods that had not passed testing, except on
paper that is. (060610g)
George
Lakoff reports that the reported privatization
of public housing has been
shelved.
(060310b)
Mark
Sappenfield,
reports on the failure of the latest BP effort.
So, now what? Waiting is in order it seems while
stop gap measures are implemented;
lets hope that
these are more effective? (053010a)
Edith M. Lederer,
Associated Press has a report on
an
agreement to hold a meeting regarding non
proliferation of nuclear weapons in the middle
east. It seems to be the US position that this
is a means of dealing with Iran but not Israel.
Nice logic if you can manage it.
(053010g)
Greg Bluestein and Ben
Nuckols from AP report on the
"progress" of BP's latest effort to "stem the
tide"
(052910a) Rob Herbert, NYT, reports on
Obamasan's
admission of error and involvement in the BP
cleanup mess.
(052910b)from Greg Palast we hear
of
another BP oil spill, this one in Alaska, where
the giant pipeline, with which BP is a major
player, has had one of its pumping stations
break down and spill oil all over the
place. It also
shows how BP "derails" any whistle blower's
attempt to make even a peep. (052910c)
Dilip
Hiro asks the musical question are YOU done with
Obama yet? It
is thought our foreign policy could use
something of a make over, just as Hillosaurus
Wrecks can, I would guess.
(052710b)
Andrew Clark in New York
and Suzanne Goldenberg ask
whether or not the BP "fix" is in and will work.
One hopes, but one fears as
well.
(052710c)
Reuters
home page for o5/27/10
(052710d) and
Asia
Times home
page both give
a bit of an overview of what the world is about
on this day of our lord, in the year 2010
(052710e)
Steven Thomma has it that
Obama is sending "the guard" to the US - Mexico
border. Keep
in mind that this is NOT a militarization of the
border that was the headline in other
sources. Yes
these are the same troops that are being sent to
Iraq and Afghanistan but they are not really
troops, at least not when they patrol the border
and are armed and are under the military's
control, not a state's. I get it' I get it! Pigs
have wings and dogs live in trees! It's easy.
(052610e)
It
seems the Oil Biz and their cuddly Govvy buddies
share beers, porn and shortcuts.
Who IS
watching the store? Why DID we have an oil
disaster, are the two connected????
(052510c)
William
Rivers Pitt talks about Kagan for SCOTUS.
She is hiding
herself well, her mind and all that not that it
will matter, she was nominated by Obama after
all. (051210b)
Marisa Taylor lets us know
that
27 more deep water oil rigs are to come online
all waiving waivers that allow them to shortcut
the oversight
and such like so forth and so on.
(051010c)
In
the Obama category we have two entrants today:
First, Marjorie Cohn wants to know
why
Obama is picking some "nobody" named Kagan for
SCOTUS? I mean he can't FIND ANYONE more
qualified?
(051010d) And then, Bill Quigley wonders when
Obama will divorce himself from Bush,
what
is up with targeting US citizens for
assassination?
(051010e) Talk about yet another slippery slope
Obama's luge is lunging on.
Andy
Worthington writes about Guantanamo and the
ridiculous incarcerations that have been
perpetuated by
Obama, even if
Bush started the festering stink hole of a
filthy mess, there is no need to be so slow
about cleaning it up, or is three? (050910d)
Zach
Carter gives a look at the new hope,
financial
reform. It is questionable whether or not we'll
undo all of the Bushshit programs nor whether
the reform will truly do just
that.
(050410d) maybe it won't be as bad as "health
reform" who knows.
Robert
C. Koehler talks to us about the current state
of nuclear armament and
disarmament.
(042810g)
Joe Conason talks about
the
"Obama Effect" to be specific how his presidency
has given the US image abroad a rebound, despite
what is happening at home
(042210b)
Dr. Joseph Gerson for the
Obama files, perhaps he
is trying to "undo" some small portion of the
Bush "legacy" regarding the former "resident's"
free hand with
nukes
(041910d)
Tiny (aka Lisa
Gray&endash;Garcia talks to us
about
the life and death struggle that is coming into
view - as the safety net is
shredded, from
the federal level on down, thousands, even tens
of thousands will have their lives put at risk.
(041510c)
Henry A. Giroux
School
teachers have been under assault ever since the
Reich wing got "its pact together" and
determined that it, among other social structure
items, had to be destroyed to save them, the
Reich wing that is,
(041410a)
If
you have not been introduced to TomPaine.com,
there is no time like the
present
(041310d) Today's home page, 04/13/10 has a
focus on domestic issues, a great nutshell
read.
Peter Grier brings us the
salient details of
a meeting concerning "nuclear issues" in the
world, some scary or interesting facts abide in
this text.
(041310f)
Obama was there, acting concerned.
Jason Leopold looks
into
the problem inherent with giving the president
the power to order executions of American
citizens.
(040710b)
The
main page for Reuters for this day, 04/02/10
shows headlines that reflect the
issues: The
economy is turning a corner, China is talking
about currency issues, China may "go with" the
US on some kind of response to Iran, terrorist
violence comes to Moscow, Israel attacking Gaza
and more (040210f)
From
NPR we see a discussion of the use of drones
under Obama,
something that has been ramped up considerably
over the "bungling Bush" years.
(033010c)
Norman Solomon writes
about Obama
in his bomber jacket giving a "morale boosting
talk" to the
US armed forces. The flash back to Johnson in
Vietnam is an eerie flashback.
(033010b)
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now
has a discussion about the
current "rescue" plans coming from Washington.
There is a serious disconnect between what is
needed and what is being
done.
(033010d)
Alan
Barber has a piece on the "usefulness" of the
Obama administration's newest effort to help
home owners save their bacon - he thinks it is
questionable.
(032610c)
Art Levine, this report
has it
that 2.4 million jobs were "lost to China". This
kind of thinking ignores the fact that US policy
is responsible for most of
that.
Corporations go overseas to save money and "off"
US workers. This has been going on "pell mell"
since NAFTA at least. Then too domestic
companies "buy Chinese" and most all of this has
nothing do with the Yuan and China's choices.
Besides, again, what are they doing that the US
has not done to others? (032510d)
Bernard
Weiner reports on the "Obama learning curve"
which has been much longer and slower than one
might have
expected.
(032510e)
By Warren Richey now that
the hoopla and celebration is over, let the
lawsuits begin. Some
13 states are suing to prevent the
implementation of the health care reform
package,
wonderful.
(032410c)
Dave Lindorff introduces
us to the essentials of a Texas case where
capital punishment again figures.
Some
basic evidence, in the law's possession, has yet
to be entered into the record.
A man's life
is at stake and the "once great state's"
governor looks the other way. (032310h)
Michael Moore poses
a
few comments directed and the "tin foil hat"
wing of American
politics, oh,
I mean repuglicans (032310a)
Robert
Reich gives us more sober view of the Health
bill just
passed.
(032310b)
Jason
Leopold reports on the demise of ACORN and the
Reich wing confab that managed the job over the
years.
(032310)
Daan de Wit talks about
the
continuity between Bush, now imagine this, and
Obama, as far as Iran
goes.
(032110a) Hana Levi Julian speaks
on
the pressure, or blow back Obama is facing when
his administration levies criticism against
Israel
(032110b)
William
Douglas reports on
the racism and to some extent homophobia
exhibited by the "wing nut" faction of the right
protesting the Health Care
reform.
(032110c) Jim Hightower illuminates
one
possible source of this "aluminum foil hatted
nut job mob" with the Kock brothers, billionaire
booboos both of
them.
(032110d)
Jeanine Molloff reports
on
a "last ditch", "hail Mary" attempt at getting a
"robust public option" in the works using a
simple four page bill that would extend the
existing Medicare
system.
(032010c)
William Rivers Pitt
illuminates why
Kucinich "changed his mind" regarding the health
care "reform" now pending and has become its
champion.
(031910e)
Christopher
Cooper talks about the final turn for Kucinich
regarding the health
plan, which
now he decides to vote for. I cannot understand
why, however, his voting for or against it would
not matter as far as I can tell. He is a bright
compassionate man and thus, in congress, is
irrelevant. (031810c)
Roy
Eidelson talks about the value of what I would
call "organized
outrage", it
is long overdue and the justifications for it
are as close as the nearest foreclosed properly,
the most recent layoffs, billionaire bankers
making out on bailouts, polluters poisoning
regulations and on and on. (031610c)
Dick Meister gives us the
scoop on the unhappy couple US labor and
Obama,
it seems the connubial felicity that was
expected has not come to pass, in fact very
little coming has been going
on, to extend
a ridiculous metaphor. (031210c)
Paul Richter scales back
our perception of Obama as an agent of change
now that "regime
change in Iran" is becoming more the approach
than what he campaigned
on. (031110a)
Jason
Leopold, has us consider Obama as another
campaign promise "bites the proverbial dust"
(030910c)
Joshua Frank and Jeffrey St. Clair,
have
us take another reminiscent look at Obama and
the nuclear
industry, "It
be like de man says, dey be tight an' shit"
(030910d) William Blum tells a true tale of
bribery
that boggles but goes unnoticed, well not
unnoticed just given a pass big enough to drive
a truckload of money
through
(030910e)
Bill
Quigley gives us a list of 15 reasons for
revolution, it is a nice
list.
(030910f)
On
Languages of Power and Powerlessness Sunday 07
March 2010 by: Zygmunt Bauman
a great and
detailed read which requires a good deal of
thinking and consideration, real meat and
potatoes thinking here, no fluff. (030710c)
Nat
Hentoff reports that the president can and has
ordered the execution of US citizens
overseas in a
war that has no real meaning for the words
friend or foe, ally or enemy or "rights" for
that matter. (030110g)
David Glenn Cox reports on
a veteran who survived an awful blow, half of
his head is gone yet he lives
on.
The story goes unheralded while US citizens
watch American Idol and the Olympics or
chocolate cake recipe bake offs. Great media job
folks.
(030110a)
From Robert Reich we hear
about the Damnocraps being in the dumps while
the Repuglicans are pumped up for the next
election cycle.
He goes into why that is, but does it
matter?
(020110b)
Jo
Comerford reports on the US budget for 2011
which assumes many things, many of them are
"iffy". Then
too the "balancing act" has as its fulcrum the
backs of the poor, the students, workers,
unemployed and so for the and so on.
(030110c)
Brad
Friedman reports on Sibel Edmonds who has
publicly make claims that
we've traitors working in our government and
though what she says is not news, the news has
it that it is not news too. So what happens when
a whistle blower whistles?
Nada?
(030110f)
Lt.
Col. Barry Wingard reports on how the US is
moving toward forever imprisonment without ever
a trial.
(022310g)
George Lakoff recommends a
few books but the article Obama, Tea Parties and
the Battle for Our Brains explains
how,
through the clever use of language, framing and
psychology, after a fashion, the conservatives
are "winning" the culture war and the "liberals"
are being
pasted. Not
that the bias in the media or the billions they
have at hand are not a factor mind you.
(022210a) Related
to that article is this one. In it Robert Reich
complains about how a 51 vote Senate majority is
"not enough"
but that previous article makes it clear how it
never will be (022210b)
Kathleen
Burge reports on a new underground
trend where
people in the managerial class help those who
work under them in an unfair system.
(022110d)
Kyle
Berlin reports on indefinite detention without
trial a very Bush like act now being approved by
the Obaminator
himself.
(021810b)
E.J.
Dionne Jr. spreads some text on why the
Damnocraps are loosing
out. I mean to
say, can YOU guess why? I knew I could - guess
first then read see how you stack up
(021810f)
from
Beyond Nuclear comes a denouncement of an Obama
administration approval of a new nuclear plant.
Problem
is the design has known problems and, best of
all, built into the financing is the taxpayers
who get to hold the bag if it goes south. No
matter that the company already is over budget
and time for current
projects.
(021610e)
David
Lightman talks about the overuse of the
filibuster in the US
Senate.
(021510f) Seems like Repuglicans are going for
the record on its use "all ahead full" to sink
the Damnocraps in the upcoming mud slinging
fest.
Alexander
Cockburn gives us the broad sweeping outline of
the demise of the left in
America
(021310d)
Grace
Huang advises us, as if we did not know, that
health care costs are rising fast
- from what I
see it is an unsustainable rate, but the
rupuglcians and Blue Ball, uh, I mean Blue Dog
Damnocraps beat it like a syphilitic old nag
(020810b)
Chris
Hedges gives us the "skinny" on the Terrorist
Industrial
Complex. A
detailed depiction of one case.
(020810c)
Dahr
Jamail reports on how the US military, through
history, has had a penchant for a particular
kind of
violence, why
we sign treaties just to break them, it seems,
and more. (020610c)
Mike
Elk asks how is Obama like my one time, would be
girlfriend who is "on again off again"
not at all
like a condom. (020410f)
C.M.
Sennott talks about the issue of gays in the
military. My
sense of the issue revolves around two thoughts,
one, if I were in a battle I'd be more
interested in where my buddy is aiming his gun
rather than his dick conversely, if I were
"hating on" gays why not let them into the armed
forces where "nature will take its course" so to
speak. (020410g)
Bernard
Weiner talks about the 7 headed beast leading
the US to
catastrophe.
It is a good overview. There is more that I
would add, but it IS a good read. (013110d) From
Mark Montgomery we have a
parallel story about the "disasters" the US has
suffered from in the past 8 or 9
years.
(013110e)
Christine
Ahn and Susanna Handow report on a rare Obama
success story, that of women's rights and
justice.
(013010a)
From the BBC, maybe we
have to look to someone outside of us to see
what is happening. Essentially
this brief illuminates how US voters have been
bamboozled into fighting against their own
interests and in favor of the corporate agenda
or that of the super
rich. How do
they do it? Read on. (013110a)
David
Michael Green, a one time Obama enthusiast,
demonstrates how far apart he's grown from our
"dear leader".
I sympathize with his sorrows and
disappointment. This HAS been a BAD WEEK, as he
put it and as he explains it in his article,
worthy read, really. (013010f)
Jason
Leopold reports on a Kucinich like health care
bill in California, what the Fed/Obama
originally built up hope for and which was
scuttled by
Obama. Well,
let us see if Herr GropenFuhrer makes good his
veto threat and if the Left Coast Legislature
sends the "Girly Man" packing.
(012910c)
Tom
Loudon expands on prior articles saying that the
American Coup is
complete
(012810a)
Another
report on the "fall out" of the Masss
Election, this
one argues that although Obama was not "the
issue" it did raise red flags. the "bank speech"
and proposed actions may not go far enough.
(012410a)
Ellen
Hodgson Brown reports on
how Canada did its health care, how it was
fought against, damaged and, despite all that,
is still up and
running. More
of them like theirs than we like ours. Lessons
to be learned. (012410d)
From
Press TV we hear the "science fiction" claim
being bandied about internationally, but not in
the US, of course, that the HAARP
installation,
or some other US made device, had a role in
Haiti's earthquake. (012410e) Unlike other
"Sci-Fi" conspiracy type issues, HAARP exists
and the Europeans have serious questions about
it, which remain unanswered. (012410e)
So
here is one background story on
HAARP
(012410f) Another
with pictures
(012410g) And
one more that has some interesting facts on the
part of the page dealing with
HAARP
(012410h)
William
Fisher reports on the "get tough Obama" talk o
banks and a bit of why he might be doing that,
just now
(012210d)
Joseph Nevins expands a bit
on that
thought and outlines it with a particular
example from "main street". (012210f) From
Reuters
we hear about how banks' current slippery
easement into investing could be hurt
by simple
changes to regulatory allowances.
(012210a)
Keith
Oberman on the recent SCOTUS decision to "give
the store and the bank away" as far as democracy
is concerned.
Be afraid, be very afraid. (012210b)
Michael
Doyle reports on the unsightly "ripple effects"
of this
decision.
(012210c)
Robert
Scheer says it WAS Obama that got creamed in the
Mass. election and gives a cogent reason
why.
(012110c)
Greg Palast, as has been
mentioned before, a recent SCOTUS decision to
"free up" the
ability of corporations to "act like
individuals" and donate to political campaigns
opens the doors to
hell.
(012110b) Sam
Ferguson, Jason Leopold and Kyle Berlin add the
proverbial two cents worth to that
article.
(012110d)
From
Reuters, a bad day on the street when Obama
mouths off about a modicum of banking
reform. One
wonders what would happen if any of the
suggestions actually made it into law.
(012110e)
Jeremy
Scahill reports that Blackwater is operating in
Pakistan. It
is well known that the ruler of that forsaken
nation is unpopular, to say the least, and this
can hardly be the reflection to give him a
boost. (012110f)
Reuters
has a speculation on why Massachusetts is seeing
red, not blue
(011910c)
David
Swanson reports on those concerned that voter
fraud was going to be a factor in the "close"
election.
(011910f)
Andy
Worthington reports on the "Murders at
Guantanamo" I
recollect stores detailing such "activities" at
US run Abu Ghraib in Iraq, but this IS closer to
home, in fact, it IS home.
(011910e)
Ryan Van Lenning
asks
"Which Dr. King will be remembered today? The
usual or the unusual?
Dr. King
became, as historians will have to admit, a
fierce antimilitarist and saw the Vietnam war as
harmful in many ways, not the least of which to
the poor of this nation who stood in want as
resources were directed overseas.
(011810d)
Glenn
Greenwald talks about an Obam-a-ite who has Bush
like ideas,
amazing, but the articles true value may be as a
reminder of one of B's inanities.
(011510b)
Christopher
Hayes reports on
the notion of "system failure" as it applies to
the US system of
governance.
Government is the problem, it seems, that needs
to be solved. (011510c)
Joshua Frank,
when
someone says "coal tax" some one else says,
"Them's fighting
words" Leave
it to Minnesota and the Dakotas to see who comes
out on top of this one (011001a)
From
Robert Reich's page seen on this date: 01/08/10
we
see a set of prognostications concerning 2010:
no likelihood of real good news economically or
for the
Damnocraps
(010810c)
North
of the Rio Grande
Jon
Elmer has coverage
of the nascent insurrection brewing, the article
says, in
Canada. The
First Nations are beginning to organize and are
capable of much more than what has so far
happened, but the future is now in question. The
coming economic decline, if it does come to
that, the growing dissatisfaction, if it comes
to that, may make for "interesting times"
(070110h)
Economics
101 in the News:
From Robert Reich's blog
of 7.16.10 we see how the
financial reform package touted by Obama and
others has a lot of language but not a lot of
reform the
basic structure of the industry, Glass-Steagal
Act, derivatives and more are set to stay as
they were. While the economy sheds jobs to
overseas via imports. (071610a)
David Lightman illustrates
Rethuglican
"thinking" The deficit is the issue when it
comes to 33 billion in unemployment benefits but
not when some trillions of dollars of tax cuts
are to stay in
place.
(071610c) Nice letters.
Here is the same article but with a different
set of interesting
letters
(071610d)
From Reuters we hear
about
the risk to millions of Americans as the Senate
debates extending unemployment
benefits and
pinpoints the suffering with some examples
(071410a) David Lightman gives
more
information on the distribution of unemployment
and why the Senate is being so slow
about "doing
anything" (071410b)
Mike Whitney talks about the overall strategy of
the Federal
Reserve
(071410g)
Ellen Brown gives
us
an overview of what I call the larger "climatic
changes" that have effected what may be called
the "economic
ecology" of
the US to the detriment of the individual fauna,
as it were. (071310c)
Michael Winship reports on
how the
wealthy deal in housing, seems they know best
when to beat out on a
loan (071210e)
Meanwhile, Alissa
Figueroa, reports on how "ordinary folks" who
did everything right are faring. Not well it
seems.
(071210f)
Robert Gavin illustrates
what
it is like to "stare down a depression" Could
our congress be any more
ineffective?
While the answer is yes, the people still
suffer. (071110a) Seth Freed Wessler reports
on
race and the recession, a few salient
figures in the
article introduce the case but the story
exemplifying the condition is detailed enough
for sympathy (071110c) James
K. Galbraith proposes something of a cure at
least for the banking
crisis: rule
of law. How about that? And the article contains
a nutshell review of the crisis: its beginnings,
its "flowering", how Obama missed the boat and
how, still, there may be hope (071110b) David
Sirota talks about
the debate concerning how tax rates relate to
economic
growth. He
points out instances where higher tax rates had
better economic growth as well as occurrences of
the opposite. My contention is that tax policy
was not the sole determining factor in the cases
cited. So??? (071110g)
Chan
Akya reports on what is happening with European
banks. It
seems their system is the exact opposite of that
of the US, where we have mega corporations they
have, overall, small individual institutions.
(071110i)
AS with health care,
everyone knows that preventing disease is much
cheaper than treating it, so it may be with
budgets, Neil
Wollman Ph.D. talks about preventative
budgeting.
There are parallel suggestions here. I include
articles like this to demonstrate that although
we suffer from problems it is not as if we did
not know of solutions. (070510b)
Johann Hari presents an
article in which we
see a new twist what it means to "make a killing
in the
markets"
Goldman SuX et al had a "field day" with
commodity pricing resulting in hunger and
starvation. Nice work boys, real nice.
(070310c)
Ellen Brown talks about
who
will pay for the error that has sunk our
economy, do you vote for VAT or the
Tobin Tax?
Find our more by reading here! (070110b) Chan
Akya So what is a body to do with the recent
decline in markets? Where
to invest? Read on for an opinion - check this
out. (070210c)
Dean Baker provides us with some interesting
info,
the unemployment rate dropped a bit, but this
is, in part, due to a lessening in the numbers
of jobs.
(070210d)
Today's
Reuters main
page,
07/01/10, has a subset of headlines and such
like that hint at economic problems. (070110a )
Stephen Ohlemacher reports on
a
failure for the US congress to pass an extension
of UI benefits,
nice timing is
all I can say. (070110b) From TomPaine, today's
main page, 07/01/10,
we see the summaries that indicate more economic
problems and indications that solutions are not
on the table,
overall. There
is an apparent error, the page states that the
congress is taking a break as of June 2, I think
it should read July 2 (070110c) Peter Grier
gives coverage to the
viewpoint that the EU is adopting fiscal
policies that could lead to further economic
problems.
There have been a several articles recently, all
by experts, claiming that each major player, the
US, the EU, and China have adopted policies that
are "good" and "bad". One wonders which is which
so maybe only time will tell who had and then
played a winning hand. (070110k)
Louis
Charbonneau reports that the UN is thinking that
the US dollar is maybe not the best currency
reserve for
the world
(063010a)
Reuters: the European
Central Bank posts warnings as
the
big financial meeting has nations go their own
ways (062910a)
Martin Hutchinson contends that
European
banks and governments are not the main threat
facing world's economic structure, the US is.
(062910b)
Antal E Fekete reports on the
details of the US pushing for China to float its
Yuan. History
provides background and influences the "game" so
what is to happen is anyone's guess, but the
stakes are big. (062910c) William James then
reports
on the pricing of US debt fluctuating in
response to various
inputs. The US
is still the safe refuge - but for how long?
(062910d)
Dean Baker questions the
competence of the
IMF whose policies, if followed, and some are
doing this, are not in the best interests of
anyone, perhaps, save
themselves.
(062910j)
Doug Noland reports
on
the notion that the bonds, currently seen as the
tool of choice by many governments around the
world, could be in a nascent "bubble
phase" which
would, upon bursting, create some problems.
(062810a)
Dean Baker provides us
with a "banker's
eye view" of the fiscal reform package just
passed and
more. Hold on
to your stomachs, it's that kind of read, nice
comments too! (062810b)
Craig Collins reports on
the BP phenomena and what he calls
the
"methane monster" of which it is a part, the
bigger picture is, however, more
unsettling.
(062710a)
From
USA Today we hear that the pace of banking
failure is roughly double what it was last
year. This has
to do with commercial loans which was predicted
to be the "next wave" some time back. (062210f)
Other articles indicate that these banks are
generally bigger and so the damage is actually
more acute than the raw numbers might indicate.
David Goldman has
us
take a look at what small businesses think of
this
"recovery",
the evidence shows "not much."
(061810d)
Michelle
Chen reports on a small but growing "industry"
that of renting wombs by mail
order. The
story mentions a place in India but the idea is
that there are more (061810a)
Dan Nolan reports
on
Dubai's burst bubble. Lots of incomplete
buildings, losses and problems that no one wants
to "deal with"
I did like the "palm island" and the "world
archipelago' (061710f)
Lori Montgomery reports on
the Congressional
actions which impact those in need, apparently
when it comes to the needed no cost cutting
seems to be big enough to "save the
budget"
(061610d)
Reuters
has it that the housing slump is taking a new
dive.
(061610e) Henry A.
Giroux reports on how
the economic mess is now devouring teaching jobs
by the tens of thousands in the US
- and he
speculates on the long term damages as well as
the "spin" that the conservative media is
putting on these losses. (060810c)
From
Reuters we have the "Rosy View" of our economic
situation and it is a nice read, if you ignore
the comments.
(060610e) Compare
that to Robert Reich's blog and we can have a
compare and contrast
session.
(060610f)
Dean Baker reports on the
slow down slowing even more.
Joblessness
falls but so does the rate of job
creation.
(060610d)
Alex
Spillius in Detroit reports on the plan to
bulldoze neighborhoods and shrink the city
so as to save
lots and lots of money. Moving people around is
part of the plan as is making parks and such
like. (053110d)
Edith
M. Lederer says the UN says the world has some
economic growth going on with some more to
come.
(052710f)
Zach
Carter reports on yet ANOTHER bail out, that
given to BP in the form of limiting the claims
of others for damages to 75 million dollars.
Yes, they
have to do the clean up but any other damage
cannot total up to more than that. Amazing no?
(052610b) Then, to cap it all off, pardon the
allusion, we
hear that a BP bigwig made the fatal decision
that was, well fatal.
How amazing is
that and still, still the US media does not whip
up the kind of frenzy it does for Palin's
breasts or the dickless wonder McStain.
(052610d)
David Lightman and William
Douglas |
report on the third battle to extend jobless
payments - will ANOTHER repuglican step up to
shit on the plate?
(052510b)
William Rivers Pitt talks
about the
pitfalls of doing what I do, archiving the news.
His selection
of two stories tells the bigger tale of BS and
senseless greed (052410a)
Véronique Sandoval
talks about Ecuador's
problem with the world bank and its "amazing
super powers" that are truly amazing and
super
(052410d) Chris Hedges talks about
how
the "Greeks Get It" and how to deal with
internationalist corporate rip off pig sucking
butt holes
(052410e) George Lakoff exposes
a
"low key" effort to privatize the mortgages of
public housing - yet another rip off?
Jeez when will
these blood sucking, festering pimp holes get
their fill? (052410f)
Mike Whitney reports on
the prospects for a severe downturn. The US, he
says, under Obama made a good decision, much to
the dismay of the big breasted Fox lady and
economic idiots. (052110a) In
contrast, Europe, going the other way, may
create a bigger mess that we'd like to see.
Michael R. Crittenden
reports on the
annoying and dangerous uptick in the number of
banks in
trouble, now
one in ten, because of commercial mortgages and
such like so forth and so on.
(052110b)
R M Cutler
outlines
the Asian markets and their declines in value
and increases in volatility, a sign of distress.
Despite the
US markets "one day play" there is reason for
concern (052110c)
Gavin
Blair has us take a look at Japan's debt crisis,
it is worse than Greece's.
(052110d)
From
Reuters we have another spate of "mass layoffs"
meaning single
incidents where more than 50 are laid off.
Looking at the page the article is on you can
headline notes of a poor trend during this
month. (052210b)
Nick Mottern reports on a
new wrinkle in the mortgage
mess
a decline in those getting default notices and
an increase in those getting tossed
out. Looks
like clearing inventory to me and trying to take
advantage of recent reports that some housing
markets have improved. (052010c) Meanwhile, from
Reuters, we
hear of another day of losses in the markets;
they say a downward trend in on the
way. Who knows
but optimism is scarce. (052010d) David Goldman
chimes in with a blurb concerning the continuing
saga of US
debt being "a global concern" and how Europe's
bad news might be "good fur the
US."
(052010e)
James Howard Kunstler
talks about his fears that everyone
in the world either is broke or is going
broke.
Certainly most all nations are doing bailouts
and instituting austerity plans or cutting
budgets at the very least. Where did all the
money go anyway? (051810c)
From Washington's Blog
we
get the bird's eye lowdown on the financial
caper that is costing
us all plenty, trillions and more as a matter of
fact. (051610g)
John
Feffer reports on the bubble that popped in
Times Square
recently.
(051910a)
John Stossel, in these
days of ever tightening budgets
the
local, state and governmental entities have
figured out how to steal from you, directly.
Without pretense read on if you are
curious.
(052010f)
Robert Weissman
the
battle for banking reform has begun with a loss
for the reform side - not a good
beginning.
(051410a)
Greg Kaufmann
mentions
the big vote to audit the Fed, however the list
of reforms needed in banking is long and
serious. With round one lost one should be
attentive as to how the next rounds pan out.
(051410b)
Reuters
reports that the US deficit for April, you'll
recall that is "tax month", was double what some
thought. One
would think that, at least that one month would
show a positive. The figure indicates economic
pain is still with us (051310f)
From AToL's Spengler we
get a brush
up on our Keynesian economics, which is having a
field day these days, as governments the world
over use the same strategy as the US is to "deal
with it"
(051010b)
William Rivers Pitt offers
some
suggestions for "undoing" this recessional
depression not that the ideas will gain any
traction, but it is good to see someone thinking
out there.
(050910a)
Danny
Schechter covers the thinking that the markets
recent "big dip" was more than "just an
accident" after all the explanation for the
trillion dollar dip was that Greece was having
problems.
Well, the size differential between the supposed
cause and the effect was so large as to belie
this explanation. So what is left? A typo? The
letters have some explanation, a case of a dip
back in the 70's totally fueled by a rumor which
allowed somebody to sell off some "crap" at a
profit. (050810c)
Dean Baker reports on
some
facts and figures that point to some economic
recovery, some thing of an uptick for the common
man, as it
were. Though
doubt, of course, remains for if it is so, it is
early in the game. (050710f)
Scott
Klinger reports on Thursday's "almost crash" of
the markets caused by, drum roll please, a
typo. One
wonders about a system that complex and yet so
fragile and dedicated to a gambler's morality.
(050710a) Mark Trumbull reports on a related
issue that
contributed to the crash, that of "Greek Debt
Fears" and that there may be more in the offing,
see PIIGS for
example
(050710b) and here we have RJ
Eskow talking about what the US government is
"doing" about the financial sector, gutting
their own ideas and caving in to the banks seems
to be the "strategy of choice"
among
Damnocraps with Repuglicans thinking they'll
make some hay off that. (060710c)
Doug
Noland reports on what I call "debt based
economic recovery"
Seems like
that is what all the fuss is about and there are
risks (042810i)
Mike Whitney writes about
the fleecing that is about to begin.
The
mortgage crisis and such like, so forth and so
on has more than a ways to go before it is
"played out".
(042310d) Good set of comments to brouse.
David Leonhardt
revisits
the rent vs. buy arguments and the comments give
a good bit of detail regarding perspectives on
the US economy
(04/2210a)
Aaron
Glantz reports on the latest wrinkle in the US
housing, money, financial, greed and forth and
so on, crisis: people who did everything right
and were "together" get caught up by the
downturn originated by greed and corruption on a
grand scale and now these "good people" may
loose their
homes.
(042010e)
Mike Whitney long
predicted by others, now
that the sub prime mess has nearly run its
course the next wave begins - figures cited show
"trouble ahead." in the housing market.
(041710a)
Marisa
Taylor tells us about the company that make
billions because its honcho predicted and
profited from the housing
mess. Sort of
belies all those who famously said the market
was safe, the disaster couldn't have been
predicted and so forth and so on. (041710e)
Andrew Gavin Marshall this
article posits the
possibility of a greater debt crisis yet to
strike. There
have been signs but when DOES the other shoe
drop? (041510f)
Mike Whitney reports
on
the investigation that is not only going nowhere
fast, it never will. How the fed secretly did
what amounts to laundering for big busted
banks.
(041210d)
The
upcoming crop of college grads may worry about
jobs but they have a better chance than any.
save,
according to other older articles, older workers
with lots of experience. (041210f)
The Mogambo Guru reports,
as has been his wont, about DOOM.
Essentially
he wonders how long the US can spend about three
dollars for every one that it "pulls
in". The
concern is that, at some point, the dollar has
problems that are severe and wide spread.
(040510c) Robert Reich
reports
on one of the men who made all this happen who
is still living in Egypt, that is to say he is
in "denial".
Does he have his own private Idaho or what?
(040510d) Henry A. Giroux has a piece on
the
kind of
society that
has evolved over the past few decades and has
allowed such excess and the problems
aforementioned.(040510f)
Dean Baker reports on a
contradiction to a story of just a few days
ago,
this report claims to show substantial job
growth and is touted as such, trumpeted really
far and wide.
(040310a) Robert Reich talks about
how
the Fed "slipped banks billions on by an
unsuspecting congress" to help
banks.
What lesson does this teach? (040310b)
Caroline Valetkevitch for
Reuters reports that
23,000 jobs were lost in March. To me the real
value in this story was the accounts of various
"experts" all of whom predicted job creation
with estimates that ranged from 40,000 to
200,000.
Another reason to question authority. (033110b)
Reuters has a briefing on
the "big change" now
that the "quantitative easing", read printing up
of money, has staved off general economic
collapse the time is near when they'll have to
reverse that
course.
However, there are dangers - I mean the system
could still collapse if everything does not go
right. (032410d)
Here
is the low down on the "Post-Apocalyptic zombie
finance" by Spengler.
The world is
in on the recirculating of US debt; the system
is unstable and yet, all we hear in the media is
that a nascent recovery is underway. (032310g)
Danny Schechter talks
about the
basics regarding the financial meltdown that is
not really getting coverage: the criminality of
the whole mess
(031910b)
Ellen
Brown lets us in on the idea of community
banks, funded
or organized by states to provide "rational
banking services" to its citizenry. (031810d)
Only in freakin' America
do you get a Robert Rubin, who claims
cluelessness regarding his destruction of the US
economy. Cluelessness? Well the evidence for an
upcoming crash was there, and he got away with
millions. Now he's strutting around trying to
make excuses, as in "who could have seen it
coming". Now
that millions have lost jobs, homes, retirement
and not a few have lost lives, Rubin just
whistles Dixie all the way to his freakin' bank.
(030810f)
From
the BBC we have a report on the Iceland vs.
England, Netherlands and the financial mess
called "IceSave" between
them. The
people of Iceland do not want to be held
responsible for the machinations, incompetence
and greed that led to a financial crisis for the
country and to law suits filed by the
aforementioned duo. (030610b)
Reuters
the question under consideration is how healthy
is the US
dollar.
(030510a)
Ellen
Brown reports on the
myths surrounding the "money crisis" in the US
and the world. Interesting ideas, notions and
theories. Time
is short she says, and how, I would retort
(030410a)
Paul
Craig Roberts is asking
if this "recovery" is real. Much of the touted
5.9% growth is
fictitious and
trouble is looming for the Fed. (030310a)
Peter
Boone and Simon Johnson talk about "shooting
banks" maybe they deserve
it, I mean
they ARE bloated sacks of corruption, it seems
(030310b) Greg
Palast reports on how "Vulture Funds" have
"invested in Liberian debt" and now starve the
progress as well as the people of that
nation.
(030310c)
Robert
Napper reports on an example of how an abandoned
home affects a
neighborhood.
(030110d)
The
Mogambo Guru reports on the US
printing its way out of its problems to the tune
o 31 billion dollars in a single
week. How long
can this "practice of monetizing" go on?
(030110e)
Mike
Elk reports on the BBB, the Big Banking
Bastards, yes I know I am being overly
polite, but
this is, betimes, a family page. The economic
outlook is going to worsen and the lower you are
on the "food chain" the worse it gets. Cities
have been conned, purposefully too, but billions
are already lost. (022610d) It
is happening overseas too, as "Vulture Funds"
ply their "snake oil" to the unwary third world
nations.
(022610e)
Dean Baker asks the
musical question:
If you liked what "experts" did to housing how
would you like them do do that to Social
Security and
Medicare?
(021610a) Michael Hiltzik
brings
you the name of the culprit flogging this dead
dolphin, perhaps as well as his own, and why it
is such a BAD idea
(021610g)
C.M.,
of L'Humanité In
less than a thousand words, or so, we find out
how Greece got
screwed, not
that they were blushing innocent virgins,
hardly. (021610b)
Colin Woodard follows up
on the
Euro-Economic Crisis, with Austria being the
newest member of the PIGS,
perhaps.
(021310e)
Niall Ferguson speculates
that the problem of PIGS Portugal,
Ireland,Greece and Spain is the tip of the
iceberg; with
everyone printing money to chase debt it is only
a matter of time before the process
unwinds
globally. (021010a) Stephen Castle reports on
the Greek
Debt problem that eats away at confidence far
beyond its
borders.
(021010f)
Beverly
Bell Haiti,
unfortunate nation that it is has a history of
abuse and an
unending desire to free itself from the slavery
of debt (021010b)
Reuters
has it that the leading index of Japan has taken
a serious
dump.
(020410c) Reuters
has it that Europe is taking a dump
too! (020410d)
Reuters
also talks about the various reason the US
market also took a
dump
(020410e)
Dean
Baker reports that the
"oft reported threat of a second depression"
being so scary has become the excuse for letting
the asinine response of Bush/Obama get a
pass from the
"man on the street". (020110c)
Ellen
Hodgson Brown reports on the titans battling it
out for influence over banking
reform. The
recent stock market retreat is just one of the
skirmishes of this struggle in which, in my
opinion, there are no heroes, unless Obama "does
the job" (013010c)
Chan Akya gives us the
skinny on the fatso's of 2009 who may loose
weight in 2010. Economic trends and problems
which formed up last year may "bear fruit" this
year. I
guess you cannot print your way out of a
collapse without some kind of
"feedback'
(011910a)
From
the BBC we have another report this one from the
IMF head honcho that a "double dip" recession is
still a threat
despite some good news. It may be pointed out
that the growth, such as it is, is mainly due to
governments around the world doing much the same
as the US. This huge collective deficit is also
a threat but this article "does not go there."
(011810a)
From the BBC we hear the
word not heard
in the US, that being that the Christmas season
was not good for the retailers. Down 6% from the
"effected" figures of a year
ago. Also job
losses were about 85,000 for the month of
December, a month that, traditionally, sees a
strong surge of employment as the "make or break
season' "does its thing" with the economy.
(011410c)
Ambrose
Evans-Pritchard reports on the basics, money
supply for one, issuance of credit or debt for
another and the very grim prospect of a double
dip recession, oh, I mean
depression.
There is a hint that a contraction of the money
flow is in the works, that means we get yanked
up by our balls after being kicked but good in
them. Yikes! (011110b)
If
that is not bad enough from Dean Baker we hear
that, again, social security is being eyed by
the greedy useless wastrels of the
Congress.
Don't let them do it, or if they do it, make
sure they treat the cooperate lushes the same
way, I know I know fat chance, but I have to say
it. (011110c)
Frank
Rich tells us about the last big crash, back in
the 30's when reform to the financial sector
came about, will we get that this time around or
not?
(011001b)
David Goldstein reports on
the substantial uptick in Food Stamp
use,
double digit rate increases reflect the
depressing aspect of this "Great
Recession".
(010910c)
Bob
Herbert The Great Recession's a causes a
"sinking feeling" basic facts quoted give reason
for it.
(010510e)
News
of Hope:
Maggie
Fox reports on a potential breakthrough in the
treatment of
AIDS.
(071110f)
From
the BBC we hear about Frankincense as a possible
cure for cancer
while another
article mentions its use in treating arthritis.
(070310b) Such reports bode well for the
impoverished country which produces it,
Oman.
Shannon
Hayes provides a "ten step process" for
homemakers who want to "save the
planet"
(070110i) She
has a blog too, it is located
here:
(070110j)
We
have coverage of Aung San Suu Kyi and some other
issues. She
is an angel and stands for justice - courageous
in heart and clear of mind - beautiful (062710D)
Frederick
Kirschenmann reports on how agriculture can
change, at least on one
farm.
(062610e) and
part two.
(062610f)
BBC
reports on the "green wall of Africa" an idea
whose time may yet
come. I've
written about this idea, in years past so it is
interesting to see this in the news (061710d)
Mary
Beth Sheridan reports on USAID's
new effort to reach out to the hungry of the
world.
(060710e)
Michael
Mechanic| reports on the "good side" of internet
personal networking sites.
Lives can be
saved. (052210a) Derrick
Z. Jackson reports on the first big wind farm to
get the "go ahead" in the Boston
area.
(050110e)
Tara
Loha brings us a David vs. Goliath story of a
"one
horse town" putting off corporate giant Nestle
when it wanted
to "harvest" the tiny town's spring water, and a
bit more. (032310k)
Cam
McGrath reports on Good News,
how,
in Egypt poor folks, using American know how and
assistance, are cutting their "carbon
footprints" and saving
money.
(010310a) Ellen Hodgson Brown J.D reports that
in the national gloom that has most states
slashing budgets and suffering from collapsing
small business sectors, North
Dakota and Montana have proven exceptions, what
did they do? Read
on! (010310c)
Helda
Martínez reports from Columbia where
indigenous women are reclaiming a would be
desert and gaining much more in the
bargain.
(010310d)
Some
News from our "storied" Past:
Elisabeth