Gareth Porter seems
like
a recent document brandished about and used to
incite further sanctions against Iram is a
forgery and
may have come from, hold your breath, Israel. As
Gomer Pyle once said, "Surprise ... surprise"
(122809g)
Glenn Greenwald reports on
our media's reporting. Apparently
no one remembers names or fact checks all that
well. I mean to say we've often killed the same
terrorist several
times, or said
we did, only to claim, later on, this time we've
go him for sure. I like the examples given, with
sources too. Nice work Glenn (122709b)
Gareth Porter provides a
portrait of the west's double standard regarding
nuclear research. Iran
and South Korea were working on "things" but it
was Iran, the one which had made far less
progress, which was
sanctioned.
Even though the information regarding both
countries came to light within a week of each
other. All the more reason for Iran to "stick to
its guns" as it were. (122109e)
Sam Ferguson reports
on
the America that still prosecutes those who
torture, will
it's not the US of course, but it is close.
(121209f)
Mary Susan Littlepage
reminds us about Tony
"the hum dicker" Blair AKA the "Bastard Bulldog"
and his lying ways of
Warmongering
and turd gulping, just kidding about the last,
really! (113998a)
David Stringer has a
report that repeats the
basics,
Bush and Blair lied their nations into
war. It is
provable, demonstrable and yet, and yet, the two
rat bastards are just sucking up money and
living a good life. (112809f)
Jeremy Scahill gives us
the straight dope on Blackwater's
operations in
Pakistan.
(112309c)
Sudha
Ramachandra reports on the Iran/Pakistan/India
(IPI) pipeline which the US is NOT interested
in seeing
built and which has troubles in a troubled
region. (112209a)
Jeffrey
Kaye talks about the "mysterious deaths" at
GITMO. One
case of self strangulation by a patient under
complete care and constant watch.
(112009d)
R. Jeffrey Smith and Joby
Warrick report on how China
and Pakistan's "father of the the bomb" make
progress through proliferation some years
ago. Nice
(111309b)
Pepe Escobar reports on
the "Stans" and the US
efforts to forestall Russian and Chinese efforts
to secure what they want from the
region.
(110609f)
Jason
Leopold reports on the massacre at Fort Hood by
US soldiers on US
soldiers.
(110509c)
Per
Reuters we have a court ruling in Italy finding
23 US intel agents
guilty of
crimes committed during an "extra - ordinary
rendition" (110409a) - something unheard of in
the "good old days" with the "old Europe" and so
forth.
Michael TE. Klare reports
on a "time travel" story, one that takes us to
2025
where US power is starting to wane. Wake up and
see that it is already happening in
2009.
(102609d)
So, according to Nick
Mottern,
the "great game" or, as I've been calling it,
the "great" war has its oily roots
exposed. We
see quotations from 1998 that are illustrative
and demonstrative. The "pipelineistan" update is
useful, the races are on. But is the jig up?
Well, that's anyone's guess. (102209b)
Asif
Haroon Raja has regional perspective on the
"Af-Pak"
theater. If
you think it is complex already then you won't
mind reading his take on things, very exciting.
(101809i)
And now, from Luke Haring
reporting from Moscow, we get the
europerspective on this "event" as Hillarsaurus
Rex goes to the Ruskies to parley, well, they
are in agreement, except on Iran, others don't
like their pipeline plans, we're not going to
nag them about human rights, they are not "going
our way" when it comes to Georgia and we scrap a
missile system, not that it is any real loss,
except a form of face, anyway, which still
counts for something, just ask the lousy Brits.
So, whadda we get? Well,
maybe MORE than diddly but what? Right on, read
on read the facts mam, just the
facts
(101309a)
Paul R. Pillar, a CIA and
intel expert has this salient quote:
"The
preparations most important to the Sept. 11,
2001, attacks took place not in training camps
in Afghanistan but, rather, in apartments in
Germany, hotel rooms in Spain and flight schools
in the United States."
(101109c) He
does not mention that most all of the 9/11 group
was from Saudi Arabia. So, if we are in
Afghanistan to "root out AQ" which we've done,
prevent their using the place as a haven, which
we've done, and weaken them generally, which
we've done, then what is the real reason we ARE
there?
From Truthout Newswire:
Robert
Fisk brings the long term in to immediate focus
when talking of a raft of nations wanting to
decouple the dollar from oil.
The
theoretical implications being fiscally dire ,
however the salient data points of his article
are here, note the word "clash" and its context:
The Americans, who are aware the meetings have
taken place - although they have not discovered
the details - are sure to fight this
international cabal which will include hitherto
loyal allies Japan and the Gulf Arabs. Against
the background to these currency meetings, Sun
Bigan, China's former special envoy to the
Middle East, has warned there is a risk of
deepening divisions between China and the US
over influence and oil in the Middle East.
"Bilateral quarrels and clashes are
unavoidable," he told the Asia and Africa
Review. "We cannot lower vigilance against
hostility in the Middle East over energy
interests and security."
(100609b)
From Truthout Newswire:
Robert
Fisk brings the long term in to immediate focus
when talking of a raft of nations wanting to
decouple the dollar from oil.
The
theoretical implications being fiscally dire ,
however the salient data points of his article
are here, note the word "clash" and its context:
The Americans, who are aware the meetings have
taken place - although they have not discovered
the details - are sure to fight this
international cabal which will include hitherto
loyal allies Japan and the Gulf Arabs. Against
the background to these currency meetings, Sun
Bigan, China's former special envoy to the
Middle East, has warned there is a risk of
deepening divisions between China and the US
over influence and oil in the Middle East.
"Bilateral quarrels and clashes are
unavoidable," he told the Asia and Africa
Review. "We cannot lower vigilance against
hostility in the Middle East over energy
interests and security."
(100609b)
Chan Akya reports on the
"terrorists of south Asia. The
angry young men are being played, of course, but
it seems that once a terror group gets its
funding then, of course, other players want to
play also, and
as time changes so do the players playing the
"teams" so no wonder we have the chaos we do in
Pakistan, for instance. (100509a)
Pepe Escobar writes on
Pipelinistan's European connection.
Apparently
the various pipeline plans in the works, working
and being dreamt of are the pawns being used in
the great game currently played by the players
in the region,
not just Russia and the US, though they are the
"heavies". Russia has the edge while US plans
seem to be in the "pipe dream" phase still.
This, as Pepe says, is the story that under
girds much of what is passing for "real news" in
Asia these days, the Georgian war, Iran,
Afghanistan and Pakistan to name a few.
(100209a)
Ed
Kinane reports on the new base that US drone
pilots use. It is in New York City.
New Yorkers
may not, as a whole, be aware of this, have any
influence over the whether or not the pilot's
can be based there or thinking about this issue
in terms of blow back, read 9/11.
(093009a)
Michael
B. Farrell reports on the string of terrorist
arrests in the
US.
Speculation is thin, timing may be everything
and the Patriot Act is nearing its time for
renewal. You speculate. (092709d)
Adam
Entous reports on the "debate" over Iranian
involvement with Afghanistan's
resistance.
Whether or not it's a fact, the "take away
point" is that Iran COULD decide to ramp things
up if threatened or attacked.
(092109b)
Bryan
Bender writes about a US company seeking to
amend a proposal in the UN that would limit the
number of bomblets a cluster bomb could
have. They
argue that since 99% of their bomblets go off
that their weapon is clean. Amazing. The article
is stunning in its subtle portrayal of greed and
what is acceptable in terms of collateral
damage. (092009c)
You may well remember
Muntazer al-Zaidi, if not by name then by shoe.
This
piece contains some of what he said by way of
explaining why he threw his shoes at G.W.,
"the snarfing
turd whacker" Bush. (091909f)
Gareth Porter has it that
the
IAEA has ignored the possibility that the
evidence used to suggest that Iran was forging
ahead with a nuclear program was
forged.
(091509a)
Sreeram Chaulia has this
"mountain
out of a mole hill" story concerning the
"adventure of a hijacked ship called the Arctic
Sea, the cooling off of US Israeli relations
under Obama and the possibility that Israel may
be seeking out Russian interest in common
issues,
perhaps such as Iran becoming nuclear.
(091409e)
William Rivers Pitt
presents a piece that looks at columnist George
"the fag monster" Will. Who
once championed excesses that were beyond even
George "whore mouth" Bush.
Now, however,
he's against the wars he cheered on. Amazing.
(090609a)
Peter
J. Brown, wars in space? Killer micro
satellites?
Once far fetched now, innovation, makes the
impossible possible (090109g)
Jeremey
Scahill, reports on "flushing
Blackwater"
which is just the most visible rotten apple on
the tree. (083009a)
M.K. Bhadrakumar, reports
on the
confusing moves and countermoves that the US and
Russia are engaging in relative to the Asian
heartland.
Alliances flip flop, motives are inscrutable and
the game is definitely on.
(082409d)
From
today's Slate: 08/16/09 we have the digest,
Iran, Afghanistan and
more.
(081609m)
Reza
Kahlili has it that the US should support the
"voices of change" in Iran.
He worked for
the CIA undercover in Iran, saw horrible things
and now, ignoring the fact that the protesters
themselves have, and for some time, said the US
has NOT been helpful in their cause, in fact, US
efforts to help them have only backfired. What's
a super power to do. (081109p)
Mark Townsend reports from
Jolly
Olde Englande that extraordinary rendition
flights through, over or landing on British
territories
must have a
paper trail but the problem is finding the
papers. As in the US with millions of emails and
disappearing video tapes of torture, well,
things DO get lost. (080809e)
M.K. Bhadrakumar reports
on the thrusts and parries
in
the Great Game unfolding in Central
Asia.
(081109m)
Dahn
Jamail reports on the "homeland effect" the
collateral damage that returning
veterans of
the current wars have on themselves and those
they know. I might point out that the figure of
300K PTSD cases is lower than other figures I've
read and the backlog in dealing with that
"effect" was predicted as the war began. Yet
nothing was done about it in terms of
preparation. It was going to be a cakewalk, a
few weeks long, or maybe months remember Rummy
Dumdum's words? (081109h)
A
catch all of headlines and nut shells from ICH
dated
07/31/09. Just
browse along and see what the world looks like
to someone who is looking.
(073109j)
From Lukery at Daily Kos,
we heart that
Bin Laden worked with the US and its allies up
to 9/11, when,
of course, "the world changed". Some interesting
details, but who is surprised, really, after all
he was "our man." (073109i)
Abdujalil Abdurasulov
reports from Tajikistan
where the conflicts of Pakistan and Afghanistan
may be
spreading. New
US supply routes are probably the ultimate
target of the resistance.
(073109d)
Jeremy Scahill reports on
the allegations that Blackwater's
owner, Erik Prince, has been accused of murder
and the
company of various forms of corruption seated
from the top on down, or so it seems.
(080509a)
From the Mainichi Daily
News we see the figures that
52%
of the wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan have
TBI, traumatic
brain injuries. The total wounded in these wars
has one consider that the number of TBI patients
may be one to two hundred thousand.
(072609e)
Greg Miller reports on
the
continuing saga of "limp dick" Cheney
and his hidden
hit squad. (072609d)
From Tom Dispatch we can
read of David Bromwich's take on
how
America's "self image" regarding its military
and "entanglements overseas" has changed, and
radically so, from our founding
principles,
our original "mission" to free our people from
the then European blight on constant warring.
Part of this is due to a numbing acceptance of
"wars being normal" note the plural.
(072209e)
William
Rivers Pitt talks about the brouhaha regarding
the torture
scandal, all
the more salient now that a US soldier is in the
hands of the Taliban and may face "enhanced
interrogations" as Ronald "dickwad" Dumbsfeld or
G.W. Jackass, or John Poo have called them
(072209a)
Eric Margolis, gives
an
overview of the politics of assassination in US
policy. He
also says, of course, that the US is not alone
in this behavior. (072109e)
Jeremy
Scahill reports on the Cheney Hit Squad
stories.
What's new, it seems, is that hit squads or
targeted assassinations are not at all new. I
guess we knew that, such things happen when you
topple governments for decades.
(071609b)
Arrundhati Roy poses the
musical and million dollar question:
What
happens after a nation "gets democracy"? What
happens when it "goes
bad"?
Interesting food for thought here, and a long
time in coming. (071509f) Although she talks
mainly of India and Pakistan much of what she
says applies to the good old US of A.
Seymour Hersh reports on
Cheney's
personal assassination squad
and how Bush,
in a way, told the nation about it and got
cheers, really. Amazing, no? (071509a) From Greg
Miller we have another story,
LA
Times, reports that although the program was
secret, for years, it has been
scrapped.
(071509c)
Maurice
Ulrich, writes about the vast struggle for
equality and
the debate over what equality means.
(071409f)
Joseph
Stiglitz gives us some outline of the cost of
the current
wars. The
figures are not really in, but they'll be
staggering nonetheless (070709e)
Gareth
Porter, gives word on how Washington, the FBI
and other agencies, seemingly did was was
necessary to ignore Bin Laden and Al
Qaida on Saudi
Arabia's word, despite knowing better. (070309f)
Another
part of the
story
(070309g) shows how Al Qaida was let off the
hook. And
here is how the scapegoat was
found,
packaged and sold American
(070309h)
Dafna Linzere and Peter
Finn discuss the future of Gitmo
and the "legacy" of G.W.Dumbass' sickly
administration,
another mess
Obama has to hold his nose and clean up.
(062809b)
Steve Weissman reports on
how American
influence in Iran has been and is ongoing and
how this is muddying the water regarding the
popular protests
going on. One
might speculate that some in the West prefer Mr.
A, the current president, because he's so
"helpful" in demonizing the country.
(062809a)
Michael Schwirtz reports
that
Kyrgyzstan has reversed
itself and is
allowing the US to continue to use is Manas air
base.
(062309d) this has been a bit of a pawn between
the conflicting ambitions of Russia and the US.
Jamie Doward, Gaby
Hinsliff and Mark Townsend give some details to
the memo, mentioned long ago, which may see the
light of day, that concerned
the prewar
decision by Blair and Bush to "go
military"
even if it meant provoking Iraqi fire on
disguised US
aircraft.
(062209a)
Mind, this is while they were both talking about
diplomacy and such like.
Nuclear
devastation? You've all seen movies depicting
it, but you
don't have to go to the movies to see it, it's
already happening and, conveniently enough,
right here in the U.S. of A. Of course we do
export the poison, at the point of a gun no
less, to Iraq and other nations.
(062009h)
My comment
to the comments on this article is: Time is
short folks. This is but one tale of hundreds.
By that I mean instances where government policy
is an important factor in the death rate in the
population ruled by that government. The US
alone has a quarter million deaths a year
attributable to this. Think of the dead from the
following: a lack of real health care or medical
incompetence, the use of legal drugs and
cigarettes, the use of handguns, industrial
accidents, some car accidents and so forth,
those who disappear each year, children and
adults. The effects of poverty. Americans kill
more Americans than anyone else
does.
Many
governments around the world have similar clean
up jobs to do. And this is not meant to excuse
the US from its role in the advertence or
inadvertence of DU pollution.
Lisa
Lambert reports that the jobless rate has
jumped, and so
one of the touted "green sprouts of recovery"
has withered. Not a good sign at all, really.
(062009g)
Jeremy Scahill illuminates
how the
Ir-Af-Pak war is now fully a
Democrat/Obama
affair. They had a chance to shut it down or, at
the very least, pare it back, but they did not.
It is full steam ahead and "away we go!"
(061709e) John Nichols covers the
32
House Dems that do not back bad wars or busted,
corrupt banks.
(061709d)
Jason
Leopold reports on the "legalization of
torture". In
this article Bush, itself, is seen as more
connected to the "torture thing" than he's ever
let on. Someday justice will prevail in this
world. Someday may come soon, not soon enough
for me or for those the US had run through a
gauntlet of vicious and horrific experiences
which, ultimately, provided scant "bang for the
buck". (061709c)
Tom Englehardt reports on
the latest neologism, the Ir-Af-Pak war, meaning
the theater of operations including Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Obama, he
says, is charming and disarming
but
the plain fact is that we are "into" man
hunters and
the kind of counter insurgency that we "went
for" in Vietnam.
(061509b)
Michael Winship answers
the question:
Just how many
contractors are in the Af-Pak, Iraq wars?
nearly
a quarter million and the number is
growing, just
as under Bush.
(060609i)
Glenn Greenwald reports on
the reports that report how DOJ lawyers agreed
to the "torture techniques" however, if one
reads the actual emails cited, one can see that
the NYT reporters Scott
Shane and David Johnston were rather free of the
basic facts
when writing their article.
(060709e)
A look at Slate's news
paper coverage, Bin
Laden speaks, attempts to upstage
Obama in the
Mideast, something about the Bush Admin's
"understanding" concerning West Bank Building
and some interest in interest rates increasing
(060409a)
UN Calls for Inquiry on
"Unacceptably
High" Civilian Death Toll in Sri Lanka?
So why do we
hear nothing regarding Iraq or Afghanistan? What
has happened to any investigation regarding
Gaza? (053109a)
Jason Leopold's article
has the Abu Ghraib controversy getting a bit of
a boost. The article has it that General Taguba
says he saw the video and photographic
evidence
of rape and
sodomy. This
was a couple of years back.
(052909a)
As if the "Georgia
Adventure" will end, the headline is that
Georgia
will become a NATO member,
at some point,
somehow. Specifics are not forthcoming, but war
games are going on. Russia is not pleased but,
for now, little is to be done.
(052509d)
Pepe Escobar has it that
the
success of one pipeline's means the other is
defeated. So
the US and NATO loose out while our competitors
may, for a time brag, but the kicker is that
Balochistan's dreams become all the more
poignant. (052809e)
Something
of the mess that is
Guantanamo.
Prisoners which we admit are held illegally
cannot be released. Prisoners that are known to
be innocent are retained because no one knows
where to send them once they are released.
(052309b). Gee, thanks George, "old limp dick"
Bush for saving us from these vital
threats!
This
is the "soft invasion" the "soft conquest"
that of the
destruction or replacement of a nation's
culture. Iraq suffers from this but it is a
problem that goes back decades as does some
pithy commentary in this article a very
worthwhile brief by Dahr Jamail.
(052709a)
I
wonder what Cheney the "limp link" would make of
the rape photos being repressed?
I mean would
Donald Dumbsfeldt think it was "the kind of
prank that college kids pull?
(052809a)
The
expanding Af-Pak war, the six ways it is
stretching itself, and the US, as bit more than
one would
expect.
(052209b)
The
March of Fools, how a big organization, such as
a government, can make silly mistakes,
such as
Vietnam and repeat them, as with Afghanistan,
decades later (052109b)
So,
not only does Obama not shut down "Gitmo", the
courts say he can still imprison without
evidence indefinitely
(052109c)
Closing
Guantanamo is a "dead duck", the Senate having
prevented just that.
In my mind the
arguments used for defending this "inaction" are
particularly weak. The very existence of the
prison is harmful to our international image and
endangers our troops because its existence is a
recruitment tool for the those fighting US
military forces. (052009b)
Why
Cheney, aka the "dickless wonder" or "Mr. Short
link" is being such a lout mouth these days,
could Sy Hersh be right? that he's trying to get
ahead of the torture
scandal, the
parts we have not yet seen the "hard core kid
sodomy" and "mother rapes" and so forth?
(051809a)
And who were the persons
that saw to it that torture became a part of the
interrogation methods employed by the US armed
forces? We
know the 13 names, and they are here
(051809d)
Some
pursue the "torture" 12. Here is why it is a
good idea. I
wouldn't mind Bush the dumber doing the perp
walk. That would be cool.
(052209d)
Cheney, "the short link"
Dick blabbers on but does make one correct
remark, amazing I know. He
admitted that one of the reasons "they" hate us
is our foreign policies and our support for
Israel.
(052209c)
Are
we in for a "long war"? There are words of
caution being heard by congress, but to
what
effect?
(051909d)
For
those who thought Obama meant what he said about
shutting down Guantanamo or ending torture, this
story is a
disappointment.
We have a new term: "being IRF'ed" or "IRF ing"
as it were. Smashing noses, heads in toilets,
smashing faces, breaking bones, blinding, and
much, much more! All while medical personnel
look on, lovingly and who then repair the
damages done. (051609b)
Rummy
Dumb Dumb's boys have a history of shoot
outs,
or rather shoot ups. It is a sad history
actually, and seems to be counter productive, as
one might put it. (051609c)
How
about lying to congress and, by that means, to
the American
people? Will
the CIA be held to account?
(051509d)
No matter
what
the wing nut /aluminum foil cap contingent of DC
and Tel Aviv
the reasoning
against making a strike on Iranian nuclear
facilities still stands (050509c)
What
is FUD? An acronym for "fear, uncertainty and
doubt". The means for manipulating millions many
times. The
identification of a problem does not mean it is
cured. The ruinous effect of the public's
distrust of the information it receives is
evident each time anyone asks, "Where did you
hear that?" (050309a)
It
seems that we must have a paper trail leading
from the torture cells to the office
cubicles
(051209b)
And
what does the "common man" the "man on the
street" think of
torture, well,
as I 've said before until there is access to
the process that formulates that questions we
may not have a clear idea.
(051209c)
In a letter to a friend:
Now that that
is said, be wary. Be careful and cautious. For
although we do have a new administration and I
am very glad the election went as it did, in the
fact that anywhere from 4 to 6 million voters,
most all democratic, were not counted one way or
another. We have severe problems that are
currently being masked by the recent surge in
the markets which is, essentially, based only
upon the current bailout programs, however
misguided and ineffective they might be
ultimately. As long as there is a flooding of
cash the "top of the pyramid" will remain stable
and belief in the dollar, domestically and
globally, will stand. If that changes we'll have
a problem which makes recent reports of China
scaling back markedly on its purchasing of US
debt worrying. Also, both wars are currently
being expanded, not contracted. In Iraq, the US
is not doing the expansion so much as the
insurgents are as a developing blood feud
between the US backed government and the US
backed groups that have been called the
Awakening Councils, ramps up. The war in
Afghanistan can no longer be called that, it is
being called the Afgan-Pak theater, because this
cross border conflict is now impinging on both
Kabul and Islamabad. Look for changes there and
soon. We have global warming and just this
weekend I made note of the rainfall pattern in
San Francisco. When I arrived here 35 years ago
the wet season began sometime in late November
and persisted through February and into early
March. During the last few years I have noticed
it shift and this year the wet season began in
February and we're still having rain in May.
This is a large shift. My thinking is that
global warming will bring more rain to
California in general and, with warmer
temperatures, the state could see an even better
growing season and an expansion of the areas
suitable for growing crops. This would be true
in the near term, the five to ten year
frame.
Of course you,ve heard
of the swing flu event. This sort of thing may
occur more often as microorganisms, of various
types, take advantage of the warming and expand
their ranges into human areas or visa versa.
Latest on the polar melting: we may have an ice
free Arctic in as few as five
years.
The
phrase "the American Century" is falling away,
according to this writer, because the thing
itself is
ending.
(042809d)
So he writes to his friend
Jimmy:
Thanks, as always, for
the ranting, bug eyed, scatological take on the
current scene being played upon the worlds
stage. Is it much ado about nothing? Are we
waiting for Godot? Who is the playwright and who
has the copyright? What ARE the reviewers
saying? Do we get ANY good press? Do we deserve
it? And what is it that stinks so damned much I
choke when I patrol the news?
My pet theory is that
chaos, all this chaos, is working FOR some set
of people. Oh, we can trace the money easily
enough, after all the Federal Budget is a public
document, but that wouldn't be the whole story,
not by a long shot, as you would noddingly
agree, even as you read this. No, there IS some
set of people who love this gang banging foreign
policy of ours, they're making out hand over
fist. My take is that these people are fascists,
and while we might have the American kind, the
English kind, the Euro kind, the Russian,
Chinese and the Zionist kind, maybe it is more
than that. Maybe there has been some
consolidation in the West as one might infer
from the growth of NATO and its far flung
enterprises. Maybe the democracies of the west
have been co-opted for the perverse purposes of
some dark cabal bent on obtaining world
domination, even if it means doing it in
disguise while prompting everyone else in the
world to fight each other. They'd then garner
profits and influence to the point where they
get their new age to finally dawn. And while it
remains to be seen just who these folks are, we
can see some of it, easily, Bush's connection to
the NAZI regime, the heavy influence of the
Zionists, such institutions as the independent
central bank and deep connections with most all
the previous colonial powers. The tool used to
ruin the United States has been the
deterioration of the rule of law, personal greed
and the systematic corruption that has been
brought to fester in the heart of every portion
of every public institution. Also we the people
have little real information, no real power to
change our representatives decisions and only
minuscule access to influence the course of
government. We have a shadow government still,
perhaps we always have.
So what do I say about
it? What does anyone care about what I say about
it, or anything for that matter. So why do I
write? Why do I not only persist but persevere,
seemingly as if it mattered, I mean to anyone,
besides myself, or, really, even, to myself?
I mean what IS up with that?
Seems
like the ongoing disagreement between the US and
Israel, regarding the "nation
building" of
Palestine keeps "nosing up" in to the news.
(042209a)
Hypocrisy your name is
G.W. "jackass" Bush, "the brainless, ball-less
wonder. Here
we see what we thought of the Geneva conventions
before Iraq and then
after. What is
that they say about the goose and gander? The
pot calling the kettle black?
(042009a)
President
George W. Bush ... issued a written
determination on February 7, 2002, "that Common
Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions,
which would
have afforded minimum standards for humane
treatment, did not apply to al-Qaeda or Taliban
detainees." So, this OK for torture, does that
mean he'll be held to account for it? Obama?
Hello? (042509a) And here we have the nicely
dovetailing:
fact that torture does not really
work,
something that was known at the time GW Jackass
made that written determination, decider my
pimply buttock! (042509b)
It
seems that US signals to Iran and Israel need to
be clear and
unequivocal as the potential for an open rift
with the US regarding policies toward the
Palestinians and any idea of attacking
Iran.(041309c)
Take a happy jaunt back to
the "big day" when this "great" war started,
9/11, when you read this page that talks about a
building in china that had
far more flames than any of the 9/11 buildings
and yet it did not
collapse.
There are problems with the 9/11 fabrication,
but you can check out the video on the page for
yourself. (040909e)
Graveyard
thinking in the Obama teams? An once over of the
cost of shifting to the Afgha-Pak
war.
(040209f)
The
new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan
- reminds us
that 'al-Qaeda and its allies - the terrorists
who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks' -
continue to be active in both nations we are
warned that al-Qaeda still seeks to kill 'as
many of our people as possible' and is 'actively
planning further attacks on the US homeland from
its safe haven in Pakistan thus 'our men and
women fight and die our national security - is
at stake" (040209a) Closely
related to that story is this, illustrative of
one of the problems US policy faces in the
area (040209c)
Spain
has an official need to talk to some of our Bush
Administration people about
torture. What
I want to know is when will they go after the
beg weenie himself? (032909b)
The
Information Clearing House, dated 03/2709, has
an interesting set of headlines and
briefs. Obama
talks about Al Qaida's intent to attach the US
and that we need to eliminate it. Sound like
Bush's words to you? Does that matter? Banking
crisis to come, Israel expands it's war against
Palestine to Sudan and more chaos to come.
(032709e)
Pipelineistan,
the region of central Asia crisscrossed with
pipelines,
loaded up with petroleum and being contested by
both the west via the US and NATO and the east,
via the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,
comprising Russia, China, India and the stans as
well as Iran. (032509e)
There
is a lot of evidence concerning the CIA torture
of prisoners,
we may not need the video that was destroyed
when it was supposed to be saved.
(032309b)
Cheney's
"assassination ring" is being
uncovered.
(031209a)
The
latest wrinkle in the economy's downturn is that
recruitment for the army is
up, way up, in
comparison to recent quarters or years.
(030109a)
The
ICA page of this date: 02/21/09 has a raft of
briefs about the current global
status. Lots
of problems are outlined and the solutions seem
brief. (022109d)
The
war on US citizens, the Military Commissions Act
of 2006.
(021609f)
A
series of developments, Iran's launch of a
satellite, the base closure in Kyrgyzstan, a
blown bridge in the Khyber Agency and
more.
(020609f)
Kyrgyzstan's
leader wants the US base to
close. Says
things haven't changed at the Manas Base. so is
ti just posturing or does Russia's billions in
aid man a pay off? Some more on that , it seems
there is a delay in a vote, but this is a one
man show so
bargaining must be going
on.
(020509g)
Now
it seems Kyrgyzstan's
decision to close the base is
final, yet the
US says talk is happening and there is an offer
from a neighboring state to replace the base.
(020609c)
So
it seems push IS coming to shove, albeit
peaceably thus
far. The US
and Russia replay Kipling's Great Game.
(020409d) Then
we get a "whoah baby" moment, with the nation's
legislative body weighing in to consider the
bribes .. oh,
uh .. offer. (020409g)
Seems
like the base will close and Russia is making an
offer for transport, but won't allow lethal
cargo nor, it
seems troops going to and from the theater.
(020809b)
This
war's cost, some 400,000 American casualties,
has come home,
in the form of disability, health care needs and
many other forms of support. (012909a) - oh,
yes, it was predicted.
Europe's
News:
Ellen
Hodgson Brown J.D. talks about
nations
in Europe going bankrupt but "walking" from
instead of "talking" to the
IMF, much as
Argentina did some ten years back and with a
substantial success. (121609c)
Conor
O'Clery Irelands economy is the pits and that is
saying something. With
their national government leaders taking pay
cuts to "lead by
example"
(120909a)
Labor
unrest is scattered in Europe but the trend is
for more as
the economic downturn becomes more and more
painful. (020409b) There is, the UN's emailed
newsletter, dated 01/26/09, stories are about
Iceland's government failing due to the economic
crisis and reports of restless crowds in eastern
Europe. These developments, coinciding with the
riots in Greece.
Spain:
Spain's
debt has less luster now that it has gone
negative.
(121009a)
Here
is the skinny on the
Spanish judges who are making waves the world
over, especially in the US, China and Israel.
The Spanish government is catching flack and
those opposing the activist judges say that
unless there is some direct connection to Spain
or Spanish citizens then the case cannot go
forward. To
those I say that when Al Qaida bombed the trains
in Spain that put the any aspect of the US war
on terror and the middle east on the table. As
to China, I'd say this, what if there were
Tibetans in Spain who have become citizens? I
think that would serve, no?
(052509e)
England:
David Sirota talks about
verifying those who are supposed to verify, for
example were
the English people told the "45 minute WMD"
threat of Saddam was intel that was gathered
from a cabbie, I think they would not have been
as gung go to go
in. (122609a)
but the kicker is, knowing that, and about other
damned lies of Blair's Bastards those people are
still roaming free, England still has a force in
Iraq and is partnered in the "success" of that
war effort. Amazing. Of course, this is an
American who is writing this, no really, and
stop laughing so hard.
Neil
Clark: A trial would be warmly welcomed by
millions &endash; so what happens next?
Yes the Tony
"the ball-less wonder" Blair may be stand
accused of crimes against humanity, would that
Bush were this close. Why is the US so damned
bass backwards when it comes to just about
everything? (121709a)
France:
An
outpouring of millions protest the current
government's methods for dealing with the
economic
crisis.
(032009b)
Greece:
Some
unrest continues, annoying attacks on police
stations and
personnel.
(020409f)
From
the BBC and likewise with debt problems
we
have Greece setting its own records in the
financial time bomb
category.
(121009b)
Ireland:
It
seems the global downturn has raised the
"unprintable" ire of many
here. Just as
in other countries bankers get bailouts and the
common folk are charged on the bill
(022109a)
Bosnia:
Nigel
Morris reports a warning to the EU regarding
Bosnia. Forces
are at work, Russia included, to undo what was
done and to "make a new difference". Peace is
not really peaceful. (081309d)
Muddle
East News, Central Theater:
Gaza,
Israel,
Lebanon,
Palestine
and Syria
The
area in general:
John
Hughes gives a brief overview of the progress in
women's rights in the middle east
region
(112809e)
From Pierre Puchot,
Mediapart, we hear about the
rise of holocaust denial, in the context of the
structure of the alternate views of history
being promulgated by every interested party to
the resolution of the "Palestinian
Question" A
revealing perspective on the history of anti
Semitism is part of the mix.
(111209f)
From
Magus Norell we understand that efforts to arm
the Palestinians are
ongoing, this
shipment was, they say, coming by sea.
(111209g)
Jimmy
Carter speaks on the Goldstone Report and the
plight of the Gazan
people.
(110809a) Thailif Deen reports on the
UN's
Affirming vote concerning the report,
however, like
the many other UN resolutions concerning any
criticism of Israel it too
Josh
Mitnick reports on a shipment of arms found
aboard a ship that would have docked,
eventually, in a Syrian
port. There is
some disagreement as to who the arms were really
meant for, though not in Israeli minds -
everyone else has some doubts.
(110409d)
Al
Jazeera has a story
concerning
the "effectiveness of US policy in the Muddle
East, housing
demolition's in East Jerusalem.
(102709b)
From
Ken Shulman we have a report on the "other key"
to a lasting Middle East peace, which happens to
be water. With
populations on the rise, water fall diminishing
we can see a increasing possibility of
chaos
taking a more active role in how the nations
treat with each other. (092409b)
Ira
Chernus reports on the changing nature of the
debate concerning what
an "anti-Semite" is among people in Israel and
the US.
(063009h)
Via
Tom Dispatch we hear Ira Chernus speak of
the
continuing sea change in the perspective of US
citizens regarding Israel and
Palestine.
There has been a significant shift but some
essentials remain static.
(062609c)
Rory
McCarthy illuminates the criticism leveled by
President Jimmy Carter at NuttyYahoo's recent
speech responding to President Obama's Cairo
speech. Jimmy
thinks things are worse off for what the "Big
Nut" said, but I have to ask: "Are we surprised
yet?"
(061609c)
NuttyYahoo
says a Palestinian state is on the
table, but
with limitations and not that the Palestinian
street accepts such limits however welcome a
state may be (061409a)
Ira
Chermus reports on the growing chances for
Israeli Palestinian peace, not because of what
is happening "over there" but because
of
a sea change in the opinions of the American
Jewish population's
opinion.
(060909f)
Michael
Scheuer has an analysis of Osama's reaction to
Obama's speech. The
upshot is Obama provided a "scorecard" if you
will that will allow Osama et al to evaluate
progress. So now, it's "show
time".
(060909c)
Daniel
Luban reports on the "three state" solution to
the muddle east sit/com: Gaza goes to Egypt, and
the west bank goes to
Jordan. The
idea is taking hold in the radical right of the
US and Israel because its appeal lay in solving
the problem without really solving it. Foisting
it, instead, upon the two aforementioned
neighbors of Israel who don't like the idea one
bit. I report on it because it shows the
perversion to which the "thinking" of the far
right has fallen to. (060709a)
Noam
Chomsky talks about the current "policy gap"
between the US and Israel. Stories recently
reporting on disagreements between the two
allies. However, this
article shows that nothing much has really
changed while the Palestinians in both Gaza and
the West Bank have an ever worsening
situation.
(060809c)
The
US and Israel in a public disagreement over an
issue that is both immediate and
substantive?
Seems like Paul Richter and Christi Parsons and
Richard Bordeaux have the word on this
(052909b
More
on the developing rift between the
US
and Israel vis-a-vis the "Palestinian
Problem"
(042309c)
"Bin
Baddin‚ just won't stay quiet, but he talks
and the world
listens,
somewhat, these days, but Gaza is the "cause
celebrate"(031409a)
It
seems that a looming disagreement between the US
and Israel is taking shape
as the two
nations move in different directions as regards
Iran, Palestine and the region in general.
(022009c)
And
this later story outlines
how this disagreement is taking
form.
(030309c) Part
two, more details
(030309d)
As
the US makes some "positive noise" in and about
the middle east Israel's right wing tilt makes
for "interesting
times"
(021509c)
Turkish
flags being waved enthusiastically by
Arabs? Yup,
Davos made a hero out of the leader of Turkey
after he berated The Big
Jew.(020509f)
Another
day another set of attacks … seems like
peace to me
(020109e)
Obama's
speech to the Arab world was done with a Saudi
based media company, he backed Israel and
ignored the Palestinian side of the
issue. Sounds
like a new way forward to
me!(012909c)
This
is a recap of the most recent "exchange" between
Hamas, allegedly and Israeli
forces. The US
has a "big diplomat" in the region; if in 6
months or certainly a year, if nothing has
changed; the prospects of an orderly and
rational resolution to the problem will dwindle
&endash; I don't think that the Arabs or
Palestinians have much more patience.
(012809d)
Five
questions for consideration when looking at the
"solutions" for the "Palestinian Problem"
(012709e) So
what if this was the "whole idea" that if the
"Muslim world" were to "explode" it would first
assault those nations that are both closest to
it and having "a history" with them: Russia,
India and China for example. All of them have
Muslim minorities, which can be encouraged in
their restlessness. Right now, that may have
been the meaning of the Bush presidency,
creating a ruckus in the back yards of several
of America's global competitors. A multi
generational regional ruckus, one that will grow
with time and which will continue, as it does
now, being self-fueled. Fascists in the US must
be mighty satisfied at this turn of events. Why,
all the US has to do is "pull out" of Iraq and
Afghanistan to unleash a torrent of chaos and
unrest in a vital region of the world. Clean up
will be profitable. So, maybe Bush served well
enough, indeed?
Saudi's
making noise, or is it talking tough, or what
passes for tough from
them?
(012409c)
The
analysis purports to show how the IDF achieved
"all of its goals" in
Gaza In the
press just before and during the war many things
were said or claimed to be the goals Hamas being
dealt a death blow, the cessation of rocket and
mortar attacks and the sealing of the border
between Gaza and Egypt so that tunnels and arms
shipments would be halted. As far as I can tell
none of these were achieved. Yes, Hamas was
forced into a kind of cease fire reversing
itself on its insistence that they'd fight on
until Israeli forces left, and they made false
claims regarding their effectiveness. Yes
Israeli forces managed to improve their tactics
to keep their losses low and do damage. But no,
it seems, nothing much has changed at this time
regarding the three objectives. Hamas is not
currently firing into Israel, but one wonders
how long this "peace" will last or how long the
north or east "fronts" will remain calm.
(012409a)
Well
so much for the calm and "quiet" southern border
area.
(012409b)
The
day of and the day after a cease-fire was
separately announced by both sides rocket fire
from Gaza went into
Israel. Even
Israeli commentators admit that the war was just
a war and that if it made any change in the
situation it was for the worse.
(011809a)
A
post war post mortem, as it were, Hamas did not
do the damage that Hezbollah was able to
wreak. My
thought is this: terrain. Gaza is small, low,
and mainly flat in comparison to
Lebanon.(011909b)
Gaza:
Max
Strasser reports on the continuing blockade of
Gaza which with a new wall by Egypt, US support
of Israel and continuing devastation
makes
2010 look to be the worst ever for that
suffering
nation. I call
it a nation. (123109a) Jean Athey provides
stories of how the recent
protests by "foreigners in Egypt are getting
headlines in
support of breaking that blockade, but little is
to be expected with so much US aid buying off
Egypt and so much "at stake" with Israel.
(123109c)
Ian
Black reports on a movement in Europe to get the
EU on board to relieve the blockade of
Gaza.
(122209b)
Erin
Cunningh talks about
Gaza's energy problem with Israel keeping its
hand on the spigot they can control what
happens, what's happening is
suffering. The
war goes on. (120509a)
Alice
Walker writes of what she saw when she went to
Gaza after the
recent "war" as it has been called. Women's life
is hard in many places, harder still here. A
good article that gives details rich with life
itself. (072609g)
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KA27Ak01.html
"Ghosts" getting set to retaliate against
Israel. Time will tell if the report is just
speculation or if Hamas does have "tens" of
bombers inside Israel already.
(012609e)
http://www.truthout.org/012309K
One of Israel's chief war aims was to destroy
the tunnels used to transport goods into Gaza,
well, clearly that objective failed.
(012309a)
Israel:
Ian
Black reports on an explosive kind of story that
Israeli
armed forces harvested organs from dead
Palestinians, as well as
others, but
this was denied until, of course, it was
admitted. Israel says the practice has stopped,
but what portion of the Arab world is going to
believe that? (122109a)
Jim
Lobe reports on the heightened tensions in the
Muddle East regions as Israel goes ahead with
building, Iran rails and threats or
problems,
many legacies from Bush the Jackass, compound
themselves and confound
solutions.
(112109b)
Ira
Chernus, of Truthout, talks about the
"pathology" of Israeli thought and
perception.
Though Ira is not the source, he is reporting on
some very respected, mainstream, Israelis who
are beginning to voice a concern that the
Israeli's have become "ill in their thinking".
(111409a)
Paul Craig Roberts
reporting on the possibility that Israel is
going to, someday, attack Iran with tacit US
support have been around, this
is the latest bit of
speculation.
(102709c)
Yuvai
Goren and Dan Even report on a horrific murder
of nearly an entire
family. It is
a tragedy and I am hoping hat this is not the
latest uptick in the Palestinian/Israeli
conflict. If it is proven to be so, peace
efforts for the region will take a serious blow.
(101809f) The story depicts a huge effort to
determine the nature of the perpetrator and the
security forces are involved.
Simon
Tisdall reports on the backsliding away from
peace in the middle east
region. From
Turkey to Egypt and Israel to Jordan the slide
continues to build momentum. Another infitada?
Another "kind of war"? The emotions run high and
Obama's promised efforts for peace work against
time on a slippery slope.
(101809e)
Dan
Williams illuminates the "newest" Israeli
thinking on
Iran which may go like this: They cannot really
hurt us, after all and besides we're about to
talk to them so we're cooling the rhetoric, for
now. " (093009d)
Jonathan
Cook reports on what I call the "purity"
movement in
Israel, where
Jewish girls or women are being monitored as to
whether or not they're relating to Arab or "god
forbid" Palestinian boys or men.
(092609c
Ben
Buchwalter provides
an overview of the Zionist movement and Israeli
history,
despite the errors sprinkled through, it is an
overview of memories troubling enough to bring
tears. (091909i)
Ira
Chernus has a piece on
the Holocaust still being a political
football, how
that came to be, why it persists and so forth.
(090509x)
I got curious and sought
out
a listing of the UN resolutions concerning
Israel and in regards to which Israel stands in
violation of.
Hey, there are lots and lots of them. Now the
Israelis are complaining that Hezbollah stands
in violation of one of them, admittedly more
recent and salient, perhaps, but still Israel
seems like the pot which is calling the kettle
black. (081609o) and my favorite is the first,
dating from 1947 calling for separate states -
and they who are currently the most capable of
implementing the resolution are standing
resolutely in its way - nice!
And
here is a bit of clarification, the listing of
those resolutions they stand in violation
of.
(081609p)
Then John Austin, an MP
from England has another way to look at it; so
how
many times has the US has come to Israel's
rescue by the US using its security council
position to
veto any potential UN action?
(081609q)
From
the PNN, a digest of incidents involving
Palestinians and Israeli
military
(081609n)
Robert Dreyfuss covers the
"red
light" the US has been giving Israel regarding
an attack on
Iran. Though
the article does mention a recent joint military
exercise between the air forces of those two
nations, the focus of which was refueling.
(080209d) Amos
Harel, has the Haaretz article dovetailing the
account:
(080209f) Another
source gives some
details
(080209g)
Yossi Melman reports on
that long ago day when South Africa in
cooperation with Israel
tested a nuclear
device.
(080209e)
From
Pat "the holy roller" Buchanan we hear his
argument against Israel's striking Iran's
nuclear
facilities.
The ground has been covered before what is
interesting is that he thinks they're still
thinking of doing that. (073109h)
Ethan
Bronner has
a report from a group of Israeli
fascists who
are busy with taking part in the continuing
conquest. Eventually push will come to shove,
even if it is years hence and has nothing to do
with Obama and the US. (073009c)
Uri
Avnery describes the military procedures used by
Israeli's in the recent "Gaza
War", looks
like the by word was "anything goes". And it
did. (072109f)
PNN
has some coverage
on the recent reports that the Israelis are
planning to remove 23
"outposts",
illegal settlements. (072109c)
Jeffrey
Heller covers
a spark in the US - Israeli relations regarding
East Jerusalem
and some new
housing units being planned.
(090719b)
Mohammed
Assadi, reports on the growing rift between
Israel and the US regarding the establishment of
a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
The US wants
that while the Silly Mr. NutandYahoo hasn't seen
the light. Perhaps he IS a fly up his father's
ass after all. (061009b)
Could
just be a politician shooting off his mouth from
the hip,
could be another brainless wonder running
another nation into the ground, so, I ask you,
"NuttyYahoo" threat or
menace?
(052509g)
You
know, if you just read the headlines you'd think
Israel is making something of a turn about due
to US
pressure,
reading the article makes it clear that lines
are being drawn and in such a fashion as the
US's Obama may not be pleased with
(052109d)
Israel
considers the "nightmare
scenario"
which contains attacks against Iran and
Pakistan, hardly likely, but the press
disseminating this is indicative of what passes
for thinking (050608a)
Regarding
Iran and Israel, the much touted "Obama
difference"
may be fading
away to be replaced by more of, essentially, the
same. Punishment for Iran and no state for the
Palestinians. (050109c) And,
if you were curious, the drumbeat continues as
well,
officially.
(050109e)
The
most interesting thing about this is that, if
recent history is any guide,
analysis would show that Israeli policies are
the root of Hezbollah's strength.
And so any
victory it has in Lebanon's upcoming elections
will be ironic to say the least and "exciting"
to say the most. (042409d)
The
word
is that there has been something of a rift
appearing between the US and
Israel. Maybe
this is a "shifting sand" factor to be
considered. (041909d)
A
sign that the conflict is far from being over as
a car bomb is
neutralized.
(032209b)
As
stories from the archive would make
clear,
there are emerging differences between the US
and Israel the
demolition of housing belonging to Arabs is an
example of one divisive issue.
(032209a)
The
current election brings "Nut n'Yahoo" to the
brink of power.
Known as a
"fart mouthed fly up his father's ass", he is
now a serious contender for the Fascist faction
of the Israeli Reichstag.
(020809d)
Israel's
soon to be new leader will have "to talk" with
Obama and the
issue of Iran will come up. There are
differences between the old time allies and this
article speculates on the problems they face
(020609d)
Nut'n-Yahoo
leads in the polls; says that Israel did not "go
far enough" against
Hamas. It
seems as though the US goal is not on his table,
so you have to wonder what the hell is?
(020409f) Then too his main opponent plays
tweedle dumber to his tweedle
deesterness
Check
me if I'm wrong but wasn't Israel's most recent
invasion of Gaza meant to stop the rocket and
mortar fire?
Wasn't there a
cease fire? Doesn't this news story seem to show
that very little has changed? Status quo seems
to be ongoing attacks and counter attacks with
no end in sight. (020109d)
A
bit of fighting resumes, not much, but it may be
that both sides are promising a bit
more.
(012709h)
Lebanon:
I
don't know if you could really call this "news"
but when
Ben Gilbert describes the breakdown of the
"government" of
Lebanon,
perhaps temporarily, one wonders if this is a
surprise to anyone and so newsworthy?
(091409a)
Khirbet Silm
reporting
from southern Lebanon. A heated verbal exchange
exposes the fact that both sides are prepared to
act, violently,
if it comes to
it. What appears to some to have been a weapons
cache exploded in the area caused some heated
"debate" between the parties
(081509a)
Sami
Moubayed reports that the
government of Lebanon is changing composition
with March 8th
turning the tables on March 14th if the
Jumblatt's defection from the current government
is 100%. (081109k)
Nicholas
Blanford, reports that the elections
in Lebanon didn't result in a gain for Hezbollah
and thus are viewed as a set back for the Syrian
Iranian crew, their
backers. So
the West pulls one out of the fire.
(060809a)
Kaveh
L. Afrasiabi reports that
the election in Lebanon will heavily favor
Hezbollah and thus give Iran more presence
there. A sea
change portends if Iran's military aid makes its
presence known. (060209e)
Recent
visits to Lebanon by high US officials "support
and independent Lebanon" only. I know, stop
laughing, who
believes that? Somebody, I guess. The election
is important because it pits a US backed
coalition against one backed by Syria and Iran.
(052409a) Oh, and US aid will be reviewed after
the election's results. Sounds neutral to me,
you?
And
if you want insight into how elections and votes
are bought and sold, read this
article.
(052409b) And
they pay voters hundreds if not thousands of
dollars for their votes, they are no
pikers.
(052409c)
The
Syrians and Iranians back their party in the
Lebanese
elections.
Last report has it that this may well come to
pass, then, Iraq will settle into place, perhaps
after a blood bath, and then there'd be a new
block of nations to contend with, and one that
is inimical to Israel or the US for that matter.
(050509e)
Palestine:
Howard
Schneider reports on the Jewish Pogrom of
Palestinians in
Jerusalem
(120309e)
Besides
the sacking of the PA's ambassador to Russia,
the
article mentions an arms deal to supply the
PA.
(040809b)
Syria:
Muddle
East News: Western Theater: Egypt, Kurdistan,
Turkey
Turkey:
from
the BBC we hear of Turkey making Kurdish
political parties illegal. Riots have
ensued.
One wonders at the wisdom of this decision. If
there is no legitimate path for recognition does
that not encourage illegitimate
paths?
(121209a)
Afghanistan:
Michael
N. Nagler, talks about ideas, what other ways we
might proceed in Afghanistan,
say, (122809f)
Gareth Porter talks about
how the
"new" Afghan strategy announced this week by
Obama has flaws, not the least of which is the
misunderstanding concerning the nature of the
opposition.
(120509b)
Mike
Whitney has some insight on the US plans for
Afghanistan,
it's not pretty, ethnic cleansing and civil war
never are, but but then the Iraq model did have
some weaknesses, yet, we're still there.
(120409a)
Robert
Scheer talks about "here we go
again"
the doubts regarding the "Afghan Mission" are
serious, but no where near debated in this
country
(120209b)
Gareth
Porter reports on the status of the ANA,
the
Afghan army with a desertion rate of some 25%
which seems to be going
higher.
(112409b)
Helena Malikyar and Tanya
Goudsouzian describe
why and how moneyed investors are reconsidering
Afghanistan's suitability for their
efforts.
(112009a)
Robert Naiman reports on
the breathtaking extent of corruption in the
Afghan government but then allows
that
it may well be overshadowed by that which
accompanies the US efforts in the
nation.
(111809c) And speaking of that,
Alexandra
Zavi has a update on the Afghan side of the
corruption
issue.
(111809d)
Julian
Borger reports on the "enthusiasm" NATO
and other
nations have for a renewed commitment to
Afghanistan. More boots are on the way, if not
ideas. (111709b) Pratap Chatterjee with support
from Dr. Ali Safi from TomDispatch.show
some of the problems in Afghanistan
where these renewed efforts will be dealing with
corruption that is both vast and deep
(111709c)
M
K Bhadrakumar reports on the extent of Saudi
influence in
Afghanistan and Iraq, where their influence is
seen to be on the rise, however, in Yemen the
situation is reversed and trouble brews.
(111509e)
Patrick
Cockburn reports on the role that sodomy has in
the Afghan
conflict,
apparently the Afghan army engages in the
practice and this was a factor in a recent
attack which killed 5 English soldier.
(111309a)
Nick
Turse reports on the building boom in
Afghanistan,
while
politicians and others may talk, the evidence
for a lengthy stay is being built every day.
(110609d)
Jo
Ellen Green Kaiser and Rabbi Arthur Waskow and
Greg Palast give their perspectives on
Afghanistan
what is wrong and what some ideas or advisement
are. (110509b)
Golnar
Motevalli and Sayed Salahuddin
both
report on the decision for Abdullah to quit the
upcoming run-off, meaning that it is not now a
run off, but rather a
referendum.
This does not help the effort to legitimize the
Afghan government. (110109a)
Jonathon
Burch reports from the scene of a battle in
Afghanistan.
(110109b) From Ray McGovern of Truthout we have
a
report on the "inside the box" thinking at the
highest level regarding "our
Afghanistan"
(110109e)
Gareth
Porter lets us in on a dirty little secret, how
the "warlord" factor is a wildcard in
Afghanistan
and is costing us dearly. This is another part
of the G.W.Jackass Bush and Dumbell Dumbsfeldt's
"go to war with the army you have, only on the
cheap" legacy. (103009f)
T. Christian Miller
reports from
Afghanistan with yet another striking bit of
evidence of how corrupt Afghanistan
is. Those in
charge of the voting cannot seem to account for
very large sums of money to be used FOR the
election. (103009b)
M.K.Bhadrankumar jells the
reports from the nations
to the north of Afghanistan, they have fears,
interests and reasons for their own actions as
the "great game" goes
on. (102909f)
Robert M Cutler reports on the shifting plans
for pipelines in one of those nations,
Turkmenistan,
and how lies and plans for lies have one ask Cui
Bono?
(102909i)
Dexter Filkins, Mark
Mazzetti and James Risen provide the most recent
evidence that Karzai,
the "mayor of Kabul" has a brother who is not
only a major drug dealer but on the CIA payroll
as well. I
guess that must be a debating point in the
upcoming election, no? (102809a)
Glenn
Greewald provides us with an
unsavory
parallel, that of Iraq with Afghanistan, instead
of looking farther back to Vietnam. Even
Dumbsfeldt knew better, or knew as
well.
(102009b) And, mentioned in passing, is another
disturbing parallel, that of the US with both
England and Spain as their empires crumbled.
Hal
Bemton and Hashim Shukoor write from Kabul and
cite a
particular in order to illuminate the general,
that is to say the economic downturn in that
country,
despite recent stories that portray a robust
economic upturn. (101609a)
Gul
Rahim Niazmand from Kunar
Afghanistan reports that the district is well
run, by the
Taleban.
(101209f)
Eric Margolis, from Common
Dreams
writes of the "misperceptions" that guide US
military and foreign policy in
Afghanistan,
the myths that are believed has the US painting
itself into a corner and there little sign of
change. (101109b)
Robert
Naiman reports on the recent Afghan election,
the prospects for any resolution of the conflict
and some ideas that may
work
(101109d)
Melvin Goodman reports on
the
myths driving US policy in
Afghanistan,
some of them are familiar to those who recall
similar sounding advice form experts when
Vietnam was getting under way.
(100809a)
From Jean MacKenzie of the
Global Post, we hear about a
very important source of funding for the
Taliban, the US military and, by extension, the
US taxpayer.
Allied forces want to create work for Afghani
companies so they set up contracts,
unfortunately the "bribe factor" and the
"protection money factor" have a siphoning
effect and that which is siphoned off winds up
in the hands of the enemy.
(100809b)
From
Steve Weissman we hear of "the
general's own words" as he makes a "modest
proposal" for a force of some 4 to 500 thousand
troops in Afghanistan
a goal to be
produced by an escalation plan that tops out in
2014. Why isn't hat headline news?
(100609a)
From
Steve Weissman we hear of "the
general's own words" as he makes a "modest
proposal" for a force of some 4 to 500 thousand
troops in Afghanistan
a goal to be
produced by an escalation plan that tops out in
2014. Why isn't hat headline news?
(100609a)
Melvin Goodman reports on
the
myths driving US policy in
Afghanistan,
some of them are familiar to those who recall
similar sounding advice form experts when
Vietnam was getting under way.
(100809a)
From
Jean MacKenzie of the Global Post, we hear about
a
very important source of funding for the
Taliban, the US military and, by extension, the
US taxpayer.
Allied forces want to create work for Afghani
companies so they set up contracts,
unfortunately the "bribe factor" and the
"protection money factor" have a siphoning
effect and that which is siphoned off winds up
in the hands of the enemy.
(100809b)
Amin
Jalali reports on an attack resulting in the
deaths of 8 US soldiers, 2
Afghan
soldiers and the capture or disappearance of
several dozen Afghan police. The war goes on
(100409b)
Julius Cavendish reports
that the Afghans
have cause and facts to support their contention
that their election was fixed not only during
the election but
after by the
very agency that purports to support open, free
and fair elections. (100309b)
Norman
Solomon, reports on rage.
Afghani rage, the kind that wonders what the
hell is all the damage about and why, why can't
a person find food and shelter
when all they
ever did wrong was live in a place that was a
war zone. Obama said these words not so long
ago: "Know that your people will judge you on
what you can build, not what you destroy." I
hope that he's right in one way, and certainly
not in another. (100109d)
John Englehardt reporting
from TomDispatch,
introduced by John Feffer, Afghanistan has been
touted as NATO's test, if that is so, then it is
not doing well at
all. In fact,
the conflict is straining the cohesion of the
alliance, not that Bush didn't have a similar
effect which broke the ground for today's
difficulties. (093009c)
Paul
Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould report on the
Afghan election being "handed" to
Karzai, this
despite widespread and widely recognized fraud.
This "selection" comes on top of Bush's errors
when he and his minions assembled the current
government in spite of traditions, wants and
preferences of the Afghan people.
(093009b)
Gareth Porter reports on
"the
fear of blame" factor in the decision making
process regarding troop requests for
Afghanistan.
The article
contains a sprinkling of comparisons to a very
similar factor that was salient in the
deliberations concerning escalation in Vietnam.
(092909f)
Alexander Cockburn talks
about how insanity
trumps common sense in Afghanistan now as it did
in Vietnam decades
ago. The few
facts in this article are disheartening and are
being, essentially, ignored.
(092909e)
Here
is the "for public consumption" statements from
US leaders, military, civilian and so
forth.
(092809h) Regarding an "exit" strategy from
Afghanistan.
P. J. Tobia describes
the
complex situation in one Afghan province where
arms are being shipped, in
or not, a mini
war portends, the Taliban are NOT involved and
this is a nation in progress?
(092209b)
Syed
Saleem Shahzad reports on the opposition to the
US efforts in Afghanistan
have combined
their efforts. (092109g)
Simon Tisdall says that if
McChrystal does get the troops he wants,
40,000
in the news - this article mentions 30K, AND we
do not see substantial improvement in say a
year's time, then, Simon says, we should get
out.
(092109f)
Sam
Stein reports on the Reich wing nutjobs and
their opinions of what is happening in
Afghanistan.
Obama and some Repuglcians are fairly close on
what they think should be done, reality
notwithstanding. (092109e)
Ann
Jones covers the status of the ANA, the Afghan
National Army. Her essential question is this:
where is it?
Recently, as we know, the US marines went into
Helmand province in an offensive. If the ANA was
at some 90,000 strong, why wasn't more than some
600 used? One wonders. (092109d)
Robert
Fisk, there is a consensus slowly forming
regarding progress in Afghanistan and that is
that there is not very much of
it, in fact
things are sliding the other way. The US,
however, does not appear to understand that and
acts as if a difference can still be made with
guns and boots. (091909g) While I would like to
see a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan its
advent is years away maybe decades.
(091909g)
William
Dowell, will it never end? The resistance in
Afghanistan targets soft things too
the work of
aid agencies are being impacted as they are
viewed as "being in league" with the occupation
forces. (091909c)
Virginia
M. Moncrieff has a report that nearly all of
Afghanistan has a Taliban
presence. That
they have the momentum and the west's efforts
are in tatters. Time will tell how close we are
to an ending there. (091109e)
John
Nichols reports on the "problem of Afghanistan"
now that "our man" may have secured a win
with
"controversial means" (he cheated) and a recall
is being called for. (091109c)
Norman
Soloman reports after visiting Kabul. Guns are
on the street and the
"mayor of
Kabul" has less and less to call his own. Time
may be short. When will we understand what we're
doing? (090909b)
Jonathan
S. Landay reports from an ambush in
Afghanistan.
(090909c)
Tom
Engelhardt reports on the "metrics of war" and
how the one in Afghanistan needs more than a
"way of measuring success".
Then come the
measures we already know about and they paint a
sorry picture. (090809h)
M.K. Bhadrakumar, reports
on the recent incident in Afghanistan where many
civilians were killed.
This has caused some name calling among NATO
members, highlighted the enemy being on
something of an offensive
and moving
strategically toward its end all while NATO
weakens. (090809f)
From
the BBC we have a report of "clear and
convincing" evidence of Afghan election fraud.
There is a
recount being called for, discarded ballots and
more. It seems that the Afghans have learned how
to "run" an election from the "best", the US.
(090809b)
Hal
Bernton reports on further "inconsistencies" or
"problems" with the Afghan
election,
seems that in some places "everybody" voted for
Karzai and in some of these places there were
more votes than people, probably due to the true
enthusiasm that the common Afghan has for voting
(090709c)
From an AP reporter in
Dahaneh, Afghanistan
a description of a
firelight:
(090609e) Part
two of the
story
(090609f) Part
three of the
story
(090609g)
Joseph
Galloway asks the memory question of the day: do
you remember the
Powell Doctrine? This is a simple set of eight
questions that were designed to help US policy
makers when considering military
action. These
eight questions have not been answered by
anyone, as far as I know, when considering
either Iraq or Afghanistan. So why not now?
(090609c)
Ray McGovern illustrates
one
of the problems that the US is having in
Afghanistan and that is this: there is no clear
definition of
purpose, a
means to achieve that purpose therefore nor a
means to measure progress toward that purpose,
but a big jackass says that we'll "know it when
we see it." (090309g)
Dexter Filkins reports on
how Afghanistan's
election took a lesson from the US where the
victory goes to the one who "cheats fair and
square"
(090309b)
M.K.Bhadrakumar has
coverage of the
Afghan election, the "wizard" may have surprised
those who opposed him, mainly the
US, but the
results are not all in and it remains to be seen
what anyone will make of them, or if "respect"
follows. (090109e)
Nancy
Youssef reports that the
Afghanistan effort suffers from a "lack of
enthusiasm from the
public" as
well as a need for as much as 45,000 more
troops. Yikes! (090109a)
Kim
Sengupta
reports from Kabul for The Independent - an
escalation may be in the
cards, some
20,000 more boots may be touching down in
Afghanistan. This is on top of the rise already
in place. Time will tell, no?
(082909b)
David
Lindorfff has us see that Afghanistan is really
spelled
V-i-e-t-n-a-m.
The central government is corrupt, powerless and
pointless. The population is less and less "on
our side" and we are putting more and more men
and resources into the fight. When will we ever
learn? (082809b)
Peter
Graff reports on the "election" in Afghanistan,
it seems it is in dispute
already.
(082509b)
Laura
King reports on the growing controversy
regarding the Afghan
election.
Claims of fraud are growing as are claims of
"victory". Combine those items with a voter turn
out that was substantially lower than that of
the first election and the uptick in violence we
can sense a "problem" is at hand.
(082409c)
Paul
Tait and Sayed Salahuddin report on the
perception
that the election in Afghanistan had widespread
irregularities
and the two
leading contenders saying that they'll respect
the result and claiming victory.
(082309a)
Anand Gopal and Matthew
Rosenberg report that
both of the leading contenders in Afghanistan's
election are claiming that they hold the lead
and thus may
exciting their supporters prior to a "real"
determination. (082209b)
From the BBC we hear
of
reported fraud and the possibility of a run off
between the two top contenders in
Afghanistan.
Voting rates were very much down from the last
election. (082209c)
Carlotta Gall and Stephen
Farrell reporting for the NYT
regarding
the Afghan election and its peaceful
nature.
(082009a)
Syed
Saleem Shahzad reports on Karzai's deal making
with warlords.
In other stories the warlord Dostum has promised
a half million votes in exchange for ?
(082009b)
Gareth
Porter reports on the possibility or nature of
corruption
in the election system being used in
Afghanistan, not to mention the rising
violence and
the difficulty of placing poling stations in
much of the country. (081909e)
Hamid
Shalizi's article shows the fight in Afghanistan
touches in and about the
capital.
However the election will go forward and despite
media claims that the election will be
disrupted, I doubt it will be seriously enough
for the US and its allies to declare it so.
(081109c)
Laura
King reports on the casualty levels in
Afghanistan.
They are rising as are tensions and so forth.
The elections are coming, the elections are
coming. (080809c)
Golnar Motevalli has
coverage to the most recent iteration of
the
"whack a mole" problem as it appears in
Afghanistan,
(081109d)
Jessica
Silver-Greenberg, Theo Francis and Ben Levisohn
collaborate on an
article that shows banks have not learned their
lessons, risky loans are not a thing of the
past, and 40
billion dollars worth have been let this year so
far. (080709c)
Paul Tait's story is
illustrated by
a map of Afghanistan which shows
"progress",
well perhaps a lack of it.
(080509e)
Rukmini Callimiachi,
reports
on the repercussions of Afghan poppy eradication
efforts.
Without replacing the income lost to the farmers
they fall into poverty, prey to radical anti
government forces and support them, leave the
country or become bankrupt. The central
government becomes less and less popular in the
areas that were once outside of the Taliban's
range of influence. (080309c)
Hamid
Shalizi, reports on the violence
in
Afghanistan, July had the highest US casualty
rate in some
long time and the upcoming election is seen as a
test, as is the offensive in Helmand province.
In three months time we'll be able to look back
and, if the smoke has cleared, see what is what
or what. (080209a)
Aziz
Ahmad Shafe, Mohammad Llyas Dayee and Aziz Ahamd
Tassal report on
the mixed reaction and progress in Afghans
Helmand
province. A
hint of progress is welcome as is the smiles
from some of the people (072709f)
A
book review by Christopher Hitchens,
the
brief is good for an outline of some salient
features of the Afghan
conflict. Some
good news and some bad. (072009g)
From
Ann Jones reporting out of Kabul we see how
"democracy gone
wild" plays
out; it is beyond bizarre; the facts are in and
names are named but the truth, the people and
peace are not part of the picture.
(071609g)
From
Ann Jones reporting out of Kabul we see how
"democracy gone wild" plays out;
it is beyond
bizarre; the facts are in and names are named
but the truth, the people and peace are not part
of the picture. (071609g)
Nancy
A. Youssef reports on the recent "big" operation
in Helmand.
The whack a mole problem continues.
(070809b)
From the BBC we hear
specifically that the US
marine operation in Helmand province,
Afghanistan is meant to break the
stalemate that
had existed previously and so turn the tide of
the war. There are no specifics in this article
but that statement is worthy of being in the
archive. (070309a)
Peter
Graff reports from Afghanistan a large scale
marine attack on the Helmand
River valley
is meant to demonstrate a capacity for decisive
victories which will turn the tide of the war.
(070109i)
Jason Leopold reports
on
the murders at Bagram AFB in
Afghanistan.
Does the US need this kind of revelation? Yes,
so that it's cleaned up. No, because it enrages
the people we are trying to "bring peace to".
(062609f)
Barry
Schweid reports from the UN that in Afghanistan
drug production is
down
(062609b)
From
Associated Press we read that the US is phasing
out funding for opium eradication and pumping up
funds for alternative crops and drug
interdiction instead. These ideas have been
floating around for years while Bush the Dumber
diddled his bunghole, however,
maybe
it is not to late for these ideas to be tried.
(062809c)
An
Afghan effort to help them help themselves with
what may be described as lightly armed local
observers who can call for
help.
(060209a)
This
is a plug for a book called: "Invisible History:
Afghanistan's Untold
Story"
(053109f)
Khushal
Arsala and Stephen Zunes give us
some
overview of the failing steps that led us to the
impasse, at best, which we now call the current
war effort in
Afghanistan
(053109e)
The
deadly strike in Afghanistan, arguments continue
about who did
what, but the
threat was to a provincial capital and, at
least, it is safe for the moment.
(051809c)
In
the Afghan theater of the "Great War" the US has
little hope of achieving what it
wants, much
less what it hopes.(051709c)
The
problem with the Afghan war, well maybe a
central problem that is to say, is
the
seemingly hard to ignore fact that they just
don't want us there and most don't get why we
don't get it
(051209d)
When
they say corruption goes all the way to the top
in Afghanistan, they mean just
that, look at
the "Mayor of Kabul's" running mate, for example
(050609c) And this "government"
does not need to have incendiary incidents by
its ally put
the people in a heat, do they?
(050609e)
A
sample of the kind of attack being suffered in
Afghanistan
(042309e)
A
brief on the complexity of the problems facing
Pakistan is followed by a series of
ideas. I love
these pieces, the ideas sound good and you know
no one is listening, or reading.
(041909c)
This
article supports the notion that we may well
again be going into a war, reviving one in this
case, without due consideration or hard
questions being
asked.
(041409b)
So,
let me get this story
straight, we
find this guy, train him. The Pak's train and
supply him to drive the Ruskies out of
Afghanistan, then he's valuable against the
Taliban after the US boots out. After that he's
forced into exile and the CIA attempts to kill
him, then he goes back into Afghanistan, turns
against the US and we put a 25 million dollar
price on his head all while he has a big role in
the Afghan government and wages war against NATO
forces. This is the man the US is turning to for
help in the war? Yup! (041009a)
The
"supply problem" continues long after it was
revealed and
in time, presumably, before the "Afghan Surge"
begins. Time enough to tamp down the action?
(040509a)
Dissent
is not heard when the administration holds
hearings. Maybe that should
change?
(032909b)
Do
we see parallels between Afghanistan and
Vietnam? Is Obama's "new" approach going to make
a difference?
(032909a)
Obama's
"new approach" is not completely
new and the
pronouncement held no real surprises so one
wonders if it will make any real difference?
(032809a)
With
Karzai being ineffective the allies are seeking
to place a "governor" on
him. This will
be "welcome" by Karzai and only serve to boost
his status, not! (032309c)
The
US Govt. claims that the drone attacks are
having "good effect"
in the
prosecution of the war effort.
(032209c)
Attacks
and casualties
continue.
(031509a)
The
troubles of Afghanistan never cease, this is the
political side of the
equation,
(031209c) And
more chaos, just a bit of
it
(031209d)
Word
is that Kabul is quietly being invested, as it
were, and what's being done to stop
it?
(031209e)
Making
the same mistakes the Soviet Union are we?
That is what
is posed in this article. Certainly there ARE
differences between the Soviet and US efforts,
but the bottom line seems to be that the people
don't want us there, and, uh, why are we there?
(021609b)
The
adjustments are just about made, talks are
wrapping up and soon both sides will have at it
with renewed
gusto!
(021509e)
http://www.truthout.org/020909A
The bad news is not good, but the causes lie in
the past. What is ahead is anyone's guess.
(020909c)
The
loosing of this war will be painful, but how
long will we wait for it?No one seems to
know.
(020509a)
The
narco-state needs to be
tackled. How
it can be done is already known and there are
"innovative" solutions that would be cost
effective in comparison to what is being done
now. We'll see what time brings.
(013109b)
The
great game gets just a touch hotter.
The US wants a
new supply route, Russia declines to help, the
US does a run around, but Karzai, the US man in
Kabul, is now playing footsie with "the Bear"
and seems to want their military aid too.
Howzaboutdemapples? (012609d)
Well
more details, the US VP "Joe" does not like
Karzai and the Kabul Mayor
knows he faces
challengers backed by a frustrated US. Does
Moscow get a toe in here, a shoe or the
proverbial camel's nose.
(020509h)
Iraq:
From
the BBC Back
to back Iraq attacks illustrate the security
problems that exist, and, yes, violence is down,
very much so, but security is insecure, very
much so.
(123009c)
Jeremy
Scahill Much as the US had/has done in Iraq so
does it manage in Afghanistan and before you
say, "Yes, poorly." I don't mean that, or well,
just that.
Everyone knows how many troops we have in
Afghanahoon, but the number of "trigger fingers"
is much higher. We've some 189,000 "fingers
ready to pull" as it
were (121809a)
And Pierre Barbancey of L'Humanité While
it is not news to myself or others who read,
say, it may be to anyone who is Palinesque or
"Bushy" that the Afghans
REALLY do not like their central governments at
all, and especially not this one; also they
don't like foreigners, NOT ONE
BIT!
(121809b)
Martin
Chulov of TomDispatch.com
provides an update to stories concerning the
"dustbowling" of
Iraq. The
problems is a perfect storm of Iraq's neighbors
taking advantage of its weakened state, pardon
the pun, global warming and Iraqi mismanagement
and waste. Yes the US engineers build
purification plants but the nation as a whole
has real serious problems.
(121409a)
Sami
Moubayed has a report on the "ripple effect" of
the recent bombings in
Baghdad, it
seems the winners and loosers being sullied by
the fallout have axes to grind, whet and more
(121109e)
Martin
Chulov in Falluja reports on the sharp rise in
birth defects and tumors among the very, very
young. What is
amazing to me is that the cause is being
debated, as if science wouldn't have
(111409b)
Saad
Shalash reports on the big bombs in Baghdad.
Sure things are better, but ...
(102509a)
Huma
Yousef reports on the
sparks of violence are still blown into flames
in Anbar
province. A
trio of car bombs signal disagreement but
between which parties? No one seems to know,
though everyone speculates.
(101209b)
From
Truthout we hear that Iraq suffered a day of
bombings. The
current trend is a slowly increasing rate of
attacks by "X" against "X" for whatever reasons.
(092909b)
Martin
Chulov reports on the Iraqi drought; it is
severe. If
you count global warming's effect as man made
and the upriver dams built in neighboring
countries the recipe for an unfolding disaster
is understood. (082809c)
Sam
Dagher reports on the
spectacular attacks in Baghdad where US
soldiers, witnessing the destruction following
new protocols - only stood by, waiting for any
request to help,
that request
never came however. (081909c)
Daniel Politi has today's
Slate, wherein the tidbits include
the
ongoing uptick in violence in Iraq, attempts to
ignite fighting
- one
speculates that taking down the barriers in
Baghdad may be premature, the Dems surprised at
the resistance to health care and a quadrupling
of the US budget deficit.
(081109n)
Sami Moubayed has it that
the
Kurds are putting pressure on the Iraqi
"government"
and what they want is "everything" or so it
would seem as far as Kikurk is concerned.
Independence is also "on the table" from my take
on this. (081109l)
Gareth
Porter has it that there is much more than meets
the eye.
The story is a straight forward look at a
confusion as to who is fighting whom and why in
Iraq (080709d)
Jamal al-Badrani has a report on the violence in
Iraq. There
is something of an uptick and that's not good to
hear is it?
(080709b)
Dahr
Jamail's article talks about the rising violence
in Iraq.
Sunni and Shia violence, though in something of
a different form, is resurgent. What's an
occupier to do? Stay the course?
(080709a)
Sinan Salaheddin reports
from Baghdad
that the concrete barriers are coming down.
It is a good
sign. People probably like the change.
(080609d)
Maya Schenwar reports on
the July 30th referendum of the Iraqi people to
verify the agreement made by the governments
involved to keep the US forces in Iraq until
2011 or so. What you did not hear the results?
That's
because the referendum was not held. It's called
buying time.
(080509d)
From
Liz Sly we see a report on the ecological
troubles in
Iraq. This
story centers on dust storms but the arable land
is vanishing and water shortages are common;
they use the term "dust bowl" to describe the
place that once was bread basket.
(073009b)
From
Liz Sly we hear about the unexpected "Change"
party, one that wants just that in
Kurdistan.
They are active and it is good to see real
democracy in action. (072409d)
Mike
Tharp reports from Iraq. The
"Fertile Crescent" it was once called now
imports most all the food that its people eat.
Heavily
subsidized food from the US has been an issue
covered in other stories, this talks about the
Iraqi government's own role in the demise of the
"family farm" (071809f)
Mike
Tharp reports that
in the two weeks subsequent to the pull back
from Iraqi cities the US has not been called on
once for
operational support, now that's some kind of
progress - although there is violence and the US
forces do supply other assists.
(071509b)
Sami
Moubayed reports from Iraq on
how
Kurdish ambitions and the roles of Iraq's
neighbors all combine to make for interesting
complex and unstable
conditions.
(071309g)
Kim
Gamel and Patrick Quinn, report that we've moved
out of the Iraqi
cities, sort
of. The Iraqi's celebrate, of course, but one
wonders what will happen now.
(063009c)
Patrick
Quinn, has, perhaps the answer to that question,
car bombings
and four US
military personnel dead - a foretaste?
(063009d)
From Iraq
the BBC we hear of
continued violence, the security minister is
killed by a
suicide bomber and more.
Thus the Bush
"Somalia Policy" plays out its throes or
whatever. (061809a)
Zaid
Sabah and Nada Bakri tell of an important Sunni
politician being gunned
down. Just a
bit more instability being evidenced ... what
will come of this? (061409d)
Maliki
went ballistic when he understood about the
nature of the
photos, now I
wonder, did HE see them? If so, how were they
described? Who delivered that information?
That's why Obama "changed his mind".
(060209b)
Sinan
Salahedin, writing for AP says
that
the Kurds are exporting oil to the world,
finally. The Baghdad government is getting its
share too. Sounds
friendly.
(060109f)
Dahr
Jamail continues coverage of the reemergence of
the Iraqi
resistance.
Because of broken promises, inefficiency, lies
and deceit on the part of the occupying forces
and the Iraqi government itself. Violence is up
and the US is talking about another decade of
"presence" in the forsaken land.
(053109c)
The
Sunni fighters that the
US organized turn the tide against the
resistance in Iraq as well as Al Qaida are now
targeted by the Iraqi
government,
violence is on the uptick and, well, it was made
in the USA. (052309c)
Seems
like violent events uptick in Iraq as US troops
prepare to
relocate.
Although they are still targeted most of the
deaths are Iraqi, of course. The article
mentions that various groups attack Sunni
militiamen, but it does not mention that the
central governments forces are one of the
groups. (052109a)
What
certainly looks like the old "double cross" is
playing out in
Iraq, as the
one time US backed Sunni groups are targeted by
the government, violence has its uptick.
(050609f)
Attacks
against US troops in Iraq are on the rise, how
do I know? Casualties are
up. The Sabwa,
an originally US backed Sunni based militia has
been hung out to dry and is now, not only
striking back, but by its absences is allowing
Al Qaida something of a reprise. Meanwhile
border issues with Turkey, Iran and what many
already call Kurdistan, well, burgeon. (050409a)
Then there is this, the
idea of changing the withdrawal plan is not what
the Iraqi "government"
wants.
(050409b) Hmmm, I wonder that kind of
convergence they're heading for, "over
there"(050409b)
The
new violence in Iraq is due to, drum roll and
cymbal rash,
Tunisians.
(042709c)
Says
here that the uptick in the death count in
Baghdad has been coming on since
January.
(042509c)
The
uptick in the death and casualty rates in Iraq
are due to a burgeoning struggle between two
forces with a history of US
support,
interesting that it is bubbling up now, just as
we are planning to leave. The kicker is that Al
Qaida seems to be partaking and having some
thing of a comeback. (042409b)
An
uptick in Iraq attacks?
The Shia's are
targeted in these and perhaps this is a portent
of problem, made in the USA, that we'll need to
address before we bug out of there
(042309b)
Another
change in Iraq's course?
Do we see some
"blow back" from our setting up parallel
militaries? (042109b)
The
disconnect between the reality of what Baghdad
or Iraq is like is belied by the US media's
focus on the low level of
attacks.
(041909b)
What
happens when the Awakening group and the Iraqi
government forces fight?
We are
beginning to find out which American ally can
hold the street! (033009a) And
here is more on that
story
(040109a) And here are some particulars
as
well as an idea of the scale of the
problem.(040209g)
This
is even more on that, the fighting spreads, but,
at this point, it is still small scale
(040609a)
This
month bombings are in the news.
This uptick is
unsettling and causes the "man on the street" to
take pause (032709a)
Still
unresolved at this time, the fate of Kikurk
and the
"Kurdish Question" remain a bone of contention
for all who are involved with Iraq
(031009e)
Money
matters, and here we have, probably a series of
corruption schemes that stole billions of
dollars from the
US efforts in
this country. (021609e)
This
may be the first example of success that can be
claimed for the US effort in
Iraq - an
election that was virtually free from violence.
If this is the first of many, the future may
view the US effort differently, given a good
deal of time and the establishment of electoral
happiness. (020109b)
Some
of the results provide a form of legitimacy to
some office
holders,
notably the head of state, and then others too.
One bears to much recent knowledge to hope that
this election portends many others that proceed
just as peaceably and are as widely welcomed.
Indeed, if peaceful transitions of power, via
transparent democratic processes takes route
Bush may have some kind of credit due him,
though one can hardly believe that the course he
took was plan A. (020509c)
The
Kurds are going to be challenged, probably
successfully regarding some of their
expansionist dreams, but the true gem, is
Kikurk and the
likelihood that it will fall under Irbil's sway
makes for another drama (012809a)
It
seems democracy delayed will not be deferred,
but violence is a
risk.
(012809b)
And
it seems that claims go far back for everyone,
though the oil that is underneath has bee there
longer than
anyone.
(012809c)
Iran:
Catherine Philip in
Washington for the Times Online,
reports
on the "nuclear triggers" that western powers
tout as proof of Iranian intent to weaponize
their
resource. One
wonders about this, if it is true, given the
west's record, and then, even if it is, what
then? Is the US going to ask them nicely to
stop? Will Israel go ballistic, or become
bombastic? I mean more than it already is? What
then? Anyone sniff a war?
(121409c)
Reuters
has a story which talks about the Iran nuclear
issue. The
headline grabber is a statement that Iran wants
to have 15 nuclear power plants. Oh well.
(121309d)
Gareth
Porter gives us an overview of the negotiations
with Iran over its nuclear
programs
(121209g)
Iason
Athanasiadis reports on recent
riots in Iran as saying that the regime's
legitimacy is
tainted, so to
speak, (120809a) Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich has a
report on the
"conversion of Jackass "the SOB" McStain who is
"after" change in
Iran
(120809b)
Parisa
Hafezi and Reza Derakhshi report that
Iran
"fires back" and says they plan on building 10
new nuclear
sites. The
responses talk about an "increased likelihood"
of military action, the usual dross and drang.
(112909a)
from Reuters we hear
that
Iran blames Israel for the delay Russia has in
delivering anti aircraft
missiles.
Threats too are included. (112109a)
Julie Pace reports that
Iran
has rejected an offer from the west that "seemed
so alive, just yesterday". Why did I expect that
ANYTHING had
changed?
(102309a) Mark
Heinrich has more on this story from
Reuters
(102309b)
Mordchai
Shualy makes the point that if the US is SO
worried about Iran maybe they should look at,
um, the
others.
(102209a)
Fredrik
Dahl and Reza Derakhshi report on
a
deadly attack on Iran's elite military makes for
accusations, unveils the "Balochi" jigsaw piece
to the regions "puzzle of
peace" and
more. Suspicions abound as the mullahs mull
(101809a) And
from the BBC we hear that Pakistan is also a
suspect in this
bombing.
(101809g)
Amazing but the dance does
go on.
Just after prior stories run the round of news
outlets up crops this one highlighting not what
Iran has but what it COULD
have.
(100309f)
In
case you have forgotten Pepe Escobar
reminds
you, the "Iran Dance" is still on, not only that
it is a "full tilt boogie".
Western
leaders want the "talk" or do they? Only time
will tell what happens or what does not happen.
(100109f) This is the chatter that precedes the
talks Louis
Charbonneau and Parisa Hafezi report that
everyone at the talks with Iran in which
everyone seems to be saying nice things so it is
a "feel good" moment that "eases
tensions
(100109g)
Gareth
Porter takes a look at the "coverage" of the
"new Iranian nuclear facility"
but the facts,
the facts the US itself possess and the
statements made, again by US officials seem at
odds with one another. (093009e)
Iason Athanasiadis reports
from the Global Post on a
spate of protests in Iran indicating that the
resistance is not "over" the election.
(092909c)
From
Truthout's newswire we have the latest on the
"dance" performance featuring the US and
Iran. The
headline reads: "harsh sanctions" and buried in
the text is the same old, same old, Russia and
China have business interests, etc. This time
around the US is going after insurance and
reinsurance companies that "cover" shipping into
and out of the country. The word "blockade" is
not mentioned but I think that is the effect
that is wanted. (092909a)
Simon
Tisdall reviews the economic relationships Iran
has not only with Russia and China but with its
other
neighbors.
These "valuable" friendships" protect Iran from
harsh realities and force the US to utilize
financial methods to isolate Iran.
(092909i)
Fredrik
Dahl and Hossein Jaseb describe the "run up" to
the next "meeting with
Iran" it seems
the dance continues on if the public
pronouncements are any guide, I know, I laugh at
that as well, but what CAN you say. Going in
it's "same old, same old" so what is to be
expected? (092809c)
David E. Sanger and
William J. Broad from the NYT say that the
US
now demands that the newly revealed Iranian
nuclear facility be opened to
inspections
and a list of other demands as well. As with
other steps in this "dance" one wonders what
will happen if Iran, respectfully, declines or
plays games. Recall that China is playing its
hand here as did Russia, until very recently. So
what will become of the "demand"? (092709a)
Tom
A. Peter reports that at the same time as this
is happening Iran is testing missiles and Israel
is getting more than a bit
livid, wanting
someone, meaning the US, to "do something".
(092709c)
From
the BBC we hear that Iran revealed the location
of another Iranian nuclear
site.
Headlines used the words "outraged" when
referring to western leaders, and more was
mentioned about sanctions but other articles
indicate that China may well not go along in the
security council and so the dance goes on.
(092509d)
From
AFP, the dimwits
of congress are still dreaming of "dealing with
Iran". So does
Israel, but the problem with that is the
problems with it, meaning the chaotic blow back.
(091109d)
The
word "stalemate" has been used to describe the
situation between the US and Iran regarding
nuclear development.
Threats are
made. Sanctions are pending. Oh, tough ones at
that. This story has been playing well for
years. The basics are these Iran is doing what
it wants to do as is Israel. The US does not
like that. Oh, the US does what it likes to in
the world. So maybe push will come to shove.
(090809c) For
a look at what has been considered, consider
this month's old
story.
(090809d)
From
Time comes some coverage of Neda
Soltan. Her
grave still gets visited and the unrest remains
as government abuse has come to light
(090309c)
Yossi
Melman has it that the Iranians
are working on components of a nuclear device
according to the
IAEA.
(083109a)
Michale
Klare, reports on the ongoing. Some are thinking
that preventing Iran from importing gasoline is
a "stiff measure" that is short of war.
However,
it is also thought that the calculus of what
"Iran would do" remains the same. So what is a
super power to
do?
(082309h)
Thomas Erdbrink reports
from Iran where
the grave of Neda Soltan
was a focal
point of a clash and in other places where
demonstrators are beginning to fight back baton
with baton. (073109f)
Oliver
Roy looks at a Foucault's reaction
and
"look" at the Iranian revolution of some years
ago to provide
some perspective to what is going on now.
(092909d)
Pepe
Escobar reports on the Asian Game, oil, gas,
nuclear development, the dollar hegemony being
challenged, the Iranian election and
more.
(072709g)
Borzou Daragahi reports on
Iran's
Mousavi who is stepping up his support for
resisting the
current "president" of Iran.
(072609f)
From
the BBC we hear of new protests in Iran
and some
unique techniques of demonstrating as well as
"old" standby's: roof top noise.
(072109b)
From
Ian Black and Saeed Kamali Dehghan
we
hear more on Fridays events in Teheran protest
and
repression, and a call from Rafsanjani to say
that the nation is in crisis and that the
election's results were not believed.
(071809c0
Robert
Tait of the Guardian says that
the
Iranian government's figure of 20 dead during
the post election upheaval maybe
low, perhaps
there are triple digit figures that are more
accurate. (071609j)
Steve Weissman provides
a
perspective on the meddling of the US in Iranian
internal
affairs.
Mousavi may be what he is, as could the protests
be what they are, but I suspect much is not as
it seems. (070609d)
From
the BBC on Iran we hear of further dissent in
the ranks of the clerics,
that prisoners
have been released and that "harsh" statements
are being made all around
(070509b)
From Reuters we have word
that Khatami
has denounced the Iranian
election;
apparently he did not pull any punches.
(070209a)
Borzou Daragahi and Ramin
Mostaghim report on Iran, what might be called
the
resistance is off the streets but not
inactive. The
government threatens to arrest Mousavi, or
rather the Basij do. It's not over.
(070109d)
Reese
Erlich covers the ground in considering he
likelihood of CIA
involvement
with the protest in Iran. The conclusion is that
the CIA is not "making and shaping events".
However, I assert that although the protests and
the upheaval may not be inspired by the west,
the US is actively engaged in doing what it can
with covert operations, however ineffective they
may be. (070109b)
Steve Weissman, reports on
the Iranian struggle. The role of the US and
England is outlined, the
"nerd factor" is
personalized
and the Iranian govt. may seems vindicated when
it talks of outside interference.
(063009a)
Ian
Black reports on the Iranian/EU diplomatic row,
it seems both
sides are standing tall, just a matter of time
to see who, if either, blink.
(063009b)
Stephen
Zunes responds to a previous article referenced,
"Nonviolence
101" in this he counters much of what was said.
However, what is admitted, that is to say the
involvement of the US in Iranian affairs, is
still important, even if besides the point.
(062909b)
From Tom Dispatch we read
Dilip Hiro's take on the events in Iran,
essentially when
Khamanei became partisan he lost his cache of
being a fair
arbiter of
Iran's affairs. There is a bit of history too,
good to be reminded, of how the election of 2005
was effected to allow Ahmadinijad to win, then
too there are demographic changes that portend
further "evolution" in Iran.
(062909a)
Perhaps I spoke to soon,
the
Gulf Daily News reports of some fresh protests
in Teheran.
The number of protesters was put at 3,000. This
happened Sunday. (062809h)
Nazila
Fathi reports from Teheran where it is quiet,
as they say in
the old movies, "yeah, too quiet." Which means
that people are not out and about and "normalcy"
has not returned. Protests are over, the streets
are patrolled and time ticks
(062809g)
Fredrik
Dahl reports on the "quiet" of Teheran,
the looming
decision by the ruling group comes tomorrow,
Monday. But the headliner is the detention of
several British embassy staff.
(062809e)
Stephen
Zunes responds to a previous article referenced,
"Nonviolence 101"
in this he
counters much of what was said. However, what is
admitted, that is to say the involvement of the
US in Iranian affairs, is still important, even
if besides the point. (062909b)
From Tom Dispatch we read
Dilip Hiro's take on the events in Iran,
essentially when
Khamanei became partisan he lost his cache of
being a fair
arbiter of
Iran's affairs. There is a bit of history too,
good to be reminded, of how the election of 2005
was effected to allow Ahmadinijad to win, then
too there are demographic changes that portend
further "evolution" in Iran.
(062909a)
Perhaps I spoke to
soon,
the Gulf Daily News reports of some fresh
protests in
Teheran. The number of protesters was put at
3,000. This happened Sunday.
(062809h)
Nazila
Fathi reports from Teheran where it is quiet,
as they say in
the old movies, "yeah, too quiet." Which means
that people are not out and about and "normalcy"
has not returned. Protests are over, the streets
are patrolled and time ticks
(062809g)
Fredrik
Dahl reports on the "quiet" of
Teheran, the
looming decision by the ruling group comes
tomorrow, Monday. But the headliner is the
detention of several British embassy staff.
(062809e)
Mary Louise Kelly, reports
on Martin Indyk that back in
1979 Martin Indyk predicted that the Shah would
fall, however the CIA "knew
better" and we
all know how that went. More on that problem
comes to light (062609l)
Johathan
S. Landay reports on the gathering that honored
Neda Soltan a
young woman killed during the protests and whose
death has become a marker in the world
evidencing tyranny. (062609h)
The Slate Page from June
26th, 2009; the overview is interesting the
field of possible Repuglican
presidential candidates is reduced by a third as
two implode,
Khamenei says the elections shall stick
(062609d)
Chip Cummins story updates
the
Iran situation, protests continue but are
smaller; one of the presidential candidates
drops out of
the protest, but it's really not surprising.
Maybe the democracy movement is "down for the
count" (062609e)
From
the Associated Press comes some coverage of
the
women's efforts in the Iranian protests
and the role
of the martyr Neda Soltan
(062609a)
Nazila
Fathi and Alan Cowell report that the
"great
bearded one" has decreed that there will be no
new election
and, to make his point, groups of dissenters are
being dispersed, some reports say by live
ammunition fired over their heads.
(062409j)
John
Lichfield, from Paris, reports that opposition
leader Mousavi is under 24 hour guard.
(062409h)
Azadeh
Kian provides an overview of
the
divisions in Iranian society that have been
reshuffled and
reoriented before, during and certainly now
after the results. The legitimacy of the Iranian
government is becoming the issue.
(062309h)
Chris
Hedges reminds us, after all,
that
Iran had democracy and the US, stomped it
out, installed
the Shah and the rest is history. We have no
real moral standing with Iran; we've F - - - ed
them pretty badly over the past 50 years and
continue to do so . (062309j)
From
Eurasianet we see that Rafsanjani
is believed to have some
moves in mind
that might unseat Khomeini and Mr. A. the
current "newly elected" president.
(062309g)
From the
BBC we hear that Iran's Guardian Council has
said there were
no major polling
irregularities.
Odd, considering some of the basic facts of the
case and other governmental statements which
seem contrary to this. (062309f)
From the
IBTimes re Iran - a Revolutionary
Guard commander defies Khamenei's
orders to use
force on the demonstrators.
(062309b)
From
CNN we see that more confusing
and
conflicting statements are being made by the
Iranian
government
regarding the election's
results.
(062309c) Oh, yes, regarding the vote count how
is it possible to KNOW the results in Iran only
two hours after the polls mostly closed? A main
reason the results are suspect.
This
article posted by the IBTimes, UK, has it that
Iran's clerics are considering
the
removal of Khamenie and
Ahmandinejad,
sounds far fetched to me. From what I understand
of the Iranian form of government it could be
done. (062209i)
Jeffrey
Fleishhman and Ramin Mostaghim pass on the
Iranian government's admission that there are
voting
flaws in some 50 cities in
Iran. Some of
those important to the dissident movement,
though arrested, have been released, press
restriction continues as does violence and the
government is partially at odds with itself as
is the ruling class of religious figures.
(062209h)
Andrew
Hammond, provides us with some
of the reactions of Iran's
neighbors. He
reports some "gloating", however, as he said,
and I agree, the ultimate outcome of what
happens in Iran may be that the people in those
neighboring countries may see that there are
ways to change their governments as well.
(062209e)
Parisa
Hafezi and Fredrik Dahl cover the Iranian
government's most recent
moves.
(062208d)
Andrew
Sullivan gives some coverage to the uniquity of
Iranian event.
Tech is
helping the people in the streets. Would that
this had happened in 2000 in the US. G.W.
Jackass would not have been "elected".
(062209b)
Joshua
Mitnick explains why, after all he's said and
done, that Ahmadinejad
is preferred
over Mousavi
in certain Israeli circles.
(062109b)
From this
page you can get up
to the minute postings from Iran gathered from
Twitter, there
are video links and so forth.
(062009e)
Thanks to
Charlie Szrom, here is a
summary of a debate between Mousavi and
Ahmadinejad
(062009c)
And here,
Lara Setrakian, looks at the
differences
in each candidate's
platform. It
seems that they both agree on keeping the
nuclear research going.
Outside of that they both have populist appeal
and support, but it is a culture war as much as
anything else pitting an urbanite against a hard
scrabble, "real man" kind of guy.
(062009d)
Here is my
comments to some of the comment's
left:
This
refers to two letters from a website I visited,
their comments follow mine.
Listen
folks, both candidates want to keep the nuclear
program. That is what the "fuss" with the US and
or the "West" is all about. Both either have
supported surrogate forces in foreign lands.
Neither want's to be beholden to the West and
both have Iranian pride at the heart of their
campaigns. This is not to say the fascistic
subset of the Western ruling classes wouldn't
want to have change, why not? But the essential
issues will remain. The US has been violently
meddling, for varied reasons, granted, in the
region for the best part of a century, we are,
therefore, viewed as not different from any
empire in the past. Mr. "Keep the Change" seems
to forget how "Bush the Dumber" created the
messes he delineates in his fevered attempt to
shift blame and vent paranoia. His species will
soon be extinct, thank god. As for
"HopeSprings", well, we survived, barely, our
nut job, certainly they can have one for eight
years too, who steals elections and ruins his
nation's reputations, enrages neighbors and
conspires to inflame foreign intrigues. Yes,
they could do better, but we in the US have no
place to speak from in that
regard.
Iran, the
region and the world would be a lot safer and
stable if the Iranians vote this nut job out. On
top of everything else, can you imagine this guy
questioning his opponent's wife's academic
credentials at a presidential debate?
Ahmadinejhad is a very sick dude. Let's hope the
Iranian people do the right thing. If there is
justice, this guy's next assignment should be to
be a tour guide at the U.S. Holocaust
Museum.
hopesprings52 Jun-11
Sounds
like Ahmadenijad's opponent took the words right
from Obama's campaign playbook. Hope, change,
blah blah blah. The ONLY difference between
Mousavi and Obama is that Mousave promises to
"liberalize" Iran and take away some of the
outdated control the government has over it's
citizens. And Obama, well he's just the
opposite, he want's the government to control
everything from health care, to banks, to the
auto industry, the tobacco industry, the unions,
the firearms industry, etc. Mousavi won't be
allowed to win. Our election last November
proved that pie-in-the-sky promises and money
can put a totally lost individual in the most
important leadership position in the world. Just
like ACORN and the "New Black Panther Party"
used trickery and intimidation tactics to get
this bozo Obama elected, Ahmadenijad's henchmen
will be posted at all the polling places to send
the same message and intimidate the Iranian
voters. Looks like Obama might just get his
chance to "sit across the table face to face"
and appease Ahmadenijad and the rest of HIS
Muslim world
Keep_The_Change Jun-12
Read this
to see details of
the effects Obama has had on the Iranian
election,
whether intentional or not.
(062009b)
As Aki
Akbar Darini and ZNasser Karimi have it,
The
"Giant Beard" has
spoken.
Khomeini backs the election and thus,
Ahmadinejad.
Violence
broadens but red is not yet running in the
streets. The "legit" govt. says that there is
Western influence in the events, and I would not
doubt that certain Western interests are more
than happy at the turn of events and are
working, even now, to make vital gains in the
region. (062009a) What "turning point" do we see
here? The technology factor is important, what
the opposition lacks is a command and control
com network to manage events on the street,
marshal forces and or have "coordinated" mob
actions. The Iranian govt. has taken action to
prevent this from happening thus
far.
Nazila
Fathi and Alan Cowell update us on Iran's
events. Khamenei
stands behind
Ahmadinejad.
This portents repression the authors feel; it
may be so. (061909d)
William
Rivers Pitt favors us with a quick overview of
the Iranian week.
Speculation
is that Obama's approach to Iran may have been
part of the "equation of hope" that propelled
the opposition candidate to such heights and the
candidate's own promise of change, hope will do
that, meanwhile Bush the Jackass' effects in the
region are in decline but certainly not at all
gone. The election was, at best, questionable.
The question now remains is, how far with the
government go to "enforce" it; and what will
happen when they do. Short term and long term
interesting "concerns" abound.
(061909c)
Robert
Parry reports on
sampling done before the Iranian
election and
say that their results match what happened in
the election. They also debunk a few myths
circulating widely in the west. So, it could be
that the election was "good".
(061809g)
Scott
Peterson, reports on the Iranian election and
disagrees with Mr. Parry.
(061809i)
Robert
Dreyfuss reports on the unrest in Iran. The
thinking is that the power structure is
changing. Ahmadinejad's
organization may be stronger than the cleric's
in charge of
the government.
The
resistance is stronger than anyone expected.
Push may come to shove and then, well, who knows
what will come of it. (061809e)
Matthew
B. Stannard writes about a "techie" in San
Francisco who is part of the IT community
helping Iranians cope with their election
results.
Essentially he
assists them in working around government
information providers. This is a very hopeful
sign, that, as he said, "The regime probably
doesn't recognize it, but I can tell you, the
marriage of civil disobedience with the social
networking savvy is the death of despotism in
these places. "If you combine these two, you
have a very potent force." (061709g) I just
can't help but say it, the Iranians are teaching
the US how to protest a stolen election. Would
that this trend hit here. A measured statement
that, for one must understand the dangers as
well.
Warren
P. Strobel and Jonathan S. Landay report on
the
continuing upheaval in the wake of the Iranian
election, now
a major cleric has denounced the results further
fanning the conflagration.
(051709a)
And
Juan Cole has some of the figures regarding the
election being fixed, but, as I say, the US
election that put Bush in and those held during
his term were not fair.
Even the
vaunted election of 2008, in which Obama won,
some 6 million to 8 million votes were not
counted (061409f)
Maya
Schenwar reports on the ripple effects still
disturbing the peace after the Iranian election.
It's not over
till its over may well be the best description
of the state of affairs as protests and rioting
continue, influential people call for
investigation or question the legitimacy of the
result. It may come to nothing, it may spark a
quiet revolution or even a noisy one, thought
that is not seen as likely.
(061609a)
Parisa
Hafezi and Fredrik Dahl, update the situation:
the election will not be annulled but some
recounting will take place.
This may or
may not serve the interests of the people as
they see it, what remains to be seen is what
happens next. (061609d)
Patrick
Martin has it that the "surge" of those
committed to social change in Iran had latched
onto a presidential candidate and they're
insisting that he won.
The problem
for the current regime is to not only defuse
this but cool down the culture war now
burgeoning while the choices for repressing it
are few. (061509c)
Ian
Black and Matthew Weaver cover the reaction in
Iran after the election. The
US could learn a thing or two, they protested
their "rigged" election with a huge protest and
gunfire was not absent from it, also religious
leaders are calling for an investigation.
That never
happened in the US. Bush stole elections again
and again and no one rioted, no one took direct
action, nothing and we'll be paying for it for a
long, long time (061509a)
This
day's 06/14/09,. Slate. What
I noticed is the attention given to Iran's
recent election which the west suspects as being
fixed. Now, imagine that, a fixed election, that
NEVER happened in the US,
NEVER. The
world did not investigate or condemn the rise of
Bush or his serial electoral frauds, but hey,
Iran is different, the horse backed by the US
won. (061409b)
Balochistanis
want more from this country,
just as they
want more from Pakistan so the violent struggle
gets a bit more violent. (022009a)
Part
two, like as not, the Baloch are after their own
game, and are unwilling to be someone else's
pawn.
(022009b)
So
they launch a satellite, the thing is in
orbit, this
means something, though everyone disagrees as to
what. (020309e)
Russia
provides three reasons why it will not "go
along" with the US on challenging
Iran.
(012909f)
Pakistan:
BBC's
Aleem Maqbool reports on a bombing in Karachi
and the rioting that followed,
perhaps
someone is sowing the dissent between Sunni and
Shia in a new
location
(122809b)
Eric
Margolis presents Pakistan, a nation at many
crossroads.
I guess this is the argument against the
establishment of Democracy, for if the people
truly spoke then we'd be out of there in a New
York second.
(122009a)
From
the BBC we hear about the end to an amnesty that
imperils many many persons in the Pakistan
government,
not the least of which is its current head. Will
this lead to even more instability? The
opposition is loud and determined
(112809a)
James
Cogan explains how the war in Pakistan is
expanding even as government efforts
do. Can they
afford the cost, can they afford to not fight?
(112409a)
Ahmed
Rashid lets us in on the
"mainline media" of Pakistan, it seems everyone
has their pet
conspiracy
theory and everyone loves to hate somebody. Why
the "quality" of "public debate" is worse than
in America! (112309d)
Syed
Saleem Shahzad provides us with a bit of
insight
as to how US concerns over Pakistan's nuclear
security have roiled things
up and
provided opportunities for confusion and chaos
to advance. (112209b)
Farhan
Bokhari in Islamabad reports on
Pakistan's
purchase of Chinese war
planes. Is
anyone curious that this is reported in a
financial paper? Whither Pakistan? What OF
China's hand? (111109b)
Hafiz
Wazir reports on the war in
Pakistan where a strategic and perhaps
psychologically town was
taken.
(102309e) From the Pakistan News Net we hear of
key US
support for the Pakistan Army's offensive. Intel
and predators are in the
mix, probably
much more, but we won't speculate, will we? Oh,
and remember Blow back? I mean plowback?
(102309f)
Eric Margolis reports
some
of the "outstanding" elements of the "aid
package" to Pakistan totaling some 7.5 billion
over the next few
years.
(101809h) The situation looks shaky since
elements in the loan package call for what
amounts to a reduction in the sovereign control
of Pakistan's military.
Alamgir Bitani reports
on
the first engagements between the Pakistani Army
and the "resistance" groups in Waziristan.
(101809b)
Karin
Brulliard reports on the attacks in Pakistan and
the salient bit is this: "It is scary," said
Arsalan Khan, a Peshawar resident and government
employee, adding that he felt the Peshawar blast
from his home.
"Being a government servant is enough to make
one a terrorist
target."
(101509a)
Militants
strike into Pakisatan and raise the stakes.
Pakistani
military plans a big operation in
Waziristan.
(101209a)
From
the BBC we have the word that the Pakistani
military IS going to take action in the
Waziristan
areas.
(101109a)
Syed
Saleem Shahzad has it that Pakistan
is getting ready to make "real
attack" on its
militant tribal zones. (100709b)
Syed
Saleem Shahzad has it that Pakistan
is getting ready to make "real
attack" on its
militant tribal zones. (100709b)
Ben
Farmer in Kabul and Javed Siddiq in Islamabad
report on what looks like an expanding
war. Complete
with threats, danger, gambles and rhetoric.
(092809g)
J.
Sri Raman reports on the
Balochistan portion of the India - Pakistan
conflict. Is
this another issue that "won't go away"? Time
will tell (080309d)
From
Karachi we hear Syed Saleem Shahzad report that
although
there may have been interest by the Western
allies in talking to the Taliban, it may be that
the interest is not mutual
(071309d)
Shibil
Siddiqi, reports, in detail, on the Pakistani
situation. The
summation might be" the problems Pakistan now
faces are a product of how Pakistan came to be,
how its original divisions had been united via
Islamic ties. When the Soviets invaded
Afghanistan, the US and allies created the
forces they now fight, after 9/11 contradictions
between social realities and government policies
made a volatile mix. (063009i)
Huma
Yusef advises that the current expansion of
fighting by the Pakistani army is being met
with
an expansion of attacks by the resistance.
It is
possible that even more may be drawn in as the
struggle continues ... only time will tell.
(063009e)
From
the BBC, another
drone strike in Pakistan, dozens dead when a
funeral is
attacked. Some
militants among the crowd perished, but the vast
majority of the dead were simply people in the
wrong place at the wrong time.
(062409i)
Jeremy
Scahill reports on
Obama's war in
Pakistan, from
candidate to president, his message was and is
clear (062209f
Zeeshan
Haider reports on the
"final phase" of the Swat
offensive by
Pakistan's armed forces. It is the most
demonstrative attempt in recent times.
(062209c)
Ishtiaq
Mahsud reports on the spreading
of violence in Pakistan now that the Swat Valley
operation is winding up.
(061209f)
Gary
Leupp, has me wonder: Pakistan,
oh Pakistan, where for art thou
Pakistan,
whither goest thou? Into the valley of death?
(0530090d) Weighing
in on this issue is the leader of Libya himself,
Moammar
Gadhafi, this
is his perspective. (053009e)
In
the current battling for Pakistan its government
has the upper hand.
(052809d) In
a related story we hear that Pakistan is quietly
and quickly ramping up its nuclear
programs, one
wonders who they are playing catch up to?
(051809e)
The
possibilities of rending Pakistan in to a trio
of unstable new states become
apparent. That
is now the important emerging threat to the
region and to the world. (05170b)
The
scope of the current Pakistani army's attack, or
counterattack to be
accurate, is
large scale and determined. What remains to be
seen is what happens after the 400 square miles
of territory are secured.
(050809a)
The
Balochistan region of Pakistan has become one of
the latest "fields" in the "Great
Game" this one
pits China against the US and a threat of
"Balkanization" for practicalities sake, but
whose? (050909c)
So
now we are considering the alternatives to "our
man in Pakistan" and "his
ways"
(050709a)
Pakistan's
attack against militants seems poorly
implemented.
Maybe some blow back is coming their and our
way? Can we afford that?
(050609b)
Let the exodus begin? That is what is happening
now.
(050609d)
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/67501.html
Pakistan's
army is now going at it hard and tough against
the Taliban, however, they are also loosing the
hearts and mind battle, causing tens of
thousands of refugees and so far no real promise
of success. (050509b) If
Pakistan does not have enough troubles, the
assessments in the west see double
trouble
(050509d)
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KE05Df03.html
and a peck of Pak trouble, seems like the enemy
is them or are them or whatever, the clarity
that is needed is needed now.
(050409d)
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=21844
Obama says Pakistan's government is very fragile
and Clinton says more money is needed to keep
the thing afloat.(050109b) Meanwhile,
in other articles Petraeus is quoted as saying
Pakistan has maybe a couple of weeks to end the
Taliban threat
(050109d)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8022891.stm
A battle won by Pakistan's military? Time will
tell. (042809a)
It
seems that Pakistan is the place to watch as the
"enemy" sets up camp in Islamabad's
surround.
(042409a)
One
wonders how long the "two faced" policy of the
Pakistan government and the US will last?
How long can
they both lie to selected friends and allies?
(042309b)
The
government's recent deals with the insurgents,
rebels or whatever you
want to call
them have encouraged the rebellion. Only now are
some voices being raised. What portends?
(042009c)
A
successful attack on a police training facility
demonstrates many things, chief among
them
is that US plans are in need of being revamped
and Pakistan has to decide which of several
sides it is on. (033009b)
The
Taleban are "getting their act together"
promising a lively welcome for the US Afghan
surge
(032709b)
It
seems the Pakistani support for the Taleban in
Afghanistan is
substantial,
much more than thought and ongoing.
(032609d)
A
new plan for US drones to attack Quetta?
Is madness
rampant? Will there be consequences? Time will
tell. (032109d)
The
Pashtun have never really been a part of
anything they don't want to be a part of, like
Pakistan or Afghanistan for
examples. They
are becoming more than annoyed with the US
drones which have killed innocents of theirs and
this is not helping. (031609d)
The
lawyers win and the ruling power loose out, but
it's all for the best, or should ought to be.
(031609b)
A
showdown between the opposition and government
forces,
already there is violence and repression; what
is next? (031509b)
National
protest gets underway, just one more
destabilizing factor in a nation that does not
need any at
all.
(031209b)
The
protest goes on as does government opposition
and tensions
rise, so much
so that the US is "talking" to both sides.
(031309a)
It
seems that protest is a way of life, but the
resistance the government is putting up may
jangle a few
nerves
(031109a)
Pakistan's
court rules that Sharif cannot run for
president, nor can his
brother. If
Sharif has had a conviction and his brother as
well?? Riots broke out. (022809c)
The
effects of the court ruling have ramifications
for Afghanistan, essentially instability in
Pakistan means room for play in
Afghanistan
(022809d)
Are
Pakistan's nukes safe? That is, or should be, a
burning question for
someone.
(022109e)
Probably
the most explosive story to be breaking these
days, considering the
consequences,
the US military and the Pakistani government
have always said no US troops or forces are
based in that country, however, this seems to be
untrue, and if the Pakistani public reacts
&endash; it might be very, very hard for things
to remain calm and "orderly".
(021809d)
Part
two, the denials continue but so does the
presence of evidence.
Pakistan has
publicly declared that they don't want the
drones, has made the strikes a "bone of
contention" has made growling noise. But the
duplicitous façade has now been broken,
what next? (021809e)
Pakistan
frees its nuclear proliferating father of their
bomb
regardless of US opinion or desire to question
him. (020609a)
Peshawar,
is this the battle before a battle?
Some signs
indicate such and Pakistan is very, very frail;
dangers abound. (012909c) http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/KA29Df02.htm
Part two, some details emerge from an interview
(012909e)
Long
have I said that this country is the one to
watch. This
article, in details refreshing enough to read we
see how fragile is the status of the Afghan and
Pakistani governments, how strong the resistance
has become and how dangerous the near term is
for a variety of reasons, for a variety of
players and everywhere the ante is being upped.
(012509a). Refer back to the recent post I made
Muddle East; central theater. This is the ground
view. The strategists who've fomented this
movement are not Saudi, though the money comes
from there, not Islamists, per se, but are
inordinately interested in spreading chaos, war
and instability among a large and nonwhite
region, who have an interest in seeing Israel in
the van, taking shots while being bought off
with their own land. Nice, for them, it seems.
Saudi
Arabia and neighbors:
Saudi
Arabia:
William
Maclean reports on the import of the Yemen Saudi
war. Dangerous
alliances and regional politics are intertwined
to make peace remote, at best.
(112409e)
Mai
Yamani tells us what is at stake now that Saudi
military forces are directly engaging Yemeni
rebels.
(112309b)
Yemen:
Eric Schmitt and Robert F.
Worth Another
front in the "anti-terror" war,
Yemen. The
Saudi's and US trainers are involved against one
of the groups giving the Yemeni government so
much trouble. (122809a)
Patrick
Cockburn has coverage on Yemen,
we may be rushing in hoping to make the kind of
progress we've made in, let's see, Iraq,
Afghanistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Gaza and so forth
and so
on.(123109b)
BBC
reports on he continuing struggle that
Saudi
Arabia is waging against Yemeni rebels; it seems
they have their own version of
"Afghanistan"
where air raids kill civilians and despite what
SA military authorities say, the rebels, on the
ground gain support (122109b)
Vivienne
Walt-Balhaf reports on Yemen's instability and
its new
pipeline, it
could be a boon for the nation or a target for
any one of the groups fighting the government.
(111109c) From Salah Nasrawi we
hear
a related story about Saudi Arabia's imposing a
naval blockade on Yemen against ships from
Iran, fear is
a proxy war. Beyond that some other conflict
could be possible. (111109d)
Bradley
S. Klapper reports on the spreading violence in
Yemen.
Another front in the global war. (082509a)
Jeffrey
Fleishman reports that Yemen may actually face
three disparate resistance groups and that its
neighbors may well be involved,
sweet.
(082509c)
BBC
reports from Yemen that government forces have
routed a rebel
force. So
fighting is still going on there.
(082309e)
Ahmed
Al-Haj reports that nine hostages have been
found executed.
The war in
Yemen continues as does its poverty and the
unrepresentative government.
(061609f)
Yemen,
it seems, has the preconditions necessary for AQ
to establish
itself,
poverty, corruption, more than one restive
region and a central government that is not
effective is making life better for the millions
under its care. (050309b) and
part two of the
story
(050309c)
Alistair
Lyon reports on Saudi military action against
Yemeni rebel positions in their border
regions.
Instability for Yemen is attributed, in part, to
the Taliban. (110609a)
Asia:
Greater Asia Islamic Theater News: China,
India,
The Koreas,
Russia,
China:
M
K Bhadrakumar continuing on with China's hand
coverage we see movement and shifting aplenty in
Asia's
heartland's
(122509b) part two, pipelines
come and they go, US assumptions vaporize
and it gets
the short end of the "stick" (122509c) part
three, how
China and Russia are cooperating and cutting US
out. (122509d)
Bruce
Pannier brings us news of China's moves in
Central Asia. The latest has many layers and
expansion is the
theme.
(121909d)
Edward
Wong reports that China
knows how and how when it comes to breaking the
patterns of infection from
H1N1.
(111209c)
Javier
Blas and Carola Hoyos report on China's oil
exports to Iran.
If the west
ever does use a blockade, this factor will be an
important hurdle to deal with, before hand.
(092309a)
Sharon
LaFraniere and John Grobler report on
how
China scratches its own back when it comes to
"third world"
loans.
(092209a)
How
long will the dance go on? China seems opposed
to tougher Iranian sanctions, right out of the
box, so the US
is left looking for other solutions. This has
been the status quo for years now. What will
"break" the game open? (091109b) Not that Russia
is "gung ho" for sanctions
either.
Barbara Demick reports
on
the Han protesting the recent Urumqi
action in
Xinjiang (090409c) The celestials are restless?
Siddharth
Srivastava has coverage of the
competition between China and India in and about
the regions containing the
Maldives.
(090109f)
Wei Gu writes of the
Chinese
governments attempt to "deal with" their own
situation. They to are pumping up their economy
with trillions
of Yuan, they too are propping up banks and so
forth. The drop of 20% in their markets have not
"hit" the west either. So how long can they keep
the "magic" flowing? (082309g)
Jeremy
Gaunt reports on China's
market, the notion is that instability there
could spread to other markets and result in a
tumbling
tumult.
(082309d)
Dan Murphy reports on
the
Chinese Military's "biggest war game
ever" and says
that India is watching and may be worrying.
(081109o)
Gerard
Wynn, reports on China's taking the lead in
"green collar"
jobs, wind
turbans figure heavily in this. The turbans,
incidentally, are a home made product - there is
a message here, but is the US listening?
(080709f)
M.K.
Bhadrakumar reports on the Chinese presence in
and near the Black
Sea, not
traditionally their stomping grounds, but
interesting for more reasons that that alone.
Geopolitics involving Russia, its concept of its
near abroad, NATO and the aspirations of various
people and the spread of electoral political
systems. (073109g)
Chisa
Fujioka's article gives voice to the Uighur
activist leader who claims thousands are missing
in Xinjiang
since the ethnic riots last month. (072909e) One
wonders about the "grip" China has on its far
flung province. Time will tell
Donald Kirk reports on the
National
Endowment for Democracy, a US institution, and
its role in the Uyghur's unrest in China
recently.
(071709c)
From
CBC news we hear of some
unrest in Teheran and more importantly "big
voices" speaking
out.
(071709b)
Robert
Marquand speaks with the spokesperson for the
Uighurs, an
exiled businesswoman who tells much more than
the Chinese government wants anyone to hear
(071309a)
Peter Lee has us take a
peek at continuing efforts
by China to gain connections, or influence, in
Africa when
Obama has offered so little.
(071309e)
Meanwhile
Jian Junbo reports on the unrest in
Urumqi, the
capital of Xinjiang proviince and speculates
that as China changes the differences between
ethnic groups are emerging and this could fuel
divisive movements. (071309f)
Chris Buckley reports from
China that the
Uighur/Han problem has continued with riots
in the city of
Urumqi, China (070709b)
Chris
Buckley reports on the unrest in Xinjiang
where protests
two days ago left 156 dead.
(070609e)
The
pipeline wars and central Asia's "blue
gold". Who
will walk away with the "gold" will it be China
or the USA? (051308c)
The
winds of change do blow and favor China at this
time. Their economic "good fortune" is
explainable,
essentially they did things we did not and
didn't do things we did.
(050409c)
The
growth of the Chinese navy is historical and so
this small event may be a precursor to
others.
(031009d)
India:
J.
Sri Raman writes about
the "troubles" Democracy faces in teh "great"
sub-continent of
India.
Distrust is advised for the peoples struggling
to control the exercise of reform in several
nations. (123009g)
J.
Sri Raman reports on India's "big time" purchase
of nuclear power plants, 12 of them,
all in one
day! Their history of nuclear accidents and
mismanagement is disconcerting. No matter they
proceed apace. (121209e) The US is to supply 8
and Russia 4. Balance of power?
Sanjiv
Butoo reports on female foeticide among women of
Indian descent.
It is common
enough and illegal enough with pressures enough
and expectations enough so I ask when is enough
enough? (092809a) India is, of course, not the
only place that has this happening. More or
less, it is world wide - as is the bias against
women in general.
Sudha
Ramachandran lets the world know
that
India has joined that exclusive group of nations
with nuclear powered
submarines; it
was a home made job at that!
(072709h)
Arshad
Mohammed write about a possible arms deal
between the US and India.
If this goes
through then it will be a signal that the
"continent nation" will be switching arms
suppliers from Russia to the US. China will take
note, of course and the geopolitical shifting
will be clearer if not just as significant.
(072009a)
Gethin
Chamberlain reports from India where water
shortages, due to drought, due, I think, to
weather changes, have created "water
wars" where
neighbors kill neighbors and rationing is a life
and death matter. Oh yes, the agriculture
suffers in this mess also.
(071109d)
Siddharth
Srivastava describes
a resource insurgency in eastern
India over a
share of the regions mineral wealth. China has
something of a hand in, as does corruption in
all probability. (062509a)
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/02/04/france-india.html
More nukes for the country that has not signed
on with the NPT? Yup and it is all possible
because the US pushed through the changes which
allowed the sale to happen. India is being used
by the west I think, and well they seem to think
that "it's all good". (020409c)
Koreas:
From
Reuters: Oh Joy! Hurray! Now this is progress,
South
Korea is going to exporting nuclear power plants
to the UAE, more nuke power in an violently
unstable region, just what the doctor orders.
Iran MUST be
noticing how
peaceful atoms are being put to work right next
door. (122709a) Now, does anyone think that this
would happen if the US was set against it?
John
M. Gliona reports on a naval exchange between
the Koreas, it makes the news but what does it
mean?
(111109a)
The
ever lovin' Slate for this date: 07/20/09 has a
nugget on North Korea's gulag,
the health
care legislation meeting resistance from
governors because of its costs through Medicaid
(072009f)
John
Herskovitz and Seo Eun-kyung report on the
missiles fired by North Korea this
"holiday"
weekend. The game goes on, oh, yes, thanks
George W. your fuck-up continues.
(070509a)
Scott
Badauf reports that Kenya
is massing troops along its border with
Somalia.
Intervention is a possibility; so is blow back.
What next? (062609j)
Hyung-Jin
Kim, updates us on the Kang
Nam,
the first North Korean vessel being monitored
for weapons
violations by
the US which believes it is heading for Myanmar
to deliver weapons. Since forced boarding is not
allowed and any real consequences are the
responsibility of the nation it ports at, one
wonders if this ban will be effective in some
cases, such as this one. (062309e
Ewen
MacAskill updates
on the preparations for the US navy's
interception
of a North Korean vessel. The prep work is vast,
actually, as the US tries to cover all the bases
and think out the various contingencies.
(062009f)
David
Morgan and Jon Herskovitz update
on North Korea, the US is tracking a
vessel and the
North Koreans seem to be preparing a missile
launch to "celebrate" the 4th of July, how nice!
(061809f)
Blaine
Harden reports on the "end run" North Korea has
been working for some time now. In order to get
hard cash they've
been defrauding insurance companies for hundreds
of millions of
dollars.
Amazing, no? (061809b)
David
E. Sanger describes the policy regarding North
Korean vessels.
They will be
hailed and permission will be required for any
boarding or inspection. The back up is that any
ship refusing inspection will be tracked and the
US will try to have any port it docks at do the
inspecting whether the ship is fueling up or off
loading cargo. (061609e)
Varner
and Green report on the UN decision for further
action against North
Korea. This
includes the inspection of shipping which North
Korea has said would be an act of war.
(061209e)
Jean-Marc
Vittori reports on the "romance of June"
why
already people are giving the impression that
"it's all over" as banks repay loans and worry
leaves everyone's
mind.
(061209b)
The
US says it "won't accept" a nuclear North Korea,
well, I wonder just what that means since it
already IS
one. China
suggests that the Korean peninsula be free from
nuclear weapons. Might be nice but if the US
does not remove its, why should the North
Koreans remove theirs and then too, what's to
prevent the US or other powers from having naval
nukes or airborne ones present in the region?
(053009b)
Of
course this is the "other view" of North Korea,
the arguments in favor of its continuing to
develop nuclear
weapons.
You've probably heard enough from the other
side, which includes most of the nuclear world.
(053009c)
South
Korea and the US on higher alerts after the
North's nuke test.
(052809b)
Well,
it looks like this time North Korea tested a
bomb that was big enough not to be second
guessed. Then
they followed up that with a missile test. Nice.
Now, everyone is talking, but they are not.
(052509a)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7999333.stm
This says that tensions are high. NK wants
attention; it will probably get just that,
though in what form remains to be seen.
(041409d)
The
pending launch of a ballistic missile has some
on edge there is talk of "shooting it down" and
there have been, recently, a counter threat of
war.
(032609b)
Some
"saber rattling by the north?
I think
probably, but the danger is that it may not be.
What then? Obama's first global crisis, that's
what. (020109c)
Nepal:
From
Al-Jazzera we hear of the continuing strife in
Nepal, the
proxy contest between China and the forces of
the West as represented by India.
(122109f)
Peter
Lee reports on India
and China's proxy struggle for influence in
Nepal. The UN
process for resolving issues regarding a
constitution, integrating the army and more are
foundering. (111509c)
Russia:
Andrew
Osborn in Moscow reports that a train wreck was
a terrorist act ... brave new
world?
(120309d)
From
Reuters we hear about a bombing attack on a
Russian train.
One wonders if this is a new tactic for those
resisting Russians grasp (112809b) Of course
Chechin's are suspect, but they are the only
ones with a gripe.
Luke
Harding reports on the tensions bubbling up
between Ukraine and Russia.
Some fear a
war or some action on Russia's part which would
render Ukraine something less than independent.
(101109e)
Per
the BBC Russia's "words" with Ukraine are
testier and
testier.
(082409a)
Lyubov
Pronina and Ali Berat Meric report on
Russia's
dealings with Turkey regarding
oil,
pipelines, nuclear coordination and so forth and
so on. (080809f)
Amie
Ferris-Rotman has some
coverage of the tensions in and about Georgia,
with Russia
raising its
readiness and accusing the US et al of rearming
Georgia. There is some cross border firing.
(090804b)
Meanwhile,
back in central Asia, the great game
continues. The
decline in oil prices and the economic crunch
have sapped Russia while at the same time the US
is prying away some of the stans.
(042509d)
The
clearing of the Arctic regions have Russia all
excited about creating more of a presence "up
there"
(032709c)
Something
of a cold war going on? Do you feel the chill?
NATO does.
(022009d)
Russian
economic problems are evidenced by declining
stats, oh well
(021609c)
The
economic problem generates protests in Russia as
"solutions" are tried
out. Perhaps
the start of something larger as discontent
burgeons. (013109e)
The
"gas problem" continues between Russia and
Ukraine. The
Euro's watch and voice their concern but it is
really out of their hands, isn't it?
(011809b)
News
from Africa and the Sub Sahara Theater
The
continent of Africa,
struggles
where the developed world is inconvenienced by
the economic tailspin the greedy bastards have
foisted upon an unsuspecting public.
(031509g)
Congo:
The
Congo, the fighting, the chaos and a neologism,
"femicide"
the purposeful killing off of the female portion
of a population. Read all about
it.
(052009c)
Refugees
flee in all directions as war
spreads. As if
this country needs anything like this.
(021809a)
Ethiopia:
From
the Independent we hear of the
rains failing in Ethiopia and that another round
of famine may be in
store,
certainly the evidence of indicators is already
in hand. Global warming is not mentioned, but in
other articles it is implied that the Horn of
Africa is a region that is slated to have a
lessening of rainfall. (083009d)
Kenya:
Bennett
Gordon reports on a text messaging system used
in Kenya. It
was used to map the violence of an election gone
bad but now has possibilities for helping people
organize and assist each other during
emergencies. (111909d)
Guinea:
From the BBC we have a
report on Guinea,
Africa. A long time leader is dead and the
military, upon whom he was long dependent, has
taken control promising elections and more.
(092809e)
Also
from the BBC, it seems that the "popularity" of
the coup is in doubt.
(092809f)
Madagascar:
Instability
here
(031609f)
Similar
to other nations where governments are being
challenged or failing, the people are hurting
and they want
change.
(012609c)
Nigeria:
Alex
Duval Smith Back to Nigeria, still not
completely quiet, in fact, it is still
uneasy.
(122009d)
From
the BBC it is reported that some thousands of
"oil rebels" have turned in their
arms. There
are some hold outs and only time will tell if
their threats materialize or if this struggle
has been peacefully concluded.
(100809d)
From
the BBC it is reported that some thousands of
"oil rebels" have turned in their
arms. There
are some hold outs and only time will tell if
their threats materialize or if this struggle
has been peacefully concluded.
(100809d)
From
London comes the word that
Polio vaccines distributed in Nigeria have been
the source of several outbreaks of the
disease. This
fact complicates the medical world's task of
convincing African people that vaccines are
safe. (081409d)
Sierra
Leone:
Instability
here
(031609e)
Somalia:
From
Al Jazeera we hear about Somali pirates and
their very good, not bad at all, nicely done
financial year
(123009d)
Reuters,
a deadly bombing in Somalia is what gets the
news, that and pirates at other times and
warfare.
(120309c)
From
Mohamed Ahmed,
we hear of Ethiopain troops, oh, uh, advisors,
who are not in the country officially, "helping"
Somalian government forces "take" a
town in
central Somalia. The war rages on.
(082909a)
From
the BBC we have a report of Clinton
saying the US will "take action" if Eritrea does
not stop what it's
doing. Last I
heard the so called Somali Government was on the
ropes, but the US is shipping arms to them and
fitting to double down. (080609g)
Mohamed
Olad Hassan gives us a view from the areas
nearby
Mogadishu.
(080609h) Apparently
a new government is forming,but the challenges
are grave and great
(080609i)
Mohamed
Olad Hassan, reports on Somalia, or rather that
area on a globe which is usually thought to
contain it. The nation does not really exist any
longer. The
bankrupt US policy has long since failed and not
chaos reigns as a result Al Qaida or similar
groups will find a new home
there.
(060909a)
Somalia,
now the fighting has entered the capital and the
shreds of a US policy gone bad flap lamely in
the cold breeze.
(052209a)
The
US "effort"in Somalia seems headed for a
crashing kind of
halt. What
became of US purpose, US allies and US designs?
(051809f)
The
piracy continues and legal tangles ensue.
The problem is
the problem that the US "engagement" in the area
has rendered this result.
(041909a)
Piracy
on the high seas continues off this nation's
coast is
symptomatic of the global communities failed
policies overall and the US policies in
particular.
(040809a)
A
new leader and the one-time western "enemy" the
Islamic Courts form a new
government.
Now that Bush is out, it may be that rational
approaches are in. So the west may now deal with
this nation, reasonably.
(013109a)
Sudan:
From
Reuters we hear that Sudan may well be "warming
up again" as
the north south divide, well, divides them
again. (121809c)
Zimbabwe:
Pacific
and Australian News:
The
strategy, down under, is the same as in D.C.
deficit spending to recover the
economy. What
if this simply creates another "bubble" of "good
debt" that doesn't do the job and it all goes
bust? (020309f)
News
from the land south of the Ol' Rio Grande:
Sam
Ferguson, truthout, reports on
how
Argentina has reached back to deal with its
torturers from the days when thousands were
disappeared.
(121509e) Oh, guess what, they repealed laws
which allowed the crimes against humanity to be
swept under the run, when will that happen here
in the US?
Some
of the nations: Honduras,
Mexico,
Peru
Julie
R. Butler reports on the recent election in
Uruguay where change has come to pass and a
runoff could make history for that nation and
set
US influence back another notch; that aspect
goes back to
Nixon.
(110909b)
Nadja
Drost reports on the uptick in arms purchasing
by big South American countries,
an undertone
of US Russian involvement and the scale of the
"investments" relative to the needs of the
continents people. (092009e)
Benamin
Dangl, gives coverage to a new book: Dissecting
Utopia, edited by Patrick Barret, et al. and the
article illustrates how
the Latin American left movements are not of a
piece and though progressive, mostly, still
progress is
needed.
(080209b)
John
Sauven reports on what I call the "battle of the
Amazon" will
cattle ranching win out over conservation? A
pair of laws working their way through Brazil's
government could expand the damage and
legitimize the illegal clearing already done
(060809b
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/02/02-13
A bit of history wrapped up in a suggestion that
Obama scrap the Monroe Doctrine. Don't know
about that? Well read on brother and sister,
read on. (020209b)
Bolivia:
Judy
Rebick reports on the plans that Bolivia has for
reinventing itself
and the way
government interacts and assists its people.
(111209e)
Rory
Carroll and Andres Schipani team up to
illuminate
the Bolivian Lithium
bonanza. The
impoverished country has half the world's
supply, a leftist government and a do it
yourself attitude.
Previous
articles discussed the fact that there is not
enough Lithium to make the batteries for all the
cars that would replace the gas guzzlers now in
use. So a bonanza, yes, for how long? Anyone's
guess. (061809d)
Columbia:
Benjamin
Dangl, reports on the newer bases in Columbia
and why
the Presidents of 12 South American nations
suspect that the stated plans are not what "it's
all about."
(091309a)
Nadja
Drost has it that a US company supplied
financial support to a paramilitary group
accused of hundreds of murders.
(053109g)
El
Salvador:
Amy
Goodman interviews Alexis Stoumbelis, Executive
Director of CISPES, the Committee in Solidarity
with the People of El Salvador talks about
violence they begin
with: how on Saturday, thirty-two-year-old Dora
"Alicia" Recinos Sorto was shot dead near her
home. She was eight months pregnant, carrying
her two-year-old
son
(123009f)
Guatemala:
From
Courtney Carvill at the COHA, we hear about the
state of democracy in Guatemala.
The recent
murder of a a Mr. Rosenerg has galvanized some
protest, with an IT factor yet, and the battle
to keep democracy or revive it has been engaged.
(070309d)
Honduras:
Bruno
Oden of L'Humanité provides illumination
of how
Death Squads have returned to
Honduras.
Mutilations, mahem and murder, the signature
effects of the "bad old days" have returned and
the US role in this seems to be "supportive".
This from Obama? Where is the change we can
beleive in? (123009e)
Tom
Loudon describes the US
supporting role for the coup leaders in
Honduras, no
wonder "negotiations " are "going nowhere fast"
as my mom used to say. (112409d)
Elisabeth
Malkin reports that the "Honduras Deal" has been
undone.
(110609b)
Sara
Miller Llana reports on a deal that seems to
rectify the problematic conditions of the
Honduran
government,
however the article seems to cast the US on the
side of the good guys when it mentions US
sanctions. In a work, the sanctions were long in
coming, at best partial and very outweighed by
the efforts of conservative elements in US
politics and society. (103009a)
Greg Grandin reports on
Honduras
and the increasing difficulty all the way
around.
Everyone suffers and no real progress is being
made. (100909a)
Tyler Bridges reports on
the Honduran
regimes suspension of civil rights and the
closing down
media outlets
unfriendly to them. (092909d)
Laura
Carlson, off OpEd News reports from Tegucigalpa
that repression is ramping up,
tanks are in
the city wounded protesters are taken from
hospitals and "resistance" is forming up.
(092809d) So, one wonders why Hillasourus Rex
has not bothered to make commentary on these
developments. I guess she's getting her nails
done.
From the BBC comes a
report that Honduran
security has surrounded the Brazilian embassy
and cut of utilities to "asphyxiate" the
embassy.
(092209c)
Laura
Carlsen reports that Zelaya has returned to
Honduras, albeit in a foreign embassy, but it is
a giant step.
(092109c)
Tom
Loudon, describes the increasing pressure, both
internal and external, on the coup leaders in
Honduras. They
act determined to hold on. This may be a
watershed moment, if the "soft" pressures
outside and the peaceful protests inside manage
to make a difference and restore democracy. One
hopes for this anyway (092009a)
Eric
Farnsworth reports on the status of Honduras and
how the US has, it seems, made matters
worse.
(091709c)
Paul Richter reports that
although
the US has cut 30M dollars in aid to Honduras,
others have stepped in with the cash, the IMF
for one. It is
such a shame that a simple set of actions from
the US could have reversed this idiocy. Imagine
what the US could have done with the neighboring
nations? Oh well ... (090409b)
Tom
Loudon reports on Honduras and the recent turn
for a violent
worst.
(083109d)
John
Lamperti reports on the
US role in the Honduras
coup and the
return of a danger that many in the region
thought was gone for good.
(083009b)
Kathia
Martinez from the AP has reports
from
Honduras that supporters of the ousted president
are being charged with sedition.
The condition
in the country begins to have violence - one
wonders if the nations in the region will
actively take a hand and see to it that justice
is done. (081509d)
Robert Naiman reports on
the Honduran
"situation" the raising of the minimum wage is
thought to be a factor in the deposing of the
government.
Once the old boys get a strangle hold on a
country they just don't "let" go.
(080809g)
Marc
Weisbrot reports on the
failure of US diplomacy to resolve the Honduran
Problem, so,
the case is made, it is time for the Latin
American nations to take a hand. They've
resolved a couple of international difficulties
in their bailiwick, now is the time to step
forward yet again.(080109b)
Roger Burbach has it
that
Obama and Clinton seem to say one thing and do
another when it comes to
Honduras. It
seems to much like "same old, same old" in this
piece and time is not on the side the US seems
to have adopted. (072709k)
Mark Weisbrot reports on
the
support the Honduran coup enjoys in
Beltwayistan,
the bizarre
capital of the US of A. (072409g)
Tom
Loudon reports on the Honduran "event" and how
the US
has not yet really lent any more support to what
it calls the legitimate president than what easy
words offer.
(072209b)
Rory Carroll reports that
the Honduran
talks, hosted by Costa Rica's president have
broken down.
Airas will continue to try but has said "three
more days". Everyone wonders "and then what?
Civil war? (072009b)
Robert
Maiman speculates on Honduras and the
US,
how president Roosevelt had a close call with a
military arrest when his reforms were
attacked.
(071809g)
Tim
Gaynor reports that the Honduran government led
by Micheletti is softening
its stance in
the face of continuing protests, international
pressures and the "heat of the spotlight". What
with this event, that of Iran, the earlier
events in Kenya to name a few that come to mind,
the color revolutions, perhaps, even Tibet I
might be excused for thinking that a genie is
working its way out of the bottle, when mass
movements can, by force of popular dissent,
bring governments to heel. (071609d) That would
be a new age, to my mind.
As if we don't have enough
trouble messing around with our own body
politic, Robert
Naiman shows we have to mess around, indirectly,
with others, meaning Honduras.
What DO the
polls taken there and misrepresented here, have
to do with anything? Well read on.
(071409h)
Tim Rogers and Jim Wyss
report
from Managua on the deadline Zelaya is giving to
the
"president".
Would that the, in the US, such bold action had
occurred some years ago and prevented Bush the
dumber from ruining this nation.
(071409g)
Stephen
Zunes reports from Honduras. This article also
quotes the Honduran constitution saying that the
referendum was
legal and,
because of the manner in which the once time
president was deposed, the people have a right
to assemble, protest and organize to change the
government (071109b) Then too there is the
historical US involvement with
Honduras
Patrick Markey talks about
the
international unanimity regarding the Honduras
coup, but the
nation itself seems steadfast in its course.
(070109h)
Benjamin
Dangl reveals a brief timeline for the Honduras
coup. The US
media got some basics wrong regarding a
controversial referendum, the deposed president
was well regarded and a national strike is
already growing while a military commander says
he'll refuse orders from the new "government."
(063009g)
Ton
Loudon reports on the coup in Honduras.
Essentially
the military removed the president from his
office and the country. The seeming motive is
that president Zelaya wanted a non-binding
referendum on extending the number of terms a
president may hold - thought this story mentions
the referendum; it does not mention what it was
about. The action has been roundly criticized
from all corners and the US denies any
involvement, not that any is suspected mind you.
(062909c)
From
the BBC, we see the
Honduras president deposed by the
military, many
questions remain, who, why, what and so forth.
(062809f)
From
the BBC, we see the Honduras president deposed
by the
military, many questions remain, who, why, what
and so forth. (062809f)
From the BBC we hear of
Honduran
president, Zelaya, whose plane being forced off
course to land in
Nicaragua
while two protesters at the airport were killed
as troops dispersed awaiting crowds.
(070609a)
Hugh O'Shaughnessy reports
on the
influence of the church, the "School of the
Americas" and others in the Honduran
Affair.
(070409c) The article has some errata, in
comparing this "coup" to others. The military is
not directly in charge in Honduras, the speaker
of their congress is.
Octavio
Sanchez writes about the Honduran constitution
and the events which led to the current
crisis. His
opinion is that the law, as written, was
exercised. The president had violated the
constitution, the courts had taken action and
the president had been defiant of those
requests. The military acted on the behalf of
both the congress and the courts.
(070409b)
BBC
news reports that Honduras' court is backing the
current
government and
vows to arrest the president should he return,
the nation seems to have no allies in its quest.
(070409a)
Mexico:
Joan
Grillo reports on the vigilante violence in
Mexico as
people turn to their own means to secure some
security. (102909d)
Tabassum
Zakaria reports on an arrest of
300
persons in raids on Mexican drug operations in
the US. A measure, perhaps, of the depravity to
which this nation has
fallen, the US
is an "incredible" consumer.
(102209c)
Sara
Miller Llana reports that Mexicans crossing into
the US have a new motive, a fear for their lives
as the
violence in Mexico ramps up with casualty
numbers that match America's total dead in its
wars, each
year. And,
despite the economic downturn, millions of them
still say they want to go north.
(092709b)
D'Angelo
Gore reports on the brouhaha surrounding the
number of Mexico's crime scene guns traced to
the US.
Essentially a lot of US guns wind up in Mexico
and are used by criminals. But the debate is
over how many and who uses them not about how to
end the condition or resolve the issues involved
(061509e)
The
Narco-War in Mexico is ramped up as about
50% of the
nation's military is deployed to combat the
violence. (040509c)
This
story from Mexico details the outbreak of a new
infectious agent
the pedigree
of which is global and at least the scientists
are sitting up and taking note.
(042409c)
The
drug war continues and the US is the source of
the weaponry used by the
druggies
and the source of the drug cartel's profits: US
sales (031909a)
This
country is a "security concern" for the US and
the situation is
worsening.
With hundreds dying monthly the country is in
the midst of an "underground" war.
(011809c):
Peru:
And
winning in the "absolutely bizarre" category for
today, we
have the "Fat Killers of Peru" Say no more but
read on.
(111909f)
BBC has a
report that the
Peruvian indigenous people rack up a costly
victory
against their government.
(061909e)
Guy
Adams reports updates us on Peru,
the cover-up is
unraveling as
pictures emerge along with a horrific truth. The
government is shaken and protests
occur.
(061909b)
John
Vidal, reports on
the "second oil war" the first being Iraq, this
one, being
Peru where
thousands of tribal members are defending their
lands against a government with US interests at
heart, which wants to exploit the natural
resources of those lands
(061509d)
Greg
Palast reports on the manner in which natural
resources are taken. You
can still buy valuable property for trinkets,
blocks of cheese and the "proverbial
dollar". This
relates to the hubbub in Peru but the US has its
own tales as well.
(061209d)
Tom
Loudon covers the violence in the Peruvian
Amazon where 100 have died in a police action
directly linked to the Free Trade
Agreement
(FTA) between the US and
Peru.(061209a)
What
does a civil war look like?
From Peru Milagors Salazar reports on the
clashes between native protesters and police.
The government is, with US policy in mind,
"developing" native regions without their
consent and using controversial legalities to do
so. Peru's
government blames leftist neighboring nations
for the troubles. (061009a)
Carla
Sleaze, Tamy Higa and Frank Bajak team up
to cover the
protest and violence in Peru as natives resist
the exploitation of lands without compensation
or consideration of the ecology, the law, morals
and so forth.
(060709h)
Venezuela:
Norman
Solomon, reports on how
the US and Chavez of Venezuela are both mixing
it up in Iranian affairs, one way or
another. Bush
"the dumber" did his bit, Chavez is now doing
his and the Iranians are saying that the US is
orchestrating the protest.
(062609i)
Arthur
Bright reports on the destruction of two food
bridges between Columbia and
Venezuela,
while they "weren't much" the event "says" a
lot. (112009c)
It's
not nice to fool Mother Nature:
Margie
Mason and Martha Mendoza from AP in Landana Fla.
report on a new strain of TB appearing in the
US. (122809c)
Likewise
they also report on a drug resistant strain of
malaria
overseas. A
distrurbing trend that has the global meidal
community guessing, worrying even.
(122809d)
Brandon
Keim gives an overview of seven
locations where global warming will evidence
"tipping
points".
(122409a) The commentary is typical of the
"debate" surrounding the issue however and makes
for interesting reading.
Howard
Bloom provides a relatively cogent coverage of
the "global warming and cooling cycles have
happened before, so what" school of
thought. To
which my cogent reply is: yes, fine, climate
change has happened before, but it IS happening
now and humanity, as a whole, is part of the
change this time around, and we seem to be
helping it along. (122409b) Then
there are happenings such as this where Gore, a
favorite punching bag of the Tin Foil Hat
Brigades makes an
error, at
best, and is pilloried for it, nay , some even
use this as an argument to support the denial of
Climate Change, amazing. (122409c)
Roy
W. Spencer, Ph.D. speaks of the inadequacy of
the "computer model approach" to looking at
climate change. The page is "deep" but the point
has been made before and by those using climate
models.
However the main argument Spencer uses, that
data are not included as a check in the computer
models is dated. Many recent mega studies of
climate change report that when data is checked
the phenomenon has progressed further than
theories have predicted. (122409d)
For
the record's sake, here is a Wikipedia article
listing the many scientists who argue that
Global Warming is natural, cyclical, not man
made, not happening or of no
consequence.
(122409e) And to counter balance that we
have
a list of some thirty one thousand scientists in
the US alone who have signed a petition
indicating they do believe human's have a
significant role in the current climate
change we're
experiencing (122409f)
From
Reuters another blizzard, this time targeting
the great plains area and up into
Canada. A lot
of corn still needs to be harvested. But this
along with the continuing harsh winter in Europe
are the harbingers of the "new norm" in a
"global warming world" where, with the Gulf
Stream shutting down, we'll have harsher
winters. Europe will get the worst of this
pattern sooner than the US, I would guess.
(122309b)
BBC
reports on the America's monster
storm
(122109c) Meanwhile
Europe has its own snowfall to deal
with (122109d)
Neither story mention that this is the kind of
winter that the northern hemisphere can expect
if Global Warming continues and succeeds in
shutting down the Gulf Stream's warming effect.
From
Reuters we hear of the BIG NEWS Copenhagen has
reached a Global Warming agreement, sadly it is
not legally
binding,
promises money from somewhere somehow to do
something, and the big news is that they'll meet
again in a hear to work out details. The worst
part is that even if the accord IS implemented
it would not limit global warming anyway. What
DO we pay our governments to do anyway?
(121909c)
Suzanne
Goldenberg, John Vidal and Jonathan Watts in
Copenhagen the rise in temperature is guaranteed
with what we've agreed to at this
moment. You've
got to love these leaders of ours. Pray for
them, they certainly need it.
(121709f)
John
Gibbons reports on the 6 problems that make our
"time" so short, as far as "life in these United
States" as we
have come to know and expect them to be, that is
to say prosperous, pleasant and peaceful
(121709c)
Truthout via Le Monde:
Seems that the Eu has found out that certain
strains of Monsanto's
GMO corn is unsafe from any seed, not good for
human consumption as it is in the US of
A. (121509c)
Oh, the kicker, Monsanto's own data is part of
the sourcing for this "finding'
Joshua Frank, Truthout,
the Copenhagen thing is going on, no matter
yesterdays 'stutter". What
is here is that the mathematical modeling of the
use of biomass as fuel. It may be that the
figuring is off and that encouraging the use of
bio mass for global warming reduction is
questionable -
if this is true then things need to be
recalculated, and, probably, in a hurry.
(121409d)
Jason Leopold reports on
Obama's Nobel
speech and the criticism that is being leveled
upon it by those concerned with human rights
abuses that have a disturbing continuity with
Jackass Bush
(121209c)
Brad
Reed reports on the "quality of food" marketed
to US consumers
bleechhhh
(121209d)
World
Business Academy illustrates
the
basics regarding Global Warming: the liars have
the game gamed and are in the
lead.
(120909c) Andrew C. Revkin and James Kanter have
the essential word
that Global Warming does not seem to be slowing
down.
(120909d)
Associated
Press David
Sharp reports on one incidence of chaotic
weather of the kind global warming models have
predicted in readings I've
done.
(120409a) Julia Whitty reports on geological
records which indicate
that the last two "freezes" were relatively
quick events, happening over the course of weeks
or months.
(120309b)
Richard
Black advises on that one exception to global
warming, a
portion of the Antarctic is keeping its cool,
not forever, but for
now
(113009d)
It
seems Antarctica is melting faster than anyone
thought. Are
we worried yet? Apparently not. (112309a)
James
Randerson talks about the increasing rate of
biodiversity loss.
With Global
Warming getting the juicy, sexy coverage this
plain jane topic hardly gets ogled and nary a
wolf whistle (112009b)
Sindya N. Bhahoo reports
that the rate
at which the ocean is absorbing Carbon Dioxide
is declining,
meaning, of course that as this "sink" fills up
the atmosphere's concentration of the gas will
accelerate all the faster.
(111909c)
From
Richard Black we have a new estimate that the
world's warming could well reach to 6+ degrees
and make for some "interesting
changes.
(111809e)
From
Hervé Kempf we hear about the global
impact of "eating meat".
Beyond the
"humanity" of saving animals, there is the
industrial sized impact meat production has on
the production of global warming gasses,
pollution and health, not only of the animals in
question but of humans as well.
(111509f)
Michael
Casey from The Associated Press
Ocean
warming = Jellyfish swarming that is the message
here in an overview of the variable effects
their
migrations are having on fishing in particular
and visa versa. (111609d)
From
Alister Doyle, we hear about Greenland's
increased loss of ice - the rate is more than
expected.
(111209h)
Lester
Brown talks about what it might take to really
deal with global
warming. More
is being done that one thinks, however, as he
puts it, the time is running out; mother nature
has the clock and we can't see the time.
(110309a) Mark Henderson reports that a
substantial number of life forms are under
threat according to an annual assessment.
Not
good I guess, but what's your take, read it
here.
(110309b)
From Herve Kempf of Le
Monde we see some
one has analyzed the attitudes Americans have
regarding climate
change. Yes,
the landscape has changed, no it does not mean
we're even close to making up our collective and
"so called" minds. (103009e)
From
Reuters we hear about a triple whammy for the
Adelie and Chinstrap
penguins;
there is global warming changing their
landscape, krill population declining and
commercial krill trawler's having an increasing
harvest, some action is beginning to be thought
out, one wonders though.
(102909b)
Chris
Hedges gives
the simple figures, facts and overview regarding
global warming
and the
"individual's role and responsibility to make
the needed difference. (102009c)
Ben Webster reports on the
changing Arctic, it seems that "the beat goes
on" and a
clear Arcic will be seen much sooner than
expected.
(101509e)
Derek
Henry Flood reports on the state
of Kurdistan, not just the seemingly independent
Iraqi north but the rest of it as well, an issue
that Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran
share.
(101509d)
A
new film covering "Global Dimming". A phenomenon
due to air pollution, jet contrails and which
came to light or into focus rather, in the days
after 9/11.
The effect of the "high flying" pollutants is to
cool the planet through filtering the sunshine,
this does not counterbalance the effects of
global warming however. (100509e)
Mike
Collett-White reports on a film investigating
the disappearance of
bees. One of
human kinds most ancient of "allies" has been
suffering mysterious deaths since 2004.
(100309d) From
the USDA comes this article to apprise us of the
"current status" of the problem in the
US.
(100309e)
Gerard
Wynn from Oxford England talks about a two meter
rise in oceanic levels as being unstoppable,
and, to my lights, the minimum effect we might
expect. What
is problematical, in terms of a solution, is the
time frames scientists use. When the whole
darned world seems to think in days, weeks,
quarterly reports and election cycles, the idea
of thinking in decades and centuries is beyond
the "intellectual pale."
(092909g)
From
the radical fringe of reality, comes this:
written purportedly by a Dr. Leonard Horowitz,
claiming that a human made plague is on the way
and there is a conspiracy behind it.
(092809j) I
include this zany bit here because it
exemplifies the "quality" of ideas that
circulate as well as the fears that many may
have, but my question is this, what if mother
nature provides one, what then?
From David Adam we hear of
a report that a 4C rise in temperature,
globally, is a rising possibility. The key
sentence in the article, however, is this:
"A
report last week from the UN Environment Program
said emissions since 2000 have risen faster than
even this IPCC worst-case scenario.
"In the 1990s,
these scenarios all assumed political will or
other phenomena would have brought about the
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by this
point" (092809b)
Johann
Hari briefly describes the solution to our human
energy needs. We have the means to solve the
global warming problem but lack the will to see
it through. We
are blinded by coal and oil, soaked in it. Time
is running out. By the time ordinary people see
that it's too late it will have been to late for
some long time. (092409a)
Constance Okollet provides
us with a
Global Warming story from Kenya where it is
described up close and personal.
(092309e)
From
the BBC we hear of a great dust storm in
Australia.
(092309b) Also from the
BBC a report on the record breaking high
temperatures that are also in the
mix in the
land "down under". (092309c)
If
you are tired of hearing about the swine flu,
for which tens of millions of doses are
currently being readied for
distribution,
David Morgan brings news of the Chikungunya
virus. it is supposed to be worse than the West
Nile virus another mosquito borne virus.
(091909e)
Susan
Goldenberg reports that the ocean has touched a
record high temperature
globally.
Partly due to El Nino but this is also global
warming's effect. (091709b)
From
the TomGram, we hear of the lack of overall
coverage concerning the spreading of drought in
the world. The
article focuses on those in the US, the fires
which are a consequence and the "water wars"
which are also coming to the fore, all while the
overall picture, as the article says, is
obscured by pointillist journalism
(091409b)
Andrew
E. Kramer and Andrew C. Revkin report on the
opening of the North East
Passage. Using
a warmer Arctic allows shipping to save
thousands of miles, time, fuel and money.
(091109a)
Robin
McKie reports on the scientists who, in
analyzing geological evidence, understand
that
an upsurge in volcanism and even earthquakes may
be a side effect of global
warming.
(090609h)
Andrew
C. Revkin has a report on the warming of the
Arctic. The
details show evidence of a warming trend that
has put to an end a cooling trend that was
millennia in the making.
(090409d)
Associated
Press reports on
the controversy surrounding methane "seeps" in
the arctic
regions. The
controversy is not if it will "ramp up" global
warming but how much and how soon.
(083109b)
From the AP comes a story
that
a woman has contracted a form of HIV that is
from gorillas,
rather than the kind from chimpanzees. (080309a)
This and the next story are included to update
regarding the fringe threat of a plague being a
destabilizing factor in the present age.
Ariana
Eunjung Cha reports on an outbreak of Pneumonic
Plague,
similar to the Bubonic Plague from history, save
that it can be transmitted through the air.
(080309b)
Seth Borenstein reports on
the warming
of the oceans, this is a record setting
year and the
arctic bears the brunt having temperatures that
have gone up ten degrees.
(082009d)
Judith Burns presents a
bit on
global warming and the warming of the ocean
releasing another GW gas,
methane
(081909d)
Kirk
Johnson writes about a hopeful technology that
consumes carbon dioxide and produces biodiesel
fuel
(081809a)
James Painter, BBC,
reports that Bolivia's
glaciers, like
those of the rest of the world, are loosing
mass, melting. (073109c)
David
Ljunggren reports on a warming arctic which is
greening and thus providing another
feedback loop in the warming
effect.
(073109b)
Duncan Clark provides
coverage of
a "perfect storm" which will amplify the global
warming
process, El Nino and solar maximums are on deck
(072709l)
Suzanne Goldenberg and
Damian Carrington report on
the
evidence of Global Warming that Bush the Dumber
had kept under
wraps as well
as the need for funding the research that would
monitor the process of warming. (072709b)
From
the UK's Guardian, here are some other
photos
(072709c) And
some others
(072709d)
Claudia Wallis reports on
environmental
pollution's effect on the IQ of children
who are
exposed before birth and in their formative
years. They focus on PAH's but the article
mentions others and other effects as well.
(072409a)
Bryan Walsh reports
on
the science which has evidence of another global
warming feedback
loop, as the
oceans warm, low cloud cover disperses and this
allows more of the sun's energy to reach the
oceans warming them further. What happens is
that much higher clouds form and these do not
give as much protection.
(072409b)
Missy
Ryan reports on
Iraq's water problems which have various
sources, upriver dams in other nations, global
warming and a
drought and
then there's mismanagement, corruption and the
long US war and occupation.
(072409c)
Alex
Morales reports on updates
regarding global warming and the ocean's
rise.
It seems that
the take away message is that change is
happening faster than thought, nothing new
there, research has always been lagging behind
the event
and, oh yes,
the changes will be more severe.
(061809c)
Nicole
Baute reports on what I would call "global
femicide". 100 to 200 million women of all ages
who "should be
alive" but are
not for a variety of reasons, including simple
murder in many, many cases.
(060909g)
WHO
declares the Swine Flu to be a pandemic, the
first in 40
years. The
death count is small, less than two hundred, but
this is an outbreak that is being watched
carefully. (061209c)
By
Michael Roddy's lights the acidification of the
ocean, an ongoing process is
outlined as
are the seemingly distant threat to a world just
decades in the future. Speculative, yes, but the
run of studies on global warming has seen the
data stream lagging behind the fact since the
change seems to outpace our capacity to measure
them. (060109d) If that generalization holds
true then might we expect more change and
sooner.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/v-fullstory/story/1054864.html
Some hint of
global warming's effects, and mismanagement by
human kind causing some die offs
(051909a)
Global
warming will be about twice as what was thought
recently.
(052109e)
Probably
a salient in Mother Nature's advance against a
burgeoning humanity.
China believes it will have to relocate some 150
million people from a farmland area currently
under attack by encroaching
deserts.
(022009a)
Where
is all that mercury coming from in the ocean's
fish? It seems
algae draws it in from the atmosphere and then,
when it dies, the gasses released.
(051509b)
A
brief on the overview of the swine flu's
reach.
(050309d)
The
kicker, in this article, is
that the polar ice cap may be gone in as few as
five years!
Howzaboutdemapples buzzy? (043009h) And here's
an article that gives one pause to consider
that
the swine flu should be called the NAFTA flu,
odd but
"catchy".
(043009i) Ironic if this hybrid organism is
something that sets humanity back a notch, or
two.
"Ch
- ch - ch - changes" as the song
goes, now may
be applies to the Arctic where change is all
fast, vast and deep. (042809c)
Perhaps
forest fires are one of most easily understood
"feedback
loops" in the
global warming conundrum.
(042409f)
This
article says it has good and bad
news. The
problem is that the good news is not really good
news. In sum, if the globe warms the calthrate
deposits in Greenland and elsewhere could
release large amounts of methane and accelerate
whatever warming is going on now.
(042309d)
Just
how many active pharmaceutical chemicals are
released into our water
systems? Good
question, the study indicates hundreds of
millions of pounds worth, which is based on the
scant records that exist now.
(042109d)
More
evidence that the Antarctic is undergoing large
scale change due to global warming.
(040609b) and
here is the news from the
Arctic, also signs showing
change.
(040609c)
The
Arctic, responding to global warming and other
factors may be
more clear of ice and much sooner
(040509d)
Just
a bit of noise about
pollutants,
seems that fire retardants are becoming
ubiquitous, as in they've found it in
human
breast milk. (040209d)
The
Exxon Valdez, remember that? Read the update,
about the pollution, the
deaths,
the
poison and the fact that corporations still kill
and get away with it. (032509b)
It's
not climate change," a new name is
needed.
Science is behind in cataloging the events,
policy is behind the science and programs are
behind that. We are in a serious "catch up
conundrum" (031309d)
The
rising seas continue to do just that, what's new
however is the pace, it is faster, the
consequent effects, these are more widespread
and damaging
and, if Greenland and the Antarctic ice melts
we'll have a nearly 70 meter rise in sea levels,
not to mention much more violent storms and
disastrous weather changes and or turmoil.
(030809b)
There's
a future in water wars, yes and
no?
(022809b)
The
drought in northern China is more than
inconvenient.
And a mention
of the loss of snowfall around Beijing is
indicative of a change in precipitation
patterns, though the story only mentions the
rarity of the snowfall. (022509e)
Global
warming occurs faster than thought and so polar
regions are loosing their cool, so to speak,
faster than
previously thought (022509a)
CO2
levels continued to rise in
2008, However,
what this article ignores is the increasing
methane. That is a far more potent GW gas and it
is not being studied getting any press anyway
(022509b)
Drought
in California begins to have practical
impacts
(022209a)
Although
global warming was not mentioned this drought in
California has been heralded as part of that,
water
rationing has begun in SoCal.
(021709d)
Global
warming happening faster, some interesting facts
and figures
(021609a)
Global
warming happening faster than predicted by the
best science which is less than two years old
portends more
of the same, I would think, yet no one is
battening down the hatches and people look at me
as if I am a numbskull when I talk about the
seriousness of Global Warming, WUPT? I mean to
say WTF? (021409a)
A
call for an "Ice Refuge" in the
Arctic, so
that the region of ice can be preserved as would
the animals, notably polar bears.
(021009c)
Science
and ordinary folks are teaming up to document
the ecological changes
being driven
by global warming. (020809a)
Is
water is the next crisis coming down the
pipeline, as it were? Reports from the world
over show the effects of global warming
chances, the
adaptations that are being tried and the costly
effects on societies that cannot adapt to the
environmental changes. (020309b)
The
sea is changing much faster than previously
thought, some
say the acidification is taking place at a rate
100 times rate that usual variations occur
(013109g)
The
latest chapter in the Global Warming story, from
Australia, a record breaking heat wave sets off
fires and,
indirectly, causes power outages for hundreds of
thousands.(013109d)
The
Future in the News!
AND our Presstitutes
inacton!
Ernest Partridge,
Co-Editor of the Crisis Papers brings us an
artcle titled: A Convenient
Delusion:
this is about how effective the climate change
denialists are being when it comes to swaying
public opinion with their claptrap and "Voodoo
Journalism"
(123009a)
John Pilger when
it
comes to "useful idiots" the press in England is
"all to willing to serve"; when it comes to
Iraq, "the crime of the century" there are dead
heroes, and those who have benefited and
continue to do
so. I would
call it shameful, but then I am an American
(121309a)
If you are not familiar
with Tom
Paine check it
out, today's page, 12/13/09 has a raft of nut
shells all worthy of merit.
(121309b)
Digby has an update on the
"shock doctrine" as applied to the
US.
If things get bad enough there are those who
think that this is the time to get rid of Social
Security and
Medicare.
(121309c) This from the wastrels who bankrupted
us and got trillions for their trouble who claim
that we cannot afford these programs any
longer.
Nick
Mottern goes to distribute "alternate"
information for military personnel in a US
town that has
long hosted a military base, the responses are
varied and surprising. (121209b)
Ellen
Goodman lets us know what
"truthiness" is, what "news" has become and how
reality is
served, now a
days, as you like it. (120609b)
Media
manipulation: you'll recall the toppling of that
statue of Saddam, the "crowd" in the picture
jubilant? How
it was hailed the world over as "historic" and
the TV in the US had "coverage". Well, here is a
picture of the same time and place but taken at
a wider view. The scent had, at most, 200
persons attending and most all of them were US
soldiers. (120109f)
Harvey
Wasserman provides some "context" for the recent
"discovery" that nuclear power is growing in
popularity,
well, perhaps it is, with one person, oh, plus
the author of the piece, so make it two.
(112709d)
Walter
Brasch, provides a record of Rush Blowing it, no
I'm not talking about a flute made of
beef, thought
that WOULD be interesting footage, as it were.
No this is him going ballistic and in a
sputtering fit of some perverse impersonation of
patriotism he attacks the Constitution of these
United Snakes. (111909a) Which brings to mind my
favorite Rust Lumberbra: What is the difference
between Rush and the Hindenburg? Well, one is a
flaming NAZI gasbag and the other, is a
blimp!
Michael
Moore has his recipe for "fixing things in the
good old US of
A. What I
don't like is the fact that though I agree and
do some of the things; I cannot seem to think
that it will help. (102209d)
Mark
Weisbrot has it that America's
Real Quagmire is what is seen through the media
as "discussions" of
policy. The
example in the article is a recent group
analyzing Afghan policy. The group represented
the military, arms industry and known hawks.
Nowhere were the 52% of Americans who want to
see an end to the conflict represented. This
happens over and over. Obama is in this up to
his neck. (102309d)
Taegan Goddard's political
wire reports on something I've thought of but
had no indication of, until now.
A
pollster cooking books? Not just an ordinary,
run of the mill type either, but a respected
one. The issue
comes to light because their cover up is so
sloppy. Has one wonder about other things as
well. (092609e)
Frank Rich reports on
the
rise of Glen Beck, a weirdo for sure, but one
who is tapping into the incoherent rage that is
stalking America's
soul. If the
economy has a further slump, as some predict,
then we may expect the violence that is born of
such anger. (092009d)
Rosemary
and Walter Brasch report on how the big news
companies get it wrong in their mad dash to "get
it first."
(091909d)
Ira
Chermus, two Zionisms, two
reports, two futures and two presents, which set
of possibilities will form the basis for moving
forward in the muddle east?
I would
suspect that these reports will change little
"on the ground" and for that reason may only be
something of a speed bump on the highway to hell
(091909b)
From
FAIR we see a description of a "debate" on
Afghanistan.
More media madness, as if we don't have enough
already. (082509f)
Charlie
Reed reports on the
"screening" of journalists or reporters who want
to embed with US troops in Afghanistan, the same
company that is doing this screening "helped"
the US military to a similar job in
Iraq. And we
know how well that worked.
(082509e)
Max Burns reports on
the
effects virtual worlds have on the real one.
While the
examples cited are small, the article posits
their growth in scope and influence. While that
is hopeful and presented as positive - the
future remains unseen and only time will tell if
this is just a blip or the start of something
new. (082909g)
Stephen
Mulvey has it that the math does not work all
that well. Limits
will impose themselves if humans do not do it
themselves.
Time is short, but a generation hence should see
some effects of "limits."
(082509d)
This
article, from Facing South, talks about the 5.3
million Americans who, convicted of a felony are
unable to vote.
There is a
movement afoot to change that. Then, consider
this, that in the last presidential election
some 6 million voters could not vote either -
and they were not felons. So a total of some 11
million possible voters were denied voting. You
don't have to guess which party they'd mostly
vote for either. (080609c)
Dahr
Jamail and Jason Coppola report
on the "cradle to grave" connection between
violent military video shoot-em up games and the
real deal.
Recent veterans speak of how "GI Joe" was their
first recruiter. Military training simulators
make it into prime time game time. The recently
released "Gi Joe" movie is just the most recent
iteration of this trend.
(080609a)
From Cathy Ceibe, we hear
about another
weapon of mass destruction the globalist,
capitalist corporatist media's reach
and take and
spin on everything (080509c)
David
W. Moore, has a report on
the
Gallup polls of recent note and how their own
analysis of the results indicate bias
as well
framing of a question to provide misleading data
on the attitude of voters and the public at
large regarding the issue of health care. If
"good public information" is vital to a
democracy then this bias is a disservice.
(080509b)
Thom
Hartman reports on
why Reich Wing wingnuts loose millions, even
billions of dollars on conservative media and
"stink tanks".
It is because the pay of is in the billions or
hundreds of billions. How these "outlets" frame
and form the debate over taxes. (072609a)
Here
is more on the "one percenters" and what they
stand to "loose" so that others may
gain.
(072609b)
Glenn
Greenwald, covers the coverage given to the
passing of Walter Cronkite.
It seem, these
days, that I have tears in my eyes to often. I
ask, to no one really, when will we see an end
to it all, meaning the wars, corruption, bought
off media, lies, insanity and illogic passing
for "normal". (071809e)
Chris
Hedges talks about how truth, in this corporate
culture, that
of the US mainly but of the west in general, is
denied, well, buried is a more accurate term.
(070109a)
Josh
Harkinson covers what is not being covered,
apparently M.
Jackson and F Fawcett are more important than
the climate bill and even more buried in the
"news" are the bald faced lies Repuglicans are
spouting from their oily mouths.
(062009d)
Robert
Parry's overview of the
US media's efforts to misinform and promote a
violent agenda,
And cover it
all up. If you are not sick enough of their
bullshit then read on, otherwise, don't toss
your cookies. (061809h)
Eric
Boehlert points out the obvious:
Faux
News' Mr. Bill "slim Jim the Bung holer"
O'Reilly - Dimbulb and budding blubberite fans
the flames of extremist thought and fails, quite
badly, to recognize his handiwork when someone
takes action based it.
(061009c)
How
media moguls, or mongrels, such as "Blundering
Bill O'Bleary, uh, I mean O'Really, or whatever.
murder with their
words. Not
likely that he'll ever be held to account
however, nor see the light, save that which
passes between his two ears through his empty
head. (060609h)
Dominique
Soquel reports on the
role of rape in the economics of our tech age
and the
minerals used to support it. Sudan is mentioned
also, but that is all about oil, I guess.
(060109e)
A
film: Torturing Democracy details the nature of
"enhanced interrogation" as Dick "the limp one"
Cheney likes to call it.
This article,
by Bill Moyers and Michael Winship, has salient
facts reiterated and some new ones, at least to
me. (053009a)
Neoccons
favor bombing
journalists
and media outlets but don't take my word for it,
read for yourself (052309d)
I'll
bet you'll be amazed to hear that the "era of
republican apologizing is
over." I mean,
with so much ground to cover, it seems like a
miracle. Of course, reality is that they have
not even begun that era, however welcome it
might be. (052309a)
If
you want a measure of how influential the
conservative press has been or Israel's "lobby"
is, just read the opinion polls quoted here,
you'd think we were at war with
Iran.
(052209f)
In
March, a Rasmussen poll reported that
nearly
one-third of Americans under 40 say they get
more of their news from Jon Stewart, Stephen
Colbert and other late night comedy
shows than
they do from traditional sources of news
(051709a) No matter what they really "mean" by
"getting news" it is disturbing that this effect
is even measurable, much less effective in
swaying voters
The
means of media and entertainment have gone
through changes over the last century of
so, radio was
revolutionary once and changed the media and
entertainment industry as did movies as did
television as does the internet and things like
"twitter". Each time the old fights for its
life, as the papers do now.
(051009b)
Here's
a couple of links you might like, first talks
about how public
opinion is, surprise surprise, against
torture, which
should worry Dumbass "short link" Cheney.
(043009b) And
then this, the O-man saying he's agin' it and
says water boarding is torture
(043009c)
The
legal history involving the method of torture
called "water boarding" has been called just
that by the US over the course of the last
century and
the Bush "lawyers" had to have known this when
they "made up" their "opinion" concerning
"enhanced" interrogations".
(042709b)
Today's
Slate gives an overview of the "debate" over the
US media's use of the word
"torture" or
the "kinder gentler" terms meant to be more
objective, no matter the inconsistencies.
(042609b)
More
on the irresponsibility of the right leaning
media in the
US
(041409c)
As
random violence or mass murders make a
newsworthy
uptick, we are
reminded that forces in this society encourage
violence. (041409a)
Fox
News goes for the "tin foil hat crowd" and
recent
killings support the notion that broadcasting
inflammatory rhetoric "inspires" these acts,
at least in
part. (040909d)
Bill
Moyers, "The financial industry brought the
economy to its knees, but how did they get away
with it?" He
brings some light to the issue with
interviews
(040209e)
The
state of our news media is, well, still not good
and getting worse, unless
you consider the "bright spot" the cable
companies still have news shows but do not
really "do the
news"(032709d)
Some
coverage on the instances of popular unrest
fomented, largely, by not just the economic
crisis in the
world, but by
how governments respond to it. Iceland and
Latvia may not be extreme cases. (020609f)
The
future, of capitalism in the US is, according to
this writer, in grave danger,
as is
democracy, such as it now is, or, more
accurately, what passes for it in the USA. It is
a pessimistic read, but worth it. (020209a)
The
legacy: America's
"selection of 2000" The
"Repuglican'
Party, our future and Obama
The
lame George W. Jackass Legacy:
Joe
Conason on the "legacy" of Cheney and Bush; he
touches the tip of the proverbial
iceberg
(120909b)
Henry
A. Giroux gives us
a nice run down of the "crap hole" presidency of
Bush but does not fail to point at others who
failed.
However, what is to be done? He has suggestions,
they sound nice too, to bad no one will take
sage advice (113009c)
The
Bushwhackoff's legacy smells on, you recall
AIG, you know
the "no bail out to big nor bonus to small"
Well, the Global Village Idiot himself, or his
underlings knew that bailout money was going to
be "shipped out". (111909e)
Abby
Zimet reminds us of just how
STUPID G.W. "the raging jackass" Bush still
IS. In a
recent appearance in Montreal he mentions
standing front of that "Mission Impossible"
sign.(102309c)
Matthew
Cardinale reports on the Bush era push for
modernizing the US nuclear arsenal.
Obama has
inherited the program and the debate concerning
it. With his rhetoric concerning arms reduction
it will be interesting to see what choices are
made. (093009g)
Steven
Bodzin and Daniel Cancel report on a new
intercontinental grouping involving 60 nations
from South America and Africa. It is a
start.
(092809i) It is a result, partly, of the idiocy
of G.W. Bush, without his failures in both
regions neither would be thinking about this
sort of thing. His "approaches" to these
continents had both realize that the US is no
longer beacon of hope, has been and is working
against their interests in favor of its own even
as China is doing.
William
Rivers Pitt reports on
the week just past which provided some reminders
of the unwholesome jackass that was stuffed into
the White House some years
back. The
speculation is that Obama may transcend that
"burden" by creating his own, read Afghanistan,
errors. (092509b)
Marshall
Fitz, puts to rest the lies the "Jackasses of
August" put forth
against the health
care reform
packages, mostly the lies were in regard to
illegal immigrants. (091709a)
James Ridgeway reports
on
the Katrina fiasco of a few years back, the
murders, the
incompetence, the will-full abuse of power and
the role of the great ass-hole himself, the
"dickless wonder" Bush. (082909e)
Greg
Palast reports on a talk he had with a man who
knows the dirty secrets of
Katrina. He
knew there was problems with the levees,
predicted what would happen to them, knew that
Katrina was dangerous, knew that the Bushites
knew the levees had broken and knew that they
did not tell anyone. Bush and the government owe
many many people for their houses and their
lives. (082809a) So, when an acquaintance of
mine said "Bush is a shit eating pig fucker, a
rim jobbing bum humper, a snot gobbling,
dickless pederast and a howling, farting mouthed
fly up his father's ass!" I did not, exactly,
jump to "the pretender's" defense.
Lexington
has a description of the "crazy fringe" that is
currently the "Reich wing"
rage. Then the
article goes on to dismiss conspiracy theory,
and specifically mentions 9/11. However,
regarding that particular, I would have to ask,
what does one do when the "official story" does
not make sense? Believe it?
(082409b)
Robert C. Koehler reports
on
"then and now" when Bush was presydink, people
were arrested for having "controversial"
t-shirts and
any dissenters were whisked away or assigned to
"free speech zones". Now armed individuals lurk
around public meetings, even those with the
president in attendance. Whassup dudes? Where is
my country? (082009c)
Tom Engelhardt takes us
back to those thrilling days of yesteryear when
Bush was "riding high" (to say the least) and
America
was to teach Iraq how to ride the "Democracy
bicycle" We
are still hearing about that bike these days,
but it is a different kettle of fish.
(081409b)
Jason
Leopold reports on "Ramblin Rove" whose "sticky
fingers" are
found all over the evidence implicating him as a
"prime time player" in the US attorney firings
of some few years ago, under Bush, of course.
(081409a)
Mr.
Palast takes a blast at Obama
who seems to be "pulling a Cheney"
when it comes
to private confabs with Big Pharma to cut us a
deal, and such a deal, why over ten years
consumers might save as much as 2% of the
expected rate of price increases. Nice ...
Sweet! (081309a)
Eric Mandonnet reports on
Bush's conversations with the then French
president Chirac and the "biblical"
inspiration for the Iraq war.
Also Chirac's
prescient response. (081109f)
Henry A. Giroux reports on
another
vomit inducing Bush Legacy, the torture of
children in
the G.W.O.T. as it was called, God knows what
Obama calls is. (080309e)
Jason
Leopold has a
report on the recent evidence that indicates
G.W. "the jackass" Bush and Karl "the bunghole"
Rove were much more involved with the firings of
nine US
attorneys than
their previous, on the record, statements
showed. Isn't that called lying?
(073109a)
Robert
F. Kennedy Jr. reports, in the Rolling Stone,
about a
hush-hush meeting of governmental health
officials who "discovered" or "revealed" that
the mercury based preservative used in
vaccination injections for children
has health
hazards that, if known, would make any parent
hesitate to have their child treated with them.
The word has been out for a long time, how many
millions have been injected and effected?
(072309a) By the way the meeting was by
invitation only and no copies of any documents
were allowed to leave the meeting, nice. Yes
other persons were involved besides Bush,
Clinton for one.
Doyle
McManus takes a look at Obama's "let's move
forward" approach
to the Bush
years. However, that may not remain politically
expedient. (072009c) For example:Gwladys Fouche
in Oslo reports on a
journalist who is leading a suit against G.W.
Bush regarding his incarceration at Guantanamo
Bay (072009d)
For another example: Paul Harris from New York
reports on the cases working their way through
procedural stages in which
those who perpetrated torture and participated
in other scandalous behaviors will be brought
before
congress.
(072009e)
Scott
Shane has it that Cheney is linked to CIA lies
to congress.
Maybe he is the "weakest link" and needs to be
placed roughly in the trash bin of history.
(071109c)
Oh,
HOT NEWS FLASH: the CIA has systematically
misled congress SURPRISE!
I'll bet no
one EVER thought that was possible, NOPE, not
ME, Never! (071109a)
Jason Leopold offers the
indications that James
Baker and "oily boys" thought that invading Iraq
"was a good
thing" and
they had Cheney's ear, through his "energy task
force" so .. war for oil.
(070309b)
From the Boston Globe we
read that Saddam
allowed the world to believe he had weapons of
mass destruction because he didn't want to
appear weak to Iran.
This thought
was one of the reasons US commentators and intel
services believed. (070209d)
Jason
Leopold illuminates the further torture memos
from the US
Govt., this
time we have some "input" from Ronald "limp
member" Dumbsveldt (070109c)
William
Rivers Pitt gives examples,
as if we could forget, of the lies that the
US was led by
and the lies that continue to this day regarding
Iraq. (063009f) They celebrate this pullback of
US troops and call it sovereignty, when it is
not.
William
Rivers Pitt offers us a prime example
of
a Repuglican demonstrating his "family
values"
complete with "juicy" and hypocritical quotes
(062609g)
From
Caille Millner we see a bit of an overview of
the "Reich wing - wingnut" faction of our
society - the danger of the "lone wolves" as
they are
called.
(061609g)
Arlen
Spector becomes a born again Democrat along with
200,000 other
Repuglicans
(043009e)
Evidence
of the torture program surfaces in
Poland.
(042809b
Jason
Leopold reports about the bottleneck at the VA,
the backlog reaching into the million range now
causes a 6 month delay in servicing a patient.
Long
enough for some to die before they are even
seen. Bush, the dumber, sure knew how to support
the US troops.
(060609c)
Some
do dare call it treason, Yoo and Bush, probably
Cheney too,
all are guilty
as hell and ought to be taken out for it.
(032609c)
Dr.
Willmer J. Leon III reports on the The Sotomayor
brouhaha where the
radical repuglican rumor machine has geared up
to fight, unfortunately fighting with facts is
not their
forte and so
we have the "garbage pundits" being activated
for another run. (060609b)
Repuglican
Party:
Cheney
lying again,
what is news about that? Nothing much, except
that his lie defends the Bush "administration's"
record on "enhanced interrogation".
(053109b)
The
prize of Republican idiocy, today that is, goes
to South Carolina's governor, Gov. Mark Sanford,
who is so opposed to Obama's financial rescue
plan that his state has not even begun making
bids to use the hundreds of millions of dollars
allotted to his
state. A man
of principal, even if it means unemployment and
starvation, oh yes, not of his family or
friends, of course. (042609a)
I'll
close with this one today. The "Tea Parties" of
2009 may be
marked as the point at which the Repuglican
Party, so called, picked up real momentum in its
downhill slide. (042509e)
The
"Condi-Girl" seems to like it "really rough" she
thinks nothing of water
boarding. One
wonders if she can really "take it" as well as
she "puts out"? (042309a)
I
have to say I "love" this article. It says that
"all went well" in the 2008 election, that the
margin of victory was to big to be
questioned.
Then it goes on to say that millions of citizens
were not able to cast votes because of the
outdated voter registration
systems. So I
ask , if millions were not allowed to vote, how
could anyone possibly say that there were no
problems? Indeed one of the major problems was
the Help America Vote Act, which had states
centralize the voting rolls and cause many would
be voters to be turned away from the polls
because a voter's ID did not match the data in
their state's record. HOW COULD THAT MEAN "no
problems"? I am just asking.
(032009b)
The
current state of affairs according to our new
"intel" chief, and he is not at all sanguine,
really he's
not!
(021609g)
The
distaste lingers on … hypocrisy, the gift
that keeps on giving. Repuglicans get to eat
crow regarding how "awful" the filibuster
is.
(020909b)
Obama:
Alexander
Cockburn gives us an overview of the "death of
the left" on the US political
landscape
(123009b)
David
Michael Green writes about the "first decade" it
is a very good read but you have to have the
stomach for
it. I did, was
glad, even for the consequent indigestion of
Obamacare and such like "thrills"
(122709c)
Ronnie
Cummins reports on what he thinks will be an
uprising. He
gives facts and figures and proposes great
ideas. Trouble is no on is listening, corruption
is rampant and only a collapse will allow
something new to grow out of the rubble. That's
my "optimistic" take. (122609b)
Ellen
Hodgson Brown J.D. Here we have the flaws of the
"health care reform package" touted as
"historic" as "sweeping" as "victory" given a
once over. What
it is, as it is now, is a bailout for Big
Insurance, Big Finance and others. What it isn't
is complete coverage for everyone at affordable
prices with good available care - which was what
is wanted by a majority of the
people
(122409g)
Camillo
"Mac" Bica provides an overview of the arguments
that the left and right are using to justify a
resurrection of the
draft. It is a
thoughtful presentation and he debunks the
arguments well enough. I would only add that
given the recent history of "banking reform",
"health care reform", "housing help" and "peace
plans" would anyone seriously argue that any
draft would be fair, equitable, comprehensive
and free of loop holes? I mean really, this
government? (122209c)
Marjorie
Cohn, the argument is that the wars waged by the
US in Afghanistan and Iraq are illegal. Seems to
be a good set of arguments but I am against the
wars anyway
(122209d) And besides, what does it matter what
is legal, right, what the world thinks, what
logic says or anything for Chrissakes
alive!
David Michael Green
is
royally pissed off at Obama. I guess looking
over the article I am as well. It is as much an
indictment against the Democraps as it is, of
course, at the
Republocraps
who have their heads so far up their asses that
they can lick the shit off their tonsils, being
that they are so full of it. Question is, what
to do? (122009b)
Former
South Carolina Senator Fritz Hollings talks
about "who is against creating jobs in the
US" seems like
most everyone that is in charge of creating
them, not to mention the "bugaboo banker with
serious butt spread issues
(122009c)
Jason
Leopold reports on what passes for "Health Care
Reform" One
can argue easily that it is not reform as was
hoped for, that it is not really "reform" nor is
it Health Care, unless you are talking about the
financial health of the health insurance
industry. (121909b)
Sam Stein says the AFL-CIO
is talking tough regarding the health care
"reform" well, what I want to know is what does
"tough" mean, and what
were they doing all this time while senators and
congressmen were being browbeaten by well heeled
bastards with bucks in their
briefcases?
(121709b)
Congressman
Ron Paul talks about the "sanction" legislation
that is now
pending.
Stories covering this have outlined his concerns
before. War could happen. (121709d)
Kaveh
L Afrasiabi reports on Iran's launching of an
improved missile; does this sound like a nation
that is cowering?
(121709e)
While I cannot pretend to know what would happen
if the US went to war with Iran; it seems that
things are not getting calmer or more peaceful
in that region.
Jason
Leopold reports on Obama's Nobel
speech and the criticism that is being leveled
upon it by those concerned with human rights
abuses that have a disturbing continuity with
Jackass Bush
(121209c)
Dan
Benbow gives a blog like page with links
concerning the changes that Obama has
wrought. I am
at a turning point personally, waiting to see
which way I'll go. (121609a)
Ira
Chernus talks about NuttyYahoo and Obamawan and
wonders what planet are they
on?
(121609b)
William Rivers Pitt,
truthout, reports on Joe
"the Jackass" "Old Lovehandles" Leiberman
apparently was "for" the public option in
healthcare before he was dead set against
it, as he is
now, so much so he's willing to filibuster
against it. Does this nitwit have balls or what?
(121509a)
Greg
Palast reports on a court case that would
unleash corporate slush funds to wash the
democracy out of our, well,
democracy.
What a royal mess. (121509b)
From
Common Dreams we hear about (I Vt.) Bernie
Sanders getting the Senate to debate a single
payer option
(121509f)
Glenn Greenwald has a look
at the strange consensus of approval
Obama's Nobel prize acceptance speech has gotten
Right and Left are "liking it".
As to what was
said there is a connect between the Bush legacy
and the continuation of what he did. One wonders
... (121109b)
t Matt Taibbi has
an
overview of the Obamacrats and fat cats or
porkers, if you will, who formed up his
"economic
team". I
guess, as one commentator put it, that there are
two teams in this country, not the Republocraps
or the Demogongs but the haves and have nots.
One team has been getting richer and richer and
the election of Obamawan has not changed that,
it seems. (121109c)
War,
More War Or Morer War By Ted Rall -
or
how our US Debate Freezes Out the Majority View:
Get Out Now of
Afghanistan
(121009c)
William
Rivers Pitt Catches our Obamawan
in a fibber of a
fib (120709b)
Richard
W. Behan takes us back to the sickening days of
Bushwhackoff and his jolly ranchers who did
their darndest
(120709a)
Robert Naiman - You know,
I have to laugh. This
is a serious article but it talks about an
"honest vote" in congress, an "up or down vote"
for or against the funding of Obama's Escalation
of Afghanistan's conflict and, the topper, that
Congress would assert its power of the purse and
use it against a sitting president to reflect
the fact that the majority of Americans don't
want this approach.
Amazing, and I
am wiping tears away from my eyes, for various
reasons. (120509c)
Tom
Engelhardt reports on "Obama's Big Fat Surrender
Song" only it was a speech given at West
Point
(120309f)
Nicolas
J S Davies Obama's plan, the popular take, the
practical effects, in Afghanistan, and the
scattering of lies that make it all
"possible"
(120209a)
Alex
Abdo, legal fellow, Apparently the disappeared
tapes of torture "heads for the top of the heap"
as it were.
(120209e)
Dean
Baker tells us about "Peterless" Pete Peterson
whose, as a ball-less wonder has the idiotic
sense that cutting into Social Security and
Medicare is a good idea.
He and his
billions have been at this game since the 90's
and with the Jackass Wingnut faction of the
Repuglicans and the Dimbulb faction of the media
have put lipstick on this dead pig and they hope
to sell it to a bought off congress.
(120109a)
By
Tony Pugh reports on the demise of
COBRA. If
nothing is done health care costs will rise
sharply for those benefiting from the program.
Another result of the "idiocy of Bush"
(120109b)
Jeff
Cohen tells a tale of the past and how it
relates to the present, comparing Obama and
Afghanistan to LBJ and
Vietnam,
saying that the presidency was wrecked by war as
well as to Clinton and NAFTA, both need the
backing of conservative fringe repuglicans to
"make the magic", both ignore the resistance of
their won party, both risk failure and, it is
expected, Obama will not get anything for his
efforts in healthcare "quid pro quo is a no go"
as it were (112809d)
Glenn
Greenwald the parallel rhetoric of G.W.
Bushwhackoff and
Obamawan
regarding their wars of choice.
(120109e)
Says
Ray McGovern one
of the myths surrounding Vietnam, Kennedy and
Johnson was that Johnson "only continued the
build up that Kennedy
began. While
Kennedy send in more troop in the months
preceding his assassination he was determined to
pull out and there is plenty of evidence for
that. Relate this to Obama's decision regarding
Afghanistan, is it parallel? Are there lessons?
Who knows. Who knows what would have happened to
the world had Vietnam not been fought. Trying
times, yes, now and then. Difficult decisions,
yes, now as then. Not for the faint of heart is
the presidency. (112709a) Ron
Smith talks about whether or not seat belts are
a good idea if you're driving your car off a
cliff. Most would say that it wouldn't matter
that much, in much the same way Afghanistan is
being
"debated". Who
knows what is in the mix now, and how unstable
the results of either school of thought will be.
(112709e)
Paul Zimmerman gives light
to the
outright lies that US soldiers are being told
regarding depleted uranium - for one thing they
are told that is is not
harmful and it
goes downhill from that low point
(112009e)
Yana
Kunichoff, reports on the rising suicide rate in
the US
military.
(111909b)
Henry
A. Giroux gives us all a heads up as to what
"Zombie Politics" is all
about. A great
term for what is passing as politics in the US.
His strong language is not nearly strong enough
for me, but a good read.
(111709a)
Phil
Wilayto talks about changes in the "team" facing
Iran and I
want to know if it is a case of good news bad
news? (111609a)
Le Monde, Editorial
the
case is made for the definition of the muddle
east "peace process" as a
fiasco. Obama
has flamed out, Abbas wants to quit and that
would leave Hamas in the cat bird seat. Is
everyone happy? (111609b)
Alfred
W McCoy's article outlines the various ways in
which the US government is "bringing the wars
back home"
(111509d)
David
Corn, talks about a "credibility gap" as Obama
decides what to do about the Afghan war,
he must
persuade the public his policy is reality-based.
And he's already having trouble
(111409c)
David
Michael Green asks the musical question
what
the hell will you, or the conservative jackasses
that have ruined this country say to their
offspring in 20 years?
We know
they'll be lying; because they are lying right
now. (111409d)
From
Truthout we
hear about the various "soft
whispers" into Obama's sweet ears regarding
Afghanistan and troop
levels.
(111209b)
Dean Baker disassembles
the opponents of the current Global Warming
legislation by making the correct argument that
any government measure that interferes with
market outcomes reduces efficiency in the
economy and thus results in job losses. However,
the oil industry, et al, fail to apply this same
argument to
the gargantuan increases in the military budget
with which they "have no problem." It too
effects market outcomes and by the industry's
own measure has cost and will cost the US many,
many jobs.
(110909a) That is a fair and balanced approach
to the issue that no one seems to talk about.
On
the issue of health care reform the bill just
passed though hailed seems to provide us with
more of the
same. Kucinich
tells why he voted against it.
(110809cl)
Matthew Rothschild reports
on the US House putting down the Goldstone
Report; Dennis
Kucinich has some choice words about that action
and some of them are
here.
(110409b)
From Juan Cole we have a
report on the "serious" terrorist plots that
have been uncovered recently.
If
this is a serious a threat as we can find then
what IS the
problem?
(110409c) Juan Cole's column dated Nov. 4, 2009.
Some words from Iran are in the article as well.
It is a mixer.
From
Russ Baker you get an impression of the factors
in Obama's slow seeming start.
Why "hasn't
the world changed?" The story goes a ways
back... (110209a)
This
is the Halloween winner, read the
"Republican
winner for jackass of all
time, well, it
IS a pretty big field, for Repuglicans
particularly, what with Lieberman and all - But
here is my offering (103109c)
Yana
Kunichoff reports on yet another
Obama promise falls to the wayside as the
Military Commissions Act he campaigned against
is maintained under his
watch to the
dismay of former supporters.
(102909c)
If
you already don't like "Lyin' Joe" Lieberman
then this report by Robert Sheer of Truthout
will only add shit to the compost pile,
ever
the "pork meister" shilling for Connecticut he,
all of a sudden, becomes "concerned" about the
fiscal impact of any health care reform that
contains a robust public
option.
(103009d) From
AFP we hear that some 17,000 children died in
the US over two decades due to lack of health
care. I would
venture to guess that this is a low estimate.
But then it depends on how the accounting is
done. (103009c)
Gareth
Porter reports on Iran and
the
US efforts which resulted in their expansion of
their nuclear
program, a
BushShit legacy being digested by Obama
(102609e)
Lynee Adler reports
that
the housing crisis is moving to new areas
and that there
is support for the supposition that, nationwide,
the problem will be deepening for a time longer.
(102709a)
James Pethokoukis has a
nice article on the
"health care debate" but it is sparse when it
comes to facts, the comments are a worthy read
however. The
question is why is the health care debate mainly
about money? (102609a)
Hey!
From the New York Times, something
that makes sense, how rare is that? Of course it
splatters Obama with
BushShit, but
since he's decided to keep the mess on him,
well, what can I say? (102609b) Odd that the
dickless rag waited until NOW to complain about
something that was going on so long ago, during
the "years of the Jackass."
Maggie Fox reports on
the
800 billion or so in waste our current health
care "system"
has. Plenty of
room for improvement there, cut the waste and
spend it on people. (102509b)
And
now from Honolulu we hear of the immanent
"official" disclosure about the existence of
extra-terrestrials
in late 2009
or early 2010. Bizarre but who knows. I add it
to the archive for the spicy effect such
discussion brings. (102409a)
Eugene
Robinson reports on the Obama administrations
efforts at "managing the financial
sector,
executive pay is one thing, but preventing the
bubble's inflation or the crash that will come
of it, is another issue that awaits action.
(102409b)
Glen W. Smith reports from
Firedoglake that some 30
Repuglicans have voted to support corporate
supremacy over the rights of a woman to be free
of rape by
fellow employees working for private corporation
under government contract. So, rape is OK by
these dorkwads? Are they all dung chewing flies
up their father's asses or just vomit sucking
vampires seeking a dry hump?
(101809d)
Glen
Greenwald reports on "government Sachs" as yet
another "Sach's man" gets into the profitable
government
position. It
seems that the "record returns" being hyped in
the press have the US Government and an
increasingly jobless and hopeless taxpaying
population to thank for it, but they don't, of
course, thank anyone for it, in fact, they fight
hard, using those profits mind you, to secure
better and better treatment at the hands, or
rather, paws of the foxes being put in charge of
the proverbial hen house.
(101609c)
Perry
Bacon Jr. reports on Obama's original promise of
transparency regarding the formal debate on
health care
reform.(101809c)
John Pilger reports on
"war is peace"
Obama's foreign policy prepares the groundwork
for expanding a new war,
using Columbia
as a launch pad and now has Honduras as a
"second" I though we had some progress here, now
it seems that, sadly, we do not.
(101609b)
Well
de gubbernator ob Texass has done sed it,
secede, he be
wantsin to do jes dat, yassuh and de udder
Republocraps dey be wanstin dey own turrible
foreign policy too. Well'a feets, get moobin'
(101509c)
Greg
Palast, the reporter with a hat and a mind to go
with it voices his opinion on the Health Care
debate. There
is a way to get what we
want.
(101509b) Und as fur Herr Limbaugh, wir haben es
als er ein grosse sheisskopf isst. Ju,
sicher!
Howard
LaFranchi is more polite than I, it seems. He
reports that, again the Grand Old Farty and the
You Ess of Say'what finds itself in good
company. We stand tall with China, Iran, Saudi
Arabia and Pakistan and it is with a measure of
apology to the Celestials among us, that I
finish by clarifying that
these "erect pillars" of the global commune are
those that execute more of their own citizens
than most all the others
combined. Is
anyone's ego slipping? (101309d)
And now from Scot Galindez
of Truthout, we have a winner for the "I sure as
hell can shoot myself in the foot and go on
record as doing just that" category ...
and
the winner is ... the Health Insurance industry!
Yay! Claptrap, claptrap and give me MORE G. d.
claptrap, but
it IS what de fax is, my man!
(101309b)
Eween
MacAskill has the Day's Favorite, this far is,
drum droll peace is our current NoBell Price
Winner, Mr. Obama prezydink of these United
Snakes. Ya'll be 'nowin' dat he be sendin' eeben
mo' troops, but hey be be doin' mo' den eeben
dat, yassuh!
He be sendin' obaah 13,000 guys dat instead
o'bein' shuved into de shithoile Iraq dey get
dere down flack jackets and go to dee shithole
Afghanistan. I gess id don' mattah if'n yer gutz
is blowed where is dee blowin' be dun at, nosuh
not a biddy
bit.
(101309c)
It is getting
incrementally harder to understand
why
Obama seems to continue the bad Bush ideas that
are cropping up in coverage here and so we come
to the most recent story, defending
secrecy as did
Bush when dealing with Guantanamo prisoners when
openness was promised. (101209e)
Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
reports on the health care debate now raging,
but read the comments, they are great.
Essentially
the question is why can't the US do what other
poorer natinos are doing? And THEY do it better
with less and cover more with
more?
(101209d)
William
J. Astore writes about the
precipice Obama is looking at and which is
called "Quagmire Afghanistan"
Judging by who
his advisor are we can speculate that he'll
follow the "old LBJ Vietnam trail"
(101209c)
Scott Galindez reports on
the
Republican leaders who support health care
reform,
unfortunately they are the ones NOT in the
senate now. So rather than listen to the advise
that they recommended others listen to, they the
repuglicans, travel to the beat off of their own
drummer. (101009b)
Henry
Giroux, Truthout, School
violence, a
couple of cases in points, speculation and
philosophy. All academic in this period of
budgetary excess. (100809c)
Keith
Olbermann has
some personal and philosophical treatment for
the health care
debate. It
seems we are going backwards to the Dickensian
era, where the difference between the survival
rates between poor and wealthy are what we're
headed for. (100709a)
Henry
Giroux, Truthout, School
violence, a
couple of cases in points, speculation and
philosophy. All academic in this period of
budgetary excess. (100809c)
Keith
Olbermann has
some personal and philosophical treatment for
the health care
debate. It
seems we are going backwards to the Dickensian
era, where the difference between the survival
rates between poor and wealthy are what we're
headed for. (100709a)
Gareth Porter provides
insights that cast doubt
on the Obama Admin's contentions regarding the
"new" nuclear site in
Iran.
(100309a)
Katherine
Butler reports on the meetings with Iran.
"Defusing" would be the term most appropriate to
the results.
Some agreements made are important, somethings
are on the back burner. Time has been gained and
confrontation postponed. Is this a game changing
moment? (100209d)
Chris
McGreal from DC reports on the many, many
millions being spent to "lobby" the legislation
on health care
reform.
(100209c) Amy Goodman interviews an insurance
insider turned whistleblower
regarding the "debate" on health care
(100209b)
Andrea
Borde` reports on what
"ideally" could happen to benefit the poor
suffering from HIV if the corporations would be
both kinder and
gentler. So I
guess that means "fat chance" huh?
(100109c)
M.K.
Bhadrakumar, Moscow gives Obama hope but as to
China, well, that is another story, isn't
it?
(092609d)
Bill
Maher talks about America and why we cannot get
anything done.
He speculates
that our diet, of all things, can be part of the
problem as can the "lack of balls" of our
representatives in D.C. (092609b)
Robert Parry from
Consortium News reports on a
Laurence
Silberman in the news these days for putting
down a lawsuit brought by Abu Ghraib victims
against CACI
the company
that was involved with that mess. His history is
interesting and illuminates the Iran hostage
"crisis" that helped Reagan and hurt Carter.
(092609a)
Obama,
trapped in a war? Going deeper? Despite its
being a disaster? Are we three for three?
Yup!
(092509a)
Kaveh
L. Afrasiabi discusses the ramifications of
Obama's sudden yanking of the plans for a
missile shield in eastern
Europe. The
consequences could effect the upcoming talks
with Iran regarding its nukes, but perhaps not
for the better.
(092109h)
Robert
Dreyfuss has a report on AIPAC. The "51st
State's"
powerful lobby group ginning out support for
Israel. (091909h)
Michael
Winship reports on what I call the best
government money can buy!
Money flows
into Beltwayistan and the "debate" over health
care, carbon credits, financial reform and more
are all stalled by walls of money from
"interested parties" (091909a)
Christopher
Cooper writes about the disappointment
concerning
Obama. What is
up with all the hopes and "change we can believe
in"? Hmmm? (091609a)
Bret
Stephens has it that US "inaction " has Obama
"pushing" Israel into war with
Iran. Another
deadline looms and I ran has already answered
with a definitive "no". So what will be will be
and only the future will tell that.
(091509c)
Jonathan Walker has it
that
even a weak "public option" in the health care
reform package would save the average person
over 500 dollars a
year because
of the effect it would have on competitive
pricing. however, what about a "strong" public
option, one that would save the average person
some 20 or 30 percent? That would mean saving
2,500 to nearly 4,000 dollars. A stronger
measure might do even more.
(091409c)
From
Gene Emery we hear that a
recent poll has it that doctors favor a public
option for
inclusion in the health care debate.
(091509b)
Dr.
Ron Walters, PhD talks about why Obama may speak
and rouse such controversy even when he speaks
to the nation's school
children and
delivers an innocuous and positive message.
(091209c)
From
Christopher Moraff, we hear
about
a book which speculates on the dangers that
president Obama
faces.
Speculation is that the "tin hat brigades" are
foaming at the mouth and, what with the economic
problems, have a perfect storm in their favor.
(091209d)
Ben
Smith and Nia-Malika Henderson illuminate a
"cautionary tale" the recent resignation of Mr.
Jones, the "green czar" is a victory for the
"Reich wing, farting mouthed shit eaters",
such as
Drudge, who inflame their "public" and leave
Repuglicans breathing heavily as they try to
catch up. Obama's caving to this "wingnut"
faction in the press, according to the writers,
is a serious error. Much is at stake, meaning
the Obama legacy, meaning: will there be one?
(090709d)
From CNN, we take a look
at what
happens to any public official who questions the
official 9/11
story, they
get pressure and they resign.
(090609d)
Bill
Moyers, reports on the uncivil discourse that
has laced the "debate" on
healthcare.
Probably when the economy resumes its decline,
the six month mini-recovery is almost at an end,
then we'll see the shit hit the fan. The further
decline will radicalize, as has happened in the
past, and what now passes for debate will be
come viewed as polite dinner chat.
(090609b)
Ralph Lopez helps us
understand why
the wars continue despite the fact that two
elections have now passed and our congress
surely knows that the notion of ending the wars
was part of the reason they were
elected, this
goes double for the president.
(090409a)
David
Brooks has it that the Obama presidency has
stalled.
Polling numbers essentially question the
direction of the country and trust is failing.
Now, I 've said that he was going to have a
honeymoon but if by Sept - Dec there is not a
marked change for the better, the health care
bill say, real housing help, a cleaning out of
the financial mess, a solution to the wars the
addle pated idiot, that shit eating horse
humper, Bush started, well, he'd have a
difficult Christmas. (090109d. Not covered in
this article is the effectiveness of the "Reich
wing" media and organized "spontaneous" protests
that have mobilized the "tin foil hat" brigades.
From Barry Scheck,
we
hear about a man who was innocent, had the
evidence and stood by his word only to be killed
as the murderer of his
children, sad,
very, very sad. (090309a)
David
Bailey and Helen Massy-Beresford talk
about
the upshot of the now expired cash for clunkers
program.
(090109b)
Robert Reich, reporting in
his blog, gives a
touching if disgusting overview of the "great DC
echo chamber"
where quotes are king no matter the source.
(082908f)
Steven
Thomma writes about a "nut based" advocate group
that makes the "birthers" look positively
sane. The
"Reich wing tin foil hat crew" has a new chorus
to tout, read on ... (082909d)
Favilla
gives the essential coverage of the battle over
health care in the US
with a
European perspective. We do look silly,
corrupted and incompetent.
(082609b)
Frank
Rich reports on the "guns of August" the militia
activism now seen at town hall
meetings and
getting "support" from members of congress and
of course the usual Reich wing "tin foil hat"
contingent wanting to water the tree of liberty.
Coburn, the jackass, is in the van of their
efforts, it seems. (082309f)
Ed
Pilkington has a report that should be a
"talking point" in the effort to drastically
repair the "health care system" in the
US. A
successful doctor gets sick, looses his practice
and becomes unable to afford care. He goes
through the "hell" that millions suffer through
and becomes a cautionary tale. But the "debate"
goes on. (082309c)
Ricardo
Alonso-Zaldivar reports that although critics of
a possible government option for health care
state that since it will reduce competition it
is not viable - the
situation right now is one where most people
face just that problem and their health care
costs are going up
now.
(082309b)
Mike
Elk, reports on the Chinese
effort to flood the US markets with cheap tires,
displacing
thousands of US workers, meaning making them
jobless. Thousands more are under threat and
what's an Obama to do? (081309c) But Bush
lobbyists and money is doing its
talking.
John Hari and a portrait
of US politics in chaos as
the Republicraps and their gooney squads smear
lies upon lies and Obama does not seem to "get
it". Meanwhile
thousands of people die each year for want of
health care that is beyond them.
(082209d)
The
"ever lovin' Slate from this date,
08/21/09,
covers the election in Afghanistan and the state
of Obama's popularity. There are other fluffy
items that may be of interest but the survey is
good as it is . (082109b)
This
is the ICH dated 08/20/09 and it has the
headlines and news
nuggets for
the day and the past week or so, it is a handy
read (082009f)
Robert Creamer,
has
an argument reasoning that the public option
will be a part of any health reform
package.
(081909a)
An editorial from the
Populist, has an peek
at the millions being spent on fighting the
popular support for a "public" or "government"
option
(081909b)
David Espo reports that
Obama
seems to be "giving way" on the public
option in the
health care reform package.
(081709a)
Patrick
O'Connor has it that any economic good news is
"bad" for the
Repuglicans
because it would be "good" for Obama. Well, that
puts them in an interesting position, and they
are working their wordsmiths and talking points
to have it both ways no matter logic or reality.
(081609l)
Arthur
Bright reports on the a new "growth industry"
the all-American militia
movement is
back and is inflating with all the hot air it
can muster. (081609j)
From
UK's Independent, we see a portrait of American
Heath care inaction,
pun intended.
Recently some 10,000 received free health care
in Inglewood CA, the portrait is telling, one
wonders if the Repuglicans or Obama are
listening. (081609i)
Zachary Roth exposes
an
"oil industry" memo which talks about organizing
"grass roots" "astroturf"
protests to
convince congress that any global warming
legislation is fraught with errors and
dangerously unpopular. I guess Big Oil talks to
Big Pharma and are trying a variation on the
guerilla warfare being waged against health care
reform. (081509c)
Michael Winship reports
that
the guerilla warfare being waged against the
health care plan is inflammatory and there are
cracks in the conservative
blowhards -
just beginning with the idea of considering what
will happen if this current effort at health
care reform goes bad. What will Repuglicans
gain? What will that "victory's legacy" be? More
of the same health care system we have now?
(081509b)
Dr.
William J. Leon III, reports
on
the worsening stats regarding the health care
system in the
US, costs go up, coverage goes down as does
quality. What's a president to do?
(081309b)
David
Michael Green talks about the "Reich wing" nut
jobs being given their thuggish sway
in the "land
of the free" and making headway, at least in the
health care "debate" it is push coming to shove
mentality that gives one pause to consider how
radically to the right this nation has been
shoved and how its "thinking process" meaning
the media and government has been thoroughly
corrupted. (081109r) The dangers are present -
who will step into the breach and stem the tide?
Oh, where is Superman when you need him?
Cathleen F. Crowley
reports on the
health care system in the US where the number
that die because of treatment errors is a
staggering
100,000 per
year, or thereabouts, now, isn't that a talking
point? (081109i)
Bob Egelko reports on
the
Obama administration fighting to keep a lid on a
torture
scandal in
three different locations, another Bush
"legacy". (081109g)
Ed Stoddard, reports on
the
"religious left" finally taking heed and
responding to
the national campaign, organized by "Reich wing
nut bags" to disrupt town meetings meant to
discuss the health care issue
(081109j)
Amy
Goodman speaks to a CIGNA insider regarding the
"health care" industry's "game plan"
to deal the
the Obama health care plan. The resistance is
based on stoking fear in voters because of their
fear of a "single payer" plan. (081109b) This
story was reported some time ago, but Amy is
interviewing the man and so we get details.
Dean
Baker reports on "Moose Mouth" Palin
and how the
media, by repeating lies and distortions, has
affected the "debate" on health care.
(081109a)
Joseph L. Gallway reports
on the "debate" over health care at community
meetings, the
Ugly Repuglcans using their "playbooks" are
succeeding in disrupting the
meetings and
protecting the corporations that deny these very
"protesters" coverage. If that sounds whacked,
well it is (081009f)
Sara
Robinson reports on the status of Fascism in
America. The
current definition that is used and our location
in the "stages" being late and worrying at the
very least. I say time will tell, another few
months, if a war starts, if the economics take
another steep dive, if some other precipitating
event takes place to highlight and open the deep
divides of this country and people take to the
streets. Obama had better stay alive and well.
(081009e)
Kara Hadge brings us
today's Slate, a nice overview of the papers and
issues of this day. Will
some investigation of torture take place?
Can anyone be
held accountable for anything the conflict of
interest between AIG and former Treasury
Secretary Paulson? (081009d) Yes, I know, don't
hold your breath, after all we are "looking
forward" aren't we Mr. Obama?
From
the stories of today we see how gun dealers sell
to anyone and well they then do horrible things,
really
horrible.
(080809h)
David
Sirota reports on how to "argue" with the "Me
firsters" the
"Tea Partiers" and those who've been trained to
disrupt public meetings discussing the health
plan. (080809b)
Michael
Winship reports on the
state of science when it comes to gathering data
to assess the damage and or changes in the
globe's reaction to the warming effect.
Not only that
we have turned a blind eye to other things as
well. (080809a)
Alan Wheatley takes a look
at the comprehensive health plan being worked
out in China, the reason is that since health
expenses are so, well, expensive that people
really sock away money for it. The idea behind
the health plan is to help with
this,
loosen the savings habit of Chinese citizens and
have them spend on goods and services thus
creating jobs.
The US has a similar opportunity.
(080309f)
Michael Winship reports on
the 133 million dollars, the low figure mind,
being spent by "interested parties" to
"influence,
advise and promote" their "perspective"
regarding health
care reform,
that's the total for the second quarter of this
year. (080109c)
From Lee Fang, we hear
that the Repuglcan
jackanapes have seized upon a new strategy,
attack representatives in their town hall
meetings. The
objective to disrupt and rattle, to present the
impression that there is widespread resistance
to health care reform. How do we know this, why
it's in a memo! (080109a)
Ceci Connolly has a bit of
coverage on how
Repuglcian dimbulbs have used fear
mongering to
effect the debate on the health care reform.
(080109d)
Greg
Palast writes about
"the day the president turned
black",
interesting story, check it out.
(073009e)
Paul Krugman pens a piece
concerning the "Blue
Dog" Dems and their chaotic approach to the
health care
debate.
(072709i)
In some other news,
today's
Slate, 07/27/09, has a nutshell coverage of what
I call the "Birth
Bill" maybe
real talk, compromise and some solutions were
reached; only time will tell.
(072709e)
Paul Harris reports on a
whistle blower who recently testified to
congress: "I
worked as a senior executive at health insurance
companies and I saw how they confuse their
customers and dump the sick: all so they can
satisfy their Wall Street
investors."
(072709a)
Henry A. Giroux reports on
yet
another area where Obama is following in Bush's
footsteps:
Education.
Money is going for testing, testing and more
testing. How nice, as a teacher I can certainly
say, "Boy oh boy, that's what I want!"
(072409f)
Tom
Engelhardt speaks to why Obama WANTS to "look
forward" and not
back. The list
of egregious, horrific US policy decisions under
Bush is sickening and vast. Yet, just looking at
an impartial list of the torture flaps has one
wonder what will fester up out of that morass if
we do not clean house? (072409h)
Roger J. Newell offers his
opinion on the
advantages many other nations' citizens enjoy,
that is to say single payer health
care.
(072309d)
Kip Sullivan writing in
Physicians for a National Health Plan, shows
how
the original idea for the "Public Option" in the
giant health care bill now coagulating in
congress has been significantly
altered, so
much so that the term "bait and switch" applies
to it now. (072309c)
Dr. Steffie Woolhandler
and David Himmelstein give an overview
of
why the "public option" in Obama's plan is worse
than the single payer
option.
(072209g)
Obama
makes the push for health care
(072209c)
And Adele M. Stan
illustrates why
the Repuglicans are pulling out all the stops to
fight real health
care or any
health care bill, especially if it is written
well and does the job of reducing health care
costs and providing services for those currently
without them (072209d)
FactCheck
has it that claims
regarding the job creation generated by the
stimulus package being hard to support is backed
up by the government's own
data.
(072109d)
Bill
Moyers and Michael Winship report on Obama's
nominee for surgeon
general. It
times of trouble you need a saintly figure to
focus the nation; and this pick is just that. I
liked what I read and pray for her hard work to
make a difference. (071809a)
Sam Pizzigati reports on
the funding source for the health care bill that
is being formed. It can be done.
Now that we have a saint running the show;
she'll have a plan funded to allow her work to
work!
(071809b)
William
Rivers PItt reports from Boston
where Obama's stimulus dollars are putting
people to work fixing the place
up. A portent
of what other cities may get? Possibly, a fix
and a cure? Maybe. While that remains to be seen
it's good to have a good story, about good news.
(071709a)
Obama
following in Bush's footstep?
(071609h)
regarding wire tapping?
Obama
following in Bush's footstep?
(071609i)
regarding Cheney's hit squads?
Steve
Weissman talks about Obama's
"chess mastery" in the nuclear arms
negotiations
that were sending signals and signs ... there is
a reason, see what you think of it.
(071409i)
Lara
Jakes reports on Obama's notion that there are
no grounds for probing Afghan war
crimes.
(071209b)
Bill
Moyers and Michael Winship bring us the bad
news, which is not unexpected,
that
corruption runs deep in
Beltwayistan.
this brief outlines just a few of the most
recent egregious examples. I am tired folks,
wake up! (071209a)
Maurice Ulrich, writes
about the
vast struggle for equality and the debate over
what equality
means.
(071409f)
Steve
Weissman talks about Obama's
"chess mastery" in the nuclear
arms
negotiations that were sending signals and signs
... there is a reason, see what you think of it.
(071409i)
Eric Desrosiers reports
on
the "expense" and waste of the US health care
"system", oh,
yes, there is lots of it.
(070709d)
From the Slate dated
07/06/09 we have the broad
brush coverage of the revolving door between
government and health care lobbyists,
the Honduran
and Chinese instabilities and more,
(070609f)
Chris
Hedges covers a man's story, justice, as it is
now, in
America, and
the state of affairs in a down trodden place,
Trenton, New Jersey. (070609c)
You
know, we elect a president voicing hope and
"change we can believe in" and over the months
we've been disappointed.
The latest is
this, as Fred Shulte reports, Obama's health
policy czar, Nancy-aAnn DeParle, one of the
salient points Mr. Shulte makes is this: "This
woman owes her fortune to the corporations that
she is making decisions about," said Dr. David
Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine
at Harvard University and a cofounder of
Physicians for a National Health Program. "She
cashed in really big on her previous role in
government and made millions and millions of
dollars. Then she divests and all of a sudden
she's Snow White. It's ridiculous."
(070309i)
David
M. Drucker reports on a poll that shows
69%
of the electorate support a health plan that is
government sponsored
and financed
through a tax. Much fewer say that they'd take
advantage of it, probably because they doubt the
government and some are satisfied with what they
have. (070209b)
Bob
Herbert asks:
"Who are we?"
Meaning what kind of nation are we as he details
the continuity between
Bush the Bastard and ObamawanKenobi
(062309i)
Paul
Joseph Watson and Steve Watson
give
an overview assessment of Obama's regulatory
reform plan
(062409a) It seems, to the authors, that the
Federal Reserve system is being given even more
control while its oversight is quite nominal at
best. Price
Hill verifies some of the details of the plan
(062409b) From
Jim Puzzanghera we see some
other
details corroborated, the seizing of companies,
not just
banks, for
example. (062409c) Aaron
Dykes reports that some time ago the largest US
banks coordinated efforts to defend
themselves
against any government action or legislation
that would hold them to account. (062409d) Paul
Joseph Watson reports that
the Federal Reserve just doesn't tell us where
trillions of dollars have
gone, this is
the organization that is being given more power
under Obama's plan? (062409e)
And
Mark Pittman adds some
details to
that accounting, or rather, lack of
it.
(062409f) Steve Watson reports on what may be
something of a cure,
a "sunshine" bill to shed light on the Fed's
operations.
However it is an uphill
struggle.
(062409g)
Robert
Kuttner reports on
the spinelessness of the
Congress when
it comes to supporting the people's will
concerning health care. While it is screamingly
clear what the people want, our
"representatives" have booted it badly, yet
again. (062209g)
Robert
Reich gives us the word on the "healthcare war".
Obama has squared off against the giants of the
health
industry is spending millions and pulling out
all the stops
to do in anything remotely like what Obama
wants.
(062009i)
The
"Big Speech" to the Muslim world was
extraordinary. But the bottom line will be what
happens on the ground and how
soon. No
matter what words, phrases or the timing, what
remains to be seen is what happens. Perhaps
Obama has bought time but, I believe, the ball
is in Israel's court and it's time for them to
get off the pot or shit.
(060609g)
http://www.slate.com/id/2216514/
Today's Slate,
04/20/09 has an overview of the various crises.
The one that sticks out is the economic rescue
which seems to be taking its own sweet time
about making an impact. Maybe that is because
most of the money is not being spent in ways
that would do just that.
(042009b)
Here
is the edgy news concerning the disconcerting
segue that has shaped up between
Bush,
may he he rot in hell, and Obama, who we thought
was to save
us. What I'd
like to know is who decides the kinds of polls
that are taken. Shouldn't that be a public
trust? I think legislation in this regard is
more than tardy. Anyway, some facts and quotes
which should make you uncomfortable if you
"voted for change you can believe in" and had
foreign policy and torture in mind.
(050509a)
So
I wrote my friend Jimmy, Jimmy the driver:
We are on the same page! Get it, Jimmy ...
Page ... ??? Led Zeppelin?
Hahahahahahahaahhaahahahahahahahahahah!!!!!
Ok so it's not that
funny, but neither is the mess we're in. Nothing
is clear now. More players than ever are playing
and everyone is arming to get hurt. Aiming?
Excuse me, what does that difference matter? It
doesn't and you know it. I would say
"enough said" right there but you know me; I
can't leave well enough alone.
You are more down on
Obama than I am, clearly. However, neither of us
are optimistic about the remaining and greater
collection of problems humanity faces now a
days. This collection together is far more
important any president of the US can now be. We
will not face the fact that we've lost it and
badly and big time. Mother Earth and Father Time
have made their judgment and humanity has been
found wanting. It is only a matter of time
before one cascade leads to others. It is only a
matter of time before we've a disorganized
dissolution of the global community, such as it
may now be called. Obama may be able to
rudder this massif nation into a more viable
current and so have it stay afloat, but those
other issues, those beyond his or our or any
control, will eventually have their effects and
to survive them will be a remarkable
achievement, to get back what we have, as
Americans lost, would be more in the nature of a
miracle. Ironically or not, what some may call
"the grand transformation" may be the only way
to get the governments out of the way so that
solutions can be found.
Dan
Eggen and Robert Parry, team up to have the
musical question asked: can 119 million
Americans be wrong?
That's the
number who are dissatisfied with their health
care, so much so that they WANT an alternative.
Also, Democratic activists want to put
single-payer on the table. Big shots don't want
that. (060709f) Robert
Reich has it that Big Pharma has this thing
targeted for destruction,
however.
(060709g) Rhonda
Hackett compares the Canadian health care system
with the "system" in in the US.
Some myths are
debunked but the conclusion is clear, the US
could and should do better than what it IS
doing. (060709d)
There
is a slight greening of the greenback, by
Obama's budgetary
lights, but
the US is not a leader yet, and, try as it might
it will have a way to go to address not only the
gross errors of Bush but the tides of
civilization! (043009a)
Obama's
being called upon to "deal with" the crimes of
Bush and maybe
this will be an acid test? (042109a)
Or
maybe we will see
something?
(042109c)
Pelosi
gives some explications on the budget, getting
the truth from portions of the Bush
"administration".
(022009d)
The
thing is 30,000 inmates and I, for one, did not
know the figures were this
large. What
I'd like to know is the rate of turnover, how
many people are "processed" in a month or a year
(020909a)
What
will a national health care program look like?
This article
takes a look around the world to see how other
nations created theirs, and why they did so. The
term "path dependence" is used to explain how
several nations built from what they had to
create their national system. The lesson that is
what we'll have to do as well.
(020109a)
Economics
101 in the News:
Dean
Baker wonders about some basic math questions
when considering how Freddie and Fannie have had
to have their credit extended seemingly far
beyone what is
reasonalbe. It
hints that some kind of problems exist and we,
the US citizens, footing the bill by the way,
are not being advised of. Then there are the
multi million dollar bonuses for yet another
organization which has performed "horribily"
(122809e)
Nathan
Olivarez-Giles reports on the rise in small
business
bankruptcies,
if such enterprises are the "backbone of job
growth" then there's trouble in River City
(122809h)
Zachary
A. Goldfarb reports that the US government is
going to "back" Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Whoopdeedoody. What annoyed me is this
excerpt:
Republicans, who say they are evidence of how
government support for the housing market
contributed to the financial crisis, the excerpt
reads: "The Obama administration's decision to
write a blank check with taxpayer dollars for
the continued bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac is appalling," said Rep. Scott Garrett
(R-N.J.), a member of the House Financial
Services subcommittee that oversees Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac. "Not only is this a continued
bailout of failed entities that need to be
privatized to protect the taxpayer, the timing
of the announcement is clearly designed to try
and sneak the bailout by the taxpayers." So I
wonder what Mr. "I'm a jackass with tits" Scott
Garrett thought of the "to damned big to fail"
bailouts of the banks and Wall St. And where was
he when whistle blowers were whistling Dixie
about the housing crisis which was, for the vast
most part, fueled by the Federal Government. I
know, I know but I'm just asking.
(122509a)
From Reuters comes an
article concerning the ups and down, mostly, of
the housing market, but
the comment posted is far better, explanatory
and with enough details as to explain why the
efforts to "save housing" are not
working.
Plenty of blame to go around, not that those who
are to blame will be held responsible.
(122309a)
Wall
Street's Economic Rampage by Zach Carter need I
say more? Read
on
(122209a)
Michael
Winship reporting on the Audacity of
Banks ... no
shame ... no remorse ... no morals? You read it
and you decide (121909a)
What-recovery-Budget-deficits-get-worse-for-states
By Ron Scherer we hear that the
majority of states have fiscal problems
percolating into their budgets for the upcoming
year and the gaps seem to be
widening.
(121809d)
Laurent
Pinsolle of Marianne2 has an article with this
extracted quote: "liberalization
leads to specialization and concentration in
production, which makes agricultural prices more
volatile."
Volatile means
that some people starve and others profit buy up
third world land and create huge corporate
farms. (121409b)
Sasha Abramsky reports on
the large, read
millions of workers, who worked for decades
assuming a retirement only to have that yanked
right from under them. Jackass
repuglicans,
Bushists and others, your Madoffs and so forth,
now we see the suffering and deaths
(121109a)
Hossein
Askari and Noureddine Krichene report on the
"state of global inflation".
While
most persons do not think we have an
inflationary cycle going on, because we area in
a recession and this means money is harder to
come by, the rise in the price of gold, going on
globally, indicates that the dollar and most
currencies, are loosing value and that inflation
is here
(121109d)
Reuters
has it that
the decline in job losses, impressive as it is,
means that the "end" is near and job gains could
be as few as three or four months
away. Nice
news, if true, that's what I say. (120709d)
Greg
Palast has words with the "Generalissimo of
Globalization,
his is, apparently, an Egyptian, being as he is
in Denial. (120709e)
From
Reuters we have a snapshot of the credit crunch,
which has had some relief, from the Christmas
Bump which
comes each year, however there is a danger of
another bubble and the "real economy" may be a
spoiler of the season (120609a)
David
Goldman provides an arcane index shows that
there has been no pickup in items being
shipped.
(120609c) From
the AP we hear that the banking "industry"
losses have now been some 40%
realized, not
paid off, but showing up. That means that we're
not yet half way through that morass (120609d)
Jacques
Attali talks about the global scale of the
economic
downturn.
While we may be treading water "successfully"
this year and some time next year, eventually
what is being "borrowed" must be repaid, and how
long CAN we go on borrowing and from whom?
(120209c)
From Reuters we hear about
US
government data that suggest an easing off in
the rate of the
plummet. A
local phenomenon? A transient one?
(120309d)
Nicolas Baverez reports on
the "global recovery". It
seems very few areas of the developed world are
doing well and the much touted recovery is
spotty, fragile and
questionable.
(120109c)
Caroline
Valetkevitch reports that the popular benchmark
US Dow reached a high today.
The
street is good, thank you very
much
(120109d)
Andy
Kroll has a report from the Housing
Crunch.
(113009b)
Ron
Scherer reports on the Duibai Debacle of
Debt and how
it is connected globally and speculates upon its
effects on "confidence" (112809c)
Yasha Levine we hear of
how the "Bailout King" AIG,
the "too big to fail" behemoth is "soaking the
poor for their water" Amazing, this egregious,
rank and disgusting corporate rape
has people
choosing between water and food and has been
"rubber stamped" by local government, more or
less. (112709b)
Elinore
Comlay and Jonathan Stempel provide the analysis
Dubai has money
problems, even
just talking about it drove markets down. How
"serious" is it? Who can tell, who is talking
besides that class of people who want to see the
easy money continue flowing to them?
(112709c)
Art Levine has us look a
the
lack of real reform and the raft of broken
promises from the "too big to fail"
crowd. We are
told, by the bubble builders, that they are not
building a bubble, that they have learned their
lesson, well this is not at all clear and the US
taxpayer is footing the bill.
(112509c)
From TomDispatch we hear
about the recent revolutions and
battles
in the war against globalization and
corporatization; there have been victories but
the main engagement is still waiting upon those
willing to fight for
survival.
(112509b)
From Reuters we have "good
news" for the economy, jobless
claims are only in the 400,000 plus range and
housing us up less than a percent after loosing
almost that much the month
before. Sounds
like progress to me. (112509a)
John
Buell reports on the economic "recovery" which
is what it is called. However
danger persists and "politics" can easily make
matters worse.
(112409c)
Ellen
Hodgson Brown J.D. tells us that Japan's
solution to its economic malaise is very much
similar to what we're
trying. Gee,
that hasn't worked; that's been said before. But
what hasn't is the cure, or a cure, read it and
cheer up, or not. (112309e)
Rolfe
Winkler reports on what is called a "sudden
stop". This is when a nations credit and
monetary system "locks up" because of
credibility
issue and
people abandon their nation's currency in favor
of the currency of that nation or nations who
had been extending the credit. However, England
IS the nation to whom their nation owes debt and
so the problem is trickier, as it is for the US.
So there is a slight chance of a precipice, not
a Rubicon being crossed.
(112209c)
Nick Turse, AlterNet,
reports on the
death toll the housing crisis is producing, no
real investigation is being done into it, much
as Fort Hood's death count
is. People are
dying out there, killing others, themselves,
police officers and Realtors are being tortured.
(112009f)
Mark Guarino reports on
the economic crash in Michigan
where
the Pontiac Silverdone was sold for a penny on
the dollar,
based on the original price of thing when it was
built. (111809a) Continuing with the economic
good news, we have Lucia
Mutikani reporting on the drop in housing
starts.
(111809b)
John Nichols reports on an
innovative way to staunch the flood of job
losses. A
job sharing plan that encourages employers to
keep people on while reducing their hours and
pay and the difference is made up from
unemployment
funds. It is a
strategy that has worked overseas and in the US.
So what is the delay? (111709d)
Mark Weisbrot from The
Guardian Unlimited, November 12, 2009 talks
about the blame game for the
difficulties
of the dollar, but it is a US sourced problem
and one that requires us to DO SOMETHING, I mean
besides listen to the people we've given
trillions to and who hand out billions in
bonuses, ship
jobs overseas and seem to be happy with that.
(111609c)
Julie
Ingwersen writes from Illinois
about
the problematic food harvest in much of the
middle part of the
US (111509a)
And
from Reuters we hear of the conditions in
Mississippi.
(111509b) Neither story mentions Global Warming,
nor, perhaps should they, but both stories
illustrate the difficulties that climate change
brings to highly developed market agriculture,
such as is practiced the world over - the hungry
and poor will suffer from the price rises, 15%
for corn, in a matter of weeks.
Martin
Hutchinson talks about the large scale
economic
problems faced by the biggest six economies in
the world. There is a possibility that defaults
could occur,
though the thought is that it is not immediately
in the offing. (111209i)
Scott
Thill reports on the violence that occurs when
homeowners react to "bad news"
and
how the sense of "fair play" and the "social
contract" has been damaged by the greed of Wall
Street and bankers as well as the congress
which has, for
the most part, let the housing problem fester
and go rancid. (110909c)
Sylvain Lapoix provides us
with a nutshell piece on how
big banks are making money without having to
"work with" the real
economy. They
just play with currency trades and do quite
well, even though smaller banks are suffering as
is the real economy. (110609c)
Dean
Baker reports on job losses still registering in
the six figures
monthly. We've
passed the 10 percent mark in unemployment too,
nice? (110609e)
Jean-Marc
Vittori gives a brief comparing the Euro and US
solutions to the banking
crisis,
the US opts for Mammoths and the Eruo's oft for
letting failures fail and competition
cures.
(110509a)
Mark
Trumbull reports on the economic "recovery"
NOT. It seems
income is dropping, overall, as is spending. In
fact, were it not for the federal government,
cash for clunkers, very extended unemployment
benefits, some of the housing effort and the
dumping of massive mounds of cash into bastardly
banks, well, we'd be far worse off. The upshot:
the government is keeping us afloat, barely.
(110109c) Greg
Gordon of McClatchy Newspapers reports on how
"Government
Sachs" looted, robbed, cheated, lied, stole,
connived, conspired and much more when they were
"busy as bees"
converting dicey home loans into triple A rated
securities, even as the market was going bust.
(110109d)
Sam Mircovich and Edwin
Chan report on a spate
of 9 bank closures during a single
day. The
economy is still in trouble, as if that is news
to anyone these days. (103109a)
Bill
Moyers interviews James K. Galbraith about the
economic crisis.
He thinks that the cure is not working all that
well.
(103109b)
John Browne talks about
"Ninja Inflation" by which he means that
when
an economy collapses prices drop as part of the
deflationary effect of a crash. However, we do
not have deflation, we have steady prices. The
conclusion is that an inflationary effect has
been underway and the evidence for it IS the
stable
pricing, which
should not exist in this economic condition and
now, we're even seeing some price increases,
some in housing for example. Right now the
government and the banks are playing with the
money to keep this "game" going; however it does
not have to last. (102909g) And,
David Goldman, reports on some stats which show
the "insides" of the money system acting to
freeze credit.
(102909h)
From
Reuters we hear about growth
in the US economy, sounds nice and some credit
is given to the torrents of government money
that has washed over the economy
these past
months. (102909e)
Paul
Craig Roberts gives a brief overview of how the
financial crisis came about, and why the threat
of another is still waiting in the
wings.
(102609c)
The
salient quote from the article by Steven C.
Johnson and John Parry is this: "But Connolly
said there is "a
real disconnect between the rebound of risky
assets and the real economy, and added that
"financial markets are working their way up to
... a renewed bubble, which will burst
again."
(102009a)
Linda Mutikani reports on
the deepening unemployment
crisis.
Many fear their jobs are gone forever, many have
been unemployed for nearly 7 months.
Though I hear
that Wall Street is hiring! Howzaboutdemapples?
(101009c)
John
Parry reports on the bankers hiring again,
because, well, they are in recovery even if no
one else is.
(101009d)
Mike Whitney is of
the
opinion that the government's own bubble made
out of "quantitative easing" meaning "print up
the money" will
collapse ...
and he asks, and then what? It's a good question
(100509b)
Les
Leopold reports on how the rich STILL get richer
and the poor, well, they get diddly
squat.
(100509c)
Matt
Bivens has a humorous touch and gives us some
perspective on the rich, the budget, the bail
out and
history. Good
read, read on (100509d)
Caroline
Valetkevitch reports on the "market" there is
optimism about the earnings and the last two
weeks of decline is brushed
aside as is
the fact that much of the "profit" being
generated is because companies have downsized,
laid off and and sold off. So we may get a
"rosy" third quarter and the market may continue
to rise - but for how long?
(100309c)
Kevin
Krolicki and David Bailey report on the plunge
in auto sales, no surprise since the cash for
clunkers program
ended. Hyundai
and Kia are are the winners and Chrysler's new
head honcho says he's going to turn it around.
(100109e)
Jim Hightower reports on a
new investment scheme based on
"securitizing"
something, this time its life insurance
policies. Bankers figure they can make a buck
betting on
death. When
will these bastards ever get taken down?
(093009f)
From
George Monbiot we have a discussion on sex and
money related to global warming that
is. Lots of
ground covered here, especially in the comments.
Read them all for a laugh and for some insights.
(092909h)
Jacques
Sapir reports on the "roots" of the current
economic crisis and how, because of their
nature, the current "relief" is bound to be
short lived.
(092509c)
Lucia Mutikani has it
that
some economic number defy the "happy hour" news
presentations
that use the
word recovery. The message is, at best, mixed.
(092409e)
Lawrence S. Wittner gives
us a global overview of just
how much money is being spent on military
stuff. As one
might expect the US is in the lead, but how MUCH
is what is surprising. Still, others spend too
and they aren't stinting either.
(092409d)
Robert
Borosage has it that the touted recovery we hear
about is, of course, a
fiction.
Obama's plan, is being criticized but at least
things are holding together for the time being.
But time is also short and we need a real
solution, one that generates jobs, which would
mean spending, which would mean purchasing,
sales, and companies hiring and taxes being paid
and a return to some semblance of economic
growth.(092409c)
Robert Reich explains the
nature of the "good economic news" and that of
the bad. As
consumers are spent so the government has lent.
Debt is
piling up in mountains behind the "happy news"
reports of a recovery. While jobs are shed and
the individual continues to suffer mightily.
(092309d)
Greg Palast reports on the
memo that the US sent to the G-20 participants.
Greg
then asks the musical question, shouldn't
Bernake's med's be reviewed?
(092209d)
Nick Zieminski has a
report containing a
number of data points which indicate that the
economic conditions for "ordinary people" are
worsening.
Even the relative good news, the amount of
credit card debt, is in decline because people
are not using the cards they have.
(092109a)
Pedro Nicolaci de Costa
reports that, despite the glow in the markets
and their rise in the last six months, there are
substantial risks because
the "recovery" is built upon easy
money,
centered on financial institutions that are
still shaky and we've now swung from a historic
low to another historic high. What is next is
the question very few are even asking much less
listening to those who are talking about it.
(092009b)
Lisa
Lambert reports on the next mortgage crisis the
"option" mortgages,
another kind
of financing vehicle which is just now starting
to push home owners who have them out of their
homes. Nation wide, some millions may be
involved with this sort of problem.
(091809b)
From
Jonathan Ford, we hear what to me what may well
become a cautionary tale, that of
Dubai. They
build and grow debt like no body's business, but
now, with the global downturn, their plans for
glory may have come a cropper.
(091809a)
David
Korten has a piece on "who really crashed the
economy" And
I think he goes on to cover the cover up.
(091709d)
Tom
Abate has some stats on California's
unemployment rate and a couple of case
studies.
(091409d)
Alex
Berenson, reports that on Wall Street the
changes since the crash are few and far between,
hardly worth noting and, as for new proactive
regulations - well they're not there
yet.
(091209b)
Martin Hutchinson, has it
that our economic time may be short. The Fed
printing money that has not caused inflation nor
effected the bond market, not, at least, in the
ways historical perspective would expect. Also
the expansion of debt has not effected the
interest rates being experienced.
So what is up? A bubble, it is speculated, and
if that is true then, when it pops, we'll have
pain and lots of
it.
(090809g)
Reuters
has a report that shows Americans are still not
buying. They
do not want to or cannot. They are not taking on
debt and so, the amount of personal debt is
shrinking, which is a good thing really, but not
for businesses or if you are trying to get an
economy, dependent on consumer spending, started
up again. (090809e)
Tom
H. Hastings shows what could be done about
unemployment with a few quick
figures, of
course his problem is that he makes sense, is
logical and reasonable. (090809a)
Dean
Baker asks the question should we trust
Bernake's argument against an audit of the
Federal
Reserve? He
seemingly says that an audit risks an economic
crisis, well, aren't we in one already? And
wasn't he and his predecessor in the captain's
chair when the shit was moving toward the fan?
So shouldn't we have a look see over his
shoulder? (090709e)
Mark Brenner, is this
recession over? WHY
don't we call it a depression yet?
Anyway,
whether or not whatever it is is over depends on
who you are ... 25 million unemployed? Recovery?
Give me a friggin' break
(090709a)
Robert
Reich has it that the heart
or
bedrock of the American economy is in
trouble, and
that is the value of "real wages" for "real
people" (090709b)
Mike Whitney has an
overview of the economic status.
He
debunks the "green shoots" PR fizzle, the stock
market rise and the notion that optimism is
realistic. The
projection is that another sickening slide is
about to take place. Before the end of the year.
Insider selling over matches insider buying by
30 to one. Companies are not doing buybacks. So
what does that tell you?
(090309f)
Lucia Mutikani
has
another case where the "not as bad as we
thought" news is hailed as a hint of the "turn
around" we're all waiting
for.
(090309d)
South of the Rio
Grande
Pepe
Escobar reports on the "American" activity in
South American
and the
connections to NATO, the School of Assassins and
more. (090309e)
Alexei
Barrionuevo reports on
the surprising turn of attitude toward the press
in Central and South
America. Where
is there a fount of good news?
(083109e)
Tim Ahmann reports on the
effort to provide some congressional
oversight to the Federal Reserve. I know, don't
all laugh at
once. It could
happen that something meaningful could come of
this. (083009c)
Laurent Belsie, reports
that personal
income in the US remains flat as does spending.
The only
exception was the "cash for clunkers" program.
Here is the lesson to be learned: give ordinary
people money and they'll spend it creating jobs
and economic growth. So what is the US
government doing? Ending the program.
(082909c)
Doug
Noland reports on the Credit
Bubble.
Essentially the US is guaranteeing and or
issuing titanic amounts of debt. How this
"flood" is managed can determine whether or not
a global recovery is in the offing
(082809d)
Lucia
Mutikani has figures that indicate a housing
recovery is "here". It could be a good thing if
it is - Yet the overall picture is mixed I
sense.
(082609c)
Rhode
Island shuts down its government for 12 days,
among other
things, to trim its budget being hammered by the
economic grind. (082609a)
Edmund L. Andrews
reports
in the NYT Bernake saying, essentially, that
we've turned the
corner,
globally speaking. There are those that believe
the worst is over, recovery is underway and that
the "right thing" was done. (082209a) This
although 81 banks have failed and many, many
more are in danger. Also, this recovery has yet
to meet the proverbial "man on the street".
The Mogambu Guru reports
on
the "Ginnie Mae's" venture into the repackaging
of mortgages and the fact that now the US
citizen is backing about 90% of those
loans. How
nice, that is, until the house of cards
collapses under its own dumb weight.
(082109c)
Kevin G. Hall reports that
the
"next wave" of foreclosures is rising,
that of good
loans to people who HAD good jobs but now that
the jobs are gone their ability to keep their
home becomes harder and harder.
(082109a)
Danny Schechter
reports
from New York City and the effect that the
depression is having in that
city. You do
not have to look far to see indications,
however, the media have it that we are nearing
the turn around point. Only time will tell.
(082009e)
Matt Taibbi gives
us
a seven part series in Rolling Stone concerning
what others call "Government Sachs"
the bank that
"knows how; and how" (081609a)
How
Goldman got started and its first "ponzi
scheme" helped
usher in the Great Depression - great for them
depressing for us. (081609b) Fast forward to
"modern times" and see
"how they 'did the internet bubble'
and got away
with hundreds of millions, nay even billions
while being fined pennies on the dollar their
greed grabbed. (081609c) And
then the monster moved into the "housing
business"
writing crappy loans and then, by betting
against them, made oodles of money (081609d) Of
course,
greed, knowing no bounds and having corrupted
the oversight systems in place, moved on to
"supping on
oil" and
brought us another boom and its bust which
brought us to 2008. (081609e) And then, topper
after topper follows, how G.Sachs
has an effective tax rate of about one
percent and
manages to beg for money while handing out gross
bonuses to the "hard working" bankers. (081609f)
Amazing though it may seem
Goldman Sachs has a plan to make billions,
hundreds of billions maybe off of Global
Warming. Their
plan involves rigging the game of Carbon Credits
which is built into the government's global
warming legislation. It's an inside out gamed
game and they, G.S. LOVE IT.
(081609g)
Mark
Weisbrot reports
on a few of America's "Economic Myths" explodes
them actually
and well, what 's to be done?
(081409c)
Lucia
Mutikani
reports on the "green shoots" phenomenon taking
hold in the minds of
observers. The
thinking has shifted among experts that the
recession will be seen to have ended next
quarter. Time will tell, of course, and so we
await developments. (081109e)
Edmund
Conway, reports that the "damage" of this
recession is a headline grabbing 11.2 trillion
dollars. But his math is way off.
Housing
market in the US alone was estimated at about 10
trillion some months ago, the US stock market
alone, another 12 or more trillion, again as
measured a couple of months ago. If you add in
the loss of nearly 6 million jobs, and average
that "loss" at 30,000 dollars a year in lost
spending, you have 18 trillion dollars. Finally
add in the US deficit and you have some 12 to 15
trillion more in debt. And then there are
proportionately similar losses around the world.
So the US has had losses of some 70 trillion all
by itself. (081009c) If you take that estimated
figure and proportion it to the world, you could
simply double it, you have 140 Trillion in debt
and this would mean each person in the world
would get 31K dollars or there abouts - that's
my kind of bailout, really.
Ross Gitins in
Australia
reports on why their unemployment rate is not
rising. Could
e what is happening here, that companies are
cutting back hours. They also want to hold onto
older workers as here, explaining the rise in
employment rates for older, 55 or above,
employees while other age groups suffer losses.
(081009b)
Dean Baker reports
good
economic news, admittedly it consists mostly of
measurements showing that things aren't getting
worse as rapidly as they
were. There
are facts that are incorrect, such as "the
700,000 monthly rate in decline" that was not
the average from November to February, for
example. (081009a)
From
Isaiah J. Poole, we have a report that the
stimulus is working. This is the first I've seen
from a "liberal" slant.
The Green
Shoot phenomenon has been touted by those on the
other side of the spectrum, however, perhaps the
effectiveness of the stimulus programs can best
be gauged by the resistance it receives from
Bumbling dumbells such as Republican Whip Eric
"the gutless wonder" Cantor who would be easier
to understand if it did not sound like he had a
penis in his mouth when he talked.
(080809d)
Lucia Mutikani has it
that
a drop in the rate of new claims for
unemployment is good news, it is,
but having
over one half million applicants is still
troubling. There are now two firm schools of
thought, we have a nascent recovery at this
time, the "green shooters" and the "time
bombers" those who think the boat is still
sinking. (080609f)
In an article edited by
Dan Grebler we hear
a forecast that the housing market is set for
further and serious declines despite the recent
flurry of good
news, pending
sales and some housing prices rising. The
article is vacant on evidence, but this article
is included in case it may prove instructional,
at least in hindsight.
Mike Whitney has it
that
the depression is just getting under way. The
"mini recovery" the "green shoots" area
chimera's based on greed, trickery, chicanery,
and hope. Oh,
well. Time will tell - it may be "going under"
by the end of the year. (080409a)
Eric Eckholm reports on
the
extension given for unemployment is going to
start running
out and so
about 1.5 million persons now in that category
may be cut off. The other fact is that some 9
million are receiving benefits and they too must
be under some kind of time constraint, unless
further extensions are offered. Time will tell
(080209h)
Soyoung Kim reports on
a
success in the stimulus realm, the "Cash for
Clunkers"
program has had people return to showrooms to
buy cars. What is not said is this is also an
example of how a program that effectively puts
money in the hands of consumers the consumers
spend it. No surprise there.
(080209c)
Jeremy Gaunt
reports
on the flow of capital from cash holdings into
the market,
thus the market recovery from March, however,
many are still on the sidelines and this
"recovery" is more based bargain hunting, IMHO,
than on a real recovery in which profitable
companies are making, well, profits.
(073109e)
Karen Freifeld reports on
the 32
billion in bonuses paid to the banks that
received some 175 billion in taxpayer money
just to
survive. Does that sound OK to you?
(073009f)
In fact, according to this
article, written by Grant McCool, it seems that
some
banks paid more out in bonuses than the total of
the profits they
earned. One
wonders, just asking mind you, what kind of
business model would that be?
(073009g)
From
the BBC the Latvia bank bail out
updates prior
stories about this nation doing very well during
the economic decline, well, it seems that its
fortunes have deteriorated.
(073009d)
Sasha
Abramsky reports on California's
"budget".
Amazing is not a word used lightly and it fits
in this case. Big cuts to the needy, no tax
increases and more borrowing still.
(073009a)
Arianna
Huffington gives a criticism of the "green
shoots"
phenomenon,
second guesses the markets rise looks at
patterns and declaims that we are still in
trouble and the villains are getting another
chance, this time with taxpayer money.
(072909c)
Alan Zibel and Daniel
Wagner report on
the progress of Obama's plan to relieve those in
threat of loosing their
homes. Some of
the recent optimism in the market came from the
heralding of this plan, however the reality is
not yet living up to its promise.
(072909b)
Some
housing numbers are being hailed as "the
bottom". The
data is suggestive but other data and facts in
the field make such pronouncements cautionary.
(072809a)
John
Miller reports on the real unemployment rate;
guess what it is higher than the official
rate. This
article also misses one point, that being this:
that in any given month the economy has 150 to
180,000 new entrants into the job market. If we
have job losses, overall, then these individuals
can't find work and since they have not worked
do not show upon the unemployment rolls. This
means that, this year, we have something over
one million persons in this category.
(072709l)
Robert
Kuttner writes about the "miracle" performance
of Goldman Sachs,
there are
practices that are questionable, considering
what the market is supposed to do, however the
barn door has long been open but that doesn't
mean that closing it is a bad idea.
(072709j)
Christian Science Monitor
reports on a
spike in the homelessness of families with
children.
(072609c)
Robert
Reich's blog, and its commentary, provide a peek
behind Wall Street's "big numbers".
The illusion
of profits created by cutting costs has created
a "dead cat bounce" and time may be short before
reality sets in and we plunge into an uncertain
depth of economic despair. (072409e) For
example, from James B. Kelleher we have
Caterpillar Inc. Their
stock is up and profits too, but look deeper and
you wonder how much of that "gain" was due to
cutting 17,000 jobs
since the
start of this year? (072409j)
Leah Schnurr reports on
how
"Big Companies" are "putting lipstick on the
pig" reverse stock
splits are not
new, what is is the need for using them to make
for appearances. (072409i)
Laurent Belsie has it that
the
market rise in the last few days has historical
parallels, patterns, if you will.
The notion is
that August might be good and that after that
we'll see some "correction". This dovetails with
the Great Depression's mini recoveries which,
according to that pattern would have a slump in
the September to November portion of this year.
(072309f)
Jeremy Brecher, Tim
Costello and Brendan Smith offer
a
perspective on what the US and others have tried
when recessions or depressions hit.
The solution
is something that Obama has tried and, by
reading the article, one might ask, why not more
of the same, much more? (072309e)
A translation of Le
Monde's editorial, has a salient fact, that the
total
bonuses slated to be paid, 20 billion dollars,
by one financial "institution" Goldman Sachs,
is the
equivalent of what the UN spends for hunger in
the world during an entire year. This is to
reward those who "took risks" the bankers might
say. Well, I have to ask, what risks? I mean did
they risk failure? No, they are "to big" for
that. So what then???
Natsuko
Waki reports on the biggest "green shoot" of
them all the world's stock markets reach a high
point, relatively
speaking.
Exuberance is pervasive in the markets ... now
all we need is a real recovery to get underway.
(072209h) One wonders what happened to those
reports of the hundreds of trillions of dollars
of losses due to the bizarre and arcane
financial tools. Is that still just waiting for
things to go pop? (072309b)
George
Monbiot gives an overview on the "progress" of
biofuels. The
science says "no", practicalities say, "no" and
hunger around the world says, "no". When will US
policy makers "get it" and join in that chorus?
(072209f)
From
Mark Felsenthal and Alister Bull we have "the
word" from Bernake who is using the word
"recovery" in his presentation on the state of
the US
economy. Not
that we're in one, but he references it. It
seems conventional wisdom is that we've pulled
back from a brink. The question that will be
answered, certainly by the end of this year, is
this: are we in a mini "come back" such as the
Great Depression had? It had two, each of which
lasted about 6 months. That means by
September/October we will see and certainly by
December. (072109a)
Lisa Lambert gives a broad
brush overview of the
economic downturn's effect on the states'
budgets for
2010, already there are shortfalls appearing and
job losses continuing to mount.
(090719a)
From
the BBC comes a report that there is something
of an uptick in housing
starts, which
though they are still down over the year, it is
evidence of the positive side of the mixed data
regarding the status of the US economy.
(071809d)
Ros Krasny reports
on
some economic data which shows, overall, poor or
problematical conditions
continuing.
(071609e)
Robert
Scheer has it that "Government Sachs" is not
hurting,
bailed out and profiteering on an egregious
scale off the financial debacle that they went
along with, encouraged and profited from makes
them the "profitable company" they are today
making headlines, as a matter of fact.
(071609a)
Lynn Adler reports that
the foreclosure
rate is at a record high
as some rescue
plans play out, job losses create more damage
and prices continue to decline.
(090715e)
Alister Bull reports on
something that is currently
typical, good news has become reports that show
things aren't worsening at the same
pace as they
have been. (071509d)
Mike Tharp reports that in
the two weeks subsequent to the pull back from
Iraqi cities the US
has not been called on once for operational
support, now
that's some kind of progress - although there is
violence and the US forces do supply other
assists. (071509b)
Emily
Kaiser reports on a bit of a lift in US auto
sales, a hint of inflation and so
forth.
(071409e)
From
Reuters we hear that the monthly federal budget
gap is nearly 100
billion.
Indicating a fiscal weakness.
(071309c)
Emily
Kaiser reports on a bit of a lift in US auto
sales, a hint of inflation and so
forth.
(071409e)
From
Reuters we hear that the
monthly federal budget gap is nearly 100
billion.
Indicating a fiscal weakness.
(071309c)
Michael
Lewis, reports on the collapse at AIG. The
article attempts to explain what happened from
the inside
out. It boils
down to pride, ignorance, complacency, lack of
government oversight, greed and so forth. But no
one at that company is really being held to
account - why? (070809a)
Jonathan Stempel reports
on the growing problem of credit
card payments falling behind at a record
pace a
predicted and predictable event.
(070709c)
Seth
Sandronsky takes a look at Market Myths past and
present; a pleasant read,
really.
(070709a)
Hery
C. K. Liu provides an update from 2004 regarding
China, Asia, trade and the dollar
hegemony.
(070609h)
The Slate page from July
3rd, 2009, by Daniel Politi, has some salient
points, one is that
the job loss rate has had an uptick,
that could
signal the beginning of the end for this post
crash rise, the green shoots phenomenon. The
great depression had two such rises before it
settled down into a long slump that only WW2
lifted the US out of. (070309e)
Matt Taibbi exposes how
Goldman
Sachs continues "soldiering on" marching from
bubble to
bubble and is
now poised to do even better. They have their
people where it counts and the money stream they
have gotten and are poised to get is vast and
impressive. (070309c)
Mike Elk reports on a
worker
victory over a bank,which was trying to shut
down the
factory.
(070209f)
David Lawder reports the
jobless
rate is at a 26 year
high. Also
reported are some good signs, few and weak, but
there nonetheless. (070209e)
Zachary A. Goldfarb
reminds us that Madoff
had set off alarms at the
SEC and a
warning was made but no action was taken on it.
(070209c)
Paul
Jorian from Le Monde reports on the "odd
reimbursements" that banks are
making. There
are some that paying off the government TARP
loans and "getting out from under" as it were.
One wonders why the haste, the author provides
insight. (070109e)
Stephen Koff and Sabrina
Eatory report on how members of the House
Financial Services
Commission
bought and sold bank stocks while they were
supposed to be overseeing the debacles progress
and the fixes.
(062809d)
Mike
Elk reports on the "logic" of banks when
handling foreclosures
on commercial
properties such as factories and production
facilities. (062609m)
From
Daniel Schulman we hear of Wall
Street "Hires the
Liar" to
burnish its image so that it, "the street", is
viewed as "interested in change" is "part of the
solution" and so forth. (062609k)
David
Goldman has some details about the economic mess
in the US. Factiods: 300,000
foreclosures in May
alone,
sub-prime AAA's are trading at about 0.25 on the
dollar. (062109d)
From
our madcap daffy advisor, the Mogambo Guru,
we get some
facts, governments world wide are trying to
print their way out of the mess. No matter the
risks. (062109e)
Edward
Conway informs us regarding the "death of the
dollar" which
may be described as that of Mark Twain's, which
is to say, exaggerated. Nonetheless, there are
troubles and the potential for serious, even
vital dangers. (062109c)
From
Reuters we see a
nutshell description of Iran's Federal
government.
Nice to know considering events.
(062109a)
William
Pesek talks about the thriller of the week, two
Japanese men are found at the Italian border
with Switzerland and they
are smuggling in 134 billion,
that's right,
billion, dollars worth of US bonds. The number
of questions regarding this impressive as are
the effects it could have on the dollar, US
policy, relations with Japan and more.
(061909a)
Matt
Renner reports on the "Bank Plan" to be
unveiled. According
to statements and information already available
the idea of providing "consequences", i.e.
punishment, to the greedy villainous bastards
that criminally conspired to cause the ruination
of the financial system is off the table, as are
pay caps. To
top it off one of the men, a Mr. Summers, who is
in part of "the team" is one who led the charge
in making deregulation changes that are directly
linked to the fiasco. Sounds like it's good
enough for the "big fellas" so it must be good,
right? (061709b)
Chris
Hedges has it that the "dollars days are
numbered"
essentially there is more and more incentive for
nations to reconsider the role of the dollar as
the "world's reserve currency"
()061609i)
Mike
Whitney has an overview explaining the import of
the recent rise in the 30 year fixed loan.
It may be
that the first "false recovery" is drawing to a
close and we'll soon see repercussions in the
form of economic collapse.
(061609h)
Nick
Turse gives us the word that
a
new cause of death needs to be coined,
"econocide" which is when economic factors lead
to suicide, death by cop, murder and
mayhem.
(061409g)
Wilson
and Bogardus team up to
illuminate
the Senators who held stock in the banks that
they bailed out. Nice work if you can get
it.
(061409c)
Jean-Marc
Vittori reports on the "romance of June"
why
already people are giving the impression that
"it's all over" as banks repay loans and worry
leaves everyone's
mind.
(061209b)
Jim
Christie reports on California's financial
meltdown. A
constricting revenue stream forces
reconsideration again and again of options that
will be painful. (061009e)
Mike
Whitney gives us a general picture of the
economic status: depressions change behavior,
people become frugal and savers, loosing
"everything" does that.
Deflation may be the rule for some time to come,
although Zimbabwe type hyper inflation is a
nagging threat which, it seems, which only
government mismanagement could
heighten.
(060909e)
Here
is an article with nice graphs that shows how
this
depression is very much like the last
one, waaaaay
back in 1930 or so. (060909d)
"
'GAO found that it was 'nearly impossible' to
ensure that offsets really were additional. It
concluded that offsets present 'a significant
regulatory challenge' and should probably be
viewed as a temporary measure at best. 'In
practice [offsets] have proved
impossibly difficult to successfully implement
without fraud,' writes Michael Wara, a carbon
trading lawyer and coauthor of a Stanford
University study that found that one- to
two-thirds of offsets authorized by the Kyoto
Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism didn't
represent true emissions cuts. 'Even in the
presence of a tough regulatory system…that
is working hard to get things right…lots of
counterfeit carbon currency is making it into
the system.' " What
this means is that not only do carbon offsets
not do what they're supposed to, that is, to
reduce carbon production and reduce global
warming, but they can be gambled with, just as
the housing market was. And this is the road
we're thinking about traveling on
again???
(060909b)
From
Arienna Grody comes the report that Americans
are less and less welcoming to illegals as the
economy tanks
and they
become viewed as threats to job security, such
as it might be called. (060609k)
Adrianne
Appel outlines the "benefits" of the Chrysler
and GM
bailouts,
Neither company can be held to account for
dangerous defects in their cars when people are
killed, maimed or injured for life because of
them. Nice. Now, who put that plank in the
platform? (060609j)
Mike
Whitney gives a simple overview of what happened
in the US financial sector, we
get an indication of how big the "fake money"
debt is, some 20 trillion dollars worth
of vapor loans
to "ninjas". (060709c) However, the impression
is that it may be worse than just that.
Garaeht
Porter allows that the brouhaha over
an
"Iranian laptop with nuclear plans", which made
headlines and hardened the attitudes of the west
towards Iran actually was put together in Israel
by the Mossad.
(060709b)
Maggie
Fox reports that 60% of the personal
bankruptcies are related to an individual's
health care
costs. It
reflects the cost of not having a health care
system that "works" for individuals. A prior
article reported a similar figure for small
businesses too. (060609e) David Swanson's
article relates directly here, it says that the
US
taxpayer, the one's supporting the current
"Health Care System" and who provides the
"bailout billions" wants single payer health
care.
(060609f)
Julie
Haviv reports that the 30 year mortgages are
rising, and fast. This relates to a previous
article concerning the confidence in the US
dollar's
value. Longer
termed US bonds, even those in the 10 year
range, are not selling well and their rates are
rising. (060609d)
John
Lee speculates that if
the other recent/modern economic crashes are
considered as a model, then the measures used to
describe the one in the US indicate it will be
difficult and some years in
length.
(060409b)
W.
Joseph Stroupe has it that the long term outlook
for the dollar is
dropping even
as the day to day confidence in it weakens.
What's left are short term bonds, say as long as
a year or so. What this means is that confidence
is waning and troubles therefore loom for a
currency that is made of thin air.
(060409c)
The
article continues to give hints as to what may
occur if the Treasury Bubble breaks ... not
pretty at all.
(060409d)
Yet
more on the bailout billions and how the banks
are killing the workers,
this time it
workers pension plans that are being drained of
cash and replaced by GM shares. Such a
deal!
Nick
Turse, introduces the term, "Econocide" another
"post Bush"
neologism,
meaning someone who commits suicide due to
pressing financial considerations directly
attributable to the Bush Administrations "ripple
effect" on the economy of this man's world.
(060609a)
Persistence,
the story by Patrick Rucker
tells
of surge in home sales and confidence in the
economic
sit/com. There
has been a sprinkling of these stories, no use
getting excited yet, this time next year will be
telling, or should be. If we are still
"guessing" and seeking confirmation well, we'll
have some years to go
then.(060209d)
Seems
like one vital and "leading indicator, globally
speaking, bespeaks of a long time before
recovery, how do you recover from an 80% loss?
One wonders.
(060109a)
An
excellent summary of what was uncovered of the
housing bubble when it was "still a'bairnin' and
then even as it commencet t'grow on sumthin'
tuurrible like" So, it
argues for consequences, reasonably so, but will
any real consideration be given to something
more than
purgative?
(060109b)
Tim
Paradis, has some reflections on the recent
spate of moderately good news from the economy.
Every few months a raft of indicators are
reported, quarterlies are coming up in this
case. The
key is this quote: "A turning point in sentiment
indicators is not a turning point in real
indicators," said Bruno Cavalier.
(053109d)
Here
Lynn Adler saying that the downturn
in
the housing market is tied to the
unemployment
figures, makes sense, but then they say that we
may have another year or so before we see the
bottom of "this thing". HMMMMM
(052809c)
Pardon
the "bankiness" of this article but it seems to
me that Pedro Nicolaci da Costa is saying that
the
US is having "Peter pay Paul" and that it's not
working out all that
well.
(052709c)
Hundreds
of banks with problems that's the news for the
nation. So one
wonders where all the "bail outs" will end. What
end are we rushing towards? One wonders, so see
what Margaret Chadbourn and Alison Vekshin
think. (052709b)
The
"Dollar Crisis" is that what we'll call it?
China is still buying some dollars but for how
long? I don't
know that anyone thinks the government is "big
enough" to bail out the banks, the insurance
companies, the auto industry and the housing
giants of GMAE and GMAC. Whaddayathink?
(052509f)
The
"keystone" to what remains of US prosperity is
in China's
hands. They
are STILL buying US treasury bonds despite the
slipping of the dollar. They have bought in so
deeply over time that it seems they are
committed and must be hoping that the dollar and
the US economy will recover.
(052509b)
To:
J. the H.,
I
found your phone number after thinking I'd lost
it. That's how the great minds work.
Thanks for this but you did send it to me.
Usually another friend sends me things on this
theme.
The
article was clear. I understand the gold
standard's role in keeping the economic system
balanced. With it there was a physical limit to
the wealth, credit or currency that a nation
could have. So if one nation produced a lot and
exported to another, over some years, the gold
would have to be exchanged between those nations
to clear their outstanding overall balance.
A nation loosing gold would have to reduce
its money supply and an inflationary cycle would
ensue. The nation gaining gold would have to
print the money it backs and so a deflationary
cycle would ensue for them. Once both those
cycles were underway the trade balance would
reverse and settle at a medium. Without
gold-linked currencies this check on credit
growth or debt growth nations could rack up
titanic debts or credits until it becomes
unstable.
To
wit, the US has been a nation with a negative
trade balance, effectively shipping off tons of
dollars to China and elsewhere. These dollars
created massive credit and this credit had to be
invested: we had things like the savings and
loan bubble, the dotcom market bubble, the
housing bubble and, briefly, a global
commodities bubble as well as the banking
bubble. The bubbles burst because the amount of
money going into them inflates prices to levels
which are not sustainable for one reason or
another and collapse ensues.
I
think that the article should have mentioned
what makes this bubble's popping worse than all
the others. In sum, as I see it, all the others
dealt in things, savings and loans, stocks and
bonds, houses and commodities and, in
manipulating them, caused the cyclical crashes.
Primarily, I would suppose, because the items
being dealt with were finite while the printing
of money or the granting of loans or credit is
not. In the case of the derivatives however, the
bubble had nothing to do with something or, at
the same time, had everything to do with
nothing. By that I mean to say, while
governments and businesses can manipulate money
or goods and services - in the derivatives
market anyone could create debt by taking a debt
package, repackaging it and then reselling it. A
theoretically endless series of middlemen can
thus be created. The rest is clear, generating
debt, which is to say contracts describing a
promise to pay over time, became a business in
and of itself. Banks found a way around their
limits and Bush the dumber turned a deaf eye to
it all.
It
was this sort of "wealth generating" that was
left to grow in the dark, as it were. That's
what makes this bubble worse &endash; without
the gold standard, without a limit of referent a
black hole was opened in the financial sectors
and the debt is dragging reality after it.
The
immense amount of debt was securitized and sold
as if it were a "real" asset when in fact is was
just a promise to pay. It is something like the
old "trickle up" theory. And it worked as long
as the housing loans were productive and growth
continued in the markets for then the money
trickled up in streams which went into flows and
finally floods which were siphoned off by all
the investors along the way. A skyscraper
economy was built on promises, essentially, and
eventually the draw at the top dried up the
source at the bottom and the thing had to "go
down"
A
long time ago the book "The Wizard of Oz" became
a sensation, what
is not known by many is that the book had a lot
to say about the issues of that day relative to
gold and silver standards for
money.
(052409e)
A
global overview examining the roots of the
global downturn. The
writer posits that the dollar is due, overdue
really, for a collapse. When is debatable, as is
whether or not it will be an inflationary or
deflationary cycle that takes the Uncle Sam's
greenback
down.
(052409d) It all goes back to
Nixon
http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/1380769.html
Not a part of the solution? Yup, the SEC, under
George, aka "monkey balls" Bush, was compromised
and so was its mission to be a watchdog.
(051809b)
While
banks get billions, hundreds of thousands of
foreclosures go through in the past month, at
the highest rate yet.
The official
unemployment rate is just under 9% and that
figure is definitely soft. What gives? Not the
banks, they are making out very well, thank you.
As for Joe Sixpak and Joe the Plumber on Main
Street, well they get squat.
(052009d)
A
bit of risk appears for the US dollar.
For the
moment it is down, what happens in the next few
months will be telling. (052209e)
The
housing slump continues, with a few signs of
upticks.
(051809b)
Workers
taking over work places is one of the solutions
to saving jobs in declining
economy?
(051909c) And a sneak peek at the car
debacle.Vulture capitalism is "doing its
thing."
That
crazy Mogambo Guru guy continues with his rant
regarding the coming
crisis. Out on
a limb for so long no one I know pays him heed,
yet, intuitionally I think he's on the right
track (051609a)
The
"stress test" for those banks reveals that they
are in a weak
condition,
fragile really. If another downward cycle begins
many will be in serious trouble, hundreds of
billions worth (051509a)
The
problem with the economic crisis is
the solutions
being applied which are, of course, not that at
all! (051509e)
GM
has the "bankruptcy blues" and could go through
the process.
The auto "industry" could shed 90,000 jobs when
GM and Chrysler close outlets.
(051509c)
Just
how much money are we, the US citizen/taxpayer,
laying out to save the bloated butts of
bureaucratic bastard bankers? I'll bet you think
it's nearly a trillion dollars or two, by now.
Well,
it totals out to be much, much more than that -
with even MORE to come, or
go. (051309a)
And the overview of this sit-com is simple,
the
US does not know where a trillion dollars have
been sent, nor
how any of the rest is being used.
(051309b)
So,
why don't we have some of the bail out billions
going to Credit Unions?
These
institutions are healthy and have not had the
problems that the bilker's banks do?
Whassupwiddat? (051309d)
This
is what a job loss situation looks like when it
gets worse, mind this is not
"bad", but as
losses mount one wonders why people talk of a
"recovery coming soon" (051209a)
As
has been mentioned the Great Depression began
with a bang but then had some ups and down on
its way down.
The recovery we're getting whiffs of may be one
of those. This article explains that the profits
being claimed and the bounce of the market is
mainly due to cost cutting, layoffs and the
reduction of expenses, not the rebound of sales,
the movement of product or delivery of services.
In fact April saw 620,000 jobs lost.
(051009a)
With
a decline in housing prices and "underwater"
properties declining, you
would think that letting properties be sold for
"something" would be a no
brainer,
however, this IS planet Earth and the
banking/investment/securitization/housing/crap/mess
won't allow it, here is why.
(050909b)
Where
has all the money gone?
When asked a
spokesperson said "I don't know" so much for
spending 9.7 trillion dollars.
(051009c)
It
seems corruption is bad for your health.
I mean really.
Just think about what cannot get done and needs
to be ... there is your hidden agenda and money
flow (050709a) And
here is our favorite "whipping boy" in that
theater, the bankers who "own the
place
(050708b) This, despite
the fact that the banks are still "not doing all
that well".
Seems they could use a few dozen billion more, I
mean what's that between friends, close friends?
(050709c)
They
say, "The banks own the
place." When
"they" say that they are usually talking about
congress, but now one might add in the White
House too. (050109f)
Can't
say as I blame the Chinese for not wanting to
buy our "good
debt" when so
much is going wrong over here. If the do
"cut
the credit line" we'll be forced to find "some
other place to sell our debt.
(050109a)
Chrysler
goes under the knife, unkindly so,
it seems
(043009d) And then we have this
from GM They're being "restructured"
too (043009f)
But
it is the IMF saying that the worst has yet to
come
(043009g)
The
emergency food system in New York City is seeing
stress as resources are tested
(042709a)
The
optimists who see these last few weeks as a
"turn around" may not know
history:
as the Great Depression several it too had
"rebounds".
(042409e)
There
is a considerable bit of noise about how recent
good news is a sign that we've "bottomed
out". Well, we
haven't. Slosh enough money around and its price
goes down, interest goes down and it becomes
easier to get and so it moves around more. But
jobs, confidence and optimism are all in a short
supply. (041309a) The salient quote is this:
"the
American Worker does not depend on Wall Street;
Wall Street depends on the American worker.
Destroying the American worker to save the
investment banker truly defeats the
system."
(041309b)
I
guess this might be considered good news; the
criticism of the financial "rescue plan" is
sharp and on target, but
the kicker is the part where we learn that the
US cure looks very much like the one the
Japanese used, and well, their economy never did
really rebound even after ten
years. Is that
what we want? (041209e)
A
controversial solution to the "crisis" can be
found in historical
examples, such
as what president Lincoln used to deal with the
financial crisis precipitated by the
government's need to borrow to finance the Civil
War. (041209d)
A
handy guide to "how to recognize a
recovery.
Again although it is not 100% bleak, there is no
solid indication of a turnaround by most of
these measures. (041209c)
To
finance things both the US and England are
offering government bonds, but the appetite for
these is in
decline, for
practical reasons. It reflects the growing
perception that investors are not optimistic.
And if government balance sheets and recovery
efforts depend on them ... well?
(041209b)
The
funding crunch hits states and local governments
as property tax revenues
decline. There
is a bit of a silver lining, those who can buy
can do so (041209a)
The
upshot of this article is the prediction that
although we are seeing some momentary "growth"
there is another shoe waiting to
drop.
Accordingly the writer argues that another 50%
drop in the stock market is due and the threat
of hyper inflation grows.
(041009b)
Taking
candy from babies? Taking money from the older
or elderly? That's what is being proposed,
cutting Social Security in the name of fiscal
responsibility? When trillions are being handed
out to incompetent boobs willy nilly? Angry?
Well,
if this gets past get ready to learn the meaning
of that word.
(040909c)
Some
traces of good news after Wells Fargo reports
out its own.
(040909a)
The
thinker here posits the threats that loom as the
bailout waste expands and the
bubble,
sadly in need of inflation, is not reexpanding,
it is
contracting.
(040609c)
The
FHA taking some of the heat for working on the
housing mess now sees some problems emerging
with ...
foreclosures.
(040509b)
The
"Old Regime" in France being compared to the
financial elite of this day and
age?
Interesting and illustrates the difference
between the European and American experience of
history. (040209b)
The
Slate for 03/30/09 is mostly economic, but the
kick, so to speak, is the latest wrinkle in the
housing mess,
banks "walking" away from a house. By no
foreclosing they leave the maintenance
responsibility on the one time occupant, nice!
(033009b)
Seems
like some places are doing well, like Subic bay
in the
Philippines,
where storing unused cargo vessels is good
business. (032509c)
The
Slate for this date 03/2409, has the overview of
the economic mess which seems to have some mixed
points, but no one is crowing
yet.
(032509b)
Another
kind of 9/11, this time the terrorists were
homegrown and very well to do, in fact, many
still are and living well in our land of the
free
(032309b)
The
headline says it all, as credit froze banks
loaned hundreds of millions to insiders,
yup, more
garbage to be cleaned
up (032309a)
AIG,
how the crap house became a defecation spewing
bunghole of unending financial
feces.
(032109e)
More
on the Trillion Dollar Bond Bailout. Where will
it
end?
(032109c)
Housing
markets keep loosing out despite rescue
packages,
bailouts
and more which have not stanched the rising tide
of red ink. (032109b)
It
may be that the world is tiring of the US and
its
dollar.
If the dollar looses out to a "basket" of
currencies will we still be able to "go on" as
usual? (032109a)
This
guy says it roughly, and maybe he should be
president? Keith Olberman in 2012? All for one
and one for all!
Seems
like some spoil sports are spoiled brats
who wouldn't
know what honesty and constancy is, especially
as applied to the rule of law or integrity.
(032009a)
The
Slate issue for 03/19/09 covers the mainstream
complaints and debates about AIG and the now
trillions of dollars being printed to "fix"
things
(031909b)
The
AIG scandal, scam what am, has some hidden pain
for those of you interested in reading about
where the money
goes
(031809c)
The
AIG fiasco, imbroglio, brouhaha or whatever
continues with cash just sloshing all over the
place!
(031809b)
Housing
starts take an uptick? Good news but does one
month's figures make a
trend?
(031809a)
Disaster
and Capitalism, the Repuglicans and debt. More
Indonesia's they cry!
(031709a)
And
more detail on the AIG scam what
am.
(031709b)
This
is the full explanation of how, over the last 30
years, the economic "flowering"
we have the
luxury of experiencing now came about, something
called the (031609c)
Read
this story, it is short and gets attention with
this: "A.I.G.
bailed out to the tune of 165 billion taxpayer
dollars and proceeds to pay executives what is
now approaching 300 million in
bonuses"
(031609a)
The
explanation may make sense to someone, but AIG
is, to say the least, a public relations
disaster that colors citizens' perception of the
whole bail out
mess
(031509c
An
"I told you so" tale of the economic
crisis, which,
it seems, could have been avoided had warnings
been heeded and not the slap of hard, cold
promises. (031309e)
Mentioned
some time ago, was the business development
loans on track to go belly up, another fine
mess
(031109a)
Mortgages
still taking their
lumps
(031109b)
Just
a clue, an example of how the rescue, bailout,
whatever is dysfunctional or appears so.
(031009a) As
the scale of the problem grows its depth becomes
clearer,
unfortunately
(031009b)
Well
now, how much is enough or too much?after 145
billion in bailouts
some banking
giants are still woeful and troubled
(031009c)
An
overview of the overviewers view on our
economy, but I
guess it's not news to anyone out there, its bad
(030809a
Auto
and housing sales drop as do the stocks low,
lower and lower
still.
(030309b)
Does
slavery produce your produce?
If you are
talking about winter tomatoes, then yes. Read on
and try Whole Foods. (030309a)
This
article talks about the "panic phase" that is
just beginning these days as the sell off
continues, accelerates, broadens and
deepens.
(030209d
Switzerland
having
troubles?
Banking and loans going bad as the economies
that they loaned billions of Swiss Francs to,
mostly eastern Europe, go bad as do their
currencies. (030209c)
Financial
problems globally cause nations to look toward
those that seem to be weathering the
storm, Germany
is one such nation, while the US seems to be
stuttering along, but only for the moment as the
issues, pardon the pun, are in doubt.
(030209b)
The
Dow and other indexes reach 12 year lows
on the
continuing bailouts and rising fears that that
there is "no bottom" in sight.
(030209a)
Housing
values accelerate their losses.
Obama's
plan, worth some 75 billion dollars seems small
in comparison to a projected 20 trillion dollar
loss over the
next year if trends continue.
(022809a)
And
the Slate report has an overview that seems to
be mixed, but isn't all that much really
(022509d)
An
overview of the business world, the optimist
sees a turn around, maybe in 2010, with a lot of
"if thens" And
AIG looses 86 billion, that is AFTER huge
bailouts. (022509c)
The
Slate for 02/21/09 is mostly money, money and
more money and the problems everyone has with
it.
(022109c)
Big
Bank Bailouts Burn Billions, that would be the
headline,
maybe, but it
seems the efforts to keep these bloated
bureaucrats bumbling (022109b)
The
global downturn continues with another day of
"bad news".
Even China has
unemployment problems and it appears that hope
is not happening. (021809b) And
more of the same in part two of the
article
(021809c)
http://www.slate.com/id/2211389/
The Slate from this date: 02/17/09 has coverage
of the meltdown and more, always a nice overview
(020709e)
The
latest evidence in demonstrates that the bail
out has not increased lending, much, if at all.
(021709c)
What,
more bad news? Well yes and it is
widespread.
Last year, as the slump got underway I
predicted, to friends only, that the Dow would
retreat to between 7000 and 7500, everyone said,
"no way, that would mean a loss so great that
we'd be sunk. "Well, hello, guess where we are?
(021709a)
What's
a few trillion between friends? I mean really?
The
perspective here is that the economic problem we
have was caused by to much new money' much of it
I the form of securitized debt and this new
money and too much new spending" over the past
few decades that produced the inflationary booms
in the prices of stocks,
bonds, houses and size of
governments.(021509d)
But
expectations are lowered and the GD Repuglicans
are obfuscating
with abandon
meanwhile some dolts like Rush, the oxy-contin
man, Limbaugh has reportedly claimed that this
is the "Obama recession" bizarre that!
(021509a)
More
on the recession,
an overview of global and domestic
problems, the
trend: uglier and uglier
(021059b)
A
brief on gold, oil, currency and the fragility
of the economic system
globally. Some
have been saying, week after week, that we can't
have more weeks like this but we do.
(021009d)
What?
Another plan? This time two trillion dollars are
being
mentioned?
WHAT? (021009e)
Meanwhile
good jobs get the ax and no one seems to
understand, in
terms of the actions they are taking anyway,
what the hell to do about anything.
(021009f)
Why
wont' Repuglicans support the new economic
stimulus plan?
Could it be
because A) because it's not theirs, B) because
money is being spent on people, well at least
some is, C) because it might work D) they want
to delay a recovery so that they can take back
congress, claiming Obama's plain failed or E)
all of the above? Your answer is E.
(021009a)
Here,
for example are some specifics related to what
was originally planned and what has already been
given up.
(021009b)
January
job losses continue to mound and revisions of
some prior data only make it
worse. There
is no up tick in sight. (020609b)
Reuters
page from 02/05/09, just the blurbs and
headlines, gives a bleak economic picture for
the day.
(020509e)
People
who should get unemployment are
not. Not
because they don't fill out forms, they do, but
because the offices are loosing staff just as
the demand for their services are rising.
(020509b)
Madoff,
apparently the "scandal" was reported on, and
not just once, whistle blowers blew their
whistles nearly 40 times, reported to state AG's
and to
newspapers.
(020409a)
Banks
not loaning after they take the bailout money,
meant to help them do just that, so what's up
with that
shit?
(020309c)
One
consideration of our Obama's bail out is that
much of it won't be reaching the people any time
soon and the economy IS
tanking.
(020209c)
Job
losses continue on a large and unsustainable
scale.
Desperation
becomes common as the ration between job
openings and seekers runs about one to four.
(013109f)
The
one, largest employer in the US is hiring even
as everyone else is firing, that would be the
USGovt.
(013109c)
Economic
facts are not good, some statistics are the
worst in 27
years.
(013009b)
And
the Slate 01/30/09 portrays some facts and other
nuggets that portray the economy as the number
one concern in the US
media. How
about that? (013009c)
A
dump on the DOW and, according to other stories
markets around the world went
south.
However, there is still hope, Obama's plan; will
it rescue? (012909b)
The
salient point of this article is the mentioning
that the US share of the 'great black hole of
debt" is in the tens of trillions of dollars and
mentions that
what with the losses in the stock markets,
housing, jobs and the devaluation of the dollar,
my list, we've not accounted for half that debt.
What Obama may wind up doing, eventually, is
using the printing press to turn an deflationary
depression into an inflationary one, and so buy
our way out of the debt by "inflating it away".
A hard choice (012809e)
Obstructionist
Repuglicans
fight against
the Obama's rescue plan because it just might
work. (012709c)
As
for the Repuglican plan here is the salient
quote "The
public was told that the money would be used to
loosen the frozen credit markets and thus help
revive the
economy. But
as the article pointed out, there were bankers
with other ideas. John C. Hope III, the chairman
of the Whitney National Bank in New Orleans, in
an address to Wall Street fat cats gathered at
the Palm Beach Ritz-Carlton, said: "Make more
loans? We're not going to change our business
model or our credit policies to accommodate the
needs of the public sector as they see it to
have us make more loans." How's that for
arrogance and contempt for the public interest?
Mr. Hope's bank received $300 million in
taxpayer bailout money (012709f)
And
so AIG is reportedly laying out 450 million
dollars to retain about 400 employees whose
department brought the company down.
Odd that, no?
No! (012709g)
What
proportion of the bailout will make it to the
non-profits
that are a big part of the social safety net?
Well not much from what I can tell, but this
article makes the argument in favor of their
inclusion. (012709b)
Globally
70k job losses are announced in a single
day; that is
an unsustainable pattern
(012609h)
This
Slate goes here, dated 01/26/09 mostly for the
economic news
bits, though
there is enough on the wars to warrant its
consideration (012609g)
The
Mogambo Gambit, a funny little column from Asia
has some basic facts which indicate that major
currencies are devaluing relative to
gold. When
cash becomes worth less and less, gold, of
course, goes up. When cash becomes so devalued
it becomes a problem on a day to day basis we
can all say this person told us so, and for a
long, long time at that.
(012609f)
Here
is a bit of acidic commentary from Greg Palast,
regarding who SHOULD be secretary of the
treasury.
Maybe a flaming snot of gibbering greed is what
we need, someone who can trade turds for gold?
(012609a)
Housing
starts and applications for unemployment both
provide poor
numbers.
Optimists see some hope for a turn around this
summer.,But it is bleak for now.
(012209a)
Banking
in England is having a rough go of it.
They are
thinking of printing up money, just as the US is
and has been But such plans may not work. Also,
inflation is nearing zero. Wouldn't this
mean
that
interest rates would fall and then, so would the
profits to be gained from loaning and other
banking activities? Just a question.
(012109b)
Seems
like banks in Euroland are not loaning much
after their bailouts
either. Seems
like the commonalties in solutions are producing
commonalties in results.
(011909a)
Overseas
banks have trouble too,
the Royal Bank
of Scotland, for example
(011809f)
Where
has the bailout billions
gone?
(011809c)
Meanwhile
the banking industry has only one area of
growth, the estimate of the losses which range
up to 2 trillion
(011809e)
Historical models
News
of Hope!
Bill
Moyers interviews Howard Zinn, "Resistance to
tyranny is obedience to God." Says Susan B.
Anthony.
(121509d) great set of quotations sprinkled in
the story
In
the good news category we have
David
Miliband and Bernard Kouchner report on a
movement for the control of arms
shipments. Of
course I don't expect that this means military
aid arm shipments. (111209a) Then we hear from
Jeffrey Donovan that small
farmers could be the next means by which capital
flows are expected to address
poverty. Give
the dough to those who know; that's what my
uncle said. (111209d) Then
we have a report from By Nicholas Kulish who
gives the death penalty folks a run with their
money; a man
is given a life sentence for the murder of a
pregnant woman, in court, as she is about to
testify against him. He is given a life sentence
the nation, Egypt, from which the woman hailed
seems to think this is a good decision.
(111209e)
Richard
Spencer in Dubai
reports on the phenomenon of converting cell
phones into the means for providing credit to
receive food
aid.
(102909a)
Erom
Brockovich, yes that's right, is still fighting
for clean water against the titans of
industry.
(102709d)
Maria
Armoudian has a good news piece, that is not
just fluff,
but details
the growth in the economic value of coops and
other forms of alternative economic enterprise
organizations that are "under the radar" as far
as the common mind is concerned.
(101009a)
Belinda
Goldsmith helps us understand the term
"upcycling"
which is different than recycling and has its
advantages (100409a)
Mark
Engler reports on a "green victory" way over in
England, seems
they know how to protest effectively over there
and got a court and then their government to
agree, amazing what a free people can do!
(081109q)
Ben
Hirschler reports on "green cement" in a carbon
careful world, it could be a
boon.
(080609e)
Andrew
Sparrow, Larry Elliott and Heather Stewart
report that in Britain
the govt. is letting people use the internet to
vote. I submit
that this could be done on a larger and better
scale and to much greater effect to inform the
government of the will of the people. What a
concept. (071609c)
From
Robert Shetterly, provides a commencement
address to High School Seniors, it is good, to
the point and, well, a valuable read.
(061709f)
Bill
Quigley writes about ,
"Gerard Jean-Juste, the man in Haiti who would
be liberator who survived dictatorships, the ire
of the US, and
was worshipped and protected by the poorest of
the poor. (060209c)
In
the hope category,
India's farmers and finding the green in organic
farming to be
appealing and practical.
(060109c)
Some
places have decided to go green in a big way,
Gregioire Alix
reports from Apeldoorn, Netherlands with the
skinny on this scoop (052809c)
When
we turn away from petroleum power we look at
lithium batteries which work,
but then the supply of lithium in the world will
not be able to meet the demand created by
hundreds of millions of vehicles that will be
built. So -
we've another bottleneck.
(052509c)
One
of the Jenna 6 speaks out and we are cast back
to read the words of Martin Luther King's "been
to the mountain
top".
(040509e)
Some
large portions of the far west of the US are
getting more
protection, a
step forward in the effort to keep America
beautiful. (032609a)
Seems
like this is a relief of change for Appalachia,
a
questioning of "mountain top"
mining.
(032509d)
Something
old is new again, organic
no-till farming is seen as a way of sequestering
carbon and improving the
environment
(031309b)
Europe's
way of coping with the slow development of Solar
Power has now
reached Florida - will it catch on? (031309c)
Green
fuel? Some progress on this front with
cellulosic
biofuels.
(021609d)
Euroland
bans a number of pesticides and limits the use
of others
(012709)
Some
News from our "storied"
Past:
Christopher King
talks about blow back. Looking at Pearl Harbor
that way and then, of course, 9/11 and
more. What is
clear is that the US has been dead bang intent
upon making the world after its own image, or
for profit (120809c)
and then there is this, the
ICH for 12/08/09. Nice
read about some happenings in the US, UK, Israel
and more. Nutshells
all.
(120809d)
Henry
A. Giroux, recollects a seminal article, if
small, that takes all the mysterious "big
pieces" of the puzzle and puts them in an order
that makes the picture clear and in so doing,
disturbing.
The Powell
doctrine, no not THAT Powell, caused little
notice some decades ago, but as the article
posits, it could be called the formative battle
plan and foundation document of the "Reich Wing"
conspiracy tin foil had brain dead, wing nut,
head up their ass, factor in American politics.
(100109a) This explication informs the reader as
to why any "liberal" meaning non-corporatist,
progress is so difficult for Obama or those that
preceded him. Brad
Reed, as if to support the thesis of the Powell
doctrine, provides a concrete example, the
"Health Care Debate" of
2009.
(100109b)
Kim
Cranston has a wonderful piece titled:
"Humanity's
Greatest Challenge and Its Solution"
(092609f) I'll
bet you won't be surprised at
either.
Pepe
Escobar provides us with a partial reprise of
the "unasked questions regarding
9/11. There
are 50 of them here. A few years back there was
a longer list, but this one is long enough for
me, now, not that they'll ever be satisfactorily
answered. (091209a)
Noelle
Burgi reports on the last great Labor battle in
England as the "Iron Lady" broke the miner's
strike to forward her counter revolution,
recall we had
Regan who'd busted the Air Traffic Controllers
and the conservative sway was underway over
here. Over there the "new order" broke ground
that has not been redressed at all. (090909a)
A
look at two mass murders My Lai and
Lockerbie, how
the perpetrators were treated in comparison
speaks volumes, which many would not want to
hear. (083109c)
Andrew
Zajac reports on President
Nixon's "offer" to get Brazil's government
involved with the overthrow of Chile's
Allende. You
may recall that Allende's death from over 70
machine gun bullets was legendarily labeled a
suicide, which, in a way, was correct, he did
buck the system after all.
(081609k)
John
Atcheson reports on the seriousness of Global
Warming. The
threat not only grows but is clear and present
in current ecological changes world wide. Time
is short and so he asks us, "Do you feel lucky?
Well, do ya, punk?" (081609h)
John
Feffer reports on suicide bomber, our suicide
bombers. from
those aboard the USS Intrepid attacking enemy
ships harbored at Tripoli to more modern tales
from various wars in US history. We celebrate
our martyrs much as our enemies now do
(080709e)
Greg
Palast explains how Robert McNamara lost
WW2. A
touching tale really, brief and worth the read.
(071309b)
Michael
Meyer reports on a wink that changed the world.
This hearkens
back to Cold War Europe and how reform came to
Hungary and tipped the scales in favor of reform
which saw the toppling of the Berlin Wall.
(070609g)
Howard Zinn writes to
remind Americans that the
Revolutionary war was not as it
seemed, he
paints some broad strokes and sketches as to
that. (070609b)
In
the realm of "I can't believe she stuck us in
the same place we were planning to stick other
people",
we have a reaction to "snowballin'" Palin's
powerful
perorations
(070509d)
The Slate of this date: 07/05/09 and
there
is some on Carribou Barbie, Palin, some on the
events of the week, Iran, Korea, Housing
assessment
disputes and more. (070509c)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090415/ap_on_re_us/air_america_documents
"Air America" an airline that plied the skies
over Vietnam was a CIA front. A bit of the story
(041909c)
This
is a review of the US/NATO war on Serbia in the
1990's. Object
lessons included as well as some perspectives
garnered after ten long years. (040909b)
The
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