All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? California: More courts closing down! Prison health care services closing down!

“As California goes, so goes the rest of the nation.”-phrase usually associated with government regulations originating in California, but it also refers to the economy

13 December 2012, California Correctional Health Care Services issued layoff warnings to 2,200 employees!  Officials want to layoff 829 people by March, 2013.

The U.S. Department of Labor reporting that unemployment compensation claims in California jumped by 24,411, for the week ending 08 December.

NASA reported that due to the approaching austerity measures (fiscal cliff) California will lose 4,586 NASA related jobs.

Reports say that Barclays could be laying off 2,000 people, some in California.

In Texas, The Greater Houston Partnership admitted the job growth they’ve created in Texas is at the expense of states like California: “Houston has been able to import workers — meaning we pull people out of California, we pull people out of Michigan, we pull people out of New York….”-Patrick Jankowski, vice president of research

12 December: A report says California’s biggest newspaper, the Los Angels Times, is up for sale.  Layoffs are expected.

11 December: The County of San Bernardino (the largest in the country) will layoff at least 44 court employees, and close courts.  Courts affected are in Chino, Barstow, Needles and Big Bear Lake.  Even after the cuts, the county court system is expected to be short $13 million, so officials say it’s likely more cuts will be made.

California based electric car maker, CODA, announced it will layoff 50 people.

Career Education Corporation, owner of private universities like Brooks Institution, announced they will begin laying off hundreds of employees at their Ventura and Santa Barbara campuses.  They blame declining student enrollment.

08 December:  In the County of San Bernardino, Community Hospital of San Bernardino and St. Bernardine Medical Center announced they will be laying of employees: “Currently, we are in communication with two unions that represent employees at the hospitals. Impacted employees have not been notified yet, since the details are not clearly defined at this time.”-Dignity Health spokesperson

According to California Manufactures & Technology Association (CMTA), California lost 33% of its manufacturing base from 2001 to 2011.  That’s 607,500 people unemployed.

According to the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, California lost 23,000 teachers between 2008 and 2011, due to layoffs.   More teachers were forced out through early retirement.  This despite the fact that the number of students goes up every year.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Corporate & Polictical Evil: Right to Work laws have nearly destroyed Idaho’s economy!

13 December 2012, the governor of Michigan has signed into law their Right to Work act.  Recently there were claims that between 2001 and 2011 states with Right to Work laws saw an increase in pay, however that’s misleading.

Take for example Idaho.  The Gem State passed its Right to Work laws back in 1985.  The result was a crash in employee pay and benefits, not an increase.  But, since 2001 overall starting pay has gone up slightly, mainly because mandated minimum wage went up, not because of any Right to Work law!

I’ve talked to southeast Idahoans who began their adult lives working at jobs that started out between $11.00 to $15.00 per hour, plus benefits, and this was in the 1970s!  Now the average starting pay, in the same area of Idaho, is minimum wage ($7.50 per hour in Idaho) with no benefits!

According to researchers Stephen C. Cooke and Barathkumar A. Kulandaisamy, Idaho’s average wages, for 2009, were $10,700 below the national average!  Also, contrary to what supporters of Right to Work laws say, Idaho’s employment growth is being driven purely by its population growth, not any Right to Work law!  In fact, when you look at government data, it’s the population growth that’s saving Idaho from a full blown depression (one driver of the population growth are people retiring in other states and moving into Idaho)!

The researchers used data from the U.S. Census Bureau/Labor Statistics, data collected from 1971 to 2007.  The official government data backs up what the native Idahoans, now in their 50s, 60s and 70s, have told me: The economic situation for the working class has stagnated or gotten worse!

From 1971 to 2007 the median wage in Idaho has dropped by $6,445!  Median year over year wage growth rate in Idaho is negative 0.3%!  The number of college educated workers in Idaho is a negative 3.4%!  Right to Work has done nothing to create high skilled/high paying jobs, getting a big fat 0% in that category!

Cooke and Kulandaisamy added that Idaho’s “…cost of living only exacerbates wage differences.”

To contrast; Colorado is not a Right to Work state, here’s what the researchers had to say: “…Colorado appears to have made the transition from a low-skill to a high-skill equilibrium economy; Idaho…..have not. In particular, we posit that Idaho has a low-skill, low-wage problem.”

Even when you look at high skill/high wage jobs in Idaho, they still pay as much as $19,000 per year less than the national average!

Cooke and Kulandaisamy concluded that the reason why states, specifically Idaho, get stuck with low paying jobs is because state leaders refuse to invest in creating high skill industries. And, the decline in college educated workers is because state leaders refuse to invest in higher education.

The christian leadership of Idaho pushed Right to Work laws as a way of attracting lots of companies to do business in Idaho, including high skill jobs.  Well, after 27 years it’s obvious that right wing christian theory is a failure.

Most of those Idahoans I talked to, in their 50s, 60s and 70s, are still working (at places like Walmart), because they experienced such a huge decline in their pay and benefits, and there’s been such an increase in the cost of living here, that they can not afford to retire!

What about the claims that prosperity has increased in Right to Work states?  Of course it has, but not for the working class, the prosperity is being hoarded by a tiny minority who’re the ones truly benefiting from the Right to Work laws.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? More proof the Too Big to Fails are to blame; drug money, violating sanctions, tax evasion

13 December 2012, German officials announced they are investigating employees and executives of Deutsche Bank, for tax evasion and money laundering.   500 investigators descended upon the bank’s Frankfurt headquarters.  At least 25 employees are under investigation and five have already been arrested.  Some of the tax evasion claims involve the bogus carbon tax.

12 December 2012, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that the Japanese bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, will pay a fine of $8.6 million USD for violating U.S. sanctions against Myanmar, Sudan and Iran.

11 December 2012, HSBC was fined a record $1.9 billion for money laundering, sanctions violations and several people were arrested for the ongoing LIBOR scandal.   U.S. Department of Justice said the British bank laundered money for drug dealers and violated sanctions against Burma, Cuba and Libya.

It’s reported that other banks involved in the LIBOR scandal, such as The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Swiss bank UBS, are about to make a settlement.

The failed British bank, Northern Rock, cost taxpayers dearly: “This is £270m straight out of the taxpayers’ pocket. I’ve been repeatedly assured in parliament that there was no black hole in Northern Rock. U.K. Financial Investments and the Treasury didn’t know what they were talking about.”-Lord Oakeshott, Liberal Democrat

And let’s not forget the Queen of England’s own bank, Coutts (a division of RBS), which is also involved in money laundering for drug dealers.  Just think, the medical care being provided for Kate Middleton and her unborn baby is possibly being paid for with drug money (as well as taxpayer money) for all we know.

Business/Economics, International

Trilateral Commission: European Central Bank to become true central bank of Europe

13 December 2012, after months of trying to create a true central bank of Europe, European Union (EU) members agreed to give the job to the already existent European Central Bank (ECB).

The move is meant to standardize banking policies for EU members.  The ECB will be considered the “supervisor” of EU banks. It also allows the ECB to have full access to information from all EU member banks.

Even the United Kingdom, who is usually opposed to approving anything that would make the European Union stronger, agreed to the deal: “It shows that when you go in with a clear and principled argument and you make your case, then you can succeed and that’s what Britain has done tonight.”-George Osborne, U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer

International

World War 3: Japan scambles F-15s to intercept Chinese aircraft

13 December 2012, for the first time in Japanese history Japan has scrambled eight F-15 Eagles and one AWACS to intercept what turned out to be a Chinese research aircraft.

Japanese officials say it was the first time a Chinese aircraft violated Japanese airspace, however, China says the airspace belongs to them.  Recently Japan took over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.  China and Taiwan say the islands are in Chinese territory.

The Chinese aircraft belongs to China’s Oceanic Administration.  China has also been sending ships into the disputed area.  Recently the Obama administration said publicly that the United States supports Japan’s claims to disputed territory.

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 05 – 08 December 2012. U.S. detains teenagers, Israeli style! Mujahideen offensive in Khost! Pakistan predicts increased attacks! Sweden says U.S. attacking hospitals, violation of international law! U.S. military official admits to intentionally targeting children, another violation of international law!

08 December 2012

In Khost Province, in the Sahra Bagh area, Mujahideen claim they attacked a military convoy killing nine U.S./NATO troops.  However, local government sources say three U.S./NATO troops were killed, no comment by ISAF.  Also, in the Bak district, Mujahideen beheaded a man for being a spy.  Also in Bak, provincial security chief, Mohammad Yaqoob Mandozai, said Mujahideen exploded a remote detonated landmine killing two civilians and wounding five civilians as well as four Afghan National Army (ANA) personnel.

The American Civil Liberties Union says U.S. forces are detaining at least 200 Afghan teenaged boys at anyone time, simply to prevent them “from returning to the battlefield”.  U.S. forces would hold the teenagers for about a year at a time, in the infamous prison at Bagram airbase.  Then, they would be released or turned over to Afghan police.

The International Justice Network says their own count shows that U.S. forces are detaining much more than 200 teenagers per year, at more than one prison: “I’ve represented children as young as 11 or 12 who have been at Bagram. I question the number of 200, because there are thousands of detainees at Parwan.”-Tina Foster, International Justice Network

In an interview with the Military Times (not the Marine Corps Times as some reports said), U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Marion Carrington admitted that not only does U.S. and U.K. forces intentionally go after “military aged males” (which includes teenagers) but they also kill “…children with potential hostile intent.”  There have been numerous cases where children as young as eight were killed by U.S. or U.K. Red Coat forces.  In most of those cases, the children were collecting firewood or tending sheep, but the U.S. led forces claim the children were planting landmines.  Intentionally targeting children is a violation of international laws, and justifying it based on the fact that belong to a people who you’re subjugating is simply a form of ‘racism’, even a former Israeli Defense Force member says so: “The decision about who you consider a legitimate target is less defined by your conduct than the conduct of the people or category of people which you are assigned to belong to…That is beyond troubling. It is also illegal and immoral.”-Amos Guiora, now a law professor at the University of Utah

Outside of Afghanistan, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has documented more than 200 children intentionally killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen between 2002 and 2012!

Want more proof that the United States does not respect the rule of law?  Read on.

In Maidan Wardak Province, the Swedish Aid Committee for Afghanistan said that ANA troops, being directed by U.S./NATO personnel, attacked a health clinic in Sebak village at Chak district, a clear violation of Geneva Conventions.  The joint ANA/U.S./NATO troops kidnapped several medical personnel and destroyed the medical equipment.  Apparently the clinic was then used as a FOB (forward operating base) for three days.  ISAF Brigadier General, Gunter Katz, tried to downplay the whole thing by saying NATO troops didn’t know it was a medical facility until after they entered the compound, and that they stayed at the compound for the three days “…due to the cold weather.”   The heliborne assault took place back on 23 October.

In Herat Province, a woman and her son were shot and killed.  Local officials say it was over charges of adultery, however, the police do not think the shooter is a relative. They have arrested three people.

Pakistani intelligence officials say an expected change in Pakistani Taliban leadership will result in fewer attacks inside Pakistan, and increased attacks in Afghanistan: “We are awaiting to witness the change in the current Taliban leader which is commanded by a violent leader and the replacement will hopefully lead to reconciliation of the Taliban group with the government of Pakistan.”-unnamed Pakistani military official

07 December 2012

In Nangarhar Province, the governor said U.S. led forces conducted an illegal night raid in the southern district of Khogyani. Seven people were kidnapped and one wounded when he resisted.  Also, in Sherzad district, locals say the U.S./NATO night raided homes in the Stara Tarma area, killing three people before fleeing in helicopters.

In Logar Province, locals say U.S. led forces night raided homes in the Dado Khel village.  Two people were kidnapped and the residents say their valuables (jewelry and cash) were stolen.

In Kunar Province, locals say U.S./NATO forces night raided an Imam’s home in the Underser area.  The Imam and his brother were kidnapped.  Their cash was stolen (obviously the U.S./NATO troops are being trained by Israeli personnel, standard tactic of IDF personnel is to take the jewelry and cash of the families they destroy).

A man using an underwear bomb tried to assassinate the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) Chief.  The bomb went off, the intelligence boss was wounded.  President Karzai blames it on Pakistan.

In Ghazni Province, local government officials revealed that weapons and ammo have been stolen from government arms depot.  A man is being tried for the thefts, local prosecutors say the man worked in the depot and was selling the weapons to Mujahideen.

In Parwan Province, Mujahideen say they launched a rocket attack on a Korean base, near the provincial capital of Charikar.

06 December 2012

In Nuristan Province,  cops are being sniped by the dozens.  Local government officials say the Mujahideen are using brand new high velocity Dragunov sniper rifles.  They say the local police do not have access to that type of weapon.

In Kunar Province, Mujahideen claim to have hit a U.S. base with six mortar rounds. The base is in Khas Kunar district.

In Ghazni Province, a U.S. led night raid on Ali Khel village, in Deh Yak district, resulted in the gates of three homes being destroyed and one man being kidnapped.

A group of lawyers in United Kingdom are demanding an investigation into accounts of British Red Coats intentionally targeting/killing Afghan children, some as young as 12 years old.

President Karzai again stated that the continued occupation of Afghanistan by U.S. led forces is the main cause for violence in the Central Asian country.

NATO, USMC General John Allen and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, made contradictory statements and blatant lies.  Clinton demanded that the taxpayers of NATO members continue to make huge payments to the government of Afghanistan  (money laundering by government? see previous Afghan reports on Blind Bat News), while the NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said that corruption in Afghanistan is only getting worse (Transparency International says Afghanistan is in the top three most corrupt countries in the world)!  Many countries have pledged to give Afghanistan huge sums of their taxpayers’ money, according to a Reuters report as much as $4.1 billion USD per year after 2014 (and you wonder why they want to raise taxes on you?)!  Outgoing John Allen stated there was a “significant decrease” in violence, hmmm, guess he’s not reading my Afghan reports?

05 December 2012

In Nimroz Province, in Khashrod district, U.S. led forces conducted an early morning raid. Locals say five people were kidnapped and a woman was shot and wounded.

In Helmand Province, Mujahideen claim a Red Coat British AFV (armored fighting vehicle) ran over a landmine, which exploded and killed the entire crew.  Witnesses say two more Red Coat AFVs rushed to the scene, but ran into each other causing one of the AFVs to flip!

In Kandahar Province, Mujahideen say they assassinated a key spy working for U.S. forces.  They say U.S. forces have turned a former residence into a spy headquarters in Kandahar city.

In Nuristan Province, a U.S. led airstrike has killed at least five civilians.  Local government officials say the five people were from one family and were not known to have any political opinions, officials are demanding an investigation.

U.S. led NATO and Russia agreed to increase their Afghan operations in 2013!  Russia and U.S. led NATO will expand the training of the Afghan air force and anti-drug police units.

The Democratic controlled U.S. Senate approved a $631 billion military spending bill, in a 98 to zero vote!  The bill allows 88 billion taxpayer dollars to continue the war in Afghanistan, as well as billions for new nuclear weapons.  It will now be reconciled with the Republican controlled House military spending bill.

International, Technology

Breaking news: Korea launches rocket after reports said they were canceling due to techincal problems

12 December 2012, Korea (north) launches their rocket, after Japanese and Korean (south) sources reported the day before that the rocket had been taken down due to technical problems.

The very same southern Korean sources that said the rocket was defective are now confirming that northern Korea made a successful launch.

The last time northern Korea launched a rocket it blew up.  Today’s launch was successful, the rocket past over Okinawa before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, about 300km (186 miles) east of the Philippines.  The Japanese Self Defense Forces did not carry out their threats to shoot down the rocket.

International, Opinion, U.S.

World War 3: United States to invade Mali in 2013, is it really about the oil? Blame the British Empire!

On 07 December 2012, the Washington Post reported that President Barack Obama is planning to invade northern Mali, on the pretext that the northern half of Mali is being ruled by Islamists friendly to al Qaeda.

The invasion will be joined by France, but officially it will be an African led invasion.  The Washington Post even quoted a U.S. official: “…the military concept proposes an Africa led effort, but several key questions must be answered to ensure that this effort is also well planned and well resourced.”-Johnnie Carson, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs

The West African country of Mali (which by the way borders Algeria which borders Libya, hmmmm) is considered by some sources to have “…no known commercially exploitable oil or gas resources.” 

However, for the past few years Canadian and European oil companies have been actively involved in oil exploration, in the northern areas of Mali.

Canadian oil giant, Heritage Oil Corporation, is specifically involved with block 7 and block 11 seismic and exploration fields in the northern part of Mali.  This information comes from Africa Oil Corporation (also a Canadian company, despite the name), which says they are 25% involved with the Heritage Mali operations.

Heritage, on their own web site, admitted they were concerned about the security of their area of operations: “Following the coup in March 2012, Heritage is monitoring the security situation and considering all options.”

Other oil companies involved include: Eni, an Italian company. Selier energy, another Canadian outfit.  Sonatrach, an Algerian (formerly French?) company.  And Centric Energy, based in United Kingdom, they also have a 25% stake in Heritage’s block 7 and block 11 operations in Mali.

With the majority of oil companies involved in Mali coming from Canada and United Kingdom, is this another case of the evil British empire getting the United States to do its dirty work?

 

Influenza

U.S. Influenza, 10 December 2012: More deaths reported! Children being hit hardest! Canadians say you can’t trust the numbers. New Russian bird flu! New Asian cat & dog flu!

“Significant increases in flu activity in the U.S. in the last three weeks…”-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

One hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, in just the past week confirmed 200 cases of flu, mostly kids: “Right now hundreds of kids in the emergency room this week. We’ve had over 200 diagnoses of flu. Eight to 10 admitted to the hospital a day and two in intensive care. It’s really hitting Memphis hard.”-John McCullers, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital

On 07 December, South Dakota‘s Pennington County reported their first flu death. There are 156 confirmed cases.

In North Carolina, two deaths reported on 29 November. According to Forsyth County Health officials, one adult had other medical problems, but the other adult did not.

Also, on 28 November South Carolina reported one death caused by flu, in Barnwell County.  Department of Health and Environmental Control said they had 1232 positive flu tests in just one week!

On 21 November, San Diego County, California, reported its first flu death of the 2012-13 season.

Wyoming reporting an early start to their flu season. First case reported back in October, with 342 confirmed cases of by the 1st of December.

New York reporting widespread flu activity.  Former New York City Mayor, Ed Koch, is about to leave the hospital after being admitted a week ago with both pneumonia and flu.

08 December, Pennsylvania health officials reporting big jumps in flu cases.  Flu status for the state was raised from “Sporadic” to “Regional”.  Officials expect to hit “Widespread” status next week.

09 December, Wisconsin reporting 113 confirmed cases, and four deaths.

Main stream U.S. media reporting that several children have died.  Fox News says three kids have died, NBC says five.  Neither one gave details, and simply referenced the CDC.  The CDC says there have been five “pediatric deaths” so far, three during the week of 25 November to 01 December.  The deaths involved both flu A and flu B strains.

Across the northern border in Canada, reported on 10 December one child and three adults have died in the Waterloo Region of southern Ontario.  The three older adults died from flu A.  Health officials would only say that the child who died was younger than 10, and did not get vaccinated.

Some Canadians have publicly questioned the official flu death reports.  One doctor even said it was a guessing game: “This is a scientific guess. This is not the truth…I think people may have the misconception that every person who dies from the flu is somehow counted somewhere, and they’re not…”-Michael Gardam, director of the infection prevention and control unit University Health Network

Back here in the U.S. of A., another doctor is pointing out that other viruses can cause flu like symptoms: “There’s lots of other viruses out there that cause the flu and cause other flu-like illnesses. It may not be the flu, but it’s still a bad cold or a bad cough that kids transfer to and from one another.”-Charles Bregier, Presbyterian Urgent Care

Across the Pacific, in Russia, birds are getting the blame.  Russian officials in the Krasnodar region (bordering the Black Sea) are reporting that hundreds of ducks have died from a new “low-pathogenic flu”.  In other words, there’s a new bird flu out there.

There is also a new cat/dog flu being reported in Thailand.  Veterinarians say the new flu goes after cats and dogs who’re are already sick, most have had skin problems before getting the new flu: “Before they died, they would have sores on their bodies, coughs, runny noses, no appetite, and convulsions. If the disease hit a mother cat, it would claim the lives of the mother and the kittens.”-Payao Inman, nun working at Buddhist temple were unwanted pets are abandoned

International, U.S.

World War 3: Israeli ground forces raid into Gaza!

10 December 2012, reports saying that Israeli armored vehicles and bulldozers had raided into the city of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

Israel has never honored the cease fire agreement brokered by Egypt last month. On 23 November Israeli ground troops shot and killed one Palestinian, and wounded seven others, in a village east of Khan Yunis.

Then around 28 November, Israeli naval forces kidnapped several fishermen, and sunk their boats.  Then, at the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, four Palestinians were wounded after IDF forces open fired.  Another person was wounded, north of the refugee camp.

Recently, Human Rights Watch (who sometimes makes reports supporting U.S. aggression) concluded an investigation into the 18 November 2012 Israel airstrike on a Gaza home.  12 people were killed.  HRW concluded that all killed were civilians, and that the Israel claim that the building was the home of a “terrorist operative” was a lie: “The Israeli claim that the attack on the Dalu home was justified is unsupported by the facts. The onus is on Israel to explain why it bombed a home full of civilians, killing 12 people.”-Fred Abrahams, HRW

Despite the facts that show Israel is the true unprovoked genocidal aggressor, Prime Minister Nut Job Yahoo (Binyyameen Netanyahu) said that it’s still the Palestinians who are the threat: “Over the last day, we have again been exposed to the true face of our enemies. They have no intention of compromising with us….”-09 December 2012