“For them to be a threat to us and to anyone in the region, I think it’s blown out of proportion.”-Ron Paul, U.S. Congressman from Texas
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is scheduled to come out on November 8 with a new report on Iran. Some sources say it will accuse Iran of making nuclear weapons.
One week ago, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee asked to intensify sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ron Paul says that proves we are at war with Iran: “When you put on strong sanctions, those are acts of war.”
If you take some college courses on warfare you’ll discover that economic sanctions really are part of the war making arsenal (that’s why the Japanese say they were justified in attacking the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor in 1941).
“…just the tip of the iceberg.”-Carl Levin, U.S. Senator from Michigan
The Washington Post reporting that counterfeit parts have been found in weapons used by the U.S. military.
A Senate Armed Services Committee investigation found 1,800 cases of more than one million fake parts in U.S. weapon systems!
70% of the parts have been traced to Chinese factories. 20% came from Canada and United Kingdom. Most of the parts are electronic: “We can’t tolerate the risk of a ballistic missile interceptor failing to hit its target, a helicopter pilot unable to fire his missiles or any other mission failure because of a counterfeit part.”-John McCain, U.S. Senator from Arizona
Here’s a solution: The U.S. military industrial complex should stop using supplies from outside the United States!!!
November8, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will begin monitoring for at least three million tons of tsunami debris, due to hit Hawaii by March 2012.
Debris has already reached 900 kilometers (559 miles) west of the Midway Islands. Scientists are warning that the debris (not to mention debris contaminated with radiation) will affect ecosystems, and tourism.
Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies made the official estimate of three million tons of debris, and we all know how the Japanese government underestimates things! The flotsam will hit the west coast of North America by the end of 2012.
Toyota is cutting back on worldwide production. November 7, according to NHK, Toyota will be forced to cut production by at least 30%.
Toyota was trying to recover from the March 11 disasters, and had hoped to produce 330,000 vehicles in Indonesia, for the month of November. Now they are hoping they can produce 230,000.
Blame it on the incompetent ‘just in time’ parts supply policy.
November 8, scandal for Japanese owned camera and industrial equipment maker Olympus: They deliberately kept losses off their finance books since the 1990s.
More proof that corporations can’t be trusted. The scandal wasn’t the result of Olympus officials confessing, it was the result of a third party investigation!
The losses come from securities investments. Company officials tried to cover up the losses by blaming it on consulting fees, and the purchase of three smaller companies.
Olympus stock is now crashing on the Japanese stock market. Olympus Vice President Hisashi Mori was fired for his involvement in the cover up.
NASA says on November 8, asteroid 2005 YU 55 will come very close to the Earth.
The asteroid is 400 meters (1,312 feet) in diameter, and at the closest point will be only 320,000 kilometers (198,000 miles) from Earth, that’s within the orbit of the Moon.
This isn’t a rare occasion; the last time such a close encounter happened was 35 years ago.
November 3, Israel’s Defense Ministry said they had test fired a ballistic missile. Observers say the latest test-firing is a warning against Iran’s nuclear program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “direct and heavy threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear program.
The testing of the ballistic missile was not announced in advance. Some Israeli media sources say this is part of the Israeli government’s plan to attack Iran. However officials in Netanyahu’s administration say regarding the missile test and Iran “The two things are separate”.
On November 3, Sony announced that its television division is likely to post a record loss of about U.S.$2.2 billion for 2011. That makes eight straight years of losses!
Sony is blaming poor sales in the United States and Europe. This is more proof that the U.S. is no longer the market place for the World’s manufacturers.
Sony Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai says there is no sign of any economic recovery, and the company will revise downward its mid-term sales target by half. Sony will also cut way back on TVs sold in Europe and the U.S.
The Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization admitted it allowed nuclear fuel rods to pass quality checks using a faulty factory manual.
Government inspectors used the manufacture’s manual to inspect four sets of fuel rods. They approved three of the sets. The problem is that the approved sets did not match up with the length stated in the manual. The rods were four meters (13 feet) long, the manual said they should have been 5 centimeters shorter.
Government officials say they will correct future inspections.
In a classic example of too little too late, Japan will now spend big money to study the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident!
Japan will expand its Ukrainian embassy staff to include two nuclear specialists and three translators. The staff will also be equipped with gear for dealing with radiation. They will interview Ukrainian and former Soviet officials, and residents about the effects of radiation contamination, and how to deal with a nuclear disaster.
The Japanese government said they will spend about U.S.$2 million on the project. You’d think a country that got so involved with nuclear power would have included, as part of its nuclear disaster preparedness, a detailed study of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster!