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, Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Japanese officials decide to check beer & wine for radiation!

27 September 2011, Japan’s National Tax Agency has just now realized that all alcoholic drinks coming from the Fukushima area are probably contaminated with radiation.  Even so, testing on beer, wine/sake will not take place until next month!

Mandatory testing will be done at all beverage factories within 150 km (93 miles) of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.  Random testing will take place at factories outside the 150 kilometer radius.

Along with the national government, six major cities, including Tokyo, will test water meant for use in making beer and wine.

Rice and barely, used in beer and sake, have already tested positive for cesium contamination.

International, U.S.

Ron Paul says let Palestine be recognized, but Palestinians should beware the United Nations

“…I do not believe the U.S. should use its position in the UN Security Council to block their membership.”-Ron Paul, U.S. Congressman from Texas

Ron Paul has written a new post in his Texas Straight Talk, saying the United States should not block Palestine from being recognized by the United Nations.

Ron Paul says anyone who’s afraid of the Palestinians finally getting internationally recognized statehood is a weak minded elitist: “Only a political class harboring the illusion it can run the world obsesses over the aspirations of a tiny population on a tiny piece of land thousands of miles away.”

But don’t think Ron Paul is pro United Nations, in fact he has a warning for Palestinians about reliance on the UN: “When the UN gave NATO the green light to bomb Libya there was no genocide taking place.  It was a purely preventative war.  The result?  Thousands dead, a destroyed country, and extremely dubious new leaders.”

International

United Police Kingdom: New law; no more demonstrations, period

“It is an attack on the basic democratic rights of working people in this country.”-Patrick O’Regan, Workers’ Revolutionary Party

The British government has created a new law, under the guise of stopping militant right wing groups from demonstrating: No demonstrating.

Officially the law is in effect for only 30 days, and was requested by Scotland Yard.  The police feared the militant right wing demonstrators would cause violence.

The problem is the law applies to everyone, not just militant groups.  Anyone marching can be arrested, fined, or even imprisoned.

Activists say the new law covers more than demonstrating: “They are talking about area curfews, they are talking about shutting down Facebook [and other] social network sites. They are talking about dictatorial civil war measures because what they are doing in Britain is creating a historic change, in which inevitably the majority of Britain will oppose them.”-Patrick O’Regan, Workers’ Revolutionary Party

Other activists say this is part of the government’s tippy toeing towards total authoritarianism: “Just in terms of where we are at the moment with the process of austerity being pushed through by the government, trade unions are one of the major blocs opposed to that. Public order legislation does tend to be used against striking workers.  That has been very clear and there have been some recent examples of that; people being pulled off the picket lines.  And that obviously weakens any resistance to the cuts.”-Richard Seymour, Socialist Workers Party

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Incompetence: U.S. giving away military equipment in Iraq, proof that spending tax money on guns instead of butter is a losing investment

“It’s all sunk costs, it’s money that we spent and we’re not going to recoup.”-Paul Eaton, retired U.S. Army Major General

The United States spent over U.S.$2.4 billion on building posts in Iraq, reports the Congressional Research Service.  Major General Thomas Richardson told reporters last month that the U.S. had already given away equipment valued at a total of around $247 million, just last year. Another $157 million in materials were handed over in the time before President Obama’s withdrawal of troops officially began.

Apparently the U.S. turned down offers from Israel to buy the equipment.

Don’t think any further U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq will reduce U.S. government spending of taxpayer money on Iraq: The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations revealed that the U.S. State Department is looking to spend upwards of $30 billion on Iraq over the next five years.  U.S. embassy in Baghdad already houses thousands of civilian officials and troops and contains 21 buildings in a space of over 100 acres. The U.S. military operates less than 40 bases in Iraq today.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: More proof that Obama is a puppet of Israel, and no better than Bush jr; Newsweek says Obama ordered Pentagon to boost military cooperation with Israel

In an upcoming Newsweek magazine, they write that Obama pushed the sale of bunker busting bombs to Israel, despite Pentagon officials pointing out that Israel’s military has moved closer to cooperation with China.

The sale was originally planned under President Bush jr, but it was Obama that made the final push.

On top of ordering the sale of huge bunker busting bombs, Obama also ordered the Pentagon to boost military cooperation, despite Pentagon advice against it.

International, U.S.

World War 3: West Bank Palestinians going nuts, screaming that they will march on Jerusalem, say it’s the fault of the United States

September 23 (24 Palestine time), it’s the middle of the night and Palestinians in the West Bank are going nuts over PLO President Mahmud Abbas UN speech.  They are yelling that they will march on al Quds (Jerusalem) and take it back from the Israelis.

Palestinians say that U.S. President Obama’s speech the other day was totally against Palestine, and sounded almost as if Israelis had written the speech for him. Palestinians say this is proof that the United States is a puppet of Israel, and an enemy of Palestinians.  Palestinians are burning U.S. flags.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Palestine says this is “moment of truth” for the world, decades of traditional peace negotiations a proven failure, PLO reborn!

September 23, resurrected Palestinian Liberation Organization (formerly Palestinian Authority) President Mahmud Abbas gave a long explanation of compromises and sacrifices by Palestinians, going back decades, and example after example of Israeli broken promises.

He then stated that the decades of traditional peace negotiation process has failed Palestinians. It is time for a different approach!

Abbas stated that recognition of Palestine by the United Nations would be a “moment of truth” for the World.  It is time for Palestinians to have freedom and independence!

Palestinians now have only one goal: “To be!”  He then officially asked for the United Nations to recognize Palestine as a member of the UN, a standing ovation followed.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Palestinians make bid for statehood official, Israel masses troops kills Palestinian, Iraq demands Israel get off Palestinian land, Obama sells Israelis bunker busters

September 23, Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas has officially submitted a request for Palestine’s recognition by the United Nations.  It’s the middle of the night in West Bank, but still, tens of thousands of Palestinians are crowding the streets in anticipation.

Israel has deployed 22,000 troops in al Quds (Jerusalem).  Already this week Israel has launched ground raids into West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Today Israeli troops killed a Palestinian after illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians.  About 200 armed Israeli settlers from the Esh Kodesh outpost attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra on September 23, smashing the windows of several houses, throwing stones and burning and uprooting trees.

The Iraqi government is officially demanding that Israel get off Palestinian territory.

Also, Newsweek magazine is reporting that warmonger President Barack Obama authorized the sale of 55 bunker busting bombs to Israel.

Idaho, International, U.S.

U.S. soldier, from Idaho, confesses to killing 15 year old Afghan for the hell of it

“I could see his hands were empty, I could see he didn’t have a weapon.”-PFC Andrew Holmes, U.S. Army

September 22, Private First Class Andrew Holmes, from Boise, Idaho, pled guilty to killing an unarmed teenager in Afghanistan.

“I knew I should have taken cover, but instead I pulled the trigger.”-Andrew Holmes

When Holmes says he “should have taken cover” it’s because a fellow soldier just threw a grenade at the unarmed boy, who was working in a farm field.  Holmes shot the boy with “six to eight rounds” from his machine gun.

Pictures of Holmes with his ‘trophy kill’ were published in Der Spiegel and Rolling Stone magazines.

Two other U.S. Army soldiers have already pled guilty, two more are waiting for their day in military court.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Before you blame China for job losses realize that China buys more U.S. made products than any other country

“Legislation that would increase tariffs on imports from China is unlikely to create any incentive for China to move expeditiously to modify its exchange policies. Rather, it would likely have the opposite effect and result in retaliation against U.S. exports into China.”-USCBC statement

The latest numbers show that not only does China hold the most U.S. bonds of any other foreign country, but China is also the biggest buyer of U.S. products!

According to the United States China Business Council (USCBC), which represents U.S. companies doing business with China, there was a U.S. $76 billion increase in U.S. products sold to China between 2000 and 2010!  So maybe we need to rethink the growing desire to slap large tariffs on Chinese products?

The USCBC also points out that even if Chinese made products stopped flowing into the U.S. it would not mean a return of U.S. jobs: “Much of what we import from China replaces imports from other countries, not products we make in the U.S. today.”-Erin Ennis, USCBC

So the United States finds itself in a conundrum: U.S. corporations love to ship off U.S. jobs to China.  China holds a lot of U.S. government debt.  China buys the most U.S. made products of any other country.  China is in a real good position to really hurt the United States economically if the U.S. government does anything to reduce Chinese made products coming in, or to reduce U.S. corporations from shipping off more jobs.  Sounds to me like this is proof of the short sightedness of our corporate and government leaders!