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.
International, U.S.

Sign that the U.S. realizes it can’t defeat Afghan Taliban, U.S. to officially recognize Taliban diplomatic office in Qatar

September 12, according to Australian media, the Taliban have opened a diplomatic office in Qatar, and will soon be recognized by the United States as an legitimate political organization.

Qatar is also the biggest Arab supporter of the U.S., U.K. and French backed Libyan rebels.  Qatar is also being implicated, along with Saudi Arabia, of instigating armed uprisings in Syria.

Foreign media tried to get reaction from White House officials, but declined comment.  Reports say this is a step towards peace talks between the Taliban and the United States.  Such peace talks would recognize the Taliban as the de facto rulers of Afghanistan.

Earlier in the year there were reports that Turkey would allow a Taliban embassy, but now it looks like Qatar has become the location of choice by U.S. officials.

The Taliban are seeking assurances that its representatives in Doha, the Qatari capital, would be free from harassment or arrest.

 

 

International, U.S.

Government Coverup: United States rejected several offers from Taliban to hand over Osama bin Laden, also, proof the U.S. knew bin Laden was actually in Pakistan

“Even before the [9/11] attacks, our Islamic Emirate had tried through various proposals to resolve the Osama issue. One such proposal was to set up a three-nation court, or something under the supervision of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. But the U.S. showed no interest in it. They kept demanding we hand him over, but…They did not recognize our government.”-Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil, Afghan Foreign Minister under the Taliban

Robert Grenier, CIA boss in Pakistan at the time of 9/11, confirmed that the Taliban made such offers, but that the United States didn’t take them seriously: “No one in the U.S. government took these [offers] seriously because they did not trust the Taliban and their ability to conduct a proper trial.”

Offers by the Taliban were relayed to the U.S. through indirect channels such as the U.S. embassy in Pakistan, or the informal Taliban office for the UN in New York City.  But, the United States did not recognize the Taliban, who governed Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001.

Also, top U.S. prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald, visited Pakistan to present evidence implicating bin Laden in U.S. embassy bombings: “He met with the Pakistani interior minister and the idea was to convince the Pakistani government to help in turning over bin Laden.”-Robert Grenier, former Central Intelligence Agency

Of interest is the fact that most main stream U.S. media failed to report that the Taliban government of Afghanistan condemned the 9/11 attacks: “Afghanistan was one of the first few governments that condemned the attacks…We [Taliban] condemned the attacks because the people targeted were defenseless civilians, women, children, Muslim and non-Muslim. But al-Qaeda praised it.”-Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: United Kingdom says Syria’s Assad is no longer legitimate, France says it’s too late for Assad’s reforms

September 12, joining the United States, British Prime Minister David Cameron said the Syrian government was not legitimate and has no future.

This after the Syrian government announced that new elections could be held by the end of the year. But, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said it was too late for elections: “We think the regime has lost its legitimacy, that it’s too late to implement a program of reform.”

France, Britain and the U.S. are pushing for a UN Security Council resolution against Syria, but Russia is countering with their own proposal: “We are ready to support different approaches, but they must not be based on one sided condemnations of the actions of the government and President Assad.”-Dmitry Medvedev, President of Russia

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? MLK jr memorial statue made in China, due to lack of funds

There’s been a lot of praise by the main stream U.S. media for the Martin Luther King Jr memorial, but they don’t mention that the statue was outsourced to China due to lack of funds.

According to Wikipedia, the memorial needed $120 million for construction.  Only $108 million was raised, and that included taxpayer money from the Federal government.  This is the reason the memorial contractor outsourced the making of the statue to China.

Not even the stone came from the United States, it’s Chinese pink granite.  Just another sign of the times!

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Number of uninsured drivers accelerating

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the number of people driving without insurance has hit one in seven.

Some insurance analysts blame the bad economy, and skyrocketing insurance costs: “Laws in most states have proven ineffective in reducing the numbers of drivers who are uninsured. Some drivers can’t afford insurance, and some drivers with surcharges for accidents or serious traffic violations don’t want to pay the high premiums that result from a poor driving record. It is costly to track down violators of compulsory insurance laws, and unless the odds of getting caught are high and the penalties severe, drivers will continue to flout the law.”-Loretta Worters, Insurance Information Institute

The percent of uninsured drivers varies from 4% in states like Maine, to 28% in Mississippi.

Business/Economics, U.S.

United Police States of Incompetent Corporate America: Once again, another Turkey meat recall at Prison Labor (?) meat plant in Arkansas

September 12, once again, Cargill Incorporated issued a recall of ground turkey, from its Arkansas plant.  It’s the same plant that saw one of the largest meat recalls in U.S. history, just last month.

Something that most people in the United States don’t know, is that Cargill has been identified as one of the many U.S. corporations that uses prison labor. Cargill has also been identified as using child labor in its operations outside the United States.  Could prison labor have something to do with the many recent meat recalls?

There are dozens of lessor known meat plants all across the United States that use prison labor, some use prison labor exclusively.  Part of the unemployment problem in U.S. is due to the use of prison labor.  Many regular meat plant employees have been laid off and replaced with cheaper prison labor.

This latest recall covers about 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products. They were distributed nationwide under the Kroger, Fresh HEB and Cargill’s Honeysuckle White brands.  All ground turkey made at the Springdale, Arkansas, plant has “P-963” or “963” on the package.  People who bought products bearing that identification number can call 1-888-812-1646 for instructions.

International

Common disease killing children in Vietnam, 42,000 infected

The United Nations World Health Organization says 98 children have died, so far this year, due to a common hand/foot and mouth disease.  42,000 people have been infected.

Since 2008 the number of cases in Vietnam has been increasing.  Vietnamese health officials are warning people to maintain cleanliness.

The disease is spread by sneezing, coughing and contact with fluid from blisters or infected feces. No vaccine exists.

 

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Colorado company contaminating community with radiation

Cotter Corporation, managers of a uranium mill, want to stop testing a leaking radioactive pond because conditions are too dangerous for workers.

Not only is the pond leaking radiation, it’s leaking TCE’s (trichloroethene) and other contaminants.  It could affect the community of Canon City.

The mill was built in 1958, to process uranium for weapons and nuclear power plants. Cotter Corporation dumped waste in 11 unlined ponds, which contaminated the area groundwater.  The EPA declared the area a Superfund cleanup site, and the company has been moving waste to a clay lined pond.

The problem is that the clay lined pond is now leaking.  On top of that, the company says the pond is too dangerous for their workers to safely check acidity levels.

Colorado officials are considering a request to stop monitoring the pond.

Business/Economics, International

Global Economic Class War: Greek government to screw over citizens, again

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos announced, on September 11, that a new property tax will be in place over the next two years.

The new property tax is supposed to make up for 2.6 billion dollars in lost tax revenues.  Funny how politicians think that the answer to people not being able to pay taxes, because their incomes are down, is to increase or create new taxes!

To try and placate the Greek masses, the government said politicians will give up one month of pay, big whoop!

Business/Economics, International

Global Economic War: VW says Suzuki broke contract, issues warning

September 11, VolksWagen claims Suzuki violated its contract by agreeing to purchase diesel engines from another car maker.

The two companies joined-up in December 2009, but their alliance stalled in July 2011 when Suzuki said VW does not see their partnership as equal.

VW says it will give Suzuki several weeks to return to buying diesel engines from Germany.