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, International, Opinion

Not only are the rich getting richer in the U.S., but in the U.K.

A study published by The Sunday Times shows that while the average Brit is struggling with a bad economy and government cut backs, the rich in the United Kingdom just get richer.

The Sunday Times “Rich List” says 1,000 of the richest Brits, not only kept their wealth, but actually increased it.  In fact, the number of British billionaires has increased to 73, up from 53 the previous year.

40 of the top billionaires were born in the U.K., but many British billionaires are from other countries.  Lakshi Mittal retains the number one spot, he’s Indian born and got rich in the steel industry.  Russian born Alisher Usmanov is now in the number two spot.  Chinese born Xiuli Hawken is the newest female billionaire, she got rich turning underground bunkers into shopping malls.

Keep in mind that money does not grow on trees, meaning there is not enough to go around for everyone, otherwise it would be valueless.  Knowing that, it should be obvious to people where the money is going.  The rich can only get richer because they are taking as much of the limited money/wealth supply as they can.  There is less for everyone else.

 

International

British bobbies (police) could have the power to charge, just skip arrest go directly to jail

In a move to save government money, some British officials want to put the power of the courts in the hands of the police.

British Home Secretary Theresa May,  says the plan could save the U.K. 2.5 million hours of bobby time, equating to huge savings of money for the government.  The way she wants to do that is to allow bobbies to skip the patrolling, detaining and arresting phase of police work, and allow the cops to simply charge the suspects, like a hybrid police/prosecutor.

It would apply to minor offenses, but the radical changes go beyond allowing police to act as street prosecutor.  Anybody wanting to file a complaint about the legal system would have to deal directly with a bobby.  The intent of forcing people to deal directly with police, with legal issues, is to reduce court costs for the government. May admits this would put a lot more power with the police, and is a definite move towards a police state: “We will take a different approach, we will trust the police.”

Officials with the British Shadow government  (yes, such a thing, aka Shadow Cabinet or Shadow Front Bench) say this will not only put a lot more power in police hands, but with a lot less police officers.  Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (May’s counterpart) says that May plans to fire thousands of bobbies under the police/prosecutor plan.  The result of giving police the power to act as prosecutor, and then cutting police staff, will greatly increase the work load of the bobby.  Cooper says this will act as a double whamming for security; people will feel even more threatened by the power of police, and and the cops will be stretched thin.

Fukushima

Closing Japan nuke plant will have direct affect on British nuke plant

The closing of Hamaoka nuclear plant in Japan, because of the danger of a massive earthquake, is having direct affect on a British nuclear plant.

Sellafield MOX plant, in north west England, supplies Hamaoka with the nuclear fuel it needs to make electricity.  Hamaoka uses MOX (mixed oxide) nuclear fuel, and Chubu Electric Power Company (operator of Hamaoka) has a contract with Sellafield as its only supplier.

On top of that the Hamaoka plant is the only user of MOX fuel from Sellafield.

Taxpayers in the United Kingdom shelled out 1.34 billion Pounds (U.S. $2.1 billion) for the Sellafield MOX plant, and the British government wants to build another one.

British officials are scrambling to work with CEPCo officials to figure out how to fulfill their contract.  Maybe the Brits can start selling MOX to the Iranians?

Fukushima

Radioactive fallout map of Japan released

The U.S. Department of Energy, and the Japanese Science Ministry, have put together a map of the fallout pattern of cesium.  The damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has been spewing cesium.

The map shows the cesium fallout extends north west of the plant, in a large area. It is depicted with the colors yellow and red. NHK has a report.

Official say radiation levels from the Fukushima Daiichi plant have dropped enough that it is time to conduct more testing of soil for levels, and types, of radiation contamination.

 

International, U.S.

S & P’s reacts to Greece needing mo money, get ready for the stock markets to react

Standard & Poor’s cut Greece’s credit rating, downward 2 points, after Greek officials announced they needed more bailout money.

The S & P’s rating now puts Greece below investment grade.  S & P’s also says that Greece will need a waiver on repaying most of its current loans (that means they don’t think Greece can pay).

 

International, U.S.

Argentina says slave trade being run by U.S.

Argentina is demanding help from the United Nations, in helping to fight slave trades, run mainly by organizations from the United States.

Argentina claims that U.S. organized crime is using Argentina as a recruiting grounds, and transit point, for human trafficking.  Poor people are promised well paying jobs in the U.S., but end up working for little pay, if any, and long hours.

The workers, men, women and children, not only work in industries like textiles, but, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics 80% end up as sex workers in the United States.

Other countries that are destination points for human trafficking are Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Japan and Thailand.

Idaho, International

Bosnia on verge of new civil war

The Bosnian Serb government is refusing to recognize the Bosnian national government.  This over the country’s national court, which has been hearing cases of war crimes.

Austrian Valentin Inzko, is the supreme decision maker in Bosnia, and has ordered the Serbs to back off their plans to officially refuse to recognize the Bosnian national government.  In retaliation, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, sent a letter to the United Nations accusing Inzko of abusing his power.

Since the end of the Bosnian Civil War, the Idaho Air & Army National Guard has supported several peacekeeping missions to Bosnia.