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, Opinion, U.S.

Obama lied about leaving Afgahnistan, U.S. will stay beyond 2014

In an interview with a Pakistani news station, GEO TV,  U.S. Admiral Michael Mullen said the U.S. will maintain bases beyond the 2014 troop pull out.

He also contradicted himself saying the U.S. will not maintain bases in Afghanistan.  Mullen said that Bagram and Shindand air bases will be used by the U.S. to continue training Afghan government forces.   It could be that officially the bases will be maintained by Afghan forces, yet there will be a U.S. “presence” on those bases.  Talking out of both sides of your mouth is becoming a common thing with our leaders.

Fukushima, Idaho

Idaho robots reveal radiation levels too high for humans

Robots from the Idaho National Laboratory have been searching through the damaged reactor buildings at Fukushima Daiichi.

They have discovered temperature and radiation levels too high for humans.  Tokyo Electric Power Company officials say they will have to use air conditioners, and filtration systems, to bring heat and radiation levels down enough for workers to operate inside the buildings.  Latest NHK video

International, U.S.

U.S. to begin withdrawing Marines from Okinawa

For decades Japanese living on Okinawa have demanded that U.S. forces leave.  They might be getting their wish.

Internal U.S. Marine Corps documents obtained by NHK revealed a plan to reduce the number of Marines by 8,000.  The Marines would be relocated to the U.S. territory of Guam.

It still leaves about 10,000 personnel at the Futenma Air Station on Okinawa, but, eventually the air base will be moved as well.  There is a meeting between U.S. and Japanese officials, to work out details, scheduled for June.

International, U.S.

Obama considering sending food to North Korea

After giving a speech that implied that social programs for citizens of the U.S., such as Food Stamps, would have to be cut, President Obama is considering sending food to North Korea.

U.S. Special Envoy, Robert King, made the announcement in response to the UN World Food Program’s call for 430,000 tons of food aid to North Korea.  The United States canceled food aid about two years ago, because of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

International

France increasing air strikes in Libya

After announcing that they will send military advisers to train Libyan rebels, France announced they will increase air strikes in Libya.  France is a UN coalition member, but is not a member of NATO.

France was even reluctant to allow NATO to take official control of the coalition forces military actions against Libya.  The latest decision by France, to increase air strikes, is independent of NATO.

The decision was made after rebel leaders met with French officials, and asked for more help.

International, Opinion, U.S.

Obama giving Libyan Rebels $25 million, after giving speech saying the U.S. needs to cut domestic spending

To the people of the United States it’s one slap in the face after another.  Recently President Obama gave a speech saying cuts need to be made to U.S. government spending.  Then he gives $3 million so some students can study in China, and now he’s giving Libyan rebels $25 million in equipment!

On April 20, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the announcement.  Obama is joining with United Kingdom, France and Italy in openly taking sides with Libyan militants, some of who might actually be al-Qaeda, according to military officials, including NATO boss U.S. Admiral James Stavridis.

Fukushima, U.S.

Planned Texas Nuke Plant, Abandoned

A company that was going to build two reactors in Texas, abandoned the plan.

NRG Energy, in cooperation with Toshiba, was planning on building two reactors in Texas. The company now says the investment environment has become too risky to continue with the plans.  They will now write off U.S.$ 481 million on their taxes, for the canceled project.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Toyota to cut more North American production

Toyota announced that it will have to continue cuts in production in its North American factories.  Continued parts supply problems being blamed.

Factories in Mexico, Canada and the United States will now suspend operations on Mondays and Fridays.  Production will be cut in half on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The latest cuts will continue until June 3.

Toyota expects the new cuts to directly affect North American car sales.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World Bank & IMF not happy about economic situation

“We are one shock away from a full-blown crisis.” Robert Zoellick, World Bank President

The World bank is run by the United States, and if the current situation within the U.S. is any sign, then the world economy, influenced by the World Bank, is in trouble.

The International Monetary Fund is worried as well: “Especially because of youth unemployment… there is now a risk that this will be turned into a life sentence, and that there is a possibility of a lost generation.”-Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF chief

One analyst says fiscal and monetary policies might actually make things worse: “What they do is they very often pressure government to adopt what we call pro-cyclical policies. The economy’s weak and in recession, they want them to cut spending or raise taxes. And that can be very dangerous, I mean you can slip back into recession, you can make a recession worse.”- Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic and Policy Research

Officials with the World Bank, and the IMF, say food prices, citizen security, justice and jobs, are the main issues for international economic stability.  Yet history shows that the policies of the IMF and World Bank actually cause some of the problems: “The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank say that they are interested in reducing poverty. All their actions however said otherwise. Their actions have instead raised the poverty level and created under-development.”-Andrew Garvin Marshall, Center for Research on Globalization

The president of the World Bank has always been a United States citizen, since 1944.

International, Opinion

France & Italy join the U.K. in sending troops to Libya

Following the British announcement that they will send troops to train Libyan rebels, France and Italy say they will do the same.

The UN coalition members say, officially, they are within UNSCR 1973 because training rebel militants will protect civilians.

It’s interesting that Libyan government troops are being portrayed as non-Libyan, while rebels are being portrayed as the only Libyans.  Don’t forget that even U.S. officials admitted that some rebels could be al-Qaeda.

This is not a rebellion, it is a Civil War.