Category Archives: Business/Economics

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S./NATO troops kill 4 children. No surprise; illegal drug trade sets new records under U.S. occupation, money not going to local drug dealers! 24 hour reports roll on.

May 1, 2012, three children killed, and three wounded, in Zabul Province, Afghanistan.

Deputy provincial governor, Mohammad Jan Rasolyar, said U.S./NATO troops were attacked by Mujahideen, and a firefight broke out.  Witnesses were outraged, claiming the children were targeted by the U.S./NATO troops.

Protests erupted, resulting in the closing of the highway between Kandahar and Kabul provinces.

Witnesses also say two U.S/NATO troops were killed, and one Mujahideen was killed.

Afghanistan’s Deputy Counter Narcotics Minister, Ibrahim Azhar, announced that the illegal drug trade in Afghanistan is now at $70 billion USD since 2011.

Opium production is up by 61% since the United States occupied!  But here’s some interesting news from the Afghan government; the opium farmers, and even local drug dealers, account for only 5% of the income made off the illegal drugs!  The majority goes to “international” organizations (another way to say U.S. affiliated organizations).

Deputy Counter Narcotics Minister Azhar also claimed that the majority of the drugs are being flown out of Afghanistan via airports, and airbases run by the United States!

And now for the 24 hour seek, destroy or capture report given by Afghan and ISAF officials, for May 1, 2012:   Three Afghan troops wounded in Ghazni Province.  One Afghan troop wounded in Nimroz Province. Weapons and ammo captured in Kandahar Province. Two “leaders” captured in Helmand Province.  Five Mujahideen killed by possible U.S. drone strike in Lagman Province.  One Mujahideen killed by air/drone(?) strike in Wardak Province, also one Mujahideen killed in firefight with occupying forces.  Afghan Interior Ministry claims a total of 19 Mujahideen were killed, three wounded and five captured.

Combat operations were conducted Kabul, Baghlan, Faryab, Kandahar, Helmand, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Khost and Farah provinces.

And now for the 24 hour report for April 30, 2012: 40 year old woman killed with shotgun in Baghlan Province. Police Chief for Paktia Province assassinated by Mujahideen, two cops and one body guard wounded.  U.S./NATO troop killed in battle in southern Afghanistan. Afghan Interior Ministry claims 14 Mujahideen killed, two wounded and 16 captured, along with weapons and ammo.

Combat operations were conducted at Kabul, Nangarhar, Zabul, Logar and Ghazni provinces.

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

Oil & Gas Prices: Iran 100% increase in shipments! Nigeria oil & gas boom. North Dakota oil jobs draining Idaho & Washington. Ohio’s oil industry refuses to hire locals? Chevron big profits. Texas is proof that Obama is an oil man.

Despite U.S. oil sanctions against Iran, Iran experienced a 100% increase in refined petrol (gasoline) exports in 2011!

Iranian officials say their gasoline sales in 2011 hit a record $134 million USD!  Some of the countries buying Iranian petrol are Armenia, Afghanistan, the UAE, Iraq and Oman (some are U.S. puppet states).

By the end of 2010 Iran became self supporting in petrol production, ending years of dependance on foreign suppliers of refined gasoline.  Iran is now a major exporter of refined fuels.

Officials in Nigeria announced plans to increase oil production to 4 million bpd by the year 2020.  They are also close to increasing liquefied natural gas production by an additional 20 million metric tons a year, from the current level of 26 million tons.  Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa.

Texas oil and gas surplus equipment supplier, Jhump & Associates, is reporting a 117% increase in sales in 2011!  But that’s nothing compared to the 300% increase they had in 2010!!!

The Texas based company started in human resource solutions, but has seen a huge boost after they moved into surplus oil equipment sales.  They now plan to move into off shore drilling technology. They say their increased sales is due to a huge increase in oil and gas exploration and drilling in the United States.  What was that about Obama not doing enough to increase oil production?

In the panhandle of Idaho, and eastern Washington, people are leaving for oil jobs in North Dakota: “I’ve had guys come running through the door, saying, ‘I need my CDL [commercial drivers license] now! I’ve got a job lined up in North Dakota!’ .”-Tina Sykes, Sage Truck Driving Schools

Sage Truck Driving Schools now offers a shortened course for those Idahoans and Washingtonians heading for North Dakota.

North Idaho College is experiencing a jump in enrollment for electrical and plumbing programs that end with apprenticeships in North Dakota.

While educators are warning job seekers to do their homework before heading for North Dakota, there seems to be more than enough jobs available: “We’ve had both types of people, those who jumped in the car and left, and others who did prior research on companies. We’ve never had anyone who didn’t get employment.”-Tina Sykes, Sage Truck Driving Schools

In contrast, Ohio is seeing a seeming rejection of local people for consideration of employment in the oil and gas industry there.

One union member claimed that not a single contractor in Coshocton County, Ohio, has been hired by the shale oil and gas industry: “…I have been a local construction laborer for more than 30 years. I have talked with other construction laborers living in the Carroll, Harrison and Jefferson county areas. They are totally discouraged on the lack of, or in other words zero percent, work they are getting from this construction based shale gas industry.”-Timothy Mulford, Business Manager Laborers Local 134

Chevron reported a $6.5 billion USD profit for the first quarter of 2012.  High oil prices driven by speculators was one of many reasons for the huge profits.

According to Visiongain, all oil refineries around the world are now worth a combined total of $46.64 billion USD.  Visiongain expects huge investments and developments will be made in refineries until 2022.

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Global Economic War: Grocery store chain refuses to buy Israeli products

“Following an audit of the Group’s supply chain, it will no longer do business with four companies, accounting for £350,000 [$569,380 USD] worth of sales, as there is evidence that they source from the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian occupied territories. The Group will also continue to actively work to increase trade links with Palestinian businesses in the occupied territories.”-Co-operative Group statement

A U.K. based food retailer, Co-operative Group, is continuing a ban on Israeli food products coming from illegally occupied West Bank.

Co-operative Group stopped buying products from Israeli West Bank settlements in 2009.  Four Israeli companies are affected: Agrexco, Arava Export Growers, Adafresh, and Mehadrin which is Israel’s largest agricultural export company.

“We strongly urge other retailers to take similar action.”-Hilary Smith, Boycott Israel Network

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Spain hits record unemployment, highest in Europe!

April 27, 2012, Spain’s National Statistics Institute announced that Spain’s unemployment rate is officially at 24.4%, the highest ever for Spain, and currently the highest in Europe!

That’s 5.6 million people out of work in a country with a population of 46 million people!

The 24.4% rate is for the first quarter of 2012.  It’s a 370,000 increase from the last quarter of 2011!

Now realize that Spain is considered the fourth largest economy in Europe!

The government of Spain plans on enacting even more spending cuts, and increases in taxes.  Mmmm, I think that’s whats actually making things worse?

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: World Bank giving Afghanistan $150 million annually. 12 cops killed. DA assassinated. More “leaders” captured.

April 28, 2012, Mujahideen Spring Offensive rolls on.

In Kandahar Province, two cops and two Mujahideen were killed.  The anti-government freedom fighters tried to blow up the provincial government building, but were caught in a firefight with security guards.

In Wardak Province, ten cops were killed on April 27, after they drove over a mine.

Also on April 27, Mujahideen assassinated the District Attorney for the Farsi district of Herat Province.  Herat has suffered daily attacks for at least a week now.

Despite the increasing attacks by Mujahideen, Afghan government officials (backed up by ISAF officials) continue to make claims of capturing “Taliban” and “Haqqani” leaders.

The April 28 claim says they captured five “leaders” after seek and destroy/capture missions in Khost, Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar and Ghazni provinces.

As usual they also claim to have captured a plethora of weapons.  I have questioned the reliability of these reports before.  These reports are being issued every 24 hours and it just seems unbelievable their claims of the number of leaders, weapons and even drugs captured on a daily basis, and yet the Mujahideen Spring Offensive is actually picking up speed.

ISAF announced that another U.S./NATO troop was killed, this time in a non-combat incident. As is their SOP no further details were given.

As of April 28, at least 133 NATO service members have been killed since the beginning of 2012.

April 28, the Trilateral Commission’s World Bank has announced that they will give Afghanistan $150 million USD every year, for the next three years!

World Bank officials say they decided to provide Afghanistan with the money, because after the supposed U.S./NATO pullout in 2014 international donations (government grants?) are expected to take a huge drop.

This is proof that the current Afghan economy is being propped up by donations, mainly from occupying countries.  The World Bank is afraid that without the $150 million per year the U.S. puppet government of Afghanistan will not survive (gee, something similar happened after the Soviets pulled out in 1989).

The U.S. based World Bank has already provided the U.S. puppet government of Afghanistan with more than $2 billion USD since the U.S. invaded in 2001.  World Bank officials also admitted that money given to the puppet government has not been spent properly.

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Postal Service to be fully privatized

April 27, 2012, Japan’s House of Councillors passed a bill that would merge the country’s two postal service providers into one privatized corporation.

There is already a 2005 law that requires the Japanese government to give up all financial control of their postal system by September 2017.

This new bill, a resolution to the 2005 law, drops the deadline date, but also allows the new privatized single postal service to begin operations without government approval.

There is opposition to the privatization of Japan’s postal service.  When the 2005 law was passed it was done by dissolving Japan’s House of Representatives, most of whom were opposed to privatization.  In other words it was passed by unfairly eliminating the governmental opposition.

To try and counter the 2005 law, a new law was passed that froze any further sale of government held Japan Post stock.  However, this new law overrides that and the current government says they will use the money to pay for post March 11, 2011, disaster reconstruction (which indicates the government is broke).

Note: Japan is part of the Trilateral Commission (Europe, North America, Japan/Asia)

Business/Economics, U.S.

U.S. Treasury Secretary admits Government officials & Corporate America are incompetent!

“Most financial crises are caused by a mix of stupidity and greed and recklessness and risk-taking and hope….You can’t legislate away stupidity and risk-taking and greed and recklessness. What you can do is make sure when it happens it does not cause too much damage and to do that you have to make sure you have good rules against fraud and abuse, better protections and you force banks to hold more capital against their risk.”-Timothy Geithner, U.S. Treasury Secretary, statement made after touring a factory in Portland

Realize that Geithner is talking about the political and corporate leadership of the United States.  He’s also saying, in a ’round about way, that he has been trying his best to make sure the incompetent decisions by our leaders “…does not cause too much damage…”

Those leaders include both Republican Bush Jr and Democrat Obama!

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

What Economic Recovery? Nintendo suffers first loss ever in 30 years!

April 26, 2012, Kyoto-based video game maker Nintendo reported its first ever loss.

Nintendo officials say they lost $530 million USD in fiscal year 2011.  Japan’s fiscal year ends in March.

2011 sales crashed 36%.  However, total sales was still about $7.9 billion USD.

Company officials blame the sales crash on the high asking price for their 3DS system.  They dropped the price in August, hoping to increase sales.  By dropping the price they ended up cutting their profits.

Today’s reported loss is the first loss for Nintendo since 1981!

Nintendo has a new game system that will be for sale in Europe, North America and Japan, before December 2012.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? United Kingdom in Double Dip mode, “strong” Netherlands economy falling apart

Just two days after Spain went Double Dip, Britain is now officially in double dip recession.

On April 23, it was reported that the “experts” expected U.K.’s quarterly GDP report to show 0.1% “growth”, which would have kept it officially out of a Double Dip (I said “close enough”).

April 25, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Britain’s GDP actually dropped 0.2%. Aww, that means two quarters in a row of negative GDP, welcome to the Double Dip club!

Here’s the tally, so far: United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Belgium are officially Double Dippers.

To add to the European Union woes, France and Germany (considered the strongest economies in Europe) are seeing GDP contractions.

Then there’s Netherlands, which was considered to have a strong economy as well.  However, the government has fallen apart, over arguments concerning cutting government spending and raising taxes.  The Prime Minister resigned and new elections are to be held in September.  The Queen of Netherlands (yes, they are an evil elitist monarchy just like the U.K.) has ordered the Prime Minister to stay on until after the new elections.  (this is just more Trilateral Commission operations to create a singular privatized government system)

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

One Year Later: Study discovers that homes are radiation traps

A study by Tohoku University says  homes are traps for radiation contamination.

Radiation expert, Hiroko Yoshida, led the study. Since September they’ve monitored radiation exposure levels of 125 people in 31 households in southern Miyagi Prefecture.

They concluded that decontaminating the inside of houses would be the most effective way to reduce radiation exposure, because the interiors of houses accumulate radiation contamination.

Yoshida is urging local governments to start radiation decontamination in homes rather than in public buildings, since most people, especially children (who’re most vulnerable to radiation), spend more time at home.