Category Archives: International

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

What Economic Recovery? Health food nuts victorious! Hostess Twinkies have bitten the dust! 18,500 U.S. workers laid off! Incompetent unAmerican Corporate America to blame! Twinkie the Kid to be replaced with Pancho Villa?

“…Hostess Brands, Inc. has been forced by a Bakers Union strike to shut down all operations and sell all company assets.”-Gregory F. Rayburn, CEO Hostess

18 November 2012, the iconic maker of U.S. snack foods, Hostess, is no more!  It’s being shut down and sold off by the corporate executives who ran it into the ground!

No more Wonder Bread, Twinkies or Ding Dongs for Pocatello, Idaho!

Oh, but many anti-labor commentators are blaming the unionized employees. Bull shit, Hostess can’t survive a strike?

No more Eddy's Bakery in Chubbuck, Idaho!

A Forbes article points out that it’s the corporate management that ran Hostess into the ground, not the unionized employees.  This happened because the corporate leaders tried to make up for dropping profit margins by running the company on debt financing.

Also, after the 2004 Interstate Bakeries bankruptcy (which the company emerged from in 2009, renamed officially as Hostess) the highly educated company leaders made no attempts to change how Hostess did business: “The obvious problem is leadership kept trying to sell the same products, using roughly the same business model, long, long, long after the products had become irrelevant.”-Adam Hartung, Forbes

Sales were constant, but only because Hostess execs kept prices artificially low, which lead to loss of profits.  This was because U.S. consumers are not willing to pay more for junk food.

By 2011 the bad economy finally affected Hostess sales; according to Mintel in the past year Twinkie sales dipped 0.8%, Ding Dongs fell 8.7%, Ho Ho’s down 6.3%.

Back during the first bankruptcy the unions made $110 million USD worth of concessions.  In May and October 2012, a bankruptcy judge gave Hostess the authority to impose more concessions by cutting pay and benefits, that’s what lead to the worker strikes.   Hostess was enacting more concessions without input from employees!

The Teamsters Union blamed the need for concessions on incompetent corporate officials: “Unfortunately, the company’s operating and financial problems were so severe that it required steep concessions from a variety of stakeholders but not all stakeholders were willing to be constructive.”-Ken Hall, Teamsters General-Secretary

According to a CNN report, the average Hostess worker made $20 per hour (and many Hostess factories are located in areas where $20 per hour is barely a living wage).  This is starting to look like just another step in unAmerican Corporate America’s plans to drastically reduce the cost of labor across the country, as part of the long term plan to return the United States to top export status.  The problem is that the cost of living is still too high, even for many making $20 per hour.  The elitists will make huge profits off their export sales, while the domestic economy will continue to fall (more Sears & Kmart closings to say the least) because more and more workers in the U.S. can’t make enough money even for basic necessities.

Don’t worry, your favorite Hostess junk food might survive, as the rights to those brands are being sold off.  But will you be able to afford them?

The most recent Christian Science Monitor report says that Mexican snack food giant (and world’s largest bread maker), Bimbo, is considering buying the rights to most of the Hostess brands.  Bimbo took over Sara Lee, Entenmann’s and Thomas English Muffins in 2010 (did you hear about that one? Start calling them Mexican Muffins).  They also tried to take over Hostess a few years ago.  If Bimbo does buy the Hostess brands analysts say most of the jobs will be in Mexico.

 

Business/Economics, International

How the Rich get Richer: Filthy rich Queen of England pays maid minimum wage!

“Workers who clean the royal houses for millions of visitors to enjoy will not tolerate poverty pay.”-Mark Serwotka, Public and Commercial Services union

Apparently unaware of the economic conditions for the average Brit, the Queen of England recently advertised for a maid on her website.  The Queen, who gets a huge amount of her wealth from taxes paid by the common folk, offered only 30 hours per week at minimum wage (about $10.50 USD in Merry Olde England)!

The recommended living wage in the city of London is about $13.50 USD per hour.

“This looks really bad. Since the Queen receives considerable support from the public purse she should pay a living wage, not just barely a minimum wage. She’s setting a bad example to other employers. Windsor is in one of the 12 most affluent boroughs in the country, so you would anticipate the cost of living would be that much higher. I would hate to see a return to the Victorian days where a privileged elite preside over the unwashed masses and just pay the bare minimum.”-Grahame Morris, Labour Member of Parliament for Easington, County Durham

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Sears & Kmart news: Losses for Canada! Lawsuits against Kenmore! Millions of shiny sh*t for Kmart shoppers?

14 November 2012, Sears Holdings reports it has completed it’s sell off of about 44% of its stocks in Sears Canada.  According to reports Sears Holdings issued the shares of Sears Canada only to those investors who were Sears Holdings stock holders.  Sears Holdings/Hoffman Estates still controls 51% of Sears Canada.

This comes as Sears Canada reports a loss for the most recent quarter, $21.9 million!  Same store sales dropped 5.7% compared to the same time last year (and last year was down as well). CEO, Calvin McDonald, took it as good news, kinda: “Although we made progress in the quarter, we can and must do more. Our plan is working, however our pace of execution has not met our expectations.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals now says Sears can face class action lawsuit over its Kenmore/Whirlpool washing machines.  People are complaining that the front loading environmentally friendly washing machines do not clean themselves properly, leading to mold build up and stinky clothing (say, I was tricked into getting one of those things, and they’re right [you do have to run a bleach wash every month and leave the door open after every load]!  Not only that but the darn thing doesn’t even hold 3/4s the amount of clothes my old cheap top loader could hold).  Legal complaints have already been filed in California, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota and Texas.

The Los Angeles Times challenged the cast of Million Dollar Decorators to find items at Kmart that would satisfy their decorator tastes.  Of course they went for items with celebrity names on them.  Anyone who’s shopped at Kmart, or even Walmart, and bought anything endorsed by a celebrity should know it’s still a piece-o-crap!  Most everything sold at the ‘discount’ retailers have been dumbed down at the factory in order to meet the lower profit margin of those stores.  Even Mary McDonald admitted you can’t make shit shine (actually the cast of Myth Busters discovered a way to make shit shine): “If you try to make something fancy inexpensively, it often looks cheap.”

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 09 – 12 November 2012. Sudden increase in sexual crimes, cops rape boy! Increase in violence against women! Children working on farm fields considered terrorists! More Green on Blue attacks! Sweden decides to extend military mission. Karzai blasts U.S. dominated Security Council!

12 November 2012

In Helmand Province, Mujahideen blew up a bulldozer with an 82mm recoilless gun.  It happened at a U.S./NATO outpost in Charkhakyano Manda area of Sangin district.

ISAF said: “An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today.”

In Paktia Province, Mujahideen claim U.S./NATO forces abandoned one of their largest bases, in the Zazi Aryub district.  Some reports say the base was destroyed.

Several days of witnesses testifying at the trial of U.S. Army sergeant Robert Bales, said there was no way he did the murders by himself.  A woman testified that while one U.S. soldier entered their house and killed her husband, another U.S. soldier blocked the doorway. Local police say it was too much work for one man: “One person cannot do this work. One person doesn’t have the courage to go from one village to another in the night.”-Afghan cop who investigated the morning after the murders.

India and Afghanistan have signed four economic agreements worth $2 billion.

In Herat Province, police arrested three fellow cops on suspicion that they sexually assaulted and then killed their neighbor’s 13 years old son.  Afghan officials have noted that there has been a sudden increase in sexual crimes, in the past few months.

In Logar Province, a U.S./NATO drone strike killed three teenagers.  They were working in farm fields.  U.S./NATO officials say they were Mujahideen planting landmines.

In Farah Province, Mujahideen attacked a U.S./NATO fuel supply convoy.  They claim to have destroyed 11 fuelers and two buses.  Witnesses say they saw two drivers burn to death.  Mujahideen claim they killed at least 15 drivers and security guards.

11 November 2012

In Helmand Province, an Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier killed a U.S./NATO soldier.  Local officials say it was caused by an argument, and it was a British Red Coat that got killed.  ISAF said only: “An International Security Assistance Force service member died when an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform turned his weapon against ISAF service members in southern Afghanistan today.”

In Kandahar Province, a bomb was planted in a cart.  It exploded, but there are no reports of casualties.  Also, a bus ran over a landmine, killing eight people.

In Khost Province, officials reported a large explosion in Sabari district, no one was hurt. Also, a family of at least five were killed when they drove over a landmine. They were returning from the hospital were the woman just gave birth.

In Daykundi Province, Mujahideen claim they captured food supplies from local police. They say they captured 30 bags of flour, 20 parcels of rice, 13 cartons of cooking oil, six parcels of sugar, two parcels of beans and 20 kilos of tea.

10 November 2012

In Kandahar Province,  Mujahideen claim to have killed five U.S./NATO troops, with a remote detonated bomb.  It’s the same area where U.S. soldiers massacred people in two villages.  The U.S. claims only one soldier carried out the killings; Robert Bales.  Also, a local cop joined the Mujahideen.

In Badghis Province, reports are confusing, but one or two ANA soldiers shot at Spanish/NATO troops. Some reports say none of the Spanish provincial reconstruction team members were hit, other reports say one was wounded. Also, some reports say a ANA soldier was killed, while other reports say two ANA soldiers were arrested. A 12 years old boy was also wounded.  Mujahideen claim that one Spanish soldier was killed and three wounded.

In Khost Province, a woman was killed, and 10 people wounded when a bicycle bomb went off.

In Kunar Province, a U.S./NATO airstrike wounded three children. Local officials say the U.S. bombed anti-U.S. demonstrators.   U.S./NATO/ISAF officials considered the demonstration a gathering of Mujahideen, even though it included children.

09 November 2012

ISAF said: “An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today.”

In Herat Province, a woman and her baby were killed by the father.  Police say it happened after the husband and wife got into an argument.  Investigators say at least 30 woman have been killed in Herat, under similar circumstances, in the past eight months.

In Balkh Province, a 22 years old man was arrested for raping a five years old girl.  The rape allegedly took place the night before at a wedding party.  The child was sent to the hospital.

Sweden announced it will begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2013.  This is actually an extension, as Sweden was to begin pulling out by the summer of 2013.

India signs deal to train 600 Afghan army officers per year.  India, along with China, has agreed to help support the Afghan National Army after the U.S./NATO withdrawal in 2014.

President Hamid Karzai demanded an end to the U.S. dominated UN Security Council: “Coming to the global democratic governance, I think there is no disagreement here, that it isn’t just nor is it very democratic, the Security Council does not represent all of us, the five permanent members having the right of veto is not democratic and the relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly is not democratic…”

 

 

 

International, U.S.

Character does matter! So called Christian USMC General John Allen connected to David Patreaus affair? Is the Obama administration simply cleaning house?

13 November 2012, now U.S. Marines Corps General John Allen is being investigated for “inappropriate communications” with females who’re connected to the David Patreaus affair.

I posted how the Patreaus affair might just be an excuse for the former Army General to stop working for President Barack Obama, after all some U.S. media sources said they didn’t really see eye to eye.

Is it the case that USMC General John Allen also has a problem working for Obama? This new twist in the Patreaus investigation was announced by Defense Secretary and Obama lackey Leon Panetta.  The order to investigated Allen came directly from Panetta.

Allen was supposedly going to be promoted to top commander of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The Patreaus/Allen connection involves an female “unpaid social liaison” at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida (makes you wonder what really goes on at the top of Central Command).  An unbelievable 30,000 pages worth of emails and other documents of communications with the unpaid non-government social liaison are being reviewed!  Why would anyone need to have that much documented communications with an non-governmental  “unpaid social liaison”?

An unnamed Obama official told the U.S. media this morning that Allen could face prosecution under the U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

Panetta refused to answer questions about Allen’s current service in Afghanistan.

Perhaps there is something to be concerned about, but such shenanigans by higher ups in the military are not unusual.  Is is just coincidence that suddenly, after a President gets re-elected, two top military officials, who are known not to agree with the President, are on their way out?

 

International

Christian & Government Evil: Queen of England’s empire rife with child abuse at the hands of church & government officials, Australia admits guilt, hidden investigations reveal tip of iceberg!

“I can testify from my own experience that the church covers up, silences victims, hinders police investigations, alerts offenders, destroys evidence and moves priests to protect the good name of the church.”-Peter Fox, New South Wales Detective Chief Inspector

“I would say please get the Jillings report published because it shows… rape, bestiality, violent assaults and torture, and the effects on those young boys at that time cannot be under-estimated.”-Ann Clwyd, read mysterious Jillings Report

12 November 2012, a total of three British Broadcasting Corporaton (BBC) executives have now resigned over a documentary that falsely accused a politician of child sex abuse.

The problem is that such crimes are rife within the British empire.  Today the Australian Prime minister, Julia Gillard, caved to demands from the general public and said a Royal Commission investigation into child abuse, taking place in schools and churches, will be undertaken.

This came after a top police official in New South Wales made demands in a publicized letter to the government. Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox wrote his letter after 35 years of investigating crimes against children.

However, the Australian government’s investigation will apparently focus only on the Catholic Church.  The current pope has already apologized, and the Aussie state of Victoria confirmed at least 600 cases of abuse at the hands of Catholic officials, since 1936.  The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference publicly supports the investigation, but pointed out that the problem of child sexual abuse is not confined just to the Catholic church.

Opposition party politicians are asking that the Royal investigation be expanded to other churches, schools and even non-governmental agencies.

Back to the British Isles.  The BBC report concerned long term child abuse crimes in Wales.  Crimes that had been investigated then covered up by the local county government.

In this particular case, the abuse took place throughout the 1970s-80s.  In 1991 seven workers at child care homes were convicted, however, another investigation was launched because the abuse claims continued.

In 1994 John Jillings was hired by the county to lead the investigation.  He says the Clwyd County Council refused to make public his investigation (aka The Jillings Report), on the advise of attorneys who said the county would be sued.

Then, in 2000, High Court judge Sir Ronald Waterhouse published his investigation, which has been criticized as not showing the full scale of the child abuse scandal.

This led to the recent BBC report, which somehow got the public blaming an unnamed politician (unnamed in the BBC report) who supposedly is not connected to the crimes.  The whole thing is actually diverting from the real problem of how rampant child abuse, at the hands of British government and church officials, really is in Merry Olde England (of course I mean the whole of the British empire).

Here’s what Colin Everett, of the Flintshire County Council, said about the mysterious Jillings report: “We have now established that several copies of the report are in existence in local authority archives.  The report and any supporting documents held in archive are being made available to North Wales Police and the National Crime Agency (NCA). The Jillings report was disclosed to the subsequent Waterhouse inquiry and we would expect the NCA to have access to it through recovery of the papers from the inquiry, held in archive by government departments. North Wales local authorities are taking collective and independent legal advice on whether the report can or should be disclosed under the Freedom of Information legislation, whether in full or in part. The National Crime Agency is being consulted, as any public disclosure cannot compromise or prejudice the new investigation.”

(and don’t forget about the abuse of European orphans and Native Americans at the hands of Canadian officials throughout the 20th century.)

 

Business/Economics, International

Greek Civil War & What Economic Recovery? More proof it’s the fault of the Too Big to Fails!

“In the next few days, we need an agreement on further measures in Greece and additional aid from the other euro area countries to ensure debt sustainability.”-Joerg Asmussen, European Central Bank (ECB)

This statement comes after Greece enacted more government spending cuts, and the Greek Prime Minister promised no more.

Asmussen, of the ECB, said even with the new cuts Greece will not meet the demands of creditors!  The boss of the ECB, Mario Draghi, said Greece is now at the mercy of creditors because the ECB has reached its limit, in being able to help Greece, under current European Union laws.  All this chaos in Greece because of creditors!

This is what a Greece newspaper, Ta Nea Daily, had to say: “Greece cannot take it – and in any case the government will not survive it.”

 

 

 

International

Queen of England appoints oil executive as new Archbishop of Canterbury

09 November 2012, the Queen of England (who is also the “pope” of the Church of England) has appointed Justin Welby as the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

He is an evangelical who supports women as church leaders, and despite his recent anti-homophobia statements, is considered by some people to be anti-homosexual.

He has worked in the House of Lords (den of the elites), and prior to working for the “church” he worked for the French oil company Elf Aquitaine, then became the treasurer for Enterprise Oil of London.

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Officials walk out of European Union 2013 budget talks!

09 November 2012, representatives from European countries walked out of the EU’s 2013 budget talks!

There’s a major dispute over an extra nine billion euros still needed for 2012! Representatives from various European countries refused to discuss the 2013 budget with the European Union parliament, until unaddressed funding issues for 2012 were dealt with.

This means many areas of the EU, that’re still waiting for millions in 2012 funding, will probably never get it. The next EU meeting is 22-23 November.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3 & What Economic Recovery? Greece in Civil War, elected officials join rebels, parliament falling apart!

“It marks the beginning of the end of the coalition government and offers a textbook example of the terminal decay of a system of power.”-Costas Douzinas, The Guardian

08 November 2012, the situation in Greece looks like it’s deteriorated to the point of a full blown Civil War, with members of parliament being kicked out and joining the protestors.  Protests have become violent, with people directly attacking police.

Unemployment in Greece hit record levels in August; 25.4%!

Protests turned into riots a couple of days ago, as the parliament worked to pass yet another round for spending cuts and tax increases (austerity measures/fiscal cliff).  The Greek Prime Minister tried to calm things down by telling the people these would be the last austerity measures, but like Aesop’s boy who cried wolf, no one believes him!

During the parliamentary wrangling over the austerity bill, parliament employees/staff went on strike when an amendment was introduced to cut benefits for parliamentary staff members!  The strike ended when the amendment was dropped.

The new austerity includes more cuts to government employee pay, as much as 35%!  And this time even central bank employees and judges will not be spared.  25,000 more public sector jobs will be eliminated.

Here’s proof that the Greek “democratically elected” government is not democratic nor free:  Elected officials who voted against the cuts were expelled! At least seven Members of Parliament were kicked out of their own political parties!