Category Archives: International

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

Government Incompetence: After arresting WikiLeaks founder, now the U.K. government asks WikiLeaks for help!

“Leveson Inquiry has asked WikiLeaks for a submission on corruption in the UK press. We have submitted over 100 pages.”-WikiLeaks statement

The British government is now asking its enemy, WikiLeaks, for help in uncovering the ongoing Rupert Murdoch, police/News Corp corruption scandal!

Murdoch’s  (an Australian who became a U.S. citizen just so he could legally start Fox News in the U.S.)  media empire is being investigated for bribing police and government officials (even here in the U.S.).  Already several police officials have lost their jobs in the U.K., including the boss of Scotland Yard.

Back in January 2011, Julian Assange (also from Australia) told British investigators that he had “insurance files” on Rupert Murdoch: “There are 504 U.S. embassy cables on one broadcasting organization and there are cables on Murdoch and News Corp.”  

It’s only now that hypocritical, and incompetent, British officials are turning to WikiLeaks for help in their investigation of Murdoch!

 

International

Military Incompetence: Italy says the U.K. Royally F—ed Up a hostage rescue mission in Nigeria

“The behavior of the British government in not informing Italy is inexplicable.”-Giorgio Napolitano, President of Italy

In Nigeria two hostages were killed when the British tried to rescue them.  One hostage was a Brit, the other Italian.  Italian officials are pissed off to say the least.  They claim they were not told about the rescue attempt until afterwards.

The arrogant British defense secretary, Philip Hammond, swears they kept the Italian government informed, but then admits the Italians never agreed to such an operation: “I don’t think they specifically approved it.”

With friends like the United Kingdom, who needs enemies?

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3 & Government Incompetence?: U.S. Senator calls for blocking all Iranian oil, even thought it would destroy U.S. allies. War with Iran is meant to allow the U.S. to become a major oil exporter

Days after a UBS oil analyst said ten countries (allies of the U.S.) would be destroyed if Iranian oil was cut off, a dumb U.S. Senator proposes to cut off Iranian oil!

In a Friday interview with C-SPAN’s (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) Newsmakers program, democrat Carl Levin says he wants to use the U.S. Navy to blockade Iranian oil shipments.

Levin is inviting other countries to join in: “I think (these are) options that whoever is willing to participate should explore, including Israel and including the United States.”

Levin admitted that alternative oil supplies would have to be found for the allies of the United States.  Mmmm, you mean like the United States now that it actually has too much oil on hand (recently the CEO of Exxon Mobil said the U.S. oil “…markets are well supplied.”)?  Now we know the real reason for going to war against the World’s second largest petroleum producer  (oil from Canada and North Dakota is actually creating a surplus in the U.S.).

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: UBS says war with Iran will destroy U.S. allies

Julius Walker, an oil analyst with Swiss based financial company UBS, says war with Iran could destroy ten countries, from lack of oil.

He told Business Insider that not only would the price of oil skyrocket past $250 per barrel, but the economies of ten countries could be devastated.

Those ten countries are actually allies of the United States (and some are already on the verge of collapse): China, India, Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Greece, South Africa and France.  Maybe they won’t be allies for very long?

 

International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Sudden increase in U.S. Assassination Terror Drone attacks, more than 50 people killed in past 24 hours, Obama proves he is more a warmonger than Bush Jr

There seems to be a sudden increase in the use of U.S. terror drones (UAV, unmanned aerial vehicle); four attacks in a 24 hour period, killing more than 50 people.

On March 10, 2012, at least four Afghan civilians were reported killed after a U.S. drone strike in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan.

In Yemen, on March 9, 2012, local security forces say a drone strike killed as many as 35 people.   It happened in the south eastern province of al-Bayda.  Then in the early morning of March 10, security forces reported yet another U.S. drone strike in the same area, this time killing at least 10 “militants”.  The people of Yemen have been fighting a Revolution against the U.S. supported government for at least two years now.

In Pakistan, conflicting reports about a drone attack there.  On March 9, 2012, officials said two missiles from a U.S. drone hit a vehicle, killing between eight and 13 militants.  Western reports say the militants would not let anyone get near the bodies, but, regional media said one of the missiles hit a house, killing another seven people.  It happened in South Waziristan Province.

According to Agence France-Presse, there were at least 45 U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan in 2009, 101 in 2010 and 64 in 2011.

Counting the March 9 attack, there have been eight known U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan, since the beginning of 2012.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism says at least 3,000 people have been killed by U.S. terror drones, in Pakistan, in the past eight years.   Under the Bush Jr administration there were 52 drone attacks in Pakistan.  So far, Peace Prize winning Barack Obama has launched more than 360 U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan!!!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Financial Incompetence: After ratings agencies declare Greece in default, IMF offers yet another billion dollar loan!

March 10, 2012, just hours after Moody’s declared Greece in full default the U.S. based International Monetary Fund offers Greece another multi-billion Euro loan.

Moody’s declared Greece in full default after Greece agreed to a new sovereign debt (government bonds) swap deal, which will see 53% of Greece’s debt erased.  Many holders of Greek bonds will be forced to take losses.

Now Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the IMF, is offering Greece a U.S. $36.7 billion loan.  That’s on top of the other loans Greece is still waiting for.

So credit ratings companies are saying Greece is not in a position to pay back more debt, yet the U.S. led world finance institutions are offering Greece more debt?  By the way, the  IMF had to borrow that money from BRICS!   In 2011, for the first time in the IMF’s history they were broke, and went ‘cap in hand’ to BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to beg for money, so they could in turn lend it to Western countries.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Moody’s declares Greece in full default

Earlier in the day the main stream media was reporting “good” news on the latest agreement between creditors and Greece, but that’s not how Moody’s sees it.

Moody’s says the latest deal actually pushed Greece into automatic default: “According to Moody’s definitions, this exchange represents a ‘distressed exchange’ and therefore a debt default.”

On March 9, 2012, a deal was made that allowed a debt exchange plan hoping to cancel about U.S. $143 billion dollars in Greek government bonds.

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

Oil & Gas Prices: Iraq increases oil production, North Dakota #3 oil producer, latest increase in oil prices blamed on Iran & Greece

The Iraqi government owned South Oil Company said they are about to increase oil flow from a new floating oil platform in the Persian Gulf.

The new platform is one of four to be built by an Australian company.  Each platform can flow 22,000 barrels per day.  Recently the Iraqi government said their oil production hit three million barrels per day.  This backs up the CEO of Exxon Mobil who said there is plenty of oil in the supply system.

Another proof of plenty of oil in the system; North Dakota has passed up California, as the number three oil producing state in the U.S.

Most of the oil in North Dakota comes from the controversial fracking of shale oil.  In January 2012 North Dakota’s oil production hit 546,500 barrels per day. That’s a 59% increase from January 2011!  By the way, crony capitalist Mitt Romney has hired a CEO, of one of the companies working the oil fields in North Dakota, to be his energy adviser.

Western media blaming recent increase in oil prices on Greek bailout news.  They say prices went up because (once again) a new deal has been reached, on the old deal.  It’s strange ’cause the media sometimes blames an oil price increase on the Greek deals being held up or falling through.

By the way, the Western media hasn’t really explained why the so called Greek debt problem is affecting oil prices.  Greece is not a oil producing country, and they don’t use that much petroleum compared to bigger European countries. In fact, Greece gets a lot of oil from Iran.  Maybe that’s it, they don’t want to play the sanctions game, along with my speculation about their non-compliance with Leviathan.

Western media also blaming reduction of Iranian oil bound for Europe on the price increase.  One Western source even said it was proof the oil sanctions against Iran are working.  One problem with that; Iran says they’ve made up for their cuts (note: “their” cuts, not the sanctions imposed by U.S./Europe) to Europe by increasing sales to other countries.  So who’s really getting hurt by those sanctions?

 

 

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

Oil & Gas Prices: Exxon Mobil will cut oil production, blames high fuel prices on speculators, blames Republican controlled Congress for too much regulation

Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest corporate producer of oil and natural gas, announced they will cut oil/gas production for 2012 by at least 3%.

This comes as companies like Exxon have said that they have to increase spending of their record setting profits on developing access to new sources of petroleum.

Exxon has already spent tens of billions in the past year, and they’re planning nine projects for 2013, and 12 projects for 2014.

However, it could be that the real reason Exxon Mobil is reducing production is that Iraq is challenging their contracts with the Kurdistan Regional Government.  Iraqi officials say Exxon’s contracts with Iraqi Kurdistan are illegal.  Iraq is taking legal action to kick Exxon out of the huge oil fields in northern Iraq!

Even so, Exxon Mobil’s CEO, Rex Tillerson, said fuel prices are not up because of lack of supply: “On pure supply-demand fundamentals, the markets are well supplied.”

So why are prices going up? Tillerson says “Gasoline prices are up because crude oil is up.”  Really? Duh! But wait, there’s more.  Tillerson also indicated oil prices will continue to go up because of supply issues: “People who are trying to secure those supplies are going to pay what it takes…today with the view that they might not be able to get them later.”

Basically he’s saying that despite plenty of oil already in the supply system, the speculators are driving up prices because they are afraid the oil supply will suddenly stop.

Tillerson explained that it’s not just wars that could stop the oil/gas supply, but over regulation by the Republican controlled U.S. Congress: “Our regulatory process has become so complicated by so many duplicative agencies, by so many mandates from Congress, that now it has become a way to stop things from happening. There are a thousand ways you can be told ‘no’ in this country.”

Oh, and by the way, all those billions of dollars that Exxon Mobil is going to be spending ($185 billion estimated) on those dozen or more projects in the next few years, is expected to increase their production by only 4% to 8% by 2016!!!

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: China to start using Yuan for International Loans, BRICS will dump the U.S. dollar, Hillary Clinton demands China prove its intentions! The end of U.S. dollar dominance begins March 29!

“We will discuss the creation of structures and mechanisms for lending in local currencies in order to maximize economic and financial transactions between the countries that are members of the accord.”-statement from Brazil’s development bank BNDES

The BRICS are about to lead a new Revolution; no more U.S. dollar!  It’s being spearheaded by the Chinese Development Bank.

BRICS members (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are about to institute a new World Lending system that will not require the use of the U.S. dollar!

Reports say the new system will be signed into operation by BRICS members on March 29, 2012.  It will deal in not only the Chinese Yuan, but in local money as well.  Currently most international lending systems require loans to be made in U.S. dollars.  That’s because the major lenders, the IMF and World Bank, are actually run by the United States.

In response (yet not really explained by the main stream U.S. media why Clinton is making such a statement) U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is demanding China explain itself: “Given the historic challenges to security and stability posed by rising powers, they do have a special obligation to demonstrate in concrete ways that they are going to pursue a constructive path.”

Clinton’s statement shows just how paranoid the U.S. government is of China.  But, oh well, surveys show many of the citizens of the U.S. are also paranoid of China!  This new international lending agreement with the BRICS will only prove to the paranoids that they are justified in their fear.