Category Archives: International

International, U.S.

World War 3: United Kingdom says Syria’s Assad is no longer legitimate, France says it’s too late for Assad’s reforms

September 12, joining the United States, British Prime Minister David Cameron said the Syrian government was not legitimate and has no future.

This after the Syrian government announced that new elections could be held by the end of the year. But, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said it was too late for elections: “We think the regime has lost its legitimacy, that it’s too late to implement a program of reform.”

France, Britain and the U.S. are pushing for a UN Security Council resolution against Syria, but Russia is countering with their own proposal: “We are ready to support different approaches, but they must not be based on one sided condemnations of the actions of the government and President Assad.”-Dmitry Medvedev, President of Russia

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? MLK jr memorial statue made in China, due to lack of funds

There’s been a lot of praise by the main stream U.S. media for the Martin Luther King Jr memorial, but they don’t mention that the statue was outsourced to China due to lack of funds.

According to Wikipedia, the memorial needed $120 million for construction.  Only $108 million was raised, and that included taxpayer money from the Federal government.  This is the reason the memorial contractor outsourced the making of the statue to China.

Not even the stone came from the United States, it’s Chinese pink granite.  Just another sign of the times!

International

Common disease killing children in Vietnam, 42,000 infected

The United Nations World Health Organization says 98 children have died, so far this year, due to a common hand/foot and mouth disease.  42,000 people have been infected.

Since 2008 the number of cases in Vietnam has been increasing.  Vietnamese health officials are warning people to maintain cleanliness.

The disease is spread by sneezing, coughing and contact with fluid from blisters or infected feces. No vaccine exists.

 

Business/Economics, International

Global Economic Class War: Greek government to screw over citizens, again

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos announced, on September 11, that a new property tax will be in place over the next two years.

The new property tax is supposed to make up for 2.6 billion dollars in lost tax revenues.  Funny how politicians think that the answer to people not being able to pay taxes, because their incomes are down, is to increase or create new taxes!

To try and placate the Greek masses, the government said politicians will give up one month of pay, big whoop!

Business/Economics, International

Global Economic War: VW says Suzuki broke contract, issues warning

September 11, VolksWagen claims Suzuki violated its contract by agreeing to purchase diesel engines from another car maker.

The two companies joined-up in December 2009, but their alliance stalled in July 2011 when Suzuki said VW does not see their partnership as equal.

VW says it will give Suzuki several weeks to return to buying diesel engines from Germany.

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Housing bubble bursting in Australia, big banks try to offer lower interest rates to get people to buy

“Outside Hong Kong and Shanghai, Australia is the most expensive real estate market in the world compared to income.”-Harry S. Dent Jr, economist

The housing market bubble is finally bursting in Australia, it’s being called an “economic tsunami” in Australian media.

One of the biggest Australian banks, Commonwealth Bank, has dropped its interest rates to try and get people to buy homes.

Also, most of the major home finance banks in Australia are offering refinancing loans to help keep people form defaulting on their home loans.  It’s very much like whats been going on here in the United States.

Home prices in the state of South Australia (SA) have been slashed by thousands of Australian dollars.  One woman cut her asking price by $60,000: “It’s been on the market for nine months now and the way the economy is at the moment it wasn’t even getting a look-in at open. My partner and I came to the conclusion we needed to drop the price.”-Jan Grainger, Fullarton

This weekend, U.S. economist Harry S. Dent Jr stated that the housing bubble in Australia was about to burst, as well as in China and Japan. He also indicated that the housing correction in the U.S. isn’t over: “People in places like Sydney or Tokyo or Miami say, ‘Hey, real estate can never go down here, we’re a great place, everyone wants to move here, there’s not much land for development’, and what I say is that is exactly the kind of place that bubbles.”

Dent said Australia’s house prices need to correct to 1990s levels.

In the Australian state of Victoria (VIC) real estate agents are actually dropping clients who refuse to drop their prices: “An agent only gets paid when they sell a property so if they are investing a lot of time into something they know is not going to sell, then there is no point in wasting time on it.”-Catherine Cashmore, real estate agent

In New South Wales (NSW) the state government announced that a new tax, on existing home sales to first time home buyers, would go into effect after January 1.  That is causing sales to hit 60% rate, due to people trying to beat the new tax (stamp duty).

The problem is that after January 1 you can expect home sales in NSW to hit the floor: “The stamp duty will be a hit of $15,000 – that’s a lot of money for anyone these days. People who haven’t bought or can’t buy by this time have no choice to go back on the rental market. People that don’t buy before January will see rent increase.”-Joel Hollis, real estate agent

 

International

World War 3: Israel bans Druze from annual pilgrimage to Syria, hundreds of Druze protesting

Hundreds of Druze residents, in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, were waiting for United Nations buses to take them to Syria, early on September 11.

The buses never showed up, and the Druze were told Israel denied their annual pilgrimage, because of security concerns.  Now hundreds of Druze are protesting in the city Kuneitra.

The Druze religion is influenced by Shi’a Islam, Gnostic Christianity and Jewish beliefs.  It was founded by an Iranian mystic in 1017.  The majority of Druze are in Syria (including the Israeli occupied Golan Heights) and Lebanon (which was part of Syria).

International, U.S.

At least 77 U.S. troops wounded in latest attacks in Afghanistan, Afghans say it’s retaliation for unjustified U.S. occupation of Afghanistan

“Each year, 9/11 reminds the Afghans of an event in which they had no role whatsoever.  American colonialism has shed the blood of tens of thousands of miserable and innocent Afghans.”-Afghan insurgent statement

September 11, at least three U.S. troops have been wounded in attacks in western Afghanistan.

This follows a September 10 truck bomb attack against the U.S. Combat Outpost Sayed Abad, in the eastern province of Wardak.  NATO reports that 77 U.S. troops were wounded, two Afghans killed and 25 Afghans wounded.

U.S. Army sources have reported that 50 troops, plus civilians, were wounded in the Saturday truck bomb attack:  “It happened at 5:15 pm on Saturday. It detonated near the entry point at a combat outpost, resulting in 89 wounded in action and a 20-foot (six-meter) hole in the wall.”-David Eastburn, Major U.S. Army

Wardak is where a U.S. Chinook helicopter was shot down recently, killing all 30 U.S. forces and eight Afghans on board.

Also on Saturday/Sunday, a NATO soldier died in an ambush in southern Afghanistan, and  two bombs exploded in Paktika and Kunduz Provinces, leaving a total of 10 civilians dead.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: Evil buck passing United States blames evil Europe for world economic problems, but it’s the average Joe & Jone who’s going to pay

“Seventy-five percent of the dark things happening in the world economy are because of the eurozone.”-Timothy Geithner, U.S. Department of Treasury

September 9, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner blamed the European Union for U.S. economic failures!

Geithner made the comments at a G7 meeting in France.  He says EU countries need to make even harsher cuts, and raise even more taxes, in order to solve their debt crisis.  Going by his statements, can you guess what’s coming for the people of the United States?

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Palestinian President says U.S. financial aid no longer important

“We will go to the UN to obtain international recognition for the state of Palestine, despite the obstacles and dangers, including U.S. threats to halt $470 million in annual assistance.”-Mahmoud Abbas, Acting Palestinian Authority (PA) Chief

Recently the United States said it would cut off aid (aid which is directly controlled by the Israelis) if Palestinians sought a United Nations vote on statehood.

More than 100 countries have so far officially recognized Palestine as a sovereign state based on the 1967 borders, the boundaries that existed before Israel militarily annexed East al-Quds (Jerusalem), the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Authority has declared September 20 as the date when it would apply for United Nations recognition of Palestine as an independent state.