Category Archives: International

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

China continues to sell off U.S. bonds

China is the biggest buyer of U.S. sovereign debt (bonds), but has been selling off that debt at a steady pace. In February China sold off $1.15 trillion (yes, trillion) in U.S. bonds.

Chinese officials say the sell off of U.S. bonds could continue for another two months, or as long as the Federal Reserve continues with its quantitative easing (QE) policies.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, China holds $4.47 trillion in U.S. sovereign debt.  China wants to cut it to less than $1 trillion.  Even then, Chinese officials say holding that much U.S. debt is only good for the short run.  I guess they don’t think the future looks very bright for the United States.

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

China refuses to pay U.S. debt

“The U.S. wants China to pay its economic bills by raising the value of the yuan. This is preposterous!”-Zhang Yansheng, Institute of Foreign Economics

Officials from China and the United States are meeting this week to discuss, what else, economic issues.  Many U.S. officials want the Chinese to raise the value of their money, the yuan, in order to help the U.S. dollar.  But the Chinese say bullsh*t!

Ma Xiaoye, of the China Foundation for International & Strategic Studies, says U.S. leaders created the economic problems, so “How can the U.S. count on a foreign currency to solve them?” Zhang Yansheng added “The U.S. should take responsibility for its own policies, instead of asking China to pay for it.”

The U.S. wants China to raise the value of their money, against the U.S. dollar, to help fight inflation in the United States.

Chinese analysts say the problem is that every time the Federal Reserve implements a quantitative easing (QE) policy, it sends “hot money” into the world economy creating “market bubbles”, which is what China does not want.

Maybe if the Federal Reserve stops issuing money that really isn’t there, the Chinese might decide to raise the value of their money.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

China wants to move Cinese companies to U.S., but says U.S. blocking them

“As the U.S. government continues to request accessibility to the Chinese market for its firms, we now raise a similar request on behalf of Chinese firms.”-Zhu Guangyao, Vice Finance Minister

For decades U.S. companies have been shipping off factories, and jobs, to China.  Now China says the United States is blocking their attempts to bring factories and jobs to the U.S.

“We have received many complaints from Chinese companies that have met discrimination as they try to invest in the United States, even though the U.S. side has repeatedly stated that Chinese companies are welcome.”- Zhu Guangyao, Vice Finance Minister


International

UN admits Haiti cholera may have come from Peacekeepers, it’s not over

United Nations health investigators say the strain of cholera, that killed more than 4,000 people in Haiti, came from south Asia.

The UN officials say they traced the strain back to a river near a UN peacekeeper camp, that was occupied by troops from Nepal.  The UN admits that sanitation conditions at the camp were below standards.

The UN investigators refuse to blame the Nepalese, even though they say the evidence “overwhelmingly supports” that the Haiti cholera strain came from south Asia.

The cholera epidemic is not over for Haiti.  The United Nations predicts another 800,000 Haitians could become sick this year.

International

Iran & Cuba join forces to counter Hillary Clinton’s U.S. media war

“In line with the imperialistic interests of the U.S. and Europe, the American and European media outlets don’t reflect the exact reality of what happens in our nations.”-Ramin Mehman-Parast, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman

Recently Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Congress to spend more money on increasing pro-U.S. international media organizations.  She said the U.S. was losing out to foreign media.

Now the Iranians, and Cubans, have joined the international media war, by joining forces.

Besides wanting to show their side of the story, in Latin America, the Iranians say they need a more trustworthy source of Latin American news than the U.S. media.  

International, U.S.

Iran claims U.S. and Israel smuggling Crack & Meth into Iran from Afghanistan

Iranian investigator Majid Abhari, says he has proof that drugs being brought into Iran, through Afghanistan, are being run by the CIA and Mossad.  He has some convincing evidence.

First, traditionally opium, and marijuana/hash, were the drugs that came through.  Now, Iranian drug police are confiscating morphine, crack and meth.  Those drugs are considered “western” drugs and are not normally used by addicts in the region.

Second, Iranian police have discovered that transactions connected to the “western” drugs are being made with credit cards.  Traditional drug dealers operate “cash only” businesses.

Iran claims to be the most active anti-drug enforcers in the world.  Last year they seized 85% of the world’s illegal opium.  In the past five years Iran has spent $50 million to fight drug trafficking from just Afghanistan.  Iran also claims thousands of their anti-drug police have been killed.

Iranian police say drug trafficking from Afghanistan has jumped 40 times higher after the U.S. invaded .  According to the UN, Afghan opium production was at 185 metric tons (204 U.S. tons) per year, before the U.S. invaded.  The United Nations says opium production is now at 3,400 tons (3748 U.S. tons) per year (in 2007 it hit a record of 8,200 metric tons [9039 U.S. tons]).

Iran should know how the CIA and Mossad operates, after all, during the reign of the pro-U.S. Shah the CIA, and Mossad, trained Iran’s intelligence agencies (especially the infamous SAVAK).

IRAN SAYS U.S. & ISRAEL BEHIND REGIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING

International

Iranian clerics warning of European style Erhal Revolutions

“The European nations will certainly rise up against their politicians and leaders who made them submit to the cultural and economic policies of the U.S. and the Zionists.”-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei

The West has been referring to the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa as “popular uprisings”, but in locally they’re known as “Erhal” (Irhal).  Very loosely translated it means “throw the bums out!”.

For the past several days Iranian clerics have predicted that the Erhal movements will hit Europe.  It’s not because of religion, but because of social/economic injustice brought upon the common people by their own leaders.

One cleric predicts revolutions for all the world’s countries: “They (the revolutions) will slowly cross all boarders.”-Hojjatoleslam Kazzem Sediqi

International

Japan orders nuke plant shut down, expecting 8+ quake

Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered the Hamaoka nuclear plant shut down, for fear of a major earthquake.

The Hamaoka plant is run by Chubu Electric Power company.  The plant has two reactors already decommissioned, one shut down for maintenance, and two still operating.  It’s located south west of Tokyo, in Shiuoka Prefecture.

Prime Minister Kan ordered the shut down because Japanese scientists believe an 8.0 quake will take place under the nuclear plants location, anytime in the next 30 years.  Kan says that Chubu Electric must come up with a plan to reinforce the reactors for an earthquake greater than 8.0, before they can resume operations.