Category Archives: U.S.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Rage against the System: U.S. Postal Workers finally standing up, protesting U.S. Congress created postal crisis!

I stated in earlier postings that the U.S. Congress is behind the USPS crisis!  Now postal workers, risking job loss, are protesting the actions of Congress in destroying the Postal Service.

Recently, PBS Newshour’s interviewed U.S. postmaster general, Patrick Donahoe, and Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers.  They both pointed out that the U.S. Congress is holding back on money earned by the USPS, and that was a primary reason the Postal Service is in trouble.

Also, U.S. Congressman, and the main stream media, continue the false notion that the USPS gets money from taxpayers, and therefore cutting the USPS would help the government’s budget cuts.  Many citizens still believe that the USPS is paid by tax money!

The United States Postal Service does not make money off taxpayers, they are solely funded by the postage they charge (prices are controlled by U.S. Congress, not the USPS), and other products they sell.  The cuts being made to the USPS will have no affect on U.S. government debt!

Now members of all five unions representing postal workers will go on strike, violating their contracts (to be safe the postal unions are not calling them strikes, they’re calling them “rallies”).  Why violate their contracts? Why not?  It’s become obvious that the U.S. Congress wants to shut them down anyway!

Congress is demanding that USPS make another $5.5 billion in payments to Congress (supposedly to meet required Federal benefits).  But this is what’s causing the problems.  Last year Congress overcharged the USPS, then refused to give a refund!

One union official says the U.S. Congress has actually overcharged the USPS to the equivalent of 75 years worth of Federal retirement plan contributions.  This leads me to believe the Congress is using the non-taxpayer Postal Service funds to pay for running a broke government!

 

 

International, U.S.

United Police Kingdom: British military documentary justifies killing unarmed civilians

“The fact that British soldiers are reduced to watching what are effectively snuff movies shows the complete failure of the project in Afghanistan. It’s nothing to do with democracy, but a failure of war that is trickling down and resulting in a mental degradation among ground troops. Afghanistan is a dreadful situation and it is no better than it was a decade ago.”-Andrew Burgin, Stop the War Coalition

Burgin is talking about a documentary that’s being shown to British troops, called Kill TV nights, part of a three part series called Fighting on the Frontline.  Officially it’s meant to desensitize troops, but it also justifies killing civilians.

In one scene a commander is actually warning peers not to mention any of the possible war crimes they’ve just committed: “This is not for discussion with anybody else; keep it quiet about what you see up here. It’s not because we’ve done anything wrong. But we might have done.”

In another scene an Afghan woman is targeted, and you can hear the helicopter pilots call her “snake with tits”.

A voice in the documentary sums up the attitude of the evil British Red Coat military: “I have absolutely no dramas with it. None at all. I don’t really care whether they think it’s a fair fight.”

I wounder if this will be the same attitude used against the people of the United Kingdom, when the protests really get going?

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Japan to help bailout Greece, it’s an effort to save the Japanese car industry

September 27, Japan’s Finance Minister Jun Azumi, said Japan is ready to help Greece, possibly by buying more Greek government bonds.

However, Japan is a little cash strapped itself and is hoping the Europeans do something quick, to turn around the collapsing European economy. The reason; Japan’s car industry is relying on a European, as well as U.S., economic recovery.

Chairman Toshiyuki Shiga, of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, said that the falling value of the Euro, and the U.S. dollar, is driving up the value of the Japanese yen, which is making Japanese cars to expensive to sell.

Most of Japan’s national income is made by selling products to other countries (exports), and since the March 11 disasters the yen has been going up in value causing huge drops in demand for Japanese products.

Japan is hoping to see the Euro and U.S. dollar go up in value, which would make Japanese products more affordable on the world market.

International, U.S.

Ron Paul says let Palestine be recognized, but Palestinians should beware the United Nations

“…I do not believe the U.S. should use its position in the UN Security Council to block their membership.”-Ron Paul, U.S. Congressman from Texas

Ron Paul has written a new post in his Texas Straight Talk, saying the United States should not block Palestine from being recognized by the United Nations.

Ron Paul says anyone who’s afraid of the Palestinians finally getting internationally recognized statehood is a weak minded elitist: “Only a political class harboring the illusion it can run the world obsesses over the aspirations of a tiny population on a tiny piece of land thousands of miles away.”

But don’t think Ron Paul is pro United Nations, in fact he has a warning for Palestinians about reliance on the UN: “When the UN gave NATO the green light to bomb Libya there was no genocide taking place.  It was a purely preventative war.  The result?  Thousands dead, a destroyed country, and extremely dubious new leaders.”

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Incompetence: U.S. giving away military equipment in Iraq, proof that spending tax money on guns instead of butter is a losing investment

“It’s all sunk costs, it’s money that we spent and we’re not going to recoup.”-Paul Eaton, retired U.S. Army Major General

The United States spent over U.S.$2.4 billion on building posts in Iraq, reports the Congressional Research Service.  Major General Thomas Richardson told reporters last month that the U.S. had already given away equipment valued at a total of around $247 million, just last year. Another $157 million in materials were handed over in the time before President Obama’s withdrawal of troops officially began.

Apparently the U.S. turned down offers from Israel to buy the equipment.

Don’t think any further U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq will reduce U.S. government spending of taxpayer money on Iraq: The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations revealed that the U.S. State Department is looking to spend upwards of $30 billion on Iraq over the next five years.  U.S. embassy in Baghdad already houses thousands of civilian officials and troops and contains 21 buildings in a space of over 100 acres. The U.S. military operates less than 40 bases in Iraq today.

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

World War 3: More proof that Obama is a puppet of Israel, and no better than Bush jr; Newsweek says Obama ordered Pentagon to boost military cooperation with Israel

In an upcoming Newsweek magazine, they write that Obama pushed the sale of bunker busting bombs to Israel, despite Pentagon officials pointing out that Israel’s military has moved closer to cooperation with China.

The sale was originally planned under President Bush jr, but it was Obama that made the final push.

On top of ordering the sale of huge bunker busting bombs, Obama also ordered the Pentagon to boost military cooperation, despite Pentagon advice against it.

International, U.S.

World War 3: West Bank Palestinians going nuts, screaming that they will march on Jerusalem, say it’s the fault of the United States

September 23 (24 Palestine time), it’s the middle of the night and Palestinians in the West Bank are going nuts over PLO President Mahmud Abbas UN speech.  They are yelling that they will march on al Quds (Jerusalem) and take it back from the Israelis.

Palestinians say that U.S. President Obama’s speech the other day was totally against Palestine, and sounded almost as if Israelis had written the speech for him. Palestinians say this is proof that the United States is a puppet of Israel, and an enemy of Palestinians.  Palestinians are burning U.S. flags.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Palestine says this is “moment of truth” for the world, decades of traditional peace negotiations a proven failure, PLO reborn!

September 23, resurrected Palestinian Liberation Organization (formerly Palestinian Authority) President Mahmud Abbas gave a long explanation of compromises and sacrifices by Palestinians, going back decades, and example after example of Israeli broken promises.

He then stated that the decades of traditional peace negotiation process has failed Palestinians. It is time for a different approach!

Abbas stated that recognition of Palestine by the United Nations would be a “moment of truth” for the World.  It is time for Palestinians to have freedom and independence!

Palestinians now have only one goal: “To be!”  He then officially asked for the United Nations to recognize Palestine as a member of the UN, a standing ovation followed.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Palestinians make bid for statehood official, Israel masses troops kills Palestinian, Iraq demands Israel get off Palestinian land, Obama sells Israelis bunker busters

September 23, Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas has officially submitted a request for Palestine’s recognition by the United Nations.  It’s the middle of the night in West Bank, but still, tens of thousands of Palestinians are crowding the streets in anticipation.

Israel has deployed 22,000 troops in al Quds (Jerusalem).  Already this week Israel has launched ground raids into West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Today Israeli troops killed a Palestinian after illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians.  About 200 armed Israeli settlers from the Esh Kodesh outpost attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra on September 23, smashing the windows of several houses, throwing stones and burning and uprooting trees.

The Iraqi government is officially demanding that Israel get off Palestinian territory.

Also, Newsweek magazine is reporting that warmonger President Barack Obama authorized the sale of 55 bunker busting bombs to Israel.

Idaho, International, U.S.

U.S. soldier, from Idaho, confesses to killing 15 year old Afghan for the hell of it

“I could see his hands were empty, I could see he didn’t have a weapon.”-PFC Andrew Holmes, U.S. Army

September 22, Private First Class Andrew Holmes, from Boise, Idaho, pled guilty to killing an unarmed teenager in Afghanistan.

“I knew I should have taken cover, but instead I pulled the trigger.”-Andrew Holmes

When Holmes says he “should have taken cover” it’s because a fellow soldier just threw a grenade at the unarmed boy, who was working in a farm field.  Holmes shot the boy with “six to eight rounds” from his machine gun.

Pictures of Holmes with his ‘trophy kill’ were published in Der Spiegel and Rolling Stone magazines.

Two other U.S. Army soldiers have already pled guilty, two more are waiting for their day in military court.