Tag Archives: banks

Technology, U.S.

United Police States of America: Utah National Guard base to become site of largest personal data center in the U.S. You are the target!

Photo via National Security Agency, 28DEC2011.

This is a 2011 photo of the  National Security Agency’s $340-million Gordon Regional Security Operations Center at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and it wasn’t big enough so they’re building a bigger one in Utah.

“this is more than just a data center….Everybody’s a target; everybody with communication is a target.”-unnamed intelligence official

Camp Williams is expanding by 240 acres to become Utah Data Complex, run by the National Security Agency. It will be the biggest ever, and should be completed by 2013.

The center will not only spy on, and collect, domestic emails and phone calls, but even what you buy!

The domestic spy center is costing taxpayers $2 billion to build.

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

Whistleblower & Wikileaks founder Julian Assange running for Australian Senate, hosts Russian TV show

Despite being under house arrest in United Kingdom, Assange is getting a new TV show, and running for political office in Australia.

Assange is scheduled to host The World of Tomorrow for RT (Russia Today): “Assange to record TV series for RT while under house arrest – I am sure it will be an amazing show!” -Margarita Simonyan, RT editor in chief

Assange is also running for a seat in Australia’s Upper House.  Wikileaks is also sponsoring a candidate to challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Evil: Canadians to be raped of at least half a million dollars by Royal family

The visit of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, to Canada this year, is expected to cost the Canadian taxpayers more than $500,000.

The travel expenses documents were published by the Department of Canadian Heritage.  The published costs do not reveal the costs by federal departments and agencies, nor do they take into consideration the security costs.

The last two “royal” visits ended up raping Canadian taxpayers of more than $1 million for each visit.  The 2011 visit by Prince William and Kate Middleton cost the taxpayers more than $1.2 million.  The 2010 visit by Queen Elizabeth cost taxpayers $2.8 million!

 

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

Government Lies: U.S. allows farm Corporations to contiue business with Iran, oil contractors as well. Proof the U.S. sanctions against Iran are bogus, and possibly illegal under current U.S. law created by Republicans!

“If they need something really quick and reliable, the U.S. is there to do it.”-unnamed U.S. wheat trader

It’s been revealed that despite U.S. economic sanctions against Iran, U.S. agricultural giants Cargill and Bunge will sell about 220,000 tons of U.S. wheat to Iran, by April.

Not only that, but Iran is paying more than the going Market rate for wheat, as much as $30 per metric ton more!

So what happened to the U.S. economic sanctions against Iran?  Turns out money does talk, and U.S. officials are willing to turn a blind eye to big Iranian money being spent on U.S. industries: “They seem to be taking hundreds of thousands of tonnes a week. If that’s the case and we repeat 2008, if they buy seven million tonnes of wheat, this is going to be a huge deal for the [U.S.] market.“-another unnamed U.S. wheat trader

This could also be proof that there is no economic recovery taking place inside the United States, forcing officials to go back on threats against Iran.

It’s not just the agriculture industry, even U.S. medical industries and oil contractors, and even Mars candy bar corporation, are allowed to continue business with Iran.  Guess why?  A U.S. law created by Republicans, under the influence of Corporate America, in 2000, allows dozens of U.S. industries to be exempt from any future sanctions against Iran!!!

According to a December 2010 New York Times article, the U.S. government, under Republican President George Bush Jr, enacted a law in the year 2000 that allowed U.S. companies to not only do business with “terrorist” “rogue” states such as Iran and North Korea,  but to be exempt from future sanctions!

Even Democrats complained about the Republican created law: “It’s not a bad thing to grant exceptions if it represents a conscious policy decision to give countries an incentive. But when you create loopholes like this that you can drive a Mack truck through, you are giving countries something for nothing, and they just laugh in their teeth. I think there have been abuses.”-Stuart Eizenstat, former Bill Clinton administration

Fukushima

One Year Later: TEPCo finally looks inside Reactor 4 Fukushima Daiichi, strange white objects in reactor & spent fuel pool!

Tokyo Electric Power Company has finally looked inside GE designed reactor 4, using an underwater camera.

All they could see was “wreckage” and strange “floating white objects”.

Those same “floating white objects” have been observed in reactor 4’s spent fuel pool.  TEPCo said visibility in the spent fuel pool has decreased in the past month.

Visibility is down to one meter (about 3 & half feet), the month prior it was five meters (16 feet)!

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

Oil & Gas Prices: Incompetent Chevron creates new spill in Brazil, unknown oil spill near Seattle, U.S. fisherman still waiting for money from 2010 BP oil spill

Only a few days after Chevron announced it was hopeful in restating oil production in Brazil, ooops, there goes another one!

March 15, 2012, Chevron reported another oil spill, just 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from last November’s spill.  The spill was actually noticed on March 4, but Chevron didn’t report it until now because they didn’t know where it was coming from!

In the U.S. state of Washington, the Department of Ecology is trying to figure out what kind of oil is spilling from two sunken barges.  The oil spill is forming near Lummi Island.

Salvage companies were in the process of cutting up the sunken barges when the oil spilled out. Some officials say the oil could be coming from under the barges. The spill is affecting 200 feet of shoreline.

In U.S. states along the Gulf of Mexico, fisherman still haven’t been paid by British Petroleum.  In 2010 an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil were spilled by BP operations, shutting down the fishing industry.

The Commercial Fishermen of America say at least $2.5 billion in damages were done to the Louisiana fishing industry alone!  The numbers of fish are still below pre-spill levels!

Recently a settlement was made, but it could take years for all the money to be issued.  Another problem is that attorneys are about to unleash a campaign to convince people they can get their money fast, if they only go through their law firm.

Because it will take so long for the money to be issued, the Gulf states could still lose 2,650 to 3,975 jobs, with earnings losses of $68 million to $103 million!

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Government/Corporate Evil: EU cuts funding for Hungary, Hungary tells EU to F Off!

“Hungarians will not live as foreigners dictate, will not give up their independence or their freedom, therefore they will not give up their constitution either!”-Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary

March 15, 2012, Hungary’s Prime Minister told the European Union to basically F Off! 

On March 13, 2012, EU finance ministers suspended half a billion Euros worth of aid to Hungary.  They said it was because Hungary was not co-operating on their demands for fiscal reform.

“This provides a strong incentive for Hungary to conduct sound and sustainable fiscal policy.”-Olli Rehn, EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner

But that’s not the only reason the EU is angry with Hungary.  Hungary has a constitution that states that Hungarians will not recognize laws created by foreigners!

Hungarians are holding anti-EU rallies, and the Prime Minister gave a defiant speech: “Freedom means that we decide about the laws governing our own life, we decide what is important and what isn’t. From the Hungarian perspective, with a Hungarian mindset, following the rhythm of our Hungarian hearts. We will not be a colony!”

The EU is now threatening legal action if Hungary does not change its constitution.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government/Corporate Evil: Greek taxes will increase, collections to be privatized, EU officials sending in the tax collecting troops

At the end of February the European Union said it was sending in tax collection forces to help the new, unelected Greek government take money from the people.

On March 15, 2012, the EU tax collection task force (including 160 German tax man troops!) said Greece has already collected about U.S.$1.2 billion.

On March 14, 2012, New Democracy party leader Antonis Samaras, said not only is the Greek government going to increase taxes, but they’re going to privatize the tax collection business: “If necessary we will get tax oriented companies like KPMG to help collect taxes. We have to make an appeal for outsourcing, even in collecting taxes and we’ll also try to make public employees more competitive.”

Making public employees “more competitive” is code for reducing their pay and benefits even more!  Now you know why the Greek people are still fighting in the streets.

KPMG is a Swiss company that specializes in tax collections. They have operations in the United States, and more than 150 countries!

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Germany to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014

“A strategic pact is going to be signed between German Chancellor and Afghan president Hamid Karzai in the near future, but Germany is a close friend of Afghanistan besides the strategic pact and will continue to its cooperation. Germany remains committed to support Afghanistan economically and technically beyond 2014.”-Thomas de Maiziére, German Defense Minister

Without giving details the Defense Minister of Germany said his country will continue to provide Afghanistan will economic and technical support for years to come.

Afghan officials seemed pleased: “Germany has always been supportive whenever Afghanistan was in crisis and the Afghan government and people urge for further cooperation of Germany.”-Abdul Rahim Wardak, Afghan Defense Minister

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

What Economic Recovery? NEC lays off thousands, cuts executive incentives 40%, 1st Japanese company to do so

One of Japan’s oldest electronics appliance makers, NEC, is the first Japanese company to announce huge cuts for Union workers AND executives!

Union labor is asked to take a 4% pay cut, on top of 10,000 workers being laid off!  But, wait there’s more!  Managers will also get hit with a 4% cut in pay.  And executives were told their bonuses will be 40% less!

NEC officials say the company has lost about $1.2 billion, for their business end of year (which is in March)!  They blame natural disasters and the increasing value of the Japanese yen (which is actually caused by the declining value of the U.S. dollar).