“Starting from Monday, we will take new strong measures, notably a freezing of the assets of the Syrian Central Bank.”-Alan Juppe, Foreign Minister of France
Another “unbiased” announcement made as the Friends of Syria conference commenced: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is calling on all countries to steal Syrian assets and boycott oil from the country.
Right before the Friends of Syria conference began, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, William Hague, said they will recognize the U.S. created Syrian National Council as a “….legitimate representative of the Syrian people.”
This supports yesterday’s claim by Russia, that the Friends of Syria conference is biased and therefore not legitimate.
Hague went on to imply a threat of war against Russia and China, if they did not comply with the wishes of the west: “It is very important in Moscow and Beijing for there to be a re-evaluation of the position….We have in the European Union an arms embargo on Syria, so of course we will observe that arms embargo in all directions.“
Chinese media reporting that a man jumped to his death on February 18, and a woman did the same on February 15. The local government officials claim they are investigating.
The two slave wage employees worked at Nanshan International Stationery. The man had been trapped their for eight years! Many people in the United States don’t realize these Chinese factory cities are literally walled in cities. When you sign a contract to work there you’re stuck inside.
Nanshan International Stationery has Western investors, through Hong Kong. Officials at the factory said “personal problems” were the cause of the suicides. Yeah, I agree that eight years trapped in a factory city would cause personal problems!
Despite rosy depictions, by the U.S. mainstream media, of the Vice President of China’s visit to the United States, things are not warm and fuzzy!
Vice President Xi Jinping, recently restated demands from China, that the United States end economic restrictions against China: “It is very important when addressing the China-U.S. trade imbalance that the United States adjusts its economic policies and structure, including removing various restrictions on exports to China, in particular, (and) easing controls on civilian high-tech exports to China as soon as possible.”
China’s restatement of such demands comes as reports revealed that China dumped another $3.19 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds, back in December 2011.
In total, for all of 2011 China sold off $59.4 billion in U.S. Treasuries. But China still holds a lot of U.S. bonds; $1.10 trillion as of December 2011.
This means China has a lot of room to maneuver, when it comes to monetary action. Some analysts say China is dumping U.S. bonds in order to provide cash to help the European economy, and because the U.S. dollar just isn’t a safe haven anymore: “The overall movement away from the U.S. dollar indicates that people are not looking for a ‘safe haven’ as much as they were in late 2011, when the markets globally fell hard on concerns about the situation in Europe. The Chinese are boosting their purchases of European and other bonds because of the need to help stabilize those economies around the world that are major markets for Chinese goods [this also indicates that the U.S. is no longer a major market for the Chinese].”-David Riedel, Riedel Research Group
The earliest form of H5N1 was discovered in Scotland in 1959, where it killed off a couple of flocks of poultry. That’s the thing, H5N1 bird flu seems to target domesticated birds, poultry, not wild birds.
Since 1959 H5N1 has mutated into more than 700 versions (depending on your source), and the main target is still domesticated poultry. In some U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies, it was noted that many wild birds who died from H5N1 became infected after eating chicken feed!
By 2008 global health officials felt secure, because vaccines against several types of H5N1 had been developed and seem to be working. But now, just two months into 2012 and several Asian countries are dealing with epidemic sized outbreaks, killing tens of thousands of poultry, and at least two people in Vietnam.
In regards to Vietnam, back in the summer of 2011, Vietnamese health officials stopped their vaccination program. They discovered it wasn’t working, due to the fact that they were dealing with a completely new version of H5N1!
I noticed that part of the culling of poultry involves the feed itself.
Some bloggers have posted stories and pics of catfish farms in Jakarta and Java, that regularly feed dead chickens, chicken manure and chicken feed to their catfish! The bloggers’ concern is over the spread of H5N1 from the chickens through the catfish to humans who eat the catfish. There is apparently no health organization in the world investigating this. Health officials do say that cooking the food long enough will kill the virus.
Since H5N1 spreads only through domesticated poultry, how in the hell does it get from Scotland, all the way ’round the world to Asia? Poultry products are normally eaten in the country that produces them. Apparently wild birds don’t get too far once they get infected (it makes you wounder why health officials seem to be so concerned over migratory birds).
Here’s another problem, H5N1 doesn’t spread well in the air, so it’s hard to get it from someone coughing or sneezing. The World Health Organization has postulated that humans get it from being in very close contact with poultry. It might be kicked up in the dust as they walk, or it actually sticks to something that the human brings near their face, or it gets into cuts on the skin.
So how is it spreading so fast and so intensely? Vietnam admits that their latest outbreak is due to a new version of H5N1, and, poultry being brought into their country illegally. They don’t know where the domesticated birds came from!
Australia does not have a problem with H5N1 cases. But it’s not because Australia shoots down all the migratory wild birds, it’s because they have a strict quarantine policy on importing domesticated birds! (and another very important reason you’ll read at the end of this article)
Again, it’s domesticated birds, mainly poultry that’re the target of H5N1.
As an example of how concerned some governments are getting over domesticated birds catching H5N1, in 2006 Germany went on a domesticated bird hunt, arbitrarily killing not only poultry, but pets like homing pigeons. Two German free range farmers, who had their entire uninfected flocks culled, killed themselves in protest. This brings up another issue; Germany used the H5N1 scare to shut down free range poultry farms, favoring the bigger corporate factory poultry farms!
What about the feed? Health officials say don’t let the feed and water get contaminated. But which really comes first? Since it’s been proven that the 1959 H5N1, and it’s subsequent hundreds of mutations specifically target domesticated poultry, then it’s not wild birds that’re contaminating the feed and water (as some governmental health organizations insist).
Health officials claim that the feed and water gets contaminated when an infected bird craps in it. That works if you don’t know where your getting your poultry from, like in Vietnam. But what about places that have created more rules like Hong Kong? Hong Kong is dealing with a new outbreak of H5N1, they know where the chickens came from; southern China. Yet China seems to be dealing mainly with human cases of H5N1. Two people died between December 2011, and January 2012, and one of them had no contact with birds of any kind.
I wonder if the guy who died without being around birds, got it from poultry feed? He was a bus driver, could have been transporting chicken feed.
A December 2011 Journal of Virology report said there was a direct link between human H5N1 cases and poultry markets. It is the first report to do so: “Among these 69 samples, we isolated a total of 12 highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses from four of the six live bird markets….the genetic sequence of the environmental and corresponding human isolates was similar (with a sequence identity of greater than 99%), demonstrating a solid link between human infection and live poultry markets.”-Yuelong Shu, author of study
They also studied 38 human H5N1 cases and found they “…were consistent with those identified in poultry outbreaks or in live poultry markets.” In other words humans don’t get H5N1 from wild birds, they get it from poultry raised in close quarters (too bad Germany shut down their free range farmers).
Again, if wild birds are not the true source of the H5N1 virus, then how are the chickens getting it?
Check out this statement: “H5N1 is mainly spread by domestic poultry, both through the movements of infected birds and poultry products and through the use of infected poultry manure as fertilizer or feed.”
The use of manure as feed? The above quote might have originated with the United Nations’ World Health Organization, but it’s being used by many health organization and on medical information websites.
Yes indeed, crap is used in farm animal feed, like feed for cows: “Recycled animal waste, such as processed chicken manure and litter, has been used as a feed ingredient for almost 40 years [Mmmm, this was posted in 2001, and the first H5N1 case was in 1959, that’s 42 years, mmmm]. This animal waste contains large amounts of protein, fiber, and minerals, and has been deliberately mixed into animal feed for these nutrients. Generally, animal waste is used within the State where it is produced because the bulk and weight of the product makes interstate shipment uneconomical. Normally, this animal waste is used by small farmers and owners of beef and dairy herds as a winter supplement for mother cows and weaned calves.”-U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine
In the United States most farm animal feed is augmented with chicken crap. But the FDA says strict rules are followed. It might explain why H5N1 isn’t a big deal in the U.S., yet (remember Mad Cow disease?). It could also explain why Asian countries are having such a bad time with H5N1. What are their regulations regarding the use of chicken crap in their chicken feed? Have they created a vicious cycle with unregulated chicken feed that’s full of infected chicken crap?
I wonder why Germany shut down their free range poultry farmers in favor of corporate factory farmers who feed their chickens their own crap? Is the chicken crap industry that powerful?
Oh, and what about Australia? It turns out that the real reason Australia is not having a problem with H5N1 is that chicken crap is banned from use as animal feed in Australia!!!
The Aussie law is called the Ruminant Feed Ban: “Farmers need to take precautions to ensure that poultry litter and poultry manure are not fed to any livestock species, and that poultry feed is not fed to ruminants [cows, goats, deers, ie plant eaters]. This is important both for guaranteeing the safety of our food and for ensuring that Australia can continue to demonstrate ongoing freedom from BSE [aka Mad Cow, hello!] for the protection of vital export markets for meat and livestock.”
It looks like the best way to avoid getting some form of H5N1 is to raise your own chickens, or support free range poultry farming, or move to Australia. Would you eat crap?
I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
February 12, 2012, the Arab League (AL) is calling for an end to “all forms of diplomatic cooperation”, and “tighter economic sanctions”. Instead they want war with Syria!
In a new AL resolution, they are demanding military action by the United Nations. The resolution also says all forms of communication with Syrian rebels should be opened up. (‘communications’ is a military term that also means supplies, like weapons and ammo)
Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud al-Faisal, backs that up saying the AL should “give all forms of support” to the rebels.
Russia doubts the sincerity of the Arab League, and says the AL observers weren’t in Syria long enough to collect viable evidence: “We would like to know why they are treating such a useful instrument in this way. I would support an increased number of observers. We are surprised that after a decision was taken on prolonging the observers’ mission for another month, some countries, particularly Persian Gulf countries, recalled their observers from the mission.”-Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister
The AL’s resolution will be presented to the UN on the same day that the Human Rights Commission is to make their report, February 13. It’s been reported that the Human Rights Commission will make charges of war crimes against the Syrian government. (think we’d see such charges brought against the U.S. government?)
The UN General Assembly could go around the UN Security Council, on the grounds of human rights violations. Russia and China vetoed the UNSC resolution against Syria.
The UN’s World Health Organization recently said China was being hit with influenza B. On February 8, officials with the Chinese National Influenza Center said their research shows the current flu B is still preventable with flu shots.
Officials said that the current B strain has not mutated to a drug resistant form. They also said that the number of cases in China are at “acceptable” levels.
Influenza B affects humans and seals, and is not in the same family as influenza A (which includes swine flu).
I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other.
Russia is sending their own observer team to Syria, after joining China in blocking the U.S. backed UNSC resolution. Russian officials say they tried to get the U.S. to wait for a report from Russian observers, before voting on the resolution: “Certain Western states are trying to obscure the developments with hysterical statements on Russia’s veto of the Syria resolution. To put the Syria resolution to a vote despite our request to wait for Russia’s report after its visit to Damascus is disrespectful.”-Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia
Russia also insists the so called democracy movement is an insurrection by the U.S., and Arab countries not friendly with Syria: “The Russian establishment and public opinion don’t buy the picture of a peaceful pro-democracy movement suppressed by dictatorship. Well trained and heavily armed rebel groups have support from the outside, primarily from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.”-Fyodor Lukyanov, Russian foreign policy analyst
Also today, the Nobel Peace prize winning U.S. President Barack Obama ordered the closing of the U.S. embassy in Syria. Even though Obama makes statements saying foreign military intervention should not occur, closing your embassy is usually associated with an expected increase in warlike violence.
The United Kingdom has recalled its ambassador to Syria. Again, another move usually associated with war. U.K. Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has also made a formal complaint with the Syrian ambassador in London.
Hague has also accused Russia and China of “betraying the Syrian people”.
I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Just reported out of Moscow, Russia and China has officially vetoed the latest United Nations Security Council resolution against Syria.
Russia says one reason they vetoed the U.S. backed resolution was because it sanctioned only Syrian government forces, not rebel groups such as the U.S./Israeli supported Free Syrian Army (which is responsible for most of the violence in Syria).
Analysts say the United States, and European countries who want war with Syria, must now prove their claims in order to push for another try at a UNSC resolution. It is highly likely that the U.S. and EU will act against Syria without UN support.
I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
In the past few weeks several wild birds have turned up dead, in Hong Kong, of H5N1. On January 26, a dead goose tested positive for H5N1. Of interest is that it was not from a poultry farm, and was no where near poultry when it was found. Then on January 30, a dead peregrine falcon was found. It died of H5N1, and was no where near any poultry farms. Also on January 30, a black headed gull was found dead of H5N1, however it was found within three km (1.8 miles) of chicken farms.
In Bangladesh, officials have revealed they’ve been dealing with a full blown epidemic involving a dozen poultry farms.
From November to January 31, 67,327 birds and 69,390 eggs were destroyed, in an effort to stop the spread of H5N1. Officials pointed out that normally the height of the H5N1 season is usually January/February, but they’ve been dealing with this latest outbreak since November!
Farmers in Bangladesh suffered such drastic poultry culling through the winter of 2009/10 as well.
Bangladesh was first hit with H5N1 in March 2007. Many Asian countries have killed hundreds of thousands of farm birds, in an effort to stop H5N1. Such action has to adversely affect food supply, and prices.