Tag Archives: crime

International, U.S.

World War 3: NATO copter shot down, U.S. drone crashes, U.S. led troops killed, more assassinations, Australian General backs up U.S. General’s claim that this is a “critical year”

An ISAF report says: “An International Security Assistance Force rotary wing [helicopter] unmanned aerial vehicle crashed in northern Afghanistan today.”  ISAF does not believe it was shot down.  No further details.

Some speculate that since the drone was a helicopter that it might be what witnesses are calling a NATO helicopter crash, in Baghlan Province.  The province is under the control of Hungarian NATO forces.  No further details.

Also, ISAF confirms reports that U.S. led troops have been attacked and killed. As is SOP with ISAF they will not give out details, other than the attack took place in eastern Afghanistan on April 6.

ISAF says the current death toll for U.S./NATO/ISAF troops is at 104 since the beginning of this year.

On the morning of April 6, 2012, a peace negotiator and one of his sons were assassinated when a bomb exploded. A third person was also killed.  The explosion happened after Islamic Friday Prayers.  It happened in Kunar Province.

Major-General Stuart Smith, Commander of Australian Operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan, re-stated what USMC General John R. Allen said recently: ”This is a critical year.”

Australian forces are beginning to hand over control of AOs (Areas of Operation) to Afghan government forces. Currently Australian forces operate in Oruzgan Province (aka Urōzgān, Uruzgan or Rōzgān): ”This is a year that, if the Afghan government asks us to, we will start the transition of handing over security responsibilities in Oruzgan to the Afghan Security Forces.”

However, General Smith made it clear that such hand over to Afghan government forces did not mean Western forces were leaving: “….that challenge will go on for a little while yet, beyond 2014.”

 

 

 

Fukushima

One Year Later: Japanese government makes it official, permanent no go radiation zones!

Just two days ago the Japanese Reconstruction Minister made an unofficial announcement; there could be indefinite radiation no go zones around Fukushima Daiichi.

Today, April 6, 2012, Hirano Tatsuo made the official announcement.

Some areas will be off limits indefinitely, others could be 10 to 20 years.  Officials from towns located next to the nuclear disaster reactors agree, however residents are pissed.

One 63 year old man said living as a refugee sucks! He wants to return to his home, which is just 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the nuclear plant.

Those areas outside the no go zones will be re-zoned to allow gradual staged return of residents.

Fukushima

One Year Later: Fukushima school enrollment down 70%!

Enrollment at grade schools in Fukushima Prefecture are down 70%.

Before the March 2011 nuclear disaster began at Fukushima Daiichi, there were 54 elementary and junior high schools in the Prefecture.  Now only 42 schools are open, and they are operating in rented areas away from their original locations.

School officials say many families have moved away permanently.

Fukushima

One Year Later: Japanese city offers radiation check up for your house, limited time offer!

A city 140 km (87 miles) from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster is offering radiation checkups for residents.

Utsunomiya City, north of Tokyo, started the service because of demands from taxpayers.

The city says they can check up to five houses per day, inspecting up to three specific areas requested by the inhabitants, such as the entry way or bedroom, etc.

Inspections done so far show radiation levels below the official safe limits.  This is a limited time offer ending in September.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government/Corporate Evil & Class Warfare: 12 Myths of Western Capitalist “Democracy”, if you’re a commoner your chances of success are as good as playing the lottery!

The following quotes were published on 7 January 2012, by Portuguese economist Guilherme Alves Coelho.

Myth 1: Under capitalism, anyone who works hard can become rich.

“In fact, the probability of success in the capitalist system for the average citizen is the same as you winning the lottery.”

Myth 2: Capitalism creates wealth and prosperity for all.

“The objective is to enable the employer to accumulate indefinite wealth without being asked how they did it. At the same time the hope is maintained that sooner or later workers will be rewarded for their work and dedication.” 

Myth 3: We are all in the same boat.

“The goal is to create a guilt complex for workers, allowing capitalists to increase revenues and pass their expenses onto the people.”

This is similar to Mitt Romney style vulture capitalism, in which “investors” like Romney used other people’s money to make profits.

Myth 4: Capitalism means freedom.

“The goal is to create something similar to a religion of capitalism, where everything is taken as blind faith, and deny people the right to participate in making macroeconomic decisions. The myth of the freedom to “negotiate” for your job being considered the ultimate freedom.”

Myth 5: Capitalism means democracy.

“This myth, which smoothly follows from the previous one, was created in order to prevent the discussion of other models of societies.”

Myth 6: Elections equal democracy.

“It’s actually the capitalist system, that manipulates and corrupts everything, that the vote is conditioned and elections are merely formal acts.  The simple fact of the bourgeois class minority always winning elections demonstrates it’s non-representative.”

Don’t forget, one of the main reason for the 1776 Revolution that created the United States was no representation in the British government!

Myth 7: Alternating parties in office is the same as having an alternative.

“It is intended to make people believe that the political parties that alternate periodically in power have alternative policies.  In fact this apparent multi-system or bi-partisan is a one-party system. Two or more factions of the same political organization, sharing the same capitalist policies alternate in power, simulating independent parties with alternative policies.”

Another way to say this is the Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin.

Myth 8: The elected politician represents the people and can therefore decide for them.

“…once in power, the elected…Does not fulfill what he promised and what is even worse, put in place measures that were not talked about publicly before, often opposite what was promised and even unconstitutional.” 

“…being a major cause of the growing number of people who do not vote.”

Myth 9: There is no alternative to Capitalism.

“It is intended to make people believe that capitalism, though not perfect, is the only political/economic regime possible…The aim is to eliminate competition from other systems…using all means, including force…”

This is ironic considering the masses are always told that capitalism is about competition, or that competition is good.

Myth 10: Austerity cuts (severe and enforced economic deprivations) will save the economy and your job.

“It is intended to make people believe that the blame for the economic crisis is caused by the excess of benefits for workers….The aim is basically to transfer to the public, people in general and for workers specifically, the responsibility of paying the debts of the capitalists. Make people accept the plundering of their property in the belief that better days will come later. It is also intended to facilitate the privatization of public/government services….without mentioning that these were the most profitable sectors of the state, whose future earnings are lost as a result.”

Myth 11: Less government equals better government.

“It is intended to make people believe that the private sector manages the state better than the public sector.  The actual goal of capitalists is…to facilitate the takeover of functions and assets of profitable government operations.”

This is exactly what is going on with the U.S. Postal Service.  The USPS is not in trouble because they’re not making money, they’re in trouble because the U.S. Congress refuses to hand over the money the USPS has made from selling postal services (the money earned is actually controlled by Congress).  Remember the U.S. Congress is controlled by Corporate America.

Myth 12: The current crisis of Capitalism is short-term and will be resolved for the benefit of the people.

“It is intended to make people believe that the current economic and financial crisis is a normal cyclical crisis of capitalism, and not a systemic/intentional crisis.  The aim of the capitalists…is continuing to plunder and exploit the people while they can. It has also served for some politicians to remain in power, fueling hope among people that better days will come if they continue to vote for them…..what we see is the continuous deterioration of living standards of people without any hope of improvement.”

Guilherme Alves Coelho also warned that as Western style “democratic” capitalism continues to fail, the capitalist elites will force the working class to make more and more sacrifices.  Proof of this are the continuing and increasing austerity measures implemented by Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and United Kingdom, to name a few.  The austerity cuts have been taking place in the various states of the United States since 1999/2000, but they’re not called austerity, they’re called “reforms”, “improvements” and “cutting costs” supposedly to save taxpayer dollars (have they really saved taxpayers any money?).

This is clearly class warfare already being waged by the elites against the rest of us.  Coelho says we the People need to prepare for the final battle: “Today, more than ever, you need to create barriers to the final round of capitalist barbarism, reverse the situation, by presenting other political solutions, refusing the obscure statements of the elites by demanding clarification, and mobilizing and organizing the people.”

 

Fukushima

One Year Later: Some Fukushima farm animals will be allowed to live

Last year the Japanese government said all farm animals within the 20 kilometer (12.42 miles) radiation no go zone, around Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant, had to be killed (if they weren’t already dead).

Now the government says those animals that are still alive can live, provided the farmers do not ship them off to food markets.

This comes after farmers refused to follow through with the order to cull radioactive animals.  Turns out about 700 farm animals are still alive within the no go zone.

Farmers must not breed the animals, or allow them to mingle with new animals that are not contaminated.

ONE YEAR LATER: JAPAN DEVELOPS THEIR FIRST EVER MOBILE PET CLINIC, TO HELP THE HUNDRED OF ANIMALS STILL SUFFERING IN IWATE

ONE YEAR LATER: JAPANESE BAMBOO NOW RADIOACTIVE, 124 MILES AWAY FROM FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI!

Fukushima

One Year Later: Even more Strontium pouring into the Pacific Ocean from Fukushima!

April 5, 2012, Tokyo Electric Power Company is admitting that even more strontium 90 is pouring into the Pacific Ocean from the GE designed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

TEPCo officials say at least 12 tons of contaminated water poured into the ocean overnight.  They blame it on the usual suspect; leaking pipes!

Around 02:00 the morning of April 5, workers found a joint in a waste water pipe had been disconnected, causing the huge leak.  It took them half an hour to fix it.

This is the third major strontium leak reported by TEPCo, since December 2011.

Business/Economics, International

Class Warfare: David Cameron plays Robin Hood with bank accounts and Charities, another game of smoke and mirrors

April 4, 2012, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, announced that the British government will start raiding bank accounts, officially to fund charities.

The British plan (called Big Society Capital) claims to be targeting bank accounts that have been inactive for more than 15 years.

The British government has realized how bad of an effect their slashing and burning of social programs is having on the general population of the U.K.   So, they’ve come up with this plan of raiding bank accounts, supposedly belonging to wealthier Britons, in order to fund charities now struggling to deal with growing social strife due to the government funding cuts.

There is also a catch to this plan to help the poor, charities must prove they are helping people and that their programs are successful, or else the money stops: “Big Society Capital is going to encourage charities and social enterprises to prove their business models, and then replicate them. Once they’ve proved that success in one area they’ll be able, just as a business can, to seek investment for expansion into the wider region and into the country.”-David Cameron, Prime Minister United Kingdom

To add confusion about the sincerity of the Big Society Capital plan, some bank officials have told inactive account holders not to worry, because if they ask for their money back they’ll get it.

History shows that whenever the elites of Briton put a capitalist spin on social programs they always end in disaster for the poor.

International, U.S.

World War 3: More huge drug busts, dozens more deaths, Mujahideen Spring Offensive rolls on

April 4, 2012, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) officials claim 227 kilograms (500 pounds) of marijuana was found in Kandahar Province, during a routine patrol.

The day before, in Nimroz Province, aircraft spotted two suspicious vehicles.  A search turned up more than 3,150 pounds (1,430 kilograms) of drugs.  ISAF claims they destroyed the drugs.

ISAF is also reporting four more U.S. led NATO soldiers were killed on April 4.   One was killed in an ambush by Mujahideen in eastern Afghanistan, the other three were killed when their vehicle hit a mine in northern Afghanistan.

As usual ISAF refuses to give even a location where the incident took place: “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.”-ISAF statement

ISAF is also claiming that U.S. led forces, including Afghan government forces, have killed or captured 14 Mujahideen in the past 24 hours.

Also, on the morning of April 4, in Faryab Province an explosion killed at least five civilians and six U.S. led troops, and wounded about 26 others.

According to local security boss, Abdul Khaliq Aqsai, it was a suicide bomber who attacked a ISAF/NATO convoy, which just happened to be near the provincial governor’s office.  ISAF has not commented.

In Kandahar Province, a local police chief was assassinated, about noon time April 4.  The provincial governor’s office said they do not know who did it.

 

 

 

 

Fukushima

One Year Later: Japanese official says some areas of Japan will be radioactive forever. Duh, just ask the people of Prypiat, if you can find them!

About one year ago, Japanese government officials swore to the refugees fleeing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, that they’d be returning home soon.

Not only did that turn out to be a lie, but one official now says some towns will never be inhabitable.

On April 4, 2012, Japan’s reconstruction minister, Hirano Tatsuo, told the Governor of Fukushima Province, and the Mayor of Futaba Town, that because of the storage of highly radioactive waste coming from Fukushima Daiichi, the areas around that waste can never be lived in.

There are areas of Fukushima Province, being used to store hundreds of tons of contaminated water (left over from trying to keep the disaster reactors cool), that are being irradiated by the deadly levels of radiation in the water.

The Japanese media is pointing out that Hirano’s opinion runs counter to the official statements of the government.  The Japanese government continues to promise the nuclear refugees that they will be able to return to all their homes.

Here’s a thought: It’s been proven that Fukushima Daiichi is worse than Chernobyl, and yet, how many people have been allowed to return to Prypiat, the town next to the Chernobyl nuclear plant, 26 years later?  Zero!

Prypiat had nearly 50,000 people prior to the Chernobyl explosion in 1986.  Now it’s a city full of vacant and ghostly skyscrapers.