Tag Archives: tea party

International, U.S.

Canadian Police State: It’s official, Canada legalizes Torture. Canadian officials are the real terrorists, by creating a Canadian culture of Fear! The Terrorists have won!

The Canadian media has revealed that in December 2010, the Canadian government essentially legalized the use of torture in the name of “public safety”!

Canadian media sources obtained the info by using Canada’s freedom of information law.  In other words the legalization of torture was not made public by public officials!

The December 2010 approval of the use of torture directly contradicts a 2009 directive, which forbade Canadian courts, and law enforcers, from using statements made by people subjected to torture.

This new directive allows Canadian Security Intelligence Service to use statements from people who’ve been tortured.  A statement by Canada’s Public Safety Minister, Vic Toews, shows how fearful Canadian leaders have become: “Information obtained by torture is always discounted, but the problem is, can one safely ignore it if Canadian lives and property are at stake?”

What’s the definition of terrorism?  It is to spread terror, fear, throughout a society, to cause radical change in that society.  Looks like the terrorist (who ever they are) have won!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Kit Bashing & What Economic Recovery? United States to help Japan’s economy by dropping illegal tariffs, pay back Japan $26 million in illegal tariffs

“We have finally put these burdensome and potentially damaging trade disputes behind us.”-Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative

For decades the U.S. has imposed high tariffs on imports (so much for free trade), claiming the tariffs were “anti-dumping” fines.   The problem is that some of the foreign products affected by those U.S. tariffs were actually cheaper in the country of origin (like plastic model kits from Japan, and some from Europe).

Even after the U.S. created World Trade Organization ruled against the U.S. (five years ago!), regarding the anti-dumping tariffs, the United States continued the unfair trade policy.

Now, in an effort to help Japan’s, and Europe’s, ailing economy, and because Japan was about to levy a similar tariff on U.S. products, the United States will end those tariffs.  The U.S. has also agreed to pay back $26 million in illegal tariffs collected on Japanese products.

The end of the anti-dumping duties also affects European countries.

Unfortunately for us model kit builders, the ending of the tariff might not help our wallets, as the Yen and Euro have gained in value against the U.S. dollar.  The Euro now worth more than the U.S. dollar, but, the Yen is still far cheaper so lets hope those prices come down on Tamiya, Fujimi, Hasegawa and coveted Fine Molds kits.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Toyota has 72% drop in profits, Japanese Yen to blame

Toyota is reporting a huge drop in profits for the last nine months of 2011.  Profits fell by 72%!

But don’t blame the drop in profit on lack of sales. Sales for the same time fell by 10%.

Toyota says the increasing value of the Yen caused the huge drop in profits, and production halts due to natural disasters, in Japan and Thailand, caused the drop in sales.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

White Horse & World War 3: U.S. imposes sanction after sanction against Iran, Acts of War

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.

February 6, 2012, Nobel Peace prize winner, U.S. President Barack Obama, has issued an executive order blocking all Iranian government assets held in U.S. banks.  An executive order means he did this without involving Congress.

This move follows additional sanctions made in January, which effectively cut off Iran’s private banking sector from doing business with the West.

The sanctioning of Iran’s banks come after it was clear that oil embargoes won’t work, since Iran is itself working on a bill to end oil shipments to Europe.

If you study military science you’ll realize that sanctions are indeed acts of war (it’s what caused the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor): “When you put on strong sanctions, those are acts of war.”-Ron Paul, Texas Republican

 

International, U.S.

White Horse, Red Horse & World War 3: U.S. shuts down embassy in Syria, U.K. withdraws ambassador, Russia sends their own observers

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”.

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

Corporate Incompetence: Boeing says ‘Ooops’ finds structural flaw in new 787 Dreamliner

Boeing is reporting that they have found a flaw in parts used to make the troubled 787 Dreamliner.  The parts are made in a South Carolina factory.

Boeing insists the flaw will not affect the safe operation of the aircraft, but then says the parts are used to strengthen the carbon fiber structure of the aircraft.  History is wrought with examples of aircraft crashes because of weakened airframes!

All Nippon Airways is the first airline company to get the 787.   They got their jets three years behind schedule!   The reason for the delay was that Boeing kept encountering strength problems in assembling the high tech light weight components (among other things)!

Business/Economics, International, Technology

What Economic Recovery? Mitsubishi to end European production, 1,500 people will lose their jobs, Thailand the winner

Mitsubishi Motors announced on February 6 that they will close their only factory in Europe.

The factory is in Netherlands, and employees 1,500 people.  Mitsubishi says the factory is outdated, and it’s not worth it to upgrade.

Also, Mitsubishi stressed that they must focus on stronger car markets, like South America, and they are giving up on any chances to increase sales in Europe.  However, they will continue to ship cars to Europe from their factory in Thailand.  They also have a new Thai factory that’s scheduled to begin production in March  (mmm, cheaper Thai labor, I wounder if that’s the real reason they’re shutting down their Dutch factory?).

Mitsubishi is now working with the Dutch government to find a buyer for their Dutch factory.

 

Business/Economics, International

Pale Green Horse & Global Food Crisis: Nepal hit by H5N1

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.

The tiny country of Nepal has been hit with H5N1.

“We sent samples for investigation to London after chickens started to die of a mysterious disease in commercial poultry farms. We have received the test reports today that confirms infection of bird flu in poultry farms…”-Ram Krishna Khatiwada, Directorate of Animal Health

Some people reported feeling strange, but Nepal’s health officials say it is caused by fear, and that they don’t think any people have become infected.  At least 4,000 poultry will be killed in an attempt to stop the spread of H5N1 in Nepal.

 

 

International, U.S.

1.7 million Japanese infected with H3N2

February 5, 2012

Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases has revealed that 1.73 million Japanese are infected with H3N2, a subtype of influenza A (aka Swine Flu, not to be confused with H1N1 Swine Flu).  The last time Japan was hit with H3N2 was five years ago!

According to a report from December, 2011, there were only ten cases of H3N2 reported worldwide, now Japan has 1.73 million!  All ten 2011 cases were in the United States.

There is a problem in dealing with H3N2 as there is actually two H3N2 viruses; one that is human to human, the other is pig to pig.  Back in 2011, health officials tracking H3N2 raised a warning because of the ten cases in the U.S. (mostly in Iowa).  They suspected that a new outbreak of human to human H3N2 was looming.

They were right, at least for Japan, as the 1.73 million people with H3N2 seem to have been infected just within the past month!  Japanese officials say schools have seen the most rapid spread of H3N2.  Many young people between the ages of five and 14 are infected.  All of Japan’s 47 prefectures are dealing with the infection.  So far no deaths are being reported.

 

 

 

International, U.S.

What Global Warming? Europe & Asia suffer freezing WX, at least 420 Europeans freeze to death, even North Africa affected

“It’s awful. I had to walk two hours through freezing temperatures just to get to the metro. The area is full of trees that have fallen on cars but no one’s come to help us.”-Federico Maneski, Rome, Italy

While North America is experiencing a warmer than normal winter, Europe and Asia are breaking records.  From record snowfall in Japan and Korea, to record low temps in Europe.

Japan and South Korea had reported record snowfall, and record freezing temps, but not as freezing as the temps in Europe.

As of February 6, at least 420 Europeans, mostly homeless people, have frozen to death!  Finland has hit -40 Celsius (-104 Fahrenheit)!   The deaths of people who do not have access to heat sources range from France, Italy, Poland, Romania to Ukraine.

In Serbia, an area of 70,000 people has been cut off by record snowfall.  Police and military units have to use helicopters to fly in supplies.  In Croatia, a woman gave birth to a daughter with the help of her neighbors in her village, because the road to the hospital was blocked by snow. She named her daughter Snjezana, which means Snow White in Croatian.

The freezing temps have even hit the North African country of Algeria.  16 people were killed when their cars slid off ice covered roads.