Tag Archives: u.s.

International, U.S.

World War 3: New U.S. commander in Afghanistan says the U.S. is not leaving, more proof that Obama is not a man of peace, more ignorance of cultural realities

“The plan is to win. The plan is to be successful. So while some folks may hear that we are departing in 2014 as a result of the Lisbon conference and the transition, we’re actually going to be here for a long time.”-John Allen, General USMC

The original publicly, and loudly stated goal of invading Afghanistan was to get Osama bin Laden, and al Qaeda.  A secondary goal was to topple the Taliban government.  All those goals have been achieved, but General Allen says we’re not leaving.

The United States could be in Afghanistan for decades.  Maybe we’ll even invade Pakistan, especially since the U.S. main stream media is now touting the Pentagon’s claims that the Taliban are using Pakistan as a base of operations.

There are Pakistanis that might call themselves Taliban, but the word means Student!  So how many people are simply calling themselves a student, and U.S. intelligent agents are taking it as Terrorist?

Then there’s the Haqqani “network” which is nothing more than a family run freedom fighter operation (notice that any freedom fighter in Afghanistan is automatically labeled Taliban by the media), after all we invaded them, not the other way ’round!  Once again, not one Afghan was involved with 9/11!  Just as well, not one Pakistani was involved with 9/11!

Another thing, the majority of Afghans (42%) are Pashtun, they just happen to make up most of the members of the political organization called Taliban.  Many of the people in northwestern Pakistan are Pashtun (second largest ethnic group in Pakistan). They are direct relatives of those in Afghanistan.  That’s because northwestern Pakistan used to be part of the Kingdom of Afghanistan (before the British took control, in fact there was no Pakistan until after World War 2).

So, from the view point of the Pashtuns (who’re considered the dominant ethnic Afghans) they are not “using” Pakistan as a base, because they see that area of Pakistan as their ancestral Afghan territory to begin with.  This is one of the reasons the Pakistani government is so hesitant to take direct military control over that region.  Ever since the creation of Pakistan the northwestern territory has actually been under direct control of the Pashtuns.

Basically the United States has decided to wage war with the majority of the people in that region, in order to impose upon them a government run by a pro-U.S. minority.  Sounds like Vietnam.

Towards the end of the war between the U.S. and Vietnam many people warned that the U.S. had to stay in Vietnam to prevent possible attacks against U.S. territories by Vietnamese commie terrorists.  Gee, I guess we’re still waiting for those dreaded Vietnamese attacks, 36 years later!

International, U.S.

World War 3: United Nations proves that Israel is at war with Palestine

Just because the main stream media isn’t reporting it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening.  For months now U.S. supported Israel has been launching ground raids into West Bank and Gaza Strip, while also launching air strikes on Gaza Strip.

Now the United Nations is finally saying something about it!  The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says the amount of violence brought against Palestinians, by the Israeli military, has increased in the past year.

The number of Palestinian civilians killed or injured is a third higher than last year.  Add to that the fact that illegal Israeli settlers have been on the warpath.  Violent acts by settlers are up 38% compared to last year!

Just in the past few weeks Israeli settlers have forced Palestinians off their property, burned their homes, uprooted their olive trees and burned them, and just a few days ago attacked and tried to burn down a mosque.  They also burned several Qur’ans.

Clearly Israel is at war with Palestine.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Class War: Occupy Los Angeles occupies City Hall, indefinitely. Protestors are leaderless, collectivley organized and highly educated

“I spent seven years at the University of Michigan getting a PHD in Medieval European History, and I realized that I wasn’t making a difference there, and I thought I can make more of a difference on the street organizing people, getting the 99% out to have a voice.”-Occupy LA protestor

October 3, protestors in Los Angeles, California, have occupied city hall and say they will stay there for as long as possible.

Volunteers from the National Lawyers Guild are educating protesters about their legal rights in case they are confronted by police.  But some protestors believe that eventually the police will join the protests: “…their pensions are under attack, their overtime is under attack, their benefits are under attack. So once they realize they’re actually part of this movement, I foresee no problems.”-Occupy LA protestor

The continued expansion of the “occupy” movement across the United States has even protestors amazed: “The leadershiplessness of this movement is incredible! The number of the people, the commitment of the people, the collective education of the people.  The moment is ripe!”-Occupy LA protestor

U.S.

United Police States of America: Supreme Court says you lose all Privacy Rights if you’re arrested

The Supreme Court refused to hear a case concerning Constitutional Privacy Rights for people who’ve been arrested.  Specifically the ability of police to search your cell phone for info.

By refusing to hear the case, the Supreme Court essentially upheld a lower court’s ruling that no search warrant is needed to search your personal belongings once you’ve been arrested.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Unemployed young men in Idaho more than national average

According to Federal numbers, the percentage of unemployed young men in Idaho is more than the national average.

In 2009 the national average was 17%, in Idaho it hit 20%!  Idaho’s 2010 rate was around 18%.

Unemployment claims are down, but according to Idaho Labor Department officials that’s because people just don’t qualify for unemployment assistance anymore.  One official said about 100 people per week are falling off the state unemployment assistance simply because they’ve exceeded the time limit.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Class War: Occupy Wall Street protests escalate, more than 700 arrested after Brooklyn Bridge blocked, hundreds arrested in Boston, Occupy Chicago continues, Occupy Los Angeles grows

“Over 700 summonses and desk appearance tickets have been issued in connection with a demonstration on the Brooklyn Bridge late this afternoon after multiple warnings by police were given to protesters to stay on the pedestrian walkway, and that if they took roadway they would be arrested.”-official police statement

October 1, what had to be several thousands of protestors took over the Brooklyn Bridge.  It had to be several thousand because New York city police say they arrested more than 700 of them.  The bridge is now open to vehicular traffic.

“This is our Tahrir Square. We’ll stay here for months if we have to.”-Emilio Baez, Chicago protestor

The protests in Chicago, Illinois, are now a week old.  At lest 30 people are protesting in front of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.  The protestors are calling for the end of the Federal Reserve.

“We had to set a stand to let Bank of America know they cannot foreclose on families and put them out on the street.”-Carolyn Grant, Boston protester

In Boston, Massachusetts, about one hundred people were arrested during protests in front of Bank of America’s headquarters. Reports vary on the number of protestors, from several hundred to more than 3,000!

Boston cops made statements that revealed their true attitude: “They wanted to be arrested, and we obliged.”-Edward F. Davis, Boston police Commissioner

In Los Angeles, California, several hundred people continued the on again off again, Occupy LA protests, by marching to city hall.  No arrests were made, people driving by joined in by honking their horns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Class War: Studies reveal Money does make you happier, but it only drives you to want more

A Chinese newspaper gathered data from studies done around the world, about wealth, and the people who have it, and found that many common myths about having lots of money are false.

I always heard that “money doesn’t buy happiness”, turns out that’s a lie. One study, by Justin Wolfers and Betsey Stevenson, concluded:

1) Rich people are happier than poor people.

2) Richer countries are happier than poorer countries.

3) As countries get richer, they tend to get happier.

However, Psychologist David Myers says the degree of happiness depends on the relative disparity between the rich and the poor.  Apparently the more impoverished a country is, the more happier the rich bastards become (is that why Wall Street is trying to take down main street U.S.A.?).

Also, University of Michigan researcher Ronald Inglehart discovered that once a person becomes wealthy, it takes even more and more money to keep them happy, like a drug addict (again, is that why Wall Street is trying to take down main street U.S.A.?).

What about the myth of suicides and rich people losing their money?  Many people think of the Crash of ’29, when supposedly dozens of people jumped to their deaths, from their high rise offices, after losing all their money in the stock markets.

While some rich people do kill themselves, people living in poverty are still more likely to end it all.  Several studies have been done, including by the UN World Health Organization, and they conclude that the majority of suicides involve people living in rural (poor) areas!

U.S. deaths are caused by poverty…. about the same as deaths from heart attacks and stroke, study finds

The Global Social Crisis: Report on the World Social Situation 2011

Every Thirty Minutes: Farmer Suicides, Human Rights, and the Agrarian Crisis in India

Poverty, Mental Illness and Suicide Linked

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

Class War, What Economic Recovery? Warren Buffett says the Elites have won, his propsed tax on the Elites is first step to increasing taxes on everyone else

“There’s been class warfare going on for the last 20 years, and my class has won.”-Warren Buffett, legendary investor

In the U.S. Congress Republicans have been misquoting Warren Buffett, saying he’s not really for the proposed tax increase (aka The Buffett Rule) on the Elites.  Oh, he’s for it alright.

In a recent interview with a CNN reporter Buffett was asked how an increase in taxes, on the extreme minority of rich elites, would help the government’s debt problem?  Buffett admitted: “It probably would come in at 20 billion [increased tax collections from elites], but no one thing is gonna solve the deficit of over a trillion.” He went on to explain that it’s a necessary first step in preparing everyone to accept tax increases, and even more cuts to social services:  “…I think that getting people to buy in, in this country, to the kind of ‘shared sacrifice’ that’s going to be needed, it’s going to be very important they feel there’s fairness to what’s going on…”

In other words, the people of main street U.S.A. haven’t seen anything yet, when it comes to more taxes and cuts to government spending!

 

Fukushima

Government & Corporate Incompetence: Once again, Plutonium contamination found in Japan, this time outside the Fukushima Daiichi compound!

30 September 2011, for the first time since the March nuclear disaster, the Japanese government has found plutonium contamination outside the Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant compound.

There have been at least three other times plutonium was found. A couple of times it was found within the perimeter of the nuclear plant’s compound, but, in June a university team found plutonium outside the Fukushima Daiichi compound.

This latest (government confirmed) plutonium contamination was found 45 km (28 miles) outside the nuclear plant.  It was detected in samples taken from six locations in the towns of Futaba, Namie and Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture, all northwest of the nuclear plant.

The isotopes included plutonium 238, 239 and 240.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Government Incompetence equals What Economic Recovery? Small Business loan program a big FAIL!

In 2010 the U.S. Treasury Department set up the Small Business Lending Fund.  U.S.$30 billion was intended to be used to help small businesses expand and hire more people, it didn’t happen.

That Small Business Lending Fund ended, September 30, 2011.  Only $4 billion of the $30 billion was loaned out!

As usual everyone is blaming everyone else!  The banks, that were supposed to get the money to loan to small businesses, said the application process was too difficult and had too many restrictions.  The Treasury Department says hardly any bank applied.  Both the banks and the Treasury Department say hardly any small businesses applied.  Small businesses say it wasn’t worth the attempt because the banks put too many restrictions on the loans.

Some analysts say the Obama administration really thought that the economy would be much better in 2011, which is why they made it so tough to qualify for the loans.  In other words, there was no real effort to help small businesses in the United States.   Another example of how out of touch, with main street U.S.A., our political leaders in Washington DC are.