Tag Archives: war

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Hey Mitt Romney, where are those safety nets? U.S. Child Citizens refused food because their parents are not U.S. citizens!

The Southern Poverty Law Center says children, who are U.S. citizens, are being refused food because their low income parents are not U.S. citizens.  Some parents are U.S. citizens, but are being told to “Go back to Mexico” because of their Latino origins.

The SPLC says this is taking place in the state of Alabama.  Alabama, like Idaho, changed the rules for being approved for food stamps; they only count the children in the family, not the healthy (able to work) adults.

However, the SPLC says they know of at least five cases where children, who are U.S. citizens, were denied food stamps because the parents, who are not supposed to be counted under the new rules, are not U.S. citizens.

The SPLC has already filed two lawsuits against Alabama, over its immigration laws, and will likely file a third lawsuit based on the latest revelations of U.S. child citizens being denied food.

…there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Black Horse & Poverty: 2 million people homeless in the United States! Homeless children increasing fast. HR 1734 & Private property developers part of the problem. Hey Mitt Romney, where are those safety nets?

“Many of the families with children are now homeless, having to live out of cars and things like that. We believe today that 40% of the homeless, in Washington [DC] are women with children, or families with children!”-David Treadwell, Central Union Mission

The National Law Center of Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) says that more than two million U.S. citizens are now homeless!!!

Most federal and state (in those states that have their own social programs separate from federal) government social programs have been gutted (mainly by those compassionate Republicans, like in Idaho), and privately run charities say they are getting swamped by more and more people needing help every year: “…it’s a big problem, and it’s a bigger problem in 2012 than it was in 2008! It is not going away…”-David Treadwell, Central Union Mission

To make matters worse, the U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would actually create more homeless people.  The bill, called HR 1734 in the House, would give power to private property developers to take over public land, and buildings, now used for low income and homeless people!

The federal government is so desperate for cash that they want to sell off federal property, including that used to help poor people, in order to raise the cash to pay the government’s debts.  The irony of HR 1734 is that it will actually cost the federal government an estimated $82 million to implement!  Sounds like more Mitt Romney style capitalism to me.

…there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

 

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”.

International, U.S.

White Horse & World War 3: Russia & China Veto UNSC Resolution against Syria, U.S. & Europe might now go to war with Syria without UN support

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.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Black Horse & World War 3: China makes big, secret, gesture of support for new North Korean leader

…there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!”

A South Korean spy group, who posed as tourists in North Korea, say they have photos of convoys of trucks from China, heading into North Korea.

They asked a truck driver what they were hauling and he said it was rice.  North Korea is known to have trouble with not enough food for its people, but China’s shipment of tons and tons of rice is unusual.

The South Korean group said the trucks came and went for 10 days.  Normally China does not send any rice shipments until spring or fall, not in winter.

Analysts think the early rice shipment is a sign to the new North Korean leader that he has the full support of China.  Also, North Korea has recently asked for resumption of food aid from the United States, as part of returning to negotiations, so maybe China is telling him not to worry about food from the U.S., good old Uncle Sino will take care of that.  And who knows, maybe what was in the trucks wasn’t rice?

Fukushima

Pacific Ring of Fire & Japan Modern Day Atlantis round 6: NE Honshu to be hit by another magnitude 8+ quake

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) is reporting that the March 11, 2011, magnitude 9 earthquake has created conditions for another large magnitude quake in the same region.

JAMSTEC studied the fault lines off the north east coast of Honshu and concluded that the March 11 quake changed the dynamics of the Pacific Plate, which subducts under Japan.

Normally aftershocks take place when established, or even new, fault lines are compressed.  The aftershocks that have continued since March 11, 2011, are not happening that way, they are the result of the faults being pulled apart.

This type of aftershock action can result in a huge earthquake.  The last time Japan suffered a magnitude 8+ quake, as a result of faults being pulled apart, was 80 years ago.

JAMSTEC says the chances of such a quake have greatly increased, as well as the chances of more massive tsunamis.  This follows a recent report about a huge fault cliff discovered off the southern end of Honshu.

JAPAN MODERN DAY ATLANTIS ROUND 5: SOUTHERN HONSHU COULD SUFFER TSUNAMI EVEN LARGER THAN THE ONE THAT HIT IN MARCH 2011