Wednesday May 12th 2010

May 8th’s Arichitects, Engineers, and Firefighters for 911 Truth Event
Must View Video - Alt - Editor's note: the first five to ten minutes is an honorarium for those fire fighters who died on 9/11 -- (USStream - 180min:11sec - May 8, 2010) -- A quote....(from the comments section) The factual presentation Firefighters, Architects & Engineers Expose 9/11 on May 8, at the Bal Theatre, San Leandro, CA was a successful, well-attended event. It featured architect Richard Gage (http://ae911truth.org) and firefighter Erik Lawyer..." - For more on this issue see....Reficultnias's 9/11 Central

The Connection between 9/11, Anthrax and Iraq
Videos - DrGM(1/5) - DrGM(2/5) - DrGM(3/5) - DrGM(4/5) - DrGM(5/5) - (YouTube - 10 min - May 03, 2010) - A quote...."A significant moral challenge has emerged due to glaring discrepancies between the official version of the events of September 11, 2001, and the results of extensive independent research by individuals with relevant scientific or professional expertise. . . . As a result of this extensive research carried out by scientists and professionals, it can now be seen that the official account of 9/11 is false beyond any reasonable doubt. ... Because the false account of 9/11 has led to [numerous] evils, it is incumbent on religious leaders, once they realize that the official account is a lie, to speak out."  - For more on this issue see....US-False Flag Ops - Anthrax

Red Cross confirms 'second jail' at Bagram, Afghanistan
A quote...."The US airbase at Bagram in Afghanistan contains a facility for detainees that is distinct from its main prison, the Red Cross has confirmed to the BBC."

US troops executing prisoners in Afghanistan, journalist says
A quote...."The journalist who helped break the story that detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq were being tortured by their US jailers told an audience at a journalism conference last month that American soldiers are now executing prisoners in Afghanistan. -- New Yorker journalist Seymour Hersh also revealed that the Bush Administration had developed advanced plans for a military strike on Iran." - also posted at BLN

Iran: Brazil and Turkey make new nuclear proposal
A quote...."TEHRAN, Iran—Iran said Tuesday that Brazil and Turkey have offered a promising new proposal for a nuclear fuel deal as Tehran steps up a diplomatic push to stave off new U.N. sanctions over its disputed nuclear program."

Israel Bars Arab Parties From Elections
Oh look! More "freedumb and da'mockery" Israeli style. - mpg -- A quote...."he only three Arab parties represented in the Israeli parliament vowed yesterday to fight a decision by the Central Elections Committee to bar them from running in next month’s general election. -- In an unprecedented move signalling a further breakdown in Jewish-Arab relations inside Israel, all the main Jewish parties voted on Monday for the blanket disqualification. Several committee members equated the Arab parties’ vocal support for the Gazan people with support for terrorism." - also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Erdogan: We are working together with other countries to break Gaza siege
A quote...."ISTANBUL — Turkish premier Recep Erdogan said that his country is working alongside other countries to break the Israeli unjust siege on the Gaza Strip and to rebuild what was destroyed during the war. This came during his meeting on Monday in Istanbul with a delegation representing a number of European civil organizations including the European campaign to end the siege and the Palestinian return center. Erdogan stressed that breaking the blockade on Gaza is a priority for him and Turkey and that he is working with other countries to end it. The delegation discussed with the premier the avenues to end the siege and the importance of the Turkish role in the region." - also posted at WarInIraq
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The Second Leg of the Great Depression Was Caused by European Defaults
Financial Warning - Chart - A quote...."Many Americans know that the Great Depression was started by the bursting of the giant Wall Street bubble of the 1920's (fueled by the use of bank deposits on speculative gambling, which is why Glass-Steagall was passed) , which in turn caused a run on American banks. -- But most Americans don't know that the second leg of the Depression was caused by European defaults." - At this point this website editor is forced to bump up the chances for a Great Depression Era "economic down leg" a full twenty percent.  From 10% to 30% with a corresponding decrease in the chances of Stagflation from 90% to 70%. - mpg

The European Bailout: Not a Very Promising Start
Many people have written insightful criticisms of the European bailout. For example, Tyler Durden, Joe Weisenthal and Gregory White point out that the French banks are the real winners of the bailout (but don't forget JP Morgan). -- Ron Paul points out that the Fed opening its swap lines to Europe violated its promise to Congress not to do so. Paul also says the bailout will help lead to the destruction of all fiat paper currencies, ensuring that "gold will rule the roost". - Europe should NOT have borrowed any dollars from the Fed's swap line or borrowed from the IMF.  Because they have, this crisis is most likely over before it has even begun, and they've doomed themselves.

Stock Market Collapse: More Goldman Market Rigging
A quote...."Last week, Goldman Sachs was on the congressional hot seat, grilled for fraud in its sale of complicated financial products called “synthetic CDOs.”  This week the heat was off, as all eyes turned to the attack of the shorts on Greek sovereign debt and the dire threat of a sovereign Greek default.  By Thursday, Goldman’s fraud had slipped from the headlines and Congress had been cowed into throwing in the towel on its campaign to break up the too-big-to-fail banks.  On Friday, Goldman was in settlement talks with the SEC. --  Goldman and Wall Street reign.  Congress appears helpless to discipline the big banks, just as the European Central Bank appears helpless to prevent the collapse of the European Union. . . . Or are they?"

Lehman Bros. linked to drug money
RTVideo - Alt - (RTYuTb - 4 min 54 sec - May 10, 2010) -- A quote...."(RussiaToday) – Mario Ernesto Villanueva Madrid, former governor of the Mexican state that holds Cancun and dozens of other Caribbean beach resorts, has been extradited to New York on charges of accepting bribes from a violent drug cartel that smuggled hundreds of tons of cocaine into the U.S. and then laundering the bribe money through Lehman Brothers."

“The People of Greece Are Fighting for the Whole of Europe”: Tariq Ali and Mark Weisbrot Discuss Greece’s Economic Crisis and Popular Uprising -- A quote...."The European Union and the International Monetary Fund have approved a nearly $1 trillion package to stop Greece’s debt crisis from spilling beyond its borders into the rest of the eurozone. Stocks surged in Europe, Asia and the United States Monday after EU leaders agreed to a $960 billion package to contain Greece’s financial troubles. Meanwhile, the austerity measures demanded by the IMF and the European Union as a condition of their loan are continuing to exact their toll. Greece’s two main unions have continued to hold protests against the reforms. In a statement, one of the unions said, “The crisis should be paid by…all those who looted public finances.” Last week nearly 100,000 people participated in a mass demonstration and a twenty-four-hour general strike against the austerity measures. [includes rush transcript]" -- ||  Real Video Stream  ||  Real Audio Stream  ||  MP3 Download  ||  More…  ||

Bankers jailed, sued as Iceland seeks culprits for crisis
So why don't that happen here? - mpg -- A quote...."More than a year and a half after Iceland's major banks failed, all but sinking the country's economy, police have begun rounding up a number of top bankers while other former executives and owners face a two-billion-dollar lawsuit."
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So What?
05-12-10
mpg

U.S. posts 19th straight monthly budget deficit - So what? Bernanke will just print more. - mpg
A quote...."The United States posted an $82.69 billion deficit in April, nearly four times the $20.91 billion shortfall registered in April 2009 and the largest on record for that month, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday. -- It was more than twice the $40-billion deficit that Wall Street economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast...." - bold by website editor

Summary Box: Trade deficit climbs to 15-month high - So what....again?  Bernanke will just print even more.
A quote...."TRADE GAP: The U.S. trade deficit rose to $40.4 billion in March, the largest imbalance since December 2008." - bold by website - By the way, that works out to almost half a trillion dollars a year in trade deficits, but again, so what?

4 Big Banks Score Perfect 61-Day Run - So what....for the third time?
After all it's pretty easy to do if you control the market and can borrow as much as you want, for as long as you want, for as little as you want, courtesy the American taxpayer adn the Fed. - mpg
-- A quote...."It is the Wall Street equivalent of a perfect game of baseball — 27 up, 27 down, the final score measured in millions of dollars a day. -- Despite the running unease in world markets, four giants of American finance managed to make money from trading every single day during the first three months of the year." - bold by website editor

Bernanke has proven his case, over thirty trillion in back-stops, pay outs and guarantees simply elicits a yawn of complete boredom from the entire world wide financial community.


Where's the inflation every conservative economist has been yammering about for the last three years? (OK it's coming, but not for a few years more)  Where's the declining dollar? (OK it went down a bit, but now it's back up)  "This is all going to cost us" they constantly say....cost what?  What's it going to cost us? When is it going to cost us?  It's free money, trillions in free money as a matter of fact, for as far as the eye can see.  An absolute veritable ocean of liquid green.

Who cares about moral hazard?  Who cares about morals?  We're here to make money folks, if your first bubble gives out, (the Dot.com), blow a bigger one (housing), if that goes poof, blow an even bigger one (US bonds perhaps?) and if that goes bust, Bernanke (or his successor) will just blow and even bigger one.  Print a hundred trillion, print three hundred trillion, print a thousand trillion.  Guarantee EVERYTHING in sight, don't let your friends fail ever.  You want a quadrillion at zero percent interest for a hundred years....sure, here you go, have a nice day, after all, who gives a damn.

Certainly not the somnolent Neo-Roman public. From this website editor's perspective it looks like Bernanke has proved all his critics wrong.  His friends are all happy, the "One Percent" are all happy, the Banksters are certainly very happy and the "little guy" will just have to live with the fact that he and a hundred of his neighbors put together, could work their entire lives to earn what one Bankster could earn in just five minutes with the push of a button, courtesy of the "little guy" and his neighbors' tax dollars free of charge from Bernanke & Co.  So life sucks, call someone who cares, here's a dime, oh wait, for local calls nowadays that'll cost you about ten dollars, here you go buddy, call your mom.

Trillions in free money, a substantial portion of which was used by just five mega-banks to algo the markets up through high-frequency trading between EACH OTHER, a nifty little tactic wherein they trade back and forth various securities at higher and higher prices actually booking these transactions as profits for their firms. Not to mention skimming off even more by essentially front-running everyone else's trades using some highly sophisticated computer programs. 

Sure, eventually they'll have to settle their positions or off load them.  It must have given them quite a scare when somebody got nervous over the European situation and crashed the market almost a thousand points within minutes last Thursday, but again, so what?  Mommy Bernanke was there to save them.

The PPT handled the whole thing just fine, Europe will now be sucked into this mess because they were stupid enough to take some handouts from the Fed and the IMF, meanwhile, whoever that Nervous Nelly was who tanked the market by trying to exit early, suitable punishments have already been planned for them by Bernanke and Co.

You can just picture how it probably played out on Thursday in your minds eye.....

Head officer of Nervous Nelly Inc.: (Mr. Nervous Nelly himself) - My gosh, Europe's gonna tank, f-ck the other four banks, I want to get outta here now, let's start deleveraging ASAP boys....(five minutes later) Ring, ring, Yeah, this is the PPT, we know what you guys are doing over there and you've forced us to take care of the situation and let me tell you, you ever try to violate our gentleman's agreement to algo these markets up again, you ever try to exit early, and they won't be able to identify any of you guys from your dental records, assuming they can even find your bodies, NOW GET THE @#%& BACK INTO THAT MARKET RIGHT NOW!

And so it goes, one must ask what will it be next time, forty trillion, fifty trillion, a hundred trillion?  There's no longer any moral hazard, it's mark to fantasy, screw the fundamentals, algo all the way and damn the statistics....or at least fudge them so bad they no longer reflect reality.  What were those employment numbers for April, 102,000 right, (of which 66,000 were from the Census)? At least till the new "birth/death" models were employed and than presto, now they're 290,000.

Probably they intend to model the whole thing after the market's last run-up. Algo it up out of the "V-formation", (done that already), let the markets drift up for two to three years at five to ten percent a year, selling the bulk of their crap as it does so to the general public, create a market peak for the suckers and their own shorts, crash it, and start the whole process all over again.

So what, who cares, it's working ain't it, as long as you can get access to the Fed's window for unlimited free credit what's your beef?

And if you can't, you don't really matter anyway. - mpg
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The Last Straw - A Personal Note
05-12-10
mpg

The people of this nation have demonstrably shown, by consistently voting for the DemRepubs and their policies, that they enthusiastically support Bernanke's and the Fed's gift of the public purse to endlessly shore up the securitized, financialized, sector of this society's economy on behalf of the tiniest fraction of those that own most of it.

That they are willing to dilute the dollars within their very own pocket's by allowing them to be printed without limit and handed over to those that already have most of them.  And that they have done this without protest or any demur whatsoever.

The people of this nation have also shown they enthusiastically support spending what little remains of the public treasury for torture, murder, endless wars, a militarized police state and a vicious sadistic, cancerous, sick and twisted attempt at a Neo-Roman empire.

As such, since they have repeatedly proven these are their most important priorities by their continuous votes for the status quo and by their lack of any effective opposition to the powers that be.  Since they have chosen to spend vast amounts of the public purse for the enrichment of the wealthiest few along with additional amounts to continue their nation's blood sports, how could this website editor, or any other person of good conscience for that matter, possibly support even more spending of the public's purse for charitable purposes on behalf of these very self same profligate, spendthrift and amoral people.

How could anyone advocate giving money to a people who are so inured to reality, so indifferent to others suffering, so blinded by greed, so bereft of morality, so willing to be propagandized by childish nonsense that they chose to give trillions of their own money to those who already have the bulk of this nation's wealth.

You can't, not in good conscience anyway, there simply isn't that much money -- or sympathy -- to go around.

As such, as a matter for the public record, and to clear the air on these issues, this website editor would like to make the following statement.

Other than supporting the single payer health care plan, and it's predecessor, Medicare (it is after all, efficient) along with the Social Security Trust Fund  (it is after all fully funded by the "people's money" for at least the next forty years)  this website editor states the following oath and affirmation....

"That this website editor swears, under the eyes of God Almighty, in the year of our Lord May 12, 2010, that this website editor will permanently and unalterably appose any and all programs of public charity of any sort, for poverty reduction, for education, for health care (except as shown above), for housing, for welfare, for the amelioration of natural or man made disasters or even the improvement of infrastructure, along with most other Federal programs, on behalf of all those living within the borders of the United States of America, or on any of its territories, for the rest of this editor's natural life" -- *mpg*

What does this oath mean, it means if it turns out the depleted uranium wantonly scattered across the Middle East, or perhaps even the vaccines that hundreds of thousands of veterans were exposed to, suddenly turns out to cause cancer on a mass scale, and a hundred million dollar program could ameliorate their circumstances, this website editor would appose it. -- It means if this country does descend into a depression with a thirty percent unemployment rate, and emergency federal programs are implemented to stem mass starvation, this website editor will appose such  programs -- It means if an earthquake completely leveled the city of San Francisco, and the Federal government offered support, this website editor would appose all of it.-- It means total opposition to child care, education, school construction, VA benefits, disaster relief, homeless shelters, food for the needy, and the hundreds of other programs that are needed to comfort the afflicted, the powerless, the helpless and the hopeless.

One might ask how could anyone be so harsh?  This website editor's answer is simple, between the bail-out programs for the greedy and this nation's endless wars for empire this website editor estimates the people of this country have already spent, or borrowed during the last two decades alone, thirty five to forty five trillion dollars.  This sort of behavior has been going on for sixty long years and it's only getting worse.

In other words if you want charity, get it from Bernanke, get it from Wall Street, get it from Robert Gates, get it from the Pentagon, get it from the wealthiest one percent whom most of the people in this nation admire and want to emulate so much, those whom they have "serviced" so well.....because this website editor's all tapped out.

This does not mean this website editor would be uncharitable to Americans on an individual basis, those that actually have a conscience and voted for that conscience when they went to the polls.  In other words if you voted for a DemoRepub, don't come to this website editor for a handout.

Nor does this mean this website editor is uncharitable for those outside the Empire, far from it, this website editor is perfectly wiling to offer advice or advocate programs of charitable support, nation building, national reconstruction, share the wealth programs, for foreigners using their own money in any of the other 190 plus countries out there.

It's just that here in this country, advocating such efforts on behalf of a relentlessly servile population whose main goal in life appears to be to remain as uneducated and bigoted as possible, give their last few dollars to the wealthiest fraction of society, engage in vicious sadistic violence and dream endlessly of a New Roman Empire, would be a complete and utter waste of one's time.

Jesus himself could not come here and alter these people's mentality, they're beyond hope, beyond redemption or any possible reformation, they are lost in a sea of evil propaganda and have become a danger to themselves and the rest of the civilized world.

This is no longer a just society, or a moral society, or even a practicable society, if it ever was.  But what was once there, the attempt at civility, at community, at trying to tell the truth, at trying to better this nation, however imperfect these attempts may have been, are now gone.

They will not return.

After four and a half years of blogging, this website editor has finally come to realize that. - mpg
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Tuesday May 11th 2010

No posts. - mpg

Monday May 10th 2010

The Poetry of Death: Patterns of State Terror
Must Read - A quote...."The found poetry of state terror continues its strange mutilations of the English language. The bizarre verbal heavings of Donald Rumsfeld, for example, are rightly celebrated as choice examples of the genre. And noted English playwright David Hare once fashioned a whole play built largely on the "thought-tormented music" wrought from verbatim transcripts of the principal authors of the war crime in Iraq. -- In this regard, as in almost every aspect of the Terror War, "continuity" has been the hallmark of the Obama Administration. But we would do the progressive, forward-looking president a grave disservice if we were to imply that this dynamic, historic figure has confined himself to mere continuity. No, in field after field of governmental endeavor, Barack Obama has striven mightily not just to uphold the many authoritarian and militarist innovations of the Bush Administration, but to expand them...."

After Religion Fizzles, We’re Stuck With Nietzsche
Must Read - A quote...."It is hard to muster much sympathy over the implosion of the Catholic Church, traditional Protestant denominations or Jewish synagogues. These institutions were passive as the Christian right, which peddles magical thinking and a Jesus-as-warrior philosophy, hijacked the language and iconography of traditional Christianity. They have busied themselves with the boutique activism of the culture wars. They have failed to unequivocally denounce unfettered capitalism, globalization and pre-emptive war. The obsession with personal piety and “How-is-it-with-me?” spirituality that permeates most congregations is narcissism. And while the Protestant church and reformed Judaism have not replicated the perfidiousness of the Catholic bishops, who protect child-molesting priests, they have little to say in an age when we desperately need moral guidance." - also posted at ICH & CommonDreams

The Gray Lady and Officials Anonymous - posted at AntiWar
War Presstitute Alert - (A historical retrospective and a future prognosis) -- A quote...."The New York Times, the “Gray Lady” [Now known as the "Gray Whore"] that abetted the efforts of Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld to dupe America into supporting the Iraq invasion, is still the willing echo chambermaid of the warmongery. The most egregious piece of covert propaganda the NYT ran during the run-up to Gulf War II was the Sept. 8, 2002, article by its access-poisoned reporters Michael R. Gordon and Judith Miller that heralded “HUSSEIN INTENSIFIES QUEST FOR A-BOMB PARTS.”  -- We now know that the article was part of the elaborate Nigergate  hoax, and that Gordon and Miller were establishing a practice that would become the NYT’s standard disinformation tactic for years and perhaps decades to come." - For more on this issue see....US Fake Intel / Propaganda

Judge Denies Habeas Petition of an Ill and Abused Libyan in Guantánamo
A quote...."On April 20, unnoticed by any media outlet whatsoever, a Libyan prisoner at Guantánamo, Omar Mohammed Khalifh (also identified as Omar Abu Bakr) lost his habeas corpus petition." - also posted at Uruknet
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Times Square Rorschach Test
A quote...."In the smoke roiling up from the street of a busy Saturday night in Times Square can be found traces of endless fantasies and obsessions lurking in the nation’s post-9/11 primordial lobes. The stages of the theater district are audience to this particular drama and a smoldering SUV illegally parked on 45th Street has emerged as a vague but dramatic Rorschach epic – almost anything can be seen in its smoky clouds." - also posted at CounterCurrents

The Evil Doer Pakistan and the Times Square Fizzler
Related Article - A quote...."Were Muslim Evil Doers again at work in New York? -- Is that the lesson to be learned from a May 1st “car bomb” that fizzled while parked alongside the Marriott Hotel in Manhattan’s busy Times Square? -- Why now? -- The clues are there if only investigators will follow the facts. With reports of this latest Evil Doer dominating national news coverage, where should investigators look?" - also posted at CounterCurrents

The Faisal Shahzad Puzzle: Why Is Pakistan’s Civil-Military Leadership Silent?
Related Article - A quote...."Why did Pakistan's Ambassador to Washington maintain a strange silence in the immediate aftermath instead of seeking access to Faisal Shahzad? Why did Foreign Minister Qureshi link Shahzad to drone attacks and accept Pakistan’s guilt without evidence? Why Pakistan’s civilian and military leaderships are not questioning the US intent?"

Using Alleged Terrorism To Escalate War And Homeland Repression
Related Article - A quote...."Much about the New York bomb incident is worrisome, besides the media already pronouncing sentence, biasing future jurors to convict or face the wrath of public opinion, their communities, friends and even family. As a result, Faisal Shahzad doesn't stand a chance, guilty or innocent, regardless of his alleged confession and the plausibility that he was set up - used as a convenient dupe with his device rigged not to go off but to emit smoke to be found. Why not given America's history of using false flag incidents for political advantage." -- also posted at Uruknet
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All in the Family; The Globalist Kagans of Brooklyn
A quote...."Elena Kagan will be the next Supreme Court justice as she was just announced as President Obama’s choice to fill the seat of one of the last real liberals left on the Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens.  The right won’t oppose her except in some sort of pretend way and the left is already doing strained back flips trying to make her into some kind of “pragmatic” liberal in disguise.  The only disguise she ever wore was the same one worn by Hilary Clinton and Bill Clinton and Barack Obama… i.e. the neoliberal Corporatist in Democrat Clothing disguise."

Justice Elena Kagan, and President Larry Summers
Related Article - A quote...."This apparent Obama nominee is unusual. She's never been a prosecutor or attorney general, or defense attorney or Legal Aid litigator or sitting judge. In fact, she's never been a lawyer in a trial....never. Until her appointment as Solicitor General last year, she hadn't argued before a court; so her very first, maiden argument, was before the United States Supreme Court last year!"

Kagan: - Goldman Sachs - Shifting Court to Right?
Related Article - A quote...."May 10, 2010 "Information Clearing House" The Wall Street Journal reports: "The White House said Friday that Elena Kagan's membership on an advisory panel for the securities firm Goldman Sachs Group Inc. wouldn't disqualify her for a position on the Supreme Court. ... From 2005 to 2008, Ms. Kagan was a paid member of the Research Advisory Council of Goldman Sachs Global Markets Institute, according to financial-disclosure reports she filed after being appointed to her current job. The form shows she was paid $10,000 in 2008, when she was dean of Harvard Law School."

Obama's natural choice of Kagan
Related Article - A quote...."It's anything but surprising that President Obama has chosen Elena Kagan to replace John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court.  Nothing is a better fit for this White House than a blank slate, institution-loyal, seemingly principle-free careerist who spent the last 15 months as the Obama administration's lawyer vigorously defending every one of his assertions of extremely broad executive authority.  The Obama administration is filled to the brim with exactly such individuals -- as is reflected by its actions and policies -- and this is just one more to add to the pile.  The fact that she'll be replacing someone like John Paul Stevens and likely sitting on the Supreme Court for the next three decades or so makes it much more consequential than most, but it is not a departure from the standard Obama approach."
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PJAK admits armed attacks in Iran
A quote...."The leader of the terrorist Party for Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), Abdolrahman Haji-Ahmadi, has admitted that the group has been conducting armed attacks inside Iran."

Larijani: US terror support evident
A quote...."Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the country is ready to provide substantial evidence of direct US backing and involvement in Pakistani terrorism." -- For more on the two articles shown above see....US Support of Terror - MEK-PKK-Others

Tondar makes me laugh
A quote...."Mildly amusing article in the Wall Street Journal today about "Tondar" -- one of those Exile TV outfits that rants and spits bile from LA about how a bunch of aging dinosaurs are going to "overthrow the [Iranian] regime." etc. Believe me, I have heard enough of these people in the last 30 years to be bored to tears with their rubbish. -- But what was interesting was how the article in the WSJ totally disregarded the real identity of Tondar as a hardline, unreformed militant Monarchist outfit. After all, they do call themselves the "Anjoman-e Padeshahi" (translated literally as "Kingdom Assembly" but better yet as  "Monarchist Society".)"

Iran gives ultimatum to Shell, Repsol
A quote...."Iran's Oil Ministry has given an ultimatum to Shell, and Repsol and they have to decide on phases 13 and 14 of South Pars in two weeks," Mehr News Agency quoted the head of the National Iranian Gas Export Company (NIGEC) as saying on Monday. -- Royal-Dutch Shell and Spain's Repsol have been locked in negotiations with Iran since 2002 to develop the two gas phases in southern Iran. -- Reza Kasayizadeh warned that these two companies will be replaced with local firms, should they fail to meet the deadline for making their final decision." - Well it's crunch time for these two oil companies, either they get on their knees, kiss AIPAC's butt and abide by the sanctions bill recently passed in the US-NRE's Knesset (formally known as Congress).  Or do the deal with the Iranians and suffer the consequences of AIPAC's wrath....mpg
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Expectations from the Dead...
Special Note - A quote...."I am sure someone, somewhere, is expecting me to write about the 99 Iraqis, killed today....a nasty peak of violence...an ugly violence since...the free democratic elections, since...2003 - year of freedom and liberation. -- What are you expecting me to tell you ? That it's okay ? that I got used to it ? that am familiar with pools of blood and lost limbs to be recuperated....  Hey run after your arm, it's right over there....hey run after your leg, I just spotted it on the other side of the street...   But these are nothing but Iraqis, or Eyeraqis.(when will you a--holes learn how to pronounce huh?)  --  Anyways who gives a f-ck about them ?"

Moscow set to resume its influence with Damascus
A quote...."Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is to pay an official visit to Syria on May 11 for the first time in the history of bilateral relations."

Russia's Medvedev arrives in Syrian capital to discuss energy, Mideast peace
A quote...."Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday arrived in the Syrian capital for a two-day official visit and meeting with President Bashar al-Assad to discuss energy and Middle East peace issues."

India's top diplomat goes on official visit to Kazakhstan
The Indians have gone shopping....mpg - A quote...."A delegation of Indian businessmen headed by country's Foreign Minister Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna will pay an official three-day visit to oil-rich Kazakhstan starting Tuesday, a spokesman for the foreign ministry said."

Violence Increasing on Colombia-Venezuela Border, Group Says
A quote...."The independent group Fundacion Progresar warned of a “serious” increase in human rights violations along Colombia’s border with Venezuela, where some 16,000 people have been murdered and 1,800 have disappeared over the past decade."

Britain: Legal challenges likely after thousands turned away from polls
A quote...."Britain’s May 6 general election witnessed extraordinary scenes of people being turned away from polling stations and denied the right to vote. -- Legal action is being considered by individuals and groups that could even lead to the overturn of the results in some constituencies. The Electoral Commission has launched a review of what took place, and aims to publish an interim report next week and a full report in July."

Britain: Brown announces resignation amid talks on coalition
Another Bush, now Obama crony, bites the dust. - mpg - A quote...."Talks as to the composition of a new government in Britain took a dramatic turn Monday evening, with the announcement by Prime Minister Gordon Brown that he would stand down as Labour leader."

Israel’s Arab MPs Face Backlash over Libya Visit
Hey!  Here's some more ol'dat "freedumb and da'mockery",,,,Israeli style - mpg -- A quote...."Six Arab members of the Israeli parliament returned last week from a visit to Libya at the personal invitation of its leader, Muammer Qadafi, to a storm of protest in Israel, including threats to prosecute them and bar them from standing in future elections."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Palestinian civil society slams OECD over Israel's accession
A quote...."Palestinian civil society represented by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), a wide coalition of the largest Palestinian mass organizations and trade unions, issued a strong condemnation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) decision today to welcome Israel as a member of the organization at its ministerial meeting to take place on 27-78 May. A BNC spokesperson commented: "By accepting Israel, OECD member countries show a blatant complicity with Israeli war crimes, destroying the very foundations of international law. Rewarding Israel entrenches its impunity and dashes any realistic hope for achieving a just peace in the region."

6,500 disabled children in Gaza after war
Photo Gallery - Your tax dollars at work folks.  Oh no, not providing the medical care you see in the photos, no, it was your tax dollars that hacked off the limbs of these children. - mpg -- A quote...."Palestinian patients at the Artificial Limbs and Polio Centre in Gaza, recieve help with the adjustment of their artificial limbs. Gaza, Palestinian Territory, Palestine. 10/05/2010.

Israeli construction plans trouble new peace talks
Yawn....So Israel gives the finger to the world, they've done it every single day since their inception, so this should not come as a surprise to anyone. - mpg - A quote...."JERUSALEM — Israel said Monday it has no intention of halting construction of Jewish housing in hotly contested east Jerusalem, a first sign of trouble for newly launched U.S.-mediated peace talks. -- Palestinians accused Israel of undermining trust and urged President Barack Obama to intervene." - bold by website editor

Fourth annual Houston Palestine film fest opens this week
A quote...."The Houston Palestine Film Festival (HPFF) is proud to bring Houston another year of great films and thoughtful discussion with its fourth annual film festival. Last year's event highlights included a powerful reading by Palestinian-American poet Suheir Hammad, a number of riveting films including Annemarie Jacir's Salt of this Sea, and question and answer sessions with filmmakers Mahdi Fleifel, Annemarie Jacir and Detroit hip-hop artist Invincible. The unprecedented success of 2009's festival program resulted in HPFF winning the Houston Press Best of Houston award for Best Film Festival!"
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High Frequency Terrorism: How the Big Banks and Federal Reserve Maintained Their Death Grip Over the United States -- Special Note - A quote...."If you recall, back in September ‘08, as Congress was voting down the first bailout, the big banks made the market plunge a record 778 points in one day, fear and panic then led Congress to pass the bailout. Trillions of our tax dollars, the money that we desperately need to keep our society functioning over the long run, then went out the window and into the pockets of the very people who caused the crash. -- What happened on September 29, 2008 will go down in history as one of the greatest acts of terrorism ever."

Fannie Mae seeks $8.4 billion from govt after [another] loss
A quote...."WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Fannie Mae, the largest U.S. residential mortgage funds provider, on Monday asked the government for an additional $8.4 billion after the company lost $13.1 billion in the first quarter."

Record levels of long-term unemployment in US
A quote...."Despite the pronouncements by the Obama administration and the news media of a supposed economic recovery, unemployment, and particularly long-term joblessness, continues to inflict immense suffering on tens of millions of workers and their families in the US. At present some 15 million workers are officially unemployed, including one out of every five men between the ages of 25 and 54."

Euro Blasts Through $1.30 On News They’re Printing A Lot More Euros
SEE!!  Just like Bernanke and the US-NRE, the MORE they print, the HIGHER the Euro (or dollar) goes....of course it won't last, but it positively WILL prevent the Banksters in the US-NRE from arbitraging their vast quantities of US-NRE crap paper and huge amounts of hidden losses (courtesy of the Fed) from bludgeoning the EU countries (like the PIIGS) into total submission.  (a.k.a. the really awful, utterly worthless, crap money drives out the merely bad money, sometimes known as "a race to the bottom")  --  Not when the EU shows the same crazy, irresponsible, stark raving mad willingness to print only about a tenth of what Bernanke has....so far. (Remember folks, thirty trillion in back-stops, guarantees, and actual pay-outs by Bernanke to date)  Perhaps the EU will eventually even contemplate matching Bernanke (now that really would be crazy!)  --  Or to put it another way, any of you out there ever play chicken?  You know, two cars careening head long toward each other at a hundred and fifty miles per hour, the first one to turn away from the impending crash loses.  Or how about poker and the fine art of bluffing?  Stakes are getting pretty high people and it's beginning to look like that psychotic, mass-murdering, deranged, spendthrift, cesspit, called the New Roman Empire has finally gone and done it and crashed the entire world's economy. Only time will tell....in about six months or less. - mpg -- For more on this issue see...The First Salvos of the Currency Wars - 05-07-10 - mpg

Eurozone: The Kitchen Sink Goes In – Now It’s All About Solvency
A quote...."The eurozone self-rescue plan announced last night has three main elements:
  1. 750bn euros in a fiscal support program, with 1/3 coming from the IMF (although this was apparently news to the IMF).
  2. The European Central Bank promises to buy bonds in dysfunctional markets.
  3. Swap lines with the Federal Reserve, to provide dollars.
"At first pass this package might seem to be in with what we recommended a week ago and again on Thursday."

The Greek spirit of resistance turns its guns on the IMF
A quote...."Deep inside the august halls of Athens University, the renowned political commentator Paschos Mandravelis will deliver a message this week that until very recently was lost on most Greeks."

Romania braces for austerity
A quote...."BUCHAREST – ROMANIA braced on Friday for a wave of protests after the president unveiled austerity cuts in public sector wages and pensions to meet a deficit target set by the IMF and avoid a Greek emergency scenario."

Emergency: om nom nom: ECB to Intervene in Bond Market to Fight Euro Crisis
A quote...."The European Central Bank said it will buy government and private bonds as part of an historic bid to stave off a sovereign-debt crisis that threatens to destroy the euro."

Sunday May 9th 2010

The Week that Was; Just Makes You Sick, Don’t it?
Must Read - A quote...."As the Obama administration continues to attack our way of life, one little “constitutional right” after another, the phony liberal/progressive left is either too stupid to understand what is going on or too arrogant to admit they were had and since most of the right are just fine with running the country like a massive crony-capitalist system of the Business, by the Business, and for the Business… we really don’t stand a chance to stop it."

Eric Holder: Miranda Rights Should Be Modified For Terrorism Suspects
Related Article - A quote...."Attorney General Eric Holder said for the first time today on ABC's "This Week" that the Obama administration is open to modifying Miranda protections to deal with the "threats that we now face."

Lieberman, Brown Proposal to Strip Terror Suspects of U.S. Citizenship is “Constitutional Buffoonery,” Says Attorney - Related Article - Many people used to think of Hitler as a buffoon, till he wasn't.  Of  course by then it was way too late. - mpg -- A quote...."Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts introduced a measure Thursday to strip Americans charged with terrorism of their U.S. citizenship. We speak with Shayana Kadidal, senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights who says the proposal is “constitutional buffoonery.” [Includes rush transcript]" --  ||  Real Video Stream  ||  Real Audio Stream  ||  MP3 Download  ||  More…  || 

Keeping America Safe: SWAT Team Storms Family Home, Shoots Pet Dogs, Over Small Bag Of Marijuana
Contains Videos - A quote...."Video of a SWAT narcotics raid in Columbia, Missouri has gone viral on the internet after officers stormed into a house, shooting one family pet dog and killing another in front of a small child, only to discover an insignificantly small amount of marijuana. -- The incident provides a compelling example of how the phony war on drugs in America operates."

Guantánamo and Habeas Corpus: Consigning Soldiers to Oblivion
Special Note - A quote...."In the habeas corpus petitions submitted by prisoners at Guantánamo, district court judges have, to date, ruled in 34 out of 47 cases that the government has failed to demonstrate that the men in question had any meaningful connection to either al-Qaeda or the Taliban. -- In contrast to the Bush administration's claims that the prison held "the worst of the worst," the truth is that only a few dozen of the 779 men held had any involvement with terrorism, and these figures are reflected in the appraisal of the Obama administration's interagency Task Force, which reviewed the cases of all the men still held last year, and advised that only 35 should face a trial of any kind." - also posted at Uruknet - That's right folks, this so-called "freedumb loving" country we all live in imprisoned and tortured 779 men, almost ALL of whom were completely innocent of being involved with the "war on terror". - mpg

Jeremy Scahill is a [Expletive]
Must Read - Some quotes...."It’s not so much that Scahill denies there is any reason to believe elements of the previous Bush administration facilitated the attacks of 9/11… I wouldn’t expect anyone who makes a living doing interviews on Democracy NOW! and being published in magazines like The Nation to say anything else. Its how he said it that makes Jeremy Scahill a [expletive]." --  "Jeremy Scahill shouldn’t be condemned for making a statement that distances himself from this issue. After all, Jeremy has books to sell. And who am I to tell someone how much wealth they have to sacrifice to help get our country back. Yes, he takes on Blackwater. But nothing changes when you take on Blackwater, except their name. They are still getting contracts, still cashing the checks. - And so is Jeremy Scahill.  In a way, you can say… the longer the “War on terror” goes on, the longer Blackwater will be gaming the system, and THEREFORE… the longer Jeremy Scahill remains an employed literary hero." - For more on this issue see....Reficultnias's 9/11 Central

Bob Chapman Breaks Down “The Plunge Protection Team” on Alex Jones Tv
Videos - BC&AJ(1/5) - BC&AJ(2/5) - BC&AJ(3/5) - BC&AJ(4/5) - BC&AJ(5/5) - (AJYuTb 10m May 08, 2010) - Source:  TheAlexJonesChannel -- A quote...."(May 7) – Alex & Bob talk about the latest Stock market collapse and who are the plunge protection team is. Will they jump in again or will they let it fall all the way next time. Bob breaks down how the International banking cartel are setting america up for it’s biggest economic fall yet."

KBR to Get No-Bid Army Work as U.S. Alleges Kickbacks (Update1)
A quote...." May 6 (Bloomberg) -- KBR Inc. was selected for a no-bid contract worth as much as $568 million through 2011 for military support services in Iraq, the Army said. -- The Army announced its decision yesterday only hours after the Justice Department said it will pursue a lawsuit accusing the Houston-based company of taking kickbacks from two subcontractors on Iraq-related work. The Army also awarded the work to KBR over objections from members of Congress, who have pushed the Pentagon to seek bids for further logistics contracts."

Dispatch the War Department
Must Read - Quote of the Day...."Even James Madison, among the most Federalistic of the Founders, listed the horrors that “proceed” from armies: “debts and taxes; … [which] are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.” At the Constitutional Convention, he cautioned, “A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive, will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defence against foreign danger have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved, the people.”

Rekers Rent Boy Scandal Spreading Fast
The New Roman Empire in all its glory - mpg -- A quote...."Recent disclosures about how Religious Right leader Rev. Dr. George Rekers hired a rent boy to accompany him on a trip to Europe continues to send shock waves through the Religious Right and conservative politics. -- National media coverage continues; the scandal is becoming an issue in the Florida gubernatorial race; Rekers' professional associations are distancing themselves from him, and if that was not enough, another rent boy has emerged claiming to have had Rekers as a client."
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Has Faisal Shahzad Started a War? -- Remember the Maine? - posted at AntiWar
Must Read - A quote...."The Obama administration is determined to link the Times Square Fizzler, Faisal Shahzad, to the Pakistani Taliban, and isn’t about to let logic, reality, or anything remotely related to the facts get in its way. With the complicity of the Obama-stricken media, they just might get away with it, opening the way for expanded military operations in Pakistan, in “retaliation” for an attack that never even happened. -- Attorney General Holder did the talking heads circuit this Sunday, no doubt for the explicit purpose of launching this trial balloon, and he had plenty of help from – for example – Jake Tapper, formerly of Salon, the pro-Obama liberal news site, and currently George Stephanopoulos’ replacement on “This Week.” Asked by Tapper what’s new with the Shahzad investigation, Holder replied: "

Premature to link NY incident to Waziristan: Malik
Related Article - A quote...."Malik said the United States has formally requested for cooperation in investigations into the failed bid of terrorist attack at the New York’s Times Square and Pakistan would fully cooperate in this regard. - “We will investigate the reports of Faisal Shahzad’s visit to Waziristan,” he said, adding only Pakistani agencies will investigate the matter and no foreign team would be allowed to come to Pakistan for this purpose. - “It is the prerogative of the Pakistani intelligence agencies to investigate the alleged links of Faisal Shahzad with the Taliban and we would do that investigation in a transparent manner,” the minister said."  - also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

Lone Nuttery
Related Article - A quote...."I'm getting a strong Lee Harvey Oswald vibe off the Faisal Shahzad story. The conspirators had a series of big plans for the Oswald tale, including an attack on Cuba or even a nuclear war with the Soviet Union (that's why they had built in layers of connections between Oswald and various characters who could be described as communist agents). Unfortunately for them, the escape of Oswald from assassination at the School Book Depository or the Texas Theater meant that they had to scale back their plans to 'lone nut'. -- We're seeing exactly the same scenario with Faisal Shahzad. He was obviously supposed to die in some sort of confrontation with law enforcement, and his continued life - together with the unfortunate slip about Army planes illegally performing law enforcement activities on American soil (one of the key signs of fascism, btw) - meant that the big plans for the phony terrorist attack had to be trimmed."

Pakistani Taliban deny link with New York Times Square bomber
Related Article - A quote...."ISLAMABAD, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) denied any link with Faisal Shehzad, the suspected New York Times Square bomber, TTP spokesman Azam Tariq said Thursady, local TV channel reported. -- The spokesman said that they did not know Shehzad and had not trained him for bombing, the private TV Express reported."

Times Square bombing suspect works alone
Related Article - A quote...."BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhuanet) -- The failed Times Square car bombing suspect is believed to have been working alone, according to media reports Wednesday. -- Authorities indicated that Faisal Shahzad, the 30-year-old son of a retired air force official in Pakistan, had launched the bomb plot alone almost immediately after returning to his Connecticut home in February from the visit to his native land. -- Authorities don't believe there are any other suspects in the plot and that several arrests in Pakistan in the past two days were not related."
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Tehran to host G15 summit
A quote...."The Group of 15 was established at the 9th Non-Aligned Movement Summit Meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1989, with a common goal of enhanced growth and prosperity in its member states. -- The number of the G15 members has expanded to 18 countries from North America, South America, Asia and Africa, but the name has remained unchanged."

Iran tests anti-submarine torpedo
A quote...."Iran's navy has successfully test-fired an anti-submarine torpedo on the fifth day of its military maneuvers in the country's southern waters. -- The navy carried out successful drills aimed at tracking and targeting hostile submarines, Iranian military spokesman Rear Admiral Qasem Rostamabadi announced Sunday."

Iran hangs five members of Kurdish "terrorist" group
A quote...."(Reuters) - Iran hanged five members of a Kurdish "anti-revolutionary" group for various charges, including "moharebe" or waging war against God, the official IRNA news agency reported Sunday."

Lebanon must reinforce defensive power
A quote...."The Lebanese Parliament has called for enhancement of the country's defensive power amid intensified Israeli rhetoric against the Hezbollah movement. -- Parliamentary spokesman Nabih Berri on Saturday said both the country's army and its resistance movement Hezbollah had to be reinforced "to stress that the nation's borders, safeguards the homeland," the Lebanese portal Naharnet reported."

Lebanon officer charged as Israel spy may get death penalty
A quote...."Colonel Gazwan Shahin is the fourth officer to be arrested on suspicion of espionage since last year, convicted of spying during Second Lebanon War."

Brazil announces contruction of new nuclear reactor
A quote...."Brazil`s minister of science and technology has told local media that a new 483-million-dollar nuclear reactor will be built to produce medical material and enriched uranium as part of the country`s small but growing civil nuclear energy programme."
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Britain: No agreement yet on coalition government
A quote...."The past weekend was dominated by horse-trading between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats to patch together a coalition government, following the inconclusive outcome of Britain’s May 6 general election."

Which whore should Clegg jump into bed with?
A quote...."Britain is left dangling by an indecisive general election while horse trading goes on behind closed doors. -- The Liberal Democrats hold the balance of power and their leader Nick Clegg is running around meeting negotiators from David "I'm-a-Zionist" Cameron's Conservatives and trying to reach a collaborative agreement so that a new era of government can begin. At the same time he’s having telephone conversations with sad loser Gordon Brown."

Merkel braces for electoral backlash over Greece
A quote...."BERLIN : Polls in Germany's most populous state opened for a key election Sunday, with surveys showing voters angry at the bailout for Greece could hand Chancellor Angela Merkel's party a bitter defeat." - also posted at WarInIraq

German state vote curbs Merkel's power
Related Article - A quote...."BERLIN — Voters in Germany's most populous state dealt Chancellor Angela Merkel a painful setback Sunday, erasing her government's majority in the upper house of parliament and curbing its power after a stumbling start and criticism over the Greek debt crisis." - also posted at WarInIraq
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

A massacre of arabs masked by a state of national amnesia
Special Note - A quote...."Sixty-two years on, what really happened at Deir Yassin on 9 April remains obscured by lies, exaggerations and contradictions. Now Ha'aretz, a liberal Israeli newspaper, is seeking to crack open the mystery by petitioning Israel's High Court of Justice to release written and photographic evidence buried deep in military archives. Palestinian survivors of Deir Yassin, a village of around 400 inhabitants, claim the Jews committed a wholesale massacre there, spurring Palestinians to flee in the thousands, and undermining the long-held Israeli narrative that they left of their own accord." - also posted at Uruknet

Indirect talks won't succeed
A quote...."One cannot help but wonder when was the last time Israel has taken into consideration either Palestinians' rightful demands or even the US's requests?" - also posted at Uruknet

Public figures call for delay in OECD vote on Israeli entry
A quote...."Bethlehem - Ma'an - Public figures launched an urgent appeal to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, which are due to vote on Israel’s accession to the group on Monday." - also posted at Uruknet

Swedish Left Party chair, Lars Ohly, slams Israel's bid to become OECD-member - Alt
Contains Video - A quote...."May 09, 2010 — Swedish Left Party chair Ohly slams Israels bid to become OECD-member -- The Left Party of Sweden finished its congress on Sunday, may 9. The party chair, Lars Ohly, raised the question of the Israeli bid to become an OECD-member in a Q&A following his inaugural address:

"For us, it´s never enough to look at the narrow, national perspective.The Palestinian people is one of the worst examples of the double standards of morality of the world today. The occupying state is rewarded - with increased trade, with more military contacts, that it is now suggested that they will become members of the trade federation OECD. [...] This is a shame!"  -- *Lars Ohly*, Swedish Left Party Chair

Four Beaten and Arrested at Al-Walaje Sit-In
A quote...."Jerusalem, (Pal Telegraph – By Dr. Mazen Qumsiyeh) Our ten hour ordeal with the occupation forces started at 8:30 AM as we gathered in the small village of Al-Walaje. A tiny store with an elderly women who insisted on making me coffee and not charging me. Idyllic setting except for the heavy bulldozers now carving the hills to separate the remaining people from their lands via an apartheid wall that is planned to completely ring the village. "

IOA banished 420 Palestinians since start of 2010
A quote...."GAZA, (PIC)-- The Palestinian society for human rights "Rased" said that the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) had deported 420 Palestinians this year from the West Bank even before the implementation of the racist military order 1650 that entails the banishment of thousands of Palestinians."

Palestinian lawyer tortured in Israeli dungeons
A quote...."OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Jerusalemite lawyer Shireen Al-Aisawi has said that Israeli interrogators in the Maskobeh detention center in occupied Jerusalem have been torturing her since first day of detention on 25/4/2010."

For Those Who Don't Believe Israel Shoots Innocent Farmers
Contains Video - A quote...."(SALEM, Ore.) - It was late February in 2009, when Israeli forces shot a twenty-year-old Palestinian farmer as he worked his land in the village of Al-Faraheen, east of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. -- Weeks earlier, on Tuesday 27 January 2009, in Al Faraheen, Israeli forces shot at several farmers, killing a 27-year-old man whose job in life was that of a farmer. -- We are told this happens often, though Israelis deny it. -- As it turns out in the February case though, International Human Rights Activists were accompanying the group of farmers at the time as they worked approximately 500m from the Green Line." - also posted at Uruknet - For more on this issue see....Israel's Scorched Earth

Weekend demonstrations continue the struggle
Action Update - A quote...."Today’s demonstrators, Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals, marched from the Bil’in mosque towards the illegal apartheid wall. Halfway along the route, the procession picked up several men dressed entirely in black, carrying a coffin with a man inside. The grim scene symbolized the Palestinians’ loss of land during the Nakba and their inability to return to these lands. Most importantly, the coffin symbolized the fact that Palestinian refugees are not allowed to bury their deceased loved ones on their native soil."

Palestinians find new ways to defy Gaza's Buffer Zone
Action Update - A quote...."Gaza, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) Hundreds of citizens volunteered for harvesting agricultural lands located on the eastern border of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, another step towards defying the buffer zone which is adjacent to the territory of the citizens. The rally was organized by the Popular Campaign against the Buffer zone in the town of Khuza'a, east of Khan Yunis, where the demonstrators raised their flags on the barbed wires that separates the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967 and chanted slogans condemning the buffer zone."

First solidarity ship sails to Gaza
Action Update - A quote...."Gaza, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) The first ship in the international solidarity fleet with Gaza kicks off on Wednesday 05/12/2010 from Ireland bound for Gaza, passing through Greece. This move will be followed by the movement of the rest of the ships in the 22nd  of this month from the ports of Turkey and Greece at the same time to accumulate in one point off the territorial waters of Cyprus and proceed towards the shores of Gaza."

Press conference for the launching of the Italian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel
Action Update - Boycott, Divest and Sanction, because the Israelis WILL stop, if the world community, unites together to stop them. - mpg -- A quote...."Press Release 2010/04/08/01 -- Friday, May 7th, 2010 ICACBI organized a press conference in Turin for the launching of the Italian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel. -- Alfredo Tradardi described the objectives and the reasons of the campaign. Gianni Vattimo and Diana Carminati described other details of the campaign. -- Enrico Contenti underlined the support of Antonino Salerno, secretary of SIAM, Italian Union of Musicians." - For more on how to Boycott, Divest and Sanction the state of Israel see the upper-left-corner of the "Front Page" of this website.
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EU Pulls Out Nuclear Option: Proposed 500 Billion Euro Bail Out Package Is Largest In History
Currency War Alert - It's OVER!  The EU has surrendered, they're waving the white flag.  The EU had two, and ONLY two options regarding the current economic crisis.  One, allow the ECB to fund the indebted EU countries by printing bonds to raise capital for them while charging (paying out) zero interest on the bonds and if necessary, buying the bonds themselves (monetization) and even swapping toxic assets out and subbing the bonds in to "extend and pretend", (a.k.a. the Bernanke shuffle).  All of which the Fed under Bernanke's leadership has been doing for the last year and a half in the US-NRE, -- or  --  Two go massively and deeply into debt to the IMF, using the US-NRE's "reserve" currency instead of their own Euro and pay five percent interest (for now, it'll be a lot more latter) to the FBC (Fed/Bankster Complex) and convert the entire population of Europe into permanent economic slaves for Wall Street's Banksters & the Federal Reserve.  The EU's leadership have chosen the second option.  The European peoples' standard of living will now decline for the next twenty years....at a minimum. - mpg -- Editor's Note, both options are of course bad. Printing endless amounts of fiat currency is bad, going deeper into debt each year is bad.  However the leadership in Europe have chosen the greater of two evils for their people.-- For more on this issue see....The First Salvos of the Currency Wars - 05-07-10 - mpg

Jim Rickards: "Goldman Can Create Shorts Faster Than Europe Can Print Money"
Contains Video - Related Article - A quote...."Jim Rickards, who recently has gotten massive media exposure on everything from the JPM Silver manipulation scandal, to the Greek default, was back on CNBC earlier with one of the most fascinating insights we have yet heard from anyone, which demonstrates beyond a doubt why any attempt by Europe to print its way out of its current default is doomed: "Look at what Soros did to the Bank of England in 1992 - he went after them, they had a finite amount of dollars, he was selling sterling and taking the dollars, and they were buying the sterling and selling the dollars to defend the peg. All he had to do was sell more than they had and he wins. But he needed real money to do that. Today you can break a country, you don't need money you just need synthetic euroshorts or CDS. A trillion dollar bailout: Goldman can create 10 trillion of euroshorts."

TRUE, but than the EU can have their financial friends (with the requisite guarantees, just like Bernanke does here in the US-NRE) print up 100 trillion eurolongs, Goldman (and the Fed) will respond with 1 quadrillion shorts, the EU with 100 quadrillion longs, and so on and so forth.  What the EU MUST DO is convince the Fed and Wall Street that this must stop.  Geopolitical considerations such as the US-NRE's NATO membership and/or the EU's continuing support for the US-NRE's Imperial policies in the Middle East may have to be put into play. - mpg -- posted 05-09-10

Reinhart Squared: Is The US Too Big To Fail?
Must Read - Related Article - From the history file - A quote...."First posted 17 November 2008, this column's analysis is more relevant than ever. It asks why investors rush to government securities when the US was at the epicentre of the financial crisis? This column attributes the paradox to key emerging market economies’ exchange practices, which require reserves most often invested in US government securities. America’s exorbitant privilege comes with a cost and a responsibility that US policy makers should bear in mind as they address financial reform."

Morgan Stanley's Stephen Roach See Increasingly More Frequent And More Dire Crises Coming Up - Market Warning - Contains Video - Related Article - Morgan Stanley stating the obvious.  Sort'a repetition of the refrain shown above. - mpg -- A quote...."Morgan Stanley's Stephen Roach spoke with Bloomberg's Tom Keene earlier, pointing out the most troubling statistic about recent market activity, which has to do with both the frequency and amplitude of catastrophes: "The crises are coming with greater frequency. Over the last 25 years we have had an average of one crisis every 3 years. The gap this time is 18 months. The scale is bigger. This is a much more serious problem in the eurozone than the Asian financial crisis." So intercrisis half-life continues to decline as the severity jumps exponentially. In other words, in nine months we will need a combined Fed-ECB-BOE-PBoC-BOJ effort for about $10 trillion just to calm the markets. 4.5 months after that, $100 trillion more... And so forth. Enjoy."

More on the European Bailout from Zero Hedge....05/09/10
Summary Of The Biggest Bail Out Ever: Even Keynes Is Spinning In His Grave
France Confirms It Is Now Openly Buying Sovereign Bonds In The Open Market
Full Details On The European Bailout From Bank Of America
The Latest US Taxpayer Bill To Save Europe, And Specifically The French Banks: $57 Billion
European Monetization Begins: Sources Report Central Banks Have Started Buying Government Bonds

Britain says it will not back European bailout fund
Related Article - A quote...."(AFP) – 20 hours ago - (posted 05/10/10 12:27am PST) -- BRUSSELS — Britain said on Sunday that it will refuse to underwrite a European Union bailout fund worth some 60 billion euros that finance ministers want to agree at emergency talks in Brussels."

Bank Funding Crunch Deepens as Debt Swaps Soar to Records: Credit Markets
Related Article - A quote...."Europe’s government debt crisis is starting to infect the bank funding system, driving borrowing costs higher from Asia to the U.S. and threatening to slow the global economic recovery. -- The interest rate financial companies charge each other for three-month loans in dollars rose to the highest since August, while traders are paying record amounts to hedge against losses in European bank bonds. Yields on corporate debt rose last week by the most relative to government securities since Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.’s bankruptcy in September 2008, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch indexes."

Communist Party of Greece, “Message from Acropolis: Peoples of Europe, Rise Up!”
Video - A banner on the Acropolis with a message - mpg

'Liquidationist' revisited
Special Note - A quote...."Through the teachings of Keynes, Friedman, Bernanke and others we have been taught flawed analysis and educated in the wrong lessons from the terrible experience of the Great Depression. The doctrine of inflating credit, while disregarding speculation and bubble dynamics, is fraught with myriad dangers. And, well, we’re now 20 months into Bernanke’s - and global central bankers’ - experimental "helicopter money" and "government printing press" assault on the Credit crisis. Not for a moment have I expected such overzealous inflationism to do anything other than exacerbate financial and economic fragility."

On The Edge With Max Keiser-05-07-2010 (Part1) - (Part 2) - (Part 3)
Videos - MK&EB(1/3) - MK&EB(1/3) - MK&EB(1/3) - Source: MaxKeiserTV -- A quote...."An exclusive interview with Ellen Brown, Author of Web of Debt"- Pay close attention as Max explains the difference between legitimate "short selling", versus  the illegitimate creation of vast amounts of artificial leverage (over one quadrillion and counting by some estimates) to manipulate global markets and take down entire economic sectors, or even countries. - mpg

Let’s Hold Benedict Arnold Billionaire Warren Buffett Accountable
A quote...."Buffett has taken to defending the biggest shysters in the country -- and argues that his own questionable derivatives should be shielded from government regulators."

Shadow Inventory -- A "Lost Decade" Ahead For Housing
Must Read - A quote...."How much should we worry about a new leg down in the housing market? If the number of foreclosed homes piling up at banks is any indication, there’s ample reason for concern. As of March, banks had an inventory of about 1.1 million foreclosed homes, up 20% from a year earlier....  Another 4.8 million mortgage holders were at least 60 days behind on their payments or in the foreclosure process, meaning their homes were well on their way to the inventory pile. That “shadow inventory” was up 30% from a year earlier. Based on the rate at which banks have been selling those foreclosed homes over the past few months, all that inventory, real and shadow, would take 103 months to unload. That’s nearly nine years. Of course, banks could pick up the pace of sales, but the added supply of distressed homes would weigh heavily on prices — and thus boost their losses." ("Number of the Week: 103 Months to Clear Housing Inventory" Mark Whitehouse, Wall Street Journal) -- Got that? There's a 9-year backlog of distressed homes. The banks are deliberately fudging the numbers to hide how bad things really are. The number of homes in late-stage foreclosure is not 1.1 million, but nearly 6 million--- 5X more than the banks are admitting. Housing will be in the doldrums for a decade or more. It's shameful that people can't get basic information like this to help them make their investment decisions. The banks couldn't pull off this type of information warfare without the help of government officials pulling strings from inside. Bernanke and Geithner must be involved." - bold/underline by website editor

You Would Have to Be Fool to Buy a House Now
Must View Charts - Related Article - A quote...."The following four charts have been updated 12 months after original publication (5/11/09). These graphics were used to illustrate why the housing downturn would persist through 2013. (Link to Article) -- A year has passed during which an economic recovery was widely reported. But housing market statistics have largely stagnated. It appears less likely today than a year ago that housing will fully stabilize and begin a sustainable recovery before 2014."

U.S. retirement benefits to be cut? - Alt - (YuTb - 8 min - May 08, 2010)
Video - Special Note - A quote...."Pt 2 coming on Monday President Obama, former President Bill Clinton, and others join Billionaire Peter Peterson in supporting new commission to solve long-term deficits."

With ‘ Hat In Hand ‘ : American Serfdom
Special Note - A quote...."America, 2010, and nothing really has changed, with one percent of our population ( of nearly 300 million people ) controlling 40 percent of our wealth. Unions represent a modern low of 14 percent of the workforce. Yet, probably the most damaging aspect is the mindset of most 9 to 5 Americans, who wannabe ‘ Just like Mike ‘ ! Remember that powerful advertisement for Nike ( or was it Coke ? ) when Michael Jordan was the hit of the town? He was a superstar, super wealthy, with this big smile that reeked of success..... Power! All the average Joes out there wished they could be like him.....live like him! Then we had shows like Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and all those couch potatoes dreamed of one day being like that. We had ( and have ) all those infomercials telling us how to make money quick from real estate. I remember Erik Estrada from the old Chips cop show pushing real estate investing, with his pot belly and bloated once handsome face.... ‘ With little money down! ‘  -- Conversations in offices, supermarket lines, health clubs, job sites.... Everywhere it seems, are about the ‘ scandal of the day ‘ involving the rich and famous. Never do you hear discussions about the trillion dollar phony bank bailouts, or trillion dollar phony wars we taxpayers fund. The latest conversation piece, the one in between Tiger Woods and Lawrence Taylor, is about how much the stock market has folded this past week.....never about what Goldman Sachs did to the Greek government to cause their crisis."

The Stock Market “Glitch”: Blackmail by Big Banking?
A quote...."The White House gets its way again. They get their way on two measures that would have given the people at least a little control of the “too big too fail” banking system. But how they got it, well that might just be the REAL story of the day. --  “I mean this really sounds like market manipulation to me. This is outrageous.” -- The “HOPE” of real getting real banking reform under this administration is dead. Dead on arrival. What is left is the “Chris Dodd Big Banking Giveaway Plan” which is to banking “reform” what Obamacare was to “healthcare reform”.  --  Last night the Brown/Kaufman amendment was shot down by a vote of 61-33. The amendment would have broken up the largest 6 banks and then set limits on the size these institutions could become so their failure could not threaten the entire system. Thus… “too big too fail” would have been a thing of the past. 27 senate democrats voted with the large majority of republicans to kill the amendment and for the most part, the 30 who voted for the bill were either coming up on an election cycle this year, or they switched their votes after seeing the bill was going to fail. A clever little trick legislators use to end up on the “right side” of a voting issue."

Time Is Running Out  - (YuTb - 6 min 56 sec - May 08, 2010)
Video - Related Video - Great analysis of the Banksters' master plan, in a nutshell. - mpg

Saturday May 8th 2010

Lieberman Looks to Strip the Citizenship of 1 Million Americans Without Charge or Trial
A quote...."The climate of fear, created out of the well exaggerated Times Square incident last week has allowed Joe Lieberman and fellow establishment lawmakers to introduce a bill that would drive the final nail into the coffin of the Bill of Rights. Lieberman says the bill is design to “close loopholes” that allow individuals on the FBI’s terror watch list purchase firearms, explosives and to have basic rights of due process if and when they are tried for a crime." -- also posted at DProgram

MSM: Sec. State Clinton Supports Bill to Strip Americans of Citizenship
Related Article - A quote...."(Yahoo) – A new bill that would permit the State Department to strip Americans of their citizenship if they support terror networks has drawn a cool reaction from the White House, even as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared to embrace the measure." - So now we have two sniveling, AIPAC butt-kissing, stealth Israeli Knesset members....Lieberman and Hideous Hillary. How wonderful. (roll the eys) - mpg -- For more on this issue see also the article and comments shown below....

Joe Lieberman introducing bill to strip suspected terrorists' citizenship
Must Read - (For the outrage!) -- A quote...."A day after suggesting that U.S. citizenship laws should be changed to strip American terrorists of their nationality, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has introduced legislation to do just that. His bill amends existing law that revokes the citizenship of any American who joins a foreign military. -- "I'm now putting together legislation [so that] any individual American citizen who is found to be involved in a foreign terrorist organization, as defined by the Department of State, would be deprived of their citizenship rights," Lieberman told reporters Tuesday. "If you have joined an enemy of the United States in attacking the United States to try to kill Americans I think you sacrifice your rights of citizenship."

He means Israel right!?!?  If you support the terrorist state of Israel you'll be "stripped of your citizenship"....right?!?!  Less than a month after Israel proposed, and began to implement a plan, to deport Palestinians for totally arbitrary reasons and strip other Israelis of there citizenship , that sniveling, AIPAC butt-kissing, stealth Israeli Knesset member, piece of human garbage, proposes the same asinine policy for AMERICANS!!

Let this website editor clue every member of the Jewish Community in on this issue....there are about 5.5 million Jews living in this country of 320 million "citizens".  That makes the Jewish Community about 1.8 percent of the US-NRE's population.  Having one of "your" stalwart Zionists propose a plan to strip citizens in this country of their citizenship on behalf of another nation state's policies and programs is not only counter productive, it could result in a SEVERE counter-reaction. - mpg - posted 05-06-10

Erdogan, Lula to visit Iran together
A quote...."Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit Tehran together to hold talks on Iran's nuclear program. -- Lula will arrive in Tehran to attend the Fourteenth Summit of the Group of 15 (G-15) on May 17, Mehr news agency reported."

Iran hails France for snubbing US extradition: report
A quote...."TEHRAN (AFP) – Iran on Saturday welcomed France's refusal to extradite a detained Iranian to the United States where he is accused of buying electronic parts and exporting them illegally, news agencies reported. "His innocence was evident, (but) we still appreciate the French judiciary move in granting his freedom," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said as engineer Majid Kakavand arrived back home"

US angry at French acquittal of Iranian
Related Article - A quote...."The US Department of Justice has angrily objected to a French court ruling that acquitted Iranian businessman Majid Kakavand of all charges of violating US trade sanctions against Iran." - also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

Iranian Navy Equips Hovercrafts with Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles
A quote...."TEHRAN (FNA)- The Iranian Navy equipped its hovercrafts with a newly-manufactured anti-ship cruise missile, called Nour (Light), to boost the military power of its vessels in confronting potential threats by enemy vessels."

Israel Says Iran Choppers Launched in Navy Drill Better than US Cobra
A quote...."07/05/2010 Israeli military sources have said that the Iranian Toufan (storm) chopper launched during the Iranian 8-days navy drill was heavily upgraded and much better than the US Cobra."

Iraq needs public and not secret prisons
A quote...."Iraqis’ integrity is being violated every hour. This violation is being carried out through different political, security, internal and external means and has continued since the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003. --  When suddenly an American newspaper reports about secret prisons in Iraq, the government displays itself as a deaf lamb. It keeps saying it has no knowledge of the existence of these prisons, although the horrific violations which take place in them are being perpetrated with its hands, its weapons and its authority. --  The government wants to morph each time, hiding its own crimes with a thick shroud, and move on to determine Iraqis’ fate using the same means." - Sounds just like some other government this website editor has heard of.  What were those other torture prisons that government operated called, many of which it still operates to this day?  Names like Abu Ghraib, Bagram, Gitmo and dozens of other unnamed "black sites" come to mind.  But the leader of the country that created these murderous hell holes constantly likes to state.....lets "put it all behind us". - mpg

Lebanese government won't ask Hezbollah to disarm
A quote...."BEIRUT — Lebanon's president says the government cannot ask Hezbollah to give up its weapons at a time of heightened tension with Israel. -- A U.N. deal to end the 2006 war between Israel and the Shiite militants required Hezbollah to disarm, but Lebanon's politicians have been unable to agree on a national defense strategy that would integrate the group's weapons into the regular armed forces."

Medvedev: Chances of New World War Exist
RTVideo - Alt - (RTYuTb - 27 min 58 sec - May 07, 2010) - Source: Russia Today -- A quote...."As Russia celebrates Victory Day over Nazi Germany, the Russian President gives his views on that historic conflict to the correspondent of the Russian newspaper "Izvestia"."

Vladimir Putin snubs Britain and US over VE Day celebrations
Some quotes...."Vladimir Putin has snubbed both the Prince of Wales and the US vice-president, Joe Biden, by refusing to allow them to attend a parade in Red Square marking the 65th anniversary of the end of the second world war, the Guardian has learned."  --  "[Prince Charles] was quietly stood down after Putin made it clear that he did not want him there – apparently in a sign of his continuing annoyance with the UK over its failure to extradite Boris Berezovsky, the Kremlin critic and former oligarch, to Russia."  --  "....also snubbed [was] Biden, who had planned to go to Moscow and has been left kicking his heels in Brussels. Biden is close to Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia's president. During the 2008 Russian-Georgia war...."  --  "The White House is privately furious at the snub. Barack Obama told Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, he was unable to attend but had confidently offered Biden as his replacement. Moscow's diplomatic corps has been abuzz all week with news of Putin's unexpected veto." - also posted at WarInIraq

Chinese, Russian leaders agree to enhance bilateral strategic ties
A quote...."MOSCOW, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met here Saturday and agreed to further enhance the strategic relations of cooperation and partnership between their two countries." - also posted at WarInIraq

UK election results: New Labour RIP, 1992-2010
A quote...."When we look back in a few years' time, it's all going to be clear. From the moment the Iraq invasion went so disastrously wrong, New Labour was living on borrowed time. They scrambled one further election, ingloriously, in 2005 – "I have listened and learned," said Tony Blair, and then went on to demonstrate he had done neither – but, unwilling to re-make themselves while still in office and to hand power on to a new generation, New Labour never had a prayer of scrambling a second."

A Maverick Upends Colombian Politics
A quote...."BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Given the staid nature of the political establishment in Colombia, Washington’s top ally in the region, and the broad popularity of President Álvaro Uribe, it seemed a foregone conclusion to many here that his heir apparent would clinch the presidency in the coming elections without too much of a struggle."

Washington in trouble over overseas military bases
A quote...."U.S.-Japanese talks on the future of American military bases are taking place in Tokyo against the backdrop of public protests. Any mistake in these talks could cost Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama his job. Hatoyama, who was initially supported by 72% of the electorate, is currently only backed by 20.7%. - But Hatoyama is bound to err because he lacks any alternative. Anything he does will be wrong, while inaction would be even worse. On Thursday or Friday, the mayors of three small Japanese towns on Tokunoshima Island are expected to visit Tokyo and tell the Prime Minister that they actively oppose the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture to the island. - Hatoyama, who returned from Okinawa on Monday, said during his trip that he would be unable to relocate the base from Futenma (Okinava) to Tokunoshima because nobody wants to accommodate it."

Obama Administration Demands Amnesia From Reporters Covering Gitmo
Actually he demands amnesia from everybody, because he needs them to forget all his unfulfilled promises, and ceaseless lying, but that's another story. - mpg -- A quote...."Jack Newfield, the legendary investigative reporter, once wrote that if government officials had their way, journalists would be "stenographers with amnesia." -- The "amnesia" part, at least, was generally considered a bit of an exaggeration. -- But now, the Pentagon has banned four reporters from covering the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, because they refused to forget something that had already been reported to the world." - bold by website editor - How utterly Kafkaesque of the US-NRE's military. - mpg
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Apartheid State or a Bi-national State?
A quote...."A few days ago, Prof. Mearsheimer delivered an impressive lecture in Washington DC. He presented a profound analysis of the chances of Israel surviving in the long term. Every Israeli who is concerned about the future of his state should grapple with this analysis. -- The professor himself sums up his conclusions as follows: -- “Contrary to the wishes of the Obama administration and most Americans – to include many American Jews – Israel is not going to allow the Palestinians to have a viable state of their own in Gaza and the West Bank. Regrettably, the two-state solution is now a fantasy. Instead, those territories will be incorporated into a “Greater Israel,” which will be an apartheid state bearing a marked resemblance to white-ruled South Africa. Nevertheless, a Jewish apartheid state is not politically viable over the long term. In the end, it will become a democratic bi-national state, whose politics will be dominated by its Palestinian citizens. In other words, it will cease being a Jewish state, which will mean the end of the Zionist dream.”

PFLP slams indirect talks
A quote...."Gaza – Ma'an – The PLO's decision to enter US-mediated proximity talks with Israel is a violation of Palestinian consensus, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Gaza City said Sunday. -- PFLP leader Kayid Al-Ghoul said "the decision reflects an obvious retreat from the commitments made to the Palestinian people and a clear violation of Palestinian national consensus."

Hamas: IOA directs new slap to Oslo team
A quote...."DAMASCUS, (PIC)-- Hamas said that the Israeli occupation authority's (IOA) construction of 14 new housing units in Ras Al-Amod suburb in occupied Jerusalem directs another slap to the Oslo team in Ramallah."

Latest Israel-Palestinian Talks Hold Little Hope
A quote...."After 18 months with no direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, so-called proximity talks between intermediaries, rather than face-to-face meetings between the direct parties, are scheduled to begin this week. An announcement is anticipated shortly. These shuttle deliberations are expected to continue for four months with Arab League backing. They hold little hope."

Fields ablaze in Iraq Burin
A quote...."Despite the recent unprovoked, fatal shooting of two of its young men by Israeli forces, the village of Iraq Burin, just south of Nablus, turned out in force again this Saturday, 8th May, to protest against the annexation of village lands. Supported by human rights activists from the International Solidarity Movement, the Michigan Peace Teams and the International Women’s Peace Service, the villagers attempted to march towards their stolen lands. -- They were soon confronted by a squad of Israeli soldiers who commenced firing tear gas cannisters at the protesters. It was apparent that they wished to cause maximum possible injuries as, rather than lobbing the cannisters, the soldiers fired them at a low trajectory directly into the crowd. One young man soon went down, struck in the leg by a projectile fired at close range. Jihad Qaddoush (20) was immediately rushed to hospital in Nablus for treatment. It is expected that he will make a full recovery from his wound."
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Greg Palast: "Remove the bloodsuckers"
Must Read - Contains Video - The solution to the Greek crisis, and the global debt crisis, is simple according to investigative reporter Greg Palast. In his 2001 article called "The Globalizer Who Came In From the Cold," Palast suggests that we should "remove the bloodsuckers," who are the global financial wizards that work at the IMF, WTO and the World Bank and practice the art of dark finance. Palast details the step-by-step plan of how these transnational economic parasites bring entire nations to ruin, which he learned after he gained a hold of some precious World Bank documents that laid out the banksters' game-plan of how to harness the financial will of sovereign nations and use it against them. Palast also talked with Joseph Stiglitz, the former Chief Economist of the World Bank and a Nobel prize winner, for the piece." - also posted at Prison Planet (contains videos) & DProgram

Merkel blasts 'treacherous' banks in Greek crisis
Quote of the Day...."First the banks failed, forcing states to carry out rescue operations. They plunged the global economy over the precipice and we had to initiate recovery packages. Because of these packages, we have become indebted and now, they are speculating against these debts -- that is really very treacherous," -- *Angela Merkel*, German Chancellor

Shadow Banking: Keeping the Fed Honest
A quote...."....we have learned a lot in the last year about the private "shadow banking system" that helped bring down our economy. Yet no entity was more central to the failure of regulation that helped to create this crisis, nor more central to keeping solvent the banks that enabled it, than the Fed. Through guarantees, equity investments, debt purchases and other methods, the Fed probably spent upward of $1 trillion to resuscitate the banking system. Remarkably, at a time when "transparency" is the favorite word of all reform prescriptions, what still remains unclear, a year after the massive bailouts, is who got how much."

Marc Faber on BNN in Canada – Dr. Doom on the Economy
Videos - MF(1/2) - MF(2/2) - (YuTb - aprox 10-20 min - May 07, 2010)

FDIC shuts banks in Fla., Minn., Ariz., Calif.
A quote...."CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Regulators on Friday shut down banks in Florida, Minnesota, Arizona and California, bringing the number of U.S. bank failures to 68 this year."

Friday May 7th 2010

15 Mind-Blowing Facts About Wealth And Inequality In America
Must View Charts - A quote...."homeless 2The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. - Cliché, sure, but it's also more true than at any time since the Gilded Age. - The poor are getting poorer, wages are falling behind inflation, and social mobility is at an all-time low. - Here's 15 Mind-Blowing Charts About Wealth And Inequality In America." - also posted at ICH

John Williams: A Hyper-Inflationary Great Depression Is Coming
Must Read Interview - A quote...."When I talk about a great depression in the United States, it is coincident with a hyper-inflation. We're already in the deepest and longest economic contraction seen since the Great Depression. If you look at the timing as set by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which is the arbiter of U.S. recessions, as to whether or not we have one, they've refused to call an end to this one, so far. But assuming you called an end to it back in the middle of 2009, it would still be the longest recession seen since the first down-leg of the Great Depression."

Gerald Celente on the Dow Crash
RTVideo - Alt - (RTYuTb - 6 min 52 sec - May 06, 2010) -- A quote...."The Dow Jones industrial market is down and looks to continue to head that direction. This is not good news for the worlds economies that are trying to bounce back after this recession hit many different nations. Is this a direct reflection of the Greece financial crisis?"

Is Sovereign Debt Crisis Contained to Subprime?
Quote of the Day...."....when mortgage-backed securities started to go bad, it wasn't as if the problems emanated in subprime and subsequently "contaminated" the rest of the market. All borrowers were infected with the same disease, but the symptoms merely expressed themselves sooner in subprime. The same is true on a national level, whereby Greece plays the part of the subprime borrower. Though the U.S. is considered to be the highest order of "prime" borrower, based on historic precedent, our debt to GDP levels are at crisis levels, and are not that much lower than Portugal or Spain. When off-budget and contingency liabilities are properly accounted for, one could argue that we are already in worse financial shape than Greece."

The Canary is Dead
Special Note - A quote...."Greece is the canary.  The poisonous gas is debt.  Greece has just keeled over, and the rest of the world is running scared.  That’s why the Dow was down 1,000 points at one time yesterday!  Oh yes, there was talk of “unregulated high frequency computerized trading” and “bad trades,” but make no mistake, the market is worried about massive amounts of sour debt at all levels around the globe. -- In a nutshell, Greece borrowed way too much money, and does not want to drive old cars and eat rice and beans for years to pay it back.  That’s why you are seeing riots in Athens.  The problem with Greece is it cannot print money like the United States.  Its debts cannot be simply inflated away." - bold by website editor

Economy Kept On Life Support While Global Governance Is Organized
Contains Videos - DavosRedesign - DavosSDRs - A quote..."While the mainstream media puts on the recovery song and dance, the fundamental problems of the collapse remain the same, and in some cases are growing ever more precarious.  Subsections of the public, unaware of the real issues at hand, are holding a misguided jubilee in the tranquil eye of a hurricane, wrongly assuming that the storm has passed. - The world is breathing a hasty sigh of relief at the beginning of 2010, but what are the facts behind the current “peaceful” economic moment?  In this article, we will examine whether or not the good news is legitimate, or, if are we being lulled into a false sense of security…"

Stock Market Collapse: More Goldman Market Rigging
Special Note - A quote...."Last week, Goldman Sachs was on the congressional hot seat, grilled for fraud in its sale of complicated financial products called “synthetic CDOs.”  This week the heat was off, as all eyes turned to the attack of the shorts on Greek sovereign debt and the dire threat of a sovereign Greek default.  By Thursday, Goldman’s fraud had slipped from the headlines and Congress had been cowed into throwing in the towel on its campaign to break up the too-big-to-fail banks.  On Friday, Goldman was in settlement talks with the SEC. --  Goldman and Wall Street reign.  Congress appears helpless to discipline the big banks, just as the European Central Bank appears helpless to prevent the collapse of the European Union. . . . Or are they?"

Bankers Laughing All the Way to the Bank
C4LVideo - RP&FedAudit - posted by campaignforliberty - (C4LYuTb - 2 min 32 sec - May 06, 2010) -- A quote...."The ‘Audit the Fed’ bill has been watered down by Senator Bernard Sanders right at the last minute (a common strategy: pretend to be a populist, then at the last minute, the politician “gives in” in the spirit of compromise). The Audit the Fed bill could go to vote in the Senate any day now."

The Fed Is Only Authorized to Conduct MONETARY Policy, But It Has Also "Become the Single Largest FISCAL Actor in the U.S. Economy"  --  A quote...."On Tuesday, I wrote: -- The Fed argues that an audit would interfere with its monetary policy decisions. [But] decisions about what toxic assets should be accepted by the Fed as collateral, how such assets should be valued, and who bailout funds should be given to are wholly separate from the Fed's core monetary policy decision: raising or lowering interest rates. -- [F]unneling hundreds of billions to foreign nations and foreign banks, accepting worthless junk from the too big to fails and marking it at unrealistic valuations, and doing the other things which the Fed has been doing recently are not core monetary functions. Congress never authorized these actions when they passed the Federal Reserve Act. -- Therefore, the Fed's actions must be made transparent and subject to the light of day."

Why are the cyclicals falling and banks rising?
A quote...."The reason appears to be a generalized lack of confidence that the Keynesian efforts to reflate the world economy (including the US economy) will succeed. Other explanations don’t seem to square with the observed facts. Virtually free money has made the banks profitable; consumers seem to have ignored the collapse of their home equity as well as their impending retirement and gone back to spending; and corporations running stripped-down shops exceeded profit expectations. But all of this depends on the ability of the banking system to finance inconceivably large amounts of government debt (perhaps $800 billion worth a year in the US alone) to replace savings. It’s never been tried before on this scale; it’s the academic Keynesian answer to what the government “should have done” during the Great Depression. For that reason it’s sort of difficult to predict when it might break down." - Editor's note, it appears it's starting too. - mpg

Greg Palast Tells How The IMF Set-Up Iceland & Greece on Alex Jones TV
AJVideo - GP&AJ(1/2) - GP&AJ(2/2) - posted by TheAlexJonesChannel  -- (AJYuTb - 10 min - May 04, 2010) -- A quote...."Alex talks with New York Times-bestselling author and a journalist for the British Broadcasting Corporation as well as the British newspaper The Observer, Greg Palast. - Beginning in the 1970s, having earned his degree in finance studying under Milton Friedman and free-trade luminaries, Palast went on to challenge their vision of a New Global Order, working for the United Steelworkers of America, the Enron workers’ coalition in Latin America and consumer and environmental groups worldwide."

Marc Faber On Dow Plunge
Video - posted by DrRonPaul2012 - (YuTb - 5 min 49 sec - May 06, 2010) -- A quote...."I don't think that Greece was the cause of the sell off,  [on the DOW] I believe Greece was the catalyst, but the cause of the sell off is that the markets ran up too much, too quickly...." -- *Marc Farber*

The Global Economic Crisis, The Great Depression of the XXI Century
A quote...."In all major regions of the world, the economic recession is deep-seated, resulting in mass unemployment, the collapse of state social programs and the impoverishment of millions of people. The economic crisis is accompanied by a worldwide process of militarization, a "war without borders" led by the United States of America and its NATO allies. The conduct of the Pentagon’s "long war" is intimately related to the restructuring of the global economy. -- We are not dealing with a narrowly defined economic crisis or recession. The global financial architecture sustains strategic and national security objectives. In turn, the U.S.-NATO military agenda serves to endorse a powerful business elite which relentlessly overshadows and undermines the functions of civilian government." -- For more on this sort of issue see.....Effective Fed Funds Rate &  Total Nonfarm Payrolls
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The First Salvos of the Currency Wars
05-07-10
mpg

Euro Surges As Rumor That ECB Will Bail Out 1,100 European Banks Takes Hold
Currency War Alert - This is salvo number one between the US-NRE and the EU. - mpg -- A quote...."Euro (and the market) surging on rumors that the ECB is preparing to bail out 1,100 banks in Europe. And with that the bailout moves officially to Europe. From the dealer community:"

Goldman's View On Europe Bailout Plan #42 - "Unlikely To Calm Markets"
Currency War Alert - This is salvo number two between the US-NRE and the EU. - mpg  -- A quote...."We now know that the European Union, as part of its most recent ridiculous idea   [No it isn't!]   for a global eurozone bailout, is planning on soon issuing its own bonds and thus becoming a defacto Treasury.

How the hell it plans on doing this is simply beyond comprehension,  [Same way Bernanke & the Banksters "do it".]  but it certainly involves a lot of "financial innovation"... [Ditto!] ergo - enter Goldman Sachs, from whom it would need a ringing endorsement to proceed with its plan.

That's a ridiculous suggestion and possibly even a deliberate act of  misdirection, Goldman is the one that helped CREATE this fiasco in the first place. It would not surprise this website editor to find out Goldman also "helped" Spain, Portugal, Italy and the other PIIGS just as they did Greece more than ten years ago, (per the ten year cycle) to conceal or structure their debts as part of a long term strategy to deliberately destroy the EU's currency union.

Besides, Goldman is buddy, buddy with Bernanke, half of their former employees are currently working FOR the Fed and the US-NRE's treasury.  (Or is it the other way around, the Fed and the Treasury have half of their former employees working for Goldman? It's just so hard to tell these days.) The Europeans would be complete and total IDIOTS to use Goldman a.k.a. "the font of world wide financial evil" to "help" them....again.


And please, let no one be distracted by that quite obvious and rather badly acted little Kabuki play Obama and Goldman recently staged for the benefit of the gullible public. Goldman is in the driver's seat.  Goldman is the linchpin of this whole endeavor, the "financial terrorist" planting their financial bombs within economic systems all over the world to reap their rewards and weaken their competitors once these bombs have exploded.  Competitors which now are not only nation states, but entire national economic unions.

This current crisis is precisely the reason why the US-NRE's government refused to reign in Credit Default Swaps or any of the other synthetic derivative products or financial instruments created by Wall Street's Bankster class.  CDS's and derivatives are the financial artillery, the financial weapons of mass destruction Goldman and the US-NRE's parasitic class intend to use to take down the EU and ANY OTHER group of nation states attempting to unite together to compete against the US-NRE's "reserve" currency.


Be it the CIS states, the SCO, the South American Currency Union the GCC's currency union, Asia's currency union, and many others.  No one will be allowed to threaten the US-NRE's monopoly over its "reserve" currency system of Neo-Roman tribute extraction.  The US-NRE's government, Goldman and a few other Banksters intend to make an "example" of the EU and anybody else that gets in their way.

We should all just call it the US-NRE's "Financial PNAC Protocol".  Its plans for Full Spectrum Financial Dominance.

Alas, the just released note from Erik Nielsen is anything but favorable.

Of course it isn't, the EU isn't going to let Goldman get favorable access to their treasury like Bernanke allows them, hell, if the EU goes ahead with this plan they'll be competitors to Goldman and the Fed., (i.e. the US-NRE's parasitic class). So it's absolutely not in Goldman's interest to recommend this plan.

(and yes title is a ref: Douglas Adams - the EU has the answer, if only they could find the question now).

Zero Hedge is wrong and Goldman is being highly disingenuous.  The EU has woken up and realized that the only way to compete in this global game of "rigged market capitalism and currency manipulation" is to do what Ben Bernanke has done. Create a level playing field where they get to fund their debt ponzi schemes as easily and quickly as the US-NRE's Bankster class.  Where they get to offer unlimited credit to their financial institutions so they can fairly battle the US-NRE's.

It's absolutely true of course that these policies won't work in the long run, (perhaps even the short run).  Expanding a fiat currency beyond the carrying capacity (the actual goods and services produced) of your economy never does, but it will SPOIL Bernanke's and Wall Street's greedy Bankster's advantage in leveraging the US-NRE's (and their) economic position higher using the US-NRE's reserve currency as the lever (just as the EU can now do) backed by a Central Bank which can issue bonds and swap assets around to hide as much risk as it sees fit. (something the EU CANNOT do....yet. Nor of course, should it).

However in the "long run" as one financial wit once said "we'll all be dead".  As will the EU if it doesn't halt the Banksters', now heavily armed with vast leverage by their lackeys in Washington DC, long planned series of coordinated financial attacks against the EU's countries.  And please, let no one pretend there's a "free market" out there.  What's being done to the EU is exactly what Enron did to California during the so-called "energy crisis".

So why not level the financial playing field, why should the EU remain unarmed and at the mercy of these financial predators.  Why would the EU allow itself to be forced to remain attached to that sinking vortex called the US-NRE's reserve currency? Why can't they FINALLY de-couple from the New Roman Empire? How could they in good conscience not defend themselves and their people against this sort of attack? No one should expect the EU  to just fold-up and let the IMF, the Banksters and Feds financially rape them as they have so many other "third world" countries during the last seventy years.

That would just be plain silly. - mpg
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CME Issues Press Release, Confirms No Fat Finger: Will CNBC Issue Retraction For Repeated Factless Rumor Dissemination? - Propaganda Exposed - A quote...."While our policy is not to comment on individual participation in our markets, in light of volatile market conditions, CME Group confirmed that activity by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. in CME Group stock index futures markets does not appear to be irregular or unusual in light of market activity today."

Global Risk Update
Multiple Charts - A quote...."The only trend that seems unlikely to abate at this point is Gold's bullish trend. We seem to be set to take out the highs and further accelerate from here. The only danger to the trend is a wave of defaults which would be massively deflationary in theory, but at this points it is unlikely politicians will let that happen. They will only make everyone wait painfully to come up to the obvious conclusion that they will bend and provide the liquidity needed and thereby cause damage to the system."

Tim Backshall Of CDR Summarizies The Greek Predicament In 3 Quick Minutes
Video - A quote...."One of the smarter people out there, yet one who constantly confuses his hopium kool-aid for other more alcoholically infused beverages, Credit Research's Tim Backshall, provides our temporally challenged viewer a 3 minutes crystal summary on the next steps for Greece (sorry, no Hollywood ending here), what record negative basis spreads mean (ref: Hollywood ending), on why idiots who say Greece is irrelevant with its mere 3% of European GDP are idiots (ref: Bear Stearns), what the contagion will look like, and how a Greek restructuring will be effectuated (will, not may)."

Would you put up with what is being asked of the Greek people?
A quote...."Want to know exactly why public anger in Greece is running at such explosive levels? Then take a look at the austerity measures currently being debated by the Greek parliament. - The BBC reports that as part of the IMF/ EU bailout Greek leaders are proposing the following measures:" - also posted at ICH

Inflation and Bailouts Go Hand in Hand
A quote...."Pick a financial fire and you can be sure the U.S. government will hose it down with gallons of money.  AIG, General Motors, Chrysler, insolvent states, FDIC, Fannie, Freddie and all the banks are just a few of the blazes Uncle Sam has sprayed money on."

Food-stamp tally nears 40 million, sets record
A quote...."Nearly 40 million Americans received food stamps -- the latest in an ever-higher string of record enrollment that dates from December 2008 and the U.S. recession, according to a government update."
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A Dire Warning from Dr. Ron Paul
RPVideo - Alt - (RPYuTb - 5 min 35 sec - May 07, 2010)

Iraq Comes to America
Contains Video - Alt - A quote...."They broke into his home in the middle of the night, in full combat gear, killed his family pets, dragged his family out into the yard, and arrested the father for having “a small amount” of pot. But of course they had to run up some other charges to make it seem justifiable."

Passengers disembark NH bus in handcuffs, M-16s pointed at them
A quote...."Passengers disembark NH bus in handcuffs, M-16s pointed at them --Passenger: Police Tasered, handcuffed  man in his 60s who refused to give police his name 07 May 2010 A tense standoff with a passenger aboard a Boston-bound Greyhound bus ended 'peacefully' last night when he surrendered to police, nearly 10 hours after authorities received a call about a suspicious device on board."

Portrait of a Patsy
It would be ridiculously easy to set up Faisal Shahzad. New American, a little on the make, with family in Pakistan and big financial problems. Friendly government agent approaches him and appeals to his patriotism and love of adventure, plus offers to pay well (note the history). First mission: infiltrate a 'terrorist' training camp in Pakistan (little does Shahzad know that the camp is really run by the CIA). Second mission: buy a cheap used car on Craigslist. Third mission: buy some fireworks. Fourth mission: stay at home awaiting further instructions. Shahzad, seeing his car on TV, suddenly got that Lee Harvey Oswald feeling, and decided it might be better to get out of the country before he died in a shoot-out." - also posted at DProgram

Key October Surprise Evidence Hidden - posted at ConsortiumNews
Special Note - A quote...."A Russian government report, which corroborated allegations that Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign interfered with President Jimmy Carter’s Iran-hostage negotiations in 1980, was apparently kept from the Democratic chairman of a congressional task force that investigated the charges a dozen years later."
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U.S. is Waging War against the Wrong Country
Special Note - A quote...."Tittle-tattles regarding the possibility of a military strike against Iran are being renewed these days. President Obama, to whom I still wonder why the Nobel Peace Prize has gone, is confessing that former President Bush was right in his belief that Iran poses a serious threat to the international community; Russia is cowardly retreating from its position, joining the rest of world's tyrannical powers who favor the imposition of new sanctions against Iran; fueled up by Israel and AIPAC, American corporate media are laying the groundwork to prepare the public opinions - forcefully, convincing them that Iran is the most dangerous country in the Middle East and should be disarmed as soon as possible, otherwise, it may attack Israel to wipe it off the map."

The Vanishing Point for the American Empire - Crossing the Zero Line in Afghanistan
Special Note - A quote...."The region today delineated as both Afghanistan and Pakistan has known many borders over the millennia, yet none have been more artificial or contentious than the one today separating Pakistan from Afghanistan known as the Durand line but referred to by the military and intelligence community as Zero line. A funny thing happened to the United States when the Obama administration decided to cross Zero line and bring the Afghan war into Pakistan. Instead of resolution, after nearly two years into the administration’s AfPak strategy, it would seem the gap between reality and the Washington beltway has only widened."

Militants hit govt. offices in Nimruz
A quote...."A group of armed militants have attacked a number of government buildings in Afghanistan's southwestern province of Nimruz, setting off several explosions."

Danish base attacked in Afghanistan
A quote...."The Danish army says almost a dozen of its soldiers in Afghanistan have been wounded amid escalating violence in the war-weary country."

Iran, Turkey to discuss fuel swap deal
A quote...."Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will pay a surprise visit to Istanbul to discuss a proposed nuclear fuel exchange deal with his Turkish counterpart." - also posted at WarInIraq

Report: IAEA to discuss Israel's nuclear activities for first time
A quote...."Israel's secretive nuclear activities may undergo unprecedented scrutiny next month, with a key meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency tentatively set to focus on the topic for the first time, according to documents shared Friday with The Associated Press."

Chinese president leaves for 65th anniversary of Russia's Victory Day
A quote...."BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao left here Saturday morning for Russia to attend the ceremony in Moscow marking the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

Hu's Russia trip of vital significance, says Chinese ambassador
A quote...."MOSCOW, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Moscow for the 65th anniversary of the end of Russia's Great Patriotic War is of vitally realistic and historical significance, Chinese ambassador Li Hui told Xinhua in a recent interview."

Japan PM rebuffed in US base row
A quote...."TOKYO — Japan's premier, under fire over a row about an unpopular US airbase, suffered another setback Friday when three mayors from a remote southern island told him they do not want to host any American forces. -- Yukio Hatoyama pleaded with the visiting mayors from remote Tokunoshima to allow in US Marines and asked if he could visit the island for further talks, only to be told: "We cannot meet you." - also posted at Google

New Colonialism: Pentagon Carves Africa Into Military Zones
A quote...."As the first overseas regional military command set up by Washington in this century, the first since the end of the Cold War, and the first in 25 years, the activation of AFRICOM, initially under the wing of U.S. European Command on October 1, 2007, then as an independent entity a year later, emphasizes the geostrategic importance of Africa in U.S. international military, political and economic planning." - Empires ALWAYS expand, it's what they do....till they collapse. - mpg  - For more on this issue see....Africa - the Next Target - 02-28-08 - mpg

Is Brazil Developing the Bomb?
After watching what the US-NRE and Israel have done to those who DON'T have the bomb, nations like Iraq, Afghanistan and soon Iran. any nation state with large amounts of natural resources that isn't feverishly working on a bomb to defend themselves would be considered pretty stupid by just about everyone.  - mpg -- A quote...."Brazil has signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, but experts suspect it may be working on a nuclear bomb. The country is allowed to legally enrich uranium for its nuclear submarines, but nobody knows what happens to the fuel once it is on restricted military bases."

Political instability follows inconclusive British elections
A quote...."Britain is entering a period of profound instability in the aftermath of the May 7 general election that goes far beyond the problem of forming a minority or coalition government."

Greece's workers revolt
A quote...."WITH AN enormous general strike and massive rallies May 5--including a mobilization of more than 200,000 workers in the capital of Athens alone--the working class of Greece gave its answer to austerity measures imposed by the social democratic government of PASOK, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union (EU)." - also posted at Uruknet

Steven Seagal’s Ending Speech from [the film] “On Deadly Ground”
Video - Alt - (YuTb - 5 min 11 sec - September 07, 2008) -- A quote...."Powerful speech by Steven Seagal at the end of "On Deadly Ground"* - *link added

U.S. facing 'grievous harm' from chemicals in air, food, water, panel says
A quote...."An expert panel that advises the president on cancer said Thursday that Americans are facing "grievous harm" from chemicals in the air, food and water that have largely gone unregulated and ignored."
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

New resolution in Congress to hold Israel accountable
RTVideo - Alt - (RTTuTb - 5 min 04 sec - May 07, 2010) - posted by RTAmerica -- A quote...."America — May 07, 2010 — RT Correspondent Jihan Hafiz talks with David Hosey from the U.S. Campaign to end the Israeli occupation about a new resolution to hold Israel accountable for alleged war crimes. David Hosey discuss' an incident where a protester was hit in the face with a can of spray to break up a protest."

General 'tried to cover up truth about death of Rachel Corrie'
A quote...."Seven years after the American activist Rachel Corrie was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, evidence has emerged which appears to implicate Israel's Gaza commander at the time, in an attempt to obstruct the official investigation into her death."

Palestinians Commemorate Nakba
A quote...."Artists in the Gaza Strip are commemorating Nakba, or the Palestinian Catastrophe, by painting murals and releasing thousands of balloons into the sky. -- Nakba marks the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their land in 1948, before the fabrication of Israel. "

Israel Detains 33 Palestinian Civilians
A quote...."Israeli soldiers have detained 33 Palestinian civilians during several overnight raids on West Bank cities and towns as well as a raid on a refugee camp. - The Israeli military raided the cities of Beit Lahm (Bethlehem) in the southern West Bank, the nearby town of Taqua, the northern city of Tubass, the nearby town of Qabatiya and the al-Far'a refugee camp late on Thursday."

Israel’s tightening grip on the Jordan Valley
A quote...."The Jordan Valley is an area under urgent threat of annexation, and during the last few weeks Israel has considerably tightened its grip on the indigenous Palestinian population. On the 11th of April the Israeli military shut of the main water source to Bardala -jeopardising the village’s viability as a farming community-, on the 12th of April they declared Al Maleh a closed military zone, which prevented shepherds from grassing their animals, and on the 15th of April the Israeli military raided Al Farisiya and stole four water pumps in a further attempt to control all water resources in the area. On the 25th of April the harassment of Palestinians increased significantly as armed settlers from the strongly Zionist Maskiot settlement erected a tent only ten meters from the the Al Maleh Bedouin community. " - For more on this sort of issue see....Israel's Scorched Earth

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (29 April – 05 May 2010)
Week in, and week out....mpg -- also posted at Uruknet
Artists thank Gil Scott-Heron for heeding boycott call
Action Update - Boycott, Divest and Sanction, because together we can make a difference - mpg -- A quote...."More than 50 organizations and artists from eight countries have written to legendary political singer and poet Gil Scott-Heron to thank him for his decision to drop Israel from his current tour. The letter, facilitated by Adalah-NY, highlighted the parallels between the South African apartheid that Scott-Heron crusaded against decades ago and the Israeli system that currently subjugates Palestinians. - For more on how to Boycott, Divest and Sanction the state of Israel see the upper-left-corner of the "Front Page" of this website.

BDS: A Global Movement for Freedom and Justice
Action Alert - Boycott, Divest and Sanction, because to be silent while murder and ethnic cleansing is being committed in your name, using your money, is an abomination. - mpg -- A quote...."While media attention over the past few months has focused on a brewing third Palestinian intifada in response to the expansion of Israeli settlements in the Occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Al-Shabaka policy advisor Omar Barghouti argues that a far more widespread, nonviolent grassroots movement originating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has been building and spreading around the world. He reviews the formation and evolution of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, including its rights-based (as opposed to solutions-based) approach, its collective leadership, its call to Israelis of conscience, and its promotion of context-specific strategies." - For more on how to Boycott, Divest and Sanction the state of Israel see the upper-left-corner of the "Front Page" of this website.
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Thursday May 6th 2010

Warmongers of the world, unite
Must Read - A quote...."Staring at the vast military history section of the airport shop, I had a choice: the derring-do of psychopaths or scholarly tomes with their illicit devotion to the cult of organised killing. There was nothing I recognised from reporting war. Nothing on the spectacle of children's limbs hanging in trees and nothing on the burden of [crap] in your trousers. War is a good read. War is fun. More war, please." - also posted at Uruknet & DProgram

CIA allowed to kill terrorist suspects without identification - YEAH!  You read it right!! - mpg
Must Read - (For the outrage!) -- A quote...."WASHINGTON: The CIA received secret permission to attack a wider range of targets, including suspected militants whose names are not known, as part of a dramatic expansion of its campaign of drone strikes in Pakistan's border region, current and former counter-terrorism officials say. -- The expanded authority, approved two years ago by the Bush administration and continued by Barack Obama, permits the agency to rely on what officials describe as ''pattern-of-life'' analysis, using evidence collected by surveillance cameras on the unmanned aircraft and from other sources about individuals and locations. -- The information was used to target suspected militants, even when their full identities were not known." - bold by website editor - "Pattern of life", it's more like the pattern of death!!!  This website editor finally throws in the towel on this one!  Most of the people in this country have gone completely psycho!!

An arrest warrant needs a name on it; a death warrant needs none
Related Article - A quote...."In the narrative that sketches the legality of the war on terrorism, the tribal nature of the “battlefield” is the pretext used to justify killing people instead of attempting to arrest them. Counterterrorism experts scoff at the notion that FBI agents (or Pakistani law enforcement officials for that matter) could possibly waltz into a village in South Waziristan and handcuff a Taliban or al Qaeda suspect. The logistics of such an operation would indeed be daunting. -- But here’s the thing: The United States is now killing people when it doesn’t even have a legal basis for initiating their capture." - bold by website editor

CIA to expand drone raids in Pakistan
Related Article - A quote...."The CIA has received authorization to target a wider range of targets in Pakistan with its drone-guided missiles, despite national discontent on growing civilian death toll."

CIA used ‘fictional’ tale of US prison rape to intimidate teen terror suspect
A quote...."A shocking yet "fictional" tale of prison rape by "black guys" and "big Nazis" in an American prison was used by a CIA interrogator to intimidate 15-year-old terrorism suspect Omar Khadr as he was held in a U.S.-operated prison in Afghanistan, according to testimony at a Thursday hearing."

US accused of altering Gitmo evidence
A quote...."GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba — A U.S. military commander altered a report on a firefight in Afghanistan to cast blame for the death of a Delta Force commando on a Canadian youth who was captured after the shooting stopped, a defense attorney said Thursday."

Joe Lieberman introducing bill to strip suspected terrorists' citizenship
Must Read - (For the outrage!) -- A quote...."A day after suggesting that U.S. citizenship laws should be changed to strip American terrorists of their nationality, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has introduced legislation to do just that. His bill amends existing law that revokes the citizenship of any American who joins a foreign military. -- "I'm now putting together legislation [so that] any individual American citizen who is found to be involved in a foreign terrorist organization, as defined by the Department of State, would be deprived of their citizenship rights," Lieberman told reporters Tuesday. "If you have joined an enemy of the United States in attacking the United States to try to kill Americans I think you sacrifice your rights of citizenship."

He means Israel right!?!?  If you support the terrorist state of Israel you'll be "stripped of your citizenship"....right?!?!  Less than a month after Israel proposed, and began to implement a plan, to deport Palestinians for totally arbitrary reasons and strip other Israelis of there citizenship , that sniveling, AIPAC butt-kissing, stealth Israeli Knesset member, piece of human garbage, proposes the same asinine policy for AMERICANS!!

Let this website editor clue every member of the Jewish Community in on this issue....there are about 5.5 million Jews living in this country of 320 million "citizens".  That makes the Jewish Community about 1.8 percent of the US-NRE's population.  Having one of "your" stalwart Zionists propose a plan to strip citizens in this country of their citizenship on behalf of another nation state's policies and programs is not only counter productive, it could result in a SEVERE counter-reaction. - mpg

A Timetable For War
Must Read - False Flag Warning - AIPAC's itiching for WAR! -- A quote...."....once the shooting begins, even if Israel starts it, both Congress and the media will demand that Washington intervene to support brave little democracy Israel.  One can be sure that on the day after Tel Aviv starts a conflict Congress will overwhelmingly pass a motion approving the Israeli action and also calling on the White House to have American forces join in.  The Washington Post, FOX news, and The New York Times will be beside themselves with joy. -Putting the four premises together, what does it all mean?  It means that Israel will seek to start a conflict with Iran and pull the United States in." - also posted at ICH

Why Was Cheney in Saudi Arabia?
War Alert - (Probably to assure the Saudis of US-NRE support if they allow Israeli jets to use their territory to attack Iran - mpg) -- A quote...." Foreign Policy's David Kenner pointed out Monday that former vice president and ex-Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney just went on a junket to meet with Saudi Arabian leaders, a quiet pow-wow that's been discussed in the Saudi media but not so much over here. Cheney—who's been busy defending torture and complaining that Barack Obama lets world leaders "think they're dealing with a weak president"—weakened the president by visiting a leading torture regime and its caliph, King Abdullah."

Israeli Defense Officials Claim Syria Gave Advanced M-600 missiles to Hezbollah
Assuming it's true, after all, the "scuds" accusation by Israel proved utterly false, if however it's true, perhaps the people of Lebanaon will now be able to finally defend themselves when Israel attacks them....again....for the third time. - mpg -- A quote...."Israeli defense officials said on Wednesday that Syria has delivered advanced M600 rockets to Hezbollah in Lebanon within the past year. --  The M600, a Syrian copy of the Iranian Fateh-110, has a range of 300km and carries a half-ton warhead. If fired from southern Lebanon it would be capable of hitting Tel Aviv." - bold by website editor - also posted at WarInIraq
 
It's Not Dark Yet, But It's Gettin' There
Special Note - A Chris Floyd round-up of just how dark it's really getting....mpg

Yawn…  How Many Times Have You Seen This Headline?
A quote...."Still, there was this headline awaiting my return: “Afghan lawmaker says relative killed after U.S. soldiers raided her home.”  Sigh. -- After nine years in which such stories have appeared with unceasing regularity, I could have written the rest of it myself while on vacation, more or less sight unseen." - also posted at Uruknet
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Osama bin Laden is 'alive, well, and hunting falcons in Iran', documentary claims
Propaganda Alert - A quote...."Osama bin Laden is alive and well and living in luxury in Iran, it is claimed. - That is the astonishing suggestion in a documentary to be shown at a film festival in New York." - also posted at WarInIraq

Ahmadinejad: 'Osama bin Laden is living in Washington'
Ahmadinejad's (tounge in cheek) Reply -  " Rest assured that he's in Washington. I think there's a high chance he's there," the Iranian leader told ABC television in an interview. - Without backing up the claim, the Iranian leader said he had "heard" that bin Laden was in the US capital. Yes, I did. He's there. Because he was a previous partner of Mr. Bush," he said referring to former President George W. Bush. - "They were colleagues, in fact, in the old days. You know that. They were in the oil business together. They worked together. Mr bin Laden never co-operated with Iran but he co-operated with Mr. Bush," Mr Ahmadinejad said." - also posted at WarInIraq

Time for a nuclear samba
Special Note - A quote...."It does not necessarily take two to samba - but if you samba as a group the result is much more infectious. Brazil has advanced a proposal to unblock the Iranian nuclear dossier that is in fact the common view among the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China), the emerging geopolitical counter-power to United States hegemony."

Ahmadinejad steals 'smart power' torch
Special Note - A quote...."Ahmadinejad toned down his customary incendiary delivery, but lost none of his precision targeting as he focused on the shortcomings of global disarmament, a flawed US nuclear doctrine, and the various steps necessary to achieve complete nuclear disarmament, including a revision of the United Nations' power structure that he said contributed to perpetuating the present nuclear status quo. -- Speaking immediately after a representative from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), who also lambasted the attempts of Western governments to curtail developing nations' access to peaceful nuclear technology, Ahmadinejad directed his usual barrage of criticisms at Israel and the United States, albeit it in diplomatic language."

Israel Again Rejects Notion of Joining NPT
A quote...."In a response apparently aimed at IAEA Chief Amano Yukiya’s letter asking for international help with convincing Israel to join the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Israeli officials are making it clear that won’t happen."

Iran's exports to EU up by 10%
A quote...."Iran's non-oil exports to EU member states rose by 10 percent in the Iranian year ending March 2010, the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) of Iran has said."
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Al-Maliki to lose job in new agreement
A quote...."Iraq moved towards forming a new government  under a new prime minister yesterday as the two Shia religious political blocs reached an agreement on sharing power. -- It is likely that the prime minister Nouri al-Maliki will lose his job as the price of the deal between his State of Law coalition and the Iraqi National Alliance, a powerful group dominated by the followers of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr."

Mahdi Army On the March  - Years After Disbanding, Sadr's Militia Is Back
A quote...."In the midst of the sectarian civil war in Iraq, the Mahdi Army was the major player on the Shi’ite side of things, openly defying the Shi’ite dominated government and fighting US and Iraqi troops. With the sectarian division at its worst level in years, they are reforming."

Threat rising from homemade Afghan bombs-US Army chief
War Tactics Alert - (Did you get that folks, HOMEMADE IED's & EFP's, the emphasis being on "homemade"- mpg) -- A quote...."WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - The threat from roadside bombs in Afghanistan is rising, the U.S. Army's top general said on Thursday, underscoring concern about what has become the biggest killer of NATO troops in the war. - General George Casey, U.S. Army chief of staff, said more than 60 percent of the roughly 400 attacks last week in Afghanistan were the result of roadside bombs, known as improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. - "The (roadside bomb) threat in Afghanistan is increasing. There is no question about that," Casey told reporters."

3.4mn Yemenis on verge of starvation
A quote...."The UN food aid agency has appealed to international donors to cover up for a massive shortfall in funding for some 3.4 million starving Yemenis. " -- People have to understand that wherever the US-NRE goes, this is what will happen to them, and it will happen every single time. - mpg

Four Latin American Countries Threaten to Boycott Summit with EU
Special Note - A quote...."BOGOTA – Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador are threatening to boycott the upcoming European Union-Latin America and Caribbean summit in Madrid if Honduran President Porfirio Lobo is there."

Reporters Without Borders seems to have a geopolitical agenda - posted at Online Journal
Presstitution Alert - A quote...."An organization calling itself Reporters Without Borders (RWB; French: Reporters sans frontières, or RSF) has just named Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, China’s President Hu Jintao, Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev and Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko to their list of Forty Worst Predators of Press Freedom for 2010. Most significant about their list of ‘bad guys’ is the geopolitical relation of those leaders and those countries to the current ‘enemies list’ of the US State Department. That is no accident, as becomes clear when we look more closely at who funds RWB."

Operation to free Russian tanker from Somali pirates lasted 22 minutes (WRAPUP 5)
You know if it had been the US-NRE's navy, they would have obliterated all the pirates, killed half the crew and blown the ship to smithereens for good measure. - mpg -- A quote...."The operation to release a Russian vessel seized by Somali pirates on Wednesday lasted just 22 minutes, the commander of the Russian naval task force in the Gulf of Aden has said. -- Commandos from the large anti-submarine warship Marshal Shaposhnikov freed the Moscow University tanker, hijacked on Wednesday, in an operation on Thursday."

The freeing of the Moscow University tanker
Infographics

Britain's Election: Welcome to No Choice Democracy
A quote...."British voters go to the polls on Thursday in a general election that promises to be historic – for all the wrong reasons. --  Firstly, voter turnout threatens to hit a post-Second World War record low. Over the past six decades, the percentage of eligible Britons casting their vote has steadily fallen from 80-70 per cent to around 60 per cent. With public apathy and antipathy towards the three main political parties – the incumbent Labour government, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats – running at all-time highs, there is a real prospect that the British general election of 2010 will see as many citizens forfeiting their democratic right as those turning out to vote."

Voting In Britain For War. Take Your Pick
A quote...."All three party leaders are warmongers. Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrats leader and darling of former Blair lovers, says that as prime minister he will “participate” in another invasion of a “failed state” provided there is “the right equipment, the right resources”. His one condition is the standard genuflection towards a military now scandalised by a colonial cruelty of which the Baha Mousa case is but one of many."
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Regarding the "Times Square Incident"....

The Curious Timing of the Terrorist Attacks: It’s Almost Like They’re On Our Side
A quote...."As has always been the case since 2001, the bungling blasters who end up attacking our freedom rarely do so when it isn’t of the utmost convenience for the White House.  This latest example, connected to the Waziristan area of Pakistan, holds true to that formula.  One might start wondering if all these “terrorists” are actually on our side."

New York Car Bomb Incident: Another False Flag?
Related Article - A quote...."For much of the evening, Midtown New York, from 43rd - 48th streets, was closed, heightening fear reported for hours on cable news shows, including statements by Bloomberg, Governor David Paterson, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne, saying the bomb "appeared (to be) in the process of detonating, but it malfunctioned." -- Good luck or something else? We've seen this too often not to be suspicious. This one, like others, has all the earmarks of a false flag, more likely given its coverage and location in Times Square on Saturday night, followed by a May 2 video saying the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility." - also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

Times Square Bomber Linked With CIA-Controlled Terror Group
Related Article - A quote...."A man arrested in Pakistan in connection with the Times Square car bombing attempt who had traveled with accused bomber Faisal Shahzad is a member of a terrorist organization that is controlled by British MI6 and the CIA." - also posted at DProgram

U.S. officials: No credible evidence that terrorists trained Shahzad
Related Article - A quote...."No credible evidence has been found so far that the Pakistani-American man accused in the Times Square bombing plot received any serious terrorist training from the Pakistani Taliban or another radical Islamic group, six U.S. officials said Thursday."

The Payoff
Related Article - A quote...."It was before the politicians got a hold of the story, when the White House and the local first-responders in Times Square were telling everyone that the fizzling SUV was nothing more than a car fire. That was when you could find the truth. But then came the shift and now comes the payoff …"
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Huge May Day march in Los Angeles
A quote...."Los Angeles, CA - 250,000 people marched in the streets here, May 1, demanding immigrant rights. Most of those attending were Mexican and Central American families, along with contingents from the Philippine and Korean communities." bold by website editor - This website editor didn't hear about this on the dis-infotainment mass media. - mpg

Top Recipient of Political Cash from BP, Goldman Sachs, Defense Contractors AND Healthcare Giants: Barack Obama -- A quote...."Preface: The story that Obama was the top recipient of political contributions from BP is going viral today. I thought I’d put the story in a little context. -- As a side note, I voted for Obama and had high hopes for him … until he appointed Summers, Geithner, various Bush re-treads and industry shills, and then showed that he would play footsie with the big boys instead of the American people."

Obama sheltered BP's Deepwater Horizon rig from regulatory requirement
Related Article - (a.k.a. quid pro quo) -- A quote...."Last year the Obama administration granted oil giant BP a special exemption from a legal requirement that it produce a detailed environmental impact study on the possible effects of its Deepwater Horizon drilling operation in the Gulf of Mexico, an article Wednesday in the Washington Post reveals."

Guest Post: The Cover-up: BP's Crude Politics And The Looming Environmental Mega-Disaster
Special Note - Related Article - A quote...."Obama and his senior White House staff, as well as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, are working with BP's chief executive officer Tony Hayward on legislation that would raise the cap on liability for damage claims from those affected by the oil disaster from $75 million to $10 billion. However, WMR's federal and Gulf state sources are reporting the disaster has the real potential cost of at least $1 trillion. Critics of the deal being worked out between Obama and Hayward point out that $10 billion is a mere drop in the bucket for a trillion dollar disaster but also note that BP, if its assets were nationalized, could fetch almost a trillion dollars for compensation purposes. There is talk in some government circles, including FEMA, of the need to nationalize BP in order to compensate those who will ultimately be affected by the worst oil disaster in the history of the world." - bold by website editor
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More On The Palestinian Situation....

Look into the terrifying face of the enemy
A quote...."Scary, huh? This is Izzet Sahin, founder of a human rights office in the West Bank, arrested by Israel last week as he was passing through the Bethlehem checkpoint--and then taken into Israel. Oh, and he's a Hebrew student."

Former Yale professor among 4 detained in Walaja
A quote...."Bethlehem – Ma'an – A former Yale professor was among the four detained by Israeli forces during protests against the construction of the separation wall in Al-Walaja on Thursday morning." - also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

Turkish Relief Foundation Demands Israel To Release Its West Bank Representative
A quote...."The Turkish Relief Foundation demanded Israel to unconditionally release its representative in the West Bank, Mohammad Shahin, who was kidnapped on Wednesday April 27." - also posted at AlethoNews & WarInIraq

Demonstrators succeed in delaying illegal wall construction; brutal military violence hospitalizes three
Action Update - A quote...."Sitting peacefully in front of the formidable D9 Caterpillar bulldozer, demonstrators were successful today in temporarily halting construction of Israel’s illegal annexation wall. In the village of Al Walaja, approximately 20 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists disrupted work on the wall for nearly 30 minutes. Highlighting the systematic racism of Israeli apartheid, soldiers specifically targeted Palestinian participants. While internationals and Israelis were virtually ignored, Palestinians were brutally beaten and pepper sprayed, resulting in three hospitalizations. Three Palestinians and one international were arrested."

Gazans cut through Egypt's border barrier
Contains Video - A quote...."Every problem has a solution. The Egyptian steel barrier was a problem but we found a solution," says Mohammed, a grimy-faced Gazan tunnel digger who didn't want to give his real name." -- also posted at Uruknet

Shin Bet deports Spain's most famous clown upon arrival in Israel
A quote...."Ben Gurion Airport security officials detain Ivan Prado for six hours, accusing the Spanish entertainer of ties with Palestinian terror groups." - also posted at Uruknet - OH MY GAWD!!! Israel has foiled another attempted sneak attack by one of those KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE!!
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Malignant market forces set sights on Europe
Special Note - Some quotes...."....it was sad to see former Bear Stearns chiefs James "Jimmy" Cayne and Alan Schwarz on Capitol Hill Wednesday still screaming into the wind two years later that their investment bank was taken out by "unjustified and irrational" market forces. - Sad because nobody was listening; sadder because they were right; saddest because it is happening again. See story on Cayne testimony. - That Bear Stearns was way too leveraged on toxic subprime loans and that Cayne and Schwarz hastened its demise in March 2008 by ignoring the so-called "market forces" lined up to take them down is without question. But even these long-time Wall Street power brokers were not prepared for the swift and brutal attack by short sellers, rumor-mongers and long-time competitors once their blood was smelled in the water."  --  "European politicians and central bankers stand in Cayne and Schwarz's shoes this week. They are unsure what to do in the face of swift and brutal attacks from all sides on their generation-long dream to build a single currency and single market out of the rubble of a war-torn century. From Greece to Portugal to Spain, to the European Central Bank in Frankfurt itself, they cannot understand that the forces lined up against them will keep pushing until either the euro comes down or a massive and unpopular bailout is levied to prevent an international cross-default."

Plunge Protection Team [PPT] to the Rescue - Regarding today's (Thursday May 6th 2010 market action)
Full quote...."Phone call earlier today:

Obama: “Hello, Timmy WTF is going on?”
Timmy: “Savior, time for a miracle.”
Obama: “Call the boys”
Timmy: “We need Bennie to print up another $100 billion, and quick.”
Obama: ” Get the PPT on the horn. Buy, Buy, Buy. Holy shit. -300, -400, -600, -900″
PPT: ” Hey Savior. Back off on the SEC investigations and the financial regulations and we’ll buy.”
Obama: ” You win. Please, please, save my skinny half black ass!!!!!!”
PPT: ” OK. -700, -500, -300.
Obama: ” I gots to change my underwear.” - For more on the PPT click here

Hedge Fund Hyenas and Zombie Banks Attack Greece, Detonating Second Wave of World Depression;
WTRTVideo - Alt - (WTRTYuTb - 4 min 54 sec - May 06, 2010)  - posted by RussiaToday -- A quote...."Citi group has admitted that they made a mistake that caused the Dow Jones to plummet over a thousand points today. Webster Tarpley believes that Citi is just covering up for a lot of other problems on Wall Street. He also believes that we are currently in a worldwide depression and this is a disintegration of all the worlds currencies. The world economic outlook is very bleak, what will come next?"

The CDS Traders' Verdict Is In - UK In Deep Sh-t... As Are France And Deutschland
Related Article - A quote...."Portugal... Spain...Greece...these are all last week's news based on CDS trading patterns. Indeed, this week saw the biggest trade unwinds of all top 1000 CDS entities (including all corporates) precisely in these three names. As the PIIGS implosion is finally being appreciated by everyone and their grandmother, the "speculators" are booking massive profits: the net cover/rerisking in Portugal and Spain was a massive $500 million net notional unwinds in each in the week ended April 30. Also known as taking profits."

UK budget deficit 'to surpass Greece's as worst in EU'
Special Note - A quote...."The commission's spring economic forecasts put the UK deficit for this calendar year at 12% of GDP, the highest of all 27 EU nations and worse than the Treasury's own forecasts. -- The country's budget shortfall was the third largest in the EU last year but will overtake both Greece and Ireland this year, according to the forecasts. Greece's measures to tackle its public finances problems are projected to cut its deficit to 9.3% of GDP."

Asian banks, governments mostly safe from Europe crisis
A quote...."HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Asian banks have little exposure to the euro zone, and their balance sheets are protected even as their shares continue to be hurt amid global market reaction to the sovereign debt crisis in Europe."

Bring Greece Here!
Full quote...."Sick of bailouts, corporaterrorist trolls, Wall Street casinos, banking maggots and politicians who are hand-maidens of same? We need *vigorous,* active protests *here* in the US! Why aren't US citizens 'taking it to the streets,' as they are in Athens? We, too, will not continue to be cowed by these corporate dirt-bags and their political puppets! - Let's bring Greece here!"

Greece riots: 100,000 fight against harsh cuts in Athens financial crisis protests
RTVudeo - A quote...."Follow RT at http://twitter.com/RT_com  and at http://www.facebook.com/pages/RT/326683984410?ref=mf -- At least three people have been killed during protest in Greece, as rioters set fire to a bank building. Thousands are on the streets of Athens in opposition to harsh spending cuts which are part of a new austerity package aimed at saving Greece from bankruptcy. Workers marched to the parliament and clashed with police, with many blaming the government for cutting wages and pensions. The draft bill of the new austerity package will be voted on by the end of the week."

Gerald Celente on Greece: People will rise against bank bailouts globally
GCRTVideo - Alt - (GCRTYuTb - 1 min 25 sec - May 06, 2010) - posted by RussiaToday -- A quote...."After a day of unrest which saw three people killed, Greece’s parliament is preparing to vote on the controversial austerity package. Wednesday’s violence included a bank in the capital being set alight. Demonstrators clashed with police when protesters marched on the country’s parliament building. They are angry at government spending cuts aimed at securing a 110 billion euro rescue package from the EU and the IMF. Trend forecaster Gerald Celente says the Greek situation is going global."

Keiser Report №40: Markets! Finance! Scandal!
Video - Alt - (MKRTYuTb - 25 min 42 sec - May 06, 2010) -- A quote...."This time Max Keiser and co-host, Stacy Herbert, look at the scandals of repaying American taxpayers with their own cash. They also check out the headlines on Lloyd 'I'm Too Mysterious' Blankfein, Bernie 'I'm Just a Market Maker' Madoff and Warren 'I Love My Goldman Investment' Buffett. In the second half of the show, Max interviews investment adviser, Michael Krieger, about "America's Disneyland and Neo-feudalistic, Gulag Casino Economy," financial war between the US and China; and about which nation will be the first to back its currency with gold."

Freddie Mac asks for fresh 10.6 billion dollar bailout
A quote...."WASHINGTON (AFP) – – Troubled US government-backed mortgage firm Freddie Mac on Wednesday asked for an additional 10.6 billion dollars from the Treasury Department to cover losses. -- Announcing a 6.7 billion dollar loss in the first quarter, Freddie Mac said it would need the new funding by June 30 this year."

[US] Retailers Report Smallest Sales Gain Since November (Update1)
A quote...."May 6 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. retailers reported the smallest increase in monthly sales since November, with teen-clothing retailers Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Aeropostale Inc. dragging down results."

U.S. Food Prices ‘Spiraling Out of Control’
A quote...."U.S. food prices jumped by 2.4% in March 2010 in the largest monthly leap in more than 26 years, and the sixth consecutive monthly increase. -- The National Inflation Association (NIA) issued an alert to its members April 22 warning that the sharp upswing in U.S. food inflation will soon lead to a situation as severe as that currently plaguing India. -- Here are some of the most startling year-over-year price increases in the U.S. markets:"

Breaking--ObamaCare prompts top companies to consider dropping employee coverage
Special Note - More on ObamaCareNot - A quote...."In a stunning revelation Wednesday, several top U.S. corporations are seriously considering dropping employee health insurance coverage in light of what they see as the inevitable consequence of ObamaCare--skyrocketing costs." - also posted at DProgram

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050610-051210 - links page

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