tagged w/ U.S.
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Israel vs. Iran: The Truth Slips Out
by Ira Chernus
Just days after the New York Times Magazine’s lurid cover story, “Israel Vs. Iran,” the Washington Post struck back with a two-fisted effort to win the “most dire prediction” contest. The Post’s foreign policy pundit David Ignatius wrote a widely-circulated column claiming inside information: U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta “believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June.” The next day the Post’s front page headline warned ominously, “Israel: Iran Must Be Stopped Soon.” [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Both stories reported that the Obama administration opposes any Israeli action, just like the Bush administration before it. The risks to U.S. interests are incalculable, as the Pentagon and State Department have been telling us for years.
Yet both stories added a new note: Israel might strike without U.S. support or permission. “The administration appears to favor staying out of the conflict unless Iran hits U.S. assets,” Ignatius wrote.
Of course the U.S. is already in the conflict, as the Iranians know perfectly well. Israel’s ability to strike depends largely on its high-tech weaponry, paid for by the $3 billion a year coming from Washington. With that kind of money flowing -- plus U.S. diplomatic support, which many in Israel see as their last barrier against international isolation -- the Obama administration has powerful leverage to stop any Israeli action that threatens U.S. interests.
When the administration tells the Washington Post that the U.S. is unhappy but helpless, it’s obviously looking for deniability if the attack occurs. But it’s also a clear signal to the Israelis: Though we could stop you, so far we have not decided that we will. This is a major shift in the message coming from Washington.
Why now? Ignatius put it delicately: “Complicating matters is the 2012 presidential campaign, which has Republicans candidates clamoring for stronger U.S. support of Israel.” Obama, the Republicans, and the mass media all assume that a red light from the White House to the Israelis would hurt the president on Election Day.Israel vs. Iran: The Truth Slips Out
by Ira Chernus
Just days after the New York... more
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The fiery protests come as Chinese authorities widen crackdown.
Three Tibetans have set themselves on fire in the troubled county of Serthar (in Chinese, Seda) in China’s Sichuan province, the latest in a series of self-immolations against Chinese rule, sources said Saturday.
News of the self-immolations in a remote village in Serthar on Friday surfaced only a day later due to a clampdown in communications by Chinese authorities following a string of bloody protests a week ago.
“On Feb. 3, three Tibetans self-immolated in protest against Chinese policy at a place called Phuwu in Serthar and one of them died,” an exile source told RFA. The area is near the border with Sichuan’s neighboring Qinghai province, the source said.
“This area is far from the main Serthar county town. The survivors are seriously injured though the details are difficult to obtain due to the shutting down of communication lines in the area,” another source said.
“However, [in the protests] they had called for freedom for Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama.”
Twenty self-immolations
A third source also confirmed the self-immolations, the number of which has climbed to 20 since February 2009 amid growing tensions in Tibetan regions of China where people have been protesting against Beijing’s rule and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader.
The identity of the person who perished in the self-immolation could not be immediately confirmed but the two who were seriously injured were Tsaptsai Tsering, 60, and Kyarel, 30, sources told RFA.
Serthar was among three counties in Sichuan province where Tibetans protested against Chinese rule last week in which rights and exile groups believe at least six were killed and 60 injured, some critically. The other counties were Draggo (in Chinese, Luhuo) and Dzamthang (in Chinese, Rangtang).
Official Chinese media reported only two Tibetans were killed after “mobs” armed with, guns, knives and stones attacked local police.
Chinese authorities have ramped up security across Tibetan areas—from Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, to the Amdo and Kham regions—following the protests, according to sources.
Telephone links to the protest areas have also been mostly cut and more than a 100 protesters have been detained, some sources said.
Tensions
Tensions in the Tibet Autonomous Region and in Tibetan-populated areas in China’s provinces have not subsided since anti-China protests swept through the Tibetan Plateau in March 2008.
Chinese authorities have blamed the Dalai Lama for the tense situation, saying he is encouraging the self-immolations, which run contrary to Buddhist teachings.
But the Dalai Lama blamed China’s “ruthless and illogical” policy toward Tibet.
He called on the Chinese government to change its “repressive” policies in Tibet, citing the crackdown on monasteries and policies curtailing the use of the Tibetan language.
http://tibet.net/2012/02/05/three-tibetans-self-immolate/The fiery protests come as Chinese authorities widen crackdown.
Three Tibetans have... more
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The Homeland Security Act of 2002 brought together 22 federal agencies to form the Department of Homeland Security, which has since grown to involve communities and citizens. This list explains the different compoents of the department for students interested in studying this field, for those interested in volunteering, and for citizens who want to learn more about their civil rights.
link:http://www.homelandsecuritydegree.org/25-things-every-u-s-citizen-should-know-about-homeland-security/The Homeland Security Act of 2002 brought together 22 federal agencies to form the... more
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Stu and Barn React to the video posted by chadnessify U.S. Marines Urinate on Taliban Corpses. Let us make sure were clear though, we are making fun of this situation, we don't find the actions of the soldiers to be acceptable. We believe that these Marines should be reprimanded, this video is in part of our way of showing that.
-Stu and BarnStu and Barn React to the video posted by chadnessify U.S. Marines Urinate on Taliban... more
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Japan says it will soon require atomic reactors to be shut down after 40 years of use to improve safety following the nuclear crisis set off by last year’s tsunami.
Concern about aging reactors has been growing because the three units at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in northeastern Japan that went into meltdown following the tsunami in March were built starting in 1967. Among other reactors at least 40 years old are those at the Tsuruga and Mihama plants in central Japan, which were built starting in 1970.
Many more of the 54 reactors in Japan will reach the 40-year mark in the near future, though some were built only a few years ago.
The government said Friday that it plans to introduce legislation in the coming months to require reactors to stop running after 40 years. Japanese media reported that the law may include loopholes to allow some old nuclear reactors to keep running if their safety is confirmed with tests.
The proposal could be similar to the law in the U.S., which grants 40-year licenses and allows for 20-year extensions. Such renewals have been granted to 66 of 104 U.S. nuclear reactors. That process has been so routine that many in the industry are already planning for additional license extensions that could push the plants to operate for 80 years or even 100....
Continued at:
http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=18134Japan says it will soon require atomic reactors to be shut down after 40 years of use... more
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Dagum
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Walter Block on Iran and Ron Paul.
The closure of an international body of water is an act of war. If Iran implemented such a policy in the Strait of Hormuz, it would thus constitute an act of war. This is because in order to do so, this country would have to physically violate the rights of peaceful shippers. One might object that at present, Iran has only threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz. However, in my understanding of libertarian theory based upon the non aggression principle (NAP) not only are people (or governments!) not permitted to actually invade, or violate the rights of peaceful individuals, they are not entitled to threaten this either.
However, before we unduly criticize the Iranians for this threat, let us put the matter in context. The U.S. government has also threatened a blockade of Iran. With many statements emanating from Washington D.C. to the effect that the U.S. government "is not taking anything off the table," they are menacing actions a lot more serious, and invasive, than a mere blockade.
Why is the U.S. acting in so bellicose a manner? This is because it seems to be a settled part of present American policy that Iran should not persist in its (supposed) goal of arming itself with nuclear weapons.
Now, somewhat paradoxically, I agree with the Obama administration on this matter. Iran should not have nuclear weapons. But, neither should anyone else! Why not? This is because they are necessarily offensive. This type of ordnance cannot be used in a way that distinguishes between the guilty and the innocent. States Rothbard in this regard: "… while the bow and arrow and even the rifle can be pinpointed, if the will be there, against actual criminals, modern nuclear weapons cannot. Here is a crucial difference in kind. Of course, the bow and arrow could be used for aggressive purposes, but it could also be pinpointed to use only against aggressors. Nuclear weapons, even ‘conventional’ aerial bombs, cannot be. These weapons are ipso facto engines of indiscriminate mass destruction." (For a further elaboration of this thesis and a discussion of its implications, see here.)
However, this demand of Iran on the part of the U.S. comes with particular ill grace given the fact that the latter country has thousands of such nuclear devices. If the Obama Administration had suddenly become infused with libertarianism in general, and with Rothbard’s analysis of nuclear weapons in particular, it would certainly be justified in continuing to press the Iranians not to develop such firearms. But it would begin this quest by getting rid of its own stocks first.
But are not the Iranians unstable? Are they not likely, under the leadership of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to use these items against innocent people? Did not this person threaten to wipe Israel off the map with them, that is, use such weapons against that country? No. This was a mis-translation of what he actually said (see here, here, here, here, here and especially here {hyperlinks omitted see article at the link}). Nor is it possible to ignore the fact that there is only one country on the face of the earth that has actually employed atomic weapons against innocent men, women and children. And that country, strangely enough, is not Iran. Rather, it is the good old U.S. of A., land of the free and home of the brave. (See here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and especially here {hyperlinks omitted see article at link})
So, while I certainly endorse Rothbard’s analysis according to which any and all atomic weaponry is illicit according the NAP, it does not at all logically follow that a country with thousands of such armaments, that has the distinction of being the only one to have ever murdered people with such a heinous weapon, is justified in using force to prevent another nation from obtaining one for itself. (I here stipulate, arguendo, that this is indeed the case; Iran of course insists it is interested in nuclear power for entirely peaceful purposes.)....
Continued at:
http://lewrockwell.com/block/block193.htmlWalter Block on Iran and Ron Paul.
The closure of an international body of water is... more
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Dagum
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Failed "Drought Tolerant" GMO Corn Won't Help Farmers!
The US Department of Agriculture's review of Monsanto's own data shows that years of investment into so-called "drought-tolerant" biotech crops have been nothing more than a risky and very expensive failure. Monsanto's new "drought-tolerant" genetically-modified corn variety MON 87460 does not perform any better than non-GMO varieties.
Ignoring the data, on December 21, 2012, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would allow unlimited planting of MON 87460. The company and the USDA have both admitted the crop will fare only modestly better than current conventional varieties under low- and moderate-level drought conditions. This means that this corn will be useful only for a fraction of corn acres – just 15 percent by USDA estimates.
In addition, in the United States and abroad there are several types of new, drought-tolerant corn, grown through natural breeding techniques that are likely to do as well or better than Monsanto’s corn. Data from U.S. researchers suggest that conventional breeding is producing drought tolerance two to three times faster than genetic engineering.
Only traditional breeding methods, coupled with agricultural methods that promote soil health, have proven capable of increasing stress tolerance and making plants more resilient to reduced water availability.
The danger is, now that MON 87460 has been deregulated, it will inevitably contaminate truly resilient varieties of organic and conventional corn, destroying the rich genetic diversity that the world's farmers have cultivated in the planet's infinitely varied micro-climates.
Please protect biological diversity by taking action to stop Monsanto's failed "drought-resistant" GMO corn.
To learn more about how genetic diversity -- not genetic engineering -- is the key to climate adaptation, watch this video:
Take Action Now! More at the linkFailed "Drought Tolerant" GMO Corn Won't Help Farmers!
The US... more
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http://youtu.be/C2uAmQfyxtI
Reading the headlines today, particularly about Iran's firing a cruise missile and threatening the U.S., I thought about how conflict arises and what happens after that.
Every work day I am expected to behave as an adult. If someone offends me or hurts my feelings, I am not free to react without reflection. It is my responsibility as an adult to consider the other person's motivations, along with the context of our interaction, and then act with maturity to ensure that we might continue to work together without conflict.
If conflict seems to be inevitable, it is my responsibility to talk with the other person to find the source of our differences and then make sincere efforts to reconcile those differences. If conflict continues, I must report the situation to my supervisor, who is charged with settling such matters so that our organization might go forward without disruption.
On the world's political stage, however, a different standard seems to apply. When one nation is offended or feels its interests have been violated by another, that nation often threatens war. This is why the United Nations was organized in the 1940s- to serve as a supervisor in matters where nations may be in conflict. Many people felt that the U.N. was a way to bring adult behavior into the geopolitical arena, and for a while there was hope that war could be abolished.
Since the 1940s, millions have died in conflicts that the U.N. was unable or unwilling to resolve, and many believe that the U.N. is a toothless organization which is a waste of time and money.
It is clear, then, that if we wish to stop war, we must individually resolve to turn away from the ideas and behaviors that lead to war: greed, fear, fanaticism, intolerance, and nationalism. If we do not resolve to so so, we will end our lives in a world where threats, fear, and destruction rule. Our world will slowly but inevitably be consumed in the fires we have ignited, and the opportunity for a life which includes learning, propsperity, and love will vanish. Inside the fireball of war, our souls and bodies will transform into heat and light which consumes our world and then vanishes into the silence which stretches into infinity around our planet. How will that serve anyone's interests?
Photo Attribution (All photos obtained via Creative Commons with attribution license):
Cruise Missile:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattie_shoes/4471192090/
U.N. Headquarters:
http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3782297615
Gun Training:
http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-5497066531
Nuclear Fireball:
http://www.arteyfotografia.com.ar/2287/fotos/20810/
Earth:
http://www.soil-net.com/album/Places_Objects/slides/Globe%20Planet%20Earth%20NASA.htmlhttp://youtu.be/C2uAmQfyxtI
Reading the headlines today, particularly about... more
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Income inequality in the Roman Empire
December 16, 2011 by Tim De Chant
Agrippina the Younger
Over the last 30 years, wealth in the United States has been steadily concentrating in the upper economic echelons. Whereas the top 1 percent used to control a little over 30 percent of the wealth, they now control 40 percent. It’s a trend that was for decades brushed under the rug but is now on the tops of minds and at the tips of tongues.
Since too much inequality can foment revolt and instability, the CIA regularly updates statistics on income distribution for countries around the world, including the U.S. Between 1997 and 2007, inequality in the U.S. grew by almost 10 percent, making it more unequal than Russia, infamous for its powerful oligarchs. The U.S. is not faring well historically, either. Even the Roman Empire, a society built on conquest and slave labor, had a more equitable income distribution.
To determine the size of the Roman economy and the distribution of income, historians Walter Schiedel and Steven Friesen pored over papyri ledgers, previous scholarly estimates, imperial edicts, and Biblical passages. Their target was the state of the economy when the empire was at its population zenith, around 150 C.E. Schiedel and Friesen estimate that the top 1 percent of Roman society controlled 16 percent of the wealth, less than half of what America’s top 1 percent control.
To arrive at that number, they broke down Roman society into its established and implicit classes. Deriving income for the majority of plebeians required estimating the amount of wheat they might have consumed. From there, they could backtrack to daily wages based on wheat costs (most plebs did not have much, if any, discretionary income). Next they estimated the incomes of the “respectable” and “middling” sectors by multiplying the wages of the bottom class by a coefficient derived from a review of the literature. The few “respectable” and “middling” Romans enjoyed comfortable, but not lavish, lifestyles.
Above the plebs were perched the elite Roman orders. These well-defined classes played important roles in politics and commerce. The ruling patricians sat at the top, though their numbers were likely too few to consider. Below them were the senators. Their numbers are well known—there were 600 in 150 C.E.—but estimating their wealth was difficult. Like most politicians today, they were wealthy—to become a senator, a man had to be worth at least 1 million sesterces (a Roman coin, abbreviated HS). In reality, most possessed even greater fortunes. Schiedel and Friesen estimate the average senator was worth over HS5 million and drew annual incomes of more than HS300,000.
After the senators came the equestrians. Originally the Roman army’s cavalry, they evolved into a commercial class after senators were banned from business deals in 218 B.C. An equestrian’s holdings were worth on average about HS600,000, and he earned an average of HS40,000 per year. The decuriones, or city councilmen, occupied the step below the equestrians. They earning about HS9,000 per year and held assets of around HS150,000. Other miscellaneous wealthy people drew incomes and held fortunes of about the same amount as the decuriones.
In total, Schiedel and Friesen figure the elite orders and other wealthy made up about 1.5 percent of the 70 million inhabitants the empire claimed at its peak. Together, they controlled around 20 percent of the wealth.
These numbers paint a picture of two Romes, one of respectable, if not fabulous, wealth and the other of meager wages, enough to survive day-to-day but not enough to prosper. The wealthy were also largely concentrated in the cities. It’s not unlike the U.S. today. Indeed, based on a widely used measure of income inequality, the Gini coefficient, imperial Rome was slightly more equal than the U.S.Income inequality in the Roman Empire
December 16, 2011 by Tim De Chant... more
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Latin America forms bloc excluding U.S., Canada
By Daniel Cancel and Charlie Devereux
(Corrects to include full name, title of Chavez in third paragraph.)
Dec. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Latin American and Caribbean countries signed the “declaration of Caracas” today in Venezuela to formalize the creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, an economic and political bloc that excludes the U.S. and Canada.
Leaders and officials from 33 countries approved the declaration that pledges to improve ties in the region.
The Celac, as it is known, which Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says fulfills the dreams of Simon Bolivar and other liberators in the hemisphere, will seek to boost regional trade and integration and may create an international reserve fund to protect its members against the global economic crisis.
“We’re laying the foundation stone for integration,” said Chavez, who postponed the same summit in Venezuela by five months after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. “Only unity will make us free.”
While leaders from countries critical of the U.S.’s foreign policy, including Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, have said they expect the Celac to replace the Washington-based Organization of American States, other members from Mexico to Chile see it as a complementary organization.
Caribbean, Latin America
“This is in our interest, not against the OAS or Iberoamerican Summit, this is integration between Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Juan Manuel Santos, the president of Colombia. “I laud the meeting as a step in the right direction for Latin America.”
While the U.S. refrained from commenting, Chinese President Hu Jintao sent Chavez a letter congratulating the region for the creation of the group.
“I’d like to send my warmest congratulations,” the letter said, according to an e-mail from Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry. “China is always looking to approach its ties with Latin America and the Caribbean from a strategic perspective and is willing to deepen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation.”
Chile will assume the presidency of the group during its first year and the next summit will be held in Santiago at the end of 2012.
Presidents from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guayana and Peru were unable to attend the Celac meetings.
--Editors: Mike Millard, Keith Gosman.
To contact the reporter on this story: Daniel Cancel in Caracas at dcancel@bloomberg.net Charlie Devereux in Caracas at cdevereux3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Joshua Goodman at jgoodman19@bloomberg.netLatin America forms bloc excluding U.S., Canada
By Daniel Cancel and Charlie... more
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Thousands of demonstrators have marched through the South African city of Durban demanding faster action on climate change.
The annual UN climate summit is being held at the city's convention centre.
Protesters were particularly angered by the stance of rich countries such as the US and Canada.
In London. former UK Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott said the approach of these nations was "appalling".
Halfway through this summit, some progress has been made, but a few countries including the US, Canada and Saudi Arabia are holding out on important issues such as the future of the Kyoto Protocol.
Fourteen years ago, Lord Prescott played a leading role in the UN summit in Kyoto that brought the protocol into existence.
Speaking to the BBC, he was scathing about nations trying to delay progress now.
"Let's have a reassessment of it by 2015." he said. "But if you don't finish in time for the ending of Kyoto Two, which is next year, 2012, then, you know, it will actually wither on the vine and that's what Canada and America wants - and one or two other rich countries.
"It's a conspiracy against the poor. It's appalling. I'm ashamed of such countries not recognising their responsibilities."
The European Union wants talks on a new global agreement covering all nations to start as soon as possible.
It is backed by most of the world's poorest countries and small island states vulnerable to rising sea levels.
But even if resistance from the US and others can be overcome, it is hard to envisage anything being agreed that can start to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions before 2020.
And that is the timeframe science suggests is necessary if the most dangerous climate impacts are to be avoided.Thousands of demonstrators have marched through the South African city of Durban... more
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Firoze Manji: Nothing in international law allows regime change and assassination of a leader.
He also talks about oil, unholy alliances, privatization, European banks and the vast amounts of fossil water under the Nubian Aquifer... the real prize.Firoze Manji: Nothing in international law allows regime change and assassination of a... more
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On Friday, a Somali government official confirmed that the US drone had killed at least 21 fighters and injured many more late Thursday night, forcing many to flee the Qooqani and Taabto districts.
This is as recent reports said that a US spy drone crashed near the port city of Kismayo.
The US has recently stepped up its drone operations in the famine-stricken country.
Somalia is the sixth country where US military has engaged in unauthorized aerial bombing campaigns through the use of its remote-controlled aircraft.
The United States has also deployed its so-called drones for aerial attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Iraq, and Yemen.
Washington claims the airstrikes target militants, though most of such attacks have mostly resulted in civilian casualties.
More at the linkOn Friday, a Somali government official confirmed that the US drone had killed at... more
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Photographer Peter McBride traveled along the Colorado River from its source high in the Rocky Mountains to its historic mouth at the Sea of Cortez. In this Yale Environment 360 video, he follows the natural course of the Colorado by raft, on foot, and overhead in a small plane, telling the story of a river whose water is siphoned off at every turn, leaving it high and dry 80 miles from the sea.
In the video, McBride, a Colorado native, documents how increasing water demands have transformed the river that is the lifeblood for an arid Southwest.Photographer Peter McBride traveled along the Colorado River from its source high in... more
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[“It's interesting to note who owns (and runs) the S&P, a long string of banks and financial institutions headed by Wells Fargo and BofA. Any wonder why the subprime mortgages (some toxic) got an AAA rating when bundled with other mortgages? How cozy. Have a rating agency owned by the companies who want the rating. Looks like the ones that got the bailout (Goldman/Sachs is in there too) are trying to ditch the bailers. ChuckV”]
["In Omaha, the U.S. is still AAA. In fact, if there were a quadruple A rating, I'd give the U.S. that." Warren Buffett]
http://beforeitsnews.com/story/919/600/Who_owns_S_P_Profit_from_prior_knowledge_and_S_P_Debt_Chief_Warns_Agency_Might_Downgrade_U.S._Rating_AGAIN.html
So why did Banks & Wall Street downgrade themselves? To further prop up the myth that the PEOPLE must fork over more money in back door taxes; ( forfeiting prepaid public services ), and abandon consumer regulations which they fictitiously claim depress the economy, all as part of their steady march and assault on the PEOPLE'S money[“It's interesting to note who owns (and runs) the S&P, a long... more
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Please, your child's life is more important than any practice or sports event.
This excessive heatwave is dangerous.Please, your child's life is more important than any practice or sports event.... more
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Though most of us never doubted that the corporate right would ever permit the country to default, and suffer a credit downgrade; (considering that U.S. business is borrowing at the lowest rate in modern history), the evidence of the criminally militant corporate and banking cartel's control of our Congress could not be more blatant.
"After a year of clashing with Washington over new financial reforms, the country’s most powerful bankers have found common ground with regulators in the hard-fought effort to lift the debt ceiling and avoid a default.
Wall Street is no longer watching from the sidelines as the most polarizing political fight in years plays out on Capitol Hill. In the last few days, top executives have been in close contact with Washington in a last-ditch attempt to prod lawmakers toward a compromise by Tuesday, the administration’s deadline to reach a deal"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/business/wall-street-mobilizes-to-raise-debt-ceiling.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=globaleua24Though most of us never doubted that the corporate right would ever permit the country... more
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http://www.truth-out.org/news-thom-hartmann/1311867341
"General Electric announced yesterday it is moving its x-ray business headquarters OUT of the US and INTO China. Since three years ago when China instituted a national single-payer healthcare system that covers all billion-plus Chinese citizens, that nation is now home to a rapidly expanding healthcare market – and GE wants to get in the game. I guess in the United States where basic healthcare is becoming less and less available – the x-ray business isn’t very profitable anymore. Unclear how many jobs will be lost as GE ditches its previous x-ray headquarters in Waukesha, Wisconsin for the new Chinese digs. Meanwhile – GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt serves as the head of President Obama’s job creation council. Brilliant, eh?"http://www.truth-out.org/news-thom-hartmann/1311867341
"General Electric... more
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"General Electric announced yesterday it is moving its x-ray business headquarters OUT of the US and INTO China. Since three years ago when China instituted a national single-payer healthcare system that covers all billion-plus Chinese citizens, that nation is now home to a rapidly expanding healthcare market – and GE wants to get in the game. I guess in the United States where basic healthcare is becoming less and less available – the x-ray business isn’t very profitable anymore. Unclear how many jobs will be lost as GE ditches its previous x-ray headquarters in Waukesha, Wisconsin for the new Chinese digs. Meanwhile – GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt serves as the head of President Obama’s job creation council. Brilliant, eh?""General Electric announced yesterday it is moving its x-ray business... more
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An oppressive and potentially deadly summertime mix of sizzling temperatures and high humidity baked a large swath of the country again on Sunday, pushing afternoon heat indexes in dozens of cities to dangerous levels.
Forecasters warned the heatwave would persist through much of the coming week and cautioned residents in more than three dozen states to take extra precautions.
The National Weather Service posted excessive heat warnings for much of the country's midsection, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, as well as South and North Dakota, where forecasters predicted heat indexes could hit 115 degrees.
"This will likely be the most significant heat wave the region has experienced in at least the last five years," the weather service said.
Cities especially hard hit by the heat included Rapid City, South Dakota, Springfield, Illinois, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, where AccuWeather.com meteorologists were predicting long-standing high-temperature records would fall this week.
Kristina Pydynowski, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, predicted the heatwave will affect more than 40 states.
All the states will see temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, she said, and "a large number of them will bake above 100 degrees for days on end."
The scorching weather is the latest in a series of meteorological problems to best the Midwest in recent months.
The list includes the devastating tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri in late May, killing nearly 160 people and destroying more than 8,000 homes and other structures, as well as the ongoing flooding along the Missouri River, which has triggered weeks of evacuations and other emergency measures from Montana through Missouri.
While the heat wave is currently focused on the High Plains and Mississippi Valley, it is expected to press east by the middle of the week, the weather service said.
In Chicago, where high heat and humidity warnings were twinned with an alert for poor air quality, temperatures were expected to hit 95 degrees in the afternoon, creating heat indexes as high as 105.
In Minnesota, the heat wave was expected to continue through Wednesday with possible thunderstorms in some parts. Highs in the Twin Cities area could reach 94 degrees on Sunday, and 97 degrees from Monday through Wednesday.
The weather service is projecting possibly six consecutive days of temperatures at 90 degrees or higher in the Twin Cities, the longest stretch to far this year, but short of records, meteorologist Jim Richardson said.
http://img.news.weatherbug.com/images/bugtoday/metsetup_heat_071611_3th.jpg
More at the linkAn oppressive and potentially deadly summertime mix of sizzling temperatures and high... more
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