Notes 41
How we got here
Death of the Liberal Class
A book
ShareThis
Chris Hedges
October 2010 ISBN: 1568586442
For decades the liberal class was a defense against the worst excesses of power. But the pillars of this class—the press, the universities, trade unions, the Democrats, and the liberal church—have collapsed as effective counterweights to the corporate state. In its absence the needs of the poor, the working class, and even the middle class no longer have a champion. The death of the liberal class has permitted the rise of a new and terrifying political configuration. In his devastating new book, Chris Hedges chronicles the gradual corruption and decline of the liberal class, which no longer provides an institutional check to mitigate corporate control of politics, education, labor, the arts, religious institutions, or financial systems. Without any impediments, the corporate state is dismantling the last vestiges of protection for ordinary citizens once put into place by the liberal class.
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Getting familiar with conditions outside the U.S. Sometimes it only takes the despair of one person
The Story of Mohamed Bouazizi, the man who toppled Tunisia
Article
On December 17, authorities confiscated his produce and allegedly slapped his face.
Bouazizi became incensed.
He then drenched himself in gasoline and set himself on fire outside the governor’s office. Bouazizi survived his initial suicide attempt. After being transported to a hospital near Tunis, he was visited by President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali before passing away on January 4.
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Bill Clinton embellishes the myth of American innocence in Davos with bravura performance while rich and powerful clap. “All is well with America.”
DAN PERRY Associated Press
January 27, 2011,
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) —
Clinton spoke for an hour before an adoring audience of global leaders from business, government and academia, who interrupted his words several times with applause — never more loudly than when he said Israel should seize what he described as the chance for comprehensive peace with the Arab world.
_____________________________________________________
Why not? Man in in street getting by on $2 a day while rich and powerful build mansions. Supporting evil empires favorable to U.S oil interests
Hillary Clinton says U.S. not pushing for ouster of Egyptian President Mubarak
Clinton spoke warmly of the Egyptian military as a "respected institution" and advised it to help move the country from its current unrest to an "orderly transition."
"We are urging the Mubarak government, which is still in power; we are urging the military, which is a very respected institution, to do what is necessary to facilitate that kind of orderly transition."
She spoke to NBC's "Meet the Press," "Fox News Sunday," ABC's "This Week," CBS' "Face the Nation," and CNN's "State of the Union."
_____________________________________________
How modest and worthy and patient the goals after only 30 years of U.S support. If Mubaraks slow to transition, U.S. even slower. Why were we in such a rush in Iraq and in Afghanistan?
Clinton: Egypt must transition to democracy
WASHINGTON – The U.S. expects that the protests in Egypt will lead to free and fair elections as part of an "orderly" transition to "real democracy," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday as the Obama administration worked to get a handle on the fast-moving upheaval shaking the American ally.
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What are our Marines doing in Helmand Province? Protecting the homeland or protecting our national interests. When we cut through myths, the world will change.
By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
January 22, 2011
Reporting from Camp Pendleton — Marines tell of snipers who fire from "murder holes" cut into mud-walled compounds. Fighters who lie in wait in trenches dug around rough farmhouses clustered together for protection. Farmers who seem to tip the Taliban to the outsiders' every movement , often with signals that sound like birdcalls.
When the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, deployed to the Sangin district of Afghanistan's Helmand province in late September, the British soldiers who had preceded them warned the Americans that the Taliban would be waiting nearly everywhere for a chance to kill them.
But the Marines, ordered to be more aggressive than the British had been, quickly learned that the Taliban wasn't simply waiting.
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Al Jazeera journalist welcomed to Round Table on Meet the Press 1/30/11. How quickly the enemy can become a legitimate spokesperson
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt's decision on Sunday to close the offices of Al Jazeera illustrates the leading role the Arabic broadcaster has taken in reporting unprecedented popular revolts against Arab rulers.
Egypt has often harassed the Qatar-based channel since it started in 1996, setting off a revolution in Arab media in the face of state-controlled information, but it had never before tried to shut down its operations completely.
Al Jazeera, 1/29/11
Mohamed ElBaradei joins protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square.
ElBaradei, the former IAEA chief, is one of the best known Egyptians internationally 2/24/10 [EPA]
Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, has received a hero's welcome upon his return to Egypt.
ElBaradei, who arrived in Cairo on Friday, is seen as a potential presidential candidate and has repeatedly called for democratic change in Egypt since stepping down from his UN post.
One local opposition newspaper had printed flight details for his arrival under the headline "Baradei Returns" to rally people to meet him at the airport.
________________________________________________________
The Bottomless PIT. The Public was anxious to put GM out of business for lesser incompetence. Where are they now?
Military notes: More glitches again delay F-35 plan
Travis Griggs • tgriggs@pnj.com • January 30, 2011
F-35 hits keep coming
The Pentagon this month announced a slew of new problems that were discovered during testing of the next-generation F-35 Lightning II strike fighter, which already is over budget and behind schedule.
Each of these problems stands to create additional flight testing delays for the jet, which was supposed to be delivered to Eglin Air Force Base in March 2010.
The new report said flight testing could now be completed by 2016 at the earliest, barring any further problems or delays.
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Toys last on list this sun day
What a couple married 66 years can tell us about Super Bowl Sunday
By T.J. Simers
From sports — otherwise known as the newspaper's 'toy' department — comes a story about a jewel of a couple, Placentia's Paul & Maxine McGhehey.
"Sometimes we think if we didn't have doctor appointments, we'd have no social life," says Maxine.
"It's not good to sit around all day in your pajamas," says Paul.
"...an uprooting of the old order, the introduction of a new kind of society - cooperative, peaceful, egalitarian." -Howard Zinn,
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The indispensable internet--no turning back
Notes 40
Governments stuck with internet
Net-less Egypt may face economic doom Monday
By Wilson Rothman
Egypt's government must return Internet access to the country by Monday or perhaps suffer massive economic damage, as banks and other economic institutions return to work without the ability to conduct commerce.
"If you go beyond the weekend, real damage is done to capital flow and banking," Neil Hicks, international policy analyst for Human Rights First told msnbc.com, citing a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Egypt is part of the world's financial infrastructure, he said. "That's probably why most governments don't do this — it hurts the state and hurts the economy."
_______________________________________________
It’s people power, stupid
Jon Stewart questions Egypt's 'Twitter revolution'
By Helen A.S. Popkin
"If two speeches and a social media site is all we needed to spread democracy then why did we invade Iraq, why didn’t we just, I don’t know, poke them," Jon Stewart quipped on last night's "Daily Show."
It's funny, and also a valid dig at U.S. citizens whose social activism ends at joining a Facebook page or retweeting #Twitterrevolution. Revolutions are brought about by the people on the ground who can‘t put up with it anymore.
_________________________________________________
Palestinian losers in this manage a trois
Dozens of Israelis flee Egypt on emergency flight
By Press Daniel Estrin, Associated Press –
JERUSALEM (AP) — Officials speaking anonymously expressed concern violence could threaten ties with Egypt and spread to the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday called Mubarak, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Abbas told the Egyptian leader that he is eager to see Egypt stable and secure, the agency said.
______________________________________________
Putting things in perspective. A reader writes
Egyptians know better than to look to the US for support. In the midst of the Iran uprising, Michael Jackson died and the entire nation forgot Iran and mooned over a tapdancing pedophile. The Super Bowl is in a few days so Egypt will be forgotten too.
_______________________________________________
The answer is not gutting social services. It is raising taxes. We CAN pay our bills if government stops issuing credit vouchers to banks and businesses and the super wealthy. Free lunches are over.
New York City may have to lay off 15,000 teachers: mayor
Reuters – Fri Jan 28,
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City might have to lay off 15,000 teachers if the state, grappling with a $10 billion deficit, cuts the city's education budget by $1 billion, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Friday.
_______________________________________________
Seems like small change after international violations of torture, killing of non combatants, aggressive war etc. What happenes when laws are followed selectively.
Pakistan rebuffs call for US gunman's quick release
by Nasir Jaffry –
ISLAMABAD (AFP)
"When detained, the US diplomat identified himself to police as a diplomat and repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the American Embassy said.
"Local police and senior authorities failed to observe their legal obligation to verify his status with either the US consulate general in Lahore or the US embassy in Islamabad.
"Furthermore, the diplomat was formally arrested and remanded into custody, which is a violation of international norms and the Vienna Convention, to which Pakistan is a signatory."
Governments stuck with internet
Net-less Egypt may face economic doom Monday
By Wilson Rothman
Egypt's government must return Internet access to the country by Monday or perhaps suffer massive economic damage, as banks and other economic institutions return to work without the ability to conduct commerce.
"If you go beyond the weekend, real damage is done to capital flow and banking," Neil Hicks, international policy analyst for Human Rights First told msnbc.com, citing a report from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Egypt is part of the world's financial infrastructure, he said. "That's probably why most governments don't do this — it hurts the state and hurts the economy."
_______________________________________________
It’s people power, stupid
Jon Stewart questions Egypt's 'Twitter revolution'
By Helen A.S. Popkin
"If two speeches and a social media site is all we needed to spread democracy then why did we invade Iraq, why didn’t we just, I don’t know, poke them," Jon Stewart quipped on last night's "Daily Show."
It's funny, and also a valid dig at U.S. citizens whose social activism ends at joining a Facebook page or retweeting #Twitterrevolution. Revolutions are brought about by the people on the ground who can‘t put up with it anymore.
_________________________________________________
Palestinian losers in this manage a trois
Dozens of Israelis flee Egypt on emergency flight
By Press Daniel Estrin, Associated Press –
JERUSALEM (AP) — Officials speaking anonymously expressed concern violence could threaten ties with Egypt and spread to the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday called Mubarak, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Abbas told the Egyptian leader that he is eager to see Egypt stable and secure, the agency said.
______________________________________________
Putting things in perspective. A reader writes
Egyptians know better than to look to the US for support. In the midst of the Iran uprising, Michael Jackson died and the entire nation forgot Iran and mooned over a tapdancing pedophile. The Super Bowl is in a few days so Egypt will be forgotten too.
_______________________________________________
The answer is not gutting social services. It is raising taxes. We CAN pay our bills if government stops issuing credit vouchers to banks and businesses and the super wealthy. Free lunches are over.
New York City may have to lay off 15,000 teachers: mayor
Reuters – Fri Jan 28,
NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City might have to lay off 15,000 teachers if the state, grappling with a $10 billion deficit, cuts the city's education budget by $1 billion, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Friday.
_______________________________________________
Seems like small change after international violations of torture, killing of non combatants, aggressive war etc. What happenes when laws are followed selectively.
Pakistan rebuffs call for US gunman's quick release
by Nasir Jaffry –
ISLAMABAD (AFP)
"When detained, the US diplomat identified himself to police as a diplomat and repeatedly requested immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the American Embassy said.
"Local police and senior authorities failed to observe their legal obligation to verify his status with either the US consulate general in Lahore or the US embassy in Islamabad.
"Furthermore, the diplomat was formally arrested and remanded into custody, which is a violation of international norms and the Vienna Convention, to which Pakistan is a signatory."
Friday, January 28, 2011
Notes 39
A speech that could have been delivered by Obama--but not speeches that change things
Unrest in Egypt
January 28th, 2011
President Hosni Mubarak said he is "on the side of the people" and vowed to take steps to guarantee the rights and freedom of Egyptians, develop job opportunities and to "stand by the poor."
_________________________________________________
The unholy alliance. Israel gets twice as much foreign aid from D.C. Where were the threats when Israel was attacking Gaza using tactics the U.N. called war crimes?
Obama to Mubarak: Don't use force on your people
Calls on Egyptian leader to fulfill promises; U.S. to review $1.5 billion in aid
WASHINGTON — Increasing the pressure on Egypt's leaders, President Barack Obama said Friday that the government should refrain from using violence against protesters and his administration threatened to reduce foreign aid depending on President Hosni Mubarak's response.
Threat To Cut U.S. Aid Opens Rift With Egypt
By Nathan Guttman
Published January 09, 2008, issue of January 11, 2008.
Pro-Israel advocates in Washington refrained from contesting a congressional decision last month to withhold part of American military aid to Egypt, in what appears to be a departure from a 30-year-old unwritten understanding that Israel would help Cairo fight off any efforts to cut American assistance to Egypt.
The lack of support for Cairo among Israel’s allies in Washington so rankled the Egyptians that Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu Gheit accused the pro-Israel lobby last month of trying to “harm Egypt’s interests with the Congress,” and has prompted talk of a deepening crisis in Egypt’s relations with Israel and the United States.
__________________________________________
All we gotta do to bring Israel finally in line is cut off aid and support to it but we use them to keep the region in turmoil
Press Dan Perry, Associated Press –
DAVOS, Switzerland – A diverse panel of decision-makers and experts from the United States, Europe and the Middle East found common ground on just one thing when it comes to dealing with the Iranian nuclear program Friday: A military strike could well spark a devastating counterattack.
Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki al-Faisal urged the United States to pressure Israel to quit its own reported nuclear weapons as a way of coaxing Iran to drop its suspected weapons program as well.
___________________________________________________
A speech that could have been delivered by Obama--but not speeches that change things
Unrest in Egypt
January 28th, 2011
President Hosni Mubarak said he is "on the side of the people" and vowed to take steps to guarantee the rights and freedom of Egyptians, develop job opportunities and to "stand by the poor."
_________________________________________________
The unholy alliance. Israel gets twice as much foreign aid from D.C. Where were the threats when Israel was attacking Gaza using tactics the U.N. called war crimes?
Obama to Mubarak: Don't use force on your people
Calls on Egyptian leader to fulfill promises; U.S. to review $1.5 billion in aid
WASHINGTON — Increasing the pressure on Egypt's leaders, President Barack Obama said Friday that the government should refrain from using violence against protesters and his administration threatened to reduce foreign aid depending on President Hosni Mubarak's response.
Threat To Cut U.S. Aid Opens Rift With Egypt
By Nathan Guttman
Published January 09, 2008, issue of January 11, 2008.
Pro-Israel advocates in Washington refrained from contesting a congressional decision last month to withhold part of American military aid to Egypt, in what appears to be a departure from a 30-year-old unwritten understanding that Israel would help Cairo fight off any efforts to cut American assistance to Egypt.
The lack of support for Cairo among Israel’s allies in Washington so rankled the Egyptians that Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu Gheit accused the pro-Israel lobby last month of trying to “harm Egypt’s interests with the Congress,” and has prompted talk of a deepening crisis in Egypt’s relations with Israel and the United States.
__________________________________________
All we gotta do to bring Israel finally in line is cut off aid and support to it but we use them to keep the region in turmoil
Press Dan Perry, Associated Press –
DAVOS, Switzerland – A diverse panel of decision-makers and experts from the United States, Europe and the Middle East found common ground on just one thing when it comes to dealing with the Iranian nuclear program Friday: A military strike could well spark a devastating counterattack.
Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki al-Faisal urged the United States to pressure Israel to quit its own reported nuclear weapons as a way of coaxing Iran to drop its suspected weapons program as well.
___________________________________________________
Mubarak and the unholy alliance
Notes 39
Lucky this nation was founded in 1787 and not now. Nothing more clear about America. If you’re born here, you ARE a citizen, No taking that back or anywhere else
Arizona legislation targets automatic citizenship
Jacques Billeaud, Associated Press – Fri Jan 28
PHOENIX – Lawmakers in Arizona are proposing a bill that challenges automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, their latest foray into the national debate over illegal immigration.
____________________________________________________
What money buys.… Favor at highest levels in D.C for unsavory governments
Key White House ally lobbies on behalf of Egyptian regime
Revolution is brimming in Egypt, but the embattled government can count on a slew of high-powered K Street lobbyists to whom the Arab nation is paying $1.7 million a year.
Egypt’s heavy-hitters include Tony Podesta, who has visited the White House at least 12 times, and Bob Livingston, the Republican former chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
A group of four firms coordinate their work for Egypt under the banner of the PLM group.
______________________________________________________
Yea for this tea bagger Now if there were only 59 ore Senators with the courage to stand up to Israel
GOP senator favors cutting US aid to Israel
By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press Donna Cassata, Associated Press – 42 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Tea party-backed Republican Sen. Rand Paul favors cutting U.S. aid to Israel as part of a deficit-driven effort to slash government spending by $500 billion this year, drawing criticism from Democrats and Republicans who argue the U.S. must be unwavering in its support for the longtime Mideast ally.
_________________________________________________
All we gotta do to bring Israel finally in line is cut off aid and support to it but we use them to keep the region in turmoil
Press Dan Perry, Associated Press –
DAVOS, Switzerland – A diverse panel of decision-makers and experts from the United States, Europe and the Middle East found common ground on just one thing when it comes to dealing with the Iranian nuclear program Friday: A military strike could well spark a devastating counterattack.
Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki al-Faisal urged the United States to pressure Israel to quit its own reported nuclear weapons as a way of coaxing Iran to drop its suspected weapons program as well.
_________________________________________________
Bachman/Palin can spoil a lot of ambitious dreams if nothing else. The Fr Couglins of the new generation
Politico: Congressional Republicans fear ‘punishment’ from Michele Bachmann
Joe Scarborough’s view of this – if you’re afraid of a petite 54-year-old congresswoman from Minnesota, you don’t belong in the Washington, D.C. power structure.
“Hey listen, if you’re a Republican congressman and you’re afraid of Michele Bachmann, you don’t deserve to be in Congress,” Scarborough said. “Go home.”
___________________________________________________
If that was the only problem Jerry Jones had with his Cowboys
Dallas strip clubs worried about stripper shortage for Super Bowl weekend
Caroline May - The Daily Caller
A 9.4 percent unemployment rate? Pish posh! In Dallas-Fort Worth exotic club managers across the city are desperately seeking strippers for Super Bowl weekend.
These adult clubs currently are estimated to be experiencing a total shortage of 10,000 exotic dancers as they attempt to meet a tourist to stripper ratio of 30:1.
Lucky this nation was founded in 1787 and not now. Nothing more clear about America. If you’re born here, you ARE a citizen, No taking that back or anywhere else
Arizona legislation targets automatic citizenship
Jacques Billeaud, Associated Press – Fri Jan 28
PHOENIX – Lawmakers in Arizona are proposing a bill that challenges automatic U.S. citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, their latest foray into the national debate over illegal immigration.
____________________________________________________
What money buys.… Favor at highest levels in D.C for unsavory governments
Key White House ally lobbies on behalf of Egyptian regime
Revolution is brimming in Egypt, but the embattled government can count on a slew of high-powered K Street lobbyists to whom the Arab nation is paying $1.7 million a year.
Egypt’s heavy-hitters include Tony Podesta, who has visited the White House at least 12 times, and Bob Livingston, the Republican former chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
A group of four firms coordinate their work for Egypt under the banner of the PLM group.
______________________________________________________
Yea for this tea bagger Now if there were only 59 ore Senators with the courage to stand up to Israel
GOP senator favors cutting US aid to Israel
By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press Donna Cassata, Associated Press – 42 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Tea party-backed Republican Sen. Rand Paul favors cutting U.S. aid to Israel as part of a deficit-driven effort to slash government spending by $500 billion this year, drawing criticism from Democrats and Republicans who argue the U.S. must be unwavering in its support for the longtime Mideast ally.
_________________________________________________
All we gotta do to bring Israel finally in line is cut off aid and support to it but we use them to keep the region in turmoil
Press Dan Perry, Associated Press –
DAVOS, Switzerland – A diverse panel of decision-makers and experts from the United States, Europe and the Middle East found common ground on just one thing when it comes to dealing with the Iranian nuclear program Friday: A military strike could well spark a devastating counterattack.
Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki al-Faisal urged the United States to pressure Israel to quit its own reported nuclear weapons as a way of coaxing Iran to drop its suspected weapons program as well.
_________________________________________________
Bachman/Palin can spoil a lot of ambitious dreams if nothing else. The Fr Couglins of the new generation
Politico: Congressional Republicans fear ‘punishment’ from Michele Bachmann
Joe Scarborough’s view of this – if you’re afraid of a petite 54-year-old congresswoman from Minnesota, you don’t belong in the Washington, D.C. power structure.
“Hey listen, if you’re a Republican congressman and you’re afraid of Michele Bachmann, you don’t deserve to be in Congress,” Scarborough said. “Go home.”
___________________________________________________
If that was the only problem Jerry Jones had with his Cowboys
Dallas strip clubs worried about stripper shortage for Super Bowl weekend
Caroline May - The Daily Caller
A 9.4 percent unemployment rate? Pish posh! In Dallas-Fort Worth exotic club managers across the city are desperately seeking strippers for Super Bowl weekend.
These adult clubs currently are estimated to be experiencing a total shortage of 10,000 exotic dancers as they attempt to meet a tourist to stripper ratio of 30:1.
Rip van Winkle awakens--Middle East connected by Facebook
Rip van Winkle awakens
Clinton: Egypt must respect citizen rights, reform
By Matthew Lee, Associated Press – WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday appealed for Egyptian authorities to respect the rights of their citizens amid a crackdown on swelling anti-government protests, and urged them to heed demands for political and economic reform.
_________________________________________________
Clinton: Egypt must respect citizen rights, reform
By Matthew Lee, Associated Press – WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday appealed for Egyptian authorities to respect the rights of their citizens amid a crackdown on swelling anti-government protests, and urged them to heed demands for political and economic reform.
_________________________________________________
LOW Finance, deadly gas and dissidents
Notes 38
The cost of doing business and the convenience of slicing up the pie in one place
by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The New York Times
What's the price tag to be a Davos Man
Chief executives, government leaders and academics around the world are headed to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting this week
Just to have the opportunity to be invited to Davos, you must be invited to be a member of the World Economic Forum, a Swiss nonprofit that was founded by Klaus Schwab, a German-born academic who managed to build a global conference in the snow.
If you want to take an entourage, say, five people, you're talking about the "Strategic Partner" level. The price tag: $527,000. (That's the annual membership entitling you to as many as five invitations. Each invitation is still $19,000 each.
__________________________________________________
The Davos safety net, the things that Davos connections make possible
Panel finds financial crisis was avoidable…
By AP Business Writers Marcy Gordon And Daniel Wagner
WASHINGTON
The government-appointed panel investigating the roots of the financial crisis says the meltdown occurred because government officials and Wall Street executives ignored warning signs and failed to manage risks.
"A combination of excessive borrowing, risky investments and lack of transparency put the financial system on a collision course with crisis," the report said.
The commission criticized the view held by some regulators that markets are "self-correcting" and banks can police themselves. Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan pushed this hands-off approach for decades, at the urging of the financial industry, the report said
It also criticized bankers who got rich by creating trillions of dollars in risky investments.
The Bush and Clinton administrations, the current and previous Federal Reserve chairmen, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner all bear some responsibility for allowing the crisis to happen, the panel said
____________________________________________________
Poor American or Poor Asians. Poor is relative. Seems like there are always bloodsuckers willing to feed on the poor
Lies, Hype and Profit: The Truth About Microfinance
contributors@theatlantic.com (Kentaro Toyama), On Friday January 28, 2011,
The story of microfinance began in Bangladesh, where economist Muhammad Yunus discovered that a stool-maker from a poor village was effectively enslaved because she did not have the 22 cents that would let her to bypass usurious middlemen. Yunus made an interest-free $27 loan to her and other villagers the next day.
And so, microcredit was born. Worldwide there are now over 600 million microcredit clients with combined loans of over $100 billion outstanding. The United Nations declared 2005 to be the Year of Microcredit, and in 2006, Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Five years later, microcredit has descended into controversy. Critics question whether it is truly helping the poor or driving them further into poverty with one of the things it was intended to replace -- unfair and exorbitant lending rates. Bangladesh has launched an investigation of Yunus' Grameen Bank. A scourge of suicides by over-indebted borrowers forced the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to crack down on loans. Even Yunus himself took to the New York Times to blast "megaprofits" made by some microcredit banks
_____________________________________________________
Maybe Pvt Manning should have been arrested in Cuba
Cuban dissident released after brief detention
AP – Thu Jan 27
HAVANA - Cuban authorities have released a well-known dissident after detaining him briefly as he and other opposition figures tried to block the eviction of a woman from a home in the central city of Santa Clara.
_________________________________________________
One ml of gas deadly enough to lock down base. We don’t need to worry about WMD being ripped off abroad. We’ve got adequate supplies ofWMD is scattered around the U.S. enough to kill us all.
US base locked down over missing nerve agent
LOS ANGELES (AFP)
The Dugway Proving Ground in Utah was sealed Wednesday after a routine inventory check on sensitive materials found that a vial with less than 1 milliliter -- a quarter of a teaspoon -- of the VX nerve agent was missing.
The facility carries out tests to protect troops against biological attacks, such as those the United States feared could be used by Saddam Hussein's forces when it invaded Iraq in 2003
US authorities have long been concerned about preventing chemical, biological or nuclear materials getting into the hands of extremists who could use them to attack the United States.
The cost of doing business and the convenience of slicing up the pie in one place
by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The New York Times
What's the price tag to be a Davos Man
Chief executives, government leaders and academics around the world are headed to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum's annual meeting this week
Just to have the opportunity to be invited to Davos, you must be invited to be a member of the World Economic Forum, a Swiss nonprofit that was founded by Klaus Schwab, a German-born academic who managed to build a global conference in the snow.
If you want to take an entourage, say, five people, you're talking about the "Strategic Partner" level. The price tag: $527,000. (That's the annual membership entitling you to as many as five invitations. Each invitation is still $19,000 each.
__________________________________________________
The Davos safety net, the things that Davos connections make possible
Panel finds financial crisis was avoidable…
By AP Business Writers Marcy Gordon And Daniel Wagner
WASHINGTON
The government-appointed panel investigating the roots of the financial crisis says the meltdown occurred because government officials and Wall Street executives ignored warning signs and failed to manage risks.
"A combination of excessive borrowing, risky investments and lack of transparency put the financial system on a collision course with crisis," the report said.
The commission criticized the view held by some regulators that markets are "self-correcting" and banks can police themselves. Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan pushed this hands-off approach for decades, at the urging of the financial industry, the report said
It also criticized bankers who got rich by creating trillions of dollars in risky investments.
The Bush and Clinton administrations, the current and previous Federal Reserve chairmen, and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner all bear some responsibility for allowing the crisis to happen, the panel said
____________________________________________________
Poor American or Poor Asians. Poor is relative. Seems like there are always bloodsuckers willing to feed on the poor
Lies, Hype and Profit: The Truth About Microfinance
contributors@theatlantic.com (Kentaro Toyama), On Friday January 28, 2011,
The story of microfinance began in Bangladesh, where economist Muhammad Yunus discovered that a stool-maker from a poor village was effectively enslaved because she did not have the 22 cents that would let her to bypass usurious middlemen. Yunus made an interest-free $27 loan to her and other villagers the next day.
And so, microcredit was born. Worldwide there are now over 600 million microcredit clients with combined loans of over $100 billion outstanding. The United Nations declared 2005 to be the Year of Microcredit, and in 2006, Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Five years later, microcredit has descended into controversy. Critics question whether it is truly helping the poor or driving them further into poverty with one of the things it was intended to replace -- unfair and exorbitant lending rates. Bangladesh has launched an investigation of Yunus' Grameen Bank. A scourge of suicides by over-indebted borrowers forced the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to crack down on loans. Even Yunus himself took to the New York Times to blast "megaprofits" made by some microcredit banks
_____________________________________________________
Maybe Pvt Manning should have been arrested in Cuba
Cuban dissident released after brief detention
AP – Thu Jan 27
HAVANA - Cuban authorities have released a well-known dissident after detaining him briefly as he and other opposition figures tried to block the eviction of a woman from a home in the central city of Santa Clara.
_________________________________________________
One ml of gas deadly enough to lock down base. We don’t need to worry about WMD being ripped off abroad. We’ve got adequate supplies ofWMD is scattered around the U.S. enough to kill us all.
US base locked down over missing nerve agent
LOS ANGELES (AFP)
The Dugway Proving Ground in Utah was sealed Wednesday after a routine inventory check on sensitive materials found that a vial with less than 1 milliliter -- a quarter of a teaspoon -- of the VX nerve agent was missing.
The facility carries out tests to protect troops against biological attacks, such as those the United States feared could be used by Saddam Hussein's forces when it invaded Iraq in 2003
US authorities have long been concerned about preventing chemical, biological or nuclear materials getting into the hands of extremists who could use them to attack the United States.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Quaint social contract. Who are the winners and how do they collect their prize
Notes 37
THIS IS THE QUESTION
Maya Schenwar | Winning the Future for Whom?
Maya Schenwar, Truthout: "In the context of the State of the Union, and of Washingtonspeak on the whole, what does 'democracy' mean? This brand of 'democracy' certainly does not include the voices of the poor - the people who are disenfranchised due to their lack of access to basic necessities, the people who, more than anyone, need their government to care. This spectacle of contention and frustration and mess is ultimately a battle between a narrow sliver of very similar perspectives.... Does 'working together,' then, connote simply uniting the voices and interests of 'moderate' Republicans and 'centrist' Democrats, in Congress and in corporate America? A real democracy represents Gary, Indiana as boldly as it represents Washington, DC."
_________________________________________________________
FINALLY
Financial Crisis Panel Urges Prosecutions of Industry Figures
Greg Gordon, McClatchy Newspapers: "The congressional panel examining the root causes of the nation's financial crisis voted to refer to state and federal prosecutors a wide range of potential criminal wrongdoing by financial industry figures and corporations, people involved in the deliberations said Tuesday
___________________________________________________________
Well, duh….
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai inaugurated parliament on Wednesday, ending weeks of political infighting, but took a dig at the West saying "foreign interference" had been a serious problem.
The latest showdown has renewed concern about the president's credibility as an ally.
_________________________________________________________
Typical of tea baggers. They want to takes us back to things that never were
GOP invokes 1700s doctrine in health care fight
John Miller, Associated Press –
BOISE, Idaho – Republican lawmakers in nearly a dozen states are reaching into the dusty annals of American history to fight President Obama's health care overhaul.
They are introducing measures that hinge on "nullification," Thomas Jefferson's late 18th-century concept that purported to give states the ultimate say in constitutional matters.
The efforts are completely unconstitutional in the eyes of most legal scholars because the U.S. Constitution deems federal laws "the supreme law of the land." The Idaho attorney general has weighed in as well, branding nullification unconstitutional
"There's nothing in the Constitution to suggest that the states are superior to the federal government," said David Gray Adler, a constitutional scholar who directs the University of Idaho's McClure Center for Public Policy Research. "We have a long string of Supreme Court decisions that reject their theory."
_____________________________________________________
What money can or tries to buy wherever it is spread around…. The option to call the shots in contact sports, including politics, especially politics
Top UConn donor wants his money (and his name) back over Huskies' new coach
By Matt Hinton
Robert G. Burton, CEO of Greenwich, Conn.-based Burton Capital Management,
reportedly didn't support the Pasqualoni hire, despite – or perhaps as a result of – having another son who played for Pasqualoni during the height of his success at Syracuse from 1997-2001 (aka "the Donovan McNabb Years"). Subsequently, he's threatened not only to revoke his donation, but also to give up his $50,000-per-year luxury suite ("You already have many other empty boxes at Rentschler. My box will just join the list."), cut off an annual $20,000 donation for summer coaching clinics, transfer all remaining scholarship dollars from football to the business school, and begin training "front line managers" for his company at Syracuse's business school instead.
At least Burton didn't threaten to drop a bomb on Hathaway's office, although the end result if he follows through may not be all that different.
_____________________________________________________
Finding a public servant who would attest to their name without reservation would be a miracle
Pope calls Joan of Arc model for public officials
AP – Wed Jan 26, VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI says public officials today would do well to model themselves on Joan of Arc, the French saint who was tried for heresy and burned at the stake for her convictions.
______________________________________________________
Our coalition of corrupt dictators and allies is falling apart
Egypt: Mubarak Faces Historic Challenge
Emad Mekay, Inter Press Service – Wed, Jan 26
CAIRO, Jan 26 (IPS) - Egyptians have demonstrated in protests rare in size and ferocity against the three-decade rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"Down, Down with Mubarak," thousands chanted in downtown Cairo Tuesday. "Mubarak, it is your turn after Ben Ali," they said referring to Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who was topped Jan. 14 in protests in neighbouring Tunisia.
_______________________________________________________
Bank still borrowing money from Uncle Sugar for nothing to make profit on loans to others.
By Glenn Somerville and Maria Aspan – Wed Jan 26
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters)
Citigroup has spent the past year recovering from the massive losses that forced it into the government's arms during the financial crisis. The Treasury's successful auction of the warrants comes about a month after it sold off the last of its common shares in Citigroup, and a week after the bank reported its first full-year profit since 2007.
"With a full year of profitability behind us, we have built a strong foundation for sustainable and responsible growth," Citigroup spokesman Jon Diat said in a press release.
__________________________________________________________
This Modern World: Knowing and Not Knowing
Wednesday 26 January 2011
by: Tom Tomorrow, This Modern World | Political Cartoon
http://www.truth-out.org/this-modern-world-knowing-and-not-knowing67172
THIS IS THE QUESTION
Maya Schenwar | Winning the Future for Whom?
Maya Schenwar, Truthout: "In the context of the State of the Union, and of Washingtonspeak on the whole, what does 'democracy' mean? This brand of 'democracy' certainly does not include the voices of the poor - the people who are disenfranchised due to their lack of access to basic necessities, the people who, more than anyone, need their government to care. This spectacle of contention and frustration and mess is ultimately a battle between a narrow sliver of very similar perspectives.... Does 'working together,' then, connote simply uniting the voices and interests of 'moderate' Republicans and 'centrist' Democrats, in Congress and in corporate America? A real democracy represents Gary, Indiana as boldly as it represents Washington, DC."
_________________________________________________________
FINALLY
Financial Crisis Panel Urges Prosecutions of Industry Figures
Greg Gordon, McClatchy Newspapers: "The congressional panel examining the root causes of the nation's financial crisis voted to refer to state and federal prosecutors a wide range of potential criminal wrongdoing by financial industry figures and corporations, people involved in the deliberations said Tuesday
___________________________________________________________
Well, duh….
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai inaugurated parliament on Wednesday, ending weeks of political infighting, but took a dig at the West saying "foreign interference" had been a serious problem.
The latest showdown has renewed concern about the president's credibility as an ally.
_________________________________________________________
Typical of tea baggers. They want to takes us back to things that never were
GOP invokes 1700s doctrine in health care fight
John Miller, Associated Press –
BOISE, Idaho – Republican lawmakers in nearly a dozen states are reaching into the dusty annals of American history to fight President Obama's health care overhaul.
They are introducing measures that hinge on "nullification," Thomas Jefferson's late 18th-century concept that purported to give states the ultimate say in constitutional matters.
The efforts are completely unconstitutional in the eyes of most legal scholars because the U.S. Constitution deems federal laws "the supreme law of the land." The Idaho attorney general has weighed in as well, branding nullification unconstitutional
"There's nothing in the Constitution to suggest that the states are superior to the federal government," said David Gray Adler, a constitutional scholar who directs the University of Idaho's McClure Center for Public Policy Research. "We have a long string of Supreme Court decisions that reject their theory."
_____________________________________________________
What money can or tries to buy wherever it is spread around…. The option to call the shots in contact sports, including politics, especially politics
Top UConn donor wants his money (and his name) back over Huskies' new coach
By Matt Hinton
Robert G. Burton, CEO of Greenwich, Conn.-based Burton Capital Management,
reportedly didn't support the Pasqualoni hire, despite – or perhaps as a result of – having another son who played for Pasqualoni during the height of his success at Syracuse from 1997-2001 (aka "the Donovan McNabb Years"). Subsequently, he's threatened not only to revoke his donation, but also to give up his $50,000-per-year luxury suite ("You already have many other empty boxes at Rentschler. My box will just join the list."), cut off an annual $20,000 donation for summer coaching clinics, transfer all remaining scholarship dollars from football to the business school, and begin training "front line managers" for his company at Syracuse's business school instead.
At least Burton didn't threaten to drop a bomb on Hathaway's office, although the end result if he follows through may not be all that different.
_____________________________________________________
Finding a public servant who would attest to their name without reservation would be a miracle
Pope calls Joan of Arc model for public officials
AP – Wed Jan 26, VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI says public officials today would do well to model themselves on Joan of Arc, the French saint who was tried for heresy and burned at the stake for her convictions.
______________________________________________________
Our coalition of corrupt dictators and allies is falling apart
Egypt: Mubarak Faces Historic Challenge
Emad Mekay, Inter Press Service – Wed, Jan 26
CAIRO, Jan 26 (IPS) - Egyptians have demonstrated in protests rare in size and ferocity against the three-decade rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"Down, Down with Mubarak," thousands chanted in downtown Cairo Tuesday. "Mubarak, it is your turn after Ben Ali," they said referring to Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who was topped Jan. 14 in protests in neighbouring Tunisia.
_______________________________________________________
Bank still borrowing money from Uncle Sugar for nothing to make profit on loans to others.
By Glenn Somerville and Maria Aspan – Wed Jan 26
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters)
Citigroup has spent the past year recovering from the massive losses that forced it into the government's arms during the financial crisis. The Treasury's successful auction of the warrants comes about a month after it sold off the last of its common shares in Citigroup, and a week after the bank reported its first full-year profit since 2007.
"With a full year of profitability behind us, we have built a strong foundation for sustainable and responsible growth," Citigroup spokesman Jon Diat said in a press release.
__________________________________________________________
This Modern World: Knowing and Not Knowing
Wednesday 26 January 2011
by: Tom Tomorrow, This Modern World | Political Cartoon
http://www.truth-out.org/this-modern-world-knowing-and-not-knowing67172
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