Economy
October 20, 2009
ECONOMY
The Roots of our current Great Recession have 3 Principal components:
The exporting of American jobs under the misnomer ‘Free Trade’, the deregulation of American communications and financial industries under the misnomer ‘Free Markets’, and the promotion of American hegemony in the Iraq War under the misnomer ‘Spreading Democracy’ …or whatever the reason was that we supposedly went into that country.
The Iraq War, a conflict originating in lies perpetrated upon earnest but ignorant American citizens by a big government faux conservative administration, is now on its way to becoming the most expense war in US history. At $3 trillion, its out-of-pocket, out-of-budget costs, and incurred future obligations match those of World War II, in inflation-adjusted dollars. But unlike the Second World War, which lifted the US out of the Great Depression, the Iraq war, a W. Bush policy error that blundered into a trap that had been preset by Osama bin Laden, ignited the spiraling energy costs that accelerated our economy’s 4th Quarter 2007 - 0.5 percent contraction to -2.7% by 3d Q of 2008; a condition that further worsened with the 4th Q 2008 credit paralysis that followed the demise of Lehman Brothers.
This nation will not see meaningful economic recovery until these 3 problems are fundamentally addressed.
In the following link, Oxford educated economist Paul Craig Roberts, the celebrated ‘The Father of Reaganomics’, points toward a reasonable solution to the ‘free trade’ troubles that are decimating America’s Middle Class PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS: 94 Years of Serfdom
The current military spending of the United States totals more than the rest of the world’s nations combined, a state of affairs that never before existing in the history of civilization. After 8 Years, Obama’s Military Spending will be 20 Percent Higher, in Inflation Adjusted Dollars, than were the 8 years of Ronald Reagan’s defense spending aganst the collosal military might of the Soviet State; and that projection of Obama’s spending does not even include the 2 wars in which we are presently engaged – Military Budget Analyst Winslow Wheeler Counterpunch
How Goldman Sachs and Citi Run the White House - ANDREW COCKBURN
How Goldman Sachs engineers major market manipulations - MATT TAIBBI, Rolling Stone
After being bailed out last year at an average cost of sixty-six cents for every dollar the taxpayers and their government’s Chinese financial backers loaned to them, Goldman Sachs is back to business as usual and the average Goldman broker will earn about $770,000 this year. That’s 30 percent better than last year when they were helping al Qaeda and Wall Street create the Great Recession - Margareta Pagano, Business Editor, The Independent
America’s $974 billion Military Budget – Winslow T. Wheeler, National Security Analyst
Pull Out of Iraq This Year and Begin Healing Our Own Bankrupted Land - GEORGE McGOVERN
PEROT CHARTS — Charting Government Fiscal Irresponsibility [PerotCharts.com is designed to provide information about the economy and its relationship to Federal Government spending and borrowing]
President Barack Obama on the Federal Budget: Four Principles – President Barack Obama
The “free American” starts off with a 30 per cent tax rate, the same position as a medieval serf – Paul Craig Roberts
Geithner’s Plan Taxes Main Street to Make Wall Street Richer - Dean Baker, t r u t h o u t
Compulsory financing of U.S. military spending is built into the global financial system – Michael Hudson
Politics
June 16, 2009
POLITICS
Open Letter to President Barack Obama from Alumni Group of Intelligence Officials formed to Chronicle and Halt Bush Administration Corruption of Intelligence - Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, CommonDreams.org
Iraq gets ready for the Yanks to go home - Patrick Cockburn
U.S. Needs a Holistic, Cradle-to-Grave System of National Health Care - Carol Miller, ROLL CALL
The Single-Payer Taboo – Ralph Nader
America can’t give up NATO because, if we did, we would no longer be the “indispensable nation” - Patrick J. Buchanan
Imagine an Occupied America – US Congressman Ron Paul
US Aircraft Opens Fire on Sons of Iraq Members - Ernesto Londoño
If one violates the values we hold dear, we jeopardize our troops – General David Petraeus
Ten Conservative Principles - Russell Kirk, The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal;
Crew commander Captain Jonathan Bayless, assigned to Minot AFB during August 2007 illegal transfer of nuclear warheads to Louisiana for an operation in the Middle East, found dead – Associated Press
Freeman Affair Puts Israel Lobby in Spotlight – Daniel Luban & Jim Lobe
The Decline of America’s Great Power Status began when Bush ordered the attack on Iraq - Patrick Buchanan
VP Dick Cheney outraged President Bush didn’t grant ‘Scooter’ Libby full pardon - Thomas M. Defrank
Can Congress walk and chew gum at the same time? – Ralph Nader
Empire at the End of Its Rope - Alan Bock
Lobby? What Lobby? – Michael Scheuer
WHAT IF the American People and US Conservatives were to Wake Up?
Read more
Interesting News
April 10, 2009
INTERESTING NEWS
Following World War II, the US tried Japanese captors for war crimes against American POWs and hung those convicted of acts such as waterboarding – PolitiFact.com, St. Petersburg Times
Honda is learning to connect human thoughts directly to robotics - Yuri Kageyama
Pentagon Research to Regrow Soldier Limbs - Noah Shachtman, Danger Room
Tear Drop Monument donated by the people of Russia to honor the victims of 9/11 – Snopes.com
Hemp Bill Introduced In Congress - Ryan Grim
Worse than my darkest nightmare – Binyam Mohamed
Death of a Whaler - Captain Paul Watson
Republican Party Today
April 10, 2009
REPUBLICAN PARTY TODAY
Peggy Noonan, another former Reagan official, was the primary Speech Writer for both Presidents Ronald Reagan and H.W. Bush. In this article she explains why Sarah Palin was bad for the Republican Party and identifies why Palin represents a significant problem for America: an entire generation of citizens with little proper sense of inadequacy: A Farewell to Harms - PEGGY NOONAN, The Wall Street Journal
Bush and the Shoe-thrower - Reverend WILLIAM E. ALBERTS
The Bush Administration’s Use of Torture
One of the most disgusting lows of the Bush Administration involved the conviction and sentencing of US Army prison guards for the Detainee Torture Program developed at the highest levels within the White House - Tim Reid, TIMESONLINE.co.uk
Torture Advocates make America’s war on terror much more difficult - Brandon Friedman
Not only It Betrayed American Values, It also Doesn’t Work – Matthew Alexander (pseudonym), Air Force senior interrogator
A Therapist Explains why people listen to individuals such as Karl Rove and why this is so dangerous to America – Paul Levy, The Madness of George W. Bush, A reflection of Our Collective Psychosis
Bush Administration Aide says US knowingly jailed and tortured innocent people seized in Afghanistan – Democracy Now
Bush & Top Aides are Apparently Home Free - Helen Thomas
Consider George Bush’s and Sarah Palin’s characteristics as politicians and would-be leaders – Rachel Weiner
Obama tax calculator: it favors middle class
The Ill-Logic that Influences Overlooking Bush’s administration of Lies - David Swanson
International Updates
March 16, 2009
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES
The far right is on the march again: the rise of fascism in Austria - BILLY BRIGGS
The Long, Dark Night of Pakistan - FAWZI AFZAL-KHAN
JOKE OF THE DAY:
I was depressed last night
so I called Lifeline…
Got a freakin’ call center in Pakistan.
I told them I was suicidal. They got
all excited and asked if
I could drive a truck.
Russia rightfully seeks to counter the spread of NATO into Eastern Europe – Brian Downing
NATO promises to prepare Georgia to join alliance - Georgia Times
A Compilation of World Reactions to Obama Win
November 6, 2008
A COMPILATION OF WORLD REACTIONS TO OBAMA WIN
Obama won it the old-fashioned way: he earned it - Peggy Noonan
President Obama will be inheriting from Bush the inbox from hell
Damn, I love Americans. Just when you’ve written them off as hopeless, as a nation in decline, they turn around and do something extraordinary, which tells you why the United States of America is still the greatest nation on earth. But too, what is happening in America and Kenya holds lessons for politicians everywhere, and South Africa would do well to take heed. - A journalist from South Africa writes
Things Some People Worry About
August 29, 2008
THINGS SOME PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT
Reagan Republican’s Worry about Today’s Republican Party
Osama bin Laden ESCAPE FROM TORA BORA?? |
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Featured
Finally, January 20th is here!
Obama’s Inauguration
Our 44th President takes the oath of office. There was a trivial, momentary slip when Chief Justice John Roberts asked Obama to recite the first line of the oath in the incorrect order. Roberts said “execute the office of President of the United States faithfully,” rather than “faithfully executive.” The oath reads: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Obama paused and allowed Roberts to correct himself. Watch it:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
Inaugural Address
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Washington, D.C.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
Read more »
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Trillion-Dollar Deficits:
Obama Warns of Prospect for Trillion-Dollar Deficits “for Years to Come”
Slowing tax revenues and a historic bailout of the U.S. financial system will send the budget deficit soaring toward $1 trillion this year, President-elect Barack Obama said on 01-06-09, and the red ink stands to get substantially deeper if Obama wins approval of a massive economic stimulus plan.
Even if the package of spending and tax cuts helps restore the nation’s immediate economic health, Obama said, the government is likely to be left with “trillion-dollar deficits for years to come” unless policymakers “make a change in the way that Washington does business.”
“We’re going to have to stop talking about budget reform. We’re going to have to totally embrace it. It’s an absolute necessity,” the president-elect told reporters a day before the Congressional Budget Office is set to release its outlook for the coming year.
When President Bill Clinton left office in January of 2001 the federal budget was balanced. Now, after eight years of George W. Bush and the Republicans, we are faced with a failed economy and years of trillion dollar deficits. Now the National debt is $10.7 trillion (updated January 7, 2009)
REED MORE:
China Losing Taste for Debt From the U.S.
We Arrived at this Point Due to an Era of Profound Irresponsibility
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01/03/09: President-elect Obama’s Weekly Address
In this week’s weekly address, President-elect Barack Obama lays out the challenges that face us in the new year, and his plan for taking them on.
“We need an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that not only creates jobs in the short-term but spurs economic growth and competitiveness in the long-term,” he says. “And this plan must be designed in a new way—we can’t just fall into the old Washington habit of throwing money at the problem. We must make strategic investments that will serve as a down payment on our long-term economic future. We must demand vigorous oversight and strict accountability for achieving results. And we must restore fiscal responsibility and make the tough choices so that as the economy recovers, the deficit starts to come down. That is how we will achieve the number one goal of my plan—which is to create three million new jobs, more than eighty percent of them in the private sector.”
Watch the full address or read the text below:
Weekly Address
January 3, 2009
As the holiday season comes to end, we are thankful for family and friends and all the blessings that make life worth living. But as we mark the beginning of a new year, we also know that America faces great and growing challenges—challenges that threaten our nation’s economy and our dreams for the future. Nearly two million Americans have lost their jobs this past year—and millions more are working harder in jobs that pay less and come with fewer benefits. For too many families, this new year brings new unease and uncertainty as bills pile up, debts continue to mount and parents worry that their children won’t have the same opportunities they had.
Read more »
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Obama: ‘Person Of The Year’
Time Magazine has named U.S. President-elect Barack Obama as the 2008 “Person of the Year.” Micahael Elliot, editor of Time International, discusses the magazine’s decision. Time said Obama earned its award “for having the confidence to sketch an ambitious future in a gloomy hour.” He showed “the competence that makes Americans hopeful he might pull it off.”
The magazine named four runners-up: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson; French and current European Union President Nicholas Sarkozy; former Republican vice-presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin; and Zhang Yimou, who organized the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Last year’s winner was Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
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Obama “saddened” and “sobered” by Blagojevich
Complaint points to clash over Obama adviser
By: Alexander Bolton
Posted: 12/09/08 12:20 PM [ET]
President-elect Obama and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich clashed over whether to appoint a senior Obama adviser to replace him in the Senate, according to a criminal complaint filed with a federal district court.
The adviser at the center of the dispute appears to have been Valerie Jarrett, whom Obama has tapped to serve as White House senior adviser and assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison.
Obama’s advisers declined to give in to Blagojevich’s demands, prompting angry outbursts from the Illinois governor behind the scenes.
Blagojevich in a conversation intercepted by federal agents calls Obama a “motherf—-r” and dismisses Obama’s unwillingness to strike a deal: “F—k him.”
Rod Blagojevich’s nightmare before Christmas is only just beginning
Not every political scandal has these moments caught on tape
Blagojevich’s Removal Sought As Top Aide Quits
Illinois plunged deeper into turmoil Gov. Rod Blagojevich
McCain scolds GOP for whacking Obama over the Illinois corruption scandal: We should try to be working constructively together
Democrats’ Dilemma in Illinois: To Appoint or to Elect?
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Obama Reveals HUD Cabinet Pick in Address
Barack Obama’s weekly address
By Christi Parsons December 14, 2008
Reporting from Washington — A Harvard-educated architect is Barack Obama’s choice to lead his housing agency, which the president-elect says will play a key role in tackling the mortgage crisis and helping families stay in their homes. Read the rest
President-elect Barack Obama used his weekly address to name New York City housing official Shaun Donovan as his secretary of Housing and Urban Development. (Dec. 13):
Good morning.
Earlier this week, we learned that the number of Americans filing their first claim for unemployment insurance rose to a nearly 30-year high. This news reflects the pain that’s been rippling across our entire economy. Jobs are being cut. Wages are being slashed. Credit is tight and people can’t get loans. In cities and towns all across this country, families enter a holiday season with unease and uncertainty. Read the rest
Watch the Video
Shaun Donovan had foreseen subprime crisis in ‘04
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12/06/08: President-Elect Obama’s Weekly Address
Barack Obama addresses the job loss that our nation continues to endure and offers solutions to the challenges we face. For more information, visit http://change.gov.
Good morning
Yesterday, we received another painful reminder of the serious economic challenge our country is facing when we learned that 533,000 jobs were lost in November alone, the single worst month of job loss in over three decades. That puts the total number of jobs lost in this recession at nearly 2 million.
But this isn’t about numbers. It’s about each of the families those numbers represent. It’s about the rising unease and frustration that so many of you are feeling during this holiday season. Will you be able to put your kids through college? Will you be able to afford health care? Will you be able to retire with dignity and security? Will your job or your husband’s job or your daughter’s or son’s job be the next one cut?
Read more »
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McCain: I pledged to him [Obama] tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us…
In defeat, McCain offers graceful end to rough campaign. McCain urged supporters not only to congratulate the president-elect, but to offer him help in getting the country over the massive economic problems it faces.
These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face. I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.”
Read the whole Senator John McCain’s Concession Speech Transcripts
Though we believe one should not kick a man when he is down, please read why as conservatives we honestly believe that we are better off with Obama
Why John McCain lost the White House?
A major reason McCain lost is his continuous association with the Bush administration
Why McCain lost. “No one deserves it. You got to earn it. And Obama earned it”
From Republican “crusader”:
Will God bless America again?
“Now that the election is over isn’t it time that we become “one” USA again. Elections are for us to decide what direction we as individuals want to see our country to go. My man didn’t win but I hope my country did, we won’t agree with all that our new president proposes regardless if we voted for him or not. We all hope that his decisions are for what’s best for our country. I am an old cow-puncher that has seen many presidents come and go and none of them destroyed our country or way of life so lets all come together and work for the good old USA. In battle I didn’t ask the man next to me if he was a democrat or republican, I was just happy that he had an M-1 and we were both defending our country. Lets stop all this rancor and get behind our president and if the majority of us don’t agree with him in four years we will again have the opportunity to get rid of him. God bless the USA”
GOOD IDEA, GIVE OUR PRESIDENT-ELECT A CHANCE!!
Barack Obama will be faced with some of the greatest challenges ever to face a president. He needs our support. If he fails, we all fail, and we cannot afford to fail.
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True love knows no limits!
This is the TRUE STORY of 2 men, and the love they shared with the lion they raised named Christian. It was touching to see the BOND that developed between them and the LOVE that had transcended all barriers. Christian was a remarkable lion, obviously very intelligent and loving, and gentle to everyone, both human and animal, but as Christian became too big, he had to be sent to Africa to live as a wild lion.. Would he recognize the two men after a whole year? How would he react having spent one year in the wilderness away from them? Can a bridge be built that encompasses all life?
MORE PICTURES AND THE FULL STORY
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Rhythmics is NOT easy!
and Putin’s chic, 24 year old Alina Kabaeva, knows how to do it well! At the 2004 Athens Olympics Alina Kabaeva won the medal, but later in October she retired from the sport and has been a member of the Russian parliament since 2007. Latest gossip tells us she is very pro-Putin but he denies he secretly divorced his wife to marry Alina…
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Unbelievable Sportmanship!
“It is a GREAT MOMENT when one has character to do the right thing at the right moment…”
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