Șalom și salut, necredincioșilor, fiarelor, și Paisanoviților! Bine ați venit la casa căinței. Priviți coafura zionistă, refractară a Babei Z cum scînteiează, în timp ce ea izgonește pe Curvele Gramsciene, Porcii Fasciști, Papii din Laodicea, și Fiarele prădătoare ale Islamului, dîndu-i pe Mîna Atotputernică a Dumnezeului lui Israel. După ce se va termina de biciuit, se vor servi pișcoturi gramsciene și lapte de capră în salon. Vă rugăm și să gustați din plăcinta ocupației zioniste. L’Chaim!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Missing Links: Dreamer Deceivers
Eurythmics ~ Sweet Dreams (1983)
2007 Remix
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused
Naturally!
FARC Endorses Obama!
The US Communist Party Endorses Obama!
French Socialists Endorse Obama!
The Soviets Endorse Obama!
The Mullahs Endorse Obama!
Hamas Endorses Obama!
Castro Endorses Obama!
Chavez Endorses Obama!
We all know Colin Powell Endorses Obama!
Al Qaeda Endorses Obama!
Democratic Socialists of the US Endorse Obama
US President George W. Bush "greatly respects" Colin Powell, the White House said Monday after the former US secretary of state endorsed Barack Obama in the November 4 elections
Bill Clinton: "US in a ditch"
Is that right? Well, let me be the first to say thanks for your superhuman efforts to help put us there, Bubba.
But the larger problem for the McCain-Palin ticket's attempt to tie Obama to socialism is ... George W. Bush:
In the last four weeks, President Bush has proposed a $700-billion bailout of the financial sector, pressed his Treasury secretary to push equity into the system and met with key world leaders on how to regulate the global markets.
"The fly in the ointment for this socialism argument is the recent bank bailout," Larry Sabato, who heads the University of Virginia's nonpartisan Center for Politics, told CNN. "That's probably the most egregious example of socialism in American history."
As Countdown to Crawford noted in an earlier post, London's Telegraph captured this shift with its headline: "We're All Socialists Now, Comrade."
Russia Proposes Setting Up "Council of Religions" As UN Consultative Body:
Russia has come up with an initiative to establish a council of religions as a consultative body under UN auspices that will provide support for the Alliance of Civilizations international project, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told an international conference of foreign ministers from several countries in Astana on Friday.
Welcome to the Book of Revelation. Have a seat. Someone from our Feral Jewtian Department will be with you shortly.
Turkish Minister informs Omani officials about Alliance of Civilizations
OPEC, Russia to seek closer ties during Moscow visit
Russia, Iran and Qatar discuss OPEC-style cartelIran and Qatar consider Gazprom gas alliance
Gazprom needs to spend billions of dollars on new fields and pipelines in the next few years to maintain output and increase exports to Europe and Asia
Russia Basks in Iceland Bailout Request
President Karzai and Mullah Umar
Muslims disarming Somalian business owners
"...Only Islamist forces would be allowed to carry weapons," he said.
Solana visits the Saudis
Spanish minister in Turkey for talks
U.N. Cites $20 Million in Fraud
Super-Sarko's Plans for the World
Over 325,000 rabbis, priests and pastors in every Jewish and Christian congregation in America just received the award-winning documentary Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West on DVD, according to the publisher of a new periodical for clerical leaders, The Judeo-Christian View, which included the film inside the first issue.
NATURALLY!
UK: EUGENICS ~ PURE HORROR
Human tissue could be taken from the mentally infirm without their consent and used to create embryos for experimentation, under Government proposals added to a controversial bill ~ On Wednesday MPs will vote on a bill which would allow the creation of human/animal hybrid embryos to be used for stem cell research, change the conditions for granting IVF, and possibly liberalise the abortion laws.
DRINK!
A new science and technology university in Saudi Arabia will house one of the world's largest supercomputers and it is helping lure top researchers to the conservative desert state.Mugabe Blocks Zimbabwe Opposition Leader From Talks
4.0 in Yemen
President Bush was of the opinion that what happened to Olmert was "a shame", and asked Abu Mazen if he felt during his meetings with Livni that she had the same desire to pursue negotiations. Abu Mazen complained that Israeli measures hinder the work of the National Authority. Bush replied that what matters to him is for the coming Israeli government to commit to pursuing negotiations, and he promised to help the Palestinians in the fields of security and economy. Abu Mazen said that the Israelis had offered a map that was unacceptable in terms of the area of land exchange. Olmert also put forth a few ideas ideas, but the Palestinian side found them unclear (there were also hints at the situation of refugees)Nuclear nonproliferation meeting opens in Sydney
Aerosmith ~ Dream On
The past is gone.
It ran by
like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way?
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
Yeah, I know ~
nobody knows
where it comes
and where it goes
I know
and everybody sins
You gotta lose to know how to win
Monday, October 20, 2008
Missing Links & Sisyphus Get Stoned
The Main Ingredient
Stones Rolling Down a Mountainside
Remember Obamanable Snowjobman's Universal Sign of the Asshole?
Told yez it was the Universal Sign of the Asshole
Walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
~ Ephesians 5:15-16
Olmert Seeking Golan-Giveaway Agreement
Abbasshole & Olmerde to meet on 10/27
Israel prepares to give PA control of additional cities
Livni wants extension for coalition talks
Nasrallah names his heir
Druze Leader wants to meet with Nasrallah
Lebanese PM denounces Israel to UN
Lebanese AF commander inks deal for more US weaponry
Lebanon's Bank Audi sees benefit from global crisis
From Syrian fishing port to naval power base: Russia moves into the Mediterranean
IRAN GAINS FROM THE GEORGIAN CONFRONTATION
The Kosovo Factor
Kosovo wants equal status at world court
Too Soon to Kiss and Make Up
EU lets Gazprom into distribution network
Russia's Gazprom sees 2008 net profit at $30 bln
Gazprom gets it's Equatorial Guinea on
Gazprom invited for geological prospecting on Alaska shelf
Russia in No Rush For Crisis Summit
Iran Scrambles to Stem Oil Price Plunge
Pakistan Eyes Iranian "Peace Pipeline"
Documents Say Iran Aids Militias From Iraq
Democracy on Trial in Turkey as 86 Face Coup Attempt Charge
'Bush responsible for weakening of nuclear rules'
"By destroying the nuclear rules for India, President Bush has weakened the rules for everyone else. Pakistan and China will be the first, but almost certainly not the last, to take advantage of this weakened system," Markey said in a statement while reacting over the reports of Pakistan to build nuclear reactors with China's help.China signs agreement to help Pakistan build nuclear reactors
~ Democratic Congressman Edward Marke
Sure it is, they'll blow your infidel asses UP if you do that shit..
OIC Quietly Gets its Islamic Representative on the UN Security council
OIC Secretary General congratulates Turkey and Uganda
Greek Cyprus uneasy with Turkey’s influence over UNSC, OIC
Kurdish Christians demand autonomy
Attacks on Indian Christians worse than ever
GWB to host one world koom bah yahfest on credit crisis
Goldman Sachs to sell $10 bln in stock to Treasury
Top Wall Street bankers to receive $70bn pay deals
Australia: Merry Christmas from Goldman Sachs
Sex Scandal at the International Monetary Fund
What the FARC?
Email messages linking the Colombian Marxist guerilla insurgency to politicians, union activists and left-wing parties overseas have revealed a network of supporters spanning several continents
"Sisyphus"
Sunday, October 19, 2008
WFRL: DJ Bulgar Wheat Spins
NOT Weird Al, despite what the video says
I have no clue who it is, but it's cute
" Elmo's Got a Gun "
RIP Levi Stubbs
Levi Stubbs ~ Mean Green Mutha From Outer Space
From "Little Shop of Horrors"
Lawrence Payton, Abdul 'Duke' Fakir and Levi Stubbs
Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the Four Tops and the voice of Motown hits including Reach Out (I'll Be There) and I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch), has died aged 72. He died in his sleep at the Detroit house he shared with his wife of 48 years, Cliniece. He had not performed in recent years because of illness.
With Stubbs in the lead, the Four Tops sold millions of records and performed for more than four decades without a change in personnel. Former Motown labelmate Smokey Robinson said: "Levi Stubbs was one of the great voices of all times. He was very near and dear to my heart."
The group signed with Motown Records in 1963 and produced 20 Top-40 hits over the next decade. Their biggest hits were recorded between 1964 and 1967 with I Can't Help Myself and Reach Out reaching No 1 on the Billboard pop chart.
Four Tops ~ Reach Out (I'll be there)
Barry Gordy, who founded Motown, said: "It is not only a tremendous personal loss for me but for the Motown family, and people all over the world who were touched by his rare voice and remarkable spirit."
Stubbs "fits right up there with all the icons of Motown," said Audley Smith, of the Motown Historical Museum. "His voice was as unique as Marvin [Gaye's] or as Smokey's or as Stevie [Wonder's]." Stubbs once told the LA Times: "I don't really even have a style; I just come by the way I sing naturally. When I learn a song, I try to live it as best I can."
Levi Stubbs ~ I Believe in You & Me
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Missing Links: The Wrath of My Bombast
Iron Maiden ~ Wrathchild
Sadr urges Iraqi MPs to reject US security pact
MAY 2007: Republiwhore compliciots and the rapid dhimmise of Western Civilization
U.S. Resurrects Afghan Air Force It Once Helped Destroy
Iran's army air force begins military exercise
Jordan ambassador takes up Baghdad post
Iran Begins Regular Flights to Iraq
Russia to ship equipment to finish Iranian nuclear plant
Military officials clarifying Gen. Odierno’s claim about Iran
China To Help Pakistan Build 2 Nuke Plants
China blocks new Iran sanctions talks
Venezuela in talks to buy Russian tanks
The summit called for a revamp of the global financial system to prevent the recurrence of the current financial crisis, pushing for a global summit by the end of this year, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is also current EU President. He said he would invite U.S. President George W. Bush to the summit this weekend and would also invite leaders of the emerging economies, such as China and India, to take part in the refounding the world financial system.
Tovarich Bush, Socialist
Koom Bah Humbug, ya MFers: Bush to meet Sarkozy, EU leader on reforms
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Arabic the "language of the future, of science and of modernity," and expressed the hope that "more French people share in the language that expresses great civilizational and spiritual values."
Funeral of Austrian not so Crypto-Nazi draws thousands
European Fascism again on the rise
Grigory Pasko: Rascism in Russia
Russia's tallest volcano erupts
Belarus blasts NATO after EU concessions
Russia extends its ABM system to Belarus
New British ambassador to Russia takes office
Russia's next revolution has started - at the bank
Gazprom considers new gas pipeline via Romania
Naftogaz (Ukraine) to ink a contract with Gazprom
Gazprom deputy chief triples stake in gas giant
Gazprom officials discuss Alaskan projects
UN court throws out Georgian claim against Russia
Naturally! Europe needs gas.
Russia rouble not at risk of sharp weakening
Naturally! Europe needs gas!
Bad Vlad to buy good stocks, bonds
Q&A: Czar Paulson on the Bank Initiative
The World According to TARP
Questioning the New Republic of Goldman Sachs
Soon we nationalize you too: Goldman Sachs cuts US auto sales estimates
Goldman Sachs suggests easy credit policy, tight fiscal policy
Goldman Says Sell BP, Buy Shell on Cash-Flow Growth Forecast
NATURALLY!
Don Paulson made them an offer they couldn't refuse
Chevron: Unfazed by crisis
OPEC may take action to prop up plunging oil prices
Opec's weakest must bow to will of the Saudis
AIG Agrees to Withhold $10 Million From CFO Bensinger
Mighty white of them
A passenger was arrested at Long Island's MacArthur Airport Thursday after officials found a potential "improvised explosive device" and other suspicious items in his luggage
Term Limits: Who’s For, Who’s Against
First mosque opens in Germany's ex-communist east
Queens Temple Reborn as Mosque
Georgia: Marietta mosque to reapply for permit
Muslim terrorists seek OIC, UN help
OIC: ‘Islamophobia’ is the threat to global peace
OIC standing committee to convene in Turkey's Istanbul
Be Afraid: OIC Finalising Action Plan for Womens Empowerment
6.5 on Mexican/Guatemalan Border
5.8 in Eastern New Guinea
The Fall ~ My Bombast
Friday, October 17, 2008
Pat: Crying Over Spilled Tainted Commie Milk
While the investigations continue on an international level, a clear picture is emerging of the extent of this purposeful contamination of milk products. And it is not flattering to the Chinese government and industry. But first some background.
China is usually not associated with cows milk and for good reason. While mares milk and the milk of sheep and goats was common in certain northern pastoral areas of China, milk was rarely drunk with the exception of fermented milk in Mongolia/Tibet. Historical record reveal that milk and milk products, particularly cheese, were common in China until the introduction of Buddhism. The form of Buddhism adopted by China (and Japan) inexplicably proscribed milk and cheese products. Thus one of mankind's most important food products, cheese, easy to store, very high nutritional and calorie content, and butter, were dropped from the Chinese culinary repertoire. And while other strictures of Buddhism gradually disappeared, the taste for dairy products did not re-emerge.
Of course milk was not commonly drunk in America or Europe in the 1800 either. It was the advent of the icebox that allowed milk to become associated first with breakfast and as a cooking ingredient and later as a drink for children. But unlike China, the Americans were well aware of milk's health benefits and the need for mothers to supplement breast milk. Or for the many infants without mothers to have a sterile supply. Two vast fortunes were built on canned milk, the first mass marketed canned goods in America: Borden's and Carnation. And it was no accident. Parents from the inner-cities to the vast plains lined up to make sure their infants and sick had this irreplaceable product.
As China's infrastructure developed, the Chinese government made a conscious decision to introduce dairy products into the Chinese diet .Farmers were encouraged to raise cows for extra income. Recipes using butter were encouraged. Cows and semen were imported from around the world. Dairies started up, as well as manufacturers of dairy equipment. It was a huge success. While the average Chinese will tell you they did not buy a single helping of cheese, government analysis shows Chinese now eat cheese three times a week, on average. Yogurt is extremely popular, particularly among the young, as is ice cream for all ages. No middle class mother of a young child would think of being without milk in the fridge for her only child. and the health of the young clearly have improved in the last 15 years. Milk production was doubling every 8 years or so.
Then it all went wrong.
Sanlu recalls 700 tons of melamine-tainted milk powder
Dateline:September 12, 2008."The Shijiazhuang-based dairy producer Sanlu announced that the company will recall 700 tons of infant feeding formula ("baby milk powder" 婴幼儿奶粉) that was produced before August 6.
In the announcement Sanlu admitted that some of the products were contaminated by melamine. Previously the company had insisted that the milk products suspected of causing kidney stones in 59 babies were fake products using the Sanlu label."
Now, Sanlu is China's largest baby formula processor out of 175. It is 43% owned by Fronterra, a New Zealand Dairy co-op. Fronterra discovered the problem and asked Sanlu to immediately recall all products. Sanlu refused. Fronterra reported the problem to the New Zealand government which in turn reported it urgently to the Chinese government. After a week or so, the Chinese government ordered Sanlu to recall all affected milk products. When did Fronterra notify Sanlu? August 2, 2008 is the best estimate of a highly secretive communication. The 6 days before the Olympics opened. So the implication is the Chinese government ignored, hid, and downplayed the contamination in order not to detract from the same and give thousands of reporters a story.
Did the Chinese government actually know of the contamination. I think so. Because:
"Please can the government increase control and coordination of the media, to create a good environment for the recall of the company's problem products," the People's Daily cited the letter from Sanlu as saying. "This is to avoid whipping up the issue and creating a negative influence in society," it added.""A CHINESE company at the centre of the scare over tainted milk powder had asked for government help to cover up the extent of the problem, state media said in the newest development in the widening scandal.
In the Communist Party newspaper the People's Daily , Shijiazhuang city government spokesman Wang Jianguo said they had been asked by the Sanlu Group for help in "managing" the media response to the case when first told of the issue on August 2, six days before the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing."
And The Asia Times:
"Sanlu Dairy Co, the epicenter of the milk scandal, contributed 330 million yuan (US$48.5 million) of taxes to the municipal government of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, last year. Many companies invite local officials to become "silent partners" in their corporations - in return for "protection" rendered by the powers-that-be. Former Sanlu chairman Tian Wenhua, for example, is said to be on "comradely terms" with Shijiazhuang officials. It is perhaps for this reason that Tian was given the honorary position of deputy to the provincial people's congress."Now one wonders at the sheer gall of the perpetrators of this crime. Not a year before, Canada, America, and Mexico went nuts when Melamine was added to wheat germ and some 3,600 dogs and cats died. And there was no idea if the wheat germ had made it's way into human products. China went into a defensive aggressive posture, claiming it was being picked on while reassuring the world that its food products were safe.
This was immediately followed by a multi-country ban on Chinese shrimp products, cosmetics, toothpaste, and dumplings for various contaminants. The entire Chinese food industry appeared to be dangerously filthy. As it turn out, this is truth:
"Inexplicably, the GAQSIQ has in the past couple of years awarded dairy giants Sanlu, Meng Niu, and Yili - whose products were found to be tainted with the chemical - the coveted "famous brand" designation. This status meant their products were exempted from routine inspection by quality-control watchdogs."
So a year after wheat was found to be contaminated with melamine in order to boost it's apparent protein content, Sanlu employs a protein test method that cannot detect melamine? We here are highly sceptical. There is no doubt that the purchasing records for this milk will never see the light of day. For they will likely reveal that Sanlu purchased watered down milk at a discount, thus making them complicit, likely at the expense of Fronterra.
"The issue of fake or tainted milk powder is not new. In 2004, at least 12 infants died after taking in baby formula with no nutritional value. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ), which is responsible for checking milk and related merchandise, has been aware of the illegal use of melamine for a long time."
So where do we stand now?
Four infants, in a one child nation are dead. 60,000 are ill, many with dangerous kidney stones. Recently a mother who was unable to express milk became the first to file suit for the death of her infant. Her husband is handling this nasty business. They have lost their only allowed son and the mother has been in perpetual grief since his death.
More than 20 large milk processors are implicated, giving credence to the theory that the companies intentionally engaged in contamination for profit. Hundreds of Chinese contaminated products have been found throughout Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines ,as well as Australia, Africa, and who knows where. One of the sources of contamination is milk chocolate, baby cereals, candy,snacks, ice cream, cookies, etc.
China has responed by trying to poison the world.
It is worth noting again that the Sanlu Chinese executives were likely complicit. Here is how the scheme likely worked. If milk were going for $100 per 100 pounds , milk watered down to 90% would have a real economic value of $90. The supplier, after adding the melamine, then sells the milk to Sanlu for $98. This appears to Fronterra as very good business because it is below market. The supplier then kicksback $4 to the Chinese executives. So the companies books look good and the corrupt Chinese executives get rich.
So how do we know the executives were aware? Even if the melamine went undetected as such, the actual protein and solids content of the adulterated milk would show up in the production figures as much too low. If the adulterated milk only made up 5% of the total milk deliveries, solids production and milk fats would be down by a whole half a percent. Rather noticeable when you are dealing in tons of missing product. And in the milk industry you would first check for the oldest trick in the books, a watered product, The bane of milk processors, ice cream and cheese manufacturers from the beginning if time
So, what is melamine and how does it spoof the protein levels in baby formula milk?
Melamine is an organic compounds, a base with chemical formula C3H6N6 . Officially it is 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine in the IUPAC nomenclature system (CAS #108-78-1). It is has a molecular mass of just over 126, forms a white, crystalline powder, and is only slightly soluble in water. It is used in fire retardants in polymer resins because its high nitrogen content is released as flame-stifling nitrogen gas when the compound is burned or charred.
Other Sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26742456/
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tih/story/328472.html
Nirvana ~ Milk It
Thursday, October 16, 2008
WFRL: Unhinged Purple Proles
Gogol Bordello
Start Wearing Purple
Start wearing purple for me now
All your sanity and wits they will all vanish
I met you when you were a twenty, and I was twenty,
but thought that some years from now
a purple little little lady will be perfect
for dirty old and useless clown...
I know it all from Diogenis to Foucault
from Lozgechkin to Paspartu
I ja kljanus obostzav dva paltza
schto muziko poshla ot Zzukov Mu!...
Party!
So Fio-Fio-Fioletta! Etta! Va-va-va-vaja dama ti moja!
Eh podayte nam karetu, votetu, i mi poedem k ebenjam!
So yeah, start wearing purple wearing purple
Start wearing purple for me now
All your sanity and wits, they will all vanish
I promise, it's just a matter of time!...
Pictures of Home
Somebody's shouting
Up at a mountain
Only my own words return
Nobody's up there
It's a deception
When will I ever learn?
I'm alone here
Unfriendliness chilling my body
And whispering pictures of home
Wondering blindly
How can they find me
Maybe they don't even know
My body is shaking
Anticipating
The call of the black footed crow...
Here in this prison
Of my own making
Year after day I have grown
Into a hero
But there's no worship
Where have they hidden my throne
I'm alone here
With emptiness eagles and snow
Unfriendliness chilling my body
And screaming out pictures of home
Deep Purple
What's Going on Here?
Missing Links: Chasing Crazy
"Chasing Crazy"
From a score written in 1999 for the 1922 film Nosferatu
by "The Skin"
Leaders 'United in Commitment' on Crisis, G-8 Says
Berlusconi says he wants Russia to join the EU
India's Manmohan Singh Calls for Reform of G8, United Nations
This will be the first round of recapitalization of the banks, Roubini said
United States to disclose $250 billion European style banking bailout
Prudential, Aviva Fall After Goldman Says They May Need Capital
Goldman Sachs Government
Iran hails world financial crisis as 'end of capitalism'
Iran blames US "hegemony" for financial crisis
The evolution of Henry Paulson
Space engineer blasts into US bank rescue efforts
Kazakhstan Set To Increase Energy Cooperation With Iran
Nuclear pact with Kazakhstan likely during India's PM’s visit
Georgia-Russia talks break down
GAZPROM in Serbia
GAZPROM in ALASKA
You heard me right!
Russian GAZPROM execs meet with Palin team
GAZPROM strongarming BP (Again)
Gazprom bank buys Russia's (privately owned) Sobinbank
Pyongyang makes the deal of the century
AUSTRALIA: Rudd breaks pledge on Iran
UK: Spy suspect 'embarrassed general'
Iraq criticised as "inappropriate" on Wednesday comments by US commander General Raymond Odierno accusing Iran of trying to bribe Iraqi MPs to derail a planned military pact with Washington
Czech military warns of country's influence in Iraq conflict
DHS and the State of Michigan Team up to Advance Secure ID Initiatives
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today reached an agreement with the state of Michigan to enhance the security features of the state’s driver’s license, which may serve in the future as an acceptable alternative document for crossing the United States’ land and sea borders.
Women Protesters beaten in southern Zimbabwe
Iran, Russia and China supply the arms to Sudan
Secretary Chertoff Hosts Blogger Roundtable on Cybersecurity
And I wasn't invited? WTF? ;~)
FBI investigating WaMu’s collapse
Keith "Koran" Ellison holding Forum on Voting rights Monday
Rice pledges to pursue Israel-PA peace until she leaves office
GRAMMY CRACKER: Condappeasa: Israel Must Do More For Palestinians. Olmert, Livni Agree
Anonymous "US official" gives CNN new evidence of Iranian meddling in Iraq
The Secretary General condemned Israel for committing this criminal act, placing on Israeli authorities the blame for the consequences of this blatant abusive act which represents a flagrant violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions that prohibit occupying nations from staging any aggression against the holy shrines or the religious and historical monuments in the territories they occupy.
Israeli workers taken hostage on Caribbean island by Chinese Communists
NO..... I did NOT make it up!
Fellini couldn't make this shit up!
Thousands of Christians march in Jerusalem parade
"Long Journey's Night into Day"
From a score written in 1999 for the 1922 film Nosferatu
by "The Skin"
The New Peoples Republic of GlowBall ChaChing Welcomes You!
AIM Report| By Cliff Kincaid | October 15, 2008
It would be an exaggeration to say that we are getting close to anything resembling the Soviet system. But it is also a big mistake to call massive federal intervention in the economy a “rescue” or even a “bailout.”
Over at Political Affairs Magazine, a publication of the Communist Party USA, writer John Case was gloating. His article about the crisis was headlined, “A Dose of Socialism to Forestall Disaster.” He thought that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke had been reading the works of closet Marxists.
While many of the talking heads and pundits on TV were providing calming words of reassurance about federal intervention in the financial system, analyst Peter Schiff of Euro Pacific Capital had been accurately warning for years about a financial meltdown and says that the worst is yet to come. Asked for comment on media coverage of the financial meltdown, he told Accuracy in Media, “Absent when they have me on, it’s pretty bad.”
Many commentators, Schiff said, were telling people that if the bailout doesn’t go forward, there would be an economic crisis. However, “if we do it, there will be a bigger crisis,” he predicts. “The politicians want to make believe we can avoid paying the piper if we pass these bailouts,” he said. “It’s just not true. It’s going to collapse the currency. It’s going to make a worse economic crisis because the money they’re printing is not going to buy anything.”
Schiff, who labels the government takeover of the financial sector as socialism and refers to the Federal Reserve Board chairman as “Comrade Bernanke,” told AIM, “The government doesn’t have the authority to do any of this stuff. This whole bailout bill is illegal. They don’t have the authority to buy up mortgages. Nothing in the Constitution says they can do this.” “Who needs Bolsheviks when you have the Fed?” he had written.
The author of “Crash Proof: How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse,” Schiff said that “The government doesn’t solve problems. It makes them bigger. So if we’re broke, which is the reality—that’s why these mortgages are not worth much because Americans can’t afford to pay the money back that they borrowed—the bottom line is we’ve borrowed and spent ourselves into bankruptcy following the government’s advice. They’re the ones that encouraged all this reckless borrowing and spending.”
Interviewed by AIM before the House of Representatives had initially voted down the “bailout” scheme, at a time when it looked like the plan would actually pass, Schiff had shocking advice for ordinary Americans.
“The first thing you do if you have a mortgage is you stop making the payments,” he said. “That’s the number one thing for people who have mortgages based on this plan. And use that money to buy gold or stock up on food. You’re going to need it. Meanwhile, no one is going to kick you out of your house. You’re going to be able to live in your house for probably a year or two before the government calls you up to give you a lower mortgage because nobody is going to foreclose on you right now. Why would you foreclose? You sell the loan to the government. This plan is a huge moral hazard and it’s going to lead to a surge in mortgage delinquencies.”
But when the House of Representatives, led by conservatives, initially defeated the proposed $700- billion takeover scheme, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera of CNBC brought up the subject of “four ways around Congress,” adding, “I know it’s a flippant title and those who believe in the checks and balances in the Constitution will probably be upset by the title.” One panelist wondered if the Federal Reserve could just intervene on its own.
What they were entertaining was the notion of bypassing Congress and establishing an economic dictatorship in the United States. The exchange between Caruso-Cabrera and her colleagues demonstrated that those who posture as “pro-business” can really be socialists at heart.
On CNBC, news analysts frequently complained that the “ideology” of the House Republicans had gotten in the way of the planned takeover of the financial sector. That “ideology” is free enterprise capitalism.
The Return Of Karl Marx
Libertarian thinker and writer Martin Masse captured public attention with an article insisting that the proposed federal takeover of the financial sector in the U.S. represents a comeback by Karl Marx, the father of communism, who had proposed government control of capital. “If he were to rise from the dead today,” Masse writes, “Marx might be delighted to discover that most economists and financial commentators, including many who claim to favor the free market, agree with him.” He cites commentaries in favor of the “bailout” plan from so-called conservatives at the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal and other places.
The Heritage Foundation endorsed the takeover, even though it admitted that “constitutional concerns remain” about the plan and the “centralization of power” is worrisome.
Indeed, Marx would be pleased.
But many conservatives understood that, by capitulating to the political Left, McCain and the Republican Party were ceding unnecessary ground to Barack Obama and his “progressive” Democrats.
If they had been honest about this debacle, they would have had to admit that, of all the Republicans running for president, only Rep. Ron Paul had predicted the crisis that was coming. But they couldn’t admit this because their proposed “solution,” which amounted to more government, more spending, and more debt, would only make things worse in the long run. And that is why Rep. Paul and so many House conservatives so strongly opposed it. The takeover plan, in their view, will only postpone the inevitable and leave us with a much bigger government.
The “debate” taking place in Washington and the media was being carefully controlled. The Republican Bush Administration supported the plan and Congressional Democrats wanted to take it further. The Democrats wanted even more federal involvement in the firms that are being acquired. In other words, it was a question of how much socialism they want.
“Government bailouts and takeovers are nothing new,” pointed out financial advisor Ric Edelman.
He cited the following: “In 1971, Richard Nixon rescued Lockheed by providing $250 million in loan guarantees. When the Penn Central Rail-road failed in 1971, Nixon created Am-trak. Jimmy Carter gave $1.5 billion in loan guarantees to Chrysler in 1979. Under Ronald Reagan, the FDIC in 1984 spent $4.5 billion to rescue Continental Illinois, which still holds the record as the largest U.S. bank failure. Then, during the S&L crisis of the 1980s, George H. W. Bush approved the bailout of 747 savings and loans at a cost to taxpayers of $124.6 billion. In 1998, under Bill Clinton, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York bailed out Long Term Capital Management at a cost of $3.6 billion. During the Mexican Peso Crisis, Clinton arranged for loans and guarantees to Mexico totaling almost $50 billion. Then, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, George W. Bush approved $15 billion in subsidies and loan guarantees to aid the faltering airline industry. This year, the Federal Reserve approved a $30 billion credit line to help JP Morgan Chase acquire Bear Stearns and engineered takeovers of Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and AIG. The names, dates and amounts are different, but that’s about it.” In fact, however, the massive scope and price tag made this plan far different. Many conservative members of Congress called it socialism.
A GLOBAL TAX FOR GLOBAL SOCIALISM
Meeting in New York on the occasion of the 63rd session of the U.N. General Assembly, members of the Socialist International (SI) called for the establishment of a World Financial Organization to provide “global stability” and regulate the financial systems of the nations of the world. This will be the inevitable result of the U.S. Congress passing a socialist-style takeover of the U.S. financial sector. This centralization of power will make it easier to integrate the U.S. into a global socialist system.
The U.N. has long played host to meetings of the SI and former U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali was a former vice-president of the SI. This year’s meeting, which was held on September 26, included “invited guests” from the United Nations such as Juan Somavía, Director-General of the International Labor Organization; Kemal Dervis, Administrator of the United Nations Development Program; and Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The WFO, a long-time dream of officials of the United Nations, could lay the groundwork for a global tax to drain away some of that money for government purposes on a global basis. A proposed “World Tax Organization,” which has been on their drawing board for years, would collect and dispense the revenue.
The SI, which shares the same basic economic goals as international Communism, is an association of 170 political parties and organizations from all continents, including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), whose Chicago branch has backed Barack Obama’s political career from the start.
Obama’s backers in the Democratic Socialists of America were ecstatic and preparing for a complete government takeover in the U.S. “While recognizing the critical limitations of the Obama candidacy and the American political system,” the organization said in a statement, “DSA believes that the possible election of Senator Obama to the presidency in November represents a potential opening for social and labor movements to generate the critical political momentum necessary to implement a progressive political agenda.”
The DSA cautioned, however, that the Left should not be so involved in the national presidential campaign that it ignores the general election races for the U.S. House and Senate. “We need more progressives in Congress as well as increased Democratic majorities,” it said.
The Socialist International, meanwhile, is preparing for a high-level meeting in Mexico on November 17-18, “to discuss an agenda with the urgent world financial situation at its center, following U.S. elections.”
MORE BAILOUTS ON THE WAY
Two more bailouts are pending before Congress—both of them sponsored by Senator Barack Obama. One is the Jubilee Act, which would cancel as much as $75 billion worth of Third World debt, and the other is the Global Poverty Act, which would cost an estimated $845 billion. Total potential cost: $920 billion.
If they don’t pass Congress this year, they could come back in an Obama Administration.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain is not an official sponsor of the Jubilee Act or Obama’s Global Poverty Act. But the pressure was mounting on McCain, as well as running mate Sarah Palin, to endorse the legislation. In fact, McCain recently asked the wealthy rock star Bono, an advocate of more U.S. foreign aid spending, for advice on how to help the rest of the world.
“The ONE Campaign and co-founder Bono spoke by telephone this afternoon with Senator John McCain, Governor Sarah Palin, and members of the McCain campaign policy staff about the issue of extreme poverty, especially in Africa,” a September 24 ONE campaign news release declared. “The call today was part of ongoing conversations between ONE and both the McCain and Obama presidential campaigns.” No details of the conversations were provided.
The ONE campaign organization has been urging Senate passage of the Jubilee Act, which would cancel the debts of 26 foreign countries even while the U.S. suffers through its own financial crisis and Americans are losing their homes and savings. It passed the House in April on a 285-132 vote.
While the Global Poverty Act has started getting more serious attention, the implications of passage of the Jubilee Act have been generally ignored. Yet, a representative of the Treasury Department, Assistant Secretary For International Affairs Clay Lowery, testified at a Senate hearing in April that “The Jubilee Bill represents an unfunded international mandate to fully cancel roughly $75 billion worth of debts owed by the potentially eligible countries to official bilateral and multilateral creditors.” This is on top of the $110 billion in debt reduction already being granted to various countries, he said.
Despite foreign aid having cost the American people $2 trillion since World War II, Bono’s ONE organization believes in “allocating more of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs” for the rest of the world.
ONE also promotes compliance with the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals, the same expensive effort set forth legislatively in Obama’s Global Poverty Act.
Bono, the lead singer of the rock band U2, is one of the richest entertainers in the world and gets tremendous access to the media—and politicians—because of his anti-poverty campaign. Less well-known is the fact that his band came in for criticism two years ago when it transferred part of its business empire out of Ireland to avoid high tax rates.
ONE campaign “partner” organizations include the United Nations Association, the pro-U.N. lobbying group, and Ted Turner’s United Nations Foundation, which financially supports the U.N.
While the ONE campaign is generally regarded as a left-wing organization, it claims support from such notables as Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network and Purpose Driven Life author and pastor Rick Warren.
Also bowing to the Left, before he came to Washington, D.C. to work on the $700-billion federal takeover plan for the U.S. financial sector, McCain had taken time to attend and speak at the “Clinton Global Initiative,” a campaign underwritten by big companies and rich individuals to promote the pet causes of the disgraced former president. One of these causes has been an international tax on airline tickets to generate funds to fight HIV/AIDS.
Obama, as well as Bono, also spoke at the Clinton event.
On September 25, after conversing with McCain and Palin, Bono and his collaborators were scheduled to hold a “United Nations emergency summit on the Millennium Development Goals.” Bono’s ONE organization described them as “eight goals” that were “drawn from the targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 189 nations—and signed by 147 heads of state and governments during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.”
Similar language is incorporated in Obama’s Global Poverty Act, which has passed the House and Senator Joe Biden’s Foreign Relations Committee, and now awaits full Senate action. As AIM has documented repeatedly, a careful analysis of the legislation, as well as the follow-up 2002 U.N. Financing for Development Conference, which was designed to make the “goals” into a reality, leads to the conclusion that the U.S. will have to provide $845 billion in increased foreign aid spending, generated if necessary by a global tax on the American people.
At the Clinton Global Initiative meeting, Obama reaffirmed a “commitment” to “embracing the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015.” He added, “This will take more resources from the United States, and as President I will increase our foreign assistance to provide them.”
Chavez says "Comrade Bush" turns left in crisis
CARACAS (Reuters) - Socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez mocked George W. Bush as a "comrade" on Wednesday, saying the U.S. president was a hard-line leftist for his government's intervention of major private banks in the U.S. financial crisis.
Chavez, who calls capitalism an evil and ex-Cuban leader Fidel Castro his mentor, ridiculed Bush for his plan for the federal government to take equity in American banks despite the U.S. right-wing's criticism of Venezuelan nationalizations.
"Bush is to the left of me now," Chavez told an audience of international intellectuals debating the benefits of socialism. "Comrade Bush announced he will buy shares in private banks."
Chavez, who has insulted Bush in the past as a drunkard or the devil, called him clueless on Wednesday. He accused him of simply parroting the words of his aides without understanding the new policies that rely on heavy state intervention.
"I am convinced he has got no idea what's going on," said Chavez, who has nationalized swaths of the OPEC nation's economy in recent years and is in negotiations to take over a Spanish bank in Venezuela.
Chavez lauds his nationalizations for allowing the state to refocus companies' activities on helping the poor rather than creating value for their shareholders.
The Bush administration, which has promoted free-market policies throughout Latin America, resisted taking equity in banks for weeks. But, faced with a spiraling financial crisis, it reversed course this week with a $250 billion plan.
Chavez, who the United States labels an autocrat, is popular among his supporters at home for criticizing Bush and sometimes wins praise abroad for voicing anti-U.S. opinions.
Despite the ideological differences between the two governments and the diplomatic sparring that led weeks ago to the countries expelling each other's ambassador, Venezuela remains a major oil supplier to the United States.
Deep Purple ~ LAZY