August 25, 2008...5:05 pm
BIDEN IS WRONG ON THE EPICENTER
Voted against the Gulf war in 1991 to liberate Kuwait
Voted against “the surge” in Iraq in 2007 to defeat the Jihadists [Told the Boston Globe in the summer of 2007: "The surge isn't going to work either tactically or strategically.”]
Opposes “regime change” in Iran. [“Instead of regime change, we need to focus on conduct change.” -- speech on Iran at the Iowa City Public Library on December 3, 2007]
Believes in direct negotiations with Ahmadinejad
Voted against a bill to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a “terrorist” organization
Strongly opposes taking preemptive military action to neutralize Iran’s nuclear weapons threat and has threatened to impeach President Bush if he bombs Iran
Does not see Ahmadinejad’s End Times theology as a serious problem. [“My concern is not that a nuclear Iran some day would be moved by messianic fervor to use a nuclear weapon as an Armageddon device and commit national suicide in order to hasten the return of the Hidden Imam. My worry is that the fear of a nuclear Iran could spark an arms race in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, and others joining in.” -- speech on Iran at the Iowa City Public Library on December 3, 2007]
“In 1979, he shared Carter’s starry-eyed belief that the fall of the shah in Iran and the advent of the ayatollahs represented progress for human rights,” writes Amir Taheri, the former editor of one of the largest newspapers in Tehran and a respected analyst of the current regime. “Throughout the hostage crisis, as US diplomats were daily paraded blindfolded in front of television cameras and threatened with execution, he opposed strong action against the terrorist mullahs and preached dialogue….For more than a decade, Biden has adopted an ambivalent attitude towards the Islamic Republic in Tehran, now emerging as the chief challenger to US interests in the Middle East. Biden’s links with pro-Tehran lobbies in the US and his support for “unconditional dialogue” with the mullahs echo Obama’s own wrong-headed promise to circumvent the current multilateral efforts by seeking direct US-Iran talks, excluding the Europeans as well as Russia and China.”
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Gold sales again allowed.
U.S. Mint to Resume Distribution of American Eagle Gold Coins Search
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2008-08-23 — bloomberg.com
The U.S. Mint said it will resume limited distribution of its 1-ounce American Eagle Gold coins a week after suspending sales because investors and collectors depleted the supply.
...
Citing ``unprecedented demand,'' the Mint halted sales Aug. 15. Gold prices soared over the past year, with the most active gold futures reaching a record $1,033.90 an ounce on March 17. Prices have since declined.
"Unprecedented demand"? More like "because we didn't want to go into the market as buyers, since that would support the price". Note also that gold Eagles will still be rationed, so they're still pulling the same tricks. This is not a free market.
The rigging in support of the dollar continues.
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Web ML
Submit search form
2008-08-23 — bloomberg.com
The U.S. Mint said it will resume limited distribution of its 1-ounce American Eagle Gold coins a week after suspending sales because investors and collectors depleted the supply.
...
Citing ``unprecedented demand,'' the Mint halted sales Aug. 15. Gold prices soared over the past year, with the most active gold futures reaching a record $1,033.90 an ounce on March 17. Prices have since declined.
"Unprecedented demand"? More like "because we didn't want to go into the market as buyers, since that would support the price". Note also that gold Eagles will still be rationed, so they're still pulling the same tricks. This is not a free market.
The rigging in support of the dollar continues.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Bomb Iran NOW!
Special Dispatch Series - No. 2026
August 15, 2008 No. 2026
Saudi Columnist: Bomb Iran Now, Let Chips Fall Where They May
In his August 4, 2008 column in the liberal Arab e-journal Elaph, Saudi columnist Saleh Al-Rashed argued that the Gulf states should urge the West to attack Iran before it acquires nuclear weapons.
Following are excerpts from the column: [1]
A Nuclear Iran is Like a Nuclear Bin Laden
"'One cannot avoid the inevitable' - this adage came to mind when I read the pronouncement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad 'Ali Ja'fari, who said: 'My country is easily capable of closing the Straits of Hormuz, the main passageway for oil freighters, if the country is attacked due to its nuclear program.'
"In my estimation, confronting this country, which is trying to gain the time necessary to acquire nuclear weapons, is unavoidable. The possession of nuclear weapons by a state like Iran, which is ideological to the core, is more or less like Osama bin Laden having a nuclear bomb. They are two of a kind. Despite the difference in their turbans and in their religious beliefs, the end result is the same.
"Perhaps it is our bad luck that we [i.e. Saudi Arabia] and the Gulf states would be the first to suffer from a military confrontation with Iran and from its response, and the problem would become even more grave if Iran succeeded in closing the Straits of Hormuz, as the IRGC commander threatened. But our situation with Iran is like that of the sick man who refuses to have his illness treated with cauterization. Yes, the pain of the burning is horrible, but this malady can only be treated through this military confrontation -cauterization.
"History has taught us that ideological countries only pay heed to victory over their ideology… They never accept any halfway situation, even when they find themselves on the brink of disaster."
"Confrontation Is The Solution"; "The Absolute Priority Must Be Our Strategic Security in the Gulf"
"Confrontation is the solution, and there is no solution but confrontation. The game of the carrot and the stick played by the U.S. and E.U. will be to no avail.
"At present, we are suffering from two things: Iran's attempts [to gain] regional hegemony, and its attempts to impose its influence via its sectarian allies - the fifth column of Arab Shi'ite fundamentalists. Imagine what Iran's influence, hegemony, and fifth column would be like if Iran had a nuclear bomb.
"Perhaps it is a strange coincidence that, this time around, our strategic interests coincide with those of Israel. The regime of the mullahs in Iran is our enemy, and at the same time it is an enemy not just of Israel, but of world peace and security.
"I know that the Arab demagogues stand together indiscriminately with anyone who is against Israel and America. But we need to not be swept away by these demagogues as we were in the past. This time, the absolute priority must be our strategic security in the Gulf, which is threatened by Iran - even if this comes at the expense of the Palestinian cause.
"In politics, nothing prevents you from allying with the devil for the sake of your interests. This is what confronting the Iranian danger - which is close - demands of us. This issue, in my estimation, cannot suffer delay or hesitation. Every passing day benefits Iran.
"Thus, we need to push the world powers, and especially the U.S. and the E.U., towards military confrontation to neutralize the Iranian enemy, whatever the cost, before the nuclear bomb makes it too late - even if it is against the will of the Arabs of the north."
August 15, 2008 No. 2026
Saudi Columnist: Bomb Iran Now, Let Chips Fall Where They May
In his August 4, 2008 column in the liberal Arab e-journal Elaph, Saudi columnist Saleh Al-Rashed argued that the Gulf states should urge the West to attack Iran before it acquires nuclear weapons.
Following are excerpts from the column: [1]
A Nuclear Iran is Like a Nuclear Bin Laden
"'One cannot avoid the inevitable' - this adage came to mind when I read the pronouncement by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Mohammad 'Ali Ja'fari, who said: 'My country is easily capable of closing the Straits of Hormuz, the main passageway for oil freighters, if the country is attacked due to its nuclear program.'
"In my estimation, confronting this country, which is trying to gain the time necessary to acquire nuclear weapons, is unavoidable. The possession of nuclear weapons by a state like Iran, which is ideological to the core, is more or less like Osama bin Laden having a nuclear bomb. They are two of a kind. Despite the difference in their turbans and in their religious beliefs, the end result is the same.
"Perhaps it is our bad luck that we [i.e. Saudi Arabia] and the Gulf states would be the first to suffer from a military confrontation with Iran and from its response, and the problem would become even more grave if Iran succeeded in closing the Straits of Hormuz, as the IRGC commander threatened. But our situation with Iran is like that of the sick man who refuses to have his illness treated with cauterization. Yes, the pain of the burning is horrible, but this malady can only be treated through this military confrontation -cauterization.
"History has taught us that ideological countries only pay heed to victory over their ideology… They never accept any halfway situation, even when they find themselves on the brink of disaster."
"Confrontation Is The Solution"; "The Absolute Priority Must Be Our Strategic Security in the Gulf"
"Confrontation is the solution, and there is no solution but confrontation. The game of the carrot and the stick played by the U.S. and E.U. will be to no avail.
"At present, we are suffering from two things: Iran's attempts [to gain] regional hegemony, and its attempts to impose its influence via its sectarian allies - the fifth column of Arab Shi'ite fundamentalists. Imagine what Iran's influence, hegemony, and fifth column would be like if Iran had a nuclear bomb.
"Perhaps it is a strange coincidence that, this time around, our strategic interests coincide with those of Israel. The regime of the mullahs in Iran is our enemy, and at the same time it is an enemy not just of Israel, but of world peace and security.
"I know that the Arab demagogues stand together indiscriminately with anyone who is against Israel and America. But we need to not be swept away by these demagogues as we were in the past. This time, the absolute priority must be our strategic security in the Gulf, which is threatened by Iran - even if this comes at the expense of the Palestinian cause.
"In politics, nothing prevents you from allying with the devil for the sake of your interests. This is what confronting the Iranian danger - which is close - demands of us. This issue, in my estimation, cannot suffer delay or hesitation. Every passing day benefits Iran.
"Thus, we need to push the world powers, and especially the U.S. and the E.U., towards military confrontation to neutralize the Iranian enemy, whatever the cost, before the nuclear bomb makes it too late - even if it is against the will of the Arabs of the north."
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Communists, where?
The Bombs of August
August 18, 2008
Doug McIntosh
One of the advantages of being a lifelong anti communist is this: when the communists act like communists, you avoid the usual hysterical ranting and raving that always is a part of any "crisis." Back in 1964, when I was only 10 and a fervent Barry Goldwater supporter, I became aware of this fact. After watching LBJ use the nuke ad against Goldwater to win the election; then promptly do everything in Vietnam he said he wouldn't do, since he wasn't a bomb thrower like Goldwater, I became convinced of it. And so now we find ourselves in yet another "crisis" between the USA and Russia over Georgia. I would place this one on the same scale as the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, although the mainstream, worthless, corrupt and utterly incompetent American corporate press utterly ignored the story for the first 72 hours. Now that the downstream press has started to cover it, I am amazed at how much they openly lie about it.
The first casualty of war is the truth said a wise man. If you want lies, go elsewhere, for here I will tell you the truth. The idea this Georgian invasion was spontaneous is ridiculous. I wrote about Putin being a KGB thug years ago. When I talked with John Galt back on January 18th at the Q files, we talked about Kosovo being granted independence and how it would lead to war with Russia. World War One began in Sarjevo when ArchDuke Ferdinand took a wrong turn and got himself killed. World War Three began when NATO, the US et al took a wrong turn and granted Kosovo independence. At the time, Spring of 2008, it was clear to me the Russians would have a savage response to this. We have seen the first shoe drop with Georgia. It is the first of many: Ukraine. Poland. The Baltic Republics. The list goes on.
While I understand the current interest in the causes of what Georgia did; who did what and to whom and for what reasons they did it, I have moved beyond all that. And the reason I have moved beyond that is I understand what is coming next. Once you see what I mean, you will realize post mortems are useless in this case.
I do not mean to minimize the human chaos involved here. Nor do I sugarcoat the Georgian invasion and its open war crimes against innocent civilians; anymore than I sugarcoat the Russian response. What I am saying is this: The game is afoot and it no longer matters who started it or even why they started it. Was it a legitimate response by Georgia to being shelled every August since 2004 by the South Ossetians? Was it a New World Order plot to start World War Three? Was it stupidity? Neo con and NATO Arrogance? Greed over oil? Who cares? The bodies of the dead Georgian soldiers are being stripped for their boots. We have Turkey, a NATO member, sucking up to the Russians. This Georgian war has legs. These legs are going to walk all over us in the coming months. Like Nancy Sinatra sang, "These boots are made for walking." The Russians have deployed SS-21 missiles in South Ossetia which they can use to shell the Georgian capital at will. We have gone big time. NATO is meeting to "punish" Russia. Good luck.
If you for some reason think I am being melodramatic, I suggest you follow my analysis. I will begin with the results of all this: Poland has now agreed to accept US manned Patriot missile batteries on their soil. Poland, The Baltic States and Ukraine are now officially under the NATO umbrella, whether they are NATO members or not. We are openly flying in military transports to Georgia. The UN has been shown to be the farce it was intended to be.
The Polish Prime Minister said, "We have crossed the Rubicon." Amen to that. He went on to add there is a "mutual commitment" to assist each other in "times of trouble." Like a Russian military attack on Poland for instance would mean a NATO or US response. It was Poland, not Czechoslovakia, that started World War Two. You say, you are mad Doug, the Russians would never attack Poland. Really.
On August 15th General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the Russian Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff said: "Poland, by deploying is exposing itself to a strike-100 per cent." ... Russian military doctrine sanctioned the use of nuclear weapons... "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them." Now, what part of that open threat to nuke Poland don't you get? Just like the open threat by Russia to respond militarily when the USA, NATO et al recognized the Islamic terror drug state called Kosovo. Just like Russia said they will deal with both NATO and the USA when they absorbed the buffer states of Poland and the Baltic Republics into the NATO sphere. What did we expect Russia to do when we absorbed Ukraine, Georgia and the Central Asian states into our sphere of influence? States which had been not only a part of Russia's "sphere of influence" for centuries, but had been a part of the Soviet Union until 1991? Did we really expect Putin to tolerate that?
I have to say this. I do not know which is worse, the open brutality of both the Russians and the Georgians, or the preening, arrogant and naive response of the West. Georgia is where Stalin was born. Stalin was born in the city of Gori, where the West is upset the Russians bombed it. Funny, when the Georgians were shelling the capital of South Ossetia, killing hundreds, not a peep out of the West. It is this kind of arrogant hypocrisy that is going to get the West gutted like a fish. There are no good guys here. War crimes are the way things are done, and have been done for centuries over there.
Watching Secretary of Defense Gates whining about how the Russians have exploited the situation was actually funny. Of course the Russians exploited the situation, that is what they do. The West is like a matador protesting that just because he waved a red cape in front of a bull, he doesn't understand why the bull is trying to gore him. The definition of an opportunist is one who takes advantage of opportunity. If the West is going to give a golden opportunity to Russia to occupy Georgia, completely control Europe's energy supply and humiliate the West, then the West has no right to whine when Russia does just that.
The Bear is back. Georgia is the first of several moves Russia will now make. We will see how robust the Western response is when Russia cuts off the natural gas and oil flow to Europe in January. We will see how robust the Western response is when Russia tightens the noose around our necks. Georgia is not the end of the game. Georgia is the beginning of the military response by Russia against the West. I will repeat that: the military response by Russia against the West. We are not talking about dumping the worthless fiat funny money, or treasury bonds or any other type of Russian response. We are talking about Russia launching nuclear weapons on Poland. Did you get that? Russia is now negotiating with Ukraine over both the Crimean and the Black Sea Fleet base of Sevastapol. Any guess on the Russian response if Ukraine tries to actually kick the Black Sea Fleet out? Russia is openly flying combat patrols in the Atlantic. Russian subs are off both our coasts. Russia is opening war crimes tribunals to investigate the Georgian invasion. What do you think will happen when they charge Georgian government officials with war crimes?
Consider all that I have written and then enjoy the rest of August. Time is short.
August 18, 2008
Doug McIntosh
One of the advantages of being a lifelong anti communist is this: when the communists act like communists, you avoid the usual hysterical ranting and raving that always is a part of any "crisis." Back in 1964, when I was only 10 and a fervent Barry Goldwater supporter, I became aware of this fact. After watching LBJ use the nuke ad against Goldwater to win the election; then promptly do everything in Vietnam he said he wouldn't do, since he wasn't a bomb thrower like Goldwater, I became convinced of it. And so now we find ourselves in yet another "crisis" between the USA and Russia over Georgia. I would place this one on the same scale as the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, although the mainstream, worthless, corrupt and utterly incompetent American corporate press utterly ignored the story for the first 72 hours. Now that the downstream press has started to cover it, I am amazed at how much they openly lie about it.
The first casualty of war is the truth said a wise man. If you want lies, go elsewhere, for here I will tell you the truth. The idea this Georgian invasion was spontaneous is ridiculous. I wrote about Putin being a KGB thug years ago. When I talked with John Galt back on January 18th at the Q files, we talked about Kosovo being granted independence and how it would lead to war with Russia. World War One began in Sarjevo when ArchDuke Ferdinand took a wrong turn and got himself killed. World War Three began when NATO, the US et al took a wrong turn and granted Kosovo independence. At the time, Spring of 2008, it was clear to me the Russians would have a savage response to this. We have seen the first shoe drop with Georgia. It is the first of many: Ukraine. Poland. The Baltic Republics. The list goes on.
While I understand the current interest in the causes of what Georgia did; who did what and to whom and for what reasons they did it, I have moved beyond all that. And the reason I have moved beyond that is I understand what is coming next. Once you see what I mean, you will realize post mortems are useless in this case.
I do not mean to minimize the human chaos involved here. Nor do I sugarcoat the Georgian invasion and its open war crimes against innocent civilians; anymore than I sugarcoat the Russian response. What I am saying is this: The game is afoot and it no longer matters who started it or even why they started it. Was it a legitimate response by Georgia to being shelled every August since 2004 by the South Ossetians? Was it a New World Order plot to start World War Three? Was it stupidity? Neo con and NATO Arrogance? Greed over oil? Who cares? The bodies of the dead Georgian soldiers are being stripped for their boots. We have Turkey, a NATO member, sucking up to the Russians. This Georgian war has legs. These legs are going to walk all over us in the coming months. Like Nancy Sinatra sang, "These boots are made for walking." The Russians have deployed SS-21 missiles in South Ossetia which they can use to shell the Georgian capital at will. We have gone big time. NATO is meeting to "punish" Russia. Good luck.
If you for some reason think I am being melodramatic, I suggest you follow my analysis. I will begin with the results of all this: Poland has now agreed to accept US manned Patriot missile batteries on their soil. Poland, The Baltic States and Ukraine are now officially under the NATO umbrella, whether they are NATO members or not. We are openly flying in military transports to Georgia. The UN has been shown to be the farce it was intended to be.
The Polish Prime Minister said, "We have crossed the Rubicon." Amen to that. He went on to add there is a "mutual commitment" to assist each other in "times of trouble." Like a Russian military attack on Poland for instance would mean a NATO or US response. It was Poland, not Czechoslovakia, that started World War Two. You say, you are mad Doug, the Russians would never attack Poland. Really.
On August 15th General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the Russian Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff said: "Poland, by deploying is exposing itself to a strike-100 per cent." ... Russian military doctrine sanctioned the use of nuclear weapons... "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they
I have to say this. I do not know which is worse, the open brutality of both the Russians and the Georgians, or the preening, arrogant and naive response of the West. Georgia is where Stalin was born. Stalin was born in the city of Gori, where the West is upset the Russians bombed it. Funny, when the Georgians were shelling the capital of South Ossetia, killing hundreds, not a peep out of the West. It is this kind of arrogant hypocrisy that is going to get the West gutted like a fish. There are no good guys here. War crimes are the way things are done, and have been done for centuries over there.
Watching Secretary of Defense Gates whining about how the Russians have exploited the situation was actually funny. Of course the Russians exploited the situation, that is what they do. The West is like a matador protesting that just because he waved a red cape in front of a bull, he doesn't understand why the bull is trying to gore him. The definition of an opportunist is one who takes advantage of opportunity. If the West is going to give a golden opportunity to Russia to occupy Georgia, completely control Europe's energy supply and humiliate the West, then the West has no right to whine when Russia does just that.
The Bear is back. Georgia is the first of several moves Russia will now make. We will see how robust the Western response is when Russia cuts off the natural gas and oil flow to Europe in January. We will see how robust the Western response is when Russia tightens the noose around our necks. Georgia is not the end of the game. Georgia is the beginning of the military response by Russia against the West. I will repeat that: the military response by Russia against the West. We are not talking about dumping the worthless fiat funny money, or treasury bonds or any other type of Russian response. We are talking about Russia launching nuclear weapons on Poland. Did you get that? Russia is now negotiating with Ukraine over both the Crimean and the Black Sea Fleet base of Sevastapol. Any guess on the Russian response if Ukraine tries to actually kick the Black Sea Fleet out? Russia is openly flying combat patrols in the Atlantic. Russian subs are off both our coasts. Russia is opening war crimes tribunals to investigate the Georgian invasion. What do you think will happen when they charge Georgian government officials with war crimes?
Consider all that I have written and then enjoy the rest of August. Time is short.
UN and Islam
The Human Rights Council at the United Nations has now banned any criticism regarding Sharia Law and human rights in the Islamic World
According to President Doru Romulus Costea - and following the efforts of delegates from Egypt, Pakistan and Iran - the Council will no longer tolerate criticism of either Sharia or specific fatwas in the name of human rights.
In many parts of the Islamic world, it is becomingly increasing clear not only that the Koran (the written record of the original oral transmissions of Mohammad’s life teachings) and the Hadith (the later delineations of those teachings) are considered sacrosanct in their perfection, but also the various implementations of these teachings, known as Sharia Law.
No evolution or refinements are required. No matter that nearly every multitudinous Muslim sect or group has a differing interpretation of this God-given Sharia Law. Nor that the stoning to death of women, beheading of men, and all the 6th century niceties of feudal Arabia are still part and parcel of the immovable Islamic tradition. Never mind that Sunni will decimate Shia - and vice versa - over differences of interpretations far more modest than those between (modern) Catholics and Protestants, between Hindus and Buddhists. Islamic sect can war on Islamic sect, Arab can criticize Arab.
Because Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and all other religions are imperfect, they are fair game for any and all attacks. Since Israel, Zionism, America and the Western World were created and developed outside the Islamic World and its divine perfection, they are likewise subject to criticism.
Now, not only has the Islamic God forbidden outside criticism of the Sharia Law, but the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is its enjoined messenger on earth.
Of course, observers of the HRC should not be surprised. The ostensibly prestigious body has become a revolving door for countries with an ambivalent (or even well nigh invisible) relationship with freedom and democracy. In the two years following its replacement of the equally dictatorship-friendly Human Rights Commission, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia have all been elected to the Council. As a majority of the Council’s resolutions are concerned with Israel, it would effectively cease functioning were it not for its compulsive focus on the Jewish state.
Due to this resolution the Council - and thus, perversely, the UN - is endorsing a worldview in which human interpretation and understanding has been placed beyond the pale of critical thinking and investigation as long as it’s part of Sharia Law or the Islamic tradition. Perhaps we should rename the United Nations and call it the “Nations of Islam - United in Unique and Ineffable Perfection.” Sounds appropriate.
According to President Doru Romulus Costea - and following the efforts of delegates from Egypt, Pakistan and Iran - the Council will no longer tolerate criticism of either Sharia or specific fatwas in the name of human rights.
In many parts of the Islamic world, it is becomingly increasing clear not only that the Koran (the written record of the original oral transmissions of Mohammad’s life teachings) and the Hadith (the later delineations of those teachings) are considered sacrosanct in their perfection, but also the various implementations of these teachings, known as Sharia Law.
No evolution or refinements are required. No matter that nearly every multitudinous Muslim sect or group has a differing interpretation of this God-given Sharia Law. Nor that the stoning to death of women, beheading of men, and all the 6th century niceties of feudal Arabia are still part and parcel of the immovable Islamic tradition. Never mind that Sunni will decimate Shia - and vice versa - over differences of interpretations far more modest than those between (modern) Catholics and Protestants, between Hindus and Buddhists. Islamic sect can war on Islamic sect, Arab can criticize Arab.
Because Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and all other religions are imperfect, they are fair game for any and all attacks. Since Israel, Zionism, America and the Western World were created and developed outside the Islamic World and its divine perfection, they are likewise subject to criticism.
Now, not only has the Islamic God forbidden outside criticism of the Sharia Law, but the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) is its enjoined messenger on earth.
Of course, observers of the HRC should not be surprised. The ostensibly prestigious body has become a revolving door for countries with an ambivalent (or even well nigh invisible) relationship with freedom and democracy. In the two years following its replacement of the equally dictatorship-friendly Human Rights Commission, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia have all been elected to the Council. As a majority of the Council’s resolutions are concerned with Israel, it would effectively cease functioning were it not for its compulsive focus on the Jewish state.
Due to this resolution the Council - and thus, perversely, the UN - is endorsing a worldview in which human interpretation and understanding has been placed beyond the pale of critical thinking and investigation as long as it’s part of Sharia Law or the Islamic tradition. Perhaps we should rename the United Nations and call it the “Nations of Islam - United in Unique and Ineffable Perfection.” Sounds appropriate.
Look out for what's coming!
Exclusive Interview: Jim Rogers Predicts Bigger Financial Shocks Loom, Fueling a Malaise That May Last for Years
[The First of Two Parts.]
Keith Fitz-Gerald
Investment Director
Money Morning/The Money Map Report
VANCOUVER, B.C. – The U.S. financial crisis has cut so deep – and the government has taken on so much debt in misguided attempts to bail out such companies as Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) – that even larger financial shocks are still to come, global investing guru Jim Rogers said in an exclusive interview with Money Morning.
Indeed, the U.S. financial debacle is now so ingrained – and a so-called “Super Crash” so likely – that most Americans alive today won’t be around by the time the last of this credit-market mess is finally cleared away – if it ever is, Rogers said.
The end of this crisis “is a long way away,” Rogers said. “In fact, it may not be in our lifetimes.”
During a 40-minute interview during a wealth-management conference in this West Coast Canadian city last month, Rogers also said that:
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke should “resign” for the bailout deals he’s handed out as he’s tried to battle this credit crisis.
That the U.S. national debt – the roughly $5 trillion held by the public– essentially doubled in the course of a single weekend because of the Fed-led credit crisis bailout deals.
That U.S. consumers and investors can expect much-higher interest rates – noting that if the Fed doesn’t raise borrowing costs, market forces will make that happen.
And that the average American has no idea just how bad this financial crisis is going to get.
“The next shock is going to be bigger and bigger, still,” Rogers said. “The shocks keep getting bigger because we keep propping things up … [and] bailing everyone out.”
Rogers first made a name for himself with The Quantum Fund, a hedge fund that’s often described as the first real global investment fund, which he and partner George Soros founded in 1970. Over the next decade, Quantum gained 4,200%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed about 50%.
It was after Rogers "retired" in 1980 that the investing masses got to see him in action. Rogers traveled the world (several times), and penned such bestsellers as "Investment Biker" and the recently released "A Bull in China." And he made some historic market calls: Rogers predicted China’s meteoric growth a good decade before it became apparent and he subsequently foretold of the powerful updraft in global commodities prices that’s fueled a year-long bull market in the agriculture, energy and mining sectors.
Rogers’ candor has made him a popular figure with individual investors, meaning his pronouncements are always closely watched. Here are some of the highlights from the exclusive interview we had with the author and investor, who now makes his home in Singapore:
Keith Fitz-Gerald (Q): Looks like the financial train wreck we talked about earlier this year is happening.
Jim Rogers: There was a train wreck, yes. Two or three – more than one, as you know. [U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S.] Bernanke and his boys both came to the rescue. Which is going to cover things up for a while. And then I don’t know how long the rally will last and then we’ll be off to the races again. Whether the rally lasts six days or six weeks, I don’t know. I wish I did know that sort of thing, but I never do.
(Q):What would Chairman Bernanke have to do to “get it right?”
Rogers: Resign.
(Q): Is there anything else that you think he could do that would be correct other than let these things fail?
Rogers: Well, at this stage, it doesn’t seem like he can do it. He could raise interest rates – which he should do, anyway. Somebody should. The market’s going to do it whether he does it or not, eventually.
The problem is that he’s got all that garbage on his balance sheet now. He has $400 billion of questionable assets owing to the feds on his balance sheet. I mean, he could try to reverse that. He could raise interest rates. Yeah, that’s what he could do. That would help. It would cause a shock to the system, but if we don’t have the shock now, the shock’s going to be much worse later on. Every shock, so far, has been worse than the last shock. Bear-Stearns [now part of JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM)] was one thing and then it’s Fannie Mae (FNM), you know, and now Freddie Mac (FRE).
The next shock’s going to be even bigger still. So the shocks keep getting bigger because we kept propping things up and this has been going on at least since Long-Term Capital Management. They’ve been bailing everyone out and [former Fed Chairman Alan] Greenspan took interest rates down and then he took them down again after the “dot-com bubble” shock, so I guess Bernanke could try to start reversing some of this stuff.
But he has to not just reverse it – he’d have to increase interest rates a lot to make up for it and that’s not going to solve the problem either, because the basic problems are that America’s got a horrible tax system, it’s got litigation right, left, and center, it’s got horrible education system, you know, and it’s got many, many, many [other] problems that are going to take a while to resolve. If he did at least turn things around – turn some of these policies around – we would have a sharp drop, but at least it would clean out some of the excesses and the system could turn around and start doing better.
But this is academic – he’s not going to do it. But again the best thing for him would be to abolish the Federal Reserve and resign. That’ll be the best solution. Is he going to do that? No, of course not. He still thinks he knows what he’s doing.
(Q): Earlier this year, when we talked in Singapore, you made the observation that the average American still doesn’t know anything’s wrong – that anything’s happening. Is that still the case?
Rogers:Yes.
(Q): What would you tell the “Average Joe” in no-nonsense terms?
Rogers: I would say that for the last 200 years, America’s elected politicians and scoundrels have built up $5 trillion in debt. In the last few weekends, some un-elected officials added another $5 trillion to America’s national debt.
Suddenly we’re on the hook for another $5 trillion. There have been attempts to explain this to the public, about what’s happening with the debt, and with the fact that America’s situation is deteriorating in the world.
I don’t know why it doesn’t sink in. People have other things on their minds, or don’t want to be bothered. Too complicated, or whatever.
I’m sure when the [British Empire] declined there were many people who rang the bell and said: “Guys, we’re making too many mistakes here in the U.K.” And nobody listened until it was too late.
When Spain was in decline, when Rome was in decline, I’m sure there were people who noticed that things were going wrong.
[The First of Two Parts.]
Keith Fitz-Gerald
Investment Director
Money Morning/The Money Map Report
VANCOUVER, B.C. – The U.S. financial crisis has cut so deep – and the government has taken on so much debt in misguided attempts to bail out such companies as Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE) – that even larger financial shocks are still to come, global investing guru Jim Rogers said in an exclusive interview with Money Morning.
Indeed, the U.S. financial debacle is now so ingrained – and a so-called “Super Crash” so likely – that most Americans alive today won’t be around by the time the last of this credit-market mess is finally cleared away – if it ever is, Rogers said.
The end of this crisis “is a long way away,” Rogers said. “In fact, it may not be in our lifetimes.”
During a 40-minute interview during a wealth-management conference in this West Coast Canadian city last month, Rogers also said that:
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke should “resign” for the bailout deals he’s handed out as he’s tried to battle this credit crisis.
That the U.S. national debt – the roughly $5 trillion held by the public– essentially doubled in the course of a single weekend because of the Fed-led credit crisis bailout deals.
That U.S. consumers and investors can expect much-higher interest rates – noting that if the Fed doesn’t raise borrowing costs, market forces will make that happen.
And that the average American has no idea just how bad this financial crisis is going to get.
“The next shock is going to be bigger and bigger, still,” Rogers said. “The shocks keep getting bigger because we keep propping things up … [and] bailing everyone out.”
Rogers first made a name for himself with The Quantum Fund, a hedge fund that’s often described as the first real global investment fund, which he and partner George Soros founded in 1970. Over the next decade, Quantum gained 4,200%, while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed about 50%.
It was after Rogers "retired" in 1980 that the investing masses got to see him in action. Rogers traveled the world (several times), and penned such bestsellers as "Investment Biker" and the recently released "A Bull in China." And he made some historic market calls: Rogers predicted China’s meteoric growth a good decade before it became apparent and he subsequently foretold of the powerful updraft in global commodities prices that’s fueled a year-long bull market in the agriculture, energy and mining sectors.
Rogers’ candor has made him a popular figure with individual investors, meaning his pronouncements are always closely watched. Here are some of the highlights from the exclusive interview we had with the author and investor, who now makes his home in Singapore:
Keith Fitz-Gerald (Q): Looks like the financial train wreck we talked about earlier this year is happening.
Jim Rogers: There was a train wreck, yes. Two or three – more than one, as you know. [U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S.] Bernanke and his boys both came to the rescue. Which is going to cover things up for a while. And then I don’t know how long the rally will last and then we’ll be off to the races again. Whether the rally lasts six days or six weeks, I don’t know. I wish I did know that sort of thing, but I never do.
(Q):What would Chairman Bernanke have to do to “get it right?”
Rogers: Resign.
(Q): Is there anything else that you think he could do that would be correct other than let these things fail?
Rogers: Well, at this stage, it doesn’t seem like he can do it. He could raise interest rates – which he should do, anyway. Somebody should. The market’s going to do it whether he does it or not, eventually.
The problem is that he’s got all that garbage on his balance sheet now. He has $400 billion of questionable assets owing to the feds on his balance sheet. I mean, he could try to reverse that. He could raise interest rates. Yeah, that’s what he could do. That would help. It would cause a shock to the system, but if we don’t have the shock now, the shock’s going to be much worse later on. Every shock, so far, has been worse than the last shock. Bear-Stearns [now part of JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM)] was one thing and then it’s Fannie Mae (FNM), you know, and now Freddie Mac (FRE).
The next shock’s going to be even bigger still. So the shocks keep getting bigger because we kept propping things up and this has been going on at least since Long-Term Capital Management. They’ve been bailing everyone out and [former Fed Chairman Alan] Greenspan took interest rates down and then he took them down again after the “dot-com bubble” shock, so I guess Bernanke could try to start reversing some of this stuff.
But he has to not just reverse it – he’d have to increase interest rates a lot to make up for it and that’s not going to solve the problem either, because the basic problems are that America’s got a horrible tax system, it’s got litigation right, left, and center, it’s got horrible education system, you know, and it’s got many, many, many [other] problems that are going to take a while to resolve. If he did at least turn things around – turn some of these policies around – we would have a sharp drop, but at least it would clean out some of the excesses and the system could turn around and start doing better.
But this is academic – he’s not going to do it. But again the best thing for him would be to abolish the Federal Reserve and resign. That’ll be the best solution. Is he going to do that? No, of course not. He still thinks he knows what he’s doing.
(Q): Earlier this year, when we talked in Singapore, you made the observation that the average American still doesn’t know anything’s wrong – that anything’s happening. Is that still the case?
Rogers:Yes.
(Q): What would you tell the “Average Joe” in no-nonsense terms?
Rogers: I would say that for the last 200 years, America’s elected politicians and scoundrels have built up $5 trillion in debt. In the last few weekends, some un-elected officials added another $5 trillion to America’s national debt.
Suddenly we’re on the hook for another $5 trillion. There have been attempts to explain this to the public, about what’s happening with the debt, and with the fact that America’s situation is deteriorating in the world.
I don’t know why it doesn’t sink in. People have other things on their minds, or don’t want to be bothered. Too complicated, or whatever.
I’m sure when the [British Empire] declined there were many people who rang the bell and said: “Guys, we’re making too many mistakes here in the U.K.” And nobody listened until it was too late.
When Spain was in decline, when Rome was in decline, I’m sure there were people who noticed that things were going wrong.
Monday, August 18, 2008
No more Gold?
The U.S. Mint has suspended sales of American Eagle gold coins and is refusing orders from dealers, two coin and bullion dealers confirmed Thursday.
The mint's suspension of gold coin sales follows its tight rationing of sales of silver eagle coins, begun in May, when sales to the public were terminated and sales to the mint's 13 authorized dealers were tightly limited.
Word of the mint's suspension of gold coin sales came from the American Precious Metals Exchange in Edmond, Oklahoma, and from Centennial Precious Metals in Denver, Colorado.
The suspension is overwhelming evidence that the futures contract price of gold on the commodities exchanges is substantially below the physical market price and that, indeed, the commodities exchanges are being used as GATA long has maintained -- as part of a massive scheme of manipulation of the precious metals, currency, and bond markets.
The mint's suspension of gold coin sales follows its tight rationing of sales of silver eagle coins, begun in May, when sales to the public were terminated and sales to the mint's 13 authorized dealers were tightly limited.
Word of the mint's suspension of gold coin sales came from the American Precious Metals Exchange in Edmond, Oklahoma, and from Centennial Precious Metals in Denver, Colorado.
The suspension is overwhelming evidence that the futures contract price of gold on the commodities exchanges is substantially below the physical market price and that, indeed, the commodities exchanges are being used as GATA long has maintained -- as part of a massive scheme of manipulation of the precious metals, currency, and bond markets.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Ignoring the coming storm.
August 15, 2008
Ignoring ‘The Perfect Storm’ at Our Own Peril
The mainstream media and the presumptive nominee from the Democrat Party have done a pretty good job of steering the electorate’s attention to issues of a domestic nature. It wasn’t hard to do. With gasoline prices hovering around four dollars a gallon, combined with the self-induced but limited financial crisis created by proprietary lenders and a healthcare system that’s being raped by grifting lawyers and robber-baron insurance companies, it is easy to understand why voters would fall prey to diversionary tactics of the political power seekers. But we do so at the expense of the well being of our nation. We do so ignoring “the perfect storm.”
French Nobel prizewinner and reformed communist Andre Gide once said, “The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.” We in the United States, especially those who are politically aware, can identify with this phrase because our political parties have taken to questing for political power rather than the execution of good government. While there are some elected officials who sincerely strive to serve our nation and its people, the great majority of those who inhabit the halls of government – whether at the local, state or national levels – do so to move their political agendas forward and to institute their party’s special interests. In doing so they abdicate the duty of their positions in that they are not representing the will of their constituents.
Examples of elected officials placing politics before government are abundant. An overwhelming majority of the American public has expressed, in no uncertain terms, that they want their elected officials to, among other things:
- Utilize our nation’s natural resources to break from the chains of foreign energy dependence.
- Secure the borders.
- Simplify and make more equitable the tax codes.
- Balance the budget by maintaining fiscal responsibility (read, don’t spend what you don’t have, keep your checkbook balanced and stop raising taxes to institute new programs of entitlement).
- Institute an effective and practical solution for the looming Social Security crisis.
- Eliminate foreign aid to countries that consistently oppose the United States on the world stage.
The list could go on and on but the point is clear; politicians consistently put politics, power and financial special interests before the issues most important to the American people: A small, elite group of Progressives, beholden to the environmental lobby, uses their governmental powers to usurp the will of the people by refusing to allow drilling in places we know there are oil deposits; politicians on both sides of the aisle pander to an illegitimate voting demographic in the illegal alien population for fear that if they stand up for America’s sovereignty they may be voted out of office by those who shouldn’t be voting in the first place; politicians of both major political parties refuse to banish the earmark and reserve the right to raid the government treasury to provide bribes to their constituencies in an effort to garner re-election; the tax code continues to overburden the middle class and penalize the family while expanding entitlement increases the number of those feeding from the public trough and the mega-rich evolve into an elitist class.
But perhaps the most devious, the most troublesome example of elected officials putting political opportunism before good government comes in the form of “the perfect storm.”
Our nation faces two enormous threats, one externally and one from within, and we do so without a proper understanding of why we should be fighting them both with every fiber of our collective being.
The mainstream media and the progressive, anti-war left feverishly contend that Iraq and Afghanistan are two separate conflicts – one illegitimate and one poorly managed. They continue to deny – adamantly – that Western Civilization is at odds with the aggressive ideology that is fundamentalist Islam. They do so insisting that dialogue is always the answer and believing that the actions of the United States in the Middle East justify the violence of the jihadi movement.
“The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.”
Facts are stubborn things and the facts surrounding this third major attempt to establish a global Caliphate are no different.
Wahhabists and Salafists like al Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah and Yusuf al Qaradawi, perhaps the most influential voice within the Muslim Brotherhood, have stated in no uncertain terms that the catalyst for their violent jihadi movement transcends the actions of the United States.
While bin Laden and al Zawahiri used the excuse of US forces in Saudi Arabia as a catalyst to launch their aggression, the rhetoric that surrounds their every action exposes the totalitarian tenets of their religious beliefs. Their Wahhabist beliefs call for the conversion or extermination of the infidel and the institution of Sharia law world wide; the establishment of a global Caliphate.
Hassan Nasrallah – the figurehead of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and mouthpiece for Hezbollah’s creators, the Iranian mullahs – pursues the extinction of Israel and, like his ideological master, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, yearns for the return of the Twelfth Imam, the Mahdi, who can only come when the world is in chaos at the “end of days.”
Al Qaradawi and his Sunni Muslim Brotherhood – perhaps the most dangerous of them all – promotes the proselytization of Wahhabi Islam throughout the world. It should be noted that Wahhabi Islam is the brand of radical, violent Islam practiced by Osama bin Laden and all of the 9/11 hijackers.
Understanding that those who believe in Wahhabism and/or Salafism and those who practice the brand of Shi’ite Islam practiced by Ahmadinejad, hold their beliefs as strict religious dogma, understanding that ingenuous dialogue – but for capitulation – with anyone who embraces the strict tenets of radical Islam is then impossible, why would any elected official, true to good government, deny the enormity of the threat posed to the United States and the West by radical Islamist elements?
The second serious threat is less immediate and less violent, but caustic and lethal to the American philosophy and the continued existence of our country just the same. This threat comes from the American Fifth Column; the threat from within.
Emanating from the failed ideologies of Maxist-Leninst socialism and communism, the American Fifth Column dedicates itself to the transformation of the United States from a representative republic to a system of democratic socialism. This movement is personified by the progressive-left that has effectively hijacked the Democrat party.
Those leading the American Fifth Column have instituted a shadow government by instituting a shadow set of laws known as political correctness. They strive to legislate acceptable thought (no hate speech, the Fairness Doctrine) while Balkanizing the country employing the false notion that diversity makes us a stronger nation. Using the simple science of etymology it is clear that diversity is based on division, not unity. This diversity is anchored in the failed ideology of multiculturalism. Examples of how devastating the institution of multiculturalism is to a society can be witnessed in the incremental disappearance of the national identities of all the nations of Europe. Europe is now abandoning multiculturalism in favor of nationalism.
By promoting moral relativism the American Fifth Column strives to move away from the doctrines of Judeo-Christianity and Natural Law; the ideologies our Founders and Framers understood to be essential for a nation that championed individual rights.
Through unconstitutional entitlement programs and the legislation of inequitable tax burden on those who have successfully employed the capitalist system to their benefit, those leading the American Fifth Column strive to artificially create economic equality through the redistribution of wealth. Ironically, those who lead the American Fifth Column have established an elitist class for themselves, as most of them are millionaires (like Nancy Pelosi) and even billionaires (like Peter Lewis and George Soros). They do so to reduce the “influential footprint” of the United States on the world in a quest for a one-world order administered by the elite.
Interestingly, the progressive-leftists of the American Fifth Column are playing the roll – either unwittingly or recklessly – of the useful idiot to radical Islam’s quest for a global Caliphate.
So, the people of the United States face these two incredibly potent threats – each which could affect the end of the great American experiment – yet we are apathetic to the threat. Why? Because we face these challenges constitutionally illiterate.
We in the United States Рbut for those who have served to protect our liberty Рstand apathetic to the threats because we do not understand the worth of our liberty, the worth of our freedoms and therefore we cannot adequately value them. Because we do not value our liberty, because we do not understand the worth of our freedoms, it is easier to incrementally abdicate them and to abdicate the responsibility to protect them. In doing so we invite the nefarious Рthose with ulterior motives, totalitarian quests and special interests Рto take on the fa̤ade of public servant while they institute ideological agendas that literally kill out nation.
Our educational system has been hijacked by progressive-left ideologues. They rewrite our school’s textbooks to place more emphasis on the notion that Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, that Benjamin Franklin had a tendency to philander or any number of human frailties possessed by our Founders and Framers rather than exploring the incredible intellect of these men, rather than examining the philosophies that so affected these men that they would create the genius of the Charters of Freedom – the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In today’s classrooms the American Fifth Column provides a curriculum short on Hobbes, Locke, Aristotle and Cicero and heavy on tolerance, diversity and the proper use of condoms.
It is time that parents from all over the country – all over the world – embrace the idea that we have to take charge of educating our children. In the long run we have to run for school boards and take an interest in our schools’ curriculum development. In the short run we have to engage and support organizations that are sounding the alarm about not only the indoctrination being perpetrated on our children through “special interest education” but the threats we face from dangers internally and externally; the perfect storm.
Edmund Burke once said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” It is time, patriots, to ask ourselves, are we supporting those fighting the good fight? Or are we doing nothing?
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Frank Salvato is the managing editor for The New Media Journal. He serves at the Executive Director of the Basics Project, a non-profit, non-partisan, 501(C)(3) research and education initiative. Feedback: editorialdirector@familysecuritymatters.org.
Food for thought.
ON WISDOM:
a.. Be kinder than necessary.
b.. Learn to recognize the inconsequential - then ignore it.
c.. Every person that you meet knows something you don't - learn from them ...
d.. Get involved with your government - politics is too important to be left to the politicians.
e.. Watch the "Andy Griffith Show" to help keep things in perspective.
f.. Don't waste time responding to critics.
g..Remember that the more you know, the less you fear.
h..Don't expect money to bring you happiness.
i.. Never resist a generous impulse.
j.. Keep it simple.
k..Measure people by the size of their hearts, not the size of their bank accounts.
l.. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
m.Act with courtesy & fairness even if mistreated - don't let them determine your response.
n.. Trust in God but lock your car.
o.. Don't major in minor things
p.. Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.
q.. Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.
r.. When declaring your rights, don't forget your responsibilities.
s.. Loosen up. Except for rare life-and-death matters, little is as important as it first seems.
t.. No matter how dire the situation, keep your cool.
u.. Hear both sides before judging
v.. Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.
w..Use your wit to amuse, not abuse.
x.. Never take action when you're angry.
y.. Be tactful. Never alienate anyone on purpose.
z.. Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures - have a toke now and then for perspective.
[ On the Lighter Side: ]-anonymous
1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow.
Do not walk beside me, either. Just leave me the hell alone.
2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire.
3. It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper,
that's the time to do it.
4. Sex is like air. It's not important unless you aren't getting any.
5. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
6. No one is listening until you burp.
7. Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.
8. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
9. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
10. It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.
11. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
12. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way,
when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
13. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
14. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit
in a boat & drink beer all day.
15. If you lend someone $20, and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
16. Don't squat with your spurs on.
17. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
18. If you drink, don't park; accidents cause people.
19. Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield.
20. Don't worry, it only seems kinky the first time.
21. Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
23. Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side & a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
24. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
25. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
- anymouse
Koenig's News Links
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Alternatives
| U.S. Wind Power Could Hit 150 Gigawatts by 2020 |
| Written by Hank Green | |
| Friday, 15 August 2008 | |
|
Little did I know that the United States was, at the same time, on track to actually beat that! A report from Emerging Energy Research, a cleantech consulting firm, points out that the U.S. is now the world's fastest growing market for wind power. Last year 5 gigawatts of wind power were installed, and 2008 will break the record again with 8 new gigawatts under construction. The U.S. will shortly be the world's largest producer of wind energy, surpassing Germany's 22 gigawatts. If the rate of growth continues, and ideal wind energy areas are exploited, the report says we could hit 150 gigawatts of wind power by 2020! For those of you wondering how much power that is...the average coal plant produces about 800 megawatts of power. So this is enough to displace about 180 coal plants. That's a sizeable hunk of America's power generation! Of course, a few obstacles could stand in the way. First, if the investment tax credit isn't renewed, the economics of wind power will change significantly. Second, right now there simply aren't enough manufacturing plants building wind turbines. GE already has already sold about $12 B of turbines that they have not yet produced. And in some areas the permitting process is greatly slowing the rate at which the plants come online. |
A while back we reported (with some skepticism) a report coming out of China that said they would be producing over Is Russia trying to rebuild the Soviet Union?
'Russia threatens Poland with attack'
Aug. 15, 2008
Associated Press , THE JERUSALEM POST
Associated Press , THE JERUSALEM POST
A top Russian general said Friday that Poland's agreement to accept a US missile defense battery exposes the country to attack, pointing out that Russian military doctrine permits the use of nuclear weapons in such a situation, the Interfax news agency reported.
The statement by Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn is the strongest threat that Russia has issued against the plans to put missile defense elements in former Soviet satellite nations.
Poland and the United States on Thursday signed a deal for Poland to accept a missile defense battery as part of a system the United States says is aimed at blocking attacks by rogue nations but that Moscow claims is aimed at weakening Russia.
"Poland, by deploying [the system] is exposing itself to a strike - 100 percent," Nogovitsyn, the deputy chief of staff, was quoted as saying.
Interfax said he added, in clear reference to the agreement, that Russia's military doctrine sanctions the use of nuclear weapons "against the allies of countries having nuclear weapons if they in some way help them." Nogovitsyn said that would include elements of strategic deterrence systems, according to Interfax.
Hours later, a news agency quoted Poland's foreign minister as saying that Warsaw was willing to let Russia inspect the future missile defense base.
The Polish news agency PAP quoted Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski as saying Friday that Poland was open to Russian inspections because it wanted to give Moscow "tangible proof" that the planned base was not directed against Russia.
At a news conference earlier Friday, Nogovitsyn had reiterated Russia's frequently stated warning that placing missile-defense elements in Poland and the Czech Republic would bring an unspecified military response. But his subsequent reported statement substantially stepped up a war of words.
Tensions between Russia and the West have soared over the brutal fighting that erupted last week between Russian and Georgian forces over the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia.
Russian forces went deep into Georgia in the fighting, raising wide concerns that Russia could be seeking to occupy parts of its small, pro-US neighbor, which has vigorously lobbied to join NATO, or even to force its government to collapse.
Under the agreement that Warsaw and Washington reached Thursday, Poland will accept an American missile interceptor base.
"We have crossed the Rubicon," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, referring to US consent to Poland's demands after more than 18 months of negotiations.
Washington says the planned system, which is not yet operational, is needed to protect the US and Europe from possible attacks by missile-armed "rogue states" like Iran. The Kremlin, however, feels it is aimed at Russia's missile force and warns it will worsen tensions.
In an interview on Poland's news channel TVN24, Tusk said the United States agreed to help augment Poland's defenses with Patriot missiles in exchange for placing 10 missile defense interceptors in the Eastern European country.
He said the deal also includes a "mutual commitment" between the two nations to come to each other's assistance "in case of trouble."
That clause appeared to be a direct reference to Russia.
Poland has all along been guided by fears of a newly resurgent Russia, an anxiety that has intensified with Russia's offensive in Georgia. In past days, Polish leaders said that fighting justified Poland's demands that it get additional security guarantees from Washington in exchange for allowing the anti-missile base on its soil.
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