All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? United Police States of Corporate America sending debtors to prison, then uses them as cheap labor

“In interviews, 20 judges across the nation said the number of borrowers threatened with arrest in their courtrooms has surged since the financial crisis began.”-The Wall Street Journal

Maybe the push to get so many U.S. citizens in debt was part of an evil plan to create a multitude of cheap prison labor for Corporate America?

The Wall Street Journal has been tracking the growing trend of the return of debtors prisons.  At least 5,000 arrest warrants have been issued since 2010, and it’s probably higher than that because most courts don’t keep track of the type of arrest warrants issued.

The WSJ also stated that there are cases where the creditors even presented false documents to have people arrested, and some people weren’t even told why they were being arrested.

“It’s not a crime to owe money, and debtors’ prisons were abolished in the United States in the 19th century. But people are routinely being thrown in jail for failing to pay debts. In Minnesota, which has some of the most creditor-friendly laws in the country, the use of arrest warrants against debtors has jumped 60 percent over the past four years, with 845 cases in 2009, a Star Tribune analysis of state court data has found.”–In jail for being in debt, Star Tribune

Officially debtors prison was banned in 1833, but some judges are loving the idea of putting people into prison for not paying their debts: “I wish I could do it more. It’s often the only remedy to get people into court and paying their debts.”-Chris Freese, Piatt County, Illinois, Circuit Judge

In 2010 McIntosh County, Oklahoma, issued about 1,500 debt-related arrest warrants.  Salt Lake City, Utah, issued 950.  A debt collector, Encore Capital Group, filed 425,000 lawsuits against borrowers.

So many debt collection warrants have been issued in Indiana, that police and sheriff’s departments are complaining that their computer systems are locked up. The amount of warrants for borrowers far out number warrants for other ‘crimes’.  Indiana’s highest court has been asked to review the legality of arresting people who can’t pay their debts.

One analyst says this is just a logical evolutionary step that started with the War on Drugs, to make money for Corporate America, specifically corporate run prisons: “Debtor’s prison are making a comeback because of the debt collection industry. Elites like former Comptroller David Walker are waxing nostalgically for more punitive measures in the face of a population that simply cannot pay its debts.  The for-profit prison industry fits right in to this trend, both in terms of the financialization of the industry itself and the increased market for “beds” sought by for-profit prison lobbyists in terms of harsher prison sentences.”–Matt Stroller, Roosevelt Institute

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? United Police States of Corporate America says no jobs for law abiding citizens, only Prisoners need apply

According to the British International Centre of Prison Studies, the United States is truly number one, in locking up its people: As of 2009, 743 people out of every 100,000 in the U.S. were being imprisoned.  That’s far higher than so called repressive communist China at 120 per 100,000.

Why so many people being locked up in the land of the free?  It could be that Corporate America has succeed in creating a new source of cheap labor.

“…well over 600,000, and probably close to a million, inmates are working full-time in jails and prisons throughout the United States. Perhaps some of them built your desk chair: office furniture, especially in state universities and the federal government, is a major prison labor product. Inmates also take hotel reservations at corporate call centers, make body armor for the U.S. military, and manufacture prison chic fashion accessories, in addition to the iconic task of stamping license plates.”-Noah Zatz, UCLA Law School

“Although a wide variety of goods have long been produced by state and federal prisoners for the U.S. government—license plates are the classic example, with more recent contracts including everything from guided missile parts to the solar panels powering government buildings—prison labor for the private sector was legally barred for years, to avoid unfair competition with private companies. But this has changed thanks to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), its Prison Industries Act, and a little-known federal program known as PIE (the Prison Industries Enhancement Certification Program). While much has been written about prison labor in the past several years, these forces, which have driven its expansion, remain largely unknown. Somewhat more familiar is ALEC’s instrumental role in the explosion of the U.S. prison population in the past few decades. ALEC helped pioneer some of the toughest sentencing laws on the books today, like mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenders, “three strikes” laws, and “truth in sentencing” laws.”-The Hidden History of ALEC and Prison Labor, The Nation

“The growth of prison labor has directly led to the destruction of other workers’ jobs. For example, Lockhart Technologies, Inc. closed its plant in Austin, Texas, dismissing its 150 workers so that it could open shop in a state prison in Lockhart. The prisoners assemble circuit boards for industrial giants such as IBM, Compaq and Dell. Lockhart is not required to pay for health or any other benefits. The company must pay the prison the federal minimum wage for each laborer, but the inmates get to keep only 20 percent of that.”–Prison Labor on the rise in the US, wsws.org

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Moody’s official says hunker down, it’ll be a long time before we recover, government job losses alone are 50,000 per month

On September 2, PBS’s News Hour interviewed Mark Zandi, lead economist with Moody’s Analytics.  His normally optimistic tone has become quite pessimistic, in fact he’s now saying that any U.S. economic recovery will take a long time, specifically when it comes to jobs.

Regarding unemployment caused by government layoffs: “The government, state, local, federal, is now laying off about 50,000 jobs per month. So, you know, you can kind of do the arithmetic. Those are pretty significant job losses. I am hopeful that we’re seeing the worst of it right now. Many states are grappling with the end of some fiscal stimulus money.   And they need to balance their budgets, and thus the cutting at the current time. But, nonetheless, no matter how you look at it, we have got some pretty significant job cuts to come in, in the state and local sector over the next year, 18 months.”

Regarding how long unemployment will remain so high: “I mean, I think, no matter how you look at it, this is going to be a long haul. And under even the most optimistic of forecasts, and I’m among the most optimistic economists out there, it’s not going to be until 2015, 2016, maybe even 2017, before we get back to an unemployment rate that I think everyone would feel really comfortable with.”


 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? $60 billion in taxpayer money, simply disappeared in Iraq and Afghanistan, could have created at least 192,000 civilian jobs in the U.S.

The Associated Press reported on August 31, that “…$60 billion in U.S. funds has been lost to waste and fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade through lax oversight of contractors, poor planning and payoffs to warlords and insurgents…”

According to a 2009 update of a study by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), for every billion taxpayer dollars you spend on the military, you essentially destroy at least 3,200 civilian jobs. That’s the difference between civilian jobs created for every $1 billion in tax cuts for taxpayers, versus military jobs created for every $1 billion spent on the military.

Multiply 3,200 by the number of billions of taxpayer dollars the AP reports were wasted on the criminal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: That’s 192,000 civilian jobs lost.

The number of jobs lost is even higher when you look at spending on Education, instead of the Military.

For every billion taxpayer dollars spent on Education 29,100 civilian jobs are created, versus 11,600 military jobs.  The difference is 17,500.  Multiply 17,500 by the $60 billion unaccounted for taxpayer dollars lost in Iraq and Afghanistan: That’s more than one million potentially new civilian jobs lost!

Now realize the U.S. is spending tens of millions per month in Libya, and is pushing for war with Syria.  You can see there will be no economic recovery for the United States.


 

U.S.

United Police States of America: First Graders handcuffed, told they would never see their parents again, no it’s not the former Soviet Union, it’s the United States

Several Chicago media sources have been reporting about six and seven years old students who are being handcuffed for hours, and told they will never see their parents again.

Allegedly the Chicago Public Schools officials decided they needed their school police officers to get tough on the Carver Primary School students.  The kids were handcuffed for hours after they were told to stop talking in class.

At least one family is suing the school district.  They say their son was handcuffed and threatened with never seeing his parents.  The incident happened in 2010.  The family says their appeals to the school district have been totally ignored, and the lawsuit is their last resort.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Cuba refuses to recognize U.S. backed Libyan Rebel government, withdraws Ambassador, says World must stop U.S. led War with Syria

The following is the official Cuban declaration against U.S. led NATO activities in Libya, loosely translated from Spanish:

“The Foreign Ministry has withdrawn its diplomatic staff in Libya, where foreign intervention and military aggression of NATO have exacerbated the conflict and the Libyan people have impeded progress towards a negotiated and peaceful solution, in the exercise of self-determination.

The Republic of Cuba does not recognize the National Transitional Council or any provisional authority and only give recognition to a government that is formed in that country, legitimately and without foreign intervention, by free, sovereign and single will of the brotherly people Libyan.

Ambassador Victor Ramirez Peña and the first secretary Armando Pérez Suárez, accredited in Tripoli have maintained a good character, strictly attached to their diplomatic status, have taken risks and accompanied by the Libyan people in this tragic situation. Have witnessed the NATO bombing civilian targets and killed innocent people.

With the gross pretense of protecting civilians, NATO has killed thousands of them, has ignored the constructive initiatives of the African Union and other countries and even the questionable decisions that violated the Security Council imposed, particularly attacks on civilian targets, funding and supply of arms to a party and the deployment of operational staff and diplomats on the ground.

The United Nations has ignored the clamor of the international public opinion in defense of peace, and have been complicit in a war of conquest. The facts confirm earlier warnings from the Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and timely reports of Cuba at the UN. Now we know better what it has called “responsibility to protect” in the hands of the powerful.

Cuba claims that nothing can justify killing innocent people.

The Foreign Ministry demands the immediate cessation of NATO bombing to continue to claim lives and reiterates the urgent need to allow the Libyan people find a peaceful negotiated solution, without foreign intervention, in the exercise of their inalienable right to independence and self-determination, sovereignty over their natural resources and territorial integrity of that sister nation.

Cuba claims that the conduct of NATO aims to create similar conditions for an intervention in Syria and demanding an end to foreign interference in the Arab country. Call the international community to prevent a new war, urges UN to fulfill its duty to safeguard peace and supports the Syrian people’s right to full independence and self determination.

Havana, September 3, 2011″

Link to Spanish version

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: BRICS working to stop the United States from attacking Syria

“We cannot remain indifferent to the way Resolutions Number 1970 and 1973 of the UN Security Council are being fulfilled. The attaining of the main goal, proclaimed by the UN Security Council, should be started, which is the protection of the civilian population.”-Antonio Patriota, Brazilian Foreign Minister

September 4, the countries with the most powerful economies in the world, known as BRICS, announced they will work against any efforts by the United States and Europe, to launch military attacks on Syria.

BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is in Brazil and just made a joint announcement, along with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota, saying the BRICS will not allow another “Libya” to happen in Syria.

Lavrov said it’s obvious the NATO mission in Libya is a failure: “Unfortunately, what is happening in Libya cannot satisfy us. The main objective as mandated by the UN Security Council is to defend the civilian population but they are dying in large numbers.”

International

Typhoon Talas: Conflicting reports of deaths in Japan, 5 feet of rain for Nara

NHK reported 9 people dead and more than 30 others missing. Russian media reporting more than 20 dead and 50 missing. Canadian media, citing Reuters, reporting at least 17 dead.

The south western portion of the big island of Honshu, and the island Shikoku, suffered major flooding and landslides.  Many homes were hit, or swept away by the landslides.

NHK reporting that Nara got 1,800mm (70 inches, that’s 5.8 feet!!!) of rain since late Thursday.

Talas is now tropical depression strength and is heading up the western side of Japan, in the Sea of Japan.

 

Fukushima

Government & Corporate Incompetence: More Japanese Tea contminated with Cesium!

As the nuclear disaster continues in Japan, more tea leaves have been found with extremely high levels of cesium.

The Japanese health ministry says radioactive cesium has been detected in harvested tea leaves in Chiba and Saitama prefectures, near Tokyo  (about 297km or 185 miles from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant).

One type of tea from Chiba Prefecture contained 2,720 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram, more than 5 times the safety limit.

1,530 becquerels per kilogram was detected in three kinds of tea leaves from Saitama Prefecture.

The local governments will try to trace which tea farms the contaminated leaves came from.

Fukushima

What Economic Recovery? New Japan Prime Minister says no recovery without Fukushima

“Without the revival of Fukushima, there will be no revival of Japan.”-Noda Yoshihiko, Prime Minister of Japan

The new Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko, said there will be no recovery for Japan, without the recovery of Fukushima Prefecture.

Hello, Fukushima is contaminated with radiation! The Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant is still out of control!  Latest cesium readings show at least six towns in Fukushima Prefecture have radiation levels higher than areas around Chernobyl!

The nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine, happened in the 1980s and it still has not recovered!  I guess this means Japan is toast?