Category Archives: U.S.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Incompetence: U.S. giving away military equipment in Iraq, proof that spending tax money on guns instead of butter is a losing investment

“It’s all sunk costs, it’s money that we spent and we’re not going to recoup.”-Paul Eaton, retired U.S. Army Major General

The United States spent over U.S.$2.4 billion on building posts in Iraq, reports the Congressional Research Service.  Major General Thomas Richardson told reporters last month that the U.S. had already given away equipment valued at a total of around $247 million, just last year. Another $157 million in materials were handed over in the time before President Obama’s withdrawal of troops officially began.

Apparently the U.S. turned down offers from Israel to buy the equipment.

Don’t think any further U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq will reduce U.S. government spending of taxpayer money on Iraq: The U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations revealed that the U.S. State Department is looking to spend upwards of $30 billion on Iraq over the next five years.  U.S. embassy in Baghdad already houses thousands of civilian officials and troops and contains 21 buildings in a space of over 100 acres. The U.S. military operates less than 40 bases in Iraq today.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: More proof that Obama is a puppet of Israel, and no better than Bush jr; Newsweek says Obama ordered Pentagon to boost military cooperation with Israel

In an upcoming Newsweek magazine, they write that Obama pushed the sale of bunker busting bombs to Israel, despite Pentagon officials pointing out that Israel’s military has moved closer to cooperation with China.

The sale was originally planned under President Bush jr, but it was Obama that made the final push.

On top of ordering the sale of huge bunker busting bombs, Obama also ordered the Pentagon to boost military cooperation, despite Pentagon advice against it.

International, U.S.

World War 3: West Bank Palestinians going nuts, screaming that they will march on Jerusalem, say it’s the fault of the United States

September 23 (24 Palestine time), it’s the middle of the night and Palestinians in the West Bank are going nuts over PLO President Mahmud Abbas UN speech.  They are yelling that they will march on al Quds (Jerusalem) and take it back from the Israelis.

Palestinians say that U.S. President Obama’s speech the other day was totally against Palestine, and sounded almost as if Israelis had written the speech for him. Palestinians say this is proof that the United States is a puppet of Israel, and an enemy of Palestinians.  Palestinians are burning U.S. flags.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Palestine says this is “moment of truth” for the world, decades of traditional peace negotiations a proven failure, PLO reborn!

September 23, resurrected Palestinian Liberation Organization (formerly Palestinian Authority) President Mahmud Abbas gave a long explanation of compromises and sacrifices by Palestinians, going back decades, and example after example of Israeli broken promises.

He then stated that the decades of traditional peace negotiation process has failed Palestinians. It is time for a different approach!

Abbas stated that recognition of Palestine by the United Nations would be a “moment of truth” for the World.  It is time for Palestinians to have freedom and independence!

Palestinians now have only one goal: “To be!”  He then officially asked for the United Nations to recognize Palestine as a member of the UN, a standing ovation followed.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Palestinians make bid for statehood official, Israel masses troops kills Palestinian, Iraq demands Israel get off Palestinian land, Obama sells Israelis bunker busters

September 23, Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas has officially submitted a request for Palestine’s recognition by the United Nations.  It’s the middle of the night in West Bank, but still, tens of thousands of Palestinians are crowding the streets in anticipation.

Israel has deployed 22,000 troops in al Quds (Jerusalem).  Already this week Israel has launched ground raids into West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Today Israeli troops killed a Palestinian after illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians.  About 200 armed Israeli settlers from the Esh Kodesh outpost attacked the Palestinian village of Qusra on September 23, smashing the windows of several houses, throwing stones and burning and uprooting trees.

The Iraqi government is officially demanding that Israel get off Palestinian territory.

Also, Newsweek magazine is reporting that warmonger President Barack Obama authorized the sale of 55 bunker busting bombs to Israel.

Idaho, International, U.S.

U.S. soldier, from Idaho, confesses to killing 15 year old Afghan for the hell of it

“I could see his hands were empty, I could see he didn’t have a weapon.”-PFC Andrew Holmes, U.S. Army

September 22, Private First Class Andrew Holmes, from Boise, Idaho, pled guilty to killing an unarmed teenager in Afghanistan.

“I knew I should have taken cover, but instead I pulled the trigger.”-Andrew Holmes

When Holmes says he “should have taken cover” it’s because a fellow soldier just threw a grenade at the unarmed boy, who was working in a farm field.  Holmes shot the boy with “six to eight rounds” from his machine gun.

Pictures of Holmes with his ‘trophy kill’ were published in Der Spiegel and Rolling Stone magazines.

Two other U.S. Army soldiers have already pled guilty, two more are waiting for their day in military court.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Before you blame China for job losses realize that China buys more U.S. made products than any other country

“Legislation that would increase tariffs on imports from China is unlikely to create any incentive for China to move expeditiously to modify its exchange policies. Rather, it would likely have the opposite effect and result in retaliation against U.S. exports into China.”-USCBC statement

The latest numbers show that not only does China hold the most U.S. bonds of any other foreign country, but China is also the biggest buyer of U.S. products!

According to the United States China Business Council (USCBC), which represents U.S. companies doing business with China, there was a U.S. $76 billion increase in U.S. products sold to China between 2000 and 2010!  So maybe we need to rethink the growing desire to slap large tariffs on Chinese products?

The USCBC also points out that even if Chinese made products stopped flowing into the U.S. it would not mean a return of U.S. jobs: “Much of what we import from China replaces imports from other countries, not products we make in the U.S. today.”-Erin Ennis, USCBC

So the United States finds itself in a conundrum: U.S. corporations love to ship off U.S. jobs to China.  China holds a lot of U.S. government debt.  China buys the most U.S. made products of any other country.  China is in a real good position to really hurt the United States economically if the U.S. government does anything to reduce Chinese made products coming in, or to reduce U.S. corporations from shipping off more jobs.  Sounds to me like this is proof of the short sightedness of our corporate and government leaders!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? U.S. airline pilots leave for jobs in China, being able to speak Chinese not required, but it sure helps

“I had been doing the same job for 20 years and have another 15 years to go.  I said to myself, ‘It’s too boring. Let’s do something else for a few years and then come back’.”-Roy Weinberg, Spring Airlines

Weinberg, quit his job with US Airways and moved his family of four to Shanghai, where he now works for Spring Airlines.

He is not alone. Many of his aviator friends are now flying for airlines in Chengdu and Beijing.  By the beginning of 2011, China was home to at least 1,300 foreign flight captains, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

By 2015, China’s aviation industry is expected to need 18,000 more pilots, according to China Business News.  The reason why China is in short supply of airline pilots is that it takes ten years in China to become a qualified pilot.

A relatively young U.S. pilot can make decent money; Spring Airlines offers foreign pilots from $150,000 to $160,000 a year after taxes.

There is a major problem, most air traffic controllers in China don’t speak English: “What happened to me many times is that everybody around me is getting commands in Chinese, and I’m the only English speaking (pilot) in the air.”-Roy Weinberg, Spring Airlines

International, U.S.

World War 3: Turkey ready for War with Israel

“As you know, Israel attacked three ships, one of which carried over 400 people from 33 countries, in international waters from sea and air. Such an attack in international waters is against international law.”-Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister

In an interview with PBS’s Charlie Rose, Erdogan was asked if he saw the Israeli attack on a Gaza-bound flotilla that killed nine Turkish nationals as a cause of war his answer was “We will do that too if it becomes necessary.”

Erdogan also restated “Israel is West’s spoiled child.”

Business/Economics, U.S.

Class War: Protesters continue to pound the pavement in front of Wall Street, main stream media criticizes, youth unemployment higher in U.S. than in Egypt

September 23, I have to admit that most of the pics coming out of Wall Street show what look like young hippie wannabes (there are pics of old women wearing yellow ponchos that read “Granny Peace Brigade”) but what else are they gonna do?

When a society has such a high unemployment rate for young people this is bound to happen.  The U.S. Census Bureau says unemployment for young adults is 44.7%!!!

Young people led the revolution in Egypt.  What’s the unemployment rate for young people in Egypt?  According to a February 2011 report by the International Monetary Fund, 25% of Egyptian youth are unemployed.  Mmmm, and there’s 44.7% of U.S. young adults unemployed?

Yet the main stream (corporate controlled) U.S. media continues to ignore the Wall Street protesters, most likely hoping they’ll just go away.  Some newspapers are criticizing the protesters.

On September 21, an Indiana University newspaper called the Wall Street protests the “Ultimate fail”, and accused the protests of being instigated by Canada.

Also on September 21, the Associated Press wrote “What, exactly, they are protesting is somewhat unclear.”, then went on to list the ‘demands’.

On September 22, the Post Chronicle even blamed Barack Obama!  “With millions of Americans unemployed, and millions of others losing their home and their savings, the almost constant anti-capitalist rhetoric — about Wall Street and corporate “fat cats” and “billionaires and millionaires not paying their fair share” — by elected leaders such as President Barack Obama, Senator Harry Reid, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and others is starting to take it’s toll.”

So this writer at the Post Chronicle blames politicians, who’re actually very Wall Street friendly, for the Wall Street protests, despite the fact that the very same writer mentions the true reasons for the protests: “…millions of Americans unemployed, and millions of others losing their home and their savings…”

Classic case of not seeing the forest because of the trees.

Yahoo even blocked protester’s emails from getting through: “People trying to email information about the Wall Street protests on Monday using Yahoo mail, found themselves on the receiving end of messages from Yahoo claiming ‘suspicious activity’.”

My son admitted to me that if it wasn’t for the fact that he finally got a job, after more than a year of looking for one, he’d be on his way to join the protesters on Wall Street.  If corporate America doesn’t want people protesting in front of their Mecca, the answer is very simple, give them jobs!!!