Category Archives: U.S.

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.”

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Corporate America screws us over, again, ZERO jobs created in August 2011!!!

“The last time the government reported exactly zero jobs added in a month was in February 1945.”-CNN

“We expected a weak report, and what we got was even weaker…” and  “It’s still a skunk and it still stinks.”-Patrick O’Keefe, economic researcher at J.H. Cohn

The United States Department of Labor says Corporate America has let the country down again, zero jobs created in the month of August!!!

President Obama said his advisers expect the official unemployment rate to stay well above 6% until 2017!!!

When you factor out the 45,000 striking Verizon workers, and the temporarily laid off 22,000 state workers in Minnesota, the jobs creation numbers for August are a piddly 23,000.  Remember, most economists say at least 150,000 new jobs MUST be created every month, and that is not happening.  A more recent study by the Economic Policy Institute says 400,000 new jobs must be created every month!!!

This crappy August jobs report surprised the hell out of many economists.  CNN asked 22 economist what they thought the jobs creation number for August would be.  They thought at least 75,000 new jobs would be created, not ZERO!!!

It’s time they start calling this possible double dip recession what it really is, a depression!  I guess if  you look at it optimistically, the job numbers could have been worse, they could have gone negative!  So much for being optimistic!

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: China slashes U.S. Agriculture imports

“A seasonal drop in exports to China was expected…But the magnitude of the fall has been greater than anticipated.”-U.S. Department of Agriculture

According to a September 1 report by Agrimoney, China has slashed its purchasing of U.S. farm products.  Not by a little, by a whole lot.

Up until three months ago China was spending a monthly average of $2.5 billion, yes, $2.5 billion per month.  But starting three months ago China slashed it to $800 million per month.

Historically the United States has been the biggest supplier of farm products to China, but, if current sales continue the U.S. will end the year tied with Canada.

U.S.

United Police States of America: Cop arrested after raping a woman while on duty, stay out of Philadelphia!

August 31, a Philadelphia police officer was charged with raping a woman after offering her a lift, while he was on duty.

Instead of driving her to her destination he allegedly raped her in the back of the police car, then dropped her off at a bus station.  The woman reported the crime the next morning.

The officer had been working as a Philly cop for 4 years.  He is the third Philly cop to be arrested within the past two weeks!!!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: Argentina thrashes the U.S. as Corn supplier to Columbia, Canada to take over as main wheat supplier

According to a report by Agrimoney, Argentina has replaced the U.S. as the main supplier of corn to Colombia, and probably in the near future Canada will do the same with wheat.

U.S. corn exports to Columbia have crashed: In 2007 the U.S. supplied 96% of Columbia’s corn.  In 2010, the United States supplied a meesley 19%!!!

But don’t blame Argentina for crashing U.S. farm exports, Canada is about to kick the United States of America’s ass as well.

Columbia and Canada signed a free trade agreement on August 15.  Within ten days of the deal wheat buyers in Columbia ordered 125,000 tons of Canadian wheat!!!

On top of that, Nutresa, Columbia’s biggest cookie and pasta maker announced that their main source of wheat will now be Canada!!!