Tag Archives: wall street

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 22 – 25 October 2012. Cops kill U.S. troops! Australian & Italian soldiers killed! Wives killing husbands! Red Coats killing Red Coats! U.S. supports British created Pakistani border!

25 October 2012

In Faryab Province, a major battle broke out. Afghan government officials claim they killed 25 Mujahideen, and five Afghan National Police troops were killed.

In Farah Province, one Italian soldier was killed, three wounded, after someone open fired on them.  No one knows who did it.

In Uruzgan Province, two U.S. personnel were killed by an Afghan National Policeman:“Two U.S. Forces -Afghanistan service members died after an individual wearing an Afghan National Police uniform turned his weapon against them in Khas Uruzgan, Uruzgan.”-ISAF statement

Also, in the same province, there are reports that an Afghan National Army soldier killed one Australian Digger, and wounded another.  The shooting took place inside a military compound, the ANA soldier got away.

In Helmand Province, two British Royal Marines Red Coats died.  They had been wounded in a firefight in Nahr-e Saraj district the day before.

In Baghlan Province, reports say various police units attacked each other.  Three cops were killed.  Local government officials say the fight broke out after national police ignored warnings from local police.

In Herat Province, a local cop was killed by his wife, and his daughter.  His wife confessed and said he was forcing her and her daughter to commit illicit acts.  The cop just happened to be the boss of the local girls’ hostel.

24 October 2012

In Helmand Province, a confused battle resulted in British Red Coats killing Afghan government forces, and themselves!  According to local government officials two joint Afghan-British patrols, in the Greshk district, mistook each other as Mujahideen: “A group of British troops opened fire on an Afghan national police [who was about to perform Muslim prayers] and killed him. [those] British troops were then attacked by a group of other British soldiers who were also patrolling in the area, killing two service members.”-Farid Ahmad Farhang, Helmand security official

In Farah Province, a district official and a cop were assassinated by explosion.  Two bodyguards were wounded. The official was performing night inspections of security check points.

Spanish officials announced that they will pull their troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2013.

23 October 2012

ISAF said: “A U.S. Forces-Afghanistan service member died following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan today.”

U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, James Cunningham, confirmed statements that said the United States supports the British empire created border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Known as the Durand Line, the British took land away from Afghanistan in order to create a buffer zone between Afghanistan and British controlled India in 1893.  Latter the British kept that area as part of the new Pakistan in 1947.  Afghan officials have refused to recognize the Durand Line: “The status of the Durand Line is a matter of historic importance for the Afghan people. The Afghan government therefore rejects and considers irrelevant any statement by anyone about the legal status of this line.”-recent Afghan government statement

USMC General John R. Allen admits U.S. forces are killing children, and tried to make up for it by apologizing: “ISAF has completed its initial assessment of the circumstances of the October 20 operation against known insurgents in Baraki Barak district, Logar province. In addition to the insurgents killed during the operation, ISAF may be responsible for the unintended, but nonetheless tragic, death of three Afghan civilians.  I offer my sincerest condolences to the families of the civilians that were killed. Additionally, I am committed to ensuring we do the right thing for the families of those harmed and we will meet with them personally to offer a condolence payment and express our deep regrets. Protecting Afghan civilians is the cornerstone of our mission. We maintain our commitment to take all appropriate actions to minimize the likelihood of similar occurrences in the future as we assist the Afghan people in their battle against the enemies of peace and stability.”

Allen mentions 20 October, but there were also U.S. killings of innocents on 14 & 16 October.

In Zabul Province, Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, claims U.S./NATO forces kidnapped three civilians.  Karzai ordered the provincial governor to investigate U.S./NATO forces, he also condemned the 20 October U.S. attack that killed children.

In Nuristan Province, local government officials say a battle is taking place with Afghan government forces and Mujahideen.  Several people have been killed including one child.

In Herat Province, local government officials say a large battle resulted in the deaths of as many as 10 cops and soldiers. Several more cops are missing.  Their joint patrol was ambushed by Mujahideen.   The police/army patrol was out trying to rescue aid workers who had also been ambushed.

In Laghman Province, a U.S./NATO patrol was ambushed. The ambush took place as the vehicle patrol passed through Basram village.  Mujahideen claim they hit one armored vehicle with RPGs, killing all on board.

British Red Coat Ministry of Defence announced they are doubling the number of their assassination drones in Afghanistan.  They will bring in five more Reaper drones, specifically for use in Helmand Province.

22 October 2012

In Ghazni Province, Mujahideen claim to have killed five U.S./NATO personnel.

In Wardak and Kandahar provinces, at least eight people were killed by U.S./NATO airstrikes.

In Khost Province, two cops were killed, four wounded, by explosion.

Pakistan claims Afghanistan is hiding the mastermind behind the attempted assassination of a 14 years old Pakistani girl activist.

Protestors blocked the Kandahar-Kabul highway in the city of Qalat.  They are protesting the fact that Afghans killed while in the custody of U.S./NATO forces are rarely being returned to their families.  In one recent case, three people killed by U.S./NATO forces, and then buried by their families, had their graves blown up by U.S./NATO forces.

ISAF announced: “An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan October 21.”

International

What Economic Recovery? Number of people qualifying for welfare sets new record, three months in a row!

25 October 2012, more proof that there is no economic recovery is that for three months in a row the number of people in Japan, who qualify for welfare help, set records three months in a row.

Altogether, for the months of May, June and July the number of individuals qualifying for welfare totaled 2.12 million by the end of July, and the number of entire households totaled 1.5 million.

From June to July there was a jump of 9,000 individuals qualifying for welfare.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry blames continued job losses caused by the corporations.  Households with working age adults are the fastest growing segment of welfare recipients.

However, households with retired people make up 44% of the new welfare recipients.

Some members of the Japanese parliament are proposing to cut back on welfare funding.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic war & World War 3: Iran orders the United States to back off! Will stop all oil sales to the World!

“If you continue to add to the sanctions we will cut our oil exports to the world…..The dearth of Iranian oil on the market will increase the price drastically.”-Rostam Qasemi, Iran’s Minister of Petroleum

On 23 October 2012, Iranian officials quietly announced that Iran is prepared to stop all its oil sales to the world, if the United States and Europe continue economic sanctions.

On 15 October, the European Union voted for more sanctions against Iran.

Iranian officials say they are ready for “Plan B”, which means halting all petroleum sales and running their country without oil revenues.  This is possible because Iran’s non-oil exports are now high enough to offset the huge loss of oil money.

Even Iran’s domestic industries are becoming more self sufficient.  Example: According to the World Steel Association, Iran’s steel industry is now the 16th largest in the world: “Despite the intensified sanctions during the last two years, the capacity of Iran’s steel production has increased 5 million tons and we will be completely self-sufficient in the steel industry in the next three years.”-Hamidreza Taherizadeh, Vice-President of Iran’s Steel Association

The announcement was made at a OPEC meeting in Dubai.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Foreign investment into the United States drops 39%! China now number one, thanks in part to U.S. investors!

24 October 2012, so much for the increased U.S. investment U.S. President Barack Obama was calling for.  According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), foreign direct investing (FDI) into the U.S. has fallen 39.2% in the first six months of 2012!

The huge drop in FDI for the U.S. represents a shift, to developing countries and to China.

China also saw a drop in FDI, but by only 3%.  China is now the number one destination for the money from international investors!

Ironically (since according to Obama, U.S. investors need to spend their money at home in order to save the U.S. economy) $59.1 billion USD of the FDI into communist China came from U. S. capitalists!

According to Global Investment Trends Monitor, U.S. investors spent $57.4 billion at home, nearly two billion less than what they spent on investing into China.  (Mitt Romney anyone?)

The UNCTAD also shows that, for the first time, half of all global FDI went to developing countries.  However, some UNCTAD officials think the U.S. will see a slight increase in FDI for the second half of the Gregorian calendar year.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Syria clears prisons of thousands of non-violent offenders. Making room due to the on-going U.S./Israeli backed civil war?

24 October 2012, Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, has pardoned 290 non-violent prisoners, like those who committed crimes such as theft, forgery and military desertion.

This is not the first time prisoners have been pardoned.  Since the start of the Syrian Civil War, about one thousand non-violent prisoners have been set free.

Those prisoners not being let go are those who have killed, or have smuggled weapons and drugs.

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

What Economic Recovery? Dow Chemical to close 20 factories, despite making profits! Warns economy is getting worse!

“Economic growth in 2012 has slowed to a trickle, and that has spooked a lot of people.”-Jake Dollarhide, Longbow Asset Management

“Our low cost feedstock [natural gas] advantage enabled us to deliver volume growth, despite weakening demand. These difficult conditions [bad economy] may have extended staying power, as the new reality is that we are operating in a slow growth and volatile world.”-Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical CEO

On 24 October 2012, Liveris explained the 2,400 job cuts (inadvertently announced the day before) as being necessary because Dow officials see the world economy getting worse.

Some analysts were surprised by the elimination of jobs and 20 factories: “Dow had very strong volumes in an uncertain macroeconomic environment. When I heard the announcement they were cutting jobs, I thought they had a really bad quarter, but it seems that business is A-OK.”-Hassan Ahmed, Alembic Global Advisors

Stock market investors are overjoyed at the announcement of the elimination of jobs (as they always are), and Dow Chemical stock values shot up 5 to 6% the morning after the job cuts were announced.

Dow reported net revenue for this past quarter at $582 million USD.  But that’s down from the same quarter last year, when they reported $900 million. (note: various U.S. media sources are reporting slightly different revenue numbers) Dow officials say their sales are down across the board.  The only area they see possible increase in sales is in their plastics made from cheap natural gas.

Their natural gas supplies come from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico operations, and Saudi Arabia.  Dow has no plans for cutting workers from those operations. About 1,500 of the job losses will come from Dow’s paint and solar cell factories.

20 factories in Japan, Belgium, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain and the United States will be closed.  Bloomberg reports that Dow did not want to make the layoffs public, but mistakenly emailed the announcement to some media outlets!

Despite stock investors buying up Dow stock, the chemical company said it will also cut $500 million from their own investing and capital spending.   That’s the exact opposite of what U.S. President Barack Obama has been saying is needed to revive the economy.  Obama has been stressing that unAmerican Corporate America needs to increase spending on investments and capital.

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Israel launches surprise airstrike….against Sudan! Fox News & NPR lies!

24 October 2012, oil rich Sudan says four Israeli warplanes bombed a factory in their capitol city of Khartoum.

So far no comment from Israel.

The attack took place late Tuesday night setting the factory on fire, the fire is just now under control.  The Yarmouk Military Industrial Complex makes ammo and weapons for the Sudanese military.

Fox News, National Public Radio (NPR) and The Associated Press all reported: “They did not say what caused the blast.”

However, the Israeli media itself reports that the Sudanese government says the factory explosions and fire were caused by four Israeli aircraft: “Four military planes attacked the Yarmouk plant.”-Ahmed Bilal Osman, Culture and Information Minister for Sudan

Australian media reports that Sudan will retaliate: “We think Israel did the bombing. We reserve the right to react at a place and time we choose.”-Ahmed Bilal Osman, Culture and Information Minister for Sudan

Why are the U.S. and British controlled media trying to downplay this?   (elections)

 

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Some Economic Recovery? GM & HP make deal to end outsourcing! GM software deal and new tablet could save HP?

22 October 2012, General Motors (GM) and Hewlett Packard (HP) announced a deal that will see 3,000 HP employees go to work for GM.

GM officials claim it’s part of a plan to reduce outsourcing and increase in-house operations, at least when it comes to information technology.

Randy Mott, GM Chief Information Officer, stated that when it comes to IT work, it’s more efficient and cost effective if done in-house: “These agreements with HP will enable us to accelerate the progress of our IT transformation by delivering increased innovation and speed of delivery to our GM business partners, and reduce the cost of ongoing IT operations…”

With IT workers they’re able to change projects rapidly, no need to re-tool  factories.

But don’t think this is actually 3,000 new jobs, as, according to Automotive News, most of the HP employees already do outsourced work for GM. According to InformationWeek, those HP workers are actually being hired away from HP, meaning they will become full fledged in-house GM employees (so this allows HP to layoff those employees, right into GM jobs).  Reports vary on how long this new deal will last, one report said it was multi-year.

A couple of weeks ago GM said they were going to hire 2,000 IT people in Michigan and Texas, but no clarification if this is part of the HP deal.  GM also said it would open new software centers.

Another part of the deal is that GM will buy software from HP for its IT operations.  HP officials called it “…the largest deployment of our full software portfolio in the world!”-George Kadifa, executive VP of HP Software

Add that to HP’s new Envy X2 hybrid tablet (which some reviewers are raving about) and maybe HP will be on its way back up, and even challenge Apple.

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 19 – 21 October 2012. More children killed by U.S./NATO forces! Russian copter fired upon! Bagram airbase on fire! More proof that oil, for China, is too blame!

21 October 2012

In Uruzgan Province, an Australian Digger was killed: “The soldier was clearing the compound when an IED detonated, killing him instantly.”-David Hurley, Australian Defence Force

In in the northern provinces of Faryab and Sar-e-Pul, China’s National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) began pumping out oil in the Amu Darya basin.  China has a 25 years contract for oil mining in Afghanistan, thanks in part to the U.S. led occupation of the Central Asian country.  CNPC expects to pump out 1,950 barrels per day.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry announced that no peace deal can be made with Mujahideen unless they are given immunity.  One problem is that many Mujahideen leaders are currently not allowed to take part in peace talks, under United Nations rules.

In Logar Province, local government officials say a U.S./NATO rocket attack killed four children, and wounded two as they walked to school.  Mujahideen report that it was mortar rounds from a U.S./NATO base, called Kizr, that landed on a house, killing all six children.

20 October 2012

French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, revealed that French troops could be out of Afghanistan by the end of December 2012!

In Helmand Province, six local cops were killed by two of their co-workers!  Also, a bicycle bomb went off near the governor’s office, no details on casualties.

In Paktia Province, a Russian Mi-8 helicopter working for U.S./NATO/ISAF, was shot at.  No one was hurt, four bullet holes were found in the fuselage.

19 October 2012

In Khost Province, Afghan government forces turned on each other, killing three and wounding one.  Reports say Afghan border police, National Army and National Police shot at each other.  Government officials say it was caused by a “personal issue”.

In Parwan Province, reports that Bagram airbase was attacked by Mujahideen.  This time a food warehouse operated by a military contractor was hit with machine gun fire, and rocket propelled grenades.  The contractor says the warehouse caught fire and burned into Saturday.

In Balkh Province, 15 people were killed, 18 wounded, after the mini-bus they were in ran over a landmine.

In Herat Province, Mujahideen report that a U.S./NATO helicopter crashed at Shindand airbase.  They say the copter went down due to mechanical problems.

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Don’t forget to add the Sears stores bought by GGP to the closing list. All part of REIT plan to change the way you shop, and they blame you the shopper!

“….those with high occupancies, solvent anchor tenants, good population density and access to affluent shoppers, as stable, low-risk, income-producing assets and will pay up for them today. Poor quality malls, on the other hand, are either not trading or selling at a steep discount, and perhaps are scheduled for demolition or conversion.”-Ryan McCullough, Property and Portfolio Research

21 October 2012

Back in February 2012, it was announced that General Growth Properties (the largest mall owner in the U.S., and also struggling) bought eleven Sears owned and leased anchor stores at various GGP malls throughout the United States.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, the overwhelming majority of the $270 million USD paid for those 11 Sears stores, is going towards just one store at the GGP mall in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Even though the Hawaii Sears store was the jewel of the deal, GGP wants to shut it down: “General Growth intends to eventually raze the store and build in its place several smaller shops, which deliver more rent in aggregate than department stores.”-Wall Street Journal, 23 February 2012

Other reports say all 11 Sears stores bought by GGP will be closed by the end of 2013: “The stores will continue to operate as Sears locations into 2013 with final closing dates to be determined and announced later this year.”-RetailTraffic, 23 February 2012

So the purchase of Sears owned and leased anchor stores, by GGP, was not an effort to save those stores, but part of bigger plan to shut down big department stores (except for WalMart of course).

According to a 03 October 2012 article by CoStar Group (a commercial real estate information company), what’s happening with Sears and Kmart is part of a much bigger plan to drastically change up shopping malls and plazas in the United States: “I don’t think we’re overbuilt, I think we’re under-demolished……there are projects that are not going to lease. Retail has a finite lifespan and once you reach that lifespan, you can put up all the signs you want, and charge as low rent as you want, but that doesn’t make tenants want to take the space.”-Daniel Hurwitz, DDR Corp (formerly Developers Diversified Realty Corporation)

Big corporate retail property owners are also known as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), for tax reasons.  GGP, as are other mall/plaza owners, is a REIT.

According to the CoStar article, REITs claim that traditional malls/plazas/stores only do well in areas with high population and a relatively high level of income for the people who live there.  Does that leaves most of Idaho out?

Foothills Plaza, Pocatello, Idaho. What'll happen when the WinCo moves from here to their new location in the Alameda Plaza?

GGP owns malls in Idaho Falls, Chubbuck, Boise and Coeur D Alene, plus Alameda Plaza (aka Old Fred Meyer store) in Pocatello (some hope there is that it’s now the site of the new bigger WinCo store).  Boise might be the only area of Idaho that meets REIT description of a successful commercial area; Boise is a “lifestyle & power center”.

pine ridge mall

Fading Pine Ridge Mall, Chubbuck, Idaho. Some hope, this anchor store is the new home to upscale Herbergers (never heard of them).

According to CoStar Group data, regional malls, power centers and community center properties averaged a vacancy rate of 50.6%!  But the bigger malls did not enjoy less vacancy; super-regional malls averaged 54.5% vacancy!

The problem, according to most vulture REIT crony capitalists is location, location, location.  Most retail operations are now located in parts of the country where personal incomes are down, hence shopping is down (in a round-a-bout way the vulture capitalists are blaming you the shopper, never mind the fact that vulture crony capitalism is what’s causing most people to lose jobs or see their incomes go down).

“When you have tenants looking for space and nothing new being built, and we’re sitting at mid-90% occupancy levels, it’s hard to argue we’re overbuilt when they’re scrambling to find 10,000 square feet.”-Daniel Hurwitz, DDR Corp

What Hurwitz is saying is that there’s plenty of empty stores for rent, but retail tenants don’t like what is available.  Those potential tenants are basing their preferences on what they perceive to be what shoppers want.

To make matters worse, the closing down of Sears, Kmart, The Gap and Office Max stores will add another 15 million square feet of available store space to the flooded commercial real estate market!

Moody’s Investors Service pointed out that malls located in lifestyle & power centers continue to make profits, while malls outside those areas are losing money and will continue to lose money. Also, it’s probably not worth trying to rebuild those malls located outside of lifestyle & power centers: “Renovating or reconfiguring an underperforming mall may cost many millions……What’s more, should the location lose its viability for retail altogether, the value to revert to land less demolition cost will produce an even greater loss.”-Tad Philipp, Moody’s

In other words, these vulture REIT crony capitalists don’t think things are going to improve for areas outside the lifestyle & power centers anytime soon.

As I quoted Ryan McCullough at the beginning of this article,  new retail businesses need to be located where there’s a lot of people, and those people have high levels of income.    So what we’re seeing, with the closing down of many iconic U.S. retail businesses, is part of the bigger plan of those Mitt Romney style vulture crony capitalists who are simply, in their minds, following the big revenue money from the big income consumer (rich people living in those lifestyle & power centers).

Here’s the list of 11 Sears stores now owned by GGP:

Iowa: Coral Ridge Mall, and Mall of the Bluffs

Texas: The Woodlands Mall

Florida: West Oaks Mall

Utah: Fashion Place, and Provo Towne Centre (note the evil British empire way of spelling town & center)

Oklahoma: Quail Springs Mall

Hawaii: Ala Moana Center

Washington: Bellis Fair Mall

Minnesota: Apache Mall

Illinois: Market Place Shopping Center