Category Archives: U.S.

International, U.S.

No more open borders in Europe, no thanks to the U.S. & European wars in the Middle East & North Africa

Denmark announced that starting July 5, no more open borders.  They blame drug trafficking and illegal immigrants.

Since the U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan drug trafficking has skyrocketed across Central Asia and into Europe.  Many of the drugs come from U.S. occupied Afghanistan.

The NATO attacks on Libya have greatly increased what European governments are calling illegal immigration (most of whom are actually war refugees, no thanks to the European/U.S./NATO war on Libya).

Denmark is not the first EU member to close its borders.  France and Italy closed their borders with each other, for the same reasons as Denmark.  In the case of France and Italy, French officials discovered that Italy was giving refugees (I mean illegal immigrants), mainly from Tunis and Libya, EU visas then putting them on trains bound for France.

Other EU members are complaining about the violation of the European Union’s “open borders” policy, but Denmark claims their border closure will not affect commerce.

International, U.S.

Saudi Prince tells U.S. led NATO to invade Iran or give Saudi Arabia nuclear weapons

A British newspaper reports that a secret meeting was held between NATO and Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal.  The subject was nuclear weapons, and how Saudi Arabia could get some.

The Guardian quoted an unnamed Saudi official as saying: “We cannot live in a situation where Iran has nuclear weapons and we don’t.”

The meeting concerned Saudi fears that Iran will develop nuclear weapons.

Saudi Arabia is a Semitic country.  Iran is technically Aryan (Aryans originate in Central Asia, and spread from India to Europe, the politically correct term in the West is Indo-European).  Also, most of the Saudi royal family are Wahhabi (aka Salafi) Muslims (the main stream western media incorrectly says most Saudis are Sunni Muslim).  Most Iranians are Shia Muslims.  Al Qaeda, also made up of mainly Wahhabis, declared jihad against Shia Muslims.  The dominating tribe of Saudi Arabia (the royal family) considers Iran a mortal enemy.

One analysts says what’s really happening is that Saudi Arabia is trying to push the United States closer to going to war with Iran: “I think the point is less that Saudi Arabia is really planning to make nuclear weapons, it’s about impressing on the U.S. how urgent it is to react to Iran’s nuclear program.”-Guido Steinberg, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

 


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

Rare Earth Minerals the ‘oil’ of the 21st Century. Who controls the most? Same old adversaries of the 20th Century

Rare earth minerals will become the ‘oil’ of the 21st century.  That’s because they’re used in high tech electronics, and the more the world becomes reliant on electronics, the more valuable rare earth minerals become.

In fact, some analysts say some of the current wars raging on the African continent are all about control of rare earth minerals.

Here are some examples of rare earth minerals: Dysprosium is used in electric motors for vehicles, and Terbium for the latest televisions.

Who’re the biggest controllers of rare earths?  Why they’re the same major players of the Cold War in the 20th century: Russia (the boss of the Soviet Union during the Cold War), China and the United States.

However, China actually controls 90% of the production/refining of rare earths.  This is where their true power comes in.

Rare earth minerals are so important that the Japanese University of Tokyo spent a lot of money conducting a search for other sources of rare earths.  Their target search area was the Pacific Ocean.  International law would prevent any monopolization by any country, of rare earths found in the Pacific Ocean.

They found plenty.  From 2000 samples taken at 78 locations, Associate Professor Yasuhiro Kato estimates there is 800 times the rare earths at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, than there is on land.

They targeted volcanic vents on the Pacific Ocean floor.  Hawaii has a lot.  The problem is that most of the high concentrations are at depths of 3,000 to 6,000 meters (9,842 to 19,685 feet).  So there are technical limits to getting at the Pacific Ocean rare earths.

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

Declare Independence from Banks: Economist says Big Banks control the United States, revolution only answer

“People think jobs create wealth, they don’t, they don’t.  It is being done by capital instruments [loans].”-Rodney Shakespeare, Trisakti University

A British economist with Trisakti University, in London, U.K., says ‘wealth’ is now actually created by big banks, and the big banks totally control the U.S.

The ‘wealth’ is created by the interest and fees the banks charge on their loans (capital instruments), and their money is fake:  “The banks do not lend existing money.  They create money out of nothing.  They add administration costs and they add interest and then they lend it for anything.   And that is where you’ve gone horribly wrong.”

The real money, the ‘wealth’, comes from individuals, governments and corporations paying back the loans the got from the big banks.  Essentially the banks are making big money for themselves, from nothing (why else do they keep reporting huge profits in a bad economy).

Over the past few decades, big western banks have been gaining control by making as many people, governments and corporations addicted to living off of their loans.  A tiny elite of people are benefiting: “Of course the banks and financial elites think this is a marvelous idea, because it effectually means that all the time they can ‘cream off’ what is essentially a ‘tax’…”

There are two answers Professor Shakespeare suggested; share the ‘wealth’ by spreading the benefits of capital instruments (bank loans) amongst the people, or: “…an uprising against what could be summarized as ‘banker occupation’.  Until that happens there’s no chance of new thinking coming into being.”

I can only think of mass default on loans to be the most destructive way to rise up against “banker occupation”.  This would involve not only individuals, but governments and corporations as well.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Corporate officials used Idaho unemployment funds to float their companies

According to the Idaho Department of Labor, corporate executives based in Idaho, used unemployment benefits to float their companies (because of the bad economy).

The executives, who own their companies, would apply for unemployment benefits claiming they had lost their executive position.  They would then use the money to float the company that they held controlling stock in.  It was all legal.

As of now they can’t do that anymore.  Idaho lawmakers created a new law that says corporate executives applying for unemployment benefits must prove they have no ownership in the company they had worked for.  The new law affects about 30,000 executives in Idaho.

However, the new law allows corporate executives to stop paying into the corporate unemployment system.  In Idaho unemployment taxes are paid by employers, not employees, but employers can be eligible for a refund.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Global Warming? Cooler wetter weather damaging Idaho cherry crop, expect prices to go up

 

“We still have quite a few cherries (in this year’s crop), but it’s down from what I normally see. Maybe two-thirds of what we had last year.”-Paul Pinard, cherry farmer Emmett, Idaho

Because of a lack of global warming in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, there are going to be a lot fewer cherries, and a lot later.  The cooler than normal weather is affecting the $573 million cherry market.

cherry chubbuck

Chubbuck, Idaho, July 2, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year, in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Utah, as many as 7 million boxes of cherries were packed.  This year the commercial cherry farmers will be lucky to get 2 million.

On top of that, cherry picking season ends in June, but not this year, many cherries aren’t even ready.

I can vouch for that.  I have a cherry tree, and I’ve been wondering what the heck is going on.  Not only have the cherries not fully developed, but they’re shriveling and dying.  Normally, by the end of May I’m swamped with too many cherries for me and my kids to eat, but this year…it looks like nothing.

shriveled cherry

Chubbuck, Idaho, July 2, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another factor in driving up prices for cherries, is that demand is up.

But it’s not just Cherries that are being negatively affected.  The asparagus picking started late, and northwest growers associations are reporting delays in melons, peaches and corn.

cherry pityful

 

 

 

 

 

So even if you try to grow your own, to keep from paying higher prices at he store, Mother Earth just won’t let it happen.

Idaho, Opinion, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho drug & prostitution crimes up

The Idaho State Police released the 2010 crime stats, and surprisingly the number of most types of crimes, statewide, went down, including violent crime.

But there was an increase in “crimes against society”, of which drug and prostitution crimes made up the most.  Crimes Against Society include drug crimes, prostitution, pornography crimes, weapons crimes and gambling crimes.

There was a 7.3% increase in overall Crimes Against Society in 2010, with drug crimes seeing a 8% increase, and prostitution seeing a 54.5% increase.

The top three drug crimes in Idaho are: Possessing/Concealing, Using/Consuming and Distributing/Selling, in that order.

Idaho saw not only an increase in adults being arrested for drug crimes, but juveniles as well.  There doesn’t seem to be a favorite drug, based on confiscation numbers.  Some numbers went down while others went up.

The ISP report doesn’t give much more information on prostitution crimes, other than demographic information (more men arrested than women).

I’m wondering if the increase in drug crimes, and prostitution, are a reflection of the bad economic situation in Idaho?  Crime reports don’t normally deal with the “why” of a crime, the Law doesn’t usually care about that.

For a detailed PDF of the report go to the Idaho State Police web site.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

I knew former IMF boss Strauss-Kahn was innocent, police now say hotel maid is a liar

In May, International Monetary Fund boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested just after he got on a plane for France.  He was charged with raping a hotel maid, and humiliated by the U.S. mainstream media who basically convicted him without waiting for a trial to be held.

Strauss-Kahn ended up resigning as IMF boss, and even had his hopes of running for President of France destroyed.  Now New York police and prosecutors say they were wrong!

When this first went down I speculated that this whole thing had something to do with his running for President of France.

Prosecutors are now working with Strauss-Kahn over the possibility of dropping all charges.  It turns out that the hotel worker is involved in drug running and money laundering.  Police investigators admit she constantly changed her story about what happened.  They also have a tape recording of the woman talking to a man in prison about how to fabricate a rape claim against Strauss-Kahn.

Isn’t it convenient that all this comes out after Strauss-Kahn’s career and political ambitions have been destroyed?  He must’ve been a threat to someone powerful.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Chinese manufacturing stalls, not enough orders to fill, blames bad economy in United States

“Manufacturers are struggling with multiple difficulties including increased lending costs and fewer international orders.”-Zhang Shiqing, Nankai University

Chinese economics professors are warning that the Chinese economy will stall.  China has become a major exporter of products to the world, but most of the world is in financial trouble.  That is resulting in less orders to be filled.

Also, the recent revelation that local governments, in China, are in debt to the tune of $1.65 trillion, is making it difficult for Chinese companies to get loans to continue operating.  It’s now obvious that the Chinese have been running their economy just like the United States.

Surprisingly from January to May 2011, U.S. exports to China actually went up, by 31%.   “China’s industrial production has notably declined in the previous month, which is a good opportunity for U.S. enterprises to boost production to fill the gap.”-Fan Jishe, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Many Chinese industry analyst are now doing what analysts in the U.S. are doing; hoping the economy will pick up by the end of the year.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

Coca Cola raises prices, blames inflation, bad weather, Pepsi and others to follow suit

Coca Cola will raise prices at least 3 to 5% in July.  They raised prices 2% earlier this year.

They blame the rising costs of resources, due to speculators playing the commodities markets. They also blame the cost of transportation due to high fuel prices.

In China, Coca Cola bottlers will use smaller bottles.  Hangzhou bottler already changed its 600 milliliter packages to 500 milliliters in May, but charges the same price.

Industry analysts say the inflation in commodity prices has to be passed on to consumers sooner or later.  A month before Coca Cola’s price rise announcement, Smuckers raised prices on its coffee products.  Eventually consumers will see more price rises across the food market.

A big factor for commodity price increases is the bad weather most of the United States is experiencing.  Cooler, wetter than normal weather in the north west.  Massive flooding in the plain states, and mid west.  Hotter weather in the east.  All these weather extremes are resulting in less crop production.  Less crops on the markets will drive the price up.