Dear Readers
I will be on business travel Thursday, September 1. I will be posting over Labor Day weekend; however, I will be away a few days next week. Hopefully no earthquakes and/or other weather conditions will
interrupt a few days break.
Best Regards.
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
US Navy Girds for Sea Control
US Navy Girds for Sea Control
Maybe the US Navy surface fleet is getting serious about commanding the sea—at last. Exhibit A: the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has fast-tracked development of the navy’s first anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) since the last AGM-84 Harpoons, the fleet’s workhorse ASCMs, were delivered nearly two decades ago. Material superiority is crucial to the United States’ standing in the world, not least in Asia. As MIT Professor Barry Posen pointed out in 2003, command of the global ‘commons,’ namely the seas and skies outside any nation’s jurisdiction, constitutes the substructure on which US military primacy is built. Untrammelled ability to move forces through the commons permits Washington to project power onto foreign shores, shaping events in important ‘rimlands’ like the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean basin. The US Navy has basically assumed it owns the commons ever since the Soviet Union’s demise left its chief competitor rusting pierside. As Samuel ... Read More...
US or the War Machine
US or the War Machine
An upcoming Charlottesville conference highlights the importance of whistleblowers when addressing the corruption present in military contracting
on August 31, 2011, Cavalier Daily
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Bernanke's Economic Outlook Speech at Jackson Hole By Ben Bernanke
Bernanke's Economic Outlook Speech at Jackson Hole
By Ben BernankeAn Entrepreneurial Fix for the U.S. Economy
An Entrepreneurial Fix for the U.S. Economy
Several reforms can make it faster and easier for new business startups.
A Premature Celebration in Libya
A Premature Celebration in Libya
George Friedman, Stratfor
The war in Libya is over. More precisely, governments and media have decided that the war is over, despite the fact that fighting continues. The unfulfilled expectation of this war has consistently been that Moammar Gadhafi would capitulate when faced with the forces arrayed against him, and that his own forces would abandon him as soon as they saw that the war was lost. What was being celebrated last week, with presidents, prime ministers and the media proclaiming the defeat of Gadhafi, will likely be true in due course. The fact that it is not yet true does not detract from the ...
The war in Libya is over. More precisely, governments and media have decided that the war is over, despite the fact that fighting continues. The unfulfilled expectation of this war has consistently been that Moammar Gadhafi would capitulate when faced with the forces arrayed against him, and that his own forces would abandon him as soon as they saw that the war was lost. What was being celebrated last week, with presidents, prime ministers and the media proclaiming the defeat of Gadhafi, will likely be true in due course. The fact that it is not yet true does not detract from the ...
Pentagon talks up the China threat
Pentagon talks up the China threat
Much as the Pentagon is big on subjunctive ghosts of Chinese military threats to come, the best that its annual assessment of the Chinese armed forces' capabilities could present was that the pace and scope of buildup is "potentially destabilizing" in the Pacific. Look at the hardware and crunch the numbers on the American and Chinese military budgets and there is no clear and present danger. - David Isenberg (Aug 30, '11)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Pentagon under fire over war contracts
Pentagon under fire over war contracts
Washington (AFP) Aug 29, 2011 - The Pentagon has wasted more than $30 billion on contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan due to shoddy management and a lack of competition, an independent inquiry said Monday. In its final report to Congress due to be released Wednesday, the bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting warns that waste and fraud have undermined American diplomacy, fomented corruption in host countries and tarnish ... more
Washington (AFP) Aug 29, 2011 - The Pentagon has wasted more than $30 billion on contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan due to shoddy management and a lack of competition, an independent inquiry said Monday. In its final report to Congress due to be released Wednesday, the bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting warns that waste and fraud have undermined American diplomacy, fomented corruption in host countries and tarnish ... more
U.S. corporate taxes: A strong incentive to move overseas
Posted: 26 Jul 2011 12:34 PM PDT
When a U.S. company owns a subsidiary overseas, it has a big decision to make when it comes to the earnings of that subsidiary. Does it send the money back to the parent company in the U.S. and pay U.S. corporate taxes or does it avoid the U.S. tax by permanently reinvesting the money abroad?
Russia and China's Energy Dispute and the Struggle for Eurasian Dominance
Russia and China's Energy Dispute and the Struggle for Eurasian Dominance
China’s voracious appetite for energy from anywhere has led most oil-producing nations to attempt to feed the dragon, including Russia.
But a curious situation has developed as regards Russian oil exports to the Celestial Kingdom, underlining that the two nations, which fought for global supremacy over the Communist movement for four decades, remain at best, “frenemies.”
According to Chinese customs reports, last month oil imports from Russia fell by nearly half.
Not so, Rosneft says, stating that deliveries are proceeding through the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline at their normal levels.
Russia is now China’s ninth largest source of oil imports, with Saudi
Read more...
But a curious situation has developed as regards Russian oil exports to the Celestial Kingdom, underlining that the two nations, which fought for global supremacy over the Communist movement for four decades, remain at best, “frenemies.”
According to Chinese customs reports, last month oil imports from Russia fell by nearly half.
Not so, Rosneft says, stating that deliveries are proceeding through the Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean (ESPO) oil pipeline at their normal levels.
Russia is now China’s ninth largest source of oil imports, with Saudi
Read more...
Blog - A Plan To Place An Asteroid In Earth Orbit
Blog - A Plan To Place An Asteroid In Earth Orbit
Chinese scientists have discovered a near Earth asteroid that, with a slight push, could enter Earth orbitMost of the discussion about near Earth asteroids focuses on whether they represent a threat to Earth and what to do take if they turn out to be heading our way.
Exposed: Right-Wing Think Tanks and Bloggers Conducted Secret 10-Year Campaign to Fan Fear of Muslims
Exposed: Right-Wing Think Tanks and Bloggers Conducted Secret 10-Year Campaign to Fan Fear of Muslims
The Muslim Brotherhood, Genocide, and Obama By William Sullivan
The Muslim Brotherhood, Genocide, and Obama
By William SullivanSunday, August 28, 2011
Review: China, the United States, and Global Order
Review: China, the United States, and Global Order
A new book puts the relationship between Beijing and Washington into the global context.
China Eyes Competitive Edge in Renewable Energy
China Eyes Competitive Edge in Renewable Energy
Government’s Funding Proposals for ‘Strategic Emerging Industries’ Show Major Push for Green Technologies
Chasing Rare Earths, Foreign Companies Expand in China
Chasing Rare Earths, Foreign Companies Expand in China
Charlie Reese | 545 vs. 300,000,000 People
Charlie Reese | 545 vs. 300,000,000 People
Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat.
545 vs. 300,000,000 People
- By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy","inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power.
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess.
Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
What you do with this article now that you have read it is up to you. This might be funny if it weren't so true. Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
Taxes to pass
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'
When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times! YOU can help it get there!!!
GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN
US Navy Girds for Sea Control
US Navy Girds for Sea Control
Maybe the US Navy surface fleet is getting serious about commanding the sea—at last. Exhibit A: the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has fast-tracked development of the navy’s first anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) since the last AGM-84 Harpoons, the fleet’s workhorse ASCMs, were delivered nearly two decades ago. Material superiority is crucial to the United States’ standing in the world, not least in Asia. As MIT Professor Barry Posen pointed out in 2003, command of the global ‘commons,’ namely the seas and skies outside any nation’s jurisdiction, constitutes the substructure on which US military primacy is built. Untrammelled ability to move forces through the commons permits Washington to project power onto foreign shores, shaping events in important ‘rimlands’ like the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean basin. The US Navy has basically assumed it owns the commons ever since the Soviet Union’s demise left its chief competitor rusting pierside. As Samuel ... Read More...Saturday, August 27, 2011
C.I.A. Demands Author Edit His Book
C.I.A. Demands Author Edit His Book
http://www.darkgovernment.com/
WASHINGTON — In what amounts to a fight over who gets to write the history of
the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath, the Central Intelligence Agency is
demanding extensive cuts from the memoir of a former F.B.I. agent who spent
years near the center of the battle against Al Qaeda.
The agent, Ali H. Soufan, argues in the book that the C.I.A. missed a chance to
derail the 2001 plot by withholding from the F.B.I. information about two future
9/11 hijackers living in San Diego, according to several people who have read
the manuscript. And he gives a detailed, firsthand account of the C.I.A.’s
move toward brutal treatment in its interrogations, saying the harsh methods
used on the agency’s first important captive, Abu Zubaydah, were unnecessary
and counterproductive.
Neither critique of the C.I.A. is new. In fact, some of the information that
the agency argues is classified, according to two people who have seen the
correspondence between the F.B.I. and C.I.A., has previously been disclosed in
open Congressional hearings, the report of the national commission on 9/11 and
even the 2007 memoir of George J. Tenet, the former C.I.A. director.
Mr. Soufan, an Arabic-speaking counterterrorism agent who played a central role
in most major terrorism investigations between 1997 and 2005, has told
colleagues he believes the cuts are intended not to protect national security
but to prevent him from recounting episodes that in his view reflect badly on
the C.I.A.
http://www.darkgovernment.com/
WASHINGTON — In what amounts to a fight over who gets to write the history of
the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath, the Central Intelligence Agency is
demanding extensive cuts from the memoir of a former F.B.I. agent who spent
years near the center of the battle against Al Qaeda.
The agent, Ali H. Soufan, argues in the book that the C.I.A. missed a chance to
derail the 2001 plot by withholding from the F.B.I. information about two future
9/11 hijackers living in San Diego, according to several people who have read
the manuscript. And he gives a detailed, firsthand account of the C.I.A.’s
move toward brutal treatment in its interrogations, saying the harsh methods
used on the agency’s first important captive, Abu Zubaydah, were unnecessary
and counterproductive.
Neither critique of the C.I.A. is new. In fact, some of the information that
the agency argues is classified, according to two people who have seen the
correspondence between the F.B.I. and C.I.A., has previously been disclosed in
open Congressional hearings, the report of the national commission on 9/11 and
even the 2007 memoir of George J. Tenet, the former C.I.A. director.
Mr. Soufan, an Arabic-speaking counterterrorism agent who played a central role
in most major terrorism investigations between 1997 and 2005, has told
colleagues he believes the cuts are intended not to protect national security
but to prevent him from recounting episodes that in his view reflect badly on
the C.I.A.
Happy ending for Hawkeye: Dog who lay by his Navy SEAL master's coffin during funeral finds a new home with best friend
Happy ending for Hawkeye: Dog who lay by his Navy SEAL master's coffin during funeral finds a new home with best friend
- Labrador will go to friend of Jon Tomlinson, who was killed in Chinook crash
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030304/Happy-ending-Hawkeye-Dog-lay-Navy-SEAL-masters-coffin-funeral-finds-new-home-best-friend.html#ixzz1WF1HrFeb
As China gazes upwards, watch this space
As China gazes upwards, watch this space
Beijing is less likely to seek astral dominance if it is treated as a partner, not a pariah.
The Zawahiri Era
The Zawahiri Era
|
August 24, 2011
ON MAY 2, 2011, al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden left this world for the next, and the American bipartisan political elite—not to mention the U.S.-Euro war-loving quintet made up of Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, UK prime minister David Cameron and French president Nicolas Sarkozy—leapt off the precipice of simple unreality into the rarefied environs of true fantasy. They are behaving as if bin Laden’s death has ushered in an era in which the United States and the West will at long last get their way in the Muslim world through diktat backed by military force, which, of course, amounts to making our little Muslim brothers just like us . . . Au contraire.
LOGAN: NATO is a farce American resources are wasted on pointless European alliance
LOGAN: NATO is a farce
American resources are wasted on pointless European alliance
The oil myth
The oil myth
While the abundance of oil in the Middle East has undoubtedly shaped the region’s history, with oil becoming a market commodity the importance of this resource in deciding the policies of Western governments has declined. The myth that oil dictates Western behavior in the region, however, lives on.
While the abundance of oil in the Middle East has undoubtedly shaped the region’s history, with oil becoming a market commodity the importance of this resource in deciding the policies of Western governments has declined. The myth that oil dictates Western behavior in the region, however, lives on.
Brezhnev in the Hejaz
Brezhnev in the Hejaz
| 
THE SAUDI royal family is afraid. Very, very afraid. A crisis of leadership is brewing. The king is ailing and his successor, Crown Prince Sultan, is in even worse health. Their hard-line brother, Prince Nayef bin Abdel Aziz, is set to take the throne. One of the last absolute monarchies, the Saudi family seems to represent all that the Arab Spring is fighting against: closed societies with unequal wealth distribution; repressed minorities living within manufactured boundaries; strong Islamist sympathies across its lands; a latent Sunni-Shia power struggle embedded in the country’s fabric—not to mention a string of surrounding states struggling to stave off revolutions that could easily have a contagion effect.
August 24, 2011
THE SAUDI royal family is afraid. Very, very afraid. A crisis of leadership is brewing. The king is ailing and his successor, Crown Prince Sultan, is in even worse health. Their hard-line brother, Prince Nayef bin Abdel Aziz, is set to take the throne. One of the last absolute monarchies, the Saudi family seems to represent all that the Arab Spring is fighting against: closed societies with unequal wealth distribution; repressed minorities living within manufactured boundaries; strong Islamist sympathies across its lands; a latent Sunni-Shia power struggle embedded in the country’s fabric—not to mention a string of surrounding states struggling to stave off revolutions that could easily have a contagion effect.How Do We Stop the Relentless Expansion of the American Empire? First, Uncover the Truth About It
How Do We Stop the Relentless Expansion of the American Empire? First, Uncover the Truth About It
The Queensway syndicate and the Africa trade
The Queensway syndicate and the Africa trade
China’s oil trade with Africa is dominated by an opaque syndicate. Ordinary Africans appear to do badly out of its hugely lucrative deals.
China International Fund
U.S.: We will stop aid to Palestinians if UN bid proceeds
U.S.: We will stop aid to Palestinians if UN bid proceeds
U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem, Daniel Rubinstein, tells chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat U.S. 'will take punitive measures' against Palestinian Authority if it seeks to upgrade position at UN General Assembly.
By DPAFriday, August 26, 2011
Whose Congress and State Department?
Whose Congress and State Department?
http://original.antiwar.com/
Philip Giraldi
http://original.antiwar.com/
Philip Giraldi
Legal opinion challenges PLO statehood bid
| Legal opinion challenges PLO statehood bid |
| Palestinians risk losing their rights under the new bid, as representation is called into question, legal expert says. |
Oil companies scramble for Libya's riches
Oil companies scramble for Libya's riches
Tripoli, Libya (UPI) Aug 25, 2011 - U.S., European and Asian companies are scrambling to get back into Libya to grab a slice of its oil wealth, even though Moammar Gadhafi's diehard loyalists refuse to submit to seemingly triumphant rebel forces. Firms from Britain, France and Italy, the rebel coalition's most ardent supporters against Gadhafi in Libya's civil war, are the likely front-runners. BP of the United Kingdom, T ... more
Tripoli, Libya (UPI) Aug 25, 2011 - U.S., European and Asian companies are scrambling to get back into Libya to grab a slice of its oil wealth, even though Moammar Gadhafi's diehard loyalists refuse to submit to seemingly triumphant rebel forces. Firms from Britain, France and Italy, the rebel coalition's most ardent supporters against Gadhafi in Libya's civil war, are the likely front-runners. BP of the United Kingdom, T ... more
Production shifts to China for rare earths
Production shifts to China for rare earths
Beijing (UPI) Aug 25, 2011 - As China tightens its grip on rare earth minerals, more foreign companies are moving manufacturing operations to China to gain access to the elements. China said this week it would appeal the World Trade Organization's ruling last month against the country's industrial minerals export policy. The WTO decision was hoped to affect China's stronghold on rare earths, a group of 17 elements ... more
Beijing (UPI) Aug 25, 2011 - As China tightens its grip on rare earth minerals, more foreign companies are moving manufacturing operations to China to gain access to the elements. China said this week it would appeal the World Trade Organization's ruling last month against the country's industrial minerals export policy. The WTO decision was hoped to affect China's stronghold on rare earths, a group of 17 elements ... more
The Energy Jobs Promise
Posted: 25 Aug 2011 09:54 AM PDT
Michelle Bachmann is promising cheap gas and millions of energy jobs. The hyperbole is absurd and sheds light on similar claims coming from the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) and PA politicians in the back pocket of industry. The latest from Bachmann:
Next Up: The Battle for Libya’s Oil
Posted: 25 Aug 2011 11:45 AM PDT
Muammar Gadhaffi’s 42 year-old regime is in its death rattle – maybe today, maybe tomorrow, his administration that has ruled Libya with a quixotic and brutal hand is about to pass, in Trotsky’s piquant phrase, “into the dustbin of history,” prompting the question “what next?”
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Misinterpreting China's Economy
Misinterpreting China's Economy
While assessments of Chinese economic imbalances often rely on flawed statistics that understate consumption and overestimate investment, the country’s share of consumption to GDP will not rise significantly until Beijing increases welfare spending or divests itself of state assets.
Libya: The longer view
Libya: The longer view
Posted by Helena Cobban
August 24, 2011
http://justworldnews.org/
A problematic victory in Libya
A problematic victory in Libya
Gadhafi was a dictator but involvement in the war did not serve U.S. interests
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
By Dan Simpson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Cheney book reveals internal battles By: Tim Mak
http://www.politico.com/news/
 | |
Cheney book reveals internal battles By: Tim Mak |
The Tet Offensive's parallels to Afghanistan
The Tet Offensive's parallels to Afghanistan |
The United States should learn from mistakes it made during the Vietnam War and withdraw from Afghanistan. Richard Falk, Aljazeera, 23 Aug 2011 http://english.aljazeera.net/ |
Iraq Adopts Iran's Backing of Assad
Iraq Adopts Iran's Backing of Assad
August 24, 2011 | 9:37am
Juan Cole- What impact will the call by the United States and major European powers for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down--followed by heightened U.S. and EU sanctions--have on Syria-Iran relations?
- Why has Iraq opted to align with Syria and Iran in backing Assad?
Memo to Congressional Super Committee: Taking "Green Scissors" to Budget Would Yield $380 Billion in Savings
Memo to Congressional Super Committee: Taking "Green Scissors" to Budget Would Yield $380 Billion in Savings
PR Newswire
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2011
Left-right Coalition Identifies Huge Cuts in Wasteful Giveaways that Harm the Environment
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ending a third of a trillion dollars in environmentally harmful subsidies could go a long way toward solving our nation's budget challenges, an unusual right-left coalition said today in a groundbreaking report.
The report — "Green Scissors 2011" — provides a roadmap to saving up to $380 billion over five years by curbing wasteful spending that harms the environment. That amounts to a full quarter of the savings the new congressional Super Committee has been charged with obtaining, in half the time. For full details on the report, go to http://www.greenscissors.com.
Green Scissors 2011 is being released by four organizations: progressive environmental group Friends of the Earth, deficit hawk Taxpayers for Common Sense, consumer watchdog Public Citizen and free-market think tank The Heartland Institute. (For reactions from current and former U.S. House members from both political parties, please see below list of statements.)
"While all four groups have different missions, histories, goals and ideas about the role of government," the groups write in the report, "we all agree that we can begin to overcome our nation's budgetary and environmental woes by tackling spending that is not only wasteful but environmentally harmful."
The groups propose cutting many fossil fuel, nuclear and alternative energy subsidies. Other targets include massive giveaways of publicly owned timber, poorly conceived road projects and a bevy of questionable Army Corps of Engineers water projects.
"The Green Scissors report documents the breadth and depth of damage that government spending does to our environment," said Heartland Institute Vice President Eli Lehrer . "Cutting government in the right places can make for a cleaner, healthier environment."
"At a time when working families are expected to belt-tighten, so too must wasteful public investments in mature, polluting technologies," said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's Energy Program. "For too long lobbyists kept these undeserving programs and tax preferences for the fossil fuel and nuclear industry funded."
"These common sense cuts represent the lowest of the low hanging budgetary fruit," said Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander . "Lawmakers across the political spectrum should be scrambling to eliminate these examples of wasteful spending and unnecessary tax breaks that are squandering our precious tax dollars while the nation is staring into a chasm of debt."
"We can go a long way toward solving our nation's budget problems by cutting spending that harms the environment, and this report provides the Super Committee with a road map," said Friends of the Earth climate and energy tax analyst Ben Schreiber . "At a time of great polarization, Super Committee members can and should find common ground by ending wasteful polluter giveaways."
As the report notes: "To get our nation's spending in check we will need to end wasteful programs and policies. They not only cost us up front, but also create additional financial liabilities down the road and threaten our nation's fragile land, air and water. In addition, we need to ensure that we receive a fair return on government assets. From the more than a century old 1872 Mining Law that gives away precious metals — like gold and copper — on federal lands for free, to $53 billion in lost oil and gas revenues from royalty free leases in federal waters granted in the late 1990s, to the $6 billion per year ethanol tax credit, there are dozens of reforms that can return hundreds of billions to taxpayers while helping to address our nation's top environmental priorities."
"The 2011 Green Scissors Report is a reminder that it's time for Congress to have a serious, rational discussion about cutting the budget," said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). "With painful budget cuts already under discussion that will require American families to make sacrifices, it is only fair, for example, that we also stop the handouts to our richest oil companies."
"Conservatives believe in the accountability of the marketplace," said former Rep. Robert Inglis (R-S.C.). "Subsidies cost us money, and they shield some participants from innovation. It's that innovation that can grow our economy and clean up the air, water and land."
"The Green Scissors report is full of recommendations that will help us be good stewards of the environment while also being good stewards of taxpayer dollars," said Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.). "While we won't all agree on every proposed cut, the report's recommendations are a good place to start as we look for ways to put our nation on a more sustainable fiscal path."
The Green Scissors Campaign strives to make environmental and fiscal responsibility a priority in Washington. For more than 16 years, Green Scissors has exposed subsidies and programs that both harm the environment and waste taxpayer dollars.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.greenscissors.com as of 5 p.m. EDT on August 24, 2011.
SOURCE Taxpayers for Common Sense; Heartland Institute; Public Citizen; Friends of the Earth
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ending a third of a trillion dollars in environmentally harmful subsidies could go a long way toward solving our nation's budget challenges, an unusual right-left coalition said today in a groundbreaking report.
The report — "Green Scissors 2011" — provides a roadmap to saving up to $380 billion over five years by curbing wasteful spending that harms the environment. That amounts to a full quarter of the savings the new congressional Super Committee has been charged with obtaining, in half the time. For full details on the report, go to http://www.greenscissors.com.
Green Scissors 2011 is being released by four organizations: progressive environmental group Friends of the Earth, deficit hawk Taxpayers for Common Sense, consumer watchdog Public Citizen and free-market think tank The Heartland Institute. (For reactions from current and former U.S. House members from both political parties, please see below list of statements.)
"While all four groups have different missions, histories, goals and ideas about the role of government," the groups write in the report, "we all agree that we can begin to overcome our nation's budgetary and environmental woes by tackling spending that is not only wasteful but environmentally harmful."
The groups propose cutting many fossil fuel, nuclear and alternative energy subsidies. Other targets include massive giveaways of publicly owned timber, poorly conceived road projects and a bevy of questionable Army Corps of Engineers water projects.
"The Green Scissors report documents the breadth and depth of damage that government spending does to our environment," said Heartland Institute Vice President Eli Lehrer . "Cutting government in the right places can make for a cleaner, healthier environment."
"At a time when working families are expected to belt-tighten, so too must wasteful public investments in mature, polluting technologies," said Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen's Energy Program. "For too long lobbyists kept these undeserving programs and tax preferences for the fossil fuel and nuclear industry funded."
"These common sense cuts represent the lowest of the low hanging budgetary fruit," said Taxpayers for Common Sense President Ryan Alexander . "Lawmakers across the political spectrum should be scrambling to eliminate these examples of wasteful spending and unnecessary tax breaks that are squandering our precious tax dollars while the nation is staring into a chasm of debt."
"We can go a long way toward solving our nation's budget problems by cutting spending that harms the environment, and this report provides the Super Committee with a road map," said Friends of the Earth climate and energy tax analyst Ben Schreiber . "At a time of great polarization, Super Committee members can and should find common ground by ending wasteful polluter giveaways."
As the report notes: "To get our nation's spending in check we will need to end wasteful programs and policies. They not only cost us up front, but also create additional financial liabilities down the road and threaten our nation's fragile land, air and water. In addition, we need to ensure that we receive a fair return on government assets. From the more than a century old 1872 Mining Law that gives away precious metals — like gold and copper — on federal lands for free, to $53 billion in lost oil and gas revenues from royalty free leases in federal waters granted in the late 1990s, to the $6 billion per year ethanol tax credit, there are dozens of reforms that can return hundreds of billions to taxpayers while helping to address our nation's top environmental priorities."
"The 2011 Green Scissors Report is a reminder that it's time for Congress to have a serious, rational discussion about cutting the budget," said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). "With painful budget cuts already under discussion that will require American families to make sacrifices, it is only fair, for example, that we also stop the handouts to our richest oil companies."
"Conservatives believe in the accountability of the marketplace," said former Rep. Robert Inglis (R-S.C.). "Subsidies cost us money, and they shield some participants from innovation. It's that innovation that can grow our economy and clean up the air, water and land."
"The Green Scissors report is full of recommendations that will help us be good stewards of the environment while also being good stewards of taxpayer dollars," said Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.). "While we won't all agree on every proposed cut, the report's recommendations are a good place to start as we look for ways to put our nation on a more sustainable fiscal path."
The Green Scissors Campaign strives to make environmental and fiscal responsibility a priority in Washington. For more than 16 years, Green Scissors has exposed subsidies and programs that both harm the environment and waste taxpayer dollars.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at http://www.greenscissors.com as of 5 p.m. EDT on August 24, 2011.
SOURCE Taxpayers for Common Sense; Heartland Institute; Public Citizen; Friends of the Earth
CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, +1-703-276-3265, aawolf@hastingsgroup.com; Kelly Trout, +1-202-222-0722, ktrout@foe.org; Steve Ellis, +1-202-546-8500 ext. 126, steve@taxpayer.net; Dorry Samuels, +1-202-588-7742, dsamuels@citizen.org; Eli Lehrer, +1-202-615-0586, elehrer@heartland.org
Andy Grove by Robert D. Hof
Andy Grove
by Robert D. Hof
The former leader of Intel wants to see more manufacturing jobs in the United States—by any means necessary.
Read More »
by Robert D. Hof
The former leader of Intel wants to see more manufacturing jobs in the United States—by any means necessary.
Read More »
The Mormons are coming!
The Mormons are coming!
A book on America's "first civil war" looks at the so-called Mormon Rebellion, an event that spread fear throughout the Pacific Northwest as people worried about a new, independent theocratic state rising in the far West. The struggle has lessons for today.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Triumph in Libya? Not So Fast, NATO
Triumph in Libya? Not So Fast, NATO
The conventional wisdom is that U.S.-led NATO vanquished the ruthless and despotic Moammar Gadhafi. And that is largely what happened. Gadhafi had one of the worst human rights records on the planet, was autocratic, and was even downright bizarre at times. Moreover, although the U.S. pretended to play only a limited, background role in NATO’s [...]
Matt Taibbi on the Explosive Investigation Revealing the SEC's Cover-Up of Wall Street's Crimes
Matt Taibbi on the Explosive Investigation Revealing the SEC's Cover-Up of Wall Street's Crimes
Victory in Tripoli; Bleakness Elsewhere by William Pfaff
Victory in Tripoli; Bleakness Elsewhere William Pfaff
24 August 2011
http://www.williampfaff.com/
24 August 2011
http://www.williampfaff.com/
The future of the Eurozone Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
The future of the Eurozone Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
New Manufacturing Technology Leads to Job Creation in Bahrain
New Manufacturing Technology Leads to Job Creation in Bahrain
PR Newswire
MANAMA, Bahrain, Aug. 23, 2011
The product will conserve energy and, according to Elames, will increase production capacity by approximately 400%. The new equipment will result in the hiring of several skilled Bahraini laborers. Mr. Mishal Behzad, Product Director at Elames says the new machinery will help the company achieve growth goals.
"This technology vastly improves the way we do business," Behzad commented. The company already operates in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and Behzad noted that they plan to expand its presence in the GCC region.
William Pfaff on Libya: Liberation From Inside
William Pfaff on Libya: Liberation From Inside
"Victory in Tripoli: They Did It" -- If the U.S. had gone seriously into the war, and behaved characteristically, Libya's revolution would not have succeeded this week.
http://www.truthdig.com/
Karen J. Greenberg on Post-9/11 American Justice
Karen J. Greenberg on Post-9/11 American Justice
"Taking the Justice Out of the Justice System" -- As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the unexpected extent of the damage Americans have done to themselves and their institutions is coming into better focus.
http://www.truthdig.com/
Robert Scheer on Obama's Banking Plea Bargain
Robert Scheer on Obama's Banking Plea Bargain
"Amnesty for the Indefensible" -- The administration has rushed to the aid of the banks once again and is attempting to intimidate the few state attorneys general who have the gumption to protect the public interest they are sworn to serve.
http://www.truthdig.com/
“Leaving Afghanistan to the Afghans” by David M. Rodriguez
- “Leaving Afghanistan to the Afghans” by David M. Rodriguez
Rodriguez, the departing deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, describes why he is confident Afghans will indeed be able to handle their own security challenges by 2014
“9/11 in Retrospect” by Melvyn Leffler
“9/11 in Retrospect” by Melvyn Leffler
Leffler, one of the country's leading diplomatic historians, explains what drove the "war on terror" and how it overshot its target
Leffler, one of the country's leading diplomatic historians, explains what drove the "war on terror" and how it overshot its target
“Al Qaeda’s Challenge” by William McCants
“Al Qaeda’s Challenge” by William McCants
McCants, until recently one of the U.S. government's top experts on radical Islamism, tells the story of al Qaeda from its origins to the present, arguing that the nonviolent popular revolutions of the Arab Spring may deal the group its biggest blow yet
McCants, until recently one of the U.S. government's top experts on radical Islamism, tells the story of al Qaeda from its origins to the present, arguing that the nonviolent popular revolutions of the Arab Spring may deal the group its biggest blow yet
Aid alone won't help the desperate Palestinians
Aid alone won't help the desperate Palestinians
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Why Are Prominent Americans Lobbying for an Iranian Terrorist Group?
Why Are Prominent Americans Lobbying for an Iranian Terrorist Group?
Surprise: Afghan War Will Continue for Foreseeable Future
Surprise: Afghan War Will Continue for Foreseeable Future
After failing to meet vital benchmarks through the surge, high levels of US troops to remain until at least 2024.
Why Is the Obama Administration Subverting the Rule of Law?
Why Is the Obama Administration Subverting the Rule of Law?
If, in fact, we are a "nation of laws," you wouldn't know it from Washington's actions over the past few years.
The Fall of Qaddafi ROBERT DREYFUSS | Not exactly an earthshaking event, and no great victory for NATO.
The Fall of Qaddafi
ROBERT DREYFUSS | Not exactly an earthshaking event, and no great victory for NATO.
ROBERT DREYFUSS | Not exactly an earthshaking event, and no great victory for NATO.
Commentary: New world disorder
Commentary: New world disorder
London (UPI) Aug 22, 2011 - From a record-breaking drought that has devastated much of the U.S. South and keeps getting worse, to the U.S. economy and what Time magazine's cover story calls "The Decline and Fall of Europe (and maybe the West)"; civil wars in Libya and Syria; renewed terrorism in Iraq and endless fighting in Afghanistan, the good news was hard to detect. The sudden uprising of jobless youth from po ... more
London (UPI) Aug 22, 2011 - From a record-breaking drought that has devastated much of the U.S. South and keeps getting worse, to the U.S. economy and what Time magazine's cover story calls "The Decline and Fall of Europe (and maybe the West)"; civil wars in Libya and Syria; renewed terrorism in Iraq and endless fighting in Afghanistan, the good news was hard to detect. The sudden uprising of jobless youth from po ... more
Ford, Toyota to join hands on hybrid trucks
Ford, Toyota to join hands on hybrid trucks
Washington (AFP) Aug 22, 2011 - Ford and Toyota announced Monday plans to jointly develop a new hybrid system for light trucks and sport utility vehicles. The two companies, both leaders in the hybrid gasoline-electric car sector, said they aimed at bringing hybrid technology to pickups and SUVs "without compromising" what drivers expect from the more powerful, rear-wheel drive vehicles. They said that cooperating rath ... more
Washington (AFP) Aug 22, 2011 - Ford and Toyota announced Monday plans to jointly develop a new hybrid system for light trucks and sport utility vehicles. The two companies, both leaders in the hybrid gasoline-electric car sector, said they aimed at bringing hybrid technology to pickups and SUVs "without compromising" what drivers expect from the more powerful, rear-wheel drive vehicles. They said that cooperating rath ... more
Is oil pricing itself out of the market?
Is oil pricing itself out of the market?
Edmonton, Canada (SPX) Aug 23, 2011 - University of Alberta researcher Andrew Leach likes the way Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal thinks. A new paper by Leach, an associate professor in the Alberta School of Business, and fellow University of Alberta economics researcher Ujjayant Chakravorty, posits scenarios that parallel a statement Alwaleed made in May declaring that it is in the best interests of Saudi oil producers to keep oil ... more
Edmonton, Canada (SPX) Aug 23, 2011 - University of Alberta researcher Andrew Leach likes the way Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal thinks. A new paper by Leach, an associate professor in the Alberta School of Business, and fellow University of Alberta economics researcher Ujjayant Chakravorty, posits scenarios that parallel a statement Alwaleed made in May declaring that it is in the best interests of Saudi oil producers to keep oil ... more
Walker's World: The new economy
Walker's World: The new economy
Paris (UPI) Aug 22, 2011 - The surprise is that rational people in business and the markets have been so surprised by the double-dip recession. A renewal of the financial crisis was a pretty logical development once the fiscal ammunition ran out. From 2008 through the end of 2010, governments and central banks around the world spent more than $10 trillion in stimulus funds, deficit spending and the creation of li ... more
Paris (UPI) Aug 22, 2011 - The surprise is that rational people in business and the markets have been so surprised by the double-dip recession. A renewal of the financial crisis was a pretty logical development once the fiscal ammunition ran out. From 2008 through the end of 2010, governments and central banks around the world spent more than $10 trillion in stimulus funds, deficit spending and the creation of li ... more
Fed’s $1.2 Trillion In Financial Sector Loans ‘A Classic Case Of Moral Hazard’ Huffington Post
Fed’s $1.2 Trillion In Financial Sector Loans ‘A Classic Case Of Moral Hazard’ Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/22/federal-reserve-12-trillion-loans_n_933615.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/22/federal-reserve-12-trillion-loans_n_933615.html
The intellectual collapse of left and right
TOO SOON TO DECLARE VICTORY
TOO SOON TO DECLARE VICTORY
By Phyllis Bennis
22 August 2011
Muammar Qaddafi’s whereabouts are still unknown, and the defeat of his regime may be near at hand. But the consequences of that defeat remain uncertain.
Downgrading America’s Politicians
Downgrading America’s Politicians
August 17, 2011
Emily C. Skarbek
The Sacramento Bee, Kansas City Star, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Chattanooga Free Press
August 17, 2011
Emily C. Skarbek
The Sacramento Bee, Kansas City Star, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Chattanooga Free Press
Monday, August 22, 2011
Qaddafi’s Fall: No, Obama Was Not Right By Elliott Abrams
Elliott Abrams, National Review
The question was never whether the United States, EU, NATO, Arab League, U.N. Security Council, and African Union could together using economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and military attacks bring Qaddafi down. The question was always how much time, how much blood, and what damage to NATO.
The question was never whether the United States, EU, NATO, Arab League, U.N. Security Council, and African Union could together using economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and military attacks bring Qaddafi down. The question was always how much time, how much blood, and what damage to NATO.
Trapping Iran’s Petro-Dollars
Trapping Iran’s Petro-Dollars
Last month I wrote about Japan’s push to forge new energy ties with the key South American trading bloc, the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR). Of the many factors influencing Japan’s energy security decisions – including Fukushima and the Arab Spring – one of the most important is the set of UN Security Council sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme, which continue to inhibit the smooth flow of crude from Tehran to Tokyo. It seems that Japan isn’t alone in this regard. Strong sanctions against Iran have effectively trapped billions of dollars of the country’s oil revenues in various banks across the world. South Korea is another energy-hungry country in Asia that depends on its ability to export its products overseas. Seoul relies on Iranian crude for nearly 10 percent of its oil imports. According to a Reuters report last week, South Korean government officials have indicated that Korean banks have almost ... Read More...
US Must Balance International and Domestic Energy Policy
US Must Balance International and Domestic Energy Policy
Job growth in clean energy is a tricky subject. As Brookings found, green sector employment has increased substantially in recent years, and this trend is to be applauded. But a key economic challenge is to make sure that we aren’t just swapping green jobs for fossil energy jobs, and are actually achieving net job growth. And an important way to do that is to look beyond the US market.
American idiocracy The civil war in Washington, DC, is damaging American business
Schumpeter
American idiocracy
The civil war in Washington, DC, is damaging American business
The FBI vs. Antiwar.com
The FBI vs. Antiwar.com
Secret documents reveal government spy-and-smear campaign
http://original.antiwar.com/
Secret documents reveal government spy-and-smear campaign
http://original.antiwar.com/
'The West Has Become Very Conceited'
08/22/2011
Interview with China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
'The West Has Become Very Conceited'
U.S. Mideast policy in a single phrase BY GLENN GREENWALD
SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2011
U.S. Mideast policy in a single phrase
The CIA's spokesman at The Washington Post, columnist David Ignatius, recently announced that the glorifying term "Arab Spring" is no longer being used by senior intelligence officials to describe democratic revolutions in the Middle East. It has been replaced by the more "neutral" term "Arab transition," which, as Ignatius put it, "conveys the essential truth that nobody can predict just where this upheaval is heading." Note that what was until very recently celebrated in American media circles as a joyous, inspirational awakening of "democratic birth and freedom" has now been downgraded to an "upheaval" whose outcome may be odious and threatening.
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