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Monday, April 30, 2012

Warrior In Chief -- Peter L. Bergen, New York Times

Warrior In Chief -- Peter L. Bergen, New York Times

THE president who won the Nobel Peace Prize less than nine months after his inauguration has turned out to be one of the most militarily aggressive American leaders in decades.

Liberals helped to elect Barack Obama in part because of his opposition to the Iraq war, and probably don’t celebrate all of the president’s many military accomplishments. But they are sizable.

Mr. Obama decimated Al Qaeda’s leadership. He overthrew the Libyan dictator. He ramped up drone attacks in Pakistan, waged effective covert wars in Yemen and Somalia and authorized a threefold increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan. He became the first president to authorize the assassination of a United States citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki, who was born in New Mexico and played an operational role in Al Qaeda, and was killed in an American drone strike in Yemen. And, of course, Mr. Obama ordered and oversaw the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Read more ....

Military-Intellectual complex? by Stephen M. Walt

Military-Intellectual complex?

I happen to be a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and so I get various emails announcing upcoming events. Yesterday I received a notice about a not-for-attribution tele-conference with the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff. A few hours later, I received the usual invitation to the Council's annual conference in New York. The speaker at the opening session will be General Martin Dempsey (chairman of the Joint Chiefs), and other key events at the conference include a mock NSC meeting focusing on the confrontation with Iran and a dinner reception to be held at the USS Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. The closing event will be a conversation with retired Army general Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
None of this is all that surprising, but am I the only one who sees it as more evidence of the creeping militarization of U.S. foreign policy?

What if realists were in charge of U.S. foreign policy? by Stephen M. Walt

What if realists were in charge of U.S. foreign policy?

Does the Bin Laden raid tell us who is a bolder commander-in-chief? by Peter Feaver

Does the Bin Laden raid tell us who is a bolder commander-in-chief?

Larry Summers Resumes Exercises In Pontificating Sophistry by Tyler Durden

Larry Summers Resumes Exercises In Pontificating Sophistry

Brennan's Speech on Counterterrorism, April 2012

Brennan's Speech on Counterterrorism, April 2012

John O. Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, gave these remarks at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC on April 30, 2012.

Sibel Edmonds Finally Wins

Sibel Edmonds Finally Wins

By leading anti-war activist David Swanson, author of Day Break and War Is A Lie, who runs the websites DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org (formerly AfterDowningStreet.org)
Sibel Edmonds’ new book, “Classified Woman,” is like an FBI file on the FBI, only without the incompetence.
The experiences she recounts resemble K.’s trip to the castle, as told by Franz Kafka, only without the pleasantness and humanity.
I’ve read a million reviews of nonfiction books about our government that referred to them as “page-turners” and “gripping dramas,” but I had never read a book that actually fit that description until now.

How Did Obama Become Our Most Imperial President?

How Did Obama Become Our Most Imperial President?

If Obama is the president of next to nothing on the domestic policy front, he has the powers previously associated with the gods when it comes to war-making abroad.

China’s Land Bridge to Turkey Creates New Eurasian Geopolitical Potentials by F. William Engdahl

China’s Land Bridge to Turkey Creates New Eurasian Geopolitical Potentials

The End Times, Always Around the Corner

The End Times, Always Around the Corner

Alternet's Adam Lee explores the history of the Christian obsession with the End Times, from St. Paul to Cotton Mather to the Jehova's Witnesses to that crazy Harold Camping who predicted that the world would end in 2011, and contends that end timers are responsible for serious political and social harm. I'd argue that the effects are pretty minimal, but the more interesting question is, why does this this idea continue to have so much power?

The Death and Life of Detroit by Barry Yeoman

The Death and Life of Detroit

FP: Think Again: Al Qaeda

FP: Think Again: Al Qaeda

A year after Osama bin Laden's death, the obituaries for his terrorist group are still way too premature, writes Seth G. Jones for Foreign Policy.

Has Israel’s leadership come down with mad-Jew disease?

Mon, April 30, 2012 Iyyar 8, 5772

by Chemi Shalev
  • Published 14:07 30.04.12

Has Israel’s leadership come down with mad-Jew disease?

Why waste money on hasbara when our own experts tell the world that Israeli leaders are warmongering rejectionists?

By Chemi Shalev
This is what’s been going down in the last few days alone:

Former Israeli Premier Assails Netanyahu on Iran


Former Israeli Premier Assails Netanyahu on Iran

Copyright 2012  The New York Times Company

FAS Roundup: April 30, 2012

FAS Roundup: April 30, 2012   

Investigation into leak prosecutions, nuclear forensics, new CRS reports and much more.
From the Blogs
  • Senate Review of CIA Interrogation Program "Nearing Completion": The Senate Intelligence Committee has been reviewing the post-9/11 detention and interrogation practices of the Central Intelligence Agency for four years and is still not finished.  But the end appears to be in sight. Committee staff are said to have reviewed millions of pages of classified documents pertaining to the CIA program.
  • Govt Appeals Court-Ordered Release of Classified Document: On April 29,  government attorneys said that they would appeal an extraordinary judicial ruling that required the release of a classified document in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The document in question is a one-page position paper produced by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) concerning the U.S. negotiating position in free trade negotiations.  It was classified Confidential and was not supposed to be disclosed before 2013.
  • Nuclear Forensics: A terrorist attack using an improvised nuclear device would be hugely destructive. During the Cold War, nuclear weapons had a 'return address' since the U.S. could trace the trajectory back to the point of origin. Dr. Y investigates the background of nuclear forensics in a new post on the ScienceWonk Blog.
  • Patent Office Weighs Patent Secrecy for "Economic Security": Steven Aftergood writes that in response to congressional direction, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is considering whether to expand the scope of patent secrecy orders — which prohibit the publication of affected patent applications — in order to enhance “economic security” and to protect newly developed inventions against exploitation by foreign competitors. Currently, patent secrecy orders are applied only to patent applications whose disclosure could be “detrimental to national security” as prescribed by the Invention Secrecy Act of 1951.
  • Why Are There So Many Leak Prosecutions?: As is often remarked, the number of individuals charged with Espionage Act violations by the Obama Administration for disclosing information to the media without authorization is unprecedented and exceeds all previous cases in all prior Administrations combined.  But why is that?
  • Govt Wants More Time to Respond to CIA Drone FOIA Case: On April 24, government attorneys asked a court for an extension of time to respond to two Freedom of Information Act lawsuits seeking disclosure of records pertaining to “alleged targeted lethal operations” conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency, including the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki. The attorneys’ request seems to portend a possible change in the government’s persistent refusal to acknowledge the widely reported fact of the CIA’s use of drones in targeted killing operations.

Events
  • FAS President Dr. Charles Ferguson spoke at a colloquium hosted by the physics department at the University of Texas at Austin on April 25, 2012 regarding the role of scientists and engineers in the security field. You can view Dr. Ferguson's presentation here.

FAS in the News

CFR Update: Lessening of War Fears Over Iran?

Top of the Agenda: Lessening of War Fears Over Iran?
Fears over an imminent military confrontation between the United States and Iran over the latter's controversial nuclear program have receded, according to a New York Times report today. Western economic sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector prompted the Iranian government to be more flexible in direct negotiations with the United States and other world powers, held in Istanbul two weeks ago, the Times said. Negotiations are set to resume in Baghdad next month. At the same time, there is a growing debate within Israel over launching a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, which has delayed the possibility of an immediate attack, experts said.
Analysis
"Yet even if the third time for the fuel-swap proposal proves to be the charm, the political conditions in both Washington and Tehran will make it exceptionally difficult to build on any initial momentum. In Washington, Obama might claim the deal as a vindication of his Iran policy, but Republicans would surely criticize it as an insufficient ploy that only buys time for Tehran to race across the nuclear threshold," writes Suzanne Maloney for ForeignAffairs.com.
"The tone has certainly changed, in part because the Iranians understand that the harsh tone was not serving them well. Second of all, two factors have come together that have impacted their decision-making--it is impossible to disaggregate them--which is more important: the unprecedented economic distress or the threat of Israeli military strike?" CFR's Ray Takeyh said in this CFR Interview.
"To be sure, the public seems to want exactly what President Obama wants, which is to resolve this stand-off diplomatically. Yet it is striking how, in the absence of strong war-talk from the White House -- indeed, given all the poor-mouthing of the military option from administration officials --there is still a reservoir of public support for the hawkish policy," writes Peter Feaver for ForeignPolicy.com.

A First Lesson in Econometrics Journal of Political Economy (Aquifer, via the Incidental Economist)

A First Lesson in Econometrics Journal of Political Economy (Aquifer, via the Incidental Economist)

Housing Slide Nears End but Faces a Long Bottom Wall Street Journal

Housing Slide Nears End but Faces a Long Bottom Wall Street Journal

The Economy and the Presidency Martin Feldstein, Project Syndicate

The Economy and the Presidency Martin Feldstein, Project Syndicate

The Obama Contradiction Tom Engelhardt

The Obama Contradiction Tom Engelhardt

Morgan Sandquist: Finance in Denial – Conclusion

Morgan Sandquist: Finance in Denial – Conclusion

Nonproliferation update

Possession underscores nuclear contradictions
The Japan Times
When the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed in 1968, it had a three-way bargain. It was drafted and negotiated by some of those within the nuclear club. Not surprisingly, therefore, it embedded their interests and priorities.
US might allow low level uranium enrichment by Iran
American Thinker (blog)
They are granted that right as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The problem has been that since Iran has been less than forthcoming about its program - and less than transparent about its intentions - we and the rest of the western ...
Agony of Agni!
The Nation, Pakistan
America has refrained from criticizing India for its test; instead praised its ''solid nonproliferation record,'' and called on ''all nuclear-capable states to exercise restraint regarding nuclear capabilities.'' Soon after the Agni test, ...

Sunday, April 29, 2012

How Apple Avoids Billions in Tax

How Apple Avoids Billions in Tax
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/how-apple-avoids-billions-in-tax/

Apple, the world’s most profitable technology company, doesn’t design
iPhones here. It doesn’t run AppleCare customer service from this city. And it
doesn’t manufacture MacBooks or iPads anywhere nearby.

Yet, with a handful of employees in a small office here in Reno, Apple has done
something central to its corporate strategy: it has avoided millions of [...]

Economic Facts Obama Wants to Hide

Economic Facts Obama Wants to Hide
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/economic-facts-obama-wants-to-hide/

The human capacity for self-delusion truly is remarkable.  Most people out
there end up believing exactly what they want to believe even when the truth is
staring them right in the face.  Take the U.S. economy for example.  Barack
Obama wants to believe that his policies have worked and that the U.S. economy
is improving.  So that is what he is telling the American people.  The
mainstream media wants to believe that Barack Obama is a good president and that
his policies make sense and so they are reporting that we are experiencing an
economic recovery.

A very large segment of the U.S. population still fully supports Barack Obama
and they want to believe that the economy is getting better so they are buying
the propaganda that the mainstream media is feeding them.  But is the U.S.
economy really improving?  The truth is that it is not.  The rate of
employment among working age Americans is exactly where it was two years ago and
household incomes have actually gone down while Obama has been president.  Home
ownership levels and home prices continue to decline.

Meanwhile, food and gasoline continue to become even more expensive.  The
percentage of Americans that are dependent on the government is at an all-time
record high and the U.S. national debt has risen by more than 5 trillion dollars
under Obama.  We simply have not seen the type of economic recovery that we
have seen after every other economic recession since World War II.

The horrible statistics about the U.S. economy that you are about to read are
not talked about much by the mainstream media.  They would rather be
“positive” and “upbeat” about the direction that things are headed.

But lying to the American people is not going to help them.  If you are
speeding in a car toward a 500 foot cliff, you don’t need someone to cheer you
on.  Instead, you need someone to slam on the brakes.

The cold, hard reality of the matter is that the U.S. economy is in far worse
shape than it was four or five years ago.

We have never come close to recovering from the last recession and another one
will be here soon.

The following are 25 horrible statistics about the U.S. economy that Barack
Obama does not want you to know….

You may view the rest of this post at:

Money, Power and Wall Street

Money, Power and Wall Street


Watch Money, Power and Wall Street on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.
Money, Power and Wall Street was originally published on Washington's Blog

Tarp Overseer Debunks Bailout Myths: Big Companies HAVEN’T Repaid Tarp Funds … And Funds to Help Homeowners HAVEN’T Been Disbursed

Tarp Overseer Debunks Bailout Myths: Big Companies HAVEN’T Repaid Tarp Funds … And Funds to Help Homeowners HAVEN’T Been Disbursed

Debunking Bailout Myths

Apologists for government bailouts push two main myths:
  • That all of the bailout funds have been repaid
  • That the bailouts helped the average American
But the official government overseer of the Tarp bailout program – the special inspector general for TARP, Christy L. Romero – has debunked both myths.

84% of All Stock Trades Are By High-Frequency Computers … Only 16% Are Done By Human Traders

84% of All Stock Trades Are By High-Frequency Computers … Only 16% Are Done By Human Traders

Given The Dominance of The Machines, Do Flesh-and-Blood Traders Have a Chance?

H.L. MENCKEN WAS RIGHT

H.L. MENCKEN WAS RIGHT

“I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant.” - H.L. Mencken

Iran Slams Deployment Of U.S. F-22 Raptors In UAE: Lawmaker -- Xinhuanet

Iran Slams Deployment Of U.S. F-22 Raptors In UAE: Lawmaker -- Xinhuanet

TEHRAN, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian lawmaker slammed the recent deployment of the U.S. F-22 Raptors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Sunday.

The Rapporteur of Iranian Majlis (Parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Kazem Jalali said that stockpiling weapons would threaten stability in the region.

Jalali made the remarks referring to the recent media reports that the U.S. recently deployed its F-22 Raptors at the UAE Al Dafra Air Base.

Read more
....

Update #1: Iran lawmaker: Stealth fighter deployment to UAE is US-Israeli plot to create instability -- Washington Post/AP
Update #2: Iran: F-22s in UAE are US-Israeli Plot -- Arutz Sheva
Update #3: Deploying jets US-Israeli plot to destabilize region: Iran MP -- Press TV

The Student-Loan Scam

The Student-Loan Scam

Michael Medved asks: Why should cheaper loans for tomorrow’s elites be subsidized by taxpayers?





On Student Loans, Accounting Gimmicks, Electric Cars, FX and a note on SS

Inside the Bin Laden Manhunt

Inside the Bin Laden Manhunt

A new book chronicles the 10-year search for the world’s most-wanted terrorist. Ex–CIA official Bruce Riedel on the myths of Osama—and what the Pakistanis don’t know.


How Obama Got Bin Laden

Veteran journalist David Corn details the tense deliberations leading up to the raid May 1, 2011.


Selective bin Laden leaking Glenn Greenwald.

Selective bin Laden leaking Glenn Greenwald.

Recovery Measures

By request, here is an update to four key indicators used by the NBER for business cycle dating: GDP, Employment, Industrial production and real personal income less transfer payments.

Note: The following graphs are all constructed as a percent of the peak in each indicator. This shows when the indicator has bottomed - and when the indicator has returned to the level of the previous peak. If the indicator is at a new peak, the value is 100%.

These graphs show that several major indicators are still significantly below the pre-recession peaks.

Single Payer Is Not the Answer

Single Payer Is Not the Answer

We may want, even pray for, a quick, simple, painless answer to big, hard problems. But the single-payer solution to our health care woes is not as simple or painless as its cheerleaders make it out to be.

Arizona v. United States: Reading the Tea Leaves of Oral Argument

Arizona v. United States: Reading the Tea Leaves of Oral Argument

The Constitution recognizes that there is such a thing as State borders, and the States can police their borders, even to the point of inspecting incoming shipments to exclude diseased material.

Does Quantitative Easing Benefit the 99% or the 1%? George Washington

Does Quantitative Easing Benefit the 99% or the 1%? George Washington

Selective bin Laden leaking Glenn Greenwald.

Selective bin Laden leaking Glenn Greenwald.

How Overpriced is US Health Insurance?

How Overpriced is US Health Insurance?

"Broadcasters' Last-Ditch Push to Hide Political Ad Data"

"Broadcasters' Last-Ditch Push to Hide Political Ad Data" -- With the FCC set to vote Friday on whether to require broadcasters to post political ad data online, the industry has been scrambling to water down the proposed rule.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/broadcasters_last-ditch_push_to_hide_political_ad_data_20120426/



"FCC-Required Political Ad Data Disclosures Won't Be Searchable" -- The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 Friday to require broadcasters to post political ad data on the Web, making it easier for the public to see how as much as $3.2 billion will be spent on TV advertising in this election, but the information won't be searchable or presented in a common format.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/fcc-required_political_ad_data_disclosures_wont_be_searchable_20120428/

"Mad Cow: Consumer Reports Says Regulators Are Failing the Food Supply

TRUTHDIG RADIO
"Mad Cow: Consumer Reports Says Regulators Are Failing the Food Supply" -- This week on Truthdig Radio in association with KPFK: Consumer Reports senior scientist Dr. Michael Hanson tells us the United States lags far behind Europe and Asia in its regulation of the meat industry; Tupac and the L.A. riots at 20; Rocky Anderson's alternative campaign for president; and Greenpeace protests Apple's dirty cloud.
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/mad_cow_consumer_reports_says_regulators_are_failing_the_food_supply_201204/

"A History of the World, BRIC by BRIC"

"A History of the World, BRIC by BRIC" -- Here's the multi-trillion dollar question: Does the emergence of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as economic powers signal that we have truly entered a new multipolar world?
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/a_history_of_the_world_bric_by_bric_20120426/

Saturday, April 28, 2012

THE NO RETIREMENT PLAN: More And More Americans Plan To Work Forever from Clusterstock by Mike "Mish" Shedlock

THE NO RETIREMENT PLAN: More And More Americans Plan To Work Forever

China's Space Know-How Said Threat To U.S., Taiwan -- Reuters

China's Space Know-How Said Threat To U.S., Taiwan -- Reuters

China's growing capabilities in space could undercut any U.S. military response if Beijing resorted to force to bring self-ruled Taiwan into its fold, a study released Friday by a congressionally mandated U.S. commission said.

China's military is rapidly boosting its space programs to advance Communist Party interests "and defend against perceived challenges to sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the 84-page report by the Project 2049 Institute, a research group on Asia-Pacific security issues.

Read more ....

One American’s View of US-China-Russia Relations by Ambassador Chas Freeman

One American’s View of US-China-Russia Relations
Remarks to an Academic Seminar on US-China-Russia Relations
The China Institute for International Strategic Studies
and
The School of International and Public Affairs of Jiaotong University

Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. (USFS, Ret.)
Shanghai, China, April 27, 2012                        


I am honored to join such distinguished company in a discussion of Chinese, Russian, and American perspectives on the interactions between our three great countries.  My sincere thanks to you, General Xiong, to CIISS, and to Jiaotong University for convening this colloquium.  Like others here, I will miss the thoughtful presence of Ambassador Igor Rogachev.  As he would have done, I speak only for myself.

Ambassador Rogachev would, I think, be pleased by the current state of the Sino-Russian relationship.  Relations between the two countries seem to be settling into a pattern of amicable partnership.  This partnership is characterized by peaceful borders, growing trade and investment, regular summit meetings, high-level visits, and military exchanges and exercises, as well as frequent consultation in bilateral and multilateral settings.  In short, relations between China and Russia appear to be progressing smoothly in ways that satisfy the interests of  both sides. 

The same cannot be said for Russo-American or Sino-American relations.  Both are tinged with elements of suspicion and strategic rivalry.  Neither is now advancing; both are – at best – “on hold” pending the outcome of the U.S. presidential elections this November.  The complicated process of generational change in leadership now underway in China also inhibits initiatives to halt the drift in Sino-American relations. 
                                               
Before I turn to the United States and China, let me say just a few words about the state of U.S-Russian  relations. 

Russia has supported the NATO effort in Afghanistan by providing an alternative to exclusive reliance on Pakistan for logistical support.  This is a positive element in Russo-American interaction that few would have thought possible not so many years ago.  Given America’s falling out with Pakistan, Russian cooperation has become essential to the continuation of the American effort in Afghanistan.  Still, the two countries have not found much else on which to cooperate.  And NATO and Russia have yet to work out a satisfactory relationship, as dramatized by Russia’s reluctance to take part in the May 20 - 21 NATO summit at Chicago, where the future of Afghanistan will be a major topic of discussion. 

Americans are in the process of installing a complex system of radars and missiles designed to defend Israel as well as Western Europe from potential Iranian ballistic missile attack.  Not surprisingly, given its history, Russia sees the forward deployment of the U.S. military to Poland and the Czech Republic as threatening.  Russians also fear that the ballistic missile defense systems the United States is developing and deploying will undermine the effectiveness of Russia’s nuclear deterrent, destabilize Russia’s strategic balance with America, and reignite a Russian-American nuclear arms race.  The United States has not been able to allay Russian concerns.  Russo-American relations thus remain in a state of sometimes tense uncertainty.

In this and perhaps other contexts, Russia seems to see China as an important strategic counterweight to America.  By contrast, I think, China regards Russia as a natural bilateral partner and a vital component of the emerging multipolar world order, not as a strategic counterweight to the United States. 

For their part, Sino-American relations continue to develop unevenly and in somewhat contradictory ways.  China and the United States are increasingly interdependent economically.  Both countries recognize that they must work together on a lengthening list of global and regional problems if these are to have any prospect of resolution.  Although both countries’ policies toward Korea have consistently failed, China and the United States continue to cooperate on many of the issues there. 

On the other hand, political tensions are now intensifying between China and America on issues of global governance and order.  The two countries object to each other’s interpretations of the United Nations Charter and various aspects of international law.  They differ in their views of the inviolability of sovereignty and of the extent to which the international community is entitled to intervene in the internal affairs of countries in which governments are behaving atrociously toward their own people.

Perhaps most unfortunately, Sino-American military relations are characterized by sullen non-communication, suspicion, and mounting perceptions of mutual hostility.  Three feet of ice didn’t form in a day, but the ice separating the U.S. military from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has visibly thickened in recent months.  This time the immediate source of tension is, for once, not Taiwan.  It is a combination of mutual perceptions of misbehavior in the South and East China Seas, interactions by both sides with third countries unnerved by China’s growing military prowess and ever more active patrols of its near seas, and Chinese reactions to the U.S. reactions to these developments. 

The U.S. concept of “air-sea battle” and the stated intention of the United States to “pivot” militarily to focus on the Asia-Pacific have had a particularly negative impact on China’s view of  America.  No doubt the Chinese response to these U.S. moves will stimulate an equal and opposite American reaction.  Meanwhile, not for the first time, each side foolishly takes its concern about the capabilities and intentions of the other as an excuse to avoid talking rather than as a reason to pursue an honest dialogue.  There is little ground for hope that the two sides will be able to reengage during this year of American electoral uncertainty and Chinese leadership transition.  So the ice dividing China’s PLA from America’s armed forces will continue to accumulate for some time to come and the chill in bilateral relations will not go away.

This is too bad.  A lot of things are happening that are of interest and concern to China, Russia, and America and these things can only be managed effectively if the three countries are able to cooperate with each other.   Some fall under the rubric of geopolitics and national security policy.  Others do not.  Let me cite a few examples.

First, China, Russia, and America share important interests in Central and West Asia.  All three have an interest in denying terrorists sanctuary in Afghanistan after NATO withdraws.  China and Russia would be directly affected were NATO’s departure to be followed by the destabilization of Central Asia.  Despite differences about how best to accomplish this, all three countries seek the restoration of domestic tranquility in Syria and Libya.  All have a stake in Iraq’s recovery from the effects of the Saddam regime, the American occupation, and the catastrophic sectarian and ethnic violence these two factors combined to catalyze.  None wishes to alienate the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.   All wish to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons and are especially nervous about Iran in that regard.  None wishes to see a war between Israel and Iran.  All would suffer from the devastating effects such a war would have on the fragile global economy.  There is ample basis for much better policy coordination between China, Russia, and America if the three countries can muster the will to conduct it.

Second, two years ago, the Stuxnet computer virus showed the world that operations in cyberspace can inflict very real damage in the physical world.  Iran and others are almost certainly cloning the Stuxnet virus and redirecting it at new targets.  Meanwhile, anger about cyber intrusions and their impact on national and corporate security is building anger and generating demands for retaliation in every country subjected to cyber attack – which is to say almost every country.  This is fast becoming a very emotional and divisive issue.  Given their capabilities as well as their vulnerabilities, China, Russia, and America have a special responsibility both to craft a way to exercise mutual restraint in this domain.  They also share an interest in containing and countering the threat both state and non-state actors with mastery of it can pose to complex modern societies. 

Third, there are an expanding array of global challenges that demand joint or parallel responses from Chinese, Russians, and Americans.  These include, of course, the familiar but largely unaddressed questions of how to cope with global warming, pollution, and rising demands for natural resources and food supplies.  Beyond this, however, the economies of all three countries are now about to be fundamentally affected by the release of huge new supplies of oil and gas from shale.  Today’s energy importers may well become exporters.  It is in the interest of all – as energy producers and consumers – to manage an orderly transition to the new world energy order technological breakthroughs are creating.  This is, however, far from the only system-level change underway in the world.  To cite another example, the monopoly position of the U.S. dollar in international trade and finance is coming to an end.  China and America can ill afford to ignore Russian interests as a new world monetary order based on multiple currencies emerges. 

This third and last set of global issues -- the issues I’ve just mentioned -- essentially has to do with global order-setting.  With change comes both the chance to reshape the world to one’s advantage and the danger that, in the absence of concerted action, circumstances may evolve to one’s detriment.   The task of adjusting aspects of the world order marks the arena in which China, Russia, and America most need to exercise strategic imagination and seek common ground.  New technologies, new circumstances, and new opportunities require new rules of engagement and new rules of the road.

All three countries have a huge stake in cooperating to craft and implement rules that can protect our common interests.  In the new world that is upon us, no country can act effectively without partners, no nation is an island, and no people can afford to be indifferent to the interests of others.  I close with the hope that Americans, Chinese, and Russians will muster the will to work together to the common good.

Should We Kill The Politicians Before They Kill Us? by 4closureFraud

Should We Kill The Politicians Before They Kill Us?

Torture Cheerleaders Back In the News Trying to Defend the Indefensible

Torture Cheerleaders Back In the News Trying to Defend the Indefensible

Update: Up to 10 ...

Why Is It Necessary For The Federal Government To Turn The United States Into A Prison Camp?

Why Is It Necessary For The Federal Government To Turn The United States Into A Prison Camp?

Why Is It Necessary For The Federal Government To Turn The United States Into A Prison Camp?

DEWHURST: Halting Chinese corporate espionage

DEWHURST: Halting Chinese corporate espionage

Intellectual-property theft by China has emerged in recent years as a significant threat to American businesses, American jobs and the American economy. Companies both in the United States and abroad can spend countless years and money on research and development to innovate and improve, only to have their work stolen

From Jesse's Cafe Americaine US Leads Developed Nations in Percent of People in Low Wage Work

US Leads Developed Nations In Percent of People In 'Low Wage Work'


This could be a good question on a quiz.

With regard to Victorian England I have seen estimates that show that almost 20 percent of workers were 'in service,' that is, were employed as domestic servants.

I see where they are already bringing back debtor prisons in the States.

And Australia and New Zealand are falling behind it appears.   Some stubborn fascination with equality no doubt, insufficient elitism.  

Research shows the US is a low wage country
By Mark Thoma
April 23, 2012

(MoneyWatch) - Recent research from John Schmitt of the Center for Economic Policy Research shows that the US leads developed countries in the share of workers earning low wages. The research also shows that increased wage polarization over the last several decades is one of the reasons for the large share of low wage-work in the US. The bars in this graph represent the share of workers in low wage work, where low wage work is defined as employees earning less than 2/3 of the median wage (approximately $10 per hour or $20,000 per year). In this category, the US leads among developed nations...

Research Shows that US is a 'low wage' country - Mark Thoma


Michael Hudson and Max Keiser - Beggars Without Borders - Is the EU the New AIG?

Michael Hudson and Max Keiser - Beggars Without Borders - Is the EU the New AIG? http://jessescrossroadscafe.blogspot.com/2012/04/michael-hudson-and-max-keiser-beggars.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JessesCafeAmericain+%28Jesse%27s+Caf%C3%A9+Am%C3%A9ricain%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

MF Global Customer Money Unvaporized: 'Substantial Portion Went to JP Morgan'

MF Global Customer Money Unvaporized: 'Substantial Portion Went to JP Morgan'


"The final $680 million or so was transferred to other financial institutions with which MF Global did business, including a substantial portion that went to JPMorgan. Giddens said his team has "a solid basis for seeking the recovery of some of the funds that were transferred to JPMorgan," and is engaged in ongoing talks on the issue."

As they say in the trade, Q. E. D.   (quod erat demonstrandum)

CNN Money
$1.6 billion in missing MF Global funds traced
By James O'Toole
April 24, 2012: 6:49 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Investigators probing the collapse of bankrupt brokerage MF Global said Tuesday that they have located the $1.6 billion in customer money that had gone missing from the firm.

But just how much of those funds can be returned to the firm's clients, and who will be held responsible for their misappropriation, remains to be seen.
James Giddens, the trustee overseeing the liquidation of MF Global Inc, told the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday that his team's analysis of how the money went missing "is substantially concluded."

Stiglitz - Politics Is At the Root of the ProblemJesse's Café Américain by noreply@blogger.com (Jesse)

U.S. Signals Major Shift On Iran Nuclear Program

U.S. Signals Major Shift On Iran Nuclear Program

American Taxpayer Liabilities Just Went Up, Again – Why Isn’t Congress Paying Attention?

American Taxpayer Liabilities Just Went Up, Again – Why Isn’t Congress Paying Attention?

By Simon Johnson

Why Do They Hate Us? Foreign Policy

Why Do They Hate Us? Foreign Policy

Friday, April 27, 2012

5 Big Risks Facing Oil and Gas Companies

5 Big Risks Facing Oil and Gas Companies

Andrew Beattie, Investopedia
Whenever an investor approaches a new industry, it is good to know what the risks are that a company in that sector must face to be successful. General risks apply to. . .

Has Nat Gas Doomed Coal's Future?

Has Nat Gas Doomed Coal's Future?

Matthew Phillips, BusinessWeek
Is coal doomed? The dirty yet abundant energy source has had some rough patches before, but nothing like this. In 1985 coal accounted for 57 percent of all power generated in the U.S. Last year it was 42 percent. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates. . .

Credit Crunch Coming for U.S. Gas Drillers

Credit Crunch Coming for U.S. Gas Drillers

Edward McAllister, Reuters
As prices of the fuel tumble to their lowest in ten years, big lenders are set to slash credit lines to the most exposed producers by as much as a quarter, forcing firms to conserve cash by cutting back on drilling plans or to sell assets. . .

Is "Big Oil" Backing Romney?

Is 'Big Oil' Backing Romney?

D'Angelo Gore, FactCheck.Org
A pro-Obama TV ad says that "big oil" pledged $200 million to help Mitt Romney, making him the industry's "$200 million man." But that's a pretty slippery claim. The fact is that there is no evidence that truly big oil companies like BP, Exxon Mobil Corp. . .

Mitt Romney, the Petro-Candidate

Mitt Romney, the Petro-Candidate

Ben Adler, The Nation
 No sooner had Mitt Romney wrapped up the Republican presidential nomination than environmental groups began alerting the public to the threat they believe he represents. Last week four environmental groups"”the Sierra Club. . .

Marco Rubio and Our Wretched Destiny

Marco Rubio and Our Wretched Destiny

The neocons are back. Indeed, they never really went away: instead, they just went to ground temporarily until the smoke cleared over Iraq, and now they’re right out front pushing war with Iran, "regime change" in Syria, and hailing Obama’s (and Mitt Romney’s) favorite foreign policy book as the Received Wisdom of the Moment.

Analysis: US Firms May Miss Out as Saudi Nuke Plan Advances

Analysis: U.S. Firms May Miss Out As Saudi Nuke Plan Advances -- Reuters

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia expects to finalize its atomic energy plans this year but the U.S. nuclear industry may miss out on multi-billion dollar contracts to turn it into a reality unless Washington and Riyadh sign a non-proliferation deal soon.

Saudi Arabia has some of the world's largest oil and gas fields but rapidly rising power demand in the kingdom threatens to absorb much of those reserves unless it can find alternative fuels for its long-term economic growth.

Riyadh, which says electricity demand could soar from around 45 gig watts (GW) to 120 GW by 2035, commissioned the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA-CARE) in 2010 to draw up a plan for reducing reliance on oil and gas.

Read more ....

Previous Post: Is Saudi Arabia Starting A Nuclear Weapons Program?

US caught between Iran and Israel

US caught between Iran and Israel

Encouraging words are coming from both Iran and the European Union ahead of another round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program, with "very concrete results" anticipated. Israel, though, maintains its hard line, placing the United States in the difficult position of having to work towards a compromise with Iran while at the same time keeping the powerful Israel Lobby happy. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Apr 27, '12)

A Complete Breakdown Of US GDP Growth In One Simple Chart

A Complete Breakdown Of US GDP Growth In One Simple Chart

The first reading on Q1 GDP just came out and the headline number was a miss.  Growth decelerated to a pace of just 2.2 percent from 3.0 percent in Q4.  Economists were looking for a 2.5 percent.
However, the headline belied some good news in the underlying figures.  Personal consumption jumped 2.9 percent; economists were looking for 2.3 percent.  Also government spending fell 5.9 percent, which confirms that they're not the ones driving this economy.
The bad news from the BEA:
The deceleration in real GDP in the first quarter primarily reflected a deceleration in private inventory investment and a downturn in nonresidential fixed investment that were partly offset by accelerations in PCE and in exports.

Biden's Speech on Foreign Policy, April 2012

Biden's Speech on Foreign Policy, April 2012

U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden gave these remarks on foreign policy in New York on April 26, 2012.

Rubio’s Remarks on Foreign Policy, April 2012

Rubio’s Remarks on Foreign Policy, April 2012

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) gave this speech on the future of U.S. foreign policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC on April 25, 2012.

FP: Obama's Jimmy Carter Moment

FP: Obama's Jimmy Carter Moment

"North Korea's impending nuclear test is just the latest illustration of Barack Obama's weakness and naiveté abroad," writes special advisor to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, Richard Williamson, who served in the Reagan White House as an assistant to the president in the 1980s and as the president's special envoy to Sudan in the 2000s.

STIGLITZ: 'Europe Is Headed To A Suicide' from Clusterstock by Simone Foxman

STIGLITZ: 'Europe Is Headed To A Suicide'

Bin Laden Widows And Children Prepare For New Life In Saudi Arabia -- The Telegraph

Bin Laden Widows And Children Prepare For New Life In Saudi Arabia -- The Telegraph

The 14 members of Osama bin Laden's family who survived the US Navy Seal raid which killed him in May last year were on Friday preparing to live incognito - but probably in some luxury - in Saudi Arabia after being deported from Pakistan.

They included three of his widowed wives, ten children and one grandchild. One of his wives, Amal Ahmed al-Sadah, was deported to Saudi Arabia despite being a Yemeni, at the insistence of Yemen officials and members of her family who feared she might become a focal point for bin Laden's followers or alternatively targeted by al-Qaeda militants.

Read more
....

Previous Post: Bin Laden's Widows And Children Deported From Pakistan

t Looks Like Tax Revenue In California Is Coming Up WILDLY Short Of Expectations from Clusterstock by Joe Weisenthal

t Looks Like Tax Revenue In California Is Coming Up WILDLY Short Of Expectations

GDP Miss Far Bigger Than Announced; Real GDP is 0% Using More Reasonable Deflator

GDP Miss Far Bigger Than Announced; Real GDP is 0% Using More Reasonable Deflator

The Advance Estimate for Q1 GDP came in at 2.2%, down from 3.0% in the previous quarter, and below most mainstream media estimates of 2.5%.

Frontline’s Astonishing Whitewash of the Crisis

Frontline’s Astonishing Whitewash of the Crisis

Not the CIA, not bin Ladin -- Exxon is the toughest nut

Posted: 27 Apr 2012 12:19 AM PDT
Since its birth as Standard Oil in the 19th century, ExxonMobil has been at once the most profitable, demonized, secretive and uncompromising corporation on the planet, a black box that muckraker Ida Tarbell famously penetrated in the early 1900s, and no one since has managed. After books on the CIA in Afghanistan and the family of Osama bin Ladin, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Coll describes Exxon as the most-resistent of all to inquiry. His new book, Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power goes on sale Tuesday. Below, Coll replies to questions from the Oil and the Glory.

Two Meltdowns: Fukushima and the US Economy

Two Meltdowns: Fukushima and the US Economy
Huffington Post (blog)
On March 11, 2011, Japan experienced a 9.0 earthquake. The six nuclear plants at Fukushima -- about 136 miles north of Tokyo -- survived the quake but were swamped by a 45-foot wave that overwhelmed the 19-foot seawalls. Fukushima units 5 and 6 were in ...

WPR Articles 21 Apr 2012 - 27 Apr 2012

WPR Articles 21 Apr 2012 - 27 Apr 2012

Hacktivists' Evolution Changes Cyber Security Threat Environment

By: Eric Sterner | Briefing
So-called hacktivists, who combine computer hacking with social, political and economic protest, have straddled the line between criminal behavior and political protest for years. But their success in launching high-profile attacks on organizations as diverse as the FBI, CIA, MasterCard and the Vatican has captured the attention of government officials in ways that traditional political protests do not.

China Turns Its Gaze Outward

By: Iain Mills | Feature
A lack of institutionalization means that Chinese policy approaches are often fragmented and factionalized, both in terms of ideological formulation and implementation. Today, China's polity seems at a crossroads, no longer wedded to the heavily centralized, introverted strategic planning structures of the socialist years, but as yet unable to articulate responses to the dynamic transnational threats it faces in the 21st century.

Global Insights: U.S. Army Must Adapt to Constraints of Austerity

By: Richard Weitz | Column
Earlier this month, the U.S. Army War College's annual Strategy Conference sought to analyze how the U.S. military needs to adapt to an era of constrained resources and a changing global security environment. Titled the "Future of U.S. Grand Strategy in an Age of Austerity: Challenges and Opportunities," the conference comes at a time when the U.S. is undertaking its fourth post-World War II defense drawdown.

World Citizen: Why WikiLeaks and Hezbollah Crossed Paths

By: Frida Ghitis | Column
In the annals of "strange bedfellow" political encounters, the recent broadcast in which WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange interviewed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stands out as a remarkable episode. On closer examination, however, the debut episode of Assange's show, "The World Tomorrow," on the Kremlin-funded RT network, which featured Nasrallah as its first guest, in fact makes a lot of sense.

The Realist Prism: In Russia, It's Putin or the Deluge

By: Nikolas Gvosdev | Column
Vladimir Putin will be inaugurated to serve a third term as Russia's president next month. Far from being a triumphal restoration of his rightful role, however, Putin's return to the presidency is a tacit admission of failure. Putin and his associates have not yet succeeded in achieving the truest mark of success for any political regime: the ability to pass the system intact to a next generation of leadership.

More

The New Rules: In Globalized World, Time Is on America's Side

By: Thomas P.M. Barnett | Column
Despite a popular tendency to characterize globalization as an elite-based conspiracy, globalization's spread reflects a bottom-up demand function, not a top-down supply imposition. People simply crave connectivity as well as the freedom of choice it unleashes. This simple truth is worth remembering when we contemplate America’s global role in the decades ahead. Why? Time is most definitely on our side.

Russian Strategic Forecasting's New Look

By: Matthew Rojansky | Feature
Responding to the challenges posed by Russia will be a clear priority for Washington going forward, and the next U.S. president would benefit from a clear understanding of how Russia’s leaders are likely to behave in the coming years. But strategic forecasting is a two-way street, and American policymakers would also benefit from understanding the vision of the future that is driving decision-makers in Russia.

Indian Strategic Thinking Comes of Age

By: Prashanth Parameswaran | Feature
With its rich civilizational history and long tradition of argumentation, India is no stranger to grand strategy. Yet many have noted that this tradition of strategic thinking has not found its way into contemporary Indian foreign policy. That has begun to change with the proliferation of high-quality works devoted to Indian foreign policy strategy that provide a window on how India's strategic thinkers view the world and India's role in it.

The Tentative Rise of China's Reformists

By: Iain Mills | Briefing
As China prepares for a once-in-a-decade change of leadership, the ouster of Bo Xilai and a series of significant financial reforms have been widely seen as signs that reformist elements in Beijing are in the ascendency. This analysis may be correct, but it needs to be tempered with a broader look at the Chinese political and policy landscape, which shows that reforms still lag in multiple key areas.

Abu Muqawama: No Binary Choices for U.S. in the Middle East

By: Andrew Exum | Column
If the Middle East had easy-to-identify heroes and unambiguous villains, policymaking would be easy. But that isn't the case. Rarely do U.S. interests in the region lead to clear policy preferences. Often, in fact, it is unclear how U.S. interests are best served in the long run. And more often than not, U.S. interests actually compete against one another, forcing policymakers to prioritize ruthlessly.

South Africa's Regional Cooperation Dilemma

By: James Hamill | Briefing
In Southern Africa the process of regional cooperation has been viewed skeptically, mainly because the obvious disparities of power between South Africa and its neighbors raise the question of whether a more balanced and equitable set of regional relationships can be achieved. Though this is certainly a valid concern, it ignores any appreciation of the potential costs to Pretoria from closer regional cooperation.

ASEAN Struggles for Relevance in South China Sea Disputes

By: Mark J. Valencia | Briefing
Although the tense standoff between Chinese and Philippine warships at Scarborough Shoal in the northern South China Sea has been walked back from the brink, more such incidents are inevitable if China and the four ASEAN member states that also claim the sea's disputed islands and their adjacent waters and resources cannot agree on and implement a robust code of conduct to govern their activities there.

India, Qatar Broaden Ties Beyond Energy Trade

By: Saurav Jha | Briefing
With the Iran-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline project a casualty of U.S. opposition and persistent mistrust between New Delhi and Islamabad, India has increasingly turned to Qatar to meet its growing natural gas needs over the past decade. But after the recent visit of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani to India, the two states are looking to broaden their ties beyond trade in energy.

From Trend Lines:

Global Insider: North Korea the True Target for China-South Korea Pipeline Proposal

French Presidential Election Leaves Hollande, Sarkozy and Many Questions

End of Egyptian Gas Deal No Threat to Israel's Energy Security

Global Insider: U.S.-Mexico Energy Deal Sets Important Precedent

Global Insider: EU-Venezuela Ties Distant but Cordial

Collapse of Dutch Government Brings Eurozone Crisis From Periphery to Core

Global Insider: Russia-China Military Ties Growing Despite Friction

Tacit U.S. Approval Key to Australia's Afghan Withdrawal