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Good morning, worker drones: This Week In Mayhem
Good morning, worker drones: This Week in Mayhem
by Project Mayhem
Project Censored releases top censored news stories of 2009, Market Skeptics highlights catastrophic fall in global food production, gold bounces off $1100, Copenhagen succeeds in building global governance framework, Pakistan and Yemen sink further into chaos..
LAST WEEK IN MAYHEM
Project Censored releases list of 25 censored news stories of the past year
* 1. US Congress Sells Out to Wall Street
* 2. US Schools are More Segregated Today than in the 1950s
* 3. Toxic Waste Behind Somali Pirates
* 4. Nuclear Waste Pools in North Carolina
* 5. Europe Blocks US Toxic Products
* 6. Lobbyists Buy Congress
* 7. Obama’s Military Appointments Have Corrupt Past
* 8. Bailed out Banks and America’s Wealthiest Cheat IRS Out of Billions
* 9. US Arms Used for War Crimes in Gaza
* 10. Ecuador Declares Foreign Debt Illegitimate
* 11. Private Corporations Profit from the Occupation of Palestine
* 12. Mysterious Death of Mike Connell—Karl Rove’s Election Thief
* 13. Katrina’s Hidden Race War
* 14. Congress Invested in Defense Contracts
* 15. World Bank’s Carbon Trade Fiasco
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/category/two-thousand-and-ten-book/
2010 Food Crisis for Dummies
The countries that make up two thirds of the world's agricultural output are experiencing drought conditions.
The following article is HIGHLY recommended for anyone trading in the commodities futures markets or interested in possible future outcomes in 2010.
"If you read any economic, financial, or political analysis for 2010 that doesn’t mention the food shortage looming next year, throw it in the trash, as it is worthless. There is overwhelming, undeniable evidence that the world will run out of food next year. When this happens, the resulting triple digit food inflation will lead panicking central banks around the world to dump their foreign reserves to appreciate their currencies and lower the cost of food imports, causing the collapse of the dollar, the treasury market, derivative markets, and the global financial system. The US will experience economic disintegration.
So far the crisis has been driven by the slow and steady increase in defaults on mortgages and other loans. This is about to change. What will drive the financial crisis in 2010 will be panic about food supplies and the dollar’s plunging value. Things will start moving fast."
http://www.marketskeptics.com/2009/12/2010-food-crisis-for-dummies.html
Gold bounces off $1100
Gold has bounced off $1100, as expected, but the question is whether this level will hold. This is almost impossible to predict...what we do know is that gold is going much higher intermediate-term. Short-term, we could see pricing pressures on gold until we get a new leg down in the economic crisis and/or war in Central Asia. Things are heating up around the world, particularly in Yemen and Pakistan. Regardless, we expect a hard floor for the gold price in the range of $1000-1050. We will watch carefully for the next two business weeks leading into Jan 1st, as this will involve year-end mark-to-market for gold on many balance sheets so expect volatility. In terms of the next year (2010) we are expecting a dollar crisis so it would be wise to own gold under such circumstances.
Tarpley - Hyperinflation possible in 2010
http://eclipptv.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=9059
Gerald Celente - 2010 - Prepare for the Worse
http://eclipptv.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=9060
Copenhagen Treaty yields start of Global Governance
The Copenhagen treaty was a success despite the massive scientific scandal; the global bankster-gangsters got precisely what they wanted. The objective was to establish the framework for a world government, which is often called 'global governance' in policy planning circles. The seeds of this were successfully planted. There were two main accomplishments at Copenhagen: 1) agreement on a global transaction tax on GDP, paid to the World Bank and 2) agreement on preliminary funding for global governance, conservatively $100bn by 2020 but we believe this number will be much much higher (probably in trillions).
"In 2004, it was less than $300 million. But in 2005, the trade really started to soar, ending the year with $10.8 billion-worth of transactions. A year later, in 2006, the "carbon" market had grown to $31 billion. In 2007, again it more than doubled its turnover, to $64 billion. Last year, it did it again, reaching a colossal $126 billion. By 2020, some estimates suggest the annual value will reach $2 trillion."
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2009/12/protecting-big-carbon.html
"This is the biggest heist in history. As they poured carbon over snow-covered Denmark from their gas-guzzling jets, world leaders were congratulating themselves on securing a deal which will make their backers and financiers a trillion pounds a year. These riches will come from buying and selling permits, the so-called 'carbon credits' which allow industry and electricity generators in developed countries to emit carbon dioxide.
The frenzied negotiations we have just seen were never about 'saving the planet'. They were always about money."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1237235/ANALYSIS-Saved--trillion-pound-trade-carbon.html
Copenhagen accord keeps Big Carbon in business
"The part played at Copenhagen by all the tree-huggers, abetted by the BBC and their media allies, was to keep hysteria over warming at fever pitch while the politicians haggled over the real prize, to keep the Kyoto system in place.
The only tree they were concerned with hugging was the money tree and all the vast political apparatus that now supports it, allowing governments to tax and regulate us into handing over ever more of our money, largely without realising it, every time we drive a car, fly in a plane, pay our electricity bill or carry out any of a vast range of activities that involve the emission of CO2. "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/6845686/Copenhagen-accord-keeps-Big-Carbon-in-business.html
Saudis rain missiles down on Yemen
Saudi warplanes rain '1,011 missiles' on Yemen
"Houthi fighters say Saudi warplanes have fired some 1,011 missiles on the borderline with Yemen where the Shia population is already under heavy state-led and US-aided bombardment. "
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=114162§ionid=351020206
US air raids kill 63 civilians in Yemen
"Yemen’s Houthi fighters say scores of civilians, including many children, have been killed in US air-raids in the southeast of the war-stricken Arab country."
http://dprogram.net/2009/12/19/us-air-raids-kill-63-civilians-in-yemen/
Obama Ordered U.S. Military Strike on Yemen Terrorists
"The Yemen attacks by the U.S. military represent a major escalation of the Obama administration's campaign against al Qaeda."
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/cruise-missiles-strike-yemen/story?id=9375236
Pakistan on brink ; Obama feigns surprise
Internally displaced Pakistani women and children, aka alQueda
Pakistan continues to deteriorate, as we have been expected since the election of Obama. There is definitely a new war brewing in the region. The most likely conflict is either an event justifying going into Pakistan, or an event justifying going into Iran. In either case, doing so would land us in deep deep trouble, and would escalate into a regional war. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed country, with ballistic and cruise missiles, and Iran has advanced Russian weaponry. War in either country would be a big mistake with catastrophic consequences for the world, but our fearless leaders do not seem to care about the people of the world or their lives. Regardless, the CIA and ISI are doing an excellent job of destabilizing Pakistan, which seems to be the policy objectiive.
Pakistan political crisis deepens
"THE political crisis in Pakistan has deepened after the Government's anti-corruption agency sought a warrant for the arrest of the country's Interior Minister."
http://www.theage.com.au/world/pakistan-in-crisis-as-creeping-coup-unfolds-20091219-l6lf.html
Symptom of a Deeper Malady Pakistan's Refugee Disaster
In the meantime, with the winter months fast approaching, hundreds of thousands of "unintegrated" refugees who do not find more durable shelter, even as military sweeps continue, could face exposure and starvation. Some aid groups are demanding that the United States pressure Pakistan to respect international humanitarian law and allow independent access to the refugees.
http://uruknet.com/index.php?p=m61206&hd=&size=1&l=e
THIS WEEK IN MAYHEM
source: cmegroup
Not much happening this week due to the Christmas holiday. Tuesday brings us the GDP number and existing home sales, Wednesday is new home sales, and Thursday is durable goods orders and jobless claims. This week we are watching Yemen and Pakistan.
Have a great week and Merry Christmas
Project Mayhem Research (PMR) is a DC/Baltimore-based grassroots think tank dedicated to exposing corruption worldwide. PMR is affiliated with Zerohedge.com, a popular and growing anti-corruption site, through contribution of free articles for the public. Topics include the politics of war and weapons systems, unexpected applications of cybernetics, the growing international surveillance state, global warming 'deindustrialization' economics, broad systemic international corruption , in-depth policy analysis of studies from bank and military funded research groups, genetic analysis and surveillance of pandemic influenza, corruption in the international gold market, the power structure and history of the global elite, and analysis of their political objectives expressed through monopolistic international finance capital (read: powerful banks) between now and 2050.
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I've been following this story since 2008 and, from what I can gather, there were widespread drought conditions across many parts of the country through the early part of the growing season. At some point during mid-summer, the skies seemed to open up which is not always a good thing.
Extreme conditions in either direction put stress on crops and, if severe enough, cause ultimate destruction to the crop. According to the reports I've followed, when the rains came this summer it would rain nearly every day or come in torrential downpours which flooded out crops or caused mold in fields that were barely getting by as it was due to the previously dry conditions.
One other thought I had is that the two regions hardest hit by the earlier drought--Texas and California--are not mentioned and, thus, the reports showing wet conditions may simply be from different regions with different extreme weather patterns.
There is damage from both. In many cases there was drought at critical times when moisture was needed, and surplus water at harvest time, when dry conditions are needed. There is much more detail in the story.
We HAD a historic drought in GA, but thats done now. I know GA is not the breadbasket but twas the case pretty much all over the south and now things are good. So yeah, I def have my doubts that 2010 is going to be a "historic drought" for the food producing regions here.
I could say the same for most of Europe. In some parts, dams are almost full. 2010 is promising to be a plentiful year from a hydro-electrical power point of view. Not sure about the food shortage part, because it seems to me that Europe has surplas food production. Just recently there have been heavy public demonstrations about dairy farmers because they can't sell their products (excess product in the market) and cost of production have ramped up.
Guess the powers that be are hoping to own the entire middle east before the US dollar tanks.
Of potential interest in the swine flu area, I've updated my ongoing series about the virus, its genetic evolution, vaccines, the situation in Ukraine and developing Tamiflu resistance.
Here's my newest article: http://philsbackupsite.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/flu-update-tamiflu-resis...
Ilene
12. Mysterious Death of Mike Connell—Karl Rove’s Election Thief
I will never forget the moment they announced the results for Ohio in 2004. The election came down to this state and the exit polls and the written ballots were showing for Kerry. The BBC presenter John Simpson had, only a few minutes previously said it looked clear that Kerry would become the next President. He returned to the screen, his face ashen and maybe even slightly angry and he said, "the results are in, George Bush has won Ohio and has been elected for a second term." He said nothing more and to the best of my knowledge has never discussed the matter again.
I wonder how it feels as an American to know that your democracy is a lie?
I remember that incident. Frankly, I'm furious!
The world becomes a very different place when one can finally see the bars of the cage he is living in. I opened my eyes some 20-odd years ago. This lady just had hers pried open:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxJIdIFGUC8
You are still too emotionally invested. You might wish to consider dropping the rhetoric and instead focus on fundamentals. The end result(s) you desire is going to occur regardless of whether or not a grandmother is outraged at her mistreatment by a public servant.
Consider these key essentials:
Fact 1: For the last 20+ years, the entire economy of this country was based on credit driven asset inflation;
Fact 2: Notwithstanding that something along the order of $12T has been spent/committed to re-ignite securitization, real estate markets are still comatose;
Fact 3: All sources of government funding, from both taxes and debt funding, were 100% dependent on the FIRE economic model;
Fact 4: We no longer have any meaningful productive basis in which to substitute employment, output and government financing.
Conclusion: Absent (a) a miracle development in energy optimization/economic re-ordering (eg cap n' trade, health care or any other gov't sponsored 'functional finance' wet dream) and/or (b) a return to the types of loose lending and massive building activities that took place up until 2007, all levels of government will simply lack sufficient funds in which to continue operations.
What does this mean? It means it ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. Unlike Hollywood endings, 99.99% of people die not performing heroic tasks, but in a sad state of disrepair.
Governments are merely amalgams of people - they are subject to the same exact sets of principles of life & death. It's why civilizations have risen and fallen (often in obscurity) for millennia without nary any notice.
The USA that we know is dying. It has been for some time, but 2010 should present the tell for even the most ignorant of the masses.
She sounds like a teabagger. Who knows what how they were behaving in the Senator's office.
Teabaggers: Just because your party didn't win doesn't mean that America has turned into a dictatorship. What it means is that there was a vote, and your party didn't win.
Organize with like-minded people and try to win the next one.
and your definition of a 'teabagger' is...?
repub?, libertarian?, constitutionalist?, independent?, disillusioned dem?, scrotum licker?, anyone who doesn't like o?...
I appreciate that your advice seems to be pragmatic (vs fundamentalist), but it also seems to assume that this problem can be fixed from within the system. I'd assert that it is the system itself that is broken, and many of those whom you swipe with such a broad stroke might be the precious few that appreciate the actual state of affairs. You may also be one as well, and may someday resent the helplessness of being painted with that same broad stroke.
careful when we allow the language to detract from the issue. usually it's no accident.
cheers
+1000
The Teaparty movement sprang up because of TARP; the widespread national-level Tea Parties were first held on April 15th 2009, but organization began the prior year and in response to TARP. Remember when TARP was passed? Hint: it was 2008. The name-calling is also very revealing of the depth of your understanding and ability to argue points on merit versus regirgitating talking points. If you've ever been to one of these or similar events, and I have, and you bothered to ask people what pushed them off the fence and into the street, as I have, the most common answer you'd get would be "TARP". TARP was the most flagrant act of thievery then-imaginable.
Organize with like-minded people and try to win the next one.
Shall I vote for the party of Nobel Peace war, or the party of more war? The party of suspending habeus, or the party of suspending habeus? The party of ballot-access controls, or the party of ballot-access controls? The party of bailing out Wall Street, or the party of bailing out Wall street? The repubs would like nothing better than to claim the tea party movement, and use the claim as a means to keep the revolution within the walls of the prison. Even the left is trying to capitalize on populist anger, with Dylan Ratigan and Matt Taibbi leading the charge against Wall Street.
You nailed it, SWRichmond. This says it all, one of the best I've ever heard. In essence: This is what the American people voted for? The two best men that the American establishment could come up with were Obama and McCain--and selecting one of those men by the "vote of the people" is somehow interpreted as "the will of the people." Give me a break.
@JR,
You're dead on! In my opinion, the American political system by default eliminates the best and brightest available for the job. Look at how lives get dissected, names dragged through the mud, skeletons uncloseted, etc... Would you ever subject yourself to that? I sure as fuck wouldn't. And imagine how many other successful people have shit about themselves they don't want being made public. Look how quickly they got to Ross Perot.
Even Colin Powell, after accepting the nomination for Secretary of State and asked about pursuing the Presidency, said he had no desire to put himself through that level of scrutiny. Hell, you could probably make the argument that everyone on 'W's cabinet was more capable than himself. So why does he win the election?
Brought to you by the same folks who popularized The Hills, Survivor, Britney Spears, Keanu Reeves, Twilight, US Weekly, Wife Swap, Rock of Love, The Real Housewives of...
We got exactly what we deserved. And we're FUCKED.
Your reasons are among the most important illustrating why we must keep the political realm as small as possible. A system populated by the people you accurately describe cannot be trusted with my liberty. The value of any "democracy" can be measured by the range of private affairs that are outside the reach of the democratic process.
SWR,
I TOLD you that we share more common ideologies than not! We'll have more good conversation in the future, just keep an open mind and try to see the other side of the coin.
I genuinely don't mean this as an insult or an effront. I mean it to be instructive, as if I can be so presumptuous as to instruct anyone of anything.
Your statement above is affirmative, until the very last part: "...just keep an open mind and try to see the other side of the coin." I really, truly wish you could understand that adding these last parts to your statements, which can be seen aplenty in our "other" discuission, adds nothing except negative; not quite vitriol, but also certainly not in the spirit of discussion. You will neither reach, convince nor convert anyone, ever, by insulting them. The last phrase of your statement is unnecessary and distractive. It causes the rest of your words to be much less effective than they otherwise might be.
I look forward to continuing our interactions.
Here's what I'm gonna do... When I read a post that flips my trigger, I'm gonna look for your comments. I'll ask you for your opinion, and kindly offer mine. Having butted heads, I think we both agree that we are of similar perspective, but different backgrounds. I feel that this will be of significant benefit to both of us, as it should serve to broaden our scope and deepen our understanding of whatever topics were bantering. My talking points will be offered with no intended malice, and will accept your rebuttles likewise.
I really hope you find this to your liking. You seem to be a regular commentor @ ZH, and I would enjoy the gateway to additional conversations moving forwards. As we are well aware of the respective buttons to push with each other, I hope to be able to delve into numerous future dialogues with you minus the bullshit over the past day or so.
Let me know what you think, and keep fighting the good fight.
I must confess that, having read (not really studied) Mises and Hayek, starting nearly twenty years ago, I accepted as fact that planned economies do not work, because they cannot work. And rather than merely correcting, ultimately they fail spectacularly. I've been expecting this economic "event" for a long long time, and when it began unfolding I searched for the signs I believed would be there; they were. Then I looked for government's responses to be what I expected they might be: at least initially, many of them were (lie, print money, etc). As a result of very very close "watching" for the past two and a half years I find myself somewhat trapped within a giant confimation bias, and I'm aware of it. The big picture makes perfect sense to me. I certainly am stuck in the long-term view. I view trading as net counterproductive to the economy as a whole.
I actively seek other views, and often directly challenge those who espouse them. I've been down that road many many times. I appreciate this post and look forward to contributing what I can.
It's the crappiest system... after all the others.
"Remember when TARP was passed? Hint: it was 2008."
That's also coincidentally when we had a national election and a black Democrat was elected. I don't think that all Tea Partiers are nutjobs or wingers. But there are plenty of those blended in there.
Yeah but that is one of my biggest bitches about the Tea Party movement. It started with Ron Paul. Period. End of story. It was a movement that was raising money for his election and to promote disdain with the goverment policies of taxation and the Federal Reserve. The right wants to take it over as their own - they have already bastardized it. The left say it's a bunch of nut jobs - racists, birthers, far right etc. It is actually so offensive I can't even believe it. Sure there are a couple there but they surely do not define the movement. The "single" party is just doing what they are best at. Divide and conquer. Just like they do with the hot button issues that polarize. I'm a little wary that our next "terrorist attack" will be tied to the Tea Party movement.
time to question everything...twice:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1237298/You-Tube-video...
Chet, you should realize the two party system in this country is a one party system in disguise. Bickering over political parties is so 2008. Just because someone doesn't like the new warmonger-in-chief doesn't mean they are a tea-bagger, as you so uncreatively and disgustingly repeat.
Yeah, tell this to the disillusined O supporters. Winning isn't winning if the guy you voted for imitates his corrupt predecessor.
I agree that there isn't much difference between the parties.
In fact, that's part of my point. I think some typical Republican constituencies are now suddenly terrified of the republic collapsing, when I don't remember them talking about that so much with GW.
Seems to be losing the election that has convinced them the sky is falling.
I agree with you - the willing blindness runs deep in this dark chapter of our country.
The food crisis article is a must read. Something you can't control is the weather. Hopefully for our species this is associated with the El Nino La Nina cycle or the solar minimum stage we are in in our solar cycle and not something irreversible. It would be interesting to see how this plays out. I would agree with the recommendation to have at least a modest to sizable position in food. Even if supply recovers in time, there is no telling what effects a short term panic can bring.
Great work as usual PM and Merry Christmas to you as well.
Pfft. I took a look at some of those so-called primary disaster areas near where I live. And all of them just finished up a real good harvest this fall. We've been getting plenty of rain since then.
This is just scare mongering for web hits from what I can see.
And this time last year, there were more predictions of food shortages in 2009, due to drought conditions in China, and a lack of credit for farmers. Needless to say, nothing happened.
There isn't going to be a food crisis in the U.S. in 2010, sorry to disappoint those who get excited about these things. Don't confuse a real emergency with what looks like an excuse for a bailout for Big Ag.
thanks for the skeptical eye on marketskeptics & the USDA disaster graphs. it's wise to take everything with a grain of oats these days, especially when it flows thru the feds.