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Sol Sanders | Follow the money No. 87 -- Hello? Something in the water?
Latest from Uncle Sol. A version of this column is scheduled to be published on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011, in The Washington Times. My question for Sol is this: Is Barack Obama trying to throw the election? -- Chris
Follow the money No. 87 | Hello? Something in the water?
By Sol Sanders
Could more conspiratorial environmentalistas’ interpretations of our times be correct, that is, someone has been putting something in the water and we are all being lobotomized, even without major brain surgery?
You could make the case this week. Much of the world’s leadership, even though presumably suckling their bottled water, exhibits all the manifestations of imbibing something adversely affecting the normal cognitive processes:
· Pres. Barack Obama gets on television to boost his proposal for creating jobs by massive government expenditures and tax increases at a time when most Americans think the main problem – after disappeared jobs -- is a runaway federal deficit. Never mind he sent a $447 billion spend and tax bill up to the Congress without a co-sponsor in either of the houses, that his own Party’s Senate leadership initially refused to look at it, then introduced something radically different as a Millionaires’ Tax. All that even though the President has repeatedly endorsed his Republican opposition’s claim any tax increase during a recession is job-killer. Of course, neither bill has a – woops! we can’t say that any more – chance of getting through the Republican-dominated House or the splintered Democratic Senate. Hello?
· Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin [soon scheduled to slip back into the presidency in Moscow’s musical chairs] has dreamed up a restoration of Stalin’s old USSR as a “Eurasian Union”, a regional agglomerative dictatorship. Putin’s vision is a world of such regional blocs, graciously allocating the U.S. the Western Hemisphere. Unable to accomplish fundamental post-Soviet reforms, he has put together helter-skelter economic collaboration with neighbors [including pumping their gas and oil] with Belorussia, Kazakhstan and a loose customs union [Common Economic Space]. He now aims bringing in the current pro-Moscow Ukraine leadership. But his present arrangements already cost Moscow $1.7 billion in tariff sharing revenues last year. Meanwhile, prospective investors in this harebrain scenario are trading every ruble to dollar they can get their hands on and tossing them out of the country – more than a record $49 billion so far this year. Hello?
· Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, chairing the Eurogroup finance ministers, says “[E]verything will be done". He means in an effort to avoid Greek default and without Athens opting out of the 17-member single currency. But the rating agencies just whacked Italy’s credit rating, Spain’s soaring borrowing rate fell only because the already strapped European Central Bank bought its increasingly high risk bonds, and debt-ridden Portugal is failing to meet targets. The decision whether Greece will get the next tranche of its bailout was delayed until mid-November so the European Union, the European Central Bank and the IMF can pull themselves together to decide whether Athens has met conditions for receiving help. Latest official figures say not: the Greek budget deficit will hit 8.5 percent of GDP in 2011 instead of the 7.6 percent it promised creditors. Greek officials now pledge the 2012 deficit will be slashed 6.8 percent of GDP instead of the promised 6.5 percent if a €6.6 billion [$8.83 billion] worth of supplementary austerity and reform measures package is forthcoming by 2013 Without the “current” €8 billion [$10.71 billion] tranche, Athens would bankrupt by this November with major repercussions for Europe and the world. Hello?
· Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad allegedly told visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu Damascus would strike Israel with missiles if NATO helps his country’s rebels during his rapidly escalating civil war. “If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv,” Assad warned after Turkish foreign minister conveyed a United States’ polite request to clear out. Assad continued: “All these events will happen in three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran will attack the US warships in the Persian Gulf and the US and European interests will be targeted simultaneously” True, Assad is rumored to have chemical and bacterial warfare stocks. But the Israelis sit on the Golan Heights less than 75 miles, downhill to Damascus. After Assad’s father tangled with the Israelis in 1982 -- the largest air-to-air combat of the jet age and one of the shortest – Syria lost 85 Soviet MiGs. Hello?
Yep, must be something in the water, the wine, the arak or wherever.
— Sol Sanders, a veteran international correspondent, writes weekly on the intersection of politics, business and economics, can be reached at solsanders@cox.net and blogs at http://www.yeoldecrabb.wordpress.com
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Obama is scheduled to be President For Life of Kenya after his current CIA assignment is over.
Yes and Chauffeuring Bush Sr. ...
Anymore questions?
Sounds like we're in "Good Hands with The State"
Leaders, leaders everywhere,
No leadership, I do declare,
Some sound good,
Some sound bad,
But they're all completely,
Stark raving mad.
+1...
You are indeed quite charitably to the corrupt, bought and sold, pocket lining useful idiots of the US political class...
The biggest scandal in human history is the Govt and environmentalists ban on Malaria eradicating spraying of pesticide DDT.
Malaria is a preventable epidemic and was being massively and successfully eradicated by DDT spraying throughout the 3rd world ...until the Govt and UN bans... since the international Govt bans Malaria has mushroomed once again to epidemic levels killing 60-100 million people, mainly Mums and their toddlers... the Govt ban is responsible for more deaths than the entire 2nd world war, more indeed than Hitler and Mao combined
During recessions/Depressions the genocidal tendencies of Govt comes out and are indeed exposed. Expect the DDT ban and other maliscous murderous acts of Govt on their own people to be revealed...
Govt: the Biggest Social & Economic Mistake in History
it's the lemming effect everywhere, even wb has it
http://expose2.wordpress.com
DDT is fat-soluable and is insoluble in water whcih is why it is so difficult to wash away in the environment. It's is a highly dangerous neurotoxin dangerous to humans and other forms of animal life, and absolutely ravages the environment. The only people advocating its use are the chemical companies. Do you work for them?
Our soldiers slathered it on their bodies during WWII in the south pacific, day after day. Lots of studies were never done to show the neural damage that resulted. All the vets forgot to make an issue of it, even though they were dropping like flies from the dangerous neurotoxin.
My uncle, who fought in the Army on several Pacific Islands, died right away at 81 from that nasty DDT. Of course, the jungle rot on his feet never went away, but he did not have malaria. By the way, the Army did many more amphibious assaults in WWII than the Marines ever thought of.
This is a common thing. Take a personal example, an anecdote, and use it to invalidate a general principle. One thing I would point out, as I have pointed out before here, is that the effects on a full grown man are not the same as on a fetus. In the former case, there are effects, but they take a long time to play out and are difficult to link with a particular exposure, precisely due to this large time lag. But for a fetus, those chemicals are not simply poisons, they are chemical instructions that modulate the expression of genes that make us who we are. Something you might want to keep in mind. Or better yet, do your own research. Here's a great place to start:
http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/home.php
Sharp as a tack, as usual, GG...
a few comments back, Unca Moe was hammering down hard on flouride, then the DDT is innocous comment!?!? ....either a well rounded individual, OR victim of schizophrenia....I can't figure out which, honestly! His analysis of the 60's here was dead on, so I give him the benefit of the doubt...
something I will not give to those pretending to supply "organic" produce" to the North American market in this post Fukushima era...between perchlorate residues and radiation contaminants, the whole west coast deal is done...finished...over. Those who pretend otherwise are merely playing Liars Poker.
"Lots of studies were never done to show the neural damage that resulted."
Exactly. All sorts of studies that were obvious, that needed to be done to prove safety, were not done. They ignored the effects and this approach goes way back to 1914 and the FDA permitting Arsenical pesticides on Washington apples. A useful reference that talks about this history is "DDT: Scientists, Citizens, and Public Policy," but Thomas R. Dunlap, 1981.
A good overview of DDT toxicity in mammals including humans.
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/ddt-e...
I think I'd rather not have it in the food chain if I had my druthers.
That iNull. He gets to the top of the heap of the fittest and then he wants to repeal Darwin so he can stay there.
He wants to get rid of DDT and dioxin and mercury so the next generation can't evolve and o'er top him. He wants to get rid of everything that would make homo Sapien tougher, stronger and a little less pretty.
I guess how the fittest stay on top, Huh, iNull?
An odd response. So you want DDT, dioxin?!? and mercury in the environment?
I think what iNull is saying is that all these chemicals are changing us and other animals in fundamental ways, but we refuse to see it. One can make jokes or remain blinded to the truth, but the truth is out there.
Sorry. I forgot to put. ; - ) which means 'just kidding'
I agree with iNull on this and most other subjects, but occasionally I see some humor in the argument of the other side and can't resist the temptation of annoying iNull and others of his ilk.
I've spent time in Arcata and am quite familiar with the poisonous whiff of dioxin when the paper mill in Eureka was pulping. I am no friend of dioxin.
Anyway, hat's what I do. I hope you don't get too mad if II do it to you. By this sign you shall know me. ; o )
It's ok. I'm more of a thinker than a feeler, so I don't usually get mad, especially if there is a good discussion happening.
+1 to the girl
i think these corporations will do any thing to make a buck.
floride in water...
i could go on for days...
the worst thing TPTB could have ever done, was give the internet to the peasants....
We make mistakes too. For example, we never should have called ourselves TPTB..
But what could we do? Robin Hood and his Merry Men was already taken.
; - )
Don't get me started on Fluoride. It's just criminal.
Re: your last sentence: let's keep it on the DL, shall we?
As near as I can tell, I am the only person in the world, who believes that autism is the result of fluoride placed in our water. Look at the timetable, and the geographic degree of occurence.
The exact same time on a Saturday that a scientific study comparing fluoride water communities with non fluoride water communites showing an across the board 25 point IQ decrease was on ABC news on the radio [I heard it coming home from work] the mass shooting in AZ was taking place. I came home and started to tell my wife about the fluoride [we stopped drinking tap water at all years ago, when we were overseas we did not get fluoridated water - hence all three of our kids are very bright - last one is in West Point 2d year] when she interupted me to say there was a big shooting in AZ. By the way, during the week before the shooting/fluoride study release, ALCOA stock nosedived. As you must know, the fluroide put in America's water supply is the byproduct of aluminum production, it is a untreated / unrefined byproduct. The men who load it and disperse it must wear hazmat suits and masks. Look at you local water company website for the EPA wavier for the known pollutant fluoride. It's on mine, but I had to dig for a long time to find it.
The link to autism only makes sense. I thought maybe TV, but fluoride, which damages nerve cells, could be part or all of the puzzle.
Drink tap water at your own risk. The rich started drinking Perrier water when I was a teenager, we all thought they were crazy. Nope, they were in the know.
as you wish, my lady...
So True. an unbelievable number of needless deaths in Africa all in the interests of the environmentaltists. We send millions for mosquito nets and DDT is over 100 ties more effective and cheaper.
The US Centers for Disease Control have been collecting exposure data for years, and in their fourth report, the data indicates DDT is still being used. Probably it's being used in Mexico because Mexican Americans show the highest concentrations. Interestingly, the data shows an increase from the 1999-2000 samples to the 2001-2002 samples, suggesting that a small number of Mexican Americans were spraying or working where DDT had been sprayed. See: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/data_tables/LBXPDT_DataTables.html
The other interesting thing is if you look at the data for the DDT metabolite p,p'-DDE, a breakdown product of DDT, it is widely found in the blood serum of the US population. This suggests DDT was used in Mexico for produce crops, then imported into the US and introduced into the conventional food supply. See: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/data_tables/LBXPDE_DataTables.html. and Kelce, WR. 1995. Persistent DDT metabolite p,p'-DDE is a potent androgen receptor antagonist. Nature 375 (6532):581-5.
The interesting thing about endocrine disrupting chemicals, like DDT, is that the effects are most severe for fetuses, not for full grown adults. This intergenerational effect is consistently ignored by DDT proponents, despite the massive scientific and environmental health literature documenting its effects. Another interesting effect is that there is a relationship between use of DDT in the tropics and the concentrations of DDT in Inuits in the Arctic. See: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3.... Very clear evidence that this stuff doesn't stay where it's sprayed.
A recent article in Environmental Health Perspectives studied the question of DDT use in the tropics, particularly indoor residential spraying, saying, "the evidence of adverse health effects due to DDT (as for many other chemicals) is mounting as more research is published (as discussed in the preceding section). This new research clearly indicates that it is now time to, at the very least, invoke precaution on the use of DDT in malaria control. Clearly, protecting lives is the priority, but who will take care of those that are protected but harmed? And what can be done to reduce exposure? Developing safe and effective alternatives to DDT would be a major step forward." http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3...
You can blame environmentalists if it helps you sleep at night, but these folks are looking at the problem from an environmental health standpoint and are reasonably questioning whether the benefits really do outweigh the risks.
Yes, DDT is cheap. Especially if you don't consider all the externalized costs.
Brilliant logic. There are an unbelievable number of bank robberies. If whenever a teller presses the alarm police showed up and sprayed the entire bank with bullets we could cut down dramatically on the number of bank robberies. Of course everyone would be dead, but hey, as Stalin said you got to break a few eggs right?
he also said :
Death is the solution to all problems. No man - no problem.
but I always thought this quote really defined the man:
Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas.
What if we could trick them into having costly, damaging ideas?
Law of Unintended Consequences.
And where pray tell do the poeple go and get bit during the day? Or when they get up to take a piss at night? Out from under their mosquito nets.
Brilliant, fucking brilliant.
But the egotistical liberal mind feels ever so enriched by the good deed.
Yes, let's attack the symptom and forget the disease.
All's healed, what do we fix next?
Put Lithium in the Water. Fixed.
"Don't Drink the Water"
No flu epidemics for years, yet ferocious govt agitprop campaigns to "get your flu vaccine". That's where the nano-chips are. In the Flu vaccine.
they wont ask.. just force your kids to get them in schools
Obviously you never looked at all the unintended consequences of widespread DDT use, probably not knowing that every living thing on the planet now has a little bit of DDT in it. Do you even know why it was banned in this country? After it was banned, it was to a large degree replaced with more toxic and less well-understood pesticides. All this chemical trespass is just taken for granted nowadays by people oblivious to the real costs.
At a time when the world is running into major resource limitations, I don't think that expanding the population by lowering the death rate is going to make things better. It's just a solution that creates more problems than it solves, and in fact makes those problems all the more difficult to address. Hopefully the knowledge of how to produce pesticides will be lost after industrial society collapses.
Clearly it would be much fairer and more democratic if we just asked for volunteers for euthansia.
If you really believe what you post, how far are you willing to go? Are you willing to step up to the plate and become Soylent Green for the endangered tigres?
Are you channeling Thomas Malthus?
I have read a dozen times in the last month or two predictions of an earth with just a billion or two inhabitants. I don't remember the various scenarios that got us down from seven billion to two, but it sounds like something's afoot to cull the population.
If the population expands, that's no good and if the population is culled, that is obviously no good.
The earth's population is not going to freeze at this level. But if it doesn't expand, it must because of culling, which is unacceptable.
What's to be done about that?
.
Absolutely free, perhaps even payment rewards for consumption of, birth control drugs. If that doesn't work, maybe require their inclusion in soft drinks and nicotine delivery devices.
That's dangerously close to a "sci-fi" solution.
What about Orwell's Anti-Sex League? Too severe?
Didn't China get mocked for their 'one family - one child' policy?
Amazing. Talk about history repeating itself. We had this debate in the 60s and 70s. I know because I was old enough at the time to remember it. Now we need to have the debate again? Unbelievable.
Closed!
Oh yeah! where's my flying car! I was promised flying cars! And a robot housekeeper. And everyone would be white and middle class! they promised us a golden future. just don't ask any questions and just follow our orders. well we held up our part of the bargain, now they telling us there's only enough of anything for their future.
When virtually every policy that people were sold on were built on lies, then yes, its time to talk again. In fact, its might be getting too late for just talking.
Yeah, but in the 60's and 70's we didn't have 15 trill in debt and we weren't running out of oil.
That's gotta count as a slightly different debate. ;- )