Reading between the lines, and thinking outside the box . . .
To counter rising fuel prices, a group of Catholic and Protestant Churches in southern Germany has set up its own one of a kind non-profit energy company to supply gas to parishes and charitable institutions.
The factional struggle inside the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is daily becoming more confrontational. The dispute primarily concerns the attitude to be taken towards the Left Party. But behind this lies a far more fundamental question: How to deal with the growing resistance to the anti-social policies of "Agenda 2010."
The majority of the SPD leadership wants to continue implementing these anti-social policies regardless of electoral losses, thereby accepting the destruction of broad sections of their own party.
Germany's cabinet is expected to approve a far-reaching new law this week to stop "giant locust funds" from Russia, China and the Middle East from launching takeover raids on the country's prized industries.
The controversial measure will enable Germany to stop foreign investors from outside the EU buying more than 25% of any company when "public order and security" are at stake. The proposals have set off a storm of controversy and raised fears that the country is drifting towards protectionism.
There are increasing reports from Georgia that Russian troops are systematically destroying oil transportation links. From the beginning, oil and gas transmission has been at the centre of this conflict.
It is said that every organization which outlives its purpose seeks to preserve itself by finding a new mission. This is indubitably true of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as even its moniker betrays how far beyond its initial purpose are its current actions and deliberations. Once a defensive treaty, NATO has become an aggressive, expansive entity in its own right.
(And: Why not simply abolish NATO?)
NATO foreign ministers strengthened their ties to Georgia and called for Russia to observe a ceasefire and to immediately withdraw its troops, vowing that until it does the alliance "won't continue with business as usual" in its relations with Moscow.
But the NATO ministers, at a rare, emergency meeting, failed to agree on any specific punitive measures, despite pressure from the US to at least threaten Russia with unspecified "consequences" and pleas from the Czech Republic, Poland and NATO's Baltic members to take a tough stand.
The evident consensus within US political circles for a confrontational course toward Russia is intensifying the fundamental dilemma of Europe. Unable to risk a military confrontation with America, European powers risk being reduced to the status of pawns as the US intervenes with increasing recklessness into Eastern Europe and Russia.
Although the unfolding drama in the Caucasus has been a tragedy for its innocent victims, the response by America's political and media elites has been an entertaining and delusional farce. But America long ago ceased to analyze events with anything remotely resembling an objective moral standard. Nowadays, the only yardsticks our imperial elites understand are power and self-interest.
(Cartoon: Recycled talking points)
Through the bold, and fully correct action of Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the matter of the British Foreign Office assets' orchestration of a war crime by George Soros puppet Mikheil Saakashvili against the people of South Ossetia, a proximate threat of nuclear weapons confrontation between Russia and London's accomplices was averted for the present time.
(And: Putin acted to prevent WW3)
Russia did not want this crisis. The Russian leadership is in a strong enough position domestically; it did not need a little victorious war. Russia was dragged into the fray by the recklessness of the Georgian president. He would not have dared to attack without outside support. Once he did, Russia could not afford inaction.
The West then mounted a propaganda attack against Russia, with the American news media leading the way. The news coverage has been far from fair and balanced, especially during the first days of the crisis.
Russia has made no threats against America. The post-Soviet Russian government has sought to cooperate with the US and Europe. Russia has made it clear over and over that it is prepared to obey international law and treaties. It is the Americans who have thrown international law and treaties into the trash can, not the Russians.
If you desire to be poor, oppressed, and eventually vaporized in a nuclear war, vote Republican.
(And: The bombs of August)
Israel threatens to wage a new war against Lebanon unless the country restrains Hezbollah from gaining more political power. Olmert also said a future war against Lebanese will be conducted differently, noting that "Gone are the days when wars were fought on remote and hidden battlefields while life in the cities carried on as usual."
Arab soil on US oil? (cartoon)
Pakistani President Musharraf, facing impeachment on charges drawn up by the governing coalition, has announced that he is resigning.
For India, Musharraf's resignation leaves a power vacuum during an increasingly tense time between the nuclear-armed neighbors. Many Indians credit him with helping bring about relative peace in Kashmir, a disputed Himalayan region claimed by both countries.
Iran is actively courting business investment from German companies, offering "guarantees" to those willing to take the plunge. Its aim: to offset financial damage resulting from its rogue image. Germany has long been one of Iran's largest European trading partners.
Following a meeting this weekend between Egyptian President Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah, Iran was told not to allow the US and Israel to create a pretext for a military attack, a warning interpreted by Tehran that an impending attack is on the horizon.
"This warning was interpreted by the London Arabic daily Al Quds as a warning to Tehran that an attack is impending by the US, some European nations and Israel."
President Ahmadinejad's incendiary anti-Israel outbursts have united the international community against his country, thus serving a key Israeli interest, former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy told an American-sponsored Arab satellite television network on Tuesday.
"Ahmadinejad is our greatest gift. We couldn't carry out a better operation at the Mossad than to put a guy like Ahmadinejad in power in Iran."
Israeli officials acknowledge that it would be difficult to launch an attack without approval from Russia, China, and India, something that the US would have to lobby those nations to achieve. The chances at present are extremely slim that any of the three will acquiesce. When it comes to Iran, all 3 countries have signaled that they've had enough of Washington's bullying.
The New World Order, ended with authority on 08-08-08, when Russia and Georgia went to war. Certainly, this war was not in itself of major significance, and a very good case can be made that the New World Order actually started coming apart on Sept. 11, 2001.
But it was on Aug. 8 that a nation-state, Russia, attacked another nation-state, Georgia, out of fear of the intentions of a 3rd nation-state, the US. This causes us to begin thinking about the Real World Order.
Caught up in his fear that military failure would encourage enemies, McCain can see no alternative to military victory, no matter what the cost.
Speaking before an audience of 3,000 members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Barack Obama defended his patriotism while attacking his Republican rival for being squeamish about launching unilateral military attacks against Pakistan.
He spoke not as an opponent of war, but rather as an advocate of a superior strategy for pursuing US imperialist interests by military means.
His speech underscores a stark political reality confronting the American people. Once again this November, the 2-party system will offer no means of expressing the massive popular opposition to war, but rather an empty choice between two big business candidates who are committed to the expanded use of militarism in pursuit of US corporate and financial interests.
Secession is a topic that can either get you labeled an oddball in conversation or quickly lead to your demise in less tolerant states.
Secession is the reduction of a larger enclave or polity into a smaller component of the same. It is devolution of power to subsidiary levels which then become the prevailing framework for rule and law.
"Extremists are on fire"
[WAR: Last night here in Kentucky, I met a good ol' hardcore love-my-country patriot who had retired from the US Dep't of Corrections -- with lots of contacts in the military, federal, state and local law enforcement communities.
He monitors the activity of the neo-nazis, KKK, etc., and said that "the extremists are on fire" over the possibility of Obama becoming president and that there's a lot of dangerous potential in the very near future...]
Dr. Nouriel Roubini believes we face a housing bust, a huge credit crisis, an oil shock and a deep recession. Just for starts.
Bulls now believe America is turning the corner. I remain beset by gloom. The US fiscal stimulus package that kept spending afloat in the 2nd quarter is running out fast. There is nothing yet to replace it. The export boom cannot keep adding juice as the global crunch hits.
My fear is that the US will tip into a 2nd, deeper leg of the downturn, setting off a wave of savage job cuts. This will start to feel more like a real depression. So no, this painful ordeal is far from over. We are not witnessing a dollar rally so much as a collapse in European and commodity currencies. The race to the bottom has begun in earnest.
Either inflation will continue swiftly and impose austerity by shrinking the purchasing power of wages, or rising prices will be canceled out by weakness in the economy as the downturn hurts businesses and eliminates some paychecks altogether.
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