End The Fed!

Finally, a somewhat mainstream editorial favoring the End the Fed movement, supported by Ron Paul

Policymic.com posted an article regarding a video explaining what's up with the Federal Reserve, and why we should make it go away.

check it out

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Bombing in Iraq

So there's an election coming up in Iraq, and that means it's bombing season (still? again?)

Rt.com reports  that 23 were killed and 130 more wounded in five bombings involving 5 Shiite mosques, coming ten days bombings killed 56+ and wounding another 200+.  

Effect?  Encourage the election of someone who continues to rely on a U.S. presence to 'protect the democratic process' more than likely.  Damn the war on terror is awesome.  I like how we keep pumping money into this area, like it's ever going to do any good.

and North Korea shifts to a 'war footing'

awesome.

Stay scared everyone.

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More on North Korea

The L.A. times reports that Kim is making the men in charge 'nervous' here in the U.S.  I wonder how we make him feel on a daily basis?  I'm thinking the huge economic sanctions and threats of military action are just great for his peace of mind.  Most people probably think he's a ruthless, arrogant, maniacal dictator with designs on destroying the 'peace and freedom' we enjoy as U.S. Citizens.  I can see why those people might think this way, given that most news agencies, and even Hollywood, have been slamming North Korea induced terror down our throats for the last couple years. 

The article says:

"The Pentagon on Thursday took the unprecedented step of announcing that it had dispatched two nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers to fly a round-trip mission from their base in Missouri and drop dummy bombs in South Korea. Also this month, the Pentagon sent nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over the peninsula and announced that it had bolstered missile defense forces in Alaska with 14 interceptors in response to North Korea's threats of missile attacks."

Jee, I wonder, who do you think is more nervous, him or us?

I wonder who has more good reason to be nervous?

Dumb question I guess...

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Why is Online Poker illegal?

Well, the Federal Government (and state governments that have separate legislation) tells us a story about consumer protection (just look at the funds that various poker sites have embezzled from their customers), and protection against money laundering. 

Realistically, it has more to do with the Fed not getting their cut.  Money laundering is the process by which money earned illegally is 'washed' and becomes part of the white market economy.  This happens in other areas in various ways, most having to do with front businesses providing legitimate services, but perhaps falsifying records in various ways.  Basically, find a way to pay taxes on money you earned selling drugs, and it becomes legal.  Online Gambling allowed people to launder money without paying taxes to the federal government (or state governments, for that matter).  As we know from various bumper stickers and t-shirts, the government hates competition.  It worked harder and faster to shut down online poker as a viable way to both earn untaxed income and launder money than it has on many other organized crime organizations that use more conventional laundering routes. Evidence: the continued existence of the Italian Mafia for well over 100 years as a criminal presence in the U.S.  As long as those more conventional routes involve paying taxes as part of their laundering process, why bother? 

Currently,  Washington State is working on legislation to regulate online poker, so that those wishing to run poker sites allowing online gambling sites catering to  players in that state will be required to have a physical location in Washington according to Pokerfuse.com.  This means the business will have to pay taxes, and keep U.S. based records on the financial activities of its customers.  This doesn't prevent those players from laundering money, necessarily (although admittedly it makes it a bit harder), it just makes it so those laundering money have to pay taxes on that money (just like those gambling in a regular casino with large amounts of money). 

While it's nice for those of us that like to play poker online with legitimately earned income, it's yet another example of those in power using that power to make sure they're getting the money they so richly 'deserve.'   It's also another example of the government further regulating the internet as a whole, which, in my opinion, generally means less freedom and more ability to control a population. 

Oh well, it could be worse, I mean, North Korea could invade or something.....


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The North Korea Situation

The Washington Post reports on North Korean situation today, in what can only be called one of the more obvious statements I've seen as a headline for a story recently.  "Our policy toward North Korea isn't working."  Really?

A starving population and a government with nukes trying to figure out how to launch them at us, slowling losing reasons to avoid launching them at as, as they 'get away with' more and more 'unacceptable' behavior.

I saw two movies recently, "Red Dawn" and "Olympus Has Fallen."  Both movies have to do with invasions from North Korea.  Later this year "Whitehouse Down" will be coming out, also a Noth Korean invasion. 

Propaganda Much?  It makes me wonder what's going down in the near future with regards to that red-headed stepchild of the nuclear world.  I wouldn't be too surprised, as the War on Terror seems to be calming down in the Middle East, to see an effort by our Commanders in Chief in the next couple decades to go after North Korea.  I guess there's not alot that would surprise me with regards to our sensationalist and imperialist foreign policy, but the signals are all there, more blatant than usual. I mean really, Olympus has Fallen" and Whitehouse Down"?  They're not even trying to disguise it, just rile us all up and instigate some deep racial hatred in a short amount of time.  Just remember, we're the ones who are trying to dominate them at this point, not the other way around.  Yet.  I don't really blame them for being all pissed off at the U.S. 

As Mike Chilnoy, the author of the above article, states:

"Every time Pyongyang has faced pressure, sanctions and coercion — as opposed to a U.S. willingness to engage — it has responded in precisely the same way: by doing the opposite of whatever the heightened pressure was designed to achieve. "

Surprise Surprise. 

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Breaks over!

Alright, breaks over, time to get back to this again.  I haven't been keeping touch with what's going on in the world, I've had more pressing matters to deal with recently, but all that is relatively under control now.  So let's take a look at some news headlines and see if I can get back into the swing of things.  

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Syrian Capital under siege... by Syrian Government?

Interesting... if that were the U.S. fighting to retake Washington D.C. from some interior rebel force, it seems like we would want to say "U.S. fights to retake capital" or "U.S. fights insurgents to secure capital" or some such other title where it's clear that the territory is the legitimate property of the Government that owns it.  Amazing that a 'News Organization'  can claim to report NEWS and not EDITORIAL when they make such blatantly biased statements in the very TITLE of the article.  Further on in the article, Voice of America reports that

     "Feltman also accused Iran of supplying Syria with weapons, backing charges by Western officials that.  Tehran is providing funds, arms and intelligence support to Assad in his bid to crush the opposition. Syrian rebels also say the Islamic Republic has sent Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah fighters to Syria."

but earlier in the article VoA says

"In Ankara, Turkish and U.S. officials are holding their first "operational planning" meeting aimed at bringing about the end of Assad's embattled regime. Thursday's deliberations are expected to coordinate military, intelligence and political responses to the Syrian crisis."


Notice the differnece between language like "accused, charges, crush the opposition"  and "bringing about the end of... regime"  Pretty huge difference. 


It's OK for the U.S. and it's 'allies' in the U.N. to plan BOMBING campaigns and other military action to aid the rebel forces, but not OK for a clearly dominated military power in Iran to help its allies? 
I mean, I'm not necessarily in favor of the Assad government, don't get me wrong, but I'm not necessarily in favor of a Sunni Muslim government either.  And I'm all for countries dealing with their own civil wars internally.  It's absolutely ridiculous that in one paragraph the VoA 'News' organization can implicitly SUPPORT foreign intervention on behalf of the rebels, but almost EXPLICITLY condemn foreign intervention on behalf of the previously internationally recognized government.   They don't even pretend to be unbiased, citing multiple cases of 'humanitarian violations' by the Syrian Government, but citing NO violations by the rebels, implying, thereby, that there ARE none, which can hardly be the case in war.  Also, laying the blame for the condition of the people of the country solely at the feet of the Syrian Government, forgetting that, without the rebels, there would be no war, be no refugee situation, and be no war-like increase in humanitarian necessity. 

Obama warns Assad of US military action in Syria

The Jerusalem Post, that famously unbiased publication, reports today that Assad leaders threaten that if Western Powers intervene that they'll use some bio or chemical WMDs against the rebels.  Obama doesn't like that much.  It's OK to kill people with bullets, shrapnel and fire, but nothing else, of course.   Mostly because the bullets and bombs were probably purchased from us at some point, on one side or the other.  God forbid one side do something to definitively end the fighting.  Not that chem or bio weps are cool or anything, but damn, I really don't wanna pay for more wars, you know?  I mean, yeah, agonizing death results from a gut shot from a bullet, and can take days longer than death from chemical or biological weapons, but that's irrelevant.  Dying in agony is dying in agony, I would think. 

Anyway, it's clearly a threat to Israel if Assad uses them within it's own borders.  Somehow.  I don't know why we even keep up pretenses of being a 'global force for good' as the navy propaganda would have us believe.  Cause you know the first thing that will happen is cruise missiles from our fleet in the Mediterranean will start flying around, followed by navy pilot flyovers.  How many times will they bomb the wrong force based on shaky intelligence from questionable informants?  once or twice more than is reported probs. 

We're so screwed: National GeographicSee realtime coverage Soft-Shell Robot Comes Complete With Cloaking Abilities

Muaha.  Here they come.  Cloaking robots.  RevModo Reports that Harvard made some neat-o robots that can cloak, kind of like octopus and other cloaking sea creatures. They do basically the same stuff to blend in to.  Mmmm, military applications abound, eh?

I want ten. you?

The future is here, I can totally see these in some sci-fi book from the seventies, or even eighties, or even now, but much more malicious.  They've even made them 'soft shelled'.  Add slime for fun times on Halloween?

Good for Harvard. 

Hiatus over? Global Climate Change

OK, so things have been interesting.  Financial issues, change of location, work, and... a distinct abundance of apathy in the whole thing required me to take a significant break from my various rants.  But perhaps, just perhaps, we'll give this a try again, just for kicks. 

I recently became a 'believer' in Global Climate Change.  That is, I came to believe the thesis that our climate is currently changing in a significant manner, and that this change, is, in fact, due to human activities increasing the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere.  However, this all fits neatly together with other things I have believed for quite a while, like, nuclear power should replace all other forms of power immediately to solve the 'energy crisis' as well as most of our other problems as the most efficient form of power on the planet.

Here's the jist of the "Global-Climate-Change-due-to-Human-Activity" argument, I guess

The planet earth has, as part of it's atmosphere, CO2
Various biological and geological processes on the planet create and utilize CO2
Until humans began burning vast amounts of fossil fuels during the industrial revolution, the CO2 circulated in a system much like the water system, in relative balance.  Actually, it may have even been reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Even though humans produce a very very small portion of the overall CO2 released into the atmosphere, the planet's natural carbon circulation system was not designed to incorporate that amount into the balance. 
As a result, there is now a net gain in overall CO2 in the atmosphere, overall.
Here's the website that convinced me that this is the case:  www.skepticalscience.com
They did a pretty good job, really.

However convincing they are, though, they haven't really proposed any sort of feasable solution.  I definitely would like to see people educated correctly about CO2 production and global climate change, but I don't want to see that education go hand in hand with alternative energy indoctrination. 

What it comes down to, basically, is that no combination of solar power, tidal power, wind power, or any other non-carbon producing or non-nuclear-reaction utilizing source of power can even come close to satisfying global energy needs, even assuming NO growth.

Nuclear power can do it though, no problem.   With new  breeder reactor technology we can have an almost endless source of fuel for the reactors, and with new storing and decomissioning technology, waste is becoming less and less of a problem.  New primary reactor design even makes them safer, eliminating concerns that arose from the Japan 'crisis.'

It's important to remember that it's not just a one step fossil fuel for power problem, we also use oil for almost all of our plastics.  To convert to entirely bio-lipid based plastics we would have to convert giga-acres of farmland to growing hemp for the oil, and it still wouldn't come close to satisfying our plastics needs.  Right now there is no alternative to plastic, either..

SO use oil for plastic, but don't BURN the oil (and then we can even recycle the plastic efficiently maybe, cause we won't have to use fossil fuels to run the recycling plants), use nuclear reaction for energy, problems solved, all electric cars, no worries!

GOP: The Warmonger party?

Since when?  Even George W. ran on a platform of international non-intervention.  Wolfowitz got his wish though (for his new world order doctrine) and their was a 'catalyzing event' to use as an excuse to go to war with, basically, anyone the executive branch (read puppet masters) sees as threatening to the status quo, including American Citizens who, apparently, can be targeted for assasination, despite the constitution. 

Forbes Reports that Dr. Ron Paul was the only GOP candidate with an intelligent foreign policy and national defense strategy among the entire candidate base; 

" Ron Paul’s clear and compelling case against a war with Iran irritated his Fox News hosts (who have already expressed their disdain for Paul) and painted him in stark contrast to his Republican rivals."

His main rival in this particular debate, Michelle Bachman, insists that Iran is a huge threat, and are guaranteed, without a doubt, making it basically a mathematical and metaphysical certainty (based on the fact that their constitution says 'worldwide jihad'... though we doubt that Bachman knows what jihad really means) to throw nukes at everyone we like and give them to everyone we hate, if they come to possess them.   Were you dropped as a baby, Michelle? 

What happened to the Republican idea of nonintervention?  What happened to leaving other countries to work out their own messes, ESPECIALLY when we're flat broke?

Hurrah, Dr. Paul, for standing up in the face the racism and hatred that has transformed the faces of so many of those in the government and the media, and BOO Fox News for trying to start more wars.  The cliche 'two rights don't make a wrong' is a cliche for a reason, guys. 

For those of us that are sick and tired of hearing about deaths overseas, both of our friends and loved ones serving, and the 'enemy' that we have invaded and declared war on, it is refreshing to hear that there is a TRUE republican among the bunch.  Ron Paul understands that when you INVADE OTHER PEOPLES' NATIONS and BOMB THEIR WOMEN AND CHILDREN and DICTATE THEIR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL POLICY, and CONDEMN THEM OVER AND OVER diplomatically, that they tend to respond with some amount of irritation.

Hopefully the rest of the nation will start to understand that people don't just hate us for no reason.  They hate us because we do things that piss them off.

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Ron Paul: NOT just a novelty candidate.

Despite CNN's quote that:

"Paul's supporters wonder if he could win a general election, and the candidate himself doubts his stamina in what could be a long GOP primary fight. "

(which as a supporter I doubt is the case at all, cause I certainly have faith in his stamina... he's a doctor for God's sake). 

It is also clear that Ron Paul is a serious threat to Gingrich's tenuous hold on the Republican Party, which is AWESOME.  When even CNN has to admit (though obviously grudgingly) that Ron Paul has a good shot at things, you know we're doing well.

Go Dr. Paul!

And although NYDailyNews.com reports that :

"Though Paul has little chance to secure the Republican nomination, his campaign strategy could give him a loud voice at the GOP convention."

It seems blatant that the comment is a last ditch effort to convince those who haven't quite seen the light that Ron Paul isn't worth wasting their vote.  We know now that this isn't the case, but nice try NYDN, you're gonna go on the list of propagandists now.  This editorial comment is blatantly one sided, and not at all in the interest of balanced journalism.  This type of 'article' should be shown in journalism classes throughout the country as an example of media's attempts to control the political sphere.  The overall tone of the article seems to indicate that Dr. Paul's success is more a detriment to Gingrich than indicative of any real worthiness on Paul's part.  Again, as I said before, good ideas don't die without a strong fight.  Ron Paul for President, 2012.  He can do it, we can do it, we need to do it.

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Ron Paul might win?! and someone is reporting on it!

I never would have thought the day would come when a major news outlet would report anything remotely near this.  However, The Kansas City Star, owned by the McClathy Company, says in the linked article that Ron Paul will probably take second in the Iowa vote on Jan 3rd, and has a good shot at Gingrich, even. 
For all of those who say that Ron Paul isn't electable, I say ANYONE is electable, and Dr. Paul isn't just anyone.  His message of personal liberty in combination with a small, constitutionally sound government is an ageless concept, and though our founding fathers were some of the first people to attempt to implement the idea on a grand scale (not democracy, but a democratic republic)  the ideas of freedom and personal responsibility for ever member of a country is not a new idea, and is not a crazy idea, as so many people seem to think.

We HAVE NOT outgrown the ideals set down in our constitution.  This would be like saying we have outgrown the bicycle because it's an idea over 100 years old.  Good ideas don't die.  However, those who's interests are disturbed by talks of a government who is no longer ruled by the few at the expense of the many will continue to try to convince us otherwise.

Be wary!

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'President' or 'King'?

What, at this point, are the relevant distinctions between our President (and indeed, other Presidents around the world) and the typical Monarch who is accompanied by a relatively weak parliament, and a judicial system that, basically, answers to the executive branch?

Not much, it seems.  The president is held responsible for things he can't possible hold any power over, and also claims credit for things he couldn't possibly have had anything to do with.  However, he often blames the opposition party/congress/a lack of good Intel for Snafus.

this is all something to be expected in a political circus like we have here in the United States, where the president is largely elected by the Media.  Or at least, the individual as the popular media portrays him.  Then, when in office, we find that the president is very little like the image portrayed prior to the presidency.  Surprise Surprise.  The fact that presidents in recent history have all come from something akin to the landed aristocracy in medieval Europe lends addition credence to the idea that the President has become an individual whom behaves and is viewed more like a king, or someone with king like powers at the very least.  At this point he can, effectively, declare wars, assassinate American citizens, and engage in all sorts of King like activities.

One might argue that we have a system set up with checks and balances.  However, the system as it was set up was supposed to guarantee that no one branch, executive, legislative, or judicial had any more power than the others.  Legislative makes laws, executive branch enforces Law, and the Judicial branch determines whether or not there has been violation of law. 

We know, however, than though we may all have equal protection under the Law, we are not all subject to the same laws.  Indeed, the President routinely takes an oath in which he pledges to uphold the constitution, both in letter and in spirit.  This clearly is a falsehood, as we have seen since the first Executive Order (via President Lincoln), which was basically Presidential Legislation that skipped the normal processes.  Additionally, the president no longer has to get a declaration of war from congress to take military action against a country or group of people.  The Judicial branch is ignored often in the decisions it makes, and the Attorney General selectively prosecutes.  The Legislative branch is mostly a farce, and at the whim of Presidential Veto, a polarized (apparently, though not really) two-party system, and the Federal Reserve system. 

And, really, they're all at the mercy of the world wide banking system, along with world wide media conglomerates.  Let's face it.  Without the Ted Turners of the world, the Bush's of the world could never get elected, and without the Rothschild's of the world, the continued boom bust cycle that makes the few rich and the many poor simply wouldn't exist as it does. 

Illuminati aside, its pretty clear that the power is in the hands of one President, and like Kings of old, he is a puppet to some unseen (but perhaps well known) puppeteer.

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Alternatives to FRN (Federal Reserve Notes)

So what happens if (read when) the dollar crashes.  How will we get food, clothing, heat, etc?  Well, it won't take very long for competing currencies to emerge, mostly backed by state and private holdings of gold and silver.  These currencies will either BE physical gold, silver, and copper, or will represent actual amounts of these metals (or perhaps some other holder of value) held in vaults somewhere, where those value holders are actually audited and examined for accuracy.  Given the current value of the dollar relative to other goods (like gold, silver, etc..) it seems likely that those who have invested in actual property (rather than, say, the GLD etf or gold options, shares, or other pieces of paper that represent gold in a bank that trades in US dollars) will do very well, and be able to buy the goods they need.  Things like guns, bullets, gasoline, basic foodstuffs, dry firewood, etc will be in high demand, and luxury goods will be in low demand.

It's important to start thinking about how things will be if the dollar no longer holds any value.  Even now it only holds imaginary value, which, for most, is becoming less and less dependable, which is reflected in prices of goods, and the value of gold relative to the dollar.

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Obama put's the blame on Congress?!?! Really?

LOL

This Article

Tells us about Obama blaming Congress for our labor and market problems.

Isn't the DOL and Federal Reserve part of the executive branch?

I'm pretty sure it is.

Well, at least the Department of Labor...

It's more like the Executive Branch is part of the Federal Reserve kindof....

ZeroHedge reports on BBC Meltdown Piece

What comes next is the Question
Here's the Zero Hedge Link


And there's more to come as Obama approves an additional Surtax on incomes over 1 million dollars. 

Gold up over 10.00 today

I expect, as always, with continued plans in Europe and the U.S to continue to propagate their fiat currency scheme for the world, that we will continue to see gold rise.

At least until they make it illegal to compare the worth of Federal Reserve Notes to gold and silver at all.

Confiscate it (again), and strike all record of these metals from history and the periodic table of the elements.

Sounds like a wet dream for the Ben Bernankster.

Here's a typical article about today's reasons for the shift in gold prices, and what 'investors' think about it:
From Northern Voices Online

The Death of Steve Jobs

Seems important to say something about.

I don't know much about the gentleman though, other than he is widely considered to be a revolutionary businessman and philanthropist.
It is unfortunate that he had Microsoft's Government Sponsored Monopoly to fight against, and wasn't granted the billions of dollars in Government Subsidies and Contracts that Microsoft was.

He worked hard for his money, seems to be the consensus.
He was proof that a small business could turn into a massive business and succeed.

I hope the current establishment (Big Government Corporate Aristocracy) doesn't completely destroy his dream by denying future entrepreneurs the same opportunity, as they seem to be intent on doing.

Here's a fourth branch piece on him.

ABC News on Steve Jobs

Rest In Peace, Sir.

A great compilation of Ron Paul videos

I thought this was awesome.



Of course I would.

Also, apparently congress is all pissed at President Obama for the whole Solyndra thing (which is outrageous certainly), but it's hard to see how it's any more outrageous than any of the other horrendous abuses of our constitutional freedoms perpetrated by the Executive Branch and it's private sector cronies on a daily basis.