Political leanings

[Torurot]

Prove it??? Are you sure they are not.

"detention centers being built by Halliburton"

into Google seems to say they ARE building them IN the USA. Question is WHY??

[Torurot]

More for you financial wizards. Greenspan was the false prophet. His prodigy Bernake just following on. Nothing changes. Move along.......


The Old Switcheroo
Bernanke's Next Parlor Trick
http://counterpunch.org/whitney06122009.html
By MIKE WHITNEY Weekend Edition June 12-14, 2009

[Torurot]

These could just as easily be placed in the Share trading thread.

Stay the Course
By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: June 14, 2009

The debate over economic policy has taken a predictable yet ominous turn: the crisis seems to be easing, and a chorus of critics is already demanding that the Federal Reserve and the Obama administration abandon their rescue efforts. For those who know their history, it€™s déjà vu all over again €” literally.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/op...gman.html?_r=1

and I haven't seen much comment about this meeting

Appointment in Yekaterinburg
The Ending of America's Financial-Military Empire
http://counterpunch.org/hudson06152009.html
By MICHAEL HUDSON June 15, 2009

The city of Yekaterinburg, Russia€™s largest east of the Urals, may become known not only as the end of the road for the tsars but of American hegemony too; as the place not only where US U-2 pilot Gary Powers was shot down in 1960, but where the US-centered international financial order was brought to ground.
...........
Challenging America is the prime focus of extended meetings in Yekaterinburg, Russia (formerly Sverdlovsk) today and tomorrow (June 15-16) for Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and other top officials of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The alliance is comprised of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrghyzstan and Uzbekistan, with observer status for Iran, India, Pakistan and Mongolia. It will be joined on Tuesday by Brazil for trade discussions among the so-called BRIC nations --Brazil, Russia, India and China.

[Torurot]

A Civil War
Obama's Gift to Pakistan
http://counterpunch.org/khan06172009.html
By LIAQUAT ALI KHAN June 17, 2009

A civil war is brewing in Pakistan. Thanks to President Barack Obama, who is shifting the American war from Iraq to €œthe real enemies€ operating from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Cash-strapped Pakistan could not defy Obama persuasion and decided to wage a war against its own people, the Pashtuns inhabiting the Northern Province and the tribal areas of Waziristan. Decades ago, Pakistan waged a similar war against its own people, the Bengalis in East Pakistan. In 1971, the Pakistani military charged to wipe out Mukti Bahini, a Bengali resistance force, paved the way for the nation€™s dismemberment. In 2009, the military is charged to eliminate the Taliban, a Pashtun resistance force. History is repeating itself in Pakistan€”as it frequently does for nations that do not learn from past mistakes.

With a willful caricature of the Pashtuns, who are successfully resisting the occupation of Afghanistan, Obama advisers are forcing Pakistan, a subservient ally, to help win the war in Afghanistan. This help is suicidal for Pakistan....

[Torurot]

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Obama's Financial Sector Reform Plan
http://counterpunch.org/weissman06182009.html
By ROBERT WEISSMAN June 18, 2009

There are major gaps and shortcomings in the Obama administration's financial regulatory proposals, formally released today, and the proposals alone leave the financial sector vulnerable to future crisis. Still, it's nice to be able to say that the proposal does contain meaningful reforms.

Whether those meaningful reform proposals become law is no sure thing, and will depend on the administration's willingness to stare down Wall Street -- which still retains immense political power, despite its partial self-immolation -- and on whether a mobilized public demands Congress act for consumers, not contributors.

The 85-page draft released today is qualitatively different than the bullet-point plans previously issued by the Treasury Department. It contains detailed proposals, spanning across the financial regulatory spectrum, not easily summarized. Here are only some key elements -- first, the good, then the bad.

The Good .........

[Stewart]

11 out of the last 15 posts from Torurot

Are you enjoying to tossing off to the sound of your own posts?

Any chance you might post some solutions, rather than just whining all the time?

[Lefty]

If you find his posts make you yawn, simple solution, don't read them. I like to read what Torurot has to say in his posts, even if I do not say it every time.

[Torurot]

Go for it Stewart. What is YOUR solution.. More of the same? I'm not posting politics to other threads.

Doesn't look like the financial "system" has any other "solution" than to continue with the SAME rorting that has spun the entire world in a small "depression". You find this acceptable that an extremely small number of extra greedy amoral "wide boys" have screwed the rest of us?? As always with such a system of "too big to fail", Socialise the losses, privatise the profits.

If YOU work in this industry perhaps you think all this is bullshit?

On other maters of politics, some might like to know a little more than what they hear on Fox (the spin begins here). Who knew that there were over 45 million Pashtuns (not an insignificant number) in the Afghan/Pakistan border regions?

Solutions..... I can think of a few, but due to others interests they aren't likely to happen this week..... or even next.

In this thread I'll post what I find interesting. Others might also (or not) be interested.

In the "FishBox" the world does not revolve around the next LB.

As always your welcome to post whatever you like.

[Torurot]

For those interested in what's happening in Iran

http://warincontext.org/

This has a good run through the current issues & basically says that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the elections easily despite what may appear to be possible election irregularities.  Statfor compares this with similar problems with the last two USA elections!

The Iranian Election and the Revolution Test
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly....on_test

Similarly Paul Roberts says the same

Have the Neocons and Israel Won?
The U.S. Regime-Change Recipe for Iran
http://counterpunch.org/roberts06222009.html
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS  June 22, 2009


as does

A Hard Look at the Numbers
What Actually Happened in the Iranian Presidential Election?
http://counterpunch.org/amin06222009.html
By ESAM AL-AMIN June 22, 2009

and also

Corrupt Elections, Here and There
Iran, Obama and McCain
http://counterpunch.org/fantina06192009.html
By ROBERT FANTINA June 19 - 21, 2009

Roberts again, largely supported by Statfor's analysis above

Is This the Culmination of Two Years of Destabilization
Are the Iranian Protests Another US Orchestrated "Color Revolution?"
http://counterpunch.org/roberts06192009.html
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS June 19 - 21, 2009

Analysis of the Iran voting system

You Can't Keep a Good People Down
Iranians in the Streets
http://counterpunch.org/fiyouzat06182009.html
By REZA FIYOUZAT  June 18, 2009

On the financial front

How the Financial Reform Plan Protects the Status Quo
Obama's (Latest) Surrender to Wall Street
http://counterpunch.org/hudson06222009.html
By MICHAEL HUDSON June 22, 2009

[alan1chef]

Here's the real truth about the 2000 election....the Democrats were the ones doing the "fixing"...

Al Gore- Patriot Or Litigant

an excerpt from the article referring to the Florida Supreme Court...

THE SEVEN DWARFS
While trying to convince the American people of the supposed neutrality of the Florida Supreme Court, Joe Lieberman told one of the biggest lies of this election. He said that when the Justices took office, they gave up their party affiliation. In fact, six of the Justices are registered Democrats; the seventh is registered as an independent, but describes himself as an "independent Democrat."

DEMOCRAT FELONS GET TO VOTE
While our Military men and women are being denied the right to vote by Democrat lawyers and politicos, over thirty felons have voted for Al Gore. The Democrat Party in Florida made a major effort to register voters in Florida's jails. Yes, you heard me right: in the jails! You see, felons lose their civil rights, including the right to vote, but those convicted of misdemeanors can legally vote. Apparently in their zeal to register these unsavory characters (I guess they take them where they can get them), Gore's people didn't check very well. In Miami-Dade County alone, they registered 39 felons. 32 registered as Democrats, 4 as Independents, and 3 as Republicans. If you extend those percentages to the whole State of Florida, as many as 2,000 felons may have voted illegally for Mr. Gore, more than enough votes to put Mr. Bush far ahead. Seems fitting, somehow. Do you still want the whole State recounted, Mr. Gore?

http://www.conservativetruth.org/article.php?id=36

[alan1chef]

Get a real analysis of the Iranian election straight from Chatham House and trash Statfor's liberal bias and weak attempt to make a connection with the 2008 election here in the US.....nice try Torurot....lol...

This paper is published by Chatham House and
the Institute of Iranian Studies, University of St
Andrews

Chatham House is independent and owes no allegiance to government or
to any political body. It does not hold opinions of its own; the views
expressed in this text are the responsibility of the authors. This
document is issued on the understanding that if any extract is used, the
authors and Chatham House should be credited, preferably with the date
of the publication.

http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/files...ection0609.pdf

"Two provinces show a turnout of over 100% and four more show a turnout of
over 90%. Regional variations in participation have disappeared. There is no
correlation between the increase in participation and the swing to
Ahmadinejad."

[alan1chef]

It's time you read opinions from people who are not some "nobody" like Roberts...trying to make a fast buck....

Fred Barnes
EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard. From 1985 to 1995, he served as senior editor and White House correspondent for theNew Republic. He covered the Supreme Court and the White House for the Washington Star before moving on to the Baltimore Sun in 1979. He served as the national political correspondent for the Sun and wrote the "Presswatch" media column for the American Spectator.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content....pio.asp

There's No False Choice on Iran
The consequence of a weak president.
by Fred Barnes
06/29/2009, Volume 014, Issue 39

"Rejecting "false choices" is a favorite rhetorical device of President Obama. His speeches are littered with examples. A half-dozen times, he's repudiated "the false choice between our security and our ideals." He's dismissed "the false choice between sound science and moral values." He's not only disposed of "the false choice between securing this nation and wasting billions of taxpayer dollars," he's laid to rest the clash between those who'd "conserve our resources" and those who'd "profit from these natural resources.""

"The president should know better. In dealing with dictators, honey is rarely more effective than vinegar. Obama's respectful overtures to Iran's leaders evoked only angry recriminations against America and no sign of willingness to settle differences on nuclear arms or anything else."

[alan1chef]

More on Iran....

Resolutely Irresolute
Obama dithers while Tehran burns.
by Stephen F. Hayes & William Kristol
06/29/2009, Volume 014, Issue 39

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content....grz.asp

"The day after the election, as hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered in the streets to protest election fraud, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the administration was "monitoring" the situation. The next day, Sunday, as the extent of the fraud became clear to anyone willing to see it, Vice President Joe Biden said that while there were "doubts" about the outcome, "I don't think we're in a position to say" that the election wasn't free and fair. Obama played golf."

[alan1chef]

Are you tired of listening to the whiners...the doom and gloomers....try this...

Give Bankruptcy a Chance
Let's not institutionalize the bailout approach. There's a better way to deal with financial failure.
by David Skeel
06/29/2009, Volume 014, Issue 39

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content....vhc.asp

"But what if regulators hadn't bailed out Bear Stearns? If we conduct this simple thought experiment, it raises serious questions about both the conventional wisdom and the Obama administration's new proposals for regulating investment banks and bank and insurance holding companies. Bankruptcy starts to look much better, although it could use several market-correcting tweaks."

"If Bear had been left to file for bankruptcy back in March, the managers and investors of Lehman and AIG surely would have acted differently in the weeks before their failures. The prospect of bankruptcy would have given them a very different perspective on the implications of their financial difficulties. At the least, they would have gotten their books in order and started looking for buyers for their businesses much earlier."

By the way....David Skeel is no former do-gooder like Roberts....

David Skeel is the S. Samuel Arsht professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

As I have said before....I hate bailouts and it would have much better for our economy to let them all go bankrupt.  

[alan1chef]

Fuzzy math....where is Reagan when we need him...who will carry on the legacy of Jack Kemp....he would have made a great President...

Reagan in Reverse
Obama's big government will run out of gas.
by Gary Andres
06/11/2009 12:00:00 AM

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content....gsp.asp

"But Obama may have a broader ambition. He wants to be Ronald Reagan in reverse. Running up the debt, creating a host of new budgetary commitments and enlarging the government's role in the economy will take generations to unwind. And the engines of bigger government also require fuel in the form of taxes.

Reagan did the opposite. He cut taxes to make government expansion harder. Obama is transposing Reagan. He is growing government to make future tax cuts more difficult."