William Greider on the Looting of Social Security

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videonation

The resounding defeat of George W. Bush’s effort to privatize Social Security in 2005 seemed to be the end of attacks against the program. However, William Greider argues that Wall Street interests are leading a new round of threats to Social Security in a plan to use money from the program to recover the costs of bailing out banks. Although President Obama has indicated support for Social Security in the past, Greider argues that progressives need to exert pressure and educate the public about its solvency in order to counteract the efforts of private interests pushing for a compromise.

To learn more about Greider’s argument read his article in The Nation: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090302…

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Finance Capitalism Hits a Wall by Prof. Michael Hudson

Ending the Hidden Agenda Behind Tax Cuts

The Economy Sucks and or Collapse 2

Barack Obama on Dandelion Salad

Collapse of the US dollar: Global systemic crisis. The phase of global geopolitical dislocation

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by GEAB
Global Research, February 17, 2009
GEAB N°32

Back in February 2006, LEAP/E2020 estimated that the global systemic crisis would unfold in 4 main structural phases: trigger, acceleration, impact and decanting phases. This process enabled us to properly anticipate events until now. However our team has now come to the conclusion that, due to the global leaders’ incapacity to fully realise the scope of the ongoing crisis (made obvious by their determination to cure the consequences rather than the causes of this crisis), the global systemic crisis will enter a fifth phase in the fourth quarter of 2009, a phase of global geopolitical dislocation.

According to LEAP/E2020, this new stage of the crisis will be shaped by two major processes happening in two parallel sequences:

A. Two major processes:

1. Disappearance of the financial base (Dollar & Debt) all over the world
2. Fragmentation of the interests of the global system’s big players and blocks

B. Two parallel sequences:

1. Quick disintegration of the current international system altogether
2. Strategic dislocation of big global players.

We had hoped that the decanting phase would give the world’s leaders the opportunity to draw the proper conclusions from the collapse of the global system prevailing since WWII. Alas, at this stage, it is no longer possible to be optimistic in this regard (1). In the United States, as in Europe, China and Japan, leaders persist in reacting as if the global system has only fallen victim to some temporary breakdown, merely requiring loads of fuel (liquidities) and other ingredients (rate drops, repurchase of toxic assets, bailouts of semi-bankrupt industries,…) to reboot it. In fact (and this is what LEAP/E2020 means ever since February 2006 using the expression « global systemic crisis”), the global system is simply out of order; a new one needs to be built instead of striving to save what can no longer be saved.

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via Collapse of the US dollar: Global systemic crisis. The phase of global geopolitical dislocation

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The Looming Collapse of the American Empire by Chris Hedges

Finance Capitalism Hits a Wall by Prof. Michael Hudson

Eastern Europe is about to Blow By Mike Whitney

The Economy Sucks and or Collapse 2

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Beyond cholera: Zimbabwe’s worsening crisis

Sent to DS  from Pete Masters, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) UK, thanks Pete

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Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Date Published: 17/02/2009 08:16

Click here to read the report on Zimbabwe’s health crisis

By MSF

Zimbabwe’s humanitarian crisis continues to rapidly deteriorate, causing appalling suffering. The organisation’s medical teams have now treated almost 45,000 people, an estimated 75% of the total number of cases in the current cholera outbreak – and the crisis is far from over.

The severity of this outbreak is just one indication of the disastrous state of Zimbabwe’s health system and its collapsed infrastructure, as MSF describes in its paper Beyond Cholera: Zimbabwe’s Worsening Crisis, issued today (click the image to read the full report). Many health facilities have now closed or are not functioning. Others demand exorbitant fees in foreign currencies. Effectively, this makes it impossible for most Zimbabweans to access medical care.

Through this report, MSF appeals to the government of Zimbabwe to immediately remove the barriers stopping essential humanitarian and medical aid. The organisation also calls on the international community to respect the distinction between political goals and the urgent need for humanitarian assistance for people living in Zimbabwe.

”There has been a devastating implosion of Zimbabwe’s once-lauded health system, which doesn’t just affect cholera patients.” said Manuel Lopez, MSF head of mission in Zimbabwe. “We know that public hospitals are turning people away, health centres are running out of supplies and equipment, there is an acute lack of medical staff, patients can’t afford to travel to pick up their HIV medication or to receive treatment and many of our own clinics are overflowing. From what we see each day it couldn’t be clearer – this is a massive medical emergency, spiralling out of control.”

Click here to read about MSF Nurse Pia’s experiences working during the cholera outbreak or here to read about Garry, a water/sanitation expert, working in South Africa with Zimbabweans who have fled the health crisis.

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Mosaic News – 2/13/09: World News From The Middle East

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Note: Mosaic is on temporary hiatus until February 23, 2009.

Warning

This video may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.

linktv

Mosaic needs your help! Donate here: http://linktv.org/contribute

“Female Suicide Bomber Kills 40 Pilgrims in Iraq,” Al Jazeera TV, Qatar
“Eyad Allawi Plans a Comeback,” Al-Alam TV, Iran
“Seven killed in Algeria bomb attacks,” Al Arabiya TV, UAE
“Hamas Sees Cease-Fire Within Days,” Al Jazeera TV, Qatar
“Final Israeli Election Results Bring Political Uncertainty,” IBA TV, Israel
“Israeli warplanes strike Gaza,” Press TV, Iran
“Qaddafi proposes peace plan in Mauritania,” Dubai TV, UAE
“Sudan does not recognize indictment against Basheer,” Nile TV, Egypt
“The New Danger in the Middle East: Unemployment,” Link TV, USA
Produced for Link TV by Jamal Dajani.

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Finance Capitalism Hits a Wall by Prof. Michael Hudson

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by Prof. Michael Hudson
Global Research, February 17, 2009

The Oligarchs’ Escape Plan – at the Treasury’s Expense

The financial “wealth creation” game is over. Economies emerged from World War II relatively free of debt, but the 60-year global run-up has run its course. Finance capitalism is in a state of collapse, and marginal palliatives cannot revive it. The U.S. economy cannot “inflate its way out of debt,” because this would collapse the dollar and end its dreams of global empire by forcing foreign countries to go their own way. There is too little manufacturing to make the economy more “competitive,” given its high housing costs, transportation, debt and tax overhead. A quarter to a third of U.S. real estate has fallen into Negative Equity, so no banks will lend to them. The economy has hit a debt wall and is falling into Negative Equity, where it may remain for as far as the eye can see until there is a debt write-down.

Mr. Obama’s “recovery” plan based on infrastructure spending will make real estate fortunes for well-situated properties along the new public transport routes, but there is no sign of cities levying a windfall property tax to save their finances. Their mayors would rather keep the cities broke than to tax real estate and finance. The aim is to re-inflate property markets to enable owners to pay the banks, not to help the public sector break even. So state and local pension plans will remain underfunded while more corporate pension plans go broke.

One would think that politicians would be willing to do the math and realize that debts that can’t be paid, won’t be. But the debts are being kept on the books, continuing to extract interest to pay the creditors that have made the bad loans. The resulting debt deflation threatens to keep the economy in depression until a radical shift in policy occurs – a shift to save the “real” economy, not just the financial sector and the wealthiest 10% of American families.

Et tu, Rachel Maddow? by Jim Ryerson + Looking for Cuba: Guantanamo Bay

by Jim Ryerson
Featured Writer
Dandelion Salad
www.youtube.com/user/tmanjdrjr
(jim [at] travelingman [dot] net)

Feb. 17, 2009

As a fan of so very few in the main stream media, it is difficult to be in any way critical of one of the few voices with whom I normally can agree. Rachel Maddow has brought such a refreshing presence to television, that her very existence on cable news is a victory. But on a recent program, she touched on my particular hot topic, Cuba, and did what most commentators of the left are doing; she defended President Obama’s decision to” close Guantanamo”. She also interviewed a former interrogator at the prison camp who pointed out more of the atrocities which had been and presumably still are being done in our name. That’s all good and necessary, but Rachel missed a chance to touch on a subject equally, if not more important than the prison camp.

Israel tested new weapons in Gaza?

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RussiaToday

The Palestinian Authority is calling for an international investigation of the weapons used by Israel during its three-week assault on Gaza. There are claims so-called DIME bombs were dropped from drone aircraft. This kind of bomb is designed to produce an intense explosion in a small space.

Two US missile strikes in Pakistan in three days kill more than 60

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By Barry Grey
http://www.wsws.org
17 February 2009

The United States on Monday carried out its second missile strike in three days inside Pakistan. More than 30 people were reported killed after four CIA Predator drone aircraft launched at least four Hellfire missiles at a purported Taliban training camp in Pakistan’s northwest tribal area of Kurram.

It was the first US strike in Kurram, one of seven semi-autonomous tribal areas in Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan. Monday’s attack followed a missile strike on Saturday on a building in the South Waziristan tribal district that killed at least 30 people.

The two strikes in rapid succession came within days of a visit to Pakistan by Richard Holbrooke, President Barack Obama’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Holbrooke met last Wednesday with top Pakistani government and military officials in Lahore as part of a tour of the three countries whose principal aim is to prepare the way for an escalation of US military violence in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

[…]

via Two US missile strikes in Pakistan in three days kill more than 60

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Destabilizing Pakistan, America Plays with Fire by Tom Burghardt

Feinstein comment on U.S. drones likely to embarrass Pakistan + video + Death toll has reached 26

Pakistan on Dandelion Salad

Barack Obama on Dandelion Salad

Meet the new boss the same as the old boss

Ending the Hidden Agenda Behind Tax Cuts

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By Joe Brewer
ICH
February 16, 2009 “CommonDreams”

Something as simple as a metaphor can mean the difference between shared prosperity and widespread suffering.

It’s time to tell the truth about tax cuts. This phrase dominates political discourse and is coughed out every time a conservative public figure opens his mouth. It is treated like the basis of sound reasoning, yet no one points out what should be obvious – that “tax relief” and “tax cuts” are just code words for destroying the capacity of government to serve the public.

We’ve heard over and over again that the source of society’s problems is the government. The solution that follows is to “trim the fat”, “cut out the waste”, “shrink the government”, and provide “relief” to millions of citizens who suffer the burden of exploitation by Washington elites. This story flies in the face of the facts, yet it makes sense to a significant portion of the U.S. population. How can this be?

The answer has to do with how we make sense of things in the world. Our experiences shape what seems legitimate by reinforcing (or undermining) our ideas about the way things work. So, for example, a progressive politician may speak honestly and forcefully about the positive role of government in our lives. But this will fall on deaf ears if our typical experience is at odds with such claims. This observation demonstrates a key element of what George Lakoff and I have dubbed the Cognitive Criterion for Public Support:

An effective policy must be popular if it is to stand the test of time and it must be popular for the right reasons, namely because it promotes the right long-term values in the minds of citizens, reinforced through the lived experience.

The reason many people accept conservative claims about taxation and government is that they hold up for many common experiences, especially when conservatives are in control of the government. Conservative officials enact policies that make life worse for people while claiming that things will get better. Then they draw upon these negative experiences to advance their agenda. No Child Left Behind is an excellent example. The strategy works like this (a more detailed analysis can be found here):

[…]

via Ending the Hidden Agenda Behind Tax Cuts

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Bill Moyers Journal: Simon Johnson – Geithner vs. the American Oligarchs

US intelligence chief: World capitalist crisis poses greatest threat by Bill Van Auken

The Economy Sucks and or Collapse 2