As credit markets froze, banks loaned millions to insiders

2009-03-23 Richard Moore http://www.truthout.org/032309K http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/64551.html McClatchy Washington Bureau Posted on Sun, Mar. 22, 2009 As credit markets froze, banks loaned millions to insiders Stella M.Hopkins | Charlotte Observer last updated: March 22, 2009 06:46:47 AM CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Banks nationwide hold $41 billion in loans to directors, top executives and other insiders, a portfolio that … Read more

Obamazombies on the march

2009-03-23 Richard Moore If successful, it would have revolutionary implications for American politics,” said Ross K. Baker, a Rutgers University political science professor who counts himself among skeptics. “You can generate an enormous amount of support for an individual personality. It’s much harder to do that for a piece of legislation.” Mr. Baker hits the … Read more

William Engdahl: “Doomsday Seed Vault” in the Arctic

2009-03-23 Richard Moore The eugenics of Hitler were financed to a major extent by the same Rockefeller Foundation which today is building a doomsday seed vault to preserve samples of every seed on our planet. Now this is getting really intriguing. The same Rockefeller Foundation created the pseudo-science discipline of molecular biology in their relentless … Read more

Elite-controlled media lines up behind executive bonuses

2009-03-23 Richard Moore In the Wall Street Journal, Ian Bremmer and Sean West of the risk-consulting firm Eurasia Group warn that should the Obama administration “pander to an angry public,” it “may scare potential investors away from bailout recipients because they cannot trust our government’s will…”  That is, they are afraid the government might actually pay … Read more

New Earth Rising: excellent online newsletter

2009-03-23 Richard Moore You can subscribe here:      http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/subscribe/ rkm ___ http://www.newearthrising.org/current/ Ecological Sustainability, the Growth Machine, and the Financial Crisis Issue 2, March 2009 New Green Deal or Not: Industrial Capitalism Is Assured Death By Dr. Glen Barry on March 21, 2009 | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks Global ecological sustainability is imminently threatened by a massive ecological bubble. Global terrestrial, atmospheric, … Read more

Obama & toxic assets: A windfall for Wall Street

2009-03-23 Richard Moore http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/mar2009/bail-m23.shtml Obama administration plan for “toxic assets”: A windfall for Wall Street By Barry Grey  23 March 2009 The Obama administration is expected to provide more details today of its plan to enable Wall Street banks to offload up to $1 trillion of their bad mortgage loans and other “toxic” assets at … Read more

Eliot Spitzer strikes back

2009-03-23 Richard Moore http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/132547/was_eliot_spitzer_taken_out_because_he_was_going_to_bust_aig/ http://tinyurl.com/cp3x3f Was Eliot Spitzer Taken Out Because He Was Going to Bust AIG? By Melina Ripcoco, Brilliant at Breakfast Posted on March 19, 2009, Printed on March 23, 2009 Eliot Spitzer is back and he’s talking. The thought of this, no doubt, brings a small shiver to the boardrooms of some … Read more

Treasury Presses Ahead With Insane Plan For Toxic Assets

2009-03-23 Richard Moore http://www.truthout.org/032209Y http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/21/AR2009032102246.html Treasury Presses Ahead With Plan For Toxic Assets New Body to Work With Private Investors By David Cho Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, March 22, 2009; A01  The Treasury Department will unveil the next step in its financial rescue efforts tomorrow, announcing that it intends to create a government body, … Read more

More economic nonsense from Obama

2009-03-23 Richard Moore That’s why we are scouring every corner of the budget and have proposed $2 trillion in deficit reductions over the next decade. In total, our budget would bring discretionary spending for domestic programs as a share of the economy to its lowest level in nearly half a century. And we will continue … Read more

Stefan Steinberg: Growing rift between US and EU

2009-03-23 Richard Moore The second important development last week was the decision by the US Federal Reserve to buy up to US$300 billion in Treasury bonds plus US$850 billion in other debts in a bid to fire up the moribund US economy. The decision by the Federal Reserve to basically print money to pump into … Read more

Climate change: warming or cooling?

2009-03-23 Richard Moore As a result of his discovery of the effect of solar cycles on the Earth’s climate and in particular the lack of awareness he has observed in the media, government and among the people, he has begun a vocal and highly visible effort to alert all to the coming climate change in order that … Read more

Reports on the March 19 demonstrations in France

2009-03-21 Richard Moore http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/mar2009/fran-m21.shtml Reports on the March 19 demonstrations in France By a WSWS reporting team  21 March 2009 World Socialist Web Site supporters interviewed demonstrators and distributed thousands of leaflets at protest marches during the March 19 day of action, called by France’s trade unions, against the economic crisis and French state policy. Several … Read more

Obama maneuvers to protect Wall Street bonuses

2009-03-21 Richard Moore The aim of the House and Senate measures, far from fundamentally reforming the financial system or requisitioning the vast fortunes of Wall Street speculators, is to mitigate public anger in order to pave the way for passage of a new round of bank bailouts being prepared by the Obama administration. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/mar2009/bonu-m21.shtml Obama … Read more

Clive Thompson: Why Urban Farming Isn’t Just for Foodies

2009-03-21 Richard Moore http://www.opednews.com/articles/Clive-Thompson-on-Why-Urba-by-Clive-Thompson-090319-188.html Why Urban Farming Isn’t Just for Foodies By Clive Thompson This year, Carol Nissen’s crops include mesclun, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, and assorted herbs. When she sits down to dine, she’s often eating food grown with her own two hands. But Nissen isn’t tilling the soil on a farm. She’s a Web … Read more

Barbara Peterson: America’s Silent Killing Fields

2009-03-21 Richard Moore http://www.opednews.com/articles/America-s-Silent-Killing-F-by-Barbara-Peterson-090320-127.html charts in original ___________________________ subscribe mailto: •••@••.••• websites:  http://www.governourselves.org/ http://escapingthematrix.org/ http://cyberjournal.org recent archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newslog/messages http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cyberjournal/messages old archives:  http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?lists=newslog http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/ Moderator: •••@••.•••  (comments welcome) America’s Silent Killing Fields – 2009 Update By Barbara Peterson On April 1, 2008, I published the following article. Here it is again, because I believe that this information … Read more

US to Shoot Down N Korean Missile?

2009-03-21 Richard Moore http://www.opednews.com/populum/linkframe.php?linkid=85705 Military Ready to Shoot Down NKorean Missile March 19, 2009 Associated Press WASHINGTON – Two senior U.S. commanders said Thursday that the military is ready if called upon to shoot down North Korea’s planned rocket launch next month. The top U.S. commander in the Pacific, Adm. Timothy Keating, told senators at … Read more

Jewish student handbook: How to pretend to debate

2009-03-21 Richard Moore http://www.muzzlewatch.com/2009/03/19/hasbara-handbook-how-to-pretend-to-debate-while-smashing-your-opponent/ Hasbara Handbook: How to pretend to debate while smashing your opponent Yes Virginia, there really is a Hasbara Handbook. You can download your very own copy right now – this one, by the World Union of Jewish Students, is from 2002 and aims to help students make the case for Israel. You could, the book … Read more

Iraqi Holocaust : 2.3 Million Iraqi Excess Deaths

2009-03-21 Richard Moore http://www.countercurrents.org/polya210309.htm Iraqi Holocaust : 2.3 Million Iraqi Excess Deaths By Gideon Polya 21 March, 2009Mwcnews.net March 20, 2009 marks the 6th anniversary of the illegal, utterly unjustified, war criminal invasion of Iraq by US, UK and Australian forces. Post-invasion violent and non-violent excess deaths total 2.3 million and refugees total 6 million … Read more

Michael Galvin: Protest In France

2009-03-21 Richard Moore …the New Anticapitalist Party (Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste) – the first political party in the world with ‘anticapitalist’ in the name. The party is trying to build a structure from the bottom up, creating committees in towns and cities across the country. http://www.countercurrents.org/galvin210309.htm Protest In France By Michael Galvin 21 March, 2009Countercurrents.org This … Read more

Matt Taibbi: The Big Takeover

2009-03-21 Richard Moore People are pissed off about this financial crisis, and about this bailout, but they’re not pissed off enough. The reality is that the worldwide economic meltdown and the bailout that followed were together a kind of revolution, a coup d’état. They cemented and formalized a political trend that has been snowballing for … Read more

Dave Lindorff: Obama’s Moment is Passing Quickly

2009-03-21 Richard Moore If he fires and replaces his economic and military teams, and announces both a quick end to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and the immediate break-up of the country’s big failed national banks and financial institutions, he has a chance to become a great president. If he does not, it is as … Read more

Paul A. LaViolette: Advanced Field Propulsion Technologies

2009-03-20 Richard Moore http://www.aero2012.com/en/movingbeyond_laviolette.mhtml © Copyright 2008 AERO, Inc. All Rights Reserved Moving Beyond the First Law and Advanced Field Propulsion Technologies Paul A. LaViolette, Ph.D.•••@••.••• October 4, 2000 1. The Repression of Nonconventional Energy Technologies. According to U.S. patent law, a patent his the right to be issued if the technology is new and … Read more

Alan Nasser: A Real-World Stimulus Plan

2009-03-20 Richard Moore http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/18-8 Published on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 by CommonDreams.org The New TARF, the Moribund Bailout, and a Real-World Stimulus Plan by Alan Nasser The public is both stymied and angry about a series of bailouts that constitute the biggest transfer of public funds to a handful of the superrich in American history. … Read more

Africom’s Covert War in Sudan

2009-03-20 Richard Moore Americans need to recognize that the Administration of President Barack Obama has begun to step up the war for control of Sudan in keeping with the permanent warfare agenda of both Republicans and Democrats. The current destabilization of Sudan mirrors the illegal covert guerrilla war carried out in Rwanda — also launched … Read more

Norman Jones: a brief history of usury

2009-03-20 Richard Moore http://eh.net:80/encyclopedia/article/jones.usury Usury Norman Jones, Utah State University The question of when and if money can be lent at interest for a guaranteed return is one of the oldest moral and economic problems in Western Civilization. The Greeks argued about usury, Hebrews denounced it, Roman law controlled it, and Christians began pondering it … Read more

Fed announces massive increase in government debt

2009-03-20 Richard Moore The Fed is taking advantage of the privileged and unique position of the United States due to the role of the dollar as the world’s reserve and trading currency. That status gives the US a degree of leeway to print money to paper over its debts far beyond that of any other … Read more

Pontiac Michigan: abandoning America, one city at a time

2009-03-20 Richard Moore http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/mar2009/ponv-m20.shtml      Video: Pontiac residents speak on schools crisis ___ http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/mar2009/pont-m20.shtml The social cost of GM’s downsizing Pontiac, Michigan “restructures” schools, fires entire education staff By Tracy Montry  20 March 2009 Earlier this month the school board in Pontiac, Michigan, in an unprecedented action, voted to lay off all 774 teachers and support … Read more

John R. MacArthur: Obama is Far from a Radical Reformer

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/18-6 Published on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 by The Providence Journal Obama is Far from a Radical Reformer by John R. MacArthur Assessing the gigantic new budget proposed by Barack Obama is hard enough, but the $3.6 trillion behemoth turns incomprehensible when left- and right-leaning journalists assigned to analyze it seem unable … Read more

Chossudovsky: Preparing for Civil Unrest in America

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12793 Preparing for Civil Unrest in America Legislation to Establish Internment Camps on US Military Bases By Michel Chossudovsky Global Research, March 18, 2009 The Economic and Social Crisis The financial meltdown has unleashed a latent and emergent social crisis across the United States.  What is at stake is the fraudulent confiscation … Read more

Venezuela: devolution proving problematic

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=78220 Government says ”revolutionary” decentralization redistributes power to the people Miami Herald: Venezuela’s President is leading an effort to centralize power held by regional leaders … and a new law would further strengthen his ability to intervene in state affairs. Antonio Ledezma was elected Metropolitan Mayor of Caracas on an opposition ticket last … Read more

Venezuela: struggle with oligarchs continues

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=78223 Chavez orders occupation of Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello and Porlamar ports VHeadline Venezuela News: President Hugo Chavez has called on the Venezuelan Navy to prepare to take port facilities at the country’s major cargo terminal at Puerto Cabello … he says it “must happen this week” and adds that there’s no going back … Read more

Attorney general signals shift in marijuana policy

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.truthout.org/031909N http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/medical_marijuana Associated Press writer Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Attorney general signals shift in marijuana policy By DEVLIN BARRETTThu Mar 19, 12:41 am ET WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder signaled a change on medical marijuana policy Wednesday, saying federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal … Read more

Ecuador Voters Approve Rights of Nature

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.opednews.com/articles/Voters-Approve-Rights-of-N-by-Mari-Margil-Assoc-090317-322.html OpEdNews March 19, 2009 Voters Approve Rights of Nature By Mari Margil, Associate Director Ecuador Approves New Constitution: Voters Approve Rights of Nature  Ecuador Follows Lead of U.S. Communities:  First Country in the World to Shift to Rights-Based Environmental Protection, Working With Legal Defense Fund  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  By an overwhelming … Read more

Paul Craig Roberts: Was the Bailout Itself a Scam?

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.opednews.com/articles/Was-the-Bailout-Itself-a-S-by-Paul-Craig-Roberts-090319-674.html OpEdNews March 19, 2009 Was the Bailout Itself a Scam? By Paul Craig Roberts Professor Michael Hudson (CounterPunch, March 18) is correct that the orchestrated outrage over the $165 million AIG bonuses is a diversion from the thousand times greater theft from taxpayers of the approximately $200 billion “bailout” of AIG. … Read more

Obama disses Blackwater – then Renews their Contract

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-disses-Blackwater–by-Josh-Mitteldorf-090318-657.html OpEdNews Original Content at http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-disses-Blackwater–by-Josh-Mitteldorf-090318-657.html March 18, 2009 Obama disses Blackwater – then Renews their Contract By Josh Mitteldorf President Obama recently announced his withdrawal of support for Blackwater, the private military contractor that operated parallel to the US Army in Iraq, but outside the controls and responsibilities imposed by a … Read more

Growing Your Own Food On One Square Yard Of Land

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.opednews.com/articles/Growing-Your-Own-Food-On-O-by-The-Naib-090317-61.html OpEdNews March 18, 2009 Growing Your Own Food On One Square Yard Of Land By The Naib I grew up in the mid-west. Lots and lots of flat, open never ending flat. We industrious human have cut down just about anything and replaced it with endless acres of corn, wheat, soy, … Read more

Israeli Soldiers Expose Atrocities In Gaza

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.countercurrents.org/kessel190309.htm Israeli Soldiers Expose Atrocities In Gaza By Jerrold Kessel & Pierre Klochendler 19 February, 2009Inter Press Service JERUSALEM, Mar 19 (IPS) – Based on testimony from Israeli soldiers who took part in the recent war in Gaza, Israel is being confronted directly with the serious charge that permitted rules of engagement allowed … Read more

Obama to injured soldiers: Get your own insurance

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.truthout.org/031809D http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/64160.html McClatchy Washington Bureau Posted on Tue, Mar. 17, 2009 Vets recoil at idea of using insurance for service injuries David Goldstein | McClatchy Newspapers last updated: March 17, 2009 12:35:34 PM WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is considering a plan to make veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment … Read more

Fed to add $1.2 trillion more to national debt

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7951493.stm Fed pumps $1.2tn into US economy The US Federal Reserve says it will buy almost $1.2 trillion (£843bn) worth of debt to help boost lending and promote economic recovery. It said it would start buying long-term government debt and expand purchases of mortgage-related debt. The size of the move surprised investors, … Read more

The Real AIG Scandal

2009-03-19 Richard Moore http://www.slate.com/id/2213942/ THE BEST POLICY The Real AIG Scandal It’s not the bonuses. It’s that AIG’s counterparties are getting paid back in full. By Eliot Spitzer Posted Tuesday, March 17, 2009, at 10:41 AM ET Everybody is rushing to condemn AIG’s bonuses, but this simple scandal is obscuring the real disgrace at the … Read more