Filed under: America, Corporate Greed, Economy, History, Life, News, Politics & Current Affairs, Society, Thoughts | Tags: Corporate Greed, Economy, History, Life, News, Politics, Society, Thoughts
An interesting and timely article on todays’ BBC News website about the revival of a 1930s word “Bankster” which indicated how Americans felt about the bankers who managed to screw up the US economy back in the 1920s. Fairly useful word now too!
Filed under: America, Bush Family Business, Corporate Greed, Imperialism, News, Oil, Politics & Current Affairs, Religion, War | Tags: America, Bush, Corporate Greed, Gaza, Imperialism, Israel, Oil, Politics, Religion, US, War
Starbucks released a statement on it’s website denying its rumoured support for Israel and the savage brutality of it’s invasion of Gaza. Coincidentally, the window of the Starbucks directly outside the Israeli was one of the first to be broken in yesterday’s protest riot in London.
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Filed under: America, Bush Family Business, Corporate Greed, Economy, History, News, Politics & Current Affairs, Thoughts, Wacky Government | Tags: America, Corporate Greed, Economy, History, News, Politics, Thoughts, US, Wacky Government
How did Thomas Jefferson get it so right all the way back in 1802? Did he have a time machine? Obviously not, but this quote is right on the money for what we’re experiencing now.
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.” Thomas Jefferson 1802
Very prescient!
Filed under: America, Art, Books, Bush Family Business, Corporate Greed, History, Imperialism, Life, News, Oil, Politics & Current Affairs, Society, Thoughts, War | Tags: America, Art, Bush Family Business, Corporate Greed, History, Imperialism, News, Oil, Politics, Politics & Current Affairs, Society, Thoughts, US, War
I’m not sure exactly what it is that appeals to me so much about Norman Rockwell’s pictures of American life. I imagine that it is the fantastic realism and the accurate reflection of lighting and detail, but probably more likely, it is the wholesome goodness of the images that reminds me of my impressions of America garnered from the years of Hollywood movies I watched in my youth. This was long before I had begun my political education at the hands of my father. He showed me that in every conflict in which the US was involved, with the exception of the two World Wars, you could find out who the “good guys” were by checking which side the Yanks supported – it was always the other guys. He led me to the writings of Noam Chomsky, David Halberstam and others that opened my eyes to what was happening in the world.
Rockwell’s world detailed an era when the American people in general were comfortable with themselves and their lives. Now that many modern Americans have seen years of blatant profit orientated, oil-based foreign policy and financial scandals, like Cheney’s Halliburton fiasco, the majority of decent people in the US have taken a chance and stepped into a hopeful future with Barack Obama. With lots of effort, patience and focus, the American people can try to return to Rockwell’s world. It will not be easy. In recent weeks, I’ve listened to some Americans on podcasts and radio interviews, with disturbing views on why the US was attacked in September 2001. Their grasp of what goes on outside the US borders and in many cases, inside the US borders, is so far from reality, that it’s frightening. The knee-jerk right wing reaction to anything approaching a foreign threat appears to be “kill them all and let God sort them out” – a glib summary of the situation but not far from the truth in my experience.
Barack Obama has a vast number of urgent and critical issues to deal with. I suggest that political re-education of the American people around US foreign policy and the reasons why the US is considered “the villain of the piece” needs to be near the top of his list.
Filed under: Corporate Greed, Fun, Politics & Current Affairs, Society, Thoughts | Tags: Corporate Greed, Fun, Funny, Humor, Humour, News, Thoughts
Disgruntled Lehmans Bank employees stage a protest in the company car park!
Filed under: America, Corporate Greed, Culture, Economy, Life, Society, Thoughts, UK, Uncategorized | Tags: America, Business, Corporate Greed, Culture, Economy, Life, Society, Thoughts, UK
I have been a member of Ebay since June 2004. Not long after joining, I set up an Ebay shop to sell among other things, sheet music from 1890 to the 1970s and railway-related postcards. In that time, I tried to be fair with all my buyers and sellers and amassed a 100% positive rating that currently sits at 2258. I have made a number of regular customers who are delighted with my quick service, honest descriptions and reasonable postal rates.
Contrast that with the behaviour of Ebay. Recently, the rental rate of the virtual shop went from £6 (US$11.50) to £14.99 (US$29.00) per month. The 30-day automatic renewal rate of items went from 0.03p (US$0.06) to 0.20p (US$0.38). As I had 708 items listed at the time of the change, my potential monthly rental went from £42.48 to £141.60! Combining this with the shop rental increase, the overall cost rose by 410%
I fired an email off to Ebay Customer Services immediately on receiving my increased bill. Two days later, I got the usual banal rubbish back (both emails below – fyi).
I use Ebay as a source of petty cash. Given the charges from Ebay and it’s sister company, Paypal, I don’t imagine that very many people will ever make a living from their Ebay “profits”, but it has regularly covered my petrol bill for a month, for example. Given that many, many people are now in a critical financial position, I’m sure that they are relying more on every possible source of income and these profiteering increases from Ebay at this particular time will close down many Ebay shops putting people closer to poverty than they’d like to be.
My email to Ebay:
I’m completely disgusted at the increase in the cost of my shop from £6
to £14.99 and at
the monthly automatic relisting fee increasing from
0.03p to 0.20p (over six times the original fee!).
I will be closing my shop as soon as I can, despite having it since
2004. I hope many other shop-owners feel the same and close their shops
too. This is profiteering of the worst sort and your tweaks to the
selling systems are merely a cynical way of you boosting your already
inordinate profits. Over the last few years, your fiddling with exposure
of UK-sold items in the US has cost me a lot of trade, but this is the
last straw.
Their response to me:
Hello,
Thank you for your email about the increase in your Shop’s monthly
subscription fee. I appreciate your concern about the impact on your
business.
The rise in monthly subscription fee reflects improvements we’ve made to
Shops:
-All Shop listings can now be seen by buyers in the main search results.
Previously, Shop Inventory Format items were separated off in a box at
the bottom of the search results page.
- Significantly discounted Insertion Fees are available to Shop owners.
- Featured and Anchor Shop subscribers can now access telephone support.
We’re confident that these improvements will help you grow your sales on
eBay, while still offering good value for money for your Shop
subscription.
I trust this explains why Shop subscription fees have increased. Thank
you for using eBay.
Kind regards,
Gilbert Doore
eBay Customer Support
Enough said!
Filed under: America, Corporate Greed, Economy, Family, Fun, Life, News, Politics & Current Affairs, Society, Thoughts, Wacky Government, Weird & Wonderful | Tags: America, Corporate Greed, Economy, News, Thoughts
The recent “market re-adjustments” due to the sub-prime mortgage greedfest, which has now resulted in the demise of Lehmans, will have ramifications across America. Recent immigrants employed as garden mower jockies, maids and drivers will find their “job” opportunities reduced and at the other end of the spectrum, yacht, property, and Ferrari dealers will also be feeling the pinch as the decline in multi-million dollar bonuses, for idle bankers feeding off the labour of the poor, starts to kick in.
All together now…aaaaaw! Poor puppies…
Filed under: America, Bush Family Business, Corporate Greed, Culture, Economy, History, Imperialism, Life, News, Oil, Politics & Current Affairs, Society, Thoughts, War | Tags: America, Bush, Corporate Greed, History, Imperialism, News, Oil, Politics, Society, Thoughts, War
In my view, in a response to the recent provocative “visits” to the Black Sea and Georgian ports by US Navy and a US Coastguard ship, Dmitry Medvedev’s Russian government has sent two Tupolev Tu-160 Strategic bombers to take part in Venezuelan Navy exercises. This is the latest in a series of tit-for-tat moves which may end up at some level of armed conflict. Chavez, the populist President of Venezuela, has claimed that “Yankee hegemony has finished” in the region.
While most Western nations have turned a blind eye towards the US and it’s policy of assassinations, black operations and political shenanigans in Central and South America for many years, the recent upsurge in the populist vote, especially in Bolivia and Venezuela has put a dent in their ambitions.
We may be seeing the start of the much expected and feared Domino effect that was supposed to threaten the US and it’s economic interests in the Far East during the Cold War and led to American support for the ill-fated French colonial regime and the eventual death of 57570 US servicemen (and many hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians) their involvement in the Vietnam War. It’s a time for steady heads, and really winning the hearts and minds of the people of the region – perhaps by putting the profits of corporate America second for once!
Political Chess Games
Russia on Thursday downplayed the two strategic long-range bombers that flew to Venezuela in the first such flight since the Cold War, saying the bombers carried no live weapons — nuclear or otherwise — and would return to Russia next week.
The bombers arrived in South America ahead of planned joint military maneuvers between Russia and Venezuela — maneuvers that appear to be a tit-for-tat retort to the United States for sending warships to deliver aid to U.S.-allied Georgia following last month’s war.
Russian analysts said it was the first time strategic bombers have landed in the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War. The foray, and the coming military exercises with an avowed U.S. enemy, are likely to strain the already tense relationship between Moscow and Washington.
Russian air force Maj. Gen. Pavel Androsov said in televised comments that the Tu-160 bombers were carrying only test missiles.
He said the jets would conduct several test flights over neutral waters then return to Russia on Monday. That indicates that the jets would not participate in military exercises that Venezuela and Russia plan to hold in the Caribbean Sea sometime this year.
The deployment — which will include a naval squadron and long-range patrol planes — is expected to be the largest Russian naval maneuvers in the Caribbean and perhaps the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War.
President Dmitry Medvedev said he had ordered the Tu-160s to make the flight at the invitation of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has expressed interest in flying the massive bombers.
“We long-range pilots are responsive people. If they kindly ask us and if we have permission, we will fly him safely and will show him the Caribbean Sea from an altitude of the operating ceiling,” Androsov said.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry tried to quash speculation that Russia was establishing military bases in South America.
“Russia has no military bases in Latin America. The bombers landed in Venezuela in line with an earlier bilateral agreement,” spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said in a statement.
“The Russian Air Force has always strictly complied with international rules of flights above neutral waters. These flights do not breach the air space of other nations,” Nesterenko said.
Separately, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin suggested the reaction to the Russian planes’ flight and the upcoming naval exercises was excessive. He again criticized the United States for using warships to deliver aid to Georgia’s Black Sea Coast — even as Russian military forces were close by.
He said the Americans would react strongly if any planes should fly over the United States:
“I mean, God forbid there should be any sort of conflict over the American continent, this is considered the ‘holiest of the holy’,” Putin said. “And they drive ships with weapons to a place just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from where we’re at? This is normal? This is an equitable move?”
SOURCE – BBC
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Following the recent conflict in South Ossetia, stoked by US/NATO’s support and encouragement for Georgia’s incursion into the area and the subsequent Russian reaction, the US has now decided to meddle further and get further involved in this volatile situation by giving Georgia US$1bn. Simultaneously, they’re upping the ante with some gunboat diplomacy flooding the Black Sea with US Navy ships and even a US Coastguard vessel. No matter what twist Fox News puts on it, this is meddling in a foreign sovereign state’s backyard and is asking for trouble. Again, we see that George Bush and Dick Cheney will take any action available to them to increase the price of oil so that their cronies in the oil companies increase their fat profits even further. Could this US$1bn be put to better use to help the 24,000,000 citizens on food stamps this year???
The US has announced $1bn (£564m) of aid to Georgia for reconstruction after the conflict with Russia.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the aid would be used to rebuild houses and infrastructure – but not for military purposes.
Georgia has requested $2bn in funding from the international community.
Fighting between Russia and Georgia began on 7 August after the Georgian military tried to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia by force.
Russian forces launched a counter-attack and the conflict ended with the ejection of Georgian troops from both South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia.
Russia has since recognised the independence of both regions, though no other country has.
“We are responding to what we consider to be urgent needs,” said Ms Rice, as she announced the aid package.
“With our full support and the support of the entire free world, a democratic Georgia will survive, will rebuild and will thrive,” she said.
On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also announced that Georgia was to receive a $750m (£422m) loan.
The IMF agreed in principle to offer the help amid concerns that Georgia’s growth would be seriously hampered by the recent war.
The US announcement came on the day Vice-President Dick Cheney began a visit in the region – but not Russia.
In Azerbaijan, he said he was bringing “a clear and simple message for the people of Azerbaijan and the entire region: the United States has a deep and abiding interest in your well-being and security”.
Mr Cheney will next go to Georgia and Ukraine.
In Georgia, he is expected to stress US support for President Mikhail Saakashvili – the man the Kremlin dismissed on Tuesday as a “political corpse” whose leadership it did not recognise.
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev has also accused the US of helping Tbilisi build its war machine and called on America to review its relations with the Georgian authorities.
Faced with a chorus of international calls for Russia’s isolation, Mr Medvedev has said Moscow does not fear being expelled from the G8 group of rich nations nor does it fear Nato cutting ties with his country.
Early this week, European Union leaders agreed to suspend talks on a new partnership agreement with Moscow until Russian troops have withdrawn from Georgia. But they did not threaten sanctions.
Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who stepped down as president earlier this year, praised the European Union’s “common sense”.
But he warned that Moscow would respond to the growing presence of Nato warships in the Black Sea, where Russia’s navy has a huge presence.
SOURCE – BBC
Filed under: America, Books, Cinema, Corporate Greed, Culture, Economy, Life, Politics & Current Affairs, Society, Thoughts | Tags: America, Books, Cinema, Corporate Greed, Economy, Film, Life, Movies, Thoughts
I’ve just spent 95 minutes watching Wal*Mart – The High Cost of Low Price which was mostly depressing but in the end, with the success some US communities are having in rejecting Walmart, inspirational.
I am not new to learning about the excesses of capitalism. I have read Naomi Klein’s No Logo and attended a talk by her at Queen’s University, Belfast, about her latest book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, along with Nickeled and Dimed, Fast Food Nation, etc, but to see the conditions both of Walmart’s US and overseas employees and the hypocrisy of their management was shocking in the extreme.
The filmmaker chose his interviewees carefully to demonstrate the range of Americans who are being affected by this destructive juggernaut – pictures of George W Bush in their homes, plenty of homes with stars and stripes and good ol’ boys, along with much less well off Americans right across the demographic spectrum.
This is very definitely capitalism gone wrong, very wrong.
