Sovereignty: Our Need to Uphold It on All Sides
With the Western escalation of the situation in Ukraine by basically attempting to put NATO at Russia’s front door, we have to wonder what our political leaders are thinking, and if they are not aware of Russian interests and sovereignty. While I am not a fan of Russian policy towards internal control and potential manipulation, our lack of ability to look at ourselves and the real danger our actions may cause is disconcerting. The West is using Russia’s protection of their naval base in Crimea and for ethnic Russian people in Crimea, who have themselves chosen Russia over a Western backed “revolution,” to increase dominance in an area of historical, political and military significance that is almost sacred to Russia. Western leaders are not attempting to understand, balance all interests and come to mutually accountable talks and agreements between Ukraine, the European Union and Russia. If the “revolution” had been provoked by a less favored country, it would have been called a coup to potentially secure military dominance, and we would have fought against it.
For example, if Russia would have invested $5 billion in a pro-Russian revolution in Poland, employed diplomats and protestors to assist in a mass pro-Russian uprising in the country, had FSB assets on the ground handing out leaflets on how to protest and then not investigated an event where snipers on roof tops shot both protestors and police, while Russia was saying the government in power did this to the Russian leaning protestors, and while shortly after international officials were caught on tape suspecting it was the Russians themselves that killed the protestors and police, the West would be screaming “coup!” even if the leader in power was as corrupt as former President Viktor Yanukovych. So why is this not happening now. and what are the unseen implications?
I read an interesting comment the other day on Veterans Today in an article entitled Russian Defense Minister urges Hagel to stay cool by Arjan, who said, “Is it totally out of the question that the real objective of the true powers of this planet is to bring Putin and Russia to world power? I do not have totally convincing reasons to think this, just some small clues.
Letter to Governor Brown on Partnership with Israel on Economic development, Research and Trade
After seeing this article, “Gov. Jerry Brown brags on signing historic agreement with Netanyahu in Silicon Valley,” here is the letter I wrote, you should write one too.
Dear Governor Brown,
I am against our state entering into an international agreement with Israel while there is a tremendous amount of concern over the treatment of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank. We as a state should not choose to condone the illegal settlements and potentially internationally criminal war tactics committed by Israel.
Israel appears to be weakening in regards to relations with the US, EU and many other countries, and my concern is that now that the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement is working and finally about to bring a change for peace in the Middle East through the Palestinians plight gaining recognition, Israel is reaching out to the states, such as ours.
Are we as a state going to work with business entities located in the settlement areas? I would like a response to this question because it must be clear to Californians what we are getting involved with.
Will Ukraine be the next Greece or Spain? Austerity May Come Without US Diplomacy
When you watch the toppling of statues of Lenin by the opposition movement in Ukraine, they are making a clear statement. According to the Daily Mail, “Around 100 of the so-called ‘reclining Lenins’ have reportedly been destroyed according to an interactive map released by Euromaidan, the opposition movement organisers.” A statue is easy to topple but a relationship is hard to change when it is mutually beneficial.
According to the CIA World Factbook, 25.6% of all Ukrainian exports are to Russia with 32.4% of its imports being from Russia. In addition the majority of the debt of the country is held by Russia including $3 billion recently provided of the $15 Billion promised in aide last year.
“Interim Ukrainian finance minister Yuriy Kolobov has warned that the “planned volume of macroeconomic assistance for Ukraine may reach around $35 billion (25 billion euros)” by the end of next year,” according to an article by AFP.
With that much debt expected and the potential for reduced exports and higher prices oil and gas, if Russia employs these tactics, the country could be in a very severe financial situation that may force extreme reforms which may be “suggested” by the International Monetary Fund such as those that have been imposed on Spain or Greece, which spurred austerity measures focused on the average citizen, not the billionaires.
The current leadership in the Ukraine seems to be waiting for a western bailout. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said the new government should be formed quickly so that the country can secure as much as $35 billion in financial aid.
What guarantees lie ahead for investors are unclear because of the precarious situation with Russia and also potential issues with the Euro itself.
Greg Palast, author of Billionaires and Bandits, said in 2012, “The Euro was the ultimate in supply side economics, designed to perform exactly as it has done in an economic crisis – strip away traditional economic tools of recovery and push states into “internal devaluation”, privatisation and attacks on labour rights. It’s performing perfectly.”
This makes you wonder if that is what the revolutionaries want for their economy? Or are they just not aware, yet.
LENR- E-CAT and NASA Aircraft – and Blacklight Power Defying Old Constructs of the Atom to Create New Power
The word atom is, in itself, an anomaly. It comes from the Greek adjective atomos, meaning “indivisible.” So, when thinking about nuclear power, whether it is hot fusion, conventional nuclear reactions that occur at tens of millions of degrees, or what is termed as LENR, low energy nuclear reactions, either process in itself defies the word because these reactions involve altering the atom, or what was previously seen as “indivisible.”
In the alternative power community there has been a lot of talk about LENR as of late because of many important developments, as well as recent validations on technologies by many experts. These low energy nuclear reactions are now standing in defiance of the conventional hot fusion based nuclear technology and may be winning.
The differences between LENR and conventional nuclear fission is that LENR is based on fusion, the process the sun uses to create light and heat versus nuclear fusion and fission. Conventional nuclear processes involve a system where energy is produced from nuclear binding energy that is released by either fusing together two light nuclei or when heavy nuclei split.
One other important differences of LENR is that the process utilizes non-radioactive materials, so there is no radioactive waste.
Based on what is happening with a company called E-Cat, we may even be able to have one of these units in our homes in the very near future. Inventor, Andrea Rossi just recently sold rights to his LENR technology, Energy Catalyzer (E-Cat) to Industrial Heat LLC from Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina.
“A primary goal of the company is to make the technology widely available, because of its potential impact on air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels and biomass,” said Industrial Heat in their press release on January 24, 2014. “Mr. (JT) Vaughn confirmed IH acquired the intellectual property and licensing rights to Rossi’s LENR device after an independent committee of European scientists conducted two multi-day tests at Rossi’s facilities in Italy.”
“The world needs a new, clean and efficient energy source. Such a technology would raise the standard of living in developing countries and reduce the environmental impact of producing energy,” said Vaughn speaking on behalf of Industrial Heat.
A Little Late, but a Tribute to the January 25 Movement
I used the Democracy Now version because of the English translation of the very powerful words spoken by Asmaa Mahfouz. May civil rights come to all people everywhere.
Tunisian Constitution, Civil Rights as a Basis for Syria Geneva II Talks to Avoid Egyptian like Instability
An issue being seemingly ignored during the negotiations with Syria at the Geneva II talks is the same issue that was ignored in Egypt’s constitution and has potentially caused Egypt to be plagued with instability after the Arab Spring – basic enforceable civil rights for the people including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to peacefully assemble, freedom of religion and equal rights for women and men.
On this, three year anniversary of the January 25 Movement in Egypt, it is important to look at why freedom is dramatically lessened in Egypt, and why they experienced a coup or removal of their first elected President Mohamed Morsi, just a month and a year after he was elected. Civil rights should be the first step to form a reformed government in countries previously controlled by dictators because it provides power for the people to address the overreach of the elites previously in charge.
Support for civil rights for the people of Syria or Egypt is not only locally beneficial to the security of Syrian or Egyptian people, but it is important for world security from terrorists who are in opposition to those very same civil rights.
James Corbett 9/11 Conspiracy Theory
I just had to post this here because this video is so sadly funny.
The Dying Art of Questioning Authority in America
What makes America so great, or rather what has made America so great? It is the freedom to ask questions and get truthful answers.
With the issues such as Whistle-blowers, freedom of the press and rights to privacy on the table, why is the main focus on the messengers and discrediting them? This can only be because they, those in power, do not want the questions asked and want to manipulate any person who is only listening to sound bites, the majority of the struggling American population, into to accepting their position.
Why? Because questions either by the people or the press don’t fit into the national narrative, “they are a threat to ‘National Security.’ ” From my understanding National Security involves serving the people, not the criminals.
In my opinion, we are no longer great if we do not uphold the Constitution, and if we continue to let the “terrorist” bogeymen erode our freedoms. It has been almost 12 years since 9-11 and the strange thing is that no one was allowed to question then and to have an honest investigation and answers provided that had to stand up to criticism. With the wars, questioning was seen as traitorous. “Either you are with us or you are against us.”
By our government not answering our questions with solid, documented, scientific, open investigation that is allowed to be questioned from all sides to insure the truth, we have been kidnapped as a country. Why now are things spilling over? Is it because the real boogie man is coming out of hiding?
Based on the Nuremberg Principle IV, “defense of superior orders” is not a defense for war crimes. Why were none of the potential crimes being internally investigated conjunctively – Iraq, WMDS, blackballing Joe Wilson, outing Valerie Plame & discrediting Scott Ritter, just to name a few? How about Afghanistan – Bin Laden’s need for kidney dialysis, the CIA meeting in July 2001, the Twin Towers and Building 7 destruction, opium production increasing to its highest level ever after the war, billions of US dollars spent or stolen, just to name a few?
The Nuremberg Principle IV states that “The fact that a person acted pursuant to order of his Government or of a superior does not relieve him from responsibility under international law, provided a moral choice was in fact possible to him.” What about all of the people we killed based on false assumptions or evidence? Isn’t that what Bradley Manning was trying to bring light to?
Whistleblowers and Their Importance to Our Freedom
A Fantasy about Inaguration Day . . .
When President Obama was inaugurated the first time, I had a dream that all of the Whistleblowers would line up at the White House the day Obama was in office for his first full day and each one would be heard. Then there would be mass investigations into Iraq, Afghanistan, 9-11 and Building 7, torture and illegal spying on American citizens, as well as the bankers’ role in the financial crisis.
I dreamed that he would clean the big mess up that was created by, during and after 9-11 so that our country could have a firm foundation of truth to stand on finally, because of what he said in his campaign and his prior actions.
This truth out, I thought would bring peace to the many who fought and were unjustly treated as well as those who had been injured and the families of those that had died in the wars. Maybe it was too big of a dream. Maybe there are too many nasty people involved with too much power, but the treatment of Whistleblowers including former CIA agent John Kiriakou, as well as the countless others, hurts our country and is causing it to rot from inside out both in the American people’s eyes and in the world view. What are we fighting for if we no longer have the freedoms ourselves? What is the price of no one being investigated or caught for the crimes committed? What does that say to other governments in the world? Move FORWARD with a proper investigation into the improprieties and set our country free to be a leader by example again. Only then can the world see that the American Ideal is real.
“For Truth, Justice and the American Way!” Maybe I watched too many cartoons when I was a kid and believed in the fantasy about our country. Work hard to keep the Dream Alive.
Guantánamo Anniversary – Democracy Now Interviews, Sami al-Hajj – Maybe it’s Time to Understand Why?
This morning I watched a very disturbing interview of Sami al-Hajj, the only journalist to be detained and tortured at Guantánamo. Amy Goodman with Democracy Now did an amazing job with the very sensitive interview. After watching it, I was upset that what we are told about the “War on Terror” is so wrong. Currently, we as a country are not addressing the real issues that were created during 2001 to 2008- false imprisonment, torture, deaths of thousands and destruction of cities and homes based on false evidence.
We are also unable to ask, why did this happen? And receive honest evidence, a fact based response that is validated by science and accounts on all sides. You would think that we as a country would lead the world with justice, thorough investigation on behalf of its citizens and desire to create peace. However after seeing this, it makes you really wonder how a country that signed the Geneva Conventions could do this and what was our motivation to do this?
In my opinion, the only way we can heal the present and the future is by examining the past and having a better understanding of why. Without that, the same scenario may continue to repeat itself over and over because there is no 100% true understanding for what caused an incident to happen, and how to prevent it in the future. This all starts with the question, why?