Depopoulation agenda of the World Bank: Land sold off and used for biofuels could have fed 1 billion people

Editor's Note: The Bible prophesies of a time when multitudes of people will die of starvation and hunger. The insidious policies of converting food producing farmland to other use such as for ethanol corn and other bio-fuels is a sure way of starving off billions of people in the third world. India is a nation of 1,3 billion people and its politicians have wholly sold off the country to multinational bankers and corporations such as Monanto. This does not bode well for the people of India,and the future of India. 

Revelation 6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Matthew 24:8 or nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
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Land sold off and used for biofuels could have fed 1 billion people 

2 million kilometers of foreign purchased land in developing countries is either idle or used for Western biofuel production, according to a British charity. Oxfam's report estimates an area the size of London is sold every six days. The report states that between 2000 and 2010, 60% of investment in agricultural land by foreign traders occurred in developing countries with hunger problems. 

Yet two thirds of those investors plan to export everything they produce. While 60% of deals are to produce crops that can be used for biofuels. Land can also be left idle, as speculators wait for its value to increase.  

Oxfam estimates that this land could have fed 1 billion people.

According to the International Land Coalition, an NGO based in Italy, 106 million hectares of land in developing countries has been acquired by foreign investors in a period between 2000-2010, with some disastrous results.

30% of all land in Liberia has been handed out in large scale concessions in the last 5 years, while up to 63% of all available land in Cambodia has been passed on to private companies.

Farmers forced out

Oxfam emphasizes that much of the land sold off was already being used for small scale and subsistence farming or other types of natural resource use.

The report dismissed claims by the World Bank that most of the sold land remains idle, waiting to be developed. In fact most agricultural land deals target quality farm land, particularly land that is irrigated and offers good access to markets.

A 2010 study by the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) – the official monitoring and evaluation body of the World Bank – supported Oxfam’s findings.

It found that 30% of World Bank projects involved involuntary resettlement. The study estimated that 1 million people are involuntarily resettled in projects financed by the World Bank. In some cases people were violently evicted from their land without consultation or compensation.

Continue Reading: Land sold off and used for biofuels could have fed 1 billion people 

'Turkey one step away from Syria war' - YouTube

Ordinary Iranians pay the price as US Sanctions take their toll; Hyperinflation destroying most Iranians

Iranian police clash with protesters over currency plunge | The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond

October 4, 2012 – IRAN - Riot police clashed with demonstrators and arrested money changers in Tehran on Wednesday in disturbances over the collapse of the Iranian currency, which has lost 40 percent of its value against the dollar in a week, witnesses said. Police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, angered by the plunge in the value of the rial. Protesters denounced President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a ‘traitor’ whose policies had fuelled the crisis. In a clampdown on the unofficial foreign currency market, a number of traders selling dollars were arrested after authorities ordered security forces to take action against those it sees as speculators. The rial has hit record lows against the U.S. dollar almost daily as Western economic sanctions imposed over Iran’s disputed nuclear programme have cut Iran’s export earnings from oil, undermining the central bank’s ability to support the currency. Panicking Iranians have scrambled to buy hard currency, pushing down the rial whose increasing weakness is hurting living standards and threatening jobs. “Everyone wants to buy dollars and it’s clear there’s a bit of a bank run,” said a Western diplomat based in Tehran. “Ahmadinejad’s announcement of using police against exchangers and speculators didn’t help at all. Now people are even more worried.” The protests are seen as posing a threat to Ahmadinejad rather than the government, which is expected to put a stop to the foreign exchange black market, pump in funds to stabilize the currency and prevent the protests from spreading. Tehran’s main bazaar, whose merchants played a major role in Iran’s revolution in 1979, was closed on Wednesday. A shopkeeper who sells household goods told Reuters that currency chaos was preventing merchants from quoting accurate prices. A computer dealer said he had halted sales because of the volatility in the currency market. “The same product can change price within an hour,” he said by telephone. The protests centered around the bazaar and spread, according to the opposition website Kaleme, to Imam Khomeini Square and Ferdowsi Avenue — scene of bloody protests against Ahmadinejad’s re-election in 2009. Protesters shouted slogans like “Mahmoud the traitor – you’ve ruined the country” and “Don’t fear, don’t fear – we are all together,” the website said. The semi-official Mehr news agency said the largest gatherings were around the currency-trading centers of Ferdowsi Avenue, the Istanbul intersection, and Imam Khomeini Square and that security forces had been deployed to disperse the protests. The national currency dived to a record low on Tuesday to 37,500 to the U.S. dollar in the free market, from about 34,200 at the close of business on Monday, foreign exchange traders in Tehran said. On Monday last week, it traded at around 24,600. Ahmadinejad on Tuesday blamed the crisis on the U.S.-led economic sanctions on Iran and insisted the country could ride out the crisis. He said security forces should act against 22 “ringleaders” in the currency market. –Reuters

Pushing for an economic collapse: The U.K., France and Germany are pressing for new sanctions to bring Iran’s economy to its knees and curb its nuclear ambitions, according to several European diplomats, as rioting over the country’s tumbling currency suggests the existing sanctions are taking a toll. In a confidential letter to the 27 EU member states, portions of which were provided to Bloomberg News, the foreign ministers of Europe’s three largest economies criticized Iran for its lack of openness over its nuclear program and called for raising the cost to Iran’s leaders of refusing to abandon what the U.S., Europe and Israel say is a covert nuclear weapons program. Iran says its program is solely for civilian energy and medical research. Ahead of the next EU foreign ministers’ meeting Oct. 15 in Luxembourg, European diplomats and finance officials are discussing proposals to tighten the vise on Iran in the energy, finance, trade and transportation sectors, according to four European officials who all spoke on condition of anonymity because of diplomatic protocol. -Bloomberg

The myth of China's perpetually growing Economy!

Synchronized Global Downturn: The China Factor - International Man

Written by World Money Analyst

By Gordon G. Chang , World Money Analyst

Beijing's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced that in the second quarter the Chinese economy grew 7.6% from the same period last year.

China is slowing: Q2 was the sixth consecutive quarter of declining growth. This year, growth will come in below the 9.2% reported for last year and the 10.4% for 2010.

Global markets nonetheless shrugged off the Q2 result. We should not be surprised. The announced number was within estimates, which mostly ranged from 7.3% to 7.7%, and it was above Premier Wen Jiabao's full-year target of 7.5%. In any event, China's economy compares favorably to that of other major countries.

The dominant narrative is that the Chinese economy will land softly and continue to expand at about 7% for the indefinite future. There's only one thing wrong with this storyline. China is not growing anywhere near the presently claimed 7.6%. In reality, the country is far closer to zero growth. It may even be contracting.

The Pulse of China

At first glance, a contraction seems impossible. After all, NBS on Friday also reported robust numbers for June. Last month, retail sales jumped 13.7% and industrial production increased 9.5%. Fixed asset investment, excluding rural households, was up slightly.

Moreover, these NBS numbers were consistent with figures showing rising loan books-new bank lending was 919.8 billion yuan (US$145.5 billion) last month, well above the 633.9 billion yuan from the same month last year-and robust passenger car sales, which were up 15.8% from a year earlier.

Yet, the most important signs point to an economy in distress. The most reliable indicator of Chinese economic activity is the production of electricity. In April, China produced only 0.7% more juice than it did in the same month last year. In May, there was a 2.7% increase, and in June electricity production decreased by almost 1%. Because the growth of electricity historically outpaces the growth of gross domestic product, it is almost certain that China's economy contracted during April and June.

Continue Reading: Synchronized Global Downturn: The China Factor - International Man

Mitt Romney wins first Presidential Debate

What Romney’s Debate Victory Means - Bloomberg

Where has this Mitt Romney been? And where did that Barack Obama come from?

At last night’s debate between the Republican nominee and the president, it was Mitt the Likable Moderate who showed up: relaxed, in command of details, hair carefully tousled, offering kind words for both Democrats and government regulation. The president, on the other hand, was verbose, weary, occasionally peeved and seemingly ill-prepared. TheTwitter consensus, formed before Obama had finished his first answer, is that Romney won decisively.

We don’t disagree. Now the question is how, if at all, his victory will change the remainder of the campaign.

There are several ways to score a debate. Some suggest watching with the sound off, on the theory that a candidate’s body language communicates better than his words. (We may try this next time.) Then there is the rhetoric: Who got off the most zingers? Were there any gaffes, and were they genuine? Last night’s debate provided precious little material on either score, although Romney had a cute quip about how honored he was that the president was spending the night of his 20th wedding anniversary “here with me.”

Then there is the radical notion of actually assessing what the candidates say about the issues they are debating. This, however, turns out to be sort of complicated.

Continue Reading: What Romney’s Debate Victory Means - Bloomberg

Turkey starts a proxy war for NATO against Syria

Turkey to consider further military action after shelling of Syria begins — RT

Turkey’s military continues to shell Syria while the government awaits parliamentary approval for military operations on its neighbor’s territory after five Turkish civilians were allegedly killed by casual fire from Syria.

Several Syrian soldiers have been killed in artillery shelling from Turkish territory on Thursday night, reports the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

Ankara has confirmed it is firing on positions of the Syrian military. Artillery strikes have been made early on Thursday morning targeting the Tel Abyad district 10 km inside Syrian territory.

Turkish authorities have written to the UN Security Council on Thursday about the alleged shelling of its territory from Syria.

In a letter addressed to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ankara classifies Syria’s actions as “an act of aggression from Syria against Turkey” and has demanded measures be taken against Damascus to ensure the territorial integrity and security of Turkey.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on to Damascus to make a public promise not to allow any further armed conflicts on the Turkish border. Lavrov said that Syria and Turkey must establish a reliable communication channel to settle border conflicts.

Sergey Lavrov also informed that Damascus has already contacted Moscow on the matter of the border incident on Turkish border and assured the mortar shelling was a “tragic casualty.”

Russian FM expressed regret that the UN Security Council seems not to notice terrorist acts in Syria.

“I cannot but remember the deplorable fact that our Western partners in the UN refuse to condemn terror acts taking place on Syrian soil,” Lavrov said.

A source in NATO has revealed that at the current stage of the border conflict between alliance’s member Turkey and Syria the organization does not intend to bring its article on collective defense into play.

Spokesperson for the US State Department Victoria Nuland has called on to Russia to “use its influence on the Assad regime” and said Washington will continue co-operating with Moscow in search of a solution to the Syrian crisis, which the US understands as transition of authority from President Bashar al-Assad.

The chief of EU foreign policy, Catherine Ashton, on Thursday condemned a mortar strike from Syria, but called on both sides to exercise restraint.

Continue Reading: Turkey to consider further military action after shelling of Syria begins — RT

MORE ON THE STORY

03.10, 23:13207 comments

Turkey strikes Syrian targets retaliating to mortar attack on border

Turkey has fired back at Syria after Syrian mortar bombs killed five people and wounded eight, in a Turkish town near the border, according to senior Turkish officials. NATO convened for an urgent meeting tonight, unilaterally condemning the act.

Syria unrest

Today: 02:4283 comments

NATO says it stands by Turkey, urges Syria to stop aggressive acts against its ally

Following an exchange of fire at the Syrian-Turkish border, the US and NATO have condemned Syria and pledged to support Turkey. The White House has called for more pressure to be exerted on Damascus.

Syria unrest

03.10, 12:06103 comments

At least 27 killed, over 70 injured in three blasts that rocked Aleppo

Syrian state TV reports of three powerful explosions in downtown Aleppo, the financial hub and largest city of the country. Reportedly the blasts were caused by car bombs that terrorists delivered to the city’s main square.

Syria unrest

22.09, 19:1688 comments

FSA moves HQ from Turkey to Syria to prepare offensive against Assad

Syria’s main rebel group has moved its command center from the Turkish border into central Syria to prepare for an offensive against President Bashar al-Assad’s troops in Damascus. The Free Syrian Army made the announcement via video message.

Syria unrest

The Catholic Church's income from taxing Germans (yes it has power to tax) is over $5 billion annually

The Real Estate holdings and Business Enterprises of the Roman Catholic Church combined with its power to tax makes it one of the biggest, if not THE BIGGEST business and finance enterprise in the world. And though the RCC taxes its members (taxes that are collected by governments like Germany and others, possibly even in the US) yet it pays no taxes. Therefore it is not surprising that it is one of the most powerful organizations in the world that pulls the strings of nations, and possibly the whole world from behind the scenes. No one knows the total wealth of this church but is far greater than that of any single nation, including the USA, which is basically a bankrupt debt ridden corporation unlike the church that has incalculable wealth in the Vatican alone. This entirely commercial enterprise that more closely resembles Mystery, Babylon the Great than it does the Carpenter from Nazareth, pretends to be an Ecclesiastical body serving Jesus but in fact worships mammon. 

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
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German court backs Catholic 'pay to pray' rule | Fox News

BERLIN –  Germany's top administrative court has ruled that Catholics who opt out of paying religious taxes must automatically leave the church as well.

The court's verdict Wednesday is a victory for the Catholic Church in Germany, which receives more than euro4 billion ($5.14 billion) annually from a surcharge of up to nine percent on income tax bills of registered Catholics.

The judges at the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig ruled against retired German theologian Hartmut Zapp, who wanted to leave the church as an institution but remain a member of the Catholic community.

Germany's bishops announced last week that believers who refuse to pay the tax are committing a "grave lapse" and as a result won't be able to receive the sacrament, become godparents or have a religious funeral.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/26/german-group-slams-catholic-pay-to-pray-decree/%20?test=latestnews#ixzz28GLD403C

Civil war in Syria becoming deadlier: Blast wave rocks central Aleppo, dozens killed

Blast wave rocks central Aleppo, dozens killed - YouTube

Up to four explosions have rocked the central square of Syria's largest city of Aleppo, reportedly killing around 40 people. The blasts were thought to have been caused by car bombs and were followed by heavy gunfire.

Desperate anti-EU protest in Vatican: Italian man on dome of St Peter's Basilica - YouTube

Desperate anti-EU protest in Vatican: Italian man on dome of St Peter's Basilica

Published on Oct 3, 2012 by RussiaToday

In an unorthodox display of anti-EU sentiment, an Italian restaurateur has spent over 12 hours staging a protest atop St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He addressed crowds of bemused tourists, decrying PM Monti's policies as "social butchery". READ MORE http://on.rt.com/32re3w

Riots Spreading All Over Europe: Deepening Austerity Is Likely To Trigger Massive Civil Unrest And Even Revolution

Riots Spreading All Over Europe: Deepening Austerity Is Likely To Trigger Massive Civil Unrest And Even Revolution « InvestmentWatch

Farage: We face the prospect of mass civil unrest, even revolution

Thousands march in Paris against austerity

PARIS – Thousands of demonstrators marched peacefully Sunday in Paris to denounce austerity measures in Europe that have sparked violent protests in other EU countries struggling to avert fiscal crises.

The march, organized largely by the Left Front party and the Communists, comes before the French parliament’s debate this week on a European fiscal treaty. Organizers put turnout at more than 80,000; Paris police declined to provide an estimate.

France unveils 75% tax rate for the rich

Another domino falls as Hollande pushes France into depression

Thousands in Germany Protest for Wealth Tax

Thousands of people across Germany have protested for the introduction of taxes on wealth and financial transactions.

Organizers said Saturday around 40,000 people took to the streets in 40 cities to demand a more equal society. 

Photos Of The Giant Protests Rocking Greece And Spain

Discontent in Spain and Greece is rising.

Greece’s two largest labor unions went on strike today, disrupting flight and train services and forcing hospitals to depend on emergency staff.

This is the first general strike in Greece since the coalition government came to power.

Protestors gathering around the Greek Parliament in Athens, throwing Molotov cocktails at the riot police but have been pushed out of the main square now, according to BBC.

Click here to jump to the photos >

Meanwhile, Spain which saw massive anti-austerity protests yesterday, also saw a smaller number of demonstrators take to the streets today. But the demonstrations are expected to gather steam and some reports say 1,300 police officers have been deployed to keep clashes in check.

Spain is also grappling with the threat of a Catalan secession, a crucial economic region of the country. And pressure is building on Mariano Rajoy to request a sovereign bailout, though he has said he will only do so if the country’s borrowing costs stay high over a long period of time.

Markets are selling off across Europe. Spain is down 3 percent, and yields on the Spanish 10-year surged this morning.

We will be updating this feature through the day.

RAW VIDEO: Spain Protester Executes Flying Leg Kick On Riot Cop Takedown

 Read more at http://investmentwatchblog.com/riots-spreading-all-over-europe-deepening-austerity-is-likely-to-trigger-massive-civil-unrest-and-even-revolution/#vWFzL2ChOEDxbvsi.99 

Russia warns US / NATO on military intervention in Syria!

Moscow warns NATO on itchy trigger finger in Syria — RT

The Foreign Ministry has called on NATO and Middle East countries not to devise pretexts for military intervention in Syria.

Russia has expressed concern that some provocation could occur at the Turkish-Syrian border that may give NATO the green light to intervene in Syria.

"In our contacts with our partners both in NATO and in the region, including on international forums, we have called on them not to look for pretexts in order to carry out a [military] operation," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told reporters on Tuesday in Moscow.

In such a scenario, NATO would be obliged to intervene in the conflict to defend Turkey, a NATO member.

Gatilov said Russia is equally wary of establishing any sort of “humanitarian corridors or buffer zones,” which may be used to draw NATO and other regional powers into the conflict.

The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been struggling to maintain its grip on power amid a militant challenge by the political opposition. While many Western countries have disavowed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and taken sides with the rebels, Moscow is calling for both sides of the conflict to accept the Kofi Annan Plan, recognize a ceasefire and enter into peace talks.

This is not the first time Moscow has warned its NATO partners against interfering militarily in the affairs of sovereign states.

Last year, Russia, which was among five countries that abstained from a UN Security Council vote for the enforcement of a no-fly zone in Libya.

Moscow said such action would lead to large-scale military involvement in the country.

These concerns were eventually validated when it became obvious that NATO was targeting forces loyal to former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was murdered at the hands of a mob immediately after being found.

Last month, the violence returned full circle to Libya when the US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens was killed following a wave of anti-American protests triggered by the release of an anti-Islam film.

Russia is concerned that by interfering in the affairs of foreign states, NATO is forced to build alliances with motley groups whose affiliation is largely unknown.

In Syria, there is evidence that Al-Qaeda has hijacked the opposition movement, and this is a scenario that could lead to disastrous consequences in the event of a NATO military operation.

Robert Bridge, RT

MORE ON THE STORY

27.09, 18:5560 comments

Putin blames West for global chaos

The Russian leader did not hesitate to name who is responsible for sowing the seeds of disorder that is gripping many parts of the world, including in Syria.

Syria unrest

20.09, 14:5437 comments

Putin agrees: USAID meddling in Russian politics

President Vladimir Putin shares the opinion of the Foreign Ministry that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is engaged in more than just humanitarian work in Russia.

30.09, 07:0947 comments

‘West wants end of Syria as a functioning independent state’

The Syrian insurgency will never win its war because its means are unsupported even among the opposition, political analyst Dan Glazebrook told RT. But thanks to a flood of weapons from the West, they will continue to destabilize the country.

Syria unrest

27.09, 12:4789 comments

Syrian rebels defect to government forces

A group of Syrian rebels from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) defected and joined pro-government forces on Wednesday. The troops’ commander announced that “the road is open,” and called on to other rebels to abandon their uprising.

Syria unrest

CIA-Sponsored Cyber Attacks To Legitimize DHS Big Brother Control Grid

Editor's Note: I have written many times in the past on Cyber-warfare and even psted a couple of videos on the Subject, the following one is titled Cyber-Warfare: coming attacks on power plants, oil refineries, water supply, and financial markets. It is my belief that Cyber-warfare will prove to be just as deadly if not more so than conventional warfare. But just as conventional warfare is not possible without Govt. support, neither is lethal Cyber-Warfare! When one or more deadly cyber-attacks ensue, they will be blamed on hackers, either alleged terrorists or foreign governments like Russia, China, Iran or North Korea. However keep in mind that the best hackers work for the US govt. and as the following report contends when these attacks come, as they will, the culprits will be anyone except the ones that will be blamed!

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CIA-Sponsored Cyber Attacks To Legitimize DHS Big Brother Control Grid | Science and Technology

The US government-sponsored surveillance system is being built with the assistance of federal agencies, state and local law enforcement, telecommunications technology, websites, search engines, private sector corporations and data collection software. To justify the need for a cybersecurity legislation that will enable the US government to spy on every American citizen without purpose other than to create a totalitarian control grid, false flag attacks are incorrectly portrayed by the Obama administration in order to scare Congress into following tail behind this globalist puppet.

Back in March, DHS, the FBI and Obama administration officials demonstrated for Senators a fake take-down of US infrastructure to coerce them into supporting the Cybersecurity Act of 2012. The focus of the fake attacks were US banks, power grids and telecommunications systems.

When creating a corporate-surveillance grid, the work of the military-industrial complex, mainly the Department of Defense (DoD), who created the internet we know today and controls its direction with orders coming from the executive branch.

The Obama administration is circumventing the Congress with an executive order to create his own law concerning internet lockdown after the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 was voted down last month.

Obama is elevating the power of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with his executive order in draft form that will establish cybersecurity standards because the US power grids will be protected from attacks.

In 2011, the DHS claimed that American industry and power grids are vulnerable to attacks from hackers. They explained that foreign governments will infiltrate industrial infrastructure and cause havoc. Yet, it is the US and Israeli governments who have used cyber-attacks to terrorize Middle Eastern nations and their power grid infrastructure with Flame and Stuxnet.

According to Jay Carney, White House Press Secretary, Obama may just write an executive orderto ensure his cybersecurity agenda is implemented. “In the wake of Congressional inaction and Republican stall tactics, unfortunately, we will continue to be hamstrung by outdated and inadequate statutory authorities that the legislation would have fixed. Moving forward, the President is determined to do absolutely everything we can to better protects our nation against today’s cyber threats and we will do that.”

Caitlin Hayden, White House spokesperson, in regard to Obama writing an executive order to make sure that his designs for the internet are realized, said: “An executive order is one of a number of measures we’re considering as we look to implement the president’s direction to do absolutely everything we can to better protect our nation against today’s cyberthreats. We are not going to comment on ongoing internal deliberations.”

A leaked version of the executive order on cybersecurity reveals the creation of an “infrastructure cybersecurity council manned by the US Department of Homeland Security that will be staffed by members of the departments of defense, justice and commerce, and national intelligence office.”

Experts agree that the US power grids are rarely attacked or hacked into, yet the US government is using the general public’s ignorance against them for the sake of gaining social support for their ultimate Big Brother surveillance system. It is understood that “To start, these systems are rarely connected directly to the public internet. And that makes gaining access to grid-controlling networks a challenge for all but the most dedicated, motivated and skilled — nation-states, in other words.”

The National Security Agency (NSA) would have us believe that hackers are becoming “disruptive and destructive” which causes the ever present possibility of security breaches directed by nameless, faceless groups like Anonymous. The US government purveys the false flag of hackers somewhere out there, waiting in the shadows to attack and bring down our digital mediums.

On September 12th, the House of Representatives passed an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that give the US government allowance to spy on American communications in the name of discerning terrorist activity. This passage gives the NSA over-reaching power to conduct encompassing digital surveillance. According to Robert Litt, General Counsel of the Office of the Director of NSA, this capability is an “incredibly valuable source of foreign intelligence information that I think it’s fair to say has been critical to protecting our country over the last few years. I know of specific incidences both involving terrorist acts and involving other kinds of threats where we have been able to thwart them or gain significant insight into them as a result of this collection activity.”

FISA has allowed the US government to collect massive amounts of data on unsuspecting Americans. Opposition came from Senator Ron Wyden who explained: “My concern has long been that the challenge is to ensure that we are protecting the well-being of our people – and there are certainly threats overseas – while at the same time standing up for those extraordinarily important values of liberty, and that we strike the balance…And my concern is that there is a substantial amount of evidence that that balance is not being struck.”

Justification for the continued use of FISA is that these intrusions into American’s private communications are searching for the US government-sponsored terrorist faction known as al-Qaeda. David Kris, former top anti-terrorism attorney at the Justice Department, asserts that: “. . . an authorization targeting ‘al Qaeda’ – which is a non-U.S. person located abroad – could allow the government to wiretap any telephone that it believes will yield information from or about al Qaeda, either because the telephone is registered to a person whom the government believes is affiliated with al Qaeda, or because the government believes that the person communicates with others who are affiliated with al Qaeda, regardless of the location of the telephone.”

America the Food Stamp Nation - Never in history has existed a Welfare State like the USA in 2012

Food Stamp Nation

Published on Friday, 28 September 2012 by Bill Bonner, Founder and President, Agora Inc.

Whoa... a lot to talk about. Like, the end of the world as we know it.

Let's begin with comedy. We'll come back to tragedy later.

On Wednesday, Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was speaking at our alma mater, Georgetown University. She was asked about the funny numbers Argentina uses to report the rate of inflation there.

Her bureaucrats put the CPI at less than 10%. Independent analysts and housewives know it is a lie. Prices are rising at about 25% per year.

At a press conference, Fernandez de Kirchner defended herself artfully: "Really, do you think consumer prices are only going up at a 2% rate in the U.S.?"

Bingo. They all lie.

Two percent is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. But the quants are massaging the numbers so hard they're breaking their backs.

The real rate is probably closer to 5%. Maybe 10%. Who knows?

Made-up Numbers

You might say it depends on how you mis-measure it. And it is in the interest of the government to put it on the low side. That way, you don't have to adjust your inflation-adjusted bonds quite as much. Or your Social Security payments.

Which just goes to show how fishy the entire system is. Fernandez de Kirchner is right. All the numbers are made up. So you may as well make them up to suit you. Lower the inflation reading, and you make the rest of your statistics look better too. Like your GDP growth. And productivity. And stock market returns.

Continue Reading: Food Stamp Nation

Louisiana sinkhole keeps growing; sinks Assumption business and home values + Giant sinkhole in Florida

Louisiana sinkhole grows, hits Assumption business and home values | The Extinction Protocol: 2012 and beyond

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September 30, 2012 – LOUISIANA - The sinkhole in Assumption Parish keeps getting bigger.  The parish’s director of homeland security and emergency preparedness, John Boudreaux, says a 15-hundred square foot section of the earth caved in last week, pulling down several trees and part of a road. The road that caved in was built to assist in the cleanup efforts. The sinkhole is about four acres in size and has grown since it emerged on August third. 150 homes in two nearby communities are evacuated as a result of the sinkhole. Experts believe an underground brine cavern encased in a salt dome could be the cause of the sink hole. Sonar testing inside the cavern began a few days ago. Boudreaux says an unknown substance was found at the bottom of the cavern. “The substance could be soil and sand that now has entered the cavern that created the sinkhole.” Scientists are still trying to determine precisely why the hole appeared. Residents and businesses in the area are growing increasingly concerned that it may swallow up their investments.  The hole filled with sludge and muck as it swallowed hundreds of yards of swampland. Area residents have been worried not only by tremors, possibly caused by natural gas shifting underground in or near the dome, but also by concerns the value of their homes and business could suffer. -WWL

TERMINATOR: Rise of the Machines | Cyborg cockroach wired for search and rescue

Reuters TV | Cyborg cockroach wired for search and rescue

French Economy in Recession: Gloom under the glitter at Paris auto show

Gloom under the gleam at Paris auto show | Video | Reuters.com