Song of the Day: Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

If you’ve ever wondered what might make a hard man misty-eyed, what does it for me in particular, here’s one example. While there are a few things that have that effect on me, this is the only one I’m sharing at the moment.

This has been one of my favorite songs of all time, and it gave me goosebumps the very first time I heard it. It still does. It’s hard to listen to sometimes, and I have noticed that it affects many others the same. It is a fitting tribute as well to those generations past, whom sacrificed so much.

Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing is transcendental, and words cannot describe how I admire his playing. I wish I had the tiniest fraction of his talent. I’m including two different video versions of Brothers In Arms, by Dire Straits, so you can hear the album version and so you can see it as it was played live in 1988, at Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebration in South Africa. I don’t care about the politics of it, but even if you can’t escape it, it is worth seeing merely on the strength of the artist’s performance.

That second video is just so haunting, as befits the song. Eric Clapton, who was there to perform as well, backed Mark Knopfler on this song—and, I daresay, you can see that even Slowhand was awed by the moment. If you have ever wondered what a musician making magic and touching something divine looks like, be sure to watch the last minutes of the 1988 Mandela birthday tribute performance. It is humbling. It is what music is meant to be.

Today’s Song of the Day goes out to those of you who were there, and those that are no longer with us.

The album version…

The Live performance in South Africa, 1988…
[From 5:18 to 6:32 there were technical difficulties, but hang in there, as soon as the video comes back, it is simply amazing.]

Speculators, Investors, Wall Street Screw Over American Taxpayers

The insane financial bailout passed by Congress to the tune of $700 billion did absolutely nothing to shore up the economy as the DOW dipped below 10,000, and may not unfold in time to make a difference for many years, if at all. To show their appreciation to Congress and the American taxpayers who are footing the bill for fixing the problems they have created, speculators and investors on Wall Street decided to sell like crazy.

Love the vote of confidence, you selfish jerks.

Bailout Turns Out To Be Feel-Good Measure That Makes No One Feel Good

Today, markets around the globe are dropping fast. Stock market closures have been seen around the globe the past week. On a global scale, governments are hemorrhaging money as the economic wounds continue flowing. The rest of the world is not stupid—they know how the American government works and how the odds are that probably 20-25% of that $700 billion will never actually do what it was intended to do, and the rest will happen too slowly. Not to mention its mostly funded by worthless money created out of thin air by the Federal Reserve that has absolutely no real value.

Inflation and the cost of living are rising quickly in some countries (such as Chile), and those countries that thought they were immune to the crisis are discovering the contrary is true. Mexico in particular is being hard hit. Looking at the Frankfurt exchange this morning, I noticed that Deutsch Bank AG was down 14% from the previous day, but metals are are pretty much all rising in value. However, the EU shot down its own proposed financial rescue fund for banks.

Bank Failures Predicted To Continue

Bank failures here in America are expected to continue for the next year at least. I am seriously weighing and considering that my PayPal account might be better suited for holding my money rather than my bank. The greater the impact of this economic downturn, the more likely people will stay at home and shop online rather than spend money on gas and trips, which will lend strength to a good eBusiness. However, they can’t do that if their institution collapses. PayPal has the size and backing to weather the storm and come out on top as competitors fall under the pressures of this downturn, due to its very specific focus. PayPal, after all, isn’t holding a lot of bad mortgage debt.

But no financial institution is guaranteed immune from the crisis. Still, you might want to consider your financial institution and if your bank is at risk, consider relocating your funds to an institution less at risk.

Congress heard today from Lehman Brothers CEO, Richard S. Fuld Jr., and others describing how billions of dollars were steered to executives even as the company was seeking financial rescue from the government. These sorry sorts are the ones ruining the quality of life for millions of Americans, but they don’t really care since they walked away with fortunes.

Recession Or Beginning Of New Depression Of Global Scope?

This recession has been in full swing for at least a year now, folks. Companies have been folding, tens of thousands of jobs lost, the housing industry glutted and much more. Just because the Bush administration refused to admit a recession existed until the DOW took a nosedive off a cliff and huge institutions collapsed in such a public way that the government had to seize control and couldn’t lie and hide anything any longer does not mean we weren’t in the midst of one already. What we’re seeing now is the beginning of a major economic depression on the verge of becoming the same kind of monster that the Great Depression became.

In the past few years we have experienced droughts in various parts of the country, and the possibility remains that another will come along, and the prospect of still more devastating hurricanes lies ahead. Hoarding of food and fuels here at home and abroad is on the rise, and the UN is trying to get our attention about a global food crisis. We’re engaged in two wars and with other threats rising in Latin America and the Caucasus and Eastern Europe, history is about to complete another lap I fear.

Look for the markets to continue sinking for quite some time. Look for the demagogues and ideologues to come crawling out of the woodwork. We’ve learned so much from history—and completely ignored it. Or rather, leaders of all sorts in the political, economic, military and other realms have.

Economic Woes Give Rise To Nightmare Scenarios

The world, once again, has become a tinder box. How long will it be before someone’s dropped a match in it?

America in particular is quite vulnerable. It wouldn’t take much to create an even more chaotic fear reaction in global markets if there were trouble here at home. Secessionist movements or militias declaring a revolution or some group deciding it was time for the Confederacy to fire up again and push the occupiers out would literally be disastrous. Sounds silly, but only to those who aren’t aware just how many such groups are out there, and how many people would love nothing more than something like that to happen so they could join in. There are a lot of angry, upset Americans who are not happy about the direction of our country just waiting for someone else to fire the next shot heard round the world.

With the bulk of America’s military overseas engaged in two wars, a global economic crisis, a resurgent Russia, Iran on the brink of nuclear capability, North Korea threatening the same, Hugo Chavez and other Latin America leaders creating an anti-American coalition and with the troubles at home in many European nations…there could be no better time for such people to act.

America’s Most Hated: Speculators, Day Traders, Investors, Bankers

Those speculators and investors who led us to this point have not demonstrated the least bit of courage and no inclination to help undo what they have caused by showing a willingness to hold or buy, instead selfishly selling off in spite of the generosity of millions of hard-working Americans—including more than 39 million living below the poverty line—all trying to save our economy from even worse disaster.

Personally, if someone drops a match in the tinderbox, I’m not the least bit inclined to do anything but dig out some marshmallows and enjoy the bonfire. If I were an investor, speculator or banker right now, I might be weighing the implications of my actions today more closely when considering that I would be one of the most hated class of people in a post-collapse America—for destroying everything that everyone else had at one time and bringing it all crashing down.

Note to self: pick up some marshmallows on the next trip to the store and research PayPal viability.

The Russian Threat To Georgia And Danger Of External Forces

A bomb blast in South Ossetia outside Russian military headquarters threatens to destabilize the region yet again. The Russian and South Ossetian authorities claim a car was confiscated in Georgian territory and then driven to the Russian headquarters by Russian forces, where it exploded.

First, let’s get out of the way the fact that if the car was indeed packed with explosives, an act of terrorism was planned by someone. Secondly, let’s get it out of the way that if the Russians confiscated the vehicle and drove it to their headquarters where it exploded they are incredibly incompetent. Thirdly, we have to ask why Russians confiscated a Georgian vehicle in the first place? Fourth, we have to ask why those Georgians (if they were in fact Georgians at all were in South Ossetia given the current situation? And then, we have to ask how they would have gotten past Russian and South Ossetian forces in the first place through the buffer zone and into South Ossetia where the car was allegedly confiscated?

It is hard to conceive that a car bomb would have gotten past a military checkpoint of any kind, even when manned by average front line soldiers. If it did, it displays gross incompetence and highlights vulnerabilities and points out weaknesses in the Russian military. It is also hard to conceive that any Georgians would have made it through such check-points without any explosives and found sympathizers and supplies to then arm the vehicle with explosives while in South Ossetia.

The Danger Involved

Now, the danger is that Russia will use this as an excuse to engage in further military action aimed at overthrowing the Georgian government or to weasel out of its cease-fire agreement and find an excuse to occupy Georgian territory longer or to reoccupy Georgian territory or to invade Georgia again. Why the car exploded and the circumstances around it need to be investigated by as many international agencies as possible, and they need to demand involvement RIGHT NOW, before time and political maneuvering allow this to become something it is not.

The underlying danger that is obvious, however, is a potential danger. And it is a danger more significant than most, and perhaps even more dangerous than Iran’s seeking nuclear weapons. What danger is that?

That Al Qaeda, another terrorist organization, some rogue state government or government agency—or perhaps Abkhazian or South Ossetian seperatists—will be able to easily exploit the tension of the region and the polar political alignment of the sides involved to create discord, panic and escalate tensions to the point of renewed and possibly wider-spread conflict in the Caucasus region. Any organization that would benefit from the resultant force on force and ideological clash between Russia and the West would see the opportunity of attacking Russian forces in South Ossetia or Abkhazai as very usable for their own ends.

Analysis: Who Would Benefit From Renewed Conflict In Georgia Or With Russia?

There is an incredibly long list of just whom might benefit from a renewed conflict, and the ways in which they might benefit may be incredibly obscured.

• Russia would benefit by posing a greater threat to the region, which would make dealing with Russia more favorably of greater importance to nations in the region—thus weakening Western influence and the perception of Western interests in or ability to protect the region. It would give Russia a stepping stone to other nations in the region, greater influence in the Black Sea region and the Middle East. It also puts them one step closer to being able to seize Armenia and Azerbaijan, and once again pursuing what has been a long-standing Russian military and geo-political goal: direct access to the oil fields of the Middle East and more warm water ports. Given Russian and Iranian cooperation, this poses a very serious and somewhat understated danger to the Middle East and the global balance of power because it is in the interests of both Russia and Iran to partner together against Western in general and US influence in particular. Seizing Georgia would also put Russia on the doorstep of Turkey which has been flirting with Russia much to the chagrin of the US, EU, and NATO. A nightmare scenario that follows from a Russian occupied and controlled Georgia is Turkey deciding to stamp out all Kurdish resistance in the Kurdish regions of their country by force, and not feeling the need to be restrained by Western/NATO influence because the Russians will offer support, arms, and perhaps be willing to send troops to help stamp out the threat of “terrorists” which the West itself has labeled the Kurdish separatist groups in order to win the favor of a Turkish government that has been seeking entrance into NATO and the EU. This would inflame Kurds everywhere, especially in Iraq, and any action by Iraqi Kurds would destabilize Iraq and possibly give both Turkey and Iraq cause to invade it in the future—again, under the auspices of eliminating a terrorist threat. This scenario is not at all improbable, given the Russian propensity recently to occupy and not relinquish territory as it rides a wave of national military, political and economic resurgence.
• South Ossetia would benefit by having a weakened Georgia on its border or seeing the Georgian government overthrown by invading Russians and the subsequent occupation of Georgia by the Russians. They would also benefit economically by a weakened Georgia. They would also be able to inflict pain and suffering on the Georgians whom they have had long-standing differences—basically, getting some payback.
• Abkhazia would benefit the same way South Ossetia would.
• Al Qaeda would benefit greatly from such a climate of East/West conflict which would relieve pressures being exerted on their organization, create a climate where the movement of illicit arms, drugs and other contraband would be increased, easier and welcome in the region of conflict and surrounding areas. This would help boost both funding and recruitment for the organization in addition to providing some relief, and possibly allow them to form alliances with some governments who would also benefit from the US having to redirect military, economic or intelligence resources to deal with a crisis in the Caucasus region and the danger such conflict would pose to European security and stability in the Middle East where it has invested billions of dollars and the lives of soldiers.
• The Taliban and their allies seeking to distract the US and coalition forces and resources (including intelligence assets from focusing on prosecuting the attack in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal regions.
• Any terrorist organization seeking to relieve pressure on it from Western forces prosecuting the so-called Global War on Terror.
• Any countries at ideological, military, economic or political odds with the USA, the EU, NATO, Russia or Georgia might welcome the opportunities that any other beneficiary might find or see in reigniting the conflict, be it arms trafficking, alliance, political or economic destabilization or otherwise. This would include countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Venezuela, Bolivia, China, Myanmar, Cuba as well as various nations throughout the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
• Allies of the USA, NATO, EU or Georgia that seek to apply greater attention by those entities on the region of the Caucasus in order to put Russian expansion in check before it spreads any more than it already has. This could include separatists within Russia (such as in Chechnya or the Kabardino-Balkar Republic) and others that might see US/EU/NATO forces in the region as a counter-weight to threats they themselves face. For example, Israel would benefit greatly from halting Russian expansion and increased Western military engagement in the Caucasus region as that would create a threat to Iran, Syria, terrorist organizations that would benefit from Russian expansionism (and the conflicts that would result), and from the prospect of Turkey becoming increasingly friendly with Russia—who supplies most of the arms that many enemies of Israel and the West use, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and various insurgencies and revolutionary groups around the globe. That means that the West is less likely to be able to afford (either economically or politically) to help keep Israel’s enemies in check if Russian expansionism is allowed to grow. Interestingly enough, in this same category fall many European nations worried about their security in the face of a growing Russian threat. They know it is easier and would be more beneficial to have US/EU/NATO stronger and fortifying itself against a Russian threat now than it would be to do nothing and hope that the US/EU/NATO have the spine and wherewithal to engage Russia in open war on European soil. Europe has no desire to see a war of that magnitude in Europe proper again, and as America finds itself in decline economically, politically, and militarily…it is a very real threat/prospect.
• Rogue governmental agencies that have their own agendas, ranging from unilateral prosecution of agency or individual objectives to paying back owed markers or simply trying to increase their own relevance or budget. This could include agencies such as the CIA, NSA and other less known agencies here in the USA as well as British MI-5, Israeli Mossad, Russian FSB and various intelligence agencies of any nation mentioned anywhere in this list of those whom might benefit, including the nations of Syria, Turkey, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and so on. This could even include agencies who are looking for conflict in the Caucasus region to provide them with increased justification for increased involvement in existing or looming conflicts that have related issues at stake. One instance might be the growing tension between Pakistan and both India and Afghanistan.
• Corporations and individuals with their own agendas, aimed at increasing their wealth, influence or prestige and/or benefiting from conflict between Russia and Western forces. This includes PMC’s, companies that provide defense related services, oil companies, shipping companies, infrastructure related companies that would be needed in the wake of conflict, and the list goes on and on.

In the end, while it might seem a small and trivial thing, this vehicle exploding and which killed between six and nine Russian soldiers (depends on which story you read), it cannot be viewed lightly. It highlights a potential threat of great implication in the geopolitics of the Eurasian region.

Russia’s recent rhetoric accusing Ukraine of aiding Georgia in its conflict with Russia and calling it a “crime” ought to be sending off alarm bells throughout Europe and the rest of the world. Russians have to be sitting smug right now because they are playing the word and blame game so well—while the West is tongue-tied and showing absolutely no real urgency at all in defending Europe or shoring up its defenses. The lack of NATO and US troops being sent to the region, the lack of immediately bringing Ukraine and Georgia (or, more importantly, not going to Georgia’s aid after it has been a faithful ally of the USA) into NATO’s fold have exposed the vulnerable underbelly of the West.

Look for trouble in Belarus soon, as it gets ready to attempt a transition from being Europe’s last dictatorship into a democratic nation. I predict trouble and unrest, which will be followed by a display of Russian concern and rhetoric laying the groundwork for future justification. What do I mean by future justification? The very thing this explosion is giving Russia so conveniently for future aggression.

The Russian bear, from where it sits, has little to fear and sees all sorts of small game that it can kill with one swat of its paw everywhere it looks. Unfortunately for the West, the Russian bear is human, and we all know what dangers lie behind the ego.

Solar, Molten Salt, Steam And Algae: Alternative Fuel Tidbits

Solar energy used to heat molten salt which is used to produce steam which is used to produce electricity sounds like some hair-brained scheme, but it is not: it just received $140 million in second round venture funding. Also, Bill Gates is investing along with others in Sapphire Energy, which aims to replace petroleum with an algae based gasoline, diesel and jet fuel which is compatible with existing engines and technology and does not use a fermentation process.

In the realm of alternative energy some interesting stuff is turning up every month it seems. The big question is will any one or some small number of solutions gain enough traction by leaping ahead in viability to lead the way to an energy revolution? Or, will the market pull and tug investors and scientists in too many directions to make the significant change needed to forestall the sort of societal collapse sure to happen when petroleum supplies dwindle and run out?

I just happened across those while catching up on some articles over at Red Herring, and thought I would share. Molten salt. Hmmm…

The War Zone On The American Border

Regarding those still in denial about the state of social decay and violence that has become rampant in Mexico, I thought I might throw a few more logs on the fire. I suppose some people are simply in need of a bonfire that reaches to the heavens before they call it light enough to see by. This is for them.

Eleven decapitated bodies used for rituals; story from Sept. 1, 2008: Headless bodies may have been burned in ritual

Twenty-four people bound and shot, execution style; story from Sept. 13, 2008: Bodies of 24 shooting victims found in Mexico

Three Mexican chiefs of police seek asylum in USA as drug war spins out of control: Violence in Mexico spills across U.S. border

Assassinations of Mexican law enforcement officers, military officers, and civilian authorities has become routine. The Mexican people aren’t even so blind as to deny what is happening. They held large demonstrations to protest the violence just weeks ago, with hundreds of thousands of people participating.

2,682 people have lost their lives in Mexico’s violent drug war just this year alone (and that as of August 31, 2008) according to Mexican newspaper, El Universal.

Contrast that with 4,342 Palestinians that have died over more than four years in the second Intifada that has the whole Middle East and world leaders around the globe so concerned. There have been 4,469 coalition casualties in the war in Iraq as of September 12, 2008.

Comparing those numbers to the number of deaths in the drug war in Mexico gives one pause. And let us keep in mind that those killed in the drug wars in Mexico are not just the number of deaths due to crime in general and do not include your violent robberies and so forth. These are deaths where drug cartel soldiers and hit-men attack people at birthdays or funerals or bingo parlors and kill men, women and children (yes, even 16 month old infants), where they gun down police officers, assassinate Army officers, and kill each other.

As I have previously pointed out in one reply to a comment on my post entitled The Mexican Threat To America (Terrorists, Drug Cartels, Russia, Cuba, And Red Dawn), I’m not the only one who thinks Mexico is on the road to becoming a failed state. Stratfor has posed the question and explained how that just might be the case very nicely.

See for yourself what one of the leading firms in the intelligence/geo-political analysis field thinks about Mexico’s current condition: Mexico: On the Road to a Failed State?

Since the Mexican cartels control most of the drug trade in the USA, it is time for Americans to start demanding their government take stronger measures to protect our borders. Neither Obama or McCain has any intention of doing so. In fact, they intend to keep allowing a steady stream of illegal aliens, drugs and criminals across our border, fully intending to offer amnesty to them.

When you consider such how ineffectual the USA has been in dealing with what is going on right on our doorstep in Mexico (supposedly one of our closest “friends” and largest trading partner?) and how the USA failed to even come to the aid of our Georgian allies when Russia invaded, it isn’t hard to see the writing on the wall. Nations and empires rise and fall like the tides, and the same tide that is flooding Mexico will sink America…it is only a matter of time.

The failure of our governments to adequately prepare us for the future, to alter our infrastructure, to alter our energy consumption and resource utilization, to secure our borders and defend our sovereignty and insulate our energy needs from sandal-wearing goat herders and cave-dwelling radicals shows how incredibly inept and unfocused our government is. The concern has for too long been politicians making money for themselves and their lobbyists, and Americans will pay the price.

As global water shortages and global warming (doesn’t matter if it’s natural or the result of human activity) increase, as petroleum becomes more scarce, as the global population explodes—all by the end of this century—America will find itself spread even thinner than we are today militarily, our nation’s status greatly diminished, and less and less able to do anything about it.

There is a war zone on our border, and it is going to spread. Don’t be fooled by the recent headlines that the FARC is finished and that there will be no more insurgencies in Latin America as Hugo Chavez himself suggested. History holds all the warnings we ought to heed, if we but listen.

Russians Seize US Military Vehicles In Georgia

Russian soldiers seized American military Humvees and took some 20 Georgian soldiers prisoner, seizing the soldiers and vehicles in a key Georgian port. The vehicles were awaiting shipment back to the USA after being used in military exercises by Georgian forces before the recent fighting broke out, apparently.

How will the Bush administration address this issue? The response so far has bordered on cowardice already, and now Russia is seizing US military equipment on the home turf of an ally who has been more supportive of our efforts in the War on Terror than many NATO and EU members. This sort of outrage needs a strong response, stronger than just empty rhetoric and halting joint military exercises.

This is the same as violating an American embassy when you get right down to it. It is a blatant and provocative act, and we should return the favor. Oh wait….we don’t really have anyone in Georgia to help our allies or ourselves.

We need to demand the immediate release of our vehicles and implement punitive measures. Perhaps the EU, NATO and USA need to implement immediate sanctions against all Russian fuel exports and other goods? Let them find their market for their oil wealth suddenly shrunken and feel some economic pain. That will put a strain on their military spending and resurgent desire for military conquest.

NATO should also immediately grant membership to Belarus, Ukraine and Moldava if they want it, and then Georgia immediately after Russian withdrawal from Georgia proper. Then, NATO peacekeepers need to be sent into Georgia and the other two nations and draw a clear line, letting Russia know that Europe isn’t going to tolerate any more Russian conquest. The ONLY smart response to Russian aggression is a unified Europe. The only honorable response (though perhaps less than ideal) by the USA is to send troops and weapons systems to defend the territorial integrity of our Georgian allies and NATO allies. The eastern borders of NATO need to be strengthened.

Part of the reasons this has happened is because of the huge draw-down of our forces begun under President Clinton and the myopic and inept handling of foreign policy buy the miserably incapable Bush-Cheney administration. The whom have for the past two decades tried to steer the US military down the line of thinking that huge wars with major powers were not likely for the US and our NATO allies in Europe are finally being revealed for what they are and were–incredibly short-sighted thinkers.

America has a very real need for a greater number of certain weapons systems and more combat divisions. Relying solely on air and sea power and some light and fast pipe dream for future combat to all be against poorly armed peasants armed with shoddy weapons and sandals is ridiculous. The whole Rumsfeld/Clinton mentality is as ridiculous as the President we have leading our nation. McCain and Obama both seem woefully inadequate to deal with the problems of the world, and I have to say that Jack Cafferty raises some good points about McCain and the next President that will lead us.

I don’t think we have a good candidate in the running at all. Not one smart enough or experienced enough or strong enough to deal with the world we are facing. Our system of democracy is a sham and broken, and money and the special interest groups and corporations determine who leads us–not any merits of leadership. At this juncture in history, the next four years will be critical to the future of America and Europe. I have no confidence in McCain or Obama to be able to lead effectively. Both are content to give away America to illegal aliens while our soldiers are dying in the Middle East to protect those who hate Western civilization…while Russia is savagely mauling democracy like, well…a Russian bear.

If we’re lucky, Russia’s leaders are cocky but not bold. It’s one thing to push Georgia around, another to attempt to do so with Ukraine or Belarus. If Russia is ever going to consider actual expansionist policies, invading Ukraine and Belarus right now would be an opportunity that would be hard to pass up with the West and Europe basically doing nothing but talking and fretting, tied down in the Middle East.

A resurgent Russia is not something coming out of left field. There were many analysts who warned against just this very thing even as the USSR disintegrated. The Pentagon might want to rehire some of them to start replacing the analysts who aren’t doing a very good job for them right now.

Speaking of the Middle East and Eurasia…

There’s a very real threat to the region of Eurasa/central Asia that comes from Sino-Russian cooperation. Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan ought to be very worried right about now. Russia has been going on for some time about the need to fight Islamic terrorists and separatists. The West should not drag its feet just now, not when you consider some what-if scenarios. We can only hope someone at the Pentagon isn’t so blind as to not consider something such as a joint war of convenience by Russia and China based on such a pretext and leads to the splitting of Kazakhstan and/or neighboring countries.

The destabilizing influence that would have on Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention Pakistan and India would be considerable. We should beware the potential aims of a Russia geared at domination of the Black and Caspian seas. Two other vulnerabilities exist in the form of the region of Albania, Macedonia and Greece, where Russian meddling could easily cause violence and discord. Turkey’s strategic importance is growing as a result of Russia’s invasion of Georgia (not that it hasn’t ever been strategically important, just that at this moment, it comes sharply into focus as to why it always has been for those who haven’t bothered to read their history), and stoking fires in the vicinity of Greece and Turkey might give Russian leadership a pretext for more Black Sea shenanigans.

Speaking of shenanigans…I wonder what the Irish think of this right now, and if they feel as comfortable as they do in Belarus and the Ukraine?

Strangest of all, though, is the thought that the Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili may actually be working in a covert manner with Russian leadership to set the stage for a second attack aimed at prying Georgia away from democracy and taking it back under Russian control. Russia already has 5000 troops in Armenia, and with the recent invasion of Georgia, the entire Caucasus region is filled to brimming with Russian troops and equipment.

And Turkey is expressing solidarity with Russia, which on the surface doesn’t make much sense when you consider Turkey has a region ready to break away.

Now we will see what nations have backbone and which nations are cowards and economic hostages. The WTO and the G8 are under the microscope here, as are the EU, NATO and the USA. Their responses and the weight of any response will either encourage or discourage more of the same, not only from Russia, but from other nations that might perceive weaknesses in Western resolve. We cannot afford that when Africa is considerably unstable, there are tensions in southeast Asia in multiple locales and the influence of Russian, Chinese, and Iranian governments and Middle Eastern terrorist organizations are on the rise in Latin America.

Whatever Russian intentions may be, it is unlikely they bode well for the West, the Caucasus region and the Middle East. How the West responds will determine how much harder it will be to fight the coming wars we that are almost inevitable, given history and politics and such things as global food shortages, a population explosion this century of unprecedented proportions and displacement of large populations as sea levels rise throughout the rest of the century.

Republicans Should Stick Tire Gauges Where They Will Do The Most Good

I don’t really care for Obama. Don’t particularly like any of hist platform issues. But he is right about one thing, and that is the way to end our oil dependency.

The GOP sending tire gauges to reporters and labeling them “Obama’s energy plan” are showing how stupid the Republican party is. He’s actually right, as it turns out.

I love the article that points it out. I mean, really, if drilling in the Gulf will only meet 1% of our current oil use by 2030, what’s the damn point? Why even bother? As this article points out, we would benefit more from people simply paying attention and doing what they’re supposed to do–keep their tires properly inflated and checking fluid levels and other routine maintenance.

Show your asses a little bit more, members of the GOP.

If we’re going to lose all our rights, liberties, and give away the nation to special interests and illegal aliens, maybe we might as well do whatever tiny thing we can to help get rid of oil companies that keep our economy in shambles in order to fatten their pockets–as responsible citizens? 200,000 more barrels of oil per day isn’t going to do anything when we use 20,000,000 barrels a day, so really, why bother?

The fact McCain is playing to fears and oil addiction with his politics just goes to show how morally bankrupt the man is. He wants to put a Band-aide on a massive wound leaking like a sieve instead of seeking proper medical attention. But what do you expect from a man that wants to give amnesty to illegal aliens and give away our country to foreign invaders?

Why I Left Grassfire.org Behind

There are some good ideas and some good causes out there. For a while, Grassfire.org seemed like it was a great tool to address issues that Congress was failing to tackle. However, it is apparent now that Grassfire.org is not a site I want to associate with.

Why is that? Well, I’ve been supportive of the majority of their efforts, and even blogged to help spread the messages they have been trying to get out in order to attract attention to specific issues. However, that changed recently with the site’s efforts to pressure members of Congress into allowing the issue of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico to be debated in Congress.

On this issue, I am entirely at odds with Grassfire’s position. But that’s not why I unsubscribed from the Grassfire newsletter, deleted it from my bookmarks. It is because of censorship of a sort.

You see, when Grassfire first sent out its first alert about the issue and the efforts of Harry Reid to block the issue in Congress (and while I don’t particularly like him, I applaud his efforts on this issue), I had posted on their message boards how I disagreed on this issue. It was a rather tame posting as well. But trying today to go to the message boards, I find my IP address has been blocked. Whoa…that is the first time since I discovered the Internet back in 96 that anything like that has ever happened. I’m still puzzled about it, but in retrospect, I don’t care.

I’ve seen Grassfire.org for what it is. Opinions that don’t gel with the ‘powers that be’ are unwelcome it would appear. Further, the fact they’re trying to pressure Congress into allowing drilling in the Gulf of Mexico close to shore is reason enough to disassociate myself from the site. Out at sea is about the only place left you can escape the horrible skylines of America, plastered with high-rise buildings and crap advertising. Why screw that up and have ugly oil platforms dotting the horizon close to shore?

We need to be getting away from oil dependency, not looking for ways to drag it out as long as we can. There are already vast areas of the Gulf of Mexico where oil companies are already allowed to drill…but they have not bothered to. And, we have seen what happens when a hurricane blows through. Who feels the costs of that sort of supply interruption? Consumers. Oil companies are making profits in the billions every year, record profits even as they force record breaking prices on their customers. Coincidence? If you think so, perhaps you’ll be interested in this genie in a lamp that I have for sale…

We’re one of the most technologically advanced nations, and yet we pay far more for fuel than many nations do. At the other end of the spectrum, Venezuelans pay $0.12 per gallon compared to what we do here in America. Pretty pathetic that our government and technology can’t bring us closer to that price point, isn’t it? Even drilling in the Gulf won’t contribute to that. Oil companies will find some excuse to keep prices high…rebels sucked 1000 barrels out of some pipeline in Nigeria…there was a leak in a pipeline running through the Balkans….always some excuse why Americans will have to pay more even for oil we extract here at home.

It’s time to get away from letting oil corporations and utilities corporations control our lives. The only way we head in that direction and do so safely before the oil runs out and societies around the globe begin to suffer a wide variety of effects from that, is to do so now–while we have the resources, need, and the will to do so. Allowing drilling in areas close to shore will only spoil the coastline, fatten the pockets of oil companies at our expense, increase the risks of ecological disasters, keep us addicted to oil, and create a dangerous false sense of security by lulling people into complacency that causes them to ignore the issue and put it off on the next generation once again.

Any drilling in the Gulf is unlikely to produce any real change at all except in the minds of weak-willed traders anyway, not for several years. Hell, if traders simply were told to “grow a pair of balls” and quit selling over every panicky sounding piece of news it would do more for the economy than anything. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen that isn’t already happening? What really will change between now and next year on a global scale? We go to war with Iran? Obviously it will be to get Iran’s oil, right? Just like we’re draining Iraq dry of its oil 5 years later, right? We aren’t getting jack crap in the way of oil from Iraq. It would have been less costly to squeeze it out of oil shale than spending what we are on this war.

In any case, the oil companies have screwed up our world long enough and caused enough problems on a global scale that it is past time to move on and find another paradigm. Since Grassfire.org is too myopic in its agenda, I took this as a sign that it was time to move on. Any organization that is a friend of big oil companies is no friend of mine. It’s those same corporations that drive policies which keep our borders insecure and allow rampant illegal alien invasion and keep the income levels of the American people at levels that keep them near poverty.

It’s long past time to change our society, eliminate the attitudes that expect some divine right to speedy travel coast-to-coast and 60 mile commutes to work every day. Just because you bought into that sort of mindset does not mean the rest of us should suffer for it.

And since Grassfire is aligned with that very mindset which I find a detriment to our national security and social well-being, I am only too happy to leave it behind.

Goodbye Grassfire. And good riddance.

No Worries, Bush Says All Is Well

Despite the largest bank collapse in recent history with IndyMac, despite the problems with mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, despite oil prices through the roof for no real good reason, despite massive layoffs, despite wars, despite growing problems with gangs and drugs and crime across the country, all is well, according to our President.

Sort of brings to mind the whole ostrich with its head in the sand image, doesn’t it?

And isn’t it funny how the two mortgage leeches…errr…lenders and even the collapsing bank, have the same sort of names, right down to the syllablic emphasis? It’s basically “la-de-da.” Which is pretty much what President Bush is saying about all the bad stuff wrong with our nation and its current situation and direction.

It seems like someone spoke the secret codeword and “all financial institutions with the 3 syllable la-de-da sort of name should fail this week.” Kind of makes you wonder about conspiracy theories and who controls the world’s wealth all over again, doesn’t it?

Maybe since oil dropped a whopping $7.33 (For light sweet crude. I wonder, by the way, if that’s what the oil companies call it because of geological characteristics or what it means to their bank accounts?) Bush thinks all is well? There’s been no real reason for rising oil or gas prices in the past several years other than speculators driving it up to their benefit, right? The situation around the world hasn’t changed really, and while demand has increased a bit, there has always been a surplus in supply it seems to me.

Or, are there other reasons, such as other commodities and products growing scarcer, other markets that are in part responsible for driving up prices in all other sectors? Some certainly think so.

A lot of the argument is fear over supply availability if there’s a war with Iran, which is being driven largely by American war rhetoric. I wonder how much of that media war drumming is paid for by those with their hands dipping into the pockets of big oil companies? But there should be no need for war with Iran if we start drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, right? Wrong, greedy corporations never have enough, and nothing we do will change that.

I hope Congress DOES NOT OK drilling in the Gulf. It won’t “reverse the psychology” as Bush suggested. What the hell does that mean anyway, really? That people won’t fear oil shortages for a few more years because 8 years from now there will be a few more drops in the bucket?

It’s time to stop wasting billions of dollars on Iraq already, and start pouring that money into our nation’s own infrastructure and finding sustainable energy and development paradigms for the future without oil, which will arrive. It doesn’t matter when, it IS coming, and the sooner we prepare for it instead of squandering our resources trying to hang on to a sinking ship, the better off we’ll be as a society. People need to start asking their city councils and elected officials what they’re doing right now, today, to ensure their communities will have power and agricultural and other resources a generation from now.

What will become of your children and grandchildren? A time is approaching when communities (especially larger cities) are going to face large scale predicaments when they have no sustainable local economies, utilities infrastructure and agriculture. Small towns ought to be coming up with solutions today for how they will provide power generations and sustainable local economies 10, 20 and 50 years from now. Those that don’t are signing the death warrants for their communities.

With food rationing in parts of the world, and hoarding in others—including the USA—(and the UN predicting even worse to come), will your community survive if no one locally farms? Will retailers be able to have food brought in from the outside with skyrocketing fuel costs? And what of the rising epidemics of salmonella and ecoli outbreaks, which show every sign of increasing in frequency and intensity? What will your community do when there is no more petroleum or coal or natural gas? Sure, that may be even several generations away, but when that time comes, it will be too late to address the issue for most communities.

After all, if EVERY community in America has the same issues of resources drying up at the same time, do you think the Federal government can possibly come up with the money and resources to create solutions for them all at once? Hell, we can’t even keep pot holes fixed on highways as it is as a nation, or get water to a major city hit by a hurricane for nearly a week—what makes you think an event of civilization-altering scale will be something the government is equipped to handle? The government is trying its best to keep you in the dark that such a time is even coming.

Most people probably don’t give a damn, it’s sad to say. But those who will be retiring 5 or more years from now are going to find their retirement shrinking as inflation and costs of living (costs of everything in fact) continuing to climb at rates that will far outpace any wage increases. Especially on a global scale. The US dollar is pitiful against the Euro right now, partly because of our President’s lack of concern for the economy and partly because no one in government right now has the slightest clue how to fix it all (aside from Ron Paul, who understands economics and monetary policy better than any member of Congress or anyone in the President’s administration).

And now that Swiss Banks are losing their luster and rolling over for the IRS, a lot of other economic issues are going to crop up in the near future—just wait and see. The US government is going to become the most aggressive wage garnisher/tax collector on the face of the Earth by 2020 and there are a myriad reasons why. That is, if it survives that long.

Honestly, I think we’re in as bad a situation as any that we’ve been in since this nation’s founding with the sole exceptions of The Great Depression and the American Civil War.

With the recent formation of a Mediterranean Union, the European Union, the African Union and so forth…does anyone really believe still that the North American Union (let’s call it what it is though, the North American Security and Prosperity Partnership, which our political leaders keep trying to hide, or else they will deny any such agenda exists…) is not in the works? Already, Canadian and Mexican militaries have the OK to enter the sovereign territory of the USA in event of major disasters, and our military has the OK to enter theirs as well—under the auspices of helping restore civil order and so forth.

I know there will be a lot of Americans who simply won’t accept that. I sure as hell would view any Mexican troops entering the USA as an invasion and sufficient grounds for throwing off our government for having turned on us. Our own nation was formed on several arguments for independence, one of which was that King George was quartering troops among the citizenry in times of peace. I wonder what the hell makes our present government think for a minute that not only quartering foreign troops among us in times of peace but having them restricting the freedoms and rights of American citizens or arresting them or physically imprisoning them will be anything less than cause for another Revolution? Same goes for Canadian troops. Any foreign troops being invited into our borders under any such guise of restoring civil order will spark the Second American Revolution or the Second American Civil War.

They know it will, which is precisely why they are sure to invite both country’s militaries, because they know it will take overwhelming odds to defeat any American citizens who choose to rise up and throw up an oppressive government. Which probably means that the renewed talk of another assault weapons ban isn’t just coincidental.

Or does everyone else think that American laws and policies are not starting to line up more generally with those such as found in the Europe, Canada and Australia?

By the way, the smart thing to do in the future is to ask your bank about their mortgage/lending policy, debt outstanding and so forth, and to avoid those heavy on mortgage lending, you think? Given the current state of the USA’s economy, it would make a lot of sense to start stuffing your rainy day money away in overseas banks or investments.

Just thinking out loud…

CNN Good For A Laugh

I give CNN credit for at least publishing the articles, but I found it funny to see the sort of scenario you find occasionally due to advertising revenue models. One recent article about gas prices and ways to confront the issue featured advertisements with Father’s Day gifts…with a photo of a green Lamborghini that your dad could zip around in for a bit—for the low price of $1495.

Wow…what not a great way to beat the expense of high dollar gas—blowing $1495 for a few hours of driving a car. Not that I don’t appreciate muscle cars, hot rods, racing, dragsters, etc., as I totally do. But what a perfect example of how to drop the ball with demographics. CNN could use some help in their marketing department it seems.

The article was interesting, though. Another article I found of interest was: Oklahoma’s painful car culture.

Oh, and you might as well check out: Is America’s suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare?

Maybe it’s only funny to someone with a marketing background? Oh well, it’s late and I’m bored…

Republican Party Refuses To Tax Oil Companies, McCain To “Veto Every Single Beer”

The Republican party once again showed complete disregard for Americans by refusing to pass a tax on windfalls by oil companies. The proposed 25% tax on excessive profits by oil companies might have given them an incentive to do something about the current situation, yet Republicans argued that Americans shouldn’t punish oil companies for getting filthy rich while they struggle to afford skyrocketing fuel costs and sell off their SUV’s and pickup trucks.

I intend to vote for Ron Paul in the fall in any case, because he represents the values that I think are best for all Americans, but I will never even consider another Republican candidate from this point on. From here on out, I’ll not ever vote Republican again (which I haven’t done in quite some time anyway), since the Republican party has shown itself incapable of intelligent leadership or effective warfighting, and has shown that it has no desire to secure our borders, deal with illegal immigration, raise wages, nor stand up to corporations.

Speaking of Congressman Paul, he wrote an article blasting the federal government for not doing anything to address the issue and for being responsible for high gas prices in the first place: Big Government Responsible for High Gas Prices, by Dr. Ron Paul.

All of our politicians but the tiniest handful are morally decrepit, and have been for a long time. It’s past time Americans stop lying to themselves. Both major parties are running this country into the ground and getting rich off special interest money. Today, an article pointed out just how special interest groups have plenty of access to both Obama and McCain. Nothing will change with the next President.

Everyone who is sick of rising fuel costs, our Congress spending over $1 billion every day, trade practices that hurt American companies, catering to Arab oil producers and the myriad other problems our nation faces should vote for Ron Paul this November. Even as a write-in if need be.

If we want to change America and save it from a path of ruination and self-destruction, he is the only candidate that will do so.

Take a look at all of these taxes that did not exist in America 100 years ago, when our nation was the most prosperous nation on Earth. This is what special interests, profiteering corporations and crooked politicians have done to fatten their pockets, all the while refusing to raise wages or tax those profiting off the hardships the average American faces.

See a list of the sorts of taxes that did not exist 100 years ago: Hello, I’m from the IRS and I’ll be screwing you over today

[Note: It was brought to my attention that the list which I originally included, and which came from an unattributed email was actually part of a post on the Peoria Pundit blog---hence the removal of the list and the link to that blog and the original post with that list instead. I will have to be more thorough in verifying sources. Thanks to the reader who kept me on my toes.]

Is it any wonder that some 37 million Americans live below the poverty line?

And then our leaders have the gall to refuse to tax oil corporations making billions of dollars of profits while you have a hard time making ends meet and just getting back and forth to work and the grocery store.

All the while, they refuse to secure our borders against illegal immigration, wasting EVEN MORE American tax dollars and giving away jobs to those illegal immigrants who will make these crooked politicians and their special interest lobbies even richer.

The founders of our nation revolted because they had taxation without representation. If politicians are not working for We the People, if they are not doing what is in OUR best interest instead of corporations and lobbies, if those politicians ignore the voice of the American people, if those politicians seek to lie to us and deceive us…then we DO NOT HAVE ANY REPRESENTATION.

What could one possibly dump in a harbor this time around, though?

McCain said he would “…veto every single beer…” and since I like beer, I am all for tossing him in a harbor. Wonder if that’s some kind of radical moral view slipping out that we can expect to see more of if he were to get elected? Hmm…

Ron Paul will be holding a convention of his own during the Republican National Convention in Minnesota on September 2 at the Univ. of Minnesota’s Williams Arena. I urge everyone who is sick of the direction our nation has taken to attend if they can, and to vote for him this fall in the Presidential election.

Just remember all summer long as you read those articles about how to beat high gas prices or cheap vacation alternatives—or as you place an ad in the local newspaper for your SUV that lost half its value in the past 6 months—that those who chose to do nothing on your behalf are the Republicans. That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of morally decrepit Democrats (there are), just that in this one instance, it is the Republican party that wants you to continue feeling the pains of high fuel costs.

FromSunlight.com Up For Sale

Available through Sedo.com, you can check it out here: http://www.fromsunlight.com/

It’s a brand protected domain with four other extensions available (.net, .org, .info, .biz) for a total of five domain variations. A great generic domain name that’s easy to spell and remember and can be put to a wide variety of uses. It is about to be a featured listing on Sedo’s USA and UK sites.

North American Leaders Try To Hide The Security And Prosperity Partnership From Americans

Listen to a Grassfire.org audio interview with Dr. Jerome Corsi who attended the recent ‘leaders summit’ in New Orleans where the leaders of Mexico, Canada and the USA met recently. According to Dr. Corsi, the “multi-national corporate agenda” that seeks to abolish sovereignty in the Americas is at it again, all the while attempting to hide the SPP (Security and Propserity Partnership) from the public in an effort to hide their goals from the citizens of the countries involved.

Interesting things get mentioned, such as Mexicans’ rights in America, and a new Mexican consulate in New Orleans—which is set to become an enlarged port with an increased role in the SPP as a result of larger amounts of shipping traffic set to come through the new and enlarged Panama Canal. You may have heard about the Columbian free trade agreement in the works (or not) which is just another example of how the SPP and globalist corporations and individuals are putting their pieces together to take advantage of Latin America again—much like the Spanish Conquistadors once did.

Preparations For A Pan-American Empire?

The Panama Canal and New Orleans are just one example of how our government used a convenient tragedy in the form of hurricane Katrina to push ahead its vision of a pan-American union.

You think the rain forests are in trouble now? You think the people of Latin America have been taken advantage of before? This time around, it will be even worse, and there will be complicity in the governments of many countries. Perhaps this is why there is an increasing backlash against democracy in South America, you think? How is it that capitalism and democracy have not lured everyone in the world into embracing it whole-heartedly with American fervor?

I’ll tell you how: not everyone likes the idea of getting screwed over by their government, and in those countries in South America, they have not grown accustomed to lives as soccer-moms and cubicle-bound dads and comfortable air conditioned consumerism. They, unlike Americans, are still willing to fight and risk their lives to hold politicians and unjust systems to account because they aren’t fearful of losing a high standard of living. Sure, there are crooked and inept governments in the region, but so what—American government has become as corrupt as any on the face of this planet. Americans only fight when global economic interests are threatened.

Even Canadians Are Upset About It

Canadian police dressed up as demonstrators in order to incite violence and discredit anti-SPP protesters. Take a look for yourself at the ‘fake’ protesters getting arrested. Shouldn’t you worry when government tries to discredit and silence those who don’t like its policies and want to quell debate about the SPP?

American Workers Will Continue Under An Artificially Depressed Economy

The implications of the SPP will benefit huge corporations while hurting American workers. This is part of the reason our government is doing nothing about illegal immigration. Our government, along with the governments of Canada and Mexico, are attempting to blend and blur any lines of distinction between the three countries in an effort to gain trade superiority in the world over the EU, China and the Asian-Pacific rim countries.

None of which will benefit the average American. It will fatten the pockets of the wealthy quite nicely, however. For Americans, it will only mean the continuation of an artificially depressed economy with artificially depressed wages, more inflation, increased taxes as we continue paying the cost of the government condoned influx of illegal aliens.

Why isn’t our border locked down tight 7 years into our global war on terror? Does anyone believe for a minute there aren’t enough Americans or that we don’t have the technology to do it? Our political leaders and the business leaders in this country have sold Americans out and will not address the issue in a way that will stop it. It does not fit with their plan.

But, what about the arguments that our own government makes that the SPP will improve things for Americans?

The Convenient Lies Of The SPP

Just what is the SPP about? Here is some background on it.

Here’s an excerpt from the White House on the recent SPP gathering, but which the three leaders were careful to portray as something else in order to deceive the American people. Note this section about SECURITY and how it does not mention a SINGLE INSTANCE OR EXAMPLE of addressing the issue of illegal immigration:

* To make our borders smarter and more secure, we are coordinating our long-term infrastructure plans and are taking steps to enhance services, and reduce bottlenecks and congestion at major border crossings. In this regard, we are working to coordinate the efforts of federal agencies to enhance capacity at major border crossing points, such as Detroit-Windsor and San Diego-Tijuana. We are deepening cooperation on the development and application of technology to make our border both smarter and more secure, as well as strengthen trusted traveler and shipper programs. We will seek to allocate resources efficiently so as to avoid unnecessary inspections. We are exploring new customs procedures, such as a more uniform filing procedure, with the aim of reducing transactional costs while enhancing the security of our borders. We are cooperating to install advanced screening equipment at ports of entry to deter and detect the smuggling of nuclear and radiological materials. The United States and Canada are working to finalize a framework agreement to govern cross-border maritime enforcement operations in shared waterways. All of these efforts will help us more effectively facilitate the legal flow of people and goods across our shared borders while addressing threats to our safety.

[Source: The White House, April 22, 2008 press release, on website at: www.whitehouse.gov]

Notice in fact, the bold face used for “stronger and secure” in the release is how it was released on The White House website. But notice that not once does our own government acknowledge that illegal immigration or our border with Mexico is a threat to this nation, nor do they address those issues at all in the entire press release!

President Bush meets with his counterpart from Mexico to discuss freedom and security, but it does not apparently concern real security, only expediting the flow of goods through border crossings, by eliminating unnecessary inspections—which will probably be the elimination of those inspections that reduce the ability of those so inclined to carry terrorists and drugs across our borders.

But we will have cheap lettuce available. How delightful.

Further on you see this…

We also share a common purpose to strengthen our hemispheric institutions and consultative processes.

Our hemispheric institutions? I thought according to the US Constitution, we were the United States of America, but I don’t recall We the People applying to those nations and states who do not share our Constitution. When did We the People turn into We the People of the USA, Canada and Mexico? I don’t recall getting to vote on that one, do you?

Further on in the release, we see that in the event of disasters, they want to facilitate the movement of people and goods across the borders. What?

* To improve our response to emergencies, we are updating our bilateral agreements to enable our local, State, Provincial, and Federal authorities to help each other quickly and efficiently during times of crisis and great need, including responding to threats posed by cyber or chemical-biological attacks. We have made significant progress in discussions for new bilateral emergency management agreements to help manage the movement of goods and people across the border during and after an emergency. We will explore ways to expand cooperation in North America to the trilateral level.

Short of an apocalyptic event, such as nuclear winter or Yellowstone erupting and destroying North America in the first place, what possible reason could there be for such a need? If either of those things happens, it is likely that all those unhappy with the current form of government will take the opportunity to finish off what is underway and rebuild a different nation anyway.

Seriously, are they expecting gas attacks in the desert of New Mexico or WMD’s to target the desolate stretch of nothing along the Rio Grande in west Texas?

What we are seeing is the foundation that will allow the governments to allow massive numbers of foreigners into our nation, including foreign troops, being laid. The pretext of the next hurricane or rising sea levels or drought or some other convenient incident will be used to bring large numbers of non-citizens into our nation, who will then be granted more amnesty or citizenship status on the back of sympathy sentiments that accompany such disasters and their aftermath.

Alternately, it might allow us to send troops into Mexico or Canada—and while there, perhaps find new and convenient bases, perhaps under the guise of providing stability operations.

Why All The Effort To Hide The SPP Meeting?

You see, the press release from the White House mentions the SPP and NAFTA both and shows that this meeting was a meeting indeed of the SPP. However, the actual conference where the leaders gathered together on the 22nd of April in New Orleans tried to hide mention of the SPP. They did not want the American public getting stirred up about the issue.

They don’t want Americans standing in the way of the globalist agenda with its “hemispheric institutions” and loss of American sovereignty. That would mean globalists and multi-national corporations would not have as many opportunities to rape other nations and grow wealthy off the backs of the poor just like the good old days of conquest.

The chance for Americans who don’t agree with the direction of our nation to do something about it is rapidly passing us by. Whether or not you want to let that happen, you should at least weigh the matter in your mind and consider the implications not only to yourself, but to future generations. Consider, also, those who have gone before us and risked all to form the USA—not a globalist empire.

It might help you weigh the matter if you order Dr. Corsi’s latest book, The Late Great U.S.A. while you are visiting the Grassfire web site.

SPP Is North American Union Globalists Paint As Conspiracy Theory

A lot of people, including President Bush, have accused those who are speaking out against a North America Union of being conspiracy theorists in order to discredit them in the eyes and ears of the public.

Globalist and those seeking to create a North American Union are using the SPP as policy to circumvent a public discussion about the issue. Listen to President Fox talking about a trade union for all of the Americas. Listen to Bush’s words and his disdain for the very policies he is implementing and yet denies. The April 22nd press release specifically points out the intent to increase traffic and flow of people across the borders in a more open manner.

It is more than Ron Paul talking about it. Other leaders in politics and the media are mentioning this. Take a look for yourself and stop hiding behind the sort of ignorance mainstream media and politicians with this pan-American/globalist agenda seek to use.

Since the SPP is not being debated by Congress, it is skirting the laws of America (and doing the same in Mexico and Canada) and not held accountable to the American people. The people who were against the European Union when talk first began about it were called crazy and conspiracy theorists. Yet, watch the above video and listen to a Mexican President talking about long term plans for all of the things leading to just such a union…currency, labor unions, etc. And go read that White House press release and see how it talks about cross-border maritime operations and all of the myriad other things which have nothing whatsoever to do with the integrity or security of America and which are not being approved by Congress or the individual states.

Open your eyes America. It is almost too late. Even Mexico’s President has family living in America as illegal aliens…

Fillmore Fuels Creates New Biodiesel Auction Site

Just a short post to suggest an interesting article I happened across on Red Herring about Fillmore Fuels and their new online auction site for biodiesel and related products. According to the article by Justin Moresco, Fillmore Fuels is hoping to create “a sort of eBay for the growing market around the renewable fuel.”

The company is hoping to build a community experience around the biodiesel industry and has some new forums that have just gone live. If you’re interested in helping the adoption of renewable fuels along I hope you will read the article on Red Herring and then visit the Fillmore Fuels website at: http://www.fillmorefuels.com/

[Note: The link to the company's site was miswritten in the HTML code in the article, so I have included it here. I sent a note to Red Herring about the link issue and am sure they will correct it soon.]

While I’m at it, there’s a great interview video on Red Herring with ZeaChem’s CEO, Jim Imbler, about their process for turning woodchips into ethanol.

[Note: I wish WordPress had better support for embedding videos from other sources besides YouTube, as I had tried to include the video here. Sorry.]

I’m interested in learning more about it since getting an inside glimpse into ethanol production. My hometown is putting in what will become the first ethanol plant owned and operated by a municipal government in the state of Oklahoma. I’ve been to the plant and had a look inside and it is fascinating to hear how the process has gone. The City has no real template for the whole process since no other municipal governments have done this, but things are coming together. There is already another ethanol plant here (not bad for a place with a small population) commercially operated, and the two plants will certainly put the place on the renewable energy map.

It is exciting to see rural economic areas embracing technology and creating renewable energy initiatives. The expected revenue from the plant will do wonders for the community. A lot of people have their eye on the project—people in important places (it might surprise you, just who). Anyway, enjoy the articles!