Egypt: Did the Raids Serve a Purpose?

Egypt: Did the Raids Serve a Purpose?

 

By Hwaa Irfan

It is a matter of mind over matter when someone continues to talk in a manner that makes the perpetrator look innocent, and the perpetrated look guilty. That is the nature of U.S. official delivery of its foreign policy, especially when that policy has violated the soveriegnty of the country that it accuses.

The most recent news to hit the fan – ‘Egyptian forces raid of NGO offices in Cairo’ is just another incident that will bring 2011 to a close, and will not stop there.

If one just focuses on Egypt, the human rights abuses of the interim governing body of Egypt since the January 25^th Revolution that ignited the ‘Arab Spring’ and NGO’s one can quite easily fall into the pattern of belief without questioning the incident further. After all, what does it matter to you or I, accept that if we do not, we accept anything we are being told. After all, what would one expect of Arabs, bypassing that human, and civil rights abuses are being perpetrated everyday by the perpetrator in this case, the U.S. on its own people let alone that of other countries. Putting aside the longstanding covert friendly relations between the two military powers, the resulting wrong is therefore placed squarely at the foot of the Egyptian governign body – The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, SCAF. Some may even say that the raid is to fall into favor with the nations anti-U.S. sentiment in order to create a more favorable light for SCAF, but if that is the case, still that is not the focus of attention here given the recent supply of crowd control supplies like tear gas from the U.S. SCAF was quick to apologize for investigating the possiblility of foreign aid when they were both established by another country – that’s another issue!

Seventeen Egyptian and foreign NGO’s were raided. What is of issue here are the NGO’s concerned:

• The National Democratic Institute – founded by former secretary of state Madeleine Albright
• The International Republican Institute, which is chaired by Republican senator John McCain

The first question asked here is, can these two organizations be deemed as NGO’s?

The last time I looked, NGO stands for non-governmental organizations, therefore can the NDI, and the IRI be deemed as NGO’s?

The NDI in Egypt is one of 65 branches globally, with the HQ in Washington registered as non-profit NGO that is funded by the U.S. State Department, USAID and private donations. So technically speaking it is an NGO. All one has to do is go to the IRI website to get this information. The website also tells us that both NDI and its ‘sister’ organization IRI was created by U.S. Congress in 1983. So one could safely assume that both organizations recieve continued funding from the same or similar sources. However they are both tools of the U.S. government, and as such the question remains to what extent do they remain to be NGO’s?

The same website informs its visitors that both the NDI and the IRI were created to form:

“…building blocks of democracy, training them to create political parties and monitor elections, and helping women run for political office and participate in civic life”.

So it can be safely said that both NDI and IRI were created to contribute to or interfere with the political process or to inject the American concept of democracy which with all intents and purposes is against a people’s democracy.  Both NDI and IRI have board members that consists of former Secretaries of State, national security advisers, members of Congress, and even Clinton, Bush and Reagan administration officials. So what does that tell us?

Then there follows another question, given the great difficulty that SCAF has had taking on the responsibility of governance for which it is not equipped or trained to do, why is it that SCAF did not know any of the above or did they before raiding the premises of NDI and IRI? The problem is the statement made by the vice-head of IRI programs from the U.S.,  Thomas Garrett who states in response to the incident:

“We believe the work we do in Egypt is very transparent. For instance, a lot of the training materials we use are available on our website in Arabic. We have been interacting with the Egyptian government for the last several months, answering their questions about the source of our funding, which is the U.S. government; the types of things we intend to do in the country; our plans. And so we’re confused as to what prompted the raids.”

The NDI is also funded by the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy, which in 1991, one of the founders Allen Weinstein said to the Washington Post:

“A lot of what we do now was done covertly by the CIA 25 years ago.”

Propaganda Machine – Then if one reads several reports, one is presented with what is obviously designed for corporate media and ‘activists’ to spread and perpetuate, and therefore make everyone belief to be true…

On the IRI website NDI staff member, Leslie Campbell comments:

“The raid on the institute, as well as on other U.S., European and Egyptian democracy-support organizations, is unprecedented, even under former President Hosni Mubarak.”

“We are deeply concerned,” a State Department official told the Guardian, U.K., and according to the Guardian the IRI repeated to the Guardian that the raids were worse than took place under Egypt’s former dictator Hosni Mubarak…

Again…

“…an escalation of repression unheard of even during the Mubarak regime,” said president of another NGO office that was raided Freedom House, David Kramer to CNN.

I could go on, but it is the same mantra probably arising from IRI’s statement, but nontheless a mantra that has an agenda, which was unwittingly echoed by 28 Egyptian rights groups on Friday 29 December 2011 in their statement as using:

“Hosni Mubarak-era repressive tools” in waging an “unprecedented campaign” against pro-democracy organizations.

Then there is the threat of withdrawal of  U.S$1.3bn (£843m) in military aid, which one doubts will follow through, but the threat is enough to press the panick button, probably to remind SCAF of its U.S. relations!

Then of course there is the focus on the U.S. NGO’s NDI, IRI and Freedom House response which as if they are U.S. sovereign territories, i.e. embassies which are free from investigation by directing the attention onto SCAF fear of criticism at a time when SCAF needs to repair its image with the people it governs. This focus negates that:

a)      Foreign interference is a reality, not a conspiracy theory

b)      Part of the investigation includes violations of Egyptian laws.

The U.S. has carried out the same raids on American based Muslim organizations the result of which was not being able to give charity as a religious duty.

The situation is not as clear cut as everyone would like to believe, including Egyptian NGOs, but the raids and the reactions to the raids have acheived one goal, to demonize SCAF further rightly or wrongly to speed up a SCAF step-down in favor of….!

Here is one rendition of the situation:

Sources:

Beaumont, P. “US ‘deeply concerned’ after Egyptian forces raid NGO offices in Cairo.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/29/us-egyptian-forces-raid-cairo

Dougherty, J. and Crawford, J. “IRI’s Tom Garrett Talks to CNN about the Raid of IRI’s Offices in Egypt.” http://www.iri.org/news-events-press-center/news/iris-tom-garrett-talks-cnn-about-raid-iris-offices-egypt

“Egypt Says It Will End NGO Raids, Return Seized Items.” http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/30/world/africa/egypt-ngos/index.html

Fam, M. “Bloomberg News Covers Raid of IRI’s Offices in Egypt.” http://www.iri.org/news-events-press-center/news/bloomberg-news-covers-raid-iris-offices-egypt

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Egypt Votes: Phase One Day Two

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Reoccupying Egypt

Sister P Wins Jamaica’s Elections

Sister P Wins Jamaica’s Elections

 

Good things do not always happen for the general good in Jamaica, a product of American backyard dirty politriks; and when a woman wins to become Prime Minister in a culture that for so long has debased the role of women, one knows change is on the horizon, especially if she is a heading the People’s National Party. Given the tendency of women leaders in the West to take on the male mentality, I am not one of those who advances the call of women’s leadership, but in a society like Jamaica, women have had to learn at all levels to be a woman and not a man, and a woman rooted in her culture, and not class is what a society needs!

Known by the familiar Sister P, by her supporters, Portia Simpson Miller was bathed in a sea of orange, at the PNP HQ on 29 December – Election Day for victory. In a country where violent crime and corruption once dominated elections, no one actually expected the results, but the people stood up and were counted with over 50% of the eligible 1.6 million voters casting their votes against the tirade of slander by the oligarch’s JLP, against Sister P, who despite their rantings of her as a raving lunatic who couldn’t string a sentence together, Sister P came of cool calm and collected. The fact that opposition JLP’s 39 year old Andrew Holness was sworn in only two months ago also helped to boost Sister P’s landslide victory having once ran as Prime Minister in 2006-7.

Results

Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) – 22

People’s National Party (PNP) – 41

National Democratic Movement (NDM) – 0

Marcus Garvey People’s Progressive Party (MGPPP) – 0

Independent (IND) – 0

Jamaica Alliance Movement (JAM) – 0

–        Courtesy of Jamaica Information Service

With unemployment running at 12%, Sister P won 41 seats out of 63, but one prays her intentions are good, her health strong (aged 66), and that she will rebuild Jamaica for the good of all like any diligent a tough task with JA running a debt of 130% of GDP and unemployment at 12%. Homeownership is far from the maddening crowd of wage slaves, and amenities like water is essentially no longer an amenity, and electricity has skyrocketed.

In 2007 Sister P said she would sound the Abeng on Nomination Day that:

“…was given to me by the Maroons of Accompong and I will sound it, the victory sound at Old Hope Road on the 27th”

The Abeng is a cow’s horn that was used by the Maroons as a warning to others whenever they spotted the English forces during the uprisings against British colonial rule.

May the Abeng be called again as Sister P promised in her victory speech to:

“…unearth the greatness that lives in every single Jamaican”

A tall order indeed, but a possible one to fulfill for those who have faith, but are in need of inspiration. With plain speaking Sister P who is also referred to as “Comrade Leader” with a reputation as a champion of the poor, and not afraid of contact with the people:

 “We will hide nothing from you. When it is tough and rough we’ll let you know. But I can assure you also, as we move to balance the books, we will be moving to balance people’s lives as well,” Sister P said.

…A promise and commitment that all politicians should make, and one that the people should ensure that that promise is adhered to, and be willing to learn from mistakes together.

PNP

Many political parties have strayed from their original calling as is the case for example of the British Labour Party, but the PNP has never lost sight. PNP came into being in September 1938 under Norman Washington Manley, a lawyer. PNP’s focus under Manley was to establish a societal framework that would create an environment that would allow Jamaicans to let go of “mental slavery” or the psychological dependence of colonialism that has been the tool used by imperial forces to prevent true independence. This was exampled by the CIA continually feeding guns and anti-PNP propaganda to the conservative JLP, hence why the leader of JLP at the time was dubbed CIAga.

The dirty politics between JLP and PNP got so bad that the only galvanizing force, the force that brought about greater personal and social awareness was Bob Marley, a dangerous tool in the eyes of the CIA has revealed by former CIA agent Philip Agee in the film ‘Rebel Music’:

“The CIA would look upon the radical political content of reggae as dangerous because it would help to create a consciousness among the poor people, the great majority of Jamaicans.”

The powers that be might not have been able to ban the music, so they corrupted it as part of a policy to a more debased form not long after the several attempts of assassination of Bob Marley. This method of crowd control to pacify a people has been well established, and works well today in the music video industry in certain genres. 1976 witnessed attempts on the lives of Bob Marley and his wife Rita who were shot and wounded at a PNP rally.

PNP had applied for an IMF loan, which in its usual process of enslavement of a country, made a set of conditions that would increase inequality, and instability, as well as plunge the country further into poverty. 1977 saw Manley refusing those conditions, and began a program of mobilizing the workforce towards a democratically run economy by means of popular participation and an emergency plan. When placed in the position of making the right choice for a whole society, with prevailing factors undermining, Manley reversed his decision and unfortunately accepted IMF conditions.

With CIAaga’s (Seaga’s) program of intimidation backed by the nations ruling classes, which in turn was backed by the global elite, something had to give.

In 1978, Bob Marley was the only man in the country who could bring together PNP’s Michael Manley and JLP’s Edward Seaga at the famous One Love Peace Concert held in the capital Kingston. Within 2 years of the concert, the organizers, Massop and Marshall were killed. It took Marley’s death for Manley and Seaga to meet and shake hands.

That is a history indelibly marked on the hearts and minds of the people, and one that they must rise from in a march away from mental slavery towards Occupying the World. As Europe galvanizes to the far right, and the U.S. plays overt dirty global politics, time will reveal what measures the U.S. will take in Sister P’s Jamaica, but what a hopeful note to end 2011 on!

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The Sleazy Money that Bankrolls the International Elite

The Fiat Money System and Lehman Brothers

The Fiat Money System and Lehman Brothers

 

As we come to a close on 2011, like every morning that we wake up to a new day, we wake up to the opportunity to live – not as scavengers, or leeches, not as victims, or exploiters, but to the real possibility of dismantling the walls we have built around our respective lives that prevent us from truely living.

Some of those walls we hold onto take the form of systems created by others – systems that are no longer functional or sustainable. One key system is the one we have been confronted with everyday of our lives since coming into being, the current fiat money system.

Much has been said by experts on this issue, now for a word from a complete novice.

The fiat money system is not based upon the real wealth that is created by the 99%, but exploits the 99%. It is a system that is used to stand for capitalist demcracy, which in real terms affords the 1% to keep on doing what it is doing. The fiat money system is represented by what we hold in our hands everyday, and and even fight, beg, steal and kill for becuase for those without land to provide a self-sustainable way of life it is perceived to be the only way to survive, to live, and to build a future.

As the fiat system totters on the verge of collapse, we have all been confronted by the realities that we have created to support myths that we deem as truths from a monetary system that is corrupt in nature.

The fiat monetary system is not based on a real commodity, quite literally, an illusion unlike the gold standard. The irony is, this has never been hidden from us, becuase the fact that a currency can be upgraded or downgraded – depreciated is a clear example of having no real value! It is a creation, a creation that allows the 1% to keep on creating money out of real money, the real money that is a product of the real wealth produced by the 99%. It is this ability to creat pseudo-money that is the real cuase of the global economic and debt crisis becuase it has no limits in theory to the availability and access to credit. In real terms, the illusory bubble burst when debt can no longer expand, and therefore inevitably contracts. In real terms, the fiat monetary system that we have taken as a reality that has shaped all our lives only exists as a result of excessive public debt. For it to continue shaping our realities, the fiat monetary system needs real money that is real value that never depreciates, and that takes the form of silver and gold. For a government to pay its debts, it has to repay with real value, i.e. silver and gold.

The first physical example of the fiat monetary system in the U.S. is the Greenback in 1862, which was used to pay for the Civil War becuase there was no others sustainable means to pay for that war! Issued as Gold Certificates, the government promised to pay back in gold. In WWI, in order for countries to pay for the ‘war effort’ alot of false money had to be created, but there was not enough gold to support the paper/fiat money.

Once that link between false money – the fiat monetary system, and real value, silver and gold is broken as in the case when former U.S. president Richard Nixon removed the link between the two in 1971, by putting to end the international gold standard and no paper/fiat money had no real value to back it – like the Tower of Babel, it has to fall eventually!

The London Times wrote in 1865:

“If that mischievous financial policy, which had its origin in the North American Republic, should become [established], then that Government will furnish its own money without cost. It will pay off debts and be without a debt. It will have all the money necessary to carry on its commerce. It will become prosperous beyond precedent in the history of the civilized governments of the world. The brains and the wealth of all countries will go to North America. That government must be destroyed, or it will destroy every monarchy on the globe.”

The Beginning of the End

The Lehman Brothers to us novices is important becuase this global financial service collapsed at the beginning of the end of the global economic crisis in 2008 – the heart of the global banking system. By  September 15, 2008, the 4^th largest investment bankers in the U.S., filed the largest banckruptcy in history, with 25, 000 employees around the world. Lehman Bros. Collapse sent a tsunami through the global fiat  economic system as a key mortgage broker.  U.S. house prices fell, and ‘investors’ which I find a dubious term rushed to sell stocks that no longer had value. By October 2008, U.S$10tr left the global market markeing the global economic meltdown, and $46 billion of Lehman’s market value was wiped out.

From Rags to Riches: The Lehman Brothers

How the mighty will fall is the story of Lehman Brothers. The Lehman Brothers are also important in this equation becuase it is a rags to riches story, a story that many aspire to under the capitalist democratic fever that is still present with us today, and why so many of us are not so willing to let go of an American Dream that has become a global dream. The growing cut-throat competitiveness by governments is a clear example of that. If we drink from the same spring, out lives will be reduced to that; a cut-throat mentality that on waking every morning will always have something or someone to fear!

The most powerful Jewish banking house in the U.S., began as a rags to riches story before the American Civil War in 1844.  Twenty-three year old German-Jew, Henry Lehman migrated to Alabama, U.S. from Rimpar, Bavaria to fulfil a young mans’ dream during a time when a wave of migration increased the U.S. population by 35%.  Not wasting time, Henry made the most of what was available, a wagon filled it with goods which he peddled along the Alabama River in exchange for cotton to people who were far from any store. Once familiar with which customers to target, Henry was able to open a groceries, utensils, and dry goods store which targeted local cotton farmers by 1847 on Montgomery’s Commerce Street and called it simply “H. Lehman.”

It was in 1847, that younger brother Emanuel arrived, and by 1948 the business became “H. Lehman and Brother” on Court Square. When younger brother Mayer arrived in 1850 the business became Lehman Brothers, by which time, the business was doing very well with ready credit from their German Jeiwsh suppliers in New Orleans. In those times, cotton was the main cash crop, and Alabama’s main export crop, hence why the Brothers accepted cotton as payment for their merchadise, which became a second business i.e. trading in cotton.

In 1855, brother Henry died of yellow fever aged 33, leaving the others to continue. They formed a partnership with cotton merchant John Wesley Durr, and built a cotton storage warehouse, which meant that the Brothers could trade much larger, however, this partnership was interrupted by the Civil War.

As the largest cotton brokers in Alabama Civil with connections in Germany and Liverpool,  the remaining Lehman Brothers supported the Confederates during the Civil War as merchants and financiers as the Conferation of Southern States lacked the financial prowess of the North and the credit to go with it.  They raised money to release Alabama prisoners, and by 1864, Mayer Lehman became  a commissioner to visit Confederate soldiers in Union prisons, and Lehman Brothers became Alabama’s fiscal agents to help sell bonds in 1867, to service the states debts, and interest payments. The Lehman Brothers also ventured into profiteering of African-American slaves, which ended after the American Civil War becuase it was no longer profitable.

The focus of the remaining Lehman Bros., was commodities trading, and brokerage services in New York where they relocated after the War in 1858 giving Lehman Brothers a strong presence in commodities trading, and the financial market. By 1870 the Lehman Brothers joined the Coffee Exchange, and established the New York Cotton Exchange, and got involved in emerging markets for railroad bonds, Southern reconstruction, and financial advising. This wheeling and dealing placed the Lehman Brothers among the top 60 wealthiest American families according to Ferdinand Lundberg. Brother Emmanuel was on the first board of directors until 1884.

In 1887, they became a member of the New York Stock Exchange, and by 1899, Lehman’s got more involved in underwriting, and during the Great Depression, Lehman’s went for venture capital, and helped to finance Halliburton.

It all sounds good, but it is all fiat (‘pseudo’) money.

By 1906, Lehman’s partnered with one of the current top 1%, Goldman Sachs, and made that move from cotton to investment banking, with Emanuel’s son, Philip Lehman, and Henry Goldman underwriting securities for Sears,  Roebuck & Co.; F. W. Woolworth Co.; and R.H. Macy & Co for example. 1920’s saw Lehman’s expanding into air travel, communications, Paramount, and 20^th Century Fox. With Philip at the helm, Mayer’s son Herbery left Goldman’s Sach’s for politics, to become Governor of New York, and a U.S. Senator.

1950s saw the Lehman’s expanding into the dawn of informationa technology, through Litton Industries, and Digital Equipment Co, and capital markets in the 1960s making Lehman’s as an official dealer for U.S. Treasuries. Expanding across Europe and Asia, Lehman’s merged with another Jewish giant in financial services, Kuhn, Loeb & Co., better known as the Warburgs In 1977 to become the 4^th largest U.S. investment banker.

Money needs money, no matter how real it is, and in 1984 Lehman Brothers was acquired by American Express to become Shearson Lehman Brothers, which through divestment became Lehman Brothers again.

After Lehman’s HQ was destroyed in the World Trade Center, Lehman’s moved to Manhattan in 2002, and got caught up in the mortgage lending crisis by acquiring 5 mortgage lenders, specializing in  borrowers without full documentation. It was the 1920s that saw the end of the family business being run by the family, bringing in new expertise!

One can blame taking on poor credit rating clients, but the reality is that the crisis has spread beyond that forcing up prices alround to the extent that the markets have become saturated, pricing out consumers, the bread and butter of the greedy giants. As certain giants, especially within the food and pharmaceutical industry look to Africa to pay the price, the fact that December 2011 saw European bankers being told to prepare for an economic collapse and to make no more loans, exposes an illusion that has been created for so long. All desperate measures have been taken, including the NATO bombing of Libya to regain control of the only state controled Central Bank, as a private entity that feeds into the global elite network.

As the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank coordinate to provide liquidity for the global financial system, but to do that. The Federal Reserve will create money out of thin air, as is the nature of the fiat monetary system, a decision that was made late November 2011.  This was the same step taken after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, so what are the chances that it will make any difference between the real world and the game of Monopoly.

This is only the beginning of the end, as many argue for the return of the gold standard, but the gold standard cannot provide the illusion so badly needed by the global 1% that will continue to support their positions, their sphere of influence and their (our) wealth. This practice as led to all the inequalities in societies around the world, and is not just about the complaints of the 99%, but about addressing the balance for the future development of all.

Just say that it is possible to remain as we have done since the invention of the fiat monetary system, the other reality is, is that the world’s natural resources, the environment, and humanity cannot sustain it anymore, and as such, there is no choice in the matter. What goes round, comes round to the dismay of the European monarchs, the global elite, and to those who cannot see that there is something better than what we have had for so long, by so few, killing, oppressing and impoverishing so many. American wars are fought for one reason only MONEY as stated here by General Smedley Butler who wrote ““War Is a Racket” in 1915…

“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.

I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914.

I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in.

I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.

I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912.

I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916.

I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903.

In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested.

Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.””]

Sources:

“A Classification of American Wealth.” http://www.raken.com/american_wealth/bankers_gilded_age/Bankers_index3.asp

“Case Study: The Collapse of Lehman Brothers.” http://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/09/lehman-brothers-collapse.asp#axzz1hwwKp3aB

Chinyelu, M. “Lehman Brothers’ Profiteering Includes African Slavery And War on Terrorism.” http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/11636590/lehman-brothers-profiteering-includes-african-slavery-war-terrorism

“Fiat Money History in the US.” http://kwaves.com/fiat.htm

Herbert H. Lehman Suite and Papers at Columbia University. “History of Lehman Brothers.” http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/lehman/history.html

‘Lehman Brothers.” http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-2160

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Hope Unleashing in the Universe

Where Even Satellites Cannot Send Signals

Where Even Satellites Cannot Send Signals

 

By Hwaa Irfan

Many of us could do with being away from the constant negative chatter and panick all tied up with the global economic crisis, even if we did play our part in the illusory game of capitalist democracy. When we get over the shock and awe of it all, and beging to awaken to the reality that we are fully capable of constructing a more wholesome sustainable reality, The Zone of Silence seems like a place to get away from it all.

Just think, even if one wanted to go into remote and switch on the T.V. keep updated by cellular phone and/or the Internet, one would not be able to in the Zone of Silence, and not becuase there isn’t any electricity! It is places like these that serve to remind us that nature cannot be controlled by man.

Located between the 26^th and 28^th parallel, 400  miles from El Paso, Texas, which is suffering from a severe drought right now, in the state of Durango, Mexico is the small isolated semblance of a settlement called Ceballos, the gateway to the magnetic desert known as the Mapimí Silent or the Zone of Silence. North of the Tropic of Cancer, the Zone of Silence falls within the range of anomalies like the Bermuda Triangle, the Egyptian Pyramids, and the sacred cities of Tibet.

Once, the seabed of the Sea of Thetys millions of years ago it is a vast expanse of flat land, with minimal features like thorny bushes, and poisonous snakes, just like any other desert. However, there are some unfamiliar species like the purple cactus, doves that sing at daybreak, and the desert tortoise as well as the fact that the landscape is pox marked my meteor crators. The average temperature is 69.1F, and the average rainfall is 18.7 inches.

It is a part of the Mapimí Basin, a depression in the Mexican highlands that drops from 2,000-1,000 meters above sea level. The zone forms the beginning of the North American prairies.

Apparently farming the land in this area became impossile in the mid-19^th century, because of the hot rocks (meteorites) that kept falling from the sky. Locals have well established that television signals could never be received in the town or in neighboring ranches.

It was the report of the Mexican aviator, Francisco Sarabia in the 1930s that drew some attention becuase his radio suddelty stopped in an unexplained manner. Then there was Harry de la Pena, an engineer whose team found they could not even communicate by walkie-talkie.

There are those who exploit the Zone since the crashing of Athena, which given the lefe and death situation for the small local population that lives miles away from anywhere, one suppose is only to be expected.

In the 1970s further attention was given due to an American missile carrying two containers of radioactive elements, the Athena which was fired from the White Sands Missile Base, overshot its target, and headed straight for the Zone of Silence where it crashed into smithereens.  When the Air Force turned up to collect the wreckage, they also collected trucks of deposits of magnetite from the area which is believed to be responsible for weakening electromagnetic waves. They couldn not take much else becuase their radar equipment could not yeild any data on the ground or by plane.

The same happened again with the Apollo Project whereby a booster ended up in the same area in smithereens. This time the U.S. miltary turned up and discovered that radio signals. Short wave, microwave or satellite signals could not even travel through air or penetrate the area – gow unfortunate for HAARP!

A series of research, seminars and conferences explored the region in 1975, which were held by the Historical Studies society of Chihuahua. The Mexican University of Guadalajara sent 30 researchers and investigators. The University of Monclava explored and tested the area which confirmed the presence of iron ore and uranium, and found that Geiger counters register high concentrations of energy. In 1976, engineers Ray Cruz, and Jorge Arguilera of the National Institute of Nucleat Energy studied the Hertzian – a slow circulating electromagnetic radio wave we pick up as sound. Cruz, and Arguilera found that the radio waves were normal, but the vertical waves were cut off thus creating the silence, and was time related not reliant on position.

Researchers have established that magnetic ore is present, but it is unclear as to whether this is part of the natural geological make up of the area, or if it is part of thousands of years f bombardment by meteors, and if that is the reason why the area acts like a gigantic magnet pulling to it whatever electromagnectic property falls from space.

Time away from man’s construct of reality in present times in the Zone of Silence might be nowhere near one’c cup of tea, but the life and death situation of the are will deifinitely shake one’s perception of reality opening up new doors to one’s true self, and hence potential. Since 1976, UNESCO supported “Man and his Biopshere” have been carrying out a program of research at the Mexican Biopshere Reserve where local and foreign scientists explore the Zone of Silence, its flora, fauna, and geological nature.

One can guestimate that more has been discovered about the nature of the environment of an area where the locals find it less unusual than the outsiders.

Sources:

Ceballos, Durango”. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=910164&refer=searchengine&cityname=Ceballos-Durango-Mexico

Corrales, S.  Zone of Silence” http://www.traveltorreon.com/english/zoneofsilence.php

Gomez, A. The Magnetic Deserts Of The World – Zone Of Silence, Mexico, Gateway to the Universe.” http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3146-the-magnetic-deserts-of-the-world-zone-of-silence-mexico-gateway-to-the-universe

Kaus, A. Zone of Silence” http://www.planeta.com/planeta/97/1197zone.html

Zone of Silence” http://www.traveltorreon.com/english/zoneofsilence.php

Related Topics:

Heavenly Signs: Showered with Gold

Heavenly Signs: We are a Part of the Universe

Tesla: The Inventor Who was a National Security Threat!

Electro-Smog and the Shift of Ages

HAARP: Playing with Nature!

The Hypocrisy of Anti-Immigration in Arizona

Top Economies League Changes Slightly

1 in 4 California households with children reported food hardship (Food Research and Action Center)

Top Economies League Changes Slightly

The US is still the world’s dominant economy, and central to the global economic system simply becuase the US dollar is the world’s reserve currency (ie the currency that we all need in order to trade).

However things can change…

According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research latest World Economic League Table the top economies as we approach the close of 2011 are:

United States 15,065

2 China 6,988

3 Japan 5,855

4 Germany 3,629

5 France 2,808

6 Brazil 2,518

7 United Kingdom 2,481

8 Italy 2,246

9 Russia 1,885

10 India 1,843

11 Canada 1,759

12 Spain 1,536

13 Australia 1,507

14 Mexico 1,185

15 Korea 1,164

16 Netherlands 858

17 Indonesia 834

18 Turkey 763

19 Switzerland 666

20 Sweden 572

21 Saudi Arabia 560

22 Poland 532

23 Belgium 529

24 Taiwan 505

25 Norway 479

26 Islamic Republic of Iran 475

27 Argentina 435

28 Austria 425

29 South Africa 422

30 United Arab Emirates 358

In 2010, CEBR’s League looked like this:

Rank Country $ GDP (billions) Rank Country $ GDP (billions)

1 United States 14,527

2 China 5,878

3 Japan 5,459

4 Germany 3,286

5 France 2,563

6 United Kingdom 2,250

7 Brazil 2,090

8 Italy 2,055

9 India 1,632

10 Russia 1,480

11 Canada 1,577

12 Spain 1,410

13 Australia 1,237

14 Mexico 1,034

15 Korea 1,014

16 Netherlands 781

17 Turkey 735

18 Indonesia 707

19 Switzerland 528

20 Poland 469

21 Belgium 468

22 Sweden 459

23 Saudi Arabia 448

24 Taiwan 430

25 Norway 413

26 Islamic Republic of Iran 407

27 Austria 377

28 Argentina 370

29 South Africa 364

30 United Arab Emirates 302

Source

Related Topics:

Occupy World: Canadians Lay Claim to Nation’s Central Bank!*

The High Price of Inequality

How Top Central Banks Can Bankroll European Banks

U.S. Biggest Banks: 11 Facts You Didn’t Know!

The Banks Surviving on the Man in the Street

The Federal Reserve and WWI

The Sleazy Money that Bankrolls the International Elite

G-20 Reasons Why Your Money is Not Your Own

Canada: Now Bush Reappears on the Scene

Global Day of Action against an Irrational Economic System

Iceland Walks Away from the International Banking System

Global Economy: Defining the 1% Who Own the World

Is it true 1% of Americans Control a Third of the Wealth?

Escape into the Himalayas

Escape into the Himalayas

 

It’s been uphill all the way in 2011 hasn’t, and the summit still seems quite far away, so as 2011 comes to a close, take time out if not literally, and escape into the wilds of the Himalayas through this video…

Documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough looking at the wildlife of the most stunning mountain range in the world, home to snow leopards, Himalayan wolves and Tibetan bears.

Snow leopards stalk their prey among the highest peaks. Concealed by snowfall, the chase is watched by golden eagles circling above. On the harsh plains of the Tibetan plateau live extraordinary bears and square-faced foxes hunting small rodents to survive. In the alpine forests, dancing pheasants have even influenced rival border guards in their ritualistic displays. Valleys carved by glacial waters lead to hillsides covered by paddy fields containing the lifeline to the East, rice. In this world of extremes, the Himalayas reveal not only snow-capped mountains and fascinating animals but also a vital lifeline for humanity.

Related Topics:

The World of the Hummingbird and It’s Meaning

The Living Bridge of Bangladesh

Middle East: Giant Stone Glyphs Viewed By Satellite

A River Runs Through Us

End to Nature’s Greatest Migration on Earth

Nature Helps Our Brain Connect

Time – Out of The Crazy Pace of Modern Life

Occupy World: Just One Man Fought Monsanto and Won!

Occupy World: Just One Man Fought Monsanto and Won!

 

By Hwaa Irfan

As pharmaceutical and agricultural multinationals are set to take control of our health leaving our well-being out of the picture, it is always goods new to hear of an occurance that proves that the world and the real wealth and our health does not belong to them. Canadian Percy Schmeiser has proven that the world does not belong to the1% and these giants do not have a right over our lives.

I wrote about Schmeiser’s situation at the time, to find the issue resurfacing as encouragment for all those who find themselves in the same situation, the only problem is, in the meantime, nature is being abused and the consumer is being denied the right of choice.

This story began as far back as 1996 for Schmeiser who had for nearly 60 years developed his own seeds as is the natural course of things for farmers before patenting nature became the huge profit margin for agro-pharmaceutical multinationals like Monsanto. The risk of cross contamination from GMO crops to ungenetically modified crops has been an issue for many farmers around the world, a risk that reduces the likelihood of consumers not getting access to uncontaminated foods. This was the case for Schmeiser, as his field of canola grown from seeds of his previous harvest were contaminated by Monsanto GMO crops being planted elsewhere. The immediate result threatened the livelihood of a conscientious farmer who has been providing food as God intended for the well-being of consumers.

Monsanto felt that it had a right to confiscate Schmeiser’s land, due to the rights bestowed by man by patenting the God-given gift of nature. Monsanto felt at liberty to sue Schmeiser for contaminating 320 hectares of his fields with Roundup Ready canola, a GMO crop ‘designed’ to tolerate what humans cannot consume, a lethal dose of glyphosate. If successful, this legal suit would cost Schmeiser U.S.$20,000. The day that Monsanto felt it had rights over the rights of Schmeiser, was the day that Monsanto made a great mistake, becuase Schmeiser wanted to know how the GMO got there – Schmeiser decided to fight back!

Schmeiser was preparing for retirement when Monsanto went on a propaganda campaign in 1997, threatening Schmeiser with legal proceedings that got media attention. Schmeiser’s credibility was being whittled away, along with a stream of accusations and being stalked by Monsanto representatives and investigators. This affected Schmeiser’s wife, Louise. Out of the blue, a 55 year old farmer found his whole world threatened having spent most of his years developing a seed that could withstand local conditions. The plug was being pulled as what they had honestly worked for, their retirement fund was being sucked into legal fees to the sum of U.S.$400,000+! But rightly so, the Schmeisers felt they had done nothing wrong.

Schmeiser with 5 children and 15 grandchildren had served as mayor from 1966-1983 in Bruno, and as a member of the Legislative Assembly for the constituency of Watrous from 1967-1971. This background may have given him the courage to claim his rights as Monsanto claimed that Schmeiser had bought their Roundup Ready seeds locally.

Mediation talks failed on August 10 1999, and on August 11, Schmeiser filed a U.S$10mn lawsuit. Before the Federal Court of Canada Schmeiser accused Monsanto of:

• Libel
• Trepassing
• Obtaining his seeds from a      local seed plant
• Total disregard for the      environment by introducing GMO crops without proper controls and containment
• Contamination of his crops
• Unwanted GMO plants

However, Shmeisers lawsuit would not be heard before the first lawsuit which was Monsantos. From June 5 – 20, 2000 Monsantos suit was heard in Schmeiser’s hometown of Saskatchewan. Monsanto had engineered and presented evidence from 24 witnesses who claimed that Schmeiser’s fields contained 90% of Roundup Ready crops, but no independent tests were made.

Schmeiser presented evidence that his fields contained 0 – 68% Roundup Ready crops which were confirmed by independent testing y research scientists of the the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.  Monsanto lawyer Roger Hughes’ defence was:

“Whether Mr. Schmeiser knew of the matter or not matters not at all”

Monsanto sought damages to the tune of:

• U.S$400,000 in damages

Up to that point Schmeiser had spent:

• U.S$160,000 in legal fees      from his savings
• U.S$40,000 in travel, and      compensation for labor taken on while away from the farm because of the      case.

Schmeiser got donations from other farmers towards legal fees, but Justice Andrew McKay upheld Monsanto’s claim!

Incensed by the court ruling that rejected the possibility of cross contamination, Schmeiser made an appeal in 2002. The appeal was rejected. Schmeiser then asked for leave from the Canadian Supreme Court . The leave was not granted until 2003, and was heard in early 2004. In 2004, Monsanto’s claim was found to be valid, but equally Schmeiser did not have to pay Monsanto becuase he profited nothing.

Monsanto began business as a pharmaceutical company that saw agriculture as a means of selling its chemicals. Monsanto is the inventor of toxic poisons such as DDT, PCB and Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War.  Patenting of nature or T.R.I.P.S allows for Monsanto to control the seed market making it imposibel for farmers to produce their own seeds. Three quarters of harvested GMO crops belong to Monsanto. Up to 90% of all U.S. soybeans, corn, cotton, sugar beet, and canola contains a Monsanto patent – big money! The price of seeds have gone up dramatically, pushing up the price of foods, and they demand a lot of water to grow!

Ten years of legal wranglings brings us up to 2008, the year the global economic crisis  got under way, and also the year that GMO crops made the biggest trade and profit. Finally, Monsanto settled out of court agreeing  to pay cleanup costs in 2008, to not place a gag-order on the settlement, and Monsanto was made liable ad suable if recontamination should occur again.

The Beginning of the End!

When man makes advances into the creation of life without full comprehensive knowledge what makes that life form unfold, live and is nurtured to its full potential, man is taking a treacherous road down the path of the unknown. Schmeiser has set a much needed precidence.

Riceland, the largest U.S. rice cooperative is but one of 3,000 lawsuits filed against the Bayer Corporation for its unapproved ‘Liberty Link’ GMO rice. In May 2006, samples were collected by Riceland from several suppliers much of which tested positive with the unapproved GMO ‘Liberty Link’ rice of which there is more than one variety. That June, Riceland sent samples to Bayer which confirmed the results, and was oblidged to, and did report the findings to USDA,which is when USDA began its investigation, from which a public announcement was made in August 2006.

Riceland has been in operation since 1921 with headquarters in Arkansas, to become a global leader in rice milling and marketing. Riceland claimed that Bayer Corp Science cost them U.S.$380mn in losses and projected losses since 2006 as the trial began in February 2011 as ironically United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) had detected Bayer’s ‘Liberty Link’ rice varieties LL64, LL601 and LL604 in U.S. supply.  As a result, the EU closed its market to U.S. rice! What a fait-a-complie  for the world’s largest producer of GMO crops!

By March 2011, the Public Patent Foundation filedsuit for 270,000 plaintiffs including organic producers. These suits lead to the invalidation of Monsanto GMO patents! The suits also take on:

Monsanto’s Roundup Ready as harmful to the human placenta, and causes lymphoma, miscarriages in animals

• For prohibiting independent research on GMO seeds
• For using its lobbying power to prevent labeling of GMO products
• The false claim that GMO seeds improve yeild and reduces the need for pesticides
• That all GMO seeds fail to past the test of patenting law
• Monsanto is double-patenting to offset the fact that the first patents have expired      (1990)

The upshot of Riceland’s lawsuit is that Bayer lost U.S.$137mn with the suit noting that:

 “The worldwide total economic loss due to the] contamination event was estimated at U.S$741mn –U.S.$1.285bn.”

Riceland was awarded U.S.$11.8mn in compensation, and  U.S.$125mn in punitive damages.

Apparently Monsanto now admits to contaminating natural crops, well it did not have much of a choice in the matter, but one of the problems that now face countries taht take GMO seeds is a change Monsanto has made in its Technology Stewardship Agreement which essentially tranfers the blame to the farmer. Then there is USDA, which early 2011 had approved trade in Ventria Bioscience’s rice which is GMO with human genes!

Non-GMO Shopping Guide

 

Sources:

Ananda, R. “Lawsuit Seeks to Invalidate Monsanto’s GMO Patents.” http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=24103

“Case Style: Riceland Foods, Inc. v. Bayer CropScience.” http://www.law.uh.edu/faculty/thester/courses/Emerging%20Tech%202011/Riceland%20Foods,%20Inc.%20v%20Bayer.pdf

“Monsanto vs. Schmeiser.” http://www.percyschmeiser.com/

Mercola. “Finally… Solo Farmer Fights Monsanto and Wins.” http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/25/percy-schmeiser-farmer-who-beat-monsanto.aspx?e_cid=20111225_SNL_Art_1

Related Topics:

Food and Conservation Groups Rise Up Against GM Foods

U.S. Sought to Retaliate Against Europe over Monsanto GM Crops

GM Food Legislation to Be Introduced in South Africa

Can the Smarter Mosquito Outwit the GM Mosquito!?

GM Sweet Potato: Forcing the Unnatural on Nature

GM Toxins Found in Human Blood

Is Your Stomach Reproducing GMO Bacteria?

Africa: GM Crop Take-up on the Rise Despite Evidence

Legal Action Against Monsanto for GM Aubergines

Food and Conservation Groups Rise Up Against GM Foods

Monsanto: Controlling Our Food Supply

Monsanto Expanding Control Over Global Food Supply

Monsanto and Bill Gates: More Superbugs in the Making!

Monsanto: Forget the Broccoli!

Censoring Flu Research in the Flu Season!

Censoring Flu Research in the Flu Season!

 

At what point common sense prevails one can never be sure, but when it does happen it seems to disappear as soon as it appears!

As the second bird (Oriental magpie robin) to be found dead from the latest mutation H5N1 in Hong Kong, the U.S. are asking scientists to censor their findings, especially any reference to how scientists mutated H5N1 into a virus that is deadly to humans! In the same period (December 2011), hundreds of crows in Jharkhand, India have also died from H5N1 as well as in Jamshedpur district, in Ranchi, Bokaro, Khuti, and Sahebganj.

The by-line is that the U.S. fears that the information will fall into hands of terrorists, which is a bit like the pot calling the kettle black given past U.S. field experiments on the American public!

So far, two groups of scientists from the Netherlands and the U.S. have submited their findings to Nature and Science, which describes how they succcessfully ‘converted’ bird flu virus which does not spread easily amongst humans to an airbourne form that is communicable through coughs and sneezes, the intent of which at this point is difficult to fathom.  Since bird flu was first detected in 2003, only 331 people have died from it globally. It continues to mutate and the point at which it passes the animal-human barrier is when as much information as possible is needed, especially if it proves to be lethal. Maye at that point, if it is ever reached, the information will passed onto the U.S. pharmaceutical industry to formulate untested vaccines for huge profits unless another country does not get to it first.

Sources:

“Bird Flu Killing Crows in Jharkhand.” http://www.asianage.com/india/bird-flu-killing-crows-jharkhand-524

Connor, S. “US Tells Scientists to Censor Flu Research.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/us-tells-scientists-to-censor-flu-research-6279888.html

Related Topics:

The Flu Vaccine that Makes You More Ill

Vaccine Link to Autism Come to the Surface

Vaccine Wake-up Call for Parents

Government Owns Up to a Vaccine Induced Illness

Surviving or Making the Most of the Flu Season!