Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Impeach or Not to Impeach: That IS the Question


Catherine J. Frompovich

Hopefully, in this article I can speak intelligently to political issues, as my normal bailiwick is consumer health issues, vaccine safety advocacy in particular.

There comes a time when I feel everyone must take a stand for what he or she believes in and in what truly makes substantial difference to their sense of morality, ethics, governance, and community. For me, at least, the saturation point has arrived! I’m up to my eyeballs in overload from the lack of transparency in an administration that originally campaigned on changing the former administration’s very lack of transparency that thrust the USA, the beloved country I was born and raised in, into illegitimate wars, plus an untenable disregard for the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and usurpation of all the basic freedoms Americans cherished for as long as our history remembers. The time has come for me to speak up, and that I will do now while I feel I still can under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.[1]

Anyone who knows me will agree that I’m a person who tells it like it is; I don’t spit polish dings into perfection, nor do I appreciate human dingbat frailties no matter where they occur, especially in elected officials. In my unflattering opinion, it seems we have an infestation of dingbats within the U.S. Congress and, particularly, in the Obama administration, starting at the very top. Strong words? Yes, but strongly impeachable actions definitively deserve strong words, in my opinion.

Obesity Officially Declared a ‘Disease’ Requiring ‘Treatment’

If you are an American, being obese doesn’t just mean you are overweight anymore.
Melissa Melton

The American Medical Association voted Tuesday that obesity is now officially a ‘disease that requires treatment’. The LA Times reported:

In the end, members of the AMA’s House of Delegates rejected cautionary advice from their own experts and extended the new status to a condition that affects more than one-third of adults and 17% of children in the United States. 
‘Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical community tackles this complex issue that affects approximately 1 in 3 Americans,’ said Dr. Patrice Harris, an AMA board member.
You heard the good doctor — one in three Americans requires treatment! What kind of treatment? Why, pharmaceuticals of course! We certainly can’t allow 78 million U.S. adults and 12 million U.S. children to walk around with an ‘untreated’ disease, now can we?

The Cascadia Fault Line: Locked, Loaded And Ready To Fire


Chris Carrington

On a dark winter's night in January 1700 a tsunami struck Japan. It flooded fields, swept away villages for miles inland and cost many lives. Even as far back as 1700 the Japanese had made the connection between earthquakes and Tsunami, but this time there was no earthquake, no warning to allow the people time to evacuate to higher ground. The tsunami was called the ‘orphan tsunami’ because it had no ‘parent’ earthquake. For more than 300 years the origin of the orphan tsunami remained a mystery.

In the 1980s Hiroo Kanamori and Tom Heaton published a paper that said the 1700 tsunami was caused by a massive rupture of the Cascadia fault line that runs off the west coast of the United States from California to Vancouver. In 1987 Brian Atwater studied soil samples far inland across the length of the fault and discovered that the United States had also suffered a tsunami at the same time as the Japanese. He concluded that Kanamori and Heaton were correct, a massive earthquake had sent a tsunami out from the source of the quake inundating the coasts on both sides of the Pacific.

Recent studies by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has concurred on the findings of previous studies.

Obama Bankrupts Coal, Boosts Fracking

Shutting Down Coal-Powered Plants Is Making Energy More Expensive, and Hydraulic Fracturing More Common

Aaron Dykes

All over America, coal power plants which provide stable, cheap energy are being shut down under Obama-led regulations and the C02 control agenda. Although coal is dirty, regulations have helped clean it up, and natural gas from fracking is worse … but hydraulic fracturing is exactly what Obama is using to replace coal – at great cost to the environment.



Based on what we already known about fracking, it is contributing to groundwater contamination, adding radioactive material into water supplies, creating at least minor earthquakes and tremors and otherwise creating massive pollution and contamination.

High Level Opposition to Escalating Syria's Conflict


Stephen Lendman

Dozens of responsible world leaders oppose Washington's war on Syria. They do so for good reason. They want peaceful conflict resolution. They're against greater escalation. Few say so publicly.

On May 15, the UN General Assembly adopted an anti-Assad resolution. It's non-binding. It was Arab League-led. Washington co-sponsored it. It followed four others since 2011.

It passed 107 - 12. Over 70 nations refused support. They endorse peace, not war. They oppose greater foreign intervention. Russia called the measure "counterproductive and irresponsible."

Lawless NSA Global Spying

Stephen Lendman

NSA is one of 16 known US spy agencies. Perhaps others operate secretly. Black budgets conceal what's spent. Amounts are enormous. They're unconscionable. 

Used responsibly, they'd relieve hunger, shelter the homeless, heal the sick, and educate young people hungry for knowledge.

Out-of-control, unregulated, unmonitored practices operate lawlessly. Enormous harm results. Rogue states operate that way. 

On June 1, 1952, Harry Truman authorized NSA. On October 24, revised National Security Council Intelligence Directive (NSCID) 9 followed. On November 4, 1952, NSA was established.

In 1957, its existence was briefly mentioned in the US Government Organization Manual. It called NSA:

a separately organized agency within the Department of Defense under the direction, authority, and control of the Secretary of Defense for the performance of highly specialized technical functions in support of the intelligence activities of the United States.
It's headquartered at Fort Meade, MD. It's operations are highly classified. General Keith Alexander heads them. Spies "R" Us, defines them. 

United Stasi of America through the Echelon Prism


SARTRE

Signals collection has a long secretive and enigmatic history. The very definition of espionage implies spying, most closely associated with foreign sources. Since the Echelon network, the unified function of data retrieval became a given during the cold war. With the revelation of Prism, advances in sophisticated electronic devices and software algorithms provide a major leap.

The article, Is PRISM the US version of Echelon?, sums up the evolution.

With this kind of setup and ambition to capture and evaluate private conversations (well, not so private now), makes Echelon that much more believable, and that PRISM is a reflection of the infamous project, but focused solely on the US.
Bankwatch takes a sanguine attitude towards Why PRISM? ECHELON has been around since 1948 supported by US, UK, Canada, Australia. At the same time, the publication references the capacities of the original analogue technology.

Government twisting facts on NSA ‘targeting’ Americans for surveillance according to reports

Medill DC/Flickr
Madison Ruppert

The U.S. government is reportedly distorting the facts on the National Security Agency (NSA) targeting Americans for surveillance without a warrant, something which NSA leaker Edward Snowden affirmed in saying the NSA uses “weasel” words.

In response to a damning report published by CNET based on statements made during a closed briefing, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a statement essentially saying that the report was entirely false.

The briefing was an apparent attempt to deal with therecent outcry following the revelations about the NSA’s PRISM surveillance program along withrelated topics like the role played by tech companies and the secret interpretations of the laws at issue.

In response, the main source of the CNET story, Rep Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), retracted his earlier statements entirely and said, “The NSA cannot listen to the content of Americans’ phone calls without a specific warrant.”

NSA scandal: the deepest secret of the Ed Snowden operation


Jon Rappoport

Everyone wants to see a hero.

When that hero emerges from the shadows and says all the right things, and when he exposes a monolithic monster, he’s irresistible.

However, that doesn’t automatically make him who he says he is.

That doesn’t automatically exempt him from doubts.

Because he’s doing the right thing, people quickly make him into a spokesman for their own hopes. If he’s finally blasting a hole in the dark enemy’s fortress, he has to be accepted at face value. He has to be elevated.

When dealing with the intelligence community and their spooks and methods, this can be a mistake. Deception is the currency of that community. Layers of motives and covert ops are business as usual.

Real Life Spy Drama On U.S. Bound Plane? “I’m Dead Already, They’re Gonna Kill Me”

Passenger Daniel Perry is escorted
off a United flight from Hong Kong
Is he really connected to the NSA scandal?
Mac Slavo

To add further drama and confusion to the story of Edward Snowden, NSA Spying and Central Intelligence Agency involvement, a passenger on a U.S. bound flight out of Hong Kong Monday claimed that intelligence agents had detained him, were going to kidnap him, take him to a safe house, and that they planned to kill him because of his knowledge about the recently released leaks.

According to witnesses, passenger Daniel M. Perry relayed to other passengers aboard the plane that he was a government worker, a claim that was later confirmed by sources.

According to law enforcement officials the man went on a “bizarre” rant. His actions were described by a CBS news report as an “erratic and disturbing anti-government rant.”

Read the eyewitness accounts below and listen to some of the audio and decide for yourself.

Will It Be “Lights Out” For Parts of America This Summer?

Chris Carrington

The 2013 Summer Reliability Assessment from NERC highlights that some states are well below the reserve capacity thats recommended to cope with peak demand of electricity. The report, published in May shows major concerns about Southern California and Texas stating:

Tight supply may lead to operational challenges
Peak demand in Texas has risen, but production and spare capacity hasn’t, leading to a deficit of 1% between supply and demand.

Much of Texas is bone dry, with scarcely any moisture to be found in the top layers of soil. Grass is so dry it crunches underfoot in many places. The nation’s leading cattle-producing state endured its driest seven-month span on record, and some ranchers had to cull their herds to avoid paying supplemental feed costs. (Source)

Huge Area of Sea Floor Movement Off Iberian Coast

Chris Carrington

Continental Europe has started to move towards the United States as a new subduction zone forms off the Portuguese coast. This is the start of a cycle that will see the Atlantic Ocean reduce in size and finally close as what scientists refer to as a ‘passive margin’ becomes active.

A subduction zone is an area where one of the plates that cover the Earths’ surface is driven underneath the plate it is colliding into. Such faults are known to produce mega-thrust earthquakes when they get stuck and then slip allowing massive pressure to be released.

The Indonesian quake of 2004 was caused by the subduction of the Indian Plate under the Burmese Plate and the Japanese quake of 2011 was caused by the subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Okhotsk Plate.

Supreme Court Decides: Anything You Don't Say Can and Will be Used Against You


Daisy Luther

Everyone knows that when building a police state, it’s vital to strike a few Constitutional rights off the books. Now, we can add the right to remain silent to the graveyard of the American justice system.  

How can you expect the people to be properly subjugated with all those pesky freedoms that the Bill of Rights blathers on about?

The would-be totalitarians can chalk up another victory, because the Supreme Court has made the decision that if you opt to remain silent, that silence can (and will) be used against you in a court of law.

“This Is A Glock Block” – Frustrated Homeowners All Over America Are Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands


Michael Snyder

All over the United States, frustrated homeowners are banding together, arming themselves and patrolling their own streets.  One of the primary reasons this is happening is because police budgets all over the nation are being slashed at a time when violent crime rates in the United States are increasing and many of our largest cities are being transformed into crime-infested war zones.  So instead of waiting for government to come up with a solution, many Americans are taking matters into their own hands.

For example, one community group in Milwaukie, Oregon has started posting flyers with an ominous message for potential criminals: "This is a Glock block. We don’t call 911."  You can see a photo of this flyer right here.  One of the founders of the "Glock Block" is a breast cancer survivor named Coy Tolonen.  She decided to arm herself after a thief stole one of her favorite statues out of her front yard while she was watching... 

The Chinese Version of Agenda 21 and Why the US Should Care


Dave Hodges

As most aware people already know, England often provides us with a forward-looking view of where our police state surveillance grid will be in three or four years. The US has another canary in the mine from which to predict its future, and it has to do with how China is implementing Agenda 21.

China has long led the world in repressive and inhuman enforcement of its one child policies, mandatory sterilization and forced abortions. We also know that China permits corporate slave labor (e.g. Walmart) within its boundaries by globalist corporations. China is indeed a model for the implementation of Agenda 21; and this implementation phase is taking a new and dramatic twist. We in the US, should watch this Agenda 21 canary in the mine because it represents our future.

Whenever Margin Debt Goes Over 2.25% Of GDP The Stock Market Always Crashes

image source
Michael Snyder

What do 1929, 2000 and 2007 all have in common?  Those were all years in which we saw a dramatic spike in margin debt.  In all three instances, investors became highly leveraged in order to "take advantage" of a soaring stock market.  But of course we all know what happened each time.  The spike in margin debt was rapidly followed by a horrifying stock market crash.  Well guess what?  It is happening again.

In April (the last month we have a number for), margin debt rose to an all-time high of more than 384 billion dollars.  The previous high was 381 billion dollars which occurred back in July 2007.  Margin debt is about 29 percent higher than it was a year ago, and the S&P 500 has risen by more than 20 percent since last fall.  The stock market just continues to rise even though the underlying economic fundamentals continue to get worse.  So should we be alarmed?  Is the stock market bubble going to burst at some point?

Well, if history is any indication we are in big trouble.  In the past, whenever margin debt has gone over 2.25% of GDP the stock market has crashed.  That certainly does not mean that the market is going to crash this week, but it is a major red flag.

Farmers' Market Sues City over 'Pave or Vacate' Mandate


Heather Callaghan

A farmers' market in Mount Jackson, Virginia is causing an uproar by saying, "Yes, we're suing the town."

This little market bought an unoccupied former business building in Mount Jackson in an effort to improve the town and provide a fun place for all kinds of vendors. The market performs every year at a financial and emotional loss because they believe it's so important and rewarding to provide a market and a place for local fare. Otherwise, people have to go to the next town over for organic and the town remains more abandoned. They wanted downtown Mount Jackson to be like it was historically - where it's at!

For years, a gravel lot was effectively used for parking and by the owners for activities in and around the building. Plans were made by the market to improve the lot and building but extensions were needed to finish in order to continue the summer market - and because of economic hardship on the facilitators, namely, Gerald Forsburg. See a short news vid here.

Town council required them to have a paved asphalt or concrete lot at great expense - $15,000 - $20,000 - to the market, but the owners asked for an extension and to be able to continue the pending summer market. Council shot that down because of "ordinance" which apparently stems from "aesthetics." So, it was pave or get out.

Oh, where have we heard that gem before? Look up our articles on front yard garden shut-downs.

Third Week of Bradley Manning Trial Highlights Circumstantial Evidence

image source
Activist Post

We have spoken to Nathan Fuller at Bradleymanning.org who has given us gracious permission to reprint his daily firsthand reports, which you can find below with additional updates, commentary, and video.

Summary 

Days 7 and 8 of Bradley Manning's trial have highlighted the government's reliance on circumstantial evidence such as third-party websites in order to support their contention that Manning deliberately released confidential information to WikiLeaks, and that he knew that information (if he even did release it) would wind up in the hands of America's enemies. The government is claiming "hearsay exceptions" to make their case stick, while the defense asserts that cached WikiLeaks Tweets amount to "double hearsay" and raise the question of proper authentication.

The court will be in recess while the issues of admissibility and 17 "stipulations" are discussed before the trial can move forward. Nathan Fuller's full coverage below helps tie together the tenuous strands upon which the U.S. government's arguments seem to rest. The government will likely not call anymore witnesses until July 8.

Farewell Bernanke – Thanks For Inflating The Biggest Bond Bubble The World Has Ever Seen


Michael Snyder

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is on the way out the door, but the consequences of the bond bubble that he has helped to create will stay with us for a very, very long time.  During Bernanke's tenure, interest rates on U.S. Treasuries have fallen to record lows.  This has enabled the U.S. government to pile up an extraordinary amount of debt. During his tenure we have also seen mortgage rates fall to record lows. All of this has helped to spur economic activity in the short-term, but what happens when interest rates start going back to normal?

If the average rate of interest on U.S. government debt rises to just 6 percent, the U.S. government will suddenly be paying out a trillion dollars a year just in interest on the national debt. And remember, there have been times in the past when the average rate of interest on U.S. government debt has been much higher than that. In addition, when the U.S. government starts having to pay more to borrow money so will everyone else. What will that do to home sales and car sales?

And of course we all remember what happened to adjustable rate mortgages when interest rates started to rise just prior to the last recession. We have gotten ourselves into a position where the U.S. economy simply cannot afford for interest rates to go up.  We have become addicted to the cheap money made available by a grossly distorted financial system, and we have Ben Bernanke to thank for that. The Federal Reserve is at the very heart of the economic problems that we are facing in America, and this time is certainly no exception.

BOOM! Talk About Dropping a Truth Bomb on Live TV

Youtube

This is an older video, but it's worth watching. Former U.S. Marine Ken O'Keefe goes off on a truther rant like no other. You won't ever see this on CNN.



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We Are Way Past an Orwellian Police State and It's Only Going to Get Worse

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