"The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion, but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerners often forget this fact, non-Westerners never do.”" ~~~~Samuel P. Huntington

Saturday, July 30, 2011

For A Damn Good Reason Too! (Part 2) - Why the Rich Fear Violence in the Streets

Just in! End Result Of US Ethnocide: Report - Safest Place To Be a Black Man Is in Prison

Sarah Jaffe at AlterNet continues on where Robert Frank @ the Wall Street Journal leaves off (Part One)

Caption: An auto lays on its side
and crowds gather after a bomb exploded
on Wall Street on Sept. 16, 1920. (Getty)

$230,000 For a Guard Dog: Why the Wealthy Are Afraid Of Violence From Below

As inequality in the US grows, the ultra-rich are pouring their spare cash not just into private jets, but into private security. Think there's a connection?

July 29, 2011





[ooo] John Johnson, the owner of the $230,000 (Attack) dog featured in the New York Times, is a former debt collector. (You can't make this stuff up.) He sold his debt collection company three years ago, but still has not just one, but six highly—and expensively—trained “executive protection dogs.” Harrison K-9 services, the trainers behind Johnson's pricey protection dogs, used to train dogs for elite military units like the Navy Seal team that raided Osama bin Laden's compound. The article doesn't say exactly how many dogs Harrison K-9 has provided for the world's rich and famous, but it does feature a quote from their head trainer saying she's trained “a thousand” dogs.

In addition to security systems, dogs and armed yachts, the security-conscious oligarch can hire a private spy company—Jellyfish, a spinoff of the notorious private security company Blackwater. Or what about their own personal drone? “Smaller, private versions of the infamous Predator” may be coming to well-heeled private citizens near you, according to the UK's Daily Mail. So far the private drones appear to only be for spying, but former Navy fighter pilot Missy Cummings told the Daily Mail, “It doesn't take a rocket scientist from MIT to tell you if we can do it for a soldier in the field, we can do it for anybody.”

So why are the rich getting paranoid? After all, here in the U.S. it looks like they don't even have to worry about their taxes returning to Clinton-era levels, let alone cope with a truly significant change to their lifestyles.

Still, as the rich get richer, it seems, they get more and more worried about the rest of us coming for their wealth—and they're out to protect it by any means necessary.

David Sirota has noted that “we're fast becoming a 'let them eat cake' economy,” where ostentatious displays of wealth and arrogance seem to be an everyday occurrence as the rest of the country suffers.

A private jet traffic jam was big news in the New York Times last week, because the children of the uber-rich have to get to a Maine summer camp, and driving just won't do. Maine's Tea Party governor, Paul LePage, took some time off from limiting access to the vote and picking fights with organized labor to gloat over the jet traffic:
“Love it, love it, love it,” Mr. LePage said of the private-plane traffic generated by summer camps. “I wish they’d stay a week while they’re here. This is a big business.” [More on jet jammin' at Crooks and Liars]

While the private jet crowd is “big business,” the rest of Maine—and the country—is still suffering.

And maybe that's where the fear comes in...

We've seen revolution in Tunisia and Egypt, attempts in Libya, Syria, Yemen, unrest in Greece and Spain, student protests in England, and here at home the occupation of the capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. While nothing yet in the U.S. has approached the level of organized attacks on the wealthy by the have-nots, since the financial crash even the hint that perhaps private jet owners could pay a few more dollars in taxes has been decried as class war.

A few protests that actually dare approach the doorsteps of the bankers appear to be all it takes to stoke paranoia among the super-rich...

More @ Alternet

So it all comes down to this...
Is America Ripe for a Tahrir Moment?

Imagine … it's the dawn of the 13th day of the occupation … you're tired, not sleeping or eating too great … you've been harassed, maybe tear gassed and beaten. But when you look at your compatriots you see emancipation burning in their eyes. Bloomberg is threatening to call in the National Guard, Obama is hemming and hawing, but you are sitting tight because much of the nation is cheering you on. Al Jazeera and BBC are beaming your struggle to a captivated world and the tension is building for Obama to break his silence. It feels much like it did in Tahrir Square moments before Mubarak caved. More @ Adbusters

[Click the image to learn more... and bring a tent]


In the meantime, CrimethInc, the EX-Workers Collective, and your Auntie want you to know:
Crises like this are part of the protection racket that keeps them in business.
Economic crises are not natural disasters. They are brought about by the actions of bankers, officials, and developers, not to mention ordinary folks struggling to get by in a world we didn’t choose. They appear beyond our control, but they are not inescapable facts of life.

For all the talk of collapse, capitalism itself is as healthy as ever. The fundamental relationships remain unchanged: employers and employees, politicians and voters, police and policed. Our masters may loan us cars or houses to pacify us, but we still lack control over our own lives.

Crises like this are part of the protection racket that keeps them in business.
Business As Usual, CrimethInc[Click the image for a full size PDF format poster]
They profit on the industries that heat up the earth’s atmosphere, and when hurricanes destroy our neighborhoods they replace them with condominiums and sell us energy-saving light bulbs.

They profit on the invasions that secure more resources for the economy, and also on the occupations in which our friends and relatives die.

They profited from the subprime mortgages that contributed to the latest disaster, and now they’re profiting from the bailout... In Full

Remember... They only call it Class War when we fight back



Take it easy, but TAKE IT!


Thursday, July 28, 2011

Why They Want Muammar al-Gadaffi Dead... The War On Libya Is A War On Most Of Africa


Updated... MORE reasons why the West wants Muammar al-Gadffi dead

Also let it be noted that Reuters has modified their 'Factbox'. There are a number of strategic-to-the-West countries such as Somalia where their mention as having been assisted by Libya has been redacted. Yours truly has seen the original un-expurgated copy, and it is reproduced in full here. I stand by this copy, complete with all errors, ie. "...the Libyan Central Bank announced Libya would provide $50 in grants..."






At the top... For the Keep It Simple Silly crowd.

Muammar al-Gaddafi put $97 billion of his country's money 'where his mouth is' to keep Africa from needing Western Imperial assistance on the condition that the African states receiving the aid rid themselves of corruption and nepotism.

Consider that Western "Assistance" looks something like this...
Contractors And Others Steal Half Of Food Aid To Somalia

"New York - At least half of the World Food Programme's food supplies to Somalia's needy people has been diverted by unscrupulous contractors, radical Islamist militants and even UN staff in the country, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The Times said an unpublished report by the UN Security Council would recommend that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon launch an investigation into WFP's operations in Somalia considering the severity of the food aid diversion."

[In case you need a catch-up on 'corruption' there's a whole other piece Auntie posted, including a discussion of
"Why DOES Somalia NEED "food aid" in the first place?" Here.]

Continuing...

So it's sort of obvious that, in a very real way, the War on Libya is being fought because Libya was attempting to bring down an African network of corruption, and attempting to foil the continued maintenance by the West of an ongoing status quo... You can call it 'economic war', being pursued against most all the nations of Africa.


Here's how Libya's aid to Africa is being/has been being spent:


Source: Reuters, Factbox: Libyan aid and investment projects in Africa

[Click the image for a larger, more legible version]


AFRICAN UNION: Libya is one of the biggest contributors to the budget of the African Union. A Libyan diplomat told Reuters Libya is one of five countries -- the others are Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa -- which cover 75 percent of the Union's budget. "Libya makes its full required contribution to AU funds. Not all countries do and that buys it influence," a senior African Union official said.

MALI: For several years Mali has been confronted with the activities of the radical Islamist militia Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in its northern deserts. Gaddafi’s money and diplomacy have helped to resolve conflicts in northern Mali between rebels and the government. In 2010 Libya has given Mali two security planes to combat insecurity in the north of the country. These conflicts could flare up again if Gaddafi exits the stage. Nowadays Gaddafi has many supporters in Mali who regularly march to protest against the Western-led military intervention in Libya.

CONGO: Libya has put $65 billion into sovereign wealth funds, including one which is specifically designed to make investments in Africa. The Libyan Arab African Investment Company, a vehicle of Libya's Africa sovereign wealth fund, owns Le Meridien, one of the biggest hotels in Congo. The hotel is undergoing refurbishment paid for by Libyan investment. In 2010, Libya planned to fund the building of a highway north of Congo's capital Brazzaville, where also the building of a mosque is planned.

LIBERIA: Libya has provided millions in investment projects, helping to strengthen the rule of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in one of Africa’s most impoverished nations. Gaddafi's help includes the funding of a rubber processing factory built in Gbarnga, Bong County, a technical and vocational school for the handicapped, as well as Libyan assistance in helping Liberia tackle the food crisis and renovation for the Ducor Intercontinental Hotel.

NIGER: Also in Niger Gaddafi has helped to prop up the government and the authorities would become more fragile without his financial help. Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi visited Niger in August 2010 and announced the creation of a $100 million investment fund for Niger as part of a strengthening of bilateral ties. Under earlier agreements, Libya is contributing 100 million euros for the construction of a Trans-Sahara highway in the north of Niger, according to sources close to Niger's foreign ministry. The local subsidiary of Libya Oil, along with Total, are the major players in Niger's fuel retailing business.

CHAD: Gaddafi has been a key supporter of the government, which would weaken if it lost his aid revenue. Chad has been plagued by civil wars and invasions after its independence from France in 1960. After years of unrest, Gaddafi seals a peace agreement for Chad between four Chadian rebel groups and the Chadian government in 2007, which agreement was signed in Sirte.

In 2010 Libya made a huge investment in Chad's National Telecom, which meant a boost of the number of the Chadian mobile phone users from 100,000 to two million.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Libya has helped to prop up the fragile government, sending paratroopers into the capital in 2001 to defeat a rebel assault. In 2008 Gaddafi played a role in the formation of a peace agreement between the government and rebel groups.

MAURITANIA: Gaddafi was the first head of state to visit after a 2008 coup which brought President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to power. Aziz, who subsequently won a presidential election, has visited Gaddafi several times since then. Even Mauritanian opposition politicians have gone to Tripoli to pledge allegiance to the Libyan leader. Mauritania has debts to Libya of about $200 million. During discussions on debt relief in May 2010, the Libyan Central Bank announced Libya would provide $50 (Misprint by Reuters) in grants to build a hospital and a university. The university is to be named after Gaddafi.

SUDAN: The 20,000-troop peacekeeping mission in Dafur, jointly supported by the African Union and the United Nations, could be hampered if the African Union (AU) loses funding from Gaddafi and destabilize the country. Gaddafi, who blamed the crisis in Darfur on Israel, made a number of attempts to broker peace talks between Darfur rebels and the Sudanese government.

In October 2010, Gaddafi warned ahead of a vote on possible independence for South Sudan that a partition of the country would be a “contagious disease” that could spread to other African states.

ETHIOPIA: The African Union, based in Ethiopia's capital, could find itself in financial trouble if it loses the massive support that Gaddafi gives it. Under his rule, Libya supplied 15% of the AU’s membership dues, and it also paid the dues of many smaller and poorer African nations. To seek for a solution of the Eritrea-Ethiopia conflict, Gaddafi has sent a special envoy to Ethiopia in 2000. In 2008, Libya's OiLibya bought Shell Ethiopia. This agreement also included retaining all Shell employees, who were hoping to work in a better environment since a long time

SOMALIA: The African Union peace keeping mission, whose 8,000 soldiers are crucial to the battle against Islamic radicals in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, could be severely weakened if the AU lost the financial support of Gaddafi. In 2008 Libya decided to grant an investment fund to Somalia through the Sahel-Saharan Investment and Trade Bank to fund infrastructures such as roads and bridges within Somalia.

GAMBIA: Libyan firms own two hotels and the "Dream Park" entertainment centre in Gambia. Gambian agriculture has received support from Libya, including a donation of seven new tractors. In 2009 Gaddafi gave two camels to Gambian President Yahya Jammeh as a gift. The Libyan and Gambian presidents have exchanged visits and senior Gambian officials attended ceremonies in September to mark the anniversary of Gaddafi coming to power. On September 7, 2009, Gambia celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Al Fateh Revolution: "In Libya everyone enjoys Freedom!".

==30==


Tuesday, July 26, 2011

You Da Man! (derp derp derp) - Adam Kokesh, Iraq Combat Vet & Winter Soldier, Delivers ANONYMOUS' Response To NATO


Ah, No... They DID say why...
Dear North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Our Message is simple 'Do not lie and your lies won't be exposed...' 'Do not make corrupt deals and your corruption won't be laid bare...'


What We Are Capable Of... Join Us!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

It Is Time: 'What Are We Capable Of?' - A Call For A Global Nonviolent Revolution - Anonymous

AnonLogo_225pxYou ARE the "Legion"
Your ideas for a better world are bulletproof:
"We are not scared any more. Your threats to arrest us are meaningless to us as you cannot arrest an idea," ~~Anonymous' response to Steven Chabinsky, deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber division [src]

Learn more at whatis-theplan.org

@Facebook

Better World


H/t: Adbusters, The journal of the mental environment

Thursday, July 21, 2011

This Could Be Ugly (in the best kind of way)... 'Anonymous' Declares Solidarity With The Animal Liberation Struggle

I can just picture Edward Abbey smiling down On Anonops

Be like Ed (Description)

"We aren't trying to overthrow EVERYTHING... ...but certain specific things. Business, POLITICS, Poverty, and Oppression." ~~Herbert Marcuse
Anonymous Hackers Group Declares Solidarity With Animal Liberation Struggle

Fight Against Oppression Won't be Affected by Recent Arrest of 14 Alleged Members


Los Angeles: In a computer-generated spoken communique on YouTube last week, the hackers group Anonymous voiced its solidarity with the struggle for animal liberation. Citing the commonality of oppression against humans and non-human animals, the group highlighted the injustice in animal experimentation and the unnecessary consumption of animal flesh, and asked the public not to turn their backs on non-humans capable of "emotions such as joy. anger. sadness & fear. both [humans and non-human animals] have families. mothers. fathers. brothers. sisters. sons & daughters".
...and the sentiment is mutual:
"The North American Animal Liberation Press Office unequivocally supports the actions of Anonymous, as a critical component in the fight against a capitalist state intent on the destruction of habitat, oppression of those who are necessary to sustain its domination, and suppression of any dissent by those who recognize the need to act against tyranny."

Your browser is not able to display this multimedia content.



[Source and full transcript Animal Liberation Press Office]
H/t: Indymedia California


Tuesday, July 12, 2011

For A Damn Good Reason Too! Why the Rich Fear Violence in the Streets - WSJ

July 30 2011, Part 2 posted [here]


Hmmm... Public 'resentment' against the rich could turn violent... I support that, and we should get together and do it as soon as possible before these people, who control not just the money, but the media as well, figure out how to get the middle class to turn against the poor... Fascists LUV that kind of action, and the middle class of the US, which has been shown repeatedly to blindly work against it's own self interest, is quite used to scapegoating OTHER people.
Why the Rich Fear Violence in the Streets

July 6 2011

By Robert Frank


Caption: An auto lays on its side
and crowds gather after a bomb exploded
on Wall Street on Sept. 16, 1920. (Getty)


Last year, I was at a billionaire’s home in California and I asked him to describe his biggest worry. He pointed to a 19th century painting on the wall, which depicted a female beggar receiving alms from a wealthy gentleman and giving her patron a flower in return.

“That’s what I worry about,” he said. “But instead of flowers, she’s got guns.

Violence in the streets, aimed at the wealthy. That’s what I worry about.”

It turns out he wasn’t alone. A new survey from Insite Security and IBOPE Zogby International of those with liquid assets of $1 million or more found that 94% of respondents are concerned about the global unrest around the world today.

Fully 90% of respondents have a negative view of the current global economic climate and 41% say they have little or no faith that the U.S. will be able to right itself in this fiscal climate.

More than a third said security concerns have negatively affected business or investment plans.

“The survey found a seismic shift in the attitudes of the wealthy and how they are living their lives, the way they travel and how they are running their businesses,” said Christopher Falkenberg, President of Insite Security.

Of course, Insite has an interest in getting the paranoid rich to beef up their security. Still, the numbers are backed up by other trends..

Read It @ The Wall Street Journal via Archive.Today
This is Auntie Imperial, with a friendly reminder...

They only call it "Class War" when you fight back:



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