WAR HAS JUST BEGUN

Following along from my previous blog, below, June 29, 2008, "A Small Matter of Addition," and others, a few updates on the many, intensified contradictions which few, if any outside of the "think tanks," myself, a few others, are following, here, in the US. There is no question, the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal has opened Pandora's Box for the next century, more or less. And, a small caveat. The reason I do this blog. If one lives in the US, there is virtually no way to understand world or domestic events without doing the research, oneself. Since I would do this anyway, I figure I might as well put some of it into a blog for anyone else interested. So, here goes. Regarding Turkeys' escalating domestic crisis. Turkey's military is under attack regarding the AKP closure case and here is their response, www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=238908 Likewise, as I had previously highlighted, the psuedo Left, from the Socialist International to the openly Fascist JBANC, is supporting Turkey's reactionary, privatizing, pseudo-Islamic AKP. So, a WELL DESERVED response on the part of Turkey's opposition, including their military, above, "Baykal Will Not Attend Socialist International Meeting," www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=108579 Meanwhile, Turkey's military continues pounding the PKK. Then, regarding Kurdistan. The other criminal gang, the KRG, continues to oppose the equally criminal gang in Baghdad regarding the distribution of oil contracts and the allocation of Iraq's oil revenues as well as who will pay the Peshmerga militias, www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/refid/E2F-30-06-2008/article/33098 Some of you may recall, if you had been reading my earlier entries from my initial, now blocked, blogspot, I had been following something called the Eagle Group of Iraq which signed a 50-50 partnership with Canada's Heritage Oil for exploration and development in the Kurdistan region. That was in September, 2005. As a reminder, here's a link to their Press Release, at the time, www.heritageoilltd.com/resource/KPC%20Press%20Release%20FINAL.pdf But, I have never, since, been able to find out just WHO is the Eagle Group of Iraq? So, I speculated, it is either Barzani, himself and/or Talabani and, I dared someone to contradict me by providing factual evidence of WHO it is, if not one or both of them. Meanwhile, in my blog of February 12, 2008, I noted that some changes had been made as to who owned Canada's Heritage Oil, from Mr. 5% Gulbenkian to Tony Buckingham. For that, www.karlmarxwasright2.blogspot.com/2008/02/that-which-nobody-wants-to-see.html In that blog, above, I made reference to another excellent link regarding Tony Buckingham, Obama, etc. by writer Keith Harmon Snow. I will provide the link to Snow's piece, once again, www.uruknet.info/?p=m41015 BUT, Baghdad's competing mafia government gang continues to contest KRG's authority. www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/refid/E2F-30-06-2008/article/33112 Clearly, this puts the KRG and Baghdad and their militias in a potential collision course with one another. And, in a further odd note, I noticed something which rang alarm bells in my mind. The foreign companies who signed contracts with Baghdad will be paid IN CASH instead of oil. Oil may be a fungible commodity, but, cash is certainly more oily, slipperly and fungible than oil, itself. This is an open invitation to extraordinary unaccountability, I believe. Does not anybody else see this as an unusual arrangement? www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/refid/E2F-30-06-2008/article/33105 Now, the financial machinations in the GCC, UAE, etc, which I've been following, continue unabated. I will provide a few links and highlights, below, at the end of this blog, as footnotes, rather than here, for purposes of continuity and more easy reading. At this very moment, another very significant development is being reported in both English and Arabic on a video from Al-Arabiya. On the left hand side bar are more related videos in Arabic on the same subject. Once again, I remind everyone I do NOT have the slightest idea what is being said in Arabic but assume it's the same as the English, regarding "Alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz," www.zawya.com/video/default.cfm/sidVID20080630095234 This is a big deal. (Anyone wishing to help me out and add some English commentary from Arabic sources, please, feel free and it would be much appreciated). On the Russian front. First, "Communists Prepare for Class Conflict," www.kommersant.com/p907650/The_Communist_Party_of_the_Russian_Federation Before I put too much emphasis on this, I'm well aware the CP and Zyuganov, in particular, have been coopted in Russia. And, I had some comments on my previous blog to which I linked, above, about Oleg Shenin. Nonetheless, the preceeding has significance, as a response to internal power struggles, just as in Turkey. In addition to all the many volatile conflicts and regional factors, Russia is considering moving it's Black Sea fleet to Syria after 2017, where Russia still maintains a base in the Mediterranean. www.kommersant.com/p-12741/Russian_Black_Sea_Fleet As part of this, clearly, the Russian Parliament recently wrote off most of Syria's Soviet era debt. And, of course, the escalating conflict and provocations surrounding Georgia, Abkhazia, Russia, the Caucasus, about which virtually nobody here in the US is even aware exists. Lastly, as promissed, above, a few footnoted links highlighting just some of the GCC developments: "Bank of NY Mellon to Operate from Dubai International Financial Center," www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080630053621/lok053600080630 and "Foreign Oil Firms Set to Play Bigger Role in Gulf," www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080630045552/lok045500080630 and, "Schroder's Strengthens North Africa and Middle East Investment Team," www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080630055722/lok055700080630

A SMALL MATTER OF ADDITION

Couple the material in my blog of April 10, 2008, www.karlmarxwasright2.blogspot.com/2008/04/military-and-nothing-but-military.html with Regnum's recent digest I highlighted on my June 20, 2008 blog entry, "Prospects of War in Transcaucasia and Central Asia," www.regnum.ru/english/1014455.html Add my previous blogs on "mopping up" in Iraq, congruency and regime change in Iran, see my entry from April 14, 2008 on the above, www.karlmarxwasright2.blogspot.com/2008/04/iraq-exit-strategy.html Plus, previous blogs on Iran's privatization, Morgan Stanley and the First Persia Fund, www.firstpersiafund.com/main/page.asp?pageId=5 a few more and, recently, "Tehran Stock Exchange Foreign Investment Ceiling to Rise," www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=59539&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs I will leave vast conspiracy theories for others. For me, the equations and math are transparent and obvious. Along with additional corroborating and substantiating material from the GCC, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere.

PACE, TURKEY, THE USELESS FAKE LEFT, GM RISES FROM THE ASHES IN THE ME, ANOTHER PIPELINE, PAN ARABISM

The useless fake Left, EVERYWHERE, will allow Turkey's opposition to hang by itself, alone, without any support or recognition. This is their pattern. Here's the PACE position regarding the AKP closure case and Turkey's opposition, again, the same PACE that declared Communism and Nazism equal, the same PACE involved with JBANC, Kucinich, etc. On the lower, right hand side box, you will notice another "appeal" by the AKP to the Socialist International: www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=108398 As for yet another, different, gas pipeline route than the others previously mentioned and followed, here's one proposed as an alternative which skirts the overland Iran-Pak-India route, instead, underwater direct from the GCC states and Oman under the Gulf to India: www.vinodksharma.blogspot.com/2008/05/undersea-real-peace-pipeline.html And, a direct link to the article to which he's referring, "Government Plans a Pipeline from Oman to India," under the Arabian Sea: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2924310.cms And, then, interestingly, or, coincidentally, however one prefers to spin it, Hamid Jafar's "Crescent Signs Deal With [India's] Reliance": www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080624120447/lok120400080624 Meanwhile, as for America's 1930's, historic, Communist led union and GM, its intentional obsolence and bankruptcy, GM, as just about everything else I've been following, is the Phoenix rising from the ashes in the sands of the Gulf and Middle East: www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080608035708/lok035700080608 So, continue eating shit as you allow yourselves to be led down the path of no resistance by the combined fake Left, opposition, the Democrats, the Fascist Obama, the union busters, and all the others, combined. Put some strawberries and whipped cream on top of your shit for breakfast to make it more palatable eating. Finally, one more contemporary note on the degenerate state of current affairs from what was, at one time, Nasser's Egypt and when the Soviet Union existed: www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=14645 In the following, I RANDOMLY chose a link available to the public on the internet about the subject and historical significance of Nasser's Egypt and Pan Arabism from a source that clearly can NOT in any way be construed as "Left," merely to give the totally uninitiated a framework from which to begin, if they so wish. After reading the opening remarks, in my opinion, you can skip down to Page 29, entitled, "Domestic Policies," and continue forward. Of course, you will easily see from the nature of the source, all questionable covert machinations and players surrounding subsequent events to compromise or undermine Nasser and his policies are ignored and are simply reported chronologically as fact, no more no less. But, I repeat, this is merely an outline for the totally uninitiated to pursue further: www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/research/theses/danielson07.pdf Anyone wishing to add references, links, titles, books, articles, sources, statements, opinions, is more than welcome, in any language.

THE 'N' WORD AGAIN AND A MORALITY TALE

Somehow, somewhere, a spontaneous national campaign has emerged to seize the opportunity to confront all our elected representatives and other officials whenever they appear on C-Span to ask them the simple, mother of all, questions, "WHY ARE WE/THEY NOT NATIONALIZING OUR OIL/ENERGY, HEALTH CARE AND OTHER BASIC INDUSTRIES?" Why do we not publicly own what is collectively all ours? For the US, this is a spectacular development and whomever is responsible and however this is happening, keep it up!! This is certainly far to the Left of any of our "independent" third parties, including Nader and most certainly the Greens. This time, it was Democratic Representative Jim Cooper from Tennessee on C-Span, June 25, 2008 discussing the "Alternative Minimum Tax" proposal in the Budget Committee, of which he is a member. The very first telephone question he took was about the above...phrased appropriately around issues of economic and moral accountability, justice, responsibility and causation. Once again, I invite everyone to listen to the taped video of this program on the C-Span website. Look for the box at the bottom of the C-Span homepage, "Recent Programs" and scroll down it until you see his name, Rep. Jim Cooper, June 25, 2008, Alternative Minimum Tax. The FIRST telephone call on the above subject was from a gentleman from Detroit, Michigan. It begins at minute number 5, approximately, on the video. Cooper's response was laughable. Only a couple of dismissive sentences. He suggested that nationalization was "tried" in different countries, isn't efficient and didn't/doesn't work!! Simple!! That's it. Subject finished. Curiously, the ONLY country Cooper mentioned by name was Mexico. And, guess what, Mr. Cooper, on the that very subject? "Confrontation Over Mexican Oil Privatization Intensifies," www.petroleumworld.com/Ed08062601.htm On health care, Cooper contradicted himself but didn't even realize what he was doing. Of course, understanding the MAZE of differing health care delivery systems in the US is another story. There is NOT one, but, MANY. It's unique in the world. You need to be Einstein to decipher it and work through the labyrinth of alphabet soup medical insurance providers, a quagmire of partially government funded programs combined with mostly private, for profit, insurers. The government program is the poor stepchild which is always threatened by the private insurers by dint of economic strangulation. If you aren't familiar with the "system," don't bother trying to understand what's being said. So, here's C-Span's website if you wish to access the above video, http://www.c-span.org/

Further on that profound relationship of morality, economics, justice, accountability, responsibility and nationalization the caller raised.

The following is what the face of what Iraq's militias look like. Does it not sound, smell, taste and look similar to Nazi atrocity stories and tactics from WWII? This is the composition of Iraq's new government. These are the various Iraqi/Iranian "militias" that both our fake Left have sanitized as "resistance" and/or, our corporate media and FOREIGN sources, as well, have sanitized as the legitimate Iraqi government and/or Iraq population, www.arabwomanblues.blogspot.com/2008/06/delicate-resilience.html

And, why does all this happen? What is the motivation? Profit. All of them serve the same masters and interests. From the Nazis down to Iran's militias in Iraq.

While the hired guns this historical time around, Iran's Fascist militias, thugs, goons, death squads, sectarian militias do their dirty work, above, here's the people they help realize their goals in Iran, "On the Road with Teheran's Nouveaux Riche," www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080625124244/lok124200080625

Of course, there are others, about which I've written much, in the GCC, the US, Europe, Russia, Asia and so on.

Surely, NOT all people are equal.

In the US, the equally fictitious Presidential candidates, one of the staunch supporters of the Obama mafia is the utterly corrupt, mafioso SEIU and their "Change to Win" international labor organization. No coincidence that Obama's amorphous "Change" slogan is the same as SEIU and its autocratic leadership, Andy Stern.

For alittle inkling of just what's involved with SEIU and the battles against its leadership, I will provide a video link with a smorgasbord from which you can chose all with 'SEIU" in the titles. Keep in mind, when you see CNA in the heading, that's the Calif Nurses Association, the ONLY union that supported Ralph Nader in the past AND is organizing nationwide for a SINGLE PAYER health care system in the US.

The SEIU, "Change to Win,"international leadership is in battles with both its own members, the CNA, and others as you will see from the various headings on the videos. www.labornet.org/links/youtube.htm

Our Democratic Presidential "Change" candidate stinks to high heaven, as well as all of the above.

So, every time you see torture, like the above, just remember, it's all in the service of expanding and reinforcing the vast empire of the "high net worth" individuals, as they are euphemistically labelled, i.e., the stinking rich. They do stink, as one can easily see, in this high stakes morality play. And, finally, coming full circle, a little reminder, www.londoncommunists.blogspot.com/2008/06/new-worker-pamphlets-case-for-communism.html

RETHINKING LEBANON--PART II

Two separate blog entries for today. This one and the one below it regarding Dana Gas. This entry will be VERY, VERY BRIEF. In my previous blog of May 25, 2008, entitled, "Rethinking Lebanon-Who Won What" to which I will link, momentarily, I discussed the BG-Israel-Gaza gas deal. First, a direct link to that blog entry, www.karlmarxwasright2.blogspot.com/2008/05/rethinking-lebanon-who-won-what.html And, then, TODAY'S followup on this very same issue from the Israeli financial Globes publication, "Israel Seeks New Talks with BG on Gaza Gas," www.globes-online.com/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000354255&fid=942

DANA GAS EMPIRE UPDATE

The private, Western/American backed Nabucco gas pipeline versus Russia's semi-nationalized, state run Gazprom, South Stream pipeline project gets lots of press coverage. Additionally, there's the revived TAP pipeline project, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (India?) pipeline route, of Osama fame and one of the primary reasons for the American/NATO backed military operation in Afghanistan. And, another one in the planning stages, the IPI, Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. However, the one that seems to get little if no publicity, except for the business news, of course, and my own blog, is the burgeoning, regionally interconnected, private Dana Gas empire. If you've been following my blogs for some time, you will be familiar with the Dana Gas saga, its birth and its background. Here's the latest on the burgeoning Dana Gas empire, and then a few more reminders, afterwards. Crescent, Dana's subsidiary, will finally be receiving its gas supplies from Iran, www.7days.ae/showstory.php?id=74733 and, for Arabic speakers, Crescent and Dana in a joint venture in Kurdistan, (remember, I can not speak a word of Arabic so I have no idea what the video says, just the English caption underneath it), www.zawya.com/video/default.cfm/sidVID20080621085522 Reminder, Hamid Jafar, (his name seems to be spelled differently, sometimes, Jafar or Jafaar) sits on the Board of Dana, Crescent and, as well, Abraaj Capital. Jafar also sits on the Board of Directors of the American University in the UAE. Again, Abraaj, et.al, has investments in Egypt, Yemen and Pakistan. I did previous blogs on Abraaj interlocking connections regarding Pakistan. But, here's an update on Abraaj and Pakistan's Electrical Power Company, www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=15461 and a second source on the same subject, www.chowrangi.com/can-abraaj-capital-resolve-karachi-power-crisis.html Hamid Jafar, Abraaj, Dana, Crescent have thousands of pieces of information available on the internet, and, if one wishes to pursue his and their backgrounds further, simply do some searches on any/all of the above. I can only highlight a few significant developments and names. Meanwhile, continuing from my previous blog(s) regarding Iran's privatization, and, congruency, consistency, mopping up and regime change, following from the above and my previous blogs, Iran's "Larijani Highly Critical of State Run Economy," www.payvand.com/news/08/jun/1196.html Ahmadimidget is finished. Period. End of sentence. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy! As for Iran's millionaire Mullahs, I fully expect their power monopoly to come to an end, also. Elementary my dear Watson. Congruency, regime change, etc. They and their sectarian militias have served their purpose well. Power will henceforth be consolidated in Iraq's central government in Baghdad and some feigned Iraqi unity government will come to power with an added Arabic face/flavor to it so it can be recognized by other, regional Arabic countries and Iran's paramilitary expansionist threat contained. All of the above is a necessary ingredient in the larger "transformative" project that, once again, is right in front of everybody's noses but nobody appears to want to acknowledge as THE causal determinant, "Private Equity Reshapes Regional Economies," www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080622102628/lok102600080622 Here's a direct link to the above conference, www.iirme.com/pe Conspicuously, one of the GCC's major firms in this circuitous, incestuous investment relationship, Istithmar, rang the opening bell the other day on NY's Nasdaq Stock Exchange, www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080621103956/lok103900080621 Two more facts nobody else seems to want to bother to notice, either. First, Iran's disputed and threatened nuke project is predominantly a Russian venture. Second, America's Fascist retread and declining "war hero," McCain, is going to win against Republican Fascist number two, the Obama mafia candidate, with their Karl Rove choreographed Hitler youth rallies, staged events, manipulated caucuses, reverse racism or American style sectarianism. The race is always fixed. But, the show must go on, if for no other reason than there are gobs of money being made on Presidential elections. Big business, commercial media, advisers, consultants, smaller businesses and other sources get lots and lots of money. It's the equivalent of Christmas time for them. A real bonanza. The more money raised, the more money spent. Another financial merry-go-round.

WAR IN TRANSCAUCASIA, AND MORE

The following EXCELLENT, superb digest is the focal point of this blog. Study it carefully. "Possible War in Transcaucasia and Central Asia,"www.regnum.ru/english/1014455.html Thanks, Regnum. Meanwhile, in the US, the "N" word came up, again,this time, from an unlikely source. In a live, press conference with 4 US House of Rep Democrats responding to Bush's proposed offshore oil drilling, in the followup question and answer period, House Representative Maurice Hinchey from NY responded to a reporter by suggesting nationalization of US oil refineries! Now, before everyone jumps up and down, gets excited and brings out the champagne to celebrate, it should be realized these are not official Democratic Party policy pronouncements. These were offhand, off the cuff remarks to questions in a live press conference. Second, this is an election year, so, more likely than not, it is part of partisan posturing, i.e, rhetoric. Third, refineries are the least profitable part of the oil business and companies do not like to invest in them. Consequently, they MIGHT be more than happy to have the government help finance refineries. And, last but most important, nothing was said about nationalizing the oil industry, itself, which is THE profitable part, nor its distribution system. NONETHELESS, IN PRINCIPLE, nationalization, anywhere, is a step forward and should be supported. Extending it further is what is necessary. The fact that the word came up at all is meaningful. If you want to hear this section of the press conference, again, go to the c-span website, look for the heading/box towards the bottom of their homepage, "Recent Programs," scroll down it until you see "House Democrats Respond to President Bush on Offshore Drilling," dated June 18, 2008, and around minute 22, approximately, you will hear Maurice Hinchey reply on this subject. http://www.c-span.org/ In direct contradiction to the "N" word uttered spontaneously by a few lowly House Democrats, above, former Secy of State under Clinton, Madeline Albright, now amongst a long laundry list of previous Clinton advisers to Democratic Presidential Candidate Obama, and Albright's partner, Hernando DeSoto have concocted the following proposal and commission for the UN, "The Commission on Legal Empowerment of Poor" expanding and elaborating on PRIVATE, personal property rights for the poor! www.undp.org/legalempowerment I would hardly know where to begin commenting on this macabre oxymoron. I will simply let the absurdity speak for itself and leave others to ponder and dissect it. One irresistible personal comment, however. I once heard Mr. DeSoto testify before Congress on similar subjects. This was a few years back. It was quite amusing. His testimony was comparable to what I would call basic "Marxism 101" in terms of enlightening the obviously ignorant Congressional members about the most fundamental, simplistic concepts elaborated by Marx, something one would think everybody knows. DeSoto did a good job, except, he never once mentioned from whence these concepts originated. I guess Congress thought it sprung out of DeSoto's mind, wholecloth. Anyway, returning to the subject matter at hand. People may recall from previous blogs I did I linked to the newly minted Morgan Stanley Persia Fund, and, of course, Iran's privatization, and, further, I pitted the interests and influence of Morgan Stanley and THEIR international friends and associates against Ahmadimidget and his millionaire Iranian Mullahs and their sectarian militias regarding Iran's regional direction, influence, overall congruency, bankrupt sectarian policies and regime change. Well, alittle note on the well-placed, well-connected ever ubiquitous, overlapping, interlocking Morgan Stanley, and, I might add, Citigroup, directorates, "Morgan Stanley Expands Asset Management Presence in Middle East," www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080618094436/lok094400080618 Of course, Morgan Stanley is hardly alone. But, they are integral, at the nexus. And the irrepressible, indomitable resistance against Turkey's "Islamic," privatizing, AKP continues to escalate its opposition, one of the major factors necessitating a revised regional policy by the US, alluded to by the Regnum piece, above. The fortunes of Turkey's "Islamic," privatizing, AKP, in turn, associated with Iran's "Islamic" regime. A little reminder on that point, www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=107578 To paraphrase the song, "The hip bone is connected to the thigh bone..." And, they all come tumbling down.

NATIONALIZATION NIXED AGAIN ON C-SPAN

First of all, kudos to the many individuals whose voices are rising and multiplying everyday, apparently, becoming an orchestrated cacophony and telephoning into C-Span to ask the OBVIOUS question, why are we, the US, NOT nationalizing our major oil and other natural energy resources and industries? KEEP IT UP! The last time I wrote on this subject was an interview on C-Span with Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont on his/their proposed energy bill in their Senate Energy Committee. See my entry of June 11, 2008, "Senator Sanders Rules Out Nationalization..." www.karlmarxwasright2.blogspot.com/2008/06/senator-sanders-rules-out.html This time, instead, it was a program with Mark Cooper, Research Director for the Consumer Federation of America discussing oil prices, speculation, commodity futures, hedge funds and regulation. He testifies before Congress on this subject. And, once again, someone telephoned into Cooper's interview program with a similar question, paraphrased more or less, above, regarding nationalization. And, once again, like Bernie Sanders, before, nationalization was simply nixed, outright, by Mr. Cooper. Just not possible in our "capitalist" society. So, forget about it. The market system "works," just needs alittle tinkering around the edges, regulation, adjustments, here and there, close a few loopholes, etc. For the Cooper interview, go to the "Recent Programs" box towards the middle/bottom of the C-Span homepage and scroll down it until you see a heading with his name, Mark Cooper, and the above title, dated June 17 (6/17/2008) for a video of the program. The question is amongst the first few towards the beginning of what is a relatively brief interview. A somewhat similar idea, phrased differently, was also presented by another gentleman from Louisiana, a major oil producing state, at a different point, but, in an earlier section of their programming. http://www.c-span.org/ What Mr. Cooper and Bernie Sanders and others are suggesting is comparable or analogous to a medical disease whose root cause and origins are known, such as a bacteria or virus, but, instead of directly addressing, attacking, eliminating, eradicating the source of the disease, we simply address and ameliorate its many symptoms, surrounding conditions, secondary and tertiary aspects, complications, while leaving the root cause alone to fruitfully reproduce and multiply itself. We discuss, dissect and analyze every aspect and dimension of the disease, while simply denying the source. I think one can extrapolate further oneself on this analogy. Ptolemy's explanation of planetary circulation also worked. It just didn't work quite well enough. There were some internal problems and inconsistencies with the explanation which could not be resolved until a later, more comprehensive and consistent causal mechanism came into being. Well, even if he/they suggest "regulation," then, as I have pointed out, previously, Gazprom is the world's largest regulated utility by virtue of the state's 50% plus 1 share ownership. Here, in the US, they don't even DEMAND half a loaf, to which they are more than entitled, let alone a full loaf. So, the regulation they're suggesting is futile and meaningless gesture, a toothless tiger. A band aid, one which they won't get, anyway, since they merely beg the private powers that be, politely, please, please...won't you be nice guys and cooperate with us alittle bit here. Then, they suggest further taxing industry profits. Well, that's nice, except for a few problems. Greater income from tax on profits depend, by definition, upon greater expansion, production, profitability and/or cost cutting, not its opposite, conservation, efficiency, reduction, replacement, substitution, rationalized and integrated systems of self-sufficiency etc. Not to mention the many loopholes in which taxation can be avoided by those with the very resources they are attempting to tax. Thus is systemic contradiction enhanced, perpetuated and exacerbated, rather than resolved. So, back to the US of Denial and Ptolemy, I'm afraid. All of these many tortured, convoluted, pretzel like twists and turns in order to obfuscate the simplest, most direct, basic solution.

FROM 1994--KHASHOGGI AND GAZA

I am reprinting this post, below, from August, 2005, from my previous blogspot which is now blocked to the public by circumstances beyond my control.
The content has obvious relevance to ongoing events. So the post...

FROM AUGUST, 2005

KASHOGGI AND GAZA

I made reference in a previous blog, July 26, 2005, "Israeli Casino.." to a WSJ (Wall St. Journal) article detailing the above subject.
Here are more extensive excerpts from this article.
It is from February 4, 1994.
The heading is:
"Guns and Butter: Khashoggi Is Back, Angling for a Profit From Mideast Peace."
Subheading, "Saudi Arms Dealer Teams Up with an Israeli Partner, Pushing Industrial Plans Covering Gaza's Waterfront."
It's a long article.
I'll quote as much as I can.

"...Khashoggi and Nimrodi are angling to become the leading industrialists in the Gaza Strip...their plans cover the waterfront. In the works are a telecommunications system, electric-power generator, desalinization plant, pipe factory, a Muslim-pilgrimage company, investment bank, railroad, even an airline...the two adventurers are working with each other, and with the World Bank, to form several large industrial companies that would be owned by Israeli, Palestinian and other Arab investors...Khashoggi says he is focusing on Russia, Iran and the Mideast.
In the past two years, he says he has made nearly $3 million on the Tel Aviv stock exchange...Khashoggi says he has been secretly sowing seeds in Israel...as far back as 1967, the confidant of Saudi kings opened clandestine links with Western Jews, Mossad agents and Israeli politicians...'Adnan has always had this notion of marrying the energy and business acumen of the Israeli with the capital of the Arab world,' says Kenneth Bialkin, the financier's longtime US lawyer and a partner in the NY firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
As a former chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Bialkin has introduced Khashoggi to many powerful Israelis over the years...In the mid 1950s, Nimrodi was sent to Tehran as Israel's secret military attache to Iran...the young colonel remained in Tehran for 24 years-the first 14 for Israel, the last 10 for himself.
He built the Shah's intelligence agency while earning huge commissions on some $250 million a year in arms sales to Iran...They [Khashoggi and Nimrodi] met in Paris in 1975. The rendezvous was arranged by the late Herman 'Hank' Greenspun, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun...Greenspun knew Khashoggi thru Eugene Warner, another Jewish activist in Las Vegas and an advisor to the Saudi tycoon.
Warner...didn't return calls for this article. Khashoggi says he met Warner in 1958...as a guest of Howard Hughes...At their 1975 introduction, Khashoggi and Nimrodi were joined by Adolph 'Al' Schwimmer, the Israeli-American founder of Israel Aircraft Industries, the country's largest defense contractor...According to Arabs and Israelis who know both men, Khashoggi and Nimrodi arranged arms transactions long before the first Iran-Contra deal in 1985...in the late 1970s, Khashoggi floated a proposal by King Fhad, then the Saudi crown prince, for peace in exchange for Saudi control of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. As an added incentive, says Nimrodi, the Saudis dangled some $100 billion of investment capital for the region to underwrite development. Nimrodi took the offer to Israeli PM Menachem Begin...who said Jerusalem wasn't for sale. The plot thickens. According to Nimrodi, in 1981, after many fortunes were wiped out in the Iranian revolution, Khashoggi, Nimrodi and Schwimmer decided to overthrow Khomeni...they recruited the late Shah's son, Reza Phalavi, to lead the effort. The mercaneries would be funded by Riyadh, armed by Israel, trained in Sudan, according to Nimrodi. There followed a gathering...in May 1982. Along with Nimrodi and Schwimmer came Sharon, the Israeli defense minister and David Kimche, then director general of Israel's foreign ministry...Khashoggi brought along Sudanese President Gafaar Numeiri...The CIA, which was kept abreast of the plan, didn't interfere, Nimrodi says. The CIA declines to comment. But the Mossad Intelligence service, despite Sharon's involvement, ultimately killed the scheme....The intifada...bred still more initiatives.
In 1989, at the height of the rebelllion, Khashoggi proposed that Israel simply abandon the Gaza Strip. He and some Arab backers would step in and with $20 billion or so, turn the swath of sand dunes and refugee camps into a cross between Las Vegas and Hong Kong...Nimrodi explored the concept further with Bassam Abu Sherif, a close PLO associate of Arafat...After the Gulf War and the Mideast peace conference in Madrid, Khashoggi began investing heavily in Israeli stocks...Their Gaza plans began churning nearly a year ago...Khashoggi himself is raising capital for an Arab-Israeli investment bank. Nimrodi recently visited Kuwait...to by a 10% stake in Shorouk Airlines, a Kuwaiti-Egyptian venture that plans to fly to Jerusalem from Cairo and Kuwait..."

I deleted and skipped over some background material on the Iran-Contra deal. Also, apparently, Nimrodi alreadys owns a desalinzation-technology company in Israel, but, the article didn't state the name of the company.

US-IRAN POLICY AND BLOWBACK

Aside from all the nonsense I read and hear about most everything and the way its reported, narrated and spun, the notion that US-Iran policy will be determined by either Presidential candidates, Obama or McCain, himself/themselves, is equal garbage. Neither one determines policy and McCain will win, anyway. The Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Iran carte blanche policy is dead. It's been dead for awhile, since the November, 2006 midterm elections. And, the next President, who will be McCain, will continue along this path. The following easily gives one an idea what this "policy" is and will be and who determines it, mostly because of the nature of the participants in this new "bipartisan" think tank. Altho they conveniently ignore most everything I've had on my blogs and spin an equally false narrative, simply put, they recapitulate in more sophisticated verbiage and alot more jargon what I've essentially said in my previous blogs regarding the NECESSITY and urgency of "mopping up, congruency and regime change," much of which has begun, already, regarding Iran, blowback, conundrum, conflicts, problems, however one wishes to label the disastrous and catastrophic results of the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Iran collaboration policy, and, for that matter, everybody else's enablement of this policy. This is a direct link to their most recent event, with a paper about Iran, under "Session Three," altho, at their website, one can find alot more by searching around it, www.cnas.org/June2008 Here's another direct link to the Iran paper, only, www.cnas.org/en/cms/?2296 There are few great mysteries. Instead, mostly open secrets, open "conspiracies" and a few more concentric secretive relationships within these open conspiracies, assuming one simply chooses to acknowledge the information in front of one's nose.

BINGO! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: IRAN'S PRIVATIZATION, TURKEY AND RUSSIA BEWARE

About Iran's privatization, "Value of Tehran's Stock Exchange to Top $70 Billion," www.payvand.com/news/08/jun/1099.html JACKPOT! Our fake Left is falling all over themselves with glee, I imagine. Success! What's a few million displaced Arabs more or less. Let's just privatize, make up, kiss and be friends. As I said in previous blogs, Ahmadimidget, his/their militias and a few millionaire Mullahs are no match for Morgan Stanley, the Persian Fund and THEIR associates. So, in accord with the above, one picture is worth a thousand words and Iran's Rafsanjani and Saudi King Abdullah in their JUST ended visit together, www.payvand.com/news/08/jun/1089.html Congruently, the current status of Hezbollah, Lebanon and the Doha deal, which, after Hezbollah's fireworks, simply wound up reinstating the leading role of Citigroup's Siniora and completely quashed Lebanon's general strike, unity and opposition, www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080612052920/lok052900080612 . Congratulations Hezbollah for a job well done! On the line of general strikes in the ME region, apparently, Israel's umbrella labor organization, the Histadrut, has called for a general strike which will primarily affect their public sector, which HAD BEEN large. I have a surprise for them. Their public sector will soon disappear or shrink to the size one can rinse down the drain of a bathtub, to quote one of OUR openly Fascist politicians. This process has already begun with all of the above and Iraq's demise and with almost everyone's help. Meanwhile, the UN and "international" peace keepers will be enhanced in Lebanon, while NATO, the EU and UN are increasing their role in Kosovo. NATO will be training Kosovo's "security forces." And, apparently, Senator Joe Biden, one of the "principals" with whom Pakistan's ISI Chief met on his Washington visit the week of 9/11, has a problem with the Russian state having ANY control of anything. They can't even have half a loaf, certainly, not a full loaf. Of course, Biden and our entire government do not have such similiar problems with the panopoly of THEIR GCC privatization interests and all of the above, www.kommersant.com/p-12658/Joe_Biden-sovereign And, Turkey, due to it's significance and opposition, can expect further troubles, including a renewed Armenian genocide resolution from Congress. And, finally, our mafia union, SEIU, the ones who support Obama and are expanding themselves internationally, are also in China, apparently. God help China and everyone and anyone else with whom they ally. It will be the kiss of death.

SENATOR SANDERS "RULES OUT" NATIONALIZATION, OBAMA AND BILDERBERG, JBANC WITCHUNT

First, for those of you unfamiliar with Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, he is a rare bird in the US Congress, neither Republican nor Democrat. Vermont, of course, is a very small state, with quite alot of people from urban areas such as NYC and Boston who have settled there and a very large, liberal university campus and student body. As people might recall from a previous Presidential primary, the leading, almost independent, Democratic Presidential challenger, Howard Dean, emanated from Vermont. Of course, Dean's independent campaign was squashed, dead ended, dissolved, uprooted by the Democratic mafia, like Hillary's challenge. But, Hillary defied the Democratic mafia and, mostly through her own funds, hung in despite them, which in turn, catapulted and transformed her campaign into something it was or would not have been, otherwise. Returning to Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders is a good example of what the US categorizes as Left, Liberal, i.e., Independent leaning. That's why I'm noting and highlighting the following interview with Bernie Sanders on C-Span, this past Tuesday, June 10 (6/10). (Of course, the other Independent Senator is overtly Fascist Lieberman from Connecticut.) Bernie Sanders appeared on C-Span's early morning call-in program on Tuesday to discuss or defend his Senate Committee's proposed Energy Bill. Sanders is a member of the Senate Committee drafting that bill. So, once again, to my utter amazement, a gentleman telephoned into C-Span to ask a question of Mr. Sanders to the effect, why don't we, the US, build and own our own oil and gas pipelines and control our own energy resources, in effect, nationalization? He did not use that word, that term. But, the question amounted to the same thing. This fellow sounded genuinely inquisitive, open, curious, sincere. He was not challenging or threatening Mr. Sanders. Much like the child who asks the proverbially simplistic and obvious question to any adult, "Why is the sky blue?" Bernie Sanders response to this profound subject amounted to a more or less offhand gesture of the hand, a few words, equaling not more than a sentence, and he matter of factedly stated it is "too radical" for the US and would not be considered for even 2 minutes and then he proceeded to talk about his/their energy bill as if the question had never been asked. In other words, the idea and subject matter was dismissed, off the table, ruled out. No discussion. Period. If you doubt me, you can listen to the entire approximatley 25 minute interview on c-span's video archives. The particular question to which I'm referring comes AROUND minute number 9 in the video. (If you go to the http://www.c-span.org/ website, just search for his name, above, Bernie Sanders, Energy Committee Member, 6/10/08 in the box on their homepage under "Recent Events" and scroll down it for the above heading and date.) Incidentally, part of this energy bill is to prosecute OPEC as a price fixing cartel! Not our own, of course. What can I say? The whole thing is a joke. Next, regarding jokers. Apparently, there's some speculation that Obama, and, perhaps, Hillary, as well, disappeared into the Bilderberg meeting when they supposedly were having their private tete-a-tete. I have no idea if this is true. However, I will link to the following article about this subject for two reasons. It highlights a number of names and connections, all and MANY MORE of which are and were readily available during the primary campaign, including Murdoch's support of Obama, had anybody cared to notice, and, that the hypothesis is a plausible one to me. It could very well have happened. For me, I do not characterize it as a "conspiracy" any more than all the other OPEN "conspiracies" surrounding privatization and the interests of the propertied class, much of which I've been following on my blogs, from the GCC to Turkey to Russia, etc. If it did occur, Obama was probably given instructions, his theme and marching orders and, possibly, the meeting negotiated either a deal or a threat with Hillary. (My personal speculation is that McCain will be a one term President and Hillary was promised the Democratic ticket in 4 years after Obama goes down). I fully expect McCain to win, for the reasons I've explained, previously. This has been predetermined, discussed, agreed upon. So, I do not necessarily subscribe to the many characterizations in the following narrative, including, but, not limited to, that Obama is popular. Far from it. It's called "manufactured popularity," like "manufactured dissent": www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9270 Although I can't highlight all the many developments surrounding global privatization, I will diverge, momentarily, to a different area of the globe to highlight one from Chile, because of its overwhelming significance regarding the globe's #1 state owned copper producer, Codelco: www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page36?oid=54533&sn=Detail The pattern is an obvious one. And, another clear, obvious, reaction to ANY resistance to global privatization, the ever ominous, Fascist, counter-revolutionary JBANC alliance, issues another one in their many threatening proclamations equating Communism with Nazism: www.jbanc.org/090608.html THIS GETS ALOT BETTER. At the following website, also linked to on the jbanc website, you can read a list of the featured guests and speakers at the upcoming Washington, D.C, June 12th commemoration event. In that list, amongst the "illustrious" speakers, is the supposedly "progressive" Ohio Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinch, ONCE AGAIN: http://www.victimsofcommunism.org/ Kucinich is the nominally "progressive peace candidate," currently busy with his own theatrical performance in the US Congress to introduce an impeach Bush resolution. (It will go nowhere. Don't bother yourselves. It's all performance). It really does not get any better than this, does it? This says it all, including Bernie Sanders, above. If you cannot understand, at this point, why these same people do NOT recognize Iran's role in Iraq, Iran's Nazi militias, their pseudo-religion and Turkey's AKP, the fake Left and fake opposition in the US and the formulas and format on how it all functions together, then, you should simply give up, go home and have your head examined. You will never understand. throughout Europe, Turkey, Korea and elsewhere, will you then know there is indeed real, My recommendation to everyone, only when you see events in the US similiar in scope, magnitude, militancy and labor involvement to the many strikes and demonstrations occuringsignficant, major change occuring in the US. Until then, pay no attention to whatever you hear, see, read about "change" in the US. The preceding regarding JBANC, by the way, more or less, parallels a similar thematic construct in America's fake, predetermined, Presidential s-election campaign. Obama's role in this theatre piece will be characterized as "accommodation and appeasement" to Iran and the many, numerous, other threats to "democracy," energy, terrorism, whatever, while American war hero and military man McCain will be characterized as the experienced, honest, sincere, legitimate, patriotic, fatherly, and hardline juxtaposition to Obama's weak, vacillating, contradictory positions. Easy to do since Obama represents nothing in particular except personal sleaze and opportunism. Thus, the election will justify a policy that has already been predetermined. Simplistic! Viola! Manufactured consent, dissent and elections. Finally, a little footnote of appreciation to all the hard work of those providing English translations from Arabic. Normally, I cull lots of material related to what I characterize the coordinating, nerve center for the privatization project in the MENA region from the GCC in English. Fortunately, there's plenty available. Well, I happened upon something titled in English, but, with an Arabic video link. I have absolutely zero idea what is being said in Arabic. The Arabic is "Greek" to me. But, obviously, the Arabic video is related to the English titled subject matter, which I clearly understand. So, I decided to link to it BECAUSE of its Arabic video content. Anyone wishing to comment upon the Arabic, feel free to e-mail me or add something to the blog, below, "EFG-Hermes: Mena Region Banks Grow 20% A Year": www.zawya.com/video/default.cfm/sidVID20080610095028 Sorry if this doesn't hit the spot for the Arabic speaking world. I tried.

SAVE THE TURKISH STATE!

Events in Turkey continue exploding, as I have been following consistently throughout my blogs.
While just about nobody here has been able to find Iran in Iraq, they can not find Turkey's real opposition, either, despite Turkey's many, humongous demonstrations and strikes. They can, of course, find the phony Hamas, Hezbollah and Sadr.
Turkish developments are much too much for me to post, but, I will simply highlight the following article as a response to all that been happening, "Turk Assets Fall Persists Amid Global, Internal Triggers," (and foreign investments,etc.)

www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/turkey/9134982.asp?gid=231&sz=61508

Meanwhile, regarding Iran's presence in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East, as I have reiterated so many times in previous blogs, a revised policy of "regime change, political congruency and mopping up" is necessary and the following headline says it in the most clear and succinct terms possible, "Saudis and Spain Call for Dissolution of Iraq's Militias,"

www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080609032939/lok032900080609

In response, a continued and ongoing power struggle is occurring within Iran, "Iran's Economic Policy Falls Victim to Political Feuds," which is further reflected within Iraq, obviously,

www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidGN_09062008_10219515/lok000000080609

Adding fuel to the above fire, NY Democratic Senator Schumer has apparently let the cat out of the bag, or, foot in mouth disease, by overtly linking America's Russia policy with a quid-pro-quo, or, a bargaining chip, regarding Iran,

www.jbanc.org/poles3.html

All of the many contradictions represented above are the consequences of the disastrous Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld COLLABORATION and collusion with Iran and its militias, one which Obama continues and is therefore set up to go down.
I assure everyone.
Watch the papier mache candidate become stale swiss cheese. Get a large supply of popcorn.
It will be both entertaining and amusing.
Another state about to go down the economic tube in this privatization process is Syria,

www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidGN_08062008_10219331/lok000000080608

Syria, of course, has nobody but itself to blame, collaborating with both the US and Iran in dismantling Iraq's ruling Baath Socialist Party, state and economy.
This is also why Syria will decouple from Iran.
The handwriting is on the wall.
Meanwhile, as I have also previously pointed out, Russia's Gazprom is NOT a wholly nationalized state industry, but, one "regulated" by the Russian state by virtue of the state's 50+1 share ownership.
Gazprom, thus, still a commercial entity, is driven by the need for profitability, export and external growth and Gazprom has just indicated its interest in developing a North American gas pipeline

www.kommersant.com/p901442/hydrocarbon_transit

My response to ALL the companies mentioned in the above article, including Gazprom.
Go fuck yourselves!!
The above is obviously a political power play by Gazprom, related to the logistics of the Schumer piece.
No private companies are necessary to develop such a pipeline, leaving aside the necessity of the project, itself.
And THAT is THE point, aside from whether or not the pipeline is necessary.
It must be a public utility.
Period.
Pure and simple.
The necessity for private, international development is an absolute joke. And, that is why it is necessary for everyone to support THE TURKISH OPPOSITION to save the Turkish state. Not only will they save their own state, but, help turn the tide for all the rest of us, as well.
(And, a reminder if one lives in the US.
See my blog, below, regarding June 19th events).

ALL OUT THURSDAY, JUNE 19th

In less than 2 weeks from now, a major, nationwide protest is being planned for universal, SINGLE PAYER health care, initiated by the Calif Nurses Association and their national, affiliated organizations. Everyone needs to spread the word and join with them. At the following website, link, you can find time and location of the event in your city/state and local contacts and fliers, www.healthcare-now.org/june19.html NO Democratic or Republican Party candidate supports universal SINGLE PAYER health care. Every one of them, from the national to the state level down continues to advance plans which either expand or protect the current, ubiquitous role of the private insurance companies. All these Democratic and Republican politicians are bought, owned and paid for with the help of the private, health care insurance industry. So spread the word. Download the fliers provided. Make it big, large and noisy.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS DEAD! AND HILLARY!

As I write this, Hillary Clinton will be giving her capitulation speech. This time, I am not bothering to listen. It will be much too naueseating to watch. I can't even stand to hear/listen/see either Obama or McCain, or, much of anyone else presented in our media.

Even before the Democratic Primaries came to their predetermined conclusion, the Republicans were already actively busy reaching out and inviting all frustrated, disgusted, disgruntled Clinton supporters and other Democrats and people into their fold with open arms.

Websites sprung into action, IMMEDIATELY, prepared well in advance, before the ink was even dry.

Democratic (and Fascist) Connecticut Senator Lieberman, whom people may recall bolted the Democratic Party after he lost a primary and ran as an Independent and WON as an Independent, is active in this recruitment effort. Lieberman is presently allied with McCain. All sorts of Republican sponsored websites and front groups have sprung into action.

If Lieberman could bolt the Democratic Party, run as an Independent and win, for sure, Hillary could have done the same and WON, overwhelmingly. She could have led a vast, "Left wing coalition" to counter the vast "right win conspiracy" that controls not only our government, but, our entire country.

And, THAT, precisely is what the propertied Establishment feared most, the threat of a broad, independent, uncontrollable coalition, not Obama's winning or losing or Party unity. If the Democratic Party had been interested in unity and winning, they would have rallied around Clinton in the first place.

It is claimed that Hillary bargained because she had a huge debt to pay down from her campaign, something like $20 million or so. Well, if she had 20 million or so supporters, they could all have chipped in a few dollars and her debt would have been repaid.
So much for that argument.

Reaching out to Hillary's disaffected voters is precisely what the other independent campaigns, parties, and movements, like Nader and the Greens, SHOULD BE DOING IMMEDIATELY. All encompassing. Join WITH THEM, together.

I am utterly amazed, heartened, gladdened, hopeful, shocked, surprised to hear so many people telephone into C-Span much, much further to the Left of either Nader or the Greens,
demanding NATIONALIZATION of all US natural resources and major industries.
This is an astounding development.

No matter what Hillary does, at this point, the genie can not be stuffed back into the bottle.

Her tenacity and primary battle, the stupidity and arrogance of the Obama mafia's tactics, the way it played itself out, the transparent, strong arm tactics of the Obama campaign, has had major ramifications and repercussions.
In that sense, we can all thank Hillary for hanging in as long as she did.

Unfortunately, she did not take the extra last step to catapult her into history. She will fade into the dustbin, along with Obama. But, not her campaign. Perhaps, after all, Hillary did not want to wind up like Benazir Bhutto.

Now, instead, military man McCain is destined to win, pushed over the top by the orchestrated cacophony of Iran's Ahmadimidget. Of course, after McCain wins, Ahmadimidget will go down, along with Iran's many militias scattered throughout Iraq and the Middle East.

Then, a "unity government" will be formed, already prepped for Iraq to include a fake Arab opposition or resistance that will be as much an opposition as the Democrats are here. For that story, the following link. But, first, a few caveats on the following link.
Al-Douri (name spelled different ways), leader of the Baath Party, has been consistently ressurrected from the dead, just like Bin Laden. I do NOT believe Al-Douri is alive. Oddly, the Iraq "resistance," article, is a source emanating from Egypt, while the Egyptian government recently extended a "state of emergency" in response to social upheaval, it hosted the notorious WEF, it is a key constituent in the region's reactionary privatization programs , and, lastly, I will note that the presumed spokesperson/people for the Baath Party no longer believes in a one party state.
I highlighted a few of the oddities in the following link. There are more. My point being, this is the "Arab" face with whom a "unity government" will form and they NEED an Arab face to butress the regional dilemma created by Persian/Iranian expansion into Iraq and elsewhere and the blowback it posed, http://www.uruknet.info/?p=44619
Then, the Arab governments that have so far abstained, like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, can officially recognize Iraq's puppet regime.

Furthermore, at present, BOTH Iran and Turkey are bombing the PKK to smithereens and the KRG has acquiesced to a power sharing arrangement over Kirkuk. www.iraqupdates.com/p_articles.php/refid/E2F-04-06-2008/article/31992

As I've said repeatedly on my blogs, Turkey has overturned the apple cart and the revised policies represented above are NECESSARY, best exemplified by Turkey's position in the following, www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=235392

Additionally, in the ongoing gas war with Russia's Gazprom, Iran is destined to be a part of Nabucco, that is, after Iran's regime change, www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=106237

In this scripted theatrepiece called the Ameican Presidential elections, Obama's role is the continued Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Iran policy and McCain represents its "hard line" discontinuity, altho it is presented as its opposite, of course. This is the reason McCain is SLATED to win and Obama's ersatz candidacy will go down. McCain's "hard line" is predetermined to win because US military occupation is a MUST in order to fight off further resistance, protect their greater, regonal privatized interests and project power outwards, as well, towards Russia and the Abkhazia-Georgia situation, Ukraine, and possibly Turkey, in addition, depending on further developments.

Without continued and further military projection and protection, the situation is too untenable and they can't garauntee what they've gained.

In contrast to the fake Arab opposition represented in the article above, compare to the following, one of the many reasons they need a continued and expansive military presence, http://www.arabwomanblues.blogspot.com/2008/06/from-1920-revolution-brigade.html
and, additionally, "Iraq's New Business Class Fears US Exit," www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidFTNEWSPLUS_CB20080605_167/lok000000080605

For the rest of us, Hillary's campaign has opened the door. Now, it's time to walk in, exploit and seize this opportunity and not let it slip into the outstretched arms of the Republicans.

AGITATE, ORGANIZE, MOBILIZE!!!

In previous blogs, I said a less than 1% chance exists that Hillary will either bolt the Democratic Party and/or lead an opposition movement within it. I said it's within the realm of the possible, but, obviously, a long shot. Well, this coming Saturday, it's EXPECTED Hillary will give a speech in Washington capitulating to the mob in the Democratic Party and urge her followers to support the Nazi Obama. She chose her career above history. OR, she was physically threatened. I mean that seriously. Of course, the real issue is the threat of an organized, independent power base, an uncontrollable popular movement, a resistance and opposition both within and possibly outside the Democratic Party, which Hillary's minions represented, not unity with Obama, since Obama is destined to lose, anyway. That's what had to be disbanded, liquidated, disempowered, dissolved. Party unity around Obama is merely the excuse. And, that's exactly what they/we SHALL NOT do. Just the opposite. Hillary's delegates will STILL be seated at the upcoming Democratic Convention in August AND it is incumbent upon her delegates, her supporters and anyone and everyone else NOT TO ACCEPT THIS DECISION, to PROTEST, DEMONSTRATE INSIDE, OUTSIDE, not only against the Obama mob tactics within the Democratic Party, but, their entire program as well. The location of the Democratic Convention in August in Denver, Colorado, is abit out of the way. It's not near any major urban center. But, this is what needs to be done and organized by everyone and anyone who can do so, the people who voted for her and those who are simply disgusted, as well. Another way to protest is for Hillary's delegates to BOYCOTT the convention. BOTH forms of protest are possible. They are not mutually exclusive. Just the opposite. Lastly, it's time to do the very thing the Democratic and Republican Parties do not want. Convert that opposition movement that percolated against Obama, coalesced around Hillary and those whom I hear telephoning into C-Span every single day, furious at all of the above and alot more, into a clear, united, independent movement with a class base IN ALL ITS FORMS against the global, counter revolutionary, reactionary process of the twin, Democratic-Republican Facist monopoly. One thing is sure. Privatization and more privatization equals Fascism and more Fascism. From Turkey's pseudo-Islamic, privatizing AKP to Iraq's installed American-Arab-Iranian-Kurdish privatizing dictatorship to the pseudo-Islamic Iranian privatizing regime to Russia's privatizing oligarchs to the privatizing Arab GCC to the already and further privatized US, Europe and everywhere and anywhere else. This is what must be stopped, opposed, resisted, reversed and transformed into its opposite by any and all means necessary.

MAJOR UPSET: HILLARY BEATS BACK THE OBAMA ATTACK

Like my previous blog, this past Saturday, a very rushed entry as a consequence of yesterday's dramatic turn of events in the Democratic primary.

You might be wondering, if you've been hearing the news from yesterday that Obama "won" the Democratic nomination, just what do I mean by the heading, above. Keep in mind, by the way, that Obama is the PRESUMPTIVE nominee. He is not the official nominee until the Convention in August, or, until Hillary concedes, whichever comes first.

First, a SHORT recapitulation for those NOT reading my blog for some time. Months ago, towards the very beginning of the Democratic Presidential campaign primaries, I said there are/were two Republican candidates, Obama and McCain. Obama's function was as a 'ringer, straw man," placed into the Democratic Party to knock out Hillary, divide and upset the Democratic Party, and, then, ultimately, to lose to McCain.

First part, mission accomplished.

HOWEVER, fast forward to the present. This past week, in particular, Saturday, and, then, yesterday, Tuesday, Obama was railroaded into the nomination, basically, by last minute superdelegates, thus, receiving the necessary number for the nomination.

Obama holds one ace in the 4 ace deck of cards.

But, Hillary did NOT concede, last night.

I advise everyone reading this, if they can, to listen to ALL of Hillary's speech last night from NYC. Not snippets, as is being broadcast on most of the TV and radio stations. (You can acess this through http://www.c-span.org/ , if not elsewhere.)

(By the way, alittle side note. I watched/heard Hillary's speech, last night on TV. After she was finished speaking, I thought the commentators on their respective corporate stations, the talking heads, would fall off their chairs. They were taken totally by surprise. Their mouths virtually dropped open. It was quite amusing watching them squirm and attempt to interpret off the cuff what left them completely unprepared and dumbfounded.)

Returning to the matter at hand. Hillary holds not two, not one, but 3 aces in her Democratic power deck of cards. It is totally, completely, absolutely, thoroughly impossible for the Democrats to win the Presidential race without Hillary's SUPPORTERS, approximately 18 million of them, keeping in mind both Michigan and Florida, as well. (Of course, Obama was not supposed to win, anyway. That was the point of the whole exercise.)

Anyway, everyone here is aware of this and all the "noise,talk, chatter, commentary" is about this subject. "What does Hillary want? How will she and her supporters be placated to support Obama?" Etc. All sorts of scenarios are being tossed about.

In Hillary's speech last night, NOT a concession speech, she said she would carefully consider what her next steps would be. She would think over it in the coming days and consult with others. AND, she INVITED people to contact her at her website. I suggest EVERYONE CONTACT HER AT HER WEBSITE. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/

Well, like Hillary, I, too, have to think about it alittle more and watch what unfolds over the coming days, weeks.

BUT, some immediate observations. I will reiterate and elaborate further what I've said in previous blogs.

The unintended consequences of the Obama mafia campaign, the sleaze and heavy handed tactics utilized, loaded caucuses, the Florida, Michigan disenfranchisement, hate and race based divisions, (someone else called it Balkanization) and more, created an UNINTENDED blowback, mobilizing, catalyzing, crystallizing into a somewhat genuine and popular MOVEMENT around the Hillary campaign. It was an organic outgrowth. A dialectical process, if you wish.

Without going into a whole lot of extraneous detail and analysis, the upshot of this is that the Hillary campaign is no longer about just Hillary, herself, but, represents a more potent, genuine, broad based, popular movement, force and a de facto SPLIT within the Democratic Party.

And, THAT is the important point.

Everybody here always talks about third parties and independent politics, how difficult it is to accomplish. Well, THIS IS the moment everyone has been waiting for! It is being handed to us all on a silver platter. Hillary happens to be its titular leader, at the moment. The one thing that should NOT happen is to let it be frittered away or coopted. Opportunity has been unintentionally created. A strategic opportunity which should, can and must be capitalized upon to broadened, deepen and grow the power of this movement. I have made comments about this in my previous blogs in May and June.

For the rest of the world, these developments are also very significant. The power relationships in the US are in flux right now. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Do not listen to the garbage emananting out of the fake Left or the commercial media. They will do their best to make sure the above is sabotaged, torpedoed.

PUERTO RICO LABOR CONFLICT, BETHLEHEM STEEL, AND MORE

One of our pseudo-Left mouthpieces, recently had a modestly decent report regarding labor struggles between the SEIU and Teachers Union in Puerto Rico, paralleling the Obama and Clinton campaigns. It should be noted SEIU is amongst the most corrupt, dictatorial, closed door, and mafia like unions in the US, and, it is not by coincidence that they are the largest labor supporter in Obama's, Chicago mafia campaign. The SEIU motto is similar to the amorphous Obama one, "Change to Win," sound and fury signifying nothing, unless, of course, one can interpret it to mean, change to me so I can win. Also, as pointed out in the following, SEIU is involved with further "internationalizing" unions! God help you all! One more point along these lines. After dissolving Iraq's previous, large, national, major, umbrella labor organization, which was attached to the WFTU, instead, Iraq's unions are fractionalized and NOW affiliated with the virulent, anti-Communist, ILO. The pattern is abundantly clear, and, extends everywhere, as well, to Europe, especially France's militant and Left led, CGT. So, now, the labor report from Puerto Rico regarding their recent Democratic primary rallies: www.democracynow.org/2008/6/3/juan_gonzalez_on_puerto_ricos_overlooked Since the above is one amongst the many fake Left programs, it is obligatory upon them to include some appropriate spin, misleading information or factual omission, somewhere, in the program in order to deflect the viewer from ever managing to reach clear conclusions and correct analysis. This is accomplished with subtlety, elsewhere. I won't bother elaborating further, since this is such a copious problem. Suffice it for me to make just one point. The next time you hear someone say Hillary's campaign is hypocritical by utilizing the concept that the "popular vote" matters, you might remind them that Obama's super delegates are emanating from states that voted OVERWHELMINGLY for Hillary, such as West Virginia, for one!! In other words, the one or two or three well placed political individuals from such states are contradicting the popular vote from the many hundreds of thousands!! So much for such arguments. They illuminate nothing and divert from the real issues. And the real issue is that Hillary and/or her backers, intentionally or unintentionally, are confronting, exposing, the Democratic mafia machine and the Republican, Nazi like, ersatz Obama campaign, that Hillary and/or her supporters should BREAK, bolt, leave, reject the corrupt Democratic-Republican Party corporate monopoly, join, REACH OUT to/with others to create a new, independent, third party, form a united front with clear alternatives and both a long and short term class program, platform, objectives and strategy. Plenty of people, allies, organizations exist looking for such a home. People such as Cynthia McKinney, herself, driven out of the Democratic Party by similiar tactics, the very principled, California Nurses Association, Ralph Nader, the panoply of organizations and individuals who DEMAND single payer universal health care, an end to overseas military expansion, corporate and government accountability,and, ultimately, preservation and expansion of the public ownership to include all industry and natural resources. In this ongoing, global battle against privatization and reactionary, counter revolution, different countries emerge historically from differing places, the US being amongst the most backwards. So, for example, in Pennsylvania, such a fully integrated industrial giant, from the source of its raw materials, coke production, to shipbuilding, Bethlehem Steel, was allowed to be dismantled and its remains sold to India-Great Britian's Mittal Steel. This is truly remarkable!! An industry of this sort SHOULD, MUST be nationalized, collectivized and made into a public utility. THIS is the definition of national security!! Otherwise, there is no national security, but, only national insecurity. For a snippet of background on Bethlehem Steel: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem_Steel This epic struggle, for which both the Iraq and Afghanistan war is being fought, continues everywhere, and, here's something on the privatization front from Egypt, whose last sentence is really quite amusing. I can only speculate if this is a literal transcript of what was said or something manufactured by the writer: www.thedailynewsegypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=14154

MORE MOPPING UP, CONGRUENCY, REGIME CHANGE

First, an addendum to a previous blog in which I highlighted the sale/privatization of Turkey's major, state, petrochemical firm, Petkim, the sale being arranged and financed, partially, by Akbank.
Akbank, in turn, co-owned by Turkey's Sabanci family and Citigroup, as well as an association with Iran's Parian.
Saudi Prince Talal, of course, being Citigroup's largest, single, private investor.
In addition, I forgot to mention another important factor related to the above.
Sabanci's major, US petrochemical partner is the multinational conglomerate of I.E.Dupont. Presumably, everyone on the globe should be familiar with the name Dupont, just like Rockefeller.
Rockefeller, Dupont. Sabanci.
One big, happy family.

Meanwhile, on the Nabucco, Dana Gas versus Gazprom war front,
"Future of Gas Discussed at Turkey's Istanbul Conference."
Following is why Kirkuk independence will NOT happen now and the PKK, who are presently being bombed, will be squelched and why Syria will, indeed, decouple from Iran, leaving Iran isolated, and ultimately Iran's present regime will either disappear and/or morph, shift policies, to be in alignment with all of the above/following:

www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid
=106015

In addition, Syria's Assad is visiting with the UAE this week and Assad has just indicated his support for the Doha agreement regarding Lebanon.
Further, France and Dana Gas are partners in Egypt:

www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=62521

And, of course, France and Lebanon, along with the US and Saudi Arabia, whose vast interests together need no further explain.

Following along similar lines, Iran's Rafsanjani to visit Saudi Arabia in line with an article from my previous blog, May 30, entitled Arab League Seeks Lebanon Style Solution for Iraq:

www.payvand.com/news/08/may/1301.html

A regional "deal," indeed, is in the making, as Layla has so accurately forecast, BUT, Iran's Islamic, proxy militias will NOT be part of it UNLESS they fold up their tents, acquiesce and melt into the rest of the vast political background or they will be annihilated.

And McCain will be the next US President, probably, by a wide margin, that is, a wide relative to the small percentage, roughly 40% or so, of eligible voters in the US who bother to vote anymore.
The Presidential winner actually represents approximately 20% or less of the eligible US voting population.

And, following is just alittle snippet of SOME of the many reasons why Obama is going to look like a piece of stale swiss cheese, SHORTLY, assuming they ramrod his name through the nomination process.
This JUST appeared not on any radical mouthpiece, but, CNN, regarding Obama and the corrupt Chicago political machine from which he emanates:

www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/29/obamas.first.campaign/index.html

Hillary, most likely, would have won, which is why Obama was needed, instead, an ersatz candidate, a straw man, in which RACE became THE central factor.
Unexpectedly, however, Hillary and her supporters will not obligingly fall on their swords, as expected, as they are supposed to do.
They just aren't going along with the game plan.
This entire primary situation was unexpected.
Hillary is in it for real, for power, for the Presidency.
She's on a personal "mission" and really believes she can "make a difference."
In addition, according to those whom I've heard narrating some of the sleaze tactics used at the loaded caucuses in caucus states, those folks ain't gonna vote for Obama.
No way. No how. Not to mention Florida and Michigan.

In contrast to the debased, debauched depravity represented above, I'll end on one brief historical and musical note.
Alittle context in which to compare and contrast the preceding and now.
A reasonably nice documentary recently aired on PBS about folklorist Peter Seeger's life and career.
(I'll link to it at the end).
It was not intended as a "balanced," scholarly, account, warts and flaws included, but, instead, more of an homage to Seeger's vast musical influence and life.
It is/was refreshing to see some footage and background of the historical context which influenced both Seeger and Paul Robeson, another equally forgotten EXTRAORDINARY musical and political name.

Re-experiencing the quantitative and qualitative difference between Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger's intellects, musicology, performances, the depth of their lives, experiences and background, and contrasting it/them to the noise and shallowness of what calls itself popular culture now, the commodified, commercial, loud, cookie cutter version, and the equally debased and debauched Fascist politics, truly illuminates the difference and tragedy between what was then and what is now.
This "transformation" is coming to the rest of the globe.
Is this what you want?
If not, better do something about it, NOW.

Here's a clip from youtube with MANY MORE available from the documentary:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQET2m1h6fk

And a short review:

www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_554040.html