News & Trends 25th July 2013

The New (Ab)normal: When 200 People Have More Wealth Than 3,500,000,000

The following brief video created by TheRules.org, using data sourced from this website, is the latest vivid demonstration of the most adverse (and dangerous) side effect of nearly five years, and counting, of global monetary intervention by central banks: a world in which the poor get poorer, the rich get richer, and the middle class disappears. The video's punchline "The richest 300 people on earth have as much wealth as the poorest 3 billion" is not exactly correct: in truth the situation is even worse: the richest 200 people have about $2.7 trillion, which is more than the poorest 3.5 billion people, who have only $2.2 trillion combined.

Of course, at that point details are irrelevant. The backup for the other facts used can be found here, although the conclusion hardly needs defending: the kind of wealth imbalance currently exhibited in the world is the stuff French revolutions are made off... and will be again, as soon as the final gate holding back generations of pent up anger and "financialization" (in which the middle class is robbed to make the "200" even wealthier) - the realization that the welfare state is broke and gone, just like tens of thousands of Detroit pensioner and retirees found out there hard way last week.
 
 Who Authorized Preparations for War with China?



Abstract—The Pentagon has concluded that the time has come to prepare for war with China, and in a manner well beyond crafting the sort of contingency plans that are expected for wide a range of possible confrontations. It is a momentous conclusion that will shape the United States’ defence systems, force posture, and overall strategy for dealing with the economically and militarily resurgent China. Thus far, however, the military’s assessment of and preparations for the threat posed by China have not received the high level of review from elected civilian officials that such developments require.

Seeds of Destruction: The Diabolical World of Genetic Manipulation.

“Control the oil, and you control nations. Control the food, and you control the people.”* -Henry Kissenger

“Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation” by F. William Engdahl is a skilfully researched book that focuses on how a small socio-political American elite seeks to establish control over the very basis of human survival: the provision of our daily bread.

This is no ordinary book about the perils of GMO.  Engdahl takes the reader inside the corridors of power, into the backrooms of the science labs, behind closed doors in the corporate boardrooms. The author cogently reveals a diabolical world of profit-driven political intrigue, government corruption and coercion, where genetic manipulation and the patenting of life forms are used to gain worldwide control over food production. If the book often reads as a crime story, that should come as no surprise. For that is what it is.

Engdahl’s carefully argued critique goes far beyond the familiar controversies surrounding the practice of genetic modification as a scientific technique. The book is an eye-opener, a must-read for all those committed to the causes of social justice and world peace.

 

News & Trends 23 July 2013

Worldwide Unemployment Crisis: There Are 93 Million Unemployed Workers In G20 Nations

By Michael Snyder, on July 19th, 2013

     

Did you know that the total number of unemployed workers in G20 counties is now up to 93 million and that it is increasing with each passing day?  You see, the truth is that the United States is not the only one dealing with a systemic unemployment crisis.  This is literally happening all over the planet.  So what is causing this crisis?  Is there any hope that it will be turned around?  Well, unfortunately there are several long-term trends that have been developing for decades that have played a major role in bringing us to this point.


Five Months Away From the Biggest Depopulation Event in US History             

At the time of this writing, the US sits upon the edge of the biggest depopulation event in US history. No, I am not talking about the roll out of martial law, mass incarceration into detention centre's under the NDAA, nor am I speaking about the commencement of WWIII. The biggest threat the largest amount of Americans comes in the form of a Trojan Horse. What should be helping Americans to thrive and prosper into old age, is already beginning to be used as a weapon of mass destruction against the American people.

Now it's a drought as we run out of water

More councils to cut supplies, impose hose bans after 16 days without rain

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At least 10 local authorities have been forced to cut off or restrict supplies of drinking water at night as supplies dwindle.
And many more are warning that restrictions are likely to be imposed as temperatures rise to 30C or beyond this weekend.
But the Government is unable to say how much water is stored in reservoirs and how much capacity remains in the system.

Our "As You Wish" Markets Have

 Reached the Cliffs of Insanity

 

 

 

 

“Who Could Trust Such A Company?” – The Big

Fat Lies About Radiation Exposure Of Workers

 At Fukushima

  

The nuclear fiasco playing out relentlessly in Japan since March 2011 has shaken the previously omniscient and omnipotent nuclear industry – and the government agencies that aided and abetted it. Yet they still obfuscate and minimize the consequences of the triple melt-down of the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi. Latest revelation: the number of workers at the plant who had cancer-inducing radiation doses in thyroid glands from inhaling radioactive substances during the early stages of the crisis was elven times higher than disclosed last December.
Not 178 workers, as TEPCO, the bailed out and now partially state-controlled owner of the nuke had said, but 1,973 workers, as the Asahi Shimbun has “learned.”

 

 

 

News and Trends 7/04/2013

Iran lines up behind North Korea, warns the US of “great losses”

DEBKAfile Special Report April 5, 2013, 7:30 PM (GMT+02:00)

Tags:  North Korea   Iran nuclear   Kim Jong-Un   John Kerry   Middle East peace 

Kim Jong-Un with his generals

Tehran’s intercession in the Korean crisis on the side of its ally in Pyongyang was predictable, even though the US preferrs to ignore the close interrelations between the two allies.
 And so, on Friday, April 5, Deputy Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Masoud Jazayeri stepped forward to point the finger at Washington:
 [“The presence of the Americans in [South] Korea has been the root cause of tensions in this sensitive region in the past and present. The US and its allies will suffer great losses if a war breaks out in this region,” he said, adding for good measure: “Independent countries will not submit to the US mischief. The time for Washington’s bullying and extortion is long past.”
debkafile’s Iranian sources: The second part of the statement was a perfect fit for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s flat refusal to accept US demands on Iran’s nuclear program. The Korean crisis gave the Iranians the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
As Kim Jong-Un moved two intermediate missiles to the east coast of North Korea, Gen. Jazayeri’s rhetoric landed on the latest round of talks the six powers were holding with Iran in Amaty, Kazhakstan for a diplomatic resolution of Iran’s nuclear challenge.
Washington hoped to spread some cheer over a diplomatic process that had long past proven futile by planting advance reports that Khamenei had ordered a slowdown of Iran’s nuclear program up to the June presidential election to avoid crossing a red line that would trigger a military response.

11th hour diplomatic mission underway to avoid war: US to deploy fleet of drones to region

Posted on April 6, 2013 by The Extinction Protocol

April 6, 2013 – NORTH KOREA - Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula, amid reports the US has deployed an unmanned spy plane to Japan to boost its surveillance after North Korea readied missile launchers on its east coast. The Global Hawk will be stationed at the US airbase in Misawa, northern Japan, in the first ever deployment of the aircraft in the country, the Sankei Shimbun reported, quoting government sources. The US military informed Japan last month about plans to deploy the plane between June and September but has brought the date forward. It comes after North Korea warned foreign diplomats they may not be safe in the country if war breaks out. Pyongyang asked foreign embassies whether they were considering evacuating staff, saying the government could not guarantee their safety in the event of conflict from April 10. The British Foreign Office dismissed the warning as “rhetoric.” However, an urgent international effort to defuse the situation is under way. The heads of EU missions are to meet to hammer out a common position on the crisis, while the US works its diplomatic channels to resolve the stand-off with Pyongyang. US Secretary of State John Kerry has been holding talks with officials in South Korea, as well as China – historically North Korea’s ally – to see if the Chinese can put any more pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to back down. Reporting from the South Korean capital Seoul, Sky’s Asia Correspondent Mark Stone, said: “In the skies above the Korean Peninsula there are spy planes operating. There will be drones – American drones – operating before long from a base in Japan. They are trying to get as much of a sense as possible of what it is that Kim Jong-Un is doing on the ground with his weaponry. We know he has some pretty sophisticated weaponry. There are artillery rounds just over the border. They could in theory hit Seoul. That’s a big concern for South Korea.” –Sky News

 

News and Trends 6/04/2013

April surprise looms? North Korea tells British diplomats to be out of the country by April 10

Posted on April 5, 2013 by The Extinction Protocol

April 5, 2013 – NORTH KOREA – Rogue state North Korea today sparked fears that it could trigger a nuclear strike as early as next Wednesday. Crackpot Kim Jong-un’s regime today issued a chilling threat to British diplomats warning them to get out of Pyongyang. Alarmingly, the North Korean government said it would not be able to guarantee the safety of embassies from April 10. Russian diplomats have also been advised to evacuate. Today the Foreign Office added that it is “considering next steps” after the threat. It is still unclear why next Wednesday has been set as a deadline – but it is sure to spark fears despot Kim Jong-un will launch an attack after that date.

U.S. 'Won't be Surprised' if North Korea Launches a Missile

White House press secretary says the American administration would not be surprised if North Korea launches a missile.

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By Elad Benari, Canada

First Publish: 4/6/2013, 1:12 AM

Soldiers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in military training

AFP photo

White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Friday that the American administration would not be surprised if North Korea followed through on its recent threats to launch a missile.
"We've obviously seen the reports that North Korea may be making preparations to launch a missile. We're monitoring this situation closely, and we would not be surprised to see them take such an action," Carney was quoted by Politico as having said during a press briefing.

 

6.2 magnitude earthquake shakes Russia’s far east, close to China and North Korea

Posted on April 5, 2013 by The Extinction Protocol

April 5, 2013 – NORTH KOREA – An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude was registered in the border area between Russia, China and North Korea, the US Geological Survey said Friday. The epicenter of the quake was 9km from the Russian village of Zarubino, about 60km northeast of the North Korean city of Aodzhiri and approximately 608 km from the capital Pyongyang. No casualties or damage have been reported. The earthquake struck at a depth of 561.9 km. –RT

 

Geologists mystified by significance of new swarm of tremors rattling Iceland

Posted on April 5, 2013 by The Extinction Protocol

April 5, 2013 – ICELAND - Approximately 70 earthquakes were picked up by the automatic sensors of the Icelandic Met Office in the Grímsey Island seismic belt in North Iceland from midnight yesterday and until the morning. The activity started with a 5.5 quake on April 2. Some of last night’s quakes were of a magnitude higher than three but none measured above four points, ruv.is reports. Yesterday, around 70 earthquakes were registered from noon and until the evening, five of which were above three in magnitude. The quakes could be felt on Grímsey but not on the mainland. Seismologists are paying close attention to the epicenter of the earthquakes at Skjálfandadjúp. So far, there are no indications that the activity is spreading to other fracture zones and the condition was stable yesterday. A level of uncertainty was declared in North Iceland following the 5.5 earthquake and the region’s residents were asked to inform themselves on how to react in case of a major earthquake. –Iceland Review

ALERT: All Of The Money In Your Bank Account Could Disappear In A Single Moment

What would you do if you logged in to your bank account someday and it showed that you had a zero balance and your bank had no record that you ever had any money in your account?  What would you do if all of the money in your bank account suddenly disappeared in a single moment?  If you had not kept any paper records, which most Americans do not, it would be exceedingly difficult to prove to the bank that you actually had any money in the bank.  If you don't think that something like this could ever happen in the United States, you might want to think again.  Cyber attacks against major banks in the United States are becoming more powerful and more sophisticated with each passing month.  In fact, major U.S. bank websites have been offline for a total of 249 hours over the past six weeks.  And just last month, thousands upon thousands of Chase customers logged into their bank accounts only to discover that their balances had all been reset to zero.
 

Abbas Wants Netanyahu to Present a Map of 'Palestine'

New precondition: PA Chairman demands that Netanyahu present a map for a future Palestinian state before peace talks can resume.

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By Elad Benari, Canada

First Publish: 4/5/2013, 10:16 PM

Mahmoud Abbas

Flash 90

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has demanded that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu present a map for a future Palestinian state before any peace talks can resume, an aide told AFP on Friday.
Abbas "wants to know, through a map to be presented by Benjamin Netanyahu to (U.S. Secretary of State John) Kerry, what the prime minister's view of a two-state solution would be, especially the borders," political adviser Nimr Hammad told AFP.
The remarks came just days ahead of a visit by Kerry, who will hold fortnightly meetings with Israeli and PA leaders as he tries to revive the stalled peace process.
"Any return to negotiations requires Netanyahu to agree on 1967 borders," Hammad said, repeating one of Abbas’s usual preconditions for talks with Israel.

 

Op-Ed: The Geopolitics of Israel's Offshore Gas Reserves

Published: Thursday, April 04, 2013 11:09 PM

The amount of gas discovered off Israel's shores covers Israel's needs for over fifty years, meaning Israel will become an exporter of gas.

Dr. David Wurmser

The writer is founder and executive member of the Delphi Global Analysis Group, LLC in Washington. He has served as a consultant to Noble Energy. Earlier, he served as senior advisor on Proliferation and the Middle East to former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, as senior advisor to John R. Bolton at the State Department, and as a research fellow on the Middle East at the American Enterprise Institute.

► More from this writer

• The flow of natural gas from Israel's Tamar reservoir in the Mediterranean to the Ashdod reception facility was inaugurated on March 30, 2013, ushering in a new era in Israel's energy sector. Israel will not only become independent in being able to supply its own energy needs, but it is likely to become an energy exporter as its maritime gas fields are further developed.

• On January 17, 2009, Israel's economy and even its strategic stature changed when a team led by the Texan firm Noble Energy discovered gas in the Tamar field in the eastern Mediterranean, which is estimated to contain 9.7 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas. The Tamar well-heads which contain methane gas are rated at a high level of purity, with an energy value of production per well-head over four-fold higher than Saudi oil well-heads. Two years later, the same team drilling a few dozen kilometers further west discovered a monstrous gas field, appropriately called Leviathan, which is now estimated to contain 18 TCF and could begin supplying gas in 2016.

Syrian president warns of fallout if regime falls

Friday, 5 April 2013

 

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warns the fall of his regime will unleash a wave of instability that will shake the Middle East. (AFP)

Al Arabiya with the Associated Press -

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has warned that the fall of his regime or the breakup of Syria will unleash a wave of instability that will shake the Middle East for years to come.
Assad told the Turkish TV station Ulusal Kanal that “we are surrounded by countries that help terrorists and allow them to enter Syria.”
He accused Turkey of knowingly supporting rebels but said it is not clear whether Jordan is intentionally backing his opponents.
Assad's interview was aired Friday evening, three days after it was shot in Syria.
He warned that if his government falls or if Syria is divided, it “will have a domino effect” across the region and create “a period of instability for long years and maybe decades.”

 

 

Prophetic News and Trends 23/03/2013

Temple Groups Practice Passover Sacrifice

Jewish groups prepare for the Third Temple with a sample sacrifice for Passover.

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By Maayana Miskin

First Publish: 3/22/2013, 11:34 AM

Jewish groups held a mock Passover sacrifice on Thursday opposite the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The ritual slaughter was not merely a historic reenactment, but, they say, practice in advance of the reconstruction of the Temple.



The practice sacrifice has been held annually for the past several years. This year organizers were unpleasantly surprised by a veto from Israel’s Veterinary Services, which refused to authorize the event.
Organizers took the matter to court, and were able to quickly get a ruling permitting the ritual.

'Iran believes chance of attack on it is low'

By YAAKOV LAPPIN              

03/14/2013 13:02              

 

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Military intel head Kochavi tells Herzliya Conference Iran and Hezbollah are setting up militia in Syria made up of 50,000 fighters.

           

Head of IDF Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi Photo: IDF

Iran is facing growing economic and domestic pressure due to international sanctions, but Tehran believes that the chances of a military strike on its nuclear program is low, IDF Military Intelligence chief Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi told the Herzliya Conference on Thursday.

 

Saber rattling intensifies: North Korea warns war is coming

Posted on March 22, 2013 

                   

Military defections: Twelve armed North Korean soldiers apparently defected across the border to China’s Jilin Province earlier this month but were captured by Chinese troops and sent back to the North. Late last month, two North Korean soldiers shot and killed their senior officer and fled to Jilin Province, prompting experts to suspect something unusual is going on in army units stationed along the border with China. The 12 North Korean soldiers stationed with a border unit defected across the Chinese border in two groups but were sent back after being captured by Chinese troops, a diplomatic source in Beijing said Thursday. Another source in the Chinese town of Yanji near the border with North Korea, said the other two North Korean soldiers shot and killed their senior officer and crossed over the border into Changbai, Jilin Province, causing Chinese troops nearby to scramble into emergency mode. The spate of defections may be related to food shortages. International aid to the North has dropped sharply since it launched a rocket in April last year, affecting the food situation for soldiers as well as ordinary people. litary defections:

 

24 dead as tornado, hailstorms lash south China

Posted on March 22, 2013 by The Extinction Protocol

March 22, 2013 – CHINA - At least 24 people died and scores were injured after a tornado carrying huge hailstones lashed southern China, causing widespread devastation and a ferry to capsize, domestic media reported Thursday. The ferry overturned in a river in the south-eastern province of Fujian, causing the deaths of 11 people with four missing, web portal qq.com reported. Nine people were killed in Dongguan, in Guangdong province in the south, according to the report. It showed images from the city of a car windscreen which appeared to have been smashed by egg-sized hailstones. Many of the dead in Dongguan were trapped in collapsed buildings.

Mass Panic In Cyprus: The Banks Are Collapsing And ATMs Are Running Out Of Money

 

European officials are openly admitting that the two largest banks in Cyprus are "insolvent", and it is now being reported that Cyprus Popular Bank only has "enough liquidity to cover the next few hours".  Of course all banks in Cyprus are officially closed until Tuesday at the earliest, but there have been long lines at ATMs all over Cyprus as people scramble to get whatever money they can out of the banks

 

 

 

 

 

Prophetic News and Trends

Response to Rockets: Gaza Fishing Zone Halved

Senior defense source: Israel will not allow Hamas to "drizzle" rockets again.

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By Gil Ronen

First Publish: 3/21/2013, 10:47 PM

Moshe Yaalon

Reuters

Israel has responded to the firing of four rockets at Sderot Thursday by cutting the permitted fishing zone for Gaza fishermen in half, from six miles to three miles offshore. This brings the fishing zone back to its size before Operation Pillar of Defense.
"We will not allow Hamas to go back to the previous situation of a 'rocket drizzle,' and the entire defense establishment is in agreement on this matter," a senior defense force in southern command told Arutz Sheva.

Abbas Welcomes Obama's Jerusalem Speech

PA chairman welcomes President Obama’s speech in Jerusalem, as Hamas condemns Obama for “adopting Israel’s position”.

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By Elad Benari

First Publish: 3/22/2013, 2:16 AM

Abbas and Obama in Ramallah

Reuters

Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas welcomed President Barack Obama’s speech in Jerusalem on Thursday, while Hamas condemned Obama for “adopting Israel’s position”.
"President Abbas welcomed President Obama's speech in Jerusalem saying that achieving peace and the option of two states on the 1967 borders are the way to bring security for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples," the PA’s peace negotiator Saeb Erekat told AFP.

Khamenei: Iran Will 'Annihilate' Tel Aviv, Haifa

Iran will "annihilate" Tel Aviv and Haifa if it comes under attack by the Jewish state, warned supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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By Rachel Hirshfeld

First Publish: 3/21/2013, 6:04 PM

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

AFP file

Iran will "annihilate" the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa if it comes under attack by the Jewish state, "supreme leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Thursday.

"Every now and then the leaders of the Zionist regime threaten Iran with a military attack," Khamenei said in a live televised speech from the northeastern city of Mashhad, referring to Israel.

"They should know that if they commit such a blunder, the Islamic republic will annihilate Tel Aviv and Haifa," he said, according to the AFP news agency.

Egypt: Judges Recommend Dissolution of Muslim Brotherhood

Egyptian judges recommend the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood, say it has no legal status.

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By Elad Benari

First Publish: 3/21/2013, 6:15 AM

Protest against Muslim Brotherhood policies

Reuters

A panel of Egyptian judges has recommended the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, from which President Mohammed Morsi hails, saying it has no legal status.
According to a report on the website of the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, the State Commissioners Board (SCB) recommended on Wednesday that the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) reject a longstanding appeal by the Muslim Brotherhood to revoke the 1954 decision made by former President Gamal Abdel Nasser's Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), declaring the group illegal and ordering its dismantling.

   Why Is The World Economy Doomed? The Global Financial Pyramid Scheme By The Numbers

By Michael, on March 20th, 2013

 

  

Why is the global economy in so much trouble?  How can so many people be so absolutely certain that the world financial system is going to crash?  Well, the truth is that when you take a look at the cold, hard numbers it is not difficult to see why the global financial pyramid scheme is destined to fail.  In the United States today, there is approximately 56 trillion dollars of total debt in our financial system, but there is only about 9 trillion dollars in our bank accounts.  So you could take every single penny out of the banks, multiply it by six, and you still would not have enough money to pay off all of our debts.  Overall, there is about 190 trillion dollars of total debt on the planet.  But global GDP is only about 70 trillion dollars.  And the total notional value of all derivatives around the globe is somewhere between 600 trillion and 1500 trillion dollars.  So we have a gigantic problem on our hands.  The global financial system is a very shaky house of cards that has been constructed on a foundation of debt, leverage and incredibly risky derivatives.  We are living in the greatest financial bubble in world history, and it isn't going to take much to topple the entire thing.  And when it falls, it is going to be the largest financial disaster in the history of the planet.