Comments on: “Bernanke Rides to the Rescue” http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/ a radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and social justice Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:28:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Don Hawkins http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13597 Don Hawkins Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:01:12 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13597 The streets are empty. Trash rustles down the road past rusted barbecues, abandoned furniture, sagging homes and gardens turned to weed. This is Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland and a town ravaged by the subprime mortgage crisis roiling the United States. Faded "for sale" signs sit in front of deserted houses. The residents are gone, either in search of new jobs after the factories shut down, or in shame after being evicted for missing their mortgage payments. A red, white and blue American flag flies over windows and doors which have been boarded up to keep the drug dealers away. Thieves have stripped many homes of the plumbing, the doors, the windows, the aluminum siding. The police station parking lot is full. The officers, who have seen their numbers triple since 2006, are coming back from their rounds. They speak of installing alarms in some of the homes claimed by squatters. At 9422 Chagrin Street, a hand-scrawled sign attached to a window indicates someone lives there: "Please Used." After three rings of the bell, Sarah Evans, 60, opens the door with a mixture of curiosity and alarm. She says she is one of the last people left on the street. And she is on the verge of losing this two-bedroom house in which she has lived for more than 30 years because she simply cannot afford her monthly payments. It is a complicated story. She refinanced in 2003, but did not realize the document she signed included provisions to radically increase the interest rate. She stopped making payments in 2006 and shows her unpaid bills totaling 24,000 dollars. Her bank is in the midst of eviction procedures. "When folks buy a home they expect to die in it, I guess," she said as she stood outside in the cold. "I had my American Dream but it became a nightmare." Her words are echoed by the angry barks of the guard dogs pacing behind a chain link fence two houses away that was installed by the new owner: a bank. The massive parking lot of the Eagle Fresh supermarket is empty. Behind her till, Myra Bibldwit lifts her head when a bell signals the entrance of a customer. "Not many folks come anymore. We're used to it," said the 24-year-old cashier, one of the few in the neighborhood who managed to hold onto her job. In the five hours since she started working today she has served just 10 customers. "Maybe you will buy something," she says with a smile. Then comes customer number 12. Laura Johnston, 50, says that her street -- about 10 minutes away by car -- was alive two years ago. Today, half the houses are abandoned. "Folks could not afford their payments. They were asked to pay loans which doubled. They could not afford it, some lost their job. Lenders were greedy. They threw them out of their homes," she told AFP. "I'm very upset. I missed my friend Helen. She disappeared overnight. She did not even say goodbye." There are plenty of cases like Helen. They are called the neighbors who disappear in the night. For county treasurer Jim Rokakis, the greed of the banks is to blame for this man-made disaster. "All you needed was a pulse to buy a house. Some loans were written with no money down, no proof of buyer's incomes. They did not even check what people were saying. Most of those folks were jobless," he said in an interview. "Shaker Heights was the perfect storm: poor folks, unemployed and a desire to get a piece of the American Dream." afp Other empires, including the Roman Empire, have gone this route. “This foolishness is actually a calculated attempt to bait, bribe and placate the American public,” comments the depth psychologist Craig Chalquist, Ph.D. “The people who came up with it know full well it isn’t going to fix anything. It’s just one more example of the ongoing campaign of psychological abuse directed at the public to keep us from waking up.” May the force be with you. The streets are empty. Trash rustles down the road past rusted barbecues, abandoned furniture, sagging homes and gardens turned to weed.
This is Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland and a town ravaged by the subprime mortgage crisis roiling the United States.
Faded “for sale” signs sit in front of deserted houses. The residents are gone, either in search of new jobs after the factories shut down, or in shame after being evicted for missing their mortgage payments.
A red, white and blue American flag flies over windows and doors which have been boarded up to keep the drug dealers away.
Thieves have stripped many homes of the plumbing, the doors, the windows, the aluminum siding.
The police station parking lot is full. The officers, who have seen their numbers triple since 2006, are coming back from their rounds. They speak of installing alarms in some of the homes claimed by squatters.
At 9422 Chagrin Street, a hand-scrawled sign attached to a window indicates someone lives there: “Please Used.”
After three rings of the bell, Sarah Evans, 60, opens the door with a mixture of curiosity and alarm.
She says she is one of the last people left on the street. And she is on the verge of losing this two-bedroom house in which she has lived for more than 30 years because she simply cannot afford her monthly payments.
It is a complicated story. She refinanced in 2003, but did not realize the document she signed included provisions to radically increase the interest rate.
She stopped making payments in 2006 and shows her unpaid bills totaling 24,000 dollars.
Her bank is in the midst of eviction procedures.
“When folks buy a home they expect to die in it, I guess,” she said as she stood outside in the cold. “I had my American Dream but it became a nightmare.”
Her words are echoed by the angry barks of the guard dogs pacing behind a chain link fence two houses away that was installed by the new owner: a bank.
The massive parking lot of the Eagle Fresh supermarket is empty.
Behind her till, Myra Bibldwit lifts her head when a bell signals the entrance of a customer.
“Not many folks come anymore. We’re used to it,” said the 24-year-old cashier, one of the few in the neighborhood who managed to hold onto her job.
In the five hours since she started working today she has served just 10 customers. “Maybe you will buy something,” she says with a smile.
Then comes customer number 12.
Laura Johnston, 50, says that her street — about 10 minutes away by car — was alive two years ago. Today, half the houses are abandoned.
“Folks could not afford their payments. They were asked to pay loans which doubled. They could not afford it, some lost their job. Lenders were greedy. They threw them out of their homes,” she told AFP.
“I’m very upset. I missed my friend Helen. She disappeared overnight. She did not even say goodbye.”
There are plenty of cases like Helen. They are called the neighbors who disappear in the night.
For county treasurer Jim Rokakis, the greed of the banks is to blame for this man-made disaster.
“All you needed was a pulse to buy a house. Some loans were written with no money down, no proof of buyer’s incomes. They did not even check what people were saying. Most of those folks were jobless,” he said in an interview.
“Shaker Heights was the perfect storm: poor folks, unemployed and a desire to get a piece of the American Dream.” afp

Other empires, including the Roman Empire, have gone this
route.
“This foolishness is actually a calculated attempt to bait, bribe and
placate the American public,” comments the depth psychologist Craig
Chalquist, Ph.D. “The people who came up with it know full well it
isn’t going to fix anything. It’s just one more example of the ongoing
campaign of psychological abuse directed at the public to keep us from
waking up.”
May the force be with you.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13596 Don Hawkins Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:05:15 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13596 Did you notice how I turned that around by 180 degrees. Al Gore is only one person and James Hansen that makes two. Now we only need 1.3 billion in China, 1.1 billion in India, 300 million in the United States that put out one hell of a lot of CO 2. Can this be done sure the truth helps. Here is the truth we don't keep selling cars and trucks to China that only get 29 MPG. We are talking a crash program more like a crush program. Total focus on a system that turns people into batteries. We are moving into a new age one way or the other. A simpler life in some ways is the answer. Can you imagine if a candidate for President said this? They might want to wait until they get into office. Is that what they are doing? I don't know. There maybe one or two who have a few plans. It looks like only three years and one hot summer is on the way. The ice up North probably ice free in 5 years and West Antarctica well I am glad I don't live on the coast. Now is the time people we need to relearn everything we thought we knew well almost. Can this be done, sure and may the force be with you. Come on just one candidate go on national television and say this and then the last thing they say to the people may the force be with you. Now is that crazy or what? No what they now say to the American people is nuts. Pure unadulterated nonsense and I wonder some times if they really do believe there own stuff? We can only have courage that they are smarter than they look or what they say. Sorry this has gone well beyond good taste. Oh just to get better gas mileage is only one small part of slowing down the problem. Many of the answers are out there we just need to use them. May the force be with you. Did you notice how I turned that around by 180 degrees. Al Gore is only one person and James Hansen that makes two. Now we only need 1.3 billion in China, 1.1 billion in India, 300 million in the United States that put out one hell of a lot of CO 2. Can this be done sure the truth helps. Here is the truth we don’t keep selling cars and trucks to China that only get 29 MPG. We are talking a crash program more like a crush program. Total focus on a system that turns people into batteries. We are moving into a new age one way or the other. A simpler life in some ways is the answer. Can you imagine if a candidate for President said this? They might want to wait until they get into office. Is that what they are doing? I don’t know. There maybe one or two who have a few plans. It looks like only three years and one hot summer is on the way. The ice up North probably ice free in 5 years and West Antarctica well I am glad I don’t live on the coast. Now is the time people we need to relearn everything we thought we knew well almost. Can this be done, sure and may the force be with you. Come on just one candidate go on national television and say this and then the last thing they say to the people may the force be with you. Now is that crazy or what? No what they now say to the American people is nuts. Pure unadulterated nonsense and I wonder some times if they really do believe there own stuff? We can only have courage that they are smarter than they look or what they say. Sorry this has gone well beyond good taste. Oh just to get better gas mileage is only one small part of slowing down the problem. Many of the answers are out there we just need to use them. May the force be with you.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13594 Don Hawkins Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:23:14 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13594 It is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work… when you go to church… when you pay your taxes. It's called the truth and with reason and a little luck we can make this happen. Can that happen? Why not many people are trying there best now and as we all know we only have to ramp up what is already being done to slow climate change by only 98%. What an adventure and slow things down at the same time. It takes the pressure off and I think most people you know people who don't need to be multimillionaires to be Ok will help. Dam it courage we can do this after this summer when the numbers start coming in courage it's not to late. We can do this we the people. Dam I wish Al Gore would run. He knows the why and how. It is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work… when you go to church… when you pay your taxes. It’s called the truth and with reason and a little luck we can make this happen. Can that happen? Why not many people are trying there best now and as we all know we only have to ramp up what is already being done to slow climate change by only 98%. What an adventure and slow things down at the same time. It takes the pressure off and I think most people you know people who don’t need to be multimillionaires to be Ok will help. Dam it courage we can do this after this summer when the numbers start coming in courage it’s not to late. We can do this we the people. Dam I wish Al Gore would run. He knows the why and how.

]]> By: anthony innes http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13585 anthony innes Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:02:24 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13585 mulgabrain is not mumbling nonsense.The infantile response of the people of this planet to to the ecocide inherent in the process "civilisation" ( from the greek to make city) is carefully cultivated by authoritarian psycho cripples (see John Dean). Various Tipping Points have been reached where the violent response to reality checks that this denial of really obvious human stupidity and unsustainable practice have us at a precipice .A cascade of major historical change must unfold. Survivors will need education in which conventional schooling will have played little part,robust physical constitutions,lotsa luck and as hitler said " i have seen the man of the future and i am afraid".This from a total raver. The information we need to correct and adjust our behaviour has never been so abundant.Those afflicted with religion,wishfull thinking,pride arrogance and a penchant for violence are earmarked for a sorry end.As usual they will annihilate untold innocent poor creatures struggling to exist. One of the salient features of the Limits of Creaturehood is a faiure of most successfull organisms to recognise the optimum population size. Human beings have been such a success and as Phillip Wylie said unfortunately a schizoid relationship with the environment.As such it has fallen to the time honoured mechanisms of evolutionary adaptation to sort us out.We do have a sentient self awareness among all people worldwide that has been vilified ,bullied into silence ,just plain ignored when not actually punished and Mumble and his cohorts are hot on the tracks of a solution. This is not a moment to assemble emotional crowds but to quietly duck and weave and care for those you love.Group think is a contagious state of mania to be avoided. Life and Existence are not simple. Reductionist mythology is just that. The homeostasis of our internal setup must be reflected in our general relationship with the external world . We all die; try not to die for nothing.Sensual gratification is just one component of a full life.The quest for meaning is not a futile act but a measure of our personal success in achieving a peacefull and dignified life and death. Thanks to all contributors to my understanding and a special dip of the lid Mumble "on ya mate" antin04@hotmail.com mulgabrain is not mumbling nonsense.The infantile response of the people of this planet to to the ecocide inherent in the process “civilisation” ( from the greek to make city) is carefully cultivated by authoritarian psycho cripples (see John Dean).
Various Tipping Points have been reached where the violent response to reality checks that this denial of really obvious human stupidity and unsustainable practice have us at a precipice .A cascade of major historical change must unfold.
Survivors will need education in which conventional schooling will have played little part,robust physical constitutions,lotsa luck and as hitler said ” i have seen the man of the future and i am afraid”.This from a total raver.
The information we need to correct and adjust our behaviour has never been so abundant.Those afflicted with religion,wishfull thinking,pride arrogance and a penchant for violence are earmarked for a sorry end.As usual they will annihilate untold innocent poor creatures struggling to exist.
One of the salient features of the Limits of Creaturehood is a faiure of most successfull organisms to recognise the optimum population size.
Human beings have been such a success and as Phillip Wylie said unfortunately a schizoid relationship with the environment.As such it has fallen to the time honoured mechanisms of evolutionary adaptation to sort us out.We do have a sentient self awareness among all people worldwide that has been vilified ,bullied into silence ,just plain ignored when not actually punished and Mumble and his cohorts are hot on the tracks of a solution.
This is not a moment to assemble emotional crowds but to quietly duck and weave and care for those you love.Group think is a contagious state of mania to be avoided.
Life and Existence are not simple.
Reductionist mythology is just that.
The homeostasis of our internal setup must be reflected in our general relationship with the external world .
We all die; try not to die for nothing.Sensual gratification is just one component of a full life.The quest for meaning is not a futile act but a measure of our personal success in achieving a peacefull and dignified life and death.
Thanks to all contributors to my understanding and a special dip of the lid Mumble “on ya mate”
antin04@hotmail.com

]]> By: Mulga Mumblebrain http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13582 Mulga Mumblebrain Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:48:01 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13582 We need to face the fact that barring a miracle in the order of Divine or extra-terrestrial intervention, we have sealed our fates. The voices raised against capitalist destruction have been sounding the alarm for centuries, rising to a crescendo over the last twenty years. They have been armed for decades with science, allegedly the final arbiter in our 'rational' society. All to absolutely no effect. Just for the record, or for some solace, as with the terminal patient finally understanding how he came to his predicament, or, infinitessimal hope, to discern some last minute escape route, we must seriously attempt to understand the forces at work. How is it that it has become a secular religion to place unending economic growth above every other value, even at the risk of human existence? I know its simple enough to imagine it is just the inevitable result of a system that ruthlessly selects the greediest, the most callous and the most unscrupulous, and which punishes apostasy pitilessly, but these people mostly have children! How do they live with the knowledge, that must have percolated through even the most obdurate cranium, that their actions are sentencing their children to suffering, if not premature death. And why, when money-making is possible from beneficial activities, do the capitalists almost invariably choose the destructive path? Why when exploiting rain-forest for food, medicines, tourism, water purification, let alone for less tangible but real benisons like climate stability, are all eminently possible, and almost certain to be more lucrative, do they choose destruction for short-term cattle ranching? Why do we insist on driving cars, when it kills our grandchildren? I've read various attempts over the years to put this all down to evolutionary processes, beneficial on the savannah, that are proving destructive in late capitalism, but I'm convinced something more malignant is at work. I'm convinced a significant stratum of humanity is driven by hatred of everything-hatred of themselves, hatred of others, hatred of existence. Existence is an heavy burden, what with all those years of contemplating your own inevitable death, bearing the death of loved ones, illness, presentiments of futility. I imagine these existential distresses can also explain the preponderance of conversions from Left to Right in the ideological spectrum, as individuals age. The Right has always seemed to me innately mad, bad and dangerous to know , since my school days, when our religious indoctrinators were always the most ignorant, but most unflinching in their prejudices, the least amiable and most prone to outbursts of anger directed at non-conformity. At least it cured me of any religious tendencies. I was put in mind of it yet again the other day. The media here is now uniformly Rightwing, like our political parties. Media commentary is utterly predictable, with climate change denial, praise of the US and Israel, or, very occasionally, a bit of friendly advice that perhaps the Holy States had fallen a little from their lofty moral perches, a few thousand too many civilians obliterated in the 'injun country' of the Middle East, perhaps, and ideological fury for the Free Market to the fore. One of my favourite opinionators is Miranda Devine, a creature, in my opinion, devoid of any discernible talent bar Rightwing blathering, but the recipient of great praise from her adoring Rightwing audience, and the splenetic outrage of Leftist losers such as my pathetic self. The other day the Devine Miranda was pontificating on child-care. The case was of a screaming two year old, left unattended as it wailed by its clearly helpless mother, who sat transfixed, frozen, as the baby screeched. So what did Miranda recommend? Pick up the child and comfort it? Pick up the child, comfort it, comfort the mother, and perhaps enquire as to whether the child had been fed, or one of those other baby placating verities we all know, even the least child friendly amongst us (a growing category)?No, of course not! Miranda, friend of Howard, supporter of Iraq, 'the war on terror' and every other trademark Rightwing position, prefers beating, or to use her splendid euphemism, a 'smack'. Naturally smacking is no longer possible (this is a favourite Rightwing rant) because of the subversion of society and all that is good and noble by 'chardonnay quaffing, latte-sipping, 'nanny state 'do-gooders'', ie the Left. The Devine Miranda may be a slightly hysterical example of the tendency, she may dress up her predictable Rightwing diatribes in colourful language to maximise their appeal in a crowded market for Rightwing agit-prop, but the invariable message is undisguised. All topics are judged according to the position, not so much of the Right itself, but in opposition to anything the Left proposes. The idea of social progress is anathema. Even scientific progress is now suspect, unless it comes up with the answers required. Faith-based science trumps any research that questions the system. So Climate Change Denialism grinds on, and will grind on, even if the waters lap the doors of the Institute for Free Enterprise, Truth, Justice and the American Way. Unless we manage to understand the psychopathology of the Right, we'll never stop their unceasing destructiveness. Then the question arises, how do we disempower them, and keep them from resuming their frantic destructiveness? Frankly, and considering the Right's invariable recourse to violence and lack of inhibition in mass murder, I think our escape from the horror of a deliberately destroyed world to some truly sustainable and humane future, is unlikely in the extreme. I certainly hope I'm wrong. We need to face the fact that barring a miracle in the order of Divine or extra-terrestrial intervention, we have sealed our fates. The voices raised against capitalist destruction have been sounding the alarm for centuries, rising to a crescendo over the last twenty years. They have been armed for decades with science, allegedly the final arbiter in our ‘rational’ society. All to absolutely no effect. Just for the record, or for some solace, as with the terminal patient finally understanding how he came to his predicament, or, infinitessimal hope, to discern some last minute escape route, we must seriously attempt to understand the forces at work. How is it that it has become a secular religion to place unending economic growth above every other value, even at the risk of human existence? I know its simple enough to imagine it is just the inevitable result of a system that ruthlessly selects the greediest, the most callous and the most unscrupulous, and which punishes apostasy pitilessly, but these people mostly have children! How do they live with the knowledge, that must have percolated through even the most obdurate cranium, that their actions are sentencing their children to suffering, if not premature death. And why, when money-making is possible from beneficial activities, do the capitalists almost invariably choose the destructive path? Why when exploiting rain-forest for food, medicines, tourism, water purification, let alone for less tangible but real benisons like climate stability, are all eminently possible, and almost certain to be more lucrative, do they choose destruction for short-term cattle ranching? Why do we insist on driving cars, when it kills our grandchildren? I’ve read various attempts over the years to put this all down to evolutionary processes, beneficial on the savannah, that are proving destructive in late capitalism, but I’m convinced something more malignant is at work. I’m convinced a significant stratum of humanity is driven by hatred of everything-hatred of themselves, hatred of others, hatred of existence. Existence is an heavy burden, what with all those years of contemplating your own inevitable death, bearing the death of loved ones, illness, presentiments of futility. I imagine these existential distresses can also explain the preponderance of conversions from Left to Right in the ideological spectrum, as individuals age. The Right has always seemed to me innately mad, bad and dangerous to know , since my school days, when our religious indoctrinators were always the most ignorant, but most unflinching in their prejudices, the least amiable and most prone to outbursts of anger directed at non-conformity. At least it cured me of any religious tendencies. I was put in mind of it yet again the other day. The media here is now uniformly Rightwing, like our political parties. Media commentary is utterly predictable, with climate change denial, praise of the US and Israel, or, very occasionally, a bit of friendly advice that perhaps the Holy States had fallen a little from their lofty moral perches, a few thousand too many civilians obliterated in the ‘injun country’ of the Middle East, perhaps, and ideological fury for the Free Market to the fore. One of my favourite opinionators is Miranda Devine, a creature, in my opinion, devoid of any discernible talent bar Rightwing blathering, but the recipient of great praise from her adoring Rightwing audience, and the splenetic outrage of Leftist losers such as my pathetic self. The other day the Devine Miranda was pontificating on child-care. The case was of a screaming two year old, left unattended as it wailed by its clearly helpless mother, who sat transfixed, frozen, as the baby screeched. So what did Miranda recommend? Pick up the child and comfort it? Pick up the child, comfort it, comfort the mother, and perhaps enquire as to whether the child had been fed, or one of those other baby placating verities we all know, even the least child friendly amongst us (a growing category)?No, of course not! Miranda, friend of Howard, supporter of Iraq, ‘the war on terror’ and every other trademark Rightwing position, prefers beating, or to use her splendid euphemism, a ’smack’. Naturally smacking is no longer possible (this is a favourite Rightwing rant) because of the subversion of society and all that is good and noble by ‘chardonnay quaffing, latte-sipping, ‘nanny state ‘do-gooders”, ie the Left.
The Devine Miranda may be a slightly hysterical example of the tendency, she may dress up her predictable Rightwing diatribes in colourful language to maximise their appeal in a crowded market for Rightwing agit-prop, but the invariable message is undisguised. All topics are judged according to the position, not so much of the Right itself, but in opposition to anything the Left proposes. The idea of social progress is anathema. Even scientific progress is now suspect, unless it comes up with the answers required. Faith-based science trumps any research that questions the system. So Climate Change Denialism grinds on, and will grind on, even if the waters lap the doors of the Institute for Free Enterprise, Truth, Justice and the American Way. Unless we manage to understand the psychopathology of the Right, we’ll never stop their unceasing destructiveness. Then the question arises, how do we disempower them, and keep them from resuming their frantic destructiveness? Frankly, and considering the Right’s invariable recourse to violence and lack of inhibition in mass murder, I think our escape from the horror of a deliberately destroyed world to some truly sustainable and humane future, is unlikely in the extreme. I certainly hope I’m wrong.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13581 Don Hawkins Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:27:59 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13581 It is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. That of course was from the movie the Matrix. What is going on in today's World is not a movie, it is the real thing. This administration has tried it's best to keep a system going that is not only broken but very bad for the mind. It looks to me like most people are giving up on the future. To many problems big problems and it will be just to tuff to solve them. Wrong, that feeling you have about the World is bullshit. There are two forces at work. One force that wants to keep things the same the other force who see we need to change and change in a very big way. What you hear from policy makers or a great example is the candidates running for President the talk keeps us all in the middle ground the twilight zone. One man just put a comment on DV and he said," Well, enjoy your accelerating slide to disaster on skids greased with utter moral bankruptcy, and don’t forget to rearrange those deck-chairs before hitting rock bottom". Thank you, you are right. China 1.3 million people it's not going to work out well. They are running out of coal to keep those powers plants going that we all know because of the amount of Greenhouse gas the United States produces and India this Planet is in big trouble. I take that back the planet will be just fine it's the humans and other forms of life that are in big trouble. Today in South Africa they closed gold mines because they are running out of coal to produce energy. Rearrange those deck-chairs before hitting rock bottom not me thank you I am fighting back, courage. Yes courage as hope is what the people who don't want change want you to feel. To have courage to fight back and say dam it I see a future for my kids and there kids and we know the truth so if you don't mind cut the bullshit it's time to start solving some problems. We know it won't be easy but I think we can handle it. You see we live in the real World not the make believe World you would like us all to think we are in. It's not to late to slow the worst of the changes but we need to start now and changing out a few light bulbs to solve the problem. No, much much harder than that. Old geezers living on high ground may not be concerned about ice sheet stability and future sea level rise, or the out-of-control mess that we threaten to leave for coming generations but many of us do. Now I am sixty but don't conceder myself an old geezer more like unplugged. The Guardian UK Friday 25 January 2008 Space imaging gives the lie to Brazil's recent "great achievement" of halting rainforest destruction. Rio de Janeiro - In a world of climate change and general environmental degradation, it was one ecological disaster that had apparently been averted. After decades of steady obliteration, the tide appeared to have turned against the illegal deforestation that has disfigured the world's largest tropical rainforest. Brazil's president, Lula da Silva, went on the radio in August to trumpet the breakthrough. His environment minister, Marina Silva, hailed "a great achievement for Brazilian society". Yesterday, however, the good news came to a halt when ministers admitted that after three years on the wane deforestation had once again risen sharply. Government satellite images show that at least 1,280 sq miles (3,235 sq kilometers) of rainforest were lost between August and December last year, mainly because of soy planting and cattle ranching. Environment ministry officials believe the true figure could be as high as 2,700 sq miles (7,000 sq kilometers). "Never before have we detected such a high deforestation rate at this time of year," said Gilberto Câmara, the head of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), which is responsible for monitoring the Amazon region. "We had never seen this before in Amazonia." The system is broken we need to slow down go backwards until we can slow this down. Now to those old geezers and some young want-to-be old geezers go backwards slow things down are you crazy? No, sure not but that backwards thing or slow it down if we don't have courage and go after climate change going backwards doesn't begin to explain it. Now the rainforest destruction is going on Worldwide and it helps to sustain life on this Planet in a big way. So why are we destroying these forests? To move forward. We are beyond the point of stupidly. Let's put it in away that these old geezers high on the hill can understand. We are beyond the point of good taste. It is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work… when you go to church… when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. That of course was from the movie the Matrix. What is going on in today’s World is not a movie, it is the real thing. This administration has tried it’s best to keep a system going that is not only broken but very bad for the mind. It looks to me like most people are giving up on the future. To many problems big problems and it will be just to tuff to solve them. Wrong, that feeling you have about the World is bullshit. There are two forces at work. One force that wants to keep things the same the other force who see we need to change and change in a very big way. What you hear from policy makers or a great example is the candidates running for President the talk keeps us all in the middle ground the twilight zone. One man just put a comment on DV and he said,” Well, enjoy your accelerating slide to disaster on skids greased with utter moral bankruptcy, and don’t forget to rearrange those deck-chairs before hitting rock bottom”. Thank you, you are right. China 1.3 million people it’s not going to work out well. They are running out of coal to keep those powers plants going that we all know because of the amount of Greenhouse gas the United States produces and India this Planet is in big trouble. I take that back the planet will be just fine it’s the humans and other forms of life that are in big trouble. Today in South Africa they closed gold mines because they are running out of coal to produce energy. Rearrange those deck-chairs before hitting rock bottom not me thank you I am fighting back, courage. Yes courage as hope is what the people who don’t want change want you to feel. To have courage to fight back and say dam it I see a future for my kids and there kids and we know the truth so if you don’t mind cut the bullshit it’s time to start solving some problems. We know it won’t be easy but I think we can handle it. You see we live in the real World not the make believe World you would like us all to think we are in. It’s not to late to slow the worst of the changes but we need to start now and changing out a few light bulbs to solve the problem. No, much much harder than that. Old geezers living on high ground may not be concerned about ice sheet stability and future sea level rise, or the out-of-control mess that we threaten to leave for coming generations but many of us do. Now I am sixty but don’t conceder myself an old geezer more like unplugged.
The Guardian UK
Friday 25 January 2008
Space imaging gives the lie to Brazil’s recent “great achievement” of halting rainforest destruction.
Rio de Janeiro - In a world of climate change and general environmental degradation, it was one ecological disaster that had apparently been averted.
After decades of steady obliteration, the tide appeared to have turned against the illegal deforestation that has disfigured the world’s largest tropical rainforest. Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva, went on the radio in August to trumpet the breakthrough. His environment minister, Marina Silva, hailed “a great achievement for Brazilian society”.
Yesterday, however, the good news came to a halt when ministers admitted that after three years on the wane deforestation had once again risen sharply.
Government satellite images show that at least 1,280 sq miles (3,235 sq kilometers) of rainforest were lost between August and December last year, mainly because of soy planting and cattle ranching. Environment ministry officials believe the true figure could be as high as 2,700 sq miles (7,000 sq kilometers).
“Never before have we detected such a high deforestation rate at this time of year,” said Gilberto Câmara, the head of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), which is responsible for monitoring the Amazon region. “We had never seen this before in Amazonia.”

The system is broken we need to slow down go backwards until we can slow this down. Now to those old geezers and some young want-to-be old geezers go backwards slow things down are you crazy? No, sure not but that backwards thing or slow it down if we don’t have courage and go after climate change going backwards doesn’t begin to explain it. Now the rainforest destruction is going on Worldwide and it helps to sustain life on this Planet in a big way. So why are we destroying these forests? To move forward. We are beyond the point of stupidly. Let’s put it in away that these old geezers high on the hill can understand. We are beyond the point of good taste.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13578 Don Hawkins Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:18:54 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13578 t r u t h o u t | Report Thursday 24 January 2008 Under sworn testimony at a Senate hearing today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen L. Johnson repeatedly said he stood by his decision to deny California a waiver under the Clean Air Act. Yet, he refused to offer specific technical information that led to his decision or answer questions surrounding the timing of his decision and speculation about White House pressure to deny the waiver. If granted, the waiver would have allowed California and other states to enforce more stringent auto emission standards and curb greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, in a shorter time frame than under current federal law. Meanwhile, a letter signed by EPA union officers, representing thousands of EPA employees, was being sent to Administrator Johnson expressing concern that "a large part of the American public believes the White House motivated your recent decision," and the decision to deny California's waiver overruled a reportedly unanimous recommendation of the agency's legal and technical staff. "We call on you to explain why you chose the option you did and, of utmost importance, we ask that you explain why you rejected the options recommended by your technical and legal staffs." t r u t h o u t | Report

Thursday 24 January 2008

Under sworn testimony at a Senate hearing today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen L. Johnson repeatedly said he stood by his decision to deny California a waiver under the Clean Air Act. Yet, he refused to offer specific technical information that led to his decision or answer questions surrounding the timing of his decision and speculation about White House pressure to deny the waiver.

If granted, the waiver would have allowed California and other states to enforce more stringent auto emission standards and curb greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, in a shorter time frame than under current federal law.

Meanwhile, a letter signed by EPA union officers, representing thousands of EPA employees, was being sent to Administrator Johnson expressing concern that “a large part of the American public believes the White House motivated your recent decision,” and the decision to deny California’s waiver overruled a reportedly unanimous recommendation of the agency’s legal and technical staff. “We call on you to explain why you chose the option you did and, of utmost importance, we ask that you explain why you rejected the options recommended by your technical and legal staffs.”

]]> By: maddpaece http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13560 maddpaece Sat, 26 Jan 2008 02:46:57 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13560 I like the article for emphasizing simplistic living . Unfortunately, I feel that the sapien drive to self-destruction may short circuit any positive and creative attempt to evolve. Well maybe this is a silly way of saying I'm scared to death of the possibilities. We are at risk. Dying is a real possibility when things turn shitty. This is an existential perspective encountering all the abstract talk of economic treachery. But I think the treachery involves a whole bunch of people and not just a few paranoid insanely clever people who run everything. It is "systemic" for lack of a better word. It is easy to vilify the rich or the Ivy Leaguers or the Fed or Bush or who ever. That said, God knows that fingers can be pointed more or less directly at certain individuals. But to say that we are somehow without responsibility is a falsehood. We all have contributed to the development of the comtemporary economic regime. Do we buy gasoline? Do we turn on electric lights or for that matter any electrically driven device? Do we consume products from any location outside of our homelands? It is easy to redirect blame, but maybe we are all guilty in some huge or some little ways. The real struggle will be to appropriate power from the powerful and not be corrupted in the process. This is shameless idealism, but maybe we can do it? I like the article for emphasizing simplistic living . Unfortunately, I feel that the sapien drive to self-destruction may short circuit any positive and creative attempt to evolve. Well maybe this is a silly way of saying I’m scared to death of the possibilities. We are at risk. Dying is a real possibility when things turn shitty. This is an existential perspective encountering all the abstract talk of economic treachery. But I think the treachery involves a whole bunch of people and not just a few paranoid insanely clever people who run everything. It is “systemic” for lack of a better word. It is easy to vilify the rich or the Ivy Leaguers or the Fed or Bush or who ever. That said, God knows that fingers can be pointed more or less directly at certain individuals. But to say that we are somehow without responsibility is a falsehood. We all have contributed to the development of the comtemporary economic regime. Do we buy gasoline? Do we turn on electric lights or for that matter any electrically driven device? Do we consume products from any location outside of our homelands? It is easy to redirect blame, but maybe we are all guilty in some huge or some little ways. The real struggle will be to appropriate power from the powerful and not be corrupted in the process. This is shameless idealism, but maybe we can do it?

]]> By: Bl4ckP0pe http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13527 Bl4ckP0pe Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:43:26 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13527 <b><i>"The worse is yet to come"</i></b> ... classic parody, this yelping of another functionally illiterate N.American silverback Baboon of the 'inter-leck-shoe-all' caste perfectly defines the advanced state of decay in the Homeland of Public Experimental Sociopathy a.k.a. United States of Lusers, anno 2008. With just a little more ego-stroking, this one will make an excellent CampGuard! Well, enjoy your accelerating slide to disaster on skids greased with utter moral bankruptcy, and don't forget to rearrange those deck-chairs before hitting rock bottom. The rest of the world will certainly lean back, light up a cigarette and savour the spectacle of USL's long-overdue implosion. “The worse is yet to come” … classic parody, this yelping of another functionally illiterate N.American silverback Baboon of the ‘inter-leck-shoe-all’ caste perfectly defines the advanced state of decay in the Homeland of Public Experimental Sociopathy a.k.a. United States of Lusers, anno 2008.

With just a little more ego-stroking, this one will make an excellent CampGuard!

Well, enjoy your accelerating slide to disaster on skids greased with utter moral bankruptcy, and don’t forget to rearrange those deck-chairs before hitting rock bottom. The rest of the world will certainly lean back, light up a cigarette and savour the spectacle of USL’s long-overdue implosion.

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13517 Don Hawkins Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:35:31 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13517 Reuters Thursday 24 January 2008 Davos, Switzerland - Climate campaigner Al Gore urged world policymakers on Thursday to change laws "not just light bulbs" in tackling global warming, and a UN official said world market turmoil must not be allowed to delay action. An annual meeting of world political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, this year has scheduled a record number of sessions and workshops on global warming. But a sharp downturn on markets and fears of recession have dominated discussion. "If we get distracted by the aberrations that you see in the financial market right now it would clearly be very unfortunate," said Rajendra Pachauri, head of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Gore, in a swipe at U.S. President George W. Bush's environmental record, said the election of a new president in November could only bring an improvement. "In addition to changing the light bulbs, it is far more important to change the laws and to change the treaty obligations that nations have," Gore told delegates, in apparent reference to what he sees as the Bush administration's reluctance to initiate legislation on environmental control. "Whoever is elected is going to have a different position and a better position. But let's be clear: whoever the leaders are, this issue is going to be dealt with responsibly and effectively only when there is a sufficient degree of urgency on the part of the people themselves." You don't have to read between the lines much to see what is going on. Reuters

Thursday 24 January 2008

Davos, Switzerland - Climate campaigner Al Gore urged world policymakers on Thursday to change laws “not just light bulbs” in tackling global warming, and a UN official said world market turmoil must not be allowed to delay action.

An annual meeting of world political and business leaders in Davos, Switzerland, this year has scheduled a record number of sessions and workshops on global warming. But a sharp downturn on markets and fears of recession have dominated discussion.

“If we get distracted by the aberrations that you see in the financial market right now it would clearly be very unfortunate,” said Rajendra Pachauri, head of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Gore, in a swipe at U.S. President George W. Bush’s environmental record, said the election of a new president in November could only bring an improvement.

“In addition to changing the light bulbs, it is far more important to change the laws and to change the treaty obligations that nations have,” Gore told delegates, in apparent reference to what he sees as the Bush administration’s reluctance to initiate legislation on environmental control.

“Whoever is elected is going to have a different position and a better position. But let’s be clear: whoever the leaders are, this issue is going to be dealt with responsibly and effectively only when there is a sufficient degree of urgency on the part of the people themselves.”

You don’t have to read between the lines much to see what is going on.

]]> By: J.S. Lucas http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13513 J.S. Lucas Thu, 24 Jan 2008 21:58:35 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13513 Perhaps this is simplistic, but all this talk of sequestration of CO2 I have heard nothing about the effect of sequestration of the oxygen involved.Is this effect serious or am I missing something? Perhaps this is simplistic, but all this talk of sequestration of CO2 I have heard nothing about the effect of sequestration of the oxygen involved.Is this effect serious or am I missing something?

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13507 Don Hawkins Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:06:06 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13507 Things In The News Globalisation allowed the US to suck up the savings of the rest of the world and consume more than it produced. The US current account deficit reached 6.2 per cent of gross national product in 2006. The financial markets encouraged consumers to borrow by introducing ever more sophisticated instruments and more generous terms. The authorities aided and abetted the process by intervening whenever the global financial system was at risk. Since 1980, regulations have been progressively relaxed until they have practically disappeared. The danger is that the resulting political tensions, including US protectionism, may disrupt the global economy and plunge the world into recession or worse. The writer is chairman of Soros Fund Management Recent laboratory tests performed for The New York Times found so much mercury in tuna sushi that a regular diet of even two or three pieces a week at some restaurants could be a health hazard for the average adult, based on guidelines set out by the Environmental Protection Agency. IHT But who is prepared to fight the necessary class war? Not the government, or not yet at any rate. Not the Charity Commission. Unless the Labour party starts to show some mettle, we will be stuck with a system which cripples state education, preserves the class structure and permits a few thousand frightening, retentive people to rule over us. And this will continue to be deemed a public benefit. George Monbiot Potential consequences of passing these tipping points include (1) loss of warm season sea ice in the Arctic and thus increased stress on many polar species, possibly leading to extinctions, (2) increasing rates of disintegration of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and thus more rapidly rising sea levels in coming decades, (3) expansion of sub-tropical climates adversely affecting water availability and human livability in regions such as the American West, the Mediterranean, and large areas in Africa and Australia, (4) reduction of alpine snowpack and water run-off that provides fresh water supplies for hundreds of millions of people in many regions around the world, and (5) increased intensity of the extremes of the hydrologic cycle, including more intense droughts and forest fires, on the one hand, but also heavier rains and greater floods, as well as stronger storms driven by latent heat, including tropical storms, tornados and thunderstorms. The nearness of these climate tipping points is no cause for despair. On the contrary, the actions that are needed to avert the tipping point problems are not only feasible, they have side benefits that point to a brighter future for life on the planet, with cleaner air and cleaner water. It will be necessary to roll back the airborne amounts of several air pollutants, but that is plausible, given appropriate attention. Already all pollutants except CO2 are falling at or below the lowest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) scenarios, and there is much potential for further reductions. James Hansen Things In The News

Globalisation allowed the US to suck up the savings of the rest of the world and consume more than it produced. The US current account deficit reached 6.2 per cent of gross national product in 2006. The financial markets encouraged consumers to borrow by introducing ever more sophisticated instruments and more generous terms. The authorities aided and abetted the process by intervening whenever the global financial system was at risk. Since 1980, regulations have been progressively relaxed until they have practically disappeared.
The danger is that the resulting political tensions, including US protectionism, may disrupt the global economy and plunge the world into recession or worse.

The writer is chairman of Soros Fund Management

Recent laboratory tests performed for The New York Times found so much mercury in tuna sushi that a regular diet of even two or three pieces a week at some restaurants could be a health hazard for the average adult, based on guidelines set out by the Environmental Protection Agency. IHT

But who is prepared to fight the necessary class war? Not the government, or not yet at any rate. Not the Charity Commission. Unless the Labour party starts to show some mettle, we will be stuck with a system which cripples state education, preserves the class structure and permits a few thousand frightening, retentive people to rule over us. And this will continue to be deemed a public benefit. George Monbiot

Potential consequences of passing these tipping points include (1) loss of warm season sea ice in
the Arctic and thus increased stress on many polar species, possibly leading to extinctions, (2)
increasing rates of disintegration of the West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and thus more
rapidly rising sea levels in coming decades, (3) expansion of sub-tropical climates adversely
affecting water availability and human livability in regions such as the American West, the
Mediterranean, and large areas in Africa and Australia, (4) reduction of alpine snowpack and
water run-off that provides fresh water supplies for hundreds of millions of people in many
regions around the world, and (5) increased intensity of the extremes of the hydrologic cycle,
including more intense droughts and forest fires, on the one hand, but also heavier rains and
greater floods, as well as stronger storms driven by latent heat, including tropical storms, tornados
and thunderstorms.
The nearness of these climate tipping points is no cause for despair. On the contrary, the actions
that are needed to avert the tipping point problems are not only feasible, they have side benefits
that point to a brighter future for life on the planet, with cleaner air and cleaner water. It will be
necessary to roll back the airborne amounts of several air pollutants, but that is plausible, given
appropriate attention. Already all pollutants except CO2 are falling at or below the lowest IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) scenarios, and there is much potential for further
reductions. James Hansen

]]> By: Don Hawkins http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13504 Don Hawkins Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:52:17 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13504 http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/20080122_DearChancellor.pdf Don't read this unless you can handle the truth. Old geezers living on high ground may not be concerned about ice sheet stability and future sea level rise, or the out-of-control mess that we threaten to leave for coming generations. James Hansen http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/20080122_DearChancellor.pdf
Don’t read this unless you can handle the truth.
Old geezers living on high ground may not be concerned about ice sheet stability and future sea
level rise, or the out-of-control mess that we threaten to leave for coming generations. James Hansen

]]> By: rgaylor@pvtnetworks.net http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13503 rgaylor@pvtnetworks.net Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:47:39 +0000 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/01/%e2%80%9cbernanke-rides-to-the-rescue/#comment-13503 OK. So what? We have never been a democracy ... oligarchy perhaps ... and currently a classic example of a kakistocracy ... so what are the so-called people except a class to be exploited? The current melt down has been predicted. Those who predicted such a thing had no way to pin a precise date and were relegated to the fringes by that class of idiots we currently call 'the media' --- though lackies for power might be a better description. As an educator I have felt that one of the reasons we do little or nothing to 'fix' education in this country is simply because it is easier to manage ignorant rather than well informed people. Sadly those people find themselves perpetually being led around by the nose and we may actually elect an honorable person but the system either rejects them or co opts them. I have been accused of 'communist tendencies' over the years, but I have very few really left wing beliefs. I have come to believe that 'communist' in the past a 'terrorist' in the present are terms we banter about in order to prevent expression of thought. Care to respond? If so, we can do it here, or go back and forth via email. My address is rgaylor@pvtnetworks.net , so feel welcome to be whatever you consider honest. OK.
So what?
We have never been a democracy … oligarchy perhaps … and currently a classic example of a kakistocracy … so what are the so-called people except a class to be exploited? The current melt down has been predicted. Those who predicted such a thing had no way to pin a precise date and were relegated to the fringes by that class of idiots we currently call ‘the media’ — though lackies for power might be a better description.
As an educator I have felt that one of the reasons we do little or nothing to ‘fix’ education in this country is simply because it is easier to manage ignorant rather than well informed people. Sadly those people find themselves perpetually being led around by the nose and we may actually elect an honorable person but the system either rejects them or co opts them.
I have been accused of ‘communist tendencies’ over the years, but I have very few really left wing beliefs. I have come to believe that ‘communist’ in the past a ‘terrorist’ in the present are terms we banter about in order to prevent expression of thought.
Care to respond? If so, we can do it here, or go back and forth via email. My address is rgaylor@pvtnetworks.net , so feel welcome to be whatever you consider honest.

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