Politics

Greek Supreme Court Rules ‘Bank Deposit Confiscation’ Against The Constitution

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Greece-01

– Greek Supreme Court Rules “Bank Deposit Confiscation” Against The Constitution (ZeroHedge, March 27, 2014):

While we are sure the governments and their IMF handlers will find a way around such annoyances as the rule of law, the Greek Supreme Court just ruled that the seizure of bank deposits due to debts to the state without previous notice was against the Constitution. We humbly suggest the Ukrainian courts be rapidly brought to a decision on the same ruling, before IMF hands start dipping into pockets.

As Keep Talking Greece explains,

Greece’s Supreme Court ruled that the seizure of bank deposits due to debts to the state without previous notice was against the Constitution. The judges had taken up a debtor’s complaint filed in 2006. The debtor had seen his pension being grabbed from his bank account due to debts to the tax office.

Read moreGreek Supreme Court Rules ‘Bank Deposit Confiscation’ Against The Constitution

Presenting The Latest US Strategy To Counter ‘Russian Aggression’

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Related info:

– U.S. State Department Confirms Authenticity Of Intercepted Ukraine ‘FUCK THE EU’ Phone Call, Accuses Russia Of Dirty Tricks

– Presenting The Latest US Strategy To Counter “Russian Aggression” (ZeroHedge, March 27, 2014):

#Selfies!

Presenting The Latest US Strategy To Counter Russian Aggression

Seems a little cruel and unusual – that’s certainly crossing a red line or two…

State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki’s message to the world is not #trending

 

Russia To Create Own National Payment System In ‘Bid To Reduce Dependence On The West’

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Related info:

– Visa, Mastercard Block US-Sanctioned Russian Banks

Vladimir-Putin1

– Russia To Create Own National Payment System In “Bid To Reduce Dependence On The West” (ZeroHedge, March 27, 2014):

The more the West attempts to “isolate” Russia and pushes it away from its “core values” and of course the US Dollar, the more Russia will seek the safety of a non-dollar based system. We have previously described how Putin has been scrambling to enmesh Russia in tight bilateral commodity-based trade with both China and India, and now it is Russia’s turn to announce it would seek its own “national payment settlement system” following last week’s surprising and unmandated service halts by both Visa and MasterCard, which as Vladimir Putin said earlier today, will be a “bid to reduce economic dependence on the West.”

Read moreRussia To Create Own National Payment System In ‘Bid To Reduce Dependence On The West’

Gun-Banning California Senator Busted By FBI For Weapons Trafficking

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– Gun-Banning CA Senator Busted For Weapons Trafficking (ZeroHedge, March 27, 2014):

Filed under ‘most ironic story of the day’, California Senator Leland Yee, who authored gun control legislation, has been busted by the FBI for conspiracy to deal firearms without a license and to illegally import firearms. As AP reports, Yee is also accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions and cash payments to provide introductions, help a client get a contract and influence legislation. House of Cards much?

Read moreGun-Banning California Senator Busted By FBI For Weapons Trafficking

Ukraine Parliament Rejects IMF’s Bailout Terms (As US Passes Ukraine Aid Bill)

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– Ukraine Parliament Rejects IMF’s Bailout Terms (As US Passes Ukraine Aid Bill) (ZeroHedge, March 27, 2014):

The US Senate is more than happy to hand over a few billion and confirm sanctions:

  • *SENATE PASSES UKRAINIAN AID BILL WITH RUSSIAN SANCTIONS
  • *HOUSE PASSES VERSION OF UKRAINIAN AID, RUSSIAN SANCTIONS BILL

But, it seems the IMF’s requirements for Ukraine’s bailout are too much for the locals to bear:

  • UKRAINE PARLIAMENT FAILS TO SUPPORT FIRST BID TO PASS ANTI-CRISIS LAW REQUIRED FOR IMF DEAL

Lawmakers will continue to work on the bill as it seems they approve the top-line budget but not the taxes required to get there… beggars can be choosers again maybe?

US says “yes” to US Aid; Via NY Times,

The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to approve a billion-dollar aid package for Ukraine, two days after Senate Democrats relented to Republican demands that they drop a provision backed by the White House that would have authorized an overhaul of the International Monetary Fund.

Read moreUkraine Parliament Rejects IMF’s Bailout Terms (As US Passes Ukraine Aid Bill)

And Now The Real Economic Pain Begins As IMF Unleashes $27 BILLION Bailout In ‘Near Bankrupt’ Ukraine

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Here comes the financial MAFIA …

– And Now The Real Economic Pain Begins As IMF Unleashes $27BN Bailout In “Near Bankrupt” Ukraine (ZeroHedge, March 27, 2014):

Gazprom must really be demanding payment on overdue Ukraine invoices which is the only way we can explain the unprecedented speed with which the IMF has managed to cobble together a makeshift bailout package of up to $27 billion – the bulk of which will naturally go to Russia – which has just made Ukraine its latest vassal state.

Read moreAnd Now The Real Economic Pain Begins As IMF Unleashes $27 BILLION Bailout In ‘Near Bankrupt’ Ukraine

Here Is The YouTube ‘Start A False Flag War With Syria’ Leaked Recording That Erdogan Wanted Banned

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Related info:

– And Now Turkey Blocks YouTube

– Here Is The YouTube “Start A False Flag War With Syria” Leaked Recording That Erdogan Wanted Banned (ZeroHedge, March 27, 2014):

As we noted here, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan had blocked Twitter access to his nation ahead of what was rumored to be a “spectacular” leak before this weekend’s elections. Then this morning, amid a mad scramble, he reportedly (despite the nation’s court ruling the bans illegal) blocked YouTube access. However, by the magic of the interwebs, we have the ‘leaked’ clip and it is clear why he wanted it blocked/banned. As the rough translation explains, it purports to be a conversation between key Turkish military and political leaders discussing what appears to be a false flag attack to launch war with Syria.

Among the most damning sections:

Read moreHere Is The YouTube ‘Start A False Flag War With Syria’ Leaked Recording That Erdogan Wanted Banned

And Now Turkey Blocks YouTube

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Update:

– Here Is The YouTube ‘Start A False Flag War With Syria’ Leaked Recording That Erdogan Wanted Banned

– First Twitter, Now Turkey Blocks YouTube (ZeroHedge, March 27, 2014):

A week ago, we wrote that “Turkey Set To Block YouTube Momentarily, After Google Refuses To Yank Clips Exposing Prime Minister.” As of minutes ago this too prediction appears to have come true based on reports from inside the country that Google’s popular video service is now also blocked.

youtube blocked

Courtesy of @ozziewashere

 

 

And this second confirmation:

Read moreAnd Now Turkey Blocks YouTube

German Industry Goes To See Uncle Putin

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Putin-Gold

– German Industry Goes To See Uncle Putin (Testosterone Pit, March 27, 2014):

President Barak Obama went to Belgium – a trip planned long ago but repurposed since the Crimean debacle – to meet with European leaders, commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, draw iffy parallels between then and now, and announce that more sanctions against Russia were being concocted and would soon be forthcoming, even if Russia made no additional moves on the Ukraine. The EU and the US must not sit on their hands as Russia pursues “the old way of doing things,” he said. “That message would be heard not just in Europe but in Asia and the Americas, in Africa and the Middle East.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin might have had a field day listening to the speech. But he was busy. He was at his official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow, meeting with German industry tycoons, including Joe Kaeser, CEO of multinational engineering conglomerate Siemens. It wasn’t an emergency response to the current sanctions spiral but had been planned during their last meeting in October.

Read moreGerman Industry Goes To See Uncle Putin

Obama Says ‘Bigger Nations Cannot Simply Bully Smaller Ones’. Wait … What?

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– Obama says ‘bigger nations cannot simply bully smaller ones’. Wait… what? (RT, March 27, 2014):

President Obama’s key speech in Brussels on Ukraine and attempts to isolate Russia appears to be an exercise of omission, mutually-exclusive statements and unveiled double standards.

Here’s a quick look at what Obama told an audience of some 2,000 people in his damning 30-minute speech.

“Each of us has the right to live as we choose.”

But it’s true only for those good pro-European protesters in Kiev, who used firebombs and batons to make their point. The bad pro-Russian residents of Crimea are not allowed to, right?

 “Together, we’ve condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rejected the legitimacy of the Crimean referendum.”

That’s right. Referendum = bad. Firebombs = good.

Well, Obama says Russia invaded Ukraine while the US and the EU stayed at arm’s length and allowed things to settle down.

“Make no mistake, neither the United States nor Europe has any interest in controlling Ukraine.”

Read moreObama Says ‘Bigger Nations Cannot Simply Bully Smaller Ones’. Wait … What?

Anger, Disbelief As Obama Defends US Invasion of Iraq

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H/t reader M. G.:

“More unbelievable stuff, the clown is now defending the invasion of Iraq…………”

Mission-Accomplished-Obama

– Anger, Disbelief as Obama Defends US Invasion of Iraq (Common Dreams, March 26, 2014):

‘In order to not appear hypocritical, Obama rewrites history around Iraq War while denouncing Russia’
– Jon Queally, staff writer

President Obama is on the receiving end of scorn for remarks made during a high-profile speech in Brussels on Wednesday in which he defended the U.S. invasion of Iraq in an attempt to chastise Russia for recent developments in Crimea and Ukraine.

Speaking to the international community about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and fending off repeated accusations that the U.S. has lost its moral authority given the invasion of Iraq and other breaches of international law in recent years, Obama said:

Read moreAnger, Disbelief As Obama Defends US Invasion of Iraq

Sheriff Joe Arpaio: New Criminal Evidence About ID Fraud Investigation Of Barack Obama To Be Released – 3/26/2014 (Video)

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Added: Mar 26, 2014

Desription:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio: New Criminal Evidence About To Be Released – 3/26/2014 – Details: This video outlines the document and ID fraud surrounding Barack Obama with his known aliases, AKA Barry Soetoro, AKA Soebarkah; and his Constitutional eligibility to hold the Office of the United States Presidency. Due to new criminal evidence, a 2nd official investigation has been opened by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office unrelated to the original ID fraud investigation of Barack Obama. The public has been put on notice of an upcoming press conference disclosing this new criminal evidence which has been characterized as “Universe Shattering” by lead investigator Mike Zullo of the Maricopa County Cold Case Posse. – Complete Details: http://www.birtherreport.com/2014/03/…

Crisis In Ukraine: Will Sanctions Hurt The West More Than Russia? (Video)

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Added: Mar 20, 2014

Description:

Andrew Malcolm and Terry Jones of Investor’s Business Daily join Glenn Reynolds to discuss the Ukrainian crisis. Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded the Crimean peninsula notwithstanding warnings from President Obama. Obama announced sanctions against Russia, but will they work? Could these sanctions ultimately hurt the west more than Russia? Find out.

Apple, Microsoft Hoard Cash … US Taxpayers Pay The Bill

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Microsoft, founded by Bill Gates, lends $65bn to the US government (Image: Shutterstock)

– Apple, Microsoft hoard cash – US taxpayers pay the bill  (The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, March 17, 2014):

In recent years, America’s technology giants have increased profits to epic levels. So you’d think this good fortune would prove a boon to the fragile American economy.

In theory, a river of tax dollars from America’s cash-rich technology firms ought to contribute towards a significant reduction of the US $17.5 trillion debt mountain.

Only it hasn’t quite worked out that way.

Today, the 1,067 biggest non-financial firms in the United States, according to Moody’s the credit rating agency, have amassed cash and liquid investments totalling $1.48 trillion – a sum equivalent to the entire economy of Spain.

Of this $1.48tn corporate cash mountain, 22% is held by just four companies. Combined; Apple, Microsoft, Google and Cisco Systems retain $331bn in cash, with $255bn held in foreign subsidiaries sheltered from US tax.

Cash mountains

But instead of this cash sitting idly in a Bermudan bank vault, new research by the Bureau shows that a substantial amount of the tech giants’ offshore cash is in fact lent to the US government.

‘US taxpayers pay interest to tech giants on their offshore cash held there for tax reduction purposes

Read moreApple, Microsoft Hoard Cash … US Taxpayers Pay The Bill

Now That Is Embarrassing: US President Obama Stops Speaking, And Nobody Claps (Video)

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– What Happens If A US President Stops Speaking, And Nobody Claps

… does it mean that everyone saw right through the endless bluster, hollow rhetoric and empty promises of the man tasked with reading from a teleprompter, and currently in charge of one of the world’s most totalitarian states? Because either someone is getting fired for forgetting to turn on the “applause” sign, or Europeans no longer care for the lies uttered by Obama on all topics NSA-related (and all other topics too). One wonders: how long until the US president finally gets the same treatment in his own country?


Added: Mar 25, 2014

5 Types Of Plutonium Released From WIPP; Officials Not Informing Public – Dr. Caldicott: Inhaling A Millionth Of A Gram Of Plutonium Will Induce Lung Cancer

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Related info:

– WIPP Officials Admit New Release Of Plutonium And Americium – Nearly Double February Leak

– Official: Radioactive Material Escaping Everyday From WIPP And Dispersing – Expert: Leaks From ‘UNFILTERED’ Ducts Went On FOR WEEKS

– Radiation Expert: 5 types of plutonium were released from WIPP; Officials not informing public — Caldicott: “I predict that facility will never be able to be used again”; Inhaling a millionth of a gram of plutonium will induce lung cancer (AUDIO) (ENENews, March 25, 2014):

KUNM, Mar. 24, 2014: The director of an organization that evaluated the WIPP site for over 25 years said officials aren’t doing enough to inform New Mexicans. […] “I just can’t stress the importance of DOE being available to respond to detailed questions that people have,” [Dr. Bob Neill] said. “There’s no substitute for direct communication.” Immediately after the leak was discovered, the public should have been given a detailed explanation of what was released, said Dr. Neill, who received his degree in radiological medicine. Americium 241 and plutonium 239 were mentioned. “But there are four other radio-isotopes of plutonium, namely the 238, 240, the beta and 241,” he said. “They’re all bone-seekers. So you want to be able to report all the values—how each one may have contributed. It’s just essential.” […] “It’s so important to answer people’s questions—and not just people in Carlsbad, but throughout the state and elsewhere,” he said. As for the leak itself, he said all of the possible causes of the failure at WIPP must be considered, and a response system should be designed accordingly.

Interview with Dr. Helen Caldicott, March 2014 (at 37:30 in): One of the repositories for very, very dangerous radioactive waste plutonium, americium, etc. has just leaked radiation all around the area in Carlsbad, New Mexico. One microgram of plutonium, a millionth of a gram of plutonium, if inhaled will induce lung cancer. It’s extraordinarily radioactive. So they thought this would be safe storing radiation in salt mines, but something happened, one of the casks blew up or part of the ceiling fell on the casks, we do not know. But I predict that that facility will never be able to be used again, it will be so contaminated.

Read more5 Types Of Plutonium Released From WIPP; Officials Not Informing Public – Dr. Caldicott: Inhaling A Millionth Of A Gram Of Plutonium Will Induce Lung Cancer

Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt: Russia’s Actions In Crimea Justified

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– German ex-chancellor: Russia’s actions in Crimea justified (ITAR-TASS, March 26, 2014):

BERLIN, March 26. /ITAR-TASS/. German ex-chancellor Helmut Schmidt has sharply criticised the West’s position on the settlement of the crisis in Ukraine.

“The EU and US sanctions against Russia are stupid and any economic pressure would have symbolic significance,” Schmidt said on Wednesday.

Read moreFormer German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt: Russia’s Actions In Crimea Justified

Ukrainian Authorities To Tame Eastern Regions With Mercenaries From Blackwater Subsidiary

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Blackwater, then Xe and now Academi.

Greystone is a subsidiary of Blackwater.

– Ukrainian authorities to tame Eastern regions with aid of private military company (ITAR-TASS, March 25, 2014):

Dnepropetrovsk, March 25. /ITAR-TASS/. An overseas private military company will engages in the suppressing of protest moods of the mostly Russian-speaking population in the East of Ukraine, a source at the Security Service of Ukraine said Monday

“The case in hand is Greystone Ltd. company,” he said.

Read moreUkrainian Authorities To Tame Eastern Regions With Mercenaries From Blackwater Subsidiary

Bloomberg News Editor Resigns Because Of Censorship Of Investigative Report On China’s Elite

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– Editor Leaves Bloomberg, Citing China Coverage (New York Times, March 24, 2014):

Ben Richardson, an editor at large in Asia at Bloomberg News, announced his resignation on Monday, citing the company’s handling of an investigative report in China late last year.

He is the third reporter or editor to leave the organization since several news organizations reported last November that Bloomberg had declined to publish an investigative article that explored financial ties between one of the wealthiest men in China and the families of top Chinese leaders.

“I left Bloomberg because of the way the story was mishandled, and because of how the company made misleading statements in the global press” afterward, he said in an email to the media news site Romenesko. He also wrote that Bloomberg employees faced legal action if they spoke out publicly.

Read moreBloomberg News Editor Resigns Because Of Censorship Of Investigative Report On China’s Elite

Collapse And Systemic Failure At All Levels Coming To U.S.

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– Collapse and Systemic Failure at All Levels Coming to U.S.-Dmitry Orlov (USA Watchdog, March 19, 2014):

Dmitry Orlov is a Russian blogger who writes about the parallel between the U.S and the USSR.  Orlov lived through the financial collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s, and he thinks the U.S. is on the same trajectory.  Orlov contends, “The trajectory is defined by this sort of incompetent militarism where more and more money results in bigger and bigger military fiascos around the world and less and less of actual foreign policy that can be pursued or articulated.  There are massive levels of corruption.  The amount of money that is being stolen by the U.S. Government and its various appropriations processes is now in the trillions of dollars a year.  Runaway debt, the United States now has a level of debt that is un-repayable.  All we’re waiting for is interest rates to go across the magic threshold of 3% and the entire budget of the country explodes.  There are also all types of other tendencies that point in the direction of collapse and systemic failure at all levels.”

Read moreCollapse And Systemic Failure At All Levels Coming To U.S.

NSA, CIA, FBI Sued For Refusing To Disclose Nelson Mandela Records

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FYI.

See also:

– Nelson Mandela And The Mossad – Israeli Archives (Veterans Today)

– NSA, CIA, FBI sued for refusing to disclose Mandela records (RT, March 25, 2014):

Transparency activist Ryan Shapiro is suing three government agencies for failing to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests he filed in an attempt to uncover details about any role the United States played in the 1962 arrest of Nelson Mandela.

Shapiro — a doctoral candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a noted FOIA researcher — filed a lawsuit Monday morning in Washington, DC against the US National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Intelligence Agency after his requests for details about the anti-apartheid activist were rebuked by the US government. He is already suing the Central Intelligence Agency for the same reason.

Read moreNSA, CIA, FBI Sued For Refusing To Disclose Nelson Mandela Records

Barack Obama: ‘Russia Is A Regional Power’ Showing Weakness Over Ukraine

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Putin-laughing

– Barack Obama: Russia is a regional power showing weakness over Ukraine (Guardian, March 25, 2014):

President rejects claims Russia is a principal foe, saying actions in Ukraine an expression of vulnerability rather than strength

President Barack Obama has described Russia as no more than a “regional power” whose actions in Ukraine are an expression of weakness rather than strength, as he restated the threat from the G7 western allies and Japan that they would inflict much broader sanctions if Vladimir Putin went beyond annexation of Crimea and moved troops into eastern Ukraine.

Speaking at the end of a summit on nuclear security in The Hague, Obama rejected the suggestion made by Mitt Romney – his Republican challenger in the last president election – that Russia was the United States’ principal geopolitical foe. The president said he was considerably more concerned about the threat of a terrorist nuclear bomb attack on New York.

Read moreBarack Obama: ‘Russia Is A Regional Power’ Showing Weakness Over Ukraine

Ukraine Only Has Enough Gasoline For A Month

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putin smile_0

– Ukraine Only Has Enough Gasoline For A Month (ZeroHedge, March 25, 2014):

Nothing to see here, move along. While it appears the Russians are willing to pay the price of modest sanctions from the west to ‘liberate’ their fellow countrymen, the fallout from further tension with Ukraine could “boomerang” once again on the divided nation. As RBC Ukraine reports, the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yuriy Prodan said at a press conference today that “oil reserves will last for 28-29 days” in Ukraine. After that, the negotiation begins as Ukraine already owes billions for previously delivered gas – as Ukraine’s storage levels more than halved in the last 3 months.

Read moreUkraine Only Has Enough Gasoline For A Month

Bill C-22: Nuclear Companies Win The Jackpot – PM Stephen Harper Proposes New Law To Shield Nuclear Companies From Resposibility In The Event Of An Accident

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– Bill C-22: Nuclear Companies Win the Jackpot (Huffington Post, March 25, 2014):

Imagine you could go to Las Vegas, and it didn’t matter how much you bet, you could only lose $100. Wouldn’t you take bigger risks? Of course you would. Unfortunately this is precisely the scenario facing the nuclear industry.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has proposed a new law to shield nuclear companies from responsibility in the event of an accident. If passed Bill C-22 would cap the liability of reactor operators to $1 billion after a reactor accident.

This is a pittance. It means that the event of Fukushima-scale accident, reactor operators would be responsible for less than 1 per cent of damage they cause. Canadians would cover the rest.
Worse, Bill C-22 would completely absolve companies that design or service Canada’s reactors of responsibility — even if their negligence caused an accident.

Read moreBill C-22: Nuclear Companies Win The Jackpot – PM Stephen Harper Proposes New Law To Shield Nuclear Companies From Resposibility In The Event Of An Accident