Wednesday, September 30, 2009

HERE WE GO AGAIN

The George W. Bush administration did a good job (snow job) on us about the

'weapons of mass destruction" possessed by Saddam and was echoed and magnified by the main stream media . We had inspectors on the ground in Iraq ever since the first Gulf War and the inspectors made it clear to anyone who would listen that there were no such weapons.


Marine Scott Ritter, our chief inspector, had filed dozens of reports attesting to the fact of non-present weapons, and repeatedly spoke out to that effect. Yet we were told there were aluminum pipes that betrayed the presence of nuclear arms. Our Secretary of State testified before the U.N. that trailers were used to transport the weapons out into the desert to hide them, he even had photographs of these being transported.


Pure manufactured baloney--Goebbels could have not done it better .But, here we go again, with Obama and the French dupe following the same script about Iran having nuclear weapons.


They make these outrageous statements about discovering a hidden facility and even have a picture of a 'secret' mountain site used for nuclear weapons development After the joint address by these Israel stooges it came out that the U.S. has known of this 'secret' mountain since 2006.


Iran is well within their rights to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes. They are participants in the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and have provided inspectors the access and information required by the treaty. Our own intelligence agencies say that Iran is not working on nuclear weapons. Of note: Israel is not a signatory of

the treaty nor will they allow inspections.

Ah come on people, not again! Are we a nation of morons or just plain blood-thirsty

psychopaths longing to inflict death, dismemberment and destruction on others!


With Love and Kindness,


THE HATMAN


Tuesday, September 29, 2009

REAL MONEY

REF:"A New Magna Carta for Our Time" by Hugo Salinas Price 9.24.09


". . . You can see that all the trade in the world proceeded in an orderly fashion, under Bretton Woods, established in 1944 as the basis for the post-World War II monetary system, up to 1971.

Under Bretton Woods, gold, and in lieu of gold, dollars, were deemed to be the means of “Settlement” of trade imbalances. The system worked well, although the seed of its final destruction had been sown, in the form of “in lieu of gold, dollars”.

That left open the door for the US to expand credit, import more than it sold abroad, and pay for the trade deficit it incurred in doing so, by means of tendering dollars. We can say that the US “leveraged” its gold holdings – an enormous 20,000 (more than that, but I have not the exact amount) tons of gold – by paying for its trade deficit in dollars and holding on to the gold.

As the US tried to hold on to its gold and honor its commitment to deliver gold to Central Banks, at their request, at the rate of one ounce of gold for every $35 dollars tendered for redemption into gold, the world’s economy evolved pretty smoothly. US credit expansion was relatively modest, in view of the Bretton Woods commitment. Trade deficits and trade surpluses were held down by the need to settles debts and credits in gold, or in dollars which were taken to be “as good as gold”. There were no chronic and exaggerated “imbalances” in world trade, as they are called today – chronic trade deficits on the part of some countries like the US and now, the European Union; and chronic trade surpluses on the part of some exporting countries, like China and other Asian countries. Trade deficits had to be “settled” that is to say, paid for.

So this is why we see a practically flat line representing International Reserves in the Central Banks of the world, up to 1971.

[The following paragraphs significantly explains what led up to Nixon's move to go off the Gold Standard and let the dollar value float. Many author's blame Nixon solely, yet the truth was we did not have enough gold to meet the creditor demands]

However, some years before 1971, as seen in the graph, the US began to leverage its gold holdings quite excessively. It sent too many IOU’s (dollars) to the world as it expanded credit to pay for the Vietnam war and the Great Society of LBJ.

In 1968, France objected to holding more and more of these IOU’s (dollars) and asked for its gold. Rumblings of devaluation of the US dollar in terms of gold began to circulate. France wanted settlement of US debt; and the only way to settle US debt was by – collecting gold for its dollars. Dollars were not settlement!

The crisis exploded on August 15, 1971, when Nixon, quite unexpectedly, decided to renege on the Bretton Woods Treaty and refused to redeem dollars held by Central Banks for gold. The expected decision was a devaluation of the dollar – down to $70 dollars for an ounce of gold – but that was not what the world got. By refusing to devalue and just shutting down “the gold window”, the whole world was thrown into a world of exclusively fiat money.

Since that fatal day, there has been no settlement at all of international debts.

. . Reserves have exploded because there was no need to “settle” trade imbalances. Since the world accepted Nixon’s decision not to settle with gold, but to accept dollars in supposed “payment” of Trade Deficits, a complete disorder set in. So-called “Reserves” are huge - $7.2 Trillion – and yet nothing goes right. All these “Reserves” are debts owed, principally by the US.

Up to 2007, this was a wonderful period for the US: it was able to behave like an adolescent come into a vast fortune: dollars in huge quantities, manufactured at will by the US Fed and Treasury, were spent buying up everything under the Sun for the enjoyment of the US consumer. Unlimited credit expansion!

We are led to believe that payment in dollars constitutes settlement, but that is a total fallacy. There is no settlement except settlement in gold. The proof is that when Central Banks receive dollars, they exchange them for US Treasury Bonds and other American securities deemed credit worthy. (The Euro is now in on this game, also). The debt created by Trade Deficits is not extinguished in today’s world. It remains on the books of Central Banks as Reserves, in the form of Bonds, which are debt instruments."

An economic lesson that needs our attention.

With Love and Kindness,

THE HATMAN




Monday, September 28, 2009

WHAT ARE THEY UP TO?

From "Global Warming or Global Freezing:Is the ice really melting"by William F. Engdahl 9.24.09 financialSense.com:


"President Obama just made a melodramatic appeal at the United Nations for global measures to dramatically curb what he called “the climate threat,” current euphemism for what is more popularly known as Global Warming, the theory that man-made CO2 emissions from cars, coal plants and other man-made sources are causing the earth to warm to the point the polar icecaps are irreversibly melting and threatening to flood a quarter or more of the earth’s surface. There’s only one thing wrong with Mr. Obama’s dramatic scenario: it is scientifically utterly wrong. Since 2007 the polar icecaps have been growing not melting and the earth has been cooling, not warming.

. .

The Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon even made a recent appeal while standing on an Arctic ice-flow, claiming that man-made CO2 emissions were causing "100 billion tons" of polar ice to melt each year, so that in 30 years the Arctic would be "ice-free". One organization, the WWF, claimed that the Arctic ice was melting so fast that in eighty years sea-levels would rise by 1.2 meters, creating "floods affecting a quarter of the world." Wow! That’s scary. Goodbye Hamburg, New York, Amsterdam...


The publicity stunt of Ban Ki-Moon was carefully orchestrated. It was not said that his ship could only come within 700 miles of the North Pole owing to frozen ice. Nor that he made his stunt in the summer when Arctic ice always melts before refreezing beginning September.

The reality about Arctic ice is quite different. Although some 10 million square kilometres of sea-ice melts each summer, each September the Arctic starts to freeze again. The extent of the ice now is 500,000 sq km greater than it was this same time last year – which was, in turn, 500,000 sq km more than in September 2007, the lowest point recently recorded (see Cryosphere Today of the University of Illinois, http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/ ).

By next April, after months of darkness, it will be back up to 14 million sq km or likely more. As British science writer Christopher Booker remarks, “even if all that sea-ice were to melt, this would no more raise sea-levels than a cube of ice melting in a gin and tonic increases the volume of liquid in the glass.”

It is not that we are overly suspicious or see conspiracies behind every door, but when the government starts enacting all sorts of legislation based upon some liberal's fears, it is probably a good idea to look behind to see who and what is behind these ideas that common sense tells us are phony.

In this case, We know that Goldman Sachs and perhaps other Wall Street firms are supporting legislation to solve this mythical problem probably so they can trade carbon credit financial futures. But mostly it is the same old game (dialectic) of creating a problem and then establishing rules and regulations to solve it.(more intrusive government). Kiss your freedoms goodbye.


Saturday, September 26, 2009

CHANGE YOU CAN BELIEVE



A spoof seen recently in a blog comment:


In concert with the medicare bill, congress will mandate that all poor people become wealthy.


All unemployed people shall be forced to get jobs or face fines.


The auto industry will be saved by forcing Americans to buy a new car or

face stiff penalties.


The real estate industry can rejoice because congress will mandate that every man, woman and child shall buy a house or pay a huge fine, jail sentence or both.


Rich people will be required to give up all of their their money to the money czar to be distributed to deserving poor people and members of the czar’s staff. Members of the money czar’s staff and legislators to be exempt and not required to give up their money.


A transportation czar shall be appointed to select key members of congress and

the executive branch to receive a Boeing 757 for their travel needs.


With Love and Kindness,


THE HATMAN



Friday, September 25, 2009

TALK TALK TALK




Obama never passes up the opportunity to make a speech. Of course we knew he was a good talker way back at the 2004 Democratic Convention. What we didn’t know then and many still did not know in 2008 was that he is mostly just talk and but a front man for those who own and control this country.


He has appeared on TV more than 100 times since he took office. YADDA YADDA YAW.


Who listens any more?


He addressed the United Nations and typically his remarks were full of platitudes wishes for peace and goodwill, but absent of substance. We are beginning to see the agenda behind the nice talk. Socialism/communism/regulation and repression.


But who really cares what is said at the U.N? Certainly not the bored and sleepy attendees. John Birch Society told us 50 years ago to get out . The organization is as useless as NASA, though not quite as expensive. With Nasa all we give up is our money, but with the UN as with other world governing bodies, we give up sovereignty.


But, all in all it is a toothless tiger, not able to enforce the security of the several nations, nor punish the rogue nations, such as Israel, which openly ignores the UN edicts. Even Qaddafi,our old Lybyan nemesis says the UN has failed in its main task of collective security. The Security Council which has the authority to enact collective security measures, against countries that commit acts of aggression against other countries, has authorized such measures only twice in the 65 year history of the United Nations. The first was during the Korean War and the second was during the first Gulf War in 1991. Dozens of other countries have violated the U.N. charter, specifically Article II Section IV, which calls on member states to "refrain from the threat of or use of force against other member states," without facing any punitive measures from the Security Council.


Yawn yawn. Keep talking Obama, the UN is a good platform for talking and talking and talking. The mainstream media love and idolize you but not the rest of us.


With Love and Kindness,


THE HATMAN



Thursday, September 24, 2009

THE LONG GOODBYE

REF: "Ignore the Optimists. Peak Oil is Real". by Mathew R. Simmons 9.04.09

Last week, four of the world's most outspoken oil aficionados waded into the controversy of peak oil, publishing articles packed with myth and distortion. This "Gang of Four" all claimed the issue was silly, moot, or simply a myth. The four pieces were Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin's seven page article in Foreign Policy, energy analyst Michael Lynch's three page article in the New York Times, analyst Edward Morse's essay in Foreign Affairs, and scholar Amy Jaffe's paper published by the Baker Institute at Rice University.”


There is a lot of misunderstanding about oil, reserves and decline. Also there is a lot of misrepresentation about remaining reserves, undiscovered fields deep reservoirs, tar sands,

etc.


Matt Simmons, CEO of Simmons & Company has been at the forefront of the peak oil discussion, having written the world awakening “Twilight in the Desert”. He found that prior to his extensive investigations, no one had seriously looked at the world reserves and that the IEA, and U.S. DOE, were woefully equipped to accurately tabulate the remaining world reserves, since they were using outdated information and frequently deliberate misstated data.


Mr Simmons further states in the referenced article:

First, alarming data from the International Energy Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy shows that the flow of global crude oil peaked in 2005 and is now sliding steadily. The world will never "run out of oil," but its flow is in decline. There may still be ample oil reserves left in the ground when oil flows fall to half of today's use. But these remaining reserves are all either very low-quality heavy oil, which is difficult to process, or tainted with toxic elements that make it hard to refine into usable petroleum products.


It would be comforting if some vast new oil frontier existed that would recreate the 20th century's oil miracle, but almost five decades have now elapsed since the last great super-giant oil fields were discovered and the last frontier basins were found.

Second, while global oil demand is growing far beyond what can easily besupplied [emphasis added], countries like China and India are still in relative economic infancy and their per-capita oil use is tiny when compared to the prosperous OECD countries. Demand is insatiable, but oil use can only match oil supply -- this is an irrefutable law of nature.

It is true that a steadily increasing number of financial players now bet on the price of oil. These speculators created the highest volatility that oil prices have ever experienced. The Gang of Four seems to think this is good for oil markets, but as a seasoned investment banker to the energy industry, I believe this volatility is a cancer that will ultimately destroy it. It shouldn't have been surprising that oil prices plummeted from $121 a barrel on Sept. 22 to a low of $31 a barrel on Dec. 22. It happened because hedge funds decided to short the oil contract. But the Gang saw this as normal price changes as folks realized the oil bubble had burst, although this doesn't sufficiently explain the size of the price swing that occurred.

When oil prices sunk to $31 a barrel, the oil industry was no longer financially viable, despite the fact that major oil-company CEOs considered this price "fair" only a year or two earlier.

All four oil experts made the same general argument, though stated in slightly different terms. None of them had any hard data on existing oil reserves to share with their readers because no hard data is available, only firm beliefs.

The final topic the Gang discussed was the rapid advances in oilfield technology. Sadly, this is the greatest myth of all. I spent four decades as an investment banker to the global oil-service industry, which collectively invented all of this technology. The concept that there are new innovations in this area is false.

In fact, the seeds of this so-called technological revolution -- the ability to exploit oil from deep water or drill horizontally -- were first developed 40 years ago. I personally raised a great deal of the venture capital that helped implement some of the most important technical advances in the industry. Our firm, through advising on mergers, consolidations, reorganizations, and bankruptcies, helped save the oil-service companies that created these great technological advances that help us find and commercially exploit oil and gas.

None of this technology is new -- in fact, it is now quite mature. Sadly, there are few new ideas in the oilfield pipeline to replace advances that were made decades ago.

In my view, while Yergin, Lynch, Morse, and Jaffe, are articulate in their theories, none seem to have any strong sense of the brutally grim reality of today's oil markets. The facts speak for themselves: Oil flows have peaked, technology is now mature, the people running the industry are far too old, and few top-notch graduates are interested in embarking on a career in such a volatile field.

Even oil's much-touted 150th anniversary is a myth. You can read about an oil flame burning next to Babylon in the Old Testament. This was oil flaring from Kirkuk, which later became the first super-giant oilfield found in the Middle East in the late 1920s.

Oil has been a miracle resource for ages but has never been well understood. For more than a century, myths about oil kept the real facts buried in a fog of bad information. Until the world's oil producers allow third-party audits of the flow rates of the world's largest oil fields, which they have so far been reluctant to do,[emphasis added] it is impossible to know just how dire a situation we are in. I believe that such an audit would prove peak oil, but it is certainly irresponsible to make optimistic projections without hard data.”

The crux of the matter is that our oil reserves are declining, but the demand and use of petroleum and derivatives is increasing. Until we can get ahold of this truth and start meaningful discussions not pie- in- the- sky answers, we are facing a bleak future.

With Love and Kindness,

THE HATMAN

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

WHY OUR GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WORK

Why our government doesn't work is probably an endless topic, but let’s start with lobbyists.


Once upon a time we were told that lobbyists were wonderful --like advertising--

in that they helped our legislators with information and ideas. Well baloney,

that was just spin to cover the real reason. MONEY AND FAVOR.


Case in point: There are currently over 3,300 lobbyists spreading so far this year $263 million

for health related issues according to the Center for Responsible Politics.


Senator Max Baucus, architect of the proposed health care bill,is a top recipient of

campaign contributions ( legal bribes) reported to be $1.2 million for his 2008 re-election from health industries ( pharmacuetical and insurance companies).


Senator Chuck Grassley (R Iowa) feathered his nest with $2.1 million health industry money.


According to atimes.com article A Well-oiled Influence Machine by Andy Kroll,

Loosening up lawmakers with lobbying and campaign donations is one way in the door; having worked for them doesn't hurt, either. According to the Sunlight Foundation, five former Baucus staffers - two of whom are former chiefs of staff - now lobby or work for major players in the health-care debate, including the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (which outright opposes the House's promising health-care legislation that includes a public option) and drug makers Wyeth, Merck, and AstraZeneca. Similarly, all but one of the Finance Committee's 10 Republican members have ties to former staffers now lobbying for health-care-related companies and organizations.


Health care may be the most striking example of what's been going on in Obama-era Washington, but this sort of lobbying onslaught actually extends to Obama's whole agenda. Almost 2,400 lobbyists are, for instance, working on financial industry-related issues like the White House's proposed financial-regulation and consumer-protection reforms. Influential players, among them the US Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable, have already spent a staggering $222 million on lobbying in just the first half of 2009. The Chamber of Commerce, in particular, ranks first this year in finance-related lobbying (total spending: $26.2 million; total number of lobbyists employed: 167). A senior director for the Chamber of Commerce, which vehemently opposes a White House-proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency that would consolidate authority over credit cards, mortgages, loans, and other consumer products into one centralized regulator, pulled no punches in a comment offered to Reuters: ‘We are working to kill the bill’”.


Healthcare legislation is not really about providing health care. It is about the

care and feeding of insurance, pharmaceutical, and research organizations.


With the swollen roles of the unemployed many more cannot afford the exorbitant cost of “modern’ health care; yet the proposed health care legislation would mandate that they purchase insurance or pay a fine of up to $3,800. Government would solve this by giving them tax credit for income taxes that they don’t pay because they don’t have any income.



This health care fiasco started with LBJ’s “Great Society” when the government got involved in the medical business. Before that health care was reasonable and could be afforded by the average or even below average citizen.


George W. Obama hasn’t a clue about providing for the well being of the people., he just talks and makes promises he doesn't keep.


Socialism and government regulation makes medicines and services priced beyond the reach of the average American and serves to enrich special interests.


With Love and Kindness,


THE HATMAN

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

Are you a good listener or just sort of?


From:Ten Types of Lousy Listeners

By: Desktop Diva divinecaroline.com

"Everyone talks about communication as the key to successful relationships. The thing is, what we think of as communication is usually just expression—being able to say what we feel, or get a message across. Expression is only half of the communication process. The other half is listening, and understanding what others communicate to us. And that is, indeed, the more difficult part.

Listening is a skill, and one that gets more and more difficult to master the older you get (or the smarter you think you’ve become). With the development of any skill, the first step to improvement is to have a good understanding of what you can do—or stop doing —in order to get better"


The Daydreamer

You pretend to listen but really tune the other person out. Instead of concentrating on the input, you switch your mental remote to a more entertaining program..

The Judge

You don’t pay attention because you’ve already pre-judged the speaker as wrong, stupid, incompetent, or simply beneath you.

he Egocentric

You take everything people tell you and refer it back to your own experience. Someone’s talking about back pains, and that reminds you about the time you couldn’t get up for two days. You launch into your story before they can finish theirs.

The Problem Solver

You don’t have to hear more than a few sentences to begin searching for the right advice, and telling the speaker what to do. However, while you are coming up with solutions, you fail to hear the whole story, and sometimes miss what is most important.

Mr. Right

You go to great lengths (twist the facts, start shouting, make excuses or accusations, call up past sins) to avoid being pegged as wrong or guilty. You can’t listen to criticism, you can’t be corrected, and you can’t take suggestions to change.

The Derailer

You change the topic or derail the train of conversation when you get uncomfortable or bored with what’s being said. The most common way of derailing is by joking.

The Teacher’s Pet

You agree with everything, and nod your head supportively because you want people to like you. You may half-listen just enough to get the drift, but you are not really involved.

The Lawyer

You don’t listen because you’re too busy designing and preparing your next comment. You look interested, but your mind is going a mile a minute because you are thinking about what to say next.

The Filter

You hear only what you want to hear, and screen out everything else.


Do you know any of these listeners? Surely you are not one of them, you are probably an attentive nterested listener, BUT THEN ON THE OTHER HAND . . .


With Love and Kindness,


THE HATMAN







..


Monday, September 21, 2009

THE SHOE THROWER SPEAKS OUT

Isn't he is just an ignorant towel- head camel jockey with no sense of respect and decorum? Yet this article is a literate articulation of heart felt sadness for his countrymen. Mutadhar al-Zaidi, the man who threw his shoes at then President George W. Bush is intelligent and maybe not just a stupid ignorant terrorist after all.


George Bush lied to the American people, misrepresenting Saddam Hussein as having 'weapons of mass destruction' and being a part of the 911 attack. Using this falsified 'evidence, he launched an invasion and occupation bringing death, destruction and desolation to hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and over 4,000 American lives. No, the American boys were not the jack-booted oppressors we fought in former wars of liberation, yet the results of his "Iraqi freedom"and 'keeping the world safe for democracy' campaign are just now coming to light. The following is from a speech he made after leaving prison appearing in an article article on LewRockwell.com:

In the name of God, the most gracious and most merciful. Here I am, free. But my country is still a prisoner of war.

Firstly, I give my thanks and my regards to everyone who stood beside me, whether inside my country, in the Islamic world, in the free world. There has been a lot of talk about the action and about the person who took it, and about the hero and the heroic act, and the symbol and the symbolic act.

Firstly, I give my thanks and my regards to everyone who stood beside me, whether inside my country, in the Islamic world, in the free world. There has been a lot of talk about the action and about the person who took it, and about the hero and the heroic act, and the symbol and the symbolic act.

But, simply, I answer: What compelled me to confront is the injustice that befell my people, and how the occupation wanted to humiliate my homeland by putting it under its boot.

And how it wanted to crush the skulls of (the homeland's) sons under its boots, whether sheikhs, women, children or men. And during the past few years, more than a million martyrs fell by the bullets of the occupation and the country is now filled with more than 5 million orphans, a million widows and hundreds of thousands of maimed. And many millions of homeless because of displacement inside and outside the country.

We used to be a nation in which the Arab would share with the Turkman and the Kurd and the Assyrian and the Sabean and the Yazid his daily bread. And the Shiite would pray with the Sunni in one line. And the Muslim would celebrate with the Christian the birthday of Christ, may peace be upon him. And despite the fact that we shared hunger under sanctions for more than 10 years, for more than a decade.

Our patience and our solidarity did not make us forget the oppression. Until we were invaded by the illusion of liberation that some had. (The occupation) divided one brother from another, one neighbor from another, and the son from his uncle. It turned our homes into never-ending funeral tents. And our graveyards spread into parks and roadsides. It is a plague. It is the occupation that is killing us, that is violating the houses of worship and the sanctity of our homes and that is throwing thousands daily into makeshift prisons.

I am not a hero, and I admit that. But I have a point of view and I have a stance. It humiliated me to see my country humiliated. And to see my Baghdad burned. And my people being killed. Thousands of tragic pictures remained in my head, and this weighs on me every day and pushes me toward the righteous path, the path of confrontation, the path of rejecting injustice, deceit and duplicity. It deprived me of a good night's sleep.

Dozens, no, hundreds, of images of massacres that would turn the hair of a newborn white used to bring tears to my eyes and wound me. The scandal of Abu Ghraib. The massacre of Fallujah, Najaf, Haditha, Sadr City, Basra, Diyala, Mosul, Tal Afar, and every inch of our wounded land. In the past years, I traveled through my burning land and saw with my own eyes the pain of the victims, and hear with my own ears the screams of the bereaved and the orphans. And a feeling of shame haunted me like an ugly name because I was powerless.

And as soon as I finished my professional duties in reporting the daily tragedies of the Iraqis, and while I washed away the remains of the debris of the ruined Iraqi houses, or the traces of the blood of victims that stained my clothes, I would clench my teeth and make a pledge to our victims, a pledge of vengeance.

The opportunity came, and I took it.

I took it out of loyalty to every drop of innocent blood that has been shed through the occupation or because of it, every scream of a bereaved mother, every moan of an orphan, the sorrow of a rape victim, the teardrop of an orphan.

I say to those who reproach me: Do you know how many broken homes that shoe that I threw had entered because of the occupation? How many times it had trodden over the blood of innocent victims? And how many times it had entered homes in which free Iraqi women and their sanctity had been violated? Maybe that shoe was the appropriate response when all values were violated.

When I threw the shoe in the face of the criminal, Bush, I wanted to express my rejection of his lies, his occupation of my country, my rejection of his killing my people. My rejection of his plundering the wealth of my country, and destroying its infrastructure. And casting out its sons into a diaspora.

After six years of humiliation, of indignity, of killing and violations of sanctity, and desecration of houses of worship, the killer comes, boasting, bragging about victory and democracy. He came to say goodbye to his victims and wanted flowers in response.

Put simply, that was my flower to the occupier, and to all who are in league with him, whether by spreading lies or taking action, before the occupation or after.

I wanted to defend the honor of my profession and suppressed patriotism on the day the country was violated and its high honor lost. Some say: Why didn't he ask Bush an embarrassing question at the press conference, to shame him? And now I will answer you, journalists. How can I ask Bush when we were ordered to ask no questions before the press conference began, but only to cover the event. It was prohibited for any person to question Bush.

And in regard to professionalism: The professionalism mourned by some under the auspices of the occupation should not have a voice louder than the voice of patriotism. And if patriotism were to speak out, then professionalism should be allied with it.

I take this opportunity: If I have wronged journalism without intention, because of the professional embarrassment I caused the establishment, I wish to apologize to you for any embarrassment I may have caused those establishments. All that I meant to do was express with a living conscience the feelings of a citizen who sees his homeland desecrated every day.

History mentions many stories where professionalism was also compromised at the hands of American policymakers, whether in the assassination attempt against Fidel Castro by booby-trapping a TV camera that CIA agents posing as journalists from Cuban TV were carrying, or what they did in the Iraqi war by deceiving the general public about what was happening. And there are many other examples that I won't get into here.

But what I would like to call your attention to is that these suspicious agencies – the American intelligence and its other agencies and those that follow them – will not spare any effort to track me down (because I am) a rebel opposed to their occupation. They will try to kill me or neutralize me, and I call the attention of those who are close to me to the traps that these agencies will set up to capture or kill me in various ways, physically, socially or professionally.

And at the time that the Iraqi prime minister came out on satellite channels to say that he didn't sleep until he had checked in on my safety, and that I had found a bed and a blanket, even as he spoke I was being tortured with the most horrific methods: electric shocks, getting hit with cables, getting hit with metal rods, and all this in the backyard of the place where the press conference was held. And the conference was still going on and I could hear the voices of the people in it. And maybe they, too, could hear my screams and moans.

In the morning, I was left in the cold of winter, tied up after they soaked me in water at dawn. And I apologize for Mr. Maliki for keeping the truth from the people. I will speak later, giving names of the people who were involved in torturing me, and some of them were high-ranking officials in the government and in the army.

I didn't do this so my name would enter history or for material gains. All I wanted was to defend my country, and that is a legitimate cause confirmed by international laws and divine rights. I wanted to defend a country, an ancient civilization that has been desecrated, and I am sure that history – especially in America – will state how the American occupation was able to subjugate Iraq and Iraqis, until its submission.

They will boast about the deceit and the means they used in order to gain their objective. It is not strange, not much different from what happened to the Native Americans at the hands of colonialists. Here I say to them (the occupiers) and to all who follow their steps, and all those who support them and spoke up for their cause: Never.

Because we are a people who would rather die than face humiliation.

And, lastly, I say that I am independent. I am not a member of any political party, something that was said during torture – one time that I'm far-right, another that I'm a leftist. I am independent of any political party, and my future efforts will be in civil service to my people and to any who need it, without waging any political wars, as some said that I would.

My efforts will be toward providing care for widows and orphans, and all those whose lives were damaged by the occupation. I pray for mercy upon the souls of the martyrs who fell in wounded Iraq, and for shame upon those who occupied Iraq and everyone who assisted them in their abominable acts. And I pray for peace upon those who are in their graves, and those who are oppressed with the chains of imprisonment. And peace be upon you who are patient and looking to God for release.

And to my beloved country I say: If the night of injustice is prolonged, it will not stop the rising of a sun and it will be the sun of freedom.

One last word. I say to the government: It is a trust that I carry from my fellow detainees. They said, 'Mutadhar, if you get out, tell of our plight to the omnipotent powers' – I know that only God is omnipotent and I pray to Him – 'remind them that there are dozens, hundreds, of victims rotting in prisons because of an informant's word.'

They have been there for years, they have not been charged or tried.

They've only been snatched up from the streets and put into these prisons. And now, in front of you, and in the presence of God, I hope they can hear me or see me. I have now made good on my promise of reminding the government and the officials and the politicians to look into what's happening inside the prisons. The injustice that's caused by the delay in the judicial system.

Thank you. And may God's peace be upon you. September 19, 2009

With Love and Kindness,

THE HATMAN










Saturday, September 19, 2009

DON'T FORGET TO SAY I LOVE YOU


Today, we remember two who are no longer with us. One we loved, one we did not.

Mary Travers and Irving Kristol.

See "Leaving on a Jet Plane" with Peter Paul and Mary LRCBlog 9.16.09

From: LRCBlog 9.19.09 "Irving Kristol is dead at 89", posted by Lew Rockwell

"Irving Kristol whom I once hosted (at George Roche’s request) for a week of lectures at Hillsdale College, was a brilliant Machiavellian. Using his early training as a Trotskyite, and a natural talent for organizing, recruiting, and demagoguery, he managed to take over the Stupid Party, i.e., the conservative movement and the Republicans. Whatever was good, he purged or smeared, in the cause of what he dubbed “neoconservatism”: corporatism, global war, and imperialism, with a special orientation towards Israel. He also influenced the major conservative foundations, and used their resources to great effect. As might be expected, he had a special animus for libertarianism and Ludwig von Mises, whom he denounced to me. As a warmonger and promoter of the police state, he had much blood on his hands, and wanted more. He leaves behind his son Bill, to carry on his work. (Thanks to C.J. Maloney)" RIP.

A time gone by.
We loved the songs and arrangements of Peter Paul and Mary. A time of reemergence of folk songs and wonderful artists. PP& M one of our favorite groups. RIP Mary Travers.

Stevie Wonder reminds us to say I love you:

"I Just Called To Say I Love You"


No New Year's Day to celebrate

No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away

No first of spring

No song to sing

In fact here's just another ordinary day


No April rain

No flowers bloom

No wedding Saturday within the month of June

But what it is, is something true

Made up of these three words that I must say to you


I just called to say I love you

I just called to say how much I care

I just called to say I love you

And I mean it from the bottom of my heart


No summer's high

No warm July

No harvest moon to light one tender August night

No autumn breeze

No falling leaves

Not even time for birds to fly to southern skies


No Libra sun

No Halloween

No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring

But what it is, though old so new

To fill your heart like no three words could ever do


I just called to say I love you

I just called to say how much I care, I do

I just called to say I love you

And I mean it from the bottom of my heart


I just called to say I love you

I just called to say how much I care, I do

I just called to say I love you

And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart,

of my heart


I just called to say I love you

I just called to say how much I care, I do

I just called to say I love you

And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart,

baby of my heart




Friday, September 18, 2009

TRUTH IS SUCH A RARE COMMODITY

"44,000 Americans die each year from lack of health insurance" according to an article appearing in Counterpunch.com 9.18.09 by Russell Mokhiber, based upon some half-baked survey prepared by Harvard University personnel with apparently little else to do or all that they are capable of doing. This type of misinformation goes right along with the 49 to 55 million Americans reported to be without health coverage. What a load of Pelosi!

Are we a gullible people or what?

Many people still believe that Saddam Hussein was responsible for the 911 attack. Most Americans believe the official explanation of 911 collapse of the TwinTowers + Building No. 7,or that Lee Harvey Oswald was soley responsible for the assignation of John Kennedy. We 'liberated', not 'occupied' Iraq. Operation Freedom Iraq brought democracy to Iraq. We had to invade Iraq and Afghanistan to carry out our declared "war on Terror"

The real problem comes in that people will still hold these false beliefs, even when confronted with the actual facts.("I know what I know, don't confuse me with the facts")

The Government agencies have adopted the methods and techniques of Madison Avenue to pursuade the populace of certain information, not necessarily true. The Pentagon. CIA, NSA, and scores of other agencies and special interest groups have favored authors and media. sources with which to plant their propaganda.

However, when we get information which is true, it's like a breath of fresh air.

REF: TheBurningPlatform.com "Ron Paul-MyImpresions:

"I attended the Campaign for Liberty conference in Valley Forge last night after work. Just to let the mainstream media know. There were no guns, no racist signs and no anti-Obama literature. There were young, middle aged and older people attending. Some had suits, other were in jeans. They struck me as normal every day middle class people. I'm not good at estimating crowds, but it appeared to be about 1,000 people.

The 1st speaker was Phil Giraldi, a former CIA officer. Maybe SSS knows him. He was in the CIA until 2002, so he was there in the days following 9/11. He said it was known in the halls of the CIA and Defense Dept that we would use the 9/11 attack as the reason for launching an attack on Iraq. His speech was convincing.

The 2nd speaker was Mike Doherty. For those of you who live in NJ, I think you have a rising star in the Republican party. He is in the NJ assembly and is running for State Senator in November. He is a West Point grad who spent 8 years in the military. All three of his sons are currently serving in the military. The man is no dove. He supports Ron Paul's foreign policy stance 100%. When you go to war, you go to win. The military will obey their civilian leaders, but they know their duty is to uphold the Constitution. He is for a strong defense, not for provoking no win conflicts throughout the world.

Ron Paul's son, Ronnie, then introduced his father. I had never seen Ron Paul in person before. He looks like your grandfather. He's not slick. He doesn't overwhelm the room with his mere presence. He is not a smooth talker. But, he did speak for 1 hour and 15 minutes without the use of a teleprompter or notes. He can speak this way because he doesn't have to remember his lies. He doesn't lie. He doesn't tell half truths. He doesn't deceive his audience. He speaks from his heart. He believes what he says.

As he spoke, it sounded like the discussions we have every day on TheBurningPlatfrom. Truth, individual liberty, less government, and freedom were the themes of his speech. The part of the speech that struck me was his trust and faith in the citizens of this country. He truly believes that people will make the right decisions if given the chance. This is the major difference between Ron Paul and the elites running our government and the two parties. He believes that if individuals are given the freedom to earn and keep their money our society would be stronger. Individuals, because they have virtue, would take care of those less fortunate through the charity of their time and money.

The ruling elite don't trust the citizens. They believe in their own infallibility and their own brilliance. They want government to solve all the ills in our country and our world. Give them more power and they will coddle and take care of you. Just give them 40% of your income and allow them to run $2 trillion deficits every year and they will solve all your problems. How has that worked out so far?

He got the most animated while speaking about the Federal Reserve. He is convinced they have caused the vast majority of our economic misery. His Audit the Fed bill HR1207 now has 290 co-sponsors, including 110 Democrats. He was very clear that the printing of more dollars will eventually lead to the collapse of the USD. He doesn't know when, but the existing policies will lead to that conclusion. He was fearful at what will happen when the dollar does collapse. Will the government then attempt to seize more power. At this point he pointed out that the government has a lot of guns. Then he said, "the citizens of this country have a lot of guns too." This received a standing ovation from the crowd.

Ron Paul did not speak badly of any individual person. He is a true gentleman. He cares about this country. He cares about people. He doesn't care about power or personal agendas or getting rich when he leaves Washington.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, and drove past the entrance to Valley Forge National Park I was struck by the similarities of George Washington and Ron Paul. Washington arrived at Valley Forge with a 12,000 man ragtag army. Soldiers received irregular supplies of meat and bread, some getting their only nourishment from "fire cake," a tasteless mixture of flour and water. Long marches had destroyed shoes. Blankets were scarce. Tattered garments were seldom replaced. At one point these shortages caused nearly 4,000 men to be listed as unfit for duty. Eventually. 2,000 men died that winter. Our entire country depended upon one leader and 10,000 dedicated patriots. Las Vegas wouldn't have given Washington a chance at victory. Our victory 5 years later was a victory of will, not a victory of weapons.

We are in the same position today. Maybe there are 100,000 out of 307 million Americans who are behind Ron Paul and his Campaign for Liberty. George Washington was honest, truthful, unwavering, dedicated to his troops and his country, bold in action, and trusting in his officers and men. Ron Paul is the most honest, truthful man in Washington DC. He cares about the country and its citizens. Ron Paul's message has been the same for 30 years. Trust the people, not the government. At the end of his speech, Ron quoted Samuel Adams."


With Love and Kindness,


THE HATMAN



Wednesday, September 16, 2009

LOUSY GOVERNMENT FIXES

http://safehaven.com/article-14422.htm

Government Solutions lack Understanding by Rep.Ron Paul 9.0809

"Things seem to be unraveling quickly for the new administration. The latest unemployment numbers are worse than the last reports. For all the billions of dollars spent and committed to fixing our economic problems, the situation is only getting worse. This was to be expected by those who understand the root causes of the problems. Throwing money around and creating more government programs is both simplistic and damaging to the economy. Of course, the administration claims that we would have been much worse off without these efforts. You can't improve this situation by adding to our mountain of public debt for the benefit of big banks and other special interests. The American people know this. When will Washington learn?

In addition, the president's plans for healthcare reform - or health insurance reform - are becoming more and more unpopular as details are examined. But because of all the alarmist rhetoric, politicians in Washington feel obligated to pass something, even if it doesn't help[emphasis added] Rarely are liberty and prosperity at greater risk than when politicians feel they must "do something". It is frightening to watch Washington toy with our healthcare purely for political reasons.

However, the saddest shortcoming of this administration is its utter failure to pursue a more peaceful foreign policy. Just last week up to 90 people, apparently mostly civilians, were killed in Afghanistan in an airstrike, and the violence is only getting worse. The administration is mulling over how many more troops they will send as part of their "Afghan Surge" with advisors getting it exactly backwards. They qualify sending fewer troops as "high-risk" and sending more troops as "low-risk". This is not the perception at all if you were to ask the families of those being sent over. The best answer would be to stop risking any of our troops for the sake of what is, for all intents and purposes, a violent occupation, helping no one.

But all of these problems and their wrong-headed solutions come from one greater problem - which is not understanding the reasons that we are here. The economy is in bad shape because of too much government intervention producing a myriad of unintended consequences and perverse incentives. Healthcare is broken because the doctor-patient relationship has been broken down by hyper regulation and too much government interference. Afghanistan is a mess because they ignored the mission approved by Congress - to seek out those who attacked us on 9/11. They have instead gotten sidetracked with nebulous interventionist tasks such as promoting democracy and nation building. Eight years later, there is no real progress. The Soviets bankrupted themselves fighting in the mountains and caves of Afghanistan and we're about to do the same. If we would just look to history it would be self-evident that there is nothing left to win in Afghanistan, and everything to lose. . . "

More common Sense from Dr. Paul, who was ridiculed mercilessly during the last presidential election.

Another interesting piece by Sue Reid on LewRockwell.com stating that a new book: "Osama bin Laden Has been dead for Seven Years",alleging that U.S. and Britain have covered up his death to continue their War on Terror. A recent book makes a good case for this.

The government goof-ups, cover-ups, and outright lies continues! How long can this great nation survive these ersatz leaders and ruinous policies?

With Love and Kindness,

THE HATMAN







ISRAEL'S STRANGLEHOLD ON AMERICA


REF:The best congress AIPAC can buy -Phillip Giraldi 9.03.09 AntiWar.com

"56 congrssmen traveled to Israel during first 2 weeks of August with spouces paid for

AIPAC American Israel Public Affairs Commitee House Minority whip Eric Cantor headed the Republican group and House Majority leader Steny Hoyer led the Democrats.

Cantor and Hoyer are longtime enthusiasts for Israel and all its wor

“The August congressional junkets were paid for by the American Israel Education Foundation, which is a non-profit foundation that is part of AIPAC. The non-profit foundation part means that the trip to convince already acquiescent congressmen that Israel needs more aid and special treatment was more-or-less subsidized by the US taxpayer. Taking congressmen to Israel to make sure they understand the issues properly is not exactly new, but the scale and seniority of the recent visits sent a clear message to President Barack Obama that he should not pressure Israel in any way or he will face bipartisan opposition, opposition that he will not be able to overcome. It appears that Obama might have already received the message loud and clear if the rumors that he will harden his line on Iran and soften his approach to Tel Aviv to permit Israeli settlement expansion are true."

REF: LRC Blog 9.14.09-- Jim Traficant speaks out

"For too long, policies that support Israeli militarism and occupation have gone unchallenged. Political voices raising even minor disagreements with prevailing policies are silenced or subject to campaigns of intimidation. We must open the door to full debate regarding U.S. relationship with Israel and U.S. policy with other countries in the region."


Though we will be labeled as “anti-semite” for speaking out against the influence of Israel on our foreign and domestic policies,we are not anti-Jews. God said:" I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you” Certainly we believe that and further that our salvation is a spiritual branch from that promised to the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But, we are against the untoward bought and paid for influence that the Israel state has upon our government and public opinion.


We have been led into bloody conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan,and other nation interference by this powerful Israel force.

With Love and Kindness,

THE HATMAN


Tuesday, September 15, 2009

HORRIFIC CONSEQUENCES

In browsing the internet ,The Hatman ran across an article onTheburningPlatform.com written supposedly by Jim Quinn, an articulate author who has had several articles published on other web sites about America, its’ lost values and dim future. The article and another one appearing on the same page is repeated below. Alarmed by the false and misleading statements, Comncents entered a comment which received a reply is also shown below.


ISRAEL & IRAN - SHOWDOWN

“Two separate stories this week give me indications that a conflict is imminent between Israel and Iran. Ahmadinejad has absolutely no plans to stop building a nuclear bomb. Netanyahu will never let Iran have a nuclear bomb. Obama is so focused on his domestic agenda and has no influence on either of these countries at this point, that he can't stop it. Will the showdown come in a few weeks, months or years? That is the question. I believe it will happen in the next year.

Implications: Oil prices will spike upwards; the stock market will fall hard; gold will soar. This attack will contribute to the double dip recession coming our way in 2010. Our 4th Turning Crisis will deepen. This winter will be bitter.”

The article above and the following contain unfounded assertions of Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions and their supposed threat to Mideast peace:

Ahmadinejad levels new broadside at opponents

The source of this article is apparently Norooznews.ir.


By clicking on the link below the reader will find both articles. Also below is the comment by comncents.blogspot.com and a reply by an unidentified reader. Please note that the comment was directed to Mr. Quinn, a man believed to be erudite and careful with his facts. The reply is not believed to be from him.

http://theburningplatform.com/groups/quinns-daily-dose-of-reality/discussions/israel-iran-showdown-2


COMMENT:

Mr. Quinn, It seems like you have been duped by the planted Israel pr piece: Ahmadinejad levels new broadside at opponents

If we continue to accept and promote such planted half- truth articles, favoring Israel's aggresiive position, we bring cataclysmic war ever more close.

Iran is not developing nuclear weapons! Believe the UN inspectors who have been on site. The rest is just speculation designed to prepare us for an unwarranted attack, which could have unexpected horrific consequences.

Think before you write,

Sincerely yours.

THE HATMAN”


REPLY:

Comncents said, "Believe the UN inspectors who have been on site." How well did that work in Iraq and North Korea?

Per my two previous posts above, Israel will react in a manner which serves to protect what it believes are its own best interests. The USG, UN, Russia, and anyone else who thinks it has a voice in what Israel does or does not do is dead wrong. If Israel thinks its national survival is at stake, as it did when it struck the Osirack nuclear power facility in Iraq in 1981, it will act accordingly. Count on it.”



REF: JUstin Raimondo 8.28.09 Antiwar.com

The following article is the opinion of Justin Raimondo as to the outcome of the Israel/Iranconfrontation

Quite aside from the settlements, however, the Obama-ites really gave away the store when they agreed to "adopt a much tougher line with Iran over its alleged nuclear program." What this means, more precisely, is that the bar for judging whether Iran is building useable nukes is going to be considerably lowered: get ready for a slew of "intelligence" reports claiming they’re on the verge of nuking Tel Aviv. With Congress getting ready to impose strict economic sanctions on Iranian energy exports, the stage is set for a military strike.

That a US President has agreed to go to war in exchange for a Nobel Peace Prize is an event that could only occur in Obama-world – which is apparently situated somewhere very close to Bizarro World.

The announcement of this "breakthrough," as the Guardian calls it, is slated for the last week of September – and you can count on the war drums to start beating around the

same time.

It’ll be a long, drawn out process, however, of fake "negotiations," phony intelligence reports, and diplomatic arm-twisting at the UN, before the ever-cautious Obama gets up the nerve to actually pull this on his ostensibly liberal supporters, and their patience with Obama’s wars is likely to run out long before thenQuite aside from the settlements, however, the Obama-ites really gave away the store when they agreed to "adopt a much tougher line with Iran over its alleged nuclear program." What this means, more precisely, is that the bar for judging whether Iran is building useable nukes is going to be considerably lowered: get ready for a slew of "intelligence" reports claiming they’re on the verge of nuking Tel Aviv. With Congress getting ready to impose strict economic sanctions on Iranian energy exports, the stage is set for a military strike.”

If the above is true it portends horrific consequences, not only for the Mideast nations, including Israel, but for our fleets stationed in the nearby waters, the troops on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan and Saudia Arabia. Even Americans on American soil may be subject to radioactive dust if Nuclear material in storage is blasted and carried on the wind to far away innocents.


All is totally unnecessary and based upon supposition of Iran’s intentions, not fact. The facts are that Iran has made no nuclear weapons and the only nuclear weapons in the area belong to Israel , Pakistan, and USA.


With Love and Kindness,


THEHATMAN