How Do You Identify A Truther?

Yes, how do you identify a "Truther"?

The main stream media has often projected the image of a cave man as the antithesis of the Truther.

The "cave men did it" is the essence of the official 9/11 story, but the Truther finds that to be an improbable story.

Recently a well known New York Times reporter wanted to know more about the answer to the question, so he surreptitiously went to a gathering of those folks to find out:

... on Aug. 15 I got an up-close look at the phenomenon when I attended a meeting of Truthers that just happened to be held ... about 20 miles from my house.

The thing about people who hold beliefs you find unbelievable (in two senses) is that they are in most other respects just like you and your friends.

...

The star turn was taken by architect Richard Gage, founding member of Architects & Engineers for Truth, a group, he said, of 1,200 experts in the area of the construction and destruction of tall buildings. It was Gage, the man of science and the scientific method (another stock character), who laid out the basic thesis from which everything else grew. The twin towers could not have been brought down by fire. A fire, however intense, would have left the steel girders standing, perhaps at an odd angle. The way the towers fell — in free fall, straight down, in only 7 seconds — shows clearly, Gage declared, that the cause was controlled demolition by explosives placed next to the support structures and detonated in a precisely timed sequence. In short, destruction from the inside by insiders and not by a rag-tag group of fanatics who were incapable of flying the planes they supposedly deployed with incredible skill.

...

At the end of the afternoon and before the conference-ending dinner, I slipped away. I thought about identifying myself before leaving. I should have, but I didn’t. Instead I drove home to a small dinner party: my wife and I, another couple and a friend. I told them about what I had seen and heard. The man of the couple said that on Sept. 11, 2001, when he heard the news, “inside job” was the first thought he had, although he hadn’t bothered much with the thought since. Our other guest told us that her brother-in-law was even more a partisan of the “government-did-it” view than those I had listened to. I guess you never know.

(NY Times). One thing is for sure, there were no cave men at the meeting the journalist attended.

A couple of other things for sure about 9/11 is that there is wide spread misinformation about 9/11 and always has been, and there are a lot of psychological problems surrounding those events.

For example, a judge hearing a case about 9/11 spoke for the nation when he heard the words "Building Seven", then replied "Building What?"

Most people in the U.S. think that the "twin towers" means two buildings, which is true, however, three major buildings came down on 9/11, not two, as is commonly believed.

The third main building that collapsed on 9/11, Building 7, would have been the tallest building in 66% of the states (33 out of 50).

A new website "Building What" has been created to make that knowledge more readily available.

Add It Up And It Still Smells - 2

Labor Day.

It seems like a different holiday during times when labor has been shafted for years now by the elite 1%, working top hat and white glove with the federal and state governments, doesn't it?

Some time back in a post Add It Up And It Still Smells we looked at some numbers to show what would happen here in the U.S. if we spent as much money on middle class and poor citizens as we did bailing out reckless banksters.

In this post we will look at some numbers to show what would happen here in the U.S. if we spent as much money on middle class and poor citizens here as we now spend for warsters who are waging seemingly endless wars around the globe "to insure our security".

Instead of paying corrupt politicians in Kabul or Baghdad, what if we targeted Americans to be recipients of U.S. tax dollars?

A simple hypothetical and some simple arithmetic show that something may be fishy in warster land.

For sake of the hypothetical, assume that there are 2.5 million homes in foreclosure. Further, assume $2,000 as the median monthly mortgage payment for each home.

In this hypothetical, to get money into banks, and to prevent foreclosure on those homes, assume further that we (government) as a financial rescue plan send a check with the home owner and the bank as payees.

That is, both have to negotiate it. The home owner signs the check and gives it to the bank as the mortgage payment. It is deposited and thus it is in the bank.

In this scheme, the home owner owes the U.S. that amount and will pay a small interest over time; and a lien attaches to the home. It can be paid off early if the home owner wants to and can do that.

Finally, assume that we will do this long enough to get the home owner through the recession; which we will assume will be a 3 year period of time.

The arithmetic on this hypothetical would be: 2,500,000 * $2,000 * 12 * 3 = $180 billion.

Hypothetical results: 1) the housing crisis would be substantially eased because foreclosures would go down and property values would be positively affected (even if the property value holds even); 2) money would go into the banks; 3) which the banks could then loan out; 4) and the government would have a lien on the property for security.

NOTE: the example is not for the purpose of advocating socialism or the like, it is simply to show a contrasting equation and methodology to assist in the housing crisis.

Instead, under the current bailout plan the government has given ten times that amount or more ($750 billion plus annually) to failing warsters who profit on war.

Those institutions spend taxpayer dollars overseas, same as the corrupt foreign governments we give billions to.

The government is not in a secure position on that expense / debt either, home owners have been bypassed, not included, so no foreclosures are prevented by wasting money on war.

As to the auto industry. Use the same formula for 7,000,000 vehicles a year with a $900 monthly median payment, and the arithmetic results in $226.8 billion going into the banks, and the auto industry sells 7 million cars a year.

So the total looks like $226.8 + $180 = 406.8 billion, which is about half of the annual give away for whoopee wars figure, and we will have put $406.8 billion into the banks, induced 21,000,000 vehicle sales, and saved 2.5 million homes as well.

Add some infrastructure spending such as power grid upgrade, wind farms, solar thermal power generators, other renewable energy projects, and soon enough the unemployment figures decrease as tax revenues increase.

Surely, then, there must be 50 American ways to do it better than the foreign way it is now being done?

The next post in this series is here.

Democrats Pay How Much For War? - 2

About a year ago Dredd Blog wondered how much Democrats were willing to pay for war.

Bloggers here and elsewhere wondered why they did not get "it", it being that the American majority was against the wars.

It seemed to us that the Democrats were under the mistaken impression that the neoCon base of the right wing Republicans were who voted those dems into office.

I explained what was meant by "how much would the wars cost" the Democrats:

I mean in the upcoming elections, since they have shown, up until this point, that they will pay any amount for war, but very little for domestic needs.

The people have polled against the wars for years now, to no avail. The people overwhelmingly voted the neoCon republican hawks out, to give the democrats a chance to do what the people want.

Nevertheless, the wars continue, now having lasted longer than WW I and WW II combined.

(Democrats Pay How Much For War?). A study on the polling shows the majority has been sick of the wars for longer than WW I and WW II lasted:

Although some polls show Americans have already decided against a second Obama term in 2012, there remains much time for recovery, although the economy shows signs of even further weakening and war losses are growing.

Langer sets June 2004 as the first time a polling majority (52%) decided the Iraq war was not worth it. And numbers went downhill from there, not coincidentally, as casualty figures rose. The Afghan war, which was tied so closely to Sept. 11 and its planning, has gone on more in the background.

However, recent polls show dissatisfaction mounting.

(LA Times). Obviously those in the U.S. government who promisingly lie during campaigns could care less what the people think or want, so the question arises, "Who are these people?"

That was explained in the post Circle W Cowboys.

UPDATE: For an example of the antithesis to The Circle W Cowboys, I offer a response by Noam Chomsky, who has remained humane in the face of government depravity:

I had taken dozens of journalists, peace activists, diplomats, experts and others out to camps of refugees who had fled U.S. saturation bombing. Chomsky was one of only two who wept openly upon learning how these innocent villagers had seen their beloved grandmothers burned alive, their children slowly suffocated, their spouses cut to ribbons, during five years of merciless, pitiless and illegal U.S. bombing for which U.S. leaders would have been executed had international law protecting civilians in wartime been applied to their actions. It was obvious that he was above all driven by a deep feeling for the world’s victims, those he calls the “unpeople” in his new book. No U.S. policymakers I knew in Laos, nor the many I have met since, have shared such concerns.

(Truthdig, emphasis added). We have all chosen sides in the recent wars that continue to do the same thing. Weep if you are humane, but if you can't yet, keep trying.

The Peak Of The Oil Wars - 2

A while back Dredd Blog had a post The Peak of The Oil Wars which indicated, among other things, that some professionals think that Iraq will be the number one oil producer in a short while.

Recently the German government has completed a study concerning the issue of "peak oil", which was leaked to the internet.

The study contains statements that resemble what peak oil scientists have been saying for decades, while being castigated as "doomers" for so saying.

The reality of peak oil, combined with global warming and global climate change, is a clear and present danger, a sure threat to the continuation of civilization as we know it:

Relapse into planned economy: Since virtually all economic sectors rely heavily on oil, peak oil could lead to a "partial or complete failure of markets," says the study. "A conceivable alternative would be government rationing and the allocation of important goods or the setting of production schedules and other short-term coercive measures to replace market-based mechanisms in times of crisis."

Global chain reaction: "A restructuring of oil supplies will not be equally possible in all regions before the onset of peak oil," says the study. "It is likely that a large number of states will not be in a position to make the necessary investments in time," or with "sufficient magnitude." If there were economic crashes in some regions of the world, Germany could be affected. Germany would not escape the crises of other countries, because it's so tightly integrated into the global economy.

Crisis of political legitimacy: The Bundeswehr study also raises fears for the survival of democracy itself. Parts of the population could perceive the upheaval triggered by peak oil "as a general systemic crisis." This would create "room for ideological and extremist alternatives to existing forms of government." Fragmentation of the affected population is likely and could "in extreme cases lead to open conflict."

(Der Speigel, emphasis added). As oil becomes more scarce the national security of various nations will become more and more threatened.

Like addicts fighting for a fix of heroin, nations will drift closer and closer to war as desperation sets in.

In the face of such catastrophe, our Senate could not even pass legislation that would increase the fuel mileage of automobiles, rushing headlong toward oblivion instead.

After all, we have now entered into the age of criminal insanity, a time when more and more insane people get elected into government.

Whether you follow George Oilwell or George Orwell, things are getting curiouser and curiouser are they not?

The next post in this series is here, the previous post in this series is here.

Another One Bites The Dust

The Miami Herald is reporting that as of about two hours ago another offshore rig has exploded.

The oil platform or rig is reportedly owned by Mariner Energy, Inc. of Houston, Texas.

Dredd Blog has been pointing out the dangers of that area of the Gulf of Mexico, and the history of catastrophe in that area going back millions of years.

Long ago the bottom of the Gulf in that area was fractured to varying degrees, and a decade ago much research was done concerning hydrates on the bottom and under the bottom.

Those studies concluded, based upon exploratory drilling in the vicinity of this current explosion, and in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe, that hydrates would be dangerous to drilling operations there.

UPDATE: The blog Sky Truth has an update, and they will be watching from on high to determine if oil is leaking in the days ahead.

Stay tuned.

Markos Speaks Out On Commission

The Dredd,

President Obama has appointed a bipartisan commission to develop recommendations to balance the budget. For whatever reason, the commission is loaded with Blue Dogs and Republican opponents of Social Security. For example, the Republican co-chair of the commission, Alan Simpson, recently insulted an advocate for women's rights by saying Social Security is like a welfare "milk cow with 310 million tits." Seriously.

And that's not all Simpson has said. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) has put together a website with Simpson's most offensive quotes. The website has a game where you try and tell Simpson's real quotes from fake ones. Play the game, and join the fight to protect Social Security, here:

Click here to see what Alan Simpson said about Americans who depend on Social Security.

Many members of the deficit commission are multi-millionaires and corporate CEOs who are out of touch with America. Some members of the commission have suggested cutting health care for veterans in order to preserve expensive weapons deals for defense contractors. A majority of the members of the commission favor gambling some, or all, Social Security funds on Wall Street.

In November, the commission will make its recommendations. In December, Congress is expected to vote on the recommendation without allowing any amendments. Before the commission releases its recommendations, we need to defend Social Security recipients from Wall Street, and veterans from defense contractors, by discrediting Alan Simpson's campaign to cut those vital programs.

To do this, click here to learn more about Alan Simpson, share his quotes with your friends, and join the fight to protect Social Security.

Thanks for all you do,

Markos Moulitsas

Founder, Daily Kos

Senator Nelson & DeepWater Horizon

September 1, 2010

Dear [Dredd],

I heard from nearly 18,000 Floridians who responded to my recent survey stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The action wanted by the most people was getting Congress to act quickly on measures designed to ease our dependence on oil.

I couldn’t agree more. Our government must enact a national program to transition us from petroleum to alternative and synthetic fuels--and we need to act with the same urgency that led us to reach the moon within the 1960s. We also need more solar, wind and thermal energy, and safer nuclear power.

The next most important thing for respondents was lifting the cap on damages companies owe when an oil spill happens. I’ve already proposed legislation to raise the cap from its current $75 million level to at least $10 billion. I’ve also called for a congressional inquiry into BP’s plans to use steep losses from the oil spill to cut its U.S. tax bill by $10 billion, which would amount to about half what they have pledged to aid Gulf coast victims of the catastrophe.

Investigating and evaluating the long-term effects of oil beneath the surface of the Gulf was a priority for 18 percent of the respondents. I introduced the Subsea Hydrocarbon Imagery and Planning Act of 2010 to require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to come up with a comprehensive plan to find and assess the environmental and health risks posed by submerged oil, gas, and other toxic substances. I’ve called for a federal investigation on the widespread use of dispersants, because the toxic brew they’ve created could result in greater environmental troubles than if the oil had been allowed to sit on the surface until it was collected. And, I’ve met with marine scientists at our state universities who are conducting research to find out if the oil and dispersants are affecting tiny micro-organisms that are the foundation of the food chain. I will press BP to pay for more of that research.

Fifteen percent of those who answered the survey emphasized the importance of tax breaks for small businesses hurt by the spill and workers displaced by it. Another 15 percent want to keep oil companies away from states like Florida that rely on tourism, fishing, and beach-front economies, and cannot afford the risk that accompanies drilling close to the coast. And 11 percent are in favor of a criminal investigation that would put those most responsible for the spill behind bars.

Of course, not everyone agreed about keeping oil drilling away from Florida. For instance, one person wrote, “I just got your survey regarding the oil spill and my priority isn't listed. My priority is to drill, drill, drill.” Another wrote, “I'm all in favor of drilling anywhere and everywhere there is oil to be had. That includes in ANWAR and off the coast of Florida.”

No one is advocating we cease all domestic drilling. In fact, our government already has leased 68 million new acres to the oil companies – but, they haven't even sunk the first well. No matter what anybody says, the U.S. has only three percent of the world’s reserves, while it uses nearly one-fourth of the world’s supply. In other words, we cannot drill our way out of the energy problem. That’s why the answer lies in alternatives to oil.

Your feedback is important and helpful to me as we continue to deal with the effects of the Deepwater explosion and spill. Thank you for sharing your opinions with me.

Open Thread

Open thread ...

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Back from NOLA now ... will get back into the saddle soon.

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Been here in New Orleans for the 5th Anniversary of Katrina. Rainy. The people are resilient. Still lots to do to recover. The population dropped 40% right after Katrina, but is back up to 80% of what it once was.

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Your government can track poor or middle class citizens with GPS devices, but not the rich elite, says a "liberal" court ...

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If you are wondering where your tax money went that was to rebuild New Orleans, look to the oil companies who got the lion's share ... MOMCOM hath tentacles everywhere but no integrity anywhere (except in the eyes of her child/sister/mouth, the media) ...

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disaffected mentioned the case that has put a halt to stem cell research pending appeal ...

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Global weirding is a child of global warming which is a child of green house gases which are the children of toxic oil ... Pakistan's suffering is a child of global weirding ... and all of it is a child of toxic oil addiction ...

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Iran's President is a fake Islamic leader if he wants drones to be ambassadors of death, but according to the BBC that is not what he indicated ... U.S. drones show that these weapons are ambassadors of the death of innocent bystanders all too often ...

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Feds not testing for certain toxins so they can say the seafood is clean then put the liability on the Gulf of Mexico fishermen ... Dredd Blog warned of this in a recent post ... Mother Jones has an article in the Sep-Oct paper version (I subscribe) titled "The BP Cover-Up" subtitled "The truth is down there" ...

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Iran & Russia start up nuclear power generating plant.

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Pakistan's Floods Signal "Global Weirding"

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Wikileaks founder all of a sudden is a suspect in a rape case now - he says it is a frame up ********* UPDATE ********* Swedish authorities reversed themselves and withdrew the accusations: Wikileaks founder not a suspect any more

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Another snag has developed in Humanity's trek to outer space so as to avoid extinction ...

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Hackers bring down airliner ... AND easily put Pac-Man on YOUR voting machine ...

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Scientists say the Big One could hit Los Angeles much sooner than previously thought ...

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