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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Oilah Akbar! Oilah Akbar! - 3

We wondered why Iran's recent seizure of Iraqi oil wells did not get much media play, or why activating the 4th Fleet after 58 years, then sending them to the Americas south of our borders was likewise not getting much media play.

Then all of a sudden this new story, totally unaffected by government influence, about a new scientific discovery came across my eye balls:
An estimated 513 billion barrels of technically recoverable heavy oil are in Venezuela’s Orinoco Oil Belt.

This area contains one of the world's largest recoverable oil accumulations, and this assessment is the first to identify how much is technically recoverable (producible using currently available technology and industry practices).

Worldwide consumption of petroleum was 85.4 million barrels per day in 2008. The three largest consuming countries were United States with 19.5 million barrels per day, China with 7.9 million barrels per day, and Japan with 4.8 million barrels per day.

“Knowing the potential for extractable resources from this tremendous oil accumulation, and others like it, is critical to our understanding of the global petroleum potential and informing policy and decision makers,” said USGS Energy Resources Program Coordinator Brenda Pierce. “Accumulations like this one were previously very difficult to produce, but advances in technology and new understandings in geology allow us to assess how much is now technically recoverable."
(USGS Release). Was I wrong to conclude that something was surely afoot, even though I am not yet sure what exactly it is that is afoot?

This story is related to the Canadian thick oil, since the Argentinian oil is thick as well, but so is heroin and so is opium tar.

Does anyone know how to say "Oilah Akbar" in Spanish? (el petrĂ³leo de dios es gran)?

What this would mean, if we secure a supply to our drug oil needs, by military control of course, from south of our own borders, is that we will happily continue to impose global warming upon the rest of the world. [we use more oil than China and Japan (#2 & #3) combined]

That global warming conspiracy theory won't effect those of us in the know, of course.

One wrinkle in the story is that China and Argentina have substantial agreements concerning oil, which would put China at odds with the U.S. in the Americas ... so what do we know about the status of the "Monroe Doctrine"?

Is it limited in application to Europe, or does it also apply to China? Does it even apply to Argentina?

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

Foreign Citizens United v FEC

The case name I distorted in the title of this post is actually Citizens United v Federal Election Commission.

But my "made up" name in the title of this post may be just as accurate as the original case name, if not more so.

That is because my title above does not hide the reality that foreign nations can control the election this November, and the presidential election in 2012 as well.

How? By funding corporate ads, movies, publications, and all manner of other media surges, not to mention more "citizen" lawsuits.

I mean do you think middle class "citizens" sued to make sure more "citizen corporations" could spend more money on American political campaigns?

I point this out because the Supreme Court majority of 5 conservatives specifically held:
We need not reach the question whether the Government has a compelling interest in preventing foreign individuals or associations from influencing our Nation’s political process. Cf. 2 U. S. C. §441e (contribution and expenditure ban applied to “foreign national[s]”). Section 441b is not limited to corporations or associations that were created in foreign countries or funded predominantly by foreign shareholders. Section 441b therefore would be overbroad even if we assumed, arguendo, that the Government has a compelling interest in limiting foreign influence over our political process.
(Citizens U. v FEC, page 46-47, PDF, emphasis added). Oh they could have "reached", since they "reached" many questions that were not part of the case in the courts below anyway.

But they could not "reach" just a little further, just far enough to protect the integrity of our elections from foreigners, some of which are enemies, in the upcoming elections?

Did they really want to risk that?

Now it is possible that even foreign enemies can control the next election because the most patriotic people on earth, the few, the proud, the neoCons, have gone all mavericky rogue on us and have become activist judges of the beyond the beyond type.

Remember that cases take years to "reach" the Supreme Court. Years.

So, now it will take years before the Supremes can "reach" the issue about whether foreign owned U.S. Corporations or foreign owned Foreign Corporations can spend all the money they want to on U.S. elections.

These Supreme Hypocrites are part of the party who loudly castigate "activist judges", but in a completely brain dead way, as we have pointed out on this blog.

They have violated the new code of judicial conduct, not just by becoming political, but by opening the doors of foreign influence on our politics while at the same time condemning such practices for others.

This gives new meaning to free markets.

There is some discussion about 2 U. S. C. §441e (contribution and expenditure ban applied to “foreign national[s]”) still prohibiting foreign political influence.

Since it is dependent on the interpretation of the text, it is dependent on another lawsuit. It may very well allow foreign influence or it may very well not allow it.

The Supremes did not "reach" that, so off to litigation which will not be decided until the next two elections are over.

What the naive are missing is that foreign interests influence money in the U.S., through multinational corporations like AIG and the like.

These multinational corporations (e.g. Haliburton with its headquarters in Dubai, UAE) know how to find loopholes with their cadre of lawyers, and they can influence the next two elections before the issue is decided.

Disaster Movies vs No Problem Movies

The popularity of movies like "2012" and "Collapse" makes one wonder what happened to the old movies, where the Lone Ranger or another hero came in at the last moment to save the day.

When I met Ruppert at U.C.L.A., who is the person of focus in the movie Collapse, it looked to me like he smokes about as much as Bob Dylan does.

As we chatted back and forth, I gathered that this man is as serious as a heart attack, but even more controversial.

I wrote about the movie Collapse a while back on a post here, but I assure you I never expected Roger Ebert to say:
If this man is correct, then you may be reading the most important story in today's paper.

I have no way of assuring you that the bleak version of the future outlined by Michael Ruppert in Chris Smith's "Collapse" is accurate. I can only tell you I have a pretty good built-in B.S. detector, and its needle never bounced off zero while I watched this film. There is controversy over Ruppert, and he has many critics. But one simple fact at the center of his argument is obviously true, and it terrifies me.

That fact: We have passed the peak of global oil resources.
(Ebert Review). The movie is getting good reviews in many quarters where one would not expect it.

The movie is outraging the far right who call anyone a conspiracy theorist who realizes:
a) that oil is a finite liquid,

b) that the world's military machines are addicted to it,

c) that civilization is addicted to & founded upon it, and

d) that oil is going to run out.
The last and largest bubble that is going to pop is not the bank bubble, the housing bubble, the Wall Street bubble, it is the great propaganda bubble.

Anything that offers to pop that greatest of all American bubbles is hated and called a conspiracy theory by those blowing hot air furiously into the bubble.

The blowhards who say global warming is a hoax, who power the great Lawrence Welk propaganda bubble machine, while preparing for the oil wars, are the ones I am talking about.

One thing I can't figure out, however, is why Ruppert sings in a band called "New White Trash" ... stay tuned.

Friday, January 22, 2010

A "W" On Every Compass Point

Is that going to replace the old politician's promise of the days of yore?

Remember "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage"?

Will that be replaced with a "W" on every point in the compass of U.S. foreign policy, not to mention domestic policy?

Does the "W" come from "George W. Obama" or from the longest lasting thing in U.S. foreign policy these daze, War?

Or does it come from the daddy Warbucks soon to spend furiously on elections, since the supreme court let the dogs out yesterday in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission?

Either way, the voters rejected it in the last presidential election, and will reject it again in November.

The boy scouts who have grown up to be cowboy political advisers to Bush II, Hillary Clinton during her campaign, and now the governing President Obama, have all been ideologically intimidated by the military media oil complex.

The military media oil complex are not the people's choice, so, the propagandists in that shadow zone have chosen to continue to try to deceive the public even as they govern by intimidating the elected.

The only problem with that is the people see through it, but the warsters don't care, because they have Jesus on their gun sights, which they dutifully take to mean "God On Our Side".

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Heartbeat of Unobtainium

When hearts beat in synchronized rhythm it makes music to some, noise to others.

Hearts beat in the same language that smiles smile in; everyone knows what it means.

Avatar has been banned by the Chinese government, it has been banned by portions of the U.S. government (the few the proud the Marines), the Vatican, and some others.

When it comes to unobtainium, however, these heartbeats and smiles drop out of sync.

These hearts may beat together, but when their eyes glaze over by the color of unobtainium, their minds go off in different directions.

Unobtainium is what global agreement on climate change, energy, religion, politics, peace, and government is made of.

Oops, I forgot good and lasting economy.

China has a strong economic heart beat and a big smile after taking over first place from Germany in exports last year.

Not content to leave it at that, it is now rapidly advancing on other economic fronts:
China has said its economy expanded by 8.7% in 2009, exceeding even the government's own initial expectations.

The pace of change increased as the year went on, with growth in the final quarter of 2009 increasing by 10.7% from the same period a year earlier.

China is now on course to overtake Japan and become the world's second-biggest economy.

Japan announces its latest quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) figures next month.

The Japanese economy is likely to have contracted by about 6% in 2009.
(BBC News). Can anyone remember the last time the U.S. had 8.7% economic growth, I mean in a positive direction (excluding the war budget)?

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Yes They Can!

Did the cavemen counter attack on the heels of the caveman policies of the failing Obama Administration?

It seems that the "George W. Obama" policies will continue, because they were warned, warned, and warned but remained know it alls throughout their first grade classes.

The Obama administration and Senate Democrats have committed to larger wars in Afghanistan, longer wars in Iraq, expanding wars around the globe, giving foreign nations infrastructure and job money, while being skimpy to the citizens at home.

All the while bringing coffee to the plunder barons on wall street, curtseying to the trinket wearing warmongers in Pentagonia, capital of Bullshitistan, and taking the voters for a ride in the wrong direction.

Their first question will probably be "why did people with good personality, good family, church going, and a good smile loose Ted Kennedy's seat"?

Which will show that they still don't get the point that Americans want the wars over, the neoCon fascism over, and will yearn for it in anger until it happens.

In the mean time, the voters of Massachusetts have been driven insane by the carelessness of their government, driven into a senseless rage.

In November we will see if the dazed dems can drive a large portion of the populace insane, loose the majorities, and return us to the Bush II daze.

Obama's reaction to the loss was to call the guy up and say he looked forward to working with him. Yes they can!

That will do in our reputation in the world. Kaput. Gone. Zero.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

10 Feet Here, 20 Feet There, Rise of H2O

The scientists are at it again, and I must admit that I am glad they are at it, however, what they are saying is a bit disturbing.

Especially if you live in a city with a robust and booming seaport.

Lets face it, they have done a good job on climate or weather prediction software, at least in the areas where I have been watching it work.

I mean, it is much better that the political prognostications and expectations of political parties as to who will win what election.

In almost every nation that has elections the body politic has screamed "fraudulent election" these past few years.

The weather software has done a better job, for example, in the area of tracking the direction a hurricane is likely to take, than political software has done to predict the outcome of elections.

Jabber the Whut and others in the "Me Like Me Take" political party have not been overly impressed with all this, choosing instead to focus on plunder.

But now there is a model for the ice sheets in Western Antarctica, and the ice is likely to break up, get to the ocean, whereupon the ocean would rise about 3.3 meters, or as we say here, about ten feet.

Iceland's ice sheet, which is rapidly melting too, could add 7 meters, or as we say here, 21 feet.

That is 31 feet folks on the coast!

The global warming watchers at NASA have stated that this past decade was the warmest in recorded history.

Monday, January 18, 2010

It's About The Stupid Stupid


Can imbecillus republikansas defeat eliteius connecticutus or no?

The election protoplasm writhing to replace Ted Kennedy's seat with new heads in the U.S. Senate is evolving.

From that primal ooze a nightstorm of politcal mystery takes a form so obvious the oblivious cannot plumb its depths.

We warned them not to forget that the recent election was a rejection election, and warned that if they forgot the last presidential election was not a personal popularity contest they would eventually suffer the wrath of the electorate.

Many trillions of dollars downstream it appears that they did not get the message, and are close to getting the shaft instead.

Many wonder how an election that should not even be close is so very close.

Open Thread


This joint is yours.

I might draw your attention to a new post on the ecocosmology blog.

It is called "Natural Terrorism vs Human Terrorism".

Sunday, January 17, 2010

The Two Faces of Sam

If there was ever a time I believed sincerely that national governments can suffer from toxins of power schizophrenia, the natural disaster in Haiti has convinced me even more than that.

The military media oil complex of Uncle Sam is showing human compassion and care by hastily setting up salvation shops in Haiti.

When I see our cargo ships, hospital ships, helicopters, and all manner of aid being brought to those in dire need in Haiti, done in haste at that, it warms my heart.

There can be no better way to show true Americanism to the nations of the world than that. Working with them for a humanitarian cause.

But then I remember when I see cargo ships, hospital ships, helicopters, and all manner of weapons being brought to those in dire fear in Afghanistan and Iraq, done in haste at that, it chills my heart.

I suppose one of the DNA patterns of toxins of power schizophrenia is revealed when the direction of the energy is considered.

If the heart of the government is going towards destruction, death, torture, and all manner of killing and maiming, one day, then going the opposite direction another day, it is a pattern of toxins of power schizophrenia.

If the dark side keeps this up, next the dark side will Hyde our money.