Sunday, July 4, 2010
U.S. officials spy on activists across the political spectrum
http://tuccille.com/disloyal/2010/07/01/u-s-officials-spy-on-activists-across-the-political-spectrum/
POLICING FREE SPEECH:
Police Surveillance and Obstruction of First Amendment‐
Protected Activity
http://www.aclu.org/files/assets/Spyfiles_2_0.pdf
POLICING FREE SPEECH:
Police Surveillance and Obstruction of First Amendment‐
Protected Activity
http://www.aclu.org/files/assets/Spyfiles_2_0.pdf
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Learned Hand -- (1872-1961), Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals
"What do we mean when we say that first of all we seek liberty?
I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes.
Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it...
What is this liberty that must lie in the hearts of men and women? It is not the ruthless, the unbridled will; it is not the freedom to do as one likes. That is the denial of liberty and leads straight to its overthrow.
A society in which men recognize no check on their freedom soon becomes a society where freedom is the possession of only a savage few -- as we have learned to our sorrow.
What then is the spirit of liberty? I cannot define it; I can only tell you my own faith.
The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interests alongside its own without bias..."
-- -- Learned Hand -- (1872-1961), Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals -- Source: Learned Hand, in "The Spirit of Liberty" - a speech at "I Am an American Day" ceremony, Central Park, New York City (21 May 1944)
I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes; believe me, these are false hopes.
Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it...
What is this liberty that must lie in the hearts of men and women? It is not the ruthless, the unbridled will; it is not the freedom to do as one likes. That is the denial of liberty and leads straight to its overthrow.
A society in which men recognize no check on their freedom soon becomes a society where freedom is the possession of only a savage few -- as we have learned to our sorrow.
What then is the spirit of liberty? I cannot define it; I can only tell you my own faith.
The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interests alongside its own without bias..."
-- -- Learned Hand -- (1872-1961), Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals -- Source: Learned Hand, in "The Spirit of Liberty" - a speech at "I Am an American Day" ceremony, Central Park, New York City (21 May 1944)
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tecumseh - (1768-1813) Shawnee Chief
"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about his religion. Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to none. When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home." by: Tecumseh -(1768-1813) Shawnee Chief
Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to none. When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.
Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home." by: Tecumseh -(1768-1813) Shawnee Chief
Monday, June 28, 2010
Gold: Assumptions vs Reality
http://www.expectedreturnsblog.com/2010/06/gold-assumptions-vs-reality.html
CREDIT TO CLYMER FOR THE LINK:
THIS ARTICLE WAS POSTED AT ZEROHEDGE BUT IS EASIER TO READ ON THE ORIGINAL BLOG
CREDIT TO CLYMER FOR THE LINK:
THIS ARTICLE WAS POSTED AT ZEROHEDGE BUT IS EASIER TO READ ON THE ORIGINAL BLOG
Sunday, June 27, 2010
SOUNDS LIKE A VALUABLE SOURCE OF INFO TO ME.
THE PARTISANS HANDBOOK
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/partisanshandbook.html
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT I PURCHASED AWHILE BACK:
Picking up the Pieces: Practical Guide for Surviving Economic Crashes, Internal Unrest and Military Suppression
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index713.htm
YOU NEED TO READ THESE NOW SO YOU WILL BE PREPARED FOR THE INEVITABLE CRASH AND SUBSEQUENT SOCIETAL BREAKDOWN THAT WILL FOLLOW.
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/partisanshandbook.html
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT I PURCHASED AWHILE BACK:
Picking up the Pieces: Practical Guide for Surviving Economic Crashes, Internal Unrest and Military Suppression
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index713.htm
YOU NEED TO READ THESE NOW SO YOU WILL BE PREPARED FOR THE INEVITABLE CRASH AND SUBSEQUENT SOCIETAL BREAKDOWN THAT WILL FOLLOW.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED FOLKS, DON'T DISMISS THIS AS JUST ANOTHER DISASTER STORY...THIS ONE COULD DESTROY US ALL!
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1382.htm
WE ARE ALL MERE PAWNS IN THE GAME BEING FOISTED UPON US BY THE ELITE MEGALOMANIACS IN POSITIONS OF POWER AROUND THE GLOBE.
THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE BILLIONS OF US DIE TO REDUCE THE PRESSURES ON THE WORLD'S RESOURCES BY ALL OF US 'USELESS EATERS'.
THE ROCKEFELLERS, ROTHSCHILDS, ILLUMINATI, ETC HAVE PUT THEIR PLAN FOR A ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT INTO HIGH GEAR AND YOU ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
WE ARE ALL MERE PAWNS IN THE GAME BEING FOISTED UPON US BY THE ELITE MEGALOMANIACS IN POSITIONS OF POWER AROUND THE GLOBE.
THEY ACTUALLY WANT TO SEE BILLIONS OF US DIE TO REDUCE THE PRESSURES ON THE WORLD'S RESOURCES BY ALL OF US 'USELESS EATERS'.
THE ROCKEFELLERS, ROTHSCHILDS, ILLUMINATI, ETC HAVE PUT THEIR PLAN FOR A ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT INTO HIGH GEAR AND YOU ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
JOHN LOCKE ON CIVIL GOVERNMENT
The Second Treatise of Civil Government 1690
"That the aggressor, who puts himself into the state of war with another, and unjustly invades another man's right, can, by such an unjust war, never come to have a right over the conquered, will be easily agreed by all men, who will not think that robbers and pirates hhave a right of empire over whomsoever they have force enough to master, or that men are bound by promises which unlawful force extorts from them.
Should a robber break into my house, and, with a dagger at my throat, make me seal deeds to convey my estate to him, would this give him any title? Just such a title by his sword has an unjust conqueror who forces me into submission. The injury and the crime is equal, whether committed by the wearer of a crown or some petty villain.
The title of the offender and the number of his followers make no difference in the offence, unless it be to aggravate it. The only difference is, great robbers punish little ones to keep them in their obedience; but the great ones are rewarded with laurels and triumphs, because they are too big for the weak hands of justice in this world, and have the power in their own possession which should punish offenders." John Locke - 1632-1704
http://www.constitution.org/jl/2ndtreat.htm
"That the aggressor, who puts himself into the state of war with another, and unjustly invades another man's right, can, by such an unjust war, never come to have a right over the conquered, will be easily agreed by all men, who will not think that robbers and pirates hhave a right of empire over whomsoever they have force enough to master, or that men are bound by promises which unlawful force extorts from them.
Should a robber break into my house, and, with a dagger at my throat, make me seal deeds to convey my estate to him, would this give him any title? Just such a title by his sword has an unjust conqueror who forces me into submission. The injury and the crime is equal, whether committed by the wearer of a crown or some petty villain.
The title of the offender and the number of his followers make no difference in the offence, unless it be to aggravate it. The only difference is, great robbers punish little ones to keep them in their obedience; but the great ones are rewarded with laurels and triumphs, because they are too big for the weak hands of justice in this world, and have the power in their own possession which should punish offenders." John Locke - 1632-1704
http://www.constitution.org/jl/2ndtreat.htm
GEAB: GLOBAL EUROPE ANTICIPATION BULLETIN FOR SUMMER 2010
http://www.leap2020.eu/geab-n-46-special-summer-2010-edition-is-available-global-systemic-crisis-second-half-of-2010-the-global-system-s-four_a4810.html
THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNCANNILY ACCURATE ON THEIR PREDICTIONS
THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN UNCANNILY ACCURATE ON THEIR PREDICTIONS
DYLAN RATIGAN: Wall Street Reform: Politicians Lie, Media Applauds, America Suffers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-ratigan/politicians-lie-media-app_b_625885.html
COMMENT POSTED UNDER THE ARTICLE:
drexl spivy 22 minutes ago (9:58 AM) 0 Fans
Glass-Steagall 1932-1999 -- During this time, the United States achieved the following major accomplishments during a period when our banking system, for the most part, was actually designed to allocate capital for the country's productive purposes, where risk was appropriately priced and client fiduciary relationships were hallmark:
1) Successfully fought an unconditional war against totalitarianism on 2 fronts with victory in little less than 4 years after starting out with only a modest standing army.
2) The US became the sole economic superpower during the 1950s with an unbelievable rise in the general standard of living for most of the population.
3) Led the world in technical innovation in computer technology and aviation culminating in a successful moon landing during the 1960s.
4) Continued advances in medicine and information technology and communciations setting the stage for leadership in the information age through the 1990s.
Since Glass Steagal's repeal (1999-today and forever with the passage of "Fin Reg") our country's hallmarks are the following:
1) The US banking system exploded to become a debt churning ponzi scheme where government's and most individuals became slaves to debt by doing away with a tried and true capital allocation system that for the better part of sixty years brought rising prosperity for most people.
2) War on terror.
3) The Patriot Act.
4) Rendition and Guantanamo.
5) Stop Loss.
6) A housing bubble.
7) Systemic government and corporate corruption.
8) Strip mall graveyards.
9) A gutted production infrastructure.
COMMENT POSTED UNDER THE ARTICLE:
drexl spivy 22 minutes ago (9:58 AM) 0 Fans
Glass-Steagall 1932-1999 -- During this time, the United States achieved the following major accomplishments during a period when our banking system, for the most part, was actually designed to allocate capital for the country's productive purposes, where risk was appropriately priced and client fiduciary relationships were hallmark:
1) Successfully fought an unconditional war against totalitarianism on 2 fronts with victory in little less than 4 years after starting out with only a modest standing army.
2) The US became the sole economic superpower during the 1950s with an unbelievable rise in the general standard of living for most of the population.
3) Led the world in technical innovation in computer technology and aviation culminating in a successful moon landing during the 1960s.
4) Continued advances in medicine and information technology and communciations setting the stage for leadership in the information age through the 1990s.
Since Glass Steagal's repeal (1999-today and forever with the passage of "Fin Reg") our country's hallmarks are the following:
1) The US banking system exploded to become a debt churning ponzi scheme where government's and most individuals became slaves to debt by doing away with a tried and true capital allocation system that for the better part of sixty years brought rising prosperity for most people.
2) War on terror.
3) The Patriot Act.
4) Rendition and Guantanamo.
5) Stop Loss.
6) A housing bubble.
7) Systemic government and corporate corruption.
8) Strip mall graveyards.
9) A gutted production infrastructure.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
FROM JSMINESET.COM TUESDAY 6/22/10
Jim’s Mailbox
Posted: Jun 22 2010 By: Jim Sinclair Post Edited: June 22, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Filed under: Jim's Mailbox
Dear CIGAs,
A bankrupt BP is worse for the financial world than Lehman Brothers was for exactly the same reason.
Pedro’s credentials in energy exceed by orders of magnitude those talking heads giving daily BP opinions. In fact, Pedro’s credentials might just be better than all of them added together.
Please read this article closely, and share it with others. It is just that important.
Regards,
Jim
Dear Jim,
The BP crisis in the Gulf of Mexico has rightfully been analysed from the ecological perspective. People’s lives and livelihoods are in grave danger. But that focus has equally masked something very serious from a financial perspective, in my opinion, that could lead to an acceleration of the crisis brought about by the Lehman implosion.
People are seriously underestimating how much liquidity in the global financial world is dependent on a solvent BP. BP extends credit – through trading and finance. They extend the amounts, quality and duration of credit a bank could only dream of. The Gold community should think about the financial muscle behind a company with 100+ years of proven oil and gas reserves. Think about that in comparison with what a bank, with few tangible assets, (truly, not allegedly) possesses (no wonder they all started trading for a living!). Then think about what happens if BP goes under. This is no bank. With proven reserves and wells in the ground, equity in fields all over the planet, in terms of credit quality and credit provision – nothing can match an oil major. God only knows how many assets around the planet are dependent on credit and finance extended from BP. It is likely to dwarf any banking entity in multiples.
And at the heart of it all are those dreadful OTC derivatives again! Banks try and lean on major oil companies because they have exactly the kind of credit-worthiness that they themselves lack. In fact, major oil companies, conversely, spend large amounts of time both denying Banks credit and trying to get Bank risk off of their books in their trading operations. Oil companies have always mistrusted bank creditworthiness and have largely considered the banking industry a bad financial joke. Banks plead with oil companies to let them trade beyond one year in duration. Banks even used to do losing trades with oil companies simply to get them on their trading register… a foot in the door so that they could subsequently beg for an extension in credit size and duration. For the banks, all trading was based on what the early derivatives giant, Bankers Trust, named their trading system: RAROC – or, Risk Adjusted Return on Credit. Trading is a function of credit bequeathed, mixed with the risk of the (trading) position. As trading and credit are intertwined, we might do well to remember what might happen to global liquidity and markets if BP suffers what many believe to be its deserved fate of bankruptcy. The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has already been and will be further undermined by BP’s distress. They are one of the only “hard asset” entities backing up this so-called exchange.
If BP does go bust (regardless of whether it is deserved), and even if it is just badly wounded and the US entity is allowed to fail, the long-term OTC derivatives in the oil, refined products and natural gas markets that get nullified could be catastrophic. These will kick-back into the banking system. BP is the primary player on the long-end of the energy curve. How exposed are Goldman sub J. Aron, Morgan Stanley and JPM? Probably hugely. Now credit has been cut to BP. Counter-parties will not accept their name beyond one year in duration. This is unheard of. A giant is on the ropes. If he falls, the very earth may shake as he hits the ground.
As we are beginning to see, the Western pension structure, financial trading and global credit are all inter-twined. BP is central to this, as a massive supplier of what many believe(d) to be AAA credit. So while we see banks roll over and die, and sovereign entities begin to falter… we now have a major oil company on the verge of going under. Another leg of the global economic “chair” is being viciously kicked out from under us. Ecological damage is not just an eco-event on its isolated own. It has been added to the list of man-made disasters jeopardizing the world economy. The price tag and resultant knock-on effects of a BP failure could easily be equal to that of a Lehman, if not more. It is surely, at the very least, Enron x10.
All the counter-party risk associated with the current BP situation means the term curve of the global oil trade has likely shut down. Here we have yet another credit-based event causing a lock-up in markets that will now impede trade and commerce. It looks like an exact replication of the 2008 credit market seizure could ensue all over again – and it could probably be a lot worse. The world is in a far more delicate state now.
Although never really discussed, the world is highly reliant on BPs provision of long-term credit to many core industries. Who makes good on all the outstanding paper that so many smaller oil, gas and electricity companies, airlines, shipping companies, local bus, railway and transportation networks that rely on BPs creditworthiness and performance for? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how this could all unwind. If BP has to be bailed-out, like a bank, the system will have to print even more unimaginable amounts of money.
The market, intellectually lazy and slow to realization, as it often is, probably has not woken up to it yet – but the BP crisis could unleash damage similar to the banking crisis. A BP failure through bankruptcy could make Lehman look small in comparison, and shake the financial house of cards we live in even more severely. If the implicit danger of the possibilities imbedded in such an event doesn’t make an individual now turn towards Gold at full speed, it is likely that nothing will.
Respectfully yours,
CIGA Pedro
Posted: Jun 22 2010 By: Jim Sinclair Post Edited: June 22, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Filed under: Jim's Mailbox
Dear CIGAs,
A bankrupt BP is worse for the financial world than Lehman Brothers was for exactly the same reason.
Pedro’s credentials in energy exceed by orders of magnitude those talking heads giving daily BP opinions. In fact, Pedro’s credentials might just be better than all of them added together.
Please read this article closely, and share it with others. It is just that important.
Regards,
Jim
Dear Jim,
The BP crisis in the Gulf of Mexico has rightfully been analysed from the ecological perspective. People’s lives and livelihoods are in grave danger. But that focus has equally masked something very serious from a financial perspective, in my opinion, that could lead to an acceleration of the crisis brought about by the Lehman implosion.
People are seriously underestimating how much liquidity in the global financial world is dependent on a solvent BP. BP extends credit – through trading and finance. They extend the amounts, quality and duration of credit a bank could only dream of. The Gold community should think about the financial muscle behind a company with 100+ years of proven oil and gas reserves. Think about that in comparison with what a bank, with few tangible assets, (truly, not allegedly) possesses (no wonder they all started trading for a living!). Then think about what happens if BP goes under. This is no bank. With proven reserves and wells in the ground, equity in fields all over the planet, in terms of credit quality and credit provision – nothing can match an oil major. God only knows how many assets around the planet are dependent on credit and finance extended from BP. It is likely to dwarf any banking entity in multiples.
And at the heart of it all are those dreadful OTC derivatives again! Banks try and lean on major oil companies because they have exactly the kind of credit-worthiness that they themselves lack. In fact, major oil companies, conversely, spend large amounts of time both denying Banks credit and trying to get Bank risk off of their books in their trading operations. Oil companies have always mistrusted bank creditworthiness and have largely considered the banking industry a bad financial joke. Banks plead with oil companies to let them trade beyond one year in duration. Banks even used to do losing trades with oil companies simply to get them on their trading register… a foot in the door so that they could subsequently beg for an extension in credit size and duration. For the banks, all trading was based on what the early derivatives giant, Bankers Trust, named their trading system: RAROC – or, Risk Adjusted Return on Credit. Trading is a function of credit bequeathed, mixed with the risk of the (trading) position. As trading and credit are intertwined, we might do well to remember what might happen to global liquidity and markets if BP suffers what many believe to be its deserved fate of bankruptcy. The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has already been and will be further undermined by BP’s distress. They are one of the only “hard asset” entities backing up this so-called exchange.
If BP does go bust (regardless of whether it is deserved), and even if it is just badly wounded and the US entity is allowed to fail, the long-term OTC derivatives in the oil, refined products and natural gas markets that get nullified could be catastrophic. These will kick-back into the banking system. BP is the primary player on the long-end of the energy curve. How exposed are Goldman sub J. Aron, Morgan Stanley and JPM? Probably hugely. Now credit has been cut to BP. Counter-parties will not accept their name beyond one year in duration. This is unheard of. A giant is on the ropes. If he falls, the very earth may shake as he hits the ground.
As we are beginning to see, the Western pension structure, financial trading and global credit are all inter-twined. BP is central to this, as a massive supplier of what many believe(d) to be AAA credit. So while we see banks roll over and die, and sovereign entities begin to falter… we now have a major oil company on the verge of going under. Another leg of the global economic “chair” is being viciously kicked out from under us. Ecological damage is not just an eco-event on its isolated own. It has been added to the list of man-made disasters jeopardizing the world economy. The price tag and resultant knock-on effects of a BP failure could easily be equal to that of a Lehman, if not more. It is surely, at the very least, Enron x10.
All the counter-party risk associated with the current BP situation means the term curve of the global oil trade has likely shut down. Here we have yet another credit-based event causing a lock-up in markets that will now impede trade and commerce. It looks like an exact replication of the 2008 credit market seizure could ensue all over again – and it could probably be a lot worse. The world is in a far more delicate state now.
Although never really discussed, the world is highly reliant on BPs provision of long-term credit to many core industries. Who makes good on all the outstanding paper that so many smaller oil, gas and electricity companies, airlines, shipping companies, local bus, railway and transportation networks that rely on BPs creditworthiness and performance for? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how this could all unwind. If BP has to be bailed-out, like a bank, the system will have to print even more unimaginable amounts of money.
The market, intellectually lazy and slow to realization, as it often is, probably has not woken up to it yet – but the BP crisis could unleash damage similar to the banking crisis. A BP failure through bankruptcy could make Lehman look small in comparison, and shake the financial house of cards we live in even more severely. If the implicit danger of the possibilities imbedded in such an event doesn’t make an individual now turn towards Gold at full speed, it is likely that nothing will.
Respectfully yours,
CIGA Pedro
Saturday, June 19, 2010
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