Robert O'Dowd: Superstorm Sandy Victims Left in a Lurch!

Despite promises, decisions made not to allow a vote for aid to Super-storm Sandy victims. Speaker John Boehner of Ohio reneged on his promise to allow a vote on aid to victims of Super-storm Sandy, according to an irate Representative Peter King, R-NY. Northeast lawmakers learned late Tuesday night that the House Republican leadership decided to not allow a vote to aid to Super-storm Sandy victims. The Associated Press reported that Republican Peter King, R-NY, said he was told by the office of Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, that Speaker John Boehner of Ohio had decided to abandon a vote this session. Cantor, who sets the House schedule, did not immediately comment. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland told reporters that just before Tuesday evening's vote on "fiscal cliff" legislation, Canter told him that he was "99.9 percent confident that this bill would be on the floor, and that's what he wanted." A spokesman for Boehner, Michael Steel said, "The speaker is committed to getting this bill passed this month." In remarks on the House floor,, King called the decision "absolutely inexcusable, absolutely indefensible. We cannot just walk away from our responsibilities." The Senate approved a $60.4 billion measure Friday, to help with recovery from the October storm, that devastated parts of New York, New Jersey and nearby states. The House Appropriations Committee has drafted a smaller, $27 billion measure, and a vote had been expected before Congress' term ends Thursday at noon. More than $2 billion in federal funds has been spent so far on relief efforts for 11 states, and the District of Columbia struck by the storm, one of the worst ever to hit the Northeast. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund still has about $4.3 billion, enough to pay for recovery efforts into early spring, according to officials. The unspent FEMA money can only be used for emergency services, said Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-NJ. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are receiving federal aid.  

William Dean A. Garner: America's History Books:

Time for a rewrite. The Reptilian Jesuits have rewritten history to suit their needs, and ensure its widest possible dissemination in all forms across the globe. It's time to correct their fiction.  Now that we know they've duped us for hundreds of years, and even longer with others in place of the Jesuits, I feel it's time to correct all the fiction they have created. Question is, do we burn all those useless books, even the really sexy looking ones with exotic leather covers and gilded titles? Yes, this includes the greatest historical novel of all time, The Bible. I don't care which version, pick one. For the burning , we'll choose all versions. I have this thing against burning books, but in light of the fact we'll be scorching a Himalayan size pile of crap, I'm all in. In fact, I'm striking the first match, of what will surely be the biggest bonfire in the history of mankind. Let's start with anything written about US politics, which was originally designed to divide and conquer the unsuspecting masses. There have been countless treatises published on the morally right Democrats and the war mongering Republicans, all great entertainment, if you dig detritus. How many authors spent years and decades studying the various political parties' philosophies and practices? How many books were birthed from bogus PhD dissertations and Master's theses? And how many careers focused on the virtues of the elephant and the donkey? Thousands of books, I'm certain. No, I didn't do in depth research on the topic, I was sitting in a nice bar instead. I'm taking a wild guess, something the authors of the above mentioned books did all the time. Still do. I almost feel sorry for the professor of political studies at any University who is considered the world expert on the Democratic party. Everything that weenie has done, is an outright lie. Everything, and he's gotten government and private grants over the years to support his sham wow.  Probably bragged on himself at cocktail parties and donor receptions. Now look at him. He gets a front row seat at the bonfire, an excellent opportunity to consider his next career.  

Charles Eisenstein: Everything We Tell Ourselves About America -

and the world is wrong: Why we need a new story that gives meaning to the world. Every culture has a Story of the People to give meaning to the world. Every culture has a story of the people,, to give meaning to the world. Part conscious and part unconscious, it consists of a matrix of agreements, narratives, and symbols that tell us why we are here, where we are headed, what is important, and even what is real. I think we are entering a new phase in the dissolution of our Story of the People, and therefore, with some lag time, of the edifice of civilization built on top of it. Sometimes I feel intense nostalgia for the cultural mythology of my youth, a world in which there was nothing wrong with soda pop, in which the Superbowl was important, in which the world's greatest democracy was bringing democracy to the world, in which science was going to make life better and better. Life made sense. If you worked hard, you could get good grades, get into a good college, go to grad school or follow some other professional path, and you would be happy. With a few unfortunate exceptions, you would be successful if you obeyed the rules of our society. If you followed the latest medical advice, kept informed by reading the New York Times, and stayed away from bad things like drugs. Sure there were problems, but the scientists and experts were working hard to fix them. Soon a new medical advance, a new law, a new educational technique, would propel the onward improvement of life. My childhood perceptions were part of this Story of the People, in which humanity was destined to create a perfect world through science, reason, and technology. To conquer nature, transcend our animal origins, and engineer a rational society. From my vantage point, the basic premises of this story seemed unquestionable. After all, it seemed to be working in my world. Looking back, I realize that this was a bubble world, built atop massive human suffering and environmental degradation, but at the same time, one could live within that bubble, without need of much self perception. The story that surrounded us was robust. It easily kept anomalous data points on the margins,  

Devon DB: What are the Benefits of Going Off The Fiscal Cliff?

It was reported recently that Senator Harry Reid thinks that the fiscal cliff is coming, saying that Republicans would be to blame, if we go over the cliff, and it looks like that's where we are headed. The media has been talking up the fiscal cliff, and making it seem as if we are going to the end of the world. However, we should have actively been expecting this, seeing that last year the super committee didn't come to a deal, and thus effectively resigned the nation to this fiscal cliff, yet there could be a silver lining to all of this. Before getting into what the benefits of going of going off the cliff, it must first be stated that the fact of the matter is that the fiscal cliff itself is not a cliff. Rather, it is a mixture of tax increases and spending cuts, that will automatically go into effect on January 1st of the new year. The cliff gets rid of some of the tax breaks for the rich, and for corporations, while also instituting a 7.6 to 9.6 percent across the board cut in all discretionary spending, except programs for low income Americans, with the cuts being evenly divided between defense and non-defense programs. While this would definitely hurt the agencies, we need that hurt, as it is defense that needs to be cut most, as it has been doubling since 2001. The fact of the matter is, that the US government has tried again and again to get the debt and deficit under control, but each time they have spectacularly failed, with the most recent failing in memory being the debt ceiling debacle in which the US credit rating was downgraded, so it seems that this is the only way for the country to get its act together. Going over the so called fiscal cliff would force Washington to actually do something about its fiscal policies. Yet the real silver lining lies in the American people. After having been pulled hook, line, and sinker for several years by politicians saying that they care about the American people and the country, only then turn around and do what is best for their re-election chances and corporate donors, the American people will hopefully come to the realization that the political class does not care about them!    

Dr. Ismail Salami: Toward Balkanization? Syria Swings between Hell and Dialogue!

Admittedly, it is not hard to imagine how someone can predict a vision of hell in a country like Syria, which has become a hornet's nest of terrorism, and that which is tumbling into further chaos and bloodshed: Lakhdar Brahimi, who represents the United Nations and the Arab League, "has predicted 100,000 people could be killed in the next year, as Syria moves toward "Somalization" and rule by warlords." Apart from his foreboding tone, his remarks are testimony to a broader gamut of interference at the hands of those who have infiltrated into the country from abroad. In point of fact, what is corroding Syria is not an internal unrest, but a foreign made crisis. The Syrian opposition group insists that the start of dialogue would be made possible only with the departure of President Assad, and says that it would not be ready to engage in any dialogue with Russia without any clear agenda. "If Russia has a proposal to stop the bleeding in Syria, it should submit it, and we will respond," Mouaz al Khatib, head of the main bloc of Syrian opposition groups, has told Al Jazeera." "We can't meet with the Russians without a clear agenda." Russia and Iran are playing pivotal roles in preventing a human catastrophe in the country, and seeking to resolve the crisis through diplomacy. After talks in Moscow on Saturday with Lakhdar Brahimi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia could not press Assad to give up power. Besides, he has once again clarified his country's stance on Syria, and said Russia "isn't in the business of regime change." He has repeatedly said, both publicly and privately, including during his meeting with Lakhdar Brahimi not long ago, that he has no plans to go anywhere, that he will stay in his post until the end, that he will, as he says, protect the Syrian people, Syrian sovereignty and so forth. There is no possibility of changing his position." The implication is very simple. Russia does not want regime change in Syria, as there is supposedly no point in seeking such a solution. This policy is also strongly shared and seconded by Iran, which has already set forth a six point peace plan for Syria. Hossein Sheikholeslam, an adviser to Iran's Majlis speaker for international affairs, has said that Tehran's six point peace plan would be the only solution to the unrest in Syria, and that no country should intervene in the internal affairs of the Arab country.        

The Economist: The lunacy of the long distance runner!

Vomit, bleeding nipples and hallucinations. Why would anyone in their right mind rub the Spartathlon? Parthenon is lit, but Athens is still dark. In the gloom, a cleaner is sweeping the pedestrianized road that runs beneath the southern slope of the Acropolis, and in the trees behind the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an ancient stone theater, Lycra clad figures are urinating everywhere. These are the last few minutes before the start of the Spartathlon, one of the world's toughest ultra marathons. The 310 runners in this year's race are doing their final stretches. Energy supplements are being taken, running belts are being checked, caps with neck flaps to protect against the sun are being adjusted. Many athletes have a crew to support them during the race. There is time for some final words of encouragement before the runners edge towards the starting line. At 7am precisely, as dawn approaches, the race begins. The field strings around the Acropolis and past the agora, the heart of ancient Athenian life, before heading into the early morning traffic. The pace is gentle, an average runner can keep up for the first kilometer easily, but this race is about distance, not speed. After that first kilometer, another and another, and another lie ahead. Everyone in the field has completed at least a 100km, 67 mile race. For this event, they will have to run 245km, or almost six consecutive marathons within 36 hours. Only 72 of them will end up making it all the way to historical Sparta. This year's Spartathlon, which took place in late September, was the 30th. Its heritage goes back much further. The most famous ultra marathon in history was that run by Pheidippides, an Athenian who made the journey to Sparta in 490 BC. His mission was to ask the Spartans for their help in fighting the invading Persians. Herodotus, a historian, records that he reached Sparta on the day after the day he left Athens. The Spartans were celebrating a religious festival, so they could not offer help until after the Athenians had dispatched the Persians at the battle of Marathon! 

Prov Michel Chossudovsky. Understand the Globalization of Poverty

And the New World Order. In this expanded edition of "Chossudovskys" international best seller, the author outlines the contours of a New World Order, which feeds on human poverty and the destruction of the environment, generates social apartheid, encourages racism and ethnic strife, and undermines the rights of women. The result as his detailed examples from all parts of the world show so convincingly, is a globalization of poverty. This book is a skillful combination of lucid explanation and cogently argued critique of the fundamental directions in which our world is moving financially and economically. In this new enlarged edition, which includes ten new chapters and a new introduction, the author reviews the causes and consequences of famine in Sub Saharan Africa, the dramatic meltdown of financial markets, the demise of State social programs, and the devastation resulting from corporate downsizing and trade liberalization. "This concise, provocative book reveals the negative effects of imposed economic structural reform, privatization, deregulation and competition. It deserves to be read carefully and widely." Choice, American Library Association (ALA). "The current system, Chossudovsky argues, is one of capital creation through destruction. The author confronts head on, the links between civil violence, social and environmental stress, with the modalities of market expansion." Michele Stoddard, Covert Action Quarterly. Barely a few weeks after the military coup in Chile on September 11, 1973, overthrowing the elected government of President Salvador Allende, the military Junta headed by General Augusto Pinochet ordered a hike in the price of bread from 11 to 40 escudos, a hefty overnight increase of 264%. This economic shock treatment had been designed by a group of economists called the Chicago Boys. At the time of the military coup, I was teaching at the Institute of Economics of the Catholic University of Chile, which was a nest of Chicago trained economists, disciples of Milton Friedman. On that September 11, in the hours following the bombing of Presidential Palace of La Moneda, the new military rulers imposed a 72 hour curfew. When the university reopened several days later, the Chicago Boys were rejoicing. Barely a week later, several of my colleagues at the Institute of Economics were appointed to key positions in the military government.