Disqus - Latest Comments for moonkoon

Re: What have the Jews promised Fidel?

moonkoon — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 10:33:40 -0000

... How Goldberg - rather than, you know, a journalist with a background in Cuban affairs - came to be side-by-side with Castro is a total mystery." ...

Andrew's bafflement about Fidel confiding in the zionist Jeffrey betrays a certain innocence about Cuba's relationship with Israeli and South American zionists.

From The San Juan Star / September 3, 2001,

HAVANA — Israel is the only country in the world that has consistently backed the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba ...
Ironically, Israel is also becoming one of the leading foreign investors in Cuba, with private Jewish businessmen involving themselves in everything from Cuban citrus exports to real-estate projects. …
… Interestingly, the Israeli government — which has been quite vocal about its support of the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba — has long distinguished between official ties with Cuba, which it doesn’t have, and private Israeli investment, which it says it cannot control.
Yet the government itself is quietly helping Israeli companies invest there.
According to John Kavulich III, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, the Israel Foreign Trade Risk Insurance Corp. (IFTRIC) now provides commercial and political risk insurance for Israeli companies hoping to invest in Cuba.

… The Miramar Trade Center (MTC) is the brainchild of Inmobiliaria Monte Barreto S.A., a joint venture between Cuban state agency Cubalse S.A. and Grupo BM, an Israeli entity headed by former Mossad spy chief Rafi Eitan….
http://www.luxner.com/cgi-b...

More news about the cosy arrangement between you-know-who and you-know-who. :-)

… The $200 million project, known as the Miramar Trade Center, is managed locally by Inmobiliaria Monte Barreto S.A., an entity registered in Panama. The company’s chief is Enrique Rottenberg, an Argentine Jew living in Havana. Rottenberg refused to talk about BM’s activities.
According to an official pamphlet, the project is being built in five phases and should be done by 2008. Dozens of Cuban state-run trading companies, foreign firms and embassies already have offices in the center, which is adorned with Israeli art. …
… Only people who have official business there are allowed on the premises.
http://www.luxner.com/cgi-b...

… Habas H.Z. Investments, owned by Israeli investors Baruch and Herzl Habas, has acquired 15% of the Miramar Trade Center in Havana …
… Phase I consists of two six-story buildings, one known as the Edificio Jerusalén …
http://www.luxner.com/cgi-b...

Re: Wednesday, July 29, 2009

moonkoon — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 04:13:55 -0000

How to get yourself into trouble. :-)

Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime.
How the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers

By Eliot Spitzer, Thursday, February 14, 2008

Several years ago, state attorneys general and others involved in consumer protection began to notice a marked increase in a range of predatory lending practices by mortgage lenders. Some were misrepresenting the terms of loans, making loans without regard to consumers' ability to repay, making loans with deceptive "teaser" rates that later ballooned astronomically, packing loans with undisclosed charges and fees, or even paying illegal kickbacks. These and other practices, we noticed, were having a devastating effect on home buyers. In addition, the widespread nature of these practices, if left unchecked, threatened our financial markets.

Even though predatory lending was becoming a national problem, the Bush administration looked the other way and did nothing to protect American homeowners. In fact, the government chose instead to align itself with the banks that were victimizing consumers.

....When history tells the story of the subprime lending crisis and recounts its devastating effects on the lives of so many innocent homeowners, the Bush administration will not be judged favorably. The tale is still unfolding, but when the dust settles, it will be judged as a willing accomplice to the lenders who went to any lengths in their quest for profits. So willing, in fact, that it used the power of the federal government in an unprecedented assault on state legislatures, as well as on state attorneys general and anyone else on the side of consumers.

The writer is governor of New York.
http://www.washingtonpost.c...

Re: Never to be seen again

moonkoon — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 03:04:24 -0000

Highlights from Bernie's trial as per the nydailynews.

... Even as he repeated "guilty" for each of the 11 counts, he seemed to have a little voice telling him what he most likes to hear.
You're still smarter, Bernie boy.
You've got it figured out.
You're a step ahead of them....

... "I don't know if you've had a chance to turn around and look at the victims," Nierenberg said.
Madoff leaned back and turned his head with the start of a smirk.
"So, I'm looking," he seemed to say.
http://www.nydailynews.com/...

Re: Thursday, March 12, 2009

moonkoon — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:54:04 -0000

Re: Thursday, March 12, 2009

moonkoon — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:38:00 -0000

From the link.

"WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Steve Rosen, the former AIPAC foreign policy chief charged with receiving classified information, is suing his former employer for defamation, JTA has learned.
Rosen filed a civil action March 2 in the District of Columbia Superior Court seeking $21 million from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, its officers at the time of his dismissal in 2005 and an outside spokesman hired to deal specifically with the case.'

Re: Thursday, March 12, 2009

moonkoon — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:35:12 -0000

Yes, Rosen's leading of the "get Freeman" initiative is ultra chutzparian.
Rosen is also suing AIPAC for twenty odd million.
http://jta.org/news/article...

Re: Who is in charge of American foreign policy?

moonkoon — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:38:02 -0000

I posted this at the same address.

This scandal shows up the falseness and fragility of the left/right political dichotomy, a taxonomy that we are all encouraged to adopt.
Just now I have checked a few flag waving, patriotic, conservative/anti Democratic Party (they mostly claim to be Republicans but their hearts seem to be elsewhere :-) ) blogs and they are effusive in their praise for the success of the Israel lobby in scaring Freeman off.
e.g. http://www.freerepublic.com...

Zionism claims socialist roots, is fiercely nationalistic, and yet these "Patriots" are cheering them on, inviting them to set the US political agenda.
... I'll make the observation that this is just the kind of confusion of loyalties that precipitated the rise, and powered the progress of Cromwell and his fundamentalist, proto-socialist disaster.
http://www.newstatesman.com...

Re: Who is in charge of American foreign policy?

moonkoon — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:29:16 -0000

Edited version of Charles W. "Chas" Freeman Jr.'s statement:
To all who supported me or gave me words of encouragement during the controversy of the past two weeks, you have my gratitude and respect.
You will by now have seen the statement by Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair reporting that I have withdrawn my previous acceptance of his invitation to chair the National Intelligence Council.

I have concluded that the barrage of libelous distortions of my record would not cease upon my entry into office. The effort to smear me and to destroy my credibility would instead continue. I do not believe the National Intelligence Council could function effectively while its chair was under constant attack by unscrupulous people with a passionate attachment to the views of a political faction in a foreign country. I agreed to chair the NIC to strengthen it and protect it against politicization, not to introduce it to efforts by a special interest group to assert control over it through a protracted political campaign... ... I am saddened by what the controversy and the manner in which the public vitriol of those who devoted themselves to sustaining it have revealed about the state of our civil society. It is apparent that we Americans cannot any longer conduct a serious public discussion or exercise independent judgment about matters of great importance to our country as well as to our allies and friends.

The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively that there is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired, still less to factor in American understanding of trends and events in the Middle East. The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency and include character assassination, selective misquotation, the willful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth.
The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views, the substitution of political correctness for analysis, and the exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and our government other than those that it favors... ...casting doubt on (US govt.'s) ability to consider, let alone decide what policies might best serve the interests of the United States rather than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing the will and interests of a foreign government.
http://www.philipweiss.org/...
----------------

Re: The usual

moonkoon — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:06:44 -0000

Yes, put that on the list, it is often a justification for our mistreatment of others.
The "New Caliphate" argument advanced by the neocons would come under that heading. It is also a cornerstone of Israel's demand that others sanction its cruelty and selfishness.

Re: The usual

moonkoon — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:02:46 -0000

Class for some, religion for others, nutty revelation, desire to dominate, selfishness, fear, covetousness, indoctrination, manipulation, initiation (partner in crime type intimidation), opportunism, burnt bridges, attempting to turn lies into truth, and last but not least, business.
Don't ask me how I know this. :-)

Re: Disqus

moonkoon — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:15:24 -0000

I guess most local O2 deficiencies would be due to periods of poor atmospheric circulation where the O2 consumed by man/animal respiration and combustion is not immediately replaced. As you probably know, O2 is generated by plants, so more greenery in urban areas might help counter local deficiencies, but on a global basis O2 levels are stable at around 21% of the atmosphere, (this compares with about 0.04% for CO2). The "slight rise in CO2 concentration" induced increase in biomass has the effect of increasing O2 production.
I don't know if you saw this, but I posted something similar last October in response to a query which quoted a report saying that some urban areas had O2 levels as low as 10%.

The safe oxygen level range is between 19.5% and 23.5%. Any exercise at levels below 19.5% will have you gasping for breath. At 10% O2, the citizens of urban industrial areas would all be unconscious.
http://www.pf.uq.edu.au/pdf...

Too much oxygen is also deleterious, it is a major carcinogen/mutagen.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

Here is some medical opinion about administering pure oxygen.
"In our opinion, there are now sufficient data to state that pure oxygen should be avoided at the initiation of newborn resuscitation. Clinical data have demonstrated that 100% oxygen compared with room air for newborn resuscitation (they recommend 21%)
* increases neonatal mortality...
* increases oxidative stress...
* increases myocardial and kidney injury...
* is associated with a higher risk for childhood leukemia and cancer.

Animal studies have shown that 100% oxygen compared with room air
- increases neurologic injury and brain injury
- induces inflammation in the lung, heart, and brain
- increases pulmonary resistance and reactivity
- increases oxidative stress
- activates transcription factors.
http://pediatrics.aappublic...

I don't wish to trivialise the urban air quality issue, there is no doubt that the air quality of many cities leaves a lot to be desired. But that problem, often misleadingly referred to as "carbon pollution" should not be laid at CO2's door. It is caused by eye-watering, choking oxides of sulphur, chlorine etc. as well as (surface) ozone and particulates. The level of these pollutants varies according to factors such as location, weather, season, fuel quality, quantity and combustion efficiency of transport, urban design and so on.
Each location will most probably have its own unique set of solutions. It doesn't always get worse, the air quality in many cities is better than it was, say, fifty years ago because of changes in where and how we generate the energy that cities crave as well as the relocation or change in the production processes of some industries.

Re: Disqus

moonkoon — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:40:08 -0000

In keeping with the tradition of posting off topic comments to Xymphora's blog, let me be the first to contribute one in the new format. :-)

This is about that branded outcast, carbon dioxide.
In our greed and ignorance, we hasten to demonise CO2, the raw material, the very sustenance of life itself. Ironically, we claim that it is making us too hot. Where have I heard that before? It must be the devil himself!

You need four things for plant life and all that depend on it, a mineral bearing substrate (soil), water, sunlight and carbon dioxide. Of these, the most precious item is CO2, it is but a trace, a mere wisp, in the atmosphere. Because it is a trace it can play no more than a very minor role in the transport and storage of atmospheric energy. That role is claimed by water vapour and its energy hungry latent heat of vaporisation. Our ability to live our daily lives depends on the tiny amount of CO2 present in the atmosphere. We should not forget that it is near its geological eons low, for most of the earth's history the CO2 concentration has been considerably higher.

Don't be fooled by the greedy or their well meaning dupes. Commercialization of almost every aspect of our lives has got us into this economic mess, turning yet more of it over to Mammon will only lead to further misery. The backers of the "carbon economy", when confronted with the fallacy of their argument, will inevitably resort to the plea, "but it's good for business". Business does not equate with life.