What If?

What if there 'is' a global conspiracy?

What if those in power know more than they let on?
What if those in power control more than they let on?
What if those in power are not what they seem?

What if the terrorists aren't what they seem?
What if the terrorists are partially fabricated?
What if the terrorists are being guided?
What if the terrorists are those in power?
What if the terrorists are fabricated to pass a law or two?
What if the terrorists laws are necessary for future 'events'?

What if this financial crisis was foreseen?
What if this financial crisis was planned?
What if this financial crisis was necessary?
What if this financial crisis is merely a step towards something more?
What if this financial crisis is merely a step towards something more global?
What if this financial crisis is a prelude to something bigger?

What if there are other things foreseen?
What if there are other things planned?

What if people will be upset over the financial crisis?
What if people will be more than upset?
What if people will revolt?
What if people will learn the plans of those in power?
What if people will begin domestic terrorism?

What if this is all foreseen?
What if this is all planned?

What if there 'is' a global conspiracy?

Quote of the Day

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
--- Steven Weinberg

Barack Obama and the Muslim World

With a new administration comes a new approach to the Radical Muslim World. While George Bush's policies have been that of conflict, Barack Obama seems to be reaching out to Muslims in numerous ways.

On Barack Obama's first day of office he decreed that there would be a moratorium on Guantanamo Bay's military tribunals. This was hailed as a great step forward by most across the world, especially the Muslim World. Now, a moved hailed by many but shunned by the American Conservatives, Obama has decided on giving his first interview since taking office to with an Arabic media agency, Al-Arabiya. This is being publicised as a step towards friendlier relations with Muslim communities.

While some see these moves as "proof" that Barack Obama is a Muslim, others view it as the Change the world has been waiting for. George Bush has done wonders to solidifying himself as the poster boy of American Conservative Values, and now that someone is taking efforts to Change things, it is being met with joy and contempt simultaneously, as expected.

While much of the Muslim world are ecstatic at Barack Obama's actions, the radical front is doing everything in their power to spread propaganda against Obama to maintain their base. The last thing Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda followers need is peace with the USA.

In the recent months, Obama has been called a "House Negro", "Hypocrite", "Killer", "Enemy of Muslims" and many more. Basic insults aren't much of a threat, Conservatives have been saying far worse, but the Al Qaeda propaganda machine is far more sinister.

During Israel's latest incursion into Gaza, Al Qaeda spokesman declared,

“He kills your brothers and sisters in Gaza mercilessly and without affection ... ”

This flies in the face of reality considering that George Bush was in power. Of course, Barack Obama may have had a hand in the planning, but this is simply a guess. Making the claim as fact is baseless.

Osama bin Laden, in his most recent audio clip, attacked Obama in reference to the Iraq war saying,

“If he withdraws from the war, it is military defeat. And if he continues it, he drowns in economic crisis. How can it be that [Bush] passed over to him two wars, not one war, and he is unable to continue them? We are on our path to open other fronts, with permission from Allah.”

These are harsh words. The Iraq war has done more to recruit new fighters for Al Qaeda than any single event before. If Obama ends the Iraq war, it can prove devastating to Al Qaeda's recruitment goals. In order to maintain the propaganda against the US, Al Qaeda's second in command Zawahiri made the following statements in reference to Obama's involvement in the Israel raid on Gaza,

“These raids are Obama's gift to you before he takes office, Muslim brothers and mujaheddin. This is Obama, whom the American machine of lies tried to portray as the rescuer who will change the policy of America.”

It seems that Al Qaeda is finally scared. When governments, or military groups, start spreading blatant lies in the form of propaganda, it is usually a sign that they are panicking. If Obama can manage to rally the Muslim nations behind him, he may have a chance to root out Radical Muslims around the world.

All we can do is hope.

Echoed on Mizozo

Ukraine's Currency Game

Among European states, few have been hit by this financial crisis nearly as bad as Ukraine. Many businesses throughout Ukraine are closing their doors, especially those in the real estate or construction market. Other businesses are cutting their staffs by as much as 1/2 in order to make a profit, including food manufacturers, distributors, rail operators and many more. The Ukrainian national currency, Hrivna, has lost nearly half of its value, crippling the population's ability to pay back loans in Dollars or Euro, and forcing prices to skyrocket. And this is only the beginning ...

As is well known, Ukraine has been granted a $16.5 Billion loan from the IMF. As much as it baffles the mind how someone can loan money of that magnitude to such a corrupt regime, Ukraine's games are going completely unnoticed by the IMF.

The IMF recently sent its Ukrainian mission head, Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, to check on Ukraine's progress in meeting various milestones set in order to receive further loan instalments. As can be expected, smoke and mirrors have been used in order to ensure that the IMF agent gets the impression that the money is being put to good use, and that further money will improve Ukraine even more.

The most interesting of all smoke screens is what Ukraine has done with its Hrivna. The national currency is controlled by the National Bank of Ukraine. Its value is set by a small group of people, under the control of President Victor Yushchenko. Over the past 5 months, the currency has had a roller-coaster ride, initially skyrocketing, then falling, then rising, then falling ... which seems almost normal when you take into consideration how the market works.

Whats difficult to imagine, at least for the western world, is how the currency goes up and down. For example, when the Hrivna peaked at almost 10 Hrivna to $1, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko stood up, accused the president of manipulating the currency (which he has been doing) and demanded re-evaluation. The same day, the currency dropped to 7 Hrivna to $1. It slowly began to rise, Yulia raised her voice again, and it fell. The important thing to realise is how artificial the system really is. There are no market variables here, it is simply one person dictating values. Imagine how much money was made the day the Hrivna took a 30% fall.

As for the smoke and mirrors, prior to the IMFs arrival, the Hrivna saw a steady rise against the dollar and Euro. It rose over 10% over the course of a weak (more money to be made for those in the know). Today, the IMF representatives left the country ... magically, the Hrivna rose 5%. Immediately afterwords, the media begins spreading rumors that the Hrivna will reach 15 to the dollar.

These are the types of actions that the IMF should be paying attention to. That is, of course, assuming that Ukraine hasn't negotiated a cut to those in the IMF responsible for the loan.

Echoed on Mizozo.

The 44th President of the USA

Let us welcome Barack Obama, the 44th President of the USA. I truly hope that his bite is at least comparable to his bark.

For those that missed the show, below are YouTube videos of Obama's inauguration (thanks to Mizozo):

Obama's Oath

Obama's Inaugural Speech (2 parts)

The End of the US Dollar

As the world delves deeper into the current Financial Crisis, people begin to ask questions. How did we get into this crisis? How long will it last? What can we do to get out faster? These are all good questions, and in this time of financial crisis these questions are very appropriate. However, these questions only skim the surface of what is to come. This crisis pales in comparison to what will happen when the dollar goes to hyper-inflation.

The current Financial Crisis can find its origins in greed. As banks saw the seemingly endless profits when lending to the Real Estate market, the lending increased exponentially to people of greater and greater risk. Of course, this is over simplifying the situation and it isn't taking into account a great deal, however real estate lending is the primary cause of the financial crisis.

As the financial crisis continues to heighten, which most analysts predict will go on for the better part of 2009 if not 2010, people should learn to ask slightly different questions. Where does money come from? How much money gets printed annually? How is inflation calculated? How does the Dollar compare to the Euro in a physical sense, not in a market sense? How much is this piece of paper really worth?

There are countless sites that can provide info of this type, and countless YouTube videos for those that don't like to read. There are likewise countless movies, mostly propaganda driven that like to scare people into thinking a particular way. Rather than try to push one view over another, I will let you do a little research on your own.

One thing is for certain, if the Dollar goes to Hyper-Inflation, the vast majority of the worlds population will loose virtually everything. It is important to realize that the Dollar isn't just American currency, it is currently the World currency. The fact is that it is only printed in America. The Federal Reserve is another question in and of itself. If the American people really knew that the Federal Reserve was neither Federal, nor a Reserve of any kind, then learned what the Federal Reserve truly is ... there would likely be rioting in the streets.

For those that don't like to read, and don't want to do any research, I would like to present an old YouTube video that may put the fear into you.

Some things to note ... those of you with Real Estate are in good shape, God doesn't make any more real estate, so as long as you own where you live you have less to fear. Those with Gold or Silver are likewise in good shape, because commodities retain their value regardless of what happens to currency. Those with solid material assets, such as art or even automobiles, should be OK if the Dollar collapses. However, those living day by day, paycheck by paycheck without any material wealth or real estate wealth will have serious trouble.

... One last thing to note, when the Dollar does expire, there will be no warning. One morning everyone will wake up to realize that they are flat broke. Only a very small portion of the globe will know ahead of time, and they will become insanely rich in the transition.

Noam Chomsky on Globalization

There are various arguments for and against Globalization. It is important to note that Globalization is an inevitable outcome for civilization, likewise a unified world currency. Globalization can be slowed down, but it can not be stopped. It is simply a matter of time before the world learns to act as a whole, rather than as an individual.

I would prefer not to go into this a great deal at the moment. Rather, please take a look at Noam Chomsky's definition of Globalization, nested with his own view of Pros and Cons.

Whether you are in favor of Globalization, or if you are against it, it is important to realize that there is no way to stop it. The world is slowly realizing that without Globalization there will be stagnation in the countries not participating. Rather than vehemently appose Globalization, it would be in greater interest to try and guide it to benefit the world, rather than the rich.

The poor complain, they always do
But that's just idle chatter
Our system brings rewards to all
At least to all that matter
 -- Gerald K. Helleiner

What to do with Ukraine

I have written many articles about Ukraine, citing personal experiences and personal opinions. The current Financial Crisis is devastating the country, all the while the government is trying to figure out where to steal a little more money from the people. Starting with raising taxes, moving on to raising rental property fees and even raising traffic ticket fines, Ukrainian officials are trying to suck every last penny out of their ravaged countries people.

I recently stumbled across the Mizozo site. There are many interesting opinions here, but one very interesting one is the recent piece on Ukraine entitled Ukrainian Games. The article goes into Ukrainian Corruption, how the Financial Crisis is tearing apart the country, and even touches on the Gas Crisis with Russia.

Until the Ukrainian officials realise that they are nothing without their people, and until the people realize that the government is simply an extension of them, this country will never succeed. The people need to revolt, and the government needs to go.

Government Deceit

It is interesting to watch how the media deceives the people by order of the government. Those who watch the Mass Media like CNN, BBC, FOX and the like have no doubt heard the clamor of the $700 Billion Bailout. Wow, $700 Billion … that’s a lot of money. Thank God our president had the wisdom to help the economy in such a bold way. It is vitally important for the administration to help businesses in dire need, like the Banking Sector which is at fault in this crisis, or even the Auto Industry which has more or less buried themselves in debt by producing terrible cars that can also be partially blamed for the Gasoline situation that occurred not too long ago.

Reuters is now reporting that Barack Obama has yet to request the remaining $350 Billion from the original $700 Billion. They quote Bush as saying

I told him that if he felt that he needed the $350 billion I would be willing to
ask for it, … He hasn't asked me to make the request yet and I don't intend to
make the request unless he specifically asks me to make it

That’s wonderful. Our federal government is being very scrupulous with our money and trying to ensure that it is spent in the best possible way. The fact that Barack Obama is still holding out is a sign that he is thinking hard about ways to best spend this money. I am glad that we live in such an honest nation where the president and president elect work so well together, and the Media carefully analyze the situation and report it in the best possible way to keep the people informed.

On a more serious note, why is the media deceiving the people so? How is it that the media can blatantly ignore the fact that the bailout has exceeded $8 Trillion already, by some counts already $8.5 Trillion? Where are all the journalists? Why are the people allowing themselves to be lied to? Why is no one mentioning the fact that the US government just placed an order for $8.5 Trillion to be printed? Doesn’t anyone realize what that will do to the value of the Dollar? Where will this printing end?

The fact that the US government is corrupt, and willingly deceives its people is clear. The fact that the Media is in the governments pocket is clear. The fact that the government, through the media, controls its people by misinformation is clear.

One could argue that it is important to withhold bits of information from its people so that panic doesn’t ensue. This is true, and cannot be argued. Various bits of information could enflame a nation, or a world, if brought to light where as if they are hushed the situations pass without a trace. It may be argued that this bailout is a case like this. However, the truth is, that if the Dollar does collapse, only those in the elite circles will prosper, while many will lose everything and the rest will lose a great deal. I feel that in this case the people need to be informed about what is going on so that they can be prepared. This isn’t a matter of life and death, it is simply a matter of money. People need to know what is going on so that they can protect their investments.

… but, how would the rich get richer that way?

Quote of the Day

What luck for rulers that men do not think.
- Adolf Hitler

Ukrainian Gas Crisis

The entire world is currently aware of Ukraine's latest Gas Crisis with Russia. There are those blaming Russia that it is using its energy resources to control its neighbors. There are those blaming Ukraine with rampant corruption, placing its citizens in a position where they may be without natural gas. Personally, I am of the latter group, but that shouldn't be much of a surprise.

There are several things that need to be taken into account before choosing a position. First, let’s discuss Russia's energy monopoly in the region. Russia's attempted control of the region via energy is no secret. Because Ukraine has few options as to where to purchase Natural Gas, Russia can dictate terms as it pleases. Ukraine’s dependency on Russia goes without saying.

It is equally important to keep in mind that Russia has been selling Natural Gas to Ukraine for well below market value. Natural Gas has been sold to Ukraine for around $170 for 1000 Cubic Meters, where as the rest of the world pays in excess of $400 for the same volume. In theory, Ukraine should be grateful. One could argue the fact that the majority of Natural Gas pipes leading into Europe run through Ukraine. This forces Russia to be more lenient to Ukraine so that Ukraine guarantees safe passage for European Gas. However, this pipeline doesn't run through Ukraine free of charge, Russia pays top dollar for this service, also driving up the cost of gas to Ukraine's European colleagues. So, the price of gas has little to do with the fact that pipes run through Ukraine because Russia pays for that separately. Russia's uncertainty with Ukraine has forced the planning of a pipeline through the Baltic Sea directly to Germany, which will have drastic effects on Ukraine’s income, as well as Poland's.

Ukraine has its own problems when it comes to Natural Gas. There are a few important points to note. First, Ukraine's people purchase Gas at a markup of 100%. This may not sound like much, but keeping in mind point 3 it becomes an incredibly high markup.

Second, if a client chooses not to pay their Gas Bills, their service is disconnected within 3 months. This comes with no warning, and the client is forced to pay a disconnect fee as well as a connection fee before the gas is allowed to flow again.

Third, all gas pipes laid within Ukraine are paid for by the people needing the pipes, not the Gas companies, so there is very little overhead for the Gas Company. This may be difficult to understand, so let me explain ... if I were to purchase a plot of land and build a house, it is only a matter of time before I need to connect to the Gas pipelines. Let’s assume that there are no pipelines on my street, I will need to get all the permissions from the Gas Company, but then purchase the pipes and pay professionals to run the pipes from the nearest point to my house. Since the nearest point is also a privately owned pipe, I will be required to pay the owner of that pipe a Cut Fee in order to cut into it. I am ignoring the fact that in order to get permission from the gas company I will be required to pay bribes in excess of $1000 and have to jump through hoops for months. However, in the worst case, if the Gas Company so chooses, it may claim that the main pipe that I need to connect to isn't big enough to support another client. At this point I will be required to relay the main pipe, paying for it out of my pocket, so that the diameter can handle additional clients. Of course, this will require additional pumps and so on. A close friend had to pay almost $40,000 to relay a main pipe on his street. Luckily for him, there were about 10 other people on the street that needed gas, so it cost him around $4000 for this work alone. On a lighter note, if I lay the main pipe all subsequent clients will be required to pay me to connect to my pipe.

Fourth, Yulia Timoshenko controls the Gas, as well as other energy resources, in Ukraine. The importance of this will be shortly evident.

With that said, Gas Company Profits are astronomical in Ukraine because there is very little overhead, and they sell their product at a 100% markup. There are very few Gas Company Employees, and with the volume of gas being used in Ukraine ($2.5 Billion in debt in just 2 months) the gas companies make money hand over fist. So, where did all the money go? If everyone is paying their bills, and the markup is 100%, it is safe to assume that NaftaGas (Ukraine Gas) has $5 Billion lying around somewhere. Where is the money? Very simple ... it was stolen. Everyone in Ukraine knows it was stolen, and nothing is done about it. The fact is that only those above the thieves can prosecute the thieves, so the thieves pay those above them a cut and everyone is quiet. With Yulia at the top, controlling all theft personally, no one would dare prosecute her. This same story runs true for electricity within Ukraine, which is also property of Yulia.

It is hard for an American to understand how this works. In the USA, people are led to believe that party bickering leads to honesty between parties. The system may be a bit more sound in the USA, because something like this would be VERY hard to get away with, but the structure is still similar. It is important to pay off your opponents before they make trouble. Ukrainian Politicians are a bit more scared to attack their opponents. If One points a finger at the Other, the Other will begin pointing out where the One went wrong. In the end, both will lose. What’s worse, since Ukrainian officials have Political Immunity to all prosecution while in office, there is virtually nothing that can be done to those that steal Billions.

So, who is at fault? Even though Russia is using energy to try and control its neighbors, Ukraine has openly stolen Billions of dollars, which is difficult to ignore. It can be argued that Russia's tactics are unfair, and cutting off millions of people from their heat supply is inhumane, but when the people's leaders are openly stealing money from the people and the people are completely apathetic to the situation, it is hard to blame Russia for the current situation as far as I'm concerned.