Saturday, May 16, 2009

in Today's News 05.16.09

1.  Pakistan.  (WSJ) "A two-week-old Pakistani army offensive against Taliban militias is triggering a massive exodus of refugees -- one of the largest such crises since the Indian subcontinent was divided in 1947.  Nearly a million people have abandoned the Swat Valley...according to United Nations officials."

This outrageous human suffering was made in the USA. Hillary Clinton, in her swing through this area of the world, was the first to demand that the Pakistan government begin the offensive now in progress.  The US government then put heavy pressure on the Pakistani to the same purpose.  One has the impression that Pakistani did not want to do it (undoubtedly fearing what has happened), but the Obama administration made it very clear that Pakistan must attack the Taliban or relations with the US were at stake.

And so now there is one of the worst crises in the history of the Indian sub-continent.  This mass of humanity is now being herded into refugee camps that consist of rows of small tents pitched in the blazing sun.  Listen to Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, "Many people are fleeing with nothing.  It will not be possible to meet their needs without massive and rapid help from the international community.  And if help doesn't come, it will be a humanitarian disaster." (!!!)

Will the Obama administration and Mrs. Clinton take responsibility for creating this catastrophe?  Don't count on it.  Will they take the lead in trying to alleviate the human suffering?  Don't count on it.  All that matters in Washington is that the Pakistan government did as they were told and the Taliban was attacked. 

2.  The New Government-Controlled Economy.  The closing of Chrysler and General Motors dealerships gives an indication of why the cryptocracy is now opting for a government-controlled economy. 

The big banks and their owners have been pressuring the auto makers (especially General Motors) for years to dramatically reduce spending.  Wages, health and retirement benefits, bloated dealerships, and inefficient corporate functioning were the targets.  The cryptocracy was driven to distraction over the zillions of dollars that were wasted (from the cryptocracy's viewpoint) on these silly expenditures.

General Motors and the others have made several runs at trying to meet the demands of the bank owners.  All of them pretty much failed.  Failed because of union intransigence, the incredible hide-bound bureaucratic complaceny, and the weight of past decades of glorious American auto-maker success.

It is now clear that the cryptocracy finally lost patience. They created the economic crisis so that emergency governmental action could be taken in regard to various sectors of the economy including to bust up General Motors and others like them. The bank owners obviously decided that the only way to accomplish their aims was to move to a government-directed economy where corporate entities would be under supervision and restraint. And where action would be taken immediately on the demands of the bank owners.

Mere mortals usually think that politics and the economy are evolving normally. The bank owners have a much different view. They believe that many, many changes urgently need to be made.  They are always on the prod to accomplish their secret agenda.  Their outlook is intense; they are always contemplating drastic action to ensure their control, their fortunes, and their investments, and their political agenda.  

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