SUMMARY - MIDDLE-EAST & EAST MED.

MIDDLE -EAST & EAST MED. IRAN David Cameron to ask Iran’s help in battle against Islamic State http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/david-cameron-to-ask-irans-help-in-battle-against-islamic-state/story-fnb64oi6-1227067504538 …  >> "first time a British leader has held face-to-face talks with an Iranian president since the country’s revolution in 1979" -----------------------------------------------  LIBYA #Libya - link b/w toppling al-Qaddafi one-party state & emergence dangerous competition b/w tribal & Islamist factions in Libya /oilprice #Libya - unable to protect institutions, airports & natural resources, especially the oil fields / oilprice/com >>Libya’s Islamists have been unable to secure control over Libya’s oil fields - govt lacks central control over oil resources >> oil resources = bargaining chip in competition for power / high standard of living for citizens under Qaddafi set to slip #Libya - May Be Focus Of Major Rift Between US And Regional Allies - http://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/Africa/Libya-May-Be-Focus-Of-Major-Rift-Between-US-And-Regional-Allies.html … -- *must read* / good info >> US is moving closer to alienating Egypt, Saudi Arabia & UAE to support Turkey’s & Qatar’s objectives in Libya !! / oilprice ----------------------------------------------- Mossad Rahm Emanuel, #Obama's first Chief of Staff – also served as Obama's Israeli Mossad handler --- [presstv/ir] Israeli-Turkish Intell - Syria - US 1958 an Israeli-Turkish covert intelligence alliance (the “peripheral pact”) was formed [Deniz Tanzi] - sn/ethz/ch > #Turkey partnership w/ Israel intelligence re PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) + Armenian Secret Army for Liberation Armenia >Turkey was Israel's access to new markets + a buffer in conflict with Arab states/ Turkey = neutral position on Palestine >> things changed w/ Recep Tayyip Erdogan head of AKP >> 2009 stance re Gaza (populist move?) >> + Freedom Flotilla incident (Turkish citizens killed) >> but this is the public front / status quo remains re strategic & economic / military & security officials quietly meet #Turkey - For 50 years Mossad agents free to expand their humint network in Turkey / Israeli planes use Turkish bombing ranges /.isn.ethz.ch >> Reports of Turkish-Israeli intelligence cooperation in #Syria >> quickly denied by #Turkey >Seems Erodogan makes big show of being anti Israel (vilifying Gülen Movement as pro-Israel), while quietly chums w/ Israel? Turkish President calls for ‘no-fly zone’ in #Syria .. Discussed w/ Obama & Biden http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/182874/ … Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) met w/ FSA members & lobbying from #Turkey for a no-fly zone over #Syria >> http://tinyurl.com/mp3w3mf >hanging out in Turkey as part of duties re House Foreign Affairs Committee - jurisdiction over bills & invest foreign affairs  >Congressman Kinzinger facilitated negotiations b/w multiple groups who battled both Assad & ISIS .. CNN there too!  LOL  >>CNN, who sat in on undermining a foreign govt:  'moderate' Muslim rebel groups #Syria to form alliance w/ Christian Syriacs >Zinziger former US air-force pilot / rank Major / took part  "Operation Iraqi Freedom"  - ie Iraq War/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War >> Kinzinger ... served in Iraq & Afghanistan [ivn.us] >>Creepy how US military are in govt.  & are legislators  ... who are in foreign country plotting to overthrow foreign govt. >Thought Iranians were maybe crazy with all their Mossad tin foil hat articles, but now I'm not so sure about that ... lol #USA - "Rep. Adam Kinzinger: Freeze Putin's Assets" newsmax/ ... LOL ... when he's not plotting against Assad, it's Putin in his sights. >> favourite word is 'INNOCENT' ... innocent civilians, innocent people ... he's all for the 'innocent' -- It's Superman! #USA Texas Senator Ted Cruz: "US would effectively become al Qaeda’s air force" if US is drawn into bombing #Syria [ivn.us] ... LOL! ie ... "high reported number of al Qaeda & al Qaeda-affiliated fighters within the Syrian opposition" [ivn.us] >> Kinzinger argues Assad's 'chemical weapons' and free-for-all Iran 'weapons of mass destruction' ... Familiar?? ----------------------------------------  Greece #Greece - burden is greater than any NATO ally or #EU member>> 1) economic challenges, 2) porous borders 3) immigrant flow >> /savannanow > Greek debt stands @ 174.1% of GDP.   For every dollar Greece earns, it owes $1.74 (est) >> http://tinyurl.com/kmbv2me > Bail-out = lending institutions overseeing + over-squeezing suffocating Greek economy / Youth unemployment @ near 60% >> TENSIONS HIGH: #Athens / visible, volatile & impoverished illegal immigrants have taken over entire neighbourhoods >> 90% of Eu’s irregular immigrant entries by Greek borders or its waters — mainly traversing an *enabling* Turkey next door. >> forced by #EU law to remain in Greece ... but intend to slip into other EU countries for work. ---------------------------------------- COMMENT More random information that I found interesting at the time. The US representative in Turkey meeting up with the Syrian anti-government forces is rather distasteful.   It amounts to being involved in a plot to overthrow the government in Syria, in my opinion. Forgot what the 'must read' was about.  LOL.  Never mind.  It's there to revisit if I want. .

TRADING ECONOMICS

Found a really cool site 'Trading Economics' - here.

Love how the information is arranged.  Even though I'm not especially organised, I really love organised information.

It seems a good site for sticky-beaking into GDP and debt to GDP particulars of countries, as well as a host of other related information (I've yet to check out).

US debt-GDP is over 100%.  But the US economy is on top of the heap in terms of GDP.

The EU collective is next.  Followed by China, Japan, Germany, France, UK, Brazil and Russia.

Russia's debt-GDP looks to be the lowest of the pack.  

Japan, US, France and UK have the highest debt-GDP rankings.

This is embarrassing:  I've only a vague idea what inflation actually is.   

Venezuela's is off the planet. 

So what is it?  The following is info sourced from an 'Inflation Tutorial' - here.

It's the annual percentage increase in the cost of goods and services.  As inflation rises, the currency buys you less in goods and services.  

Two theories re rising inflation:

1. too few goods to meet buyer demand; or
2. rising costs of production.

In high inflation cases, domestic export products become 'less competitive' -- meaning what?  Guessing they're not as saleable as goods from countries with lower inflation rates.

So the goal must be to keep (a) production costs low and (b) production high?

So is this a never-ending loop of economic infinity to Infinity? 

Production will never be enough and profit will never be enough.  

It's a process of churning things out of the soil and out of factories so that we buy and have 'things', while those that control production have profits.

An endless loop of churning out and selling things for profits sounds pointless and probably unsustainable.  But there's no alternative. 

Gradually rising, or controlled, inflation isn't supposed to be a big deal (I think) ... as long as the wages rise corresponding to inflation.  

I'm guessing that workers then have to constantly battle for an increase in wages to keep in step with inflation.  

Where there's a strong union, that's probably easy.  But not everyone has a strong union -- or any union -- representation.  

A lack of inflation can signify a weakening economy, according to the 'Inflation Tutorial'.

Interest rates are closely associated with inflation figures.  

Reserve banks take inflation calculation data into account when calculating the figures that set interest rates.  Tutorial on that is here if anyone's real keen.