Norway - Prisons & US Corporatisation of Prisons

NORWAY #Norway - more convicted prisoners than beds / 1,300 @ home waiting to serve sentences / Norway 2 send prisoners 2 Netherlands /businessweek UN says Norway's borrowing of US practices is WORRYING - Belgians already housing Dutch prisoners / $52mil rent - SO WRONG!! USA - Corporatisation of Prisons  >> US shift Federal inmates around the country as standard practice.  Same x4 US states. Can invest in prisons in US.  SICKOS! Here's the deets on investment in CORRECTIONS CORP OF AMERICA http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=CXW … >>> OMG!! They're prisoners of CORPORATE AMERICA #WallStreet -- US society is really SICK. ---------------------------------------- #Norway central bank, Norges Bank, announced Thurs/ it has decided 2 keep key policy rate unchanged at 1.5% - b/c output & inflation same >> However, policy rates were lowered in Euro area + Sweden -- article re this & the above here: http://goo.gl/qhQCTd ---------------------------------------- COMMENT Find it really disturbing that prisoners a moved across national borders in Europe and that there appears to be a move to corporatising prisons, like the US. The US shifting prisoners across internal borders is also disturbing, as is the full-on corporatisation of prisons -- to the extent that this is a money-spinner for investors! So wrong.

Politics, History - Russia & Neighbours

RUSSIA Last minutes of False Dmitriy >> 1606 >> Shot dead, displayed, cremated & shot from a cannon towards #Poland. pic.twitter.com/ol3ASiGrBx >FALSE DMITRIY of canon to #Poland fame "... rumours that Dmitriy was an illegitimate son of the Polish king, Stefan Batory " Countess Elizabeth Báthory d.1614 > serial killer, 640 victims - held at Čachtice Castle (Slovakia), built 1200s pic.twitter.com/d8IE6DaXfM  >> Her mother, Elizabeth, cousin of Hungarian Stefan Báthory, King of Polish-Lithuanian_C/wealth & Duke of Transylvania. "Defence Mins of Poland, Lithuania & #Ukraine before signing agreement on creating the joint Brigade" >> Is so False Dmitriy 1600s is spooky COMMENT Seriously, some things never change!

Ukraine - Roger Annis Articles - Socialist & Russian Perspectives

UKRAINE ROGER ANNIS - http://links.org.au/node/4057 Source for blogger remarks/tweets below is the above writer & article. #Ukraine govt is same group of representatives of Ukraine’s economic elite that in power when the previous *elected* President unseated! >> "only change has been the banning of the large Communist Party contingent" [Annis] ... and now PURGE civil servants Fascism & Ukraine Economic Elite The president of the country was elected in May, but the country’s parliament is the same group of representatives of Ukraine’s economic elite that was in power when the previous, elected president was overthrown in February of this year. The only change has been the banning of the large Communist Party contingent. This is one of the many, new measures against freedom of expression (inspired by Europe!) that have accompanied the war in the east, including the new law which authorises police to shoot on sight anyone suspected of conducting “separatist” activity, killings of journalists and harassment of news outlets. Above extract from:  http://links.org.au/node/4057 Amazing article by Roger Annis -- check it out! #Ukraine ................................   ................................ ROGER ANNIS - BORIS KAGARLITSKY   http://www.rogerannis.com/ukraines-uprising-against-nato-neoliberals-and-oligarchs-an-interview-with-boris-kagarlitsky/ Boris Kagarlitsky on #Ukraine >> http://goo.gl/56pLJo  >> #EU Assoc Agreementt "crux of it is about closing down most of Ukrainian industry" Even under Yanukovych >> "Nato had already announced a tender for building its headquarters in Sevastopol" [Kagarlitsky] - !! Oligarchic rule, like a feudal country: #Poroshenko got the majority in the elections b/c those who opposed coup were not allowed to run!! #EU / West capitalists eye #Ukraine cheap labour (10,000 mobile unemployed) to undermine welfare states in the West!! #Ukraine - West supported Yanukovych but switched to supporting his adversaries!! .. once system collapsed, millions of ppl out of control #Poroshenko "spent x3 more money than everyone else put together, & it seems that he also bought the electoral committees." Kagarlitsky So the #EU open borders is designed for West / capitalists to exploit a mobile labour force & to undermine the welfare state. Narodnoe Opolcheniye or Opolchenie = people's (volunteer) militia >> First Narodnoe Opolcheniye, formed 1611 during Russo-Polish War 1605–18 >> Nothing's changed since 1600s .. Polish–Lith C'wealth, private armies & mercenaries led by the magnates (aristocracy) !!! >Hey, Carl was there, too >> "#Sweden also participated in the conflict during the course of the Ingrian War (1610–1617)" wikipedia ................................   ................................ COMMENT This guy is amazing.   Loved his article about Ukraine.

Julian Assange - Political Prisoner on Google / Assange Media Distortion

ASSANGE GOOGLE & NSA Spying and storing: Assange says 'Google works like NSA' >>http://on.rt.com/k0icvc  >>> #FreeAssangeNow >> 'a privatized version of the NSA' /Google defense industrial base since 2009 /engaged w/ Prism system /info collected by Google available to NSA!! #surveillance POLITICAL PRISONER #UK over £3 MILLION surveillance outside Ecuador embassy - POLITICAL PRISONER - #FreeAssangeNow [src BBC video] - #ukPolitics #auspol #UK tax payer money WASTED http://govwaste.co.uk/  - US POLITICAL PRISONER - £7,398,105.00+ !! - #DavidCameron #ukPolitics #FreeAssangeNow #UK passed modifications to ban extradition without charge / Yet #Assange held WITHOUT CHARGE! -- POLITICAL PRISONER -- #ukPolitics MEDIA DISTORTION -  BBC @BBCNews This article is NOT correct: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29258834 Assange did NOT seek Ecuador embassy refuge 'to avoid extradition to Sweden to face questioning over alleged sexual offences.' #Assange sought & was granted POLITICAL ASYLUM by Ecuador, on the basis of #USA pursuit of #Assange over #WikiLeaks publications. Assange has been held WITHOUT CHARGE for 4 years by #UK. Assange remains a political prisoner at a high cost to #UK. #FreeAssangeNow #UKpolitics #Auspol #NZpol #svpol Facts: >> https://justice4assange.com/ ---------------------------------------- COMMENT The above is self-explanatory:  Assange is a political prisoner.  Check out what they're spending to deny him the political asylum he's been granted.  That's confirmation for you. Took exception to the BBC article because it seems to convey that he's done some dodgy number to avoid being questioned.  That isn't the case at all and the public should be made aware that Assange has been granted POLITICAL ASYLUM by Ecuador. The Google stuff, I don't know what to make of.   Unless you use anonymity services like Tor and inhabit the 'deep web' (or whatever it is), is there an alternative to Google? Wikipedia on Tor - here.

Publications - Thumbs Up

Thumbs up publications (mentioned elsewhere as worthwhile): Jacobin Truthout Democracy Now! Real News Network Consortium (Robert Parry) Code Pink (Medea Benjamin) The Nation Common Dreams

USA - NSA, NATO, POLITICIANS, PR & EXPLOITATION OF CAUSES

U.S.A.  CIA #USA John Brennan #CIA vs US Senate>>under media glare >> improper access .. http://goo.gl/R6kRC3  >Adm Michael Rogers is new #NSA director Hey, Rogers = Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) dude as well. Bunch of others follow US eg., GCHQ to set up cyber centres. ----------------------------------------   NATO #NATO "the military alliance of the imperialist countries of Europe and North America" [Roger Annis] #NATO >>> " ... capitalism’s ongoing economic and financial instability requires new sources of investment and plunder." [Roger Annis] The imperialists expect #Russia to act like #Egypt’s military rulers, who faithfully police #Palestinian rebellion. [fm Roger Annis] #NATO #NATO >> Intense propaganda drive by NATO ..irrationally demonises #Russia & aims 2 win backing for economic & military aggression [Annis] >Left & liberal in world is CEDING 2 NATO drive, agreeing that, yes, there really is a “problem” with Russia. >Consequences Contrary to Snyder, problem is not a #Russian push to the west, but American drive 2 east that has only intensified since Euromaidan/ Lazare ----------------------------------------   'It's On Us' - Political Exploitation "White House: ‘It’s On Us’ campaign targets culture of sexual assault on campus " >http://goo.gl/dhU1dO >> Biden & Obama kicking off campaign. So what's this about really? Is USA that uncivilised? And if so, why? RT> "Obama: "You don't want 2 be..guy who stops a friend from taking a woman home…It's not just ok to intervene, it's your responsibility." >> Hard to imagine #Putin coming out with this. Guess because they don't stoop to female exploitation for PR in Russia. Somebody needs to tweet Barack #Obama 2 ask WHY sexual violence is so prevalent in land of the brave & the free etc - A land of rapists? ----------------------------------------   COMMENT Just quickly posting the data I looked at.   Will have to come back to expand on it.

Summary

SUMMARY USA #USA>"US, student loan debt now totals roughly $1.2 trillion, surpassing the amount owed through credit card debt" >> http://on.rt.com/xbssud #USA "grim consequences of allowing higher education 2 be used as a vehicle for private profit" StrikeDebt Press Rel/ http://strikedebt.org/debtbuy4/ ----------------------------------------- EGYPT #Surveillance #Egypt - Deep Packet Inspection surveillance system/ 'See Egypt' affiliate to US-based cyber-security firm Blue Coat involved. Unprecedented access soc. media - penetrate WhatsApp, Viber, Skype + more - http://goo.gl/zSWiYx  - al arabiya article >> "Blue Coat detected in Iran, Sudan" + Syria / - http://goo.gl/TQUDS2  - Washington Post article #Egypt monitoring homosexual ppl's content on social media - al arabiya article (France 24 witness reference) ----------------------------------------- UKRAINE   US puppet Yatsy >1 million civil servants>new PURGE LAW - incl/ whole cabinet mins., interior min., intell services, prosecutor's office !!  [BBC] ----------------------------------------- KOSOVO  /  ALBANIA   #Albania #Kosovo CRIME CENTRAL - heroin trade / organ harvesting! - http://goo.gl/ZnER1w - ex-KLA criminal activity role / PM Hashim Thaçi >> Stand by for REPORT from Dick Marty - Paris on Thursday - wiki on Marty = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Marty >> PM Hashim Thaçi - aka 'The Snake' - wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashim_Tha%C3%A7i … - Nice photo w George W Bush .. thanks USA! --- West's "voice of reason" within the KLA" -- !! This is remarkably like all other West meddling! ----------------------------------------- AUSTRALIA   #Auspol >>> Kinky Liberal's - 150 shades of Grey - Is this the WORST Aussie govt in history? >>> http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/george-brandis-new-antiterror-law-allows-asio-to-torture-20140917-10i9hv.html … Basically, the govt’s proposed legislation enables lawful torture! #Auspol -- Is Abbott justifying M/E military action by exploiting blanket media coverage 'terrorist threat' raids? http://goo.gl/3J1ic8 “..danger of terrorism will be shamelessly invoked to divert from ..social inequality & halt opposition 2 US-AU militarism " >>>> Preventative detention powers -- to be expanded? Re:  article above / Australian raid – (https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/09/18/raid-s18.html) ----------------------------------------- COMMENT The amount of higher education debt in the US shocked me.   As it indicates, it's more than credit card debt!  The Strike Debt article is well worth a read for those in the US. Ukraine's a complete mess.  Amazed IMF advanced any money.  Amazed the US has sunk $5 billion. But I guess they're hoping to get a return in due course. Kosovo & Albania appear to be lawless.  The region's beyond me.  No understanding of what goes on.  However, there is a report due out on Thursday on the human rights abuse allegations, so that should be interesting. The goings on in Australia are shocking.  Crazy budget and crazy proposed laws. The Liberal government sounds incompetent. Massive raid on 'domestic terrorists' or something like that.  Huge operation. Sounds like a media stunt and case of fanning domestic fear to justify sending troops to the Middle East (and maybe distract from the crap budget and whatever else may be going on).   Also worthwhile noting is the issue of mass surveillance, data retention, NSA Five Eye spying on the Australian public, secret court order suppression, laws seeking to extend the of powers to those that appear to have already abused those powers, likely incursions on civil liberties given various new laws (the usual national security angle governments use), the hacking program used by NSW (ie state) police ... on and on it goes. I'm not big on anything that infringes liberties, so moves to grant intelligence organisations even more powers sounds super creepy and undesirable. Not impressed that some guy that got raided and arrested was also subjected to police brutality.   The arresting authorities aren't there to judge anyone or mete out punishment; they're there to perform a function.  In this case, it was to arrest suspects.  So what are they doing belting people? Oh, and there's more:  Australia's drafting laws where it's legal to TORTURE people! What kind of crazy is that? The government will probably get away with pushing through all these crazy laws because nobody cares.  The average person is apathetic, I'd say. The world's gone mad and I want to get off this ride.