Notes: Ukraine - Economy

UKRAINE ------------------------------- No Gold Gold reserves since govt overthrow have dwindled to almost zero. http://on.rt.com/cniueq ------------------------------- Russia Supports UKR Economy Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30278606 Russia supports UKR industry. But UKR trade to EU = raw materials & agricultural  products (subject to heavy EU quotas & tariffs). 2014 predicted fall in GDP @ 7% - if this decline continues, the Ukrainian state will face collapse. [BBC]  Western media & policy worlds have ignored or misrepresented key aspects of the Ukrainian-Russian economic relationship. [BBC] Ukraine Cheap Russian gas & lenient payment terms = Russia has been subsidising UKR economy @ BILLIONS yearly. [BBC] Russia subsidy of Ukraine economy = many times total of Western aid during this period. [BBC] 1) By ignoring Russia's subsidy of UKR economy in the billions, pundits & media avoided addressing ... 2) ... if Western countries would pay billions to take UKR into Western sphere of influence. [BBC] Russia supports UKR manufacturing sector & remains Ukraine's largest partner. Trade 2013 exceeding that with WHOLE of EU. [BBC] Ukraine Over 3 million UKR working in Russia & sending money to home to family - a vital contribution to economies of several UKR regions. All over the EU, right-wing parties are gathering strength - developments are driven above all by hostility to immigration. [BBC] In such case, the West is hardly in a position to integrate Ukraine's workforce & economy into the EU economy. ------------------------------- Uranium & Coal Australia's Tony Abbott's doing deals with fascist US puppet govt. - Uranium & coal. UKRAINE's Western 'support' always comes down to this: Western corporations making money. ------------------------------- Leaked Proposed Ukraine Budget: UKRAINE no more free food for children in school or for patients in hospitals [sovereignman] UKRAINE healthcare will no longer be completely state-funded [sovereignman] UKRAINE  government is also proposing to drastically reduce pension benefits [sovereignman] UKRAINE  Women will have to work 10 more years in order to qualify for a pension [sovereignman] UKRAINE  Men will have to work an additional 5 more years in order to qualify for a pension [sovereignman] UKRAINE proposed FREEZE pension benefits (ie. no longer adjusting them to the rampant inflation) [sovereignman]. UKRAINE  stripping other public services; they’ve proposed slashing the number of judges, prosecutors &  police [sovereignman] UKRAINE  proposed reducing the number of members of parliament from 450 to 150 [sovereignman] http://www.sovereignman.com/trends/leaked-document-ukraines-government-to-eliminate-everything-15717/ Ukraine IMF disbursements program buys UKR limited time. Significant risks of UKR defaulting. Poor outlook. [StreetInsider] COMMENT Above are just some notes on the Ukraine economy. It's just what grabbed my interest at the time, rather than a complete overview.

Support: Jeremy Hammond

FREE JEREMY HAMMOND Support:  https://freejeremy.net/take-action/five-easy-actions/ Jeremy Hammond's an American hactivist, currently serving a 10-year prison term. Latest (Christmas 2014) photos of Jeremy Hammond:  here. The prison garb is rather austere, so I thought I'd brighten things up. Anyone interested in supporting Jeremy Hammond may do so by making a donation, sending a book, writing to him (or other prisoners), or perhaps by supporting a campaign, as per details on his support site:  here.

VIDEO - The Fugs - 'CIA MAN'

THE FUGS 'CIA MAN' Source:  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW9cCWm53H4 USA - The Fugs band formed in NYC in mid-1963 Mentioned in the Doors FBI file - US govt link:  here.  "CIA Man" is featured in the movie 'Burn After Reading' by the Coen brothers. [Wikipedia]

VIDEO - Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)

(1992, IMDB)   Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dzufDdQ6uKg      Watched this to the intermission.  Way long for me.  It could have done with some savage editing, or an edited version for people who just want the distilled message. Have notes somewhere.  So disorganised I can't recall where.   Found them.  Didn't number the pages.  Day's later, I can't tell beginning from end. Anyway, here's what I got out of it: The 'elite media' (eg New York Times, Washington Post) is agenda setting media.  What they draw attention to and what they ignore becomes the agenda of the wider news services.  Large media outfits also shape history. Further, NYT was creator of history as it had a massive archive of carefully collated news information. Reed Irvine - insinuates that press agenda-setting is a left-wing conspiracy.   There's appearances of left-wing bias and opposition to power.  If I recall correctly, this is not a genuine left-leaning press or opposition to the establishment:  this press is firmly entrenched in the system and is part of the establishment. Press ignoring atrocities in Timor, the Panama invasion and the Gulf War (ie in step with the US agenda). Bush stating 'aggressors can't be rewarded' seemed to really annoy Chomsky, I think.   If I remember correctly, it may have been the hypocrisy of the US totalitarian war state that was at issue for Chomsky. Anyway, in Panama US actions were ignored (and wherever else around the world), while the actions of those the US war state decides to vilify become hugely overblown and over-reported. 'Official enemy' is the term used for those the US stands against. Column inches were compared and what the US government didn't want you to know about went massively under-reported.  Only a fraction of that topic would even make the news, unlike the overblown news about events concerning those the US was in opposition to. News stories were also censored -- example of a UK article -- information gouged before it hit the press in the US. Pol Pot's 1975-78 genocide in East Timor wasn't deemed newsworthy. Try again: Pol Pot in Cambodia was deemed massively newsworthy (I think the notes should read.  Hard to make them out!  Sorry about this mess.  Don't have time to check or fix).  Khmer Rouge in Cambodia became the 'official enemy' and their actions were blown grossly out of proportion (if I recall correctly). Reporting in respect of the 'official enemy' is subject to: exaggeration outrage falsification (photos) lies frudulence compared to US atrocities. There is an interplay: Government does. Press says. People think. Press is therefore complicit in genocide by suppressing facts. East Timor involved an Indonesian invasion that was ignored.  UN voted against the resolution to invade.   If I recall correctly, it was profitable supplying weapons.  West was selling arms to Indonesians for profit. * Indonesians killed a couple of Australian journalists December 7, 1975. UN response was condemnations and sanctions, but US clearly not allowing intervention. Meantime there was outrage over what was going on in Cambodia (for which the US was responsible). Very hard to make out my scrawl or the order this is in.    ............................................. Democratic process is what violence is to totalitarian society. It is a case of the Big Stick (totalitarian) versus the Big Lie (democracy). Some mention of 'rationalist libertarian socialism', but (days later) I've no idea what this is about.  Might have to watch the video again.  Social action animated by visions of future society | challenge authority and domination. Control/Coercion require justification - there is seldom a justification. Mention made of exceptions - eg war, parent/child relationships Democracy requires free access to information -- including publishing, education --  and press scrutiny. Discussion of origins of democracy:  17th C. revolution - Royalists versus others. Multiple issues:  incl. master/servant Time of radical publishing - disturbed all elites on both sides of the war.  Manufactured consent:  technique of control of special class. View that decision requires cool observation & that stupidity of average man is guided by myth (beliefs). INDOCTRINATION is the essence of democracy. Fear of people not submitting to civil control  -- people contained by manufactured consent / propaganda (versus the totalitarian model of domination by military force). The state becomes the myth-maker. Propaganda targets:  1. Political class - about 20% educated. 2. The 80% that follow orders and pay the costs. Mentioned sports as indoctrination.  So pleased about that because I detest sports and have never understood the point of following who kicks a ball etc. Walter Lippmann got a mention.  Cannot recall why.   Will link him, but its the early hours of the morning and I can't take the time to do more than that. Richard Niebuhr got a mention regarding the 'cool observer' and stupid average man who follows faith.  Not absolutely certain I have the right person.  Guessing I have.  No time to double-check.  Might come back to this over the next few days. (: Thought it was funny that Chomsky referred to NYT as a 'lapdog'.  While discussing how the government doesn't like to be exposed as the 'emperor with no clothes', it reminded me of why the powers that be have targeted WikiLeaks and publisher Julian Assange. Anyway, this is a scrambled and sketchy summary of the first portion of the documentary.   Even though this isn't chronological (I notice I've reversed the order), I'm going to leave it and shut down as soon as I can because I've got Christmas obligations.   Have noticed that if you really push yourself and not sleep normally for extended periods, it seems to have a depressant effect.  Or maybe that's just on me. Have a nice holiday everyone. [In a rush, excuse any typos]

UKRAINE - NATION SCREWED & ABOUT TO BE SOLD

UKRAINE Foreign Bankers Rape Ukraine by F. William Engdahl The US-picked Ukraine President, billionaire oligarch Petro Poroshenko called “snap” elections at the end of August for October 26. He did so to make sure genuine opposition to his regime of murderers, gangsters and in some cases outright Nazis would be able to push an unprepared genuine opposition out of the Verkhovna Rada or Parliament. Because the parliament had significant opposition parties to the US-engineered February 22 coup d’Etat, they had blocked many key pieces of legislation that the Western vultures were demanding, from changing key land ownership laws to privatization of precious state assets. By law, the old parliament would have sat until its five year term ended in October, 2017. That was clearly too long for State Department neo-con Ukraine puppet-mistress Victoria Nuland and her backers in Washington. EXTRACT ONLY - SOURCE:  http://www.voltairenet.org/article186276.html Anyone interested in Ukraine really ought to have a read of this article.  Some good background information on the newly appointed foreigners in government:  Natalie Jaresko, Aivaras Abromavicius and Alexander Kvitashvili. Personal highlights: "blatant foreign takeover that followed, like a Wall Street vulture fund raid on a distressed debtor country of the Third World" "the age of no nation state, of private capital taking over the world for sake of profit. Looting über alles is the motto." "nation of Ukraine is being put on the auction bloc to be privatized anyway, so it makes sense that the auctioneers at the US State Department head-hunt the ones to do the inside job of preparing that auction" "What [Natalie] Jaresko did not say was that she had been sent to Ukraine 22 years before as a member of the US State Department." "former CIA spokeswoman Marie Harf has already denied Washington had any hand in her appointment. Of course she would never lie." "According to the official US Government propaganda site, Radio Free Europe—the old CIA Cold War propaganda news service still exists, with its old name as kind of a sick joke—" Another good article to check out is: Is Soros Paying the Salaries of Ukraine’s Foreigners-Ministers? If he isn't, his Renaissance Foundation found them and faciliated their hiring Not only did the Renaissance Foundation take on the head hunting and hiring activities, sources in the region are saying that the foundation is being kind enough to also take on the salaries of the newly minted Ukrainian Ministers. It is noteworthy in this context that the ministers will be paid their wages not from the Ukrainian budget but from a certain Western foundation (according to some reports, George Soros’ Renaissance foundation). It gets better. Not only is George Soros acting as head hunter, hiring manager, and apparently paymaster to the new ministers, but Soros foundation grants also helped the new Public Health Minister get his degree. EXTRACTS ONLY - SOURCE:  here. Foreign Hires don't stop with the abovementioned trio.  Ukraine's government has also appointed these foreigners: Catherine Zghuladze from Georgia - job as deputy Interior Minister. [here] Ronald W. Glensor (retired assist. chief of Reno Police Dept Nevada) to train patrol & traffic police. [here] Thought it was cool how there's a strong link between Aivaras Abromavicius (newly minted Economy Minister) and Sweden, which is at the forefront of the neo-con lobbying for European integration: Aivaras Abromavicius based in Kyiv Estonia + US educ. East Capital (investment management co), partner EC = 6 owners HQ Stockholm East Capital manages abt 31 billion in total of 21 funds. Carl Bildt served as an advisor to the East Capital to 2006 East Capital  award for the best Russian fund during 2000-2010  with a total return of 1261 percent (USD) Yes, it's a tenuous link.  But it is nontheless a link that I find quite interesting.   And would you check out the return on the Russian fund.  If Ukraine is getting raped, the return figure looks like Russia's been g*ng b*nged.

WIKILEAKS: Releases December 2014

WikiLeaks Releases - Dec 2014 To Improve Assassination Operations, CIA Studies Failures of Colonial Powers to Combat Resistance http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2014/12/18/to-improve-assassination-operations-cia-studies-failures-of-colonial-powers-to-combat-resistance/ WikiLeaks Releases CIA Manual Advising Undercover Agents on Travel & Avoiding ‘Secondary Screenings’ http://dissenter.firedoglake.com/2014/12/21/wikileaks-releases-cia-manual-advising-undercover-agents-how-to-evade-secondary-screenings/ Articles in relation to the new WikiLeaks releases (above). Had a quickie look at the travel article.  Undercover travel doesn't sound fun at all.  Travel is crap as it is, without worrying about covering all bases when it comes to being picked up and questioned. Don't know what to make of the 'High Value Target' assassinations article.  Should this even be a legitimate agenda of any government? The French colonists supposedly made mistakes in Algiers and through their actions wound up with popular insurgents in the occupied territory, as well as losing domestic and international support.  But I'm inclined to think that it wouldn't matter what actions the French took:  they're foreign occupiers.  Of course, the occupied people are going to support their own kind.  Why would an occupier expect to have support, apart from the support of the few at the top that they may collude with to maintain control?  I haven't read the linked documents.  It's my first impression on that subject.  But who am I to argue with the experts? If CIA want to know about suppressing revolution, they should have a chat to the British.  Think WikiLeaks put out a military manual on that subject some time ago. Yep.  UK Counter Insurgency Operations 2007.  I started a summary of types of insurrections, but didn't get far.  Why?  Just something that seemed interesting at the time.  Became one of those things that I started and forgot about. Guerilla warfare. Rural insurgents versus own government: Only x3 achieved victory in open fighting against govt regular army: China – 1949 Cuba  – 1959 Nicaragua – 1979 Think that was more of an analysis of tactics of insurgents.  Couldn't find anything about elimination of leaders.  But I only did a quickie word search.  Went back to doc for another look.  Page 70, point 18, advocates physical destruction -- but limiting the numbers to what is required to achieve ends (rather than wholesale elimination of the insurgents).  Soft methods should prevail, to avoid negative consequences. It goes on to say that physical attrition course has blow-back and the consequence is that the costs lead to domestic displeasure.  Maybe that's why drones are so popular. "Hearts and Minds campaign" is a really sick phrase, when you consider that this is ultimately just a game of domination and exploitation. Almost all of the the population (90%) will be neutral, according to UK estimates.  At  the beginning of the campaign this mob will support whoever is strongest.  It is this bunch of sheep that need to be won over. Targeting the support networks is key to bringing down the insurgent -- it's vital, as it then exposes the insurgent group to vulnerabilities. Captured support network members make the best informants on the insurgent group. This is really fascinating, but I'm going to have to stop here.  Not up for over 200 pages of reading at the moment. No, wait. There's more.  Discovered 'neutralising' insurgents.  No wonder my word search didn't reap results.  I was looking for 'assassination'. Scrolling through, I must have missed the neutralising bits.  Couldn't be bothered persevering.  The propaganda section looks really interesting, though.  Black, grey, white, cohesive and divisive are the spin choices. Black - held out as being from some fake source (true source withheld). Grey - doesn't identify a source. White - source out in the open & acknowledged. Cohesive - targets the neutral / uncommitted. Divisive - targets the hostile. While checking out counter-insurgency strategies, it's hard not to be confronted by the might of the machinery that rules the masses.  People have no hope.  People can't resist armies.  Armies are there to control the people; to put a stop to any resistance.  Revolutions are seldom successful without the outside assistance of a sympathetic state.  So imagine the degree of planning and work that was put into the US backed Ukraine coup.

Israel - Palestine Conflict: Mads Gilbert & Noam Chomsky

ISRAEL / PALESTINE MADS GILBERT Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZzIf7Bk8CHM Talk to Al Jazeera - Mads Gilbert:  'People are questioning Israel' Mads Gilbert is a convincing voice for Palestine and it's worthwhile taking the time to view this video, which is from the perspective of a medical professional that has long been active in helping people in Palestine. Gilbert says that, according to international law, an occupied people have the right to take up arms to defend themselves.  That isn't something the mainstream media makes clear.  In fact, I think that's the first time I've ever heard anybody say that. It is also illegal to occupy a people!  Wow, I didn't even know that. During this interview, Gilbert calls into question the Israeli narrative of Israel as a people under attack. Gilbert goes on to say that the solution is a political one rather than a military one. NOAM CHOMSKY Which takes me back to another video that I watched about Palestine and Israel - Noam Chomsky's UN speech: Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2LNyZ6NNeE Noam Chomsky at UN (Oct 14th, 2014)  "Solutions To The Israel-Palestine Conflict" It's worthwhile taking the time to watch the Noam Chomsky video  because he explains the ways in which a political solution has been dodged. Watched this video some time ago and summarised some of the points Chomsky made during the first half hour or so of the video.   Summary below: Israel-Palestine conflict: general outlines of a diplomatic solution has been clear for at least 40 years. Resolution brought before UN 1976 called for two-state settlement internationally recognised border which guarantees rights of both states 1976 resolution brought to UN by 3 major Arab states -- Egypt, Jordan, Syria ('the Confrontation States') 1976 UN resolution -- Israel refused to attend the session. Resolution vetoed by US. 1976 UN Resolution> US veto typically DOUBLE-VETO  1) Non-implementation Resolution  2) Event vetoed from history .. 1976 UN Resolution> Israel refusal to attend + US veto of implementation of Resolution (& from history) SET PATTERN SINCE 1976 UN Resolution> most recent US VETO 2011 #Obama - vetoed implementation 4 official US policy / for opp. to expansion of settlements Opposition to expansion of settlements >*expansion* not issue / issue is illegal *settlements* + infrastructure projects for long time, overwhelming international consensus in support of a [illegal] settlement along these general lines UN pattern set 1976 continues to the present /Israel rejects settlement of terms with unremitting & decisive support of US UN pattern set 1976 continues with unremitting & decisive support of US -- military, economic, diplomatic & ideological pattern continues with support of US, establishing how conflict viewed & interpreted in US & within US sphere of influence pattern> ceasefire, Israel disregards >continues assault on Gaza, incl. continued siege, intermittent violence, settlement &  development. pattern> Hamas observe ceasefire until Israel escalation elicits Hamas response >Israel exercises 'mowing the lawn'  [ie military offensive against Palestinians] pattern > Israel 'mowing the lawn'  [ie military offensive against Palestinians] > each episode more fierce & destructive than the last -- in a series Agreement on Movement & Access Nov 2005, called for crossing between Gaza & Egypt (Rafah) 2005 Agreement > for export of goods & transit of people , continuous op of crossings between Israel & Gaza 4 import/export + transit of people 2005 Agreement > called for reduction of obstacles to movement w/in the West Bank, bus & truck convoys between West Bank & Gaza ... 2005 Agreement > called for the building of a sea port in Gaza, the reopening of airport in Gaza (that Israel had destroyed) Terms of 2005 Movement & Access Agreement are essentially terms of successive ceasefires, incl. one reached few weeks ago. 2005 Agreement timing significant > it was moment of Israel's disengagement from Gaza & removal several thousand Israeli settlers 2005 Israel disengagement stated goal was the FREEZING of the peace process to prevent establishment of Palestinian state 2005 Israel disengagement stated goal was to ensure that diplomacy has been removed indefinitely from agenda ... Israel-Palestine:'05 Israel disengagement reality:  ruined territory not released for even single day from Israel military grip or occupation '05 Israel disengagement stated reality - Israel left behind scorched earth, devastated services & people with no present or future 2005 Israel disengagement stated reality: settlements were destroyed in an ungenerous move by an unenlightened occupier 2005 Israel disengagement >occupier continues to control territory kill & harass inhabitants >means of formidable military might Oslo Accords established 20 years ago >> Gaza & West Bank are INDIVISIBLE TERRITORIAL UNITY > integrity cannot be broken up For 20 years US & Israel dedicated to separating Gaza & West Bank in VIOLATION of the ACCORDS they had ACCEPTED Separation of Gaza & West bank look at map explains why: Gaza offers only access to outside world to Palestine. if Gaza is separated from the West Bank whatever autonomy it might be granted in West Bank would be imprisoned. September. West Bank = Imprisoned; Israel on one side & hostile Jordan (ally of  Israel)  on other and Israel-US Jordan valley takeover Israel's slow & steady US-backed policy is to take over Jordan Valley, about 1/3 of West Bank & much of arable land Jordan Valley take-over is major geostrategic reason for Israel with US backing INSISTENCE on SEPARATING Gaza & West Bank Jan 2006 = first full free election in the Arab world (monitored & recognised) occurred> HAMAS won control of Parliament Hamas win election result in 2006 was not what US & Israel wanted 2006 Hamas win of Parliament good test of US 'democracy promotion' agenda > Fail: Palestine harsh siege instituted US/IS following 2006 Hamas win of Parliament, US began to immediately organise a military coup - as per standard US record post 2006 election, US organised military coup >> to its shame & discredit, European Union went along with this. sounds like the punishment, violence, US arranged coup (accepted by EU) led to Israeli escalation + end to Nov 2005 Agreement 2007 Hamas committed even greater crime than winning fair election; it pre-empted planned military coup & took over Gaza! 2007 elected Hamas PREVENTING US-arranged coup is described in West as Hamas taking Gaza over by 'force'. Hamas preventing planned & US-arranged military coup against the Hamas elected government led to substantial attacks on Gaza. Jan 2008 another. ceasefire reached. Similar to 2005 terms. Israel publicly rejected ceasefire. Hamas observed the ceasefire. one-sided ceasefire cont. to Nov 4, 2008 - day of US election - Israeli forces invaded Gaza & killed Hamas militants ... Nov 2008 Israel attack on Gaza led 2 rocket fire on Israel, a huge Israeli response, lots killings: Palestinians, as usual mid Dec 2008, Hamas offer to renew the ceasefire, Israeli doveish Cabinet rejected & launched next military op 'Cast Lead' 2008 Israel Op 'Cast Lead' >> horrible Op .. caused substantial international reaction, investigation: UN, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch 2008 Israel Op 'Cast Lead'  >> precisely timed to end before  #Obama inauguration .. so Obama didn't have to respond. no comment / let's forget about the past & look to the future is standard slogan for those engaged in serious crime Jan 8, 2009 >> UN Resolution passed (US abstaining) >> calling for immediate cease-fire with usual terms - NEVER OBSERVED > UN ceasefire Resolution of Jan 8, 2009 > broke down completely w. next episode of 'mowing the lawn' in Nov. 2012 >Nov. 2012 'mow the lawn' [ie military offensive against Palestinians] >> get good sense what going on looking @ casualty figures: 79 killed / 78 of them Palestinians The above points were summarised weeks ago, and this is one of the things I didn't get around to finishing.  Hopefully it makes sense. I thought the Chomsky UN video was amazing.  It explains in simple terms what's really going on, which was a revelation to me, as I'm new to politics and as you don't get this sort of information from mainstream media.  [Excuse any typos.  Another all-nighter, no sleep.  Getting to be a baaaaad habit.]