CNN Takes Good News from Iraq, Turns it into Reason to Attack Iran

John Roberts of CNN has an interview with  Nick Robertson about the very REAL story that Iranian officials helped broker a cease fire between the warring factions of the failed surge. But then they take a rather stunning turn.

Disaster Capitalism Alive and Well in America

(In an earlier interview with Paulson this weekend, he tried to ease our fears by saying this was no “quick fix”; that they had been working on this plan for over a year. As Naomi Klein points, thats what these guys do; they put together a “plan” to privatize what they can and they wait for the disaster to take place. Yet, it seems that had there been regulation in the first place, this sub-prime morgage disaster could have been avoided; but then, they couldn’t have handed over complete control of this country to the bankers had that been the case. Makes you kind of wonder about how these “disasters” come about, doesn’t it?) 

“Paulson Begins Battle on How to Police Market” 

 By DAMIAN PALETTA, GREG IP and MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS
March 31, 2008; Page A1 WSJ story here.

The Bush administration’s plan to remodel the patchwork system of U.S. financial regulation, built piecemeal since the Civil War, is the biggest salvo in what will be a long-running debate about the role of government in financial markets.

As Jobs Vanish, Food Stamp Use is at Record Pace

By ERIK ECKHOLM from NYT here. 

Driven by a painful mix of layoffs and rising food and fuel prices, the number of Americans receiving food stamps is projected to reach 28 million in the coming year, the highest level since the aid program began in the 1960s. 

“The Brick” Lands Firmly on America

“The Decriminalization of Corporate Crime”

By Stanley Kutler from Truthdig, here.

With our economic and financial crises deepening, government insiders reportedly are debating whether we need to restore some regulation-or not. Given the state of things, we can expect further woes and no regulation.

Three Neoliberals Left

“When they pick up the phone at 3am, what will they say? ”

from counterpunch, here.

By ALEXANDER COCKBURN 

America’s tragedy is that we have three neoliberals left in the presidential race, at a time when, as Martin Wolf correctly pointed out in Wednesday’s Financial Times, neoliberalism has collapsed. The bailout by the Fed of Bear Stearns sounded the death knell for 30 years of deregulation.

How have McCain, Clinton and Obama adjusted to the new facts of life, at a moment when the entire system is still tottering?

MSNBC Starts the “Blame the Monks” Angle

by Scott Creighton

MSNBC, in an article here, has begun the process of scrubbing up trade leading China’s history on the crack down on the Tibetan Monk protests. Harking back to an earlier time (maybe “Kung-Fu” David Carradine?) they recall how monks used to be physically involved with fighting regimes in China.

Imagine that. Microsoft and General Electric take China’s side in this. Go figure.

Sat. 2 US Soldiers, 171 Iraqis Killed, 289 Wounded

 (from AntiWar, here.)

At least 171 Iraqis were killed and 289 were wounded across Iraq. These casualty figures may include updated numbers from previous days of fighting in the Mahdi Army clashes. Still, a significant number of people were killed or injured since yesterday, including a several PKK separatists near the Turkish border. Two American soldiers were killed during an IED attack in Baghdad this afternoon. Also, Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr made his first public appearance in almost a year.

Russian Intel sees U.S. military build-up on the border of Iran

 (from ADS, here.)

MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran’s borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.

“The latest military intelligence data point to heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran,” the official said, adding that the Pentagon has probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be launched.

At Last; Payday for the Global Banking Elite

(The “Miracle of Chile” is what the Friedman-free-market capitalists called the overthrow of the freely elected Allende and the imposition of the Chicago Boys economic plan by dictator, Augusto Pinochet. It involved privatizing everything, and handing over complete control of the economic system of Chile to a small number of international bankers, representing the interests of the same banks that own a majority of our own Federal Reserve. I wrote an article called “The Miracle of America” about how these policies were being adapted, against the will of the majority of the US citizens. Now, we see a rush to implement as many of these Chicago Boys policies, before the end of the Cheney/Bush term. Impeachment could have put an end to this transformation.) 

(from MSNBC story here. )

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the way the U.S. financial industry is regulated.

In an effort to deal with the problems highlighted by the current severe credit crisis, the new plan would give major new powers to the Federal Reserve, according to a 22-page executive summary obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

The proposal would designate the Fed as the primary regulator of market stability, greatly expanding the central bank’s ability to examine not just commercial banks but all segments of the financial services industry.

Police Refuse to Support Iraq PM Attacks on Medhi Army

 (as the growing Shia on Shia violence continues, it seems the “progress in Iraq” is unraveling fast. Since the Shia run government has been complicit in allowing the US supported ethnic cleansing of the Sunni areas, the Shia underclasses, mainly loyal to Al-Sadar, are rising up to say enough is enough. It seems EVERY decision the US occupation has made, since Richard Clarke was told on Sept 13th 2001 to find a way to connect Saddam to the attacks, has been the WRONG one.)

 (from The Independent World, here.)

By Patrick Cockburn
Saturday, 29 March 2008  

US and British forces are increasingly playing a supporting role in the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s stalled offensive against the Mehdi Army militia. American aircraft launched air strikes in Basra yesterday and fought militiamen on the streets in Baghdad while British advisers have also been assisting Iraqi troops in Basra.