Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

The Truth vs. DC's Propaganda Machine
Bill Moyers | author | 06/26/14

As the exploding crisis in Iraq spotlights once again the tragic record of American policy in the Middle East, Bill speaks with investigative journalist Charles Lewis, whose new book, 935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America's Moral Integrity details the many government falsehoods that have led us into the current nightmare.

... Lewis tells Bill, "An outrageous thing happened. We lost $2 trillion. More than 100,000 people died. Folks are going to be maimed for life in the tens of thousands… And no one has ever acknowledged that this was a war on a lark. It was a complete war of choice, because a certain little faction wanted to do it and they orchestrated it… Did they make statements that weren't true? The answer is yes." ... Read more
The Truth About 935 Lies

It's the Oil, Stupid! Insurgency and War on a Sea of Oil
TomDispatch | Michael Schwartz | 06/25/14

Events in Iraq are headline news everywhere, and once again, there is no mention of the issue that underlies much of the violence: control of Iraqi oil. Instead, the media is flooded with debate about, horror over and extensive analysis of a not-exactly-brand-new terrorist threat, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). There are, in addition, elaborate discussions about the possibility of a civil war that threatens both a new round of ethnic cleansing and the collapse of the embattled government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Underway are, in fact, "a series of urban revolts against the government," as Middle Eastern expert Juan Cole has called them. They are currently restricted to Sunni areas of the country and have a distinctly sectarian character, which is why groups like ISIS can thrive and even take a leadership role in various locales. These revolts have, however, neither been created nor are they controlled by ISIS and its several thousand fighters. They also involve former Baathists and Saddam Hussein loyalists, tribal militias and many others. And at least in incipient form they may not, in the end, be restricted to Sunni areas. As The New York Times reported last week, the oil industry is "worried that the unrest could spread" to the southern Shia-dominated city of Basra, where "Iraq's main oil fields and export facilities are clustered." ... Read more

Please Help Us Find The Q2 "Spending Surge"
ZeroHedge | author | 06/26/14

US services (and thus services spending) account for 68% of US GDP and 4 out of 5 US jobs. Thus, without spending on services the US economy can barely grow. That much is clear. What is also clear is that pundit after pundit has been lining up to explain how the Q1 economic collapse is to be ignored because it was due to, don't laugh, snow. Snow, which somehow wiped out of $100 billion in growth from initial expectations of Q1 GDP rising by 2.5%. What is certainly clear is that without spending on services in the second quarter, it is impossible for US GDP to hit its much desired 4% "bounceback" GDP print. All of that is very clear. ... Read more
Click to zoom - Consumer Spending Spreed Please?

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, June 26 [11:46]

TRNN | "A Commercially Successful Human Rights Violation" In Detroit (06/26/14) [14:29]

TRNN | Robert Pollin: If the Fed was serious about strengthening the basic economy, it would bail out American cities (06/26/14) [12:13]

TYT | Major Ruling Protects Your Cellphone From The Police... Sort Of (06/25/14) [7:45]

House passes bill to weaken Dodd-Frank and help Wall Street, Koch brothers
Reuters & RT | author | 06/26/14

The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to water down key parts of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, weakening the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's power to regulate derivatives. The resulting bill helps big banks and the Koch brothers.

The bill reauthorizes the CFTC's mandate, which expired in October 2013, for five years. It would also reverse the commission's tough rules on U.S. businesses' swaps with counter-parties abroad, requiring it to draw up a new regime together with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Critics contend that the loosening of regulations could weaken market stability, Reuters reported. ... Read more