Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

California Could Be the Next Saudi Arabia

MotherJones | Tom Philpott | 11/09/15

In the early 1980s, Saudi Arabia embarked upon a bold project: It began to transform large swaths of desert landscape into wheat farms. Now, "desert agriculture" isn't quite the oxymoron it might sound like. These arid zones offer ample sunlight and cool nights, and harbor few crop-chomping insects, fungal diseases, or weed species. As long as you can strategically add water and fertilizer, you'll generate bin-busting crops. And that's exactly what Saudi Arabia did. As this Bloomberg News piece shows, the oil-producing behemoth grew so much wheat for about two decades that "its exports could feed Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Yemen."

But starting in the mid-2000s, Saudi wheat production began to taper off. Soon after, it plunged. This year and from now on, the country will produce virtually no wheat, and instead rely on global markets for the staple grain. What happened? ... Read more

Obama Explains Why 'The Greatest Corporate Power Grab In History' Is "The Right Thing For America"
ZeroHedge | author | 11/10/15

While some have called The Trans-Pacific Partnership, "the most brazen corporate power grab in American history," President Obama tells Americans - in an Op-Ed released today - that "it’s the right thing to do for our economy, for working Americans and for our middle class" Despite indepedent analysis that appears to confirm the creeping corporate coup d’état along with the final evisceration of national sovereignty, President Obama explains - in simple words - ObamaTrade is "a trade deal that helps working families get ahead," due, inhis opinion, to the "toughest global labor laws" which will allow American workers to compete on a so-called "level playing field." ... Hey Right ... Read more

Global Stocks Fall For 5th Day On Disturbing Chinese Inflation Data; Renewed Rate Hike Fears; Copper At 6 Year Low
ZeroHedge | author | 11/10/15

The ongoing failure of China to achieve any stabilization in its economy, after already cutting interest rates six times in the past year, and the prospect of a U.S. interest rate hike in December, had made markets increasingly jittery and worried which is not only why the S&P 500 Index had its biggest drop in a month, but thanks to the soaring dollar emerging market stocks are falling for a fourth day - led by China - bringing their decline in that period to almost 4 percent, and the global stock index down for a 5th consecutive day. ... Read more

Noam Chomsky: America's Empire of Chaos

AlterNet | C.J. Polychroniou | 11/09/15

US foreign policy in the 21st century has little to offer other than massive military power. Indeed, gone are the days when military might was used in order to "recreate the world in America's image." In the post-Cold War era, US military interventions take place in the absence of an overall strategic vision and with ideological justifications lacking force and conviction even among the United States' traditional allies. Little wonder then that military interventions, always illegal and unjustifiable, end up accomplishing nothing more than the creation of black holes, while giving rise in turn to new and ever increasing violent terrorist organizations bent on spreading their own vision of social and political order.

In this exclusive interview for Truthout, Noam Chomsky reflects on the dynamics of US foreign policy in the 21st century and the implications of the policy of raining down destruction for world order. Chomsky also assesses the role of Russia's involvement in Syria, the rise of the Islamic State and the apparent attraction it holds for many young Muslims from Europe, and offers a grim view about the future of US foreign policy.... Read more

The Daily Show Nails Ben Carson's Latest Insanity
AlterNet | Adam Johnson | 11/10/15

As studiously documented on Saturday, Ben Carson's web of lies is quickly unraveling. He stabbed a guy, but his victim can't be found. He attended a Yale class that didn't exist. He was offered a scholarship to West Point that was never offered. The Daily Show, with an increasingly steady Trevor Noah, took note. ... Read more
CC | The Daily Show Nails Ben Carson's Latest Insanity (11/10/15) [7:15]