Political and Economic News: Feb 29th,2012

Politics

Democratic lobbyists giving cold shoulder to Obama super-PAC

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/212909-democratic-lobbyists-giving-cold-shoulder-to-obama-super-pac-

‘Not for Pub’: US drew up secret Assange charges – Stratfor leak

http://rt.com/news/us-assange-charges-indictment-stratfor-425/

Homeland Security Dept. Pays General Dynamics to Scour Internet for Criticism of its Policies

http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/Homeland_Security_Dept_Pays_General_Dynamics_to_Scour_Internet_for_Criticism_of_its_Policies_1202Economy

US ‘ties North Korea food aid to nuclear progress’

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17201046
Obama using Espionage Act to ‘silence and prosecute federal workers’ – NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/27/business/media/white-house-uses-espionage-act-to-pursue-leak-cases-media-equation.html?_r=1
US tax dollars at work: War games: Tel Aviv missile drill
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4195662,00.html

McCain Charges White House With Israel Leaks

Sen. John McCain charges that the Obama administration is intentionally undermining Israel in its standoff with Iran.

Economy

S&P Declares Greece in Default

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203833004577249831718108646.html

Venezuela to Keep Syria Fuel Exports, Deepen Ties With China

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-28/venezuela-to-keep-syria-fuel-exports-deepen-ties-with-china.html

Irish leaving in droves to work abroad:  More people will leave Ireland to find work abroad, than at any time since the 1980s

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/02/2012228103831963169.html

Durable goods orders drop by most in 3 years:  U.S. businesses slashed spending on machinery and equipment in January after a tax break expired, pushing orders for long-lasting manufacturing goods down by the largest amount in three years

http://news.yahoo.com/durable-goods-orders-drop-most-3-years-133644833.html

Democratic leaders intensify blame on Wall Street for rising oil prices

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/213013-dem-leaders-keep-pressure-on-wall-street-over-rising-oil-prices

20 Signs That Dust Bowl Conditions Will Soon Return To The Heartland Of America

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/20-signs-that-dust-bowl-conditions-will-soon-return-to-the-heartland-of-america
Dow crosses 13,000, first time since crisis
http://www.usatoday.com/money/markets/story/2012-02-28/stocks-february-28/53283088/1

HSBC could face US criminal charges and ‘significant’ fines over ‘money-laundering’

HSBC has admitted for the first time it may face criminal charges that could see it hit with “significant” penalties stemming from a US investigation into alleged money-laundering by Britain’s biggest bank.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9111850/HSBC-could-face-US-criminal-charges-and-significant-fines-over-money-laundering.html

America 1950 vs. America 2012

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/america-1950-vs-america-2012

Iran’s crude oil price exceeds $124 in Asian markets

http://www.mehrnews.com/en/newsdetail.aspx?NewsID=1545637

Wars And Rumors Of Wars

Israel Won’t Warn U.S. Before Strike On Iran: AP Source

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/israel-wont-warn-us-befor_n_1305601.html?1330398253&ncid=webmail2

Britain leads dash to explore for oil in war-torn Somalia:  Government offers humanitarian aid and security assistance in the hope of a stake in country’s future energy industry http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/25/britain-oil-dash-somalia

NATO airstrike kills four Afghan civilians –The victims were reportedly bombed twice while herding sheep in the snow.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/228735.html

Misc

Anonymous hackers: Police arrest 25 in four countries
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17195893

Economic and Political News Feb. 28th, 2012

 

Emerging economies to challenge US hold on World Bank

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/emerging-economies-to-challenge-us-hold-on-world-bank/articleshow/12061556.cms

Berkshire Hathaway selects Warren Buffett successor

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/berkshire-hathaway-selects-warren-buffett-successor/articleshow/12050303.cms

Wall Street closes at highest since mid-2008

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/global-markets/wall-street-closes-at-highest-since-mid-2008/articleshow/12063267.cms

Oil price rise raises spectre of global recession

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/oil-price-rise-raises-spectre-of-global-recession/articleshow/12058490.cms

Bill Clinton, Helmut Kohl, EU among 231 candidates for Nobel Peace Prize

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/Bill-Clinton-Helmut-Kohl-EU-among-231-candidates-for-Nobel-Peace-Prize/articleshow/12062398.cms

Risk On: Was 2008 Just a Bad Dream?

With volatility back to low, pre-crisis levels, safety is being shunned for excitement

http://www.businessweek.com/finance/risk-on-was-2008-just-a-bad-dream-02262012.html

FHA to Increase Cost of Up-Front Mortgage Insurance Premiums

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-27/fha-to-increase-cost-of-up-front-mortgage-insurance-premiums.html

State Street Investigated by New York, U.S. on Foreign Exchange

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-27/state-street-investigated-by-new-york-u-s-on-foreign-exchange.html

Buffett Says Banks Victimized by Excesses of Evicted Homeowners

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-27/buffett-says-banks-victimized-by-excesses-of-evicted-homeowners.html

A Ponzi Scheme That Never Gets Dull

Scott Rothstein relied on bribes and a “rock star” lifestyle to keep his $1.2 billion scam rolling along

http://www.businessweek.com/finance/a-ponzi-scheme-that-never-gets-dull-02272012.html

Why investors should be prepared for violent market swings

http://www.firstpost.com/investing/why-investors-should-be-prepared-for-violent-market-swings-224875.html

Silver faces last hurdle before blast off, but there’s a caveat

http://www.firstpost.com/investing/silver-faces-last-hurdle-before-blast-off-but-theres-a-caveat-224862.html

Occupy London protest camp eviction under way

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17187180

U.S. intelligence agencies agree: no evidence of Iranian nuclear weapons program

http://www.activistpost.com/2012/02/us-intelligence-agencies-agree-no.html

MSM says just a small amount of children killed by Drone attacks… So its OK?

http://deadlinelive.info/2012/02/26/msm-says-just-a-small-amount-of-children-killed-by-drone-attacks-so-its-ok/

 

Wikileaks Reveals Possible Israeli Covert

Action Campaign Against Iran

http://www.worldjewishdaily.com/wikileaks-iran.php

Hillary Clinton Urges Muslims To ‘Not Pay Attention’ To Republicans

http://nation.foxnews.com/muslim/2012/02/26/hilary-clinton-muslims-dont-pay-attention-republicans#ixzz1ndVTbkxn

Hauling hedge funds into the 21st century

By Jay Eisenhofer, Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/212827-jay-eisenhofer-grant-a-eisenhofer-pa

Comprehensive approach is the only way to control gas prices

By Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii)

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-a-environment/212773-rep-colleen-hanabusa-d-hawaii

H.R. 7 – more than just roads and bridges

By Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.)

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/212751-rep-randy-hultgren-r-ill

Protecting the Homeland, Safeguarding Privacy

By Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.)

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/homeland-security/212531-rep-patrick-meehan-r-pa

Fiddlers, foreign oil and failed policy

By Lt. Col. Steve Russell, US Army (Ret.)
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-a-environment/212487–lt-col-steve-russell-us-army-ret

Anonymous targets lawmakers for defeat

By Brendan Sasso

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/212793-anonymous-targets-lawmakers-for-defeat

News bites: WikiLeaks publishes intelligence firm’s emails By Brendan Sasso

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/212685-news-bites-wikileaks-publishes-intelligence-firms-emails

FTC chief: Google forcing consumers to make ‘brutal choice’ with privacy changes

By Brendan Sasso

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/212741-ftc-chief-google-forcing-consumers-to-make-brutal-choice-with-privacy-changes

George Osborne: UK has run out of money

The Government ‘has run out of money’ and cannot afford debt-fuelled tax cuts or extra spending, George Osborne has admitted.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9107485/George-Osborne-UK-has-run-out-of-money.html

What If????

 

By: Andrew P. Napolitano
Date: 2012-01-11

What if Democrats and Republicans were two wings of the same bird of prey? What if elections were actually useful tools of social control? What if they just provided the populace with meaningless participation in a process that validates an establishment that never meaningfully changes?

  What if that establishment doesn’t want and doesn’t have the consent of the governed? What if the two-party system were actually a mechanism used to limit so-called public opinion? What if there were more than two sides to every issue, but the two parties wanted to box you in to one of their corners? What if there’s no such thing as public opinion, because every thinking person has opinions that are uniquely his own? What if public opinion were just a manufactured narrative that makes it easier to convince people that if their views are different, there’s something wrong with that – or something wrong with them?

What if the whole purpose of the Democratic and Republican parties was not to expand voters’ choices, but to limit them? What if the widely perceived differences between the two parties were just an illusion? What if the heart of government policy remains the same, no matter who’s in the White House? What if the heart of government policy remains the same, no matter what the people want? What if both parties just want power and are willing to have young people fight meaningless wars to enhance that power?

*** The speaker on this Fox news clip, Andrew P. Napolitano, is a former judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey. His most recent book is It Is Dangerous to Be Right When the Government Is Wrong: The Case for Personal Freedom.

Can Congress Steal Your Constitutional Freedoms?

By Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
Published December 01, 2011
| FoxNews.com

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/12/01/can-congress-steal-your-constitutional-freedoms/#ixzz1ndDfWjAl