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Geoff has written for publications as diverse as PC User and The Northern Star His weekly columns have been a source of humour and inspiration for tens of thousands of readers and his mailbox is always full.
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  • The John James Newsletter 60

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    The John James Newsletter 60

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    John James

    6:40 AM (8 hours ago)

    The John James Newsletter 60
    16 May 2015


    I will be overseas for the next three months, mainly in France with my beloved churches. I will continue to send out Newsletters each Saturday, though they may have a few less goodies. 
    In a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, thinking people should not to be on the side of the executionersAlbert Camus

    This is a most interesting assessment of US policies. Well worth considering.Chaos – not Victory – is Empire’s GameThat’s the way (i) to control people, nations and their resources; (ii) to assures the west a continuous need for military; and (iii) to push a country into disarray or chaos so it becomes broke so it needs money – money with hardship conditions attached by the World Bank that equals enslavement.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41771.htm Clinton made Libya a ‘jihadist wonderland’“It was a big mistake for us to go in there in the first place, because a lot of the times when we topple secular dictators, we’ve gotten chaos and then we’ve gotten the rise of radical Islam, It made Libya a hotbed for jihadists.” http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/241555-paul-clinton-made-libya-a-jihadist-wonderland To protect Washington’s unique power status following the Soviet collapse, Paul Wolfowitz in 1992 penned what is known as The Wolfowitz Doctrine. This is the basis for Washington’s foreign policy. “Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival, either on the territory of the former Soviet Union or elsewhere, that poses a threat on the order of that posed formerly by the Soviet Union. This is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated control, be sufficient to generate global power.”In March of this year the Council on Foreign Relations extended this doctrine to China. Washington is now committed to blocking the rise of two large nuclear-armed countries. This commitment is the reason for the crisis that Washington has created in Ukraine and for its use as anti-Russian propaganda. China is now confronted with the Pivot to Asia and the construction of new US naval and air bases to ensure Washington’s control of the South China Sea, which is now defined as an area of American National Interest.http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2015/05/11/war-threat-rises-economy-declines-paul-craig-roberts/The Blindness of the European Union in the Face of US Military StrategyEU officials are completely wrong regarding Islamist attacks in Europe and the migration of people fleeing wars. This is not the accidental consequence of conflict in the broader Middle East and Africa, but a strategic objective of the United States.http://www.voltairenet.org/article187529.html
    Snowden says Australia watching its citizens ‘all the time’ He warned that journalists are at risk of having their contacts exposed by mass surveillance. “Under these mandatory metadata laws you can immediately see who journalists are contacting, from which you can derive their sources.” http://rt.com/news/257193-snowden-australia-surveillance-metadata/
    The Big Business Of Cancer100 billion dollars was spent on cancer drugs last year. At the beginning of the last century, one person in twenty would get cancer. In the 1940s it was one out of every sixteen people. In the 1970s it was one person out of ten. Today one person out of three gets cancer in the course of their life.We live in a society that is highly toxic, and it is getting worse with each passing day.http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/the-big-business-of-cancer-100-billion-dollars-was-spent-on-cancer-drugs-last-year-alone
    Sea level rising faster in past 20 years than in entire 20th centurySea levels are predicted to rise by close to a meter in the next 85 years. That would affect more than 150 million people living in low-lying coastal communities. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-12/sea-level-rise-accelerates-faster-in-past-20-years/6461752
    The Greek Endgame: Time to Choose between Default and DefeatA nearly-botched pension payout last week revealed just how critical the government’s fiscal position has become. It’s time to forget about all the friendly rhetoric about Greece reaching a “mutually beneficial” deal with its creditors. The endgame is here. The Eurozone will not back down. Either the Greek government defaults, or it will be defeated. There is no other way. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41816.htm These are the payments due, including to the IMF, to June 30.May 12 — 757 million euros to IMFMay 30 — 1.5 billion euros in pensions, salariesJune 5  —  303 million euros to IMFJune 12 — 341 million euros to IMFJune 16 — 568 million euros to IMFJune 19 — 341 million euros to IMFJune 30 — 1.5 billion euros in pensions, salarieshttp://www.cnbc.com/id/102667914 Greece Invited to Join New BRICS Development BankThe BRICS Development Bank is a new initiative that will help member states lessen their dependence on the IMF. http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Greece-Invited-to-Join-New-BRICS-Development-Bank-20150512-0039.html The IMF’s Struggle for RelevancyIt was created to defend free market economics after the start of the Cold War. It was never meant to help less developing countries but was meant to help steer them away from socialism. http://www.telesurtv.net/english/analysis/The-IMFs-Struggle-for-Relevancy-20150416-0037.html
    US “Operation Rooms” Backing Al Qaeda in Syria US policy think-tank Brookings Institution confirms that contrary to propaganda, US-Saudi “moderates” and Turkey-Qatar “Islamists” have been coordinating all along. https://syria360.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/us-operation-rooms-backing-al-qaeda-in-syria/

    The Real Lessons of the Tory VictoryWe cannot imagine a different world, a different economic system, a different media landscape, because our intellectual horizons have been totally restricted by the media conglomerates that control our newspapers, our TV and radio stations, the films we watch, the video games we play, the music we listen to.http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41803.htm
    Russia’s Stumbling Pivot to AsiaMoscow and Beijing are trying to cement closer ties, but delays in high-profile energy deals highlight lingering tensions between them.  The reality is that competing interests and clashing visions everywhere from Central Asia to China’s own backyard are keeping Moscow and Beijing from consummating their courtship.https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/05/08/russias-stumbling-pivot-to-asia-putin-xi-natural-gas-gazprom-altaiThe Short Life and Speedy Death of Russia’s Silicon ValleyIn 2009, Moscow unveiled an ambitious plan to build a world-class technology incubator. Then corruption, brain drain, and Putin killed it.http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/05/06/the-short-life-and-speedy-death-of-russias-silicon-valley-medvedev-go-russia-skolkovo/
    Extreme secrecy eroding support for Obama’s trade pactClassified briefings and bill-readings in basement rooms are making members queasy. If you want to hear the details of the TPP trade deal, you’ve got to be a member of Congress, and you’ve got to go to classified briefings and leave your staff and cellphone at the door. You are handed one section at a time, watched over as you read, and forced to hand over any notes you make before leaving. And no matter what, you can’t discuss the details of what you’ve read.http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/secrecy-eroding-support-for-trade-pact-critics-say-117581.html
    Scientists weigh up new evidence on Antarctic ice melt“Most scientists would be hard-pressed to find mechanisms that do not include human-made climate change.”  Since 2003, ice loss over the whole continent increased at the rate of six billion tons a year. West Antarctica’s melting rate, however, accelerated by 18 billion tons a year during the same timespan. http://www.climatenewsnetwork.net/scientists-weigh-up-new-evidence-on-antarctic-ice-melt/
    The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season formed off the South Carolina coast  nearly a month before the season officially begins.http://abc13.com/weather/first-named-storm-forms-before-atlantic-hurricane-season-begins/704610/
    Iran welcomes Saudi Arabia inspection of its aid shipThe Iranian cargo ship carrying 2,500 tons of humanitarian aid including food and medicine left Iran’s southern Bandar Abbas port on May 11 to the Yemeni port of Hodeida. The ship also carries rescue workers from the Iran’s Red Crescent Society as well as some 20 journalists.http://en.trend.az/iran/politics/2394001.html  Iran Warns of War if Aid Ship to Yemen AttackedThe deputy chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces warned on Tuesday that Iran would retaliate in force against any country, which attacks an Iranian ship with humanitarian aid on board.http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20150513/1022078061.html
    Yemen’s War Is Redrawing the Middle East’s Fault LinesSaudi Arabia’s ongoing war in Yemen does more to highlight the kingdom’s isolation than its power.http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/05/12/yemens-war-redrawing-middle-easts-fault-lines
    Turkey’s Gas GameEurope hoped Turkey could help the continent wean itself off Russian fuel. But Ankara might have other plans. This one pipeline, which could deliver gas as early as next year, could endanger a critical alliance the West has spent decades cultivating, and upend Eurasia’s entire energy and security landscape. Turkey would become a middleman for Europe’s energy buyers, and it would be precisely the linchpin Moscow needs to keep an energy hold on the continent.https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/05/11/turkeys-reckless-gas-game-russia-putin-turkish-stream/

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  • The John James Newsletter 58

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    The John James Newsletter 58

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    4:59 AM (3 hours ago)

    The John James Newsletter 58
    2 May 2015

    Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a littleEdmund Burke

    So many wonderful things! This is the best blog, not just in australia. but the world. The Russia-Iran nexus is very important and makes what else is happening in the region even more interesting and significant. Two fast-rising powers – Russia and Iran. Israel will have to look out. Keep it up, John

    How much fossil fuel has been used in your lifetime?

    How much fossil fuel has been extracted since you arrived at this page? Or since you were born? The numbers below highlight the staggering amount of oil, coal and gas we take out of the ground – and how quickly change is needed

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/apr/10/how-much-fossil-fuel-are-we-using-right-now

    Prince Charles on brink of ending all fossil fuel investments 

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/28/prince-charles-on-brink-of-ending-all-fossil-fuel-investments?CMP=ema_565

    Syria’s Nightmarish Narrative

    With military and political help from Saudi Arabia and Israel, the possibility of an Al-Qaeda and/or IS victory in Syria is coming true, as the army retreats and as Obama remains indecisive.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41705.htm

    Assad’s hold on power looks shakier than ever as rebels advance in Syria

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/assads-regime-at-increasing-risk-amid-a-surge-of-rebel-advances/2015/04/26/c2742e22-ec32-11e4-8050-839e9234b303_story.html

    Syria’s Revitalized Rebels Make Big Gains in Assad’s Heartland

    The recent offensives in Idlib have been strikingly swift — thanks in large part to suicide bombers and American anti-tank TOW missiles. Regime forces have only held out for hours or a few days.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/28/syrias-revitalized-rebels-make-big-gains-in-assads-heartland/

    Al Qaeda Is Beating the Islamic State 

    Get ready for the clash of caliphates.

    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/al-qaeda-is-beating-the-islamic-state-116954.html#.VTI-2GbHGR9

    Big Insurance Companies warning to Prepare For Climate Changehttp://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/21/3649244/insurance-climate-change-disaster-relief/
    The number of volcanoes erupting now is greater than the 20th century’s YEARLY averageDuring the 20th century, there were a total of 3,542 volcanic eruptions, or 35 each year. There are 36 volcanoes erupting around the world right now. This is the trend. http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/the-number-of-volcanoes-erupting-right-now-is-greater-than-the-20th-centurys-yearly-average
    ‘We don’t buy panda products – so the Chinese should get their hands off our elephants’Poachers are slaughtering 25,000 elephants a year for their ivory tusks. The elephant will be extinct within the decade. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/07/opinions/paula-kahumbu-china-ivory-elephants-extinction/index.html
    How come we bomb ISIS thugs but finance the thugs of Ukrainian?Ukrainian Neo-Nazis Nail Rebel Fighter to Cross, Burn Him AliveUS-backed militants carry out brutal execution. Video shows Ukrainian neo-nazi militia carrying out an ISIS-style execution during which they nail a separatist rebel to a cross and then burn him alive.http://www.infowars.com/shock-video-ukrainian-neo-nazis-nail-rebel-fighter-to-cross-burn-him-alive/
    Then and Now Photos That Show Dramatic Changes on EarthThe melting of the Northwestern Glacier in Alaska between 1940 and Aug. 4, 2005. http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/30-then-and-now-photos-climate-change-earth-melting-glaciers/45986679 andSeven surprising results from the reduction of Arctic Sea ice coverhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofaoiHYKtlc
    The Great Transition by Lester BrownWind and solar costs are falling rapidly, making them competitive with fossil fuels in more and more markets. States and countries are getting double digit shares of their electricity from wind farms and solar panels are popping up on rooftops from California to Australia to Bangladesh. To give you a sense of just how quickly change is happening, the Institute has posted the first chapter of the book online.http://www.earth-policy.org/books/tgt/tgt_table_of_contents
    Most reports assume that 2°C is an appropriate policy targetDavid Spratt’s “Recount: It’s time to ‘Do the math’ again” concludes that the evidence does not support this propositions.http://www.climatecodered.org/2015/04/its-time-to-do-math-again.html
    In Nigeria, university degrees can lead to povertyWith over 20 million unemployed youth in Nigeria, young Nigerians are spending an increasing proportion of their twenties pursuing academic qualifications, rather than gaining work skills. They are doing this on the savings of households living on $2-4 per person a day — families who are scrimping and sacrificing so that one person can break out of these economic conditions and land a good job.http://www.thisisafricaonline.com/News/In-Nigeria-university-degrees-can-lead-to-povert
    What it Means to Be ‘Liberal’ or ‘Conservative’ in ChinaLeftists enjoy greater popular support in lower-income, inland regions, compared to wealthier coastal provinces, whereas the opposite is true for liberals. There is a strong correlation between leftist beliefs and ‘cultural conservatism’ — defined as those who support “traditional, Confucian values”.http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/24/what-it-means-to-be-liberal-or-conservative-in-china/
    Not Your Father’s National FrontMarine Le Pen has assembled the West’s largest, most successful anti-immigration and anti-globalist party, by playing down its racist roots.http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/not-your-fathers-national-front/
    Laundering the Global Garment Industry’s Dirty BusinessTwo years after Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza disaster, a dense network of little-known agents and subcontractors is still getting in the way of better work conditions. The workers protest loudly and often for better conditions, blocking roads with burning tires near sprawling, dingy factories.http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/24/laundering-global-garment-industrys-dirty-business-rana-plaza-bangladesh-factories/
    Hopes of vaccine for Parkinson’s sufferers Scientists believe that an abnormal protein may trigger the condition. It may be possible to prime a person’s immune system so it is ready to attack this protein as it passes through the body so it would not destroy the dopamine-manufacturing cells, where the disease inflicts its greatest damage.http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/25/parkinsons-disease-vaccine-research-protein?CMP=ema_565
    Global forest watchInteractive maps that you can follow global deforestation year by yearhttp://www.globalforestwatch.org/
    Unburnable Carbon: Why we need to leave fossil fuels in the groundPollution from Australia’s coal resources, particularly the enormous Galilee coal basin, could on its oen take us two-thirds of the way to a two degree rise in global temperature. http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/unburnable-carbon-why-we-need-to-leave-fossil-fuels-in-the-ground
    India cancels licences of 8,975 NGOsIncluding Greenpeace as it was financing Indian NGOs which were filing writs. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47072906.cms
    Wind turbines are less effective and CO2 abatement cost is higher than commonly assumedIt is often assumed that effectiveness of wind energy is 100%, i.e., a MWh of wind energy displaces the emissions from a MWh of conventional energy. But it is usually much less.http://judithcurry.com/2015/04/27/wind-turbines-co2-savings-and-abatement-cost/#more-18516
    Binge drinking in childhood can cause damage to brain for life“Long-term potentiation” permits a nerve cell, to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another cell. This helps a person acquire new information and remember. It is at its height when a person is young and able to absorb large amounts of new memory. http://rt.com/news/253745-binge-drinking-youth-brain/

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    The John James Newsletter 51

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    John James

    7:29 AM (40 minutes ago)

    The John James Newsletter 51
    21 March 2015

    Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner.James Bovard

    Solar and wind power have halted the rise in global emissions   !!!!!!!!!!The IEA has hailed a “surprising” and “unprecedented” halt in the rise of global CO2 emissions as directly credited to the growth in solar and wind power, increased hydro, and the decline in coal-fired generation. Global emissions stood at 32.3 billion tonnes in 2014, unchanged from the preceding year, despite a 3% increase in global economic growth. This is the first time in 40 years that a halt in emissions was not part of an economic downturn.http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/solar-wind-power-aid-unprecedented-halt-in-global-emissions-75353 http://www.vox.com/2015/3/16/8224915/economic-growth-carbon-emissions
    Because this is now the trend everywhere !Under the sun: Australia’s largest solar farm set to sprout in a Queensland fieldA sea of glass panels may soon be sprawling across a paddock in Queensland’s Darling Downs cranking out two gigawatts of energy – 100 times more than the largest solar farm in Australia today – and a former top flight barrister is the unusual shining light behind its development. That is equivalent to one fifth of the current total renewable energy target for the entire country in a single power station. It is also more power than any coal fired station in Queensland can currently muster.\http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/02/under-the-sun-australias-largest-solar-farm-set-to-sprout-in-a-queensland-field?CMP=ema_632 andTexas city to go 100% solar, wind – because it’s cheaper, more reliablehttp://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/texas-city-to-go-100-solar-wind-because-its-cheaper-more-reliable-75098 and Costa Rica powered by 100% renewables for first 75 days of 2015http://reneweconomy.com.au/2015/costa-rica-powered-100-by-renewables-for-first-75-days-of-2015
    Australia top tan climate pollutersWhile most of the top 10 polluters publicly accept climate change and their responsibilities to reduce pollution, some have opposed important mechanisms such as the carbon price and the RET. All are Australian owned except for the worst which is owned by the Chinese.https://www.acfonline.org.au/sites/default/files/resources/ACF_Biggest_Polluters_Report_FINAL_V1.2.pdf

    How plants FEEL when insects eat them A cabbage knows what creature is attacking it by the way it chews. Caterpillars produce more drool when eating a plant leaf so  it responded to caterpillars differently. The plant could tell various caterpillars apart, and can identify nearby sounds of eatinghttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2988798/How-plants-FEEL-insects-eating-alive-cabbage-knows-creature-attacking-way-chews-claims-study.html
    Kurds of Syria, Turkey and Iraq unite to build Kurdistan Is this possible when these three states would have to give up territory to achieve it? And when you read how this wrong was inflicted after WWI.‘A consolidated Kurdistan is an impossibility. There is no reason why the distribution of the Kurds should dictate frontiers or why Kurds should be regarded as a people who require consolidation.’ – Lt Col Sir Mark Sykes, March 15, 1915’Major Noel . . . considered that British policy demanded the setting-up of a Kurdish buffer state which could be used to counterbalance any strong anti-British movement which might occur in Mesopotamia.” – minutes of Cairo Conference, March 15, 1921. Meeting chaired by Winston Churchill.’We demand that independence which is our birthright, and which alone will permit us to fight our way along the road of progress and civilisation, to turn to account the resources of our country and to live in peace with our neighbours.’ – General Sherif Pasha, president of the Kurdish delegation to the Peace Conference in Paris, March 22, 1919.http://www.smh.com.au/world/kurds-of-syria-turkey-and-iraqi-unite-to-build-kurdistan–an-alternative-state-and-direct-challenge-to-islamic-states-caliphate-20150314-141xwp.html
    After four years of conflict, Syria is ‘entering the dark ages’83% of the country’s lights have gone out since its conflict began and life expectancy has dropped by 20 years, As the conflict enters its fifth year this month, the death toll stands at more than 200,000, Nearly 11 million have been forced to flee their homes, including hundreds of thousands trapped in combat zones with little access to food, shelter or medical care. More than 3 million have sought shelter in neighbouring countries, whose governments say they are struggling to cope. Syria is entering the dark ages, literally and metaphorically,http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-syria-lights-20150312-story.html
    Moscow Launches Ruble-Renminbi Futures To “Facilitate Trade Between China And Russia”http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-03-17/moscow-launches-ruble-renminbi-futures-facilitate-trade-between-china-and-russia After the UK announced it will join the new China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a founding member, Germany, France and Italy decided to follow Britain’s lead and join as well (AND possibly Australia too!). Is this the end of the US dollar’s dominance? Is one reason that the total net assets of the US — every acre of land, every tank, every drone, every drop of oil in the strategic reserve – leave the US government owning MINUS $60 trillion.http://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia/chinahttp://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australia-ready-to-join-us100-billion-china-bank-20150319-1m33pa.html
    Poor Farmers Bear The Brunt Natural Disasters In Developing CountriesTwenty-two percent of all damages inflicted by natural hazards such as drought, floods storms or tsunamis are registered within the agriculture sector, most often incurred by poor rural and semi-rural communities without insurance and lacking the financial resources needed to regain lost livelihoods. Yet only 4.5 percent of post-disaster humanitarian aid in the 2003-2013 period targeted agriculture.http://www.countercurrents.org/cc170315.htm
    Watch how 7-12 metre waves battered the Arctic ice between March 13-20http://arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/strong-winds-and-waves-batter-arctic-sea-ice.html The latest sea ice thickness measurement (9th March 2015) for the US Navy submarines shows that the thick and rigid multiyear sea ice congestion has cleared from the Fram Strait between Greenland and the Svalbard Archipelago. The wave penetration is stronger within soft and highly fragmented seasonal ice packs, and so, the sea ice is now primed for faster transport out of the Arctic Ocean.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153101217844449&set=p.10153101217844449&type=1
    German Officials: Claims of Russian Invasion of Ukraine Are American Propaganda
    US officials regularly claim ceasefire violations in Ukraine, and Russian “invasions” that no one questions. The German government is increasingly annoyed over “dangerous propaganda” meant to sabotage the ceasefire, saying that the US claims are wildly inaccurate or unconfirmed.
    http://www.mintpressnews.com/german-officials-claims-of-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-are-american-propaganda/203338/
    Putin in film on Crimea: US masterminds behind Ukraine coup, helped train radicals“The Ukrainian armed coup was organised from Washington. The Americans tried to hide behind the Europeans, but we saw through it. The trick was to get the [Ukrainian] opposition supported by the Europeans whereas we knew for sure that the real masterminds were our American friends. They helped train the nationalists and facilitated the armed coup.http://rt.com/news/240921-us-masterminds-ukraine-putin/
    What They’re Not Telling You About Monsanto’s Role in Ukraine In the guise of ‘aid,’ a claim has been made on Ukraine’s vast agricultural riches. It is the world’s third largest exporter of corn and fifth largest exporter of wheat. Ukraine has deep, rich, black soil that can grow almost anything, and its ability to produce high volumes of GM grain is what made biotech come rushing to take it over.http://naturalsociety.com/theyre-not-telling-monsantos-role-ukraine/
    Terrorists: The US Creates Them, Turkey Trains Them, Qatar Finances ThemFew are aware that Turkey is ruled by a Muslim Brotherhood government. As a NATO member, Turkey has long provided recruitment, intelligence, training and armaments (including a daily flow of ammunition and spare parts) on behalf of US interests. With Qatari financing, American equipment and Turkish training, it was like a marriage made in heaven. Although the Syrian army and security forces were exhausted they were not defeated. But the problems in this clever scheme came when IS started beheading Westerners and using the universal reach of social media to ensure that the whole world would see it. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41244.htm

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  • The John James Newsletter No 39

     

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    The John James Newsletter 39
    3 January 2015

    The USA: Australia’s Dangerous Ally – Malcolm Fraser 

    It is time for Australia to end its strategic dependence on the United States. The relationship with America, which has long been regarded as beneficial, has now become dangerous to Australia’s future. We have effectively ceded to America the ability to decide when Australia goes to war … The idea of American exceptionalism, which has always been present in the United States, has gone far beyond all comprehension in the years of America’s absolute supremacy. It has created a different nation, a different society. Such ideas influence American foreign policy in ways that make it much more difficult to achieve a secure and safe path in the future. Our task is not to embrace America, but to preserve ourselves from its reckless overreach.

    http://nationalinterest.org/feature/america-australias-dangerous-ally-11858

    The Enigma of Hitler 

    “Hitler — You knew him — What was he like?” I have been asked that question a thousand times since 1945, and nothing is more difficult to answer … Hitler’s most notable characteristic was ever his simplicity. The most complex of problems resolved itself in his mind into a few basic principles. His actions were geared to ideas and decisions that could be understood by anyone … His intellectual curiosity was limitless. He was readily familiar with the writings of the most diverse authors, and nothing was too complex for his comprehension … The universality of Hitler’s knowledge may surprise or displease those unaware of it, but it is nonetheless a historical fact: Hitler was one of the most cultivated men of this century. http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v14/v14n3p22_Degrelle.html

    Non-Dollar Trading Is Killing the Petrodollar

    and with it the foundation of US-Saudi policy. It would be ironic, indeed, were the tensions with Russia inadvertently to become the driver of America finally losing its petrodollar card.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40584.htm

     

    The encryption tools spies can (and can’t) crack

    Australia’s electronic espionage agency is a partner in the assault on internet security and privacy, according to Edward Snowden. Skype has been successfully intercepted since at least February 2011.

    http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/security-it/revealed-the-encryption-tools-spies-can-and-cant-crack-20141229-12f0sh.html

    Delaware-size gas plume illustrates the cost of leaking methane

    The methane that leaks from 40,000 gas wells  forms a giant plume. 8 million metric tons of methane escape each  year, enough to provide power to every household in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/delaware-sized-gas-plume-over-west-illustrates-the-cost-of-leaking-methane/2014/12/29/d34c3e6e-8d1f-11e4-a085-34e9b9f09a58_story.html

    We Can Ban Fracking, New York Paves the Way

    The story of how fractivists fought and won in New York is awe-inspiring and demonstrates that we should fight for what we want – not just the best that can be negotiated in a backroom deal or what others say is politically feasible.

    http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/12/18/we-can-ban-fracking-new-york-paves-way

    Chevron halts big Arctic offshore drilling project ‘indefinitely’ due to oil price slide

    http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/chevron-halts-big-arctic-offshore-drilling-project-indefinitely-due-oil-price-slide-1480027

    Big Coal’s 2014 nightmare

    Around the world the coal industry has been confronted with unprecedented opposition while the industry has been engulfed in scandals of its own making, 2015 may well be the year in which Big Coal’s transition towards ‘Little Coal’ accelerates.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/big-coals-2014-nightmare-54327

    A Metaphor: Starving 4 Pound Baby Dies In Car While Parents Eat 

    The US national debt has increased from about 1 trillion dollars in 1980 to about 18 trillion dollars today…The total debt (all government debt plus all business debt plus all individual debt) has increased from about 2.4 trillion dollars forty years ago to nearly 58 trillion dollars today… This is the greatest debt binge in history. In 2015 are events going to accelerate and face us with the consequences of decades of incredibly foolish decisions?

    http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/metaphor-for-america-starving-4-pound-baby-dies-in-car-while-parents-eat-at-golden-corral

  • John James Newsletter No. <26>

    The John James Newsletter 26
    6 November 2014.

    Hope is the companion of power, and the mother of success; for whosoever hopes has within him the gift of miracles. – Samuel Smiles

    UN panel warns opportunity to stop climate change fading fast
    This requires “substantial” cuts to greenhouse gas emissions over the next few decades, and “near zero” emissions by the end of the century.Two degrees warming is considered a threshold beyond which the impacts of climate change become much worse. On current emission trends, the world would warm by 4 degrees by 2100 – and keep getting warmer thereafter.
    http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/un-panel-warns-opportunity-to-stop-climate-change-fading-fast-20141102-11fmmq.html

    web_emissions-300x0
    A Gunpowder Plot Against Democracy
    This bill of rights for corporations will blow up the sovereignty of parliaments. The TTIP treaty would allow corporations to sue governments before an arbitration panel composed of corporate lawyers, at which other people have no representation, and which is not subject to judicial review. So outrageous is this arrangement that even the Economist, usually the champion of corporate power and trade treaties, has now come out against it as “a way to let multinational companies get rich at the expense of ordinary people”.
    http://www.monbiot.com/2014/11/04/a-gunpowder-plot-against-democracy/

    AND WHAT ABOUT THE PACIFIC VERSION?

    Climate Depression Is For Real. Just Ask A Scientist
    It’s only natural then that many climate scientists and activists often feel an extreme pressure to keep their emotions in check. Part of being on the front line means being outspoken and passionate about the cause, the personal toll of the work goes largely undiscussed. “You don’t just start talking about unbelievably fast sea-level rise at a cocktail party at a friend’s house. So having to deny the emotional need to talk about what’s on your mind is a burden. Nobody talks about how it makes them feel personally.”
    http://www.countercurrents.org/thomas041114.htm

    Gaza isn’t just a physical wreck: the psychological damage is worse.
    Gaza feels like the Day of Judgement. Houses are as squashed and scattered as paper cups. A water tower is torn up close to the ground like a stalk of corn. Mosques, schools and factories are blasted, useless shells. Olive trees that were almost ready to yield their fruit are reduced to kindling. It goes on, block after block. Altogether 20,000 homes are destroyed and uninhabitable, 39,000 people are still living in UN shelters, and perhaps 100,000 more are homeless, crowded in with relatives. Building materials promised by the UN and international donors are stalled or unavailable.
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/11/03/gaza-isnt-just-a-physical-wreck-the-psychological-damage-is-even-worse/

    Gaza cut off: Israel closes border crossings indefinitely
    Israel has said it’s shutting the only two operating Gaza border crossings indefinitely. This comes a day after a projectile hit Israel from the strip, with no damage. Border closures have now isolated Gaza completely.
    http://rt.com/news/201579-israel-gaza-border-crossing/

    CEFC in discussions on 30 new projects worth $3bn
    The Clean Energy Finance Corporation shows no sign of packing its bags as the Abbott government would wish. The Corporation reports “active discussions” with developers of more than 30 new projects with a total value of more than $3 billion. This is on top of the $931 million it has already invested in projects worth a total of $3.2 billion.
    http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/cefc-says-discussions-30-new-projects-3-bln-77144

    Opioid wars
    The US consumes more than 80 percent of the global supply of opioids, and overdoses from prescription opioid drugs kill nearly 17,000 Americans every year, which is one overdose death every 30 minutes.
    http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/faultlines/2014/10/opioid-wars-20141027122237180634.html

    Entire villages disappeared: Ebola deaths in Sierra Leone ‘underreported’
    Ebola’s toll on Sierra Leone is much greater than previously thought, with entire villages killed off by the virus. This means up to 20,000 people could have succumbed to the disease by now.
    http://rt.com/news/201567-ebola-sierra-leone-toll-underreported/

    Fracking Wells Abandoned in Boom/Bust Cycle. Who Will Pay to Cap Them?
    The companies that once operated the wells have all but vanished into the prairie, many seeking bankruptcy protection and unable to pay the cost of reclaiming the land they leased.
    http://climatecrocks.com/2014/01/04/fracking-wells-abandoned-in-boombust-cycle-who-will-pay-to-cap-them/

    Renewable Energy Can Cost 70% Less Than Diesel Power At Mining Sites
    Electricity from solar and wind power can cost up to 70% less than when it is generated by diesel power at mining sites, especially for sites that are located remotely.
    http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/01/renewable-energy-can-cost-70-less-diesel-power-mining-sites/

    Government-controlled Syria defiant amid war
    Rebels hold some suburbs in the countryside around Damascus and parts of the northwest. The extremist Islamic State group has imposed its rule over territory encompassing a third of both Syria and neighbouring Iraq.
    http://www.cp24.com/world/government-controlled-syria-defiant-amid-war-1.2083213

  • John James Newsletter No. <27>

    The John James Newsletter 27
    8 November 2014.

    The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter — Sir Winston Churchill

    Big Coal takes control of the US Congress
    Just like Australia, sadly. The closer we get to Armageddon the more selfishness and blind stupidity there is. Its like the rush of the lemmings over the cliff – save this is no myth, but mass denial being acted out on the public stage.
    http://www.texasenvironmentalnews.com/big-coal-takes-control-of-the-us-congress/

    Use of Palestinian Civillians as Human Shields
    Documented cases of Palestinian civilians used as human shields by Israeli military forces during the conflict in the Gaza Strip, 8 July-26 August, 2014.
    http://www.euromid.org/en/article/626/Israeli-Matrix-of-Control:-Use-of-Palestinian-Civillians-as-Human-Shields
    And Israel Committed War Crimes In Gaza: Amnesty Report
    http://amnesty.org/en/news/israeli-forces-displayed-callous-indifference-deadly-attacks-family-homes-gaza-2014-11-05

    Islamic State Born of Deteriorating Economic Conditions in Iraq
    Poverty and inequality created by the plunder of Iraq’s wealth by elites and multinational corporations after the US occupation of Iraq were a great recruiting tool for ISIS.
    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40135.htm

    Solar costs to halve by 2025
    World leading researcher Martin Green says cost of solar technology will halve in the next decade, meaning solar – not coal – will become dominant energy source.
    http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/martin-green-father-of-pv-says-solar-costs-to-halve-by-2025-79017

    The next step in the anti-dollar war
    Russia may ban circulation of US dollar. The State Duma has already been submitted a bill banning and terminating the circulation of USD in Russia.
    http://en.apa.az/xeber_russia_may_ban_circulation_of_us_dollar_218603.html

    This Just Happened to Solar
    The chart shows how far solar will come out ahead in the US in 2016, the anticipated cost of solar energy minus average electricity prices, and the savings for every kilowatt hour of electricity. Grid parity in 36 states by then.
    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-29/while-you-were-getting-worked-up-over-oil-prices-this-just-happened-to-solar.html

    Liberia’s coffin makers suffer in Ebola outbreak
    Before the outbreak of Ebola, Mr Mulbah said business was good with funeral services all over the city, especially at weekends. For the last two months it has been difficult to sell even one casket a day.
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29755102

    Subprime Loans and Auto Sales
    Soaring auto sales are not so much a sign of a strong economy as they are an indication of financial hanky-panky (as with houses in 2008). The bigtime money guys are at it again, writing up auto loans for anyone who can sit upright in a chair and scribble an “X” on the dotted line. As a result, car sales have surged to over 16 million for the last 6 months. The finance gurus are packaging these sketchy subprimes into bonds, offloading them on eager investors, and recycling the profits into more crappy loans. It’s a perfect circle and it won’t end until the loans start blowing up, jittery investors head for the exits,  and Uncle Sugar rides to the rescue with more bailouts.
    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40148.htm