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COLUMN
110,
OCTOBER 1, 2004
(Copyright © 2004 The Blacklisted Journalist)
As usual, Pete forwards interesting email: Take your choice:
BUSH'S OCTOBER SURPRISE?
Subject: FW: US To Attack N Korea?-October Surprise?
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2004 14:54:08 -0700
From:
"Peter Coyote" Peter@wdprod.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
Buried in an article in today's International Herald Tribune, without any particular emphasis, was a significant item of information: -- The United
States has scheduled naval exercises off the coast of North Korea at the
end of October. I can imagine only one explanation for a decision to schedule such naval exercises (by definition,
optional) at precisely that time. Bush-Cheney-Rove wants to have the option, if Bush's election does not appear assured in the week prior to election day, to
either (1) seek to provoke a genuine North Korean attack on an American ship -- and retaliate or (2) in good Gulf of Tonkin style, claim a non-existent North
Korean attack -- and retaliate or (3) launch a frankly "preventive" or "pre-emptive" attack against North Korea.Where such courses of action would
lead the region and the world cannot be determined in advance but, presumably, would be of limited concern to Bush-Cheney-Rove. Any of such alternative
approaches to war would almost certainly assure the election of the Commander-in Chief on November 2.
Congressional Switchboard: 877-762-8762 & 202-224-3121. Senate:
http://www.senate.gov House: http://www.house.gov
##
* * *
THE HANDOVER THAT WASN'T
Subject: The Handover that Wasn't
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 09:31:20 -0700
From: "Peter Coyote" Peter@wdprod.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
'the Hand-Over That Wasn't?
Illegal orders give the U.S. a lock on Iraq's economy.
By Antonia Juhasz
August 5, 2004
This gives a lot of details on the orders which were issued to ensure continued
US control of Iraq's economy. We may be sure that Negroponte, the new US
ambassador to Iraq, will draw on his experience in working with death-squad
controlled countries in Latin America to endevour to keep these orders in place.
Carolyn Scarr
August 7, 2004
Officially, the U.S. occupation of Iraq ended on June 28, 2004. But in reality,
the United States is still in charge: Not only do 138,000 troops remain to
control the streets, but the "100 Orders" of L. Paul Bremer III remain
to control the economy. These little noticed orders enacted by Bremer, the
now-departed head of the
now-defunct Coalition Provisional Authority, go to the heart of Bush
administration plans in Iraq. They lock in sweeping advantages to American
firms, ensuring long-term U.S. economic advantage while guaranteeing few, if
any, benefits to the Iraqi people.
The Bremer orders control every aspect of Iraqi life " from the use of car
horns to the privatization of state-owned enterprises. Order No. 39 alone does
no less than "transition [Iraq ] from a centrally planned economy to a
market economy" virtually overnight and by U.S. fiat. Although many thought
that the "end" of the occupation would also mean the end of the
orders, on his last day in Iraq Bremer simply transferred authority for the
orders to Prime Minister Iyad Allawi " a 30-year exile with close ties to the
CIA
and British intelligence. CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT.
* * *
THE 'PLUG FACTOR'---THE 'RECOVERY' IS A STEW OF COOKED BOOKS
Subject: No New Jobs--cooked books
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 10:41:29 -0700
From: "Peter Coyote" Peter@wdprod.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
This quote, from a non-liberal Financial newsletter, was sent to me by a serious
investor friend with the note that Financial institutions need reliable data.
This is serious.
THE PLUG FACTOR
by Dr. Kurt Richeb?cher
At first look, the May consumer income and outlays numbers - which we were
eagerly awaiting last month - appear excellent: Incomes are up 0.6%, and
spending is up even a full percentage point. At second look, after adjustment
for inflation, the reality is pretty ugly.
The increase in disposable income melts to less than 0.1% in real terms, and
that of spending to 0.4%, of which well over half came from the burst in motor
vehicle promotion. Spending on nondurable goods has been flat for two months.
The whole of the extra increase accrued from a blip in spending on services.
Amazingly, this sharp slowdown in consumer spending, though lasting for half a
year, has been met with flat denial all around. During the five months to May,
it was up in real terms by $78 billion, or $186 billion annualized. This is less
than half of the consumer spending growth in the second half of last year - $376
billion annualized. Meanwhile, we know that June was another horrible month for
consumer spending.
One important reason for the general indifference to this drastic reversal in
consumer spending was apparently the fabulous job figures for the three months
March-May that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) miraculously pulled out of
the hat, reporting almost 1 million new jobs during these three months.
It shocked us to see how readily and uncritically research institutions,
economists and media around the world
accepted these numbers at face value, even though they came like a bolt from the
blue in the face of otherwise rather mixed economic data. For the few who wanted
to see, these numbers were bluntly suspect. CLICK HERE
FOR FULL REPORT.
* * *
THE TRUTH ABOUT ABU GHRAIB PRISON
Subject: FW: "Abu Ghraib: The Hidden Story"
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 08:40:47 -0700
From: "Peter Coyote" Peter@wdprod.com
To: info@blacklistedjournalist.com
Dear Friends,
this astounding piece was written by my friend Mark Danner. It will appear
in the New York Review of Books next Friday. Coupled with the article on the
front page of Sunday's Chronicle about the catastrophic state of the economy
(various think tanks and gov't agencies reporting an actual 43-72 TRILLION dollar deficit;
talking about raising taxes 70%, forever; cutting Medicare and Medicaid 45% forever, or cutting all discretionary spending of the
government) Mark's article represents the moral equivalent of fiscal bankruptcy.
What has happened to this country? As far as I can determine, these two stories corral the entire political class. Better to know, I suppose, and hence this missive.
pete
* * *
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