MORE DANGEROUS CONFIRMATIONS

How Right Were We? Jan 22, 2010 -- US Raises Concern Over China Oil Policy --

This story by Kjell Aleklett (co-founder of ASPO International) announces that the U.S. is getting tense over China's aggressive pursuit of oil reserves. It's short and pretty scary. It quotes Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, of Maryland.

http://aleklett.wordpress.com/2010/01/21/us-raises-concern-over-china-oil-policy/

In 2005 I sat in a private one-on-one meeting with Roscoe Bartlett in his congressional office. He had made posterboard enlargements of two maps I had just published at FTW. He had also enlarged a couple of charts by Matt Savinar. My maps showed how international and geostrategic competition was brewing over diminishing oil reserves. One focused on the world and one solely on Africa.. Congressman Bartlett asked me what I thought was coming next. It was clear that China was in play everywhere. I pointed at Venezuela and the Caribbean, and West Africa. I said, "Proxy Wars". The next day Bartlett took my two my maps and Savinar's charts into a private one-on-one meeting with George W. Bush. -- Just ask him.

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/012505_ftw_maps.shtml

How right was I?

For the newcomers these are not "The Map", I refer to so often. That's a metaphor. But I guess these show that I know how to make real one. It just makes me sick to see the reality.

We are truly in the Endgame now. -- So I'm going out to see one of the best guitarists in the world tonight, Michael Jost. He's a good friend and has played some tracks for The New White Trash... Balance.

MCR
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From Jenna Orkin

Headlines
From spas to banks, an economy high on drugs
Britain raises terror threat level to "severe"
India tightens air security
Alert: Female Suicide Bombers May Be Heading Here From Yemen
Newsweek: U.S. doesn't check visas before flights leave
'We Can Never Have Complete Air Travel Security'
Petraeus: Missile-Shooting Ships on Station in the Gulf (from Rice Farmer)
Could Mississippi Delta Become U.S.'s Haiti?
Al Qaeda Could Provoke Indo-Pakistan Wars
"they ("Al Quaeda") intend to destabilise not only Pakistan, but the entire region by provoking confrontation between India and Pakistan through terror attacks. This is a very complicated issue and very dangerous for the entire region as a whole," he added."
Pakistan rules out fissile talks for now: diplomats
Venezuela's oil estimates doubled
Preparing for Hurricane in Haiti Day Before Earthquake
Over 2,000 Karens flee Myanmar army raids

Economy
Bernanke future in doubt as Dems defect
Paul Volcker: the 'big man' behind Obama reforms
Geithner Has Concerns About President's Proposed New Bank Rules
Obama's 'Volcker Rule' shifts power away from Geithner
What Scott Brown's victory really means ‎
What if China's bubble bursts?
Quarter of US grain crops fed to cars

Intelligence/Technology/Medicine
Pentagon official spied for China Japan's new ‘facial’ security
Pentagon to Merge Next-Gen Binoculars With Soldiers’ Brains
Removing Part of Skull Makes for Better Brain Scans
Head of bomb detector company arrested in fraud investigation (Iraq)
High radiation levels blight Iraq
Officials Say Kids Need Second Dose of H1N1 Vaccine
Doctor Argues We Should Ration End-of-Life-Care
Mother "Not Clever Enough To Raise Child" Has Baby Snatched (Ireland)

RON PAUL AND THE CIA; Pakistan Armed Forces "Tried to Oust President"

First, I want to again acknowlege the courage and clarity Ron Paul has offered for so many years. I want to thank him for publicly endorsing my life's work (without saying my name) -- but especially for acknowledging the monumetal work of my friend, the late Gary Webb. This story is not quite what it seems to be. I don't know if the Congressman gets it. A great deal of CIA's operational command and control was transfered into the Pentagon under Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld. At the time it was called the rape of the CIA. It was executed by Bill Tenet and Porter Goss. I wrote about it in detail at FTW as it was happening.

As collapse proceeds, the U.S. Government will inevitably downsize. The CIA's days are numbered. It's all coming down to the last conflict (or series of) when battlefield intelligence is all that matters. No need for long term deep covers and all that other clandestine stuff. When the CIA is eliminated, all of its crimes will be buried with it; and all of its capabilities will have been transferred to the Pentagon years before the death. I described it all in Clobalcorp in 2005. I wonder if Ron Paul sees this?
http://rawstory.com/2010/01/ron-paul-cia/

Here's the Globalcorp link again: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/031005_globalcorp.shtml
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New Song From The New White Trash Jan. 21, 2010 -- We just put up a new song: "Running With the New White Trash" -- We have some big things in the oven and live appearances are coming... along with a few other surprises. To be notified and receive updates, just sign up and join the New White Trash -- Music from a tribal nightclub at the end of the world. http://www.newwhitetrash.com/

MCR
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From Jenna Orkin

Headlines/Economy
Pakistan armed forces 'tried to oust President'
Massachusetts Election Decided by Diebold
Iran says may hit Western warships if attacked (from Rice Farmer)
Cheap Oil is Gone, and That's Good News
25 State Unemployment Funds Bankrupt; Credit Card Defaults at Record Levels
Recent Graduates, Teens Hit Hard In Miserable Jobs Market
Did Obama just kill Bank Of America; Is prop responsible for 45% of Goldman's bottom line? Banks may shed private equity assets in Obama plan
Obama calls for limiting size, risk-taking of financial firms
Obama Bank Restrictions May Fail to Shield U.S. Financial System From Risk
Geithner Said to Fear Obama Bank Plan Hurts Policy: Reuters Link
Airline revenue in worst plunge on record
The Boomer Bust?
With millions of Baby Boomers entering or nearing retirement age, consumer spending may change dramatically.
Obama Puts Social Security on the Chopping Block (from Rice Farmer)
Why a world currency won't prevent another crisis
China May Buy Less U.S. Debt, CASS Researcher Says (from Rice Farmer)
Bank Overhaul May Hurt Economy, Stocks: Experts
Bank Rules Should Be Imposed Gradually: Rep. Frank
Big Banks Have Already Figured Out The Loophole In Obama’s New Rules (from Rice Farmer)
Failed US Banks — Who's Buying Them
US Does Not Have Capitalism: Stiglitz
Barack Obama will be a one-term president if he doesn't ditch his statism
The World Bids Farewell to Obama
US President Barack Obama suffered a painful defeat in Massachusetts on Tuesday. With mid-term elections looming, it means that Obama will have to fundamentally re-think his political course. German commentators say it is the end of hope.
Mr. Change Needs a Reboot
UK considers Obama-style banking revolution
Merkel's Germany to Let Euro Die? (from Rice Farmer)
Hospitals 'must cut services to stay afloat'
University admissions 'crisis' fear

Haiti
Relief aid getting to Haiti, but not to the people
Police kill man over alleged rice theft
Vows to Move Quickly for Haitian Immigrants to U.S.
Haiti Has Become Ground Zero For Brazil To Flex Its Muscle Against The US (from Rice Farmer)
Haitians and Hasidim Find Common Cause

Intelligence/Terror
Attacks of 9/11 staged, says former Malaysian PM
The former Malaysian PM does an enormous disservice to legitimate investigation by basing his analysis on such observations as, "If they can make Avatar, they can make anything." Not to mention turning the issue into nothing more than a manifestation of the Muslim/Jewish conflict.
Hugo Chavez accuses U.S. of using weapon to cause Haiti quake
The age of the killer robot is no longer a sci-fi fantasy
Spy Agency Charter Lost in Space
The proposed new charter for the nation’s spy satellite builder, the National Reconnaissance Office, is stuck in the Department of Defense’s general counsel’s office. The lawyers are apparently worried that the new charter may expand the agency’s powers into areas governed by the military services.

Environment/Health
Negotiations Begin for Extending Nuclear Plant Lifespans (Germany)
Popular Protests Put Brakes on Renewable Energy
NIMBY
Military in Hawaii has big plans for solar power at base ‎
Ireland Facing Severe Water Shortage (from Rice Farmer)
Vietnam Faces Potential Water Shortage (from Rice Farmer)
Creating glaciers out of thin air
Homoeopathy sceptics plan mass 'overdose'
Protesters to swallow pills in bid to prove treatments ineffective
US senator out to wreck EPA power

Fears of Cyberwar from China; A Marshall Plan for Haiti

A Marshall Plan for Haiti

Gee, didn't I use that exact term a few days ago? Didn't I say it would take a Marshall Plan? Disaster Capitalism. It is more profitable to kill people and take lives than it is to save them. Forget the rhetoric folks. Lay preconceptions aside and just see what's happening here. Perhaps the newcomers, after reading the Marshall Plan story should go back and read one of my best essays ever... It's called Globalcorp.

Here's the Haiti story: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/20/haiti.rebuilding/index.html?hpt=T2
Here's Globalcorp: http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/031005_globalcorp.shtml

And here's a quote from Globalcorp:

"As the human race blows itself into extinction, or destroys the climate, or starves itself to death, the last corporate merger and acquisition will take place. And at the same moment as mankind dies, the CFO of "GlobalCorp" will be shouting, 'Hooray! We did it!'"

MCR
*****************************************************************
From Jenna Orkin

War/Headlines
Fears of a cyberwar from China
Clinton says cyber attacks merit "consequences"
China economy soars
Roubini to China: Tighten
China Losing to U.S. as Investment Choice on Bubble Concern in Global Poll
The ticking time bomb of US debt
Ron Paul: After CIA Coup, Agency Runs the Military
The Big Question: Is Nigeria teetering on the brink of a major crisis? ‎
The tree-lined bunkers that could change the face of the Middle East‎
Robert Fisk: The border looks peaceful, but Hizbollah and Israel are preparing for war.
Wars Less Deadly Than They Used to Be, Report Says - ABC News
What they mean is: When you die, you're less dead
Up to 10 percent of Iraqis disabled by war, sanctions
Feds Mislabeled Christmas Bombing Suspect ‎
Gates in Pakistan seeking action on Afghan Taliban
UN Report Claims Bribes Equal to Quarter of GDP ‎(Afghanistan)

Economy
How to Deal With the Coming Economic Crisis
Recovery at risk of losing steam
FDIC geared up for busy year of bank failures
The 2010 default risk hitlist
Congress Curbing Fed Undermining Confidence in U.S. Economy in Global Poll
Buffett predicts unease will dampen recovery
Newsweek: Is taxing big banks unconstitutional
Prices of bananas and tea soar
Jobless Claims in U.S. Unexpectedly Rise Amid Holiday Applications Backlog
New jobless claims rise unexpectedly
White House Seeks Debt Limit Increase
Thousands face £2,000 rise in mortgage bills
Fall in unemployment rate masks 'hidden jobless' - UK
Interactive: Obama's plunging approval ratings
Hedge Funds Hold $77 Billion of Cash `Hostage' After Best Year in a Decade
Student loan demand at record high
Davos 2010
Escalating Pension Crisis Will Bankrupt San Diego
To Create Jobs, Build Public Transit, Not Highways
Big Banks Accused of Short Sale Fraud

Haiti
Pentagon’s Social Network Becomes Hub for Haiti Relief

"On Monday, Jean Demay, DISA's technical manager for the agency's Transnational Information Sharing Cooperation project, happened to be at the headquarters of the U.S. Southern Command in Miami preparing for a test of the system in a scenario that involved providing relief to Haiti in the wake of a hurricane. After the earthquake hit on Tuesday, Demay said SOUTHCOM decided to go live with the system."
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100115_9940.php>

"Earthquakes: Risk, Detection, Warning, and Research,"- Congressional Research Service
Earthquake Risks in US
Equipment needed to save lives was here – then sent away
Amputation patients get only Motrin
Ah, progress.
Matt Taibbi: Translating David Brooks on Haiti (from Vantage Point)

Environment
Bee decline linked to falling biodiversity (from Rice Farmer)
U.S. moves to halt snake ‘invasion’
Residents told to flee California storm
Britain waves farewell to foreign radioactive waste

I REALLY, REALLY DO NOT LIKE THIS STORY

The official story is coming unravelled as quickly as 9-11 did, and in the same ways. Thank God I see that many more, experienced and well-funded independent press organizations are going after the story than there were just after 9-11. Yes, Haiti is being occupied. Yes, it is disaster capitalism. Yes, it reminds me of how the beaches in Sri Lanka devasted by the Tsunami were all instantly transformed from slums and shanties into pristine beaches -- subsequently sold to tourist developers exclusively. It starts with one nagging question. Like this:

Why was a British naval flotilla pulled out of the waters around Haiti just days before the earthquake -- the first such gap in British naval coverage since the 1700s?

Many are still asking why the aircraft carriers Hornet, Yorktown, Enterprise, Saratoga and Lexington had left Pearl Harbor just days before Dec 7, 1941. What does it prove? Nothing. That's why it leaves one unsettled. What does it prove that the U.S. military is denying access to Haiti of relief supplies and personnel from CARICOM? Caricom is a joint, multi-nation Caribbean relief effort with doctors, military, medicine and food. A news story today from Trinidad reported that Caricom personnel and supplies were being turned away.

You see. It is not profitable to slow decline. And -- as with 9-11 -- you come to a point where you say, "It's walking like a duck... It just quacked..." There are many out there now who will know how to invesitgate and break this story. I don't need to

I will stay focused on the things I'm doing now. I already have the map. Haiti, I'm afraid is the "Something Evil" which has come this way that I predicted. It is and will definitely be bigger than 9-11: More deaths, more property damage, a crisis in hemispheric politics, all just as a huge economic collapse was looming. -- I wrote my first-ever economic alert at From The WIlderness on Sept. 9, 2001.

Don't throw out the potassium iodide yet. We have a long ways to go.

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1157956&lang=eng_news&cate_img=35.jpg&cate_rss=news_Business

Say a Prayer for the New White Trash.

MCR
*****************************************************************************
From Jenna Orkin

Haiti
Police admit gangs have taken over Port-au-Prince
CIA Contractor Now Flying Spy Drone Over Haiti
3500 More Peacemakers to Haiti
US Marines ’Hit the Beaches’ To Help Stricken Haiti
Haiti earthquake: medics warn of infection risk to 3 million people
Haiti Hospital Waits for Patients
Supplies Diverted From Haiti for Fifth Time
Profiting From Haiti's Disaster
Haitian 'Orphans' for Sale

Terror/War/Intelligence
The Coming Oil Conflict In Iran ‎
FBI 'fabricated terror emergencies'
Top Obama czar: Infiltrate all 'conspiracy theorists'
It was less corrupt under the Taliban, say Afghans
Nigeria fights to restore calm after days of riots
Pinera Eschews Pinochet Terror While Embracing Chile Dictator's Economists
Undersea Internet Cables Could Detect Tsunamis
WHO Eyeing Global Tax on Banking, Internet Activity
China Begins Monitoring Billions of Text Messages as Censorship Increases
US: Police Fight Cellphone Recordings
Hackers create opportunity for military firms (from Rice Farmer)
WABC: Airport Security System Draws Senators' Ire
The Department of Defense has issued a new publication (pdf) to update and clarify its doctrine on "psychological operations."

Economy
Inflation in record leap
Markets panic about inflation
Oil Shortages to Reappear in 2011, Goldman Sachs Says
Brown's victory may favor Wall Street
China presses some banks to restrict lending: sources
China tells banks to halt lending ‎
Smaller U.S. mergers to be scrutinized
'G20 and IMF should merge'
Treasury delays first step in new capital rules
Families face years of pain, says Bank
Housing starts take surprise drop in December
Fed Should Read Its Own Memo on Rising-Rate Risk
Half of Young Black People Out of Work (UK)
US Does Not Have Capitalism Now: Stiglitz (from Rice Farmer)

Medicine
Oops! School Staffers Get Wrong Shots
Up To One Third of Cancer Studies Use "Wrong" Cells

From the Life Copies Satire Department:
Bible References on Gun Sights? (from Rice Farmer and Vantage Point)

Gas Supply Suspended as Shortfall Reaches Record High: Pakistan

From Jenna Orkin

Haiti
Haiti's president nowhere to be seen
Guess the US/UN will have to do its honor-bound duty and step in.
UN Wants Troops as Looting Rises In Haiti
UN to Vote on Sending More Troops, Police to Haiti to Aid Recovery Effort
U-2 Flights Likely Over Haiti; Predator May Go
Aid Arrives but Few Are Lucky to Get It
U.S. to fleeing Haitians: You will be sent home
Obamas serve lunch to poor on MLK Day
Imagining a Haitian-scale disaster in the U.S.

Economy
Treasury's Delay Cutting Home-Equity Debt Threatens U.S. Housing Recovery
Illinois Careens Towards Bankruptcy; Governmental Collapse Coming
Housing Bubble Comparison: US, UK, Canada, Spain, Australia, Japan
Could England be the next Iceland?
2009 Saw Sharpest Rate of Decline in Britain in 88 Years
European ministers say Greece must tackle deficit
Corporate-government spread widens
After the stimulus binge, a debt hangover
Newsweek: The real unemployment rate
Goldman takes a stab at gold bugs and 'oil-peak'ers, says dollar will flourish
JAL files for $25 billion bankruptcy, to cut 15,700 jobs
Yen Carry Trade Shows Japan Losing Mojo With Collapsing Market Volatility
Iceland Credit Risk Rises `Considerably' If Bailout Loan Shelved, S&P Says

World/Energy
US Army to 'protect' Pakistan's nuclear sites (from Rice Farmer)
In France It May Become Illegal to Call Your Spouse "Fat"
Presidential Election in Ukraine: Moscow Is the Clear Winner
E.ON chief in call to save coal plants
...to keep the lights on.
Gas supply suspended as shortfall reaches record high ‎(Pakistan)
Power Cuts: Nine Hours a Day in Kathmandu

Intelligence/Technology
Skype, Wireless Companies Fight to Shape Net Neutrality Regs
FBI broke law in phone searches: report
Turkey blocking 3,700 websites, reform needed: OSCE
Foreign reporters' Gmail hacked in China
Jewish newspaper attacked by hackers
Weapons inspector stung in sex case

And...
Cocaine found in NASA shuttle hangar

10,000 US Soldiers Head to Haiti as Violence Intensifies

From Jenna Orkin

Headlines
Obama Wants Record $708 Billion for Military
Navy commissions newest warship, others coming
Dollar Crisis Looms if US Doesn't Curb Debt, Experts Say

Haiti/Venezuela
10,000 US soldiers head to Haiti as violence intensifies
U.S. carrier arrives off Haiti
US accused of annexing airport
Chavez says U.S. occupying Haiti in name of aid
Wherever did he get that idea?
Venezuela to reinforce troops on Colombia border with Russian Tanks
Experts warned of Haiti earthquake risk
Haiti quake: A medical 'perfect storm'
Medical chief: I ordered docs to leave
...on security concerns. Good to see that U.S. carrier doing its job during the perfect medical storm.
The Lesson of Haiti by Fidel Castro (from Vantage Point)
Bush On Lessons from Previous Disasters: Don't Set Expectations Too High
Haitians May Go Extinct
Haitian Man Behind Second JFK Security Breach

Economy/Energy
Round-the-Clock Car Factories in China Still Can't Fulfill Drivers' Demand
Can U.S-China ties weather perfect storm in 2010?
Japan threatens action on China gas project: report
For ‘Safe’ Investors, This May Be a Challenging Year
The word "challenging" is newsspeak for "fuggedaboudit."
Bernanke’s Days May Be Numbered
Markets to Peak in Late January: Strategist
Is Market About to Take a Tumble?
Banks Making Secret Deals to Allow More Short Sales?
Britain 'risks being insolvency brothel’
It remains likely that Greece is headed for a crisis that tests the stability of the eurozone.
IEA Sees World Oil Use in 2010 Highest Since 2007
JAL agrees tie-up deal with Delta: report
Ariz. to close 13 parks due to budget woes
10,000 protest Ariz. sheriff's immigration efforts
Venezuela arrests alleged drug lord wanted by U.S
Forget Wind. Pickens Turns Focus to Gas.

And...
The shrinking Nile
The 10 Unhappiest States in America
Stephen Colbert on The Word: Honor Bound

US to Double Weapons Stockpile in Israel

From Jenna Orkin

CoLLapse on Time Magazine's Short List
The ten best documentaries of 2009 (includes "Collapse;" from Rice Farmer)

Headlines
US to Double Weapons Stockpile in Israel (from Rice Farmer)
Israel's Looming War in Gaza: Can Obama Stop It Before It Starts?
US waves white flag in disastrous 'war on drugs'
Latin American Cocaine Link To Al Qaeda A ‘Global Threat’ (from Rice Farmer)
China's Foreign Exchange Reserves Jump in 2009
23%.

Economy
Why Britain needs the stomach to pay off its debts
Spending cuts and tax rises are inevitable
Food Shortages Coming, Buy Commodities: Jim Rogers (from Rice Farmer)
Supermarkets at root of veg shortage
Gold trader quits to run farm
Nose-Biting Traders in Chicago Give Way to Geeks in Documentary `Floored'
Peak Revolving Credit
Recovery in U.S. Extends Into 2010 Without Stoking Inflation, Reports Show
Ahhh...
Is Fed Buying Behind the Stock Rally? (from Rice Farmer)

Earthquake(s)/Caribbean
Haiti earthquake: UN says worst disaster ever dealt with
Quakes in Venezuela and Oklahoma
What You're Not Hearing about Haiti (But Should Be) (from Rice Farmer)
Haiti's Fault Rupture Boosts Long-Term Risk of Jamaica Quake, Experts Say
Plant could save millions from malaria
US Military Bases Surround Venezuela (from Rice Farmer)
Netherlands denies US is using territories to prepare attack (from Rice Farmer)

Energy
API: US drilling activity falls 37% in 2009 ‎
Record Asian oil buying to help absorb stockpiles ‎
Asia reads Jim Rogers.
Energy costs fuel 2009 consumer price rise
Cut-price gas 'put patients at risk'

War/Terror
Afghan Conflict Spreading into Central Asia, Russian Analyst Says (from Rice Farmer)
Official Dutch inquiry concludes Iraq war was illegal
FBI based Bin Laden image on Spanish politician

The Coming Sovereign Debt Crisis

From Jenna Orkin

Economy
Fresh global crisis fears
Roubini: The coming sovereign debt crisis
Sovereign Debt Crisis Coming As Recovery Stalls
Small Business Trends Suggest No Recovery On Horizon
Six Months To Live? by James Howard Kunstler
JPMorgan Earnings More Than Quadruple on Fees as Retail Bank Reports Loss
Fed Debate Intensifies on How, When to Drain $1 Trillion From U.S. Economy
More Than Half of Wealthy Americans Fear Outliving Savings, Survey Finds
The end is a little less near
Doomsday clock gets pushed back.
Do bulls have eyes wide shut?
The smaller the better
Estonia Looks Ready to Join the Euro Zone
The Sad End of the Orange Revolution

Quote of the Day: (from Jon Noel)
A man empties out the refrigerator of his home. 'Money is worth nothing right now. Water is the currency,' one foreign aid worker told Reuters.

Energy
China to launch first national water conservancy survey
Pentagon: No evidence that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons
Oil and gas exploration falls to lowest level in five years

Terror
Poll: Majority of Americans would give up liberty for security

Environment/Science
HIV vaccines in Zambia leaves 46 women infected with the virus
Badly written article. Contrary to the implication of the title, the drug trial discussed may or may not have caused the infection.
Major Antarctic glacier is 'past its tipping point'
Arctic permafrost leaking methane
Voodoo wasps that could save the world
The cricket that pollinates plants

HAITI

Jan 13, 2009 --- Remember Katrina and Rita? Those hurricanes that prompted a government response which made most of us ashamed to be American? I am certain that the global response to a devastation far worse, as a result of the Port Au Prince quake, will make Bush's Follies look like a well-oiled machine. Not only is the situation on the ground worse; the governments that might send massive aid are financial and economic basket cases. With the death toll already circling 200,000, and almost all critical infrastructure destroyed, the effort needed would have broken most governments before the collapse. It would take a Marshall Plan. So fuggedboudit. The UN can't help much either. No one can. There will be so many stories of courage, heroism, sacrifice and love to arise from this tragedy. At some point I can just see good souls all over the Gulf with private boats trying to do what they can. Take some fresh water and medical supplies in. Maybe pull a few out before anarchy and disease consume everything. It reminds me of a line Jeff Bridges once spoke: "You human beings are at your best when things are worst." -- That is exactly what must change in us.

We will see lots of footage of aid flights and stories about how other nations are rushing to assist. But it will not be possible to hide the fact for long that Haiti is becoming -- or has become -- a mass grave. Haiti is a stark, cold, and unforgiving metaphor for what we all face... all to soon. We need to listen to and acknowledge the suffering of the Haitian people so that someone might acknowledge ours when the time comes. What happens in Haiti needs to be watched cosely and learned from by those with the stomach for it. The journalist in me wants to be there, right in it.

Our message is spreading quickly. Every day I receive maybe 10 to 15 friend requests on Facebook from all over the world from people who have just seen "Collapse". Almost all say something like, "I thought I was the only one who felt this way." -- almost all are in their twenties. I spend as much time as I can with many to share a few words and bond across a cyberspace that now hums with a lonely echo. An awakening is taking place. Collapse has been invited to the Berlin International Film Festival and I've heard that it is going to be mentioned in one of the largest U.S. weekly news mags this week. Collapse has announced many new theatrical openings around the country and finally in some foreign cities. The awakening has started before the panic that will come... if not over Haiti then over what's coming this year. The faster we reach people, the less damage will be caused by the panic. It is my prayer that the panic can be averted, even if loss of life cannot. There is still time.

MCR
********************************************************************
From Jenna Orkin

War/Crime
Al Qaeda linked to air network
Homeland Security ignored a report detailing a clandestine fleet of executive jets regularly crisscrossing the Altantic on drug runs. The problem is now a global security threat.
Afghan Drone War Spikes Under McChrystal
'Killing the Enemy Is Not The Best Route to Success'
House Rep to introduce bill to ban private security contractors
Risk-averse Britain 'losing stomach for war'
Dutch Government Misrepresented Case for Iraq War
Murdered Iranian physicist acquainted with Israeli scientists (from Rice Farmer)
Police Are Told Not To Talk About Crime As It Might Scare the Public

Economy
Sovereign default risk looms
Real estate downturn will “overshadow” all others
Retail sales unexpectedly fall, jobless claims up
Jobless rate to stay above 8 percent until 2012: CBO
Foreclosures set a grim record in 2009
Swiss cheese recovery had more holes than cheese
Data suggests U.S. still overstating employment
S&P lowers California debt rating, cash crunch looms
Lowered to Third World status.
Financial crisis probe could be too late
US insurers have limited exposure in Haiti
In case you were worried about them.
Marc Faber: "We Are Doomed" -- Sees default in America's future (from Rice Farmer)
Where did all our money go?
HMRC 'spying' on tax evaders
'UK depression is over'
German Economy Shrank 5 Percent in 2009
S Korea scrambles to contain won amid export fears

Environment/Science
US primed for Copenhagen collapse
Bon appétit: Monsanto's GMO Corn Linked To Organ Failure, Study Reveals (from Rice Farmer)
Earthquake worsens health nightmare
Docs seek to stifle patients’ rants on Web sites

Gold
Investor appetite drives gold to new peak
Bullion demand overtakes jewellery, showing speculators’ impact

Race to the Bottom

From Jenna Orkin

Economy/US

One in eight Americans receives food stamps: U.S

And one in five New Yorkers. It says so on the busses.

How nation's true jobless rate is closer to 22%

"When the Labor Department puts out the January employment figures on Feb. 4, they will include an assumption that a lot of companies went out of business. 'This is something called the birth/death model that is used by the department. Last year it caused 356,000 jobs to be subtracted from the January job count."

More than 6 jobless workers chase 1 opening

Firms Scared to Hire Because of New Taxes, Health Care

Why Job Growth Will Be Weak—And Painful—This Time

Obama wants $33 billion more for wars

Measuring the effect of stimulus: If you don't like the results, change the yardstick

White House changes stimulus job accounting

House Plans To Subpoena Geithner Over AIG Decisions; Geithner's Got To Go

Blankfein Tells Crisis Panel He Was Never Asked to Take AIG Swap Discount

SEC order helps maintain AIG mystery
Ex-CEO wants lower U.S. stake in AIG

Housing Bubbles, Global Household Leverage, Why Fed's Reflation Efforts Will Fail

President Obama Signs Executive Order Establishing Council of Governors (from Rice Farmer)

"The Council will be reviewing such matters as involving the National Guard of the various States; homeland defense; civil support; synchronization and integration of State and Federal military activities in the United States; and other matters of mutual interest pertaining to National Guard, homeland defense, and civil support activities."

U.S. Expects Steady Climb in Energy Prices

'I See a Giant Monopoly Developing That's Reminiscent of Microsoft'
Google.

US Overtakes Russia as Biggest Natural Gas Producer
Shifting demand suggests a future of endless oil

U.S. asked to regulate shipping of bumblebees

World

Iran knew Israel, U.S. planned "terrorist acts": speaker

U.N. cuts back on investigating fraud

China curbs loans, increases bank reserves

Higher rates for China

China Sends Soldiers to Load Coal as Freeze, Snow Limit Supply

Moody's Says Greek, Portuguese Economies May be Faced With `Slow Death'

Venezuela plans blackouts in Caracas, oil town

Venezuelan consumers fear inflation, dump cash

SocGen profit warning rekindles toxic asset fears

Things Fall Apart in Eurozone (from Rice Farmer)

A global fiasco is brewing in Japan