Open Your Eyes News - Edition 39

Areas Covered Each Week: Civil Liberties - Health - Environment - Democracy & International Relations - Economics - Science - The War on Terror - The Next War
Stories of the week:
UK Opposition Minister arrested over leaks (BBC)
Private Investigators monitor activists online for Australian police (news.com.au)
US Government bailout hits $8.5 trillion (San Francisco Chronicle)
US puts pressure on Israel to refrain from attacking Iran until Obama in office (Time)
Bush 'very pleased' with Iraq war outcome: report (Associated Press)
US Court Backs Warrantless Searches Abroad (New York Times)
Amazon Deforestation accelerates (BBC)
AIDS patients face microchip monitoring (International Herald Tribune)
Italian judge - Blogs are illegal (The Register - UK)
US intelligence 'kept files on Tony Blair's private life' (The Guardian)
Study links birth defects to mothers' use of cosmetics (The Independent)
Citigroup says gold could rise above $2,000 next year as world unravels (The Daily Telegraph - UK)
Food Prices Will Rise, Causing Export Bans, Riots (Bloomberg)
Vatican told bishops to cover up sex abuse (The Guardian)
Britain 'bribes Afghans to fight Taliban' (The Scotsman)

Plus an analysis of the backgrounds of Obama's economics team, and the geo-political implications of the Mumbai attacks.

Democracy & International Diplomacy:
UK Opposition Minister arrested over leaks
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7753557.stm
The Ten Steps to a Closed Society – Number 4: Target Key Individuals (full list below) Exposing a sitting Government’s policies to public scrutiny is the job of the opposition in a healthy democracy. This is just another example of the multitude of tiny steps that a society takes as it’s democracy is systematically eroded – will opposition MP’s in the UK be quite as vocal and probing in their actions in the future after this? I fear not.

Police accused of using phone calls from Home Office mole in bid to entrap UK Shadow Minister
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/bugging-scandal-inside-the-commons-1041637.html

Violent clashes in Iceland
http://itn.co.uk/news/ed92770f8bb95702d07e1dfb0642db8f.html
The shape of things to come in the USA & UK? And those countries have more than 300,000 citizens too

America's hidden war in Somalia
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-shadow_war2nov24,0,4720127.story

EU "plans to dump" milk, butter in Africa
http://www.afrol.com/articles/31751
Thereby destroying the local farming industries, creating new captive markets for the EU, and increasing poverty and 3rd World Debt. "Free Trade" in action.

Apec leaders make free-trade vow
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7744311.stm
Question to the 400m residents of the country called the EU: What do free trade zones evolve into? Question to the residents of the 3rd World (excluding their leaders)? And what happens to your livelihoods when complete free trade destroys your farming base and fledgling industries? Nothing wrong with free trade in principal but it has to be conducted on equal terms.

MPs fear British National Party take control of police
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5209809.ece
The alienation of the indigenous working class through uncontrolled immigration over the last decade has been kept in check to date by economic growth and near full employment...that is no longer the case and unsurprisingly the far right is on the rise, not just in the UK but across Europe...thus giving those in control the motivation to "do something". That something will involve erosion of democratic and civil liberties. Exactly to plan then.

'China is a threat to democracy'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7719420.stm
Corporations realised that democracy was a burden to commerce long ago

US intelligence 'kept files on Tony Blair's private life', claims ex-US navy operator
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/24/tony-blair-united-states-intelligence
I wonder what they had on him that "persuaded him" to go along with illegal mass murder?

Russia says U.S. mercenaries, others fought for Georgia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081124/ts_nm/us_georgia_ossetia_mercenaries
As I said back when it was happening in August

Germany declines comment on Kosovo spy report
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4AL2TI20081122

NATO Still Killing People in Kosovo?
http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=204500

Rich countries launch great land grab to safeguard food supply
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/22/food-biofuels-land-grab

Russian analyst predicts decline and breakup of U.S.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20081124/118512713.html
A damn sight more likely is the collapse of the dollar (following the dumping of dollar holding by China and the asset stripping and selling off of the country’s assets which is happening now), leading to civil unrest and clampdown, followed by a merger of the NAFTA currencies to form the Amero – all exactly to plan therefore.

Ex-Georgian ambassador blames Georgia for war with Russia
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5itefRLYb9OvXIY84r-iHHUPY_6pQD94MQPN00

Civil Liberties:
Private Investigators monitor activists online for Australian police - report
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,24709180-5014239,00.html

Privacy concerns over New Zealand baby database
http://news.theage.com.au/world/privacy-concerns-over-baby-dna-database-20081126-6hx2.html

Foreign nationals given UK ID cards
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7747303.stm
Always start with the foreigners. Popular with the public that way.

Italian judge - Blogs are illegal
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/26/italian_law_kills_blog/

Law Lords block police bid to stop cyclists protest
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/law-lords-block-police-bid-to-stop-critical-mass-cyclists-1036014.html

Former US Presidential Green Candidate, Cynthia McKinney prevented from leaving US
http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/11/cynthia-mckinney-prevented-from-leaving-us/
The USA's "Watch List" is now about 3/4 million people in length

US Cops Taser 54 Year Old Woman For Sitting In Wrong Seat At Football Game
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9412105&nav=menu1362_2_1
Don't worry its not fatal...oh sorry potentially it is.

US Court Backs Warrantless Searches Abroad
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/nyregion/25embassy.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

UK Police to get 10,000 Taser guns
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5204516.ece
have you bought some shares in Taser Corp yet?

Home Secretary’s Taser plan suffers blow after Met Police Authority's rejection
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5224058.ece
shame

Social services 'set up CCTV camera in couple's bedroom'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/3507238/Social-services-set-up-CCTV-camera-in-couples-bedroom.html

Online fraudsters 'steal £3.3bn'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7742455.stm
You just wait till they have your bio-metrics

AIDS patients face microchip monitoring
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/24/asia/AS-Indonesia-AIDS-Tagging.php
More human trials before it is rolled out worldwide?

“Minority Report” CCTV Predicts Crime
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20081127/tuk-sci-fi-film-cctv-predicts-crime-45dbed5.html

MySpace Hoax Verdict Means YOU Could Go to Prison for Not Reading "Terms of Service" Agreements
http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000552_MySpace_suicide_computer_crimes.html

Community Support Officers to be given powers of detention by UK Home Secretary
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1090408/8216-Blunkett-8217-s-bobbies-given-powers-detention-Home-Secretary-Jacqui-Smith.html
As I have referenced previously, traffic wardens in the UK have also been issued with Warrant (powers of arrest) cards in advance, "in case of a time of emergency"

Environment:
Amazon deforestation accelerates
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7756241.stm

Rising brown clouds blotting Asian sun out
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov252008/environmet20081124102548.asp

Stubborn glaciers fail to retreat, awkward polar bears continue to multiply
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/23/do2310b.xml

Last great US fishery, the eastern Bering Sea, in danger of collapse
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16131-last-great-us-fishery-in-danger-of-collapse.html

GM companies 'behave like Hitler'
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24697839-949,00.html

EU condemned on tuna 'mockery'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7746965.stm

Climate law 'could cost billions'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7747167.stm
and all the while real pollution will go un-noticed and un-dealt with.

Marine life faces 'acid threat'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7745714.stm

British kids have become pint-sized Eco-Nazi’s
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1089951/They-moan-lights-whine-dont-recycle-nag-using-car--Our-kids-pint-sized-Eco-Nazis.html
And all based around the false religion of “man made climate change”

Glaciers in Norway growing again
http://www.dailytech.com/Glaciers%2Bin%2BNorway%2BGrowing%2BAgain/article13540.htm

Cold snap fails to cool protagonists of global warming
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24723425-11949,00.html

Washington plans mass slaughter of America's mustangs
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/washington-plans-mass-slaughter-of-americas-mustangs-1041659.html

Finance & Economics:
US Government bailout hits $8.5 trillion
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/26/MNVN14C8QR.DTL
I bet you thought it was "just" $700 billion didn't you?

Obama Picks New York Fed Chief to Lead Treasury
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/21/AR2008112102811.html?hpid=topnews
Reading his biography his 1st job was with Henry Kissinger's Consulting firm, and later he worked at the Council for Foreign Relations, and then the IMF and the Federal Reserve of New York and is a member of the Group of Thirty (founded by the Rockefeller Foundation) - you don't get anymore Illuminati than that.

Obama appoints Lawrence Summers to Head National Economic Council
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Lawrence-H-Summers-Head-National/story.aspx?guid=%7B2E6ED23A-1B64-47B3-8C80-172BC59C60C4%7D
Larry Summers, was Clinton's treasury secretary, will head the National Economic Council - the president's senior economic adviser. It was Summers who forced through the deregulation of financial markets in the 1990s and imposed disaster capitalism on Russia. Considering that he is a chief architect of the current financial meltdown, we should be wondering why Obama isn't preparing an arrest warrant for him, instead of offering him the most powerful economic role in the world. As chief economist for the World Bank, Summers wrote a memo saying the WB should actively encourage the dumping of toxic waste in developing countries, particularly "under-polluted countries in Africa," since poor people in developing countries rarely live long enough to develop cancer, making him a particularly bizarre appointment for Obama. Do you still believe things will change under Obama?

Obama names his economic team
http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/24/news/economy/obama_economic_team/index.htm?postversion=2008112413?cnn=yes
Timothy Geithner & Lawrence Summers – See above
Christina Romer – Another Harvard economist and protégé of former Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin (now Director of Citigroup)
Melody Barnes – Former attorney for Wall Street Law firm Shearman & Sterling

Fed Risks ‘Spitting in the Wind’ With New Aid Pledges
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=ag3TJyGD73qk&refer=home

Roll up, roll up for the UK Government's fire sale
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/pbr/article5233868.ece

Perth Mint suspends orders amid rush to buy bullion
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24687337-643,00.html

Only drastic action now will save us, says Gordon Brown
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5209553.ece
So much for talking things up

Junk Bond Yields Reach Record 20% - Higher than Great Depression
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aec7wvoKeNEM&refer=home
In other words, corporate bond yields are in the stratosphere right now. Either investors are over-reacting to corporate default risk (thus driving up the yields), or this could get very dark indeed.

After Citigroup, is Bank of America next?
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3754235,flstry-1.cms

Citigroup says gold could rise above $2,000 next year as world unravels
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/3526645/Citigroup-says-gold-could-rise-above-2000-next-year-as-world-unravels.html

US rescues ailing Citigroup bank
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7745168.stm

Banks ‘need extra £110bn of public money to start lending again’
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/pbr/article5219252.ece
Taxpayer: “That’s lucky I kept 110bn under the mattress to help out a friend in a time of need isn’t it?”

Obama pledges 'jolt' to economy
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7747289.stm
I think it is safe to say that mass unemployment and the collapse of the currency can be described as “a jolt”

General Motors to Invest $1 Billion in Brazil Operations - Money to Come from U.S. Rescue Program
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=320909&CategoryId=12396
Thank goodness GM were given all that US taxpayer money eh? The asset stripping of the West continues apace

As mortgages went bad, bank executives cashed out
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-newcent26-2008nov26,0,94233.story

Food Prices Will Rise, Causing Export Bans, Riots
http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aC.nz4FiZpkg&refer=home

Poverty spreading in suburbs: study
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4AR60M20081128

First credit crunch traced back to Roman republic
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/28/credit-crunch-roman-republic-lecture

UK house prices 'to plunge like US'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/nov/30/house-prices-shiller-subprime-markets-us

Health:
Hairspray linked to birth defect
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7741998.stm

'Heavy water' could help us live longer
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/3529878/Heavy-water-could-help-us-live-longer.html Hmmmmmm

Human medical experimentation in the United States: The shocking true history of modern medicine and psychiatry (1833-1965)
http://www.naturalnews.com/019189.html

FDA Scientists Revolt Against Corrupt Food and Drug Administration Officials
http://www.naturalnews.com/024910.html

Genetic disease testing advance
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7742873.stm
Of course how and where that information is stored could also affect that child’s future prospects re employment, insurance etc if it was accessible.

Bad bosses may damage your heart
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7745324.stm

U.S. officials find trace of melamine in baby formula
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4AO9FZ20081126?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Cholera epidemic hits crumbling Zimbabwe
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16134-cholera-epidemic-hits-crumbling-zimbabwe.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

'Bad syrup' kills 25 Nigerian babies
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7750464.stm

Pfizer Implicated in Human Drug Experimentation on Critically ill Children in Nigeria
http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000544_Pfizer_Nigeria_medical_experiments.html

Study links birth defects to mothers' use of cosmetics
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/pregnant-women-warned-off-makeup-1041649.html

Statin Drugs: Another Industry-Sponsored Study, Another Deceptive Result
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/27/statin-drugs-another-industry-sponsored-study-another-deceptive-result.aspx

Fluoridation of southeast Queensland water begins
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24727027-3102,00.html

Science & Technology:
The eco machine that can magic water out of thin air
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/23/water-mill-eco-invention
As referenced in a very early OYE edition, a Western Australian invention (originally) that works using the same principals as an air-con unit (in reverse), can be run on solar power and keeps popping up in the media and then disappearing again....it is as though certain vested interests don’t want it going mainstream for some reason.

Religion:
New York City Churches Ordered Not To Shelter Homeless
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/church.homeless.shelter.2.871184.html

Vatican told bishops to cover up sex abuse
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/aug/17/religion.childprotection#history-byline

Religious leaders gather for climate change summit
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7753784.stm
Worshiping the false god of man-made climate change

The War on Terror:
Bush 'very pleased' with Iraq war outcome: report
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081123/pl_afp/usiraqmilitarybush
Potentially 100,000 deaths, 2 million refugees fled, depleted uranium all over the country, a wrecked infrastructure, all the utilities & assets sold off cheaply to foreign companies (including oil), age old religious tensions stoked, no WMD found, a 5 year low level civil war, and a massive drop in standard of livings, education rates and overall health – You’ve got to wonder how bad it would have been for him not to be “very pleased”?

Barack Obama plans 20,000 troop surge to boost Afghan effort
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/3527638/Barack-Obama-plans-20000-troop-surge-to-boost-Afghan-effort.html

Britain 'bribes Afghans to fight Taliban'
http://news.scotsman.com/world/Britain-39bribes-Afghans-to-fight.4730623.jp

Top UK civil servant to fight release of Iraq war records
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5219185.ece

Iraq parliament passes U.S. security pact
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSLQ17155120081128
Now there’s a surprise

Terrorists could strike Britain by infecting country with bird flu
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/3527575/Terrorists-could-strike-Britain-by-infecting-country-with-bird-flu.html
And where would this weapons grade bio-weapon come from.........

The Next War:
US Puts Pressure on Israel to Refrain from Attacks until Obama in office
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1861524,00.html?imw=Y

Shah's exiled son bids to unite fractured Iran
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/world-focus-shahs-exiled-son-bids-to-unite-fractured-iran-1028255.html

Prospect of Israel war on Iran "stronger"
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=76137§ionid=351020104

Solana 'worried' by Iran's lack of cooperation on nuclear issue
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igdfpJYv6o46VWYN0G3fJgFAJWSg

Israel to bomb Iran through Turkey?
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=76831§ionid=351020104

Russia to complete Iran nuclear plant in 2009
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-36735220081127

Trains between Koreas stop, North restricts border
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4AR0TJ20081128?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Czech senators approve US shield
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7752941.stm
Stoking up Cold War 2.0

Russia seeks new missiles due to U.S. shield plans
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4AR3S120081128

Terror attacks in Mumbai
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/28/world/asia/28group.html?_r=3&hp
Don’t be at all surprised when this is “linked” back to Pakistan and used as a pretext for increased US military bombing of that country, and possibly as launch pad for a rather costly, in human terms, but profitable, little war between the two nuclear weapon states of India and Pakistan


Quote of the Week:
"Even the smallest spark of freedom could set (an) entire world ablaze. That's why dissidents were held in isolation, dissident books were confiscated, and every typewriter had to be registered with the authorities. The regime knew the volatile potential of free thought and speech, so they spared no effort in extinguishing the spark...dissidents understood the power of freedom because it had already transformed our lives."

Natan Sharansky, "The Case for Democracy"



If this is your first visit I would suggest that, after viewing the articles in this page, you click onto the "Blog Archive" on the right hand panel. Have a look at some of the previous editions too. That will give you a much fuller picture of what is happening than by simply reading what has happened in the last week.


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