Open Your Eyes News - Edition 40

**STOP PRESS**
Open Your Eyes News Radio Show to commence on RTR FM on 23rd December. More details to follow
Areas Covered Each Week:
Civil Liberties - Health - Environment - Democracy & International Relations - Economics - Science - The War on Terror - The Next War
Stories of the week:
Report: Israel Preparing to Strike Iran Without U.S. Consent (Fox News)
20,000 more US troops to be deployed for domestic security (Washington Post)
President George W. Bush Receives 'International Medal of PEACE' (Market Watch)
UK 'closer' to adopting the euro (BBC)
Rich countries carry out '21st century land grab' (New Scientist)
Personal data on British citizens to be swapped by civil servants (Daily Telegraph)
High levels of lead found in Esperance seafood (The West Australian)
Australian farmers group labels GM crops report misleading (ABC)
European Central Bank cuts to 2.5pc and mulls "printing money" (Daily Telegraph)
Sick babies denied treatment in DNA patent row (Sydney Morning Herald)
Company tries to get gun classed as medical device (New Scientist)
Mind control by mobile phone (Scientific American)
ABC Schedules a ‘Homeland Security’ Reality TV Series (New York Times)
Berlusconi plans to use G8 presidency to 'regulate the internet' (The Register - UK)

Democracy & International Diplomacy:
President George W. Bush Receives 'International Medal of PEACE'
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/President-George-W-Bush-Receives/story.aspx?guid=%7B375C7988-1926-4726-8FF5-42F7E3F06DAA%7D
No seriously it is true!!!

UK 'closer' to adopting the euro
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7757830.stm
As I have been warning for a long while. Expect lots more articles like this as the effects of Gordon's spending starts to hit, the pound (and dollar) devalue, and the idea of spreading out your debt burden amongst your "friends" become's more attractive. If you had told a German in 1990 that within a decade he would have ditched the Deutschmark and gone into currency union with the Italians, Greeks and Portuguese what would he have said? (after he had finished laughing that is).

Gordon Brown’s secret plot to join the EURO
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/73859/Secret-plot-to-join-Euro

Venezuela Proposes New Regional Currency During ALBA Summit
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/3994

Obama puts faith in Bush's defence secretary http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/deadlineusa/2008/nov/26/barackobama-democrats
Clinton named secretary of state http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7758673.stm
Obama names Richardson as Commerce Secretary http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4B25V820081203?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Volcker to advise Obama http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i3OXSD3mwAj9USW_oQuCcFHA2L-g
Interestingly all four of these appointments have had highly prominent roles in previous administrations, and are all members of the Bilderberg Group, the Trilateral Commission and the Council for Foreign Relations – hardly a new start under Barak then is it?

Alleged Home Office mole questioned at high-security police station
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3535885/Alleged-Home-Office-mole-questioned-at-high-security-police-station.html
The assault on the UK's democracy continues

No 10 blocks inquiries into suspect donation
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5258473.ece

Canada halts parliament amid row
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7765206.stm

Up the state workers: public sector spawns UK ‘Soviet’ towns
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5258247.ece

Rich countries carry out '21st century land grab'
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026854.200-rich-countries-carry-out-21st-century-land-grab.html

Fury over executive paid £1m a year by UK Government to reduce Third World poverty
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1092023/Fury-executive-paid-1m-year-Government-reduce-Third-World-poverty.html

Nations sign cluster bomb treaty
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7762031.stm
Seeing as China, Russia, USA and Israel have refused to sign however it is a hollow victory. It would be interesting to see would it have happened sooner and been more effective had Princess Diana not died in 1997.


Civil Liberties:
20,000 more US troops to be deployed for domestic security
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/30/AR2008113002217.html

US State Secret: Thousands Secretly Sterilized
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Health/story?id=708780

UK is a police state here & now
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/columnists/kavanagh/article1989128.ece

An historic attack on the UK’s liberty and democracy
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/william_rees_mogg/article5263357.ece

UK DNA database 'breach of human rights'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7764069.stm

Australian Government's web censorship will hurt economy, group says
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/05/2439048.htm
Not to mention potentially have a very detrimental effect on Australian civil liberties if it “evolves” beyond its current scope, as these things have a tendency to do

Berlusconi plans to use G8 presidency to 'regulate the internet'
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/03/berlusconi_g8_internet/

The UK Big Brother state – by stealth
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-big-brother-state-ndash-by-stealth-1050576.html

UK lie detector tests to catch benefit cheats
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3543784/Nationwide-lie-detector-tests-will-catch-benefit-cheats.html

Kafka has a rival. Today, the Foreign Office lectures us on human rights
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/01/foreign-office-human-rights

Arrest... or assault? British judges disgust after soldier is held down and hit EIGHT times
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1090655/Arrest--assault-Judges-disgust-soldier-held-hit-times-POLICE.html

Big brother British police to get power to stop you in the street to demand ID... refuse and you'll face jail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1091448/Big-brother-police-power-stop-street-demand-ID--refuse-youll-face-jail.html

London musicians must give police personal information in order to be allowed to perform
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/how-form-696-could-pull-the-plug-on-the-capitals-music-scene-1028240.html

Anti-terror laws used to swoop on paperboys - for not having the correct paperwork
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1092264/New-target-anti-terror-spies-Village-paperboys--having-correct-paperwork.html

Wrongful death suit filed over use of Taser by L.A. County deputies
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-taser4-2008dec04,0,5604927.story

Amnesty urges moratorium on Taser use after CBC/Radio-Canada probe
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/04/amnesty-tasers.html

MP raid police 'had no warrant'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7762005.stm

Personal data on British citizens to be swapped by civil servants
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3547060/Personal-data-on-British-citizens-to-be-swapped-by-civil-servants.html

Greyhound introduces security screening of Canadian passengers
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/12/02/greyhound-security-screening.html

Croatian Police Arrest Facebook Opposition
http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=6400577&page=1

Iraqi court orders U.S. to free Reuters photographer
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4AT21D20081130?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews


Environment:
Lawyers call for international court for the environment
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/3530607/Lawyers-call-for-international-court-for-the-environment.html
Time to start arresting those horrid climate change "deniers" - free speech? What's that?

GM Crops Climb to Nearly One-Tenth of Global Crop Production
http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000584_GM_crops_genetic_modification_infertiliy.html

Perth has one of the coldest, wettest Novembers on record
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,27574,24733718-2761,00.html

High levels of lead found in Esperance seafood
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=111790
Soon to be shipped from Fremantle instead

2008 will be coolest year of the decade
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/dec/05/climate-change-weather
And this is despite much of the data used by climate change groups being discredited as reported in previous editions

Farmers target Environment Protection Agency report they say might tax cows for "greenhouse emissions"
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSklPDE9hZwHP3EXsezjC_wjuRLgD94SRJT80

Australian farmers group labels GM crops report misleading
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/02/2435449.htm

70% deforestation cuts for Brazil
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7759192.stm
Unfortunately Brazil has made many similar promises in the past too


Finance & Economics:
UN: World economy 'weakest since 30s'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7757506.stm

Rothschild calls for action
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7754768.stm
I know how about a New World Order?

Icelanders Storm Central Bank
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/01/europe/EU-Iceland-Meltdown.php

US job losses worst since 1974
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4B437520081206?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Congress and White House agree on auto aid plan
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4B50CL20081206

House to push $500 billion stimulus bill
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4B05QP20081201?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
Ever asked yourself where this $8 TRILLION (and rising) is all coming from?

President-elect Barack Obama proposes economic suicide for US
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/30/do3010.xml

European Central Bank cuts to 2.5pc and mulls "printing money"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/interestrates/3551387/ECB-cuts-to-2.5pc-and-mulls-printing-money.html

Bank of England mulls "nuclear option" of cash injection
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/interestrates/3551328/Bank-of-England-mulls-nuclear-option-of-cash-injection.html
One way or another these massive Western state debts will have to be paid back by you, either through higher taxes or hyper-inflation. Judging by the last two articles it looks like it will largely be the latter.

Metal prices fall further than during Great Depression
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/mining/3543370/Metal-prices-fall-further-than-during-Great-Depression.html

Former WorldCom CEO asks Bush to shorten sentence
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/12/05/ap5785583.html

BAE accused of £100m secret payments to seal South Africa arms deal
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/06/bae-arms-trade


Health:
Sick babies denied treatment in DNA patent row
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sick-babies-denied-treatment-in-dna-row/2008/11/28/1227491827171.html

Pharmaceutical companies "delaying cheaper drugs"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/3534740/Pharmaceutical-companies-delaying-cheaper-drugs.html

Evidence suggests CIA funded experiments at state hospital
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008811300299

Antioxidants 'cannot slow ageing'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7754644.stm

90 Percent of U.S. Infant Formula May Be Contaminated with Melamine; FDA Abruptly Declares Chemical Safe for Babies
http://www.naturalnews.com/024947.html

Doctors Abandoning Vaccines That Don't Make Them Money
http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000569_vaccines_doctors_vaccination.html

FDA sees asthma drug risks
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE4B463T20081205

Toronto Bans Bottled Water Sales, but Junk Sodas Remain Legal
http://www.naturalnews.com/News_000578_Toronto_bottled_water_plastic.html

Sick babies denied treatment in DNA row
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sick-babies-denied-treatment-in-dna-row/2008/11/28/1227491827171.html

Heart disease 'reversed in mice'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7750855.stm

FDA Reluctantly Admits Mercury Fillings Have Neurotoxic Effects on Children
http://www.naturalnews.com/024993.html

Warning over internet painkillers
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7764971.stm


Science & Technology:
Human brain is taken in by scientists’ body swap illusion
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article5274756.ece

Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/renewableenergy/3535012/Ocean-currents-can-power-the-world-say-scientists.html
That's the last time you'll hear of this piece of non-re-billable technology

Company tries to get gun classed as medical device
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16207-company-tries-to-get-gun-classed-as-medical-device.html

Missile shield test to be most realistic yet, officials say
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/12/04/us.missile.test/index.html

Pentagon hires British scientist to help build robot soldiers that 'won't commit war crimes'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3536943/Pentagon-hires-British-scientist-to-help-build-robot-soldiers-that-wont-commit-war-crimes.html

Mind control by mobile phone
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=mind-control-by-cell

Memories may be stored on your DNA
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026845.000-memories-may-be-stored-on-your-dna.html


Education:
'Educate girls to stop world population soaring'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/educate-girls-to-stop-population-soaring-1050580.html


The War on Terror:
Iraq civilian death toll up, U.S. deaths down
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4AR1TT20081201?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Panel warns biological attack likely by 2013
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28006645
I wonder what new infringements on our civil liberties we need to protect us?

ABC Schedules a ‘Homeland Security’ Reality TV Series
http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/abc-schedules-a-homeland-security-series/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Troop Pullout to Leave U.S. And Britain as Iraq Force. Occupation beyond 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/world/middleeast/06iraq.html

Blackwater guards charged in shooting
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=2&ContentID=111807
What are the odds that they will get off scot free?

Dozens killed in Iraqi bombings
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7758432.stm


The Next War:
Pakistan Tensions Increase in Aftermath of Attack - move 100,000 troops to border
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122802582217866921.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Chances of WMD attack in big city greater. Pakistan biggest threat - US report
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4B11EG20081202

Bush says Iran's nuclear program still a threat
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4B441O20081206

Iran holds naval war games in strategic waterway
http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/12/02/africa/OUKWD-UK-IRAN-WARGAMES.php

Israel willing to go it alone on Iran attack
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/3551079/Israel-willing-to-go-it-alone-on-Iran-attack.html

Report: Israel Preparing to Strike Iran Without U.S. Consent
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,461588,00.html

Commission Recommends U.S. Use ‘Direct Force’--If Needed--to Stop Iran, N. Korea Nuke Programs
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=40263


Quote of the Week:
"We are still under the sway of the destructive and thoroughly vain belief that man is the pinnacle of creation, and not just a part of it, and that therefore everything is permitted. There are still many who say they are not concerned for themselves but for the cause, while they are demonstrably out for themselves and not for the cause at all. We are still destroying the planet that was entrusted to us, and its environment. We still close our eyes to the growing social, ethnic and cultural conflicts in the world. From time to time we say that the anonymous mega-machinery we have created for ourselves no longer serves us but rather has enslaved us, yet we still fail to do anything about it."
Address by President Vaclav Havel to a Joint Session of the United States Congress Washington, D.C. February 21, 1990



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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