Open Your Eyes News - Edition 43

Open Your Eyes News Radio Show - RTR FM on Tues 30th December 4am-6am WST (UK - 7pm-9pm Mon 29th GMT) http://www.rtrfm.com.au/listen Unfortunately due to the wheels of community organisations moving slowly this will be a "lite" version of the planned show with just a run through of headlines & some music, but not in-depth analysis of issues. Hopefully full sign off will be given early in the New Year.
**STOP PRESS ** New Open Your Eyes News website coming soon. Updated daily. Easier navigation. Improved layout. News for information, not entertainment.
Areas Covered Each Week:
Civil Liberties - Health - Environment - Democracy & International Relations - Economics - Science - The War on Terror - The Next War
Stories of the week:
The year of the hungry: 1,000,000,000 afflicted (The Independent)
West Australia Approves Commercial Trial of GM Canola (The West Australian)
Pilot killed in Ohio crash was Bush IT consultant (Associated Press)
Arrested UK Opposition Minister was secretly recorded by police (The Times)
Fatal flaws in Australian website censorship plan, says report (The Age)
US army ready if downturn gets out of hand (New York Post)
Prominent Scientist Fired By Gore Says Warming Alarm ‘Mistaken’ (The US Senate)
The end of the British honeybee? (The Guardian)
IMF warns of 2nd Great Depression (Associated Press)
FDNY Lieutenant admitted plan to "take down" World Trade Centre 7 live on TV on 9/11(MSNBC)
KBR knowingly exposed troops to toxic dust (CBS News)
North Korea says South seeking war, threatens "sea of fire" (AFP)

Democracy & International Diplomacy:
The year of the hungry: 1,000,000,000 afflicted
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/year-of-the-hungry-1000000000-afflicted-1213843.html
The Historian - Does your local news outlet tell you this, or feed you a diet of petty politics, reality TV, celebrities and sport?

Obama the most admired man in the world, American poll says
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/26/barack-obama-most-admired-man
The Historian - The fact that he was put there by exactly the same people/corporations who put Bush there is beside the point. I'm sure British & Australian readers will see the irony in the slogan "Time for change" (which incidentally never comes). And as the sheep are herded into their pens what do they say but "O-baaaaa-ma"

Secret of the Lusitania: Arms find challenges Allied claims it was solely a passenger ship
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1098904/Secret-Lusitania-Arms-challenges-Allied-claims-solely-passenger-ship.html
The Historian - But that means the USA & Britain were lying over the principle cause for the USA to join a war which had previously been very unpopular with the American people. At least things like that don't happen these days eh?

Pilot killed in Ohio crash was Bush IT consultant
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iv1YXgRc_JuC50GZ7oqT1tcBGF0QD956TJF80
The Historian - How "unfortunate an accident". 'Mike Connell's untimely death will haunt Karl Rove and the Republican Party. As the key witness in investigations into election fraud and the firing of US attorneys, Mike Connell informed investigators that he had received death threats. Connell's testimony threatened to lead to the indictment of Karl Rove. Key allegations in the cases that were converging on Rove were to the effect that Connell was ordered to manipulate election returns in 2004 to deliver the presidency to George W. Bush instead of John Kerry who was leading the pre-election polls. Connel was under investigation in the case of thousands of missing emails relevant to the probe into the politically motivated firing of US attorneys. Oh well never mind eh....

Speaker of House of Commons blocks inquiry into his handling of MP's arrest
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3867599/Speaker-Michael-Martin-blocks-inquiry-into-his-handling-of-Damian-Green-arrest.html

General George S. Patton was assassinated to silence his criticism of allied war leaders
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3869117/General-George-S.-Patton-was-assassinated-to-silence-his-criticism-of-allied-war-leaders-claims-new-book.html

Japan asked US to prepare for nuclear strike on China
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/3899290/Japan-asked-US-to-prepare-for-nuclear-strike-on-China.html

UNICEF says 6,000 child soldiers in Darfur
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jeUuAi4rcLUUfvylTzjlB-InsDMQ

Bush E-Mails May Be Secret a Bit Longer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/20/AR2008122002102.html?hpid=topnews

Lord Mandelson goes on holiday again with Nat Rothschild
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/3918609/Lord-Mandelson-slopes-off-with-Nat-Rothschild.html

Arrested UK Opposition Minister was secretly recorded by police
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5394014.ece

Riots push Greece to the edge
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7798056.stm

Bush pardons 19, commutes sentence of meth dealer
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/23/bush.pardons/?iref=mpstoryview
The Historian - "Democracy" in action.

China begins anti-piracy mission
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7799899.stm
The Historian - We will look back on events like this as the changing of the international guard as China begins to flex its military muscles on the international stage and eventually gains supremacy over the (soon to be bankrupt) USA

UK Government planning secret tax on 'nice houses'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3950038/Labour-planning-secret-tax-on-nice-houses.html

Kissinger & Nixon celebrated 1972 bombing of North Vietnam, new transcripts show
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB263/index.htm

EU spends £2bn each year on 'vain PR exercises'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/3965512/EU-spends-2bn-each-year-on-vain-PR-exercises.html
The Historian - Remind me, how many people in the 3rd World could you feed or educate for £2 billion?

Civil Liberties:
Fatal flaws in Australian website censorship plan, says report
http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/web/fatal-flaws-in-website-censorship-plan/2008/12/22/1229794328860.html

Australian Government denies trialling flawed internet filter
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24840273-15306,00.html

Web sites could get film-style ratings
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20081227/tuk-oukin-uk-britain-websites-fa6b408.html

Americans prefer news from Web to newspapers: survey
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081224183017.jxmbrdyb&show_article=1
The Historian - All the more reason for the powers that be to control the internet "more closely"

Australia reviews anti-terror laws
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5h_e8UbeZngWBPCl2sq22WleL3zJw

U.S. Military Preparing for Domestic Disturbances
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/military_domestic_use/2008/12/23/164765.html

US army ready if downturn gets out of hand
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12232008/business/us_army_ready_if_the_downturn_gets_out_o_145522.htm

Indian parliament passes tough new terrorism laws
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/indian-parliament-passes-tough-new-terrorism-laws/2008/12/18/1229189805491.html

Tasers are an outrage we must resist
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/letters/johann-hari-tasers-are-an-outrage-we-must-resist-1207401.html

Mugabe unleashes wave of terror with mass abductions
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/mugabe-unleashes-wave-of-terror-with-mass-abductions-1207395.html

UK bailiffs get power to use force on debtors
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5375668.ece

Clown strip-searched by airport security guards - because they thought he was a terrorist
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1099322/PC-Konk-clown-strip-searched-airport-security-guards--thought-terrorist.html

Credit crunch Britain must learn the lessons of Nazi Germany, warns Archbishop
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1099636/Credit-crunch-Britain-learn-lessons-Nazi-Germany-warns-Archbishop.html

"Please give me an ID card" say UK citizens
http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39368026,00.htm?r=4
The Historian - Yeah, sure they do

US police could get 'pain beam' weapons
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16339-us-police-could-get-pain-beam-weapons.html

Brazil to Equip All New, Imported Cars with Tracking Devices
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7792469.stm

German Journalists Worry 'Big Brother Law' Will Kill Press Freedom
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0%2C1518%2C596807%2C00.html

Naked Man Dies After 4 Shocks From Taser Gun
http://www.click2houston.com/news/18352822/detail.html

US police use excessive force, ER docs say
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081224/hl_nm/us_police_er

NSW bus drivers angry over 'spy cameras'
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24849695-2702,00.html

Environment:
West Australia Approves Commercial Trial of GM Canola
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=admjqvHS2QKk&refer=australia

West Australian farmers eye GM wheat
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=146&ContentID=115010

Facts melted by 'global warming'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3883550/Facts-melted-by-global-warming.html

Blight hits world's vanilla supply
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026874.800-blight-hits-worlds-vanilla-supply.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

EU plans to impose fish quotas on amateur sea anglers
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5375688.ece
The Historian - Yes clearly individuals with a single line are the problem and not drift net trawlers

Beijing's coldest December day in 57 years
http://www.danwei.org/front_page_of_the_day/beijing_winter.php

Prominent Scientist Fired By Gore Says Warming Alarm ‘Mistaken’
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=5ef55aa3-802a-23ad-4ce4-89c4f49995d2

How kangaroo burgers could save the planet
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026873.100-how-kangaroo-burgers-could-save-the-planet.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news
The Historian - Yes they probably are, though not because of "methane emissions causing global warming". More that they are 100% free range, aren't pumped full of steroids and vaccines, they are very lean, and very abundant. (and currently mainly put into pet food!)

Farmers raising a stink about possible law that could tax cow 'emissions'
http://www.gastongazette.com/news/farmers_28456___article.html/dairy_tax.html
The Historian - The "argument" is being slowly manipulated to that of mankind being the problem - (after all you emit methane and CO2, and consume all these animals. Wouldn't it be a lot better if there were a whole lot less human's - say a manageable 500 million? Slowly the mindset of the world's population is being twisted by this false religion. The question is how to get rid of the other 7.5 billion "useless eaters"?

Children's Books Use Christmas to Push Global Warming Agenda
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,472164,00.html

Fix For Global Warming? Scientists Propose Covering Deserts With Reflective Sheeting
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081222114546.htm
The Historian - Boy this global warming lark is great for gaining those hard to find research grants isn't it?

Food needs 'fundamental rethink'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7795652.stm

The end of the British honeybee?
http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=869&catID=4
The Historian - not to mention the introduction of GM crops & new pesticides that coincided with the bee disappearances

UK's holiday waste smashes all records
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/uks-holiday-waste-smashes-all-records-1213858.html

Finance & Economics:
IMF warns of 2nd Great Depression
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h6Os57hYEifFkfS0_4tWaYPMVJxQ

Japan recession deepens, China cuts rates
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4B70ME20081222?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

US housing crisis worsens as economy weakens
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4BL2XS20081222?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

IMF warns of 'disturbing' UK debt
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7794294.stm

Where'd bailout money go? Shhhh, it's a secret
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iaxth_ZtIpwsATVdQfVYmiuZDUigD957O4VO0

World faces "total" financial meltdown: Bank of Spain chief
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h2SsVV8JJZk5ooieD_bfpKcrg_qw

Hedge funds gain access to $200bn Fed aid
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/989db158-ce30-11dd-8b30-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

Britain's job 'bloodbath'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britains-job-bloodbath-1207378.html

Repossession threat even when mortgage repayments have been paid
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/property_and_mortgages/article5385975.ece

The Federal Reserve Bank is the Reason for America's Downfall
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article7920.html

U.S. Economy: Home Prices Fall Near Depression Pace
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=aQ7HBEgYCzUE&refer=economy

Central banks revolution gathers pace
http://ft.onet.pl/0%2C18977%2Ccentral_banks_revolution_gathers_pace%2Cartykul_ft.html

Britain's GDP will decline at fastest pace since the 1940’s
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/britains-gdp-will-decline-at-fastest-pace-since-the-1940rsquos-1212877.html

Gold Rises Most in a Week on Middle East, South Asia Tensions
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a6ziiuAEeEes&refer=home
The Historian - You just wait until the bombing of Iran starts in the next few months

Global oil supply will peak in 2020, says energy agency
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/15/global-oil-supply-peak-2020-prediction

Health:
Leading Psychiatrist denied Emory University Chairmanship after Revelation of Secret Financial Ties to Big Pharma
http://www.naturalnews.com/025171.html

Hairspray Exposure in Pregnant Women Increases Risk of Common Birth Defect in Boys
http://www.naturalnews.com/025168.html

Radiation 'threat' to air crews
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7775405.stm

Science & Technology:
'Sex chip' being developed by scientists
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/3886862/Sex-chip-being-developed-by-scientists.html
The Historian - Away from the obvious about this article however is the worrying realisation that mind-control and manipulation technology is well advanced and is nearly at nano size. The possibilities for nefarious usage are terrifying.

Did warfare drive out-of-Africa migration?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16321-did-warfare-drive-outofafrica-migration.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

Minerals suggest life could have survived on Mars
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/3836365/Minerals-suggest-life-could-have-survived-on-Mars.html

Religion:
Saving humanity from gays as important as saving the rainforest from destruction, says Pope
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1100422/Saving-humanity-gays-important-saving-rainforest-destruction-says-Pope.html
The Historian - You could never tell that he spent his formative years in the Hitler Youth could you?

Bishops attack 'immoral' British Government
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7801667.stm

The War on Terror:
FDNY Lieutenant admitted plan to "take down" World Trade Centre 7 live on TV on 9/11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KQA1KOKrPc
The Historian - The key bit is the interview that takes place after the collapse, about a minute in. Ask yourself how could anyone have organised to bring down a 40 storey skyscraper over the course of a few hours, while WTC 1 & 2 collapsed around them?

Iraq shoe-thrower to go on trial amid new torture claims
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jekhMlbHXKWLp1_o0YVVouYrSzug

Afghan parents selling their sons to survive
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/3901941/Afghan-parents-selling-their-sons-to-survive.html

KBR knowingly exposed troops to toxic dust
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/22/cbsnews_investigates/main4683471.shtml

No evidence to convict 10,000 detainees– U.S. commander
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=105044

Many killed by Baghdad car bomb
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7801093.stm

Afghan police die in suicide bomb
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7801381.stm

Homeland Security forecasts 5-year terror threats
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i_jXJ7v4NrGgkJXDMZgAHrlB86tAD95A1JLO0

The Next War:
Suspected U.S. drones kill 7 in Pakistan
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4BL0DN20081222?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

US, Ukraine risk irking Russia with strategic accord
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hJTaVBZdnCpMevQ5gF1M0rEnHhsg

Russia orders 70 strategic nuclear missiles by 2011: Report
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest_of_World/Russia_orders_70_strategic_nuclear_missiles_by_2011_Report/articleshow/3877857.cms

Georgia’s attack was no surprise – Rice
http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/35137

Budget will decide whether Israel attacks Iran
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1048358.html

Iran urges ECO to drop dollar
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=79320&sectionid=3510213

2 alleged U.S. spies killed in Pakistan's tribal region
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/22/content_10539552.htm

USA needs nuclear explosion to turn the world into dictatorship
http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/106864-0/

North Korea says South seeking war, threatens "sea of fire"
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hmQFcH6EFYn4OV0in8W0lbyFvG2w

Pakistan cancels army leave as India tensions rise
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE4BP16V20081226?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Iranian ship to break Israel' siege of Gaza
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=79544&sectionid=351020101
The Historian - The trigger that the Israeli's have been waiting for?

Quote of the Week:

"Al-Qaida, literally "the database", was originally the computer file of the thousands of mujahideen who were recruited and trained with help from the CIA to defeat the Russians"
Robin Cook MP, British Foreign Secretary 1997 - 2001, Leader of The House of Commons 2001-2003. Writing in The Guardian, 8th July 2005.

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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