March 17, 2013

Tunisia’s biggest protest since Arab Spring (PHOTOS)

RT ‏@RT_com

#Tunisia’s biggest protest since Arab Spring (PHOTOS) http://on.rt.com/cx4pj0


http://rt.com/news/tunisia-protests-belaid-eu-366/

Thousands of people took to the streets of the Tunisian capital demanding to end the rule of the Islamist government, which they accuse of assassinating prominent secular politician, Chokri Belaid.

The March 16 demonstration is the biggest in a series of protest events, which took place in the country after Belaid was shot dead outside his home exactly 40 days ago.

The rallies already lead to Tunisian Prime Minister, Hamadi Jebali, resigning from his position on March 14. Fellow member of the ruling Islamist Ennahda party, Ali Larayedh, who came in as a replacement, has formed a new coalition government with independents in key ministries.

But the move wasn’t enough to calm the people as they chanted "Ennahda go", "The people want a new revolution" and "The people want to bring down the regime" during their demonstration on Saturday.

(Photos and more text at the link.)

March 17, 2013

Mass protests against austerity measures in Switzerland

rouge67 ‏@rougek67

Mass protests against austerity measures in Switzerland http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_03_17/Mass-protests-against-austerity-measures-in-Switzerland/ …


About 20 thousand teachers, medical workers, police staff and workers of other public services took to the streets of the Swiss capital, Bern, on Saturday, to protest against austerity measures implemented by the authorities, and to demand higher wages.

The Government of the Swiss canton has virtually revoked its past practice of regular automatic public sector wage hikes, besides slashing government spending on education and healthcare by almost 45 million euros.

The current protest rally in the Swiss capital was the largest in the past ten years.

Voice of Russia, RIA

(That is the entire article.)

March 16, 2013

Koch Brothers partially to blame for Michigan's "Emergency Manager" smash-and-grab scam

Rachel Maddow warned us about the far right "tea party" (read: Koch Brothers) politicians in Michigan steamrolling the political process as well as wishing to grab up the bequeathed beach-front property in otherwise impoverished, African-American Benton Harbor. Pontiac, Benton Harbor, and shortly Detroit are under the tender loving ministrations of "emergency managers" who through appointment by the State, are free to do as they will with all resources. And Wall Street have walked away from Detroit's distress to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in profit.

Forcing cuts upon the poor while the rich benefit is "austerity" as seen in Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, and now America.

Although Big Ed (love him) appears to not see that the "emergency manager" process is a planned scam, his overview of its effects is superb and frightening:

"Since Lou Schimmel became Pontiac’s emergency manager in 2011, he has privatized the Department of Public Works, outsourced police services to the Oakland County sheriff’s office, and turned over the city’s fire department to nearby Waterford Township, killing the public sector unions which represented the city’s firefighters and cops. He’s put every city property, including City Hall, up for sale and cut the city’s public employee workforce by about 90%. And he’s done it all without the consent of the city council.

Across Michigan, emergency managers installed by the state are using sweeping powers to privatize public services, lay off city employees, and weaken public sector unions with little standing in their way. Now the same thing is likely to happen in Motor City, one of the industrial centers of America.

Ostensibly a mechanism for rescuing insolvent Michigan cities and school districts from the brink of bankruptcy, the Emergency Management system has turned into a way for unelected officials to break up public sector unions, privatize public services, and drastically shrink the size of municipal governments. Currently, five Michigan cities are being administered by emergency managers—all of whom were appointed by the state’s Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Board (ELB).

When a city fails to meet certain financial benchmarks, the state can step in."

When the state steps in, it helps to have a Koch Brothers-funded "tea party" politician as governor.

"...it secures a dream of the anti-union Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council, whose associates are well-represented among Snyder’s donors, and whose economic agenda has been ascendant within the modern GOP."

Rachel Maddow warned in 2011:

"Last night on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow show, Maddow explained that Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder is pushing a bill through that will give ultimate governmental power literally to corporations, thereby using shock doctrine tactics to create a dystopian government. Synder’s bill not only goes after collective bargaining rights, but does in fact seem to represent the Republicans’ final solution to killing democracy by enabling the replacement of elected officials, dissolving entire city’s government and handing them over to corporations. Snyder calls his 'budget bill' a 'shared sacrifice,' but it gifts corporations with 1.8 billion in tax breaks while hitting citizens with harder taxes, including seniors and other vulnerables, and cutting essential services to an already suffering region."

DUer dtom67 said in a related thread:

"The 'derivitives' are usually the culprit... Municipal officials use some byzantine derivative bet ,that they do not really understand, to fund pensions. The Bet crashes and they city owes a shitload of money to wall street.
This allows the city to go bankrupt and void its Union contracts. It has finally been understood that the key to breaking unions is to bankrupt those they work for."

and there it is:

"It appears that UBS, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase enabled about $3.7 Billion of bond issues to cover deficits, pension shortfalls since 2005 and with interest these liabilities rose to $15 billion including money owed to retires and the city employees pension fund.

These bond sales cost Detroit $474 million for underwriting expenses, bond insurance and the handling of interest rate swaps. This total cost is equal to the Detroit’s budget for police and fire protection for that same period."

Read "The Shock Doctrine" and "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" and "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room". Debt and disaster are used to ripen conditions for control and profit. You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette. And debt is the main tool being used as far as I can see to ripen conditions in Europe. This may be why it is seemingly impossible to get politicians to do something, anything about the $1 trillion of US student loan debt. Our young are already in their thrall.

The Citigroup "Plutonomy" memo mentions the rich wanting right-wing, anti-immigration governments which will aid in profitable globalisation efforts. The very rich are most certainly engaging in their creation as we post. Voting will not slow down these corporations as their plans do not appear on any of our ballots (despite corporations using ALEC to write legislation for us upon which we also fail to have a vote). But note that the Citigroup memo lists their first and most significant fear, which is of a populist uprising demanding fair income equality and action against right-wing, corporate and bank-friendly politics.


Referenced:

Charles Koch Reflects on Last Election, Promises to Do More to 'Persuade Politicians'
http://www.thenation.com/blog/173315/charles-koch-reflects-last-election-promises-do-more-persuade-politicians#

Student Loan debt surpasses credit card debt in the US: $1Trillion+
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12526452

Who or what exactly enables "austerity", or "sequestration"?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022445620

Article regarding Goldman Sach's reach into European government and banking:
http://acampadabcninternacional.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/what-price-the-new-democracy-goldman-sachs-conquers-europe-acampadabcn-takethesquare-acampadasol-15m-occupy/

Only Wall Street Wins in Detroit Crisis Reaping $474 Million Fee via limpyhobbler
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-14/only-wall-street-wins-in-detroit-crisis-reaping-474-million-fee.html

Cash-strapped cities seized by new management via erinlough (Ed story)
http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/03/11/michigans-emergency-manager-law-another-front-in-the-war-for-union-survival/

Koch brothers, Tea Party cash drives Michigan right-to-work bill
http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/koch_brothers_tea_party_cash_drives_michigan_right_to_work_bill/

Study Confirms Tea Party Was Created by Big Tobacco and Billionaire Koch Brothers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-demelle/study-confirms-tea-party-_b_2663125.html

Rachel Maddow Exposes Michigan Republicans Secret War On Democracy
http://www.politicususa.com/rachel-maddow-michigan.html

dtom67 "Derivatives" quote:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1252&pid=6552

LIBOR Rigging & Complex Derivatives By UBS Contributed To Detroit’s Demise
http://www.mfi-miami.com/2013/03/libor-rigging-complex-derivitives-by-ubs-contributed-to-detroits-demise/

Scattered analysis of the Citigroup "Plutonomy" memo:
http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-leaked-2006-citigroup-plutonomy-memo.html

Edited from a post in Occupy Underground.

March 16, 2013

297 people arrested during Montreal anti-police brutality march

Anonymous ‏@OccupyTheMob

297 people arrested during #Montreal anti-police brutality march - Canada - Canoe.ca http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2013/03/16/20660411.html …


http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2013/03/16/20660411.html

MONTREAL — Police arrested 297 people Friday afternoon in downtown Montreal during the 17th annual anti-police brutality march.

All but 22 were ticketed for breaking municipal bylaws, including protesting while wearing a mask. Police said the rest will face criminal charges including assault, possession of incendiary material and obstructing police and disturbing the peace.

One person was arrested with a bag full of knives and what police said was ammunition.

Police in riot gear chased the 500 or so protesters through downtown streets and launched stun grenades to disperse the crowds.

(More at the link. And does it really need to be said: No police present = no police brutality?)

March 16, 2013

Women Warriors Of The Global Revolution Pt.3 : Marama Davidson

Decentralise Occupy ‏@endarken

Women Warriors Of The Global Revolution Pt.3 @MaramaDavidson http://wp.me/p1ZVye-J3


http://occupysavvy.com/2013/03/15/women-warriors-of-the-global-revolution-pt-3-marama-davidson/

(My "internet connection" is once again an oxymoron; I can't get the above link to load despite numerous attempts. Please visit and enjoy; sorry about not being able to provide a preview.)

March 16, 2013

Hope Robert Portman's son is indefinitely detained under the NDAA section 1021.

Anonymous: Night Raid Firm Lobbied for NDAA, Donated $272K to Sen. Rob Portman

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/19/1046972/-Anonymous-Night-Raid-Equipment-Maker-Lobbied-for-NDAA-Singles-Out-Sen-Rob-Portman

Anonymous singles out Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) for receiving a particularly large sum from companies and PACs lobbying for the NDAA. From the RT report:

Robert J. Portman...we are truly disturbed by the ludicrous $272,853 he received from special interest groups supporting the NDAA bill that authorizes the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens on U.S. soil.

snip

“Among the supporters of NDAA are California-based manufacturer Surefire, L.L.C., who won a $23 million contract from the Department of Defense three months ago.

snip

So what does Surefire make? In a word, night-raid equipment, with a fresh new $23 million contract from the DoD even as we saw troops pulling out of Iraq and they are about to pull out of Afghanistan. The product catalog main categories read things like "weapon lights, helmet lights, sound suppressors, high capacity magazines." The equipment is relatively cheap, not big ticket items in Defense Department terms. That means this is a big contract. A $23 million contract would buy enough of these things to outfit maybe 50,000 soldiers.

March 15, 2013

The big winners in Detroit’s fiscal crisis? Wall Street bankers

via Occupy Chicago.

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/03/14/the-big-winners-in-detroits-fiscal-crisis-wall-street-bankers/

‘Pay Later’

“The banks promise to get you the money and say you can pay later,” said Greg Bowens, spokesman for Stand Up For Democracy, a Lansing group that campaigned last year to repeal the law allowing appointment of a financial manager. “They get their fees off the top, and you trust that they’re doing what’s in your taxpayers’ best interest.”

As banks were collecting fees from bonds, some targeted city homeowners with subprime loans that led to foreclosures, depressing real-estate values and tax revenue, Sole said. About one-quarter of Detroit’s housing units are vacant, according to Detroit Future City, a 50-year blueprint for recovery. In some areas, entire blocks are deserted. Properties have been stripped of plumbing, wiring and whatever can be sold.

The home town of General Motors Co. has been running general-fund deficits of US$155.4-million to US$331.9-million since 2005, when Kilpatrick was mayor, and has been firing workers to save money.

(Much more at the link. Debt is slavery. Read "Confessions of an Economic Hitman".)

March 15, 2013

We're Not Gonna Take It (American Autumn excerpt)

Published on Mar 15, 2013

Subscribe - http://bit.ly/VUl21B
This is an excerpt from "American Autumn: an Occudoc" https://www.wepay.com/donations/164735
get the DVD on a "pay what you can" basis by clicking the link above.

March 15, 2013

Taibbi: Live-Blogging Senate Hearing Tomorrow, When J.P. Morgan Chase Will Be Torn a New One

OccupyIreland ‏@OccupyIreland

http://m.rollingstone.com/?redirurl=/politics/blogs/taibblog/live-blogging-senate-hearing-tomorrow-when-j-p-morgan-chase-will-be-torn-a-new-one-20130314 … matt tabbi doing it again.


Beginning at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow, I'm going to be live-blogging a hearing held by Senator Carl Levin's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations – the best crew of high-end detectives this side of The Wire, in my opinion – who will be grilling J.P. Morgan Chase executives and high-ranking federal regulators in a get-together entitled, "J.P. Morgan Chase "Whale" Trades: A Case History Of Derivatives Risks And Abuses." This follows this afternoon's release of a brutal 301-page report commissioned by Levin and Republican John McCain by the same name.

The Subcommittee investigators, largely the same crew who unraveled financial scandals surrounding infamous Goldman Sachs trades like Abacus and Timberwolf, and also took on HSBC's trans-global money-laundering activities in an extraordinarily detailed report issued last summer, have now taken aim at the heart of the Too-Big-To-Fail issue through its examination of the much-publicized catastrophic derivative trades made by its amusingly-nicknamed "London Whale" trader, Bruno Iksil, last year.

Most ordinary people dimly remember the London Whale episode now, and even at the time struggled to understand even the vaguest contours of the story while mainstream reporters (including people like myself) were trying with all their might to make sense of it from afar. What most people got out of that story was that J.P. Morgan Chase somehow lost buttloads of money through some sort of impossibly complex derivative trade – billions, though nobody could ever settle on an exact number – and that this was somehow a very bad thing that required the attention of the federal government, although even that part of it was a bit of a mystery to most ordinary people.

Gangster Bankers: Too Big to Jail

Why should we care if a private bank, or more to the point a private banker like Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, loses a few billion here and there? What business is it of ours? And why did we have to have congressional hearings about it last year? The whole thing certainly seemed a big mystery to Dimon himself, who dragged himself to Washington and spent the entire time rolling his eyes and snorting at Senators' questions, clearly put out that he even had to be there.

(More at the link.)

March 15, 2013

Victory in Court: CIA Can No Longer Refuse to "Confirm or Deny" on Drones

ACLU National ‏@ACLU

Victory in Court: #CIA Can No Longer Refuse to "Confirm or Deny" on #TargetedKilling Program: http://bit.ly/ZbBQBG #drones


http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/victory-court-cia-can-no-longer-refuse-confirm-or-deny-drones

In an important victory for transparency, a federal appeals court today put an end to the CIA's absurd claims that it "cannot confirm or deny" whether it has information about the government's use of drones to carry out targeted killings.

In a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the ACLU, the influential D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that "it is neither logical nor plausible for the CIA to maintain that it would reveal anything not already in the public domain to say that the Agency" had a so-called "intelligence interest" in the government's killing program. The ruling affirms the public's right to understand and evaluate the government's defense of the program with information that goes beyond what has been provided through the government's own selective leaks and disclosures.

As ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer, who argued the case before in September, said today:

This is an important victory. It requires the government to retire the absurd claim that the CIA's interest in the targeted killing program is a secret, and it will make it more difficult for the government to deflect questions about the program's scope and legal basis. It also means that the CIA will have to explain what records it is withholding, and on what grounds it is withholding them.

(More at the link.)