Tag: Money

America

Spending Unlimited – ScheerPost

Before our government moves full speed ahead expanding the weapons industry and further militarizing geopolitical challenges posed by China and Russia, we should reflect on America’s disastrous performance in the costly, prolonged wars already waged in this century. After all, they did enormous damage, made the world a far more dangerous place, and only increased the significance of those weapons makers. Throwing another trillion dollars-plus at the Pentagon won’t change that.

Source: Spending Unlimited – ScheerPost

American Politics

Nazis Swarm Together At CPAC 2024 | Crooks and Liars

Nazis Swarm Together At CPAC 2024

Trump proved there’s money in it so they swarmed out into the light and were welcomed

Source: Nazis Swarm Together At CPAC 2024 | Crooks and Liars

Israel

The Continuation of Zionist Settler Colonialism

The Greed for which there has never been an excuse

In the face of this devastating colonization, we can take inspiration from those effectively demonstrating what it means to stand in solidarity. South Africa has brought Israel to the International Court of Justice, charging them with the crime of genocide. Yemen’s Houthis have seized Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea, refusing to back down in the face of US-led aggression against them. Palestine solidarity activists have blocked Israeli ships from entering ports around the world, from San Francisco to Sydney. The Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement is stronger than ever before. These are but a few of the examples we may draw on that advocate for Palestinian liberation and recognize the root cause of its hindrance: Zionist settler colonialism. We must continue to stand in such solidarity until Palestinians, alongside all colonized and Indigenous peoples, are truly free.

Source: The Continuation of Zionist Settler Colonialism

Informed Comment

Money, money, money. It’s a rich man’s world. – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The headline conveys a tale of acquisition, narcissism, and unimaginable wealth. The world is overflowing with money inherited, earned honestly or obtained through corrupt means. Nevertheless, little is acquired through equal opportunities. It is a world where the rich have a significant advantage. It is a rich man’s world.

Source: Money, money, money. It’s a rich man’s world. – » The Australian Independent Media Network

TAX

The millionaires who are begging to pay more tax

Brian Cox wants millionaires and billionaires to pay more tax.

Being a millionaire is just another small powerless voice in the land of the financial elite and powerful.  Of Course they’d support a qualified change of a 2% tax for those over $10M in investments to help the trickle-down that never occurred these past 50-plus years.  Only too happy to salvage a dying system rather than change it. It’s a bit of a cry by millionaires to ” Hey look over there” Billionaires and Trillionaires they need to give a lot more”. Millionaires already saw their taxes generously reduced and profits up by far more than 2% aren’t giving back anything they made in real terms.

It’s the structure of global corporations that needs to be changed from private to public and a real Future Fund established and they need to be taxed and the profits invested for our and a global common good. Can you imagine the Military Industrial Complex battling the war on poverty health and housing? Their shareholders need to feel the benefits of profit sharing and not feel it as a punishment tax simply because of their current lack of interest in contributing to a common good. Israel and its supporters currently need to be heavily punished and taxed. The Bhutanese on the other hand don’t as they already base their economy on ” Gross National Happiness”

A recent survey has found that nearly half of all millionaires from G20 countries think extreme wealth is a threat to democracy.

The survey was conducted by Survation on behalf of Patriotic Millionaires and found that three-quarters of those questioned supported higher taxes on wealth.

For the survey more than 2300 people from G20 countries with more than $1 million investable assets, excluding their homes, were polled.

The survey found 74 per cent were in support of higher taxes on wealth to aid the cost-of-living crisis and improve public services.

Some 75 per cent also support a two per cent wealth tax on billionaires being introduced, and 58 per cent support the tax for people with more than $10 million.

Additionally, 72 per cent believe extreme wealth can buy political influence and 54 per cent maintain that extreme wealth is a threat to democracy.

Source: The millionaires who are begging to pay more tax

Trump

Donald Trump Loses Three Lawyers in One Day

Donald Trump loses three lawyers in oneday

Weren’t they paid? If they were was it from Trump’s Charity or Campaign Funds? Will they be suing Trump?

Donald Trump lost three of his lawyers in one day when attorney Joe Tacopina filed a declaration requesting the withdrawal of his firm’s representation of the former president in multiple lawsuits.

Source: Donald Trump Loses Three Lawyers in One Day

Israel

A Big-Money Operation Purged Critics of Israel From the Democratic Party

How the Israel lobby moved to quash rising dissent in Congress against Israel’s apartheid regime.

Source: A Big-Money Operation Purged Critics of Israel From the Democratic Party

Trump

Trumpworld Lawyers Keep Getting Stiffed on Fees – Mother Jones

They still line up to do his work in hope

On Tuesday, Rudy Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert Costello, sued the former New York mayor for more than $1.3 million in allegedly unpaid legal fees dating back to 2019. That lawsuit, Costello says, is a consequence of Trump’s own refusal to pay Giuliani for years of work as Trump’s personal attorney.

Costello, whose biography touts his 40-plus year of litigation experience, told me Tuesday that Bannon was the first client “I’ve ever had to sue for fees.” Giuliani was the second.

Bannon and a Trump spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.

Lawyers for Trump have landed in legal jeopardy due to his lies. They’ve been forced to testify against him, sanctioned, fined, stripped of law licenses, sued, and indicted.

Source: Trumpworld Lawyers Keep Getting Stiffed on Fees – Mother Jones

ALP Government,

From Main Street to Wall Street: is the HAFF housing scheme a gift to the money men? – Michael West

Social Housing, HAFF

The Labor government and the Greens have finally agreed to pass the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) bill. But how much will go to housing, and how much to fund managers, Harry Chemay asks?

Source: From Main Street to Wall Street: is the HAFF housing scheme a gift to the money men? – Michael West

Saudi Arabia

Vice Pulled a Documentary Critical of Saudi Arabia. But Here It Is.

Sportswashing, Mediawashing, Entertainmentwashing. What money can buy!

In June, six months after announcing a partnership deal with a Saudi Arabian government-owned media company, Vice uploaded but then quickly removed a documentary critical of the Persian Gulf monarchy’s notorious dictator, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS.

Source: Vice Pulled a Documentary Critical of Saudi Arabia. But Here It Is.

Australian Government

PwC and the Adani mine triple dip. A conflict of interest? Surely not – Michael West

A humble footnote on page 30 of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility’s 2016-17 annual report reads: “PwC supported NAIF in the development of its Risk Management Framework.” NAIF was in the news in late 2016 because it had reportedly given “conditional approval” of a $1 billion loan to Adani for its Carmichael Coal Mine.

In news that may surprise precisely no one, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was also working for Adani. In fact, not only did PwC “act for” Adani in trying to secure the NAIF loan, the firm also produced economic modelling that purported to show that delays to the Adani mine had cost Queensland 2,665 jobs.

Source: PwC and the Adani mine triple dip. A conflict of interest? Surely not – Michael West

elections

Political donation reform sounds good – but be careful what you wish for

What could be better for democracy than taking the big money out of election campaigns? Both Victoria and NSW have made moves in this direction, but the feds have done nothing. Until now. The Albanese government’s working on plans for reform.

Source: Political donation reform sounds good – but be careful what you wish for

America

Nobody Wants to Be Trump’s Lawyer…Again – Mother Jones

Here’s one for Grisham

Donald Trump is struggling to find a lawyer…again. According to reports from the Washington Post, the ex-president, who’s facing 37 charges related to allegations of mishandling classified documents, spent most of the day before his arraignment searching for an advocate to take his case. Several high-profile Florida attorneys have declined the task, after two lawyers—Jim Trusty and John Rowley, who played until recently had played critical roles in Trump’s defense—unexpectedly resigned last week. Trusty and Rowley are the two latest departures from a rotating cast of Trump attorneys who have, over the years, often been entangled in nearly as much controversy as their infamous client.

Source: Nobody Wants to Be Trump’s Lawyer…Again – Mother Jones

American Politics

Guns Don’t Kill America: Republicans Do | The Smirking Chimp

May be an image of text that says 'TWO SUPREME COURT DECISIONS THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY. FREE TO CARRY. FORCED TO CARRY, Rittafod'

Republicans are trying to distract America from the easy access Audrey Hale had to weapons of war by discussing Hale’s personal life, but the availability of guns and the Republican embrace of death as a political weapon are the only real issues here.

We’re the only developed country in the world that unconditionally allows civilians to own military-style assault weapons, that allows “open carry,” and that lets gun manufacturers openly buy politicians (thanks, Republicans on the Supreme Court).

As a consequence, we’re also the only country in the world where the leading cause of death for children is being blown apart by bullets.

Source: Guns Don’t Kill America: Republicans Do | The Smirking Chimp

America

End the “Citizens United” Ruling with a “Democracy for All Amendment”

In the United States government has been privatized by the Citizens United ruling of the SCOTUS. Government is now really up for sale and auctioned off to the highest campaign contributors.

Source: End the “Citizens United” Ruling with a “Democracy for All Amendment”

Truth in Humor

RoboSuper OR “When Labor Run Out Of Money They Come After Yours”! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

So now that there are rumours that there may be some changes to the taxation benefits to people with superannuation balances of over $3 million, it’s Labor who’ve run out money and not the Liberals who doubled the debt BEFORE Covid hit and tripled it after. No, Labor have run out of money and they’re looking to raise revenue to balance the budget! Outrageous. The Liberals never worry about balancing it; they just tell us that they intend to because that’s what good housekeepers do.

Source: RoboSuper OR “When Labor Run Out Of Money They Come After Yours”! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Australian Politics

“Cabal of Secrecy”: political donations data dump features $119 million from nowhere, “dark money” – Michael West

Analysis of the Australian Electoral Commission’s 2022 donations data dump has revealed ‘dark money’ comprised up to 40% of major political party revenue. Liberals were the worst offenders. Callum Foote reports.

Source: “Cabal of Secrecy”: political donations data dump features $119 million from nowhere, “dark money” – Michael West

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Howard started the long slide into privatisation, Is the ALP purpose fit to bring us back from the brink?

Fighting Fake News with REAL 5/1/2023, Money Guns and Politics,

Media, Opinion

Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer and Lachlan Murdoch should be charged with conspiring to intimidate Brittany HigginsKangaroo Court of Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann and Lachlan Murdoch

The trial has become a national scandal and Justice Lucy McCallum needs to take action for contempt of court against Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer Steve Whybrow, Lachlan Murdoch, his attack dogs at News Corp and Senator Linda Reynolds. If Justice McCallum fails to do so her reputation and the reputation of the court will be trashed for many years to come and will likely become an example used at law schools on how not to run a court case.

Source: Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer and Lachlan Murdoch should be charged with conspiring to intimidate Brittany HigginsKangaroo Court of Australia

Media

Crikey and Media Watch v Friendlyjordies and IA

One needs to ask why is IA so readily flailing away at another independent media publisher rather than putting up a united stand against mainstream white man’s media? Why aren’t the other Independents responding and supporting them in their attack on Crikey? They don’t seem to feel Donavan and Pini have an argument worth backing.

Is IA just the sound of a single mouse roaring? Wailing against a competitor in a small Independent alternative market? They seem to have taken their eyes off the ball, the greater Australian media system? Or is this simply the sound of sour grapes? Do you really have to be poor to have both integrity and Independence?

Despite its claims of being small and independent, Crikey uses its cronies in the mainstream media, including ABC Media Watch, to promote itself and its funding campaigns and attack its competitors. Another eye-opening exposé by Dave Donovan and Michelle Pini.

Source: Crikey and Media Watch v Friendlyjordies and IA

Media

More about the Crikey crowdfunding con

Is this a fight between two competitors where one, IA, fears it’s about to lose, and lose out big-time, the pot of gold- subscription money? According to them the crowdfunding of Crikey needs to be stopped why? Because they are already well funded? Well, there goes the Monthly or any other Independent publisher fighting to deliver better quality REAL News and Information. Are Murdochs funding IA or has AI merely jumped ship and joined the Murdochs of their own accord? What value is there when IA have turned to play the man and has taken it’s eyes off the ball and the man happens to be on their own team?

CRIKEY … “INDEPENDENT”? 

Long before Crikey decided to stick its head above the parapet and issue this challenge to Lachlan Murdoch, Independent Australia was being mauled by Murdoch’s minions. We were being attacked, scorned and subjected to almost innumerable legal letters from News Corp, practically all of which threatened our very continuation as a publication. That’s because we were actually broke — not pretend poor, like Crikey. IA

The deeper you dig into Crikey’s crowdfunding in its defamation case against the Murdochs, the muddier it becomes.

Source: More about the Crikey crowdfunding con

Fossil Fuel Industry, Uncategorized

How to deal with fossil fuel lobbying and its growing influence in Australian politics

A recent investigation details a campaign by the car industry to have its (low) voluntary standards on fuel efficiency legislated into national standards. This campaign fits into a broader pattern of lobbying by the fossil fuel industry to hinder effective climate action and highlights the importance of democratic integrity in addressing the climate crisis as well as the urgent need for robust regulation of lobbying.

How to deal with fossil fuel lobbying and its growing influence in Australian politics
sport

LIV Golf Series: Donald Trump tells British Open champion Cameron Smith and PGA Tour golfers to take Saudi money, Ian Baker-Finch urges caution

Ian Baker-Finch, Donald Trump and Cameron Smith.

Here’s a reason not to “take the money” If Trump had not been the failed businessman he is, he’d have $12 B just from investing his father’s gift conservatively when he first started. Today he has $2B and 4000 court cases in his wake. Hardly a person to take business advice from.

‘If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were.’ Donald Trump

Source: LIV Golf Series: Donald Trump tells British Open champion Cameron Smith and PGA Tour golfers to take Saudi money, Ian Baker-Finch urges caution

Uncategorized

‘Top Gun’: The thinly disguised Pentagon recruitment drive

The link between film and the military-industrial complex has never been more evident than in the ‘Top Gun’ movies— a relentless advertisement for the U.S. defence sector, writes Dr Binoy Kampmark.

Source: ‘Top Gun’: The thinly disguised Pentagon recruitment drive

White Nationalism

The White Right Thinks Guns Come From God, Really | Crooks and Liars

The White Right Thinks Guns Come From God, Really

Source: The White Right Thinks Guns Come From God, Really | Crooks and Liars

Informed Comment

Fossil fuel subsidies soar past disaster relief, even public schools funding. What’s the scam? – Michael West Media

Fossil fuel subsidies, TAI

This week on Q&A Barnaby Joyce said “we are a government who only spends money where we see a return on investment and growth in GDP”. Well we know that!! So little has been devoted to Age-Care, flood disasters, pensioners, job seekers yet debt blew out 400% above 2013 levels. It went from 10% of GDP to over 40% and is heading to 50%. So where did the money go and why doesn’t it matter now?  It mattered ever so badly when the ALP were in government. The LNP are currently screaming taxes taxes will go up under the ALP yet they have constantly been the highest under the LNP.

The scam is that flood and fire victims and other ordinary Australians don’t have lobbyists and don’t pay political parties. What are they thinking, that politicians will just help them because …?

Cruelling somewhat the Budget pitch euphoria in corporate media today, The Australia Institute has sallied forth with its annual analysis of hand-outs to coal and gas multinationals, state and federal, finding they cost the public $11.6b in 2021-22, or $22k per minute.

It’s a $1.3b (12%) increase on last year thanks to the feds. Across all budgets there is $55b committed, which is 11 times the balance of Australia’s Emergency Response Fund ($4.8b in Dec 2021), while $11.6b in 2021-22 is 56 times the budget of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency.

The subsidies cost the Federal government more than it spent on public schools in the same year ($9.7b). Now *that’s* a scam … and we are yet to see the Budget.

Source: Fossil fuel subsidies soar past disaster relief, even public schools funding. What’s the scam? – Michael West Media

Israel

The new hasbara campaign Israel doesn’t want you to know about

Young Jews from around the world celebrate 10 years of the Birthright program at an event held at the International Conference Center in Jerusalem, May 12, 2010. (Dudi Vaknin/FLASH90)

This isn’t in any way new!

The Israeli cabinet approved on Sunday a project that could inject up to NIS 100 million [$30 million] toward covertly funding government propaganda in the United States and other Western countries. Led by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, the initiative is expected to revive a failed plan entrusted until recently to the now-defunct Strategic Affairs Ministry, which closed in 2021. The plan is to transfer money indirectly to foreign organizations that will spread Israeli propaganda in the countries in which they operate, all while hiding the fact that they are backed by the Israeli government.

Source: The new hasbara campaign Israel doesn’t want you to know about

sport

Want a sporting chance at making the big bucks? Maybe avoid tennis

Ash Barty wimbledon

But soccer is a very competitive field. The ratio of professionals to amateurs is 1:3000. Is there a sport that does better? To answer this question we do not have to look far from home. AFL teams are big. You need 18 players on the field at all times. And crowds are large. There’s money in this sport. The ratio of professionals to amateurs in men’s AFL may be the best in all pro sports: 700 professional men and (the AFL claims) 1 million amateur male players. That’s a ratio of professionals to amateurs of 1:1400. What’s more, if they get drafted by a local club, a fair few young AFL players can probably turn pro without even moving out of mum and dad’s house. And they can look forward to being paid an average $350,000 a year, with a much fairer distribution than you see in tennis.

Source: Want a sporting chance at making the big bucks? Maybe avoid tennis

Israel

Evangelical Politicians, using Israel as a Pretext, are Gutting the Constitution by Banning Boycotts

screen grab

BYE BYE- The Constitutional Separation of Powers between the Church and State. Fuck what America’s Jews want. Legislate Discrimination instead.

Israel has concluded a very unholy alliance with the American Evangelical Community, as support among progressive U.S. Jews for its settlement policies in the West Bank continues to wane. For this reason, in 2017, the Arkansas Senate passed Act 710, forbidding all “public entities from contracting with and investing in companies that boycott Israel.” Call me old-fashioned, but I miss that old Separation of Church and State principle. In Arkansas, legislation is now directly tied to the Second Coming. There is a painful irony to American Evangelical politicians using Zionism as a cudgel to exacerbate the political divide, and punish resistors. The act prohibits all state agencies, departments and contractors from doing business with any company that supports the Boycott-Divest-Sanction (BDS) movement.

Source: Evangelical Politicians, using Israel as a Pretext, are Gutting the Constitution by Banning Boycotts

Informed Comment

Revealed: Rupert Murdoch’s crack team of Liberal Party fundraisers – Michael West Media

“At the federal level the position is really dreadful, because donations do not include money that’s paid to fundraisers and events where people pay to sit at the same table as politicians. I think therefore it does mean that we’ve got to absolutely reappraise the whole system to avoid those sorts of perceptions of undue influence and too much access.” (former judge Anthony Whealy, QC.)

Source: Revealed: Rupert Murdoch’s crack team of Liberal Party fundraisers – Michael West Media

Australia's Shame

Ultranationalists Are Seeing an Organizing Boom in Australia

There’s a German warning drawn from historic experience. “If 10 people sit and dine with a Nazi you have 11 Nazis dining”

At a recent anti-vaccine rally in Melbourne, observers identified supporters of the Ustaše, a Croatian fascist movement with Nazi-collaborationist roots. It’s no fluke: the radical right is attaching itself to the anti-vaccine movement everywhere.

Source: Ultranationalists Are Seeing an Organizing Boom in Australia

Politics

Why Big Pharma Is Winning Again | Washington Monthly

Political Contributions: What America does transparently Australia’s LNP wants kept secret. We are among the world’s most secretive nations when it comes to political donors.

 What Peters, Schrader, and Sinema have in common, however, is that each received substantial support from pharmaceutical companies before coming out against the bill. Both Peters’s and Schrader’s list of top contributors includes Pfizer and AbbVie. Sinema, whom Kaiser Health has called a “pharma favorite,” recently had her most successful fund-raising quarter ever, propelled by contributions from pharmaceutical company PACs, Gilead Science’s CEO Daniel O’Day, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks, and Merck board chair Kenneth Frazier.

Source: Why Big Pharma Is Winning Again | Washington Monthly

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Insider LNP traders are after your Industrial Super fund dosh, have you borrow more and trickle it up.

Fighting Fake News with REAL 27/5/21 ; Fossil Fuel Fiesta; War with China, Pilger, Morrison’s lying ways; Senate recommendation;

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Democratic Experiment in a bi-political parliamentary system fails when one party wants power for power’s sake
May be an image of text that says 'DIVIDING UP THE MONEY Grants in minister's seat 3 Grants to seats held by the different parties 5 14 Minister Michael McCormack (Nat, Riverina) David Littleproud (Nat, Maranoa) Kevin Hogan (Nat, Page) Mark Coulton (Nat, Parkes) 19 5 17 Cost of grants to these electorates* 143 $57.9m .9m *Based on The Australian's analysis COALITION SEATS ALP SEATS INDEPENDENT SEATS One grant listed as going to 'various' locations Source: Senate documents, The Australian'

Fighting Fake News with REAL, 10/5/21; Morrison’s Fascist Policy Free self interest, Looking Labor Lite a distraction, Dividing the Money; Post Politics; A ray of light in Tassie;

Women

Christian Porter allegation: Annette Kimmitt’s MinterEllision departure is not surprising
Minter Ellison chief executive Annette Kimmitt has agreed to leave over an email she sent to staff.

When I was sexually harassed as a young lawyer at a top-tier firm, even though the HR department upheld my complaint, the miserable person who departed the company a few months later was me, not my harasser. He still works there.

Christian Porter allegation: Annette Kimmitt’s MinterEllision departure is not surprising
Donald Trump

Trump’s niece blasts his ‘chutzpah’ towards her inheritance lawsuit

Trump’s niece blasts his ‘chutzpah’ towards her inheritance lawsuit
Mary Trump, right, has sued Donald Trump, left, and other family members in a Manhattan court.

Donald Trump’s niece has accused him of trying to dodge accountability for defrauding her out of a multimillion-dollar inheritance by claiming she took too long to sue. Lawyers for Mary L. Trump made the accusation on Friday (Saturday AEDT) in a New York state court in Manhattan, where the 55-year-old psychologist is suing the former president, his sister Maryanne Trump Barry and his late brother Robert’s estate. “The offensiveness of defendants’ past conduct – stealing tens of millions of dollars from their own niece – is perhaps surpassed only by the chutzpah of their current arguments for dismissal,” the lawyers wrote.

Trump’s niece blasts his ‘chutzpah’ towards her inheritance lawsuit
Fox News

Tucker Carlson falsely says there is “no evidence that white supremacists are responsible” for January 6. Capitol Police keep disproving him. | Media Matters for America
Tucker-Carlson-white-supremacists-rhetoric-about-women.png

Fox News host Tucker Carlson insisted again Monday night: “There is no evidence that white supremacists are responsible for what happened on January 6, that’s a lie” — and furthermore, that the attack on the Capitol was not an “armed insurrection,” either.

Tucker Carlson falsely says there is “no evidence that white supremacists are responsible” for January 6. Capitol Police keep disproving him. | Media Matters for America
Trump

Election Denier Groups Accused of Profiting Without Results
Crowds of people gather as US President Donald Trump speaks to supporters from The Ellipse near the White House on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC.
Is Trump that smart?

Widespread voter fraud is a fake problem, but some conservative donors say they’re getting scammed out of real money.

Election Denier Groups Accused of Profiting Without Results
Fox News

Desperate to win back viewers, Fox breaks its promise to advertisers | Media Matters for America
fox ads
Color of Money screwed the Advertisers

Fox News’ unprecedented ratings losses in recent weeks have forced the network to choose between its right-wing viewers and its corporate advertisers. Its decision to side with its audience has left the companies that financially support the network holding the bag for its incendiary coverage of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Desperate to win back viewers, Fox breaks its promise to advertisers | Media Matters for America
Trump, Trumpland

Trump and his allies won’t drop claims of stolen election — because they’re cashing in | Salon.com
main article image

Trump’s voting base is a sea of suckers.

Trump and his allies won’t drop claims of stolen election — because they’re cashing in | Salon.com
Trump, Trumpland

Trump Emails Supporters to Say, “The Left HATES YOU”
UNITED STATES - NOVEMBER 14: A Trump supporter calls counter-protesters devils outside of the U.S. Supreme Court during the Million MAGA March in Washington on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. (Photo by Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)
Don’t show me your money give it to me

The outgoing president’s campaign is filling the inboxes of supporters with messages that aim to incite fear and anger.

Trump Emails Supporters to Say, “The Left HATES YOU”
Biden

Wall Street opens its wallets for Biden
Executives from the likes of Blackstone, Bain Capital and Soros Fund Management are among those donating to Biden.

More than $US50 million ($71 million) has been ploughed into the Democratic challenger’s campaign coffers by the finance industry with executives from the likes of Blackstone, Bain Capital and Soros Fund Management among those donating to Biden’s party, according to the non-partisan Centre for Responsive Politics. By comparison, the US finance industry has raised just under $US30 million for Donald Trump, marking only the second time during an election or midterm year since 1992 that Democrats have gained more donations from the executives.

Wall Street opens its wallets for Biden
Informed Comment, Uncategorized

While their ads are prevalent, drug companies and medical journals will remain uneasy bedfellows – Michael West

Prof Peter Gøtzsche, the paper’s third co-author, believes it was about censoring the research. “The medical publishing system is broken. There are far too many financial connections between big publishers and big pharma,” he said. “The system doesn’t ensure that solid research which goes against financial interests can get published without any major obstacles.”Informed Comment

via While their ads are prevalent, drug companies and medical journals will remain uneasy bedfellows – Michael West

Trumpsters, Uncategorized

Armed Vigilantes Receive Warm Police Reception Amid Protests

"We are not counter-protesters, we're just going to make sure Coeur d'Alene is safe" says Conrad Nelsen of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, as he holds the flag while standing next to armed citizen Dan Carson, left, during a protest Tuesday, June 2, 2020, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, about the killing of George Floyd. (Kathy Plonka/The Spokesman-Review via AP)

Nearly 200 appearances by vigilantes and far-right extremists have been counted at protests over the past few weeks.

via Armed Vigilantes Receive Warm Police Reception Amid Protests

Informed Comment, Uncategorized

Money and power completely out of balance – » The Australian Independent Media Network

To be honest, I struggle sometimes these days to understand why we elect and pay politicians, because it is increasingly hard to find any benefits to the general population of such work as the politicians might do to justify the level of benefits they claim!

via Money and power completely out of balance – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Uncategorized, USA

War is Good for Business & Organized Crime: Afghanistan’s Multibillion Dollar Opium Trade. Rising Heroin Addiction in the US – Collective Evolution

America protects its drug business in Aghanistan which began in the 70s could one imagine the profits made over that period. budget The global monetary value of the heroin market is of the same order of magnitude as the defense budget of the USA $717 billion .

Needless to say, the Pentagon not to mention the CIA which launched the opium economy in Afghanistan in the late 1970s are intent upon protecting this multibillion dollar industry. The proceeds of the Afghan drug trade were initially used to finance the recruitment of Al Qaeda Mujahideen mercenaries to fight in the Soviet-Afghan war.

War is Good for Business & Organized Crime: Afghanistan’s Multibillion Dollar Opium Trade. Rising Heroin Addiction in the US – Collective Evolution

Informed Comment, Uncategorized

The Coalition money shuffle – » The Australian Independent Media Network

One of Joe Hockey’s first acts as Treasurer in 2013 was to gift the RBA $8.8 billion. The main reason for this was to make Labor’s deficit look bigger. As a side bonus, it allowed the RBA to invest in the forex market, banking on the Australian dollar losing value as the mining boom subsided.

And that is exactly what happened allowing the government to draw…wait for it…$8.8 billion in dividends over the last six years. That’s all very well (if we ignore how the Coalition screamed like stuck pigs when Labor took a one-off dividend of $500 million in 2013) except Hockey borrowed the $8.8 billion so we are still paying interest on it.

via The Coalition money shuffle – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News, Uncategorized

Old Dog Thoughts- The man in a kevlar suit surrounded by guns says no to gun control.

Demonstrators gather to protest the arrival of US President Donald Trump outside Miami Valley Hospital in Ohio.President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One.

Fighting Fake News with Real, 9/8/19; NRA has already warned Trump who has no appetite for gun control; A President who came slowly and pissed off quickly;

Trump, Uncategorized

The US is Flooding the World with Guns: Congress Can Stop That

https://www.juancole.com/images/2019/07/the-us-is-flooding-the-world-wit-750x422.jpg

via The US is Flooding the World with Guns: Congress Can Stop That

LNP Government, Uncategorized

Share market correction may be imminent for ASX, stockbrokers warn – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A screen displays stock market prices dropping in Sydney on Monday, June 4, 2012.

How to rip off peoples savings 101. What the government wants you to see a boom for you to follow in a world of debt. They want your money and you to spend spend spend until you can’t anymore.

  1. Cut interest rates to record low margins and drive people with savings into the stock market spend and watch it boom.
  2. Wait for the correction and then watch people suffer.Fake booms real busts losers and winners neither the realm of the elderly whose money is managed by others and only want to reach end of days without worry.
  3. Self Managed Savings advice it’s safer under the bed than with sharks. (ODT)

Key points:

Australian shares are near record highs while interest rates are near record lows
Analysts say the disconnect between the two usually means that one market will be “spectacularly wrong”
However, analysts also the Australian share market is not heavily overvalued

Share market correction may be imminent for ASX, stockbrokers warn – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)