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Posted By Discussion Topic: china transforms north korea -- page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13     DerrickMReid 12-29-2007 @ 4:02 PM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Aug 2007 I understand that Bhutto, running for PM in Pakistan was assassinated. Without any English news papers here, and a very very slow modem internet connection, I am news starved here in Russia, but this is a big event. My Russian is so poor, I cant follow the new programs very well. I cant believe Musharrif order the hit, but I very well could lay some blame on him for not protecting Bhutto. I don’t know what will happen there, who does, but I suspect it was Al Quida trying to prevent furtherance of democracy in Pakistan. If so, and Musharrif gets proof, it may be the justification to go after Al Quida big time, in west Pakistan, lets hope so. Sure, I would like Al quida and the Taliban to lay down arms, and join political democratic processes, but that's does not seem to be in the cards, and as long as they remain at war, (with the entire civilized world), I will continue to say: Kill em, Kill em all, Kill em NOW!!! ============ I have had some very interesting conversations with underworld types and police types here in Vladivostok Russia, and I tell you, the prior posts re undue influences were so right on target. What seems at times so apparent and obvious on its face, becomes a different reality when heretofore unknown considerations are being better understood. I recall OREILLY calling Putin Evil or something like that, recently. HE HAS NO CLUE as to the truth, and the exigent needs here justifying what would be, in western standards, conduct considered less than purely democratic. If you try to judge the Russians through American standards, orientations, and eyeglasses, the Russians would certainly fail the test, but if you can get a handle on reality in Russia, and the urgent needs, Putin is in many ways our pal, or, as OREILLY has also said in derision, "OUR PAL PUTIN". Sure Putin and the Chinese save domestic face with their ostensible support of Iran, but all know the US could and should blockade and force AIEA compliance, (did you get that?). The question being, is BUSH tough enough (and I am sure he is) and is he willing to jepardize a GOP 08 victory, by doing the deed and go after Iran and endure another round of "war mongering" accolades to do the deed, and force AIEA compliance, notwithstanding the follow on world contempt and "apparent" opposition from the Russkies and Chinese and the US pacificists? You have to look behind the public ostensible "propaganda" of public comments, to understand the targeted audiances, and for what reasons, to make sense of it all. A suggestion to Bush is call Putin personally, and lay out the land as to what WILL GO DOWN. Bush should blockade IRAN to force full AIEA compliance, maybe timed just after the next election in Nov 08, which is the short time window before Bush leaves office, to get another GOP victory, yet finish taking  down the "axis of evil". Bush should call, before the blockade, Putin and assure him that the Russian reactor (peaceful use one) would be off limits and that the US would look forward to Russia to supply Iran with peaceful nuke fuel and processes for that lone commerical reaction, and keep an open eye for any AIEA violation. We need the Russian in there to help monitor over the longer term. Other enrichment cites and nuke facilities would be in the cross-hairs along will all missile installations. Selective geopolitical military targeting and domestic political timing must be carefully considered when initiating the Iranian blockade, hopefully coming to a news program before Bush is out of office. So, in a very simplic first order analysis, (Bush's rant about media controls), then you get the "OUR PAL PUTIN" in derision, from the likes of OREILLY (who I otherwise greatly admire for his traditional social values), naturally so from a limited perspective as you go with what you think from your current orientations and understandings. The US complains that Putin controls the media to much, (a judgment call of course), yet, we in the US dont even know how much gold is left in fort knox as the Cartel attempts to hold down the price of bullion. Are you getting the picture and duplicity here? In a very simplic second order analysis, eg, the propaganda wars of the world, the US says there are "Backsliding Russians" and an Unfair Media, and the Russians with their "Maniac with Razor Blades", "Evil Americans", you are taken back with those fighting words, and react negatively in a knee jerk reaction, spew the counter propaganda, without a clear understanding of the targeted audiance and the reasons for the "SLAMS" in the first place, and the justifications therefore, not being able to see the importance of "sticks and stones" at certain times, for the good of whole world. If however, you can advance your analysis to a third order, and the look at the GLOBAL CONFLUENCE, and the reasons why it is occuring, the goals and benefits of it, and the paramount desires and at-all-costs importance to move all in that direction, then the first and second order analyses become insignficant over the long term. It is only in this 3rd order analysis, in keeping the CONFLUENCE movement in the "right directions", do I see "OUR PAL PUTIN", trying to keep Russia at least "somewhat" democratic. Its deep though, I know, too deep for most, I suppose, and the reasons therefore. But regardless of the knee-jerk negative reactions in those first and second order analyses, the third order analysis is much stronger in affect and duration and will ultimately prove, and its does day-in and day-out, that the GLOBAL CONFLUENCE is a done deal, and the world is moving in the right direction toward it, even though and while many spew, in incomplete consideration, the negatives in shortsightedness or for temporal political gains. ==================== FROM ABOVE: "Putin enjoys high popularity for the good economy, national defense, national integrity, and the preservation of the Russian constitution" To this should be added the building of an energy empire rivaling OPEC, with Salkaline GAS JAPAN, Siberia Oil China, Eastern EU lines to Poland and Ukraine, and the Baltin Gas lines to Gemany.  The energy tentacles are extending, and as a COMPETITOR with OPEC, this is a good thing. =================== PRI in mexico locks down political power for 100 years of political corruption, off our southern border, and the US just blows it off, and Pakistan strong man reigns while not encouraging democratic reform, that's ok, to, because of the War on Al Quida, yet, when Russia' Putin attempts to maintain control to keep Russia from imploding, Putin is lambasted. Sure, media controls goes against 250 years of US democracy, and in normal peace time without undue influences, would be consider a bad thing, but, for the short term, it seems, that we should give Putin a little slack. Razputin and CIRCAVOY MISKA (circus little bear   Medvedeva), will have their hands full for some time to come, just keeping Russia from turning into a hell hole, which it nearly is, under undue influences. I dont have a problem with strong man rule, in times of trouble, provided that, there is a minimum level of democractic operation, including a regular vote and some access to information, with POPULAR support, which there is in both Pakistan and Russia, though, over the long run, pure democractic functions should be the desired goal, which it is in both. ===================== in 2006, I could get the VOA voice of america on broadcast TV, not any long, you need a dish/cable hook up for extented channels. two days ago, I saw Ugonnov, the communist party head, on TV speaking. So it seems that the media control are somewhat targeted to the MASS of Russians, yet some debate on TV is ocurring and foreign stations require a dish/cable. So, Razputin appears to have put in some media controls. ================== OK, here is the deal on Rullion Gold Bullion purchases available to the commoners. You can buy gold bars at spot at the Bank of Russia, but there is an 18% sales tax. In addition, there is a 13% flat tax on cap gains when sold, regardless of length of hold. My my conversation, tax avoidance is alive and well in Russia. Most commoner have no problem no reporting income that can not be easily discovered by the Russian Government, such as small businesses and private people. There is a culture of tax cheating and corruption, and its pervasive. This is unlike the US, where that vast vast majority of Americans, (such as I), report every d*mn penny of income. So, what the Russian Gov does, re bullion, is get a minimum tax up front, knowing full well that it make to sold and sold and sold again in private hands without the reporting of income and paying the taxes. This makes complete sense to me. We in the cafe aware of the Cartel's actions, and the long term explosive upward price in bullion would have no problem with taking an 18% hit, but to most common Russians, and even astute businessmen would find 18% to be prohibitive, and so it is, here in Russia. The Russian Government needs foreign currency to interact with the rest of the world, and I suppose seek to use Bullion as a mean to sell to Foreigners and of course increase in the Bank of Russia's gold store as part of its FOREX reserve. Common Russian can not spell ZOLOTO (Gold) or Seberto (Silver), and would be intimidated buying with an off the top 18% hit on sales taxes. The only way I see the Russians buying Gold in MASS would be another pending collapse of the Rubble (them poor saps are stuck with that fiat), and the housing market (in a bubble just now) concurrently collapses. But even then, I think, by the time they see the need to buy bullion for economic protection and profit, they will have in large measure missed the boat at 3000$/oz, and at that price, I just cant see the Commoners buying anything. So, other that the OLIGARCHs jumping in big, and the continued increase in GOLD FOREX reserves, getting in on the GOLD-RUSH, I would not generally look to the Russians in MASS to add upward pressure on the Bullion price through small private individual purchases, which otherwise in the aggregate may add some global upward pressure. With the World Banks now printing fiat in uncontrolled massive printing and market infusions, maybe, and I doubt it, the Russian banks and other world bank, may offer gold/silver certificatess in the out years, when Bullion become the global real currency, project in 20 years through UN treaties. Until such time, I think we can count out the Russian commoners. =================== President Bush, Hero Bush, My Beloved President Putin Iran OReilly (part II) Lets put on our thinking cap, and look again at the Iranian situation, and OReilly derision of Putin. So Mr. OReilly, listen up, ok? First the Facts. 1. Putin knows that the US can in a heartbeat take out Iranian nuke facilities and missiles batteries, and there is nothing anyone can really do about that. 2. Putin wants economic gain from building peaceful reactors and recurring income from processing nuke fuels. 3. Putin does not want Tehran to possess long range nuke-tipped missiles, as Tehran is just too close to Moscow. 4. Putin wants political gain and wants to rally domestic Russian support and increased political popularity and to build Russian pride, and lambasting the Americanits further these objective as well as his cementing his current political lock on power in Russia. 5. Putin and his Slavic Russian core have no problem with the black flag approach when necessary to put down terrorism and islamofacism rebellion, as in Chenyna. So, what is the SMART play by Putin? Here it is, OReilly, now get this.   Putin lays out a political strategy for his own gain. Sure its selfish, but hey, is not that was politics is all about? Putin will in effect rely upon Bush to be Bush, the gunslinger, doing the deed (blockade and Gulf of Tonken) if necessary, to take out Iranian weapon-nuke and missile facilities, save only the peaceful reactors built and supplied by Russia. (This is why, Bush should give Putin the heads up, that the peaceful reactors will not be touched). And just like personally thanking Putin for supporting the middle east peace conference, Bush should not counter slam Putin abstinence on Sanctions, realizing it just the political gamesmanship, with a healthy practice of "sticks and stones". Bush should remain above the name calling, and remain civil, but firm. So, Putin slams the "maniac with razor blades" Bush publicly, gains the political support, internationally and domestically, as desired, knowing full well that Bush will act if necessary when the time comes, to heel Iran and curb the nuke arms development, so as to PROTECT MOSCOW and indirectly sedate the islamofascists in the middle east, the heart of which is the PERSIAN empire, and else where indirectly such as in Muslim portions of southern Russia. So, Putin slams Bush publicly, block severe sanctions, (keeping in good stead with his Iranian customers), as OReilly gets his panties in bunch, while Putin privately is relying on Bush to do the World the favor, and in a way, is privately thanking Bush for his ability to act unilaterally. Yeah, I know its deep, but this is a very complicated world. The duplicite and politically smart, the Putin plays can be seen, but in the end, the Russians want what the US wants, and both are headed in the same, "right" direction, though one is perceived as an aggressor (Bush) and the other (Putin) as a peace maker for the latter's gain, as the CONFLUENCE marches on, but during which, political plays are made for real gain, the ostensible moves being quickly seen by most in the first order (blocking of sanctions, media controls, etc.) and second order (propaganda) as "evil" from the US prespective, ala OReilly in a shallow analysis, yet, is the important third and "reality" analysis, Putin and the Russians, Bush and the Americans, are on the same team, one which drives the CONFLUENCE in the right directions over time, to defang Iran, as Putin is counting on BUSH TO BE BUSH.  I am sure that Razputin's CIRCOVOY-MISHKA (little circus bear) Mr. Medvedeva will follow Putin's orders accordingly. Just one perspective, it could be right. Derrick Michael Reid Laguna Beach CA (Reporting from Vladivostok Russia) ====================== I hear Hillary lost IA, and that, and Osama won. That is a victory of Osama. GOOFY came in 3rd in IA. That's a victory of Goofy, not Huckster. =========================== This message was edited by DerrickMReid on 1-5-08 @ 12:33 AM DerrickMReid 01-05-2008 @ 12:42 AM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Aug 2007 Le Patron A Gold Cartel Analogy to Russian Geopolitics Reporting from Vladivostok Russia, it is an interesting day when the lemetropole CAFÉ and the OReilly FACTOR "Bills" are jointly considered. To comprehend the Billy relationship, first considerations are the out year projections of the global confluence occurring through globalization, which calls for wars to be replaced by the trade wars and calls for all fiat money, such as the US FRN dollar, to be replaced by gold and silver as a UN treaty global medium of exchange, two perceived inevitable consequences of the global confluence. The global confluence toward a democracy century using real money without wars is driven by optimal exploitation of individual human greed and desired freedom. Gold, war, and geopolitics are so intertwined, that a discussion of any one of them in isolation does not provide the comprehensive view, particularly when considering out year projections. The Billy relationship is had first by considering the FACTOR's comments re Putin and Iran, and then secondly, by considering Midas' comments re the Gold Cartel and mainstream market media, when entering this cosmic no-spin zone of triptych analyses of two parallel universes functioning in a like manner. Russia is, from a US perspective, a basket case, in several regards. Russia must emerge as a strong economic democratic power to ensure continued global interconnectedness, world peace and trade, because, in so doing, our world, including the US, becomes safer and more prosperous for all, in the long run, as a net sum gain. There are needs to build strong Russian democratic institutions now limited by big problems that include: 1) centralized political control through media control, 2) mafia undue influences, 3) government corruption, 4) concentration of economic power in the oligarchs, 5) a lack of a full democratic culture, 6) a lack of confidence in the future, and 8) lack of government transparency. Despite these problems, Putin remains very popular in Russia for many reasons. Centralized political control may be needed in Russia in some measure for some time, when justified to combat undue influences from serious mafia infestations, government corruption, and oligarchal concentrated wealth. Russia needs a Robert Kennedy to go after the mafia, a John Edwards to spew class warfare to redistribute oligarchal wealth, and a Thomas Jefferson to motivate and teach the Russians towards a strong democracy culture. Putin's domestic successes include 1) defeating the Chechnya rebellion, 2) building pride through fishing trips, arctic flags, and bomber missions and by slamming the US and Bush, the cold war victors, 3) maintaining minimum democratic functions with an unaltered constitution, 4) repairing churches for building a moral core, 5) increasing GOLD forex reserves for economic security, 6) improving the general economy, 7) maintaining a sound national defense, 8) securing national borders, and 9) building an energy empire rivaling OPEC, with Salkaline Gas Japan, Siberia Oil China, Eastern EU petrol lines, Baltic Gas lines to Western EU, and sourcing peaceful nuke reactors and fuel processing in a comprehensive energy profile. In sum and overall, Putin has increased Russian interconnectedness to the world CORE of cooperative countries, which is a very good thing for world peace over the long term, and in this regard, gets high marks for his leadership. What seems at times to be so apparent and obvious on its face, becomes a different reality when heretofore unknown considerations and long term projections are better understood. Now comes the first Billy, with Mr. Bill OReilly on the FACTOR calling Putin evil. OReilly may have no clue as to exigent needs in Russia justifying what would be, by western standards, conduct considered less than purely democratic. OReilly may fail trying to judge the Russians through American standards. Putin, as well as the Chinese, save domestic political face with their ostensible support of Iran and the slamming of the US, but all know the US could, should, and will blockade Iran and force strict AIEA compliance. Any Iranian blockade and Gulf of Tonken strike taking out weapon nuke facilities and missile batteries should however avoid Russian built peaceful nuke reactors, as Russia should remain present there to help keep an open eye for any AIEA violations using Russia built reactors. In a simplistic first order analysis of the acts, (media controls, Iranian support, and increased Iranian sanctions blockage), one gets the "OUR PAL PUTIN" in derision from the FACTOR, naturally so from a limited perspective as one goes with what one thinks from one's current orientations and understandings. In a simplistic second order analysis of the propaganda wars, characterized by "Bush is a Maniac with Razor Blades" and the "Evil Americans", Americans are taken back with those unkind words, and OReilly reacts negatively, and is tempted to spew the counter propaganda, without perhaps a clear understanding of Putin's targeted audience and the reasons for the slams in the first instance. If however, one advances to the third order analysis, and looks at the global confluence, the reasons why it is occurring, the goals and benefits of the confluence, and the paramount desires and at-all-costs importance to move all in that right confluent direction, then the first and second order analyses become somewhat insignificant over the long term view. It is only in this third order analysis, in keeping the confluence movement in the "right directions", does really literally see "OUR PAL PUTIN", interconnecting Russia more with the world, which is a good thing. Here are some supposed facts. Putin knows that the US can, in a heartbeat, take out Iranian nuke facilities and missiles batteries. Putin wants economic gain from building peaceful reactors and recurring income from processing nuke fuels. Putin does not really want Islamic Tehran to possess long range nuke-tipped missiles, as Tehran is just too close to Moscow, having been already struck by islamofascists. Putin wants political gain and wants to rally domestic Russian support with increased political popularity, to build Russian pride, and lambasting the Americans and Bush furthers these objectives domestically as well as cementing his current political lock on power in Russia, a perceived selfishness. Putin and his Slavic Russian core have no problem with the black flag approach when necessary to putting down terrorism and islamofascism rebellion, as in Chechnya, and in the war on terror, this is a huge plus serving the confluence well. Putin plays out his political strategy for his own selfish gain, that also serves Russia temporally, yet also serves, over the long run, global interconnectedness. Putin will in effect rely upon Bush to be Bush, the gunslinger, doing the evil deed (Iranian blockade and Gulf of Tonken redo), if necessary, to take out Iranian weapon-nukes and missile facilities, saving the peaceful reactors built and supplied by Russia. And just like personally thanking Putin for supporting the middle east peace conference, Bush should not counter slam Putin abstinence on increased sanctions, realizing its just the political gamesmanship, but ignore it with a healthy practice of "sticks and stones". Bush should remain above the name calling, and remain civil, but firm, and in so doing, speak volumes as to US civility and strength. So, Putin slams publicly Bush with the "maniac with razor blades" and gains political support, internationally and domestically, knowing full well that Bush will act if necessary when the time comes, to heel Iran and curb the nuke arms development, so as to protect Moscow and indirectly sedate the islamofascists in the middle east, the heart of which is the Persian empire, and else where indirectly, such as in Muslim portions of southern Russia. So Putin slams Bush publicly and blocks severe sanctions, keeping in good stead with his Iranian customers, as OReilly gets upset. The politically smart duplicity of the Putin plays can be seen for what they are, view as bad in the first and second order analyses, but in the end, viewed as good, as the Russians want what the US wants, and both are headed in the same "right" confluent direction, though currently one is perceived as an aggressor (Bush) and the other (Putin) as a peace maker for the latter's political gain, as the CONFLUENCE marches on, the overwhelming long term consideration. In the first order analysis of the actions of blocking Iranian sanctions, and the media controls, etc., and in second order analysis of the propaganda of the "evil Americans", Putin can be considered "evil" from the US perspective, ala OReilly, yet, in the important third and "reality" analysis, Putin and the Russians, Bush and the Americans, are on the same team of increased global interconnectedness which drives the confluence in the right directions over time, and which will necessarily defang Iran, as Putin is counting on Bush to be Bush, while making political gain. Sure, its unfair, and this unfairness will continue, as it’s a sure bet that Razputin's CIRCOVOY-MISHKA (circus little bear) Mr. Medvedeva (literally meaning Mr. Bear) will follow Putin's orders accordingly. But unfairness is not as important as keeping Russia moving in the right directions in the confluence, and keeping Moscow politically strong in view of the undue influences is a good thing. For the analogy, lets look at Midas' continued disgust with actions by the Gold Cartel in a first order analysis, and then look at the fiat money propaganda machine of FED reporting and pronouncements with supporting planet wall street commentary in a second order analysis, and finally look at the third order analysis of the long term "right" direction consequences of the FED and Gold Cartel actions. The Gold Cartel has its primary muscle based in the European Central Banks (ECBs) selling tones of gold by member encouraged by Uncle Sam under the WAG2 1999 agreement. The US may also be selling, swapping or leasing gold as well. The WAG2 forms a horizontal agreement between horizontal entities to fix sell tonnage levels to affect gold price, which entities also enjoy governmental immunity that might otherwise be considered inherently unlawful. Midas screams bloody murder at the Gold Cartel day in and day out for the outrage done to the mining business by the suppression of the gold price, understandably so, if you are a gold bug. These acts, in a first order analysis, are perceived as inherent violations of anti-trust principles carried out in a global conspiracy. The Gold Cartel minimally includes the ECBs and Uncle Sam, to affect gold prices. The ECBs have the largest collective hoard of gold bullion in the world, most notably, France, Italy, Germany, England, et al. Of course, gold sales have reduced gold bank stocks over the term of the agreement. Good old Uncle Sam has also been the leader in fiat printing injecting fiat money into all foreigner's forex reserves, as the FRN is world's reserve currency. The number of tons of gold sold has been perceived as timed to suppressed gold prices, which gives average Joe and others around the world, a comfortable feeling with the sound value of fiat money, which has a tendency to calm markets, a stated public policy, to keep a strong fiat dollar. The effective uses of WAG2 has been to suppress the rate of increase of the gold price, which tends to support the fiat FRN dollar, an Uncle Sam goal, as well as supporting the fiat money of the ECBs. Hence, the charges of conspiratorial manipulation of the gold price, to which Midas daily complains. However, the Gold Cartel does not stop with the central banks, but extends its suppression tentacles to Bullion Banks, Commercial Banks, and Major Miners as the enablers selling physical gold, naked short selling physical gold and mine shares. Through forward hedging of future bullion production by major minors, the price of gold is suppress even further. Barrick Gold, as a major miner, for example, is the world's leader in gold bullion production, having a monster hedge book of 9.5 million ounces. It is of general belief that hedging is good for developers to provide necessary funds to launch production, but not so good for the majors, having reserves, production, and cash flow, when well managed, offering the potential of increasing growth of the company within a current business cycle. On this basis, the hedge book at Barrack is unwarranted, as now many other miners have been are been acquired by Barrack using acquired hedge money. Competition in the gold industry has been destroyed in some measure through major miner hedging for forward production. When a major minor, with reserves, in production, with cash flow, seeks to hedge further production for purposes of growth through acquisition, then what the major effectively does is manipulate the bullion price down on the short side of bullion when hedging, depressing competitors' share value to their disadvantage, for Barrick's short term loss of value as well, during this current temporal hedge dumping of forward production, for purposes of monopolizing global gold production by acquiring all competitors and all gold resources, on the cheap, and in doing this, Barrick could be considered operating pursuant to unfair predatory practices. Hence, the cries of unfair competition and miner sector damage from Midas, and rightly so. The majors, to be fair competitors, must dehedge your hedge books. Midas, in a first order analysis, has rightly slams the majors for holding a large hedge book.   The gold price manipulation does not stop with the bank gold sales and major miner hedging, but is furthered through the propaganda machine of the FEDs and their planet wall street lap dogs, including CNBC's Mr. Kudlow and Mr. Cramer, for examples, in the second order analysis of the propaganda war. The FEDs spin and talk the dollar up, while the mainstream DOW pundits talk down gold. Further, inflation numbers keep getting messaged, and apparently falsely reported in some measure. Just go shopping, and one would discover that inflation is a fact, and in double digits. Also, the news shows will not fully address the manipulation or management of the bullion gold price, and tend to cut off any real discussion of manipulation of the gold price. Mr. Cavuto on Fox News will apparently not touch the gold manipulation topic. Midas has been effectively black-balled on national market news show, the DOW boys just don’t want to hear the bad news. It seems the DOW market pundits don’t want anyone rocking their "everything is nice" world spewing so-called far out conspiracy theories that could damage the focus of their programs. However, no one in the major media has, as they refuse to, fully and fairly explained why gold was driven so low in 1999, and yet, is now at an all time high. They either have no clue, or refuse to understand why, or actually suppress fair and accurate information. Take your pick, but the free media in the USA could be compared to the media controls in Russia, but I doubt, the FACTOR would get all upset about the inaccurate or nonexistence reporting of the suppression of the price of gold. Is there duplicity on the FACTOR? You make the call. There has been several communications to the FACTOR, including to the so call OREILLY watch dog, Ms Laurie Dhue, but without any results. The topic will not be touched. And Mr. Cavuto is no different in this regard, as failing to go after the really big story in Fiat Money and Bullion Prices, as he merely regurgitates the DOW closing numbers, which are habitually propped up by the "plunge protection team", contrary to fair and free market expectations, without a single question as to why. Midas appears disgusted with the planet wall street propaganda machine and the see no evil crowd, and rightly so, in the second order analysis. The value of the dollar, oil prices, budget deficits, equity markets, trade deficits, terrorism, and even war, are all nice conventional things that planet wall street likes to talk about, as is their school training, being always correct about how to justify to the sheeple recent upward moves in the price of gold (POG). However, many of these gold pundits come up short in their analysis. They simply fail to see the total affects that suppress gold prices to support fiat money. Many out there in the blogisphere complain about the government, the FED and the Treasury and the spin talking up an inherently debased fiat dollar, which tends to drive the price of gold down. At the lemetropole dot com Café, for example, the café members believe that the USA is in the midst of the biggest spin game ever, talking up the dollar. The price of gold has been, is now, and is likely to be continually manipulated for the purposes of keeping faith in the fiat money regimes. Midas, a believer in fair and accurate market reporting, cries foul, time and time again, rightly so, but without much success. Gold is sold by the central banks and timed to suppress the price of gold on the spot market, yet, the mainstream media says habitually says nothing. Mine shares are outrageously shorted, such as the 39 million short share position on the number one silver major miner CDE. There is also a huge concentration of silver bullion short positions on the COMEX as analyzed by Mr. Ted Butler. There is a huge concentration of gold bullion short positions on the COMEX as well. The level of concentrated shorts of major miners and COMEX bullion is prima facie criminal manipulation, yet no charges are filed by the US government, as if, criminal manipulations of bullion prices and shares, get a free pass. How possibly can these massive suppressive short positions be legal and justified in view of limited amount of available bullion supplies? The answer is that they can not. Why is not the Government investigating these inherently criminal price manipulations? The answer is because it suppresses bullion prices that support the government's fiat money. Why is not the mainstream media investigating the short positions and lack of government market supervision and oversight? The answer is because it does not fit within their DOW market bullish posturing, as gold is both a contrarian play to fiat money and general equities. In sum, bullion and share prices are managed and manipulated to suppress bullion and support fiat money, which is just fine and dandy with the US Government and planet wall street, who conveniently just merely look the other way, ala OReilly, Cavuto, Kudlow, and Cramer. The lack of serious reporting of the gold suppression through central bank sales, swaps, and leases, and the concomitant lack of accurate and fair reporting of market manipulations and bullion suppression, by misdirecting words or lack of words, is a form of market propaganda that has succeeded in large measure to keep the public clueless, to Midas' continued consternation, from which, Midas complains regularly, and rightly so, if you believe that market commentary should be fair and accurate, in the second order analysis. In the third order analysis, and the question posed is whether the Cartel gold price suppression and market propaganda that is also gold price suppressing, really so bad, and what are the consequences of these functions over the long term, in view of the global confluence and the return of gold and silver money as the only global medium of exchange? Most gold bugs blame the FEDs and concentrating manipulators for unfairly suppressing the price of bullion and mine shares, and rightly so. But one asks the complainers, such as Midas, what is your solution to the current use of fiat money, and what is the end game prediction? Do the gold bugs really want all government officials to come out tomorrow and start slamming the fiat dollar as worthless, lift the short position over night, and immediately throw the world into a decade long recession, so that gold can explode to $5000/oz tomorrow? No politician would want that recession start as his mark in history, nor would average Joe appreciate the economic dislocations pendent. The FEDs are playing the fiat money game, as it was given to them, the best they can, from their perspective, as one must admit, the FEDs are doing a pretty good job at it as well, propping up the economy and an inherently worthless fiat dollar through market interventions, manipulation, and propaganda, and are actively managing all markets, the perceived evil, including gold, for maintaining goldilock economies and soft landings, which talking up and manipulation, in the first and second order analysis, of the dollar for that purpose, is not necessary inherently evil in deed or intent, nor would the average Joe on main street, the voting public, think it inherently evil. Think about the object of the US Government trying, in good faith, to keep the economy growing over market turbulence, to keep average Joe continuously employed and housed, even though, the consequences have been gold suppression, inflation, and the subprime fiasco, as well. The reality of the markets as it exists today, is what it is, without regard to the blame game and the charges of the evil manipulation. The government will naturally try to do things for the common good as they view it, and market intervention and propaganda are the tools often used. As long as fiat is used, gold bugs will be at odds with the government, their gold sellers, the concentrated short manipulators, and the nonreporting news media.   However, world bank gold sales, for the last decade, has suppressed the POG through the 90s and to this day, but gold availability for suppression may be finally running out of steam with insufficient gold stocks in the central banks to continue the suppression in earnest, and consequently, gold has made a spectacular come back since 2001, and there is much more upside to come in the POG. The accelerating price of gold can not be stopped relative to fiat money. World bank gold sales suppression, that is, world bank POG suppression sales, loans, and leases for continuous short selling by the bullion banks, major miner forward production hedging, and the massive commercial bullion and mine share concentrated short positions have all functioned collectively to suppress the POG over the last two decades. The suppression of the POG has lead to low mine exploration and bullion production, naturally so, but now with increasing demand in the face of decreasing supplies and increasing spot supply-demand deficits, and in combination with environmental resistance to new mine openings, and the inflating fiat moneys. The aggregate affect of the manipulation and short selling has set up a monster bull supercyle in bullion relative to fiat money around the world that will suffer from increasing inflation, and leading to ultimate destruction of all fiat money, as the world return to real gold and silver money. These sound fundamentals are the drivers in the increases in the POG, presently in the face of a massive commercial short positions build up over the years, now looking forward to massive short squeezes to propel the POG into four figures and soon, if not five figures. The inevitable pending massive bullion and share short squeezes, and parabolic accelerating POG prices in the near and long term, is a done deal. It will take this massive short squeeze, four figure POG, five to seven years of increased POG, and increased exploration and production to bring the POG back to normal equilibrium, as is, in normal commodities markets. In effect, the Gold Cartel and continued use of fiat moneys have handed the gold bugs a dream world, where low gold prices, even if at all time high in nominal dollars, can be taken advantages of now, as the POG moves to at least $2750/oz by 2010, and much much more in the out years. Those seeking trade profits and economic protection can buy gold, silver and mine share positions, and make some good money with real financial protection. In a close loop system, negative feedback eventually comes back and put the system back in order, and the POG must and will go to the moon, relative to decreasing valued fiat moneys. Managing or manipulating, depending on your view, is nothing more than the choice of words, to reflect your approval or disapproval of the engineering or intervention of the POG or any market, such as the DOW. Taking a very long-term perspective, all governments can forestall, but can not stop, the inevitable collapse of all existing fiat moneys, the result of which will be the return to real money in circulation, as well as the demise of the national debt. If the value of the FRN goes to zero, the value of the national debt goes to zero, which should be considered a good thing. And as foreign bank FOREX FRN reserves value goes to zero, foreign countries are made to effective pay their fair share in civilizing this world through US expenditures on military might, as the close loop system provide the negative feedback. A return to real money and elimination of the national debt, are good things, for the interconnected global confluence. Getting there without much pain, is the real trick, however. Just give the fiat money regimes a little time to collapse, but collapse they will. There is no other solution possible, if one thinks about the need to continually print more to keep the fiat regimes going, as the fiat end game is at hand, as the dollar (and all fiat moneys) is going down, way down, eventually to zero, with FEDs in charge, striving for a soft landing. The US Government, in its glorious wisdom, or inadvertence, which is most likely, or stupidity, as is the name calling in the cafe, has set upon a course of destroying fiat, through poor budgetary practices, perhaps driven by the need to militarily civilize the world. The return to real money, a democracy century, and the elimination of the national debt, are good things, as the FNR dollar goes to zero worth, in the out years. For a return to constitutional real money, true real money believers should actually wish them continued success, in the dollar's continued but graceful degradation to that soft landing of zero value. In the mean time, one can take advantage of the market management or the manipulation, if you wish, and make some money in bullion or otherwise preserve wealth through real money gold and silver coinage and bullion bars and mine shares. Preferably, there will be a concurrent demise of all global fiat moneys with the elimination of the national debt and a return to real money, that will be as painless as possible for the average Joe out there, and all should wish the government, all the best, in so doing. In the final third order analysis, the government through their manipulation of the price of gold has in effect accelerated the return to real money through the prospective demise of all fiat moneys going to zero value, and has set upon a course of wiping out the national debt, while democratizing the world, and upon a course of returning the world to a real money global economy so as to prevent unfair trade practices between nations, as war is replaced by the coming trade wars. Hence, the manipulation, triple deficits, and even the subprime mess, can be viewed, over the very long term, as positives for the world at large, if you are a real money believer and view the confluence as a done deal. The world is fix sized as a close loop system with negative feedback through human cultural evolution, that inherently drives the global confluence that has been going on for 5000 years, and it will not stop, despite any temporally perceived evils. Putin and his media control will be proved to be without lasting effect, over the long view, and in counter moves, will actually accelerate the building of strong democratic institutions in Russia. The gold Cartel and its gold suppression will likewise be proved to be without lasting effect over the long view, and will actually accelerate a return to real money. The propaganda from Russia or the US FED, and their respective media allies, will not have lasting effect as accurate information finds a path to clear understanding. If you are an American of high democratic ideals or a gold bug believing in constitutional real money, Putin and the Cartel are long term positives but short term temporal problems that will be eliminated in the out years as the confluence marches on, in this democracy century, as the world moves from FRN dollars and war to real money and the trade wars, undeniably so. If you believe in pure democratic principles, then Russian media controls and Iranian support should be slammed, rightly so, in a first order analysis, ala the FACTOR. If you believe in free markets and fair competition, then the Gold Cartel and predatory miners should be slammed, rightly so, in a first order analysis, ala Midas. If you believe in fair in accurate commentary, then Russian propaganda attacking Americans and President Bush, should be slammed, rightly so, in a second order analysis, ala the FACTOR. If you believe in fair and accurate reporting of markets, inflation, and financial statistics by the FEDs and planet wall street commentators, then the "everything is fine" blind-eye propaganda of the FEDs and market pundits should be slammed, rightly so, in a second order analysis, ala Midas. If, however, you have an understanding of, and believe in, the confluence of global interconnectedness, and the inevitable human cultural drivers thereof, in a negative feedback global closed loop system, then you, in third order analyses, dismiss in large measure, such first and second order analyses that comes up short over the very long term, and would necessarily believe that the temporally perceived evils and short comings of the Gold Cartel and Russian Geopolitics are actually good things accelerating the global transitions from war to trade wars and the transitions from fiat moneys to real money, in this democracy century, which are, in the end, very good things, not bad things, in the long view, for mankind, now hopefully realized here from a Gold Cartel analogy to Russian geopolitics. Derrick DerrickMReid 01-06-2008 @ 10:09 PM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Aug 2007 I have apparently been mistaken for 5 years. Orthodox Christmas is on January 7th, and not the 8th. Here in Vladivostok, I have visited a Roman Catholic Church, and am known there, for donating a few computers to the priests, and providing computers consultant to get the church "online", and now, on this Christmas Eve 1/6/08, I have visited a Russian Orthodox Christian Church, that had been recently repaired. Both have been rebuilt and repaired in glorious fashion. My soul and body just tingles to see such thing happening in Russia. Of Example, yesterday, on Christmas even, I saw a pathetic sight, a Russian man crawling in the snow without sufficient clothes, in an apparent drunken stupor. It is so heart breaking to see lost souls, doing the traditional Russian deed of having too much vodka. But then, come the hope, the church rebuilding and repairing, and I sense that things will improve. The Orthodox church, of course, I find strange, in that there no benches to sit during the service, (we Americans are just to soft, I suppose), and there is no western style protestant/Catholic sermon, but a service of signing, in that low cassock tones backup up by the high pitch choir singing from the loft. Parishioners come and go at will, standing during the entire services, are there are no chairs or pews, and they light many candles, with the head-heart-right-left cross sign, instead of the head-heart-left-right cross sign, repeatedly bowing on queue during service, leading to the priest swinging the incense artifact to bless the people. The alters of the west include a large simple cross or a cross with Jesus nailed thereto, where as in the Orthodox churches, the alters are highly ornate and completely filled in a matrix of Icons of images of Jesus' life. The dress is also different where the Catholic priest where the robes and white collars, and the Orthodox where ankle length robes and have simple flat tops or ornate bulbous head hats. On Christmas, the Premorsky region Bishop was in attendance leading the service, and you can immediately tell who was the bishop because his robe and particularly his bulbous hat with the orthodox cross was apparent. That bulbous hat was just stunningly ornate with various circumference images of Jesus. Just beautiful. As I existed the Orthodox Church, a two-man camera crew was there for news reporting, and apparently there was a connection between world-wide Reuters and the local new channel. I approached, and ask if they like to interview an American visiting this repaired church on this Christmas eve and attending the service, and the lights fired up. I stated who I was, visiting relatives during the Christmas season, and was so impress with how beautiful was the church repair, and how happy I was that many Russian have come to pray with Jesus in God's name. I was asked if I had seen such orthodox churches before, and answer affirmatively indicating the fantastic orthodox churches in Kiev Ukraine in 1995. So, fans, keep an eye open for a Reuters' video spot, over the next day or so, you may just see me, in Vladivostok! ========================= In Russia, new years starts off a week long vacation and celebration. On new years, gifts are exchanged, not on Christmas. From the western perspective, this is strange, as the giving of gifts is a Jesus teaching as it is better to give than received. The Russians, in view of 80 years of Soviet church destruction do it another was, and place less celebratory emphasis on the 1/7 Christmas day, and much much more on the neutral new years. ===================== Today is Christmas, and Professor Igor from the local Far Eastern State University here in Vladivostok, will take his wife, my Russian Wife and I to Orchestra concert, which I know will just be fantastic, and I just cant wait, the Russians are so superb performing the classics, none better, as its inbred into to them. ===================== Back to Putin. You know, I wish the US had a Putin, in some ways, as I am just sick and tired of all the Mexican Spanish stations on AM radio and cable news. I wish we had some media controls in Southern California. Sure, one or two spandish stations would be fine, but the high number that is simply counter to assimilated our second class citizens. They must be encouraged to learn English for their long term assimilation into American culture. ============= In Russia, there is the written law. The judicial system does not really have case law, as court opinions as to interpretation are apparently of not much importance, from Moscow's view. This is another area where Russian check and balances could be improved. But, as it stands now, the judges effectively function has literal interpreting judges and juries, when rendering verdicts. I do not believe there is a right to jury trial as well. The judicial system could be improved, but you go now with what you got, as it does provide a minimal amount of prosecutory fairness. ============ Putin will no doubt become Prime Minister under President Medvedeva, as Putin is just to popular for any other election outcome. As far as the written law is concerned, it is not however, actually the real law of the land, in all regards, as there is a modification of sort. Putin comes from KGB and apparently was based in East Germany many years and can speak German. He understands the Russian security apparatus, obviously, and understands the "unwritten" laws of the security complex, and is apparently the acting Tsar. While Putin as PM may be under Medvedeva according to the written law, Putin will no doubt control Medvedeva, Russian politics by virtue of heading, in a clandestine manner, the security apparatus, as presently supposed and understood. "Russki Stil Democratica" Russian Styled Democracy is what it is, but importantly, there is a minimal amount of democracy functions so that Russia will over time, move more and more toward pure democratic functions in the out years. For the time being, however, Putin get high marks for maintaining control in the present of undue influences, and Russian culture is to support strong man rule, and hence, Putin's continued high popularity, even if acting in less than a perfect democracy. ============ Remember that Putin has interconnected Russia through increasing trade, and the creation of his energy empire. In addition to that, under Putin, Russia is a non-voting member of NATO, Russia is in the WTO, I believe, and Russia attends the G7 meetings. As such, Russia has gone a long way in interconnecting with the rest of the world, and the CORE of cooperative trading countries, in the global confluence, as moving Russia in the "right" direction, for this one feature in combination with maintaining minimum democratic functions in Russia, Putin get high marks, in my book.   ============= There is also much overlap between the use of terms "mafia" and "corruption". Criminal gangs do operate as organized crime, but not perhaps so structured, with godfathers and lieutenants, its more of a loose collection of vicious criminals. Government officials are easily, if not inherently, corrupted, and the term "mafia" is used to described both organized crime and internal government corruption, and of course, all of this is supposed through what conversations I had have. For example, the ex-mayor of Vladivostok has be found guilty of corruption, apparently taking Premorsky region funds for maintaining his own personal body guards, and this has been referred to as a mafia influence, though, this conduct was more of a form a government corruption, rather than a structure organize crime action, but has been referred to as "mafia" conduct. So, you got to be careful on how here one uses the term "mafia", as it has somewhat of a double meaning. ============ Apparently, one can readily buy "hemki" which is a maryjane derivative. I am not aware of any cocaine or heroin use, but then, I am not exposed to it, nor have I sought conversation or observation of its acquistion and use. The rights we Americans have re search and seizure are just not present in Russia, as least as far as personal rights, and particularly when in public, such as at bars and dance halls. The Militia (police) can for example, with obvious government support, "raid" any established at will, and force all the patrons outside, and forced them to lay down in the snow face down, while dogs and officers search for drugs, that are quickly dropped and confiscated. Could you imagine, the NY PD randomly picking a NY dance club, and doing the same in the dead of winter? Actually, with so many US kids using EXASTCY, LSD, COCAINE, HEROIN, and rotting their brains, I kind of like "RUSSIAN STYLE" drug enforcement. I got no problem with such "brutal" police tactics in that regard, when it comes to hard drugs. =========== Also, the militia (police) have no problem, beating the hell out of someone in possession of drugs, even maryjane, if found, right then and there, on the streets, kind of like, a first installment of Russian justice, in advance of a possible court appearance and some jail time and fines. Also, the Russian militia can stand on the side of the road and flag any over, at random, to the side of the road, for an on the spot inspection and document checks. They do not have our constitutional rights regarding search and seizure. It's Russian style police work, and if it works for them, why should we American complain, if most good and honest Russians support it, as it has good affects, even if we Americans would consider it somewhat brutal. The culture is different, and if you try to judge the Russians based upon American Culture, they will fail us, but not themselves. They like it that way, and if it works for them, who are we Americans to say its inherently wrong for them.   I do however have a big problem with the amount of vodka consumed here by the people generally. If you want to relax with a beer or a jay, hey, I don’t really have a problem with that, as it does not destroy body or brain. But the hard drugs and the hard alcohol can be very destructive to health and mind. Like the US, apparently maryjane has been somewhat decriminalized, to fines for low amounts of possession. The maryjane they have here is apparently so diluted as compared to the high concentration "California Hubolt" cultivated varieties, that maryjane here is not directly smoke. Apparently, what the smokers do, (as apparently provided by gang pushers), is put this weak maryjane into a solvent, like alcohol, turpentine, or acetone, to leach out the THC, and then let it evaporate into sauce that is applied to tobacco, and upon further evaporation have a tobacco laced "jay" of higher concentration. Apparently, this so-called "hemki" is the smoke of choice, by the younger "kids". Again, beer and maryjane in my book is relatively harmless, but that hard alcohol and drugs, is a completely different story, in terms of the destructive affects upon the health and mind of the consumers. That hard stuff will take anyone down over time, and I really don’t have problem with so-called "brutal" police tactics here, Russian Style, particularly going after cocaine or heroin dealers and users. As far as over consumption of hard alcohol, that is such a traditional form of social intercourse, that only the church can provide motivations for moderation in hard alcohol consumption, and Putin's support of the churches here, can not be understated as a positive, in my view, and for this, Putin is surely doing the right thing for the common good, morality, and health of the Russian people. And also, I just roared last year, when the Mayor of Moscow, no doubt approved by Putin, apparently arrested gays trying to have a little very modest parade or demonstration, in public. It is the public, in your face and down your throat gayism that offends me most personally. Where in Moscow and Russia generally, the gays "blue boys" are definitely in the closest and put there and kept there, less they want to get summarily beaten up, in public for just being on the street, and then summarily thrown in jail. I love that "Russian Style" police action, as I wish the US had a few Moscow mayors around, as I would vote for one in my town, that is for sure, in response to outrageous public gay decadent activism. Just keep it out of public view and away from the kids, and then, I would not have much of a problem with the gays, as I really don’t care, all that much, what the gays do in private clubs or behind closed doors, as then there is a minimal societal impact. ========================== Its always, so heart inspiring, for us who appreciate marshal strenght, and enjoying to see a large group of young Russians boys, on the streets, led by a low ranking officer, like a captian, enroute to another location, the uniforms are just so handsome and of fine marshal beauty. The sailors have long black coats, the soldiers have long green coats, and the militia coats are short blue, as they are color coded, all with nice chapkas (fur hats). I saw one group, army I think, with the big chapkas on, and they were strong and proud, singing together marching along, and I tell you, it seemed like it was right out of the Wizard of Oz, oooohhhhh-llleeey, oh-ley-oh, ooooooh-llleeey, oh-ley-oh, just so proud marching along, and I kind of wanted to get behind them in a parade but did not as the cowardly lion I was. I was watching the Nardia "lion" movie, last night, in Russian, and recall how in the US, the godless devil worshipers of the secular progressive far left just threw a fit, about the analogy to God and Chirst, the lion being resurrected from death. Now consider the 1930 Wizard of Oz as a suble US prapagand film, where as US girl house's free the Munchkins from totalitarian rule, where the wicked witch, being a dark wicked absolute ruler (Tsar-politboro), over her dark domain, with long coat (Russian) soldiers and flying (war planes) monkey minons, who where saved from wicked totalitarian rule by the little girl from kansas, of the good old USA. Get it? I always just love listening to "over the rainbow", by Judy Garland, to bad, we don’t get real sweet music like that anymore, but now get the rap crap backed up with HOs pumping their tits and cunts into our faces, oh yeah, that s.h.i.t. beautiful heart warning music, aint it? ================ The Russian language is so dificult. Its not a roman language, like English, and the little German and Spanish I studied in school. The Russian alphebet is based upon the "greek" crillic letters, and they apparently have a grammar structure that can not be really compared to the Romantic languages, including English. I know a few hundred Russian words, and applied them to English grammar rules, as best I can, and communicate effectively like an American plains indian speaking English in the old western movies. They have many many word variants than English, using the ED ING endings for examples, and have the gender variants as well. Their alphabet is 33 characters long, without a  W, Q, or J, for examples, (Japan for example is pronounce "ya-pon", and have some real touge twisters, like the TS in Tsar and Tsumami. Took awhile to get that one. I have been working on one, though, for several years, and I just can do it, that "bl" character, sounds like a gutteral e, kind of like the gutteral "auch" in german. They also have "mach-ist-nack" and "gerd-ist-nack" letters which affect the sounds of ajoining letters, which I am unable to distisquish as yet. The words are so long with many more sylibles, and I can take be 5 minute to even come up with a first guess pronounciation of just one word. While I tease them at there inability to pronouce the "TH" sound, ("za" instead of "the") trust me, they have many I may never get, being the old dog I am. My two boys, 3 and 4 yo, have no problem, though, switch hitting, between English and Russia languages. I am so jealous of them. All Russians have said, that all the Romantic languages are easier to learn than Russian, with graphic Chinese and Japanese being the most difficult. The Russians also indicate that English is much better for precise communications, and that is apparently why English and its wide spread use is the global language of choice, for international negotiations and contracts. ==================== When the Russian ask about Iran, I respond and ask them if they recall the "tri-delt" black hoods chanting "death to america", and ask them, if someone was loading a (nuke) gun in your presence, would you just wait for the gun to be loaded before acting? That usually ends the discussion. Modernly, the Russians are taken on a peace pacifist position. Though, I ask what would you do with the military? I have thought it would be great if Putin would ask taliban and Al Queda to lay down arms and join democratic political processes, otherwise, Russia, through volunteers at higher pay, would move combat to Afghanistan and support NATO there. There is talk here that the Russian Military will go all professional and volunteer like the US. =================== Went to the Orchestra performance last night, that was just superb. The Russians performs classical music so well, it was just great. The conductor especially came in to Vladivostok from Moscow. You always can tell when the conductor is great, his hair shakes like a wiggling mop ============ Well Well, a café member, me, was on local Vladivostok TV. I was said how beautiful were the repaired church, and how wonderful was it to see the parishioners in church praying in worship. So strange to see oneself on TV, especially in a foreign country ================ Apparently, over the last year, Putin, that is Russia, has changed the nature of land possession. People here need no longer "rent" land from the government, but rather, by paying a registeration fee, can own the land. Private ownership of land in Russia. This is huge as people will own land and have a stake in the future of Russia and will invest in Russia, a very good thing. Those "dirty Capitialists" in Russia, wow, things have definitely changed big time. Putin again gets more high marks for switching Russia to private land owndership. ================== President Bush, HERO BUSH, My Beloved President Putin: Democracy "Russian Style" So, Putin has made some very good domestic moves (private land ownership, repairing of churches, improving the economy, providing right to own gold, retaining the Russian Constitution, stabilizing the Rubble, building Russian pride with fishing trips-Arctic Flag-Bomber mission, defeating of the Chechnya Rebellion, maintaining border integrity,  and having a bare minimum of elections), and some good international moves, (associating with NATO, WTO, UN, G7, and extending an energy profile into Japan, China, Eastern Europe and Western EU and Nuke facilities in Iran) so as to more interconnect Russia to the world so as to increase intercourse among all nations which reduces chances for War, and while playing geopolitics with some good old fashion mud-slinging digs at Bush and USA, and the gamesmanship of the ostensible abstinence re the Iranian Nuke issue. All of these aspects are somewhat comprehensible, using best estimations of reasons therefore. The media control, however, is another thing that is puzzling, because with such high popularity, it would seem that Putin would not be so concern, if other Russian political opponents were to politically oppose Putin. So, why the media controls? 1) The stated reason is to prevent foreign influence, but Im not buying that as legitamen , in that, such influences are directed to improving Russian Democracy, though no one wants to be told, when you're tsar, that you are a bad dog. 2) Maybe he just does not want to hear it, nor have Russia at large hear it, the redicule for lack of an absolute free press. 3) Maybe Putin is selfish to sustain his personal power, being an unwritten tsar, controlling by unwritten law, the internal security apparatus. 4) Maybe Putin believe that his "United Russia" political party is the best thing for Russia, and is over reaching trying to sustain its power. 5) Maybe Putin wants Moscow to remain politically strong so at to combat undue influences from the Mafia and Oligarchs. (The US has only one Oligarch, that I am aware of, and that is that prick Soros having his moveon minons and code pricks, but OReilly is all over Soros, and hence, not really a problem in the US) Russia is different, there are about 30 big boys, who can cause great problems in Russia. The Mafia and Internal Corruption are also huge problems, and the Russian Government needs a strong political presence, or the whole thing goes down the toilet. It is of course, only guessing from the casual perspective. And so, with Putin having good international and domestic successes, and with the substantial internal threats to honest governance, I will give Putin a pass on the media controls, but only for now. However, one must understand the demographics to fully understand the long term consequences of such media controls. The older folks in Russia really do like, and have a cultural affinity for, strong man rule in Moscow, and believe it takes a decades to achieve anything of substance. This core of "conservative" values fully supports Putin, understandable so, believing he is doing what is best and will rely upon him, and they really dont have any concerns about media control. The young and educated are a different story, and often say "what democracy", "we know who will win" and "we dont even know who is running against Medvedeva", Putin's heir apparent, as Putin becomes PM pulling the internal security strings to retain in effect, political power, as "circovoy miska" (circus bear) becomes merely the titular head. There is an underground of resentment building as to Putin's media controls, that will no doubt increase over the long term. It seems then for the past 8 years, and for the near term, Putin can, will, and probably should retain power, even if the media controls are offensive to traditional notions for fair play and free and fair elections. However, there is retention of a minimum democracy, that will sustain democracy in Russia, and anyone can, through the internet and satellite dishes, get all foreign news and world analysis, as such, Putin has not totally locked down all media and will have an election "Putin Style", where the opposition is allow a brief appearance just be the elections, without much political debate. Putin can probably get away with this for some time. I have written to Putin and have suggested that if he wants to really cement his legacy as a great Russian President, his term as PM should be to encourage more public debate, otherwise, he may end up in disgrace or tarnished by a public perception of stifling Russian democracy, over the long view. Of course, I hope he at least gradually lifts the media controls and encourages debate, while cleaning up the undue influences, but for the short term, it will be a democracy "Russian Style", and as long as Putin continues with his successes, leading Russia in right directions, as generally perceived, he gets a PASS, in a realistic practical appraisal, but only for the short term. Derrick Michael Reid Laguna Beach CA USA Reporting from Vladivostok Russia ============= Many in the USA, like me, mistakenly refer to eastern russia as siberia. Actually Siberia is central russia extending east from the Urals. The Eastern section is called the Russian FAR EAST. ============= How do we get the rendition boys to transplant Edwards and Soros to Russia, preferably into a resurrected goolag, and let them spew their socialism and class warfare crap in Siberia? I am working on that one, (there's always hope for a better America) =============== Apparently, all of the major political parties, (save the minor communist party under Ugonov) have endorsed Putin. So there ya go, Democracy Russian Style. Supposedly, some businessman will make a token opposition, but other popular politician wont dare run. Yeap, its a sure bet Putin's in as PM and string puller for FOUR MORE YEARS!! So, Medvedeva wins, not based upon his own capabilities, but rather, because the popular Putin picked him. Yeap, its Russian Sytle. At least the communist party will be discredited once again, as cofin of that failed economic system is bury, hopefully once and for all. It will move slow in Russia, getting this democracy thing, give em 60 years at it, and they will come around to real internal mud-slinging, and do it the right way, just like us yanks, in a free for all election year brawl. ============ I just leanred that in Russia it is against the law to personally insult a public official. You can not call Putin a "jackass" but you can call him a bad president for a poor job. In the US, this would of course fly in the face of 200 years of tradition attacking the president, fair game, at all times. Such laws in the US would strike half the jokes on late night talk shows. I have referred Putin as "Razputin" and have referred to Medvedeva as "Razputin's Circus Bear", and am sitting here, just waiting for the goons to bust down the doors and send me off to jail for ten years. We dont always appreciate our liberties in the US, in comparison to elsewhere in the world. ============== I am rather starved for US political info. Apparently, Bush is in the middle east trying to get the peace plans started again. Goofy, (Fred Thompson) apparently made a 3rd place showing in IA, which is just great. NH maybe not be stellar, but a Thompson win in SC will start the ball rolling for Thompson as America' only true conservative. Its looking better for my guy. Osama won in IA. A black guy in a white state. WOW, this is a great indicator, that we as a mixed people, can long beyound race. I bet the pandering HOs, lets loose the billy attack dogs, and soon. I will be back in the states 1/18/08. ============== Apparently, I stand corrected again, they do have trial by jury, an odd number, so no hung juries, if selected, but may not be able to find anyone to serve, apparently its not mandatory service, except of course the local militia unit. So, its rather flakely, in US standards, but nonetheless present. So, not bad. They do not have the death penalty, a stalin legacy I suppose. ================= So goes the economy, so goes the birth rate, the historical truth. Russia had been for decades the only industrial power having a declining population, with a low birth rate, at 169Mil in 2001, but now, births exceeds deaths, another good mark for OUR PAL PUTIN. Hey, I made two, bruins, and man I tell you real scrappers to, and defiant, the 2 boys 3yo and 4yo will live 50/50 US/Russia to be bilinqual/ bicultural/ bicitizens/ bieducated to take advantage of Russia out year huge economic growth when they come of age. ================== This message was edited by DerrickMReid on 1-11-08 @ 1:02 PM DerrickMReid 01-11-2008 @ 11:40 PM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Aug 2007 Poverty is not a crime, nor a condition that inherently deserves special attention from any government, as it is merely a standard of living level within a continuum of levels within a society, generally designated as levels below an arbitrary level selected for political purposes. (How nice, lets make people believe they are disadvantaged by telling them so, repetitively for political gain.) Governments are not inherently charged to quarantining a standard of living within any society, less they reward choices by those who effectively choose those lower levels by conduct and life style. In the context of wealth redistribution to move all towards centered standards of living, such notions reward bad choices and dependant behavior while punishing and destroying good choices and self-reliant behavior, a perceived evil with traditional Americans. If however, when social mobility is inherently stagnated or limited, and wealth is concentrated in industrial chieftains and oligarchs, there then becomes a need to redistribute wealth, is some measure, usually through progressive tax rates, as the preferred means. In the US, there is amble social mobility and wealth concentration does not in fact exist to a detrimental affect, and any proposed wealth distribution in the US is nothing more than pandering the low income voters into believing they are being suppressed, for political gain, rather than propose directions that would in fact enhance the overall living standards of all Americans.   And hence, John Edwards is a charlatan, and Hillary is a pandering HO, both socialists, proposing directions that would be in the first instance counter to traditional America's self-reliant character, while serving to promote policy which reward bad living styles and choices and while punishing and destroying good living styles and choices. If one choices to deal drugs, pimp women, gang affiliate, drop out of school, not got to college, smoke cigarettes, pump drugs, etc etc, there is no sound reason for the government to reward such behavior concentrated in the low income, and further, for the low-middle income standard levels, there would necessarily be much long term deterioration of society as a whole when the state is made to be responsible for all. Surely, when up against the wall, with no help in sight, people will tend to be more motivated than otherwise with the generous government hand-outs and universal provisions, be it health care, education, or food stores. It is the nature of human to take that which is given, and to earn that which is not, and hence, the need to maintain a society that values high living standard acquired through old fashion ways, its earned as the only sound long term alternative. In Russia, there is concentrated wealth, but also social mobility through education and an improving economy, so as to not justify out-right redistribution, and so rather than destroy the oligarchs with takings through punishing progressive taxes, it seems the better plan to devise a tax strategy that encourages re-investment to maintain that wealth, yet provide new industries for the working poor. When visiting Ukraine, Kharkov near the Russian border in Eastern Ukraine in 1995, at the worst of the economic dislocations from the change in economic systems, (Communism is an economic system not a political system), my first impression was one of a bombed out city just after WWII, hardly any lights on at night with structural decay, and the whole town seemed to be one big slum, and I was shocked beyond belief, coming from goochie-poochie Laguna Beach CA. In Vladivostok, much of the town would be considered a slum by US standards. But I do not judge these people by the content of their bank accounts or homes, but by the content of their character, and many do have sound moral character, though they have much to learn about the democracy culture, but that will change in the time. But the economy is improving rapidly, construction is occurring all over, and the city is hustle bustle like any large city, with a great prospects for improved future and improved living standards. They are on the move and getting into work, reward, and capitalism. Its working here. Putin has made many good moves. In 2001 I went up to Plastoon, along the eastern coast of Russia, to fish for salmon and had a good time with wife's uncle Valary and his fishing pal Oleg, as Vladivostok is a fishing town of sorts, and we had a great time, as these are stand up guys. Today, Valary and I went to visit Oleg, in his "modest" flat, and on the stove was a make shift stile, as he was brewing home-made vodka, from apples and grapes, I believe. That was so wild, and I had a couple of shots, and it was really not all that bad. Both of these guys I am proud to call dear friends, notwithstanding the low living standards, which I sure some Arabs and Africans would consider very well-to-do. Its relative, you see. Valery and Oleg are proud, sound, morally together guys, and poverty is not their crime, though they would like to see things improve, and it is, as they are willing to work for that improvement, rather than wait for the government to just hand it out. Hillary Clinton is a pandering HO, there is no doubt. John Edwards is a charlatan, there is no doubt. Both are inherently socialists, and it don’t get any plainer from the directions they are pandering. Both are inherently socialists pandering the votes of low income folks, as if it were criminal in America to be of low income, as if low income per se needs correction, and as if some how the government has failed to provide social mobility or reward personal achievement and hard work. I say BS. Let people mostly take care of themselves, but retain a modest safety net, the hand up, the helping hand, (not the hand outs)when experiencing a temporal bit of bad luck, like modest unemployment checks for a short duration, when laid-off, for example. We ought to send these two to Russia, and let them get a grip on reality, and send them back to school and teach them the American way of reward based solely upon self work, self respect, and proper choices and living styles, or otherwise, put them in a gulag, and let them rot, where they rightfully belong, in my view. As in a famous civil war quote about Gen. Pope, neither Edwards or Clinton are "worth a pinch a owl's dung", in my view. While, I don’t like Obama's approach to Iran, hopefully that will be resolved befor Bush leaves office. But I don’t hear as much socialism spewing from Obama, and as such, may actually be the better of the three on the DEM side. However, Im with Fred, so come On Fred!!! the next president of the US! Im with Fred because he is the only REAL CONSERVATIVE running for the presidency of the USA. ================================ I cant understand the russian languange TV hardly at all, but saw that shots were fired in the Persian gulf. I HOPE SO!! Come on Bush, bring in the naval assets, and LETS rumble!!! Blockade Iran, do it now, and get it over with, and force full IAEA compliance. ================ So the USA will loose AAA bond rating because of inability to fund social security. THAT IS JUST FINE AND DANDY with me. What the hell are we doing with SS anyway. Sure, hand outs from time to time, but to tax the workers to sustain death bed patients in perpetuity, where the hell is that written into the constitution. General welfare does not include redistributing wealth from workers to nonproductive aged. Its not about old farts like me, its about the young and young parents. Stop social security now, stiff the old folks, and support the next generation of productive working parents, not those taking a disproportionate share of resources in view of their comcomittant contribution. The CRIME against workers and the aged was FDR starting this SOCIALISM crap in the first place with SS. Dont they ever learn, the more Government, the less we have. People must learn to provide for themselves in their last years. The AARP has distorted the best priority. Young kids cant vote, and get the short end. I say stop the SS payments, and provide tax credits to parents. Get the priorities right. I just cant believe how screw up SS is, bad idea to begin with, bad idea now, and will always be a bad idea, as to social priorities, as socialism just does not work, ok, just great, tax the workers to sustain some nonproductive old fart until they die at 100 years. Marvelous, just Marvelous, what a waste of money in terms of maintaining over all health and productivity of the country generally. Just great, the secular progressive trying to destroy all things christian, where people willing give to the poor and aged to help out, but no, we got to destroy productivity as the gov fund unproductiveness. Just amazing how screwed up the progressive socialism is and the bad affects ITS ultimately has. Just another learning experience, I suppose. Pull the plug on all SS payments to the old folks and use any funds to support children and young parents, THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY, that's calls promoting a productive future, and that is what its ALL should be about. As long as the socialists over at AARP exists and their infirm followers voting in mass for their SELFISH lot, (its all about me says the old folks), SS will be one tuff nut to crack. I predict absolute defaults on SS payment, and will hope for it, as I for one, will not rely on the government to give me ONE DAMN penny when the time comes to retire, if ever. But then, I believe in self-reliance, a life long life of work and savings, and dont buy into the pandering HOs' socialism, HOW ABOUT YOU?. I guess Im just special, eh?  STOP SS NOW!!! Not worth one pinch of owl's dung, that is for sure. ================================= BOA purchase of Country wide getting allot of press, and just love GOLD being quoted on business channel, every 10 freaking minutes. Yeah Baby!! ============== Remember this. Do you want liberty? If so, Live on your own land, put gold in your pocket, defend yourself with a gun, and vote for anyone promising less government and taxes. (And hope like hell, some wacko case takes out the socialistic HOs.) LAND, GUNS, GOLD, and VOTE (for less government and taxes and socialism) and that means: FREEDOM!! FREEDOM!! FREEDOM!!! Let Freedom ring across all of America!! ======================== So the US is expected by projection to default of SS payments, yet Hillary is out there pandering Universal Health Care, another layer of Government ruling our lives. Talk about LUNACY! It dont get any worst than that. Godless Socialism has been repudiated by 5000 years of cultural evolution. If the Secular Progressives really want to help the poor and aged, they would encourage Godly religion, that encourages giving and helping without government mandate, along with a hopeful promise of salvation, and in so doing provides more than any government program, rather than degrading people with repetitive hand outs, loss of self respect, and addiction to government handout becoming tit sucking pigs. The left socialism is the devil incarnate, that's is for sure. =========================== Back to Putin and his "maniac with razor blades", and the Top Russian General with his "evil Americans". Of course, on its face, these are literally untrue, as would be apparent to anyone with a mind. As such, there can no intent to deceive, and hence, not lies, but mere untruths, spoken with selfish motivated reasons. We have americans have a firm practice of "sticks and stones", and love the mud slinging come election time. Candidates in the US know how to take a punch, its part of the democracy culture. Clearly, the remarks were directed at Iran to heel to IAEA requirement or the US (evil ones) will take down Iran and Russia will not stop us. You got that right. Come on Bush, blockade Iran now, and one pistol shot, take out the missile batteries and weapon nuke facilities, saving the Russian built peaceful reactor. Then we have in Behrain, I saw on TV, where the US flag is burned again. Heill, in the US, the far left pees on the flag with impunity. Oh yeah, flag burn outside the US, just cant get excited at all. That gets kinda old too, as if it really has any affect whatsoever here in the US. They are just kids playing with matches, a form of mud-slinging, and we should veiw it for what it is, and no more. ===================== As far as my 2 boys are concerned, having them in the US/Russia 50/50 through grade school and beyound, the idea is to make them bilingual, bicultural, bieducated, so that, in 25 years, when they are out of Engineering/Business school, they as Americans can interface seemlessly with Russian, as they are both, and take advantage of 25 years hence, when the Russian economy is firing on all cylinders, to promote trade between the US and Russia, to cement good relations, the boys being positioned at the right time in history to serve the US, in this regard. That's the plan any how. Aaahhhh, the parental plan. That means having babushka (grandma) come to the US for extended stays, time and time again, as the russia cultural/language teacher. Its not about us old folks, its always about the young. I will personally teach them how to read write calculate and think, but need babushska from time to time to fill in on the Russian side. ============ I would like to personally thank that member who recently referred to me as a "neocon knowitall". This is advancement from the being called a delusional nazi idiot, and now extend my thanks for that lastest revised accolade. I have no problem with Patrick or anyone being reinstated, as long as civility rules the cafe. I would very much like to hook-up with that swimming Au nuggett, and become bestest buddies, though, even after my public apology extended, for any perceived offense, that cat fish seems still annoyed with my style, and so, I suppose, that sought after relationship is still a personal goal to be obtained. ================ This message was edited by DerrickMReid on 1-12-08 @ 3:47 PM jrucker 01-13-2008 @ 10:47 AM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Jul 2007 Hi derrick, I appreciate your foreign reporting and the insight that it gives us re Russia, her politics and her people. It and your other writings are both prescient and provacative yet seem ( to me ) terribly scewed in their support of your Beloved President Bush's policy of violence and demonization around the world. If you get your wish and Iran is attacked there will be many Olegs and Valarys beneath the rubble....along with their children, relatives and loved ones all justified with flagwaving and premptive wisdom. Be careful -- Bush has concentrated power to the extent that the next 'demon' might be someone you love. JR Commandante Pachuco 01-13-2008 @ 9:27 PM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Jul 2007 Hi Derrick, nice to meet you. Kak delo? DerrickMReid 01-14-2008 @ 12:05 AM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Aug 2007 Commandier, Ya ochie Karashaw!! (I very good) Ruckers, yes Its stuff to justify war, at times, but the confluence will march on, without it, or accelerated by it. I dont like all things Bush, and consider the open border, for example, a FAILURE (close to treason in my book), by the Bush adm. But we all must express our points of view, as that what make the horse race, and provide for full consideration.  Here is some more. ====================== Well, corrected again, Russia has a 12 man jury, though I have never seen a jury on TV when showing a sentencing hearing. Crime is a problem, and on TV they show real crime scenes, blood on the ICE from murder, car accidents, robberies, fires, etc. Last night, right out side the flat, a car's bumper, trunk lid and back end body parts were stolen, apparently, for the third time in as many months, as most do not have garages as in conventional single family homes in the US, as most live in large Soviet style tenements. I started out in a tenement building, as a child, in LA, Harbor Hills, in the late 50s, and recall that time as a happy time. I just did not realize we were so poor, I was not on the DNC's mailing list at the time. ================== Corrected Again. Apparently, legal tender gold and silver coinage, is issued from the bank of Russia, and designated in Rubles, and can be purchased with a passport and fiat Rubles. This is another good mark for OUR PAL PUTIN. Put gold silver in the hands of the people, and people have the ultimate economic power. So, when the global fiat complex comes crashing down, Russia to has a real money back up, good to go. ================== Poverty is NOTHING MORE than a relative standard of living or income level chosen by politicians to play political games, to divide and segment society, to encourage class warfare, in the name of political selfishness. Surely, any arbitrary standard of living or income level could have been chosen for judging economic progress, to determine if the economy is improving by providing improved standards of living from year to the next. I wonder if old Abe Lincoln thought he was personally "disadvantaged" and socially "immobilized" or economically "suppressed" growing up in log cabin in rural Kentucky, which would be today considered "poverty". Poor of Abe Lincoln grew up in poverty, poor thing, and he did not get one affirmative action college grant, not one unemployment check, heck, he did not get one food stamp, and what a freaking gorilla he turn out to be, eh? Yet, despite his modest beginnings, no one would consider him to have been inherently disadvantaged, and neither did he, and became a self made man. Back then, people just did not know how bad they really had it, I suppose. Maybe today we are little bit more aware of how bad old Abe really had it, poor thing. I wonder if children, all living on the same block, in like homes, would suddenly wake up one day and all cry we are poor, we are so poor. Children in poor neighborhood, are just too dumb, they don’t really get how bad they have it, and just play play play, until they go to school and get a real education from the DEM leadership, and figure how really how poor they are, when learning the "Im Poor", "Poor Me" "I cant Win", "I am suppressed" mentality from the DNC. "Being Poor" is a learned culture, and it must be taught by someone or something. Enter the DEM party of the 21st century, with their financially impossibilities and destructive promises used to pander votes for political gain. You teach a person they are poor, and they will start believing it, and get on the street and start begging. You teach minority they are victims of the white race, and some minority just made believe it, after awhile, and then cry foul, insisting on minority studies, affirmative action, and host of other BS government based program to correct a wrong. You teach people they are social immobile and they may just believe, and give up all hope, and don’t even try to improve their lot. This is the core of DEM party strength: 1) they degrade minority and white trash, with the promised hand outs (don’t bother helping yourself, big government will do it for you), and so minorities and white trash just kick it, waiting for their food stands like cows being led to the feeding trough, having bought into that socialism, and there goes the work ethic down the toilet; 2) they victimization to minorities and white trash, create race and class warfare with promised redistribution of wealth, (don’t bother helping yourself, big government will do it for you), somehow indicating that all those who succeed don’t play fair and have robbed the poor needing the hand outs, so as to reward ineffectiveness and punish effectiveness; and 3) they immobilize the poor with promised assistance (don’t bother helping yourself, big government will do it for you), and get for example preferential treatment over the more deserving, and you cant get preferential treatment unless others are penalized for doing better. In sum, and in general, the whole DEM party power base is built upon degrading, victimizing and immobilizing a class of underperformers, first by telling them how bad they have it, and then promise to help, with proposed destructive so-called "help", and in do so doing, perpetuate many therein, immobilize in their suppose "poor" lot, so as to sustain the DEM power base in perpetuity. Aint that nice? The DEM party used to be one of maintaining the Helping Hands, but over the last 30 years, now the Republicans had to step up, and encourage the "helping hands", while the Democrats are over in far left pushing their socialism, in last chance struggle for national power control, and have moved to a party of buying votes through grandiose prospective socialistic hand outs, while their sought after voters throw up their hands and surrender to the propaganda and the demeaning promises that degrade and decay them from within. Aint that nice? The DEM party is an inherently evil political machine, taking advantage of human nature, that is selfish greed, and is bent on degrading and decaying this country from within, as the DEMs transforms those following from being so-called poor in riches to being poor in heart.   The vast majority of the Russians are on what we would consider the low end, and yes some are despondent, but they do remember their glory days, sputnik, the great patriotic war WWII (when the Russian losing 27 million did the heady lifting, with some help from the brits, yanks, et al) They have a good run under Putin, the economy is coming back, God is coming back, global prestige is coming back, and there is new found hope, have the devastation from changing from that failed communism economic system. They are down, but not out, and are coming back. No one here is teaching them degrading and decaying life expectancies from MOSCOW. I went to a store and saw fresh meet laying right there on the table in front of me, and with two fingers, meaning 2Kg, order some pork, and down went the axe, and order 3Kg of "malinka carova" small cow in my broken Russian, meaning Veal, and saw came out, then. So, the family and friends went to "cometa" park, comet winter forest recreational camp ground 30Km outside of Vladivostok, and many dishes were prepared, and Shalick (shick-ka-bob), and it was just great, we had a great time, there were ice rink, inner-tube bobsled runs, and a skiing "bunny hill" about 400m at about 75M in elevation. Sure, it was not Big Bear, nor Tahoe, nor Snow Bird or Park City, nor Vail, Winter Park, or Breckinridge, as I remember my old skiing days. It was -18C, about 5F, and my face tingled in pain, I was frooze to the bone, in a light breeze, with 2 foot of snow cover, could only handle about 30 minute outside the one-room rented cabin, 12$/day, while those Russian just thought it was so nice, they are a hearty bunch. I heard Irkustz was -53C, about -20F, so there, 0F is a warm winter day. Heck, it drops below 55F in Laguna beach, I buy a sacrafical lamb for slaughter thinking, we in Laguna Beach must have done something wrong to deserve such punishment. Sure it was modest recreational ares, but they are proud peoples with much hope in the future, and the fun was just as much for them, and the food was just so tasty. Its not the level of your standard of living, but the morals of your hearts, the backbone of your character, that really determines, who is and who is not, living in poverty. This poverty is encouraged and sustained in America by the DEM party. ============== OK, here is the deal on the upcoming March election as best I understand it. All major political parties have endorsed Medvedeva, Putin's hand picked heir-apparent, with 80% popularity, based upon many good moves by Putin. Uzgonnov, leading the communist party, which not really a communist party, but a far left socialistic party, has 12% popularity. Cheronoski, considered to be the Russian political clown has he apparently make jokes allot, has about 8% popularity running as a honesty and truth in government candidate. I have not heard anything about the "democrat" candidate that appeared on Bill Maher a month or so back. So, with 8 good years, with Putin controlling the internal security apparatus, Medvedeva is a sure bet to win in March 08. And heck, its about time, we in the west have been waiting 100 years for the Russkies to have a very handsome good-looking full-haired leader. (On the floor!!) ==================== Dig this, yesterday there was a special on TV about gold and buying gold. Maybe Putin is seeing the end of fiat, and wants russians to own gold. hhhmmmm ================= Here is the base line. I want a global return to Real Money gold and silver, and that means screwing the fiat machines and the banksters, protecting people from loss of weath by the printing machines. The return to real money occurs when the fiat collapses. Fiat is used to drive the war machines and enables unfair competition among world central banks. End the wars, and the need for the fiat machines reduces. War will end when the Global community confluences into interconnected countries seeking trade not war as the means to gain power. Iran is the last signficant nut to crack in terms of aggressive posturing, and Iran must not be allowed to obtain nuked missile, extending power into Hezballoh, Hamas, and islamofascism. So, the sooner we make Iran heel, the sooner we get to REAL MONEY as the global medium of echange, (even though, within each country, paper real money certificates, can be used). With a real money economy, trade imbalances will evaporate over night. ===================== Yes, Rucker, the Russians are in Iran facilitating, but do not want Bush to target the Russian peaceful use reactor, currently going on line. China and Russia have a thing to learn about "counter-productive" moves in the global confluence. ============= Wife went to the Bank of Russia, and you can buy bars for possession with 18% sales tax and a 5% spread. Silver and Gold coins must not be in stock, as you can not take possession of legal tender gold silver coins, but instead, get a safe keeping saving book to account. So, bullion must be short, or the Russkies are controlling and now limiting legal tender bullion coinage. =================== This message was edited by DerrickMReid on 1-14-08 @ 12:42 AM DerrickMReid 01-14-2008 @ 6:11 PM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Aug 2007 Well, Valery chief ship's mechanical engineer, Oleg chief ship's electrical engineer, and Valentine chief ship's fisherman, came over, and we played poker, vegas style, 7 card 2-4, and had a good time. These Russians though don’t know how to handle cards, and kept bending my cards, the deck trashed after the night of playing. Oh well, have many spares. And of course, we (actually they) emptied 4 bottles of vodka, and after each shot, they would eat a little something, I guess to absorb the alocohol, though, I was able to hold my liqour, and held back, with "cho-cho" small sips only. In the US, I drink about 1 or 2 beers a month, never having alcohol in the house, I just don’t really drink any more, and so, this vodka drinking can put me under the table asap, like at the Comet Winter Park, and so I did not keep up, just an American puss I suppose, with each shot being preceed with a toast to something, usually good health (how ironic), and follow by a bite of bread, slice vegitables, or what ever is put out, and last night has some devil's eggs toped with salmon roe, and some marinated veal chuncks. Had a good time.   Apparently, many names in Russia have male and female variants, so Valery and Valeria, Oleg and Olga, and Valentine and Valentina. Valentine kep saying "ya nepaniemio" I don’t understand, the game, but, of course ending up winning the most in poker. Valentina indicated that the Bank of Russia does intend to slip a digit on the Rubble, meaning that 1000 ruble note becomes a 100 ruble note, including the coins. I can see the US doing this respecting the dollar, though, the coinage may be a problem for the US. How do you slip a digit on the dollar while not on the coinage and the penny. Probably by Presidential fiat proclamation. =============== Le Patron, An Apparent Sought After Nuclear Stand Off. This memo is in response to Mr. Ellen Brown lemetropolecafe Le Menu posting regarding Iran and PNAC. This response to the topic of Iran being in the cross-hairs of the US military and that PNAC (project for the new American Century) is a motive force, is provided herein, by one who is very much politically aligned, for very good reasons, with the so-called PNAC view, the neocon mantra, and the inevitable confluence of the world where all countries are moving toward increased interconnectedness, which leads to profound long term ultimate peace world wide, as GAP nations such as Iran, are encouraged or forced, if necessary, into joining the CORE (Russia, US, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, China, etc) of trading and political interconnected country. The movement globally toward this "interconnectedness" or, if you will, The NEW WORLD ORDER (NWO), has been going on in earnest for over 100 years. Through aggressive US military actions over the last 100 years, the CORE is solidifying into peaceful trading partners. The CORE is winning and becoming more powerful over the GAP, every day, especially accelerated of late, in this "Democracy Century" as proclaim by President Bush, through continued US military actions, when necessary. As often stated in the Lemetropolecafe thread entitled "china transforms north korea", giving a comprehensive view of this PNAC realization, "Iran is the last serious nut to crack". Simply put, when all are interconnected, dispute resolution is had through global organization, UN, WTO, for examples, as one does not seek to bomb their trading partners, as war and FRNs are replaced by trade wars and real money in the out years. Brown: "either that, or that someone wanted to convince American viewers that Iran indeed remained a threat, despite a recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) finding that the country is not engaged in a nuclear weapons program as formerly alleged". Derrick: Mr. Brown here wants to play the WWII British PM Chamberlain "peace in our time" game, a fail policy based upon false hope that an enemy or aggressor will simply stop the aggression, upon mere words and promises. Iran with its support of Hezballah, Hamas, Iranian Iraq-based operatives, and general sympathy for Islamofascism, is an aggressor, with no end in sight, and Mr. Brown's simplistic view fails to recognize the non-democratic theocracy of the Mullah power control in Iran, as the driving force. And yes, Americans must be made aware of that growing threat, as nuke material processing and procurement of long range missile technology, are the precursors to nuke missile regional intimidation, a condition suppose favorable to Mr. Brown. Go Figure. I suppose Brown, ignores the "death to America" cries, while Iran is loading its guns, to preferring to preemptively strike, the inevitable growing threat. Hide your head in the sand Mr. Brown, catch you targeted by a gun Mr. Brown, that's the end of you, Mr. Brown! No thank you Mr. Brown, I am not so trusting. Brown: Ron Paul (R-TX) said in a recent MSNBC news broadcast that there is still a “great possibility” of nuclear action against Iran. Derrick: Both Brown and candidate Paul are the ones crying apocalyptic outcomes, as the solution is a simple one, blockade Iran until they agree to strict IAEA. This kind of far out war mongering cries, shows how inappropriate Paul would be as president, and again puts Mr. Brown in the camp of the likes of Russian President Putin, with his Bush is a "Maniac with razor Blade". Brown and Paul need to get a grip on the "appropriate response". Bush has been patient with Iran for many years, has remained civil, and hopefully will soon blockade Iran as the "measured response". Candidate Paul hurts his image when being an alarmist, unsuitable as leader of the free world. Brown: Paul: “There are still quite a few neoconservatives who want to go after Iran under these unbelievable conditions. Derrick: YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!! Nuke processing is a fact. Long range missiles are a fact. Cries of death to America are a fact. Cries to wipe Israel off the map are a fact. Support of terror groups such as Hezballah and Hamas are a fact. These are the "unbelievable conditions" to which Candidate Paul and Mr. Brown, conveniently ignore. Brown: Why go to war for Iran’s oil when we can just buy it? Derrick: Thanks for enlightenment, its about interconnectedness, not about oil, directly, never has been. Brown: Another theory says that the saber-rattling is about defending the dollar. Derrick: Fiat money printing has been the primary tool used to procure over the decades military means for civilizing this world, led by the USA, a very good thing, of which many are very proud. As Iran will be made to heel in due course, and with no international wars between countries these days, save only internal conflicts, wars will be replaced by trade wars, a better means for power plays in the out years. Look at the long term goals, rather than only the short term pain of the solutions necessitated by the aggression coming from Tehran. Brown: PNAC called for “the direct imposition of U.S. ‘forward bases’ throughout Central Asia and the Middle East, with a view to ensuring economic domination of the world, while strangling any potential ‘rival’ or any viable alternative to America's vision of a ‘free market’ economy. Derrick: Until perceived threats, GAP nations such as Iran, join the CORE, a forward defense is absolutely preferred, less you want to, ala Paul, simply hunker down, and wait for the recurring 9/11s. No thank you Candidate Paul. Preferably, the forward defense is projected out as far as necessary to bring GAP nations into the CORE, rather than wait to be hit again and again and again, in the coward play encouraged by the likes of Brown and Paul, waiving their white flags to terrorism and Islamic aggression. No thank you! Waiting to be hit again, is not my idea of a successful defense, that will, of course, ultimately fail, as we would then be assuredly hit again. Peace in our time and the coward fortress America tactics are the wrong plays, in the global confluence. The US seeks to be a part of the world economy, to increase, not dominant, interconnectedness. Brown has its wrong. The only way that peace will ultimately come in this last global struggle against Islamic domination and aggression is to civilize them through imposition of full democracy principals where all are given a voice, as an alternative to terror as the last resort of political expression. In this regard, when Bush blockades Iran, and a negotiated settlement is reach regarding strict IAEA, preferably, then Bush should also insist that the terms include that women have the right to vote, and only elected politicians, and not theocratic Mullahs, are in control. Thats the solution Mr. Brown, not waiting to be hit again and again or waiting for Islamic terror control to spread. Brown: The weapon in this economic war is debt, and the bullets are compound interest. Derrick: You got that right, the fiat printing machines, debts, triple deficits, etc., all collectively support the US military machine, civilizing this world, a good thing, in these last days of the global confluent struggle, bringing about the peaceful confluence of all, and when Iran is made to heel, lets all hope, none other attempt the naked aggression, as then the Fiat FRN can go to zero value, wiping out the national debt, as the world returns to real money as the global medium of exchange, so as to prevent unfair trading only through the use of real gold and silver moneys. Brown: President Bush assured allies before his Mideast trip, “It’s important for the people in the region to know that while all options remain on the table, that I believe we can solve this problem diplomatically, and the way to do that is to continue to isolate Iran in the international community.” Isolate Iran from whom? Isolation is something that is done to prevent contagion. The contagion to be contained may be the creation of an Islamic State pursuing the principles of Sharia law, something that is now the rallying cry for many Muslims around the world. Derrick: Oh yeah, let Islamic world propagate its die by the sword mentality, that is, join Islam, or your head rolls. Thats a contagion that should be isolated and controlled. But yes, diplomatic resolution is always preferred, but Iran has stiffed the international community on nuke development negotiations for over a decade, lying, hiding, temporarily stopping, for purposes of sustaining bad faith negotiations. We've been there long enough. The Iranian game is so obvious, as with Saddam's Iraq, and we been there and done that with the hide-and-seek WMD, the bad-faith negotiations, etc. Simply put, Iran wants nuke missiles couple with an aggressive theocratic posture, to control the areas extending from Spain to Indonesia, the old Islamic empire, and Iran aggression must be contained, less we Americans may one day be force by the sword to attend Mosque and comply to strict Sharia law. No thank you Mr. Brwon and Candidate Paul. To the extent that Bush can rally international support to isolate Iran from international trade, preferably through cooperative action, the more pressure is applied, and if not, then through a US led blockade, as Iran's isolation can serve to motivate Iran to change is aggressive posture, as democrats in Iran may rise up to politically seriously confront the Mullah controlled government, a very good thing. In sum, surely no wants war, but diplomacy has run its course in failure again and again, apparently unrecognized by then PM Chamberlain, and now by candidate Paul and Mr. Brown. They think all things can be just nice and dandy, if we simply look the other way, as Iran builds a nuke capability, and threaten the region in a power grab. We spent trillions confronting the soviets with nuke missiles pointed at each other for decades in a tense stand off, and put the world in a constant state of potential annihilation, and I suppose, as logic would undeniably dictate, that this is the perpetual stand off desired apparently by candidate Paul and Mr. Brown, as an apparent sought after nuclear stand off. Derrick ============ A dear friend, Alexsey, came by last night, to the flat. He teaches computer programming at the local university. I have known him for 6 years now, when, in 2001, he helped be modify my software complex including various window based version operating on my Laguna Beach towers interconnected by hubs and routers to accommodate a dozen attached laptops about the house. This trip, is not only corrected several bugs, but, I specified an algorithm for a new feature, and within an hour or so, and it running to perfection. Currently, Alexsey is going through visa acquisition for a programming job available in New Zealand, and will move there, at first temporarily, but then permanently. He is not pleased with Putin's lock on power, but more importantly, believes opportunity are better elsewhere than in Russia. This is, of course, a detrimental trend that Moscow must address, that is, to retain high-powered intellect in Russia for the coming economic boom in Russia over the next couple of the decades. Alexsey is one of those guys you meet in life, the stand up type, who you are always proud to call a friend, for all time and all places. So funny, though, he said that he would pay a New Zealand immigration lawyer to process the forms, "a mere" $1000. I said, I recall when $300 a month wage was big money for you. He laughed, and said, yes, in the good old days, that were not so long ago. Money is more available in Russia these days, the economy is improving, though not at fast as most would like. He of course has a standing offer to come visit me in my home in Laguna Beach CA, and I am sure one day, he and his wife and boy, will show up for a so-cal vacation. Currently, I am planning to have my now 5.5 year old, go to school in Russia, first grade, in September 2010, when he would then be seven, and the younger one, now 3, would be 4.5 to start kindergarten, and so would bring babushka (grandma) over, this year, to teach the boys Russian, spelling, reading and writing in Russian, as well as impart some Russian culture, in advance of their schooling in Russia. I would of course concurrently teach the boys, English spelling, reading, writing, calculating, geometry, and science. Anytime the boys ask me a question, they get the full-on scientific answer. Yesterday, for example, the oldest ask why we have bones, I first explain the difference between endo-skeletons and exto-skeletons by various species to support "the bag of blood and body party parts, then I showed how gravity works, repetitively dropping a balled up napkin which fell to the ground, toward the center of the earth, that, like remote control electromagnetism waves, we cant see it, but we know it there, and that, as the earth turns in space, people can stay on the earth without floating off into space. That lead into a discussion on how solid things can be stacked, for support, but water can not, which lead into a discussion of evaporation, cloud formation, rain, rivers filling the ocean, and evaporation from ocean. It is the full and complete comprehensive explanation that are the taught day in and day out. Sure, they don’t understand it all, initially, but it eventually sinks in. I this is same thing with my older boy, prior marriage, now 23, serving a second tour in Iraq presently, and a NCO. From ages 3-8 he lived with me, and I personally taught him how to read, write, calculate, and most importantly how to the think. But, after being with mom, 9-17, he came to dad, and was undisciplined, and did not finish high school, and playing those computer games, he and I both knew he would fail if he tried college, and so, I said, if you really wanted to make me proud, you would become a man, and join the army, and would teach you a trade. I went down to sign up, but because he had no high school diploma, the US Army told him no thanks, but let him take an aptitude test, which he did, and scored in the top 99% of all entering recruits, and the US Army started kissing his butt, offering any specialty training he would like. I suggested he take radar training, to play stand off war games with the unmanned aerial vehicles, and be able to get employed after service for airport radar maintenance. He selected medical equipment maintenance, I suppose want to be around the cute army chicks in the mash units. Well, he has become so good, he maintain a variety of equipment, has a group of private under him, as he is now an NCO, corporal, and when interfacing with equipment manufacturers here in the US, they have offer him upward of 100K$/year start pay, to come for them when he gets out. All that detailed scientific explanation during his formable early years, has paid off big time for him, and I am so proud. So, the plan to bring babushka over for 1-2 years, at the boys personal Russian teacher, meaning that the flat in Vladivostok would be empty. The price of the flat has increase from 100K, include finishing, to about 400K in 5 years, and was told that the flat could rent for 2.5K/month, but it is completely furnished with fine furniture, china, and crystal, that could be rented for about 4K/month and perhaps, that is what will happen for the next two year, to pick up an extra 50K. Who knows. ================= Le Patron, A Billion Dollars an Ounce, As our world moves ever closer toward comprehensive interconnectedness between all nations in the global confluence, currently characterized by trade globalization and global democratization in this democracy century, that is driven by human cultural evolution, toward completion, when ultimately wars are replaced by the up coming trade wars, and when all fiat paper money is driven to zero value and replaced by gold and silver real money as the global medium of exchange dictated by UN treaties outlawing international settlements in fiat, practical considerations are pondered as to the practical mechanics of seamlessly switching from fiat money to real money world wide. A primary goal, when switching from fiat money to real money, is the avoidance of concomitant economic devastation, depression, or severe recession typically characterized by and experienced during the collapse of a fiat money regime. The German early 20th century Wienmark Republic provides the exemplar quintessential calamity experience during such fiat money collapses. The Russian Ruble twice collapsing is another example upon the dislocations suffered when switching from a communist economy to a market economy. Currently, in the US, the Federal Reserve Note (FRN) is the fiat money used, that has become the world reserve currency, held in quantity in most foreign central banks. The Chinese, for example, are reported to possess upwards of 1.3T-FRN$ in their foreign exchange (Forex) bank reserves. The Federal Reserve Bank, (FED) of the US issue bonds to foreign banks to repatriate FRNs to accommodate current account balances in the US and world wide. The US national debt is today rapidly approaching 10T$. Sure these are big numbers, but, wait until the out years come, when the fiat regimes world wide collapse. The world is racing to that end, as banks around the world attempt to out-print each other, trying to maintain advantage, in a precursor to the up coming trade wars, in manufacturing exports to support respective domestic economies. All paper fiat moneys are experiencing inflation, mostly now actually into double digits, and inflation is and will continue to accelerate into hyper-inflation, and then lastly into mega-inflation, as the end days approach for all fiat paper moneys and national fiat regimes, collectively, referred to as the world fiat complex. Gold and silver bullion has made remarkable increases of late relative to the fiat complex, but what we are seeing is merely the infant stage of collapse of the fiat complex. The fiat collapse has actually barely begun in earnest. In the context of the global confluence, the use of fiat money has been the primary enabler to particularly project US economic and military power over the last 100 years, primarily starting with the creation of the FED, then with FDR's confiscation of gold from the public, as well as the 1972 disconnect between the gold and the FRN. While real money believers are appalled by the disconnect, and while many FRN savers have been burned by inflation, and will be burned by the fiat complex collapse, the result of the fiat use during the 20th century and into this 21st century, has been an ability to fund US military, economic, and political might which have collectively in fact civilized this world, in large measure, in this democracy century. Now that that civilization has been substantially complete or will be substantially complete soon, war will be outlawed in the years ahead, and as such, the use of the fiat FRN has been, in this measure, a good thing for whole of man kind. But, now is the time to get back to honest government, honest markets, and honest money. Its now time to go back to our traditional roots as free Americans. Personal ownership of land, guns, gold/silver and the vote for less government are the hallmarks of any free society, and puts ultimate power in the people, and we Americans have let our freedom wane, under government controls and mandates. But with the coming completion of the global confluence, lets all Americans demand back all of our freedoms, free from over-intrusive government actions and robbing fiat banking systems. We sacrificed our freedoms in these regards for 100 years or more, during the global confluence struggle, and now that complete victory should be soon declared, our freedoms should be reinstated, in full measure. We Americans paid the heavy price to civilize this world, and now its time to have our freedoms back, completely. Real money believers, as well as fair and honest world traders in the up coming trade wars, should desire and promote a comprehensive world wide collapse of the fiat complex. When individuals hold real gold and silver money, the people hold the ultimate economic power, the power of the purse, defeating governmental abilities to manipulate our lives through interest rate controls, market manipulations, and uncontrolled fiat money printing. World governments, inherently distrusting of trading partner's excessive fiat printing and abilities to subsidize domestic industries to the disadvantage of their trading partners, ultimately seek that gold and silver real money medium of exchange so as to limit global unfair trade practices between nations. In effects, the uncontrolled fiat printing debasing of the money supplies, self-centered unfair global trade practices, and personal desire for economic freedom in this democracy century are the drivers toward the ultimate return and exclusive international use of real gold and silver money. Other goals of the real money believers seeking the transition to the exclusive use of real money are the elimination of the Federal Reserve Bank, the elimination of the federal reserve banking system, the elimination of commercial banks executives transplantation into the federal banking system and the inherent conflicts of interest, and the elimination of the ability of the federal government to use commercial banks to manipulate supposedly free markets to the commercial banks' advantage over others market participants when striving for free and fair markets, so that all have an equal opportunity when investing in and dealing with the commercial markets. When real money is used, freedom is advanced, manipulation is limited, conflicts are avoided, and corruption of people and money is limited, if not, eliminated. The US Mint, like most governmental mints, produce real constitutional money, in the form of 1 oz gold and silver Eagle coinage, in addition to lesser denominations, including 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/2 oz silver and gold coins. In addition, legal tender rates of exchanges between coinage denominations should be set in stone, and currently, this has been done, and as the 1 oz Gold Eagle is set to 50$ and the 1 oz Silver Eagle is set to 1$. Currently, the US Mint produces gold and silver Eagle coinage, as well as the 1ct copper penny and the 5ct nickel. The gold, silver, copper and nickel coinage is traditional US money, and that should be retained and exclusively used following the fiat complex collapse. The transition to real money may not be that inherently difficult, if the proper game plan and real money stores are ready in advance, when the time comes. So lets set the stage as to the practical mechanics of switching from the fiat complex to real money, particularly in reference to the US FED. First, lets raise the national debt to a mere 100T$, just to give us some spending breathing room, over the next 25 years, to play the fiat end game, and finish the global confluence. Next, the US Mint should set aside 100,000 oz of Gold Eagles, to pay off this nation debt, and that means, 100T-FRN$/100,000 oz of Gold Eagles, equates to 1Billon-FRN$ to 1 gold Eagle. This exchange rate is not set so as to pay back any US debt, but rather set to make transistion to real money smooth, seemless, and practicable. The US government is believed to possess some 250,000,000 oz of gold, and so, the national debt of 100T-FRN$, in terms of 1 oz Eagles, equates to a mere 0.04% of the US gold reserve. The US government can therefore, issue and print gold certificates, that is, real notes actually redeemable in gold real money at any bank, so the people do not have to transact business carrying a heavy load. Silver stocks can be acquired through the usual tax regimes, and silver certificates can be issued and printed as well. With respect to the copper penny and nickel nickel, if stocks are short, steel penny "certificates" and steel nickel "certificate" coinage can also be stamped out in mass to accommodate any shortage in copper and nickel base metal stocks during the transistion period. And so, the real money regime can be produced in mass and in advance of the fiat complex collapse by having minted Gold 50$ Eagles, Silver 1$ Eagles, Copper 1ct Pennies, Nickel 5ct Nickels, and their corresponding redeemable certificates, including gold and silver paper certificates and copper and nickel steel stamped coinage certificates. Now, comes the easy part. The US government should reduce interest rates on FRN$ to zero percent in perpetuity, and start printing 90T FRN$, and literally "go for broke" with the printing presses running around the clock, and intentionally cause that desired mega-inflation in the FRN$. Lets drive the greenback FRN to zero, and kill it once and for all. The US FED is well adept at doing this, they have had allot of practice over the last 100 years. As the 100T-FRN$ are printed and used to completely intentionally destroy the FRN$, the government should enact bi-currency laws, that enable the use of FRN$ or alternatively, for tax purposes, for example, gold and silver real money, both as legal tender, as the FRN$ is driven to zero value relative to the real money. When substantially complete, pay off any foreign Forex debts with real money, at the rate of ONE billion FRNs to 1 oz gold Eagle. As such, the US Government need only flip China (1.3T-FRN$/1B-FRN$/1ozGoldEagle) 1300 gold Eagles, and simply say, thanks for the business, and similarly treat any other foreign Forex reserve holding of US FRN$, and after a limited redemption period, eliminate the Federal Reserve Bank, and put those ex-commercial bank executives in the unemployment line, where they rightfully belong. The transition to real money is not really a complex thing to do, if done seamlessly through a temporary bi-currency regime and economy, using FRN$ and Gold and Silver real money, concurrently, during the transition periods. The economy should not therefore suffer from an economy shock, but rather, move through a simple transition period. We Americans, by nature, culture, and politics are an adaptable lot of the people, and understand money and inflation, and can personally adjust our personal asset portfolio, to protect wealth during such transition periods, as in the late 1970s, as we have been there and done that, successfully. We should not be afraid of the future, which is a very good one for man kind, in the final days of the global confluence, where wars are replaced by the trade wars, and as the fiat complex is replaced by real money. Our world is becoming safer. Our freedoms will be returned to us. Honest government, honest markets, and honest money will rule the land of the free and brave, once again, and else where around the world. Its is a glorious future, and I hope to be alive that day when one gold Eagle is worth a billion dollars an ounce. Derrick =============   This message was edited by DerrickMReid on 1-15-08 @ 2:42 PM DerrickMReid 01-16-2008 @ 5:22 AM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Aug 2007 So today was repair day, fixing a cabinet handle lost screw, (which I doubted we would fine the correct thread pitch), fixing a cabinet wood drawer floor that separated, (wife translated white wood clue), fixing a balcony door having a lost handle, (which I doubted we would find), repairing a roller on the bottom of an entry coat closet that was broken, (again doubting we would find an exact replacement part), replacing a couple of specialty burned out bulbs in the entry (but figured it would be easy to find these. In years past, I had purchased a complete set of tools in a tool box with drills, drivers, and spares screws etc, and knew how difficult it was for me or anyone here in Russia to find exacting hardware replacement parts, but with boat chief engineer Valary who knew Vladivostok, I figured we would have a good chance. We approached a hardware center, a street full of hardware stores, I remember well from earlier trips, buying tools for the flat repairs. First, Valery purchase epoxy for the wood drawer which he apparently indicated would be find, instead of white wood clue I thought would work best. We then got lucky and found exacting screws for the cabinet. The light bulbs first found were not frosted, but bought them anyway figuring a bird in hand, but later found only two exacting replacement, and got lucky again. We then found substantially similar, but not exact balcony doors handles. Lastly we are on the hunt for the roller, which I figured would be most difficult as the clothes closet was 10 years old. At the hardware stores we were directed to manufacturing place a few streets away from a main drag where there were many hardware stores. We found similar rollers. The repairs when fast, and all worked well, except the roller repair. The replacement roller parts being different design and sizes, but Valery bought them anyway and with hacksaw and drill and various screws, cut and drilled trying various screw sizes until a good workable combination was had, and the last repair finished. In Russia you have to look around allot to find parts and work around many repairs due to the lack of easy to find readily available exacting replacement parts, but Russians are resourceful in their home repairs and work with what they have. The repairs actually went much better than expected, thanks to Valery. Ian (Yawn) who is my friend who I first met in the Incheon Airport a few years back came by during the repairs. It was agreed that Valery would drive his car, a recently purchased used one with 90Km on it, as this is typical, as there are many such used cars from Japan, and many many cars in Vladivostok are second hand from Japan. My Lt Colonel brother in Law Vlad, for example, has a Mark II Toyota, and is Vice President in a local Mark II car club, kinda like, Whittier Blvd LA street racers or the racers in American Graffiti. It was decided that in the morning, 8:30am, Ian, Valery and I would drive to Nakhodka, about 3.5 hours, which is 180Km east of Vladivostok, to meet Fr. Sebastian, an Indian and a catholic priest from India, being tri-lingual, and who is associated with the Catholic church here in Vladivostok, and who I met a couple years back, and have remained in touch. Fr. Sebastian is attempting to start up a new Catholic church in Nakhodka, and I want to see his plans, have lunch and a visit, as maybe I might be of some assistance. We called Fr. Sebastian on the phone, who just so happened to have planed on returning to Vladivostok on Thursday evening, the day of our visit, and so, Fr. Sebastian will ride with us back to Vladivostok on the return trip, a safe assured trip by divine protection, Im sure. So, I am looking forward to a country drive, in the dead of winter, but it should be at least sunny, and -20C along with some intermittent road ice to and from Nakhodka, with some friends, a fitting end to a three week visit here. There are many open air grocery stores, where commoners go, and where I mostly go, being close, but tonight, wife Tanya put on her full length mink coat, just stunning actually, full breasted with mink tails dangling from the broad lapels, with matching hat, of course, and we took a bus, 10 rubles each, (get the oddity of that, 10 ruble ride in a mink?) about 40c a few blocks to a modern, world class, grocery store, where you can tell by the dress, that its mostly upper middle class, ostensibly putting on their best just to go grocery shopping. The store had three times the variety found at our Vons or Albertson class stores, with allot of freshly prepared dishes to go as well, just packed with fresh everything. All the check out lines were full, all spending money, and buying great looking foods stores displayed in abundance, another good mark for OUR PAL PUTIN. Coming back home, two sets of photographs of the boys about Vladivostok were aligned in a sequence with a little notes by each, telling a story of their trip to Russia, which sets I am to return to the Laguna Beach school for posting so that the boys' friends in their Presbyterian Laguna Beach school can see stories of the boys' trip. The pictures included train stations, circus elephants, and a visit Ian, my friend, having a little Veeter (Victor). A local school teacher called, and was so impress with the oddity of having English speaking little boys about, wanted me to recite children songs, like hickery dickery dock, and have the boys repeat them to other children here, as they dont get such unusual singing here. I had to explan for example what was "nick nack patty wack". They just love to hear it and the translations from real english speaking Americans, especially, the little boys. Just found out that Vlad and Nastasha with little Shusha, wife's cousins, are coming over tomorrow night for diner, and so, I will invite Fr. Sebastian to join us for dinner, as well an Ian, my pal. And so I instructed Tanya and Babushka to fix up those great Russian dishes, and break out the fine china and fine crystal and wine, and really put on a dinner in grand style. Valery and Valentina, wife's uncle/aunt, are 35 years wed this day, and so, it should be a great dinner party, with many toasts. (Hope they all don’t get hammered in front of Fr. Sebastian, but I suspect, it will be a night well remembered. And so, I also instructed Tanya to tell her family to act civil and not jump into dinner until after Fr. Sebastian says grace. This should be so much fun, cant wait, to see those Russians, sneak shots of vodka, when Fr. Sebastian is not so observant, but I suspect, it will be hilarious from my perspective, and I am sure I will be laughing inside all night long. LOL!!! I hope the good father blesses the boys, though. What a way to end a trip to Russia. Wife said, catholic father or no father present, these Russians will get hammered, not even realizing that it would be peculiar, in my view, and will not think twice about it, and will slam the vodka shots, one after another, in repetitive toasts to all, even to Fr. Sebastain, now THAT'S RUSSIAN STYLE!! I suppose they will just claim they are not Catholic but Orthodox!! ON THE FLOOR, on the floor!! (well I hope not literally) This should be wild. Cant wait!!! ====================== So Fred Thompson got 3% in MI, hmm, not bad really, in a liberal upper midwest state, ditto NH. SC is the key, a goofy victory in SC will start the snow ball, or the rebel yell, if you prefer. IM WITH FRED!! ================Le Patron An Act of Congress, By the Congress of United States of America, this day, January 17, 2035, be it enacted throughout the United States, that: Section A, Accounts and Redemption. A.1 The debt limit of the United State shall be raised forthwith in Federal Reserve Notes to 100 Trillion notes. A.2 The Treasury of the United State shall issue all of said Federal Reserve Notes forthwith. A.3 The Federal Reserve Bank shall forthwith pay in said notes all US Government bonds and obligations to all and any holders thereof of such obligations and bonds throughout the world, A.4 The Treasury of the United States shall segregate 100,000 oz of Gold Eagle Coinage for the exclusive use of redemption of all of said Federal Reserve Notes. A.5 All of said Federal Reserve Notes and prior issued Federal Reserve Notes shall be redeemable in Gold and Silver Eagle coinage of the United State at a rate of 0.0000000001 (1 Billionth) oz of Gold Eagle coinage or 0.00000005 (fifty Billionth) oz of Silver Eagle coinage in United States exclusively limited to only US Mint minted Gold and Silver Eagle coinage, redeemable at any National Bank of the United States, or authorized Mint Eagle coinage dealer. Section B, Redemption Periods. B.1 Said Redemption in Gold and Silver Eagle coinage shall be for a period of not more than one year of the date of enactment of this act by the President of the United States. B.2 After said Redemption period, Gold and Silver Eagle coinage shall be the only lawful legal tender used for all debts, public and private, within the United States. Section C, International Settlement of Debts. C.1 During said Redemption period, all international obligations in said Federal Reserve Notes shall be settled exclusively in Gold and Silver Eagle coinage at said exchange rate. C.2 After said Redemption period, all international obligations shall be settled consistent with UN treaty obligations that all international settlements between nations shall be exclusively in Gold and Silver species. Section D Domestic Settlement of Debts. D.1 All and any obligations of the United States to and for any citizen or national alien of the United states, including but not limited to payments due in arrearages of social security, medi-care, medi-caid shall be immediately paid forthwith in said Federal Reserve Notes.   D.2 Upon termination of the redemption period, and payment of all international and domestic obligations, the national debt of the United States shall be then, hence forth, and forever zero.   Section E, The Federal Reserve Bank. E.1 The Federal Reserve Bank shall forthwith reduce to zero percentage rate all existing United State bonds, until all such bonds are paid in full by said issuance of said Federal Reserve Notes within said redemption period. E.2 The Federal Reserve Bank shall, upon payment of all of said bonds in said notes, shall be then, hence forth and forever abolished, and shall quit all transactions upon the termination of the redemption period. E.3 All bonds issued by the United States shall then thereafter, hence forth, and forever shal be exclusively denominated in Gold and Silver Eagle coinage. This act, being duly authorized by the Congress of the United States, is hereby the supreme law throughout the United States upon execution by the President of the United States, Sign this day, January 17th, 2035, by: President Bill Murphy of the United States of America. Derrick =============== Apparently, it got down to -30C lasts night, and Valery's car would not start in the morning, locked up, and that killed the country drive from Vladivostok. Fr. Sebastian said he would take the 11am bus out of Nakhodka arriving about two pm, and would call. Apparently, the militia (local police) out in the boonies, between Nakhodka and Vladivostok, stopped the Bus, threw everyone out, searched the Bus, arrested 2 guys, SEIZED THE BUS, right then and there, with no questions ask, and so the Bus patron, waited for another bus to come along, as there are regular bus runs, about every 1.5 hours, and hence, Fr. Sebastian was late, and in the rural area, no cell phone service. As did not know what happened, and the Bus was late, at the flat, I became very concerned.   Come 3pm, after an inability to reach his cell phone, I jumped in a cab to the auto-bus-park, and could not find Sebastian, and not being able to effective communicate as to if the Bus had arrived, I returned to the flat, and then was able to reached Sebastian by cell phone, and he took a cab to the nearby Hyundai Hotel, 3 blocks away, where we finally met. In Russia, all plans can go arye quick, and you have to be adaptable and always have extreme patients with the systems.   I first told Fr. Sebastian, that these Russians are difficult, cant get a straight answer, never, they don’t like simply saying yes or no to request, fearing insults, its cultural, but Americans find way to imprecise to communicate efficiently. I have learned that when they say "I think its possible" that means yes, and when they say, "I will have to think about it", that means no. At first, it was incomprehensible double-dutch, and have given up trying to speak in my broken Russian that requires absolute simple precision in words. I then said to Fr. Sebastian that he would have to "sing for his lunch" in that I would like him to say a few words about being blessed by God before dinner. I then explained to him, that these are Russians, as if he did not know them, and said, they are likely to drink vodka allot, so to prepare him for the great shock at dinner of a bunch of drinking Russian. Reaching the flat, I showed him pictures and a list of the people attending the dinner, and their relationships. As expected, Ian, Vlad, and Irina were late, and we started dinner 30 minutes late, without them. So with Professor Igor without Irina, Fisherman Valery & Valentina with daughter Marina, Natasha without Colonel Vlad but with daughter Shusha, wife, babushka and the boys, Fr. Sebastian started talking about how God gives us blessings each day, but speaking in Russian I could not understand what was said, and merely watch the reactions, and there were not "a few short words", and I could tell by the end, and most were getting a little impatient, with all the great food and booze in front of them. The china/crystal set accommodates 18, its huge, and a total of 15 were/would be present, with the dining table fully extended to about 15 feet. After the "sermon", I remarked that I had asked for only a few short words, and now know why Ian and Vlad were late, and Igor, speaking and knowing fluent Engish, just roared, while Fr. Sebastian laugh too. I tried to explain to Fr Sebastian that if you push religion on them, they would just back off from it, and the idea is to "chum" and give a little tib bit here and there, and try to "hook up", with them being tempted to learn more. Fr. Sebastian and I agreed that though these Russians claim to be Christian, and have Icons, the church goers don’t seem to prayer and lack spirit, and that merely being born Orthodox was sufficient, and that, the Orthodox has not modernized with gospel readings and sermons that would teach and inspire the flock, and should be so modernized. As so, after the "few short words", the toasts started right on que, and to my surprise, Fr. Sebastian was right there with him, filling his vodka cherry-glass full leading the toasts, first of course to Valery and Valentina's 35 year anniversary. And the toast continued, and I generally helped serving dishes full of food, as Fr. Sebastian, kept up with the vodka toast, mostly, to my great surprise as the toasting ring leader. It was a great time, most curious about Fr. Sebastian being brown-skinned Indian, which, to me as an American is meaningless, but to the Russian politely inquisitive. The food was great, Ian and Irina showed 30 minutes in, and Vlad about 1.5 hours late, working. Fr. Sebastian left early to go to the local Catholic Church, and upon leaving a final toast, slamming down a double shots, that would have had me gagging, so Fr. Sebastian from India knows how to rock with the Russians, and refuse the polite offer of a mouthwash before leaving, which was refused. Before dinner, he had remarked, when in Rome do as the Roman do, which I said to him a few years back. We will continue to stay in touch by email, as he tries to raise a new church in Nakhodka. Igor gave be a classical music CD, a book in English on Russian Culture, and "Gods and Generals" DVD, as he knows I am a civil war guff. Valentina gave me some caviar to take back to the states. A few years back, Oleg, Valery's fishing pal, gave me a 12 volume set of books in Russian about The Great Patriotic War (WWII). When the boys are about 10-9 years, they will help me read them, as I understand the war well, and the books will be the primary tool used for me to learn Russian in about 4 more years. Today I get on the plane back. It was a good trip. Poker winner Valentina will pick me up, then go to Ian's house, and three of us to go to the aero-port this day. A good trip, saw my friends, relatives, family, and had a good time. ========================== Update on the Presidential Election of March 08. Medvedeva (Putin's designee) with the Russian First Party, endorsed by all major political parties in Russia, riding Putin's successes over the last 8 year improving the economy, having 75% support. Zhugonov of the Communist Party, really and ultra-left socialist party (they aint going back to communism, no way, no how) support by old pensioners living on a few hundred a month, having about 10% support. Chernoski, the political clown, on a truth and honest government platform, having about 8% support Shirinovski, unknown platform and demographics with 6% support. Bogdanov, unknown platform and demographics with 1% support. Like the EU, the campaign period is short, and the question is whether Putin will allow them all, without any confrontational debates, to appear on national TV to pitch their respective candidacies. I have only seen one short bit on Zhugonov, to date. ======================== The gold purchase at the Russian bank apparently does not require the sales tax, provided the gold/silver stays in the bank, on recorded on a register. HHHmmmmmm, this enables Russians to jump into the gold market to support real money, yet enables the Russian government to "confiscate" at will. I would not be so trusting with all my bullion in one bank, controlled directly by the government. Russian culture is a bit different. ======================= When emotionalveracity asked Catfish to comment on about a dozen Austrialian miners, I though, it takes weeks to fully do due-diligence on any one miner, and that that was a huge request, actually. And in humor, posted a rely that "you forgot to what's the billing rate". Apparently, the humor was not appreciated as catfish responded "Please disregard" the comment from a certain member, which was ostensibly polite, in response. I wonder, however, and would a like comment comment from catfish, if he were capable of simply disregarding a year of Café insults, such as "Delusional Nazi-Fagot Idiot" directed personally at me, for nearly a year, in the café, for my political orientations. I doubt it he would be as patient, as I have been, with small minds, locked into a "see no evil" mentality. I suppose that my political orientation, the neocon mantra, will never be accepted as legit by some, if NOT ALL, in the cafe, and some, IF NOT ALL, will always maintain a certain dislike for me here in the café, regardless of apologies extended from me but not ackowledge, but as the saying goes, you cant please everyone all the time, that could be modified that in on cafe, a certain member cant please anyone at any time. Oh well, life goes on.   =============== See you all in the states, and will glad to get back to broadband internet communications, as this, Russki phone dial-up, just sucks. ======================= As usual, with each flight out of Vladivostok, there were couple of American with adopted little russkies. And everytime I fly into Incheon, I swear that the arrival and departure anouncer's voice sound exactly like CONNIE CHUNG. ======================= This message was edited by DerrickMReid on 1-18-08 @ 7:33 PM DerrickMReid 01-18-2008 @ 8:04 PM                           reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: Joined: Aug 2007 A story begins at Michigan State University with a mechanical engineering professor named Indrek Wichman. Wichman sent an e-mail to the Muslim Student's Association. The e-mail was in response to the students' protest of the Danish cartoons that portrayed the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist. The group had complained the cartoons were "hate speech." Enter Professor Wichman. In his e-mail, he said the following: Dear Moslem Association, As a professor of Mechanical Engineering here at MSU I intend to protest your protest. I am offended not by cartoons, but by more mundane things like beheadings of civilians, cowardly attacks on public buildings, suicide murders, murders of Catholic priests (the latest in Turkey ), burnings of Christian churches, the continued persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt, the imposition of Sharia law on non-Muslims, the rapes of Scandinavian girls and women (called "whores" in your culture), the murder of film directors in Holland, and the rioting and looting in Paris France. This is what offends me, a soft-spoken person and academic, and many, many of my colleagues. I counsel you dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and uncivilized slave-trading Moslems to be very aware of this as you proceed with your infantile "protests." If you do not like the values of the West - see the 1st Amendment -  you are free to leave. I hope for God's sake that most of you choose that option. Please return to your ancestral homelands and build them up yourselves instead of troubling Americans. Cordially, I. S. Wichman Professor of Mechanical Engineering ====== As you can imagine, the Muslim group at the university didn't like this too well. They're demanding that Wichman be reprimanded and the university impose mandatory diversity training for faculty and mandate a seminar on hate and discrimination for all freshmen. Now the local chapter of CAIR has jumped into the fray. CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, apparently doesn't believe that the good professor had the right to express his opinion. For its part, the university is standing its ground in support of Professor Wichman, saying the e-mail was private, and they don't intend to publicly condemn his remarks. ============ HOT DAMN, I like this professor!!!! ============

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