Bailey Alexander

With over 500 million citizens the EU's more than just a bunch of zombie banks.

As promised, 2012 doomsday scenarios loom everywhere. Especially off the lips of the just about every single Anglo-American out there. It calms their own fears, placing the blame over 'there'.  And the fundamentals again, svp?  

And Europeans are more serious than the Anglo-Americans, translating in a myriad of ways into their daily life. Consumerism is less prominant, almost non-existent here in Prague. In comparison; refreshing. 

Germany will continue to be consequent, competent and carry on. Obama's Chauncey Gardiner act is wearing thin and no one listens to Cameron; Britain never contributed to the EU solidarity fund and they opted to bow out and focus on financial services; Bon Chance. 

Nomi Prins; JP Morgan's loss will continue to grow along with the Fed's role from within.

JP Morgan didn't hedge, they 'bet' the corporate markets would improve in synthetic derivative fashion. They lost the best, lost 2 billion and counting. For those that love therapy speak, an intervention is needed. Odds are, an intervention won't happen and for those that dismiss the role of the Fed, they are naive. The Fed's role is major, along with the other economic institutions, they are the enabler's.

The gambling addicts are safe and that is very, very scary for all. Nomi Prins explains away all in her 'thoughts' section. Nomi gets it, the multi-faceted fraud, the insider trading, after all she comes from within the system. Not unlike AIG, MF Global, Lehmans and all the rest...they'll continue to use the economic instruments as weapons, hence we wait with great trepidation as the global financial terrorism continues...

Modern Zeitgeists; parasitic spirit of our time.

“What I say today everybody will say tomorrow, though they will not remember who put it into their heads. Indeed they will be right for I never remember who puts things into my head : it is the Zeitgeist.” –George Bernard Shaw

Modern zeitgeists come in so many forms. Spirits of our time.

Few would argue Matt Drudge is the on-line media king of the muckrakers. Arianna Huffington proved brilliantly you could aggregate everyone else's content and take sole credit. Navigating effortlessly from the right side of politics to the left; the l-r paradigm was made for types like Arianna. 

Occupy Czech Republic

Occupy Czech appears to be suffering the same malaise I saw on May Day across the pond. 

I can assure the environment was far more depressing than my lame fotos. The man in the tent spoke some English, was sweet, and no, though he looks like he was ready to flip me the finger he wasn't.

 

 

More than willing to have a chat, his broken English better than any Czech I could come up with; I've barely mastered the most basic of daily exchanges. Just grateful I can say the name of my street with ease. It took me forever to pronounce the name of our address in Amsterdam, you have to throw so much guttural energy into their language it makes German sound smooth and lyrical. 

This guy was obliging and kind. The two other people hanging outside their tents were very somber. A few tents, some signage, a few pots and pans, they'll stay until May 15th. 

I was on my way to meet a friend for lunch. She'd arrived back from Luxembourg, and yes, one can imagine the Occupy movement had less impact there, upsetting everyone as their Occupy protest collided on the same day as the disabled. Yes, telling and sad, so singularly anti-climactic.  My Russian friend had plenty of positive feedback regarding the Pirate Party, perhaps this movement could learn something from  the other, or not. 

The movement in general seems crippled by a lack of momentum, message and worst of all, perhaps little surprise, the media aren't paying any attention at all. 

Perhaps a demand or two wouldn't hurt but unless they're ready to storm the 'Bastille' its becoming harder to imagine how they can make a difference and impose a positive impact on their own lives. After I snapped the foto he just zipped up his tent and went to sleep...

Tony Blair; from lazy eyed to crazy eyed.

They say the wild eyed one is back. Like a cockroach. Perhaps only Sarkozy is loathed as much as Blair in Europe and the UK.   

If you've seen Kingdom of Heaven, a gorgeous flic that happens to be historical correct, you simply shake your head and try and absorb how surreal it was to allow the Mandatory Palestine; officially becoming their 'real estate'. As Gore Vidal sighs, "based on ancient tablets."  

Matt Taibbi on how the Tea Party and Occupy overlap, along with the fact...

"...our system definitely can't work if corrupt, failing companies escape consequence by leaning on an endless supply of bailouts and low-interest financial patronage by the Federal Reserve."

 The Tea Party and Occupy overlap:

"To me, the dichotomy outlined by Rosenbaum helps explain the appearance of two seemingly contradictory major protest movements: a Tea Party movement fulminating against a repressive, overweening regulatory regime, and the Occupy movement railing against an extreme laissez-faire system bordering on lawlessness.

The situation described by Rosenbaum explains how both movements could be right. Just as Tea Party leaders argue, there really has been an enormous flowering of new regulatory burdens in recent decades. It's just that one group of actors has been given de facto license to ignore those burdens, while everyone else has not. Thus two movements protesting lawlessness on the one hand and an excess of laws on the other – that doesn't necessarily strain the imagination."

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/with-blistering-dallas-fed-report-ending-too-big-to-fail-goes-mainstream-20120329#ixzz1qhWZfRnZ

 

Currency wars; how rest of the world is creating a new monetary system, or so it appears...

As the global economic story unfolds its becoming increasingly clear how the international community will dismiss America's economic sanctions.

Some insist the Iranian threat is just another way to ensure the US dollar remain the world reserve currency. Who knows, so many economists competing for air.

One thing is clear, the USD's monopoly is inspiring countries to create an alternate set of rules, especially when threatened with economic sanctions should they continue to purchase oil from Iran.

Makes sense. My economic Post from 12/2011 feels very current, everyone's talking about the Japan/China deal now.  It's always been all about trade so they continue to create new ways to engage.

India will pay in gold, apparently China may follow.  They'll barder, they'll use Rupees; countries and people are exploring alternative routes and relationships. Bitcoin anyone? Yes, many.

It's getting easier to perceive the Wall Street/City of London derivative model, fictitious in its own inimitably fashion, completing its cycle. Could the dollar crash by 2012?  Who knows, somethins gunna give...

What we do know is the following countries will continue to acquiesce to America's demands and be granted a 6 month grace period. They won't risk sanctions by getting cut off from US central banking system, if they promise not to purchase oil from Iran. A partial list includes:

Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Poland, Spain, the UK; basically the "obedient satellites of Wall Street and the City of london" as Webster Tarpley likes to call them.   

The less than obedient satellites include the usual suspects; China, India, South Korea, Pakistan,  Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey, Taiwan, The Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka. 

And Iran, of course. Crazy daze, indeed. 

 

The Phony Kony, Angelina Jolie and mayhem for money.

Illustrative article on the phony Kony propaganda making the rounds on the internet. Again, Greg Palast exposes how one need only follow the money to see what this cause célèbre is all about. Africa is about oil and resources. Everything's about oil and resources. It is interesting to see both clients and consumers of Africa forming grassroots efforts against Monsanto. That is a good thing....

Look at Libya after the illegal war; it's literally impossible to do business of any kind on any level due to civil war across the country.

Goldman Sachs gets a knee in the nuts.

Daily Telegraph reports  on Goldman Sachs and its recent PR disaster. Headline reads; "A knee in the nuts that means serious trouble for Goldman Sachs.

"In the New York Times there is an absolutely devastating attack on the culture of Goldman Sachs, by one of its senior executives. He announces that he is resigning today because he has had it with the firm's alleged practices. He criticises the way in which one of the world's largest and most important investment banks now looks after the interests of its clients."

Greg Palast gets threat from Romney's billionaire backer.

My favorite muckraker Greg Palast is getting threatened by Romney's billionaire Paul Singer. Singer, in coordination with the Koch brothers is the "cash locomotive of the GOP. Not any worse than Obama's Goldman Sachs, they love Barry even more than the GOP, yet they all overlap in oh so many ways.

Palast's style is old school, "Follow The Money," kind of investigative reporting, exposing mayhem for money across the globe. His book, Vulture's Picnic exposes the vultures that reap billions by the day. The BBC is sticking behind him, good on them. His latest article is worth a read:   

"Well, not legal in most of the civilized world.  Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said about Singer and his fellow crew, "I deplore the activities of so-called Vulture Funds, [they] are nothing short of scandalous." Britain has outlawed Singer's re-po man seizures (after all, it's ultimately the aid money we give Africa). In the UK, and in much of Europe, Singer is a finance outlaw. But in the USA, he's a "job creator."

 

 

OWS, self sabotage and StopImperialism.com.

Occupy Wall Street's latest idea is a General Strike on May 1st, makes sense. Let's hope its more effective than last year's inspirational albeit short lived movement. 

Yet I'm more impressed by results and guys like Eric Draitser. His website Stop Imperialism rings right and he did try and incorporate a very critical organ to OWS; the POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEMANDS group.

Unfortunately for Eric the General Assembly was co-opted by the facilitators from AdBusters, Obama's Campaign (no wonder he's always smiling) and various anarchists and communist groups.

Communism as collective is fine but I'm too fastidious and their consensus model feels cumbersome and I fear self-sabotage is inevitable. 

Imran Khan; When East meets West.

And it's a good thing. Imagine.

Guardian's Title:

Imran Khan: the man who would be Pakistan's next prime minister.

As he reaches 60, the Pashtun aristocrat who married into the height of British society says he is becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the legacy of colonialism. The cricketer turned politician talks in Islamabad. 

Exerpt at the end; Khan is not "dim", as the elite who he detests contemptuously say, but is not an intellectual either. He is a politician riding a wave of public disaffection, and that wave might just carry him to power. What he does afterwards is not something he worries about. He will be 60 this autumn. This would only bother him, he says, if he "had nothing to look forward to". But he is convinced that he does. From his hilltop Khan looks down and says: "This country will go through its biggest change ever. A revolution is coming.

Students were out in the thousands to protest in Prague today, like the others; economically driven..

I don't have satellite and don't speak the language but I did happen to see this on the local news while hanging out with some other Czechs. I asked for their thoughts.

Greg Palast on Alex Jones; couldn't have said it better myself.

Other than Anonymous, there's too few making an impact. Too few modern day muckrakers, with their heart in the right place...alas, we have Greg Palast. 

His thoughts on Alex Jones align with my own. Alex is a force not to be denied, the most popular radio host on the internet in North America, nooooo dispute on that data...and the fact he showcased the women that run democrats against the UN agenda 21, two lesbians that are pro-choice proves he is on the side of the angels. He actually stopped talking for an hour. 

Go Greg, your book, Vulture's Picnic is doing well, as it should. Go Alex, go RON PAUL!!

Here's the link, apparently it does not want to play cut and paste. Greg Palast in Praise of Alex Jones

Rosa Koire and Kay Tokerud; Democrats against UN AGENDA 21; "This is not a conspiracy theory, it is a conspiracy fact."

Who are these extraordinary women?

"We are civil rights advocates, pro-choice, and pro-gay marriage, who until recently considered ourselves 'progressive Democrats.'  We are university educated, middle income professionals who seek to make common cause with others in the United States who share our concerns."  

Excellent.

What's their story?

Iron Lady; Meryl Streep's compassionate take on the conviction style politician.

I was surprised by how quiet the film felt, how The Iron Lady remained relatively silent about so many issues surrounding such a forceful and compelling woman. 

A good film, emotional, as much about its subject as it is about Meryl Streep's moving portrayal of Margaret Thatcher. 

Perhaps too obvious as I shake my head in endless admiration, regarding both the actress and politician: "What a woman!"

Streep is so technically brilliant it's impossible to deny her emotional insistence, her adroit ability of imposing a layer of warmth and meaning upon a woman intent on ideas, on change, on making her mark when women played such a minor role in political life.  

I remember Thatcher's era, having lived in London in the mid 80's. I may have lived less than a year but my time was filled with intense memories and events unfolding almost daily.

I had little clue let alone focus on my future, fantasizing about becoming a playwright after studying at the University of London for a semester, interning at a fringe theatre in east London. It was insanely fun and eerily stark at the same time; I was not only living with a card carrying labor party member and activist, a man known today as much for his mind as his acting ability, but I was surrounded by one very colorful and illustrious theatrical crowd. And yes, they almost all loathed Margaret Thatcher.

Watching Europe in crisis...

...is like watching life in slow motion. Or this song.

Compelling and amusing in an existential sort of way. In that emphatically didactic Brechtian Kurt Wheil Threepenny Opera Mack The Knife kinda way.

And. Contrary to all the conspiracy theories, the anglo press, ecetera, ecetera, ecetera, Europeans have little issue with Germany running the money, in fact, they're all bending over backwards to follow their model.  

Penn State, Banksters and Perspective

I'm sure many people might agree Penn State's child abuse scandal isn't an isolated case, we've thousands of institutions protecting their image for all the wrong reasons. 

We're simply overwhelmed by the rate they expose our scars in modern times.  We're so concerned with whatever it is we're concerned with on any given day; our reputation, our situational morality, our livelihood, our own precious lives, so much more precious than others, apparently.  

And then a point in time arrives when life sinks so low that perspective raises its philosophical head as if to insist we're each complicit in our own special way. Doing the best we can, certainly with the very best of intentions, always.     

Once upon a time Orson Welles, America's most lovable renaissance man provided Chaplin with an idea for a film. Welles, the son of a bon viveur and sedulous globetrotter, whose mother's salon introduced introduced him to Art, Stravinsky and Ravel, a kid who met Hitler at 9, a man who could declare with eyewitness authority that Beijing and Peking were the two artistic centres of the world, yes, that man, our boy Orson provided perspective for a Charlie Chaplin film.

Who's zooming Whom in the currency wars...

Hard to know, even harder to know who's wagging what but since I was a kid I've always been curious. That's why I left The American Dream. Yes, I'd been blessed, worked my ass off, I got to experience The American Dream, but then left, I'm that curious. 

Since moving across the pond and shuffling around in some international circles, I can say with confidence, I've now got a better idea. And, more importantly, all those stereotypes regarding the Italian, English, French, Israeli and Arab, well, they've all been put to test and failed, most beautifully.  

America and Israel; warfare states that just may triumph themselves to death.

Each day brings a fresh hell for the Libyan people; 10-30,000 Libyans killed, blacks being lynched and women and children raped, per always, in a world that loves the business of war, attacking soverign states. As long as the fiction of the nation state remains. Brecht's Mother Courage is alive and well.

Libya may have fallen off the front page, it's practically impossible to cobble together any kind of sensible perspective but the business potential is viewed as nothing less than a bonanza. The English and Eurozone are lining up...it never ceases to stun, the sheer greed, they way this world works, one that loves the business of war. 

Juan Cole; easy to skewer the obsession with Knights of Templar

Juan Cole site is a key ingredient for those wishing to read up on the Breivik madness from a distance. It's easy to skewer the obsession w/Knights of Templar, and yet the combination of this 'movement', the anti-jihadist blogs, the Geert Wilders and the rest allow us to understand why the partnership with Zionism can seem almost strategic.

Of course, one could argue the Knights have nothing on today's financial terrorism...

Germany will decide when to turn out the lights on Euro

 Germany was always the economic engine, we said this all along. Exactly when its over is kinda key. However, in this random, globalized world, nobody knows...

ht video: Max Keiser

US Hedge Funds vs Italy; it's simply Financial Terrorism

I'm well aware of how promiscuous the term 'terror' has become, but it's applicable to the current scenario.