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Date Posted: 12:55:59 11/20/07 Tue
Author: part 2
Subject: Re: November 18, 2007
In reply to: part 1 's message, "November 18, 2007" on 12:54:37 11/20/07 Tue

LEADING DEVELOPMENTS

- LAROUCHE ADDRESSES CHINA UNIFICATION SUMMIT ON -
- `A NEW PACIFIC RELATIONSHIP EMERGES' -

{Nov. 17--Lyndon LaRouche addressed "Global Summit for China's
Peaceful Unification" held at the University of Maryland
conference center in Rockville, this morning. Over 200 leaders
from around the world participated. Lyn was a featured speaker in
the opening session, and the published title of his presentation
was "A New Pacific Relationship Emerges." The conference is
taking place Nov 16-18.} [NOTE: Draft transcript for internal use
only.]

LYNDON LAROUCHE: Thank you. As you know, this is a time of
great troubles in the world. The world financial-monetary system
is in the process of disintegrating. And until and unless
certain changes are made, that disintegration will continue, in a
fairly short period. If we change our ways, which circumstances
will force us to do if we wish to survive, it will be a great
positive change in the rest of the world.
For all of what we know of civilization, civilizations that
are dominated by great imperial forces which have dominated the
land area from the sea. There was a change which came with
Abraham Lincoln's election and development, in the development of
the transcontinental railroad system in the United States. This
corresponded to a thrust from the United States to opening
channels to countries in Asia, across the Pacific, and to
opposing imperial forces in the Pacific.
Now, the time has come to bring that into realization.
Recently, in Russia, there were meetings on the subject of a new
railway system for the world, which involved an agreement to
develop a tunnel from northern Siberia, across the Bering
Straits, into North America. This tunnel would be a railway
tunnel, which would implicitly link the entire world together,
except for Australia, by railway systems.
These railway systems, which would be either railway or
magnetic levitation, would now unite the land-masses,
efficiently, for economic development internally. This coincides
with a recent development, which many of us have wished for, in
settlement between the relations of the two parts of Korea.
Because the reunification of Korea, in functional terms, economic
terms, means that the population will be changed there, and whole
key thing is a railway system. As most of you know, the railway
system of Korea before division, was like a yoke: It ran up from
the south and divided, divided in the area of about the division
of Korea into two parts: One line went to China, one line went to
Russia, of the same system.
Those lines are now being reunified, which means there will
be a fundamental change, because this will coincide with the
development which is in progress now, supposed to be completed in
a first phase by 2017, ten years from now: this tunnel. This
tunnel will be connected with the railway systems, or magnetic
levitation systems, throughout Eurasia, into North America, and
down through Europe into Africa. What this means is, that as we
know, we have about 1.4 billion people in China, and the
development is not sufficient to meet the needs, yet. We need to
open new routes for that development: This includes raw
materials--there are abundant raw materials available in northern
Asia, in Russia, and adjoining countries. This will require a
great development, this will require railway systems. Therefore,
we will be able to meet, by such means, by railway development,
or magnetic levitation, we will be able to integrate the
development of the internal parts of Asia, by this process.
Because we will be able to bring together sufficient raw
materials to support the kind of development process needed. We
see this clearly there.
Now, the prospect now, is: That the relations with China and
Japan have not been good, since about 1894, when the British
started a war against China, which went on until 1945, off and
on. But now, Japan is in a situation, where its vital interests
demand that it cooperate with China, to offer them aid, to help
the economic development of Korea. This will go partly through
Korea, and we know that Korea and the Japanese are not always
friendly, but they have a common interest. And these countries
are not always friendly to China, but they now have a vital
common interest in cooperation. Russia has a vital interest in
cooperation.
So therefore, we are bringing together now, hopefully, the
leading nations of Asia, with some countries of Europe and
beyond, to realize that their survival and benefit for the future
depends upon cooperation, through economic development and
through trade. And the key is the development of these new kinds
of systems, which will link the entire world: Eventually, you
will be able be to go by train, or by magnetic levitation, to any
point of Europe, the Americas, and Africa by rail systems,
high-speed rail systems. This is especially important for
{high-value products}, for freight. You may move cheap products
by sea, very slowly. But since the products are cheap and the
cost is large, you move by sea. High-grade products,
high-technology products, sophisticated products must move
faster. They must move by land-area: They move by high-speed
freight systems and maglev systems, and that's the kind of world
we're entering.
So, if we are saying, those of us in all the world are going
to unite around this kind of vision for the future, we can not
have globalization. Because with globalization, you do not
develop cultures. And the culture of a people is old, and the
roots of ideas in the culture are deeply rooted, in the history
of the language, in the history of the people. Therefore,
national cultures are crucial. But the national cultures need
not be divided by the cultures, they can united by cooperation
and projects of development.
And the time has come, now, to move in that direction. My
concern is to take a government of the United States, which I
don't think is much worth much right now, and to try to find in
the coming election process, or [somehow through that], and in
the present crisis, to make people aware through the great crisis
they face, in the United States and Europe and elsewhere, that
they have to change: Not only do they have to change {away} from
what they've been doing, as mistakes, but they must change in the
direction of things that will work, things that are solutions for
the future.
Unfortunately, today most people in the United States and
Europe have very short memories. They can't think much beyond
five or ten years, very short term. We have to come to a time
where they think in long terms: The development of this railway
system, the tunnel system, is over ten years, and it's already
being started. It will mean a new railway system from the
Trans-Siberian Railroad up to the area of the Bering Straits,
which is an area in which there are many raw materials under the
ground. It will therefore be an area of {development}, to
develop those raw materials. These kinds of changes are on the
way. But we have to think in terms of two or three generations
ahead. We have to think ahead to the remainder of this century,
the present century. Because, with the development of
families--what? it's 25 years to develop an adult these days, in
modern culture; that's a generation. Most of the projects we
think of, involve a 50-year investment, the development of
infrastructure and things like that. And the benefit we will
reach for humanity, who come 100 years from now, four
generations. And we must think in terms of long-term development
of people, culture, and infrastructure for 100 years to come. And
we must have that kind of discussion among leaders and leading
circles of nations, so that we can adopt a policy, a common
understanding among different peoples of a common interest.
Thank you, very much. [loud applause]

MODERATOR: Thank you, Mr. LaRouche.

Philadelphia Congressman Calls for Federal Freeze on
Foreclosures; LaRouche's Provisions to Protect Banks Must be
Enacted As Well

Nov. 17, 2007 (LPAC)--Philadelphia Congressman Chaka Fattah
(D-Pa.), chairman of the House Urban Caucus, wrote to George Bush
yesterday, calling on him to "declare a six-month moratorium on
all foreclosures" as a "stop gap measure until long-term measures
can be implemented to address this national crisis," according to
a release from his office carried by PRNewswire and USNewswire.
Lyndon LaRouche's call in August for a moratorium on
foreclosures is now being widely taken up. But, to erect a
viable firewall of protection around the American people, that
moratorium must be joined by LaRouche's measures to protect the
regular banks in his Homeowners and Banks Protection Act.
While Congressman Fattah is raising this issue, 45 members
of the Pennsylvania legislature in his home state, are calling
for Congressman Fattah and other Congressmen to adopt the
specific and powerful legislation of LaRouche's Homeowners and
Bank Protection Act. [ap]

MySpace Induces Suicide of Young Girl: Who's to Blame?

November 17, 2007 (LPAC)--LaRouchePAC has been sent multiple
emails regarding Megan Meier, a 13 year old girl, from Dardenne
Prairie, Mo., who committed suicide on Oct. 16, 2006, after being
rejected by fake personalities on Murdoch's death chamber,
MySpace. The tragic incident itself wasn't known by the internet
mobs, until the Suburban Journal released a report by Steve
Pokin, on Monday, November 12, 2007. Pokin's very objective
report leaves the reader to judge the problem, but also lays
blame for the suicide on the parents of a friend of Megan's.
To summarize Pokin's report: Megan Meier, who had social
problems, was given access to MySpace by her parents, and through
her image of herself, became friends with a 16 year old boy named
Josh. Josh, who pretended to like her, was a fake personality
created by the parents, not named in the report, of a friend of
Megan's, who wanted to see what Megan was saying about their
daughter. Megan had gotten into a fight with her friend and
sought refuge in the fake personality Josh, on MySpace. A
dialogue then occurred, between Josh, Megan and other MySpace
personalities. During the dialogue, Megan called her mother, and
told her, "They are posting bulletins about me.... Megan Meier is
a slut. Megan Meier is fat." These multiple attacks on Megan's
self-esteem, caused her to commit suicide later that evening.
Pokin's report was later picked up by several other internet
news wires, on November 16, 2007. One report from Tim Jones of
the Chicago Tribune said, "`People are just totally shocked ...
They can't believe that an adult would have done this,' said Pam
Fogarty, mayor of the town of 7,000 people.
"`The scary part is that when you look at the blogs and
listen to the phone calls we're getting, it's very quickly
becoming a mob mentality,' said Fogarty, who has arranged for
additional police patrols in the neighborhood."
This crazy mob, generated by the reports, has the same
tragic mentality as the MySpace dwellers who caused the suicide
of the young girl. The question should be asked: Why is this
countergang operation being organized, by a tragic incident, at
this time? Also, do you think that this incident would have
occurred if MySpace didn't exist? Why do you think violence and
death are permitted in Murdoch's World of MySpace? Do you think
that Beastman Murdoch really cares what happens to the United
States population?
It should be known that this isn't the only incident being
used to create mobs within the United States population. Other
incidents, like the death of the English girl, Meredith Kercher,
in Italy, have been used to create mobs of crazed MySpace
dwellers to yell and scream "Justice! We want justice!" But, if
you study your history, you'd know that the British Empire, like
the Spanish Inquisition, has always used these types of incidents
to create the Jacobin mobs which become the murderers of Justice.
To quote Lyndon LaRouche from ``The Mask of Nancy Pelosi:
The Force of Tragedy:''
"Contrary to induced popular belief, Classical tragedy since
Aeschylus, has one clear, unchanging definition in the legacy of
the best among the examples of leading poets, playwrights, and
other relevant composers, such as Aeschylus, Shakespeare, and
Friedrich Schiller. Typically incompetent, current academic views
on this subject, have been sometimes associated with the teaching
of the subjects of Shakespeare by Romantics such as Coleridge and
Bradley. Crude, but relevant, nonetheless, is the witless and
vulgar practice of attaching the rubric "tragedy" to almost any
misfortunate occurrence. Contrary to popular illiteracy of today,
the civilized use of the term, tragedy, has a precise, very
important, and scientifically rigorous meaning, especially for
those in the terrible grip of the threat to today's presently
real-life consequences. This notion of tragedy, is the subject of
a strategic-intelligence assessment which must now be considered
by any seriously competent viewer of the present U.S. situation.
Purpose of this needed reflection, begin now with two
excerpts from Act I, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
Shakespeare does come to the point quickly, in his fashion.
First: Cassius to Brutus: (answering Brutus' question
concerning the influence of Julius Caesar):
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus: and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonorable graves.
Men at some times are masters of their fates:
The Fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings....
Second: Cassius: Did Cicero say anything?
Casca: Ay, he spoke Greek.
Cassius: To what effect?
Casca: Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the
face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another,
and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to
me...."

ECONOMICS

More Federal Judges Dismiss Bogus Foreclosure Cases; LaRouche
Says It May "Bring Down the System"

November 17, 2007 (LPAC)--Following the Oct. 31 decision in
Cleveland, Ohio, by Federal Judge Christopher A. Boyko, to
dismiss 14 home foreclosure cases, brought by Deutsche Bank
National Trust Co., on Nov. 14 Federal Judge Kathleen M. O'Malley
similarly "dismissed without prejudice" 32 foreclosure cases in
Cleveland, because the plaintiff did not provide documentation
that it is the owner/holder of the note and mortgage when the
foreclosure action was filed. Separately, on Nov. 15, Federal
Judge Thomas M. Rose for the Southern District of Ohio, in
Dayton, threatened to dismiss 27 foreclosure actions within 30
days, because lenders have not proven they own the property they
are foreclosing on.
Lyndon LaRouche warned, the "legitimate suspicion" that
banks had leveraged unowned mortgage properties, could bring down
the system.
Judge Rose ruled that the lawyer filing 26 of the
foreclosure cases had claimed his clients did own the properties
at the time the foreclosures began, but he had not submitted the
necessary evidence to the court.
"Failure in the future by this attorney to comply with the
filing requirements may only be considered to be willful," Judge
Rose wrote. "A willfull failure to comply" with the pertinent law
within 30 days, he said, "may result in immediate dismissal of
the foreclosure action." The law requires, among other things, a
recorded copy of the mortgage, and an affidavit documenting that
the named plaintiff is the owner and holder of the note and
mortgage at the time the foreclosure complaint is filed.
Citibank is trustee in one of the cases, the New York Times
reported; it represents a securitization trust sold in 2005 by
First Franklin, a loan originator now owned by Merrill Lynch.
Another case involves HSBC.
Judge Rose said he was "in full agreement with Judge
Christopher A. Boyko ... who recently stressed that the judicial
integrity of the United States District Court is `Priceless.'"
Judge O'Malley said the plaintiff did not "appropriately
document the chain of ownership to demonstrate its legal status
vis-a-vis the items at the time it files suit on those items."
[ajt]

Foreclosure Rates Keep Climbing

Nov. 17, 2007 (LPAC)--Below is the numbers of foreclosures in the
third quarter 2007 for the 100 biggest metropolitan areas in the
U.S., as released by RealtyTrac on Nov. 14.

Foreclosure Activity for the Nation's 100 Largest MSAs Q3 2007

Foreclosure Filings Properties With Filings

Total Properties %Change %Change
Filings With From Q2 from Q3
Filings 2007 2006
Rank MSA
1 Stockton, CA 7,116 31 4,409 31.6 465.3
2 Detroit/Livonia/
Dearborn 25,708 33 16,079 91.7 93.4
3 Riverside/San
Bernadino 31,661 43 20,664 39.1 267.9
4 Fort Lauderdale 16,595 48 9,367 89.8 127.4
5 Las Vegas 14,948 48 11,482 28.7 200.3
6 Sacramento, CA 15,479 48 9,241 34.4 408.0
7 Cleveland/Lorain
/Elyria Oh 16,332 57 11,821 30.3 178.5
8 Miami, FL 15,484 60 10,232 42.7 82.0
9 Bakersfield, CA 3,947 64 2,824 73.4 361.4
10 Oakland, CA 13,245 71 8,062 71.0 268.8
11 Akron, OH 3,992 76 2,941 11.4 128.0
12 Denver/Aurora 13,179 77 7,751 3.6 28.3
13 Fresno, CA 3,687 79 2,434 40.9 239.9
14 Memphis, TN 6,239 85 3,353 27.4 38.6
15 Phoenix/Mesa AZ 18,328 87 11,242 44.7 246.0
16 San Diego, CA 12,274 91 7,228 27.7 155.0
17 Dayton, OH 4,147 91 3,054 9.7 108.5
18 Atlanta/Marietta
GA 21,695 92 18,940 49.1 93.9
19 Tampa/St Pete/
Clearwater FL 13,562 93 9,126 57.7 143.6
20 Toledo, OH 3,119 95 2,550 73.6 278.3
21 Palm Beach FL 6,387 97 4,545 83.5 79.4
22 Dallas, TX 14,717 102 8,180 17.9 7.3
23 Columbus, OH 7,265 104 5,330 18.0 95.7
24 Indianapolis 6,604 109 4,829 4.3 -8.2
25 Sarasota/Venice/
Bradenton FL 3,380 112 2,319 30.2 248.7
26 LA/Long Beach 29,501 113 18,043 31.0 213.8
27 Orlando, FL 7,189 114 5,428 59.9 184.8
28 Warren/Troy MI 9,025 116 6,797 46.2 99.4
29 Fort Worth/
Arlington TX 6,328 118 3,438 15.8 0.8
30 Cincinnati, OH 6,144 145 4,857 1.0 125.5
31 Orange, CA 6,899 147 4,295 30.1 193.6
32 Worcestor, MA 2,069 150 1,661 122.4 894.6
33 Jacksonville, FL 3,501 156 3,076 17.4 48.6
34 Tucson AZ 2,514 162 1,452 22,6 96.0
35 San Antonio, TX 4,300 167 2,285 29.6 -4.5
36 Houston/Baytown/
Sugarland, TX 11,960 171 8,500 59.1 14.9
37 Springfield, MA 1,637 172 1,219 150.8 1169.8
38 Wash DC VA MD 9,099 182 6,672 50.4 491.5
39 Essex, MA 1,605 183 1,181 127.6 993.5
40 Newhaven/
Milford, CT 1,850 188 N/A N/A N/A
41 Chicago, IL 16,314 188 15,554 14.6 42.9
42 Ventura, CA 1,400 190 1,371 41.9 243.6
43 San Jose/Sunnyvale/
Santa Clara, CA 3,245 192 2,201 51.6 206.1
44 Austin, TX 3,063 193 1,608 12.2 2.4
45 Gary, IN 1,408 200 1,042 -15.2 17.3
46 Charlotte, NC 3,148 208 2,684 15.2 90.5
47 Newark, NJ 3,970 211 2,634 30.5 63.0
48 Boston/Quincy MA 3,386 220 2,680 146.1 1274.4
49 Tacoma, WA 1,369 221 974 19.7 52.4
50 Lake/Kenosha
IL-WI 1,110 222 N/A N/A N/A
51 MILWAUKEE, WI 2,870 224 2,210 92.5 142.9
52 Camden, NJ 1,225 227 779 16.4 -19.6
53 Little Rock, AR 1,250 227 661 64.4 17.4
54 Kansas City 3,659 234 2,425 1.8 80.2
55 Edison, NJ 3,787 244 2,415 10.5 94.4
56 St Louis, MO-IL 4,820 251 4,144 15.2 47.9
57 Cambridge/Newton/
Framingham, MA 2,278 257 1,586 131.5 1552.1
58 Tulsa, OK 1,497 259 1,245 19.1 -11.5
59 Nashville, TN 2,224 274 1,331 14.6 121.5
60 Scranton/Wilkes
Barre PA 898 286 458 99.1 90.8
61 Hartford, CT 1,674 290 N/A N/A N/A
62 BRIDGEPORT/STAMFORD/
NORWALK, CT 1,171 296 N/A N/A N/A
63 Salt Lake City 1,254 299 N/A N/A N/A
64 Oklahoma City 1,639 309 1,297 24.7 -30.5
65 Baltimore MD 3,516 310 2,884 75.0 578.6
66 Louisville, KY 1,696 314 1,287 -1.8 -15.3
67 Raleigh, NC 1,242 319 1,076 16.8 105.7
68 Bethesda/Gaithersburg/
Frederick, MD 1,362 323 1,207 41.7 1640.7
69 Minn/St Paul/
Bloomington MN 3,699 349 2,812 13.2 109.7
70 Philadelphia PA 4,456 360 3,629 6.9 -5.3
71 Omaha/ C. Bluffs 846 401 795 46.4 0.4
72 Knoxville, TN 701 426 449 9.5 101.3
73 Suffolk/Nassau NY 2,321 429 N/A N/A N/A
74 Pittsburgh PA 2,548 432 1,526 -0.5 -28.6
75 Seattle/Bellevue/
Everett WA 2,318 456 1,665 7.6 30.3
76 El Paso, TX 527 463 308 -22.4 -34.2
77 NYC/Wayne NY-NJ 9,240 472 7,302 19.1 93.8
78 New Orleans LA 1,212 480 754 23.0 188.9
79 Wilmington DE-NJ 543 508 504 201.8 247.6
80 Buffalo/Cheektowaga/
Tonawanda NY 960 541 643 67.9 -32.2
81 Poughkeepsie/Newburgh/
Middletown NY 446 543 279 43.8 54.1
82 Providence RI 816 549 N/A N/A N/A
83 Portland/Vancouver/
Beaverton WA-OR 1,474 582 1,420 11.3 39.9
84 Rochester, NY 695 631 617 -39.3 58.2
85 Wichita, KS 343 736 171 -30.5 -2.8
86 Greensboro NC 405 744 379 -34.0 24.3
87 San Francisco, CA 940 775 926 1.3 88.2
88 Albany/Schenectady/
Troy NY 449 836 232 -17.7 176.2
89 Albuquerque, NM 387 880 372 -28.5 -31.0
90 Birmingham AL 451 1001 342 -66.3 -56.6
91 Norfolk/Virginia Beach/
Newport News VA 580 1013 471 17.8 178.7
92 Charleston SC 254 1040 247 -5.4 71.5
93 Columbia SC 279 1064 271 51.4 48.1
94 Richmond, VA 448 1103 395 223.8 338.9
95 Syracuse, NY 249 1139 156 20.0 48.6
96 Allentown/Bethlehem/
Easton PA 204 1493 187 -34.6 32.6
97 Honolulu, HI 197 1672 163 6.5 59.8
98 Baton Rouge, LA 147 2074 136 -20.9 -92.0
99 McAllen/Edinburgh/
Pharr TX 106 2185 N/A N/A N/A
100 Greenville, NC 79 3289 65 -16.7 -82.3

*note - The second column of numbers is 1 filing for every # of
households

The Bankers' Virtual Reality: Inflation Is a Media Plot, Says ECB

Nov. 16, 2007 (LPAC)--The European Central Bank issued a report
yesterday claiming that inflation in Euroland is at 2.6%, and
that consumers' perception "might have been magnified at the
current juncture by the extensive media coverage of [food] price
increases in some countries." In other words, prices are
increasing, but there is no inflation.
Figures released yesterday by the Italian Central Statistics
Institute, showed that in October alone, bread prices increased
10.3%; pasta, 6.4%; milk, 5%; poultry, 7.3%, fruit, 5.3%. If
price increases in August and September are added in, Italian
consumer associations calculate an average increase of EU400
($600) for the average family food bill at the end of the year,
on top of the increased gasoline bill, mortgage or rental rates,
and utility bills. [ccc]

Dereg Promises Bigger and Worse Power Blackouts in U.S.

November 17, 2007 (LPAC)--The North American Electric Reliability
Council (NERC) recently released its 2007 Long-Term Reliability
Assessment report, with alarming projections about the lagging of
electrical capacity behind demand over the next decade. Peak
demand will increase by almost 18%, while committed resources
will increase by only 8.5%--less than half of demand, according
to the report.
The main consequences of this lack of investment in power
infrastructure will show up during peak demand--summer cooling in
the U.S.--and will lead to converting a class of power assets
termed "reactive power," over to real power assets to be sold to
supply demand. This is a dangerous practice, because reactive
power is power supporting the voltages that must be controlled
for system reliability. If reactive power is inadequate, the
grid can break down. "In 2003, one of the largest blackouts in
U.S. history shut down much of the Northeast electrical grid and
left 50 million people in the dark. After months of
investigative work by multiple entities and the FERC, a
conclusion was reached that insufficient reactive power was the
culprit," according to industrialinfo.com, which analyzed the
report for its readership on Nov. 16.
Because reactive power is not sold on the market or to
users, during peak demand, power is likely to be diverted from
reactive uses to saleable electric power where the money is to be
made. This leads to vulnerabilities in the grid.
Much of this vulnerability, as well other negative
consequences of an aging and inadequate grid, can be laid
directly at the door of recent decades of deregulation. As the
NERC report stressed at several points, rationally developing the
grid to efficiently and safely distribute power to the user is a
much longer process than bringing new power plants to
completion--even nuclear plants--but especially natural gas
plants, which can come online in as little as 18 months. The new
corporate model of quick-build, quick-returns has left grid
design, development, and upgrade out of its timetable. A
rational electric grid cannot be successfully developed by the
invisible hand of the fickle marketplace. (clc)

Joseph Stiglitz Blames Greenspan for Economic Problems

November 17 (LPAC)--Economist Joseph Stiglitz, in a London
interview this week quoted in Bloomberg, blamed Alan Greenspan
for the present economic mess, and expressed pessimism about the
prospects of the U.S. avoiding a recession. "Alan Greenspan
really made a mess of all this. He pushed out too much liquidity
at the wrong time. He supported the tax cut in 2001, which is the
beginning of these problems. He encouraged people to take out
variable-rate mortgages."
According to Bloomberg, Stiglitz also blamed President Bush
for his tax cuts, the budget deficit, and allowing political
support for free-market trading to wane. Then Stiglitz got to the
real point: "Bush left the standing of America around the world
at the lowest it's been," he said in reference to Bush's plunge
into the Iraq war, and especially his stance on global warming.
"It's so important for there to be a global agreement to curtail
the use of oil, the use of carbon.... The big failure is for the
United States not to go along." (clc)

Four Projects To Get Investment Fund Backing

Nov. 17 (EIRNS)--A Russian government commission chaired by the
new Minister of Regional Affairs Dmitri Kozak, meeting Nov. 15,
approved 1.223 trillion rubles (currently close to $49 billion)
of state financing for four megaprojects, out of which 422
billion rubles will come from the government's Investment Fund.
This brings to 16 the number of projects that will receive
Investment Fund financing. After many debates, a portion of
Russia's oil export revenues, hitherto sequestered in a
Stabilization Fund to be invested in foreign markets, is being
allocated to the Investment Fund, which was set up in 2005.
The projects approved for funding this week are the
Industrial Urals-Arctic Urals resource development scheme, the
Southern Yakutia Comprehensive Development program, part of a
toll road superhighway between St. Petersburg and Moscow, and
high-speed rail line between St. Petersburg and Helsinki,
Finland. [RBD]

Russia Needs High-Speed Urban Transport, Says Putin

Nov. 17 (EIRNS)--On Nov. 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin
presided over a session of the Presidium of the country's State
Council, held in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia on the topic of transport
infrastructure. In addition to the recently affirmed ambitious
railroad-building program, Putin focussed on the need for better
air transport facilities. Russia is building up Krasnoyarsk as a
transshipment hub, going so far as to quarrel with the major
shipper Lufthansa Cargo, in an attempt to force Lufthansa to use
Krasnoyarsk rather than Astana, Kazakstan. Putin also pronounced
the ever worsening road traffic congestion in Moscow to be
completely solvable. "Our megalopolises are literally `choking'
at rush hour because of the lack of surface transport," said
Putin. "The solution is obvious: we need comprehensive programs
to develop suburban and urban passenger transit. And special
emphasis should be placed on off-street high-speed transport,
such as subway trains and high-speed trolleys." [RBD]

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Fourth IPCC Assessment Report Pushes Doom and Gloom

November 17 (LPAC)--The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report was
released today, complete with an accompanying powerpoint
illustrating the doom and gloom of the Earth in the absence of
the imposition of stringent rules and regulations to lower
greenhouse gases. The avowed purpose of this document is to frame
the discussion at the next UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change to be held beginning Dec. 3 in Bali. According to the
report, without consensus, including recalcitrant nations such as
the U.S., on an updated Kyoto Protocol to replace the one
expiring in 2012, we can expect drought, flooding, wild weather,
hellish heat, mass extinctions, war, famine, plague, and plenty
of death in the near future. (clc)

The Russian Space Program Is Starting To See a ``Renaissance''

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 16 (LPAC)--After the 1990s near-collapse
of the Soviet space program, when IMF ``free market'' economic
policies nearly destroyed a half-century of Russian scientific
and technical patrimony, President Vladimir Putin's personal
support has started a ``renaissance'' in the civilian space
sector, Russian space experts reported today at a conference
here.
Academician Lev Zeleny, director of the prestigious Russian
Space Research Institute in Moscow, told the conference, called
to celebrate Sputnik's 50th anniversary, that after the ``decay
of the Soviet Union, we had a bad time, in the 1990s.'' Very few
space missions were started, and science was suffering. The loss
of the Russian Phobos mission to Mars in 1989 was a blow to the
space science programs, and in a private conversation, he said
that that mission had not been done properly, or with enough
support. More recently, he reported, the problem was compounded
following the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia in February
2003, when Russia was called upon to supply all of the
transportation to and from the International Space Station.
``Space science was cut, as 50% of the budget had to go to manned
space flight.''
But Russia is now planning a series of new space science
missions for the second 50 years of the space age, including
exploring new physics hypotheses from space, exploring the
question of the origin of life, and life beyond the Earth. But,
he reminded the audience, ``we are not going into space just to
do science.'' There is a ``heritage in Russian philosophy'' that
is not just ``pragmatic,'' reflected in the space program, from
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Vernadsky, and Soviet ``chief designer''
Sergei Korolev.
Sergei Leskov, who has covered space for 40 years for
{Izvestia}, concurred that during the Gorbachov period, the
Russian ``space industry was destroyed.'' The loss of the Phobos
mission, and the loss of the Russian Mir space station, ``were
equated with a loss of world leadership'' in Russia, he
explained. Now, he said, ``there is a slight renaissance,'' as
President Putin ``has a personal interest in space exploration,''
and the budget is increasing. [mgf]

Russia Plans for 50 Years of Nuclear Energy Development

Nov. 17, 2007 (LPAC)--"Economic growth in Russia has been
accelerating since 2000. There has been a sharp increase in
electricity growth, exceeding projections by two times. By 2030,
we will be short of oil, and such plants in Russia are very old.
Russia will create an energy `kernel,' which will be
nuclear-based." In this straight-forward manner, Dr. Alexander
Chebeskov, from the Institute for Physics and Power Engineering
in Obininsk, laid out for members of the American Nuclear
Society, what Russia's plans are for nuclear development for the
next 50 years, at a meeting on Nov. 14
Russia's nuclear "kernel" will be based on the accelerated
deployment of its upgraded VVER boiling water reactor designs,
large-scale deployment of fast breeder reactors, the closing of
the nuclear fuel cycle, through the reprocessing of spent fuel,
and the development of innovative technologies. The goal is to
move from today's 23.3 gigawatts of installed nuclear capacity,
to about 60 GW by 2030, constituting about 25% of Russia's
electricity requirement. By mid-century, the goal is to have 100
GW of nuclear capacity, with fast breeder reactors constituting
at least 60% of the total.
Dr. Chebeskov showed photos of the construction of the
liquid-sodium cooled BN-800 breeder, which is scheduled to come
on line by 2012. The breeders used mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel,
produced through the reprocessing of light water reactor spent
fuel, which has been taboo in the U.S. for the past 30 years,
since it uses plutonium. Under development is the larger BN-1800
reactor, which will have a higher breeding ratio, producing 1.23
times the amount of fuel it uses. While the breeders are being
deployed, research and development at Russia's nuclear institutes
will lead to designs to enable the use of large reserves of
non-fissile, natural uranium-238, and thorium. Dr. Chebeskov
explained that even full reprocessing alone will not be adequate
to provide the fuel for Russia's ambitious nuclear plan.
The difference between the U.S. approach to nuclear energy
and Russia's, was evidenced by the questions asked by the
Americans in the audience. Is there public acceptance of nuclear
in Russia? "The public attitude is rather good," Dr. Chebeskov
replied. During the earthquake in Armenia 20 years ago, when
both nuclear units were shut down, "people had to burn trees,
books, and furniture," he stated dramatically. In the Russian
Far East, "it is the same situation." People's first priority, he
explained, "is to have electricity at home." Between "three and
four out of five people are in favor of nuclear power."
Asked if these new nuclear power station will be funded by
the government, or public-private partnerships, or foreign
investment, Dr. Chebeskov explained that the "federal program was
accepted," and that the "financing will be from the federal
budget, using the money from exporting oil." [mgf]

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