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The French sale, the first by a NATO member to Russia, comes despite objections from the U.S. and other NATO members and was disclosed while Mr. Gates was visiting Paris. "I understand that, for some Central and Eastern European countries, the wounds are still there. France wants a new relationship, and that means it needs to go through new exchanges. We cannot, on the one hand, enlist Russia in building this security, and at the same time consider that Russia has not profoundly changed since 1991," said French Defence Minister Morin. (washingtontimes.com)
They need not have been, though, as the expansion of the U.S. global, layered, integrated interceptor missile system into the Black Sea was as foreseeable as it is inevitable. |
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US beefs up military presence off Iranian shores
In addition to imposing new sanctions on the Tehran government, the US has reportedly begun beefing up its military presence and war paraphernalia off the Iranian coast.
Arctic sea ice vanishing faster than 'our most pessimistic models': researcher
The finding came after battles over Taiwan, Tibet, trade, climate change, internet freedom and human rights which have poisoned relations in the three months since President Barack Obama made a fruitless visit to Beijing.
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Before it ends, it will likely change the life course and character
of a generation of young adults. It will leave an indelible imprint
on many blue-collar men. It could cripple marriage as an institution
in many communities. It may already be plunging many inner cities
into a despair not seen for decades. Ultimately, it is likely to warp
our politics, our culture, and the character of our society for years
to come.
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The battle-stretched US military Saturday vowed to keep up US assistance in Haiti as long as needed on Saturday as it pointed to a likely 45 to 50 day armed mission. Webmaster’s Commentary:
Don’t bet on that; the battle for the exploitation of oil and mineral rights in Haiti (which will, of course, still leave the Haitian people impoverished beyond belief) has just begun.
Maziki Thame- René Préval sold Haiti to the USA for US$100 million. The Americans’ pledge of US$100 million in assistance to Haiti following the earthquake disaster of January 12 must have sealed the agreement for US control over Haiti. The Americans have been deeply embedded in Haitian politics from its independence, through various dictatorships and throughout its fragile democratisation. A commitment to Haitian democratisation has neve.…
U.S. President Barack Obama calls the $3.8-trillion US budget he just sent to Congress a major step in restoring America’s economic health.
In fact, it’s another potent fix given to a sick patient deeply addicted to the dangerous drug — debt. More empires have fallen because of reckless finances than invasion. The latest example was the Soviet Union, which spent itself into ruin by buying tanks.
In news from Latin America, Laura Chinchilla is set to become Costa Rica’s first female president. She won Sunday’s election in a landslide. Laura Chinchilla: “Costa Rica is my beloved fatherland. I defend her, I love her, I adore her, and I give my life to her.” Laura Chinchilla is seen as a protégé of Costa Rica’s outgoing president Oscar Arias, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Chinchilla promised to pursue the same economic policies of Arias that recently brought the country into a trade pact with the US and opened commerce with China.
What will follow the demise of industrial civilization? We do not
know. But one thing is certain: if we do not start putting first
things first and reprioritize our educational system in the
post–carbon era, a tragic replay of our current cultural, economic,
and ecological disintegration is guaranteed.
In short, we must reclaim our education and culture from the grip of
earthly hell and begin planting, so to speak, the seeds of heaven:
morality, community, and environmental stewardship. Long live the
sacred!
Intense Sweets Taste Especially Good to Some Kids
New research from the Monell Center reports that children’s response to intense sweet taste is related to both a family history of alcoholism and the child’s own self-reports of depression. The findings illustrate how liking for sweets differs among children based on underlying familial and biological factors.
Peak oil is going to fundamentally change the way we live. We will be
dragged there kicking, screaming, and resisting, but we will get there
nonetheless.
Google has been recruited by US intelligence agencies to help them better process and share information they gather about suspects.
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