We admit that this is entirely anecdotal and that the Minnesota state government has only been shut down for a few days, but it is nevertheless enlightening to see that chaos doesn’t necessarily ensue when Medium Brother goes away.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune tells what’s happened in the Land of 10,000 Lakes when the state government shut down in a budget dispute between Republicans and Democrats:
Bob Gehlen had a whiskey and Coke in one hand, and a fistful of opinions on the state government shutdown in the other.
“I think we ought to shut down the government for a year,” said the former Marine, standing at the Elks Lodge bar on bingo night. “It really hasn’t had any impact.”
We normally don’t excerpt blocks of copy as large as the one in this story, but we’re making an exception in this case.
Zhou Ruijin is the former editor of the official People’s Daily. He’s a powerful pro-reform elder in the Chinese Communist Party. So it seems wise to pay attention to his words when he warns his cohorts about the potential “loss of government credibility and disintegration of popular support.”
The China Media Project translates Ruijin’s dire warning:
Lately I’ve had a deep sense of anxiety as I’ve watched one occurrence after another of tensions between governments and people at the local level, which have become more an more acute. A number of officials at the local government level have abused their powers, again and again trampling the human rights, right to life and rights of property of ordinary people. Those affected turn to petitioning, make contact with the media, or go online to report their stories. If they turn to legal proceedings and other like methods in an attempt to protect the legitimate rights granted them in the constitution, they find that these channels for voicing their interests are blocked. What’s more, local governments will level such charges as “slander” (诽谤) or “extortion of the government” (敲诈政府) to go after them, “arresting them across provincial borders” (跨省抓捕) or simply locking them away in mental hospitals claiming that they are “psychological unsound.” Not long ago, Wuhan petitioner Xu Wu (徐武) was lucky enough to escape from a “mental hospital” after being locked up for four years, but then was openly dragged away by Wuhan police from the courtyard of Guangdong’s Southern Television (TVS) and again committed to a mental hospital. There was a buzz of public opinion around the country, but authorities in Hubei simply responded by suppressing media reporting.
Back in the runup to the 1988 election, Democratic strategist James Carville coined a phrase that has now become standard political wisdom: “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Carville told Don Imus that he’s worried that he’s so worried about the economy and the current level of unemployment that he fears we may have riots in the streets that have a destabilizing effect on American politics.
May have a destabilizing effect? We agree with Carville’s thought, but disagree with his tense.
The Messiah is coming. No, not that one. The Islamic Messiah — the Madhi — who Islamic scriptures say will lead the armies of Islam to victory over all non-Muslims in the last days.
Don’t believe it? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that the Iranian government believes it and has made a propaganda video all about it, called The Coming, and is going to fire up Islamics by distributing it in the Islamic regime, elsewhere in the Middle East and around the world.
“I think it’s a very grave development,” Mideast expert Joel Rosenberg, author of The Twelfth Imam, told CBN News, “because it gives you a window into the thinking of the Iranian leadership: that they believe the time for war with Israel may be even sooner than others had imagined.”
What’s that you say? What harm can a video do? The audience we’re talking about is the Islamic people, who conduct worldwide revolts and fatwas for anyone who just just draws a picture of Mohamed. And now the Madhi is coming? You bet they will be ready to claim their 72 virgins. If you think they are fired up in the Middle East and North Africa now, hold on to your hat head.
I’m interested if anyone has seen this in the mainstream media. Not on a website, but on the news broadcasts. I know if Christians were torching Muslims’ homes and setting fire to 50 mosques, it would be an international incident.
Thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes in Western Ethiopia after Muslim extremists set fire to roughly 50 churches and dozens of Christian homes.
At least one Christian has been killed, many more have been injured and anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 have been displaced in the attacks that began March 2 after a Christian in the community of Asendabo was accused of desecrating the Koran.
Glenn Beck has the goods on leftists who are planning to crash the stock market and create an environment of economic instability in which they can push their socialist agenda. Call Glenn crazy if you wish (I don’t), but I hope those who do actually take the time to listen to this video If you don’t want to listen to Glenn Beck, just skip down to the third video, which is simply the complete tape of Stephen Lerner.
This coalition of unions, community groups, lawmakers will begin by attempting bringing down JP Morgan Chase by starting a campaign to get a million people who, by the first of May, will agree to stop paying their mortgages and demonstrate in the streets of New York.
There are three videos below, first there’s Glenn Beck on his TV show, then Glenn beck discussing the same on his radi show, and finally the unedited full tape of the scumbags Glenn cannot be accused of taking things out of context.
At the heart of the original uprisings in the Middle East is the cost of food. It had become so expensive that people rioted in the streets in protest. Now, inflation is firing up Americans as well. In this case, a 50% increase in the price of a Taco Bell Beefy Crunch Burrito was enough to drive a man insane.
Police say a San Antonio Taco Bell customer enraged that the seven burritos he ordered had gone up in price fired an air gun at an employee and later fired an assault rifle at officers before barricading himself into a hotel room.
San Antonio police Sgt. Chris Benavides says officers used tear gas Sunday night to force the man from the hotel room after a three-hour standoff. The man is charged with three counts of attempted capital murder. Authorities have not released his name.
Brian Tillerson, a manager at the Taco Bell/KFC restaurant, told the San Antonio Express-News that the man was angry the Beefy Crunch Burrito had gone from 99 cents to $1.49 each.
It’s a good thing he doesn’t shop for organic goods where my wife does.
Al Qaeda is hoping the world keeps their eyes fixated on Libya, so they can work to disrupt oil and gas and work to overturn governments elsewhere. From Debka this morning:
Iraq’s biggest oil refinery at Baiji, 180 kilometers north of Baghdad, was blown up early Saturday, Feb. 26, by an Al Qaeda cell activated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Al Qods Brigades…Thursday night, Feb. 24, saw the first signs of unrest in Saudi Arabia with demonstrations by young people demanding reforms of the kingdom’s system of government and by Shiites living and working in the kingdom’s oil-rich eastern regions…They also demanded the release of detainees rounded up by Saudi security authorities among the two million Shiites living and working in the main oil centers of Saudi Arabia to nip potential unrest in the bud.
We’re all focused on Libya right now. Stepping aside the devastating human side of the civil war, the world is concerned about the disruption of Libyan oil. But we missing a much larger potential oil problem in a much smaller country, Bahrain, according to Stratfor. Listen to Analyst Kamran Bokhari explain the dangers.
Mohamed El-Erian, CEO and co-CIO of Pimco, showed up on Tom Keene’s Bloomberg TV’s show called “Surveillance Midday.” They discussed the Middle East, oil and stagflation.
Are any of you out there that really still believe that Egypt will become a wonderful new democracy? I hope you’re right. But, you’re not. I wish I were wrong. Think Iran 1979. Think Gaza 2005. Egypt 2011 is going to go down the same ugly road. Here are some signs already, reported by Debka.
In their first week in power, Egypt’s new military rulers took two steps that had nothing to do with democratic reform. They allowed Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the radical Sunni preacher exiled by Hosni Mubarak, to return home and lead a victory assembly in Tahrir Square Friday night, Feb. 17 with a call to march on Al Aqsa in Jerusalem. From Qatar, al-Qaradawi repeatedly justified suicide bombings against Israelis. The second was permission for two Iranian war ships to transit the Suez Canal.
Voices from the Obama administration have commented since Mubarak was overthrown that a Muslim Brotherhood taking part in the political transition in Egypt might not be a bad thing. US intelligence officials briefing committees in Congress have not exactly exhibited depth of knowledge about the Brotherhood.
In contrast, Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has warned that a Muslim role in government would put the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty at risk.
Friday night, events in Cairo and other Egyptian towns – and the light they shed on the military rulers’ intentions – made most observers sit up and take a second look at the outcome of the popular revolution.
The Muslim Brotherhood was allowed to take charge of opposition demonstrations in the emblematic Tahrir Square and given permission to build a platform, after the other opposition parties and movements had been refused. Ahead of the big event Friday night, the soldiers withdrew from the square and the Brotherhood’s strong-arm brigades move in. Opposition leaders who tried to mount the platform alongside Brotherhood speakers were thrown off and dragged out of the square without the army interfering.
All you have to do is compare the videos of the peaceful and respectful Tea Parties and the out-of-control protests from the left as we seen in Madison, Wisconsin this week, to recognize where incivility is dying. (Watch this video of some of the violent signs proudly held high in Madison). But public events are not the only locations at which these types of groups protest — there is a rising practice of going to a lawmaker or company official’s home they do not agree with and protesting practically in their front yard, scaring the hell out of family and neighbors. Nice, really nice.
When did demonstrating at the private homes of politicians or corporate executives become an acceptable way to voice one’s political opinions?
Nearly two dozen activists from DC Vote swarmed House Speaker John Boehner’s Capitol Hill residence at 7:30 Thursday morning, chanting “Don’t tread of D.C.” and “No taxation without representation” to protest congressional “meddling” in the District’s local affairs, in particular a House continuing budget resolution that would cut $80 million in federal payments and prohibit the city from using local funds to pay for needle exchange programs and abortions.
Why did these people think they could go right to his house? Because they said Boehner’s gone to their homes. Really? I’d think that would have made the news.
“Speaker Boehner is coming to our home telling us how to spend our money,” Ilir Zherka, the group’s executive director, told his followers. “We decided to come to his house to tell him to leave D.C. alone.”
Elsewhere, the same thing at a private-sector developer’s home, using the same excuse:
The Federal Reserve insists there is no inflation yet, while the public sees escalating prices everywhere we look, particularly in food and energy. If you think it’s bad in the United States though, try to fathom using up to 80% of your wages to purchase increasingly expensive food as they do in Egypt. Poorer countries around the world are literally rioting in protest of food shortages and prices out of control. Further unrest in these unstable countries can have unfavorable geopolitical consequences for us.
Whose fault is this? Washington, Wall Street and China.
Dylan Ratigan and Bill Fleckenstein got together on MSNBC last week to discuss this, and the Fed’s agenda.
I woke up at 5:30 AM Pacific Time and turned on the television to catch up on the latest in Egypt and neighboring countries. CNN was talking about some medical item, the two hosts at Fox News were chuckling about some silly nonsense, Fox Business News was doing their daily broadcast of Imus in the Morning (WTF is that doing on a business channel that is trying to compete with CNBC?), and CNBC was busy feeding us electronic antidepressants through the air to us all so we’d just be happy and get invested. And MSNBC? Come on, are you serious? All this while two million were protesting in Cairo.
worn: No Lauren, it is you who sounds uninformed. After reading your reply, I am wondering if you are aware that the worst natural disaster in U.S. history was the Galveston hurricane of 1900. Yes, that’s the hurricane in which 6,000-12,000 people died due to a storm surge on the Texas...
Gabriel Alespeiti: I think # 1 should be United States foreign aid to certain countries. According to Wikipedia the aid received per person recipient FY 2011 in Israel was a paycheck of $404.97. Totaling 3,026,000,000 a year. Second only to Afganistan because of war expenses. So it is right that...
r4444b: Add to NIH’s “grants” ….1/2 million to study why men don’t lke to wear condoms (I’m a woman and I can tell you for free)….1 million to study why chinese prostitutes like to “drink” while they are “working.̶ 1; Another million...
Blessed41: Rostislav, if you are calling the HOLY BIBLE a pile of crap, you are crap yourself. Shame on you! and you made satan happy by talking against the word of GOD, where is your FAITH? Romancaesar is right, YOU atheist scum!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHA LOLLOLLOLLOLLOL
tomdawg: Don’t worry about the wondering animals with no home…they will be eaten by hungry humans with guns soon after the collapse.
Guffer1984: It does not matter who sits in the White House. GWB was no better and in many cases worse. This nation is travelling down the road of all nations which is ultimite demise. Unfortunately it is human nature. However, we Americans believe that we can legislate perfection so we pass...
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Tom: Bingo Brian. Don’t forget these person watch Fox right after listening to Rush…..totally brain washed!
Brian: It’s alway fun to read how un-American the GOP aka Rush followers have become. First the Healthcare Act is voluntary, meaning if you want to join its your choose, so if you have proof that you are on Blue Cross, United, etc. it’s your call. This way you will not be subject to...
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ArtiffUneri: Hi, www.economiccollapse .net admin Go and take a look at this free money making software right now because it may be the most important thing you do in this year: http://blackbookfore xfree.com Yep that’s right you are getting same software which used by my friend and...
anono: Try sticking to the focus of the article. You’re all over the place – and you need to learn how to spell. Please realize that throwing a bunch of overwrought jargon around (malthusian this, idealogue that) doesn’t suffice to make you sound intelligent; neither does...
James: After a seriously obese person has had fat removal procedures, his/her flesh sags where excess fat used to be. World population should never have risen this high. It will be reduced. Through lower birth rates; or by more traditional means: war, disease, famine, cannabalism. I’m not a...
Lakeisha: Thanky Thanky for all this good imnforation!
Lisa D: Hi Don, Yes, very interested. email me at Ldav4@aol.com
Donald: Lisa – see my comment from March. I have been working on telling the story but have hit a few road blocks. I would be very interested in speaking to you. My bank was shut down under very unusual and suspicious surcumstances – a very interesting story and situation. Let me know...
Lisa Davidson: If any bank president or bank management is willing to talk about what happened to their community bank (i.e. FDIC forcing them out of business) – anyone who CAN talk about this – making a documentary and have reputable news outlets interested. This story needs to get...
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Kim: Marcy, Rep. Alan Grayson said in the attached youtube video in 2010 that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both own stock in MERS. How much stock and when did they own it? Would this explain their current actions? Did they move loans out of MERS and into Fannie Mae for the tax payers to bail out?...
bon: How silly you folks do not realize that it’s the “in thing” to hate Americans now. I’m poor. I’m poor because of greed and graft in light of my honesty in addition to self-serving and selfish Americans who continue to deplete their brains of the genuine cause of...
ru4real: The new deal also created FDIC insurance. Im sure you would like to go back to the days when your bank money wasnt guaranteed. Before the New Deal, some churches offered assistance, but most offered VERY little assistance. Even today, many churches cannot offer assistance unless they...
LibrlRevolution: I think everyone is ignoring the fact that it is not, and should not be the government’s responsibility to take care of people. That is what family, charities, and churches are for. Before the fascist takeover of the US via the “New Deal” and the “Great...
R. Arthur Beckles: Barack Obama is President of all Americans, not just of African-Americans! It’s difficult for all working class Americans – black, white, brown, etc. African-Americans who don’t want to vote for Obama, can feel free to do so. But do they think that their lot...
EriktheRed: I like how it’s “fortunate that the crisis is confined to the E.U.”- what’s unemployment in the U.S. right now? How about the millions of foreclosures you’ve had already? Tent cities, anyone? Deficit spending at $3.5 bn a DAY? HMM!
David, Self Defense Retailer: Really? Why in the world are they doing that for Gitmo detainees? A whole soccer field? Outrageous! Maybe the EU really won’t last.
David, Stun Gun Supplier: It’s the next bubble. I wonder what Romney has to say about this. Obama’s made himself clear in his typical way. It’ll probably be worse than housing when it does.
See I told you: Who didn’t see this coming . Put a communist organizer in the White house and just wait. To bad the American populace lacks true intellect or is it just that the dummies out number the smart 20 to 1. Probably the latter. Obvious who controlls the vote with those kind of...
JoAnn: I have a real problem with Obama borrowing money to send to Greece when so many people in this country who have lost long term jobs,lost homes,living on the street, little or no food. I vote to take Obama and his family if they want to go and DROP them on a desert island some where just so...
Arkansas Slim: Update. Oil hit 105 per barrel yesterday, 2 20 12. Gas US Avg => 3.50 per gallon. Cloward Piven Theory of Economics: Tipping point of US Electorate => 51%. Nevada odds for Obama RE Election 6/10 on thier sport boards. EU/Greece set to collapse, dominos arranged. Socialistic...
kkl: America is now turning mediocre no more fun no more trips or vacations 100 bucks to fill gas tank and pasta and ramen noodles for life for usa there is no more hope no more fun just work go home work go home fill up gas tank eat shit and work no more fun thanks for nothing nobama i hope you...
Chris Marshall: Hi Janice, I just wanted to know, how would you be able to get a good investment out of the Whole Life Insurance if it costs really high? The projections usually given out by “Financial Advisors” that 12% is the usual earnings specially if it is invested in TSX or NYX...
Agent: Walt Disney funded Disney World by using the cash value in his whole life policy. You can’t say that was a mistake. Buy term for a specific need/period and buy whole for a permanent need or if you need your life insurance past age 65.
Forex Agent: As a financial advisor what I tell clients is that the main purpose of a life insurance policy is to provide a death benefit. Whether term, some sort of permanent life insurance, or a combination of the two is most appropriate depends on a number of factors including the...
Cindy: Before long they will, if not already, invade and keep track of everything you do including the privacy of your own home exploiting you and demanding that you worship them. You will be powerless to control it so you will have two choices…… ;kiss butt or commit suicide.
Hervy: Very good advice, same as I give when talking to people. Clark Howard and Dave Ramsey are both good sources of information that is inline with what is written here at EC. Another good website that i tell people to go to in order to get an easy calculation of how much insurance to buy is...
Matt USA: I know I’m a little late to this discussion, but I think that the economic collapse scenario has changed somewhat in recent weeks. It appears that Europe will go first, followed by the United States who has gambled and lost on a TARP style European bailout. The real question for...
China: @Serban Enache , You Are Wrong We are In Lot Of Trouble and you Know This , Starting In 2012 We will have Many Many Different Problems , We The Government Is Paying For All This Building , We Know Our Own Citizens Can’t Afford This Type Of Live Style , but we are building it Any way...
Rider I: How the US has historically used mineral rushes to get it out of Deficits and stop foreign economic take over. In the US’s historical past the Druids have used and impressed upon the US leadership to use mineral resources to stop economic warfare, along with military take over....