Roberto Abraham Scaruffi: October 2008

Thursday 30 October 2008

Interview with Historian Eric Foner: 'Life Is Getting More Difficult for Americans'

As Americans prepare to vote, historian Eric Foner speaks to SPIEGEL
about the current crisis of confidence in the United States, the roots
of US exceptionalism and the country's ever-changing concept of freedom.

Expanding War, Contracting Meaning

The Next President and the Global War on Terror
By Andrew J. Bacevich

Serial Bomb Blasts Rock India's Assam State

Government confirms at least 12 separate blasts, 50 people killed; ULFA militant separatist group denies involvement

Q & A with Nina Hachigian

Q & A with Nina Hachigian

Falling oil production 'is greater threat to Britain than terrorism'

The Peak Oil group has warned of a severe lack of oil within five years.

Hindu extremist attacks on Christians in India have entered third month

Hindu extremist attacks on Christians in India have entered third month 
Indian authorities have failed to end violence. Some 50,000 have fled to forests. At least two dozen people have been killed in Kandhamal district alone.

N. Korean Defectors Describe Brutal Abuse

Prison Camp Executions Called "Worse Than The Way Animals Are Slaughtered"

La mort de l’Empire américain

Les États-Unis s’autodétruisent et entraînent le reste du monde avec eux.
par Tanya Cariina Hsu
Le 29 octobre 2008

Intelligence agencies spent $47.5 billion this year

Around 80 percent of the intelligence budget is consumed by Defense Department intelligence units, including the National Security Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency

U.S. wants more troops for Afghanistan

U.S. commanders in Afghanistan now believe they need about 20,000 additional troops to battle a growing Taliban insurgency, as demands mount for support forces.

Powerful Pakistan quake kills at least 150

A powerful earthquake struck southwestern Pakistan before dawn Wednesday, killing at least 150 people as they slept and obliterating hundreds of fragile mud-and-timber homes, officials said.

Counterintelligence Implications of Foreign Service National Employees

Counterintelligence Implications of Foreign Service National Employees

Who are the most influential people in the tech industry?

Who are the most influential people in the tech industry?

Crisis 'hurting migrant workers'

The world's 200 million migrant labourers are particularly vulnerable to the global economic crisis, warns the UN's chief.

In Southeast China, Skepticism on Land Reforms

(By Maureen Fan, The Washington Post)

Japan's Toyota, Hit Hard Now But Equipped to Steer Clear

TOKYO, Oct. 29 -- In Japan, the global financial crisis seems to have singled out some of the world's best-known and best-managed companies for an especially bloody thrashing. 
(By Blaine Harden, The Washington Post)

Die tiefe Krise der Automobilindustrie

Die tiefe Krise der Automobilindustrie

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Russia, China Reach Pipeline Deal

Russia and China reached agreement on an oil-pipeline deal under which Chinese firms will provide "considerable" loans to Russian firms.

Kremlin Bails Out Wealthy Russian

 October 29, 2008 -- 2:13 a.m. EDT
Kremlin Bails Out Wealthy Russian
The Kremlin allowed one of the country's richest men to tap its $50 billion rescue fund to pay back a $2 billion loan to Deutsche Bank.

Meeting Myself in Bucks County

Pennsylvania in the Political (and Personal) Crucible
By Robert S. Eshelman

Tuesday 28 October 2008

CHINA = Après le lait contaminé, les oeufs frelatés

Après le lait contaminé, les oeufs frelatés

L'organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO) a appelé la Chine à fournir toute information sur des traces éventuelles de mélamine dans la chaîne alimentaire. La découverte récente, à Hong Kong, de la substance chimique dans des oeufs produits en Chine fait craindre qu'elle ne soit présente dans de nombreux aliments.

EEUU estudia pactar con algunos talibanes para frenar la violencia en Afganistán

11:34 - martes, 28 de octubre de 2008

Israel’s Current Strategic Environment

Israel’s Current Strategic Environment

-Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad

katyusha

Wer regiert in Nordkorea?

Wer regiert in Nordkorea?

The Contemporary Rivalry over the Chosen People:

The Contemporary Rivalry over the Chosen People:

Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives

Avi Beker

Thoreau Is Rediscovered as a Climatologist

By CORNELIA DEAN 
Scientists are using notes from Henry David Thoreau to discern patterns of plant abundance in New England and to link those patterns to changing climate. 

Fractures in Iraq City as Kurds and Baghdad Vie

By SAM DAGHER
American commanders are increasingly concerned that Mosul could degenerate into a larger battleground over the fragile Iraqi state itself.

Wall Street's Trojan Horse

Global Research, October 27, 2008

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

GERMANY'S BIGGEST MOSQUE OPENS

Yingeh tsats-keh!

Yiddishkeit

Yiddisher kop

2008 and the Return of the Nation-State

2008 and the Return of the Nation-State

October 27, 2008

Graphic for Geopolitical Intelligence Report

By George Friedman

Monday 27 October 2008

It's Time to Teach the Truth About Slavery in New York

William Loren Katz

Interview with Neoconservative Scholar Robert Kagan: 'America Remains

Interview with Neoconservative Scholar Robert Kagan: 'America Remains Number One' In an interview with SPIEGEL, American neoconservative scholar and McCain adviser Robert Kagan speaks about the legacy of the Bush-Cheney years, America's future position atop a "League of Democracies" and how China and Russia will push Europe back into America's arms. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,586770,00.html

Muslim Integration: Why No One Protested against Germany's Biggest

Muslim Integration: Why No One Protested against Germany's Biggest Mosque The biggest mosque in Germany opened in the city of Duisburg on Sunday and has already become a symbol of successful integration. Unlike other mosque projects in Germany, there was virtually no protest from the local community. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,586759,00.html

New York Times : The financial crisis reached the Middle East; Kuwait halted trading in shares of a major bank and Saudi Arabia will help citizens get

The Trillion Dollar Tag Sale

How the Pentagon Could Help Bail Out America
By Nick Turse

Sunday 26 October 2008

Yichus

Yeshuvnik

Yeshiveh bocher

Yeshiveh

Yentzen

Yente telebente

Yenteh

Yeneh velt

Yenems

Yefayfiyeh

Death toll mounts in Yemen tropical storm

Mohammed bin Gohar saw an old woman drowning in flood waters from a deadly tropical storm in southern Yemen, but couldn't save her. He was carrying his two kids and running with his wife to escape the deluge.

Christians face attacks in eastern India

Bloody anti-Christian riots broke out in a rem0te corner of eastern India in late August, with rampages by Hindu hard-liners that have left at least 38 people dead, as many as 30,000 homeless.

La contrebande prospère à la frontière libano-syrienne

La contrebande prospère à la frontière libano-syrienne

Israeli Party Leader Seeks Early Elections

By ETHAN BRONNER 
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni ran out of options in her efforts to form a government, party officials said.  

Saturday 25 October 2008

Israeli coalition bid 'defeated'

Tzipi Livni, the head of Israel's largest Kadima party, admits defeat in forming a coalition, reports from advisers say.

They Did It On Purpose: The Housing Bubble & Its Crash were Engineered by the US Government, the Fed & Wall Street

Global Research, October 23, 2008

Signs of slowdown spiral around the world

Pessimism about the global economy deepens as fresh evidence emerges of a worldwide slowdown.

Livnis schwierige Regierungsbildung in Israel

Livnis schwierige Regierungsbildung in Israel

Les marchés financiers perdent pied

Les marchés financiers perdent pied


Vendredi, le CAC 40 a encore perdu près de 3,5 %, alors que les autres places européennes chutaient de 5 % ou plus. La récession mondiale brouille toutes les cartes.

Friday 24 October 2008

Germany

Photo Gallery: Silent Witnesses to Nazi Crimes http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,586390,00.html  Bones in the Backyard: German Archaeologists Uncover Long History of Executions http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,586405,00.html  Photo Gallery: Unearthing Execution Sites http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,586418,00.html

Russian Activist Predicts Mounting Crisis, Change

A founder of the Russian pro-democracy youth movement Oborona, Oleg Kozlovsky, says that so far, only Russia's oligarchs have been hit hard by the global financial crisis. But in an interview with RFE/RL correspondent Andrew F. Tully while in Washington to receive a human rights award from the advocacy group Human Rights Now, Kozlovsky warns that he expects the global financial crisis to grip his country more deeply than any Western country. He predicts that Russians might lose the sense of econ More

Pilgrimage to Roots of Faith and Strife

By ISABEL KERSHNER 
At Joseph’s Tomb, a site in a Palestinian city that is sacred to religious Jews, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is boiled down to its very essence. 

Chinese Activist Wins Rights Prize

By JIM YARDLEY 
In a rebuke of China’s Communist Party, the European Parliament gave a prestigious human rights prize to Hu Jia, an imprisoned advocate for democracy in China.

Pakistan Uses Tribal Militias in Taliban War

By JANE PERLEZ and PIR ZUBAIR SHAH
The use of tribal militias is a new tool for the Pakistani Army, which has met resistance from militants.

Zagreb car bomb kills journalist

A car bomb in the Croatian capital Zagreb kills journalist and newspaper owner Ivo Pukanic, and a colleague.

South Korea tops Asian share fall

The South Korean and other Asian stock markets slide further as fears of a global recession continue to rattle investors.

Wrecked Iraq

What the Good News from Iraq Really Means
By Michael Schwartz

Graines de destruction : Le projet secret de la manipulation génétique

Mondialisation.ca, Le 21 octobre 2008

Death of the American Empire

America is self-destructing & bringing the rest of the world down with it
by Tanya Cariina Hsu

La surprise d’octobre : panique mondiale

Mondialisation.ca, Le 21 octobre 2008

«Vieillir aux Etats-Unis ? Non, merci»

Au fait, le Luxembourg est bien un paradis fiscal...

The Muhammad Al-Dura Blood Libel: A Case Analysis

The Muhammad Al-Dura Blood Libel: A Case Analysis

Interview with Richard Landes

Thursday 23 October 2008

L'avocate de Politkovskaïa

INFO FIGARO - L'ancien propriétaire de la voiture de Karina Moskalenko explique avoir cassé un baromètre à mercure dans le véhicule peu avant de le lui vendre.

China, an Engine of Growth, Faces a Global Slump

By JIM YARDLEY and KEITH BRADSHER 
As demand for its exports weakens, China hopes to prevent the financial crisis from derailing its economic miracle.  

Struggling to Keep Up as the Crisis Raced On

By JOE NOCERA and EDMUND L. ANDREWS
In an interview, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. said Lehman Brothers could not have been rescued.

Rivals Split on U.S. Power, but Ideas Defy Easy Labels

By DAVID E. SANGER
Radically different experiences in different corners of Southeast Asia have shaped the candidates’ contrasting visions for American power, but both men have been forced into surprising detours.

Jihadist Ideology and the Targeting of Humanitarian Aid Workers

October 22, 2008
Graphic for Terrorism Intelligence Report

By Fred Burton and Scott Stewart

African free trade zone is agreed

African free trade zone is agreed
The leaders of three African trading blocs agree to create a free trade zone of 26 countries with a GDP of $624bn (£382.9bn).

Derrière la panique, la guerre financière pour la future domination bancaire mondiale

«La Corée du Sud doit participer

«La Corée du Sud doit participer au nouveau Bretton Woods»

INTERVIEW - Le président de la Corée du Sud a reçu «Le Figaro» à la veille de sa rencontre avec le président Sarkozy lors du sommet de l'Asem (Dialogue Asie-Europe) vendredi à Pékin.

Wednesday 22 October 2008

Iraqi Cabinet Wants Security Agreement Altered

Iraqi Cabinet Wants Security Agreement Altered
By ALISSA J. RUBIN and KATHERINE ZOEPF
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a stark warning to the Iraqis to think hard before rejecting the agreement.

Europe Tries to Blunt Likely Recession

October 22, 2008 -- 2:32 a.m. EDT
Europe Tries to Blunt Likely Recession
European governments are coming out with new proposals to alleviate a looming recession, amid increasing fears that a dropoff in bank lending could further damage their economies.

US warning on Iraq deal failure

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates warns of "dramatic consequences" if a deal on US forces in Iraq is not agreed.

F is for Failure

The Bush Doctrine in Ruins
By Tom Engelhardt

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Les frères ennemis palestiniens ont rendez-vous au Caire

Les frères ennemis palestiniens ont rendez-vous au Caire

L'Egypte tente de relancer le dialogue entre les deux factions palestiniennes, le Fatah et le Hamas. Elle a a fourni aux deux parties un projet d'accord qui servira de base aux discussions. Une rencontre est prévue le 9 novembre prochain dans la capitale égyptienne.

Magnet device aims to treat depression patients

The government has approved the first noninvasive brain stimulator to treat depression - a device that beams magnetic pulses through the skull.

China Muslims to stay in Guantanamo

A court on Monday refused to allow the immediate release into the U.S. of 17 Muslims from China being held at Guantanamo Bay agreeing to keep them in prison for at least several more weeks.

U.S.-backed sheiks reshaping Iraq

U.S.-backed sheiks are reshaping their own areas and, potentially, the future of Iraq. But their rise is already touching off conflicts that could deepen.

The United States, Europe and Bretton Woods II

The United States, Europe and Bretton Woods II

October 20, 2008

Graphic for Geopolitical Intelligence Report

By George Friedman and Peter Zeihan

Decaux : «La crise va créer des opportunités»

Decaux : «La crise va créer des opportunités»

INTERVIEW - JCDecaux remporte la concession publicitaire de l'aéroport de Dubaï. Jean-Charles Decaux, son président du directoire, détaille la stratégie du groupe, qui a renoncé au rachat de l'afficheur russe News Outdoor Group.

La debacle mundial frena el impulso económico de China

Por primera vez en cinco años creció menos de dos dígitos 

Prepara EE.UU. un plan de reactivación

Bernanke respaldó un paquete de 150.000 millones de dólares para estimular el consumo; Bush dijo que está abierto a la idea 

Poll: Public anxiety on economy intensifies

With little relief in sight, people are getting more anxious about the slumping economy and how it affects them.

Russian Oligarchs Feel The Heat

Just months ago, Russian companies were buying up assets all over the world. Russian tycoons were boasting of vanity purchases like soccer clubs and racehorses. And President Dmitry Medvedev was talking about turning Moscow into a global financial center.

Experts Warn of China Health Time Bomb

Chronic diseases claimed 74 percent of all 2005 deaths, up from 47 percent in 1973

Monday 20 October 2008

The Banking Crisis in Germany: Can the Bailout Prevent an Economic Meltdown?

The Banking Crisis in Germany: Can the Bailout Prevent an Economic Meltdown? Despite the historically unprecedented bailout package for Germany's banking sector there are growing concerns that a deep recession is on the way. Will the German government have to put together a rescue plan for the broader economy as well? http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,585324,00.html

How Muslims Made Europe

By Kwame Anthony Appiah
On God's Crucible: Islam and the Making of Modern Europe, 570–1215 by David Levering Lewis.

The Glories of Yiddish

By Harold Bloom
On Max Weinreich's History of the Yiddish Language.

Chinese economy growth rate slows

China's economic growth rate falls for a third quarter, amid fears that a major Asian economy could face a severe downturn.

Mexico blocks Cuban route to US

Mexico tightens its immigration rules and agrees to deport Cubans using the country as an entry point to the US.

Sunday 19 October 2008

Asian airlines battle to survive

Asian airlines battle to survive

The Rising Body Count on Main Street

The Rising Body Count on Main Street
The Human Fallout from the Financial Crisis
By Nick Turse

S. Korea to inject billions into markets

South Korea announced a package worth over $130 billion to rescue its markets amid the global financial crisis, offering a guarantee on foreign debt and promising to recapitalize financial firms.

Cubans dodge sea patrol via Mexico

Because it has become so hard to dodge the U.S. Coast Guard and reach Florida to qualify for U.S. residency, Cuban migrants in recent years have been heading for Mexico, then overland to Texas.

The Guys From ‘Government Sachs’

The Guys From ‘Government Sachs’
By JULIE CRESWELL and BEN WHITE
Alumni of the Treasury chief’s old firm, Goldman Sachs, are key to the federal response to the financial crisis.

Leaders Move Toward Meetings on Economic Crisis

By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG 
President Bush and European leaders agreed to take steps toward a series of international meetings to address the economic crisis, the White House said. 

Wary of Islam, China Tightens a Vise of Rules

By EDWARD WONG
China places intricate restrictions on Muslims in a vast autonomous region in an effort to control Islam’s spread.

F.B.I. Struggles to Handle Wave of Financial Fraud Cases

By ERIC LICHTBLAU, DAVID JOHNSTON and RON NIXON
A focus on terrorism and intelligence has limited the bureau’s ability to pursue criminal wrongdoing related to the economic crisis, officials said.

Saturday 18 October 2008

Syria Created It's Own Terror Problem

Syria Created It's Own Terror Problem
Weekly Standard: Damascus Should Not Be Rewarded For Its 'Nuanced' Position On Islamist Terrorism

China To Help Pakistan Build 2 Nuke Plants

China To Help Pakistan Build 2 Nuke Plants
Long-Term Partnership Between Asian Nations Viewed As Counterbalance To U.S.-India Nuclear Ties

Bush To Host Summit On Fiscal Crisis

President Will Announce Meeting Of World Leaders To Discuss Global Response To Financial Meltdown

The Financial Crisis Blame Game

The Financial Crisis Blame Game

Think of the current market and economic turmoil as a disaster by committee, with blunders by government officials, Wall Street pros, and regular Americans alike

Financial Meltdown: The Greatest Transfer of Wealth in History

How to Reverse the Tide and Democratize the US Monetary System


Global Research, October 17, 2008

Spending surge pushes deficit toward $1 trillion

Congressional leaders and presidential candidates are proposing billions of dollars in tax breaks and other measures to stoke economic growth, which would send the federal deficit soaring.

Thousands of Iraqis protest U.S. security pact

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday called on Iraq's parliament to reject a U.S.-Iraqi security pact as tens of thousands of his followers rallied in Baghdad against the deal.

Empires Built on Debt Start to Crumble

By ANDREW E. KRAMER 
In the current global financial crisis, tycoons with Kremlin ties are shouldering a heavy burden as Russian markets fall.