Sepp Hasslberger: EU Not Greece Is Source of Collapse

03 Economy, 08 Wild Cards, 11 Society, Civil Society, Commerce, Commercial Intelligence, Corruption, Government
Sepp Hasslberger
Sepp Hasslberger

The problem is not Greece, the problem is in how the EU set up its finance and banking system. And yes, unless we get a serious reform going, the EU is likely to see economic collapse.

The U.S. And EU Will Collapse Regardless Of Economic ‘Contagion’

EXTRACT

Never forget this: The EU is in trouble not because of Greece, but because of forced supranational interdependency. The EU by all rights should not exist, nor should any centralized supranational single currency system.

Patrick L. Smith: US & NATO Restart Cold War + NATO RECAP

Commerce, Corruption, Government, Idiocy, IO Deeds of War, Military
Patrick L. Smith
Patrick L. Smith

We restarted the Cold War: The real story about the NATO buildup that the New York Times won’t tell you

Our leaders and media push time-worn nonsense about American innocence, while taking aggressive moves. Look out

EXTRACT

As of this week, leaders who know nothing about leading, thinkers who do not think and opinion-shaping poseurs such as Tom Friedman are confident enough in their case to sally forth with it: The Cold War returns, the Russians have restarted it and we must do the right thing—the right thing being to bring NATO troops and materiel up to Russia’s borders, pandering to the paranoia of the former Soviet satellites as if they alone have access to some truth not available to the rest of us.

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Al Rozich: Beyond Global Warming — Other Inconvenient Truths with Focus on Water

03 Economy, 05 Energy, 11 Society, 12 Water, Civil Society, Commerce, Commercial Intelligence, Earth Intelligence, Government, Resilience
Al Rozich
Al Rozich

The resource crisis is bigger issue than global warming. Water-energy-food nexus is critical.

Radio Interview (12:31)

Book Website

Review: Other Inconvenient Truths Beyond Global Warming

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Chuck Spinney: Drone Implosion as a Metaphor for DoD Collapse — The Plans / Reality Mismatch Redux

Commerce, Corruption, Government, Military
Chuck Spinney
Chuck Spinney

The High Cost of the Military Technical Revolution

Flush With Cash, Running on Empty

One of the never ending claims made by proponents of the military technical revolution is that emerging complex weapons technologies create more combat power per unit of labor — that we are substituting capital for labor and technology-intensive capital goods are the key America’s competitive advantage, given America’s high cost labour.  This claim is bullshit pumped out by a sound-byte addicted Military – Industrial – Congressional. Complex.

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Worth a Look: Base Nation – How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World

04 Inter-State Conflict, 07 Other Atrocities, 10 Security, 11 Society, Corruption, IO Deeds of War, Military, Peace Intelligence
Amazon Page
Amazon Page

American military bases encircle the globe. More than two decades after the end of the Cold War, the U.S. still stations its troops at nearly a thousand locations in foreign lands. These bases are usually taken for granted or overlooked entirely, a little-noticed part of the Pentagon's vast operations. But in an eye-opening account, Base Nation shows that the worldwide network of bases brings with it a panoply of ills–and actually makes the nation less safe in the long run.

As David Vine demonstrates, the overseas bases raise geopolitical tensions and provoke widespread antipathy towards the United States. They also undermine American democratic ideals, pushing the U.S. into partnerships with dictators and perpetuating a system of second-class citizenship in territories like Guam. They breed sexual violence, destroy the environment, and damage local economies. And their financial cost is staggering: though the Pentagon underplays the numbers, Vine's accounting proves that the bill approaches $100 billion per year.

The book is available for pre-order now; all book proceeds will go to non-profit organizations assisting military veterans and their families and other victims of war and violence.

Links to Article, Chapters, & Media Coverage Below the Fold

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