CNN was the first network to have broken news of the September 11 attacks. Anchor Carol Lin was on the air to deliver the first public report of the event. She broke into a commercial at 8:49 a.m. ET and said:
This just in. You are looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. That is the World Trade Center, and we have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. CNN Center right now is just beginning to work on this story, obviously calling our sources and trying to figure out exactly what happened, but clearly something relatively devastating happening this morning there on the south end of the island of Manhattan. That is once again, a picture of one of the towers of the World Trade Center.
When Russians do something they seem to go all out. People seem to feel that Russians are dull, depressed and unhappy. I am here to tell you, that after I have spent over two years within the Russian Federation, They are not unhappy or dull! In fact they have very fantastic dreams that only can come from freedom of all expressions and money.
What am I talking about? Is he crazy?
Well: Take a look at Federation Island and then you decide….
Federation Island, the latest manifestation of Russia’s oil boom era ambitions, is to start rising next spring from the waters of the Black Sea, 150 yards off the coast of Sochi. From Kaliningrad to Sakhalin, this landscaped version of the Russian Federation is Russia’s response to Dubai’s Palm Islands.
Do not think miniature golf course, this is a 815 acre version of Russia that is to stretch 1.5 miles and cost $10 billion. Inside a breakwater crescent, an artificial archipelago is to contain a convention center, two marinas, and myriad hotels, villas, and apartments. To be operational by 2014 Olympics to full completion in 2020, Federation Island is to draw 100,000 people a day — tourists, residents, and workers.
“This island is about being outdoors, outdoor sports, a recreation area,” Erick van Egeraat, the architect, said in an interview in Moscow, poring over designs that showed sailboats and yachts plying the waters in this planned playground near Sochi, one of European Russia’s southernmost cities. In an echo of Miami, houses are to be built on narrow lots, with 10 to 15 meters of water frontage. In a liberal interpretation of geography, Russia’s “rivers” are to slice Federation Island from north to south, providing nearly 45 miles of water frontage to an archipelago with a total land surface area of only 1.25 square miles. (Link)
It should all be possible within five years, thanks to an unlikely real estate alliance that includes a Dutch architect, billionaire investors from Abu Dhabi, and Russian officials eager to create a Russia-shaped archipelago in time to greet visitors flying into Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
You may ask: Why would you build land in the country with the most land? Because it is cheaper than buying land in Sochi! Besides they want the Island to have the shape of Russia….
So Federation Island seems to have come to life, winning endorsements from the Kremlin down to Sochi’s City Hall. After permits fell into place during the first half of this year, M-Industry executives announced in June that landfill work would start in early 2009. Egeraat predicts that island construction will be complete by the summer of 2012 and that the hotels and marinas will be ready to greet visitors when the Winter Olympic Games open on February 7, 2014.
Hello, Out of My Norm: I have to post this speech from who I would have voted for and how I will vote this election. I was sadden that Ron Paul would not be one that I could vote for. For I feel that he is the best choice by far….
This is his opening statement from his speech today September 10th, 2008!
The American Majority: By Ron Paul
The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can ‘throw the rascals out’ at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy. – Carroll Quigley – Author of Tragedy & Hope
The coverage of the presidential election is designed to be a grand distraction. This is not new, but this year, it’s more so than ever.
Pretending that a true difference exists between the two major candidates is a charade of great proportion. Many who help to perpetuate this myth are frequently unaware of what they are doing and believe that significant differences actually do exist. Indeed, on small points there is the appearance of a difference. The real issues, however, are buried in a barrage of miscellaneous nonsense and endless pontifications by robotic pundits hired to perpetuate the myth of a campaign of substance.
The truth is that our two-party system offers no real choice. The real goal of the campaign is to distract people from considering the real issues.
Influential forces, the media, the government, the privileged corporations and moneyed interests see to it that both party’s candidates are acceptable, regardless of the outcome, since they will still be in charge. It’s been that way for a long time. George Wallace was not the first to recognize that there’s “not a dime’s worth of difference” between the two parties. There is, though, a difference between the two major candidates and the candidates on third-party tickets and those running as independents.
The two parties and their candidates have no real disagreements on foreign policy, monetary policy, privacy issues, or the welfare state. They both are willing to abuse the Rule of Law and ignore constitutional restraint on Executive Powers. Neither major party champions free markets and private-property ownership.
Those candidates who represent actual change or disagreement with the status quo are held in check by the two major parties in power, making it very difficult to compete in the pretend democratic process. This is done by making it difficult for third-party candidates to get on the ballots, enter into the debates, raise money, avoid being marginalized, or get fair or actual coverage. A rare celebrity or a wealthy individual can, to a degree, overcome these difficulties.
The system we have today allows a President to be elected by as little as 32% of the American people, with half of those merely voting for the “lesser of two evils”. Therefore, as little as 16% actually vote for a president. No wonder when things go wrong, anger explodes. A recent poll shows that 60% of the American people are not happy with the two major candidates this year.
This system is driven by the conviction that only a major party candidate can win. Voters become convinced that any other vote is a “wasted” vote. It’s time for that conclusion to be challenged and to recognize that the only way not to waste one’s vote is to reject the two establishment candidates and join the majority, once called silent, and allow the voices of the people to be heard.
We cannot expect withdrawal of troops from Iraq or the Middle East with either of the two major candidates. Expect continued involvement in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Georgia. Neither hints of a non-interventionist foreign policy. Do not expect to hear the rejection of the policy of supporting the American world empire. There will be no emphasis in protecting privacy and civil liberties and the constant surveillance of the American people. Do not expect any serious attempt to curtail the rapidly expanding national debt. And certainly, there will be no hint of addressing the Federal Reserve System and its cozy relationship with big banks and international corporations and the politicians.
There is only one way that these issues can get the attention they deserve: the silent majority must become the vocal majority.
This message can be sent to our leaders by not participating in the Great Distraction—the quadrennial campaign and election of an American President without a choice. Just think of how much of an edge a Vice President has in this process, and he or she is picked by a single person—the party’s nominee. This was never intended by the Constitution.
Since a principled non-voter sends a message, we must count them and recognize the message they are sending as well. The non-voters need to hold their own “election” by starting a “League of Non-voters” and explain their principled reasons for opting out of this charade of the presidential elective process. They just might get a bigger membership than anyone would guess.
Write-in votes should not be discouraged, but the electoral officials must be held accountable and make sure the votes are counted. But one must not be naïve and believe that under today’s circumstances one has a chance of accomplishing much by a write-in campaign.
The strongest message can be sent by rejecting the two-party system, which in reality is a one-party system with no possible chance for the changes to occur which are necessary to solve our economic and foreign policy problems. This can be accomplished by voting for one of the non-establishment principled candidates—Baldwin, Barr, McKinney, Nader, and possibly others. (listed alphabetically)
Yes, these individuals do have strong philosophic disagreements on various issues, but they all stand for challenging the status quo—those special interest who control our federal government. And because of this, on the big issues of war, civil liberties, deficits, and the Federal Reserve they have much in common. People will waste their vote in voting for the lesser of two evils. That can’t be stopped overnight, but for us to have an impact we must maximize the total votes of those rejecting the two major candidates.
For me, though, my advice—for what it’s worth—is to vote! Reject the two candidates who demand perpetuation of the status quo and pick one of the alternatives that you have the greatest affinity to, based on the other issues.
A huge vote for those running on principle will be a lot more valuable by sending a message that we’ve had enough and want real change than wasting one’s vote on a supposed lesser of two evils. (Via Campaign for Liberty)
I plan on voting for someone other than Obama or McCain. I have been a Republican all my life. My Grandpa was Republican and my Dad was Republican. I will not vote Republican this time…..
From an American and his wife in Russia, God Bless & Thank You Ron Paul
Ever wondered who owns NATO – first two guesses do not count!
Hello,
When Gorbachev was asked if the former U.S. Secretary of State, James Baker, really promised him that NATO would not expand eastward if the Soviet Union supported the unification of Germany and united Germany’s NATO membership, Gorbachev answers: “He didn’t promise it to me. He promised it to the whole World!” (Link)
This seems to be one of the most serious mistakes by the USA, the fact that they did not uphold their end of the bargain about NATO.
Background:
“In February 1990, after talks with West Germany’s foreign minister, Secretary of State James Baker had assured Gorbachev and [then Soviet Foreign Minister, later Georgian President Eduard] Shevardnadze that ‘NATO’s jurisdiction would not shift one inch eastward from its present position.’ The [first] Bush administration began backing away from that pledge almost immediately. The Clinton administration reneged on that commitment altogether when it decided to expand NATO to Eastern Europe. …
“‘The issue is not just whether Czechs, Hungarians and Poles join NATO. The problem is more serious: the rejection of the strategy for a new, common European system agreed to by myself and all the Western leaders when we ended the Cold War,’ Mikhail Gorbachev wrote in March 1999. ‘I feel betrayed by the West. The opportunity we seized on behalf of peace has been lost. The whole idea of a new world order has been completely abandoned.'” *
*- From the book “Hang Separately: Cooperative Security Between the United States and Russia, 1985-1994” by Leon V. Sigal, The Century Foundation Press, 2000.
Could Russia hold some deep resentment?
Seems the Wind is picking up speed now and the leaves are falling…..
The USA continues to debate the Russian Georgia conflict…..
U.S. Intelligence Sees It Russia’s Way: American intelligence confirms that the latest military actions in South Ossetia were started by Georgia and Russia’s position in the conflict was correct, says Republican California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. He said the situation reminded him of the Bay of Tonkin incident, which the U.S. used as a pretext for beginning the war in Vietnam.
“The Russians are right! We’re wrong! Georgia started it, the Russians ended it,” Rohrabacher said at a hearing in the House of Representatives.
Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried said U.S. intelligence was still working on an exact chronology of the events of August 7 to verify Georgian claims that Russian forces were in Roki Tunnel, linking Russia to South Ossetia, before Georgia attacked. Fried said that the Bush administration had forcefully and repeatedly warned the Georgians against beginning military actions against Russia, and he was unable to say why Georgia chose to ignore that advice.
Nonetheless, Fried acknowledged that supporting Georgia was in U.S. interests, even if it considers the countries actions foolish.
Russia acknowledged the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on August 26. Those republics requested that recognition after Georgian forces almost completely ruined Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, in the course of the event of August 8-12. More than 1500 civilians were killed in that time, according to South Ossetian authorities. (Link)
I think the wind is talking not whispering, in the tree leaves now!
Today finds the winds blowing in little swirls in the USA Government as the U.S. Senate finds itself asking why? After a month since the war in Georgia, the Senate has gotten around to actually questioning the motives of Americans involvement in the Caucasus…..
U.S. officials split over Caucasus conflict:
U.S. officials are divided over the recent violence in South Ossetia. The U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing has cast Moscow as an aggressor but members of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs have sided with Russia. And making a decision will require from them assessing the U.S. foreign policy objectives, including those that have to do with Iran and the global war on terror.
At last, some U.S. voices have been raised against labeling Russia as the aggressor during the conflict in the Caucasus.
”The recent fighting in Georgia and its breakaway region was started by Georgia. The Georgians broke the truce, not the Russians! And no talk of provocation can change that fact,” said Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.
Congressman Ron Paul added the U.S. is in Georgia “not for democracy”.
”We are not for democracy there – we are there to protect a pipeline. And that is tragic for me,” he said.
Nevertheless, no concrete proposals came except one – Senator Hillary Clinton called for the creation of a special commission to get the facts straight before judging Russia.
”Rather than seeking to isolate them – which I think is not a smart proposal – we should be more strategic. We have to answer for ourselves: Did we embolden the Georgians in any way? Did we send mixed signals to the Russians?” Hillary Clinton said.
The answer of U.S. Military Officials was a ‘no’.
“For many months my colleagues and Secretary Rice had been telling the Georgians clearly and unequivocally that any military action initiated by them would be a mistake and would lead to a disaster,” Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman said. (Link)
And a denial came after Senator John Warner asked: “Were there any requests from the President of Georgia or other high-ranking officials for the U.S. to provide active military support for the Georgia military?”
Some also insisted that Georgia had not been promised membership in NATO.
Others though were quick to question that statement. ”That is inconsistent with the 2008 Bucharest Summit statement. It also seems to be inconsistent with the statement of Vice President Dick Cheney. Those sound like promises to me,” said Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
Oh – I hear the breeze blowing through the leaves now, whispering the questions……..
RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 17:51:39.About 3,800 Russian servicemen will be stationed in each of the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said during a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev. The official pointed out that the ministry had already reached agreements to this effect with both republics, as well as defined the military structure and the dislocation sites, the Mayak radio station reported today. Serdyukov indicated that the Russian army units will be stationed in the villages of Dzhava and Tskhinval in South Ossetia and at former Russian peacekeepers’ sites in Abkhazia.
RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 17:33:53.By sending its observers to zones adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the European Union will give Georgia a clear signal that it will now be responsible, along with the OSCE and the UN, for ensuring security in the disputed republics, Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov told journalists today. He added that from now on any provocations in the conflict zone would be aimed against the EU. It is vital that Georgian troops withdraw to their pre-conflict positions before October 1 and that Russia receives guarantees that Georgia will not resume attacks against South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Lavrov underscored. To this effect, the EU is to send 200 observers to the conflict zone, he pointed out.
RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 17:12:58.Russia’s trade surplus under the balance of payments methodology increased 1.83 times to $19.144bn in July 2008 compared to the same month of the previous year, the Bank of Russia indicated in its announcement today.
RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 16:26:36.The European Union must be the first to take a step to settle the Caucasus conflict, according to agreements reached by Presidents Dmitry Medvedev of Russia and Nicolas Sarkozy of France on Monday, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists today. He reiterated that Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, assured the Russian side during the talks that the European Union would be able to deploy an observer mission in the conflict zone before October 1. On this condition, Russia will withdraw peacekeeping forces from Abkhazia and South Ossetia within the following 10 days, Lavrov said. If the EU delays the deployment of the mission, Russia will pull back the forces within 10 days from the actual day of its arrival, the Minister pointed out.
RBC, 09.09.2008, Moscow 12:46:05.The State Duma is expected to consider amending the military items of Russia’s federal budget for 2009-2011, Speaker of the lower house of the Russian parliament Boris Gryzlov told journalists following today’s State Duma Council meeting. He reiterated that a draft budget would be considered in its first reading on September 19. However, even now the deputies are ready to review amendments to the bill specifying the financing of the Russian Defense Ministry’s expenses. The matter is to be discussed with Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov on Wednesday, Gryzlov said. He explained that the amendments were connected with the South Ossetian conflict and were aimed at enabling the Russian army to counter any threat, even a potential one.
RBC, 09.09.2008, Minsk 12:18:22.Severstal is interested in the construction of a new steel plant in Belarus, the country’s Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky was cited by the cabinet’s press office as saying following talks with Vyacheslav Pozgalyov, governor of Russia’s Vologda region. The PM noted that the matter had been discussed during a meeting in Minsk. Sidorsky added that the Belarus government planned to introduce the proposal on building the plant to President Alexander Lukashenko. The project has been estimated at more than $2bn. A feasibility study is being carried out, and Belarus intends to launch a construction tender in the near future. Severstal showed interest in the project a month ago, according to Sidorsky.
RBC, 08.09.2008, Moscow 19:04:23.Russia has received guarantees for the non-use of force by Georgia from the European Union and France, which is now holding the EU presidency, Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev said following today’s talks with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy. The Russian President stressed that the parties had accepted a document stipulating additional measures that were not included in the agreement signed on August 12.
South Ossetian Prosecutor General, Teimuraz Khugayev told Interfax news agency that through talking to relatives and neighbors, investigators have collected information on over 1,600 people killed as a result of “Georgia’s aggression against South Ossetia”. The circumstances of deaths and the burial places of 500 people have been already determined.
Khugayev said they have also found the burial places of 160 dead, which will be exhumed and reburied. However, the investigation is limited by the fact not all relatives of the dead have come back to Tskhinval.
Hello, My wife and I have just purchased airline tickets to Israel! We will leave on the 5th of October, 2008 and return by the 21st of October, 2008. We also plan to travel Egypt while we are in the area but not as extensive as Israel.We can travel to Egypt by bus after seeing the sights in Israel.
This is a trip of a lifetime for us both and we are very excited to be going. I have written about some of the worries (Link) but we decided that why worry just go. 🙂
We have a new lap top (Dell Inspiron) and this time we have secured reliable internet to work from any and all sources that we can find. (Israel seems to have WiFi everywhere, not sure about Egypt.)
This is a list we have found of some things to do and go see:
* Jerusalem * The Gates of Jerusalem * The City of David * The Old City of Jerusalem * Museum for Islamic Art * Mount Zion * Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum * The Tower of David Museum * The Model of Second Temple Jerusalem * The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens * Nahlaot * Mishkenot She’ananim * The New Heart of Jerusalem * The Tisch Family Biblical Zoo * Ticho House * Ben Yehuda Street * Ramat Rachel * Southern wall of Jerusalem from the time of the Hasmonean Dynasty * Haifa * The Bahai Gardens * The Dead Sea * Massada * The Massada Museum * Monasteries in the Judean Desert * Arad region * Arava Special Agriculture * The Besor Region * Nitzana Region * Eilat * The Coral Reef in Eilat * The Red Sea * The Dolphin Reef
Now as far as Egypt is concerned we have a desire to go to the oldest Monastery on Earth in the Sinai Peninsula. Then we want to see a pyramid…. (Egypt is ad lib as we go!)
As we get closer we will let everyone know more information. This time we are really working on being able to post as we travel!
Hello, While drinking the morning cup of coffee, I was thinking about Russia and her outlook on the world…
Without a doubt, Russia is authoritarian; it does see itself as a great power and has engaged and will engage in power competition with those whom it sees as its rivals; it does insist on preserving links and influence in the former Imperial borderlands turned independent states; it looks at oil, gas and other natural resources as its few real assets before its economy is modernized and diversified; it does have a global view, it does have a future in mind that rejects US world domination and openly seeks to build what it calls a multipolar world order. True, Russia is not a post-modern player when it comes to international relations: it is nationalistic, sovereignty-conscious, and does not shy from wielding hard power, but apart from the European Union, no country is. Today, Russian people are freer and more affluent than they have ever been: capitalism is transforming Russian society on a daily basis. Yet even as Russia becomes progressively more Western inside, it has ceased to be pro-Western in its foreign policy.
These attributes of Russia are what scares the USA. For many years now the U.S. has not had anyone tell hem to not cross the red line. The U.S. has had the run of the “candy store” so to speak. Now the Bear said, no more candy from Russia & her territory!
What was the U.S. response to taking away her candy?
She (USA) had an unbelievable fit and is still screaming over lost candy! Rice has nonstop bad mouthed Russia for a month now. Bush has only shut up because his speech writers quit writing anti-Russian speeches. Cheney just made the rounds through this part of the world and proceeded to show his mentality level. Every time he spoke in the last few days, every other word was anti-Russian and he is so “talented” that he does not need speech writers to say, “Bad Russia!”
I have listen carefully the last few weeks and have watched the European Union work hard at a resolution. I have seen a Europe that wants to be a world power that mediates. I respect Europe, for the much more grownup attitude over the situation in the Caucuses. Yes Europe has its dissenting screaming children that try to stir up issues for the USA but the elder and wiser States keep them with pacifiers. The problem is that there is one child that Europe does not have a big enough pacifier for…..
Lets turn to the Biggest and Loudest Child (USA) for the last of these thoughts, centered on Cheney:
1. Dick Cheney denounced what he termed Russia’s war against Georgia. American political commentator Pat Buchanan pointed out that, while the Georgian conflict lasted five days, “We bombed Serbia for 78 days when it had not attacked the US for the province of Kosovo.”
2. Cheney also warned that Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia could set a precedent. “We know that if one country is allowed to unilaterally redraw the borders of another, it will happen and it will happen again,” the Vice President said.
Just over six months ago, Russia expressed similar concerns – but then it was about recognising the independence of Kosovo. “We think to support the unilateral independence of Kosovo is wrong both from the moral and legal points of view,” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in February 2008. In spite of Russia’s warnings, the Serbian province’s unilateral declaration of independence was supported and recognized by the U.S. and more than 40 other countries.
3. Western politicians and media criticized Russia for what they called the invasion of a sovereign country. Again, terminology that would not be entirely out of place in a debate about the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, which Russia opposed.
As the U.S. continues to attack Russia rhetorically, its inherent double standards are becoming ever more obvious. While the USA draws red lines and “you” better not cross, Russia slapped back when the USA crossed Russia’s red line.
Hence: The Spoiled Child (USA) fell on the ground screaming, yelling and holding her breath until blue in the face.
CNN was the first network to have broken news of the September 11 attacks. Anchor Carol Lin was on the air to deliver the first public report of the event. She broke into a commercial at 8:49 a.m. ET and said:
Stop for a moment and give a prayer.
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