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Truth & Transparency = A Stronger Democracy

December 8, 2018 by Ted Leave a Comment

Red Christmas Trees Line Russia’s Promenade of Conquest

I can't erase the image in my mind of Putin strutting down Russia's Promenade of Conquest - you know the one lined by red Christmas trees at the Whitehouse. To really get the full effect you have to watch the video from I think it is either the Times, Newsweek or some other news organization as they do a pan down the long promenade of red Chrismas tree.

Then I have to listen to commentators say it is not acceptable because it is blood red - it is a scene out of a horror movie. Another commentator said its unacceptable because it is so jarring from our expected green Christmas tree and psychologically jarring and damaging. And then, of course, I listen to Mrs. T blather about the color red being the color of valor.

Bull-pucky.

It's Russian Red, Kremlin Red Square red. In my mind, Putin struts down the promenade of conquest at the White House and out to review the Soviet Military Parade.

With all of the Russian allegations swirling around him. Especially now that Robert Muller seems to be closing in and several of Trump's inner circle have testified under oath that Trump asked them to reach out to Putin you would think Trump would have whispered to Milania - "please not red Honey, not Now."

The only conclusion that I can come to is when Trump said he could shoot someone and his supporters would still stand behind him he really believes he can get away with everything. Including giving away our country, giving away the United States to Russia. Of course in the bargain, he gets a Trump Tower in Moscow that reports say will enrich him by several hundred million dollars - and all he gives Putin is a penthouse apartment in Trump Tower Moscow and of course the United States of America.

But that's all Trump cared about from the beginning - enriching himself.

Don't let all of this recent noise about Trump's high-level changes at the Whitehouse divert your attention from what's important. Trump was willing to bargain away our country - yours and mine to Russia to enrich himself. It's just a pattern - whenever the news is not in Trump's favor he gins up some controversy to distract us. But thank goodness some of the media and some of the voters are not falling for Trump's game and keeping their eye on what's important.

Let me know what you think.

Filed Under: Russia, Trump Tagged With: Democracy Alert, Mueller, Red Christmas Trees, Russia, Russia investiation, Trump, Whitehouse

July 16, 2018 by Ted Leave a Comment

Democracy Billboard and Response shows GOP Isn’t Fooling American Voters

Despite World Famous Liar Donald Trumps denials the American voter is not fooled. As the interviews with voters proves after they have viewed the billboards it is clear voters know the truth.

The US and Democarcy need a GOP that will stand up to Trump and demand the end to his attacks on the legitimacy of his Justice Department and Robert Mueller.

The American public is increasingly learning the GOP is putting party before country and that must stop.

I read a comment on another web site that said today's GOP is "proof that man can walk upright without a spine." The GOP reinforces that impression every day.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Democracy, GOP, liar, Mueller, Robert Mueller, Russia meddling, Russiand investigation, Trump

January 23, 2017 by Ted Leave a Comment

Foreign Policy of John F Kennedy and George W Bush

In this essay I'm to explain about foreign policy of two American presidents; the similarities and differences .For some reasons I've chosen John F. Kennedy and George W. Bush, although every president has his own foreign policy, but I think in one spot the foreign policy of John F Kennedy and George W Bush becomes similar, this spot is war. Also both of them are idealist, their idealism in their speech, before the beginning of the wars is definite.

Therefore in this essay I try to clarify how American presidents claim something as good and peaceful for both the occupied country and the rest of the world, but ideologically think and practically act contrary to their claims. In fact how they do other than they say about their foreign policy; how these presidents claim that they are idealist but they began the wars and how similar they propagandize public opinions in order to their goal which is imperialism and accordingly capitalism.

George W Bush & Iraq War

Remember President Bush' speeches and declaration of Iraq war. According to his speeches, what was the main reason of war?

" ... for more than a decade the United States and other nations have pursued patient and honorable efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime without war [...] peaceful efforts to disarm Iraqi regime have failed again and again .[...]this regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraq 's neighbors and against Iraq` s people.

[...] it (Iraq) has a deep hatred of America and our friends. And it (Iraq) has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of Al Qaeda. The danger is clear ; using chemical ,biological or, one day, nuclear weapons ,the terrorists [...] could kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country ,or any other.[...] before the day of horror can come, before it is too late to act ,this danger will be removed.[...] if we must begin a military campaign , it will be against the lawless men who rule your country and not against you. We will deliver the food and medicine you need. [...] we will help you to build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free [...] the day of your liberation is near. [...] we are a peaceful people [...] if our enemies dare to strike us, they and all who have aided them ,will face fearful consequences [...] when the dictator has departed they can set an example to all the Middle East of a vital and peaceful and self-governing nation. [...] America and our allies accept that responsibility."(4)

If we want to examine the "rhetoric of Iraq conquest" (Callinicos, 2003:9) in speeches of Bush and his administration to compare his foreign policy in word and in practice, we can divide his claims to several categories as Callinicos divides:

1-"Fight against terrorism "

As Chomsky has pointed out ,"the problem is the selectivity with which the terrorism is applied''.(Barsamian ,2004:22 cited in Bellamy Foster&W.Mcchesney) Who are terrorists ? Those who are n` t with US and her allies .So the main narration is struggling between good and evil .This strategy of Bush and his administration is the thing that Eleanor Stein calls it the " construction of an enemy". (Stein ,2004:151 cited in Bellamy Foster & W. Mcchesney) He admonishes to remember Nazi propaganda technique :

"Pit race against race, religion against religion, prejudice against prejudice .Divide and conquer!"

2-"Destroying weapons of mass destruction"

What does it mean when some countries like Israel has weapons of mass destruction but it is n 't dangerous ?It 's clear ,Israel is the close alliance of the US.

3-"Democracy"

"This will not be a campaign of half measures, and we will accept no outcome except victory", Bush said(4) .But what is really victory? Is it democracy?

Bush and his administration justify their military operation to make Iraqi people free and to survive the world from danger. But does 'externally imposed democratic revolution' and 'killing half million people' justify 'external intervention to other regimes'?

4-"Liberalism"

That' s right ,Iraqis are free but after war .As Robert Cooper expressed: "Among ourselves we operate on the basis of laws [...] but when dealing with old-fashioned kinds of states outside the post-modern continent of Europe, we need to revert to the rougher methods of an earlier era [...] when we are operating in the jungle , we must also use the laws of the jungle". (Foster, 2004:161 cited in Bellamy Foster & W. Mcchesney)

After all ,As Noam Chomsky (Barsamian,2004:22 cited in Bellamy Foster & W. Machesney )said if Iraq was somewhere in central Africa it would n` t be chosen for this test case. But as Middle East and the Gulf region has a huge source of material wealth and oil, it 's chosen .All these show that reality is the other side of the coin. The foreign policy of George W Bush differs from word to practice.

John F Kennedy& Vietnam War

In late 1961, President John F. Kennedy requested more help for the South Vietnamese government in its war against the Vietcong guerrillas. (6)

Although there are multiple starting dates for the war, I choose president's message to congress, august 5, 1964, to show how president Kennedy in this war used words to show that he is idealist but in fact he wasn't: " [...]I further announced a decision to ask the Congress for a resolution expressing the unity and determination of the United States in supporting freedom and in protecting peace in southeast Asia.[...]these latest actions of the North Vietnamese regime have given a new and grave turn to the already serious situation in southeast Asia [...] Our policy in southeast Asia has been consistent and unchanged since 1954. I summarized it on June 2 in four simple propositions:

1. America keeps her word. Here as elsewhere, we must and shall honor our commitments.

2. The issue is the future of Southeast Asia as a whole. A threat to any nation in that region is a threat to all, and a threat to us.

3. Our purpose is peace.. We have no military, political, or territorial ambitions in the area.

4. This is not just a jungle war, but a struggle for freedom on every front of human activity. Our military and economic assistance to South Vietnam and Laos in particular has the purpose of helping these countries to repel aggression and strengthen. The United States will continue in its basic policy of assisting the free nations of the area to defend their freedom [...] we must make it clear to all that the United States is united in its determination to bring about the end of Communist subversion and aggression in the area . "(7)

At that time, Kennedy and his administration believed in a modernization model; all nations followed the same general road of economic and social development ,so this model is a way to protect south Vietnam while help it throughout the stages of economic growth.

But the reality was another thing, fearing the spread of communism President Kennedy believed that America could and should shape the destiny of the world's developing countries .Following this way ,President Lyndon Johnson sustained missions in North Vietnam , Nixon followed the way of previous presidents too.

According to "the propaganda tools" term (Amin ,2004:104. cited in Bellamy Foster & W. Mcchesney) ,the term that Gobbels gave, America manipulated the intelligence of people before entrancing to the war .This manipulation of intelligence was such a strong propaganda that the Vietnam war was explained as the result of "poor political intelligence". It was the consequence of this manipulation that most Americans believed that America were intervening to help a country that has been a victim of foreign aggression and also believed that if they lose Indochina and specially Vietnam they world will end up communism.

But this war was the consequence of American interest to extend US capitalism and control over the world.

This propaganda even continues after the war ,after all this times ,US Defence Secretary ,William Cohen said that "he didn `t intend to apologize for the attitude of the us forces during the Vietnam war."(5)

Conclusion

Does America really have right to intervene to internal problems of other countries?
According to the definition of right by Mill that "to have a right is to have a justifiable claim against others that some interests be protected or promoted." (Knowles,2002:165), it had .
But isn`t it right that ' this right 'is contrary to freedom?

As Rousseau tells us "our freedom derives from our free will ,or capacity to resist the desires which press us together with our status as independent creatures, neither subject to the demands of others nor dependent on them to get what we want." (Knowles,2002:105)

If we compare two presidents's foreign policy and strategy in these two wars ,with this definition ,we can conclude that these presidents can't bestow freedom to other countries. As Samir Amin expressed ,the US program is imperialist but it' s not exactly the same imperialist that Antonio Negri explained that, since it does n 't "aim to change the societies into a capitalist system but to loot their sources." (Amin,2004:105 cited in Bellamy Foster & W. Mcchesney )

These two presidents are idealist when they talk about their foreign policy .But there is a gap between their words and reality. Behind such words lay "dreams of absolute global domination, of imposing a planetary Pox Americana by force of arms".(8)

We should be aware how an idealist language can be used to shape foreign policy of American presidents to reach imperialism and capitalism; their real goal.

REFRENCES

1-Bellamy Foster,John &W.Mcchesney ,Robert:editors,2004,Pox Americana, London :Pluto press.

2-Calliniocos,Alex,2003,The New Mandarins of American Power,UK:polity press

3- Knowles,Dudley,2002,Political Philosophy,London:routledge

MA student of North American Studies-Tehran University

Filed Under: Foreign Policy Tagged With: Bush, Foreign, George, John, Kennedy, Policy

January 23, 2017 by Ted Leave a Comment

Hedge Fund Regulation Trends

Hedge funds are pools of money invested by individuals or groups of qualified investors who met federal requirements, which are determined by the US Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC) in the United States. Today, there is much talk about regulations in the hedge fund market. The two leading financial market regulators, the SEC, and Financial Services Authority (FSA) seem to be slowly but steadily moving in direction of controlled regulation.

As hedge funds popularity grows year after year, the major concern is how such growth would impact broader markets in unforeseen ways. According to Richard Herring, finance professor at Wharton and co-director of the Wharton Financial Institutions Center, "The important issue that has not been much discussed publicly is the potential implications for the industryif hedge funds do reach a broader market."Herring argues that regulation of hedge funds would be an irrevocable mistake, explaining further that "[r]egulation is in some sense is not compatible with the fundamental role and character of hedge funds", adding that "hedge funds are designed by law with maximum flexibility."

Recent trends in the hedge fund industry indicate continual improvements in their ability to cope up with systemic risk and reflect a much larger movement towards stability throughout global financial markets. Policymakers must keep in mind the fact such trends because the history of financial markets regulation reveals that financial and technological innovations often render regulations obsolete, requiring them to be restructured or either repealed. The hedge fund industry’s constantly and rapidly changing structure and practices almost guarantee that new regulation would at best be redundant and might even obliterate further developments.

The hedge fund industry has done a commendable job for the most part regulating itself. Hedge fund current regulations have served its purpose well, hedge funds are moving forward: current hedge fund assets are in excess of US$ 800 billion. In the first half of 2010, the United States witnessed a fundamental shift in the global hedge fund industry as it enters a period of significant growth set against financial recovery and increasing scrutiny from regulators and institutional investors. The recent pace has carried industry assets across the 1.5 trillion USD mark, with sentiment aimed for continued growth. The "renaissance"can be attributed majorly to strong performance in end of 2009, but net inflows have also steadily risen. Further testimony to the industry’s dramatic resurrection can be seen in the increasing number of hedge fund managers who are now closing their funds to new investors. Anticipated regulation, driven by external factors, is predicted to be injurious to the hedge fund industry on a global
level. But, if there is not a globally coordinated and managed regulatory effort, it is likely that some funds may choose exploit potential loop holes.

Investors are now focusing more than ever on liquidity and transparency. With these principles in place, investors have more control and are able to dictate terms of the fund to a greater scale. Additionally, the level and quality of investor due diligence has been continually rising. Also, an increase in managed accounts, single investor funds, distressed asset funds and funds investing in emerging markets has been noticed in the later months of 2010.

Learn more about commodity hedge funds and certification in finance at CAIA.Org.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Fund, Hedge, Regulation, Trends

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