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Caribdude's World Wide Web - 22nd September 2007

It's been a while since my last WWW post, but there are just so many things going on around the world that I thought it was time I posted a new one. This one is mostly going to be about World news, stories you may have noticed in the local papers on on tv.

More and more people are turning to the internet and blogs for news, I believe that knowing what is going on and how it may affect you is the only way to prepare and plan for the future, a future that is rushing towards us and is not looking like the one you see in Star Trek.

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Now, before I get started, let me first make it clear that this blog posts contains many links, to news articles, discussions and videos. It is not expected that you have the time to read and watch them all in one go, or even to have an interest in all of them. All I hope to do is to encourage more people to look outside of the bubble we live in here in St. Maarten.

We, everyone of us who live here on this tiny speck of land, rely COMPLETELY on the outside world. Being aware of and understanding what is going on out there is very important to being able to plan and prepare for the future. Are you going to rely on the Island Government to do that for you? I wish you luck.

It would be interesting to hear our politicians, of all parties, being questioned about some of the stories I bring up below, perhaps they are aware and follow world news, I don't know. Perhaps some day a reporter will ask them, afterall, these people claim they can lead the island into a happy new status and even independance. It would also be interesting to hear the 'man/woman on the street' being asked about them too, I think you will find that most people just don't have a clue.

To those DP supporters posting here recently, I would like to make it very clear to you that I am not claiming that most people are stupid or dumb. What I am saying is that information is education, being aware and informed, being able to understand issues/problems and the reasons/causes behind them is vital in avoiding them and preparing for them in the future. A well informed and therefore well educated public forces those who wish to represent them politically to follow suit, both can them make better choices, with their votes and with their policies. It's a win/win.

The problem is, how do you get people interested and involved? Sometimes it's easier to shut it out and not worry about what's going on 'out there', we can't do anything about it anyway, besides for most of us, dealing with the troubles and worries we have in our lives day to day, we are all so busy.

Take for example the recent post I made about Catastrophic Climate Change. It's been at the top of the front page now 2 days and received not one comment. I think this is a more important issue than who got a majority in the last election, I guess I'm in the minority about it though..

Or is it just that such news is just so depressing and so gloomy, or so beyond our control or comprehension that we just want to push it out of our minds and not even think about it, pretend it's not real or will go away? Besides, isn't it our government's job to think about and deal with such things for us?

Isn't that just shirking and avoiding responsibility, to your children and future generations? A poor excuse to give them?

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Are we all going crazy

I May Have Gone Insane - By William Rivers Pitt 10th September 2007

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Euro = $1.40, U.S Economy in a slow down, oil prices rising, etc etc. Remember a few weeks ago when some big bets on something big and bad happening to affect the stock markets?

MASSIVE WALL STREET PUT OPTIONS SIGNAL UPCOMING TERROR ATTACK - 4th September 2007

Maybe you can see the reasoning behind those bets in the stories below. I'm not an economist, but if any of you are then perhaps you will share your thoughts on how our dollar fixed Naf and mostly US tourism economy is going to fare, how will the French side do? I do think it's a fair bet to say a less valuable dollar is going to make our energy and gas more expensive. Boy, are our bus and taxi drivers going to be pissed.

Why the dollar is taking another beating now - 22nd September 2007

'Super euro' deepens fear of economic slowdown in Europe - 22nd September 2007

Fears of dollar collapse as Saudis take fright - 21st September 2007

World Bank ex-chief says power heading east - 21st September 2007

EIA Chief: Spike in Oil Prices Isn't Directly Caused by Demand, Will Subside - 21st September 2007

Oil prices fall; gas prices expected to rise - 21st September 2007

Dollar Tumbles to New Low Vs. the Euro - 21st September 2007

U.S. Economic Growth Losing Steam - 20th September 2007

The Saudis Call Bernanke's Bluff - 20th September 2007

Bernanke: Rate cut not a cure-all for turbulence - 20th September 2007

U.S. Economic Growth Losing Steam - 20th September 2007

Ian Welsh - The Economic Outlook - 19th September 2007

Drumbeat For Attack On Iran Grows Louder 0- 17th September 2007

Uncle Alan: Oil, Oh No I Didn't Mean the War Was An Oil Grab - 16th September 2007!

Fed’s Ex-Chief Attacks Bush on Fiscal Role - 15th September 2007

IMF Director Warns Of U.S. Economic Slowdown - 12th September 2007

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Next up on the list, you might have heard of Blackwater mentioned in the news recently for their manner of fighting off attacking unarmed Iragi civilians. Below are a few links you should check out sometime about this company and others like it. The reason I mention is it that they may soon be operating in the Caribbean.

Blackwater denies Iraq smuggling - 22nd September 2007

Security Firm in Smuggling Probe - 21st September 2007

What happens to private contractors who kill Iraqis? Maybe nothing - 18th September 2007

Blackwater's 'Drug War' Bonanza - 19th September 2007

$15B narcoterrorism war to be outsourced - 17th September 2007

Can the Iraqi govt. kick out Blackwater? - pt 1

Can the Iraqi govt. kick out Blackwater? - pt 2

Can the Iraqi govt. kick out Blackwater? - pt 3

Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary

“Blackwater” Author describes the US civilian Militia Group’s relationship with BushCo. “Shadow War” - 17th September 2007

President Bush on Blackwater USA

You won't see this on CNN - “The TROPHY Video”

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Moving on, Russia, the US, and Canada are all making clains to large parts of the Arctic, while the UK has decided to go South.

Russia says tests back claim to Arctic ridge - 21st September 2007

Aging fleet slows U.S. in Arctic "chess game" - 20th September 2007

UK plans to annex south atlantic - 22nd September 2007

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Did you hear about some explosion in Syria? Seems there may be far more to the story then we are being told.

Blast at secret Syrian missile site kills dozens - 20th September 2007

Syria's smoking gun - 17th September 2007

U.S.: Syria on Nuclear Watch List - 14th September 2007

Turkey demands explanation from Israel over fuel tanks found near Syrian border - 10th September 2007

Hot weather triggers blast in Syria - 26th July 2007

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Moveon.org were attacked and condemned by both President Bush and the US Congress, for running the ad above about the General's recent testimony and report about the situation in Iraq. 20+ Democrats voted with the declaration. As a result, the increasingly influential blogging community appears to rethinking it's loyalites to many of them. Moveon has apparently recieved almost $1 million in donations in the past 36 hours.

The first link is an interesting discussion worth checking out, the second a special comment by Kieth Olbermann.

MoveOn And the Kabuki Congress

Countdown Special Comment: The President Of Hypocrisy - 21st September 2007

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Other stuff...........

Police Culture In the US

Is ‘Do Unto Others’ Written Into Our Genes? - 18th September 2007

Diary from DR Congo's Ebola frontline - 19th September 2007

Ebola outbreak confirmed in Congo, WHO sending teams - 11th September 2007

Slain Russian journalist nominated for EU rights award 10th September 2007

Oh, and there is still a f**king idiot in the White House.

Caribdude