Posts tagged "Conservative Party"

A ‘candidential’ Who’s Who

A ‘CANDIDENTIAL’ WHO’S WHO

A New Astrological Look At The Current Presidential Candidates

by Suzanne White

Buffalo. June 2006 – Bill Clinton was working the back of the room at Chef’s, a busy checkered tablecloth spaghetti restaurant in the city center. Like a friendly navy blue Lab, Clinton bounded up to table after table of astounded Buffalonians, shook hands with them all, kissed the regulation number of babies and hugged one or two huge flowered ladies over sixty real hard till their glasses fell askew.

“He’s so tall.” gasped my sister-in-law, Nicole. “and handsome.”

What could Bill Clinton be doing in downtown Buffalo? thought I, pretending to study the huge plasticated menu, whilst keeping an eye peeled on Big Bill’s progress.

My brother George, a terminally tranquil seventy-two year old convicted life term Republican was suddenly in motion. First, he fidgeted his beer glass to his lips and squinted in amazement over top of the glass’s rim as the immense blue-suited apparition hove our way. By the time Clinton was upon us, George had gone all sedate and respectful. He had decorously placed his napkin on the table beside his plate, gotten to his feet and extended his hand. “Mr. President.” I heard him say reverentially. “Tickled pink to meet you.”

Bill shook his hand amiably, performing that chummy demeaning hold onto your wrist thing that patronising men do to each other sometimes. It looks like the first guy is stealing the other guy’s right cuff link. But Bill was just being his charming presidential self. “What should I order here?” Bill asked George. “They say it’s pretty good. What would you suggest I eat here today?”

The last time I had seen my brother paralyzed was at Buffalo Children’s Hospital when he had polio at age 12. The look on his face said, Do I advise this Democrat punk about the hearty home-cookin’ here in my favorite Italian restaurant? Or should I steer him to the heartburn column?

Clinton stood fast, waiting for his culinary tip. With that dopey

Labrador grin on his face, he looked so calm he might have been asleep.

To an experienced politician like Bill Clinton, Republicans probably have a certain smell. To me, it looked like Bill had diagnosed old Georgie from afar and decided to try to do a quickie on the spot party conversion. His unspoken message was: Hey chum. You got an Armani knit polo shirt on. Gucci loafers without tassles. You look like a guy who knows his Italian cuisine. The truth, they say, is the ultimate con.

Still immobilized, my brother half sat, holding the menu up so as Bill could easily read all the available dishes: Pasta, Calzones, Lasagna, Meatballs – the usual suspects. “You ought to have this one. Mr. President.” intoned George, pointing to a square in the center of the menu. “It’s the specialty of the house.”

“Did you order that?” Bill wondered. George nodded and smiled goofily up at Bill. Yes indeedy, he had.

The die was cast. My strictly conservative Reaganite brother George had just fallen in love.

By now, the entire restaurant was in heat. A kind of groupie estrus malaise had come over all the women. I was the worst hit. A 68 year old 16-year-old with a digital camera. I kept hot flashing it up at the towering Bill as he still stood near our table now talking to Chef’s Restaurant’s owner who is of course called Chef.

“You were born on the same day as me,” Chef told Bill. “August 19, 1946.”

“Oh that is a co-incidence now, isn’t it?” said Bill.

I had written a New York Times Op-ed piece about Clinton when he was running against Dole. It was all about New Astrology signs and how Clinton was a Leo born in a Dog year and Dole was a Virgo born in a Pig year and what that meant for the outcome of the election. I had, even back then, compared Bill Clinton to a Labrador who jumps up on you and laps off your makeup just to say hello. Eager and friendly but perhaps not all that well-bred.

FYI, this Bill Clinton person is a giant. I looked up and shouted over the restaurant’s hysterical din, “You’re a Leo/Dog! You are both Leo/Dogs.”

The way those men looked down at me then made me sure that both Clinton and the Chefster had me figured me for some batty old woman who lives half-snockered in a trailer under the overpass outside the city limits and who dreams of having something – anything – even her obituary – published in The New York Times.

But Bill had nonetheless connected. “A Leo/Dog huh?” He hollered back down to me.

“Yes.” I shouted. “You are a Leo and you were born in a Dog year. That makes you a Leo/Dog in New Astrology. I invented it. It’s a book!”

Now I was really a rattling loony tunes. I got that old sizzly feeling of impending immortality. I was talking to a former president of the United States about The New Astrology. It was like sitting right next to Salvador Dali in the cinéma in Paris. I did that once too. It also felt sizzly.

“Well,” said Bill, leaning down to me. “I’m a Leo/Dog, huh.

“Yep.” I chirped. “That’s what I said. You are a Leo/Dog.”

He smiled, placed his big hand on my shivering shoulder, gave a nod and confided, “I’ve been called worse.”

I can’t help it. I brake for a man with brains. For me, in a man, income level, social status and availability are irrelevant. They have to be smart and make me laugh. Otherwise, what good are they?

Now let’s have a look at the current presidential candidates… and their brains.

D- Barack Obama is a Leo too. He was born in 1961. In The New Astrology, that makes him a Leo/Ox. Like Napoleon Bonaparte and Louis Armstrong and Monica Lewinski. Dictator, jazzman and uh…. Tough cookie?

D- Hillary Clinton is a Scorpio. She was born in 1947. She’s a Scorpio/Pig, Like Marie-Antoinette and Chiang-Kai-Shek and our own Kevin Kline. These whiz kid people drip canny authenticity. They often benefit from unusual destinies.

D- John Edwards? He’s a Gemini born in 1953. That’s a Gemini/Snake like John F Kennedy and Bobby Dylan and Brooke Shields. Irresistibly attractive, meticulous, slick and ever so clever at fibbing.

D- Dennis Kuchinich is a Libra born in 1946, a Dog year. There are lots of famous Libra/Dogs like: George Gershwin and Susan Sarandon and Brigitte Bardot. Good people. Just. Fair. Honest. Hardworking and frequently out-of-sorts with the mainstream.

R- Rudy Giuliani is a Gemini/Monkey from 1944. He’s in good company with the Duchess of Windsor and the Marquis de Sade. Agile. Shrewd. Imperious. A tester of social convention. .

R- Mike Huckabee is a Virgo/Goat from 1943. There’s a slew of famous Virgo/Goats . A most eclectic lot they are too: Larry Hagman, George Wallace and Jean-Claude Killy. Eccentric. Lovable. Large-scale. Dogmatic. But can he ski?

R- John McCain was born in late August of 1936. He’s a Virgo/Rat. A couple of his birthmates are song and dance men, Maurice Chevalier and Gene Kelly. The sunny kind of Rat. Capable and power hungry.

R- Mitt Romney is a Pisces born in 1947 which makes him a Pisces/Pig in New Astrology. Pigs are naïve but they can very convincing. He shares a New Astrology sign with L. Ron Hubbard. Is this the sign of the preacher man?

Each of these New Astrology© signs is double. They blend the person’s western month sign with his or her Chinese Year sign and come up with a whole new character type. Caution! Cast not thy vote before swine.

Suzanne White
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/a-candidential-whos-who-325197.html

Mark Foley – Gay Congressman Resigns-The Real Deal

Florida Congressman Mark Foley has resigned from Congress amid charges and allegations that he had inappropriate e-mail contacts with a former teenage page in the House of Representatives. So what’s the real deal? What’s really going on? You can read the mainline press, and watch television, but you’ll never get to the real story that way. You have to ferret it out for yourself, and that’s what we have done. We have talked with the movers and the shakers, to learn what’s really happening.

First off, no one has a right to violate the sanctity of a teenager’s world. In our country young people are protected and given rights precisely because they are young. They are at an age where they can not protect themselves. It is the sign of an advanced society that we choose to protect them, as well we should.

People who would prey on our children should go to jail for the rest of their lives. There is no need to give such “scum” a second chance. We shouldn’t take that chance by giving them another chance. It is also the symbol of an advanced society that the framers of our constitution went out of their way to protect the rights of criminals. Compared to every other society on earth, here’s one observer that thinks we do a fairly good job. Now having said that what’s going on in Washington?

First off, neither party has a stranglehold on ethics. The Democrats have stolen just as much money through the years as the Republicans. What they spend it on may be different, but the money in both cases seems to DISAPPEAR, with very little to show for it. The first rule of government, and I learned this personally from Noble Prize winning economist Milton Friedman is that, “Whoever is in power, loves to spend money.”

Ronald Reagan was a hero of mine. Nobody could spend money like him, until this President that is. At least Reagan bankrupted the Soviet Union and drove them out of power. What does Bush have to show for his trillions? A war without clearly defined objectives, and hundreds of billions in pork spending that no society can afford. He is the first President in my lifetime that has chosen not to exercise the power of the VETO.

This gay Congressman was not a sleeper. People around him knew his peculiarities. They chose to ignore them for their own reasons. Foley was running to be Senator from Florida a couple of years ago, and the party torpedoed the nomination to give it to Mel Martinez out of fear that word would get out.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives knew something was up and decided to keep quiet. Don’t these guys realize by now that ‘THINGS DON’T BLOW OVER”. Word gets out; it always does; whether it’s Hewlett Packard trying to snuff out corporate eavesdropping, or Enron trying to bury their financial worries in lies to Wall Street. You can only keep that game going so long, and then somehow it goes wrong.

If the impotent Democrats are smart, they will say nothing, and do nothing about this Mark Foley affair. The world of the Republicans is vaporizing right before their eyes. These are men who say they are conservatives, and yet know nothing of conservatism. Barry Goldwater the Arizona conservative Republican Senator who started it all, would be appalled at what is taking place in his party today. He might not be able to call himself a conservative anymore if he were alive.

Foley was in charge of a subcommittee in the House that dealt with exploited children. You talk about living a lie. Where are we as citizens of a free society, if elected officials think that it’s okay to espouse one thing in public, and then do the opposite thing in private.

I would ask our elected officials, “How dumb can you be”? What contribution do you make to society? The rest of us are out here supporting ourselves, making our schools better, and improving our local communities. You guys are just living off the collective decency of the rest of us. You spend money like it’s unlimited. You eat in the finest restaurants, yet your basic paycheck isn’t big enough to support your lifestyle. Who’s paying for these lifestyles? If it’s not the citizens than who, what is expected in return.

Mark Foley is symbolic of something terribly wrong in both parties. It’s an atmosphere of anything goes, and I am above reproach. I am not accountable. Is this really the message we want to send to the next generation. Foley, this sick, mindless Congressman wants to hide behind the notion that he was drunk when he committed these acts. Really, does he really think that the rest of us are going to fall for his mindless chatter?

I mentioned in this article that I am generally optimistic regarding my country. What keeps me optimistic today is the power of the Internet. It is something the founding fathers would have marveled at. Yes, there’s too much “NOISE or CHATTER” out there. Yes, you have to be focused to get pass the sheer density of information that is available to each of us. Ah, once you get passed that noise though, there’s a liberating experience awaiting each of us. We have the power to obtain whatever knowledge we desire on just about any topic.

We are not using that vast knowledge yet, but we will be. It is conceivable that by 2008, the Internet will completely change the look and feel of American politics. The political process as we know it will be unrecognizable compared to where we are today. With information there is power, and people will have choices that they do not have today. There’s a new freedom coming, and with it, a shift of power back to the people.

Richard Stoyeck
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/mark-foley-gay-congressman-resignsthe-real-deal-62402.html

Churchill’s During World War II and Its Aftermath

The growing rapacity of German gluttony forced Hitler to take over Austria in 1938 and threaten Czechoslovakia. In Britain this produced a national crisis which resulted in Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s meeting Hitler in September 1938 at Berchtesgaden. Chamberlain returned from the meeting announcing ‘peace in our time’ which was abruptly smashed when Hitler invaded Prague in March 1939. Soon after given Western weakness and hesitation to work with the Soviet Union Stalin formed a pact with the Nazi’s guaranteeing Russian security and the partitioning of Eastern Europe between the Bear and the Hun. There was nothing to stop Hitler from destroying Poland and then turning his malevolence towards the West.

Public anger which had exploded after the subjugation of Prague had forced Chamberlain to give the improvident pledge to guarantee Poland’s security. Militarily and rationally this was an impossibility. The British did not possess a large enough standing army to lend help to Poland to stem a German advance and the logistics of transferring military relief to Poland was never calculated. Only the Navy was possessed war making power and there was little the Navy could do to defend Poland. She was invaded on the first of September and the Second World War began. Churchill was immediately recalled into power as First Lord of the Admiralty – the very same post he had assumed control of 25 years previous on the eve of the First World War.

From day one of the war Churchill was the true Leader of Britain. Chamberlain was defeatist and broken hearted remarking bitterly how his life’s work was now tragically sundered. He did not have the capability to rouse a nation and persevere to the bitter end. Winston as Naval War Lord was not only attacking the enemy on the seas but combating defeatist elements at home and trying to prod the blind neutral nations into action. Only Churchill could utter with true conviction and spirit, “Now we have begun; now we are going on; now with the help of God, and with the conviction that we are the defenders of Civilisation and Freedom, we are going on, and we are going on to the end.”

The Royal Navy was the only strong force that Britain possessed and from the opening bell the naval squads were on the offensive. Churchill worked at least an 18 hour day. Plans were drawn for a blockade of the German coast, convoy arrangements were made; mine-sweeping was instituted, enemy raiders harassed and submarines sunk. By the end of 1939 the Royal Navy had sunk half of all German submarines. However the war was only in its infancy. Great battles loomed.

On May 10 1940 the Germans began their vicious assault on the West. The Hun streamed into Holland and Belgium. That night the King of England sent for Churchill and asked him to form a government. Thus began the creation of the Churchill legend and his enshrinement into history. The story of the British war effort under Churchill falls into two distinct categories – the struggle to survive and the establishment of the alliance with the USA and Russia and the ultimate destruction of Germany and Japan.

The battle to survive covers the twelve or so months that Britain fought Germany completely alone in 1940-1. This period covered the dazzlingly quick disappearance of France under the heel of the Gestapo in June of 1940 to the German attack on Russia in June of 1941. This grim year brought horrible highlights; the partition of France, the formation of the pro-Nazi French Vichy government, the battle of Britain, the blitz on London, the beginning of the North African desert war, the defeat of Greece, and the British Commando raids along the Norwegian and French coasts.

It was during this sombre episodic current of ruin that Churchill became the most inspirational Leader of the Western world in the 20th century. He portrayed the towering, implacable fierceness of a proud nation, and of liberty, and expressed every free man’s tenacity to fight in words that no other could have summoned forth. Winston’s knowledge of military matters and his close operational vigilance over all affair animated and excited the British war effort with a boldness that astonished. British prestige in this desperate hour reached its highest ever pitch. The world over prayed for its salvation and success.

The immense energy and illimitable skill that throbbed and turned in his heart and mind was at last released from its bondage and given full scope of use. Churchill no longer knew the frustration of ideas that could not be brought alive, vitality that could not be expended, or ingenious approaches that could not be tested. The supreme challenge was met by a man of supreme stature. The Government was turned upside down. Routine was destroyed. Twenty four activity the rule with Churchill as the master organiser. All knew their place and role. Churchill immediately established a small War Cabinet to make effective and quick decisions. At first the membership was four which grew during the war to seven. This tiny all powerful directing force was supported by sixty or seventy other ministers of all parties who formed the core membership of the Coalition government but responsible only for their own departments. As Churchill pointed out, it was only the members of the War Cabinet, “who had the right to have their heads cut off on Tower Hill if we did not win.”

Never before in modern history did one man have so much power. Churchill was everywhere. He not only controlled the government but the operational side of the conflict as well. He was not only the King’s First Minister but Leader of the House of Commons and, even more important Minister of Defence also. The military Chiefs of Staff instead of reporting to their own ministries reported instead directly to Churchill. The Joint Planning Committee – a body of professional staff officers of all three services – worked under Churchill as part of the Ministry of Defence rather than under the Chiefs of Staff. Thus by permission of the War Cabinet and Parliament Churchill became the penultimate democratic Leader.

No one can study Churchill’s part in the war without being staggered by the colossal output of interests, dictation’s, orders, speeches, broadcasts, plans, promotions and prunings. In military matters he covered an almost incomprehensible range of activity. When Britain stood alone and the nation was bracing itself for the storm of invasion Churchill was racing about the government demanding attack plans, offensive action and targets of British incursions. He demanded the end of the passive war. Thus the commando raids were born. He participated during the war in every operational plan and strategy demanding full technical elaboration’s and missives to be sent to his attention. “During the war,” the American General Eisenhower later testified, “Churchill maintained such close contact with all operations as to make him a virtual member of the British Chiefs of Staff; I cannot remember any major discussion with them in which he did not participate.”

Churchill’s power was dependent upon the War Cabinet. It is a tribute to his skill of persuasion that unlike Roosevelt or Stalin, who were by their constitutions absolute military leaders of their nation, Churchill exercised his authority only by the permission of the War Cabinet who were willing to grant this authority only so long as Winston commanded the confidence of Parliament. Much of Parliament’s confidence was bolstered by Churchill’s impassioned, humanised and soaring orations. No man or women in the British Commonwealth who heard on June 4 1940 that France was being devoured by the German beast, will forget the tingling of emotion and courage when Churchill uttered in a strange, hoarse voice: “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever he cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle until in God’s good time, the new world, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”

Another Leader may have uttered, “We will do what is necessary to win this war and persevere in its struggle until it is won. This government believes in the ultimate ability of our nation to come through to victory.” Or something to that effect. Very few would have evinced the crescendo of emotional “We shall’s” in a peroration. Churchill gave the roar to the British lion and heart to the British public. Romance, history, philosophy and leadership all running in the cloud-burst of Churchill’s speeches and leadership of the war effort. But though he carried his role with pride, prompt execution and relish in no way implies a cold heart or an acceptance of war’s carnage. The suffering that he saw, and he saw a lot with his own eyes as he inspected damage through Britain, on more than one occasion pushed him into tears. When Churchill saw a small shop in ruins and wondered out loud to his private secretary the anguish that the owner must feel to have his whole life exploded and ruptured so completely, he became so visibly upset that he resolved at that moment to compensate all damaged property with state payments. Thus the policy of war damage for private assets came into effect. If Churchill enjoyed the waging of war he certainly suffered from the anguish it induced and endeavoured to share its destruction with the common man and woman.

The second phase of the war lasted from the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941 until the end of the war. Until 1944 the British and Russian armies bore the brunt of the struggle against the demented German race. From early 1944 onwards the Americans assumed a greater share and responsibility of the war effort and began to relegate the British to a supporting role in the drive to victory. Roosevelt and Churchill met nine times during the war establishing a strong if short lived friendship. The Americans including Roosevelt were incorrectly convinced that Churchill and the British wanted to expand their Empire.

This calamitous suspicion allowed the Russians more freedom in Eastern Europe than the British would ever have tolerated. As early as 1943 with victory a matter of time and logistics Churchill implored the American leadership not to let Soviet ambition run unimpeded in Eastern Europe. The American reply was incredibly purblind and vague. It appears in scouring the documents and American communiqués that they trusted the Soviets to behave themselves more than their close allies the British ! Eisenhower and many of his chiefs remarked in letters and in meetings that they could not understand why the British constantly mixed politics and military affairs.

To the British this represented reality and the best hope to avoid another world war with the Soviets after the defeat of Germany. Churchill and his advisors even preached that upon the war’s closing everything necessary should be attempted to revive Germany as a bulwark against the pending Soviet menace. The Americans felt that such targets as Prague, Berlin and Vienna were unnecessary military ventures that would endanger the lives of their men. If the Soviets wanted to shed more life in attacking these seemingly remote locations than the Americans were content to let them. The British just shook their heads in dismay unable to impress the Americans with their superior logic. Victory was attained but it set the stage for the Cold War.

The fact that the British survived the early years of the war when Germany swept all before it and that the British evaded a complete national disaster at Dunkirk and defeated the Nazi’s in the air during the Battle of Britain, issued during the remainder of the war and for a short period after it, an inflated sense of self destiny and strength and even an isolationist mentality. The collective suffering and emotional agony endured by the entire British nation also gave express an imbued spirit of egalitarianism. The depth of this communal desire was the most profound in British history and exercised a new faith in social planning and cohesion. During Churchill’s premiership in the war the most celebrated social reconstruction document of the period was the report by William Beveridge which outlined a radical scheme of comprehensive social security, financed from central taxation. This new state aided social plan included maternity benefits, child allowances, universal health and unemployment insurance, old age pension and death benefits – an entire cradle to grave policy. From 1940-45 Britain moved more rapidly to the left than at any time in history a move marked by the important positions Labour ministers occupied in the war government.

At the end of World War II in 1945, Britain was still one of the Big 3 powers, indeed it was ranked as a great power, an illusion that held until about 1963. The British still had their empire in 1945 and in the ensuing years they could still produce great artists and Nobel prize winners, but much to the chagrin of Churchill and the leadership class British glory was long past. The rapid decolonisation of most of its empire — India, Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka — and parts of Africa shedded from British finance much unneeded expense and worry, and solidified Britain’s secondary role in world affairs subordinate to the USA and Russia.

Success in conflict notwithstanding the British electorate in the 1945 general election shockingly kicked Churchill and the Conservatives from office by an overwhelming share. For the third time the Labour party was called forth to govern. Churchill after leading the democracies to attain the supreme glories and garlands of success instantly found himself shorn of privilege and casted into opposition. It was a role he obviously did not appreciate. For Churchill defeat was only explained by the plain fact that people believed his government to be a war council, unprepared for the extended restructuring of society that peace demanded. Labour presented a sharper and more intelligent platform and catalogue of change. The Conservatives were quite content to rest upon Churchill’s name and ignore the organisation and deliverance of a viable alternative to the Labour programme.

Whilst Churchill harried the Labour government and began the rebuilding of the Conservative party to respond to public and peace-time pressure he began the personal memoirs of the great struggle and in the absence of anything else offered by the other leaders – Stalin, Roosevelt, Truman, or Hitler – Churchill was able to dictate on the best terms and in the most convincing language possible, his and Britannia’s exalted position in the struggle against evil. It was an incomparable success, ensuring that in times forward, historians would favourably compare the works of Thucydides and those of Churchill. Both men represented and recorded their times and events on an unparalleled scale.

What Churchill was able to offer the reader was a glimpse into the details of history’s most horrible man-made disaster. The wicked folly of the conflict was evident at the war’s end. Whole nations lay in ruins. Towns, cities, industrial plants and transportation facilities were erased. Food and life essentials were unavailable to great migratory populations. Cynicism and disillusionment in Europe and elsewhere bred the shift to the political left. Marxism replaced Fascism as an acceptable form of social order. Communism erupting from poverty, spread like an open wound across Asia and Europe. With the complete eradication of Nagasaki and Hiroshima the nuclear age dawned. Moral questionings loudly divided those in the West over the usage of weapons of such finality – especially against a prostrate Japan. Dropping two bombs three days apart on a nation that was in the process of trying to negotiate an exit from the war seemed to many morally reprehensible. It was an inauspicious beginning to the scientific era.

The United States and Russia emerged from the rubble of the war as opponents. Russia was mauled and mutilated by the war with over 20 million dead and whole sections of her country raped. The USA stood at war’s end possessing a massive ego and the greatest economic supremacy in history. The big two were joined by the little third – Great Britain – and the three during the war and after drove the discussions regarding the build up of the United Nations. Most vexing to the Allies in the construction of the United Nations Assembly was whether members were obliged to surrender part or all of their own independence to the new body in order to maintain peace. How would it be possible to invest such a supranational body with enough force to enforce decisions ? How would the large powers relate to the smaller in the decision making of such a forum ? At Moscow in 1943 the Big Three resolved many of these issues and in Washington in 1944, joined by China, hammered out the shape of the new international body. At the Yalta conference in 1945, the Big Three came to terms on the matter of securing for each of the major powers the right to veto decisions of the new international body. This allowed the creation of the UNO charter at San Francisco in April 1945 which clearly identified the principles and responsibilities of the new organisation. Fifty one founding nations signed the document and in September 1945 the UNO opened its headquarters in New York.

Comprising the UNO were principally the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat. Most power resided in the Security Council which was given the task of maintaining the peace. Five permanent members sit in the council; the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, China and France and six other nations are elected for two year terms as non-permanent members. The permanent members retained veto power with all resolutions needing the consent of the five permanent nations before passing.

In contrast to the Security Council the UNO General Assembly was shaped by all the member states each wielding one nation one vote rights. International problems are to be solved in an open forum and mandates need to be passed by majority vote. This effectively gives the smaller nations more voice in international affairs. The Secretariat acting as the permanent secretary of the UNO concerned itself with internal operations with its Secretary General the highest profiled member of the UNO, exerting wide diplomatic powers emanating from the prestige of the office.

Thus the founding of the UNO was an expression of hope by the survivors of the Second World War. Quickly this vision was marred and jaded by political ineptitude and quivering resolve by the UNO in major affairs. There was little effective work during the Cold War that could be resoundingly accomplished. This war which was contested by two sides that viewed the other as monolithic or controlling inimical forces, could never have been settled via diplomatic channels. The mental straitjackets of both sides; with the Soviet Union believing that the capitalist West controlled by a few monied financiers who desired the destruction of communism and especially the Soviet Union and which would never grant the Russians fair credit in defeating Hitler; and the West believing that Russia controlled the communistic movement world-wide and that communism and especially Russia wanted to overthrow the better functioning liberal states, could only end with the breakdown of one of the combatants. The demise of Marxism gave spring to the hope of a liberal-democratic world.

The major events since 1945 can be summarised in a short list;
- The Collapse of Communism
- The Triumph of Capitalism
- The beginning of the High Tech Era
- The Decline of the USA and the re-emergence of Europe, Japan and China
- The Fragmentation of parts of the world into tribes
- Ecological dislocation
- Growing disparity between the have and have-not nations
- Emerging militant Islamism
- Questioning over the role of the UNO

The most momentous and important event however has been the spread of globalism. Economically, morally, and spiritually people are viewing themselves regardless of race, kin, geography or circumstance as belonging to the entire human race and not a limited defined tribe. Though tribalism in some areas of the world is taking hold even within these identified units a greater consciousness is emanating out to the rest of the globe that though distinct there resides a desire and need to be integrated into a global framework. Economics, peace and ecological salvation commonsensically dictate this. So do the various images from space capturing a small blue ball in the surroundings of space. Somehow this humbles even the largest of egos. So even as, in some parts of the world, balkanisation is shattering mature states, the pieces will still be forced to bond not only together but somehow they will need to align themselves to the greater puzzle that resides outside their narrow borders. It is only by collective effort that the solutioning of poverty, ecological rapine, and the stoppage of war can be peacefully effected.

Churchill died just after the Cuban missile crisis during a bitter period of Cold War strife, which almost pushed the world into a nuclear confrontation. Though he felt certain of liberal-democracy’s triumph he did not see the maturity of his concept. And though he sustained an undying faith in the ability of man to overcome his worst problems we can be sure that without using the leadership skills presented through his example we will have a very difficult time indeed.

C. Read
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/churchills-during-world-war-ii-and-its-aftermath-700338.html

Financial Myths Vs. Financial Facts

FINANCIAL MYTHS vs. FINANCIAL FACTS

Evaluating Funding Options for your B2B Business

The world of commercial finance is complicated. It is suggested that all businesses consult with their trusted advisors (CPA, Attorney, or Partner) before entering into any financing transaction that will have long term effects on their business. The following statements are the opinions based on the dictionary definitions herein below.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary Abridged Definitions:

MYTH:

Pronunciation: ‘mith

Function: noun

Etymology: Greek mythos

1 a: a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon.

2 a: a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone; especially: one embodying the ideals and institutions of a society or segment of society

2 b: an unfounded or false notion

FACT:

Pronunciation: ‘fakt

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin factum, from neuter of factus, past participle of facere

1: a thing done

2: the quality of being actual

3 a: something that has actual existence

3 b: an actual occurrence

4: a piece of information presented as having objective reality- in fact: in truth

“A fool and his money are easily parted”

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 1

Finance companies that promise funding in 24-48 hours are the best choice.

FINANCIAL FACT:

Unless you are desperate for funding, you should take time to compare alternatives, read the proposed contracts, and consult with your advisors.

It is recommended that you read the proposed contract before you agree to terms, and carefully consider the risks regarding following matters:

1. Percentage to be advanced: This may range from 60% to 90% of the face value of an invoice. Will the percentage to be advanced be sufficient to help you grow profitably?

2. Your obligation to work with the finance company: Are you required to sell 100% of your accounts receivable every month, or are you permitted to sell at your discretion? Are there monthly minimum charges and if so, would you be likely to use the services of the commercial finance company to this degree every month?

3. Will you be more profitable if you use the finance companies services? In other words, can you afford to pay the commercial financing fees in order to grow your business?

4. Which source is better for you: a small commercial finance company, a large commercial finance company, or the asset based lending department of a bank? With the small companies, you are more likely to work with the decision makers and their usually is more flexibility and discretion. With the large companies, you can accomplish larger transactions and this may be of great significance especially if your business is international. Banks may be an excellent choice if your accounting is perfect and you are good at dealing with strict requirements. Banks are regulated institutions with safety and soundness requirements which generally make banks more conservative than private lenders. GFS works with all three types of lenders.

5. Choice of law: If you are in California, and any dispute must be litigated in New York can you afford the risk that you might have to travel to protect your interests? Where are disagreements or disputes to be decided? Is there binding arbitration?

6. Penalties for early termination: Some yearly contracts provide that if you want to leave the commercial finance company, you are liable for “the greater of Two percent (2.00%) of the Maximum Credit Line, or the number of months remaining in the agreement multiplied by the Monthly Minimum Fee”. Is the termination fee risk affordable?

7. Penalty interest if you client fails to pay on time: Some lenders provide that if a client defaults, you can substitute another invoice and not be charged a penalty. Other lenders may require that if a client fails to pay an invoice within 90 days, you are charged 20% of the invoice face amount plus 7.5% per month until payment is made. What does the commercial financing agreement require when your client does not pay on time?

“Economical with the truth”

If someone is economical with the truth, they leave out information in order to create a false picture of a situation, without actually lying.

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 2

Finance companies that promise lower rates are the better choice. For instance, Co. “A” offers 3% per month; Co. “B” offers 3.25% per month. Co. “A” is the best choice.

FINANCIAL FACT:

Contract terms and conditions determine your actual costs based on when your clients pay. This requires analysis.

It is recommended that you carefully consider the contract terms regarding how interest is charged and your experience regarding how your customers typically pay to project the true costs of financing. Here are several examples:

1. You sell an invoice with a face value of $100.00. Assume the contract charges are 3% for 30 days, with an 80% advance to you and your customer pays the commercial finance company the full amount due on the 30th day. You take an $80.00 advance on day 1 and your customer pays the commercial finance company $100.00 on the 30th day:

v Suppose Lender “A” charges 1% for every 10 days period. Assume “Payment date” is defined in the commercial finance contract as the date the finance company receives payment from your customer pays plus ten (10) banking days. Ten banking days are two calendar weeks. You will be charged for 44 days. One percent for the first 10 days, plus 4 percent for the next 34 days equals a charge of 5%. Your cost = $5.00.

v Suppose Lender “B” charges 1.5% every 15 day period. Assume “Payment date” is defined in the commercial finance contract as the date the finance company receives payment from your customer plus three business days for check clearance. You will be charged for 33 days. You will be charged 4.5%. Your cost = $4.50.

v Suppose Lender “C” defines “Payment date” as the day they receive the check or wire funds transfer. This commercial finance company stops the interest clock on the day they receive payment from your customer. You will be charged 3%. Your cost = $3.00.

v Suppose Lender “D” defines “Payment date” as the day they receive funds and charges daily interest only on the actual funds advanced, also know as per diem interest. Since you are being charged 3% on $80.00 your cost = $2.40.

2. In every contract the definition of “Payment date” and method of interest calculation are critical to anticipate your actual costs of financing. All of the above methods of calculation, except Lender “A”, may be reasonable on account of the risks inherent in the transaction. Gregg Financial Services works to obtain the most competitive rates and terms for our client’s initial funding; and GFS works to reduce commercial finance costs as you grow.

3. If you customers typically pay in 60-90 days, a contract that requires a minimum interest charge for 60 days is not unreasonable. This condition may be a required for medical accounts receivable financing.

4. Consider whether the commercial finance company’s contract requires you to sell every invoice (100% of all invoices) on the day you issue them, or may you sell individual invoices up to 59 days past due, according to your needs? There are tradeoffs: lower price vs. flexibility. It is very much a question of assessing your commercial financing requirements and your gross margins to pay for financing costs.

“Easier said than done”

If something is easier said than done, it is much more difficult than is sounds. It is often used when someone advises you to do something difficult and tries to make it sound easy.

FINANCIAL MYTH No. 3

You can determine the best finance company to work with by simply by comparing several different websites.

FINANCIAL FACT:

Websites are advertising. Knowledge of the lender, their reputation and business practices are essential to choose wisely.

KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER:

When assessing the most appropriate commercial financing company to use, make sure:

• the provider is a reputable company

• your contract corresponds with any verbal or written quotations

• you are aware of any financial penalties if you wish to end the agreement early

• the financing credit limits are sufficient for your initial needs

• you have read the contract carefully before signing it, checking the amount of financing and notice periods

• you understand all terms and conditions, and the costs you will have to pay

Commercial Finance Brokers work with many dedicated commercial finance companies and banks across several businesses of all sizes. There are many areas of specialization, such as purchase order financing, accounts receivable financing, inventory financing and SBA financing. Most commercial finance companies limit their services to one or two of these categories. A commercial finance broker will assess different companies and match you with one that best fits for your business needs. They also keep a close watch on commercial finance companies that may charge non-competitive fees and will not match you with them. In addition to comparing rates, there are many points to consider when choosing services.

To anticipate problems with customers that inevitably arise, find out what level of customer service they offer to help resolve problems. Do they provide telephone support and in-person meetings, e-mail help and live chat, or a combination of services? Choose the commercial finance company that offers multiple ways to reliably address concerns or answers questions. Consider differences in where you are located and the time zone where the commercial finance company is located. How will this affect cut off times for funding? How will this affect your ability to reach your key finance representatives?

You may want to ask for a list of references before you do business with them. Make sure to ask such questions as:

• Were they able to quickly process your funding requests?

• Was the approval process simple? How long did it take?

• Was the company easily accessible through phone and email?

• How long did it take before you received funds?

• If you had a problem with your account, what did they do to resolve it?

• How did your clients react to working with the commercial finance company? Did they handle them appropriately?

• Would you recommend this company?

“Face Value”

If you take something at face value, you accept the appearance rather than looking deeper into the matter.

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 4

A non-recourse contract means you do not have to pay the finance you to pay unless your company if there is a default.

FINANCIAL FACT:

Most contracts require you to pay unless your client files bankruptcy or goes out of business.

There are two general types of factoring: recourse and non-recourse. Recourse factoring is the most common. With recourse factoring, the commercial finance company generally will fund every invoice you submit, but will require a refund plus their fees for invoices that are not paid within a specific period of time, usually 90 days.

Non-recourse factoring may free your company of any responsibility for non-paying accounts, if, and only if, it is truly “non-recourse” without conditions.

The commercial finance company with a non-recourse contract will have more stringent policies for the invoices they will accept. In a non-recourse contract the commercial finance company agrees to purchase the invoice from you and takes some or full responsibility for its payment. It depends on the contract terms. Credit insurance may be required. This is an additional expense.

Non-recourse factoring generally is defined in commercial finance contracts to mean: if the customer does not pay in limited situations, it’s not your problem. For example, should the customer declare bankruptcy or go out of business you are not responsible to pay back the commercial finance company for the advance on certain invoices. But, if there is a warranty issue, if anything at all is wrong with your product or service, you may be held responsible for the advance you received. And the commercial finance company can assert a breach of the many warranties and representations in your contract as a defense to accepting responsibility for a loss due to non-payment in a non-recourse agreement.

There are also commercial finance companies that will provide a mix of the two. These companies will promise to assume the risk of your invoices but require you to swap in a replacement of equal or greater value for slow-paying or defaulted accounts. This is not a true “non-recourse” contract in the literal sense of the idea because you are required to substitute non-performing invoices with new invoices that are likely to perform.

On the surface, non-recourse sounds better than recourse. But if the fees for the non-recourse factoring are significantly higher than full recourse, is the added cost to transfer the risk of payment default worth the expense? How many of your customers will file bankruptcy or go out of business? Over a period of time it may cost you more of your potential profits to transfer some payment risk to the commercial finance company.

Most commercial finance companies offering full non-recourse factoring conduct extensive credit checks on the customer before they will pay an advance on an invoice. This is a benefit to all concerned. When it is predictable that an invoice will get paid by a creditworthy customer, the invoice will be purchased. This credit quality check is of benefit to you because you do not want to knowingly sell your products or services to businesses that are not likely to pay. On the other hand, there may be companies you would prefer to do businesses with that do not meet the creditworthiness standards for non-recourse factoring. There may be compelling business reasons to choose recourse vs. non-recourse factoring.

“Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.”

If you look after the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves, meaning that if someone takes care not to waste small amounts of money, they will accumulate capital.

“Hook, line and sinker”

If somebody accepts or believes something hook, line and sinker, they accept it completely.

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 5

Startup companies with a new hot product need venture capital to grow rapidly.

FINANCIAL FACT:

You can grow exponentially with purchase order financing, factoring, and inventory financing from a commercial finance company.

In general, more products you sell, the higher your revenues and profits. The more orders you have, the more you can sell, provided you can pay your suppliers upon delivery. Purchase order financing is like inventory financing for goods in transit to your customer.

Commercial finance companies provide purchase order financing to pay your suppliers, enabling you to close the sale and deliver your orders to your customers. This often involves a letter of credit using the commercial finance company’s credit to guarantee payments to the factory producing the product, especially if the manufacturing facility is not located in the US.

When the goods are accepted by your customer, an account receivable is created. An invoice factor, or commercial finance company that purchases accounts receivable, pays for the purchase order financing. You are paid the profit when your customer pays.

The commercial financing structure may follow these steps:

Letter of credit (to guarantee manufacturer payment for goods) ► Purchase Order Financing (pays manufacturer/supplier) ► Accounts Receivable Financing (pays Purchase Order Financing) ► Inventory Financing ► Customer pays ► Factor is paid

► You are paid profits from your sales after financing costs are paid

Commercial Finance Brokers help you determine what financing is available according to your circumstances, at competitive rates.

“Play hardball”

If someone plays hardball, they are very aggressive in trying to achieve their aim.

Venture Capital Funding

The Venture Capital Industry:

Venture capital is money provided by professionals who invest alongside management in young, rapidly growing companies that have the potential to develop into significant economic contributors. Venture capital is an important source of equity for start-up companies.

Professionally managed venture capital firms generally are private partnerships or closely-held corporations funded by private and public pension funds, endowment funds, foundations, corporations, wealthy individuals, foreign investors, and the venture capitalists themselves.

Venture capitalists generally:

• Finance new and rapidly growing companies;

• Purchase equity securities;

• Assist in the development of new products or services;

• Add value to the company through active participation;

• Take higher risks with the expectation of higher rewards;

• Have a long-term orientation

When considering an investment, venture capitalists carefully screen the technical and business merits of the proposed company. Venture capitalists only invest in a small percentage of the businesses they review and have a long-term perspective. Going forward, they actively work with the company’s management by contributing their experience and business savvy gained from helping other companies with similar growth challenges.

The advantage of venture capital investment is that you get money that enables you to expand your business and obtain market share before someone beats you to it. Venture capital is not a loan that needs to be repaid; rather, venture capitalists (VCs) invest their money in exchange for equity (an ownership share) in your company. VCs get their cash out only when your business is acquired by another company or “goes public,” that is, when its shares can be publicly traded on a stock exchange. The disadvantage is that you are no longer the sole owner of your company and may lose control. Moreover, a VC may move your company towards an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of publicly traded shares faster than might be best for the long-term health of the business.

In general, the earlier the stage where you receive funding, the more you have to give up. A few VC companies or “angel investors” might invest in what is not yet a real operating business but just a concept. For $500,000, they might take a 60% ownership in the company, and put in their own management team. If they decide that this can become a viable business (“proof of concept”), they might fund the company for another $5 million, taking yet more equity. By the second round of financing, the original business owner might retain only a 5% to 10% ownership.

What are the Pros and Cons in having Venture Capital Funding as a partner?

Pros:

– Financial strength for global competition

– Share buy-back opportunity

– Easier to get listed on a stock exchange

– No conflict of interest

– VC network can enhance the company’s business

VC’s provide experience, advice, and mentoring. They are objective, helpful with networking and hiring the right people. They add credibility and prestige to your business, share the risks, and help eventually to sell the business.

Cons:

– Lose part of the ownership

– Cannot manage the company as a family-run business

The risk of working with a VC may be their concern is more for a profitable and mandatory exit, compared to your concern for your employees and customers. You loose independence to manage your business and the VC’s may have the right to fire you and your management team. It can be a full-time job to manage the venture capitalists that are funding your business. Venture capitalists usually ask for:

•Anti-dilution protection. If the company’s stock price goes down any time in the future, they get additional stock for free.

•Dividends. In addition to stock, they get a guaranteed rate of return.

•Liquidation preferences. VCs get their principal and dividends back before anyone else gets a penny.

•Participating preferred. They get to double dip—they first get their investment plus dividends, then the value of their stock.

•Mandatory redemption. This requires the company to buy their stock back by a certain date, establishing a deadline for an exit event.

•Demand registration rights. The VCs can force the company to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to initiate an initial public offering—another way of forcing an exit event.

•Approval rights. The VCs must approve any new financings and have the right to participate.

•Reps and warranties. You’ll also have to accept personal liability for representations you’ve made about key aspects of the company. They will have the right to sue you for all you own if you forgot to give them any bad news.

CONCLUSION: There are no easy choices. If you have orders for your product with a sufficient gross margin, commercial finance companies may be your best choice. If you need to develop your product and lack the capital to fund your business to develop the product, market your brand and receive orders, venture capitalists can be the best thing that ever happened to your company. If you commit to a commercial finance company, you can terminate the contractual relationship. If you commit to a venture capitalist, the exit strategy is in their domain.

“Make a mint”

If someone is making a mint, they are making a lot of money.

“Feel the pinch”

If someone is short of money or feeling restricted in some other way,

they are feeling the pinch.

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 6

All finance companies charge interest on 100% of the face value of the invoices you sell to them.

FINANCIAL FACT:

Some finance companies base their charges only on actual amount of money you receive.

There is a large range of pricing in the commercial finance business. Although competition tends to hold prices down, different industries may be charged more because of historical risk. For instance, medical and construction accounts receivable financing will be more costly than commercial financing for a staffing agency.

At one extreme, some commercial finance companies require that 100% of invoices be sold and interest is charged on 100% of the invoices. This may be reasonable because the business is high risk and if your company goes bankrupt, the commercial finance company cannot collect any of the funds that have been advanced.

The best pricing available is computed with regard to the actual funds advanced with interest payable on a daily basis for the period the funds are utilized. This is called per diem interest. Most banks and some commercial finance companies offer this option which may be described as a “line of credit” or “asset based financing” for larger transactions.

Assume a commercial finance company charges a 3% monthly fee and you sell an invoice for $100.00. Assume further that you customer pays in 5 days. Here is a range of costs you would pay, based on various minimum contract time and payment terms:

Based on 100% of the invoice:

59 day minimum term = $6.00 cost

30 day minimum term = $3.00 cost

15 day minimum term = $1.50 cost

10 day minimum term = $1.00 cost

Per Diem interest 5 days = $ .41 cost

Based on an 80% advance Per Diem for 5 days = $ .33

“Leave no stone unturned”

If you look everywhere to find something, or try everything to achieve something, you leave no stone unturned.

“Game Plan”

A game plan is a good strategy

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 7

A finance company contract with no term is better than a contract with a one year term.

FINANCIAL FACT:

If you will need financing for one year and rates and terms are lower, the one year contract may be a better choice.

“Keeping your options open”

If someone is keeping their options open, they are not going to restrict themselves or rule out any possible course of action.

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 8

SBA business loans are similar at every bank.

FINANCIAL FACT:

Some banks originate SBA business loans with delegated authority. This allows additional financing for purchase order, accounts receivable and inventory from third party lenders creating more capital for growth.

“Put all your eggs in one basket”

If you put all your eggs in one basket, you risk everything on a single opportunity, which, like eggs breaking, could go wrong.

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 9

All finance company contracts, terms, and conditions are similar.

FINANCIAL FACT:

Terms range from fair to onerous. When you factor invoices you entrust all your cash flow to a commercial finance company.

“Comfort Zone”

It is the temperature range in which the body does not shiver or sweat, but has an idiomatic sense of a place where people feel comfortable, where they can avoid the worries of the world. It can be physical or mental.

FINANCIAL MYTH: No. 10

All finance companies require that your customers be notified that you are working with them. This is called notification and verification.

Financial Fact:

Some finance companies allow non-notification factoring. This makes the financing transparent to your customer.

“Take the plunge”

If you take the plunge, you decide to do something or commit yourself even though you know there is an element of risk involved.

Submitted by:

Gregg Elberg, President

GREGG FINANCIAL SERVICES

930 Irwin Street, Suite 209

San Rafael, CA 94901

415-482-9221

415-482-9228 Fax

415-847-8434 Cell

gregg@greggfinancialservices.com

Gregg Financial Services is a full service brokerage for commercial finance companies and banks that fund manufacturers, distributors, assemblers, jobbers, importers, staffing, service, agribusiness, construction and health care companies. We shop for the lowest rates and terms. We arrange various types of financing including purchase order financing; factoring; factoring with an inventory component; and asset based loans on receivables, inventory, equipment and machinery. GFS also provides cash flow financing and SBA loans on real estate and equipment. We work with all industries and can arrange financing transactions throughout the US and Canada, Mexico, Australia and several areas of Europe including the UK, Ireland, France, and Poland. GFS arranges funding from $25,000 to $50 million at competitive pricing, and we work to reduce your financing costs as your company grows. For more information about GFS, please visit our website: www.greggfinancialservices.com

Copyright 2006 Gregg Financial Services.

Gregg Elberg
http://www.articlesbase.com/ask-an-expert-articles/financial-myths-vs-financial-facts-85614.html

Infiltrations

The one thing Targeted Individuals have to understand is the concept of Infiltration. This means that agents, hired operatives, civillian informants, etc will try to infiltrate your organizations or your life.

I recently posted an article about Infiltration of online groups. This has been happening for some time now. Many people think if they are posting online that they will not be investigated, but there are infiltrators who try to engage posters in conversations, where they get them to say things against the government, or use talk of violence, something that might not happen without the provocateur. These individuals are on most of the popular forums, and often you won’t know who they are. You might get a sense of who they are based on their postings, but that is not always the case.

Here on some things to be aware of regarding Infiltrations.

[quote]http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/security/police-hire-private-spies-to-snoop-online/2008/11/26/1227491580370.html

Police hire private spies to snoop online

THE Internet communications and websites of anti-war campaigners, environmentalists, animal rights activists and other protest groups are being secretly monitored by state and federal agencies.

A Melbourne private intelligence firm specialising in “open-source intelligence” has been engaged by Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police and the federal Attorney-General’s Department to monitor and report on the protest movements’ use of the internet.

The monitoring, which has been secretly conducted for at least five years, includes exploring websites, online chat rooms, social networking sites, email lists and bulletin boards to gather information on planned demonstrations and other activities. Many of those monitored have not broken any laws, but it is believed information about their participation in online activities is conveyed to government agencies that also deal with terrorism.[/quote]

These types of infiltrations are happening all over the Internet. Sometimes the poster will just be observing gathering information and monitoring. In other cases they will perform a similar fuction to their offline components, and they will engage posters in extreme conversations about violence, anti-government sentiments, etc.

When J.Edgar Hoover ran the FBI, the infiltration of the KKK was about 20% infiltration. The agents that had infiltrated the FBI were often responsible for encouraging acts of violence on others, or enacting those acts of violence themselves.

The FBI kept talking with Klan members. By 1965, some 20 percent of Klan members were on the

[quote]The FBI kept talking with Klan members. By 1965, some 20 percent of Klan members were on the FBI payroll, many occupying leadership positions in seven of the fourteen Klan groups across the country, states political scientist Robert Goldstein in “Political Repression in Modern America: 1870 to the Present,” [/quote]

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-20-2006-91543.asp

[quote]Glick lists four main methods used by the agents:

1) infiltration by agents and informers with the intention to discredit and disrupt;
2) psychological warfare from the outside, using “dirty tricks” to undermine progressive movements; 3) harassment through the legal system, making targets appear to be criminal; and
4) extralegal force and violence including break-ins, vandalism, assaults, and beatings to frighten dissidents and disrupt their movements. [/quote]

[quote]
It was COINTELPRO “that enabled the FBI and police to eliminate the leaders of mass movements in the 1960s without undermining the image of the United States as a democracy, complete with free speech and the rule of law.

“Charismatic orators and dynamic organizers were covertly attacked and ‘neutralized’ before their skills could be transferred to others and stable structures established to carry on their work.”
[/quote]

This is why new movements have a hard time getting started. The legit movements are often infiltrated, with the provocateurs, or Informants moving to the forefront of the movement.

[quote]Dr. King was a target of an elaborate COINTELPRO plot to drive him to suicide and replace him “in his role of the leadership of the Negro people” with conservative Black lawyer Samuel Pierce (later named to President Ronald Reagan’s cabinet) according to revisionist historians including Glick and Zinn, who have come to view King’s assassination, as well as Malcolm X’s, as domestic covert operations.
[/quote]

The scary part of these operations is that they will allow a movement to go forward as long as they can eventually be in control. This means that had they been successful in getting Martin Luther King Jr, to kill himself, they would have had their man already set in place to take the helm. They don’t have a problem with the movement as long as they can run the show, or have their people running the show, and their information getting out to the public.

The other thing to be aware of is that they often start groups themselves, with their own people, this way it seems like there is a movement happening, but again they are running the show.

[quote]But Glick and several other researchers argue that COINTELPRO-white appeared only to go after violent right-wing groups, and that the FBI actually gave covert aid to the Ku Klux Klan, Minutemen, Nazis, and other racist vigilantes, under the cover of being even-handed.

“These groups received substantial funds, information, and protection – and suffered only token FBI harassment – so long as they directed their violence against COINTELPRO targets,” Glick wrote.

“They were not subjected to serious disruption unless they breached this tacit understanding and attacked established business and political leaders.”

Specifically, COINTELPRO documents indicate that some infiltrators discreetly spied for years without calling attention to themselves (like the Soviet moles or sleepers) while others acted as instigators to disrupt meetings and conventions or social and other contacts.
[/quote]

Sleepers that’s a scary concept, but even as far back as Cointelpro this idea was used. To always have one of theirs at the helm, ready to take over. It’s mind boggling how this system works.

[quote]Agents spread rumors, made accusations, inflamed disagreements, and caused splits. “They urged divisive proposals, sabotaged activities, overspent scarce resources, stole funds, seduced leaders, exacerbated rivalries, caused jealousy and public embarrassment to groups. They often led activists into unnecessary danger and set them up for prosecution.”

One common maneuver, known as placing a “snitch jacket” or “bad jacket” on an activist, damaged the victim’s effectiveness and generated “confusion, distrust, and paranoia.” The maneuver was used to divert time and energy and turn co-workers against one another, even provoking violence.
[/quote]

The only thing that’s changed is that they have probably become better at their tactics, and the world at large has become less aware, or completely oblivious.

In Russia this method of dissident infiltration was also used.

http://www.aclu.org/images/asset_upload_file744_30623.pdf

[quote]
In the Stasi’s “War on Dissent,” dissenters were the most valuable informants, and the Stasi recruited heavily within the very world it was trying to destroy, employing the very people it was trying to eliminate. As a result, East German dissident-informants often paradoxically “helped the [anti-government] movement , partly simply by swelling its ranks, but also by actively working on opposition activities.”[/quote]

Governments do go after dissidents or those they are trying to eliminate. This way if they can’t eliminate the target, they will try to turn the target. So you could actively have members of a movement who are working for both sides. They are moving the movement forward with one hand, and putting it two steps back with the second hand. It’s very frustrating, because some of these people did start out as genuine activists, but at some point, they were destitute, set up, arrested, institutionalized, etc. They decided to turn informant and work for the state.

I have come across a few of these in doing this research. At first I would judge these people harshly, but now I feel sorry for some of them. Some are happy enough to sell out, but others just really don’t know what to do. They are poor, and without means and resources. This is something groups should be aware of. Someone who is a true target today, might become a turned Informant working for the state. It’s a very scary concept, but it’s again something to be aware of.

http://security.resist.ca/personal/informants.shtml

[quote]

Some types of infiltrators stay in the background and offer material support, other informants may have nothing to do with the group or action, but initially heard certain plans and tipped off the police. Among the more active types of infiltrators can be a gregarious person that quickly wins group trust. Some infiltrators will attempt to gain key forms of control, such as of communications/ secretarial, or finances. Other informants can use charm and sex to get intimate with activists, to better spy or potentially destabilize group dynamics.

Active infiltrators can also be provocateurs specializing in disruptive tactics such as sowing disorder and demoralizing meetings or demos, heightening conflicts whether they are interpersonal or about action or theory, or pushing things further with bravado and violent proposals. Infiltrators often need to build credibility; they may do this by claiming to have participated in past actions.

Also, infiltrators will try to exploit activist sensibilities regarding oppression and diversity. Intelligence organizations will send in someone who will pose as a person experiencing the common oppression of the particular activist group. For example, in the 1960′s, the Weather Underground (“Weathermen” – a white anti-imperialist armed struggle in the US) was infiltrated by an “ordinary Joe” informant with a working class image. Black war veterans were used to infiltrate the Black Panther Party. [/quote]

You will see this a lot if you visit some online or offline groups. They profile you in many cases before hand, so they think they know what triggers to use on you. The only thing you can do is profile yourself and know yourself better than they think they know you. They will try to play off of your vulnerabilities if they can find them.

The government also used Informants on the panthers, that’s how they knew where Fred Hampton would be, and the informant might have drugged Fred Hampton, just before the assassination.

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/FBI/Fed_Bureau_Intimidation.html

[quote]
In 1976, the mothers of the victims filed a civil rights suit against the FBI. The COINTELPRO files released during the trial showed that the FBI had an informant named William O’Neal in the Chicago Panthers. O’Neal was a trusted friend of Hampton and chief of security in the Chicago chapter. Taylor described, “He was the classic provocateur under COINTELPRO, always suggesting far-out violent schemes. He turned out to be the Judas who helped set up Fred Hampton’s murder”

O’Neal fed information to FBI agent Roy Mitchell, who worked closely with the Chicago Police Department’s Gang Intelligence Unit, the squad that dealt specifically with Black organizations. Days before the raid, O’Neal gave Mitchell a detailed floor plan of Hampton’s apartment that indicated where Hampton and his fiancee Akna Ajeri (who was eight months pregnant with their child at the time of the raid) usually slept.

Taylor also believes that there is strong evidence that O’Neal drugged Hampton on the day of the raid. Hampton’s autopsy showed a large amount of secobarbital in his system, despite the fact that he was militantly against drugs.

Hampton was shot in the head in his bed. He never even woke up. In 1982, after many appeals, the courts finally awarded survivors of the raid $1.85 million in damages. But to this day, no police or FBI agents have ever been indicted for these ruthless murders.
[/quote]

An Informant was also able to get close to Malcolm X and became one of his bodyguards.

http://www.etext.org/Politics/Buzzkill/buzzkill.7

[quote]Malcolm X as early as 1953, when the young minister for the Nation of Islam was placed on a Security Index of people top be rounded up and detained in times of “danger to national security.” and there was at least one under cover informant present at his assassination:
Malcolm’s bodyguard Gene Roberts, who was actually an undercover cop with the New York Police Depart-ment’s Bureau of Special Services (BOSS).
[/quote]

These people in organizations have a way of rising to the top, getting into trusted positions. That is a part of the consistent M.O. that we see with Infiltrators. In researching I have not found any one surefire way of dealing with them.

The paid Infiltrators are often profiled, these are individuals that they would like to use as Informants.

http://november.org/stayinfo/breaking08/MolesWanted.html

[quote]

Carroll, who requested that his real name not be used, showed up early and waited anxiously for Swanson’s arrival. Ten minutes later, he says, a casually dressed Swanson showed up, flanked by a woman whom he introduced as FBI Special Agent Maureen E. Mazzola. For the next 20 minutes, Mazzola would do most of the talking.

“She told me that I had the perfect ‘look,’” recalls Carroll. “And that I had the perfect personality — they kept saying I was friendly and personable — for what they were looking for.”

What they were looking for, Carroll says, was an informant — someone to show up at “vegan potlucks” throughout the Twin Cities and rub shoulders with RNC protestors, schmoozing his way into their inner circles, [b]then reporting back to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, a partnership between multiple federal agencies and state and local law enforcement.[/b] The effort’s primary mission, according to the Minneapolis division’s website, is to “investigate terrorist acts carried out by groups or organizations which fall within the definition of terrorist groups as set forth in the current United States Attorney General Guidelines.”

Carroll would be compensated for his efforts, but only if his involvement yielded an arrest. No exact dollar figure was offered.

“I’ll pass,” said Carroll.

For 10 more minutes, Mazzola and Swanson tried to sway him. He remained obstinate.

“Well, if you change your mind, call this number,” said Mazzola, handing him her card with her cell phone number scribbled on the back.

[/quote]

This young man was originally arrested for spray painting. (There is no way to know if he was encouraged by an Informant to perform the action.)

After he served his time for the activity, he was contacted to become an Informant, which he declined. Yet they still kept pressuring him.

http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=550324

A similar scenario happened to a young man over at the Storm Front Forum. He called to find out more information about the local laws regarding Firearms in the state. A few days later he was paid a visit by the FBI. After discussing his phone call, which is what initiated the visit. He was asked to become a paid Informant to infiltrate white nationalist organizations. He was also asked to name anyone he knew who was involved in any illegal activities.

He advised that he was not aware of anyone involved in illegal activities, and that he did not wish to become an informant. Since then he has been a target of Gang Stalking, and they occasionally call him to see if he will change his mind and become an Informant, which he constantly declines.

(The best thing to do in this scenario is to get a lawyer, and give them the phone number or the card of your lawyer the next time they come calling. )

This information is from the security culture brochure. If you do get a lawyer expect even more retaliation, but it’s apparently the best method for dealing with this kind of pressure.

http://www.gangstalkingworld.com/Handbook/TheHiddenEvil.pdf

On his former website, and PDF Mark M. Rich had also mentioned that these support groups might have been infiltrated.

[quote]If you join a support group, you may also receive harassment via threads posted on message boards. Like other mediums of harassment, the topics of these threads may be about events that are unfolding in your personal life, as well as threats or insults covertly directed at you. This will probably happen repeatedly by the same person or people.

They may also employ some Gaslighting, or Jacketing tactics. Jacketing was often used during Cointelpro to make genuine activists look like informants.(10) Some internet groups which help stalking victims are heavily populated with perpetrators posing as victims.(7) Some of these perpetrators seem to be very vocal & popular members of these support groups. It seems that this a damage-control mechanism put in place to corral people, manage them to some

degree, & impede the groups’ progress. These people may also help with misdirecting events, or generally keeping groups disorganized & ineffective, under the illusion that progress is being been made.

These informants/perpetrators will give you correct information, & you may not find out until later that they’re trying to traumatize you as well. You may not be able to make other group members aware of it, as these informants may be well-respected members. It seems like a contradiction. Why would a perpetrator give you valuable information?

While I don’t know the exact answer to this question, here are some possibilities:

1.They know you would have eventually found the information anyway, so this trade-off is worth appearing genuine & gaining your trust, which may be exploited at a later date.

2.Create fear & uncertainty within you, causing you to doubt your own judgment.

3.This
may further traumatize a person with feelings of hopelessness when they learn that a very well respected group member is harassing him/her.

If you think that the people who oversee these neutralization programs have not infiltrated these groups, or even deliberately created some as a catch-net in order to disrupt & minimize progress, you are probably mistaken. The people who designed this system were not incompetent & some of these support groups seem to be just another phase of the campaign. If you find yourself on the receiving end of repeated covert or overt criticism by one or more of these prominent victims, you can give yourself a great big pat on the back. This one of many layers in this system of control that you’ll encounter.

Also, some people who may have been genuinely trying to raise awareness, may have been bribed, blackmailed or simply tortured (Directed Energy Weapons) into becoming informants, & therefore, have been compromised. Some of the most outspoken victims & leaders in these groups appear to be deliberately operating within boundaries designed to slow progress. And, as in most social systems, there is envy, fear & jealously. If you choose to participate in one of these support groups, you may want to limit your exposure to certain people. However, although these groups are fraught with perpetrators, not all of them are. So you may still want to attend meetings & events as it will be a good opportunity to connect with other people. You will find many people who are very decent & you may even make some
new friends. Trust your own judgment.

I have been in contact with perpetrators posing as victims on the phone & via email that have hinted that I must not be genuine. It is likely that these fake victims have probably spread lies to targeted individuals indicating that I’m not really targeted since I don’t appear to be suffering or helpless. If you are raising awareness, then discrediting attempts such as these will be standard practice. It appears to be critical that they attempt to isolate you from group members who you may have a positive influence on. Once again, organizations were heavily infiltrated during Cointelpro & jacketing was used extensively.(10)
[/quote]

In his research in the PDF Mark had formerly covered the concept of Infiltrations as well. I am not sure if this is covered on the new site.

Infiltrations and organizations seem to go hand in hand. Even if you start out with a good crop of individuals, you still have the possibility of Informants infiltrating the group. They are prone to achieving high levels of trust in organizations, they can also be used for disruption and disinformation. They can even be used as sleeper cells for down the line.

With Infiltration the idea is sometimes to destroy the organization, at other times it is to ensure the state is in control of the organization, this is true offline and online. This is also true for personal infiltrations. Getting someone into your life so they are in a position of trust, which can be used later.

The idea is to not become too paranoid, because then you will not be able to function, however it’s wise to be cognizant of these Infiltrations on a personal and professional level.

http://milwaukee.indymedia.org/en/2005/08/203959.shtml

gangstalking
http://www.articlesbase.com/news-and-society-articles/infiltrations-704029.html

Alternatives to Divorce for Christians

Divorce for everyone is a long and painful process. Divorce does not only affect one aspect of your life, it affects all of them. In some situations, there is apparently no option other than divorce but religious or moral beliefs may prevent abused or maltreated spouses from seeking legal counsel. This is especially true for the Memphis lawyer who serves a fairly conservative community. The legal alternatives to divorce come mainly from the period before the easy availability of modern divorce. They maintain basic duties of support and the status of man and wife but relieve the spouses of the duty to live together and serve to separate property interests. In Tennessee, remember, in case of a divorce, all property acquired up to the time a divorce is filed is usually considered marital property.

The first option for those trying to avoid divorce is marriage counseling. While not a legal option, it should be your first step if nothing else to ensure a clean conscience. You may have considered this before, but simply concluded it would not make a difference. Marriage counseling is effective because it makes all the underlying issues of your marriage come to the forefront. For counseling to work, you must evaluate your marriage for improvement. You cannot realistically expect for a one time 30 minute counseling session to save your marriage. Instead, it will take time, hard work, and dedication from each spouse to commit to changing their lives for your marriage. Marriage counseling can come from your pastor, family, friends, therapist, or other counseling service dedicated to saving marriages.

The second option is annulment. Traditionally, certain acts such as co-habitation, setting up households, or being able to bear children were requirements before a marriage ceremony created a valid marriage. So if you’ve realized you made a bad decision, but are unable to seek a divorce for a religious or moral reason, then immediately seek legal advice. A divorce may not be necessary.

A third option is separation or divorce from bed and board. The legal duties of fidelity remain. A legal separation for two years without minor children gives the other party grounds for divorce and a court may sua sponte order the parties divorce, but if you cannot ask for a divorce, then this may be the only option available to you. The legal issues of child custody, support, and property can all be dealt with accordingly. A separation order can be temporary or permanent.

A fourth option is an order of protection. Unfortunately, in Memphis these are granted in the inferior general sessions criminal court unless a divorce or perhaps a legal separation is concurrently sought. This means support and custody issues frequently are not dealt with at this stage. This is an effective way to keep an abusive spouse away from the home without seeking a formal divorce.

The important thing is to contact a Memphis lawyer or a lawyer in the appropriate area who usually works with family law issues. Most lawyers aren’t just divorce lawyers but work with custody, adoption, and other family law issues. A good family lawyer will always be willing to discuss alternatives keeping your religious and moral preferences in mind.

David Sandy
http://www.articlesbase.com/divorce-articles/alternatives-to-divorce-for-christians-122053.html