W R Collier Jr

A DREAMER ARMY

W R Collier Jr July 28, 2014

Politicians Urge Military To Recruit DREAMers

POLITICS- William Raymond Collier Jr- Politicians are now urging the military to recruit DREAMers, children of illegal immigrants who were brought here and who know only America as their country.

From the Press Release by Congressmen Bill Foster:
Representatives Bill Foster, Jared Polis, and Juan Vargas introduced a House resolution calling on the Department of Defense to allow DREAMers to serve in the military……
“There are many smart, capable young men and women who want nothing more than to serve the only country they have ever known,” said Foster. “Allowing DREAMers to serve in our military is just one small fix we can make to our broken immigration system, but it’s a fix that will give hope and opportunity to thousands of DREAMers while strengthening our military.”
“For many young people brought to the United States before adulthood, America is the only place they’ve known as home,” said Congressman Polis. “I hope the Department of Defense seizes this opportunity to enlist interested Deferred Action individuals in all branches of our military and allow them to help keep our nation, and their home, safe.”
…..With the support of congressional leaders, like Rep. Foster, DREAMers around the country hope the Department of Defense updates their policies in August to allow us to serve in uniform,” said Cesar Vargas.Background: In 2012, the President introduced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to allow certain undocumented individuals who were brought to the United States as children, so-called DREAMers, to be provided temporary relief from deportation and be given the ability to work here legally. DACA beneficiaries have already undergone background checks and finished high school or received a GED equivalent.
Unfortunately, the DACA program does not currently allow these youth to join the U.S. Armed Forces. However, such a change could be made through executive action.

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Opponents disagree that a change could be made by executive action. In fact, the House is in the process of executing a lawsuit against the President over these executive action. There is also concern that such people might not be loyal to the US Constitution, especially the Bill of Rights.

Some veterans who have served with “foreigners” have argue that often these people, who must study the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, are often “the most patriotic” and tend to take their oath rather seriously. However. this has not been tested with children of illegals who may not share such sentiments.

One possible rejoinder might be to require such persons to undergo a short (two week) course detailing the history of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights and requiring them to pledge allegiance to upholding both as a condition of their enlistment.

Thus far, however, the only position being taken by opponents is a flat no. They argue that this sets a dangerous precedent and results in recruiting people into our military whose loyalty to the Constitution and Bill of Rights is suspect, and that is could result in a dilution of our military by individuals who would not adequately represent our Constitutional values.

There are others, some of whom might traditionally oppose this action, who argue that embracing this move might actually create Constitutionally-centered new citizens who would be leaders of families that would more rapidly assimilate with American values and culture.

Under this scenario, they argue, the attempt to legalize ‘like-minded’ citizens for political ends might backfire, as those who come to embrace constitutional values would not embrace the values reflected by the current political party now courting this group.

We should note that the Democratic Party would not characterize itself as being opposed to Constitutional values, but political opponents of the Democratic Party do characterize them in this manner.

US Diplomacy Stumbles In The Mideast

W R Collier Jr July 28, 2014

Kerry Fails in Ceasefire Negotiations between Israel and Hamas

WORLD NEWS

L to R- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah

William Raymond Collier Jr- In order to come up with a cease-fire agreement between Hamas and Israel, US Secretary of State John Kerry first made a stop in Paris on the 25th of July.

During this stop, he met with Catherine Ashton, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, as well as foreign ministers from Italy, the UK, Germany, and France. Present at this meeting were representatives from Qatar and Turkey, whose support for Hamas has upset many Arab nations and the Palestinian Authority.

Left out of this meeting? Egypt, the Palestinian Authority Israel, or any backers of Israel.

Increasingly, Egyptian and Israeli officials are accusing the US of taking sides with Hamas, led largely by Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. In the past, President Obama described Erdogan as one of his “closest friends.” Erdogan recently stated that the Israelis’ actions in Gaza “far outweighed” what Hitler did to the Jews.

Erdogan is in the process of setting up a presidential dictatorship, has been accused of sending arms to the ultra-Salafist group known as either ISIS or ISIL, and has even been making threatening moves against fellow NATO member, Greece.

In recent months, however, President Obama has not had much communication with Erdogan whom, in all fairness to President Obama, may no longer be held in the same esteem by the President.

This US coziness with Turkey, Hamas, and Qatar who are fast becoming pariahs in the greater Muslim world for their support of terrorist organizations, is making Israel, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority nervous.

The Palestinian Authority is the sole legitimate ruler of Palestinian territories and was booted from Gaza by a localized military coup backed, it is now believed, with Iranian and Turkish money.

After his Paris meeting, evidently, Secretary Kerry took up what were essentially Hamas demands as a condition for a cease-fire and, through his personal presence, as well a “frank discussion” President Obama had with the Israeli Prime Minister, strongly pressured the Israelis to accept the deal. But since one of the conditions involves Egypt opening up its Gaza border to Hamas, it would require pressuring Egypt as well.

Egypt, the PA, and Israel have a version of a cease-fire they have agreed to, but Secretary Kerry, according to the Egyptians, “is digging a tunnel under Egyptian diplomacy.”

The Egyptian-PA-Israeli approach is to end hostilities, leave all forces in situ, allow the closing of Hamas tunnels to continue, and open a two week negotiation in Egypt brokered by Egypt and participated in by the PA, Hamas, and Israel. The Kerry-Hamas proposal allows Hamas to attack Israeli soldiers in Gaza, calls for opening the Egyptian border with Hamas, and calls for massive aid supplies to Hamas, along with Israel ending its anti-tunnel operations. It does not include a provision for Egyptian or PA involvement.

The Egyptian Government is still smarting over the US Government’s backing of the radical Salafist group, Muslim Brotherhood, which Hamas supports. The Muslim Brotherhood’s ouster from power by a dramatic popular uprising that included almost half the population hitting the streets, was condemned by the Obama Administration, even as it continues to support the radical Salafist group today, according to Egyptian sources.

By discarding the Egyptian led effort in favor of Qatar and Turkey, Secretary Kerry has won the ire of US allies in the region who are openly questioning which side the US is on, the moderate and peaceful Muslim nations, or radical Salafists groups, and those nation, Qatar and Turkey, which now back them?

Others argue that Kerry’s diplomacy with Qatar and Turkey stems from the fact they represent Hamas’ interests and that any notion that the US is taking sides is absurd. Kerry’s staff also accused the Israelis of leaking a cease-fire proposal before it was finalized. The Israelis have denied the charge by Kerry.

Qatar has earned ire from its neighbors for how it allegedly welcomed the 5 released Taliban terrorists released by the US as heroes, for the editorial content of Al Jazeera, which leans towards the Salafists, and for accusing the UAE of secretly working with Israel. Increasingly, many Arab Nations are becoming estranged from Qatar, including Saudi Arabia.

The net effect among regional powers, whether fair or not, is that US standing as an “honest broker” is being diminished because regional powers feel snubbed and are concerned that the US may be more favorable towards the enemies of her allies than they are towards their allies. This can be a complete falsehood but unless it is addressed head-on it could lead to a degrading of US influence in the region.

With talk now that Hamas may indeed agree to the Egyptian brokered plan, which in effect freezes out the US from the process, Secretary Kerry, Turkey, and Qatar are essentially “bit players” in the drama. Meanwhile Israeli forces have been ordered only to fire if fired upon.

Jobs Are Coming Back to America

W R Collier Jr July 24, 2014

Jobless Claims Reach 8-year Low

US NEWS

Labor Market Strengthens
Fed Chair Warns- May Raise Interest Rates

William Raymond Collier Jr- Lower than expected jobless claims were cited by Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen as reason enough to raise interest rates sooner and more rapidly. While the report is positive for those seeking jobs, the numbers could result in lower profits and higher interest rates for Wall Street. A weak labor market would keep the cost of labor down and interest rates low.

For the last 5 months, we have seen 200,000 new jobs each month, or a million jobs total since March. Up until 5 months ago, the level of participation has been historically low, but with last week’s new jobless claims down to 284,00, a number not seen since February 2006, the level of participation in the work force is bound to rise.

These numbers can be revised, for instance, the prior week’s claims were adjusted upwards by 1,000. The total number is still 60,000 lower than predicted by economists. Critics of the President have tried to look for the dark lining in the silver cloud, but these numbers seem to reflect an authentic jobs market recovery, a fact that is bound to help the Democrats in 2014 if the trend continues.

Critics of immigration reform point out that legalizing 22 million new job seekers might offset any gains currently being seen. These new, legal job seekers, the theory goes, could flood the labor market with low skilled workers who accept lower wages than average American workers, thus taking up the new jobs and returning the labor market to a status quo that favors employers over workers.

This possibility might explain why the US Chamber of Commerce is pushing for unlimited amnesty, or at least a “path to legalization” to “legitimize” the millions of illegal immigrant workers employed by so many American businesses in order to keep labor costs down.

The initial increase in labor cost paid by American businesses who currently employ illegal immigrants for sub-minimum-wage rate would be offset by the overall lowering of the cost of labor as the supply of job seekers would be higher than the availability of jobs. In job markets in which the supply of job seekers is greater than the availability of jobs, the wages of the worker is lower.

The countervailing view is that the influx of new, legal labor will be needed to meet the demands of what promises to be a rapidly expanding jobs market. Without these new, legal workers, these proponents argue, there would be shortfalls in the labor market.

The key principle from a purely economic perspective is to balance the labor pool with the jobs pool. Whenever there is too great an imbalance between jobs and job seekers, economic downturns are sure to follow.

These numbers indicate that the labor market recovery might be gaining traction, which could result in an unemployment rate of 6.1% without the necessity of burying the other telling number, the percentage of adults actually seeking employment. This alone could mean the growth of good paying jobs for working people is beginning now.

Debt Drags the Dragon

W R Collier Jr July 23, 2014

BUSINESS NEWS- WORLD

China’s Debt Reaches 250% of GDP

William R Collier Jr. – For the past five years, we have been writing about China as a paper tiger with inflated numbers, and now analysis has revealed that China’s much-vaunted “economic miracle” is nothing more than the result of debt spending on a massive scale.

Stephen Green at Standard Chartered has calculated that China’s actual debt is now 250% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But in 2009, China’s debt was only around 70% of its GDP, making this meteoric rise alarming. This debt includes both public and private debt. However, in China, the government controls much of the corporate world and financial institutions.

With a reported GDP of $9.6 trillion, China’s total debt should equal around $24 trillion. The US, by comparison, has a GDP of around $16.24 trillion, with a total debt burden of $42.2 trillion. Total public debt stands at $17.1 trillion.

While total government debt may be 53% of GDP, a major portion of the corporate and financial sector debt is directly driven by the government which operate a communist “management” policy that, at best, mixes free market policies with their overall Party agenda.

In the United States, government and private debt equal 260% of the GDP, with federal government debt right at 105% of GDP and private debt at 155% of GDP, but much of this private debt is independent of government obligation.

US Debt has also risen. At the end of 2008, just before President Obama was sworn into office, US public debt stood at around $10 trillion with a GDP at around $14.5 trillion. At the end of 2013, US public debt stood at $16.7 trillion compared to a GDP of $16.9 trillion. It is projected that 2014’s GDP will stay at around $16.9 trillion, while public debt has gone over $17.6 trillion. Household debt in the US, money owed by individuals, it at $13 trillion, near where it was in 2007, and has shrunk since the end of 2008 both as a percentage of total debt and in terms of raw amounts.

But while the total US debt has risen around 40% since 2009, an alarming number to be sure for some, Chinese debt has risen from a little under 80% of GDP to 251% of GDP, and that’s just the debt we know about. The Chinese are known for manipulating numbers in their favor, which usually means that if the numbers look bad, they are probably worse.

It would appear then that much of China’s “success” and even “growth” has been driven by a massive spending program, funneled through “private” but government controlled institutions to prop up what remains an essentially communist, and, therefore, unsustainable economy.

The Cyber Battle for Iraq

W R Collier Jr July 22, 2014

WORLD NEWS
William R. Collier Jr

Iraq’s warring factions, and the government, have come to the realization that controlling cyber-space is a necessary war-fighting element, as important as land warfare or aerial domination. Cyberspace, the place where people communicate, get information, and collaborate is the new target. Those who dominate the landscape can operate freely while preventing their enemy from operating freely.

We have learned how ISIL/ISIS has used cyberspace for sophisticated command and control, giving them quite modern and advanced communications capabilities once only available to first world nations. Simply turning off the space is becoming as difficult as turning off the sky: too many communications and transactions depend on the existence of that space.

In Iran, for instance, during the 2009 uprising the government tried to turn off the space. The problem? Millions of government and financial transactions required the use of that space. So the internet was “turned back on” and the government tried to control the space. Today, the ability of governments to control that space short of turning it off is limited. A simple software solution, such as creating a program that filters out certain sites based on content or location, will not work- insurgents and criminals can get around those blocks or simply burrow deep into “spaces” (websites or social networks) that are not blocked.

Criminals and insurgents in Iraq have taken to employing groups of cyber operators. Some act as sleuths, some create malware and other programs designed to spy on targeted computers and networks, some operate “clone accounts” to insinuate themselves into groups, some conduct “operations” (like denial of service attacks, physhing schemes that are meant to steal user names and passwords) and still others operate web crawling and spidering tools to obtain data.

In Iraq, cyber warfare observers have noted that full-on cyber war is being waged. In one instance, a Trojan Horse program was inserted through a link to a “friendly” article clicked on by the targets. The program turned on microphones and video and allowed ISIL to literally see and hear the internal workings of an opposition group operating in Iraq.

Of all the actors, including the government, ISIL has perhaps invested the most resources into these operations, while their operators have also devised clever ways to maintain secure communications for a sophisticated command and control. We have even hear rumors of an ISIL program that allows for a missile hack whereby a “dumb” rocket is guided to a target by Google maps. This is not as precise as US “smart munitions”, but it is far more sophisticated than what has been available.

The now “old” idea of tracking IP addresses is also not enough. These groups create multiple layers of proxy servers and, now, “ip hopping” programs change the IP address of a server every few seconds. The best way to locate the enemy is to actually get an operator into their network who obtains that information, or enough hints to allow for “investigations” to track locations.

It is believed that ISIL operators succeeded in tracking an Iraqi police chief to his home, the location of which had been a closely guarded secret, by infiltrating an online group and inserting a “snooper” program into the police HQ’s computer network which had been accessible to informants. The infamous video of his beheading is proof enough that, for ISIL. cyber warfare is a major component of their warfare.

Near as we can tell, the Iraqi government has not been up to the task of countering this. Cyber space in Iraq is dominated by closely knit groups. The government’s operations are compromised because there are infiltrators involved and they have not worked out a process for vetting potential cyber operators that has worked. Only government cyber units that are coherent by tribe and sect have had any real success in preventing infiltration.

So the cyber landscape for average Iraqis is a dangerous one, although most malware infections have been rather targeted. Generally when “civilians” have had their computers compromised, it is because they are associated with or physically near a target of such operations. We are witnessing the first “collateral damage” due to cyber warfare.

But could this cyber battlefield be extended?

ISIL, for its part, envisions a Caliphate stretching from the Turkish border that includes the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula at least. Future targets of their cyber warfare will include all those nations and, possibly, even Turkey (this despite reports that Turkey’s Prime Minister has been secretly sending them arms).

All around the world, criminals and potential insurgents are seeing cyber space as the next frontier in lateral warfare or guerrilla warfare and many of the world’s governments are ill prepared for this onslaught.

Is Turkey Supplying ISIL and preparing for war with Greece?

W R Collier Jr July 21, 2014

REPORT
William R Collier Jr

ALARM BELLS RING OVER ERDOGAN’S INTENTIONS

Is Turkey secretly preparing for war again Greece? Meanwhile, a Turkish politician says Erdogan is secretly arming ISIL and al-Qaeda. Is Erdogan a secret Salafist bent on war and dictatorship?

Three developments are raising alarm bells regarding the true intentions of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s Islamist, and possibly Salasfist, Prime Minister. The three developments include accusations that Erdogan is arming ISIL and al-Qaeda, accusations that Erdogan will set up a presidential dictatorship if he wins the August 10^th to 24^th Presidential elections, and accusation that his military is preparing for war against Greece.

A Turkish politician from the “Republican People’s Party” has made the stunning accusation, with alleged documentary proof, that the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, is actively funneling money and weapons to the so-called “Islamic State”, an extremely radical Salafist group that has seized territory and is terrorizing Muslims and non-Muslims who do not conform to their ideological fanaticism.

Party Deputy Chairman Bülent Tezcan held a press conference on the very steps of the Turkish Parliament in Ankara. According to Tezcan, a National Intelligence Organization (MIT in Turkish) truck was seized in the city of Adana as part of an investigation several months ago. The documents, which Tezcan showed at the press conference, revealed that police who seized the truck discovered a large stash of small arms.

Tezcan said, “the records leave no room for doubt that the government has sent weapons and ammunition to the terrorist organizations al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria.” Attached to the weapons were further documents, written in a Cyrillic script, probably indicating that they are Russian. The truck picked up the shipment from Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport, having been flown in, possibly from Russia, according to the testimony of the driver and other people involved in the shipment.

Party Deputy Chairman Bülent Tezcan scuffles with Erdogan's party in parliament earlier this year. — Party Deputy Chairman Bülent Tezcan scuffles with Erdogan’s party in parliament earlier this year.

He said, “the weapons that were given to ISIS have now beeen turned against Turkish citizens. “ He also asked “whether the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government have struck a deal with ISIS?” This is the part of the government in power.

Most sensationally, he accused the government of arming these groups directly.

“So have you [the government] carried the missiles you will throw at Turkey with these trucks in advance? Was it these trucks that carried the weapons used in the Reyhanlı attacks?” he asked. He was referring an attack in the border town of Reyhanlı on May 11, 2013. The attack resulted in 53 causalities and is believed to have been carried out by al-Qaeada.

“Is it not a crime in international law to arm the militants of ISIL and al-Qaeda like this in the Middle East?” Tezcan asked during the press conference. “We know the answers to all of these questions and the government also knows the answers and they will one day give their answers in front of the Supreme State Council in Turkey, the name the Constitutional Court assumes while trying the current or former members of a government, and before international courts.”

The idea that elements of the Turkish government might be arming such groups goes hand in hand with reports that Turkey and Qatar are alone in the Muslim world urging Hamas to turn down cease-fire offers in what some see as a bid to create further unrest and instability. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party may be seeking to create external bogeyman and crisis in order to gain support during elections, or they may be secretly pursuing a Salafist agenda, which is worrisome to Turkish citizens.

The second accusation leveled against Erdogan is that he is plotting to create a dictatorship.

The first round of the Turkish Presidential Elections is slated for August 10, 2014 and some fear that Erdogan wants to win at all costs. Currently, he is the Prime Minister and as President It is expected that if Erdogan won the Presidency he must resign as Prime Minister, but if he chose to hold on to both offices together he could set himself up as a dictator, say some opponents.

Recently. Erdogan raised eyebrows when he stated that Israel’s operations in Gaza were far worse than anything Hitler did.

The Turkish people do not support groups like al-Qaeda or ISIL and if these accusation gain traction it could hurt Erdogan in the polls on August 10. Erdogan wants to change the Turkish system of government through a new Constitution that would make the government a “presidential system” in which the President holds most of the power.

It is alleged that Erdogan arranged to supply the weapons for two reasons- a secret Salafist sympathy and to barter for the release of 32 Turkish hostages held by ISIL, seized from Mosul, Iraq, in order to “look tough.” ISIL for its part has threatened to kill Erdogan, but, critics say, “he doesn’t appear to be a man under threat.”

The third allegation is that Erdogan is plotting to wage war against Greece.

Since 2011, military observers have raised suspicions that Erdogan intends to attack Greece on the European mainland itself.

In December of 2011, the Turks began to take deliveries of 52 offensive amphibious bridges, which delivery has now been completed. The bridges would allow the Turkish Army to cross the Evros River which separates Turkish territory from the Greek mainland. The Turks also took delivery of 40 heavy de-mining vehicles which could be used to push past any Greek minefields in potential area of operations.

The 52 offensive amphibious bridges- from defencegreece.com

All of this equipment, which has value only in offensive operations, was delivered solely to the 1st Army in Eastern Thrace and to no other units of the Turkish Army.

On November 13, 2013 Greek Secretary of Defense Athanasios Davakis claimed, “There is no doubt that there is an active threat formulated by our neighbor and there is also no doubt that there is over-concentration of military forces on the Ebro (river) and Asia Minor (Aegean), and significant increase in military spending in Turkey. Also, no one denies that they have a daily air and naval practice concerning violations, procedures for search and rescue, which means that our country must at all times have corresponding and similar data, in order not to be found lacking in this reality. Since that is the fact, then (we must) manage defense planning at all levels including new structures which will weight the proper assessment of the threat and our country’s national strategy. ”

Erdogan is believed by some to be harboring a secret Salafist ambition which would come into the fore only if he wins this Presidential election, which many fear will be “highly irregular.” Others dismiss this as highly speculative and sensationalist, including many Greek politicians, who have often spoken of an improvement of Greco-Turkish relations.

Greek efforts to broaden its base of support, including with China, out of nervousness about NATO’s commitment to its sovereignty, especially in light of the Ukraine crisis, might seem understandable in light of these development in Turkey, and while few seriously believe Erdogan is a secret Salafist, the low probability is offset by the severity of the possible consequences if this is true. If these allegations are true, however, it would seriously alter the geopolitical reality in the region and could lead to a rupture of NATO.

Stay tuned here as we will continue to cover this and analyze events.

Chinese Spying Is “Creating Tension”

W R Collier Jr July 21, 2014

REPORT
William R. Collier Jr.

World News- Business News- ANALYSIS of the Chinese Espionage Threat

Nations spy on nations. That is always a fact of life However, there are limits to which you can go before crossing a line, and increasingly nations around the world are saying that China has crossed the line.

In the latest dust-up over China’s incessant spying, the Chinese were invited to a biennial exercise called RIMPAC, a maritime safety exercise hosted by the US out of Hawaii that involves many nations. This year 24 nations have naval units on scene. They drill together, doing maritime safety and security exercises, getting to know how each navy operates, and even participating in on-shore sporting events and fraternization among personnel. It is a goodwill exercise. Among the invited participants this year is China. So when participants noticed a Chinese spy ship shadowing the fleet not a few among the officers were incensed. It is one thing to spy on the exercise as a non-participant but to do so as a participant is considered to be rather impolitic and undiplomatic.

With so many Naval units operating together, the Chinese could obtain lots of critical data, including the sound and electronic signatures of hundreds of different types of vessels, and even signals and communications data that cannot be obtained together in one spot anywhere else. US Pacific Fleet spokesman Captain Darryn James claimed that the US has taken measures to prevent security breaches, but critics say this is simply impossible and constitutes a weak response.

But while this incident may not in and of itself be extremely alarming, it is part of an ongoing pattern of aggressive espionage that few nations of any importance have not endured at the hands of the Communist Chinese dictatorship. Aggressive efforts to obtain data have extended to both the military and civilian sector, and increasingly corporations are facing Chinese espionage in order to allow Chinese firms to steal technology and catch up with their competitors, Inside China almost every technology patented by foreign firms has been stolen and duplicated in Chinese products, especially those that do not leave China where patent and copyright laws are actually enforced.

This has not only given the Chinese an unfair economic advantage, it is allowing their military to make technical advances which could, some warn, make China a greater military threat than the Japanese Empire of World War Two was to Asia and the Pacific.

The use of aggressive cyber warfare, with every Chinese University hosting what amounts to a cyber-espionage center with tens of thousands of “cyber sleuths” and hackers being employed, has earned the ire of its many victims- hacking directly into intelligence computers or even a nation’s corporate computer systems is technically an act of war. Under that definition, the Chinese have been waging war on MOST of the world’s leading nations for over a decade.

But this effort is not the only effort, it is “all encompassing”, and includes potentially every single one of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals who go abroad as students, tourists, and for business. Every Chinese national who leaves the country has to be interviewed by state security and many, certainly not all or most, are asked to obtain information which it is illegal for them to obtain.

Increasingly, world intelligence agencies are casting about over “the Chinese question” and how to “make them pay.” A May 2014 filing by the Justice Department against three Chinese who were accused of hacking into computers from US companies in Western Pennsylvania to steal technology was widely viewed as a “shot across the bow”. essentially warning the Chinese that there will be consequences for these activities.

The “dragon of Asia” is in fact a communist dictatorship and if or when the supply of stolen technology is cut off, their system is itself incapable of making such advances and they would quickly begin to lose ground. The policy of “economic engagement” was meant to allow the West to “influence” the Chinese for the cause of freedom and free markets.

Instead, this policy has benefited the Chinese at everyone else’s expense and has allowed them to become a serious military threat to their neighbors. Chinese “enlightenment” in the area of human rights has been limited and shallow, often involving no more than “show cities” where an “open” policy is somewhat pursued while throughout most of China traditional communist oppression is rather the norm.

How angry the world powers are, and what kind of push back they give, remains to be seen but China has succeeded in the grand theft of trillions of dollars worth of stolen technology, but the price may be the eventual economic and diplomatic isolation of the Chinese Community e, which would very quickly lead to economic retrenchment and military decline. The only question is, do the world powers have more to offer in their own defense other than mere words and warning?

Heavy Slogging In Gaza

W R Collier Jr July 21, 2014

By William R Collier Jr

Details regarding the actual fighting in Gaza are sketchy, but we have cautioned that Hamas wants the IDF to enter into a close order battle with them in the streets of Gaza where they believe they can inflict heavy damage on the Israelis. The practice of closeting fighters and weapons, including rockets, in and among civilians is meant both to generate atrocity stories and to cause the IDF to have to mix it up in close combat.

There are now reports of “heavy fire”, including anti-tank missiles, coming from within civilian areas, including hospitals and mosques, and the toll on Israel in people and equipment is mounting, possibly even more than is currently known, or available, via open press reporting.

For our part, we have not been able to connect with anyone in Gaza, as we have before, about conditions on the ground there. It is possible that communications to and from the area have been disrupted by the IDF. Over 250 more rockets have been fired into Israel in the past 24 hours, resulting in public support for an overwhelming response to Hamas.

IDF officers continue to accuse Prime Minister Netanyahu of being indecisive, or not using overwhelming force to quickly dispatch their enemy.

Meanwhile, on the Arab side, there is growing criticism of Arab governments for not taking a more stance against Israel and both Jordan and Egypt face pressure to sever ties with Israel over Israel’s incursion into Gaza and the loss of civilian life. Some of the Arab hawks are feeling left in the lurch by their own leaders and desire to see Israel punished once and for all. On the other hand, there is growing sentiment that Hamas itself is the problem- using people as human shields and their intransigence in negotiations are frustrating many.

Hamas for its part has now offered a case fire if Israel agrees to supply all of Gaza with free electricity, a non-starter that observers note “they surely know is not realistic under the circumstances.”

So far the operations seems to be in slow motion, the IDF have failed to totally isolate the populations centers from one another, they do not occupy from the sea back to Gaza’s eastern land border with Israel, and they are entering piecemeal into the major cities, contrary to plans. The “limited goal” of destroying tunnels is also not much appreciated- the main threat has been coming from rockets, not the tunnels, and many believe that this is inadequate..

Treasury Secretary Urges “Economic Patriotism”

W R Collier Jr July 20, 2014

US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urges "economic patriotism" and an end to "inversion"/ — US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urges “economic patriotism” and an end to “inversion”/

By William R. Collier Jr.
The Democrats are pushing for Congressional action to end the profit-hiding practices of some of their biggest corporate backers.

“What we need as a nation,” Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told members of Congress, “is a new sense of economic patriotism, where we all rise or fall together.” Lew is referring to a new push by the Obama Administration to go after US Corporations which hide their profits overseas, profits which some estimate to be at $2.1 trillion per year. Though some say this is greatly over-inflated.

With Federal Corporate tax rates of 35% (40% higher than Communist China’s corporate tax rate of 25%) US corporate taxes are the highest in the developing world. US corporations are, some argue “understandably”, seeking ways to get out from under this tax burden which impacts their ability to invest in growth and deliver profits to investors, factors which they believe will make them less competitive than foreign owned corporations.

The United States is the single most aggressive pursuer of its nationals’ foreign assets and earnings. The UK, for instance, allows its citizens to keep foreign earnings in those countries where they are taxed by the country where they are earned, but Americans can often be forced to pay both any “local” taxes where foreign income or profits are earned AND US taxes.

The new push for Congress to act against the hiding of corporate profits abroad would increase US efforts to track down and apprehend foreign earnings by its citizens. It might also result in corporations and executives renouncing their American affiliation or citizenship, respectively, which is an increasing trend. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is leading this charge and has stated that, “It’s taken far too much time….If we don’t do something about inversion, there will be nothing to do tax reform on.”

The practice of “inversion” by US Companies, referred to by Senator Reid, involves moving their corporate “domicile” to a country with lower tax rates. They often do this by becoming “partners” with an overseas firm. For instance, corporations in the United Arab Emirates enjoy a tax-free environment, which is making the UAE a global corporate hub. The most popular destinations are reported to be Ireland and the Netherlands.

The counter argument is that those companies which move their domicile through an inversion still enjoy the benefits of being largely housed in the US. For instance, they enjoy our infrastructure, our copyright protections, and many other benefits. In essence, the argument runs, they are enjoying the benefits of having their operations in the US but they are letting other people pay for those benefits. Indeed those tax havens enjoy security, and save public money because the US provides an umbrella of protection through our global and costly military.

Often those same companies support the very policies, and the political party, that is calling for higher taxes and greater public spending. General Electric is a traditional supporter of Democrats, but leads the pack for inversion by hiding a reported $110 billion in off-shore profits. Often, conservatives defend this corporate practice or call for lower tax rates to lure companies back to the US, while those same corporations finance the Democrats (and Progressive causes in general) especially General Electric.

EDITORIAL ADDENDUM:
The push to “deal with” this practice is being led by Senator Harry Reid, the Majority Leader of the Senate. The type of action required to address this practice of “inversion” would involve changes in tax laws. As all bills dealing with revenue (taxes) must originate in the House, the actions of Senator Reid are not likely to yield results. The GOP-controlled House is not likely to support such a bill.

The irony of this call by a leader in the Democratic Party is not lost on observers: Harry Reid, whose party gets millions from the same corporations conducting this practice of inversion, is calling for action against his own financial backers which know they will enjoy the protection of the party they do not back.

This practice of issuing sound bites to get votes, knowing that nothing will come of it, is an ancient and proven political technique. The only fear the proponents of this policy have is that the GOP will agree with it and then punish those corporate backers of the Progressive agenda who have no real interest in seeing the more populist and anti-corporate aspects of that program being fulfilled.

The arguments for and against the new policy push each have merit. That we have a potentially crippling corporate tax policy seems self-evident. That US corporations are avoiding US taxes while both enjoying the benefits of public spending and supporting those who want more public spending is also self-evident.

Perhaps a middle road is to lower corporate taxes to 25%, to at least match Communist China, while ending this practice of inversion, as well as corporate welfare and tax loopholes that are not available to working people.

Ground War In Gaza

W R Collier Jr July 17, 2014

At 10:30PM local IDF forces began an operations in three sectors in Gaza which, if successful, would divide Gaza into 4 manageable slices, bypassing the populated areas for now, in what is described as a “limited operation” against “Hamas tunnels.”

The operation is as we had predicted it, a limited operation aimed at isolating the populated regions and disrupting Hamas’ operations and communications. It is unlikely that the IDF will want to roll tanks into populated areas and it remains to be seen whether Hamas’ much vaunted “increased capability” against Israeli armor will materialize. The rockets from Gaza has apparently stopped during this operation.

Coincident with the Israeli government’s announcement of this operation, the Egyptian government announced “the possibility for hundreds of civilian deaths in Gaza” must be blamed on Hamas for being unwilling to agree to any truce, which the Arab powers have brokered and which Israel had agreed to. The Egyptian Government has diplomatic relations with Israel and has been actively brokering peace between Arab Palestinians and the State of Israel.

On July 14th Avignor Leiberman, Israel’s Foreign Minister, reportedly told the Norwegian Foreign Minister that a truce fire agreement set to occur on July14th did not happen “because Qatar and Turkey” urged Hamas not to consider the deal. Hamas had denied that they had been consulted, a fact denied by the Egyptians and the Israelis. However, while the Qataris and the Turks have consulted, there is no evidence that the Qataris urged Hamas to reject any deals.

Some are saying that the IDF is crossing the border “at all points” in order to find tunnels, while forces are only moving further into Hamas territory in less populated areas. We are working to connect with people on both sides to get more detailed information.

We had issued a War Warning for the area. That Warning has materialized. We are issuing a War Report- war has broken out on the ground on a limited basis between Israel and Hamas.

A low probability War Warning remains in effect for the region. War Warning General War, Israel Versus Hamas and Hezbollah- there is a low but credible probability that Hezbollah, operating from Lebanon and Syria, will launch rocket and other artillery attacks against Israel which could prompt air attacks and limited ground attacks aimed at securing their population from such threats. The danger of a more general war is extremely low at this time as Egypt is embroiled in its own political instability thanks to the Muslim Brotherhood and Syria is militarily weak. However there are remote possibilities that the factions in Syria and Egypt agree to unite and push for some sort of military response.

For Arabs, this invasion elicits rage as they consider the Arab civilians which must necessarily suffer as a result of this, but this does not mean they “side” with Hamas. Hamas is viewed as a destabilizing influence and a “bad actor”, their “antics” undermining Arab efforts to create a Palestinian State with international recognition. As long as Hamas is in power, many Arabs have confided to me, the case for a Palestinian State is weakened.

If Israel can quickly eliminate Hamas and if Fatah can regain control over Gaza this can de-escalate and a pathway for peace may be possible. But if Israel’s invasion is in depth, takes a long time, and creates civilian casualties many Arab leaders will find it politically untenable to do anything but defy Israel and possibly even push some into real or covert conflict with the State of Israel.

Currently the battle appears, from a distance, to be rather one-sided but if Israeli forces are not entering heavily populated areas Hamas will not deploy their alleged “new” anti-tank capability. Their aim is to lure the IDF into populated areas where close combat is necessary and where air support is impossible.

Meanwhile, Israel has indicted three unnamed young men (names not released) for the murder of a an Arab Palestinian youth in apparent retaliation for the murder of three Israeli youths, the murder of which indirectly sparked this round of conflict. Immediately after the discovery of the murdered teens, Prime Minister Netanyahu accused Hamas of murdering them. Hamas responded by beginning a rocket assault against Israel, which has gone on for 9 days.

There have been no arrests in the case of the three murdered Israeli teens. It has not been established that Arabs, let alone Hamas members, were responsible, although Hamas has since declared that “every Israeli, everywhere” is “a legitimate target”.

A DREAMER ARMY

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The Cyber Battle for Iraq

Is Turkey Supplying ISIL and preparing for war with Greece?

Chinese Spying Is “Creating Tension”

Heavy Slogging In Gaza

Treasury Secretary Urges “Economic Patriotism”

Ground War In Gaza

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