What's Going On In The Rest Of The world

Internet Censorship - Australia

Cel — Tue, 2 Feb 2010 16:29:45

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Censoring free speech in the secret state
The Advertiser
February 02, 2010 12:01AM

MANY regimes around the world have attempted to do the unthinkable - censor free speech. The South Australian Government appears to be one body which is going to successfully apply such suppression.

Such a draconian move should come as no surprise. In many ways, it is entirely predictable.

The State Government has long made obvious its distaste for those who disagree with its policies in any form and to any degree whatsoever.

It is indeed difficult to recall a government of any persuasion being quite so sensitive.

Amendments to the Electoral Act, which came into force on January 6 and which require all bloggers and contributors to political debate to list their real name and postcode during an election campaign, appears to be an attempt to silence public dissent and opposition to government policy More: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/.....freabl-1225825715408

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The fact these leaders even tried this is unreal. We have freedom of speech and they thought they did too.

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Internet uprising overturns Australian censorship law
By Nate Anderson | Last updated February 2, 2010 11:59 AM
The state of South Australia has a new election law that went into effect January 6, and its effect was shocking: anonymous political speech on the Internet was simply destroyed.

The law required anyone posting a political comment online during an election period to supply their real name and address or face a fine of up to AUS$1,250. The measure was grossly discriminatory—it applied only to bloggers and commenters, not to online "journals" (newspapers or magazine which are written by Real Journalists). More: http://arstechnica.com/tech-po.....n-censorship-law.ars

Venezuala Devalues It's Money

Shadow — Sat, 9 Jan 2010 18:02:55

1. UPDATE 1-Devaluation ups stakes in Venezuela election year

By Frank Jack Daniel and Eyanir Chinea

CARACAS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Venezuelans rushed to the shops on Saturday, fearful of price rises after a currency devaluation that will let President Hugo Chavez boost government spending ahead of an election but feeds opposition charges of economic mismanagement.

In a bid to jump-start the recession-hit economy of South America's top oil exporter, Chavez on Friday announced a dual system for the fixed rate bolivar.

It devalues the currency to 4.3 and 2.6 against the dollar, from a rate of 2.15 per dollar in place since 2005, giving the better rate for basic goods in an attempt to limit the impact of the measure on consumer prices.

The opposition seized on fears that prices for imported goods will double as shoppers formed lines of more than a hundred people outside some stores in the capital Caracas.

"It was a Black Friday, tinted red," said sales executive Diana Sevillana in reference to the crimson color of Chavez's socialist party. She stood in a line of 30 people outside an electrical goods store in a middle class neighborhood.

The socialist Chavez believes the state should have a weighty role in managing the economy. During his 11 years in office he has nationalized most heavy industry, and business and finance are tightly regulated.

The devaluation is politically risky but means every dollar of oil revenue puts more bolivars in government coffers. That allows Chavez to lavish cash on social projects and fund salary increases ahead of parliamentary elections in September.

Opponents were quick to criticize the socialist, who a year ago promised the global financial crisis would not touch "a hair" of Venezuela's economy. He announced the devaluation on Friday night during an important baseball game.

"By establishing the exchange rate at 4.3 bolivars per dollar, the quality of life for Venezuelans is automatically devalued since we now have half the money we had before," said Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, a Chavez opponent.

BLACKOUTS, WATER SHORTAGES

Opposition parties, emboldened by public dissatisfaction at frequent blackouts and water shortages and a 2.9 percent economic contraction in 2009, hope to strip Chavez of his legislative majority in September.

The devaluation is embarrassing for Chavez, who resisted calls from economists and many government allies to make the move last year when oil prices were at their lowest and elections a long way off.

"Venezuela's decision to devalue the Bolivar culminates an event that the market has been anticipating for a long time," said Walter Molano, an analyst at BCP Securities. "It helps alleviate the country's fiscal woes and puts it on a sounder macroeconomic footing."

The measure is a relief for state oil company PDVSA, which has struggled to pay service providers and meet requirements to fund social projects since crude prices dropped sharply last year. It also makes Venezuelan businesses more competitive.

Holders of Venezuela's foreign debt are also pleased, since the devaluation improves government finances and lessens the need to issue more bonds.

However, Chavez risks taking a blow to his popularity ratings, which are about 50 percent, as prices for many products inevitably will rise in the country of 28 million people, which relies on imports for much of its consumption.

Finance Minister Ali Rodriguez said the devaluation will add 3 percent to 5 percent to inflation, already the highest in the Americas at 25 percent last year.

"The popularity of the government is obviously going to be sharply and negatively affected," said economist Pedro Palma. "The inflationary impact of the measure diminishes the real income of people. People can consume less."

The new two-tiered exchange system offers the 2.6/dollar rate for goods deemed essential including food, medicine and industrial machinery. Other products, including cars and telephones, will be imported at the higher 4.3 rate.

Last month, BMO Capital Markets cut ratings on Colgate-Palmolive Co (CL.N), Avon Products Inc (AVP.N) and Kimberly-Clark Corp (KMB.N) to "market perform" saying a possible devaluation in Venezuela could hurt the U.S. consumer goods makers' profits.

Economist Pavel Gomez of the IESA economic school said the new system will increase opportunities for graft in a country that already is corruption-ridden.

"Multiple exchange schemes are incentives for corruption, more so if they are applied in the Venezuela way," he said. "Those who have good contacts can buy at 2.6 and sell at 4.3."

Chavez, whose popularity usually rises in correlation with public spending, also said on Friday that the Central Bank had transferred $7 billion of foreign reserves to a development fund used to finance investment projects.

lol, good thing they now call it climate change

Sunnie57 — Sun, 3 Jan 2010 21:16:12

Just saw this on Drudgereport.com. It's his headlines tonight:

"East Coast Faces Deep Freeze; Florida Oranges Threatened...
CHILL MAP...
Iowa temps 'a solid 30 degrees below normal'...
Peru's mountain people 'face extinction because of cold conditions'...
Beijing -- coldest in 40 years...
World copes with Arctic weather... "

And we still have people believing in MAN-MADE global warming.

Burj Dubai Tower - Highest Building in the World

FactOrFiction — Fri, 4 Dec 2009 09:41:13

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.1433247da714fd1ce569b946f4746c07.b1&show_article=1

Armistice Day, Veterans Day

TippyCanoe — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:46:00

11 a.m. on November 11, 1918, in Compiègne, France—the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

the war to end war's ended

and as in the from outer space thread

we are extremely close to that event fading to a pure paper/electronic event

in the next year or so all the worldwide veterans of the event will who could pass first hand knowledge will have left us

In our nation we honor all veterans but we should pay special attention to Frank Buckles
as he is the last man that stands between first hand memory and history