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Link to Complete Hamilton Testimony in U.S. Senate on Elephant Holocaust
Here is the link to the complete testimony of Iain Douglas-Hamilton’s recent appearance in the United States Senate regarding the slaughter of the elephant herds in Africa.
Click here
Here is the beginning page of the testimony:
Testimony of Iain DouglasHamilton
Founder and CEO, Save the Elephants
on
Ivory and Insecurity: The Global Implications of Poaching in Africa
before the Committee on Foreign Relations
U.S. Senate
May 24, 2012
INTRODUCTION
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member, and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am honoured to appear before your committee. My name is Iain Douglas‐Hamilton, and I have been studying elephants in Africa since 1966. I founded the African Elephant Specialist Group of the IUCN in 1975 and launched the first pan‐African elephant survey in 1977, funded by WCS and WWF. I have testified three times before Congress in the 1970s and 1980s when elephants were in peril from the ivory trade. We are once again in that situation. We are experiencing a huge upsurge in poaching, possibly to levels as high as those witnessed in the 1980s before the ivory ban. This time, however, we have more eyes on the ground and some unified systems endorsed by parties of the CITES treaty, for monitoring illegal killing of elephants (MIKE) and monitoring illegal trafficking of ivory through TRAFFIC, and their Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS). There are also many independent elephant scientists on the ground and trained rangers of wildlife authorities.
Click here to read the full United States Senate testimony.
Click here to go to Save The Elephants Organization
Click here to go to Elephants in Peril website
Please become involved in this project. Last year something like 25,000 magnificent elephants were slaughtered in Africa. Entire elephant families were killed for their ivory. If we do nothing they will be extinct in 20 years at this rate of slaughter. Just like the American Bison, and many other species that have been pillaged, the elephants will be no more. What good is the earth without our beautiful elephants, whales, dolphins, rhinos, and our other wildlife friends? The human species will have shamed itself before God for this outrage against nature. We have been given the responsibility to be good stewards of the earth. When is mankind going to take this seriously as a responsibility that we have been given as a condition for our own survival? Pass this information on to your friends and family. Shine the light of truth on this subject. Make sure our government takes the right steps to save the elephant herds in Africa.
Animal Holocaust in Africa Using U.S. Weapons?
A Recent Article in the New York Times Explores The Possibilty That U.S. Trained and Armed African Troops Are Involved in Mass Killings of Elephants.
The continuous slaughter of elephants by Islamist armed terrorist groups is bad enough. These criminals have been killing elephants for years for their beautiful ivory tusks, which they sell to the Chinese for money to buy more guns. But now there is emerging evidence that some U.S. trained and armed African armies are using modern weapons and helicopters to slaughter elephants on a mass scale. This whole situation should make you sick. First, the Chinese and rich Thais are paying huge amounts for ivory, which is fueling the growing armies of poachers. They use the ivory for such things as nick knacks and chopsticks. This behavior must end now. Make your fricking chop sticks out of wood or plastic.
The U.S. Government must immediately:
1. Re-instate a world wide ban on illegal Ivory Trade. Any Ivory from elephants who died from natural causes can be auctioned and the funds directed to support wildlife parks to protect elephants. Killing elephants for their ivory should be a crime of consequence, like life in prison.
2. Demand that China stop this nonsense NOW, or suffer massive trade sanctions. This is a sad case of people who are newly rich and want to “show off” by having expensive do-dads to show their friends how rich they are. I’m not picking on Chinese people, they probably learned this obnoxious behavior from Americans, who are professionals when it comes to showing off their wealth in bizarre destructive ways. Americans are also experts in animal extinctions, like what was done to the American Bison. So maybe we can use our knowledge of our own sad past behavior to save what is left of the herds of elephants in Africa, and make the Chinese realize how stupid it is to make chopsticks from ivory. They are shaming themselves in the court of world opinion, just as Americans did by slaughtering the beavers for hats or minks for coats. Most Americans have learned their lesson. We wear baseball caps made from fiber. Our coats are made from cotton and fabric. So to the Chinese people, I say take a hint from our past and join us in saving the elephants.. Stop the demand for ivory and the poachers will stop killing elephants.
3. The U.S. Military and its AFRICON (African Command) needs to be called on the carpet. The former commander, Gen Ward was removed and demoted for his activities. The U.S. must INSIST on keeping track of any weapons they are dolling out to the corrupt military forces in Africa. Any use of our assets, aircraft, etc.,to kill off wildlife should result in severe penalties, embargoes, and police action to bring these criminals to justice.
4. The U.S. should work harder with other countries to end the depredations of Islamist and other terrorist groups like the Janjaweed. Africa has suffered so much from these types of groups that it is unbelievable that the western powers have been unable to help poor African countries to protect themselves against these thugs.
Check out this article from www.savetheelephants.org Here is a clip from it:
The Tough Truth of Ivory Funding Terrorism
Christina M. Russo — Yale Environment 360
December 11, 2012
September 20, 2012 INTERVIEW Shining a Bright Light on Africa’s Elephant Slaughter Fueled by a rising demand for ivory, the mass killing of African elephants has reached extraordinary levels. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, New York Times reporter Jeffrey Gettleman discusses his in-depth investigation of the deadly ivory trade, which involves the U.S.-backed military forces of several African nations. by Christina M. Russo
With the slaughter of African elephants sharply intensifying recently as global prices for ivory have escalated, few articles have conveyed the scope and brutality of that trade as vividly as the one written earlier this month by Jeffrey Gettleman, of The New York Times. Entitled “Elephants Dying in Epic Frenzy as Ivory Fuels Wars and Profits,” Gettleman’s report described how tens of thousands of elephants are being killed annually for their tusks, with the carnage increasingly being carried out by African armies or by brutal armed groups that use the tusks to “sustain their mayhem.”
Jeffrey Gettleman In an interview with Yale Environment 360 contributor Christina M. Russo, Gettleman, the Times’ East Africa bureau chief, explained how weeks in the field helped him piece together an elaborate ivory trade that is fueled largely by Chinese demand and involves elements of the military from the Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda — all of which receive some funding or training from the U.S. government. Gettleman, who won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, also discussed how infamous armed groups — including the Lord’s Resistance Army (L.R.A.), the janjaweed in Darfur, and the Islamist group, Shabab — all participate in the poaching.
Read the rest of this: Save the Elephants
Paradise Has Been Poisoned By Deadly Chemicals
New Video Series Exposing the Poisoning of Los Angeles By Leaking Oil and Gas Fields.
A new video series is exposing the poisoning of the people of Los Angeles by leaking oil and gas fields. The Los Angeles basin is covered with oil fields. Most of these fields date back to the early part of the 20th century when Los Angeles had the richest oil fields on earth. Many of these oil fields are still being pumped to this day, and some are now being “fracked”. For over a hundred years dangerous, life-threatening chemicals have been leaking out. There is no count to the number of people who have died horrible deaths from cancer due to these leaking fields. And then there is the explosion factor, with parts of the City literally exploding without notice, killing people instantly, including in recent times a brave fireman. This series is premiering on www.SouthlandNewsBureau. Click below to see Part 1.
Shocking Anti-Obama Rant From Major Black Activists
Black Agenda Report Says President Obama Is Not The “Lesser” Evil, He Is The Most “Effective Evil”!
Click here to read entire Report.
Here’s a sample of this brilliant analysis:
Why Barack Obama is the More Effective Evil
Glen Ford at the Left Forum
BAR executive editor Glen Ford made the following presentation at the Left Forum, Pace University, New York City, March 17. On the panel were Gloria Mattera, Margaret Kimberley (BAR), Suren Moodliar, John Nichols, and Victor Wallis. The discussion was titled, The 2012 Elections: Lesser Evil or Left Alternative?
“He has put both Wall Street and U.S. imperial power on new and more aggressive tracks – just as he hired himself out to do.”
Power to the people!
Let me say from the very beginning that we at Black Agenda Report do not think that Barack Obama is the Lesser Evil. He is the more Effective Evil.
He has been more effective in Evil-Doing than Bush in terms of protecting the citadels of corporate power, and advancing the imperial agenda. He has put both Wall Street and U.S. imperial power on new and more aggressive tracks – just as he hired himself out to do.
That was always Wall Street’s expectation of Obama, and his promise to them. That’s why they gave him far more money in 2008 than they gave John McCain. They were buying Obama futures on the electoral political market – and they made out like bandits.
They invested in Obama to protect them from harm, as a hedge against the risk of systemic disaster caused by their own predations. And, it was a good bet, a good deal. It paid out in the tens of trillions of dollars.
If you believe that what Wall Street does is Evil, then Obama’s service to Wall Street is Evil, and there is nothing lesser about it.
They had vetted Obama, thoroughly, before he even set foot in the U.S. Senate in 2004.
He protected their interests, there, helping shield corporations from class action suits, and voting against caps on credit card Interest. He was their guy back then – and some of us were saying so, back then.
He was the bankers’ guy in the Democratic presidential primary race. Among the last three standing in 2008, it was Obama who opposed any moratorium on home foreclosures. John Edwards supported a mandatory moratorium and Hillary Clinton said she wanted a voluntary halt to foreclosures. But Barack Obama opposed any moratorium. Let it run its course, said candidate Obama. And, true to his word, he has let the foreclosures run their catastrophic course.
Only a few months later, when the crunch came and Finance Capital was in meltdown, who rescued Wall Street? Not George Bush. Bush tried, but he was spent, discredited, ineffective. Not John McCain. He was in a coma, coming unglued, totally ineffective.
Bush’s bailout failed on a Monday. By Friday, Obama had convinced enough Democrats in opposition to roll over – and the bailout passed, setting the stage for a new dispensation between the American State and Wall Street, in which a permanent pipeline of tens of trillions of dollars would flow directly into Wall Street accounts, via the Federal Reserve.
And Obama had not even been elected yet.
“True to his word, he has let the foreclosures run their catastrophic course.”
Obama put Social Security and Medicaid and all Entitlements on the table, in mid-January. The Republicans had suffered resounding defeat. Nobody was pressuring Obama from the Right.
When the Right was on its ass, Obama stood up and spoke in their stead. There was no Evil Devil forcing him to put Entitlements on the chopping block. It was HIM. He was the Evil One – and it was not a Lesser Evil. It was a very Effective Evil, because the current Age of Austerity began on that day, in January, 2009.
And Obama had not even been sworn in as president, yet.
Who is the Effective Evil? I haven’t even gotten into his actual term as president, much less his expansion of the theaters of war, his unique assaults on International Law, and his massacre of Due Process of Law in the United States. But I want to pause right here, because piling up facts on Obama’s Most Effective Evils doesn’t seem to do any good if the prevailing conversation isn’t really about facts – but about intentions.
The prevailing assumption on the Left is that Obama has good intentions. He intends to the Right Thing – or, at least, he intends to do better than the Republicans intend to do. It’s all supposed to be about intentions. Let’s be clear: There is absolutely no factual basis to believe he intends to do anything other than the same thing he has already done, whether Democrats control Congress or not, which is to serve Wall Street’s most fundamental interests.
But, the whole idea of debating Obama’s intentions is ridiculous. It’s psycho-babble, not analysis. No real Left would engage in it.
I have no doubt that New Gingrich and Republicans in general have worse intentions for the future of my people – of Black people – than Michelle Obama’s husband does. But, that doesn’t matter. Black people are not going to roll over for whatever nightmarish Apocalypse the sick mind of Newt Gingrich would like to bring about. But, they have already rolled over for Obama’s economic Apocalypse in Black America. There was been very little resistance. Which is just another way of saying that Obama has successfully blunted any retribution by organized African America against the corporate powers that have devastated and destabilized Black America in ways that have little precedence in modern times.
“When the Right was on its ass, Obama stood up and spoke in their stead.”
Obama has protected these Wall Streeters from what should be the most righteous wrath of Black folks. To take a riff from Shakespeare’s Othello, “Obama has done Wall Street a great service, and they know it.” He has proven to be fantastically effective at serving the Supremely Evil. Don’t you dare call him the Lesser.
He is the More Effective Evil because Black Folks – historically, the most progressive cohort in the United States – and Liberals, and even lots of folks that call themselves Marxists, let him get away with murder! Yet, people still insist on calling him a Lesser Evil, while he drives a stake through Due Process of Law.
Will Court Blow Out Obama From White House?
Biden May Be President! Latest on Obama/Barry Sotero Birth Case
VERY QUIETLY OBAMA’S CITIZENSHIP CASE REACHES THE SUPREME COURT
AP – WASHINGTON D.C.
In a move certain to fuel the debate over Obama’s qualifications for the presidency, the group “Americans for Freedom of Information” has Released copies of President Obama’s college transcripts from Occidental College … Released today, the transcript school indicates that Obama, under the name Barry Soetoro, received financial aid as a foreign student from Indonesia as an undergraduate. The transcript was released by Occidental College in compliance with a court order in a suit brought by the group in the Superior Court of California. The transcript shows that Obama (Soetoro) applied for financial aid and was awarded a fellowship for foreign students from the Fulbright Foundation Scholarship program. To qualify, for the scholarship, a student must claim foreign citizenship.
This document would seem to provide the smoking gun that many of Obama’s detractors have been seeking. Along with the evidence that he was first born in Kenya and there is no record of him ever applying for US citizenship, this is looking pretty grim. The news has created a firestorm at the White House as the release casts increasing doubt about Obama’s legitimacy and qualification to serve as President article titled, “Obama Eligibility Questioned,” leading some to speculate that the story may overshadow economic issues on Obama’s first official visit to the U.K. In a related matter, under growing pressure from several groups, Justice Antonin Scalia announced that the Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to hear arguments concerning Obama’s legal eligibility to serve as President in a case brought by Leo Donofrio of New Jersey . This lawsuit claims Obama’s dual citizenship disqualified him from serving as president.. Donofrio’s case is just one of 18 suits brought by citizens demanding proof of Obama’s citizenship or qualification to serve as president.
Gary Kreep of the United States Justice Foundation has released the results of their investigation of Obama’s campaign spending. This study estimates that Obama has spent upwards of $950,000 in campaign funds in the past year with eleven law firms in 12 states for legal resources to block disclosure of any of his personal records. Mr. Kreep indicated that the investigation is still ongoing but that the final report will be provided to the U.S. Attorney general, Eric Holder. Mr. Holder has refused to comment on the matter.
LET OTHER FOLKS KNOW THIS NEWS, THE MEDIA WON’T!
Issue of Passport?
While I’ve little interest in getting in the middle of the Obama birth issue, Paul Hollrah over at FSM did so yesterday and believes the issue can be resolved by Obama answering one simple question: What passport did he use when he was shuttling between New York , Jakarta , and Karachi ?
So how did a young man who arrived in New York in early June 1981, without the price of a hotel room in his pocket, suddenly come up with the price of a round-the-world trip just a month later?
And once he was on a plane, shuttling between New York , Jakarta , and Karachi , what passport was he offering when he passed through Customs and Immigration?
The American people not only deserve to have answers to these questions, they must have answers. It makes the debate over Obama’s citizenship a rather short and simple one.
Q: Did he travel to Pakistan in 1981, at age 20?
A : Yes, by his own admission.
Q: What passport did he travel under?
A: There are only three possibilities.
1) He traveled with a U.S. … Passport,
2) He traveled with a British passport, or
3) He traveled with an Indonesia passport.
Q: Is it possible that Obama traveled with a U.S. Passport in 1981?
A: No. It is not possible. Pakistan was on the U.S. . State Department’s “no travel” list in 1981.
Conclusion: When Obama went to Pakistan in 1981 he was traveling either with a British passport or an Indonesian passport.
If he were traveling with a British passport that would provide proof that he was born in Kenya on August 4, 1961, not in Hawaii as he claims.. And if he were traveling with an Indonesian passport that would tend to prove that he relinquished whatever previous citizenship he held, British or American, prior to being adopted by his Indonesian step-father in 1967.
Whatever the truth of the matter, the American people need to know how he managed to become a “natural born” American citizen between 1981 and 2008.
Given the destructive nature of his plans for America, as illustrated by his speech before Congress and the disastrous spending plan he has presented to Congress, the sooner we learn the truth of all this, the better.
If you Don’t care that Your President is not a natural born Citizen and in Violation of the Constitution, then Delete this, and then lower your American Flag to half-staff, because the U.S. Constitution is already on life-support, and won’t survive much longer .
If you do care then share this to as many patriotic Americans as you can, because our country is being looted and ransacked!
R. Brady
Does Sexgate Mean “Hail To The New Chief” – President Biden?
Here’s something to consider: The unfolding “Sexgate” scandal could lead to the impeachment or resignation of President Obama, and the installation of a new President: Joe Biden. It could happen, although at this point it is only speculation. But as we have seen in the past in this country, arrogance, lying, bad behavior, and incompetence can cause a rapid change in public attitude.
Look at Nixon. A landslide victory if there ever was one. Then came Watergate. Lies, cover-ups, slush funds, cash hush money payoffs, and complete arrogance led to his resignation. At some point, even an adoring public, when told the truth, will turn on a politician. Why? Because of the obsessive – compulsive nature of the American people. It’s like a woman, maybe like your wife. She loves you to death. But if you betray her, cheat on her, humiliate her, watch out! Chances are she will dump your sorry ass into the street. And you will have deserved it, if you are that much of a moron. The “Sexgate” scandal is already showing signs of that. Married men and women cheating on each other. Lies to protect the President during an election. Lies and cover-ups about foreign policy disasters (Benghazi). Some Generals and high officials of giant corporations acting stupid and arrogant. What it is going to get down to is what Obama knew, participated in, and did in the various cover-ups, resignations and scandals. Sure, his army of minions will be out there trying to protect him. But it might not work.
Remember in California when we had the recall of Gov. Gray Davis? He went on television to defend himself, but it was obvious that the man was so arrogant and self-delusional that he just could not understand how angry the public was with him. And with his case, it was not even any personal misbehavior, it was mainly his handling of the electricity crises and his non-stop fund raising. The homeless people used to call him the best pan-handler in California. One jealous guy who had a begging spot at a freeway off ramp told me he wanted to be able to raise money like Gov. Gray Davis, he could work one or two days and then go to Hawaii for the rest of the year. Davis was astonished when he was recalled, and “Arnold”, the movie muscleman, took over.
Some advice to Joe Biden: stay in the shadows on this crazy Sexgate – Benghazi stuff. You might be the next President of the United States!
posted by: Ed Murray
“Sexgate” Scandal and the Secrets of Benghazi
U.S. Top Military Brass Under Siege as Corruption and Sex Scandals Roll Out
What are the consequences going to be from the unfolding scandals now rocking the U.S. military command structure? It is clear that morale and confidence are going to take a big hit. Consider a few points:
—General William E. Ward, U.S. Commander of AFRICOM was blasted by the Department of Defense Inspector General for numerous offenses, including “misconduct related to official and unofficial travel”, misused a Government vehicle by allowing his spouse to use a hardened vehicle”, “wasted Government resources”, and much more. Gen. Ward served with AFRICOM from its activation in October 2007 until his departure on March 9, 2011. His travel documents show that he took 79 trips from April 30, 2008 and March 9, 2011, for an astounding 389 days of Temporary Duty, including 273 days in the Continental U.S. The question here is: Who was minding the store? AFRICOM had just been created, with 54 countries under its area, when the revolutions and upheavals of the Arab Spring exploded on December 18, 2010. To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunesia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen; civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain and Syria; major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Sudan; and minor protests have occurred in Lebanon, Mauritania, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, and Western Sahara. Meanwhile Gen. Ward was traveling around with his wife, much of the time in D.C. having a great time. This is the background to the Benghazi attack which claimed the lives of four Americans. One would think that during this critical time in North Africa that there would have been plenty for Gen. Ward to attend to. Like at his command post.
—Gen. David Petraeus. No need to go into his military record here. Our new CIA director was embroiled in a steamy relationship with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. Were they an item while she was traveling with him in Afghanistan? The twisted story of the relationships and actions of the individuals who have been caught up in this scandal reads like a cheap porn-spy novel, and it gets stranger every day. He must also have had a lot of extra time on his hands while CIA Director, because he took the time to write a letter to the Judge supporting Natalie Khawam (Jill Kelley’s twin sister – you know, she’s the one who went to the FBI complaining about threatening emails from Paula Broadwell) who was involved in a bitter child custody fight. Here’s something weird: cops in D.C. say that a jogger found Paula Broadwell’s drivers license in Rock Creek Park! Huh? The things that turn up in Washington D.C. parks. Usually it’s dead bodies, like Chandra Levy, whose remains were found in the very same park in May of 2002. But all this stuff serves to obscure the big story that popped out just before the election: What happened at Benghazi? Did Petraeus cover something up for Obama? Did he agree to hold his resignation until after the election? It is more than interesting that two of the most powerful figures in America, Gen. Petraeus of the CIA, and Christopher Kubasik, CEO of Lockheed, the biggest defense contractor, resigned almost on the same day, both because of sex scandals. What are the odds of that? Don’t ask me, go to Vegas for that one.
—Gen John Allen. Now things really get weird. Gen. Allen took over in Afghanistan in July, 2011. He also turns out to be a “friend” of Jill Kelley. Wow! Jill and Natalie sure had a lot of “friends” among the highest ranking Brass in the U.S. military forces. What the hell were they up to? Were these two twin sisters (both from Lebanon) running some kind of a dating service to introduce middle eastern women to American military officers? Jill Kelley and Gen. Allen were exchanging 20-30,000 emails? Are you kidding me? Who’s running the war? To send that volume of stuff, the guy must be tweeting her while he’s shaving, in conferences, while planning attacks, pushing buttons to launch drones, talking to the President, tweeting every second of the day like some drooling punk at Starbucks. It’s unimaginable, but the men-folk want to know how he does it. Forget about having one girl friend, a guy with those skills could be running 100 chicks at one time. Thumbs, do your stuff!
I know, I know, I’ve gone over the cliff on this one. But consider this: Jill Kelley is some kind of special State Department Liaison to the Joint Special Operations Command. The very same group that worked with the CIA and the Pentagon to investigate the attack on the Benghazi Compound. Say what? Was Jill in on that investigation? What does she know about Benghazi, and when did she know it? Is she some kind of spook? A mole for some Middle Eastern country? She has run up supposedly tens of thousands of dollars in debt to throw all those parties down at her mansion in Florida. Some press accounts say she has had two properties foreclosed and has boo-ku credit card debt. One account said the Kelley’s debt was in the million dollar range, or more. What a bunch of party animals.
And then there’s the whole mystery of the emails from Paula Broadwell. Threatening her to “stay away from my man” type of emails, sent anonymously of course. So Jill goes to one of her “friends”, this time a powerful FBI man, Frederick Humphries. He has a strong background in the national security state, involved in big anti-terrorism stuff, like the so-called “Millennium Plot” to blow up LAX, the international airport in Los Angeles. Jill talks Humphries into tracing the anonymous emails to find out who is “threatening” her. He gets the cyber squad and tracks the emails back to Paula Broadwell and then finds out about Gen. Petraeus. Stop right here for a moment for a pause of sanity. Take a deep breath. Now believe me, if you call the FBI and say that you are getting some threatening emails about a personal relationship you are having, and you want them to check it out for you, guess what the FBI is going to do? They are going to hang up on you. They don’t care about your personal problems, they have other things to do. And they will tell you not to call back and bother them again. But Jill is connected. One phone call, baby, and the wheels start turning.
So FBI man Humphries finds out about Petraeus. He reports it, but not much happens. The election is coming. So in October he allegedly decides to move things forward himself. He goes to the Romney campaign, to a contact he had when he was in Washington State, Congressman Dave Reichert. What happens next is scary. Reichert sends Humphries to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who turns the matter over to FBI Director Robert Mueller! Humphries is screwed. He’s not just thrown under the bus by the Republicans, but he’s flattened by a 100 ton bulldozer. The October Surprise is safe, the Benghazi secrets are safe, the Petraeus resignation is safe, Obama is safe….. until after the election. And what happened to Humphries? No one in the outside world knows. The FBI says they are “reviewing” his conduct, he has been re-assigned. Yeah, like to Guantanamo.
Is the Nation now governed by an army of Narcissistic Leaders? The Harvard Business Review just published a piece by Jeffrey Pfeffer. He says that a lot of the men leading the country and the business world are characterized by traits of dominance, self-confidence, a sense of entitlement, grandiosity and low empathy. They are narcissistic, self-absorbed power freaks. Is this country doomed to be run by these types? Are we headed back to the good old days of Feudalism, the days of powerful rulers and sorry serfs? Some claim that even Obama is in that camp. It’s a good bet that in the following weeks we are going to see and hear a lot more about “Sexgate” and the travails of the rich, the famous, and the once-powerful. Walking down the road to our new Capitol, Narcissism City, one can’t help thinking about the troops, the boots on the ground, the pilots, the sailors. One guy on a blog commented about Gen. Ward. He said if an enlisted man had done what the General did, he would be in jail forever. What about the other generals? Is this show going to end soon? The troops have to be thinking hard right now. I’m risking my butt out here for this? For our leadership to be cavorting around in this fashion? Time to dump out the rot and get back to business. Narcissism belongs in Hollywood, not on the battlefield.
Posted by Robert S. Newport, Jr.
bob.newport@aol.com
“SEXGATE” – Time Line
“SEXGATE” Time Line
Are CIA -Army Sex Scandals Linked to Contract Fraud and
Ensuing Corporate Sex Scandals?
Here is the Time Line Ver. 1.0
Suzannah B. Troy, a New York community activist and blogger (http://suzannahbtroy.blogspot.com) thinks that there is a connection between all these military – CIA sex scandals, corporate sex scandals, and massive contractor fraud and bidding over-runs. We tracked down her comments and put things in a time-line of sorts so that researchers and investigators can easily start looking to see if there is any connection between all these events. This will be updated as the scandal widens.
2005: Hewlitt-Packard awarded a contract on New York’s 911 Unified Call Center. The project was estimated to cost $1.3 billion dollars and be completed by 2007.
August 6, 2010: Hewlitt-Packard CEO and President Mark Hurd resigns after a sexual harassment blow up involving former reality TV actress Jodie Fisher. Hurd received $12.2 million in severance, plus stock options estimated to be $34.6 million.
March 14, 2012: N.Y. Times (http://www.NYTimes.com) article reports that the CityTime project in New York, which was to modernize the payroll system, was plagued by widespread fraud. The project started out at $73 million and ballooned to nearly $700 million. Under an agreement that lets them off the hook for Federal prosecution, SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) agreed to reimburse the City of New York a whopping 80% of the money it spent on the project; with penalties it is $500 million in restitution.
May 31, 2012: Spectrum (http://spectrum.ieee.org) reports that N.Y. City Comptroller John Liu stated that Hewlett-Packard, the initial prime contractor on the city’s 911 Unified Call System had committed potential fraud and had over-billed as much as $163 million. The project started out in 2005, estimated cost $1.3 billion and completion in 2007. Now they say cost is $2.3 billion and completion date in 2015. Question: How many lives would have been saved during the recent hurricane Sandy if the call system had been in operation as it should have been?
June 25, 2012: Federal News Radio (http://www.federalnewsradio.com) reports that SAIC had filed a protest with the GAO (Government Accountability Office) saying that they should have gotten the $4.6 billion dollar bid on a contract to continue work on the Global Information Grid, a project for the Defense Information Systems Agency. SAIC was bidding against Lockheed for this project. Possibly the fraud charges in New York had something to do with the Defense Department awarding the contract to Lockheed instead of SAIC.
August 30, 2012: N.Y. Times (http://www.NYTimes.com) reports that SAIC planned to divide itself into 2 separate publicly traded companies. One company will be their government services, and the other company will be for national security technology, health and engineering.
October 2, 2012: Federal News Radio reported that the GAO denied the protest filed by SAIC and the contract with Lockheed stays in place
October 3, 2012: Lockheed News (http://www.lockheedmartin.com) reports that it has received a $4.6 billion dollar Defense Information Systems Agency Contract. This beat out the bid from SAIC, which had run the program since 2001.
November 6, 2012: N.Y. Post (http://nypost.com) says that the N.Y. 911 Unified Call System is a 2 Billion dollar fiasco
November 6, 2012: CIA General David Petraeus resigns over a sex scandal, having an adulterous affair with a married woman who wrote his biography. Did Gen. Petraeus have anything to do with the DISA’s Global Information Grid?
November 12, 2012: BizJournal (http://www.bizjournals.com) reports Lockheed CEO Christopher Kubasik, who was to become Lockheed Martin Corp.’s CEO in January 2013, resigned after an investigation found he had a personal relationship with a subordinate. In plain English, sex scandal. He will receive $3.5 million in separation payments.
Posted by Uncle Paulie
Government
What are those jerks in Washington D.C. doing now? Taking away more of our liberties, our freedom? Voting themselves more money? Giving the banksters more money? They are scum. Rant, rant, rant……