Thursday, February 02, 2012

Schumer, a king of Democratic fund-raising, says Wall Street is now giving him 'very little' money

schumer-king-democratic-fund-raising-says-wall-street-now-giving-hi

Chuck Schumer, with Kirsten Gillibrand. Azi Paybarah, via flickr


10:45 am Feb. 2, 2012

Appearing on "Morning Joe" today for what was supposed to have been an attack on super PACs, Senator Charles Schumer found himself defending his own contributions from Wall Street, saying it wasn't fair to compare his fund-raising to the new unregulated system, and that the financial-services sector isn't giving him much these days anyway.

Host Joe Scarborough said that "everybody I know...laughed" yesterday, when Schumer convened a press conference to announce that he would hold hearings on super PACs as chairman of the Rules Committee.

Scarborough praised Schumer for being able to "shake money out of the pants of Wall Street guys," but wondered if he was "really the best person to come forward and decry the powerful interests of corporate money."

"Number one, it's not corporate money, that can't be given to an individual," Schumer said. "Second, and most importantly, it's disclosed and disclosed immediately and there are limited amounts: $5,000 per individual.

"This is not millions of dollars, anonymously given, and running huge kinds of negative ads. When you have a small number of very wealthy people able to control the process, as they have been, anonymously, it's corrosive to democracy."

One of the problems facing Democrats who argued against the new rules is that they've been using super PACs too. Mika Brezinzski asked if Majority Leader Harry Reid should revoke the email he sent soliciting donations for the Senate Democrats' own super PAC (called simply "Majority PAC").

"Look, the vast majority of this is, when you look at the numbers, on the Republican side, because they have most of the wealthy wealthy donors," Schumer replied.

"No we don't!" interrupted Scarborough, who served as a Republican congressman from Florida in the 1990s. "No we don't! You've got all the rich guys on Wall Street who have supported Democrats for years, senator!"

"No, no, look at where Wall Street is giving," Schumer said. "They're giving overwhelmingly to Republicans now because people like myself have passed the Dodd-Frank Bill which they don't like."

Scarborough wasn't buying it.

"So they're not giving you money anymore?" he asked.

"No. Very little, frankly," Schumer said.

"To you?"

"To me," Schumer said. "That's correct. Because they didn't like the Dodd-Frank Bill, which I think is balanced reform and fair reform. And they don't like the idea of saying millionaires should pay a 30 percent tax."

According to Open Secrets, the securities and investments industry has, as Schumer says, preferred Republicans so far this cycle, giving $14.6 million to Republicans and $9.5 million to Democrats. But in the Senate, Democrats have received $3.5 million to Republicans' $2.4 million.

Whether Schumer's own fund-raising has slowed down is difficult to judge, since he was re-elected over token opposition in November of 2010, just four months after Dodd-Frank passed the Senate, and hasn't bothered to start raising in earnest for his next election in 2016.

But he vastly outraised his colleagues leading up to 2010, collecting $2.7 million from the securities and investment industry, or about twice as much as the next closest candidate, who happened to be New York's junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand.

If Wall Street is unhappy with the Dodd-Frank vote, they're not taking it out on Gillibrand, who is up for re-election again in 2012, and also voted for the bill. She leads all 2012 candidates in Wall Street contributions, nearly doubling the second-place candidate, Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, who also supported Dodd-Frank.

Schumer said he didn't want to make it a partisan issue and that the "evil" effects of super PACs went "way beyond Wall Street."

After about eight minutes, he finally got to his talking points, saying Democrats won't "unilaterally disarm," but they will make campaign finance reform a "major issue" in the next six months.

"We're going to have hearings on the super PACs," he said. "We're going to ask the leaders of the super PACs and the contributors to come before us and ask why they don't want to be for disclosure and why they don't want to reveal what they're doing. And you will see that this will become a major issue in the campaigns and in the 2012 election."



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Wheat Meat, It’s What’s For Dinner

Tess Pennington Ready Nutrition January 2012

We all must prepare for the likelihood of running out of our regular protein sources in an extended emergency. From a dietary standpoint, exploring high protein meat alternatives to incorporate in your emergency preps would be a proactive step in maintaining your caloric and nutritional intake during an emergency.

Wheat meat, also known as wheat gluten and also Seitan is listed as a principal source of protein along with eggs, milk, cheese, lean meat, fish, soybeans, peanuts and vegetables. From a nutritional perspective, wheat meat has 378 calories, 41.4 grams of protein, 1.9 grams of fat, thus making it a viable option for dinner. Wheat meat is made from the protein that the wheat produces, and it is easier to digest compared to real meats. The best part of wheat meat, is it really has no definite taste and can easily be seasoned to take on the flavor of the meat you are trying to substitute it for.

Basic Wheat Meat Recipes Made From Whole Wheat

Stirring Technique:

  • 12 c. whole wheat flour
  • 7 c. water (or enough to moisten all the flour

Directions:

You’re basically kneading the dough like you would bread and for the same reasons – to activate the gluten. This is nice to know because if the power is out, you can still make gluten. Set this mixture aside for 20 minutes. If longer, refrigerate.

Kneading Technique:

Add two parts flour to one part water in a bowl (i.e. 12 cups flour to 6 cups cool water. Mix with kneading arm. The consistency should be like bread dough and pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it does not, add more four. Mix 5-10 minutes. Now it is ready for the rinsing process.

(This step will separate the gluten from the other products in the wheat flour which has been stirred or kneaded).

Standard Method:

Add water to bowl of rested dough (use enough to cover the dough). Work and squeeze with your hands to loosen the dough (About 10 seconds). When the water takes on a milky appearance and you see specks of bran, pour this water off into another bowl if you want to save the bran and starch (as it contains vitamins, mineral-rich starch, bran and wheat germ). Over a sink, place this dough in a colander (plastic is best). Under a tap of slowly running lukewarm water, work and squeeze the dough with your hands until the gluten starts to hold together and the liquid coming from the dough is clear. It is not necessary to rinse out all of the bran from the gluten. In about 3 minutes or longer, you should have a ball of elastic-like dough. This is the raw gluten. At this point, you can begin to shape the wheat meat into the desired form. Get creative with this meat alternative. The meat lover in you can still enjoy ribs, meatballs, steak, corned beef and ground beef–made even if you’ve run out of meat.

In “The Amazing Wheat Book” by LeArta Moulton, there are some helpful tips to remember when making wheat meat:

  • Once a small amount of gluten starts holding together, you will find that the rest of the gluten clings to it, so as quickly as possible get a small ball of gluten started. You may want to work a small amount in your hands to get this started.
  • How soon gluten cells start holding together is determined by the protein quality of the wheat flour used, or how often the clean water is allowed to run through the dough.
  • The dough becomes slightly stringy and falls apart easily just before it starts holding, so don’t give up too soon. Don’t throw it away, try again! Add more flour to the mixture and let it rest again, only longer – 1 to 4 hours, or even overnight in the refrigerator.
  • If you want tighter texture for chicken, pepperoni & bologna type slices, form it into a roll in a cheesecloth, or you can simmer to make thin strips for stir-fry, strogonoff, jerky, etc., using pizza cutter or knife.

Using Gluten Flour:

A kind reader of this website, mentioned that she uses high gluten flour, this flour does not require washing of the dough and saves time. In a situation of preparedness, we must remember we do not want to waste our water, so even though the flour is higher priced, it is well worth it. When using the high gluten flour, you add the water (or broth) to the flour and seasonings, and then boil it. It doubles in size, so it is very deceiving.

Once the wheat meat is formed, now it’s time to cook it. Some of the simpler ways to cook wheat meat are explained below:

Boiling – This is the easiest way to cook wheat meat is to drop shaped dough into flavored boiling broth (equal amt. of broth & raw gluten. Simmer till liquid is gone (@ 30 min.)

Dehydrator – Make jerky or dehydrated wheat meat by drying in the dehydrator.

Baking - Put wheat meat on a sprayed cookie sheet 350′ oven & bake until pieces appear dry on top, then turn & bake until texture is chewy.

Meatball or Burger Recipe

  • 2 c. ground gluten
  • 3 tbl. finely minced onion or 1 tbl. dry onion
  • 1 tbl. sausage seasoning, chicken seasoning, or seasoning of your choice
  • 2 tbl. flour
  • 1-2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tbl. oil (preferably olive oil)
  • salt and pepper to taste

*To make Oriental Style Meatballs

Add the above ingredients along with:

  • 1 tbl. green pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tbl. soy sauce
  • 1tbl. sesame seeds
  • 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and form into balls or desired shape. Bake at 350 degree F on a cookie sheet 20-30 minutes or until firm.

Veggie Burgers

  • 4 eggs
  • 3 tbl. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. sausage seasoning
  • 1 tsp. each of garlic and onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 c. potato or oatmeal flakes
  • 1/4 c. flour (whole grain or bean)

Add to:

  • 4 c. ground gluten
  • 1/2 c. grated vegetables (about 4 tbl. each of green and red bell pepper, celery, onion and carrots).

Note: could use dried vegetables, softened

Directions:

Spoon onto preheated, medium heat fry pan and brown on both sides or place formed patty on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until firm. Serve on bun with your favorite condiments. Makes 14 patties (1/4 c. each).

Savory Vegetarian Meatloaf

  • 1 c. raw potato, grated
  • 1/2 c. grated onion
  • 1 c. celery, chopped
  • 1/2 c. rolled oats
  • 1/3 c. oil
  • 3 c. ground gluten
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp. crumbled sage
  • 1 tsp. meatloaf seasoning
  • 1 tsp. soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. celery salt
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Mix all above and place in oiled baking dish. Bake at 375 for 1 hour. Slice and serve with sweet and sour sauce or gravy.

This article was based on the information provided in The Amazing Wheat Book by LeArta Moulton.

To purchase a cookbook about Wheat Meat or Seitan, consider Cooking With Seitan by Barbara Jacobs

Also, a special thanks to some of my readers and friends on Facebook for their contribution to this article.


Author: Tess Pennington
Web Site: http://www.ReadyNutrition.com/

Date: January 16th, 2012


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The Message Given by the Lord



“Out of the cities; out of the cities!”—this is the message the Lord has been giving me. The earthquakes will come; the floods will come; and we are not to establish ourselves in the wicked cities, where the enemy is served in every way, and where God is so often forgotten. The Lord desires that we shall have clear spiritual eyesight. We must be quick to discern the peril that would attend the establishment of institutions in these wicked cities. We must make wise plans to warn the cities, and at the same time live where we can shield our children and ourselves from the contaminating and demoralizing influences so prevalent in these places.—Life Sketches, 409, 410 (1906).

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Read Between the Lines: Hollywood Mogul Buys 2,600 Acres of Farmland; Moving to New Zealand


Mac Slavo February 1st, 2012 SHTFplan.com


James Cameron, the Hollywood producer responsible for blockbuster films like Terminator, Titanic and Avatar, is reportedly preparing to exit stage left. While the move for the Canadian born Cameron may initially be perceived as a rejection or denouncement of American policies and ideals, Cameron, who has made campaign donations to the Democrat Party in the past, most notably during the 2004 Presidential election where he supported democrat John Kerry, may have ulterior motivations, as evidenced by where he’s planning on moving and what he’s planning on doing once he gets there.

From time to time we get a glimpse into the goings on of the well connected. This may be one of those moments:

Cameron has successfully applied to buy 1,067 hectares (2,636 acres) of farmland in New Zealand. In an application filed with the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office, Cameron says he and his family “intend to reside indefinitely in New Zealand and are acquiring the property to reside on and operate as a working farm.”

Source: Associated Press, via Matt Drudge

As we’ve outlined before, farmland is one of the only reasonable physical assets to hold in the event of a major crisis, as you’ll be outside of highly populated metropolitan areas, you’ll have the ability to produce your own food, generate your own energy, and, more so than your urbanite and suburbanite counterparts, stay away from the chaos that will ensue during a major upheaval.

Liberty Media CEO James Malone, like director James Cameron, has also taken refuge outside of major cities at his ranch on the Quebec border, giving him and his family an immediate international bug out plan in the event of an emergency. Another sign from the elite is that large net worth individuals and investment managers are buying up and taking physical delivery of precious metals, which in our humble opinion, is a leading indicator that large in-the-know investors are preparing for a loss of confidence in the stability of the global economic, monetary, financial and/or political systems.

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett recently warned that Those Who Can, Should Move Their Families Out Of the City, and insiders are worried about game changing riots stemming from the Occupy movement.

The theory that elite members of society know something is amiss is further strengthened by comments such as those of financier George Soros who publicly declared in a recent interview with Newsweek that he expects violent riots on the streets of America in coming months and years.

Furthermore, we have federal agencies and local police departments actively training for urban conflict, and the Pentagon has been war gaming scenarios that include large scale economic breakdown and civil unrest.

The stories reported over the last several years point to a growing consensus among elite business leaders, politicians, and military generals that we’re headed into a situation that is wholly unpredictable. They know the system is on the brink, have said so repeatedly, and are actively taking steps to manage a crisis should it ever come to that.

Short of the mainstream media coming out and broadcasting to the American people that the system is about to destabilize and to expect nothing short of total meltdown and pandemonium, reading between the lines and watching the actions of those who are interconnected with the money and power structures on which the system is built will be our only warning signal for the difficult times we face in the near future.

The message is loud and clear. Are you listening?


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Under the Jackboot of an American Secretary General, INTERPOL Now Tracking Dissidents


February 1, 2012

Welcome to the new INTERPOL – the International Criminal Police Organization — a carbon copy of the INTERPOL that was briefly headquartered in Berlin under the Nazi regime. Today, INTERPOL, an international law enforcement agency composed of 190 members nations, INTERPOL, headquartered in Lyon, France, is under the control of Secretary General Ron K. Noble, a former Undersecretary for Enforcement of the U.S. Treasury Department. Under Noble, INTERPOL is tracking political dissidents while leaving gangsters and other criminals, especially those wanted by Russia, remain at large.

Noble was the head of the Treasury Department’s “Waco Administrative Review Team,” which covered up the actions of his Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms in their siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. That siege resulted in the deaths of 84 members of the separatist Seventh Day Adventist sect, including their leader David Koresh, and four of Noble’s BATF agents in a deadly shootout that was followed by the burning down of the sect’s compound.

In 2000, Noble was elected the first American Secretary General of INTERPOL. He is now in his third term. Perhaps it was fitting that Noble was re-elected INTERPOL Secretary General in 2005 at the INTERPOL General Assembly in Berlin. In 1942, INTERPOL headquarters were moved from Vienna to Berlin. From 1938, following the Austrian union with Nazi Germany, INTERPOL’s Secretaries General included four German SS generals: Otto Stenhausl, Gestapo and Sicherheitsdienst (SD) Security Service chief Reinhard Heydrich – assassinated in a Prague suburb by Czechoslovak agents in 1942, Arthur Nebe – head of the KRIPO criminal police and executed for his part to assassinated Adolf Hitler in 1944, and Ernst Kaltenbrunner – executed for war crimes after the Nuremburg trials.

During INTERPOL’s control by Nazi generals, the international law enforcement organization became a virtual arm of Nazi German intelligence. Today, the so-called international law enforcement organization is a subsidiary of not only American intelligence, but the intelligence and security services of its dictatorial member states.

Noble, an African-American, who, like his friend and fellow African-American, Attorney General Eric Holder, makes no effort to hide his reverence for police state tactics in the United States and abroad, has embarked on a tolerance for INTERPOL member states issuing arrest warrants for political dissidents. Noble, who is the son of an African-American father and a white German mother, represents a new cadre of police state-oriented mulatto U.S. leaders. This tendency among a new generation of African-American political leaders can also seen with Barack Obama, the son of a black African father and white American mother and Holder, the off-spring of light-skinned Barbadian parents hailing from a gentry descendant from wealthy sugar cane plantation owners and their slave hands. Noble has been mentioned as a strong candidate to replace Robert Mueller as the director of the FBI, thus continuing the grooming of “pass-for-white” security state promoters and defenders into positions of authority.

On December1, 2011, INTERPOL issued a Red Notice arrest warrant for West Papua independence leader Benny Wenda, the Oxford-educated leader of the Free West Papua who is now a citizen of the United Kingdom. Wenda heads the Free West Papua Campaign and lives in exile with his family in the United Kingdom. Wenda is fighting for the independence of his homeland from Indonesia, which annexed the former Dutch New Guinea after a dubious 1969 plebiscite organized by the United Nations. The Free Papua Movement (OPM), which Indonesia charges Wenda supports, has waged a campaign against Indonesian security forces, some of whom are in West Papua to protect the activities of the U.S. mining company Freeport McMoran, a company on whose board former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has served upon. West Papuan activists charge that Freeport McMoran has achieved a concordat with the Indonesian government to suppress the activities of the OPM and its allies, in order to protect the firm’s mining interests in the territory.

President Barack Obama’s Indonesian step-father, Lolo Soetoro, was in charge of an Indonesian army unit assigned to put down the rebellion in West Papua. In the late 1960s, Soetoro was assigned to a unit preventing West Papuans from receiving support from their Papuan comrades in Papua New Guinea, then an Australian colony.

Noble, by issuing the Red Notice, is essentially requiring the UK and any other nation where Wenda visits to arrest the activist with the provision that he be extradited to face trial in Indonesia where he is considered an “enemy of the state.” The Wenda case is not the only one in which Noble and his staff, which includes senior counsel Yoran Gottlieb appears more interested in protecting Israeli leaders wanted for war crimes and Russian Jewish oligarchs on the lam from Russian authorities than in applying the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights pursuant to Article 2 of INTERPOL’s constitution.

INTERPOL enjoys diplomatic immunity and extraterritorial rights in France and INTERPOL’s activities, including the amassing of huge data bases on people around the world, are exempt from French laws like the 1978 act governing the protection and use of personal data. Pursuant to a December 17, 2009, executive order issued by President Obama, INTERPOL was granted increased immunity when operating within the borders of the United States, including protection from law suits by American citizens and residents, including political refugees and asylum seekers, affected by INTERPOL’s arrest and surveillance orders.

U.S. citizens are barred from accessing files maintained on them by INTERPOL since subpoenas, Freedom of Information and Privacy Act requests, or even legal search warrants do not apply to the organization, thanks to Obama’s executive order.

The result of Obama’s executive order providing INTERPOL with such immunity is that INTERPOL agents operating in the United States, including FBI agents seconded to INTERPOL, enjoy virtual diplomatic immunity and operate above U.S. law. Current Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich pointed out the danger to American citizens arising from Obama’s executive order in asking, “Why would the President of the United States give that kind of extralegal protection to an international police force?”

The United States has routinely arrested individuals based on flimsy Red Notices issued by foreign dictatorships, most of which are clients of the United States. In the United States INTERPOL is represented by a National Central Bureau (NCB), which is operated by the FBI. The NCB has routinely ignored the political nature of INTERPOL Red Notices and Blue Notices – requests to closely track and conduct covert surveillance on wanted individuals – to arrest and deport Rwandan opposition political leaders arbitrarily fingered as “genocidists” by Rwandan dictator and U.S. ally Paul Kagame. On the other hand, Russian Red Notices for Russian-Israeli oligarchs like Leonid Nevzlin, wanted for murder by the Prosecutor General for Russia, go unheeded by Washington, which has granted Nevzlin a visa to travel between the United States and Israel at his convenience. The United States has also ignored INTERPOL Red Notices for the arrest of associates of the jailed Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky. As with Nevzlin, the two wanted ex-Yukos oil and gas company businessmen, Mikhail Brudno, a resident of Israel and Lithuania, and Vladimir Dubov, who also lives in Israel, have been issued visas to travel to and from the United States at their leisure. INTERPOL fugitive and exiled Russian-Israeli tycoon Boris Berezovsky has also managed to avoid arrest thanks to protection from the United Kingdom and Israel.

It is more than apparent that Noble and Gottlieb sit in the massive INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon to protect the interests of members of the “club,” including the United States, Israel, Indonesia, Rwanda, China, Bahrain, Sweden, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. Usually, political dissidents are subject to Red Notice arrest warrants on trumped up charges that they have committed fraud or are engaged in money laundering. In some cases, businessmen and politicians are subject to a Red Notice for failing to pay a bribe to corrupt police officials to avoid a Red Notice.

The bottom line in dealing with Noble’s INTERPOL is if you are a political dissident like Benny Wenda wanted for seeking independence for your people, you face arrest. However, if you are a Russian-Israeli oligarch who has looted the Soviet and Russian Treasuries of billions of rubles, you are home free. Noble has certainly earned his points with the elites who run the planet.

There is no reason for an American, with his open and hidden agendas, to serve as Secretary General of INTERPOL. In his State of the Union address, President Obama declared that those who believed American is in decline “don’t know what they’re talking about.” To the contrary, Obama doesn’t know what he’s talking about. America is in decline as a superpower and it is high time that Americans no longer be granted automatic lordship over such institutions as the World Bank, INTERPOL, and the military command of NATO. In fact, all three institutions can do the proper thing and dissolve themselves or be prepared to be dissolved.


Source


The EyeOpener- Exposing ‘In-Q –Tel’: The CIA’s Own Venture Capital Firm


Wednesday, 5. October 2011


Google, Facebook, the IT Sector and the CIA

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IQTIn-Q-Tel was formed by the CIA in 1999 as a private, not-for-profit venture capital firm with the specific task of delivering technology to America’s intelligence community. Publicly, In-Q-Tel markets itself as an innovative way to leverage the power of the private sector by identifying key emerging technologies and providing companies with the funding to bring those technologies to market. In reality, however, what In-Q-Tel represents is a dangerous blurring of the lines between the public and private sectors in a way that makes it difficult to tell where the American intelligence community ends and the IT sector begins.

In-Q-Tel has generated a number of stories since its inception based on what can only be described as the “creepiness” factor of its investments in overtly Orwellian technologies.

This is our EyeOpener Report by James Corbett presenting documented facts and cases on the CIA’s privately owned venture capital firm In-Q-Tel, in which well-connected board members drawn from the private sector profit from the investments made with CIA funds that come from the taxpayer.

*The Transcript for this video is now available at Corbett Report: Click Here




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Meet In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s Venture Capital Firm (Preview)

9 Oct 2011
Posted by Corbett



CLICK HERE to watch the full report on Boiling Frogs Post.

TRANSCRIPT AND SOURCES:

Gainspan Corporation manufactures low power Wi-Fi semiconductors that form the heart of modern remote sensing, monitoring and control technologies.

Recorded Future Inc. is a Massachusetts web startup that monitors the web in real time and claims its media analytics search engine can be used to predict the future.

Keyhole Corp. created the 3D earth visualization technology that became the core of Google Earth.

The common denominator? All of these companies, and hundreds more cutting edge technology and software startups, have received seed money and investment funding from In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s own venture capital firm.

Welcome, this is James Corbett of The Corbett Report with your Eyeopener Report for BoilingFrogsPost.com

For decades, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has been the American governmental body tasked with conducting high-risk, high-payoff research into cutting edge science and technology. Responsible most famously for developing the world’s first operational packet switching network that eventually became the core of the Internet, DARPA tends to garner headlines these days for some of its more outlandish research proposals and is generally looked upon a a blue-sky research agency whose endeavours only occasionally bear fruit.

In the post-9/11 consolidation of the American intelligence community, IARPA, or the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency, was created to serve as the spymaster’s equivalent of DARPA’s defense research.

In contrast to this, In-Q-Tel was formed by the CIA in 1999 as a private, not-for-profit venture capital firm with the specific task of delivering technology to America’s intelligence community.

Publicly, In-Q-Tel markets itself as an innovative way to leverage the power of the private sector by identifying key emerging technologies and providing companies with the funding to bring those technologies to market.

In reality, however, what In-Q-Tel represents is a dangerous blurring of the lines between the public and private sectors in a way that makes it difficult to tell where the American intelligence community ends and the IT sector begins.

In-Q-Tel has generated a number of stories since its inception based on what can only be described as the “creepiness” factor of its investments in overtly Orwellian technologies.

In 2004, KMWorld published an interview with Greg Pepus, then In-Q-Tel’s senior director of federal and intelligence community strategy, about some of their investments. Pepus was especially proud of the CIA’s investment in Inxight, a company that offered software for data mining unstructured data sources like blogs and websites with analytical processing.

In 2006 it was revealed that AT&T had provided NSA eavesdroppers full access to its customer’s internet traffic, and that the American intelligence community was illegally scooping up reams of internet data wholesale. The data mining equipment installed in the NSA back door, a Narus STA 6400, was developed by a company whose partners were funded by In-Q-Tel.

Also in 2006, News21 reported on an In-Q-Tel investment in CallMiner, a company developing technology for turning recorded telephone conversations into searchable databases. In late 2005 it was revealed that the NSA had been engaged in an illegal warrantless wiretapping program since at least the time of the 9/11 attacks, monitoring the private domestic phone calls of American citizens in breach of their fourth amendment rights.

In 2009, the Telegraph reported on In-Q-Tel’s investment in Visible Technologies, a company specializing in software that monitors what people are saying on social media websites like YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and Amazon. The software is capable of real-time communications tracking, trend monitoring, and even sentiment analysis that categorizes blog posts and comments as positive, negative or neutral. Just last month, the Federal Reserve tendered a Request For Proposal for just this type of software so the privately owned central bank could monitor what people are saying about it online.

Two of the names that come up most often in connection with In-Q-Tel, however, need no introduction: Google and Facebook.

The publicly available record on the Facebook/In-Q-Tel connection is tenuous. Facebook received $12.7 million in venture capital from Accel, whose manager, James Breyer, now sits on their board. He was formerly the chairman of the National Venture Capital Association, whose board included Gilman Louie, then the CEO of In-Q-Tel. The connection is indirect, but the suggestion of CIA involvement with Facebook, however tangential, is disturbing in the light of Facebook’s history of violating the privacy of its users.

Google’s connection to In-Q-Tel is more straightforward, if officially denied. In 2006, ex-CIA officer Robert David Steele told Homeland Security Today that Google “has been taking money and direction for elements of the US Intelligence Community, including the Office of Research and Development at the Central Intelligence Agency, In-Q-Tel, and in all probability, both the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Army’s Intelligence and Security Command.” Later that year, a blogger claimed that an official Google spokesman had denied the claims, but no official press statement was released.

Steele’s accusation is not the only suggestion of American intelligence involvement with Google, however.

In 2005, In-Q-Tel sold over 5,000 shares of Google stock. The shares are widely presumed to have come from In-Q-Tel’s investment in Keyhole Inc., which was subsequently bought out by Google, but this is uncertain.

In 2010, it was announced that Google was working directly with the National Security Agency to secure its electronic assets.

Also in 2010, Wired reported that In-Q-Tel and Google had jointly provided venture capital funding to Recorded Future Inc., a temporal analytics search engine company that analyzes tens of thousands of web sources to predict trends and events.

But as potentially alarming as In-Q-Tel’s connections to internet giants like Facebook and Google are, and as disturbing as its interest in data mining technologies may be, the CIA’s venture capital arm is interested in more than just web traffic monitoring.

The In-Q-Tel website currently lists two “practice areas,” “Information and Communication Technologies” and “Physical and Biological Technologies.” The latter field consists of “capabilities of interest” such as “The on-site determination of individual human traits for IC purposes” and “Tracking and/or authentication of both individuals and objects.” In-Q-Tel also lists two areas that are “on its radar” when it comes to biotech: Nano-bio Convergence and Physiological Intelligence. Detailed breakdowns of each area explain that the intelligence community is interested in, amongst other things, self-assembling batteries, single molecule detectors, targeted drug delivery platforms, and sensors that can tell where a person has been and what substances he has been handling from “biomarkers” like trace compounds in the breath or samples of skin.

In the years since its formation, many have been led to speculate about In-Q-Tel and its investments, but what requires no speculation is an understanding that a privately owned venture capital firm, created by and for the CIA, in which well-connected board members drawn from the private sector can then profit from the investments made with CIA funds that itself come from the taxpayer represent an erosion of the barrier between the public and private spheres that should give even the most credulous pause for thought.

What does it mean that emerging technology companies are becoming wedded to the CIA as soon as their technology shows promise?

What can be the public benefit in fostering and encouraging technologies which can be deployed for spying on all internet users, including American citizens, in direct contravention of the CIA’s own prohibitions against operating domestically?

If new software and technology is being brought to market by companies with In-Q-Tel advisors on their boards, what faith can anyone purchasing American technologies have that their software and hardware is not designed with CIA backdoors to help the American intelligence community achieve its vision of “Total Information Awareness”?

Rather than scrutinizing each individual investment that In-Q-Tel makes, perhaps an institutional approach is required.

At this point, the American people have to ask themselves whether they want the CIA, an agency that has participated in the overthrow of foreign, democratically-elected governments, an agency that has implanted fake stories in the news media to justify American war interests, an agency that at this very moment is engaged in offensive drone strikes, killing suspected “insurgents” and civilians alike in numerous theaters around the world, should be entrusted with developing such close relationships with the IT sector, or whether In-Q-Tel should be scrapped for good.


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Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Slain border agent's family alleges lies over ATF gun program

It says then-U.S. Atty. Dennis Burke falsely told them guns found at the scene weren't part of the failed Operation Fast and Furious.

U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed in December 2010, allegedly by Mexican bandits carrying at least two AK-47 semiautomatic rifles that had been purchased in Arizona as part of the ATF's failed Fast and Furious program. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Associated Press / November 20, 2007)


By Richard A. Serrano, Washington Bureau

February 1, 2012, 8:50 p.m.



Reporting from Washington— The family of slain U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry charged Wednesday that the top federal prosecutor in Phoenix lied to them about the guns found at the crime scene in an attempt to hide the weapons' connection to the ATF's failed Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation.

Terry was killed in December 2010, allegedly by Mexican bandits carrying at least two AK-47 semiautomatic rifles that had been purchased in Arizona as part of Fast and Furious. The operation was intended to catch drug lords using illegal weapons, but the ATF immediately lost track of 1,700 firearms.

The Terry family alleged that then-U.S. Atty. Dennis K. Burke told them last March that the two weapons came from a store in Texas and were not part of Fast and Furious.

The family made their allegations in a "notice of claim" stating that they intend to sue the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Justice Department for $25 million. They called the gun-tracking operation "abominable, reckless, nonsensical."

Burke has resigned and has declined to discuss Fast and Furious. But the family's claim notice strongly suggests that the federal government initially sought to keep Fast and Furious under wraps and hoped it would not be linked to the slaying.

Fast and Furious, run by the ATF's Phoenix field office, allowed illegal gun purchases in Arizona in hopes of tracking the weapons to Mexican drug cartels. Capitol Hill became aware of the operation in January 2011 — the month after Terry's slaying — but the program did not become publicly known until early March.

"The Terry family had received lots of conflicting and confusing information about exactly how Brian came to be shot in the back and killed," the claim notice says. "None of it made any sense."

After a memorial service in Tucson in January 2011, the family met with Border Patrol, FBI and Justice Department officials in a hotel conference room. "But the officials gave them almost no information and wouldn't answer the family's questions," the notice says. Two family members walked out.

"The federal officials were obviously covering something up, and their actions only added to the family's grief," the notice says.

In March, Burke met with the family in Michigan, where they live. "But this meeting went even worse," the notice says. "Burke hemmed and hawed, bobbed and weaved, refused to give straight answers, and flat-out lied about what he knew about Brian's death and Operation Fast and Furious."

The notice quotes Burke as saying the fatal bullet would never be found, even though it had already been located during an autopsy. And he told them the AK-47s were "bought from a gun store in Texas and were not linked to Operation Fast and Furious."

In fact, the notice says, "Burke actually knew within hours of Brian's murder that they were purchased from a Phoenix gun shop under ATF surveillance the previous January" — a fact borne out by Burke's emails.

richard.serrano@latimes.com


Source

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A Flood Of Evil In The Last Days!

Volume XXXI Issue II February 2012
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

A Flood Of Evil In The Last Days!

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Revelation 12:12-17

"Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it."
Ezekiel 33:11-13


In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will focus on the flood of evil which has sprung forth from Satan in these last days. We now live in a time when our adversary, the devil, has unleashed a deluge of sin upon this world. While wicked men and women gobble up and absorb everything Satan has to offer them, we see the impact this sin has on their lives; and in doing so, we come to the realization that we do not want to participate in any of it. Although there are many seducing spirits now vying for your soul, we understand the importance of resisting the devil and his advances. In James 4:7 we read, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." As we progress through time, the world will grow increasingly wicked, and there will be many attempts to break down your resistance to the flood of evil engulfing the souls of mankind. However, I can tell you with all certainty that resistance is not futile.

Hands That Shed Innocent Blood!

In Proverbs 6:16-17 we find a list of seven sins that God hates. The third sin on this list is "hands that shed innocent blood." There is certainly no blood more innocent than that of an unborn child. Sadly, the United States of America not only allows, but condones the slaughter of over one million babies each and every year through abortion. A recent news report indicates that Planned Parenthood, which is the largest provider of abortions in the United States, received 487.4 million dollars in government funding from the period covering July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010. During this period, they murdered 329,455 babies. This treacherous organization receives tax dollars to help fund their operations despite the fact that they have over one billion dollars in assets. (1)

From 1973 through 2008, nearly 50 million babies were murdered in the United States. It is estimated that approximately one-third of all women in America will have had at least one abortion, considering the present rate. In 2007, the most recent year for which data is provided, the ratio in New York City was 737 abortions for every 1000 live births. Eighty-four percent of all abortions are performed on unmarried women, and the most common reasons given for seeking an abortion are that having a child would interfere with work or school and that a child is unaffordable. (2)

Shockingly, the Salvation Army, which is a conservative charity group traditionally known to be based on Christian values, has now softened its stance on abortion. In a statement issued on their website in November 2010, the Salvation Army International stated, "The Salvation Army believes that termination can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a fetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period. In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of termination as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy." (3) The statement on the Salvation Army International website has caused distress even amongst members of the organization itself. Jeff Stanger, the development director of the Indiana Division of the Salvation Army USA asserted, "That statement is not the Salvation Army USA's position on abortion." Major George Hood, the chief communications officer for the American branch of the Salvation Army, sent official correspondence to the international headquarters voicing his objections to the statement. (4)

Of all the sins so prevalent in the United States and much of the world, I believe abortion is the sin most detestable to God. There is nothing more brutal than robbing a tiny baby of life before the precious child even takes its first breath. The fact that women and their doctors can be so uncompassionate is just another indicator of how evil this world has become in the last days. There was a time when children were considered a blessing, but in this day and age, parents often consider their children to be burdens. Those who seek abortions not only rob their innocent children of life, they also rob themselves of a blessing. For as it is written in Psalm 127:3, "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

The Brainwashing Of America's Youth!

In recent years, homosexuality has made the transition from the closet to the mainstream. Many of America's favorite entertainers and celebrities are homosexual, and this lifestyle has been making inroads, even amongst those who claim to be Christians. Now a coalition of health and education groups have released a new set of guidelines that calls for the sexual education of children to begin as early as the second grade. According to the guidelines, children should be taught to properly identify the anatomy of a male or female in grade two. By the end of the fifth grade, the recommendations suggest that children should be taught about homosexuality. Cora Collette Breuner, a pediatrics professor at the University of Washington, lauded the new recommendations. "The data points that trying to cover this stuff when kids have already formulated their own opinions and biases by the time they're in middle and high school, it's too late," Breuner stated. (5) In other words, the consensus among those charged with educating young children advocate a thorough brainwashing and mental conditioning before their students have an opportunity to form opinions of their own.

Not only has homosexuality become accepted by society, but homosexuals are sometimes given preferential treatment. One such example is an article published by LiveScience in January 2012 entitled "Why Gay Parents May Be the Best Parents." The article cites a psychologist known as Abbie Goldberg, who makes the claim that homosexual parents "tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents." According to the article, over half of all homosexual men and 41 percent of all lesbians in the United States would like to adopt children. Sociologist Judith Stacy of New York University was quoted as saying she believes gay men "will be the best parents on average." (6) According to a 2007 report, there were 65,000 children living with adoptive gay parents between 2000 and 2002. (7) Although more current data was not cited, it seems likely that number has only increased since that time.

Witchcraft - Flaunted And On Display!

These days, witchcraft is often considered a silly little genre of harmless fantasy. Although pagans have been practicing their religion for thousands of years, few people, outside of those who are initiated into the various factions of the occult, actually take it seriously. Yet, as I mentioned in the December 2011 issue of the Last Trumpet, paganism is the fastest growing religion in the United States.

One city which has always been notorious for witchcraft is Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is home to the federally recognized temple of witchcraft known as the Cabot Kent Hermetic Temple. (8) The temple's founder, Laurie Cabot, was proclaimed "the official witch of Salem" in the 1970s by Michael Dukakis, who was governor of the state of Massachusetts at the time. (9) The people of Salem are very proud of their witchcraft. Their official police insignia features the image of a witch riding a broom with the words "the witch city" prominently displayed. (10) One of their public schools is known as the "Witchcraft Heights Elementary School," and they have a high school athletic team known as "The Witches." (11)

Here let it be noted that two witches from Salem, Massachusetts, held a séance on Friday the 13th of January 2012 in an attempt to help secure a win for the New England Patriots over the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs in the National Football League. "I'm going to raise the energy of the universe and send out all the good mojo," declared one of the witches. The chant performed at their altar of witchcraft was, "Tom Brady will see what he needs to see, be where he needs to be, and will take the Patriots to another victory." (12) Although casting such a spell sounds like complete foolishness to us, these witches believe in what they do. The Bible warns us in the book of Revelation that sorcery, which is a form of witchcraft, is one of the sins which will condemn people to hell. In Revelation 21:8 we read, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." This verse indicates that not only is witchcraft a serious sin, but also it is a sin that will persist until the end of time.

Rising Opposition To Christianity!

Despite the fact that a recent poll found that 92 percent of its respondents believe in God and 78 percent identify themselves as Christians in the United States (13), a spirit of opposition has risen up against Christianity in America. In New York City, a ban has been put in place to prevent Christian groups from renting public schools to use as locations for church gatherings. Even though the rental of such facilities brought in several million dollars each year, the Board of Education in New York City has decided to impose the ban in what they claim is an effort to protect the minds of "impressionable youth." (14) On January 12, 2012, about 200 people gathered to protest the ban outside a public school where Mayor Michael Bloomberg was giving his state of the city address. While kneeling in prayer in front of the school, the protestors were ordered to leave by the police. In total, forty-three people were arrested for their public prayers, which the authorities deemed to be disorderly conduct. (15)

In Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, city manager Michelle Williams has banned workers at City Hall from praying during work hours. "We have no problem with them praying; it's just they need to do it on their own time," Williams said. Ms. Williams also made the claim that her decision would be beneficial to the citizens of her community. "Ultimately, their tax dollars are spent to pay city employees' salary. I would think (citizens) would want them working while they are getting paid," stated Williams. (16)

In the state of New Jersey, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, which is operated by the United Methodist Church, was found to be in violation of New Jersey's nondiscrimination law after it refused to allow a civil-union ceremony for a lesbian couple to be performed at its facility. The same-sex couple filed a lawsuit after being turned down, and in January 2012, Judge Solomon Metzger ruled in their favor. "The respondent violated the [Law Against Discrimination] when it refused to conduct a civil-union ceremony for Ms. Bernstein and Ms. Paster," Judge Metzger wrote in his decision. (17)

Tightening The Leash On The American People!

Although debtors' prisons were technically abolished during the 1800s in the United States, more than a third of all states in America allow people who are unable to pay their debts to be jailed. Once a debtor becomes delinquent in loan payments, a creditor will often file a lawsuit against them. If a debtor then fails to appear at a court hearing or is unable or unwilling to make payments on the debt, an arrest warrant is then issued by the judge presiding over the case. The Wall Street Journal reports that at least 5,000 warrants of this nature have been issued since the beginning of 2010. (18)

In many cases, the debts that result in jail time are not even terribly significant. One such case involved a woman in Carbondale, Illinois, who spent five days in jail after she failed to a pay a $275 debt owed to a payday lender company. (19) In another case in the state of Illinois, a woman was arrested and jailed for failure to pay a $730 medical bill. (20) A man in Kansas City also faced jail time after he lost his job and was unable to make payments on some furniture he had purchased. (21)

In the state of Texas, many public schools are now actively patrolled by police officers throughout the course of the school day. Children are sometimes arrested for frivolous reasons. One such incident occurred after a twelve-year-old girl sprayed herself with perfume during class. Her teacher immediately chastised her saying, "Put that away; that's the most terrible smell I've ever smelled." The teacher then called the police who had been roaming the corridors of the school. The officers arrested the girl, charged her with a criminal misdemeanor, and ordered her to appear in court. (22) In the year 2010, police officers in Texas issued nearly 300,000 tickets to children as young as six years old. (23)

These days, the police might even get involved if you have overdue library books. Such was the case in Charlton, Massachusetts, where a police officer was dispatched to fetch books from a five-year-old girl who had failed to return them in a timely manner. "I thought it was way overboard. I closed my door, I looked at my daughter, and she started crying," the child's mother said. The officer who made the visit was not pleased with his assignment either. "Nobody wanted to, on this end to get involved in it. But the library contacted us, and the chief delegated, and apparently I was one of the low men on the totem pole," said Charlton Police Sergeant Dan Dowd. (24)

The erosion of personal freedom in the United States has become so undeniable that even the mainstream news media is starting to take notice. On January 13, 2012, the Washington Post published a story entitled "Ten Reasons the U.S. Is No Longer the Land of the Free." The article explains how the President of the United States and federal government agencies now have the authority to assassinate American citizens if they are deemed to be terrorists. Other abuses mentioned in the article include indefinite detention, warrantless searches, secret courts, and the continual monitoring of the American people. (25)

Reports have now surfaced that police forces all across the United States are becoming increasingly militarized to deal with the potential threat of a terrorist attack. Even the city of Fargo, North Dakota, which rarely even has a murder, went on an eight million dollar spending spree, which included the purchase of a $256,643 armored truck. One sheriff's department in Arizona even owns a military surplus tank. Since September 11, 2001, more than 34 billion dollars in federal grants have been doled out to police departments to facilitate these equipment upgrades. (26) Additionally, a new riot shield, known as the LRAD Sound Cannon, is now being developed. It will use low frequency sound waves to affect the upper respiratory tract and impair breathing until the targets are subdued. (27)

Law enforcement officials may not be the only people worried about potential attacks. In December 2011 a new record for gun sales was set in the United States. The FBI performed 1.5 million background checks, which are required before a person can legally purchase a gun, in December. On December 23, 2011, 102,222 of these background checks were performed, making it the second busiest day for gun sales on record. (28)

What Will The Future Be Like?

In this current year of 2012, we find all of humanity at a crossroads. The world we live in is on the very cusp of a dramatic transformation. Those pushing for these changes say it is all for the betterment of mankind, but if their goals should ever be fully implemented, the human race may soon find it has been assimilated into a system very difficult to escape. In December 2011 the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings published a report entitled "Recording Everything: Digital Storage as an Enabler of Authoritarian Governments." As an introduction to the report, the author, John Villasenor, writes the following, "Within the next few years an important threshold will be crossed: For the first time ever, it will become technologically and financially feasible for authoritarian governments to record nearly everything that is said or done within their borders - every phone conversation, electronic message, social media interaction, the movements of nearly every person and vehicle, and video from every street corner. Governments with a history of using all of the tools at their disposal to track and monitor their citizens will undoubtedly make full use of this capability once it becomes available." (29)

The Brookings report goes hand-in-hand with a press release issued by IBM on December 19, 2011. In the release, IBM reveals five technologies they are hoping to implement over the course of the next five years. One of the goals is to develop a system that would use unique biometric data, such as facial definitions, retinal scans, and voice files, as your password to access online data. Far more troubling, however, is the technology IBM scientists are presently working on that they are hoping will literally read your mind. "If you just need to think about calling someone, it happens. Or you can control the cursor on a computer screen just by thinking about where you want to move it," states the report. (30) Over the last few decades, technology has advanced to amazing new heights. We stand at the precipice of a new dangerous era in which people no longer control their technology, but rather, the technology controls the people.

More Cases Of Disease And Pestilence!

In December 2011 a news story broke regarding a new strain of H5N1 avian influenza, which is more commonly known as bird flu. This strain of the flu is more deadly than previous strains and spreads more easily amongst mammals. Another unique trait of this strain of the virus is that it was intentionally created in medical labs at the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. This form of the virus is considered to be so dangerous that government officials requested that details regarding how it is made be withheld from publication for fear that it could be used as a biological weapon. (31) Following public outcry over fear that the virus could accidentally escape from research labs, scientists have agreed to suspend all research on their strain of H5N1 for sixty days. (32)

A new strain of swine flu has also surfaced in recent days. The virus, which is formally known as H3N2v, has infected at least twelve people in the states of Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia here in the United States. Worry has been expressed that this strain of the virus can be transmitted more easily from human-to-human than previous strains. (33)

In Haiti a virulent strain of cholera has now infected 500,000 people and killed 7,000 since October 2010. Evidence recently surfaced indicating that this brutal strain of cholera was brought to Haiti by UN peacekeeping troops out of Nepal. John Mekalanos, chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology at Harvard Medical School, expressed deep concern over the virus. "What scares me is that the strain from South Asia has been recognized as more virulent, more capable of causing severe disease, and more transmissible. These strains are nasty. So far there has been no secondary outbreak. But Haiti now represents a foothold for a particularly dangerous variety of this deadly disease." Before this outbreak occurred, there had never been a case of cholera in Haiti or even in the entire Western Hemisphere. (34)

A Grim Outlook For The Global Economy!

Although news outlets have been reporting improvements in the American economy in recent weeks, the hard times in the United States and many other countries are far from over. It is now estimated that Barack Obama will have increased the national debt by 6.2 trillion dollars when his first term finally ends on January 20, 2013. (35) To date, Obama's strategy to cure America's debt problem has mainly involved tax hikes for the rich. He has stated on numerous occasions that rich folks, such as himself, can afford to pay "a little more." Of course, if he was really so eager to pay more, he could do so now instead of waiting for it to become law. Obama could easily make some generous donations to the United States Treasury. I am sure they would be readily accepted. However, instead of doing that, Obama prefers to leave the American taxpayers on the hook for his extravagant lifestyle. It is estimated that his December 2011 holiday vacation in Hawaii cost the American people approximately four million dollars. (36)

In a startling article published on January 6, 2012, by Reuters, it was reported that the global economy could survive disruption for only one week. Potential disruptions include attacks by militants or widespread natural disasters, which could essentially cause a global economic shutdown. According to a report by the London-based Chatham House, "One week seems to be the maximum tolerance of the 'just-in-time' global economy." (37)

Catastrophic disasters are not the only cause for worry to the global economy. The largest economies in the world will be facing a mountain of 7.6 trillion dollars in debt that is maturing this year. (38) In Europe, nine nations, including France and Austria, were subjected to a credit rating cut by Standard and Poor's. (39) In the nation of Greece, children are now being abandoned by parents who are no longer able to provide for their needs. According to Antonios Papanikolaou, founder of the Ark of the World Youth Centre in Athens, hundreds of parents have requested that the organization take their children. (40) Gerald Calente, founder of Trends Research Institute, has warned that several European nations are already in the throes of a depression. "If you live in Greece, you're in a depression; if you live in Spain, you're in a depression; if you live in Portugal or Ireland, you're in a depression. If you live in Lithuania, you're running to the bank to get your money out of the bank as the bank runs go on. It's a depression. Hungary, there's a depression, and much of Eastern Europe, Romania, Bulgaria. And there are a lot of depressions going on [already]," Calente stated. (41)

With so many nations now facing massive debt, one might wonder what the solution to the problem is. In the February 2012 issue of Wired magazine, writer David Wolman suggests that the answer might be a universal currency. (42) This was not the first time a global currency has been suggested in recent years, and it is likely that it will not be the last time. It is all part of Satan's grand scheme for a one world government. I believe this is yet another sign of the times and an indicator that the coming of our Saviour draweth nigh.

In closing, I urge all of you to seek the Lord while there is still time. The world has been engulfed by a flood of evil, but you can be safe and secure if you put all your hope and trust in God. In Psalm 32:5-7 we read, "I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah." If you have not yet fully given your heart to God, I encourage you to do so now. I offer my sincere thanks to all of you who continue to support this ministry. If you have any prayer requests, we welcome them, and we will give each one individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Samuel David Meyer

Acknowledgements
01. CNS News, January 3, 2012, By CNS News, http://cnsnews.com.
02. Abort73.com, Abortion Statistics, http://abort73.com.
03. Salvation Army International, International Positional Statement, http://salvationarmy.org.
04. Christian Post, December 31, 2011, By Stephanie Samuel, http://christianpost.com.
05. The Blaze, January 9, 2012, By Billy Hallowell, http://theblaze.com.
06. LiveScience, January 17, 2012, By Stephanie Pappas, http://livescience.com.
07. Ibid.
08. Cabot Kent Hermetic Temple, official website, http://cabotkenthermetictemple.org.
09. Wikipedia, Laurie Cabot article, http://wikipedia.org.
10. Salem PD, official website, http://salempd.org.
11. Wikipedia, Salem, Massachusetts article, http://wikipedia.org.
12. Fox News, January 13, 2012, By Fox News, http://foxnews.com.
13. Houston Chronicle, January 5, 2012, By Adelle M. Banks, http://chron.com.
14. World Magazine, January 12, 2012, By Tiffany Owens, http://worldmag.com.
15. The New American, January 16, 2012, By Dave Bohon, http://thenewamerican.com.
16. Columbia Daily Herald, January 14, 2012, By Columbia Daily Herald, http://columbiadailyherald.com.
17. World New Daily, January 12, 2012, By Bob Unruh, http://wnd.com.
18. The Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2011, By The Wall Street Journal, http://wsj.com.
19. Ibid.
20. National Public Radio, December 12, 2011, By Susie An, http://npr.org.
21. KCTV5, October 28, 2011, By DeAnn Smith and Stacey Cameron, http://kctv5.com.
22. The Guardian, January 9, 2012, By Chris McGreal, http://guardian.co.uk. 23. Ibid. 24. CBS News, January 2, 2012, By CBS News, Charlton, Massachusetts. 25. The Washington Post, January 13, 2012, By Jonathan Turley, http://washingtonpost.com. 26. The Daily Beast, December 21, 2011, By Andrew Becker, http://thedailybeast.com. 27. Gizmodo, December 14, 2011, By Andrew Liszewski, http://gizmodo.com.
28. CNN, December 27, 2011, By Carol Cratty, Washington, D.C.
29. Recording Everything, December 14, 2011, By John Villasenor, http://brookings.edu.
30. IBM Press Release, December 19, 2011, By IBM, http://ibm.com.
31. Associated Press, December 20, 2011, By Lauran Neergaard, Washington, D.C.
32. Reuters News Service, January 20, 2012, By Sharon Begley, New York, NY.
33. US News & World Report, January 11, 2012, By Jason Koebler, http://usnews.com.
34. ABC News, January 12, 2012, By Matthew Mosk, Brian Ross, and Rym Momtaz, http://abcnews.go.com.
35. CNS News, January 13, 2012, By Terence P. Jeffrey, http://cnsnews.com.
36. The Blaze, December 19, 2011, By Billy Hallowell, http://theblaze.com.
37. Reuters News Service, January 6, 2012, By Reuters News Service, http://reuters.com.
38. Bloomberg, January 3, 2012, By Keith Jenkins and Anchalee Worrachate, http://bloomberg.com.
39. Bloomberg, January 13, 2012, By Simon Kennedy, Patrick Donahue, and Mark Deen. http://bloomberg.com.
40. The Daily Mail, January 11, 2012, By Lee Moran, http://dailymail.co.uk.
41. Beacon Equity, January 4, 2012, By Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailleuel, http://beaconequity.com.
42. Wired Magazine, January 11, 2012, By David Wolman, http://wired.co.uk.

Special Note: A new tribute website for Pastor David J. Meyer can now be accessed at http://pastormeyer.org.

Comments regarding this newsletter or topic suggestions may be submitted to editor@lasttrumpetnewsletter.org.
If you would like to submit a prayer request, you may send email to prayer@ltmmail.org or mail it to our postal address.