Boycott the Olympics!!

Here's yet another reason to boycott the upcoming Chinese Olympics - rampant child slavery. Children ranging from ages 13 to 15, some as young as seven, are being sold into slavery by the thousands. In the southern province of Guangdong a chief foreman and 18 minor foremen set up the market. The labor camp pays the children $0.50 an hour, and requires them to work 300 hours per month.

"These kids are robust and can do the toughest work," said one foreman.

The county government reportedly attempted to rescue the children, but some were unwilling to leave. Some had volunteered to work there, others had been sold by their parents.

This is just another reason in a long list to boycott the Olympics. China repeatedly says it is cracking down on these types of issues, yet little progress, if any, has been made. For the children in these camps there's really no other choice. What else can they do when their parents have sold them into slavery? Where can they go?

Source:
Reuters

DNA Warehouse Bill Passes

A bill which allows the government to take DNA samples from every newborn baby in the U.S. passed in the House of Representatives and now awaits the signature of the president. The new legislation requires no consent from parents, nor is it even required to notify them of the "screening".

"The DNA taken at birth from every citizen is essentially owned by the government, and every citizen becomes a potential subject of government-sponsored genetic research," says Twila Brase, president of the Citizen’s Council on Health Care (CCHC). "Already, in Minnesota, the state health department reports that 42,210 children of the 780,000 whose DNA is housed in the Minnesota ‘DNA warehouse’ have been subjected to genetic research without their parents’ knowledge or consent."

Many are worried about the implications the bill could have. Rep. Ron Paul, M.D. believes hospitals will be forced to adopt the federal plan in order to keep federal funding, despite whatever flaws it may have. He says the government lacks the authority and competence to carry out such a program.

“Drafters of the legislation made no effort to ensure that these newborn screening programs do not violate the privacy rights of parents and children,” he said.

Source:
AAPS

1 in 3 UK Girls Harm Themselves

A shocking new study finds that one third of girls aged 11 to 19 in the UK have harmed themselves in order to deal with depression, stress, and anger. Of the 800 people surveyed, over half said they knew of someone who had harmed themselves.

"73% of young people who self-harmed admitted to cutting, 48% to punching themselves, 14% to burning and 10% to self-poisoning," while "43% said they did it because they were depressed, 17% because they were angry, 10% because of relationship problems and 10% because they were stressed."

The problem is an increasing one says Dr David Kingsley. "A study recently suggested three biggest causes were family problems, problems with friends and problems at school," but Kingsley wonders what else might be causing the problems. "We need to ask ourselves what it is about modern living that is causing such stress for our youngsters," he said.

So what could be causing so much stress for teenagers? It doesn't seem to be an entirely difficult question to me. One need only look at the expectations society puts on it's young to see the problem. Our lives are success driven, and our definition of success a difficult thing to attain. We place greater value on perfection, material goods, and of course, money, rather than happiness or family values. Not surprisingly, the study found girls harm themselves more than boys. This can probably be attributed to the impossible images of perfection girls are pressured into striving for. The results of the study are a sad one to be sure, but not a particularly surprising one. We live in a dysfunctional world that stresses the importance of individualism and superiority. We are ever more alienated from one another, and increasingly forget what really matters in life.

As long as fortune, fame, and goods govern what we deem to be happiness and success, our lives will always be unfulfilled. And in a society that is always moving faster, with 'not enough time,' our children will be exposed to that emptiness earlier and earlier.

Source:
BBC

School Girls Weep for Saddam

School children chanted and wept at the grave of Saddam today, celebrating what would have been his birthday. Though he was hated by many, there is still ample support for the former dictator. Students chanted "There are two things we will never give up: Saddam and Iraq!" and "Bush, Bush you low-life! Saddam's blood is not cheap!"

Many feel that the dictator's practice of genocide was one that may have been beneficial, saying it helped prevent the sectarian violence that now engulfs the region.

"The children who lived during the age of this man had security. They didn't know anything about murder, violence or sectarianism," said an organizer of the event. "An Iraqi woman could hold her head high."

While Saddam murdered hundreds of thousands during his reign, his removal has not stemmed the tide of death. Since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, hundreds of thousands if not over a million more have died in the war effort to 'liberate' the country. Millions more have been displaced from their homes and forced to flee the country. While our leaders attempt to convince us the situation is improving, what progress we have made is labeled reversible by top commanders.

For the citizens of Iraq, things have gone from bad to worse - and for many, Saddam's reign is but a memory of a more peaceful, prosperous time.

Source:
Reuters

Losing Face, U.S. Policy Enraging the World

A new survey of the Arab world shows increasingly negative views towards the United States. The survey included 4,000 people from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates and has a margin of error of only 1.6 percent.

In total, eight out of ten Arabs hold a view of the United States that is less than favorable and a meager six percent say the troop surge in Iraq has worked. While 83 percent had unfavorable views, 70 percent said they had no confidence in the U.S. whatsoever.

The number of people holding negative views towards the U.S. is growing, and so are the number wanting troops to leave. Up from 44 percent last year, this year's poll found that 61 percent believe Iraqis would be better off if the U.S. were to pull out of Iraq.

As for the War in Iraq, eight in ten believe Iraqis are WORSE off than prior to the U.S. invasion. One third of those polled mistrust media reports that violence has declined at all. Concerns that Iraq will cause instability in the region were up from 42 percent last year to 59 percent.

And while the U.S. continues to paint a dangerous picture of Iran, the majority of Arabs do not see the country as a threat. In fact, 67 percent of them believe Tehran has the right to a nuclear program.

I find these figures to be very interesting and I think they illustrate the workings of the propaganda machine our country maintains. Our government has proved itself to be ignorant of the culture and beliefs of an entirely foreign region, managing to create widespread violence and untold amounts of death. Simultaneously, our media has fed us stories of fear, decreasing violence, and finally dropped the issue altogether.

Government officials and leaders repeatedly tell us that progress is being made, the region more stable and the lives of Iraqis improving. They have lied to us time and time again, why people still choose to believe them is beyond me. I guess it's just easier.

If there's anyone that would have a good idea of what's happening in the Middle East, you'd think it would be the people who live there.

The results of the poll show you what they see, and it's not a rosy picture of progress.

Source:
Reuters

Food Wars: Food or Fuel - Pick a Side!

How desperate must the situation get before people start demanding food be used for FOOD not fuel. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director General Jacques Diouf acknowledged in a speech in Rome that biofuels are a major factor in the catastrophic rise in food prices.

“We have seen in 2006 around 100 million tons of cereal diverted to be used for ethanol…in addition to the quantities that are used for bio-diesel from Soya bean or from palm oil. Naturally, sugar cane is also being used for ethanol production. The combination of all those factors, exacerbated by speculative activities on the Chicago (stock) market by hedge funds and other funds, has led to the level of prices that we have seen,” he says.

Take a second to read that again, 100 MILLION TONS of cereal foods converted to fuel in 2006 alone. That astounding number does NOT count the conversion of soya beans, palm oil, and sugar cane - all major food supplies to the world. That number will only be going up, the U.S. specifically has no plans to cut back ethanol production. In fact, our country is foolishly intending on increasing production as much as possible. All in the name of 'lowering our dependency on foreign oil.' There's an important fact to remember about ethanol America, it's a foolish, inefficient means of obtaining energy! Ethanol takes just as much energy to produce it as is gotten out of it.

This ridiculous notion that ethanol will somehow save us from oil and pollution is flawed to it's very core. It is being pushed and lobbied by big agriculture, not small farmers. It is the corn industry specifically that is the driving force, and they have succeeded in brainwashing the general public into believing their cause is a good one. It's not.

If you can't understand that, at least look at the negative impact biofuel production has had on the world. Riots, civil unrest and starvation are spreading like wildfire. Here in the developed world you might be complaining about filling up your gas tank, but in countries like Haiti and Egypt people are fighting to EAT. Director General Diof believes this is not merely a problem of hunger, but one that will quickly escalate into one of security and humanitarian crisis.

“We believe that in this present situation, we have to tackle the problem at the highest political level. To be honest with you I’m surprised that I have not been summoned to the (UN) Security Council to discuss these issues, as many of the problems that are being discussed there would not have the same consequences on peace and security in the world and on human rights of people, who need to be fed appropriately to exist and to exist in dignity. We think there is a need for immediate emergency action. To be frank, I think we’ve already lost a lot of time,” he says.

Wake up America!! It's time to open your eyes!

Pick a side - fuel or food. This isn't a hard choice.

Source:
Voice of America News

Food Wars: Riots Continue in Haiti

For the last week Haitians have been rioting in the country's capital. Haiti's President, Rene Preval, delivered his first public address since the onset of the riots today. He called for tax cuts on imported food and a stop to the violence, saying "The solution is not to go around destroying stores, I'm giving you orders to stop."

Unfortunately for one of the poorest countries in the world, destroying stores might well be the answer. The majority of the population lives on less than $2 a day. With food prices up 40% on average since mid-2007, many are faced with some difficult choices. One of them being looting or starving.

Whether the plea from the President will work is unclear. Many have called for his resignation, citing his failure to deal with rising food costs. One thing is for sure, if food prices don't recede, the situation will undoubtedly turn for the worse.

Even more daunting is the possibility of worldwide turmoil. Food prices continue to spiral out of control, how long will it be before riots engulf the globe?

Source:
International Herald Tribune

Oil Hits $112 Per Barrel, New Record

Blamed on a surprise drop in U.S. inventories, crude hit a new high of $112 per barrel today. Excess demand in Asia was also blamed for the price jump as eastern countries experienced a colder than usual winter. The Financial Times reports U.S. refiners are unable to produce enough oil to stabilize prices. Meanwhile, the IMF warned that prices for this year and the next would hover around $95 on average. Perhaps the global recession they warned of in their latest economic forecast is influencing their estimates (see post below).

On a darker note, the ever rising price of oil is taking food prices with it. Corn in particular, used to make ethanol, rose to an all time high of $6.16 a bushel, an astounding 35% increase since the beginning of the year. As a result we're not only running low on fuel, but food. A mixture that is quickly creating havoc across the globe.

As gas prices continue to rise, consumer confidence is expected to plummet. With the average price of gas at $3.343 per gallon, consumers are getting a taste of what the next several months will bring. Many expect gas prices to hit $4 per gallon this spring.

Oil has seen an 80% increase in the past year, second only to wheat (which doubled) on the Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index. Since January 2007, oil has risen from $50 to $112 per barrel.

"It looks like this move will accelerate and prices will move toward $115,'' said Tom Bentz, a broker at BNP Paribas in New York. "This is all part of the big uptrend, and where it stops nobody knows.''

Sources:
Bloomberg
Financial Times