Battle Los Angeles: Joint Military Training Exercises in L.A. Seek to Prepare Soldiers for Urban Warfare

Most Americans would consider the following report to be nothing out of the ordinary. But for those in the know, given what has transpired over the last several years, it raises alarm bells:

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Joint military training exercises will be held evenings in downtown Los Angeles through Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The LAPD will be providing support for the exercises, which will also beheld in other portions of the greater Los Angeles area, police said.
Training sites “have been carefully selected to ensure the event does not negatively impact the citizens of Los Angeles and their daily routine,” a department official said.
The training, which a department official said would involve helicopters, has been coordinated with local authorities and owners of the training sites, police said.
Police said safety precautions have been taken to prevent risk to the general public and military personnel involved.
The exercises are closed to the public, police said.
The exercises are designed to ensure the military’s ability to operate in urban environments, prepare forces for upcoming overseas deployments, and meet mandatory training certification requirements, police said.
Source: KFI AM 640

Rob Richardson of Off Grid Survival shares our sentiment. Something just doesn’t feel right:

Occupy Bani Walid - Moammar Gadhafi loyalists seize Libyan town

Moammar Gadhafi loyalists seized control of a Libyan city and raised the ousted regime's green flag, an official and military commanders said Tuesday, in the most serious revolt yet against the country's government.

The retaking of Bani Walid highlights the vulnerability of Libya's new leaders, who have faced mounting criticism as they struggle to unify the oil-rich North African nations and build state institutions from scratch three months after Gadhafi was captured and killed.

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist Sues Obama Over NDAA - Interview

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, author and Middle East expert Chris Hedges about his lawsuit challenging the legality of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Obama signed at the end of 2011. Hedges is the author of The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress, Collateral Damage, American Fascists and other titles. Part 2 and>

'Copyright monopoly vs human rights' - Rick Falkvinge

Washington is working flat out to get its hands on alleged copyright violators both at home and abroad. The founder of file-swapping website MegaUpload was arrested in New Zealand last week and could face extradition to the U.S. Rick Falkvinge, founder of the Swedish Pirate Party, believes the anti-piracy bills being pushed through Congress, will violate basic human rights. Source

Dangerous Species of Bankers Getting High On Money Supply - Keiser

Google searching Davos; the Federal Open Market Committee getting high on its own money supply; bankers leaving the planet to live in parallel universes and the evidence for the manipulation of precious metals. Source

Blocking The Net 'Not The European Option' EU Commissioner Reding

from the quick,-get-that-in-writing dept

One of the useful side-effects of the groundswell of protest against SOPA and PIPA is that a surprising number of people in positions of power have come out against their approach, notably in Europe. First, we had Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda for Europe, who tweeted:

Glad tide is turning on #SOPA: don't need bad legislation when should be safeguarding benefits of open net.

And now she's been joined by her colleague, Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship:

"The protection of creators must never be used as pretext to intervene in the freedom of the Internet," Reding told an international Internet conference in the southern German city of Munich, noting the "heated debate" surrounding the issue.

That's an interesting comment to make when the European Commission-supported ACTA is arguably doing precisely that.

Julian Assange plans TV chat show

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is to host a TV show interviewing "key political players, thinkers and revolutionaries" from around the world.

The 10-part series will begin in mid-March, according to a press release on the Wikileaks website, and its theme will be "the world tomorrow".

Irish Gov bows to “BombHolder” threats from the ECB over Anglo Debt

“Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world have obeyed the dictates of leaders…and millions have been killed because of this obedience…Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves… (and) the grand thieves are running the country. That’s our problem.” ― Howard Zinn

Crony Capitalism - David Stockman

Moyers & Company Show 102: On Crony Capitalism from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

Interview of David Stockman by Bill Moyers. The title is “Crony Capitalism,” and the interview is wide-ranging. David spells out his ideas on the causes of our current malaise and the history behind it. Source

Oil-for-gold: Tehran’s metal shield from sanctions

India has reportedly agreed to pay Tehran in gold for the oil it buys, in a move aimed at protecting Dehli from US-sanctions targeting countries who trade with Iran. China, another buyer of Iranian oil, may follow Delhi’s lead.

The report, by the Israeli-based news website DEBKAfile, states that Iran and India are negotiating backup alternatives with China and Russia, should the US and EU find a way to block the gold payment mechanism.

Civil War and NATO back in Libya? 'Worst case scenario possible' 'Saif has no chance of fair trial'

In Libya, at least five people have been killed and 20 others wounded, as supporters of former leader Muammar Gaddafi seized control of the town of Bani Walid, after clashes with a group loyal to the new government.

Rand Paul CNN Interview About His Run In With The TSA Today