Payback for the liberators: Iraq prepares to shatter

Practically unreported outside the country, Iraq is preparing to shatter into ethnic fragments. The goal of a united, democratic Iraq built on the ruins of the Ba’ath state is nothing but an empty memory.

The fragile truce among the country’s ethnic groups is bad enough in itself. But far more serious is the progressive advance of a Shiite autocracy and the virtual dictatorship of the Iraqi premier, Nouri al-Maliki.

The key power-sharing agreement between Shiites and Sunni religious factions is in increasing disarray as al-Maliki imposes his personal stamp of universal authority. In short, he is turning into a replica of Saddam Hussein, which is precisely what I pointed out in my earlier coverage of what is going on over there.

Bahaa al-Araji, a leading follower of the cleric Sayyid Muqtadā al-Ṣadr’s ranks in the Iraqi parliament, compares the situation to a ‘primed time bomb that might explode at any moment.’ He went on to accuse al-Maliki directly of conspiring to exploit the political impasse brought about by ethnic tensions in order to impose a direct personal dictatorship.

Economy Face Off: Ron Paul Vs Paul Krugman

Nobel-prize winning economist Paul Krugman and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul talk about inflation, monetary policy and the role of the Federal Reserve. They speak on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart." Source

Dictator Obama: More of A Global Threat Than Hitler or Stalin Was - Bruce Fein

Alex talks with attorney Bruce Fein, who specializes in constitutional and international law. Mr. Fein is an ardent critic of Bush, Clinton and Obama and has singled out the government's so-called terrorist surveillance program. Fein proposed impeaching Obama in connection with the 2011 military intervention in Libya. He founded the American Freedom Agenda with Bob Barr, David Keene and Richard Viguerie. Bruce Fein is the author of American Empire: Before the Fall. Source

Jim Rogers: America To Plunge Into Deep Recession In 2013 "they should abolish the FED"

Jim Rogers : "...America had recessions and economic slowdowns every 4 to 6 years since the beginning of the republic , you can add by 2013 we are going to have another , and when it comes this time it is going to be worse than last time because debt is so so much higher , the 2008 slowdown was worse than 2002 slowdown because the debt was high next time the debt is going to be up there and it is going to be much worse "....The legendary investor says The Fed is only making the situation worse. Source

How "Nano Gold" Could Revolutionize Biotech

As it turns out, gold is a natural-born killer of unhealthy human cells. It has distinct properties that make it ideal for linking medical science with the new field of nanotech.BY MICHAEL A. ROBINSON: I believe the yellow metal will play a vital role in the Era of Radical Change, in which human beings routinely live healthy, productive lives well into our hundreds. And gold's growing use in both biotech and nanotech will greatly expand our chances to score big stock gains, too.

A new kind of gold rush has started. And not only can you make money from it - it could also save the human race from the most deadly diseases. I predict that by the end of this decade, gold will be used as a lethal weapon in the battle against a wide range of killer tumours. It has to do with so-called gold nanoparticles.

The odds are good you've seen "nano gold" in the past but didn't even know it. If you've ever looked at a photo ofstained-glass windows in old medieval European churches, the red and yellow in those scenes came from nanoparticles of gold and silver embedded in the glass.

Fact is, we've been putting these tiny specks of gold to use, in one form or another, for centuries. But they've only lately become a key tool for fighting disease and making new medical discoveries.

Former Greek bank chief jailed in anti-fraud drive

A former bank chief was sentenced to eight years jail on Monday for fraud and forgery, court officials said, the first major conviction resulting from an anti-corruption drive ahead of a parliamentary election on Sunday.

An Athens court convicted Pavlos Psomiadis, former chief of small banking and insurance group Aspis, on charges of forging documents to keep his business afloat.

Corruption and cronyism are endemic in Greece. But no politician or senior businessman had been convicted in recent years, fuelling popular frustration with mainstream parties that pledge to uphold the debt-laden country's international bailout and remain in the euro zone.

"He was found guilty of fraud and forgery," a court official said. The conviction stemmed from a forged letter of credit for over 550 million euros ($729 million) that Psomiadis submitted to regulators in 2009.

Dutch government collapses due to court's ban on pot for foreigners?

The country known for “coffee shops” where joints and cappuccinos share spots on the menu may see its famed tolerance for drugs go up in smoke. A Dutch judge upheld a government plan to ban foreign tourists from buying marijuana.

On Friday, a court in the Netherlands upheld a new law that will introduce a “weed pass” available exclusively to Dutch citizens and permanent residents. The ruling clears the way for the pass to be introduced in southern provinces starting next Tuesday.

If the government gets its way, the pass will roll out in the rest of the country, including Amsterdam, next year. It will turn coffee shops into private clubs with membership open only to Dutch residents and limited to 2,000 per shop.

Why You Should Care: CISPA

SOPA didn't die. It transformed into CISPA and again Internet privacy is under attack. Tim's robot doesn't give a darn about privacy but will revealing his dark online secrets change his mind? Find out right now!

Two Bombings in Syria This morning - Telephone report

A resident's report from Syria. One bombing in Idlib 20 killed, One bombing in Aleppo, reported one Killing. This report is not from a Journalist, but from a resident, he had earlier explained that security had sealed off the area. Source

Anything the Government Gives You, the Government Can Take Away

By John Aziz of Azizonomics:  From the Guardian:

A majority of doctors support measures to deny treatment to smokers and the obese, according to a survey that has sparked a row over the NHS‘s growing use of “lifestyle rationing”.

Some 54% of doctors who took part said the NHS should have the right to withhold non-emergency treatment from patients who do not lose weight or stop smoking. Some medics believe unhealthy behaviour can make procedures less likely to work, and that the service is not obliged to devote scarce resources to them.

And that’s the trouble with services and institutions run from the taxpayer’s purse, administered by centralists and bureaucrats. It becomes a carrot or a stick for interventionists to intervene in your life. Its delivery depends on your compliance with the diktats and whims of the democracy, or of bureaucrats. Your standard of living becomes a bargaining chip. Don’t conform? You might be deemed unworthy of hospital treatment.

UNRWA; Empowering Palestinian Youth Refugees? - Remember Palestine + Hunger Strike Against Israel Apartheid Update

A two-day international conference on "Engaging Youth: Palestine Refugees in a Changing Middle East" convened by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), concluded on the 20th of April in Brussels with UNRWA Commissioner-General, Filippo Grandi, unveiling ten "Youth Commitments" on behalf of the UN Agency. The commitments also included enhanced vocational training and micro-finance opportunities, fundraising for scholarships, expanding its successful skills programme for young refugees first piloted in Syria, advocacy on rights of special concern to youth.

The Big Silver Picture