Archive | The US

Cost of US War Compared to Other Social Costs

Here is an interesting graph that shows the cost of US led war compared against univesal health care, universal preschool, security, cancer research and immunization.

It is easy to see how much the American people are losing with these unjustified wars: masacring people within and abroad the country.


cost-of-us-war-against-healthcare

cost-of-us-war-against-healthcare




Posted in Featured, N. America, News & Politics, The USComments (0)

How Invasion of Afghanistan Worked for Opium Production

I was reading through some articles about the increase of opium production in Afghanistan and came across the following graph from Wikipedia.

afghanistan opium productionOpium Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan (in Hectors)

This data was published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

It is interesting to note that during the period when Taliban was gaining power,  the opium production actually showed a downward trend to a point where in 2001 it was reduced to its a minimum record since 1994.

Many argue that this containment of opium production under the Taliban regime was not favorable to the American drug corporations, which consequently become one of the big factors in the invasion of Afghanistan and the decision to  overthrow the Taliban regime.

After which, the production of opium surely picked up again and kept rising up beyond previous records.

The fact that Pharmaceutical business is the second most profit making industry after oil is no secret and the American government benefited largely from this increased opium production.

Following is a list of Medical drugs produced from Opium:

Morphine 45.8%
Codeine 42.5%
Dihydrocodeine 5.4%
Pholcodine 1.9%
Hydrocodone 1.5%
Thebaine 1.4%
Oxycodone 0.9%
Ethylmorphine 0.6%


When considering the number of people around the world that use Acetaminophen daily, a pain killer that has Codeine as its main ingredient, the amount cash that is generated from having cheap opium at hand is astronomical.

Opium (cheap opium) creates huge profit margins for pharmaceutical companies.

By controlling the region and increasing the production of this plant, similar to oil, the American government kept its price reduced and well favorable, with no regards to regional and global effects of such massive opium surplus.

Sure the American companies have made billions of dollars, but at the cost of many Afghani, Iranian, Pakistani young men and women killed if not others around the world, many falling into the traps of addiction.

An addiction which devastates not only a single person, but many families, their offspring and eventually destroys the foundation for a functional society.

Posted in Afghanistan, Featured, Middle East, N. America, News & Politics, The USComments (0)

Nothing Says Peace and Nobel Prize Like a 30,000 lb Bomb

The BBC has recently reported that the Pentagon is speeding up the deployment of an enormous bomb, one that would be the largest non-nuclear weapon ever in the U.S. arsenal.

The 30,000 lb (13600 kg) massive ordnance penetrator (MOP) carries about 2,400 kilograms of explosives and is so heavy no fighter can carry; it can only be carried on a B-2 stealth bomber.

The U.S. Department of Defence’s decision to award the $51.9 million US contract to Boeing Co. earlier this month signals a renewed commitment to the weapon.

The American president, Barack Obama gets the Nobel Peace prize and the approval of such budget for this bomb comes only days after it.

A Few Peaceful Thoughts:

bunker buster mop bomb Nothing Says Peace and Nobel Prize Like a 30,000 lb Bomb

Nothing says “Diplomacy” like a 30,000 lb bomb.

Nothing says “Cooperation” like a 30,000 lb bomb.

Nothing says “Love and Understanding” like a 30,000 lb bomb.

Nothing says “Security” like a 30,000 lb bomb.

Nothing saves “Lives” like a 30,000 lb bomb.

Nothing helps the “Economy” like a 30,000 lb bomb.

Nothing wins the “Nobel Peace Prize” like a 30,000 lb bomb.

and finally:

Nothing says “Peace” like a 30,000 lb bomb.


With files from: BBC, CBC
Photo Source: The Associated Press


Posted in N. America, News & Politics, The USComments (0)

No Flu Shot Means No Job, No Raises and No Bonuses – New American Mandate


“No flu vaccine, no pay raise” Local Ohio hospital workers are being told.

Elsewhere, in New York, nearly 500,000 health care workers are forced to take swine flu shot or face losing their jobs.

Americans concered over mandatory shots

Americans concerned over mandatory shots

New York is the first state in the country to order flu vaccinations for its health care workers.
The initial doses of swine flu vaccine will be available for distribution within a week. Much of it is reserved for state health care workers however, there is growing opposition to required inoculations.

The mandate on flu vaccines has stirred up protests in both Ohio and New York

In New York health-care workers rallied at the state capitol.

Another, non-medical, group is also being forced to take the flue shot, however, they will not have a choice of protesting or opposition.

The military!

The Pentagon has bought 2.7 million vaccines, and 1.4 million of those will go to active duty military. National Guard troops on active duty are also required to receive the vaccine, as are civilian Defense Department employees who are in critical jobs.

Hence, the military personnel, experimentally,  are expected to provide health officials with an early assessment of the vaccine.

“Because I can compel people to get the shots, larger numbers will have the vaccine,” said Renuart, commander of U.S. Northern Command.

“They will, as a percentage of the population, be vaccinated more rapidly than many of us. So we may see some objective results, good or not, of the vaccinations.”

This is an alarming trend, whereby vaccinations being forced on the population in the US.

Certain question should certainly be asked…

How can anyone be sure about the integrity of the chemicals used in such vaccines?

Why should the general public be forced into taking a medication that has not proven its effectiveness?

Why should millions of tax payers dollars go to the pharmaceutical companies who are only filling their pockets based on massive public fear and propaganda?

Well…

Such questions need not be answered if the the government is to be obeyed  without question.

However, we should remind ourselves that…

Blind obeisance to the government and to the mainstream media denotes neither intelligence nor patriotism.

With files from: wcbstv.com, wcbstv.com, NBC4

Posted in N. America, News & Politics, The USComments (0)


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