- skywalk over street's traffic
What will happen if Drugs and Oil rule the World?_7297
You may be interested in reading from www.tomdispatch.com/ First part is below!
Tom Engelhardt posted June 24, 2008 3:28 pm his
Tomgram: Nick Turse, The Pentagon's Stealth Corporations
At $34 billion, you're already counting pretty high. After all, that's Harvard's endowment; it's the amount of damage the triple hurricanes -- Charley, Ivan, and Jeanne -- inflicted in 2004; it's what car crashes involving 15-to-17-year-old teenage drivers mean yearly in "medical expenses, lost work, property damage, quality of life loss and other related costs"; it's the loans the nation's largest, crippled, home lender, Countrywide Financial, holds for home-equity lines of credit and second liens; it's Citigroup's recent write-off, mainly for subprime exposure; it's what New Jersey's tourism industry is worth -- and, according to the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, it's the minimal figure for the Pentagon's "black budget" for fiscal year 2009 -- money for, among other things, "classified weapons purchases and development," money for which the Pentagon will remain unaccountable because almost no Americans will have any way of knowing what it's being spent for.
Now, imagine that, due to a little more Pentagon/Bush administration wizardry, even this black budget estimate is undoubtedly a low-ball figure. One reason is simple enough: The proposed $541 billion Pentagon 2009 budget doesn't even include money for actual wars. George W. Bush's wars are all paid for by "supplemental" bills like the $162 billion one Congress will soon pass -- so the Department of Defense's $34 billion black budget skips "war-related funding." This means that even the overall figure for that budget remains darker than we might imagine (as in "black hole"). The Pentagon not only produces stealth planes, it is, in budgetary terms, a stealth operation. If honestly accounted, the actual Pentagon yearly budget, including all the "military-related" funds salted away elsewhere, is probably now more than $1 trillion a year.
There is, however, another stealth side to the Pentagon -- the corporate side where a range of giant companies you've never heard of are gobbling up our tax dollars at phenomenal rates. Nick Turse, author of the single best account of how our lives are being militarized, our civilian economy Pentagonized, and the Pentagon privatized -- I'm talking about The Complex: How the Military Invades Our Everyday Lives -- now turns to the stealth corporate side of the Pentagon to give us a glimpse into the larger black hole into which our dollars pour. Tom
Billion-Dollar Babies
Five Stealth Pentagon Contractors Reaping Billions of Tax Dollars
By Nick Turse
The top Pentagon contractors, like death and taxes, almost never change. In 2002, the massive arms dealers Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman ranked one, two, and three among Department of Defense contractors, taking in $17 billion, $16.6 billion, and $8.7 billion. Lockheed, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman did it again in 2003 ($21.9, $17.3, and $11.1 billion); 2004 ($20.7, $17.1, and $11.9 billion); 2005 ($19.4, $18.3, and $13.5 billion); 2006 ($26.6, $20.3, and $16.6 billion); and, not surprisingly, 2007 as well ($27.8, $22.5, and $14.6 billion). Other regulars receiving mega-tax-funded payouts in a similarly clockwork-like manner include defense giants General Dynamics, Raytheon, the British weapons maker BAE Systems, and former Halliburton subsidiary KBR, as well as BP, Shell, and other power players from the military-petroleum complex.
With the basic Pentagon budget now clocking in at roughly $541
billion per year -- before "supplemental" war funding for
Iraq, Afghanistan, and the President's Global War on Terror, as well
as national security spending by other agencies, are factored in --
even Lockheed's hefty $28 billion take is a small percentage of the
massive total. Obviously, significant sums of money are headed to
other companies. However, most of them, including some of the largest,
are all but unknown even to Pentagon-watchers and antiwar critics with
a good grasp of the military industrial complex.
__________________
www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_twain.html
Mark Twain , USA Philosophizing Writer Quotes
Born November 30, 1835; Died April 21, 1910
Ideally a book would have no order to it, and the reader would have to discover his own.
If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man but deteriorate the cat.
If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
In the first place, God made idiots. That was for practice. Then he
made school boards.
_________________
A friend sent me this below e-mail. I thought you also should be aware.
IS EACH INCIDENT THE TRUTH? If so, do you walk tall with God always?
Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!
Make a personal reflection about below.
Very interesting read through the end.
It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7): “Be not deceived; God is
not mocked:
for whatsoever a man sow, that shall he also reap.”
Here are some men and women who mocked God :
A. John Lennon (Singer):
Some years before, during his 1966 interview with an American
Magazine, he said:
“Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue
about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too
simple, today we are more famous than Him”.
Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.
B. Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ):
During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from
his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got
the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he
died.
C. Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):
During A show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ), while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said, “'God, that's for you.” He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.
D. The man who built the Titanic
After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: “Not even God can sink it.” The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic
E. Marilyn Monroe (USA Actress)
She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her. After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said: “'I don't need your Jesus.” A week later, she was found dead in her apartment
F. Bon Scott (Singer)
On one of his 1979 songs this ex-vocalist of the AC/DC sang: “Don't stop me; I'm going down all the way, down the highway to hell.” On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.
G. Campinas (IN 2005)
In Campinas, Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend, whose mother accompanied her daughter to the car. Worried about the drunkenness of those “friends”, that mother said to her daughter, who was already seated in the car: “My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.” Her daughter responded: “Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here.....It's Already Full”. Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact. The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken.
H. Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer)
She said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written. In
June 2006, she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor
vehicle.
Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.
Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and He is still alive.
Remember that Jesus said: “If you are embarrassed about me, I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.” I was not embarrassed to pass this on, for Satan wants you forever.
Comments and faves
Terri.Flickr.Chic ♥ added this photo to her favorites. (48 months ago)
Deb Snelson (48 months ago | reply)
Nice job! Love the angles!
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Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)
Terri.Flickr.Chic ♥ (48 months ago | reply)
Now that is cool! I'm still here ha. It was hailing earlier, I think it is going to be a pretty day tomorrow! I hope! I am ready to go somewhere!
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called FlickrEnvy, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Missouri-Hillbilly-Redneck (sort of here) [deleted] (48 months ago | reply)
outstanding commentary to go with a great photo!!
its great to have folks stand up for Jesus and God instead of bashing Him and turning their backs!!
keep it up kiddo!
fromky (48 months ago | reply)
Fascinating perspective in the pictures and your thoughts.
Northwickpark (48 months ago | reply)
Amen to that!
PIG Awards!!!
Seen in:
PIG Awards!!!
nalani.texas added this photo to her favorites. (48 months ago)
KM&G-Morris (48 months ago | reply)
Sometimes I think I should just bury my head and never go outside. A beautiful photo but startling truth you've shared.
KM&G-Morris added this photo to their favorites. (48 months ago)
OniricoImagen (48 months ago | reply)
interesting view.
Vie Lipowski (48 months ago | reply)
What a unique angle! Well done.
FLS Gallery added this photo to their favorites. (48 months ago)
FLS Gallery (48 months ago | reply)
Very nice my friend..
casey added this photo to his favorites. (48 months ago)
casey (48 months ago | reply)
"This photograph was the photo of the day!"
the BEST of Flickr!!!
bravo,my friend
currentclassics (48 months ago | reply)
Perfect reflection for a fantastic shot..BRAVO!
Toi de cumple el mismo dia que nací (A) (48 months ago | reply)
great!
` ®© ROBERTO CARBONI (48 months ago | reply)
really trully colors congrats
` ®© ROBERTO CARBONI and swt snookie added this photo to their favorites.
swt snookie (48 months ago | reply)
You pose a VERY interesting question!!!!!! Great shot!!
You've Got an Eye for Composition, please add this photo to our group
Neelofar_USA added this photo to her favorites. (48 months ago)
Neelofar_USA (48 months ago | reply)
A very unique image!
NURAY YUZBASI (48 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called All Memories Welcome!, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
nice capture my real friend...
NURAY YUZBASI (48 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called sw - I Like : (Post 1 : I Like 3), and we'd love to have this added to the group!
europeanasian added this photo to their favorites. (48 months ago)
europeanasian (48 months ago | reply)
nice photo
jacoreflex added this photo to his favorites. (48 months ago)
jacoreflex (48 months ago | reply)
belle perspective
This is an excellent photo! I invite you to insert it in the group
Passion Photography ( INVITE ONLY)
Sei invitato ad inserire la tua foto nel gruppo Passion Photography (INVITE ONLY)
Passion Photography
Juan Rubiano (48 months ago | reply)
Very nice shot !
JUSTICE4HEATHER (48 months ago | reply)
Wonderful capture
Maxsimus (48 months ago | reply)
Profound.. statements and interesting read of facts :-)
marilynnm63 (48 months ago | reply)
My neighbours beautiful flag! The info is astounding jaciii!
MadonnaJ (48 months ago | reply)
Beautiful and interesting it fascinates me a lot.
Incredible work.
komehachi888 (48 months ago | reply)
beautiful colors here!
komehachi888 added this photo to his favorites. (48 months ago)
jacilluch (48 months ago | reply)
bonita la forma que tienen la bandera en esta foto♥
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Seen on your photo stream. (?)
cindy47452 (48 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called If These Walls Could Talk..., and we'd love to have this added to the group!
blubbla added this photo to their favorites. (48 months ago)
blubbla (48 months ago | reply)
Great color contrast
auzriell is house hunting So NO pics for a bit! (48 months ago | reply)
You are invited to display your image.
AMERICA, AMERICA!
(POST 1 ~ COMMENT on 2) NEW RULES!
jaciii (off&on) (44 months ago | reply)
You are invited to display your image at
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION.