I had a very interesting conversation with my stepmom about Bush

[MrScorpio]

She's the greatest!

Without going into a lot details (The assholes are watching, of course), her work brings her into a lot of contact with a lot of big wigs. She speaks fluent Arabic, travels all over the world and knows a lot of famous people personally.

She's even close friends with Pappy Bush (I rag her about that shit all the time).

Recently, she attended an ambassadorial dinner at the White House and rubbed elbows with the big wigs.

Here's a few nifty bits of inside info:

- Bush and his ilk are a bunch of depressed fuckers. Even they don't believe any of the bullshit that they're peddling. Rumsfeld is anticipating pulling the troops out of Iraq in '06 (No Timeline my ass).

- Stepmom agrees with me that attacking Iran would be 100 times worse than our fuck up in Iraq, and these assholes in the White House are just stupid enough to do it. If this does happen, the ENTIRE Middle East is going to explode.

- The Army is running out of able-bodied troops so quickly that they're going to start recalling retirees en masse to fill office jobs so they can send more kids to Iraq.

- Bush No matter WHAT Bush says, he absolutely knows that we are way over our heads in Iraq.

- The next big fight is going to be over privatization of the world's freshwater supply. It's going to make oil look like a tea party.


This can mean only one thing to me: We're really fucked.

It also means that we can't give these assholes in office an inch. There are too many things at stake. Conservatives are bound and determined to destroying everything we, as liberals, hold dear.

We cannot take any steps back... We must fight. Period.

[enigmatic]

1. This is interesting

When she mean depressed, does she mean it in the literal sense, or that they know the grand plan has exploded in their faces?

And what does she say about the real relationship between W and Pappy?

[MrScorpio]

2. I mean morose

For a bunch of people who have the world as their oyster, the are not a Happy Bunch.

She was at an Inaugural Party too and she described it as a snooze fest.

About Sonny, she doesn't know him, although she knows (and even likes) Pappy quite well.

[enigmatic]

3. This is good stuff

I've always gotten this vibe that there's alot of dark shit going on between W and Pappy, and that Pappy knows that W's going to end up destroying both of their legacies in the proccess..

[MrScorpio]

6. That would be a good reason why Pappy sent his proxies

To speak about about starting a war.

I am VERY suprised at his point that Pappy is laying down on the job about Iran.

This could mean a couple of things; either it's too early to try and do something, or Pappy thinks that taking on Iran is a good thing.

The next time that I talk to her, I'm going to bring my theory up.

[Wetzelbill]

7. I always felt W was seriously jealous of his dad

Dad played college ball, W was a cheerleader.

Dad was a real fighter pilot, W didn't take his physical and was stripped of flying priveleges.

Dad was a great student, W was average at best.

Dad was a congressman and a excellent business, W failed in a bid for Congress and specialized in drilling dry wells.

They don't seem too close at all.

[MrScorpio]

9. A drunken Dubya threatened to kick Pappy's ass once

That would have been a hoot to see.

[Wetzelbill]

11. yeah I read that in a few places

He brought 16 year old Marvin home drunk one night -this was when he was AWOl from the Guard, btw, and W. crashed into a garbage can while pulling into the driveway. Poppy came out and cussed him out and W. said something about being sick of this shit and let's settle this "Mano e Mano." haha. That would have been nuts to see though.

[MrScorpio]

16. I would never in a million years want to be a member of that family

Stepmom knows exactly what I think of them

The Bushes are the most dysfunctional set of brain dead fuckups ever to be put in power.

Shit, these people make the Romanovs look nice in comparison.

[Wetzelbill]

19. haha

Good analogy.

Marvin and Neil are a pair of beauts. W almost looks good compared to those two. Jeb's the only one with a brain and he's an evil little fucker.

[NJCher]

34. actually he was a coward and a loser pilot

He lost the lives of two of his fellow servicemen. He was also no great shakes as a businessman. The entire bush family feeds off the public tit.


Cher

[CantGetFooledAgain]

56. Poppy is a much more clever criminal

...than W.

[NMMNG]

4. See what happens when you let the inmates take over the asylum?

They turn the place into a hell-hole and expect us to clean it up. What's new?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

5. I agree on all points

One thing that stood out to me was the mention of privatization of the world's freshwater supply. That's right on the mark.

[GOPisEvil]

31. Greg Palast talks about that in "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy".

How Bolivia (IIRC) ran off an American contractor because they had screwed up the water situation there so badly. Literally ran them off. Water is the source of life - mess with a person's water and you mess with their life.

[GreenPartyVoter]

43. Yep. Brilliant book

[IntravenousDemilo]

64. FORTRESS CANADA!

Methinks we'll have to bring back conscription so we can defend our borders against people who covet, and would like to march in and take, our fresh water supply. Some people wanted to include water in the free-trade agreement, but we are making damn sure it's not for sale and plunder.

While we're at it, we'd also better station a hell of a lot of people in our northern archipelago to keep out intruders. The Arctic waters right up to the northern tip of Ellesmere Island, within the perimeter surrounding the archipelago, are internal Canadian waters, and that includes the Northwest Passage, which seems to be thawing out. I'd like to see us blast all trespassing ships and subs out of the water.

[Wetzelbill]

8. I've been saying freshwater is the next thing to go

The have been going after it in South and Central America for a while, which is essentially the globalizers petri dish to try all their crazy Milton Friedman like shit on before they take it elsewhere. These guys would privatize the air we breathe if they could.

[MrScorpio]

10. An interesting incident that she told me about

The Arabs hatched a scheme to go the the Arctic in order to harvest icebergs for fresh water, but because evevy else was scared that that would fuck up the environment so much they threatened to send in the troops to stop them.

Fuuuuuck.

That would have been really FUBAR if the Arabs had gone through with their plans.

[Wetzelbill]

14. you have got to be effing kidding me!

That is one of the wildest things I've ever heard. :wow:

[Robeson]

24. Actually, its not far fetched. The Romans used to harvest icebergs...

...so it has been done before.

[Wetzelbill]

26. yeah what I meant was wild was the sending troops thing

that we already are about to fight about this stuff.

[Robeson]

27. Understand....

...:thumbsup:

[enigmatic]

15. Good God

That scares the shit out of me. When the freshwater supply get low, you know we're one of the first places they are going, one way or another.

[Wetzelbill]

17. that and your reply have me about half freaked out

:tinfoilhat:

[MrScorpio]

20. The thing is that they have known this for years

http://www.healthy-communications.com/waterrunningout.html

The next World War will be be fought over it

[enigmatic]

22. I agree w/ this

It's inevitable.

[MrScorpio]

23. She's an internationally recognized authority on the subject

And she's scared shitless

[Wetzelbill]

25. thanks for the article

That was damn interesting. Spooky. I saw a thread tonight about water I think in GDP maybe.

[enigmatic]

21. It scares me, too

I know all about the Peak Oil scenarios people keep lobbing about, but I think it's the freshwater supply that's in more danger, frankly.

[FourStarDemocrat]

37. Don't the Saudi's have those huge desalinization plants...

that convert seawater to freshwater? I wonder if that's enough for them to get by on. They also must be expensive to operate.

[MrScorpio]

67. Bingo is it very expensive

My Stepmom was very quick to point that out.

[WMliberal]

69. it's not a scheme, Saudi Arabia does it quite often

Learned about in in a class called "Water Wars." They do it because it's cheaper to tug an iceberg than it is to create that much ice.

[enigmatic]

12. Yep

The war over freshwater is going to make the war over oil look like a slapfight. And it's going to be much more of a likelihood that somebody uses nukes for that then anything else, I think.

Without freshwater, nations won't survive. And when you're threatened w/ extinction, you'll do anything to survive.

[DUgosh]

13. We've gotten "official looking" letters

Telling us we have to register our well. ( You did not need a permit to drill one last decade) I tore them it up. They'll probably go to the "well drillers" and demand info.

[Wetzelbill]

18. my dad used to drill wells

we have one. I'll have to ask him what the new developments on all that are.

[MountainLaurel]

46. Book recommendation

Blue Gold

[tyedyeto]

71. Reading this thread...I thought the same thing = Clive Cussler novel

Was trying to think of the name of the 'water privatization' novel when...Bingo! you had it.

Could very well be our next big reason for war after the current oil war.

[necso]

28. A withdrawal in 06

(or at least starting the withdrawal then, or sooner -- Nixon-style) may happen. Iraq could be a real problem in the 06 elections for the pugs, and what sold in 04 (progress being made, etc) may not work then. But if some (significant) terrorism happens here, then who knows.

And there are crazies pushing for other things. -- Like upping the ante with Iran.

Privatizing freshwater is a big comer. There is huge money to made here, especially if you can con people into letting (more) privatization happen. In many places, freshwater is essentially being mined now, and as difficulties arise, there will be vultures waiting. And while there are potential replacements for oil, there is none for water. (Of course, there is conservation.)

But there are other big-time depletions going on in areas like soil erosion, where something very much like mining is happening too.

Yeah, we're really fucked. Those in power look to our problem areas as places to grab money, make political gains, bestow favors, overturn social progress, etc.

And where there aren't (major) problems, these same people look to create the impression of problems, so that they can do the same there.

[izzie]

29. I have been saying this for years on the water.

My friends and kids are sick of getting e-mails on this from me. I live in a state that once send pure ice around the world in clippers. Any one in this state should know water is more important than oil so who will get the business? Even Can. has had trouble with these trade things we all sign about water. Hold onto your hats on this one. This state is already having trouble with a bottling company many be pumping natural spring water from local peoples wells.

[Hissyspit]

32. Again, "Three Days of the Condor" is prescient.

The speech by the corrupt gov't official at the end about democracy not mattering to Americans when their water, their oil is running out. Forget the exact wording; haven't seen it in a while.

[mcscajun]

62. Got it here...

Higgins: It's simple economics. Today it's oil, right? In ten or fifteen years, food. Plutonium. Maybe even sooner. Now, what do you think the people are gonna want us to do then?

Joe Turner: Ask them?

Higgins: Not now - then! Ask 'em when they're running out. Ask 'em when there's no heat in their homes and they're cold. Ask 'em when their engines stop. Ask 'em when people who have never known hunger start going hungry. You wanna know something? They won't want us to ask 'em. They'll just want us to get it for 'em!

[Hissyspit]

73. Thanks! If Higgins does not mention water then there is another movie

I've seen recently that is also prescient, because I remember someone specifically mentioning a crisis in world water supply.

[Wetzelbill]

30. kick

[dmr]

33. Water - This is a BIG issue

Beware of the World Bank because they are behind it.

I worry about the Great Lakes for a number of reasons, but one is privatization. Luckily the Great Lakes governors, Michigan's in particular are protective, but the Feds and private companies have their greedy eyes on them. The Great Lakes represent one-fifth of the world's surface freshwater, but only one percent of the Great Lakes water is renewed each year. With the global water demand and doubling every twenty years, it's no wonder that other states, countries and private companies have their eyes on the Great Lakes. If I remember correctly, when Bush* campaigned in Traverse City, Michigan last year he mentioned he would leave the Lakes alone. That might have placated some Michiganders, but I don't trust him.

Look what happened in Bolivia. In the late 1990s, the Bechtel Group began privatizing water utilities in parts of Bolivia. Initially, the residents saw a 30% bill increase, but within a year, that 30% turned into 300%! Bechtel even went as far as forcing the Bolivian government to forbid Bolivians from drawing water out of their own wells! How wrong is that?

Bolivians are desperately poor, and they revolted. And, what did the Bolivian government do? They shot hundreds of protesters in the streets to protect themselves and their sweetheart deal with Bechtel, some protesters were abducted and taken to jails in the rainforests, others were killed or permanently injured. The Bolivian government eventually did back down and broke its contract with Bechtel; and now Bechtel is suing Bolivia for potential lost profits, of about 25 million.

Somewhere in all this factors in the World Bank. I'm not sure what role they play, but I remember reading an article where one World Bank executive tried to blame the woes of Bolivia and her protests on the "narco-factor"! He also didn't believe help should be given to the poor. A family that makes a hundred dollars a month can still pay the twenty dollar or so bill. If they can't, then shut them off. Another article I read stated that that same executive's water bill, who lives outside DC, is less at 17 dollars per month.

Betchel isn't the only private company out there. There are companies from Great Britain and France.

Protesters, or victims of privatization have asked for a boycott on bottled water.

If interested, please do a Google, there is plenty out there.

[knitter4democracy]

35. As a Michigander, I'm scared for our lakes.

We have the water, and every year someone tries to steal it. Don't even mention it to most Michiganders (by that, I mean every single person I know) because we start getting rabid about protecting our lakes and water. That's why our governors, even the Republican ones, do what they can to protect our resources.

If ya want to live in a desert, you have to live with the consequences. It makes no sense to me that we have turned desert areas in California into rice paddies and land for other high water need crops. It makes no sense to me to see fountains and golf courses in Vegas surrounded by desert and rock. Now these states are after our lakes? Hell no! If they want water, they can come here and live and work. They're not taking our water to pour it out on rock and sand.

[Jara sang]

38. With the amount of pollutants who would want it?

There is so much mercury in the Great Lakes.

[knitter4democracy]

50. Sadly, that's true.

Much of the pollutants are now down in the sand and muck, brought back out whenever they dredge a channel or whatever.

Don't eat the fish, though.

The issue is that they think they can clean it up and purify it enough. The reservoirs that they use out west aren't much cleaner, and the aquifers are already polluted as well. They're already used to having to clean the water up.

[SmokingJacket]

40. Great Lakes are the new Middle East? Yipes! nt

[dmr]

54. Water Resources Development Act of 1986

The Great Lakes states organized, with former Michigan Governor Milliken getting Congress to pass this act. This was to ban any diversions or removals of any water from the Great Lakes Basin until, at least a good policy and legal analysis could be completed. The Act declared that no water would be diverted from any portion of the Great Lakes within the US for use outside the Great Lakes basin unless the diversion was approved by each governor of each of the Great Lakes states.

But this didn't include Canada. A private company got a permit from Ontario to withdraw close to 200 million gallons of water each year into a super tanker to be shipped to Asia!!!!! The US public was incensed. Between the bad publicity and the Michigan Congress, Ontario canceled that permit. The private company tried to get Michigan to back off, but lost because the of the Michigander's strong opposition. (Don't mess with Michigan!)

In the late 90s, Michigan had the Water Resources Act strengthened to include wording where no Great Lakes water, whether from a basin or tributary, could be diverted or exported anywhere within the US or outside the US. Since then two diversions have been approved, one in a town in Wisconsin, the other a town in Ohio, on the condition the water is used for municipal purposes and they return the water. Michigan is now considering to allow other out of state towns to divert water under the same conditions just mentioned.

Michigan or the other Great Lake states are not greedy - it is about the eco system, and assuring all water is returned. I remember reading a few years back that global warming is harming the Great Lakes. Global warming is evaporating the water faster, and the return is less. Put that with the increase need or use, and it's a big concern.

One problem are private companies like the Perrier Group that taps more than 200 gallons a year of spring waters that feed a stream that flows directly into Lake Michigan. This is done through a 12 mile pipeline to their bottling plant. Then they truck out 75% of that water outside the Great Lakes Basin. The Michigan Attorney General looked into the issue on whether Perrier constitutes a diversion or export of water from a tributary of the Great Lakes. The last I heard was the state considered it a diversion and an export out of a tributary.

I don't understand all the legalities, but Perrier offered the state a half million dollars gift for watershed restoration, and argued it was sufficient enough to continue bottling and selling the water because it was improvement of the Waters.

The state says this raises fundamental questions regarding the nature of water rights and public trust, and that water traders could purchase control over hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Michigan's water for a pittance.

Michigan follows the reasonable use rule of riparian rights in its lakes and streams. (riparian from Dictionary.com: Of, on, or relating to the banks of a natural course of water) Traditional use in the Great Lakes are for fishing, hunting, agricultural or swimming. But a riparian owner may also use water from lakes and streams for non-traditional purposes. Like municipal water supplies, development, industrial - but riparian owners cannot divert the water for use on non-riparian or off-tract property, unless it promotes a public benefit, like municipal water supply. You might be able to see where this is going with Perrier and their 12 mile pipeline. They have no riparian use - at least not in my eyes. At this time, I don't know what the outcome is on them or the other smaller companies. I do know that the state has looked at the laws regarding similar issues in both New York State and New Jersey.

Michigan is protective of the waters, so even if you hold riparian use, you do not own the water conclusively. The water is a public trust for the public use. Boating, swimming any sort of recreation.

The state wants to be conservative minded, and be able to meet the state's need needs for drinking water, tourism, recreation, water dependent natural resources and agriculture.

As a native Michigander, I was raised to love her Lakes as the Winter Water Wonderland, I've been trying to keep up with what is happening. I will also be moving back home in the next couple of months, and hope to get involved with protecting the Lakes.

Apologies to MrScorpio for getting carried away here. I was just happy to see someone finally talk about the water crisis and the profiteering involved.

Edit to add this link which looks like it will tell you what's going on state by state: http://www.worldwaterwars.com/index.htm

[knitter4democracy]

63. Yes!!!!

That post is awesome! It's exactly right on how we want to protect our waters.

Btw, welcome home! I tried living in Ohio for four years, and I had to get us to move back. I just can't live anywhere else, apparently, and be as happy. Isn't that weird? Where are you moving to? We need more Dems here in Battle Creek. ;)

[fudge stripe cookays]

36. Thanks for the info, dmr.

I had not heard about all this. I have plenty of reading to do now.

FSC

[julianer]

39. I read somewhere that the first

condition the world bank puts on loans is the privatisation of water sytems.

Here's a report on the process in Africa:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3148837.stm

[dmr]

55. Thanks for the link

Do you know if the World Bank is like our Federal Reserve? Privately owned?

I think that would explain a lot.

[julianer]

76. It's an international organisation

From an article at zmag:

What is the WTO?

The WTO is an international organization of 134 member countries that is a forum for negotiating international trade agreements and the monitoring and regulating body for enforcing agreements. The WTO was created in 1995, by the passage of the provisions of the "Uruguay Round" of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Prior to the Uruguay Round, GATT focused on promoting world trade by pressuring countries to reduce tariffs. But with the creation of the WTO, this corporate-inspired agenda was significantly ratcheted up by targeting so-called "non-tariff barriers to trade"—essentially any national or local protective legislation that might be construed as impacting trade.

The idea is simple—instead of only imposing on third world countries low wages and high pollution due to their weak or bought-off governments, why not weaken all governments and agencies that might defend workers, consumers, or the environment, not only in the third world, but everywhere? Why not remove any efforts to limit trade due to its labor implications, ecology implications, social or cultural implications, or development implications, leaving as the only criteria whether there are immediate, short term profits to be made? If national or local laws impede trade—say an environmental or health law, or a labor law—the WTO adjudicates, and its entirely predictable pro-corporate verdict is binding. The WTO trumps governments and populations on behalf of corporate profits.


http://www.zmag.org/zmag/articles/jan2000albert.htm

[elehhhhna]

53. ENRON's next business was WATER. Look up Azurix.

Argentina vs Azurix

The full report is at: http://www.citizen.org/publications/release.cfm?ID=7165

The court case is still pending in ICSID, the World Bank's PRIVATE arbitration panel for investment disputes. You can view the listing at: www.worldbank.org/icsid/cases/pending.htm

The tribunal for this case was constituted on April 8, 2002 and supposedly held its first session on May 16, 2002 here in Washington, D.C.

"Latin America should be a sweet spot for Azurix," said Debra Coy, a leading water industry analyst with Charles Schwab & Co. in early 2000. Hardly so.

Azurix' concession in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina was company's principal asset, second only to Wessex Water. Having laid out $438 million for the concession, Azurix expected that it would generate solid profits over the contract's 30-year term. Under the concession, Azurix would water and wastewater services to 2.5 million people in 49 districts in the province, including the cities of Bahia Blanca and La Plata. In the first five years of the concession, Azurix was supposed to increase the share of the population with access to drinking water from 52 percent to 82 percent and sewer service from 38 percent to 68 percent.

Problems began few months after Azurix assumed operations in the provinces. Most of La Plata did not have water service for several days in the summer of 2000-2001. In March 2000 the regional regulating authorities considered sanctions against the company because of very low water pressure.

In April 2000, the residents of Bahia Blanca began complaining about the bad odour and brown tones of their water. "It smells and tastes like a pesticide. When you take a hot shower, the odour is overwhelming," said city spokesman Carlos Rossi.
http://www.arena.org.nz/argwater.htm

[rucky]

65. Also keep your eye on Bechtel. n/t

[elehhhhna]

68. & probably Fluor.

[tyedyeto]

72. World Bank = Wolfowitz these days.

Good find, dmr.

[blondeatlast]

41. This is frightening. The fresh water ownership thing is chilling.

Of course, I assume that none of thei is "official," which prevents any serious discussion about it--they will just say the Left is using scare tactics.

When my beautiful son was born, the world was a bright, hopeful place. I was no Clinton fan, but I didn't fear for his future. Now I worry all the time about it.

:scared:

[bridgit]

42. american armed forces should have never cowed...

to the civilian leadership such as it is, they already have reams of war planning in rows of file cabinets that told them well in advance that things would be just as there are in iraq, how sad the bush admin couldn't have pulled their heads from out their collective ass' in time. your mention as to the run on water is too true; posting here an excerpt of hubby's writ some 6yrs ago now, and yes, it is nearly too late but for all the hard work it will take to turn it around:

“What about my tumblers? Will they still work? Dr. Ricci say: anything?”

“No he didn’t. But his numbers seem to indicate that even William forego’ the vein with a great gladness. Think about that. And that will make Angel Face happy ole son.” As a nosey excursionist drifts past craning an ear near to where they slow down and nod in the exchange. Picking up the thread on the other side.

“Yeah. That would be a good: thing. To see her so happy about William.”

“That would be a good thing, Roebling. Yes, sir”

“Well…I do like my tumblers.”

“William likes his vein.”

“Fuck the poppies of The Mighty Afghanistan.”

“You got it. A brand new day, Roebling”

“What about the anti-globalization kids? They come out all right?”

“Yep. They had to be branded terrorist battlefield combatants, die, walk through the fires of hell, crawl through broken glass, and eat their own shit from a tin cup with their fingers in the process but they came out just fine. Water is free once again.”

“Good.”

Opposite the observation deck a character dialing with a nimble finger and a thumb a ‘slide pot’ out of which quivers a fine optic fiber that catches the eye of Gene with a glint of the membrane’s prism light. Looking their way, listening within Gene suggests they part for now until then when Dr. Ricci will sooner than later by rigor of human mind negate the existence of energy itself. A thesis put. The dissolution of: resistance. Moment to moment until: ‘it’ is there. We are there. We are here. The faith of a: mustard seed. Wee goody! Faith…that will move: a mountain.

[earth mom]

44. KICK!

:kick:

[Tyrone Slothrop]

45. My last semester of college

I had to take a course on Botany and Ecology as a GenEd requirement. I remember the first day of lab work our TA talked about the dwindling water supply and how there was rampant speculation that the next World War would be fought over water. It was chilling, and I actually cut down on my water usage (less time in the shower, etc.).

Sept. 11 came along about a week later, and I forgot all about the water issue.

This is some scary stuff.

[Patiod]

47. My father has been buying up water company stocks

and I have a bunch if shares in my IRA. They've been going up steadily.

Plus, it gives you a voice, however small, in their direction.

[bridgit]

48. good luck with that 'direction thing'...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2000/world_water_crisis/default.stm

[IndyOp]

49. Black Elk predicted a horrible, horrible 'thirst'

and that many, many people would die - "Black Elk Speaks."

[GalleryGod]

51. STEP parents Rock!

:yourock:

[sakabatou]

52. shit

[Greyhound]

57. It's starting here already. (Private owners buying up muni H2O systems)

Global Water Co. (something like that) snuck in and bought the water supplier out from under the city. Rates have already gone up about 55% and it's undrinkable. :yoiks:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

58. Wow, MrScorpio..Please make sure your step-mom stays well....

What an incredibly depressing story you've told us here today. The water story is especially depressing. But I believe it. Water is way out in front for our survival...

Thank you so much....

:patriot:

[Democracy White]

59. Very interesting Mr.Scorpio

But the things about the privitization of water is a really freaky thing. I hope that it doesn't come to pass.

Dee

[CrispyQ]

60. We have privatized most of our Commons -

It's no surprise that the Corps. are going after water. Anything to make a buck & I do mean ANYTHING.

[donheld]

61. "Rumsfeld is anticipating pulling the troops out of Iraq in '06"...

Could this be the September '06 surprise???

[rucky]

66. Don't tell Novak about your Stepmom...

who knows what'll show up in his next column.

[Beam Me Up]

70. Wana hear something TOTALLY FREAKY about water?

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Carrying Moon's water?
I wrote that Maurice Strong stepped down as UN envoy to Korea because of his ties to a businessman linked to the oil-for-food scandal. It was a huge oversight of mine that I neglected to identify the businessman as Tongsun Park, a principal in the old "Koreagate" affair, and that Tongsun Park leads to Sun Myung Moon. (It may be the time to dig out a book from 1980 by Robert Boettcher entitled Gifts of deceit: Sun Myung Moon, Tongsun Park, and the Korean scandal.)

Learning that Strong's Baca sanctuary sits atop one of the world's largest aquafers reminds me of Moon's purchase of 600,000 hectares of arid land in Paraguay's Chaco. Below it rests the "Guarani aquifer, the largest resource of fresh drinking water in the world, where Moon's associates claim he wishes to build an ecological paradise." Which also reminds me of the direction Strong is said to have received from a mystic, that "Baca would become the center for a new planetary order which would evolve from the economic collapse and environmental catastrophes" to come. (A collapse which, we saw, Strong suggests would be in the planet's best interests.)

http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2005/04/carrying-moons-water.html

The article which preceded it is equally interesting:

http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2005/04/some-people-call-me-maurice.html

[RummyTheDummy]

74. Water privatization is already well underway

Google T. Boone Pickens and water and see what you find. These people have been on to that for years.

[dmr]

77. What a sleezebag

http://www.worldwaterwars.com/UnitedStates/Texas/index.htm

- snip -
Imagine for a moment: water-starved El Paso paying a private company for water belonging to El Pasoans and other Texans. It could happen under a proposal being developed in closed meetings between a Midland-based consortium and state officials at the General Land Office and School Land Board.
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[xmas74]

75. They've suspected a fight over freshwater supplies

for a few years now (some experts, that is). Interesting that this would be voiced now. I absolutely believe that. It will happen, people will starve to death and die of dehydration and a few top corporations will make massive amounts of money.
Good thing my family has a well.