Fuckin’ Oil, Where Did It Went?

With 90% of up to 4.4 million barrels of oil ‘unaccounted for’, it’s now… still unaccounted for.

Evening Briefing—13th Sept 2010

News and views from around the web posted to the Wonderland Wire:

Report: ‘Largest Military Deal Ever’ Between U.S.-Saudis Could Reach $90bn

The Saudi royal family is reportedly being helped by the Obama Administration to push a $90bn deal with big players in the military-industrial complex for arms and military technology upgrades through political approval in Washington.

Media Manipulates ‘End’ of Iraq War

Michael Corcoran: Just as the media lied to help us get into a war, they are now lying us out of one.

Evening Briefing—24 Aug 2010

News and views from around the web posted to the Wonderland Wire:

Who’s Really Being Naïve?

Kevin Carson on the utopian silliness of statism.

Report: Government Scientist Concedes 300% More Oil in Gulf Than Estimated, 90% of Gushed Oil ‘Unaccounted For’

Today, N.O.A.A. senior scientist told Congress that he was wrong about how much oil gushed into the Gulf, how much remains and conceded almost all of it is not accounted for, days after academic researchers ripped his two-week-old report to shreds. Documents reveal BP is withholding information from Transocean regarding the April 20 explosion that caused the gusher.

Study: 79% of Oil Could Still Be in Gulf of Mexico

Specifics of its agreement with the government reveal BP PLC has not agreed, as is widely reported, to set aside a $20bn escrow fund for the Deepwater Horizon explosion that flooded the Gulf of Mexico with millions of barrels of oil. CNN reported Tuesday morning that University of South Florida researchers are calling the floor of the Gulf “a constellation” oil, based on preliminary observations of images (10:47):

Evening Briefing—17th Aug 2010

News and views from around the web posted to the Wonderland Wire:

Dictatorship, War and the Federal Reserve (Video)

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Mises Institute President Lew Rockwell, Jr., earlier today, discussed the connection between the U.S. government’s war and monetary policy with Judge Andrew Napolitano on his FOX Business Network program, “Freedom Watch.” Dr. Paul notes that consent is manufactured for the Fed because it’s tyranny is necessary for the Republicans’ war fetish and Democrats’ welfare illusion. Mr. Rockwell notes the ‘dictatorship’ of the presidency and Washington’s quest for global domination and usurpation (5:23):

Jeremy Scahill on Obama’s Iraq Withdrawal That Isn’t (Video)

With 70,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, President Obama yesterday dropped his 2009 pledge to remove all combat troops before September, extending the target date 15 months, Gareth Porter reported today at Inter Press Services. The drawdown is intended by the Administration to leave 50,000 ‘residual troops’ indefinitely, but investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill notes the so-called “withdrawal” is a replacement of combat troops with ‘private’ mercenary firms. Earlier today, he spoke with Amy Goodman at Democracy Now! (11:48):

Chomsky’s Lectern: The War in Afghanistan—Echoes of Vietnam

Prof. Chomsky writes the WikiLeaked Afghanistan War Logs “may contribute to the unfortunate and prevailing doctrine that wars are wrong only if they aren’t successful—rather like the Nazis felt after Stalingrad”.

The Corporate Alarm Clock

Kevin Carson on the average Joe’s daily hell he heaven’izes to endure it tomorrow.

The WikiLeaks Manifesto

Julian Assange posted a complete answer to the question he’s frequently asked: Do we need WikiLeaks and why? He holds back no punches and points the finger at conspirators who create the need for reasonable skepticism and authoritarians who create the need for light-bearers.

95% of Pentagon Funding for Iraq Reconstruction ‘Unaccounted For’ (Video)

Of the $9.1bn allocated to the Pentagon for development in Iraq, $8.7bn is not ‘properly accounted for’—$2.6bn for which there are no records at all—according to a audit by the Spc.I.G. for Iraq reconstruction. “The report also said the U.S. military continues to hold at least $34.3 million of the fund, even though it was required to return it to the Iraqi government in December 2007,” Ernesto Londoño reported last week at The Washington Post after stating: “U.S. officials failed to create bank accounts for $8.7 billion in the Development Fund for Iraq, as mandated by the Department of Treasury”.

“Inside Story”, hosted by Mike Hanna at Al Jazeera English, discussed with:

• Mundher Adhami, an analyst on Iraqi affairs;
• Jeremy Carver, a board member of Tranparency International; and
• Scott Lucas, a professor of American Studies at the University of Birmingham and editor of Enduring America.com

Mr. Adhami and Mr. Carver are right—this was no “blunder”, but a “deliberate effort”. Government accounting flaws, especially relating to international affairs, are calculated under-rug sweepings. the blunder is when the rug is lifted. Mr. Lucas added that, “ironically”, the policies to create what the U.S. calling a “free market economy” were antithetical to that of a free market, though still very different from the “State-controlled economy under Saddam Hussein” (24:41):