September 18, 2012
- Doug Hagmann
Source:Canada Free Press.Com
oo few Americans are prepared for what’s coming our way. We are facing a grave crisis that will have a dramatic effect on every American citizen, our national security and our very way of life. It is the asymmetrical warfare of financial terrorism, and the U.S. politicians, the central bankers, the global leaders are the terrorists. Sound harsh? Absolutely. Frightening? Although a healthy dose of fear is indeed warranted, it should not paralyze you, but compel you to act. Preparation is an effective antidote for fear.
But prepare for what? I’ll admit that I was never that good in Economics classes as I found them to be very boring. Even today, I find the talk of derivatives, toxic assets, off balance sheet loans, and so on to be complex and hard to follow. I suspect I’m not alone in thinking this way. It was not until gas reached almost $5.00 per gallon in 2008 and I realized that I had “more month than money” that I wanted to know everything I could about what’s going on in the financial world.
Having accepted that I’m only good at a few things, one being an investigator, I decided to spend as much time as possible investigating the who, what, when, where, why and how behind our current economic situation. Why are we going broke as a nation, and why are we, as Americans, running out of money before the end of the month while our standard of living declines as well?
What I found disturbed and alarmed me. The challenge now is to articulate my findings so everyone is able to understand given the complexity of the subject. That’s no reflection on you as a reader, but an indictment of our elected and appointed “leaders” who deliberately cover their greed and financial criminal activity by talking in a manner that only a select few can understand. However, one thing I understand is fraud, which is what is being perpetuated on everyone reading these words. Hopefully, I’ll be able to convey the urgency at hand, and plainly explain how we are being systematically robbed and looted, and the fallout that will result.
The Bernanke announcement
In the event you missed the financial news last week as a result of the coverage from the Middle East tinderbox, the Federal Reserve under Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announced round three of bond purchases, or QE3, for an indefinite period. An open-ended purchase by the Federal Reserve of U.S. Treasury bonds, or our country’s debt to the tune of $40 billion per month. This is in addition “Operation Twist,” which is a program where the Federal Reserve is already buying $45 billion in long term bonds, scheduled to last through the end of the year.
Perhaps you’re thinking, so what? What does that have to do with me? Perhaps you’ve read today’s Washington Post article by Sharon Jenkins titled “Fed action a welcome move for small businesses,” that explains why we should be grateful to Bernanke for this monetary policy. Additionally, the mainstream media continues to tell us we are in a recovery, and that job growth and our overall financial health is improving. My only question for Ms. Jenkins is whether she actually believes what she is writing because the unbiased truth, based on my investigative findings, resembles nothing in her article.
Her article reminds me of a quote attributed to Henry Ford: “It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” That is my belief as well.
The actions of Ben Bernanke, the Federal Reserve, the Obama administration, with the blessings of nearly every elected and appointed official just sealed the demise of the U.S. dollar by launching an indefinite round of creating digital money, backed by nothing, for the purpose of buying our own debt. Doing so ultimately makes our paper money worth less and soon to be worthless. In other words, it will take more money to buy food, gas, clothes, school supplies and pay for all goods and services.
Everyone with U.S. dollars in pension plans, savings and retirement accounts are about to lose much, if not all of their savings. Why? Because by creating more digital money from nothing will significantly devalue the dollar to the extent that it will take more and more of them to pay for the same goods and services yesterday, last week, last month and last year. We are witnessing a state sanctioned Ponzi scheme that is nearing its end, as the process will ultimately collapse upon itself. It is now a mathematical certainty.
I must be clear that this is not a Republican-Democrat issue as both sides of the political divide are equally responsible for our coming demise. Furthermore, the financial fraud did not begin with Obama, but was accelerated by his policies and every elected official who has remained silent, regardless of their political affiliation. Nonetheless, the biggest benefactors in the short term, meaning until or after the November 2012 U.S. elections, are the incumbent politicians, including but not limited to Obama.
Wait, you might ask, isn’t this latest action simply an extension of our monetary policy that’s been employed for the last few years? The answer is not really. Fed actions such as QE1 and QE2 (creating money from nothing parts 1 and 2) were at least limited in scope. They had time and dollar limits. Bernanke’s latest action is basically telling the public, without really telling us, that nothing more can be done for the patient that is the American economy. We are out of options.
How everything changed
We are borrowing money to pay for prior debt created by fraudulent banking practices that was a direct result of the repealing of the Glass-Steagall Act. For those unfamiliar with the Glass-Steagall Act, it was signed into law in 1933 and (for the sake of brevity) prevented banks from becoming the equivalent of casinos, using your money to place bets. While one may cite the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913 as the beginning of the end, I’ve omitted this for the sake of brevity.
Anyway, a lot of things happened between 1933 and 1999, when the Glass-Steagall Act was repealed and replaced with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999. The GLBA had nearly bipartisan support and was signed into law on November 12, 1999 by former President Clinton. One major event took place on a hot summer night in August, 1971 when then-President Richard Nixon took the U.S. off the gold standard. Those old enough to recall that change might remember that Nixon interrupted an episode of Bonanza to make his announcement.
Perhaps as a sign of the stupor of the American public, people were more upset over the pre-emption of the weekly television series than the announcement itself. It seems nothing has changed. In fact, people today seem to be in a much deeper, pharmaceutically induced slumber.
To illustrate how quickly we are headed for financial collapse, please consider the following. Since 2008, our national debt has risen more than 60% to more than $16 trillion. During that same period, the median net worth of American families dropped from $126,400 to $77,300 (in 2010) and even less today. The real unemployment rate, if Obama and his financial wizards had not changed how the number is calculated, is 11.2 percent. Using methods for calculating unemployment from years ago, that number would actually exceed 20 percent. Also, the net worth of every American has taken a tremendous downward hit since 2008. In 2008, just over 19 percent of all American families had a net worth of zero or less. That number jumped dramatically to 32.5 percent in 2010, and is even greater today. This alone shows should sufficiently illustrate that the middle class is under attack.
Again, it is important to understand that this process has been implemented with the consent of both political parties, and is unlikely to change before an economic implosion occurs.
The financial end-game
What we are seeing here is the orchestrated attack on the American dollar by our own government officials and elected leaders. But why? As an investigator, I could not figure out the motive of our own leaders deliberately tanking our economy. Is it greed? Well, that’s part of it, as much of the money being pumped into the economy is winding up in the coffers of the “too big to fail” (too big to jail, apparently) banks and financial institutions. They are controlling the money supply and by doing so, the population.
There is an overriding aspect that exceeds greed as a motive, and that’s power. Unbridled, evil and unchecked power by a group of globalists and a compliment of co-conspirator bankers who bring down countries by debasing their currencies.
When the news hit yesterday that U.S. automaker General Motors wanted out from under government control and the U.S., under Obama, said no, the plan that is afoot began to become even clearer. I immediately recalled a book (found during my research) titled The Vampire Economy by Guenter Reimann. Written in 1939, Mr. Reimann explains how under Hitler, the Nazis steamrolled the German economy through the very tactics we are seeing today. They destroyed their own economy at the expense of the private sector, and nationalized the remaining portion of the economy.
Perhaps even more disconcerting is that The Vampire Economy is the subject of a book originally published in 1956 by Carl J. Friedrich and Zbigniew Brzezinski titled Totalitarian Dictatorship and Autocracy. The work reads like a blueprint for the globalist agenda we are seeing playing out today.
Therefore the motive for the complete destruction of the American dollar, it would appear, is to create a global currency to replace the defunct dollar, deliberately destroyed at the hands of those in power today and in recent years. In addition to greed, the motive is ultimate power and control.
The means is through the implementation and subsequent debasement of a fiat currency, done under the cover (or perhaps through) maintaining perpetual war, much like what has been detailed in the two books referenced above. War and the more recent threat of terrorist activities also provides the opportunity to implement an authoritarian or even totalitarian form of government, which we see taking place in the form of 360 degrees of surveillance, the implementation of the NDAA, and other measures that will become useful during the coming economic collapse.
In summary, we’ve been set up, and continue to be set up, by every elected and appointed official in power on a national level today.
Prepare
How does one prepare for what’s coming? First, don’t listen to the corporate media, for they are the lapdogs for those who are engineering our destruction. Question everything, especially the various economic numbers being tossed around and the assertion that our economy is in a “recovery.” We are being lied to. Please do your own research and homework about what’s best for your own situation.
Also, stock up on food items and consumables that you will need for an extended period, and be prepared to protect them as well. Most importantly, become mentally and spiritually prepared for the times ahead.
Doug Hagmann
Douglas J. Hagmann and his son, Joe Hagmann host The Hagmann & Hagmann Report, a live Internet radio program broadcast each weeknight from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET.
Douglas Hagmann, founder & director of the Northeast Intelligence Network, and a multi-state licensed private investigative agency. Doug began using his investigative skills and training to fight terrorism and increase public awareness through his website.
Doug can be reached at: director@homelandsecurityus.com
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood to boycott early elections
13 July 2012
Source:BBC News Middle East
Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood has said its political party, the Islamic Action Front, will boycott early parliamentary elections due by the end of the year.
The Islamists said recent changes to the election law did not go far enough, and warned of further public protests.
But they said they might reverse the decision if there were serious reforms.
A boycott would be a blow for King Abdullah, who has promised reform in the hope of avoiding anti-government unrest in the wake of the Arab Spring.
Two-ballot row
The Brotherhood said the decision for the Islamic Action Front (IAF) to boycott the elections was approved by the organisation's advisory council.
"The regime has failed to meet reform demands by Jordanians, including the Islamist movement," the Brotherhood's deputy leader, Zaki Bani Rusheid, told the AFP news agency.
The main dispute is over the new electoral law, which allows each voter two separate ballots: one for representatives from local districts and one for candidates competing under a proportional representation at the national level.
But the Brotherhood - and other opposition movements - says an increase of seats allocated for party candidates in the 140-strong lower house of parliament - from 17 to 27 - is not enough.
The Brotherhood is reportedly pressing for at least 30% of the seats in the House of Representatives to be contested under proportional representation.
It argues that the local district system favours tribal candidates.
The IAF boycotted the last elections in 2010, saying it was marginalised at the expense of supporters of King Abdullah.
Correspondents say the Brotherhood's latest move is likely to pile more pressure on King Abdullah, as his promised political and economic reforms appear to be stalling.
While demonstrations have been generally smaller and more peaceful than elsewhere in the region, Jordanians have been pressing for a greater say in how their country is run, and demanding corruption and unemployment be tackled.
Source:BBC News Middle East
Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood has said its political party, the Islamic Action Front, will boycott early parliamentary elections due by the end of the year.
The Islamists said recent changes to the election law did not go far enough, and warned of further public protests.
But they said they might reverse the decision if there were serious reforms.
A boycott would be a blow for King Abdullah, who has promised reform in the hope of avoiding anti-government unrest in the wake of the Arab Spring.
Two-ballot row
The Brotherhood said the decision for the Islamic Action Front (IAF) to boycott the elections was approved by the organisation's advisory council.
"The regime has failed to meet reform demands by Jordanians, including the Islamist movement," the Brotherhood's deputy leader, Zaki Bani Rusheid, told the AFP news agency.
The main dispute is over the new electoral law, which allows each voter two separate ballots: one for representatives from local districts and one for candidates competing under a proportional representation at the national level.
But the Brotherhood - and other opposition movements - says an increase of seats allocated for party candidates in the 140-strong lower house of parliament - from 17 to 27 - is not enough.
The Brotherhood is reportedly pressing for at least 30% of the seats in the House of Representatives to be contested under proportional representation.
It argues that the local district system favours tribal candidates.
The IAF boycotted the last elections in 2010, saying it was marginalised at the expense of supporters of King Abdullah.
Correspondents say the Brotherhood's latest move is likely to pile more pressure on King Abdullah, as his promised political and economic reforms appear to be stalling.
While demonstrations have been generally smaller and more peaceful than elsewhere in the region, Jordanians have been pressing for a greater say in how their country is run, and demanding corruption and unemployment be tackled.
Simmering anger among Jordan opposition
24 August 2012
By Shaimaa Khalil BBC News, Amman
Source: BBC News Middle East
Egypt and Tunisia have become examples of how political Islam continues to gain clout in the wake of the Arab Spring.
In Syria there are many questions about what a post Bashar al-Assad leadership will look like and whether the Muslim Brotherhood will finally find their way to power there.
But in Jordan it is a different story. Despite being the largest and most organised opposition force, here the Muslim Brotherhood struggle to gain any political power.
Their aim is to follow the lead of their parent movement in Egypt.
After 80 years, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt are not just a part of mainstream politics. They are the mainstream; Egypt's new president Mohammed Mursi comes from the heart of the movement.
The Brotherhood in Jordan are different. For one, they have never been as harshly persecuted by the system as their Egyptian counterparts.
But they have also never seemed to gain as much political power.
They rally people in the streets in big numbers. But the peaceful demonstrations, as they always describe them, seem to go no further.
Flawed law?
The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), has been organising the rallies for over a year now.
The demands have been the same since the demonstrations began: political reform, fighting corruption and modifying Jordan's controversial election law.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
We will not take part in forged elections”
Hamza Mansour Islamic Action Front
The Brotherhood claim the law does not allow fair representation.
Hamza Mansour, secretary general of the IAF, insists that they will boycott early parliamentary elections due by the end of the year.
"We will not take part in forged elections. This elections law does exactly that," he said.
"We have agreed on another draft law with the other political powers that gives a fair representation, taking into consideration each constituency's population and geography."
The Brotherhood have a very large support base in some of the constituencies and were planning to field more than one candidate in the hope of more seats in the parliament.
But the election law does not allow them to do so as it only allows one vote per constituency.
Their opponents say the Muslim Brotherhood want a law that serves them and only them.
But this is not Jordan's only problem and the Muslim Brotherhood is not the only strand of opposition here.
Poster-burning
Anger on the street led to what many Jordanians here called "the unthinkable".
Oday Abu Issa is a 19-year-old Jordanian student who describes himself as part of a popular youth opposition movement.
He was jailed for two months after burning a poster of King Abdullah last January.
This was the first incident of its kind and Oday says he wanted to send a message to the leadership.
"They continue to marginalise the opposition forces," he says.
"They don't recognise any opposition movement except the Islamists. This will provoke even more anger in the street.
"Opposition is not just the Islamists. We have nationalist, leftist, popular and youth movements, and they need to talk to all of us."
But unlike Egypt and Tunisia, the youth movements in Jordan have so far not been able to make a real difference.
They are still not popular or relevant enough on the Jordanian street.
"The problem is we still don't have a clear plan and a comprehensive programme," Oday says.
"There are many of us and we come from different backgrounds. We need a clear roadmap to unite us."
Tribal anger
The deteriorating economy and the diminishing role of the public sector have affected other groups of Jordanian society, including the tribes, who have always been known for their allegiance to the King and the government.
Jumana Ghneimat is editor-in-chief of the Jordanian Ghad newspaper. She says the anger among the tribes is a dangerous development.
"The tribes feel abandoned.
"They have long depended on a support system that has been provided to them by the King and the government and now they are asked to depend on themselves without the proper means to do so."
She goes on: "It started for economic reasons but now, they too are asking for political change.
"I think that the leadership's problems with the tribes are much more dangerous than its political brawls with the Muslim Brotherhood."
The government meanwhile has said that it will not change the election law and that it is up to the Muslim Brotherhood and the rest of the opposition to take part in the political process.
But this does not satisfy an already very frustrated public, who see no end in sight for their economic problems.
Jordan's limited resources are being stretched still further with the growing number of Syrian refugees entering the country every day.
By Shaimaa Khalil BBC News, Amman
Source: BBC News Middle East
Egypt and Tunisia have become examples of how political Islam continues to gain clout in the wake of the Arab Spring.
In Syria there are many questions about what a post Bashar al-Assad leadership will look like and whether the Muslim Brotherhood will finally find their way to power there.
But in Jordan it is a different story. Despite being the largest and most organised opposition force, here the Muslim Brotherhood struggle to gain any political power.
Their aim is to follow the lead of their parent movement in Egypt.
After 80 years, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt are not just a part of mainstream politics. They are the mainstream; Egypt's new president Mohammed Mursi comes from the heart of the movement.
The Brotherhood in Jordan are different. For one, they have never been as harshly persecuted by the system as their Egyptian counterparts.
But they have also never seemed to gain as much political power.
They rally people in the streets in big numbers. But the peaceful demonstrations, as they always describe them, seem to go no further.
Flawed law?
The Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), has been organising the rallies for over a year now.
The demands have been the same since the demonstrations began: political reform, fighting corruption and modifying Jordan's controversial election law.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote
We will not take part in forged elections”
Hamza Mansour Islamic Action Front
The Brotherhood claim the law does not allow fair representation.
Hamza Mansour, secretary general of the IAF, insists that they will boycott early parliamentary elections due by the end of the year.
"We will not take part in forged elections. This elections law does exactly that," he said.
"We have agreed on another draft law with the other political powers that gives a fair representation, taking into consideration each constituency's population and geography."
The Brotherhood have a very large support base in some of the constituencies and were planning to field more than one candidate in the hope of more seats in the parliament.
But the election law does not allow them to do so as it only allows one vote per constituency.
Their opponents say the Muslim Brotherhood want a law that serves them and only them.
But this is not Jordan's only problem and the Muslim Brotherhood is not the only strand of opposition here.
Poster-burning
Anger on the street led to what many Jordanians here called "the unthinkable".
Oday Abu Issa is a 19-year-old Jordanian student who describes himself as part of a popular youth opposition movement.
He was jailed for two months after burning a poster of King Abdullah last January.
This was the first incident of its kind and Oday says he wanted to send a message to the leadership.
"They continue to marginalise the opposition forces," he says.
"They don't recognise any opposition movement except the Islamists. This will provoke even more anger in the street.
"Opposition is not just the Islamists. We have nationalist, leftist, popular and youth movements, and they need to talk to all of us."
But unlike Egypt and Tunisia, the youth movements in Jordan have so far not been able to make a real difference.
They are still not popular or relevant enough on the Jordanian street.
"The problem is we still don't have a clear plan and a comprehensive programme," Oday says.
"There are many of us and we come from different backgrounds. We need a clear roadmap to unite us."
Tribal anger
The deteriorating economy and the diminishing role of the public sector have affected other groups of Jordanian society, including the tribes, who have always been known for their allegiance to the King and the government.
Jumana Ghneimat is editor-in-chief of the Jordanian Ghad newspaper. She says the anger among the tribes is a dangerous development.
"The tribes feel abandoned.
"They have long depended on a support system that has been provided to them by the King and the government and now they are asked to depend on themselves without the proper means to do so."
She goes on: "It started for economic reasons but now, they too are asking for political change.
"I think that the leadership's problems with the tribes are much more dangerous than its political brawls with the Muslim Brotherhood."
The government meanwhile has said that it will not change the election law and that it is up to the Muslim Brotherhood and the rest of the opposition to take part in the political process.
But this does not satisfy an already very frustrated public, who see no end in sight for their economic problems.
Jordan's limited resources are being stretched still further with the growing number of Syrian refugees entering the country every day.
Jordanian authorities 'suppressing free speech'
25 April 2012
Source: BBC News Middle East
The Jordanian authorities are violating people's right to free speech and undermining the credibility of reform efforts, a human rights group has said.
Human Rights Watch said a journalist and the publisher of the Gerasa News website had been charged with "subverting the system of government".
The charges related to an article about King Abdullah's alleged intervention in a corruption investigation, it added.
HRW said the case was the fifth such incident in Arab kingdom this year.
Sahar al-Muhtasab and her brother Jamal al-Muhtasab, who both worked for Gerasa News, had been charged on 23 April, a statement said.
They had both worked on an article that quoted a member of parliament as saying King Abdullah had issued instructions to members of a parliamentary committee not to refer a former minister to court on corruption charges.
Ms Muhtasab told HRW that a military prosecutor at the State Security Court had insisted King Abdullah was at the forefront of the fight against corruption, and that it was forbidden to imply otherwise.
Christoph Wilcke Human Rights Watch
The prosecutor charged them both with "subverting the system of government in the kingdom", a crime that article 149 of Jordan's penal code punishes with hard labour.
Ms Muhtasab was released on 5,000 Jordanian dinars' ($7,050; £4,366) bail, but the prosecutor ordered her brother detained without bail for 14 days at a prison in the city of Salt, west of Amman, where he remains.
Christoph Wilcke, HRW's senior Middle East researcher, said: "Jordan cannot claim to be making democratic reforms while prosecutors hunt down journalists doing their job."
The incident is the latest in a series in which people have faced charges for making speeches or attending demonstrations deemed critical of the government.
In January, a man was charged with "undermining his majesty's dignity" for burning a poster of King Abdullah. A former MP was charged the following month with "advocating a republican form of government". And in March, two separate groups of protesters were arrested in Amman.
"Jordan's talk of reform is meaningless as long as the law deprives citizens of meeting and speaking freely, especially about politics and their leaders," Mr Wilcke said. "The kingdom risks earning a reputation for repression and intolerance."
Source: BBC News Middle East
The Jordanian authorities are violating people's right to free speech and undermining the credibility of reform efforts, a human rights group has said.
Human Rights Watch said a journalist and the publisher of the Gerasa News website had been charged with "subverting the system of government".
The charges related to an article about King Abdullah's alleged intervention in a corruption investigation, it added.
HRW said the case was the fifth such incident in Arab kingdom this year.
Sahar al-Muhtasab and her brother Jamal al-Muhtasab, who both worked for Gerasa News, had been charged on 23 April, a statement said.
They had both worked on an article that quoted a member of parliament as saying King Abdullah had issued instructions to members of a parliamentary committee not to refer a former minister to court on corruption charges.
Ms Muhtasab told HRW that a military prosecutor at the State Security Court had insisted King Abdullah was at the forefront of the fight against corruption, and that it was forbidden to imply otherwise.
Christoph Wilcke Human Rights Watch
The prosecutor charged them both with "subverting the system of government in the kingdom", a crime that article 149 of Jordan's penal code punishes with hard labour.
Ms Muhtasab was released on 5,000 Jordanian dinars' ($7,050; £4,366) bail, but the prosecutor ordered her brother detained without bail for 14 days at a prison in the city of Salt, west of Amman, where he remains.
Christoph Wilcke, HRW's senior Middle East researcher, said: "Jordan cannot claim to be making democratic reforms while prosecutors hunt down journalists doing their job."
The incident is the latest in a series in which people have faced charges for making speeches or attending demonstrations deemed critical of the government.
In January, a man was charged with "undermining his majesty's dignity" for burning a poster of King Abdullah. A former MP was charged the following month with "advocating a republican form of government". And in March, two separate groups of protesters were arrested in Amman.
"Jordan's talk of reform is meaningless as long as the law deprives citizens of meeting and speaking freely, especially about politics and their leaders," Mr Wilcke said. "The kingdom risks earning a reputation for repression and intolerance."
Jordan's King Abdullah endorses controversial media law
18 September 2012
Source: BBC News Middle East
Jordan's King Abdullah of has endorsed a new media law which critics say will stifle freedom of expression online.
The legislation requires "electronic publications" in Jordan to get a licence from the government.
It also gives the authorities the power to block and censor websites, whose owners will be held responsible for comments posted on them.
Human Rights Watch accused the government of using such legislation to "go after opponents and critics".
Media professionals and ordinary citizens regularly found themselves charged with and convicted of criminal offences related to speech, it said.
In April, the State Security Court military prosecutor detained the editor of the Gerasa News website for trying to "undermine the system of government" after it published an article about the king's alleged intervention in a corruption investigation.
The case remains open but the trial has not yet started.
'Check the truth'
Human Rights Watch said the dangers of the amendments to the Press and Publications Law endorsed on Monday arose from its vague definition of the "electronic publications" which would be affected, the new executive power to block websites, and the unreasonable restrictions on online content, including comments posted by website users.
The legislation's definition of electronic publication is "an electronic site on the internet with a fixed address that offers publication services".
Any that publish "news, investigations, articles, or comments, which have to do with the internal or external affairs of the kingdom" must register with the commerce ministry and get a licence from the culture ministry.
The culture ministry will have the authority to block websites that are either unlicensed or deemed to be in violation of any law, and to close the website's offices without providing a reason or obtaining a court order.
The owner, editor and director of an electronic publication will share the responsibility for comments posted on their website, and be obliged not to publish any "containing information or facts unrelated to the news item or if the truth has not been checked", or if they "violate laws".
"The government has not shown a valid reason for prohibiting user comments that are deemed unrelated to the item that triggered the comment, a prohibition that appears to be arbitrary interference in the right to free expression," HRW said.
"Obliging website managers to check the truth of comments is also not a valid restriction on freedom of speech, which includes the freedom to express unproven statements or even falsehoods."
The Associated Press estimated that about 400 Jordanian websites would be affected by the new law.
The Press and Publications Law and the penal code already criminalise defamation, including libel and slander, including against entities that are not people, such as government institutions, symbols and religions.
Source: BBC News Middle East
Jordan's King Abdullah of has endorsed a new media law which critics say will stifle freedom of expression online.
The legislation requires "electronic publications" in Jordan to get a licence from the government.
It also gives the authorities the power to block and censor websites, whose owners will be held responsible for comments posted on them.
Human Rights Watch accused the government of using such legislation to "go after opponents and critics".
Media professionals and ordinary citizens regularly found themselves charged with and convicted of criminal offences related to speech, it said.
In April, the State Security Court military prosecutor detained the editor of the Gerasa News website for trying to "undermine the system of government" after it published an article about the king's alleged intervention in a corruption investigation.
The case remains open but the trial has not yet started.
'Check the truth'
Human Rights Watch said the dangers of the amendments to the Press and Publications Law endorsed on Monday arose from its vague definition of the "electronic publications" which would be affected, the new executive power to block websites, and the unreasonable restrictions on online content, including comments posted by website users.
The legislation's definition of electronic publication is "an electronic site on the internet with a fixed address that offers publication services".
Any that publish "news, investigations, articles, or comments, which have to do with the internal or external affairs of the kingdom" must register with the commerce ministry and get a licence from the culture ministry.
The culture ministry will have the authority to block websites that are either unlicensed or deemed to be in violation of any law, and to close the website's offices without providing a reason or obtaining a court order.
The owner, editor and director of an electronic publication will share the responsibility for comments posted on their website, and be obliged not to publish any "containing information or facts unrelated to the news item or if the truth has not been checked", or if they "violate laws".
"The government has not shown a valid reason for prohibiting user comments that are deemed unrelated to the item that triggered the comment, a prohibition that appears to be arbitrary interference in the right to free expression," HRW said.
"Obliging website managers to check the truth of comments is also not a valid restriction on freedom of speech, which includes the freedom to express unproven statements or even falsehoods."
The Associated Press estimated that about 400 Jordanian websites would be affected by the new law.
The Press and Publications Law and the penal code already criminalise defamation, including libel and slander, including against entities that are not people, such as government institutions, symbols and religions.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Telling Lies About Allah
September 17,2012
written by: Sheila Quinn
Source: Lessons from The Qur'an and Sunneh
Qur'an: " But say not-for any false thing that your tongues may put forth-'This is lawful, and this is forbidden' so as to ascribe false things to Allah. For those who ascribe false things to Allah, will never prosper."
"In such falsehood is but a paltry profit; but they will have a most grievous chastisement" (Sura "Al Nahl" ("The Bee") #16; aya'an (verses) # 116-117
The Guidance of Allah was completed during the "Farewell Pilgrimage" (The Last Pilgrimage), before the death of Prophet Muhammad. Therefore anything that came after his death is misguidance. What came after his death? Taqlid, mathahab, fatwa, and ijtihad came after his death. All of them are misguidance. Taqlid is shirk. Any Muslim who is involved in taqlid is involved in shirk, and therefore is a mushrik- a polytheist. Mathahab comes from taqlid, and therefore because taqlid is shirk mathahab is also shirk. Fatwa and ijtihad are misguidance. They came after the guidance was completed. That in itself, makes them misguidance. But, there is something else which also makes them misguidance. "But say not-for any false thing that your tongues may put forth- 'This is lawful, and this is forbidden' so as to ascribe false things to Allah..." This is additional evidence from The Qur'an, Itself, that fatwa and ijtihad are not only outside of Islam- but are totally unacceptable to Allah.
written by: Sheila Quinn
Source: Lessons from The Qur'an and Sunneh
Qur'an: " But say not-for any false thing that your tongues may put forth-'This is lawful, and this is forbidden' so as to ascribe false things to Allah. For those who ascribe false things to Allah, will never prosper."
"In such falsehood is but a paltry profit; but they will have a most grievous chastisement" (Sura "Al Nahl" ("The Bee") #16; aya'an (verses) # 116-117
The Guidance of Allah was completed during the "Farewell Pilgrimage" (The Last Pilgrimage), before the death of Prophet Muhammad. Therefore anything that came after his death is misguidance. What came after his death? Taqlid, mathahab, fatwa, and ijtihad came after his death. All of them are misguidance. Taqlid is shirk. Any Muslim who is involved in taqlid is involved in shirk, and therefore is a mushrik- a polytheist. Mathahab comes from taqlid, and therefore because taqlid is shirk mathahab is also shirk. Fatwa and ijtihad are misguidance. They came after the guidance was completed. That in itself, makes them misguidance. But, there is something else which also makes them misguidance. "But say not-for any false thing that your tongues may put forth- 'This is lawful, and this is forbidden' so as to ascribe false things to Allah..." This is additional evidence from The Qur'an, Itself, that fatwa and ijtihad are not only outside of Islam- but are totally unacceptable to Allah.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
DDoS attack on GoDaddy takes down millions of websites; Here's how to receive urgent alerts from NaturalNews even if DNS is attacked or seized
September 10, 2012
by Mike Adams
Source: Natural News
(NaturalNews) A massive DDoS attack struck GoDaddy's name servers today, temporarily plunging thousands of websites into the internet abyss. "GoDaddy, the massive Web hosting company, went down on Monday, taking an untold number of websites with it," reported CNN.
Mashable.com reported, "The more problematic part is that any domain registered with GoDaddy that uses its nameservers and DNS records are also down. This means that even if you host your site elsewhere, using GoDaddy for DNS means it is inaccessible."
PC World reports: "In a YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPGBZWGUE2g), secretive hacking group Anonymous has taken credit for the outage, claiming the move is a reaction to the company's support of the U.S. government's efforts "to censor and control the Internet," through its support of the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA)."
But claiming Anonymous did this attack may be false, it turns out. The apparent attacker said, himself, that he was not affiliated with the Anonymous collective:
"It is not Anonymous collective it's only me. Don't use Anonymous collective name on it, just my name," wrote Twitter user Anonymous Own3r. (http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/09/10/every-godaddy-registered-site-...)
Most likely scenario? A false flag cyber security attack in order to provide the excuse for Obama to sign a freedom-killing executive order focused on "cyber security."
The attack has taken down GoDaddy's website, DNS servers, phone support and email accounts. It's almost as if a nuclear bomb went off at GoDaddy headquarters. This attack appears to be hugely successful from the point of view of Anonymous hackers, although it's not clear why GoDaddy was targeted in particular.
GoDaddy manages 48 million domains spanning more than 9 million customers. The failure of its DNS likely means that millions of websites were taken offline.
Domain Name Servers are a known vulnerability
Domain Name Servers are a well-known vulnerability of the internet infrastructure. As this attack by Anonymous has masterfully demonstrated, DNS provides a centralized single point of attack that, if penetrated, can bring down literally millions of websites.
DNS also provides a single point of government seizure, where rogue governments that hate free speech can take control over websites by commandeering their DNS records.
For these reasons, you need to know how to reach NaturalNews.com even if DNS is compromised
There is a workaround to DNS. You can bypass it and go straight to NaturalNews by simply entering the following "IP address" into your browser:
174.132.185.226
This is the equivalent of typing "NaturalNews.com" into your browser and it will work even if Domain Name Servers are being hacked or seized. This IP address will take you right to our website. It is our "digital address" recognized by all web browsers.
WRITE THIS NUMBER DOWN on a piece of paper and carry it in your wallet or purse. Even if the Domain Name Servers are illegally seized by the government in an assault on the freedom of the press -- or if they're brought down by hackers as was demonstrated today -- you can still use the IP address to reach us.
If NaturalNews.com appears to be unreachable during a crisis event, revert to using the numbers instead of the name, and the site will likely respond.
An even better way: Subscribe to our email newsletter
An even better way to make sure you can hear from us is to subscribe to our FREE email newsletter (see subscription form below).
Email is virtually impossible for anyone to block. Unless there's a nuclear holocaust or something, we will always be able to email you with the latest alerts and information, even if our web servers are hacked or physically taken offline.
Even if you don't want to read our email newsletter each day, simply staying subscribed is valuable because we will be able to reach you with urgent alerts about what's really happening.
We don't sell email addresses to anyone. Your privacy is completely protected, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribing to our email newsletter is your way of allowing us to reach you even in a crisis, a seizure, or a hack attack.
by Mike Adams
Source: Natural News
(NaturalNews) A massive DDoS attack struck GoDaddy's name servers today, temporarily plunging thousands of websites into the internet abyss. "GoDaddy, the massive Web hosting company, went down on Monday, taking an untold number of websites with it," reported CNN.
Mashable.com reported, "The more problematic part is that any domain registered with GoDaddy that uses its nameservers and DNS records are also down. This means that even if you host your site elsewhere, using GoDaddy for DNS means it is inaccessible."
PC World reports: "In a YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPGBZWGUE2g), secretive hacking group Anonymous has taken credit for the outage, claiming the move is a reaction to the company's support of the U.S. government's efforts "to censor and control the Internet," through its support of the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA)."
But claiming Anonymous did this attack may be false, it turns out. The apparent attacker said, himself, that he was not affiliated with the Anonymous collective:
"It is not Anonymous collective it's only me. Don't use Anonymous collective name on it, just my name," wrote Twitter user Anonymous Own3r. (http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/09/10/every-godaddy-registered-site-...)
Most likely scenario? A false flag cyber security attack in order to provide the excuse for Obama to sign a freedom-killing executive order focused on "cyber security."
The attack has taken down GoDaddy's website, DNS servers, phone support and email accounts. It's almost as if a nuclear bomb went off at GoDaddy headquarters. This attack appears to be hugely successful from the point of view of Anonymous hackers, although it's not clear why GoDaddy was targeted in particular.
GoDaddy manages 48 million domains spanning more than 9 million customers. The failure of its DNS likely means that millions of websites were taken offline.
Domain Name Servers are a known vulnerability
Domain Name Servers are a well-known vulnerability of the internet infrastructure. As this attack by Anonymous has masterfully demonstrated, DNS provides a centralized single point of attack that, if penetrated, can bring down literally millions of websites.
DNS also provides a single point of government seizure, where rogue governments that hate free speech can take control over websites by commandeering their DNS records.
For these reasons, you need to know how to reach NaturalNews.com even if DNS is compromised
There is a workaround to DNS. You can bypass it and go straight to NaturalNews by simply entering the following "IP address" into your browser:
174.132.185.226
This is the equivalent of typing "NaturalNews.com" into your browser and it will work even if Domain Name Servers are being hacked or seized. This IP address will take you right to our website. It is our "digital address" recognized by all web browsers.
WRITE THIS NUMBER DOWN on a piece of paper and carry it in your wallet or purse. Even if the Domain Name Servers are illegally seized by the government in an assault on the freedom of the press -- or if they're brought down by hackers as was demonstrated today -- you can still use the IP address to reach us.
If NaturalNews.com appears to be unreachable during a crisis event, revert to using the numbers instead of the name, and the site will likely respond.
An even better way: Subscribe to our email newsletter
An even better way to make sure you can hear from us is to subscribe to our FREE email newsletter (see subscription form below).
Email is virtually impossible for anyone to block. Unless there's a nuclear holocaust or something, we will always be able to email you with the latest alerts and information, even if our web servers are hacked or physically taken offline.
Even if you don't want to read our email newsletter each day, simply staying subscribed is valuable because we will be able to reach you with urgent alerts about what's really happening.
We don't sell email addresses to anyone. Your privacy is completely protected, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribing to our email newsletter is your way of allowing us to reach you even in a crisis, a seizure, or a hack attack.
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