Showing posts with label US ECONOMY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US ECONOMY. Show all posts

9 Oct 2009


From its politics to its economy to its environment and way of life, California is like a patient on life support. At the start of summer the state government was so deeply in debt that it began to issue IOUs instead of wages. Its unemployment rate has soared to more than 12%, the highest figure in 70 years. Desperate to pay off a crippling budget deficit, California is slashing spending in education and healthcare, laying off vast numbers of workers and forcing others to take unpaid leave. In a state made up of sprawling suburbs the collapse of the housing bubble has impoverished millions and kicked tens of thousands of families out of their homes. Its political system is locked in paralysis and the two-term rule of former movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger is seen as a disaster – his approval ratings having sunk to levels that would make George W Bush blush. The crisis is so deep that Professor Kevin Starr, who has written an acclaimed history of the state, recently declared: "California is on the verge of becoming the first failed state in America." WRITES The Observer's Paul Harris.

15 Apr 2009


The Obama administration has issued a chilling warning to US police forces about the threat of a rise in violent rightwing extremist groups fuelled by recession, the return of disgruntled army veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, and hostility over the election of the first black president.

The internal report, which was not meant for publication, was drawn up by the department of homeland security, set up after the 9/11 attacks to co-ordinate internal security.

A leaked copy says: "The economic downturn and the election of the first African-American president present unique drivers for rightwing radicalisation and recruitment."

It adds that the threat posed by "lone wolves" and small terrorist cells is more pronounced than in past years.

The report generated criticism from Republicans and military veterans' groups, who resented the implication that returning troops presented a danger. The American Legion called it "unfair", "incomplete" and "politically motivated".

Marked "for official use only", the nine-page report was drawn up by the extremism and radicalisation branch of homeland security. A leaked copy initially appeared on conservative websites and was then picked up by the US media.

The assessment contends: "Rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalise returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat. These skills ... have the potential to boost the capabilities of extremists, including 'lone wolves or small terrorist cells', to carry out violence. The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today."

The early 1990s saw a rise in militias and cults that were anti-government and anti-Bill Clinton, against a background of economic recession. Some looked to survivalism; others were motivated by racism or religion. There was a series of incidents and shoot-outs with federal agents, including the Waco siege in 1993 and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

David Rehbein, national commander of the American Legion, which has 2.6 million members, today protested in a letter to the homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, at the implication that troops presented a danger, saying: "I think it is important for all of us to remember that Americans are not the enemy. The terrorists are. The American Legion is well aware and horrified at the pain inflicted during the Oklahoma City bombing, but Timothy McVeigh was only one of more than 42 million veterans who have worn this nation's uniform during wartime. To continue to use McVeigh as an example of the stereotypical 'disgruntled military veteran' is as unfair as using Osama bin Laden as the sole example of Islam."

The report says that threats from white supremacist and violent anti-government groups have been largely rhetorical so far, but a prolonged economic downturn "could create a fertile recruiting environment for rightwing extremists".

It adds: "Rightwing extremists have capitalised on the election of the first African-American president, and are focusing their efforts to recruit new members, mobilise existing supporters, and broaden their scope and appeal through propaganda." In particular it highlights antagonism at Obama's perceived stance on issues ranging from immigration to social programmes for minorities and proposed firearms limits. Since the election, rightwing extremists have been using propaganda to reach potential recruits.

It cites as an example of potential violence that could have been related to rightwing extremism the shooting of three police officers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this month. The alleged gunman was reportedly influenced by racist ideology and anti-government and anti-Jewish conspiracy theories. Internet chatter by rightwing extremists blames some job losses on a cabal of Jewish financial elites.

SOURCE: The Guardian


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