Originally Posted by John J. Xenakis

Box or not, Gen-Xers, Boomers and Silents have very different
attitudes towards money, as Einhorn's statement shows.

Like this.


I dedicate this for the banksters. Ben Bernanke also deserves a cell as well.




A new mansion in the Hamptons? Hmmm. Perhaps there's a silver lining to global warming after all. May global warming make the Hamptons a fish rookery.

From teh Wiki , a Boomer.

and the "Orange One', here. Silent, 1938.

*** 14-Feb-13 World View -- Egypt flooding Gaza tunnels to curb smuggling

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Egypt flooding Gaza tunnels to curb smuggling
• Hamas closes hundreds of tunnels from Gaza over health concerns
• Venezuela's Hugo Chavez undergoing 'complex, tough' treatment
• North Korean nuclear test exploits U.S. - China tensions

****
**** Egypt flooding Gaza tunnels to curb smuggling
****


An Arab working outside a smuggling tunnel connecting Gaza with Egypt

For the last five days, Egyptian forces have been flooding with water
the underground tunnels that smugglers in Gaza have dug to allow goods
to reach Gaza without having to pay taxes, or be confiscated if
they're illegal. An estimated 30% of all goods that reach Gaza come
through the tunnels, circumventing the Israeli blockade. Flooding the
tunnels causes them to collapse and makes the unusable. According to
one Gaza resident:

<QUOTE>"Egyptian measures against tunnels have worsened since
the election of Morsi. Our Hamas brothers thought he would open up
Gaza. I guess they were wrong. Perhaps 150 or 200 tunnels have
been shut since the Sinai attack. This is the Morsi
era."<END QUOTE>

Before 2010, there were some 2500-3000 tunnels between Gaza and Egypt,
but the number has shrunk markedly since Israel eased some of the
limits they imposed on imports into Gaza. Reuters

****
**** Hamas closes hundreds of tunnels from Gaza over health concerns
****

What's interesting about this tunnel story is the variety of
explanations being given by different news agencies. Reuters,
quoted above, says that the tunnel flooding is opposed by the
Hamas government in Egypt. However, AFP is reporting that
Hamas and Egypt are cooperating to close the tunnels, because
they're being used to smuggle drugs and other harmful items
into Gaza. According to an unnamed Hamas official:

<QUOTE>"Many of them were closed down because they were used
to smuggle banned materials that harm citizens."<END QUOTE>

Finally, an analysis in Jewish Press says, "Egypt is flooding Gaza
smuggling tunnels, choking off one of Hamas’ biggest sources for money
and placing a virtual siege far more severe than Israel ever created."

We report, you decide. AFP and Jewish Press

****
**** Venezuela's Hugo Chávez undergoing 'complex, tough' treatment
****

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is undergoing “very complex and
tough” medical treatment in Cuba, where he has been hospitalized since
Dec. 11 after undergoing cancer surgery. According to vice president
Nicolas Maduro:

<QUOTE>"Our commander is being subjected to supplementary
treatment, as we have reported, treatments (that are) very complex
and tough. [Chávez is] undergoing alternative treatments ... but
they are complicated and difficult treatments that must – at some
point – end the cycle of his illness."<END QUOTE>

The last report on Chávez's condition was given on January 26. At
that time, his progress was said to be "favorable," though he
continued to have "a certain level of respiratory insufficiency."
Latin American Herald Tribune

****
**** North Korean nuclear test exploits U.S. - China tensions
****

The U.N. Security Council issued "strong condemnations" of North
Korea's nuclear test, but is unlikely to do anything more than issue
statements. China had threatened trade sanctions if North Korea went
ahead with the test, but is now considered unlikely to do anything.
China is unwilling to back any U.N. sanctions on North Korea, for fear
that it could lead to upheaval, causing an outcome that might favor
the U.S., and sending a refugee flood into China. China has even less
flexibility with N. Korea, now that it feels threatened by the
U.S. military "pivot" from Europe to Asia. North Korea is aware of
this tension, and feels free to blatantly disregard China's wishes,
secure in the knowledge that no serious sanctions will be imposed by
anyone. Reuters

KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Egypt, Gaza, Hamas,
Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, Nicolas Maduro,
China, North Korea

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Originally Posted by Ragnarök_62

Like this.


I dedicate this for the banksters. Ben Bernanke also deserves a cell as well.




A new mansion in the Hamptons? Hmmm. Perhaps there's a silver lining to global warming after all. May global warming make the Hamptons a fish rookery.

From teh Wiki , a Boomer.

and the "Orange One', here. Silent, 1938.

Anyone who personally committed fraud, or who knew or should have known
that younger employees in his organization were committing fraud,
deserves a jail cell.

*** 15-Feb-13 World View -- Economists shocked at severe shrinkage of eurozone economy

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Russia's mass arrest of St. Petersburg Muslims raises specter of blowback
• Economists shocked at severe shrinkage of eurozone economy
• S. Korea unveils cruise missile that can strike anywhere in N. Korea

****
**** Russia's mass arrest of St. Petersburg Muslims raises specter of blowback
****


Russian police operation against St. Petersburg mosque (1tv.ru)

Russian police apparently panicked last week and blindly conducted a
large-scale operation target radical Muslim groups in various parts of
St. Petersburg. Reports indicate that as many as 700 Muslims were
detained and questioned. As part of such operations, the police
deliberately break into prayer rooms with their dogs to desecrate
Muslim prayer rugs, infuriating and humiliating the Muslims. Russia's
police were caught by surprise by this enclave of allegedly radical
Muslim groups because they were not from the North Caucasus provinces,
but instead were from the east, including Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The huge operation produced almost no results, though seven Muslims
were deported for having insufficient documentation. This operation
has electrified the Muslim community, and Russia can expect blowback,
possibly in the form of terrorist operations. The attack on the
St. Petersburg mosque was justified because the mosque was
"unauthorized," and Russia is now considering a bill that would make
illegal any unsanctioned prayer services held outside of religious
sites or cemetaries, without permission from authorities.
Jamestown and Russia Today

****
**** Economists shocked at severe shrinkage of eurozone economy
****

The euro zone slipped deeper into recession in the fourth quarter of
2012, much more severely than economists had predicted. Germany's
economy contracted 0.6%, while France's fell 0.3%. Furthermore,
France's figures for the first and second quarters of last year were
revised to negative, indicating negative growth for three of the four
quarters of 2012. This is not a minor thing. All the speeches by
European politicians, all the policies by financial ministers, all the
plans and budgets by analysts -- all of them are based on the
assumption that all the 1980s and 1990s macroeconomic models still
work. As I've said repeatedly, the only models that work today are
the ones from the 1930s, because that was the last generational crisis
era. Alan Greenspan has also pointed out that every macroeconomic
model has been a failure for the last five years. Reuters

****
**** S. Korea unveils cruise missile that can strike anywhere in N. Korea
****

North Korea's nuclear weapon test has changed some of the dynamics in
Asia. The American administration has reaffirmed that it will defend
both South Korea and Japan, honoring previous treaty commitments. But
with North Korea becoming a nuclear weapons state, and with neither
China nor the United Nations able to take any meaningful
counter-steps, some experts believe that the focus will have to change
to find ways to prevent it from transferring technology or weapons to
other rogue states or to terrorist groups. (It's hard for me to see
how this new focus will be any more successful than the old focus.)
South Korea has announced measures to strengthen its own military, to
deter the North Koreans. On Thursday, South Korea announced a cruise
missile that it said can strike anywhere in North Korea:

<QUOTE>"The cruise missile being unveiled today is a
precision-guided weapon that can identify and strike the window of
the office of North Korea's leadership."<END QUOTE>

Asia One (Singapore) and Reuters


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Russia, St. Petersburg,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, North Caucasus,
eurozone, France, Germany, Alan Greenspan,
North Korea, South Korea

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Originally Posted by John J. Xenakis

Anyone who personally committed fraud, or who knew or should have known
that younger employees in his organization were committing fraud,
deserves a jail cell.

Amen. I"d also add some stiff meaningful fines for the corporate evil-doers like Gold-And-Sacks.

Originally Posted by John J. Xenakis

****
**** Economists shocked at severe shrinkage of eurozone economy
****

The euro zone slipped deeper into recession in the fourth quarter of 2012, much more severely than economists had predicted. Germany's economy contracted 0.6%, while France's fell 0.3%. Furthermore, France's figures for the first and second quarters of last year were revised to negative, indicating negative growth for three of the four quarters of 2012. This is not a minor thing. All the speeches by European politicians, all the policies by financial ministers, all the plans and budgets by analysts -- all of them are based on the assumption that all the 1980s and 1990s macroeconomic models still work. As I've said repeatedly, the only models that work today are the ones from the 1930s, because that was the last generational crisis era.

I'm surprised that they are surprised. I'll be more suprised if they try a full throated Keynesian response. Of course, that still will not fix the probelm of diverse national economies using a common currency, and that's key to getting Europe on an even keel. If I can see this, why can't they?

Originally Posted by John J. Xenakis ...

Alan Greenspan has also pointed out that every macroeconomic model has been a failure for the last five years. Reuters

Why does anyone give this guy any consideration? He's strictly a Fair Weather economist, and we're in a storm right now.

*** 16-Feb-13 World View -- Egypt continues to become more unstable and violent

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Russian politician blames meteorite on the United States
• Chinese-Americans call for U.S. break with Japan
• Wal-Mart's 'total disaster' in sales blamed on rise in payroll tax
• Venezuela publishes photos of Chávez using breathing tube
• Islamists rally for Egypt's president Morsi in Cairo
• Egypt continues to become more unstable and violent

****
**** Russian politician blames meteorite on the United States
****


The trail of a meteorite is seen above a residential apartment block (Reuters)

A once in a lifetime event occurred on Friday, when two astronomical
events caught worldwide attention on the same day. The second event
had been predicted, a large asteroid that flew by the earth, with its
closest approach above Indonesia, but not causing any damage. But
several hours before the asteroid, everyone was surprised when a
totally unrelated meteorite flew into the earth's atmosphere, raining
down on central Russia and injuring hundreds of people.

But one Russian politician says that there was no accidental
coincidence at all. Russian Nationalist politician Vladimir
Zhirinovsky explained that the meteorite could not possibly have come
from outer space, because there's no gravity in outer space, and so
nothing ever falls:

<QUOTE>"Those aren’t meteors falling, it’s the Americans
testing new weapons.

Nothing will ever fall out there [from outer space]. If
[something] falls, it’s people doing that. People are the
instigators of wars, the provocateurs."<END QUOTE>

He also said US Secretary of State John Kerry had tried to warn Russia
about the weapons test, but had been unable to reach the right person
by phone. Ria Novosti (Moscow)

****
**** Chinese-Americans call for U.S. break with Japan
****

A group of Chinese-Americans, calling itself the "Concerned Citizens
on U.S. Policy towards Japan," wrote a letter to the Obama
administration calling on the U.S. to repudiate its policy supporting
Japan. The letter was written by Wenji V. Chang, a professor from the
University of Southern California. The letter, which was sent on the
eve of a scheduled visit by Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe to
Washington later this month, calls on Obama to reject any support for
Japan's claim to the Senkaku/Diayou islands, and also calls on Obama
to oppose Japan's attempt to modify the anti-war provisions of its
constitution. Saying that Japanese society is turning rapidly
nationalistic and militaristic, like Japan prior to World War II, it
said:

<QUOTE>"We strongly urge you to reject both attempts, because
they are against the fundamental and long-term interests of our
country.

The ultra-conservative wing of the Japanese political spectrum, of
which Abe is the leader, will not be our long-term
friend. ...

The US should not become a tool of Japanese
ultra-conservatives."<END QUOTE>

Xinhua

****
**** Wal-Mart's 'total disaster' in sales blamed on rise in payroll tax
****

An internal email message sent on February 12 by Wal-Mart's VP of
finance and logistics to other executives says:

<QUOTE>"In case you haven’t seen a sales report these days,
February MTD [month-to-date] sales are a total disaster. The
worst start to a month I have seen in my ~7 years with the
company."<END QUOTE>

Economists had expected a strong start to February because of the
Super Bowl and milder weather. The poor sales are blamed on the 2%
increase in payroll taxes, and an IRS delay in issuing income tax
refunds. Bloomberg

****
**** Venezuela publishes photos of Chávez using breathing tube
****


Hugo Chávez and his two daughters in Havana on Friday (AFP)

The Venezuelan supporters of president Hugo Chávez were cheered on
Friday when the government released photos of a smiling Chávez in bed
in Havana, Cuba, with his two daughters. Many people had speculated
that Chávez was close to death after his December 11 cancer operation
and subsequent respiratory complications, but the photos appear to
show him recovering, although a statement accompanying the photos says
that he has been fitted with a breathing tube in his throat, making it
hard for him to speak:

<QUOTE>"After two months of a complicated post-operatory
process, the patient (Chávez) is conscious, with the integrity of
his intellectual functions, in close communication with his
governmental team and at the head of the fundamental tasks
inherent to his position.

As was opportunely informed, the respiratory infection which
emerged in the course of the post-operatory treatment was
controlled, although a certain grade of (respiratory)
insufficiency persists.

Given this circumstance, that is being duly treated, President
Chávez is currently breathing through a tracheal tube, which
temporarily makes it difficult for him to speak.

The medical team is applying an energetic treatment for the base
illness (cancer), which is not exempt from complications.

The patient is cooperating with the treatment and rehabilitation
in close coordination with his medical team."<END QUOTE>

Venezuelanalysis

****
**** Islamists rally for Egypt's president Morsi in Cairo
****

Thousands of Islamists rallied in Cairo on Friday in support of
Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood president who has been the
target of protester rage in weeks of violent demonstrations. The
protest descended into violence as night fell. State media reported
that “troublemakers” had thrown rocks and petrol bombs. Security
forces unleashed tear gas and water cannon, it said.

The Muslim Brotherhood backed Friday's rally in a symbolic way, but
did not mobilize its members for the event. Instead, the pro-Morsi
rally was principally supported by a hardline Salafist Islamist group,
Al-Gama’a al-Islamiya.

Indeed, Morsi's principal Islamist support, the Salafist al-Nour
party, has been launching scathing political attacks on Morsi
and the Muslim Brotherhood this week. Referring to Egypt's
prime minister Hisham Kandil, an al-Nour politician said:

<QUOTE>"The Morsi-appointed government of Hisham Kandil has
run out of steam and lost all credibility. Under this
government the lives of Egyptian citizens are deemed worthless.

It has become clear that Kandil has little control over his
government and lacks any economic or political vision for the
country’s future. His government has to go, and go quickly, to be
replaced by a national salvation government capable of organising
free and democratic parliamentary elections."<END QUOTE>

Other parties are becoming equally contemptuous of Morsi, complaining
that the only thing he cares about are the political interests of the
Muslim Brother. According to a member of the liberal Geel (Generation)
party:

<QUOTE>"Kandil has repeatedly refused to come to the Shura
Council to explain his unsuccessful strategies,” complained Nagi
Al-Shehabi, chairman of the liberal Geel (Generation) Party. “He
has done nothing to contain the repressive practices of the
Interior Ministry, including the torture of opposition activists
while being detained in Central Security Force camps. His
government refuses to answer the council’s questions about the
deaths of a number of political protesters."<END QUOTE>

Reuters and Al-Ahram (Cairo)

****
**** Egypt continues to become more unstable and violent
****

It's now been two years since the 25 January Revolution that deposed
Hosni Mubarak. Protests and demonstrations were routine in Cairo's
Tahrir Square during those two years, and usually peaceful. But
things have changed after the protests that occurred on the second
anniversary of the revolution. (See "27-Jan-13 World View -- Egypt in crisis after two days of violent clashes"
)

Tahrir Square has been abandoned for other locations, and the
protests have become increasingly violent. About 60 people,
including three police officers, and been killed in just the
last three weeks, and over 2,000 people have been injured.
At least 35 government buildings and 15 private institutions have
been attacked.

We've "previously described "
how Port Said and other cities along the Suez Canal are
getting increasing contemptuous of Morsi and Cairo in general. That's
because these cities make a lot of money for Cairo, but it all goes
into the pockets of the wealthy élite in Cairo, with little returning
to Port Said. This contempt is worsening with the faltering
economy, police brutality and mass detentions. The contempt
is turning into seething anger, according to rights activists.
However, as activists point out:

<QUOTE>"Nobody in the opposition has a comprehensive
alternative. They simply envision replacing Morsi with someone
else while retaining the same system. ...

Many voters will think twice before voting for the Brotherhood
again but then there is no convincing alternative that can fill
the vacuum. And elections in Egypt, in the end, are a matter of
mobilization and business, not politics."<END QUOTE>

Al-Ahram (Cairo) and Jerusalem Post


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Russia, Vladimir Zhirinovsky,
Indonesia, John Kerry, Venezuela, Hugo Chávez,
China, Japan, Senkaku, Diaoyu, Wal-Mart,
Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood, al-Nour party,
Hisham Kandil, Geel (Generation) Party, 25 January Revolution,
Hosni Mubarak, Cairo, Port Said, Tahrir Square, Suez Canal

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*** 17-Feb-13 World View -- Another horrific bomb attack targets Shias in Quetta, Pakistan

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Another horrific bomb attack targets Shias in Quetta, Pakistan
• Bombing targets the Hazara ethnic group in Quetta, Pakistan
• Federal Communications Commission warns of a zombie attack
• Administration moves to expand drone use within America
• Gun control opponents wonder about massive DHS ammunition buildup
• Hey Baby! Singapore wants you to have more kids

****
**** Another horrific bomb attack targets Shias in Quetta, Pakistan
****


Site of the vegetable market turned into a war zone in Quetta on Saturday (AFP)

A large water tanker, filled not with water but with 800 kg of
explosives, exploded in a crowded vegetable market after it was placed
near a pillar in a two-story building, causing the building to
collapse and killing at least 79 people, while injuring hundreds
others in Quetta, Pakistan. Many of the injured are in critical
condition, and many others are still trapped beneath the collapsed
building. This is the second horrific bomb attack this year targeting
Shia Muslims in Quetta. The last one occurred on January 10, killing
over 120. (See "13-Jan-13 World View -- Shia families in Quetta Pakistan refuse to bury bombing victims"
)

The al-Qaeda linked terror group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has claimed credit
for both bombing in Quetta. As we're written in the past,
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi targets Shia and Sufi shrines in Pakistan and
Afghanistan. In addition, it's connected to Jundullah, a terrorist
group that has perpetrated major attacks on Shia mosques and
Revolutionary Guard stations in southeastern Iran. The year 2012 was
the bloodiest year ever for Shia Muslims targeted by Sunni Muslim
terrorists, and already it seems that 2013 is going to be much worse.
AFP

****
**** Bombing targets the Hazara ethnic group in Quetta, Pakistan
****

Although an absolute minority, the Hazaras are the third largest
ethnic group in Afghanistan, after the Pashtuns and Tajiks. According
to some reports, in 1998, the Taliban killed more than ten thousands
Hazaras in Afghanistan's northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Hazaras are
Shia Muslims who migrated to Pakistan from Afghanistan more than a
century ago. They've been the victims of discrimination and numerous
atrocities, and mass killings in Pakistan have been on the increase
since 1999. After the January 10 bombings, furious Hazaras demanded
that Pakistan's government in Islamabad provide protection to the
Hazaras, but no such protection has been provided. Daily Times (Pakistan) and AP

****
**** Federal Communications Commission warns of a zombie attack
****

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is using its
Emergency Alert System (EAS) to warn residents of Montana
of a potentially dangerous zombie attack:

<QUOTE>"Civil authorities in your area have reported that the
bodies of the dead are rising from their graves and attacking the
living. Follow the messages onscreen that will be updated as
information become available. Do not attempt to approach or
apprehend these bodies as they are considered extremely
dangerous."<END QUOTE>

Television stations that broadcasted the alert later issued
retraction:

<QUOTE>"This message did not originate from KRTV, and there
is no emergency. Our engineers are investigating to determine what
happened and if it affected other media outlets."<END QUOTE>

What happened is that hackers attacked the FCC's Emergency Alert
System and posted the alert. The FCC has issued an urgent advisory to
television states to change passwords, but this will do little to stop
another attack. This is just one more place where the technological
infrastructure is vulnerable to easy attack from hackers or from
foreign nations. Reuters and Information Week

****
**** Administration moves to expand drone use within America
****

The Administration has approved legislation that is expected to
immediately accelerate the use of domestic surveillance drones within
the United States. According to the schedules, drones are likely to
start flying regularly in the US by late 2015, and as many as 30,000
non-military drones are expected to be in the sky by the end of the
decade. The US Department of Homeland Security already has an arsenal
of the aircraft at its disposal for use in border-patrol
missions. Russia Today

****
**** Gun control opponents wonder about massive DHS ammunition buildup
****

Gun control opponents, already on edge fearing Administration-led
attempts to keep law-abiding citizens from owning guns, are now
wondering why the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is stockpiling
more than 1.6 billion bullets -- equivalent to the number of bullets
that would have been needed in the Iraq war for a full 24 years. In
addition, DHS is acquiring 7,000 assault weapons. Activists worry
about a DHS report that warns of "rightwing extremism," while DHS is
refusing to provide any explanation for the massive buildup of assault
weapons and ammunition. Investors Business Daily

****
**** Hey Baby! Singapore wants you to have more kids
****

A new scheme by the government of Singapore to increase population
through immigration and increased birth rates is being described as a
"population Ponzi scheme." The city-state is already very crowded,
with 3.3 million citizens and 2 million foreign residents, but
economic growth has been slowing. So Singapore wants to boost
prosperity by increasing both immigration and the birth rate, to have
a population of 6.9 million by 2030, and plans to reclaim land from
the sea to have room for more people. But like a financial Ponzi
scheme, a "population Ponzi scheme" works only as long as the
population increases faster and faster. This creates a financial
bubble that pops when the population growth stalls. On Saturday,
thousands of people staged one of Singapore's largest ever protests,
demanding that the proposal be dropped. Protesters blame the flood of
foreigners over the past decade for stagnant wages, crowded trains and
rising real estate prices, and say that more immigrants would change
the very nature of the island. Bloomberg and Reuters and Hey Baby! Singapore site encouraging children


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Quetta, Pakistan, Shias, Hazaras,
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Afghanistan, Iran, Jundullah,
Federal Communications Commission, zombies,
Emergency Alert System, EAS, Singapore

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*** 18-Feb-13 World View -- Protests boil across Pakistan after mass slaughter of Quetta Shias

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Protests boil across Pakistan after mass slaughter of Quetta Shias
• Investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators
• Terrorist car bombs target Shia areas of Baghdad, Iraq
• North Korea tells China that it's preparing new nuclear tests

****
**** Protests boil across Pakistan after mass slaughter of Quetta Shias
****


Pakistani Shia women protest the murder of 81 people in Quetta (Reuters)

After a terrorist bombing on January 11 killed 100 people in
Quetta, the victims' families blocked the roads and refused to bury
their dead until the government in Islamabad committed to providing
protection against further terrorist attacks. After three days, the
protest ended with the promise that the government would provide
protection. Now, after a new horrendous bombing on Saturday that
killed over 80 people and injured hundreds, many critically,
it's clear that Islamabad is doing nothing.

The terror group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) has claimed responsibility
for both bombings, as well as bombings of Shia and Sufi shrines around
Pakistan. LeJ works hand in hand with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP), Pakistan's Taliban, though LeJ has been even more brutal.
Between the two of them, there are terrorist attacks across Pakistan
on a continuing basis. Each time a new terrorist attack occurs,
it confirms the opinion of many that the government is providing
support to the terrorist groups for political purposes.

According to Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, governor of Baluchistan
province in which Quetta is located:

<QUOTE>"The terrorist attack on the Hazara Shiite community
in Quetta is a failure of the intelligence and security forces.

Our security institutions, police, FC (paramilitary Frontier
Corps) and others are either scared or cannot take action against
them."<END QUOTE>

The Quetta attacks have particularly targeted the Hazaras, a Shia
Muslim ethnic group that migrated from Afghanistan over a century ago.
According to Aziz Hazara, vice president of the Hazara Democratic
Party:

<QUOTE>"The government is responsible for terrorist attacks
and killings in the Hazara community because its security forces
have not conducted operations against extremist groups. We are
giving the government 48 hours to arrest the culprits involved in
the killing of our people and after that we will launch strong
protests."<END QUOTE>

The 48-hour ultimatum is a bit puzzling, since the only thing being
threatened is another protest.

The official is demanding that Islamabad send in the army to protect
Quetta. Another demand is that the army track down the LeJ terrorists
and bring them to justice. Daily Times (Pakistan) and Express Tribune (Pakistan)

****
**** Investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators
****

Protesters point out that there have been many terrorist attacks by
TTP and LeJ, and NOT A SINGLE PERPETRATOR HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

Does that sound familiar to you, Dear Reader?

If you're a long-time reader, then you know very well that the Obama
administration has adamantly refused to investigate anyone who
perpetrated the massive fraud that caused the financial crisis, and
that NOT A SINGLE PERPETRATOR HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

As I've written in the past, from the point of view of generational
theory, we now have three very similar events. In each case, the
crimes begin because of generational hatred of an older generation.
Once that happens, then people in all generations are forced to choose
sides, and the generational split morphs into a political split, and
the corruption metastasizes throughout all the "elite" politicians,
financiers, businessmen, labor unions, and so forth. Respectable
people turn out to be gangsters, and gangsters are treated as
respectable people. The three examples are:

• In Pakistan, the government is adamantly refusing to bring to
  justice Sunni terrorists who attack anyone who allegedly commits
  "blasphemy" against Islam. This sometimes means Christians are
  targeted, but the most violence is directed at Shias and Sufis. (For
  further analysis, see "3-Sep-12 World View -- Pakistan girl to be freed after bizarre twist in blasphemy case"
  from September of last year.)
  
• The Gen-X hatred of Boomers has metastasized into almost universal
  corruption. The Obama administration has gained enormously from the
  financial crisis. Much of the fraudulently obtained money, as well as
  the money used to bail out banks, was kicked back to the Obama
  administration in the form of campaign contributions. The corruption
  has spread throughout Washington and Wall Street to the extent that
  the politicians, financiers and journalists are barely able to say a
  word without lying or defrauding someone.
  
• The 1930s German Lost Generation's hatred for their Missionary
  Generation metastasized into hatred for Jews and the Holocaust. (See
  "The Legacy of World War I and the Holocaust"
  from last year.)

These situations occur in all times and places throughout history, and
result in history's greatest catastrophes. In each case, the
generational conflict morphs into a political conflict, as people in
every generation are forced to choose sides in the generational
debate. In 1930s Germany, it was the Christians blaming the Jews for
German humiliation in World War I. In America today, it's the
Democrats blaming the Republicans for financial deregulation. In
Pakistan, it's the Sunnis blaming the Shias. The result is always the
same: catastrophe.

****
**** Terrorist car bombs target Shia areas of Baghdad, Iraq
****

Sectarian tensions are growing almost on a daily basis across the
Mideast from Algeria to Bangladesh. On Sunday, there were several new
car bombs in Baghdad, iraq, mainly targeting Shia areas of the city,
killing 37 and injuring dozens. No one has claimed credit, but it's
assumed that the bombers were al-Qaeda linked Sunni terrorists.
BBC

****
**** North Korea tells China that it's preparing new nuclear tests
****

According to an unnamed source, North Korea has told China that it is
preparing to to stage one to four more nuclear tests this year,
increasing in size, as well as new rocket tests. The tests will be
undertaken unless Washington holds talks with North Korea and abandons
its policy of what Pyongyang sees as attempts at regime change. North
Korea has repeatedly adopted a pattern of promising to end belligerent
actions in exchange for something from the West -- food aid, lifting
of sanctions, etc. -- and then continuing the belligerent actions
anyway after it got what it wanted. Technically, the Korean War has
never ended, although an armistice was declared in 1953. The North
Koreans appear to be angling for a permanent "peace" agreement with
the United States and its removal from America's list of terrorist
states, thus removing financial and other sanctions. Whether the West
falls for this again remains to be seen. Reuters and 38north

KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Pakistan, Quetta, Shia,
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, LeJ, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, TTP,
Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, Baluchistan, Hazara,
Aziz Hazara, North Korea, China

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*** 19-Feb-13 World View -- Sunni vs Shia sectarian violence may be approaching a 'red line'

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Pakistan Shias continue protests across the country
• Sunni vs Shia sectarian violence may be approaching a 'red line'
• Hugo Chávez tweets a return to Venezuela

****
**** Pakistan Shias continue protests across the country
****


Riots and demonstrations in Karachi on Sunday (AFP)

Demonstrations and protests were held in cities across Pakistan
on Monday, including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
In Quetta, where the terror carnage took place on Saturday,
thousands of Shias blocked the roads in a sit-in, and refused
to bury their dead. They're making three demands:

• That the army launch a targeted attack on those responsible
  for Saturday's carnage.
  
• That the army or security services provide protection for Shias,
  and insure that no more are killed.
  
• That the government pass a law making it a crime to discriminate
  against Shias.

The Shias in Quetta made some of these demands after the horrific
January 10 terrorist attack that killed over 100 people. At the time,
they ended their protests and buried their dead only after the
government had promised protection. However, once the protest ended,
the promises were forgotten. It seems the most likely scenario is
that none of the demands will be met, the protests will end anyway,
and another big terrorist attack will take place in a month or two.
Dawn (Karachi) and Al-Jazeera

****
**** Sunni vs Shia sectarian violence may be approaching a 'red line'
****

Sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims appears to be
approaching a "red line." Currently, the violence takes the form of
sectarian clashes in Syria and Iraq, or in terrorist acts by Sunni
terrorist groups targeting Shias in Nigeria and Pakistan. However,
the most frightening scenario is the unrestrained complete jihad
between the two sects of Islam which would cross state boundaries.
This could occur by the gradual spread of existing clashes across
national boundaries, or more directly by a high-level religious leader
in either sect calling for sectarian jihad. Saudi Arabia and Iran
serve as national exemplars of Sunni and Shia faiths,
respectively. Both are historic centers to their faiths. However,
Iran is the only Shia state with the position and real obligation to
protect and expand this variant of Islam. Thus, funding Syria's
regime and Hizbollah are seen as important not only for political
reasons, but also as religious duty. This increases the chances of a
"red line" being crossed, resulting in broader sectarian war.
Eurasia Review

****
**** Hugo Chávez tweets a return to Venezuela
****

Supporters of Venezuela's ill president Hugo Chávez were cheered on
Monday when he returned from Cuba in the middle of the night and
tweeted:

<QUOTE>"We have arrived again to the Venezuelan homeland,
Thank you my God!! Thank you my beloved people!! We will continue
the treatment here."

"Thanks to Fidel, to Raul and all of Cuba!! Thanks to Venezuela
for so much love!!"

"I continue clinging to Christ and confident in my medicine and
nurses. Onward to victory forever!! We shall survive and we shall
overcome!!"<END QUOTE>

Chávez will continue to be treated in secrecy, and there were no
photos of his return. The nature of his cancer has never been
revealed. He's unable to speak because he is breathing through a
tracheal tube.

Perhaps Chávez will make a miraculous recovery, but many suspect that
Chávez does not have long to live, and that he is returning to
Venezuela to spend the last few weeks of his life with his family and
friends. Deutsche-Welle and ABC Univision


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Pakistan, Quetta,
Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, Iran, Saudi Arabia,
Hizbollah, Venezuela, Hugo Chávez

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*** 20-Feb-13 World View -- New report reveals massive cyber war attack by China's army

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• New report reveals massive cyber war attack by China's army
• China continues war preparations
• Revisiting Huawei and ZTE
• China rejects Philippines arbitration application

****
**** New report reveals massive cyber war attack by China's army
****


The building in Shanghai housing People's Liberation Army Unit 61398

Mandiant, an American computer security company, has issued a lengthy
report that shows, beyond a reasonable doubt, that China's People's
Liberation Army (PLA) is directing its "Unit 61398" to conduct a
stealth world wide cyber war, particularly targeting American
government and corporate organizations. Unit 61398 has possibly
thousands of people, specializing in hacking into American and
Canadian networks. It works in a Shanghai building guarded by PLA
soldiers. Mandiant refers to the unit as APT1, and according to the
report:

<QUOTE>"Our evidence indicates that APT1 has been stealing
hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organizations
across a diverse set of industries beginning as early as
2006. Remarkably, we have witnessed APT1 target dozens of
organizations simultaneously. Once the group establishes access to
a victim’s network, they continue to access it periodically over
several months or years to steal large volumes of valuable
intellectual property, including technology blueprints,
proprietary manufacturing processes, test results, business plans,
pricing documents, partnership agreements, emails and contact
lists from victim organizations’ leadership. We believe that the
extensive activity we have directly observed represents only a
small fraction of the cyber espionage that APT1 has committed.
... Since 2006 we have seen APT1 relentlessly expand its access
to new victims."<END QUOTE>

Once APT1 gains control of someone's network, it retains control in
stealth mode and downloads all the data in the network. In one case,
APT1 accessed a network for four years and ten months. In another
case, APT1 downloaded 6.5 terabytes of information in ten
months. According to the report:

<QUOTE>"Our research and observations indicate that the
Communist Party of China is tasking the Chinese People’s
Liberation Army to commit systematic cyber espionage and data
theft against organizations around the world."<END QUOTE>

There have been dozens of publicly known Chinese hacker attacks on
American companies, including recent ones on the New York Times and
the Wall Street Journal, and probably tens of thousands more that are
unknown or haven't been publicized. Whenever one is made public, the
Chinese angrily deny it, and demand proof. Thanks to the Mandiant
report, we now have proof.

The White House has responded by threatening to "strike back" through
fines, penalties and other trade restrications, but this appears to be
a fantasy to me. Telegraph (London) and AP

****
**** China continues war preparations
****

It's worth taking a moment to review previous statements and actions
by China, as it prepares for war:

• Last month, China directed the PLA to 'Get Ready for War.'
  One senior PLA officer is
  advocating a strategy of "Kill a chicken to scare the monkeys." This
  means that China would win a short, decisive war with Vietnam, the
  Philippines or Japan. Everyone else would do as China demands, and
  the Americans would "run like rabbits."
  
• China's military budget has been increasing exponentially for
  years, and now China's military is deploying a large number of new
  warships, tanks, missiles, submarines and strike aircraft, much of it
  in preparation for full-scale war with the United States. These
  weapons include hundreds (and perhaps thousands) of mobile, nuclear
  ballistic missiles targeting American cities, and newly developed
  missiles capable of striking and disabling American aircraft carriers.
  For the first time in its modern history, China has the firepower to
  contest control of disputed territory far from its coastal
  waters.
  
• China is demanding sovereign control of the entire South China
  Sea, including islands and regions that have historically belonged to
  other nations. In November, China announced that it would be moving
  additional warships into the South China Sea, and that, starting some
  time in 2013, China's police would board and take control of any ship
  entering whatever it claims it
  owns.
  
• China has declared economic war on Japan
  in order to gain control of the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands
  controlled by Japan. Chinese citizens have smashes Japanese cars and
  factories in China to force Japan to give up its historic control of
  these islands.
  
• China has implemented massive military buildups in Tibet,
  in preparation for war with India.

Now we have the Mandiant report that proves that China has been
conducting cyber warfare against the United States for years.

****
**** Revisiting Huawei and ZTE
****

Last year, House Intelligence Committee warned American companies
against doing business with Chinese companies Huawei (pronounced WAH
way) and ZTE. (See "14-Oct-12 World View -- Huawei scandal exposes potential 'Cyberwar Pearl Harbor' from China"
) The reason is computer chips supplied by these
vendors appear likely to contain "back door" capabilities that would
permit the Chinese to take control of any computer or router in which
their chips were installed.

Since then, I've seen a number of young people ridicule these concerns.
One British politician said that all these chips have been thoroughly
tested, and so a "back door" is impossible. Some Chinese officials
have sworn that there are no back doors. So I'd like to respond
to these comments.

In the past, I've developed software for embedded systems down to the
bare hardware level. At that level, you're dealing with chips that
are completely opaque, except for a set of specifications that say,
"If you send the chip the command 'x', then it will do 'y'". So
anyone who tests the chip will simply verify that it works correctly
according to the specifications. You have no visibility into how the
chip executes that command. In particular, if "x" is some 512-bit
code, known only to the chip designers, that makes the chip do
something that's not in the specifications, then no test can determine
that fact. Those codes would be known only to the chip designers, and
not to even other Chinese workers and managers working on related
projects that use the chips. So if the PLA ordered a chip maker to
add a backdoor to a chip, it could not be found by testing, and no one
else would know about it.

Now, since the PLA COULD have done this, we can conclude that they
MUST have done this, because they're preparing for war in every other
way, and would not give up the opportunity to prepare for war in this
way.

Huawei and ZTE are among the biggest chip producers in the world, with
large shares of the market in almost every country. There's a good
chance that your computer has one of these chips, and that my computer
has one of these chips. The same is true of utilities and
manufacturing organizations around the world.

****
**** China rejects Philippines arbitration application
****

Earlier this year, the Philippines applied to the United Nations
International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to settle the
dispute over the Scarborough Shoal, a Philippines island that China is
claiming. (See "24-Jan-13 World View -- Furious Chinese spokesman blasts Philippines for seeking arbitration"
)

On Tuesday, China officially rejected arbitration:

<QUOTE>"Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing had
an appointment with officials from the Philippines' Foreign
Ministry on Tuesday and returned a note and related notice after
expressing China's rejection. The note and related notice not
only violate the consensus enshrined in the Declaration on the
Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, but are also factually
flawed and contain false accusations."<END QUOTE>

The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs responded as follows:

<QUOTE>"This excessive claim is the core issue of the
Philippines’ arbitration case against China. The Department
stresses that China’s action will not interfere with the process
of Arbitration initiated by the Philippines on 22 January
2013. The Arbitration will proceed under Annex VII of UNCLOS and
the 5-member arbitration panel will be formed with or without
China."<END QUOTE>

Xinhua and Mindanao Examiner


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, China, People's Liberation Army, PLA,
Mandiant, Unit 61398, APT1, Vietnam, Philippines, Japan,
Huawei, ZTE, International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, ITLOS,

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*** 21-Feb-13 World View -- North Korea threatens 'final destruction' of South Korea

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• North Korea threatens 'final destruction' of South Korea
• Russia warns of 'mutual destruction' in Syria
• The Post Office goes into the clothing business
• British women convert to Islam in droves

****
**** North Korea threatens 'final destruction' of South Korea
****


S. Korean activists demonstrate behind an effigy of Kim Jong-un in Seoul on Feb 13

North Korea has frequently threatened war with South Korea in the
past, but now that a young, immature new leader, Kim Jong-un, is in
place, the threats are becoming more intense. Apparently the recent
successful test of nuclear weapons has made Kim even more belligerent.

At a U.N. Conference on Disarmament meeting held in Geneva on Tuesday,
North Korea's diplomat Jon Yong-ryong said:

<QUOTE>"As the saying goes, a new-born puppy knows no fear of
a tiger. South Korea's erratic behavior would only herald its
final destruction."<END QUOTE>

I guess this statement was politically correct at a "disarmament"
conference.

Apparently this threat was so extreme, even by United Nations
standards, that other diplomats expressed shock. Spanish Ambassador
Javier Gil Catalina said the comment left him stupefied and appeared
to be a breach of international law.

<QUOTE>"In the 30 years of my career I've never heard
anything like it and it seems to me that we are not speaking about
something that is even admissible, we are speaking about a threat
of the use of force that is prohibited by Article 2.4 of the
United Nations charter."<END QUOTE>

According to one analyst, "They would not use the term 'final
destruction' if it wasn't for nuclear arms." Reuters and Yonhap (Seoul)

****
**** Russia warns of 'mutual destruction' in Syria
****

Russia has reversed itself, and is now willing to meeting with leaders
of the forces in opposition to the regime of Syria's president Bashar
al-Assad. Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said on Wednesday
that Moscow was working to encourage dialogue between the rebels and
the regime of president Bashar al-Assad:

<QUOTE>"Neither side can allow itself to bet on a military
settlement as this is a path to nowhere, a path to mutual
destruction.

There are signs of positive tendencies, signs of tendencies for
dialogue both from the side of the government and the opposition.

It is important that they do not come out with any conditions for
each other, and say that I am going to talk to this person but not
that one. ...

[The diplomacy was aimed at] creating the conditions for the start
of direct dialogue" between the regime and
opposition."<END QUOTE>

Since the conflict began in March 2011, 70,000 people have been
killed, and close to a million people have been displaced from their
homes. Al-Jazeera

****
**** The Post Office goes into the clothing business
****

The United States Postal Service announced that it's going into the
clothing business, and plans to launch a new product line of apparel
and accessories until the brand name, "Rain Heat & Snow," based on the
USPS creed, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays
these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
According to the USPS,

<QUOTE>"This agreement will put the Postal Service on the
cutting edge of functional fashion. The main focus will be to
produce Rain Heat & Snow apparel and accessories using technology
to create ‘smart apparel’ — also known as wearable
electronics."<END QUOTE>

The goal is to sell this product in premier department and specialty
stores, starting in 2014. U.S. Postal Service

****
**** British women convert to Islam in droves
****

The Muslim population in England and Wales has increased by 80 percent
since 2001 according to a British government census. With 2.7 million
known adherents, Islam has become Britain's second-largest religion,
after Christianity. Immigration accounts for most of the increase, but
there are over 100,00 converts from other religions as well. Reasons
why young British women convert to Islam include the desire to please
Muslim fiancés and husbands, but others see Islam as a safe haven
within a society that denigrates the female form in newspapers and
magazines and celebrates a pub/club culture where regular nights out
with "mates" getting "sloshed." Tony Blair’s sister-in-law Lauren
Booth converted to Islam, and says that she finally felt "what Muslims
feel when they are in true prayer: A bolt of sweet harmony, a shudder
of joy in which I was grateful for everything I have (my children) and
secure in the certainty that I need nothing more (along with prayer)
to be utterly content." Arab News


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, North Korea, Kim Jong-un, South Korea,
Jon Yong-ryong, U.N. Conference on Disarmament, Gil Catalina,
Russia, Syria, Sergei Lavrov,
United States Postal Service, Rain Heat & Snow,
England, Wales, Lauren Booth

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*** 22-Feb-13 World View -- Indian Mujahideen suspected in bombing in Hyderabad

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Indian Mujahideen suspected in bombing in Hyderabad
• Indian Mujahideen linked to Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Toiba
• Stock market has 'mini-panic' over Fed QE signal
• The Fed's falling inflation expectations
• Mainstream economists' failing recovery forecasts

****
**** Indian Mujahideen suspected in bombing in Hyderabad
****


Bomb site in Hyderabad (AP)

Two terrorist bombings killed 13 people and injured dozens others in a
crowded marketplace in Hyderabad in India. No one has yet claimed
responsibility, but terrorist group Indian Mujahideen (IM) is
suspected. India's security establishment is coming under criticism
for ignoring the interrogation of an IM operative in Delhi in October.
The interrogation revealed three planned sites for terror attacks, one
of which was Thursday's Hyderabad site.

DNA India and Times of India

****
**** Indian Mujahideen linked to Pakistan's Lashkar-e-Toiba
****

The Indian Mujahideen (IM) was founded by Abdul Subhan Usman Qureshi,
who had come from an economically privileged background. and was
educated at a school run by a Christian missionary in Mumbai. Anger
at the mainstream media is cited by IM cadres as a motivator. It is
argued that the mainstream media turns a blind eye to Hindu
fundamentalist groups while mostly linking the fundamental nature of
Islam to terrorism. IM is closely linked to Pakistan's
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), which supplies weapons and direction to IM. An
objective of IM is to tie up India's security forces in India, giving
LeT a free hand. Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)

****
**** Stock market has 'mini-panic' over Fed QE signal
****

The minutes from the Federal Reserve's January 29-30 meeting were
released on Wednesday, and they "hinted" that some people at the Fed
were getting concerned about the massive amount of money that the Fed
is "printing" each month. There was a time, before 2008, when $60
billion dollars of one-time fiscal or monetary stimulus would have
been considered an astronomical amount, and would have triggered
national debate. But those days are long gone. For the last year or
so, the Fed has been using quantitative easing to inject $85 billion
dollars of monetary stimulus EVERY MONTH. The result was a kind
of two-day "mini-panic" in the stock market.

I listen to the financial people on CNBC and Bloomberg TV -- as much
as I can stand them -- and there's really no longer any pretense that
the stock market represents anything real anymore. Everyone knows
that the $85 billion in monthly stimulus hasn't help any ordinary
people or small businesses. Instead, it goes to the investment banks
and into the stock markets, so that the bankers can continue to pay
themselves multi-million dollar bonuses and kick the money back into
Obama campaign contributions. So when the Fed hinted that the $85
billion might be cut back, the stock market mini-panic began. Bloomberg

****
**** The Fed's falling inflation expectations
****

If the Fed had "printed" $85 billion per month of new money in the
70s, 80s or 90s, then inflation would have skyrocketed. But those
days are past. As Alan Greenspan has pointed out, every single
standard macroeconomic model has been completely wrong since 2007.
The reason they've been wrong is that they're based on data from the
70s, 80s and 90s, when the Silent Generation was in charge. Today,
the Gen-Xers and the Boomers are in charge, and the culture
is now one of fraud, extortion, and screwing people. Today's
culture is like the 1930s, and the only macroeconomic models
that will work should be base on 1930s data.

The Fed puts out a regular report on "inflation expections" -- how
much they expect inflation to rise in the current year, in the
following year, and in each year for the next ten years. Unfortunately,
the Fed's inflation forecasts have been abysmally wrong, year after
year. Here's a chart of the Fed's inflation expectations as of
February in each of the three past years:


Fed 'Inflation Expectations' in Feb '11, Feb '12, and Feb '13 (Marcus Nunes)

There are two interesting things about the above chart. One is
that the Fed's inflation expectations have been falling each year,
reflecting the fact that inflation itself has been falling.

The second interesting thing is that the Fed's models have been wrong
every year in exactly the same way. Each year they predict a brief
period of falling inflation, then a period of rising inflation. Instead,
inflation keeps falling, and expectations keep falling.

Since 2003, I have been writing that, in this generational Crisis era,
our economy is in a deflationary spiral. Since 2003, mainstream
economists have been predicting that there would be inflation or
hyperinflation the following year. They've been wrong every, and I've
been right. Marcus Nunes

****
**** Mainstream economists' failing recovery forecasts
****

Mainstream economists are always predicting that prosperity is just
around the corner, so that people will buy their stocks or bonds or
whatever. Each month, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecasts
when there will be a full economic recovery. The Economic Policy
Institute has done a study of the CBO forecasts for the last four
years, and found that they have failed in exactly the same sort
of way that the Fed's inflation forecasts had failed.
Here's a chart of the CBO recovery predictions for January of each
of the last few years:


CBO forecasts of full economic recovery, Jan '08, Jan '09, Jan '10, Jan '11, Jan '12, and Feb '13. (Economic Policy Institute)

So, in Jan 2008, the were project full recovery by 2011. By Jan 2011,
it would be 2016. And the latest projection, from February of this
year, puts the forecast of full economic recovery at 2018.

As I've written many, many times, mainstream economists have no clue
about what's going on. They didn't predict, and can't explain, the
tech bubble of the 1990s, the real estate bubble, the credit bubble,
the credit crunch of 2007, the collapse of 2008, they had no idea what
was going to happen in 2012, and they don't have the vaguest clue
what's going to happen in the next year. Unfortunately, with the
Gen-Xers increasingly in charge, the worst is yet to come. Washington Post and Economic Policy Institute


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, India, Hyderabad, Indian Mujahideen,
Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Federal Reserve,
quantitative easing, Alan Greenspan,
Congressional Budget Office, CBO, Economic Policy Institute

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*** 23-Feb-13 World View -- U.N. claims immunity in Haiti cholera compensation case

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Bawdy Silvio Berlusconi may return as Italy's Prime Minister
• U.N. claims immunity in Haiti cholera compensation case
• U.S. deploys 100 troops to Niger to operate drone base
• Al-Qaeda 'tip sheet' for avoiding drones found in Mali

****
**** Bawdy Silvio Berlusconi may return as Italy's Prime Minister
****


Underage Karima el Mahroug, known by her stage name 'Ruby,' has been linked to Berlusconi (AP)

Italy's outgoing Premier Mario Monti, who took the helm of an
emergency government of unelected technocrats in November 2011 when
Silvio Berlusconi resigned as premier with Italy's debt crisis
threatening to spiral out of control, is expected to lose his job
after Sunday's and Monday's general election. The most likely outcome
is a stalemate, with no party having enough seats to control
parliament. Monti has help stabilize Italy's economy through a series
of austerity measures that have cost him a lot of political support.
Silvio Berlusconi's center-right alliance has been rapidly closing a
double-digit polling gap, and may win, thanks to a media campaign
where Berlusconi has called Monti's austerity measures "cruel and
inhuman," and promised to reverse them, and even to refund tax money
that Monti's government had collected. Gazzetta Del Sud

The possibility that 76-year-old Berlusconi might return to office has
been appalling to politicians in other European countries, many of
whom consider him to be a clown. He's also notorious for his
involvement in multiple sex and corruption scandals that contributed
to pressure on him to step down as prime minister in November 2011.
Germany's Der Spiegel has been publishing numerous articles raising
alarms about a Berlusconi comeback. Friday's article provides a list
of "Berlusconi's most revealing gaffes," in an effort to dissuade
Italians from voting for him. Some of the gaffes are:

• One of Berlusconi's most legendary quips came in February
  2006, when he said: "I am the Jesus Christ of politics. I am a patient
  victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone."
  
• In the summer of 2011, Berlusconi reportedly said in a telephone
  conversation with a journalist that German Chancellor Angela Merkel
  was a "culona inscopabile," which was widely translated as "unfuckable
  fatass."
  
• After the deadly earthquake in the central Italian city of L'Aquila
  left tens of thousands homeless in April 2009, Berlusconi described
  their living conditions this way: "Of course, their current lodgings
  are a bit temporary. But they should see it like a weekend of
  camping."
  
• In 2006, Berlusconi reportedly said: "Only Napoleon did more. But I'm
  definitely taller."
  
• Berlusconi has been involved in multiple sex scandals, for which
  he is entirely unapologetic. In April 2011, he said, "When asked if
  they would like to have sex with me, 30 percent of women answered,
  'Yes', while the other 70 percent responded, 'What, again?'"
  
• When US President Barack Obama was elected, Berlusconi welcomed
  him into office by praising him as "handsome, young and
  suntanned."
  
• Berlusconi has rarely shown remorse for his sexcapades. In
  November 2010 he said, "It's better to like beautiful girls than to be
  gay."
  
• In July 2003, Berlusconi told Martin Schulz, a German member of
  the European Parliament: "I know that in Italy there is a man
  producing a film on Nazi concentration camps. I'll suggest you for the
  role of Kapo. You're perfect."

Spiegel

****
**** U.N. claims immunity in Haiti cholera compensation case
****

United Nations officials, who usually express moral outrage and bring
a holier-than-thou tone to almost any issue, are now claiming immunity
for a catastrophe that United Nations peacekeepers inflicted upon the
Haitian people after the 2010 earthquake. Haiti hadn't had a case of
cholera in over a century, but a cholera epidemic started spreading
rapidly in 2010 after the U.N. peacekeepers arrived. It turned out
via DNA tests that the strain of cholera was identical to the strain
of cholera that's endemic in Nepal. So the Nepalese peacekeepers came
to Haiti, infected the water supply, causing the epidemic.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon never accepted the conclusion that
the U.N. was to blame, but promised to help Haiti's cholera victims.
But on Thursday, the United Nations rejected a claim for compensation
for thousands of Haitian victims of cholera, saying that the United
Nations is protected by immunity. Global Post

****
**** U.S. deploys 100 troops to Niger to operate drone base
****

The Pentagon has deployed about 100 troops to the West African nation
of Niger to conduct unmanned reconnaissance flights over Mali and
share intelligence with French forces fighting Islamist jihadists in
the neighboring country of Mali. The United States already has drones
and surveillance aircraft stationed at several points around
Africa. Its only permanent military base is in the small country of
Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, more than 3,000 miles from Mali.
Reuters

****
**** Al-Qaeda 'tip sheet' for avoiding drones found in Mali
****

Associated Press staff in Timbuktu, Mali, have stumbled on an al-Qaeda
"tip sheet" with a list of techniques for avoiding American drone
strikes.

• Intercepting drone frequencies using the Russian-made “sky
  grabber.”
• Jamming drone signals using a “Racal,” also made in Russia.
• Spreading glass or reflective material over vehicles or
  buildings.
• Deploying skilled snipers to shoot down low-flying drones.
• Using “general confusion methods,” and avoiding permanent
  headquarters.
• Placing dolls or statues “outside false ditches.”
• Hiding, especially in trees or caves.
• All passengers run in different directions from a car pursued by
  drones.
• Occupy buildings with multiple exits.

The tip sheet was created several years ago by al-Qaeda in Yemen.
Global Post and AP (PDF)


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, Mario Monti,
United Nations, Haiti, Ban Ki-moon, cholera,
Niger, al-Qaeda, Timbuktu, Mali

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*** 24-Feb-13 World View -- Syria's opposition pulls out of talks after Scud missiles hit Aleppo

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Syria's opposition pulls out of talks after Scud missiles hit Aleppo
• Jihadist group Jabhat al-Nusra gains in popularity and influence
• A new influx of heavy weapons reaches the rebels in southern Syria
• An Egyptian army comeback threatens a clash with Muslim Brotherhood

****
**** Syria's opposition pulls out of talks after Scud missiles hit Aleppo
****


People run after hearing a missile strike in Aleppo on Friday (Reuters)

At least 12 people, including children, were killed and dozens
wounded on Friday when three surface-to-surface missiles,
assumed to be Russian-made SCUD missiles, struck the northern
Syria city of Aleppo. This came just four days after
33 people including 15 children were killed in nearby Jabal Bedro.

Syria's opposition leaders had been scheduled to meet with Western
leaders in Rome, Moscow and Washington in the next few weeks, but
after the latest missile strikes in Aleppo, the Syrian National
Coalition (SNC) pulled out of the talks. According to the SNC:

<QUOTE>"[The withdrawal is] a message of protest to all
governments of the world, Arab and non-Arab, that can see how the
Syrian people are being killed, while they merely look on.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed by Scud missile
strikes. Aleppo, the city and the civilisation, is being destroyed
systematically. ...

The Russian leadership especially bears moral and political
responsibility for supplying the regime with weapons.

In protest of this shameful international stand, the coalition has
decided to suspend its participation in the Rome conference for
the Friends of Syria and decline the invitations to visit Russia
and the United States. ...

We cannot visit any country until there is a clear decision on
this savage, aggressive regime"<END QUOTE>

Britain and the U.S. issued statements asking the oppositioin to
reconsider their decision, saying, "now is not the time to give up on
talks."

These U.N. sponsored "talks" have been a farce since the day that
U.N. and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan announced his six-point peace
plan for Syria. (See "22-Mar-12 World View -- U.N. Security Council adopts farcical 'peace plan' for Syria"
) When Kofi Annan gave up and Lakhdar Brahimi took over
as U.N. and Arab League envoy, the farce has only continued. The
"peace plan" has actually been counterproductive. It provided a cover
for Syria's president Bashar al-Assad to continue mass slaughter of
thousands of innocent women and children as they slept in their beds;
it provided cover for Iran and Russia to continue supplying billions
of dollars of weapons to the al-Assad regime for use in slaughter of
innocent women and children; and it provided cover for the U.S. and
Britain and France and Turkey to do nothing, since doing something
might harm the "peace process." AFP and Al-Jazeera

****
**** Jihadist group Jabhat al-Nusra gains in popularity and influence
****

The reason given by the West for not supply arms to the rebel
opposition in Syria is the fear that the arms would fall into
the arms of al-Qaeda linked jihadists in Syria, just as stores
of weapons fell into the arms of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb
(AQIM) when the war in Libya ended. One of the reasons given
by Russia for its unwavering support of the Bashar al-Assad
regime is the fear that if he steps down, then the country will
be taken over by jihadists.

It increasingly appears to be the case that these reasons have
backfired. The Syrian rebels had been hoping for Western aid for
months after the conflict began, but by now have become disgusted with
the West for allowing tens of thousands of innocent Syrians to be
mercilessly slaughtered with no Western intervention. This has
provided an opening for the jihadist militia Jabhat al-Nusra (Nusra
Front) to become more popular in Syria. In the last year,
al-Nusra has grown from a shadowy terrorist group to a highly
disciplined fighting force gathering adherents among the
Syrian population. According to one al-Nusra activist,

<QUOTE>"After two years of killings and butchering and the
entire world standing by and watching us, now we depend on God
only."<END QUOTE>

Al-Nusra activists have become increasingly popular by providing
social services and they're even distributing flour to bakeries.
They're also becoming more radicalized, and more closely linked with
al-Qaeda. BBC (1/17)
and CNN

****
**** A new influx of heavy weapons reaches the rebels in southern Syria
****

For the first time, heavy weaponry, including anti-tank weapons and
recoilless rifles, are reaching the secular opposition rebels in
southern Syria, traveling across the Jordan border into Syria's Daraa
province. The identity of the source of the weapons has not been
disclosed, but it's believed that the source is either Saudi Arabia or
Qatar.

The goal of these renewed deliveries, Arab and rebel officials said,
is to reverse the unintended effect of an effort last summer to supply
small arms and ammunition to rebel forces in the north, which was
halted after it became clear that radical Islamists were emerging as
the chief beneficiaries. According to one Arab official,

<QUOTE>"The idea was to get heavier stuff, intensify supply
and make sure it goes to the good guys. If you want to weaken
al-Nusra, you do it not by withholding [weapons] but by boosting
the other groups."<END QUOTE>

Washington Post

****
**** An Egyptian army comeback threatens a clash with Muslim Brotherhood
****

The army never liked the Muslim Brotherhood under presidents from
Gamal Abdel Nasser to Hosni Mubarak, but the army has ostentatiously
stayed out of the political battle between the Brotherhood and the
secular and liberal opposition, saying that they'd intervene only if
necessary to prevent chaos. Events of the past few months have
exposed a growing fault line between the élite in Cairo versus the
people in rural areas, especially in Port Said and other villages
along the Suez Canal. This is in additional to the more obvious fault
line between the Brotherhood versus the secularists and liberals. As
chaos continues to grow in Egypt, along with the collapse of the
economy, the army is standing in the way of president Mohamed Morsi's
plans for a complete takeover of the country by the Brotherhood. This
is leading to widespread rumors to the effect that the Brotherhood is
forming a clandestine militia while setting up listening posts to
monitor the army, to be ready to confront the army should it become
necessary. Jerusalem Post



KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Syria, Aleppo, Bashar al-Assad,
SCUD missiles, Syrian National Coalition, SNC,
United Nations, Arab League, Kofi Annan, Lakhdar Brahimi,
Iran, Russia, Jabhat al-Nusra, Nusra Front,
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, AQIM, Jordan,
Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Hosni Mubarak,
Mohamed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood

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*** 25-Feb-13 World View -- Death of Palestinian prisoner threatens third intifada against Israel

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Afghanistan's Karzai expels U.S. special forces from province
• Death of Palestinian prisoner threatens third intifada against Israel
• West Bank demonstrations are not yet a third intifada
• Historical analogy: 1936 Spain to Syria today

****
**** Afghanistan's Karzai expels U.S. special forces from province
****


Hamid Karzai (EPA)

Afghanistan's president Hamid Karzai has ordered that U.S. special
forces immediately end all operations in Wardak province, the province
adjacent to the capital city Kabul, and that they be expelled within
two weeks. According to a presidential spokesman:

<QUOTE>"In today’s national security council meeting…
President Karzai ordered the ministry of defense to kick out the
US special forces from Wardak province within two weeks.

The US special forces and illegal armed groups created by them are
causing insecurity, instability, and harass local people in this
province."<END QUOTE>

The charges are not specifically targeted at U.S. forces themselves,
but rather at Afghan national forces that work with the Americans and
under the direction of the Americans. According to Karzai's
spokesman:

<QUOTE>"After a thorough discussion, it became clear that
armed individuals named as US special force[s] stationed in Wardak
province engage in harassing, annoying, torturing and even
murdering innocent people.

A recent example in the province is an incident in which nine
people were disappeared in an operation by this suspicious force
and in a separate incident a student was taken away at night from
his home, whose tortured body with throat cut was found two days
later under a bridge.

However, Americans reject having conducted any such operation and
any involvement of their special force. The meeting strongly
noted that such actions have caused local public resentment and
hatred. ...

There are some individuals, some Afghans, who are working within
these cells, within these [US] special forces groups. But they
are part of US special forces according to our sources and
according to our local officials working in the
province."<END QUOTE>

According to a U.S. forces spokesman:

<QUOTE>"We take all allegations of misconduct seriously and
go to great lengths to determine the facts surrounding them.

Until we have had a chance to speak with senior (Afghan) officials
about this issue we are not in a position to comment further. This
is an important issue that we intend to fully discuss with our
Afghan counterparts."<END QUOTE>

The expulsion of U.S. forces has come as a surprise, and it's not
entirely clear who the "Afghans, who are working ... within these [US]
special forces groups" actually are. There has been growing friction
between Karzai and the U.S. forces, against a backdrop of discussions
of how many, if any, foreign troops will remain in Afghanistan after
Nato's exit in 2014. BBC and AFP

****
**** Death of Palestinian prisoner threatens third intifada against Israel
****

There had already been several weeks or demonstrations in the West
Bank protesting the detention of some 4,500 Palestinians in Israeli
jails, but the sudden death of Palestinian Arafat Jaradat while being
held in an Israeli jail has threatened to push the demonstrations to a
boiling point. Jaradat, a gas station attendant and married father of
two small children, was arrested on February 18 for throwing rocks and
firebombs at Israelis near Hebron. The apparent cause of death was a
heart attack, but following an Israeli autopsy observed by a
Palestinian doctor, Palestinian officials say that Jaradat's body was
bruised and showed signs of being beaten on the chest, back, arms and
mouth and had two broken ribs, implying that "severe torture" led to
the heart attack and Jaradat's death. According to an Israeli
military commentator, Jaradat's death may become "the opening shot" in
a third intifada. Palestinian officials are demanding that the United
Nations investigate Jaradat's death and conditions in Israeli prisons.
Jerusalem Post and LA Times

****
**** West Bank demonstrations are not yet a third intifada
****

Analysts are questioning whether the West Bank protests are anywhere
near a third intifada. The first intifada occurred in 1987, with
Palestinians throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at the Israeli
Defense Forces (IDF), blocking roads and burning tires. The IDF was
totally unprepared for the protests, and the IDF was blamed for
brutality. The second intifada occurred in 2000, when thousands of
Palestinians clashed with the IDF, and once again the army lost
control of the situation. In contrast, this Sunday's protests
involved 100-200 Palestinians throwing rocks at soldiers in a few
locations, and the IDF quickly dispersed the protesters. However, the
fear is that a new spark could cause the situation to deteriorate
rapidly. Jerusalem Post and Haaretz

****
**** Historical analogy: 1936 Spain to Syria today
****

For those who enjoy historical analogies, here's one from George Will
on Sunday's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos":

<QUOTE>"No analogy is perfect, but go back to the Spanish
civil war that began in 1936. By the time it got in full-blown
proportions, there was no happy choice. It was going to be the
communists who were going to control Spain or Franco was going to
control Spain. And we may be at that point in Syria."<END QUOTE>

Will's point is that just as Spain was going to be controlled by the
Fascist Francisco Franco or by the communists, Syria today is going to
be controlled either by the Fascist Bashar al-Assad or by al-Qaeda
linked terrorists.

There seems to be a growing feeling that the West has waited
too long to intervene in Syria. In this view, if the West
had intervened as soon as the al-Assad began his bloodbath,
then it might have been possible to force al-Assad out and
turn the government into a democracy. This is probably a
fantasy, but the feeling persists. And the Russians are
particularly being blamed from allowing this situation to
arise by blocking all Western attempts to intervene.
ABC News


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, Wardak province,
Kabul, Israel, West Bank, Arafat Jaradat, third intifada,
Israeli Defense Forces, IDF, Spain, Francisco Franco,
Syria, Bashar al-Assad

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I expect Japan to test a nuclear bomb.

*** 26-Feb-13 World View -- China increases military buildup in South China Sea

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Former comic Beppe Grillo becomes political kingmaker in Italy
• Germany becomes alarmed over China's cyberattacks
• China increases military buildup in South China Sea
• Apparently, Equifax's networks and databases have been hacked
• Network Solutions crashes GenerationalDynamics.com

****
**** Former comic Beppe Grillo becomes political kingmaker in Italy
****


Beppe Grillo, after voting on Sunday (Reuters)

In Italy's presidential election this weekend, Italy's "hope and
change" candidate was Beppe Grillo, head of the 5-Star Movement.
Grillo is a 64 year old former comedian who has turned into an
anti-austerity, anti-establishment, anti-euro firebrand. The problem
is that his 5-Star Movement may well have won more seats in the
Parliament than any other party. Grillo himself didn't run for
election, because he's ineligible to do so: He was convicted off
manslaughter in 1991 over a traffic accident. But he can still serve
as the leader of the approximately 110 seats out of 630 that he won in
the parliament. Grillo might ally himself with one of the other
parties and become a kind of kingmaker, but the indecisive election
results probably mean that a new election will be called. Reuters

****
**** Germany becomes alarmed over China's cyberattacks
****

Germans are reacting with alarm to reports that Chinese hackers have
stolen strategically important information from many German companies,
including the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS).
and steelmaker ThyssenKrupp. Although Chinese hackers have been
attacking Germany for years, the attacks became massive a few months
ago. The hackers' tracks lead back to three major Chinese cities:
Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and particularly to Unit 61398, a
unit of China's People's Liberation Army which has been conducting
massive cyber warfare. (See "20-Feb-13 World View -- New report reveals massive cyber war attack by China's army"
from last week.) Despite everything,
Chancellor Angela Merkel is not pushing back very hard against the
Chinese, since China is one of Germany's major training partners.
Spiegel

****
**** China increases military buildup in South China Sea
****

China announced on Monday that it's increasing its military patrols in
the South China Sea to protect Chinese fishermen and, presumably, to
keep out other countries' fishermen. China has declared that it's
claiming sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, including
regions that have historically belonged to other countries, including
the Philippines, Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and
Vietnam. China announced last year that in 2013 it would start
boarding and taking control of other countries' ships in the South
China Sea. According to China, the new South China Sea patrols
highlight great advances in China's law enforcement capability in
relevant waters, as Beijing seeks to safeguard its sovereignty and
national interests in the region. China Daily (Beijing)

****
**** Apparently, Equifax's networks and databases have been hacked
****

I use different e-mail addresses for almost everything. That way, I
know whether a company is using my e-mail address for spam.

In 2005, I registered with the Equifax web site to do some research
for a brief period. Starting about a month ago, I've been receiving
several spam messages a day to that e-mail address.

Therefore, I conclude that Equifax's networks and data bases have been
hacked, and e-mail address have been stolen at the very least.
Whether Equifax's credit card databases have also been hacked is
something I have no way of knowing.

****
**** Network Solutions crashes GenerationalDynamics.com
****

The GenerationalDynamics.com web site went down on Sunday evening at
about 7 pm ET, and didn't come up again until 1 pm ET on Monday. I
apologize to anyone who was inconvenienced.

About five years ago, I moved my web site from web.com (Interland) to
Network Solutions because the customer support on web.com was actively
hostile, and Network Solutions was very good at that time.

But that appears not to be true any more. You have to sit there on
hold for about an hour to get an answer to even a simple question from
Network Solutions customer support. The so-called "VIP support" is
worse than nothing, in that you wait on hold to talk to them, and then
they just transfer you somewhere else where you have to wait on hold
again.

The web site service had actually been degrading gradually for a
couple of months, getting random server errors at different times,
before it crashed completely. This afternoon, I experienced several
server resets, so I'm afraid there are more problems to come.

I'm not sure that anyone else is any better.

Despite the fact that the web site was down yesterday evening, I was
able to get the e-mail messages out, since those go through Constant
Contact rather than Network Solutions. The e-mail service is going
very well, and since I use different e-mail addresses for everything,
I am personally certain that subscribers to the Generational Dynamics
e-mail service do not receive spam. You can subscribe to the e-mail
list by clicking on the following link and typing your e-mail address:

http://GenerationalDynamics.com/Subscribe


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Italy, Beppe Grillo, 5-Star Movement,
Germany, China, ThyssenKrupp, Angela Merkel, Unit 61398,
European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, EADS,
South China Sea, Equifax, Network Solutions

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Originally Posted by TimWalker

I expect Japan to test a nuclear bomb.

Yeah. Right around the time Israel fires up its gas chambers and Al Sharpton and Bill Cosby stock their plantations with slaves.

I expect that for many purposes we will have to go back to an analog world for our most crucial information; we can also expect eventual attacks on crucial infrastructure.

It has been commented that Japan could quickly assemble a nuclear deterrent, using resources from their space program and civilian nuclear power.

Originally Posted by TimWalker

It has been commented that Japan could quickly assemble a nuclear deterrent, using resources from their space program and civilian nuclear power.

Of course. And Israel has tons of pesticides and shower facilities just lying around, too. Still doesn't change the fact that the respective cultures aren't going to turn on a dime and start engaging in those horrors perpetrated on them that take such key spots in their national narratives. That's just not the way actual people actually work. Taboo is a crazy-powerful force.

If Japan were to test a nuclear weapon, it would dramatically change
the geopolitics in the region. North Korea would immediately threaten
a nuclear strike on Japan, and China's ultra-nationalist youth would
be going crazy. It seems to me unlikely that Abe would risk provoking
that kind of reaction until some crisis made it necessary.

So I believe what's a lot more likely is that Japan would develop
the nuclear weapons (and perhaps already has), and wait until much
later to test them.

However, post-WW II culture has nothing to do with it. To the
contrary, Japan's ultra-nationalistic youth have moved completely away
from the "defense only" post-war mood. In the last two years, polls
have shown that Japanese have rapidly become much more willing to be
more aggressive militarily, and in view of the North Korean threat, I
believe that the Japanese people would welcome having a nuclear
capability to counter North Korea's.

Cultures do not turn on a dime, but particularly during a crisis era
regeneracy, then can and do turn pretty quickly.

Originally Posted by John J. Xenakis

If Japan were to test a nuclear weapon, it would dramatically changethe geopolitics in the region. North Korea would immediately threaten a nuclear strike on Japan, and China's ultra-nationalist youth would be going crazy. It seems to me unlikely that Abe would risk provoking that kind of reaction until some crisis made it necessary. So I believe what's a lot more likely is that Japan would develop the nuclear weapons (and perhaps already has), and wait until much later to test them. However, post-WW II culture has nothing to do with it. To the contrary, Japan's ultra-nationalistic youth have moved completely away from the "defense only" post-war mood. In the last two years, polls have shown that Japanese have rapidly become much more willing to be more aggressive militarily, and in view of the North Korean threat, I believe that the Japanese people would welcome having a nuclear capability to counter North Korea's.

Cultures do not turn on a dime, but particularly during a crisis era regeneracy, then can and do turn pretty quickly.

There is no reason to test nukes any more. If you have good models (and we might provide the Japanese with ours) and the computing horsepowerr to run them, tests are a waste of time and money.

Originally Posted by Marx & Lennon

There is no reason to test nukes any more. If you have good models (and we might provide the Japanese with ours) and the computing horsepowerr to run them, tests are a waste of time and money.

Except to make sure the things actually work, of course. Models are fine and great and all, but the NHTSA doesn't take their word, no matter how good they are -- and those guys are only concerned with relatively small amounts of potential harm.