In Effect, There Is Virtually No Candidate

The inside information is, contrary to anything different that only foolish people might believe, both putative Presidential candidates are now doing nothing as much as losing the general election. The voters are panicked by the state of the economy, on which neither of the two has a clue, or is likely to ever discover a clue.

Unless Vice-President Cheney can start World War III very soon, in which case neither Obama or McCain would ever be President. The situation right now, is that the election could be called off, while the nation operates under an unelected “emergency government,” for the duration of the presently onrushing global, economic breakdown-crisis.

The only leading issue on the electorate’s mind is the plunging state of the U.S. and European economies, which means that Obama’s constituency as November approaches, will be, basically, the serried ranks of some Buppies and Boomers, that is, if the chain is not pulled on Obama, as has been expected, by some time during September-October.

Meanwhile, Senator McCain’s virtual breakdown in accepting the Governor of Alaska as a stand-in for the Senator Lieberman whom he really wanted, combined with the effect of several factors on the Obama candidacy, means, that, as of this moment, it is probable that neither will be a standing candidate come November. Gustav came as a welcome excuse for many Republicans’ non- attendance at this week’s opening of the nominating convention. Of course, nothing is certain, except chaos, unless we become lucky and get an option I would prefer.

British thuggery pushed Hillary out, but it also wrecked the Democratic Party’s likelihood of winning the election.

The problem is not limited to the intellctual incompetence of the two Presidential candidates. In effect, letting the British (e.g., Rohatyn, Soros) steer muddleheaded Nancy Pelosi into virtually shutting down the U.S. Congress for most of the past two years, and eliminating the only leading pre-Presidential candidate who has shown the ability to think like an actual President, the U.S.A. does not have the prospect of an actually functioning, properly elected President assuming office come January.

It is the reigning Federal political system, in the Executive Branch, and the leadership of both branches of the Federal legislature, together with the leading press, which are responsible for the general breakdown of the Federal political system at this time.

I am not proposing that that will be the situation come November election-day. In a situation like the present global financial and strategic crisis, the candidates nominated by the time the Republican conventions ends, may not be candidates when election-day arrives. Past Labor Day, the fact of the incompetence of the present top leaders in the Congress, the candidates, and the major press, will have begun to kick in.

You can nominate a zero, but no sane person would ever believe for long, that it was actually our President. So, Gustav saved many leading Republicans from disgusting themselves by attending the Republican nominating convention. As things stand now, the name of the next President of the U.S.A. might turn out to have been “None of the Above.”

As usual, when I am abroad for a few weeks, there has been a bit of an emotional breakdown in places such as Leesburg. Don’t let that discourage you; it happens regularly, and we have always survived such fits by the usual suspects before. In the meantime, we shall continue to do our job, and pay little attention to the perenniel gaggle of silly gossips.

Many things are about to change, and that more or less profoundly, very, very soon.

http://www.larouchepac.com/news/2008/09/02/effect-there-virtually-no-candidate.html

Certain or uncertain doom???

We had a call scheduled with Benjamin Fulford which was unexpectedly cancelled.. it appears he is very concerned over the latest turn in events and mysteriously would say nothing more except that we should be aware of September 8… We do not know anything more than this, other than he stressed that things are constantly changing.. Previously he stated that he had learned from sources that 30 September would be important because it was the end of the US Fiscal Year and it was then when bankruptcy could be announced and the U.S would need to make good on the debt. Half Past Human, using predictive webbot technology, have identified 7 October as the date for a crucial event – preceded by a plateau of 11 days of tension starting on 27 September. The aftermath of the 7 October event, they say, will last till mid-February. They do not know what this is, save that’s it’s half economic and half military. They are confident of their prediction. They compare the five months of “release language” they have identified on the net (in connection with the period of time following the incident) with the 10 or 11 days following 9/11. This implies a far more major and impactful event or situation. We interviewed George Green by phone two days ago and will publish this within 24 hours. He believes WW III is on its way. There is NO-ONE who is saying that we should all relax and that this is all hype.

http://www.projectcamelot.org/

Recalled mushrooms could contain listeria

*Is there anything we CAN eat???*

OTTAWA — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a listeria warning for mushrooms sold in Ontario under the Fresh Obsessions brand.

The agency said the mushrooms have been recalled by Ravine Mushroom Farms Inc., based in Woodbridge, Ont., because they could be tainted with listeria, which causes listeriosis, a potentially deadly food-borne illness.

Sold under the Fresh Obsessions brand and labelled Ready To Serve Pre-washed Sliced White Mushrooms, the product is sold in 227 gram packages, the agency said.

The agency said there have been no reported illnesses traced to the mushrooms.

A countrywide listeriosis outbreak linked to meats produced at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto has been blamed for 12 deaths. Maple Leaf has recalled 220 products sold across the country over fears they could contain meats tainted with listeria.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=766319

Ontario cheeses recalled over listeria fears

OTTAWA– An Ontario cheese maker has recalled several types of cheese over concerns they could be contaminated with listeria, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says.

Ivanhoe Cheese Inc., based in Madoc, Ont., has pulled its cheddar, marble, Asiago, Swiss, Gouda, Parmesan, mozzarella, havarti, colby, brick, and feta cheeses with best-before dates between Feb. 20, 2009 and March 1, 2009, the agency said.

The agency said the cheeses were distributed to Ontario retail stores and could also be sold at deli counters. No illnesses have so far been linked to the products.

This latest recalls comes in the wake of a countrywide listeriosis outbreak linked to deli meats and related products produced at a Maple Leaf Foods plant in Toronto. The condition, a food-borne illness caused by the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium, has been blamed for 13 deaths, most of them in Ontario.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=769419

Pakistanis furious over U.S.-led border raid

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan is determined to defend its territorial integrity, the country’s foreign minister said on Thursday, as anger mounted over a raid by U.S.-led troops on a remote border village.

The pre-dawn helicopter-borne ground assault on the village of Angor Adda on the Afghan border on Wednesday was the first known incursion into Pakistan by U.S.-led troops since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Twenty people, including women and children were killed, officials said, and a new civilian government, more sensitive to public anger than the previous government, summoned the U.S. ambassador to lodge an angry protest.

Foreign Minister Shah Memood Qureshi said the raid was a shameful violation of rules of engagement agreed with U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.

“We will not compromise on any violation of our sovereignty,” Qureshi told the National Assembly.

“We will defend and … we have a resolve and we have national consensus in Pakistan to defend our territorial integrity,” he said. Both houses of parliament later adopted resolutions condemning the attack.

The United States, a major source of aid to nuclear-armed Pakistan, has not officially commented on the raid but there is little, if any, doubt it was carried out by U.S. troops.

The United States says al Qaeda and Taliban militants lurk in sanctuaries in northwest Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtun tribal areas on the Afghan border, where they orchestrate attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan and plot violence in the West.

Pakistan has been a close U.S. ally in the unpopular campaign against terrorism and has tens of thousands of troops battling militants but it rules out incursions by foreign troops.

There have, however, been numerous missile strikes on militants in Pakistan, most believed launched by U.S.-operated pilotless drone aircraft.

NATO’s Afghan peacekeeping force, led by a U.S. general, denied involvement. The United States leads a separate, counter-insurgency force in Afghanistan.

Asked about the raid in South Waziristan, a Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman, said: “I have nothing for you on those reports.” The CIA referred questions to the Pentagon.

“FURIOUS”

Analysts said the raid will test ties between the allies.

“The people of Pakistan are furious,” said former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed Khan.

“At a minimum they want an apology … and an assurance that this kind of operation will not be repeated … It could have an irreparable effect on long-term relations.”

Since the emergence of a civilian-led government after February elections, there has been growing concern that U.S. military operations were becoming more aggressive.

The number of missile attacks launched by drones has multiplied, and there had been fears U.S. forces would use helicopter gunships or put troops on the ground for “hot pursuit” or commando-style raids to destroy al Qaeda nests.

“This is what Pakistan feared,” said military affairs analyst Ayesha Siddiqa, adding she expected more U.S. strikes.

“The government has protested, there will be a lot of anger, but the situation will continue … the relationship won’t break down but there’s going to be more bitterness.”

While in the past, the government led by former president Pervez Musharraf could virtually ignore public anger, the civilian government led by the widower of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto will feel pressure.

Asif Ali Zardari, who looks set to become president in an election by legislators on Saturday, is seen as close to the United States but ordinary Pakistanis, many of whom harbor anti-American feelings, will expect him to take a stand.

Zardari, in a commentary published in the Washington Post, repeated his determination to defeat the Taliban insurgency in Pakistan and ensure that Pakistani territory is not used for attacks into Afghanistan. He did not mention the raid.

Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said such raids risked forcing people into the arms of the militants and inciting an uprising in the tribal lands.

Khan said the raid looked like an act of U.S. desperation: “They are in election mode and apparently the Bush administration is desperate to score points.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080904/wl_nm/pakistan_usa_dc

Gardasil: Safety of Genetically Engineered HPV Vaccine Still in Question

You can’t go anywhere these days without seeing a poster promoting vaccination against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) for prevention of the infection causing genital warts and, more importantly, cervical cancer. One of two vaccines currently on the market, Gardasil, made by Sanofi Pasteur MSD (a division of Merck), was recently endorsed in the medical journal Lancet by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and prior to that, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. While its efficacy seems to be established, its safety is still in question. Like other vaccines, Gardasil can induce reactions in recipients, thus immunization is not without risks.

Most recently, Reuters reported on an Australian study that found young girls receiving the vaccine had a higher incidence of anaphylactic reactions than students receiving other vaccines. Although researchers had theories as to what other factors might have been involved in those elevated numbers, this is not the only study with results pointing to the same conclusions. Last May, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported higher rates of fainting in girls receiving the vaccine but still endorses the vaccine on their website. The WHO advisory committee has also apparently concluded there is no cause for concern.

Gardasil is a quadrivalent vaccine meaning it protects against 4 strains of virus (types 6, 11, 16, and 18). The vaccine was made using genetic engineering techniques. The genes that encode a specific protein from each of these strains are expressed in yeast in large-scale fermentation cultures. Protein purification methods are then used to isolate the proteins and make the vaccine. The vaccine is considered safer than other types of vaccine that use live, or even “attenuated” (dead) virus, because it is only the protein that is injected. There is still a risk, however, of having an allergic reaction to one of the foreign proteins.

http://biotech.about.com/b/2008/09/03/gardasil-safety-of-genetically-engineered-hpv-vaccine-still-in-question.htm

HPV Vaccine Required of Immigrants

*A little…strange.*

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — In order to become a permanent, legal resident of the U.S., immigrants now must receive a vaccine that is not required of U.S. citizens.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine — known as Gardasil — is one of five the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently added to the required list. The vaccine works to prevent cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide.

Ginky-Lee Torres, an immigration lawyer, questions the government’s decision to impose requirements on immigrants that go above and beyond those on citizens.

“If the government is trying to take care of everyone, they should be doing it also with the citizens,” she said. “However, they don’t have the power to impose on you as a citizen what vaccination you have.”

Immigrans must also get vaccines that protect against meningitis and chicken pox, which are highly contagious. HPV is not.

Nya Flomo, who works with refugees, says the requirement is aimed at protecting women who come from countries where access to the vaccine is limited or nonexistent.

At $162 per dose, the three-dose vaccine is expensive. “It’s a financial burden, in addition to every other burden they have financially in the applications,” said Torres.

http://www.myfoxwghp.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7352699&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1