I try not to watch any of the major networks anymore and this is one of the reason. This is old news but a couple folks sent it to me as if it was new info. This dates back to 9-11 days
Do not be shocked it is what our Media is all about... Do not want to offend anyone, well they offened me...
> ABC News Bans Flag Lapel Pins
> The brass at ABC News issued orders forbidding reporters to
> wear lapel pin American flags or other patriotic insignia.
Their reasoning was that ABC should remain neutral about 'causes'.
> Since when is support for preventing our death & destruction some sort
> of a cause?
Since when is patriotism to be discouraged. I urge you to boycott ABC and its sponsors and affiliates.
> We are slowly losing everything our country stands for, and everything our men and women fought and died to preserve.
> Please forward this to as many as you can. You can verify it by going to:
> http://www.snopes.com/rumors/noflags.asp
Friday, October 3, 2008
A Step By Step View of The Credit Issue
The thing that chaps me most is the the facts in all this just can't seem to get to the surface.. Many of us saw the problem building. There was a time with the media would have very much enjoyed digging such issues out and report them first, but not any more. Journalism is just about dead now it is all politics. How can we write articles that promotes the left over the right. Even a few that go right to left but very few
Well if you would take a few minutes and watch the video on this link.
http://www.jimdemint.com/blog/2008/09/what-caused-the-economic-crisis-watch-this/
Fact are Facts
Middle Class you are going to pay your share of this debt... Income redistribution ...
$ 700,000,000,000, so that people who can not afford a home can buy one. Now you and I pay the tab... If that does not upset you then we derserve what we are getting. I am however upset that the Republicans controlled both the houses and the White House and did not take this issue to task and fix it. They knew it was coming heck a few even tried to bring it to light. They waited until the Demo's got control of the congress then several tried to do something but it was too late. (The power of controling congress is they decide what get to the floor) Yes, it would have been unpopular but being the head of the greatest nation on earth requires some effort.
I say fire the whole DC gang and put in some new blood. We do need change and now. It you have not listened to Congress talk about this issue do not. It will make you very ill. One after another of the Democratic as late as last year were saying there is not problem, it is just those right wing Republicans who want to keep the poor poor. B S is was about saving our finance system.. Shame on the whole lot in DC
Vote them Out...
Please share this site if you agree.
Well if you would take a few minutes and watch the video on this link.
http://www.jimdemint.com/blog/2008/09/what-caused-the-economic-crisis-watch-this/
Fact are Facts
Middle Class you are going to pay your share of this debt... Income redistribution ...
$ 700,000,000,000, so that people who can not afford a home can buy one. Now you and I pay the tab... If that does not upset you then we derserve what we are getting. I am however upset that the Republicans controlled both the houses and the White House and did not take this issue to task and fix it. They knew it was coming heck a few even tried to bring it to light. They waited until the Demo's got control of the congress then several tried to do something but it was too late. (The power of controling congress is they decide what get to the floor) Yes, it would have been unpopular but being the head of the greatest nation on earth requires some effort.
I say fire the whole DC gang and put in some new blood. We do need change and now. It you have not listened to Congress talk about this issue do not. It will make you very ill. One after another of the Democratic as late as last year were saying there is not problem, it is just those right wing Republicans who want to keep the poor poor. B S is was about saving our finance system.. Shame on the whole lot in DC
Vote them Out...
Please share this site if you agree.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
I Could Not Believe What I Saw
Yesterday October 1 ... Raleigh NC State Fair Grounds
I went out to the Fair Grounds to check on the Lions Club Booth at about 10 AM... Traffic was not moving... Police were directing traffic ... Cars were everywhere..,
I was trying to figure out what was going on. Thee was nothing on the bill board about any event, I had not read anything, it was not on TV or the radio. What is the world could it be.
Buses full of people several hundred cars parked everywhere????
Well when I finally got inside the grounds I had another surprize. Was I in America or had somehow I been picked up and dropped in a Muslim country. To my surprize and amazement I was now among several thousand Muslim dressed people from kids to seniors. What could be going on. Whites, Blacks, and literaly thousands of people dressed in every Islamic costume you can imagine.
Was it a political event, was OH Bama here? Surely they had not invited Mc Cain or Palin to come and speak to them. What in the world... How could so many people assemble and not one word of this be on the media I kept asking myself. I mean let 20 people go to central prison to burn a candle to protest the execution of a murderer and every network is there, and why not here. This is right down the networks key issues to blast into our homes.
I tried to ask some of the people there what was going on and most just walked by and would not talk to me. Guess without a beard, robe or a turbin they assumed I could not understand them.
I can tell for sure, if you had want a taxie you had a problem... all the drivers and cars were at this event. I waited to hear on TV something about it still nothing.
Folks let me tell you. This will cause you to take a step back and ask yourself. Am I still in the US.
This is one small US City. I had to sit down and open my mind, yes I know it is a bit closed,
to imagine if this went on in every city in the US on Oct 1 and without any communication from the normal channels... Well for sure they are more committed to thier cause than the average American is that is for sure.
I did finally get one young lady to take to me.... She by the way was a white girl who had converted to the Islamic life. I asked her why she choose this religion and she said, is was a religion that believed in peace and love... My mouth dropped and I asked her about the suicide bombers that we see on TV who go into market areas and kill innocent people in the name of ALLAH... she said oh these are radicals who really do not understand the true meaning of Islam.
I asked her why so many had turned out today and she smiled and told me it was a special prayer day. I asked her did they pray for peace and talk about these radicals... she said no it was more about specials prays for Allah.
Honest this yound lady was so full of Allah that she could have easly been convienced to do anything they wanted in the name of Allah
Me, I am just in shock... God help us when the radicals decide to call these folks to task and they will, it is how they work. Read my earlier posted back several months ago which shows how things change as the % of Muslims grows... It is how it worked in Europe and other countries and it is headed to our America...
God, Please Wake Us UP Before It Is Too Late
I went out to the Fair Grounds to check on the Lions Club Booth at about 10 AM... Traffic was not moving... Police were directing traffic ... Cars were everywhere..,
I was trying to figure out what was going on. Thee was nothing on the bill board about any event, I had not read anything, it was not on TV or the radio. What is the world could it be.
Buses full of people several hundred cars parked everywhere????
Well when I finally got inside the grounds I had another surprize. Was I in America or had somehow I been picked up and dropped in a Muslim country. To my surprize and amazement I was now among several thousand Muslim dressed people from kids to seniors. What could be going on. Whites, Blacks, and literaly thousands of people dressed in every Islamic costume you can imagine.
Was it a political event, was OH Bama here? Surely they had not invited Mc Cain or Palin to come and speak to them. What in the world... How could so many people assemble and not one word of this be on the media I kept asking myself. I mean let 20 people go to central prison to burn a candle to protest the execution of a murderer and every network is there, and why not here. This is right down the networks key issues to blast into our homes.
I tried to ask some of the people there what was going on and most just walked by and would not talk to me. Guess without a beard, robe or a turbin they assumed I could not understand them.
I can tell for sure, if you had want a taxie you had a problem... all the drivers and cars were at this event. I waited to hear on TV something about it still nothing.
Folks let me tell you. This will cause you to take a step back and ask yourself. Am I still in the US.
This is one small US City. I had to sit down and open my mind, yes I know it is a bit closed,
to imagine if this went on in every city in the US on Oct 1 and without any communication from the normal channels... Well for sure they are more committed to thier cause than the average American is that is for sure.
I did finally get one young lady to take to me.... She by the way was a white girl who had converted to the Islamic life. I asked her why she choose this religion and she said, is was a religion that believed in peace and love... My mouth dropped and I asked her about the suicide bombers that we see on TV who go into market areas and kill innocent people in the name of ALLAH... she said oh these are radicals who really do not understand the true meaning of Islam.
I asked her why so many had turned out today and she smiled and told me it was a special prayer day. I asked her did they pray for peace and talk about these radicals... she said no it was more about specials prays for Allah.
Honest this yound lady was so full of Allah that she could have easly been convienced to do anything they wanted in the name of Allah
Me, I am just in shock... God help us when the radicals decide to call these folks to task and they will, it is how they work. Read my earlier posted back several months ago which shows how things change as the % of Muslims grows... It is how it worked in Europe and other countries and it is headed to our America...
God, Please Wake Us UP Before It Is Too Late
Old Bill Gates Quotes Still Valid
Love him or not, Bill Gates hit the nail on the head with this speech he gave at a high school recently. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality, and how it set them up for failure in the real world.
RULE 1: Life is not fair. Get used to it!
RULE 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
RULE 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both.
RULE 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
RULE 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.
RULE 6: If you mess up, it's not your parent's fault, so don't whine about your mistakes. Learn from them.
RULE 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So, before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
RULE 8: Your school has done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear any resemblance to anything in real life.
RULE 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
RULE 10: TV is NOT real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
RULE 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
IF YOU AGREE, PASS IT ON.
IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THANK A TEACHER!
IF YOU CAN READ THIS IN ENGLISH, THANK A SOLDIER!
RULE 1: Life is not fair. Get used to it!
RULE 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
RULE 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone until you earn both.
RULE 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
RULE 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.
RULE 6: If you mess up, it's not your parent's fault, so don't whine about your mistakes. Learn from them.
RULE 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So, before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
RULE 8: Your school has done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear any resemblance to anything in real life.
RULE 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
RULE 10: TV is NOT real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
RULE 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
IF YOU AGREE, PASS IT ON.
IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THANK A TEACHER!
IF YOU CAN READ THIS IN ENGLISH, THANK A SOLDIER!
Monday, September 29, 2008
TAXES Cut and Dried - Who Pays Them Today
Paul: as Mark Twain is supposed to have said, I am sorry this is so long. I did not have time to make it shorter than 269 words.
Current discussions about whether to raise taxes on the “rich” lack context and are being held in a vacuum. More than what? Up from where? Filing income taxes is complicated, but figuring out who pays them is not. Here are some basic facts, all of which are easily available on the internet from government reports.
In 2007, the federal government collected about $2.6 trillion (that’s 26 followed by 11 zeros). About $1.16 trillion of this came from income taxes. The remainder came from social security ($869 B) [not saved for your retirement but immediately “loaned” to the government], corporate ($370 B), excise and other taxes ($165 B).[1]
In 2006, the top 1% of tax return filers[2] (about 1 million filers) paid about 40% of these taxes – an average of $340,000.
The next 11%[3] (15 million filers) paid about 34% - an average of $26,000.
The next 38% (50 million) paid 23% - an average of $5000.
The next 50% (70 million) paid 3% - an average of $500.[4]
1/3 of all filers paid no income tax at all.
12% now pay 74% of all income taxes; 10 years ago, the same 12% paid about 64%. 50% now pay $500 or less; 10 years ago, it was 45%. 33% now pay nothing; 10 years ago, it was 25%.
Can the rich afford it? Sure. They won’t starve. A better question is: Should 1 million people pay $340,000 while 70 million people pay less than $500? If we are trying to accomplish wealth redistribution, let’s just do it and forget the income tax. There are much simpler ways to do it.
[1] http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy09/sheets/hist01z1.xls
[2] Income above $500,000+/-
[3] Income above $100,000+/-
[4] http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/06in11si.xls
Current discussions about whether to raise taxes on the “rich” lack context and are being held in a vacuum. More than what? Up from where? Filing income taxes is complicated, but figuring out who pays them is not. Here are some basic facts, all of which are easily available on the internet from government reports.
In 2007, the federal government collected about $2.6 trillion (that’s 26 followed by 11 zeros). About $1.16 trillion of this came from income taxes. The remainder came from social security ($869 B) [not saved for your retirement but immediately “loaned” to the government], corporate ($370 B), excise and other taxes ($165 B).[1]
In 2006, the top 1% of tax return filers[2] (about 1 million filers) paid about 40% of these taxes – an average of $340,000.
The next 11%[3] (15 million filers) paid about 34% - an average of $26,000.
The next 38% (50 million) paid 23% - an average of $5000.
The next 50% (70 million) paid 3% - an average of $500.[4]
1/3 of all filers paid no income tax at all.
12% now pay 74% of all income taxes; 10 years ago, the same 12% paid about 64%. 50% now pay $500 or less; 10 years ago, it was 45%. 33% now pay nothing; 10 years ago, it was 25%.
Can the rich afford it? Sure. They won’t starve. A better question is: Should 1 million people pay $340,000 while 70 million people pay less than $500? If we are trying to accomplish wealth redistribution, let’s just do it and forget the income tax. There are much simpler ways to do it.
[1] http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy09/sheets/hist01z1.xls
[2] Income above $500,000+/-
[3] Income above $100,000+/-
[4] http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/06in11si.xls
Sunday, September 28, 2008
A Lesson To Us All
This is the most simple, most understandable and truest explanation of the woes of the nation and who caused them, as well as how to cure them. Well written and well put!.
This should be sent to every person in the U.S., including the '545' People highlighted in this article.
'545' People By Charlie Reese -- former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered why, IF both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered why, IF all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy; The Federal Reserve Bank was given permission by Congress to do this.
100 Senators, 435 congressmen, 1 President and 9 Supreme Court Justices - 545 People out of the 300 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress.
In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority.
They have no ability to coerce a senator, a Congressman or a president to do one 'cotton-picking' thing.
I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 People spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con, regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.
No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.
The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.
Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party.
She and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want.
If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 People who stand convicted-- by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility.
I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 People.
When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 People exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because these 545 People want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because these 545 People want it in the red.
If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because these 545 People want them in IRAQ.
If these 545 People do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because these 545 People want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 People shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.
Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 People and these 545 People alone are responsible.
They and they alone, have the power.
They and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess and regain control of our government!
This should be sent to every person in the U.S., including the '545' People highlighted in this article.
'545' People By Charlie Reese -- former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered why, IF both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered why, IF all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy; The Federal Reserve Bank was given permission by Congress to do this.
100 Senators, 435 congressmen, 1 President and 9 Supreme Court Justices - 545 People out of the 300 million - are directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress.
In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority.
They have no ability to coerce a senator, a Congressman or a president to do one 'cotton-picking' thing.
I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 People spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con, regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.
No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits.
The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.
Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party.
She and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want.
If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 People who stand convicted-- by present facts - of incompetence and irresponsibility.
I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 People.
When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 People exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because these 545 People want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because these 545 People want it in the red.
If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because these 545 People want them in IRAQ.
If these 545 People do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because these 545 People want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 People shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.
Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 People and these 545 People alone are responsible.
They and they alone, have the power.
They and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess and regain control of our government!
Friday, September 26, 2008
My Son Asked? Does This Worry Anyone?
What worries me most is who in the White House to deal with the like of Putin, Chavez, the Nut from Iran as well as all the middle eastern learders... That keeps me awake at night... 60 more days and then I hope I can sleep well...
NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (AP) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vowed Thursday to make relations with Latin America a top foreign policy priority, a pledge backed by the first Russian naval deployment to the Caribbean since the Cold War.
Putin greeted Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, on his second trip to Russia in just over two months, with offers to discuss further arms sales to Venezuela and possibly helping it to develop nuclear energy.
Chavez's visit takes place as a Russian naval squadron sails to Venezuela, across the Caribbean Sea from the United States, in a pointed response to what the Kremlin has cast as threatening U.S. encroachment near its own borders.
Both men suggested their countries are working to decrease U.S. global influence.
"Latin America is becoming a noticeable link in the chain of the multi-polar world that is forming," Putin said at his suburban residence at the start of his talks with Chavez. "We will pay more and more attention to this vector of our economic and foreign policy."
Putin did not mention any specifics of potential Russian-Venezuelan military cooperation in his opening remarks, but Russian news reports said that Venezuela could buy Russian air defense missiles and more Sukhoi fighter jets.
Earlier Thursday, a Kremlin official who spoke on customary condition of anonymity said that Russia would grant Venezuela a $1 billion credit for the purchase of Russian weaponry in an effort to help Venezuela revamp its military forces.
Russia has signed contracts worth more than $4.4 billion with Venezuela since 2005 to supply arms including fighter jets, helicopters, and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.
Putin did not specify what kind of cooperation Russia could offer Venezuela in the nuclear field, but Russia is aggressively promoting itself as a builder of nuclear power plants and supplier of fuel to nations seeking nuclear energy.
Chavez, who addressed Putin as "my dear friend Vladimir," said that stronger ties with Russia would help build a multi-polar world—a term Russia and Venezuela use to describe their shared opposition to the perceived U.S. global domination.
"I think that today more than ever before what you have said about a multi-polar world is becoming reality," Chavez told Putin. He said he brought greetings from Cuban leader Fidel Castro, another staunch U.S. enemy.
Both leaders have used criticism of the U.S. to boost their popularity at home and advance foreign policy objectives.
Russia is the latest leg in a tour taking Chavez to a number of nations whose governments are eager to counter U.S. global clout. He stopped briefly in Cuba on his way to China, where he touted agreements to increase oil exports and purchase military jets.
Signaling similar interests in Russia, Chavez said he and President Dmitry Medvedev will observe military exercises when they meet Friday in the southern Orenburg region. The region near Kazakhstan's border is home to oil industry facilities.
In an interview broadcast on Russian television before the visit, Chavez said that Venezuela and Latin America as a whole need "friends like Russia" to help them shed U.S. "domination" and ensure peace.
Russia has ramped up its cooperation with Caracas further since last month's war with Georgia, which has badly damaged Moscow's already strained ties with the West and particularly the United States.
Russia's deployment of warships to Venezuela for naval maneuvers came after the United States used naval ships to ferry aid to Georgia after the war—a mission Russian officials harshly criticized.
The Russian naval deployment follows a weeklong visit to Venezuela by a pair of Russian strategic bombers. On his Sunday TV and radio program, Chavez joked that he would be making his international tour aboard the "super-bombers that Medvedev loaned me."
Chavez has also talked about creating "a new strategic energy alliance" with between the oil-rich nations.
After visiting Venezuela this month, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said five major Russian oil companies are looking to form a consortium to increase Latin American operations and to build a $6.5 billion refinery to process Venezuelan crude.
Putin said that Russia's Gazprom state natural gas giant will launch its first drilling rig next month to tap Venezuela's offshore gas reserves. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (AP) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin vowed Thursday to make relations with Latin America a top foreign policy priority, a pledge backed by the first Russian naval deployment to the Caribbean since the Cold War.
Putin greeted Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, on his second trip to Russia in just over two months, with offers to discuss further arms sales to Venezuela and possibly helping it to develop nuclear energy.
Chavez's visit takes place as a Russian naval squadron sails to Venezuela, across the Caribbean Sea from the United States, in a pointed response to what the Kremlin has cast as threatening U.S. encroachment near its own borders.
Both men suggested their countries are working to decrease U.S. global influence.
"Latin America is becoming a noticeable link in the chain of the multi-polar world that is forming," Putin said at his suburban residence at the start of his talks with Chavez. "We will pay more and more attention to this vector of our economic and foreign policy."
Putin did not mention any specifics of potential Russian-Venezuelan military cooperation in his opening remarks, but Russian news reports said that Venezuela could buy Russian air defense missiles and more Sukhoi fighter jets.
Earlier Thursday, a Kremlin official who spoke on customary condition of anonymity said that Russia would grant Venezuela a $1 billion credit for the purchase of Russian weaponry in an effort to help Venezuela revamp its military forces.
Russia has signed contracts worth more than $4.4 billion with Venezuela since 2005 to supply arms including fighter jets, helicopters, and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.
Putin did not specify what kind of cooperation Russia could offer Venezuela in the nuclear field, but Russia is aggressively promoting itself as a builder of nuclear power plants and supplier of fuel to nations seeking nuclear energy.
Chavez, who addressed Putin as "my dear friend Vladimir," said that stronger ties with Russia would help build a multi-polar world—a term Russia and Venezuela use to describe their shared opposition to the perceived U.S. global domination.
"I think that today more than ever before what you have said about a multi-polar world is becoming reality," Chavez told Putin. He said he brought greetings from Cuban leader Fidel Castro, another staunch U.S. enemy.
Both leaders have used criticism of the U.S. to boost their popularity at home and advance foreign policy objectives.
Russia is the latest leg in a tour taking Chavez to a number of nations whose governments are eager to counter U.S. global clout. He stopped briefly in Cuba on his way to China, where he touted agreements to increase oil exports and purchase military jets.
Signaling similar interests in Russia, Chavez said he and President Dmitry Medvedev will observe military exercises when they meet Friday in the southern Orenburg region. The region near Kazakhstan's border is home to oil industry facilities.
In an interview broadcast on Russian television before the visit, Chavez said that Venezuela and Latin America as a whole need "friends like Russia" to help them shed U.S. "domination" and ensure peace.
Russia has ramped up its cooperation with Caracas further since last month's war with Georgia, which has badly damaged Moscow's already strained ties with the West and particularly the United States.
Russia's deployment of warships to Venezuela for naval maneuvers came after the United States used naval ships to ferry aid to Georgia after the war—a mission Russian officials harshly criticized.
The Russian naval deployment follows a weeklong visit to Venezuela by a pair of Russian strategic bombers. On his Sunday TV and radio program, Chavez joked that he would be making his international tour aboard the "super-bombers that Medvedev loaned me."
Chavez has also talked about creating "a new strategic energy alliance" with between the oil-rich nations.
After visiting Venezuela this month, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said five major Russian oil companies are looking to form a consortium to increase Latin American operations and to build a $6.5 billion refinery to process Venezuelan crude.
Putin said that Russia's Gazprom state natural gas giant will launch its first drilling rig next month to tap Venezuela's offshore gas reserves. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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