I just returned from Ireland where everything is labeled with a country of orgin label. Every item in the dairy, produce and meat sections of the supermarket has a label and they strive for as much local Irish sourced food as possible.
I have been selling cattle into the conventional market in the US for over 25 years and there is no reason what so ever that meat raised in the US could not be labeled as such. The only reason it isn't is because Tyson, Hormel, Cargill, NCBA, NPP, AMI, NMA and AFB do not want it labeled. They know consumers will buy US sourced meat if they are given the choice and they know that choice could cut into their profits. Like the Hudson Institute's "Milk is Milk" campaign, these processors and industry groups want consumers to beleive that meat is meat. Voluntary lableing is nothing more than a means to gloss over the desires of the public and farmers for mandatory lableing.
The letter by Buffington is posted at ReclaimDemocracy.org, with links to an amazing library of articles and documents on Walmart Corporation: http://reclaimdemocracy.org/walmart/newspaper_association_letter.php
The Bush push for privatization is all about
keeping brokerages and big business afloat.
When interest rates go up, our super 90's growth
slows, who is going to have extra money to invest?
Take a look at this link from aflcio.org
http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/socialsecurity/wallstreetgreed/upload/wsg_summary_frontgroups.pdf#search='coalition%20for%20the%20modernization%20and%20protection%20of%20america's%20social%20security'
It probably will not go through.
But I received it from Yahoo's search engine
when I typed "coalition for the modernization
and protection of america's social
security"
It would make a great subject for an article
which I have no time to write!
This document details the groups attacking
retirement security: AG Edwards, Allstate,
American Financial Group, Quick & Reilly,
Charles Schwab, CIGNA, E-Trade, Fidelity,
Goldman Sachs, Legg Mason,...the list goes on.
These nice guys got nailed when more private
individuals got their hands on trading tools and
their own inside trading networks were washed
out. Now they want to take on our Social
Security accounts.
The value of publicly traded companies and even
bond values was greatly affected by the pumping
in of cash from 401k's in the 80's and 90's.
Greatly overvalued. Yes it has been great in
that it built us fast internet service,
cheap tv's and plastic garbage toys built in
China.
The question is, are any of these companies
making money or are they squandering stock sale
and inside trading receipts. I can tell you
it is the latter. Is Walgreens making enough
money to build stores on every corner? To pay
for the bricks and mortar? No mam. Sorry to say
they are not. Stock receipts. Accounting
manipulation. Slack government accounting
standards.
We are a very young country which has dealt
with its fair share of big business runnin
government. The times are going to change.
We are a democracy. Ran by brick layers,
construction workers, and starbucks servers.
Can we handle a downturn in our economy? Yes we
can. Laborors will always be able to build
homes for each other, counting on communities to
feed each other, as in the farming economy at
the turn of the century.
The problem here is can Investment managers
keep their summer life styles in the hamptons
if their commissions drop?
I am an x-Arthur Anderson CPA
Auditor at home with 2 young children. I have
dealt with these CFO/CEO "investment Managers"
directly. And I gaurantee that they are only
concerned with their own estates. Definitely
not the future of working-class america.
The New Black... or the New Red ?
France is about to go for a not-quite-next-gen reactor (EPR technology) : officially, the aim of the game is to prepare the replacement of all nuclear plants in France (starting from the 2020s), but actually China is the game. The question is not IF (YES) nor even WHEN (A.S.A.P.) the Chinese will decide to invest in nuclear energy but on which solution. The French are competing with the US and betting on the EPR techno, but without any facility to exhibit to their potential customers. My guess is China could go for their own solution, just ordering a few units to ease the energy crunch and prepare a more massive approach. In the end, 2 or 3 technologies might be rolled out, just like with 3G in mobile communications ("Europe's" W-CDMA, USA's CDMA2000 and China's TD-SCDMA).
Sam W. Bodman used to work for such investors as American Research and Development Corporation (AMRAD - I don't know if there is any connection with AMRAD.com, "American Radiation Services, Inc. is a radiological laboratory and services company providing a variety of reliable, cost effective services to the government and industry."), Fidelity Venture Associates (Fidelity Investment), Cabot Corporation. More on http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/bodman-bio.html.
Stephane MOT
http://www.stephanemot.com - http://mot-bile.blogspot.com
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/032305B.shtml
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