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The stock market crash of 2016: stocks have already crashed in 6 of the 8 largest economies

The Chinese economy is the second largest on the entire planet, and since this time last year Chinese stocks are down an astounding 40 percent

by Michael Snyder
Economic Collapse

Over the past 12 months, stock market investors around the planet have lost trillions of dollars.

Since this time last June, stocks have crashed in 6 of the world’s 8 largest economies, and stocks in the other two are down as well. The charts that you are about to see are absolutely stunning, and they are clear evidence that a new global financial crisis has already begun. Of course it is true that we are still in the early chapters of this new crisis and that there is much, much more damage to be done, but let us not minimize the carnage that we have already witnessed.

In general, there have been three major waves of financial panic over the past 12 months. Late last August we saw the biggest financial shaking since the financial crisis of 2008, then in January and February there was an even bigger shaking, and now a third “wave” has begun in June. Not all areas around the globe have been affected equally by each wave, but without a doubt this new financial crisis is a global phenomenon.

The charts that I am about to show you come from Trading Economics. It is an absolutely indispensable website that is packed full of useful data, and I encourage everyone to check it out.

Let’s talk about China first. The Chinese economy is the second largest on the entire planet, and since this time last year Chinese stocks are down an astounding 40 percent…

As things have started to unravel in China, the Chinese have been selling off U.S. debt and U.S. stocks like crazy. The following comes from Bloomberg…

For the past year, Chinese selling of Treasuries has vexed investors and served as a gauge of the health of the world’s second-largest economy.

The People’s Bank of China, owner of the world’s biggest foreign-exchange reserves, burnt through 20 percent of its war chest since 2014, dumping about $250 billion of U.S. government debt and using the funds to support the yuan and stem capital outflows.

While China’s sales of Treasuries have slowed, its holdings of U.S. equities are now showing steep declines.

Unfortunately for China, their economy just continues to slow down, and George Soros is so alarmed by this and a potential “Brexit” that he has been selling off stocks and buying enormous amounts of gold in anticipation of an even bigger global downturn.

Japan has the third largest economy in the world, and over the past year Japanese stocks are down a total of 26 percent from the peak…

Personally, I have been extremely alarmed by what has been happening in Japan lately. Japanese stocks were down almost 500 points last night, and overall the Nikkei is down a whopping 1,800 points so far in June.

Of course the Japanese economy as a whole is essentially a basket case at this point. For a detailed analysis of this, please see my previous article entitled “Watch Japan – For All Is Not Well In The Land Of The Rising Sun“.
Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world, and over the past year their stocks have fallen 19 percent from the peak of the market…

The key thing to watch for in Germany are serious troubles at their biggest bank. I wrote a long article about the slow-motion implosion of Deutsche Bank last month, and just this week Deutsche Bank stock hit an all-time low.

The fifth largest economy on the planet belongs to the United Kingdom, and since last June their stocks have fallen about 13 percent…

One week from today, the “Brexit” vote will be held in the UK, and if they vote to leave the EU that could have very serious economic and financial implications for them and for the rest of Europe as well. For an in-depth look at this, please see my previous article entitled “June 23, 2016: The Brexit Vote Could Change EVERYTHING And Plunge Europe Into Financial Chaos.“

France has the sixth largest economy in the world, and over the past year French stocks are down 20 percent from the peak of the market…

The French economy is really struggling these days, and we have not heard much about it in the U.S. media, but there have been tremendous riots in major cities in France in recent weeks.

The seventh largest economy on our planet belongs to India. Even though India is facing some very serious economic problems, their stocks are doing okay for the moment. Even though stocks in India are down over the past 12 months, we have not seen a major financial crisis over there just yet.

But there is definitely a major crisis in the eighth largest economy in the world. Italian stocks are down a staggering 32 percent from the peak of the market. That means approximately a third of all stock market wealth in Italy is already gone…

Earlier this year, I wrote about the horrifying collapse of the Italian banking system that has greatly accelerated since the start of 2016. It looks like virtually all of their big banks will ultimately need to be bailed out, and this threatens to become a far bigger crisis than the crisis in Greece ever was.

And let us not leave off the ninth largest economy in the world. Not too long ago, CNN ran an article entitled “Brazil: Economic collapse worse than feared“. So not only are they admitting that the ninth largest economy on the globe is collapsing, they are also admitting that it is even worse than what the experts had anticipated.
So did I leave anyone off the list?

Ah yes, I haven’t even addressed what has been going on in the United States yet.

U.S. stocks did crash last August, but then they recovered.

Then they crashed again in January, but then they recovered again.

Now U.S. stocks have been taking another tumble here in June, but we are being assured that there is nothing to worry about.

Meanwhile, the underlying numbers for the U.S. economy just continue to get worse and worse and worse. If you have any doubt about this, please see the article that I posted yesterday entitled “15 Facts About The Imploding U.S. Economy That The Mainstream Media Doesn’t Want You To See.“

Hopefully this article will clear a lot of things up. In this piece, I have presented undeniable evidence that a new global financial crisis has begun over the past 12 months. We have not seen global stock declines of this nature since the great financial crisis of 2008, but much worse is still to come.

I would love to be wrong about that last part.

It would be wonderful if the worst was now behind us and good times for the global financial system were ahead.
Unfortunately, every single indicator that I am watching is telling me just the opposite.

Remembering probably the founder of the first Spanish newspaper in SF – my father

by Marvin Ramírez

José Santos Ramírez Calero (1916-2004)

For most of us, perhaps there aren’t more important and impacting dates like the ones when a very loved one passes away, to continue the journey we all will take sooner or later.

To me, this memorable date is June 12, when my father José Santos Ramírez Calero, a warrior of letters succumbed to his dead after a short but fast illness of cancer, and Alzheimer. It happened just a few days before Father’s Day on June 15. And as this month of June is almost history, and my father has been gone since 2004, I can only remember and share with you my readers, what a great guy was Ramírez Nieto, as he used to sign his name in El Nuevo Demócrata, his twice-a-month newspaper he started in 1938 in Nicaragua.

He republished it for a few years when he migrated to San Francisco in 1945, and stopped publishing it when he returned to his country, where he resumed his work at the daily, La Noticia. He worked there for 45 years.
When I am writing and putting together every edition El Reportero every week, I feel the pain of not having him with me, watching me write, checking the spelling or correcting the style, as he did in the beginning when I started the paper. But soon he started complaining that he was forgetting things, so he didn’t want to do a bad job. So he quit helping me.

Ramírez Nieto, which means grandson, was the son of José Santos Ramírez Estrada, a U.S.-graduated electrical engineer who became famous and wealthy in Managua, when he brought from the U.S., giant and loud speakers that he placed on top of his car, which helped him grow a very profitable advertising business. People in Nicaragua still call the whole ensemble, “barata,” which means bargain, cheap, big sale. Its used to announce sales or events in the absence of radio or television at the time, as was the case in the 1920s.

My dad, Ramírez Nieto, however, left his own legacy, and Nicaraguan people in this part of the world, San Francisco, should have good reasons to remember him.

A journalist since he was 10 years old – he published the first newspaper in Spanish, unless there is evidence to proof the contrary.

El Nuevo Demócrata, of similar tabloid-size as El Reportero, so far it’s the only known to be the first newspaper published in San Francisco in Spanish.

I hope some day be able to erect a statue of José Santos Ramírez Calero in his honor to commemorate his work on behalf of the freedom of the press and his contribution to Spanish-language journalism in San Francisco.

La Gente with its Trío Show

Compiled by the El Reportero’s staff

The best deal in town for live music, artisan tapas and art exhibitions is back! Arte y tapas at 83 Proof! This event features live concert by La Gente Trio, Artwork by DJ Agana and 3 courses of delicious artisan tapas by Lovage Cooking all included with admission.

So we are really excited to invite you to our intimate Trio show
this Sunday June 19th @ 83 Proof as part of arte y tapas! 
At 83 1st Street, SF, at 6 p.m. Cover charge $13.

El “Día de San Juan” salsa festival brings hottest sounds to the Bay Area

Bay Area Puerto Ricans celebrate their heritage with a day of live music, salsa dancing and authentic food at History Park in San Jose on Saturday, June 18, 2016. Keeping the Puerto Rican culture alive and now in its 38th year, El “Dia de San Juan” festival is by far one of the most favored events within the Puerto Rican community, nationalities of all flavors, salseros y salseras, and the public at-large. This scholarship fundraiser event features talented musicians playing the best that salsa offers– both classico‘ y nuevo.

This Puerto Rican festival has grown into a significant family and community event with over 2,000 supporters enjoying the open space of History Park. The music-filled day includes NYC favorite Jose Mangual, Jr. “Campañero” and local talents of Mazacote with Louie Romero, Julio Bravo y Orquesta Salsabor, Eric Rangel y Orquesta America, La Mixta Criolla con Hector Lugo.

The public is invited to celebrate the day. Doors open at 11:00 am. Advance tickets are $15 online and available at wrprc.org. Admission is $25 day of the event.

Saturday, June 18, 2016 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., at History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose.

John Leguizamo Returns to the Bay Area with John Leguizamo: Latin History of Morons

The outrageous, multifaceted performer attempts to teach his son (and the rest of us) about the marginalization of Latinos in U.S. history and the vital roles they played in building this country. From a satirical recap of Aztec and Incan history to stories of Latin patriots in the Revolutionary and Civil War and beyond, Leguizamo breaks down 3,000 years into 90 irreverent and uncensored minutes in his trademark comedic style.

History was never so mind-blowing…or hysterical! Latin History for Morons plays July 1-August 14 at Berkeley Rep. Discounts for under 30. Bring a group: Buy 10, save $10 (each ticket!). Visit BerkeleyRep.org for tickets. 
“My Brother’s Keeper? Expressions of Our World Today” art exhibition.

Are we our brother’s keeper? When it comes to the earth, equality, and the harmony of our fellow humans, do we bear a responsibility, regardless of who or where we may be? Back To The Picture presents six artists and their vision of our world today through powerful depictions on our present state.

Join us in July for a commentary, sometimes raw and intense, sometimes playful. What at first may seem light on the surface, soon pulls a deeper truth from within.

On display works of Art Hazlewood, Jessie Aquire, Kathy Aoki, Consuelo Jiménez-Underwood, Mark Harris, Robyn Kralique. July 3 – 31, 2016 Curated by Derek Hargrove.

Opening reception with the artists Saturday, July 9, 2016 7-10 p.m.

Cuba will premiere German film in European Film Festival

by the El Reportero’s news service

The German film No System is Safe is premiering today on the third day of the first European Film Festival in Cuba.

The 106-minute film, directed by Bahan Bo Odar, tells the story of shy Benjamin. His life changes when he meets Max, with whom he shares a love for hacking.

Winner in the Bavarian Film Awards Prize 2015 for Best Director, the film will be screened at La Rampa theater movie in Havana the main venue of the event.

Ana Guallarte, cultural and cooperation attache of the European Union embassy in Havana, stressed the interest of the members of the regional bloc in making this event an reality.

The Festival, which was held from June 11 to 18, proposes to Cuban film goers about 20 films from Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Slovakia, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Portugal and Romania.

The usual German Film Week will take place here in late June. It is co-sponsored by the German embassy in Havana and the Cuban Film Library.

Leonardo DiCaprio as Persian poet Rumi in new film

An Oscar-winning screenwriter has agreed to work on a biopic about the 13th-century Persian poet and philosopher Jalaluddin al-Rumi who could have Leonardo DiCarpio as lead actor.

David Franzoni, who wrote the script for the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator, and Stephen Joel Brown, a producer on the Rumi film, said they wanted to challenge the stereotypical portrayal of Muslim characters in western cinema by charting the life of the great Sufi scholar.

Producers hope to begin shooting the film next year.

Rumi’s spiritual and mystical epics, the Masnavi and the Divan, are widely considered among the best poetry ever written and have been translated into numerous languages.

Franzoni and Brown said they would like Leonardo DiCaprio to play Rumi, and Robert Downey Jr to star as Shams of Tabriz, though they said it was too early to begin casting.

With things like this one, Hollywood once again goes in to the custom of using caucasian actors to represent people from other ethnic origins.


Eric Clapton struggling to play guitar because of nerve system damage

Eric Clapton, one of the most iconic guitarists of the rock era, is struggling to play the instrument on which he made his name.

Nerve damage and age are robbing Eric Clapton’s ability to play the guitar. For years Clapton,also known as Slowhand, whose career encompassed playing with John Mayall, Cream and the first “super group” Blind Faith, lived a life of rock and roll excess.

The 71-year-old revealed his condition in an interview with Classic Guitar magazine, saying that he’s “been in a lot of pain the last year.”

“It started with lower back pain and turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy, which is where you feel like you have electric shocks going down your leg. And I’ve had to figure out how to deal with some other things from getting old.”

Despite these setbacks, the rocker remains prolific, recently releasing I Still Do, his 23rd solo album that he support with performances in Tokyo. He even expressed surprise at his own longevity.

He is considered one of the best guitar players in the world. He was born in March 30 of 1945 and stated his music career in the seventies.

One detailed chart exposes exactly how the Bilderberg group controls the world

by Jay Syrmopoulos

Dresden, Germany – It’s one of the most secretive and powerful organizations you’ve probably never heard of; the Bilderberg Group. With virtually no mainstream corporate media coverage of the event, the ultra-exclusive 2016 meeting of the Bilderberg Group, being held at the Taschenbergpalais hotel in Dresden, kicked off on June 9.

Nearly 130 politicians, financiers, and industrialists are attending this year’s conference, with the guest list including the chief of the International Monetary Fund, as well as the former heads of the CIA and MI6. What was once considered among the world’s most secretive meetings, the Bilderberg Meeting, has been held annually since 1954. Until recent decades, the actual existence of the meetings had been generally disregarded by the mainstream media as nothing more than a fringe “conspiracy theory.”

The annual meeting of the global power players — including representatives from government, private industry, media, finance, think tanks, academia, as well as numerous other organizations representing both private and public interests — began their closed-door sessions amid a heavily-armed security presence, and extremely little in the way of transparency — with journalist being arrested.

“No minutes will be taken. No reporters will be allowed in. There will be no opening press conference, no closing statement, and participants will be asked not to quote each other,” the UK Independent says of the 64th Bilderberg Conference, which began on Thursday at the Taschenbergpalais hotel in Dresden, Germany.

Participants are bound by what’s known as the Chatham House Rule, which allows people to make use of the information they’ve received, but not reveal the identity or affiliation of the person who gave it to them. With so many high-powered attendees and so little media coverage, many question the actual intent of the annual meeting.

Some perceive the gathering as a giant “corporate lobbying” event, while others assign more nefarious intentions of creating regimes of global governance to the meetings. The one thing that is certain is that the gathering allows for the world’s power players to meet in secret and have “off the record” discussions without the public being aware of the details discussed, nor the informal agreements agreed to by attendees.

“All those finance ministers sitting round discussing the ‘geopolitics of energy and commodity prices’ with the group chief executive of BP, the vice-chairman of Portuguese petroleum giant Galp Energia, and the CEO of Royal Dutch Shell. And then afterwards saying nothing to their respective parliaments about what they discussed. It’s so off-the-chart inappropriate that it beggars comprehension,” according to The Guardian
.
Make no mistake that the fortunes of kings are created at this event, as the fates of future presidents and prime ministers have seemingly been decided at Bilderberg.

“Bill Clinton was a conference attendee in 1991, as a mere governor of Arkansas, a year before he was elected U.S. President. Tony Blair was only a shadow minister when he got his invitation … in 1993,” said The Independent.

Coincidentally, (or more likely not) Blair became the prime minister of the United Kingdom in 1997.

While there is a publicly posted agenda, this does little in the way of allowing for the public to have an informed say in, or understanding of the frameworks and decisions made in these private meetings between some of the most powerful individuals in society, who essentially control the levers of Western power, and whose decisions have an inordinate amount of influence over the lives of almost every person on the planet.

Considering that these attendees have such a significant presence within private industry, state and global governance, and the overall geopolitical direction of the world, the fact that the details are hidden from public purview is deeply disturbing to anyone that believes in an accountable and transparent global society.

To help readers better understand this complicated web of top-down control, Zero Hedge has created a chart laying out the linkages and various connections of those in attendance. The graphic below exposes various connections and links – public, private, financial, political, statutory and otherwise – between a small group of individuals that are at the core of Bilderberg and the rest of the world. See the chart:
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/bilderberg-group_1.jpg

Jay Syrmopoulos is a political analyst, free thinker, researcher, and ardent opponent of authoritarianism. He is currently a graduate student at University of Denver pursuing a masters in Global Affairs. Jay’s work has been published on Ben Swann’s Truth in Media, Truth-Out, Raw Story, MintPress News, as well as many other sites. You can follow him on Twitter @sirmetropolis, on Facebook at Sir Metropolis and now on tsu.
http://thefreethoughtproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/bilderberg-group_1.jpg

The cult of ignorance in the U.S.: Anti-intellectualism and the dumbing of America – Part 1 of two

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:

Dear readers,

Do you believe the people in the U.S. are becoming less and less intelligent and that their increased use of artificial intelligence like computers and social media have anything to do with it? The following article, written by Ray Williams in the science magazine Psycholgy Today could open a new way of thinking on the subject. This is the First Part of a Series of Two.

by Ray Williams
psychologytoday.com

There is a growing and disturbing trend of anti-intellectual elitism in American culture. It’s the dismissal of science, the arts, and humanities and their replacement by entertainment, self-righteousness, ignorance, and deliberate gullibility.

Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason, says in an article in the Washington Post, “Dumbness, to paraphrase the late senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, has been steadily defined downward for several decades, by a combination of heretofore irresistible forces. These include the triumph of video culture over print culture; a disjunction between Americans’ rising level of formal education and their shaky grasp of basic geography, science and history; and the fusion of anti-rationalism with anti-intellectualism.”

There has been a long tradition of anti-intellectualism in America, unlike most other Western countries. Richard Hofstadter, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1964 for his book, Anti-Intellectualism In American Life, describes how the vast underlying foundations of anti-elite, anti-reason and anti-science have been infused into America’s political and social fabric. Famous science fiction writer Isaac Asimov once said:

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”

Mark Bauerlein, in his book, The Dumbest Generation, reveals how a whole generation of youth is being dumbed down by their aversion to reading anything of substance and their addiction to digital “crap” via social media.
Journalist Charles Pierce, author of Idiot America, adds another perspective:

“The rise of idiot America today represents – for profit mainly, but also and more cynically, for political advantage in the pursuit of power – the breakdown of a consensus that the pursuit of knowledge is a good. It also represents the ascendancy of the notion that the people whom we should trust the least are the people who best know what they are talking about. In the new media age, everybody is an expert.”

“There’s a pervasive suspicion of rights, privileges, knowledge and specialization,” says Catherine Liu, the author of American Idyll: Academic Antielitism as Cultural Critique and a film and media studies professor at University of California. The very mission of universities has changed, argues Liu. “We don’t educate people anymore. We train them to get jobs.”

Part of the reason for the rising anti-intellectualism can be found in the declining state of education in the U.S. compared to other advanced countries:

After leading the world for decades in 25-34 year olds with university degrees, the U.S. is now in 12th place. The World Economic Forum ranked the U.S. at 52nd among 139 nations in the quality of its university math and science instruction in 2010. Nearly 50 percent of all graduate students in the sciences in the U.S. are foreigners, most of whom are returning to their home countries;

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs commissioned a civic education poll among public school students. A surprising 77 percent didn’t know that George Washington was the first President; couldn’t name Thomas Jefferson as the author of the Declaration of Independence; and only 2.8 percent of the students actually passed the citizenship test. Along similar lines, the Goldwater Institute of Phoenix did the same survey and only 3.5 percent of students passed the civics test;

According to the National Research Council report, only 28 percent of high school science teachers consistently follow the National Research Council guidelines on teaching evolution, and 13 percent of those teachers explicitly advocate creationism or “intelligent design;”

Eighteen percent of Americans still believe that the sun revolves around the earth, according to a Gallup poll;
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities report on education shows that the U.S. ranks second among all nations in the proportion of the population aged 35-64 with a college degree, but 19th in the percentage of those aged 25-34 with an associate or high school diploma, which means that for the first time, the educational attainment of young people will be lower than their parents;

Seventy-four percent of Republicans in the U.S. Senate and 53 percent in the House of Representatives deny the validity of climate change despite the findings of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and every other significant scientific organization in the world;

According to the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress, 68 percent of public school children in the U.S. do not read proficiently by the time they finish third grade. And the U.S. News & World reported that barely 50 percent of students are ready for college level reading when they graduate. SECOND PART TO CONTINUE ON NEXT WEEK EDITION.

Five weeds that are actually pretty good medicines

by usafeaturesmedia

(Homesteading.news) Many people agree that weeds can cause a large amount of damage in their garden. For example, invasive weeds like Johnson grass and cogongrass expand rapidly and choke other low-growing flora.

Parasitical weeds that depend upon a host for sustenance, such as dodders and witchweed, are even more destructive. Then, of course, there are the noxious weeds, such as poison ivy and poison sumac, which contribute to little except worry amongst parents with small children. These are plants that deserve to be called “weeds.”

Many plants that are called weeds, however, are not so deserving. A few of them, such as lamb’s quarter, contain strong, penetrating roots that bring beneficial nitrogen and trace minerals from the subsoil to the surface. Others, like those listed below, contain considerable medicinal benefits — far more so, in fact, than any pharmaceutical drugs.

Dandelion

Think twice before you decide to throw away the latest dandelion growing in your garden. These yellow-headed plants are one of nature’s greatest sources of beta-carotene (from which the essential antioxidant, vitamin A, is made), and are also rich in protein, minerals, vitamins and essential fatty acids. Every part of the dandelion plant — from root to flower — is edible, and long-term consumption of them has been linked to improved cardiovascular and liver function, digestive benefits (including treatment for constipation) and, due to their diuretic properties, cleansing of the kidneys.

Stinging nettles

Anyone who’s been stung by the hairs of the nettle plant can easily understand why they’ve developed a reputation as an undesirable weed. In reality, though, the nettle plant is a powerhouse of nutrition. Its roots and leaves are rich in iron, calcium, and vitamins A and K, and it has been used to treat intestinal weakness, malnutrition, diarrhea and countless skin conditions for centuries in Europe. Moreover, 1 tablespoon of fresh nettle juice taken a couple of times a day has been shown to eliminate uric acid, a byproduct of protein digestion that accumulates in the tissues and joints, leading to painful inflammatory conditions like gout.

Burdock

The burdock — yes, that irritating plant that constantly attaches its hooked burrs to our clothing to spread its seed — is another weed with a heart of gold. In fact, burdock (including all its subspecies) is packed with phytochemicals that contain antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Consequently, burdock is good at treating skin conditions (especially acne, eczema and psoriasis), cardiovascular issues, and degenerative diseases like arthritis and cancer. Like dandelion, burdock also aids digestion by stimulating digestive secretions.

Amaranth

Though the West commonly regards amaranth as a pest, other countries acknowledge it as a vital grain and leaf vegetable. Like quinoa and buckwheat, amaranth grains are gluten-free, a complete protein and also a fantastic source of fiber, iron, fatty acids and numerous trace minerals. Regular consumption of them has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure, boost the immune system and treat a host of serious diseases (including cancer). Amaranth leaves, which are often boiled or steamed, are 90 percent digestible when cooked and contain similar health benefits to other leafy green plants such as kale, spinach and broccoli.

Purslane

Purslane, also called pigweed, is another medicinal weed that is a popular source of nutrition in the Third World, mostly because it thrives in poor soil. According to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio, purslane leaves (which can be eaten as a cooked vegetable) contain more omega-3 fatty acids than any other edible plant, making them good for improving brain and cardiovascular function. The researchers also discovered that purslane contains between 10 and 20 times more of the cancer-inhibiting antioxidant, melatonin, than any other fruit or vegetable tested! (Natural News).

Community development pushes back against profiteers in the Mission

by Josh Wolf

After catching fire three times and being razed to the ground, the lot at 22nd and Mission Street holds two possible futures that evoke the two competing trajectories for the future of the Mission.

MEDA, a non-profit community developer, has made multiple offers to buy the property to build affordable housing, but the owner has not responded, said MEDA Policy Manager Gabriel Medina.

If the property isn’t obtained by a non-profit developer, then any future plans will inevitably include a bevy of luxury housing that’s inaccessible to the working class people who inhabit the Mission.

On Jan. 28, 2015, a fire broke out at 2598 Mission Street that left one man dead, 58 others homeless, and displaced numerous businesses. Although that fire was ruled accidental after investigators determined that it started inside a wall on the third floor, the owner did not rehabilitate the building afterwards and instead allowed its condition to deteriorate. A little more than one year after the first inferno, the building ignited again and caught fire a third time one month later.

Given the extensive damage, the city approved the owner’s request to demolish the building and construction crews have been working to clear the lot over the past few months.

Under the city’s code, residents who are displaced by a fire have a right to return to their home after it is repaired at the rental rate they were paying before the fire. That right-to-return still exists even now that the building has been destroyed, said Medina, but the owner has an incentive to move slowly in rebuilding the site.

There’s a “strategy not to restore buildings as fast as they could, hoping the tenants relocated and give up their right of return,” said Medina.

While many of the people displaced by the fire may still be in the city, the “Good Samaritan Tenancy” program that affords them reduced rent will expire early next year, and they will not yet be able to return home when it does. The longer the owner waits to rebuild, the fewer the number of people who will still be around to take advantage of that protection. Medina said the new owner would likely build as many market-rate units as possible to maximize profits, and that every tenant who doesn’t return equates to one more apartment at luxury rates.

There are already about 2,000 units currently in the pipeline to be developed in the Mission, and most of them are expected to be luxury units. Historically the Planning Commission has been approving these proposals despite community objections, but recently the Commission has grown more responsive to concerns that the developments aren’t serving the needs of the community.

On June 2nd, the Planning Commission voted to approve a plan known as the “Beast on Bryant” to demolish the building that once housed Cell Space, a legendary arts collective that thrived in San Francisco’s Mission District for nearly 20 years, and to build two new apartment buildings in its place. One of the buildings would hold 196 apartments that only the rich can afford; the other building would include 139 affordable unites that would be priced for those making less than 60 percent of the average Bay Area income, or about $43,000 for a single adult.

It wasn’t surprising that the Planning Commission approved developer Nick Podell’s plan to build luxury housing in the Mission. Podell was scheduled to go before the Commission in September with a previous incarnation that involved building only one building instead of two. But he pulled his application at the last minute in the face of community protest. The revised version create significantly more affordable housing by separating the project into two buildings and also offered to restore a small percent of the arts space lost by the destruction of the old building.

During the interim period, the community met to develop its own proposal for the site, and this reporter was one of the people who participated in the months-long process of creating a plan for what was coined the “Beauty on Bryant.” The proposal includes a number of detailed suggestions, but the main points include calling on Podell to donate half the total land to the city to build affordable housing, preserving the 50,000 square-feet of space on the ground floor for arts and industrial uses that existed on the original site, and relying on 100-percent union labor to construct the new project.

That call for union labor created a schism that intensified after the Carpenters In Action (CIA) reached an agreement with Podell and began rallying for the project while other unions tried to secure their own assurances. Those assurances never came and at Thursday’s meeting members of organized labor spoke out against the project, while nearly 50 members of CIA spent the day at the Planning Commission and managed to secure most of the seats in the room.

“It’s shocking to see that the trade unions are not supporting this project,” said Commissioner Kathrin Moore. “I’ve never heard the unions stand here and say what they said today and that leaves me concerned.”
Although that crack in Podell’s plan wasn’t severe enough for his whole proposal to collapse. It did help the community secure additional space for arts and industrial uses in the ground floor of his market-rate building. While the concession is far from a complete victory, the planning commission seemed more committed to protecting affordable housing and arts space in the city than at previous meetings.

A mentally ill nation cannot survive

A mentally ill nation cannot survive and it’s official, the US is the sickest nation in the modern world

by Dave Hodges
The Common Sense Show

During the infamous London Blitz, the mental health of the local Brits actually improved. Alcoholism declined as did suicide during this time of a profound struggle against Nazi Germany.

Why was this true? Several psychologists said it was because the Brits were united in their struggle. They had a common enemy. They supported one another unlike they did prior to the blitz. They were inspired and they had hope for a better future. The people in the British government stood unified in their joint efforts to achieve survival. In short, the Brits had everything we do not have in our fight against the criminal elite.

One of the factors that enabled England to achieve such solidarity was due to the fact that the majority of the people had enough to eat, drink and collectively held on to the hope that they would persevere. In short, the people and the government stood as one. England, in large part, survived because they had a national sense of mental toughness as expressed by Winston Churchill (e.g. “We will fight them (Nazis) in the streets…”).

Today, America does not come close to achieving the solid base of mental health which transferred into a national will to survive.

America’s General Mental Health Report

In 2015, over 9.3 million Americans had serious thoughts of suicide during that year. During that same year, 43.8 million adults (age 18 or older) experienced a diagnosable mental illness as 2.7 million (1.1 percent) made suicide plans and 1.3 million (0.6 percent) attempted suicide.

“The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also finds that 10 million adults experienced a serious mental illness and 15.7 million adults experienced a major depressive episode in 2015.” These results continued the same trend as was found in 2012, when the findings reached astronomical levels.

In 2013, major depressive episodes affected approximately one in ten (2.6 million) youth between the ages of 12 to 17. However, Americans do not get consistent treatment with only 38.1 percent of depressed youths receive treatment for serious clinical depression. The SAMSHA Report found that, approximately 34.6 million adults (this represents 14.6 percent of all American adults) received mental health care. These numbers are significantly escalated over the period covering 2002-2011.  According to the new report, 44.7 percent of adults with any mental illness and 68.5 percent of adults with serious mental illness received mental health services. And unlike the Brits of WW II, the lethal threats to our society have not unified us and buffered us against mental illness.

The numbers listed above are indeed grim. The rate of mental illness is growing in lockstep with our failed economy. There is a definite correlation between the growing rate of mental illness and our obvious failures as a country. Over 20 percent of Americans have a diagnosable mental illness. Anywhere from 35-40 percent are receiving no treatment. This means that when the economy collapses, millions of displaced people with a significant mental illness will greatly exacerbate the coming civil unrest.

Then, there is the issue of modern, post-industrial society itself – and this may very well be at the core of the mental health crisis. Consider this fact, today, the vast majority of people awaken to an alarm long before they’ve had enough restful REM sleep. The sleep deprived American Zombies then rush through their morning routine, undertake a stressful commute under pressure to arrive on time at a job that, more often than not, they hate. They put in their 10-12 hours (did you know that compared to a generation ago, Americans are working 20 percent longer for about 20 percent less when adjusted for inflation). Following this lovely daily existence, Americans then fight their way through rush-hour traffic to arrive at home exhausted, with barely enough energy to do more than have dinner and fall into bed. And then the next morning the alarm forces them out of bed the next morning to do it all over again.

The Happiness Report on America

Poor happiness levels reflects negatively on mental health. According to the United Nation’s World Happiness Report in 2015, the happiest country on Earth is Denmark. This small Scandinavian nation is not the wealthiest, but has a strong social support system in place – not to mention low levels of corruption in government and business.  Another country among the Top Ten is Canada, who also has a strong social support system. In fact, this is common to all ten of the world’s happiest nations. Again, the U.S. doesn’t even make the top thirty in happiness levels.

The United States is a nation in decline. Just after the turn of the century, the U.S. came in 10th place in the annual rankings of World’s Happiest Countries.  And this is in a country which historically believed that the next generation would do better than their parents. That is certainly no longer the case. The recent ratings mark the first time in the history of the Legatum Institute‘s Prosperity Index that America has not placed in the top ten. The U.S., as previously indicated did not finish in the top 30, and last among the most industrialized nations.

Most disturbingly in the period from 1968 to 2008, the suicide rate in America rose 308 percent for people aged 15 to 24. It is clear that our children do not want to live in the conditions arising from our New World Order.
These rising mental health calamities reflect the social, political and economic attacks that we are enduring at the hands of the globalists.

 Conclusion

 America is a defeated nation. We have no chance of even mounting a fight against the criminal elite unless we have a degree of mental and spiritual health. The Christian principles that founded this nation are under attack everyday. Just yesterday, Biden said that Christians are a threat to all gays because of the mere existence of the religion. 

We have the highest cancer rates in the world, the highest autism rates, the highest obesity rates and the worst mental health among the G20. We have 25 percent real unemployment, a collapsing economy and a government that makes the mafia look honest. Unlike the Brits who survived the Blitz, the government is the enemy of the people. There is no solidarity among our people. Our leaders have employed a divide and conquer approach to controlling the people. It is black vs. white, gay vs. straight, etc.

We are going through a horrific blitz by the criminal elite.The Brits taught us how to persevere. Is there any way to stem the tide? There is one small chance and that would be for this country to unify behind Donald Trump. In the resulting political and emotional solidarity, the American MIGHT find solace and unity. This could lead to developing a spirit of resilience needed to fight against evil. And if Trump were smart, he would quickly, and without qualification fully align with Christians. WE might regain some of our lost mental perspective. We might also give the Lord a reason to remove the judgment that has been placed upon this nation and we would have the unity to fight back.

State to allow undocumented immigrants to purchase state health coverage

by the El Reportero’s wire services

California made history today as the first state to authorize a request to the federal government to allow undocumented people to buy health insurance through a state-operated health insurance exchange. The California Endowment, the state’s largest private health foundation, commends Governor Jerry Brown and the legislative leadership for authorizing the law, which allows California to seek federal permission – using what’s known as a Section 1332 waiver – to open up the state’s public health care exchange, better known as Covered California, to undocumented Californians wishing to purchase coverage with their own money.

“Our great state has taken another crucial step towards giving all Californians access to health care, regardless of immigration status,” said Dr. Robert K. Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment and former Covered California Board Member. “I applaud Governor Jerry Brown and legislative leadership for helping California continue to lead on social justice issues that impact our immigrant population. We join advocates in celebrating this victory and remain committed to supporting efforts towards a statewide solution for quality, affordable health coverage for all Californians.”

If the federal government grants permission, undocumented Californians buying coverage through the exchange would remain ineligible for public subsidies.

Thousands of people displaced by violence in Mexico

Mexican authorities have no official figures on internally-displaced people due to violence, but according to reports published here the number is around hundreds of thousands. The victims can be seen in caravans or small groups on roads, carrying their most basic belongings. There is a presumption that many belong to the poorest groups who live in the state capitals and the other cities, they are the internally displaced people, the newspaper El Sol de Mexico published on Saturday.

The newspaper highlighted that these people come from ghost communities, and pointed out that Mexico does not have a census on the matter. There is neither a diagnosis nor public policies to assist them.
In 2011, during the so-called war of President Felipe Calderon, the company Parametria recorded the existence of 1,387,648 victims of forced internal displacement (FID) in its work “Mexico and its Displaced People.”

In 2012, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) noted the internal displacement of 1.6 million people since 2007, due to the violence by drug cartels and the military government’s response.

In 2013, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), in its National Agenda for Human Rights, increased the number of displaced people to 110,000, although in 2012 and 2013, other 24,000 people were added.

The statistics must include 20,000 victims recognized by the government of Chiapas, resulting in approximately 150,000 the victims of FID.

Millions of Latin Americans might return to poverty

Nearly 30 million of Latin America, including many youths and women in precarious jobs in the service sector, run the risk to fall again into poverty.

The statement is contained in the Report on Human Development for Latin America and the Caribbean published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which will be presented on Tuesday before more than 60 lawmakers from the region in the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO), based in Panama.

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