Global Unrest Beginning In South America?

Could be bad news for Evo Morales.. Thousands Protest in Bolivia Over Rising Prices. Again with the Reuters "intellectual property" crap, so here we go.. Summary:
Bolivian Unions have been protesting higher food and fuel prices for the last five days. President Evo Morales announced he's going to raise gas by 73 percent and diesel by 83 percent. Even though Morales raised the minimum wage, people are still angry. Bus and taxi drivers and the Workers Union are striking.

Looks like Bolivia's fixin' to go hot. The take-away? Whatever your political affiliation(Morales is a major Populist/Leftist who began his career within the Coca growers Union and usually supported by Unions), when you have to raise prices for Necessary Commodities, people Flip Out. How Morales responds to the increasing pressure from economic setbacks, criticism and action from factions usually aligned with him, and mounting pressure from his political enemies remains to be seen.
Will the unrest seen towards authoritarian regimes in the Mid-East extend to Socialist governments in South America?

I'm sure Hugo Chavez is monitoring and analyzing the events in Bolivia very carefully.

Bahrain Massacre: The World Bears Witness In Horror And Disgust..

When Bahrain's al-Khalifa royal family is overthrown, I hope the trial is broadcast internationally. Their response to their people's peaceful demonstrations have sealed their fate, and their subjects have shown more courage than the royal family could ever muster. Bahrain protesters didn't run away. They faced the bullets head-on. Excerpts, doubling as future testimony at the World Court:

"Massacre – it's a massacre," the doctors were shouting. Three dead. Four dead. One man was carried past me on a stretcher in the emergency room, blood spurting on to the floor from a massive bullet wound in his thigh.
A few feet away, six nurses were fighting for the life of a pale-faced, bearded man with blood oozing out of his chest. "I have to take him to theatre now," a doctor screamed. "There is no time – he's dying!"
..
Eyewitness testimony from a hospital orderly at the demonstration..
"We decided to walk to the hospital because we knew there was a demonstration. Some of us were carrying tree branches as a token of peace which we wanted to give to the soldiers near the square, and we were shouting 'peace, peace. There was no provocation – nothing against the government. Then suddenly the soldiers started shooting. One was firing a machine gun from the top of a personnel carrier. There were police but they just left as the soldiers shot at us. But you know, the people in Bahrain have changed. They didn't want to run away. They faced the bullets with their bodies."
..
The demonstration at the hospital had already drawn thousands of Shia protesters – including hundreds of doctors and nurses from all over Manama, still in their white gowns – to demand the resignation of the Bahraini Minister of Health, Faisal Mohamed al-Homor, for refusing to allow ambulances to fetch the dead and injured from Thursday morning's police attack on the Pearl Square demonstrators.

But their fury turned to near-hysteria when the first wounded were brought in yesterday. Up to 100 doctors crowded into the emergency rooms, shouting and cursing their King and their government as paramedics fought to push trolleys loaded with the latest victims through screaming crowds.
..
Five ambulances sent to the street – yesterday's victims were shot down opposite a fire station close to Pearl Square – were stopped by the army. Moments later, the hospital discovered that all their mobile phones had been switched off. Inside the hospital was a doctor, Sadeq al-Aberi, who was himself badly hurt by the police when he went to help the wounded on Thursday morning.
..
Why has the royal family of Bahrain allowed its soldiers to open fire at peaceful demonstrators? To turn on Bahraini civilians with live fire within 24 hours of the earlier killings seems like an act of lunacy.

But the heavy hand of Saudi Arabia may not be far away. The Saudis are fearful that the demonstrations in Manama and the towns of Bahrain will light equally provocative fires in the east of their kingdom, where a substantial Shia minority lives around Dhahran and other towns close to the Kuwaiti border. Their desire to see the Shia of Bahrain crushed as quickly as possible was made very clear at Thursday's Gulf summit here, with all the sheikhs and princes agreeing that there would be no Egyptian-style revolution in a kingdom which has a Shia majority of perhaps 70 per cent and a small Sunni minority which includes the royal family.
..
And the stakes here are high. This is the first serious insurrection in the wealthy Gulf states – more dangerous to the Saudis than the Islamists who took over the centre of Mecca more than 30 years ago – and Bahrain's al-Khalifa family realise just how fraught the coming days will be for them. A source which has always proved reliable over many years told me that late on Wednesday night, a member of the al-Khalifa family – said to be the Crown Prince – held a series of telephone conversations with a prominent Shia cleric, the Wifaq Shia party leader, Ali Salman, who was camping in Pearl Square. The Prince apparently offered a series of reforms and government changes which he thought the cleric had approved. But the demonstrators stayed in the square. They demanded the dissolution of parliament. Then came the police.
..
A doctor who gave his name as Hussein stopped me leaving the emergency room because he wanted to explain his anger. "The Israelis do this sort of thing to the Palestinians – but these are Arabs shooting at Arabs,".. "This is the Bahraini government doing this to their own people. I was in Egypt two weeks ago, working at the Qasr el-Aini hospital – but things are much more fucked up here."

The Shia make up 70% of Bahrain's population, controlled by the Sunni Royal Family. As you can see by this 2009 article, Shia dominated Iran has an affinity for Shia-majority-but-ruled-by-minority-Sunni Bahrain. Now that Iran has ships cruising the Suez Canal, is it beyond the scope of possibility that Iran might come to the aid of the Bahrainis and do a little ass kickin' on the Bahraini military, if the opportunity arises? How would the Saudis' react to such provocation, or more accurately, how quickly would this crisis escalate to a regional inferno? Note: Bahrain is also home to America's 5th Fleet, so the U.S. is involved with this uprising whether we like it or not. "On the one hand, Bahrain is a flash point between the United States and Iran," he told CNN. On the other, it's "a flash point between Saudi Arabia and Iran."

The potential for more bloodshed is almost assured. It's really a matter of how this plays out, and how the three outside interests proceed. This very well could be the country that turns this regional unrest into something much, much bigger. And the actions of the bloodthirsty thugs who(for now) rule Bahrain have inflamed their people and won't be forgotten.

File Under: Cyber War: This Could Be Big, or Dry Run?..

Foreign hackers attack Canadian government Excerpts:
An unprecedented cyberattack on the Canadian government from China has given foreign hackers access to highly classified federal information, and forced at least two key departments off the Internet, CBC News has learned.
..
Highly placed sources tell CBC News the cyberattacks were traced back to computer servers in China.
But they caution there is no way of knowing whether the hackers are Chinese, or some other nationality routing their cybercrimes through China to cover their tracks.
And:
..Sources have confirmed the attackers successfully penetrated the computer systems at the federal government’s two main economic nerve centres, the Finance Department and Treasury Board.
The hackers apparently managed to take control of computers in the offices of senior government executives as part of a scheme to steal the key passwords that unlock entire government data systems.
And:
For years, experts including the federal auditor general have been warning that security on the government’s networks is woefully inadequate and open to cyberattack. (This is why it will be disastrous for many, many governments and organizations is some full scale cyber war does erupt..)

For a trial run, this was pretty successful, as the next several attacks on slow-to-non-responsive governments or organizations targeted by these hackers will be. I'm guessing the next attack will be larger in scope, "show-ier," and more widely covered in the press. This is not to say that this attack won't be heavily covered in the press: It's fairly new, and has not completed one news cycle yet, but having said that, each time these hackers strike, the impact will be larger than the time before..

Oppressive Regimes To People: If Everyone Else Was Overthrowing Their Governments, Would You?

To which Algeria and Yemen reply: Why, yes! At the moment, Algerian protests have been stifled by the police, but the desperation is just as palpable as it was in Egypt.

''They can't kill us because we are already dead,'' said jobless Bilal Boudamous, 29. ''At 30 we are unemployed, we live with our parents, and we have no future.''

Algerians didn't really buy the token concessions from their government, so the regime shut down Facebook and the Internet, and gave the hackneyed Ike Turner response: If things turn violent, it's all your fault. Damn it baby, you made me hurt you..

Meanwhile, in Yemen, the dynamic seems to be playing out a bit differently. For now, the protests are still smaller, but the clashes between pro and anti-government protesters are already marred by violence, as both sides(not counting the police) are fighting with sticks and knives.

Also, 23 million Yemenis are hooked on Qat, so demonstrations fizzle out by the afternoon so everyone can get high. It'll be interesting to see if The People can give up the HappyHappy for a few weeks in order to rid themselves of a soul crushing regime. We shall see.

Egypt: Meanwhile, Not In Cairo..

Egypt: Unrest Spreads to Sinai Excerpts:

A Bedouin youth casually spreads out a piece of cloth before a police headquarters in Sheikh Zwayyed town in Sinai, the vast desert area to the east of Cairo across the Suez. "I will leave when Mubarak leaves," he says.

He joins hundreds of others. They have broken through into the police station already, and are now camping there to demand a change in government. Most youth are Bedouin, originally a nomadic tribe in the desert, who’ve been fighting for their rights for years. Over the last few days they feel they’re winning.

The police are rapidly leaving their posts, but some still appear in uniform. One uniformed policeman stands quietly to a side. He is in danger, he seems no danger to others at all. What would he do if attacked? "Just take my uniform off and join the protest," he tells IPS. "Or maybe just go over to the Palestinian side."
..
New groups have taken charge, and it’s hard to say who these are. Several check-posts have been set up all the way between Cairo and Sinai. "Who are you," says a man at one of these checkpoints. This IPS correspondent offers him his Palestinian passport. He glances at it, upside down, and pockets it. After some time he gives it back.

State security in plain clothes, riot police, secret police, the army, Bedouin youth, protesters who had come from Cairo to spread the word – no one seems to know who the people at these check-points are.
And:
The area appears to have drawn many powerful and armed groups that have converged to free their associates and relatives from the prisons. They look determined to succeed. Some of the men carry heavy weapons.

The groups mingle freely with local Bedouin youth. The deprivation across this area is greater than Cairo has ever known. And the anger seems greater too.

With the anger, Bedouin youth now present a face of triumph. "It is a revolution," one says simply.

This (national) event is still in escalation. The media has concentrated on Cairo and Alexandria, leaving outlying areas out of their coverage, unfactored into the national sentiment. This conflict has developed and bloomed in less than ten days, with no sign of conclusion. Of course, that could change abruptly, but events could continue to play out for weeks, possibly months. Cairo is the visual, but smaller but no less fervent protests are happening elsewhere, too..

The March has already started. Whatever happens, tonight will look much different than last night..

The Tipping Point Has Passed: Sweeping Change is at Hand

From Activist Post Excerpts:
When so many diverse forces converge and conflict, a tipping point of global awareness to the human condition is reached. The momentum must spill over into a time of sweeping change.
..
Our age is one of extremes: one can see this in our entertainment, our politics, our solutions to the spectrum of problems we face . . . and even our physical climate. This would indicate that it is a time for choosing sides -- anathema as it is for those who are inclusive by nature. It is a challenging time for those of us who would like to see all sides of every issue, liberally interpreting the dialogue in a collective mantra for the human race. Such a being is branded with any one of the scarlet letters assigned to the prevailing political parties of our modern world. For those of us who would like to preserve a once-great nation, a political dogma, a religious instruction, or a fixed set of guiding principles, we find ourselves on a runaway train of manipulated change, environmental change, and technological change. From either left-right spectrum, the stage upon which we have been told we can act is a moving one. So, from where exactly can we act our part?
And:
We are in this struggle due to the profound nature of our ability to discern the stimuli of our environment. We are not animals, and we are not (yet) robots. Some of us are; others wish to be; most are not even close. No other being, so far as we can tell, has been able to harness their abilities and flaws to produce such world-encompassing results. Perhaps this is what is worth saving, and why our destructive capacities haven't yet overwhelmed us. Perhaps this is why global "elites" who feel that their breeding and master planning are the symphony of humankind haven't yet hit the correct note. Amid the vast attempts at government-run oppression, there has never been a more empowering time for the individual. Across the globe, the average person has far more access to information and creative technology than at any time in human history. This is a genie that cannot be put back into the bottle, save a physically catastrophic event that forces humanity back into the dark ages. The human intellect is expanding and evolving in a way that is rendering divide-and-conquer strategies much less effective.
And:
Free humanity finds itself at center stage between the left-right forces of radicalism, as it seeks to find a point of stability and growth. It is further proof that the essence of what humanity is has expanded its importance. So, choose your bible; choose your party; or choose none of it. One way or another massive change is coming. Where do you wish to stand?

The key to the Age of Aquarius is discernment. Information is literally flowing all around us, and it is up to us to use all of our critical facilities to determine our own truths. So many easily-made mistakes just ahead, and such a narrowing path to Awakening. It is becoming clear that at this axis point in "time," our collective consciousness could just as easily explode as our physical bodies could.

We will all have to choose..

Evolve or Devolve?
Nirvana, or Gehenna?
Star Trek, or Mad Max?

There is no guarantee.
What.. Will happen.. Next?

Webbot Update From Clif High

We are just two weeks away from completion of the information flood/Tipping Point forecast by the webbots for the period of November 14, 2010, to January 17th, and to me, it certainly feels like the world is changing..  Yes, no one event has emotionally "blown us all away," but the pace and intensity of events certainly feel like something Major could happen at any moment, from any number of directions, including off planet occurrences..  Excerpts from Clif's latest article.. Parentheses Clif, bolded and colored emphasis me..

In the data sub set that forecast the [logical frank] meme also provides

for our next 'hot date' of January 7th and suggests that 3/three separate
memes will express on that day with some escalation of the release
language already involved; these 3/three are [economic], [terra
(intrusions on human activity)], and [alien wars]. This last is the larger
context extracted from the SpaceGoatFarts entity {ed note: the data sub
set within our work where we put all the [officially denied], [totally
unknown], and [suspected unknowns] that we encounter.} and is
specifically, on this day of the 7th of January, referring to [future
(reality) emergence]. This is to say that whatever 'events' or occurrence
that universe manifests in this archetype on that day will have the msm
(mainstream media - also known as = propaganda press) using future
tense words relative to the meme. Though note that these expressions
may not be on that day, but over this next (upcoming) week.

It is the [great global awakening] that will define the underlying

emotional 'tone' of this year, 2011. From our work, the data seems to be
forecasting 2011 as a year of some significance, that is to say, a year of
recognized, and fundamental, change. The nature of the language
forecasting fundamental change comes from old sub sets that emerged in
the data some years back under the archetype of [monumental]. Now
note that this word, 'monumental' is always representing a past-looking
view...in other words, the view from the point of view of those humans
in the future who will look back and be so damned amazed by what
will manifest, that they will build 'monuments' to us poor bastards about
to 'live through' those events. Make sense? Clear as dark roast at the
bottom of a cuppa? So for us poor bastards, we will look at the times,
while living through them, as being [epic] rather than [monumental].
Descriptors aside, it is just the same linguistic tone, viewed from
differing perspectives in the ever present now.(The last bold is Clif's..)

Clif's style is a bit dense to the uninitiated, but is worth "decoding."  If you aren't familiar with his work, please visit halfpasthuman and familiarize yourself.  His work, his style, and the information contained is beyond interesting, and may be the words that give you comfort and stability during the coming weeks and months, in that, eventually, humanity will live through what is upcoming.  There are many people who don't believe in Clif's work or his motives.  Not me.  I think he's a genius, his motives are pure, and his work worth much consideration.  In this coming year 2011, good luck to you and yours.  I think we're going to need it..

This Is The Tipping Point, Or A Contributor Thereof..

Yuan Bets Reined In After ‘Masterful Job’ at G-20: China Credit

Abhisit calls on Asia to use yuan in trade Huh. Thailand's thinking of dropping the Dollar.

Ireland Goes Bust, Irish Bank Run

Obama didn't have any fun at the G20 at all..

Just because you can't hear them doesn't mean massive financial bombs aren't exploding all over the place.

This Week In Tipping Point..

BBC News - Violence at student protest outside Tory headquarters. (Video link)

NASA's Fermi Telescope Finds Giant Structure in our Galaxy(Video)

Astronomers find giant, previously unseen structure in our galaxy(Article)

Ireland's crisis flares as investors dump bonds

Chinese bond agency cuts U.S. debt rating (For those who might not know, This is BIG..)

Multiple independent lab tests confirm oil in Gulf shrimp..

2010 Food Crisis for Dummies

Very Clear Night Pyramid Over Turkey 11-05-2010

Mount Merapi Earthquake Hits Indonesia

Three days until The Tipping Point.. How will it all play out?

We Can't Say We Weren't Warned..

Life on this Earth Just Changed …The North Atlantic Current is Gone… Excerpt in italics:
The latest satellite data establishes that the North Atlantic Current (also called the North Atlantic Drift) no longer exists and along with it the Norway Current. These two warm water currents are actually part of the same system that has several names depending on where in the Atlantic Ocean it is. The entire system is a key part of the planet’s heat regulatory system; it is what keeps Ireland and the United Kingdom mostly ice free and the Scandinavia countries from being too cold; it is what keeps the entire world from another Ice Age. This Thermohaline Circulation System is now dead in places and dying in others.