ufnsherlockholmes

ANALYSIS

News and commentaries that reveal historical facts and trends that place current events into perspective and make it possible to anticipate future events.

 

Mexico’s peso has fallen 9.7% this year, prompting the central bank to sell $200 million from its foreign-exchange reserves to slow the currency’s slide. They call this an “extraordinary auction sale” because it is in addition to the $200 million that the central bank normally sells each day to offset the same amount it normally takes in. In other words, Mexico doubled its normal sale, thereby reducing its reserves. It is a practice that cannot be sustained. Bloomberg 2015 Aug 5 (Story) (Cached)

The war against ISIS is a godsend to the defense industry. Lockheed Martin is supplying thousands of Hellfire missiles, AM General will supply 160 Humvee vehicles, and General Dynamics is providing millions of dollars worth of tank ammunition. There are 3,500 US troops stationed in Iraq, but the US also employs 6300 contractors. [None of this would be objectionable if the war were truly in defense of America.] RT 2015 Aug 4 (Story)

Anatomy of corruption: US: Lawmakers who voted against labeling GMO foods were paid three times as much by lobbyists from the food industry as those who voted for labeling. The top five recipients in the House of Representatives who supported the bill to keep GMOs secret include Frank Lucas, Collin Peterson, Mitch McConnell, Pat Roberts and Thad Cochran. Many of the lawmakers that received funding from agricultural lobbyists also sit on the House Agriculture Committee. RT 2015 Aug 3 (Story)

Washington has spent more than $2.7 billion in the past year on its bombing campaign against ISIS, however, US intelligence officials admit that the terror group has not been weakened by the airstrikes. While it is estimated that US efforts have resulted in killing 10,000 ISIS members, the group is replacing them faster than they are being killed. [The more we bomb, the more civilians are killed, and that makes it easy to recruit more enemies of America.] RT 2015 Aug 1 (Story)