google.com, pub-4599738212880558, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 google.com, pub-4599738212880558, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

Oct 2, 2009

Harvest Moon 10.4.09: gather crops

Space Weather News for Oct 2, 2009

HARVEST MOON: This weekend's full Moon has a special name--the Harvest Moon. It's the full moon closest to the northern autumnal equinox (Sept 22). In years past, farmers depended on the light of the Harvest Moon to gather ripening crops late into the night. Now we appreciate it mainly for its beauty. Go outside this weekend and enjoy the moonlight.

SOLAR MINIMUM RETURNS: Two sunspots, which appeared on the autumnal equinox to break several months of extreme solar quiet, have faded away, leaving the sun blank once again. The deepest solar minimum in nearly a hundred years appears poised to continue.

NASA spacecraft are now reporting a surge in cosmic rays around Earth caused, somewhat ironically, by this low solar activity. The full story may be found at SpaceWeather.com.

Jon Stewart on how the Dem majority is doing - video

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This video posting looks a bit squirrelly in draft form but I'm posting it any way in case you missed Jon's coverage of the Democrat majority's work on health insurance reform and the much-needed public option that Capitol Hillers are finagling so hard to leave out of the legislation.

And it doesn't sound to me as if health care co-ops are anything more than a bait and switch tactic, Senator Conrad, and an all-around lame proposal according to those with co-op experience.

So the tiresome political theater continues as Washington politicians, their staff, and Hill employees get the best 'public option' health care than anyone in the nation - financed primarily by US tax payers.

That they continue to support. You and me? Not so much.

Oct 1, 2009

America's 'Fall of Rome' in the news again

US debt will lead to a "Fall of Rome" scenario, as reported in Bloomberg News. This concept is also covered ably in Chalmers Johnson's revelatory book, The Sorrows of Empire, which I've mentioned here before. Mr. Chalmers states that "the final sorrow of empire (is) financial ruin" - and I say that this is what our 'leaders' have done for us in the last decades - through fraud, Ponzi schemes, greed for wealth and world domination, and the 'military industrial complex' that is now squeezing President Obama for more troops, more billions, and endless war. And we-the-people's intuitions, desires, and needs fall unheeded by US imperialism's wayside. So thanks, Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and Wall Street. America wasn't knocked down from without but from within. Our founders would call that treason.

Sep 30, 2009

Sibel Edmonds' deposition video - part 1 of 5

Sibel Edmonds Deposition, 8/8/09: PART 1 of 5 from Velvet Revolution on Vimeo.



It's been many moons since I lived in Washington, DC (during Watergate) so when I hear whistleblower Sibel Edmonds discussing bribery, blackmail, and infiltration in the halls of Congress, it sounds like the DC I once knew - a beautiful, deeply flawed city!

The video is part 1 of 5, and is time-stamped "Aug 8, 2009 10:38:53" with 8Lib01 Ascending - so today the Sun 7Lib+ is conjunct and shining a spotlight on her deposition (ASC) - Moon 25AQ51 (a woman; the public) conjs deposition's Neptune as she reflects deception including in the media (Neptune) - and today's Mercury 21Vir43 (which turned Direct yesterday) conjs deposition's Saturn 20Vir10...'serious meetings and discussions.'

On August 8, 2009, deposition's Sun 16Leo11 was conjoined with asteroid Kassandra, keywords:a prophetess telling the truth no one believes; well perhaps not believed by the mainstream, but some of us have believed Ms. Edmonds all along.

The chart of the deposition contains a Mutable T-Square between a Moon/Saturn opposition pointing to apex Mars 18Gem51 (Mars nearing a US Mars Return) in 9th house of Foreign Lands; paraphrasing Bil Tierney in his excellent book, Dynamics of Aspect Analysis, apex Mars in a Mutable T-Square indicates a Mars-type person who must focus to direct diffuse energies; if well-managed, apex Mars (in Mutable T-SQ) is a pioneer who can assemble dynamic energies with practical versatility; good planning assures effective, contructive outcomes, and acting straightforwardly either invigorates others or repels them.

Properly managed, Mars' impulse to act is balanced with an awareness of the consequences of (his/her) actions, and new beginnings are possible.

Moon/Saturn indicates the restricted and/or lonely woman, but also ambition and strategy for seeking recognition; with Mars: self-control to the point of torment, and the desire (Mars) to overcome difficulties the restriction causes.

Well, after being gagged in 2002 by a US government trying to cover its warmongering New World Order promoting patootie, Ms. Edmonds deserves a new beginning, imo.

Yet America may be too far gone and brazenly sold out to have more than sad regrets suffered by a scammed populace whose apathy is one of its few justifications for allowing Congress to become the scandalous cesspool it's become.

But please don't let my grousings about my favorite city I've ever lived in stop you from watching the deposition video - pass it on where and to whom you can, for if you're anything like me, America is, as always, your only nag in the race.

Thank you, Sibel Edmonds.

Sep 29, 2009

Baucus vs Rockefeller - Sun Lib/Moon AQ 9.29.09

Now locked in a matinee performance (allegedly!): Max Baucus and Jay Rockefeller, with blogging gnat me (and you?) waiting to see if Congress will do anything at all for our ailing health insurance system and the public option in process of being undermined by the big fat insurance industry and its Washington payrollees.

Well, Max Baucus made his statement just a while ago (see article above) so I took a quick peek at a horoscope for 2:55 pm EDT (Washington, DC) for a few planetary positions, and to find the Sabian Symbols for them - see if you think any of the symbols apply to our Health Insurance Reform situation for today:

Sun "7Lib": "A Woman Feeding Chickens and Protecting Them from the Hawks";

Moon "16AQ": "A Big Businessman at His Desk";

Mercury "22Vir" (Station Direct TODAY with NASA's Messenger spacecraft snapping photos of planet Mercury today for the third and final time; Messenger will go into orbit around the speedy planet in March 2011): "A Royal Coat of Arms";

Mars "22Can": "A Woman Awaiting a Sailboat" (maybe that describes me awaiting Congress to actually do something good for cash-strapped Americans. Interesting that Baucus cites 'pragmatism' as his reason for not supporting a public option, the only provision that may make the system of practical use to all Americans.)

The Mercury/Mars sextile is the base of a YOD pattern of 'adjustment, crisis, and/or special tasks' and is pointing at health-concerned Chiron @ '22AQ': "A Rug Placed on the Floor for Children to Play" (the House floor? Is this to be a basic overhaul that doesn't go too far that it riles the insurance industry? Obviously, we-the-people are considered to be the 'children'.)

One more astrological factor to mention in the collective is the soon-perfecting square (90 degrees) between Saturn and Pluto.

Expert astrologer Alan Oken describes the square aspect between authoritarian, controlling Saturn and coping, powerful, transforming Pluto (associated with surgeries and recuperative powers after illness) as:

'Consolidation vs Regeneration' and he adds: harshness, cruelty, destruction to the established order, dissatisfaction and a deep desire to annihilate existing forms.'

Well, yes, it sounds harsh all right, but it seems to this particular populist that the 'destruction' turns out to be on the part of the middle and lower classes with the wealthy super-rich in the catbird seat of plutocratic oligarchy. Forces fight above our heads, while we-the-people (and the rest of the world) suffer the 'trickle down' on our own, and now that the banking and political classes have dive-bombed the US financial system, we have fewer than ever resources with which to bounce back.

Planet of the Democrats, Saturn, is today @ 26Vir29, with Pluto 00Cap45; both heavyweights are in Direct motion, so the full effects of their square-off will be stronger as Saturn reaches 00Libra and beyond, and thus forms his partile (exact) square with power-behind-the-throne Pluto. Falling upon 00 Cardinal degrees - World Points - indicates events that affect the masses.

My feeling is that Mercury's "A Royal Coat of Arms" (of today's announcement by Baucus) is more intimately involved in the current health care stand-off than meets the common man's eye. Is the US government making decisions on its own? Hmm.

Or does the symbol merely refer to the ruling class' sense of 'nobility' and entitlement? Mercury turns direct today and pronouncements are made in Washington! We'll see if Max Baucus' sentiments 'turn' out to be the icingless cake of reform when it all shakes down.

Plus, today's rational, laissez faire *Sun Lib/Moon AQ blend with its prominent social conscience has these Images for Integration:

'A group of literary radicals stage a love-in to protest against military policy...In an elegant opera house, a trendy jazz musician performs rag time with a symphony orchestra.' (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Chas & Suzi Harvey.)

What do you think? Do you have feelings about a public option and the 'job' Congress is 'doing' toward 'improving' our health care problems?

~:~

*The Sun Lib/Moon AQ combo of energies is shared natally by John Lennon, George Gershwin, John Le Carre, Timothy Leary, and psychiatrist R. D. Laing...and perhaps by someone you know, lone reader!

Sep 27, 2009

Aldous Huxley's letter to George Orwell - Oct 21, 1949

"...Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience. In other words, I feel that the nightmare of Nineteen Eighty-Four is destined to modulate into the nightmare of a world having more resemblance to that which I imagined in Brave New World."

From a letter to George Orwell, dated 21 October 1949; from Letters of Aldous Huxley, ed. Grover Smith; Harper & Row, 1969. (My italics. jc)

~:~

Makes me think about avoiding the H1N1 vaccine, amongst all the popular narcotic and other drugs the FDA makes readily available to an unwary public. Do you trust your government to inoculate and medicate you? Have they safeguarded things so well that you feel the US government is trustworthy? If so, might I interest you in a deal on some lovely swampland in Florida?

On an Astrology note: on Oct 21, 1949 at 10:22:47 pm UT in London, England there occurred a New Moon 28Lib09; the Sabian Symbol for '29Lib' is "Humanity Seeking to Bridge the Span of Knowledge."

And back in 1949, that bridge was often crossed by sending a letter. Psychological discoveries and new methods may also be indicated by this symbol, and I feel that perhaps the 'collection' of knowledge (information; 'truth' serums?) and/or scientific trials and experiments may be indicated on other levels as well.

Of course, Huxley's letter could have been written earlier that day during the Balsamic phase of the Moon prior to the evening's New Moon, which would put in within the prophetic phase, the dark of the Moon.

Plus, the Pre-Natal Eclipse of this letter's date is the 5 North Series which manifested @ '8Taurus' on Apr 28, 1949...paraphrasing Brady's Predictive Astrology: an unusual Saros Series involving sudden flashes of ideas that have a psychic or unconscious flavor; hunches, visions, and propehtic dreams as its essence; a very creative Series.

~:~

Update 9.28.09: a watchful reader has thoughtfully sent along a link to the Assassination Archives and Research Center where a variety of links lead to many discoveries about the America we think we know, including CIA covert missions and use of tactics that sound suspiciously similar to what Aldous Huxley envisioned as written above.

Among many other subjects in the Archives, you'll find Bush Sr's critique of "conspiracy theorists" concerning the JFK assassination (when Poppy Bush himself was 'on protection duty' as CIA director) while he spoke at the funeral services of Gerald Ford. Yuh, that's what you would say, NWO promoter.

For as they say in Washington, You lie. They just don't say it to each other often enough because then they'd for once be telling the truth.

NPR BREAKING NEWS: William Safire Dead At 79

The New York Times is reporting that William Safire, political columnist and speechwriter for President Nixon, has died.

Read more at NPR.

Sep 26, 2009

Does Iran have a Saturnian destiny?

Starry kudos to Nick Dagan Best whose article on Iran's Saturn in Libra Destiny covers the high points of Iranian history through the lens of Saturn in Libra transits.

As you know, Saturn rules Capricorn, sign of politics, law, and business, and is the planet of authority and control through its restriction principle. Saturn is exalted in the sign of the Scales of Justice, Libra.

Nick says that Saturn transits through Virgo into Libra have "coincided with some curious turning points in Iranian political history," and, "the nation's political pulse seems to be tied closely to (Saturn's) cycle," so I hope you'll check out his informative astro-analysis before President Ahmadinejad speaks on the world stage again.

Sibel Edmonds interview: those who played roles in 9/11

Being busy of late with various art projects, this Sept 21 interview with whistleblower Sibel Edmonds almost escaped my radar but thanks to a watchful reader, I've now caught up with her astonishing revelations concerning the attacks of 9/11 and the roles of Douglas Feith, Richard Perle, and Paul Wolfowitz among other actors of treasonous proportions.

You'll note the reference to '4 months before 9/11' which implicates the Solar Eclipse Series prior to that of the attacks themselves which fell into the 3 North Series: 'over-excessive, news that involves young people or that transforms a situation; info causes obsessive worry; large plans are wanted to be undertaken, but don't get carried away.' (Paraphrasing Brady's Predictive Astrology.)

The American military did get carried away by warmongers and liars - to Iraq to break the country in two, with the UK taking the south, the US the north. Turkey's role is detailed in the article above as well, so please check it out since the 2002 gag order issued against Ms. Edmonds by then-Attorney General John Ashcroft is now lifted. You won't like what you read, but I recommend you read it anyway.

As you know, the 3N Series occurred @ 00Cancer, a World Point where big events transpire, but '4 months before 9/11' falls earlier into the 2 South Series @ 4Cap14 where Pluto will be visiting before we know it. Pluto 00Cap+ now opposes 9/11's PE as the Edmonds interview is uncovered and spread.

2S is the PE Series of Bush's first illegal, ill-fated, misguided, fraudulent term. (Just so you know where I stand on the varmints of 2000 and 2001 and always remembering SCOTUS and Justice Renquist's intimate roles in our election scam. And still, the US nervily pontificates on elections' legitimacy abroad!)

Actually Pluto's orb when transiting may be considered to be 5 degrees on each side of a particular degree, so perhaps plutonic delving is already occurring as he is now in orb of 4Cap14...

Paraphrasing Ms. Brady again on 2S which manifested on Dec 25, 2000: 'unusual groups and one's involvement in them and the feeling that one may gain a great deal with such involvement.'

Interestingly, 2S is the *PE Series of: Ronald Reagan, Woodrow Wilson, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Noam Chomsky, the New Millennium, and my favorite artist, Paul Cezanne.


~:~

*PE = Pre-Natal Eclipse Series, the eclipse season during which a person, entity, or event are born. Every 18.6 years a repeat of a Solar Eclipse in a Series manifests bringing with it the same issues and casting similar shadows upon current events; some Series have a more negative flavor than others and a South Series Eclipse may carry more of an unconscious quality with them. 'Old behaviors' may be relied upon.

So every 18.6 years, one is provided with a chance to deal more effectively with these issues through more mature consideration, developed talents, and initiative which one could not have possessed in infancy. But the chance also exists to deal in a negative, unconscious way - one more reason to be aware of one's natal chart!

Aspects from natal planets to an Eclipse degree show where one might receive aid through positive aspects such as sextiles (60 degr), trines (120 degr), and sometimes conjunctions (0 degr); more challenging aspects such as squares, semisquares, sesquisquares, oppositions, inconjuncts, or quindecuiles, indicate where blockages may exist either from the environment or from within, mentally and/or emotionally.

My observances with eclipses seem to indicate, however, that oppositions, as aspects of awareness, may actually be one of the most helpful of all aspects since opposite degrees can operate as Illumination Points where unconscious motivations lurk. But then, of course, one must be willing to take the awareness ball and run with it.

As for governments, they aren't known for admitting or honestly dealing with much of anything, for honesty could interfere with 'winning' the next election.

~:~

Read more on Eclipses and their effects by ace astrologer Donna Cunningham on her SkyWriter blog.

Obama to UN General Assembly 9.23.09 - full text

Update 9.27.09: here's an interesting article (in relation to my grousy NWO posts) which Reuters published on Sept 25, but which I just located concerning the G20 Summit coordinating the
New World Economic Order, in case you missed the 'happy' news.

Original post begins here:

Here is a snippet of what I posted using Mundane Astrology in honor of the president's address to the UN General Assembly on the morning of Sept 23, 2009:

'At 9 am edt, NYC, Sun 2Lib36 was on the verge of leaving the behind-the-scenes 12th house and entering 11th house of Groups and Associations. I don't know the exact minute that President Obama began speaking this morning, but it may well have been just after 9 am. If so, the ASC 23Lib24 brought Fixed Stars Arcturus (a different approach ) and Spica (potential for brilliance)...' onto the stage, I could have written.

By my own count from the president's address we have: "new direction" - "new era" - "new era of engagement with the world" - "we must build new coalitions" - "A new day can begin" - "new rules of the road" (economy) - "transformative change" - the US "stands ready to begin a new chapter of international cooperation"...and those are from a quick once-over read. Perhaps you've spied more references to the new or 'different approach' that Arcturus favors.

Do you think that a New World Order - aka, a 'New World Economic Order' was being once again foisted upon the world through this address from atop the UN pulpit?

Is the ongoing 'financial collapse' part of a plutocratic long-range plan to make their futuristic agenda seem more palatable and inevitable to the masses worldwide? Mr. Obama promotes a future of new directions here, one cannot deny, a future with 'new rules of the road' so better buckle up, buttercup, there's more chaos on the path as Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" theory is implemented.

Here is a link to a video of Mr. Obama's address which the New York Times is promoting.

And mega-thanks go to my friend Alex D'Atria for sending along the text of President Obama's remarks asking that the United Nations become "an indispensable factor in the advancing the interests of the 'people we serve'"...I'd like the names of those people to be revealed please. Because so far, NAFTA, CAFTA, and rapists UN 'peacekeepers' don't seem to be a boon for the common man - or I miss my grouse.

Pres. Obama address the UN 9/24/2009


THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to address you for the first time as the 44th President of the United States. (Applause.) I come before you humbled by the responsibility that the American people have placed upon me, mindful of the enormous challenges of our moment in history, and determined to act boldly and collectively on behalf of justice and prosperity at home and abroad.

I have been in office for just nine months -- though some days it seems a lot longer. I am well aware of the expectations that accompany my presidency around the world. These expectations are not about me. Rather, they are rooted, I believe, in a discontent with a status quo that has allowed us to be increasingly defined by our differences, and outpaced by our problems. But they are also rooted in hope -- the hope that real change is possible, and the hope that America will be a leader in bringing about such change.

I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. And this has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for collective inaction.

Now, like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests. But it is my deeply held belief that in the year 2009 -- more than at any point in human history -- the interests of nations and peoples are shared. The religious convictions that we hold in our hearts can forge new bonds among people, or they can tear us apart. The technology we harness can light the path to peace, or forever darken it. The energy we use can sustain our planet, or destroy it. What happens to the hope of a single child -- anywhere -- can enrich our world, or impoverish it.

In this hall, we come from many places, but we share a common future. No longer do we have the luxury of indulging our differences to the exclusion of the work that we must do together. I have carried this message from London to Ankara; from Port of Spain to Moscow; from Accra to Cairo; and it is what I will speak about today -- because the time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and our work must begin now.

We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words. Speeches alone will not solve our problems -- it will take persistent action. For those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months.

On my first day in office, I prohibited -- without exception or equivocation -- the use of torture by the United States of America. (Applause.) I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed, and we are doing the hard work of forging a framework to combat extremism within the rule of law. Every nation must know: America will live its values, and we will lead by example.

We have set a clear and focused goal: to work with all members of this body to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies -- a network that has killed thousands of people of many faiths and nations, and that plotted to blow up this very building. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, we and many nations here are helping these governments develop the capacity to take the lead in this effort, while working to advance opportunity and security for their people.

In Iraq, we are responsibly ending a war. We have removed American combat brigades from Iraqi cities, and set a deadline of next August to remove all our combat brigades from Iraqi territory. And I have made clear that we will help Iraqis transition to full responsibility for their future, and keep our commitment to remove all American troops by the end of 2011.

I have outlined a comprehensive agenda to seek the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. In Moscow, the United States and Russia announced that we would pursue substantial reductions in our strategic warheads and launchers. At the Conference on Disarmament, we agreed on a work plan to negotiate an end to the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons. And this week, my Secretary of State will become the first senior American representative to the annual Members Conference of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Upon taking office, I appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and America has worked steadily and aggressively to advance the cause of two states -- Israel and Palestine -- in which peace and security take root, and the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians are respected.

To confront climate change, we have invested $80 billion in clean energy. We have substantially increased our fuel-efficiency standards. We have provided new incentives for conservation, launched an energy partnership across the Americas, and moved from a bystander to a leader in international climate negotiations.

To overcome an economic crisis that touches every corner of the world, we worked with the G20 nations to forge a coordinated international response of over $2 trillion in stimulus to bring the global economy back from the brink. We mobilized resources that helped prevent the crisis from spreading further to developing countries. And we joined with others to launch a $20 billion global food security initiative that will lend a hand to those who need it most, and help them build their own capacity.

We've also re-engaged the United Nations. We have paid our bills. We have joined the Human Rights Council. (Applause.) We have signed the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We have fully embraced the Millennium Development Goals. And we address our priorities here, in this institution -- for instance, through the Security Council meeting that I will chair tomorrow on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and through the issues that I will discuss today.

This is what we have already done. But this is just a beginning. Some of our actions have yielded progress. Some have laid the groundwork for progress in the future. But make no mistake: This cannot solely be America's endeavor. Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone. We have sought -- in word and deed -- a new era of engagement with the world. And now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.

Now, if we are honest with ourselves, we need to admit that we are not living up to that responsibility. Consider the course that we're on if we fail to confront the status quo: Extremists sowing terror in pockets of the world; protracted conflicts that grind on and on; genocide; mass atrocities; more nations with nuclear weapons; melting ice caps and ravaged populations; persistent poverty and pandemic disease. I say this not to sow fear, but to state a fact: The magnitude of our challenges has yet to be met by the measure of our actions.

This body was founded on the belief that the nations of the world could solve their problems together. Franklin Roosevelt, who died before he could see his vision for this institution become a reality, put it this way -- and I quote: "The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one nation…. It cannot be a peace of large nations -- or of small nations. It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world."

The cooperative effort of the whole world. Those words ring even more true today, when it is not simply peace, but our very health and prosperity that we hold in common. Yet we also know that this body is made up of sovereign states. And sadly, but not surprisingly, this body has often become a forum for sowing discord instead of forging common ground; a venue for playing politics and exploiting grievances rather than solving problems. After all, it is easy to walk up to this podium and point figures -- point fingers and stoke divisions. Nothing is easier than blaming others for our troubles, and absolving ourselves of responsibility for our choices and our actions. Anybody can do that. Responsibility and leadership in the 21st century demand more.

In an era when our destiny is shared, power is no longer a zero-sum game. No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation. No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed. No balance of power among nations will hold. The traditional divisions between nations of the South and the North make no sense in an interconnected world; nor do alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long-gone Cold War.

The time has come to realize that the old habits, the old arguments, are irrelevant to the challenges faced by our people. They lead nations to act in opposition to the very goals that they claim to pursue -- and to vote, often in this body, against the interests of their own people. They build up walls between us and the future that our people seek, and the time has come for those walls to come down. Together, we must build new coalitions that bridge old divides -- coalitions of different faiths and creeds; of north and south, east, west, black, white, and brown.

The choice is ours. We can be remembered as a generation that chose to drag the arguments of the 20th century into the 21st; that put off hard choices, refused to look ahead, failed to keep pace because we defined ourselves by what we were against instead of what we were for. Or we can be a generation that chooses to see the shoreline beyond the rough waters ahead; that comes together to serve the common interests of human beings, and finally gives meaning to the promise embedded in the name given to this institution: the United Nations.

That is the future America wants -- a future of peace and prosperity that we can only reach if we recognize that all nations have rights, but all nations have responsibilities as well. That is the bargain that makes this work. That must be the guiding principle of international cooperation.

Today, let me put forward four pillars that I believe are fundamental to the future that we want for our children: non-proliferation and disarmament; the promotion of peace and security; the preservation of our planet; and a global economy that advances opportunity for all people.

First, we must stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and seek the goal of a world without them.

This institution was founded at the dawn of the atomic age, in part because man's capacity to kill had to be contained. For decades, we averted disaster, even under the shadow of a superpower stand-off. But today, the threat of proliferation is growing in scope and complexity. If we fail to act, we will invite nuclear arms races in every region, and the prospect of wars and acts of terror on a scale that we can hardly imagine.

A fragile consensus stands in the way of this frightening outcome, and that is the basic bargain that shapes the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It says that all nations have the right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have a responsibility to move toward disarmament; and those without them have the responsibility to forsake them. The next 12 months could be pivotal in determining whether this compact will be strengthened or will slowly dissolve.

America intends to keep our end of the bargain. We will pursue a new agreement with Russia to substantially reduce our strategic warheads and launchers. We will move forward with ratification of the Test Ban Treaty, and work with others to bring the treaty into force so that nuclear testing is permanently prohibited. We will complete a Nuclear Posture Review that opens the door to deeper cuts and reduces the role of nuclear weapons. And we will call upon countries to begin negotiations in January on a treaty to end the production of fissile material for weapons.

I will also host a summit next April that reaffirms each nation's responsibility to secure nuclear material on its territory, and to help those who can't -- because we must never allow a single nuclear device to fall into the hands of a violent extremist. And we will work to strengthen the institutions and initiatives that combat nuclear smuggling and theft.

All of this must support efforts to strengthen the NPT. Those nations that refuse to live up to their obligations must face consequences. Let me be clear, this is not about singling out individual nations -- it is about standing up for the rights of all nations that do live up to their responsibilities. Because a world in which IAEA inspections are avoided and the United Nation's demands are ignored will leave all people less safe, and all nations less secure.

In their actions to date, the governments of North Korea and Iran threaten to take us down this dangerous slope. We respect their rights as members of the community of nations. I've said before and I will repeat, I am committed to diplomacy that opens a path to greater prosperity and more secure peace for both nations if they live up to their obligations.

But if the governments of Iran and North Korea choose to ignore international standards; if they put the pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of regional stability and the security and opportunity of their own people; if they are oblivious to the dangers of escalating nuclear arms races in both East Asia and the Middle East -- then they must be held accountable. The world must stand together to demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise, and that treaties will be enforced. We must insist that the future does not belong to fear.

That brings me to the second pillar for our future: the pursuit of peace.

The United Nations was born of the belief that the people of the world can live their lives, raise their families, and resolve their differences peacefully. And yet we know that in too many parts of the world, this ideal remains an abstraction -- a distant dream. We can either accept that outcome as inevitable, and tolerate constant and crippling conflict, or we can recognize that the yearning for peace is universal, and reassert our resolve to end conflicts around the world.

That effort must begin with an unshakable determination that the murder of innocent men, women and children will never be tolerated. On this, no one can be -- there can be no dispute. The violent extremists who promote conflict by distorting faith have discredited and isolated themselves. They offer nothing but hatred and destruction. In confronting them, America will forge lasting partnerships to target terrorists, share intelligence, and coordinate law enforcement and protect our people. We will permit no safe haven for al Qaeda to launch attacks from Afghanistan or any other nation. We will stand by our friends on the front lines, as we and many nations will do in pledging support for the Pakistani people tomorrow. And we will pursue positive engagement that builds bridges among faiths, and new partnerships for opportunity.

Our efforts to promote peace, however, cannot be limited to defeating violent extremists. For the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is the hope of human beings -- the belief that the future belongs to those who would build and not destroy; the confidence that conflicts can end and a new day can begin.

And that is why we will support -- we will strengthen our support for effective peacekeeping, while energizing our efforts to prevent conflicts before they take hold. We will pursue a lasting peace in Sudan through support for the people of Darfur and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, so that we secure the peace that the Sudanese people deserve. (Applause.) And in countries ravaged by violence -- from Haiti to Congo to East Timor -- we will work with the U.N. and other partners to support an enduring peace.

I will also continue to seek a just and lasting peace between Israel, Palestine, and the Arab world. (Applause.) We will continue to work on that issue. Yesterday, I had a constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas. We have made some progress. Palestinians have strengthened their efforts on security. Israelis have facilitated greater freedom of movement for the Palestinians. As a result of these efforts on both sides, the economy in the West Bank has begun to grow. But more progress is needed. We continue to call on Palestinians to end incitement against Israel, and we continue to emphasize that America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. (Applause.)

The time has come -- the time has come to re-launch negotiations without preconditions that address the permanent status issues: security for Israelis and Palestinians, borders, refugees, and Jerusalem. And the goal is clear: Two states living side by side in peace and security -- a Jewish state of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, and realizes the potential of the Palestinian people. (Applause.)

As we pursue this goal, we will also pursue peace between Israel and Lebanon, Israel and Syria, and a broader peace between Israel and its many neighbors. In pursuit of that goal, we will develop regional initiatives with multilateral participation, alongside bilateral negotiations.

Now, I am not naïve. I know this will be difficult. But all of us -- not just the Israelis and the Palestinians, but all of us -- must decide whether we are serious about peace, or whether we will only lend it lip service. To break the old patterns, to break the cycle of insecurity and despair, all of us must say publicly what we would acknowledge in private. The United States does Israel no favors when we fail to couple an unwavering commitment to its security with an insistence that Israel respect the legitimate claims and rights of the Palestinians. (Applause.) And -- and nations within this body do the Palestinians no favors when they choose vitriolic attacks against Israel over constructive willingness to recognize Israel's legitimacy and its right to exist in peace and security. (Applause.)

We must remember that the greatest price of this conflict is not paid by us. It's not paid by politicians. It's paid by the Israeli girl in Sderot who closes her eyes in fear that a rocket will take her life in the middle of the night. It's paid for by the Palestinian boy in Gaza who has no clean water and no country to call his own. These are all God's children. And after all the politics and all the posturing, this is about the right of every human being to live with dignity and security. That is a lesson embedded in the three great faiths that call one small slice of Earth the Holy Land. And that is why, even though there will be setbacks and false starts and tough days, I will not waver in my pursuit of peace. (Applause.)

Third, we must recognize that in the 21st century, there will be no peace unless we take responsibility for the preservation of our planet. And I thank the Secretary General for hosting the subject of climate change yesterday.

The danger posed by climate change cannot be denied. Our responsibility to meet it must not be deferred. If we continue down our current course, every member of this Assembly will see irreversible changes within their borders. Our efforts to end conflicts will be eclipsed by wars over refugees and resources. Development will be devastated by drought and famine. Land that human beings have lived on for millennia will disappear. Future generations will look back and wonder why we refused to act; why we failed to pass on -- why we failed to pass on an environment that was worthy of our inheritance.

And that is why the days when America dragged its feet on this issue are over. We will move forward with investments to transform our energy economy, while providing incentives to make clean energy the profitable kind of energy. We will press ahead with deep cuts in emissions to reach the goals that we set for 2020, and eventually 2050. We will continue to promote renewable energy and efficiency, and share new technologies with countries around the world. And we will seize every opportunity for progress to address this threat in a cooperative effort with the entire world.

And those wealthy nations that did so much damage to the environment in the 20th century must accept our obligation to lead. But responsibility does not end there. While we must acknowledge the need for differentiated responses, any effort to curb carbon emissions must include the fast-growing carbon emitters who can do more to reduce their air pollution without inhibiting growth. And any effort that fails to help the poorest nations both adapt to the problems that climate change have already wrought and help them travel a path of clean development simply will not work.

It's hard to change something as fundamental as how we use energy. I know that. It's even harder to do so in the midst of a global recession. Certainly, it will be tempting to sit back and wait for others to move first. But we cannot make this journey unless we all move forward together. As we head into Copenhagen, let us resolve to focus on what each of us can do for the sake of our common future.

And this leads me to the final pillar that must fortify our future: a global economy that advances opportunity for all people.

The world is still recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. In America, we see the engine of growth beginning to churn, and yet many still struggle to find a job or pay their bills. Across the globe, we find promising signs, but little certainty about what lies ahead. And far too many people in far too many places live through the daily crises that challenge our humanity -- the despair of an empty stomach; the thirst brought on by dwindling water supplies; the injustice of a child dying from a treatable disease; or a mother losing her life as she gives birth.

In Pittsburgh, we will work with the world's largest economies to chart a course for growth that is balanced and sustained. That means vigilance to ensure that we do not let up until our people are back to work. That means taking steps to rekindle demand so that global recovery can be sustained. And that means setting new rules of the road and strengthening regulation for all financial centers, so that we put an end to the greed and the excess and the abuse that led us into this disaster, and prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again.

At a time of such interdependence, we have a moral and pragmatic interest, however, in broader questions of development -- the questions of development that existed even before this crisis happened. And so America will continue our historic effort to help people feed themselves. We have set aside $63 billion to carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS, to end deaths from tuberculosis and malaria, to eradicate polio, and to strengthen public health systems. We are joining with other countries to contribute H1N1 vaccines to the World Health Organization. We will integrate more economies into a system of global trade. We will support the Millennium Development Goals, and approach next year's summit with a global plan to make them a reality. And we will set our sights on the eradication of extreme poverty in our time.

Now is the time for all of us to do our part. Growth will not be sustained or shared unless all nations embrace their responsibilities. And that means that wealthy nations must open their markets to more goods and extend a hand to those with less, while reforming international institutions to give more nations a greater voice. And developing nations must root out the corruption that is an obstacle to progress -- for opportunity cannot thrive where individuals are oppressed and business have to pay bribes. That is why we support honest police and independent judges; civil society and a vibrant private sector. Our goal is simple: a global economy in which growth is sustained, and opportunity is available to all.

Now, the changes that I've spoken about today will not be easy to make. And they will not be realized simply by leaders like us coming together in forums like this, as useful as that may be. For as in any assembly of members, real change can only come through the people we represent. That is why we must do the hard work to lay the groundwork for progress in our own capitals. That's where we will build the consensus to end conflicts and to harness technology for peaceful purposes, to change the way we use energy, and to promote growth that can be sustained and shared.

I believe that the people of the world want this future for their children. And that is why we must champion those principles which ensure that governments reflect the will of the people. These principles cannot be afterthoughts -- democracy and human rights are essential to achieving each of the goals that I've discussed today, because governments of the people and by the people are more likely to act in the broader interests of their own people, rather than narrow interests of those in power.

The test of our leadership will not be the degree to which we feed the fears and old hatreds of our people. True leadership will not be measured by the ability to muzzle dissent, or to intimidate and harass political opponents at home. The people of the world want change. They will not long tolerate those who are on the wrong side of history.

This Assembly's Charter commits each of us -- and I quote -- "to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women." Among those rights is the freedom to speak your mind and worship as you please; the promise of equality of the races, and the opportunity for women and girls to pursue their own potential; the ability of citizens to have a say in how you are governed, and to have confidence in the administration of justice. For just as no nation should be forced to accept the tyranny of another nation, no individual should be forced to accept the tyranny of their own people. (Applause.)

As an African American, I will never forget that I would not be here today without the steady pursuit of a more perfect union in my country. And that guides my belief that no matter how dark the day may seem, transformative change can be forged by those who choose to side with justice. And I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights -- for the student who seeks to learn; the voter who demands to be heard; the innocent who longs to be free; the oppressed who yearns to be equal.

Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect. Each country will pursue a path rooted in the culture of its people and in its past traditions. And I admit that America has too often been selective in its promotion of democracy. But that does not weaken our commitment; it only reinforces it. There are basic principles that are universal; there are certain truths which are self-evident -- and the United States of America will never waver in our efforts to stand up for the right of people everywhere to determine their own destiny. (Applause.)

Sixty-five years ago, a weary Franklin Roosevelt spoke to the American people in his fourth and final inaugural address. After years of war, he sought to sum up the lessons that could be drawn from the terrible suffering, the enormous sacrifice that had taken place. "We have learned," he said, "to be citizens of the world, members of the human community."

The United Nations was built by men and women like Roosevelt from every corner of the world -- from Africa and Asia, from Europe to the Americas. These architects of international cooperation had an idealism that was anything but naïve -- it was rooted in the hard-earned lessons of war; rooted in the wisdom that nations could advance their interests by acting together instead of splitting apart.

Now it falls to us -- for this institution will be what we make of it. The United Nations does extraordinary good around the world -- feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, mending places that have been broken. But it also struggles to enforce its will, and to live up to the ideals of its founding.

I believe that those imperfections are not a reason to walk away from this institution -- they are a calling to redouble our efforts. The United Nations can either be a place where we bicker about outdated grievances, or forge common ground; a place where we focus on what drives us apart, or what brings us together; a place where we indulge tyranny, or a source of moral authority. In short, the United Nations can be an institution that is disconnected from what matters in the lives of our citizens, or it can be an indispensable factor in advancing the interests of the people we serve.

We have reached a pivotal moment. The United States stands ready to begin a new chapter of international cooperation -- one that recognizes the rights and responsibilities of all nations. And so, with confidence in our cause, and with a commitment to our values, we call on all nations to join us in building the future that our people so richly deserve.

Thank you very much, everybody. #

In addition: FDR was a Freemason and you'll note Mr. Obama's citing of FDR's integral involvement in the UN's beginnings. Now many Masons have performed many good community works over the decades, yes. But their guiding principles of doing good cannot be assumed to be in charge at the UN today. Nations, institutions, and other entities can be taken over - coup'd - by hostile forces which often masquerade as the opposite of what they secretly are, that we know. Black is white, white is black, and the devil take the hindmost. Still, the pretty words must pave the path!

Plus, you may wish to see this blog's sidebar of Quotes to Note for shuttle diplomat and war criminal Henry Kissinger's insight into the presidency of Barack Obama and what its goal should be. Apparently there are some who see "the future that our people so richly deserve" and this "pivotal moment" as things quite apart from the lack of totalitarian control that I personally prefer.

Now how about you?


Jude 9.26.09 2:17 pm edt