A “lucid” Ramos-Horta calls for investigation - International Social/Political

After FBI involvement in investigations we expected a palatable, neat and coherent story to emerge – whether that story has any bearing on the truth is the question. One of Reinado’s commanders has since surrendered to authorities ‘with a smile,’ indicating a deal has been made.

Ramos-Horta’s call for a full investigation indicates he has no idea who is actually responsible for the shootings -- he was ambushed from behind!

Textual analysts are easily able to arrive at truth by deconstructing lies – all lies are forced into a relationship with the ‘truth’ and it is that relationship that is deconstructed. It is simply a matter of applying highly effective analytic tools – the source of the anthrax letters in the USA was determined by a professional textual analyst not ‘security’ or ‘intelligence’ agencies!

Textual analysis provides a wealth of information as everything is reduced to semiotic signifiers. The more gross methods, DNA and bio-metric identification, utilised by our less competent agencies, provide markers only, not broader ‘pictures.’

We can hardly wait for the results of the ‘official’ investigation into what already appears to be a deliberate assassination attempt by western powers and inept Australian forces – it stinks gentlemen and you know it! Do your best at a cover-up, it makes no difference!

The Kovco death, for example, clearly involves a military cover-up -- no expertise is required to arrive at that obvious fact.

Unrelated to the above but clearly relevant is the latest figure of the national debt, now running at an astonishing $610 billion – is that figure an indicator of competent past and present government? ‘Who do you trust’ to run a wealthy nation and manage a relatively simple economy, certainly NOT the Liberal or Labor parties. No hopers, the lot of them!

The current PM Kevin Rudd, faced with yet another interest rate hike, is bereft of real solutions. He is only able to re-state the reality to the people and lament his inadequacies.

Australian government no longer leads or represents the public it takes orders from those responsible for creating the economic problems in the first instance – whether its Howard and Costello or Rudd and Swan, we are witnessing fleas in action.

‘I love a sunburnt no hoper
Bereft of required skills!’

See also:
http://business.theage.com.au/reserve-bank-lifts-interest-rates/20080304-1wrk.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/04/2179296.htm

INTEREST rates, the dollar and our huge current account deficit are building a potentially explosive cocktail. With some strange statistical effects.

In very simple terms, the dollar is being driven up by demand. Foreigners chasing our high interest rates and our commodities boom.

On the surface it's a no-brainer. Especially if you are investing from and with US dollars.

You borrow in low-interest rate US dollars, assuming that currency is going to continue to slide. You buy Aussie dollars and get our high interest rates, assuming you will make an exchange rate gain as our dollar continues to go up.

And the very process helps push it higher! With the Reserve Bank adding its 'incentive' with the official rate increases!

This helps make imports cheaper - whether or not you have bought a plasma TV lately, have you noticed the falling prices? And hurts exporters. Making the current account deficit even bigger.

Some might see this as further evidence the RBA is getting it wrong with the rate rises. It's pushing up the dollar and sucking in imports. People will spend more.

While they might spend more in imports, the rate increases will reduce their overall, spending power. Except that local producers will take the bigger share of the hit.

Now this mix can continue for some time. As long as the China sun keeps shining and commodity prices stay high.

It also means our current account deficit will continue to swell, as the imports sucked in by the high dollar keep pace or exceed the rising income from commodity exports.

And our net foreign debt - and total net foreign liabilities, which also includes equity assets such as shares - continues to rise to never previously contemplated levels.

At December net foreign debt was $610 billion. Net foreign equity - the difference between what foreigners owned of Australia minus what we owned of the rest of the world - was $127 billion.

So total net foreign liabilities was the two added together - $737 billion. And it was up a staggering $132 billion over the year.

Are we going to foreign-owned hell in a handbasket? Actually, yes and sort-of no.

Yes, the annual current account deficit added $66 billion. But a further $55 billion came from 'price changes'.

What was that? The fall in global stock markets late last year combined with the rise in the Aussie dollar.

The stock market falls reduced the value of shares we held in foreign markets; and what foreigners held in our market.

But they won on the exchange rate, And we doubled our losses on the exchange rate.

So to some extent it's artificial. Our net liabilities would fall if our dollar plunged.

How big a problem is this burgeoning debt? The answer is to be alert but not alarmed.

The key measure is how much of our exports are needed to service it. The interest and the profit share, including dividends.

In the December quarter it took 21.2 per cent. Thanks true, to those lower interest rates in the US, only marginally higher than servicing ratios around 20 per cent in recent years.

© 2008 Herald and Weekly Times

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