Sunday, May 29, 2011


A warning to America – Geert Wilders in Nashville

Bosch Fawstin's Truth Teller sketch
My friends, we will stand together.
We will stand firm.
We will not submit. Never. Not in Israel, not in Europe, not in America. Nowhere.
We will survive.
We will stop islam.
We will defend our freedoms.
We will remain free.
via A warning to America – Speech Geert Wilders, Cornerstone Church, Nashville, 12 May 2011

Dear friends from Tennessee. I am very happy to be in your midst today. I am happy and proud to be in this impressive church.
My friends, I am here to speak words of truth and freedom.
Do you know why America is in a better state than Europe? Because you enjoy more freedom than Europeans.
And do you know why Americans enjoy more freedom than Europeans? Because you are still allowed to tell the truth.
In Europe and Canada people are dragged to court for telling the truth about islam.

I, too, have been dragged to court. I am an elected member of the house of representatives in the Netherlands. I am currently standing in court like a common criminal for saying that islam is a dangerous totalitarian ideology rather than a religion.

The court case is still pending, but I risk a jail sentence of 16 months.

Last week, my friend Lars Hedegaard, a journalist from Denmark, was fined because in a private conservation, which was recorded without his knowing, he had criticised the way women are treated in islamic societies.

Recently, another friend, Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, a human rights activist from Austria, was fined because she had criticised islam’s founder Muhammad. She had said that Muhammad was a pedophile because he had married a 6-year old girl and raped her when she was 9.

Unfortunately, there are many similar cases.
I am especially happy to be in your midst because here I can say what I want to say without having to fear that I will be dragged to court upon leaving this church.
My dear American friends, you cannot imagine how we envy your First Amendment. The day when America follows the example of Europe and Canada and introduces so-called “hate speech crimes” which is only used to punish people who are critical of islam, that day America will have lost its freedom.
My friends, let us hope that this never happens.
Last week, we celebrated Liberation Day in the Netherlands. We celebrated the liberation from the Nazi occupation in 1945. Many American soldiers, including many young Tennesseans, played a decisive role in the liberation of the Netherlands from nazi tyranny. We are immensely grateful for that. Young Americans gave their lives so that the Dutch might be free. I assure you: The Dutch people will never forget this.
Unfortunately, however, the Europe which your fathers and grandfathers fought and died for is not the Europe we are living in today.
I travel the world to tell people what Europe has become. I wish I could take you all on a visit to my country and show you what Europe has become. It has changed beyond recognition as a result of mass immigration. And not just any mass immigration, but mass immigration driven by the dangerous force of islam.
My friends, I am sorry. I am here today with an unpleasant message. I am here with a warning. I am here with a battle cry: “Wake up, Christians of Tennessee. Islam is at your gate.” Do not make the mistake which Europe made. Do not allow islam to gain a foothold here.
Islam is dangerous. Islam wants to establish a state on earth, ruled by islamic sharia law. Islam aims for the submission, whether by persuasion, intimidation or violence, of all non-Muslims, including Christians.
The results can be seen in Europe.
Islam is an ideology of conquest. It uses two methods to achieve this goal: the first method is the sword. Do you know what figures on the flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a country where Christian churches are banned and Christians are not even allowed to wear a tiny crucifix? There is a huge sword on that flag, just below the Islamic creed. The message is clear. Without the sword islam would not have been able to spread its creed.
The second method is immigration. Islam’s founder Muhammad himself taught his followers how to conquer through immigration when they moved from Mecca to Medina. This phenomenon of conquest through immigration is called al-Hijra. My learned friend Sam Solomon has written a perfect book about it.
I had a copy of Sam’s book sent to all the members of the Dutch Parliament. But most of them are worse than Saint-Thomas in the Bible. Thomas did not believe what he had not seen. Most politicians refuse to believe the things they see before their very eyes.
In Europe we have been experiencing al-Hijra for over 30 years now. Many of our cities have changed beyond recognition. “In each one of our cities” wrote the well-known Italian author Oriana Fallaci shortly before her death in 2006, “there is a second city, a state within the state, a government within the government. A Muslim city, a city ruled by the Koran.” – end of quote.
How did the Europeans get into this situation? It is partly our own fault because we have foolishly adopted the concept of cultural relativism, which manifests itself in the ideology of multiculturalism.
Cultural relativism advocates that all cultures are equal. However, cultures wither away and die if people no longer believe that its values are better than those of another culture.
Islam is spreading like wildfire wherever people lack the guts to say that their values are better than the Islamic values.
Islam is spreading like wildfire because the Koran explicitly tells Muslims that they are “the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind” and that non-Muslims are “the worst of creatures.”
Islam is spreading like wildfire everywhere in the West where political, academic, cultural and media elites lack the guts to proudly proclaim, as I believe we all should proclaim:
Our Judeo-Christian Western culture is far better and far superior to the islamic culture. We must be proud to say so!
Multiculturalism is a disaster. Almost everyone acknowledges this today, but few dare say why. Let me tell you why: Multiculturalism made us tolerate the intolerant, and now intolerance is annihilating tolerance.
We should, in the name of tolerance, claim the right not to tolerate the intolerant. Let us no longer be afraid and politically correct, let us be brave and bold. Let us tell the truth about islam.
Before I continue I want to make clear that I do not have a problem with people. I always make a distinction between the people and the ideology, between Muslims and islam.
Indeed, I have no problems with Muslims, but I do have a problem with the totalitarian Islamic ideology of hate and violence. The fact that there are many so-called moderate Muslims, does not imply that there exists a moderate islam. A moderate islam doen not exist and will never exist.
And because there is no such thing as a moderate islam, the islamization of our free Western societies is an enormous danger.
Only two weeks ago, the British press revealed how the so-called “London Taliban” is threatening to kill women who do not wear veils in the London borough of Tower Hamlets.
In some neighbourhoods Islamic regulations are already being enforced, also on non-Muslims. Women’s rights are being trampled. We are confronted with headscarves and burqa’s, polygamy, female genital mutilation, honor-killings where men murder their wives, daughters or sisters because they do not behave in accordance with Islamic rules.
Polls show that the influence of those Muslims who live according to islam’s aggressive requirements is growing, especially among young people.
Among 15-year-old German Muslims, 40 percent consider islam more important than democracy.
Among Muslim university students in Britain, 40 percent support sharia. One in three of those students considers it legitimate to kill in the name of islam.
Christians are asked to follow the example of Jesus. Muslims are ordered to follow the example of Muhammad. That is why islam is dangerous. While Christianity preaches love, islam preached hatred and practizes violence. Hatred and violence for everyone who is not a Muslim.
Muhammad personally participated in the ethnic cleansing of Medina, where half the population once was Jewish. Muhammad helped to chop off their heads. On his deathbed, he ordered his followers to cleanse Arabia of all Jews and Christians.
To this very day, Christian symbols are prohibited in Saudi-Arabia. If you wear a cross in Saudi Arabia, they sent you to jail.
And now, Europe is beginning to look like Arabia.
Just today, a poll revealed that in Brussels, the capital of the European Union, half the islamic youths are anti-semitic. It is dangerous for Jews to walk the streets in Brussels.
If you wear a cross or a kippah in certain urban areas in Europe today, you risk being beaten up. In the capital of my own country, Amsterdam, a tram driver was forced to remove his crucifix from sight, while his Muslim colleagues are allowed to wear the veil.
In June 2008, the Christian church authorities in the Danish town of Arhus decided to pay so-called “protection money” to islamic so-called “security guards” who assure that church goers are not harassed by islamic youths.
On March 31st, 2010, Muslims entered the Roman Catholic cathedral of Cordoba, Spain, and attacked the guards with knives. They claimed the cathedral was theirs.
Last month, the bishops of Sweden sent out a letter to priests advising them to avoid converting asylum seekers from islamic countries to Christianity, because the converts would risk losing their lives.
In the Netherlands, the city authorities in Amsterdam register polygamous marriages. The authorities in Rotterdam serve only halal meals in municipal cafeterias. Theaters provide separate seats for women who are not allowed to sit next to men. Municipal swimming pools have separate swimming hours for men and women, Muslim lawyers do not have to stand when the judges enter court rooms.
Meanwhile Jews are no longer safe on our streets. In Amsterdam, the city of Anne Frank, Jews are again being harassed in the streets. Even political leaders acknowledged that life has become unsafe for Jews in Holland. Do you know what they said? They advised Jews to emigrate. Jews are already running for Israel. But I say: Jews must not leave, violent Muslims must leave!
What is needed, my friends, is a spirit of resistance.
I repeat: What we need is a spirit of resistance.
Why? Because resistance to evil is our moral duty. This resistance begins with expressing our solidarity to Christians, Jews, indeed, to all people worldwide, who are the victims of islam. There are millions of them.
We can see what islam has in store for us if we watch the fate of the Christians in the islamic world, such as the Copts in Egypt, the Maronites in Lebanon, the Assyrians in Iraq, and Christians elsewhere.
Almost every day, churches are arsoned and Christians are assassinated in islamic countries.
In a report on the persecution of Christians in the world, Archbishop Twal of Jerusalem, wrote recently- I quote: “In the Middle East to be Christian means accepting that you must make a great sacrifice. All too often and in many places, Christians suffer various threats. On some occasions, their homes and churches are burnt, and people are killed. How many atrocities must we endure before somebody somewhere comes to our aid?” – end of quote.
Indeed, how many atrocities before we come to their aid?
Rivers of tears are flowing from the Middle East, where there is only one safe haven for Christians. You know where that is. The only place in the Middle East where Christians are safe is Israel.
That is why Israel deserves our support. Israel is a safe haven for everyone, whatever their belief and opinions. Israel is a beacon of light in a region of total darkness. Israel is fighting our fight.
The jihad against Israel is a jihad against all of us. If Israel falls, we, too, will feel the consequences. If Jerusalem falls, Athens, Rome, Amsterdam and Nashville will fall. Therefore, we all are Israel. We should always support Israel!
Today, we are confronted with political unrest in the Arab countries. The Arab peoples long for freedom. However, the ideology and culture of islam is so deeply entrenched in these countries that real freedom is simply impossible as long as islam remains dominant.
A recent poll in post-revolution Egypt found that 85 percent of Egyptians are convinced that islam’s influence on politics is good, 82 percent believe that adulterers should be stoned, 84 percent want the death penalty for apostates. The press refers to the events in the Arab world today as the Arab spring. I call it the Arab winter.
Islam and freedom, islam and democracy are not compatible.
The death of Osama bin Laden last week was a victory for the free world, but we will be confronted with Islamic terrorism as long as islam exists, because islam’s founder Muhammad himself was a terrorist, worse than Bin Laden.
And here is another truth: The rise of islam means the rise of sharia law in our judicial systems. In Europe we already have sharia wills, sharia schools, sharia banks. Britain even has sharia courts.
In my own country, the Netherlands, sharia is being applied by the courts in cases relating to divorce, child custody, inheritance, and property ownership. Women are always the victims of this because sharia discriminates women.
This is a disgrace. This is not the way we should treat women.
My friends, I told you that we have just remembered Liberation Day to commemorate the young Americans and all the heroes who offered their lives to free the Netherlands from nazi tyranny. It would be an insult to them if we Europeans would give up that precious freedom for another totalitarian ideology called Islam.
That is the goal for which my party and I work day after day. And we are having success.
In the Netherlands, we are successfully starting to roll back islam. The current Dutch government is a minority government which can only survive with the backing of my party, the Party for Freedom.
We have 24 seats of the 150 seats in parliament and we support the government, in return for measures to prohibit certain aspects of sharia law.
We have achieved that the Netherlands will soon ban the burka and the niqaab.
We will also restrict immigration from non-Western countries by up to 50% in the next four years. We are not going to allow islam to steal our country from us. It was the land of our fathers, it is our land now, our values are based on Christianity, Judaism and Humanism and we will pass this on to our children with all the freedoms that the previous generations have fought for.
Let those who want to rob us from our freedoms, stay in their own countries. We do not need them. If you want to wear a burqa, stay in Saudi-Arabia. If you want four wives, stay in Iran. If you want to live in a country where the islamic ideology is dominant, stay in Pakistan, if you don’t want to assimilate in our society, stay in Somalia. But don’t come over here.
We are also going to strip criminals who have a double nationality – for instance Dutch and Moroccan, and who repeatedly commit serious crimes, of their Dutch nationality. We will send them packing, back to their homeland.
My friends, what the Party for Freedom has achieved, shows that it can be done. We can fight the islamization of our societies.
Dear friends, here is my warning. Make no mistake: Islam is also coming for America. In fact, it is already here. America is facing a stealth jihad, the islamic attempt to introduce sharia law bit by bit. Last March, a judge in Tampa, Florida, ruled that a lawsuit against a mosque and involving the control of 2.4 million dollars, should proceed under Islamic law.
My friends, be aware that this is only the beginning. This is also how it started in Europe. If things continue like this, you will soon have the same problems as we are currently facing.
Leaders who talk about immigration without mentioning islam are blind. They ignore the most important problem Europe and America are facing. I have a message for them: it’s islam stupid!
My friends, fortunately, not all politicians are irresponsible. Here, in Tennessee, brave politicians want to pass legislation which gives the state the power to declare organisations as terrorist groups and allowing material supporters of terrorism to be prosecuted. I applaud them for that. They are true heroes.
Yesterday and today, I met some of those brave legislators. They told me that Tennessee in particular is a target of islam. Help them win their battle.
They need your support.
While Tennessee is in the frontline, similar legislative initiatives are also being taken in the states of Oklahoma, Wyoming, South Carolina, Texas, Florida, Missouri, Arizona, Indiana. It is encouraging to see that so many politicians are willing to resist islam.
This gives us hope and courage. I am not a pessimist. We can still turn the tide – even in Europe – if we act today.
There are five things which we must do.
First, we must defend freedom of speech.
Freedom is the source of human creativity and development. People and nations wither away without the freedom to question what is presented to them as the truth.
Without freedom of speech we risk becoming slaves. Frederick Douglass, the 19th century black American politician, the son of a slave, said – I quote – “To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.”
I have already told you about my court case. This legal charade will not, however, prevent me from saying the truth. Never. I will speak out, even if they drag me before 500 courts and threaten to jail me for a thousand years.
The fact that we are being treated as criminals for telling the truth must not deter us. We are doomed if we remain silent or let ourselves be silenced. Let us not forget, this is our first and most important obligation: defend the right to speak the truth.
Second, we must end cultural relativism and political correctness. We must repeat it over and over again, especially to our children: Our Western culture based on Christianity and Judaism is superior to the islamic culture. Our laws are superior to sharia. Our judeo-christian values are better than islam’s totalitarian rules.
And because they are superior and better, we must defend them. We must fight for our own identity, or else we will lose it. We need to be warriors for the good, because the good is worth fighting for. Neutrality in the face of evil is evil.
Third, we must stop the islamization of our countries. More islam means less freedom. There is enough islam in the West already. We must stop immigration from non-Western countries, which are mostly islamic countries. We must expel criminal immigrants. We must forbid the construction of new hate palaces called mosques.
We must also close down all islamic schools because educating children in a spirit of hate is one of the worst things imaginable. We must introduce anti-sharia legislation everywhere in the free world. Enough is enough.
Fourth, we must take pride in our nations again. We must cherish and preserve the culture and identity of our country. Preserving our own culture and identity is the best antidote against islamization.
And fifth, last but certainly not least, we must elect wise and courageous leaders who are brave enough to address the problems which are facing us, including the threat of islam.
Politicians who have the courage to speak the truth about islam.
Politicians who dare to denounce the devastating results of the multicultural society.
Politicians who – without political correctness – say: enough is enough.
You and I, Americans and Europeans, we belong to a common Western culture. We share the ideas and ideals of our common Judeo-Christian heritage. In order to pass this heritage on to our children and grandchildren, we must stand together, side by side, in our struggle against Islamic barbarism.
That, my friends, is why I am here. I am here to forge an alliance. Our international freedom alliance. We must stand together for the Judeo-Christian West.
We will not allow islam to overrun Israel and Europe, the cradle of the judeo-Christian civilization.
My friends, we will stand together.
We will stand firm.
We will not submit. Never. Not in Israel, not in Europe, not in America. Nowhere.
We will survive.
We will stop islam.
We will defend our freedoms.
We will remain free.
Thank you.



The Beginning Of The End For China's Double Digits Growing Economy ?

Why A Popsicle Stick Manufacturer Just Moved From China To Canada
 

Peak oilist Jeff Rubin describes a paradigm shift in his latest column at The Globe & Mail.

Global Sticks, a manufacturer of wooden ice cream sticks, recently moved from Dalian, China to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Rising oil prices were the critical factor:

As the price of the bunker fuel that transports those ice creams sticks to customers around the world tracks soaring world oil prices, the distance between your factory in Dalian and North American kids lining up at their neighborhood ice cream store, becomes more expensive every day.

When the price and availability of energy start to dominate your business plan, you say goodbye to your inexpensive Chinese labor force, and pack up and leave.

Rubin also mentions factory restrictions that China has mandated to deal with power shortages. And then there's the problem of wage growth in China. Finally, Global Sticks was drawn toward cheap wood supply in Canada.

It's a development that Rubin has predicted for years. Oil prices will skyrocket and the global transport system will be crippled. We saw a hint of this today when shipping giant Frontline gave a gloomy outlook for the industry.





The DOMINIQUE  Parody Song

Americans rubbing more salt to French's wounds:-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24a-Qb327ok&feature=player_embedded#at=112
KCPO:-The Bulls Are In Control - 5/30/2011

 



The bull remains in control for the past week as price stays above the upper Bolllinger Band. The MACD has now crossed up above the zero signal line which is giving more affirmative action to the bulls. Most important of all is the ADX which has commenced to rise and the Bollinger Band has also begun to expand. Both these are telling us a new trend has commenced.

The Stochastic has gone into the overbought zone (remember the ADX is still at 18's) , so we may expect some minor retracement before the real action comes. We may see 3560 and 3650 again.

 

The weekly chart is getting more positive as the Stochastic is trying to cross above its 20's signal line. This is offering an additional buy signal. The MACD remains negative but seems to begin to turning around. But the most promising item is the candlestick managed to closed above prior week's high. Since the weekly ADX is still falling, we should consider the current move as a counter-trend move. But with the presence of the bullish divergence at the daily chart, this trade should be  very profitable.
FKLI:- More Whipsaws ?- 5/30/2011

 


Last Monday the market took out my previous long position when price took out the prior day's low minus 1 point. But I did not enter any new shorts as Tuesday price did not confirm Monday's sell (price did not go below upper Bollinger Band when Stochastic crossed down) Instead I went back to buy on Friday when price went back up above upper Bollinger Band and the Stochastic turned positive again.

Though  price seems to be breaking out and up above its recent range and the MACD has also turned positive again, but the ADX continues to stay flat at 11's, so I expect this trade be another short term trade at this moment.

 

Though the weekly chart's Stochastic and MACD continue to contradict each other, price has managed to closed above the upper Bollinger Band. This may be hinting that the market may be testing the upside again. But again the ADX continues to stay flat at 10's which is discouraging the bulls from getting too excited.

I continue to stay alert for the next possible explosive move.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Beatles loved Motown



Money (That’s What I Want)” The Beatles (Barrett Strong)


The Beatles loved Motown, of course, and this cover of Barrett Strong’s 1959 classic was rife with affection. Although the arrangement is relatively faithful to the Motown original, Lennon, in typical early Beatles fashion, injected jubilant rock and roll fervor into Strong’s more R&B-style rave-up. Just as “Twist and Shout” had done for The Beatles’ full-length debut, “Money” capped the Fab Four’s second album with an exultant exclamation mark.





The original:-









Here Is Another Conspiracy Theory - America Just Has To Kill Dominque







Was Dominique Strauss-Kahn Trying to Torpedo the Dollar?


It's all about perception management. The media is trying to dig up as much dirt as they can on Dominique Strauss-Kahn so they can hang the man before he ever sees the inside of a courthouse. It reminds me of the Terry Schiavo case, where devoted-husband Michael was pegged as an insensitive slimeball for carrying out the explicit wishes of his brain-dead wife. Do you remember how the media conducted their disgraceful 24 hour-a-day Blitzkrieg with the endless coverage of weepy Christian fanatics on the front lawn of the hospital while Hannity, Limbaugh and O' Reilly fired away with their sanctimonious claptrap?

And now you're telling me that that same media is just "doing their job?"

Give me a break.

Whoever wants to nail IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has really pulled out all the stops.  Their agents have been rummaging through diaries, hotel registries, phone records, yearbooks, yada, yada, yada. The UK Telegraph even paid a visit to a high-priced DC knocking shop to get a little dirt from Madame Botox; whatever it takes to make a randy banker look like the South Hill rapist. And they're doing a pretty good job, too. The cops have made sure that the "Great Seducer" always appears handcuffed and dressed in a "pervie" raincoat with 3-days stubble before they parade him in front of the media.  On Wednesday--more grist for the mill--they released his mug-shot, an unflattering, deadpan photo that makes him look like Jack-the-Ripper. Was that the intention? 

And, that's not the half of it. The Big Money is exhuming every woman he's ever had contact with for the last 30 years hoping they can glean some damning tidbit of information that will convince the doubters that beneath that sophisticated manner and $25,000 suit lurks a closet Bluebeard ready to snap up your daughters and defile your wives.   Next thing you know, they'll be trotting out Paula Jones and Tanya Harding claiming they spent a torrid night with the Marquis de Kahn in a trailerpark outside Winamucca.

Where does it stop? Or does it stop? Are we in for another year-long Clinton-Lewinski feeding frenzy where everyday we hear more lurid details about the sexploits of people who don't really interest us at all?

Aren't you at all curious about who's behind this "lynching by media" scam? This is an all-out, no-holds-barred, steel-cage, take-down. The big boys save that kind of action for the worst offenders, that is, for the insiders who have broken "Omerta" or wandered off the reservation. I mean, they locked him up on Riker's Island without bail, for Chrissake. What does that tell you? Even Bernie Madoff was allowed to stay in his $7 million Park Avenue penthouse while he waited for trial, but not Straus-Kahn. Oh, no. He get's the royal treatment, even though he has no criminal record and nothing but the sketchy accusations of a chambermaid against him, he's carted off to the state slammer where he can mingle with hardened criminals while dining on corn flakes and Wonder Bread.

You call that justice?

Can I tell you what this is all about? It's about the dollar. That's right. Strauss-Kahn was mounting an attack against the dollar and now the wrath of the Empire has descended on him like ton-of-bricks.  Here's the scoop from the UK Telegraph:

    "Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has called for a new world currency that would challenge the dominance of the dollar and protect against future financial instability.....

    He suggested adding emerging market countries' currencies, such as the yuan, to a basket of currencies that the IMF administers could add stability to the global system....Strauss-Kahn saw a greater role for the IMF's Special Drawing Rights, (SDRs) which is currently composed of the dollar, sterling, euro and yen, over time but said it will take a great deal of international cooperation to make that work." ("International Monetary Fund director Dominique Strauss-Kahn calls for new world currency", UK Telegraph)

So, Strauss-Kahn finds himself in the same crowd as Saddam Hussein and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, right? You may recall that Saddam switched from dollars to euros about a year before the war. 12 months later Iraq was invaded, Saddam was hanged, and the dollar was restored to power.  Gaddafi made a similar mistake when "he initiated a movement to refuse the dollar and the euro, and called on Arab and African nations to use a new currency instead, the gold dinar." ("Libya: All About Oil, or All About Central Banking?" Ellen Brown, Op-Ed News)  Libya has since come under attack by US and NATO forces which have armed a motley group of dissidents, malcontents and terrorists to depose Gaddafi and reimpose dollar hegemony.

And now it's Strauss-Kahn's turn to get torn to shreds. And for good reason. After all, DSK actually poses a much greater threat to the dollar than either Saddam or Gaddafi because he's in the perfect position to shape policy and to persuade foreign heads of state that replacing the dollar is in their best interests. And that is precisely what he was doing; badmouthing the buck. Only he was too dense to figure out that the dollar is the US Mafia's mealticket, the main way that shifty banksters and corporate scalawags extort tribute from the poorest people on earth. Strauss-Kahn was rocking the boat, and now he's going to pay.

Here's a clip from CNN Money:    

    "The International Monetary Fund issued a report Thursday on a possible replacement for the dollar as the world's reserve currency.

    The IMF said Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, could help stabilize the global financial system....SDRs represent potential claims on the currencies of IMF members.....The IMF typically lends countries funds denominated in SDRs. While they are not a tangible currency, some economists argue that SDRs could be used as a less volatile alternative to the U.S. dollar.

    "Over time, there may also be a role for the SDR to contribute to a more stable international monetary system," he said.

    The goal is to have a reserve asset for central banks that better reflects the global economy since the dollar is vulnerable to swings in the domestic economy and changes in U.S. policy.

    In addition to serving as a reserve currency, the IMF also proposed creating SDR-denominated bonds, which could reduce central banks' dependence on U.S. Treasuries. The Fund also suggested that certain assets, such as oil and gold, which are traded in U.S. dollars, could be priced using SDRs." ("IMF discusses dollar alternative", CNN Money)


Wow. So DSK was zeroing in on US Treasuries as well as the dollar? That's the whole shooting match.

So, what type of progress was he making in converting USDs to SDRs? According to Reuters: "The IMF general resources credit outstanding increased to 65.5 billion Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, ($104 billion) on May 12 from 6.0 billion SDRs at December 2007. The so-called new arrangement to borrow, which came into effect on April 1, increased the IMF's available lending resources to 269 billion SDRs on May 12 from 120 billion SDRs on March 31." (Reuters.com)

Not a bad start for such an ambitious project. It looks like DSK's dream of dethroning the dollar as the de facto "international currency" was beginning to gain momentum.  But didn't he know that his actions would anger some very powerful and well-connected people?

Well, if he did; he never let on. In fact, he started mucking around in other stuff, too, like when he intervened on behalf of Irish taxpayers, trying to protect them at the expense of foreign bondholders. That's a big "No no" in banker's world. They keep a list of "people who count", and taxpayers are not on that list. Here's an excerpt from the Irish Times:

    "Ireland’s Last Stand began less shambolically than you might expect. The IMF, which believes that lenders should pay for their stupidity before it has to reach into its pocket, presented the Irish with a plan to haircut €30 billion of unguaranteed bonds by two-thirds on average. (Irish finance minister) Lenihan was overjoyed, according to a source who was there, telling the IMF team: “You are Ireland’s salvation.”

    The deal was torpedoed from an unexpected direction. At a conference call with the G7 finance ministers, the haircut was vetoed by US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner who, as his payment of $13 billion from government-owned AIG to Goldman Sachs showed, believes that bankers take priority over taxpayers. The only one to speak up for the Irish was UK chancellor George Osborne, but Geithner, as always, got his way. An instructive, if painful, lesson in the extent of US soft power, and in who our friends really are.

    The negotiations went downhill from there. On one side was the European Central Bank, unabashedly representing Ireland’s creditors and insisting on full repayment of bank bonds. On the other was the IMF, arguing that Irish taxpayers would be doing well to balance their government’s books, let alone repay the losses of private banks." ("Ireland's future depends on breaking free from bailout", Morgan Kelly, Irish Times)

So, Strauss-Kahn stuck up for Irish taxpayers over the banks, the bondholders, the ECB, and the US Treasury. Naturally, that made him persona non grata among the ruling throng. 

And, there's more, too, because Strauss-Kahn's vision was not limited to currency alone, but involved broad structural changes to the IMF itself that would have reversed decades of neoliberal policies.  DSK had settled on a new approach to policymaking; one that would abandon the worst elements of globalization and put greater emphasis on social cohesion, cooperation and multilateralism. Here's an excerpt from the speech titled "Human Development and Wealth Distribution" he gave in November 2010:

    "....Adam Smith—one of the founders of modern economics—recognized clearly that a poor distribution of wealth could undermine the free market system, noting that: “The disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful and…neglect persons of poor and mean condition…is the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments.”

    This was over 250 years ago. In today’s world, these problems are magnified under the lens of globalization....globalization also had a dark side. Lurking behind it was a large and growing chasm between rich and poor—especially within countries. An inequitable distribution of wealth can wear down the social fabric. More unequal countries have worse social indicators, a poorer human development record, and higher degrees of economic insecurity and anxiety. In too many countries, inequality increased and real wages stagnated—failing to keep up with productivity—over the past few decades. Ominously, inequality in the United States was back at its pre-Great Depression levels on the eve of the crisis....

    An immediate task is to end the scourge of unemployment....Progressive taxation can also promote equity through redistribution, and this should be encouraged....“Inequality is corrosive” ....“it rots societies from within…it illustrates and exacerbates the loss of social cohesion…the pathology of the age and the greatest threat to the health of any democracy.” ("Human Development and Wealth Distribution", Dominique Strauss-Kahn, IMF)

Can you believe it? DSK is lecturing bankers about redistribution? That's not what they want to hear. What they want to hear is why ripping off poor people actually makes the world a better place.  DSK's speech just shows that he wasn't drinking the Koolaid anymore. He was becoming a nuisance and they needed to get rid of him.

Does that mean he didn't rape the woman who was in his hotel room?

Of course not. In fact, he could be guilty. But he deserves a fair trial, and someone's making damn sure he doesn't get one.






Monday, May 23, 2011



中共打壓網絡及言論自由的「劊子手」被人丟鞋子和雞蛋




中國網絡「防火長城」之父方濱興,週四在武漢大學被人丟鞋子和雞蛋。他事後質疑這宗抗議先前在推特 (Twitter)討論時,校方竟無任何因應措施。但校方無辜地說:「我們進不去推特網站,全被防火長城阻擋。」

綜合媒體報導,向方濱興丟鞋和雞蛋的網民「寒君依」,自稱是華中科大文華學院建築系大四學生。他憶述丟鞋過程說,「聽到他來的 消息我就去了(武大)」。

他與另2名準備了雞蛋的武大學生一起,遇到剛下車的方濱興,「我先從他後面扔了個雞蛋,但沒打中,我再扔出一隻鞋,打中了他胸 口,扔第2隻鞋時,可能比較慌張,沒扔中。」方濱興面露驚訝,旁邊的老師則大聲喝問,他隨即時逃走。

另據抗議學生上載的消息,武大保安與學校職員鎖定這名抗議學生(指「寒君依」),企圖抓起來送辦,但被在場的學者阻攔抗議學生最後仍順利離開現場。

推特被封校方難防

抗議學生離開武大後,有學生尾隨他,還買了一雙新拖 鞋給他在場學生也紛紛與擊中方濱興的 拖鞋合影留念

武大學生透露,事發後校門口出現警車,武大副校長也趕到現場,在場拍照的學生則被勸阻。

方濱興前往武大演講前,已引起網路熱烈討論,許多網民號召前往武大抗議;還有網民在微型部落格「推特」上,交換方濱興在武大的 訊息,藉此串聯到武大抗議的學生。

當天下午,在網上流傳著這樣的段子式情節:「事後,方濱興怒斥校方:『聽說他們在講座之前就在推特上討論這件事了,你們怎麼沒 有一點應對措施?』

按圖關閉校 方一臉無辜地說:『那個網站(推特)我們打不開,被防火長城屏蔽了,不知道他們說了什麼。』」

網民剿防火牆之父


方濱興在武漢大學遭擲鞋一事,在新浪微博(微型部落格)上廣泛傳播,「方濱興」3個字隨即成為「敏感詞」,在中國 搜索引擎及微型部落格上均未能搜索。

綜合媒體報導,發生擲鞋事件後,中國互聯網審查系統人員極速將「方濱興」加入敏感詞系列,以防止網民搜索及傳播事件。新浪微 博上,下午三、四時,輸入「方濱」或「濱興」二字,能搜索數萬條談論該事件的微博。

至下午5時後,該兩個詞被屏蔽,轉用比較隱晦的「方校長」,還能搜出有關部落格;晚上7時後,連「方校長」也被屏蔽,有關方 濱興被擲鞋的部落格也被刪得一乾二淨。

有網民諷刺,方濱興「築牆」把中國圍了起來,卻自食其果,連自己的名字也「被消失」。

51歲的方濱興是北京郵電大學校長,也是網絡防火牆專家,為國家創設的多套網絡審查系統,被外界通稱為中國「防火長 城」(GFW),名稱來自由外國記者寫的文章《The Great Firewall of China》。

方濱興或被官方視為管控網絡的功臣,但因「防火長城」造成中國網民無法正常訪問推特、面子書等海外網站,被網民痛罵是中共打壓網絡及言論自由的「劊子手」,是「歷 史罪人」。

方濱興此前曾在新浪開設微博,迎接他的是蜂擁而至的網民批評,3個小時內有上萬人留言,基本都是罵他的。最終微博被迫關閉, 被視為新浪微博史上生命最短暫的微博。



KCPO:- The Bull Gathers Strength -5/23/2011









The market continues to move up and it is now above the upper Bollinger Band which usually mean the bull is confirmed back in action. Both the Stochastic and MACD continue to move upward. The MACD is getting nearer to cross above its zero signal line which is another more confirming bullish setup. The current move could be a sizable one as there is a bullish divergence setup which I mentioned last week. 

But I would like to see the ADX rises to compliment the current move to confirm a stronger momentum.

Place stop at 3335.









The weekly chart has begun to show some subtle bullishness as price managed to close back above the lower Bollinger Band , complimenting by a positive Stochastic. But the Stochastic is still below the 20's signal line. If the Stochastic manages to cross up above the 20's, then it would be a more comfortable signal.  Meanwhile the MACD remains negative, but it has started to flatten out and may turn  up soon. The ADX has begun to fall again when it was flat the last few week, this can taken as a counter-trend movement has begun.









FKLI:- Is The Market Getting Ready To Blow ? - 5/23/2011







Prices did not go anywhere for the whole of last week. This is expected when the ADX remains flat at 11's. Though our stop is not hit yet, but I am up on my toes as the Stochastic has now reached the overbought zone. Stop should be kept at previous day low minus 1-2 points.






The weekly chart is a classic example of a trendless market. First there is the contradicting positive and rising Stochastic and the falling negative MACD. Then there is prices getting caught within the upper and lower band. And the band continues to tighten while the ADX continues to fall. It has now reached an unusual low of 10's. Even the DMI has begun to wiggle.  We cannot find a more perfect example of a listless market. Similar setup is also showing up in the 30 minutes chart.

All these are also great indications that this market may soon explode. So our job is to keep a watchout for this possible explosive action and try to determine its direction.  As mentioned in previous week, there is a presence of a bearish divergence at the weekly chart, so my bet will be on the sell side. Meanwhile keep the trading size small to avoid whipsaws. 




Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On 

(1971): 40th Anniversary | 

Return To The Classics





Thirty five minutes and thirty eight seconds of creative brilliance is the best way to describe Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On album.
May 21, 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of this epic opus being released by Tamla Records, a subsidiary of Motown Records. This album remains one of the most prophetic pieces of music to ever be recorded. The nine song offering is a song cycle into the thought process from one of soul music’s best statesmen. And just to think it may have never seen the light of day without the continuous pressure Marvin Gaye placed at the feet of Motown Records president Berry Gordy.
In early 1970, Gaye was coming off a severe battle with depression after the death of his duet partner and dear friend Tammi Terrell. He vowed to never perform or record again. As a result, he made the decision to switch careers temporarily by trying out for the National Football League’s professional team, the Detroit Lions. After failing to make the team, he came back into contact with Motown songwriter Al Cleveland and Obie Benson from the popular group,The Four Tops. The three of them collaborated on the now famous tune “What’s Going On?” The song was written for the Motown collective, The Originals, but Cleveland and Benson clamored for Gaye to perform the song.
A few months later, Gaye agreed to perform the song and the recording turned out better than any of them imagined. At the end of the 1960s, Gaye began to get the urge to change the direction he was going in as an artist and musician. The world was changing around him and he felt the desire to speak on the atrocities going on here in the United States and abroad. From the correspondence he was receiving from his brother serving in Vietnam, Gaye’s desire became stronger to produce an album centered on the topics of urban gentrification, environmental transgressions, military unrest, unemployment crisis and the rampant police brutality spreading across neighborhoods of color.

After recording “What’s Going On” Gaye yearned to have the song to be released as a single, but Berry Gordy fought vehemently against it. Gordy feared that it would ruin Gaye’s image of being a sex symbol and the trademark Motown sound. Intense discussions ensued and Gaye refused to release anymore music until Gordy had a change of heart. By the end of 1970, Gordy finally wilted under the pressure and allowed for the song to be released as a single. The single was released in January 1971 and received critical acclaim. It was overwhelmingly embraced by the masses of music fans.
Feeling the momentum from the success of “What’s Going On,” Gaye returned to the studio with his creative juices flowing and he was able to finish the entire album in a remarkable ten days during the month of March. Only a genius of his stature could complete an eponymous album in such incomparable fashion. The album was constructed from the viewpoint of a Vietnam War veteran coming home to a place that had changed drastically for the worst. Gaye accomplished this vision in a sublime manner by depicting the widespread afflictions and providing a soundtrack to inform the listener of what was happening during that time in history.
What’s Going On featured the legendary Funk Brothers playing instruments on all of the songs and the Andantes singing the background vocals as well as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra provided musical accompaniment on a few of the songs. Bassists, James Jamerson and Bob Babbitt, guitarist, Joe Messina, saxophonist, Eli Fountain, and percussionist Eddie “Bongo” Brown’s contributions stand out on songs such as “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology),” “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” and “Save the Children.”
This album was a far cry from the music Motown was known for and it allowed all of the musicians involved to push beyond their creative limits. The elements of jazz improvisation and classical musical arrangements gave the sound a certain texture and high quality, which set in motion the next progression in Soul music. In essence, it helped to redefine what Soul music was and developed a template for other artists to follow in the coming decades.
The album’s second song “What’s Happening Brother” was co-written by James Nyx, Jr. and Gaye. It begins with a man returning home from fighting in the Vietnam War only to discover that his world is vastly different from what it used to be. The song was dedicated to Gaye’s younger brother, Frankie, who was returning home from a three-year stint in Vietnam.
The third song “Flyin’ High (In the Friendly Sky)” was co-written by Gaye’s then wife, Anna Gordy and Elgie Stover. The song touches on the topic of heroin addiction.
“Flyin’ High (In the Friendly Sky)”:
The fourth song “Save The Children” was released as a single in the UK, but not in the United States. It peaked at #41 on the UK Singles Chart and it dealt with having love for the children coming up in the next generation. The song was co-written by Al Cleveland and Obie Benson.
“Save The Children”:
The fifth song “God Is Love” was recorded during the same time as “What’s Going On” during the summer of 1970. It was one of the few songs that Gaye expressed his faithfulness to the Lord and it marked a return to the gospel tradition that molded his musical upbringing. He dedicated the song to his father.
“God Is Love”:
The sixth song “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” was the only song written solely by Gaye on the album. It delved into the heavy issue of environmental transgressions. It featured Gaye playing the piano, Paul Riser orchestrating the strings section, and a saxophone solo by Wild Bill Moore.
“Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)”:
The seventh song “Right On” featured a Latin soul sound that stood out from the rest of the album. The song was co-written by Earl DeRouen and Gaye. It spoke about the divisions between rich and poor among other issues that separate mankind from reaching our full potential.
“Right On”:
The final two songs from the album “Wholy Holy” and “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” also featured the writing talents of Al Cleveland, Obie Benson and James Nyx, Jr. “Wholy Holy” was another religious ode by Gaye and “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” gave a staggering account of daily life in the ghettos of the United States and how difficult survival was for many families.
“Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)”:
The single “What’s Going On” peaked at #1 on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart for five consecutive weeks and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. The next two singles to be released from the album were “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” Both “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” peaked at #1 on the Billboard R&B Chart for two weeks. “Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)” peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
The lyrical content speaks volumes on the vast talents of Gaye. It showed that he was much more than a handsome face who could sing only love and pop friendly songs. His accurate descriptions of the world over haunting, infectious harmonies and melodies gave the world a glimpse inside of his prodigious mind. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Pop Albums Chart and remained at #1 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart for nine straight weeks. It stayed on the Billboard Pop Album Chart for over a year and sold more than 2 million copies by the end of 1972.
This album would be the introduction of another version of Marvin Gaye. It would become his crowning achievement and one of the greatest albums in the history of recorded music. Countless recording artists have sampled and re-recorded songs off of this soulful masterpiece showing its staying power and unquestionable effect on popular culture.
In 1999, the British newspaper Guardian/Observer named it as the “Greatest Album of the 20th Century.” In 2003, the album was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry. That same year, What’s Going On was ranked #6 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine placed “What’s Going On” at #4 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
What’s Going On stands among the privileged few in the pantheon of classic albums from any era. The proof is in how timeless the lyrics and music have become to newer generations. Simply put, thank you, Marvin Gaye.
Buy What’s Going On: iTunes US / iTunes UK / Amazon US / Amazon UK

About Chris Williams
Chris Williams is a native of Fredericksburg, VA. He has been a journalist since 2005 when he began writing for the Commonwealth Times, the collegiate newspaper for Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He has been published by numerous publications in the state of Virginia and nationwide.He writes book reviews and articles primarily on race, politics, history, entertainment and gender issues.
镬 ! 我忘记提醒

Last Saturday I arranged my dad's "gold" to be dug out and cremated and I brought the ashes to Kuala Lukut to disperse. But I forgot to remind my dad as per this cartoon:- 





按圖關閉


" 我与日本的爱恨情仇 "



日本的地震与海啸,天灾引发了核灾。平面媒体与网络内一方面是“日本人罪有应得”的声音,另一方面却看到国际救 援队(包括大战时被日军百般欺压凌辱的东南亚国家)纷纷伸出友谊之手,嘘寒问暖。读到这些新闻,我百感交集。

我从上一辈口中听说了日军对亚洲人的种种狠毒行为,对日本人极为反感。当时世界已无大战,强盛国乃属经济强大之国家如美国与日本等。脑袋满是 仇恨的意识,想到的是先到日本学日语,有朝一日,斧头磨利了,便可以赚日本人的钱!

当时我国领导提倡向东学习,我也就有顺水推舟之理由,向父母提出要到日本深造。就这样,有很多朋友以为我哈日哈到日本去了。其实我当时痛恨日 本人到极点。

与想象有很大出入

去日本之前,我已在澳洲的大学毕业,在一家工厂工作了半年。在那里认识了两位日本老厂长。这两位老者谦虚有礼,对我们下一辈疼爱有加。我当时 想,这两人真是日本人的特别品种,怎么会和我想象的日本人形象有那么大的出入。

在这家工厂辞职后,我便赴东瀛去了。在日本半工半读时,有时在餐厅打工做招待,有时则到私塾教英文。

一天,在餐厅工作时,突然出现了以前的日本厂长和他的太太。原来他们打听了很久,才知道我在东京的这家华人餐厅打工,特地来探望我,问我在那 么高消费的城市过得辛不辛苦。老厂长拿出一叠日币送我,他太太还送我一条手帕(日本女人有送手帕的习惯),一声声的关心与问候,顿时我泪如泉 涌,望着他们说不出话来。后来我接受了那条手帕,坚持不收钱。

不改变仇恨心态

在学校的日本老师们,深知海外的学生们,到生活费当时是全世界最高的东京半工读,异常辛苦,还用他们私下的时间带我们去郊游、唱卡拉,以解乡 愁。我当时虽已被这些日本人所感动,但仍在想,这只是我巧遇贵人,不可因此改变我的仇恨心态。

学成归来后,到吉隆坡的某出名日本贸易公司上班,遇到的皆是全公司二十多位市侩的日本商人(其实当时没想到"万商皆下品",老是针对日本 人),心想,我复仇计划就快开始,壮志未酬,不可性急。在这所公司工作两年后,另一家日本公司拉脚,我本着要报仇就要赚日本人的钱的心态,从 容跳槽。

这一下,就在新的日本公司待了六年。六年内,与两位日本女同事结成莫逆之交。一位已婚,与丈夫一起来马工作。两夫妻与我和丈夫成了很好的朋 友。另一位单身,时常面带微笑,蹦蹦跳跳,不知忧愁为何物。六年内,我们一起走过酸甜苦辣,一起笑一起哭,一起旅行,一起工作,也一起骂我们 的日本老板。我不忌讳的告诉她们我念日语是为了要复仇的故事,我们三人皆笑得弯不起腰来。什么复仇,早已烟消云散。多年后,她们都回国去了。 那一段日子,竟成了我人生中最美好的回忆。

这一回,日本大灾难,报章大标题为“东京大逃亡”的当天,我第一时间上网找我的朋友们,告诉她们全家可以飞来我家住,挤一挤睡地上应该没问 题。她们通过电邮说,东京仍属安全区,大家仍照旧过日子,大人工作,小孩上课,除非核灾恶化,她们才会考虑离开,语气感慨万千。

爱超越了恨

我以前曾痛恨日本,也曾咒诅日本。虽牧师告诉我,日军掳杀百姓,是人神共愤之事。上帝也有义怒,肯定也不赞同日军的行为,但我们不应将之冤冤 相报,反而要学习以基督的爱回报他们。我当时年少,屡感不解,听不进牧师的忠言。感谢上帝,安排我人生中认识了多位日本好友,有老的,有少 的,让我了解人与人之间的爱,远远超越了恨,改变了我的思想。这就是神的爱。

日本灾难之际,各国伸出援手,这就是爱的表现,爱的真谛。我默默为日本祷告,愿神施怜悯,不计较它曾犯的过错,就像亚伯拉罕当初为或有十位义 人的所多玛祷告那样,《创世记》记载:“假若那城里有五十个义人,你还剿灭那地方么?不为城里这五十个义人饶恕其中的人么?”

大战时期的日本军人,我想若有仍在世的,也许也有在痛思前过的,只是我们没有给他们悔改的机会。

人非圣贤,他们当时确实是犯了大错,但我们是不是如《圣经》所说的,看不见自己眼中的刺,却老是看见别人眼中的梁木呢?我们会不会也犯了五十 步笑百步的错?我们不也是罪人吗?耶稣不也以基督的深爱饶恕了我们的过犯吗?总不能老是让这一代的日本人担当上一辈的过错。

深深祝福日本,祝愿日本平安。

杨晓芬

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Celebrating 40 years of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On

Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye was first marketed as a 'ladies' man'
This May marks 40 years since the late singer/songwriter Marvin Gaye released the groundbreaking album  
What's Going On. It changed the sound and subject matter of soul music and has influenced and inspired musicians since. The BBC World Service's Strand programme marks the event.

By 1970 Marvin Gaye had released 10 albums, all produced under the protective and watchful eye of Motown founder Berry Gordy.
"Marvin's first recordings were jazz songs," says Motown legend Smokey Robinson, a close friend of Gaye. "But he was very keen to be taken seriously as a crooner, similar to Frank Sinatra. Nat King Cole was his singing idol."

But none of Gaye's torch songs were successful and in 1962 A&R director at Motwon, Mickey Stevenson persuaded him to record some R&B songs.

Speaking to the BBC in 1976, Gaye said of those years: "I don't view them with a lot of happiness. Being young and not knowing the business a great deal and trying to figure it out."

In 1965 he moved into a more sophisticated soul style epitomized by the song How Sweet It Is.

There are some pieces of music that are timeless, they were created from another universe

  Mary Wilson The Supremes
 
To capitalise on his image as a ladies' man, Barry Gordy teamed Gaye up with one of the Motown's leading female vocalists Tammi Terrell. They scored a series of hits until their success was tragically cut short.

While they were performing in 1967 Terrell collapsed on stage, the first evidence of a brain tumour that killed her in 1970.

Terrell's collapse and subsequent illness spooked Gaye and he refused to perform again.

'Very sincere'
  After her death he withdrew into a depression.
His mood was compounded by other personal problems - his marriage was crumbling and he was having continual arguments with Motown over the material they wanted him to record.

His brother Frankie, had returned from a three-year tour of duty in Vietnam and Gaye was inflamed by the tales of social injustice he told.

Marvin Gaye
Before drawing into a self-imposed seclusion for a year he recorded the song Abraham, Martin & John.

"I was very sincere when I recorded that song," he told the BBC. "It may very well have been responsible for the What's Going On album."

While it seemed that Gaye had turned his back on recording, the genesis of What's Going On was happening in other quarters.
The idea for the original song came from Ronald "Obie" Benson of the vocal quartet, the Four Tops.

While on tour in San Francisco he witnessed a violent street conflict where police were beating up peace protesters.

He started writing the song with Al Cleveland and though the Four Tops weren't interested, he knew its sentiment would appeal to Gaye.

Creating a vibe
  In the meantime while turning his back on music, Gaye had decided to try out for the Detroit Lions football team. He failed trials but made some lasting friends.

When Benson and Al Cleveland dropped round to pitch the song to him he was sitting around the piano working on an idea with two of the players who would later appear on the track.

"Football players are very good at talking it up and getting a conversation going," Gaye later said in an interview. "You just have to hold down the profanity."

The crew that would create the legendary song was nearly assembled.

Gaye still had no intention of going into the recording studio but Benson and Cleveland managed to convince him to record.
He brought in the Funk Brothers to avoid anything that was too similar to the Motown beat.

Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye was shot by his father during a fight and died in 1984
 
Bass player Bob Babbitt described the atmosphere in the studio like nothing he had experienced before: "I remember walking in there and just feeling at home."

This was an integral part of the vibe that Gaye was trying to create.
Motown producer Lamont Dozier was also there: "All the noise, the laugh and chatter in the background, that was all part of the scene," he says.

"Marvin was just sitting off to the side watching all this stuff wondering if people really realised what was going on in this world."

'Divine project'
The album contained songs not just about Frankie Gaye's experience of war but also about drug addiction, child abuse, spirituality and social injustice.

It was one of the first albums to truly speak out about social ills.
"I was incensed so I wrote and produced," said Gaye. "I wanted to write an album that could be translated into other languages and not particularly be an ethnic statement, that could translate into other conditions.

"It was a very divine project."

Motown's Berry Gordy hated it and refused to release the album. He felt this new political Gaye was too far from the sex symbol he had created.

But when Gaye refused to record anything else, the single What's Going On was released. Soon after its huge success the album followed.

What's Going On was significantly different to anything that had gone before and captured a unique social zeitgeist.
"There are some pieces of music that are timeless, they were created from another universe," says Mary Wilson of The Supremes. "He was able to capture his thoughts with what was going on in the world."

This was a concept album, not just a bunch of singles. Lamont Dozier describes it as "almost a constant chant that keeps pounding into your head".

"It gets you to understand that there has to be change in this world and we can only do it ourselves by coming together as a people."

Documentary: What's Going On

The documentary will be broadcast online on BBC World Service on Saturday at 13:05 and 18:05 GMT, on Sunday at 09:05 and 21:05 GMT and on Monday at 01:05 GMT
For Dozier, the legacy of this album is profound.
"To know where you are going as an artist you have to listen to Marvin," he says.

"As long as people want to play music they are going to listen to Marvin Gaye. It's an iconic album and it's going to be around forever."

BBC
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