This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com.

* 2009: ‘Super Mario’ Monti says that EU faces existential crisis

* Hope that new governments in Greece and Italy will stop EU deterioration

* Russia’s president Medvedev warns against cutting eurozone

* Russia’s Circassian problem grows on approach of 2014 Sochi Olympics

* Jihadists from Caucasus, Uzbekistan and Xinjiang linking up

* Peter Schweizer exposes massive Washington corruption on ’60 Minutes’

* Berlusconi: ‘I am the Jesus Christ of politics’

2009: ‘Super Mario’ Monti says that EU faces existential crisis

Mario Monti, Italy’s new interim prime minister (CNN)

Italy’s new interim prime minister “Super Mario” Monti was saying in 2009 that the global financial crisis has inflicted such damage to free market principles that it risks undermining the core function of Brussels and triggering the disintegration of the European Union:

The EU faces a quasi-existential crisis. The special role played by the Commission in EU integration is based on the market, and this crisis has brought the market economy itself into crisis. It has lost respectability. This threatens to tip the Community into disintegration.

We have seen an extremely bad example from the world champions, the US, and the UK, which generated this crisis by years of mistakes and lack of rule enforcement.

The speed with which they ditched free-market principles in a matter of weeks was remarkable. The UK spoke of ‘British workers for British jobs’. The policy reflexes have become national again.

Telegraph (Sept, 2009)

Hope that new governments in Greece and Italy will stop EU deterioration

The year 2011 has been remarkable — the Arab spring, the deterioration of Europe and the eurozone, the rise of left-wing violence in Europe and America, and the financial deterioration of America are just a few of the things that show a world changing more and more rapidly, careening to a new destination not yet understood. In the last week alone, the financial crisis has collapsed two European governments, with new unelected leaders in both Greece and Italy. EU officials in Brussels have been blaming the deterioration of the eurozone on “greedy Anglo-Saxon speculators,” hoping that these changes in government will “restore confidence.” However, officials in Germany’s government now believe that Greece’s exit from the eurozone will strengthen the euro in the long term, so German lawmakers are preparing for Greece’s departure from the common currency in case the new government doesn’t commit to carrying forward reforms. Bloomberg

Russia’s president Medvedev warns against cutting eurozone

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev indicated that expelling Greece from the eurozone would cause “irreparable damage.” Almost half of Russia’s currency reserves are in euros. “If the number of euro zone countries is reduced, it does not mean it will make the euro a more stable currency. … We are fans of the euro and of the euro economy.” Bloomberg

Russia’s Circassian problem grows on approach of 2014 Sochi Olympics

On November 7, the European parliament in Brussels observed Circassian Day, focusing on the increasing activism of Circassians in Europe. The Circassian issue continues to gain increasing international attention because of the 2014 Winter Olympics to take place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. However, as I first reported a year ago, Sochi is claimed by the Circassians as their territory, and it is the site of a well remembered major battle between Circassians and Russians in 1864, a battle that the Circassians claim was a Russian genocidal killing of Circassians. Russia’s reaction to the increased awareness of the Circassian issue has been mixed. Some officials have dismissed Circassian claims or made gestures of accommodation, while The Russian military quietly has relocated a brigade into the region near Sochi, apparently to strengthen the Russian military presence in the northwestern Caucasus to protect the Sochi Olympic from possible attacks. It is open to question, however, how effective the military would be against a terrorist attack by Circassian activists. Jamestown

Jihadists from Caucasus, Uzbekistan and Xinjiang linking up

Central Asia, highlighting, North Caucasus, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang

With both the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and North Caucasus (NC) militant groups suffering from devastating manpower losses, some Uzbek analysts and security officers project the two extremist groups will pair up. In 1944, Soviet authorities deported about 500,000 residents of the North Caucasus, including Chechens, Ingush, Circassians, Balkarians and Azeris, to Central Asia, citing fears of wartime disloyalty. The exiled populations lived there until 1989, when they began returning to their ancestral homelands as the Soviet regime collapsed. Now the two groups are finding common ground, and are receiving training in Pakistan’s tribal areas, as well as in the Caucasus. Furthermore, the Muslim Uyghur separatists in China’s northwest Xinjiang province are also linking up, demanding that Xinjiang become Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Central Asia Online

Peter Schweizer exposes massive Washington corruption on ’60 Minutes’

Appearing on CBS’s show 60 Minutes on Sunday, Big Peace editor Peter Schweizer revealed his research that shows that Congressmen and Senators of both parties are using inside information on secret lawmaking negotiations to line their pockets with huge profits in the stock markets. Ordinary people would go to jail for insider trading for this sleazy behavior, but Congress has conveniently exempted itself, allowing it to commit crimes and enrich themselves on a daily basis and get away with it. CBS 60 Minutes

Berlusconi: ‘I am the Jesus Christ of politics’

Now that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been forced out of office, and is being blamed as a buffoon and a thief, people are recalling some of their favorite Berlusconi quotes, including the following:

• “Only Napoleon did more than I have done. But I am definitely taller.”
• To earthquake survivors in tents: “They should look at it as a weekend of camping.”
• “I am the Jesus Christ of politics. I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone.”

Toronto Star