Hello
This blog’s been created in the hope that knowledge is power, and the
certainty that ignorance is its antithesis. It’s mainly a compilation
of information and insight from various sources that I thought worth
passing along.
I’ll be tossing in my grossly overvalued two cents, as well (denoted
by asterisks). That said, I’d like to think I’m smart enough to know
what I don’t know, and that I’ll make that clear when necessary.
I’m happy to hear from folks. Disagreement is welcome, but only if
it’s civil. You can be as vociferous as you wish, but personal attacks
will simply be flushed as soon as they’re apparent.
Let’s do the mensch thing.
Make sense? If so, you can leave a comment or reach me at unlikelysource@gmail.com .
And a note on DEMOCRACY NOW! posts:
I may be stating the obvious, but it’s a good idea to check the DN!
Headlines every weekday.
There’s a link to them at the top right of each segment I post, and of
course you can go to http://www.democracynow.org on the rare days when
I don’t have anything from the program.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you’ll find it worth your while.
—————–
ADDED 10/27/11: THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES page
Let me know what you think.
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* Do what your conscience demands and your courage allows, and never
be satisfied with the limits of either *
February 2012
2/22
Silencing of Women on Women’s Health Continues
“We finally have the agenda in its full bloom in Congress.”
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/22-6
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Wall Street Oil Speculation Driving Surge in Gas Prices
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/22-2
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Warrantless Surveillance?: Gov’t Subpoenas OWS Activist’s Twitter Records
Malcolm Harris: Subpoena dangerous because it might “produce a chilling effect and discourage people from using Twitter while protesting.”
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/22-1
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Where Victors Are Victims: Santorum and Republican ‘Dissent’
by Jules Boykoff
*Ever seen abortion clinic protesters teargassed and baton beaten?
Me neither.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/22-1
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My Husband, Khadr Adnan, Has Shed a Light on Israel’s Disregard for Human Rights
Through his own suffering, Khadr has helped expose the plight of Palestinians held under ‘administrative detention’ by Israel
by Randa Musa
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/22-7
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Caring Across Generations
Stand With Home Care Workers Now!
http://www.caringacrossgenerations.org/take-action
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Institute for Public Accuracy
End of a Palestinian Hunger Strike Sheds Light on “Lawless Captivity”
http://www.accuracy.org/release/end-of-a-palestinian-hunger-strike-sheds-light-on-lawless-captivity/
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FAIR Blog
Media’s Weird Ethics: Pretending to Be Someone Else Is Worse Than Facilitating Global Catastrophe
*Comment left at link
James Traub Bids a Fond Farewell to an Era of Constant Warfare
*I wonder what Traub thinks of McCain’s call to arm Syrian rebels.
I mean, it doesn’t cause the rush of blood to the face that seeing US troops and aircraft wreaking havoc on another country would for “humanitarian” imperialists like him.
But perhaps he would be mollified by the assurance that Special Ops forces would certainly accompany such materiel.
I’d have to think he could still get his Jones on for that, don’t you?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/22/james-traub-bids-a-fond-farewell-to-an-era-of-constant-warfare/
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Solidarity and Its Discontents
by Raha Iranian Feminist Collective
*I thought this was well reasoned and principled. See if you agree.
I also think the points made apply to other morally difficult issues, such as support for the people of Syria and Libya in their struggles. My gut reaction is to oppose US and Western intervention in whatever form they take, but I can find myself at a loss when trying to contend with those who say that amounts to an abandonment of those fighting against tyranny. I can point to the history, motivations, and destructive results of those interventions, but desperate persons will grab at any seeming possibility of support in the short term, and it’s difficult to counter that.
Ultimately, it comes down to seeing that support for intervention is a betrayal of those struggles. It has never resulted in the aspirations of the people being fulfilled, and never will. We must work outside the realm of military might, regardless of the sincere desire of some to “send in the cavalry”.
I hope that makes sense.
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/683/solidarity-and-its-discontents
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Foreign Intervention in Syria? A Debate with Joshua Landis and Karam Nachar
*How do you have a “debate” on this subject when both parties essentially agree on the need for intervention?
Neither guest opposes US intervention in principle, and how can you have a rational discussion about this without someone coming at it from that standpoint?
I realize that this isn’t a simple moral conundrum. People are dying, and we have an obligation to do what we can to support them.
But we also can’t ignore the history of and the motivations behind US involvement in these situations, and I’d have liked to have seen someone well versed in those topics given the opportunity to make the case against intervention from that perspective.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/22/foreign_intervention_in_syria_a_debate
2/21
Occupy Movement Targets Corporate Interest Group with Ties to Legislators
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will face ire of the 99%
- Common Dreams staff
*Shining a light on the heart of darkness
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/21
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Deception Aside, Scientist Who Leaked Heartland Docs Called ‘Hero’
The Pacific Institute’s Peter Gleick admits leaking docs, but receives support from scientists and climate activists
- Common Dreams staff
*Mandia has it right.
What’s unethical about using subterfuge to expose criminal behavior? And what else would you call lying and manipulation regarding a matter of life and death?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/21-2
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With Greece’s Final Austerity Deal Reached, the ‘Gruesome Bleeding Process’ Continues
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/21-6
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Tucson to Palestine: History As a Weapon
by Jody Sokolower
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/21-8
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Police Chief Timoney, Meet Bahraini Mothers
by Medea Benjamin
*Noxious clouds of poison and propaganda
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/21-7
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Food & Water Watch
Why Walmart Can’t Fix the Food System
Report Reveals How Walmart’s PR Efforts on Healthy Food Access, Nutrition, Sustainability Fall Short Of Reality
*Walmart’s focus on health extends only as far as its profit margin
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/21-0
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Committee to Protect Journalists
Local Censorship Goes Global as Media Under Siege
*Why is there no mention of the situation in the US, where journalists have been assaulted and jailed while covering protests?
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/21-1
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Yemen “Elections”
http://www.accuracy.org/release/yemen-elections/
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FAIR Blog
Bombing Iran: A Real Headache for Israel
*There’s nothing the corpress revels in more that earnest speculation over the best way to kill “the enemy”, is there?
It’s like foreplay, precedent to the orgasm of war coverage that is their fondest wet dream.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/21/bombing-iran-a-real-headache-for-israel/
Apple’s ABC Friends Get China Exclusive
*You can’t make this stuff up.
But Weir and ABC can, and no doubt will.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/21/apples-abc-friends-get-china-exclusive/
Money Rules Politics? Robert Samuelson Busts That ‘Myth’
*It’s a common malady among the punditocracy …
Selective amnesia.
Samuelson and his confreres conveniently forget about tax cuts for the wealthy, and corporate subsidies, and regulatory failures, and a “law enforcement” and “justice” apparatus geared to protect privilege.
There is a cure for this debilitating social disease.
It’s called a conscience.
But I don’t imagine that will be recollected, either.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/21/money-rules-politics-robert-samuelson-busts-that-myth/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Palestinian Prisoner Khader Adnan to be Released from Israeli Jail After 66-Day Hunger Strike
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/21/palestinian_prisoner_khader_adnan_to_be
Spying on Campus: New York Police Caught Monitoring Muslim Student Groups Throughout Northeast
*There’s this assumption here that the NYPD and its collaborators are engaged in something “un-American”, when history shows precisely the opposite.
“The other” has often been targeted for infiltration and/or repression, on whatever pretext has the most utility at the time. Today, that pretext is “terrorism”, and Muslims are the most “other” of “the other”.
That’s the nature of “law enforcement” in the US. Whether or not there’s a threat to public safety, and regardless of the magnitude of that threat if it exists, the raison d’etre of police and other “security” entities ensures that they act as they do.
This has little to do with “protecting the public”, and everything to do with protecting the powers that be, by creating the perception of a menace from those who are “different”.
A divided people are a conquered people.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/21/spying_on_campus_new_york_police
As Calls for Intervention in Syria Grow, Vijay Prashad Urges Reevaluation of NATO Attack on Libya
*The farce of “a force for good”
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/21/as_calls_for_intervention_in_syria
2/20
U.S. Legacy in Afghanistan: Giant Prisons
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/20
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Seasick: Dead Sea Otters, the Canaries in a Coal Mine of ‘Sick Seas’
Changing temperatures increase invasive parasites: marine life, humans at risk
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/20-3
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Australian Cancer Survivor Fights to Stop Gene Ownership
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/20-1
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How Greece Could Take Down Wall Street
by Ellen Brown
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/20
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The Abortion Wars: The Real People Behind the Restrictions
by Carole Joffe
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/20-1
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Support Our Schools Chicago
Candlelight Vigil and March Delivers a Message: “Support Our Schools, Don’t Close Them!”
Parents Take Their Concerns to the Mayor’s Neighborhood
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/20
2/17
Moving Backwards: Despite Fukushima Disaster, World Moves Towards More Nuclear Power
‘Use of a failed and dangerous technology’ expanding
- Common Dreams staff
*That last comment from GE sort of sums it all up, doesn’t it?
It’s a spurious defense, but if a natural disaster can overcome the greatest precautions taken, how can there be any justification for building a nuclear power plant?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/17-1
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Thousands Rally in Gaza, Hunger Striker Sparks Political ‘Imagination’
Richard Falk: If Adnan is to die, a third intifada may rise
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/17-3
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Mortgage Settlement ‘Whitewash’: US Taxpayers Will Pay for Big Bank Settlement
Mortgage Deal or Not, Abusive Foreclosures Continue
- Common Dreams staff
*Nail me
And make me pay for the hammer
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/17-0
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We’ve Seen the Threats Against Iran Before
by Phyllis Bennis
*A succinct dismantling of the tissue of lies about Iran’s “nuclear threat”, but Bennis’ advocacy of using “the carrot” of ending sanctions deviates from a principled view of this crisis.
The sanctions, in addition to causing great harm to innocents, are not morally or legally warranted. They don’t pertain to Iran’s human rights abuses, only to its not capitulating to Western demands.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/17-0
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The Occupy Chicago Arrests: Rahm Emanuel’s ‘Dry Run’ for G8 and Nato?
Never mind free speech, Chicago’s mayor wanted to show protesters who was boss ahead of May’s summits, says attorney
by Bernard Harcourt
*Forget about Emanuel’s plans for a moment. We all know where he’s headed.
What’s disturbing here is Harcourt’s characterization of the protesters as “peaceful, well-dressed, respectful” and “articulate”.
The implication is that unkempt and less than elocutively accomplished activists need not apply for his advocacy, don’t you think?
As well, the raising of the spectre of “’68″ as a boogeyman to be avoided at all costs, and the concomitant conflation of protesters’ actions with police violence, evinces an attitude of paternalism that truly makes me cringe.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/17-3
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Progressive Democrats of America Joins the 99% Spring
*It is “coopt”, or “co-opt”?
In any event …
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/17-0
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Public Citizen
Will Chevron Case Take Down Trade Pact ‘Investor-State’ Enforcement System?
Unprecedented Ruling Today by International Investor Tribunal Orders Ecuadorian Government to Violate Its Constitution, Interfere in Its Independent Court System to Help Chevron Evade Liability for Amazonian Contamination
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/17
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ACLU
Obama Administration Asks Supreme Court to Dismiss ACLU Challenge to Warrantless Wiretapping Law
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/17-1
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FAIR Blog
Postal Service Broke? Letter Explains What USA Today Omitted
*You’d think USA Today and the rest of the corpress would know something about mailing it in, wouldn’t you?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/17/postal-service-broke-letter-explains-what-usa-today-omitted/
Is Iraq Media Failure ‘Coloring’ Iran Coverage?
*The larger issue isn’t whether Iran is aiming to build a nuclear weapon, but, if it is, why.
Given the forces arrayed against it, a nuke may be seen as the best insurance against attack. And, given the consequences of such an attack for Iran and the region – and the world – having that insurance might prove beneficial for us all.
But the best solution is for the Middle East to be nuclear-weapon free, and for all nations with nukes to decommission these avatars of utter insanity.
Perhaps the acronym “MAD” has faded from our political vocabulary in recent years, but the madness remains with us as long as these abominations exist.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/17/is-iraq-media-failure-coloring-iran-coverage/
Corporate Pundits Waiting for a Palestinian Gandhi? Meet Khader Adnan
*Bitter?
These bastards become bitter over a frigging parking ticket – assuming that can’t get it fixed.
And they have the nerve to counsel against bitterness?
I have news for these schmucks. There are plenty of people who are “bitter” about being jailed, beaten, tortured – and have every right to be.
But we’re not really talking about bitterness, are we? What the corpress really desires is a lack of anger, and the action that it fuels.
Meekly accept your oppression, ask nicely for your rights, and maybe we’ll give you a little column space or a few seconds of airtime.
That’s not what King and so many others did, but that’s the revisionist history we’re being fed to deny us the inspiring examples of the courage and humanity of those who’ve come before, and live among us today.
DEMOCRACY NOW!
“Where Are the Women?”: Lawmakers Walk Out on Contraception Rule Hearing After Female Witness Barred
*Of course what Issa and his cronies did is horseshit, but to have a segment on this, and present this “compromise”, with Norton being an administration surrogate, as some “win-win”, with no one on to talk about the difficulties this will cause for women versus sticking to the original rule … well, I just think that’s emblematic of the continual contradictions encountered in the “alternative media”, DN! being a prime example.
To me it’s analogous to going along with a “voter fraud” bill because its provisions are made somewhat less onerous. Principle’s tossed out the window by political maneuvering, and the erosion of our rights are furthered by the complicity of our “champions”.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/17/where_are_the_women_lawmakers_walk
Florida Lawmakers Defeat Prison Privatization amid National Push for For-Profit Jails
*As you might expect, nada from the senator about the issue of prisoner welfare, which, while awful enough in public facilities, is worse in private prisons.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/17/florida_lawmakers_defeat_prison_privatization_amid
12/16
Olympic Committee: Dow Not Responsible for Bhopal Tragedy
IOC to keep Dow Chemical as Olympics sponsor despite protests
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/16-0
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Transcanada Pushes Eminent Domain for Its Tar Sands Pipeline
GOP senators plan to hold Federal Oil Reserve hostage to KXL approval; Nobel laureates rally against tar sands in EU
- Common Dreams staff
*Pipe dreams
And planetary nightmares
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/16-3
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Wikileaks Banned From UN Conference on Wikileaks
UNESCO opens 2-day media conference in Paris
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/16-5
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Israel To Demolish Palestinian Solar Energy Program
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/16-4
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The Greek People Have Been Sacrificed to the Capitalist Gods of Speculation
In Europe, capitalism has persuaded the world that capitalism is the world
by William Wall
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/16-5
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Instead of Being Disgusted by Poverty, We are Disgusted by Poor People
Themselves
Empathy has crashed. No more cruel to be kind. We must simply be cruel.
by Suzanne Moore
*The man with the hollow eyes pleaded
“Brother, can you spare a dime?”
The man in the silk suit paused for a moment, studying the aspect of
his implorer
“Oh, I can spare far more than that,” he replied
And walked away
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/16-3
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Jeremy Scahill: U.S. Has Ignited Islamist Uprising in Impoverished, Divided Yemen
*Addendum to Scahill’s piece posted yesterday
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/16/jeremy_scahill_us_has_ignited_islamist
Iran Tensions Rise with Diplomat Bombings, Scientist Killings, Nuke Claims and Media Warmongering
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/16/iran_tensions_rise_with_diplomat_bombings
Deadly Fire at Overcrowded Prison Adds to Worsening Toll in Post-Coup Honduras
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/16/deadly_fire_at_overcrowded_prison_adds
2/15
‘Global Square’: Wikileaks-Backed Activist Platform Launching in March
‘To perpetuate and spread the creative and cooperative spirit of the occupations’
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/15-4
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Documents Reveal Plans, Funders and Goals of ‘Climate Denial’ Machine
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/15
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Democracy ‘On the Chopping Block’ Under Michigan’s ‘Emergency Management’
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/15-6
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Hundreds of Nonprofits Out Cash After Fiscal Sponsor Scam
Tim DeChristopher-founded Peaceful Uprising among groups affected
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/15-2
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Push To Privatize US Prisons Lurks in Corporate Investment Scheme
Firm will purchase facilities from states in exchange for guaranteed 90% occupancy rate
- Common Dreams staff
*Demand
And supply
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/15-0
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Washington’s War in Yemen Backfires
by Jeremy Scahill
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/15-8
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David R. Montgomery: Treating Earth Like Dirt
by The Green Interview
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2012/02/15-0
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The Imperial Way: American Decline in Perspective
by Noam Chomsky
*Again, required reading, to my mind
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/15-3
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Greece: Your Money or Your Life
by Margaret Kimberley
*I said yesterday that Greece was the canary in the coal mine for the
developed world
And if we don’t develop a class consciousness – as in the exploited
class versus the exploiter class
We’re headed inexorably for the shaft
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/15-1
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Can Obama Avert War with Iran?
by Gareth Porter
*I don’t know how much credence to give this, but I think it’s worth being aware of.
What’s clear is the power of the Israel lobby to induce such crypticism, rather than straightforward statings of policy.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/15-2
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Preventing a Blowout in the Arctic
by Julia Heath
*Heath devotes the first part of this piece to making the eminently logical case for no exploration, then turns to policy wonking on ways to do so.
Safely, of course.
As if that would be done. And even if that were the case, it’s not only about how you get to the oil, but what you do with it, and what it does to the planet, including the Arctic, once you do.
And you wonder why I get headaches reading this stuff.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/15-10
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National Low Income Housing Coalition
Nation’s Renters Face Severe Affordable Rental Shortage
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/15-4
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Honduras Fire: Government Complicity?
http://www.accuracy.org/release/honduras-fire-government-complicity/
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FAIR Blog
Newsweek and the ‘War on Christians’
*Maybe this is a cost cutting move.
I’d assume fact-ferreting investigations are a good deal more expensive than propaganda screeds.
As well as a good deal less pleasing to the powers that be.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/15/newsweek-and-the-war-on-christians/
NYT: Okinawans’ ‘True Views’ Aren’t What They Say
*I guess I’m having difficultly understanding what’s so hard to understand.
The US wants something.
There are inconvenient facts working against the realization of that something.
Ergo, the facts go.
Remember the old “Fawlty Towers” line?
“This isn’t a proposition from Wittgenstein.”
Two plus two equals four.
Unless the gummint wants it to equal five.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/15/nyt-okinawans-true-views-arent-what-they-say/
Bizarre Record of Fox’s Rape-to-Be-Expected Pundit
*There’s no ambiguity regarding Trotta’s milieu, is there?
Or the fact that it has no relation to a sense of humanity, as commonly defined.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/15/bizarre-record-of-foxs-rape-to-be-expected-pundit/
NYT: ‘Scrutiny’ of Iran’s Nuke Sites Means Bombing Them
*Nothing new about Newspeak on Iran, is there?
I’m very concerned about how these incidents in India and Thailand are being portrayed by the stenography pool that is the corpress. It makes no sense for the Iranian government to be behind them, as it feeds the narrative of a regime out of control, and needing to be dealt with as soon as possible.
But that logic is lost in the drumbeat for war, and these could be the match that sets the region aflame.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/15/nyt-scrutiny-of-irans-nuke-sites-means-bombing-them/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
NY Hospitals Saddle Uninsured Patients with Massive Debt Despite $100s of Millions in Gov’t Aid
*The Hypocritical Oath:
First do great harm
Then come back for seconds
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/15/new_york_hospitals_saddle_uninsured_patients
2/14
Fukushima Nuclear Plant at High Risk for Major Earthquake
Scientists issue call for safeguards to prevent another nuclear disaster
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/14-2
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Don’t Be Stupid, Cupid: How to Show Your Love Responsibly
What classic Valentine’s gifts are linked to exploitation—and what can you do about it?
by Annie Leonard
*The sinister side of the sentiment business
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/14-9
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Hegemony and Its Dilemmas
“Losing” the World: American Decline in Perspective, Part 1
by Noam Chomsky
*Highly recommended
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/14-6
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Cold, Cold Heart
by Kathy Kelly
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/14
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Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
EPA Inaction Imperils Clean Water Anti-Conflicts Safeguard
Governors in Florida and Maine Open Hen-House Doors to Fox with Corporate Ties
*Foxes
Henhouses
And chicken shit
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/14-1
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Single Payer Action
Fifty Medical Doctors for Single Payer Urge Supreme Court to Strike Down Individual Mandate
*After witnessing so many “healthcare advocates” remain mute on this subject, it’s encouraging to see it being challenged by someone who actually wants universal coverage.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/14-0
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FAIR Blog
ABC and the ‘Family Budget’ Fallacy
*What would be “strange” is if the corpress stuck to the facts, don’t you think?
Well, not so much strange …
As utterly fantastical.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/14/abc-and-the-family-budget-fallacy/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Next for Occupy: Global Protests? Nine Years After February 15, 2003
http://www.accuracy.org/release/next-for-occupy-global-protests-nine-years-after-february-15-2003/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
“Real Despair” Sweeps Through Greece as Severe Austerity Measures Demanded by E.U.-IMF Cripple Nation
*Greece looks to be the canary in the coal mine for the developed world, and it will be instructive to see how the people fight back.
There’s no cookie-cutter design for struggle. Each nation will be different. But we can learn from each other, and of course we must support each other.
The plutarchy understands the global nature of its power.
We must understand the same of ours.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/14/real_despair_in_greece_severe_austerity
2/13
Court: Monsanto Guilty of Chemical Poisoning in France
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/13-1
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Iris Photographs by Police, Not So Optional, Occupiers Among Others Subjected
Program extended despite objections
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/13-4
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Prisons, Drones, and Black Ops in Afghanistan
The Pentagon’s Afghan Basing Plans for Prisons, Drones, and Black Ops
by Nick Turse
*Construction for destruction
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/13
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Greece: Government vs People?
*The whip comes down
And the people rise up
http://www.accuracy.org/release/greece-government-vs-people/
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FAIR Blog
Do TV Networks ‘Practice’ for War?
*You know what they say …
Practice makes perfect propaganda.
And while I’m sure this is all great fun, when it comes to that honest to Mars adrenaline rush these mavens of mayhem jones for …
Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/13/do-tv-networks-practice-for-war/
For NYT, Apple Making Less Profit Is Not Even an Option
*Here’s another alternative.
How about a world where money doesn’t exist, where we don’t work for bosses but with each other, and where we receive what we need to live a dignified life, and contribute whatever our abilities allow?
To the contention that “These are things that do not happen in the real world”, I’d only say that that “real world” is falling apart with each passing day, and we can either work for the justice of the above, or descend into the nightmare being planned and implemented by those desperate to keep control.
The odds are against us. They always have been.
But it’s the only game in town, so let’s play it till the place closes for keeps.
(More comments at link)
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/13/for-nyt-apple-making-less-profit-is-not-even-an-option/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Latin Jazz Musicians Lead Protest Against Grammys for Cutting 31 Musical Categories from Awards Show
*The dissonance of dissing diversity
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/13/latin_jazz_musicians_lead_protest_against
U.S.-Backed Bahraini Forces Arrest and Deport Two American Peace Activists Acting as Human Rights Observers
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/13/us_backed_bahraini_forces_arrest_and
2/12
Thousands March Against Nuclear Power in Japan
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/11-1
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Is ‘Prescription for Disaster’ Our ‘Most Optimistic’ Climate Future?
New data indicates warming of 2C now planet’s “most optimistic” scenario
- Common Dreams staff
*Fiddling while home burns
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/11-0
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The New Anti-Science Assault on US Schools
In a disturbing trend, anti-evolution campaigners are combining with climate change deniers to undermine public education
by Katherine Stewart
*For these intellectual downsizers, others’ ignorance is bliss
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/12-0
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Punishing Protest, Policing Dissent: What is the Justice System For?
by Erik Hoffner
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/12-6
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Perfect Storm Threatens Long-Term Unemployed
by Greg Kaufmann
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/11-4
2/10
What Progressive Criticisms of Anarchists in Occupy Don’t Understand: A Response to Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges’ “Black Bloc” takedown is only the most recent in a series of critiques bashing anarchists within the national Occupy movement. Here’s why they’re not helpful.
by Susie Cagle
Eastward No! Enviros Warn of Tar Sands Heading to Maine Coast
- Common Dreams staff
*A tainted tentacle slithers eastward
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/10-7
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Greeks Compare Austerity to ‘Dictatorship’ as 48 Hour Strike Begins
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/10-0
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President Obama Makes ‘Accommodation’ on Birth Control Policy
- Common Dreams staff
*Dear Misleader earns his epithet
And NOW and PP are bucking for their own
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/10
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Nearing Imminent Death, Palestinian Hunger Striker Continues Protest Against Israeli Military Justice System
Khader Adnan now held for 55 days without charge or trial
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/10-2
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Intervention in Syria Won’t Work, So How Do We Stop Assad?
by Mehdi Hasan
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/10-9
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The NDAA and the Militarization of America
by Carl Mirra
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/10-8
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We May Yet Lose Tokyo… Not to Mention Alaska… and Now Georgia, Too
by Harvey Wasserman
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/10-2
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Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EPA Lists Dry Cleaning Chemical Likely Carcinogen
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/10-10
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Public Citizen
California’s ‘Stop Special Interest Money Now Act’ Is a Deception Wearing Reform Rhetoric
*Shadow boxing to knock out labor
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/10-5
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Obama Contraception Compromise: Barrier to Access, Fostering Unequal Attitudes
“Witness Bahrain” Launched One Year After Start of Uprising
http://www.accuracy.org/release/witness-bahrain-launched-one-year-after-start-of-uprising/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
50-State, $25B Mortgage Settlement: Relief for Struggling Homeowners or Bailout for Big Banks?
*It’s true there are rotten apples
But they come from a putrid orchard
And those charged with raising a healthy crop reek of the same decadence
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/10/50_state_25b_mortgage_settlement_relief
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Apple, Accustomed to Profits and Praise, Faces Outcry for Labor Practices at Chinese Factories
*Duhigg comes across as little more than an apologist for Apple, and it makes you wish he’d have to spend just a week in the shoes of these horribly exploited people. I’d like to think his callous rationalizations would seem utterly hollow to him after that experience.
But he never will, and so they never will.
It’s unfathomable that both Daisey and he can refer to these bastards as “well-meaning”. Daisey just comes across as a fool in that respect, but what do you call a so-called journalist who makes such a comment?
I’ll leave you to guess at my response.
DN!’s making a habit of having these persons as guests, when deeper intel, and a far more honest perspective, could be had from other sources.
But I suppose that would lessen their “visibility”.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/10/apple_accustomed_to_profits_and_praise
Spanish Judge Garzón Disbarred in Trial Seen as Retaliation for Trailblazing Human Rights Work
*You know there’s some “Made in USA” stitched into this, don’t you?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/10/spanish_judge_baltasar_garzn_disbarred_in
2/9
Bank Bailout 2: Obama Lets Mortgage Abusers Off the Hook
The Obama Administration has followed a predictable pattern: Leave No One Accountable
- Common Dreams staff
*I think Scarecrow puts it pretty well. When a corporate crime can’t be ignored, the public perception of how it can be addressed must be altered.
And what you end up with is this, or BP’s “Get Out of Jail Free” card, or Massey’s walk after killing dozens, ad infinitum, being labeled as “justice”, or at least “The Best We Could Do” ™.
Leaving the victims to do the best they can with what’s left of their ravaged lives.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/09-5
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With New Plants Approved, Anti-Nuke Coalition Readies for Fight
- Common Dreams staff
*How many different ways can you spell “disaster”?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/09-4
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U.S. Military Beefing Up Its Asia/Pacific Presence
Increased military in Philippines “coincides with diplomatic and military friction in the South China Sea and its oil-rich Spratly Islands”
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/09-0
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Judge: Whales Are ‘Non-Persons,’ So Seaworld’s ‘Enslavement’ OK
- Common Dreams staff
*Funny how the legal logic here applies to these nonpersons
But not those with a logo and a lobbying budget
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/09-2
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30,000 Domestic Drones to Fill the Sky, Civil Liberties at Risk
FAA Act would raise ‘very serious privacy issues’
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/09-6
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Pentagon: The Planet’s Biggest Polluter
by RT America
*A killing machine on the front end
And the back end
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2012/02/09-0
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Rotten Recovery for Women
by Laura Flanders
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/09-0
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In Washington, Fear the Silence, Not the Noise
The Campaign Against Whistleblowers in Washington
by Peter Van Buren
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/09-5
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WI Senate Leader Working Overtime to Stave Off Recall
by Mary Bottari
*Electoral fraud is a huge problem.
It’s just that it has nothing to do with those who are voting.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/09-4
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Institute for Public Accuracy
iEmpire: Apple’s Labor in China Even Worse than NYT Reports?
*Walmart’s a workers’ paradise compared to this hellhole.
These jobs should be offshored, and deep sixed.
And that can’t happen without shoreless solidarity, can it?
http://www.accuracy.org/release/iempire-apples-labor-in-china-even-worse-than-nyt-reports/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Coup in Maldives: Adviser to Ousted Pres. Mohamed Nasheed Speaks Out from Hiding as Arrest Sought
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/9/coup_in_maldives_adviser_to_ousted
Ousted Maldives Pres. Mohamed Nasheed a Leading Voice for Island States Threatened by Global Warming
*It’s charitable to call Roberts and McKibben “naive” in their
assessments of the US reaction to the coup, isn’t it? Perhaps they’re
holding their tongues in the hope that the administration will act against it.
If so, I’d say the odds are that they’ll be sorely disappointed.
There’s also a troubling lack of objectivity regarding the man. I
have to look askance at his portrayal, given that no head of state I’m
familiar with has ever fit this profile. Whatever the reality behind
the Maldives’ endorsement of Copenhagen, it doesn’t seem to jibe with
this praise of Nasheed’s openness and honesty. Roberts’ comments on
the benefit of the accord smacks of rationalization, as well.
And what’s McKibben trying to say about the US “owing” him? That he’s
covered for their duplicity, and they should have his back here? I
really don’t know what he’s trying to get at.
But it’s beyond doubt that this was a coup, and whatever the nature of
the Nasheed presidency, its usurpers are wholly illegitimate.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/9/ousted_maldives_pres_mohamed_nasheed_a
LGBTQ Rights Activists on Victories for Marriage Equality in California and Washington
*I think Cohen stated some hard truths about the lack of solidarity in the LGBTQ movement, and it didn’t appear the other guests were particularly enthusiastic to address those, were they?
And as is the case with so much else in this society, class plays a major role here, doesn’t it?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/9/lgbtq_rights_activists_on_victories_for
2/8
Emails Show Panic Within US Nuke Agency in Wake of Fukushima Disaster
US experts for Nuclear Regulatary Commission disagreed over best way to contain ongoing nuclear disaster
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/08-0
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In Lead-Up to Mass Protests in Chicago, Illinois Ban on Recording Police Challenged
G8/NATO protests “that are almost certain to be countered with excessive police force will be illegal to record”
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/08-1
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Obama Wavering In Face of Anti-contraception Pressure
- Common Dreams staff
*Well, we didn’t get the hope
But we sure as hell get the change, every time a situation like this arises
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/08-2
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Obama Joins the Democracy Sell Off
by Tim Karr
*Not that he wasn’t getting bailed out banks full of Wall Street smack before.
But what’s principle, however diluted, when four more years of backstabbing’s at stake?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/08-4
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Children of Immigrants Targeted by Tax Warfare in Congress
by Michelle Chen
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/08
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Food & Water Watch
Protestors Walk Red Carpet in Trenton for “Fracky Awards”
As Legislature Ponders Ban Bill, Activists Protest Oil and Gas Industry Pow Wow Across from Statehouse
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/08-8
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To Be Fair, He Is a Journalist: A Short Response to Chris Hedges on
the Black Bloc
by Charles
*In reply to this piece:
The Cancer in Occupy
by Chris Hedges
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/06-3
FAIR Extra!
Natural Gas and the News
Most messages on fracking ‘brought to you by our sponsors’
by Miranda Spencer
*Buying the lies
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4477
The 1 Percent President
Americans Elect’s hypothetical ‘centrist’ candidate wins plaudits from pundits
by Peter Hart
*Not a lot of room on the right if this represents the center stripe on the road to the White House
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4475
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FAIR Blog
LAT: Where’s the Drone Deaths Coverage?
*Doing what you’re paid to do?
Focusing on the job at hand?
Business as usual?
Standard operating procedure?
A time-honored tradition?
Lying out your ass?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/08/lat-wheres-the-drone-deaths-coverage/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Santorum: “Holy Owned Subsidiary”
*Ever notice how seldom these “Christians” talk about Jesus?
http://www.accuracy.org/release/santorum-holy-owned-subsidiary/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Santorum Wins GOP Contests in 3 States as Evangelical Vote Surges and Pro-Romney Spending Dips
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/8/santorum_wins_gop_contests_in_3
As Contraceptives Rule Enters GOP Race, Will Reproductive Rights Affect 2012 Election?
*Freedom of religion is not absolute. When the teachings of a religion abrogate the rights of those who don’t voluntarily abide by them, there is no obligation to respect those teachings. That’s a core principle of the separation of church and state.
I think this also amply illustrates the bankruptcy of Democratic liberalism. It would be nice – and shocking – if the adminstration stood up for women’s rights here out of principle, but crass political calculation should dictate doing so, as this is an issue where most folks agree with the policy.
But that’s not how the game works, is it? As with so many other issues, abandoning triangulation and making an unapologetic defense for liberal policies (which I want to make clear are pathetically inadequate to my mind) would carry the day with the public.
But politics in this country isn’t about convincing the public, is it? It’s about the good cop and the bad cop, about seeming to have choice when none is offered, about carrying out whatever strategy the plutocracy deems in its interest, where differences are always a matter of degree, and not kind.
We’ll see how this plays out. The Republicans would like nothing better than Catholic fanatics on the streets to create a diversion from their inane, insane and inhuman economic and foreign policy prescriptions for the future of this country, don’t you think?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/8/as_contraceptives_rule_enters_gop_race
Ramarley Graham: NYPD Slays Unarmed Black Teen as Outrage over Targeting of People of Color Grows
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/8/ramarley_graham_nypd_slays_unarmed_black
2/7
*Humanity knows no borders
http://www.change.org/petitions/dont-let-jesus-navarro-die-approve-his-kidney-transplant#share
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Nerve Gas To Be Used for Crowd Control in the UK?
Royal Society scientists tell of ‘incapacitating chemical agents’ investigation
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/07-4
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Monsanto, Agent Orange Creator, Returns To Vietnam
Monsanto ready to sell GM crops and weed-killing chemicals in Vietnam; Many outraged
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/07-5
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As BP Profits Gush Skywards, Deal May Be Cut to Allow BP to Avoid Trial
- Common Dreams staff
*The fix is in, as if there were ever any question.
What’s oilier – the Gulf, or what’s oozing from these negotiations?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/07-2
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Once Again, It’s Not Just Abortion: The Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Global Gag Rule
by Yifat Susskind
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/07-4
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It’s All About the Framing: How Polls and the Media Misrepresent the Keystone XL [Tar Sands] [Oil] Pipeline
by Liz Barratt-Brown
*No surprises here, of course.
But speaking of framing, you’ll notice that there’s no criticism, much less condemnation, of Dear Misleader’s and his party’s actions in this area.
Again, no surprise. The brief period of “pique” with the administration has ended, as many groups like NRDC will now fall in line with the Democratic campaign machine, after having co-opted the whole “99%” rhetoric.
The less engaged might be forgiven for assuming that Occupiers had been invited to pitch tents on the South Lawn, and offered low-fat snickerdoodles by Michelle.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/07-3
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The Great Carbon Bubble: Why the Fossil Fuel Industry Fights So Hard
by Bill McKibben
*McKibben’s quite right that the carbon cutthroats could switch gears into renewable energy and do quite well for themselves, although his apparently being fine with that shows just how limited his idea of economic justice is.
But the point’s taken. The hardwired lust for profit doesn’t allow for any foregoing of a future of obscenely obese bottom lines. It’s a sin in this religion to eschew any opportunity to make a buck, and the end of the world as we know it is no brake on its followers’ fanaticism.
And note once again that while the insanities of Republicans are given due derision, the more leisurely Sunday drive off the cliff with the Democrats at the wheel is given a miss.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/07-2
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Syrian Repression, The Chinese-Russian Veto and U.S. Hypocrisy
*Pots, kettles, and the black heart of empire
http://www.accuracy.org/release/syrian-repression-the-chinese-russian-veto-and-u-s-hypocrisy/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
A Struggle for Regional Supremacy: Syria Conflict Escalates as World Powers Debate Assad’s Future
*A lot to digest, and I certainly wouldn’t just accept Seale’s analysis en toto, whatever validity it might have in some respects. This is obviously a complicated situation that calls for considering more than one viewpoint.
But what isn’t complex is the fact that people are dying, and you don’t have to untangle all the threads here to voice your horror at that, or your opposition to that tragedy being used as an excuse for imperial intervention.
As with Libya, it’s not a facile decision to reject “humanitarian military action”, but given the history of catastrophic results for the very persons we want to support, I believe it’s the one our conscience compels us to make.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/7/a_struggle_for_regional_supremacy_syria
U.S. Maintains Embargo of Cuba After 50 Years, Despite International Condemnation
*You don’t have to proclaim Cuba a “workers’ paradise” to oppose the continuation of this brutal sanctions regime. The hypocrisy’s blatantly obvious, causing great hardship for those whose human rights the US professes to champion.
This is about collaborating with the descendants of Batista’s cohorts in the immiseration of the Cuban people. The failure of the revolution to uphold its ideals is immaterial to that pitiless policy.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/7/us_maintains_embargo_of_cuba_after
“Who Killed Che? How the CIA Got Away with Murder”: New Book Ties Johnson Admin to Guevara’s Death
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/7/who_killed_che_how_the_cia
Part 2: ‘Who Killed Che? How the CIA Got Away with Murder’: New Book Ties Johnson Admin to Che Death
*It’s never a good idea to place anyone on a pedestal, and so I’d have liked to have heard more about Che’s contradictions, but what you get from this is a sense of the commitment of him and so many others to ending the hell their peoples suffered under for the enrichment of heartless murderers such as the Dulleses.
That doesn’t provide a defense for the harm done in the name of revolution, but it does illustrate the will necessary to struggle for it.
It’s a question we will have to ask ourselves, because there will be no way our conscience will allow us to avoid doing so.
Do I have that will?
2/6
The Millions Funding Geoengineering
Bill Gates among wealthy funding large-scale geoengineering
- Common Dreams staff
*I can’t really add to Shiva’s comments, other than to say that this is truly breathtaking arrogance, or a confidence scheme of the highest – make that “lowest” – order.
In any event, should these insanities come to fruition, we will live with – later to die from – the consequences.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/06
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Sea Mammals of War: Next Stop – Iran?
Retired Admiral: “We’ve got dolphins” for mines in Strait of Hormuz
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/06-4
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The Seed Emergency: The Threat to Food and Democracy
Patenting seeds has led to a farming and food crisis – and huge profits for US biotechnology corporations.
by Vandana Shiva
*Does any other act so encapsulate the fundamental logic of the profit system as the patenting of seeds?
To take one of the core achievements of the human race, the ability to grow and improve that which allows for life itself, and reduce it to a matter of legal ownership in order to deny that legacy, illustrates the all-consuming rapaciousness of those who, to quote Oscar Wilde, know “the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/06-0
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Offshore Everywhere: How Drones, Special Operations Forces, and the U.S. Navy Plan to End National Sovereignty As We Know It
by Tom Engelhardt
*A Sherwin-Williams strategy
And that ain’t paint in this logo
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/06-2
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On Not Asking the ‘Job Creators’ the Tough Questions
by Tom Gallagher
*Taking the credit
For all it’s worth
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/06-1
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Public Citizen
Enact Legislation to Prevent ‘Congressional Insider Trading’
House Leaders No Longer Can Stand in the Way of Much-Needed Legislation
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/06-2
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Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Federal Court Dismisses Gun Lobby Lawsuit Claiming Right to Carry Loaded Guns In Public
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/06-1
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FAIR Blog
NYT Lets Nameless Official Smear Drone Researchers as Al-Qaeda Fans
*Very high-minded.
And low-followed.
Talk about “turns of phrase [that] are valueless to a reader” …
Institute for Public Accuracy
A Dangerous Game on Iran
http://www.accuracy.org/release/a-dangerous-game-on-iran/
Police Clear Occupy D.C. Encampment Near White House
http://www.accuracy.org/release/police-clear-occupy-dc/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
U.S. Accused of Using Drones to Target Rescue Workers and Funerals in Pakistan
*The question’s never asked as to just why these deliberate attacks on obvious civilians are occurring. Some benefit has to be seen to order these strikes, but that’s not addressed.
Whatever the rationale, we’re talking about war crimes, and when we speak of “accountability”, justice demands we take the concept to its logical conclusion – that those responsible must be prosecuted and punished commensurately for acts of cold-blooded murder.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/6/us_accused_of_using_drones_to
West Memphis 3: Freed Death Row Prisoner Makes Film about 18-Year Battle to Prove His Innocence
*There’s a profoundly bitter irony in anyone connected with the truly criminal justice system labeling anything “satanic”, isn’t there?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/6/west_memphis_3_freed_death_row
2/3
Prophetic politics: Charting a healthy role for religion in public life
A review of Walter Brueggemann, The Practice of Prophetic Imagination: Preaching an Emancipatory Word (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012).
by Robert Jensen
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/4226/prophetic-politics_charting-a-healthy-role-for-rel
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Bird Population in Collapse Near Fukushima
Study: Many species show “dramatically” elevated DNA mutation rates, developmental abnormalities and extinctions
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/03-3
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War on Iran? Most American, Israeli Citizens Oppose
64% of Israelis favor a nuclear-free zone
- Common Dreams staff
*While there’s some reason for being heartened at these numbers, if I’m interpreting them correctly, at least 77 percent of Americans polled have swallowed the rationale for some form of aggression toward Iran. That number’s likely higher, as some who are opposed to sanctions, covert or overt military action probably believe the propaganda, and could change their minds.
Keep in mind that these sanctions have nothing to do with the Iranian regime’s human rights violations. They’re strictly based on its nuclear program, without any hard evidence that it’s pursuing nuclear weaponry.
I’m more encouraged by the results from Israel, which indicate an aversion to war fever, despite Netanyahu’s relentless pounding of those drums.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/03-1
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The Apple Connection
by Walden Bello
*Rotten to its corporate soullessness
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/03-0
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The Komen Foundation Pinkwashes Anti-choicers, Punks Planned Parenthood
by Katha Pollitt
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/03
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The Deal That Saved Detroit (and Banned Strikes)
by Laura Flanders
*Bogus brake job on workers’ rights
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/03-1
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Free Press
Arizona State University Blocks Popular Online Organizing Site
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/03-2
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Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association
OSGATA et al. v. Monsanto: Will Farmers Receive Justice?
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/03-0
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FAIR Blog
Iran and the Threat of Not Having Future Wars
So for the Israelis, this isn’t about an “existential threat” from Iran, but about the threat of attack impeding their ability to attack other countries.
Damn …
That *is* real “Axis of Evil” ™ stuff.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/03/iran-and-the-threat-of-not-having-future-wars/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Komen: Boobs’ Best Friend?
*Pink stink
What’s next?
Pink pepper spray?
“Protect Your Privilege While We Protect Your Breasts”
http://www.accuracy.org/release/komen-boobs-best-friend/
Afghanistan: Drawdown Is Not Withdrawal
http://www.accuracy.org/release/afghanistan-drawdown-is-not-withdrawal/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
NYPD Muslim Spy Scandal Grows With Newly Revealed Plan to Target Shiite Mosques
*I’m glad the imam was there to put Apuzzo’s reporting in context, because he was clearly incapable of it.
His view seems to be that there needs to be openness about this in order to decide whether these programs are necessary. He doesn’t see them as wrong on their face.
His viewpoint also ignores the cause for any concern about “terrorism”, which is what the US does in Muslim countries, as well as omitting the history of police state tactics in New York and elsewhere since time immemorial.
And if he can’t figure out why the Obama administration can talk out of both sides of its mouth on this, or rather proclaim a fealty to “best practices” while keeping silent about the NYPD’s actions, then perhaps he should look for another line of work.
Like being a TV news anchor.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/3/nypd_muslim_spy_scandal_grows_with
Occupy the Super Bowl: Indiana’s New Anti-Union Law Sparks Protest at Sport’s Biggest Spectacle
Throwing labor for a loss
Piling on the working class
Unsportsmanlike conduct in office
Pick your metaphor. What it comes down to is rigging the game for the bastards in the skyboxes.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/3/occupy_the_super_bowl_indianas_new
ICE Enabled East Haven Police’s Racial Profiling By Detaining, Deporting Targeted Immigrants
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/3/ice_enabled_east_haven_polices_racial
2/2
The Rapidly Expanding, Secret ‘No-Fly List’
List has doubled in past year to 21,000
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/02-0
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ACLU Suit Demands Release of US Government’s ‘Assassination Memos’
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/02-4
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IMF Official: Austerity Policies Hurting Greece
Official’s statements a “departure from the IMF script”
- Common Dreams staff
*Twisting the knife a bit more slowly
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/02-2
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Report: Global Land Grab Efforts Will Lead to “Widespread Civil Unrest”
“Local land rights are being repeatedly and tragically ignored during an astonishing buying spree across Africa”
- Common Dreams staff
*A soil erosion of rights
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/02-5
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Drumbeats of War: Israel says Iranian Missiles Aimed at US
‘Fool me once, shame on, shame on you. Fool me… You can’t get fooled again.’
- Common Dreams staff
*New fan
Same shit
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/02-7
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Corporate Education Reformers Plot Next Steps at Secretive Meeting
ALEC Education “Academy” Launches on Island Resort
by Dustin Beilke
*From Fantasy Island
To the reality of an education nightmare
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/02-9
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In Year of Uprisings, Reporters Brave Crackdowns from Wall St. to Tahrir Square
by Michelle Chen
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/02-0
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National Whistleblowers Center
FDA Whistleblower Lawsuit Sparks Congressional Investigation
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/02
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FAIR Blog
‘Bard of the 1 Percent’ Sings the Same Tune
*I’ve never been comfortable with the 99/1 paradigm, because while it’s true that Brooks is engaging in transparent sophistry, the reality is that exploitation occurs beyond the rarified air of million dollar incomes.
There are plenty of persons who make less than that who are screwing those who make substantially less than they do, and positing income inequality as exclusively the work of the one percent is indeed letting others who would be included in any rational definition of “wealthy” off the hook.
This is about the exploited and the exploiters. Subjective divisions, no matter how memorable, don’t serve the cause of justice.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/02/bard-of-the-1-percent-sings-the-same-tune/
NYT and GOP’s Keystone Talking Points
*I think the “key issue” here is that even if all the lies about “energy independence” and “job creation” were true, this pipeline would still be a stake in the heart of whatever chance we have to continue living on this planet.
“Essentially game over”, as Hansen said.
That that doesn’t trump everything else tells you a great deal about just how we’ve come to this point, doesn’t it?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/02/nyt-and-gops-keystone-talking-points/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
“Gasland” Director Josh Fox Arrested at Congressional Hearing on Natural Gas Fracking
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/2/gasland_director_josh_fox_arrested_at
Obama’s Support for Natural Gas Drilling “A Painful Moment” for Communities Exposed to Fracking
*I think we see, both in Fenton’s recounting of his neighbors’ initial support for drilling, and in Fox’s praise for the EPA, an ignorance induced by government and corporate propaganda, aided and abetted by media complicity.
In the Pavillion case, folks were willing to trust those entities because the information that would have dissuaded them from doing so was either suppressed, or treated as a minor issue designed to evade our consciousness. When something like this isn’t given the attention it deserves, even though it may be reported on, it doesn’t make a dent in our thinking when placed in a context of an overwhelming false narrative.
And Fox, even though he sees through that false narrative to a great extent, doesn’t go deeper in trying to understand that the EPA response, which I’d characterize as pathetic given the situation, is meant to allay fears by giving false hope that there’s some agency that will do its job.
This is the game that’s played. The Republicans in the main don’t want to dismantle the EPA completely, as that wouldn’t truly serve their goals, and the Obama administration and most Democrats don’t want it to have the ability to do its job as it should. Pressure from the right allows the White House to back away from its duty to protect us, while appearing to be the only alternative to utter deregulation. Doing some wholly inadequate amelioration, while pushing ahead with fracturing with only some window dressing of chemical disclosure, is a tactic repeated ad nauseum.
This isn’t about the good guys at the EPA coming to the rescue. It’s about a version of triangulation that leaves us all fracked.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/2/obamas_support_for_natural_gas_drilling
After Right-Wing Campaign, Leading Breast Cancer Charity Komen Drops Funding for Planned Parenthood
*After hearing of the presence on the Komen board of anti-choice zealots, I think this may well not be a matter of cowardice on its part, but of complicity.
Using abortion as a wedge issue to divide supporters of women’s health programs may be the goal here. Certainly Komen’s response does nothing to contradict that supposition, does it?
And I’m bothered by the continual assertion that these programs have nothing to do with abortion. While that’s factually true, it feeds into the propaganda that abortion is immoral. I’d have liked to have heard a defense of abortion care, as it is another vital aspect of women’s healthcare.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/2/after_right_wing_campaign_leading_breast
2/1
Super PAC Power: The 0.1% Buying Our Elections
FEC disclosures yesterday show wealthy donors, corporations behind Super PAC money
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/01-5
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Wall Street Journal Slammed for Giving Platform to Climate Change Deniers
- Common Dreams staff
*It may be that I’m misinterpreting their meaning, but while I obviously agree with the thrust of this letter, those last comments compel me to advise the authors to heed their own words.
Green “economic growth” will still carry with it grave consequences for humanity, if all we’re talking about is maintaining the same class system and exploitation, minus the ecological damage.
These folks know their stuff when it comes to climate change.
They should leave the economics to those who understand the malevolent machinations of the profit system.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/01-6
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Anti-Choice Bullying in Congress Threatens Planned Parenthood Cancer Programs
- Common Dreams staff
*The changing colors of a fall from principle
From pink
To yellow
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/01
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Why Are US Health Costs So High? Follow the Bills
by Ralph Nader
*The best healthcare [profits] money can buy
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/01-4
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Harper’s Border Deal Expands the National Security State
by Emily Gilbert
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/01-3
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Center for Biological Diversity
Obama Continues Destructive Federal Grazing Subsidy on 258 Million Acres of Public Land
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/02/01-3
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FAIR Blog
Iran: This Is What Propaganda Looks Like
*There are times when I miss having a TV.
Then again …
I have to imagine this propaganda parade was accompanied by copious campaign ads.
The facts never had a chance.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/02/01/iran-this-is-what-propaganda-looks-like/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Nobel Peace Prize Jury Under Investigation
*Obama, Gore, Kissinger …
A peace prize redolent of the stench of death
http://www.accuracy.org/release/nobel-peace-prize-jury-under-investigation/
Syria: Internal Repression, External Manipulation
*This should be Imperialism 101, yet many sincere supporters of freedom for oppressed populations still believe in “sending in the cavalry” …
Although the lessons from Native folks here should make plain the foreseeable outcome of that advocation.
http://www.accuracy.org/release/syria-internal-repression-external-manipulation/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Romney Gains Momentum with Florida Win, But Gingrich Vows Prolonged Fight
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/1/romney_gains_momentum_with_florida_win
Exploring Mitt Romney’s Shifting Stances from “Moderate” Governor to GOP Front-Runner
*I hope there will be a future guest who’ll take a deeper look into just how well Massachusett’s healthcare system works.
Leaving it with Bernstein’s seal of approval just doesn’t cut it for me.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/1/exploring_mitt_romneys_shifting_stances_from
Baltasar Garzón, Trailblazing Judge Who Pursued War Criminals, Faces Trial of His Own in Spain
Is Former Haitian Dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier Off the Hook For Human Rights Crimes?
*There’s never any “bipartisan gridlock” when it comes to protecting the perverted perogatives of empire, is there?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/2/1/baltasar_garzn_trailblazing_judge_who_pursued
January 2012
1/31
Institute for Public Accuracy
Congressional Insider Trading Ban Exempts Lobbyists
http://www.accuracy.org/release/congressional-insider-trading-ban-exempts-lobbyists/
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Obama Administration Quietly Selling Arms to Bahrain Despite Continuing Human Rights Abuses
- Common Dreams staff
*”Supplying arms to a regime that continues to persecute its citizens is not in the best interest of the United States,” Wyden said. “When the government of Bahrain shows that it respects the human rights of its citizens it will become more stable and a better ally in the region; only then should arms sales from the U.S. resume.”
That’s a ringing endorsement of justice and democracy, isn’t it?
And there wasn’t anything that I’d consider one from anyone else in this article.
Which sort of begs the question of just what defines a “supporter of human rights”, doesn’t it?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/31-4
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OWS Stands With Farmers, Says Enough! to Monsanto
Movement is calling for protests to support 60 family farmers, small seed businesses, organizations challenging Monsanto’s patents on genetically modified seed
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/31-0
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US Media Gobble Up US/Israel Case Against Iran
Israeli President Peres: “No Option Should Be Ruled Out” for Dealing With Iran
- Common Dreams staff
*Should the corpress be classified as a WMD?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/31-3
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With Its Deadly Drones, the US is Fighting a Coward’s War
As technology allows machines to make their own decisions, warfare will become bloodier – and less accountable
by George Monbiot
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/31-1
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The Haditha Massacre: No Justice for Iraqis
by Marjorie Cohn
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/31
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Earthjustice
New Report Urges EPA to Abandon Proposed Air Pollution Rule
New policy would obstruct efforts to protect cherished national parks and wildernesses, and their surrounding communities from air pollution
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/31-1
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FAIR Blog
Loose Lips Sink Drones
*It appears there’s a word missing from that WSJ quote, just before “details”.
“Disingenuous”, maybe?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/31/loose-lips-sink-drones/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Taxpayer-Funded Freddie Mac Caught Betting Billions Against Struggling American Homeowners
Ex-Marine Reoccupies His Own Foreclosed Home in Fight Against Freddie Mac, JPMorgan Chase
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/31/taxpayer_funded_freddie_mac_caught_betting
“The House I Live In”: New Documentary Exposes Economic, Moral Failure of U.S. War on Drugs
*This segment has some important intel to impart, but it doesn’t deal with the use of drugs as a method of controlling poor people, and especially poor blacks, through the debilitating effects of addiction, both for the addicted and those around them, combined with the ruthless enforcement of drug laws.
Racism and classism are tools of oppression, not merely manifestations of prejudice. In this instance, they further the essential ruling tactic of divide and conquer, by propagandizing the larger society to associate race and poverty with the “scourge” of drug use.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/31/the_house_i_live_in_new
1/30
Going Backwards: Self-Guided Bullets Unveiled
‘Securing a Peaceful and Free World Through Technology.’ Not.
- Common Dreams staff
*Calculating killer
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/30-8
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Faustian Bargain: Proposal Seeks to Swap National Forest Land for Strip Mining
Shawnee National Forest would swap lands with Peabody Energy
- Common Dreams staff
*Derailing Mr. Peabody’s coal train
http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/prine-john/paradise-10845.html
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/30-11
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Showdown at Caterpillar Plant ‘Watershed Moment’ for North American Labor
Canada’s Labor Movement Digs in for ‘PATCO Equivalent,’ as Lockouts Drag On
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/30-10
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More Damning Evidence Points to Pesticide as Cause of Mass Bee Deaths
Bayer-produced imidacloprid harmful to bees even at very low levels
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/30-9
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Torture, and Impunity in US Courts
The decision to throw out Jose Padilla’s suit threatens the core freedoms guaranteed to US citizens by the constitution
by Jonathan Hafetz
*In the US court system, when “national security” is involved
Justice is willfully blind
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/30-12
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Hedge Funds, So-Called Centrists, and The 1% Candidate
There’s a secretive effort by mega-rich Wall Street titans to place a presidential candidate on the ballot in November.
by Peter Hart
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/30-7
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In Bad Faith: New Study Further Underscores Lack of Truth in Anti-Choice Claims
by Amanda Marcotte
*”Pro-life”
Just not what makes it worth living
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/30-10
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Amid ‘Turnaround Agenda,’ Teachers, Communities Overshadowed by Corporate Reforms
by Michelle Chen
*A different type of drone attack
The plutocracy doesn’t want masses of well-educated citizens. For those it cares to employ, basic job skills are the desired outcome.
It wants bricks in the wall, not builders capable of creating structures outside their control.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/30-2
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NYT Hypes Israeli Attack on Iran
by Ira Chernus
*A fairy tale hardwired for an unhappy ending
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/30-0
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Corporations Have No Use for Borders
by Chris Hedges
*Solidarity must be shoreless
Not just because corporate rule is, as well
But because justice’s true and only value is in the universal, not the parochial
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/30
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Food & Water Watch
Consumer Group: Don’t Scrap Food Safety Protections to Ease Trade with Canada
Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/30-1
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Amnesty International Calls for Immediate Release of Female Activist in Bahrain — Beaten, Arrested and Jailed For Involvement in Pro-Reform Demonstrations
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/30-3
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FAIR Blog
NBC’s Curry on What ‘Everyone’ Knows About Iran
*The graphic in that screen grab caught my eye.
Aside from the question of what is “great” about America – as well as what is the definition of “America” – the phrasing tells you a great deal about the state of objectivity in the world of the corpress, doesn’t it?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/30/nbcs-curry-on-what-everyone-knows-about-iran/
David Gregory’s House of Pain
*Ever notice that those demanding “hard choices” never find themselves in the position of having to do so?
Unless it’s deciding whether to have the escargot or the vichysoisse.
Screw it. Order them both.
(Apologies for my ignorance regarding whether that would be a realistic choice involving haute cuisine. I’ve never inhabited that world.
Nor would I ever wish to.)
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/30/david-gregorys-house-of-pain/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Honduras: Murder Capital of World, “Made in the USA”
*New victims of a very old policy
http://www.accuracy.org/release/honduras-murder-capital-of-world-made-in-the-usa/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
The Invisible War: New Film Exposes Rape, Sexual Assault Epidemic in U.S. Military
*Of course we know this is happening, but to hear the details from these women just makes you sick to your stomach.
And to listen to Dick’s naiveté about Panetta and his inability to see how this is all part and parcel of what the military is really about, as well as Goodman’s silence about it …
So, where are all these brave soldiers when it comes to defending one of their own? Where’s the vaunted “code of honor”?
Wouldn’t you have liked to have heard Goodman ask these women about how they view the military now, as opposed to their illusions about it before joining?
You can’t honestly confront the masters of war until you see them, and the structures they’ve created to wage it, for what they truly are.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/30/the_invisible_war_new_film_exposes
Occupy Oakland: Over 400 Arrested as Police Fire Tear Gas, Flash Grenades at Protesters
*Brought to you by Dear Misleader’s lackeys in City Hall
Lest we forget, they are good liberals all
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/30/occupy_oakland_over_400_arrested_as
National Park Service Threatens to Evict Occupy D.C. Encampments at Two Parks Near White House
*Apparently a continual reminder of his complicity and duplicity was a little too close for comfort for our Chameleon in Chief.
Steal the words
Stifle the speakers
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/30/national_park_service_threatens_to_evict
Syrian Activist Speaks from Hiding: The Bloodshed is Continuing Despite International Criticism
*The US wants to make hay out of this horror, so you have to think it’s got its spooks and special ops on the ground, working to accomplish that aim.
We need to know much more about just who directs the Free Syrian Army, don’t you think?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/30/syrian_activist_speaks_from_hiding_the
1/27
Mass Demonstrations as EU Countries Sign on to Controversial ACTA Treaty
Over 20 EU states sign treaty yesterday
- Common Dreams staff
*The intellectual property provisions get the most attention, but the drug patent protections can mean the difference between life and death for untold numbers of people.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/27
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Single Payer Falls 2 Votes Short In California Senate
Four Democrats Sit Out Critical Vote
- Common Dreams staff
*Aside from insurance, Big Pharma and HMO influence, how does the fact that it wouldn’t look good for the largest state to reject Obama’s “reforms” in favor of single payer play into the decision of Democratic senators to sit out this vote?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/27-6
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Dirty Biofuels: Leaked Data Shows Some Worse Than Fossil Fuels
Palm oil and soy bean biodiesel nearly as bad as tar sands
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/27-5
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Postponed Joint Israel-US War Games Back On?
‘Austere Challenge 12′
- Common Dreams staff
*Admittedly speculation, at the moment, but don’t you have to wonder if rescheduling these “exercises” for October might have something to do with what will occur in November?
They would be an effective rejoinder to charges of being “soft” on Iran and not sufficiently supportive of Israel, wouldn’t they?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/27-3
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Twitter Enables Censorship, Boycotts Begin
Reversing its position and heading down a slippery slope
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/27-4
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Free-Market Medicine: A Personal Account
by Michael Parenti
*A marriage of greed and gross indifference
In sickness and in wealth
Till death does its part
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/27-0
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Whitewashing History in Arizona
by Dennis Bernstein and Bill Means
*There is no honest hope for the future
If there is no honest understanding of the past
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/27-1
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The Shadow Banking System: A Web of Financial Fraud
by Ellen Brown
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/27-3
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Free Press: NAB Spin Won’t Change the Facts About Woeful Election Coverage
*What subtracts the more it ads?
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/27-1
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FAIR Blog
Pentagon Budgets and Fuzzy Math
*It doesn’t add up.
Except in the profit columns of military contractors.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/27/pentagon-budgets-and-fuzzy-math/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Despite Salary Caps, Treasury Approved Lucrative Exec Payouts at Dozens of Bailed-Out Firms
*Pity the poor plutocrats, dealing daily with the high cost of living high off the hog
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/27/despite_salary_caps_treasury_approved_lucrative
NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly Urged to Resign After Police Conceal Role in Anti-Muslim Documentary
*It’s good to see this placed in the context of the NYPD’s abuses against many groups, which make it plain that this isn’t about a “lapse in judgment”, but a concerted effort to contain any challenge to the power structure in the city, and beyond.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/27/nypd_commissioner_ray_kelly_urged_to
Gingrich’s Extremist Anti-Palestinian Stance Follows Millions from Casino Magnate Sheldon Adelson
*For Adelson and his fellow apartheidists, the two-state solution is Israel and the US thwarting any chance for a just outcome to this tragedy.
And a just outcome would be one state, with equal rights for all its inhabitants, not a Palestinian bantustan.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/27/gingrichs_extremist_anti_palestinian_stance_follows
GOPers Claim Softened Immigration Stance in Bid to Win Florida Latino Vote, But Key Issues Ignored
*If only we could deport these two-faced double dealing bastards
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/27/gopers_claim_softened_immigration_stance_in
1/26
‘Right to Work’ Bill Passes in Indiana House
Unions prepare for similar battles in other states
- Common Dreams staff
*Notice there was nothing about this in Dear Misleader’s speechifying last night?
And yet labor “leadership” will march in lockstep with his campaign.
That’s a solidarity that should be shattered.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/26-0
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Calamitous Night Raids Continue as Torch Passes to Afghan Army
Element of Surprise Deadly for Civilians
- Common Dreams staff
*Remember “Vietnamization”?
The Vietnamese do.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/26-6
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Study: Potential Hazards of Nanotechnology Not Known
Without research into risks, “the future of safe and sustainable nanotechnology-based materials, products, and processes is uncertain”
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/26-5
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FBI Wants New App to Wiretap the Internet
‘Scraping’ social network postings including Facebook and Twitter
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/26-3
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How Swedes and Norwegians Broke the Power of the ‘1 Percent’
by George Lakey
*Not to say this piece isn’t informative, but Lakey’s being rather disingenous in the title, don’t you think?
How do you say that these nations “broke the power of the ’1 percent’ when both are members of NATO?
And how could there have been “a fling with neoliberal policies”, unless there was the power to do so?
In the end, we’re talking reformism, and while Norway’s brand may seem enviable compared to our situation, if our goal is a life of dignity for everyone, here and abroad, and we truly mean it, this can’t be our model, can it?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/26-3
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Not A Peep About President’s Praise for War
by Laura Flanders
*In politics, militarism is often the first refuge of a scoundrel
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/26-4
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Physicians in Congress Committing Malpractice on Millions
by Brian Moench
*Doctoring the data
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/26-1
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‘American-Made Energy’: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
by Stefanie Penn Spear
*What’s left out of this is the question of who will control “clean energy”.
Actually, it’s not left out. It’s simply assumed that corporations will, with the talk of “markets” and “investment”.
Spear’s not alone in that assumption. Many other environmentalists seem to feel that’s the natural order of things. But when profit enters the picture, what’s best for us, and the planet, exits.
Doing well will always trump doing good. That’s the nature of profit. The energy sources may be cleaner, but without public control of those sources, the model of greed before need and exploitation of employees will remain, and whatever chance we might still have for averting our doom will be lost.
It’s a blind spot that will plunge us all into darkness.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/26-0
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Freedom to Marry Pushes for Marriage in Maine
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/26-4
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Conservation and Native American Groups
Navy Training Blasts Marine Mammals With Harmful Sonar
Wildlife Protection Agency Challenged for Not Doing Its Job
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/26-5
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FAIR Blog
The Japanese Nuclear Establishment vs. the Two-Thirds ‘Minority’
*”Nuclear emergency” has a whole other meaning to the Post, doesn’t it?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/26/the-japanese-nuclear-establishment-vs-the-two-thirds-minority/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Corporate Accountability: Is There an App for That?
http://www.accuracy.org/release/corporate-accountability-is-there-an-app-for-that/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Iraqis Voice Outrage as Haditha Massacre Trial in Ends in No Jail Time for Accused U.S. Marines
*Again, it’s frustrating to have to listen to someone like McGirk, who talks about “cutting slack”, rather than covering up, for war crimes. He speaks of the military “react[ing] very strongly” to “criminal behavior” outside of a combat situation.
Tell that to the rape victims in both countries, and elsewhere – and in the service itself.
Why is time wasted speaking to him, when other guests could provide the same information, while also placing these horrors in the proper context?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/26/iraqis_voice_outrage_as_us_massacre
Glock: As Giffords Exits, a Look at the Gun Used in Tucson Rampage and Other U.S. Mass Shootings
*Making a killing with more bangs for the buck
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/26/glock_as_giffords_exits_a_look
1/25
Utopia: Social Forum Declares ‘Together We Are the 99%’
Thematic Social Forum 2012: Capitalist Crisis: Social and Environmental Justice
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25-0
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ACTA: The International Treaty You’ve Never Heard of That Could Affect Internet Freedom
US among countries that have already signed ACTA
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25-3
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On First Anniversary of Egyptian Uprising, Protesters Persist
‘A reason to demonstrate, not a reason to celebrate’
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25
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Obama’s Mortgage ‘Investigation’ Designed to Fail?
‘Another bit of regulatory/enforcement theater’
- Common Dreams staff
*I got that MoveOn message as well.
Looks like they and other “soi-disant” (I’ll have to remember that) liberal/progressive groups will be moving on from “holding his feet to the fire” …
To spit shining his shoes.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25-2
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Mideast Cyberwar Continues to Claim More Victims
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25-4
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Dystopia: Corporate Rule Breeding ‘Global Class War’
- Common Dreams staff
*The underlying premise here seems to be that the oligarchy must “play fair” to avoid “bad things happening”.
The mindset that comes across is one of advising criminals to merely give back some of their ill-gotten gains, and share some power with “the working people”, in order to live peaceably with their victims.
That’s not my idea of justice, and I hope it’s not for many others.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/25-1
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Debate Club: Did the US Withdraw from Iraq Too Soon?
by Phyllis Bennis
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/25-0
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The Pathology of Inequality
by Paul Buchheit
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/25-8
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Environmental Working Group (EWG)
New School Lunch Standards Will Improve Diets for 31 Million Children
*This would be much more meaningful if it were coupled with a concomitant commitment to a food system focused on organically grown fresh produce and an end to agribusiness as usual.
Dream on, I know.
But it’s up to us to dream, and put that dream into action.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/25-0
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Public Citizen to Financial Regulators: Bank of America Poses a Grave Threat to U.S. Financial Stability, Should Be Broken Up
Petition Calls on the Federal Reserve and Financial Stability Oversight Council to Reform Banking Behemoth, Create Smaller, Simpler and Safer Institutions to Guard Against Financial Crisis
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/25-6
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Institute for Public Accuracy
SOTU Analysis: * Empire * Energy * Economy
*The emperor has no clothes
Just naked aggression
http://www.accuracy.org/release/sotu-analysis-empire-energy-economy/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
“He Says One Thing and Does Another”: Ralph Nader Responds to Obama’s State of the Union Address
*Putting the lie to the Lord of Illusions
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/25/he_says_one_thing_and_does
Egypt: Sharif Abdel Kouddous Reports from Cairo as Crowds Mark 1 Year of Revolution in Tahrir Square
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/25/egypt_sharif_abdel_kouddous_reports_from
“In Tahrir Square”: HBO Doc on Egypt’s Revolution Through Eyes of Democracy Now!’s Sharif Kouddous
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/25/in_tahrir_square_hbo_doc_on
1/24
Marine Gets Light Sentence for Massacre of Iraqi Civilians
Plea deal gives Frank Wuterich 3-month confinement, pay cut
- Common Dreams staff
*And Bradley Manning faces life, after being tortured.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/24-0
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Cell 36: Palestinian Children Locked in Solitary Confinement in Israel
by The Guardian/UK
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2012/01/24-0
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Court to Vermont: “Drop Dead”
by Harvey Wasserman
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/24-4
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Scott Walker’s Plutonomy: An Economy for the One Percent
by Mary Bottari
*Welcome to Gecko Land
(Admission free with purchase of politician)
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/24-6
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Students Step Up Tucson Walkouts
Protest School District Folly and Mexican American Studies Banishment
by Jeff Biggers
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/24-2
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Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Creeping Corporatization of National Parks
Summit Promoting a Billion Dollar Private Endowment for Parks
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/24
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FAIR Blog
Richard Cohen Wowed by Professor Gingrich
Part of me is fascinated by the workings of Cohen’s brain.
A much larger part of me is scared shirtless.
As for Obama and community organizing, he’s putting his skills to good use within the gated enclaves these days, judging by his campaign finance reports.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/24/richard-cohen-wowed-by-professor-gingrich/
Mother’s Health News, Brought to You by Carcinogenic Baby Shampoo
*All the shampoo in the world won’t wash the smell out of this sellout, will it?
The only valid currency any news source has is its integrity, and this deal washes that right down the bathtub drain.
Similar should be said for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. As is so often the case, the desire to trumpet a “victory” – and generate contributions – takes precedence over proclaimed principles.
I guess folks abroad will just have to exercise a bit more caution when they rinse and repeat.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/24/mothers-health-news-brought-to-you-by-carcinogenic-baby-shampoo/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Egypt One Year After the Uprising, Protests Continue Against Junta
http://www.accuracy.org/release/26574/
Gingrich Gets Another $5 Million Via Pro-Israeli Casino Mogul Adelson
*The ten million dollar word comes down from Mount Zionism
DEMOCRACY NOW!
As Romney Releases Tax Returns, Fmr Senate Investigator Says: We’ve Got To Start Taxing Corporations
*The most salient point to me is the effective debunking of the “taxes equal job losses” myth.
Regarding Obama’s self-imposed contribution restraints, they’re rather meaningless, as his campaign fund is awash in money from wealthy individuals. So the fact that he doesn’t receive checks directly from lobbyists and corporations really doesn’t mean diddley, does it?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/24/as_romney_releases_tax_returns
“The Atomic States of America”: Exploring a Nation’s Struggle with Nuclear Power
*Joyce talks about an accident being necessary to get people’s attention, and I think that speaks to the larger issue of how we’re conditioned not to connect the dots, both on a single issue, and among issues. You’d think that, having been lied to about nuclear power, folks would look askance at what gummint officials and corporate spokespersons say about anything else, whether it’s the reasons for wars or tax cuts for the rich, or denials of climate change.
Once you put two and two together, and find out it doesn’t equal five, you should be pretty goddamn skeptical of your math teacher.
And it’s a sadly surreal state of affairs when you have to hope a talk show host has some clout to keep your child safe from cancer.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/24/the_atomic_states_of_america_exploring
1/23
Iraq Coming Apart: Intensifying Crackdown on Free Speech, Protests
With US Troops Hardly Gone, Iraq’s Government is Coming Apart
- Common Dreams staff
*The HRW report and the McClatchy piece don’t jibe, do they?
The latter infers that US troops were somehow “keeping the peace” – the typical corpress framing – while the former puts the lie to that, doesn’t it?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/23-0
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Supreme Court Ruling Restricts Police Use of GPS Device
GPS tracking unconstitutional without warrant
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/23-1
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Critics of Mortgage Deal Press Obama, State AGs to Reject Big Bank Proposal
Progressives “Furious” at Emerging Details of Mortgage Deal
- Common Dreams staff
*Just so much posturing from persons like Jones and Trumka, who will jump on the Obama bandwagon “with reluctance” when the campaign swings into high gear.
No settlement is acceptable. Prosecute these bastards to the full extent of the law, return the money they stole to the people they stole it from, and do what it takes to make right what was so wrong.
Of course, that won’t happen. True justice would demand that those whose oaths of office obligate them to take such measures also pay for their crimes. You’re asking the getaway driver to try the bank robber – an intensely ironic analogy, in that we’re talking about robber banks.
But regardless of the odds, nothing less can be considered a victory, can it?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/23-2
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Conservative Fantasies About the Miracles of the Market
by Robert Jensen
*Cashing in
And taking the credit
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/23-7
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FAIR Blog
Rooting for Newt?
*I guess you could say that Gingrich is both the charmer …
And the snake.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/23/rooting-for-newt/
Nick Kristof and the School Reform Straw Man
*The unmitigated gall is palpable when those who don’t give a good goddamn for poor children use them as props for promoting policies designed to keep them poor.
You could call it a standardized test of hypocrisy among media elites, whose kids will never have to worry about the effects of their parents’ propaganda on their educational opportunities, will they?
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/23/nick-kristof-and-the-school-reform-straw-man/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Medical Whistleblower Dr. Steven Nissen on “Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare”
*Much of the material I post contains contradictions, to my mind, but I feel there’s some useful information to be had. Sometimes those contradictions are the result of a limited moral and/or rational viewpoint, and sometimes they simply defy explanation.
Case in point here.
How the hell do you do a segment on healthcare reform, and not one damn time mention universal coverage? Neither Nissen nor Goodman – whose job it is to ask the vital questions – says a word about it, or the fact that the US is one of the only, if not the only, developed nation without some form of it.
Truly unfathomable, don’t you think?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/23/medical_whistleblower_dr_steven_nissen_on_escape
Raj Patel: In Attacks on Obama, Food Stamps, Newt Gingrich is “Racially Coding Poverty”
*I think two of the most important points to take from this are the nexus between low wages and nutritionally void food products which are low-cost in price and high-cost in health, as well as the rigged food system that ensures the profit margins of the agribusiness behemoths who produce such pigswill.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/23/raj_patel_in_attacks_on_obama
1/22
GOP Still Pushing Tar Sands Pipeline
House Speaker Boehner: ‘We are going to do everything we can to try to make sure that this Keystone pipeline is, in fact, approved.’
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/22-0
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In New Campaign Video, President Obama Shows His Love for Israel
- Common Dreams staff
*No separation anxiety here
Regardless of the race of the resident, apartheid is A-OK in the Oval Office
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/21-0
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The Right to Be Healthy: Supreme Court Weighs Sick Leave for State Workers
by Michelle Chen
*A sickening situation from every angle
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/22-1
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Military Intervention vs. Maritime Union Power
by Brian Tierney
*This is a telling example of the political pantomime played out in statehouses, Congress and at the White House.
The GOP castigates Dear Misleader for appointing “union lackeys” to the NLRB, while that body protects the interests of those who control both parties.
Meanwhile, national “union leadership” undercuts the most passionate adherents to the call for “Solidarity forever”.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/22
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Could Ecuador Be the Most Radical and Exciting Place on Earth?
A decade ago, Ecuador was a banana republic, an economic basket case. Today, it has much to teach the rest of the world
by Jayati Ghosh
*Some very positive developments, but we must always be alert to the contradictions alongside them. Just as it’s folly to place any person on a pedestal, it’s a mistake to assume any nation’s government is committed to the well-being of all its people.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/21-0
1/20
Fracking the World: Energy Companies Set Their Sights Globally
Africa, Latin America may see biggest growth in fracking
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/20
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Maine’s Tea Party Governor: ‘Slash Health and Human Services or I’ll Close Schools’
- Common Dreams staff
*Hostage taking at penpoint
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/20-3
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Report: US Soldiers Bringing Their Violence Home from Overseas
After Ten Years of War Sex Crimes, Domestic Abuse, and Suicide on the Rise for US Soldiers
- Common Dreams staff
*Another factor would be the military’s reprehensible lack of concern about this, aside from its PR implications.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/20-1
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Why Obama’s ‘Targeted Killing’ is Worse than Bush’s Torture
Both are legally prohibited but speciously justified by the White House. The difference? Obama’s policy kills innocent bystanders
by Mary Ellen O’Connell
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/20-7
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We Know How to Curb Poverty, We Simply Fail to Act
This Week in Poverty: An American Commitment to Children?
by Greg Kaufmann
*Notice that the title, and the text, deal with how to curb poverty, not how to end it.
I think that pretty much sums up liberal policies on the issue. To talk of truly ending poverty, and creating the conditions for every single person to have a life of dignity, is beyond the pale, for that would entail a radical transformation of the status quo.
And that, by definition, is anathema to liberalism, isn’t it?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/20-5
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After Tragedy, Apple Tries to Polish Image on Workers’ Rights
by Michelle Chen
*Shining up a rotten Apple
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/20-9
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Blood on Whose Hands?: Bradley Manning, Wikileaks, and the Blood of Civilians
by Chase Madar
*The butchers abhor the blood
Even as it drips from their blades
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/20-6
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On US Education: It’s the Socioeconomic Segregation, Stupid
by Jim Horn
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/20-4
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Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy
Antibiotic-Resistant MRSA Bacteria Widely Present in Retail Pork, New Study Says
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/20-8
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ACLU
Obama Administration Protects Birth Control Access for Women
*Even bastards do the right thing when it’s in their interest.
How many checks from NOW members do you think the DNC and Obama 2012 receive, versus ones from “right to lifers”?
Okay then.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/20-7
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Rainforest Action Network (RAN)
Bank of America is Main Target of Economic and Environmental Groups
Tour of Shame through SF Financial District focuses on Bank of America branches
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/20-6
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FAIR Blog
NYT’s Apple Debate Factcheck, Without Facts
*A shame Jobs died before the realization of his dream …
A right to work America eviscerated of environmental and safety regulations that would put the PRC to shame.
It’s up to his CEO brethren to keep hope alive.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/20/nyts-apple-debate-factcheck-without-facts/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
“Open Marriage”?
*It seems whatever the context
Newt wants to screw as many people as he can
http://www.accuracy.org/release/open-marriage/
Greek and Eurozone Crises: Proposal Threatening Modern Europe?
http://www.accuracy.org/release/greek-and-eurozone-crises-proposal-threatening-modern-europe/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
GOP Contest Rattled Before SC Primary as Perry Exits, Newt’s Ex-Wife Speaks Out, Santorum Takes Iowa
*Old times there are not forgotten
They’re incorporated into campaign strategy
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/20/gop_contest_rattled_before_sc_primary
Ahead of South Carolina Primary, GOP Candidates Employ Race-Baiting Tradition to Win Southern Vote
*I think it’s pretty amazing that Gray could encourage folks to vote for a racist like Paul, whatever his justification.
Paul’s “anti-war, anti-imperialist” stance has nothing to do with any sense of humanity, and his “civil liberties championing” can’t be separated from his advocation of other “liberties” … such as the right for employers to do whatever the hell they want to their employees.
You can’t advance your principles on one front by abandoning them on another.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/20/ahead_of_south_carolina_primary_gop
Tariq Ali: Obama’s Expansion of Af-Pak War “Has Blown Up in His Face”
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/20/tariq_ali_obamas_expansion_of_af
1/19
Occupy Wall Street’s Next Phase: Avoid Cooptation in Election Season
By Glen Ford
*If you play their game, you accept their rules.
And I thought Occupy was about changing the rules.
Big Money Bundlers As Prominent as Ever in Obama White House
- Common Dreams staff
*Does “clean hands” mean that while they’re covered in horseshit, they’re free of bullshit?
And I don’t think Obama has to worry about being “outgunned”, considering the arsenal of Wall Street ammo he’s amassing by the day.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/19-0
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Japan Still Pushing Nuclear Power
New plan changes 40-year limit to 60 years; nuclear opponents outraged
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/19-1
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Surveillance City: New Body Scanners Head to NYC
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/19
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Capitalism’s Real Gravediggers
Beware the ‘Gush-Up Gospel’ Behind India’s Billionaires
by Arundhati Roy
*Their wealth segregates them from the rest of us in life, but in the end, we will all be tossed together into the mass grave of a dead world
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/19-9
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2012′s Civil Liberties Apocalypse Has Already Happened
by Harvey Wasserman and Bob Fitrakis
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/19-10
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Working and Poor in the USA
by Bill Quigley
*As long as we work *for* someone, rather than *with* others, these numbing numbers will remain a reality, and “work with dignity” will be an empty dream
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/19-4
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The Dignity of Corpses
by Robert C. Koehler
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/19-1
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The FBI and Federal Prosecutors Say My Journalism Is “Extremist”
by Will Potter
*To the FBI, a URL is an IED
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/19-11
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Center for Biological Diversity
Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Named One of 10 U.S. Species Most Threatened by Fossil Fuel Development
*Death by unnatural causes
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/19-5
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Amnesty International Calls for Immediate Release of Ethiopian Prisoners of Conscience
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/19-2
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Mormonism: * Bigotry * President Romney’s Bishophood a Threat to the First Amendment?
FAIR Blog
Dubious Pipeline Assertions Become USA Today Headlines
*The irony of all this is that if Dear Misleader’s re-elected (the most likely outcome), he’ll use the same talking points of job creation and energy security to justify his approval of a rerouted pipeline.
Of course, his election victory will be owed in part to the support of “the environmental community”, which is why he rejected the current proposal, and why he sought to initially delay his decision.
But before he does the dirty deed, we’ll witness deja vu all over again, as the perpetually naive gather in front of the White House, once again appealing to his phantom conscience, and urging him to “do the right thing”.
I don’t mean to question their sincerity. It’s just that some people never learn.
And this world doesn’t have time for such a long learning curve, does it?
As the sign says …
THERE IS NO PLANET B
(More comments at link)
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/19/dubious-pipeline-assertions-become-usa-today-headlines/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
SOPA: Anti-Piracy or Censorship? Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales vs. Copyright Alliance’s Sandra Aistars
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/19/sopa_anti_piracy_or_censorship_wikipedias
1/18
Obama Administration Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline
Bill McKibben: “This is a victory for Americans who testified in record numbers”
- Common Dreams staff
*It’s hard to listen to McKibben et al. praise a blatantly political decision as some act of political courage.
With this, Dear Misleader opens the wallets of the “environmental community” for his campaign, and once re-elected, declares that a “painstaking review” of an alternate route has “allayed his concerns”.
Will that definitely occur?
Where would you put your money?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/18-3
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Hedge Funds, Goldman Sachs Lurk Beneath Greek Crisis
- Common Dreams staff
*A crass menagerie of loan sharks and vultures
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/18-1
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Fla. Legislation: More Privatization and Keep It From the Public
Bill would allow more privatization of correctional facilities, revises privatization of agency functions requirements
- Common Dreams staff
*And they call it “the Sunshine State”
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/18-4
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Websites Go Black to Protest Internet Censorship Bill
Organizations in opposition to bills fear openness of Internet at stake
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/18
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More Intellectual Dishonesty at the New York Times
by Thomas S. Harrington
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/18-7
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The Myth of “Isolated” Iran
Following the Money in the Iran Crisis
by Pepe Escobar
*Some deep intel on the situation, which I wish I had the wherewithal to be able to verify with confidence. I would advise keeping this in mind when deciphering developments.
One element left out of this equation, and many others, is what occurs when the carbon comes home to roost. What will the oil-addicted economies of nations rich and poor do once it’s unavoidably apparent, as it should have been long before, that we’re headed for the fate of all junkies who can’t kick the habit?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/18-4
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For God So Loved the 1 Percent …
by Kevin M. Kruse
*To these false prophets, God *is* Mammon
So the choice is moot
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/18-5
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Pressure Israel, Not Iran
by Marjorie Cohn
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/18
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FAIR Blog
NYT and the Racism Bog
“[I]nvoking arguments perceived to carry racial themes or other value-laden attack lines.”
I wonder if that’s how the Times described Hitler’s campaign rhetoric.
As for the White Citizens Council, my daddy was a member, and I can tell you that there wasn’t a racist bone in his body.
The soft tissue was another matter.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/18/nyt-and-the-racism-bog/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
The Facts About Food Stamps
*From pittance to penury
http://www.accuracy.org/release/the-facts-about-food-stamps/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Debating Tucson School District’s Book Ban After Suspension of Mexican American Studies Program
*I think it’s pretty obvious what Huppenthal’s agenda is.
Isn’t it interesting how disturbed he said he was by the Che poster, comparing it to one of Hitler, yet he didn’t ask how Guevara was presented to the students?
And he claims teachers changed their lessons for the audit, yet when he comes to class, the teacher discusses Franklin in a way she or he have had to know would be looked at jaundicedly by the superintendent.
Highly illogical, Captain.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/18/debating_tucson_school_districts_book_ban
Expansion of Indefinite Detention under NDAA Compounds Extradition Fears of WikiLeaks’ Assange
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/18/expansion_of_indefinite_detention_under_ndaa
1/17
Archbishop in Minnesota Opposes Marriage Equality, Dissent in Equal Measure
- Common Dreams
*God is love
(Void where prohibited)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/17-4
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Well Blowout, Toxic Water: Fracking Disasters on the Rise
Oil well blowout in Alberta, explosive water in Ohio put drilling technique under scrutiny
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/17-3
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Arizona School District Wipes Latino American History Off the Map
- Common Dreams staff
*Everything but the book burnings
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/17-2
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FAIR Blog
PBS, NPR Try to Defend Iran Distortions
*”It’s elementary, my dear Watson.
You cannot give up what you do not have.
A case in point:
Public broadcasting cannot abandon its commitment to honest reportage, as it has none to renounce.”
“Eminently logical, Holmes.”
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/17/pbs-npr-try-to-defend-iran-distortions/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Democracy: “Why Not Jordan?”
http://www.accuracy.org/release/democracy-why-not-jordan/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Wikipedia, Reddit to Shut Down Sites Wednesday to Protest Proposed Stop Online Piracy Act
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/17/wikipedia_reddit_to_shut_down_sites
“Internet Censorship Affects Everybody”: Rebecca MacKinnon on the Global Struggle for Online Freedom
*With Big Brother on keyboards:
Surveilling and censoring cyberspace
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/17/internet_censorship_affects_everybody_rebecca_mackinnon
Journalist Chris Hedges Sues Obama Admin over Indefinite Detention of U.S. Citizens Approved in NDAA
*Perry knows from despicable
I shouldn’t wonder that he collects the pens he’s used to sign hundreds of death warrants
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/17/journalist_chris_hedges_sues_obama_admin
1/16
Goodbye, Fish: Rising CO2 Direct Threat to Sea Life
Study: Rising CO2 affecting brains, central nervous systems of sea fish
- Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/16-6
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‘People’ of the Internet Unite to Fight SOPA/PIPA Legislation
- Common Dreams staff
*Depending on its political calculations, the White House may be behind you
Or it may just like it doggy style
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/16-0
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Highly Radioactive Concrete Is Latest Scare for Fukushima Survivors
Radiation fears have since become part of daily life in Japan
- Common Dreams staff
*Of profit margins and radiation levels
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/16-2
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On MLK Day, Romney Steps Up his Attacks on Immigrants
Romney Makes South Carolina Campaign Stop with Kris Kobach, Anti-immigrant Champion
- Common Dreams staff
*Romney gets a hard right on
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/16-3
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The Revolutionary MLK
Jared Ball: Martin Luther King Jr. stood for revolutionary transformation; he is used today to support policies that he fought against
by The Real News
*Ball fleshes out the false prophet of King Day
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2012/01/16-0
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The Crash and Burn Future of Robot Warfare
What 70 Downed Drones Tell Us About the New American Way of War
by Nick Turse
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/16-0
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Why I’m Suing Barack Obama
by Chris Hedges
*The terrorism that truly threatens our freedom
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/16
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Protest DNC
Organizations Announce Plans for Actions During the Democratic National Convention in September, and to Challenge City over Denial of Permits
*Some Southern discomfort for the Dems
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/16-1
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
SPECIAL: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in His Own Words
*What moves me, beyond the humanity in these words, is the context of them.
Many have spoken with equal eloquence of our obligation to each other, and of the forces which conspire to deter us from that obligation.
But King’s words possessed the unrivaled ability to be truly heard. He had the nation’s ear, and those words couldn’t be ignored.
And he chose to use that visibility to go beyond the parameters set for him, to go beyond the allowed to the demanded.
And he knew the cost of that defiance.
He was on the Jericho Road, and he did not pass by the man who fell among thieves.
That was a choice, but he didn’t consider it a choice. For him, it was a duty.
Had he made another choice, he might still be with us, but as a “revered civil rights leader”, an icon with no ability to inspire anyone other than the ignorant.
He would be the living embodiment of the statues and streets which bear his name, but are devoid of his spirit.
So while we should never place anyone on a pedestal, we should profoundly appreciate the courage and honesty in these words, and strive to mirror those essential human qualities in our own lives.
King’s death was a great blow to those who work for justice, but his legacy lives on in every one of us who realizes that we can never reach our journey’s destination as long as there are others left on the side of the road.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/16/special_dr_martin_luther_king_jr
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Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence
Declaration of Independence from the War in Vietnam
by Martin Luther King, Jr
*Full text
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/16-6
1/13
Foreshadowing of Another Oilpocalypse? Shell’s Arctic Drilling Plans Move Forward
-CommonDreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/13-0
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‘Teaching Bashing’ Bloomberg Draws Ire
-Common Dreams staff report
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/13-1
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Romney’s Tax Plan: Coddle the 1%
-Common Dreams staff
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/13
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Who Knew There Was So Much Poverty? The Poor, That’s Who
by Donna Smith
*I was leery that this would be another paean to “the wise persons” whom proclaimed progressives tend to knee-jerk genuflect before – not that they don’t often say wise things – but Smith makes an imperative point, doesn’t she?
Go to the source. Respect the folks catching the shit. Listen to their stories and their views.
If experience is the best teacher, we need those who live it on the faculty.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/13-12
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The (Remote-Controlled) War at Home
How activists are trying to bring the moral implications of drone warfare to light.
by Valerie Schloredt
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/13-9
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Arthur Brisbane, The NYT and Selective Stenography Journalism
by Glenn Greenwald
*Unquestionable content
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/13-11
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Easy to Gut Public Education When Your Own Kids Attend Private School
America’s Dangerously Removed Elite
by David Sirota
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/13-3
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Why Mayor Emanuel’s Proposed Anti-Protester Ordinances Are Everyone’s Concern
Author
by Andy Thayer
*Barack’s bud’s local version of “nope and chains”
http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/95586/index.php
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Institute for Public Accuracy
South Carolina, MLK, Black America’s Invisibility
*And those who castigated King now solemnly call us to remember him
Not as he was, but as he has been shaped
Into statues of stone that seek to encase his soul
Let us break open those sarcophagi
And release his spirit back into a world
So desperately in need of its presence
http://www.accuracy.org/release/south-carolina-mlk-black-americas-invisibility/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
2 Years After Devastating Earthquake, Haiti’s Rebuilding Weighed Down by Legacy of Foreign Meddling
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/13/2_years_after_devastating_earthquake_haitis
“Memory is the Active Agent of Collective Social Progress”: Randall Robinson on His New Novel Makeda
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/13/memory_is_the_active_agent_of
On Eve of MLK Day, Michelle Alexander & Randall Robinson on the Mass Incarceration of Black America
*This is the sort of narrative-negating imperative intel that should be the staple of independent media, don’t you think?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/13/on_eve_of_mlk_day_michelle
1/12
FAIR Extra!
Journalism Under Arrest
Clamping down on reporters at Occupy crackdowns
by Jim Naureckas
*You’d think the corpress outlets would raise holy hell about their people being treated like this.
But then you’d be applying reason to the wholly irrational, wouldn’t you?
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4457
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Foreclosure Nation: 2012 Could Bring Wave of Foreclosures
States likely to see surge of long-delayed foreclosure action in 2012
by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/12-1
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Rising Awareness in Class Divide, Many Point to OWS: Report
Compiled by Common Dreams staff
*I wouldn’t call it “uniquely”. Let’s say it’s a “quintessentially” American trait that we’ll acknowledge the patently obvious when it can’t be avoided, but we’ll refuse to draw the logical conclusion from it.
That’s a learned behavior.
And guess who are the teachers.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/12-0
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New Bill Would Put Taxpayer-Funded Science Behind Pay Walls
by Lena Groeger
ProPublica
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/12-2
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Revolving Door: From Top Futures Regulator to Top Futures Lobbyist
by Matt Taibbi
Rolling Stone
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/12-3
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War Clouds Darken: Russia Warns of US Strike on Iran
Ahmadinejad: ‘Heartless capitalism is the root cause of war’
-Common Dreams Staff Report
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/12-5
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Iran and the Terrorism Game
by Glenn Greenwald
*Speaking in forked tongues
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/12-2
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Why Romney’s “Firing” Gaffe Really Resonates
by David Atkins
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/12-7
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Montana Upholds Ban on Corporate Electioneering, Leads Growing National Revolt
by Jeff Milchen
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/12-0
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States Attempt to Instill ‘Work Ethic’ by Rolling Back Child Labor Protections
by Michelle Chen
*Greedy grownups and sleazy kid stuff
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/12-1
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FAIR Blog
NYT to Readers: Can You Handle the Truth?
*If the corpress had to document its own questionable assertions, there wouldn’t be any space left for the Style sections.
And it’s ironic how many of the false accusations hurled at Dear Misleader are about what I’d actually want him to be and do.
As the man said …
“Obama is not a brown-skinned, anti-war socialist who gives away free health-care.
You’re thinking of Jesus.”
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/12/nyt-to-readers-can-you-handle-the-truth/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Ex-FCC Commissioner Michael Copps on Media Consolidation, Broadband Expansion, Threats to Journalism
*I cringe whenever it’s implied that there was some “golden age” of media responsibility, when any objective reading of American history refutes that claim. We’re talking about a matter of degree, and not kind. The mainstream media has always reflected the views of the powerful. At one point the profit motive was less of an uber alles proposition, and some semblance of honest journalism was more evident than the present, but from Hearst (and before) to Murdoch, and also among the “respectable” outlets like the NYT and the Post, the goal of those who control content has always been to preserve privilege by limiting and falsifying what enters the public sphere.
As for “profanity”, the fact that liars and hatemongers can ply their corrupting craft unimpeded across the media landscape is far more of an obscenity that any amount of foul language could come close to equaling, don’t you think?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/12/ex_fcc_commissioner_michael_copps_on
1/11
Are Drones Watching You?
by Jennifer Lynch
Deeplinks Blog/EFF
*Giving us the evil eye in the sky
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/11-6
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Grandparents, Unite! Your Grandchildren’s Future is at Stake
by Sally and Bill McCoy
*Old souls
Young hearts
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/11-6
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Ten Years of Guantanamo, Threat of More Indefinite Detentions
*I have a problem with the intense focus on Guantánamo.
Certainly it should be closed, as should Bagram and all the black sites around the world. But the argument that these “create terrorists”, as though shuttering them would somehow transform the US into a beacon of justice, is just absurd.
Imperialism creates resistance. For all its contradictions, 1776, anyone?
A nation which respects other nations and peoples has no need for torture chambers, and no reason to fear “terrorism”, for it does not engage in it.
Guantánamo is a symptom, not the disease.
http://www.accuracy.org/release/ten-years-of-guantanamo-threat-of-more-indefinite-detentions/
Two Years after Haiti Earthquake: UN Cholera Epidemic Rages as Situation in Camps Deteriorates
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Romney Wins Republican New Hampshire Primary, Followed by Paul, Huntsman
*If this is “the greatest country in the history of the earth”
How is it that these schmucks have a shot at the highest office in it?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/11/romney_wins_republican_new_hampshire_primary
Romney Cements Front-Runner Status with Unlimited Spending from Unregulated Super PACs
*This is what’s often frustrating about DN!’s coverage. Airtime is precious, and shouldn’t be spent on conventional horse race reporting to any significant degree.
This segment should have focused on the Super PAC factor, not merely tacking it on at the end, don’t you think?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/11/romney_cements_frontrunner_status_with_unlimited
Rivals’ Attacks on Romney’s Corporate Record Display Occupy Wall Street’s Wide Reach
*Speaking of frustrating …
It’s absurd to claim that the cooptation of a narrative is tantamount to its success. Yes, its resonance has led to its being used as spin by Gingrich et al., but it will be consigned to that fate by those employing it for their own ends, and by the corpress, who will cast it as merely a campaign tactic, just as it’s dealt with the message from Occupy as a political curiosity, and not a political and economic truth it is obligated to actually report on in a conscientious manner.
As for this infatuation with Paul, don’t you have to ask yourself how his blatantly prejudiced newsletter rants, as well as the utter lack of humanity embodied in his libertarianism, would be covered were they the baggage lugged by one of the other Republican candidates?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/11/rivals_attacks_on_romneys_corporate_record
How New Hampshire Became Last U.S. State to Recognize MLK Day Holiday
*I’m glad to see Alpert draw that intense distinction between Paul’s vision and King’s, but again, this gets tacked on at the end, instead of being the central focus of the coverage of his campaign.
And it just stinks.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/11/how_new_hampshire_became_last_us
1/10
Florida Legislation Paves Ground for Water Privatization
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn open to selling water for industry, agriculture; may consider “toilet to tap” measures
by CommonDreams.org
*Flush with profit
While our rights go down the toilet
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/10-2
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Detroit May Be Next Michigan City to Get ‘Emergency Manager’
Finance team holds first meeting
by CommonDreams staff
CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/10-3
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Grow Up, Ron Paul
by Carl Gibson
*The “freedom” of enough rope
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/10
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Occupy Wall Street: Why Now? What’s Next?
Naomi Klein and Yotam Marom in Conversation About Occupy Wall Street
by Naomi Klein and Yotam Marom
*I thought this dealt with key questions we face in a relatively
intelligent fashion.
See what you think.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/10-1
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Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
Two Years Later, Haitians Are Worse Off Due to Cholera, Lack of Accountability, CEPR Co-Director Says
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/10-6
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Environmental Coalition Concludes New York State DEC’s Fracking Proposal Too Fatally Flawed to Move Forward
After two drafts, significant aspects of environmental impact statement still so deficient that it must be redone
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/10-7
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Hot Spots: Strait of Hormuz, South China Sea and Caspian Basin
*The junkies fight over the dirty energy stash
While we wait for the carbon OD
http://www.accuracy.org/release/hot-spots-strait-of-hormuz-south-china-sea-and-caspian-basin/
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FAIR Blog
‘Opinions Differ’ Should Be the Start of PolitiFact’s Job
*Isn’t it ironic that the less credibly a “fact-checker” does its job, the more credibility it has with the corpress?
Birds of a feather …
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/10/opinions-differ-should-be-the-start-of-politifacts-job/
Pundits and the Romney Pass
*So, Romney lies, and purportedly would be similar to Obama once in office.
And Obama lied, and is actually similar to Romney as President.
And they both get Clinton’s stamp of approval.
Welcome to “the liberal media”‘s wet dream.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/10/pundits-and-the-romney-pass/
It’s GOOD That Romney Has No Principles
*What have these schmenges been drinking?
And should it be allowed on the market?
(Given the evisceration of the FDA, that’s likely a moot question.)
As for drawing a direct line from socialist principles to Stalin’s, Mao’s and Kim’s horrors, isn’t that akin to blaming Jesus (or his ghostwriter) for the Crusades, the Inquisition, and all the other obscene sins of historical and current “Christianity”?
But I did learn that Carter was a “principled politician”.
I’ll pass that along to the people of Haiti, among others:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2263
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/10/its-good-that-romney-has-no-principles/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Guantánamo Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike to Protest Base’s 10th Anniversary
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/10/guantnamo_prisoners_launch_hunger_strike
Guantánamo Exclusive: Former Chief Prosecutor, Ex-Prisoner Call on Obama to Close Prison
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/10/guantnamo_exclusive_former_prisoner_chief_prosecutor
NDAA: Obama Signs Law Restricting Transfer of Guantánamo Prisoners and Expands Indefinite Detention
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/10/ndaa_obama_signs_law_restricting_transfer
Laid-Off Steelworker: Mitt Romney and Bain Capital Profited by Shutting Down Kansas Steel Plant
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/10/laid_off_steelworker_mitt_romney_and
1/9
New Report Details Extent of US Military Reliance on Drones
by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/09-5
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Poor US Citizens Barter Their Way to Health
Maine clinic allows low-income residents to do yard work or other labor in exchange for medical help
by Al-Jazeera
*You have to ask why the US is one of the only “developed” nations where this even needs to be considered, don’t you?
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2012/01/09
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Occupiers Target ‘Mayor 1% Emanuel’s’ Anti-Protest Ordinance
Occupy Rogers Park, Occupy the South Side campaign against Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s NATO/G-8 ordinance; “This measure is a permanent attack on public protest in the City of Chicago.”
by CommonDreams.org
*The winds of chains blow through ChiTown
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/09-3
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The Gospel of the Penniless, Jobless, Marginalized and Despised
by Chris Hedges
*I think there’s an analogy between Cone’s description of the redemptive power of black folks’ faith in the face of overwhelming oppression, and the role of our humanity in confronting what is very likely a hopeless struggle against the destruction of the conditions that make our existence possible.
The connection is that the ultimate goal is not success in the struggle, but in the realization of our moral selves through that struggle. That is something no oppressor can deny us. It is wholly contingent on our actions, individually and collectively.
If by our acts we can justly claim our humanity, then whatever the future holds, we can honestly say we have won.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/09
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Corporations Hate Taxes, So They Let the Children Pay
by Paul Buchheit
*A literal textbook case of child abuse
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/09-3
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Witness Against Torture
Over Fifty Citizens on Ten Day Fast for Justice Carry Guantanamo Cell to President Obama’s Front Door
Commit to Maintaining a 92-hour Vigil Until January 11, Tenth Anniversary of Guantanamo
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/09
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Crude Tragedy: Nigeria Repression and Austerity Lead to General Strike
*This illustrates the insanity of the profit system.
Nations like Nigeria have resources which, even if developed for their peoples’ benefit, will speed our descent into the hell on world we’re rushing toward, yet what else are they to do?
We have to unravel this Gordion knot, and move to a cooperative, money-free model that doesn’t force us into these damned if we do, damned if we don’t situations.
FAIR Blog
If PBS Is Afraid of Moyers, Maybe It Needs a New Slogan
*We shouldn’t put Moyers – or anyone else, for that matter – on a pedestal, but regardless, “PBS” can only stand for one thing today:
Pablum
Before
Substance
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/09/if-pbs-is-afraid-of-moyers-maybe-it-needs-a-new-slogan/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Drones, Asia and Cyber War: Pentagon Shifts Priorities in New Review; Budget Still Exceeds Bush Era
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/9/drones_asia_and_cyber_war_pentagon
Death of Private Danny Chen: Military Admits Chen was Target of Race-Based Hazing on Daily Basis
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/9/death_of_private_danny_chen_military
As Arizona Remembers Tucson Shooting, Virginia Tech Massacre Survivor Calls for New Gun Control
*I think the Second Amendment has no relation to the nature of arms ownership today. It’s an anachronism from a bygone time.
That said, the question of whether we should be able to own a gun isn’t straightforward. Certainly guns do far more harm than good. How many times have persons actually defended themselves or others using them, versus the murders, suicides, woundings and accidents their presence makes inevitable?
Does that mean they should be banned, or should they be allowed, but owners subject to stringent regulation, including thorough background checks and training?
My reading of the past history – and the present reality – of gun violence in this country leads me toward the former answer. Even with effective regulation, in a society in which violence of all types is a defining characteristic, whatever benefit that may occasionally be derived will still be far outweighed by the damage done.
In such a society, I don’t think the two can be separated. The only solution is to confront the causes of violence, and end the fear that induces us to arm ourselves.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/9/as_arizona_remembers_tucson_shooting_virginia
1/6
BlackRock’s Surprising Reach into the US Economy
by Eileen Appelbaum
CEPR Blog
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/06
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The Toll of Austerity: Eurozone Unemployment Hits New Record
Youth joblessness at 3.3 million in the eurozone
by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/06-0
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Florida Proposed Abortion Ban Would Put Doctors In Prison for Life
by Robin Marty
RH Reality Check
*Credo of the “pro-life”, safety net slashers
“If anyone’s gonna kill those babies, it’s gonna be us”
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/06-2
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Ex-Commander of Guantanamo Prison: ‘Close It’
After Ten Years, Disparate Voices Call for Guantanamo Closure
by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/06-1
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Climate-Related Severe Weather Made 2011 Costliest Year on Record: Reports
2011 Disasters Make it Costliest Year on Record
by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/06-6
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The Cheery Jobs Report That Isn’t: Outlook Still Dismal
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Almost 24 million people are unemployed or underemployed.
by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/06-4
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Veterans for Peace See Costs of War Continuing
Michael Jacobsen, Evan Knappenberger, and Carole Edrehi
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/06-5
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California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU)
Nurses to Join Call for Healthcare for the 99% in Monday Rallies
Actions in Sacramento, Los Angeles to Challenge Insurance Giants, Seek Passage of Bill to Extend Guaranteed Care to All Californians
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/06-6
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Public Citizen Applauds Obama Administration’s Continued Efforts to Reduce Teen Smoking; Appeal of Trade Pact Ruling Necessary First Step
Statement of Todd Tucker, Research Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch
*It always rankles when groups like Public Citizen “applaud” gummint actions like this, regardless of whatever benefits (often limited and transitory) they may have for the public.
You don’t thank a burglar for leaving your stereo behind. You want him arrested for the things he took with him.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/06-4
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FAIR Blog
When You Take Murdoch’s Leftovers, You Get Murdoch’s Sleaze
*Birds of a feather
Schlock together
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/06/when-you-take-murdochs-leftovers-you-get-murdochs-sleaze/
Action Alert: NYT Misinforms on Iran Crisis
*The truth is the first casualty of war
Long before the first shots are fired
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/06/action-alert-nyt-misinforms-on-iran-crisis/
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Money in Politics: Citizens United Setback in Montana; Gingrich Hoisted on Own Petard
DEMOCRACY NOW!
Deportation of U.S. Teen to Colombia Latest Failure of Immigration System
*Don’t you imagine there were those within the ICE who knew this was wrong, who would have done something, but didn’t act for fear of the repercussions?
What does that tell you about the true purpose of the system?
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/6/deportation_of_us_teen_to_colombia
1/5
Indiana Workers Stand against the ALEC Agenda and the Anti-Labor Bill Called the “Right to Work” (for Less)
by Lisa Graves
*Poison pastries from the cookie cutter from hell
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/05-11
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Durban’s Climate Debacle
by Janet Redman
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/05-8
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Secrets of Empire And Self-Deceptions Of Partisans
A howling defiance into the darkness of the corporate state night
by Phil Rockstroh
*Do we have the bus fare to travel from the ridiculous to the sublime?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/05-2
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Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
Data Suggest Long-term Unemployment Substantially Higher than Official Level
*The bitter taste of a numbers fudge
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/05-4
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Broad Coalition Opposes NDAA and Calls on President Obama to Keep His Promise and Shutter Guantanamo Bay Now
Groups will mark 10th anniversary of first detainees imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay with rally, human chain starting at White House; military, legal, religious and 9/11 families among speakers’ list
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/05-0
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Citizens United Backlash Grows from Cali. to NYC Urging Congress to Overturn Corporate Personhood
Occupy New Hampshire Protester Takes Romney to Task for Declaring “Corporations Are People”
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/5/citizens_united_backlash_grows_from_cali
As Statehouse Row Erupts over GOP Bill, Indiana Reps Debate Curbs on Right to Organize Unions
*It’s truly inspiring, the level of respect and collegiality reflected here.
Jesus H. Christ …
But even if he couldn’t bring himself to call Friend on his baldfaced lie about the intent of the bill, at least Battles did make clear the impact of right-to-work laws in the employee paradises of the South and West.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/5/as_statehouse_row_erupts_over_gop
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Is the Military Budget Really Being Cut?
*Taking a nail clipper to Godzilla
http://www.accuracy.org/release/is-the-military-budget-really-being-cut/
1/4
Ron Paul Would Allow ‘Open Season’ on Union Organizers
by Mike Elk
In These Times
*Why does the old union hymn, “Which Side Are You On?”, float up from my brainpan?
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/04-5
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Speeding Up Security: The TSA Wants to Screen Before They Scan
by Lena Groeger
ProPublica
*Fly the friendly skies
For a fee
(Oh, and forfeiting your privacy rights)
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/04-4
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States Take On Citizens United
Montana legal ruling a possible game-changer for states; California lawmakers introduce legislation to overturn Citizens United
by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/04-0
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Forced Military Testing in America’s Schools
by Pat Elder
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/04-0
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A Bill of Rights for Occupied Communities
A bill of rights that protects the rights to people and nature, but removes them from corporations? Your community could be next.
by Thomas Linzey and Jeff Reifman
*It doesn’t go far enough – very little does – but I thought it a concept worth consideration
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/04-7
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Super PACs Are Super Ruining Our Democracy
by Lisa Graves
*They pay the bills
We pay the price
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/04-13
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Cornucopia Institute
Wholesale Approval of Genetically Engineered Foods
Obama Administration Disappoints/Angers Public
Agent Orange Herbicide Ingredient Would be Widely Used
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/04-3
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Santorum’s Emergence Signals Divided GOP Base While Paul Gains from Dems’ Disenchantment with Obama
*I hope Fallon’s speaking for himself. If alliances with pick-your-prejudice Tea Baggers and support for a heartless bastard like Paul is the direction taken by Occupy, they can head off that way without me, I tell you what.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/4/santorums_emergence_signals_divided_gop_base
1/3
Exposed: The Military’s Freakiest ‘Non-Lethal’ Weapon Ideas
by Katie Drummond
Wired.com/Danger Room
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/03-5
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TransCanada Whistleblower: Keystone XL Pipeline Not Safe
by Mike Klink
*Pipe dreams
And nightmares
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/03
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The End of War for Whom?
by Sarah Lazare
*A moving piece on the spoilage of war
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/03-7
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Debacle! Iraq, Afghanistan and the End of US Supremacy
How Two Wars in the Greater Middle East Revealed the Weakness of the Global Superpower
by Tom Engelhardt
*A wounded beast is at its most dangerous
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/03-4
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National Priorities Project
Federal Money Keeps Iowa, New Hampshire Afloat
National Priorities Project examines federal money in state budgets, and direct federal support to individuals.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/03
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Institute for Public Accuracy
Santorum on Iran: Ignorance or Lies?
*It’s a moot question, isn’t it?
Since when did the facts figure into someone like Santorum’s actions?
http://www.accuracy.org/release/26333/
Occupy Iowa Caucuses
*Democrats appropriate the talk
And arrest the walk
http://www.accuracy.org/release/occupy-iowa-caucuses/
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Super PACs, Occupy Iowa Protests and a Surging Rick Santorum: Iowa GOP Caucus Begins 2012 Race
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/3/super_pacs_occupy_iowa_protests_and
“Pity the Billionaire”: Thomas Frank on the “Unlikely Comeback of the Right” Ahead of Iowa Caucus
*It’s hard to listen to the silliness regarding what Obama “could do”, when no one with a lick of sense thinks he’ll do anything other than what his oligarchical backers tell him to. He’ll pull out the “Hope and Change” ™ playbook from 2008, and sadly some will fall for it yet again, and he’ll most likely win by default, then get back to the business of running the economy, the nation and the planet over the cliff.
But what do you expect from someone like Frank – by no means an exception, of course – who reveres FDR as this progressive icon, rather than the savior of capitalist bacon. I’d imagine many industrialists and bankers were no friends of his, but others understood that a change had to happen, to stave off true revolt, and quietly backed his policies.
For that not be acknowledged, on a show billed as “the exception to the rulers”, indicates just how ill-served we all too often are by “independent media”.
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/3/pity_the_billionaire_thomas_frank_on
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FAIR Blog
New Audio of Hannity’s Homophobic History
*Isn’t it interesting how the perverts are often so obsessed with “perversion”?
per·vert (vt)
1. lead somebody away from good: to lead somebody or something away from what is considered good, normal, moral, or proper
2. misinterpret or distort something: to misinterpret or distort something such as a piece of text
3. use something improperly: to use something incorrectly or improperly
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/03/new-audio-of-hannitys-homophobic-history/
Time Cheers the Drone War
*There’s a certain twisted (What else?) logic to this.
You name “The Protester” Person of the Year …
Then gush about what increasingly will be used to provide “essential
info” on them.
See how nicely it fits?
Just like an orange jumpsuit.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/03/time-cheers-the-drone-war/
Grading George Will on Student Loan Debt
*Would Will be willing to share his intel on this college-to-career pipeline, where everyone who graduates immediately moves into a well-paying job?
There are a hefty number of unemployed college grads who’d be grateful for the info.
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/03/grading-george-will-on-student-loan-debt/
Pentagon Investigates Pentagon Pundits Scandal
*A brass band plays in the echo chamber
Drowning out the death rattles
http://www.fair.org/blog/2012/01/03/pentagon-investigates-pentagon-pundits-scandal/
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Ohio Fracking Wells Closed After Earthquakes
by CommonDreams.org
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/01/02-2
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Obama’s Only Friend Left?
by Russ Baker
*With friends like these
Is it any wonder who’s the enemy?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/02-6
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End of the Pro-Democracy Pretense
by Glenn Greenwald
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/02-1
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On Anniversary of Gaza War, We Will Remember IDF Soldiers Who Destroyed Palestinian Families
On the third anniversary of Operation Cast Lead, we must recall the other, nameless soldiers, guided by the spirit of the army’s top brass.
by Amira Hass
*I remember a powerful work by editorial artist Tony Auth from 1982 of the spirit of a Holocaust survivor looking on in horror as Israel invaded Lebanon.
Thirty years on, and his devastation remains.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/02-5
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The NDAA’s Historic Assault on American Liberty
By signing into law the NDAA, the president has awarded the military extraordinary powers to detain US citizens without trial
by Jonathan Turley
*Do you look good in orange?
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/01/02-7
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Obama Crowned Himself on New Year’s Eve
by David Swanson
*Now we know the Newspeak definition of “flexibility”
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/72/868
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The Euro Crisis in 7 Simple Charts: They’re telling you a real pack of lies
by John Weeks
*Any Keynesian “fix” within the context of the current system is superficial, as it can only ameliorate its unjust effects, not eradicate them.
But Weeks’ exposure of the propaganda justifying austerity is quite valuable.
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/81/866
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Crackpot Anti-Islam Activists, “Serial Fabricators” and the Tale of Iran and 9/11
by Gareth Porter
*The fact is, the facts can’t speak for themselves.
Someone has to speak them – clearly, loudly, and consistently – for them to be truly heard.
And that has no relation to the function of the corporate media, does it?
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/content/article/92/865
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Beyond Nuclear
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Agrees to Public Request to Review Dangerous Vents on US Fukushima-Style Reactors and Lack of Emergency Power for Cooling Waste Pools
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2012/01/02-0
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DEMOCRACY NOW!
Year of Global Uprisings, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street: A Special Look Back at 2011
*A year to remember
An obligation we can’t forget
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/2/year_of_global_uprisings_from_the
