Thursday 31 May 2012
Wednesday 30 May 2012
{Political_Views} Nation of Change / How the "Job Creators" REALLY Spend Their Money
REALLY Spend Their Money
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Robert Reich, Op-Ed: We now know austerity economics is bad for weak economies facing large budget deficits. Much of Europe is in recession because of budget cuts demanded by Germany. And as Europe's economies shrink, their debts become proportionally larger, making a bad situation worse. The way to avoid this austerity trap is to get growth and jobs back first, and only then tackle budget deficits. 
Amanda Peterson Beadle, News Report: "About 45 percent of the 1.6 million veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are seeking compensation for service-related injuries — more than double the 21 percent of veterans who filed such claims after the first Gulf War, according to an AP investigation. And new veterans are claiming an average of eight or nine ailments, and in the last year, the average has jumped from 11 to 14. By comparison, Vietnam veterans are receiving compensation for fewer than four injuries on average." 
Chris Hedges, Truthdig Op-Ed: The sentencing of Dharun Ravi for the hateful abuse that may have driven his gay roommate at Rutgers, Tyler Clementi, to commit suicide, or Barack Obama's public acceptance of gay marriage, prevents many of us from seeing that life for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people is getting worse—much worse. No one understands this better than the gay activist and Pastor Mel White. 
Justin Elliott, News Analysis: "After years of consideration, the Federal Communications Commission finally voted last month to require broadcasters to post online political ad data currently kept only on paper at the stations. Yet it's unclear when the data — which will provide a detailed picture of campaign and super PAC ad spending — will actually begin to be posted." 
Andrew Bacevich, Op-Ed: "When it comes to military policy, the Obama administration's success in shutting down wars conducted in plain sight tells only half the story, and the lesser half at that. More significant has been this president's enthusiasm for instigating or expanding secret wars, those conducted out of sight and by commandos. Handing war to the special operators severs an already too tenuous link between war and politics; it becomes war for its own sake." 
News Analysis: "On May 24, the Ohio's State Assembly passed Senate Bill 315—one of the worst fracking laws in the nation—by a 21-8 vote in the Senate and a 73-19 vote in the Ohio House that approves new regulations governing hydraulic fracturing in the Utica and Marcellus shale formations running under nearly half of the state. The shale gas provisions are part of a larger energy bill that also addresses Ohio's renewable energy portfolio standard." 
Video Interview: "Sam Seder, a political talk show host, interviews Alec Loorz—a high school senior, climate activist and founder of Kids vs. Global Warming and iMatter—on The Majority Report. Loorz is the lead plaintiff in the groundbreaking lawsuit against the U.S. government. Loorz talks about his work, the basis for the lawsuit and how youth across the country are responding in this incredible half-hour interview with Seder. Watch this inspiring video and learn how you can get involved." 
Amy Goodman, Video Interview: "Sharif Abdel Kouddous reports from Egypt, where protests erupted last night after final results were announced in the country's first-ever competitive presidential election. The top two candidates in the first round of the race are Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood and Ahmed Shafik, the last prime minister under Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a popular uprising 15 months ago. Morsi and Shafik will face each other in a runoff vote set to begin June 16." 
Richard (RJ) Eskow, Op-Ed: There's a lot we have yet to learn about the story of Sen. Mike Lee, Tea Party Republican of Utah, and America's largest bank. But we already know something's very, very wrong: Why is it that most Americans can't get a principal reduction from Chase or any other bank, but JPMorgan Chase was so very flexible with a sitting member of the United States Senate? 
Marta Molina, News Report: "We are party-less. We are not favoring any political party or candidate and we want the media to open up, to stop lying," said a student at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). They are party-less but not apolitical. The supposed apathy and individualism and by which the Mexican youth have been characterized has been disproved on the streets and on the web. 
Josh Harkinson, Special Coverage: "As we enter Day 254 of the Occupy movements the protests have spread not only across the country but all over the globe. Thousands of activists have descended on Wall Street these past weeks as part of the #OccupyWallStreet protest organized by several action groups. What follows is a live video stream and live Twitter feed of this event." 
Giuliano Battiston, News Analysis: Though the current global economic and financial crises are undoubtedly devastating much of the world, they present the perfect opportunity for remodeling our economic system, according to participants at the ninth annual Terra Futura (Future Earth) exhibition of 'good practices' in social, economic and environmental sustainability held here from May 25-27. 
Froma Harrop, Op-Ed: "About 25 years ago, Social Security taxes were raised above that needed to support current retirees and the surplus put in a trust fund. The goal was to create a buffer to keep the program healthy as the number of retirees grew and lived longer. Left alone, Social Security can pay all promised benefits for the next 20 years, and can continue doing so with some minor adjustments, such as raising the cap on income subject to payroll taxes." 
Chris Hamby, News Analysis: Since 1980, more than 450 accidents involving dust have killed nearly 130 workers and injured another 800-plus, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of data compiled by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. Both agencies, citing spotty reporting requirements, say these numbers are likely significant understatements. {Political_Views} The scariest 'mind control' drug in the world
>
> Now this is a very interesting, but short, documentary on
> scopolamine done by Vice Magazine.
>
> Scopolamine is portrayed in the media as a dangerous drug, which it
> most certainly is, due to its overwhelming ability to make its
> users completely open to suggestion, but they neglect to really
> cover it's long history and the many ways in which our government
> has put the drug to use.
>
> Navy scientists are presently testing scopolamine as an 'anti-motion
> sickness' gel.
>
> The CIA once tried it as a 'truth serum', but found it much more
> useful as a sort of mind control drug. Something that may have been
> used on the likes of John Hinckley Jr. or Sirhan Sirhan according
> to retired insiders, but who knows?
>
> The world's scariest drug...
>
> NOTE: Some strong language is used in this video.
>
> Video:
>
> http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/10664.html
>
> Goodman Green
> - Brasscheck
>
> P.S. Please share Brasscheck TV e-mails and
> videos with friends and colleagues.
>
> That's how we grow. Thanks.
>
> ================================
> Brasscheck TV
> 2380 California St.
> San Francisco, CA 94115
>
> To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
> http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zAxs7OwctCzs7AwsLBwctEa0jCwsLByMjOw=
>
>
{Political_Views} Fw: Memorial day through the eyes of a combat veteran
----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel P
To: me
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 6:02 AM
Subject: Memorial day through the eyes of a combat veteran
>
> As always, we'll hear a lot of talk on Memorial Day...
>
> And very little of it will come from actual combat veterans.
>
> Here's one from a World War II veteran that speaks his mind.
>
> Video:
>
> http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/10730.html
>
> - Brasscheck
>
> P.S. Please share Brasscheck TV e-mails and
> videos with friends and colleagues.
>
> That's how we grow. Thanks.
>
> ================================
> Brasscheck TV
> 2380 California St.
> San Francisco, CA 94115
>
> To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
> http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zAxs7OwctCzs7AwsLBwctEa0jCysDKysDGw=
>
>
Tuesday 29 May 2012
{Political_Views} Scott Walker's Recall Hypocrisy | The Nation
Scott Walker Bad for Wisconsin: Bad for America.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/168100/scott-walkers-recall-hypocrisy?rel=emailNation
{Political_Views} Robert Reich | Memorial Day Thoughts on National Defense
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Yifat Susskind, News Report: "Smallholder women farmers save and exchange seeds that help keep local crops viable. They demonstrate how to adapt to climate change by adjusting planting cycles, experimenting with new drought-resistant crops and more. They produce crucial food supplies using the small-scale, organic methods that are increasingly recognized as vital to the health of the planet—and everyone who lives on it. There are differences, of course." 
Richard (RJ) Eskow, Op-Ed: "It was Morgan Stanley's brokers who, in one notorious account, loved to brag 'I ripped his face off!' after convincing one of the firm's own clients to buy a stock that the firm knew was lousy. (See Frank Portnoy's account in Fiasco.) CNBC reports that 'Morgan Stanley may have spent billions of dollars to support the (Facebook) stock price by buying shares in the market.' This kind of market manipulation is common." 
Anthony Gucciardi, News Report: "Disturbingly, these are not the worst chemicals found in McNuggets. Dimethylpolysiloxane, a type of silicone, is added as an anti-foaming agent to the nuggets. This is the same ingredient that is used in breast implants and silly putty (and is now being phased out due to health concerns), and this ingredient is now marketed towards children — one-third of which are obese." 
Chris Longenecker, News Analysis: "We have now spent six months without a central place for our movement to thrive, for us to work and meet one another, for new people to know where to come to get involved, or for us to provide services to the community. Those long, hard months have taught us that the police state will never tolerate public occupations again, having seen the strength of our alternatives." 
Travis Waldron, Op-Ed: "Though the SEC has made progress in hiring new staffers and improving its technological capabilities, Schapiro conceded that, in some areas, the efforts haven't gone far enough. As Think Progress noted in January, adequately funding the CFTC and SEC is imperative to successfully implementing new regulations and policing Wall Street. Republicans oppose those efforts and have repeatedly pushed for cuts to the agencies' budgets." 
Robert S. Becker, Op-Ed: "Ah, the irony: everyone wants change, no one loves the status quo, and the majority reviles Congress, wonders about the president, and some days wants to drown government itself. Think on it: so much exertion, so many words and lies broadcast, all for this wimpy dead-end: the static status quo? Like other fantasies, salvation or quick domestic job growth, change rattles our collective unconscious, but reality is aloof and immovable." 
Josh Harkinson, Special Coverage: "As we enter Day 252 of the Occupy movements the protests have spread not only across the country but all over the globe. Thousands of activists have descended on Wall Street these past weeks as part of the #OccupyWallStreet protest organized by several action groups. What follows is a live video stream and live Twitter feed of this event." 
Robert Reich, Op-Ed: "We can best honor those who have given their lives for this nation in combat by making sure our military might is proportional to what America needs. The United States spends more on our military than do China, Russia, Britain, France, Japan, and Germany put together. With the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the cost of fighting wars is projected to drop – but the 'base' defense budget (the annual cost of paying troops and buying planes, ships, and tanks – not including the costs of actually fighting wars) is scheduled to rise." 
Cora Currier and Paul Kiel , Op-Ed: "What stands out is that even states slammed by the foreclosure crisis are diverting much or all of their money to the general fund. In California, among the hardest hit states, the governor has proposed using all the money to plug his state's huge budget gap. And Arizona, also among the worst hit, has diverted about half of its funds to general use. Four other states where a high rate of homeowners faced foreclosure during the crisis are spending little if any of their settlement funds on homeowner services: Georgia, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Maine." 
Doug Pibel, Op-Ed: "Consider this: 79 million baby boomers will be entering their elder years in the next two decades. Where will they live? Elders who live with others are healthier, by 15%. For older men, rates of depression are more than double for those living alone (30% vs. 12%). One of the biggest costs of housing—both monetary and ecological—is heating and cooling. But it means you're heating and cooling half the space you were before." 
Stephen Leahy, News Report: "While a temperature increase of 3.5 degrees Celsius may seem small, it would create conditions not seen on the planet for 30 to 60 million years. Most of the increase in emissions last year is from increased coal use in China and India, according to preliminary estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA) released Thursday. Developed countries, led by Europe and the United States, reduced emissions by .6 percent collectively."