Healthcare spending in US dwarfs other OECD countries

The Kaiser Family Foundation released a new report showing that the US spends significantly more on heathcare than other western countries and with poor results despite the growing expenditures.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/03/971177/-Healthcare-spending-in-US-dwarfs-theOECD?utm

"In 2000, the World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th in the world. In 2006, "the United States was number 1 in terms of health care spending per capita but ranked 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for adult female mortality, 42nd for adult male mortality, and 36th for life expectancy."

Liberal Group’s Video Assails Koch Brothers - NYT

The Times gives space to Brave New Foundation launch of a longterm activism campaign against the Koch brothers and their anti-worker, anti-environment agenda. In the initial strike of filming the BNF filmmakers shoot outside five of the Koch mansions across the country, and attempt to interview the industrialist brothers.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/liberal-groups-video-campaign-assails-koch-brothers/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Genetically Engineered Food News Launches Website to Inform Consumers of GMOs

A new website dedicated to informing consumers of the dangers and effects of genetically modified and genetically engineered food has been launched. The link here is to a press release of the announcement from Genetically Engineered Food News.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8358952.htm

Genetically Engineered Food News link with useful resources on all varieties of GE crops including vegetables, fruit and trees, as well as animals. There is also an impressive group of partners and friends among the detailed list of supporters including OCA and Food & Water Watch among many others.
http://geneticallyengineeredfoodnews.com/

The Deadly Corruption of Clinical Trials

This Mother Jones story is from October 2010 and examines the deadly risks of patients who enroll in pharmaceutical clinical drug trials.
http://motherjones.com/environment/2010/09/dan-markingson-drug-trial-astrazeneca

"The danger lies not just in the particular circumstances that led to Dan's death, but in a system of clinical research that has been thoroughly co-opted by market forces, so that many studies have become little more than covert instruments for promoting drugs. The study in which Dan died starkly illustrates the hazards of market-driven research and the inadequacy of our current oversight system to detect them."

After Surviving War in Iraq, US Troops Now Being Killed by Big Pharma

The US Army apparently freely prescribes psychotropic drugs, sleeping pills and other medications to soldiers in the field, resulting in pharmaceutical addictions and disturbingly high suicide rates among veterans. One-third of the US Army is currently on at least one prescription drug many of which are psychiatric chemical treatments. This NaturalNews.com article from February examines a number of examples as well as the pervasiveness of pharmacological treatment for a host of problems facing these soldiers.
http://www.NaturalNews.com/031379_soldiers_psychiatric_drugs.html

An excellent and thorough NYT article on this topic: 
For Some Troops, Powerful Drug Cocktails Have Deadly Results
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/us/13drugs.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha3

Psychiatrists and Big Pharma Desperately Want to Diagnose and Treat Your "Mental Illness" with Addictive, Dangerous and Expensive Psychotropic Drugs

Over the past couple of days I carefully screened the documentary "Marketing of Madness" produced by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights. The video is almost three hours long and I recommend watching it in parts as the information is stunning and difficult to absorb all at once. In short, this important and disturbing work painstakingly establishes how the field of psychiatry has become compromised by financial relationships with drug companies that have led practitioners to more broadly define mental illness through the peer-generated DSM guidelines, and prescribe drugs with dangerous side effects to treat symptoms of disease. These psychotropic drugs do not cure the diseases or conditions but rather suppress the symptoms, and at the same time dramatically increase most patient's risk of depression, suicide, heart attack and sudden death, depending on the drug in question. The mechanism of action for all psychotropic drugs as listed on the package insert is "unknown" and the results of clinical trials and post-marketing research demonstrate that such drugs are very dangerous indeed. The money involved in the psychotropic drug industry amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars in the US alone and this money has corrupted the profession and regulatory agencies. I cannot begin to touch on the compelling evidence that many millions are being victimized and exploited by pharmaceutical companies and psychiatrists in the mental health field and strongly urge you all to watch this important film. The links below all connect to the same documentary and I will post articles on these very important issues shortly. A Quick Facts reference link from CCHR is also listed below.


Citizens Commission on Human Rights - The Marketing of Madness
http://www.cchr.org/videos/marketing-of-madness/introduction.html

The Marketing of Madness - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1nbZCNDgbY&feature=related

The Marketing of Madness - Dr. Mercola.com

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/03/tips-to-avoiding-depression.aspx

CCHR - Quick Facts About Psychiatry
http://www.cchr.org/quick-facts/introduction.html

Note: The CCHR was established by the Church of Scientology and functions independent of that entity, as an international psychiatric watchdog group. I do not endorse the church but I do believe that the CCHR is an important critical voice with regard to abuses on the part of psychiatrists and the pharmaceutical industry. 

Wisconsin Voters Reject GOP Governor's Anti-Labor Agenda, Giving Key Election Win to Democrats

Democrats gained a seat in the Wisconsin Assembly as special elections to fill seats held by Walker appointees were held on Tuesday. The win was for a western district formerly held by Walker's right-hand man, Michael Huebsch, and indicates that the recall vote in that area against Dan Kapanke could well succeed this fall. If the Democrats can gain two more State Senate seats out of the six GOP recall elections, and not lose any in Dem recall votes,  they will achieve a majority in the Assembly.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/160386/wisconsin-voters-reject-gop-governors-anti-labor-agenda-giving-key-election-win-democrat

New Study Shows Higher Mortality Risk at For-Profit Dialysis Chains

Diabetes is a cash cow in the US that affects many millions of Americans. A good part of the problem stems from the use of High Fructose Corn Syrup in many foods, particularly soda, the reliance of many on fast food for nutrition, and a reduced emphasis on exercise in our schools. Another hazard, it turns out, is that privatized dialysis operations are providing inferior care to many diabetes patients, greatly reducing the odds of patients for living with the disease. In fact, mortality rates of these treatment centers, when compared to not-for-profit providers, are as much as 24% higher for those receiving treatment in the privatized outfits.
https://www.propublica.org/article/new-study-shows-higher-mortality-risk-at-in-for-profit-dialysis-chains

Washington Already Considering Ways To Ruin Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Details on some new bills designed to weaken the mandate and regulatory impact of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has been targeted by the GOP and industry as a threat to profits as it seeks to protect consumer rights in financial matters by streamlining contracts and disclose true pricing in a host of financial transactions.
http://consumerist.com/2011/05/washington-already-considering-ways-to-ruin-consumer-financial-protection-bureau.html

Feds Gave $220 Million In Bailout Bucks To Two Morgan Stanley Wives For Some Reason

I hadn't heard about this little deal that was part of the TARP bailout. It's just one little reminder of how the banking industry is making the public pay for their crappy derivative loan packages, and exploiting a broken system for personal and corporate gain.
http://consumerist.com/2011/05/feds-gave-220-million-in-bailout-bucks-to-two-morgan-stanley-wives.html

The Next Big Thing In Industry: Water Profiteering

Executive Director of Food & Water Watch, Wenonah Hauter, reports on industry's plans to privatize water around the world after attending GlobalWater Summit 2011. Some of the distressing details highlighted include the push to sell water in lieu of investment in government maintenance of water systems that would guarantee access to such a basic necessity of life, and an example of a secret privatization deal for water in Berlin that increased the cost of water by 35% with decreased service and quality.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/the-next-big-thing-in-industry-water-profiteering/

Docs on Pharma Payroll Have Blemished Records, Limited Credentials

I will be posting several links to reporting on the pharmaceutical industry's unethical behavior in promoting its drugs and downplaying side effects as well as natural remedies that are currently available to the public. Efforts are underway to undercut the availability of herbal remedies, shown to be effective in numerous studies for various diseases, by Bog Pharma and also the FDA. Resistance is currently building in Europe to EU efforts to sharply reduce availability of safe and natural medicinal herbs (European THMPD - Traditional Herbal Medicinal Product Directive), and enforcement actions have been taken against natural health companies in the US on the part of the FDA. This story concerns only the unscrupulous methods that drug companies use to legitimize their drugs and garner patients, and it comes from the rock-solid investigative journalism organization ProPublica.
http://www.propublica.org/article/dollars-to-doctors-physician-disciplinary-records

EU Successfully Undermines Ireland as GMO-free Zone

This post was from March and demonstrates that the situation in Ireland is very much in flux despite those who want to force a moratorium on GM crops on the island nation. It appears the EU is an aggressive promoter of GMOs despite the labeling victory in Europe and the concerns of the public.
http://www.naturalnews.com/031630_GMOs_Ireland.html

The Archives: Japan Quake 2011

BagNewsNotes.com is a photo-journalism site with an activist passion that posts incredible images on hosts of issues and scenes from around the globe. This link is one of the various archive collections and provides dozens of compelling and chilling images from the Fukushima nuclear disaster zone.
http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/category/japan-quake-2011/

President Obama Gives Berth… to Industry

This Food & Water Watch bulletin documents how the Obama Administration has fast-tracked biotech GE crops and GE salmon without conducting thorough safety and environmental impact studies, and has given the green light to widespread natural gas fracking despite vocal opposition and concerns for health and drinking water supplies related to the hydraulic fracturing technique.
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/blogs/president-obama-gives-berth-to-industry/

CDC research scientist who downplayed autism link to vaccines indicted by DOJ for fraud and money laundering

News of this criminal indictment comes from NaturalNews.com, the fourth largest alternative media site and a courageous voice on the Internet. Edited by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, this site covers issues rarely reported in the mainstream that raise serious issues about the agenda of various regulatory agencies, such as CDC and FDA. This investigative report puts the integrity of Poul Thorson's widely published research in doubt in the course of illuminating the revolving door ties that CDC has with pharma and the vaccine industry.
http://www.naturalnews.com/032216_Thorsen_fraud.html

Wal-Mart -- It's Alive! How the Company Is Terrorizing the Country With its Corporate 'Personhood'

This is a great piece by Barbra Ehrenreich as she seeks to define what sort of 'person' Wal-Mart could be.
http://www.alternet.org/news/150766/wal-mart_--_it's_alive!_how_the_company_is_terrorizing_the_country_with_its_corporate_'personhood'/?page=1

Public School Teachers and Their Unions Are Under Attack -- Here's How We Can Save Them

Teachers unions are under attack all over the country, an assault designed to weaken the rights of public education as it strips unions of collective bargaining rights and pushes the privatized charter schools agenda.
http://www.alternet.org/news/150727/public_school_teachers_and_their_unions_are_under_attack_--_here's_how_we_can_save_them_/?page=1

Hundreds of Miles of Wind Farms, Networked Under the Sea

Although I worry about what such an ambitious wind farm project would do to the ocean and fisheries, this report from Dave Roberts outlines an impressive strategy for supplying clean energy to much of the Atlantic coast.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-04/ambitious-east-coast-wind-farm-could-produce-cheap-electricity-grand-scale

Now that we’ve killed Osama bin Laden, let’s kill oil

This piece shows that oil money has fueled terrorist organizations around the world and points out that adopting the EPA's proposed standards for trucks (47) and cars (62mpg) would save $500 billion over 5 years and dramatically reduce the black oil money in play.
http://www.grist.org/oil/2011-05-02-now-that-weve-killed-bin-laden-lets-kill-oil

Death's door - Fukushima Radiation Update

This essay updates information on conditions in Japan as the country continues to grapple with the terrifying specter of radiation contamination, and authorities continue to understate the dangers that its citizens are facing. The Fukushima nuclear meltdown story is fast fading from mainstream media coverage but there are still many independent and progressive journalists on the Internet following developments. Let's not forget about the horrors of radiation unleashed on the Japanese population, that ultimately affects all of us, as politicians and industry in the US continue to promote nuclear energy here at home.
http://www.NaturalNews.com/032251_Fukushima_radiation.html

Aide to Japan PM Quits Over Radiation Limits
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/asia-pacific/2011/04/201143061328786950.html

Chris Hedges Speaks on Osama bin Laden’s Death

Reflections on the reported death of bin Laden by a former reporter for the NYT who covered the first Gulf War and 9/11. Food for thought as we contemplate the euphoria that bin Laden's death has sparked in the US.
http://www.truth-out.org/chris-hedges-speaks-osama-bin-laden’s-death/1304343151

Inside the GOP's Fact-Free Nation

This is a terrific primer and review of the power of lying to promote policies and mislead public debate. The national media is the prime culprit in the "ends justify the means" philosophy that punctuates our national psyche today and this excellent piece steps through some of the major events and behaviors that have resulted in deception of the public becoming the chief tool of governance in America.
http://beta.motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/history-political-lying

Climate legislation advances in 16 major countries

I'm not sure this is really big news but it is instructive to keep on top of what changes are being implemented around the world to reduce carbon emissions and fight global warming. The US is lagging in this effort while countries such as Germany and China are moving much more aggressively in a positive direction by stimulating investment and implementation of sustainable energy alternatives. We have an important fight here in America to refocus on the climate issue and mute the climate deniers of the GOP and the oil and gas industry.
http://www.grist.org/climate-change/2011-04-26-climate-legislation-advances-in-16-major-countries-says-new

Is there a toxic mercury hot spot near you?

Coal-fired power plants in the US produce all sorts of dangerous pollution that undermines the health and quality of life of the American public. Mercury is a particularly toxic pollutant emitted by these power plants and this article highlights a number of hotspots with high concentrations of Mercury that are poisoning people near these plants. The GOP is actively fighting against proposed regulations to cut these emissions by 90% and it will take concerted resistance from the voting public to counter their reckless, pro-businaee-at-all-costs agenda.
http://www.grist.org/coal/2011-04-28-is-there-a-toxic-mercury-hot-spot-near-you

"USA! USA!" is the wrong response

I, personally, was disappointed to see the throngs outside the White House deliriously celebrating Bin Laden's death when the news broke out last night. What is there to celebrate in the post 9/11 world in which the US is now engaged in four wars or military occupations (Libya and Yemen recently added to the mix) supported by a political complex that not only tolerates but defends and empowers war profiteering on behalf of our massive and powerful industries. No doubt there are many speaking once again about "American Exceptionalism" now that we have finally killed Osama Bin Laden after ten years of not really trying. Yet there is very little that is exceptional about our country today beyond the ignorance of our population and manipulation of opinion by our media, as the US increasingly projects a militaristic agenda that seeks to strip its own people of individual rights, jobs (through globalization) and subvert the potential for reform and justice that our democracy has promised for so many generations through the corruption of our political process. Money is king and it controls not only the business priorities of the nation but the very essence of governance across the spectrum. The boogie man is dead but wars and exploitation of our populace will rage on despite the empty promise of hope offered by the breaking news.
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/05/02/osama_and_chants_of_usa/index.html

This piece from The Nation illustrates the way we now blindly celebrate patriotism at sporting events and the backlash that comes to those citizens and athletes who question the wisdom of the wars that came from the tragedy of 9/11. The author reminds us of what happened to NFL star turned Army Ranger Pat Tillman when he began to openly question the legality of the war in Iraq.

Sports, bin Laden and the New Normal

http://www.thenation.com/blog/160329/sports-bin-laden-and-new-normal

A Star Silicon Valley Investor Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is For Sustainable Ag

I was pleased to learn of two startups supporting sustainable agriculture that Ali Partovi, hot-shot Microsoftie and Facebook investor, has helped bring to market: Farmigo and BrightFarms. The first allows consumers to order directly from farmers, cutting out middlemen and reducing transportation fuel burn while the latter is a company that proposes to build greenhouses atop supermarkets to create local produce in a most efficient and climate-friendly way. Partovi's endeavors are a welcome antidote to Bill Gates' major investments in biotech.
http://civileats.com/2011/04/28/a-star-silicon-valley-investor-puts-his-money-where-his-mouth-is-for-sustainable-ag/

Wisconsinites Get Revved up for Worker’s Rights

With recall signatures in place on six Republican state senators who voted to gut collective bargaining rights and impose widespread social program cuts, Wisconsinites are continuing stand up for their rights as citizens.
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/05/10694/wisconsinites-get-revved-worker’s-rights

Unsafe at Any Dose

A founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Helen Caldicott, writes a compelling opinion piece on the dangers of nuclear energy and how the industry and its dedicated physicists mislead the public about its safety. She also calls on other physicians to better educate the public and policymakers on these issues. A truly great piece that will hopefully be influential to millions of people who care about the dangers of radiation for human health.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/opinion/01caldicott.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Meanwhile, in Japan, an advisor brought on after the nuclear crisis began has resigned claiming that the government is not adequately protecting the population from radiation. In particular, children near Fukushima are now allowed as much radiation exposure as nuclear plant workers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/world/asia/01japan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Ousted Administrator Has Doubts About Jindal's Privatization Plan

The privatization bug has bitten the GOP all over the country, as evidenced in the push for charter schools, martial law in Michigan used to takeover local government statutory authority and crush the teacher's union in Detroit, efforts to sell off public utilities to industry in Wisconsin, and many other examples. These efforts are all about making money with state (public) resources and will not in any way benefit citizens. This story details legislation in Louisiana to privatize the state public employees health insurance plan, in what appears to be a gift to industry that will cost both the state and the public in the long run.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/04/ousted_administrator_has_doubts_about_jindals_priv.php

Cagey Obama Sets an Election Trap for Paul Ryan and the Koch Bros.

This is an encouraging piece that shows how President Obama has responded to Rep. Ryan's (R-WI) draconian budget bill in recent public comments. It also suggests that Obama's strategy is to aggressively attack destructive political agenda of the Koch brothers in the upcoming election.
http://www.alternet.org/news/150753/cagey_obama_sets_an_election_trap_for_paul_ryan_and_the_koch_bros./?utm

VERMONT MAKES HISTORY, PASSES UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

Vermont became the first state in the Union to pass universal healthcare legislation with a single payer system that promises to dramatically reduce health costs while guaranteeing all citizens universal access to medical care. This is a historic development and very exciting news indeed. 
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/vermont_makes_history_passes_universal_healthcare_20110430/?utm

Oil Prices: Gouge Us Baby One More Time

This link connects to a short piece on the causes of the recent rise in oil prices that have driven gasoline over $4 a gallon, as well as the GritTV video report from Laura Flanders. Good stuff.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/160191/oil-prices-gouge-us-baby-one-more-time

Obama: 'Strongly Disapprove' Of Ohio, Wisconsin Union Bills

The President has been largely silent in the wake of at least 18 states introducing legislation to strip collective bargaining rights for public sector workers. Some believe, and I hope, that this is a deliberate policy to allow the GOP to continue its overreach with the result that the public will unleash an electoral backlash on those who support the anti-worker policies. In Ohio there is an effort underway to garner the 231,000 signatures required to put a repeal of the legislation on the ballot. 
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2011/04/27/story-columbus-obama-senate-bill-5.html?sid=102

Daniels to defund Planned Parenthood in Indiana

I haven't heard or read much about citizens standing up against Gov. Daniel's anti-worker and anti-environment agenda and legislation in Indiana and I hope there is a resistance movement building in the state. Now, the governor has said he will sign a bill to defund Planned Parenthood and deprive as many as 22,000 women access to Pap tests, birth control and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/04/30/us_daniels_planned_parenthood/index.html

GMO Pesticides Linked to Birth Defects, Disruption of Male Hormones, Cancer

Recent studies have expanded the body of evidence of the dangerous health impact that GMO pesticides such as Roundup have on human health. The new studies and links to previous scientific reports are rarely, if ever, reported in the mainstream media. We should all do our best to get the word out about the public health dangers represented by the biotech industry and realize that the major reason the US has the world's highest cancer rates is the lack of vigilant regulation of the chemical industry that is pervasive in the nation today.
http://www.NaturalNews.com/032201_pesticides_birth_defects.html

“Inert” Ingredients in Roundup Pesticide Contain Dioxane!

This piece documents that Roundup Super Concentrate Weed and Grass Killer contains dioxane, known to be carcinogenic and to cause damage to liver, kidney, brain and lungs. The story also reports that a new GE maize capable of expressing six different insecticidal toxins is likely to be approved for use in Europe.
http://farmwars.info/?p=5943&utm

What Stanley McChrystal Did to Pat Tillman’s Family

President Obama has apparently appointed General McChrystal to head a new initiative to help military families despite the fact that he covered up Pat Tillman's friendly fire death with a false Silver Star citation and nationally televised ceremony. 
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/what_stanley_mcchrystal_did_to_pat_tillmans_family_20110413/?utm

Insurers Getting Rich By Not Paying for Care

We pay the most for healthcare in the world and receive the least in return with 50 million uninsured and ever larger co-payments and premium rates. The health insurance industry makes money by denying care and the big seven managed care companies are raking it in despite the hysteria over Obamacare.
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/04/10665/insurers-getting-rich-not-paying-care

Government-backed corn ethanol lurches on, paving a road to nowhere

Ethanol derived from corn is an inefficient alternative to fossil fuel with a nominal impact on greenhouse reduction and is environmentally destructive. We need to stop subsidizing it from the highest levels of government.
http://www.grist.org/corn/2011-04-28-government-backed-corn-ethanol-lurches-on-paving-road-to-nowhere

Frankenfoods in Your "Natural" Foods Store: Whole Foods or Whole Hypocrisy?

I find that the issue of genetically modified and transgenic food, which is already dominant in the US food market, is particularly hard for people to contemplate and take action on. These foods are so commonplace and most of us have been eating them for the past 15 years without many apparent side effects. Yet allergies and diabetes have skyrocketed over the past two decades, and there are many other aspects of the biotech takeover of our food supply of monumental concern, including increased sterility rates, ADHD and obesity in our society, problems that have been linked in scientific analysis and study to these GM seeds and food products that are engineered as ingredients for virtually every food item you will find in a store. 


There are also serious legal issues in the biotech industry that are centered around the patent protection of GM seeds as intellectual property. This US Supreme Court ruling gave companies like Monsanto the legal wherewithal to prosecute non-participating or compliant farmers with theft of intellectual property, resulting in hundreds of lawsuits. Based on spurious accusations that claim that conventional farmers, whose crops had likely been contaminated with GM seed through naturally occurring pollination, stole Monsanto GM seed (Corn, Soy, Sugar Beets and now, Alfalfa) even though there could be zero incentive for them to do so. Hundreds of farmers have been bankrupted by these suits, that often originate with undercover Monsanto operatives infiltrating the community under false pretenses and even contacting farmers at AA meetings. Several thousand farmers in India have committed suicide as a result of a disastrous investment in the promise of biotech riches. Recent USDA rulings for GM Alfalfa and Sugar Beets threaten to contaminate the certified organic Alfalfa critical to the organic market.


This situation is really bad but it is not hopeless. Even though more than 90% of corn and soy grown in the US is genetically modified, and the dominance of Roundup Ready seed and pesticide presents two formidable corporate adversaries, people still have the ability to push back in a meaningful way. But, we have to pay attention and get in the game! 
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22991.cfm

Here is a link to the OCA action page for those who want to get involved in the fight against GMOs.
http://organicconsumers.org/action.cfm

Radioactive Rubberstamp - Greenpeace Petition

The NRC is way too cosy with the nuclear industry in the United States and has been pushing nuclear power and its safety despite the catastrophic meltdown in Japan. As we consider energy options for the nation moving forward I strongly believe that nuclear energy, that is so dangerous that the private sector will not invest without government subsidies and limits on liability, is not worth the myriad risks that it presents. Please sign this Greenpeace petition to halt the re-licensing of old reactors in the States. It only takes a moment and collectively we can make a difference by applying pressure to policymakers.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/news-and-blogs/campaign-blog/radioactive-rubberstamp/blog/34470

Armed agents invade Maxam Nutraceutics and steal natural health products in shocking FDA raid

It's becoming clear that a war is being waged against natural health remedies as evidenced by the effort to make the growing of medicinal herbs illegal in Europe as I posted a few days ago, and the alarming and unjustified SWAT-style raid and seizures perpetrated against Maxum Nutraceutics recently. It appears in this case that the FDA and FBI are doing the pharmaceutical industry's dirty work.
http://farmwars.info/?p=5935&utm

Median U.S. household income fell 5% between 1999 and 2009. Globalization remains the core problem

An enduring era of stagnant or declining wages has become the reality for most Americans. The numbers and analysis presented here tell much of the distressing story.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/24/969063/-Median-US-household-income-fell-5-between-1999-and-2009-Globalization-remains-the-core-problem?utm

All the Reasons Petraeaus Should Not Head the CIA

This is a thoughtful and detailed essay examining how the General's performance as commander in Iraq and Afghanistan presents conflicts with intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA, that raise serious concerns about his nomination to head the agency. Very interesting reading.
http://www.alternet.org/news/150780/all_the_reasons_petraeaus_should_not_head_the_cia/?page=1

A More Militarized CIA for a More Militarized America
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/04/28/petraeus?utm

How Tea Partiers in Congress Are Doing Their Corporate Masters' Bidding

This AlterNet piece from Jim Hightower blows the lid off  Tea Party Republican's populist mythology by illustrating a stream of lobbying pressure and cash that directly translated into the active promotion of the big business agenda.
http://www.alternet.org/news/150761/how_tea_partiers_in_congress_are_doing_their_corporate_masters'_bidding/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=alternet_news

‘Daily Show’: Bernie Sanders, No Chaser

Senator Bernie Sanders, the longest serving Independent in Congressional history, with serious straight talk on The Daily Show. 
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/daily_show_bernie_sanders_no_chaser_20110428/?utm

Reuters: Warren associates considered for consumer agency job - Daily Show appearance

Elizabeth Warren is a dynamic plain-spoken law professor and advocate for the financial rights of consumers, fierce Wall Street critic, and a remarkably effective administrator who did a superb job in setting up Obama's new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She faced off gamely against GOP legislators in Congress who want to weaken or kill funding for the bureau, and there is considerable consensus that Warren should be appointed to lead the CFPB.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/28/970712/-Reuters:-Warren-associates-considered-for-consumer-agency-job?utm

Watch Elizabeth Warren tell it like it is on The Daily Show - it'll be music to your ears!
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-26-2011/exclusive---elizabeth-warren-extended-interview-pt--1