Ransacked Nation

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Jeremy Scahill on America's Covert War in Yemen - Video

I admit this was news to me; that the US is deeply entrenched militarily in Yemen and has conducted secret bombing missions there. The covert relationship began under Bush after 9-11 and has been accelerated under the Obama Administration.
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/jeremy_scahill_on_americas_covert_war_in_yemen_20110322/?utm_

Raytheon, AT&T and Koch Industries Lobbying Highlighted by OpenSecrets Blog

A daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/03/ceo-3-21-2011.html

The Daily Show and Jon Stewart Reporting on Humanitarian Interventions

Jon Stewart and Daily Show Correspondent John Oliver deliver a hilarious segment illuminating the hypocrisy of the US in responding to humanitarian disasters around the world.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/john-stewart-not-intimida_b_839064.html

The Hypocrisy of War

This piece presents a compelling critique on the Libyan military action in the context of the budget turmoil going on all over the US. There always seems to be money for war...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/the-hypocrisy-of-war_b_839178.html

Gov. Kasich's Plan: Drink More Booze and Hand the Profits to a Private Development Company

Privatizing strikes again, as Ohio Governor Kasich pushes to sell state alcohol leasing rights to JobsOhio at a steep discount of $4.5 billion. Wall Street and private industry may benefit but the people of the state will lose, again.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/22/kasich-jobs-plan-booze/

Haphazard Government Approach Undermines Undermines National Strategy of Food Regulation

The Center for Public Integrity's report details how US food safety system is fragmented among 15 different regulatory agencies.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/daily_watchdog/entry/3060/

Behind the Battle Over Hidden Debit Card Fees - Propublica Backgrounder

Banks are fighting retailers to continue transaction fees on debit card purchases. The Dodd-Frank bill was to reduce these charges from 44 cents per transaction to 12 cents. There is virtually no risk to banks in these transactions and their fees amount to gouging retailers who then pass costs onto consumers.
http://www.propublica.org/blog/item/backgrounder-behind-the-battle-over-hidden-debit-card-fees

Chemical Security Bills Fail To Remove Chemicals From Terror Targets

It is incomprehensible to me that we so readily strip civil liberties from Americans to 'fight' terror but because of the power of the Chemical Lobby we do nothing about the threats to the population of unsecured chemicals and water treatment facilities. It's another clear example of how profits trump common sense in industry and politics.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/news-releases/Republican-Led-Chemical-Security-Bills-Fail-To-Remove-Nations-Chemical-Plants-From-Terror-Targets/

Three States Propose Massive Tax Cuts for Millionaires, Tax Hikes for Middle Class

More evidence of conservative efforts to further shift the tax burden from corporations and the wealthy to middle class and poor families.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/22/estate-tax-vs-middle-class-report/

Rally for the Right to Know - Millions Against Monsanto

The Center for Responsible Technology is supporting the Rally for the Right to Know on March 26 in Washington D.C. and many other US cities. The simple goal of this group is to insist that genetically modified foods are labeled as such for the public. It's a huge issue. Check out the site for a rally near you.
http://responsibletechnology.org/rally-for-the-right-to-know

Facebook has a group page as well for this cause and the rally.
http://www.facebook.com/rallyfortherighttoknow2011?sk=info

Obama's Counterterrorism Advisor Slams Congressional Efforts To Block Closing of Guantanamo

This is a battle that is critical to civil liberties and transparency in the fight against global terrorism. Conservatives want to keep these proceedings out of public sight and under the purview of military law.
http://www.propublica.org/article/obama-counterterrorism-adviser-slams-efforts-to-block-guantanamos-closure

Court Revives Lawsuit Challenging Broad Government Surveillance and Eavesdropping Powers

This is one of the few remaining lawsuits challenging the legality of the FISA Amendments Act which allowed covert agencies broader powers to monitor international communications without a court order.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/us/22fisa.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

House Committee Looks to Cut Food Stamps While Continuing Massive Subsidies to Factory Farm Industry

We're cutting Supplemental Nutrition programs in this recession but are still providing tens of billions of subsidies to industrial agriculture.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/21/ag-prices-subsidies/

Fed Loses in Court, Must Make Bailout Data Public

After a two-year delay the public will get the details on the TARP bailout, thanks to a Bloomberg News case and a Supreme Court ruling.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/business/22bizcourt.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Do You Respect the Elixir of Life?

This is a beautiful peace by Brian Fagan that explores the significance of water historically and how so many take it for granted in society today.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-fagan/do-you-respect-the-elixir_b_838757.html

The Anarchist Creed Of Julian Assange

Despite the reflexive claims of a threat to national security, the transparency provided by WikiLeaks and Julian Assange would serve to inform the public and keep government more honest.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/no_laws_no_secrets_the_anarchist_creed_of_julian_assange_20110322/?utm_

Harvard Study Puts Impact of Coal Industry Up To Half Trillion Dollars A Year

This is a major study that puts a sharp point on the costs passed on by the coal industry to society, affecting health and environment while leaving the public to pay for the cleanup. It's a great example of industry privatizing profits and externalizing costs, and it's got to stop.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/media-center/news-releases/Harvard-Coal-impacts-cost-public-up-to-a-half-trillion-dollars-annually/

The Public Unwittingly Bankrolls Fox and News Corp, Murdoch Dodges Taxes

News Corp paid zero taxes in two of last four years, on domestic profits of $9.4 billion.
http://www.alternet.org/news/150327/how_you_end_up_bankrolling_fox_news:_news_corp._and_rupert_murdoch_weasel_out_of_paying_taxes/?utm_

Everyone Has A Stake In US Uncut's Fight

Corporate tax dodgers are robbing state and federal treasuries and exacerbating financial woes, resulting in state layoffs and reduced services and regulatory actions.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/159351/everyone-has-stake-us-uncuts-fight

Brazilian Women Protest Industrial Agriculture Health Hazards

This is the same old, horrifying, story, reminiscent of the days when US companies dumped DDT on third world countries after it was outlawed for safety reasons. Industrial Agriculture is bad news.
http://www.panna.org/blog/brazilian-women-farmers-protest-industrial-ag

How Can You Tell If The Food You Eat Is Genetically Modified?

95% from MSNBC poll want labels for GE Crops, and the inevitability of organic contamination - this is a critical issue for the future...
http://www.panna.org/blog/95-want-ge-labeling-and-yet

Monday, March 21, 2011

NRDC Video

NRDC put together this amusing satirical jingle, set to Bill Joel's "Uptown Girl" that focuses on Fred Upton's (R-MI) bill to eviscerate the EPA's mandate to reduce global warming and toxic air pollution.

New & Analysis of Current Events, March 21, 2011

Some very good news on clean air from Obama's EPA...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/opinion/21mon2.html?ref=opinion

Hundreds protest military's treatment of WikiLeaks whistleblower...
http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/21/wikileaks.protest/

Opposition to treatment of Manning, led by Ellsberg, Amnesty Int'l, Ctr for Constitutional Rights and others...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/19/human-rights-activists-protest-abuse-bradley-manning_n_838006.html

Background on the historical cosiness of US Regulators and the Nuclear Industry...
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/03/19/nrc_history_captive_agency/index.html

Tribune-Democrat Editorial Declares PA Citizens have a Constitutional right to clean air and pure water...
http://tribune-democrat.com/editorials/x449496875/Pa-citizens-have-constitutional-right-to-clean-air-pure-water

Corporations evade statutory regulations much to consternation of communities - Regulatory agencies protecting industry interests...
http://www.truth-out.org/tackling-corporate-power-one-town-a-time68619

NJ Gov. Christie, privatization and fuzzy math...
http://www.truth-out.org/fuzzy-privatization-math68612

US Uncut targets corporate tax dodgers - add Verizon and FedEx to list...
http://www.thenation.com/blog/159307/us-uncut-adds-verizon-and-fedex-its-target-list

Meet US Uncut - this is a fantastic movement to may corporations pay their taxes - terrific video on the street in NYC and crashing a BOA investor's conference in Boston.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/159270/meet-us-uncut

Wisconsin Wakes A Sleeping Giant...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-van-gelder/wisconsin_awakens_giant_b_836307.html

Rockefeller bill would gut the EPA...
http://www.thenation.com/blog/159267/rockefeller-bill-would-gut-epa

Will Durst - Pitchforks and Rainbows
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/will-durst/pitchforks-and-rainbows_b_838129.html

The War On Warren - Krugman

Republican lawmakers are going all out to marginalize the head of Obama's new Consumer Financial Protection Agency...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/opinion/21krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Sunday, March 20, 2011

News & Analysis of Current Events, March 20, 2011

There's an awful lot to think about these days...

Lobbyists return to Congress in droves
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/18/former-lobbyists-return-t_n_837586.html

80% of antibiotics go to farm animals in US - FDA reveals
http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-18-think-chinese-pork-is-scary-check-out-the-nearest-supermarket-me

US Media ignores brutal crackdowns in Bahrain and Yemen

http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/19/no-coverage-yemen-bahrain/

Even in worst case scenario Fukushima radiation threat said to have limited reach - survey of experts from Propublica
http://www.propublica.org/article/even-in-worst-case-japans-nuclear-disaster-will-have-limited-reach