Needed: A Better Ruling Class

"At other moments in our history, the informal networks of the wealthy and powerful who often wield at least as much influence as our elected politicians accepted that their good fortune imposed an obligation: to reform and thus preserve the system that allowed them to do so well. They advocated social decency out of self-interest (reasonably fair societies are more stable) but also from an old-fashioned sense of civic duty. “Noblesse oblige” sounds bad until it doesn’t exist anymore."
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/needed_a_better_ruling_class_20110417/?utm_

Got Fairness?

This report highlights price-fixing in the commodities market that has devastated small farmers and enriched large distributors, in addition to shining a light on Land O' Lakes aggressive lobbying support for RGBH growth hormone and other GM crops.
http://www.panna.org/blog/dairy-farmers-demand-fairness-chicago-merc

Thousands Prepare to Protest Big Polluters outside the White House

The US Chamber of Commerce is a shameful promoter of the fossil fuel industry and spends hundreds of millions lobbying deregulate greenhouse gas and chemical pollution into the atmosphere.
http://www.350.org/en/about/blogs/thousands-prepare-protest-big-polluters-outside-white-house

The WikiLeaks News & Views Blog for Monday, Day 142

This column provides a regular update on WikiLeaks-related developments related to the organizations mass release of secret government communications, and how this information is, and is not, being used by media groups around the world. Greg Mitchell also supplies a host of useful links revealing details, resources and events related to the transparency movement.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/159990/wikileaks-news-views-blog-monday-day-142

For Tax Day, US Uncut Asks Americans to Hold Corporate Tax Dodgers Accountable

There will be demonstrations in over 100 US cities today organized by US Uncut designed to put pressure of corporate tax dodgers to pay their fair share of taxes. In NYC the rally will be at the main Post Office across from MSG on 33rd St and 8th Avenue at 5pm and I'm going to be there to support this action.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/159996/tax-day-us-uncut-asks-americans-hold-corporate-tax-dodgers-accountable

9 Things The Rich Don't Want You To Know About Taxes

A detailed breakdown of how the tax burden has been distributed in the US since 1980, and how it has been disproportionately carried by the working poor despite stagnant wages during the past thirty years. Since 1980, the average income of the bottom 90% of wage earners has risen only $303 or 1%. Trickle down, supply-side economics have been enriching the wealthy and failing the rest of the country for more than a generation now and it's still dominating our political discourse!
http://wweek.com/portland/article-17350-9_things_the_rich_dont_want_you_to_know_about_taxes.html

FLASHBACK: Ronald Reagan Raised Corporate Taxes To Force Tax Dodgers To ‘Pay Their Fair Share’
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/18/ronald-reagan-corporate-tax/

Michael Dell: The Making of an American Oligarch

The Dell model of capitalism pursues profit at the expense of American jobs and the strength of the country's economy. This sort of business model is a very bad deal indeed for the American people and must be actively combatted by citizens and the representatives in government.
http://beta.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/michael-dell-outsourcing-jobs-timeline

Another Look at the Evidence on Soy

Civil Eats delivers a detailed report on the safety of soy products, including those containing hexane, on human health. The story concludes that Soy has many health benefits but that products containing hexane can be dangerous. However, factory farming practices involving Soy production are destructive to both the environment and health as the animated Detective Pig clip in the second link highlights.
http://civileats.com/2011/04/13/another-look-at-the-evidence-on-soy/

Detective pig investigates the sad truth behind the production of ‘Responsible’ labeled soy. Deforestation and toxic chemicals are destroying South America to grow the [GM] soy that feeds Europe’s factory farm animals.
http://farmwars.info/?p=5721&utm_

GOP Spreads Corporate Tax Disinformation, America Fights Back

The Yes Men and US Uncut continue to mount actions against corporate tax dodgers around the country. This story highlights the recent hoax perpetrated by the Yes Men against GE that resulted in a story that the largest US company had decided to pay back a $3.2 billion tax credit to the Treasury. Included is a video of flash mob performance art protests against Bank of America and a CNN feature on the groups efforts to pressure large corporations to pay their fair share of taxes. The next day of action planned across the US is April 18.
http://www.thenation.com/blog/159986/gop-spreads-corporate-tax-disinformation-america-fights-back

Here is a link listing over 100 US cities planning actions against corporate tax dodgers tomorrow, April 18. I will be joining what I hope will be a large turnout at the main James Farley US Post Office at 5pm to support this action. It's on 32nd and 8th right across the street from MSG.
http://usuncut.org/actions/list

12 Banks and Oil and Coal Companies are responsible for foreclosing on millions of American and for polluting our air, water and climate at the same time that they starve the Treasury by refusing to pay taxes on record profits.
"The "Dirty Dozen" Corporate Tax Dodgers"
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/16/967583/-Green-diary-rescue:-The-Dirty-Dozen-corporate-tax-dodgers?utm_

Letter to the Ruling Class - From Former Governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura

This call to action by Jesse Ventura beautifully summarizes the crisis we are experiencing in the country today. He says "We Ain't Got Time to Bleed," and I agree it's time to step into the ring and fight for what we believe in, and strengthen the democracy that so many of us cherish.
http://weaintgottimetobleed.com/

Ode to Monsanto

This is a great musical video "Ode to Monsanto" calling for us all to say, "Hell no, GMO!" The video was a little choppy for me but I thought it was great and inspiring.
http://farmwars.info/?p=5694&utm_

Lawmakers tackle persistent chemicals - yay!

The bill introduced is a small step in the right direction. We need to much more to reduce the healths risks that we all face in this country from chemical exposure. The US has the highest rates of cancer in the world and it's because of all the toxic waste and chemicals that we are exposed to through the recklessness of under-regulated industry and the acquiescence of their friends in Congress.
http://www.panna.org/blog/lawmakers-tackle-persistent-chemicals-yay

An example of the hurdles we face in safely regulating the chemical industry is detailed in this Greenpeace story.
Rep. Lungren's Bill is a Rubber Stamp for the Chemical Lobby
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/news-and-blogs/campaign-blog/rep-lungrens-bill-is-a-rubber-stamp-for-the-c/blog/34282

Badgers Drown Out Mama Grizzly - Protestors Disrupt Palin Rally in Wisconsin

People are standing up for themselves in Wisconsin, every day as they combat Walker's union-busting, mobilize recall efforts against the GOP, and fend off propaganda efforts funded by the Koch brothers and their conservative pals. This story gives more voice to the Tea Party talking points than I would like to read but it also shows that the AFP gang was outnumbered by ordinary Wisconsin citizens.
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2011/04/10607/badgers-drown-out-mama-grizzly

Winter Soldiers Outshine Sunshine Patriots as Palin's Madison Rally Is Overwhelmed by Protest Crowd

http://www.thenation.com/blog/159983/winter-soldiers-outshine-sunshine-patriots-palins-madison-rally-overwhelmed-protest-crow

Progressive Lawmakers Warn A ‘Significant Portion’ Of Gas Prices Is Due To Speculation, Call For Crack Down

We need to crack down on the speculators who hoard oil and manipulate prices to maximize their profits at public expense. Watch an excellent story on the need to regulate oil speculation from the Ed Show.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/04/16/progressive-lawmakers-oil-speculation/

Assange praises Indian newspaper's use of WikiLeaks disclosures

This story illustrates the power of transparency, effected by the mass release of government documents by WikiLeaks, in revealing corruption and lies by public officials. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/apr/13/the-us-embassy-cables-india

Big Ohio news: SB 5 repeal petition approved, signature gathering can begin

A bill to repeal Ohio's anti-worker law SB-5, that stripped public sector workers including firefighters and police of most collective bargaining rights, is moving forward.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/16/967314/-Big-Ohio-news:-SB-5-repeal-petition-approved,-signature-gathering-can-begin?utm_

HydroFracking Chemicals Were Injected Into Wells in 13 States

Oil and gas companies injected hundreds of millions of gallons of hazardous or carcinogenic chemicals into wells in more than 13 states from 2005 to 2009, according to an investigation by Congressional Democrats. This is criminal behavior on the part of drilling companies and should be vigorously prosecuted. Instead, the political establishment enthusiastically supports hydrofracking at great cost to public health and the environment. The laws must change to make corporations criminally liable for deliberate practices that poison millions of people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/science/earth/17gas.html?_r=1&hp

The False Debate on the Debt

This article pointedly focuses on what the real problems are vis-a-vis the budget and the overall state of things in the US of A. Abusive corporate power is the culprit and Robert Scheer persuasively identifies how this force has greedily ransacked the country.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_false_debate_on_the_debt_20110412/?utm_

Radioactivity rises in sea off Japan nuclear plant

Levels of radioactivity have risen sharply in seawater near a tsunami-crippled nuclear plant in northern Japan, signaling the possibility of new leaks at the facility, the government said Saturday.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/04/16/japan_earthquake_radiation_spike/index.html

Wisconsin Supreme Court: Prosser ahead by 7,316 in final tally

The Kloppenburg campaign can request a recount by Wednesday in the hotly contested Wisconsin Supreme Court election.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/15/967382/-Wisconsin-Supreme-Court:-Prosser-ahead-by-7,316-in-final-tally?utm_