A depressing summary of things ...

This is self-explanatory:

http://www.thenation.com/article/172380/government-persecution-aaron-swartz-bradley-manning#

Thought control is the real prize.

Another thought on the Swartz persecution:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/20/aaron-swartz-cannon-fodder-internet-freedom

The law as a murder weapon

The recent suicides of two hackers reveal how the government now deals with its detractors - it haggles them to death with the law:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/ortiz-heymann-swartz-accountability-abuse

If the power exists someone will abuse it.

The other point that isn't getting enough attention is the comparative effort the DOJ devotes to these hacking crimes versus that given to actual physical murders (drone assassinations) and trillion dollar thefts by Wall Street bankers.

Our current economic system

Just in case you were wondering why nobody has any money or pensions anymore, read this:

http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/17745-the-five-step-process-to-cheat-the-middle-class-worker

If you think this system is just peachy-keen, read it again, then ask yourself why you continue working for someone else's profit (taxed at a lower rate than your meager wages) while the government continues to give the country's natural resource wealth, sans frais, to corporations who don't ever clean up their own detritus, and use bankruptcy laws as a means of evading pension and contract responsibilities.

Servitude! - the modern way of life!

And if  you've read this far, here's another illuminating article about our loss of control over the business beast:

http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/what-watchdog-how-financial-press-has-failed-american-public?akid=9920.1084699.8spl8b&rd=1&src=newsletter775831&t=5&paging=off

Intimidation, and its aftermath

This story illustrates the obscene nature of a government that encourages torture and child murder (collateral damage), and yet throws the full power of the law against those who disagree with the corporatist desire to commercialize every aspect of human life.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/12/aaron-swartz-heroism-suicide1

How depressing.

It Is Happening Here

Your assignment today is to read this article and contrast the activities described therein with the events in Germany during the 1930s:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/29/fbi-coordinated-crackdown-occupy

Then write a short article listing the freedoms for which the western world is hated.  Discuss why it is now so hard to write a long list of these freedoms

Have a great New Year!

Here's what has been trampled by our fear-inducing governments,

An excellent summary of the retrogression of western freedoms:

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/12/scandal-alert-congress-is-quietly-abandoning-the-5th-amendment/266498/

This just proves that bin Laden won.  He has destroyed the freedoms that we used to enjoy, by causing our own governments to overturn them and to destroy the rule of law in our society.  Now that's the definition of a successful attack!

Whose dead children are important?

A good article to consider during this time of Newtown overexposure:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/17/us-killings-tragedies-pakistan-bug-splats

A Good Move To Counter Propaganda

Glenn Greenwald describes the formation of a new organization aimed at supporting real journalism and countering government efforts to hide its crimes:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/17/wikileaks-new-press-freedom-group

It cannot happen soon enough!

What we have lost

Here's is an excellent article that outlines what we have lost in the recent panic about terrorism:

http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/105/why-we-torture.html

We no longer can pretend to live in a free country, where rule of law is paramount.

Merry Christmas!

A worthwhile read

Andy Worthington reminds us of some transgressions that seem to have been ignored:


http://fff.org/explore-freedom/article/the-long-pursuit-of-accountability-for-the-bush-administrations-torture-program/

"Freedom", as practiced in the USofA

Here's a good summary of how the freedom thingy is being practiced in the US these days:

http://original.antiwar.com/jwhitehead/2012/11/12/obamas-first-term-track-record-on-civil-liberties/

You can bet that Canada's government wants exactly the same sort of powers, and will probably sneak them into one of Harper's ever-so-popular omnibus bills in the near future.

How the world works

Here's a couple of basic lessons in economics that explain why things never seem to get better in our modern world:

http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2012-11-07.asp

Inflation is not inevitable, but it sure passes the debts along to future generations, thus keeping taxes low because the government does not want the current electorate to actually pay for current spending.

Obama , the good guy (?)

Here's what has happened to the US this century.  Things have changed down there in a very big way, and most people seem to think these changes are just fabulous:

http://blog.independent.org/2012/10/30/obama-and-civil-liberties-the-prospect-of-four-more-years/

I believe these changes will result in the destruction of our culture, but, what the hey, who cares?

Ahh ... our British heritage ...

Something to consider when you brag about our ancestors:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9653497/British-have-invaded-nine-out-of-ten-countries-so-look-out-Luxembourg.html

I'll bet the politicians said they were bringing good things to the invaded areas every time.

A new type of fealty ...

for those with liberal tendencies.

http://warisacrime.org/content/indefinite-detention-progressive-voter

This is an interesting slant on how politicians have co-opted the wishes of various 'groups' in order to retain their support.

The fruits of violence

Here's what NATO has accomplished in Afghanistan - It's created a nation of permanently dependent spoiled thugs:

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/11/01/report-afghan-cant-maintain-us-built-facilities-after-pullout/

Again, we need to ask whether it might have been better to have spend all that money inside our own borders as opposed to throwing it all away in the sand (and to continue doing so for the next 10+ years).

Stalin was right

Stalin said that the person who counted the votes determines the winner.  He was right;

http://www.ukprogressive.co.uk/breaking-retired-nsa-analyst-proves-gop-is-stealing-elections/article20598.html

This is very troubling.

Kill lists now official US policy

There is no longer any doubt that the US President is acting as if he has the right to order the murder of anyone in the world without any public notice, presentation of evidence, or opportunity to appeal these death orders.  Read Glenn Greenwald's article about this obscene practice:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/24/obama-terrorism-kill-list

'They hate us for our freedoms' ...

Here's an example of how the brave security boys in Afghanistan are representing the west:

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/10/17/video-shows-drunk-stoned-us-security-contractors-while-on-duty/

I'm so glad Canada was part of this process!  (Hint: ... irony ....).