Saturday, December 2, 2017

The "why" of empire

Global corporations have taken over as the excuse for empire-building.  Check this out:

https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/short-history-american-empire-stephen-kinzer-true-flag-review

It was, is, and always will be about rich guys trying to control all the world's wealth no matter what the cost in human lives.  How admirable is that?

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Money and the military

Here is a great breakdown of the waste inherent in military spending.  Imagine what other useful projects could have been completed with this money.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176336/tomgram%3A_william_hartung%2C_how_the_military-industrial_complex_preys_on_the_troops/

Monday, September 25, 2017

How dictators stay in power

This detailed article explains who gets US foreign aid.  Apparently dictatorships are well supported:

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42020-us-provides-military-assistance-to-73-percent-of-world-s-dictatorships

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Privacy redux

While we've been distracted by all the Trumpiness going on, the surveillance state has figured out how to get around all those annoying little laws about privacy rights. This article describes how it is being done:

Monday, June 26, 2017

Depraved-Heart Murder

This interesting concept is endorsed proudly by many of our politicians and governments.  This article explains it in the context of the current health care fight in the USA, but it is applicable to many of the actions our governments undertake in the name of austerity, fighting terror, creating jobs, etc.

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/6/24/1674954/-Well-Senator-Hatch-If-Not-Murder-Then-What-Would-You-Call-It?detail=emaildkre

Sunday, March 26, 2017

How the right insinuates its policies into liberal/left leaning political parties.

This is very instructive and explains a lot about recent activities by Canada's 'Liberal' government as well as the US Democratic party's behaviour.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39986-third-way-democrats-are-trying-to-push-the-party-rightward




Thursday, January 19, 2017

Bye-bye privacy

It's official, you now have no expectation of privacy in the US:


http://original.antiwar.com/andrew-p-napolitano/2017/01/18/a-parting-shot-at-personal-freedom/


Can Canada be far behind?

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Obama's failings ..

... are outlined in stark detail in this article.

http://original.antiwar.com/lucy/2017/01/13/the-foolish-optimism-of-hoping-for-chelsea-mannings-freedom/



His reputation is only good in comparison to the republican horrors that bracketed his term of office.  

Friday, November 11, 2016

A great source of new ideas ...

... to think about:

https://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/oliver-sylvester-bradley/disrupting-capitalist-democracy

A very new idea is that democracy has become 'corporatized' - ie it is being reshaped to serve only corporate goals, and 'we, the people' are now just in the way but necessary to fund the  activities that governments now undertake for the corporations.  A worthwhile read.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Secret Law explained.

This article show how secret interpretations of laws allow gov'ts to justify torturing prisoners, spying on all citizens, and starting wars without legislative approval.  It's the modern modus operandi, and avoids all that pesky public discussion that so often hinders dictators.

https://www.brennancenter.org/publication/new-era-secret-law

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Posting New Secret Trade Docs, Wikileaks Further Exposes Corporate Plot

The ongoing effort to turn our democracy over to the control of corporations is clearly explained in this article:

Posting New Secret Trade Docs, Wikileaks Further Exposes Corporate Plot


Unfortunately, we place to much trust in the glib pretty faces of our politicians to be able to do much about it.  Our elections are never about the important ideas, they are always about trivial crap and red herrings placed into the corporate-controlled media to to make sure our attention never focuses on, indeed, never even notices, the behind the scenes deals that are in all these so-called trade deals.