Yearly Archives: 2013

Panetta: US needs to keep up drone war

"The assassination of Al-Qaeda figures in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia with unmanned, robotic aircraft has provoked widespread criticism from human rights groups and some US allies, but Panetta said the US campaign has been effective. Asked if the CIA 'targeted killings' should be curtailed in coming years, Panetta told AFP in an interview that there was still a need to continue the drone strikes more than a decade since the attacks of September 11, 2001. 'I think it depends on the nature of the threat that we’re confronting. We are in a war. We’re in a war on terrorism and we’ve been in that war since 9/11.'" Continue reading →

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In Writing, the Justification Used by Obama to Kill Americans

"The 16-page memo, a copy of which was obtained by NBC News, provides new details about the legal reasoning behind one of the Obama administration’s most secretive and controversial polices: its dramatically increased use of drone strikes against al-Qaida suspects, including those aimed at American citizens. But the confidential Justice Department 'white paper' introduces a more expansive definition of self-defense or imminent attack than described by Brennan or Holder in their public speeches. It refers, for example, to what it calls a 'broader concept of imminence' than actual intelligence about any ongoing plot against the U.S. homeland." Continue reading →

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*Action* Alert for Medicaid Expansion!

  It was reported in the Detroit News yesterday that Gov. Snyder will make a decision on Medicaid expansion THIS THURSDAY! “Lansing — Gov. Rick Snyder will fire the first shot in the next health care skirmish Thursday when he recommends in his budget presentation to the Legislature whether Michigan should open Medicaid to as …

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US Still ‘Warning’ Antigua That It Better Not Set Up Piracy Hub, Even As WTO Gives Approval

"The United States warned Antigua and Barbuda on Monday not to retaliate against U.S. restrictions on Internet gambling by suspending American copyrights or patents, a move it said would authorize the 'theft' of intellectual property like movies and music. 'The United States has urged Antigua to consider solutions that would benefit its broader economy. However, Antigua has repeatedly stymied these negotiations with certain unrealistic demands,' said Nkenge Harmon, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS Still ‘Warning’ Antigua That It Better Not Set Up Piracy Hub, Even As WTO Gives Approval

US Still ‘Warning’ Antigua That It Better Not Set Up Piracy Hub, Even As WTO Gives Approval

"The United States warned Antigua and Barbuda on Monday not to retaliate against U.S. restrictions on Internet gambling by suspending American copyrights or patents, a move it said would authorize the 'theft' of intellectual property like movies and music. 'The United States has urged Antigua to consider solutions that would benefit its broader economy. However, Antigua has repeatedly stymied these negotiations with certain unrealistic demands,' said Nkenge Harmon, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS Still ‘Warning’ Antigua That It Better Not Set Up Piracy Hub, Even As WTO Gives Approval

Scotland Yard stole dead children’s identities

"London’s Metropolitan Police stole the identities of some 80 dead children and issued false documents in their names for use by undercover officers, Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported on Sunday. The force authorised the practice over three decades for officers attempting to infiltrate protest groups, without informing the children’s parents, the broadsheet said. Its investigation described officers creating aliases based on the dead children’s details and being issued with documents such as passports and driving licences in their names. Some officers reportedly spent up to a decade pretending to be these people." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingScotland Yard stole dead children’s identities

Scotland Yard stole dead children’s identities

"London’s Metropolitan Police stole the identities of some 80 dead children and issued false documents in their names for use by undercover officers, Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported on Sunday. The force authorised the practice over three decades for officers attempting to infiltrate protest groups, without informing the children’s parents, the broadsheet said. Its investigation described officers creating aliases based on the dead children’s details and being issued with documents such as passports and driving licences in their names. Some officers reportedly spent up to a decade pretending to be these people." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingScotland Yard stole dead children’s identities

How Regulations Squeeze Small Competitors for the Benefit of the Banksters

"An article at Investment News reports on the decline of independent small brokerage firms. These firms are squeezed by new regulations. The large firms have teams of lawyers that can deal with the changing regulation, not so for the smaller firms, so they get squeezed out of business. It's this type of regulation that results in the rich getting richer and others falling behind." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow Regulations Squeeze Small Competitors for the Benefit of the Banksters

How Regulations Squeeze Small Competitors for the Benefit of the Banksters

"An article at Investment News reports on the decline of independent small brokerage firms. These firms are squeezed by new regulations. The large firms have teams of lawyers that can deal with the changing regulation, not so for the smaller firms, so they get squeezed out of business. It's this type of regulation that results in the rich getting richer and others falling behind." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow Regulations Squeeze Small Competitors for the Benefit of the Banksters

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs: Debt Excess Even Lives in Texas

"As the chief financial officer of the nation's second-largest state, even I have found it hard to get a handle on how much governments are spending, and how much debt they're taking on. Every level of government is piling up incredible bills. And they're coming due, whether we like it or not. Even in low-tax Texas, property taxes have risen three times faster than the inflation rate and four times faster than our population growth since 1992. Our local governments, meanwhile, more than doubled their debt load in the last decade, to more than $7,500 in debt for every man, woman and child in the state." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas Comptroller Susan Combs: Debt Excess Even Lives in Texas