Why Did KKR Hire a Four Star General for a High Profile Private Equity Position?

"More and more of business needs a nod from Washington D.C. for its operations. If you don't have a D.C. insider, you are not protected. KKR, in the hiring of David Petraeus, just bought itself major protection. Big business is building a moat around itself, using government regulators to keep out competition. It will get tougher and tougher for new businesses to launch with just grit and a great idea, when big business is hiring DC insiders who have the power to snuff out new operators. This is one of the reasons there are fewer exciting jobs for new college graduates. They are often hired by upstarts, the type big business is doing a pretty good job of snuffing out." Continue reading

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Speed Cameras Tear Apart Ohio Town

"The village of Elmwood Place, Ohio can no longer perform all the functions of local government, thanks to speed cameras. Four of the village's six councilmen have resigned over the way automated ticketing machines are used, and without a quorum village can no longer take any actions it faces a court contempt hearing on Tuesday. The controversy began in September 2012 when the village allowed Optotraffic to begin issuing $105 tickets using a portable speed camera with a 40 percent cut of the revenue going to the private company. Tickets were being issued at a rate that would have generated $2 million per year, or over $1000 per resident." Continue reading

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On Target Pressure Points: The Electronic Concentration Camp

"In conjunction with the upcoming release of his new book, A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, John W. Whitehead sits down to discuss several 'pressure points' that are threatening the Bill of Rights and undermining our essential freedoms. In part four of this special series, Whitehead examines the collusion between corporations and government officials in erecting a system of mass surveillance aimed at all Americans." Continue reading

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Paul Craig Roberts: Why Disinformation Works

"Have you ever wondered how the government’s misinformation gains traction? What I have noticed is that whenever a stunning episode occurs, such as 9/11 or the Boston Marathon bombing, most everyone whether on the right or left goes along with the government’s explanation, because they can hook their agenda to the government’s account." Continue reading

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Schoolboys told to imagine themselves as future prime minister justifying martial law

"A question on a paper sat by 12-year-old pupils in 2011 gives a telling glimpse into how Eton fosters ambition in its students from an early age, by asking them to imagine they are running the country. It appeared on the 2011 King's Scholarship Examination paper, which can be viewed on the school's website, and asked students to consider whether 'it is better to be loved than feared'. 'You are the Prime Minister,' the paper says, before instructing the young Etonians to draft the script for a speech to be broadcast to the nation explaining why deploying the Army was 'both necessary and moral'." Continue reading

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Schools scanned students’ irises without permission as part of public-private program

"Students at three facilities — an elementary school, a grade school and a high school — had their eyeballs scanned earlier this month as part of a ‘student safety’ pilot program being carried out by Stanley Convergent Security Solutions. 'With this program, we will be able to identify when and where a student gets on the bus, when they arrive at their school location, when and what bus the student boards and disembarks in the afternoon. This is an effort to further enhance the safety of our students.The EyeSwipe-Nano is an ideal replacement for the card based system since your child will not have to be responsible for carrying an identification card.'" Continue reading

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Couple handcuffed for passing out End the Fed literature near Liberty Bell

"A video recently posted on YouTube features a man and woman sitting on the ground near Independence Hall handcuffed for at least 10 minutes. The reason for their detainment: passing out fliers. What’s that sound? I think it’s Benjamin Franklin rolling over in his grave. According to the description for the video, Mark Passio and his wife Barb were passing out End the Fed fliers to folks standing in the line near the Liberty Bell, which Mark says he’s done nearly 20 times." Continue reading

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Cops Taser Then Shoot Man to Death After Family Calls 911 for Help for His Depression

"A California sheriff's deputy needlessly Tasered and then shot a man to death after his father called 911 seeking help for his son's depression, the family claims in court. Parents and two brothers of the late George I. Ramirez sued Stanislaus County, its sheriff's department, Sheriff Adam Christianson, and Deputy Art Parra Jr. in Federal Court. George Ramirez, the father, says he called 911 on April 16, 2012, seeking help for his son. Ramirez says in the complaint that he told the 911 operator that his son was depressed, but never said that the family was in danger or that a crime was in progress." Continue reading

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World Bank Insider Blows Whistle on Corruption, Federal Reserve

"A former insider at the World Bank, ex-Senior Counsel Karen Hudes, says the global financial system is dominated by a small group of corrupt, power-hungry figures centered around the privately owned U.S. Federal Reserve. The network has seized control of the media to cover up its crimes, too, she explained. In an interview withThe New American, Hudes said that when she tried to blow the whistle on multiple problems at the World Bank, she was fired for her efforts. Now, along with a network of fellow whistleblowers, Hudes is determined to expose and end the corruption. And she is confident of success." Continue reading

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Bitcoin Grows Up

"According to the official count, 1200 enthusiasts, techie geeks, trendy investors, eccentric entrepreneurs, crypto hackers, small-government aficionados, and a few downright weirdos had descended on the Bay Area for America's first big bitcoin conference, which, for a $300 fee, promised participants a hard look at the not-so-hard future of money. In one way it was like a rich guy's LAN party, a chance to put a face to people who had known each other mainly through internet forums. But it also had the vibe of one of those night-long infomercials about the Next Big Thing." Continue reading

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