Network Archives

Obama To College Grads: Reject Voices That Warn About Government Tyranny

"Unfortunately, you've grown up hearing voices that incessantly warn of government as nothing more than some separate, sinister entity that's at the root of all our problems. Some of these same voices also do their best to gum up the works. They'll warn that tyranny always lurking just around the corner. You should reject these voices. Because what they suggest is that our brave, and creative, and unique experiment in self-rule is somehow just a sham with which we can't be trusted." Continue reading →

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NYPD Police Sergeant Calls For Crackdown On Social Media Dissent

"Using a zero tolerance approach to track domestic terrorists online is the only reasonable way to analyze online threats these days, especially after the Boston Marathon bombing and news that the suspects had subsequently planned to target Times Square in Manhattan, Mullins says. The way law enforcement agencies approach online activity that appears sinister is this: 'If you’re not a terrorist, if you’re not a threat, prove it,' he says. 'This is the price you pay to live in free society right now. It’s just the way it is,' Mullins adds. That method can result in arrests of teenagers whose online activity may be more aptly characterized as stupid pranks." Continue reading →

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Danes Rethink a Welfare State Ample to a Fault

"While much of southern Europe has been racked by strikes and protests as its creditors force austerity measures, Denmark still has a coveted AAA bond rating. But Denmark’s long-term outlook is troubling. The population is aging, and in many regions of the country people without jobs now outnumber those with them. Some of that is a result of a depressed economy. But many experts say a more basic problem is the proportion of Danes who are not participating in the work force at all — be they dawdling university students, young pensioners or welfare recipients like Carina who lean on hefty government support." Continue reading →

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Food Stamp Nation: 20% of U.S. Households

"The economic recovery rolls on. The number of American households receiving food stamps has hit 23 million. This is 23 million out of 115 million households. That’s 20%. The government has a solution. Stop calling them food stamps. It has now issued cards that look just like credit cards. If the recovery is real, why are more Americans on food cards? Because the farm bloc wants its subsidies, and the welfare bloc does, too. It’s a matter of supply and demand. If demand stays high, farm prices stay high. There is nothing like free food to increase demand. Food cards offer free food. Rising demand proves there is rising need. Rising need proves that more food cards are necessary." Continue reading →

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The hidden dangers of legal highs

"In comparison with regular drugs, there is hardly any data on the harm these new drugs do. Manufacturers in the UK, China and eastern Europe take any of these chemicals or dozens more, blending them with inert substances into uncontrolled, unstated doses, and selling them online. These products, with names such as Barry White and Dutchy, are the most concerning: customers are very often young people, some of whom find it hard to buy drugs anywhere else, or prefer to stay on the right side of the law. Manufacturers do not list their contents, or give any dosage instructions, since to do so would render them liable for prosecution." Continue reading →

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Israeli Bombs Over Syria, Part Two

"The passive-aggressive US State Department, which is curiously -- or not -- silent every time its beloved insurgents commit an atrocity of a Boston-on-steroids scale against Christians and others who do not support al-Qaeda in Syria, has nevertheless suddenly found its voice to condemn Syrian government for a 'massacre' in Baida, where seven bodies have been found killed in possible retaliation for the killing of seven members of the Syrian Army. The US is suddenly 'appalled by horrific reports' with no evidence, while silent on the truly horrific atrocities committed by its allies, the insurgents." Continue reading →

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Texas teen points to heavens, gets 4×100 relay squad banned from state championships

"The anchor of that 4x100 squad was junior Derrick Hayes, who ran a particularly blazing split and celebrated the team’s state qualification with a simple finger point to the heavens. The gesture is a common one in sports, but on this occasion, it was deemed to have run afoul of a University Interscholastic League (UIL) regulation barring excessive celebration. Once officials at the Columbus meet determined that Hayes had violated the excessive celebration rules, the entire 4x100-meter squad was disqualified and effectively barred from the state championships." Continue reading →

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Living in U.S. raises risk of allergies

"Children born outside the United States have a lower risk of asthma, skin and food allergies, and living in the United States for a decade or more may raise the risk of some allergies, said a study Monday. The research in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that certain environmental exposures could trigger allergies later in life, overcoming the protective effects of microbial exposure in childhood. The study examined records from 2007-2008 phone surveys of nearly 92,000 people in the United States, where food and skin allergies have been on the rise in recent years." Continue reading →

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Jim Bovard: How ‘Food for Peace’ Hurts Foreign Farmers

"The United States government is the world's largest food donor but its aid consistently wreaks havoc abroad. The Obama administration is pushing reforms that could slightly reduce the number of Third World farmers bushwhacked by American food dumped into their marketplaces. But there is scant enthusiasm in Washington for any fix of a program that is beloved by many special interests. The U.S. launched the Food for Peace program in 1954 during the Eisenhower administration, largely to dispose of embarrassing crop surpluses that had been encouraged by federal farm programs. The annual cost to taxpayers? Last year, it was roughly $1.5 billion." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJim Bovard: How ‘Food for Peace’ Hurts Foreign Farmers