Network Archives

Obama has not delivered on May’s promise of transparency on drones

"When the president acknowledges four deaths of US citizens, but not 4,000 deaths of non-Americans, he signals to the world a callous and discriminatory disregard for human life. Perhaps only a fraction of these 4,000 deaths were unlawful. But acknowledging and investigating these deaths is a matter of dignity and justice – for the survivors of strikes, their communities and their countrymen. When deaths are found to be unlawful, victims’ families and survivors have a right to reparation. Refusing to investigate deaths is a matter of disrespect both for international law and for the public’s right to know the full truth." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama has not delivered on May’s promise of transparency on drones

How to Fight the Modern State

"An inventory of all public buildings, and on the local level that is not that much — schools, fire, police station, courthouses, roads, and so forth — and then property shares or stock should be distributed to the local private property owners in accordance with the total lifetime amount of taxes — property taxes —that these people have paid. After all, it is theirs, they paid for these things … Without local enforcement, by compliant local authorities, the will of the central government is not much more than hot air. Yet this local support and cooperation is precisely what needs to be missing." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow to Fight the Modern State

The Ron Paul Channel: libertarianism ‘unfiltered and uninterrupted’

"Filmed in the little town of Clute, Texas, and Los Angeles, the Ron Paul Channel will publish three 30-minute shows per week. Its slogan: 'Turn Off Your TV. Turn On the Truth' suggests a combative tone, while those behind it say there has been an 'outpouring of interest' in the first few days. It's Paul's first major initiative since retiring from Congress in January. He told the Guardian that he opted for a news channel 'because the mainstream media is not telling the stories that Americans really need to know'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Ron Paul Channel: libertarianism ‘unfiltered and uninterrupted’

Al-Jazeera set to tackle U.S. market with stories ignored by mainstream media

"With a cast of TV news stars, deep pockets and an ambitious agenda, Al-Jazeera launches its US news channel on Tuesday, aiming to shake up the broadcast journalism market stateside. The US cable channel will reach more than 40 million households and vastly expands the footprint of the Qatar-based media group, despite questions about how it will be received by American viewers. But the selling point will be long-form reporting of stories overlooked by other news organizations. 850 staff have been hired for 12 US bureaus, and will draw on 70 bureaus worldwide to give Al-Jazeera unmatched scale." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAl-Jazeera set to tackle U.S. market with stories ignored by mainstream media

Al-Jazeera set to tackle U.S. market with stories ignored by mainstream media

"With a cast of TV news stars, deep pockets and an ambitious agenda, Al-Jazeera launches its US news channel on Tuesday, aiming to shake up the broadcast journalism market stateside. The US cable channel will reach more than 40 million households and vastly expands the footprint of the Qatar-based media group, despite questions about how it will be received by American viewers. But the selling point will be long-form reporting of stories overlooked by other news organizations. 850 staff have been hired for 12 US bureaus, and will draw on 70 bureaus worldwide to give Al-Jazeera unmatched scale." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAl-Jazeera set to tackle U.S. market with stories ignored by mainstream media

How An African ‘Princess’ Banked $3 Billion In A Country Living On $2 A Day

"For the past year Forbes has been tracing Isabel dos Santos’ path to riches, reviewing a score of documents and speaking with dozens of people on the ground. As best as we can trace, every major Angolan investment held by Dos Santos stems either from taking a chunk of a company that wants to do business in the country or from a stroke of the president’s pen that cut her into the action. Her story is a rare window into the same, tragic kleptocratic narrative that grips resource-rich countries around the world. For President Dos Santos it’s a foolproof way to extract money from his country, while keeping a putative arm’s-length distance away." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow An African ‘Princess’ Banked $3 Billion In A Country Living On $2 A Day

How An African ‘Princess’ Banked $3 Billion In A Country Living On $2 A Day

"For the past year Forbes has been tracing Isabel dos Santos’ path to riches, reviewing a score of documents and speaking with dozens of people on the ground. As best as we can trace, every major Angolan investment held by Dos Santos stems either from taking a chunk of a company that wants to do business in the country or from a stroke of the president’s pen that cut her into the action. Her story is a rare window into the same, tragic kleptocratic narrative that grips resource-rich countries around the world. For President Dos Santos it’s a foolproof way to extract money from his country, while keeping a putative arm’s-length distance away." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHow An African ‘Princess’ Banked $3 Billion In A Country Living On $2 A Day

Philadelphia Borrows $50 Million So Its Schools Can Open on Time

"Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said the $50 million was necessary to provide the minimum staffing needed for the basic safety of the district’s 136,000 students. In June, the district closed 24 schools and laid off 3,783 employees, including 127 assistant principals, 646 teachers and more than 1,200 aides, leaving no one even to answer phones. For a number of years, Mayor Michael A. Nutter and the City Council have been working, with some success and a fair amount of taxpayer pain, to shore up the city’s finances, which have been troubled by mounting debt, a shrinking tax base and unfunded pension and health care obligations to retirees." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPhiladelphia Borrows $50 Million So Its Schools Can Open on Time

Philadelphia Borrows $50 Million So Its Schools Can Open on Time

"Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said the $50 million was necessary to provide the minimum staffing needed for the basic safety of the district’s 136,000 students. In June, the district closed 24 schools and laid off 3,783 employees, including 127 assistant principals, 646 teachers and more than 1,200 aides, leaving no one even to answer phones. For a number of years, Mayor Michael A. Nutter and the City Council have been working, with some success and a fair amount of taxpayer pain, to shore up the city’s finances, which have been troubled by mounting debt, a shrinking tax base and unfunded pension and health care obligations to retirees." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPhiladelphia Borrows $50 Million So Its Schools Can Open on Time

This is What Budget Cuts Have Done to Detroit … And It’s Freaking Awesome

"If our public servants are right, then chaos, anarchy and lawlessness should reign in Detroit now, right? Well, not exactly. Dale Brown and his organization, the Threat Management Center (TMC), have helped fill in the void left by the corrupt and incompetent city government. TMC now has a client base of about 1,000 private residences and over 500 businesses. Law enforcement isn't the only 'essential government service' that the private sector is taking over. The Detroit Bus Company (DBC) is a private bus service that began last year and truly shows a stark contrast in how the market and government operates." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThis is What Budget Cuts Have Done to Detroit … And It’s Freaking Awesome