Hacking Through the Ole Gordian Knot

"Our Rulers couldn't get serfs to their jobs at all last week, and yesterday, they expected workers to stand in line for two hours just to get on a bus, never mind the actual commute. But suddenly, miraculously, these wunderkinds are 'providing free [sic for 'paid for by others'] 'voter shuttles' ... for people in the Rockaways, Staten Island, and Coney Island whose regular polling places were damaged in last week's storm. The MTA says the shuttle buses will run every 15 to 20 minutes ... in addition to regular bus service and carry voters to alternate voting sites.'" Continue reading

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Ron Paul: The Economics of Disaster

"Sandy raises uncomfortable questions about the extent to which taxpayers should fund the cleanup and the extent to which government programs create moral hazards. For example, FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) are expected to pick up the tab for much of the flood damage caused by the hurricane. Of course, this will mean more federal debt and inflation for the rest of us, since the program only has about $4 billion to work with and is already $18 billion in debt from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We can only hope FEMA has learned this time not to impede and frustrate private efforts as they have in the past." Continue reading

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Monsanto Funded Anti-GMO Labeling Campaign Gets Away with Impersonating Govt. Agencies

"Once again, major corporations are exempt from the laws that heavily apply to the average citizen. One Idaho woman found out in 2011 that misuse of government seals really can land you in jail when you don’t have billions of dollars. Found to be illegally using a phony government seal (sound familiar?), one Caldwell, Idaho woman now faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release — the sentence that applies to the average citizen." Continue reading

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How DC Is Going to Ruin the Driverless Car

"One issue is that the laws are requiring licensed drivers to sit in the driving seat, eliminating one of the main advantages of the technology. Yet there are more problems. Bizarrely, Cheh’s bill also requires that autonomous vehicles operate only on alternative fuels. Another flaw in Cheh’s bill is that it would impose a special tax on drivers of autonomous vehicles. Instead of paying fuel taxes, 'Owners of autonomous vehicles shall pay a vehicle-miles travelled (VMT) fee of 1.875 cents per mile.' Administrative details aside, a VMT tax would require drivers to install a recording device to be periodically audited by the government." Continue reading

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The Startling Reality of Money Power

"Every schoolboy used to know that at the height of the empire, almost a quarter of the atlas was coloured pink, showing the extent of British rule. But that oft recited fact dramatically understates the remarkable global reach achieved by this country. A new study has found that at various times the British have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe. The analysis of the histories of the almost 200 countries in the world found only 22 which have never experienced an invasion by the British." Continue reading

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NYC Mayor Bloomberg spending millions on political ads as ‘counterweight’ to NRA

"NRA spokesperson Andrew Arulanandam said the group had 'billions of reasons' to take Bloomberg’s efforts seriously, making reference to his estimated net worth, but criticized his efforts in the wake of superstorm Sandy, which has left millions of Bloomberg’s constituents without power. 'The message that he’s sending is he’s so obsessed with banning guns that he’s trying to influence federal and state races from Pennsylvania to Florida to California instead of helping the victims of Hurricane Sandy,' Arulanandam said." Continue reading

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Police Arrest Gas Buyer In New York

"Police arrested a 47-year-old New York man accused of filling up 30 five-gallon Home Depot buckets with gasoline on Saturday night. According to investigators, Yunus Latif, of Richmond Hill, collected money from his neighbors, bought gas at a Valero station in Orange and planned to bring it back to his neighborhood, where they had no power and gas. The owner of the Valero gas station, located at 347 Boston Post Road, was arrested as well. Police claimed Muniruzzaman Gomosta should have known what Latif was doing since he came into the store several times to pay for buckets of gasoline." Continue reading

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The European Central Bank on Bitcoins

"I have finally had a chance to read in full the unsigned report by the European Central Bank that I mentioned earlier this week. The report is quite impressive. The report clearly states the advantages of Bitcoins versus current credit/debit cards. The anonymity feature of Bitcoin is the feature that I believe could be the driving feature behind the potential success of Bitcoin. As world governments attempt to get in the middle of more and more private transactions, more and more buyers and sellers will seek anonymity." Continue reading

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US and the Chalabi-ization of Syria

"Concerned that US/Saudi/Israeli/Qatari-supported al-Qaeda rebels in Syria look too much like, well, al-Qaeda members, the US has announced that it prefers to create a whole new opposition in Syria. If what is claimed by the US administration and is amplified in the subservient Western press is true -- that the vast majority of the Syrian people are fighting with or supporting those seeking to overthrow the Syrian government -- why on earth would it be necessary for the United States Department of State to gather its allies together in Qatar to create a Syrian opposition?" Continue reading

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