How Did Americans Survive Until 1892 Without the Pledge of Allegiance?

"The Pledge of Allegiance was composed by Frances Bellamy in 1892. It came about as a commercial promotion of a youth magazine to sell flags and get flags placed atop schoolhouses. Congress formally adopted the Pledge in 1942. The Supreme Court ruled in 1943 (W. Va. Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943)) that school children have a right to refuse to participate in saying the Pledge. Mr. Justice Jackson's opinion is readable and worth reading for what it says about the limits to government actions that seek unity, conformity, and affirmation of belief through compulsion. In 1954, Congress added the words 'under God' to the Pledge." Continue reading

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Reality Check: One question Sec. of State Clinton was not asked about Benghazi

"Her testimony on the attack against the U.S. facility in Benghazi has been delayed by over a month. Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went before members of Congress to answer questions. What questions did the Secretary of State answer? What was one question the Senators failed to ask? For more background on the U.S. support of Al Qaeda, click here." Continue reading

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War is Peace: The Second Obama Term

"From President Obama's second inaugural address: 'We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war.' Secretary of State nominee John Kerry before Senate confirmation hearing this week: 'The president has made it definitive -- we will do what we must to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And I repeat here today: our policy is not containment. It is prevention, and the clock is ticking on our efforts to secure responsible compliance.'" Continue reading

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Central Banks Repatriate Gold: How Will This Affect Investors?

"Germany made an even bigger splash than Japan in the gold market recently with its surprise announcement last week that the Bundesbank would begin repatriating gold reserves held overseas. The central bank said it wanted to keep more than 50% of its gold reserves at home, up from slightly less than one-third currently. With that in mind, the Bundesbank will move all its gold reserves now held in Paris back to Germany, and reduce its reserves held in New York City. And Germany isn’t alone. There’s talk that the Netherlands and Azerbaijan will also repatriate gold reserves." Continue reading

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China’s Securities Regulator Says Stock Intervention Needed at Times

"China’s securities regulator said intervention in the nation’s stock market is necessary at 'key moments' because it isn’t mature. 'Volatility is high and don’t forget, China is still a developing country,' Xinhua quoted China Securities Regulatory Commission Chairman Guo Shuqing as saying at a national securities and futures supervision meeting. Net share purchases by China’s social security fund were 42.8 billion yuan ($6.9 billion) last year and totaled 42.7 billion yuan by qualified foreign institutional investors, Xinhua cited Guo as saying. They were the biggest net purchasers, Xinhua reported." Continue reading

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SEC Bars Egan-Jones From Rating The US And Other Governments For 18 Months

"It is refreshing to see that the SEC has taken a much needed break from its daily escapades into midgetporn.xxx and is focusing on what is truly important, such as barring outspoken rating agency Egan-Jones from rating the US and other governments. From the SEC: 'EJR and Egan made a settlement offer that the Commission determined to accept. Under the settlement, EJR and Egan agreed to be barred for at least 18 months from rating asset-backed and government securities issuers as an NRSRO. EJR and Egan also agreed to correct the deficiencies found by SEC examiners in 2012." Continue reading

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Forbes Deletes Popular Story Linking Psychiatric Drugs To Murders

"In 2000, New York legislators recognized the ubiquitous and unambiguous connection between violence, especially gun violence and mass murder, and the widespread prescribed use of psychiatric drugs. Since that time, there have been at least 12 additional high-profile mass murders linked to the use of psychiatric drugs, about one a year. And, in virtually every mass school shooting during the past 15 years, the shooter has been on or in withdrawal from psychiatric drugs. Here is a partial list of 24 such horrific events that occurred since 1998, not including the Virginia Tech shootings and the recent Sandy Hook shootings where the authorities continue to suppress information." Continue reading

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Gun Violence is Not a Republican Problem

"67% of firearm murders took place in the country’s 50 largest metro areas. The 62 cities in those metro areas have a firearm murder rate of 9.7, more than twice the national average. Among teenagers the firearm murder rate is 14.6 or almost three times the national average. Those are the crowded cities of Obamerica. Those are the places with the most restrictive gun control laws and the highest crime rates. And many of them have been run by Democrats and their political machines for almost as long as they have been broken." Continue reading

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