Land Of The Flea

McCain and Graham flipflop on aid to Egypt– after AIPAC speaks up

"Two conservative senators, John McCain and Lindsey Graham, went to Egypt this week to urge Egyptian leaders to show more respect for democracy. McCain and Graham may be Republicans, but they have a lot of clout. They were reported to have the blessing of the Obama administration in making this embassy. Why do they have such clout? One reason is that they are extremely responsive to the Israel lobby. In fact, both men lately flipflopped on a principled statement-- cutting off aid to Egypt -- evidently at the urging of AIPAC, the leading Israel lobby organization." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMcCain and Graham flipflop on aid to Egypt– after AIPAC speaks up

MSNBC Blames Boston Bombing on “Deeply Racist” Alex Jones

"'Alex Jones may sound crazy, but he has 300 million people that have watched him on YouTube,' said Wagner, characterizing Jones as 'deeply racist,' despite the fact that Jones has preached a message of peaceful, non-violent inclusiveness for the best part of two decades. On the contrary, Alex Jones and Infowars are renowned for communicating a message of non-violence and racial harmony, stemming back from the 90′s when Alex Jones protested against and bullhorned the Ku Klux Klan. In comparison, MSNBC is part owned by General Electric, a titan of the military-industrial complex and one of the biggest arms manufacturers on the planet." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMSNBC Blames Boston Bombing on “Deeply Racist” Alex Jones

Square Fined $507K In Florida For Operating Without A Money Transmitter License

"A little more state-specific financial regulatory hot water for Square, the hot mobile commerce startup: it has been fined $507,000 by Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation for operating a payment service without a money transmission license. This looks like the second time that a U.S. state financial regulator has gone after the company, after Square was served with a cease and desist order in Illinois in March 2013, also for failing to obtain a license before opening up for operations. According to the Florida payment order (embedded below), the $507,000 fine covers over two years of operation, from February 2010 to November 2012." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSquare Fined $507K In Florida For Operating Without A Money Transmitter License

Decoding Bitcoin

"Chances are you have never used a Bitcoin, but you’ve probably heard of it. The virtual currency is popping up more and more in the news and the government has been showing an increased interest in the subject. For instance, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this week told federal financial regulators and law enforcement officials to explain how they are keeping tabs on 'virtual' currencies, including the $1.2 billion market for Bitcoins. So what, errr, is a Bitcoin? What follows is guide to understanding the currency, why it’s used and why the government is paying attention." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDecoding Bitcoin

Bitcoin Boom? US fears digital currency may hit dollar demand

"The US is becoming increasingly concerned over virtual currencies, launching broad investigations into Bitcoin and the likes. The online currency has won official recognition with a US federal judge ruling it is real money. A Texas man, being tried for laundering billions of dollars using the Bitcoin system, challenged the court by saying bitcoins were virtual and couldn't be the basis for a fraud charge. He failed. RT's Peter Oliver went to meet those who have no doubt bitcoin has real value." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBitcoin Boom? US fears digital currency may hit dollar demand

NSA abuses contradict Obama and congressional claims of oversight

"Government officials from President Obama on down have insisted the nation's surveillance programs are subject to layers of oversight. 'I am comfortable that the program currently is not being abused,' Mr. Obama said in a press conference last week, when he announced new efforts at increasing transparency. 'Part of the reason they're not abused is because these checks are in place.' However, the latest revelation that the NSA violated privacy rules thousands of times, as documented in an internal report -- an internal report withheld from at least one leader in Congress responsible for oversight -- proves they were wrong." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA abuses contradict Obama and congressional claims of oversight

N.S.A. Calls Violations of Privacy ‘Minuscule’

"The top National Security Agency official charged with making sure analysts comply with rules protecting the privacy of Americans pushed back on Friday against reports that the N.S.A. had frequently violated privacy rules, after the publication of a leaked internal audit showing that there had been 2,776 such 'incidents' in a one-year period. Mr. DeLong, speaking to reporters on a conference call, also argued that the overwhelming majority of the violations were unintentional human or technical errors and that the existence of the report showed that the agency’s efforts to detect and correct violations of the rules were robust." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingN.S.A. Calls Violations of Privacy ‘Minuscule’

Nearly Every Major Federal Agency Has Reduced Projected Furloughs

"When sequestration was about to kick in, the Obama administration began a nearly across-the-board campaign to discuss the devastating impact the automatic cuts would have on agency operations. Furloughs, combined with hiring freezes, would disrupt the proper functioning of government, agency chiefs said, as fewer employees working fewer hours could not accomplish the same amount as a fully staffed workforce. While many federal agencies have in fact moved forward with furloughs, most major departments have reduced furlough days, or eliminated them altogether." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNearly Every Major Federal Agency Has Reduced Projected Furloughs

Justin Raimondo: Data-gate Shows We’re On the Cusp

"The 'architecture of oppression,' as Snowden deemed it, has successfully built itself into our lives because it takes on the appearance of a defensive measure, a military tactic deployed against a foreign enemy. Yet this administration is rapidly dropping even that pretense, and their partisan hounds are baying 'What have you got to hide?' What we are faced with is the astonishing sight of an administration often hailed as among the most 'liberal' in our history making the case for government secrecy and surveillance on an unprecedented scale." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJustin Raimondo: Data-gate Shows We’re On the Cusp