Land Of The Flea

Our Rulers’ $1.5 Billion “Backup Hard Drive”

"The Feds have invested $ 1.5 billion of our money in a 'data farm' in Utah despite all their hype about 'sequestration.' But you may not realize that this boondoggle is even more offensively wasteful than you thought: it is 'essentially the world’s largest backup hard drive… It’ll be one of several data farms that make up the [NSA'a] digital backbone, but information kept there won’t be unique. … Utah’s center will house the most data but everything is networked and if the center goes down, [Lonny] Anderson[, the NSA’s chief information officer] says, no data will be lost.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOur Rulers’ $1.5 Billion “Backup Hard Drive”

Paul Craig Roberts: Washington Is Driving The World To The Final War

"It is not possible for a true patriot to support a government that destroys the Constitution. The United States is the Constitution. Our country is not the Obama regime, the Bush regime, or some other administration. Our country is the Constitution. The Constitution is our country. Beyond obligations to one’s own country, all humans have a responsibility to human life itself. Washington’s puppet states, such as the NATO countries, Japan, and Colombia, by providing cover and support for Washington’s aggression are enabling Washington to drive the world into World War III." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPaul Craig Roberts: Washington Is Driving The World To The Final War

Biden calls Ecuador’s president about NSA leaker Snowden

"Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa on Saturday said Vice President Joe Biden had called him to urge the South American country to deny an asylum request from National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, according to reports. Correa added that no decision would be made on the asylum request unless Snowden was on Ecuadorian territory and said that the admitted leaker would 'have to assume his own responsibilities' for his actions. Correa disclosed the phone call from Biden during a television interview in Ecuador. National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said Biden and Correa spoke on Friday, but would not provide more details." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBiden calls Ecuador’s president about NSA leaker Snowden

More Dark Side From The Empire

"It was interesting to learn that when everyone thought that Snowden was on his way to Ecuador via Cuba, American journalists were not permitted to fly to Cuba from Russia because they didn’t have visas. Perhaps they were lucky because if they hadn’t secured a 'license' to spend money in Cuba, they were subjected to being prosecuted for a felony offense by … their own government! Yes, the U.S. government—the government that was poking fun at China and Russia for their systems of government—actually puts Americans into jail for traveling to Cuba and spending their money there. How’s that for a little 'Thank God I’m an American because at least I know I’m free'?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore Dark Side From The Empire

Stand With Whistleblowers

"The Bradley Manning Freedom Torch Parade began this weekend in San Francisco, and will feature solidarity events across the US. We at the Center for a Stateless Society were among the first organizations to sponsor this effort to defend whistleblowers. If there is an event near you, I urge you to participate. If not, I suggest you organize one. Whistleblowers like Manning risk their lives and liberty to shine a light on abusive state power. It’s time for us to stand in solidarity with them." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStand With Whistleblowers

Why Roger Stone’s JFK book has to be taken seriously

"Roger Stone is the first JFK assassination author to have worked in the White House and among the few who have personal acquaintances with JFK’s sucessors. Stone’s background doesn’t mean that his interpretation of November 22, 1963, is necessarily correct, but he cannot be dismissed as 'conspiracy theorist' who is deluded about the realities of American politics and power. To the contrary, he has far more first-hand experience with those Washington realities than an academic like John McAdams or a prosecutor like VIncent Bugliosi. I think Stone’s indictment of Lyndon Johnson deserves to be taken more seriously than anyone else’s." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy Roger Stone’s JFK book has to be taken seriously

Records Obtained Detailing Obama Administration’s Warrantless Collection of Citizens’ Personal Financial Data

"Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained records from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) revealing that the agency has spent millions of dollars for the warrantless collection and analysis of Americans’ financial transactions. The documents also reveal that CFPB contractors may be required to share the information with 'additional government entities.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRecords Obtained Detailing Obama Administration’s Warrantless Collection of Citizens’ Personal Financial Data

Why the Status Quo Is Doomed

"Every one of these implicit assumptions has been turned on its head: growth is barely above the rate of inflation; by some measures, it has already fallen below the real rate of inflation. Debt is increasing much faster than income or wealth. Virtually all of the recent expansion of wealth/income is flowing to the top 10%. This is why the status quo is doomed: there is no Plan B or even conceptual alternative to the 'more growth forever' agenda. The oft-touted fantasy is that 'we're going to grow our way out of this,' but it is abundantly clear that debt is rising far faster than growth or incomes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhy the Status Quo Is Doomed

By Global Standards, The US Education Bureaucracy Gets the Most Money With Mediocre Results

"America has a very costly and inefficient government school monopoly. The strongest piece of evidence is an amazing chart put together by a Cato colleague. It shows that education spending has skyrocketed while educational performance has stagnated. We’ve now surpassed Switzerland to become the biggest spenders on education. But we still get a crummy return on all that money that is spent. One reason the system is so expensive is that we squander so much money on bureaucratic overhead. But I guess we need all those paper pushers so we can stop little kids from engaging in terrorist behavior." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBy Global Standards, The US Education Bureaucracy Gets the Most Money With Mediocre Results

More than half of Americans disapprove of Obamacare

"A majority of Americans say Obamacare will make things worse for their families and the nation overall, a poll released on Thursday found, highlighting the challenges his administration still faces in winning over the public. Overall, the survey of nearly 2,050 adults showed 52 percent disapprove of the 2010 law aimed at expanding access to health insurance for millions of people, according to Gallup. Another 44 percent said they back the changes. Among those polled, 42 percent said it would make their family’s healthcare situation worse while 33 percent said it would have little impact. Just 22 percent said they thought it would help, the poll showed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMore than half of Americans disapprove of Obamacare