Land Of The Flea

Rich Taiwanese give up U.S. passports over FATCA

"A number of Taiwan residents with dual nationalities have chosen to renounce their American citizenship to avoid taxes under FATCA, formally known as Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, according to local media reports. Ruling Kuomintang Legislator Lai Shyh-bao was quoted as saying that scores of owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises and management executives have begun proceedings to relinquish their U.S. citizenship." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRich Taiwanese give up U.S. passports over FATCA

An Ally Out of Control

"The U.S. previously had correctly warned that Western attacks on the Islamist enclave in Mali could inflame Islamic militants worldwide and lead to blowback terrorist attacks in the West. Yet now, in a replay of the war in Libya, with France forcing its hand, the U.S. has been forced to back its ally’s aggressive action and even provide help. Northern Mali was taken over by battle-hardened Islamists, who brought in heavy weapons from Gaddafi’s formidable stockpiles in Libya after the West’s overthrow of him. The U.S. foolishly had trained Malian units led by generals who were Tuareg, an ethnic group that been rebelling against the Malian government for a half century." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAn Ally Out of Control

British man who ‘vanished’ after being stripped of citizenship says he was tortured, forced to sign a confession by the CIA

"Mahdi Hashi, who vanished last summer in Somalia, has described for the first time his 'horrific' ordeal at the hands of the secret police in the neighbouring state of Djibouti, who he claims worked closely with US interrogators. The 23-year-old, who lived in London, alleges that he was stripped and repeatedly slapped before being threatened with electrocution and sexual abuse by officers who were attached to Djibouti's intelligence service. Speaking from a top security prison in New York, where his family tracked him down just before Christmas, Mr Hashi claims he was so frightened by the threats of torture that he signed the confession demanded by his American interrogators." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritish man who ‘vanished’ after being stripped of citizenship says he was tortured, forced to sign a confession by the CIA

Washington greets the New Year by assaulting your rights

"Fortunately, at least 15 local governments, in addition to four states, have passed resolutions opposing the domestic military detention provisions of the NDAA. The local coalitions that have secured these resolutions continue to gather momentum and build a national voice to restore the Bill of Rights. Find a local campaign to join today, or contact us for help starting one in your town!" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWashington greets the New Year by assaulting your rights

Southwestern Pa. hospital to stop baby deliveries due to Obamacare

"A southwestern Pennsylvania hospital will stop delivering babies after March 31 because its obstetricians are either leaving or refocusing their practices, and because hospital officials believe they can't afford it based on projected reimbursements under looming federal health care reforms. Hospital officials say the population of women of child-bearing age is dropping and that the number of births the hospital would be called upon to perform isn't enough for it to provide the service in the face of lower reimbursements under the federal Affordable Care Act." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSouthwestern Pa. hospital to stop baby deliveries due to Obamacare

Should a Woman Be Shackled While Giving Birth? Most States Think So

"In 33 states across the country, pregnant inmates, including women being held exclusively for immigration-related offenses, can be shackled to their hospital beds during the birthing process. But many advocates, including doctors and nurses, say that shackling women at any stage of their pregnancy is damaging to the health of the mothers and the health of their babies. The American Medical Association deemed the practice to be unsafe, 'medically hazardous,' and 'barbaric,' in a resolution from 2010." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShould a Woman Be Shackled While Giving Birth? Most States Think So

Prison labor booms in US as low-cost inmates bring billions

"US breeds a Chinese-style inmate labor scheme on its own soil. Both state and some of the biggest private companies are now enjoying the fruits of a cheap and readily available work force, with tens of millions of dollars spent by private prisons to keep their jails full." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPrison labor booms in US as low-cost inmates bring billions

Inside the Incredibly Repellent Mind of a Bureaucrat

"...Marthe Kent, OSHA's director of safety standards program and head of the ergonomics effort, couldn't be happier at her job. 'I like having a very direct and very powerful impact on worker safety and health,' she recently told The Synergist, a newsletter of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. 'If you put out a reg, it matters. I think that's really where the thrill comes from. And it is a thrill; it's a high.' Later in the article, she adds, 'I love it; I absolutely love it. I was born to regulate. I don't know why, but that's very true. So as long as I'm regulating, I'm happy.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingInside the Incredibly Repellent Mind of a Bureaucrat

Parents Furious After Boys Suspended For Using Fingers As Guns

"Two 6-year-old boys were suspended while playing cops and robbers during recess and using their fingers to make an imaginary gun. This is the second time a Maryland child has been suspended for such play. Earlier this month, 6-year-old Rodney Lynch was suspended from his Montgomery County school after pretending to fire an imaginary gun more than once." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingParents Furious After Boys Suspended For Using Fingers As Guns

DOJ sends bundle of completely censored documents in response to ACLU lawsuit

"Responding to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Department of Justice (DOJ) turned over a bundle of documents that are completely blacked out. The lawsuit was filed after the DOJ ignored a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking information on how the agency interpreted a 2011 Supreme Court decision that bans law enforcement from using GPS technology to track Americans without a warrant. The Department responded to the lawsuit with 111 pages of attorney memos, but only two pages are legible. The rest are covered by large black rectangles that blot out all useful information." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDOJ sends bundle of completely censored documents in response to ACLU lawsuit