News Commentary

Ron Paul: The Drone Threat

"While touting the success of its overseas drone program, the US administration refuses to even admit publicly that the CIA has an overseas drone program. In response to a recent ACLU Freedom of Information request regarding the existence of the CIA's drone program, the Department of Justice responded, 'The very fact of the existence or nonexistence of such documents is itself classified.' How is that for government transparency? Recently, FAA stated that no armed drones would presently be permitted in US airspace. But what good are the promises of government officials when the Constitution, and especially the Fourth Amendment, has been gutted?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul: The Drone Threat

Pepe Escobar: The illusory state of the Empire

"Obama's legacy may be in the process of being forged. We might call it Shadow War Forever - coupled with the noxious permanence of Guantanamo. The Pentagon for its part will never abandon its 'full spectrum' dream of military hegemony, ideally controlling the future of the world in all those shades of grey zones between Russia and China, the lands of Islam and India, and Africa and Asia. Were lessons learned? Of course not. Obama can afford to be self-confident because the Drone Empire is safe. Most Americans seem to absent-mindedly endorse it - as long as 'the terrorists' are alien, not US citizens." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPepe Escobar: The illusory state of the Empire

Save Silicon Valley — abolish patents now

"'Our preferred policy solution is to abolish patents entirely,' Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine wrote in a recently published paper. That statement, of course, flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that patents foster innovation and improve productivity. Both truisms, they say, are wrong. In fact, patents have a 'negative effect on innovation,' they say. Obviously, this is awfully radical, but it's worth noting that 18 months after the largest patent reform legislation in decades -- the America Invents Act -- was signed by President Barack Obama, patent litigation has continued to increase." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSave Silicon Valley — abolish patents now

Wendy McElroy: Print Me A Revolution

"Two men – one in Washington State and the other in South Africa – used open source software to design a series of mechanical hands for a boy whose family could not afford a commercial prosthetic. A group called Defense Distributed have already 'printed' a plastic high capacity ammunition magazine. President Obama is noticing. The Department of Defense has shelled out $30 million to promote 3D printing and the sum is being matched by a group that includes crony-capitalist corporations such as Boeing. Nothing could be more disastrous to the technology than being championed by government promoting the technology, especially in league with crony corporations." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWendy McElroy: Print Me A Revolution

Obama’s Drones – Coming to a Window Near You

"The Constitution of the Unites States guarantees that we shall not be 'deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,' that we have a right to trial and to be charged with a crime. But if the president of the United States, as a Columbia Law School professor described President Obama’s actions a few days ago, 'is acting as judge, jury and executioner,' how are we to defend ourselves? We can at least start by demanding that Capitol Hill outlaw the use of surveillance drones against the 315,279,355 presumed innocent Americans now living in the United States." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama’s Drones – Coming to a Window Near You

FATCA Overreach Will Sabotage American Global Competitiveness

"If Congress set out right now to craft a law to sabotage the global competitiveness of the US economy, they’d have trouble coming up with better than the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). The law is ostensibly aimed at combating tax evasion and requires every foreign institution in the world to act at their own tremendous expense as deputy US tax collectors. FATCA will instead turn the US into an economic pariah and Americans citizens into toxic assets. It will divert untold billions of dollars per year to pay lawyers to comply with a law optimistically expected to raise less than $800 million in tax revenues per year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFATCA Overreach Will Sabotage American Global Competitiveness

Ron Paul: Beware The Consequences of Pre-Emptive War

"Last year more US troops died by suicide than died in combat in Afghanistan. More than 20 percent of military personnel deployed to combat will develop PTSD. More than 20 percent of active-duty military are on potentially dangerous psychotropic drugs; many are on multiple types. Violent crime among active duty military members increased 31 percent between 2006-2011. The warning that 'he who lives by the sword dies by the sword' goes not only for individuals but for entire societies. It is a warning to all of us. A country or a society that lives with the violence of pre-emptive war in fact self-destructs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRon Paul: Beware The Consequences of Pre-Emptive War

..And Then Government Came For The Toddlers

"Back in 2007, the future U.S. Queen said: 'As president, I will establish universal pre-kindergarten education through a federal-state partnership.' At the time, Hillary's cheerleaders at The New York Times were pitching the project with words like 'neuroscientific'. Obama is the latest in keeping the ball rolling: 'I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America,' he said in his latest State of the Union speech. Perhaps someday, the 'neuroscientific' and 'high quality' Platonist government will make its way into the hospital room, helping Mommies to bring 'new Americans' into the world." Continue reading →

Continue Reading..And Then Government Came For The Toddlers

LAPD: Collateral Damage For The Sake Of The State

"Soldiers and other killers for hire in Iraq and Afghanistan are carefully trained to stop thinking of their targets as human beings. Otherwise they'll flinch and hesitate when they need to kill. 'If you ask yourself, ‘did he kiss his kids goodbye this morning,’ you’re through,' I remember one sniper saying. And I remember this one, too: 'Sorry, The chick got in the way.' Many LAPD and other police force members are veterans of those wars. Do you think they can forget that training? Turn it off like a switch? The LAPD-Dorner case has proven that they can't." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLAPD: Collateral Damage For The Sake Of The State