State-Smashing

Pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong draws tens of thousands

"Younger activists have become increasingly politicized. Surveys show they identify themselves more as Hong Kong citizens than Chinese nationals – a trend that alarms Beijing, which is eager for the city to show more 'patriotism' to the motherland. Despite China’s pledge to allow a direct poll for the city’s leader in 2017, recent signs from senior Chinese officials have raised concern Beijing may somehow try to rig the rules to screen out opposition candidates from taking part. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997, with the promise of universal suffrage as an 'ultimate aim' in its mini-constitution." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPro-democracy protest in Hong Kong draws tens of thousands

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange: NSA leaker is a hero

"Citing his own grand jury trial in Alexandria, Virginia, Assange explained that Snowden does not feel as if he could receive a fair trial due to what is known as the 'rocket docket' — jury pools in the area are filled with CIA and Pentagon employees and have high conviction rates in cases brought to trial. Snowden should seek refuge then, Assange argued, until he feels he would be 'afforded justice' upon his return to the United States. The NSA leaker remains in Russia while he tries to find asylum in another country. That has been complicated by the U.S. revocation of his passport, an act Assange described as 'disgraceful.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange: NSA leaker is a hero

Restore The Fourth: Group Organizes Nationwide Anti-NSA Spying Protests On July 4

"Restore the Fourth is a grassroots, non-partisan, non-violent movement that seeks to organize and assemble nationwide protests on July 4th, 2013. Protesters in over 100 cities across America will gather to demand that the government of the United States of America adhere to its constitutionally dictated limits and respect the Fourth Amendment. http://www.RestoretheFourth.net provides a detailed list of protest locations. Restore the Fourth maintains that justification of the Fourth Amendment beyond the original text need not be given; the legitimacy of which is self-evident." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingRestore The Fourth: Group Organizes Nationwide Anti-NSA Spying Protests On July 4

Anti-government protests continue in Istanbul: ‘Government, resign!’

"Thousands gathered in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Saturday to protest against the harsh police treatment of demonstrators whose anti-government rallies have rocked the country for nearly a month. Riot police blocked off the centre of the square, the symbolic heart of the nationwide protest movement, for some two hours as the demonstrators chanted 'Government, resign!' but there was no fresh violence. The crowd also denounced the death of a demonstrator in the country’s Kurdish-dominated southeast on Friday after soldiers opened fire to disperse villagers protesting against the expansion of an army outpost." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnti-government protests continue in Istanbul: ‘Government, resign!’

Gulf Arab youth get around segregation with smartphone flirting

"In the United Arab Emirates and all across the conservative Gulf countries, dating is unacceptable among nationals while arranged marriages are the norm. By switching on WhosHere, a smartphone application which is popular in the kingdom, a young man sitting at the men’s section of the cafeteria could contact girls sitting in the families’ section. Before such applications, men would throw at the girls pieces of paper with their telephone numbers scribbled on them. But the Saudi telecom authority warned in March that it would ban applications like Skype and WhatsApp if providers failed to allow authorities access to censor content, according to an industry source." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGulf Arab youth get around segregation with smartphone flirting

Tempers fray in France as drastic cuts loom

"President Francois Hollande has already angered much of his own Socialist base with plans to cut spending next year in absolute terms for the first time since 1958, but this may be just start of the battle. The Cour des Comptes said France is not even 'halfway' through its fiscal squeeze. The warnings came as a blizzard of grim news dashed hopes for a rapid recovery from two years of slump. A recent study by Pew Foundation said French support for the European Project has crashed from 60pc to 40pc over the past year. Just 22pc now think EU economic integration is positive." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTempers fray in France as drastic cuts loom

Survey: Quarter Of US Consumers Has Heard Of Bitcoin — And Majority Of Them Trust It

"When it comes to trusting Bitcoin, U.S. consumers also lag their Argentinian and British counterparts, but trust levels are still apparently running high among U.S. Bitcoin-aware. The survey found 62% of U.S. consumers who are Bitcoin-aware said they trust the currency, vs 73% of Bitcoin-aware Argentinians and 69% of Bitcoin-aware Brits. Greater awareness of Bitcoin appears to help foster greater levels of trust, as you might expect. Trust in Bitcoin is still relatively low when compared to trust in national currencies. Unsurprisingly, Argentinians also come out on top as most likely to trust Bitcoin more than their national currency." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSurvey: Quarter Of US Consumers Has Heard Of Bitcoin — And Majority Of Them Trust It

The Real New Hope for the Global Middle Class

"The idea is that if people protest loudly enough, monopoly government – Leviathan – shall oblige protestors by revealing its inner workings. We know this is possible because a worldwide transparency organization led by a former World Bank executive tells us it will be so. But we have another idea. Much that is going on in the world today is attributable to what we call the Internet Reformation. Around the world, the powers-that-be are struggling to contain its evolution and impacts. In our view, they probably will not be entirely successful. One can orchestrate protests and violence. But one cannot outrun the sociological impact of digital enlightenment." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Real New Hope for the Global Middle Class

Former Clinton, Cameron Advisors: ‘Why Bitcoin is on the money’

"This phenomenon is part of a wider trend towards networked and globalised power structures that tend to undermine the nation state-based systems to which we have grown accustomed. Last week, the world’s most powerful nations grappled with the complexity of a global tax system. But almost unnoticed, the rise of digital currencies like BitCoin threatens to render obsolete even the modest progress made by the G8. BitCoin's distributed network structure makes it hard for any one country or group of countries to regulate its activities. Opportunities for larger players are presented by immediate and secure value transfer, delivered anonymously and at next-to-zero cost." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Clinton, Cameron Advisors: ‘Why Bitcoin is on the money’

Military Officer Reads Liberty Arguments, Has Second Thoughts, Retires

"In the spring of 2012 I finally got my wish. I was going to lead young men in combat. My battalion was deploying to Afghanistan. I left my wife behind in tears because duty called. I was one of the good guys, I thought. My views on war changed drastically during the deployment. It took me getting shot at and shooting back, getting blown up and witnessing first-hand the physical and mental devastation of war. I saw that devastation on the Afghans and on the men in my battalion. I ended my military career two months ago. I sit here now on my couch in California battling the remnants of my experiences." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMilitary Officer Reads Liberty Arguments, Has Second Thoughts, Retires