statism

France ‘ready to punish’ Syria over chemical weapons strike

"French President Francois Hollande upped the ante, pledging to 'punish' the regime over suspected chemical attacks and boost military support for the opposition. Hollande will on Thursday meet the head of Syria’s main opposition group, which has blamed the regime for a suspected gas attack that it says killed more than 1,300 people. The alleged attack has prompted increasingly frantic calls from Western and Arab nations for action against the Syrian regime, which denies any involvement. Sources close to Hollande say one of the options for France would be to deploy the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier off the Syrian coast. Hollande said the Syrian conflict threatened 'world peace.'" Continue reading →

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Britain has invaded all but 22 countries in the world

"A new study has found that at various times the British have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe. The analysis of the histories of the almost 200 countries in the world found only 22 which have never experienced an invasion by the British. Among this select group of nations are far-off destinations such as Guatemala, Tajikistan and the Marshall Islands, as well some slightly closer to home, such as Luxembourg. Stuart Laycock, the author, has worked his way around the globe, through each country alphabetically, researching its history to establish whether, at any point, they have experienced an incursion by Britain." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBritain has invaded all but 22 countries in the world

No, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops”

"To support the troops is to accept a particular idea of the American role in the world. It also forces us to pretend that it is a country legitimately interested in equality for all its citizens. In reality, the troops are not actually recipients of any meaningful support. That honor is reserved for the government and its elite constituencies. 'Support our troops' entails a tacit injunction that we also support whatever politicians in any given moment deem the national interest. If we understand that 'the national interest' is but a metonym for the aspirations of the ruling class, then supporting the troops becomes a counterintuitive, even harmful, gesture." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNo, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops”

Should Bales Bail?

"Afghanistan war vet/killer Robert Bales was sentenced today to life in prison without parole after he was convicted of killing sixteen Afghan villagers. Actually, he was convicted of being caught killing sixteen Afghan villagers. God only knows how many thousands more civilians were killed by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. And since U.S. soldiers were invaders, not defenders, they are guilty of murdering everyone that died at their hands in Afghanistan. If we are going to lock up Bales for life, then he should be joined by thousands more. Of course, we know that this will never happen. If you kill only those whom the government says to kill, then that is okay." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShould Bales Bail?

Should Bales Bail?

"Afghanistan war vet/killer Robert Bales was sentenced today to life in prison without parole after he was convicted of killing sixteen Afghan villagers. Actually, he was convicted of being caught killing sixteen Afghan villagers. God only knows how many thousands more civilians were killed by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. And since U.S. soldiers were invaders, not defenders, they are guilty of murdering everyone that died at their hands in Afghanistan. If we are going to lock up Bales for life, then he should be joined by thousands more. Of course, we know that this will never happen. If you kill only those whom the government says to kill, then that is okay." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingShould Bales Bail?

Young, Old, Democrat and Republican Agree: The Federal Government Sucks

"The Gallup organization polled Americans across the partisan divide, and ranging in age from pimply and arrogant to wrinkly and bitter, about their opinions of various sectors of American society. When it comes to the federal government, it's probably no surprise that starry-eyed youth and White House-haunting Democrats had the most affectionate sentiments. What is surprising is that the sort of affection they show is less akin to a passionate embrace and more like, 'it's not you, really, it's me. We're just not working out.' That's right, even among the young and the Democratic, warm feelings for the federal government are hard to find." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingYoung, Old, Democrat and Republican Agree: The Federal Government Sucks

Young, Old, Democrat and Republican Agree: The Federal Government Sucks

"The Gallup organization polled Americans across the partisan divide, and ranging in age from pimply and arrogant to wrinkly and bitter, about their opinions of various sectors of American society. When it comes to the federal government, it's probably no surprise that starry-eyed youth and White House-haunting Democrats had the most affectionate sentiments. What is surprising is that the sort of affection they show is less akin to a passionate embrace and more like, 'it's not you, really, it's me. We're just not working out.' That's right, even among the young and the Democratic, warm feelings for the federal government are hard to find." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingYoung, Old, Democrat and Republican Agree: The Federal Government Sucks

Obama Encourages Rabble Rouser Sharpton

"Do you know what Obama said about not circulating the photo of the dead Obama bin Laden? This: 'It is important to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool.' It’s sad, very sad, to find Trayvon Martin being made an issue and symbol in the 50th anniversary March on Washington. [..] King was investigated and surveilled by the FBI. Where was there even a single mention of the surveillance state? A key feature of King’s preaching was his anti-war views. Where was there an echo of this in this anniversary celebration? Where was there some anti-Drug War sentiment?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama Encourages Rabble Rouser Sharpton

Missouri Democrat busted for marijuana possession

"A Missouri Democrat was arrested on Sunday after police officers discovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his car. State Rep. Jeremy LaFaver (D-Kansas City) was pulled over by police for failing to respond to a previous charge that he had driven with an expired license tag and without insurance. The lawmaker was booked into the Boone County jail and released after posting bond. The Missouri Republican Party has called on LaFaver to resign, citing his 'open disrespect for the law.' But he told local media networks that he has no plans to quit. Unlike other lawmakers arrested for marijuana, LaFaver supported legislation that would have decriminalized small amounts of marijuana." Continue reading →

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‘The U.S. effect’: Researchers encouraged to report exaggerated or eye-catching results

"Scientists who study human behaviour are more likely than average to report exaggerated or eye-catching results if they are based in the United States, according to an analysis of more than 1,000 research papers in psychiatry and genetics. This bias could be due to the research culture in the US, authors of the analysis said, which tends to preferentially reward scientists for the novelty and immediate impact of a piece of work over the quality or its long-term contribution to the field. One of the authors said that there was intense competition in the US for research funds and, subsequently, pressure to report novel findings in prestigious, high-impact scientific journals." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘The U.S. effect’: Researchers encouraged to report exaggerated or eye-catching results