statism

Sheriff Bradshaw and the Palm Beach County Psihuska

"Although they were dealing with a sickly, unarmed homeless man who was not a criminal suspect, the Berserkers treated the incident as a combat situation. As they approached the encampment, Gaydos – who was holding his cell phone – stood up. Without a word of warning, he was shot twice in the head with rubber bullets. The first round damaged an ear; the second one destroyed his left eye. The assailants later tried to justify the head shots by claiming that they had seen a knife in Gaydos’s hand – but since no knife was ever recovered, this can be dismissed as a self-serving lie of the kind routinely offered by police officers after they kill or mutilate an innocent person." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSheriff Bradshaw and the Palm Beach County Psihuska

India central bank introduces more policies to curb gold imports

"India's central bank announced more stringent measures for gold imports by banks in it's annual monetary statement. Analysts said the move is likely to impact country's gold imports this year. The central bank said banks will be allowed to import bullion on a consignment basis to meet only genuine needs of exporters of gold jewelry. RBI will issue detailed guidelines on gold imports by authorized banks by the end of this month after it sees banks also import gold on an unfixed price basis and loan basis, according to the central bank." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndia central bank introduces more policies to curb gold imports

Stark Scenes From the Guantanamo Hunger Strike

"For more than two weeks, 100 detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba have been on hunger strike to protest conditions at the prison and their indefinite confinement. First denied and downplayed by the military, the strike has now become a full-blown emergency. Twenty-three detainees are currently being force-fed. At least twice a day, guards in riot gear tie each detainee to a chair or bed, and medical personnel force a tube up his nose and down his throat, and pump a can of Ensure or other dietary supplement into his stomach. There are so many detainees being force-fed that Guantanamo's medical personnel are working around the clock." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStark Scenes From the Guantanamo Hunger Strike

Police State SWATs Family Growing Tomatoes & Squash

"In August, 2011, a member of the Missouri Highway Patrol spots Bob Harte doing something suspicious. He was leaving a store with a small bag of merchandise that he bought from that store. It happened to be a hydroponics store. Seven months later, the Missouri Highway Patrol passes on that 'tip' to the Johnson County Sherriff’s Office, which then puts together an investigation spanning several weeks involving early-morning searches of the Harte’s trash, but apparently not involving any actual… investigation. They got a warrant to serve a SWAT-style search of the home, terrifying the family. They found… tomatoes and squash." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice State SWATs Family Growing Tomatoes & Squash

‘Patriot Garden’ Under Attack In Orlando

"Jennifer and Jason Helvenston of Orlando, Fla. built their home with naturally sourced materials, harvest eggs from their backyard chickens and grow vegetables in their front yard. Not only does their garden provide them with their own food, but it has become a community attraction where the couple teaches local youth about homegrown vegetables. But the Orlando City Council—which aspires to be 'the greenest city in America'—claimed that the Helvenstons’ harmless, well-tended front yard garden was in non-compliance with the city code, and threatened to fine the couple $500 a day unless they uprooted it and replaced it with lawn." Continue reading →

Continue Reading‘Patriot Garden’ Under Attack In Orlando

Number of names on U.S. terrorist watch list jumps to 875,000

"The number of names on a highly classified U.S. central database used to track suspected terrorists has jumped to 875,000 from 540,000 only five years ago, a U.S. official familiar with the matter said. Maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center, the highly classified database is not a 'watchlist' but instead is a repository of information on people whom U.S. authorities see as known, suspected or potential terrorists from around the world." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNumber of names on U.S. terrorist watch list jumps to 875,000

FDA warns manufacturers of possible crackdown on caffeinated candies and snacks

"The US food and drug regulator on Friday called the addition of caffeine to children’s foods like chewing gum and jelly beans 'dangerous' and warned of a possible crackdown. Food and Drug Administration deputy commissioner Michael Taylor said the rise in such caffeine-added products outside the beverage industry was 'very disturbing,' after candy giant Mars Inc. announced a caffeinated version of its Wrigley gum. That was added last month to a slew of 'high energy' foods on the market sporting substantial added caffeine, including pancake syrups, instant oatmeal, waffles, potato chips, marshmallows and sunflower seeds." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFDA warns manufacturers of possible crackdown on caffeinated candies and snacks

Preposterous Waste, Pentagon Style

"There are some absurd examples of waste at the Pentagon, including 'green' jet fuel that costs 15 times as much as regular fuel. This is even worse than the bizarre $600,000 frog statue than the Defense Department selected to adorn a new $700 million office building. I realize that the $700 million office building should be the bigger issue, but I can’t help but be irked by the thought that taxpayers are being raped and pillaged for the frog. In any event, the $700 million for the office building is pocket change compared to the amount of money we misallocate to subsidize Western Europe to protect against a Warsaw Pact military alliance that no longer exists!" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPreposterous Waste, Pentagon Style

Bill Bonner: American grifters

"Here on the pampas, on the other hand, the Argentinians know better. Their brains have been sharpened by adversity and enlarged by necessity. They know they’re getting ripped off by the government. They find ways to protect themselves. 'There are invoices, and there are invoices. You can get an invoice at the official rate, or one at the unofficial rate. Or one that is not at any rate at all. A, B, or C. The government rigs the system to cheat us; we rig it right back. You just have to make sure you have the right invoice for the right transaction. At the end of the year, people buy and sell invoices. Everybody’s got a trick or two. You have to. Otherwise, you’re a sap.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBill Bonner: American grifters

Iraq still using James McCormick’s fake bomb detectors at checkpoints

"A policeman in Baghdad knows the bomb detector he uses is fake, and will do virtually nothing to save anyone’s life, but he has his orders. 'If I were given a mop and told that it detects bombs in cars, I would still do it without any hesitation,' he told AFP, asking not to be identified. 'The device is a 100-percent failure and we know that, but it is imposed on us; we cannot disobey direct orders,' he added. James McCormick, a British businessman, made an estimated £50 million ($76 million/59 million euros) selling the 'bomb detectors,' based on a novelty golf ball finder, to Iraq and other countries. He was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in jail for fraud." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIraq still using James McCormick’s fake bomb detectors at checkpoints