statism

ObamaCare’s Bad Surprises Begin on October 1.

"You must have a plan by January 1, or else pay a tax to the government: 1% of your 2013 income, or $95, whichever is more. This tax will rise every year. There is a calculator to show what coverage will cost you. It shows if you are eligible for tax credits. People with low incomes will not qualify for tax credits. But they will have to pay the extra premiums. This is called 'helping the poor.' I'm on Medicare. You pay my premiums ($12,000 a year). My wife has Christian Health Care Ministries. She pays $1,000 a year. What about you? What about your children? They lose your coverage at age 26. Young people lose the subsidies at lower income than had been originally promoted." Continue reading →

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Gun registry ‘scheme’ among concerns over US signing of UN arms treaty

"The treaty would regulate the $70 billion global trade in conventional arms. The U.S. is the largest arms exporter in the world, and Kerry's signature was seen as a significant step in pushing it forward. Supporters say the treaty sends a bold global message advocating the first-ever moral standards on the cross-border trade linked to human rights violations around the world. But to some on U.S. soil, the treaty treads into dangerous territory and could step on the constitutional rights of Americans. They point in part to language, at the very beginning of the document, that includes 'small arms and light weapons' and worry this could cover firearms owned by Americans." Continue reading →

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Regulation Opens Door to FinTech Startup Opportunities

"Complying with existing regulations and coping with future regulatory changes represent the biggest opportunity for startups to break into the potentially lucrative world of FinTech (Financial Technology), according to two seasoned FinTech players who spoke at The Wall Street Journal Tech Cafe in London. 'The easiest way to start a business to work within the finance sector is to look for a regulation that is coming down the pipe and develop a solution for that thing,' said Kirk Wylie, co-founder of OpenGamma, an open-source analytics and risk management platform for the financial services industry. 'Anywhere you see new regulation is always a way for startups to make money.'" Continue reading →

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A Tale of Two Giants: The Elephant and the Dragon

"China and India are developing countries with vast growth potential. However, amid a liquidity boom, they over-marketed their potential, and nurtured and enjoyed a bubble ride. Their governments felt lucky and hoped that they could grow out of all their problems. Of course, bubbles cover up problems for a time and make them bigger after. As the global liquidity boom unwinds, investors need a better story to stay in emerging markets. Too much money around was good enough before. Now China and India need to convince investors that they can revive growth without a global liquidity boom." Continue reading →

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Declassified Documents: NSA Spied On MLK Jr., Senators, Journalists

"The six-year spying program, dubbed 'Minaret,' had been exposed in the 1970s but the targets of the surveillance had been kept secret until now. The documents were published after the government panel overseeing classification ruled in favor of researchers at George Washington University who had long sought the release of the secret papers. The intensity of anti-war dissent at home led President Lyndon Johnson to ask US intelligence agencies in 1967 to find out if some protests were fueled by foreign powers. The NSA worked with other spy agencies to draw up 'watch lists' of anti-war critics to tap their overseas phone calls." Continue reading →

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Anthony Gregory: The Cataclysm of World War II

"World War II was the great event of the 20th century. It greatly altered political boundaries, ushered in the Cold War, effected a total transformation in American governance, and consumed more lives than any other event of comparable duration. The Allied cause stands as the most celebrated of war efforts. U.S. mobilization for it is presented as the greatest government undertaking in American history. The evils of the Axis Powers, particularly Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, were so grave, their crimes so unspeakably brutal and vast, that it is just assumed that the force that violently opposed their reign of terror must have had justice on its side." Continue reading →

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How I Learned to Stop Feeling Safe in My Own Country

"Earlier this month, OTM producer Sarah Abdurrahman, her family, and her friends were detained for hours by US Customs and Border Protection on their way home from Canada. Everyone being held was a US citizen, and no one received an explanation. Sarah tells the story of their detainment, and her difficulty getting any answers from one of the least transparent agencies in the country." Continue reading →

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Greenwald: NSA’s view of drone opponents as ‘threats’ and ‘adversaries’

"Under the title 'adversary propaganda themes', the document lists what it calls 'examples of potential propaganda themes that could be employed against UAV operations'. It states: 'Attacks against American and European persons who have become violent extremists are often criticized by propagandists, arguing that lethal action against these individuals deprives them of due process.' In the eyes of the US government, 'due process' – the idea that the US government should not deprive people of life away from a battlefield without presenting evidence of guilt – is no longer a basic staple of the American political system, but rather a malicious weapon of 'propagandists'." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGreenwald: NSA’s view of drone opponents as ‘threats’ and ‘adversaries’

Charges dropped against parent arrested for speaking against Common Core

"The Baltimore County state's attorney's office dropped assault charges Monday against Robert Small, who had been led out of the Thursday night meeting in Towson by an off-duty police officer. Small interrupted education officials, complaining that new standards were aimed at sending children to community colleges. 'It was clear that Mr. Small violated the rules of the meeting and disrupted the meeting. It was also clear that the officer acted appropriately and did have probable cause to make an arrest on both charges,' the state's attorney's office said in a statement. A YouTube video of him being escorted out of the room by the police officer has been viewed more than 500,000 times." Continue reading →

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Common Core: A Lesson Plan for Raising Up Compliant, Non-Thinking Citizens

"When viewed in light of the government’s ongoing attempts to amass power at great cost to Americans—in terms of free speech rights, privacy, due process, etc.—the debate over Common Core State Standards, which would transform and nationalize school curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade, becomes that much more critical. Essentially, these standards, which were developed through a partnership between big government and corporations, are being rolled out in 45 states and D.C., and will create a generation of test-takers capable of little else, molded and shaped by the federal government and its corporate allies into what it considers to be ideal citizens." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCommon Core: A Lesson Plan for Raising Up Compliant, Non-Thinking Citizens