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Category Archives: politics

politics

United States Is the Laziest Developed Country in the World

Inspired by the Winter Olympics currently being played in Vancouver, the Daily Beast decided to give out virtual medals—for not the most athletic countries, but the laziest. Starting with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s member countries with extensive data available (24 developed countries), the site took four factors into account: calories per day, [...]

Retired Officers Rolling in Dough Working for Industry and Military

It’s hardly a secret that retired admirals and generals are highly coveted by defense contractors, who often pay them a pretty penny for their inside expertise and contacts. They might also be paying them for their current inside information. The Pentagon has hired at least 158 retired admirals and generals to serve as well-paid part-time [...]

Social Collapse Best Practices

by Dmitry Orlov – 14 February 2009
The following talk was given on February 13, 2009, at Cowell Theatre in Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, to an audience of 550 people. Audio and video of the talk will be available on Long Now Foundation web site.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for showing [...]

How Aspartame Became Legal – The Timeline

From Rich Murray – rmforall@att.net
12-24-02
From Norfolk Genetic Information Network (Taken from Welcome to the Spin Machine by Michael Manville http://www.freezerbox.com/archive/2001/04/biotech/ http://www.freezerbox.com/ )
In 1985 Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle, the chemical company that held the patent to aspartame, the active ingredient in NutraSweet. Monsanto [...]

“New Israel”

Can we take truckloads of soil from Israel and dump it on a platform in the middle of the sea, so as to build an Israel-sized island? We could call it “New Israel.” The Fisk piece below, which collects from memory recent evidence, and the Shawn piece, below that, which diagnoses with terrible accuracy the [...]

Half a World Away, Kenya Exults at U.S. Outcome

There was a moment after 9/11 when the world’s attitude toward the United States was one of solidarity. Many of us were deeply grieved that Bush turned his back on the world, and fanned the flames of hatred-based fear of the Other instead. So soon, it seems, we have come upon another such rare moment [...]

My candidate, myself

Even when faced with new facts and insights, most voters don’t change their minds about their favorite candidates. A neurologist explains how they might.
Sept. 22, 2008 | Salon.com

by Robert Burton
“Let’s make sure that there is certainty during uncertain times” — George W. Bush, 2008
Last week, I jokingly asked a health club acquaintance whether he [...]

FCC Destroyed Media Ownership Report

Study found local ownership means more local news
15 September 2006 | FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)
A 2004 Federal Communications Commission study that showed locally owned television stations provide more local news than others was ordered destroyed by FCC officials, and only came to light this week when a copy was leaked to Sen. Barbara [...]

America’s 100 Years of Overthrow

25 July 2006 | AlterNet

by Robert Sherrill
George Bush and Dick Cheney may get your vote as the worst, the dumbest, the most venal, and the most dangerous bunglers in foreign affairs in U.S. history. But this book will show you that their equals have appeared before. Author Stephen Kinzer’s Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change [...]

Feingold: Never Mind

[ This is a July 20, 2006 letter to Senator Russ Feingold from Alexandra Dadlez. --BL ]
Senator Feingold,
Several years ago, probably around the time of the Iraq War Resolution, I wrote an e-mail to you strongly urging that you run for president of the United States.
This is to let you know: Never Mind. I [...]