No Agenda 468 - Meat Hands

No Agenda Episode 468 - Meat Hands
  Meat Hands
  Direct [link] to the mp3 file
  ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 468.nashownotes.com
  New: Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) nashownotes.com
  The No Agenda News Network- noagendanewsnetwork.com
  RSS Feed for the newsletter
  Get the No Agenda News App for your iPhone and iPad
  Torrents of each episode via BitLove
Cover Art
  Art By: MartinJJ
  See All The Art in the Generator
Credits
  Meat Hands
  Executive Producers: Sir Ernie, Sir Robert Rock, Baron Steven Pelsmaekers, Anonymous, Black Knight MacTank, Loek Wonderhelm
  Associate Executive Producers: Sir Wiley Harp
  Become a member of the 469 Club, support the show here
  Knighthoods: Stephen Boe, Wiley Harp
  Art By: MartinJJ
  ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 468.nashownotes.com
  New: Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) nashownotes.com
  The No Agenda News Network- noagendanewsnetwork.com
  RSS Feed for the newsletter
  Get the No Agenda News App for your iPhone and iPad
  Torrents of each episode via BitLove
Shownotes
  Search
  Papparazi
  Zombies
  Change in Interest only Mortgages
  No one is working, just hanging in the cafes
  Coffeshops oen for business
  EUROLand
    Merkel re-elected party head by a landslide - Yahoo! News
      Link to Article
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 09:30
      BERLIN (AP) '-- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been re-elected as her party's leader with a landslide majority of 98 percent of the vote.
      The backing by the delegates of her conservative Christian Democratic Union on Tuesday gives Merkel a strong mandate to pursue her policies in fighting off Europe's debt crisis and contesting the national elections due next year.
      "I'm flabbergasted and moved," Merkel told a cheering audience at her party's annual convention in Hannover.
      Merkel has led the party since 2000 and has governed Europe's biggest economy as the country's first female chancellor since 2005.
      THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
      Chancellor Angela Merkel launched her bid for re-election Tuesday, telling party faithful her government has successfully steered Germany through the worst of the European financial crisis and is best equipped to guide it through what may still be tough times ahead.
      Speaking at her Christian Democratic Union's party congress in Hannover, she noted that unemployment in Germany is down, the economy is still growing while others in Europe are stagnating or shrinking, and that the deficit has been reduced.
      "We have guided Germany out of the crisis stronger than Germany entered the crisis," she said to a cheering audience.
      In a nod to her struggling coalition Free Democratic Party partners, she said "in these times no coalition could lead our country better."
      "This government is the most successful government since reunification," she said.
      Recent polls show Merkel's personally far more popular than Peer Steinbrueck, the main opposition Social Democratic Party's candidate for chancellor.
      But they also indicate a tight race between the preferred coalition governments of both parties. A Dec. 1 poll for Bild newspaper showed Merkel's CDU and Bavarian-only sister CSU with 38 percent support and the FDP with 4 percent '-- for 42 percent total '-- versus 28 percent support for the SPD and 14 percent for the Greens '-- also 42 percent.
      The poll conducted by the Emnid agency had a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.
      Still, elections are 10 months away and with support for Merkel's own party far above the others, the chancellor is in a comfortable position for the 2013 election at the moment, said Gero Neugebauer, a political scientist at Berlin's Free University.
      The eurozone debt crisis is a potential problem '-- but perhaps not as much of one as it might seem, he said.
      "The worse the crisis gets, and with it the effects on German budget and financial policy, if it becomes clear to voters here that there is less money for national matters, that could damage Mrs. Merkel," Neugebauer said. "Then her credibility would take a knock."
      Merkel herself acknowledged that these are "turbulent times" and that while it may be tempting to say "the euro is saved" there are signs that German growth may slow next year as other eurozone countries remain mired in recession.
      "I will say here explicitly '-- we must be careful," she said. "This crisis cannot be solved overnight because it didn't happen overnight."
      Germany is the largest contributor to eurozone rescue funds, and Merkel pledged continued support to other countries, saying that "in the long run, Germany only does well when Europe does well."
      "I want to see the euro come out of this crisis stronger than it went into it, and since we've already accomplished that in Germany we can also accomplish that in Europe," she said.
      Domestically, she promised more support for families raising children, tax incentives for people undertaking energy-saving renovations for their homes, and more money for research and development.
      She said the country needs economic growth to create more jobs, but also said it did not need growth at any price, pledging that her policies would be "economically, ecologically and socially responsible."
      _____
      Associated Press writer Geir Moulson contributed to this story.
    Italian PM Mario Monti to resign as soon as 2013 budget finalized '-- RT
      Link to Article
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 07:00
      Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti. (Reuters / Eric Gaillard)
      Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti has told President Giorgio Napolitano that he intends to resign after making sure the country's parliament passes next year's budget.
      ÐAccording to a statement issued by the president's office, Monti does not consider it possible to further carry out his responsibilities, and has accordingly expressed his intention to resign.
      Giorgio Napolitano's office announced Monti's plan to resign on Saturday night after the head of state met with Monti for nearly two hours at the presidential palace in Rome.
      The announcement comes a day after former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom party called for an "orderly" end to the current emergency government, withdrawing its support to Mario Monti.
      ''We want to conclude this parliamentary term in an orderly fashion without sending the institutions and the country to rack and ruin,'' the People of Freedom Secretary Angelino Alfano said after his party went against Monti's government in two confidence votes Thursday.
      "This has nothing to do with Monti as a person, his service to the institutions and his honesty with the political parties and with us in particular," Alfano added.
      Meanwhile, Silvio Berlusconi announced he is dropping his plans for retirement and would be running to regain the premiership for the fourth time in elections in early 2013.
      "I have always entered the race to win," Berlusconi told reporters outside the training facilities of his soccer team AC Milan on Friday.
      Speaking of the seat of the Italian goverment, the former television magnate said, "this is a thing that I never missed, not even for a minute. I return in despair to politics and I'm doing it again for a sense of responsibility.''
      The announcement came amid Berlusconi's current legal troubles, being convicted of tax fraud earlier this year. The former prime minister is also on trial for allegedly paying for sex with an underaged prostitute, charges he strongly denies. The 76-year-old politician resigned in November 2011 over Italy's economic troubles.
    EU 'ACCIDENT': Monti resigns, enter Berlusconi'...
      Link to Article
      Source: A diary of deception and distortion
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:56
      Beppe Grillo'....surprise winner in Sicily
      Silvio Berlusconi's PDL Party having withdrawn its support for Italy's Goldman Sachs technocracy, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti resigned last night. Berlusconi '' who is appealing against a tax evasion conviction, and faces under-age sex charges '' had announced his decision to return to frontline politics earlier last week.
      EU politicians are a delightful lot, aren't they? They tend to produce plenty of what Brussels calls 'mistakes' '' that is, eccentricity, criminality and personal popularity sabotaging The Great Project of a Berlin-dominated superstate. The media in Italy late last night were stressing that Sex Beast Silvio wanted a return to power mainly to get his tax conviction quashed, restore protectionism to his business interests, and then get the bunga-bunga charges dropped. But whatever his motives (and they will almost certainly be base) this is a major spanner in the mysterious works of Angela Merkel and Herman van Rompuy.
      First and foremost, it is bound to spook the markets. With no Monti managing the soap opera, they will expect a degree of chaos.
      Second, there is the very real likelihood that Berlusconi's peculiar brand of nationalism will become more extreme: sources overnight were suggesting that the PDL Party will call for the reintroduction of the lira, perhaps even for an official default, as a direct alternative to Monti's fanatical eurozone support known in ClubMed as 'extend and pretend'.
      Berlusconi will not be alone in running on a 'get out' ticket: Beppe Grillo heads the Five Star Movement, an anti-EU, anti-corruption and Eurosceptic party. Signor Grillo is a comedian, actor, fecund blogger, and all-round Italian activist. But he is no joke: his Party won last week's Sicilian local elections, and a Slog source in Italy described other politicians as being ''terrified of what he might achieve in a General Election''.
      Those elections will now be brought forward as, under Italian electoral law, a Prime Ministerial resignation from lack of support must trigger a poll within seventy days'...some time around February 20th. As we have seen in Greece '' with both Golden Dawn and Syriza making rapid electoral progress '' these new elections will hand the initiative to the more radical Parties.
      All this could spell trouble for new PD (social democrat) leader Pierluigi Bersani. When Bersani won the PD leadership last Monday, Italian newspapers ran banner headlines, La Repubblica even talking about 'the inevitable path' of the new man to become Prime Minister a la Hollande in France. But with surging support for 5-Star, and Berlusconi throwing his bunga-bunga into the ring, a stalemate is the almost certain result of the election as and when it happens.
      Keep a close eye on reactions from Berlin-am-Brussels. This is going to be a very hard sell to the German electorate'....and will almost certainly produce a backlash from the private banking hawks in Frankfurt.
      Don't you love farce?My fault, I fear.I thought that you'd want what I want -Sorry, my dear.But where are the clowns?There ought to be clowns.Quick, send in the clowns.
      About these adsLike this:Be the first to like this.
  Syria
    EU's big choice -- Nabucco or South Stream? - Ari Rusila's BalkanBlog -
      Its planned route would run from the Russian Black Sea coast across the seabed to Bulgaria, then bifurcate into a southern branch to Greece and southern Italy and a northern branch into Serbia, Hungary, and Austria, with a potential detour to Slovenia and northern Italy.
      Bulgaria and Hungary have both signed government agreements on joining South Stream. Austria is also in talks and has already agreed to sell Gazprom 50 percent of the shares in Baumgarten, the gas hub where Nabucco is supposed to end, while Turkey already operates a direct sub-marine pipeline linking it to Russia -- Blue Stream.- Also Romania is open to investing in the Gazprom pipeline South Stream, not just the EU Nabucco project.
    "This May Have Been The Week The US Decided It Can No Longer Sit On The Sidelines With Syria"
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:38
    Syrian Oil and Gaz News: 37 billion tons of shale oil stone estimated in the region of Aleppo Khanasser
      Link to Article
      Source: Stuff Ain't Right åÈ Uncategorized
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 11:07
      ~~There ya go!! Now we know WHY the U.S. wants to sell us on chemical weapons and all that in Syria'...'....same as Iraq and '...'.....you name it'...'...'....It's the OIL stupid!!~~~
      Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced that the evidence indicates the presence of large quantities of , shale oil stone in the region of Aleppo Khanasser estimated by 37 billion tons with thickness of up to 240 meters and contains a good oily materials with low sulfur content.
      Eng. Sufian Allaw Minister of Oil and mineral resources Said during his tour on the site of the exploration project located south east of Aleppo today that the raw stone shale oil, which extends over an area of 150 square kilometers as a first stage could be expanded, pointing out that the stone contains the organic materials of different proportions could be used in power generation, oil and building materials industry, cement and paving roads to achieve significant economic feasibility it.
      via Syrian Oil and Gaz News >> ¯£¯±¯«ôÉôª >> Allaw : 37 billion tons of shale oil stone estimated in the region of Aleppo Khanasser.
      Like this:Be the first to like this.
    Netherlands to Send 2 Patriot Batteries to Turkey
      Link to Article
      Source: RIA Novosti
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:15
      MOSCOW, December 8 (RIA Novosti) '' The Dutch government has approved the delivery of two Patriot missile batteries to Turkey to boost its air defenses along the border with Syria, Dutch news agency ANP reported.
      "The Dutch deployment of Patriot systems aims to protect the population and territory of NATO ally Turkey and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the southeastern borders of the alliance," ANP quoted a government statement on Friday.
      The Dutch Cabinet said it would commit a maximum of 360 troops to operate the Patriot systems under a yearlong NATO mandate.
      The Dutch decision comes a day after the German government agreed to send two Patriot batteries and up to 400 troops to Turkey.
      NATO approved the deployment of Patriot air defense systems in Turkey on Tuesday as a way to prevent potential Syrian cross-border missile or mortar attacks.
      The missile systems are expected to be placed within a triangular area including the provinces of Gaziantep, Malatya and Diyarbak€±r in southern and eastern Turkey. The deployment could take a few weeks, according to NATO officials.
      Turkey has been forced to fire several times in recent months across its border with Syria in retaliation for shelling from the Syrian territory, which killed five Turkish civilians in October. Ankara has also provided shelter to refugees fleeing the violence in Syria, and has been one of President Bashar al-Assad's harshest critics during the almost 17-month revolt against his rule.
      Tensions between Turkey and Syria flared dangerously this summer, after Damascus shot down a Turkish fighter that had violated its airspace. Turkey threatened retaliation if there was any repeat of the incident, although it admitted its plane had mistakenly strayed slightly into Syrian airspace.
      Russia has repeatedly voiced concern about plans to deploy Patriot missiles on Turkey's border with Syria, although Moscow avoided directly criticizing Turkey.
      Russia believes the deployment would mean the first step toward the direct involvement of NATO forces in the Syrian conflict, further undermining the already unstable situation in the region.
      Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday reassured Turkey that Syria is too busy dealing with its internal conflict to plan any attack on its neighbors.
    No evidence Syria mixing chemical agents, Pentagon official says '' World News
      Link to Article
      Source: Stuff Ain't Right åÈ Uncategorized
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:59
      There is no evidence yet that the Syrian military has actually begun the process of mixing precursor chemicals to produce deadly Sarin nerve gas, a senior defense official told NBC News on Tuesday.
      According to the official, despite the increased activity around several chemical weapons sites, including truck movements in and out, it's not even clear that the precursors have been moved from separate storage sites to one location.
      As for the President Obama's warning there will be ''consequences'' if Syria does use chemical weapons, the officials say the US military does have ''contingency plans'' (they always have contingency plans) for a possible military response. The White House has not detailed what those contingency plans are to date.
      Officials suggest a US ground assault would pose the greatest risk and be least likely. It would take ''thousands'' of ground forces to seize, secure and hold about a dozen weapons sites.
      President Obama made clear to Syrian President Bashar Assad and those under his command that ''the world is watching'' and the use of chemical weapons would be ''totally unacceptable.'' If Syria does try to use those weapons, Obama added, there will be consequences. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
      Most likely would be airstrikes primarily with GPS-guided cruise missiles. Piloted fighter-bombers would be forced to run a gauntlet of sophisticated Russian anti-aircraft missile defenses.
      One senior official warned that bombing chemical weapons sites would pose a high risk of releasing deadly clouds of the Sarin nerve gas. Instead, the official suggests airstrikes could be aimed directly at Syrian regime leadership. ''We would punish the leadership,'' said the official.
      As of today, US defense and military officials tell us there are still no warning orders or alerts to any US military forces to prepare for any possible military action against Syria.
      via No evidence Syria mixing chemical agents, Pentagon official says '' World News.
      Like this:Be the first to like this.
    "WE Are Deeply Disturbed By Reports Assad MAY Have Prepared Chemical Weapons For Use"
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:12
    Russian President Putin launches construction of Gazprom's mammoth pipeline. (Euronews video)
      Link to Article
      Source: WT news feed
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:24
      Tens of thousands of Egyptians swarmed around President Mohamed Mursi's palace in Cairo on Friday. The protesters want the President to retract a decree that has given him sweeping powers since the 22nd November. They also want Egypt's first democratically elected head of'...
  Sandy
    "12.12.12" - The Concert for Sandy Relief to Benefit the Robin Hood Foundation - [VIDEO]
    Producers of 12-12-12 Benefit Concert Assail Scalpers
      Link to Article
      Source: NYT > Home Page
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:25
      After days of complaints from music fans, the producers behind the 12-12-12 benefit concert for Hurricane Sandy victims denounced scalpers on Friday for reselling tickets to the event on StubHub and other Web sites for many times their face value.
      The producers '-- James Dolan of Madison Square Garden, John Sykes of Clear Channel and the film producer Harvey Weinstein '-- urged people to shun the tickets popping up in the secondary market and to give to charity instead.
      ''It's despicable,'' Mr. Weinstein said. ''Don't buy them.''
      Their comments came at a news conference at which they also announced that the Rolling Stones had joined the lineup for the concert, next Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. That addition makes the concert one of the largest gatherings of major rock musicians in recent memory, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Dave Grohl, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, the Who, Kanye West and Paul McCartney, among others.
      On Thursday, Senator Charles E. Schumer sent a letter to StubHub and three other major online ticket exchanges, urging them to not allow sellers to profit from the demand for the concert.
      ''Every dollar spent for these concert tickets should go to help the victims of Superstorm Sandy, not to line the pockets of unscrupulous scalpers,'' Mr. Schumer said in a statement. He urged the Web sites to refuse to list the tickets unless they were sold at face value or the seller promised to give the proceeds to charity.
      A spokesman for StubHub, Glenn Lehrman, said it did not have the technology to require sellers to give their profits to charity. He said StubHub had decided the best policy was to give its fees to the cause, rather than reject the tickets altogether.
      Tickets for the concert sold out on Ticketmaster within minutes of going on sale on Monday at noon. (Chase Bank customers were allowed to buy tickets at 9 a.m.) That same day StubHub was flooded with tickets to the show at inflated prices. The face value of the 13,500 tickets sold on Ticketmaster ranged from $150 to $2,500, but they have been listed on StubHub for much more.
      On Thursday afternoon tickets for the floor in front of the stage were listed for as much as $48,000 while those in the upper level were going for $525 to $3,000.
      Mr. Lehrman said StubHub had decided even before the tickets went on sale that it would donate its fees on these sales to the Robin Hood Foundation, which is distributing the money raised by the concert. He said his company had rejected the idea of barring sales because the tickets would have been resold through Craigslist or other sites in any case.
      ''This is going to take place regardless of whether we enable it or somebody else does, and at least by us enabling it, we can give a good portion to charity,'' Mr. Lehrman said.
      By Friday afternoon, StubHub, which gets a commission of about 25 percent of the selling price on tickets, had given more than $500,000 to the charity, he said.
      Jacqueline Peterson, a spokeswoman for Ticketmaster, which handled the initial ticket sales, said her company had evidence that scalpers had used computer programs to snap up large numbers of tickets for resale. She said Ticketmaster had blocked thousands of sales to buyers that it identified as using these programs.
      Among the recipients of Senator Schumer's letter were TicketMaster's in-house resale marketplaces, TicketsNow and TicketExchange. But Ms. Peterson said that 12-12-12 tickets were not being allowed on those sites.
      ''It's a charitable event and profiteering on it isn't what it's about,'' she said.
      The fourth site that was sent the Schumer letter, TicketLiquidator, also said that it had declined to carry tickets for the concert.
      Mr. Dolan, the executive chairman of the Madison Square Garden Company, said ticket sales on Monday brought in about $30 million. Because production costs are being underwritten by Chase Bank and other corporate sponsors, all of the money from ticket sales will go to the Robin Hood Foundation. The concert will also be televised on 34 American channels and 24 global channels and will be broadcast throughout the country on Clear Channel radio stations, so the producers envision raising millions by asking viewers and listeners to donate.
      Mr. Dolan said it was impossible to know how many of the 13,500 seats sold on Monday were bought by ticket brokers.
      ''It's the Wild West once it gets into the hands of the brokers,'' he said. ''We are not happy about it, but we are not going to make that our focus.''
      Mr. Weinstein vowed to track down people who had bought tickets to resell them for profit. ''We have private investigators,'' he said. ''And we will investigate this with the city and we will find every one of these guys.''
      Mr. Lehrman of StubHub said that typically about 35 percent of the tickets on resale sites for a major concert were offered by professional brokers.
      In recent days, the apparent profiteering on the tickets has drawn criticism from fans on the concert's Facebook page, especially from people who were not able to get a seat.
      ''I understand I didn't get the luck of the draw on Ticketmaster,'' wrote one, Bob Malachowski, on Monday. ''It's not sour grapes about that. It's disgusting how much the price is jacked up on StubHub, eBay, etc. Disgusting. Fine, I didn't get a ticket, I'll live with that. But why should people gouge others for a benefit concert?''
      Ellen Fuhrer, 59, of Armonk, N.Y., was also unable to buy tickets, despite trying for hours. When the tickets went on sale Monday at noon, she was at her computer, credit card in hand, her cursor on Ticketmaster's buy button, hoping to land any seats she could find. But despite several attempts over the Internet and calls to Madison Square Garden's box office, she never got close to a ticket. During the same period, she saw tickets appear on StubHub for many times their face value.
      ''We should have an equal opportunity to get a ticket,'' Ms. Fuhrer said in a telephone interview ''It seems we were all blocked up and if you go to StubHub you see hundreds of tickets available.''
    Robin Hood Reactivates Relief Fund and will disburse $3 Million by Tuesday
      Link to Article
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 01:36
      As I write this, the Robin Hood offices'--located in southern Manhattan'--remain without power, but thanks to you, we are far from powerless.
      We invite you to join Robin Hood in an intense and focused effort to assist those hurt by the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. It is often the poorest among us that suffer most from a natural disaster. But catastrophes like Hurricane Sandy also create a new population of neighbors in need'--those who find themselves newly homeless and suffering economic despair.
      Yesterday, Robin Hood's executive committee reactivated the Relief Fund that helped thousands of survivors after the attacks on 9/11. Then as now, our goal is to get help quickly and efficiently to those in the New York area who need it most.
      I am pleased to inform you that in addition to reactivating the Robin Hood Relief Fund, we have reactivated our Relief Committee which will be chaired by my fellow board member, Victoria Bjorklund. I'm happy to announce that Victoria will be joined on the committee by former Robin Hood board member, Dirk Ziff '--bringing together two leaders of the Robin Hood Relief Committee established after 9/11. We welcome their leadership and guidance in the coming weeks and months.
      For the past four days, the Robin Hood staff has been carefully assessing the capacity of community partners in the hardest hit areas to continue providing the highest quality of help to those they serve. Our relief effort will require us to reach beyond our established network of grantees to assist those in need in areas like The Rockaways, Breezy Point and parts of Staten Island. But we have already started making in-roads. Some of this was done by phone, some by e-mail, and some by foot. If you have power and have seen the images on TV over the past few days, it won't surprise you to learn the needs are great and growing.
      Robin Hood has already committed $3 million towards this effort. All of which will be distributed by next Tuesday in direct response to the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
      Robin Hood is responding on a number of fronts:
      Homelessness: The tens of thousands of New Yorkers made homeless by Sandy's effects are added to an already record number of homeless families in New York. With the destruction of so much infrastructure, that number is sure to climb to even higher levels, particularly in the areas hardest hit, like Staten Island. It won't surprise you to learn that our community partners have been working tirelessly to continue providing the highest level of service to our neighbors in need throughout all of this '--from working extra shifts with little opportunity for rest to walking to work through wind and rain to make sure that someone was there when they were needed. Robin Hood Relief Funds will be used to provide immediate cash assistance to nonprofits facing these unexpected, extra operations so they can focus on caring for those in need.
      Food & Blankets: With many families without power, their food has spoiled and their children are sleeping in cold homes. Robin Hood Relief Funds will provide an immediate increase in the amount of food and other basic emergency items being distributed where there is the most need '--even if that means providing make-shift food distribution sites near the most badly damaged areas. If you would like to make a donation of blankets, food or water, please click here for a list of specific needs and drop off locations.
      Lost wages: Many of our community partners have reported that the individuals they serve have been unable to get to work as a result of the closing of the transportation system. For a population that literally lives paycheck to paycheck, these lost wages result in significant damage to home and food security, making the choice between paying rent or feeding their families, that much more critical. Our experience after 9/11 has shown that small cash disbursements'--as little as $100 or $200'--can be critical to needy families in the days immediately following a catastrophic event. Robin Hood Relief Funds will provide immediate emergency cash for low income families who have lost income temporarily; individuals who have lost access to bank accounts and help for those suffering from heavy financial hits as a result of losing their homes or cars.
      We have been approached by many donors about their desire to volunteer their time to help with the recovery efforts and to assist those most in need. On behalf of those we serve, thank you for your kindness and your offers. Please follow this link for a variety of volunteer needs throughout the city to learn how you can help.
      As a donor to Robin Hood, you know that we take our role as the steward of your philanthropic dollars very seriously. We approach our response to Hurricane Sandy with the same level of commitment to quality and efficacy that we apply to everything we do.
      We know many of you have been very generous to our core mission of fighting poverty in NYC. We thank you for that and will continue to count on your support. Additionally, as you consider how you might want to help New Yorkers in need during this difficult time, please consider giving generously to Robin Hood's Relief Fund.
      If you have difficulty donating online, please try again and forgive us for our servers which are recovering after getting knocked offline by Hurricane Sandy.
      Thank you for your ongoing support. Thank you for being Robin Hood.
      Lee S. Ainslie, IIIChair, Robin Hood Board of Directors
    Uncommon Schools Board | Uncommon Schools
      Link to Article
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:08
      Uncommon Schools, Founder and Board Chair; Relay Graduate School of Education, Co-Founder and President
      Norman Atkins is the Co-Founder and President of Relay Graduate School of Education (formerly known as Teacher U), a ground-breaking institution of higher education designed specifically to train and develop urban public school teachers. Since 2008, under Atkins' leadership, Teacher U and Relay Graduate School of Education have trained more than 600 charter and district public school teachers in New York City. Atkins is the Founder, Board Chair, and former CEO of Uncommon Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization recognized for starting and operating among the highest performing urban schools in the nation. In 1997, he co-founded and co-led North Star Academy Charter School of Newark. From 1989 to 1994, he was the co-executive director of the Robin Hood Foundation in New York City. As a journalist, he has written about education, poverty, politics, culture, and social issues for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Parenting, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and the Boston Globe. Atkins earned a B.A. in History from Brown University and an M.A. in Educational Administration from Columbia University Teachers College.
      David Cooper
      Bain & Co. Consulting, Senior Manager in Consumer Product Practices
      David A. Cooper is a partner in the Bain & Co. Consulting New York City Office and has focused on the consumer products and retail sectors since joining the firm in 1997. Specifically, David has worked to develop corporate and business unit strategies for his clients, developed growth plans for specific product lines, and has advised a wide range of consumer and retail clients on the allocation of funding to various businesses. Within his sectors, he has also worked on consumer segmentation, turn-around efforts, supply chain improvement, core process redesign, operations, cost reduction and M&A. Prior to joining Bain, David completed the joint JD-MBA program at the University of Virginia's Darden School, where he received the Faculty Award for Academic Distinction. David is also a magna cum laude graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Before working at Bain, David worked for MasterCard International, in their strategy group, assessing new credit products, and also worked at the Washington, D.C. law firms of Jackson & Campbell and McDermott, Will & Emery.
      Charles Harris
      Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, Portfolio Manager and Director of Capital Aggregation
      Charles ''Chuck'' Harris is Portfolio Manager and Director of Capital Aggregation of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. In this role, Harris oversees and guides the Foundation's capital aggregation activities and manages relationships with various grantees. Before joining the Foundation, Harris co-founded and served for five years as Executive Partner of SeaChange Capital Partners, a financial intermediary designed to enhance the flows of capital to outstanding nonprofits serving children and youth in low-income communities in the United States. Harris spent 23 years in the banking business before retiring in 2002 from his position as a partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs, where he served as co-head of the East Coast High Technology Group in the firm's Investment Banking Division and as co-head of Corporate Finance in the Americas. He sits on the boards of several nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and has served extensively on the boards of both private and public for-profit corporations. Harris has spoken broadly on the role of capital formation in advancing social change. He is a graduate of Harvard College and holds a master's degree in finance from MIT's Sloan School of Management.
      Pearl Rock Kane
      Columbia University, Klingenstein Family Chair for the Advancement of Independent School Education
      Pearl Rock Kane is the Klingenstein Family Chair Professor of education in the Department of Organization and Leadership, Director of the Klingenstein Center, and advisor for the Master's degree programs focusing on Private School Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. Professor Kane holds an M.A. from Smith College and a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University. She taught and served as an administrator in public and private schools in Michigan, Massachusetts and New York City. Her current teaching and research interests are in the areas of private schools, governance, leadership, privatization and charter schools. Dr. Kane serves on several boards including Editorial Projects, which publishes Education Week and Teacher Magazine, Edmund Rice High School, a Catholic School in Harlem, NY, and Holderness School in Plymouth, NH. She has published numerous articles on issues of leadership, governance, diversity and the attraction and retention of teachers.
      Robert Karr
      Joho Capital, LLC Principal and Hollyhock Foundation, Founder
      Robert Karr grew up on Bainbridge Island, Washington and attended public schools through high school. In 1984, he graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in economics and moved to Tokyo, where he worked for a Japanese brokerage firm and became fluent in Japanese. After graduating from Harvard Business School in 1990, he returned to Tokyo to invest in Japanese equities. He founded Joho Capital, L.L.C., a long-short equity fund in 1996, after four years as Tiger Management's chief representative in Japan. Joho currently has offices in New York, Tokyo and Taipei and Mr. Karr travels extensively in Asia. In 2003 Mr. and Mrs. Karr launched their family foundation (The Hollyhock Foundation), dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk children and families. The Karrs live in New York City and Ketchum, Idaho, and have two sons, aged 8 and 6.
      Donald R. Katz
      Audible, Inc., Chairman and CEO
      Donald Katz is founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Audible, Inc., the Internet's premier audio information and entertainment service. In his 10 year tenure with Audible, Donald Katz has led the company to top-10 rankings in the Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 competition for 2002, 2003, and 2004. Mr. Katz is the winner of the 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for New Jersey, and was honored in 1999 as Entrepreneur of the Year by Silicon Alley trade magazine Alley Cat News for his pioneering work at Audible.
      Before founding Audible, Donald Katz was a successful author and journalist for twenty years. He is the author of Home Fires: An Intimate Portrait of One Middle-Class Family in Postwar America, nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award; The Big Store: Inside the Crisis and Revolution at Sears, winner of the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction; and Just Do It: The Nike Spirit in the Corporate World. Mr. Katz has served as a contributing editor for Rolling Stone, Esquire, Outside, Sports Illustrated, Men's Journal, and Worth, and his work has won or been nominated for several National Magazine Awards. In 2001, Random House published a two-volume collection of Katz's award-winning magazine stories, King of the Ferret Leggers and Other True Stories and Valley of the Fallen and Other Places. Mr. Katz also served as a consultant on editorial, start-up, content development projects, and digital media issues for Fidelity Investments, Whittle Communications, Wenner Media, Time Warner, and Mariah Publications.
      Donald Katz graduated from New York University's honors program in English in 1974, and attended The University of Chicago as well as The London School of Economics, from which he holds an MSc in Economics. He currently lives in Montclair, New Jersey, with his wife, Leslie Larson, and their three children, where he served as a member of the public library board for nine years.
      Rondo Moses
      Stratex Management Consulting, Managing Partner, Strategy Execution and Performance Management
      Mr. Moses is Managing Partner at Stratex Management Consulting, where he works with clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech and healthcare industry. Specifically, Mr. Moses helps clients to implement adaptive strategy management systems that clarify and translate strategy, align actions and behaviors and monitor and report on performance. Prior to Stratex, Mr. Moses worked at Palladium where he held a variety of senior management roles'--senior vice president, executive committee member, chief administrative officer, Global Business Unit Head and Human Capital Practice Lead'--and helped transform the company from three newly merged, independent entities to a single, highly integrated global strategy management firm. Before Palladium, Mr. Moses worked in strategy management for Renaissance Solutions and Balanced Scorecard Collaborative, where he led numerous strategy and performance management engagements for large, global clients in the US, the Americas and Europe. Prior to Renaissance Solutions, Mr. Moses held positions of increasing responsibility in sales, sales training, and national accounts management at GlaxoSmithKline (formerly SmithKline Beecham). Mr. Moses holds an A.B. from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of Virginia's Darden School. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and events on the topics of linking strategy to operations and aligning human capital to strategy.
      Neal Moszkowski
      TowerBrook Capital Partners, Founder and Co-CEO
      Mr. Moszkowski is founder and Co-CEO of TowerBrook, Co-Chair of the Management Committee and Co-Chair of the Investment Committee. Mr. Moszkowski was previously Co-Head of Soros Private Equity Partners, a division of Soros Fund Management LLC. He was a member of the Management Committee of Soros Fund Management LLC. Mr. Moszkowski was a member of the Principal Investment Area of Goldman Sachs in London and New York from 1993 to 1998. Mr. Moszkowski earned his B.A. from Amherst College and received his M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
      Brett Peiser
      Uncommon Schools, Chief Executive Officer
      Prior to becoming CEO in July 2012, Brett Peiser served as founding Managing Director of Uncommon Schools New York City. As Managing Director, he oversaw a network of 14 schools in Brooklyn, serving over 3,000 elementary, middle, and high school students. The network's first middle school '' Williamsburg Collegiate '' is the highest scoring school in New York City on the NYC Department of Education Progress Reports since the DOE began issuing reports in 2006. Mr. Peiser is the Founder and former Principal and Executive Director of Boston Collegiate Charter School, one of Massachusetts' highest performing public schools. Over Mr. Peiser's last four years, Boston Collegiate was the only public school in Boston with 100% of 10th graders passing both the Math and English MCAS exams, a statewide graduation requirement. Mr. Peiser is a graduate of New York City Public Schools and a former History Teacher at Midwood High School in Brooklyn. Mr. Peiser received a BA from Brown University and a MPP degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and is a recipient of the Broad Fellowship for Education Leaders.
      James A. Peyser
      New Schools Venture Fund, Partner
      James A. Peyser is a partner with NewSchools Venture Fund and serves as chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education, a position he has held since 1999. Prior to joining NewSchools, Mr. Peyser served as education advisor to Governors Mitt Romney and Jane Swift. From 2001-2004, he served as the first chairman of Massachusetts' Educational Management Audit Council. Mr. Peyser worked for close to eight years as executive director of Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research. During his tenure at Pioneer, Mr. Peyser took a four-month leave of absence to serve as Under Secretary of Education and Special Assistant to Governor William Weld for Charter Schools. Prior to joining Pioneer in 1993, Mr. Peyser worked for over seven years at Teradyne Inc., a world leader in the manufacture of electronic test systems. Mr. Peyser also served for three years in Washington, D.C. as director of the Export Task Force, a bi-partisan congressional caucus on international trade.
      Mr. Peyser holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University. He is a member of the board of NACSA and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. He also serves on the policy board of the National Council on Teacher Quality.
    Template 4 - Single Column
      Link to Article
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 01:29
      Dear Valued Affiliate
      In an effort to continue to support the victims of Hurricane Sandy, Destination America and Discovery Fit & Health will be simulcasting ''12-12-12,'' The Concert for Sandy Relief, a special four-and-a-half hour program (7:30pm '' 12:00am EST) to raise relief funds. The concert will be produced by AMC and over 35 domestic networks will also simulcast the concert including CBS, HBO, Showtime, WEtv, MSG, Bloomberg, IFC, VH1 Classic, G4 and Sundance Channel.
      The program will air live from Madison Square Garden and include performances by Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Eddie Vedder, Roger Waters, Kanye West, The Who and Paul McCartney, with more artists yet to be announced. Proceeds from this one-night-only event will benefit the Robin Hood Foundation Relief Fund. Due to the importance of the program, ''12-12-12'' will air commercial-free on both networks.
      Your partnership and our ability to come together in times of crisis are greatly appreciated. We are so thankful to be able to bring important specials like this to your customers and advertisers.
      If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
      Sincere regards,
      Lenika Shah | Technical Project ManagerDomestic Distribution(240) 662-7537www.discoveryaffiliate.com
      Back to top
    Robin Hood Gala Gets Uma Thurman, Stevie Wonder to Lure Donors - Bloomberg
      The entertainment is led by Stevie Wonder, a major star in line with past guests such as Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones. A couple of surprise guests also will be on tap, Saltzman said. Last year, Aretha Franklin stunned the audience with a rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters."
  Follow the Pipes
    Putin marks victory with South Stream
      Link to Article
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 22:03
      By Ulf Mauder '-- RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin and state-controlled gas giant Gazprom have secured another victory by launching construction of the South Stream pipeline under the Black Sea to take Russian gas to southern Europe. The 2,380-km pipeline from near Anapa is due to start transporting gas to Greece, Italy and Austria from 2015. It will form a counterpart to the Nord Stream line supplying Russian gas directly to northern Germany under the Baltic.Coming ashore at the Bulgarian port of Varna, the pipeline will run through Serbia, Hungary and Slovenia to Tarvisio in northern Italy. Construction costs are estimated at $20 billion, with companies from around 10 countries participating along the route. While the Russians prefer to highlight the pipeline's contribution to secure energy supplies in western Europe, it is also seen as boosting Russian state coffers that are highly dependent on energy sales.The pipeline will also reduce Russia's reliance on Ukraine as a transit country for gas sales to the European Union. The most important transit country to date, Ukraine has sometimes proved an unreliable partner, with crises in January 2006 and in 2008-09.South Stream is regarded as a competitor to Nabucco, an EU-backed pipeline project which will draw gas from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan along a route through Turkey '-- if it is ever built.Western analysts have raised concerns over increased dependence on gas from Russia, which has the world's largest gas reserves.But Gazprom claims South Stream aims to supply Europe's energy needs '-- the same way as Nord Stream does.The losers are European countries and companies backing the Nabucco pipeline that would run under the Caspian Sea with the aim of circumventing Russia completely.Some analysts see Moscow as pulling out all the stops to cement its dominance in the gas market and to try to forestall gas from Central Asia being piped to Europe.By 2019, South Stream is intended to have four lines with a total capacity of 63 billion cubic metres a year, matching the needs of 38 million households, or about 10 per cent of projected EU consumption in 2020."The project is truly unique by international standards with a view to the number of participating countries," South Stream spokesman Sebastian Sass said.Comparisons with its northern sister show the ground-breaking nature of South Stream, with pipes laid up to 2,250 metres deep on the sea floor, 10 times the depth in the Baltic.The hot phase, when the pipe is welded and laid under the sea under high pressure, will start in 2014. Nearly 930 km of steel will be placed in Russian, Turkish and Bulgarian Black Sea waters.Responding to concerns about eastern and southern European dependency, International Energy Agency director Maria van der Hoeven stressed at the construction launch ceremony that Algerian and Norwegian gas continued to provide competition in the EU market.All partners would get similar treatment, Van der Hoeven said, describing Russia as a reliable partner for the EU. Companies operating on the EU market need to be "flexible in price and access," she stressed.Nevertheless, the Russians have also faced criticism. The European Commission is now investigating allegations of a price cartel and unfair business practices, much to the annoyance of Putin and Gazprom.The Russians are demanding special legal status for South Stream as a Trans-European Network, with Gazprom hoping to circumvent the EU's monopoly rules in this way.But many analysts believe the EU is in a strong negotiating position, with gas consumption now in decline and supplies plentiful.Russian gas deliveries currently represent a quarter of the European Union's total gas needs. Van der Hoeven praised Russia for undertaking the project in a fast-changing environment.''Investing in a major new infrastructure project on the promise of a brighter future for European gas could be seen as a brave choice,'' she told reporters in Russia late last Thursday.''South Stream represents many things to many people, but it would also be a vote of confidence in the future of European gas.''
    Gazprom talks with China about natural gas pipeline in East Asia
      Link to Article
      Source: WT news feed
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:22
      Published: Dec. 7, 2012 at 6:28 AM
      MOSCOW, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Russian natural gas company Gazprom said it discussed with Chinese officials terms surrounding a pipeline for eastern gas deliveries.
      Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexei Miller met with President of the China National Petroleum Corp. Zhou Jiping in Moscow to discuss bilateral cooperation.
      Miller said special attention was paid to development of the Altai pipeline to China.
      The Altai pipeline would run from natural gas fields in Western Siberia to the northern Chinese border. The planned 1,700-mile pipeline could carry as much as 1.05 trillion cubic feet of natural gas per year.
      "The Altai gas pipeline construction will start only after the gas purchase and sale agreement is inked with the Chinese party," Gazprom said in a statement.
      In July, Russian technicians from Gazprom visited China to examine shale natural gas fields under development by CNPC.
      The country hasn't produced shale gas on a commercial scale because of complex geology and a lack of domestic experience. Beijing aims to produce as much as 230 billion cubic feet of shale gas per year by 2015.
    The ''Great Game'' Enters the Mediterranean: Gas, Oil, War, and Geo-Politics
      Link to Article
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:03
      Preface: The Caspian Sea Summit and the Historical Crossroads of the 21st Century
      This article is part of The Sino-Russia Alliance: Challenging America's Ambitions in Eurasia (September 23, 2007). For editorial reasons the article is being published by Global Research in three parts. It is strongly advised that readers also study the prior piece.
      History is in the making. The Second Summit of Caspian Sea States in Tehran will change the global geo-political environment. This article also gives a strong contextual background to what will be in the backdrop at Tehran. The strategic course of Eurasia and global energy reserves hangs in the balance.
      It is no mere chance that before the upcoming summit in Tehran that three important post-Soviet organizations (the Commonwealth of Independents States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the Eurasian Economic Community) simultaneously held meetings in Tajikistan. Nor is it mere coincidence that the SCO and CSTO have signed cooperation agreements during these meetings in Tajikistan, which has effectively made China a semi-formal member of the CSTO alliance. It should be noted that all SCO members are also members of CSTO, aside from China.
      This is all in addition to the fact that the U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, and the U.S. Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates, were both in Moscow for important, but mostly hushed, discussions with the Kremlin before Vladimir Putin is due to arrive in Iran. This could have been America's last attempt at breaking the Chinese-Russian-Iranian coalition in Eurasia. World leaders will watch for any public outcomes from the Russian President's visit to Tehran. It is also worth noting that NATO's Secretary-General was in the Caucasus region for a brief visit in regards to NATO expansion. The Russian President will also be in Germany for a summit with Angela Merkel before arriving in Tehran.
      On five fronts there is antagonism between the U.S. and its allies with Russia, China, and their allies: East Africa, the Korean Peninsula, Indo-China, the Middle East, and the Balkans. While the Korean front seems to have calmed down, the Indo-China front has been heated up with the start of instability in Myanmar (Burma). This is part of the broader effort to encircle the titans of the Eurasian landmass, Russia and China. Simultaneous to all this, NATO is preparing itself for a possible showdown with Serbia and Russia over Kosovo. These preparations include NATO military exercises in Croatia and the Adriatic Sea.
      In May, 2007 the Secretary-General of CSTO, Nikolai Bordyuzha invited Iran to apply to the Eurasian military pact; ''If Iran applies in accordance with our charter, [CSTO] will consider the application,'' he told reporters. In the following weeks, the CSTO alliance has also announced with greater emphasis, like NATO, that it too is prepared to get involved in Afghanistan and global ''peacekeeping'' operations. This is a challenge to NATO's global objectives and in fact an announcement that NATO no longer has a monopoly as the foremost global military organization.
      The globe is becoming further militarized than what it already is by two military blocs. In addition, Moscow has also stated that it will now charge domestic prices for Russian weaponry and military hardware to all CSTO members. Also, reports about the strengthening prospects of a large-scale Turkish invasion of Northern Iraq are getting stronger, which is deeply related to Anglo-American plans for balkanizing Iraq and sculpting a ''New Middle East.'' A global showdown is in the works.
      Finally, the Second Summit of Caspian Sea States will also finalize the legal status of the Caspian Sea. Energy resources, ecology, energy cooperation, security, and defensive ties will also be discussed. The outcome of this summit will decide the nature of Russo-Iranian relations and the fate of Eurasia. What happens in Tehran may decide the course of the the rest of this century. Humanity is at an important historical crossroad. This is why I felt that it was important to release this second portion of the original article before the Second Summit of the Caspian Sea States.
      Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Ottawa, October 13, 2007.
      The haunting spectre of a major war hangs over the Middle East, but war is not written in stone. A Eurasian-based counter-alliance, built around the nucleus of a Chinese-Russian-Iranian coalition also makes an Anglo-American war against Iran an unpalatable option that could turn the globe inside-out. [1]
      America's superpower status would in all likelihood come to an end in a war against Iran. Aside from these factors, contrary to the rhetoric from all the powers involved in the conflicts of the Middle East there exists a level of international cooperation between all parties. Has the nature of the march to war changed?
      Tehran's Rising Star: Failure of the Anglo-American attempt to Encircle and Isolate Iran
      Shrouded in mystery are the dealings between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan during an August, 2007 meeting between President Ahamdinejad and President Aliyev. Both leaders signed a joint declaration in Baku on August 21, 2007 stating that both republics are against foreign interference in the affairs of other nations and the use of force for solving problems. This is a direct slur at the United States. Baku also reemphasized its recognition of Iran's nuclear energy program as a legitimate right.
      However, the meetings between the two sides took place after a few months of meetings between Baku and the U.S. together with NATO officials.
      Baku seems to be caught in the middle of a balancing act between Russia, Iran, America, and NATO. At the same time as the meetings between the Iranian President and Aliyev in Baku, Iranian officials were also in Yerevan holding talks with Armenian officials.
      This could be part of an Iranian attempt to end tensions between Baku and Yerevan, which would benefit Iran and the Caucasus region. The tensions between Yerevan and Baku have been supported by the U.S. since the onset of the post-Cold War era, with Baku within the U.S. and NATO spheres of influence.
      At first glance, Iran has been busy engaging in what can be called a counter-offensive to American encroachment. Iranian officials have been meeting with Central Asian, Caucasian, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and North African leaders in a stream of talks on security and energy. The SCO meeting in Kyrgyzstan was one of these. The importance of the gathering was highlighted by the joint participation of the Iranian President and the Secretary-General of the Supreme Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani.
      Iran's dialogue with the presidents of Turkmenistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Algeria are part of an effort to map out a unified energy strategy spearheaded by Moscow and Tehran. Iran and the Sultanate of Oman are also making arrangements to engage in four joint oil projects in the Persian Gulf. [2]
      Iran has also announced that it will start construction of an important pipeline route from the Caspian Sea to the Gulf of Oman.[3] This project is directly linked to Iranian talks with Turkmenistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan, two countries that share the Caspian Sea with Iran. Furthermore, after closed-door discussions with Iranian officials, the Republic of Azerbaijan has stated that it is interested in cooperating with the SCO. [4] In addition, Venezuela, Iran, and Syria are also coordinating energy and industrial projects.
      The Nabucco Project, Eurasian Energy Corridors, and the Russo-Iranian Energy Front
      Across Eurasia strategic energy corridors are being developed. What do these international developments insinuate? A Eurasian-based energy strategy is taking shape. In Central Asia, Russia, Iran and China have essentially secured their own energy routes for both gas and oil. This is one of the reasons all three powers in a united stance warned the U.S. at the SCO's Bishkek Summit, in Kyrgyzstan, to stay out of Central Asia. [5]
      In part one of the answers to these questions leads to the Nabucco Project, which will transport natural gas from the Caucasus, Iran, Central Asia, and the Eastern Mediterranean towards Western Europe through Turkey and the Balkans. Spin-offs of the energy project could include routes going through the former Yugoslav republics. Egyptian gas is even projected to be connected to the pipeline network vis- -vis Syria. There is even a possibility that Libyan gas from Libyan fields near the Egyptian border may be directed to European markets through a route going through Egypt, Jordan, and Syria which will connect to the Nabucco Pipeline.
      At first glance, it appears that the transport of Central Asian gas, under the Nabucco Project, through a route going through Iran to Turkey and the Balkans is detrimental to Russian interests under the terms of the Port Turkmenbashi Agreement signed by Turkmenistan, Russia, and Kazakhstan. However, Iran and Russia are allies and partners, at least in regards to the energy rivalry in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea against the U.S. and the European Union.
      In May, 2007 the leaders of Turkmenistan, Russia, and Kazakhstan also planned the inclusion of an Iranian energy route, from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf, as an extension of the Turkmenbashi Agreement. A route going through either Russia or Iran is mutually beneficial to both countries. Both Tehran and Moscow have been working together to regulate the price of natural gas on a global scale. If Turkmen gas goes through Russian or Iranian territory, Moscow will profit either way. Both Tehran and Moscow have hedged their bets in a win-win situation.
      Russia is also involved in the Nabucco Project and has secured a Balkan energy route for the transportation of fuel to Western Europe from Russia vis- -vis Greece and Bulgaria. To this end on May 21, 2007 the Russian President arrived in Austria to discuss energy cooperation and the Nabucco Project with the Austrian government. [6] One of the outcomes of the Russian President's visits to Austria was the opening of a large natural gas storage compound, near Salzburg, with a holding capacity of 2.4 billion cubic metres. [7] The Nabucco Project and a united Russo-Iranian energy initiative are also the main reasons that the Russian President will visit Tehran for an important summit of leaders from the Caspian Sea, in mid-October of 2007.
      Map: Contours of the Nabucco Project(C) Jan Horst Keppler, European Parliament (Committee on Foreign Affairs), 2007.
      One might ask if Russia, Iran, and Syria are surrendering to the demands of America and the E.U. by providing them with what they sought in the first place.
      The answer is no. The Franco-German entente is very interested in the Nabucco Project and through Austria has much at stake in the energy project. French and German energy firms also want to get involved as are Russian and Iranian companies. This is also one of the reasons Vienna has been vocally supporting Syria and Iran in the international arena. Total S.A., the giant French-based energy firm, is also working with Iran in the energy sectors.
      Tehran, Moscow, and Damascus have not been fully co-opted; they are acting in their national and security interests. However, the national interests of modern nation-states should also be scutinized further. The leverage Moscow and Tehran now have can be used to drive a wedge between the Franco-German entente and the Anglo-American alliance. A case in standing is the initial willingness of France and Germany to accept the Iranian nuclear energy program. It is believed in Moscow and Tehran that the Franco-German entente could be persuaded to distance itself from the Anglo-American war agenda with the right leverage and incentives.
      This could also be one of the factors for the marine route of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which runs from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Germany and bypasses existing energy transit routes going through the Baltic States, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Eastern Europe is part of what is called ''New Europe'' as a result of Donald Rumsfeld's 2003 comments that only ''Old Europe,'' meaning the Franco-German entente, was against the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq. [8] For example Poland is an Anglo-American ally and could block the transit of gas from Russia to Germany if it was prompted to do so by Britain and America. Moreover, Russia could exert pressure on these Eastern European countries by cutting their gas supplies without effecting Western Europe. Several of these Eastern European states also were pursuing transit fee schemes and reduced gas prices because of their strategic placements as energy transit routes.
      Russia and Iran are also the nations with the largest natural gas reserves in the world. This is in addition to the following facts; Iran also exerts influence over the Straits of Hormuz; both Russia and Iran control the export of Central Asian energy to global markets; and Syria is the lynchpin for an Eastern Mediterranean energy corridor. Iran, Russia, and Syria will now exercise a great deal of control and influence over these energy corridors and by extension the nations that are dependent on them in the European continent. This is another reason why Russia has built military facilities on the Mediterranean shores of Syria. The Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline will also further strengthen this position globally.
      Map: Nabucco Gas Pipeline Project Gas Supply Sources for Nabucco(C) Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH, 2007.
      Map: Levantine Energy Corridor(C) Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Global Research, 2007.
      Map: Gas-Pipeline vom Iran bis österreich English translation from German: Gas Pipeline from Iran to Austria(C) Der Standard, 2007.
      The Baltic-Caspian-Persian Gulf Energy Corridor: The Mother of all Energy Corridors?
      To add to all this, American and British allies by their very despotic and self-concerned natures will not hesitate to realign themselves, if presented with the opportunity, with Russia, China, and Iran. These puppet regimes and so-called allies, from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to Egypt, have no personal loyalties and are fair-weather allies. If they can help it, the moment they believe that they can no longer benefit from their relationships as clients they will try to abandon the Anglo-American camp without hesitation. Any hesitation on their part will be in regards to their own political longevity. Iran, Russia, and China have already been in the long process of courting the leaders of the Arab Sheikhdoms of the Persian Gulf.
      The ultimate aim of Russo-Iranian energy cooperation will be the establishment of a north-south energy corridor from the Baltic Sea to the Persian Gulf and with the Caspian Sea as its mid-axis. An east-west corridor from the Caspian Sea, Iran, and Central Asia to India and China will also be linked to this. Iranian oil could also be transported to Europe through Russian territory, hence bypassing the sea and consolidating Russo-Iranian control over international energy security. If other states in the Persian Gulf were included into the equation a dramatic seismic shift in the global balance of power could occur. This is also one of the reasons that the oil-rich Arab Sheikhdoms are being courted by Russia, Iran, and China.
      Eurasian Energy Corridors: Two-Edged Knives?
      However, the creation of these energy corridors and networks is like a two-edged sword. These geo-strategic fulcrums or energy pivots can also switch their directions of leverage. The integration of infrastructure also leads towards economic integration. If other factors in the geo-political equations are changed or manipulated, the U.S., Britain, and their partners might wield control over these routes. This is one reason why Zbigniew Brzezinski stated that the creation of a Turkish-Iranian pipeline would benefit America. [9] It should also be noted that Turkey will also be jointly developing three gas projects in the South Pars gas fields with Iran. [10]
      If regime change were initiated in Iran or Russia or one of the Central Asian republics the energy network being consolidated and strengthened between Russia, Central Asia, and Iran could be obstructed and ruined. This is why the U.S. and Britain have been desperately promoting covert and overt velvet revolutions in the Caucasus, Iran, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Central Asia. To the U.S. and E.U. the creation of a Baltic-Caspian-Persian Gulf energy grid is almost the equivalent, in regards to energy security, of a ''Unipolar World,'' but only not in their favour.
      The ''Great Game'' Enters the Mediterranean Sea
      The title ''Great Game'' is a term that originates from the struggle between Britain and Czarist Russia to control significant portions of Eurasia. The term is attributed to Arthur Conolly. A romanticized British novel, Kim, written by Rudyard Kipling and published in 1901 arguably immortalized the concept and term. This Victorian novel was a suspenseful story about the competition between Czarist Russia and Britain to control the vast geographic stretch that included Central Asia, India, and Tibet. In reality the ''Great Game'' was a struggle for control of a vast geographic area that not only included Tibet, the Indian sub-continent, and Central Asia, but also included the Caucasus and Iran. Additionally, it was London that was the primary antagonist, because of British attempts to enter Russian Central Asia. In fact the British had spying networks and facilities in Khorason, Iran and in Afghanistan that would operate against the interests of St. Petersburg in Russian Central Asia.
      A contemporary version of the ''Great Game'' is being played once again for control of roughly the same geographic stretch, but with more players and greater intensity. Central Asia became the focus of international rivalry after the collapse of the former U.S.S.R. and the end of the Cold War. For the most part Central Asia, aside from Afghanistan, has been insulated. It has been the Middle East and the Balkans where this contest has been playing itself out violently.
      The ''Great Game'' has also taken new dimensions and has entered the Mediterranean. This gradual outward movement has been creeping in a westward direction from the Middle East and the Balkans as the area of contention is expanded. This is not a one-directional competition. With the drawing in of Algeria, this push has reached the Western Mediterranean or the ''Latin Sea'' as Halford J. Mackinder refers to it, whereas before it was limited to the Eastern Mediterranean. This extension of the area of the ''Great Game'' is also a result of the outward push from Eurasia of the Eurasian-based alliance of Russia, Iran, and China. Examples of this are the emerging inroads China is making in the African continent and Iran's alliances in Latin America.
      However, in reality the Mediterranean region is no stranger to international rivalry or conflicts similar to the ''Great Game.'' The Second Turkish-Egyptian War (1839-1849), also called the Syrian War, was a historical example of this. It was during this war that Beirut was bombarded by British warships. The Ottoman Empire, supported by Britain, Czarist Russia, and the Austrian Empire, was facing-off against an expansionist Egypt, which was supported by Spain and France. The whole conflict had the overtones of underlying rivalries between Europe's major powers. Another example is the three Punic Wars between the ancient Carthagians and the Romans.
      Gas, Oil, and Geo-Politics in the Mediterranean Sea
      The Mediterranean has literally become an extension to the international and dangerous rivalries for control of Central Asian and Caucasian energy resources. Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, and Egypt are all Arab countries involved. Algeria already supplies gas to the E.U. through the Trans-Mediterranean Pipeline which runs to the Italian island of Sicily via Tunisia and the Mediterranean Sea. Niger and Nigeria are also building a natural gas pipeline that will reach the E.U. via Algerian energy infrastructure. Libya also supplies gas to the E.U through the Greenstream Pipeline which connects to Sicily via an underwater route in the Mediterranean Sea.
      Russia and Iran are spearheading a move to bring Algeria into their orbit in order to establish a gas cartel. If Algeria, and possibly Libya, can be brought into the orbits of Moscow and Tehran the leverage and influence of both would be greatly increased and both would tighten their control over global energy corridors and European energy supplies. Approximately 97 percent of the projected amount of natural gas that will be imported by continental Europe would be controlled by Russia, Iran, and Syria under such an arrangement, whereas without Algeria approximately 93.6 percent of the natural gas exported would be controlled. [11] Algeria is also the sixth largest exporter of oil to the U.S., following behind Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Nigeria.
      Western and Central European energy security would be under tight controls from Russia, Iran, Turkey, Algeria, and Syria because of their control over the geo-strategic energy routes. This is one of the reasons that the E.U. has unsuccessfully tried to force Russia to sign an E.U. energy charter that would obligate Moscow to supply energy to the E.U. and one of the reasons that NATO is considering using Article 5 of its military charter for energy security. [12] In addition, the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America obligates America's top energy sources, Canada and Mexico, to supply the U.S. with oil and gas. Worldwide the securing of energy resources has become an issue of force and involuntary compulsion.
      Map: Missing link between giant sources (in bcm) and potential marketsNote: The missing link implied is the Nabucco Pipeline, giant sources are the Middle East and former Soviet Union, and potential markets are the western and central members of the European Union.(C) Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH, 2007.
      Oceania versus Eurasia in the Mediterranean Littoral
      '''...we might weld together the West and the East, and permanently penetrate the Heartland with oceanic freedom.''
      -Sir Halford J. Mackinder (Democratic Ideals and Reality, 1919); In regards to ''oceanic freedom'' refer to George Orwell's definition or warning in Nineteen Eighty-Four.
      It was also in the Mediterranean Sea that the geo-strategic paradigm of sea-power versus land-power that was observed by Halford Mackinder first came into play. [13] Mackinder put forward the concept, which one is tempted to almost label as organic, that rival powers or entities, as they expand, would compete for dominance in a certain area and as they reached maritime areas this competition would eventually be taken to the seas as both powers would try and turn the maritime area into a lake under their own total control. This is what the Romans did to the Mediterranean Sea. It was only once a victor emerged from these competitions that the emphasis on naval power would decline in the maritime areas.
      According to Mackinder, the First World War was ''a war between Islanders [e.g., Britain, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Japan] and Continentals [Eurasians; e.g., Germany, Austro-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire], there can be no doubt about that.'' [14] Also, according to Mackinder it was dominant sea-power that won the First World War.
      Naval power has clearly had a cutting edge over land-power in establishing empires. Western European nations like Britain, Portugal, and Spain are all examples of nations that became thalassocracies, empires at sea. Through the control of the seas an island-nation with no land borders with a rival can invade and eventually expand into a rival's territory.
      The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) is a modern embodiment of Halford J. Makinder's oceanic-power versus land-power paradigm. [15] The Anglo-American alliance and their allies represent oceanic-power, while the Eurasian-based counter-alliance, based around the nucleus of a Chinese-Russian-Iranian coalition, represents land-power.
      It can also be observed that historically Eurasian economies did not require far-reaching trade and could exist within a smaller geographic trading area, while the economies of the oceanic powers such as Britain and the U.S., also called ''trade-dependent maritime realms'' by some academics, have depended on maritime and international trade for economic survival. If the Eurasians were to exclude the U.S. and Britain from the trade and economic system of the Eurasian mainland, there would be grave economic consequences for these ''trade-dependent maritime realms.'' This was what Napol(C)on Bonaparte was trying to impose through his Continental System in Europe against Britain and this is also one of the reasons for the survival of the Iranian economy under American sanctions.
      Two blocs are starting to manifest themselves in similarity to the geographic boundaries of George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and Mackinder's Islander versus Continental scheme; a Eurasian-based bloc and a naval-based, oceanic bloc based on the fringes of Eurasia as well as North America and Australasia. The latter bloc is NATO and its network of regional military alliances, while the former is the reactionary counter-alliance formed by the Chinese-Russian-Iranian coalition as its nucleus.
      Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya is an independent writer based in Ottawa specializing in Middle Eastern affairs. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
      NOTES
      [1] Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, The Sino-Russian Coalition: Challenging America's Ambitions in Eurasia, Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), August 26, 2007.
      [2] Iran, Oman to develop joint oilfields, Press TV (Iran), August 25, 2007.
      [3] Iran to lay Caspian-Oman seas oil pipelines, Mehr News Agency (MNA), August 27, 2007.
      [4] Azerbaijan interested in ties with SCO '' official, Interfax, August 25, 2007.
      [5] Leila Saralayeva, Russia, China, Iran Warn U.S. at Summit, Associated Press, August 16, 2007.
      [6] Putin heads for Austria, energy high on agenda, Reuters, May 21, 2007.
      [7] Russia, Austria to open gas storage facility '' Putin, Russian News and Information Agency (RIA Novosti), May 23, 2007.
      [8] Outrage at 'old Europe' remarks, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), January 23, 2003.
      [9] Zbigniew Brzezinski, The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives (NYC, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997), p.204.
      [10] Roman Kupchinsky, Turkey: Ankara Seeks Role As East-West 'Energy Bridge,' Radio Free Europe (RFE), August 27, 2007.
      [11] These figures are based on calculations that are built on mid-2006 statistical figures from British Petroleum (BP). They are based on imports and exclude each E.U. member state's domestic or indigenous production.
      British Petroleum (BP), Quantifying Energy: BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2006 (London, U.K.: Beacon Press, June 2006), p.22.
      bcm = billion cubic metres
      1 bcm = 263.96 billion gallons
      Total amount of natural gas imports projected for European energy markets: 139, 960 bcm.
      139, 960 bcm = 100% of natural gas imports
      Total amount of natural gas imports projected from Algeria: 4, 580 bcm.
      4, 580 bcm/ 139, 960 bcm 'Å 0.037 bcm
      0.037 bcm X 100 = 3.27% 'Å 3.3%
      Therefore: 4, 580 bcm 'Å 3.3% of natural gas imports
      Total amount projected from the Middle East, Caspian Sea, and Central Asia sources: 83, 140 bcm.
      83, 140 bcm/ 139, 960 bcm 'Å 0.594 bcm
      0.594 bcm X 100 'Å 59.4%
      Therefore: 83, 140 bcm 'Å 59.4% of natural gas imports
      * Calculations include Egyptian natural gas reserves.
      Total amount projected from Russia, Caspian Sea, and Central Asian sources: 47, 820 bcm.
      47, 820 bcm/ 139, 960 bcm 'Å 0.3416 bcm
      0.3416 bcm X 100 = 34.16% 'Å 34.2%
      Therefore: 4, 580 bcm 'Å 34.2% of natural gas imports
      [12] Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, The Globalization of Military Power: NATO Expansion, Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), May 17, 2007.
      The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) in North America between Canada, the United States, and Mexico is also related to this parallel drive in Eurasia and the Mediterranean littoral to ensure access to energy resources. Under the framework of the SPP both Mexico and Canada are obligated, without choice, to supply the United States with its energy needs, even at the expense of Mexican and Canadian national, economic, demographic, and environmental interests. The matter of energy supplies has been transformed into a security issue. There is a strong link between NATO, E.U., and North American energy initiatives in this regard.
      [13] Halford John Mackinder, Chap. 3 (The Seaman's Point of View), in Democratic Ideals and Reality (London, U.K.: Constables and Company Ltd., 1919), pp.38-92.
      [14] Ibid., p.88.
      ''The Heartland, for the purposes of strategical thinking, includes the Baltic Sea, the navigable Middle and Lower Danube, the Black Sea, Asia Minor, Armenia, Persia [Iran], Tibet, and Mongolia. Within it, therefore, were Brandenburg-Prussia and Austria-Hungary, as well as Russia '-- a vast triple base of man-power, which was lacking to the horse-riders of history [a reference to the people's of the Eurasian steppes that invaded Europe and the Middle East, such as the Iranic Scythians, the Magyars, and various Turkic tribes]. The Heartland is the region to which, under modern conditions, sea-power can be refused access, though the western part of it lies without the region of the Arctic and Continental [Eurasian] drainage. There is one striking physcial circumstance which knits it graphically together; the whole of it [the Heartland], even to the brink of the Persian Mountains [the older English name for the Zagros Mountains] overlooking torrid Mesopotamia [Iraq], lies under snow in the winter time (Chap. 4, p.141).''
      [15] Supra. note 12.
      ''Aside from the global naval force being created by the U.S. and NATO, a strategy has been devised to control international trade, international movement, and international waters. The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), under the mask of stopping the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) components or technology and the systems for their delivery (missile technology or components), sets out to control the flow of resources and to control international trade. The policy was drafted by John Bolton, while serving in the U.S. State Department as U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security (Nazemroaya, NATO Expansion).''
      Mackinder also argued for a super-navy under the control of the League of Nations that would control Germany and Russia: ''None the less the League of Nations should have the right under International Law of sending War fleets into the Black and Baltic Seas (Chap. 6, p.215).'' This is part of Mackinder's solution to securing the Eurasian Heartland through what he called an ''internationalisation'' process in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
      SOURCES FOR MAPS
      [1] Jan Horst Keppler: Institut fran¤ais des relations internationales (Ifri) Energy Program of the Universit(C) Paris Dauphine, France (International Relations and Security of Energy Supply: Risks to Continuity and Geopolitical Risks).
      [2] Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH.
      [3] Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya, Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).
      [4] Der Standard, Austria.
      [5] Nabucco Gas Pipeline International GmbH.
      NABUCCO GAS PIPELINE INTERNATIONAL GmbH PROPERTY RIGHTSNIC has full and exclusive property rights (e.g., ownership, industrial property rights, copyrights) regarding the map material provided. The publication of this material can not be construed as the granting of a license or of any other right. The material made available are for private use and information only and must not be commercially reproduced, presented, distributed, or used in any other form unless prior written consent by NIC has been obtained.
      RELATED ARTICLES AND REFERENCESAmerica's ''Long War:'' The Legacy of the Iraq-Iran and Soviet-Afghan Wars
      War and the ''New World Order'' The March to War: D(C)tente in the Middle East or ''Calm before the Storm?''
      The Globalization of Military Power: NATO Expansion
      Global Military Alliance: Encircling Russia and China
      Plans for redrawing the Middle East: The Project for a ''New Middle East''
      Nabucco Gas Pipeline Project: Gas Bridge between Caspian Region/ Middle East/ Egypt and Europe
  We Clark 7
    Clooney: Village burnings in Sudan a war crime | News Tribune
      Link to Article
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:30
      JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press
      Thursday, December 6, 2012
      Photo by The Associated Press
      This combination satellite image taken by DigitalGlobe and released Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 by the Enough Project, is claimed by the Satellite Sentinel Project to show before and after imagery taken March 27, 2012, left, and Nov. 26, 2012, right, of a burned village near Dilling in the South Kordofan region of Sudan.
      NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) '-- Actor George Clooney and a group of U.S. genocide scholars in the United States are warning that war crimes are taking place in an obscure conflict in Sudan's southern region.
      Clooney has long worked to prevent conflict in Sudan and South Sudan, and he co-founded a group that uses satellite imagery to monitor acts of war there. That group, the Satellite Sentinel Project, said Thursday that 26 villages were intentionally set on fire last month by Sudanese forces.
      "Razing a village is a war crime, and the torching of now at least 26 Nuban villages, plus the systematic destruction of crops and grasslands for cattle, is a crime against humanity, Clooney said. "What we're seeing here is a widespread campaign of village and crop burning. We've seen this in Darfur, and it's happening again in South Kordofan and Blue Nile," he said, referring to two states in southern Sudan that border the separate country of South Sudan.
      "The international community must act more robustly to counter and create a consequence for these crimes," he said.
      Sudanese troops are fighting rebels in the Nuba Mountains who were once aligned with what is now South Sudan. When South Sudan peacefully broke away from Sudan last year, following decades of civil war, the rebels' region was placed in the Sudan side, though many there say they wish they would have been put with South Sudan.
      Antonov airplanes have routinely bombed the rebels' region over the last year, resulting in farmers fleeing their fields. John Prendergast, a co-founder of the satellite project, said Sudan is carrying out a strategy of "starvation warfare." More than 100,000 Nuba residents have fled across the border to refugee camps in South Sudan.
      The United States under President George W. Bush played a large role in ending decades of conflict between Sudan and what is now South Sudan. But the fighting in Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states '-- between Sudanese forces and rebels known as the SPLM-North '-- is not generating much international attention by comparison.
      Photo by The Associated Press
      This combination satellite image taken by DigitalGlobe and released Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012 by the Enough Project, is claimed by the Satellite Sentinel Project to show before and after imagery taken March 27, 2012, left, and Nov. 26, 2012, right, of a burned village near Dilling in the South Kordofan region of Sudan.
      Samuel Totten, a former professor at the University of Arkansas and the author of "Genocide by Attrition: The Nuba Mountains of Sudan," leads an online discussion with scholars and human rights activists about events in Sudan. On Wednesday he submitted a letter signed by more than 70 scholars to the Atrocities Prevention Board, a U.S. government panel. President Barack Obama created the board in August 2011, when he declared that the prevention of mass atrocities and genocide to be a "core national security interest and core moral responsibility."
      Totten's letter said Sudan is carrying out attacks in Nuba much like it once did in Darfur, a region in western Sudan that benefited from an international outcry against atrocities committed there. The letter said the U.S. and international community are doing little or nothing to prevent the violence, despite Obama's 2011 directive.
      "There is a point, we believe, when it should become self-evident that the continuation of talk, talk and more talk with a state that has engaged in serial crimes against humanity, genocidal-like actions, ethnic cleansing ... is all but a total waste of time," Totten wrote. "As hundreds of thousands of innocents needlessly suffer, there is a moral imperative that the continual 'diplomatic' talking, negotiating, pleading, and ultimately begging with leaders of such openly deceptive and destructive strategies must be replaced by concrete and effective action ... ."
      Preventing a return to war between Sudan and South Sudan appears to be the international community's first priority. A border has not yet been defined, and major oil disagreements over the last year have seen the South half its oil production, costing its own government and that of Khartoum's millions of dollars in lost revenue. Border skirmishes broke out in April.
      The U.S. special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, Princeton Lyman, traveled to the region in late November. Lyman said that without ending the conflict in the Nuba Mountains it will be hard for Sudan and South Sudan to sort their outstanding issues. Khartoum accuses South Sudan of aiding the SPLM-N rebels, a charge officials in Juba, South Sudan's capital, deny.
      "There has to be, and I think everybody really recognizes this, a political channel inside Sudan between the government and the SPLM-N, to bring this conflict to a close. And the first step has to be a cessation of hostilities," Lyman said.
      E.J. Hogendoorn, a Horn of Africa expert at the International Crisis Group, a think tank that tracks conflicts, said Sudanese forces aren't strong enough to take the Nuba Mountains without heavy casualties, and the SPLM-N isn't strong enough to push outside of Nuba.
      "You have a strategic stalemate that if the international community doesn't do anything about it could last for a very long time, and the knock on-effect is that the civilian population is going to get screwed," he said.
  Drone Nation
    U.S. drone strike kills another al Qaeda commander in Pakistan
      Link to Article
      Source: Reuters: World News
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 10:58
      DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan | Sun Dec 9, 2012 3:53am EST
      DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. drone attack killed a senior al Qaeda commander in Pakistan's northwest on Sunday, military intelligence officials said, the second militant leader to be killed in strikes by the unmanned aircraft in three days.
      The attack killed Mohammad Ahmed Almansoor and three others in a village close to Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, near the Afghan border.
      The drone fired missiles at a house with Almansoor inside, destroying two rooms and a car. Four drones were seen flying over the area during the attack, residents and government officials said.
      A similar attack on Thursday in North Waziristan killed another senior al Qaeda commander, Abu Zaid, who replaced Abu Yahya al-Libi as one of the militant Islamist group's most powerful figures, intelligence sources said. A U.S. drone attack also killed Libi in June.
      Unmanned aerial attacks have crushed al Qaeda's network along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan but have drawn trenchant criticism in the two countries.
      Al Qaeda has been weakened steadily in Afghanistan and Pakistan since the killing of Osama bin Laden in a raid by U.S. special forces on a Pakistani garrison town in May 2011.
      (Reporting by Saud Mehsud in DERA ISMAIL KHAN and Jibran Ahmad in PESHAWAR; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Paul Tait)
  Bullcrap
    Abusive Neighbors to Be Sent into Container Exile in Amsterdam - SPIEGEL ONLINE
      Link to Article
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:14
      Amsterdam is planning to introduce a program that will send abusive neighbors and vandals to punitive housing outside of the city center. The hope is that it will deter perennial bullies, but it is being criticized for its similarity to the "scum villages" proposed by right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders.
      First there was an effort to clean up the red-light district in Amsterdam. Then came new laws regulating who could frequent "coffee shops" in the city and elsewhere in Holland for a joint. Now, the Dutch capital is introducing a plan to punish bad behavior by sending chronic neighborhood bullies and vandals out of the city center for a punitive stay in uncomfortable housing containers.
      The proposal, which calls for identifying those who engage in repeated acts of harassment and other extreme forms of intimidation, is to go into effect early next year, according to Dutch media reports last week. Currently, the city is searching for a permanent location on the outskirts for multiple units to house the worst offenders. They are to have "minimal services."
      "The aim of this scheme is not to reward people who behave badly with a brand-new, five-room home with a south-facing garden," Bartho Boer, a spokesman for Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan, told the Irish Times on Monday. "We have learned from the past and so we're well aware that while a neighborhood can usually deal with one problem family, if there are any more living together in close proximity the situation has a tendency to escalate."
      'Scum Villages'
      Some '­Â1 million has been set aside for the plan, which seeks to target only the worst of the worst among repeat, small-time offenders. Once relocated to the housing units, they would be supervised by social workers or even police, should it become necessary. The plan calls for them to stay in the units for at least six months, according to Boer. The project will also include a new hotline that residents can call should they feel threatened or intimidated by their neighbors.
      Van der Laan, a member of the center-left Labor Party, has been mayor of Amsterdam for the past two years, a period which has seen accelerated efforts in the city to shed its image as being a hotbed of prostitution and drugs. But his new plan is not uncontroversial. Many have pointed out its similarity to the proposal by right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders to set up what he called "tuigdorpen," or "scum villages," for repeat troublemakers. "Put all the trash together and leave normal people alone," Wilders, who is virulently anti-immigrant and anti-Islam, said at the time. Indeed, "tuigdorpen" has been nominated as the worst neologism of the year in Holland as a result.
      But Boer rejected the comparison. "This is supposed to be a deterrent," he said. "It has to work."
      Already, Holland has seen several similar experimental programs where persistent anti-social behavior was punished by a stay in a shipping container shelter. Amsterdam has also tested the model previously.
      Keep track of the news
      Stay informed with our free news services:
      (C) SPIEGEL ONLINE 2012All Rights ReservedReproduction only allowed with the permission of SPIEGELnet GmbH
  Obama Nation
    Obama to Accept Corporate Donations for 2013 Inaugural Events
      Link to Article
      Source: NYT > Home Page
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:58
      Luke Sharrett for The New York Times
      Work on the inaugural-parade viewing stand. Events are to be low-key, compared with 2009.
      WASHINGTON '-- President Obama will accept unlimited donations from corporations '-- but no money from lobbyists or political action committees '-- to finance his 2013 inaugural festivities, a spokeswoman for his inaugural committee said Friday.
      The committee also said the activities surrounding Mr. Obama's inauguration would be smaller in scope than four years ago; the White House is mindful of the state of the economy and does not want a show of opulence.
      The panel did not release a schedule. But officials told donors during a conference call on Friday afternoon that there would be just three official inaugural balls '-- a candlelight ball for members of Mr. Obama's national finance committee, a military ball and a large presidential ball '-- down from 10 official balls in 2009, according to one person who listened to the call.
      The committee later sent donors a formal invitation detailing access to various reception and parties depending on how much they contribute. The most exclusive access will be reserved for individuals who contribute $250,000 or more and institutions that contribute $1 million or more.
      The decision to accept corporate money reverses Mr. Obama's policy from 2009, when he refused corporate donations and capped individual donations at $50,000 per person or $100,000 per couple. Mr. Obama also barred corporations from helping finance this year's Democratic National Convention.
      But after the most expensive campaign in presidential history '-- Mr. Obama, the Democratic National Committee and the party's joint fund-raising efforts took in $1.14 billion '-- many of the president's contributors are feeling worn out, and the committee concluded that it would be difficult to raise the tens of millions of dollars it needed for the parade, inaugural balls and other events.
      ''Our goal is to make sure that we will meet the fund-raising requirements for this civic event after the most expensive presidential campaign in history,'' the spokeswoman, Addie Whisenant, said in a statement, adding that donors' names would be posted on a Web site ''to ensure continued transparency.''
      The question of whether the Presidential Inaugural Committee would accept corporate money has been a thorny one for Mr. Obama. Companies that donate money may have business before the White House, raising questions of conflict of interest. Committee officials said its lawyers would vet each donor, and those with conflicts would not be permitted to give.
      But government watchdog groups sharply criticized the decision and accused Mr. Obama of abandoning his principles. ''It's very disappointing,'' said Robert Weissman, president of the advocacy group Public Citizen, which wrote to Mr. Obama last month urging him to reject corporate money. ''There's no corporation which has no conflict of interest. It's really a terrible reversal of the decision they made in 2009.''
      Committee officials counter that Mr. Obama is using standards adopted by civic institutions that take corporate money, including museums, philanthropic groups and service organizations like the Red Cross.
      The committee has laid down some guidelines for the kind of corporate money it will accept, an official said. Corporations that accepted money from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, used to rescue the financial system during the economic meltdown of 2008 and 2009, will not be able to donate unless they have paid back the TARP money.
      In addition, the committee said it would not enter into any sponsorship arrangements with companies. And in accordance with laws governing contributions to an inaugural committee, the panel will not accept money from foreign individuals or corporations.
      Presidents rely on a mix of public and private funds to pay for their inaugurations. Taxpayers pay the bill for security and for events at the Capitol '-- the swearing in-ceremony and traditional inaugural luncheon '-- but private money pays for everything else. In 2009, Mr. Obama raised $53 million for his first inauguration, which stretched over a four-day weekend.
      Donors are typically rewarded with access to exclusive events; on Friday afternoon's conference call, they were told that depending on their level of contribution, donors might be invited to ''benefactor brunches'' at the White House on Jan. 17 and 18.
      In 2009, donors who contributed $10,000 or more were rewarded with V.I.P. tickets to the swearing-in ceremony, balls and other events, like a parade-watching party at a restaurant along the route and a concert for children at the Verizon Center. Those who contributed $50,000 or more were invited to events including black-tie dinners the night before the inauguration.
      Mr. Obama's 2009 inauguration was a star-studded event that brought 1.8 million people to Washington, more than three times the typical inaugural crowd. Some of the music industry's biggest celebrities '-- Bruce Springsteen, Bono and Beyonc(C) among them '-- rocked the National Mall the day before Mr. Obama took his oath.
      The 2013 crowd is likely to be much smaller, and the committee has not said whether there will be a concert this time. But Mr. Obama has already announced that he will follow a practice he established four years ago by making Jan. 19, the day before his swearing-in, a national day of service.
    Inauguration 2013: Press fear Obama private swearing in
      Link to Article
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 02:36
      The public inauguration will take place the day after the official oath of office. | AP Photo
      CloseThe White House Correspondents Association is strongly urging the Obama administration to allow press access to the president's official swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, following indications from inauguration committee officials that the event could potentially be closed to the press.
      ''Mindful of the historic nature of this occasion, we expect the White House will continue the long tradition of opening the President's official swearing-in to full press access, and we as an organization are looking forward to working with the administration to make that happen,'' Ed Henry, the Fox News correspondent and president of the White House Correspondents Association, said in a statement.
      Continue ReadingObama's first inauguration addressPast inauguration highlights(Also on POLITICO: Obama to take corporate cash for inauguration)
      Because inauguration day falls on a Sunday in 2013, Chief Justice John Roberts will officially administer the official oath of office in a private ceremony that day. The public inauguration on the Capitol Building's West Front '-- at which Roberts will administer a second, symbolic oath of office '-- will take place the next day.
      In early meetings with the inaugural committee, officials privately indicated to reporters that the Jan. 20 event could be closed to reporters and cameras, with an official photograph supplied to press by White House photographer Pete Souza, sources familiar with the meeting told POLITICO.
      (Also on POLITICO: Inauguration planning kicks into gear)
      Fears of such a scenario were reignited this week when the Presidential Inauguration Committee sent out a press release referring to a ''private'' inauguration.
      Both the White House and the PIC note that ''private'' simply means the event is not open to the public and that press arrangements have not been formalized.
      ''There is no truth to any rumors that decisions have been made about media access to this year's Inaugural events,'' Rachel Racusen, a spokesperson for the PIC, told POLITICO. ''The 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee announced its launch yesterday and is just beginning its planning. Any announcements about media access and credentials will be made in the coming weeks.''
      (Also on POLITICO: Inaugural committee staff announced, Eva Longoria to co-chair)
      The White House press corps acknowledges that nothing is set in stone. But even the possibility of a closed-press inauguration has stirred up immense frustration among the White House press corps, who note that past Sunday inaugurations were open to press.
      ''Call me shell-shocked. I'm stunned that this is even an issue; it boggles the mind,'' NBC News White House correspondent Chuck Todd told POLITICO. ''This is not their oath, this is the constitutional oath. It's not for them. It's for the public, the citizens of the United Sates. It just boggles the mind '-- How is this even a debate?''
    Obama's official swearing-in will be private
      Link to Article
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 03:56
      Because next year's inauguration falls on a Sunday, President Obama will hold only a small, private swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, and will hold a big public redo the next day.
      The Inaugural Committee announced Thursday that activities will last three days: a day of service on Saturday, the small private ceremony on Sunday, and the public swearing-in, parade and balls on Monday.
      The committee said that the small ceremony is a tradition for inaugurations that fall on Sundays.
      It will be the second time Mr. Obama has had two swearing-in ceremonies, after Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. botched the oath in 2009, leading them to hold a do-over in the White House.
    Obama Administration Approves Plan To Require "Black Boxes" On ALL New Cars Sold In The US
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 10:22
  The War on Weed
    Members Of Congress Ask DEA & DOJ Not To Take Any Action Against Colorado & Washington State
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:10
  Bad Bengahzi Actors
    Clinton to testify on Benghazi attack report: U.S. lawmaker
      Link to Article
      Source: Reuters: World News
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:22
      TweetShare thisEmailPrintU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton listens to a question during a joint news conference with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny at the government building in Dublin December 6, 2012.
      Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
      WASHINGTON | Fri Dec 7, 2012 9:01pm EST
      WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will testify on a report expected to be released next week on the deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, a top Republican lawmaker said on Friday.
      "I have just received confirmation from Secretary Clinton's office that the secretary of state will appear before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to discuss, in an open hearing, the findings and the recommendations in the report," Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement.
      Ros-Lehtinen is chair of the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee, which has already held several hearings and classified briefings on the attack.
      The attack killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, and raised questions about the adequacy of security in far-flung posts.
      Republicans have criticized the Obama administration for its flawed early public explanations of the attack, and then for shifting explanations of why talking points given to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice were changed to delete a reference to al Qaeda.
      Ros-Lehtinen said she expected an accountability review board report on the attack to be released next week.
      She said she wanted to hear from Clinton about steps the State Department has taken to deal with problems in the "security of our posts, threat assessments, host government responsibilities and coordination with other U.S. security agencies."
      The committee's press release did not give a date for the hearing with Clinton but said it expected to happen "soon after" the review board's report is released.
      (Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
      Tweet thisLink thisShare thisDigg thisEmailReprintsComments (0)
      Be the first to comment on reuters.com.
      Add yours using the box above.
    U.S.-Approved Weapons Transfer Ended Up With Libyan Jihadis - NYTimes.com
      The Obama administration secretly gave its blessing to arms shipments to Libyan rebels from Qatar last year, but American officials later grew alarmed as evidence grew that Qatar was turning some of the weapons over to Islamic militants, according to United States officials and foreign diplomats.
      The Obama administration did not initially raise objections when Qatar began shipping arms to opposition groups in Syria, even if it did not offer encouragement, according to current and former administration officials. But they said the United States has growing concerns that, just as in Libya, the Qataris are equipping some of the wrong militants.
  Cliff
    US debt tops $16 trillion: So who do we owe most of that money to? | Fox News
      Fully two-thirds of the national debt is owed to the U.S. government, American investors and future retirees, through the Social Security Trust Fund and pension plans for civil service workers and military personnel. China, it turns out, holds less than 8 percent of the money our government has borrowed over the years.
      "It is true that China is the largest foreign owner of our debt," said Josh Gordon, policy director of the Concord Coalition, a Virginia-based nonprofit that advocates getting the nation's debt under control. "But the vast majority of our debt is held by us."
  Shut Up Slave
    Big Brother is Coming! - SourceFed
      Link to Article
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 07:53
      Posted by Samuel B. on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 á 10 Comments
      Remember that book 1984, the one you read in elementary school that talked about the future and how to prepare for a dystopian world that was bound to happen in the 1980s? Then you remember it was the 90s when you read it, and you probably have nothing to worry about '... at least for now!Anyway, the whole ''Big Brother is watching you'' idea may actually become an everyday thing. Verizon Wireless just patented a DVR that can watch and listen to everything that happens in your living room!
      The technology was made to create personalized, targeted advertisements on your television that are suited for whatever is happening in the room in which it is stationed. Verizon gave a few examples of how the technology could be used. For example, if a couple is arguing, an ad for marriage counseling would pop up, while sounds of cuddling would prompt an ad for contraceptives. How thoughtful!
      Apparently, Verizon is not the first company to patent tech for targeted advertisements for the home television. Comcast patented a camera in 2008 that would recognize viewers faces and play ads specifically for them based on their viewing choices. Google also patented an addition to Google TV that recognizes and catalogs how many people in a room are watching TV.
      Personally, I would opt out of getting this tech in my house, but what about you guys?
      QUESTION:
      Would you put this in your house if it had some kind of incentive behind it?
      '); (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); } }); $.post('http://sourcefednews.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', { action: 'fbc_ping', post_id: '15692', nonce: '4301df8815' }); })(jQuery);
    Adding kids' weight to report cards will do more harm than good for preventing obesity
      Link to Article
      Source: The Conversation
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:28
      Changes in the level of children's physical activity is not solely responsible for the obesity epidemic. Brent DanleyAs public health researchers who've worked with government, non-governmental organisations, schools, childcare organisations, families and children to understand the complexity of obesity and effective healthy public policy, we find the article ''F for fat'' in today's Fairfax papers both deeply disappointing and disturbing.
      The article quotes former University of Melbourne vice chancellor David Penington suggesting that putting children's weight on school report cards and linking them to physical education teachers would make an impact on childhood obesity rates.
      Penington, a high-profile academic who is very experienced in chairing public health initiatives and leading strong research foundations, is floating an initiative that runs counter to the evidence accumulated from over 15 years of careful, dedicated research that spans child health, obesity prevention, and community partnerships. The notion that including a measure of fatness would make a significant impact on childhood obesity, and that conversations with a physical education teacher might be a solution is not a new idea '' but it is a bad one.
      Connecting a stigma-related concept to reported indicators of learning and development '' while it may appear simple and likely to shock parents into action '' would be flawed, harmful, and unethical. In research conducted by ourselves or colleagues, parents have pulled out of studies, torn up parental feedback, and contributed to significantly reduced participation rates at the mere mention of individual reports.
      There is a role for monitoring and measurement as a support for managing weight, provided it's done in a way that promotes positive body image with an emphasis on taking care of your general health. And, for children, this also needs to be done in the context of their environments. That has to promote healthy food choices in schools that aren't dependent on McDonald's or Coles for their physical activity equipment, and where there are transparent fund-raising policies and no more chocolate drives.
      Today's Fairfax article quoted Obesity Australia chairman John Funder as saying Penington's report card idea would need to be implemented ''sensitively''.
      Obesity Australia is a new initiative established to provide an advocacy platform and has the potential to step obesity prevention up, but it's extremely difficult to find out anything about it. It doesn't yet have a website, its advisory committee membership is unclear, and its charter or experience in obesity is even more opaque.
      A meeting this week held by Obesity Australia featured a range of speakers, so their report of what else was said and discussed would help assess whether it could make a meaningful difference to national anti-obesity efforts.
      What we do know is that it includes experienced medical leaders who confer a perception of expertise, and that makes it even more important that it forms plans and strategies to advocate in ways that not only maximise health outcomes, but that these strategies are ethically sound and do no harm.
      More than 15 years after the obesity epidemic was first reported, and when significant investment in research into how to stop it began, Australia is in the extremely fortunate position to have a strong repertoire of relevant evidence on what will work. Sadly, the initiatives that we know to be effective are usually not the ones that are sufficiently funded.
      We have great evidence clearly showing that:
      prevention works, especially in settings where children and families can avoid sugar-dense processed foods with high levels of sugar and fat;
      a third of children are affected by obesity in areas more likely to be disadvantaged '' with lower employment, lower school completion rates, lower average income and where schools are less likely to have resources for promoting physical activity;
      sweetened drinks contribute to obesity levels ;
      overweight and obese children are more likely to be stigmatised, and already have lower quality of life; and
      the food and beverage industries are using strategies that appear to be socially responsible in order to ensure sales of their most profitable items.
      And while levels of physical activity have clearly fallen over time and this is one of many factors involved in obesity prevention, physical education alone is not sufficient to address the complex determinants of obesity.
      Raising the fear in parents' minds that their children will be measured, without highlighting the need for industry to stop misguiding them with a focus on physical activity, is unethical, dishonest and not in the best interests of children. If anything, it has the potential to increase obesity by side-stepping the discussion of the role of soft drinks, energy-dense foods, and advertising in the obesity epidemic.
      Perhaps what would be a more effective thing to have on children's report cards is what they are exposed to in their environment, such as easy access to sugar-sweetened drinks in their learning environment, Coles vouchers as rewards, and fast food companies linked to physical activity programs.
      Measures that will make a difference are engaging children and young people in solutions, normalising healthy environments and understanding the needs of parents and families, making links between industry and the learning environment transparent, and leadership and advocacy that pays attention to evidence.
      Anything else is a waste of time, money and public attention.
      1 CommentTagsEducation, Childhood obesity
      Related articles 4 December 2012 Ten-hut! Boot camps can't replace youth programs 2 December 2012 Education in the information age: is technology making us stupid? 30 November 2012 NAPLAN myths: it's not a high-stakes test 28 November 2012 Research impact can be measured through case studies: UTS research head 28 November 2012 Gonski school funding moves forward but leaves much behind
  Internet Freedom
    UN internet regulation talks in Dubai threaten web freedom
      Link to Article
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 04:01
      Thanks to leaks, we have a good idea of the kind of control and censorship member states would like to impose on the internet
      The closed doors of the United Nations' ITU conference has aroused fears of government attempts to restrict web freedom. Photograph: AP
      It's not surprising that some confusion surrounds a telecommunications meeting that started this week in Dubai. The gathering, under the auspices of the United Nations, is called the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT). It's seen widely in the internet community as a power grab by the UN's International Telecommunication Union, an agency that has had significant impact in the telecom arena for decades via standards-setting and various treaties among UN member states.
      The Dubai meeting is another treaty negotiation, aimed at bringing cross-border telecom rule up to date for the first time since 1988. The ITU's secretary general, Hamadoun Toure, has insisted that the goal is not to regulate speech; countless critics believe otherwise, and the best evidence, given typical ITU secrecy during the process, suggests the critics are right.
      The very idea that the ITU could obtain and exert major regulatory powers over the internet is a happy one only to dictators and others who believe the internet needs to be controlled. We've seen again and again what nation states like Syria, China, Saudi Arabia and others do when they are unhappy with online content or conversations. Even a hint that such censorship could spread should be, and is, anathema to people who believe in fundamental free speech rights. Russia, in particular, has proposed regulations (pdf) that the United States ambassador to the meeting called "the most shocking and most disappointing" of any he'd seen.
      Keep in mind the mindset of the ITU and many member states: they start with the notion that the internet is really just an extension of 20th-century telecommunications technology and systems. So it's no surprise that many want to apply telephone-era models to the internet, including a "sending party pays" system (favored by some African nations where governments and the telecom industry are often essentially the same entities). Under the best of circumstances, the ITU is a notably inappropriate vehicle for any kind of internet governance. And these are not the best of circumstances.
      The European Union and Australia have joined the US in objecting to what's happening in Dubai, but the EU parliament's resolution makes a point that American officials have avoided: the process has been deliberately opaque "given that the outcomes of this meeting could substantially affect the public interest". Only because public interest organizations and activists have persuaded participants to leak some of the documents do we have more than the faintest clue of what these governments have been cooking up behind our backs.
      And while US objections to this process are welcome, it's worth noting a long history of secret treaty negotiations involving '' or led by '' the United States government, including some that could have led (and may still lead) to severe restrictions on internet speech and technologies. Even as the WCIT meeting proceeds, the Obama administration '' carrying water, as always, for Hollywood and other interests '' is pushing ahead with even more non-transparent negotiations over the "Trans-Pacific Partnerships", a deal that by credible accounts could be devastating to the internet's open nature. Who's to say that Dubai won't produce the kinds of internet restrictions that make Hollywood, not just Beijing, pleased to support a new treaty?
      For that, and many other reasons, I'm on the side of those who are loudly protesting what's going on in Dubai. I simply do not trust this kind of process to produce anything good and I'm not reassured by the "don't worry about it" commentary that's been popping up in the past few days.
      The internet is a miracle of self-governance '' and should stay that way. It was created and grew to global reach as an ecosystem of cooperating networks where the architecture of internet communications fit hand-in-glove with collaboration, rather than top-down rule. It is hardly perfect: we need government assistance to prevent the telecommunications industry and other controllers of choke-points from wrecking its already threatened end-to-end design principles (pdf). What we emphatically do not need is government interference of the kinds being proposed.
      So, I'm with Vint Cerf, a Google vice-president and one of the internet's genuine pioneers, along with a host of others who are speaking out to protect and extend the value, and values, of an open internet. You can join that chorus, too.
      Maybe, Dubai will turn out to be a harmless, if money-wasting exercise that changes nothing. But given the fear and loathing the open internet has inspired among global interests that see it as a threat more than an opportunity, we should make no such assumptions.
      (C) Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
    Obama trying to attack digital freedom via TPP
      Link to Article
      Source: Richard Stallman's Political Notes
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:01
      Each political note has its own anchor in case you want to link to it.
      My intention is to make links only to publicly accessible, stable URLs. If you find a link to a page that requires subscription, please report that as you would report any other broken link.
      Some sites have paper tiger paywalls that can be defeated by deleting a cookie. I don't post links to those sites because it would be too complex to tell users what to do to avoid having to identify themselves.
      07 December 2012 (Urgent: Support Merkeley's Protect America's Privacy Act)US citizens: phone your senators to support Merkely's Protect America's Privacy Act (S. 3515).
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      07 December 2012 (Thai politicians face murder charges)Two Thai politicians face murder charges for ordering repression forces to shoot protesters.
      07 December 2012 (Typhoon Bopha)Typhoon Bopha, now hitting the Philippines, is their equivalent of Hurricane Sandy. The Philippines representative cried as he described the storm and begged the world's representatives to get serious about limiting global heating.
      07 December 2012 (Record-setting decrease in Arctic ice and snow)This year set a record for decrease in Arctic ice and snow.
      07 December 2012 (South Korea backs down from plans to kill whales)International criticism convinced South Korea to back down from the plan to start killing whales.
      07 December 2012 (Convicted for organizing an Internet sit-in)An organizer in the UK was convicted for organizing an Internet sit-in.
      This illustrates how translating physical activities to the Internet serves as an opportunity for states to take away traditional rights.
      07 December 2012 (Islamists attack secularist protesters in Cairo)Islamists attacked secularist protesters in Cairo, leading to street fighting.
      Arguing that Morsi continues Mubarak's authoritarian tradition: this is not a new fight, but the same old fight.
      07 December 2012 (Rich men bent on shredding the safety net)The Obscenely Rich Men Bent on Shredding the Safety Net.
      07 December 2012 (Price for getting movies made in New Zealand)New Zealand, like Michigan, pays unconscionably to get movies made there.
      The price included unjust laws affecting movie industry workers and the general public.
      07 December 2012 (Blackwater)U.S. Commandos' New Landlord in Afghanistan: Blackwater.
      07 December 2012 (Obama trying to attack digital freedom via TPP)Obama is still trying to attack digital freedom around the world via the TPP.
      The TPP probably contains injustices for other areas of life, too.
      06 December 2012 (Very urgent: Phone your congresscritter)US citizens: phone your congresscritter at 888-497-9539 to say, "No cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and let the Bush Tax Cuts for the richest 2% to expire."
      06 December 2012 (Shouting "fire" in a crowded theater)The multiple levels of legal invalidity of "shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater" as a precedent.
      The other fallacy in this argument is generalization. The idea of "shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater" is that the audience members don't dare take time to verify whether there is really a fire. They have to try to get out immediately. In nearly all real censorship situations, this argument would not apply anyway, because people have time to think before doing anything.
      06 December 2012 (Shaheen amendment petition)Another petition for a good cause that I could not sign.
      It asserts that women (and men) in the US military are "fighting for our freedom." I know of only one man in the US military recently that I can confidently say this: Bradley Manning.
      06 December 2012 (Wal-mart in India)India's government has chosen Wal-mart over employment.
      06 December 2012 (The most corrupt country in Europe)Greece is the most corrupt country in Europe, as perceived by its citizens, and this is due to bad laws that fail to obstruct corruption.
      If we take a wider definition of "corruption", including buying laws and regulations that suit companies, the US is very corrupt.
      06 December 2012 (Negotiations about greenhouse gas cuts)It seems countries are starting to negotiate about the necessary greenhouse gas cuts.
      Is it true that this treaty that would not come effect until 2020? That is like planning to let the horses out of the barn and then bar the door.
      In any case, it is stupid to argue about whether increased effort must be made by the richest countries or the other large emitters. The answer is "both". Both must confront this issue like an invasion if they are to survive.
      06 December 2012 (Reconnaissance drones to track poachers)Reconnaissance drones will be used to track poachers that kill rhinos, elephants and tigers.
      06 December 2012 (Pension funds involved in land grabs from farmers)Is Your Pension Fund Taking Land Away From African Farmers?
      06 December 2012 (Urgent: Correct the Corporations United decision)US citizens: call on Obama to campaign for a constitutional amendment to correct the Corporations United decision.
      06 December 2012 (Urgent: Stop Shell from drilling in the Arctic)US citizens: Call on Obama to stop Shell from drilling for oil in the Arctic next year.
      We already have 5 times as much oil reserves as we dare to burn; there is no point in using the deposits that are hard or dangerous to reach.
      06 December 2012 (Method's of India's Green Revolution unsustainable)The methods of India's Green Revolution have become unsustainable. Groundwater is exhausted, pesticide pollution is spreading, and burning of rice plants is making people sick.
      The burning releases CO2, but if that CO2 was drawn from the air by the plants, it does not add up to any increase in CO2 concentration.
      06 December 2012 (World food demand)World food demand is expected to almost double in the next 40 years, but global heating is expected to reduce food production. The result is that food prices will double, and many children will be malnourished.
      The solution must include gratis contraception for everyone. We can avoid having 9 billion people if we act firmly to reduce the birth rate.
      06 December 2012 (Afghan teens and boy shot by UK troops)UK troops shot Afghan teenagers and a boy at close range while the latter sat on the floor drinking tea.
      06 December 2012 (Global financial speed limit)IMF Suggests Lowering Global Financial Speed Limit.
      06 December 2012 (Ecuadorian "white hat" cracker freed from prison)An Ecuadorian "white hat" who cracked the security of the government's records about individuals, and published news of this to call for security improvements, was imprisoned 45 days until President Correa personally had him released.
      It is good that Correa understands the difference between an attack and constructive criticism, but the rest of the state needs to know it too.
      06 December 2012 (Border agents' power to search devices)Border Agents' Power to Search Devices Is Facing Increasing Challenges in Court.
      Note also the injustice of punishing someone for dating a person who was 15 years old.
      In the US today, terrorism is a minuscule danger. Repression by the state is a big danger and these searches are part of it.
      06 December 2012 (ITU approves snooping requirement in future networks)The ITU approved a standard requirement for deep packet inspection facilities (snooping) in future networks.
      06 December 2012 ($1.5 billion in tax breaks given to movie companies)US states give 1.5 billion in tax breaks to the movie companies, supposedly to create jobs, but it makes very few jobs.
      These states are in a bidding war trying to take jobs away from other states. In other words, the movie companies are playing one state against another. Even if the promised jobs were real, the practice would still harm the country as a whole.
      06 December 2012 (Movie companies make demand for censorship)Movie companies demanded Google censor their own sites.
      06 December 2012 (134 Nobelists call for Liu Xiaobo's release)134 Nobelists called on China to free Liu Xiaobo.
      06 December 2012 (Jobs from investment in offshore wind power)Investment in offshore wind power would make more jobs than fracking.
      05 December 2012 (Civilization on collision course with nature)OECD says civilization is on a collision course with nature.
      05 December 2012 (Rwandan soldiers join Congo rebels)1000 Rwandan soldiers joined the Congo rebels for the capture of Goma.
      I am not sure what to think about these rebels. Previous rebels in that region were brutal towards the civilians and were mainly interested in capturing control of vital minerals to sell to the developed world. This batch might be the same, or it might make a real effort to replace the DR Congo's parasitical president with some better government. The former deserves only condemnation; the latter could deserve support.
      05 December 2012 (Mali civilians forming militia)Civilians in Mali are forming a militia to fight the Islamists who captured the north of the country.
      05 December 2012 (Gov'ts can't be trusted in private ITU meeting)We can't trust the US or even European governments not to approve something nasty in private at the ITU meeting.
      05 December 2012 (Fracking destroys farms)Fracking destroys farms, with inadequate compensation, and can make the local farmers sick and drive them out of their homes.
      Absurdly, the frackers burn the methane rather than collecting it for some use.
      If this were the worst problem caused by fracking, it could be corrected by requiring compensation for these other problems. However, the global heating from burning this gas will do damage beyond all compensation.
      05 December 2012 (Excessive gift to a homeless man)How an excessive gift to a homeless man turned into an excuse to despise the homeless.
      Was the whole thing set up as a way to distract from the persistent human rights violations of the New York Thug Department?
      The UK's homeless are up 23% in the past year, mainly among the very poor who can't cope with even a temporary reverse.
      05 December 2012 (UK's plans for fracking violate law)The UK's plans for fracking violate its CO2 emissions reduction law.
      05 December 2012 ("War on Terror")Decade of US 'War on Terror' Yields More 'Terrorism'. Just not in the US.
      05 December 2012 (Israel rebuked for not allowing IAEA inspections)The UN has voted to rebuke Israel for not allowing IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities. Israel appears to have scuttled a conference about nuclear disarmament in the Middle East, which Iran was willing to attend.
      05 December 2012 (Urgent: Support the Shaheen Amendment)US citizens: phone your senators to support the Shaheen Amendment to extend abortion coverage to military women who have been raped.
      There is also a petition, but I couldn't sign it because of its "drivel about serving". I wish the US government used its military in the service of the country and the world, but it more often uses them in the service of the megacorporations.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      05 December 2012 (Urgent: Call on Pepsi to oppose persecution of gays)US citizens: call on Pepsi to take a clear stand in Uganda against the bill for increased persecution of gays.
      05 December 2012 (Urgent: Suspend BP from federal contracting for five years)US citizens: call on the US to suspend Billionaire Polluters from federal contracting for five years (not for a short time).
      05 December 2012 (Japanese tunnel collapse)The Japanese tunnel collapse was apparently due to negligence by the private company that operates the road.
      Allowing private companies to operate roads is asking for trouble. They always have an incentive to skimp.
      05 December 2012 (Large solar plant to be built in Ghana)A very large solar power plant will be built in Ghana, thanks to a policy incentive for renewable energy.
      05 December 2012 (Developing countries must cut emissions)Developing countries such as India, Brazil and China must cut emissions too, or we're doomed.
      Of course, the US must also do a lot more.
      04 December 2012 (Urgent: Withdrawal from Afghanistan)US citizens: phone your congresscritter and say, Sign Rep. Lee's letter calling for a prompt withdrawal from Afghanistan.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      04 December 2012 (Urgent: Enforce US laws about how Israel uses US arms)US citizens: call on Obama to enforce US laws about how Israel uses US arms.
      04 December 2012 (How Obama regime treats journalism as a crime)Julian Assange explains, in an interview, how the Obama regime has started to treat journalistic publication of US government leaks, anywhere in the world, as a crime.
      04 December 2012 (Susan Rice supported invasion of Iraq)Another disqualification for Susan Rice: she supported Dubya's invasion of Iraq.
      A considerable fraction of Americans had the sense to recognize that the invasion was wrong and stupid; anyone who didn't see this should not be in an important foreign policy post.
      04 December 2012 (Purpose of absurd cuts proposals)Washington's Serious People Are on the War Path '-- against us.
      The purpose of absurd cuts proposals, such as Corker's corker, is to make smaller cuts that are merely cruel and unjust look like "reasonable compromises".
      04 December 2012 (Survival of civilization)The survival of civilization now requires the destruction of plutocracy and the revival of democracy.
      Americans, you will regret you didn't vote for Jill Stein.
      04 December 2012 (Right-wing movement to criminalize squatting)The European right-wing movement to criminalize squatting: "If they have no homes, let them live in prison."
      04 December 2012 (Life expectancy in South Africa increases)Life expectancy in South Africa has increased by 5 year due to anti-HIV drugs.
      The spread of HIV has gone down.
      04 December 2012 (Labeling products made in Israeli colonies)Former heads of state call on Europe to clearly label products made in Israeli colonies in the West Bank.
      04 December 2012 (Perceived benefits of illegal drugs)A survey attempts to explore the perceived benefits that motivate people to use illegal drugs.
      04 December 2012 (No substitute for reducing CO2 emissions)Reductions in methane and other short-lived greenhouse gases are no substitute for reducing CO2 emissions.
      04 December 2012 (Compensating poor countries for global heating damage)The US and Europe oppose compensating poor countries for the damage that global heating will do to them.
      Many people in poor countries are likely to die after a few more years of floods or droughts.
      04 December 2012 (Censorship in Turkey)The Simpsons illustrates the extent of censorship in Turkey.
      04 December 2012 (Breakdown in talks over cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid)A breakdown in talks may save America from a harmful deal that might cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.
      The term "fiscal cliff" is Republican spin, and "no deal" is the best outcome for the rest of this year.
      04 December 2012 (Cuts at UK Starbucks)Starbucks in the UK has cut lunch breaks and sick leave, but argues that this is ok because it was not a response to possibly having to pay its fair share of taxes.
      04 December 2012 (US proceeding with autonomous killer robots)Autonomous killer robots should be banned, but the US is proceeding with them, and the "precautions" are inadequate.
      04 December 2012 (Dangerous climate change)CO2 emissions rises mean dangerous climate change now almost certain.
      By "dangerous" they mean "far worse the damage we have already seen".
      04 December 2012 (Urgent: Enforce cleanup of cement plants)US citizens: call on the EPA to enforce cleanup of cement plants, and not give them two more years to continue polluting.
      04 December 2012 (Increased acidity dissolving sea snails' shells)In some parts of the ocean, sea snails' shells are dissolving due to increased acidity from CO2 in the water.
      04 December 2012 (2200 mi2 of Appalachia destroyed)2200 square miles of Appalachia have been destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining, and companies want to destroy more. Now one mining company has been forced to turn back to underground mining, which doesn't destroy the whole terrain, by the cost of the damage it did.
      We need to slow coal mining down, because civilization can't survive burning a lot more coal.
      04 December 2012 (Republicans want to censor Twitter)Republicans want to force Twitter to block the accounts of Hamas and Hezbollah.
      Censorship on such an important forum is dangerous no matter what is being censored.
      04 December 2012 (Canada imprisons asylum-seekers)Asylum-seekers in Canada are nearly all imprisoned, held by a private prison company, unless and until they give up and leave.
      04 December 2012 (Getting rich people's money out of US elections)Some suggestions for how to get rich people's money out of US elections.
      04 December 2012 (Information on security holes)An antisec hacker says: giving information on security holes to the public, or to the software developer, only helps those who want to exploit the holes.
      The article doesn't say this is about proprietary software, but seems to take for granted that the software is proprietary. It even argues for "armored executables" designed to prevent reverse engineering, which presupposed users can't read the source code.
      The author recommends giving the security hole info "to an individual whom you know (through personal experience) will act in the interest of social justice."
      I wouldn't give a proprietary software developer any sort of bug report; since proprietary software is fundamentally wrong, it doesn't deserve help. Free software deserves help, because it upholds social justice within its own sphere.
      04 December 2012 (Peasant leader in Paraguay assassinated)A peasant leader in Paraguay was assassinated.
      He was a leader in a movement whose other leaders were either killed or arrested by thugs, and this was seized on by the elite as an excuse to remove President Lugo from power. His killers were surely associated with the elite as well.
      04 December 2012 (Boycott of parliamentary elections in Kuwait)Kuwait's opposition boycotted the elections for parliament, after the regime changed election laws.
      I do not understand the change enough to have an opinion of it, but the strength of the boycott shows the strength of the people's opposition to the regime.
      04 December 2012 (Morsi calls for referendum on constitution)Morsi has called for a referendum in 2 weeks on a constitution that doesn't respect human rights.
      Egypt's Supreme Court was shut down by Islamist protesters.
      04 December 2012 (Israel punishes Palestinian Authority)Israel punished the Palestinian Authority for its UN success by refusing to hand over the funds it is supposed to collect for the PA.
      The plan to construct of more housing for Israeli colonists is supposedly also "punishment", but since it is no different from what Israel has done all the time for years, that is just a pretense.
      04 December 2012 (Susan Rice's conflict of interest)More about Susan Rice's big conflict of interest.
      04 December 2012 (Tunnel collapse in Japan)A tunnel collapsed in Japan, trapping cars which caught fire.
      The idea that cars would catch fire from collisions is a movie clich(C), but I thought it was pure fiction. Apparently it does occasionally happen. Should car designs be changed to prevent it?
      (Of course, people will investigate why the tunnel collapsed.)
      04 December 2012 (Lieberman used threats to cut off payments to Wikileaks)Leaked documents show how soon-to-be-ex Senator Lieberman used threats to make PayPal, Visa and Mastercard cut off payments to Wikileaks.
      They also show that "European" Mastercard and Visa pretend to be European-owned but are in fact controlled by their US counterparts.
      The European Commission is acting to protect the US-imposed shutoff, even though the European Parliament has voted to endorse rights for Wikileaks.
      04 December 2012 (Burned-down factory in Bangladesh)The factory in Bangladesh which burned down, killing 120 workers who couldn't escape because of locked doors, was making clothing for many global brands.
      These companies say they had had policies against using this factory as a subcontractor, but the policies are clearly not effective.
      04 December 2012 (North Korean assassin's disguised weapons)A North Korean assassin carried deadly weapons disguised as pens and a flashlight.
      Soviet bloc agents used similar poison weapons to kill defectors in the 1970s.
      03 December 2012 (Urgent: Allow Elizabeth Warren into Senate Banking Committee)US citizens: call on Senator Reid not to block Elizabeth Warren from the Senate Banking Committee.
      03 December 2012 (Urgent: Oppose "kill the gays" bill)Everyone: call on the president of Uganda not to sign the bill to kill gays.
      03 December 2012 (Urgent: Offshore wind power)US citizens: urge the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to push forward with offshore wind power.
      03 December 2012 (Censorship laws in the West)Censorship laws in the West, including punishment of blasphemy or Nazi ideology, are regularly cited around the world to justify other sorts of censorship.
      The UK also has laws censoring statements that people should be free to make, including anything likely to cause offense.
      I don't know enough about the Leveson commission's proposals to have a position on them. If a new press law amounts to censorship, that would be wrong. If it only helps put a end to certain abusive methods, such as breaking into people's answering machines, it might be good. As for the issue of attention to people's private lives, I think that those who enjoy fame and great wealth should accept the bad with the good.
      03 December 2012 (Tobacco companies hire big PR firms)Tobacco companies have hired big PR firms to lobby against laws to require plain packages for cancer sticks.
      They have used "free trade" treaties against this for years.
      03 December 2012 (Congress considering carbon tax)A carbon tax is quietly being considered in Congress to eliminate the US budget deficit.
      Eliminating the budget deficit is a misguided goal; the US needs deficit spending to get people back to work. But the carbon tax is a great way to move towards renewable energy. It's not enough by itself, of course: most Americans now have no money to invest in reducing their future energy usage. Schemes must be established to facilitate the changes that will reduce emissions.
      03 December 2012 (Kosovan prime minister prosecuted twice)Kosovan prime minister Haradinaj was prosecuted twice by the Hague war crimes tribunal, and found innocent twice. Advisors to the prosecutors told them in advance that the evidence (provided by Serb intelligence) was insufficient, and the prosecutors went ahead anyway.
      Haradinaj claims that a deal was made with Serbia to prosecute him in the absence of grounds. He now plans to reenter politics.
      Why is the war crimes tribunal allowed to prosecute someone twice?
      03 December 2012 (Food ingredients spuriously linked with cancer)Many common food ingredients have been spuriously linked with cancer based on insufficient studies.
      03 December 2012 (UK thugs attacked striking miners in 1984)In 1984, UK thugs who attacked striking miners and then made false accusations against them.
      They also arrested strikers' relatives and made bogus charges. And they pressured miners to accept bail and plea conditions that banned them from picketing.
      Clearly this was simply a scheme to break the strike, and never mind the costs to the idea of justice.
      The victims ask only for erasure of their unjust criminal records, but I think that justice requires jailing those thugs (and any officials who told them to do this '-- too bad Thatcher is not alive to be jailed).
      Correction: Thatcher is demented but nominally alive. However, it comes to the same thing.
      03 December 2012 (Syria's Internet reconnected)Assad has reconnected Syria's Internet.
      I wonder if the outage was in order to install some new surveillance equipment.
      03 December 2012 (Rwanda-supported rebels withdraw from Goma)The Rwanda-supported rebels in DR Congo have withdrawn from Goma.
      I have a feeling that there is more going on here than is described in the article, but I don't know enough to guess what.
      03 December 2012 (Bhutan's "Gross National Happiness")Bhutan's "Gross National Happiness" measurement seems to have produced big improvements in life there '-- but global heating is already destroying its agriculture.
      03 December 2012 (Urgent: Climate protection)US citizens: call on Obama to give priority to climate protection.
      03 December 2012 (Limits on assassinations needed)Just like Dubya, Obama believes (with the support of his followers) that legal limits on assassinations are are not needed as long as he's the one in charge of them.
      03 December 2012 (Levenson proposal ignores root of issue)The Leveson commission's proposal for preventing press abuses (such as breaking into people's answering machines) ignores the issue of how the people who promoted these abuses got hold of UK media.
      03 December 2012 (Consequences of continued global heating)What to expect later this century if we don't take firm action now to protect the climate.
      03 December 2012 (Upgraded UN recognition of Palestine)Uri Avnery sees upgraded UN recognition of Palestine as a path towards peace.
      03 December 2012 (NY Times regrets Lieberman's departure)The New York Times supported militarism by regretting at length the departure of retired Senator Lieberman, who advocated bellicose policies and led the US government attack against Wikileaks.
      It also published a low estimate of casualties from Obama's drone attacks in Pakistan, from an organization sponsored by Lieberman.
      03 December 2012 (Urgent: Reconsideration of prescription requirement for Plan B)US citizens: call on the US government to reconsider its politically biased decision against selling Plan B (oral emergency contraceptive) without prescription.
      03 December 2012 (New AIDS plan)Major New U.S. AIDS Plan Disallows Funding for Family Planning.
      In other words, Obama has made yet another gratuitous surrender to the theocrats who normally vote Republican.
      03 December 2012 (Barbuda faces truncation)The Caribbean island of Barbuda is facing truncation due to global heating.
      03 December 2012 (Additional sanctions against Iran proposed)Congress is proposing additional sanctions against Iran without any way to lift them as part of a deal.
      03 December 2012 (Eastern Europe's cruel war on drugs)Eastern Europe is fighting a cruel war on drugs, left over from the Soviet Empire, which spreads diseases without even reducing the use of these drugs.
      03 December 2012 (Barrier to compassionate release for US prisoners)US courts can order compassionate release for prisoners in special circumstances, such as if they are terminally ill, but the Bureau of Prisons rarely allows prisoners to reach the court.
      It throws most prisoners' petitions in the trash and forgets them.
      03 December 2012 (Jordon's special repression court)Jordan is putting protesters on trial in a special repression court, for crimes that basically consist of being dissidents, after torturing them.
      This court shares the flaw of the Guantanamo kangaroo courts: a lack of independence.
      03 December 2012 (Jeb Bush pushes school privatization)Jeb Bush is pushing school privatization based on the apparent success of mostly different measures that worked well for a while while he was governor of Florida.
      The measures actually tried included increased spending, for a while.
      03 December 2012 (Cameras in eyes of department store dummies)Department store dummies whose eyes are cameras bring home the outrageous nature of surveillance.
      03 December 2012 ("Scrooge Christmas")Obama condemned Republicans for threatening a "Scrooge Christmas". However, he too is a Scrooge, since he has already offered to do part of the harm Republicans demand.
      The idea of making a deal with the Republicans is misguided; the term "fiscal cliff" misrepresents the situation and creates the false impression that a deal is really needed.
      03 December 2012 (Thugs in Brazil fake firefights)Thugs in Brazil have a habit of killing people and faking firefights as justification.
      03 December 2012 (To expose US war crimes and torture is to be "the enemy")Obama and his supporters, including the US mainstream media, treat everyone that exposes US war crimes and torture as "the enemy".
      03 December 2012 (Town property no longer used to promote religion)Atheists in Santa Monica have put an end to the use of town property to promote Christianity.
      Alas, this means that town property also can't be used to promote Gravmass, but at least it is fair.
      03 December 2012 (Guilt over global heating)Anxiety about changes to prevent global heating lead many people who recognize the danger to avoid thinking about the issue.
      This combines with the problem that, to paraphrase someone famous, everyone wants a stable climate, but nobody wants what makes for a stable climate.
      I agree with the recommendation to avoid campaigns based on individual guilt, because individuals are not to blame. We can't solve this problem by making changes individually; it requires state action.
      In the US, most individuals now recognize global heating as a danger, and want the government to take the necessary action to prevent it.
      03 December 2012 (Rules for cigarette packages in Australia)Australia has adopted strict rules for cigarette packages to prevent them from being attractive to young people.
      03 December 2012 (Urgent: Support fast food workers on strike)US citizens: Sign this petition in support of the fast food workers on strike in New York City.
      03 December 2012 (Urgent: Sign Bernie Sander's petition)US citizens: sign Bernie Sanders' petition: no cuts in Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, and no tax cuts for the rich.
      02 December 2012 (Urgent: object to appointing Susan Rice)US citizens: object to appointing Susan Rice as Secretary of State, since she has invested in companies that will profit from the Keystone XL planet-roaster pipeline.
      I gave this comment:
      If Susan Rice knew that she had invested were in companies likely to benefit from the planet-roaster pipeline, that alone should disqualify her from any important government post.
      02 December 2012 (Gratis use of contraceptives reduces teenage pregnancy rate)When 9000 women in St Louis were offered gratis use of long-term contraceptives, the pregnancy rate for teenagers among them went down to under 1%, and the abortion rate dropped dramatically too.
      02 December 2012 (Imprisonment without trial)A US Senate committee adopted a partial limitation on imprisonment without trial, prohibiting it for US citizens and permanent residents when captured in the US. Immediately, the senators totally opposed to human rights began trying to twist its meaning to claim that anyone can nonetheless be imprisoned without trial.
      02 December 2012 (Corporations that get gov't contracts despite alleged misconduct)10 Corporations That Still Get New Gov't Contracts, Despite Alleged Misconduct.
      02 December 2012 (Edge of too late to avoid climate disaster)With international agencies and business consultants warning that we are on the edge of too late to avoid climate disaster, powerful countries such as the US continue to obey the dictates of the oil companies. What can make them stop?
      02 December 2012 (DuPont attacks farmers who save seeds)DuPont is following Monsanto in attacking farmers who save their seeds.
      Farmers' right to save and trade their seeds must be protected from all interference, aside from health and environmental concerns.
      The article was flawed by using the vague term "intellectual property" instead of the clear and precise term "patents".
      02 December 2012 (Drone strike against Adnan al-Qadhi)Relatives of Adnan al-Qadhi ask Yemen, and Obama, why they killed him when they could easily have arrested him if there were any grounds.
      02 December 2012 (What Wikileaks cables show about US)Julian Assange summarizes what the Wikileaks cables showed about the US's tentacles of repression and death.
      02 December 2012 (Morsi pushing for quick vote on a constitution)Morsi is pushing for a quick vote on a hurried constitution that doesn't respect human rights.
      02 December 2012 (Time to declare al Qa'ida destroyed)A Pentagon lawyer suggests it is about time to declare al Qa'ida destroyed, and regard whatever remains as criminals rather than a military enemy.
      This goes against Obama's actual behavior which is to expand the drone bombings supposedly aimed at anti-US "terrorists" to other targets.
      01 December 2012 (Urgent: Support fast food workers' strike)US citizens: support the fast food workers' strike.
      01 December 2012 (New Zealand takes away rights of its film makers)New Zealand used the threat of offshoring as an excuse to take away the rights of its film workers.
      This is the evil logic of "free trade": countries compete to see which one can give businesses the most power over the people.
      01 December 2012 (Urgent: Cut military spending)US citizens: tell Congress, cut military spending, not the spending that helps people.
      01 December 2012 (Haiti wants UN to get rid of cholera brought by UN troops)Haiti wants the UN to pay for clean water facilities, so as to get rid of the cholera brought by the UN colonization troops.
      Oh, they call themselves "peacekeepers", but their purpose is to maintain US-imposed rule on Haiti, so "colonization troops" is more accurate.
      01 December 2012 (Urgent: No corporate funding in connection to inauguration)US citizens: call on Obama not to accept corporate funding for events connected with his inauguration.
      01 December 2012 (Carbon offsets fund water purification scheme)A home water purification scheme in Kenya is funded by carbon offsets.
      Many carbon offset schemes are bogus '-- for instance, planting trees might absorb CO2 over the next 20 years, but they might die instead. Currently if a company says, "We're good because we offset or emissions", I would not trust that that means anything. However, with suitable regulations to ensure these schemes produce real emissions reductions, they might become meaningful.
      30 November 2012 (Billionaire Polluters)An experiment suggest that the dispersant that Billionaire Polluters poured into the Gulf of Mexico helped the oil penetrate deeper into beaches, and now enables toxic chemicals to last longer.
      30 November 2012 (Imprison Anyone Without Trial)Senator Graham wants to make it explicit that the US can imprison absolutely anyone forever without trial.
      I can't imagine anything more un-American than that.
      30 November 2012 (Battle)The paradoxical battle between Morsi, the Islamist, and the courts, full of Mubarak supporters, leaves no easy path to democracy and human rights.
      30 November 2012 (Palestine)The UN General Assembly named Palestine as a "non-member state".
      This means it can refer Israeli war crimes to the International Criminal Court. I can't see any other way to reduce the oppression of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Asking the PA to negotiate with Israel is like asking a lamb to negotiate with a lion about which limb to eat next.
      30 November 2012 (The UK)The UK will make sure state-supported schools teach evolution and not creationism.
      30 November 2012 (Web Sites)Some web sites track how the user moves the mouse (even without clicking).
      I consider this inherently abusive. Browsers should be designed so it can't be done at all.
      30 November 2012 (Thugs In Colombia)Thugs in Colombia arrested a journalist who was photographing a protest, then beat him to death.
      Then, like good thugs, they made false accusations that he attacked them.
      30 November 2012 (Whale)Most Japanese no longer want whale meat, which has turned Japanese whaling into a drain on the government treasury.
      I am sure Japan can find other ways to spend the money that would create more jobs and without doing any harm.
      30 November 2012 (Russia: Censorship)Russia is considering a nationwide ban on "homosexual propaganda".
      I don't think Putin really cares about gays one way or the other, but that is a convenient excuse to officially establish censorship.
      30 November 2012 (New Campaign)A new campaign has been launched to reform the City of London which serves as a lobbying and political influence arm for the banksters.
      30 November 2012 (Chinese)A Chinese dissident's relative was sentenced to prison for fighting unidentified men who broke into his family home '-- who turned out to be thugs.
      He was put on trial with "defense lawyers" imposed on him by the state. Access to the trial was effectively restricted.
      Sounds a lot like Guantanamo.
      30 November 2012 (Sen. Sanders)Sen. Sanders: Wall Street CEOs are the 'Faces of Class Warfare'.
      30 November 2012 (McJobs)McJobs Should Pay, Too: Inside Fast-Food Workers' Historic Protest For Living Wages.
      30 November 2012 (US Drones)It appears the US uses drones as a general-purpose weapon to fight against rebels opposing US-supported governments, while claiming that the targets are "terrorists".
      30 November 2012 (Senate Committee)A senate committee voted for requiring search warrants for any access to people's email and other remotely-stored data.
      30 November 2012 (Big Pharma Companies)Big Pharma companies are trying to use ridiculous patents to crush generic drugs in India, but so far India has thwarted them.
      The only reason patents on drugs exist in India is that they were imposed by wealthy countries including the US, through TRIPES, the Trade-Restricting Impediments to Production, Education and Science.
      The supporters of that harmful treaty call it "TRIPS", which uses their propaganda term "intellectual property". Since that term spreads confusion, using it does harm; therefore I go out of my way not to use it.
      30 November 2012 (Australia)After Australia conscripted all ISPs to snoop on their users, it sparked a movement for use of encryption.
      30 November 2012 (Afghanistan)Afghan clerics want to impose Islamic law on Afghanistan and abolish women's rights. They have asked Karzai to do this.
      30 November 2012 (The Netherlands)The Netherlands has repealed its law against blasphemy.
      30 November 2012 (US Public Schools)ALEC is pushing to privatize US public schools, together with a specialized organization called FEE.
      30 November 2012 (Greenland And Antarctica)Both Greenland and Antarctica are losing ice, and it is accelerating.
      30 November 2012 (Syria)Assad has cut off Syria from the Internet.
      30 November 2012 (America)America Needs To Stop Sucking Up to Generals.
      30 November 2012 (Landmines)The treaty banning landmines is having a significant effect even though the US refuses to sign it.
      30 November 2012 (Wisconsin)Governor Walker wants to abolish same-day voter registration in Wisconsin because that makes it too easy for poor people to vote.
      30 November 2012 (US Schools)US schools are much like prisons; in Arizona, privatized prison guards go on raids in schools and help arrest students.
      Arresting people for possession of marijuana is always an injustice, and many states have put an end to the practice.
      Privatized prisons should be abolished too, because they create a lobby for more imprisonment.
      30 November 2012 (UK)The UK seems to have got serious about promoting renewable energy.
      However, the model is Germany. To avoid climate disaster, the world must push for renewable energy as Germany is doing.
      James Hansen: we must introduce a fee for emitting greenhouse gases.
      30 November 2012 (Pseudoscience)A sports analogy highlights the irrationality of common arguments for pseudoscience.
      30 November 2012 (Bradley Manning)Quantico Psychiatrist: those in charge of imprisoning Bradley Manning disregarded his advice.
      For a prisoner facing a likely long sentence, as for a totally paralyzed person, suicide does not indicate insanity. It is a rational way to escape.
      30 November 2012 (IAEA Report)A leak supposedly from an IAEA report from a year ago, which purported to demonstrate Iranian progress towards a nuclear weapon, is bogus according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
      30 November 2012 (The UK Forces)The UK forces in Afghanistan cannot turn their prisoners over to Karzai's men because they are likely to be tortured.
      30 November 2012 (1000 Tibetan Students)After 1000 Tibetan students protested, some were beaten and injured. The rest have been imprisoned in their school.
      30 November 2012 (Couches in the US)Most couches in the US have chemicals that cause cancer or nerve trouble. The chemicals get into dust and can be inhaled.
      30 November 2012 (Judge's rebuke in FBI entrapment case)The FBI escaped defending entrapment in court when the three anarchists pled guilty to an imaginary bombing plot organized by an FBI informant. But it was rebuked by the judge.
      30 November 2012 (Threats to freedom of Internet users)The ITU is only one threat to the freedom of Internet users. Tyrannical states don't need ITU's endorsement to mess with the Internet, and neither do the "free" and "democratic" countries.
      However, the worst thing is when they work together for the purpose of surveillance of "terrorists" (read, dissidents). And the ITU could encourage that.
      30 November 2012 (Greek middle class destroyed by austerity)Austerity in Greece has destroyed the middle class, as well as the poor. And it is now set to get worse.
      It is a mistake to say that EU funds "prop up the economy" of Greece. All they prop up is debt repayment.
      30 November 2012 (Loaning money to dictators)Countries should not accept responsibility to pay back loans made to a former dictator.
      If this policy were adopted, another benefit is that dictators would have trouble getting loans.
      30 November 2012 (Oakland thugs beat protester)Oakland thugs beat protester Kayvan Sabeghi, ruptured his spleen, then left him in jail without medical care for 18 hours.
      The thugs claim they called an ambulance for him, but that must be a lie; if it were true, he would have gone to a hospital.
      Why aren't they charged with the crime of gross bodily harm?
      Russian prison guards kicked a handcuffed prisoner.
      Sounds like the US, but not quite as bad, since most of the guards were fired or arrested.
      30 November 2012 (Syrian rebels obtain surface-to-air missiles)Syrian rebels obtained surface-to-air missiles from captured army bases and used them to shoot down two of Assad's aircraft.
      The US was reluctant to give them missiles, fearing that some might get into the hands of al Qa'ida and be used to attack US planes, perhaps airliners. It is a valid concern. However, the same danger exists now, but the US can't prevent it. I wonder if this means the US should have given them these missiles a year ago.
      29 November 2012 (Anti-drone protesters in NY threatened)Anti-drone protesters in upstate New York have been threatened with seven years' imprisonment if they come near the gate of the drone base.
      29 November 2012 (9 CEOs trying to shred safety net)9 Greedy CEOs Trying to Shred the Safety Net While Pigging Out on Corporate Welfare.
      29 November 2012 (Heatland Institute wants EPA wiped out)The Heatland Institute (spelled that way to reflect its goals) wants to mostly wipe out the EPA.
      29 November 2012 (Anti-science Republican to chair House Science Committee)An anti-science Koch-funded Republican will chair the House Science Committee. Perhaps we should call it the House Pseudoscience Committee.
      29 November 2012 (Gov't background checks expose people to identity theft)Government background checks on contractors' employees have exposed them to identity theft.
      29 November 2012 (NYPD collects victims' call records from stolen phones)When a cell phone is reported stolen in New York, the thug department collects the victim's phone call records, even afterward '-- and can do whatever it wants with that information.
      29 November 2012 (Pesticide companies prevent action to protect bees)Pesticide companies are using secrecy and nitpicking to prevent action to protect bees from neonicotinoids that appear to kill them.
      29 November 2012 (New law protects some US gov't whistleblowers)A new law gives strong protection to some whistleblowers in the US government.
      29 November 2012 (Protesters not allowed to present necessity defense)Protesters who called for shutdown of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant were denied the opportunity to present the necessity defense.
      29 November 2012 (Urgent: Stop Murdoch from taking over more US media)US citizens: phone your congresscritter and say, "Don't let the FCC allow Murdoch to take over more US media".
      Here's info I got from Free Press (I have no URL for it):
      We've just learned that the FCC may try to hold a secret vote to allow more media consolidation in the U.S. [1]We need you to call Congress right away to help stop this vote. Last week, you took action to stop the FCC from allowing Murdoch to gobble up more media. Since then, groups like the ACLU, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and the National Organization for Women have joined you in protesting the FCC's rush to give away more to big media. But so far the FCC hasn't flinched. When the agency tried to push through similar rule changes during the Bush administration, Congress told it to back off and the Senate even voted to overturn the FCC rules.
      More info on this bad plan.
      29 November 2012 (60% of Americans support taxing the rich more)Polls continue to find that 60% of Americans want to tax the rich more rather than cut support for the poor.
      So why are politicians looking for a deal to do exactly the opposite? I suspect they get money from rich people who want to screw the masses.
      29 November 2012 (Louisiana "education" money funds teaching of creationism)In Louisiana, state "education" money funds teaching of creationism.
      29 November 2012 (Chinese feminists protest)Chinese feminists are protesting against gender bias in China.
      29 November 2012 (Obama signs bill for emissions tax avoidance)Obama signed a bill that tries to exempt US airlines from paying Europe's emissions tax.
      I don't see how the US can legislate such a question. Ultimately every airline will have to pay or stop landing in Europe. However, Obama's efforts to stall this show what side he's on: the fossil fuel companies' side.
      Campaigners threatened to sue the Environmental Protection Agency to make it regulate carbon emissions from cars, planes and off-road vehicles.
      The fossil fuel companies are trying to delay action as long as possible to that we get stuck with the need to burn lots more oil. They don't care about the disaster this will cause. The oil millionaires must suppose their children will buy a way to survive it. If we can show them that's impossible, maybe they will realize they must help avoid the disaster.
      29 November 2012 (Rate of deforestation in Brazil reduced)Brazil has made great strides in reducing the rate of deforestation.
      29 November 2012 (EPA temporarily suspends BP from new US contracts)The EPA has temporarily suspended Billionaire Polluters from new US contracts for its "lack of integrity."
      It is not clear how long this will last. However, the worst flaw in US oil policy is that it has not made sufficient reforms to prevent a similar accident '-- and it is allowing drilling in Arctic waters where such an accident is more likely and more catastrophic.
      29 November 2012 (Campaign for arms embargo against Israel)A campaign for an arms embargo against Israel.
      29 November 2012 (Corruption in Afghanistan)Corruption in Afghanistan: Sherkhan Farnood had an Interpol notice about financial crimes, but the Afghan state not only didn't arrest him, it let him start a bank (which then collapsed due to corruption).
      29 November 2012 (Rebuilding differently after flood)On the need of rebuilding differently after a flood that is likely to recur.
      A mere change in building techniques may not be enough. The house should be rebuilt elevated, or rebuilt somewhere else.
      29 November 2012 (Court orders US tobacco companies to publish ads)US tobacco companies have been ordered by a court to publish ads saying they lied about the dangers of smoking.
      29 November 2012 (UK nuclear energy officials accepted many treats from lobbyists)UK officials in charge of nuclear energy received lots of treats from lobbyists.
      29 November 2012 (Urgent: End tax cuts for the rich, save Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare)US citizens: phone your senators and congresscritter, and say, "Don't make any deal that continues Dubya's tax cuts for the rich, and don't make any deal that cuts Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare."
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      29 November 2012 (Urgent: Fire safety program for Walmart factory)US citizens: call on Walmart to join a union-supported fire safety program for Bangladesh.
      29 November 2012 (Urgent: A farm bill that supports healthy food)US citizens: call for a farm bill that supports healthy food.
      29 November 2012 (Restrictions on Gaza's farmers and fishers relaxed)In accord with the cease-fire agreement, Israel has relaxed restrictions on Gaza's farmers and fishers.
      29 November 2012 (Why Israel didn't win the short war)Why Israel didn't win the short war it started with Gaza.
      The most interesting point is that Israel, which called itself the only democracy in the Middle East, worked hard to ensure there were no others, but has for the moment failed.
      A leader of Hamas says that it only wants a Palestinian state in the pre-1967 borders, and suggests it would recognize Israel in exchange for recognition of Palestine.
      I am in favor of an independent Palestinian state at peace with Israel. However, Palestinians deserve more than that: they deserve a democratic and secular Palestinian state that respects human rights. Hamas may cooperate with the first part but would oppose the second part. Success for the Palestinian Authority's UN recognition campaign, and bringing Israeli war crimes to the ICC, would improve the chances of both.
      29 November 2012 (Washington Post rejected pressure to apply false balance)The Washington Post rejected pressure to apply false balance to the fighting in and around Gaza.
      28 November 2012 (Urgent: Appoint a new SEC head)US citizens: call on Obama to appoint a new SEC head who will hold Wall Street accountable.
      28 November 2012 (Why PA's move for UN recognition should be supported)Why the US and Israel should support the Palestinian Authority's move for UN recognition.
      28 November 2012 (Urgent: Petition against ITU's takeover of the Internet)Everyone: sign this petition against the ITU's takeover of the Internet.
      28 November 2012 (Urgent: Oppose teaching children to take orders from god)US citizens: sign this petition against teaching children they should massacre without question on the orders of the celestial tyrant.
      28 November 2012 (Methane leaking from Arctic permafrost)Our climate models do not take account of methane leaking out of Arctic permafrost as it melts.
      28 November 2012 (Rhino poaching in South Africa)Poaching of rhinos in South Africa is running at 600 a year, and accelerating.
      28 November 2012 (China plans fracking without safety precautions)China is planning to reduce its population through fracking without safety precautions.
      Although burning natural gas releases less CO2 than burning coal, I've read that there is no reduction in CO2 once the emissions due to fracking itself are counted.
      28 November 2012 (Sea level rising faster than predicted)Sea level is rising 60% faster than was predicted a few years ago.
      28 November 2012 (Germany to prohibit sex between humans and animals)Germany is about to prohibit sex between humans and animals, apparently based on sheer bigotry.
      Many kinds of animals sometimes want sex with humans. I've read that female apes sometimes ask human males for sex. Male dolphins just love human females. Dogs can be convinced to lick almost anything by smearing on something that tastes good to them. A parrot once made love to me, and I hope I get another chance.
      28 November 2012 (Palestinian Authority)When the US and other states pressure the Palestinian Authority to drop its plans to take Israel to the International Criminal Court, the PA replies, "To oppose us is to support Hamas."
      28 November 2012 (100,000 protest in Egypt)100,000 protest in Egypt against Morsi's decree.
      28 November 2012 (1000 students protest in Tibet)1000 students protested in Tibet, which is not easy given the harsh response of Chinese thugs towards any protest.
      28 November 2012 (Depleted uranium weapons)Although we have not heard much about dirty depleted uranium weapons, they continue in use, and the US government refuses to recognize any problem.
      28 November 2012 (Urgent: Support accelerated withdrawal from Afghanistan)US citizens: Phone your congresscritter to say, please support the Lee-Jones bipartisan letter calling for an accelerated withdrawal from Afghanistan.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      28 November 2012 (Predictions of increased US oil extraction)Predictions of increased US oil extraction are presented as good news. The same predictions imply global disaster but they don't talk about that.
      28 November 2012 (Urgent: Disclosure of political spending by publicly traded companies)US citizens: call on the SEC to make publicly traded companies publicly disclose their political spending.
      28 November 2012 (Urgent: Dissenting opinion on CBS about Dubya's tax cuts)US citizens: tell CBS evening news that its coverage of Dubya's tax cuts for the rich, and proposed cuts in aid to the non-rich, should include someone who disagrees with the rich CEOs.
      28 November 2012 (Urgent: Visit Your Congresscritter On November 28)US citizens: visit your congresscritter's office on Wednesday Nov 28 and drop off a letter saying, "Don't extend Dubya's tax cuts for the rich, and don't cut benefits programs that the non-rich depend on."
      If you can't do that, phoning is good too (though not as powerful as a visit).
      27 November 2012 (Documenting how fracking damages public health)Documenting how fracking in Pennsylvania damages public health locally.
      27 November 2012 (Kyoto Protocol)The Kyoto Protocol was a success, in that it reduced overall greenhouse gas emissions from the countries that participated in it.
      27 November 2012 (UK gov't appoints ex-Goldman bankster)The UK government appointed an ex-Goldman bankster to govern the Bank of England. This suggests that crucial reforms will be omitted.
      27 November 2012 (Natural gas glut reduces Putin's power)The world natural gas glut has enabled Germany to put pressure on Putin's contempt for human rights and democracy.
      Every bad event has some good repercussions, but the evil of Putin is not as much as what burning all that gas will do.
      27 November 2012 (Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill)Uganda's anti-homosexuality bill no longer carries the death penalty but legalizes murder of gays.
      The bill also violates freedom of speech, by banning "advocacy" of homosexuality. It looks like this bill would ban any attempt to campaign to repeal it.
      27 November 2012 (Samsung's suppliers include sweatshops)Samsung admits its suppliers include sweatshops, but gave them two more years to cease the abuses. They could stop in a week if they wanted to, so giving them two more years is Samsung's attempt to help them stall. If we made Samsung liable for its suppliers' illegal treatment of labor, it would make them stop in a week.
      27 November 2012 (Assad's forces use cluster bombs on urban areas)Assad's forces are using cluster bombs on urban areas.
      27 November 2012 (Unkept pledge to help poor countries cope with global heating)Rich countries pledged funds to help poor countries cope with the effects of global heating, but they are not following through.
      I suppose this is due to the bad economic situation, but that is not likely to get any better.
      Imagine that a country likely to suffer many deaths due to global heating, such as Bangladesh or many islands, bombs CO2-emitting equipment in the US, China, or some other wealthy country that is increasing its emissions. Would this be permitted under international law as self-defense against a deadly attack?
      27 November 2012 (Germany's CO2 emissions getting smaller)Germany's CO2 emissions are actually getting smaller, thanks to a great effort to move to renewable energy.
      This shows that any wealthy country can do it, if only it gives priority to the goal.
      27 November 2012 (Australian court finds search engine liable)An Australian court found a search engine liable for referring to web pages that someone took issue with.
      This means that a search engine must avoid doing business in Australia if it is to do its job properly.
      27 November 2012 (Official Congo army accused of rape and looting)The official Congo government's army is accused of rape and looting, and the UN concurs. The rebels seem better, but it's not clear how much.
      27 November 2012 (Great time to be a bankster)It's a Great Time To Be a [Bankster] in America.
      26 November 2012 (Urgent: Fight the Snoopers' Charter)In the UK: help the Open Rights Group fight the Snoopers' Charter.
      26 November 2012 (35% of US GDP goes to banksters as interest)35% of the US GDP goes to the banksters as interest.
      This drain on the treasury is part of the reason why everything else in the US is going bad.
      26 November 2012 (Israelis and Palestinians working together)Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians working together for peace.
      26 November 2012 (Rich countries must cooperate to avoid climate disaster)The rich countries must now agree on how to avoid climate disaster.
      26 November 2012 (Concealing commerce and avoiding taxes)Companies that conceal their boards of directors are used to conceal commerce and avoid taxes.
      26 November 2012 (Obama plans new rulebook for assassination via drones)Obama plans to draw up a new rulebook for targeted assassination via drones, but with no indication that he plans to publish it or follow international law.
      26 November 2012 (Naked man charged with possession of offensive weapon)A man who climbed on a statue in London and stripped has been charged with possession of an offensive weapon.
      I've heard it referred to as a weapon, but I thought that was metaphorical.
      26 November 2012 (Catalonia's referendum on secession from Spain)Catalonia's election has been turned into a referendum on secession from Spain.
      Anti-independence forces threaten Catalonia with exclusion from the EU and the euro, but that's exactly what Catalonia needs. Exiting the euro could enable Catalonia to adopt sensible economic policies instead of austerity.
      This is what all of Spain needs, but supposedly it can't get there from here. I can suggest a way: all the regions of Spain could secede and each establish its own new currency. Then they could reunite and merge their currencies, while keeping them separate from the euro.
      If nobody sees a simpler method, this is better than none. (Ha Ha Only Serious.)
      26 November 2012 (Abuse of garment workers in India)Garment workers in India are frequently threatened and beaten if when don't meet the impossible quota.
      Nothing can excuse the behavior of these employers, but population growth also contributes to the problem, and that is an important avenue for correcting it.
      26 November 2012 (Movement in Afghanistan for women's rights)A popular movement in Afghanistan for women's rights.
      26 November 2012 (Countries need way to declare bankruptcy)The world needs to work out how a country can declare bankruptcy.
      26 November 2012 (UK austerity)UK austerity will cut more than 30% of the income of the poorest families, but the government is trying to disguise this by shifting things around.
      The government held a "consultation" about privatization of the health service, but worked with a lobbyist to assure an appearance of public support for the plan.
      26 November 2012 (Profiling of Blacks)For names typical of Blacks, a US web site advertises "find out if this person was arrested".
      In the US, a Black is more likely to get arrested than a White if they both do certain common activities, in particular possessing drugs. Maybe that is the real root of the problem. Legalizing possession of drugs might fix it.
      26 November 2012 (The crime of defamation in Italy)Reporters Without Borders criticizes the Italian Senate for its flip-flop on abolishing the crime of defamation.
      26 November 2012 (Student suspended for refusing to wear RFID tag)Hooray for Andrea Hernandez, who is resisting a demand from her school to wear an RFID tag.
      However, even more sinister is the school (mentioned in that article) that puts RFIDs in students clothing.
      26 November 2012 (New campaign to end War on Drugs)A new, stronger campaign to end the War on Drugs.
      26 November 2012 (Urgent: Oppose Obama's "Grand Bargain")US citizens: oppose Obama's "Grand Bargain" sellout to the Republicans.
      26 November 2012 (Campaign to ban autonomous killer robots)Human Rights Watch campaigns to ban autonomous killer robots before they are developed.
      26 November 2012 (Vulture capitalists suing debtor countries)Vulture capitalists seek giant profits by suing debtor countries in US courts. Argentina plans to defy the vultures.
      26 November 2012 (Brazil's bill for Internet users' rights killed)Lobbies killed Brazil's bill to establish important rights for Internet users.
      26 November 2012 (RetroShare users liable for others' sharing)A German court subjected participants in the Retroshare encrypted communications system to unlimited liability for other people's sharing.
      The same pretext could be used to ban Tor.
      26 November 2012 (Israel's "surgical" air attacks)Israel emphasizes how precise and "surgical" its air attacks are, but they still kill plenty of civilians.
      26 November 2012 (US wealthier now than when Social Security and Medicare were set up)The US is much wealthier than it was when Social Security and Medicare were set up, but greedy rich people use bogus figures to justify dumping the old and sick into poverty.
      26 November 2012 (If Walmart paid a living wage)If Walmart paid a living wage, the whole US economy would benefit.
      26 November 2012 (Murderers and rapists enjoy impunity in Congo)In the Congo, murderers and rapists enjoy impunity, as rebels and in the government army.
      26 November 2012 (Mining companies in Indonesia murder and destroy)Mining of tin brings Indonesia lots of money, but the mining companies don't mind killing workers and destroying the environment.
      Even in the US, mining companies get away with murder.
      26 November 2012 (Finnish thugs confiscate young girl's laptop)Finnish thugs confiscated a young girl's laptop because she download music from the Pirate Bay.
      This was after her father had refused to pay a thousand-dollar unofficial fine and shut up.
      The means used here are not the only injustice. The goal, stopping people from sharing, is the root of the injustice.
      26 November 2012 (Egypt's supreme court on strike)Egypt's supreme court has gone on strike against Morsi's decree nullifying its powers.
      Thousands of secularists are protesting in Cairo.
      26 November 2012 (Pre-emptive rejection of Internet regulation)The European Parliament pre-emptively rejected any form of ITU or UN regulation of the Internet.
      I support this wholeheartedly, but I think it is sad that the UN is not a force for good in this area.
      26 November 2012 (Walmart workers strike)Hundreds of Walmart workers went on strike on Friday, along with a thousand protests across the US.
      This is a good start but not more is needed to win decent working conditions at Walmart. I refuse to shop there.
      26 November 2012 (Effects of Israel's latest attack on Gaza)Uri Avnery comments on on the effects of Israel's latest attack on Gaza.
      I wonder if the US secretly pressured Israel to accept a truce. I can't see any other explanation.
      26 November 2012 (BBC bias towards UK gov't interests)The BBC has a history of bias on issues important to the UK government's interests.
      26 November 2012 (Syrian rebels control substantial territory)Syrian rebels have captured several of Assad's army bases, and with them, large numbers of small arms.
      Now that the rebels control substantial territory, it would be feasible to aid them militarily. There is no arms embargo against Syria, so a country recognizing the rebels as forming the legitimate government of Syria could send weapons and even troops, as far as I know.
      The challenge is how to do this in such a way that the Jihadists will not come out on top, and so as to avoid rebel atrocities.
      25 November 2012 (Imprisonment without trial in Mozambique)Thousands of people are held for years in Mozambique's prisons without trials or even charges.
      25 November 2012 (The real story of Thanksgiving)The real story of Thanksgiving (three articles; the second and third are deeper than the first).
      It should be noted that Amerindian groups fought each other for land too, and often tortured their prisoners; the English colonists were one more rival group, perhaps no worse than the rest.
      Instead of thanking a "creator" that wouldn't deserve thanks if it existed, perhaps the US should celebrate a national day of atonement.
      25 November 2012 (Families of tortured Iranian activists speak up)As Shah Khamanei's thugs torture and kill Iranian activists and their relatives, families are speaking up to condemn the regime.
      25 November 2012 (Civilian in Gaza shot by Israeli soldiers)Israeli soldiers broke the truce by killing a civilian in Gaza who was approaching the border fence.
      25 November 2012 (Saudi Arabia tracking women)When a woman leaves Saudi Arabia, the state electronically informs her master.
      24 November 2012 (Isolation of Gaza from Israelis)One consequence of Israel's isolation of Gaza is that young adults there have never met an Israeli, and have no idea of Israelis as human beings. And vice versa.
      24 November 2012 (Operation Fix Toshiba)Operation Fix Toshiba: Help us write repair manuals.
      There is a legal confusion in the article. The problem here was not an "extension of copyright law" '-- all repair manuals are copyrighted, and that has been true for a long time. Toshiba's nasty act consists of using the copyright it its manuals to block their availability to the public.
      This does not alter the ethical issue; it does not excuse Toshiba's action in the slightest. However, while we're talking about it, we may as well give people correct information about the legal situation.
      Secret repair manuals add to planned obsolescence and e-waste.
      24 November 2012 (Radioactive waste from refining companies)Rare earth elements are found mixed with uranium and thorium, and the refining companies poison people with radioactive discards.
      24 November 2012 (Ecuador raising money to keep oil in ground)Ecuador has raised about 10% of the money it asked as compensation for keeping a large oil deposit in the ground.
      24 November 2012 (Campaigning against blasphemy laws)Sanal Edamaruku, in exile in Finland, campaigns for Western pressure against blasphemy laws in India and elsewhere.
      24 November 2012 (Fighting San Francisco's ban on nudity)Campaigners vow to fight against San Francisco's new ban on public nudity, which polls say the city's population opposes.
      24 November 2012 (Undermining UK welfare programs)The UK's welfare-sabotage minister says that the social welfare programs he plans to undermine discourage poor people from taking risks.
      Society should help poor people avoid risks. You shouldn't gamble what you can't afford to lose, and poor people can't afford to lose anything. Social welfare programs should help them get into a position where they could afford to take a risk.
      24 November 2012 (West's complacency about dictator Lukashenko)Exiled opposition candidate Andrei Sannikov says the West is "too complacent" about dictator Lukashenko.
      23 November 2012 (China rejects reduction of CO2 emissions)China has rejected any intention of reducing its CO2 emissions.
      Mere improvements in efficiency of fuel use are insufficient to avoid disaster. The world needs to reduce its total emissions, and that must include China, which is now the biggest total emitter.
      23 November 2012 (EU closes shark fin hunting loophole)The EU has closed the loophole that has permitted catching sharks and keeping only their fins.
      This practice, world wide, threatens the survival of sharks.
      23 November 2012 (Urgent: Oppose Uganda's law to execute gays)Everyone: take a stand against Uganda's propose law to execute gays.
      23 November 2012 (Italian reporters protest criminalization of defamation)Italian reporters have gone on strike to protest the criminalization of defamation.
      23 November 2012 (Taliban killing Shi'ites in Pakistan)The Taliban are killing Shi'ites in Pakistan.
      23 November 2012 (Syrian rebels capture major military bases)Syrian rebels have captured major military bases, ejecting the regime's forces from one province.
      23 November 2012 (Morsi causes constitutional crisis)President Morsi caused a constitutional crisis by preemptively decreeing that the Supreme Court cannot challenge any laws passed since he took office, or the constituent assembly.
      The constituent assembly is accused of planning an Islamist constitution.
      23 November 2012 (Scarcity of medicine in Iran)The scarcity of medicine in Iran amounts to "wartime conditions".
      23 November 2012 (US supports supporter of rebel armies in Congo)The US supports Kagame in Rwanda even as he supports rebel armies in the Congo.
      23 November 2012 (Biggest threat to open Internet)Some Things Never Change: Governments Still Present Biggest Threat to Open Internet.
      23 November 2012 (Running Afghan drug war from Blackwater's HQ)Pentagon Wants to Keep Running Its Afghan Drug War From Blackwater's HQ.
      23 November 2012 (USDA sides with GMOs against organic farms)The USDA took the side of GMOs against organic farms, telling them that they are on their own against proprietary genetic pollution.
      23 November 2012 (Urgent: National Opt-Out Week protest against TSA)In the US: participate in the National Opt-Out Week protest against the TSA.
      The scanners that were not properly tested are the X-ray scanners. You should always refuse to go through those; I always do. As far as I know, the millimeter wave scanners are not dangerous; if you know of some danger in them, please write to me with a reference.
      23 November 2012 (Israel's short-sighted assassination)Israel's short-sighted assassination.
      Gaza escalation: there was another way.
      23 November 2012 (Privacy and free speech rights of students)School Principals: Students Have Privacy and Free Speech Rights Too!
      23 November 2012 (Gush Shaloms statement about Gaza cease fire)Gush Shalom's statement about the announced Gaza cease fire.
      23 November 2012 (Obama's weak regulation of CO2 emissions)Obama's regulation of CO2 emissions from power plants is so weak that it will hardly change anything.
      23 November 2012 (Urgent: Reverse Corporations United decision)US citizens: call on Obama to make a priority of amending the Constitution to reverse the Corporations United decision.
      23 November 2012 (Carbon emission cuts inadequate)Pledged carbon emission cuts are ever more inadequate compared with what would be needed to avoid climate disaster.
      Spelling out how 4¡C of warming would be a catastrophe.
      23 November 2012 (Urgent: Rally in support of striking Walmart workers)US citizens: participate in a rally supporting striking Walmart workers.
      You can also sign this petition, but attending a protest will contribute a lot more.
      Phoning Walmart is another useful method of action.
      23 November 2012 (Urgent: Search warrants for email)US citizens: phone your senators saying the government should need to get a search warrant before it can read your email. Also send mail via this page.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      23 November 2012 (Cease fire between Hamas and Israel)Hamas and Israel have agreed on a cease fire, together with some relaxation in the siege of Gaza.
      The main gainers from this war are Hamas. The cease fire does not mention measures to stop Hamas from getting more rockets, but given how rarely they hit anything, and given Israel's increasing capability to intercept them, this is not crucial for Israel. They don't even deter Israeli military action. Their main real effect is to make Hamas guilty of war crimes and to provide Israel with a pretext for bombing Gaza.
      I suppose the reason Hamas wants to launch rockets is to make itself look strong and gain support in Gaza. This is the mirror image of what Netanyahu is doing in Israel.
      23 November 2012 (Iran intimidating Sattar Beheshti's family)Sattar Beheshti's family, and witnesses to his torture, face intimidation to silence them.
      It is not the first time '-- this is standard Iranian cover-up practice.
      23 November 2012 (Urgent: Stop sale of toxic clothing)US citizens: call on Zara to stop selling toxic clothing.
      23 November 2012 (Predator drones for use in the US)The Committee for Public Safety (oops, Department of Homeland Security) wants to double its fleet of Predator drones for use in the US.
      23 November 2012 (Children arrested and tortured by Egyptian thugs)Morsi has not fully addressed the case of the children that were arrested and tortured by Egyptian thugs.
      23 November 2012 (Lessons from Florida: wrong way to rebuild NJ and NY)Lessons from Florida about the wrong way to rebuild New Jersey and New York.
      23 November 2012 (Urgent: Pledge not to shop at Walmart on Friday)US citizens: pledge not to shop at Walmart on Friday.
      I suggest going even further and not shopping at Walmart at all.
      23 November 2012 (Urgent: Block Keystone XL pipeline)US citizens: phone the White House and call on Obama to block the Keystone XL planet-roaster pipeline. Also sign this petition.
      The White House comments line is 202-456-1111.
      23 November 2012 (Bill modified to reduce users' rights over email)A bill to improve users' rights over their email was modified in Senate committee to do the exact opposite.
      23 November 2012 (Call for spending to get US out of recession)350 economists call for spending to get the US out of recession '-- not budget cuts.
      23 November 2012 (Additional countries join oppressive TPP)Some additional countries have joined the TPP, which remains just as oppressive as before.
      The article uses the term "intellectual property", which spreads confusion and harmful bias. The perpetrators of the TPP use that term because it helps them. That they use it is no reason for us to repeat it!
      23 November 2012 (Call for arms embargo on Hamas and Israel)Amnesty International calls for an arms embargo on Hamas and Israel.
      23 November 2012 (Homeland "security" budget)ACLU: Obama, tackle the homeland "security" budget.
      The article falls into the error of speaking of a "fiscal cliff" rather than the "Republican extortion".
      23 November 2012 (US retailers can afford wage increase)US retailers could easily afford to give workers a raise.
      But we might need to force them to do so.
      22 November 2012 (Plant-attacking worms develop resistance to GM corn)Now two kinds of plant-attacking worms have developed resistance to genetically modified corn.
      Partly this is due to carelessness in the use. When farmers started using GMOs, they dropped all the other measures that they used to control pests.
      22 November 2012 (Israel hasn't grown up)Israel Hasn't Grown Up Since The Last Gaza War.
      21 November 2012 (What Israel does to people "in the way")What Israel does to people who are useless and "in the way" (Palestinians) could be a model for what the US elites will do to most Americans who are useless to them and "in the way".
      The torture applied in Iraq and the violence used in Afghanistan could be applied at home.
      In other words, if you're an American, there is a good chance that Obama and Congress are planning your death, starting with the Grand Sell-out that Obama has proposed.
      21 November 2012 (EU's greenhouse emissions cap-and-trade system gamed)The EU's greenhouse emissions cap-and-trading scheme is being gamed by Chinese companies that run highly-polluting plants in order to sell lots of emission credits by upgrading them.
      For a company to pay companies in other countries to cut emissions is not necessarily a bad thing. If the companies paid to do the cutting really do cut, this is how cap-and-trade was supposed to work. The problem is that some of the credits that are sold do not correspond to real cuts.
      Cap-and-trade systems would be effective if they could not be gamed. But we have seen over and over that they are gamed. I advocate a carbon tax because that is hard to game.
      21 November 2012 (Urgent: Renew Wind Production Tax Credit)US citizens: call on Congress to renew the Wind Production Tax Credit.
      21 November 2012 (Israeli soldiers kill two protesters)Israeli soldiers shot dead two protesters in the West Bank.
      21 November 2012 (Can Palestinians get justice in Israeli courts?)Israelis debated whether Palestinians could get justice in Israeli courts. Several former officials and even former judges said it is impossible by the nature of the occupation.
      21 November 2012 (Artist arrested for wearing ornate watch)Artist Geoffrey McGann was arrested for trying to board a plane while wearing an ornate watch covered with switches and wires.
      Even though a bomb squad determined it contained no explosives, and that he had no explosives, the thugs imagined this watch might be convertible into a bomb timer, which could make it dangerous if only there were some explosives.
      Charges against McGann were dropped, but thug sergeant Nelson said that it was McGann's fault that his watch was regarded as a bomb by thugs who must have forgotten all their training about what bombs look like. However, nobody can anticipate all the screwy mistakes thugs might make, and it's not their responsibility to even try. When thugs are wrong, it is their fault.
      21 November 2012 (Op/ed articles "placed" by PR firm paid by Russia)How a PR firm paid by Russia "placed" op/ed articles in major web sites, but concealed this from the editors, and the public.
      21 November 2012 (Urgent: Support copyright reform)US citizens: phone your congresscritter to support copyright reform.
      I suggest saying that the House Republican Study Group's proposals did not go far enough '-- call for legalizing peer-to-peer sharing and banning DRM.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      21 November 2012 (28 years of heating)Every month for the past 28 years has been warmer than average. (Average for the 20th century, that is.)
      21 November 2012 (Women in India charged for criticizing fuss)Women in India were charged with a crime for criticizing the amount of fuss dedicated to the death of a politician.
      21 November 2012 (Many in Catalonia advocate secession)Many in Catalonia, which is wealthy compared with most of Spain, advocate secession because they resent the use of their funds to support poorer areas of Spain.
      I think it is right and proper to tax the wealthy to aid the rest. It is possible that these measures tax people in Catalonia who are not wealthy, and that spreads resentment. It is also possible that separatist feeling is the basis for the resentment.
      Maybe the real wrong is Spain's austerity, which abandons the poor.
      21 November 2012 (Israelis talk fear, Palestinians talk death)"Israelis talk about fear, we Palestinians talk about death."
      21 November 2012 (Armies must not make bases in schools)Armies must not make bases in schools.
      21 November 2012 (Urgent: Don't allow more media concentration)US citizens: call on the FCC not to allow more media concentration. Murdoch, the owner of Faux News, wants to buy more newspapers.
      21 November 2012 (Drug testing funded by pharma companies)Why all drug testing funded by pharma companies must be published and made free.
      21 November 2012 (Over 1000 new coal-burning power plants planned)More than 1000 new coal-burning power plants are planned, around the world.
      They would be equivalent to another China, in terms of their contribution to global heating.
      21 November 2012 (Global heating denier in UK parliament)A global heating denier in the UK parliament has major financial interest in an oil company.
      Oil companies will go to any lengths to prevent action against global heating because the required action is never to burn about 80% of the oil reserves that they claim as their main assets.
      21 November 2012 (CO2 levels reached new record in 2011)CO2 in the atmosphere reached a new record in 2011.
      Major global investors call for action to reduce global heating.
      21 November 2012 (UK bookstores condemn Amazon)UK independent bookstores condemn Amazon for not paying taxes as they do.
      Amazon mistreats publishers, authors, workers, readers, and the nation.
      21 November 2012 (Croatia's former prime minister sentenced to prison)The former prime minister of Croatia was sentenced to prison for taking bribes.
      21 November 2012 (Pakistan drops blasphemy charges)Pakistan dropped blasphemy charges against Rimsha Masih, but she faces the danger of assassination.
      21 November 2012 (Urgent: Boycott foods from companies that opposed GMO labelling)US citizens: join the boycott of "natural" and "organic" foods from companies that paid to defeat the California GMO labelling initiative.
      21 November 2012 (Why Natan Blanc chose prison)Natan Blanc states why he chose to go to prison rather than participate in attacking Palestinians.
      21 November 2012 (WalMart's response to protests)Attention WalMart Shoppers: Cynical Manipulation In Aisle Two.
      21 November 2012 (Netanyahu preventing cease fire in Gaza)Netanyahu prevents any cease fire in Gaza by demanding the condition that Hamas not be allowed to rearm later.
      Imagine if Hamas demanded that Israel not be allowed to acquire any weapons. That would be a a non-starter, and it is the same in the other direction. Worse, it would entail closing the tunnels between Gaza and Egypt, thus destroying what economy Gaza has.
      The reason for this non-starter, I suspect, is to enable Israel to pretend to seek an end to the fighting while in fact choosing to continue the fighting as long as it wishes. In other words, these talks are a sham, just as Israel's peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority were a sham.
      21 November 2012 (Israel speeds killing of civilians)Israel has speeded up the killing of civilians in Gaza.
      21 November 2012 (Drone bombings in Mali)Drone bombings of towns in Mali are not the way to defeat the foreign Islamists who have taken control of them.
      21 November 2012 (Legal hearings in UK for local projects slashed)The UK government has slashed the legal hearings for local projects, describing local control as "bureaucratic rubbish".
      Cameron also plans to abolish appeals of asylum decisions, which means people will be deported to countries where they face torture or murder. People have been spared this in the UK at the last minute by appeal.
      20 November 2012 (American Red Cross)Accusing the American Red Cross of being totally ineffective in real disasters.
      20 November 2012 (Obama at the austerity cliff)Obama is preparing to throw Americans off the austerity cliff.
      20 November 2012 (Urgent: Support the Lee-Jones letter)US citizens: phone your congresscritter to support the Lee-Jones letter and to speed withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Also send a message through this page.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      20 November 2012 (Band sued by EMI for terminating contract)EMI sued the band Thirty Seconds to Mars for terminating its abusive record contract after 9 years, as California law allows the band to do.
      19 November 2012 (Women lured into sex with undercover thugs sue)Women who were lured into sexual relationships with UK undercover thugs are suing the thug chiefs. The thug chiefs are trying to use a secret court to block justice.
      19 November 2012 (Inequality in the US)Astounding facts about inequality in the US.
      19 November 2012 (Battle against fracking in New York)The battle against fracking in New York State, carried out through local zoning rules.
      19 November 2012 (Campaign for awareness of digital tracking)Calling for a national campaign for awareness of digital tracking.
      19 November 2012 (Passwords)A fallacious argument concludes that passwords are inadequate for security.
      The reasoning is logical, but note the assumptions it is based on: that we are foolishly trusting all manner of network services for important data and activities, typing passwords at them to identify ourselves to them, that we link these accounts together, and that we are using software so shoddy that exposes us to having our machines cracked through mere browsing.
      There are plenty of reasons to stay away from those network services. And GNU/Linux is much safer since it doesn't run programs that arrive in files.
      I type my important passwords only at my own computer. No company knows them, so no company can bypass them, change them, or hand them out. Since my computer does not allow remote access, no one can even try to guess them except typing on my computer. I think it is safe.
      19 November 2012 (Urgent: Be completely severe with BP)US citizens: call on the US to be completely severe with Billionaire Polluters.
      19 November 2012 (Attempts to kill Haitian human rights defender)People have tried to kill Haitian human rights defender Evel Fanfan.
      19 November 2012 (Thugs in Italy investigate protesters thoroughly)Thugs in Italy investigated protesters last year so thoroughly that they knew how many protesters were coming in each bus.
      19 November 2012 (Reforms to reduce copyright power)The House Republican Study Committee proposed reforms to reduce copyright power. They don't go far enough, but they go in the right direction.
      The copyright lobby objected, and they took down the report within a day. This shows that both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are in the pockets of our enemies.
      19 November 2012 (Air pollution may damage thinking capacity)Air pollution may damage old people's thinking capacity.
      19 November 2012 (Activism against Keystone XL invigorated)Activism against the Keystone XL planet-roaster pipeline has renewed vigor thanks to Hurricane Sandy.
      To Climate Scientists: Be Persuasive. Be Brave. Be Arrested (if necessary).
      19 November 2012 (Hostess massively increased executives' pay)Hostess, the company that makes twinkies, massively increased its executives' pay, then blamed its bankruptcy on the union.
      19 November 2012 (Gaza TV news offices bombed)Israel bombed TV news offices in Gaza.
      Obama says he is trying to reduce the fighting in Gaza, but gives Israel a blanket endorsement for whatever it does.
      Since Netanyahu wants war, and planned this war carefully, he will do nothing to reduce its intensity, just as he does nothing to move towards peace with Palestinians generally. The only thing that can end the fighting is pressure on Israel. Since Obama bends over backwards not to pressure Israel, he is not sincere about wanting to end the fighting.
      19 November 2012 (French president rejects fracking)French President Hollande rejected fracking.
      19 November 2012 (War on Painkillers)The War on Painkillers: since some people die from prescribed painkillers (often combined, or taken with other drugs), there is pressure to make it hard to get them.
      If that campaign succeeds, people will die from suicide instead.
      19 November 2012 (CourseSmart e-textbooks track users)CourseSmart e-textbooks (distributed for major publishers) will track users' reading.
      Can anyone confirm that accessing them requires nonfree software? Do they have DRM, too?
      19 November 2012 (Urgent: Protest the TSA)US citizens: join the opt-out campaign to protest the TSA.
      19 November 2012 (Russia wants ITU to encourage censorship and surveillance)Russia has proposed that the ITU encourage countries to take format control over the Internet.
      However, I am not sure that tyrannical governments need any ITU help in order to impose censorship and surveillance on the Internet. They seem to be doing it perfectly well without any ITU support.
      18 November 2012 (Urgent: "Opt out" of PayPal's imposed arbitration requirements)PayPal users: "opt out" of imposed arbitration requirements so as to preserve your legal rights.
      18 November 2012 (Urgent: Suspend BP from new contracts)US citizens: call on the US government to suspend Billionaire Polluters from new contracts.
      18 November 2012 (Urgent: Free Nabeel Rajab)Everyone: call on Behrain to free Nabeel Rajab.
      18 November 2012 (UK court punishes Apple)The UK court which found Samsung had not copied the design of Apple products, and ordered Apple to publish a notice saying so, has punished Apple for trying to obfuscate the message.
      18 November 2012 (Filibuster Reform)Explaining why filibuster reform has become a pressing issue.
      18 November 2012 (OSCE criticizes US)The OSCE criticized the US for repeatedly violating the rights of protesters.
      18 November 2012 (Syria's cyberwar against dissidents)Syria's cyberwar against dissidents (and the resistance).
      Most of this malware enters through nonfree programs, which tend to be particularly vulnerable because they are set up to run programs that arrive in files that users consider to be "data".
      18 November 2012 (Obamas big mistake according to corporate media)According to the corporate media, Obama's big mistake is the failure to fawn publicly before CEOs.
      18 November 2012 (Israel kills Hamas commander after truce)Israel killed Hamas commander al-Jabari just after establishing a truce with him.
      Uri Avnery explains how the attack was pre-planned by Israel, and how it relates to the coming election.
      The truce-breaking attack came as al-Jabari was trying to negotiate a longer truce.
      Avnery expected Israel not to launch a ground invasion of Gaza, but now it appears to be preparing to do just that.
      500 missiles have been fired by Hamas. Hardly any of them has hit anything but earth or sea, but since they are not aimed at military targets, each one is a war crime.
      Israel has a better excuse, in legal terms, for most of its attacks, saying that they are aimed at destroying missiles. (I don't think this applies to bombing offices and houses.) However, that excuse is no justification, because Israel is fighting by choice.
      18 November 2012 (US psychiatrists propose new "disorder")US psychiatrists propose to define repeated outbursts of anger as a "disorder".
      18 November 2012 (IRS sued for allowing churches to violate tax laws)The Freedom From Religion Foundation has sued the IRS for allowing churches to endorse candidates in violation of the tax laws.
      18 November 2012 (Homeless man arrested for charging phone in park)As part of the War on the Homeless, thugs in Sarasota arrested a man for charging his phone in a park.
      The mean spirit of this attack is displayed by the accusation that this was "theft of utilities".
      18 November 2012 (US public less cruel and punitive)The US public is showing signs of becoming less cruel and punitive.
      18 November 2012 (Urgent: Rebuke Apple for factory working conditions)US citizens: rebuke Apple for phony improvements in factory working conditions.
      18 November 2012 (Renewable energy policies in Germany)The German policies that are moving rapidly to renewable electricity.
      18 November 2012 (Obama's "grand bargain")Obama's "grand bargain" is based on a Republican lie. With no chance of extending Dubya's tax cuts for the rich, all this bargain can do is help business at the expense of most Americans.
      What the US needs is to use tax increases and military spending cuts to raise spending on useful activities (that also make more jobs).
      Senator Sanders says that riding over the "fiscal cliff" is better than a bad deal.
      18 November 2012 (Prosecution of torture conspirators)The US has no wish to prosecute confessed torture conspirators such as Dubya, and Canada protected him too. Will the UN act?
      18 November 2012 (BP's big fine not so big)Billionaire Polluter's big fine is not really so big when compared with the extent of its military contracts.
      18 November 2012 (International trade and invasive species)International trade, seeking small increases in profit, puts whole forests and other ecosystems at risk from invasive species (including fungal infections).
      18 November 2012 (Freedom of speech in the UK)A UK man sued his employer and won, after he was fired for publicly stating his opposition to same-sex marriage.
      I support same-sex marriage, but I support Smith's right to state his views, so I applaud this decision. Sad to say, the US does not have similar protections for workers freedom of speech.
      18 November 2012 (UK thugs face criminal investigation)UK thugs who attacked striking miners and then tried to frame them face a criminal investigation.
      18 November 2012 (US wages stagnant for a decade)US wages have remained stagnant for a decade, and are lower than in the 1970s.
      18 November 2012 (Urgent: Filibuster reform)US citizens: call for filibuster reform: require senators to really speak on the senate floor to filibuster.
      18 November 2012 (Fish in the ocean near Fukushima)Some fish in the ocean near Fukushima may be too radioactive to eat for 10 years.
      18 November 2012 (Romney says serving people's interests is bribery)Romney says that serving most people's interests was "bribing" them.
      17 November 2012 (Walmart workers ask for community support)Walmart workers planning to strike ask for community support.
      17 November 2012 (Apple censors erotic novel)Apple dropped from iTunes the erotic novel, The Proof of the Honey, saying it is because of the cover.
      Repeated acts of censorship are an additional reason to condemn iTunes, but not the only one. Even if there were no censorship, you ought to refuse to buy from iTunes because it tramples the rights of its own users.
      17 November 2012 (Gaza hospital running out of fuel for generators)Gravely wounded civilians Gaza may die because the hospital is running out of fuel for its generators. And the ICU is already full.
      17 November 2012 (Antibiotic resistance)More people could die from routine medical procedures as antibiotics lose their effectiveness.
      17 November 2012 (Hidden tax giveaways in BP settlement)True Amount of BP Settlement Will Depend on Hidden Tax Giveaways.
      17 November 2012 (Nobel laureates condemn prosecution of Bradley Manning)Three distinguished Nobel laureates condemn the prosecution of Bradley Manning.
      17 November 2012 (Urgent: Insurance coverage for abortions for females in the military)US citizens: support insurance coverage for abortions for females in the military who get pregnant via rape.
      16 November 2012 (Colorado town votes to ban fracking)A town in Colorado voted to ban fracking, despite heavy advertising spending by frackers.
      Now the state is pushing to overturn this law, since the governor has been paid by frackers.
      16 November 2012 (Dismissal of officials)Officials should be dismissed for harming the public interest, not for sex.
      16 November 2012 (Cheap gas from fracking destroys market for renewable energy)Gas from fracking is so cheap in the US that it has destroyed the market for renewable energy generation.
      A carbon tax would fix this problem.
      16 November 2012 (Treachery of UK prime minister)The UK prime minister has given his approval to treacherous maneuvers against his own Tory party, and against his coalition partner, for the sake of fossil fuel companies.
      A Tory opponent of wind power admits in private that he has no basis for an argument he makes in public.
      Will he resign, or is he shameless?
      16 November 2012 (Burma's forests)Will increased trade with Burma wipe out its forests?
      16 November 2012 (BP will pay fine)BP will pay a fine of 4.5 billion dollars.
      I am not sure this is enough, even with damages added, to fully dissuade companies from taking such risks. However, the worst part is that the individuals who decided on dangerous policies won't face personal prosecution.
      16 November 2012 (Urgent: Confirmation of judges)US citizens: call on Senate Republicans to allow confirmation of judges.
      16 November 2012 (Failure to disenfranchise voters in Wisconsin)A Republican state senator bemoaned the failure to disenfranchise 300,000 legitimate voters in Wisconsin.
      16 November 2012 (Divestment from fossil fuel companies)Proposing divestment from fossil fuel companies as a means to fight back against them.
      16 November 2012 (Urgent: Privacy laws about digital communications)US citizens: call for improved privacy laws about digital communications.
      16 November 2012 (Urgent: Oppose extending Dubya's tax cuts for the rich)US citizens: call on Democrats in Congress to refuse to extend Dubya's tax cuts for the rich.
      16 November 2012 (Urgent: Tell Obama to reject Keystone XL pipeline)US citizens: tell Obama to reject the Keystone XL planet-roaster pipeline.
      16 November 2012 (Evictions in Spain)Two people in Spain have killed themselves when faced with eviction.
      Others are responding in a more effective fashion, organizing to block evictions.
      16 November 2012 (Suppression of global heating awareness)Al Gore on the planet-roaster pipeline and how fossil fuel companies suppress awareness of the danger of global heating.
      Obama says he will take personal charge of action to limit global heating, but seems to reject outright the measures that would be firm enough to do the job.
      When UVA fired its chairman, that may have been the influence of global heating deniers who had already blocked the university from hiring Michael Mann as a professor.
      16 November 2012 (Genetically modified eucalyptus trees)Genetically modified eucalyptus trees are proposed as a way to cut global heating.
      Since people won't eat them, and they don't affect wildlife, they don't have some of the problems of other GMO crops. However, they could still cause concentration of business, and the artificial genes could pollute other people's eucalyptus trees and lead to their being sued.
      If some GMOs are biologically safe,, this problem needs to be corrected in order to make them legally safe.
      16 November 2012 (Dutch environmentalists plan to sue gov't)Dutch environmentalists plan to sue the government if it does not take firm action against global heating.
      16 November 2012 (Israel's massive attack on Gaza)Israel launched a massive attack on Gaza.
      Uri Avnery said that Netanyahu did this is to manipulate the coming Israeli election. This article says more about it.
      I wonder why so many missiles were launched from Gaza in the past few days. Launching missiles at nonmilitary Israeli targets is a war crime, and cannot be justified, but I suspect some Israeli attack provoked the launches '-- and was likewise unjustified.
      16 November 2012 (UK thugs admit to coercing false confessions)UK thugs confessed to persuading people to make false confessions in order to fill quotas for solved crimes.
      16 November 2012 (Burma's dishonest goodwill gesture)Burma's government made a dishonest goodwill gesture, freeing 450 prisoners including zero dissidents.
      16 November 2012 (Eradication of rats on Galapagos Islands)Ecuador is running a massive campaign to eradicate rats on the Galapagos Islands.
      16 November 2012 (Congress considers "grand bargain")The "grand bargain" Congress is considering would cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in order to protect corporate welfare.
      16 November 2012 (Wind energy)Wind Energy Could Provide One-Fifth of World's Electricity by 2030.
      16 November 2012 (Omissions in US textbooks)US textbooks don't talk about the commons or its history. Some even present enclosure (driving tenant farmers off their land) as progress.
      16 November 2012 (Paramilitary CIA)The Petraeus Legacy: A Paramilitary CIA?
      16 November 2012 (American Anti-Corruption Act)The American Anti-Corruption Act is a collection of proposed law changes to reduce the corruption of elections and legislation in the US.
      These changes look good to me, except for 1.2, which seems to require members of Congress to vote in committees only to the disadvantage of anyone they have got money from. Aside from the question of whether a law can or should specify which way a member of Congress should vote on a question, it would be difficult to tell whether a given vote violates this law. Whether the vote helps or harms a particular interest is often a subtle question, and understanding it may depend on information not available to us.
      It would be better to forbid members of Congress from taking any action in regard to bills that specially interest their donors.
      16 November 2012 (Lousy state of US email privacy law)What the Petraeus scandal reveals about the lousy state of US email privacy law.
      16 November 2012 (Access to contraception as human right)A UN agency suggests that access to contraception should be a human right.
      16 November 2012 (Israel throttles Palestinian television)Israel Throttles Palestinian Television.
      16 November 2012 (General strike against austerity in Spain)60% of workers in Spain participated in a general strike against austerity.
      Some mayors have moved city funds to punish banks that foreclose homes.
      Soup kitchens in Spain can't handle all the need.
      16 November 2012 (Restrictions on abortions)Savita Halappanavar died in Ireland because of restrictions on abortions. Ohio is considering a similar ban, but even worse.
      Unsafe Abortions Threaten Thousands in Eastern Europe.
      Restricting abortion pushes many women into poverty.
      15 November 2012 ("Intelligence" bill blocked)Senator Wyden has blocked an "intelligence" bill that forbids many US employees from speaking to the press.
      15 November 2012 (Demolition of Palestinian buildings)Israel's army continues demolishing Palestinian buildings.
      The excuse is that they "don't have a permit". But Palestinians almost never can get a permit to build in areas under direct Israeli control.
      15 November 2012 (AT&T's tactics for abolishing regulation)AT&T's misleading tactics for abolishing all regulation of telephone lines.
      15 November 2012 (Israeli activists threatened by army)Israeli military rule prohibits all protests in the West Bank, and specifically prohibits the weekly protests in several villages by designating them as "closed military zones". Now The army has gone to special pains to threaten Israeli activists who join those protests.
      15 November 2012 (Labour's database about all children)The UK government cancelled Labour's plan to make a database about all children, then started its own secret plan to do the same thing.
      15 November 2012 (How banksters and corporate raiders operate)Don't believe the myth that banksters and corporate raiders (such as Romney) operate based on sophisticated math.
      15 November 2012 (The Real Scandal: Crimes of War)The Real Scandal: Crimes of War, Not Passion.
      Despite the irony that the "national security" surveillance system caught the head of the CIA, it remains a threat to freedom for all of us.
      15 November 2012 (Energy efficiency for schools)350.org is starting a student campaign for schools to divest from greenhouse gas activities and invest in energy efficiency instead.
      Energy efficiency gives a better return, but it would be necessary even if not for that.
      15 November 2012 (Testimony from Israeli soldiers of the war of independence)A project collects testimony from the Israeli soldiers of the war of independence about how they attacked and expelled Palestinians.
      Arabs also committed crimes against Jews in Israel in that period, and the Jews had reason to fear they would be killed. That is not a total and universal excuse, but it does affect things.
      15 November 2012 (Israel's apartheid system)Why the world must confront Israel's apartheid system.
      15 November 2012 (Ayman Sharawna on hunger strike for 130 days)Ayman Sharawna, imprisoned without charges, has been on hunger strike for 130 days, and is too weak to stand up, but Israeli guards refused to let him be taken to a hospital without shackles.
      15 November 2012 (Urgent: Fight Paul Ryan's attack on women's health care)US citizens: Paul Ryan is still in Congress; fight his attack on women's health care and birth control.
      15 November 2012 (Tony B'liar met with accusations of "war criminal")Tony B'liar gave a speech on a university campus in the UK and was met with accusations of "war criminal".
      15 November 2012 (Urgent: Reduce air pollution)US citizens: phone the White House and call on Obama to reduce air pollution, especially green house gases, and promote clean energy. Also sign this petition.
      The White House comments line is 202-456-1111.
      15 November 2012 (Urgent: Defend Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid)US citizens: phone the White House and call on Obama to defend Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and not to renew Dubya's tax cuts for the rich. Also sign this petition.
      The White House comments line is 202-456-1111.
      15 November 2012 (United Arab Emirates adopts Internet censorship law)The United Arab Emirates adopted a repressive censorship law for the Internet.
      15 November 2012 (Cuban dissidents arrested)Several Cuban dissidents were arrested as they went to work on a petition for human rights in Cuba.
      15 November 2012 (Islamists winning war against freedom of speech)Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks says that Islamists are winning the war against freedom of speech.
      15 November 2012 (Sit-in held in Senator Durbin's office)Activists dressed as Robin Hood held a sit-in in Senator Durbin's office.
      Durbin, a leading Democrat, is suspected of planning to join Obama in selling out to the Republicans.
      15 November 2012 (Lawsuit against Rumsfeld dismissed)A lawsuit against Rumsfeld, accusing him of being responsible for torture, was dismissed.
      15 November 2012 (Web site wants payment to have nude photos taken down)A web site invites people to pay to have their nude photos taken down.
      This business model depends on the nudity taboo. If everyone posted nude photos of themselves, we'd all say "Ho hum" if anyone else posted some.
      15 November 2012 (Mainstream US reporting on Petraeus's resignation)Mainstream US journalists reporting on General Petraeus's resignation feel obliged to express regret, because it is unacceptable to make a general look bad '-- or to raise the question of whether he (or the CIA) is guilty of something more grave than a love affair.
      15 November 2012 (Urgent: Put Elizabeth Warren on Banking Committee)US citizens: call on Senate Majority Leader Reid to put Elizabeth Warren on the Banking Committee.
      15 November 2012 (Urgent: Call on Obama to make the US respect human rights)US citizens: support Amnesty International in calling on Obama to make the US respect human rights.
      15 November 2012 (Disappearance of fuel from Helmand thug office)So much fuel has disappeared from the thug office in Helmand that the Afghan government has stopped deliveries.
      I expect that corrupt thugs were involved in the disappearance.
      15 November 2012 (Internet Governance Forum meetings)The Internet Governance Forum should stop holding its meetings in countries such as Azerbaijan that don't respect human rights.
      15 November 2012 (Mountain gorilla populations increasing)Mountain gorilla populations are increasing, thanks to decades of conservation work.
      However, a species with such a limited range will always be vulnerable to many chance events, and overpopulation in Africa creates a motive for people to take over their land. To avoid wiping out that species and thousands of others around the world, we need to curb global heating and cut the human birth rate to achieve population decrease.
      15 November 2012 (2,444 UK thugs being investigated)2,444 UK thugs are being investigated for the Hillsborough coverup, in which thugs blamed the victims of their errors, then covered up the truth.
      15 November 2012 (IMF wants some of Greece's debt forgiven)The IMF wants some of Greece's debt to be forgiven, but Germany blocks it.
      What this article does not state '-- though it is reflected in the cited figures '-- is that the high debt-to-GDP, the excuse for additional EU-imposed austerity, is the result of the present austerity. Austerity has cut Greece's GDP while the debt remains about the same. More austerity will do even more of this.
      15 November 2012 (Al Gore calls for carbon tax)Al Gore calls on Obama to push for a carbon tax.
      I agree, but I would be stunned of Obama carries out such an about-face as to even try.
      15 November 2012 (Support for new Syrian opposition coalition)A new Syrian opposition coalition has gained somewhat more European support.
      This might be a step forward, but overcoming the influence of the Islamists among Syria's opposition will not be easy.
      15 November 2012 (Natural gas market in UK)The natural gas market in the UK has allegedly been manipulated with false information, much the way Libor was.
      15 November 2012 (Communicating with people who appear to be in a vegetative state)Some people that appear to be in a vegetative state may be conscious but unable to take any action. Brain scans offer them a way to communicate.
      I wonder if people would like to develop free software that would help them communicate more effectively.
      15 November 2012 (Companies called to account for tax avoidance in UK)Major companies that pay little tax in the UK were called to account in Parliament, but Amazon and Starbucks executives gave bullshit instead of explanations.
      15 November 2012 (New Russian censorship law)The new Russian censorship law, supposedly intended to block sites relating to drugs, suicide and pedophilia, has already been used against political criticism.
      This is a world-wide tendency, and shows why any censorship of the Internet is intolerable.
      Even with good will, filtering the Internet for some humanly meaningful characteristic cannot be done reliably, so it causes tremendous trouble while not achieving its goal.
      However, one can rely on governments.
      15 November 2012 (China faces labor shortage)China is facing a labor shortage which is leading to improved wages and working conditions. Factories are looking for robots.
      I think this demonstrates the wisdom of China's one-child-per-family policy.
      Automation and the resulting improved efficiency is good for everyone, as long as it doesn't result in millions of people who have nothing useful to do and are condemned to poverty. There is no immediate danger of that in China '-- but it could be happening in the US. I refuse to use computerized self-checkout machines in stores, because I don't want automation to kick millions of sales clerks into permanent unemployment. Imagine what will happen in ten years if self-driving cars eliminate all bus, truck and taxi drivers. Will there be some new kind of job for these people to do? I doubt it.
      In a meeting in Cambridge, some ten years ago, a person said, "Production without workers requires consumption without money. In other words, if the robots make it, we've gotta take it." One way or another, making people work in order to have a decent life ceases to be acceptable when society doesn't have any work for millions of people to do.
      Of course, there's also the disaster capitalism approach: let all the superfluous people die.
      15 November 2012 (The real scandal in Petraeus affair)Glenn Greenwald: The real scandal in the Petraeus affair is how far the FBI pushed an investigation with no apparent crime, and the fact it was able to get people's private information with no search warrant.
      15 November 2012 (Wild coffee plants threatened)Global heating threatens to eliminate coffee plants in the wild, which means the loss of many varieties with unusual flavors.
      15 November 2012 (No evidence of beneficial effect from tamiflu)A medical journal says there is no evidence that tamiflu has a beneficial effect on humans that have the flu, and calls on Roche to release all the data it has.
      Drug companies make a practice of suppressing studies whose results displease them. I know of no evidence that Roche did this in the case of tamiflu, but we need to change the system of drug evaluation so it can't be done at all. The reliable way to do that is to remove drug companies from the system. Instead of letting them fund these tests, we should tax them and use the money to pay for the tests.
      15 November 2012 (Italian agriculture devastated)Global heating is devastating Italian agriculture.
      Venice will be inundated permanently after a few decades of sea level rise, along with hundreds of historic cities that dot the Mediterranean. The only way to protect them from a two-meter rise in sea level would be to dam them off from the sea. A world suffering from the effects of agricultural failure will not be able to do that. Much of our past will be lost.
      15 November 2012 (Israeli group near Gaza calls for negotiations)A group of Israelis that live near Gaza called on their government to start serious negotiations with Hamas, rather than continuing war.
      Both sides call most of their attacks "retaliation", but it was noted, a few years ago, that it was usually Israel, not Hamas, that first violated the truce and ended periods of calm.
      14 November 2012 (Kuwaitis protest voting changes)Thousands of Kuwaitis protest against voting changes which were designed to make pro-monarchy candidates win.
      14 November 2012 (US medical clinics taking palm prints)Some US medical clinics are using palm prints to identify patients, and push patients into giving their palm prints without telling them it is not required.
      14 November 2012 (Internet voting)A shallow article in the New York Times, which cites experts explaining how stupid Internet voting would be and then effectively disregards them to present it as democratic paradise, has inspired a number of me-tooarticles.
      It takes years, perhaps decades, to discover the flaws in a voting system. The voting system includes more than just the technology; the social system that the technology functions in can have flaws too. But if the flaws are security holes exploited by viruses, it would be hard to determine this is happening, so how would we ever know?
      14 November 2012 (Helping the poor)Many Americans, like Romney, don't realize how little help the US gives to the poor, and how little it costs to help the poor.
      14 November 2012 (Campaign to end violence against women and girls)The UN is campaigning to end violence against women and girls, which many states do not wish to treat as a problem.
      14 November 2012 (Laws designed to find Palestinians guilty)An Israeli film explains the complex of Israeli, British and Turkish laws that has been designed to reliably find Palestinians guilty, and to take away their homes and land.
      14 November 2012 (Urgent: Oppose whale hunting)Everyone: call on South Korea not to start hunting whales.
      14 November 2012 (Medical marijuana in Israel)Israel is a pioneer in the use of medical marijuana.
      14 November 2012 (China bars UN human rights observers)China has barred UN human rights observers from Tibet.
      13 November 2012 (Urgent: Oppose appointing SOPA supporter Howard Berman)US citizens: oppose the idea of appointing SOPA supporter Howard Berman as Secretary of State.
      Obama has always been on the side of the copyright lobby against you and me.
      13 November 2012 (Deregulation of local Spanish savings banks)How deregulation of local Spanish savings banks turned them into a disaster, and will benefit the big banks and harm everyone else.
      13 November 2012 (Habitat of giant pandas)Global heating is likely to wipe out the habitat of giant pandas.
      13 November 2012 (Pretense of peace process)Obama begged the Palestinian Authority to postpone its bid for partial UN recognition '-- in effect, to continue the pretense that there is a real peace process. The Palestinian Authority refused.
      Uri Avnery has explained why the "peace process" is a sham meant to distract attention from Israel's gradual takeover of most of the West Bank.
      13 November 2012 (EU suspends tax on airline CO2 emissions)The EU suspended its tax on airline CO2 emissions for a year in the hope of encouraging a world-wide deal for such a tax.
      13 November 2012 (New form of mass folly on Twitter)Twitter has created a new form of mass folly: when celebrities die, lots of people who didn't know them express intense public grief.
      Among those celebrities, there are some whose work I appreciate, a few whose work I loathe, and a majority that I never heard of. (I am proud not to have a TV set, which insulates me from much of popular culture.) But I didn't have a personal relationship with any of them, so I don't feel grief for them. I resist social pressure to express an emotion I don't feel.
      I grieve for the friends I have lost.
      13 November 2012 (US oil)The US could boost oil production and become self-sufficient in oil.
      However, it would have trouble remaining self-sufficient in food after burning so much oil roasts the Earth's biosphere. Known fossil fuel reserves are 5 times the amount that we could dare to burn.
      Meanwhile, Labour in the UK wants to postpone a small increase in fuel taxes because of the pain it might cause.
      You might as well postpone a visit to the dentist when you have a toothache '-- or the oncologist when you have a strange lump.
      13 November 2012 (Prosecution for posting picture of burning poppy)In the UK, posting a picture of burning a poppy is prosecuted.
      The freedom to insult people, even personally but especially by rejecting their ideas, is central to freedom of speech '-- a freedom that is in very bad shape in the UK.
      13 November 2012 (China-Canada treaty ratification cancelled)After a petition with 60,000 signatures against a China-Canada investment treaty, sumofus.org reports that ratification of the treaty was cancelled.
      Treaties like this subordinate the citizens of the country to foreign companies. They are inherently unjust, regardless of which countries are involved. The fact that Canada has a number of such treaties (with countries other than China) proves only that its government has repeatedly betrayed the country.
      Canada needs to abrogate all these existing treaties. So does every other country. Each time some government signs one of these treaties, it harms its own people and the people of another country. By abrogating the treaty, it helps the people of the other country as well as its own people.
      13 November 2012 (Toshiba keeps laptop service manuals secret)Toshiba keeps the service manuals for its laptops secret '-- advancing the abusive treatment of customers.
      Remember the old saying, "The customer is always right?" In high tech business today, the customer is always a mark.
      13 November 2012 (Legalization of marijuana in CO and WA)The legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington could be the beginning of the end of the War on Drugs.
      12 November 2012 (Privatization of water in the UK)Privatization of water in the UK has led to inadequate development at a tremendous cost to the treasury.
      12 November 2012 (UN punishment list)The UN has a punishment list for individuals, and it puts people on the list without trial.
      12 November 2012 (70% of Americans believe global heating is happening)70% of Americans now believe that global heating is happening, and this is beginning to affect election results.
      However, the dirty fuel companies are not defeated yet, and they will go on using dirty tricks to block the necessary action to slow down the use of their product.
      For instance, gas companies have paid for a smear article to appear in searches for Robert Howarth's research into the environmental damage caused by fracking, and now few graduate students want to work in his lab.
      12 November 2012 (UK gov't argument for secret courts)The UK government says it needs secret courts because otherwise torture victims would get too much money in damages.
      Why not instead stop protecting torturers?
      12 November 2012 (Why Antarctica is gaining some sea ice)Scientists have figured out why Antarctica is gaining some sea ice.
      Since this is much less than the decrease in Arctic sea ice, it still adds up to a net increase in sunlight absorption, a positive feedback in global heating.
      12 November 2012 (Obama's second chance)Obama has a second chance on human rights. Will he use it?
      Same thing for privacy vs surveillance.
      12 November 2012 (Journalists convicted for calling corruption "robbery")Investigative journalists in Spain who documented corruption in Catalonia's medical system were convicted for calling it "robbery".
      Strictly speaking, corruption is not robbery, but the difference is not enough to be a crime.
      12 November 2012 (5000 Tibetans protest for equal rights)5000 Tibetans protested for equal rights for Tibetans.
      12 November 2012 (Why carbon tax would work)Why a carbon tax would work where Kyoto has failed.
      12 November 2012 (Begging the US to slow global heating)The 48 least developed countries beg the US and other big economies to slow global heating.
      Those countries will be hit hard soonest because they have no resources to cope with disasters even if the disasters affect just part of the population. Wealthy countries such as the US will be able to hold out for longer before they too are drained.
      12 November 2012 (Fungus is killing ash trees in Britain)Many of the ash trees in Britain will die of a fungus infection; in 2009 the government cited "world trade rules" as an excuse for not keeping the disease out.
      I suggest that Britons put signs on ash trees, saying "killed by 'free trade'".
      12 November 2012 (US military recognizes what global heating will do)The US military recognizes what global heating will do, but all it can do in response is plan to move bases as they are inundated.
      Republicans propose to "save" the economy for future workers by shortchanging them, but what our grandchildren's generation really needs is a healthy biosphere.
      12 November 2012 (Damage to chocolate production in Africa)Chocolate production in Africa is being damaged by global heating.
      If there were just one burst of global heating, people would find new places where cocoa will grow. However, as global heating continues, no place will stay good for very long. It takes five years for a tree to start producing. If the good places to grow it shift every five years, it can't be grown at all.
      We will lose many things in this way.
      12 November 2012 (Big money and lies)Karl Rove's money mostly failed to get right-wing candidates elected.
      However, big money and lies defeated California's initiative to require labeling of GMOs.
      12 November 2012 (Ridiculous advice on preparing for global heating)Price Waterhouse Cooper advises businesses to plan for global heating to reach 6¡C in this century.
      That is ridiculous '-- no business and no state can survive the cataclysm which will follow from that much change. They can think about moving the New York Stock Exchange to higher ground, but the society it depends on probably won't keep functioning after that point.
      Chances are you won't survive this either.
      The plutocrats are trying to use hurricane damage as an excuse to privatize New York's infrastructure and ram in Walmart.
      11 November 2012 (Obama's betrayal of Social Security)Glenn Greenwald: what Obama's betrayal of Social Security will look like, unless Liberals in congress find some courage.
      11 November 2012 (Corporate media's "balance")Corporate media is so desperate to present "balance" that it feels obliged to claim that the Romney and Obama campaigns lied equally much.
      11 November 2012 (Bills in coming "lame duck" session of Congress)Public Citizen describes bills it will campaign for in the coming "lame duck" session of Congress, and many nasty bills it will campaign against.
      11 November 2012 (Occupy Wall Street's new plan)Occupy Wall Street's new plan: buy bad US debts of poor people for a tiny fraction, then forgive the debt.
      11 November 2012 (Noam Chomsky on embargo of Gaza)Noam Chomsky on the embargo of Gaza.
      The most significant point is that the aquifer is becoming salty and the UN reports that life in Gaza may be impossible by 2020.
      11 November 2012 (Shell has trouble removing equipment)Even without a disaster, Shell has trouble removing its oil equipment from the Arctic site where it wanted to drill.
      11 November 2012 (Unopposed congressman lost votes to Charles Darwin)4000 people voted for Charles Darwin instead of their unopposed anti-science Republican congressman.
      11 November 2012 (Urgent: Enforce US arms export laws on Israel)US citizens: call on Obama to enforce US arms export laws on Israel.
      11 November 2012 (Amazon's tax avoidance)Amazon's tax avoidance means it sucks money out of your country's economy.
      In addition, the ease of using the site leads some people to spend more than they want to spend. While this can happen in a physical store, you don't spend all day there.
      11 November 2012 (Head of CIA resigns for dumb reason)The head of the CIA has resigned for the dumbest of reasons '-- he had an affair.
      The real ethical issues of the CIA's actions '-- torture and assassinations '-- are not raised.
      11 November 2012 (US media double standard on election victory)The US media have a double standard for whether an election victory is a mandate. As you'd expect, the threshold is lower for Republicans.
      The crucial point, however, is that both Obama and Romney reject progressive positions that most Americans support.
      11 November 2012 (Indian Internet user arrested for insult)An Indian Internet user was arrested for accusing a politician of corruption.
      If you accuse an Indian politician of corruption, chances are you're right. I have no proof that that one politician is corrupt, so I won't make that claim. Nonetheless, insulting someone should never be a crime, not even when it is mistaken.
      11 November 2012 (Journalist acquitted of videotaping thugs)Carlos Miller was acquitted of the crime of videotaping the thugs at work, and now plans to sue them for deleting his video.
      10 November 2012 (Turning universities into commercial factories)UK intellectuals condemn the conversion of universities into commercial factories for what business needs.
      10 November 2012 (Urgent: Condemn Apple for censorship)Everyone: condemn Apple for using its control over iThing apps to censor information about US drone bombings.
      This power shows what proprietary software means and leads to. Nobody should have this sort of power.
      10 November 2012 (Urgent: Reject right-wing claim)US citizens: reject the right-wing claim that America is broke and only screwing the poor can save it.
      10 November 2012 (US criminal investigation against Wikileaks)A judge acknowledged that the US has a criminal investigation against Wikileaks.
      10 November 2012 (Urgent: Call on Obama to protect wildlife)US citizens: call on Obama to protect wildlife.
      10 November 2012 (Australia's proposal to filter Internet dropped)Australia's proposal for Internet filtering has been dropped, but maybe this only means censorship will be imposed via ISPs without a new law.
      10 November 2012 (Urgent: Pledge not to buy online on "Cyber Monday")US citizens: pledge not to buy anything online on "Cyber Monday" to protest the horrible working conditions imposed by Walmart, Amazon and others.
      There are many reasons never to buy anything from Amazon (http://stallman.org/amazon.html) and Walmart. There is also a good reason not to buy via e-commerce: to avoid letting anyone track your purchases. However, the petition doesn't require you to say that you would buy from these companies on other days.
      10 November 2012 (US intelligence agencies to search for poachers)US intelligence agencies will search for poachers in Africa.
      09 November 2012 (Global heating following severe predictions)Global heating is following the more severe predictions among the various models.
      09 November 2012 (AT&T wants to abolish regulation of phone lines)AT&T wants to abolish regulation of phone lines, which would mean it could charge any amount, and cancel service arbitrarily.
      In exchange for customers' rights, the company offers to spend money on material investments. Does AT&T think it can buy our congresscritters so easily? Oops, it probably can.
      09 November 2012 (Urgent: Get big money out of politics)US citizens: call on Obama to make it a priority to get big money out of politics.
      09 November 2012 (Iranian dissident tortured to death)An Iranian dissident was tortured to death.
      09 November 2012 (Greek MPs vote for further austerity)Greek MPs voted for further austerity, while outside protesters said, "They are drinking our blood."
      09 November 2012 (Urgent: Oppose extension of tax cuts for the rich)US citizens: call on Congress not to extend Dubya's tax cuts for the rich.
      09 November 2012 (Civil conflict in Libya)Civil conflict continues Libya, which to a large extent is still divided between various militias.
      09 November 2012 (Human rights in Tunisia)Is Tunisia stagnating on human rights, or regressing?
      09 November 2012 (Black voters sabotaged in Ohio)Sabotaging Black voters in Ohio by giving them absentee ballots during early voting.
      09 November 2012 (Pressure on students in Korea)Hundreds of thousands of Korean teenage girls run away from home and then become prostitutes, because they cannot bear the pressure and competition of school.
      08 November 2012 (CA initiative for labelling GMOs defeated)California's initiative for labelling GMOs was defeated after a giant ad campaign by agribusiness said labelling would make the sky fall.
      08 November 2012 (Colorado and Washington legalize marijuana)Colorado and Washington have legalized marijuana.
      08 November 2012 (US gov't blocks searches for Wikileaks)The US government vainly vents its anger against Wikileaks by blocking searches for the word "Wikileaks" in the National Archives.
      This is in addition to blocking access to articles about Wikileaks from various agencies' computers, and firing employees that even refer to articles published by Wikileaks.
      08 November 2012 (Peaceful protesters charged with treason)Nigerians who protested peacefully for an independent Biafra were arrested and charged with treason.
      08 November 2012 (Child in Pakistan murdered for looking at boy)A couple in Pakistan murdered their daughter by pouring acid on her, because she looked at a boy who rode by on a motorcycle.
      They had apparently planned this for some time, because they had the acid ready.
      Their punishment should include the worst dishonor anyone in Pakistan could imagine '-- so that nobody will again imagine that this is a way to "avoid dishonor".
      08 November 2012 (Greece cut off from cancer treatment drug)Greece has been unable to pay for a cancer treatment drug, so supplies have been cut off.
      Thus, austerity will kill sick people in Greece as it does in the US.
      08 November 2012 (Beer conglomerate replaces imported beers)A beer conglomerate is replacing imported beers in the US with lousy domestic substitutes, to save money.
      I don't like any beer, but this is what typically happens in any field when large conglomerates are allowed to buy other companies. That general practice should be banned.
      08 November 2012 (Disagreeing with the Catholic Church)The bishop of Green Bay claims that anyone who disagrees with the Catholic Church on certain issues does not believe in "the common good or the dignity of the human person."
      I score five out of five on the bishop's list of horrors. I support abortion rights, euthanasia for those who want it, embryonic stem cell research and same-sex marriage. And I don't see anything inherently wrong with human cloning (though with our current technology human cloning would risk causing avoidable medical problems for the clones).
      I reach these conclusions because I value the dignity of the human person (and the golden rule).
      Shame on the bishop for this calumny against people who disagree with his church.
      The Church of Emacs endorses cloning of programs, but says abortion should be mandatory for nonfree software projects. But we don't say that those who disagree can't value human dignity. We only say they are wrong.
      08 November 2012 (The patch in Ohio election systems)The last-minute patch in Ohio election systems was, it appears, not in voting machines themselves, and was not dangerous. But this does not mean computerized voting is necessarily honest.
      The article is too quick to conclude that there is no danger from computerized counting machines for paper ballots.
      It was reported after the 2004 election that computerized ballot counting machines in Ohio were apparently biased: areas that counted by hand got results that agreed with the exit polls, but those that used these machines to count the paper ballots got results that swung towards Dubya by around 2%, and that this was enough to give the state to Dubya.
      In principle, a recount by hand of the papers could have corrected the error, but it was not done. I don't know why. Perhaps there was some pressure to accept the machines' count.
      If such pressure is still operative, computerized ballot counting machines could still rig elections now.
      7 November 2012 (Lawsuit over computerized voting machines)Green Party candidate Robert J. Fitrakis sued over Ohio's plan to install a last-minute change in computerized voting machines.
      Can anyone tell me the outcome?
      7 November 2012 (Republican-spread confusion)Republican-spread confusion has hit the US election.
      7 November 2012 (Election money-laundering)California forced one election money-laundering organization to reveal its funding sources, but they were other election money-laundering organizations.
      7 November 2012 (Man in Gaza shot and denied medical attention)Israelis shot a man in Gaza, then kept ambulances away for hours as he bled to death.
      7 November 2012 (Activists to sail ship out of Gaza)Activists plan to sail a ship out of Gaza containing export goods.
      I wonder how Israel will claim that this is dangerous. Perhaps all the world's rockets are in Gaza and this threatens to put rockets in the hands of the rest of the world.
      7 November 2012 (Israeli Annexationists)Israeli annexationists have started building new colony "outposts".
      They do this without official government permission, but often the government subsequently approves these outposts as new colonies
      7 November 2012 (South African Jews)South African Jews have organized a protest calling on a toy store to stop supporting the Jewish National Fund.
      7 November 2012 (Palestinian olive trees)Israelis have destroyed half a million Palestinian olive trees since 2001.
      The Israeli army has done little to stop this, and actually harasses Palestinians trying to harvest.
      7 November 2012 (ICRC refutes attempt to distort law)The ICRC refutes Israel's attempt to distort international law.
      Israel pretends that it is not occupying the West Bank and that international law does not apply to voluntary population transfers into an occupied territory.
      07 November 2012 ("Recalibrated" voting machine)A computerized voting machine interpreted clicks on Obama's line of the ballot as votes for Romney.
      Apparently only one machine malfunctioned in this way. It should have been investigated to find out why it did this '-- and whether someone intentionally sabotaged it, and if so, who. Instead they "recalibrated" it, which probably means that they reloaded the relevant data, thus erasing the evidence that should have been investigated.
      07 November 2012 (Internet-connected appliances)The "Internet of things" is an opportunity for the CIA to spy on the people who allow it into their homes.
      07 November 2012 (Levenson inquiry chills British journalism)Fear of what the Leveson inquiry might do is chilling British journalism.
      07 November 2012 (Urgent: Prosecution of US election rigging)US citizens: pledge to campaign for prosecution of US election rigging, if that occurs.
      07 November 2012 (US smart meters)Many US smart meters allow anyone to determine easily whether people are at home.
      07 November 2012 (Urgent: Call on TV shows to address global heating)US citizens: call on Sunday TV shows to address global heating.
      07 November 2012 (Money lent to dictators by UK)The UK lent hundreds of millions of pounds to dictators in several countries so they could buy arms to repress the people.
      The UK government continues to press the people of those countries to pay back the loans.
      07 November 2012 (Thugs planted weapons on killed miners)Thugs in South Africa planted weapons on striking miners they had killed, then claimed the miners were responsible for the violence.
      Some miners were apparently murdered, shot in the back. Others were tortured.
      07 November 2012 (Emails about Occupy Oakland blocked)Oakland's thug chief set a spam filter to block all emails about Occupy Oakland. This led him to ignore an email from a court-appointed monitor.
      He says he never intended to ignore email from the court-appointed monitor. He only intended to ignore emails from the public he is supposed to serve.
      07 November 2012 (Violence used to quash criticism in Morocco)As a UN agency visits Western Sahara to investigate, the Moroccan occupying forces are terrorizing those that might want to criticize them.
      07 November 2012 (Danger of Internet voting)The US and other countries are rushing into Internet voting. Here is why that is dangerous.
      07 November 2012 (Russia's Internet filters)Russia's Internet filters block a list of sites, but the list is secret.
      I read that the same is true of Denmark's Internet filters.
      07 November 2012 (US allies in Syria hard to find)The US cannot easily find allies in Syria that would stop atrocities, or reject al Qa'ida.
      07 November 2012 (Bassem Tamimis son arrested for protesting)Bassem Tamimi's 16-year-old son was arrested for protesting in Nabi Saleh.
      07 November 2012 (Obama's support groups prepare to fight him)Obama's main grass-roots support groups are planning to fight him if he tries to sell out poor Americans in December by cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
      07 November 2012 (US export of medicines to Iran blocked)The US provided a standing authorization to export certain medicines to Iran, but it is not effective since banks refuse to handle the payment.
      07 November 2012 (Miami voters subjected to long wait)Miami's Republican mayor made people wait a long time to vote on Sunday.
      07 November 2012 ("Data base error" blocks voters)Another Republican dirty trick in Ohio: a "data base error" blocked tens of thousands from voting.
      07 November 2012 (Danger of email voting)New Jersey invited email voting to cope with the effects of Hurricane Sandy, but this is very dangerous.
      07 November 2012 (Privacy rights)Because of technological advances, we must establish privacy rights that used to be taken for granted.
      07 November 2012 (No-fly list)The Kafkaesque World of the No-Fly List.
      06 November 2012 (Florida Republicans sued)Republicans in Florida have been sued for interfering with voting.
      06 November 2012 (Urgent: Investigate cover-up of poisoning from fracking)US citizens: call on Attorney General Holder to investigate falsified environmental analyses done by Pennsylvania to cover up poisoning from fracking.
      06 November 2012 (Poisoning from fracking covered up)The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection falsified analyses of water contaminants to cover up poisoning from fracking.
      The governor of Pennsylvania seems to have been paid to do this.
      06 November 2012 (Nasty trend in Internet services)A nasty trend in Internet services: arranging relationships between people in a way that maintains control over them and prevents them from contacting each other in other ways. For example, look what happened to a user of Airbnb.
      06 November 2012 (Urgent: Enforce fine against Shell Oil)Everyone: urge Nigeria to enforce the large fine against Shell Oil.
      06 November 2012 (Engineers kidnaped in Mexico)Mexican underground armies have kidnaped engineers to build extensive secret cell-phone networks.
      06 November 2012 (40,000 poor New Yorkers without heat)40,000 poor New Yorkers face cold weather while having no heat due to damage from Hurricane Sandy.
      This is a medium-size disaster. Katrina was much worse, and much of the population of New Orleans had to scrabble for a place to live somewhere else. Such a storm in 20 years could leave a million people without heat and power, which might strain the repair capacity so that it might take years to repair.
      06 November 2012 (Thugs attack at protests in Kuwait)Mass protests in Kuwait against unfair election laws were attacked by thugs.
      06 November 2012 (Apple paid 2% US tax on non-US profits)Apple paid just 2% US tax on its non-US profits of almost 37 billion.
      06 November 2012 (Syria's rebels capture oil field)Syria's rebels captured the oil field that provides fuel for the regime.
      06 November 2012 (Attacks on gays in Russia)A group of masked men carried out a carefully planned attack on gays dining in a private room in a club in Moscow.
      This series of attacks seems to be related to the laws against "gay propaganda" in Russia.
      Such a large current of activity, involving regional governments, could not happen in Russia without Putin's approval. Therefore, he must be behind it.
      05 November 2012 (Criminalization of animal rights activism)How the US criminalized activism for animal rights by labeling it as "terrorism."
      I only support the animal rights cause to a limited extent. I am in favor of medical and biological experiments on animals if they advance science.
      But that is a side issue. The business-driven persecution of animal rights activists is being used as a wedge to attack human rights for activists for any cause that the plutocrats don't like.
      Meanwhile, those same plutocrats are planning to kill hundreds of millions of people by keeping global heating on track to destroy civilization. Americans will not be spared. If you are young, they may kill you, though perhaps only when you are middle-aged and you can't afford treatment for sickness caused by fracking, or tropical diseases that will have spread to today's temperate zones. Your children will have it worse: they may die from food shortages or civil war.
      So who are the real terrorists?
      05 November 2012 (Megaupload users' lost works)The MPAA argues against allowing Megaupload users to download the material that they previously uploaded, claiming it would cost Hollywood something.
      I can't see how. Even in the case of Hollywood movies uploaded without permission, those who uploaded them had a copy already. Nearly all of them still have it. If not, they could get another copy in an easier way.
      The works people really care about downloading back from Megaupload are their own lost works.
      I don't advocate legalizing commercial redistribution without permission, for artistic works. Since Megaupload was commercial, I am not necessarily against shutting it down. However, the people who used Megaupload to share should have been allowed to do this noncommercially.
      05 November 2012 (Dubya's FEMA directory criticizes Obama)Dubya's FEMA director, who famously let people suffer in New Orleans, criticized Obama for moving too fast to help areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
      There is plenty to criticize about Obama, but Republicans act like stupid robots that will say absolutely anything as long as the conclusion is that Obama is bad.
      05 November 2012 (Thugs in Florida raid poker game)Thugs in Florida raided a poker game in which people do not bet any money. The organizers believed the game was legal.
      Putting aside the questions of whether the Florida law really prohibits Nutz Poker, and whether it is right to prohibit Nutz Poker, that the thugs attacked with drawn weapons in a situation where common sense says a phone call would have sufficed is an example of a problem spreading around the US.
      05 November 2012 (Thug in New Mexico tasers 10-year-old)A thug in New Mexico shot a 10-year-old with a taser for refusing to help clean the thug's car.
      The taser did not kill him but did wound him seriously.
      05 November 2012 (USPTO issues absurd trademarks)The US Patent and Trademark Office is famous for issuing absurd patents. Turns out it issues absurd trademarks, too.
      05 November 2012 (Oyster Creek nuclear power plant)At the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, which was shut down for refueling, flood waters came close to damaging a pump needed to cool the used fuel pool.
      The pump did not flood this time, but it came close. In 20 years, the ocean level will have risen and storms will be stronger. Nuclear disaster is inevitable there sooner or later. Will they build a backup cooling system that is safe from hurricanes and tsunamis and can run for months? Or will they skimp to save money?
      05 November 2012 (Drug-sniffer dogs not impartial)Drug-sniffer dogs are not impartial '-- their handlers can tell them to "find drugs here".
      05 November 2012 (Yunus Rahmatullah's extradition)The UK Supreme Court ruled that handing over Yunus Rahmatullah to the US was illegal.
      05 November 2012 (Obama's plan to betray Americans)How Obama is planning to betray Americans to the Republicans.
      05 November 2012 (London thugs)Most London thugs who responded to a survey said the London thugs do a bad job.
      05 November 2012 (Urgent: Get Greg Palast's book)US citizens: you can get Greg Palast's last book in PDF, with no EULA, and pay whatever amount you wish.
      I'm told the site works fine with Javascript disabled (though it says that it won't work).
      05 November 2012 (Suspension of uranium enrichment in Iran)Iran says it has suspended uranium enrichment as a goodwill gesture to encourage negotiations to end the trade sanctions.
      05 November 2012 (Becoming a member of the EU)An EU official warned that breakaway independent European regions would start from zero if they want to become members of the EU.
      Van Rompuy is right that independence for a region makes little sense if the region wants to be part of the EU. However, independence provides an opportunity to get out of the EU, the WTO, the Bern Convention, and all sorts of other international injustices.
      05 November 2012 (Thugs bully Hillsborough disaster survivors)UK thugs bullied survivors of the Hillsborough disaster into changing their stories so that the thugs would not be blamed.
      05 November 2012 (UK gov't aims for natural gas)The UK government is aiming for natural gas at the expense of its emission cuts targets.
      05 November 2012 (Nuclear reactor safety)US nuclear reactor operators say the absence of a nuclear accident in this hurricane proves they are safe already.
      Examples of foolhardiness:
      "That no bullets hit me in this fight proves I don't need body armor."
      "That I didn't get HIV this week proves I don't need to use condoms."
      "That this storm caused no accident proves we don't need more precautions."
      04 November 2012 (Urgent: Stop sale of chocolate made by child labor)US citizens: call on Whole Foods to stop selling chocolate made by child labor.
      04 November 2012 (Netanyahu joins forces with Lieberman)Uri Avnery: Netanyahu has joined forces with Israel's fascist leader, the Putin-admiring Lieberman, whose propaganda against the Israeli political system follows the lines of Nazi propaganda.
      If they win, it could be the end of democracy in Israel.
      04 November 2012 (Oil companies use PR techniques)Global heating causes hurricanes like Sandy just as smoking causes lung cancer and the American diet causes obesity.
      No wonder that the oil companies are using PR techniques to confuse the issue that were used by the tobacco companies and sugar companies.
      04 November 2012 (Myth of "small gov't" vs "big gov't")Debunking the myth that the election is about "small government" vs "big government".
      04 November 2012 (New York City wealth inequality)New York City has greater wealth inequality than Brazil, and this had its effects in the consequences of the hurricane.
      This also shows that decades of tuning the economy and essential services for efficiency has resulted in very little excess capacity. How many exploded transformers could the US replace in one year? Anything that causes one more transformer than that to explode could result in abandonment of large parts of a city.
      04 November 2012 (Rectification of names)Rectification of names, replacing lies with truth, is essential for a political movement. This includes the movement against the planet-burning plutocracy.
      04 November 2012 (Internaut accused of insulting king freed)One Internaut accused of insulting the king of Thailand has been freed, but only because there was doubt the account was really his.
      When a law is fundamentally unjust, as this one is, administering it fairly prevents only part of its injustice
      04 November 2012 (Without electricity, fancy digital systems stop working)When the electricity go out, food stamps and welfare benefits delivered by fancy new digital systems stop working.
      04 November 2012 (Lawsuits about illegal gov't spying)US courts should learn to hear lawsuits about illegal government spying; other countries have done so.
      04 November 2012 (Union organizers endorse Jill Stein)A long list of union organizers endorse Jill Stein.
      04 November 2012 (Apple points the way to low-wage future)Apple points the way to America's low-wage future.
      04 November 2012 (Urgent: Oppose policy of regarding people as "the enemy")US citizens: tell Obama and Panetta to retract their assertion that communication with the public constitutes "aiding the enemy".
      In effect they are trying to admit, and regularize, their policy of regarding the people as "the enemy". We must not stand for this. Jill Stein for president!
      04 November 2012 (Urgent: Stop delay of whistleblower protection cases)US citizens: Call on Holder to stop delaying the whistleblower protection cases for the people who reported fraud and theft committed by FBI agents.
      04 November 2012 (The weather system)The weather system results from climate, so all the weather we observe now is the result of the changed climate caused by human-made global heating. Natural weather '-- weather not influenced by global heating '-- no longer exists.
      However, it is still the case that many weather events we see now would have been normal and frequent under natural weather. And some events that happen occasionally now might have happened once in a long while under natural weather.
      04 November 2012 (Elections for positions other than president)Ralph Nader suggests how to decide on elections for positions other than president.
      04 November 2012 (Urgent: Call on mainstream media to confront global heating)US citizens: The mainstream media are silent about the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy (and that others will frequently cause) and global heating. Sign this petition calling on them to confront the issue.
      03 November 2012 (Corrupt clique controls Greek media)Kostas Vaxevanis says that the media in Greece are controlled by the corrupt clique that rules Greece, and that corrupt politicians protect the rich from prosecution for crimes such as tax evasion.
      03 November 2012 (Cuts push towns into privatization)US government spending cuts are pushing towns into disastrous privatization.
      Councilor Eichenwald is right to smell a rat. The only way a company could profit by taking over the town's water or sewage systems is by squeezing someone else. It could screw its workers, the water users, or the environment.
      This privatization is the opposite of investment: the town would lose in the long term in order to avoid short-term trouble. A society which does that is foolish. Allowing the plutocrats to rule is the foolishness.
      We must learn to treat corporate-funded criticism of progressives as a sign we should vote for them. They show that the companies fear losing power if we elect that person. Even if the criticism is true, it is unimportant. Suppose a progressive poisoned his mother -- he's better than a right-winger who would let a company poison thousands or millions of people. What counts about any candidate is: will you, if elected, act steadfastly to abolish the power of the rich?
      03 November 2012 (Brooklyn students face choice of voting or failing)A Brooklyn school makes its oldest students choose between voting and failing the year.
      03 November 2012 (Poll watchers trained to check voter ID)The Romney campaign has trained poll watchers to impose nonexistent voter ID requirements. In two different states.
      This is part of an extensive plan to steal the election, which is a backup to the corporate plan to take the election via PR.
      03 November 2012 (James Hanson takes on fossil fuel companies)James Hansen accuses the Democratic and Republican parties of selling the Earth's future to the fossil fuel companies.
      03 November 2012 (Kuwait represses protests)Kuwait has repressed a series of protests.
      03 November 2012 (US govt response to lawsuit by Megaupload user)Faced by a lawsuit to return one user's data from seized Megaupload servers, the US government wants to establish hoops so high and numerous that hardly anyone would try to jump through them.
      03 November 2012 (Greek journalist acquitted)Greek journalist Kostas Vaxevanis, who faced charges for publishing a leaked list of accused tax evaders, has been acquitted.
      03 November 2012 (Imprisonment in India for tweets)An Indian man faces three years imprisonment for tweets vaguely alleging corruption of some government officials.
      03 November 2012 (Internet filtering in Russia)Tsar Putin imposed Internet filtering in Russia, with the usual excuse of "protecting children", but the system is also used to protect his regime from dissent.
      The komissar for telecommunications says he expects Google to censor YouTube according to their rules.
      03 November 2012 (Flaws in Kimberly Process)Due to flaws in the Kimberly Process, diamonds that fund war crimes committed by governments such as Zimbabwe and Israel are certified as ok.
      03 November 2012 (US military budget cuts)The military budget cuts called for by the 2011 budget deal would be no problem for the US. A report suggests how to implement these cuts.
      The cuts in other spending would do a lot of harm.
      03 November 2012 (Syrian rebels kill gov't soldiers)A video shows Syrian rebels killing government soldiers they had captured.
      I can understand hating Assad's men, but we must not accept that as justifying killing them once they are captured.
      02 November 2012 (Legalization of marijuana in US states)A study concludes that legalization of marijuana in three US states could cut the profits of Mexican drug gangs by as much as 30%.
      There are no legitimate grounds to prohibit marijuana. Marijuana can hurt teenagers' developing brains, but it is safe enough for adults.
      There are many reasons why we must end the War on Drugs. It corrupts thugs and officials, gives them an easy way to frame whoever they don't like, ruins lives through botched drug raids, exposes all of us to government seizure of our possessions without a trial, and puts millions of Americans in prison. It means that drug purchases support gangs that do other harmful things instead of providing tax revenue.
      Let's get that war off drugs!
      02 November 2012 (Imprisonment for insults)Bahrain sentenced someone to prison for insulting its cruel monarch on Twitter.
      Kuwait has planned a rigged election and imprisoned an opposition leader for criticizing its cruel monarch.
      02 November 2012 (Loss of power in hospitals)NYC Hospitals Lose Power Once; in Gaza, it is a Constant Crisis.
      02 November 2012 (Argentina's high-tech surveillance)On the Orwellian effects of Argentina's high-tech surveillance.
      SIBIOS is why I decided not go to Argentina again.
      02 November 2012 (Policing the police)Andrew Norton: Is it Time to Police the Police?
      I think the first step is to root out the attitude that presumes they are right.
      02 November 2012 (Hunger strike by Iranian political prisoners)Iranian political prisoners have started a hunger strike to protest degrading body searches.
      02 November 2012 (Israel imprisons Bassem Tamimi again)Israel has imprisoned nonviolent protester leader Bassem Tamimi again.
      Two of the three charges against Tamimi amount to "dissident political activity". As for the other, "assaulting a thug", that probably means hitting the thug's stick with his head or something similar.
      02 November 2012 (Urgent: Investigate American Tradition Partnership)US citizens: call for investigation of American Tradition Partnership for violating tax laws.
      02 November 2012 (World Bank "reform" recommendations)The World Bank recommends "reforms" that attack workers' rights.
      02 November 2012 (Romney's silence on global heating)Tracing Romney's silence on global heating to seeking endorsement from the Koch Brothers.
      02 November 2012 (ALEC routes corporate money to state legislators)ALEC routed 4 million dollars in corporate money to state legislators, effectively buying their support for the right-wing laws ALEC pushes.
      02 November 2012 (Urgent: Real measures to stop global heating)US citizens: call for real measures to stop global heating.
      02 November 2012 (Forced to choose between rent and food in UK)The UK's right-wing government is making poor people choose between rent and food.
      02 November 2012 (Rise in torture accusations against Mexican thugs)Torture accusations against Mexican thugs have increased 500% under the last president.
      02 November 2012 (Barclays fined for manipulating CA energy market)Barclays Bank has been fined almost half a billion dollars for manipulating California's energy market.
      Rather than relying on prosecution and fines, we should limit the use of derivatives which are susceptible to manipulation. However, the banksters, knowing they would lose opportunities to get away with subtle tricks, use their political power to block this change.
      02 November 2012 (Junk food megacorps buy influence)The junk food megacorps are buying influence with the World Health Organization.
      02 November 2012 (Fighting Big Energy's rush)The Battle Against Big Energy's Rush to Ruin Our Planet.
      02 November 2012 (Urgent: Stop buying pork from gestation crates)Everyone: call on Domino's to stop buying pork made using gestation crates.
      02 November 2012 (Romney's record as governor)Romney lies about many aspects of his record as governor of Massachusetts.
      01 November 2012 (Republican dirty tricks)The top 11 Republican dirty tricks, so far.
      The Republican Party considers a free and fair election as an obstacle to be crushed. It is un-American.
      01 November 2012 (Blue Coat equipment)Blue Coat says it didn't intentionally sell equipment for monitoring and censoring the Internet in Syria.
      It was meant for monitoring and censorship in Iraq.
      31 October 2012 (Freedom to link)Superstorm Sandy, Google, France, and Saving the Freedom to Link.
      31 October 2012 (Installing cameras without warrant)In the US, a court says thugs can install cameras in open land without a warrant.
      The article points out that allowing thugbots to do whatever real thugs are allowed to do leads invariably to a tremendous increase in surveillance of everyone by the thugs.
      31 October 2012 (Israeli thug unpunished for shooting boy)An Israeli border thug who shot an 11-year-old boy at a protest has been convicted only of firing his gun inappropriately.
      Unless someone else fired ordinary bullets, it had to be him.
      31 October 2012 (Beijing's tight restrictions)Beijing is restricted so tightly that people must fill out a form to get in a taxi.
      In New York, by contrast, the taxi sends your photo to the police.
      31 October 2012 (Cloudy thinking about computing)The cloudy thinking by many companies about their computing has led them to make web services depend on lots of different servers run by different companies. If any one of them fails, perhaps due to a hurricane, the service may become inoperational.
      The same design practice often means that using one web service enables many servers run by different companies to track you.
      31 October 2012 (Why Chavez won again)Why Chavez Won Again.
      31 October 2012 (Jill Stein arrested for helping tree-sitters)Jill Stein was arrested for bringing supplies to tree-sitters blocking construction of the planet-roaster pipeline.
      The report says that the company is routing the pipeline around the tree sitters, thus giving the lie to previous statements that it could not change the route for all the world.
      However, the pain that Texas landowners are suffering from the construction of the pipeline is nothing compared to what global heating will do to humanity if this pipeline is finished and used.
      Here is a statement published by Ms Stein's campaign.
      31 October 2012 (Global heating ignored in Sandy coverage)US Media Covering Hurricane Sandy Mostly Ignore Whether Climate Change Fueled Storm's Fury.
      The New York Times mentions that sea level is rising, but avoids saying why: global heating, of course.
      31 October 2012 ("Freed trade" treaties)"Free trade" treaties allow countries to use any measures to protect public health or the environment, provided they have no effect.
      31 October 2012 (More inequality and less income in UK)A commission involving businessmen and unionists concluded that the UK will experience increasing inequality and decreased income, and recommended measures to push wages up as well enable people to work.
      Other useful measures would be to help people have fewer children and to help more workers unionize. It would be hard to get such a commission to recommend these.
      31 October 2012 (PR campaign by US sugar industry)The US sugar industry's organized PR campaign ended scientific research into the health effects of eating lots of sugar.
      This enables the sugar company to continue to claim that there is no evidence that eating sugar causes obesity or diabetes.
      31 October 2012 (Bahrain bans all protests)Bahrain's tyranny has overtly banned all protests.
      31 October 2012 (Immunity for murdering civilians)Colombia's president is pushing a constitutional amendment that would give the country's murderous military effective immunity for murdering civilians.
      I heard in Colombia that he was minister of defense when the "false positive" murders took place.
      31 October 2012 (Occupy's criticisms of finance in UK)An executive of the Bank of England says that Occupy London Stock Exchange was right in its criticisms of finance in the UK.
      31 October 2012 (Urgent: Oppose giving immunity to banksters' fraud)US citizens: sign this petition against giving immunity to banksters' fraud.
      31 October 2012 (US Congress paralyzed)Congress is so paralyzed that it cannot defend its own power from the other two branches of government.
      To say that Congress is "polarized" mis-states the problem; "paralyzed" fits it better. The Republicans can block anything in the House, and the Democrats can block anything in the Senate. Thus, it hard to pass any law.
      31 October 2012 (UN Special Rapporteur endorses boycott)UN Special Rapporteur Falk endorsed the boycott of certain companies that support the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
      The US response repeats Israel's practice of using the moribund "peace process" as a smokescreen.
      31 October 2012 (President Carter on Netanyahu)President Carter recognized publicly that Netanyahu has abandoned the goal of peace with Palestine.
      31 October 2012 (Israeli soldiers shoot at Palestinian fishermen)Israeli soldiers shot at Palestinian fishermen, and killed one of them.
      31 October 2012 (Katrina Dybzynska assaulted by Israeli thugs)As Katrina Katarzyna monitored a nonviolent protest in Palestine, Israeli thugs choked her and then dragged her away. She has not been allowed to see a lawyer.
      Israeli fanatics are trying to build a colony on the lands of Beit Sahour, so the Palestinians have begun regular protests.
      31 October 2012 (Colonization of West Bank)Until 1977, Israel tried to treat the inhabitants of the West Bank decently. Then the colonization started.
      31 October 2012 (Overuse of aquifer in Gaza)As Israel has taken 89% of the West Bank's water resources, the aquifer is being emptied and Palestinians' water supply decreases every year. In Gaza, overuse of the aquifer threatens to ruin it permanently.
      Emptying aquifers through overextraction is a world-wide problem. Israel's policies cause this problem to occur more strongly in Palestine.
      31 October 2012 (Gaza-Egypt tunnels)Imports and exports via tunnels have greatly eased the siege of Gaza, but Hamas has developed unexpected bad relations with Egypt.
      31 October 2012 (Hasan Safadi freed)Hasan Safadi ended his second hunger strike and was freed from imprisonment without trial in Israel.
      Safadi ended his first long hunger strike when Israel promised to release him. Then Israel reneged on the deal by extending his imprisonment, so he launched the second hunger strike.
      30 October 2012 (America's Schools)America's Schools: Breeding grounds for compliant citizens.
      30 October 2012 (Vote suppression)Groups Use Fake Letters, Felony Threats to Suppress Vote.
      30 October 2012 (Israel, Palestine)Telling Truths about Israel, Palestine.
      30 October 2012 (UberTaxi)The founder of the regulation-defying taxi company UberTaxi has praised and echoed the ideas of Ayn Rand, and shows Rand-like contempt for mere workers.
      Government regulations can be well or badly chosen, but trying to destroy government regulation is means a society in which businesses trample people at every opportunity. I've seen taxi regulations that I think are cruel (requiring drivers to wear jackets and ties in hot weather, supposedly for my sake '-- I felt ashamed) and even flat-out tyrannical (in NYC, every cab must have equipment to send the customer's photo immediately to the thug department by radio, so I refuse to use cabs in NYC). However, there are also legitimate grounds for some kinds of taxi regulation. One of them is to make sure there aren't so many taxis that each driver is idle most of the time.
      In several cities in Australia, taxis have microphones that record the passengers' conversation. I silently showed cab drivers a note which said,
      Don't speakCab is bugged
      followed by the destination address.30 October 2012 (Climate Activists)Activists have occupied parts of a new gas-fired power plant in the UK to protest fracking and increasing CO2 output.
      30 October 2012 (Greek Journalists)Greek journalists face several kinds of repression from the state.
      30 October 2012 (US Rules)Why the US tends to have ridiculous rules that can be gamed: powerful companies have blocked the simpler reasonable methods.
      30 October 2012 (NY thugs beat up homeless man)New York thugs beat up a homeless man who they found sleeping inside a synagogue-attached school.
      When he explained that he had permission to sleep there, the thugs were not interested in checking.
      Even if resisting arrest justifies something, it can't justify this violence, which was not necessary for any legitimate purpose.
      30 October 2012 (Copyright is not a human right)The Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not call for or advocate copyright as we understand the term.
      The article falls into the widespread error of treating "intellectual property" sometimes as if it were a coherent concept meaningful to talk about, but that doesn't invalidate its argument.
      30 October 2012 (Treatable cancer kills the poor)In Greece, as in the US, treatable cancer kills those who don't have money.
      The families of these people should use their funerals as political rallies to condemn the politicians responsible for killing them.
      30 October 2012 (Sexist bullying vs gentle invitations)Rebecca Watson writes about the sexist bullying that she received after complaining about sexist bullying in the skeptical community.
      The page mentions threats, insults, criticism, and gentle expressions of attraction. To think clearly about these issues, we need to distinguish them clearly.
      The insults are mean and nasty; the threats are mean and nasty and maybe illegal too. I see no excuse (or even basis) for them in the events described here.
      The gentle expression of attraction was a different matter entirely. Some men find a woman attractive for knowing what she stands for and acting capably and firmly to achieve it. I don't think he did her any wrong by suggesting coffee as an excuse for sitting and talking and perhaps going further. It was an harmless offer of something she didn't want.
      Repeated offers of something unwanted can get to be annoying. In some countries, if I have a small bag in my hand, numerous people ask me if they can carry it for me. I call this "obsessive hospitality" and I find it burdensome '-- but I realize it is not mean or nasty. Occasionally I can't take any more and I am short with people who offer me this absurd help, but afterward I feel sorry because I was too harsh with them.
      If Ms Watson finds gentle invitations for sex or romance burdensome because they are so frequent, I will restrain my envy and say the same thing to her that I say to myself. When a practice is meant in good will, but turns out annoying, we ought to explain without rebuke why we want others to change their practice. To say "You must change the way you treat me" does not require "You're being mean to me."
      Dawkins criticized her for complaining about the invitation, saying it was a small matter compared with the oppression some women suffer. It certainly was. I don't know whether her complaint was made in a way that called for this criticism, but he could have said it without the sarcasm.
      All in all, the insults and threats are the more important issue. Having discussed the complex but minor issue of the invitation and responses to it, I suggest the skeptical community focus on rejecting verbal bullying.
      30 October 2012 (More about arrested Greek journalist)More about the Greek journalist arrested for leaking the list of accused tax evaders that the Greek government doesn't want to touch.
      30 October 2012 (Fracking increases overall CO2 emissions)Burning natural gas makes less CO2 than coal, but supposing that remains true when the other effects of fracking are considered, the global effect of fracking in the US is to increase CO2 emissions.
      This is because the substitution of gas for coal in the US has led to a glut of coal, driving down its price and leading to a boom in coal exports. The coal that the US used to burn is still being burnt, just elsewhere.
      This reinforces my conclusion that taxes on fuels and activities that lead to greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to slow global heating.
      30 October 2012 (Ukraine's elections)Ukraine's ruling party claimed victory in the elections.
      Here is how it rigged them.
      30 October 2012 (Woman accused of smuggling heroin faces execution)A woman is facing execution if convicted of smuggling heroin out of Pakistan.
      Ms Shah says other people (in her family?) gave her the luggage to carry. She might be telling the truth, and might be lying. If she gets a fair trial, the outcome cannot be based on certainty; at best it could be based on plausibility of the various possibilities. Even if she is guilty, the death penalty is barbaric.
      It would be much better to end the War on Drugs. Heroin is somewhat dangerous, so I don't recommend legalizing its sale to the public, but making it available legally to registered addicts would wipe out most of the black market as well as any romantic attraction the drug has. That would nearly get rid of smuggling.
      30 October 2012 (Old oil pipelines put Great Lakes at risk)Old oil pipelines owned by a company known for skimping on maintenance could pollute the Great Lakes, ruining the drinking water for tens of millions of people.
      30 October 2012 (Sentenced to prison for defaming Morsi)An Egyptian tv commentator was sentenced to prison for defaming president Morsi.
      He is said to state support for the dictator Mubarak. If so, I disagree with him, but he has a right to say it.
      30 October 2012 (Greek gov't arrests journalist)The right-wing austerity-imposing government of Greece has arrested a journalist for publishing a list of rich suspected tax-evaders.
      The Greek government's policy is to impose suffering on ordinary people, but apparently it intends to protect the rich. As for attacking whistleblowers, that is the finest Obama tradition.
      30 October 2012 (Lawsuit against cartoonist dropped)South Africa's president has dropped his lawsuit against a cartoonist that criticized him.
      30 October 2012 (Urgent: Limit the catch of menhaden)US citizens: sign this petition to limit the catch of menhaden. These small fish, which many larger fish eat, are down 90% from what they used to be.
      30 October 2012 (Urgent: Call on Obama and Romney to explain Sandy)US citizens: sign this petition to Obama and Romney calling on them to explain how global heating makes big and dangerous hurricanes like Sandy more likely.
      30 October 2012 (Petrochemical factory in Ningbo)Environmental protesters in Ningbo pushed the Chinese state into saying it would suspend construction of a petrochemical factory. But they do not trust the government.
      30 October 2012 (Thug charged with torture acquitted)A court in Bahrain acquitted a thug charged with torturing a journalist.
      The US wouldn't even have prosecuted a thug for that.
      30 October 2012 (Bias in genetically modified food studies)Experiments by scientists that distrust genetically modified foods can hardly be more biased that the experiments funded by the seed companies.
      30 October 2012 (Votes by Republicans in House of Representatives)Look at all the ways Republicans in the House of Representatives have voted to make Americans suffer.
      30 October 2012 (US's systematized killing system)Obama has systematized the US's killing system, now called "the matrix", making it massive and likely permanent.
      Of course, the criteria can easily be changed. In the absence of judicial control, whether your name goes on the kill list is up to the president alone '-- this president and any future president.
      29 October 2012 (Use of high technology to attack)Criminals and terrorists can use high technology to attack, just as states can.
      Here are some comments on the article.
      A rich drug gang can afford to set up a cellular telephone system, but the harder problem is to prevent the towers from being shut down. Cell phone towers are radio transmitters, thus trivial to find. Perhaps these towers are set up only for short periods of time, then turned off and taken away. Otherwise, I suppose that Mexican gangs spend even more on paying agents of the state not to find the towers than what it cost to set them up.Comparing Mumbai with Mexico shows that the violence of the Mumbai terror attacks had such a big effect because they were unexpected and shocking, and perhaps because the victims included the very rich. Violence of that level happens from time to time in Mexico, but Mexico is a big place and it doesn't touch most people there. So life goes on. The violence is bad, but it doesn't bring the whole country to a stop.Who will be the first to make viruses to kill an individual person? My guess is that it will be the US government.29 October 2012 (Alarm about cyber-attacks)Alarm about deadly cyber-attacks is exaggerated and self-serving.
      29 October 2012 (Jailing of whistleblower Kiriakou)By jailing whistleblower Kiriakou, Obama's message is: torture is ok, but those exposing torture will be punished.
      29 October 2012 (Advice from rich CEOs)A bunch of rich CEOs who are already ripping off the US treasury gave advice to let them take more.
      Like Reagan's absurd "trickle down", this is supposed to magically make us better off. And like Reagan's absurd "trickle down", it won't.
      29 October 2012 (Romney's positions on foreign policy)Romney's performance in the foreign policy debate demonstrated that his only policy commitment is to change his position as often as it suits him.
      29 October 2012 (Urgent: Investigate evoting machines in Ohio)US citizens: call on Attorney General Holder not to allow Republicans to use electronic voting machines to steal the Ohio election.
      29 October 2012 (SWAT team shoots teen to protect him from himself)A mother in Atlanta called 911 because she thought her son might shoot himself, so a SWAT team came and a sniper thug shot him from a distance.
      How did this happen? Here is a guess. Once Atlanta had a SWAT team, it had to decide when to use it. It wrote rules for when to send a SWAT team, such as, "Whenever someone has a gun and is likely to shoot it." So they sent the team. The SWAT team's mentality is dedicated towards shooting people, so they shot.
      Such harm has happened many times, and will happen again and again until there are fewer SWAT teams.
      A friend said this reminded him of a joke, "Save police time '-- beat yourself up."
      29 October 2012 (David Attenborough on Earth's problems)David Attenborough says, "There is no problem on Earth that could not be solved quite easily if you could reduce world population."
      I am disappointed, however, that the article promotes Bluray disks. They have DRM which has only been broken for some disks '-- the other Bluray disks remain incompatible with freedom.
      If a product is designed to chain you, you must not surrender to it. If you can't break the chains, don't put them on!
      29 October 2012 (Urgent: Block mountaintop removal mines)US citizens: sign this petition to block more mountaintop removal mines.
      29 October 2012 (UK prudes looking to prosecute 1960s pop stars)UK prudes are looking to persecute 1960s pop stars for having sex with possibly underage groupies.
      The idea that stars generally "manipulated" their groupies into having sex is ridiculous. Groupies crossed hurdles to get sex with stars.
      Mr Roffey gives no reason for prosecuting these stars except the existence of a prohibition, which begs the question of whether the prohibition is justified. His idea of "child protection", which he applies to teenagers who were hardly children, is as hypocritical as "protective custody".
      29 October 2012 (Urgent: Prosecute boss who threatened employees)US citizens: call for prosecution of a company boss who threatened employees if they don't vote for Romney.
      29 October 2012 (Pressuring employees about how to vote)In America, the weak protections against companies that pressure their employees about how to vote are hardly even enforced.
      29 October 2012 (Eviction of people from their lands in Brazil)Guarani-Kaiow people in Brazil who were kicked off their lands by violent farmers now face court-ordered eviction from their lands.
      I wonder whether these farmers have a connection with megacorporations.
      29 October 2012 (Torture of prisoners in Ivory Coast)Prisoners linked to former president Gbagbo are being tortured in Ivory Coast.
      29 October 2012 (Use of Twitter in US congressional elections)On the danger that Twitter will be used to manipulate US congressional elections with lies.
      29 October 2012 (Urgent: Apply US law to Israel's use of US weapons)US citizens: support those who have called for applying US law to Israel's use of US weapons.
      29 October 2012 (US gov't military prison regulations published)Wikileaks has published US government military prison regulations.
      Amnesty International is concerned about what it sees.
      29 October 2012 (Harassment of human rights defenders in Israel)Defenders of Palestinian prisoners' human rights face state harassment in Israel.
      29 October 2012 (Indonesian thugs shoot Papuan protesters)Indonesian thugs shot Papuans protesting for independence.
      Papuans never wanted to be part of Indonesia, which has sent large numbers of Javanese to colonize West Papua.
      28 October 2012 (The lesser of two evil candidates)Another argument against supporting the lesser of two evil candidates.
      28 October 2012 (Urgent: Publish US policy for drone bombings)US citizens: call on the US government to publish its policy for drone bombings and make it fit international treaties.
      28 October 2012 (Fascist enclaves among Greek thugs)The government of Greece has tolerated the growth of fascist enclaves among the thugs in order to use them to suppress leftist-organized protests against austerity.
      28 October 2012 (Jamaica's law against homosexual acts)Two Jamaican homosexuals have asked an international commission to criticize Jamaica's law against homosexual acts, calling attention to entrenched bigotry in that region.
      28 October 2012 (Legal to jailbreak phones but not tablets)The Library of Congress has decided it is legal to jailbreak phones but not tablets.
      28 October 2012 (Obama strips seabirds of protection)Obama demonstrates his commitments by offering logging companies a treat: stripping protection from part of the forest where an already threatened seabird hangs on.
      28 October 2012 (Bain threatens to close factory early)Now that workers are protesting against moving the Sensata factory to China, Bain (which Romney still owns part of) is threatening to close the plant early.
      What's most pitiful here is that it is possible to threaten American workers with closing their plant a few weeks before it was going to be closed anyway. They should respond by saying, "Shut it today!"
      The workers should have walked out immediately as soon as Bain told them to help ship their jobs to China, telling Bain, "If you do it, you'll do it without our help and without our knowledge '-- and we hope the business fails as a result." Then, instead of helping their oppressor, they could have done their best to make Bain regret this decision.
      28 October 2012 (350 former generals endorse Romney)350 former generals endorsed Romney, perhaps because they now work for arms companies and he's promising to pay them more money.
      28 October 2012 (Dust bowl in Oklahoma)The great drought has brought the dust bowl back to Oklahoma, and recent pesticide-heavy farming (thanks to GMOs) has made the soil more susceptible to blowing away.
      28 October 2012 (Heirs of Faulkner sue Woody Allen)The heirs of author William Faulkner sued Woody Allen for using in a movie an 8-word attributed quotation from Faulkner's work.
      This is ridiculous opportunism, but if successful, it could make copyright nastier for everyone.
      28 October 2012 (Personal data on web sites)A UK politician is getting flack for advising people to give false personal information to web sites.
      I think his only mistake was to suggest that people trust large commercial sites. Nobody should trust Facebook with personal data. If a social networking system requires correct personal data, we should reject it on principle.
      28 October 2012 (Urgent: Massachusetts solid waste plan)Massachusetts citizens: call on Governor Patrick to move forward with the state's solid waste plan.
      28 October 2012 (Water supplies polluted by fracking)A survey of fracking areas found a large fraction of respondents have become sick from pollution of their water supplies.
      28 October 2012 (Urgent: Support Walmart workers on strike)US citizens: support Walmart workers on strike.
      27 October 2012 (Conviction of Abdelbaset Al Megrahi)A campaign accuses various UK officials of lying in order to convict Abdelbaset Al Megrahi of the bombing of Pan American flight 103 over Lockerbie.
      There are reports that suspicion was turned towards Libya for political reasons despite evidence that pointed towards Syria.
      27 October 2012 (Senator Inhofe wins Rubber Dodo)Senator Inhofe won the Rubber Dodo award.
      27 October 2012 (Berlusconi convicted of tax fraud)Berlusconi has been convicted of tax fraud.
      27 October 2012 (Urgent: Stop India's National Investment Board)Everyone: help stop India's National Investment Board, a new scheme for selling the country to business.
      27 October 2012 (International election monitors threatened)A Texas official threatened to arrest international election monitors.
      27 October 2012 (More on UN call for total Internet surveillance)More about the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime call for total surveillance of the Internet, including a ban on anonymous use in places such as libraries.
      Readers will recognize this as a policy typical of tyrannical regimes such as China, which was imitated to some extent by France under Sarkozy and Italy under Berlusconi.
      27 October 2012 (Questions about drone strike policy)Five Specific Questions Journalists Should Ask About the Drone Strike Policy.
      27 October 2012 (The "I pay more" campaign)The "I pay more" campaign '-- one dollar is more tax than many large corporations pay.
      27 October 2012 (Nobel Peace Prize committee)Mairead Maguire, who received the Nobel Peace Prize, says that the peace prize committee must be reformed.
      27 October 2012 (Urgent: Investigate voter registration fraud)US citizens: call for investigation of Republican voter registration fraud across the US.
      27 October 2012 (Two large publishing companies want merger)Two of the 6 largest publishing companies want to merge.
      Mergers should be absolutely barred between companies so powerful within their fields. Such mergers create companies "too big to fail".
      27 October 2012 (UN report advocates rigorous Internet surveillance)A UN report advocates rigorous surveillance of the Internet, in the name of stopping "terrorists".
      For "terrorists", read "dissidents", since that's who it will be used against.
      27 October 2012 (Playstation 3 jailbreaking effort)Another aspect of the Playstation 3 has been jailbroken.
      Way to go, hackers! (I use the word in the correct sense, even though the domain they are hacking in this time happens to be cracking.)
      Recall that Sony sold the Playstation 3 with the ability to run GNU/Linux or its proprietary system; then it demanded that each user give up one or the other.
      The Free Software Foundation calls for a complete boycott of Sony because of its legal attacks on jailbreakers.
      27 October 2012 (Romney's naval spending adviser)Romney's naval spending adviser knows what he's talking about '-- and how much money he has made from navy shipbuilding.
      Even if we suppose is the good thing for the US to have a powerful navy '-- which depends on whether the US will support or oppose human rights around the world '-- the US navy is so powerful already that any further increase is wasteful as well as unaffordable.
      27 October 2012 (Charter schools big profiteers)Charter schools are big profiteers.
      There are only three ways that charter schools can make money like this: skimping on the students, paying teachers less, or charging the public more. (Of course, one school can combine all three methods.)
      This demonstrates the general rule: privatizing any public service is a bad policy unless it gives the public the direct benefit of competition.
      27 October 2012 (Internet surveillance)Internet surveillance by companies includes information about most US Internet users' political affiliation.
      This is a reason to be careful in how you browse, and block various kinds of surveillance. I browse from shared computers and don't identify myself to any web site I visit. Using Tor and the Tor browser is a good idea too.
      27 October 2012 (Reasons to avoid Internet voting)Reasons to avoid Internet voting.
      27 October 2012 (David Attenborough on global heating)David Attenborough says that only a bigger disaster will make the world start acting to stop global heating.
      27 October 2012 (US request to use UK bases to attack Iran refused)The UK has refused a US request to use its bases to attack Iran.
      The request could be part of a contingency plan. But it could also indicate that Obama really plans to launch another war.
      27 October 2012 (Tibetans asked to stop self-immolation)The Tibetan leadership asks Tibetans to stop setting themselves on fire as a method protest.
      27 October 2012 (Drone bombings may be war crimes)The UN special rapporteur for counterterrorism will investigate US drone bombings and says that some may be war crimes.
      He also talks about the waterboarding that was the centerpiece of the Khmer Rouge's torture.
      One of the few good things ever done by the government of Vietnam was to capture Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge and rescue Cambodians from their genocide. The US opposed this, effectively supporting the Khmer Rouge, as a way of opposing the Vietnamese government, which it still considered an enemy.
      27 October 2012 (New York thug arrested)A New York thug was arrested and accused of plotting to kidnap women to be raped and eaten.
      27 October 2012 (43 days on hunger strike in Turkey)Turkish political prisoners have spent 43 days on hunger strike.
      27 October 2012 (Beijing's new model jail)Beijing has shown off a new model jail.
      Based on previous precedents, I suspect that they will keep treating most prisoners badly and hope we believe that this is typical.
      27 October 2012 (UK thug unpunished after insulting prisoner)A UK thug who called a prisoner "nigger" has escaped all punishment.
      On the one hand, this demonstrates the impunity of the thugs.
      On the other hand, it is wrong for insults (racist or not) to be a crime '-- even for a thug. However, any public official who gratuitously insults members of the public in the course of his work ought to be fired.
      26 October 2012 (UK's 4000 oil spills)The UK has seen over 4000 oil spills and has fined those responsible only 7 times.
      26 October 2012 (Global heating denialist on UK energy committee)The UK government has put a global heating denialist on its energy committee, demonstrating its policy of undermining renewable energy supports step by step.
      26 October 2012 (US presidential debate)Russia Today broadcast a presidential debate including the US candidates that are on the ballot in enough states to win, but shut out by the major media.
      There will be another such debate on Oct 30.
      26 October 2012 (BP asks US to settle)BP is asking the US to settle some of the damages for the Big Spill for only half what they really cost to others.
      26 October 2012 (Urgent: ACLU's advice on ballot questions)US citizens: here's the ACLU's advice on ballot questions.
      26 October 2012 (US military spending and doctrines)The US military keep spending more and changing its doctrines, but keeps losing.
      Perhaps the US military is a success for its real purpose: spending money on the companies that get the money.
      26 October 2012 (Urgent: Vigil to end climate silence)In Boston: join the vigil to end climate silence.
      26 October 2012 (Romney moved every unionized Delphi job to China)Romney would "do nothing to hurt the auto industry", but he moved every unionized Delphi job to China.
      26 October 2012 (Urgent: Support abortion and contraception rights)US citizens: vote for candidates that support abortion and contraception rights. Here's a list.
      26 October 2012 (Urgent: Stop use of paper made from wild forests)US citizens: put KFC under more pressure to stop using paper made from cutting down wild forests.
      26 October 2012 (US sues Bank of America)The US has sued Bank of America for dishonest lending to government home loan systems.
      26 October 2012 (NOAA suppressed information about whale deaths)NOAA suppressed information about whales that may have been killed by the Big Spill.
      26 October 2012 (Hamas launches missiles against Israel)Hamas launched missiles against Israel, saying this was a response to Israeli attacks.
      26 October 2012 (Urgent: Abolish rules that ban Atheists from holding office)US citizens: sign this petition to abolish several states' constitutional rules that ban Atheists (as well as Unitarians, Hindus and Buddhists) from holding office.
      26 October 2012 (Activists assaulted by Israeli solders)Elik Elhannan, from the Estelle, says that Israeli soldiers shot him repeatedly with tasers as he was helpless, and that they beat a Greek MP in prison.
      26 October 2012 (Former Mossad chief says negotiations needed, not war)Former Mossad chief condemns Israeli leadership and Romney, saying that negotiations are needed, not war.
      26 October 2012 (Extremists attack Palestinian harvesting his olives)Israeli extremist "settlers" attacked a Palestinian harvesting his olives near Hebron. Israeli soldiers arrived and took the side of the extremists. They arrested two Palestinians and an Italian for making videos of the attack.
      Another Palestinian was arrested because the extremists threw stones at him as he harvested his olives.
      This is part of a pattern of attacks by colony inhabitants against the Palestinians they want to push out.
      Also near Hebron, a group of "undercover" Israeli soldiers, apparently posing as Palestinians, were also attacked by the extremists.
      "Undercover soldiers" is a strange idea '-- if captured in war, would this mean they can be shot as spies? However, they might represent an attempt by the Israeli government to put a stop to the extremists' violence. I eagerly await analysis from someone such as Uri Avnery who will understand what's really going on here.
      26 October 2012 (Israel's leaders)Israel needs leaders who will tell the truth and make peace.
      26 October 2012 ("God's will")Republican senate candidate Mourdock says raped women should not be allowed abortions because the pregnancy is "God's will".
      By his strange reasoning, there is no reason to treat heart attacks, cancer or infections, or rescue people from burning buildings. Aren't all those events just as much "God's will" as a rape? The Panglossian idea that humans should surrender to bad things because they are "God's will" is at the heart of Christianity and Islam. (I don't think Judaism has the same fatalism.)
      26 October 2012 (Republicans tell voters wrong date and place to vote)Ohio Republicans working for the state told voters the wrong date and place for them to vote.
      The Republican Party has no shame, and would boast of successfully stealing an election.
      26 October 2012 (Nasrin Sotoudeh starts hunger strike)Imprisoned Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has started a hunger strike.
      26 October 2012 (Pakistani Taliban threaten another teenage activist)The Pakistani Taliban threaten to shoot another teenage activist for women's rights.
      26 October 2012 (Russian dissident kidnapped)Russia kidnaped a Russian dissident from Ukraine. Naturally he is accused of "planning terrorism".
      If criticized, Putin can say he is only following the example of Dubya. Until the US conclusively rejects his example, frees the victims of arbitrary imprisonment, and puts the torturers on trial, it will continue to set an example to inspire tyrants around the world.
      26 October 2012 (Turkey harasses and imprisons journalists)Turkey systematically harasses and imprisons journalists who criticize government policies.
      26 October 2012 (Egypt's constituent assembly)It appears that if Egypt's supreme court dissolves the constituent assembly, Morsi will be able to choose the members to replace it.
      So it seems to me that there will be an Islamist constitution either way.
      26 October 2012 (US "aid" for Haiti)US "aid" for Haiti means suffering, and it is no accident.
      26 October 2012 (Humble ebook bundle)The humble ebook bundle has collected a million dollars in voluntary payments in two weeks.
      This bundle avoids two of the three unethical aspects of most commercial ebooks: it has no Digital Restrictions Management, and it doesn't impose an EULA to restrict users more tightly than copyright law.
      The only problem remaining is that there is no way to pay anonymously. On principle, I won't buy a book in a way that identifies me to a data base. I asked them if they would please accept a money order, but was told it would be too difficult to handle those.
      26 October 2012 (Dissidents of Pussy Riot sent to remote prison camps)The dissidents of Pussy Riot have been sent to remote prison camps where their children will hardly be able to see them.
      26 October 2012 (International mining companies in Haiti)Haiti can expect the same suffering from international gold mining companies that they have caused in the neighboring Dominican Republic.
      26 October 2012 (System for testing medicines corrupted)Our system for testing medicines has been corrupted at every level by the pharma companies.
      We should take this testing completely out of their hands. The state should fund all studies, insist on publication of all studies, and pay for them by taxing the pharma companies.
      26 October 2012 (Danger of dependence on computer systems we don't understand)In regard to danger of dependence on computer systems we don't understand, see The Persistent Peril of the Artificial Slave.
      The Airbus crash over the Atlantic, mentioned in the paper, was later analyzed. It seems that the high-level clever flight controls got confused and gave up, reverting the plane to an ordinary flight control mode, but the pilots did not expect this and did not realize they should go back to the old-fashioned manner of controlling the plane that every commercial pilot has learned. They could have coped, but they didn't figure out that they needed to.
      26 October 2012 (US presidential debates)As Obama and Romney Agree on Afghan War, Israel and Syria, Third Parties Give Alternative.
      Corporate lobbyists are in charge of the US presidential debates, and use this power to suppress some issues where the public disagrees with both of the approved candidates.
      Expanding the foreign policy debate with Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson.
      26 October 2012 (Electronic voting)e-Voting Company Could Intercept and Change Ballots Without a Trace.
      26 October 2012 (Mitt Romney's Medicaid claims)Mitt Romney's Medicaid Claims Belie How Block Granting Would Affect the Program.
      26 October 2012 (US officials warning about "cyberwar")With high US officials warning about the danger of "cyberwar", which of our freedoms will they attack in the name of "protecting us"?
      Terrorists are a real danger, but anti-terror laws are a bigger danger. This article points out that the same is true for cybersecurity. Bad security practices are widespread; many of Microsoft's decisions amount to negligence. Aggressively prosecuting such negligence, and actively seeking web sites with bad security of users' personal data so as to fine them heavily, could reduce the real danger by changing the usual practices that developers follow. And it would not attack anyone's rights or privacy.
      Perhaps that's why the Obama regime prefers another approach.
      The author was taken in by treating "intellectual property theft" as a meaningful concept. "Intellectual property" lumps together so many unrelated laws, which have nothing in common in their practical effects and requirements, that its only meaning is confusion. Most of these laws have no connection with theft; for instance, it is impossible to steal a patent or a copyright. (The term "copyright theft" is a bogus propaganda term for "copyright infringement", which is not theft, and usually not a crime although Hollywood would love to make it one.)
      See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.html for more information about this.
      The article also uses the term "hacker" as synonymous with "security breaker", which is unkind to us hackers.
      26 October 2012 (Putin redefining treason)Putin is redefining treason to include political opposition and working with international organizations.
      I think all international scientific organizations should cut off working with Russians if this is adopted, because those Russians would be guilty of treason and we should not lure them into such a situation.
      25 October 2012 (Is execution a form of torture?)Is execution a form of torture?
      Maybe it is. However, extended solitary confinement seems to be much worse, as torture.
      The other reasons to oppose capital punishment are quite sufficient.
      25 October 2012 (CIA whistleblower will go to prison)CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou will go to prison, a great victory for Obama's War on Journalism and Public Knowledge.
      25 October 2012 (New York Thug Department informant quits)An informant recruited by the New York Thug Department quit and said he was ashamed of spying on his friends.
      Such infiltrators have found quite a few people they could entice into terrorist plots, but few who were motivated enough to try anything on their own '-- and they would have been unable to achieve anything.
      25 October 2012 (Dispute about biofuels)A dispute about biofuels '-- between corn farmers and cattle ranchers.
      The interests of the poor around the world who can't afford food, and the need to reduce global heating, do not enter into it.
      25 October 2012 (Egypt's constitution)Egypt's Supreme Court will take up the question of whether to elect a new assembly to write the constitution.
      The implications of this decision have changed since the military rulers tried to dissolve the assembly, and Morsi defied them by reinstating it, since they no longer have power, so pushing them out of power is no longer Egypt's crucial need.
      25 October 2012 (Stingray collects cell phone data)The Stingray collects data on all the cell phones in a given area, effectively a blanket search technique that can search hundreds of people.
      25 October 2012 (Sabotage of Oakland protests by FBI)The FBI worked with private security companies to sabotage and defeat protests in Oakland.
      However, 2/3 of the documents are labeled "classified", in effect treating protests as a threat to national security.
      Right-wing politicians are the real threat to the security if the American nation. They and their cronies think they can make most Americans into oppressed poor. Then when the oppressed American nation fights to protect itself, they pretend that the American nation is a threat to the security of the American nation.
      25 October 2012 (noPhoto)noPhoto is designed to nullify red-light cameras that generate automatic traffic tickets.
      25 October 2012 (Defenders of drone assassinations)Defenders of Obama's drone assassinations follow the same thought pattern as Osama bin Laden.
      25 October 2012 (Privatized court interpreters)The UK privatized its court interpreters, and the service doesn't work.
      25 October 2012 (Sri Lankan Tamils spared deportation from UK)Sri Lankan Tamils were spared deportation from the UK based on evidence they would be tortured if returned there.
      25 October 2012 (Racists set woman on fire)Racists in Louisiana doused a Black woman in chemicals and set her on fire.
      25 October 2012 (Battle against piracy)The world is provisionally winning the battle against piracy.
      25 October 2012 (Qatar to give 400 million dollars to Gaza)Qatar will give 400 million dollars to Gaza to repair damage done by Israel's attacks.
      25 October 2012 (International observers to monitor US elections)International observers will monitor the US elections for voter suppression.
      True the Vote is outraged by this observation, because its mission is to make the election unfair.
      25 October 2012 (Group ordered to remove Jesus & Mo cartoon)The Atheist, Secularist and Humanist group at the London School of Economics posted a Jesus & Mo cartoon and was ordered to take it down.
      Eventually it was vindicated and will keep the cartoon up.
      I am only sad that they are using Facebook to post it.
      25 October 2012 (Inclusion of more candidates in presidential debates)The Green Party and Libertarian Party together are suing to call for inclusion of more candidates in presidential debates.
      It is too late for this year, but it might do good in the future.
      25 October 2012 (Apps designed to encourage teenagers to smoke)Another effect of smartphones: apps designed to encourage teenagers to smoke tobacco.
      24 October 2012 (Urgent: Take Action on Minuteman 13-minute Alert)US citizens: sign this petition to take the Minuteman missiles off 13-minute alert.
      24 October 2012 (Urgent: Call for Investigation of Voter Fraud)US citizens: call on the Virginia Election Commission to investigate a Republican voter registration fraud. (Collecting registration forms from voters, then throwing them away instead of turning them in.)
      It is getting to the point where we should call it the Election Cheating Party.
      24 October 2012 (Urgent: Stand with Jill Stein on Global Heating)US citizens: stand with Jill Stein for ending global heating, instead of Obama and Romney's "burn it all" policy.
      24 October 2012 (UK thug accused of boasting of lies)A UK thug is accused of boasting that he lied and blamed the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.
      24 October 2012 (No Fly list strands passenger in Hawai'i)A passenger was mysteriously stranded in Hawai'i by the No Fly list.
      Since flying is the principal method of long-distance travel in the US, it is inexcusable to deny anyone the right to fly except as punishment for a crime after a fair trial.
      23 October 2012 (Tropical avian malaria in Alaska)Thanks to global heating tropical avian malaria is now infecting birds in Alaska. Populations never before exposed could be wiped out by the parasite.
      I don't think most birds could open and reseal mosquito nettings when they leave the nest to seek food for their chicks. Just for fun, it would be interesting to see if some parrots or corvids could learn to do this.
      23 October 2012 (Oil leaking from BP's containment dome)The Big Spill is not leaking, but the experimental containment dome which failed to hold in the oil did collect some oil. That oil is now leaking out of the dome.
      A containment dome with a large tank and a collection pipe for ships to empty the tank might perhaps be of use in future spills.
      23 October 2012 (Convicted of manslaughter for making a report)Italian seismologists were convicted of manslaughter for making a report, for the state, saying they saw no particular reason to expect a large earthquake in L'Aquila.
      They did not say there would be no large earthquake, only that they did not think the many small quakes implied there would be a large one.
      As the scientists say, this is a horrible decision.
      More information.
      23 October 2012 (Amazon wipes user's Kindle)Amazon wiped a user's Kindle and deleted her account, then offered her kafkaesque "explanations".
      23 October 2012 (Russian opposition's Internet election)The Russian opposition held an Internet election to choose a shadow government, but it was blocked by some sort of interference with the server.
      For a real election, voting by Internet is utter folly. Since these people are not being elected to positions of real authority, maybe it is tolerable.
      23 October 2012 (Gov'ts grow increasingly repressive online)Governments Grow Increasingly Repressive Online, Activists Fight Back.
      23 October 2012 (Microsoft's changed privacy rules)Microsoft just made changes similar to Google's much-criticized privacy rules, yet people are not criticizing Microsoft.
      Maybe this is because the people who disapprove have been worn out opposing Google's change. Or maybe it is the targeted ads that they really hate.
      For me, this issue of combining data bases is secondary, because the danger is in the fact that Google and Microsoft collect the information, not in what they do with it. Once a US company collects information, Big Brother can take all of it under the PAT RIOT Act. Big Brother can combine all the data even if the company doesn't.
      As for the targeting of advertising, I don't see that as bad in itself. When the targeting seems creepy, that's because it shows Internet users how much data is being collected about them. The targeting is a diagnostic sign; the collection is the disease.
      23 October 2012 (Rowan Atkinson favors legalization of insults)Comedian Rowan Atkinson speaks in favor of legalization of insults in the UK. His point, however, is more general: feeling offended is no excuse for censorship.
      I think he gives too much credit for good intentions to the authors of this unjust law. Anyone who can't see this is a violation of human rights does not belong in a position of public responsibility.
      23 October 2012 (Italy bans cash payments over 50 euros)Italy has decided to ban cash payments over 50 euros.
      I will limit my own purchases to under 50 euros when I am there, but Italians won't be able to do this. In fact, I suspect some will be unable to pay utility bills.
      23 October 2012 (Romney on the uninsured)Wendell Potter: Romney tells the same bullshit about the uninsured that Potter wrote as a flack for the insurance companies.
      It is noteworthy that the uninsured have a 40% higher risk of death.
      23 October 2012 (Solitary confinement in California)Shane Bauer spent 26 months in prison in Iran waiting for a trial in which he was forbidden to talk with his lawyer. Four months were in solitary confinement. He reports on solitary confinement in California, where the conditions in the prison he visited are much worse and last far longer.
      Their hearings for solitary confinement are more absurd than Bauer's joke of a trial in Iran, since they can't have lawyers. What they have in common with Bauer's trial is that the supposed evidence against these people is kept secret from them. Naturally, much of it is bogus, an excuse to put in solitary whoever the guards want to put there. It includes evidence from informants who have been driven half crazy by years in solitary confinement, and know they can get out only by inculpating other prisoners.
      This ties in with the prison industrial complex that profits from making the US the country with the highest fraction of its population in prison.
      23 October 2012 (Israeli marines intercept Gaza-bound ship)Israeli marines boarded the Estelle to stop it from reaching Gaza.
      One of the passengers was Yonatan Shapira, a former Israeli air force pilot who refused to bomb Palestinian cities.
      23 October 2012 (Fair taxation)Fair taxation: raise billionaires' tax rates to what they were under Nixon '-- or maybe even Eisenhower.
      This, by the way, is part of what makes Obama more right-wing than Nixon.
      23 October 2012 (False confession in Japan)A false confession in Japan.
      23 October 2012 (Definition of "Democrat")The definition of "Democrat".
      23 October 2012 (US and UK thugs reckless with tasers)Thugs in the US and UK are enjoying the opportunity provided by tasers to attack people more often, with less hesitation.
      Whatever rules are made, thugs will stretch them and break them unless they are severely punished when they do.
      23 October 2012 (UK thugs lied to frame striking miners)UK thugs lied to frame striking miners who they attacked.
      The facts were established long ago, but they have enjoyed impunity until now.
      23 October 2012 (Abortion law in Uruguay)Uruguay has legalized abortion, but makes women jump through hoops to get it.
      23 October 2012 (Plans to undo land reform in India)India's sellout government, working together with Walmart, plans to undo land reform.
      23 October 2012 (Thugs in Atlanta torn)Thugs in Atlanta are torn between supporting an ex-detective facing eviction and their right-wing general leanings.
      In terms of economic interests, the thugs are indeed part of the 99%. But their job is to defend the power of the 1%, and usually they do it enthusiastically.
      23 October 2012 (Romney's adviser)The man who promoted the financial derivatives that led to the financial crisis is Romney's adviser.
      23 October 2012 (Polluters attack Clean Water Act)Polluters are attacking the Clean Water Act, and seek to continue dumping raw sewage into rivers and lakes.
      23 October 2012 (Urgent: Abolish UK law against insults)UK citizens: support the campaign to abolish the law against saying anything that offends someone.
      23 October 2012 (Social networking systems)Although social networking systems can have positive uses, they can strip away all privacy from a social gathering, and even lure adults into childish competitions for how much they can reveal about themselves and others.
      I don't use any social networking system, unless you count email and this web site. I think I am better off without them.
      I urge everyone to say, in every social gathering, "If you take any photos of me, please don't put them on any web site without asking me first." Even if there is nothing particularly private about the gathering or the conversations there, even if there are no secrets as such, it is still good to encourage people to think about others' privacy.
      I don't say that in my speeches because the speeches are public events. I do, however, ask people not to post any photos of me on Facebook.
      23 October 2012 (Campaign to repeal laws that trample human rights)The Civil Liberties Australia has launched a campaign to repeal Australian laws that trample human rights.
      We need such a campaign in the US too. A government that fails to respect human rights is far more dangerous than any other terrorists.
      23 October 2012 (Facebook does the right thing for once)For once, Facebook did the right thing. It was asked to shut down a page that presents photos of suspected undercover thugs' cars, and refused.
      This page may benefit some thieves, but it will also help dissidents, and that is a more important issue. Meanwhile, the biggest thieves, the banksters, don't need this information because states allow them to be above the law.
      Even though Facebook did the right thing on this occasion, it is a problem for such activities to depend on any company's good will.
      23 October 2012 (Study on tolerance for THC)A study shows humans develop a tolerance for THC. What does this imply about use of marijuana?
      22 October 2012 (Romney made 15 million from auto bailout)Romney made 15 million from the rescue of the automobile companies.
      22 October 2012 (Urgent: Protect parts of Southern Ocean)Everyone: support protecting parts of the Southern Ocean.
      22 October 2012 (Urgent: Limit surveillance of dissidents in US)US citizens: support the ACLU's campaign to limit surveillance of dissidents in the US.
      22 October 2012 (Urgent: Rebuke Fox News for denying global heating)US citizens: rebuke Faux News for denying global heating.
      22 October 2012 (Ireland scraps computerized voting machines)Ireland has scrapped its computerized voting machines, recognizing that they cannot be trusted.
      22 October 2012 (Excuse to let multinational companies avoid taxes)Some sort of licensing between related corporations has become an excuse to let multinational companies avoid taxes.
      Because the article uses the vague term "intellectual property" to hide the details, it doesn't tell us what they are licensing. But in this case it does not really matter what they are licensing. It might be something of no real value, since it is only an excuse.
      22 October 2012 (Lion sex potions)Chinese fools looking for sex potions have switched from tigers to lions, so lions are being wiped out, and South Africa's President Zuma doesn't want it talked about.
      Why don't they use viagra? It's not made from an endangered species, it's much cheaper, and it really works.
      22 October 2012 (ACLU fights coverup of CIA torture)The ACLU fights the orwellian coverup of CIA torture.
      22 October 2012 (Outing people who are nasty on the Internet)On the ethical significance of outing people who are nasty on the Internet.
      Threatening Amanda Todd and posting her photo was nasty. But this alone would not have hurt her very much, without the cruel context in which it occurred. What did the real damage was the response of society to the photo.
      Much of our society condemns and sneers at women for showing their bodies. It is taboo, and violators of the taboo are undeservedly scorned. This is what drove Ms Todd to suicide. It is no better than condemning and attacking women for showing the hair on their heads, which happens in some parts of the world that are even more twisted than our own.
      Without this scorn, that photo's publication would have been one of the many embarrassments that teenagers live down '-- nothing more.
      However, I would guess that Ms Todd's suffering started much earlier. Most 13-year-olds don't seek to chat on the Internet with adults they don't know. The ones who do are generally disturbed; i.e., hurt. My hunch is that there was something bad about her life before age 13. I have no idea what it might be. But if this hunch is right, it would have predisposed her to chat with that man and maybe also to grant his request. It would have been the first blow in the series of blows that led to her suicide. The publication of the photo was the second, and the attacks by others the last.
      If the question is to judge the man who published the photo, his actions were contemptible. But if we focus instead on Ms Todd, her suffering, and how to save others from similar suffering, it seems to me that the last blow, and maybe the first, are the points where action can do real good while avoiding repression.
      22 October 2012 (Authorization to attack foreign computers)The Netherlands is considering legally authorizing its thugs to attack foreign computers.
      The US government has effectively adopted a similar policy with no law and no discussion by Congress.
      22 October 2012 (Security holes in pacemakers)Security holes in pacemakers can be used for murder.
      The article does not say whether the bug is in software. I wonder whether it could be used to write free software and install it. Perhaps that free software might not have the security hole.
      22 October 2012 ("Defaming the king" in Bahrain)Bahrainis face imprisonment for "defaming the king".
      Many countries make it a crime to criticize or insult certain people. All such laws are injustice and shame whatever state imposes them.
      22 October 2012 (Gov't secrecy under Obama)Obama has taken government secrecy to a new level, with help from Congress and little resistance from the press.
      22 October 2012 (Replacing medical care with vouchers)How the Republican plan to replace medical care with vouchers would kill thousands of Americans.
      22 October 2012 (Reporters arrested in Zimbabwe)Many reporters in Zimbabwe have been arrested and the thugs steal their equipment. Often they face criminal charges for reporting.
      22 October 2012 (Pakistani Taliban threatens journalists)The Pakistani Taliban threaten to kill journalists that criticize them.
      22 October 2012 (YouTube's biased copyright system)It's Time to Fix YouTube's Biased Copyright System!
      I think the root of the problem is depending on a centralized service for distributing videos on the Internet.
      There are things about YouTube I consider bad '-- for instance, the site requires the user to run some nonfree software or other (either Flash Player or the nonfree Javascript in the page). Google ought to fix that. The "Content ID" system is another problem, which this article talks about.
      Even if those were fixed, it would still be bad to depend on a centralized system. Google faces pressure for censorship, and it does business in many countries, which enables them to force Google to censor as they demand. The only solution is not to use such a system.
      This is why the Free Software Foundation does not use anyone else's video service. We distribute videos ourselves.
      22 October 2012 (Romney calls school vouchers "school choice")Romney doesn't want to say he promotes school vouchers, so he calls them "school choice", but it is really the same thing.
      22 October 2012 (Right-wing tax reductions)Right-wing tax reductions are responsible for poverty and the increasing national debt, and even reduced the entrepreneurship that they were supposedly going to stimulate.
      22 October 2012 (Urgent: Protect salmon in Oregon)US citizens: support the plan to protect salmon in Oregon.
      21 October 2012 (Exit polls cancelled in 19 US states)Exit polls have been cancelled in 19 US states, making it harder to tell if elections are stolen.
      However, the poll results were already "adjusted" for a mysterious pattern, the "red shift". It seems that the official totals systematically slant Republican compared with the exit polls.
      So either people who vote Republican are ashamed to admit it to election pollsters, or the totals are being distorted by fraud.
      There is some evidence of the latter. In 2004, in Ohio, this "red shift" was observed in Ohio counties that used certain scanners to count the ballots, but not in counties where people did the counting.
      20 October 2012 (Romney's Bailout Bonanza)Romney's Bailout Bonanza.
      20 October 2012 (Foreign bribery)Big Oil and the US Chamber of Commerce Fight to Keep Foreign Bribery Flourishing.
      20 October 2012 (Austerity worsens recession)Britons protested in London against austerity policies that were supposed to stimulate the economy but, predictably, did the opposite.
      Keynes showed that the way to end a recession is deficit spending. Spending cuts make it worse. When the elites propose to respond to a recession with cuts, it shows that their goal is not to end the recession but to use it to grab more wealth and power away from the rest.
      They are fighting a class war, and the rest of us, if we don't want to be suckers, must organize to fight back. Jill Stein for president!
      20 October 2012 (Copyright cruelty)The record companies dropped their "three strikes" case against a New Zealand student after having caused her so much grief that she had to move out of her apartment.
      The advice that you should fight back when accused is, of course, correct, but individual resistance is not enough '-- collective resistance is needed too. That means organizing to defeat all politicians that take the copyright industry's side against the people of New Zealand.
      While copyright cruelty is just one of many important political issues, politicians that side with one industry against the people are likely to side with other industries against the people too.
      20 October 2012 (Mis-marking Dalit students' exams)Universities in India systematically gave Dalit students failing grades by mis-marking their exams.
      20 October 2012 (Trapwire surveillance system)What we know about the Trapwire surveillance system: supposedly meant to detect would-be terrorists, it's really more important against dissidents.
      20 October 2012 (Disproportionate media attention)When occasionally a company working on renewable energy fails, it get disproportionate media attention '-- which enables Romney to lie.
      20 October 2012 (Romney's "tax plan")The US media let Romney get away with touting a "tax plan" whose details he refuses to reveal.
      20 October 2012 (Urgent: Preserve Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid)US citizens: sign Bernie Sanders' petition to preserve Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
      20 October 2012 (Another pipeline alongside Keystone XL)Enbridge, whose pipeline had a million-gallon oil spill that polluted Michigan, wants to build another pipeline alongside the Keystone XL planet roaster, and just as big. Plus more.
      We can't kill the Earth more than once. Pumping out the tar sand oil twice as fast (or even more) will make the full extent of the disaster arrive quicker, but won't make the ultimate disaster worse.
      However, if and when the world starts trying to reduce the disaster, more pipelines could be additional obstacles to success.
      20 October 2012 (Lebanon's security chief assassinated)Lebanon's security chief was assassinated as he was preparing a case against a powerful politician, accused of joining with Syria to plan bombings and assassinations.
      20 October 2012 (Urgent: Question on global heating in last presidential debate)US citizens: call for a question on global heating in the last presidential debate.
      20 October 2012 (Documents prove spying by Boston "fusion center")The ACLU published documents proving that the Boston "fusion center", through which local, state and federal thugs exchange information about the public, has systematically spied on political opposition groups with no grounds.
      The fusion centers threaten our freedom and do no good. Get rid of them all!
      20 October 2012 (Twitter shuts down neo-Nazi account)Twitter shut the account of a neo-Nazi group because the German state told it to.
      I disapprove strongly of Nazis and their racist ideology. At the same time, I uphold their right to present their views even though, due to my ancestry, I may well be one of the targets of their hatred.
      This group is accused of making a "threatening video". Depending on what's in it, it could be legitimate to prosecute them for that. However, banning any organization without trial (on mere accusation) is a violation of fundamental human rights, and that punishment without trial can hardly be an ethical justification for Twitter to pour on more punishment without trial.
      20 October 2012 (Execution of political prisoners in Iran)An international tribunal is trying to investigate the execution of thousands of political prisoners in Iran under Khomeini.
      20 October 2012 (Urgent: Condemn prosecution in Uganda of play producer)Everyone: sign this petition condemning the prosecution in Uganda of the producer of a play.
      20 October 2012 (Urgent: Reject false and misleading political ads)US citizens: call on local TV stations to reject false and misleading political ads from SuperPACs.
      20 October 2012 (US subsidizes coal mining for export)The US subsidizes coal mining for export to Asia.
      While this is against the US's short term competitive interest, subsidizing coal for US use is also against the US' interest in long term survival of civilization. We must keep it in the ground.
      20 October 2012 (Israel orders expansion of West Bank settlement)Israel has ordered a big expansion of a settlement in West Bank land that Israel has relabeled as Jerusalem.
      20 October 2012 (Activists jailed)Repressive grand juries land three activists in jail.
      20 October 2012 (Zero-tolerance policy for violence by thugs)Greece needs a zero-tolerance policy for violence by thugs.
      So does the US.
      20 October 2012 (US setting up system to track car travel)ACLU: the US is quietly setting up a total system for tracking car travel, as found in the UK, and the thugs are looking forward to having it.
      20 October 2012 (UK homeless led into slavery)Homeless people in the UK are being led into slavery by offers of a place to stay.
      This is thanks to the austerity practiced in the UK, without which they wouldn't be homeless.
      20 October 2012 (Karzai refuses foreign monitoring of election)Karzai refuses to allow foreign monitoring of Afghanistan's next election.
      The motive for this decision can be adduced from the corruption of the last election.
      19 October 2012 (Urgent: Free Majd and Abdelateef Obeid)Everyone: call on Israel to free Majd and Abdelateef Obeid, who were arrested and jailed for being inside their house.
      19 October 2012 (Koch brothers pressure employees to vote Republican)The Koch brothers sent mail to 45,000 employees pressuring them to vote Republican, while threatening employees who express other political views.
      19 October 2012 (EU's "60 years of peace")The EU, which was created around 20 years ago, is being applauded for "60 years of peace" now that it inexplicably received the Nobel Peace Prize.
      The BBC said "seventy years of peace" '-- but 70 years ago was 1942. I don't think there was peace in Europe in 1942.
      I criticize some of the specific points in the article. Yugoslavia was not broken up or destroyed by a military intervention; the intervention came later, and ended the Serb attacks against Bosnian Muslims. I supported the intervention in Afghanistan initially, and initially it appeared to result in peace and an end to Taliban oppression.
      Nonetheless, the article is useful for its main points. And what it says about Kissinger, Mother Teresa and Obama is valid.
      19 October 2012 (Repression of homosexuals in Uganda)Repression of homosexuals in Uganda has reached the point of prosecuting the producer of a play with a homosexual character.
      19 October 2012 (Islamist harassment spreading in Egypt)Islamist harassment is spreading in Egypt.
      Defeating religious oppression is a crucial battle for human rights.
      19 October 2012 (Urgent: Demand question about global heating)US citizens: demand a question about global heating in the last presidential debate.
      Let's put the heat on them about their plan to pour the heat fatally on us.
      19 October 2012 (Would-be bomber falls for FBI sting operation)Another would-be bomber has fallen for an FBI sting operation.
      If he indeed came to the US with the intention of carrying out a bombing, then I see nothing wrong with the operation. The usual problem with these stings is that the FBI appears in many cases to have stimulated the desire in people who, left to themselves, would not have had the idea of attacking anything.
      19 October 2012 ("Private equity" takeover companies)"Private equity" takeover companies are antisocial '-- and they're even dishonest at it.
      18 October 2012 (Computerized medical devices vulnerable to viruses)Computerized medical devices in hospitals are vulnerable to viruses, and perverse laws don't allow the hospitals to fix them.
      My conclusion: nonfree software is as unjust in these machines as it is anywhere else.
      18 October 2012 (Voting machines in Ohio)Rigged voting machines could steal the election in Ohio as they apparently did in 2004.
      18 October 2012 (Protest passes home, residents inside arrested)Two Palestinians were arrested for being in their home while a protest passed by.
      18 October 2012 (Romney's 31 lies in 41 minutes of debate)Romney told 31 lies in 41 minutes, breaking his own record.
      Neither Romney nor Obama mentioned global heating, the elephant in our biosphere.
      The argument about who can reduce gasoline prices is especially harmful. We need to keep the oil, gas and coal in the ground, and that requires high prices for fossil fuels.
      18 October 2012 (Third-party candidates debate)Expanding the Debate with Third-Party Candidates Jill Stein, Virgil Goode, Rocky Anderson.
      18 October 2012 (Sanctions endanger lives of Iranians)Western governments refuse to recognize that the Iran sanctions endanger the lives of Iranians with cancer and other diseases.
      They should provide these medicines gratis to Iran if they are serious about not blocking them.
      18 October 2012 (Russian protest leader arrested)Russian protest leader Sergei Udaltsov has been arrested and could be imprisoned for 10 years for the crime of leading an opposition movement.
      18 October 2012 (Rwanda's defense minister)Rwanda's defense minister is accused of leading a rebel group in the Congo that commits many atrocities.
      These rebel groups mainly seek to control profits from mining.
      18 October 2012 (UK thugs taser 61-year-old blind man)Thugs in the UK tasered a 61-year-old blind man who was walking slowly with a stick, which they thought was a sword.
      A drunkard with a sword might be dangerous, but not as dangerous in practice as thugs with tasers.
      18 October 2012 (Carcinogenic pesticide)Inorganic arsenic, used as a pesticide, is carcinogenic; it may be dangerous to eat rice often.
      18 October 2012 (Libyan rebels murdered captives)Libyan rebels murdered Mutassim Gaddafi and 66 of his supporters after capturing them.
      18 October 2012 (Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala arrested)Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala were arrested protesting the presidential debate from which they were excluded.
      18 October 2012 (Israeli demographics)Israel is moving demographically towards a form of right-wing religious Zionism that will make anyone secular want to leave.
      18 October 2012 (San Francisco "clipper" cards)San Francisco "clipper" bus and train cards clip your privacy '-- and can keep data for 7 years.
      And someone who walks by you could scan it to determine your travel history, too. Unless you keep it in a radio-proof container.
      The Charlie Card system in Boston also records passengers' travel. This is why from time to time I empty my card, give it away, and get a new one.
      18 October 2012 (Verizon selling customers' data)Verizon is selling data about its customers' calls and Web browsing.
      18 October 2012 (Israel fires missile at Gaza)Israel fired a missile at Gaza and wounded 10 civilians.
      The missile was aimed at two people alleged to be planning an attack. If that's true, this is still a lot of civilian casualties.
      18 October 2012 (Israel's use of US arms)Calling on Congress to examine whether Israel uses US arms to violate human rights.
      18 October 2012 (Israeli fanatics in Al-Khader town)Israeli fanatics built a "settlement" in the lands of Al-Khader town, and now are cutting down the residents' olive trees to drive them out.
      Similar attacks are widespread, as they are every year.
      Palestinians responded with a protest occupying a road that the Israeli army does not allow them to use.
      18 October 2012 (Ukraine allows voters to sell votes)Ukraine's voting system allows voters to sell their votes and prove that they voted as ordered.
      18 October 2012 (US support for coup in Maldives)Why does the US support the coup in the Maldives?
      The vague and mild messages that the US are its usual way of pretending to be concerned while actually giving support. Compare with Honduras and Bahrain.
      18 October 2012 (House Science Committee)Republicans have filled the House Science Committee with people who condemn science outright.
      18 October 2012 (Executives threatening employees)Many company executives are threatening their employees with losing their jobs if Romney does not win.
      People with guts would tell the CEO to stick it to himself, but Americans have lost the habit of resisting corporate abuse, and Obama is hardly trying to motivate working Americans to fight.
      18 October 2012 (Chomsky on Cuban missile crisis)Noam Chomsky writes about the Cuban missile crisis, and the US-sponsored military and sabotage attacks against Cuba that led the Soviet Union to put missiles there.
      The article omits to mention one significant factor. While the US treated the people of other countries (such as Guatemala and Iran) with contempt, it practiced a certain level of democracy and human rights, which it had come to symbolize. The Soviet Union and Cuba practiced neither democracy nor human rights. This did not justify the US's treatment of Guatemala and Iran, and other countries, but it meant that the Cold War was not a contest with moral parity.
      I wonder, however, to what extent Castro might have respected the human rights of Cubans more if the US had not waged a low-intensity war against Cuba.
      18 October 2012 (Tax on financial transactions)Europe is making progress towards adopting a small tax on financial transactions.
      This tax was originally proposed by Tobin to stabilize financial markets by discouraging rapid speculation for tiny profits. Bringing in revenue is will be a nice bonus.
      17 October 2012 (Urgent: Remove billboards intended to scare voters)US citizens: call on Clear Channel to remove billboards apparently intended to scare minority group voters.
      17 October 2012 (Urgent: Name a new Secretary of the Treasury)US citizens: call on Obama to name a new Secretary of the Treasury, and not the banksters' man.
      17 October 2012 (Urgent: Education for girls in Pakistan)Everyone: call on Pakistan to extend to the whole country the support for education for girls.
      17 October 2012 (This Land Is Mine)Another painfully funny work of genius from Nina Paley.
      17 October 2012 (Lithuanian voters oust right-wing gov't)Lithuanian voters tossed out their right-wing austerity government.
      If Americans want to do likewise, they must vote for Jill Stein.
      17 October 2012 (Abuses against Dalits)India has a law against some kinds of abuses against Dalits, but the thugs and the courts ignore it, and it doesn't even cover many everyday forms of discrimination.
      17 October 2012 (Gary McKinnon won't be extradited to US)Gary McKinnon will not be extradited to the US, but the unjust one-sided extradition treaty between the US and UK remains in force, and the government plans to eliminate some safeguards.
      17 October 2012 (Violent repression in Sudan)Sudan is back at work in violent repression.
      17 October 2012 (Birth defects in Falluja and Basra)Linking birth defects in Falluja and Basra to toxic metals in US bombs.
      People have generally suspected Depleted Uranium, but if it turns out to be lead or mercury, the conclusions differ only in detail.
      17 October 2012 (EU may stop growing crops for biofuels)The EU may end its stupid policy of growing crops for biofuels.
      If farmers complain, ignore them. Let them eat their crops '-- i.e., grow something for people to eat.
      17 October 2012 (Risk of fertilizing ocean algae)Attempts to sink carbon dioxide by fertilizing ocean algae risk backfiring disastrously.
      On the other hand, letting the CO2 accumulate in the ocean is also causing disaster through acidification.
      Which disaster is worse? I don't know enough to judge, but I suggest it is not a straightforward decision, and depends on facts we could learn through experiments such as this one.
      17 October 2012 (TEPCO neglected safety precautions)TEPCO admits that it caused the Fukushima disaster by neglecting recommended safety precautions.
      17 October 2012 (The Green New Deal)Jill Stein explains the Green New Deal.
      Since I will be outside the US on election day, I had to cast an absentee ballot. I have already voted for Jill Stein for president.
      17 October 2012 (Grain shortage despite record harvest)This year's grain harvest will be the third largest in history, and we have a shortage anyway. However, in coming years, extreme weather is likely to devastate production.
      17 October 2012 (Freedom of speech under assault)Freedom of speech is under assault across the Western World.
      17 October 2012 (Sanctions block food and medicine to Iran)Exports of food and medicine to Iran are regularly blocked by financial sanctions.
      I'm convinced that the Iranian nuclear enrichment program relates to nuclear weapons. Nothing else would plausibly explain the regime's persistence and its rejection of other ways of getting fuel for reactors. However, it appears that Iran intends to hold short of the development and construction of the weapons.
      If the US hopes that inflicting pain on Iranians will lead them to overthrow their government, this is utter folly. A few years ago many of them did want to overthrow their government, when it attacked them in the streets. That government is no less oppressive today, but now that they are being attacked by foreigners, their reaction is patriotism.
      17 October 2012 (Biden pretends he did not vote for wars)Biden voted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but pretended in the debate not to have done so.
      16 October 2012 (Threat to 3D printing)Threatening 3D printing with mandatory DRM.
      The fact that someone has a patent on this idea actually has nothing to do with scheming to impose it. The patent might encourage companies to fight harder against such a scheme.
      16 October 2012 (Urgent: Boycott American Crystal Sugar)In the US: support the boycott of American Crystal Sugar on account of its lockout.
      16 October 2012 (Assad's forces cluster bombing populated areas)Assad's forces are dropping cluster bombs in populated areas.
      The US has done likewise. The US refuses to sign the convention to ban cluster bombs.
      16 October 2012 (Morgan Stanley sued for racial discrimination)Morgan Stanley Sued for Racial Discrimination in Pushing Predatory Loans to Black Homeowners.
      16 October 2012 (Urgent: End silence about global heating)US citizens: sign this petition to end the silence about global heating.
      16 October 2012 (Malala Yousafzai)Malala Yousafzai, the heroic girl shot by a Taliban fanatic, is unconscious and has been sent to the UK for medical treatment.
      I fear that she will never really recover.
      16 October 2012 (UK Drug Policy Commission recommendation)The UK Drug Policy Commission recommended decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs, as well as growing marijuana for personal use.
      The government ruled this out in advance, of course, because its drug policy is based on demonization rather than the public good.
      16 October 2012 (Libya's new prime minister)A human rights lawyer is Libya's new prime minister.
      16 October 2012 (Mental stimulation crucial around age 4)Mental stimulation around age 4 is crucial for cognitive development later in life.
      This has lessons for social policy: if we arrange to give children in deprived families mental stimulation at that age, they will be more capable throughout their lives.
      16 October 2012 (Harborside medical marijuana dispensary)Oakland has sued the US Government to try to protect the Harborside medical marijuana dispensary.
      16 October 2012 (Irresponsible use of SWAT teams)Thanks to federal funds, lots of small US cities now have SWAT teams. Of course, they feel they must make use of them, so they are assigned to carry out many searches and raids "just in case". This means innocent people regularly get hurt.
      This time a 12-year-old sleeping girl got seriously burned.
      16 October 2012 (Opposition to UK Snooper's Charter)19,000 Britons wrote to a parliamentary committee to oppose the Snooper's Charter. Zero wrote to support it.
      16 October 2012 (Urgent: Support Walmart workers on strike)Everyone: support Walmart workers on strike.
      16 October 2012 (Urgent: Oppose ACTA-style punishments)EU citizens: The Canada-Europe free exploitation treaty specifies ACTA-style punishments for Internet users. Contact your national government to oppose this.
      16 October 2012 (Turkey proposes requiring ID to access Internet)Turkey's government proposes to require people to enter government ID numbers to access the Internet.
      16 October 2012 (Nigerian journalist wins lawsuit against thugs)Nigerian journalist Desmond Utomwen, who was beaten unconscious by thugs while covering a protest, won a lawsuit against the thug department.
      16 October 2012 (Venezuela's secret service)A journalist says secret documents prove Venezuela's secret service tracked his team, and infiltrated opposition groups. As his team tried to leave the country, they were interrogated and their computers were erased.
      The US has a regular practice of examining and even confiscating the computers of dissidents entering the US. I am not sure whether it does this when they leave.
      The UK has had undercover thugs infiltrate opposition groups for decades.
      I am disappointed that Chavez does likewise.
      16 October 2012 (Lax security at Swedish nuclear power plants)Greenpeace activists demonstrated the lax security at Swedish nuclear power plants by sneaking in, staying overnight, then telling reporters.
      16 October 2012 (Violent evictions in China)Violent evictions are on the rise across China as local governments unofficially seize land.
      Why do the victims kill themselves instead of killing one of the officials responsible?
      16 October 2012 (Absurd charges against Liu Futang)Environmental activist Liu Futang is on trial on absurd charges for telling the public about environmental damage near where he lives.
      16 October 2012 (Legalizing Internet protests)A lawyer argues for legalizing Internet protests a la Anonymous.
      16 October 2012 (Medact calls for banning drones)Medact calls for banning drones, because they inflict fear on everyone in the areas where they are used.
      16 October 2012 (Guatemalan army attacks indigenous protest)The army in Guatemala attacked an indigenous protest, wounding and killing protesters.
      16 October 2012 (The biggest danger to our privacy)The biggest danger to our privacy isn't specifically corporate data mining or government massive wiretapping. It's the combination of the two.
      16 October 2012 (Rackspace)Rackspace advocates abolishing software patents.
      16 October 2012 (Neda Soltani)Neda Soltani's photo was mistakenly used instead of that of the dead Neda Soltan, so the thoroughly dishonest Iranian regime tried to force her to pretend to be Neda Soltan and still alive. She had to flee the country.
      I hope that her memoirs becomes available in paper copies that don't attack the reader. Until then, don't buy a copy! We should never buy an Amazon ebook. No matter how admirable it may be as a work of literature, its manner of distribution is execrable.
      16 October 2012 (London sting operation lures people into crime)A London sting operation meant to catch thieves has lured many people into committing their first crimes.
      16 October 2012 (British people stuck with Olympic games bill)The selling point for the London Olympic games was that they would lead to better sports programs and improve British people's health. But the politicians have not bothered to follow through.
      The businesses have got what they wanted, the surveillance agencies have got what they wanted, and the people are stuck with the bill. Thus, the politicians see no need to give them anything. Perhaps they intended it all along as a scam.
      I have nothing against a sporting event as such, even though I recommend not granting them very much importance. However, the Olympics impose a wide range of harmful policies, so I urge people in Madrid, Tokyo and Istanbul to organize now against holding the 2020 Olympics there.
      16 October 2012 (Swedish Pirate Party's platform positions)The Swedish Pirate Party's platform positions on copyrights, patents and trademarks.
      I agree with all three of these positions. I do suggest, however, that it would be better not to group together these three issues and only these three. Why would anyone group together these three unrelated laws? I suspect it reflects the mistaken concept of "intellectual property".
      15 October 2012 (Urgent: Support Grassroots Democracy Act)US citizens: phone your congresscritter to support the Grassroots Democracy Act. Also sign this petition.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      15 October 2012 (The empire directed by the US)The empire directed by the US has inherited the evils of previous empires.
      Although it is more militarily superior than any previous empire was, it becomes ever less able to defeat popular resistance.
      It is a mistake to refer to this empire as "American" or "US", because its rulers are not the officials in Washington, but the billionaires and corporations that control its elections, laws and policies.
      Democracy means government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Elections are the mechanism of democracy, but elections controlled by the powerful are not democracy, not in the US any more than in Russia.
      15 October 2012 (Weapons of Mass Distraction)Dennis Kucinich: Weapons of Mass Distraction: The Big, Long Lie about Iraq Lingers Still.
      15 October 2012 (US presidential debates)The US Presidential Debates '-- Illusion of Political Choice.
      15 October 2012 (Cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid)Is cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid Obama's next plan? This article argues it is.
      Paul Ryan has proposed a scheme to wreck Medicaid.
      What it comes down to is that most Americans are no longer of any use to the rich, who have concluded it is better to let them die.
      15 October 2012 (UN warns of food crisis next year)Thanks to global heating, world food production is falling, supplies are dwindling, and food prices are rising around the world. The UN warns of a food crisis next year.
      The rational response would be to curb greenhouse gas emissions and promote contraception. However, between the oil companies and the twisted religions, humanity is unable to respond rationally.
      15 October 2012 (Obama's free exploitation treaties)Obama's free exploitation treaties did not even produce their supposed benefit of increased exports.
      But no matter '-- they achieved their real goal, to undermine democracy. In this area, Obama is no different from Clinton and Dubya.
      15 October 2012 (Third-party candidates challenge Biden and Ryan)Expanding the VP Debate: Third-Party Candidates Challenge Biden & Ryan on War, Economy, Healthcare.
      15 October 2012 (Paul Ryan's lie about Social Security)How a debate question prepared the way for Paul Ryan to lie about Social Security.
      Ryan pleaded repeatedly for federal spending in his district, then condemned Democrats for that spending in the debate.
      15 October 2012 (The harm done by software patents)The New York Times presented a thoughtful article about the harm done by software patents.
      Although pretty good overall, the story has a few gross confusions. For instance, it says that, "Patents are vitally important to protecting intellectual property," as if "intellectual property" had some independent meaning. In fact it is just a posited abstraction of patents and other unrelated legal privileges, which makes the statement is a tautology '-- in effect "Patents are vitally important to having patents".
      Likewise, when Apple says, ''If we can't protect our intellectual property&#8221, it is a fancy way of saying ''If we can't use patents to sue other companies.''
      As for Professor Kesan, when he says that "intellectual property works fine", he knows full well that his statement applies to a dozen or so unrelated laws, all but one of which have nothing to do with this issue. This alone shows that he is trying to pull the wool over people's eyes. And the argument he gives, "Even rules that need improvements are better than no rules at all," attacks a straw man: abolishing patents from any field would not result in no rules, but rather in clearer, simpler and more predictable rules for doing business in that field.
      Has anyone investigated whether Kesan has financial interests in patents?
      When the article says that Creative Technology applied for a patent for a "'portable music playback device that bore minor similarities to the iPod", readers could get the impression that the patent was based on a specific product that resembled an iPod. I don't know whether that company ever made such a product, but if so the patent had nothing to do with it. A patent is never legally based on a specific product, even if the patent applicant made some product that the patent covers. Every patent application describes an idea and it is judged based on the idea; actual products are irrelevant. The significant point is that Creative Technology's patent described an idea that the iPod seemed to be an instance of.
      The article errs when citing, in this context, Apple's statement that some Samsung products were "copies" of Apple products. This statement had to do with a different legal claim about the appearance of the products '-- nothing to do with patents.
      15 October 2012 (Imprisoning people for jokes)The practice of imprisoning people for unfunny sick jokes has made British comedians afraid they will be next.
      15 October 2012 (Freed Pussy Riot prisoner promises continued protests)The one Pussy Riot prisoner who was freed promises to use her freedom for continued protests.
      I suspect that the reason why the judges' deliberation didn't take long is that the decision was made in advance.
      15 October 2012 (Public Broadcasting Service)The Right Won't Defund PBS '-- and the Left Won't Save It.
      15 October 2012 (Endangered sea turtles and birds on US beaches)New restrictions about driving on some US beaches have enabled endangered sea turtles and birds to resume breeding there.
      15 October 2012 (Economic case for abolishing patents)A report presents an economic case for abolishing patents entirely.
      The report is long and technical; here's an article that acts as a summary.
      The report seriously tries to generalize about copyright and patents, calling them "intellectual property". This leads the authors into a substantial error on page 3, where the report says that free software software operates "absent intellectual property". In fact, nearly all free software is copyrighted, and nearly all free software licenses (including copyleft licenses) are based purely on copyright.
      This error does not invalidate the substance of the arguments presented against patents, but it should serve as a warning not to use that term. If it lures even experts into error, do you think you can use it safely?
      Why, though, did they think of trying to generalize about copyright and patents together? Because they are economists, and economists find a narrow economic aspect in the two laws that they can generalize about. However, this narrow focus is misleading for political consideration of either of these laws, since it disregards their disparate requirements and disparate effects.
      The shorter article also uses that term, but in the usual unthinking way. It doesn't really try to talk about copyrights, so if you consciously read "patents" whenever it says "intellectual property", it makes sense.
      15 October 2012 (Lying acknowledged as Republican strategy)Lying in presidential debates is a Republican strategy acknowledged in the 80s.
      Romney's team admitted the same strategy for the whole campaign.
      15 October 2012 (Urgent: Right of first sale)US citizens: Call on Obama to support the right of first sale.
      15 October 2012 (Church demands that woman reject gay son)An archbishop demonstrates Christian Cruelty demanding that a woman change her mind about respect for her gay son.
      The archbishop, and his church, are entitled to their views. But these views are repugnant.
      15 October 2012 (Prison for wearing shirt with slogans in UK)A man was sentenced to prison in the UK for wearing a shirt with slogans that might offend thugs.
      One could perhaps read the slogan on the back as an incitement to violence, but it doesn't seem serious, and that's not what he was accused of.
      People should not be imprisoned for any opinion '-- even if everyone else considers that opinion "reprehensible". What's truly reprehensible here is the UK's repression of dissent.
      15 October 2012 (Spending on protecting endangered species)Protecting endangered species requires spending a substantial amount '-- half as much each year as banksters get in bonuses.
      15 October 2012 (Urgent: Responsibly-caught tuna)US citizens: call on Walmart to sell only responsibly-caught tuna.
      15 October 2012 (Efforts to stop Hispanic citizens from voting)Systematic Republican efforts to stop Hispanic citizens from voting.
      15 October 2012 (Nobel Peace Prize)"Is This a Joke?" after Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the European Union.
      15 October 2012 (Investigation into torture by Bush forces)An investigator resigned from the UK investigation into torture by the Bush forces, saying it was set up as a whitewash.
      15 October 2012 (Wikileaks requests donations)Wikileaks' web site now pushes visitors to either donate or publicize it. Since it is so easy to bypass this, it is effectively just a request, so it can't be any harm.
      I'd say it reflects the damage caused by the US's distributed denial of service attack against Wikileaks, which blocked most people from donating to Wikileaks.
      15 October 2012 (Congressman pressures lover to get abortion)Anti-abortion Republican Congressman Desjarlais pressured his pregnant lover to get an abortion.
      15 October 2012 (Shutting down a web site under the DMCA)A 16-word quotation was the excuse to shut down an entire web site under the DMCA.
      15 October 2012 (DNA samples from coffee cups)US companies do DNA sequencing on samples taken from coffee cups.
      15 October 2012 (Private insurance plans operating under Medicare)Private insurance plans operated under Medicare are making Medicare more expensive. In other words, they are a rip-off.
      14 October 2012 (Urgent: Criminal investigation of Murray Energy)US citizens: call for a criminal investigation of Murray Energy for ordering employees to contribute to election campaigns.
      14 October 2012 (Urgent: Unmuzzle scientists)US citizens: call on federal agencies not to muzzle scientists.
      14 October 2012 (Urgent: Fight plan to rig election in Florida)US citizens: stand against the plan to rig the election in Florida.
      14 October 2012 (Disney stops buying paper made by clearing rain forests)Activists convinced Disney to stop buying paper made by cutting down Indonesian rain forests.
      The description of the extent of the Disney empire reminds me of the need to break up such large companies.
      However, I expect this will not stop the loggers from cutting down those trees. They will cut down the trees to grow palm oil, and sell the paper somewhere or other.
      14 October 2012 (Romney's Bain shipping factory to China)Protesters were arrested blocking Romney's Bain from shipping a factory to China.
      14 October 2012 (Prisoners' description of torture classified secret)The US regime claims that prisoners' description of how they were tortured is classified secret.
      This will, I suppose, be an excuse to refuse to ever release them. If they were released, they could talk about their torture, and that would never do.
      14 October 2012 (Greek thugs use protester as human shield)Greek thugs grabbed a protester and used her as a human shield.
      14 October 2012 (Offer to relax sanctions on Iran)Western powers are starting to offer relaxation of sanctions on Iran as part of a deal on uranium refining.
      Maybe this means they now seriously want a deal.
      14 October 2012 (Cuban blogger jailed and beaten)A Cuban blogger was jailed for 30 hours, and apparently beaten badly since she lost a tooth.
      14 October 2012 (Problems caused by genetically engineered food crops)A report on the practical problems caused by genetically engineered food crops.
      I think the recommendations are too weak. Farmers must have the right to save, trade and replant seeds.
      14 October 2012 (Virus-infected computer)A virus-infected computer was used remotely to post threats of violence, leading to an accusation against the computer's owner.
      One piece of advice that should have been in the article is to use GNU/Linux '-- there are very few viruses for our system.
      14 October 2012 (Prohibition of drugs)Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico call for changes in the treaty that demands prohibition of drugs.
      Instead of begging the arrogant US for changes, they should withdraw from the treaty and then do as they see fit.
      14 October 2012 (Pussy Riot)Putin's judge freed one of the members of Pussy Riot, while the other two had their appeals rejected and were sent to prison.
      Maybe he thinks that if he imprisons only two singers instead of three that people will forgive him.
      13 October 2012 (Kagame imprisons and kills opposition and journalists)Kagame has brought progress and general peace to Rwanda, but imprisons and kills opposition leaders and journalists even in exile.
      13 October 2012 (UK road-building schemes)The UK government wants to restart road-building schemes that were killed years ago.
      The government spending would do some good for employment, but why spend in a way that presupposes and encourages increased use of fossil fuels? Why not use the money to encourage renewable energy instead? The same UK government keeps cutting the funds for that.
      Putting the two together, the effect is to transfer money from renewable energy to fossil fuels. Perhaps the fossil fuel companies are behind this.
      13 October 2012 (Right-wing-biased BBC accused of left-wing bias)The right-wing UK government will investigate accusations that the BBC has a left-wing bias.
      Given that the BBC's persistent right-wing bias has just been demonstrated, this must be intended as intimidation to increase the right-wing bias.
      13 October 2012 (Workers strike against Walmart)Workers are on strike against Walmart in many states, both in warehouses and in stores.
      13 October 2012 (Forced marriages in Asia)In Asia, many women and girls are forcibly married.
      The people described in this article have been horribly mistreated. They were forced into marriage, beaten, denied contraception and thus forced to bear children, and/or denied medical care. These acts are wrong regardless of the victim's age.
      Girls are more vulnerable because they typically have less strength (of various kinds) with which to resist their families than a woman would have. Thus, special programs to protect girls from these abuses may be needed. However, that is no reason to conclude that marriage for someone under 18 is inherently wrong.
      Raising the minimum age for marriage, even to more than 18, could be justified if necessary to reduce population growth.
      13 October 2012 (Urgent: Extend tax credits for wind power)US citizens: sign this petition to support extending tax credits for wind power.
      13 October 2012 (President of Paraguay approves GMO corn)The unconstitutionally installed president of Paraguay has approved GMO corn. Peasant farmers fear genetic contamination.
      Superweeds and superpests as in the US will follow in a few years.
      13 October 2012 (RFID cards imposed on high school students)High school students in Texas are resisting the imposition of RFID cards.
      I wish MIT students had resisted them. The building where my office is located has doors opened by RFID cards '-- I call them "pox cards" '-- but I refuse to carry one. So I have to find other ways to get in.
      13 October 2012 (Romney flipflopping on abortion)Romney is flipflopping on restricting abortion, trying to be all things to all men.
      Of course, if elected he will surely be up to no good.
      13 October 2012 (Leader of Kazakhstan's opposition sentenced)The leader of Kazakhstan's opposition has been sentenced to 7 years in prison.
      13 October 2012 (Increased weather disasters)A giant insurance company says, expect global heating to bring increased weather disasters.
      They can't afford to wait decades to be absolutely certain in hindsight. They need to use the best rational conclusion based on current information, and this is it.
      Governments also need to act based on the best rational conclusion based on current information. However, unlike this company, governments are under the control of the fossil fuel industry which won't allow them to do it.
      13 October 2012 (US House of Representatives favors dirty energy)The US House of Representatives has voted 223 times in favor of dirty energy in just two years.
      13 October 2012 (US support for Bahrain's repression)The US government showed its support for Bahrain's repression with a new trade and investment scheme.
      13 October 2012 (Warrantless wiretapping unpunished)The EFF's heroic effort to punish the companies guilty of warrantless wiretapping has been rejected by the Supreme Court.
      13 October 2012 (Accusations of kidnapping)Jeremy Forrest and Megan Stammers ran away to France as a couple, and were captured walking hand in hand. Now he has been charged with kidnapping her.
      I am sure they won't let her spoil the accusation by telling the truth, such as, "Nonsense, he did not kidnap me. I love him. Please let him go!" They are surely demanding that she endorse their distorted view of the situation.
      Thus, I expect she is being brainwashed by her family to say (and even believe) that he did her a horrible wrong, one that would excuse the treachery of testifying to put him in prison. If she yields to that pressure she will be mentally twisted by it. When the article talks about "support" for her, it probably means additional pressure for her to endorse this lie.
      This is not to say that the two were heroic lovers headed for a beautiful romantic future. It seems that neither of them thought very far about their plans to get away. If they had been thinking clearly, they would probably rather have waited a year or two, then lived together legally. That would have given him time to get divorced if it seemed necessary that he be single.
      That they were not thinking carefully about how to have a future together suggests their relationship might not have lasted. They might not have what it takes to thread life's maze and reach the desired exit. They might not know each other well enough to have a basis to believe they will continue to love each other. However, those shortcomings are frequent among people. They can hardly justify punishing someone.
      The support Megan needs is help in resisting the pressure to commit a treason she would spend the rest of her life trying to justify. Even if there is little chance this couple will be happy together for many years, she needs the chance to try, so that if and when it fails she will see that it failed from its nature, and not as a martyr to the cruelty of family and state.
      13 October 2012 (Privatization of fishing quotas)Privatization of fishing quotas is not necessarily effective for protecting fishing stocks.
      Since Europe needs more employment, perhaps privatization of quotas would work better if combined with a ban on some efficient but destructive fishing methods.
      I suggest that the first goal should be sustainable fishing, and the second goal should be to maximize the number of fishermen who can make a living from sustainable fishing. As means, I propose to let fishermen catch as much fish as they can using the permitted methods, and keep the operation sustainable by regulating who may fish and by what methods.
      13 October 2012 (Georgia prison scandal)The prison scandal that brought down Georgia's president is no side issue. Georgia has embarked on a US-style imprisonment binge, combined with Soviet-style rubber-stamp courts that make it futile to plead not-guilty.
      11 October 2012 (Americans object to tracking)Don't believe Suckerberg '-- a poll finds Americans do object to tracking of their browsing.
      I think tracking by the state is more dangerous than tracking by corporations. The state can specifically arrest you or kill you if you're a "terrorist" (i.e., dissident). Corporations can't.
      The main danger of corporate surveillance in the US is that whatever info the corporations collect about you is available to the state without a warrant, under the PAT RIOT act Act.
      11 October 2012 (3/4 of Americans believe global heating)3/4 of Americans now believe global heating is affecting the weather.
      However, it won't make a difference what Americans think as long as they vote for candidates who don't want to take action to correct the problem (such as Romney and Obama).
      11 October 2012 (US psychiatrists overprescribing)US psychiatrists in the US has been seduced by the drug companies into overprescribing, and it is so pervasive that they may not recognize what has happened.
      11 October 2012 (Greek thugs attack anti-fascist protesters)Greek thugs arrested anti-fascist protesters, tortured and wounded them, then threatened to give their names and addresses to violent fascists for further reprisals.
      The thugs' spokesman responded in the best tradition of thugs: he said this accusation couldn't be true, since Greek thugs would never do such a thing.
      This is why I call them "thugs": to reject the presumption that we should expect them to be honest or good.
      The victims compared their treatment to US torture practices. Isn't it a shame, my fellow Americans, that our country deserves this comparison? That it has not prosecuted the torturers so as to restore its honor?
      11 October 2012 (Putin's regime to ban children from public Wifi)Putin's regime plans to ban children from access to public Wifi networks.
      11 October 2012 (Activists face harassment for taking photos)Environmental activists face systematic harassment for taking photos of refineries in the US.
      A man in Texas was harassed by the FBI for taking photos of storm clouds.
      Answering questions for the FBI can be very dangerous. Even innocent answers to innocent questions can give them an excuse to prosecute you.
      The supposed threat of terrorism is also the excuse for massive surveillance of Americans' communications. This threat is almost entirely a myth, but it's a very handy myth.
      10 October 2012 (US Citizens: Abortion Rights)US citizens: call for a question about abortion rights in the vice presidential debate.
      10 October 2012 (UK's Bill)Opposition to the UK's secret courts bill.
      10 October 2012 (Indigenous Protesters)Indigenous protesters stopped construction of the Belo Monte dam.
      10 October 2012 (Censorship in the UK)More censorship in the UK: it is a crime, apparently, to wish for UK soldiers to be killed in war. Or perhaps the crime is wishing they would go to hell.
      Would it be a crime, I wonder, to express a wish for them to be defeated but not physically harmed? That too might offend some.
      "Freedom of speech" limited to statements that don't offend is an absurdity. The UK must repeal its law that criminalizes Internet postings that offend.
      10 October 2012 (UK Minister Accused)A former UK minister has been accused of lying to MPs to cover up Britain's role in handing over Libyan dissidents to Gaddafi for torture.
      The CIA participated too, of course. But the US has already completely crushed any attempt to probe these actions.
      10 October 2012 (Bank Fraud)The US sued Wells Fargo Bank for fraud amounting to around 200 million dollars.
      Why no criminal prosecution of the people involved?
      10 October 2012 (FOI Requests)The US government has outsourced handling of FOI requests to companies.
      This seems to be an attempt to evade the law. However, even aside from that, privatization of government work is just an excuse to degrade working conditions.
      10 October 2012 (Israel's Government)Israel's right-wing government no longer wants criticism from leftist academics.
      10 October 2012 (Bahrain's Highest Court)Bahrain's highest court confirmed the sentences of medical personnel accused of treating protesters who had been wounded by the thugs.
      10 October 2012 (K: Legal Action)Legal action in the UK against the export of parts for US killer drones.
      10 October 2012 (Right-Wing Extremists)An Islamist fanatic shot an outspoken 14-year-old Pakistani political activist in the head.
      These right-wing extremists hate women who show any independence.
      10 October 2012 (President Morsi)President Morsi has pardoned all protesters accused of crimes during the protests that brought about Mubarak's ouster.
      10 October 2012 (Urgent: Ban honeybee-killing pesticides)US citizens: call on the EPA to ban the pesticides that are killing honeybees.
      10 October 2012 (Urgent: No licenses for Arctic oil drilling)US citizens: call on Obama and Secy of the Interior Salazar not to give licenses for drilling for oil in the Arctic.
      10 October 2012 (Urgent: Support striking Walmart workers)In the US: support striking Walmart workers.
      10 October 2012 (Organizing resistance to war in Afghanistan)Organizing resistance to the war in Afghanistan among the US troops due to be sent there.
      10 October 2012 (US and EU freeze aid to Kagame's regime in Rwanda)The US and EU have frozen aid to Kagame's regime in Rwanda because it seems to be fueling rebels in the Congo.
      10 October 2012 (Effect of video screens on children)Some doctors say that children under three should never watch video screens.
      10 October 2012 (Leader of Mexican Zetas gang killed)The leader of the Mexican Zetas gang seems to have been killed in a battle with Mexican marines.
      I doubt that his death will make much difference to the gang or its operations. There are generally many ambitious would-be replacements.
      10 October 2012 (Urgent: Support "Do the Math" tour)In the US: support the "Do the Math" tour to strengthen the movement to stop global heating.
      10 October 2012 (Man in UK jailed for joke)A man in the UK was jailed for posting a sick joke about a kidnaped and possibly murdered girl.
      The UK's censored media don't dare tell you what the joke was, but it is shown in slashdot.
      The joke is gross, with too little wit to rate a groan. (I'm not one of those who considers mere grossness humor.) However, people should not be imprisoned for their jokes, not even lousy, tasteless jokes.
      The judge said the joke is offensive. It is, but imprisoning people for saying something offensive is tyranny. Putin demonstrated this point by defending the imprisonment of Pussy Riot on the grounds that their name is offensive.
      Of course, there are many differences between a puerile and unfunny joke about a kidnaped child and a protest against a tyrant. Those differences are relevant to other judgments, which is why we admire Pussy Riot and not this humorist. However, those differences are not relevant to the question of whether these people should be in prison.
      Freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend anyone.
      10 October 2012 (Campaign of violence and by Quebec thugs)Quebec thugs mounted a sustained and massive campaign of violence and lies against the protest movement in Quebec.
      An investigation is not enough '-- the thugs who injured protesters, or lied, must be locked up.
      10 October 2012 (US ISPs acting as anti-sharing police)The main US ISPs have begun acting as unofficial anti-sharing police.
      This is designed to stop people from cooperating '-- in other words, it is divide-and-conquer. It is not just nasty, it is completely mean-spirited.
      10 October 2012 (Fire prevention funds)Federal Government Consistently Runs out of Money to Fight Fires, Pays for It By Cutting Fire Prevention Programs.
      The long-term necessary fire-prevention measure is to curb global heating, and of course the US doesn't dare do that either.
      10 October 2012 (Protests banned in Greece)Greeks protested Merkel's visit to Greece, intended to "support" the flunkies carrying out her austerity policies, so the same flunkies banned protests.
      10 October 2012 (Turkish whistleblowers accused of "terrorism")A leftist Turkish whistleblower group has been accused of "terrorism".
      10 October 2012 (Warning for pregnant women)Pregnant women are warned not to eat birds killed with lead shot.
      I've read that the California condor has the same problem: it is a scavenger, and when it occasionally eats an animal killed with lead shot, it can be poisoned.
      09 October 2012 (Hugo Chavez reelected)Hugo Chavez won reelection, but his margin was smaller than in the past.
      09 October 2012 (Rwandan civilians tortured)Rwandan civilians have been tortured into false confessions.
      It sounds horribly like the US.
      09 October 2012 (Urgent: Call on Trader Joe's to support GMO labelling)US citizens: call on Trader Joe's to support the California GMO-labelling initiative.
      09 October 2012 (Repression of dissidents in Belarus)Belarus officially imprisons some dissident leaders, but more often they are disappeared or killed.
      09 October 2012 (Foreigners influencing US elections)The Corporations United decision has led, as predicted, to foreigners' spending money to influence US elections.
      09 October 2012 (Obama's willingness to gut Social Security)How Obama subtly signaled his willingness to gut Social Security.
      09 October 2012 (Pakistan's army blocks anti-drone protesters)Pakistan's army blocked 10,000 anti-drone protesters from entering Waziristan.
      08 October 2012 (Urgent: Free unjustly imprisoned Yemeni journalist)US citizens: Call on Obama to allow a pesky Yemeni journalist to be freed from unjust imprisonment.
      His supposed crime is interviewing members of al Qa'ida. If Obama acts to keep someone in jail over that, it shows the plaintiffs worried Obama will imprison them without trial are right.
      08 October 2012 (Apple product manufacturers strike)Apple product manufacturers went on strike after Apple demanded they do better work but wouldn't give them more time to do it.
      08 October 2012 (Students protest in Italy)Students in Italy protested against education cutbacks.
      08 October 2012 (Distribution of baby formula in hospitals)Hospitals in several states have agreed to stop distributing baby formula, since its distribution leads mothers to disregard the hospitals' medical recommendation to breast-feed their babies.
      08 October 2012 (Cuban journalist kicked out of Spain)A Cuban journalist was arrested and taken back to Havana when she tried to cover the trial of the driver who accidentally killed Oswaldo Paya.
      The driver is associated with the right-wing Partido Popular in Spain. That party, now in power, also represses dissidents. In addition, it obeys the banksters' orders to make life horrible for most people in Spain. Given the choice, I'd prefer repression under Castro to repression plus exploitation under the PP.
      08 October 2012 (Bogus DMCA requests)Bogus DMCA requests are damaging large numbers of web sites.
      08 October 2012 (Romney's financial disclosure reports)Calling for a criminal investigation of Romney for lying in his financial disclosure reports.
      I predict that the Republicans that tried to impeach Clinton for lying about a private matter will claim that Romney should suffer no penalty for this lie.
      08 October 2012 (Journalists in Ethiopia arrested)In Ethiopia, foreign journalists covering protests are arrested and harassed, but Ethiopian journalists get imprisoned.
      08 October 2012 (Jeremy Hammond)Jeremy Hammond is accused of obtaining and leaking the Stratfor files. Here his defenders explain their support for him.
      Here for comparison purposes is a statement of the indictment against him.
      If Hammond and/or others did indeed make charges on some credit cards he obtained this way, I would consider that wrong unless they can show some specific justification for it.
      07 October 2012 (Drones with facial recognition technology)Drones with facial recognition technology could soon follow anyone everywhere.
      This could be useful for catching minor criminals, as well as dissidents. But it will do nothing to protect us from the most dangerous criminals '-- the banksters that ruin millions of lives with their frauds, and the politicians that start wars of aggression, because our sell-out governments don't prosecute them.
      07 October 2012 (Vatican sentences whistleblower to prison)The Vatican has sentenced its corruption whistleblower to several years in prison, focusing on punishing the messenger so as to ignore the message.
      I wonder if Obama's persistent attacks on whistleblowers was an inspiration to them.
      07 October 2012 (Pushing for more sanctions on Iran)Several countries are pushing to tighten economic sanctions on Iran, which are already pushing the country into suffering comparable to Greece and Spain.
      Iran is already offering to negotiate about its uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting the sanctions. If the goal of these sanctions is to end Iran's uranium enrichment, why does the US not offer to end the sanctions as part of a satisfactory deal?
      07 October 2012 (World distracted from occupation in Palestine)Although Netanyahu has not got the US to bomb Iran, he has distracted the world mostly from the occupation of Palestine.
      07 October 2012 (Why US gov't doesn't want Iran to have nuclear weapons)A politician admits the real reason why the US government doesn't want Iran to have nuclear weapons: it would deter US attacks and increase the regime's influence.
      It would be unfortunate for those murderous tyrants to get more influence, and I would stop them from getting nuclear weapons if I could do it by snapping my fingers. However, doing it through an attack that would kill thousands of civilians from the toxic chemicals alone would be wrong even if it had a chance of working '-- which it doesn't.
      I suggest that we Americans instead put more effort into restraining our own government from acting like Iranian tyrants. Obama claims the power to kill or imprison anyone without a trial '-- different in detail from the Iranian tyrants, but fundamentally the same evil.
      07 October 2012 (Tibetans imprisoned for sharing information)Tibetans have been imprisoned for transmitting information about protests to the outside world.
      07 October 2012 (Journalist denied permission to work in Morocco)Morocco's government functionaries denied a journalist's permission to work because they disagreed with a statement in his article.
      07 October 2012 (Thugs cameras can read mail envelopes)Thugs' cameras in Lansing, Michigan, can read the names off your mail envelopes as you take the letters out of your mailbox.
      07 October 2012 (Chevron trying to subpoena private information)Chevron is trying to subpoena private information about people who have merely stated opinions about Chevron's legal case in Ecuador.
      07 October 2012 (Urgent: Ban "conversion therapy")US citizens: ask your state governor to support a ban on the "conversion therapy" sometimes imposed on gay adolescents.
      07 October 2012 (Does marijuana fight cancer?)Marijuana helps people cope with the intense nausea caused by cancer therapies. Does it also fight cancer? Thanks to US laws, there is no way to follow up on promising research.
      07 October 2012 (Protests against Haiti's US-imposed president)Haiti's US-imposed president Martelly has inspired mass protests.
      Obama is personally responsible for imposing President Martelly on Haiti.
      07 October 2012 (Obama defends his power to imprison without trial)Obama is actively defending his power to imprison Americans without trial by appealing the court decision that temporarily blocked it.
      Obama said he was unhappy with this provision, but he cannot evade responsibility for this step.
      07 October 2012 (Urgent: Allow sick leave for restaurant staff)US citizens: tell the owner of Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants to allow their staff sick leave, instead of making them work while sick.
      07 October 2012 (Web filtering in US schools)Web filtering in US schools harms students' education, as well as their freedom.
      07 October 2012 (Thugs in Uganda)Thugs in Uganda arrested an opposition leader, then beat up journalists who were covering the event.
      It appears to be as systematic a practice in Uganda as it is in New York City.
      07 October 2012 (Urgent: Spare Terry William's life)US citizens: call on the Philadelphia DA to spare Terry Williams' life.
      06 October 2012 (Issues that Obama and Romney avoid)Chomsky: Issues That Obama and Romney Avoid.
      06 October 2012 (Urgent: Stop eBay arbitration requirement)Everyone: call on eBay to stop its nasty and absurd arbitration requirement.
      06 October 2012 (Urgent: Replace Columbus Day with Exploration Day)US citizens: sign this petition to replace Columbus Day with Exploration Day.
      06 October 2012 (Kenyans permitted to sue UK for torture)Kenyans win permission to sue the UK government for torturing them in prison.
      06 October 2012 (What Obama should have said during debate)Greg Palast presents what the Democratic presidential candidate ought to have said in reply to Romney.
      05 October 2012 (Sabotage of UK's national health plan)The next step in sabotaging the UK's national health plan: fire the best doctors for treating the main killer diseases.
      05 October 2012 (Subsidized contraceptives in the Philippines)The Philippines' president advocates subsidized contraceptives, defying the power of the Catholic Church.
      05 October 2012 (Walmart warehouse workers on strike)Walmart warehouse workers are on strike, demanding protective gear to prevent sickness and injury caused by their work.
      05 October 2012 (Romney's 27 lies in 38 minutes of debate)Romney told big lies in the debate.
      In fact, 27 lies in 38 minutes.
      He even denounced his own tax plan.
      05 October 2012 (Romney calls electric car companies "losers")Romney calls successful electric car companies "losers". By his definition, only fossil fuel is a "winner".
      Both Romney and Obama are too much under the thumb of the fossil fuel companies to do anything to move us off the road that goes over the cliff.
      05 October 2012 (Stein and Anderson in presidential debate)As Obama and Romney debated in their bubble, Democracy Now presented real-time responses by candidates Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson.
      05 October 2012 (Urgent: Denounce Shell)US citizens: denounce Shell for claiming that laws against its crimes in Nigeria don't apply to it because it is a corporation.
      05 October 2012 (Fast food logos in children's brains)Fast food logos are imprinted in children's brains.
      05 October 2012 (Food-producing land not being used for food)Speculators and biofuel producers have bought land that could feed a billion people '-- most of it in countries where there isn't enough food.
      05 October 2012 (Russian tracking technology)A Russian company offers dangerous technology to track people when they use other people's phones.
      This will be especially dangerous for dissidents in countries such as Russia and the US that regularly press absurd charges against them. I make calls using strangers' cell phones, figuring that I am not tracked that way, but with this technology that may be tracked too.
      Perhaps dissidents will need to use voice distorters all the time.
      05 October 2012 (Imprisoned for blocking illegal auction)Tim DeChristopher, who blocked an illegal auction of mineral rights and was imprisoned for it, explains that he has given up on appeals against his conviction.
      He also explains what this implies about the US legal system.
      Here's info about his victory and sacrifice, for which he has no regrets.
      05 October 2012 (Spain and Greece forced to save Germany)Spain and Greece Are Being Forced to Suffer to Save Germany From High Inflation.
      05 October 2012 (Regional "fusion centers")Regional "fusion centers" harm Americans' essential liberty, and fail even to give us a little temporary security in exchange.
      05 October 2012 (Corruption made American dream into myth)Joseph Stiglitz says that the "American dream has become a myth", thanks to the corruption of the political system, and reminds us that government spending is needed to end the recession.
      05 October 2012 (Urgent: Other candidates in presidential debates)US citizens: sign this petition to include other candidates with nationwide support in the presidential debates.
      05 October 2012 (Brazil to require radio tracking of all cars)Brazil plans to require every car to have a radio tracking device.
      This is too dangerous to be allowed, even if it is "useful". Meanwhile, I suspect it won't stop professional car thieves. They will be able to jam the car's RFID and override its signals, even faster than they can switch the license plates today.
      05 October 2012 (Urgent: Protect Oregon's Illinois River)US citizens: call for continued protection of the Illinois River (in Oregon) for the sake of its fish stocks.
      05 October 2012 (Proposed free exploitation treaty with Canada)The European Parliament must stand ready to reject a proposed free exploitation treaty with Canada just as it rejected ACTA.
      05 October 2012 (Torture, arbitrary imprisonment and unfair trials)Hamas is accused of practicing torture, arbitrary imprisonment and unfair trials.
      Sounds like Guantanamo. If only the US were a positive example for the world instead of a negative one.
      05 October 2012 (Abortion ship to visit Morocco)An abortion ship plans to visit Morocco in order to give Moroccan women for a brief period of access to safe abortion.
      05 October 2012 (GMO regulation)GMOs need more regulation, since they are leading to superweeds and superpests and broad use of toxic pesticides. However, the US farm bill proposes to reduce the regulation of GMOs.
      05 October 2012 (Romney on Dubya's torture practices)Romney says he would go back to Dubya's torture practices.
      That would not make much of a difference, in practice, because Obama has not changed those policies very much. He banned one of Dubya's torture techniques, waterboarding, and that's all.
      05 October 2012 (Republican voter registration drives)Republican voter registration drives use dishonesty to avoid registering any Democrats.
      I would not criticize them for looking for Republicans to register, but using dishonesty to avoid registering Democrats reflects the general dishonesty of the Republican Party.
      05 October 2012 (Children face charges of insulting Islam)Two Egyptian Christian children, aged 9 and 10, face charges of insulting Islam.
      While others might focus on the idea of punishing children, this law would hardly become acceptable if limited to adults. If repression of others' disapproval is part of Islam, then Islam itself insults Islam, and we should not hesitate to point to this fact.
      05 October 2012 (Philippine criminal libel law)More about the Philippine criminal libel law.
      05 October 2012 (UK prisoner deprived of sleep 8 years)Radical Islamist Abu Hamza was awakened hourly every night, for 8 years in jail in the UK. The sleep deprivation has caused him permanent medical problems.
      05 October 2012 ("Recovery" from recession)The IMF says that the world won't recover from the recession until 2018.
      That probably means never, because by 2018 global heating will be doing ever more damage.
      The IMF's idea of "recovery" is probably defined in terms of GDP, not employment or the general standard of living. Thus, a "recovery" according to the IMF might do most people no good. However, if business is going to keep losing even given business-favoring governments, the general public will be hurt all the more.
      05 October 2012 (UK requiring sick to go to work)Part of gutting social welfare in the UK is requiring many sick people to go to work '-- even some who can't cross the street on their own.
      It is not absurd to think that a person who needs a personal nurse full-time might be able to do productive work. She could be escorted to work so that she would arrive safely. The nurse could take care of her while she is at work just as at home; this would not require any more nursing time than she needs now. Of course, this depends on how bad the person's medical problems are in other respects.
      However, in a society beset by unemployment, where many who are not disabled and want a job can't find one, it makes no sense to push even partially disabled people to work.
      05 October 2012 (American women to march in Pakistan)A group of American women plan to march in Pakistan to protest CIA drone attacks.
      05 October 2012 (Romney and Obama controlled debate)The presidential debate was jointly controlled by Romney and Obama to the point of making it totally "safe".
      The moderator, Jim Lehrer, shows a general pro-business bias in his PBS news program. A progressive candidate would have objected to him, but Republicans-at-heart like Romney and Obama probably found him easy to accept.
      05 October 2012 (Victory in Quebec sets example)Victory in Quebec shows that a mass movement can overcome the power of repression.
      04 October 2012 (Romney's health care plans)Romney's health care plans would leave 72 million Americans without coverage.
      04 October 2012 (Destruction of Great Barrier Reef)As the Great Barrier Reef's coral dies due to human-imposed stress, the US Export Import Bank finances coal projects around the world, including one likely to attack it even more.
      04 October 2012 (Academic paywalls)Academic paywalls mean "publish and perish."
      04 October 2012 (Obama's dangerous drone legacy)Obama's dangerous drone legacy: any future president could use drones to kill anyone at all.
      04 October 2012 (Warrantless search in California)California's legislature has tried twice to pass laws to make thugs get warrants to search inside portable computers, but the governor keeps vetoing them.
      04 October 2012 (Climate scientists' private emails)Climate scientists complain about attempts to subpoena their private emails.
      In general, I think scientists should publish more of their data and the software they use to analyze it, as part of doing good science. However, they should not have to publish their conversations about their work.
      04 October 2012 (Philippine law censors Internet)The Philippine law that censors the Internet apparently has some other repressive provisions, described as being about "intellectual property theft".
      "Intellectual property theft" is the latest propaganda term used to make file sharing sound bad. The term is incoherent, in regard to copyright, because there is no way to steal a copyright.
      Even more nonsensical, the term "intellectual property" confuses copyrights with a dozen or so unrelated laws. (See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.html.)
      The article's reference to this bogus concept leads me to expect that this law contains a second repressive provision, above and beyond its libel provision. Does anyone know what it is?
      Later: It looks like this was a false alarm. I don't see anything pertinent in the text of the law.
      04 October 2012 (Ships bringing aid to Gaza)Ships bringing aid are once again on the way to Gaza.
      See http://shiptogaza.se/en for more information.
      04 October 2012 (Urgent: Protest Illinois River in Oregon)US citizens: call for continued protection of the Illinois River in Oregon.
      04 October 2012 (Plastic pistol from 3D printer)A project leased a 3D printer to make a plastic pistol, but the lease was cancelled arbitrarily by the manufacturer.
      I don't have a position on the project itself, but it is clear that the manufacturer acted abusively. Those leasing a machine tool should not have any say over what the lessee does with it; that is the lessee's responsibility.
      Furthermore, whatever the lease conditions may be, the company should not be allowed to decide arbitrarily that it was violated. Such a contract should be illegal.
      04 October 2012 (Urgent: Remove David Gregory from Meet the Press)Everyone: sign this petition to remove David Gregory as host of Meet the Press.
      04 October 2012 (Jews expelled from Arab countries)Israel points out that Arab countries expelled nearly a million Jews in and after 1948.
      The Israeli right wing cites these expulsions now to try to put the Palestinians in the wrong. However, the Jews who were expelled hadn't done anything to the Palestinians, and their expulsion didn't help any Palestinians. So I don't think these two wrongs cancel out. They add up to two wrongs.
      04 October 2012 (Opposing austerity plans in France)As many as 80,000 people marched in France to oppose austerity plans.
      "Strict fiscal discipline" makes every recession worse, and dumps the burden on the poor. It is inherently wrong. The euro zone needs to establish a way to authorize deficit spending in periods like these.
      04 October 2012 (Pennsylvania's voter ID law blocked)Pennsylvania's voter ID law has been blocked in court, for this election at least.
      It needs to be blocked permanently, because there are systematic reasons why poor, downtrodden and/or decrepit citizens, entitled to vote, do not have the kind of IDs that expire frequently and state the person's address.
      04 October 2012 (Google supports Turkish censorship)Google has agreed to support Turkish censorship of YouTube in much the same way as it supported Chinese censorship for a time.
      Google stopped upholding Chinese censorship, and should stop upholding Turkish censorship too.
      It occurs to me that browser-based user-location snooping systems might make it difficult to bypass censorship such as this. If YouTube detects that you're connected to a wireless router it believes is in Turkey, it might apply Turkish censorship to you even if you connect through a proxy or VPN outside Turkey.
      04 October 2012 (Wisconsin state business emails)Wisconsin officials are being sued to release emails about state business that they sent and received using personal email accounts. (They are trying to evade the state's open records law.)
      04 October 2012 (Computerized voting machines allow vote-rigging)Here's an instance in which computerized voting machines allowed systematic vote-rigging through "social engineering".
      In other words, the vulnerabilities of computerized voting may not be visible in study of the machine itself.
      04 October 2012 (Verizon voice mail and phone lines)Verizon can monkey with voice mail and phone lines in various ways, and will do so on simple request from the thugs.
      04 October 2012 (Demolition of Bedouin villages)Israel is proceeding with demolition of Bedouin villages in the Negev.
      04 October 2012 (Taking away aid for occupation of Palestine)Progress in the divestment campaign against companies that aid the occupation of Palestine.
      04 October 2012 (Israeli road construction)Israel is constructing a road between colonies in the West Bank through the territory of Palestinian villages that Israel wants to eliminate.
      04 October 2012 (Israeli peace activist beaten and robbed)An Israeli peace activist who was taking photos of illegal construction of a colony was attacked, beaten and robbed by "settlers", while thugs watched and did nothing.
      04 October 2012 (Reliability of human drivers)Discussions of self-driving cars claim that humans are unreliable drivers. Nonsense!
      There were around 2.3 million car accident injuries in the US in 2010, which comes out to 1 accident per 33,000 hours of driving.
      As for accidents that caused a fatality, there were around 30,000, which was around 1 for every 2 million hours of driving.
      These figures are based on a rough estimate of around 75 billion hours of driving in the US, which was made from figures for number of miles driven on various kinds of roads and the estimated speeds. However, even if the correct number is as little as 50 billion hours or as much as 100 billion, it won't change the conclusion: humans are very reliable drivers.
      04 October 2012 (Effect of global heating on people)Global heating will kill 100 million people by 2030, according to an official study.
      04 October 2012 (Urgent: Ban fracking in New York)US citizens:
      Tell New York Governor Cuomo: Be a leader to protect all of us from fracking. Ban fracking in New York.
      03 October 2012 (Why UK thug chiefs want secret courts)It appears UK thug chiefs want secret courts so as to cover up evidence about undercover thugs that slept with dissidents they were spying on.
      03 October 2012 (Hezbollah supporting Assad)Hezbollah is fighting in Syria in support of Assad. So are the Iranian revolutionary guards.
      03 October 2012 (President of Georgia replaced)The president of Georgia has been replaced democratically.
      03 October 2012 (Senator Brown cites Scalia as his model)When debating candidate Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Senator Brown said his model Supreme Court justice is Scalia.
      'Nuff said.
      03 October 2012 (Austin thugs try to entrap protesters)Undercover thugs in Austin try to convince Occupy protesters to do something violent, but the protesters refused. So the protesters were threatened with 2 years in prison for nonviolent civil disobedience.
      03 October 2012 (Movie in India censored)A movie in India has been censored because it presents the viewpoint of Dalits and criticizes Gandhi.
      03 October 2012 (Disastrous "reforms" on NHS)The conservative government has imposed disastrous "reforms" on the National Health Service (which I suspect are designed to ruin it and provide an excuse for further "reforms"). During two years of debate, the BBC's coverage of the issue was nearly completely biased in favor of the government.
      03 October 2012 (Tables of wireless networks' hardware addresses)How tables of wireless networks' hardware addresses work with malicious browser features to determine where you are located when you browse.
      02 October 2012 (Iraqi-American punished for sending money to family)Obama says that we should not "look back" to punish Bush's torturers but Iraqi-American Shakir Hamoodi has just been sentenced for sending money to his family in Iraq before the war.
      02 October 2012 (Genetically modified cow)A genetically modified cow produces milk that might avoid allergic reactions in a small but significant fraction of human babies.
      02 October 2012 (Calling U.S. Drone Strikes "Surgical")Calling U.S. Drone Strikes 'Surgical' Is Orwellian Propaganda.
      02 October 2012 (Iran's uranium enrichment factories)An attack on Iran's uranium enrichment factories could kill 5000 to 8000 Iranians who live nearby, due to the toxic chemicals and radioactive fallout that would be released if the factories are bombed.
      02 October 2012 (Dissidents falsely accused of "resisting arrest")Thugs in Azerbaijan falsely accuse dissidents of "resisting arrest" to put them in jail; it is standard practice.
      Did they learn this from the US?
      02 October 2012 (US mainstream media on issue of unemployment)The US mainstream media hardly touch the issue of unemployment in the US.
      02 October 2012 (Urgent: Make Obama and Romney address global heating)US citizens: call on Obama and Romney to say what they will do about global heating.
      02 October 2012 (Global heating affecting coastal waters)Global heating is affecting coastal waters much more than the average, and this can kill the fish.
      02 October 2012 (Effect of global heating on trees)Global heating is forecast to result in a horrible drought in the US Southwest in most years, which will kill lots of the trees.
      02 October 2012 (Cambodian dissident sentenced to prison)A Cambodian dissident was framed and sentenced to prison for 20 years.
      This is comparable to Bahrain.
      02 October 2012 (Great Barrier Reef in trouble)The Great Barrier Reef is in trouble: coral is dying fast.
      02 October 2012 (Sanctions causing rapid inflation in Iran)US-imposed sanctions are causing rapid inflation in Iran, which means great hardship for many of the poor.
      The stated purpose of these sanctions is to pressure Iran to stop moving towards development of nuclear weapons. I wonder why the US does not offer to drop the sanctions in exchange for a deal.
      02 October 2012 (Political ads on local TV stations)Local TV stations run political ads paid by rich secret donors but do not cover the fact that this is going on.
      02 October 2012 (California bans gay conversion "therapy")California has banned conversion "therapy" that pretends to convert gays into straights.
      01 October 2012 (Copyright Kills New Music)Copyright Kills New Music, by composer Mehmet Okonsar.
      01 October 2012 (Web sites tracking children)Scandal: web sites track children that use them, and are designed to lure them into providing personal information.
      I think it's scandalous to treat adults this way, too.
      01 October 2012 (Urgent: Reject GMO Apples)US citizens: call on grocery stores not to stock GMO apples.
      01 October 2012 (New York Thug Department)The New York Thug Department systematically and dishonestly attacks journalists and anyone else it feels like abusing.
      01 October 2012 (Effect of global heating on fish)In 2050, thanks to global heating, fish will be smaller and there will be fewer of them.
      01 October 2012 (Toxic chemical cleanup in US slow)The US has thousands of known sites contaminated with toxic chemicals, and cleaning up is very slow.
      01 October 2012 (Editor sentenced to prison for libel)An editor in Italy has been sentenced to prison for libel for publishing a letter to the editor with a controversial viewpoint. I disagree with the letter, but that is no reason to support censorship.
      01 October 2012 (Indian thugs attack reporter)Indian thugs attacked a reporter, hitting him with rifles. Then they threatened to frame him if he didn't sign a statement that was presumably damaging to his rights.
      01 October 2012 (Texas thugs attack nonviolent protesters)Texas thugs pepper sprayed and tasered nonviolent protesters who were blocking construction of the planet-roaster pipeline.
      Shame on Obama for ordering this.
      Protesters pepper-sprayed at UC Davis got a million-dollar settlement from the university.
      I hope the Texas victims get 10 million dollars.
      I think that destroying already-constructed parts of the pipeline is justified under the necessity principle: preventing a greater crime.
      01 October 2012 (Rent-to-own computers)The rent-to-own companies that put spyware on the rented computers don't have to stop. The FTC required them only to promise to tell users about the spying.
      I suppose it will be stated cryptically in the fine print of a 50-page agreement that hardly any users read. But if they did, they would surely find it is an EULA for nonfree software that nobody should ever sign.
      01 October 2012 (Defending study that linked cancer to Roundup)Defending the study that found Roundup and "Roundup-ready" maize cause cancer in rats.
      01 October 2012 (Urgent: Stand with Bradley Manning)US citizens: stand with Bradley Manning and demand dismissal of charges against him.
      01 October 2012 (Urgent: Call on Whole Foods to come clean about GMOs)US residents: call on Whole Foods to come clean regarding GMOs in its products.
      01 October 2012 (Nuclear energy vs renewable energy)Nuclear energy is unreliable and unsafe, and more expensive than renewable energy.
      01 October 2012 (Rebuked for revealing danger of drilling plans)Obama's officials rebuked a government climate scientist for leaking government documents that revealed the danger of Shell's undersea drilling plans.
      01 October 2012 (Disguised thugs provoke violence at protest in Madrid)Thugs disguised as protesters provoked violence at a protest in Madrid.
      01 October 2012 (Urgent: Sign Peace Voter Pledge)US citizens: sign the Peace Voter Pledge.
      01 October 2012 (Urgent: Enable foreclosed people to vote)US citizens: demand arrangements to enable foreclosed people to vote.
      01 October 2012 (Urgent: Global heating in presidential debates)US citizens: call on Jim Lehrer to ask the candidates a question about global heating in the first presidential debate.
      01 October 2012 (Mujahedin-e Khalq)Some US politicians want to support the Mujahedin-e Khalq as a government in exile for Iran.
      This won't win the support of anyone in Iran. Most Iranians love their country even if they hate the mullahs. They recognize the US economic sanctions (which often hurt ordinary Iranian people) as hostility between the US and Iran, and some see the US as a worse enemy than the Iranian regime. Under these circumstances, no Iranian opposition can benefit from US support, and an organization such as the MeK which has no support in Iran to begin with can only be ridiculous.
      Basically, the US can pressure Iran as a state with trade sanctions, or it can try to support Iranian people against their state, but it can't do both.
      01 October 2012 (Obama)Why I can't support Obama.
      30 September 2012 (Urgent: Corporations United and election funding in presidential debates)US citizens: call for including questions about Corporations United and election funding in the presidential debates.
      30 September 2012 (Urgent: Condemn brutal treatment of anti-pipeline protesters)Everyone: phone Transcanada to condemn brutal treatment of anti-pipeline protesters.
      The two protesters, who had handcuffed themselves together on TransCanada's construction equipment, were subjected to choke holds, stress positions in which their free arms were handcuffed, contorted, and then pepper sprayed, burning their skin. They were then tased -- one of the activists was tased twice.
      There is no excuse for subjecting peaceful, defenseless protesters to this level of violence.
      Those willing to cause global disaster for profit will hardly care about injuring protesters. But they fear strengthening the opposition, and when our calls show them this is happening, they may hesitate to treat protesters that way again.
      30 September 2012 (California to develop free/libre textbooks)California will develop free/libre textbooks for the 50 most common college courses.
      Elementary school should be next.
      My only disappointment is that the article uses the word "open" so much. In education, lots of works called "open" are not free/libre, and use a license that has a particular problem.
      30 September 2012 (Karzai's regime)An analyst predicts that Karzai's regime won't last long after the US troops pull out.
      I think he's right, but propping up Karzai is not worth continuing this war.
      The Taliban offered to drop support for al Qa'ida in 2009 but the US was not interested in the deal.
      30 September 2012 (Falsified forensic tests for drugs)A dishonest forensic analyst in Boston falsified tests for drugs.
      A large fraction of the 34,000 cases affected by this falsification are consequences of the destructive War on Drugs.
      Such cases are a large fraction of all criminal cases in the US. If we only had ended this war years ago, there would not have been pressure on forensic analysts to rush their tests.
      30 September 2012 (Some opposition to Arctic drilling in Senate)Some Democratic senators oppose oil drilling in the Arctic.
      30 September 2012 (Peace Offer)Anwar Sadat made a peace offer in 1973 via Kissinger to Golda Meir, who rejected it without even telling most of Israel's ministers. So he tried war instead.
      Uri Avnery says that Israel's current policies are comparable.
      30 September 2012 (US Unemployment)One of the Federal Reserve governors says the US unemployment problem requires spending, not just money expansion.
      It's too bad Obama talks about compromise with the Republicans to cut the deficit.
      30 September 2012 (The US Drought)The US drought is getting worse and will reach even the Northwest, where it normally rains most of the time.
      30 September 2012 (Georgia)More about the protests in Georgia about the torture of prisoners.
      30 September 2012 (Conditions Inside California Prisons)Amnesty International criticizes the conditions inside California prisons.
      30 September 2012 (Occupy Protesters)Chicago's park curfew, used as an excuse to arrest Occupy protesters, was ruled unconstitutional.
      30 September 2012 (Ted Koppel)When Ted Koppel criticizes media falsehoods, his starting premise is that there must be equal criticism for Republicans and Democrats. Except sometimes there can be a little more for Democrats.
      30 September 2012 (Austin Decaro)A thug attacked Austin DeCaro for refusing to switch off his video camera, then laid false charges against him.
      The thug ought to be prosecuted for attempting obstruction of justice.
      30 September 2012 (Medieval Warm Period)The Arctic is substantially hotter now than it was due to natural causes in the medieval warm period.
      Global heating causes extreme weather events in the ocean too.
      30 September 2012 (Obama Picks People to Kill)Obama picks people to kill with drones, but he doesn't know how many civilians they have killed, and neither does anyone else.
      30 September 2012 (US: Old Men Kept In Prison)Old men are kept in prison in the US even when they are paralyzed or can hardly hold a pen.
      And often they can't get the medical treatment they need.
      A major reason for imprisoning criminals is so they cannot commit more crimes. An old man is not likely to commit a crime of violence. A paralyzed old man could hardly even try.
      30 September 2012 (Afghanistan)Afghanistan: Violence stalks women workers.
      Karzai's government reflects the sexist attitude of Afghan society. It is a step forward compared with the Taliban, but not that big a step. If it could be kept in power by something less than unending war, I might be in favor of that. But this small gain can't justify the unending war, which likewise exposes Afghan women to violence.
      30 September 2012 (The Medieval Souk Of Aleppo)The medieval souk of Aleppo is being destroyed by fire started by combat.
      30 September 2012 (Bahraini Protester Killed)Another Bahraini protester was killed by the thugs.
      It isn't wrong for Bahrainis to fight the thugs with violence, just as it wasn't wrong for Libyans and isn't wrong for Syrians to do so. It may or may not be a wise idea '-- that is a different question.
      30 September 2012 (Nabi Saleh)The Freedom Theater performed in Nabi Saleh, which has held a weekly protest for almost 3 years against the theft of their land by an Israeli colony.
      30 September 2012 (The US Government)The US government has illegally held Bradley Manning before trial 6 times the legal limit.
      30 September 2012 (The Wall Street Journal)The Wall Street Journal published op-eds by 10 people while not disclosing that they are associated with Romney.
      30 September 2012 (Greece)A right-wing anti-immigrant party is gaining power in Greece by helping poor Greeks and bullying immigrants for them.
      When powerful rich knock the people down, they get angry. But if they don't know to focus their anger directly at the rich, demagogues can use it by scapegoating others who are even weaker.
      30 September 2012 (France)France tries to cut its deficit, but uses taxes as well as cuts.
      30 September 2012 (US Drone Attacks)It appears Pakistan tacitly cooperates with US drone attacks in Pakistan.
      30 September 2012 (Megan Stammers And Jeremy Forrest)Megan Stammers and her lover, Jeremy Forrest, objects of an international dragnet for running away together, were arrested. Her family claims to be "elated".
      I doubt that Ms Stammers feels elated. Most people are not elated to be arrested, even if their jailers say it is for their "protection". She may not relish being "reunited with her father" against her will. When she envisions being forced to testify against him when he is trued for the crime of running away with her, she might feel despair.
      30 September 2012 (The FBI)The FBI manufactures bombing plots among dissidents as well as among Muslims.
      30 September 2012 (Regulations)Many US states enforce regulations on oil and gas wells in such a perfunctory and slapdash fashion that it hardly does any good.
      30 September 2012 (Guatemala)The president of Guatemala will propose legalization of drugs to the UN General Assembly.
      It is useful to try this route, but Guatemala and any other country that doesn't want to be at war with its own citizens should take unilateral steps to legalize drugs.
      30 September 2012 (India)It is common in India for the thugs to torture arrested people. Now India faces international pressure to pass a law against it.
      The US already has a law against torture, but Obama refuses to enforce it.
      30 September 2012 (Electronic Surveillance)New Justice Department Documents Show Huge Increase in Warrantless Electronic Surveillance.
      30 September 2012 (Quotes)Officials and executives in the US increasingly demand journalists get permission for quotes they want to use
      Since I have sometimes been terribly misquoted, I too ask reporters to verify their quotes with me '-- but only if they don't make an audio recording, which is the best way to ensure they quote what I really said.
      30 September 2012 (Portuguese Prosecutor)A Portuguese prosecutor dropped cases against accused file sharers, saying that file sharing for personal use is lawful there.
      30 September 2012 (Panama)Panama is proposing to fine people a hundred thousand dollars for file sharing, while giving them only 15 days to prepare a defense.
      The money thus collected is paid as a bonus to the staff of the agency that issues the fines, which don't go through any court.
      Obama pushed through the free exploitation treaty between Panama and the US. Is Obama responsible for this?
      29 September 2012 (Boston license plate data)Boston police cameras recognize 3,600 license plates per day, and there are no real limits on what they do with this data. They store some in a corporation's server.
      29 September 2012 (Tunisian woman on trial for public nudity)A Tunisian woman is on trial for something comparable to public nudity. Apparently she was nude because thugs raped her.
      29 September 2012 (UK imprisoning squatters)The UK is imprisoning squatters who live in empty buildings.
      To call the sentence "disproportionate" is a grave understatement, since it grants some legitimacy to a law that is pure evil.
      29 September 2012 (Schools and clinics in Karzai's gov't)Nation-building in Afghanistan meant building schools and clinics that Karzai's government can't afford to run.
      The article doesn't mention corruption, but I suspect that is the reason why Karzai's government can't pay to run these schools and clinics.
      29 September 2012 (US drones terrorize Pakistani civilians)Civilians in parts of Pakistan feel terrorized by US drones. They are taking their children out of school and fear to attend funerals.
      29 September 2012 (US military designates Assange and Wikileaks as "enemies")The US military designated Assange and Wikileaks as "enemies".
      This means that Assange might be imprisoned without trial if the US got its hands on him. It also suggests the US might to try to kidnap him or assassinate him.
      29 September 2012 (The "wasted vote" argument)Rejecting the "wasted vote" argument against voting Green.
      Voting for Obama is effectively voting Republican since on issues of concern to business he effectively is one.
      I think one minor point in the article is mistaken. The Democratic Party was never a third party; it was the first organized political party in the US, though at its beginning in the 1790s it was called "Republican".
      29 September 2012 (Video made by NY thugs last November)Anonymous obtained 60 hours of video made by New York thugs as they shut down the protest camp of Occupy Wall Street last November. The thugs attacked journalists so as to prevent them from taking videos.
      A person who looked at the short clip for me says it shows thugs beating up on the protesters while handcuffing them and taking them a way. At one point, a gang of thugs abuse a man who seems to be screaming in pain. They rip people out of groups who have intertwined their arms by pulling on their legs. They push a guy from behind whose arms are cuffed behind him.
      It is possible that this video was obtained from the office of a lawyer suing the thugs. The article assumes that, if this is so, it would damage the rights of other protesters brutalized by thugs. I am skeptical of that conclusion.
      If you look at videos on youtube.com, take care not to access them by visiting the site in a browser, since that requires running nonfree software (either Flash Player or nonfree Javascript code). Use the youtubedl script to get the Webm file, and play that with free software.
      Here's a magnet link for the full set of videos.
      27 September 2012 (Massive surveillance systems in Latin America)States in Latin America are establishing massive surveillance systems.
      27 September 2012 (Exploited gold miners pushing back)Gold mines in South Africa exploit their employees cruelly, but they are starting to push back.
      At the same time, it is clear that the other root of this problem is too high a birth rate. I support the miners' demand for higher pay, but they also have a responsibility: not to have so many children that it makes them slaves to the mine. If contraception is not easily available to them, the state has a responsibility to help.
      27 September 2012 (Urgent: Free Pussy Riot)US citizens: join Amnesty International's campaign to free Pussy Riot.
      27 September 2012 (US gov't tries to take credit for Arab Spring)Julian Assange points out that it was Wikileaks, not the US government, that spurred the Arab Spring.
      The US seems to support the repression of the democracy movement in Bahrain.
      27 September 2012 (Arrests in NYC for covering up ads)Protesters were arrested in NYC for putting paintings or stickers over anti-Muslim advertisements.
      I support the right to make such statements, even though I don't agree with them. I also support the right to criticize them by writing on the posters. Covering them up or tearing them down is on the borderline; to prosecute people for this is extreme.
      27 September 2012 (US mortgages with invalid title)Large numbers of abusive US mortgages have invalid title, so cities and states can use eminent domain to seize and abolish the mortgages.
      27 September 2012 (Obama and Roosevelt compared)Comparing Obama with Roosevelt.
      27 September 2012 (US restricts flights between Spain and Mexico)The US is restricting who can fly between Spain and Mexico.
      27 September 2012 (Arctic snow loss may prolong drought)Record Arctic Snow Loss May Be Prolonging North American Drought.
      27 September 2012 (Government-dependent moochers Romney failed to notice)Romney has failed to notice that the US has plenty of moochers totally dependent on the government.
      27 September 2012 (Thugs attack travellers in Madrid train station)Thugs in Spain attacked travellers in Madrid's principal train station as a mass protest continued outside.
      27 September 2012 (German and French proposal to extend copyright)A German and French proposal to extend copyright to cover publishing snippets of articles could cause problems for smaller competitors of Google.
      27 September 2012 (Internet censorship)Free Speech, the Internet, and a Very Big Lie.
      The problem of censorship begins when a site that the public depends on for communication '-- in other words, an effectively public virtual space that is formally private '-- blocks access to any material from any country. If a state installs filters to block the material, the state is clearly committing censorship. When a company does the state's dirty work, that disguises the censorship as an editorial judgment.
      Google says that it must comply with the censorship laws of the various countries where it has offices. That's true, but incomplete. For a time, Google complied with the censorship laws of China for this reason; but then it closed its office there and stopped complying. That was the right thing to do, but Google does not always do the right thing. When Google opens an office in a country that imposes censorship, it extends that country's censorship to YouTube.
      27 September 2012 (Urgent: End lockout of NFL referees)US citizens: call on the NFL to end its lockout of referees.
      27 September 2012 (Questions for US passport applicants)The US Passport Agency is trying to create the option to give any passport applicant an impossible set of irrelevant questions.
      27 September 2012 (Myths spread by agribusiness)Refuting the myths spread by agribusiness about GMO labelling.
      27 September 2012 (Criminal charges for not censoring video)A Google executive in Brazil faces criminal charges for not removing a video from YouTube.
      To punish executives personally when corporations act illegally seems in general like a good idea. This particular law is another matter: it is a form of censorship.
      The words in the article suggest that the law was meant to apply to advertisements by election campaigns. Thus limited, it might be acceptable '-- and applying it to statements published by independent members of the public might be a legal error. However, only a Brazilian lawyer could tell if this is really true.
      27 September 2012 (EU proposal to stop terrorist sites)EU proposal to stop terrorist sites even more ridiculous than it sounds.
      This is supposed to be a justification for trying to develop it in secret. That reminds me of "I believe because it is absurd".
      27 September 2012 (Nader says Obama a war criminal)Ralph Nader says Obama is a war criminal, and condemns Romney too.
      27 September 2012 (Kindergartners burdened with standardized tests)In the US, even kindergarten children are burdened with standardized tests.
      27 September 2012 (Gates Foundation pushing dependent agriculture)The Gates Foundation is pushing dependent agriculture in Africa: expensive patented seeds that need expensive fertilizers.
      27 September 2012 (Strike against austerity in Greece)There is a general strike against austerity in Greece.
      27 September 2012 (Rent-to-own laptops with nonfree software)Rent-to-Own Laptops Secretly Photographed Users Having Sex.
      Lots of proprietary software has malicious features; it is not limited to rental computers.
      27 September 2012 (Abolition of Palestinian Authority)By abolishing the Palestinian Authority, Palestinians could demonstrate that Israel's current path is an apartheid state.
      27 September 2012 (Urgent: Presidential debate on Corporations United)US citizens: sign this petition to raise the Corporations United (*) decision in the presidential debate.
      * These corporations called themselves "Citizens United", but there's no reason to repeat their spin.
      27 September 2012 (Israeli settlers)The BBC interviewed members of Israel's largest violent extremist group: those who launch acts of violence against Palestinians.
      One group of settlers decided to campaign for better housing for their Palestinian neighbors, who have been blocked for a decade from constructing even a toilet.
      I admire that attitude, but we shouldn't consider that a settlers who show good will towards neighboring Palestinians make the settlement land grab and water grab ok.
      27 September 2012 (Israel's democracy)A rigged Israeli government committee is trying to shut down the politics and government department at Ben Gurion University because it is "leftist".
      Israel long prided itself on being the "only democracy in the Middle East". That's no longer the case, since Egypt seems to have become a real democracy, and Libya is making a substantial attempt. But Israel could continue to call itself the oldest democracy in the Middle East.
      That's presuming the right wing doesn't change it into a non-democracy.
      27 September 2012 (Urgent: Oppose war with Iran)US citizens: Join Shirin Ebadi in opposing war with Iran.
      27 September 2012 (Postal banking system)Arguing that the US should bring back its system of postal banking.
      27 September 2012 (Thugs and soldiers trained by UK)Even when there is an arms embargo against an oppressive regime, the UK still trains its thugs and soldiers.
      26 September 2012 (Drone attacks in Pakistan boost Taliban)An academic study in the US concludes that drone attacks in Pakistan do more to boost the Taliban than to damage it.
      For a guerrilla movement, the limiting factor is its ability to recruit supporters. Leaders, even the best, can always be replaced if recruiting is good. Thus, to kill leaders in a way that stimulates popular support for the guerrilla only strengthens it.
      Thus, the study's conclusion is not surprising. However, it is good to see it confirmed in a way that may impede the attempts to ignore the point.
      26 September 2012 (Facebook systems for deducing things about users)Innocent-seeming text posted on Facebook could cause you lots of trouble, due to development of systems to deduce things about you.
      26 September 2012 ("Swearing" at thug causes scandal in UK)A high Tory official in the UK faces a scandal because he "swore" at a thug who would not let him leave the prime minister's office by his usual path.
      A Tory politician surely advocates policies that will harm the non-rich and damage the environment, but Britons are more upset that he insulted a thug?! This absurdity rivals that of the sex scandals that bring down right-wing US politicians after they have got away with policies that hurt most of their electorate.
      If he did treat a thug with disrespect, was that wrong? Persons and institutions deserve what respect they earn. After publicly lying to blame the victims of their own misconduct, sleeping with dissidents they were spying on, besieging thousands of protesters, beating and shooting innocent people, and killing numerous prisoners, I think the UK thugs should go and earn more respect before they complain.
      If there is a real wrong in what Mitchell is reported to have said, it is the arrogance '-- for instance, "learn your place" and "plebs". Those words suppose a society in which a few deserve to be served by the rest.
      However, if that attitude were unacceptable in a politician, it would exclude the Tories and New Labour in general, since both parties are subservient to the rich.
      As for the "swear word" Mitchell allegedly used, that merely indicates anger. People understandably feel angry when forcibly blocked from travelling on their usual paths. To arrest someone for displaying that anger is to kick him when he's down. Not even a politician deserves that.
      The UK should take this opportunity to ensure that no Briton will ever again be arrested for "swearing".
      26 September 2012 (Motive for secret courts in UK)The UK government admits that part of the motive for secret courts is to protect itself from bad publicity.
      26 September 2012 (Proposal to "abolish prostitution" in France)France's new government proposes to "abolish prostitution".
      What these measures would really do is force prostitution underground, hurting both prostitutes and their customers.
      If you want to help people who feel they have been driven into prostitution, help them deal in other ways with the problems that drove them. That would be real help, and they would appreciate it. Some might then be able to stop doing prostitution. If others continue, voluntarily, why should you object?
      26 September 2012 (Protests against the TPP)Protests against the TPP got through to the negotiators of other countries.
      26 September 2012 (Increased copyright restrictions in Canada)A few months ago, an unjust Canadian law increased copyright restrictions. The lobbyists already demand more.
      The article uses the unwise term "digital locks" to refer to Digital Restrictions Management. Please don't imitate that weak choice.
      26 September 2012 (US voting laws)Voting laws may disenfranchise 10 million Hispanic U.S. citizens.
      26 September 2012 (Distorted coverage of global heating)The Union of Concerned Scientists rebuked News Corp for distorted coverage of global heating in the Wall Street Journal and Faux News.
      26 September 2012 (Shell aiming to ban protests)Shell is suing Greenpeace International aiming to ban protests anywhere near Shell installations and activities.
      26 September 2012 (Romney on medical care for the poor)Romney believes poor Americans can get needed medical care via emergency room visits.
      26 September 2012 (Data refute "need" for exorbitant CEO pay)Data refute the theory that companies "need" to offer CEOs pay that is competitive with CEOs of other companies in the same size.
      26 September 2012 (Journalist's report on being attacked at Occupy protest)Journalist John Knefel reports how thugs attacked him then arrested him as he was covering the Occupy Wall Street protest.
      26 September 2012 (Facebook working with purchase-tracking company)Facebook has started working with a purchase-tracking company to cross-reference Facebook's data about users with data about their purchases.
      This can't affect you if you do as I do: refuse to use Facebook, block its surveillance of non-users (done via Like buttons), and pay cash. But it is nasty nonetheless.
      26 September 2012 (Unlawful spying on Kim Dotcom)New Zealand Intel Agency Investigated for Unlawful Spying on Kim Dotcom.
      26 September 2012 (Addictive drugs by prescription)The city of Bogota will provide addictive drugs to addicts by prescription, as a plan to reduce the crime committed by addicts.
      26 September 2012 (Human rights lawyer murdered)A human rights lawyer in Honduras was murdered.
      Human rights defenders and journalists are murdered often in Honduras since the US-legitimized coup.
      26 September 2012 (Iran trade sanctions)Iran officially offered to halt uranium enrichment to 20% in exchange for relaxation of trade sanctions.
      The rational point of trade sanctions is to pressure a country into changing policies. If the US goal is that Iran not be able to make a nuclear weapon, Iran is now offering just that. In negotiations, it might offer more. So why would the US not make a deal?
      One reason would be if the real US goal is something other than a change of Iranian nuclear policy.
      26 September 2012 (Camp David agreement)President Morsi of Egypt called on the US to honor the Camp David agreement by supporting Palestinian independence.
      25 September 2012 (Not to have Children)Why it is important not to have children.
      25 September 2012 (Urgent: Investigate gruesome antisemitic attack)US citizens: ask the FBI to investigate a gruesome antisemitic attack in the US.
      25 September 2012 (Second hand goods)Most of the world uses second hand goods that came from the rich countries. Therefore, our decisions in rich countries about what sort of goods to use have a long effect on others.
      25 September 2012 (The right to criticize any religion)The US must firmly defend the right to criticize any religion.
      I posted a link to a note pointing out that protests against the video are organized by extremists as an attempt to spread their extremism among Muslims who mostly are not inclined to violence against anyone. Harris is mistaken in not recognizing this difference among Muslims. However, his main point is valid.
      25 September 2012 (Effect of increased CO2 concentrations on fisheries)Global heating and acidification due to CO2 are forecast to destroy half the fisheries in the Persian Gulf. And do lots of damage all around the world.
      24 September 2012 (Urgent: Investigate Troy Davis case)US citizens: insist on an investigation of the manifest injustices in Troy Davis' case.
      24 September 2012 (Roundup-resistant GMO corn experiment)In an experiment, Roundup-resistant GMO corn killed rats by causing cancer. Roundup itself had similar effects.
      However, the experiment's validity has been criticized.
      To conduct a larger experiment seems like a wise policy.
      24 September 2012 (Libya cracks down on Islamist militias)Libya is cracking down on Islamist militias.
      24 September 2012 (Companies perverting spirit of free software)Companies are perverting the cooperative spirit of free software and Wikipedia to get people to work gratis.
      When someone asks you to contribute to a joint project, think about whether it is being contributed to the public as it ought to be.
      The article refers only to "Linux" but it's clearly talking about the GNU/Linux system. The author probably does not know this is an error.
      24 September 2012 (Romney unqualified for presidency, according to Romney)According to Romney's own words, he is unqualified for the presidency because in 2011 he intentionally paid more federal taxes than he had to.
      There is nothing inherently wrong in a person's making a gift to the national treasury, but it looks like Romney did this to avoid showing how low a federal tax rate he might have paid before.
      And since it is not presented as a gift to the treasury, but rather as not claiming the full deduction he could claim, he can get that money back next year.
      Now, I am in favor of a tax deduction for charitable donations, including to churches. His low basic tax rate is the problem.
      24 September 2012 (Disappeared Chinese AIDS activist)A Chinese AIDS activist has been disappeared after going on hunger strike to protest his house arrest.
      24 September 2012 (Syrian rebels accused of war crimes)Human Rights Watch and others accuse the Syrian rebels of various war crimes including summary execution.
      24 September 2012 (Georgian protests against prison torture)Ministers in Georgia have resigned due to public protests against brutal treatment of prisoners.
      US prisons are getting worse and worse, and privatization creates a systematic motive to imprison ever more Americans. When will Americans show enough spine to protest massively?
      24 September 2012 (Cuba arrests journalist)A journalist has been arrested in Cuba for writing about diseases there.
      24 September 2012 (Oman sentences blogger to prison)Oman sentenced a blogger to a year in prison for criticizing the state.
      24 September 2012 (Qu(C)b(C)cois protest movement a success )In Quebec, just across the border from the US, the student protest movement brought down the government and eliminated harsh restrictions on protests.
      24 September 2012 (France bans GMO corn and fracking)France bans GMO corn and fracking.
      24 September 2012 (EU's "Clean IT" plan)A leak shows that the EU's "Clean IT" plan means massive surveillance and Internet filters.
      24 September 2012 (Womens' rights under Karzai's gov't)Karzai's government has not resulted in respect for womens' rights in Afghanistan.
      24 September 2012 (Peru's conduct towards protesters)Human Rights Watch makes recommendations for Peru regarding conduct towards protesters.
      24 September 2012 (Beliefs of global heating deniers)Global heating deniers tend to believe many conspiracy theories.
      24 September 2012 (Repression of Tunisian artists)Tunisian artists cry for help against religious extremists.
      An artist faces 5 years in prison for "disturbing public order" '... with paintings
      24 September 2012 (Dirty Air/Water Act passed)The House of Representatives passed the Dirty Air/Water Act.
      24 September 2012 (Freedom of speech)Glenn Greenwald: Republicans and Democrats defend freedom of speech only for some opinions, while supporting censorship or even prosecution of others.
      The Internet is made up of privatized "public spaces" comparable to shopping malls, and that puts freedom of speech in danger.
      The article also points up the UK's lack of respect for freedom of speech.
      24 September 2012 (Sugar withdrawal)Sugar withdrawal can affect part of a rat's brain like opiate withdrawal.
      24 September 2012 (Two-state solution explained)Uri Avnery explains to Romney about the two-state solution to the one-state problem.
      24 September 2012 (Curses of privatization)Five Looming Curses of Privatization.
      24 September 2012 (Hatred of the US)The US public asks "Why do they hate us" because our media don't tell us how the US kills them.
      24 September 2012 (The real Romney)Romney's embarrassing statements are not "gaffes" '-- they show the real Romney.
      24 September 2012 (Living standards in UK)A study predicts that most people in the UK will get worse off through 2020 even though the total economy expands.
      That's what happens if you promote economic growth by deregulating business and taxing the rich less '-- the growth is only for the rich, so why bother?
      24 September 2012 (Cannabidiol stops boy's seizures)Only cannabidiol from marijuana stops 6-year-old Jayden David from having seizures all the time. Thanks to Obama, he may be unable to obtain it any more.
      24 September 2012 (Abortion and mental health)Abortion, compared to having an unwanted baby, does not pose a risk of increased mental illness to the woman.
      A previous study that purported to show such a risk seems to have been flawed.
      24 September 2012 (Syrian rebel headquarters)The Syrian rebels have moved their headquarters into areas of Syria that they control.
      The existence of areas under rebel control means that it is now militarily possible for the West to aid them, as it was in Libya. Whether to do so is another question. The challenge would be to avoid making this a victory for Salafists that could be worse than Assad.
      24 September 2012 (TSA dislikes traveler's attitude, detains her)The TSA stopped a traveler from boarding a plane, after she had passed through security, because an agent did not like her attitude.
      24 September 2012 (Urgent: Stop PG&E's explosive "tests")US citizens: don't let PG&E sterilize a marine reserve with explosive "tests".
      23 September 2012 (Ansar al-Sharia stormed)A crowd of citizens stormed the base of Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi, whose fighters fled after some attempt at resistance.
      This may be a step forward in helping the state take power away from the various militias that control parts of Libya. But not necessarily.
      23 September 2012 (Roundup promotes fungal growth)Glyphosate (Roundup) promotes gwowth of fungi, and its use has been associated with the appearance of a new fungal disease that causes abortions in farm animals.
      Whether Roundup is responsible for this disease is not yet established, but may be established by further study. Whether ceasing to use Roundup would eliminate the disease is a separate question, which experiments could answer.
      Whether continued use of Roundup is likely to make more such diseases appear is another question, which we can't answer with certainty, so we must not ignore the risk.
      23 September 2012 (Obama ignores letter from 27 congresscritters)Obama has ignored a letter from 27 congresscritters criticizing the "signature" drone attacks '-- for 3 months.
      23 September 2012 (Victims of shooting in movie theater sue)Some victims of the shooting in a movie theater are suing the theater.
      Isn't this nuts? If they win, theaters will adopt new "security measures" to make life more difficult for everyone (and, as a secondary evil, charge more). But I don't blame the plaintiffs. Due to the lack of a national health service in the US, and the lack of proper support for the disabled, they must be desperate to get money from somewhere.
      23 September 2012 (Reggie Clemons)Reggie Clemons got a new investigation, which presented evidence that his prosecution was unfair.
      Thugs get lots of practice lying on the witness stand, so what they said must be disregarded. Aside from that, it looks like Clemons was guilty of something, perhaps participating in rape, if not murder. Some suspects are guilty, after all, but that doesn't excuse torture, or execution.
      23 September 2012 (System of testing drugs broken)Our system of testing drugs for safety and efficacy is fundamentally broken. Pharma companies systematically manipulate it so they can sell drugs that don't work, are dangerous, or both.
      The solution is to tax the companies and have the state fund the studies.
      This is one example among many of the harm done by the political power of business. That is why I support movements and candidates ready to take away that power.
      Democracy does not mean elections. Elections are part of the method, but they are not the point. The point of democracy is that the many non-rich unite to be stronger than the rich. The US doesn't do this, which means democracy is sick.
      23 September 2012 (Clinton supported repeal of Glass-Steagall)Clinton the Great Deregulator gave the banksters the conditions to create the financial crisis and the recession.
      I had read that Clinton opposed repeal of Glass-Steagall, but that was incorrect information. He supported it.
      23 September 2012 (Roundup-resistant GMO corn kills rats)In an experiment, Roundup-resistant GMO corn killed rats by causing cancer.
      23 September 2012 (Using a phone while driving)Using a cell phone while driving may not in fact be dangerous. It seems that the drivers who typically answer the phone drive dangerously all the time.
      23 September 2012 (Toxic waste disposal)Fracking is used as a way to dispose of inconvenient toxic waste.
      23 September 2012 (Guantanamo Prisoners)The US has published a list of 55 Guantanamo prisoners who are "cleared for release".
      Since the US government doesn't claim to have a reason to imprison them, they should be freed immediately.
      The rest of the prisoners should be freed immediately too, unless they are charged with some crime and tried.
      (I refuse to call prisoners "detainees". That word sanitizes the horror of being imprisoned.)
      23 September 2012 (Violence used by Salafists)Violent protests against an insulting film are being used by Muslim extremists (Salafists) to build support for their extremism, much the way Christian extremists in the West used sometimes violent protest against abortion providers.
      What is crucial is whether Muslims who respect freedom of expression organize to defeat the extremists.
      The world center of Salafism is Saudi Arabia, whose state the US has supported in repression for decades.
      23 September 2012 (US houses can be wrecked in War on Drugs)If you live in the US, your house can be wrecked as part of the War on Drugs.
      23 September 2012 (Protesters in Benghazi try to attack militia)Protesters in Benghazi, perhaps remembering how the US air force defended their city, tried to attack the Islamist militia accused of killing the US ambassador.
      23 September 2012 (Removal of Mojahedin-e Khalq from "terrorist" list)Millionaires spent millions on lobbyists and campaign contributions to get the Mojahedin-e Khalq removed from the list of organizations arbitrarily labeled as "terrorist".
      This demonstrates that the list is a matter of politics, nothing to do with justice. It is prohibition of groups by decree, if they don't have political connections.
      23 September 2012 (Obama as bad as Bush)Obama has become, on many fronts, as bad an enemy of civil liberties as Bush.
      The delusion that terrorism in the US is a significant danger is part of the cause.
      23 September 2012 (Sleazy spamming company run by UK Tory leader)A leader of the UK Tory party runs a sleazy search engine spamming company.
      Many conservatives own or work for businesses that exploit people (consider Romney), so this should not be surprising.
      23 September 2012 (Fear of terrorism in the US)On the delusion that terrorism is a significant danger in the US.
      Authoritarians are not slow to take advantage of this irrational fear. A thug chief claimed that illegal drugs are terrorism.
      23 September 2012 (Facebook censorship guidelines)Facebook censorship guidelines have been leaked. They include political censorship catering to various countries that do not respect freedom of speech.
      23 September 2012 (Belief that global heating is a hoax)Some people believe that global heating is a massive hoax. What a silly theory!
      23 September 2012 (Facebook's system for getting real names)Facebook is experimenting with a system to ask people to rat on friends who have not given their real names.
      If I used Facebook, I would give my real name, but being denied the option of doing otherwise is enough reason for me to refuse to use it at all.
      There are many reasons to reject Facebook.
      23 September 2012 (13 Palestinian villages to be demolished)Amnesty International warns that Israel plans to demolish 13 Palestinian villages.
      23 September 2012 (Miscommunication could cause war)A simulation exercise found that the US and Iran could drift into war through miscommunication.
      23 September 2012 (Karzai's troops encouraged to kill US troops)The Taliban actively encourage Karzai's troops to kill US troops, and nothing can be done to stop it.
      The root cause of this is that Karzai's rule inspires no loyalty. If men joined his army because they wanted to defeat the Taliban, it would be quite rare for soldiers to betray their units and buddies.
      23 September 2012 (Meaningless inspections of factories)Inspections of factories, to assure "social responsibility", often mean nothing.
      23 September 2012 (Obama's "surge" in Afghanistan)Since Obama's "surge" in Afghanistan did not achieve the goal of weakening the Taliban, officials give it a new goal that has not failed yet.
      23 September 2012 (Romney and Ryan's foreign policy ideas)Romney and Ryan are letting neocons decide their foreign policy ideas.
      We shouldn't listen to neocons until they become ex-cons.
      23 September 2012 (Fanatics demand execution of video maker)Murderous fanatics in Pakistan demand execution of the man who made a video that insulted Muhammad.
      Once again we see the comparison between prohibiting denial of the Nazi genocide and prohibiting such insults. Censoring one opinion leads to pressure to censor another. To ban denial of this genocide or others may be well-intentioned, but it is extremely dangerous.
      22 September 2012 (Urgent: Support Veteran Education)US citizens: call on Republican senators to stop blocking the bill to aid veterans with education for jobs.
      I disagree with calling veterans "our heroes" '-- those who were sent to Iraq were victims and dupes. But we should not punish them for that. It is the lying officials like Bush that should be punished.
      22 September 2012 (Urgent: Investigate Mining Company)US citizens: Call on the NLRB to investigate the mining company that forced employees to participate in a rally for Romney (and lose pay as a result).
      22 September 2012 (Urgent: Support Tribes Against Keystone XL)US citizens: Tell the Bureau of Indian Affairs to support tribes that want to stop the Keystone XL pipeline from bulldozing sacred burial grounds.
      22 September 2012 (Resignation of Yale's president)The resignation of Yale's president presents an opportunity to protect liberal education from turning into corporate propaganda, but this is not automatic.
      22 September 2012 (Urgent: Stop Chesapeake Bay from turning into a sewer)US citizens: tell the EPA to keep farm runoff from turning Chesapeake Bay into a sewer.
      22 September 2012 (Urgent: Protect America's Privacy Act)US citizens: Phone your senators to support Senator Merkley's bill, the Protect America's Privacy Act (S. 3515), which would limit warrantless wiretapping of Americans.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      Here's info from CREDO Action about the bill:
      While Sen. Merkley's bill does not repeal telecom immunity for illegal spying, restore privacy protection to library and bookstore records, end National Security Letter abuse, or roll back the worst abuses of the PATRIOT Act (all issues CREDO will continue to fight for, in addition to the full repeal of the PATRIOT Act), it does make three major changes to the warrantless wiretapping program that help us end some of the abuses of the Bush era.
      First, it would put stronger protections in place to ensure that spy agencies are not using this program as an indirect way to target someone in the U.S.
      Second, current law allows the government to collect information in anticipation of having its request to do so approved by a special type of top-secret court. Sen. Merkley's bill would ensure that if this court decides the procedures the government is using to collect information are improper, any information collected from Americans cannot be used in a legal proceeding.
      Third, the bill would establish a new process for ensuring that if security agencies determine that information is being collected on Americans, that information cannot be accessed or searched until a proper warrant is obtained.
      22 September 2012 (Squeezing money out of songwriters)In France, the "collecting society" that claims to represent songwriters squeezes money out of them.
      22 September 2012 (Urgent: Regulate prison profiteering)US citizens: call on the FCC to stop privatized prisons from charging prisoners a dollar a minute to talk with their families.
      22 September 2012 (Urgent: Demand extradition of convicted CIA agents)US citizens: support Italy in demanding extradition of CIA agents convicted of kidnapping.
      22 September 2012 (Urgent: Remove "summary judgment provision" from bill)US citizens: phone your congresscritter and say to remove the "summary judgment provision" from Whistleblower Protection Enhancement bill. This provision would allow a judge to dismiss a whistleblower's case before it is heard in court.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      22 September 2012 (US legislator against voting, supports voter-ID laws)A Republican legislator who supports voter-ID laws said that people who get government benefits should not be allowed to vote.
      22 September 2012 (Strike against foreign supermarkets in India)Store owners and workers went on strike across India against plans to allow foreign supermarkets such as Walmart.
      When politicians say these stores are "good for the economy", they mean for the total GNP. However, deregulation implies these "benefits" go mostly to the rich.
      22 September 2012 (Spyware business supports dictators)German spyware business supports dictators.
      Germany is not alone in this: US, UK and French companies do it too.
      22 September 2012 (Prohibition of blasphemy)Arrogant Islamist groups demand the world-wide prohibition of blasphemy.
      If this proposal is adopted, my cartoon, Shared Sacrifice in America, might get me imprisoned for blasphemy against Huitzilopochtli.
      Recall what laws against blasphemy do in Pakistan. But even when not carried so far, censorship is an injustice. We must defend the right to blaspheme against Allah, Huitzilopochtli, or any other deity.
      22 September 2012 (France bans protest)In a blow against freedom of speech, France has banned all protest against the controversial anti-Islam film.
      Muslims have a right to protest this or any film, just as people have a right to make such a film.
      Freedom of speech is rather weak in France.
      22 September 2012 ("Pink slime" company files defamation suit)The company that made the ammonia-treated meat derivative that was secretly added to hamburgers in the US is suing lots of people for calling it "pink slime".
      22 September 2012 (Over 100 Palestinians arrested)The Palestinian Authority has arrested over 100 protesters, activists and journalists.
      22 September 2012 (UK man arrested for speech)A UK man was arrested for praising someone accused of killing two thugs.
      The UK's restrictions on freedom of speech are far more dangerous to Britons than a murderer.
      22 September 2012 (Philippine gov't considers "cybercrime" bill)The Philippine government is considering a "cybercrime" bill that exacerbates the danger of criminal punishment for libel, intended to chill online expression.
      22 September 2012 (Ukraine restricts public protests)Ukraine has restricted public protests in a manner reminiscent of the US. There is Chicago's anti-protest law, the restriction of protests to far-off "free speech zones" outside the Republican and Democratic conventions, and the law that makes nonviolent protest at events where the Secret Service is present a felony.
      All in all, Ukraine's shame is following the example set by the US.
      22 September 2012 (Protests against austerity in Portugal)Massive protests against austerity in Portugal, but what change to advocate?
      Some are looking towards Iceland's example.
      22 September 2012 (Iran setting up independent Internet)Iran is setting up an independent Internet so as to disconnect most citizens from the rest of the world.
      22 September 2012 (Free program censored in Australia)Australian public television used a DMCA-like law to censor a free program that could access the ABC's web site.
      This act of censorship is despicable, and so is the law that was used. Australians, tell your MP that this law is an injustice.
      22 September 2012 (Freedom of speech)Although may countries endorse the idea of freedom of speech to some extent, most of them fall short in important ways.
      Freedom of speech has been perfected in the US thanks to the ACLU. I'm a member; are you?
      22 September 2012 (Another UK man seeks help in dying)Another paralyzed UK man is suing to get permission to pay people to transport him to Switzerland, where he could get help in dying.
      22 September 2012 (Greek state property to be privatized)A further disaster for Greece: most state property will be privatized.
      When it is a matter of selling palaces or islands, the only loss will be that they get a smaller price than if they had sold at a better time. Privatizing public services is much worse, since will result in mistreatment of the workers and the people who use them. This will result in further poverty.
      Privatizing revenue generators such as the lottery will, in the long run, exacerbate the problem of revenue, as in Chicago.
      22 September 2012 (Call for moratorium on Arctic drilling)Some in the UK parliament recognize that drilling for oil in the Arctic is going in the wrong direction.
      22 September 2012 (How John Paulson swindled banks)How John Paulson arranged with Goldman Sachs to swindle other banks and got away with it, and now is paying millions of those winnings to help Romney.
      If you want to buy the book, please don't get it from Amazon. Other links include
      http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781609804787
      http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/billionaires-and-ballot-bandits-greg-palast/1112927805?ean=9781609804787
      but even better, you can ask a local independent bookstore to order it.
      21 September 2012 (Cartoons about Muhammad)A French Magazine has published cartoons about Muhammad, and lots of intolerant Muslims are expected to go nuts.
      I have not seen these cartoons (I hope I can find a copy on Friday), but I doubt they represent hatred. They are probably kind and gentle compared with what my latest political cartoon says about Romney and Obama. If Muslims did not let these caricatures get their goat, people would laugh at them and forget them.
      The main thing currently inciting hatred against Muslims is their own intolerance. However, most people would hold no grudge against Muslims if Muslims learn to practice tolerance for disagreement.
      Note how the French censorship law that prohibits denial of Hitler's murder of Jews is being cited as an excuse to advocate further censorship. That law violates freedom of expression, which makes it an injustice in its own right. Now we see it threatens to create more injustice. All laws prohibiting the expression of certain views on some issue must be repealed.
      Meanwhile, look at the Jesus & Mo cartoons '-- no hatred, but lots of fun.
      21 September 2012 (Urgent: No fracking near Arches National Park)US citizens: tell the Bureau of Land Management: no fracking near Arches National Park.
      21 September 2012 (Damage to coral reefs)Overfishing and agricultural runoff damage coral reefs by encouraging algae to replace coral.
      21 September 2012 (New law in Jordan threatens websites)A new law in Jordan threatens websites that post user comments.
      21 September 2012 (The killing of Rachel Corrie)The Israeli state excused the killing of Rachel Corrie by accepting inconsistent testimony (probably lies) and by defining everyone in the area as an "enemy".
      This goes a little further than Obama, who only defines every adult male as an "enemy".
      21 September 2012 (Fossil fuel companies promoting Romney)The fossil fuel companies are spending heavily to promote Romney even though Obama is giving them most of what they want.
      Partly this is because they don't like EPA regulations. But partly it is meant to push Obama further into obedience.
      21 September 2012 (Urgent: Oppose Dirty Air/Water Act)US citizens: call your congresscritter to oppose the Dirty Air/Water Act. Also send a message through this page.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      21 September 2012 (Oslo agreement)The Palestinian Authority is considering scrapping the Oslo agreement, which has served to allow Israel to prevent a peace agreement.
      21 September 2012 (Chicago's teachers union strike ends)Chicago's teachers union ended the strike and claims victory.
      I can't tell from this article whether it is a real victory for labor.
      21 September 2012 (Obama's treatment of Haiti)Obama's treatment of Haiti demonstrates that you shouldn't judge a person by race.
      21 September 2012 (Honesty of US elections)Jimmy Carter said that Venezuela's elections in 2006 were the most honest he has seen, while the US is far behind.
      21 September 2012 (Lessons from CIA analysis)A CIA analysis of the mistaken belief that Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction might have lessons about Iran today.
      21 September 2012 (Shared Sacrifice)New Comic, Shared Sacrifice.
      21 September 2012 (Record low Arctic sea ice)Arctic sea ice reached a record low of this year, 18% smaller than the previous record low in 2007.
      The volume of ice has decreased even more because the ice is now thinner than ever before. Some scientists say that the Arctic could be ice-free in summer in just 5 years. If so, it would lead to further warming (since open water absorbs sunlight unlike ice that reflects it). This could lead to release of tremendous amounts of stored methane, which could force a lot more warming, which could kill a large fraction of humanity.
      This disaster is not necessarily inevitable. If we try hard, we might be able to avoid it.
      Anyone arguing for extending airports or highways now is proposing to let the disaster happen '-- which a most unwise investment.
      20 September 2012 (September 11)A response to an inquiry about the September 11 note. (September 2012)
      20 September 2012 (On-line Education)On-line education is using a flawed Creative Commons license.
      20 September 2012 (Fishery disasters declared on four coasts)The US has declared fishery disasters on four coasts.
      This should demonstrate that we must do more to protect fish stocks from disaster. This means
      More marine reserves where large fish and coral will remain plentiful.Stricter limits on catch, reducing the catch to the amount that we know will keep fish stocks up, rather than trying small limits.Banning destructive methods such as bottom trawling.Cutting down the CO2 emissions that are making the ocean acid. [Link to pol note that explains all the bad things that can do]20 September 2012 (Urgent: NO War With Iran!)US citizens:
      Phone your congresscritter and say, "No war with Iran".
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      20 September 2012 (Urgent: US Citizens)US citizens: phone your congresscritter to support Rep. Keith Ellison's bill for a small tax on sales of stocks, bonds and derivatives.
      A secondary benefit of this tax would be to damp out rapid fluctuations caused by computerized trading. (This goal was Tobin's reason to propose the tax.)
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      20 September 2012 (Cut Off Funding For War)Congressman Kucinich voted to cut off funding for war.
      20 September 2012 (The US Diet)The US diet, with added sugar and fat, causes diabetes. It may also cause Alzheimer's disease.
      20 September 2012 (Fuel)A misguided policy of selling auto fuel with 15% ethanol, which can ruin a small engine, has made it necessary for the EPA to impose an impractical regulation about minimum sales that will make many purchasers unable to buy what they need.
      This Republican congressman's rant about the "free market" is invalid. Environmental protection regulations are necessary '-- and these regulations seem like a rational choice, given that the 15% ethanol fuel is being sold.
      The root of this problem is using ethanol made from growing corn in fuel for automobiles. This would be fine if there were plenty of corn, but nowadays the shortage, caused by global heating, means that billions of people are bidding up the price.
      We need to burn less fossil fuel, but replacing it with ethanol made instead of food is nuts
      .20 September 2012 (Tired Of Facebook)Some kids are getting tired of Facebook.
      The author does not care how Facebook (or other companies) abuse his privacy; he does not mind how the iBad restricts him, let alone how the workers producing Apple products are treated. But even he finds Facebook unpleasant. I hope others, if they don't learn to be concerned about the important issues, at least follow him that far.
      20 September 2012 (Israeli And Egyptian Border Fences)21 would-be refugees were trapped between the Israeli and Egyptian border fences. Here's how the Israeli army made the problem disappear.
      20 September 2012 (Jill Stein)Jill Stein joined the Occupy Wall Street protest.
      20 September 2012 (iThings)Production of iThings continues to oppress workers, notwithstanding Apple's attempts to pretend it has changed the conditions.
      20 September 2012 (Bahrain)Bahrain has made trivial "reforms" but remains the enemy of human rights.
      20 September 2012 (Cell Phones)Cell phones for thugs infiltrating protesters can mean cells for protesters.
      It's only natural that the thugs beat up a journalist who tried to follow one of these infiltrators. That's what thugs do.
      20 September 2012 (Putin)Putin has kicked out USAid for supporting an organization that publicized dishonesty in the elections.
      20 September 2012 (Aaron Swartz)Aaron Swartz faces 50 years in prison if convicted of crimes that amount to violating JSTOR's terms of service.
      I've heard that the Injustice Department, which he filled with former RIAA heavies, is pushing hard to get Swartz, which is why they don't care that JSTOR has no complaint against him.
      If Obama wins this, people could be imprisoned for registering for Spotify with inaccurate information, or for lending someone else the music they "bought" from iTunes. Perhaps that is Obama's long-term goal.
      20 September 2012 (Mass Protests)Uri Avnery comments on mass protests in the West Bank against the Palestinian Authority.
      20 September 2012 (Charity Workers)Charity workers have been in prison in Haiti for months for not having a permit.
      20 September 2012 (Surveillance)William Binney went public about NSA spying on all Americans after working privately inside the NSA won him an FBI raid on his home.
      Here is a video in which he explains more [35 meg Ogg Theora].
      Sworn Declaration of Whistleblower William Binney on NSA Domestic Surveillance Capabilities.
      Working within the system for reform occasionally works, but it depends on outside pressure that gives the rulers a reason to want to change. More often, the idea that you're working within the system to reduce the harm it does is merely an excuse to overlook the harm you are doing by not fighting against it.
      20 September 2012 (US Prosecutors)US prosecutors work hand in glove with sleazy collection agencies.
      19 September 2012 (Who are "the good guys"?)Should we consider the US and the West "the good guys"?
      In the Cold War, the US was far less bad than the Russian Empire, and mostly deserved to be considered the good guys even despite the horrible things (such as overthrowing governments and arranging death squads) that it did in many countries, just because the Russian Empire was such tyranny.
      However, as the US moves toward tyranny, I don't see that it deserves to be considered "the good guys". China and Russia today are much worse, but the US may come to rival them in time.
      19 September 2012 (Obama regime's response justifies worst fears)The Obama regime's response to the injunction against imprisonment without trial shows that the plaintiffs' worst fears are justified.
      19 September 2012 (US environmental regulations)The US bases environmental regulations on an underestimated figure for the harm done by CO2 emissions.
      19 September 2012 (Urgent: Stop exceptions to air pollution rules for PVC factories)US citizens: tell the EPA not to make unexplained exceptions to its rules on air pollution from PVC factories.
      19 September 2012 (Argentina to attack farmers' rights)Argentina plans to attack farmers' rights in order to encourage GMOs.
      The use of the term ''intellectual property'' shows the twisted thinking underlying this plan.
      Glyphosate, a.k.a. "Roundup", has harmful effects, and weeds are developing resistance fast in the US.
      19 September 2012 (Israel's claims against Iran)Israel has been claiming for 20 years that Iran was just about to develop nuclear weapons.
      The IAEA report referred to in the last paragraph does not factually support the belief that Iran is now developing nuclear weapons.
      I don't believe Iran would go to this much trouble if it were not related to making nuclear weapons. But the facts seem to fit the view that Iran wants to develop the capability but not actually build any yet.
      19 September 2012 (Obama's system of punishment on mere accusation)Obama's unofficial system of punishment on mere accusation doesn't go as far as the official punishment systems of some other countries, but it is unjust nonetheless.
      19 September 2012 (From his own mouth: Romney doesn't care about the poor)Romney, not knowing he was on camera, said that half the US population is dependent on the government and he doesn't care about them.
      He also claimed that these people pay no income tax, but 2/3 of them pay social security tax which adds up to more than Romney's own tax rate.
      Meanwhile, many big and successful companies pay little or notax despite their high incomes.
      19 September 2012 (US suspends joint missions with Karzai's men)So many of Karzai's men have shot Americans that things finally snapped: the US has mostly suspended joint missions with them.
      Panetta misrepresents the situation when he calls this the "last gasp of the weakened Taliban." I wish that were true, because the Taliban are loathsome fanatics, but it isn't true. There is no sign that the Taliban have been weakened militarily &mdash their attacks increased this year. The attacks by Karzai's men occur in addition, not instead.
      19 September 2012 (Urgent: Protect water supplies)US citizens: Call on Obama to regulate fracking effectively to protect water supplies.
      Of course, we don't dare keep depending on these fossil fuels.
      18 September 2012 (EU "unitary patent" proposal)The EU "unitary patent" proposal threatens to impose software patents on most of the EU.
      18 September 2012 (US ban on Mujahedin-e Khalq)It looks like Iraq is cooperating with a push to remove the Mujahedin-e Khalq from the US list of arbitrarily banned organizations. (I think People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran is another name for that.)
      The Mujahedin-e Khalq are accused of working with Israel to kill Iranian scientists involved in nuclear weapons research. I am not convinced that is a horrible thing to do; I regard it as low-intensity continuation of a long-existing war. Whether the organization should be considered terrorist, I don't know. However, it is clear that what the US government says about this or any other organization is a political decision. It is unlikely that your bowling league will be designated as "terrorist" and banned, but Obama could do it if he really wants to.
      To ban any organization without a trial is tyranny.
      18 September 2012 (Obama insists on imprisonment without trial)The Obama regime condemned the court ruling against imprisonment without trial on the grounds that it might require release of some people already imprisoned without trial.
      Shame on you, Obama, and shame on the US if we do not stamp out this tyranny.
      A court in Afghanistan ruled against imprisonment without trial, too.
      18 September 2012 (Romney built his business with gov't help)Romney's business was started using US government funds that had been delivered to El Salvador for repression, then extracted by the corrupt ruling elite.
      So Romney didn't build his engine of job destruction alone. He did it with government help.
      18 September 2012 (Mysterious form of kidney disease)A peculiar kidney disease is becoming common in three specific regions, and nobody can figure out why.
      18 September 2012 (Opposition candidates)In Belarus, where opposition candidates are arrested, those who talk of boycotting elections are punished.
      Australia punished Albert Langer for urging people to vote in such a way that their ballots could not count for two major parties that are mostly sellouts to business.
      18 September 2012 (Shell's "containment dome" breaks)Shell's experimental "containment dome", meant to deal with future oil well leaks in the Arctic Ocean, broke when tested.
      Maybe next year Shell will make it work well enough not to break, but that doesn't mean it would really do its job.
      18 September 2012 (Thug who shoved Ian Tomlinson punished)The thug who shoved Ian Tomlinson has been punished '-- by being fired.
      18 September 2012 (Urgent: Support Occupy Movement)US citizens: support the Occupy Movement.
      18 September 2012 (Chicago mayor threatens to jail teachers)Chicago Mayor Emanuel says he will sue to stop the teachers' strike, effectively threatening to jail the teachers.
      It's a favorite right-wing tactic to demonize whichever workers they haven't yet cut the pay of.
      18 September 2012 (Freedom of speech in US threatened)Freedom of speech is threatened in the US for Muslims and anti-Muslims, by both Republicans and Democrats.
      18 September 2012 (Urgent: Clemency for Terrance Williams)Everyone: sign this petition for clemency for Terrance Williams.
      I think he ought to have a new trial.
      18 September 2012 (Violence toward anything that "insults")Stirring up violence towards anything that "insults" Islam is a political tool of Islamist extremists.
      18 September 2012 (Iran's revolutionary guards in Syria)Iran's revolutionary guards are in Syria fighting for Assad.
      18 September 2012 (Occupy Wall Street returns)Occupy Wall Street has returned to protests.
      Have the thugs returned to violent attacks on protesters and journalists? Since they must have considered their past practice a success, and none have been punished for these crimes, I expect them to continue.
      18 September 2012 (Netanyahu trying to pressure US)Netanyahu is trying to pressure the US government to commit itself to war with Iran.
      18 September 2012 (Possible entrapment)A man in Chicago was arrested for trying to set off a government-supplied dummy bomb.
      This raises the issue: to what extent did the government lead him into committing a crime that he otherwise would never have attempted?
      18 September 2012 (Danger of nuclear power)Whistleblower Richard Perkins says the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is covering up the danger that a nuclear power plant in South Carolina could have a meltdown if a dam breaks and floods it.
      Thirty thousand people protested to block loading nuclear fuel into a reactor in India.
      Some argue for nuclear power as a way to prevent global heating. But this is a dangerous bet. If civilization collapses, all the dirty used nuclear fuel rods, stored in a manner that requires frequent high-tech maintenance, will leak into the environment.
      18 September 2012 (Killing of US ambassador to Libya)The killing of the US ambassador to Libya may have been done by a militia linked to al Qa'ida.
      If true '-- the US or the Libyan government could be lying '-- this reflects the fact that various militias that participated in the revolution against Gaddafi remain armed, and pursuing their own agendas, including in some cases Islamist extremism.
      US surveillance drones are flying over Libya now, probably with the state's approval. What does this imply?
      Such groups are not like the army of a state. The army of a state is limited by the state's funding for the troops, training and arms. Killing some of the troops makes the remaining army smaller and (unless it was victorious) weaker in spirit. But these underground groups are limited mainly by how much they can recruit. The drone attacks seem to make them stronger, especially through the resentment generated when they kill civilians.
      How the US government talks about drone attacks while claiming it doesn't.
      18 September 2012 (Massive protest in Madrid)A massive protest in Madrid demanded a referendum on austerity.
      18 September 2012 (Copyright over new stories)Germany is proposing to establish a kind of copyright over news stories in bulk.
      18 September 2012 (Using ITU to end net neutrality)Major ISPs want to use the ITU to get rid of network neutrality.
      17 September 2012 (Internet Music)Internet Music
      17 September 2012 (Some in Taliban ready to negotiate with US)Some in the Taliban want to make an accommodation with the US, but don't trust Karzai to run an election.
      Since his last election was a sham, I can't blame them.
      17 September 2012 (UK's new environment minister)The UK's new environment minister has no credentials except the support of a prominent global heating denier.
      The current government says it plans to be the "greenest ever" but has taken every opportunity to sabotage renewable energy and boost fossil fuels. I concluded long ago that its actions show us its true goals. Now this is confirmed.
      17 September 2012 (Economic growth)Arguing that continued economic growth is now impossible and people must prepare for society on a broad scale to collapse.
      Although economic growth has, in the past, meant increased use of resources that are now scarce, that is not the only way an economic recovery for American workers can occur. Directing the US towards constructing renewable energy in the way it was once directed towards fighting World War II could provide jobs for millions while reducing our resource usage.
      But this possibility changes little in practice as long as our corporate rulers will not allow it to happen.
      17 September 2012 (UK's plan for secret courts)The UN criticized the UK's plan for secret courts.
      Protecting torturers is not merely an accidental byproduct of this plan. It is the motive for the plan. The servile UK government will go to any lengths to help Obama protect US torturers.
      17 September 2012 (Urgent: Repeal law that prohibits protests)US citizens: call on Congress to repeal the law that prohibits nearly all protests at many public events.
      17 September 2012 (Urgent: Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act)US citizens: phone your congresscritter to support the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      17 September 2012 (GMOs at "natural foods" store chains)Major "natural foods" store chains have stopped trying to resist GMOs.
      17 September 2012 (Google pressured to take down video)The White House seems to have pressured Google in vague terms to take down the anti-Muslim video that fanatics are using as an excuse to provoke violence.
      I am not surprised that the video has been blocked in India. India has very restrictive censorship policies, on and off the Internet.
      17 September 2012 (Terry Williams faces execution)Terry Williams faces execution for killing the men who raped him repeatedly in church.
      The death penalty is always wrong, but commuting it to life imprisonment in this case seems insufficient.
      17 September 2012 (Pictures of Canadian pennies)Responding to broad public condemnation, the Canadian government dropped its plan to charge a musician for using pictures of pennies on a record cover.
      The mint spreads gratuitous confusion by describing its copyright policy as ''intellectual property policy'', mixing up copyright with a several other unrelated laws.
      This confusion is so easy to avoid that it is inexcusable not to.
      17 September 2012 (Drought affecting electric power plants)Drought due to global heating is blocking the operation of electric power plants.
      Solar and wind power are not affected by these problems.
      Charging farms more for water is also vitally necessary to prevent wasteful use. This has been recognized for decades, but agribusiness interests have prevented it.
      17 September 2012 (CIA helped Gaddafi torture Libyan dissidents)Former anti-Gaddafi Libyan dissidents describe how the CIA tortured them before handing them over to Gaddafi's torturers.
      Since Obama has gone all-out to protect US torturers so far, he will surely protect the perpetrators of this torture too, while doing everything possible to prevent the accusations from being investigated in court.
      In effect, Obama is complicit in the torture he covers up.
      17 September 2012 (Hadopi)Hadopi, the unjust French law that punishes people when they are accused of file-sharing.
      17 September 2012 (Confessions of a former Republican)A former Republican (of the non-theocratic variant) explains what he used to believe, and how he found out that much of it was baloney.
      17 September 2012 (Urgent: Raise issue of global heating)US citizens: call for raising the issue of global heating in the presidential debates.
      16 September 2012 (War on Dissent in Wisconsin)Wisconsin has carried the War on Dissent to new lengths, arresting people carrying hand-held signs in the capitol building.
      16 September 2012 (Lobbying "fire experts" shut down)A lobbying group of "fire experts" was shut down after it was exposed as a front for the companies that make toxic fire-retardant chemicals.
      The idea of artificially stopping fires from starting is not a bad one, and it isn't self-evident whether these chemicals do more or less harm than the fires they prevent. On the other hand, some highly flammable materials such as polyurethane could be banned in consumer products instead of treated with toxins.
      16 September 2012 (Prosecuting only the whistleblower)Nobody in the US will be prosecuted for torture except the whistleblower John Kiriakou who told us about it.
      As a patriotic American, brought up to love freedom, I feel the same disgust for the US government today as I feel for other governments that torture and oppress.
      16 September 2012 (Impression of "balance" in journalism)The impression of "balance": a Washington Post columnist says it bothers him to criticize Romney more than he criticizes Obama. Someone taught him a decent journalist is supposed to criticize both candidates equally.
      I think a decent citizen should criticize Obama and Romney equally for the right-wing policies they agree on.
      16 September 2012 (Former Mexican president protected from lawsuit)The US will protect former Mexican president Zedillo from a lawsuit by victims of a massacre carried out by paramilitaries during his presidency.
      16 September 2012 (Punishment without trial coming to US)Thanks to Obama, punishment without trial is coming to the US, "justified" by the illegitimate goal of stopping people from sharing.
      17 September 2012 (Urgent: Support striking Walmart workers)US citizens: support striking Walmart workers.
      16 September 2012 (Urgent: Tell Apple to treat workers ethically)Everyone: call on Apple to treat its workers ethically.
      This would not be enough to make Apple computer products acceptable to use.
      16 September 2012 (Florida voter purge)Florida's Republican rulers plan to resume a hasty purge of supposedly ineligible voters, giving them too little time to challenge the exclusion.
      16 September 2012 (Japan to close nuclear power plants)Japan has announced a plan to close all nuclear power plants in 30 years and expand renewable energy.
      16 September 2012 (Fossil fuel companies buying ads)Fossil fuel companies are buying lots of ads to push Obama to give them all they want.
      16 September 2012 (Protests against US embassies)Arguing that the protests against US embassies are more due to US policies (such as drone assassinations) and fanatical organizers than to a video.
      16 September 2012 (Urgent: No war with Iran)US citizens: Phone your congresscritter to say "No war with Iran". Then send a message through this page.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      16 September 2012 (Urgent: Call for hearings on voter suppression)US citizens: call on the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold hearings on Republican voter suppression.
      16 September 2012 (Arctic sea ice sets new record low)Arctic sea ice sets a new record low, just half the area that was usual in the 1970s.
      But this understates the loss, because it is also much thinner than it used to be. In volume, it is now far less than half.
      16 September 2012 (UK to deport Tamil refugees)The UK plans to deport Tamil refugees to Sri Lanka despite evidence they are likely to be tortured there.
      16 September 2012 (Repression of gays in Malaysia)Repressive Malaysia is extending repression of gays.
      16 September 2012 (Washington Post "debate" about energy sources)Brought to You by...Big Oil? The Washington Post presented a biased "debate" about energy sources, concealing the fact that it was sponsored by fossil fuel companies.
      16 September 2012 (Dutch court endangers journalists)A Dutch court put journalists and web site operators in danger by fining a site for a link to an unauthorized copy of a photo.
      16 September 2012 (Intel chip with secret features)Intel has designed a chip with secret features so that only Windows can run on it.
      16 September 2012 (The House GOP budget)House GOP Budget Would Cost States Ten Times More Than Expanding Medicaid.
      16 September 2012 (Political opposition to Chicago's teachers)Republican Romney and Chicago's Democrat mayor both oppose Chicago's teachers, and Obama doesn't support them.
      16 September 2012 (How Romney helped Monsanto)How Romney helped Monsanto become the menacing giant that it is today.
      16 September 2012 (Bain Capital methods)If Romney applies the Bain Capital methods to the 50 states.
      16 September 2012 (Protests against TPP negotiations)Protests against the TPP negotiations.
      16 September 2012 (Networking rebellion in Arab uprisings)Networking Rebellion: Digital Policing and Revolt in the Arab Uprisings.
      16 September 2012 (UC Davis to pay pepper-sprayed protesters)UC Davis will pay compensation to the protesters who were pepper sprayed by thugs.
      16 September 2012 (Cruelty of Bahrain's king)Zainab Al-Khawaja protested even with a cast on her leg, which had been broken by Bahraini thugs in a previous protest. So now she is in prison.
      Her father was raped in prison while recovering from the many operations needed to repair all the bones that the thugs broke.
      The US government continues supporting Bahrain's cruel king, as part of the race for who gets to roast our planet fastest.
      16 September 2012 (Surveillance of Americans' stored email)Senator Leahy has proposed an amendment to fill the gap in Americans' rights against surveillance of their stored email.
      This ought to ban the existing universal NSA snooping, but I suspect that point will be ignored.
      16 September 2012 (UK thugs face prosecution)High-ranking UK thugs may face prosecution for lying about the events of a disaster in which 96 sports fans died, falsely blaming the victims.
      15 September 2012 (Apple censorship)Apple censorship is not always aimed at its direct commercial advantage. Naomi Wolf's book "Vagina" is presented on iTunes with a censored title.
      15 September 2012 (US arm sales to Bahrain)Calling on Clinton to apply the law and suspend US arms sales to Bahrain.
      15 September 2012 (Urgent: Confront candidates about Corporations United)US citizens: sign up to confront candidates about public funding of elections and reversing the Corporations United decision (note that I call it by what it really was).
      15 September 2012 (Violence and extremism of Syrian rebels)Some Syrians who didn't like Assad are repelled by the violence and extremism of the rebels.
      I doubt we can tell how many Syrians feel this way, how many support the rebels, and how many supported Assad all along. However, I think the disapproval of the rebels might result in Assad's keeping power.
      15 September 2012 (Secret watermarks on screenshots)World of Warcraft screenshots have secret watermarks identifying who made them.
      15 September 2012 (Censorship of "child pornography")Rick Falvinge joins me in demanding an end to the censorship of "child pornography", and points out that if in the US you observe the rape of a child, making a video or photo to use as evidence would subject you to a greater penalty than the rapist.
      The article does not mention that it's common practice for teenagers to exchange nude photos with their lovers, and they all potentially could be imprisoned for this. A substantial fraction of them are actually prosecuted.
      15 September 2012 (Fragmentary sea ice near North Pole)Just 350 miles from the North Pole, sea ice is only fragmentary. This means that satellites overestimate the amount of ice that remains.
      15 September 2012 (Cambodian journalist murdered)A Cambodian journalist who reported on deforestation has been murdered.
      15 September 2012 (Sustainable development)Sustainable development must aim at wellbeing, not at economic growth.
      This is all the more so given that economic growth under the empire of business tends to benefit only the rich.
      15 September 2012 (Loss of frog species in Asia)Thousands of species of frogs in Asia may be wiped out by human activity before science discovers their existence.
      15 September 2012 (UK gov't to push for use of fracked gas)The UK government is planning to break its own laws by pushing for extended use of fracked gas rather than renewable energy.
      15 September 2012 (Libya's new government)How will Libya's new government deal with violent Islamists?
      15 September 2012 (Catalans march for separation from Spain)A million Catalans marched in favor of separating Catalunya from Spain.
      Their grievances are fueled by the effects of austerity. Catalans are making a mistake blaming the poor in AndalucÐa and Extremadura; they should join together to fight their common enemies: Rajoy and the banksters.
      Meanwhile, this shows a way for a country to exit the euro zone. It can split into regions, each of which will need a new currency since it will be outside the EU. But instead of making a new currency for each region, they could share a single new currency, just as Ecuador and the US share the dollar. Then the regions could reunite.
      15 September 2012 (UK law allows arbitrary imprisonment)One of many tyrannical laws in the UK allows border agents to arrest people arbitrarily and imprison them for refusing to answer a question.
      The plans to revise the law affect other secondary nasty points, but apparently there is no plan to change the law's principal attack against the rights of Englishmen: forcing people to incriminate themselves.
      15 September 2012 (Trapped by Apple "ecosystem")An iThing user writes about being trapped by the Apple "ecosystem".
      It is not impossible to break loose: you can stop, and you should stop. However, is is a considerable inconvenience to break loose from this pernicious system, and that makes Apple culpable for creating it.
      15 September 2012 (Colombian General Motors worker strikes)Colombian General Motors worker Jorge Parra is on hunger-strike again, after GM refused to help the workers who were fired after they were injured on the job.
      15 September 2012 (Pakistan parties against drones)Pakistan Parties Uniting Against Drones.
      15 September 2012 (US continues imprisonment without trial)The US continues imprisonment without trial. Prisoner Adnan Abd-ul-Latif died in Guantanamo, where he was held merely for being Yemeni.
      15 September 2012 (All-out Mideast war)U.S. strike on Iran could lead to all-out Mideast war, experts say.
      15 September 2012 (Even thugs protest austerity in Greece)Even the thugs are protesting against austerity in Greece.
      Fortunately for Greece, the long-term disaster of privatization has proceeded slowly. There may be some government activities that could safely be privatized, because the public would be able to use them through a competitive market; but I expect that the main privatization will be for the things that ought to be run by the state.
      15 September 2012 (Unjust US laws harm human rights)Unjust US laws have harmed Tunisians' human rights, in Guantanamo and in Tunisia.
      15 September 2012 (Google censors video in Libya and Egypt)Google has blocked access in Libya and Egypt to the video that Muslim fanatics are offended by.
      15 September 2012 (Home Affordable Modification Program)Big Banks failed to properly implement the Home Affordable Modification Program, resulting in 800,000 foreclosures that should have been avoided.
      15 September 2012 (US imprisonment without trial blocked)Judge Katherine B. Forrest issued a permanent injunction against the imprisonment without trial authorized by the National "Defense" Authorization Act.
      While it is good that this injustice has been blocked, the grounds for blocking it are too specific: that the grounds stated for imprisoning people were too vague. Even given a very clear and precise criterion, imprisonment without trial is tyranny. For the US to be the Land of Liberty, it must respect the most basic human right: no punishment without a fair trial.
      15 September 2012 (Students forced to build iThings at Foxconn)Foxconn closed schools and forced the students to work building iThings.
      15 September 2012 (Federal Reserve can help the economy)Republicans Admit Federal Reserve Can Help The Economy, But Prefer It Wouldn't.
      Increased government spending is a much better way to promote employment in the US, but Republicans have been able to block that since 2010.
      15 September 2012 (High-income tax cuts)New Study Finds High-Income Tax Cuts Don't Stimulate Economic Growth. In recent history, that is.
      15 September 2012 (Warrantless wiretapping in the US)The House of Representatives voted for 5 more years of warrantless wiretapping of Americans' international communications.
      Note that the NSA in fact intercepts nearly all the digital communications in the US, but has redefined the word "intercept" to pretend this isn't so.
      15 September 2012 (Urgent: Discourage defense of imprisonment without trial)US citizens: call on Obama and your senators not to defend imprisonment without trial, which a judge found unconstitutional.
      In the two messages, I replaced "indefinite detention" with "imprisonment without trial". Why mince words?
      15 September 2012 (Agent Orange Corn)"Agent Orange Corn" One Step Closer to Approval
      15 September 2012 (Recent organic food study)Stanford scientists who published an analysis of studies comparing organic and conventional foods worked in a lab funded by organizations with their own private interests in the issue.
      This does not necessarily invalidate the conclusion: that organic food was not better in nutritional value. But it casts doubt on whether we can trust the scientists who published the study.
      The first announcement of the study that I saw said that it acknowledged that organic foods could be better in avoiding pesticides and drug-resistant bacteria. So I am surprised by the articles criticizing the study for denying that.
      15 September 2012 (Urgent: Student loan cancelation when student dies)US citizens: call on Citibank to cancel student loans when a student dies.
      15 September 2012 (Urgent: Petition against the TPP)US citizens: sign this petition against the TPP.
      15 September 2012 (Mob attack on US consulate in Banghazi)A mob attack on the US consulate in Banghazi provided the opportunity for someone to fire a rocket that killed the US ambassador.
      If I saw the movie that the mob was angry at, I might disagree with parts of it. I'm not interested in seeing it, because whatever opinion I might have of the film itself is irrelevant to the important issue at stake. We must defend the freedom to state those views, or any views, whether we agree with them or not.
      Censorship is an injustice. Whether it is done by a state such as Turkey, a company such as Apple or Facebook, or a mob of people who think one has no right to offend them, it is an injustice. No matter how powerful are the forces of censorship, we must never grant them legitimacy.
      15 September 2012 (Conditions in Foxconn factory)An undercover journalist reports on the horrible conditions in the Foxconn factory that makes iThings: still horrible in 2012.
      15 September 2012 (Anti-government web sites in Vietnam)Vietnam plans to prosecute publishers of anti-government web sites.
      15 September 2012 (The secret negotiations of the TPP)Protesters and legislators condemned the secret negotiations of the TPP.
      The articles spread confusion when they use the term "intellectual property". The draft treaty probably does it too.
      15 September 2012 (Mob attack at US embassy in Egypt)Romney condemned the US embassy in Egypt for responding to mob attack by condemning the film that the mob was angry at. But he was mistaken. It turns out that the embassy anticipated the attacks by condemning the film.
      To my mind, that makes the embassy's action even worse. Surrender before you're even attacked?
      15 September 2012 (Urgent: Stop use of conflict minerals in Nintendo)US citizens: tell Nintendo to refuse to buy conflict minerals mined by brutal African militias.
      15 September 2012 (Urgent: Ban trade in polar bear parts)US citizens: call on Obama to ban trade in polar bear parts.
      15 September 2012 (US children living in poverty)1/5 of children in the US are living in poverty.
      When you cut everything that can help the non-rich, you get more poverty.
      15 September 2012 (NATO troops in Afghanistan)Most Americans and most Europeans want to remove lots of the NATO troops from Afghanistan immediately.
      15 September 2012 (Paul Ryan's voting record)Paul Ryan voted repeatedly against paying for the treatment of illnesses caused by breathing the toxic air of the burning World Trade Center.
      14 September 2012 (Banks downplay productive investment)Today's banks, focused on financial schemes to grab more money from other investors, downplay productive investment.
      14 September 2012 (Surveillance cameras in UK schools)Many UK schools have put surveillance cameras in toilets and changing rooms.
      14 September 2012 (Results of Bush's invasion of Iraq)Ten years ago, an article foretold what the results would be if Bush invaded Iraq. Few of those who supported the decision have admitted it was wrong.
      Perhaps that is because it was worse than just a mistake. It was a crime, and those responsible do not want to feel that they are criminals.
      14 September 2012 (Caravan for Peace)The Caravan for Peace has toured the US protesting against the destructive War on Drugs.
      13 September 2012 (Nonprofit sharing of songs)The record companies have been victorious in their lawsuits for hundreds of thousands of dollars for nonprofit sharing of songs.
      We must demand that our congressional representatives support legalization of sharing.
      13 September 2012 (Monitor US for voter disenfranchisement)Other countries should monitor the US election to see if Republicans will win via disenfranchisement.
      13 September 2012 (No Child Left Behind)The multiple swindles of No Child Left Behind.
      13 September 2012 (AT&Ts "Internet freedom")AT&T claims that "Internet freedom" means abolishing all regulation of ISPs and phone companies. It wants to force people to switch from telephone service to Internet service, and abolish "common carrier" status so it can arbitrarily cut people off.
      13 September 2012 (US Navy sonar testing range)The US Navy got court approval to risk causing the extinction of North Atlantic right whales, by setting up a sonar testing range next to the place they give birth to their young.
      13 September 2012 (Chicago teachers on strike)Chicago teachers have gone on strike because the city is planning to fire them if they teach in schools where students do badly (because they are poor).
      Greg Palast explains how the scheme works.
      13 September 2012 (White House prepares stand-in for CISPA)White House Preparing Executive Order As A Stand-In For CISPA.
      Ensuring that companies that run crucial infrastructure maintain good computer security is a legitimate goal, and parts of the plan may be unproblematical. But it needs to be done in a way that doesn't trample the public's freedom.
      13 September 2012 (Twitter loses appeal to protect personal data)Twitter seems to have lost its appeal to protect personal data of a protester in New York City.
      I agree that tweets, which are published, cannot be the object of privacy. However, I've read in other articles that the information in question includes IP addresses and other non-published data.
      13 September 2012 (Assange threatens to sue SXSW)Julian Assange threatened to sue SXSW if it broadcast a film that presented him in a bad light.
      I have not seen the film, and I have no opinion about it, but even if it were an out-and-out lie and deserved a libel suit, this advance threat seems harsh and aggressive.
      However, this is a secondary issue compared with the heroic work of Wikileaks and has no effect on the need to protect Assange from US persecution.
      13 September 2012 (Egyptians attack US embassy)Egyptians attacked the US embassy, enraged about a video made in the US which insults Muhammad.
      The embassy conceded too much to these would-be censors.
      Another example of dangerous surrender occurred in the UK.
      People have as much right to express anti-Muslim views as they have to be Muslims. Censorship threats by arrogant Muslims who can't bear criticism must be resisted with not the slightest hint of an apology.
      13 September 2012 (Suicide bomber kills teenagers in Kabul)A suicide bomber in Kabul killed and injured teenagers who sold trinkets outside NATO headquarters.
      Whatever may have been the bomber's originally intended target, he surely knew when he pushed the button who the victims would actually be. He could instead have walked away.
      I wonder whether Afghans will feel the same disgust at the Taliban that they feel towards the US for killing civilians.
      13 September 2012 (Marijuana prohibition in UK)Prohibition of marijuana in the UK is fueling violence among producers, so a chief of thugs proposes '... more prohibition.
      13 September 2012 (Accusations of massacre in Venezuela retracted)It appears that there was no massacre in the jungle in Venezuela. The group that made the accusation retracted it.
      12 September 2012 (Urgent: Support Real Debate)US citizens: sign this petition for presidential debate to include other real candidates.
      12 September 2012 (Urgent: Oppose Attacking Iran)Everyone: sign this petition to the US and Israel, saying not to attack Iran.
      12 September 2012 (11 years of US war in Afghanistan)11 years after Dubya invaded Afghanistan, the US is still at war there, still killing, still dying, still propping up a corrupt government that treats women with contempt.
      Meanwhile, the Taliban get their funds from US "ally" Saudi Arabia.
      12 September 2012 (Web site "surveywalls")Instead of asking people to pay for access, websites might in the future ask visitors to answer a survey question.
      There are many kinds of questions I would not mind answering to visit a web site. However, I would not mind paying money, either, in principle. My objection to today's paywalls is that paying would require me to identify myself. My concern about possible future "surveywalls" is likewise about the details.
      If I could answer the survey question without running nonfree software (including nonfree Javascript code), and without its being tied to my identity or to my other browsing, I would be willing to answer, supposing the question itself were not objectionable.
      12 September 2012 (Romney's position on health care)Did Romney intentionally misrepresent his position on health care to mislead undecided voters?
      I have no proof, but I think it is plausible that he did.
      12 September 2012 (Lawsuits over voter suppression laws)The outcome of the US election may be determined by lawsuits over Republican voter suppression laws.
      12 September 2012 (Dubya ignored warnings about attacks)Dubya ignored many warnings about the Sep 2001 attacks and is still covering up what they were.
      12 September 2012 (Romney's PACs)Romney's PACs get millions from Chinese casinos, and from dummy corporations run by cartoon characters.
      12 September 2012 (A blogpost that damages children's brains)"This blogpost will cause lasting damage to children's brains".
      12 September 2012 (Toxic substances in cleaning products)Many cleaning products contain toxic substances that can cause asthma or cancer.
      12 September 2012 (South Sudan's thugs)South Sudan is a new country, but its thugs have already beat up a human rights activist.
      12 September 2012 (Legitimizing tyranny in Sri Lanka)Legitimizing tyranny in Sri Lanka.
      12 September 2012 (The leaked iThing UDIDs)The leaked list of iThing UDIDs originated from a company. This does not necessarily prove it was not obtained from the FBI.
      That list is personal information about people who did nothing to deserve mistreatment. (They did something very foolish by using Apple devices, but they shouldn't be punished for that.) The crackers reduced the wrong by limiting the information in what they leaked, but it was nonetheless somewhat wrong.
      However, the more important wrong was collecting the data in the first place. When we consider how to prevent future wrongs, we should focus on that kind.
      12 September 2012 (AIDS in Zimbabwe prison)An HIV-infected political prisoner in Zimbabwe is campaigning for prisoners to have access to the medicines that save their lives by preventing AIDS.
      12 September 2012 (Austrian mountain peak without ice cap)Climbers in an Austrian mountain peak found it without an ice cap for the first time.
      12 September 2012 (Global heating a public health issue)Global heating should be presented as a public health issue.
      12 September 2012 (Taxes and regulations)Econometric evidence that taxes and regulations are not the obstacle to US economic recovery.
      12 September 2012 (Koch brothers criticize crony capitalism)Even the Koch brothers can criticize crony capitalism. So let's stop them from practicing it.
      12 September 2012 (Junk DNA)The claim that 80% of human DNA is functional was based on a lax criterion for "functional". Some of that 80% might nonetheless be junk.
      11 September 2012 (Today we commemorate the September 11 attacks)Today we commemorate the September 11 attacks, which killed President Allende of Chile and installed Pinochet's murderous military dictatorship. More than 3,000 dissidents were killed or "disappeared" by the Pinochet regime. The USA operated a destabilization campaign in Chile, and the September 11 attacks were part of that campaign.
      I also support a new investigation of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US.
      11 September 2012 (September 11 investigations)A study reports that the apparent grains of microthermite in dust from the World Trade Center could be a mixture of kaolin and epoxy, both common in paint.
      Also, the iron microspheres can form in a fire at a temperature much lower than the usual burning point of iron.
      This undercuts the practical evidence cited for the claim that the World Trade Center was knocked down by thermite planted in the buildings.
      I still support the demand for an honest, impartial investigation with full subpoena power. The weakened and then corrupted investigation that Bush allowed was not sufficient to establish the truth and demonstrate it to the public.
      11 September 2012 (Carbon trading system)The UN's global carbon trading system, set up to encourage investment in emissions reduction in poor countries, is on the edge of collapsing.
      11 September 2012 (Salmon farms and pesticides)Salmon farms, like plant farms, need ever increasing amounts of toxic pesticides. These pesticides are dumped straight into the ocean.
      11 September 2012 (Taliban leaders want to negotiate)Taliban leaders want to negotiate, according to former Taliban leaders.
      11 September 2012 (Journalists face charges of terrorism)44 journalists face charges of terrorism in Turkey for criticizing the state in various ways.
      The saddest thing is that US dissidents are getting similar treatment.
      11 September 2012 (Breaking the Chains of Consumerism)America the Possible: Breaking the Chains of Consumerism.
      11 September 2012 (Garbage magnates discourage composting)Garbage magnates are lobbying to discourage composting recycling.
      Apparently I am not the only one who's non compost mentis.
      10 September 2012 (Nature reserves)Existing nature reserves fall far short of what is needed to prevent a mass extinction later this century.
      10 September 2012 (Iraqi vice president sentenced to death)Iraq's vice president, a Sunni and now in exile in Turkey, was sentenced to death in absentia.
      I won't say it is impossible that he's guilty of ordering killings, but it is clear that the trial is political and the verdict is meaningless. Several major Iraqi political parties were (maybe still are) connected with militias which participated in the sectarian warfare a few years ago. It would be good to punish all those involved, but trying to execute only the Sunni political leader looks more like a further act in that warfare.
      10 September 2012 (Over 90% of Caribbean coral dead)Caribbean coral reefs are over 90% dead, and what's left is threatened.
      10 September 2012 (Warrantless surveillance of Americans)Laura Poitras' new documentary shows how much the NSA is spying on every American.
      Congress could stop this, if it cared about human rights.
      Ask your candidates for congresscritter and senator where they stand on warrantless surveillance of Americans.
      10 September 2012 (Privatized water companies)Privatized water companies are giving US homeowners unjustified and incredible bills.
      10 September 2012 (Arctic drilling by Shell)Greenpeace says Shell was reckless in its rushed and incomplete testing to a crucial component it wants to use for undersea Arctic drilling.
      10 September 2012 (Charged with mass murder, shielded by US)The US shielded Bolivia's ex-president from extradition on charges of mass murder.
      10 September 2012 (Not the Financial Times)Not the Financial Times.
      10 September 2012 (Comparing iTunes to Monsanto)Comparing iTunes to Monsanto.
      10 September 2012 (Programmed to impose poverty)Thesis: how the US is programmed to impose poverty, how austerity helps, and why the unemployment figures are not meaningful any more.
      10 September 2012 (Wind-power generators)Wind-power generators kill hundreds of thousands of birds in the US, but that's insignificant because buildings, power lines and cats kill hundreds of millions of birds.
      10 September 2012 (Urgent: Oppose UK Internet filtering)UK citizens: oppose default-on UK Internet filtering.
      10 September 2012 (Wells Fargo forecloses unmortgaged home)Wells Fargo foreclosed a home that had no mortgage, and a retired couple lost all their possessions.
      The reason this can occur is that courts don't bother to insist the banks provide valid proof of the mortgage they claim to be foreclosing.
      10 September 2012 (Labour pressured to move further right)Pressure for Labour in the UK to imitate Obama and move even further to the right.
      10 September 2012 (Democrats endorse War on Sharing)The Democratic Party platform endorses the War on Sharing, using the propaganda term "intellectual property".
      The use of that term by the government is a method of framing the copyright issue so as to support the War on Sharing. Using that term helps their cause, so please don't.
      10 September 2012 (Cell phone security risk)Jacob Appelbaum explains how much of a security risk a cell phone is.
      10 September 2012 (Slaughter of elephants)US-funded African armies are now joining in the slaughter of elephants.
      10 September 2012 (Republican and Democratic conventions)The Republican and Democratic conventions have turned into displays run on corporate sponsorship.
      10 September 2012 (Prosecuting Tony Blair)We are a step closer to seeing Tony B'liar prosecuted for the crime of aggressive war, but there is a long way to go.
      10 September 2012 (Vast subsidies, tax breaks for the 1%)Subsidies and tax breaks for the 1% are vast compared with social welfare programs for the 99%.
      Thanks to these, the owners of major US companies can't honestly claim to have built those companies. We the taxpayers built them too. (And the workers surely helped.)
      The richest Americans and big business are creating hardly any jobs in the US, even though they have plenty of money. So it is no surprise that giving them more money, with tax cuts, doesn't lead to any more jobs.
      That article accepts one erroneous but widely believed point: that innovative startups create substantial numbers of jobs. As an Intel executive pointed out a couple of years ago, such companies only provide substantial numbers of jobs when they ramp up production, and nowadays they don't do that in the US.
      Other kinds of new businesses, such as restaurants and stores, can add up to large numbers of jobs, simply because there can be large numbers of these businesses.
      09 September 2012 (Urgent: Support US Conservation Programs)US citizens: phone your congresscritter to call for continued funding for US conservation programs. Also send a message through this page.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      I called for increased efforts to stop global heating.
      09 September 2012 (911 Investigation)We need a new 911 investigation.
      09 September 2012 (FBI's new facial recognition system)The FBI has a new facial recognition system, and there is little to stop them from trying to put in a photo of everyone in the country.
      09 September 2012 (Repression in Tibet)China continues repression in Tibet, arresting monks and confiscating computers.
      A girl who made a solitary protest was imprisoned for 3 years. Beating and injuring her was not enough to satisfy the thugs.
      Chinese who want human rights face repression too.
      09 September 2012 (Justice for Nigerian journalist)A Nigerian journalist who was attacked may get justice.
      09 September 2012 (Obama, Romney, Stein on energy policy)Comparing Obama, Romney and Stein on energy policy.
      09 September 2012 (Premature dismissal of organic food)Arguing against the premature dismissal of organic food.
      The advocates of organic food often adopt a simplistic "natural is good" platform which is not justifiable. But that doesn't mean that it it does not sometimes address real problems. Ecological damage, resistant bacteria and efficient resource usage are all important issues. Avoiding monoculture and domination by giant agribusinesses is important too. Many of the practices of organic farming may be necessary to address these problems.
      09 September 2012 (Romney advocates more military spending)Romney advocates more government spending, in the name of jobs, as long as it's military spending.
      Strange that he wants to cut the other government spending, that creates more jobs per dollar and does some real good for society in the process.
      09 September 2012 (Romney wants Internet filtering)Romney wants Internet filtering software installed in all computers.
      Note how he uses works that some find disgusting as an excuse for something even more disgusting.
      09 September 2012 (Koch brothers endorse tax breaks for oil companies)The Koch brothers' political front endorses tax breaks for oil companies, but opposes them for wind power.
      09 September 2012 (Unemployment benefits)Half of America's unemployed people are not getting unemployment benefits.
      09 September 2012 (Insurance companies want car tracking)Car insurance companies want to install computer systems in cars to track where and how they drive.
      The whole idea of insurance is that you pay based on an estimate of what your accidents are likely to cost. With more information, they can make a better prediction. This is not inherently bad, but there are some kinds of information that companies should not be able to use for this.
      I think it is legitimate to charge based on a person's style of driving, and to collect data to determine what that style is. For instance, how you typically brake is not sensitive for other reasons, so there's no reason to stop that from being measured.
      However, the insurance company must not be able to collect any information about where or when you drive, because nobody should be allowed to collect that sort of information about you. It is too sensitive and amounts to a surveillance society.
      09 September 2012 (Cutting social security benefits)"Raising the retirement age" is the euphemism for cutting social security benefits.
      With longer life spans, it makes sense to ask people to retire later '-- if there is work that we need them to do. However, in a society with high unemployment, it is absurd to claim that people should be required to keep working longer even though they can't find a job.
      09 September 2012 (Torture by US gov't)The New York Times won't dare to call torture torture, when the US government does it.
      This is a double standard. After World War II, the US executed Japanese soldiers who applied this kind of torture to US prisoners of war.
      I oppose capital punishment, but anyone who commits torture deserves to be punished, and the US has the duty to punish its torturers.
      09 September 2012 (Romney unafraid of fact-checkers)Why Romney is not afraid of fact-checkers.
      Paul Ryan's lies are mere "overreaching" which calls for a "course correction".
      09 September 2012 (Sharing copies of published work)One author sells his ebooks to libraries without DRM or EULA. And also permits a certain amount of copying.
      This doesn't go as far as it should '-- readers should be free to share copies of any published work '-- but it is at least no worse than a printed book.
      08 September 2012 (Man's phone memory stolen by DC thugs)The ACLU is suing the Washington DC thug department for stealing a man's phone memory.
      08 September 2012 (US repression of mass protest)The political conventions demonstrate the US success in repressing mass protest.
      What's left of US democracy is an election between two right-wing parties in which businesses can spend as much as they wish to make lies appear true.
      Can we do anything with this shred of democracy? Only if we can thwart the attempt by the rich to buy victory for their flunkies. Who is not their flunky? If they are buying lots of attack ads against someone, that's a hint. If the target is progressive, vote for him.
      08 September 2012 (CNN response in re Bahrain documentary)Glenn Greenwald dissects CNN's response to his article about burying Amber Lyon's documentary.
      08 September 2012 (Computerized ordering systems)Restaurants are starting to replace waiters with computerized ordering systems.
      How will millions of poor Americans work as waiters? Will the US government do anything for them when half of them are out of work?
      08 September 2012 (Urgent: Obama's assassination policy)US citizens: tell Obama to stop his assassination policy.
      08 September 2012 (Personalized marketing)Americans, unless they resist, will be the subjects in an experiment in massive personalized marketing.
      Not me, though. I almost never use the systems that give companies personal information about customers.
      08 September 2012 (Urgent: Oppose fracking in Yellowstone)US citizens: oppose fracking in Yellowstone National Park.
      08 September 2012 (Urgent: Negotiate clean energy policy with China)Everyone: call on the EU to negotiate with China over clean energy policy.
      08 September 2012 (Obama's guidelines for assassinations)Obama stated his own guidelines for drone assassinations.
      Given the US practice of claiming that any adult male that gets killed was an enemy combatant, point 4 seems to be mere window dressing. However, in the absence of any legal procedure, they could all be empty words.
      08 September 2012 (TPP threatens free speech and health care)Amnesty International warns that the TPP threatens free speech and health care.
      08 September 2012 (Sanctions against Iran affect medicine)US sanctions against Iran supposedly do not affect medicine, but here is how they do so in practice.
      08 September 2012 (Bradley Manning supporters protest)Supporters of Bradley Manning protested at Obama campaign headquarters in 34 US cities.
      08 September 2012 (US students forced to carry RFIDs)Some schools in the US are forcing students to carry RFIDs all the time so as to track them around the school.
      They are being trained to live in subjection in prison.
      08 September 2012 (Rimsha Masih granted bail)Rimsha Masih was granted bail but her lawyer says Muslim fanatics will try to murder her.
      08 September 2012 (The sex-toy vibrator)The history of the sex-toy vibrator: it was invented for doctors to give their patients orgasms.
      The idea that there is something wrong with a woman if she doesn't have an orgasm in sex with a man seems so strange to me that I can hardly believe anyone thought that. If I can't give a woman pleasure, I might feel inadequate, or perhaps just disappointed, but it would never occur to me to think that this was a flaw in her.
      08 September 2012 (Haqqani network)The US designated the Haqqani network as a "terrorist organization".
      That might be an accurate designation, but terrorism is a crime, and it is an injustice to declare an organization guilty of a crime without a fair trial to prove it.
      08 September 2012 (Evidence against Assad's men)Human Rights Watch says that evidence points to Assad's men as the perpetrators of the massacre of Daraya.
      08 September 2012 (Hunger in America)18 million Americans can't get enough food.
      It will be even harder in a few years as global heating reduces agricultural productivity and drives up food prices.
      08 September 2012 (Defense Minister reportedly opposes attack on Iran)Israel's defense minister reportedly now opposes attacking Iran.
      If this is true, Israel will not attack unless Netanyahu pulls off a really clever trick. This is good, because such a war would be a disaster for everyone.
      08 September 2012 (Discrimination in Indian schools)Almost 2/3 of Indian school children from lower castes have been subject to explicit discrimination in school.
      08 September 2012 (Urgent: Toughen rules on fracking)US citizens: tell the Bureau of Land Management that its proposed rules on fracking need to be tougher.
      07 September 2012 (Plans for new Honduran city)Honduras plans to create a city with separate laws to be written to suit foreign investors.
      Now it is clear what Obama hoped to gain by supporting the coup.
      07 September 2012 (Purveyor of global heating denial at DNC)An architect of multiple levels of front groups, designed to let oil companies spread denial of global heating while denying it's done with their funds, is now getting closely involved with the Democratic National Convention.
      07 September 2012 (Black Americans and gov't IDs)The NAACP President explains why Black Americans (and poor Americans generally) are likely not to have up-to-date government IDs with their current addresses.
      07 September 2012 (Urgent: No extension on Arctic drilling)US citizens: Tell President Obama and Secretary Salazar: don't give Shell an extension on its Arctic drilling window.
      07 September 2012 (CNN suppresses Arab Spring documentary)Amber Lyon made an award-winning documentary in Bahrain for CNN, as part of a larger program about the Arab Spring. CNN suppressed it after one showing, fired her, and is now making threats to silence her.
      If you watch the video on YouTube, don't do it through the site itself: that requires running nonfree software (either Flash, or nonfree Javascript from YouTube itself). You can download the videos from YouTube and watch them using free software, such as youtube-dl.
      07 September 2012 (US torture of Libyan dissidents)Human Rights Watch announces its report about US torture of Libyan dissidents for Gaddafi.
      Here's the report itself.
      07 September 2012 (Democrats plan to sell us out)Democrats have started talking as if they were defending Americans from Republicans and business-friendly plans, but they too plan to sell us out.
      The Democratic Party's claims to have resisted the banksters, defended American workers, and resisted global heating turn out to me more false than true.
      The overall strategy of the two-party system is to push the US ever further towards right-wing cruelty.
      Individual Democratic candidates may deserve support, especially if they oppose such things as free exploitation treaties. But not the Democratic Party in general, and not Obama.
      07 September 2012 (Effect of global heating on New England)Global heating is changing the forests in New England, and the seas around New England. Industries have already been wiped out, and more will follow.
      07 September 2012 (Democrats endorse war against Internet)The Democratic Party supports "internet freedom", but it endorses the copyright lobby's war against the Internet at the same time.
      07 September 2012 (Striking miners in South Africa)Striking miners in South Africa are demanding a big raise, and heartlessly resisting when the bosses beg them to be reasonable and go back to work. Management would like us to believe that a raise for these low-paid and dangerous jobs would be a "dangerous precedent".
      I think the company can afford to pay these workers decently.
      07 September 2012 (Republicans' "small government")Republicans want "small government" except, mysteriously, for the military.
      07 September 2012 (US tax exceptions for stadiums)The US gives billions in tax exemptions for construction of stadiums.
      07 September 2012 (Lies about Keystone XL pipeline)Supporters of the Keystone XL planet-roaster pipeline continue to lie about how many jobs it would create.
      Of course, the bigger and deeper error would be to judge the pipeline by a secondary issue such as jobs working on it, and ignore the tremendous boost it would give to global heating. The articles that claim the pipeline is good because of the imaginary jobs are not only false, they are also distraction.
      07 September 2012 (Torture of Libyan dissidents)Human Rights Watch says that the CIA tortured Libyan dissidents by waterboarding before handing them over to Gaddafi's men.
      I think Obama will protect these torturers too.
      07 September 2012 (American mobile phone users' privacy)American mobile phone users are demonstrating they are starting to care about privacy.
      If they had the option of mobile phones that wouldn't track them everywhere, they might choose those. But no such phones exist, and it is simply impossible to prevent the localization done by cell towers.
      The way not to be tracked is to reject portable phones.
      07 September 2012 (Urgent: Stop support of US Chamber of Commerce)US citizens: call on IBM, Google, Pepsico and Microsoft to stop supporting the US Chamber of Commerce
      07 September 2012 (Urgent: Don't allow fracking in New York)US citizens: tell New York Governor Cuomo that he won't get public support if he allows fracking in New York State.
      07 September 2012 (Very Urgent: Oppose plans for "clean" Internet)EU citizens: comment to oppose plans for a "clean" Internet, where "clean" means "no sharing".
      Here's the consultation itself.
      Here's where to submit a comment.
      Rather than only opposing unjust proposals, how about demanding a right not to be disconnected from the Internet without a trial, and a ban on Digital Restrictions Management? I don't know if this is possible '-- because of the short time available, I have asked to post this without waiting to get a copy of those pages.
      07 September 2012 (Urgent: Remind Obama about GMO labeling)US citizens: Ask Michelle Obama to remind the president to carry out his promise and support labeling requirements for GMOs.
      07 September 2012 (Excuse to extend Heathrow)The UK government, throwing the Earth's climate to the winds, is looking for an excuse to support extending Heathrow airport.
      07 September 2012 (Life sentences for activists in Bahrain)Bahrain Court Upholds Life Sentences for Activists.
      07 September 2012 (US drone strike in Yemen)It appears a US drone killed 13 civilians in Yemen. The victims' families are rather angry at the US government.
      07 September 2012 (Iran's breakout capacity reduced)IAEA Report Shows Iran Reduced Its Breakout Capacity.
      07 September 2012 (Sanctions against Iran)In Iran, sanctions take toll on the sick.
      07 September 2012 (TPP could make medicines unaffordable)How the TPP could make life-saving medicines prohibitively expensive in some countries.
      The US already has these bad policies, and it needs to change them. Therefore, the Big Pharma lobby wants to give sellout politicians such as Obama and Romney an excuse in the form of a treaty.
      07 September 2012 (Effect of bottom-trawling sea floor)Bottom-trawling affects the sea floor as much as plowing affects the land.
      07 September 2012 (Melting of glaciers in Patagonia)Glaciers in Patagonia are melting faster since 2000.
      07 September 2012 (Deforestation in tropical regions)Deforestation in tropical regions reduces rain there.
      07 September 2012 (Warrant required for text messages)A court in Rhode Island ruled that a thug should have had a warrant to look at someone's text messages in her phone.
      But this will probably be appealed.
      07 September 2012 (ACLU calls on Apple to get rid of UDID)The ACLU calls on Apple to get rid of the UDID unique identifying number.
      I agree. However, every mobile phone has another unique ID number that it transmits to the phone system every time. Which is one of the reasons I don't have a mobile phone.
      07 September 2012 (Pakistan punishes Save the Children)Pakistan has punished Save the Children, claiming that the CIA used that organization to find Osama bin Laden.
      It is valid to criticize Afridi (and his US employers) on the grounds that, by setting up a phony vaccination scheme, they put the vaccination mission in peril. Eliminating polio forever was (and is) far more important than finding bin Laden. If the US wanted to prosecute someone with lots of blood on his hands, Dubya is easy to find.
      However, it is clear that Pakistan did not put Afridi in prison for endangering the elimination of polio '-- because Pakistan is now going the US one worse by attacking that project outright.
      Through these actions, Pakistan in effect declares bin Laden a national hero, which implies endorsement of what he did. Even if he was a lesser criminal than Dubya, he was still very bad.
      06 September 2012 (Pakistan's blasphemy law)Thousands of people have faced prosecution under Pakistan's blasphemy law. Some due to ludicrous reasons, and others for exercising their freedom of expression.
      The article asserts that the words these people are accused of saying cannot be published because it would be blasphemy. That may be true in Pakistan, but The Guardian is published in the UK. I therefore beg the Guardian to publish this information.
      If someone emails me this information, I will post it here.
      06 September 2012 (Samsung joins Apple)Samsung joins Apple in being accused of mistreating workers in China.
      06 September 2012 (Gambling addiction)Addicted gamblers are not hoping to win, just to prolong the sensation of playing.
      If they could manage to get the same sensation from playing a game that doesn't cost money, they might be home free.
      06 September 2012 (Speculation on food)Deregulation has encouraged speculation on food, which can cause price rises that can drive millions around the world into hunger.
      "Free trade" treaties also do this; they subject peasants in many countries to very efficient mechanized competition, resulting in reduced production and increased poverty.
      06 September 2012 (Who really owns an Apple phone?)An Apple patent suggests a plan to restrict users of phones based on where they are located.
      The article says that this poses the question of who really owns the phone. I'm glad they are starting to ask it. In fact, with nonfree software, you never really own it.
      06 September 2012 (Urgent: Colorado's voter-suppression plan)US citizens: call on the Attorney General to take action against Colorado's voter-suppression plan.
      05 September 2012 (On-line music "sales")On-line music "sales" are in many cases not sales at all.
      05 September 2012 (More fraud in Barclay's Bank)More fraud in Barclay's Bank.
      05 September 2012 ("Organic" food)A study finds that "organic" food is no better than any other food, in terms of nutrition, but it reduces exposure to pesticides and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
      This is what common sense would have suggested, and it shows what society ought to aim for in regard to farming.
      05 September 2012 (List identifying owners of iThings)A group called AntiSec claims to have found and leaked an FBI list identifying the owners of 12 million iThings based on a unique ID code in each device.
      The FBI says that it never had the list.
      Neither source is guaranteed reliable, but I think that on this point it is more plausible that the FBI is lying. If AntiSec had got the info somewhere else, it would have had no evident motivation to claim it came from the FBI. By contrast, the FBI would have a clear motivation to deny the facts. Another point is that the FBI (like municipal thugs) is habituated to lying, since it expects people to assume its statements are honest.
      05 September 2012 ("Felonious" spying by NY Thug Department)In a leaked Stratfor email, an FBI agent speaks of "felonious" spying by the New York Thug Department.
      05 September 2012 (Destroying land for gas)Destroying precious land (and poisoning precious water) for gas.
      05 September 2012 (Psychological manipulation at Apple Stores)Apple store staff are taught twisted psychological manipulation.
      The mere practice of referring to service staff as "geniuses" is dishonest already.
      05 September 2012 (Seashore parking lots becoming ocean)As global heating makes the oceans rise, the parking lots at Assateague National Seashore's beach keep turning into ocean.
      05 September 2012 (Ustream censorship robots)Censorship robots in Ustream cut off the live stream of the Hugo awards ceremony.
      This is ironic because an activity concerned with future technology was the occasion to show how evil technology can be.
      Ustream does harm to society even when it doesn't censor, because it requires viewers to run nonfree software. It is fundamentally bad. Once I found out there was a plan to stream my speech through Ustream, and I insisted they not do it.
      If you are connected with an event that is going to do streaming, I can put you in touch with people that can teach you how to do it using Ogg Theora, with free software. Then nobody can censor it.
      05 September 2012 (Smuggling of endangered wildlife)Smugglers of endangered wildlife are using the Internet in sneaky ways.
      I strongly support cracking down on this trade, but that does not require abolishing privacy on the Internet. The merchandise has to be delivered physically, so the sellers are vulnerable to stings.
      04 September 2012 (Urgent: Petition the Democratic Convention)US citizens: call on the Democratic Convention to support clean energy and peace, and cut military funding.
      04 September 2012 (Former Mooney recalls brainwashing)A former Moonie tells how he was recruited and brainwashed.
      04 September 2012 (Pakistani Muslim clerics defend girl)Leading Pakistani Muslim clerics came to the defense of the girl who was falsely accused of burning pages from a Qur'an.
      This demonstrates a commitment to truth and rejection of lies. However, honesty of application does not justify censorship, such as the prohibition of blasphemy. Even people who really do burn Qur'ans must not be imprisoned, let alone killed, for that. If you don't like their doing so, buy a copy of some book they admire and burn that in response.
      04 September 2012 (Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike)Three Palestinian prisoners, imprisoned without trial, have been on hunger strike for months to protest Israel's breaking the agreement that settled the previous massive hunger strike.
      03 September 2012 (Israel's Dead Sea mining)Israel's mining of minerals from the Dead Sea is a crime under international law.
      03 September 2012 (Urgent: Scrutinize substance of what Paul Ryan says)US citizens: sign this petition for media attention to the substance of what Paul Ryan says.
      03 September 2012 (Workers in Colombia end hunger strike)Workers in Colombia ended their hunger strike after gaining an agreement to submit their dispute with General Motors to arbitration.
      03 September 2012 (US offenses against human rights)Many Americans let the replacement of Dubya by Obama silence their criticism of the same offenses against human rights.
      03 September 2012 (Republicans change position on secret money)The Republicans are getting so much secret money that they have changed their position to oppose requirements to disclose donations.
      03 September 2012 (Massachusetts Right to Know Act passes)Massachusetts has passed a law to make it harder to cheat temporary employees.
      03 September 2012 (Excuse to drive Christians out)Extremist Muslim cleric accused of framing the retarded Christian girl to create an excuse to scare all the Christians out of the neighborhood.
      03 September 2012 (Tony Blair's war crimes)Attempting a citizen's arrest of Tony B'liar for his war crimes.
      The UK has the responsibility to prosecute B'liar, just as the US has the responsibility to prosecute Dubya. They launched a war based on lies which killed uncounted hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, as well as around 4500 Americans.
      03 September 2012 (Murders of South African miners)South Africa has temporarily dropped murder charges against striking miners, who were charged with the deaths of their fellow protesters actually killed by the thugs.
      03 September 2012 (Afghan torturers unpunished)The Afghan government fails to punish its torturers.
      With the US as an example, why would it?
      03 September 2012 (Israeli settlers in the West Bank)The Israeli state forced settlers to leave one "outpost", but they moved to another (state-supported) colony in the West Bank.
      03 September 2012 (Mexican iris scan database)Mexico is creating a database with iris scans and fingerprints of all citizens.
      03 September 2012 (US recession)By cutting military spending instead of civilian aid programs, the US would save 300,000 jobs.
      However, this is a choice between bad and worse. The US should not cut spending at all now, because the way to get out of a recession is through deficit spending. The time to reduce the national debt is when things are going well.
      03 September 2012 (Demolition of Palestinian homes)Israel has driven around 160,000 Palestinians from their homes, mostly by demolishing their homes.
      2011 was the worst year ever for this.
      03 September 2012 (UK law criminalizes the homeless)The UK law that makes squatting a crime "criminalizes the homeless".
      The government which passed this law showed it is the enemy of the 99%.
      03 September 2012 (Shell now permitted to drill Arctic)Shell was given permission to start drilling in the Arctic Ocean.
      03 September 2012 (Tutu calls for prosecution of Bush and Blair)Desmond Tutu called for prosecution of Dubya and Bl'iar for the crime of starting a war based on lies.
      Hooray, Tutu!
      03 September 2012 (Police spying)Police forces in Europe defy parliamentary oversight into their spying on opposition groups.
      03 September 2012 (Paul Ryan on military spending)In 2011, Paul Ryan supported big military spending cuts. Now he wants military spending increases.
      03 September 2012 (Global heating deniers in the press)The press should stop giving global heating deniers the same respect that it gives climate scientists.
      03 September 2012 (Japanese charges against Paul Watson)Paul Watson of Sea Shepard describes the bogus Japanese charges against him, and says that Sea Shepard will continue its activity whether he can get to the ships or not.
      03 September 2012 (Unjust killings in Pakistan)A Pakistani lawyers says, if the US can kill Pakistani civilians with drone missiles, why shouldn't they execute a girl for blasphemy? What's the difference, he asks?
      Of course, we can see plenty of specific differences, but he's right that there is a great similarity between one unjust killing and another. So what is his twisted point? To take revenge on the US by killing this girl?
      03 September 2012 (Osama bin Laden's death)A member of the team that killed Osama bin Laden said, in his book, that the team had orders to arrest bin Laden if he was not armed, but shot him instead. This was followed by a public lie to justify the shooting.
      When I first heard about the raid, I was skeptical that the man shot was really Osama bin Laden. After all, the US government is hardly an honest and reliable source about such things. However, since nobody is claiming that he wasn't Osama bin Laden, I suppose he was.
      Nonetheless, the really important point is that his death made no real difference. It did not hurt al Qa'ida, for instance.
      03 September 2012 (Internet surveillance)Internet surveillance is getting so cheap that companies might start recording all their network traffic.
      03 September 2012 (Jordanian Internet censorship law)Jordanians protest a proposed law that would filter Internet access.
      03 September 2012 (Romney pioneered debt creation)Romney was a pioneer in creating debt and saddling companies with it. Now his hypocritical campaign pretends to be against debt, as an excuse for an economic revolution bringing poor-country suffering to most Americans.
      Here is Matt Taibi's description of Romney's career.
      03 September 2012 (Melting Arctic ice)Melting Arctic ice means even worse weather disasters are coming in Europe and the US.
      03 September 2012 (New campaign for corporate immunity)Obama's government launched a new campaign for corporate immunity.
      03 September 2012 (Iran's uranium enrichment program)Hidden in the IAEA report on Iran: evidence that its uranium enrichment program is not aimed at making bombs.
      03 September 2012 (Selective factchecking)Factchecking the Minnows and Letting the Whales Swim Away.
      03 September 2012 (Internet domains and addresses)Letting the US manage the Internet domains and addresses is bad, but the other options are worse.
      03 September 2012 (Urgent: ITU)US citizens: oppose a plan to make the ITU the primary standards committee for the Internet.
      02 September 2012 (Repression of new Tunisian regime)Tunisian political cartoonist Z says that the new regime represses him like the old one.
      Furthermore, it has convinced Facebook to censor him, which shows that it was a mistake using Facebook at all.
      02 September 2012 (Movement against license plate cameras)As license plate cameras spread around the US, a movement to resist is beginning, and New Hampshire has limited the use of them.
      02 September 2012 (Miners charged with killing)Miners in South Africa were charged with killing after some of them were shot by thugs.
      02 September 2012 (Imprisonment of dissidents in Eritrea)Eritrea has imprisoned dissidents since 2001, and several journalists have died in prison.
      02 September 2012 (Urgent: US environmental education)US citizens: support continuing the US environmental education program.
      02 September 2012 (Microrobots to repair coral reefs)Microrobots are being designed to repair coral reefs.
      This might deal with the effects of bottom trawling, but the worst long-term threat to coral is from acidification of the ocean due to CO2 emissions from human activity. I don't think robotic repair can do that. What we need is to stop the CO2 emissions.
      02 September 2012 (Epilogue to the World We Knew)We Are Writing the Epilogue to the World We Knew
      02 September 2012 (Most new US jobs are low wage)Most new US jobs are low-wage jobs.
      (I take issue with the article's assumption that the recession has ended.)
      02 September 2012 (Obama protects US torturers)Obama has quashed the last two possible criminal cases against US torturers.
      Persistently over 4 years he has acted to make sure that no US government torturers will face justice, in the US or elsewhere, even those that tortured prisoners to death.
      Don't vote for torture. Jill Stein for president!
      02 September 2012 (Early voting in Ohio)A federal court restored early voting in Ohio.
      02 September 2012 (Urgent: Help state-authorized marijuana dispensaries)US citizens: phone your congresscritter to cosponsor three bills to help state-authorized medical marijuana dispensaries.
      The Capitol Switchboard numbers are 202-224-3121, 888-818-6641 and 888-355-3588.
      01 September 2012 (Angolan president's re-election)The Angolan president seems to have got himself re-elected by stopping lots of people from voting, and making the rest feel it was useless.
      01 September 2012 (Large wildfire in Spain)Spain has a large wildfire due to heat and drought.
      Global heating is making Spain drier and hotter, meaning there will be more of these and worse.
      01 September 2012 (Urgent: Stop commercial advertising by schools)US citizens: sign this petition against commercial advertising by schools.
      01 September 2012 (Urgent: Stop Arctic drilling exception for Shell)US citizens: call on Secretary of the Interior Salazar not to give Shell any special exception regarding Arctic drilling.
      01 September 2012 (Arctic sea ice reaches new record low)This week, Arctic sea ice reached a new record low, and it will keep melting for several weeks more. The Republican National Convention was partly shut down by a hurricane, but they still deny the problem.
      Decades from now, as the disaster unfolds, many of them will keep denying what is happening.
      Meanwhile, Obama is no solution. He talks little about global heating, and as for actions, he "expedited" the planet-roaster pipeline.
      01 September 2012 (Kasparov's arrest)Kasparov describes how he was arrested while talking to journalists, and calls for the West to impose financial sanctions on Putin's government.
      01 September 2012 (Marijuana sales to adults)Some US states are on track to vote to legalize marijuana sales to adults.
      01 September 2012 (UN warns Gaza will not be livable)The siege of Gaza has relaxed somewhat, but the UN warns it will not be livable in 2020.
      Part of the action needed, however, is to reduce the birth rate. Having such a "young population" is the result of human activity, not a natural characteristic.
      01 September 2012 (Methane under Antarctic ice sheet)The Antarctic ice sheet may cover billions of tons of methane.
      01 September 2012 (Worlds wealthiest woman complains)Poor people should work harder and stop complaining, says the world's wealthiest woman.
      I think she should pay more taxes.
      01 September 2012 (Petition to pardon Peter Sunde)Over 100,000 signed the petition to pardon Peter Sunde, associated with The Pirate Bay.
      Here is Sunde's description of the charges against him.
      01 September 2012 (Worst Lies in Paul Ryan's Speech)6 Worst Lies In Paul Ryan's Speech.
      The corporate media mysteriously decline to pounce on Ryan's lies.
      01 September 2012 (Texas voter-ID law overturned)A voter-ID law in Texas has been overturned.
      01 September 2012 (US national debt's interest burden)The US national debt's interest burden is the lowest it has been since World War II.
      01 September 2012 (Ecuador protects another whistleblower)Ecuador has protected another political whistleblower, this one from Belarus.
      01 September 2012 (Colombia-US Labor Action Plan)Colombia-US Labor Action Plan led only to "cosmetic changes".
      Since the real purpose of "free trade" treaties is to help business at the expense of everyone else, it is not a surprise that the provisions about improved rights for labor are mere window dressing, that meant to take arguments away from the opposition in order to gain votes, and not intended truly to help workers in Colombia. Why then bother to implement them once the blow has fallen?
      01 September 2012 (Honduras torn apart by US War on Drugs)Militarizing the Police and Killing Natives: How the US Drug War Is Ripping Honduras Apart.
      01 September 2012 (Weak endorsement of Internet freedom)The Republican Party has endorsed Internet freedom, but it must be a rather weak stand since the MPAA does not object to it.
      01 September 2012 (Suspension of Belo Monte Dam overturned)Brazilian Supreme Court Judge Overturns Suspension of Belo Monte Dam.
      01 September 2012 (Urgent: Limit NSA surveillance of Americans)US citizens: call on your congresscritter and senator to limit NSA surveillance of Americans.
      Each note starts with a date and a brief topic in parentheses. That text is also a link to that note.For instance, if the note starts with "20 July 2003 (Iraq)" then you can link to it with "http://www.stallman.org/notes/may-aug-03.html#20 July 2003 (Iraq)".
      Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.
    Making Human Rights a Human Reality
      Link to Article
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:02
      Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon. It is wonderful to be here at DCU and back in Dublin. I want to thank you, President MacCraith, for that kind introduction. I'm delighted to be joined here by a number of officials and dignitaries, including your Chancellor, Martin McAleese, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting before when he was the spouse of a president. (Laughter.) We had a lot in common. I was once a spouse of a president as well. Your Minister for Education, Minister Quinn; your Minister for Children and Youth Fitzgerald; your Minister for Social Protection Burton, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin '' we are grateful to have all of you here, but I'm particularly pleased there are so many students and young people here in this auditorium.This university is renowned, not just for your world-class academics but also your engagement with in the world '' your international student body, your commitment to help solve urgent global problems through study and innovation, and your new Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction, which I can assure you will have a busy agenda ahead of it. Because you are absolutely right that the lessons learned here in Ireland about how to build peace could be of great use to other peoples and nations. And I commend the university for your global service, which has such ramifications far beyond the academic world.
      Now, it goes without saying that for millions of Americans who have family ties to Ireland, including my husband and daughter, and President Obama, this nation is often seen as a second homeland. And over the years, Ireland has made enormous contributions to America's progress. Several of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence were born in Ireland, as were many of the soldiers who fought in our revolution. The Irish helped build America's canals and railroads, overcame suspicion and bigotry to earn their livings and educate their children, and rose over time to become leaders in every field of endeavor.
      Now, people around the world often speak of and believed in the American dream, but I think it is fair to say that no people have done more to build that dream and make it real than the Irish. The United States, my country, would not be the country it is today were it not for this nation and its people. And that close kinship, not just a relationship between nations and governments, but a friendship rooted in relationships between people, is as strong as ever.
      Ireland and the United States work side by side to fight global hunger, to prevent the kind of suffering that Ireland endured during the Great Famine. We are helping women across the world, particularly in Malawi, gain access to clean cookstoves. We're working together in Afghanistan to try to make long-term stability possible for a people that has known very little of that. And Ireland has shown an unsurpassed commitment to preventing war by protecting peace. It's an astonishing fact, but for more than 50 years, not a single day has gone by in which an Irish peacekeeper has not stood a post somewhere in the world.
      So I know that Ireland is going through hard times now. I understand the painful sacrifice that so many families have had to make. But I want you to know that, not just in the United States, but people everywhere look to Ireland and see a resilient nation. Yes, a generous nation, one dedicated to peace and justice because you know from your own history how precious that is and how important it is for all of us to stand up for those values and protect them. And it is that struggle that joins our two countries, on behalf of human dignity and freedom, that brings me here today.
      This is likely to be my last official visit to Ireland as the United States Secretary of State. And I want to mark this occasion by speaking with you about a foreign policy priority that represents our two nations' most cherished values, and which is central to how we confront the world's challenges '' human rights.
      Now, human rights don't always occupy the headlines, but they are often what lie just behind and underneath them. And the future that awaits the students and young people today will be shaped, in large part, by how well leaders live up to their human rights responsibilities.
      During my first year as Secretary, I celebrated Human Rights Day by giving a speech at a university, Georgetown, in Washington, DC. I said there and then that in the 21st century, America's goal must be to make human rights a human reality, building upon what was accomplished in the 20th century, through the heroic efforts of leaders like Eleanor Roosevelt and many others, when the international community established human rights as the God-given entitlement of every person, and embedded those rights into international law along with governments' responsibilities to protect them.
      So I'm often asked, where do human rights fit into American foreign policy? Now, there are some '' they've often been called idealists '' who say that when we tackle foreign policy challenges, we should be governed first and foremost by the end goal of advancing our values, because that is how you build a better world.
      There are others '' they've been called realists '' who point out that ideals are not always easily reconciled in a world where bad actors exist and bad things happen. And therefore, shorter-term interests must be given more weight in the here and now.
      This has been and will remain a difficult debate. There happens to be merits on both sides. It is certainly true that the last decade has driven home the very real threats that exist to security and stability worldwide. And part of my responsibility as Secretary of State is to work to counter those threats. And furthermore, many of the challenges we face, from getting the global economy back on track to preventing terrorism, are becoming more complex by the day.
      But at the same time, one must never forget universal values are vital to who we are and what we hope to see our world become. And they are American values and Irish values; I would argue they are everyone's values. They certainly are part of who we are as Americans, not only a commitment that is central to our identity but also a source of our influence in the world.
      So the real challenge, not just for decision-makers but citizens as well, is to be clear-headed about the world as it is and the tough choices it presents on a daily basis, while remembering that human rights are at the center of some of the most significant challenges to global security and stability and therefore to our national interests.
      That's why I don't mind I've been called both an idealist and a realist. In reality, I think we all need to be more of a hybrid, perhaps idealistic realists. Because leading effectively cannot be done without our values. And a great deal of what is happening today bears that out.
      It is not a coincidence that virtually every country that threatens regional and global peace is a place where human rights are in peril. The genius of the Helsinki Final Act is the insight that human rights and security are indivisible. That insight, present since its founding in 1975, is what sets the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe apart as a regional organization.
      And of course, it is why I'm here in Dublin today, because the Irish Government is the chair in office and hosting the annual meeting. That organization and its founding documents were revolutionary. They recognized that the human rights situation in one country impacts the security of the entire region around it.
      And yet, even leaders in countries that secure human rights for their people don't always see advancing human rights elsewhere as a foreign policy priority. They look around the world '' and especially today, we know so much because of the 24/7 information environment in which we exist '' that when we see so many urgent challenges competing for attention, it's easy to think, ''Let's postpone action on human rights until after we deal with these other matters.''
      But human rights cannot be disconnected from other priorities. They are inextricably linked with all of the goals we strive for in our countries and around the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not just a catalog of rights and government obligations. It is a time-tested blueprint for successful societies.
      Today, I want to talk about four frontlines of human rights, issues over which fierce battles are being fought, where the stakes are high and our leadership, from both the United States and the Republic of Ireland, is urgently needed. My argument will be that these human rights battles implicate both our values and our interests '' and that they take place at the heart of the great geopolitical challenges of our time, not in some separate and distinct sphere set apart from the real, hard stuff going on in the world.
      The first frontline is religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities. Amid the uncertainty of unfolding transitions to democracy, old hatreds flare anew, particularly toward members of minority groups. And in many places in the past year, we've seen religious minorities become targets. In fact, members of faith communities have been under pressure for a long time and they report that the pressure is rising. That threatens not only the religious minorities themselves, but the futures of their societies because a society can and should be judged, in part, by how it protects the rights of its minorities. Societies are strongest when they deliver justice not just for the powerful, but also for the vulnerable. And while religious freedom is a human right unto itself, this issue is about other rights, too '' the right of people to think what they want, say what they think, associate with others, and assemble peacefully without the state looking over their shoulders or prohibiting them from doing so.
      In the Middle East and North Africa, as in other places in the midst of transitions, like Burma, the United States and the world have an interest in seeing new governments build the institutions and legal foundations they need to achieve lasting stability internally and to be constructive partners internationally. In other words, we want those transitions to go well. And religious freedom is just one example of how human rights are at the center of meeting that challenge.
      So at this pivotal moment, the United States has conveyed to countries in transition the importance of locking in protections for the human rights of religious minorities, to lay the groundwork for democracies that will endure. We've reached out to religious minorities. We meet with them at their places of worship and in their homes so we can better understand the challenges they face as we elevate religious freedom both in international settings and bilateral diplomacy.
      Now, of course, religious freedom is only one part of a successful transition to democracy. We have been watching the events unfolding in Cairo with growing concern. Almost two years ago, the Egyptian people, primarily young people, took to the streets because they wanted real democratic change. And they deserve a constitution that protects the rights of all Egyptians, men and women, Muslim and Christian, and ensures that Egypt will uphold all of its international obligations. They also deserve a constitutional process that is open, transparent, and fair.
      The upheaval we are seeing once again in the streets of Cairo and other cities indicates that dialogue is urgently needed. And we call on all the stakeholders in Egypt to settle their differences through discussion and debate, not through violence. And we call on Egypt's leaders to ensure that the outcome protects the democratic promise of the revolution for all Egyptians.
      Let me turn to the second frontline, Internet freedom. Now, if I were here 10 years ago giving a speech, I'm not sure that would have been in my top four frontlines. But look at what a difference a decade has made. Our commitment to internet freedom as a human rights issue intersects with our interest in seeing emerging powers rise in a way that tends toward sustainable economic growth and long-term stability.
      From China and Russia to emerging democratic powers like India, Brazil, and Indonesia, part of what will determine the trajectory of those countries is how they choose to respond to the questions their own citizens are raising about what kind of future they want, about governance issues that affect their everyday lives, like food safety or pollution, about how corruption undermines the public trust.
      So the United States believes that it is in the interest of all governments to respond to criticism, not repress it. I learned many years ago, being involved in politics, that as hard as it is, one must learn to take criticism seriously but not personally, figuring out what it is you are being told that maybe you could learn from. Not all criticism is legitimate; some of it is motivated by less than noble reasons, but oftentimes your critic can turn out to be your best friend.
      A free and open debate about real issues presents governments with opportunities and ideas for reform, if they're willing to accept them. And those reforms, in turn, can help reinforce economic and political stability. Democratic countries have the institutions and processes to respond constructively to critics, and then to adapt to a changing world.
      On the other hand, cracking down on critics who say something you don't like '' and believe me when you're in government, nearly every hour someone says something that you won't like '' but cracking down on those critics starts a spiral. As governments violate their citizens' rights more and more, they face more and more criticism and then more and more temptation to double-down on the politics of repression. The only escape from this downward spiral is to stop violations and start reform.
      So Internet freedom is central here, because these days, the place where many discussions and debates are happening is online. The Internet is the public space of the 21st century. As the Internet has grown, and as citizens turn to it to conduct important aspects of their lives, repressive governments have worked harder and harder to limit people's freedom online, just as they do offline. They are scrubbing websites of facts or ideas that challenge their hold on power. They are censoring emails and rerouting web traffic. They're reading political blogs, then showing up at the homes of bloggers and arresting them. They're monitoring the emails of political dissidents in order to track their movements and identify their associates. The rights of individuals to express their views, petition their leaders, freely associate with others are universal, whether they are exercised on a university campus or a university's Facebook page. Freedom is freedom, online or off.
      Now, some emerging powers have sought to use the advent of the Internet as an excuse to ignore or revise established international standards. But the arrival of new technologies does not change each person's entitlement to that person's human rights. We need to protect human rights online and hold governments accountable when they violate those rights, just as we should seek to hold violators accountable in the offline world. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is 64 years old, but it seems remarkably prophetic in protecting the right to '' and I quote '' ''seek, receive, and impart information by any medium, regardless of frontiers.''
      So we are working in the State Department with the private sector, multilateral organizations, and civil society to expose abuses and reinforce that the same rights apply offline as well as on. We're also supporting Internet freedom from another angle by funding technologies, tools, and training to help digital activists who live and work in repressive environments. And we are investing in innovation, because we know that governments on the other side of this fight are constantly improving their methods of oppression, and we intend to stay ahead of them. By the end of this year, the United States will have invested $100 million to help ensure that people in repressive internet environments can exercise their rights more safely and reliably.
      The third frontline is the role of civil society, the activists, organizations, congregations, journalists, and citizens who work through peaceful means to solve problems and encourage their governments to do better. Civil society is important everywhere, including in our countries. But nowhere is it more vital than in those states whose futures are unsure.
      Some are young democracies, where the challenge is to lock in gains so that, for example, we don't see a repeat of what has happened in Mali. Others are countries that are in a kind of limbo, where citizens and maybe even some in government are struggling to get their country on the path to rights-respecting democracy. And then there are places where small cracks exist under authoritarian governments and where there is an opportunity to pry them open and try to build something better.
      In all of these places '' we call them ''states in the balance'' '' we both have an economic and security interest in having the balance tilt toward accountable institutions with protections for human rights, rule of law, democratic governance. If things tilt the other way, it limits the economic potential of new markets, can increase regional instability, and undermine efforts to combat transnational crime and terrorism.
      Now, we recognize that our ability to directly influence political reforms and institution building from the outside in a lasting way is limited. We know that durable change is most likely to come from within, and that it takes everyone '' journalists and activists, business people and teachers, religious leaders and labor leaders '' pointing out the need for change, providing the ideas for change, and then reinforcing and supporting the political actions that will produce change.
      That's what civil society does. It is the underpinning of a free and functioning country. And unfortunately, this is a dangerous moment, because the trend of governments cracking down on civil society is on the rise. This morning at the OSCE, I pointed out examples of this happening here in Europe and Eurasia. I could make a similar list for every region.
      Civil society is a target because it is, by its very nature, an organized threat to governmental oppression. It gives citizens a way to improve their lives without government direction or permission. It brings people together around a shared mission, and there are few things repressive governments fear more than citizens banding together with a common purpose. And it reflects a belief that people do not exist to serve their governments, rather, governments exist to serve their people.
      Many members of civil society advocate on behalf of their fellow citizens at great personal risk. Activists and journalists are blackmailed, even murdered. Land activists face threats or are thrown in jail. Religious leaders who counsel tolerance can face repercussions, even from their own believers. And people who make the case against any vulnerable group need the support of civil society.
      It's very true that many governments attempt to squeeze civil society in a steel vise, and we are seeing a particular movement against the LGBT community around the world, punishing people, harassing them, beating them, imprisoning them for who they are. So the United States has targeted our efforts to preserve the space that civil society and vulnerable people need to make the case for change in their own communities.
      We currently are providing emergency support to dozens of individual human rights activists around the world, who run into trouble because of their work. And the United States has created a fund '' to which more than a dozen governments and two private foundations have contributed '' to support embattled NGOs with legal representation, communication technologies like cell phones and internet access, and other forms of quick support. We just brought out of eastern Congo to safety an incredibly courageous doctor who has cared for so many of the women and girls who have been brutally assaulted over the course of the many years of the conflict in the eastern Congo, who found himself being targeted and watching members of his staff be killed in front of his eyes, and we were able to bring him to safety. But think of how many people need this help right now, somewhere in the world.
      In many places we're also working with USAID and other donors to help civil society actors build the skills they need to do their work effectively, documenting abuses, storing data, learning how to deal with the media. We welcome them into our embassies both because we want their advice but also because we can sometimes help them by introducing them to members of the government or the private sector, or even other NGOs who are working in related areas. And we've launched a Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society to send a signal about the importance we attach to these relationships as part of our foreign policy.
      I can remember so well when I was First Lady, and I was visiting Guatemala, and I was introduced to a woman who had been an activist on behalf of indigenous people and had suffered greatly trying to prevent abuses against people who were defenseless against private militias or the government's armies. And when I met her, I asked her, as I often do around the world, if there was something I could do for her. And she said, ''Yes, I understand you'll be speaking to the parliament later today.'' I said, ''That's right.'' She said, ''If you will mention my name, you could help save my life, because if people know that there is somebody in the United States who knows about my work, maybe they will leave me alone to continue that work.'' So never underestimate what any of us can and should do to support these courageous civil society activists on environmental climate change front, on the protection of minorities, on fighting for health care, on standing up against corruption, on doing what they know is best for their people and society but which is rejected by elites and governments afraid to cede one ounce of their power.
      The fourth and final frontline I would mention today is the ultimate blend of idealism and realism '' respecting the human rights of women and girls. I believe this is the unfinished business of the 21st century. It is just foolish to try and build a strong economy or a stable democracy while treating half the population as second-class citizens at best, as some other species at worst. And yet in too many places, that's exactly what women are treated. They have few or no political rights. They are subjected to terrible violence. Their health, even their lives are disregarded. They are forced into marriage or forced labor as if they were property instead of people.
      I personally have no doubt that if women everywhere were treated as equal to men in rights and dignity, we would see economic and political progress come to places that are now teetering on the edge. We would not only see a decrease in violence and a rise in good governance in volatile places, but we would see increased economic growth at a time when the world desperately needs more growth. The World Bank has finished a remarkable set of studies demonstrating how removing the obstacles the women's full participation in the economy everywhere, including in my own country, would increase the world's GDP at a time when we know we need it. The world would be more prosperous and more stable.
      One of the first things I did as Secretary was to elevate the Office of Global Women's Issues by appointing the first ever Ambassador at Large to take the lead on identifying concrete ways the United States could work to secure the human rights of women worldwide. We see this as a moral imperative and a high-reward political, economic, and security strategy. We led the charge for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the first ever to recognize the role of women in restoring peace and maintaining security. We created a National Action Plan and encouraged others to do the same. I highly recommend a documentary movie about ending the terrible war in Liberia, called ''Pray the Devil Back to Hell,'' which is just one example of what women have done to end conflict and to begin a political transition, which led, in that case, to the election of the first woman president on the African continent.
      Now we recognize, of course, that women's political participation matters not only when tackling the worst challenges of conflict and violence, but also when finding solutions for more everyday governance problems at the village and community level, in national parliaments and ministries. That's why we've repeatedly urged leaders to lay the legal and constitutional groundwork to enable women to make their contributions to societies in transition in the Middle East and elsewhere.
      Because so much violence against women and girls takes place within their homes and communities, and often in the form of harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation and so-called ''honor crimes,'' we've launched the first U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally. One of our top priorities is eliminating child marriage. Beginning next year, the State Department will track every country's legal minimum age of marriage and the rate of marriage for underage girls and boys.
      And today, I am pleased to announce we are developing a new initiative to provide emergency support to survivors of gender-based violence, those under credible threat of imminent attack due to their gender, and organizations that may need protection. All of us were moved by the story of the young Pakistani girl, Malala, who was targeted by the Taliban for the effrontery for going to school '' more than that, speaking out for the rights of girls in Pakistan to go to school. She was miraculously spared from being literally shot in the face and is making what appears to be an excellent recovery.
      For every young woman whose name comes to our attention, there are countless others who suffer in silence, who face cultural and social and religious barriers to their human rights and dignity. We want to include every country in our outreach, and we also wish to reach women with disabilities, some of whom have been afflicted as a result of gender-based violence '' the acid attacks, the shootings, the torture '' and to send a message that these girls are valuable, valuable to families and valuable to societies.
      As the mother of a daughter, and as someone who believes strongly in the right of every person, male and female, to have the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential, it pains me so greatly when I travel to places around the world and am received almost as an exception to the rule, where the male leaders meet with me because I am the Secretary of State of the United States, overlooking the fact that I also happen to be a woman. We are on the right side of history in this struggle, but there will be many sacrifices and losses until we finally reach a point where daughters are valued as sons, where girls as educated as boys, where women are encouraged and permitted to make their contributions to their families, to their societies just as the men are.
      We have also done a great deal of work to refocus our global health programs so that we save the lives and improve the health of more women and girls. Health programs, as you know, can be imbalanced, often in ways that are not obvious, but the result is women and girls don't get the care they need when they need it, and many die unnecessarily. So our starting point must be this: Women's lives matter. And promoting the human rights of women begins with saving the lives of women whenever we can.
      The frontlines I've discussed today do not constitute, by any means, an exhaustive list. A speech that did would go on, literally, for days. And human rights are at the center of many other challenges we face '' like security on the Korean peninsula, which runs some of the largest concentration camps in the world; the threat to international peace posed by Iran. And one of the frontlines is ensuring that rights protections apply to everyone, which is why the Obama Administration supports the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and we hope that we will be able, perhaps next year, to join others in signing that treaty and acceding to it. We've also joined with South Africa and others to affirm the human rights of LGBT people.
      So today, I've shared just a few examples of the way human rights are central to how we are thinking about foreign policy and national security. The question in everyone's mind should not be, ''Why does a government focus on human rights?'' but, ''Why don't all governments do the same?'' Because if you say you believe in human rights, but demonstrate no concern for it beyond your borders, that is a very feeble form of belief. And if you are truly representing your citizens, you cannot do so effectively in the 21st century without recognizing that human rights must remain a central goal of those of us who believe in the dignity of every person.
      But I don't want to mislead anyone. The work I've described is incredibly difficult. Commitment to these rights has to take root and grow within people's hearts and minds, and that takes time. But I would argue that those of us lucky enough to live in countries like the United States and Ireland have a double responsibility, first, to remain vigilant in ensuring that we honor and implement our own commitment to human rights at home, and second, to help others gain what we have, the chance to live in dignity.
      This is the work especially of young people. I just met with the State Department's newest Embassy Youth Council, based here in Dublin. We now have 50 youth councils around the world, made up of students, entrepreneurs, civil society members, members of government. And I must say, the Irish young people I just met with exuded talent, energy, and optimism.
      And you really have all the tools you need: your voice, your vote, your intellect and education, your compassion and conscience. This should be your fight. I can certainly promise you, it will continue to be mine. I will continue advocating for civil society, working to make democracy real, pushing for Internet freedom, standing with religious minorities, women, LGBT communities, people with disabilities '' anyone else who someone says are less human and therefore less deserving of their human rights.
      I've traveled to more countries and far flung places than I could have imagined as a young girl growing up in the middle of America in the decades that followed World War II. And I must say that among the most striking things that I have learned is how much we have in common. I've sat down with people everywhere, discussing what was in their hearts and on their minds. And it doesn't take long to find commonality which is often overlooked, ignored, dismissed, and rejected otherwise.
      I remember as if it were yesterday putting together a meeting in Belfast City Hall, with a group of people, predominantly women, from both communities, who had never, ever been in the same room with one another, and certainly had never sat down at the same table for tea. And there was a lot of uneasiness and discomfort in that room. And I began talking and asking questions about what their lives were like. And one woman said, ''Every time my husband leaves for work, I worry that he won't come home at night.'' And then this '' eyes lit up of another woman across the table, who said, ''Well, I worry the same thing about my son when he goes out at night.''
      One of the people at that meeting was a great friend of mine, Inez McCormack, a labor leader in Northern Ireland who had fought for the rights of working people, had taken up the cause of peace and reconciliation, and worked tirelessly to bring the communities together around issues of economic justice and fairness, and paid particular attention to the vital voices of women. Inez lives in Derry, where she's fighting cancer, and I called her before coming here to check in on her, and asked her how she was doing. She's very brave and putting up with all the treatments, knowing that it's a hard road for her. And she did not want to talk about herself; she wanted to talk about her daughter, who moved up the date of her wedding, which made her very happy.
      But she wanted to talk about how we had to keep working to bring people together so that they would recognize the common humanity and experience in the other, the fact that they want to be part of a family and a community; a good job and a livelihood; a chance to learn and try to make sense of the world; to seek meaning and fulfillment in their choice of religious faith and practice.
      There are so many more ties that bind us than divide us, and that is what has motivated me over many years now. Because I see the changes as I saw in that room in Belfast all those years ago. And this is work not just for some of us, but for all of us. And I hope it will give you both hope and purpose in the years ahead.
      Thank you very much. (Applause.)
  Pedo Bear
    Max Clifford arrested in sex abuse inquiry
      Link to Article
      Source: euronews
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:52
      A strong earthquake centred off the coast of northeastern Japan shook buildings as far as Tokyo and led to a tsunami warning for coastal areas of the northeast. The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, the U.S. Geological Survey said, adding that there was no risk of'...
  Movie PR
    Secret Service Computer Tapes Left On A Train
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:46
  Soccer Killing Fields
    'Respect is meer dan 60 seconden stilte'
      Link to Article
      Source: VK: Home
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 10:29
      09/12/12, 10:16 '' bron: ANP
      (C) anp.
      Zelden zal een minuut stilte zo stil zijn geweest als zaterdagavond in de Arena. Als op de grote schermen een foto van Richard Nieuwenhuizen verschijnt met daarnaast een gedichtje van zijn kinderen, houden 50.000 mensen hun lippen stijf op elkaar.
      (C) anp.
      Op het veld staren 22 voetballers, van Ajax en FC Groningen, met een rouwband om hun bovenarm naar het portret van de gemolesteerde voetbalvader. Als scheidsrechter Richard Liesveld na 60 seconden van absolute stilte op zijn fluit blaast, vallen bestuursleden van SC Buitenboys elkaar huilend in de armen op de tribune.
      'Het toont wel aan dat bij iedereen het kwartje is gevallen', zo omschrijft Frank de Boer het indrukwekkende moment. 'Het is verschrikkelijk nodig om respect voor elkaar te hebben. Ik denk dat iedereen wel door heeft dat dit buiten alle proporties is geweest. Daar moeten we ook op blijven hameren, zorgen dat dit niet na een week langzaam weg ebt. We zullen elkaar er steeds weer op moeten attenderen als zoiets gebeurt of dreigt te ontstaan.'
      De voetbalwereld is zich na een inktzwarte week aan het bezinnen, zo bleek in de Arena. 'We zullen in het veld moeten laten zien hoe het w(C)l moet', aldus De Boer. 'Natuurlijk wil je duels winnen, maar wel altijd met respect. Jonge voetballertjes willen niet alleen in dezelfde kleur schoenen spelen als mijn jongens, ze kopiren ook gedrag. Daarom zijn wij zo'n belangrijk instrument voor de maatschappij, zeker met zoveel ogen op ons gericht.'
      De duurbetaalde profs lijken te begrijpen welke voorbeeldfunctie ze hebben; in ieder geval dit weekeinde. Het beste voorbeeld daarvan vond zaterdag plaats bij AZ - Willem II. Daar beende de Tilburgse verdediger Gaby Jallo, bijna zoals gebruikelijk, richting de grensrechter na een discutabele beslissing. Jallo bedacht zich echter halverwege, stak verontschuldigend zijn handen omhoog en accepteerde het besluit. 'Het verandert namelijk heus niet als ik ga protesteren', zei de Tilburger.
      In Amsterdam, waar de KNVB-top en Buitenboys samen de minuut stilte bijwoonden, hielden de spelers zich ogenschijnlijk ook in. 'Kijk, je wilt altijd winnen, maar volgens mij was het wel een duel met respect', zei aanvoerder Siem de Jong van Ajax, bij wie dat woord groot stond afgedrukt op zijn band. 'Je zal altijd wat aan te merken hebben op de scheids, maar we proberen dat zo min mogelijk te doen.'
      Robert Maaskant (FC Groningen) benadrukte dat iedereen binnen de voetbalwereld hierin een taak heeft. 'Begeleiders en ouders moeten hun verantwoording nemen en bovenop dit soort situaties zitten. We zullen terug moeten naar normale fatsoensnormen en disciplineregels, binnen welk gedeelte van het voetbal ook.'
  Real News
    Hospital nurse found dead after taking prank call on Catherine - CNN.com
      Link to Article
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:06
      By Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
      December 7, 2012 -- Updated 1825 GMT (0225 HKT)
      STORY HIGHLIGHTS
      NEW: DJs will not be returning to their show until further noticePrince William and Catherine are "deeply saddened" by the death, palace saysThe woman who died is the nurse who first took the hoax call, the hospital saysThe two Australian DJs impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in the callLondon (CNN) -- A nurse at the hospital that was duped by a prank call from two Australian radio DJs concerning Prince William's pregnant wife, Catherine, has apparently committed suicide, the hospital confirmed Friday.
      The nurse "was recently the victim of a hoax call," King Edward VII Hospital said in a media statement.
      The DJs impersonated Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in the prank call, in which some details of the Duchess of Cambridge's condition and care were given.
      Read more: Opinion: How will royal couple react to pregnancy prank?
      The nurse who died was the person who first took the hoax call and transferred it through to Catherine's ward, the hospital's public relations company said.
      The hospital named her as Jacintha Saldanha and said she had worked there for more than four years as an "excellent nurse," who was well respected by co-workers.
      The hospital "had been supporting her throughout this difficult time," the statement said.
      The Duchess of Cambridge was discharged from the hospital Thursday after treatment for acute morning sickness.
      A St. James's Palace spokesman said: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jacintha Saldanha.
      "Their Royal Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha's family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time."
      Separately, a palace spokesman told CNN: "At no point did the palace complain to the hospital about the incident. On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times."
      The hospital's chief executive, John Lofthouse, said, "Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much loved and valued colleague."
      London's Metropolitan Police said they were notified around 9:35 a.m. (4:35 a.m. ET) on Friday that a woman was found unconscious. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
      Police are treating the death as "unexplained," they said.
      Audio of the call posted online suggested a woman spoke briefly to the DJs, who host a show for the 2Day FM radio station in Sydney, before the call was put through to the ward early Tuesday morning.
      The hospital said Wednesday that it deeply regretted the call had been put through.
      Read more: Radio DJs pretend to be queen, make prank call to Catherine's hospital
      The radio show apologized for the call Wednesday, saying it "was done with light-hearted intentions."
      Its two DJs, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, continued to tweet about the call on Thursday and earlier Friday, promising "more on the #royalprank." By Friday evening, a spokeswoman for the station told CNN in a statement that the pair will "not return to the show until further notice out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy." She said Greig and Christian were "deeply shocked" by the incident.
      The Twitter accounts for the pair were taken down.
      Talking about the call on air Thursday, Greig said: "They were the world's worst accents ever. We were sure 100 people at least before us would've tried the same thing. ... We were expecting to be hung up on -- we didn't even know what to say when we got through."
      Angry comments have been posted on the 2Day FM Facebook page since the news of the nurse's death broke.
      "This death is on your conscience," reads one post. Another says, "Blood on your hands."
      Pregnancy and privacy: Royal Catherine's dilemma
      CNN's Laura Perez Maestro and Elizabeth Joseph contributed to this report.
  VIDEO
    Obama Administration Approves Plan To Require "Black Boxes" On ALL New Cars Sold In The US
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 10:22
    Secret Service Computer Tapes Left On A Train
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:46
    "This May Have Been The Week The US Decided It Can No Longer Sit On The Sidelines With Syria"
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sun, 09 Dec 2012 06:38
    "WE Are Deeply Disturbed By Reports Assad MAY Have Prepared Chemical Weapons For Use"
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:12
    Members Of Congress Ask DEA & DOJ Not To Take Any Action Against Colorado & Washington State
      Link to Article
      Source: Uploads by MOXNEWSd0tC0M
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:10
    Russian President Putin launches construction of Gazprom's mammoth pipeline. (Euronews video)
      Link to Article
      Source: WT news feed
      Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:24
      Tens of thousands of Egyptians swarmed around President Mohamed Mursi's palace in Cairo on Friday. The protesters want the President to retract a decree that has given him sweeping powers since the 22nd November. They also want Egypt's first democratically elected head of'...
    "12.12.12" - The Concert for Sandy Relief to Benefit the Robin Hood Foundation - [VIDEO]
    Hillary Clinton's First 2016 Campaign Ad? (Nov. 30, 2012 - CSPAN) - [VIDEO]
    Max Clifford arrested in sex abuse inquiry
      Link to Article
      Source: euronews
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:52
      A strong earthquake centred off the coast of northeastern Japan shook buildings as far as Tokyo and led to a tsunami warning for coastal areas of the northeast. The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, the U.S. Geological Survey said, adding that there was no risk of'...
    Making Human Rights a Human Reality
      Link to Article
      Fri, 07 Dec 2012 06:02
      Thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon. It is wonderful to be here at DCU and back in Dublin. I want to thank you, President MacCraith, for that kind introduction. I'm delighted to be joined here by a number of officials and dignitaries, including your Chancellor, Martin McAleese, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting before when he was the spouse of a president. (Laughter.) We had a lot in common. I was once a spouse of a president as well. Your Minister for Education, Minister Quinn; your Minister for Children and Youth Fitzgerald; your Minister for Social Protection Burton, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin '' we are grateful to have all of you here, but I'm particularly pleased there are so many students and young people here in this auditorium.This university is renowned, not just for your world-class academics but also your engagement with in the world '' your international student body, your commitment to help solve urgent global problems through study and innovation, and your new Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction, which I can assure you will have a busy agenda ahead of it. Because you are absolutely right that the lessons learned here in Ireland about how to build peace could be of great use to other peoples and nations. And I commend the university for your global service, which has such ramifications far beyond the academic world.
      Now, it goes without saying that for millions of Americans who have family ties to Ireland, including my husband and daughter, and President Obama, this nation is often seen as a second homeland. And over the years, Ireland has made enormous contributions to America's progress. Several of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence were born in Ireland, as were many of the soldiers who fought in our revolution. The Irish helped build America's canals and railroads, overcame suspicion and bigotry to earn their livings and educate their children, and rose over time to become leaders in every field of endeavor.
      Now, people around the world often speak of and believed in the American dream, but I think it is fair to say that no people have done more to build that dream and make it real than the Irish. The United States, my country, would not be the country it is today were it not for this nation and its people. And that close kinship, not just a relationship between nations and governments, but a friendship rooted in relationships between people, is as strong as ever.
      Ireland and the United States work side by side to fight global hunger, to prevent the kind of suffering that Ireland endured during the Great Famine. We are helping women across the world, particularly in Malawi, gain access to clean cookstoves. We're working together in Afghanistan to try to make long-term stability possible for a people that has known very little of that. And Ireland has shown an unsurpassed commitment to preventing war by protecting peace. It's an astonishing fact, but for more than 50 years, not a single day has gone by in which an Irish peacekeeper has not stood a post somewhere in the world.
      So I know that Ireland is going through hard times now. I understand the painful sacrifice that so many families have had to make. But I want you to know that, not just in the United States, but people everywhere look to Ireland and see a resilient nation. Yes, a generous nation, one dedicated to peace and justice because you know from your own history how precious that is and how important it is for all of us to stand up for those values and protect them. And it is that struggle that joins our two countries, on behalf of human dignity and freedom, that brings me here today.
      This is likely to be my last official visit to Ireland as the United States Secretary of State. And I want to mark this occasion by speaking with you about a foreign policy priority that represents our two nations' most cherished values, and which is central to how we confront the world's challenges '' human rights.
      Now, human rights don't always occupy the headlines, but they are often what lie just behind and underneath them. And the future that awaits the students and young people today will be shaped, in large part, by how well leaders live up to their human rights responsibilities.
      During my first year as Secretary, I celebrated Human Rights Day by giving a speech at a university, Georgetown, in Washington, DC. I said there and then that in the 21st century, America's goal must be to make human rights a human reality, building upon what was accomplished in the 20th century, through the heroic efforts of leaders like Eleanor Roosevelt and many others, when the international community established human rights as the God-given entitlement of every person, and embedded those rights into international law along with governments' responsibilities to protect them.
      So I'm often asked, where do human rights fit into American foreign policy? Now, there are some '' they've often been called idealists '' who say that when we tackle foreign policy challenges, we should be governed first and foremost by the end goal of advancing our values, because that is how you build a better world.
      There are others '' they've been called realists '' who point out that ideals are not always easily reconciled in a world where bad actors exist and bad things happen. And therefore, shorter-term interests must be given more weight in the here and now.
      This has been and will remain a difficult debate. There happens to be merits on both sides. It is certainly true that the last decade has driven home the very real threats that exist to security and stability worldwide. And part of my responsibility as Secretary of State is to work to counter those threats. And furthermore, many of the challenges we face, from getting the global economy back on track to preventing terrorism, are becoming more complex by the day.
      But at the same time, one must never forget universal values are vital to who we are and what we hope to see our world become. And they are American values and Irish values; I would argue they are everyone's values. They certainly are part of who we are as Americans, not only a commitment that is central to our identity but also a source of our influence in the world.
      So the real challenge, not just for decision-makers but citizens as well, is to be clear-headed about the world as it is and the tough choices it presents on a daily basis, while remembering that human rights are at the center of some of the most significant challenges to global security and stability and therefore to our national interests.
      That's why I don't mind I've been called both an idealist and a realist. In reality, I think we all need to be more of a hybrid, perhaps idealistic realists. Because leading effectively cannot be done without our values. And a great deal of what is happening today bears that out.
      It is not a coincidence that virtually every country that threatens regional and global peace is a place where human rights are in peril. The genius of the Helsinki Final Act is the insight that human rights and security are indivisible. That insight, present since its founding in 1975, is what sets the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe apart as a regional organization.
      And of course, it is why I'm here in Dublin today, because the Irish Government is the chair in office and hosting the annual meeting. That organization and its founding documents were revolutionary. They recognized that the human rights situation in one country impacts the security of the entire region around it.
      And yet, even leaders in countries that secure human rights for their people don't always see advancing human rights elsewhere as a foreign policy priority. They look around the world '' and especially today, we know so much because of the 24/7 information environment in which we exist '' that when we see so many urgent challenges competing for attention, it's easy to think, ''Let's postpone action on human rights until after we deal with these other matters.''
      But human rights cannot be disconnected from other priorities. They are inextricably linked with all of the goals we strive for in our countries and around the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not just a catalog of rights and government obligations. It is a time-tested blueprint for successful societies.
      Today, I want to talk about four frontlines of human rights, issues over which fierce battles are being fought, where the stakes are high and our leadership, from both the United States and the Republic of Ireland, is urgently needed. My argument will be that these human rights battles implicate both our values and our interests '' and that they take place at the heart of the great geopolitical challenges of our time, not in some separate and distinct sphere set apart from the real, hard stuff going on in the world.
      The first frontline is religious freedom and the rights of religious minorities. Amid the uncertainty of unfolding transitions to democracy, old hatreds flare anew, particularly toward members of minority groups. And in many places in the past year, we've seen religious minorities become targets. In fact, members of faith communities have been under pressure for a long time and they report that the pressure is rising. That threatens not only the religious minorities themselves, but the futures of their societies because a society can and should be judged, in part, by how it protects the rights of its minorities. Societies are strongest when they deliver justice not just for the powerful, but also for the vulnerable. And while religious freedom is a human right unto itself, this issue is about other rights, too '' the right of people to think what they want, say what they think, associate with others, and assemble peacefully without the state looking over their shoulders or prohibiting them from doing so.
      In the Middle East and North Africa, as in other places in the midst of transitions, like Burma, the United States and the world have an interest in seeing new governments build the institutions and legal foundations they need to achieve lasting stability internally and to be constructive partners internationally. In other words, we want those transitions to go well. And religious freedom is just one example of how human rights are at the center of meeting that challenge.
      So at this pivotal moment, the United States has conveyed to countries in transition the importance of locking in protections for the human rights of religious minorities, to lay the groundwork for democracies that will endure. We've reached out to religious minorities. We meet with them at their places of worship and in their homes so we can better understand the challenges they face as we elevate religious freedom both in international settings and bilateral diplomacy.
      Now, of course, religious freedom is only one part of a successful transition to democracy. We have been watching the events unfolding in Cairo with growing concern. Almost two years ago, the Egyptian people, primarily young people, took to the streets because they wanted real democratic change. And they deserve a constitution that protects the rights of all Egyptians, men and women, Muslim and Christian, and ensures that Egypt will uphold all of its international obligations. They also deserve a constitutional process that is open, transparent, and fair.
      The upheaval we are seeing once again in the streets of Cairo and other cities indicates that dialogue is urgently needed. And we call on all the stakeholders in Egypt to settle their differences through discussion and debate, not through violence. And we call on Egypt's leaders to ensure that the outcome protects the democratic promise of the revolution for all Egyptians.
      Let me turn to the second frontline, Internet freedom. Now, if I were here 10 years ago giving a speech, I'm not sure that would have been in my top four frontlines. But look at what a difference a decade has made. Our commitment to internet freedom as a human rights issue intersects with our interest in seeing emerging powers rise in a way that tends toward sustainable economic growth and long-term stability.
      From China and Russia to emerging democratic powers like India, Brazil, and Indonesia, part of what will determine the trajectory of those countries is how they choose to respond to the questions their own citizens are raising about what kind of future they want, about governance issues that affect their everyday lives, like food safety or pollution, about how corruption undermines the public trust.
      So the United States believes that it is in the interest of all governments to respond to criticism, not repress it. I learned many years ago, being involved in politics, that as hard as it is, one must learn to take criticism seriously but not personally, figuring out what it is you are being told that maybe you could learn from. Not all criticism is legitimate; some of it is motivated by less than noble reasons, but oftentimes your critic can turn out to be your best friend.
      A free and open debate about real issues presents governments with opportunities and ideas for reform, if they're willing to accept them. And those reforms, in turn, can help reinforce economic and political stability. Democratic countries have the institutions and processes to respond constructively to critics, and then to adapt to a changing world.
      On the other hand, cracking down on critics who say something you don't like '' and believe me when you're in government, nearly every hour someone says something that you won't like '' but cracking down on those critics starts a spiral. As governments violate their citizens' rights more and more, they face more and more criticism and then more and more temptation to double-down on the politics of repression. The only escape from this downward spiral is to stop violations and start reform.
      So Internet freedom is central here, because these days, the place where many discussions and debates are happening is online. The Internet is the public space of the 21st century. As the Internet has grown, and as citizens turn to it to conduct important aspects of their lives, repressive governments have worked harder and harder to limit people's freedom online, just as they do offline. They are scrubbing websites of facts or ideas that challenge their hold on power. They are censoring emails and rerouting web traffic. They're reading political blogs, then showing up at the homes of bloggers and arresting them. They're monitoring the emails of political dissidents in order to track their movements and identify their associates. The rights of individuals to express their views, petition their leaders, freely associate with others are universal, whether they are exercised on a university campus or a university's Facebook page. Freedom is freedom, online or off.
      Now, some emerging powers have sought to use the advent of the Internet as an excuse to ignore or revise established international standards. But the arrival of new technologies does not change each person's entitlement to that person's human rights. We need to protect human rights online and hold governments accountable when they violate those rights, just as we should seek to hold violators accountable in the offline world. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is 64 years old, but it seems remarkably prophetic in protecting the right to '' and I quote '' ''seek, receive, and impart information by any medium, regardless of frontiers.''
      So we are working in the State Department with the private sector, multilateral organizations, and civil society to expose abuses and reinforce that the same rights apply offline as well as on. We're also supporting Internet freedom from another angle by funding technologies, tools, and training to help digital activists who live and work in repressive environments. And we are investing in innovation, because we know that governments on the other side of this fight are constantly improving their methods of oppression, and we intend to stay ahead of them. By the end of this year, the United States will have invested $100 million to help ensure that people in repressive internet environments can exercise their rights more safely and reliably.
      The third frontline is the role of civil society, the activists, organizations, congregations, journalists, and citizens who work through peaceful means to solve problems and encourage their governments to do better. Civil society is important everywhere, including in our countries. But nowhere is it more vital than in those states whose futures are unsure.
      Some are young democracies, where the challenge is to lock in gains so that, for example, we don't see a repeat of what has happened in Mali. Others are countries that are in a kind of limbo, where citizens and maybe even some in government are struggling to get their country on the path to rights-respecting democracy. And then there are places where small cracks exist under authoritarian governments and where there is an opportunity to pry them open and try to build something better.
      In all of these places '' we call them ''states in the balance'' '' we both have an economic and security interest in having the balance tilt toward accountable institutions with protections for human rights, rule of law, democratic governance. If things tilt the other way, it limits the economic potential of new markets, can increase regional instability, and undermine efforts to combat transnational crime and terrorism.
      Now, we recognize that our ability to directly influence political reforms and institution building from the outside in a lasting way is limited. We know that durable change is most likely to come from within, and that it takes everyone '' journalists and activists, business people and teachers, religious leaders and labor leaders '' pointing out the need for change, providing the ideas for change, and then reinforcing and supporting the political actions that will produce change.
      That's what civil society does. It is the underpinning of a free and functioning country. And unfortunately, this is a dangerous moment, because the trend of governments cracking down on civil society is on the rise. This morning at the OSCE, I pointed out examples of this happening here in Europe and Eurasia. I could make a similar list for every region.
      Civil society is a target because it is, by its very nature, an organized threat to governmental oppression. It gives citizens a way to improve their lives without government direction or permission. It brings people together around a shared mission, and there are few things repressive governments fear more than citizens banding together with a common purpose. And it reflects a belief that people do not exist to serve their governments, rather, governments exist to serve their people.
      Many members of civil society advocate on behalf of their fellow citizens at great personal risk. Activists and journalists are blackmailed, even murdered. Land activists face threats or are thrown in jail. Religious leaders who counsel tolerance can face repercussions, even from their own believers. And people who make the case against any vulnerable group need the support of civil society.
      It's very true that many governments attempt to squeeze civil society in a steel vise, and we are seeing a particular movement against the LGBT community around the world, punishing people, harassing them, beating them, imprisoning them for who they are. So the United States has targeted our efforts to preserve the space that civil society and vulnerable people need to make the case for change in their own communities.
      We currently are providing emergency support to dozens of individual human rights activists around the world, who run into trouble because of their work. And the United States has created a fund '' to which more than a dozen governments and two private foundations have contributed '' to support embattled NGOs with legal representation, communication technologies like cell phones and internet access, and other forms of quick support. We just brought out of eastern Congo to safety an incredibly courageous doctor who has cared for so many of the women and girls who have been brutally assaulted over the course of the many years of the conflict in the eastern Congo, who found himself being targeted and watching members of his staff be killed in front of his eyes, and we were able to bring him to safety. But think of how many people need this help right now, somewhere in the world.
      In many places we're also working with USAID and other donors to help civil society actors build the skills they need to do their work effectively, documenting abuses, storing data, learning how to deal with the media. We welcome them into our embassies both because we want their advice but also because we can sometimes help them by introducing them to members of the government or the private sector, or even other NGOs who are working in related areas. And we've launched a Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society to send a signal about the importance we attach to these relationships as part of our foreign policy.
      I can remember so well when I was First Lady, and I was visiting Guatemala, and I was introduced to a woman who had been an activist on behalf of indigenous people and had suffered greatly trying to prevent abuses against people who were defenseless against private militias or the government's armies. And when I met her, I asked her, as I often do around the world, if there was something I could do for her. And she said, ''Yes, I understand you'll be speaking to the parliament later today.'' I said, ''That's right.'' She said, ''If you will mention my name, you could help save my life, because if people know that there is somebody in the United States who knows about my work, maybe they will leave me alone to continue that work.'' So never underestimate what any of us can and should do to support these courageous civil society activists on environmental climate change front, on the protection of minorities, on fighting for health care, on standing up against corruption, on doing what they know is best for their people and society but which is rejected by elites and governments afraid to cede one ounce of their power.
      The fourth and final frontline I would mention today is the ultimate blend of idealism and realism '' respecting the human rights of women and girls. I believe this is the unfinished business of the 21st century. It is just foolish to try and build a strong economy or a stable democracy while treating half the population as second-class citizens at best, as some other species at worst. And yet in too many places, that's exactly what women are treated. They have few or no political rights. They are subjected to terrible violence. Their health, even their lives are disregarded. They are forced into marriage or forced labor as if they were property instead of people.
      I personally have no doubt that if women everywhere were treated as equal to men in rights and dignity, we would see economic and political progress come to places that are now teetering on the edge. We would not only see a decrease in violence and a rise in good governance in volatile places, but we would see increased economic growth at a time when the world desperately needs more growth. The World Bank has finished a remarkable set of studies demonstrating how removing the obstacles the women's full participation in the economy everywhere, including in my own country, would increase the world's GDP at a time when we know we need it. The world would be more prosperous and more stable.
      One of the first things I did as Secretary was to elevate the Office of Global Women's Issues by appointing the first ever Ambassador at Large to take the lead on identifying concrete ways the United States could work to secure the human rights of women worldwide. We see this as a moral imperative and a high-reward political, economic, and security strategy. We led the charge for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the first ever to recognize the role of women in restoring peace and maintaining security. We created a National Action Plan and encouraged others to do the same. I highly recommend a documentary movie about ending the terrible war in Liberia, called ''Pray the Devil Back to Hell,'' which is just one example of what women have done to end conflict and to begin a political transition, which led, in that case, to the election of the first woman president on the African continent.
      Now we recognize, of course, that women's political participation matters not only when tackling the worst challenges of conflict and violence, but also when finding solutions for more everyday governance problems at the village and community level, in national parliaments and ministries. That's why we've repeatedly urged leaders to lay the legal and constitutional groundwork to enable women to make their contributions to societies in transition in the Middle East and elsewhere.
      Because so much violence against women and girls takes place within their homes and communities, and often in the form of harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation and so-called ''honor crimes,'' we've launched the first U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally. One of our top priorities is eliminating child marriage. Beginning next year, the State Department will track every country's legal minimum age of marriage and the rate of marriage for underage girls and boys.
      And today, I am pleased to announce we are developing a new initiative to provide emergency support to survivors of gender-based violence, those under credible threat of imminent attack due to their gender, and organizations that may need protection. All of us were moved by the story of the young Pakistani girl, Malala, who was targeted by the Taliban for the effrontery for going to school '' more than that, speaking out for the rights of girls in Pakistan to go to school. She was miraculously spared from being literally shot in the face and is making what appears to be an excellent recovery.
      For every young woman whose name comes to our attention, there are countless others who suffer in silence, who face cultural and social and religious barriers to their human rights and dignity. We want to include every country in our outreach, and we also wish to reach women with disabilities, some of whom have been afflicted as a result of gender-based violence '' the acid attacks, the shootings, the torture '' and to send a message that these girls are valuable, valuable to families and valuable to societies.
      As the mother of a daughter, and as someone who believes strongly in the right of every person, male and female, to have the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given potential, it pains me so greatly when I travel to places around the world and am received almost as an exception to the rule, where the male leaders meet with me because I am the Secretary of State of the United States, overlooking the fact that I also happen to be a woman. We are on the right side of history in this struggle, but there will be many sacrifices and losses until we finally reach a point where daughters are valued as sons, where girls as educated as boys, where women are encouraged and permitted to make their contributions to their families, to their societies just as the men are.
      We have also done a great deal of work to refocus our global health programs so that we save the lives and improve the health of more women and girls. Health programs, as you know, can be imbalanced, often in ways that are not obvious, but the result is women and girls don't get the care they need when they need it, and many die unnecessarily. So our starting point must be this: Women's lives matter. And promoting the human rights of women begins with saving the lives of women whenever we can.
      The frontlines I've discussed today do not constitute, by any means, an exhaustive list. A speech that did would go on, literally, for days. And human rights are at the center of many other challenges we face '' like security on the Korean peninsula, which runs some of the largest concentration camps in the world; the threat to international peace posed by Iran. And one of the frontlines is ensuring that rights protections apply to everyone, which is why the Obama Administration supports the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and we hope that we will be able, perhaps next year, to join others in signing that treaty and acceding to it. We've also joined with South Africa and others to affirm the human rights of LGBT people.
      So today, I've shared just a few examples of the way human rights are central to how we are thinking about foreign policy and national security. The question in everyone's mind should not be, ''Why does a government focus on human rights?'' but, ''Why don't all governments do the same?'' Because if you say you believe in human rights, but demonstrate no concern for it beyond your borders, that is a very feeble form of belief. And if you are truly representing your citizens, you cannot do so effectively in the 21st century without recognizing that human rights must remain a central goal of those of us who believe in the dignity of every person.
      But I don't want to mislead anyone. The work I've described is incredibly difficult. Commitment to these rights has to take root and grow within people's hearts and minds, and that takes time. But I would argue that those of us lucky enough to live in countries like the United States and Ireland have a double responsibility, first, to remain vigilant in ensuring that we honor and implement our own commitment to human rights at home, and second, to help others gain what we have, the chance to live in dignity.
      This is the work especially of young people. I just met with the State Department's newest Embassy Youth Council, based here in Dublin. We now have 50 youth councils around the world, made up of students, entrepreneurs, civil society members, members of government. And I must say, the Irish young people I just met with exuded talent, energy, and optimism.
      And you really have all the tools you need: your voice, your vote, your intellect and education, your compassion and conscience. This should be your fight. I can certainly promise you, it will continue to be mine. I will continue advocating for civil society, working to make democracy real, pushing for Internet freedom, standing with religious minorities, women, LGBT communities, people with disabilities '' anyone else who someone says are less human and therefore less deserving of their human rights.
      I've traveled to more countries and far flung places than I could have imagined as a young girl growing up in the middle of America in the decades that followed World War II. And I must say that among the most striking things that I have learned is how much we have in common. I've sat down with people everywhere, discussing what was in their hearts and on their minds. And it doesn't take long to find commonality which is often overlooked, ignored, dismissed, and rejected otherwise.
      I remember as if it were yesterday putting together a meeting in Belfast City Hall, with a group of people, predominantly women, from both communities, who had never, ever been in the same room with one another, and certainly had never sat down at the same table for tea. And there was a lot of uneasiness and discomfort in that room. And I began talking and asking questions about what their lives were like. And one woman said, ''Every time my husband leaves for work, I worry that he won't come home at night.'' And then this '' eyes lit up of another woman across the table, who said, ''Well, I worry the same thing about my son when he goes out at night.''
      One of the people at that meeting was a great friend of mine, Inez McCormack, a labor leader in Northern Ireland who had fought for the rights of working people, had taken up the cause of peace and reconciliation, and worked tirelessly to bring the communities together around issues of economic justice and fairness, and paid particular attention to the vital voices of women. Inez lives in Derry, where she's fighting cancer, and I called her before coming here to check in on her, and asked her how she was doing. She's very brave and putting up with all the treatments, knowing that it's a hard road for her. And she did not want to talk about herself; she wanted to talk about her daughter, who moved up the date of her wedding, which made her very happy.
      But she wanted to talk about how we had to keep working to bring people together so that they would recognize the common humanity and experience in the other, the fact that they want to be part of a family and a community; a good job and a livelihood; a chance to learn and try to make sense of the world; to seek meaning and fulfillment in their choice of religious faith and practice.
      There are so many more ties that bind us than divide us, and that is what has motivated me over many years now. Because I see the changes as I saw in that room in Belfast all those years ago. And this is work not just for some of us, but for all of us. And I hope it will give you both hope and purpose in the years ahead.
      Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Clips and Stuff
  Elites
    Wintour Ambassador.mp3
  JCD Clips
    Black bozes in cars.mp3
    books cooked for election.mp3
    chris matthews douc#82149AB.mp3
    comedy central logo.mp3
    Crl levin sweetened.mp3
    douchebag senator leading.mp3
    sean hannity.mp3
    weird lieberman analysis.mp3
  Lucifer
    Two Hillarys.mp3
  Movie PR
    CNN Bond Skyfall PR.mp3
  NA-468-Art-Big.jpg
  Obama Nation
    Black Boxes.mp3
  Syria
    NATO Georgia.mp3
    PBS Analyst-USSR Syria.mp3
    Putins pipeline launch.mp3
    Serbian NATO Abassador.mp3
  War on Weed
    Weed showdown.mp3
  Water and Blankets
    121212-sandy benefit.mp3
    Robin Hood Foundation 2010.pdf
    Uncommon Schools Inc 2011.pdf