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marmar
marmar's Journal
marmar's Journal
October 2, 2013
from YES! Magazine:
The Dark Side of Consumerism: What Landfills and Nursing Homes Taught These Indian Villagers
Glamorized consumer culture has serious side effects—and to help people in remote Indian villages understand this, one filmmaker brought them to the West. Here’s what they thought of the dark side of Western lifestyles.
by Sven Eberlein
posted Sep 27, 2013
Before the Indian Army built a road to Ladakh in 1962, residents of the Himalayan desert region known as "Little Tibet" had been little exposed to outside ideas. Making a living in one of the highest, driest, and coldest inhabited places on Earth was never easy: Rainfall is less than four inches a year, and in the winter the temperatures go below minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. But Ladakhis have nevertheless lived an abundant agricultural life that allows them to thrive physically, culturally, and spiritually.
With the building of the road came a flurry of outside influence: material goods, centralized government, and tourism. By the time author and filmmaker Helena Norberg-Hodge first visited the region in 1975, Western pop culture and rampant consumerism were already making it difficult for Ladakhis to sustain the life that had nurtured them for so long.
"There was this romantic picture of Western consumer culture portrayed not only in media and advertising, but also in schoolbooks that made rural small town life seem backward and primitive," Norberg-Hodge says, describing the shift in attitude among Ladakhis—largely fueled by media exposure—that was making people feel inferior about their modest traditional ways. While the appeal of a modern lifestyle full of instant gratification is understandable, Norberg-Hodge says that there was a clear lack of information, especially among Ladakhi youth, about the realities of life in the West. The underbelly of Western society was still largely invisible in developing countries during the pre-Internet and reality-TV era.
For years, Norberg-Hodge had arranged month-long tours for Europeans to live and work on Ladakhi family farms, to help Westerners connect with what she describes as a less destructive way of life. She also hoped they would relay to the Ladakhis a more complete picture of the impact of conventional development in other parts of the world, such as the long-term effects of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on soil and agriculture. But after watching the transformation of Ladakhi society toward a more Westernized, glamorized lifestyle, Norberg-Hodge had another idea. Her nonprofit, International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC), began sponsoring Ladakhi villagers to go on "reality tours" of their own, to experience what everyday life is really like in places like Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom. ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/what-landfills-nursing-homes-and-malls-taught-these-indian-villagers
The Dark Side of Consumerism: What Landfills and Nursing Homes Taught These Indian Villagers
from YES! Magazine:
The Dark Side of Consumerism: What Landfills and Nursing Homes Taught These Indian Villagers
Glamorized consumer culture has serious side effects—and to help people in remote Indian villages understand this, one filmmaker brought them to the West. Here’s what they thought of the dark side of Western lifestyles.
by Sven Eberlein
posted Sep 27, 2013
Before the Indian Army built a road to Ladakh in 1962, residents of the Himalayan desert region known as "Little Tibet" had been little exposed to outside ideas. Making a living in one of the highest, driest, and coldest inhabited places on Earth was never easy: Rainfall is less than four inches a year, and in the winter the temperatures go below minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. But Ladakhis have nevertheless lived an abundant agricultural life that allows them to thrive physically, culturally, and spiritually.
With the building of the road came a flurry of outside influence: material goods, centralized government, and tourism. By the time author and filmmaker Helena Norberg-Hodge first visited the region in 1975, Western pop culture and rampant consumerism were already making it difficult for Ladakhis to sustain the life that had nurtured them for so long.
"There was this romantic picture of Western consumer culture portrayed not only in media and advertising, but also in schoolbooks that made rural small town life seem backward and primitive," Norberg-Hodge says, describing the shift in attitude among Ladakhis—largely fueled by media exposure—that was making people feel inferior about their modest traditional ways. While the appeal of a modern lifestyle full of instant gratification is understandable, Norberg-Hodge says that there was a clear lack of information, especially among Ladakhi youth, about the realities of life in the West. The underbelly of Western society was still largely invisible in developing countries during the pre-Internet and reality-TV era.
For years, Norberg-Hodge had arranged month-long tours for Europeans to live and work on Ladakhi family farms, to help Westerners connect with what she describes as a less destructive way of life. She also hoped they would relay to the Ladakhis a more complete picture of the impact of conventional development in other parts of the world, such as the long-term effects of pesticides and chemical fertilizers on soil and agriculture. But after watching the transformation of Ladakhi society toward a more Westernized, glamorized lifestyle, Norberg-Hodge had another idea. Her nonprofit, International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC), began sponsoring Ladakhi villagers to go on "reality tours" of their own, to experience what everyday life is really like in places like Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom. ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/what-landfills-nursing-homes-and-malls-taught-these-indian-villagers
October 2, 2013
The Coming Domestic Drone Wars
Thursday, 19 September 2013 14:12
By Candice Bernd, Truthout | News
While progressives in the U.S. have been right to pressure the Obama administration on its use of military drone strikes throughout the Middle East as part of a protracted global war on terror, the lesser-known ongoing integration of drone technology into domestic airspace may prompt a similar public outcry as ubiquitous drone surveillance by law enforcement agencies and corporations becomes the norm over US skies.
In just a couple of years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates, thousands of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could be operating in US skies as the administration continues to integrate drone technology into the National Airspace System (NAS) to comply with a federal law enacted last year.
The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 mandates that the FAA draw a comprehensive plan to define the standards of operation, certification, registration and other regulations of domestic unmanned systems to accelerate the systems' integration into US skies. Presently, most types of UAVs largely are controlled and used by the U.S. military.
Domestic Commercial Drones
As part of this integration process, the FAA issued restricted category certificates to two private companies in July, allowing them to operate two designs for small drones commercially within U.S. airspace for the first time. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/18951-the-coming-domestic-drone-wars
The Coming Domestic Drone Wars
The Coming Domestic Drone Wars
Thursday, 19 September 2013 14:12
By Candice Bernd, Truthout | News
While progressives in the U.S. have been right to pressure the Obama administration on its use of military drone strikes throughout the Middle East as part of a protracted global war on terror, the lesser-known ongoing integration of drone technology into domestic airspace may prompt a similar public outcry as ubiquitous drone surveillance by law enforcement agencies and corporations becomes the norm over US skies.
In just a couple of years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates, thousands of civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could be operating in US skies as the administration continues to integrate drone technology into the National Airspace System (NAS) to comply with a federal law enacted last year.
The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 mandates that the FAA draw a comprehensive plan to define the standards of operation, certification, registration and other regulations of domestic unmanned systems to accelerate the systems' integration into US skies. Presently, most types of UAVs largely are controlled and used by the U.S. military.
Domestic Commercial Drones
As part of this integration process, the FAA issued restricted category certificates to two private companies in July, allowing them to operate two designs for small drones commercially within U.S. airspace for the first time. ..................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/18951-the-coming-domestic-drone-wars
October 2, 2013
What's the buzz about giant Asian hornets? They'll kill you painfully and thoroughly -- and they've been reported in the U.S.
Climate change might be contributing to a global rise in insect numbers. As if that weren't bad enough, some of the bugs that appear to be benefitting from that population surge are giant Asian hornets that are killing people unfortunate enough to disturb them.
According to The Guardian, at least "28 people have died and hundreds have been injured in a wave of attacks by giant hornets in central China." The hornets, also known as Vespa mandarinia, have reportedly "chased (victims) for hundreds of meters... and stung (them) as many as 200 times." .....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/giant-asian-hornets-killing-people-china_n_4023249.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news
Giant Asian Hornets Are Killing People In China, Breeding In Larger Numbers: Reports
What's the buzz about giant Asian hornets? They'll kill you painfully and thoroughly -- and they've been reported in the U.S.
Climate change might be contributing to a global rise in insect numbers. As if that weren't bad enough, some of the bugs that appear to be benefitting from that population surge are giant Asian hornets that are killing people unfortunate enough to disturb them.
According to The Guardian, at least "28 people have died and hundreds have been injured in a wave of attacks by giant hornets in central China." The hornets, also known as Vespa mandarinia, have reportedly "chased (victims) for hundreds of meters... and stung (them) as many as 200 times." .....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/giant-asian-hornets-killing-people-china_n_4023249.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news
October 2, 2013
WASHINGTON -- Just hours into the government shutdown on Monday, the world of scientific research began feeling the pain.
Across the country, federal agencies shut their doors and required non-essential personnel to drop their work. The result was something akin to short-term paralysis, not just for officials in those institutions but also for the large community of researchers and academics that depends on them.
At the University of Hawaii, work on a vaccination for rat lungworm disease -- a gastrointestinal infection that causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans -- was put on hold when scientists were suddenly prohibited from accessing the facilities where they do a large portion of their work.
Dr. Susan Jarvi, an associate professor at the university's campus in Hilo, said the shutdown could mean a major setback for her research, which has gone on for roughly two years now. One of two researchers in the state looking into rat lungworm disease, she is currently testing whether a vaccine developed in Spain could prove effective on rats in Hawaii. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/government-shutdown-scientific-research_n_4025894.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
Government Shutdown Halts Scientific Research Projects Across The Country
WASHINGTON -- Just hours into the government shutdown on Monday, the world of scientific research began feeling the pain.
Across the country, federal agencies shut their doors and required non-essential personnel to drop their work. The result was something akin to short-term paralysis, not just for officials in those institutions but also for the large community of researchers and academics that depends on them.
At the University of Hawaii, work on a vaccination for rat lungworm disease -- a gastrointestinal infection that causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans -- was put on hold when scientists were suddenly prohibited from accessing the facilities where they do a large portion of their work.
Dr. Susan Jarvi, an associate professor at the university's campus in Hilo, said the shutdown could mean a major setback for her research, which has gone on for roughly two years now. One of two researchers in the state looking into rat lungworm disease, she is currently testing whether a vaccine developed in Spain could prove effective on rats in Hawaii. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/government-shutdown-scientific-research_n_4025894.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
October 2, 2013
It’s one of the signal images of the global drug war: a team of triumphant law-enforcement officers posing for the TV cameras with a pile of the illegal drugs they’ve just seized from the bad guys.
To judge from the pervasiveness of these photos, you might think that the world’s supply of drugs is waning.
But illegal drugs are more widely available than ever. A new study from the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy, a research group based in Vancouver, British Columbia, shows that substances are getting more concentrated and cheaper, which suggests the world's drug supply is increasing.
“Those images on our TV screens are really just evidence of the success of the market,” said Dr. Evan Wood, scientific chair of the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy and one of the authors of the study. “The notion is that we have done something that is protecting our communities. Unfortunately, that snapshot really doesn’t capture the reality of what’s happening in those markets.” ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/study-drug-war_n_4025500.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
Yet Another Study Proves The War On Drugs Is Failing
It’s one of the signal images of the global drug war: a team of triumphant law-enforcement officers posing for the TV cameras with a pile of the illegal drugs they’ve just seized from the bad guys.
To judge from the pervasiveness of these photos, you might think that the world’s supply of drugs is waning.
But illegal drugs are more widely available than ever. A new study from the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy, a research group based in Vancouver, British Columbia, shows that substances are getting more concentrated and cheaper, which suggests the world's drug supply is increasing.
“Those images on our TV screens are really just evidence of the success of the market,” said Dr. Evan Wood, scientific chair of the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy and one of the authors of the study. “The notion is that we have done something that is protecting our communities. Unfortunately, that snapshot really doesn’t capture the reality of what’s happening in those markets.” ................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/study-drug-war_n_4025500.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
October 1, 2013
GOP DWI? Otherwise I can't account for Republicans forcing a shutdown
With the 'no compromise' fringe at the wheel, this government shutdown can only be a political car crash for Republicans
Ana Marie Cox
theguardian.com, Tuesday 1 October 2013 13.40 EDT
It is difficult to write rationally about the shutdown of the US government, because it is not a rational act.
In a way, the job of pundits would be easier if there was a money trail to follow – or even some specific political beneficiary to the massive meltdown of governance and order that's occurred over the past few days (if not months, if not years). When congressional Republicans caved to the wishes of the National Rifle Association, it made a certain craven sense: the NRA pumps almost $20m into their campaign coffers; of course they'll do what they say. When Republicans push anti-reproductive rights legislation, it's easily traced to a fundamental strand of condescension to and mistrust of women (or most generously, a confusion about them).
Indeed, even the Republican opposition to the Affordable Care Act has the clean logic of tit-for-tat. The GOP caters to big business' best interest, and they opposed ACA because of it interferes with the insurance companies' desire to keep operating as they have in the past: doling our healthcare with an eye toward profits and not healthcare. (That Obamacare doesn't actually fix that problem so much as ameliorate it (for now) is a topic for another day. (That Obamacare may actually benefit most businesses is a topic that for the day after.)
The GOP's intransigence over these political stands, whatever you think of them as ideological positions, stems from simple political debts and selfish political goals. Conversely, policy positions that stem mostly from ideology or even practical knowledge of the problem at hand have some inherent flexibility; you can reason with people who have arrived at their position through reason. If your main goal is to solve a real-world problem, you can make concessions based on new real-world data. When policy goals are held largely for political reasons, only political arguments can move you. ........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/01/gop-dwi-republicans-government-shutdown
Guardian UK: GOP DWI?
GOP DWI? Otherwise I can't account for Republicans forcing a shutdown
With the 'no compromise' fringe at the wheel, this government shutdown can only be a political car crash for Republicans
Ana Marie Cox
theguardian.com, Tuesday 1 October 2013 13.40 EDT
It is difficult to write rationally about the shutdown of the US government, because it is not a rational act.
In a way, the job of pundits would be easier if there was a money trail to follow – or even some specific political beneficiary to the massive meltdown of governance and order that's occurred over the past few days (if not months, if not years). When congressional Republicans caved to the wishes of the National Rifle Association, it made a certain craven sense: the NRA pumps almost $20m into their campaign coffers; of course they'll do what they say. When Republicans push anti-reproductive rights legislation, it's easily traced to a fundamental strand of condescension to and mistrust of women (or most generously, a confusion about them).
Indeed, even the Republican opposition to the Affordable Care Act has the clean logic of tit-for-tat. The GOP caters to big business' best interest, and they opposed ACA because of it interferes with the insurance companies' desire to keep operating as they have in the past: doling our healthcare with an eye toward profits and not healthcare. (That Obamacare doesn't actually fix that problem so much as ameliorate it (for now) is a topic for another day. (That Obamacare may actually benefit most businesses is a topic that for the day after.)
The GOP's intransigence over these political stands, whatever you think of them as ideological positions, stems from simple political debts and selfish political goals. Conversely, policy positions that stem mostly from ideology or even practical knowledge of the problem at hand have some inherent flexibility; you can reason with people who have arrived at their position through reason. If your main goal is to solve a real-world problem, you can make concessions based on new real-world data. When policy goals are held largely for political reasons, only political arguments can move you. ........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/01/gop-dwi-republicans-government-shutdown
October 1, 2013
from the Detroit Metro Times:
The Michigan Marijuana Tour
A Statewide look at disparate marijuana laws.
By Larry Gabriel
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act, passed in 2008, made pot legal for patients with certain medical conditions. But the MMMA is not the only story in the state when it comes to legislating the cannabis plant. There are decriminalization efforts working their way around city by city, and some expect a statewide effort in 2016. Let’s take a little tour around the Mitten for an update on some of the various laws.
Lansing
This November, voters there will cast ballots on a petition initiative calling for decriminalization of 1 ounce or less of marijuana for adults and — a new twist in the standard decriminalization — the right to transfer it. Lansing’s Mayor Virg Bernero has voiced his support for the initiative.
---------
Detroit
In 2012, Detroiters voted on what has become the standard decriminalization package: Adults, 21 and older, may possess and use as much as 1 ounce of marijuana on private property. Where do they get it? Well, that isn’t considered by the provision, but folks seem to be getting it from somewhere.
Ann Arbor
The City of Trees has the richest history of pot activism in the state. In 1967, The Michigan Daily, U-M’s student newspaper, made worldwide news when it called for legalization. More significant, in 1971, two and a half years after poet and political activist John Sinclair was sentenced to 10 years for giving two joints to an undercover narcotics officer, it was where 15,000 people attended a Free John Now Rally at Crisler Arena. ........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://metrotimes.com/culture/culture-features/the-michigan-marijuana-tour-1.1557711
..........(snip)..........
Hello, cannabis lovers.
Michigan Marijuana Law Reform
By Larry Gabriel
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
In the five years since Michigan voters said “yes” to medical marijuana, a lot of things have changed. Michigan was the 13th state to legalize medical use of cannabis, and now there are 18, in addition to Washington state and Colorado, where it is legal for recreational use. Medical uses for marijuana are gaining acceptance among medical professionals and the National Institute of Health has acknowledged that it may be useful in cancer therapies.
Polls show about 85 percent of Americans support medical marijuana, and a little more than 50 percent support legalization of recreational use with taxes and regulation similar to alcohol and tobacco.
Recently, Deputy Attorney General James Cole revealed the Justice Department has no plans to challenge state legalization laws as long as they have “robust regulations” to keep it away from minors and prevent it from going to states where it is not legal.
In Michigan, several of our largest cities have adopted regulations that decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana or roll back law enforcement directives regarding marijuana offenses. ...................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://metrotimes.com/covers/hello-cannabis-lovers-1.1557767
The Michigan Marijuana Tour/Hello, cannabis lovers...........
from the Detroit Metro Times:
The Michigan Marijuana Tour
A Statewide look at disparate marijuana laws.
By Larry Gabriel
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act, passed in 2008, made pot legal for patients with certain medical conditions. But the MMMA is not the only story in the state when it comes to legislating the cannabis plant. There are decriminalization efforts working their way around city by city, and some expect a statewide effort in 2016. Let’s take a little tour around the Mitten for an update on some of the various laws.
Lansing
This November, voters there will cast ballots on a petition initiative calling for decriminalization of 1 ounce or less of marijuana for adults and — a new twist in the standard decriminalization — the right to transfer it. Lansing’s Mayor Virg Bernero has voiced his support for the initiative.
---------
Detroit
In 2012, Detroiters voted on what has become the standard decriminalization package: Adults, 21 and older, may possess and use as much as 1 ounce of marijuana on private property. Where do they get it? Well, that isn’t considered by the provision, but folks seem to be getting it from somewhere.
Ann Arbor
The City of Trees has the richest history of pot activism in the state. In 1967, The Michigan Daily, U-M’s student newspaper, made worldwide news when it called for legalization. More significant, in 1971, two and a half years after poet and political activist John Sinclair was sentenced to 10 years for giving two joints to an undercover narcotics officer, it was where 15,000 people attended a Free John Now Rally at Crisler Arena. ........................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://metrotimes.com/culture/culture-features/the-michigan-marijuana-tour-1.1557711
..........(snip)..........
Hello, cannabis lovers.
Michigan Marijuana Law Reform
By Larry Gabriel
PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 25, 2013
In the five years since Michigan voters said “yes” to medical marijuana, a lot of things have changed. Michigan was the 13th state to legalize medical use of cannabis, and now there are 18, in addition to Washington state and Colorado, where it is legal for recreational use. Medical uses for marijuana are gaining acceptance among medical professionals and the National Institute of Health has acknowledged that it may be useful in cancer therapies.
Polls show about 85 percent of Americans support medical marijuana, and a little more than 50 percent support legalization of recreational use with taxes and regulation similar to alcohol and tobacco.
Recently, Deputy Attorney General James Cole revealed the Justice Department has no plans to challenge state legalization laws as long as they have “robust regulations” to keep it away from minors and prevent it from going to states where it is not legal.
In Michigan, several of our largest cities have adopted regulations that decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana or roll back law enforcement directives regarding marijuana offenses. ...................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://metrotimes.com/covers/hello-cannabis-lovers-1.1557767
October 1, 2013
from the WaPo:
Government shutdowns are bad for lots of reasons. Visas don't get processed. Federal workers don't get paid. Though nowhere near the pain of potentially defaulting on the national debt, shutting down the government could even cost more money than it saves when all's said and done.
If you live or work in the District of Columbia, however, the downside is much more pronounced (unless, as Matt Yglesias points out, you're a bar owner or a rodent). Since the non-state is the only jurisdiction prohibited from spending its local funds in the event of Congress not coming to an agreement, the city government becomes a lot less functional. Here's what you should expect to wake up to on October 1, if there's no deal.
1. Parks, museums, and the Zoo closed: All Smithsonian museums, federal monuments, the National Zoo, and public facilities in National Parks like Rock Creek Park would be closed. Because tourists probably won't realize it in advance, they'll probably flood downtown Starbuckses and Potbellies with bored out-of-towners.
2. Libraries and recreation centers dark: All D.C. libraries and recreation centers will be closed, giving kids fewer places to hang out after school, which means who knows what kinds of trouble. .......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/25/7-ways-a-government-shutdown-will-make-d-c-residents-lives-worse/
Govt. shutdown extra tough on the District of Columbia
from the WaPo:
Government shutdowns are bad for lots of reasons. Visas don't get processed. Federal workers don't get paid. Though nowhere near the pain of potentially defaulting on the national debt, shutting down the government could even cost more money than it saves when all's said and done.
If you live or work in the District of Columbia, however, the downside is much more pronounced (unless, as Matt Yglesias points out, you're a bar owner or a rodent). Since the non-state is the only jurisdiction prohibited from spending its local funds in the event of Congress not coming to an agreement, the city government becomes a lot less functional. Here's what you should expect to wake up to on October 1, if there's no deal.
1. Parks, museums, and the Zoo closed: All Smithsonian museums, federal monuments, the National Zoo, and public facilities in National Parks like Rock Creek Park would be closed. Because tourists probably won't realize it in advance, they'll probably flood downtown Starbuckses and Potbellies with bored out-of-towners.
2. Libraries and recreation centers dark: All D.C. libraries and recreation centers will be closed, giving kids fewer places to hang out after school, which means who knows what kinds of trouble. .......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/25/7-ways-a-government-shutdown-will-make-d-c-residents-lives-worse/
October 1, 2013
If Sabotage of the US Economy Is Terrorism, Send the House GOP to Guantanamo
MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT
If economic sabotage of the United States is terrorism, then most of the House GOP should be sent to Guantanamo. Not that BuzzFlash at Truthout supports the opening of Guantanamo in any way (we believe it should be closed forthwith), but the members of the House GOP do. And since they are terrorizing the American economy and precarious financial conditions of so many US citizens with a government shutdown and the threat of not increasing the debt ceiling, they should -- according to the cliche -- get a dose of their own medicine.
So often when US presidents and members of congress talk about the need for military intervention abroad and a humongous military, spy and surveillance budget, they refer to "national security." The politicians and the mass media generally imply that this is a term that means the US needs to use armed forces and to start wars and kill people to protect us from physical harm or death. The elected officials and their appointees hope that this meme will keep American citizens in line and in support of a huge war machine that also happens to profit those in the DC revolving door of the military-industrial complex.
But protecting "national security" -- i.e., about 95 percent of the use of that loaded term -- really means protecting the economic interests and dominance of the United States. Can anyone doubt that is what it means in the Middle East, given that America has about 4 percent of the world's population but consumes about 25 percent of its oil? We wouldn't have the relatively small number of Islamic terrorists wanting to kill US citizens if we weren't pulling the strings in most of the US and using the military and CIA to ensure regional dominance (along with the UK and other European powers).
In short, if one argues that Islamic terrorism -- such as it exists -- is a by-product of US fighting to maintain its role as empire overseer of the Middle East (in order to retain our wealth for those who have it -- and general standard of living), we wouldn't be the occasional targets of Islamic terrorism (and the numbers of Americans who are victims of terror is absolutely miniscule compared to the number of Americans who are shot by other Americans each year, and infinitesimally small in relation to the number who annually die in automobile accidents.) ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18227-if-sabotage-of-the-us-economy-is-terrorism-send-the-house-gop-to-guantanamo
If Sabotage of the US Economy Is Terrorism, Send the House GOP to Guantanamo
If Sabotage of the US Economy Is Terrorism, Send the House GOP to Guantanamo
MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT
If economic sabotage of the United States is terrorism, then most of the House GOP should be sent to Guantanamo. Not that BuzzFlash at Truthout supports the opening of Guantanamo in any way (we believe it should be closed forthwith), but the members of the House GOP do. And since they are terrorizing the American economy and precarious financial conditions of so many US citizens with a government shutdown and the threat of not increasing the debt ceiling, they should -- according to the cliche -- get a dose of their own medicine.
So often when US presidents and members of congress talk about the need for military intervention abroad and a humongous military, spy and surveillance budget, they refer to "national security." The politicians and the mass media generally imply that this is a term that means the US needs to use armed forces and to start wars and kill people to protect us from physical harm or death. The elected officials and their appointees hope that this meme will keep American citizens in line and in support of a huge war machine that also happens to profit those in the DC revolving door of the military-industrial complex.
But protecting "national security" -- i.e., about 95 percent of the use of that loaded term -- really means protecting the economic interests and dominance of the United States. Can anyone doubt that is what it means in the Middle East, given that America has about 4 percent of the world's population but consumes about 25 percent of its oil? We wouldn't have the relatively small number of Islamic terrorists wanting to kill US citizens if we weren't pulling the strings in most of the US and using the military and CIA to ensure regional dominance (along with the UK and other European powers).
In short, if one argues that Islamic terrorism -- such as it exists -- is a by-product of US fighting to maintain its role as empire overseer of the Middle East (in order to retain our wealth for those who have it -- and general standard of living), we wouldn't be the occasional targets of Islamic terrorism (and the numbers of Americans who are victims of terror is absolutely miniscule compared to the number of Americans who are shot by other Americans each year, and infinitesimally small in relation to the number who annually die in automobile accidents.) ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18227-if-sabotage-of-the-us-economy-is-terrorism-send-the-house-gop-to-guantanamo
October 1, 2013
WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service says you must pay your taxes during the government shutdown. But don't expect any refunds.
The IRS said Tuesday it will gladly accept tax returns and payments during the shutdown. In fact, they are required by law.
But, the agency said, it will not issue any tax refunds until the government resumes normal operations.
Most Americans filed their taxes in the spring. But more than 12 million filers asked for an automatic six-month extension, and those returns are due Oct. 15. .......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/irs-government-shutdown_n_4024343.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
IRS: Government Shutdown Means No Tax Refunds
WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service says you must pay your taxes during the government shutdown. But don't expect any refunds.
The IRS said Tuesday it will gladly accept tax returns and payments during the shutdown. In fact, they are required by law.
But, the agency said, it will not issue any tax refunds until the government resumes normal operations.
Most Americans filed their taxes in the spring. But more than 12 million filers asked for an automatic six-month extension, and those returns are due Oct. 15. .......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/01/irs-government-shutdown_n_4024343.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
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