Rueters/Telegraph
MUBARAK’S INTENDED REPLACEMENT IN EGYPT IS RAINED ON BY WIKI-LEAKS REVELATIONS OF HIS ISRAELI TIES.
(UK Telegraph)
British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reports that, according to material furnished the paper by WikiLeaks, Omar Suleiman has told Israeli officials that Sinai should be “cleansed” of Palestian arms dealers allegedly fuelling unrest in Gaza and other scenes of alleged Arab “terrorism.” Suleiman appears to the the successor-of-choice of both Israel and its “staunch ally,” the United States.
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GUNS VS. GYMS ISSUE IN DEFENSE BUDGET MAY BE LOOMING IN THE U.S. CONGRESS.
(McClatchy)
This is the warning of GOP representative Joe Wilson as Congress begins the process of trimming the “fat” from defense budget. They may be tempted to find this “waste” in the approximately $3 billion that the military spends on morale-boosting programs like recreation facilities for soldiers and their families, while expenditures for weapons systems that make up the bulk of a defense budget of around $800 billion will remain uncut. THOSE expenditures are too much the sacred cows for a Congress loathe to reject the demands of the weapons contractors who feed their political campaigns.
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SAVING JOBS BY REDUCING WORK HOURS—IT’S DONE IN GERMANY, WHY NOT IN THE USA?
(Counterpunch)
Economist Mark Weisbrot raises this question, noting Germany’s success in reducing unemployment through a program encouraging employers to reduce employees’ work hours rather than lay them off. To offset income lost by workers, the government subsidizes the resulting reduction in worker income. Before deficit hawks begin to scream bloody murder about the deficit-generating effects of such action, they should reflect that much of the program’s funding could come from reduced unemployment payments.
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WILL OBAMA PROVIDE EMERGENCY DENTISTRY FOR THE NEARLY TOOTHLESS FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION?
(Mother Jones)
Apparently not, according a spokesman for Public Interest, a group supporting campaign finance reform. While fulminating against a Supreme Court that ruled to loosen the gates to corporate campaign financing, Obama has not done what is within his own power to reduce corrupt influences on U.S. elections. It is within his power, not so far exercised, to replace the current chair of the FEC, Donald McGahn, appointed by George W. Bush, whose “background” as an elections regulator includes having defended Tom DeLay, the former congressman now headed to jail for electoral fraud.
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FACED WITH DRILL-BABY-DRILL STATE LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR, FLORIDA CITIZENS TAKE TO THE STREETS FOR A PETITION DRIVE TO PUT BAN ON OFF-SHORE DRILLING IN STATE CONSTITUTION.
(Florida Capital News)
The legislature having failed to enact such as ban in special legislative session called by Charlie Crist, the former Governor is the first signer of a petition, also signed by the Democratic rival of Governor Scott in the last election, Alex Sink. 676,811 valid signatures will be necessary to get the measure on the November 2012 ballot.
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Quote of the day…
It is a sure sign that the U.S. is panicking when President Obama flails about, pretending to be on the side of Egypt’s popular rebellion while desperately maneuvering to keep men loyal to Washington in control. Men like the former chief of intelligence, Omar Suleiman, Hosni Mubarak’s handpicked vice-president who was also America’s go-to guy for extraordinary rendition in the so-called War on Terror.
Glen Ford, commenting on U.S. government reaction to Egyptian revolution.
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Once again, it is asserted by the actions of USA and Israel that democracy in certain parts of the world is not in the best interests of the USA and Israel.” While it will be readily admitted that the current regimes in the Middle East suppress freedom, these regimes are believed to also suppress a far worse alternative: the radicals and fundamentalists who might win democratic elections. The message is clear from USA and Israel. It is better to deal with a Middle Eastern dictatorship that is the friend of USA and Israel than a democratic regime that is their enemy.As is supposed by the US the notion that Egypt isn’t ready for democracy I think runs quite counter to what we see happening in Tahrir Square and on the streets in cities throughout the country of Egypt.