IS AMERICA LOSING ITS “BACKYARD IN THE SOUTH”? Considering the U.S. and Latin American reactions to the recent Venezuelan election, it would appear that things are seriously awry for the U.S. in that backyard. While Washington tries to subvert the electoral process that (narrowly) elected a successor in the mold of Hugo Chavez, other [...]
PALESTINIANS JUST LOVE WORKING AT SODASTREAM’S (ILLEGAL) FACTORY TO MAKE ISRAELI FIZZY WATER. Or so says a promotional video for the company. This is one instance of Israeli entrepreneurs who shed “crocodile tears” over the economic condition of Palestinians in the West Bank in “industrial zones” near illegal Jewish settlements. Actually, these “zones” employ relatively [...]
CONNECTICUT ADOPTS “THE STRONGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE BILL IN THE UNITED STATES TO FIGHT GUN VIOLENCE.“ As pro-gun Republicans and Democrats wary of election prospects in red states next year combine to stall new gun regulations on Capitol Hill, some states are taking it upon themselves to crack down on lax gun laws and [...]
HANDCUFFING KIDS FOR NO REASON. This is the allegation of two whistle-blowing police officers against the practices of the New York Police Department in a class action suit against the city charging racial profiling. They claim that their supervisors maintained quotas of the number of arrests and summonses they were expected to execute in [...]
An aggressive austerity agenda that has gripped Europe’s economy in a burgeoning malaise for nearly five years has come to an unexpected head in the tiny island nation of Cyprus. The latest fiscal catastrophe to develop across the pond has thrown global markets into turmoil and raised questions of how far Europeans are willing to [...]
THE HISTORIC FAILURE OF THE BLACK POLITICAL MISLEADERSHIP CLASS. Bruce A. Dixon thus describes the spectacular failure of these leaders to stem the tide of privatization of schools and other public institutions—or the massive gentrification of black neighborhoods—or the criminalization and incarceration of huge portions of the black population. Dixon spares not even Martin [...]
BIG BANKS PLAY BIG ROLE IN NATION’S SHADOWY, CONTROVERSIAL NETWORK OF PAYDAY LOAN OPERATIONS. Interest rates of over 700 percent on a small loan would seem unreasonable to most people, and would be unheard of at most reputable banks. But such outlandish rates and legally questionable behavior are the norm for unregulated “payday” lenders, [...]
THEY GIVE OSCARS, DO THEY NOT, FOR FISCAL CHARADES LIKE THE ONE NOW PLAYING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.? If they did, Fix the Debt, the spectacular show produced by billionaire Pete Peterson, with a cast of dozens of fellow plutocrats, would be a shoo-in for an award. The lobby group that Peterson heads has already [...]
FORGET A “SLIPPER SLOPE.” THE LEAKED JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MEMO ON KILLING AMERICAN CITIZENS IS DOWNRIGHT TERRIFYING. Reaction has been strong to news of a leaked Justice Department memo that bluntly lays out the Obama administration’s justification for its highly controversial and legally questionable use of drone strikes to kill suspected “terrorists.” Language in [...]
THE IMMIGRATION PUSH: “AT THIS MOMENT, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE’S A GENUINE DESIRE TO GET THIS DONE SOON.“ Following the lead of a bipartisan group of senators that introduced legislation earlier in the day, President Obama on Tuesday delivered a public endorsement of the effort to achieve “comprehensive” immigration reform. The president spoke of [...]
Recent Comments