ARE ELDERLY AMERICANS THE “PICTURE OF AFFLUENCE?” Thatfflu is the picture drawn in a new Pew Research study of the “net worth” of American households. The average net worth of seniors of $170,500 seems “affluent” only by contrast with the almost non-existent amount of $ 3,700 for those under 35. With many older people now [...]
‘STUDENTS-FIRST’ HAS AN AGENDA; AND IS A HARSH GRADER OF U.S. STATES ON THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH THAT AGENDA. Michelle Rhee, former Chancellor of Washington D.C. schools, heads the advocacy group that pushes an “education reform” movement based on downgrading of teacher tenure and promotion of teacher evaluation based on student performance on standardized tests. [...]
“WAITING FOR SUPERMAN” (ARNE DUNCAN) AND HE “WON’T BACK DOWN.” Last year’s and this year’s entries in the bash-the-teachers derby movies have made the same point: that big city schools are a mess, the teachers and the unions are to blame, and that union-busting and turn-around closing of “failing” schools to be replaced by [...]
BETTER WATCH OUT, BETTER NOT SHOUT: AUSTERITY, MILITARISM AND AN ENHANCED POLICE STATE ARE COMING TO TOWN! By Christmas of this year, either Obama or Romney will be elected President for the next four years. If Romney wins, the country is clearly in for a strong turn to the right on these matters. But [...]
U.S. AND NATO TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN HAVE “GUARDIAN ANGELS”: TO PROTECT THEM FROM…THEIR AFGHAN “ALLIES.” Recent instances of the killing of occupation troops by members of Afghan security forces highlight what has become a “debacle” of failed mission in the country. The commanding General decrees designated “angels” in each unit to keep their guns [...]
NOTHING “UNCLEAR” ABOUT IT: FOR-PROFIT COLLEGES IN AMERICA ARE RIP-OFFS BOTH OF STUDENTS AND OF TAXPAYERS. New congressional report of committee headed by Senator Tom Harkin documents the profound failure of for-profit colleges to deliver a high quality and usable education to their students despite the huge investment of federal tax dollars, especially in [...]
U.S. COURTSHIP WITH LAOS SET BACK A BIT BY DISCOMFORTING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY UNEXPENDED AMMUNITION FROM U.S. BOMBING BETWEEN 1964 AND 1973 IS YET TO BE CLEANED UP. (Asia Times) Hillary Clinton’s “historic” visit to Laos is aimed to bolster relations with another south Asian nation in the policy of “pivot” from middle east to [...]
“SEVERELY WEAKENED” AL-QAEDA IS SHOWING A SERIOUS CASE OF SURVIVAL IN THE FORM OF ITS LOCAL “FRANCHISES.” (Asia Times) Defense Secretary Panetta’s claim that operations like the capture of Osama bin Laden have put al-Qaeda “on the decline” is again belied by recent terrorist attacks in Iraq and Syria. While the central leadership may have [...]
HAPPY BILL OF RIGHTS DAY! U.S. “CELEBRATES” ITS CONSTITUTION BY EFFECTIVELY SHREDDING BIG HUNKS OF IT. (Huffington Post) Exactly 220 years after the Bill of Rights was ratified and made part of the Constitution on December 15, 1791, Congress passes and the President is expected to sign a military appropriations bill a rider to which [...]
THE ROOTWORM IS MUNCHING ITS WAY THROUGH HEARTLAND CORN CROP, AND MONSANTO AND THE EPA ARE DENYING THAT THE FEAST IS OCCURRING. (Mother Jones) With the bulk of U.S. corn crops now grown from genetically engineered seed marketed by Monsanto, evidence builds that the “super-insect” has developed resistance to seeds that were marketed as able [...]
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