Roberto Abraham Scaruffi

Thursday 30 May 2013


Daily Headlines

It's always in the interest of political leaders to control the flow of information and to punish those who make them look bad. That's why there is a free press guarantee in the First Amendment. If journalists aren't willing to protect it, why would anyone else?

A few days after Medea Benjamin interrupted President Obama during a major policy speech, I spent an hour picking her brain for tips, strategies and advice on how to use this power form of activist theater.

I'm told that it's a bit odd. Sort of goes with starting the Project at 50--the first fundraiser for Giraffe was, "Don't send presents--help me start this nonprofit." So now, 30 years later, I still don't need presents but I want everyone to help the nonprofit create the world's most amazing popup storybook--about how the giraffe got its long neck, by being brave and caring, of course.

Might noxious fumes might be unhealthy for you, your children, and your animals? It's not such a straightforward question, you know.

Ecuador's foreign minister on Tuesday accused the British government of trampling on the human rights of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange by refusing to allow him to travel to Ecuador, which granted him political asylum almost a year ago. "By not granting him safe passage they are violating the human rights of a citizen, and every day that passes the effects of that violation hurt the person more and more," foreign minister Ricardo Patino told Reuters. "It's a whole year that this gentleman has spent without feeling the sun, and that's really serious ... because this decision has been taken by a state that says it protects human rights."

By Richard (RJ) Eskow
A Vision for Social Security
Social Security is based on simple moral principles: Children who lose one or both parents shouldn't be forced to into child labor; disabled people shouldn't be condemned to poverty; and people should be able to retire with financial security after a full working life.

A few days after Medea Benjamin interrupted President Obama during a major policy speech, I spent an hour picking her brain for tips, strategies and advice on how to use this power form of activist theater.

In celebration of National Short Story Month, authors Naomi Benaron, Adrian C. Louis, Debra Magpie Earling, Matt Pine & Jody Thompson answered five questions for me.

By Michelle Devlin
'Meet Me In Zuccotti Park'
Poem/article covers the epic Zuccotti Park eviction, subsequent court cases, and imminent re-occupation of Wall St. on June 1st 2013

Police say two anonymous letters sent to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg have tested positive for traces of the deadly poison ricin.

By Andrew Bacevich
Naming a Nameless War
What does the United States hope to achieve in its inherited and unending War for the Greater Middle East? To pacify the region? To remake it in our image? To drain its stocks of petroleum? Or just keeping the lid on? However you define the war's aims, things have not gone well, which once again suggests that, in some form, it will continue for some time to come.

What Congress can't do is deny the necessity of action. And what they shouldn't do is neglect the insights that can be garnered from the unions that have been saying for years that the United States must get serious about investing in infrastructure.

By Conn Hallinan
Afghanistan: The End Game?
There is no need for a chaos-engulfed finale to the Afghan War. There is no reason to continue the bloodshed, which all the parties recognize will not alter the final outcome a whit. It is time for the White House to step up and do the right thing and end one of the bloodiest wars in recent history.

In America, where Monsanto has deployed an insidious degree of influence over the legislature and courts, GMOs are neither illegal nor required to be labeled. In fact, 71 U.S. Senators recently voted against a measure that would have allowed states to pass their own food labeling laws.

Representative Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota Republican whose status as a leading voice of the Tea Party movement in Congress has faded in the wake of a failed presidential bid and a widening investigation into her campaign spending, said Wednesday that she would not seek re-election.

By Robert Parry
"42" and 44
Most Americans now celebrate the courage of Jackie Robinson in facing down racism in 1947 as the first black Major League baseball player in the modern era. But there has been remarkably little appreciation for the bravery of Barack Obama as he has served as the nation's first black president.

Harry Reid punted on changing the filibuster rules, but he could -- and in my view now should -- propose changing them for judicial appointments, which he can accomplish with the votes of 51 senators. Reid is not known for his strong backbone, but here's an instance where he owes his backbone to posterity. You might even write to him and tell him so.

She's not running and we'll miss her contributions to the post facts national dialogue.

What's dividing the shrill right from the unhappy left is the same personality, Not only has Obama abandoned his liberal base, but he's managed to outrage the right.



Latest Articles
Humor, subjective

I am successful turning
Many ups and downs of life. With some bias. I am anxious to write about it ...
Anti-Match-Fixing Law Of India In Pipeline But Online Gambling And Betting Still Untouched
Online gambling websites in India are flourishing right under the nose of Indian government. Despite warnings by legal experts, Indian government has not deemed it proper to regulate online gambling in India in true perspective.
The Long Emergency, Permaculture, and Towns That Food Saved
The use of Permaculture principles to harness purposefulness for collaborative planning for resilience and regeneration by examining two communities that are surviving and in some cases thriving by building on the "sense of purpose " that occurs after a disaster.
Whither Democracy, Part 3
This section completes the three-part article on democracy in the United States. It discusses obstacles to achieving democracy and methods for overcoming them.
Are atheists going to heaven or not? The Roman Catholic church can't seem to make up its mind. I vote no!

With Second Amendment Dead, We Need CHARACTER Assassination
Justifying the provocative, morally abusive language of my previous OEN articles, I point out that character assassination--of the same sort that brought down Boss Tweed but using powerful modern media--should be our weapon of choice when the Second Amendment remedy of ACTUAL assassination or armed revolt is now, due to modern weaponry, far too dangerous to risk.
Whither Democracy, Part 2
This article continues the examination of the divisive, confrontational party system that is currently in ascendanceHave in the United States.
Shakespeare Didn't Need College Algebra
This article is an excerpt from Barbara G. Lenmark's new book Shakespeare Didn't Need College Algebra. Aside from explaining why liberal-arts majors should be able to waive the required math course for a BA degree, it contains new methods that non-math students can use to master the main processes in that killer class and its prerequisites.
today's workplace is a web of egos battling and competing for power. The stress incurred due to rivalry and fear in the competitive market causes undue pain and suffering. This article provides tips for dealing with bosses and co-workers who are difficult or combative. Find peace in the workplace and the world through.


Best News Links from the Web
President Obama plans to nominate James B. Comey, a hedge fund executive and a former senior Justice Department official under President George W. Bush, to replace Robert S. Mueller III as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Comey, 52, was chosen for the position over the other finalist for the job, Lisa O. Monaco, who has served as the White House's top counterterrorism adviser since January. By choosing Comey, a Republican, Obama made a strong statement about bipartisanship at a time when he faces renewed criticism from Republicans in Congress and has had difficulty confirming some important nominees.

One artist who has not yet joined the anti-Isreal movement is R&B songstress Alicia Keys, who is currently scheduled to perform there in the near future. Alice Walker recently penned an open letter to Alicia, informing her of the situation between Isreal and Palestine before suggesting that she join her peers and cancel her performance.

Lawrence Livermore scientists have discovered and demonstrated a new technique to remove and store atmospheric carbon dioxide while generating carbon-negative hydrogen and producing alkalinity, which can be used to offset ocean acidification.

"How big do the biggest banks have to get before we consider breaking them up?" Warren asked newly appointed Treasury Secretary Jack Lew last week. "They're 30 percent bigger now than they were five years ago. Do they have to double in size, triple in size, quadruple in size before we talk about breaking up the biggest financial institutions?" Lew said that his policy was to end "too big to fail" and that he would not advise that until the Dodd-Frank financial reforms are fully in place.

Larry King is joining Russia's English-language TV channel RT with a global reach of over 630 million people, RT reported on Wednesday. The show, to be aired four times a week on RT, is similar to King's previous television series, "Larry King Live," which ran on CNN from 1985 through 2010. King has done more than 50,000 interviews, including two with Vladimir Putin, in 2000 and 2010.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) announced early Wednesday that she would not seek a fifth term in Congress in 2014 but would keep fighting for the conservative principles that made her a favorite of the tea party movement and, she said, are vital to protecting the United States from moral and economic decline. "Be assured, my decision was not it any way influenced by any concerns about my being reelected to Congress," Bachmann, 57, said in the eight minute, 40 second statement. "I have every confidence that if I ran, I would again defeat the individual that I defeated last year."
Posted by Roberto Abraham Scaruffi at 18:00