Recommended Audio: About Human Trafficking
This Public Service Announcement was discussed during our December 9th show on human trafficking.
Low Taxes Are the Problem, Not the Solution
Moshe Adler comments for Truthdig.com: "“Every economist that I’ve talked to … acknowledges that this [tax] agreement would boost economic growth in the coming years and has the potential to create millions of jobs,” President Barack Obama said this week. But if low taxes are the solution, this must mean that high taxes are the problem. Yet the Bush tax cuts are already in effect; taxes are therefore low already, and the unemployment rate is nevertheless close to the same level that it was at a year ago and has risen in the last month. Nor did the Bush tax cuts boost the economy after they were passed in 2003, their name—“The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Act”—notwithstanding. In fact, the evidence shows that tax policies alone have no effect on the state of the economy. What is the problem, then? "
The Effort to Claim That Economists Support Obama's Capitulation on Tax Cuts for the Wealthy
William Black writes on MichaelMoore.com: " You know the administration is desperate when it creates a web page citing economists who support its capitulation on taxes. The web page cites the support of five economists. Peter Cardillo, the Bank of America, Greg Mankiw, and Wells Fargo (are the second through fifth economists on Obama's list). Who are these supporters and why is the administration proud of their support? Cardillo is an economist for an investment firm, Avalon Partners. Avalon's web site states that it specializes in 'wealth management' for 'affluent investors...to meet the unique needs of high net worth individuals....' Yes, the wealthiest one-hundredth of one percent of Americans -- the truly, uniquely needy.'"
Free Trade Doesn’t Work: Interview With Economist Ian Fletcher
Michael Hughes writes for The Huffington Post: "Free trade doesn't work, the global economy is a myth and the U.S. has been duped during trade negotiations for the past 40 years according to Ian Fletcher.... Mr. Fletcher certainly is not opposed to capitalism ... but what he is opposed to are bad economic policies that have led to an ever-burgeoning U.S. trade deficit well on its way to hitting $500 billion this year."
The Specter Haunting Obama
E. J. Dionne, Jr., writes for Truthdig.com: "American decline is the specter haunting our politics. This could be President Obama’s undoing—or it could provide him with the opportunity to revive his presidency. Fear of decline is an old American story. Declinism ran rampant in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. Stagflation, the Iranian hostage crisis, anxiety over Japan’s then-commanding economy and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan all seemed to be symbols of a United States no longer in control of its destiny. These apprehensions dissipated in the 1980s and, whatever the shortcomings of his policies, Ronald Reagan presided over a restoration of American morale. His 1984 “Morning in America” advertisement was politically brilliant but it was also a paean to a renewed American confidence."
The New American Oligarchy: Creating a Country of the Rich, by the Rich, and for the Rich
By Andy Kroll writes for TomDispatch.com: "There is a war underway. I'm not talking about Washington’s bloody misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq, but a war within our own borders. It’s a war fought on the airwaves, on television and radio and over the Internet, a war of words and images, of half-truth, innuendo, and raging lies. I'm talking about a political war, pitting liberals against conservatives, Democrats against Republicans. I'm talking about a spending war, fueled by stealthy front groups and deep-pocketed anonymous donors. It’s a war that's poised to topple what's left of American democracy."
Something is Rotten: The Strange Case of Interpol's Red Alert on Assange, and the US Attack on WikiLeaks
Dave Lindorff comments for This Can't Be Happening: "Far be it from me to minimize the issue of rape, but to borrow from the Bard, in the case of the 'rape' case being alleged against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (technically, Swedish prosecutors say it's not rape, it's 'sex by surprise'), currently being held in a British jail without bail pending an extradition request from Stockholm: 'Something is rotten in Sweden.'"
After 12 days of WikiLeaks Cables, the World Looks on US with New Eyes
Ian Black, Angelique Chrisafis, Ian Traynor, Jon Boone, Declan Walsh, Tom Parfitt, Ewen MacAskill, Tom Phillips, Xan Rice, Jason Burke and John Hooper report for the Guardina UK: "President Lula says he is to register his protest at Assange's arrest on his blog. 'This chap was only publishing something he read,' he said. 'And if he read it, it is because somebody wrote it. The guilty one is not the publisher, it is the person who wrote [these things]. Blame the person who wrote this nonsense because there would be no scandal if they hadn't.' Many leaks relate to the security situation in Rio de Janeiro. A 2009 cable warned that pre-Olympic attempts to expel drug traffickers from some of the city's most violent favelas could resemble 'the battles in Fallujah more than a conventional urban police operation'."
Jeremy Scahill Testifies Before Congress on America's Secret Wars
Jeremy Scahill writes in The Nation: "My name is Jeremy Scahill. I am the National Security correspondent for The Nation magazine. I recently returned from a two-week unembedded reporting trip to Afghanistan. I would like to thank the Chairman and the Committee for inviting me to participate in this important hearing. As we sit here today in Washington, across the globe the United States is engaged in multiple wars. Some, like those in Afghanistan and Iraq, are well known to the US public and to the Congress."
Afghans Overwhelmingly Want US Troops Out - and Soon
Jean MacKenzie reports for GlobalPost: "More than half of all Afghans - 55 percent - want U.S. forces out of their country, and the sooner the better. Add it all up, and it is pretty bad news for the U.S. military as it examines its options ahead of next week’s Afghanistan strategy review.... The poll ... shows a nation yearning for an end to hostilities." Photo: Two young Afghan boys watch a group of armored vehicles. MCpl Kevin Paul/lafrancevi
Justice Department Prepares for Ominous Expansion of "Anti-Terrorism" Law Targeting Activists
Michael Deutsch provides the followign analysis for Truthout.org: "In late September, the FBI carried out a series of raids of homes and antiwar offices of public activists in Minneapolis and Chicago. Following the raids, the Obama Justice Department subpoenaed 14 activists to a grand jury in Chicago and also subpoenaed the files of several antiwar and community organizations. In carrying out these repressive actions, the Justice Department was taking its lead from the Supreme Court's 6-3 opinion last June in Holder v. the Humanitarian Law Project, which decided that nonviolent First Amendment speech and advocacy "coordinated with" or "under the direction of" a foreign group listed by the Secretary of State as "terrorist" was a crime."
Cancun Summit Ends Without Solving Emissions Puzzle
Diani Cariboni reports for Inter Press Service (via Truthout): "This dynamic, in which urgent domestic problems take the fore - like the economic crisis afflicting nearly the entire industrialized world - means that attempts to adopt a binding global pact to reduce climate-changing gas emissions repeatedly crumble.... And the Cancun summit, officially known as the 16th Conference of Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, was no exception." Photo: EvolveLove - Protesters outside the Cancun Climate Summit, December 5th, 2010.
Feds Delay Report on Sale of Ny's Plum Island
The Assoicated Press reports (via the Wall Street Journal): "An environmental impact study required before the federal government can sell a tiny island housing the nation's only animal disease laboratory will not be ready until next spring, an official said Tuesday, marking the second time the report has been delayed. The General Services Administration is required to complete the report on Plum Island as part of its plan to close the animal disease lab built there in the 1950s. Officials want to sell the island located 100 miles east of New York City near the eastern tip of Long Island and move operations to a new facility in Manhattan, Kan., by 2018."
Untellable Truths
George Lakoff writes from the Huffington Post: "The differences between Democratic progressives and the president over the tax deal the president has made with Republicans is being argued from a materialist perspective. That perspective is real. It matters who gets how much money and how our money is spent. But what is being ignored is that the answer to material policy questions depends on how Americans understand the issues, that is, on how the issues are realized in the brains of our citizens. Such understanding is what determines political support or lack of it in all its forms, from voting to donations to political pressure to what is said in the media."
For-Profit Schools Bank $521 Million Off Veterans' GI Bill Benefits
Julianne Hing reports for ColorLines: "The growing question around for-profit schools' shameless profiteering may soon be: who aren't they willing to exploit?... A new report released today by Sen. Tom Harkin's Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee details exactly how for-profit schools have taken advantage of veterans' benefits and loopholes in their federal regulations to scoop up the many vets coming home from wars abroad to boost enrollment." Photo: istockphoto/Sean Locke
The Right-Wing Backlash Against Advancing Minority Rights
Simon Malory provides the following analysis for Media Matters for America: "The past week has been a significant one for justice, fairness, and tolerance in American society. Issues of minority rights dominated the news and the legislative agenda as President Obama signed into the law the Pigford II and Cobell settlements, and Congress took up Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal and the DREAM Act."
Gay and Lesbian Teens Are Punished more at School, by Police, Study Says
Donna St. George reports in the Washington Post: "Gay and lesbian teens in the United States are about 40 percent more likely than their straight peers to be punished by schools, police and the courts, according to a study published Monday, which finds that girls are especially at risk for unequal treatment. The research, described as the first national look at sexual orientation and teen punishment, comes as a spate of high-profile bullying and suicide cases across the country have focused attention on the sometimes hidden cruelties of teen life."
Recommended Audio: Going All Out
A video produced by All Out in collaboration with our friends on 5 continents—from Buenos Aires to Beirut, Kathmandu to Capetown to Tokyo and beyond. All Out is bringing together people of every identity - lesbian, gay, straight, transgender and all that's between and beyond - to build a world in which everyone can live freely and be embraced for who they are. Join the Movement. Go All Out. www.allout.org.
10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked
Evelyn Schlatter and Robert Steinback write in the Intelligence Reporter: "Ever since born-again singer and orange juice pitchwoman Anita Bryant helped kick off the contemporary anti-gay movement more than 30 years ago, hard-line elements of the religious right have been searching for ways to demonize homosexuals — or, at a minimum, to find arguments that will prevent their normalization in society. For the former Florida beauty queen and her Save Our Children group, it was the alleged plans of gays and lesbians to “recruit” in schools that provided the fodder for their crusade. But in addition to hawking that myth, the legions of anti-gay activists who followed have added a panoply of others, ranging from the extremely doubtful claim that homosexuality is a choice, to unalloyed lies like the claims that gays molest children far more than heterosexuals or that hate crime laws will lead to the legalization of bestiality and necrophilia. These fairy tales are important to the anti-gay right because they form the basis of its claim that homosexuality is a social evil that must be suppressed — an opinion rejected by virtually all relevant medical and scientific authorities. They also almost certainly contribute to hate crime violence directed at homosexuals, who are more targeted for such attacks than any other minority in America. What follows are 10 key myths propagated by the anti-gay movement, along with the truth behind the propaganda.
Glenn Beck: Irresponsible And Indifferent To The Violent Consequences of His Dangerous Rhetoric
People for the American Way report: "Radio and TV personality Glenn Beck plays a unique and extraordinary role in our political discourse. He’s an entertainer who once referred to himself as a “rodeo clown.” He’s a self-appointed “educator” whose books and “university” are miseducating millions of Americans with false claims about American history and a distorted view of our Constitution. And he’s an increasingly messianic figure who claims that he has been divinely anointed to lead the nation back to God. "
Recommended Audio: Phil Donahue - Corporate Media Stifles Dissent
Former talk show host Phil Donahue says corporate media stifled dissent ahead of the Iraq War and "will happen again."
Leaked Fox News Emails Show Deliberate Slant On Health Care Coverage
David Taintor reports for Talking Points Memo: "It's no secret that Fox News' political coverage isn't always quite "fair and balanced." But emails obtained by Media Matters show that Fox News' Washington managing editor Bill Sammon urged his staff to actually echo Republican talking points on the health care debate. According to the emails, Sammon directed his staff to use specific wording when describing the health care debate, preferring the term 'government option; over 'public option.'"
The FCC's Guide to Losing Net Neutrality Without Really Trying
Craig Aaron reports for the Huffington Post: "Ever have to negotiate a contract or try to sell a used car? Would you start the give-and-take by naming the lowest price you're willing to accept and then try to get a better deal? Of course not. Yet somehow, that's the exact "strategy" the Obama administration seems intent on pursuing -- and not just on tax cuts for the richest Americans."
Will Genachowski Get Needed Neutrality Votes?
Karl Bode reports for Broadband DLSreports.com: "With the FCC set to vote on Commissioner Genachowski's potentially painfully underwhelming new neutrality rules, lobbyists are out in force in DC -- working overtime to get individual commissioners aligned with their thinking. With the agency's Republicans set to likely vote against the rules, all lobbying effort has focused on Mignon Clyburn and Michael Copps. Clyburn has been a bit more savvy than DC insiders predicted, and Copps is your man if you ever need a terse, pro-consumer press release quickly followed by a vote in the opposite direction. Copps is still pushing for partial reclassification of ISPs as common carriers, something that has fallen off of Genachowski's radar..."
Copyright Troll Righthaven Sues for Control of Drudge Report Domain
Reiq Gardner reports for Are Technica: "News aggregation impresario Matt Drudge is being sued for copyright infringement for reproducing a copyrighted photo along with a link to a story about airport security on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website. The plaintiff in the case is Righthaven, a company that's earned a reputation this year as a world-class copyright troll. Righthaven has sued nearly 200 parties this year alone. Righthaven has typically gone after those who post news excerpts of its partners, such as the Las Vegas Review-Journal, but pledged to be more discretionary after being handed a defeat in court by a judge who recently ruled that one of its targets had "fair use" to its work."
NPR and PBS -- This Time It's the Fight of Their Lives
Brent Lang reports for The Wrap: "Massive budget shortfalls, vicious in-fighting and a power shift in Washington. Make no mistake, public media is facing the biggest ever threat to its existence. This time, the haters are deadly serious. And they have timing on their side. At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding and the future of such popular programs as "Nova," "This American Life" and "Sesame Street." And while public media has long been a favorite target for Republican lawmakers, the mounting federal deficit -- coupled with a series of PR blunders -- mean that threats to slash government aid to non-profit stations are no longer just idle boasting."
This Public Service Announcement was discussed during our December 9th show on human trafficking.
Low Taxes Are the Problem, Not the Solution
The Effort to Claim That Economists Support Obama's Capitulation on Tax Cuts for the Wealthy
William Black writes on MichaelMoore.com: " You know the administration is desperate when it creates a web page citing economists who support its capitulation on taxes. The web page cites the support of five economists. Peter Cardillo, the Bank of America, Greg Mankiw, and Wells Fargo (are the second through fifth economists on Obama's list). Who are these supporters and why is the administration proud of their support? Cardillo is an economist for an investment firm, Avalon Partners. Avalon's web site states that it specializes in 'wealth management' for 'affluent investors...to meet the unique needs of high net worth individuals....' Yes, the wealthiest one-hundredth of one percent of Americans -- the truly, uniquely needy.'"
Recommended Audio: John Stewart - John Oliver Describes Trickle-down Economics
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Free Trade Doesn’t Work: Interview With Economist Ian Fletcher
Michael Hughes writes for The Huffington Post: "Free trade doesn't work, the global economy is a myth and the U.S. has been duped during trade negotiations for the past 40 years according to Ian Fletcher.... Mr. Fletcher certainly is not opposed to capitalism ... but what he is opposed to are bad economic policies that have led to an ever-burgeoning U.S. trade deficit well on its way to hitting $500 billion this year."
The Specter Haunting Obama
E. J. Dionne, Jr., writes for Truthdig.com: "American decline is the specter haunting our politics. This could be President Obama’s undoing—or it could provide him with the opportunity to revive his presidency. Fear of decline is an old American story. Declinism ran rampant in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. Stagflation, the Iranian hostage crisis, anxiety over Japan’s then-commanding economy and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan all seemed to be symbols of a United States no longer in control of its destiny. These apprehensions dissipated in the 1980s and, whatever the shortcomings of his policies, Ronald Reagan presided over a restoration of American morale. His 1984 “Morning in America” advertisement was politically brilliant but it was also a paean to a renewed American confidence."
The New American Oligarchy: Creating a Country of the Rich, by the Rich, and for the Rich
Recommended Audio: Democracy Now - Noam Chomsky: WikiLeaks Cables Reveal "Profound Hatred for Democracy on the Part of Our Political Leadership"
In a national broadcast exclusive interview, we speak with world-renowned political dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky about the release of more than 250,000 secret U.S. State Department cables by WikiLeaks. In 1971, Chomsky helped government whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg release the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret internal U.S. account of the Vietnam War. Commenting on the revelations that several Arab leaders are urging the United States to attack Iran, Chomsky says the latest polls show "Arab opinion holds that the major threat in the region is Israel, that’s 80 percent; the second threat is the United States, that’s 77 percent. Iran is listed as a threat by 10 percent... This may not be reported in the newspapers, ... but it’s certainly familiar to the Israeli and the U.S. governments and to the ambassadors... What that reveals is the profound hatred for democracy on the part of our political leadership."Something is Rotten: The Strange Case of Interpol's Red Alert on Assange, and the US Attack on WikiLeaks
Dave Lindorff comments for This Can't Be Happening: "Far be it from me to minimize the issue of rape, but to borrow from the Bard, in the case of the 'rape' case being alleged against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange (technically, Swedish prosecutors say it's not rape, it's 'sex by surprise'), currently being held in a British jail without bail pending an extradition request from Stockholm: 'Something is rotten in Sweden.'"
After 12 days of WikiLeaks Cables, the World Looks on US with New Eyes
Jeremy Scahill Testifies Before Congress on America's Secret Wars
Jeremy Scahill writes in The Nation: "My name is Jeremy Scahill. I am the National Security correspondent for The Nation magazine. I recently returned from a two-week unembedded reporting trip to Afghanistan. I would like to thank the Chairman and the Committee for inviting me to participate in this important hearing. As we sit here today in Washington, across the globe the United States is engaged in multiple wars. Some, like those in Afghanistan and Iraq, are well known to the US public and to the Congress."
Afghans Overwhelmingly Want US Troops Out - and Soon
Justice Department Prepares for Ominous Expansion of "Anti-Terrorism" Law Targeting Activists
Michael Deutsch provides the followign analysis for Truthout.org: "In late September, the FBI carried out a series of raids of homes and antiwar offices of public activists in Minneapolis and Chicago. Following the raids, the Obama Justice Department subpoenaed 14 activists to a grand jury in Chicago and also subpoenaed the files of several antiwar and community organizations. In carrying out these repressive actions, the Justice Department was taking its lead from the Supreme Court's 6-3 opinion last June in Holder v. the Humanitarian Law Project, which decided that nonviolent First Amendment speech and advocacy "coordinated with" or "under the direction of" a foreign group listed by the Secretary of State as "terrorist" was a crime."
Cancun Summit Ends Without Solving Emissions Puzzle
Feds Delay Report on Sale of Ny's Plum Island
The Assoicated Press reports (via the Wall Street Journal): "An environmental impact study required before the federal government can sell a tiny island housing the nation's only animal disease laboratory will not be ready until next spring, an official said Tuesday, marking the second time the report has been delayed. The General Services Administration is required to complete the report on Plum Island as part of its plan to close the animal disease lab built there in the 1950s. Officials want to sell the island located 100 miles east of New York City near the eastern tip of Long Island and move operations to a new facility in Manhattan, Kan., by 2018."
Untellable Truths
George Lakoff writes from the Huffington Post: "The differences between Democratic progressives and the president over the tax deal the president has made with Republicans is being argued from a materialist perspective. That perspective is real. It matters who gets how much money and how our money is spent. But what is being ignored is that the answer to material policy questions depends on how Americans understand the issues, that is, on how the issues are realized in the brains of our citizens. Such understanding is what determines political support or lack of it in all its forms, from voting to donations to political pressure to what is said in the media."
For-Profit Schools Bank $521 Million Off Veterans' GI Bill Benefits
The Right-Wing Backlash Against Advancing Minority Rights
Simon Malory provides the following analysis for Media Matters for America: "The past week has been a significant one for justice, fairness, and tolerance in American society. Issues of minority rights dominated the news and the legislative agenda as President Obama signed into the law the Pigford II and Cobell settlements, and Congress took up Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal and the DREAM Act."
Gay and Lesbian Teens Are Punished more at School, by Police, Study Says
Donna St. George reports in the Washington Post: "Gay and lesbian teens in the United States are about 40 percent more likely than their straight peers to be punished by schools, police and the courts, according to a study published Monday, which finds that girls are especially at risk for unequal treatment. The research, described as the first national look at sexual orientation and teen punishment, comes as a spate of high-profile bullying and suicide cases across the country have focused attention on the sometimes hidden cruelties of teen life."
Recommended Audio: Going All Out
A video produced by All Out in collaboration with our friends on 5 continents—from Buenos Aires to Beirut, Kathmandu to Capetown to Tokyo and beyond. All Out is bringing together people of every identity - lesbian, gay, straight, transgender and all that's between and beyond - to build a world in which everyone can live freely and be embraced for who they are. Join the Movement. Go All Out. www.allout.org.
10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked
Glenn Beck: Irresponsible And Indifferent To The Violent Consequences of His Dangerous Rhetoric
People for the American Way report: "Radio and TV personality Glenn Beck plays a unique and extraordinary role in our political discourse. He’s an entertainer who once referred to himself as a “rodeo clown.” He’s a self-appointed “educator” whose books and “university” are miseducating millions of Americans with false claims about American history and a distorted view of our Constitution. And he’s an increasingly messianic figure who claims that he has been divinely anointed to lead the nation back to God. "
Recommended Audio: Phil Donahue - Corporate Media Stifles Dissent
Former talk show host Phil Donahue says corporate media stifled dissent ahead of the Iraq War and "will happen again."
Leaked Fox News Emails Show Deliberate Slant On Health Care Coverage
David Taintor reports for Talking Points Memo: "It's no secret that Fox News' political coverage isn't always quite "fair and balanced." But emails obtained by Media Matters show that Fox News' Washington managing editor Bill Sammon urged his staff to actually echo Republican talking points on the health care debate. According to the emails, Sammon directed his staff to use specific wording when describing the health care debate, preferring the term 'government option; over 'public option.'"
The FCC's Guide to Losing Net Neutrality Without Really Trying
Will Genachowski Get Needed Neutrality Votes?
Karl Bode reports for Broadband DLSreports.com: "With the FCC set to vote on Commissioner Genachowski's potentially painfully underwhelming new neutrality rules, lobbyists are out in force in DC -- working overtime to get individual commissioners aligned with their thinking. With the agency's Republicans set to likely vote against the rules, all lobbying effort has focused on Mignon Clyburn and Michael Copps. Clyburn has been a bit more savvy than DC insiders predicted, and Copps is your man if you ever need a terse, pro-consumer press release quickly followed by a vote in the opposite direction. Copps is still pushing for partial reclassification of ISPs as common carriers, something that has fallen off of Genachowski's radar..."
Copyright Troll Righthaven Sues for Control of Drudge Report Domain
Reiq Gardner reports for Are Technica: "News aggregation impresario Matt Drudge is being sued for copyright infringement for reproducing a copyrighted photo along with a link to a story about airport security on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website. The plaintiff in the case is Righthaven, a company that's earned a reputation this year as a world-class copyright troll. Righthaven has sued nearly 200 parties this year alone. Righthaven has typically gone after those who post news excerpts of its partners, such as the Las Vegas Review-Journal, but pledged to be more discretionary after being handed a defeat in court by a judge who recently ruled that one of its targets had "fair use" to its work."
NPR and PBS -- This Time It's the Fight of Their Lives
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