33 QuickLinks

Friday, April 24, 2009
Arm the COP on the Bank Beat
"'Decisions that are made in the next six months or so are likely to set the economic course of this country for the next 50 years,' says Elizabeth Warren, who chairs the COP, the Congressional Oversight Panel charged with reviewing the banking bailout. 'That's what happened coming out of the Great Depression, and I think that will happen now.'

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Is it safe to drink the water here?
For years many of us have worried about the Alphabet Soup of mysterious chemicals that inhabit our water supply. Some of us actually believed our Government protected us against them. Not unexpected, we're beginning to learn that the Bush Administration consistently overlooked any regulation of drug and chemical manufacturer's dumping of at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into our waterways.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Phony Right Wing "Resistance" Movement Uncloaked
Have you been wondering how Right-wing Resistance to Obama is happening with such precision? Does it look and smell like a Karl Rove Operation? Maybe that's because the same front organizations Rove used are being ramped up again to wound Obama. Here's a Marine Vet's exposure of who is behind this "spontaneous" Libertarian Movement, and what organization is masterminding the whole smear.

Friday, April 3, 2009
Courting Nuclear Disaster
Now that the Corporate Myth of Clean Coal has been permanently laid to rest with the Coal Ash containment Disaster in eastern Tennessee, a new Corporate Myth of Clean Nuclear is being rushed on stage to replace it as the Clean Energy Hope of Tomorrow. But new studies of the 3-mile Island Disaster 30 years ago are questioning whether Nuclear Power Plants can ever be built to be safe. (Does anyone remember Conservation?)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Bailout cash moves to Campaign Contributions
The TARP Shell Game intensifies, as Wall Street Banks begin funneling Bailout Cash into pockets of Congressmen. Is this a Thank-you for crimes past, or a portend of more taxpayer gifts they hope to come? It's way past time to end the ability of ANY Corporation to give ANY money to ANY elected official ANY time ANY where ANY how.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Exxon Valdez: I am the Corporation. I am immortal.
Greg Palast's story: "Stick Your Damn Hand in It" is a reminder that Corporations are immortal, not human. Here's a perfectly timed reminder that anyone who places faith in Corporations, Banks, Insurance Companies, HMOs, Big Media or Wall Street to fix the godforsaken wreckage that their unbridled greed has caused is living in the Fantasy World promoted in their TV ads. If any doubt remains, read this.

Monday, March 23, 2009
Raw underbelly of Class Warfare exposed by AIG greed
Debate over the AIG bonuses is class war in its full naked glory. Angry masses who actually want to take back the bonuses vs. elites who insist that there is nothing that can be done. In spite of the superior education of elites, the masses have the much better argument. Elites have been desperately cooking up excuse after excuse as to why their well-heeled friends at AIG and the bankrupt banks shouldn't lose their bonuses.

Monday, March 23, 2009
Bankster theft: it's called Crumbling Capitalism
Banks nationwide hold $41 billion in loans to directors, top executives and other insiders, a portfolio that experts say should be stripped of secrecy. Insider lending to directors is particularly troublesome because it could cloud the judgment of people charged with protecting shareholders and overseeing bank management. How can regulators regulate if they are always kept in the dark?

Saturday, March 21, 2009
A Must-read: Keith Olbermann via t r u t h o u t
Keith Olbermann presents a special comment on the bank bailouts and the excesses of the CEOs of bailed-out mega multinational corporations.

Thursday, March 19, 2009
How to Destroy the Government in 3 Easy Steps: t r u t h o u t
In 8 short years, conservatives have effectively bankrupted many State governments and left the Fed in shambles. And now citizens have to 'make tough decisions' and share the suffering equally across the land (unless of course, you're part of that lucky 1 percent who co-opted the functions of government to serve their own ends ... they'll be cozy with their offshore bank accounts, golden parachutes and permanent tax holidays).

Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Newspapers dying threatens basis of the Republic
(5 comments) "As newspapers die, it's worth considering the effects on society. Who will tell the people what their institutions are doing? Who will ferret out the corruption? Who will fend off the legal challenges to public information? If no viable alternative emerges, what does that mean for our representative democracy?" The digital knife is busily sawing at the fraying Achilles tendon of American newspapers.

Monday, March 16, 2009
War is Politics: The Invasion of Gaza
For most Americans, problems between Israel and Gaza is little more than a blur. Eyes glaze over when it comes on the News. But this our powderkeg in the Middle East, more so than our invasion of Iraq. This article helps place the conflict into a historical context.

Thursday, March 12, 2009
Corporate Piracy Accelerates
It took no time at all for nimble unregulated TARP Banks to find new ways to pump their free tax-paid funds into great deals that will force more American Employees to Walk the Plank, and to pass the bill for their profit-taking on to your grandchildren. Once this one succeeds, there will be no stopping the Pirates of Wall Street.

Friday, February 27, 2009
Excellent Summary: State of our Economy at end of 2008
Here's a benchmark to use to measure future success of Obama's efforts to jump-start our nation's failing Economy after 8 years of GwB & NeoCON wreckage. Our Economy contracted at a staggering 6.2 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as consumers and businesses ratcheted back spending, plunging the country deeper into recession.

Friday, February 13, 2009
Congressional Republicans in destructive MELTDOWN
Have you heard the saying: The First Rule to get out of a hole is to stop digging? Someone needs to pound this truth into Republicans in our Congress. Really, guys, what the heck do you think you are doing? Click on Blue Square: View Article to read this story from The Daily Crock.

Thursday, January 22, 2009
Obama to close Guantanamo Prison: what then to do with it?
President Obama will close Guantanamo detention center by moving some 245 detainees out. What then is the future for this facility? Guantanamo Bay has played a key role in our history for over a century. It should play a positive role in our future as well. Click on Blue Square: View Article, then go to this OEN Article to read alternatives for what to do with Guantanamo: Mr. Obama: Don't close Guantanamo!

Friday, January 16, 2009
Obama must Preserve and Protect the Constitution
Paul Krugman gets it right, once again. How can we move forward if America does not clean up the abuses of 8 years of GwB's Administration? No one is above the law, including NeoCONs who believe Bush will pardon them, absolving them from responsibility for what they did. Promise of Change means not making the same errors other exiting Presidents did in the past. Read NYTimes Article: click on Blue Square: View Article.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009
American students flunk in Science & Math. Again.
(3 comments) Nowhere on our Planet do students have more access to technology gadgets. Yet, America again failed to score in the top 10 Nations in Science and Math Education. Why are we becoming a nation of button pushers, who have no idea how the technology we worship works? How will we regain our place as creative innovators, not just users of technology? Education is the key. (Read more by clicking on Blue Square: Read Article.)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Democrats Seek Criminal Probe of Bush "Abuses"
(1 comments) With the incoming Obama Administration proceeding cautiously on issues regarding Bush Adminstration "Abuses", some Democrats in Congress are lighting a fire under him, making it clear they want the kind of Change Obama promised. Along with a criminal probe, their Report called for a 9/11-style Commission with subpoena power. (Read original AP Article by clicking on Blue Button: View Article)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Failure follows failure: when will we ever learn?
As foxes schlep out of the henhouse, we're slowly getting a peak at the horrendous mess left behind. How can thousands of reporters be asleep at the wheel for 8 years of constant theft? "Beware the military industrial complex," is what President Eisenhower warned when he was exiting the White House. Why the heck did it take half a century before anyone paid any attention? (Read full story. Click on Blue Square: View Article.)

Monday, January 12, 2009
Busting CONservative myths about Obama's Recovery Plan
With NeoCON mythmakers in high gear, it's a full time job to set fire to them. Even before plans are fully revealed by Obama's new Administration, babble from the extreme Right Wing is permeating news media, providing fodder for blather radio and TV pundits. What to do? Time to arm ourselves with knowledge of these myths, and use it well. (Read full Article by clicking Blue Square above: View Article)

Saturday, January 10, 2009
Bush's Last Minute Fire Sale Backfires
For years Big Green has been telling us to sign their Petitions and send in big bucks and THEY will take care of everything. After all, what can ordinary folks do to fight Big Gov & Big Corps? Well, meet the Power of One, Tim DeChristopher of Utah, who stumbled upon an opportunity, recognized it, and acted, which exposed more Rotten Underbelly of the Bush Administration. Way to go, Tim! (Click on Blue Box: View Article)

Saturday, January 10, 2009
Sexual Assaults on Female Inmates in Michigan costly
(1 comments) For years, rights groups warned that male guards were sexually assaulting female inmates in Michigan prisons. For years, those warnings went unheeded. Now, state taxpayers may pay a price too. More than 500 women are suing. They stand to collect $50 million so far, with more trials to come. This is their story. (Click on Blue Square: View Article)

Friday, January 9, 2009
Is force feeding torture? Hunger strikes up 10% at Guantanamo
As of 1/8/09, 30 of the 250 war-on-terror detainees were classified as hunger strikers, 25 of whom were being fed through tubes in their noses. Click on Blue Square: VIEW ARTCLE to read source of information. Is this acceptable? Is it legal, or a form of cruel and unusual punishment, or just another form of torture? Who decides these questions under Bush? Who will under President Obama?

Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Obama to control LARGEST domestic spying operation in History
There's a computer called the Black Widow hiding under a rock in Maryland near DC. If you write on the Internet, YOU ARE IN IT. It scans millions of domestic and international phone calls and e-mails every hour, "performing hundreds of TRILLIONS of calculations per second, searches through and reassembles key words and patterns." Most likely, you've used one of their Key Words. Welcome to Obama's Black Widow . . .

Wednesday, January 7, 2009
What happened to the National Service Movement?
A key to our Economic recovery is getting people back to work; another is public works projects. Both these come together nicely under the concept of National Service. Somehow, the Obama folks, being pressured for an impossible quick fix, have skipped over this excellent choice. An essential part of FDR's New Deal, it can be an ongoing workhorse that helps get our Recovery in motion. Read more: click Blue Box: View Article.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009
We're being lied to about Pirates in Somali
(3 comments) Pirates of old were the good guys, rebelling against intolerable conditions of British seafaring, creating democratic egalitarian societies, trying to survive. Today off the Somali coast, Italian Mafia is using their ocean as a nuclear & toxic waste dump for Europe, poisoning the oceans for all of us, with ships dumping thousands of barrels of waste in the dead of night. It's killing Somalis, and will us as polution spreads.

Monday, January 5, 2009
Bush Exit Gifts continue: Paving roads in National Forests
Forest Service insiders are resisting, but their boss, a former timber lobbyist, may still try to push a change in regs through in Bush's final days. This could be a disaster: hiking trails becoming paved roads for promoting housing developments.

Thursday, January 1, 2009
Congress is giving themselves a $4,700-a-year pay raise
This pay raise starts next Thursday. Time to call your 2 Senators and Representative and just say "NO!" Long links won't print here: just type in US Senators or US House of Representatives into http://www.ixquick.com/

Thursday, January 1, 2009
Nine Steps to Peace by Deepak Chopra
Ending a war isn't the same as bringing peace. America has been on a war footing since the day after Pearl Harbor, 67 years ago. We spend more on our military than the next 16 countries combined.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Clearing the air after decades of Neoliberalism's wreckage
As the financial meltdown reaches historic proportions, free-market fundamentalism, or neoliberalism as it is called in some quarters, is losing both its claim to legitimacy and its claims on democracy. Truthout: Henry A. Giroux and Susan Searls Giroux

Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Was the "Credit Crunch" a Myth Used to Sell a Trillion-Dollar Scam?
There is something approaching a consensus that the Paulson Plan -- also known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP -- was a boondoggle of an intervention that's flailed from one approach to the next, with little oversight and less effect on the financial meltdown.

Saturday, December 13, 2008
2008 Falsie Awards from Center for Media and Democracy
Falsies are an attempt to shine unflattering light on those responsible for polluting the information environment over the past year. This year's Gold and Silver Falsies go to masters of war deception, while Bronze Falsie recognizes a massive greenwash campaign. The first-ever Lifetime Achievement Falsie goes to a serial corporate front man, while a determined attempt at nation re-branding wins dishonorable mention.