Truthout: July 21, 2011

Thursday 21 July 2011

EXCLUSIVE: Greg Palast | The Deficit Is Not Default of Obama
Greg Palast, Truthout: "Let's talk about how we ended up in this pickle, bucking up against the 'debt ceiling.' From 2001 to 2008, a Republican president took an annual surplus of $86 billion left for him by Bill Clinton and ran up the budget deficit to over half a trillion in a year ($642 billion in 2008). Altogether, George W. Bush blew up the national debt by over $3 TRILLION - then left the bills to Barack Obama."
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Republicans Approve Regulation-Blocking Coal Bill on ALEC's Wish List
Mike Ludwig, Truthout: "House Republicans who have received hefty campaign contributions from coal and electric power companies approved coal legislation supported by the industry and super-lobby group the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to approve legislation on July 13 that would prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating toxic coal ash wastes from electric power plants and delay the implementation of air quality rules. The Republican-controlled House is expected to pass the bills."
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John Pilger | Amid the Murdoch Scandal, There Is the Acrid Smell of Business as Usual
John Pilger, Truthout: "Long before it was possible to hack phones, Murdoch was waging a war on journalism, truth, humanity and succeeded because he knew how to exploit a system that welcomed his rapacious devotion to the 'free market.' Murdoch may be more extreme in his methods, but he is no different in kind from many of those now lining up to condemn him who are his beneficiaries, mimics, collaborators, apologists. Certainly, there is no 'revolution,' as reported in The Guardian UK, which compared the 'fall' of Murdoch with that of the tyrant Nicolae Ceausescu in Romania in 1989."
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On the News With Thom Hartmann: Murdoch Company Admitted Hacking US Company in 2009, and More
In today's On the News segment: Seventy-two percent of Americans support raising taxes on the rich, Florida governor refuses federal funding for Affordable Care Act, Murdoch US subsidiary hacked US company in 2009, GOP shutting down funding for Federal Aviation Administration, GOP in Alabama vote funds to maintain Confederate Memorial Park amid financial crisis, Koch maxing out in donations to Massachusetts' Sen. Scott Brown, and more.
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A Story of the Earth Liberation Front: An Interview With Documentarian Marshall Curry
Amanda Lin Costa, Truthout: "Today's battle to protect the land has become a modern day David and Goliath, with groups such as Earth Liberation Front throwing fire instead of rocks. How effective or justified their actions are is a complicated issue. Documentary filmmaker Marshall Curry tackles this complex subject in his film, 'If a Tree Falls.' His first documentary, 'Street Fight' was nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy. His second documentary, 'Racing Dreams' is being made into a feature film by Dreamworks."
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How Not to Make Friends in the Greater Middle East
Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch: "The Pentagon is pouring an estimated $3.5 billion into its biometric programs (2007 through 2015). And though it's been a couple of rough weeks when it comes to money in Washington, at least no one can claim that taxpayer dollars have been ill-spent on this project. Give the Pentagon just another five to 10 years in Iraq and Afghanistan and the biometric endeavor of a lifetime should be complete. Then Washington will be able to identify any Iraqi or Afghan on the planet by eye-scan alone. Be proud, America!"
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Dean Baker | There Are Jobs for Those Who Want Them. (Not)
Dean Baker, The Campaign for America's Future: "The New York Times on Wednesday featured another Casey Mulligan episode of 'There Is No Unemployment.' Mulligan's argument is that if we look at employment rates for the older population we see that they have actually risen in the downturn even as employment for people ages 25-55 plummeted. Mulligan interprets this as evidence that highly motivated older workers are able to find jobs, and if younger workers were equally motivated they would find jobs too. This is an interesting story. The rise in employment rates of older workers is a striking story in this downturn and one that I and others have often noted. However, there are other possible interpretations."
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The Current Political Landscape, Ideology vs. Reality
Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III, Truthout: "In describing the recent budget debate impasse between the Obama administration and the Republican-led Congress, House Majority Leader Boehner (R-Ohio) stated, 'The gulf between the two parties now is about policy. It's not about process, it's not about personalities.' Boehner is wrong; it's not about policy. It's about ideology, and has everything to do with personality. As Boehner tries to negotiate with President Obama, he is hamstrung by the members of the Tea Party Caucus and their uncompromising ideological stance for a constitutionally limited government."
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Michael Winship | Corporate America's Sunshine Patriots
Michael Winship, Truthout: "A quick perusal of Mount Vernon's annual report reveals that its many corporate funders include the Ford Motor Company, Toyota, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Altria (formerly Philip Morris), Coca Cola, the American Gas Association, PricewaterhouseCoopers, M&T Bank, Stanley Black & Decker and BAE Systems - the massive, British-based defense contractor that last year pled guilty to criminal charges related to bribery allegations and paid almost $450 million in penalties to the United States and Great Britain. In fairness, they all have helped preserve a beautiful, historic landmark, but as I looked at their names, I couldn't help but think that they and their big business colleagues could perform an even greater patriotic service to America by working to create more jobs."
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Paul Theroux's "Tao of Travel"
Jon Letman, Truthout: "Last month, author Paul Theroux published his latest book 'The Tao of Travel: Enlightenments from Lives on the Road.' Over the course of nearly five decades, Theroux has written some 45 works of fiction and nonfiction. Since his seminal 'The Great Railway Bazaar' (1975),Theroux has written and edited 15 travel books, resulting in him being referred to as a travel writer, though he prefers to think of himself as a writer who travels. Speaking from his home in rural Hawaii shortly before his 70th birthday, Theroux discussed travel experiences that have shaped him, places he has never visited (and why), what 'The Tao of Travel' means to him and why he wrote the book."
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Barbarians in Suits at Italy's Gates
Conn Hallinan, Foreign Policy in Focus: "Italy is in deep trouble, though it is hardly alone. While the headlines go to Greece, Portugal and Spain, Italy has the second highest rate of debt in Europe and one of the lowest growth rates. On July 8, Italian bond yields jumped to a nine-year high, and the country's stock market tanked. Given that Italy has the third largest economy in the Eurozone, if it is in trouble, so is the Euro. And, unlike Portugal, Greece or Ireland, Italy is far too big for a bail out (not that the thuggish austerity programs being forced on all three of those countries have anything in common with 'bail outs.' They are simply taxpayers covering ruinous speculation binges by French, German and Dutch banks)."
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Sen. Bernie Sanders | Congratulations Senator Coburn and the GOP Victory for the Rich (Video)
Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vermont) Senate floor speech regarding the Gang of Six's deficit reduction plan.
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TRUTHOUT'S BUZZFLASH DAILY HEADLINES

BuzzFlash has suggested before that savings begin at home - and if that's the case, why doesn't Congress cut its pay, raise its portion of health care insurance premiums, cut back its staffs and traveling expenses and shave down its cushy retirement packages?

This is common sense. The euphemism of "shared sacrifice" has been circulating around the media. Of course, a Master of the Universe on Wall Street staying at a $2,000-a-night exclusive hotel suite in Paris instead of a $3,000 suite - well, that's not equal to the "shared sacrifice" of a senior citizen having to cut back to two meals a day due to Social Security reductions. That is what is called a false equivalency.

In response to a recent BuzzFlash news alert from Bernie Sanders on how the "Gang of Six" plan allegedly attacks Medicare, Social Security and Medicare, one Facebook comment read, "cut all federally elected officials' pay by 70% and see if that doesn't help."

Such a dramatic reduction in income might penetrate the Washington, DC, island of comfortable, well-paid legislatures who don't have to worry about their medical bills or their retirement income.

By insisting on continuing to cut taxes on those who don't need more money, we are raising the cost of living for those who can't afford it.

Really, the Grover Norquist/GOP definition of tax is quite narrow; it's whatever would make corporations or the wealthy contribute more to the support of democracy that has allowed them to attain a lavish standard of living almost beyond comprehension.

But raising the costs of medical care for poor seniors, reducing retirement payments that they have earned and increasing the prices middle-class Americans pay for basic services is not increasing taxes on them? Of course it is, but Norquist and the Republicans don't talk about how by cutting taxes on the wealthy, they are effectively increasing hidden taxes on everyone else.

It's a shell game, pure and simple.

Mark Karlin
Editor, BuzzFlash at Truthout

Kristof: Bonuses for Billionaires
Read the Article at The New York Times

LulzSec Will Release Murdoch Email Archive
Read the Article at The Hacker News

The Poisonous Attempt by Conservatives to Make Religion a Political Instrument
Read the Article at BuzzFlash

Wrong Way Corrigans in DC: Jobless Claims Up
Read the Article at TIME Magazine

Tea Party Conundrum: China Owns Our Butt
Read the Article at BuzzFlash

Top General Says Defense Department IT in "Stone Age"
Read the Article at Computerworld

The World at Seven Billion: Can We Stop Growing Now?
Read the Article at Yale Environment 360

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