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Good Morning!
Daisies. March, 2012. Photo credit: joanneleon
“Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.”
~ King Solomon
News
Verboten: Vagina and Vasectomy
In spite of the fact that MI’s economy–which had been turning around–is now turning back down again, the Republicans who run Lansing are busy enacting new restrictions on abortion and contraception. Busy with that, and busy silencing two state Reps who had the audacity to say “vagina” and “vasectomy” on the House floor.
Representatives Lisa Brown and Barb Byrum, both Democrats, were barred from participating in debates Thursday because they were “disrupting decorum” during debate on Wednesday over three bills that would put restrictions on abortions, said Ari Adler, spokesman for House Speaker Jase Bolger.
Byrum’s amendment, which ABC apparently doesn’t want to talk about either, was to require men to show medical necessity before getting a vasectomy.
We Don’t Need No Education
First of all, there’s our own experience. Conservatives would have you believe that our disappointing economic performance has somehow been caused by excessive government spending, which crowds out private job creation. But the reality is that private-sector job growth has more or less matched the recoveries from the last two recessions; the big difference this time is an unprecedented fall in public employment, which is now about 1.4 million jobs less than it would be if it had grown as fast as it did under President George W. Bush.
And, if we had those extra jobs, the unemployment rate would be much lower than it is — something like 7.3 percent instead of 8.2 percent. It sure looks as if cutting government when the economy is deeply depressed hurts rather than helps the American people.
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In fact, almost everyone following the situation now realizes that Germany’s austerity obsession has brought Europe to the edge of catastrophe — almost everyone, that is, except the Germans themselves and, it turns out, the Romney economic team.
Treasuries Advance as Greek Election Boosts Safety Bid
Ten-year notes outperformed similar-maturity German bunds as investors favored securities from outside the euro area. Greeks vote in two days after a previous ballot on May 6 failed to yield a government. Two-year U.S. note yields declined for the first time in 10 days as the Federal Reserve meets June 19-20 amid mounting evidence growth is slowing. The central banks of major economies are preparing for coordinated action to provide liquidity if needed, Reuters reported yesterday.
“The key driver of the allure of Treasuries is as a non- euro safe-haven ahead of the looming Greek election,” said Michael Leister, a rates strategist at DZ Bank AG in Frankfurt. “It looks like investors want to play it safe and feel more comfortable with Treasuries at the moment.”
Tomgram: Nick Turse, The Changing Face of Empire
In the ensuing years, the great imperial power of our age repeatedly recalibrated its Pakistan policy in growing frustration, only to see it run ever more definitively off the rails. The Obama administration, in particular, has sent its high officials, like so many caroming pinballs, flying in and out of Pakistan in droves for years now to demand, order, chide, plead, wheedle, cajole, intimidate, threaten, twist arms, and bluster, as it repeatedly flipped from good-guy ally to fierce, missile-wielding frenemy, and back again.
Recently, in the wake of U.S. air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani border guards (without a U.S. apology), it has faced a more-than-six-month closure of its crucial Pakistani war supply lines into Afghanistan. Its response: to negotiate ever more frenetically, and pull the trigger in its drone war in the Pakistani borderlands ever more often. Recently, it even announced a multimillion dollar cut-off of funds for Pakistan’s version of Sesame Street, while reaching a highly touted agreement with some former Central Asian SSRs of the former Soviet Union to transport American equipment out of Afghanistan (as our forces draw down there), at up to six times the cost of the blockaded routes through Pakistan.
If you want a living, panting, post-9/11 parable of imperial self-confidence and mastery gone to hell, Pakistan is the first (but not the last) place to look. Behind the visible failure of U.S. policy in that country lies a devastating self-deception: the thought that, in the twenty-first century, even the greatest of powers, playing its cards perfectly, can control this planet, or simply significant regions of it.
Al Qaeda’s best friend
An amazing Op-Ed in the NYT by a 23-year-old Yemeni explains that U.S. attacks are strengthening the Terrorists
The New York Times has an extraordinary Op-Ed this morning by Ibrahim Mothana, a 23-year-old democracy activist and Al Qaeda opponent in Yemen. The headline is “How Drones Help Al Qaeda,” and it explains in compelling detail how the principal U.S. tactic ostensibly devoted to fighting Al Qaeda in his country — repeated drone attacks — is having exactly the opposite effect. Even though I’m going to excerpt some of it to discuss it, I really urge everyone to read all of it. He begins this way:
“DEAR OBAMA, when a U.S. drone missile kills a child in Yemen, the father will go to war with you, guaranteed. Nothing to do with Al Qaeda,” a Yemeni lawyer warned on Twitter last month . President Obama should keep this message in mind before ordering more drone strikes like Wednesday’s, which local officials say killed 27 people, or the May 15 strike that killed at least eight Yemeni civilians.
Drone strikes are causing more and more Yemenis to hate America and join radical militants; they are not driven by ideology but rather by a sense of revenge and despair. Robert Grenier, the former head of the C.I.A.’s counterterrorism center, has warned that the American drone program in Yemen risks turning the country into a safe haven for Al Qaeda like the tribal areas of Pakistan — “the Arabian equivalent of Waziristan.”
Anti-Americanism is far less prevalent in Yemen than in Pakistan. But rather than winning the hearts and minds of Yemeni civilians, America is alienating them by killing their relatives and friends. Indeed, the drone program is leading to the Talibanization of vast tribal areas and the radicalization of people who could otherwise be America’s allies in the fight against terrorism in Yemen.
What Happens When You Talk to the Public About Drones
1. In spite of the increasing press coverage of drone warfare, and drones coming to US airspace, most people with whom we spoke did not know in any meaningful way what drones are or how they are being used. Most were surprised to learn that the police can now use small drones, up to 25 pounds in weight, and that drones of any size will be permitted in US airspace by September, 2015.
2. Most people were very appreciative of being provided with information.
3. Most people absolutely object to the idea of police or the military using drones to monitor them, either by visual surveillance or through monitoring cell phone and text messaging. It was through conversation about this that people came to more fully sense how people overseas are reacting to drones and drone attacks. People do not want to be watched from the sky nor do they want flying robots carrying weapons. Most people think that drones of any kind in US airspace threatens them as air passengers.
Revealed: 64 Drone Bases on American Soil
We like to think of the drone war as something far away, fought in the deserts of Yemen or the mountains of Afghanistan. But we now know it’s closer than we thought. There are 64 drone bases on American soil. That includes 12 locations housing Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles, which can be armed.
Public Intelligence, a non-profit that advocates for free access to information, released a map of military UAV activities in the United States on Tuesday. Assembled from military sources — especially this little-known June 2011 Air Force presentation (.pdf) – it is arguably the most comprehensive map so far of the spread of the Pentagon’s unmanned fleet. What exact missions are performed at those locations, however, is not clear. Some bases might be used as remote cockpits to control the robotic aircraft overseas, some for drone pilot training. Others may also serve as imagery analysis depots.
I guess it's not just the state of Missouri who is the "show me" state.
Public Understanding Of Climate Science Rebounds, 72% of Independents Say There Is ‘Solid Evidence’ Of Global Warming
Brookings has released a new survey that confirms other recent polls: Public understanding of climate science is rebounding, and the recent record-smashing extreme weather events are playing a key role.
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As you can see, the biggest jump is from independents, demonstrating once again that global warming has become a major wedge issue. Many other recent polls have made that clear (see “Gallup poll: Public understanding of global warming gains” and “Independents, Other Republicans Split With Tea-Party Extremists on Global Warming”). Now if progressive politicians would only seize on this winning issue.
Senate Republicans Ask JP Morgan CEO For Marching Orders: ‘What Do You Think We Need To Do?’
JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon appeared before the Senate Banking Committee today to discuss the bungled trade that has cost his bank billions and reignited interest in the Volcker Rule, which is meant to rein in risky bank trading. During the course of the questioning, Dimon denied that he had called new bank capital requirements “anti-American,” which he had, and explained that he would be happy to get an apartment in Washington, D.C., so that Congress could consult him on financial regulations.
Charting the Cozy Connections between JP Morgan and the Senate Banking Committee
Revolving Door
One current staffer on the Senate banking committee, Dwight Fettig, is a former lobbyist for JP Morgan. In 2009, the bank hired him to work on “financial services regulatory reform.” Meanwhile, JP Morgan is stacked thick with former committee staff.
· Naomi Camper – Currently a lobbyist for JP Morgan. Prior to that, from 2001-2004, she was an aide to Senator Johnson.
· Kate Childress –A JP Morgan lobbyist since 2008, she is also a former aide to Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who sits on both the Senate Banking and Finance committees.
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Report: Banks, Financial Institutions Still Funding Cluster Bomb-Making Companies with Billions of Dollars
A report released today shows that billions of dollars are still being invested in companies that produce cluster bombs, weapons banned by most of the world.
The report from IKV Pax Christi and FairFin, The “Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions, a shared responsibility,” shows that banks and other financial institutions have invested more than $43billion (USD) in companies making cluster bombs since 2009.
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Among the U.S.-based institutions in the Hall of Shame are AIG, Wells Fargo Bank, JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs.
STUNNING: Corporate Connection Map, Full Rez
Note: This map was last updated in 2003. Much more has been consolidated since then, but you get the idea. Here’s a slightly different approach, more updated.
Outrage as Egypt's supreme court dissolves parliament
Highest court also rules army candidate can remain in election race in moves denounced as a coup by Muslim Brotherhood
Two days before the second round of presidential elections, Egypt's highest court on Thursday dissolved the Islamist-dominated parliament and ruled that the army-backed candidate could stay in the race, in what was widely seen as a double blow for the Muslim Brotherhood.
The decision was denounced as a coup by opposition leaders of all kinds and many within the Brotherhood, who fear that they will lose much of the political ground they have gained since Hosni Mubarak was ousted 16 months ago.
The decision by the supreme constitutional court – whose judges were appointed by Mubarak – brought into sharp focus the power struggle between the Muslim Brotherhood and the supreme council of the armed forces (Scaf), the military council that took up the reins of power after Mubarak's fall. The Brotherhood has now lost its power base in parliament, at the same time as seeing the military-backed candidate, Ahmad Shafiq, the last president to serve under Mubarak, receive a boost.
Deadly clashes in run-up to Libya elections
More than 15 deaths reported in country's west and south as transitional government struggles to maintain security.
Tribal clashes in western and southern Libya have left at least 15 people dead over the past 48 hours as old grievances between Libyan tribes and cities resurface in the absence of strong leadership in post-revolution Libya.
Dozens of Libyans held a protest on Wednesday in the eastern city of Benghazi, expressing dismay at the security situation and demanding to dissolve the militia groups and integrate them into the army, according to the Libyan news agency, LANA.
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he country is awash with weapons seized by citizens turned fighters during the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi's regime from military barracks and compounds.
Former rebels and militias frequently engage in armed clashes with rival tribes and armed groups.
Britain's Supreme Court Refuses Julian Assange Appeal Bid
WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange could be extradited to Sweden in two weeks' time after Britain's Supreme Court said on Thursday it had rejected a legal bid to reconsider his case.
The decision ended Assange's 18-month legal battle in the British courts, and now only a possible appeal to a European Court stands in the way of his extradition.
Report: Gaza's Water 'Unfit to Drink'
New report describes ongoing health impact of the blockade of Gaza
A report released today, the fifth anniversary of the blockade of Gaza, from the charities Save the Children and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) describes how Gaza's water supply is heavily polluted by fertilizer and human waste, and states that nearly all of the water in Gaza is "unfit for drinking."
Gaza's broken sewage system, severely destroyed in Operation Cast Lead, has lead to open cesspits and waste-caused nitrate pollution. The high levels of nitrates in the water, ten times the safe levels established by WHO, have been linked to anaemia and some cancers, and are wreaking health havoc heavily upon children and pregnant women in Gaza, the reports details.
"The blockade is a blight on the lives of Gaza's civilians. It is shocking to see so many children struggling to live a fulfilled and healthy life -- unable to play in safe areas and forced to drink dirty and dangerous water that is making them sick," said Aimee Shalan, MAP's Director of Advocacy and Communications.
Leveson inquiry: Brooks texted Cameron to say 'we're in it together'
Gushing text sent on eve of 2009 conference speech was most embarrassing revelation in PM's evidence
The full extent of the fusion in the personal and professional relationship between David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive, was laid bare at the Leveson inquiry when it emerged she texted to say she was rooting for him as a personal friend and because professionally "we are definitely in this together".
The gushing text sent on the eve of his conference speech in 2009, and the frequency of his meetings with News International executives, caused acute discomfort to the prime minister, but he emerged from the day-long judicial inquisition with his chief lines of defence intact.
Karate chopped a supreme court judge??
The NYPD may enforce the law, but they're also a law unto themselves
News that an officer karate chopped a supreme court judge is in the headlines, but what about the other countless incidents?
When a New York police officer karate chopped Thomas Raffaele in the throat as the 69-year-old watched the arrest of a man in Queens, he probably did not think too much about it.
Certainly his fellow officers did not seem bothered. As revealed in the New York Times, Raffaele immediately sought to complain about being randomly assaulted by a man sworn to protect citizens, not abuse them. But the sergeant at the scene basically ignored him and Rafaelle went to hospital to check out his injuries.
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But, really, if Rafaelle was not a judge would we have ever heard about this? How many other cases of flagrant disregard by the police for the laws they are supposed to uphold go unreported because their victims don't happen to sit on the state's highest court?
Chill Hits U.S.-Russia Ties as Obama, Putin Ready to Meet
That was then. With the two countries at loggerheads over the Syria crisis and Iran’s suspect nuclear research, Putin will have the advantage when he and Obama meet again next week on the sidelines of an economic summit in Mexico. He’s back as president after a landslide victory in March, while Obama is facing a sluggish economy and a tough re-election battle against Republican Mitt Romney.
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While not even the most pessimistic analysts fear a return to the Cold War, the gulf between the U.S. and Russia widened with NATO’s role overthrowing Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi’s government, like the regime of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad a longtime Soviet arms client.
Putin is deeply mistrustful of American motives, and suspects the Obama administration is advancing its own interests in trying to topple regimes it doesn’t like and replace them with U.S.-friendly governments, according to Kuchins.
Exclusive: Banks Step Up Ratings Agency Pressure
Some of Europe's largest banks are intensifying discussions about a move to reduce their co-operation with the big three credit ratings agencies amid widespread dissatisfaction with their decision-making.
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I'm told that the discussions did not result in a formal decision to reduce the amount of information disclosed to Fitch, Moody's and Standard & Poor's, but one source familiar with the talks said today that "things are certainly moving in that direction".
Blog Posts of Interest
The Evening Blues - 6-14-12 on DailyKos by joe shikspack
LGBT Groups Join Civil Rights Coalition Against Stop and Frisk in NYC on FDL News by David Dayen
International Treaty Negotiated In Secret – Hidden Even from Congressmen Who Oversee Treaties – Threatens to Destroy National Sovereignty by WashingtonsBlog
Cold War 2.0 Has Begun … In Syria by WashingtonsBlog
The Military Didn't Help Them on DailyKos by angelajean