NEW TWITTER ACCOUNT! http://www.twitter.com/dustcirclenews
Don't forget to go to dustcircle.com and VOTE for which book we'll be giving away in December. There's also a Donation button, if you're inclined to give toward this site. Also, have you written a book? We'd like to read and review it.
- STEVE, Editor :)______
Five Misconceptions about our Tattered Safety Net
Mitt Romney said he wasn't concerned about the very poor, because they have a safety net. This is typical of the widespread ignorance about inequality in our country. Struggling Americans want jobs, not handouts, and for the most part they've paid for their "safety net." The real problem is at the other end of the wealth gap.Bailout 'Of the People, By the People' Exposes Bankers' Greed
A coalition of activists looking to build popular resistance to predatory lending kicked off a new initiative, The Rolling Jubilee, to challenge the status quo of debt collection by purchasing distressed debts and then—rather than collecting on it—wiping the slate clean.
Progressive Economists Warn Obama Against Austerity Path
As the public dialogue leaves the 2012 election behind and the domestic policy conversation in the US converges towards a singular focus on the so-called "fiscal cliff,"New York Times columnist and Princeton economist Paul Krugman says that those proposing tax cuts for the wealthiest and steep cuts to key social programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid shouldn't just be ignored, they shouldn't even be allowed a seat at the table.Israel Threatens Ground Troops, Escalation in Gaza after Weekend Strikes
Tensions between Israel and Gaza have intensified once again, as Israeli officials opened up the possibility of a ground troop invasion in the occupied territory.
After a whirlwind year with decisions on health care, immigration and campaign finance, the October term for the U.S. Supreme Court is underway. New cases that particularly affect college students and civil liberties face oral argument on both sides following this election cycle. Below are several cases that fall into this category, which have either already been argued or will soon see their day in the highest court in the land. Other civil liberties cases are soon to appear, such as Hollingsworth v. Perry on the subject of same-sex marriage, but are awaiting petition approval. Information was found from both the Oyez Project at the Chicago-Kent College of Law and the SCOTUSblog.
http://www.redandblack.com/news/student-concerns-and-civil-liberties-in-new-u-s-supreme/article_264dec20-2c60-11e2-9bd9-001a4bcf6878.html
How to Stop Spies from Digging Up Your Personal Information
The goal of spying is to gain information and anyone can find plenty of personal information about you—or anyone, really—by knowing where to look. I spoke with security and investigations expert Brandon Gregg to find out the most common sources:
Dear Angry White Conservatives Mourning Romney's Loss: Chill Out
First, there are clear laws on the books that make U.S. wars unlawful, along with U.S. threats of war and U.S. propaganda for war. The laws are either forgotten, ignored, evaded, or cleverly reinterpreted to reverse their meaning. But they could be enforced someday.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/U-S-Wars-Are-They-Lawful-by-David-Swanson-121112-877.html
NOW IS THE TIME! To Form an Independent Progressive Political Party
Numerous progressive authors and spokespersons have continually voiced their opinions about our "broken" and dysfunctional political system. And a few brave souls like Jill Stein (Green Party) and Rocky Anderson (Justice Party) recently entered the fray and stuck their necks out to provide alternatives to our two party political system to represent elements of the progressive forces. Prior to this, Ralph Nader had been a hero to many of us with his challenges to the corporate duopoly. Yet, as I tried to describe in my recent blog, the two party duopoly system--Democrat and Republican--maintained total control and places the nation in imminent danger. Jill Dalton also describes the corrupt electoral voting system very well in her recent blog entitled "Does Voting Really Matter?" Ironically, our national antitrust laws are intended to prevent monopolies or duopolies in the corporate sector but our government does not demand it of themselves.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/NOW-IS-THE-TIME-To-Form-a-by-Dr-Tom-Baldwin-121111-628.html
A soldier in uniform can scarcely navigate an airport terminal without being accosted every 30ft with spontaneous expressions of appreciation. Because, as we are reminded again and again and again, by play-by-play announcers and presidents, men and women in the uniform are heroes defending our freedom.
