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Thursday, November 29

29.Nov.2012 - Demanding a People's Recovery, President Signs Whistle-blower Protection Bill, Brutal Face of Global Capitalism, EPA Bans BP from New Fed Contracts, Privacy Groups Challenge Facebook, Military Boycott of Israel, Third World America, more


New Twitter Account
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A police officer uses a shield to protect himself from milk being projected by dairy farmers, during a protest by dairy farmers against European Union agricultural policies, in Brussels, on Nov. 26, 2012. (John Thys/AFP/Getty Images)Protesting Farmers Spray EU Parliament With Milk 


European farmers protesting in Brussels sprayed the European Parliament building and riot police with fresh milk, demanding that parliamentarians do something to increase milk prices and prevent dairies from going out of business.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/protesting-farmers-spray-eu-parliament-with-milk-photos-319320.html

Demanding a people's recovery
Peter Rugh reports that grassroots relief efforts after Sandy want bigger changes.
http://socialistworker.org/2012/11/28/demanding-a-peoples-recovery

The Real Threat to Internet Freedom Isn't the United Nations

Governments are cooperating on surveillance in other, less obvious ways.


WalMart earns record profits while supporting Republicans who want to slash their employees’ food stamps
Businesses succeed or fail based on providing a quality product consumers demand, but they also depend on delivering good service and it is why courteous and proficient employees are as important an asset as product line. In the service industry, employees are a company’s greatest asset and it is why business owners are wise to take care of their workers and provide incentives for them to give customers an experience that encourages return business. 

Obama's Second Term: The Chance to Unleash the Audacity
Appearing on CNN, retiring Senator Joe Lieberman gave voice to the conventional wisdom: "In my opinion the last two years, 2011-12, have been the least productive and most partisan and uncompromising in my 24 years here." For Lieberman, like much of establishment D.C. -- both political and media -- being a "moderate" or a "centrist" or a "pragmatist" is synonymous with the ability to "get things done." Yet, according to the AP, this year's election resulted in "a thinning of pragmatic, centrist veterans in both parties," and that "among those leaving are some of the Senate's most pragmatic lawmakers, nearly half the House's centrist Blue Dog Democrats and several moderate House Republicans."

President signs whistle-blower bill to protect federal workers who expose fraud, waste

Capping a 13-year effort by supporters of whistle-blower rights, the new law closes loopholes created by court rulings, which removed protections for federal whistle-blowers. One loophole specified that whistle-blowers were only protected when they were the first to report misconduct.

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Over Law Banning Recording The Police


You may recall that we've been following the ongoing saga of a poorly-written piece of state legislation in Illinois, which would strip citizens of their First Amendment rights if they were to film law enforcement performing their duties. One gentleman was facing a possible75 years in jail for five counts at up to 15 years each, until the 7th Circuit appeals court ruled that the law could not be enforced, because it very likely violated the First Amendment.


The brutal face of global capitalism

The worst factory fire in Bangladesh’s history, which broke out on Saturday night in the Ashulia industrial zone, has exposed the ugly workings of global capitalism.

Doha Climate Talks: USA Makes False Claims Of GHG Emission Reduction
Anticipating an onslaught of criticism from poor nations, the US claimed "enormous" strides in reducing GHG emissions at the opening of UN climate talks, despite failing to join other industrialized nations in committing to binding cuts*.
http://www.countercurrents.org/CC281112.htm

Pillar Of Superstition
During this interlude in Israel’s second unprovoked incursion of Gaza, we might pause to reflect on what is, arguably, the real reasons for Netanyahu and Lieberman to execute their victims corralled in the walled prison of Gaza.
http://www.countercurrents.org/cook271112.htm

Cyrus cylinder

Babylonian relic to visit US with historic message of tolerance
The 539BC Cyrus cylinder, owned by the British Museum, is seen by some as the first declaration of human rights
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/nov/27/babylonian-relic-visit-us-message


5 Ways the GOP (And Obama) Have Undermined Our Democracy

The institutions designed to make campaign finances more transparent and to ensure that election technology is evolving are paralyzed by empty leadership positions.
EPA Bans BP From New Federal Contracts
he Environmental Protection Agency has suspended BP from bidding on any new federal contracts as a result of the company's conduct during the Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster that led to 11 deaths and the largest U.S. offshore spill.
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/320-80/14773-epa-bans-bp-from-new-federal-contracts

Privacy groups challenge Facebook data policy changes 
Two privacy advocacy groups wrote a letter [text, PDF] on Monday to Facebook[corporate website] CEO Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to withdraw recently announcedproposed changes [press release] to the the site's governance documents. The letter, signed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) [advocacy websites], noted that some of the changes directly affected the company's privacy policy, and that the changes "raise privacy risks for users, may be contrary to law, and violate your previous commitments to users about site governance."
Shutterstock_34195252http://jurist.org/paperchase/2012/11/privacy-groups-challenge-facebook-data-policy-changes.php

Taxation in Theory and Reality
The debate over the fiscal cliff has spawned a multitude of suggestions for reforming the tax system, including my own. One possible reason for the wide range of proposals, even from mainstream economists, is that the recommendations of standard economic theory may be very different from what the American economy actually needs today.
http://bigthink.com/econ201/taxation-in-theory-and-reality

Tax the Rich, Take Your Hands Off Medicare: Overwhelming US Majority

A large majority of US citizens would like to see higher taxes on the rich and oppose cuts to Medicare as an answer to the US deficit, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Washington Post and ABC News.

Nobel Peace Laureates Call For Military Boycott Of Israel

Fifty-two Nobel peace prize-winners, activists and others today called for an international military boycott of Israel after its latest deadly assault against Palestine earlier this month.

Defending Free Speech in the Digital Age
Across the world, the battle for free speech is pitting governments and corporations against activists and average citizens.

TSA employees get whistleblower protections

President Obama on Tuesday signed into law a bill that expands safeguards for federal employees who report waste, fraud or abuse. The bill (S. 743), which cleared its last congressional hurdle earlier this month, grants whistleblower protections for employees who lacked them before, including Transportation Security Administration officers. It also establishes ombudsmen to educate employees about their rights to expose mismanagement and strengthens the Office of Special Counsel’s authority to pursue punishment for supervisors who retaliate against whistleblowers, among other provisions.
http://www.govexec.com/management/2012/11/tsa-employees-get-whistleblower-protections/59757/

NPR affiliate launches drone program
Missouri NPR affiliate KBIA has launched a "Drone Program" in the hopes of building drones to collect media, the station tells POLITICO.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/11/npr-affiliate-launches-drone-program-150409.html

Third World America: Drowning in Debt and Choking on Lies 
If a drunk driver crashed his speeding rental car into your house and killed your spouse, you would be outraged if law enforcers took bribes and refused to give the driver a blood test. If the judge then gave the killer a small fine and ordered you to pay the fine and pay for all the damages, you'd be outraged. If the government then handed the drunk-driver keys to a bigger faster rental car, handed the drunk driver an even bigger bottle of whiskey, and then gave you the rental bill; you'd storm Washington, blizzard elected officials with protests and organize friends and associates to vote these malefactors, the elected officials that betrayed your trust, out of office.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33162.htm

UK Shielding Israel From War Crimes Prosecutions
The Guardian newspaper reported on 27 November that Britain is prepared to back a key vote recognizing Palestinian statehood at the United nations but only if the Palestinian Authority chairman, Mahmoud Abbas, pledges not to pursue Israel for war crimes and to resume peace talks.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article33159.htm

Simple proof the government helps the drug trade`

Pat Robertson Finally Says Something Rational

Robertson Admits he Blew Election Prediction he Received from God


robertson

Does the Universe Have a Purpose?



What Really Happened in Gaza

John Pilger : Media And War Conference

Kucinich: Push the Middle Class Off the Cliff? No WAY!


The Government is Profiling You


Naked Protesters Storm Boehner's Office

Fossil of the Day - Worst Climate Offender Award

Thousands Homeless After Panama Flooding

The electric ride: A roadmap for middle class families



Climate talks: More hot air about hot air?

Let Your Life Be a Friction to Stop the Machine


“Central Park Five”: New Film On How Police Abuse, Media Frenzy Led to Jailing of Innocent Teens



Former GOP Strategist Kevin Phillips on the Roots of American Revolution and Future of U.S. Politics




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