However drones are coming to the States. They’re used to keep an eye on things, so they’re not going to kill you, at least not yet.
Motherboard has been fascinated with the drones for a while now and realized that there are some misconceptions about the unmanned aerial vehicles.
To try to clear the air a little bit they’re going to talk to people who are building drones, selling drones all over the world, and with any luck they hope to fly some drones as well.
Watch the full documentary now - 22 min
Gunsmoke USA
An ongoing source of controversy in America, gun laws are increasingly polarizing the Southern states and Washington. In Arizona, Tea Party supporting, heavily armed, vigilante groups are taking over.
“The one thing we know about gun control is that it has never provided security”, argues former Arizona sheriff and local hero, Richard Mack.
Despite the recent massacres, the majority still support free gun laws. Heavily armed citizens take Mexican border security into their own hands in this “state with a frontier mentality”.
With over 100 new civilian militia groups forming in the last 2 years, it is fertile ground for Tea Party supporters. There is no doubt as to who is the real enemy here: “The greatest threat to our God-given American liberty is our own federal government”.
With the cultural divide between North and South looking dangerously wide, Arizona is becoming more than a state: it’s a state of mind.
Watch the full documentary now - 23 min
Prisoners of War Betrayed
The fate of prisoners of war and missing in action is one of the darkest chapters of the Cold War. Tens of thousands of American soldiers European survivors were sent to unknown destinations during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
American soldiers captured in the Cold War – the enemy needs them as hostages and bargaining counters. Their own government denies their existence, leaving them to their fate.
For years it was an open wound for thousands of families in the United States – the search for forgotten prisoners in the Vietnamese jungle, the boys who were left behind.
The boys who scratched codes in the earth in desperate attempts to make contacts with home. Attempts that their own government ignored.
Watch the full documentary now - 50 min
The Cleantech Future
What if we could live in a clean world? A world in which energy would be 100% renewable, water no longer polluted, transportation truly green and production methods clean and regenerative?
There will be such a world. In this documentary VPRO Backlight explores the unprecedented possibilities of a new industrial revolution: Cleantech.
Signs of a new future are visible everywhere, from China to the US and from Europe to Thailand. Green mobility powered by sustainable energy, clean drinking water for all thanks to nanotechnology, dyeing textiles using recycled CO2.
All of this is possible and is happening successfully now! Working together with Cleantech founder Nick Parker, this film shows what our world will be like in the decades to come. VPRO Backlight travels the world in search of a clean future.
Watch the full documentary now - 50 min
Surviving the Army Ranger School Training
The Army Ranger School is considered to be the toughest training in themilitary. Less than 1% of the whole army qualify to go under this program. However, only 1 in 3 will make it through the program to earn the much coveted ranger tag . This documentary is about the army ranger course and how it pushes even the best soldiers to their limits.
In this training, soldiers are forced to their breaking points to be the best of the best. The first 3 days are called the assessment phase. The day starts with hand to hand combat after which they are to carry each other while running around a track. This routine goes for hours until the night comes. They are then to run for 3 miles to reach the legendary army ranger obstacle course. Soldiers are tasked to move along 10 obstacles together with their buddy. By this time, they feel exhausted and are probably thinking of quitting the program. This is just the first day.
Day 2 and 3 of the assessment phase are no different. By the second day, 31 soldiers have already decided to quit. Fear of heights and discomfort in cold water would be the enemy of the soldiers on day 2. Watch the video below to know more about what the soldiers went through.
Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy is a documentary on how Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime made use of ancient mysticism and occultism to win the war. The Nazi’s also used occult mind control techniques to brainwash Germans to perceive themselves as the master-race. Astrology, Reincarnation, a new blood religion. In this chilling yet fascinating glimpse at recent historical events, discover how Nazi beliefs were based on a perversion of ancient myths, pagan lore and the occult.
In their quest to create an Aryan super race, the Nazis left no myth or religion unexploited, using astrological forecasts to plan battles; pendulums to locate allied battleships; the prophesies of Nostradamus to frighten the Allies, and sacred symbols, such as Nordic runes, to inspire their warriors to battle. Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy explores the disturbing ways the Third Reich linked occult practices with political aims and created a reign of terror unparalleled in history.
Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy, directed by Tracy Atkinson and Joan Baran, narrated by Malcolm McDowell, is an English language 1998 Discovery Channel documentary regarding Nazi occultism.
The One Percent
This 80-minute documentary focuses on the growing “wealth gap” in America, as seen through the eyes of filmmaker Jamie Johnson, a 27-year-old heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune. Johnson, who cut his film teeth at NYU and made the Emmy®-nominated 2003 HBO documentary Born Rich, here sets his sights on exploring the political, moral and emotional rationale that enables a tiny percentage of Americans – the one percent – to control nearly half the wealth of the entire United States. The film Includes interviews with Nicole Buffett, Bill Gates Sr., Adnan Khashoggi, Milton Friedman, Robert Reich, Ralph Nader and other luminaries.
Money & Speed: Inside the Black Box
Money & Speed: Inside the Black Box is a thriller based on actual events that takes you to the heart of our automated world. Based on interviews with those directly involved and data visualizations up to the millisecond, it reconstructs the flash crash of May 6th 2010: the fastest and deepest U.S. stock market plunge ever.
Money & Speed: Inside the Black Box is developed by filmmaker Marije Meerman in close collaboration with design studio Catalogtree. This explorative documentary is a marriage of strong storytelling and meticulous visual analysis. A rare opportunity to experience what is happening inside the black boxes of our rapidly evolving financial markets.
UFO: NEW EVIDENCE
Are aliens really out there? You’ve heard tales of little green men from other planets, but these are normally consigned to urban legends and sci-fi fables. However, a dossier of files released by the Ministry of Defence last year proves just how seriously some of these close encounters are taken by the government. Discover the truth in UFO UK: New Evidence. Since August 2010, these previously classified ‘UFO files’ have been in the public domain – and they reveal some startling goings-on in the skies above Britain. There’s Winston Churchill’s wartime cover-up, the alleged UFO crash in a remote part of Wales and the East Anglian sighting that left police, coastguard and radar operators scratching their heads. Among the many other reports brought to light are the hushed-up camera recording of a UFO over Scotland and the bizarre experience of a Boeing 737 jet pilot flying above Manchester. The files also provide a fascinating insight into how attitudes towards alien visitors have changed over the years, with everything from war to The X Files playing their part in the timeline. But this is more than just a case for Mulder and Scully.
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Sixty years ago, in the spring of 1945, Allied forces liberating Europe found evidence of atrocities which have tortured the world’s conscience ever since. As the troops entered the German concentration camps, they made a systematic film record of what they saw. Work began in the summer of 1945 on the documentary, but the film was left unfinished.
FRONTLINE found it stored in a vault of London’s Imperial War Museum and, in 1985, broadcast it for the first time using the title the Imperial War Museum gave it, ‘Memory of the Camps.
Stepping into the lives of men and women who until recently were slaves demands the softest of treads.
The experience of being enslaved – forced to work for no pay, often under the threat of violence and with no hope of escape, burns deep and leaves wounds which take a long time to heal.
From impoverished and often illiterate Thai farmers to women forced into prostitution; from men tricked into servitude in Brazil’s brutal charcoal industry to entire families trapped as bonded labourers in Pakistan’s feudal brick kilns; we met and filmed dozens of slaves for this series.
Food Chain Slaves. It is a nation built on the abolition of slavery, but there are at least 40,000 slaves in the US today. In the opening episode of Slavery: A 21st Century Evil, Al Jazeera’s Rageh Omaar investigates food chain slavery in the US.
Sex slaves. There are an estimated 1.4 million sex slaves in the world today and international trafficking is on the rise.
Bonded Slaves. It is a form of slavery that is passed down from one generation to the next, enslaving millions.
Child Slaves. There are at least 8.4 million child slaves in the world today, many of them held as forced labour.
Charcoal Slaves. Poverty-stricken men from the north of Brazil are often lured to remote camps where they are used as slave labour.
Bridal Slaves. In the midst of widespread poverty, fueled by economic inequality and rampant corruption, a new form of slavery – bridal slavery – has flourished in India. Women and young girls are sold for as little as $120 to men who often abuse them.
Prison Slaves. Over the past 20 years China has become the world’s biggest exporter of consumer goods. But behind this apparent success story is a dark secret – millions of men and women locked up in prisons and forced into intensive manual labour.
Bonus: Al Jazeera slavery debate. Luis C d’Baca from the US State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; Kevin Bales, president of Free the Slaves; David Batstone, president of Not for Sale; and Joy Ezeilo, UN Special Rapporteur for Trafficking in Persons.
Watch the full documentary now (playlist – 3 hours, 42 minutes)
Extradition is a film that explores the injustices of the Extradition Act 2003 through the suffering of two individuals and their families.
Talha Ahsan and Babar Ahmed held without charge can be extradited according to the European Court of Human Rights. They have been held without charge for over 14 years collectively.
The court concluded that “there would be no violation of the applicants’ rights if extradited to stand trial in the United States”.
These men have been let down by the British justice system and now face being incarcerated in one of America’s toughest prisons. It may be four more years before these men face trial in the United States all the while they will be kept in Prison.
These men are UK citizens; they were born in this country and paid their taxes in this country. There is not enough evidence to charge these men in Britain.
The UK police have admitted that they have not seen the bulk of evidence seized from Babar’s home but it was instead sent to the US authorities and which now forms the bulk of the indictment against Babar and Talha.
Created in 1962, a now infamous document was issued in secret to bishops. Called Crimen Sollicitationis, it outlined procedures to be followed by bishops when dealing with allegations of child abuse, homosexuality and bestiality by members of the clergy. It swore all parties involved to secrecy on pain of excommunication from the Catholic Church.
This document was reissued in 2001 by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and sent to all bishops. Yet rather than ordering more openness and cooperation with the authorities as demanded by both law enforcers and the victims, he reiterated its policies and ensured that the Code of Silence be applied to all cases of child abuse involving a priest. Cardinal Ratzinger also instructed that all cases should now be referred to his office directly and that he would maintain ‘exclusive competence’ over the handling of allegations. This is the Catholic Church’s policy to this day and Cardinal Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict XVI.
The policy laid out in the above document has led to systemic failure by the result that a significant number of priest have, in effect, been allowed to abuse again, and further children have been put at risk.
As the documentary explores, Colm O’Gorman is the man responsible for breaking open decades of abuse by Catholic Priests in Ireland in the BAFTA award-winning BBC special Suing the Pope. He links international ‘systemic evidence’ to argue the Vatican has a policy to cover up the sexual abuse of thousands of children across the world.
In Sex Crimes and the Vatican O’Gorman explores four separate cases internationally of widespread clerical abuse, putting the Roman Catholic Church on trial for the reckless endangerment of children. O’Gorman raises the question, ‘Is the Church in default of its obligation as a signatory to the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child?’ (Excerpt from news.bbc.co.uk)
The US locks up more people than any other country in the world, spending over $80 billion each year to keep some two million prisoners behind bars.
Over the past three decades, tough sentencing laws have contributed to a doubling of the country’s prison population, with laws like the ‘Three Strikes and You’re Out’ mandating life sentences for a wide range of crimes.
Why does the US put so many people behind bars and what lies behind California’s new push for leniency? But a clear sign that Americans are rethinking crime and punishment is a voter’s initiative on California’s November ballot called Proposition 36 that seeks to reform the state’s three-strikes law.
Some 27 states have three-strikes laws patterned after California’s version, which was one of the first to be enacted in the country.
Activists who are campaigning to change the three-strikes law in California are also trying to raise awareness about conditions inside prisons. They are targeting the use of special security units at maximum security prisons
This short documentary looks at how easy it is to make fake passports and scam the rich into trusting you with thousands of dollars.
If the fraud industry were its own country, it would have the fifth strongest economy in the world, just ahead of the UK.
Meet the fraudsters who’re making a killing from the fastest growing crime on Earth.
VICE showcases the British fraud industry and the unapologetic mindset of the type of people who turn to that life to make a living.
It’s interesting to see it from their perspective, but it’s nothing short of violating to know that these are the types of people who think identity theft, credit damage and stealing are viable ways to make a living.
This month, we are giving away a FREE copy of The End of Faith by Sam Harris. Simply go to our Facebook page, and start sharing our posts. The person or organization that shares the most DH posts by Halloween wins the book!
eorge McGovern, the United States senator who won the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 1972 as an opponent of the war in Vietnam and a champion of liberal causes, and who was then trounced by President Richard M. Nixon in the general election, died early Sunday in Sioux Falls, S.D. He was 90.
owhere has Mitt Romney's pursuit of the presidency been more warmly welcomed or closely followed than here in Utah. The Republican nominee's political and religious pedigrees, his adeptly bipartisan governorship of a Democratic state, and his head for business and the bottom line all inspire admiration and hope in our largely Mormon, Republican, business-friendly state.
magine a presidential candidate who spoke with blunt honesty about American problems, dwelling on measures by which the United States lags its economic peers. What might this mythical candidate talk about on the stump? He might vow to turn around the dismal statistics on child poverty, declaring it an outrage that of the 35 most economically advanced countries, the United States ranks 34th
The thorny issue of religious belief and discrimination law (again)
Black & Morgan v. Wilkinson (unreported, 18 October 2012, Slough County Court) – Read judgment. The Christian owner of a B&B in Berkshire was found to have discriminated against a gay couple by refusing to allow them stay in a double-bedded room because of her belief that all sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong.
Plenty of claims that removal of discrimination violates principles of religious freedom. Even that provision of exemptions for religious organisations is “forcing Christians back into their churches.” Removing them from the public square!
More Iraqi babies suffer birth defects caused by US weapons A recent study shows a spiraling numbers of birth defects, ranging from congenital heart defects to brain dysfunctions and malformed limbs, among Iraqi babies as a result of weapons used by the US and UK forces. http://presstv.com/detail/2012/10/20/267785/more-iraqi-kids-fall-victim-to-us-war/
Romney-Ryan ticket to return a more militarized version of Bush era A Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan administration would bring back to American foreign and domestic policy all the worst elements of the Bush administration, along with a greater degree of militarism, home-grown fascism, and a greater likelihood of war with such countries as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea, China, and Russia. http://presstv.com/detail/2012/10/20/267713/romneyryan-ticket-return-of-bush-era/
US committing holocaust for regime change in Iran: Analyst A prominent political analyst says the US-led sanctions against the Islamic Republic are “jeopardizing the lives of millions of patients” in Iran by trying to achieve the “grand delusion” of installing a pro-West regime in the country. http://presstv.com/detail/2012/10/19/267634/iran-bans-ussanctioned-holocaust/
New York Times Flacks for Jewish Groups Against 15 Major Christian LeadersYou have to know American Jewish "leaders" are really riled up when they call on the New York Times to flack for them against 15 leaders of Christian churches who had the audacity to send a letter to the US Congress, which said, with proper Christian indignation: http://www.opednews.com/articles/New-York-Times-Flacks-for-by-James-Wall-121021-930.html
An Exceptional America CAN have a Bloodless Revolution Overnight! It sounds too good to be true, but it isn't, and we are surely at risk of much worse happening 'overnight', if Romney gets to fulfill his DAY ONE hopes. So let's take a look at how a few major changes, by making ours a citizen owned, self-reliant, largely money-less society, can improve our individual personal situations, on micro- to macro- (like family, social, employment, health, educational, and environmental, including property) levels. This would also give us a better standing in the world than we've EVER known, and will put us in a good position to pay off the deficit, and to help other countries in more permanent and meaningful ways. It would also change the way that the Constitution, and thus, law itself, will be presented, changed and simplified, and enforced clearly and fairly. http://www.opednews.com/articles/An-Exceptional-America-CAN-by-Kim-Cassidy-121021-226.html
Clear and Present Danger: The Corporatist Two Party DuopolyCorporatism (or Corporate Fascism) --A term often first attributed to Benito Mussolini of Italy in the early 1900's defining the complete merger of the corporations with the nation state. Also, often referred to as just Fascism. Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt wrote an article about fascism ("Fascism Anyone?," Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20). Studying the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. http://www.opednews.com/articles/Clear-and-Present-Danger--by-Dr-Tom-Baldwin-121020-168.html
Spam campaign tricking thousands with shortened .gov URLs Symantec has reported an increase in spam messages containing .gov URLs. Cybercriminals are using 1.usa.gov links in their spam campaigns to trick users into thinking the links lead to genuine US government Web sites. http://thehackernews.com/2012/10/spam-campaign-tricking-thousands-with.html
6 Reasons to Stop Trusting Banks
Recently, the Federal Reserve has been allocating $40 million each month to help lower mortgage rates, according to the Washington Post. With this money, the U.S. government is hoping that the banks will grant loans at lower rates to boost the housing market. It’s a great plan… unless the banks decided not to modify the loan rates and keep most of the money for itself anyway, which is exactly what they’re doing, despite already making record profits as of late.
Jewish Domination? Occupation More Likely The recent attack on Free Gaza’s Greta Berlin and Colonel Ann Wright suggests that we have crossed a red line -- Jewish domination within the Palestinian solidarity movement belongs to the past. We are now, it seems, under Zionist occupation, and we are subject to all the symptoms of Israeli abuse and Zionist brutality. http://www.countercurrents.org/atzmon201012.htm
Chomsky In Gaza: Academic Boycott “Will Strengthen Support For Israel” Legendary MIT linguistics professor and political author Noam Chomsky has been visiting the Gaza Strip for a linguistics conference and as a demonstration of political solidarity. http://www.countercurrents.org/almeghari201012.htm
Children Under Attack in Pakistan and Afghanistan
Six children were attacked in Afghanistan and Pakistan this past week. Three of them, teenaged girls on a school bus in Peshawar, in the tribal region of western Pakistan, were shot and gravely wounded by two Taliban gunmen who were after Malala Yousufzai, a 14-year-old girl who has been bravely demanding the right of girls to an education. After taking a bullet to the head, and facing further death threats, she has been moved to a specialty hospital in Britain. Her two wounded classmates are being treated in Pakistan. The other three children were not so lucky. They were killed Sunday in an aerial attack by a US aircraft in the the Nawa district of Helmand Province in Afghanistan, not so far from Pakistan.
How misleading can a "news" article get? Try this headline: "Federal Reserve bombing plot foiled in NYC". There never was a plot to foil. There never was a plot independent of the FBI to foil. The plot was of the FBI's own devising and instigation. There never was an ongoing crime for the FBI to detect and stop.
It wasn't very long ago when the worldview of the United States was one of a country that represented justice, democracy, freedom and moral accountability, even if only in the minds of the naive. Unfortunately, not only does the U.S. no longer remind anyone of these values, but the mention of these values is now scorned by many ordinary Americans that have gobbled up the Military-Industrial-Complex paradigm of the fascist global government.
eorge McGovern
