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Corruption

Corruption

An Expose Of Petroleum Pigs And Finance

Greg Palast presents his investigation of the BP oil spill and talks about the corruption that permeates the oil industry, the financial sector, and government. Greg plays the part of a hard-bitten detective.  He participated in five movies and authored four books including Armed Madhouse and The Best Democracy Money Can Buy.
Source: Vulture's Picnic

The world fears the U.S.

Ex-Senator and former U.S. presidential candidate Mike Gravel says the U.S. is like a drunkard who charges to war with any country who might pose a threat.
Source: 'World fears US as a war-hungry drunk' - ex-Senator


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Blamed for Bee Collapse, Monsanto Buys Leading Bee Research Firm

Blamed for Bee Collapse, Monsanto Buys Leading Bee Research Firm

    Monsanto, the massive biotechnology company being blamed for contributing to the dwindling bee population, has bought up one of the leading bee collapse research organizations. Recently banned from Poland with one of the primary reasons being that the company’s genetically modified corn may be devastating the dying bee population, it is evident that Monsanto is under serious fire for their role in the downfall of the vital insects. It is therefore quite apparent why Monsanto bought one of the largest bee research firms on the planet.

    It can be found in public company reports hosted on mainstream media that Monsanto scooped up the Beeologics firm back in September 2011. During this time the correlation between Monsanto’s GM crops and the bee decline was not explored in the mainstream, and in fact it was hardly touched upon until Polish officials addressed the serious concern amid the monumental ban. Owning a major organization that focuses heavily on the bee collapse and is recognized by the USDA for their mission statement of “restoring bee health and protecting the future of insect pollination” could be very advantageous for Monsanto.

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average California Taxpayers $423 a Year, Each California Small Business $2,010

Offshore Tax Havens Cost Average California Taxpayers $423 a Year, Each California Small Business $2,010

    With tax day approaching, a new study released by CALPIRG found that the average California taxpayer in 2011 would have to shoulder an extra $423 tax burden to make up for revenue lost from corporations and wealthy individuals shifting income to offshore tax havens. The report additionally found that to cover the cost of the corporate abuse of tax havens in 2011, small businesses in California would have to foot a bill of over $2,010 on average.

    Every year, corporations and wealthy individuals avoid paying an estimated $100 billion in taxes by shifting income to low or no tax offshore tax havens. Of that $100 billion, $60 billion in taxes are avoided specifically by corporations. A GAO study found that at least 83 of the top 100 publically traded corporations use offshore tax havens.

Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges

Chris Hedges

In the style of a Old Testament Prophet, Chris Hedges decries the coming capitalistic totalitarianism and urge activists to promote democratic socialism. Journalist Chris Hedges discusses the dramatic rise of a post-literate society that craves fantasy, ecstasy, and illusion as illustrated by the life of pop star Michael Jackson.

Chris Hedges, author of "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning," is currently a senior fellow at The Nation Institute and the Anschutz Distinguished Fellow at Princeton University. He writes for many publications, including Foreign Affairs, Harper’s, The New York Review of Books, Granta, and Mother Jones. He is also a columnist for Truthdig.com.
Source: Chris Hedges: Empire of Illusion

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How Politicians Get Rich Off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals, and Cronyism

Jimmy Williams

A Former Lobbyist Tells All

Jimmy Williams used to lobby for the powerful National Association of Realtors. He tells us about the steady flow of donations that Congressmembers need, and how he wants to take down the crazy campaign finance system.
Source: The Friday Podcast: A Former Lobbyist Tells All

Peter Schweizer

How Politicians Get Rich Off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals, and Cronyism That Would Send the Rest of Us to Prison

Peter Schweizer explains how members of Congress profit from insider trading and use their political influence for their own financial gain. He reports on several current members of the House and Senate who have affected votes on bills or gathered information from briefings to benefit their financial portfolio.

Peter Schweizer is the author of several books, including Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty -Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism. He was a consultant to the Office of Presidential Speechwriting in the White House from 2008-2009 and is currently the William J. Casey Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.
Source: Throw Them All Out: How Politicians and Their Friends Get Rich Off Insider Stock Tips, Land Deals, and Cronyism That Would Send the Rest of Us to Prison



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OccupySac Spotlights US Bank Foreclosure Fraud Practices

PRESS ADVISORY

Contact: Rev. Ashiya Odeye, Executive Director, Justice Reform Coalition, 916 893-9793 cell therev – AT – justicereformcoaltion.org www.justicereformcoalition.org

attention: daybook/assignment desk

    SACRAMENTO – US Bank – which Monday announced it would be leaving UC Davis because of protests by Occupy – is the target again Tuesday….this time in Sacramento as Occupy supports the fight to save a local farm from foreclosure and eviction.

Glenn Greenwald on America's lawless elite

Glenn Greenwald

Tom Ashbrook interviews Glenn Greenwald

From Watergate to Gitmo to Occupy, we will hear from Glenn Greenwald on what he calls the rise of an American's lawless elite.
Source: Glenn Greenwald On “America’s Lawless Elite”

Glenn Greenwald talks to Bob McChesney

Greenwald was named by The Atlantic as one of the 25 most influential political commentators in the nation. He is the recipient of the first annual I.F. Stone Award for Independent Journalism, and is the winner of the 2010 Online Journalism Association Award for his investigative work on the arrest and oppressive detention of Bradley Manning.
Source: Glenn Greenwald, former Constitutional and Civil Rights Litigator joins McChesney on Sunday




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Did Bradley Manning force Obama to end the Iraq war?

"Cruel and unusual": Did Bradley Manning force Obama to end the Iraq war?

    [...]

    Who ended the Iraq war? The President is receiving credit for pulling American troops out of that quagmire, but writer Chris Floyd argues that Manning forced Obama's hand. The argument draws from a point made by William Blum:

    It was after seeing American war crimes such as those depicted in the video "Collateral Murder" and documented in the "Iraq War Logs," made public by Manning and Wikileaks, that the Iraqis refused to exempt US forces from prosecution for future crimes. The video depicts an American helicopter indiscriminately murdering several non-combatants in addition to two Reuters journalists, and the wounding of two little children, while the helicopter pilots cheer the attacks in a Baghdad suburb like it was the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia.

    The insistence of the Iraqi government on legal jurisdiction over American soldiers for violations of Iraqi law — something the United States rarely, if ever, accepts in any of the many countries where its military is stationed — forced the Obama administration to pull the remaining American troops from the country.

How The Wealthy Buy Politicians

Lawrence Lessig & Jack Abramoff

Jack Abramoff is a former lobbyist who pleaded guilty in 2006 to charges of fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to bribe public officials. Abramoff also worked as businessman, movie producer and writer. Abramoff's lobbying and the scandals and investigation are featured in a documentary movie "Casino Jack and the United States of Money" and a political satire movie titled "Casino Jack".

Lawrence Lessig is a law professor at Harvard. He has been the lead counsel in important cases concerning copyright laws for digital content. His current work concerns institutional corruption.
Source: Lawrence Lessig interviews Jack Abramoff



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Legal Experts Destroy Rationale for Obama’s Assassination Policy … And Slam Democrats for Supporting It

Legal Experts Destroy Rationale for Obama’s Assassination Policy … And Slam Democrats for Supporting It

Obama Expanding Program Started by Cheney

    Attorney General Eric Holder announced at Northwestern University law school that the U.S. can assassinate U.S. citizens without any without disclosure of why they are even alleged to be baddies and without any review of any nature whatsoever by any judge, Congress or the American people.

    Northwestern University’s law school professor Joseph Margulies said:

      I defy anyone to read [Holder's] speech and show any differences between Obama and Bush on these issues, They both say we are in a war not confined to particular battlefield. … Both say we can target citizens without judicial oversight and that can happen anywhere in the world.

    Columbia law school professor Scott Horton notes that this assassination strategy was created by Dick Cheney, and is being carried out by the Obama administration:

      A lot of this seems to have been put in place under the tutelage of Dick Cheney. So here we see one of Dick Cheney’s ideas being ratified by Barack Obama and his Attorney General Eric Holder.

What Americans Must Do to Save the Republic

Catherine Crier

Catherine Crier, former judge and Emmy-winning journalist, argues that partisan politics are hurting the United States. She advocates reducing legal corruption in Washington, D.C. She has been television personality for CNN, ABC, Fox News and ESPN.
Source: Patriot Acts


The Other Scott Horton

Scott Horton Interviews The Other Scott Horton

The Other Scott Horton is an international human rights lawyer and contributing editor at Harper’s magazine and no relation to the interviewer. They discusses the U.S. government's refusal prosecute torturers. Also how WikiLeaks exposed high-level U.S. efforts to squash previous Spanish investigations of American political and military figures. Included is the contrast of U.S.’ repudiation of international law and universal jurisdiction, after helping establish them after WWII. The National Defense Authorization Act's indefinite detention provision also part of the conversation.
Source: Scott Horton Interviews The Other Scott Horton



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Institutional Corruption in the U.S. Government

Lawrence Lessig

Lawrence Lessig joins Bob McChesney to talk about institutional corruption. Lawrence Lessig is a Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. His current work concerns institutional corruption and the economy of influence that weakens the effectiveness of an institution, or weakens public trust.
Source: Lawrence Lessig joins McChesney on Media Matters with Bob McChesney


President Andrew Jackson

Where did the U.S. debt come from? What happened the one time the U.S. paid it all off? Why did the U.S. Congress created the debt ceiling in the first place? A short review of the legend of the national debt. This podcast doesn't explain why people fear what they don't understand.
Source: When The U.S. Paid Off The Entire National Debt (And Why It Didn't Last)



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Brooksley Born's LONE Futile Fight w/Greenspan Fraudsters

Re-POST from 4-8-10

Citigroup's Rubin's and Prince's "Duh" testimony in Congress about the financial crisis! So, sorry, America. We had no idea. Is that as good as the accountability gets?

Time to resurrect the story of Brooksley Born this week and try to sustain in our memory how clearly it indicts these masters of the universe who have gang-raped Americans of their financial security. The truth of Born's story won't be highlighted with any help from a corporate-loving media, unfortunately, or a Congress that colluded with the financial clique headed by Greenspan that "killed" messenger Born's message OVER A DECADE AGO.

This is an article I wrote about Brooksley Born back on October 24, 2009 for FDL's Seminal. With the assembly line of fresh hells and horrors and the kabuki exercises in faux-accountability the cronies of the banking industry are pulling with their paid off cronies in Congress, let us remember what actually was going down back then. I have bolded certain assertions worth remembering.


http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/11000

Business, Academia, Government STILL Slopping at US Trough

RE-POST from 8-10-11

Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian:

Once again, the phrase that comes to mind is Milton Friedman's: socialism for the rich, free enterprise for the rest. An ordinary person defaults on his debt, he gets to live in his car. A banker defaults, and the taxpayer can be relied on to bail him out.

Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe:

Chief executive Lloyd Blankfein is reported to have taken home $125 million in bonuses over the course of a decade. What’s amazing about that Senate hearing is how Blankfein and other Goldman Sachs executives appeared to be unfazed when confronted with evidence of their malfeasance — pushing securities they knew to be iffy. Notoriously, the company’s e-mails use a different, unprintable word.

Wikipedia:

The Banksters Have Won: The Top Twelve Reasons Why You Should Hate the Fraudclosure Settlement

But first watch this ...

... and also, California AG, Kamala Harris sold us out

The Top Twelve Reasons Why You Should Hate the Mortgage Settlement

Here are the top twelve reasons why this deal stinks:

    1. We’ve now set a price for forgeries and fabricating documents. It’s $2000 per loan.