Spinning Unemployment in a Collapsing Empire

By Paul Craig Roberts

Today the United States has only 11,670,000 manufacturing jobs, less than 9% of total jobs. Yet, despite America’s heavy dependence on foreign manufactures and foreign creditors, the idiots in Washington think that they are a superpower standing astride the world like a colossus. Continue

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Economists Foretell of U.S. Decline, China's Ascension

By Mark Felsenthal

"The age of American predominance is over," he told a panel. "The (Chinese) Yuan will be the world's reserve currency within two decades." Continue

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Obama Eyeing Internet ID for Americans

By Declan McCullagh

President Obama is planning to hand the U.S. Commerce Department authority over a forthcoming cybersecurity effort to create an Internet ID for Americans, a White House official said here today. Continue

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Patriot Act, a Nazi Law: Ex-CIA Officer

By Press TV

“Governments have been willing to use fear, such as fear of terrorism, and fear of the enemy, as a way to get the people lined up in support of government policies. Very often these policies are essentially bad for the people because they take away many of their rights,” the former CIA officer said. Continue

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A Free And Fearless Press?
In WikiLeaks Fight, U.S. Journalists Take the Fifth

By Nancy A. Youssef

The freedom of the press committee of the Overseas Press Club of America in New York City declared him "not one of us." Continue

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Drawing Imaginary Lines in the Constitution:
The Economics of Citizenship

By Michelle Chen

Conservative lawmakers kicked off the new legislative session with a grandiose reading of the Constitution in the House this week, and then quickly settled down to shred its most important provisions. Continue

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These Astroturf Libertarians are the Real Threat to Internet Democracy

By George Monbiot

The online sabotaging of intelligent debate seems organised. We must fight to save this precious gift. Continue

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Video - Police Shoot Man in Wheelchair

By David Edwards

A man in a wheelchair was shot twice in the groin by San Francisco police outside a mental health facility Tuesday. Continue

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15 Militants Killed In N Afghanistan: Afghan and NATO-led forces eliminated 15 Taliban insurgents during overnight operations in the country's Kunduz province, 250 km north of Afghan capital Kabul, China's Xinhua news agency quoted police as saying Monday.

Five civilians killed in Afghanistan: 'Three civilians including a child were killed during a clash between coalition forces and militants in Helmand,' a statement issued by the provincial governor's office said.

Two Nato occupation force soldiers killed in Afghanistan: A Danish soldier was killed early Sunday by an improvised explosive device. A French soldiers was also killed by a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday.

Pakistan governor's killing: 'hidden hands' at work: In her first interview following the assassination of her father, the daughter of Salmaan Taseer tells Chanel 4 News she believes there are many "hidden hands" behind his murder.

Bombs Kill Four Across Iraq, among Them Children: Four Iraqis, including two children, have been killed and five others have been injured in bombings across the country over the past 48 hours.

Iraq: cleric warns Maliki of walkout if US troops stay: Moqtada al-Sadr willing to imperil prime minister's position if US soliders stay past expiration of security agreement

Iraq to buy $26 billion worth of armaments from United States: The money will be used to buy aircraft, helicopters, tanks, other armored vehicles, warships and missiles, to enter service with the Iraqi defense and interior ministries.

US forced to import bullets from Israel as troops use 250,000 for every rebel killed: A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as changes in military doctrine.

Hamas urges Gaza militant groups to stop attacks on Israel: "We began contacts with factions over the situation in the field. Hamas seeks to control the situation on the ground and urge factions to recommit to the national agreement," Hamas official Ayman Taha said.

EU's Ashton raps Israel for demolishing East Jerusalem hotel: Israeli bulldozers demolishing a wing of a derelict hotel in a settlement project that has angered Palestinians and drawn U.S. objectio

US Embassy Cables: Mossad implicated in murder of Hamas leader: Fourteen of the suspected murders used MasterCard credit cards issued by MetaBank, in Iowa, to book hotel rooms and pay for air travel.

US demands Twitter release Assange details: A court order issued on 14 December ordered Twitter not to disclose the existence of the subpoena to any of those targeted because it was part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Only after legal action by Twitter was the order made public.

US demands IP's and other info of all 637,000 followers: Wikileaks says: Too late to unfollow; Trick used is to demand the lists, dates and IPs of all who received our twitter messages.

Original Twitter Subpoena : pdf: 637,000 #Wikileaks followers are target of US gov subpoena against Twitter

I Use Identity Cloaker: Identity Cloaker could be defined as an "Internet Privacy Protection Service". Its main goal is to protect your privacy by encrypting the data sent over the Internet in the most vulnerable part of the data transmission path, and by hiding your physical location and IP address from the prying eyes.

Facebook and Google under pressure over WikiLeaks: Pressure was growing for Facebook and Google to state whether they have been asked to submit data on prominent figures linked to WikiLeaks, as fresh signs emerged that a secret jury investigation will lead to an attempt to lay criminal charges against the whistleblowing website's founder.

Doctor's optimistic about condition of Jewish Congresswoman after shooting: Doctors say Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition but able to follow simple commands, such as holding up two fingers when asked.
The "Lock and Load" Rhetoric of American Politics Isn't Just a Metaphor: I'm not saying that putting a bullseye on Arizona Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' congressional race - as Sarah Palin did - was an explicit or intentional invitation to violence.
Jared Lee Loughner: erratic, disturbed and prone to rightwing rants: Loughner echoes concerns of Tea Party movement in videos that reveal fears about government brainwashing
Did the U.S. government misuse science to justify torture?: It is also possible that CIA doctors may have "neglected and/or concealed medical evidence of intentional harm" among detainees held after the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to a separate report from Physicians for Human Rights.
US will respond to Chinese military build-up: The US said at the weekend it would respond to the rapidly-increasing military capabilities of China by building up its own strength in the region.
Government Spending Per Minute: $6.85 Million: The government spends, on average, nearly $7 million every minute. That means the cost-cutting measure yesterday only saved taxpayers enough to cover about five minutes worth of spending - less time than it takes to hold the average congressional vote.
The Tea Party rules Washington as Barack Obama braces for savage cuts: New breed of right-wingers takes over the Capitol with a slash-and-burn agenda that threatens the White House
Bankrupt banks: Florida, Arizona Banks First Ones to Fail in 2011: Regulators shuttered the first two banks to fail this year. The two are the first banks to collapse in 2011, following 157 closures in 2010.
Food stamp applications skyrocket in South Florida: Nearly 1 million South Floridians need food stamps to get by — an increase of almost 200,000 in the last year alone. That jump is more than the entire population of Fort Lauderdale.