January 4, 2007

THE THINKING SPOT

"If a country develops an economic system that is based on how to pay for the war, and if the amounts of fixed capital invest up in armaments, and if that country is a major exporter of arms, and its industrial fabric is dependent on them, then it would be in that country's interests to ensure that it always had a market. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is clearly in the interests of the world's leading arms exporters to make sure that there is always a war going on somewhere.": Marilyn Waring - Source: Documentary 'Who's Counting', based on her book 'Counting for Nothing'.

ALERT

Bush Signing Statement Claims Power to Open Americans' Mail without a judge's warrant - a postal reform bill into law on December 20, followed by a "signing statement."
http://tinyurl.com/sa3ud

DUMB BUSHISM

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator."
—Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 200

PONDER THIS

The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

THE WHITE HOUSE

On the Eve of the New America, The Edge of Madness Returns ** For six years George W. Bush has governed like a dictator. He has imposed his will upon a pliant if not culpable Congress. The GOP controlled Congress abdicated their constitutional responsibilities for their party allegiances. They put their party before their country. The result was six years of unprecedented abuse and corruption. The result was six years of corporate gains and personal losses. The result was six years of unnecessary bloodshed over lies. Flat out lies.
http://tinyurl.com/ycbcsk

DID YOU KNOW

-Miers Resigns as White House Counsel

-Zyprexa looking more and more a dangerous drug

-Kuwaiti in talks to buy Saddam's 'noose'

-Democrats Divided on War Remedy

-neo-cons are again helping to steer Iraq policy.

-it will be the Iraqis who end the war by killing excessive numbers of Americans

-The Republican minority son't roll over and die

-The right-wing propaganda/spin bit won't leave

-The rich/corps, etc aren't going to go away

-Trans fats being banned by more cities and restaurants

-Mullah Omar says hasn't seen bin Laden for years

-Hurricane Katrina was nothing compared with the big one yet to come.

-security breakdowns at Los Alamos National Laboratory and other facilities-chief fired

-Bush To Name Replacements For Gen. Abizaid, Casey Next Week

-Fmr. Chief Justice Rehnquist Had Hallucinations, Believed CIA Was Plotting Against Him

-Minimum wage $5.15 per hour to $7.25 over the next two years

-Museum Exhibition Shows Natural, Rampant Homosexuality In The Animal World

-Death sentences in U.S. at 30-year low

LEGAL ITEMS

Unions Sue OSHA to Implement Safety Rule - The AFL-CIO and the United Food and Commercial Workers union sued the federal agency in charge of workers' health and safety on Wednesday, saying it has failed to implement a rule that would require employers to buy protective equipment for their employees.
http://tinyurl.com/wdjso

Labor Activism Case Goes to High Court - The US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next week on whether public employee unions must receive permission before spending workers' dues on political causes.
http://tinyurl.com/y5g6m2

ENVIRONMENT

Shut Out of the Forests - "The (Bush) administration has decided to simply eliminate the bothersome environmental reviews previously applied to management plans for the 193 million acres of national forest," writes the Baltimore Sun
http://tinyurl.com/yxamro

INTERNATIONAL

Pregnant Women's "Bill of Rights" - Every pregnant woman in Scotland will receive an employment "bill of rights" at her 12-week scan as part of a campaign to stamp out sex discrimination at work.
http://tinyurl.com/y2etpd