democratic government slippage
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National Security Agency whistleblowers William Binney, former technical director; Kirk Wiebe, former senior analyst; and Thomas Drake, former senior official, sit down with “Viewpoint” host Eliot Spitzer for an extended interview. The men describe Trailblazer and Stellar Wind, NSA programs designed to intercept Americans’ phone calls, emails and other communications, without the need for warrants or oversight — which they say breaks the law. Thomas Drake describes his decision to reveal the secret surveillance to authorities and the public: “Not only did I discover the wheels had come off the existing vehicle, we were in an entirely new vehicle — in absolute violation of the Constitution.
NSA whistleblowers warn of secret spying programs that can target anyone - Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer
NSA Whistleblower: Justice Department Covers Up Crimes of Obama, Bush Administrations
In a recent segment from Current TV ‘s show “Viewpoint,” hosted by Eliot Spitzer, three National Security Agency whistleblowers appear.
A conflict of interest ( COI ) occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other. The presence of a conflict of interest is independent from the execution of impropriety. Therefore, a conflict of interest can be discovered and voluntarily defused before any corruption occurs. [ edit ] Conflicts of interest related to the practice of law Judicial disqualification , also referred to as recusal , refers to the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer. Applicable statutes or canons of ethics may provide standards for recusal in a given proceeding or matter.
Conflict of interest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nearly half in Congress are millionaires, study finds - Boston.com
Pastor, who said the key to his financial good fortune was simply watching what he spends and paying off debts, does not consider himself rich. Indeed, within the gilded halls of Congress, where the median net worth is $913,000 and climbing, he is not. He is a rank-and-file millionaire.
GAO Finds Serious Conflicts at the Fed - Newsroom: Bernie Sanders - U.S. Senator for Vermont
October 19, 2011
The Great Transformation (book) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Great Transformation is a book by Karl Polanyi , an Austro - Hungarian political economist . First published in 1944, it deals with the social and political upheavals that took place in England during the rise of the market economy. Polanyi contends that the modern market economy and the modern nation-state should be understood not as discrete elements, but as the single human invention he calls the Market Society. [ edit ] General argument Polanyi argued that the development of the modern state went hand in hand with the development of modern market economies and that these two changes were inexorably linked in history.
Under Siege: How Government Centralization and Expansion Puts Democracy in the Service of Special Interests
In its first full year of business in 1998, the 99 Cents Only store in the north Los Angeles city of Lancaster did over $5 million in sales.
This weekend I read a post titled " Dear Congress: It Is No Longer OK To Not Know How the Internet Works ." The author, Joshua Kopstein, is right: it's not ok to not know about something before legislating or regulating it.
Information Diet | Dear Internet: It's No Longer OK to Not Know How Congress Works
Contributions to Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow ("ABTT") are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. ABTT may accept unlimited corporate contributions, unlimited individual contributions, unlimited labor-union contributions, and unlimited PAC contributions. Contributions from foreign nationals and federal-government contractors will not be accepted. *Federal law requires ABTT's best efforts to obtain and report the name, address, occupation, and employer of any individual who contributes more than $200 in a calendar year.
Colbert Super PAC | Making a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow | ColbertSuperPac.com
Who’s Financing the ‘Super PACs’ - Graphic - NYTimes.com
A look at the major donors to “super PACs” during the 2012 campaign cycle.
Occupy Wall Street Makes Official Call To Amend Constitution | The 2012 Scenario
Efforts to amend the Constitution to declare that corporations are not people and money is not speech gained support in two notable New York forums this week.Corporatocracy: Living in the UCA (United Corps. of America)
This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com . To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com . As intense protests spawned by Occupy Wall Street continue to grow, it is worth asking: Why now?
How the Rich Subverted the Legal System and Occupy Wall Street Swept the Land | The Nation
Following is an excerpt from Glenn Greenwald’s new book, With Liberty and Justice for Some: How Law is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful ; this is from the section of the book examining how the Ford pardon of Nixon entrenched the corrupt precepts of modern elite immunity: As multiple episodes demonstrate, a belief that elite immunity is both necessary and justified became the prevailing ethos in the nation’s most influential circles. In countless instances over recent years, prominent political and media figures have insisted that serious crimes by the most powerful should be overlooked— either in the name of the common good, or in the name of a warped conception of fairness according to which those with the greatest power are the most entitled to deference and understanding. This is what makes the contemporary form of American lawlessness new and unprecedented. It is now perfectly common, and perfectly acceptable, to openly advocate elite immunity.
Glenn Greenwald: With Liberty and Justice for Some
In July 2010, Martin Joel Erzinger, a hedge fund manager for extremely wealthy investors at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, was driving his car near Vail, Colorado, when he hit a bicyclist from behind and then sped away. The Vail Daily reported that the victim, Steven Milo, suffered "spinal cord injuries, bleeding from his brain and damage to his knee and scapula," which left him facing multiple surgeries. The newspaper's account of the incident makes clear that Erzinger should have been prosecuted for this incident. Milo was bicycling eastbound on Highway 6 just east of Miller Ranch Road, when Erzinger allegedly hit him with the black 2010 Mercedes Benz sedan he was driving. Erzinger fled the scene and was arrested later, police say.
Glenn Greenwald: Too Big to Jail (Book Excerpt)
Corporatocracy to Democracy
In the Era of Occupy Wall Street Obama Relies on Wall Street to Fund His Re-Election | October 2011
President Obama and his aides are increasingly making common cause with the Occupy Wall Street protestors angry about the greed and influence of the nation’s financial powerhouses. That’s a sensible move for a chief executive searching for some populist appeal. This is a president, after all, who helped bail out the banks, did not press to punish or prosecute the titans who created the financial crisis, hired Tim Geithner as Treasury Secretary, and spent much of his term negotiating with Republicans who habitually, in his own words, leave him at the altar. And yet expressing sympathy with those who are demonstrating against obscene Wall Street profits is a bit tougher when your campaign is tapping that very street for loads of cash.manufacturing consent -theoretical-
corporation
tax havens / tax evasion = money NOT invested in public domain
Psywar - Full Documentary - YouTube
1:05:10 --> Walter Lippmann coined Manufacture of Consent by Jan 5
inside job
Demise of journalistic independency & access of Uni / HE Media
STOP PRISON FOR PROFIT
Big Society and Localism
space corporate~private ?
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