Mass Incarceration and Criminal Justice in America. [The New Yorker] – Mass incarceration on a scale almost unexampled in human history is a fundamental fact of our country today – perhaps the fundamental fact, as slavery was the fundamental fact of 1850.
Obama’s Catholic Problem
Obama’s Catholic Friends and Enemies. [RealClearPolitics] – Any time the Obama administration touches issues related to the Roman Catholic Church, it seems to get itself caught in a rhetorical and moral crossfire that leaves all involved wounded and angry. This is what’s happening in the battle over how contraception should be covered under the new health care law.
Sunday Morning Quote | FDR
It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocketbook often groans more loudly than an empty stomach.
– FDR
Follow The Money 2012
Here are the top donors of the 2012 election cycle thus far to Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Click on any of the lists for more information.
| Obama | Romney | Gingrich |
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In case you’re interested, here are links to information for Ron Paul and for Rick Santorum.
The World According To Monsanto
Here’s your movie (and book) of the week.
The World According To Monsanto is a 2008 documentary film made by investigative journalist Marie-Monique Robin. She spent three years looking into the history and the current activities of this multi-national agricultural giant.
She has also written an accompanying book of the same title, which won the Rachel Carson Prize. The story she tells is not pretty.
Robin reports that, following its long history of manufacturing hazardous chemicals and lethal herbicides, Monsanto is now marketing itself as a “life sciences” company, seemingly convinced about the virtues of sustainable development. However, Monsanto now controls the majority of the yield of the world’s genetically modified corn and soy–ingredients found in more than 95 percent of American households–and its alarming legal and political tactics to maintain this monopoly are the subject of worldwide concern.
I tend toward equanimity, but this shocking exposé has caused me great alarm. Monsanto has a well-documented past of rigging safety studies to cover up harm (both real and potential). They hold great sway over our government. They are systematically and intentionally destroying bio-diversity on our planet, along with the way of life and livelihood of millions.
I urge you to read this book, or to watch the film, or both – and please help spread the word. It may already be too late to mitigate some of the effects of this treachery, but we must do what we can. Look for more information here in the coming days on how to fight back.
Links and Video Embed
Monsanto, Dupont & Obama
The Unholy Alliance: Monsanto, Dupont & Obama. [Ronnie Cummins | The Huffington Post] – On the campaign trail, President Obama affirms that agribusiness cannot be trusted with the policy and regulatory powers of government, but in office, he’s let Monsanto, Dupont and the other pesticide and genetic engineering companies know they’ll have plenty of friends and supporters within his administration.
Why Chris Hedges is Suing Barack Obama
Somehow I missed this article last week. God bless Chris, and his efforts.
Chris Hedges: Why I’m Suing Barack Obama. [Truthdig] – I spent many years in countries where the military had the power to arrest and detain citizens without charge. I have been in some of these jails. I have friends and colleagues who have “disappeared” into military gulags. I know the consequences of granting sweeping and unrestricted policing power to the armed forces of any nation. And while my battle may be quixotic, it is one that has to be fought if we are to have any hope of pulling this country back from corporate fascism.
Ron Paul Unmasked
Billy Wharton peels back the layers to reveal the essence of Ron Paul: an ideology that would only make the problem worse.
The Misadventure of Ron Paul. [Socialist WebZine] – Forget the Fed. Leave aside all the slogans about “living within our means” and “punishing generations with debt” for a moment. Ron Paul is the most pro-corporate politician in the Presidential race.
SOTU 2012
Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address. [The White House] – “Think about the America within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs. A future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world. An economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.”
Full text is here.
Death in a Sweatshop
Anniversary of a Death in a New York Sweatshop. [Counterpunch] – A year ago today, Juan Baten, a 22-year-old Guatemalan, was crushed to death while working in a Brooklyn tortilla factory. A year later, justice has still not been done.