Do you ever wonder why Republicans hate public education? A lot depends on which Republicans you're talking about. The Old Skool Conservatives just don't think wealthy men's taxes should go towards educating poor men's daughters. That kind of defines core conservatism. But the GOP New Skool isn't conservative; it's some kind of sick conglomeration of reactionaries, neo-fascists, racists and nihilists. They fear and oppose modern society in general; it almost makes no sense even discussing issues with them from the perspective of reason.

At least 14 people were killed and 20 more were wounded in the latest attacks.

Why isn't this man crying?"Republicans say, 'Remember one thing. We are standing up for an important principle. And as soon as we figure out what it is, you will be the first to know.' "-- Bill Maher"John Boehner holds the nation hostage because the Tea Party holds him hostage.

RT | October 16, 2013

The NSA has attacked key European institutions such as the EU parliament and banking system, using malware to find out all there is to know about other countries in a power game, Andy Mueller-Moguhn, founder of Buggedplannet.info, tells RT.
He says that in a world where so many communications go over the web we all have something to protect rather than something to hide, as proponents of mass surveillance often argue.

A union can make a big difference to people’s perceptions of a job. For UK staff you can find out which unions may be relevant to your job at http://www.worksmart.org.uk/unionfinder – In the US, try http://www.aflcio.org/Learn-About-Unions for more information.

John Pilger describes the dispiriting routine of trying to find a good movie on general release, but also points towards an oasis of film at its best.

Earlier this month, National Security Agency (NSA) head Keith Alexander admitted that he had lied to the U.S. Congress and the American people in an attempt to justify the NSA’s growing surveillance of U.S. citizens.[1] In June, while attempting to defend the secret NSA programs revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden, Alexander claimed that over 50 terrorist plots had been thwarted though collection of the phone and internet records of American citizens.

Profiting from Killing

When Elizabeth Warren rails against what she called "backward-looking ideologues" she meant the 15-20 reactionaries who met to plot strategy with Ted Cruz at the notorious Tortilla Coast meeting Monday night, a meeting that included outright racists and secessionists like Steve King (R-IA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Steve Southerland (R-FL), Mark Meadows (R-NC), Jim Jordan (R-OH) and, of course, Louie Gohmert (R-TX).

Michael Mann's boss at Penn State University - Dean William Easterling - falsely claims to be a Nobel laureate on his CV.

by Judith Curry Online bullying is an issue of growing concern.  The flip side is shining an online ‘light’ on hidden bullying. There is much discussion in the twitosphere and blogosphere over the temporary removal of a blog post on Scientific American by … Continue reading →

Voice of Russia
October 16, 2013
US shutdown a contrived “Punch and Judy” show – Rick Rozoff
Audio

A Black Agenda Radio commentary by Glen Ford | October 16, 2013

Judging by the contents of recent NATO news outlet reports it appears a story line, regarding Syria, is being created. The characters are Saudi Arabia. Turkey. The US. But, not Israel. Although the Israeli connections and potential gains in the destruction of Syria are plentiful and acknowledged. Israel seems to be lacking from this fable? Which should not really come as a surprise to anyone who is aware of the media obeisance to approved reporting surrounding Israel. This most recent narrative goes something like this:The US wants to negotiate a political settlement for Syria.

And no one likes a loserYesterday I heard Peter King (R-NY) and Charlie Dent (R-PA) each go on CNN to rail against Ted Cruz's extremism. They were speaking for dozens of non-Confederate Republicans in seats where successful candidates need independent voters-- and for more than a few Republican senators who wish his nut job father had never moved to America.

MEMO | October 14, 2013

The group’s managing director, Arik Ben-Zvi, is an Israeli citizen who served in the Israeli army and consulted on Israel’s elections

Ministry of Defence of Georgia
October 15, 2013
Meeting with Ambassador of Israel

Deputy Minister of Defence Mikheil Darchiashvili has received ambassador of Israel to Georgia Iuval Fux today. At the introductory meeting the sides talked on the issues of future cooperation in the field of defence and regional security.

Al-Akhbar | October 16, 2013

Nearly half a million people have died from war-related causes in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003, according to an academic study published in the United States on Tuesday.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization
October 16, 2013
NATO Secretary General praises Montenegro’s reform efforts

Al-Akhbar | October 16, 2013

Iran suggested it was ready to address calls to give the UN atomic watchdog wider inspection powers as part of Tehran’s proposals to resolve a decade-old nuclear dispute with the West.
Meanwhile, Israel kept up its alarmist rhetoric on talks between world powers and Iran Wednesday, with a cabinet minister comparing the situation to pre-war Europe and the appeasement of Nazi Germany.

Although Pelosi said on Tuesday that Boehner apparently needs to humor his troops, she claimed that the chances of a deal to prevent a default tomorrow are good-- even if poor McConnell is being pilloried by DeMint, Cruz and the crackpot suicide caucus for "leading the surrender." In case yours got stuck in the spam folder, his is from the letter DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund sent out to their supporters claiming McConnell "has made winning virtually impossible" for the far right, while McConnell and Reid were trying to hammer out a compromise that both sides could live with and that w

North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Joint Force Command Naples
October 15, 2013
JFC Naples Mobile Training Team trains officers from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.*

Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
Jaroslav Hašek
From The Good Soldier Schweik (1923)
Translated by Paul Selver

Over the last week, I have had the opportunity to read two articles – "The Forgotten War" by Ann Jones and "Afghanistan War Must End Immediately" by Iraq veteran Jayel Aheram – that accurately describe the tragic waste of American lives and money in Afghanistan. Also this week, I had the opportunity to meet with […]

In response to an avalanche of criticism over revelations of his National Security Agency’s (NSA’s) bulk collection of Americans’ telephone and other electronic metadata, General Keith B. Alexander, the director of the agency, in a recent interview with the New York Times, claimed that his spy agency is just misunderstood – not operating illegally or […]

We all get depressed, at some point or other: I’m sure even Pollyanna had her down moments. What’s troubling is that many anti-interventionists seem to be in a permanent state of depression: given the history of the past decade or so, the interventionist bias of the "mainstream" media, and the enormous resources the War Party […]

We probably cover Michael "Mikey Suits" Grimm more than any other blogs outside of his Staten Island/south Brooklyn district. Usually, we're posting about his Mafia connections and other criminal activities. I don't think his latest scandal rises to "criminal" but it might just be the one that ends his ridiculous congressional career.

Nile BowieRTAs Syria’s rebels refuse to take part in Geneva-2, Saudi Arabia has emerged as the primary state-backer of rebel groups now trying to escalate the Syrian conflict and topple Assad by force.When Vladimir Putin met with Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia in August, the newly appointed Intelligence Chief reportedly tried to cut a deal with Moscow by promising to buy billions in Russian arms and pledging not to challenge Russian gas sales to Europe in exchange for withdrawing support

Despite Eid al-Adha observances, only one significant attack took place today. At least 24 Iraqis were killed and 34 more were wounded.

Just last week, I again put up an article that explained in detail how Jews were ABSOLUTELY and POSITIVELY NOT a distinct "race" of mankind....

In my Sunday rant, I touched on some reality about the so called "Obamacare" and how it indeed is nothing more than a scam and a massive swindle on the American public.  I described in my rant how during last Friday's Skype call to John Kaminski, both John and I talked about this "Obamacare" swindle, and how it is in reality just another massive tax grab on the American people....John Kaminski informed me that he was working on a new article that would expose Obamacare for the fraud it really is....John finished the article, and posted it up today at The Rebel (

by KenSomehow I seem to have found myself on the Nobel beat. First, there was the rush of the unexpected but wildly deserved Literature prize for Alice Munro.

by Judith Curry What does this perception of climate controversy reveal about our own understanding of the relationship between science and society, nature and culture, and more generally about our relationship to modernity? – Lionel Scotto D’Apollonia Global warming: A … Continue reading →

U.S. Marines fire a Howitzer in Fallujah, Iraq 2004.
Part of American Exceptionalism is never having to admit when your government kills hundreds of thousands of people.
A new study says the U.S. invasion and subsequent war in Iraq killed an estimated 460,800, higher than most of the estimates frequently cited in the mainstream media, but lower than the controversial 2006 Lancet study that estimated between 400,000 and 655,000 excess deaths.

Two news articles regarding Syria-  disingenuous  comes to mindUS urges Syrian opposition to join peace talks

Why Poverty · January 5, 2013

How much profit is fair?

Yesterday, failed right-wing politician Rick Santorum announced that his silly little PAC was endorsing another lunatic fringe candidate, Iowa teabagger Walter Rogers from Cedar Falls.

Al-Akhbar | October 15, 2013

The Lebanese army successfully defused a 50-kilogram bomb discovered Monday in a southern Beirut suburb, a military official said on Tuesday.
A Jeep Grand Cherokee packed with explosives was discovered in the Maamoura neighborhood of Dahiyeh, which has been swarming with security forces since two car bombs exploded in July and August.

Obama Administration Forbids NSA-Critical Novelist Entry to USA

Perpetual NSA cheerleader Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on Sunday arguing that if we had had the NSA spying program prior to the 9/11 attacks, “we would have detected the impending attack that killed 3,000 Americans.” Therefore, systematic violations of the Fourth Amendment as a matter of policy is justified.
Well, I’m sold!

What do Greenpeace and the Natural History Museum have in common? They both employ people with impaired reading comprehension skills.

When I was growing up, my grandfather always told me to never trust the Democratic Party. "They're not as bad as the Republicans." he always said, "but they're bad in their own way. They make believe they stand up for the working class, but they're just out for themselves." Even back then, it was clear the party was dominated by careerists. The Republicans complain about their party in the same way.

Good interview from Henrik at Red Ice RadioIf you enjoy the information Larken Rose presents then Marc Stevens should be your cuppa too!

P5+1 negotiating with Iran

I’ve had a couple of days to reflect after arriving back from Moscow where my whistleblower colleagues Coleen Rowley, Jesselyn Radack, Tom Drake and I formally presented former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden with the annual Sam Adams Associates award for integrity in intelligence.

Israel will not recognize an Israeli nationality while it seeks to maintain Jewishness at all costs

This week on Radio Liberty, James and Dr. Stan deflate some of the hype, rhetoric and hyperbole surrounding the debt default talk in the US economy. They also take your calls on a host of subjects including the Federal Reserve, offshoring of multinational corporate profits, Bretton Woods, and the recent EBT computer glitch that caused a mini-panic over food stamps.

Lockheed Martin’s C-130 transport plane, now under looser export controls
How much does Barack Obama love the defense corporations?
Of course, we know what candidate and President Obama says about the influence of lobbyists in Washington. “I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over,” he said in 2007. “They will not run my White House.”
“We must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists,” he said in his State of the Union address in 2012.

By Kevin Gosztola | FDL | October 14, 2013

A Libyan terror suspect kidnapped from Libya in a raid by US special forces on October 5 was transferred from the naval ship, where he was being detained and interrogated, into “law enforcement custody” over the weekend.