Archive for August 4, 2013


Is Edward J. Snowden Aboard This Plane?

America’s imperial power is on the decline, to the world’s benefit.

By Noam Chomsky

A Brief History of Squatting

The Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space chronicles decades of Lower East Side occupations.

A Bill of Rights for the Homeless

Several states are considering guaranteeing civil rights for those without a roof over their heads.

Teach for America’s Mission to Displace Rank-and-File Educators in Chicago

Why are thousands of experienced educators being replaced by new college graduates?

Water, Water, Nowhere

When water becomes scarce, conservatives become environmentalists.

The Force Behind Bills To Lower Wages and Suppress Workers’ Rights? You Guessed It: ALEC

The right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council has modeled legislation to strip workers of their rights nationwide.

By Mary Bottari and Rebekah Wilce

The Dangers of Red-Baiting

A power struggle ensues as we meet the prison chef in episode 2 of Orange Is The New Black.

Helen Thomas: First and Foremost

The White House reporter smashed the glass ceiling for women and set the bar for tenacity.

‘Bargain’ on Immigration Would Feed Prison Profits

The private prison industry stands to gain millions from the Senate’s reform plan.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Clueless

The Newsroom recap: The ‘mission to civilize’ makes a comeback. Cover your ears.

burnside“…Spooked by tabloid scare-mongering, both major parties have chosen deterrent policies; treat them harshly, push them off to small, impoverished Pacific neighbours. The low point of this is the recent Coalition promise to bring in the military to deal with the “emergency”.

The spectacular cost of these measures passes without complaint because it is seen as a kind of protection. While it is difficult to separate out the various components of the cost, indefinite detention costs around A$110,000 per person as of 2011-12. The actual cost varies: metropolitan detention is cheapest. It gets more and more expensive as the place of detention is more remote. On current estimates, we will spend about $2.9 billion each year….”

This prescient piece continues @ the Conversation…click here to go on through…