There seems to be no limit to the cats whistleblower Edward Snowden has put among the pigeons. Among the gems about the U.S. National Security Agency’s spying mischief Mr. Snowden has revealed is that it monitored Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s telephone calls and emails, spied on communications by her aides
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"Lock and load" has a new meaning in Montana
The United States saw an increase of 30 per cent in suicides among middle-aged Americans from 1999 to 2010. More Americans now die from suicide than from automobile accidents with rates highest in the “suicide belt”—the eight mountain states and Alaska. In Montana, for example, 227 people died from suicide
Continue readingIs Obama forgetting that many Syrians support Assad?
As humanitarian concern over the Syrian tragedy transforms into a call for war, I wonder if we in the West—and most importantly President Obama—aren’t forgetting that many Syrians support Bashar al-Assad. The last poll I could find (January 2012) showed that 55 per cent do not want him to resign.
Continue readingOdds against Obama
Lay your bets, ladies and gentlemen. Will President Obama get the support he wants from Congress for an attack against Syria, or will he suffer an historic and humiliating defeat? At the moment the odds are long against him. Various news organizations contacting members of Congress report that the nays
Continue readingSanctions—deadlier than war?
Most Canadians, I suspect, don’t pay much attention to the use of sanctions in international politics. War, yes—people being shot, bombed, and apparently even gassed is hard to ignore—but sanctions are complicated and largely invisible, easy to tune out. Most people’s reaction is simply, “They’re a lot better than war,
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: A Q&A on Syria and the “Responsibility to Protect”
What is “Responsibility to Protect”? “Responsibility to Protect,” or R2P, is a doctrine that grew out of a 2001 report by the Canadian-established International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS). Unanimously endorsed as a general principle by the UN General Assembly four years later, R2P carries a hefty moral
Continue readingHow will the West react when the Sauds turn on their people?
Various Western nations, including Great Britain, the U.S. and France, are exhibiting great outrage against Syria’s assaults on its own people. And outrage is indeed called for. Yet there is no small measure of hypocrisy about the West’s righteous anger. Another dictatorship in the Middle East, the misogynous Saud family
Continue readingThe Political Road Map: Development and Recession: Looking Back To See The Future
Tonight is Friday and while I sit here occupying my time with readings, movies and Youtube, many of you are probably outdoors enjoying the beautiful weather with the company of friends. While outside, I hope you get a chance to look up at the amazing moon, while it isn’t a
Continue readingThe U.S. war against democracy in the Middle East
The CIA’s recent public admission that it masterminded the 1953 military coup against Iran’s democratically elected government reminded me once again of the fickle U.S. support for democracy in the Middle East. American involvement was well-known—books have been written about it—but the publishing of previously classified documents by the U.S.
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Leaders Using Drugs
There was a time in Canadian history when it was possible to elect a politician who wasn’t an alcohol drinker (Gardiner, for example). Now it may still be possible to elect someone who doesn’t drink coffee. .@RealMattHopkins @margaretresin How DARE the Liberal leader NOT abuse a widely accepted drug! 😉
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: PRISM: Not Authorized
Does it drive you crazy how laws don’t apply to the anointed ones? Multiple Obama anointed officials leaked official thoughts to the media anonymously. No one in the Main Stream Media is calling for their head on a platter. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity before the order
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Obama Teases on Keystone XL, But Continues to Dodge Climate Peril
President Obama acknowledges that the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline’s ability to create jobs is exaggerated, but won’t publicly acknowledge the pipeline’s climate impact. The post Obama Teases on Keystone XL, But Continues to Dodge Climate Peril appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Raises American Gas Prices: Report
If built, TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline would force Americans to pay as much as 40 cents more per gallon for gasoline in some parts of the country, according to a new report by the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog. The post Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Raises American Gas Prices: Report
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: PRISM: Does Government Have a Sense of Humour?
No. I never realized the famous voice that said, “You’ve Got Mail” on AOL, was actually some guy from the NSA. Do you ever feel like no one is listening to you? Just pick up a phone, & dial. The NSA is there no matter what number you call. You
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s statement to human rights groups
by: Obert Madondo | Twitter: @Obiemad: WikiLeaks has posted NSA surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden’s statement to human rights groups, issued earlier today at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. Here’s the full text: Hello. My name is Ed Snowden. A little over one month ago, I had family, a home in paradise, and I lived in
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: PRISM: Stone vs. NSA and Checkpoints
Many people, even my peers, don’t all understand the extreme danger we all face when people casually accept overbearing government search without even probable cause for them to suspect you are up to planning a crime. Corporate and government machines, systems, are becoming more powerful than individuals can fairly fight
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Whistleblowers Blast NSA Programs, Award Snowden
by: Institute for Public Accuracy | Press Release: WASHINGTON, July 8, 2013 – Edward Snowden has been named recipient of this year’s “award for truth telling” given by Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence. The following are members of the group or past recipients of the award. The group’s statement is
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: PRISM: Obama Didn’t End Illegal Spying, He Extended It
“There are no checks and balances here, and we’ve got to restore them.” Sensenbrenner, Republican who drafted the Patriot Act II. Go read 2001/2002 debate over the Patriot Act – NOBODY thought it enabled mass, indiscriminate, bulk collection of all Americans' records.— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 11, 2013 Sensenbrenner pointed
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Wealth in the USA Graphed Nicely
You can see what Americans desire as wealth distribution, vs. what they think the unfair situation is vs. reality. It’s off the charts, literally, how much money the 1% makes in comparison to what sort of uneven system Americans accept they experience. It really displays the absurdity of even well-off
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: One State Can Make a (Sweet) Difference
Coke and Pepsi are still both deadly if you consume them regularly and in sufficient amounts. Yet Coke has got a leg up on Pepsi recently by reducing its product’s ability to cause debilitating or deadly illness in one form. the centre of the years-long controversy is the iconic soda’s
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