Drain Clogs – 06-07-2011

Clarence Thomas is corrupt as fuck, but you’ll never know it because Rep. Anthony Weiner is scummy. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) gutted their domestic terror group after Wingnuts went insane over the domestic terror report “Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment” (pdf) More here Conservative group… Continue reading Drain Clogs – 06-07-2011

So much for Hollywood

Last year, the CFTC decided to allow trading in movie futures, enabling people to bet on how much major films will earn at the box office (either up or down) before they’ve been finished or even started for that matter. Businessweek, May 5, 2010: Even as lawmakers rail against impossible-to-understand toxic securities and Wall Street… Continue reading So much for Hollywood

Deficit commission report 2

Part 1 here.  I’m going to consolidate mandatory and discretionary spending into one post so I can deal with the tax stuff separately. Discretionary Discretionary spending is spending authorized or re-authorized every year by congress.  See the summary of the 2011 budget by the National Priorities Project here. • 1% of the FY2011 discretionary budget… Continue reading Deficit commission report 2

More on the “forecosure issue”

As our elected officials have started to come to terms with what they’ve done: The financial services industry is growing increasingly concerned as more politicians get behind the idea of a broad moratorium on home foreclosures, which banks and many outside analysts say could be good short-term politics but terrible long-term policy.One senior Wall Street… Continue reading More on the “forecosure issue”

Subscription-based firefighters watch as family house burns to the ground

Don’t pay your dues, lose everything. Welcome to Libertopia. WPSD6 via Thinkprogress: Each year, Obion County residents must pay $75 if they want fire protection from the city of South Fulton. But the Cranicks did not pay. The mayor said if homeowners don’t pay, they’re out of luck. This fire went on for hours because… Continue reading Subscription-based firefighters watch as family house burns to the ground

A little more light on privatized intelligence

The Washington Post has added a new feature on the subject named Top Secret America.  It has stories as well as interactive features to see where companies and agencies are located, who they contract with, etc.  The way this stuff has expanded over the past decade is extremely creepy and almost never really reported on.… Continue reading A little more light on privatized intelligence

Conservative Think Tank Angry About Big Business, Uses Comic Sans to Avoid “Communist” Allegations

This is a little old by internet standards, but: Something no one cares about called the “National Center for Public Policy Research” has something called the “Free Enterprise Project,” both of which can be distinguished by the fact that they are run by a handsome man with a mustache and have names that mean nothing… Continue reading Conservative Think Tank Angry About Big Business, Uses Comic Sans to Avoid “Communist” Allegations

Corporate welfare and Princes in exotic destinations

Extending the corporate safety net: ARPA-e Recognizing the need to reevaluate the way the United States spurs innovation, the National Academies released a 2006 report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm”, that included the recommendation to establish an Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E) within the Department of Energy (DOE). The America COMPETES Act (PDF 39 KB),… Continue reading Corporate welfare and Princes in exotic destinations

Neoliberal technocrats openly endorse coloniaism

Before, they concealed it behind a veneer of expertise and formal institutions, but their truly stunning failures have apparently given rise to a desire to do things a little more hands on and behind the scenes.  The Atlantic has a new article about Paul Romer’s plan to force poor people around the world to behave… Continue reading Neoliberal technocrats openly endorse coloniaism

Is this contracting thing working yet?

The Center for Public Integrity reports another factor in the Deepwater Horizon response: At least three Coast Guard aircraft and one cutter suffered serious mechanical problems that delayed, cut short or aborted rescue missions during the Gulf incident, the logs reveal. The Coast Guard averaged one problem for every seven rescue sorties it operated during… Continue reading Is this contracting thing working yet?