Momentum swings towards GMOs

SUBHEAD: Genetically modified crops get boost over organic crops with recent USDA rulings.Image above: Since 1998 Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser has fought a David-and-Goliath battle against Monsanto after the biotech giant accused him of planting its Roundup ready canola seeds without its permission. Schmeiser, seen here with files from the legal action, argued the seeds he'd saved from the

Shock Doctrine American-Style

SUBHEAD: This is a frontal Assault on American democracy, a corporate coup d’etat.By Naomi Klein on 9 March 2011 in Democracy Now -(http://www.democracynow.org/2011/3/9/naomi_klein_on_anti_union_bills)Image above: Still frame of Naomi Klein on Democacy Now! from video below.As a wave of anti-union bills are introduced across the country following the wake of Wall Street financial crisis, many

Fascism Has Come to America

SUBHEAD: Yes, we tortured Manning, but we can't tell you why -- because we want to protect his privacy!By Chris Floyd 5 March 2011 in Empire Burlesque - (http://www.chris-floyd.com/component/content/article/1-latest-news/2099-a-nation-stripped-bare-fascism-has-come-to-america.html)Image above: A conversion of Obama 2008 campaign poster. From (http://larryswire.blogspot.com/2010/07/

Unsustainable Modern Capitalism

SUBHEAD: An interview with John Perkins, author of "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man".By Anthony Wile on 27 February 2011 in The Daily Bell -(http://www.thedailybell.com/1791/Anthony-Wile-with-John-Perkins-on-His-Best-Selling-Book-Confessions-of-an-Economic-Hit-Man-and-the-Unsustainability-of-Modern-Capitalism.html)Image above: Still from video of John Perkins interview. See below.Introduction:

Climate Change as a 'Liberal Hoax'

SUBHEAD: The 2010 elections could be interpreted as a “death knell for the species” because most of the new Republicans in Congress are global warming deniers.By Noam Chomsky on 9 February 2011 in The Nation - (http://www.thenation.com/video/158093/noam-chomsky-how-climate-change-became-liberal-hoax)Image above: Illustration of Al Gore as naked emperor for Weekly Standard. From (http://

Obama GMO pressure on Vilsack

SUBHEAD: Media reports suggest White House pressured Vilsack to approve GMO alfalfa.By Tom Philpott on 31 January 2011 for Grist.org - (http://www.grist.org/article/2011-01-31-media-reports-white-house-pressure-stomped-on-vilsack-over-gmo-a)Image above: Cows are being fed ever more alfalfa. One reason is that it reduces them burping up methane that adds significantly to global warming. From (

Abercrombie & the Birthers

SUBHEAD: Some think Neil Abercrombie should rethink his decision to take on the 'Birthers'.By Jason Linkins on 29 December 2010 for Huffington Post - (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/29/neil-abercrombies-should-_n_802294.html)Image above: Orly Taitze staged Birther demonstration in New York against Fox News. From (http://gawker.com/5402300/fox-news-is-ready-for-your-protest).Newly elected

2011 - A Brave New Dystopia

SUBHEAD: The era of amusement is being replaced by the era of repression.By Chris Hedges on 27 December 2010 in Truthdig - (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/2011_a_brave_new_dystopia_20101227)Image above: Detail of Signet Books 1955 edition of George Orwell's "1984". From (http://blastr.com/2009/07/amazon-deletes-1984-from.php).The two greatest visions of a future dystopia were George Orwell’s

Aberchrombie takes on Birthers

SUBHEAD: Governor Neil Aberchrombie intends to lay to rest claims that President Obama was not born in Hawaii in 1961.By Sheryl Gay Stolberg on 24 December 2010 for New York Times - (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/us/25hawaii.html)Image above: Then Rep. Neil Aberchrombie at a Obama Ohana rally in January 2008. From (http://www.flickr.com/photos/crispyteriyaki/page267).Gov. Neil Abercrombie of

Obama Caves on Net Neutrality

SUBHEAD: FCC under Obama administration caves in to big telecoms on eliminating Net Neutrality for mobile devices.By Timothy Carr on 21 December 2010 in Huffington Post - (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-karr/obama-fcc-caves-on-net-ne_b_799435.html)Image above: Net Neutrality importance in a graphic. From (http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/geekend/?p=1130).Late Monday, a majority of the

The Comeback Narrative Begins

SUBHEAD: Obama is lot more personally comfortable with being able to engage Republicans and not be as divisive. By Jason Linkins on 17 December 2010 for Hufington Post - (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/17/and-so-begins-the-comebac_n_798270.html)Image above: Mitch McConnell shakes Obama's hand for signing Bush Tax Bill extension. From (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/17/

Cancúnhagen

SUBHEAD: A warming of 4 degrees and higher by mid-century will sink many Island nations, dissolve coral reefs and extinguish countless species, perhaps even our own.By Albert Bates on 10 December 2010 in The Great Change - (http://peaksurfer.blogspot.com/2010/12/cancunhagen.html)“We are beginning to wonder if we will survive the negotiations themselves. We must keep the process afloat.” —

James Howard Kunstler profile

SUBHEAD: "We are unable to construct a coherent consensus about what is happening to us and what we ought to do about it." - JHKBy Lindsay Curren on 1 December 2010 in Transition Voice -(http://transitionvoice.com/2010/12/interview-james-howard-kunstler)Image above: "Gas" by Edward Hopper, 1941, Whitney Museum. Click to enlarge. In the peak oil community, converts to the predicament tend to

A talk with James Kunstler

SUBHEAD: "The world is going to get rounder and bigger again" - James Howard Kunstler.By Chris Martenson on 17 November 2010 in ChrisMartenson.com - (http://www.chrismartenson.com/blog/straight-talk-jim-kunstler-coming-cluster/47864)Image above: "Flat Earth" computer illustration. From (http://redstaplerchronicles.com/how-keith-olbermann-could-cost-obama-the-election).This week's Straight Talk

Voting Ourselves into Extinction

SUBHEAD: The new majority in the House of Representatives seems dead set against any kind of emissions controls.Image above: "Palin Dinosaur" political satire by Zina Saunders. From (http://www.zinasaunders.com)By Tom Whipple on 17 November 2010 in Falls Church News-Press - (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/7803-the-peak-oil-crisis-did-we-vote-ourselves-to-extinction.html)The disconnect

Techno-optimism Meets its Match

SUBHEAD: The American Dream, which is based on never-ending economic growth, is over.Image above: Ruined city illustration. From (http://worldofweirdthings.com/2009/08/09/the-culture-that-forgot-about-science/).By Guy McPherson on 15 November 2010 in Nature Bats Last -(http://guymcpherson.com/2010/11/techno-optimism-meets-its-match)According to the extremely conservative International Energy

The 2010 Midterms

SUBHEAD: Sensible proposals are completely absent from the political dialogue.Image above: Detail from Mark Bryan's "Republic of Suicide". From (http://www.artofmarkbryan.com/Republic_of_Suicide.html).By Tom Whipple on 27 October 2010 in Falls Church News-Press - (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/7671-the-peak-oil-crisis-the-midterms.html)As we approach another round of Congressional

The World Liberals Made

SUBHEAD: The death of the liberal class cuts citizens off from the mechanisms of power.Image above: Liberals have their heads on upside-down. Mashup of John Kerry. From (http://www.freakingnews.com/John-Kerry-Pictures-65253.asp).By Chris Hedges on 25 October 2010 in Truthdig - (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_world_liberal_opportunists_made_20101025)The lunatic fringe of the Republican