‘Guest column’ Archives
STEIN: SOPA is corporate takeover of democracy
(MADISON) Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for president, said today she opposes the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA, H.R. 3261) for giving the government and corporations too much power to restrict speech on the internet. "Democracy can only succeed when free speech is a reality, not merely a promissory note. SOPA would impose censorship on the internet and threatens whistle-blowers and others whose speech is vital to a healthy society. SOPA is part of the escalating assault by global ... Full Story
“Defense Act is unconstitutional”
by Brian J. Trautman Each year, Congress authorizes the budget of the Department of Defense through a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA of 2012, however, is unlike any previous ones. This year’s legislation contains highly controversialprovisions that empower the Armed Forces to engage in civilian law enforcement and to selectively suspend due process and habeas corpus, as well as other rights guaranteed ... Full Story
Privatizing the War on Terror
January 16, 2012 By John W. Whitehead “Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes… known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.”—James Madison America’s troops may be returning home from Iraq, but contrary ... Full Story
Americans Are Less Nationalistic than Flag-Waving
By Lawrence S. Wittner Are American politicians out of sync with the public when it comes to foreign policy? There is considerable reason to believe so. Throughout the scramble for the GOP presidential nomination, the major candidates have certainly been rabidly nationalistic. In a major foreign policy address on October 7, 2011, Mitt Romney proclaimed that “the twenty-first century can and must be an American Century.” Championing a vast military buildup, he argued ... Full Story
Ann Teinaes: Politics Animated
Ann Teinaes' animations in the Washington Post present a biting satire of the news. No subject is off limits no politician is spared. View her work here, cartoons are serious business. Be prepared to stay awhile, there are many pages. Ann Teinaes
The Ron Paul candidacy
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has created a great deal of controversy with his libertarian views. He has caused much turmoil both in the conservative camp and among liberals. It appears however, that only liberals are willing to talk about his views. The fact that so many of his views are also espoused by true liberals illustrates how the far right is sometimes nearly indistinguishable from the far left. Several respected liberal writers have taken up the issue, but ... Full Story
News from the Vet, Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus
Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (GDV) Signs and Treatment By Dr. Danielle Huval Emergency Veterinarian Do you have a dog? Then you need to know about GDV. Gastric dilatation-volvulus or bloat is a life-threatening emergency that affects large and giant breed dogs. GDV is when the stomach rotates on itself, which cuts off blood supply to the stomach and prevents gas and food from escaping. This is extremely painful and can lead to shock and death within hours. The good news is that ... Full Story
What We Owe to Bertha von Suttner
What We Owe to Bertha von Suttner By David Swanson Just saying her name sounds like a joke: Baroness Bertha Felicitas Sophie Freifrau von Suttner, Gräfin, née Countess Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau. And when she began talking about ending war in mid-nineteenth century Austria it wasn't her name that was treated as a joke. Yet by the turn of the century, her idea seemed to be one whose time had come. Bertha von Suttner's novel "Ground Arms," or "Lay Down Your Arms," was widely ... Full Story
2011: A Civil Liberties Year in Review
By John W. Whitehead It’s been a year of populist uprisings, economic downturns, political assassinations, and one scandal after another. Gold prices soared, while the dollar plummeted. The Arab Spring triggered worldwide protests, including the Occupy Wall Street protests here in America. Nature unleashed her forces with a massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan, flooding in Thailand and Pakistan, a severe drought in East Africa, and a famine in Somalia. With ... Full Story
What do you know about the Keystone Pipeline?
There is a great deal of controversy over the Keystone XL pipeline, the latest addition to the existing Keystone network. The pipeline moves diluted bitumen from the Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, to multiple destinations in the United States. The current network extends to refineries in Illinois and a distribution hub in Oklahoma. Claims that the importing of the tar sands oil will ease the energy “crisis” in the United States are questionable because the oil in the XL ... Full Story
