POST-WEEKEND READING (5-20-13)

Jerry Brown's last chance to save California (Bloomberg Echoes).

If you can't beat them, cheat them ... Ohio Republicans push a law that would penalize colleges that help students vote (TPM).

Oregon's radical health overhaul blazes new trail (Bloomberg).

Super charging Citizens United ... Weak state laws provide cover for hidden political operatives who sponsor attack ads (The Center for Public Integrity).

Obamacare myths and realities (The Center for Public Integrity).

Why American colleges are becoming a force for inequality (The Atlantic).

Shell and British Petroleum offices raided in petroleum price fixing scheme (Mail Online).

The Heritage Foundation - a recipient $2.7 million from the Koch brothers - is undermining conservatove efforts to reach out to Latinos by funding and supporting studies that paint Latinos as a drain on America (Nation of Change).

Blow up an industrial plant and a you're a terrorist. Blow up a plant because your company hasn't been inspected for years and you're a capitalist (Nation of Change).


SOME WTF MOMENTS
Pat Robertson advises a woman who's husband cheated on her to get over it because "he's a man" ... and besides, as a woman, she should be working to "make the home so wonderful" that the man doesn't want to wander (Right Wing Watch).

The city of Keene, New Hampshire sues six parking meter "Robin Hoods" for putting money in expired meters (New Hampshire Union Leader).

37th time's the charm? Our Republican-led Congress has voted, once again, to repeal Obamacare (The Hill).


MILITARY FINANCIALS
Pentagon claims over $750 million in overcharges from contractor in Afghanistan (The Center for Public Integrity).

KBR tell the U.S. that it will take half a billion dollars and 13 years to close out its contract in Iraq (AllGov).

After being overcharged $100 million for "services" the Pentagon does nothing (AllGov).

The Pentagon fines KBR ... then gives it a $2.8 billion contract (AllGov).

- Mark

MID-TERM #2 LINKS

Below I am providing a set of links to some of the issues that were discussed in my American Politics 101 class. These links should not be interpreted as providing all the information needed for each of the questions that will be asked in Mid-Term #2 this Tuesday. They are simply links to topics that are not in the book or are issues students have asked about during class and office hours. 

*************************

___________________________
LINKS FOR MID-TERM #2

* From Civil Liberties to Civil Rights: The long march to equality involved issues tied to blacks, women, labor laws, the influence of junk science (which justified social stereotypes), etc. It's all discussed here in the last 2/3 of this post."

* Courts and/or American Presidency: Here's the link to help with the FISA courts. Click here for a discussion on the Original Intent / Judicial Activist issue.

* The Presidency: Do we have an emerging American Caesar? This op-ed review several issues tied to the American presidency that we discussed in class. These two  posts discuss signing statements.

* Congress: Why is it that many members of Congress appear overwhelmed and uninformed? Why do they appear to talk at each other instead of with each other? Apart from issues tied to redistricting, this post on the Bell Experiment ties into our lecture on post-industrialandia and semi-democracy in America. Click here for the link to clip on "We're not the greatest country in the world."

* Political Parties: Here's a link I have used in previous class lectures to help explain the evolution of political parties in America.

Good luck.

- Mark

WHEN THE SHOE IS ON THE OTHER FOOT

My uncle sent a couple of jokes. It's Saturday so I'm re-posting one of them. A little off color (for some), but it definitely offers another look at what you might advise someone when the shoe is is on the other foot ...

A man escaped from prison where he had been for 15 years. He broke into a house to look for money and guns and found a young couple in bed. He ordered the guy out of bed and tied him to a chair.  

While tying the girl to the bed, he got on top of her, kissed her neck, then got up and went into the bathroom. While in the bathroom, the husband whispered to his wife, “Listen this guy’s an escaped convict – look at his clothes! He probably spent lots of time in jail and hasn’t seen a woman in years. I saw how he kissed your neck. If he wants sex, don’t resist, don’t complain, do whatever he tells you. Satisfy him no matter how much he nauseates you. This guy is probably very dangerous. If he gets angry, he’ll kill us. Be strong, honey. I love you.”  

To which the wife responded, “He wasn’t kissing my neck. He was whispering in my ear. He told me he was gay, thinks you’re cute, and asked if we had any Vaseline. I told him it was in the bathroom. Be strong, honey. I love you, too.” 

- Mark 

IF WE CAN DEMAND GLOBAL PATENT RIGHTS WE CAN DEMAND GLOBAL WORKER RIGHTS

Have you ever wondered why we have building codes? Have you ever wondered why exits must be clearly marked? Have you ever wondered why workers can demand that their rights at the work place be respected? If you're like most Americans you probably don't give much thought to these or other "pesky" regulatory issues.

A quick review of the conditions that existed before the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire help us understand why we have regulations that protect us every day - whether we want to acknowledge it or not.

This video clip begins with the Shirtwaist Factory Fire and then connects the fire to current labor standards here and around the world ...

Long story short? We need to start considering restrictions on imported goods if some of our most basic standards are not respected abroad. Think about it. If we can demand global protections for patent rights we can demand global protections for workers rights.

Without this globalization becomes just another way to buy off or skirt regulations. This, in turn, undermines much of the hard work and sacrifice that was done to build up and protect America's middle-class in the 20th century.

- Mark

THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT AMERICA DOES ...

If you have ever wondered why the United States of America might not be the greatest country in the world you can start with this ...

- Mark 

DERIVATIVE TRADERS WIN ... AGAIN

The derivatives market, which helped bring down the economy in 2008, is about to get yet another favorable piece of legislation from Congress.

In the United States the derivatives market - essentially bets and trades on market events that haven't happened (and may never happen) - has grown to about $700 trillion. As a point of comparison, the total amount of goods and services produced in the United States economy in 2012 was $15 trillion.

So, yeah, the derivatives market dwarfs the real economy in America. And Congress is essentially telling the same people who brought the house down in 2008 they can go ahead and do it again.

Sigh ...

- Mark 

AMERICA'S EMPIRE TAX

The costs of empire are great. The people who pay for it, however, don't always know that they're paying for it. Here's why.

Let's start with the incredible shrinking dollar. If a dollar could purchase a loaf of bread in 1980 that same dollar can only buy you three slices of bread today. Simply put, because we are printing and sending out more U.S. dollars our currency is worth less than it was 33 years ago ...

Click here for larger picture.

If you're a regular reader of this blog you might be asking yourself, What about your recent post on "Dollar Hegemony Continues (still)"? Isn't printing more dollars that the rest of the world holds a good thing? The simple answer is yes. Because everyone still wants dollars global demand from the world's commercial, national and "black market" communities has allowed the United States to print more money than our economy can actually support through commerce and trade.

This is a good thing for America because having the world's reserve currency benefits America's national security needs. We can pay to maintain global stability while others seek out our credit markets. Americas financial position also allows the United States to enjoy what French President Charles de Gaulle called the "exorbitant privilege" of printing dollars that others around the world are willing to hold.

Any other nation, as de Gaulle explained, can't "export" their currencies to other nations like the U.S. can.

On the flip side, printing so many dollars has devalued the dollar, which means that the purchasing power of the dollar has declined (inflation calculator here). So who's paying the price for the devalued currency?

That would be you and me.

Specifically anyone on a fixed income, or who works where wages haven't kept pace with the cost of living, has to do more with less.

If you or your family have found it increasingly difficult to pay the bills - and are now tapped out because of these efforts - it's not simply because your wages have stagnated or gone down over the years (though they have). The purchasing power of the dollar has also declined.

And it's been declining for years.

There are many reasons why most Americans don't recognize that the value of the U.S. dollar has declined as much as it has (see especially the Boskin Commission). But the reality is that excessive printing of the U.S. dollar means that you and I can only purchase three slices of bread today compared to the loaf of bread we could purchase 33 years ago (the richest 7 percent of Americans don't have this problem).

By printing so much to maintain the empire (and now to bailout Wall Street) the U.S. government has shifted the costs of empire - via a devalued currency - on to the little guy (there are other costs too).

The worst part? Most Americans don't even know it's happening. So we continue to pay.

Consider it America's Empire Tax.

- Mark

WEEKEND READING (5-11-13)

Bush cancels trip to Europe amid calls for his arrest (Salon).

Only in America ... One hospital charges $8,000 another charges $38,000, for the same thing (Truthout).

Use these (once) secret NSA Google search tips to become your own spy agency (Wired).

Chicken vs. Egg moment. The National Security Agency mimicks Google, which pisses off the U.S. Senate because they're doing something the private sector is already doing (Wired)  Hmmm ... didn't the federal government invent the internet and essentially give it all away, which made Google possible?

Monsanto, the court and the seeds of dissent ... Should Monsanto have the rights to a self-replicating natural product? (LA Times).

What presidential wannabes (and one president) owe their creditors (Center for Public Integrity).

THE ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL SCENE
How Wall Street de-fanged Dodd-Frank (The Nation).

Let's remake the Federal Reserve, build public banks and opt out of Wall Street (Truthout).

A rise in wealth for the wealthy, declines for the lower 93% (Pew Research).

Can U.S. banks use your deposits - in Cyprus-like fashion - to bail themselves out (so-called "bail-ins") after the next market collapse? According to these guys, the answer is yes (It's Our Economy).

Five scandals that made JPMorgan Wall Street's worst villain (Money Morning).

Yet another price rigging scheme that's set to become the next Wall Street mega scandal (Money Morning) ... Yawn.

America's incredible shrinking dollar (Gold Standard 2013).

OFFSHORE MONEY NEWS
Secrecy for Sale ... Inside the global offshore money maze (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists).

Release of offshore records draws worldwide response (Center for Public Integrity).

Check out who's hiding $32 trillion in offshore accounts (Money Morning).

Are the big banks committed to fighting the flow of dirty money? Apparently not (The Center for Public Integrity).

Authorities announce tax haven investigation (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists).

- Mark