Election 2012

Romney’s Chinese Investments

Mittens’ blind trust has substantial Chinese investments. Kind of weird for a guy whose campaign is built around China bashing.

Human Rights

Obama and Warrentless Wiretapping

There has been more warrantless wiretapping over the last two years than the previous ten combined. Add this to the pile of evidence suggesting that Obama is worse than Bush.

Secret U.S. Military Docs Brand Wikileaks as “The Enemy”

For those of you not keeping score, this means that Assange — or anyone who supports him, including the present writer — can be thrown in jail indefinitely without charge, tortured or assassinated.

The Terror of Drone Strikes

First-hand accounts of drone strike survivors. An absolute must read for people who still defend the Obama Administration.

Is Obama Detaining American Citizens Under NDAA?

Probably.

Secularism

Russia Shouldn’t Copy Western Values, Says Russian Patriarch

Interesting for those who follow the Eurasianism vs. Byzantinism divide in Russia. One thing is certain: Russia is rising as an independent power with a post-Soviet identity.

Revolution

Italians Wage General Strike Against Austerity

Italy was on my list of countries that were going to go Tahrir Square next. The point is, to win they need to break away from the unions and the official “left” parties, both of which are part and parcel of defending capitalist order in Italy and around the world.

Science

Voyager 1 Enter Interstellar Space

Humanity’s first interstellar probe is leaving our solar system and striking out into the great unknown.

Just Plain Stupid

Penises Are Not Shrinking

Rush Limbaugh can calm down.

Weird

Nazi Buddhist Statue Made of Space Rock

I don’t have the words to express how amazing I think this story is.

Human Rights

Spanish Surround Parliament to Fight Austerity

This is Spain’s Tahrir Square moment. Hopefully it ends better than Egypt.

Phoenix Mayor Lives on Food Stamp Budget

“I’m tired and it’s hard to focus… If I were doing this with no end in sight, I probably wouldn’t be so pleasant.”

Assange’s Address to the UN

The full video of Julian Assange’s address to the United Nations.

Election 2012

Why I Refuse to Vote for Barack Obama

Conor Friedersdorf makes the case against Obama, even if you think he’s “better” (whatever that means) than Romney. The short version? American liberals simply don’t care about non-American lives.

What Will It Take for Romney to Win?

CNN explores how the “No Chance 2012″ ticket can possibly limp to the finish line first.

War

U.S. War Drive Against Iran Continues

Obama’s bellicosity at the United Nations is truly frightening for anyone who understands the broader consequences.

Election 2012

Joan Walsh Goes to Bat for Professor Lizzy

An article by Joan Walsh on Scott Brown staffers. As her entire career is based on being a shill for the Democratic Party who assumes that all working-class whites are racist, she conveniently avoids the part of the story where Elizabeth Warren lies about her heritage over a period of decades. Which, really, is more damaging to the aboriginal community? A bunch of frat boys making jokes in poor taste or a white person exploiting their history for personal gain?

GOP Posts Racist Anti-Obama Images, Refuses to Remove Them

It’s 2012 and this garbage doesn’t really work anymore, but someone forgot to tell the Mecklenburg County Republican Party.

Romney Heavily Invested in Russia

He calls Russia America’s “number one enemy,” yet invests heavily there. Not terribly surprising considering there’s one thing we know for certain about Mittens: He’ll do just about anything for money.

Polls Widen in Battleground States

Why Is Romney Losing?

Well, mostly because he’s a terrible campaigner with a total disdain for the electorate. I will say this, though, Barry is a more savvy politician than I’ve previously given him credit for. Sure, he’s kicking a man while he’s down, but he’s doing it right. 

Human Rights

Julian Assange to Address UN

This should be interesting. Assange’s reputation as a folk hero is overinflated, but his importance can’t really be overestimated. When was the last time the UK threatened to storm an embassy over (bogus) rape charges?

Secularism

Innocence of the Muslims Producer Could Get Jail Time

The producer of the inflammatory YouTube video apparently violated his parole by uploading it. I find it hard to believe that if he’d uploaded a video of a cat playing with a brown paper bag that he’d be facing jail time. This is a pretty clear attack on free speech, a principle which means absolutely zero if it doesn’t protect offensive speech.

War

Ahmadinejad Accuses America of Nuclear “Intimidation”

It will forever boggle my mind that the United States — the only country to employ nuclear weapons, and against civilian populations at that — considers it proper to tell other countries what weapons it can and can’t have. I’m no friend of the Iranian regime, but considering that they exist between India / Pakistan and Israel, it’s hard to find a compelling reason why they wouldn’t want nukes.

Barack Obama Threatens Iran at UN

The Obama Administration has largely continued and deepened the policies of George W. Bush. On Iran, it has been even more bellicose. Further evidence that the main divide between street level Democrats and Republicans is cultural (urban / exurban vs. suburban / rural) rather than political. And, of course, reason to be terrified of a second Obama term.

Wikileaks

No Assange DNA Found on Broken Condom

There is every reason to question the veracity of Assange’s accusers. This is yet another reason to do so.

Civil Liberties

Obama White House Fights for Indefinite Detention

Once again proving that Democrats will vote for anything provided that the Republicans can produce something theoretically “worse.”

Over 100 Arrested at Occupy Anniversary

I think Occupy is basically a spent force, but I’ll always defend the basic democratic right of assembly. More evidence that the United States is not a democracy in any meaningful sense.

Election 2012

True The Vote Attempts to Intimidate (Mostly  Black) Voters

Election Shifts to Obama

Two articles from the WSWS detailing how, on the one hand, the ruling class is lining up solidly behind Obama and, on the other, Romney backers are doing anything they can to steal the election — with Dem complicity.

Mitt Romney’s Campaign Sucks

Mittens’ campaign increasingly has the stink of Dole ’96 / McCain ’08 on it.

Afghanistan

Eight Women Killed in a Drone Strike

Too bad they aren’t male. Obama could say that they were terrorists who got what they had coming.

Just Plain Stupid

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches a Sign of “White Privilege”

Racial identity politics manifesting in laughably stupid ways.