America and the World Dominican Republic 1904 Theodore Roosevelt introduces the Roosevelt corollary to the Monroe Doctrine after D.R.'s government threatens to default on over $34 million in foreign loans. The corollary establishes the US's role as Latin America's banker and policeman: If a nation...keeps order and pays its obligations, it need fear no interference from the United States. ...in the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power. 1916 US invades DR and occupies the country until 1924. 1930-61 Dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, who seizes power thanks to the US-trained National Police Force and enjoys US support during his rule thanks to his anti-communist stance.
The World’s Biggest Debtor Nations Throughout the financial crisis, many national economies have looked to their government and foreign lenders for financial support, which translates to increased spending, borrowing and in most cases, growing national debt. Deficit spending, government debt and private sector borrowing are the norm in most western countries, but due in part to the financial crisis, some nations and economies are in considerably worse debt positions than others. External debt is a measure of a nation’s foreign liabilities, capital plus interest that the government and institutions within a nation’s borders must eventually pay. This number not only includes government debt, but also debt owed by corporations and individuals to entities outside their home country. So, how does the US debt position compare to that of other countries? A useful measure of a country’s debt position is by comparing gross external debt to GDP. So, what are the world’s biggest debtor nations? 20.
Beekeeper Who Leaked EPA Documents: "I Don't Think We Can Survive This Winter" Colorado beekeeper Tom Theobald never expected to become embroiled in a controversy between the EPA and the pesticide industry. But that's exactly what happened when Theobald got hold of an EPA document revealing that the agency is allowing the widespread use of a bee-toxic pesticide, in spite of warnings from EPA scientists. So how did Theobald (pictured above) end up with such a contentious document? Bayer, the corporation behind clothianidin (the pesticide in question), published a life cycle study about it in 2006 at the EPA's request. Fast forward to this year. "They told me that EPA scientists had reviewed the original lifecycle study and determined it wasn't scientifically sound, and I asked if it had been documented, if there was a hard copy," he says, "The [employee] said yes, and I asked if I could get a copy." "Everybody is keyed on the leaked memo, but basically it's a public document," adds Theobald. Now the stakes are higher than ever. Photo Credit: Tom Theobald
An Investment Manager's View on the Top 1% This article was written by an investment manager who works with very wealthy clients. him from decades ago, but in 2011 he e-mailed me with some concerns he had about what was happening with the economy. What he had to say was informative enough that I asked if he might fashion what he had told me into a document for the Who Rules America Web site. He agreed to do so, but only on the condition that the document be anonymous, because he does not want to jeopardize his relationships with his clients or other investment professionals. Make no assumptions about the investment manager with respect to race, ethnicity, political perspective, or views on government economic policy; he may or may not fit readers' preconceptions concerning some of these categories. NOTE: The investment manager has also written an update for 2014. — G. I sit in an interesting chair in the financial services industry. The Lower Half of the Top 1% Until recently, most studies just broke out the top 1% as a group.
Influence Explorer New details on Visa's attempt to influence Pelosi - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a "Women's Economic Forum - A Discussion on Jobs" at Metro State College in Denver on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011. Kristy Schloss, right, president of Schloss Engineered Equipment, one of the panelist for the event, is pictured at right.(AP Photo/Ed Andrieski) Ed Andrieski Following a report on CBS' "60 Minutes" regarding the way members of Congress profit off of insider information, new details are emerging about the way Visa tried to wield influence over former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. As CBS reported, current insider trading laws do not apply to nonpublic information about current or upcoming congressional activity. As Steve Kroft reported on "60 Minutes," Pelosi is one of many lawmakers whose stock market trades could have been seen as a conflict of interest. In 2007, Visa used an army of lobbyists to try to influence Pelosi, including one of her former advisers, Dean Aguillen, Newsweek reports. Today, however, Sens.
American's Crazed Corn Habit - Justin Rohrlich According to a recent Congressional Budget Office report, the increased use of ethanol is responsible for a rise in food prices of approximately 10 to 15 percent. Why? We're turning corn into fuel — a highly inefficient one, at that — instead of food. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy points out that "mixing food and fuel markets for political reasons has done American consumers no discernable good, while producing measurable harm." However, perhaps summing up the issue most succinctly is Mark J. Anytime you have Paul Krugman agreeing on ethanol with such a diverse group as the Wall Street Journal, Reason Magazine, the Cato Institute, Investor's Business Daily, Rolling Stone Magazine, the Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, John Stossel, The Ecological Society of America, the American Enterprise and Brookings Institutions, the Heritage Foundation, George Will and Time magazine, you know that ethanol has to be one of the most misguided public policies in US history. Nope.
5-Year-Old Handcuffed, Charged With Battery On Officer STOCKTON, Calif. (KCRA) —Earlier this year, a Stockton student was handcuffed with zip ties on his hands and feet, forced to go to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and was charged with battery on a police officer. That student was 5 years old. Michael Davis is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. His mother says it has led to fights at school. "Michael is energetic," Thelma Gray said. Gray calls Michael a comedian. "He's very loving," Gray said. Those discipline problems include fights with other students, even throwing a chair. Gray says the school, Rio Calaveras Elementary of Stockton, wanted to change that behavior by having Michael meet with a school police officer. "He could come out and talk to Michael and the kids are normally scared straight," said Gray, describing how she says the school district proposed the meeting. But the meeting didn't go as planned. She knows because she ultimately obtained a copy of the police report.
Florida school official calls police on kissing 12-year-olds By Stephen C. WebsterTuesday, November 22, 2011 10:22 EDT Some people just aren’t cut out to work around kids. This individual recently witnessed two 12-year-old kids kissing on the playground — a girl kissing a boy, specifically. Instead of simply separating the two, the assistant principal — not named in media reports — decided to call to the Florida Department of Children and Families, which recommended the police be notified of a possible attempted battery. Though an officer did file a report, no arrests or other disciplinary actions were taken against the students, both of whom apparently consented to the kiss. It’s not clear if any disciplinary or corrective actions were taken against the administrator. Photo: Flickr user MikeCrane83. Copyright 2011 The Raw Story <a style="color: #336699; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" href=" Stephen C. Stephen C.