5 WikiLeaks Revelations Exposing the Rapidly Growing Corporatism Dominating American Diplomacy Abroad This article has been updated. One of the most significant scourges paralyzing our democracy is the merger of corporate power with elected and appointed government officials at the highest levels of office. Influence has a steep price-tag in American politics where politicians are bought and paid for with ever increasing campaign contributions from big business, essentially drowning out any and all voices advocating on behalf of the public interest. Millions of dollars in campaign funding flooding Washington's halls of power combined with tens of thousands of high-paid corporate lobbyists and a never-ending revolving door that allows corporate executives to shuffle between the public and private sectors has blurred the line between government agencies and private corporations. In this context of corporate government corruption, one of WikiLeaks' greatest achievements has been to expose the exorbitant amount of influence that multinational corporations have over Washington's diplomacy. 1.
To Our Faithful Current.com Users: Current's run has ended after eight exciting years on air and online. The Current TV staff has appreciated your interest, support, participation and unflagging loyalty over the years. Your contributions helped make Current.com a vibrant place for discussing thousands of interesting stories, and your continued viewership motivated us to keep innovating and find new ways to reflect the voice of the people. We now welcome the on-air and digital presence of Al Jazeera America, a new news network committed to reporting on and investigating real stories affecting the lives of everyday Americans in every corner of the country. Thank you for inspiring and challenging us. – The Current TV Staff Jingoism The American War-Dog, a 1916 political cartoon by Oscar Cesare, with the dog named 'Jingo' Jingoism is patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy.[1] Jingoism also refers to a country's advocation of the use of threats or actual force against peaceful relations, either economic or political, with other countries in order to safeguard what it perceives as its national interests. Colloquially, it refers to excessive bias in judging one's own country as superior to others—an extreme type of nationalism. The term originated in Britain, expressing a pugnacious attitude toward Russia in the 1870s, and appeared in the American press by 1893. Etymology[edit] We don't want to fight but by Jingo if we doWe've got the ships, we've got the men, we've got the money too We've fought the Bear before, and while we're Britons true The Russians shall not have Constantinople. The phrase "by Jingo" was a long-established minced oath, used to avoid saying "by Jesus". Usage[edit] See also[edit]
Odious debt In international law, odious debt, also known as illegitimate debt, is a legal theory that holds that the national debt incurred by a regime for purposes that do not serve the best interests of the nation, should not be enforceable. Such debts are, thus, considered by this doctrine to be personal debts of the regime that incurred them and not debts of the state. In some respects, the concept is analogous to the invalidity of contracts signed under coercion. Origin[edit] The doctrine was formalized in a 1927 treatise by Alexander Nahum Sack,[1] a Russian émigré legal theorist, based upon 19th-century precedents including Mexico's repudiation of debts incurred by Emperor Maximilian's regime, and the denial by the United States of Cuban liability for debts incurred by the Spanish colonial regime. According to Sack: Reception[edit] A recent article by economists Seema Jayachandran and Michael Kremer has renewed interest in this topic. Application[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
Why the "Liberal" Media Leaves Hawkish Foreign Policy Unchallenged A recent article by foreign policy analyst Robert Naiman, examines The New York Times' current coverage of Iran's nuclear program. In it, he exposes a disappointing but unsurprising mishandling of the facts. References to the paper's shameful prewar reportage on Iraq and Saddam Hussein's regime are appropriate. But if the Times is indeed liberal, why the repeated adoption and promotion of misleading, hawkish assumptions? The New York Times could probably be fairly described as liberal. But if we apply the label generally to mean mildly progressive, roughly approximating the political center, one could reasonably assert that the Times falls within range of the liberal framework. The paper's editorial positions on domestic issues and social policy are safely categorized as liberal. Naturally, The New York Times' orientation reflects, for the most part, the opinions and attitudes of those who work for the paper and those who read it.
US 'should stay' in Afghanistan past 2014 With public and Congressional debate heating up over post-bin Laden US policy in South Asia, a think tank with close ties to the administration of President Barack Obama is calling for a strategy that will keep Washington deeply engaged in the region for a long time to come. In a 40-page report released on Wednesday, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) said Washington should negotiate a long-term strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan that would keep 25,000 to 35,000 US troops in that country well beyond the 2014 date which the US and its allies have set for withdrawal. It also calls for a "more nuanced" policy towards Pakistan designed to strengthen those state actors that cooperate with US security interests there and punish those that do not, notably military and intelligence officials or sectors suspected of supporting or otherwise cooperating with terrorist groups, notably al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT, and the Pakistani Taliban, Tehrik-i-Taliban).
Corporate crime Corporate crime overlaps with: Definitional issues[edit] Legal person[edit] An 1886 decision of the United States Supreme Court, in Santa Clara County v. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. In English law, this was matched by the decision in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22. Enforcement policy[edit] Corporate crime has become politically sensitive in some countries. The Law Reform Commission of New South Wales offers an explanation of such criminal activities: Corporate crime poses a significant threat to the welfare of the community. Similarly, Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman (1999) assert: At one level, corporations develop new technologies and economies of scale. Discussion[edit] Criminalization[edit] See also[edit]
Will Israel Attack Iran? Ronen Zvulun/Reuters Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense minister, on right, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Six key strikes against Iran thought to be made by the Mossad. When I mentioned to Barak the opinion voiced by the former Mossad chief Meir Dagan and the former chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi — that the Iranian threat was not as imminent as he and Netanyahu have suggested and that a military strike would be catastrophic (and that they, Barak and Netanyahu, were cynically looking to score populist points at the expense of national security), Barak reacted with uncharacteristic anger. Netanyahu and Barak have both repeatedly stressed that a decision has not yet been made and that a deadline for making one has not been set. 1. 2. 3. For the first time since the Iranian nuclear threat emerged in the mid-1990s, at least some of Israel’s most powerful leaders believe that the response to all of these questions is yes.
Financial crimes Financial crimes may involve additional criminal acts, such as computer crime, elder abuse, burglary, armed robbery, and even violent crime such as robbery or murder. Financial crimes may be carried out by individuals, corporations, or by organized crime groups. Victims may include individuals, corporations, governments, and entire economies. Money Laundering[edit] For most countries, money laundering and terrorist financing raise significant issues with regard to prevention, detection and prosecution. i. ii. iii. The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), which is recognized as the international standard setter for Anti-money Laundering (AML) efforts, defines the term “money laundering” briefly as “the processing of criminal proceeds to disguise their illegal origin” in order to “legitimize” the ill-gotten gains of crime. See also[edit] External links[edit]
Don't Thank Me for My Service U.S. Marine in Zaranj, Nimroz province, December 30, 2011. (Photo: Cpl. Now, that is not something for which a person should be proud nor thanked. In making this request not to be thanked for my service, I am, of course, expressing only my opinion, and, perhaps, my idiosyncrasy, and I make no claim to be speaking for other veterans. First, what was accomplished by your sacrifice and by the waste of lives and treasure in Vietnam, in Iraq and in Afghanistan? So, in the future, if you really insist on thanking me for something, do not thank me for the eight years I spent as a Marine, but for the 45 or so years following my discharge from the military that I have spent as an activist fighting for human rights and social justice and to end the insanity of war. Make some demands. Demand, for example, an immediate end to the corporate takeover of our "democracy" and to the undue influence of the military-industrial-Congressional complex.
Les transnationales au centre de la grande évasion La lutte contre les paradis fiscaux est encalminée. Réuni fin juin à Toronto, le G20 a réitéré son intention d’appliquer des sanctions contre ces derniers, mais à partir d’une liste établie par l’Organisation de coopération et de développement économique (OCDE) qui ne cesse de s’étriquer. Celle-ci ne compte plus que quatorze Etats. « Et encore, les Iles Cook et le Sultanat de Brunei devraient en sortir prochainement. Ils ne restent que quelques confettis représentant 0,2% de la finance offshore alors que les multinationales représentent les deux tiers de la fraude fiscale globale », remarque Jean Merckaert, du Comité catholique contre la faim et pour le développement (CCFD). « Pire, note Attac, les pays s’engagent à ouvrir encore davantage les marchés de biens et de services (dont les services financiers !) et à continuer d’éliminer les derniers instruments de protection dont disposent les gouvernements ou les régions vis-à-vis du tout marché [1]. » 1 800 milliards de dollars évaporés
Gore Vidal Interview Gore Vidal is a gold mine of quips and zingers. And his vast knowledge of literature and history—particularly American—makes for an impressive figure. His razor-sharp tongue lacerates the powerful. Now eighty, he lives in the Hollywood hills in a modest mansion with immodest artwork. His aristocratic pedigree is evident not just in his artistic sophistication but also in his locution. “I’m a lover of the old republic and I deeply resent the empire our Presidents put in its place,” he declares. Vidal moved gingerly and was using a cane. Prolific does not even begin to describe Vidal’s literary output. Distantly related to Jackie Kennedy, he does not romanticize JFK. He’s been a Democratic candidate for the House from New York and for the Senate from California. He sees a certain continuity in U.S. foreign policy over the last fifty years. I talked with him on a hot afternoon in mid-April. Gore Vidal: I know these people. Q: Bush’s ratings have been at personal lows.
Le Groupe des 20 (ou G20), qui se réunit le 2 avril prochain à Londres, cherche à faire croire à l’opinion publique qu’il est sur le point d’assainir la finance internationale Le Groupe des 20 (ou G20), qui se réunit le 2 avril prochain à Londres, cherche à faire croire à l’opinion publique qu’il est sur le point d’assainir la finance internationale et que les paradis fiscaux vivent leurs derniers jours. En fait, les grandes puissances ne s’attaquent qu’aux petits fraudeurs du fisc, mais surtout pas aux magouilles des multinationales. Depuis quelques semaines, les médias du monde entier font leurs gros titres sur la mort des paradis fiscaux. Sous la pression des Américains, des Français et des Allemands, la Suisse, l’Autriche, le Luxembourg, l’Andorre ont promis de collaborer. C’est juré, ils n’accueilleront plus les horribles fraudeurs du fisc. C’est une excellente nouvelle. Les paradis fiscaux européens n’ont pas accepté de gaieté de cœur la mort (partielle) du secret bancaire. Désignée comme un pays « non coopératif » depuis 2007, la principauté du Liechtenstein a perdu en quelques mois toute crédibilité. 189 filiales de la BNP dans des paradis fiscaux