Archive for the 'Dictatorship' Category
What the Fluck
December 6th, 2013The piece below is about how journalists confronted the money power last century, but how they’re failing to do so today. The theory is that we need journalists to let us know that we’re being bent over a barrel, because we’re somehow confused about what’s happening to us. More muckraking journalists will save the day! […]
Confirmed: NSA Tracking Cellphone Locations Worldwide
December 4th, 2013In summary, my thesis was that the NSA operation that Tice was involved with was related to tracking individual Americans, on the ground, in real time, using the mobile phone networks…I’m pretty sure that it knows more about all of us than we can imagine. —Cryptogon, 2007 I refuse to accept that this only targets […]
“Lockup Quotas” Guarantee Profits for the U.S. Private Prison Industry
December 4th, 2013Via: In The Public Interest: Shar Habibi looks at the rise of “lockup quotas” in private prisons; quotas where states guarantee that prisons will be filled at rates of 90 percent or even higher. She argues that these quotas mean that even if communities realize their objective of lower crime rates, taxpayers will see no […]
Mission Acomplished: Afghanistan Opium Harvest at Record High
December 4th, 2013Via: BBC: Afghan opium cultivation has reached a record level, with more than 200,000 hectares planted with the poppy for the first time, the United Nations says. The UNODC report said the harvest was 36% up on last year, and if fully realised would outstrip global demand. Most of the rise was in Helmand province, […]
For Nearly Two Decades the Nuclear Launch Code at All Minuteman Silos in the U.S. Was 00000000
December 2nd, 2013Via: Today I Found Out: Today I found out that during the height of the Cold War, the US military put such an emphasis on a rapid response to an attack on American soil, that to minimize any foreseeable delay in launching a nuclear missile, for nearly two decades they intentionally set the launch codes […]
Britain: Woman Forcibly Sedated, Child Taken from Her Womb by Caesarean Section
December 2nd, 2013Via: Telegraph: A pregnant woman has had her baby forcibly removed by caesarean section by social workers. Essex social services obtained a High Court order against the woman that allowed her to be forcibly sedated and her child to be taken from her womb. The council said it was acting in the best interests of […]
DHS Agent Cites Private Medical History to Deny Canadian Entry Into U.S.
December 2nd, 2013Via: Network World: A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent cited private medical history, a ‘mental illness episode,’ as the reason to deny a wheelchair-bound Canadian woman entry into the U.S.
China Sends Warplanes to Newly Declared Air Zone
November 28th, 2013Via: BBC: China has sent warplanes to its newly declared air defence zone in the East China Sea, state media reports. The vast zone, announced last week, covers territory claimed by China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. China has said all planes transiting the zone must file flight plans and identify themselves, or face “defensive […]
Renault Will Remotely Lock Down Electric Cars
November 28th, 2013Via: FSFE: For a long time, cars were a symbol of freedom and independence. No longer. In its Zoe electric car, car maker Renault apparently has the ability to remotely prevent the battery from charging. And that’s more chilling than it sounds. When you buy a Renault Zoe, the battery isn’t included. Instead, you sign […]
Human Portable Tripwire System
November 27th, 2013Via: Fast Company: Location-based services are great for things like discounts at nearby restaurants, or a heads-up for traffic, or tracking a morning jog. But what if your phone could take action on your behalf in the event you drove past (say) a rogue nuclear weapon? Last month on the U.S. government’s Federal Business Opportunities […]
