[154687] in Zephyr_Bugs
There Is No Such Thing as a Free Market
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (t r u t h o u t)
Tue Jun 7 18:17:54 2011
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Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 18:17:48 -0400 (EDT)
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t r u t h o u t |=20
6.07
Ha-Joon Chang | There Is No Such Thing as a Free Market
http://www.truthout.org/there-no-such-thing-free-market/1307462405
Read an excerpt from Truthout's Progressive Pick of the Week, Ha-Joon Chang=
's "23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism": "What They Don't Tell =
You: The free market doesn't exist. Every market has some rules and boundar=
ies that restrict freedom of choice. A market looks free only because we so=
unconditionally accept its underlying restrictions that we fail to see the=
m. How 'free' a market is cannot be objectively defined. It is a political =
definition. The usual claim by free-market economists that they are trying =
to defend the market from politically motivated interference by the governm=
ent is false. Government is always involved and those free-marketeers are a=
s politically motivated as anyone. Overcoming the myth that there is such a=
thing as an objectively defined 'free market' is the first step towards un=
derstanding capitalism."
What America Has Given Up for Ten Years of Bush Tax Cuts
http://www.truthout.org/25-trillion-tragedy-what-america-has-given-10-years=
-bush-tax-cuts/1307465194
Zaid Jilani, ThinkProgress: "Today marks the 10th anniversary of former Pre=
sident George W. Bush signing into law his 2001 tax cuts (he passed a secon=
d round in 2003). While doing so, Bush promised prosperity and growth, but =
the nation got neither. The cost of these budget-busting 2001 and 2003 tax =
cuts was, as estimated by Citizens for Tax Justice, roughly $2.5 trillion t=
hrough 2010. But America didn't have to go down this route of cutting taxes=
and hoping for growth to miraculously appear. There were other policy opti=
ons available to policymakers."
US Braces for Long Withdrawal Along Iraqi Road
http://www.truthout.org/us-braces-long-withdrawal-along-iraqi-road/13074557=
72
Michael S. Schmidt, The New York Times News Service: "The resurgent threat =
posed by militants was underscored Monday when rockets slammed into a milit=
ary base in eastern Baghdad, killing five service members in the most deadl=
y day for American forces here since 2009. In recent weeks, insurgent fight=
ers have stepped up their efforts to kill American forces in what appears t=
o be a strategy to press the United States to withdraw on schedule, undercu=
t any resolve to leave troops in Iraq, and win a public relations victory a=
t home by claiming credit for the American withdrawal. American commanders =
say one of the gravest threats to the 46,000 troops here is that they could=
become easy targets for insurgents when they begin their final withdrawal =
this summer and head for the border along a 160-mile stretch of road cuttin=
g through the desert into Kuwait."
Paul Krugman | Beware Charlatans, Cranks and Contemptible Politicians
http://www.truthout.org/beware-charlatans-cranks-and-contemptible-politicia=
ns/1307454167
Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: "In the first edition (but only the first edit=
ion) of his textbook 'Principles of Economics,' economist Greg Mankiw famou=
sly derided President Reagan's supply-side advisers as charlatans and crank=
s. It's pretty clear that when Mr. Mankiw wrote that, he imagined that this=
was only a phase, that Republicans would return to more sensible policies.=
In fact, however, the party is sinking ever further into deep voodoo. My t=
ake is that the hermetic nature of conservatism - its loyalty tests, its cl=
osed intellectual world where you get all your alleged facts from Fox News =
and the Heritage Foundation, the 'wingnut welfare' that ensures that defeat=
ed politicians always have a cushy job waiting at a think tank somewhere - =
always made it vulnerable to this kind of spin into policy craziness."
Occupying Iraq, State Department-Style
http://www.truthout.org/occupying-iraq-state-department-style/1307460772
Peter Van Buren, TomDispatch: "From that ancient debris field, recall the a=
lmost forgotten run-up to the American invasion, the now-ridiculous threats=
about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, Secretary of State Col=
in Powell lying away his own and America's prestige at the U.N., those 'Mis=
sion-Accomplished' days when the Marines tore down Saddam's statue and conq=
uered Baghdad, the darker times as civil society imploded and Iraq devolved=
into civil war, the endless rounds of purple fingers for stage-managed ele=
ctions that meant little, the Surge and the ugly stalemate that followed, f=
ading to gray as President George W. Bush negotiated a complete withdrawal =
of U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 and the seeming end of his drea=
ms of a Pax Americana in the Greater Middle East. Now, with less than seven=
months left until that withdrawal moment, Washington debates whether to ho=
nor the agreement, or - if only we can get the Iraqi government to ask us t=
o stay - to leave a decent-sized contingent of soldiers occupying some of t=
he massive bases the Pentagon built hoping for permanent occupancy."
"War Is Just a Microcosm of Peace" - an Interview With Zainab Salbi
http://www.truthout.org/war-just-microcosm-peace-interview-zainab-salbi/130=
7454271
Eva Fernandez Ortiz, Women News Network: "A recent Women News Network - WNN=
interview with Zainab Salbi, Founder and President of Women for Women Inte=
rnational, which held its annual fundraiser luncheon in New York City on Ma=
y 18, reveals how a very simple act, a smile of recognition and respect, ca=
n help women survive in war-torn regions. Long-term trauma for women who ha=
ve survived armed conflict is a haunting reminder that health issues and de=
pression can follow decades after the end of war, but women who hope for he=
aling can and do move forward. Many of those who work today with global adv=
ocacy still want to know the answer to a basic, yet important, question: Ho=
w far can women recover after conflict survival? These and other topics are=
part of this interview."
Yemeni Leader Severely Burnt, Raising Doubts About His Rule
http://www.truthout.org/yemeni-leader-severely-burnt-raising-doubts-about-h=
is-rule/1307475164
Neil MacFarquhar, The New York Times News Service: "President Ali Abdullah =
Saleh of Yemen suffered injuries far more extensive than previously known i=
n the attack on his presidential palace last week, with burns over 40 perce=
nt of his body, Yemeni officials and Western diplomats said Tuesday. There =
have also been reports that a wooden shard sliced into his body and punctur=
ed a lung, said Abdul Rahman al-Rashed, the head of the Arabiya television =
network. It was initially reported that Mr. Saleh, who was flown to Saudi A=
rabia on Saturday for treatment at the Armed Forces Hospital in Riyadh, had=
suffered burns on his face, neck and arms in a blast at the palace mosque =
during Friday Prayer. But his back was burned as well, according to the sou=
rces, speaking on condition of anonymity, and the burns were severe enough =
to require strong sedation for the pain and months of convalescence."
US Boat to Gaza Is a Quarter Jewish - "Not Too Shabby!"
http://www.truthout.org/us-boat-gaza-quarter-jewish-not-too-shabby/13074532=
30
Robert Naiman, Truthout: "According to The New York Times, a quarter of the=
passengers on the upcoming US Boat to Gaza are Jewish. What does it mean t=
hat the US Boat to Gaza is a quarter Jewish? According to the noted America=
n Jewish commentator Adam Sandler, a quarter Jewish is 'not too shabby!' Ma=
ybe the US Boat to Gaza will be mentioned in Adam's next Hanukkah song. Wha=
t does it mean that the US Boat to Gaza is a quarter Jewish? Maybe it means=
that the Israeli authorities will have some compunction about shooting up =
our boat. After all, isn't the official story of Zionism all about making a=
'safe harbor' for Jews in Palestine?"
The Rebirth of Solidarity on the Border
http://www.truthout.org/rebirth-solidarity-border/1307466049
David Bacon, CIP Americas: "Despite the flight of many jobs to China, a US =
economic recession that has caused massive layoffs in border plants, and ex=
treme levels of violence in many border communities, the maquiladora indust=
ry in north Mexico is still enormous. Three thousand plants employ over 1.3=
million workers. It's not just the size of the industry that makes these p=
lants important. They've been the laboratories for the rightward shift in l=
abor law and labor relations, now being applied to workers across Mexico. T=
he states are a stronghold of political conservatism and corporate power, b=
ecause of the disenfranchisement of their working population. A vibrant and=
strong labor movement on the border would change Mexico's politics."
In Canada the Center No Longer Holds
http://www.truthout.org/canada-center-no-longer-holds/1307467110
Juby Rebick, The Indypendent: "By winning a majority in the 308-seat House =
of Commons in Canada's May 2 election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and hi=
s Conservative Party seem to be consolidating a political shift to the righ=
t, but appearances can be deceiving. Harper now has 167 members of parliame=
nt to push the right's agenda of militarization, attacks on public-sector u=
nions, criminalization of poverty and dissent, ecologically devastating ene=
rgy policy and the smothering of democratic space. But the same election pr=
opelled the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) into the position of Of=
ficial Opposition for the first time ever."
TRUTHOUT'S BUZZFLASH DAILY HEADLINES =20
There is no escaping the salacious Anthony Weiner Internet scandal. Since t=
he mainstream corporate media - for the most part - merged politics, news, =
entertainment, celebrity personalities and sensationalism, it's been almost=
impossible to have an informed national discussion on public policy.
One Weiner "confessional" news conference is worth more in advertising reve=
nue than a year of covering our wars that have spanned a decade.
A sizeable percentage of Americans are out of work and without a safety net=
, Medicare and Social Security are under siege, wars are being fought that =
receive only sporadic coverage and the disparity in income in America is at=
its widest point in memory. Yet, these and other pressing issues play a di=
stant second fiddle to a Congressman engaged in sexual titillation over the=
web and on the phone - however creepy and inappropriate that may be.
The Weiner affair is just the latest example of what Chris Hedges calls "sp=
ectacle" coverage superseding the dissemination of news that informs and en=
lightens.
Weiner - as he noted in his news conference on June 6 - will have to answer=
to his wife, his constituents and Congress.
The news media that is increasingly evolving into a combination of the Nati=
onal Enquirer, People magazine and "American Idol" has to answer to history=
, as America descends into a tabloid future in which only the very rich wil=
l control the mass media "news" prism.
Mark Karlin
Editor, BuzzFlash at Truthout
=20
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's Excellent Helicopter Adventure on the Taxp=
ayer's Dime
Read the Article at BuzzFlash
http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/12749
"Walkerville" Tent City Springs Up in Shadow of Wisconsin's Grand Capitol
Read the Article at Grist
http://www.grist.org/infrastructure/2011-06-06-walkerville-tent-city-wiscon=
sin-capitol-scott-walker
Glenn Greenwald: Is a Bipartisan Coalition Emerging to Oppose the National =
Security State?
Read the Article at Salon
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/?source=3Dnewsletter&utm_=
source=3Dcontactology&utm_medium=3Demail&utm_campaign=3DSalon_Daily%20Newsl=
etter%20%28Not%20Premium%29_7_30_110
The Problem Is That This Tea Party Utopia Already Exists. It's Pakistan
Read the Article at Crooks and Liars
http://crooksandliars.com/nonny-mouse/tea-party-utopia
The Minimum Wage Is a Poverty Wage
Read the Article at BuzzFlash
http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/12747
Obama: No Fears of Double-Dip Recession
Read the Article at The Associated Press
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110607/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_us_germany_merkel;_yl=
t=3DAsb20QvlR81q5Yu5Pv3kS0Ss0NUE;_ylu=3DX3oDMTNmZG1sYW9hBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTE=
wNjA3L3VzX3VzX2dlcm1hbnlfbWVya2VsBGNjb2RlA3JhbmRvbQRjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzgEcHQDaG=
9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA29iYW1hbm9mZWFycw-
Oil Company's Lawsuit Against Greenpeace Backfires
Read the Article at Greenpeace
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/news-and-blogs/campaign-blog/oil-companys-=
lawsuit-against-greenpeace-backf/blog/35160
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<table width=3D"85%" cellspacing=3D"3">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p></p>
<center><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/di=
a/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DKAv21w1oymBWgLJvSQ3QTTvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#c=
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circlet.gif" /></font></a></center><br />
<!-- TemplateBeginEditable name=3D"content" --><p>Tuesd=
ay 07 June 2011</p>
<p><font><strong>There Is No Such Thing as a Free Market</strong></font><br=
/>
Read an excerpt from Truthout's Progressive Pick of the Week, Ha-Joon Chang=
's "23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism": "What They Don’t=
Tell You: The free market doesn’t exist. Every market has some rules=
and boundaries that restrict freedom of choice. A market looks free only b=
ecause we so unconditionally accept its underlying restrictions that we fai=
l to see them. How 'free' a market is cannot be objectively defined. It is =
a political definition. The usual claim by free-market economists that they=
are trying to defend the market from politically motivated interference by=
the government is false. Government is always involved and those free-mark=
eteers are as politically motivated as anyone. Overcoming the myth that the=
re is such a thing as an objectively defined ‘free market’ is t=
he first step towards understanding capitalism." <br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DycA3NW=
3FpM%2B%2F2XH08yRS8jvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Book Exc=
erpt</font></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>What America Has Given Up for Ten Years of Bush Tax Cuts </st=
rong></font><br />
Zaid Jilani, ThinkProgress: "Today marks the 10th anniversary of former Pre=
sident George W. Bush signing into law his 2001 tax cuts (he passed a secon=
d round in 2003). While doing so, Bush promised prosperity and growth, but =
the nation got neither. The cost of these budget-busting 2001 and 2003 tax =
cuts was, as estimated by Citizens for Tax Justice, roughly $2.5 trillion t=
hrough 2010. But America didn't have to go down this route of cutting taxes=
and hoping for growth to miraculously appear. There were other policy opti=
ons available to policymakers."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DA2h%2F=
SkVl0RVFbhQGIdpyATvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>US Braces for Long Withdrawal Along Iraqi Road</strong></font=
><br />
Michael S. Schmidt, The New York Times News Service: "The resurgent threat =
posed by militants was underscored Monday when rockets slammed into a milit=
ary base in eastern Baghdad, killing five service members in the most deadl=
y day for American forces here since 2009. In recent weeks, insurgent fight=
ers have stepped up their efforts to kill American forces in what appears t=
o be a strategy to press the United States to withdraw on schedule, undercu=
t any resolve to leave troops in Iraq, and win a public relations victory a=
t home by claiming credit for the American withdrawal. American commanders =
say one of the gravest threats to the 46,000 troops here is that they could=
become easy targets for insurgents when they begin their final withdrawal =
this summer and head for the border along a 160-mile stretch of road cuttin=
g through the desert into Kuwait."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3D9dh935=
Z5bTaKuP3y%2Fd34fTvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Paul Krugman | Beware Charlatans, Cranks and Contemptible Pol=
iticians</strong></font><br />
Paul Krugman, Krugman & Co.: "In the first edition (but only the first =
edition) of his textbook 'Principles of Economics,' economist Greg Mankiw f=
amously derided President Reagan's supply-side advisers as charlatans and c=
ranks. It's pretty clear that when Mr. Mankiw wrote that, he imagined that =
this was only a phase, that Republicans would return to more sensible polic=
ies. In fact, however, the party is sinking ever further into deep voodoo. =
My take is that the hermetic nature of conservatism - its loyalty tests, it=
s closed intellectual world where you get all your alleged facts from Fox N=
ews and the Heritage Foundation, the 'wingnut welfare' that ensures that de=
feated politicians always have a cushy job waiting at a think tank somewher=
e - always made it vulnerable to this kind of spin into policy craziness."<=
br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DsnxTF%=
2BQtgJMp8C4XycLW3jvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Occupying Iraq, State Department-Style</strong></font><br />
Peter Van Buren, TomDispatch: "From that ancient debris field, recall the a=
lmost forgotten run-up to the American invasion, the now-ridiculous threats=
about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, Secretary of State Col=
in Powell lying away his own and America's prestige at the U.N., those 'Mis=
sion-Accomplished' days when the Marines tore down Saddam's statue and conq=
uered Baghdad, the darker times as civil society imploded and Iraq devolved=
into civil war, the endless rounds of purple fingers for stage-managed ele=
ctions that meant little, the Surge and the ugly stalemate that followed, f=
ading to gray as President George W. Bush negotiated a complete withdrawal =
of U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 and the seeming end of his drea=
ms of a Pax Americana in the Greater Middle East. Now, with less than seven=
months left until that withdrawal moment, Washington debates whether to ho=
nor the agreement, or - if only we can get the Iraqi government to ask us t=
o stay - to leave a decent-sized contingent of soldiers occupying some of t=
he massive bases the Pentagon built hoping for permanent occupancy."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3Dk3sGrQ=
XAQzsecaqMzFwCfjvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>"War Is Just a Microcosm of Peace" - an Interview With Zainab=
Salbi</strong></font><br />
Eva Fernandez Ortiz, Women News Network: "A recent Women News Network - WNN=
interview with Zainab Salbi, Founder and President of Women for Women Inte=
rnational, which held its annual fundraiser luncheon in New York City on Ma=
y 18, reveals how a very simple act, a smile of recognition and respect, ca=
n help women survive in war-torn regions. Long-term trauma for women who ha=
ve survived armed conflict is a haunting reminder that health issues and de=
pression can follow decades after the end of war, but women who hope for he=
aling can and do move forward. Many of those who work today with global adv=
ocacy still want to know the answer to a basic, yet important, question: Ho=
w far can women recover after conflict survival? These and other topics are=
part of this interview."<br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DrPtax%=
2Bvzj3hbLzlRpKJVAjvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>Yemeni Leader Severely Burnt, Raising Doubts About His Rule</=
strong></font><br />
Neil MacFarquhar, The New York Times News Service: "President Ali Abdullah =
Saleh of Yemen suffered injuries far more extensive than previously known i=
n the attack on his presidential palace last week, with burns over 40 perce=
nt of his body, Yemeni officials and Western diplomats said Tuesday. There =
have also been reports that a wooden shard sliced into his body and punctur=
ed a lung, said Abdul Rahman al-Rashed, the head of the Arabiya television =
network. It was initially reported that Mr. Saleh, who was flown to Saudi A=
rabia on Saturday for treatment at the Armed Forces Hospital in Riyadh, had=
suffered burns on his face, neck and arms in a blast at the palace mosque =
during Friday Prayer. But his back was burned as well, according to the sou=
rces, speaking on condition of anonymity, and the burns were severe enough =
to require strong sedation for the pain and months of convalescence." <br /=
>
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DTMdGZB=
TRr5Vmb%2BZLu2L4wjvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</f=
ont></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>US Boat to Gaza Is a Quarter Jewish - "Not Too Shabby!"</stro=
ng></font><br />
Robert Naiman, Truthout: "According to The New York Times, a quarter of the=
passengers on the upcoming US Boat to Gaza are Jewish. What does it mean t=
hat the US Boat to Gaza is a quarter Jewish? According to the noted America=
n Jewish commentator Adam Sandler, a quarter Jewish is 'not too shabby!' Ma=
ybe the US Boat to Gaza will be mentioned in Adam's next Hanukkah song. Wha=
t does it mean that the US Boat to Gaza is a quarter Jewish? Maybe it means=
that the Israeli authorities will have some compunction about shooting up =
our boat. After all, isn't the official story of Zionism all about making a=
'safe harbor' for Jews in Palestine?" <br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DK8%2Bd=
S1kmDy6O9JC9Y40%2F4zvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article<=
/font></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>The Rebirth of Solidarity on the Border</strong></font><br />
David Bacon, CIP Americas: "Despite the flight of many jobs to China, a US =
economic recession that has caused massive layoffs in border plants, and ex=
treme levels of violence in many border communities, the maquiladora indust=
ry in north Mexico is still enormous. Three thousand plants employ over 1.3=
million workers. It's not just the size of the industry that makes these p=
lants important. They've been the laboratories for the rightward shift in l=
abor law and labor relations, now being applied to workers across Mexico. T=
he states are a stronghold of political conservatism and corporate power, b=
ecause of the disenfranchisement of their working population. A vibrant and=
strong labor movement on the border would change Mexico's politics." <br /=
>
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3D1d47Ny=
ArMgxIimiOGxB38DvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> <br />
<br />
<font><strong>In Canada the Center No Longer Holds</strong></font><br />
Juby Rebick, The Indypendent: "By winning a majority in the 308-seat House =
of Commons in Canada's May 2 election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and hi=
s Conservative Party seem to be consolidating a political shift to the righ=
t, but appearances can be deceiving. Harper now has 167 members of parliame=
nt to push the right's agenda of militarization, attacks on public-sector u=
nions, criminalization of poverty and dissent, ecologically devastating ene=
rgy policy and the smothering of democratic space. But the same election pr=
opelled the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) into the position of Of=
ficial Opposition for the first time ever." <br />
<a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DIXzUtZ=
ospdvYJTzXkKafgzvjeqWhwYe%2F"><font color=3D"#cc0000">Read the Article</fon=
t></a> </p>
<p></p>
<p><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DDhU=
atxGYtRagcunUdaYS9zvjeqWhwYe%2F" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc0000">=
<em>Click here for more Truthout articles</em></font></a></p>
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<div align=3D"left"><strong><em>TRUTHOUT'S BUZZFLASH DAILY HEAD=
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<p><i>
<p>There is no escaping the salacious Anthony Weiner Internet scandal. Sinc=
e the mainstream corporate media - for the most part - merged politics, new=
s, entertainment, celebrity personalities and sensationalism, it's been alm=
ost impossible to have an informed national discussion on public policy.</p=
>
<p>One Weiner "confessional" news conference is worth more in advertising r=
evenue than a year of covering our wars that have spanned a decade.</p>
<p>A sizeable percentage of Americans are out of work and without a safety =
net, Medicare and Social Security are under siege, wars are being fought th=
at receive only sporadic coverage and the disparity in income in America is=
at its widest point in memory. Yet, these and other pressing issues play a=
distant second fiddle to a Congressman engaged in sexual titillation over =
the web and on the phone - however creepy and inappropriate that may be.</p=
>
<p>The Weiner affair is just the latest example of what Chris Hedges calls =
"spectacle" coverage superseding the dissemination of news that informs and=
enlightens.</p>
<p>Weiner - as he noted in his news conference on June 6 - will have to ans=
wer to his wife, his constituents and Congress.</p>
<p>The news media that is increasingly evolving into a combination of the N=
ational Enquirer, People magazine and "American Idol" has to answer to hist=
ory, as America descends into a tabloid future in which only the very rich =
will control the mass media "news" prism.</p>
<p>Mark Karlin<br />
Editor, BuzzFlash at Truthout</p>
</i></p>
<p><strong>New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's Excellent Helicopter Adventure =
on the Taxpayer's Dime <br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3D38zLqYeqNAI%2F%2BRNiTlz73zvjeqWhwYe%2F" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D=
"#cc0000">Read the Article at BuzzFlash</font></a></p>
<p><strong>"Walkerville" Tent City Springs Up in Shadow of Wisconsin's Gran=
d Capitol<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3D30C97FXzhvroi15oK8bjADvjeqWhwYe%2F" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc=
0000">Read the Article at Grist</font></a></p>
<p><strong>Glenn Greenwald: Is a Bipartisan Coalition Emerging to Oppose th=
e National Security State?<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3DSCbF7s5%2F2fHKOJmyXUTfczvjeqWhwYe%2F" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#=
cc0000">Read the Article at Salon</font></a></p>
<p><strong>The Problem Is That This Tea Party Utopia Already Exists. It's P=
akistan<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3Dhzlj6Bd6mzDUiESLBoASHzvjeqWhwYe%2F" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc=
0000">Read the Article at Crooks and Liars</font></a></p>
<p><strong>The Minimum Wage Is a Poverty Wage<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3DJqhBwo09884qWzWj%2B4mpPTvjeqWhwYe%2F" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#=
cc0000">Read the Article at BuzzFlash</font></a></p>
<p><strong>Obama: No Fears of Double-Dip Recession<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3DNJM58lcrIwdoSsV1rS1CuTvjeqWhwYe%2F" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#cc=
0000">Read the Article at The Associated Press</font></a></p>
<p><strong>Oil Company's Lawsuit Against Greenpeace Backfires<br />
</strong><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=
=3D4gONpTvtdep%2BXreWUVrQNDvjeqWhwYe%2F" target=3D"_blank"><font color=3D"#=
cc0000">Read the Article at Greenpeace</font></a></p>
<p><a href=3D"http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=3D2&c=3DI0c=
yBMmKAPV5ZMp%2FffHDFjvjeqWhwYe%2F"><b><font color=3D"#cc0000"><em>Click her=
e for more BuzzFlash headlines</em></font></b></a></p>
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