Author: rbeason

US News

In 2012, the U.S. will spend around $220 billion in net interest on its debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office — a figure that is expected to spiral ever higher in coming years.

Erskine Bowles, a co-chair of the president’s bipartisan deficit-reduction commission known as “Simpson-Bowles,” has called the nation’s compound interest burden one of the biggest long-term challenges facing the United States.    Continue reading “National Debt Interest Payments Dwarf Other Government Spending”

Yahoo News

BEIRUT (AP) — Al-Qaida-affiliated rebels battled more moderate Syrian opposition fighters in a town along the Iraqi border on Saturday, killing at least five people in the latest outbreak of infighting among the forces opposed to President Bashar Assad’s regime.

Clashes between rebel groups, particularly pitting al-Qaida-linked extremist factions against more moderate units, have grown increasingly common in recent months, undermining the opposition’s primary goal of overthrowing Assad.   Continue reading “Syrian rebel infighting kills 5 near Iraqi border”

Washington Examiner – by Richard Pollock

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau officials are seeking to monitor four out of every five U.S. consumer credit card transactions this year — up to 42 billion transactions – through a controversial data-mining program, according to documents obtained by the Washington Examiner.

A CFPB strategic planning document for fiscal years 2013-17 describes the “markets monitoring” program through which officials aim to monitor 80 percent of all credit card transactions in 2013.   Continue reading “CFPB’s data-mining on consumer credit cards challenged in heated House hearing”

National Journal – by George E. Condon Jr.

It was just a cockroach, one of millions around the world. But this one had a White House address, making it pretty special. Well, special at least to the reporters with workspace in the often-troubled basement of the press offices. Already this year, they have been treated to flooding, soaked carpet, mousetraps and the wondrous odors of mold.   Continue reading “Bugged: Obama’s Roach Problem”

Jon Rappoport

Right now, of course, it’s the war on Syria. Last month, it was something else. And next month, it’ll be something else.

We’re looking at one op after another, one crime after another, one cover-up after another, one threat, one psyop after another. It never ends.

To a significant degree, all these operations are just that, planned moves. And they do concern all of us, because the scope of the operations is vast.   Continue reading ““What concerns all of us at this time””

The Atlantic – by ELSPETH REEVE

Time managing editor Rick Stengel (pictured left) is leaving journalism to go work for the State Department, making him at least the 15th 21st reporter to go to work for the Obama administration. Stengel will be the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Politico and Capital New York report. The last high-profile journalist to leave Time for the Obama administration is Jay Carney, who is currently White House press secretary. Update:Thanks to a few tipsters, we’ve updated with a bigger count. They’re listed below.   Continue reading “Rick Stengel Is at Least the 21st Journalist to Work for the Obama Administration”

Politico – by JOE POMPEO and DYLAN BYERS

Richard Stengel, the top editor of Time magazine for the past seven years, is planning to step down as managing editor for a new job at the U.S. Department of State, sources familiar with the situation tell POLITICO and Capital New York.

If confirmed, Stengel will serve as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, the role responsible for leading “America’s public diplomacy outreach, which includes communications with international audiences, cultural programming, academic grants, educational exchanges, international visitor programs, and U.S. Government efforts to confront ideological support for terrorism,” according to the State Department’s website.   Continue reading “Richard Stengel leaving Time for State Department”

Lew Rockwell – Paul Craig Roberts

Putin’s article in the September 11 New York Times has the stuck pigs squealing. The squealing stuck pigs are just who you thought they would be–all those whose agendas and profits would be furthered by an attack on Syria by the Obama Stasi regime.

Included among the squealing stuck pigs are Human Rights Watch bloggers who seem to be financed out of the CIA’s back pocket.   Continue reading “Putin Steps Into World Leadership Role”

Mint Press – by Trisha Marczak

A burgeoning global trade agreement with nations such as Japan, Vietnam and Australia is leaving GMO-labeling advocates concerned that it could result in a ban on GMO labeling not only in the U.S., but in all countries taking part in negotiations for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

Negotiations for the TPP have been occurring over the last few years, although under a veil of secrecy that left even America’s lawmakers out of the process. Leaked documents have revealed some specifics, leaving consumer watchdog groups suspicious over a process intended to streamline labor policies and food labeling guidelines that would align the U.S. with partnering countries..   Continue reading “Trans Pacific Partnership Might Include International Ban On GMO Labeling”

Veterans Today

TEHRAN (FNA)- A former British ambassador underlined that Britain has not had access to any conversation or document showing that the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government has used chemical weapons against its citizens, and said that the US has been deceived by the Israeli spy agency Mossad’s fabricated documents.   Continue reading “Ex-UK Envoy: US Deceived by Mossad’s Fabricated Intelligence on Syria”

The Thinking Moms’ Revolution – by Liam Scheff

In the past three months, two mothers of autistic children have tried to kill those children and then themselves. One succeeded (or failed) halfway: she killed her son, but she lived. The Chicago-area mother stabbed her boy, a very large teen of 200 plus pounds, after a dose of pills failed to do the job in an earlier attempt. The child’s 24-hour caregiver (his godmother) was also involved – she stabbed the family cat. Then both women took a dose of pills intended to put them to sleep permanently and lay down next to him. They left a detailed three-page letter, describing their plight with the severely-disabled and sometimes violent young man. But they didn’t take enough and were revived. Both have been charged with murder.   Continue reading “Vaccines Kill – The Map of Now”

Veterans Today – by Gilad Aztmon

In the next few days and completely against the will of the American people, hundreds of AIPAC activists will raid the American Congress to push for a war. Nothing new in that but still, one question  bothers me: How many of these pro-war Jews have sent their own sons and daughters to serve in the American military?

Bearing in mind that pretty much the same Lobby pushed for the invasion of Iraq in 2003, one might wonder whether Jews were fairly represented in the military forces or in the casualty statistics of that military blunder. I’d guess they were not.  It seems that the enthusiasm of the Lobby in pushing for wars for America doesn’t translate much into patriotism or sacrifice. The Lobby indeed pushes for wars, but somehow it’s always the gentiles who do the killing and the dying.   Continue reading “On AIPAC And Patriotism”

Times of Israel

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem on Monday welcomed Moscow’s proposal to submit Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles to international control, Reuters reported. The surprise announcement came following a meeting between Moallem Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, hours after US Secretary of State John Kerry said such a move could avert a limited US strike on the country in retaliation for a lethal August 21 chemical weapons attack.   Continue reading “Syria welcomes international control over chemical weapons”

VR-Zone – by Jack Taylor

Lew Rockwell – by Fred Reed

How the hell did it happen?

I lived, 1951 to 1956, aged six to eleven, in the Arlington suburbs of Washington and, ´56 to´57, in smalltown Athens, Alabama, and eighth grade through high school in rural King George County, Virginia, graduating in 1964. Another country. Another world. What happened?

The Arlington of then was entirely white, peopled largely by men several years back from World War Two, enjoying the fantastic surge in prosperity following the war. The dominant culture, the only culture, was that of Reader´s Digest, clean cut, honest, and confident. We watched the Mousketeers, all soap and good manners.   Continue reading “The Culture War is Lost”