News -- May 2, 2006

Iran hits out at 'dangerous' US - "Iran has strongly criticised the US at the United Nations, accusing Washington of threatening to launch a military strike against its nuclear facilities."

Iran will hit Israel if US does "evil": agency - "Iran will target Israel first if the United States does anything "evil", a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday."

The Shadow Government - "The idea that the president would say he has the authority to ignore the strictures of laws passed by the United States Congress might seem like some sort of liberal exaggeration to some. It seems so outlandish. But don't take anyone's word for it, ask the administration -- they readily confirm it. In fact, they're proud of it. They think they are reinstating the real executive powers of the presidency. Powers that the Courts or Congress have never agreed to and that are outside of the plain, or any reasonable, reading of the Constitution, but nonetheless, the administration believes is owed to them. This makes Nixon's imperial presidency look like child's play. In a democracy, we have a president who is literally saying he is above the law. There are 750 laws he does not have to faithfully execute."

Jon Stewart Defends Colbert's Dinner Speech - ""We've never been prouder of him, but HOLY ----," Stewart added."

How Big Is Bush’s Big Government? - "We, in the United States, live under the rule of the largest civil government, measured in budgetary terms, in history. Federal spending alone in fiscal year 2006 is expected to be over $2.7 trillion, which means the federal government spends $7.4 billion a day or $5.1 million in every minute of the year. This is 815 times the level of federal spending in 1930. Things have been getting worse recently. In the first five years of the Bush regime, federal spending increased 45 percent. Readers of Mises.org may remember that they were warned about Bush's fiscal irresponsibility before he took office. For comparison's sake, during the eight Clinton years nominal federal spending increased 32 percent, and under Bush I federal spending increased 23 percent in four years. In the 2000 election, Bush II promised to shovel money into all sorts of programs — and he’s kept that promise."

Dollar starts the big slide against major currencies - "THE dollar has embarked on a big decline that will see it fall against all leading currencies, according to analysts. The plunge is being prompted by America’s $800 billion (£438 billion) current-account deficit, they say."

High Gas Prices Will Last Years, Bush Aides Say - "Gasoline prices will remain high for years to come and will be largely unaffected by a new White House plan to bring them down, Bush administration officials said Sunday."

Fuel Costs Prompt School Closings in Tenn. - "The high price of diesel fuel for school buses meant children in one Tennessee school system got a holiday Monday _ their second in a row."

AP: Government Drafts Pandemic Flu Plan - "Employers should have plans to keep workers at least three feet apart, colleges should consider which dormitories could be used to quarantine the sick, and flight crews should have surgical masks to put on coughing travelers under a draft of the government's pandemic flu plan obtained by The Associated Press."

Senate GOP backs off $100 gas rebate proposal - "Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, under pressure from business leaders, retreated Monday from a plan that would have used a tax increase on oil companies and other businesses to pay for a $100 gasoline rebate for millions of motorists."

The Vatican wrestles with a fraught topic - "Even at the Vatican, few things apart from the reality of God are absolute. Thou shalt not kill, but there is still just war. Now, behind the quiet Vatican walls, a clash is shaping up between two poles of near certainty: the church's long- held ban on condom use and its more recently focused advocacy for human life from the womb to old age."

"666" sense: Date marked with caution - "With June 6, 2006, rapidly approaching, authorities in Colorado and elsewhere are carefully watching to see if that date - 6/6/06 - spurs demonstrations or violent activity."

"Flight 93" the movie, why? - "But maybe the “why” can be answered in part by “who” made Flight 93. It arrived packaged and promoted by Universal Studios, which is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns NBC, which is all owned by General Electric, media giant and major weapons contractor. What’s more according to la.indymedia.org, General Electric donated $1.1 million to GW Bush for his 2000 election “run.” MSNBC is an NBC joint venture with MS or Microsoft that kicked in $2.4 million to get GW Bush elected. Now, where do you think the movie’s point of view is coming from?"

Paying to move Marines - "Japan and the United States have finally agreed on Japan's share of the costs for the relocation of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam. It was announced Sunday that, of the $10.2 billion (1.19 trillion yen) grand total, Japan is to shoulder 59 percent--about $6 billion (700 billion yen). This amount is enormous. Not only that, this is the first time Japan will be picking up part of the tab to build U.S. military facilities on American soil."

The Great American Firewall: Why the Net is Poised to Become a Global Weapon of Mass Deception - "Now unfolding is a legal-political-corporate plot for turning a vibrant, democratic Internet into a global web of corporate and government deceit. The tell-tale signs exist but as in domestic abuse, the perpetrators (federal government and a small group of interconnected, powerful telecom and mainstream media monopolies) have done their utmost to keep it hidden behind closed doors."

Social Security, Medicare Trust Funds Sink - "The trustees for the government's two biggest benefit programs said Monday that the trust fund for
Social Security will be depleted in 2040, a year earlier than expected, while Medicare will exhaust its trust fund just 12 years from now." -- Now, make sure you understand how much money is being spent on the Iraq fiasco.

More species slide to extinction - "The polar bear and hippopotamus are for the first time listed as species threatened with extinction by the world's biodiversity agency. ... "The 2006 Red List shows a clear trend; biodiversity loss is increasing, not slowing down," said IUCN director-general Achim Steiner."

Men should plan on parenthood by 40, new research reveals - "Fertility specialists revealed new evidence yesterday that male fertility declines with age as they warned that men's lack of awareness of their own biology may be playing a part in low birthrates."

Fear the phone, not the doorknob, germ expert says - "Worried about colds, flu and other germs? Go ahead and touch those doorknobs and elevator buttons, but watch out for the telephone, fresh laundry and sinks, a top expert advises."


No bumper sticker today.


Quote of the Day
"You are nothing as long as nothing is on your mind."
~ Malcom X