New Record for Military Spending

On April 17, 2012, as millions of Americans were filing their income tax returns, the highly-respected Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its latest study of world military spending. In case Americans were wondering where most of their tax money — and the tax money of other nations — went in the previous year, […]

Find out how your tax dollars are spent

Would you like to know where the federal government spend all the money you paid in income taxes during fiscal 2011? Click here for a breakdown. Following the above link, enter in the box the amount of federal income taxes you paid. And then click “Show My Taxes”, and you will find out where every […]

How do you characterize the North American energy predicament?

If the energy industry has its way in North America, there will be many more legitimate complaints we have been “sold out” to the energy barons. To gain access to the additional stores of oil and gas of the United States and Canada, the industry is seeking to eliminate virtually all environmental restraints imposed since […]

Big Oil about to Third World the US and Canada?

Up until 1950, the United States was the world’s leading oil producer, the Saudi Arabia of its day. In that year, the U.S. produced approximately 270 million metric tons of oil, or about 55% of the world’s entire output. But with a postwar recovery then in full swing, the world needed a lot more energy […]

How Wealth Reduces Compassion

Who is more likely to lie, cheat, and steal—the poor person or the rich one? It’s tempting to think that the wealthier you are, the more likely you are to act fairly. After all, if you already have enough for yourself, it’s easier to think about what others may need. But research suggests the opposite […]

US Patriot Act kept Somalia starving

When war-torn Somalia was ravaged by a drought-induced famine last year, which killed tens of thousands and displaced over a million people, international media was quick to blame the Islamist Al-Shabaab for blocking humanitarian assistance from reaching its zone of control in southern Somalia. But according to Ken Menkhaus, professor of Political Science at Davidson […]

DHS lied to Congress about tracking Americans on social media

One of the nation’s leading electronic privacy groups claimed this week that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) misled members of Congress during a February 16th hearing on whether the Department is paying a defense contractor $11.4 million to keep tabs on protected free speech and dissent against government policies on the Internet. The Electronic […]

Three billion dollars annual military aid to Israel funded by American taxpayers

The nondescript warehouse-like buildings in rural Pennsylvania are the headquarters of Combined Systems, Inc.—one of the largest manufacturers and international suppliers of teargas, stun grenades and other “non-lethal” crowd control devices in the world. Israel, or more accurately, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is their most frequent client. And Combined Systems’ relationship with the IDF […]

IMF warns US to take action on addressing debt

The International Monetary Fund issued a clarion call to bickering US politicians, urging them to solve the country’s debt problems before a still-vulnerable economy is tipped over the brink. In a hallmark semi-annual report, the Washington-based fund warned policymakers on the other side of the US capital that, while the world’s largest economy is improving, […]

Whistleblowers prosecuted while War Criminals remain free?

A newly released document acquired by Wired Magazine exposes the United States Defense Department’s torture techniques. In the 37 page report, former CIA official John Kiriakou warns the George W. Bush administration about the techniques that were being used on detainees and explains how they are against US law. His warnings went unheard of — […]