Is the United States of America a Democracy, a Republic or an Oligarchy?

The United States is both a democracy and a republic, but the terms are not mutually exclusive. So let us break it down whether the United States a democracy or a republic: The United States a Democracy? The United States is a democracy, because, the people, hold ultimate political power. It is not a “direct democracy,” but a “representative democracy.” Representative democracy means voting in elections to choose representatives – this makes it a representative democracy, but remember the United States Constitution does not use the term “democracy.” The United States a Republic? The United States is a republic because … Continue reading Is the United States of America a Democracy, a Republic or an Oligarchy?

The return of Al-Qaeda

Back in 2011 many thought Al-Qaeda was finished. Battered by America’s ferocious response to 9/11 and relentlessly targeted by drones, the organisation was gasping for breath. The death of Bin Laden, it seemed, delivered the final blow.And yet today Al-Qaeda is resurgent.The relative weakness of the Al-Qaeda leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan is deceptive. The organisation’s strength now lies at the periphery. Today the Al-Nusra front controls huge tracts of Syrian territory. And there are signs that the jihadis there have learnt an important lesson: if they want the consent of the people, it’s best not to murder too many … Continue reading The return of Al-Qaeda

A Christian Bin Laden in Texas?

Robert James Talbot: Texas Patriot Terrorist Said it Was the Will of God to Bomb Federal Buildings I wonder why we haven’t heard more about this guy and isn’t it curious that he isn’t described as a terrorist? He believed that “stopping the regime with action by bloodshed,” was the “will of God.” HOUSTON – A Katy man is expected to appeared in federal court Friday to face several charges, including possession of explosive materials. Robert James Talbot Jr., 38, was arrested Thursday following an eight-month undercover investigation by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, according to the United States … Continue reading A Christian Bin Laden in Texas?

Christian Right Has Major Role in Hastening Decline of Religion in America

Soon, there will be more atheists and agnostics than Christians.   Of those aged 18 to 35, three in 10 say they are not affiliated with any religion, while only half are “absolutely certain” a god exists. These are at or near the highest levels of religious disaffiliation recorded for any generation in the 25 years thePew Research Center has been polling on these topics. As encouraging as this data is for secular humanists, the actual numbers may be significantly higher, as columnist Tina Dupuy observes. “When it comes to self-reporting religious devotion Americans cannot be trusted. We under-estimate our calories, over-state our … Continue reading Christian Right Has Major Role in Hastening Decline of Religion in America

Goldman Sachs’ Outrageous Scheme to Profit Off Jailed Young Offenders

  Too-big-to-jail Wall Street is ripping off taxpayers with a “social impact bond.”       Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com In 2012, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New York City would be the site of a new experiment very dear to his billionaire’s heart. He declared that Wall Street megabank Goldman Sachs would provide a loan of nearly $10 million to pay for a program intended to reduce the rate at which adolescent men incarcerated at Rikers Island reoffend after their release (currently almost half reoffended within a year). The city government was short of money, so Goldman Sachs would step in to do what … Continue reading Goldman Sachs’ Outrageous Scheme to Profit Off Jailed Young Offenders

American Christian Mother Kills Her 4 Yearold Child For Being Gay!

A mother allegedly subjected her four-year-old child to regular beatings because she believed he was gay, a court has heard. Jessica Dutro’s son Zachary collapsed at a homeless shelter where he, his mother and his mother’s partner were staying in Portland and died in August 2012. Doctors found the boy was suffering from trauma to his abdomen which had torn his bowel. He was taken off life support two days later, The Oregonian reported. Dutro, 25, has been charged with murder, murder by abuse and second degree assault. Prosecutors say her son died as the result of a blunt force trauma and … Continue reading American Christian Mother Kills Her 4 Yearold Child For Being Gay!

Useful Idiots of the Corporate Elite

  Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland. (Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr)There are a whole lot of useful idiots in America. Yesterday, a caller called into my radio show, and echoed Congressman Paul Ryan’s recent comments, blaming the black community for poverty in America. He threw out a Fox So-Called News phony statistic, arguing that “73 percent of African-American women in this country ages 17-35 have children without a man in the house, and the majority of this group of people live in the cities.” First of all, that is … Continue reading Useful Idiots of the Corporate Elite

God Hates Pastor Fred Phelps close to death!

Ex-pastor of gay-hating church close to death, says estranged son • Fred Phelps Sr gravely ill at hospice in Topeka, Kansas• Westboro Baptist Church used ‘God hates fags’ slogan Martin Pengelly in New York theguardian.com Pastor Fred Phelps Sr displays provocative placards in Laramie, Wyoming in April 1999. Photograph: David Zabulowski/AP Fred Phelps Sr, once pastor of the infamously intolerant Westboro Baptist Church, is close to death, according to his son. Nathan Phelps, who has been estranged from his father for 30 years,posted a statement on Facebook which said: “I’ve learned that my father, Fred Phelps Sr, pastor of the ‘God Hates … Continue reading God Hates Pastor Fred Phelps close to death!

US hawks take flight over Ukraine

By Jim Lobe  WASHINGTON – A familiar clutch of hawks have taken wing over the rapidly developing crisis in Ukraine, as neo-conservatives and other interventionists claim that President Barack Obama’s preference for diplomacy over military action invited Russian aggression. At stake in the current crisis, according to these right-wing critics, are not only Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also Washington’s “credibility” as a global superpower and the perpetuation by the US and its Western allies of the post-Cold War international order.  Some right-wing commentators, such as Michael Auslin of the neo-conservative American Enterprise Institute, which played a major role in drumming … Continue reading US hawks take flight over Ukraine

Taliban to grow in strength by 2017

The Taliban and other militant groups will have the upper hand in Afghanistan by 2017 even if the United States maintains a small military presence in the country, says a new US intelligence report. Known as the National Intelligence Estimate, the report includes input from all 16 American intelligence agencies and is prepared for US policymakers and lawmakers. In another report also released this year, the US intelligence community predicted that Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba would continue to be the most multifaceted and problematic of the Pakistani militant groups. “The group has the long-term potential to evolve into a permanent and even Hamas/Hezbullah-like presence … Continue reading Taliban to grow in strength by 2017