Wall Street Plans $38 Billion of Bonuses as Shareholders Lose

November 19, 2007
Wall Street Plans $38 Billion of Bonuses as Shareholders Lose

Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Shareholders in the securities industry are having their worst year since 2002, losing $74 billion of their equity. That won't prevent Wall Street from paying record bonuses, totaling almost $38 billion.

That money, split among about 186,000 workers at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch & Co., Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Bear Stearns Cos., equates to an average of $201,500 per person, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The five biggest U.S. securities firms paid $36 billion to employees last year.

Bush stuffs budget with pork

November 15, 2007
Bush stuffs budget with pork

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Since January, President Bush has been publicly condemning Congress for what he describes as wasteful spending on "earmarks," money for projects back home that lawmakers insert into spending bills.

But presidents, including Bush, play the earmark game, too. Bush stuffs his budget with billions for pet projects very much like the ones he attacks when they originate on Capitol Hill, according to taxpayer groups and members of Congress.

"The president directs 20 times as much spending to special projects than the congress does," House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., told The Examiner this week.

Military feeling Iraq fatigue, warns general

November 18, 2007
Military feeling Iraq fatigue, warns general

British troops feel 'devalued, angry' and are 'suffering from Iraq fatigue', according to the head of the army, who warns that Britain's military covenant is under strain.

In a stark assessment of the morale of British troops, General Sir Richard Dannatt warns that the pressures of waging two simultaneous campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan are 'mortgaging the goodwill of our people'.

Dannatt's comments are made in his Staff Briefing Team Report for 2007, leaked to the Sunday Telegraph, in which he warns that the 'military covenant is clearly out of kilter'.

When Did We Become Like Syria

November 14, 2007
When Did We Become Like Syria

Nov. 14, 2007 | When visiting my grandmother's house in Damascus a few years ago, I never could have imagined sitting one day in a U.S. court, listening to the U.S. government defend its covert transfer of a Canadian citizen to Syria to be tortured.

Yet, that's precisely what happened last Friday in a U.S. circuit court in New York, with the beginning of Maher Arar's appeal of a decision last year by a district court to throw out his suit against the U.S. government. Arar's case was the first to challenge in court the Bush administration's use of rendition -- the process of secretly handing over people to other countries where torture is used during interrogations.

30,000 Medicaid providers cheating on their taxes

November 19, 2007
30,000 Medicaid providers cheating on their taxes

More than 30,000 Medicaid providers in seven states - California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas - failed to pay more than $1 billion in federal taxes last year, according to a report released Nov. 14.

In its fifth report to a Senate panel investigating tax cheats that do business with the government, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says 5 percent of Medicaid providers in the seven states cheat on their taxes - particularly payroll taxes collected from employers.

Housing Starts May Drop to 14-Year Low

November 17, 2007
Housing Starts May Drop to 14-Year Low

Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Housing starts in the U.S. fell to a 14-year low in October, signaling the real-estate slump will continue to weigh on growth, economists said before a report this week.

Construction fell 1.8 percent to an annual rate of 1.17 million homes, according to the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before a Commerce Department report on Nov. 20. Building permits, an indicator of future activity, fell 2.1 percent to a 1.2 million pace, economists forecast.

Cowardice, Complicity and the Withering of the Soul of America

November 2, 2007
Cowardice, Complicity and the Withering of the Soul of America

As The Office of the Vice President continues to scheme and plot for war with Iran, which would also likely correspond with martial law at home, the American worker continues to sink deeper and deeper into a horrifying abyss of economic, moral, and spiritual slavery. Even during the worst days of the Depression, never was the American worker more crushed, more beaten, more defeated. Never was he more atomized, more alienated, more alone.

Justice Department Probes US Emabassy price Cost

November 17, 2007
Justice Department Probes US Emabassy price Cost

The Justice Department is investigating whether laws were broken during the contracting and constructing of the massive Baghdad embassy complex, the Washington Post reports today.

Despite serious questions about the State Department's choice of contractors, the quality of the work performed and the conditions faced by some of the workers, the State Department's inspector general, Howard "Cookie" Krongard, has allowed only one inquiry into the project, which he handled personally.

U.S. Army Desertion Rate Increases 80%

November 16, 2007
U.S. Army Desertion Rate Increases 80%

WASHINGTON (CBS News) -- Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80 percent increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.

While the totals are still far lower than they were during the Vietnam War, when the draft was in effect, they show a steady increase over the past four years - and a 42 percent jump since last year.

The 50 Year Strategy: A New Progressive Era

November/December 2007 Issue, 2007
The 50 Year Strategy: A New Progressive Era

Today's progressives face a political opportunity as great as any seen since. The election of
2006 may well have marked the end of the conservative ascendancy that began with the election of
Ronald Reagan in 1980. George W. Bush now has the potential to do what Herbert Hoover did in the 1920s—tarnish his party's brand for a generation or more.

As in FDR's day, a new media is emerging, one that will ultimately replace the broadcast model
of the 20th century. A new American populace is emerging, led by the arrival of the millennial
generation and a new wave of immigrants, particularly Hispanics. And once again, the nation faces
massive challenges—from climate change to health care in the era of biotech and preparing
young people for a global economy. On the eve of the 2008 election, it's worth raising our sights
beyond what it would take for a Democrat to win the presidency, and begin thinking about what it
would take to bring about deeper, more lasting changes. The stars have aligned to give
progressives a chance to permanently shift the conversation about the nation's values. The
question before us now is, Do today's progressives have what it takes to do what FDR and his
allies accomplished 75 years ago—seize the new politics, take on the big challenges, and
usher in a new era?

120 US war veteran suicides a week

November 15, 2007
120 US war veteran suicides a week

THE US military is experiencing a "suicide epidemic" with veterans killing themselves at the
rate of 120 a week, according to an investigation by US television network CBS.

At least 6256 US veterans committed suicide in 2005 - an average of 17 a day - the network
reported, with veterans overall more than twice as likely to take their own lives as the rest of
the general population.

Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans

November 13, 2007
Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans

(CBS) They are the casualties of wars you don't often hear about - soldiers who die of self-inflicted wounds. Little is known about the true scope of suicides among those who have served in the military.

But a five-month CBS News investigation discovered data that shows a startling rate of suicide, what some call a hidden epidemic, Chief Investigative Reporter Armen Keteyian reports exclusively.

In 2005, for example, in just those 45 states, there were at least 6,256 suicides among those who served in the armed forces. That's 120 each and every week, in just one year.

Sectarian cleansing and the segregation is complete

November 14, 2007
Sectarian cleansing and the segregation is complete

The number of the displaced, however, has tripled since January, according to the Red Crescent
humanitarian organization, and about two-thirds of the victims are children. Most Iraqis who have
returned to their homes from abroad have done so because they were penniless, unable to work or
deported from their countries of refuge.

One U.S. military official credits the positive changes around the capital to a series of
factors: a six-month cease-fire by the Mahdi Army, a Shiite militia blamed for much of the
sectarian killing; blast walls that segregate neighborhoods and protect markets; the U.S. troop
surge; a Sunni volunteer movement; and less opportunity for sectarian cleansing with neighborhoods
divided or already cleansed.

Mentally Ill Veterans Sent Back To War

November 11, 2007
Mentally Ill Veterans Sent Back To War

"I don't believe in another circumstance with the war, that Russell would be redeployed with
his PTSD," his girlfriend Catherine Colone said. "But in this war, there just aren't enough
soldiers."

One day after Michael DeVlieger was released from an Army hospital in Kentucky for acute stress
disorder, he got the redeployment order. Now he's on the front lines.

Half a Million U.S. Veterans Homeless in 2006

November 9, 2007
Half a Million U.S. Veterans Homeless in 2006

LOS ANGELES, Nov 9 (OneWorld) - As Americans prepare to honor their military veterans with
parades and patriotism this weekend, a new study shows that 494,500 U.S. war vets lived homeless on the street for at least part of last year.

Close to 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. The study, by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, found that about half of homeless vets are Vietnam veterans and at least 1,500 are newly returned from Iraq or Afghanistan.

GALLUP: Bush Tops Nixon -- In Unpopularity

November 1, 2007
GALLUP: Bush Tops Nixon -- In Unpopularity

NEW YORK For almost two years, President Bush has been threatening to unseat Richard M. Nixon as the most unpopular president in the history of the Gallup poll, and it finally happened this
week.

The latest USA TODAY/Gallup survey finds Bush with a 31% approval rating -- and for the first
time ever in the polling history, 50% say they "strongly disapprove" of a president.

The previous high (or low?) was a 48% strong disapproval rating for Nixon at the worst moments
of Watergate in 1974.

FBI report: Blackwater killed 14 Iraqis without cause

November 14, 2007
FBI report: Blackwater killed 14 Iraqis without cause

WASHINGTON (AFP) - FBI investigators have found that Blackwater guards shot 14 people with no justification in the controversial September 16 incident in Baghdad, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

Seventeen people were killed when Blackwater private security guards opened fire in a crowded
Baghdad neighborhood as they protected a State Department convoy. Blackwater said the guards came under attack.

At least 14 of the shootings broke rules for private security guards in Iraq regarding the use
of deadly force, the Times reported, citing unnamed civilian and military officials briefed on the
case.

Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced

November 10, 2007
Chinese sub pops up in middle of U.S. Navy exercise, leaving military chiefs red-faced

American military chiefs have been left dumbstruck by an undetected Chinese submarine popping
up at the heart of a recent Pacific exercise and close to the vast U.S.S. Kitty Hawk - a 1,000ft
supercarrier with 4,500 personnel on board.

By the time it surfaced the 160ft Song Class diesel-electric attack submarine is understood to
have sailed within viable range for launching torpedoes or missiles at the carrier.

According to senior Nato officials the incident caused consternation in the U.S. Navy.

The Americans had no idea China's fast-growing submarine fleet had reached such a level of
sophistication, or that it posed such a threat.

Are Iraq's Detainees Treated Fairly?

November 14, 2007
Are Iraq's Detainees Treated Fairly?

Whether guilty or innocent, those detainees are then likely to be in for a months-long journey
of questioning and petitions. Citing a provision of the Geneva Convention and U.N. Security
Council resolutions, U.S. forces in Iraq claim authority to arrest individuals deemed a threat to
either the government of Iraq or U.S.-led multinational troops in the country. Initially, anyone
arrested by U.S. forces can be held informally for about 14 days before their case gets officially
started. After that, the detainee is sent to a U.S. detention compound if military officials
decide there is enough evidence of insurgent violence or militia activity.

Zogby Poll: 52% Support U.S. Military Strike Against Iran

October 29, 2007
Zogby Poll: 52% Support U.S. Military Strike Against Iran

A majority of likely voters – 52% – would support a U.S. military strike to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, and 53% believe it is likely that the U.S. will be involved in a military strike against Iran before the next presidential election, a new Zogby America telephone poll shows.

When asked which presidential candidate would be best equipped to deal with Iran –
regardless of whether or not they expected the U.S. to attack Iran – 21% would most like to
see New York U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton leading the country, while 15% would prefer former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and 14% would want Arizona U.S. Sen. John McCain in charge. Another 10% said Illinois Sen. Barack Obama would be best equipped to deal with Iran, while Republican Fred Thompson (5%), Democrat John Edwards (4%) and Republican Mitt Romney (3%) were less likely to be viewed as the best leaders to help the U.S. deal with Iran. The telephone poll of 1,028 likely voters nationwide was conducted Oct. 24-27, 2007 and carries a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.

UN Accuses US Contractors of War Crimes

October 13, 2007
UN Accuses US Contractors of War Crimes

BAGHDAD (AP) — U.N. officials in Iraq stepped up pressure on the United States on
Thursday to prosecute any unjustified killings of Iraqi civilians by private security contractors,
saying such killings could amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity if "done in cold
blood."

While Americans are unlikely to face such charges, the words served as a harsh rebuke as
outrage spreads over what many Iraqis perceive as overly aggressive behavior of the heavily armed
foreigners protecting U.S. government-funded work.

"For us, it's a human rights issue," said Ivana Vuco, a human rights officer with the U.N.
Assistance Mission to Iraq, or UNAMI. "We will monitor the allegations of killings by security
contractors and look into whether or not crimes against humanity and war crimes have been
committed."

US soldiers: Blackwater attacked fleeing Iraqi civilian

October 13, 2007
US soldiers: Blackwater attacked fleeing Iraqi civilian

The Blackwater security forces that opened fire on a public square in Baghdad last month,
leaving 17 dead, attacked fleeing Iraqi civilians in a "criminal event," according to American
soldiers on the scene just minutes after the incident. News of the Army report comes just a day
after the families of three Iraqis killed in the September 16 incident, along with another Iraqi
man who was injured, filed a lawsuit against Blackwater in US federal court. The fallout over the
incident has made it increasingly difficult for contractors to operate in Iraq, and also
Afghanistan.

The Washington Post says that according to their report, the US soldiers – after
investigations at the square and interviews with witnesses and Iraqi police – found no
evidence that any Iraqis had fired weapons and concluded that there was "no enemy activity
involved." They did find evidence, however, that indicated Blackwater contractors fired on
civilian vehicles fleeing the square.

US soldiers: Blackwater attacked fleeing Iraqi civilian

October 13, 2007
US soldiers: Blackwater attacked fleeing Iraqi civilian

The Blackwater security forces that opened fire on a public square in Baghdad last month,
leaving 17 dead, attacked fleeing Iraqi civilians in a "criminal event," according to American
soldiers on the scene just minutes after the incident. News of the Army report comes just a day
after the families of three Iraqis killed in the September 16 incident, along with another Iraqi
man who was injured, filed a lawsuit against Blackwater in US federal court. The fallout over the
incident has made it increasingly difficult for contractors to operate in Iraq, and also
Afghanistan.

The Washington Post says that according to their report, the US soldiers – after
investigations at the square and interviews with witnesses and Iraqi police – found no
evidence that any Iraqis had fired weapons and concluded that there was "no enemy activity
involved." They did find evidence, however, that indicated Blackwater contractors fired on
civilian vehicles fleeing the square.

US soldiers: Blackwater attacked fleeing Iraqi civilian

October 13, 2007
U.S. maternal death rate higher than Europe's

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has a sharply higher rate of women dying during or
just after pregnancy than European countries, even some relatively poor countries such as
Macedonia and Bosnia, according to the first estimates in five years on maternal deaths
worldwide.

The report released by various United Nations agencies and the World Bank on Friday shows that
Ireland has the lowest rate of deaths, while several African countries have the worst.

The United States has a far higher death rate than the European average, the report shows, with
one in 4,800 U.S. women dying from complications of pregnancy or childbirth, the same as Belarus
and just slightly better than Serbia's rate of one in 4,500.

Congress raises limit again as U.S. debt nears $10 trillion

October 1, 2007
Congress raises limit again as U.S. debt nears $10 trillion

WASHINGTON — As the national debt heads for the $10 trillion mark, generous Americans are
sending checks to the federal government.

Donations to the Bureau of the Public Debt have topped $2.5 million so far this year. That's
the highest amount since at least 1996.

It's not making much of a dent, though.

For the fifth time since 2001, Congress is raising the debt limit, increasing it by $850
billion to $9.815 trillion. The Senate approved the plan on a 53-42 vote Thursday night. The House
of Representatives has already signed off on the plan, without a direct vote.

That's $9,815,000,000,000.00.

State Department pays private contractors $4 billion a year

October 24, 2007
State Department pays private contractors $4 billion a year

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 — Over the past four years, the amount of money the State Department
pays to private security and law enforcement contractors has soared to nearly $4 billion a year
from $1 billion, administration officials said Tuesday, but they said that the department had
added few new officials to oversee the contracts.

It was the first time that the administration had outlined the ballooning scope of the
contracts, and it provided a new indication of how the State Department's efforts to monitor
private companies had not kept pace. Auditors and outside exerts say the results have been vast
cost overruns, poor contract performance and, in some cases, violence that has so far gone
unpunished.

Fearing Fear Itself

October 29, 2007
Fearing Fear Itself

In America's darkest hour, Franklin Delano Roosevelt urged the nation not to succumb to
"nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror." But that was then.

Today, many of the men who hope to be the next president — including all of the
candidates with a significant chance of receiving the Republican nomination — have made
unreasoning, unjustified terror the centerpiece of their campaigns.

Consider, for a moment, the implications of the fact that Rudy Giuliani is taking foreign
policy advice from Norman Podhoretz, who wants us to start bombing Iran "as soon as it is
logistically possible."

Mr. Podhoretz, the editor of Commentary and a founding neoconservative, tells us that Iran is
the "main center of the Islamofascist ideology against which we have been fighting since 9/11."
The Islamofascists, he tells us, are well on their way toward creating a world "shaped by their
will and tailored to their wishes." Indeed, "Already, some observers are warning that by the end
of the 21st century the whole of Europe will be transformed into a place to which they give the
name Eurabia."

Mukasey: Law is no longer supreme

October 30, 2007
Mukasey: Law is no longer supreme

President Bush's nominee for attorney general, Michael Mukasey, was asked an important question
about Congress's power at his confirmation hearing. If witnesses claim executive privilege and
refuse to respond to Congressional subpoenas in the United States attorneys scandal — as
Karl Rove and Harriet Miers have done — and Congress holds them in contempt, would his
Justice Department refer the matter to a grand jury for criminal prosecution, as federal law
requires?

Mr. Mukasey suggested the answer would be no. That was hardly his only slap-down of Congress.
He made the startling claim that a president can defy laws if he or she is acting within the
authority "to defend the country." That is a mighty large exception to the rule that Congress's
laws are supreme.

No Exit Strategy: It's the Oil

October 18, 2007
No Exit Strategy: It's the Oil

Iraq is 'unwinnable', a 'quagmire', a 'fiasco': so goes the received opinion. But there is good
reason to think that, from the Bush-Cheney perspective, it is none of these things. Indeed, the US
may be 'stuck' precisely where Bush et al want it to be, which is why there is no 'exit
strategy'.

Iraq has 115 billion barrels of known oil reserves. That is more than five times the total in
the United States. And, because of its long isolation, it is the least explored of the world's
oil-rich nations. A mere two thousand wells have been drilled across the entire country; in Texas
alone there are a million. It has been estimated, by the Council on Foreign Relations, that Iraq
may have a further 220 billion barrels of undiscovered oil; another study puts the figure at 300
billion. If these estimates are anywhere close to the mark, US forces are now sitting on one
quarter of the world's oil resources. The value of Iraqi oil, largely light crude with low
production costs, would be of the order of $30 trillion at today's prices. For purposes of
comparison, the projected total cost of the US invasion/occupation is around $1 trillion.