The dam protecting the IRS scandal began to crack today when Lois Lerner, the IRS official who announced, and apologized for, the improper singling out of conservative-leaning organizations by IRS employees under her command, announced through her criminal defense lawyer that she will not testify as scheduled tomorrow before the House Oversight Committee. Rather, she will assert her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
This marks a milestone in the IRS investigation. It can now be taken as more or less established that crimes were committed by Obama administration employees. Lerner’s lawyer tried to minimize the significance of her invoking the privilege against self-incrimination by saying that since law enforcement authorities have announced they are pursuing a criminal investigation, she had no choice. This is silly: people testify before Senate committees and grand juries when there is a criminal investigation going on, all the time. The ones who plead the Fifth are those who cannot answer questions honestly without confessing to serious crimes.
More information has come out about Ms. Lerner, too. It turns out that in her prior position at the Federal Elections Commission, Lerner was obsessed with religious organizations and their religious practices, some of which she apparently wanted to suppress. Mark Hemingwayhas the scoop:
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
First Lady's Ancestors Honored In Special Ceremony
On Wednesday, the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Union's first black regiment, a wreath was placed at the two men's names on the American Civil War Memorial on U Street in D.C.
Jerry Sutton, later known as Jerry Sutter, a stepfather to the first lady's grandfather, served with distinction at the Battle of Brice's Crossroads in Mississippi in 1864.
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No Heterosexual White Males Need Apply
America’s great universities continue to be bastions of intolerance. They profess to prize “diversity,” which in practice means that everybody must believe the same things. The campusreform.org blog has the story of how the Northwestern University Student Senate refused to allow student Stephen Piotrkowski to become vice president of diversity and inclusion because he admits to being a white heterosexual male.
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New Poll: 48% Of Americans Want Obama Impeached
On the one hand, Wenzel Strategies isn’t exactly a household name in the pollster world. On the other hand, these are some mighty high numbers at this point in the game when none of the big Obama scandals seem to have gone nuclear yet.
“It may be early in the process for members of Congress to start planning for impeachment of Barack Obama, but the American public is building a serious appetite for it,” said Fritz Wenzel, of Wenzel Strategies, which did the telephone poll Thursday. It has a margin of error of 4.36 percent.
“Half or nearly half of those surveyed said they believed Obama should be impeached for the trifecta of scandals now consuming Washington.”
…And on the fishing trip the Obama administration took into AP reporters’ telephone records in search of something that may well have been done by his own administration, 48.6 percent impeachment is appropriate. That included 26.1 percent of the Democrats.
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“It may be early in the process for members of Congress to start planning for impeachment of Barack Obama, but the American public is building a serious appetite for it,” said Fritz Wenzel, of Wenzel Strategies, which did the telephone poll Thursday. It has a margin of error of 4.36 percent.
“Half or nearly half of those surveyed said they believed Obama should be impeached for the trifecta of scandals now consuming Washington.”
…And on the fishing trip the Obama administration took into AP reporters’ telephone records in search of something that may well have been done by his own administration, 48.6 percent impeachment is appropriate. That included 26.1 percent of the Democrats.
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U.S. Admits for First Time Drones Killed 4 Americans
WASHINGTON — One day before President Obama is due to deliver a major speech on national security, his administration on Wednesday formally acknowledged that the United States had killed four American citizens in drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan.
In a letter to Congressional leaders obtained by The New York Times, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. disclosed that the administration had deliberately killed Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Muslim cleric who was killed in a drone strike in September 2011 in Yemen.
The American responsibility for Mr. Awlaki’s death has been widely reported, but the administration had until now refused to confirm or deny it.
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In a letter to Congressional leaders obtained by The New York Times, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. disclosed that the administration had deliberately killed Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Muslim cleric who was killed in a drone strike in September 2011 in Yemen.
The American responsibility for Mr. Awlaki’s death has been widely reported, but the administration had until now refused to confirm or deny it.
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Hey, Barack, Maybe ‘Gun Nuts’ Aren’t So Crazy After All
I supposed that if I had to choose one aspect of the current regime I most detest, it would have to be the soul-crushing violations of man’s right to be free. A close second, however, is the fact that the current administration makes me sound crazy.
Think about it: try describing aloud the stated scandals that have emerged from the Obama Administration. Detail out loud the apparent culpability of our government in running guns to dangerous Mexican cartels as an excuse for stricter gun laws. Shout out about Benghazi, IRS thuggery and the monitoring of the, supposedly, free press and at the end, look back on how crazy the diatribe would have sounded to someone even five years ago.
What we know already about the scandals the Obama Administration has had a hand in would have seemed like the ramblings of the tinfoil-hat adorned half-a-decade ago. Now, these inescapable revelations are found on the cover of reputable magazines and newspapers while the Obama administration tries to downplay their significance.
However, since every cloud has a silver lining (or so I am told), gun rights activists have been offered an unexpected gift. After months of campaigning and pledging that America would see meaningful gun control legislation passed on a national level, the President has failed to deliver (thanks, in large part, to patriots who stood firmly against tyranny).
Rather than accept this loss like big boys, anti-gunners attempted to upturn the chessboard and pledged to continue the assault on our Second Amendment rights. The problem, however, is that they spent months framing the debate in a way that would come back to haunt them.
More
Think about it: try describing aloud the stated scandals that have emerged from the Obama Administration. Detail out loud the apparent culpability of our government in running guns to dangerous Mexican cartels as an excuse for stricter gun laws. Shout out about Benghazi, IRS thuggery and the monitoring of the, supposedly, free press and at the end, look back on how crazy the diatribe would have sounded to someone even five years ago.
What we know already about the scandals the Obama Administration has had a hand in would have seemed like the ramblings of the tinfoil-hat adorned half-a-decade ago. Now, these inescapable revelations are found on the cover of reputable magazines and newspapers while the Obama administration tries to downplay their significance.
However, since every cloud has a silver lining (or so I am told), gun rights activists have been offered an unexpected gift. After months of campaigning and pledging that America would see meaningful gun control legislation passed on a national level, the President has failed to deliver (thanks, in large part, to patriots who stood firmly against tyranny).
Rather than accept this loss like big boys, anti-gunners attempted to upturn the chessboard and pledged to continue the assault on our Second Amendment rights. The problem, however, is that they spent months framing the debate in a way that would come back to haunt them.
More
Five Reasons Why Focus On Scandals Is Unlikely To Backfire On GOP As In 1998
As multiple scandals have simultaneously engulfed the Obama administration, a number of political observers have cautioned Republicans against overreaching. Liberal blogger Greg Sargent writesover at the Washington Post that, “the current scandal-mania gripping the GOP risks bringing about a rerun of 1998, when the frenzy amid the Monica Lewinsky revelations led the GOP to overreach, resulting in backlash.” Charlie Cook reaches a similar conclusion:
Though there are some lessons from the 1998 experience, there are also important distinctions.
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Red-faced Republicans, circling and preparing to pounce on a second-term Democratic president they loathe, do not respect, and certainly do not fear. Sound familiar? Perhaps reminiscent of Bill Clinton’s second term, after the Monica Lewinsky story broke? During that time, Republicans became so consumed by their hatred of Clinton and their conviction that this event would bring him down that they convinced themselves the rest of the country was just as outraged by his behavior as they were.
Though there are some lessons from the 1998 experience, there are also important distinctions.
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Peace Loving Muslims
A view of our peaceful Muslim friends who we helped free from persecution from Colonel Gadhafi, this is obviously their way of saying thanks.
WW II - British Military Cemetery in Libya.
Every time a joke and or cartoon is made about the Koran, the whole world turns upside down...!! and we are all called racists!!!!!!!!
However they appear to do what ever they like and no one says
anything...and the majority of people remain SILENT.
See this video whilst it's available and before it is removed !!!
http://www.youtube.com/embed/RtgbvotqVFE?rel=0
WW II - British Military Cemetery in Libya.
Every time a joke and or cartoon is made about the Koran, the whole world turns upside down...!! and we are all called racists!!!!!!!!
However they appear to do what ever they like and no one says
anything...and the majority of people remain SILENT.
See this video whilst it's available and before it is removed !!!
http://www.youtube.com/embed/RtgbvotqVFE?rel=0
Big Green Helps Big Wind Hide Bird And Bat Butchery
It uses tons of fossil fuels every day, emits a greenhouse gas that’s like CO2 on steroids, can’t do the job it’s made for, costs taxpayers exorbitant fees, and makes the federal government look mentally ill for giving it outrageous subsidies. It also chops up birds, bats and scenery with roads and monstrous 400-foot-tall machines. “It” is wind power, of course.
These harsh facts were condensed into a preliminary draft study of wind subsidies by researcher Teresa Platt, who circulated it to specialists for vetting. I obtained a copy of the extensively footnoted working draft, which gave chilling reality to the truth behind wind industry claims.
“Every year since the 1980s,” Platt’s study said, “the 5,000 turbines at NextEra’s Altamont Pass in California kill thousands of slow-reproducing red-tailed hawks, burrowing owls, kestrels, as well as iconic golden eagles, and bats.” The birds Platt mentions are raptors – birds of prey – particularly valued for their agricultural role in killing mice and other crop-damaging rodents. Eagles, both golden eagles and bald eagles, have long impressed Americans for their majesty, and the bald eagle was selected by our Founding Fathers as our national emblem.
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These harsh facts were condensed into a preliminary draft study of wind subsidies by researcher Teresa Platt, who circulated it to specialists for vetting. I obtained a copy of the extensively footnoted working draft, which gave chilling reality to the truth behind wind industry claims.
“Every year since the 1980s,” Platt’s study said, “the 5,000 turbines at NextEra’s Altamont Pass in California kill thousands of slow-reproducing red-tailed hawks, burrowing owls, kestrels, as well as iconic golden eagles, and bats.” The birds Platt mentions are raptors – birds of prey – particularly valued for their agricultural role in killing mice and other crop-damaging rodents. Eagles, both golden eagles and bald eagles, have long impressed Americans for their majesty, and the bald eagle was selected by our Founding Fathers as our national emblem.
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Wicomico County Health Department Press Release
Press Release - 5/22/2013
Wicomico County Health Department and Maryland Department of the Environment Investigating Groundwater Contamination
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tammy Griffin
Phone: (410) 334-3480
Cell: (443) 366-2685
WICOMICO COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND MARYLAND DEPARTMENT
OF THE ENVIRONMENT INVESTIGATING GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION
(Salisbury, Maryland) - - The Wicomico County Health Department and County Executive are currently working with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to investigate the presence of 1, 2 Dichloropropane detected in groundwater. 1,2 Dichloropropane is a colorless, flammable liquid with chloroform–like odor. It is moderately soluble in water and readily evaporates into air. It does not occur naturally in the environment. 1, 2 Dichloropropane was used in the past as a soil fumigant, chemical intermediate and industrial solvent.
This chemical has been detected in some private wells in the Doe Run subdivision and is unrelated to the contamination in Morris Mill.
The Health Department has collected water samples from 19 private wells and is partnering with MDE to collect additional samples. Residents are currently being notified and are being provided with a supply of bottled water until a long term solution is identified.
Further information is being collected with regard to any potential health issues. As additional information becomes available residents will be notified.
Residents are encouraged to contact the Wicomico County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, at 410-546-4446 if they have additional questions.
DOJ Included Fox News Reporter's Parents In Phone Records Seizure
The Justice Department seizure of records from several Fox News phone lines included the phone number of Fox News chief Washington correspondent James Rosen's parents, according to a source close to the investigation.
From Fox News
From Fox News
BREAKING NEWS: GOVERNMENT SAYS 4 US CITIZENS KILLED IN DRONE STRIKES SINCE 2009
Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledged in a letter to a top senator that four American citizens were killed by drone strikes since 2009.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Obama Praises Jihad-Supporting Turkish Prime Minister
This is just a continuation of President Obama’s infatuation with Erdogan. When the two leaders met at the Seoul, South Korea, Nuclear Security Summit in March of 2012, Obama called Erdogan his “friend and colleague….We find ourselves in frequent agreement upon a wide range of issues.” Not content with this level of praise, Obama added that he considered Erdogan “an outstanding partner and an outstanding friend” who has displayed “outstanding leadership.” In fact, Obama so admires Erdogan’s “outstanding leadership” that Obama has allowed the United States to lead from behind Turkey in Libya and Syria, sucking the U.S. into a swamp inhabited by Islamist jihadists.
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The IRS Audit From Hell
From prominent election lawyer Cleta Mitchell comes the disgusting detail with which the IRS hounded conservative groups, demanding so much information as to constitute a deliberately crippling workload.
Mitchell notes that prior to 2010, the scrutiny of 501(c) and 501(c) applications was brief and non-intrusive. She reprints a typical questionnaire to one of her clients in 2009, asking little more than an update on its articles of incorporation. Mitchell says that before 2010, applications for 501(c) took 3-12 months and for 501(c)s usually only 3-6 months.
Then, in 2010, it all changed.
To show how impossible compliance with the document requests was (and is) for would-be 501(c)s and 501(c)s, she submits actual questionnaires sent to her clients during 2011 and 2012 as they sought tax exempt status.
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Mitchell notes that prior to 2010, the scrutiny of 501(c) and 501(c) applications was brief and non-intrusive. She reprints a typical questionnaire to one of her clients in 2009, asking little more than an update on its articles of incorporation. Mitchell says that before 2010, applications for 501(c) took 3-12 months and for 501(c)s usually only 3-6 months.
Then, in 2010, it all changed.
To show how impossible compliance with the document requests was (and is) for would-be 501(c)s and 501(c)s, she submits actual questionnaires sent to her clients during 2011 and 2012 as they sought tax exempt status.
More
Beretta To Stay In Maryland, At Least For Now
Officials in Texas, West Virginia and Illinois have written to Beretta executives in hopes to woo the gun giant to their states. Beretta Holdings owns three companies in Maryland and employs about 300 people at its Accockeek plant.
Maryland's law -- which makes it illegal to purchase assault weapons and ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets after Oct. 1 -- affects many of the firearms and accessories Beretta manufactures. Lawmakers amended O'Malley's bill at Beretta's request to allow gun manufacturers to continue to make, sell, possess and transport banned items. But the company still issued a statement calling the law "offensive."
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HS To Help Aid Officials In Oklahoma
The Homeland Security Department is leading an all-out effort to aid state and local officials in Oklahoma. A gigantic tornado flattened the city of Moore, near Oklahoma City, Monday. FEMAsays it has 300 people there, including administrator Craig Fugate. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano met with members of Oklahoma's congressional delegation. She plans to travel there today. The Pentagon sent firefighters and equipment from Tinker Air Force Base. Agriculture is offering special assistance. And Housing and Urban Development says it will offer home foreclosure protection.
Proposed Cape High Bible class draws comment
Some Cape school board members who recently attended a school board convention in San Diego came back with the idea after listening to a seminar there on the Bible Literacy Project.
"It's basically a textbook for the academic study of the Bible," said board member Jen Burton. "I think this would be great to have … It provides students with important history."
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Worcester County Bureau Of Investigation 5-22-13
Date & Time: 03/26/2013 – 05/15/2013 Case #:13-0120
Location Occurred: Numerous residences, Town of Berlin , Worcester County, MD
Crime or Violation: First Degree Burglary, Theft and Theft Scheme
Victim: Numerous Victims
Accused: Kate Hughlett, 22 Years of Age of Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland
James Hughlett, 60 Years of age of Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland
Narrative:
On 05/22/2013, officers of the Berlin Police Department and detectives from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation conducted a neighborhood canvas of numerous streets and areas of Berlin in reference to numerous burglaries occurring in the area. Officers and investigators are requesting the citizens and residents of the Berlin area to conduct a check of any jewelry or personal electronics that they may have in their residence. If determined that any resident is missing property, please contact the Berlin Police Department or Worcester County Bureau of Investigation.
The Berlin Police Department is reminding residents to keep doors and windows locked for security reasons.
Location Occurred: Numerous residences, Town of Berlin , Worcester County, MD
Crime or Violation: First Degree Burglary, Theft and Theft Scheme
Victim: Numerous Victims
Accused: Kate Hughlett, 22 Years of Age of Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland
James Hughlett, 60 Years of age of Berlin, Worcester County, Maryland
Narrative:
On 05/22/2013, officers of the Berlin Police Department and detectives from the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation conducted a neighborhood canvas of numerous streets and areas of Berlin in reference to numerous burglaries occurring in the area. Officers and investigators are requesting the citizens and residents of the Berlin area to conduct a check of any jewelry or personal electronics that they may have in their residence. If determined that any resident is missing property, please contact the Berlin Police Department or Worcester County Bureau of Investigation.
The Berlin Police Department is reminding residents to keep doors and windows locked for security reasons.
The Obama/Clinton 10:00 Phone Call
Andrew McCarthy has a must read post up at National Review about the 10:00 pm phone call between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on the night of the Benghazi attack.
If the fact that a 10:00 pm phone call took place between the Commander in Chief and his Secretary of State that night comes as a surprise to you, it's because even the conservative media has paid scant attention to this key piece of information, preferring to assume that Obama simply went to bed and let his underlings handle the crisis as it unfolded.
But as McCarthy notes, "fraud flows from the top down, not the mid-level up."
Mid-level officials in the White House and the State Department do not call the shots — they carry out orders. They also were not running for reelection in 2012 or positioning themselves for a campaign in 2016. The people doing that were, respectively, President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton.
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If the fact that a 10:00 pm phone call took place between the Commander in Chief and his Secretary of State that night comes as a surprise to you, it's because even the conservative media has paid scant attention to this key piece of information, preferring to assume that Obama simply went to bed and let his underlings handle the crisis as it unfolded.
But as McCarthy notes, "fraud flows from the top down, not the mid-level up."
Mid-level officials in the White House and the State Department do not call the shots — they carry out orders. They also were not running for reelection in 2012 or positioning themselves for a campaign in 2016. The people doing that were, respectively, President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton.
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THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN
Fascist dictators and despotic rulers throughout history have controlled the press and media. The Amerikan empire is no different. When Obama and the justice department don’t like the MSM, they are targeted with illegal wiretaps and intimidation.
Poll after poll show a smaller number of people actually believe anything they read or hear from the press. Why? Because it’s mostly BS and lies.
The lying criminals in Washington use the lying dupes of the MSM to make the sheeple feel happy and grateful they are getting fleeced by the oligarchs. Thank God for the internet!
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Poll after poll show a smaller number of people actually believe anything they read or hear from the press. Why? Because it’s mostly BS and lies.
The lying criminals in Washington use the lying dupes of the MSM to make the sheeple feel happy and grateful they are getting fleeced by the oligarchs. Thank God for the internet!
More
Oklahoma County Sheriff: Man's Best Friend Guards Owner's Body
"Man's best friend to the end," the Sheriff's Office posted on its Facebook page Tuesday.
Deputies initially released a photo Monday of the small black dog sitting in debris following the devastating EF-5 tornado with the comment "scared, this little pup survived."
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What Is This World Coming To?
Two men 'hack soldier wearing Help for Heroes T-shirt to death with machetes in suspected terror attack in London street before being shot by police'
- Theresa May calls a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra
- Soldier attacked with meat cleavers and knives in Woolwich
- Eyewitness says: 'They were hacking at him, chopping him, cutting him'
- Two suspects waited until police arrived before trying to attack them
- Prime Minister David Cameron described the killing as 'truly shocking'
- Suspects used 'a number of weapons' in their attack, police say
IRS Executive To Plead The Fifth
A mid-level IRS executive will follow a time-honored tradition when she appears before Congress today. Lois Lerner will plead the Fifth. Her lawyer says Lerner will refuse to answer questions before the House oversight committee because the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation. Lerner heads the IRS exempt organizations unit. She's at the center of a controversy over how IRS handled applications from conservative groups. Yesterday, former IRS Commissioner Douglas Schulman said he kept mum about the affair, knowing the Treasury Inspector General was looking into it.
Marylanders Helping Oklahoma Families Impacted
Many Marylanders are taking the initiative to help families who have been impacted by the Oklahoma tornado.
For example, Bob Lang, who is the CEO of Bobby’s Portable Restrooms, is partnering with Wendy’s in Joppatowne to collect donated personal items for the tornado victims of Oklahoma.
For Lang, this effort especially hits close to home since his father lives just 30 miles north of Moore, Oklahoma, the town of 56,000 residents that was torn apart by the tornado Monday afternoon.
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For example, Bob Lang, who is the CEO of Bobby’s Portable Restrooms, is partnering with Wendy’s in Joppatowne to collect donated personal items for the tornado victims of Oklahoma.
For Lang, this effort especially hits close to home since his father lives just 30 miles north of Moore, Oklahoma, the town of 56,000 residents that was torn apart by the tornado Monday afternoon.
More
Bad Guy Fires 37 Rounds
Shooting took place in March. Middlefield, OH
Female officer lost her left index finger (had a month on that Dept). Male officer had slight injuries, and is back on the job. Bad guy fired 37 rounds from AK-47 and died at the scene.
The bad guy was pulled over for running a stop sign. He had another 8 mags for the AK with 40 rounds each, books, DVD's on improvised explosives, etc.
He had no criminal record
Centralization And Sociopathology
Concentrated power and wealth are intrinsically sociopathological by their very nature.
I have long spoken of the dangers inherent to centralization of power and the extreme concentrations of wealth centralization inevitably creates.
The Master Narrative Nobody Dares Admit: Centralization Has Failed (June 21, 2012)
The Solution to Concentrated Power: Decentralize, Diffuse and Devolve Power (June 22, 2012)
To Fix Healthcare, Let 100 Solutions Bloom (February 26, 2013)
Longtime contributor C.D. recently highlighted another danger of centralization: sociopaths/psychopaths excel in organizations that centralize power, and their ability to flatter, browbeat and manipulate others greases their climb to the top.
In effect, centralization is tailor-made for sociopaths gaining power. Sociopaths seek power over others, and centralization gives them the perfect avenue to control over millions or even entire nations.
Even worse (from the view of non-sociopaths), their perverse abilities are tailor-made for excelling in office and national politics via ruthless elimination of rivals and enemies and grandiose appeals to national greatness, ideological purity, etc.
I have long spoken of the dangers inherent to centralization of power and the extreme concentrations of wealth centralization inevitably creates.
The Master Narrative Nobody Dares Admit: Centralization Has Failed (June 21, 2012)
The Solution to Concentrated Power: Decentralize, Diffuse and Devolve Power (June 22, 2012)
To Fix Healthcare, Let 100 Solutions Bloom (February 26, 2013)
Longtime contributor C.D. recently highlighted another danger of centralization: sociopaths/psychopaths excel in organizations that centralize power, and their ability to flatter, browbeat and manipulate others greases their climb to the top.
In effect, centralization is tailor-made for sociopaths gaining power. Sociopaths seek power over others, and centralization gives them the perfect avenue to control over millions or even entire nations.
Even worse (from the view of non-sociopaths), their perverse abilities are tailor-made for excelling in office and national politics via ruthless elimination of rivals and enemies and grandiose appeals to national greatness, ideological purity, etc.
Orlando Man Killed By FBI Had Ties To Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect, NBC News Confirms
A friend of Todashev, Khusn Taramiv, said Todashev, 27, was being investigated as part of the Boston bombings and knew Tsarnaev because both were MMA fighters.
Taramiv claims he and Todashev were interviewed by the FBI for nearly three hours on Tuesday.
Read more
Holiday Travel Forecast: Fewer On Roads; New Pier For Ocean City
The Maryland State Highway Administration will be placing these signs
around
Ocean City to remind pedestrians to use crosswalks. It's part of
an effort to
reduce pedestrian fatalities. (Photo by WBAL's Robert
Lang)
It appears that fewer Marylanders will travel over the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend compared to last year.
A survey released by AAA Mid-Atlantic indicates 718,200 Marylanders will take at least a 50-mile round trip away from home during a period of Thursday through Monday.
The survey found that number is about 1.2% lower compared to last year.
The survey found 653,600 Marylanders will travel by car, about the same number as last year. Fewer people will be traveling by air or other forms of travel.
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BREAKING NEWS: Top IRS Official Invokes Fifth Amendment Right, Refuses To Testify At Hearing
Lois Lerner, director of the IRS division that singled out conservative groups, invokes Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and refuses to testify at House oversight hearing.
From Fox News
From Fox News
Washington Signals Dollar Deep Concerns
Over the past month there has been a statistically improbable concurrence of events that can only be explained as a conspiracy to protect the dollar from the Federal Reserve's policy of Quantitative Easing (QE).
Quantitative Easing is the term given to the Federal Reserve's policy of printing 1,000 billion new dollars annually in order to finance the US budget deficit by purchasing US Treasury bonds and to keep the prices high of debt-related derivatives on the "banks too big to fail" (BTBF) balance sheets by purchasing mortgage-backed derivatives. Without QE, interest rates would be much higher, and values on the banks' balance sheets would be much lower.
Quantitative Easing has been underway since December 2008. During these 54 months, the Federal Reserve has created several trillion new dollars with which the Fed has monetized the same amount of debt.
One result of this policy is that most real US interest rates are negative. Another result is that the supply of dollars has outstripped the world's demand for dollars.
These two results are the reason that the Federal Reserve's policy of printing money with which to purchase Treasury bonds and mortgage backed derivatives threatens the dollar's exchange value and, thus, the dollar's role as world reserve currency.
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Quantitative Easing is the term given to the Federal Reserve's policy of printing 1,000 billion new dollars annually in order to finance the US budget deficit by purchasing US Treasury bonds and to keep the prices high of debt-related derivatives on the "banks too big to fail" (BTBF) balance sheets by purchasing mortgage-backed derivatives. Without QE, interest rates would be much higher, and values on the banks' balance sheets would be much lower.
Quantitative Easing has been underway since December 2008. During these 54 months, the Federal Reserve has created several trillion new dollars with which the Fed has monetized the same amount of debt.
One result of this policy is that most real US interest rates are negative. Another result is that the supply of dollars has outstripped the world's demand for dollars.
These two results are the reason that the Federal Reserve's policy of printing money with which to purchase Treasury bonds and mortgage backed derivatives threatens the dollar's exchange value and, thus, the dollar's role as world reserve currency.
More
$450 Million To Keep Guantanamo Bay Prison Open
The Pentagon is asking Congress for more than $450 million to keep Guantanamo Bay prison open. Nearly half of the money would go to upgrade facilities that were intended to be temporary. The work could take more than eight years. The rest of the money would be spent on operations and needed technology like a fiber optic cable. President Barack Obama is expected to address the request in a speech Thursday. He has vowed to close the prison, but it's currently illegal to transfer inmates to the United States. Most of the 166 detainees are now on hunger strike.
OCPD Taking Part in National Click It or Ticket Enforcement
“We want everyone to enjoy their summer here in Ocean City. One big part of that is staying safe,” said Acting Chief Gregory Guiton. “Buckling your seat belt is one of the easiest choices you can make to ensure your safety.”
On the morning of May 20th, OCPD joined law enforcement agencies throughout Maryland and the entire northeast region in mobilizing the Click It or Ticket “Border to Border” Operation.
Law enforcement agencies that share State borders will team up to provide increased seat belt enforcement at border sites, sending a ‘zero tolerance’ message to the public: Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what State.
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The Pentagon Admits: The "War On Terror" Will Never End
It is hard to resist the conclusion that this war has no purpose other than its own eternal perpetuation. This war is not a means to any end but rather is the end in itself. Not only is it the end itself, but it is also its own fuel: it is precisely this endless war – justified in the name of stopping the threat of terrorism – that is the single greatest cause of that threat.
- Glenn Greenwald from his recent article: Washington Gets Explicit: Its “War on Terror” is Permanent
So last Thursday at a hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee, we found out what many of us already knew. That the “war on terror” is never going to end. Indeed, it was never supposed to end. This never-ending “war” on a fantastical enemy provides the American oligarch class with too much money and too much power to ever make it worthwhile for the establishment to shut down. It matters not to them that this civil liberties destroying fraud has been going on for my entire post-college life and, if they have their way, for the remainder of it. It matters not to them that the “war on terror” itself has done more to destroy the Constitution and vital essence of this nation than any terrorist act ever could. No, it matters very little indeed. What matters to them is money and power, and the “war on terror” provides them with boatloads of both.
My favorite excerpts from Glenn’s article are below:
On Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on whether the statutory basis for this “war” – the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) – should be revised (meaning: expanded). This is how Wired’s Spencer Ackerman (soon to be the Guardian US’s national security editor) described the most significant exchange:
More
- Glenn Greenwald from his recent article: Washington Gets Explicit: Its “War on Terror” is Permanent
So last Thursday at a hearing held by the Senate Armed Services Committee, we found out what many of us already knew. That the “war on terror” is never going to end. Indeed, it was never supposed to end. This never-ending “war” on a fantastical enemy provides the American oligarch class with too much money and too much power to ever make it worthwhile for the establishment to shut down. It matters not to them that this civil liberties destroying fraud has been going on for my entire post-college life and, if they have their way, for the remainder of it. It matters not to them that the “war on terror” itself has done more to destroy the Constitution and vital essence of this nation than any terrorist act ever could. No, it matters very little indeed. What matters to them is money and power, and the “war on terror” provides them with boatloads of both.
My favorite excerpts from Glenn’s article are below:
On Thursday, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on whether the statutory basis for this “war” – the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) – should be revised (meaning: expanded). This is how Wired’s Spencer Ackerman (soon to be the Guardian US’s national security editor) described the most significant exchange:
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The Spectator Presiden
No, this is not Watergate or Iran-Contra. Nor is it like the sex scandal that got Bill Clinton impeached.
The AP, IRS and Benghazi matters represent a scandal not of presidential wrongdoing, but of presidential indolence, indifference and incompetence in discharging the duties of chief executive.
The Barack Obama revealed to us in recent days is something rare in our history: a spectator president, clueless about what is going on in his own household, who reacts to revelations like some stunned bystander.
Consider. Because of a grave national security leak, President Obama's Department of Justice seized two months of records from 20 telephones used by The Associated Press. An unprecedented seizure.
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The AP, IRS and Benghazi matters represent a scandal not of presidential wrongdoing, but of presidential indolence, indifference and incompetence in discharging the duties of chief executive.
The Barack Obama revealed to us in recent days is something rare in our history: a spectator president, clueless about what is going on in his own household, who reacts to revelations like some stunned bystander.
Consider. Because of a grave national security leak, President Obama's Department of Justice seized two months of records from 20 telephones used by The Associated Press. An unprecedented seizure.
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Senate Panel Approves Immigration Bill
The 13-5 vote cleared the way for an epic showdown on the Senate floor on the measure, which is one of President Barack Obama's top domestic priorities yet also gives the Republican Party a chance to recast itself as more appealing to minorities.
The committee's action sparked rejoicing from immigration activists who crowded into a Senate committee room to witness the proceedings. "Yes, we can!" they shouted as they clapped rhythmically to show their pleasure.
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GOVERNOR O’MALLEY TO HIGHLIGHT EARLY COLLEGE INNOVATION FUND
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor O’Malley will visit the Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College to promote the Administration's Early College Innovation Fund.
The Academy is the state’s most successful model for early college high school. Upon graduation, each student earns both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. The Early College Innovation Fund, passed in the recent legislative session as part of the Administration’s budget, serves to encourage the development of early college access programs that provide accelerated pathways for students seeking career and technical education (CTE) or training in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines.
The Academy is the state’s most successful model for early college high school. Upon graduation, each student earns both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. The Early College Innovation Fund, passed in the recent legislative session as part of the Administration’s budget, serves to encourage the development of early college access programs that provide accelerated pathways for students seeking career and technical education (CTE) or training in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines.
The 'Middle Wife'
When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.
Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.
She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.'
'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.'
She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.
'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)
'My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)
'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!)
'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe.
They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there in the first place.'
Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.
I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's Show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another 'Middle Wife' comes along.
Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.
She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.'
'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.'
She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.
'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)
'My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)
'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!)
'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe.
They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there in the first place.'
Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.
I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's Show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another 'Middle Wife' comes along.