2011 March | American Pendulum

Power to Strip Search Passengers Claimed by Feds

Posted by admin National News/Opinion Friday, March 25th, 2011

In a breathtaking statement delivered in an official court proceeding, the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims authority to strip search every airline passenger; and to begin such a practice without even soliciting comment from the public.

2007 West Point Study: Shows Libyan Rebels Come From Main Al Qaeda Suicide Bomber Recruitment

Posted by admin Top Stories Friday, March 25th, 2011

2007 West Point Study Shows Benghazi-Darnah-Tobruk Area was a World Leader in Al Qaeda Suicide Bomber Recruitment. The rebels are clearly not civilians, but an armed force. What kind of an armed force?

Billionaires Flourish, Inequalities Deepen as Economies "Recover"

Posted by admin Economy, Top Stories Friday, March 25th, 2011

The US has the most billionaires in the world (413), better than one third of the total, the greatest proportion among the “big countries in the world. A closer look also reveals that among the top 200 billionaires (those with $5.2 billion and more) there are 57 from the US (29%). Over one third made their fortune through speculative activity, predators on the productive economy and exploiters of the property and stock market. This is the highest percentage of any major country in Europe or Asia (with the exception of England). The enormous concentration of wealth in the hands of this tiny parasitical ruling class is one reason why the US has the worst inequalities of any advanced economy and among the worst in the entire world. Speculators do not employ workers, they secure tax loopholes and bailouts and then press for cuts in the social budget, since they do not require a healthy, educated workforce (except for a tiny elite).

Obama and Libya

Posted by admin National News/Opinion Friday, March 25th, 2011

Why are thoughtful people so perplexed over Obama’s unilateral decision to go to war against Libya without seeking congressional approval, while opting for UN authorization? Has the possibility not entered anyone’s mind that Obama — put into office by the corporate-establishment — might be in the process of generating a world base for the political structuring of his masters’ interests, as a replacement for the national system of coercive authority?

Libya, Obama, and the Five-Second Rule: Special Comment by Keith Olbermann

Posted by admin Top Stories Friday, March 25th, 2011

Mr. President. We are not clear why we are fighting, who exactly we are fighting with, who the ‘rebels’ are that we’re fighting for, what a No-Fly Zone accomplishes with a dictator who has ground troops, how long we are to be there, to whom we are to “hand-off,” and why, Sir, if we are intervening on behalf of civilians at risk, why we did not do so in Egypt, why we are not doing so in places like Bahrain, and – if the local government were to somehow screw-up the containment at the Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, if this new doctrine would somehow permit us to go in and try to take over Japan.

Cinque Terre, Italy: Rustic Riviera

Posted by admin Featured Media Thursday, March 24th, 2011

by RickSteves Tucked along a series of rugged ravines lining the Mediterranean coast, the five pastel villages of Italy’s Cinque Terre welcome travelers with traffic-free lanes, glorious views, and plenty of excuses to relax in the sun. www.ricksteves.com

AT&T Takes America Back to the Future

Posted by admin Sci-Tech News Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

This proposed deal paints a dark scenario for the future of all communications — a future that looks increasingly like a bygone era of monopoly control. If AT&T succeeds, it will form a communications colossus to rival Ma Bell. Two companies, AT&T and Verizon, would control close to 80 percent of the mobile marketplace in America — a figure that could exceed 90 percent, if, as many anticipate, Verizon buys Sprint.

UN Investigator: Israel Engaged in Ethnic Cleansing

Posted by admin World Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Israel’s expansion of settlements in East Jerusalem and eviction of Palestinians from their homes there is a form of ethnic cleansing, a United Nations investigator said on Monday. (Reuters)

Ted Rall: Libya – Another War We Shouldn’t Believe In

Posted by admin National News/Opinion Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Still, the President is not a dictator. He can’t declare war. And while he might be able to lie his way into one, he and his party will pay at the polls if he fails to explain why we’re attacking a nation that poses no threat to the United States. There are a lot of questions we—and journalists—should be asking Obama. Obviously, we’re broke. Our military is overextended, losing two wars against the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. How can we afford this?

Kucinich: Libya war unconstitutional

Posted by admin Top Stories Monday, March 21st, 2011

Amid the ongoing coalitional bombardment of Libya it turns out President Obama may have had no constitutional authority for ordering US military involvement. US Rep. from Ohio Dennis Kucinixh says the use of US armed forces is unconstitutional, explaining Obama had no authority to commit US resources without congressional approval. The US now finds itself involved into another war in addition to Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. ‘Bombing villages in order to save villages’ — that didn’t work in Vietnam, Kucinich explained. In fact, he argued this time around the Libyan intervention could end up strengthening Al-Qaeda and US enemies.