by Stephen Lendman

In the 1960s, economist Arthur Okum began calculated America's Misery Index by adding the unemployment and inflation rates for a sense of public pain or lack of it in good times.

In May, it hit a record high exceeding 25, surpassing the earlier June 1980 21.98 top, based on how both measures were then calculated, not today's methodology, manipulated to hide painful truths.

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by Stephen Lendman

In July 1944, the IMF and Bank for Reconstruction and Development (now the World Bank) were established to integrate developing nations into the Global North-dominated world economy in ways other than initially mandated.

Under a new post-war monetary system, the IMF was created to stabilize exchange rates linked to the dollar and bridge temporary payment imbalances. The World Bank was to provide credit to war-torn developing countries. Both bodies, in fact, proved hugely exploitive, using debt entrapment to transfer public wealth to Western bankers and other corporate predators.

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by Stephen Lendman

For months, courageous Bahrainis protested peacefully against the Al Khalifa monarchy's repressive brutality, corruption, and discrimination, as well as unemployment, poverty, and other unaddressed social justice issues.

The response has been ruthless state terrorism against anyone challenging regime control, no matter how lawless, barbaric, and unresponsive to basic human rights and needs.

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by Stephen Lendman

During his presidential campaign, Obama pledged to "(s)upport the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet."

In fact, he failed to deliver on every major promise made, including the last frontier of press freedom, protected from censorship and corporate control.

Post-9/11, both he and Bush expanded intrusive government surveillance, including Internet monitoring of personal communications. On April 1, 2009 the Senate introduced two bills, endangering a free and open Internet - S. 773: Cybersecurity Act of 2009 and S. 778 to establish a White House cybersecurity czar. Both measures included provisions to give federal authorities unprecedented Internet control by:

-- federalizing critical infrastructure, shifting power away from providers and users to Washington; and

-- letting the president shut down Internet traffic for alleged "national security" reasons or during a claimed "emergency."

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By Steven J. Goldberg

[The recent FBI raid of the home of Sharlotte Hydorn, age 91, has brought the controversy over "the right to die [with dignity]" to the front page of man's consciousness. Click here to read why Hydorn may have violated a law prohibiting the sale of adulterated and mishandled medical devices that are used to commit suicide.]

The Only Question that Matters

What am I doing here and where am I going (when it's over)?

My Dogs and wild animals don't worry about what they're doing or where they are going.

They are trying to survive and don't have much time to sit around and ponder their existence.

Monotheists (Jews, Christians and Muslims) think they have the answer: They are here to love God and accept the free gift of salvation and then it's off to heaven.

Our pets are sort of like Monotheists, they think we are some kind of God, so their purpose is to love us unconditionally and we in turn, take care of them.

And when our pets can no longer perform their "activities of daily living" (ADLs), the basic tasks of everyday life, such as eating, bathing, dressing, toileting and transferring (i.e., getting in and out of a bed or chair) we act compassionately.

Instead of making them suffer, we take them to the Vet where it's legal to play them soft music, hold them in our arms and watch them go peacefully to sleep.

Thanks to a twist of religious dogma in the Dark Ages, Homo Sap...iens are now the center of the earth and are so important, they have to suffer in old age until God decides it's time for them to leave the Earth.

OK, let's say for a minute you really believe that if you gesticulate once a week at a Mega Church, believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and therefore you have a free pass to heaven, my question
to you is:

What are you waiting for?

I would want to get there right away, because if there is a heaven it's got to be better than "this" and if I am wrong and go to the other place (without air conditioning) early, it's for eternity, so a few more years isn't going to matter.

Don't bother trying to argue suicide is murder or some kind of unforgiveable sin – it isn't. You can kill yourself any time you like and there is nothing in the Bible that says you aren't going to heaven.

The really inconvenient truth is that you are facing either:

• Being unable to perform your ADLs and you are wearing Depends
• Taking care of someone who is unable to perform their ADLs and wearing Depends
• Feeling guilty because you aren’t taking care of someone who is unable to perform their ADLs and wearing Depends

I know not what course others may take, but as for me if it's a choice between wearing a diaper, depending on someone because I am wearing a diaper or feeling guilty, give me Death.

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Steven J. Goldberg is a former employee at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and was wrongfully terminated by AIPAC after he was the subject of a federal investigation for the unlawful receipt and disclosure of classified information obtained from a former Pentagon official.

There is evidence that the receipt and distribution of confidential foreign policy information is a common practice for AlPAC.

James Petras

Introduction:

The recent rash of civilian killings by NATO forces in occupied Afghanistan raises several basic questions: Why do US – NATO air and ground forces kill so many civilians, so persistently, over such long stretches of time, in regions throughout the country? Why have the number of civilians killed, increased in the course of the conflict? Why do NATO-US airplanes continue to bomb civilian housing and village gatherings and ground troops indiscriminately assault homes and workshops? Why are the pleas of NATO collaborator President Karzai to desist in home bombings go unheeded? Finally, knowing that the killing of civilians, entire families including children, mothers and the elderly alienates the local population and breeds widespread and profound hostility, why do the NATO-US military refuse to alter their tactics and strategy?

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