by Walter Brasch

More than 230,000 cases of the Swine Flu have been confirmed world wide. About 2,100 persons have died. As much as one-fourth of America's workforce may be infected by Swine Flu when it peaks in Winter, according to studies conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC scientists isolated and developed the seed strain of swine flu. Working furiously to manufacture the vaccine are five major drug companies, which received about $1.8 billion in federal funding to produce the anti-virus. Leading the testing, analyses, and education campaigns about the swine flu, in addition to the CDC, are the U.S. Public Health Service, the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Federal Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in addition to the Department of Health and Human Services, which developed the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza protection.

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Allen L Roland

Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock

To me the spirit of Woodstock was not just the spirit of the freedom seeking 60's ~ it was the final set of the weekend when Jimi Hendrix played his solo version of the Star Spangled Banner, which included all the sounds and anguish of war, and which still moves and shocks listeners now as it did then:

40 years ago I was a stockbroker intent on making money while more than 400,000 people converged on the town of Woodstock intent on having fun and watching big names like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.

Many feel that the music and spirit of Woodstock during those three days ( August 15 -17,1969 ) was more of a revelation to the millions who listened to the album and saw the movie ~ but I think it was indeed a revelation of human connectedness particularly with the deep on going unrest and divisions of the Vietnam War.

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By Emily Spence

One's living in a proactively progressive family is not easy from a number of standpoints. Especially as a youngster, one can feel torn between wanting to fit in with contemporaries and standing up for an altogether different viewpoint and lifestyle -- an alternative that could cause one to be ostracized and shunned by peers.

Relative to this, I well remember the day that Justin, the empathetic son of leftist friends, burst through his kitchen door and started to cry. His mother and I asked him about the reason and he replied that he couldn't figure out the response that he should take in a heartrending situation. Therefore, he simply felt overwhelmed in frustration and anguish.

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Allen L Roland

Americans should be rightfully angry. We were run over by the Bush administration and we're being run over by the Obama administration who refuse to deliver the change we demanded and no where is this more apparent than with healthcare reform:

Americans are rightfully angry because we were ripped off by the Cheney/Bush administration for eight scandal ridden years ( both of whom are now writing their multi million dollar advanced memoirs ). We were promised the change of an open and transparent government by Obama ( which millions of Americans, including myself, enthusiastically voted for ) and we are apparently being ripped off again ~ which doubles our anger because our trust has been seemingly betrayed.

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Sherrie Wilcox

We have all heard about the FEMA camps, the Georgia Coffins AND the Georgia Guidestones (well lots of us, have heard about them before). We have seen pictures on the internet and have read all kinds of things about them.

I wanted to check these out for myself. I was visiting someone in Georgia, so I thought it would be a Great time to look into all of the internet claims and conspiracy theories. The person I was visiting was Totally up for it too. We felt like kids, our first ever spy type adventure. We met a friend for lunch and she wanted to join in on the adventure also. The three of us women, set out in 2 cars to tour Georgia and the conspiracies surrounding the FEMA camps, coffins and Guidestones.

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Franklin Lamb
Along the ‘Blue Line’ with Palestine

Part I: Zeroing in on Israel’s existential threats

It’s becoming tense again down along the ‘Blue Line’, three years after Israel’s 5th war against Lebanon. Israeli Brig. General. "Alon Friedman" told the Times of London in an interview this week that border tensions between Israel and Lebanon could "explode at any minute."

If one were to credit the myriad recent threats these past few weeks against Lebanon and President Obama from Israeli officials and AIPAC operatives in Congress, recently swarming around Palestine, it could be disconcerting as one recalls how quiet summers in this region sometimes heat up fast. Israel has been moving troops back and forth along Lebanon’s southern border and in and out of Ghajar village and Shabaa Farms, which has caused the Lebanese army to move some of its forces towards the borders with Israel while nearby Hezbollah forces remain on full alert.

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by Stephen Lendman

James Petras is Binghamton University, New York Professor Emeritus of Sociology. Besides his long and distinguished academic career, he's a noted figure on the left, a well-respected Latin American expert, and a longtime chronicler of the region' popular struggles. He's also a prolific author of hundreds of articles and dozens of books, most recently his new one titled, "Global Depression and Regional Wars" addressing America, Latin America and the Middle East.

Part I - Global Depression

Variety's famous October 30, 1929 headline is again relevant: "Wall Street Lays an Egg," or as economist Rick Wolff puts it: "Capitalism hit the fan" following a familiar pattern of boom and bust cycles punctuated by bubbles that always burst. Petras explains it this way:

"All the idols of capitalism over the past three decades have crashed. The assumptions and presumptions, paradigms and prognosis of indefinite progress under liberal free market capitalism have been tested and have failed. We are living the end of an entire epoch (and bearing witness to) the collapse of the US and world financial system."

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By Ramzy Baroud

This is hardly the rational order of things. An overpowering military occupation was meant to be resisted by an equally determined, focused and unyielding national movement, hell-bent on liberation at any cost and by any means. This is the unwritten law that has governed and shielded successful national liberation projects throughout history. The Fatah movement, under Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, however, wants to alter that order, meeting Israeli colonialism with ill-defined ‘pragmatism’, extreme violence with press statements laden with endless clichés that mostly go unreported, and a determined Israeli attempt at squashing Palestinian aspirations with political tribalism, factional decay and internal divisions.

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Len Hart

The ascension (apotheosis?) of every GOP 'President' is inevitably accompanied by much GOP salivating over the prospects of getting their greedy, crooked mitts on your Social Security. Thus it was just over eight years ago when George W. Bush assumed (and I do mean 'assumed') the highest office in the land. Rest assured, despite the financial implosions of late, the GOP still plots to rob you blind, screw you silly and leave you a worthless slug on the night stand!

The GOP licked its greedy chops chops as the stupidest man, the grossest idiot since Warren Harding raised his hand and dared to swear on a holy book! The same gang of mendacious robber barons who made fortunes short-selling stocks on 911, profited from mass murder, and, later, plunged this nation into a new 'Great Depression' saw in the rise of George W. Bush another opportunity to steal your Social Security and buy Baltic Avenue with it!

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By Roland Michel Tremblay

I work in a criminal court, this is the best place to observe all in one go the different levels of social status. It goes from the lowest to the highest all in one day, in any court. I was able to identify with all these players in this great game of judging and punishing citizens for the slightest misconduct. So easily all of them can lose their social status overnight, you would not believe. The next case I call could easily be yours.

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