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Upstaging the voters: Ordering the Hiring of the Unqualified
By Ruth Hull
Suppose you were hiring a doctor, and a mechanic walked into the room Would you hire him for your next surgery? If not, why would you hire someone without financial expertise to be your State Controller, the person who controls California’s finances? John Perez is out of a job next January and many of us feel sorry for him? Maybe the mechanic is down and out too. If Perez wins on Tuesday, maybe there is hope for the mechanic who wants to be try his hand a neurosurgery.
As a voter, you are the hiring manager for the jobs on your ballot. A review of the resumes of the candidates running for the State Controller position, shows that there is one qualified candidate with decades of effective experience in financial leadership and management. Other candidates are making a gallant effort to twist their experience into the appearance of something connected to finances. In politics, winning elections is rarely about qualifications. Usually money, insider deals and power determine outcomes. So things are looking up for mechanic who wants to operate on you.
Sometimes voters actually do research before marking their ballots. To the surprise of John Perez, despite massive pressure, Democratic delegates refused to endorse him at the California Democratic Convention of 2014. With money and power in his back pocket, John is counting on the electorate to be less informed than delegates from his own party. Who needs credentials when you have ads financed in part by private prison guards?
A two person race with results to be determined June 3, 2014
The Republicans have not won the California Controller’s race since 1970. More specifically, nobody but a Democrat has won that seat since 1970. That was 44 years ago. With California’s strong Democratic registration, the long history of elections for that office and the long-established voting trends in California, June 3, 2014, almost certainly, will determine the outcome of this race. On June 4, 2014, the Republicans and independents could wake up to find that the state money, including their money, is about to be controlled by someone whose idea of finances is making deals to keep certain Democrats in power and funding special interests. Republicans, independents and Democrats have a choice and together, on June 3rd, will decide whether an experienced financial whiz or a Party leader takes charge of their money. Whatever the outcome, based on almost half a century of results, November 4, 2014 will more than likely be no more than a crowning of the effective winner of June 3rd.
Betty Yee – can her years of relevant experience win her the Controller’s position?
War Without Mercy Continues
by Stephen Lendman
Sergey Lavrov calls it fratricidal war. "The West tried to use Ukraine not as a uniting link on the European territory, but as a watershed," he said.
"Those who advocated such policy did not worry about it that much."
"The elections in Ukraine should put an end to violence and serve as a start of dialogue."
Russia wants Eastern regions provided humanitarian aid. Its urgently needed.
Its Foreign Ministry said Moscow is "receiving urgent requests from individuals and organizations based in the conflict zone in the eastern Ukrainian regions, where hostilities led to human casualties and multiple injuries, asking to provide immediate humanitarian aid, primarily medications and medicinal drugs."
Afghanistan: Permanent US Occupation Planned
by Stephen Lendman
America came to stay. Obama saying "(w)e will bring America's longest war to a responsible end" is false. It's his latest Big Lie.
His Monday statement included many others. "The United States did not seek this fight," he said.
"We went into Afghanistan out of necessity, after our nation was attacked by al Qaeda on September 11th, 2001." "We went to war against al Qaeda and its extremist allies with the strong support of the American people and their representatives in Congress; with the international community and our NATO allies; and with the Afghan people, who welcomed the opportunity of a life free from the dark tyranny of extremism."
When the Worst Law-breakers are Those Entrusted to Uphold the Law
By Ruth Hull
Gotten used to your vote not making a difference? What if your vote determined whether your kids would be raped or killed or whether, when reporting a crime, you are imprisoned for no reason? What if judges and top cops are also the top law-breakers?
The problem is not specific to Pennsylvania. California has become known as the human trafficking and child rape capital of the nation. Observers and researchers are blaming unethical judges and district attorneys. Some of the prominent ones that are being blamed for the corruption are listed below. The following is a recounting of information that could be looked up by any voter who takes the time to check past newspapers, web articles and appellate cases. The reason for voters’ remorse is usually that voters simply don’t think their votes count. The voters in Pennsylvania in the videos presented found that their votes did count – counted towards their children being sold to private industry or winding up dead. Is your kids life worth checking on the people for whom you vote?
Ukraine's New President
by Stephen Lendman
He's like his predecessor. Coup-appointed. In his case anointed. By electoral rubber-stamping.
He's anti-democratic. Fascist. Mega-crook. Neoliberal. Confrontational. Militant. Belligerent. Bellicose. Criminal.
Opposite what Ukrainians deserve. Straightaway he OK'd full-scale war without mercy. More on this below.
Russia wants Eastern Ukrainian military aggression halted. Obama wants it continued. He congratulated Ukrainians."(F)or making their voices heard," he said. For "the efforts of the Ukrainian government to conduct these elections in the face (of) provocations and violence," he claimed.
War Without Mercy
by Stephen Lendman
Ukraine's President-Elect Petro Poroshenko ordered it straightaway. He wants Eastern freedom fighters crushed.
He calls them "terrorists." He declared war without mercy. More on this below.
A 1990s board game is called War Without Mercy. It's surreal. It's a game. Warmaking is play-acting. No one dies.
Opposing forces are rated for offense, defense and movement. Armor against infantry warrants bonus rolls.
One side may attack en masse. With overwhelming force. For quick conquest. Or do it incrementally.
Air combat lets players launch fighters, bombers and transports. Naval operations wage war at sea.
Obama in Afghanistan
by Stephen Lendman
He left Washington Saturday. He arrived in Afghanistan Sunday. It was his fourth visit. He stayed less than four hours.
Earlier trips were in March 2010, December 2010 and May 2012.
Obama addressed
US troops. He did so at Bagram Air Base. It houses one of America's notorious torture prisons.
Dozens of others operate globally. Guantanamo is the tip of the iceberg.
Bagram is called the Parwan Detention Facility (aka Bagram Theater Internment Facility).
It's next to Bagram's air field. It was formerly called the Bagram Collection Point.
In mid-2011, it held 1,100 political prisoners. Maximum during Bush years was 600. None have POW status. All are political prisoners. They illegally held.
Political Prisoner Nabeel Rajab Freed
by Stephen Lendman
Bahrain's Al Khalifa monarchy rules despotically. Ruthlessly. Extrajudicially. State terror is official policy.
Activists are targeted, arrested, tortured, and imprisoned. Kangaroo court proceedings deny justice.
Nabeel Rajab is one of Bahrain's best. He's a prominent human rights leader. A courageous one. Committed for right over wrong.
In 2002, he, current political prisoner Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, and others co-founded the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR).
Post-Ukrainian Election Violence
by Stephen Lendman
Billionaire oligarch mega-crook Petro Poroshenko is Ukraine's new president. Illegitimate coup-appointed officials anointed him.
Sham election-rigging rubber-stamping followed. Fascism defeated democracy.
Obama said "we commend the resolve of all those who participated, as well as the efforts of the Ukrainian government to conduct these elections in the face of those threats."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a convenient US stooge.
He "congratulate(ed) the people of Ukraine, who peacefully exercised their right to vote in Sunday's presidential election."
"They showed their commitment to freedom and democracy and their determination to decide their own future."
Does Tom Wheeler Really Not Get It or Is He Saying One Thing and Doing Another?
And, What You Can Do To Assure Net Neutrality
By Kevin Zeese
The path for an open Internet that functions without discrimination is evident: polls of the American people, the courts, federal communications law and reality all point to the Internet being treated as a common carrier, a public utility that operates without discrimination. The Chair of the FCC, Tom Wheeler, is saying he wants an open Internet without discrimination. Why isn’t he taking a path that leads there?
Once it became known that Tom Wheeler was going to recommend a tiered Internet with different levels of service based on fees, the negative reaction was massive and swift. The reaction included emails, petitions and phone calls roaring into the FCC demanding net neutrality. Margaret Flowers and I began an encampment at the FCC’s door one week before their Open Meeting where this proposal was going to be discussed. Within the week, the camp grew to 25–30 people. The pressure mounted and Wheeler changed course by including our view in the rule-making process but he continued to cling to his view that the Internet was not a common carrier.
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