Tag Archives: U.S. Congress
Who Rules America? A Breakdown Of Wealth In The U.S. House And Senate
As you can see, those whom the American people have elected into office are often among the “upper crust” of society.

Reversing Grassroots Win, US Senate Approves Fast Track Trade Measure
Friends of the Earth: “These trade deals would harm the environment, allow corporations to roll back government laws on fossil fuel exports and impede future action by Congress to protect the planet from climate disruption. A vote for Fast Track is a vote for climate disaster and an attack on our clean air and water.”

David Korten: A Trade Rule that Makes It Illegal to Favor Local Business? Newest Leak Shows TPP Would Do That And More
Korten: A quick reading of the leaked chapter makes it clear why TPP sponsors have gone to great lengths to keep their negotiations secret. The document substantiates claims by opponents that the TPP is a corporate-rights agreement designed to facilitate the export of U.S. jobs, allow corporations to sue governments for enacting labor and environmental protections, make it illegal for governments to favor local businesses, and advance the colonization of national economies by global corporations and financiers.
Just Security: The Patriot Act’s Sunset is the Perfect Chance to Make the FISA Court More Like a Real Court
The collection of Americans’ personal information by intelligence agencies is one of the most intrusive powers the executive branch can exercise. Such programs require a strong check in the form of robust judicial review. By Elizabeth Goitein, Faiza Patel Just Security CommonDreams.org April 14, 2015 The collection of Americans’ personal information by intelligence agencies is one of […]

▶ March 2, 2015 Democracy Now! with Noam Chomsky: ISIS, Iraq, Iran, Netanyahu, Israel
Noam Chomsky on How the Iraq War Birthed ISIS & Why U.S. Policy Undermines the Fight Against It Noam Chomsky: Opposing Iran Nuclear Deal, Israel’s Goal Isn’t Survival — It’s Regional Dominance Subscribe or “Follow” us on RiseUpTimes.org. Rise Up Times is also on Facebook! Check the Rise Up Times page for posts from this blog and more! “Like” our page […]

John J. Dilulio, Jr: The Rise and Fall of the US Government
Congress is now controlled by politicians who raise money and win reelection by granting political favors to their supporters. For example, high-priced lobbyists for Wall Street first devised the deregulation that made too-big-to-fail banks possible, and then fashioned the faux financial fix-it legislation that followed the 2008 economic crisis. These new laws featured a “highly complex stew of new regulations” that could not be well implemented and “would likely not solve the underlying … problem even if they were.”

Glenn Greenwald: Congress Is Irrelevant on Mass Surveillance. Here’s What Matters Instead.
The boredom of this spectacle was simply due to the fact that this has been seen so many times before—in fact, every time in the post-9/11 era that the U.S. Congress pretends publicly to debate some kind of foreign policy or civil liberties bill. Just enough members stand up to scream “9/11″ and “terrorism” over […]

Ivan Eland, Consortium News: The War Responsibility of Congress
Congress was to be the dominant branch of government, and the Executive’s role merely was to narrowly execute and enforce laws passed by that body. Even the president’s commander-in-chief role, much abused by modern chief executives, was to be restricted narrowly to commanding the U.S. military in battle. By Ivan Eland ConsortiumNews.com October 14, 2014 […]
Chris Hedges: Sacrificing the Vulnerable, From Gaza to America
The people in Gaza deserve to be free. So do we. But do not look to our political mandarins for help, or expect anything but vaudevillian smoke and mirrors from the billions poured into our campaign circus. Look within. By Chris Hedges truthdig.com September 14, 2014 A Palestinian stands in the rubble of destroyed […]
Latest Budget Again Favors the Right Wing, As Pentagon Benefits While People Suffer
LABOR FIGHTBACK NETWORK FOR BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT December 22, 2013 On December 10, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 332-94 in favor of changes to the federal budget for 2014. The House vote in effect adopted the proposals of the “Joint Congressional Committee,” co-chaired by Republican Tea Party House leader Paul Ryan and Senate […]

Photos: CODEPINK Peace Insurrection encampment outside Congress
CODEPINK activists and allies set up a camp known as the ‘Peace Insurrection’ outside of Congress…See more TCHallMedia September 13, 2013 on Flickr CODEPINK activists and allies set up a camp known as the ‘Peace Insurrection’ outside of Congress at the corners of Independence and New Jersey avenues, calling for no military intervention in Syria. […]
Jim Hightower> Repeal the Patriot Act
“We the People have now learned that all three branches of government have furtively conspired for seven years to violate our privacy—so, no, we don’t trust any of them.” Jim Hightower Published: Wednesday 19 June 2013 NationofChange.org It’s back. The Patriot Act — that grotesque, ever-mutating, hydra-headed monstrosity from the Bush-Cheney Little Shop of Horrors […]

Action Alert> April 16: Historic Durbin hearing on drone strikes & better ways to save billions
April 16: Historic Durbin hearing on drone strikes Robert Naiman Just Foreign Policy For the first time since the US started conducting drone strikes ten years ago, there will be a prominent hearing in Congress devoted to the policy. The hearing is scheduled for April 16, 10AM ET. It will be broadcast on the web. […]
Lawrence Davidson> How Propaganda Targets Iran
How Propaganda Targets Iran America’s Founders saw press freedom as a key check on government dishonesty, but today’s media has become a powerful ally of official lies by funneling sophisticated propaganda especially in support of war, as Lawrence Davidson notes about the hysteria over Iran. By Lawrence Davidson January 6, 2012 consortiumnews.com Winston Churchill once said, “No one pretends that democracy is […]
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