There’s no question that the Department of Defense is an egregiously wasteful organization. Whether you’re looking at the big picture (like occupying a country for more than a decade for no good reason) or zooming in a bit (to local recruiting offices, individual projects, or even military advertising), there’s no shortage of waste to be found. In a country where 610,042 people are homeless, the outstanding student debt balance comes in at more than $1.2 trillion, more than 16 million children (22% of all children in the country) live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, and millions of people can’t afford health insurance, surely there is no shortage of worthy causes for taxpayer dollars. However, the Department of Defense is seemingly unconcerned about education and child poverty – because it continues to burn taxpayer dollars in some of the most outlandish ways possible.
Donald Trump and Vaccines
During the CNN Republican Debate, Donald Trump made two claims about the safety of vaccines — specifically, that vaccines cause autism and that it would be safer to spread vaccines out over longer periods of time. In this post, I will evaluate those claims by reviewing published scientific data and information from credible health organizations.
Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict (A Review)
In Resource Wars, Michael Klare presents a series of powerful claims that revolve around the idea that […]
Macroeconomic Tidbits – Gross Domestic Product
Welcome to the first post in my new series “Macroeconomic Tidbits” – a collection of […]
Photos from Turkey – Images of a Revolution – OccupyGezi
From peaceful environmental protests to an all-out social movement for the resignation of authoritarian Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan, demonstrators in Turkey find themselves engaged in another day of nationwide rallies. Brutal, relentless attacks from police (against peaceful demonstrators), under the direction of Erdoğan, are driving people to mobilize and fight back against oppression, the decimation of human rights, and unprovoked violence. Around the world, eyes shift to the streets of Istanbul, Ankara, and locations across Turkey, as we stand in solidarity with the demonstrators. This post takes a look at photos emerging from the revolution.
The Firsthand Account of Zehra – A Turkish Protester – OccupyGezi
Less than an hour ago, I found myself engaged in direct conversation with an individual from Ankara, Turkey’s capital city, who is in the midst of the movement taking place there (known on the Internet as Occupy Gezi (direngeziparki)). I started the discussion by asking her to describe the events of recent days, as well as the role (or lack thereof) that media has played in the struggle. Finally, I asked her to elaborate on what she sees as the outcome of this movement.
Our discussion details this critical time as people from around the world are directing their gaze to the streets of Turkey where a peaceful environmental demonstration launched into a full-scale social movement with protests sprouting up in cities across the nation, provoked by violent and excessive attacks by police forces under the direction of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
A Look at the Istanbul Protests – OccupyGezi (direngeziparki)
The situation began on May 27th with the impending destruction of Taksim Gezi Park with the goal of increasing the width of a street. Concerned citizens began to gather at the site, forming a peaceful, non-violent demonstration against the construction project – a project that was pushed forward despite widespread disapproval and opposition. The protesters had managed to halt construction until the following morning when the police intervened and protected the progression of the demolition operation. Sırrı Süreyya Önder…
Turkish Police Unleash Violent Force on Peaceful Protesters – OccupyGezi (direngeziparki)
Turkish police are using unwarranted, violent force against peaceful protesters throughout the country. Learn more about the Turkish government’s attacks on peaceful protesters. Educate yourself and spread the word. This is real. This is happening. This is unacceptable. We cannot remain silent.