The nations that hold U.S. debt effectively hold the U.S. hostage.  For all the bluster about America being the most powerful nation in the world, China, Japan, and the Saudis could end the party tomorrow.  Which explains the spectacle of our leaders travelling abroad to assure their creditors that American taxpayers will do as they’re told, that they’ll pay up, and that they’ll be brought to heel.  This leads to the spectacle of foreign policy being molded to bring the maximum benefit to the creditor countries.  An Empire is controlled by its creditors, not by the citizens who always pick up the tab.

Activist Post.  The video is embedded in the article, read the whole thing.

In an attempt to make senior military officials look good.  In reality, those officials were the ones covering up/ignoring the sexual assault occurring on their watch. AP

Unlike White Privilege, Blue Privilege is a check that can apparently be cashed.  Cushy union jobs, early pension, etc.  But another perk of wearing a badge is that, if you happen to be holding a smoking gun with a dead civilian on the ground in front of you, the odds are in your favor that you’ll never see the inside of jail cell.  No matter the evidence stacked against you, because you are a member of the vaunted law enforcement class you automatically have the support of the powerful police union, and the DA, who will offer you a nice plea deal that keeps you out of jail.  It signals that there are no consequences for a murder committed by a rage-filled cop.  Indeed, it attracts the rage-filled.

Here’s a story of another murderous cop getting plea deal after killing a father-of-two in his own doorway.

A group called “VA is lying”.  As the article makes clear, the federal government is scared of those who have seen up close the results of the lies of war.  Soldiers get thrown into the various Mid-East meat grinders and then come back, maimed and pissed off, and occasionally vent about it on Facebook.  So, naturally, the Warfare State tasks some department with monitoring the disgruntle vets. Activist Post

Not too surprising, considering how often this happens.  The question now should focus on who put him up to it. Techdirt

It would be the equivalent to a $35 minimum wage in California, and devastate the most vulnerable workers. FEE

According to a new poll. Yahoo

The US arms them, fights wars for them, and keeps them the dominant power in the region.  We might even be handing them nukes under the table.  And they now appear to have been involved in the 9/11 attack. Antiwar

Of course, for the political class, more war will always be the solution to the failures of war. Daily Mail