t minus zero

“had the Conservatives not slashed (corporate) taxes, the federal government could afford to double its spending on health care, post-secondary education and social assistance…” [story]

“there is probably a degree of in-built bias against anarcho-capitalism, free-market anarchism, and the libertarian right, though some works with this orientation are included…” [story]

“via Twitter user Astro_Soichi…” [story]

“Stray Cats in Tokyo as seen by professional photographers…” [story]

“There are no constraints left to halt America’s slide into a totalitarian capitalism. Electoral politics are a sham. The media have been debased and defanged by corporate owners. The working class has been impoverished and is now being plunged into profound despair. The legal system has been corrupted to serve corporate interests. Popular institutions, from labor unions to political parties, have been destroyed or emasculated by corporate power. And any form of protest, no matter how tepid, is blocked by an internal security apparatus that is starting to rival that of the East German secret police. The mounting anger and hatred, coursing through the bloodstream of the body politic, make violence and counter-violence inevitable. Brace yourself. The American empire is over. And the descent is going to be horrifying….” [story]

“from USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, responsible for monitoring, reporting, and researching earthquakes and earthquake hazards…” [story]

“Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay: two names that have become synonymous in many people’s minds with torture and abuse of human rights by American interrogators. When Barack Obama entered the White House in January 2009, he set out to erase the stain such practices have left on America’s image. The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group established later that year has as one of its stated aims to interrogate without brute force and to employ “scientifically proven” techniques – though without saying what these might be….” [story]

“Hollywood — like the Democratic Party or the New York Times — is alleged to be liberal. When it comes to questions such as gay marriage or abortion, this is indeed the case. When it comes to the American relationship with the rest of the world it is about as liberal as the Democratic Party or the New York Times. That is to say, it subscribes to the notion of American Exceptionalism, and accepts prima facie a messianic view of the US role in the world….” [story]