We use shorthand for evaluating faculty: “She is productive.” We don’t necessarily have in mind a steel worker toiling in Andrew Carnegie’s factories but, given one’s orientation, perhaps a Hero of Socialist Labor. Factory work may be too grubby a metaphor for genteel academics. The antonym is worse: Loser, slacker, non-publisher. Generational politics are in play as young faculty who …
Britain’s Election Fit for a Lunatic Asylum: The Complicated Mess that is the UK – Lesley Docksey
“After the election every Westminster politician will have to come and face the reality of the electorate’s judgment. There is no disrespect or disgrace in any politician coming to terms with the democratically expressed position of the electorate. All politicians, those of us who are lucky enough to be elected, chosen by the people, will try to do their best …
Kali Hays – Reform or Repression: What’s Behind Russia’s Mysterious College Shutdown?
Russia’s economy has taken a beating lately; the ruble is shaky, Western sanctions are taking a toll, and Putin is, well, he’s Putin. In spite of, or perhaps due to, all this, the country’s Ministry of Education is carrying out a federal plan to close hundreds of universities by the end of next year. Schools facing the axe are mostly private institutions that the …
Agriculture Gets Free Pass As California Adopts Mandatory Water Rules – Nadia Prupis
For the first time ever, California’s state water board on Wednesday approved mandatory water conservation rules in the face of a historic drought, now entering its fourth year. But the regulations, which will require water usage cutbacks of up to 36 percent for some communities, are letting the worst environmental offender in the state—the agriculture industry—off the hook. “It’s a …
In a Cop Culture, the Bill of Rights Doesn’t Amount to Much – John Whitehead
Police officers are more likely to be struck by lightning than be held financially accountable for their actions.–Law professor Joanna C. Schwartz (paraphrased) If you can be kicked, punched, tasered, shot, intimidated, harassed, stripped, searched, brutalized, terrorized, wrongfully arrested, and even killed by a police officer, and that officer is never held accountable for violating your rights and his oath of office …
Chaos – not Victory – is the Empire’s “Name of the Game” – Peter Koenig
“Once again a country “liberated” by the West is sinking deeper and deeper into chaos.” Global Research. This could be anyone of the countries in conflict, where Washington and its Western and Middle Eastern stooges sow war – eternal chaos, misery, death – and submission. This is precisely the point: The Washington / NATO strategy is not to ‘win’ a war …
The illegality of high tech war – Robin Hensel and Coleen Rowley
Why has the United Nations Special Rapporteur called drone strikes extrajudicial killing? Why has a Pakistani judge recently filed criminal charges against a former top CIA lawyer who oversaw its drone program and a former station chief in Islamabad over a 2009 strike that killed two people? The Islamabad High Court ruled CIA officials must face charges including murder, conspiracy, …
VAERS -The US Government’s Human Garbage Dump – Reaches Half-a-Million Cases – John Stone
In recent days the US Vaccine Adverse Events Reports database (VAERS), opened a quarter of a century ago, was updated to top more than half a million reports. While listing on VAERS does not mean a vaccine injury report is confirmed it is also as a passive reporting database likely to under-report by many times and may represent numerically no more than 1 or …
Wall Street Titans Who Crashed Global Economy in 2008 Go Big for TPP – Jon Queally
Even as millions and millions of Americans—represented by thousands of labor, environmental, family farm, consumer, faith, Internet freedom and other advocacy organizations—continue to stand firmly in opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, those backing the TPP, including President Obama and a large majority of the Republican caucus, still have two dedicated demographic groups pledging their allegiance to the cause and arguing the …
Help Stop Laws that Make Feeding Homeless Illegal – Christina Sarich
In 2012, Houston, Texas passed a law that would fine anyone giving food to to more than five people in public. Just recently, a 90-year old man was arrested for trying to feed some homeless people in his city. The homeless are increasingly being treated like lepers, with city ordinances that make helping them punishable with jail time. Churches are even spraying homeless people with freezing cold water …