Lawrence Wittner points out [1] that the United States will soon be the only nation on earth that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child [2]. And why not? Wittner focuses on general backward stupidness: the treaty would “override” the Constitution or the importance of families or the rights of parents. He points out the treaty’s support for parents and families …
Report: Solar Will Dominate World Energy Supply in Just 15 Years
Deutsche Bank has produced a 175 page report that will have the Koch bros and their bought and paid for minions as well as every oil, coal and natural gas company weeping in their Chevas Regal or Glenfiddich. The report suggests that solar generated energy will be the dominant source of energy worldwide within the next 15 years. Not only …
Reichstag on the Potomac or ‘Planet of the Apes’?
There are some famous film clips of the US Congress that stand the test of time. One is of attorney Joseph Welch as s subpoenaed witness denouncing the redbaiting charlatan Sen. Joseph McCarthy during his hearings into alleged Communist infiltration of the military and the government. “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?” Welsh says angrily, as the …
Polluting Politics: Koch Industries and Others Spend Millions to Gut Clean Water Act Protections
Americans like the Clean Water Act (CWA), which was passed in 1972 to clean up the country’s waterways polluted by decades of industrialization and weak regulation, because they like having access to safe drinking water as well as clean water for activities like swimming, boating and fishing. It seems like a no-brainer. So it was no surprise when the general public submitted more than 800,000 comments …
Comparing Atrocities
The description of the death of Robert-Francois Damiens, the man who attempted to kill Louis XV, is not for the faint-hearted. On March 2, 1757, in front of a crowd of spectators, Damiens was drawn and quartered, which means that his limbs were tied to four horses that were then urged to gallop toward the four points of the compass. …
Trade Deficit Drops To Enormous, Humongous Level In January
The U.S. Census Bureau reported Friday that the January goods and services trade deficit was $41.8 billion in January, down $3.8 billion from $45.6 billion in December (which was revised down a billion). This is a drop of 8.3% from the prior month, which was a two-year high. Both imports and exports fell. Imports of goods and services fell 3.9% to $231.2 …
Looking for Leaders on Climate? Follow the Women Farmers
“I give you a message from my heart,” she says, “let’s move forward and work together for the benefit of everyone. And especially for those who work in the fields, as we are the ones who suffer the most.” That is the voice of Arminda, a farmer and agro-forestry advocate from Bolivia, who is among a number of women farmers …
“WHO ARE WE? WHAT DO WE AMERICANS TRULY VALUE?”
Too much and for too long, we seem to have surrendered personal excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our Gross National Product, now is over $800 billion dollars a year… if we judge the United States of America by that… Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of …
A Letter From Black America: Yes, we fear the police. Here’s why.
Last July 4, my family and I went to Long Island to celebrate the holiday with a friend and her family. After eating some barbecue, a group of us decided to take a walk along the ocean. The mood on the beach that day was festive. Music from a nearby party pulsed through the haze of sizzling meat. Lovers strolled …
Marriage in Retreat
Marriage is in retreat worldwide. In countries across the globe, increasing numbers of women and men are not simply postponing marriage, but forgoing it altogether. Among women in their late 30s or early 40s, 29 percent of women in Denmark are unmarried, 18 percent in Italy, 22 percent in Lebanon, and 32 percent in Libya In the United States, one in …









