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marmar
marmar's Journal
marmar's Journal
March 30, 2013
http://vimeo.com/62923488
Bill Moyers Essay: The Hypocrisy of ‘Justice for All’
March 29, 2013
Bill reports on the hypocrisy of “justice for all” in a society where billions are squandered for a war born in fraud while the poor are pushed aside. Turns out true justice — not just the word we recite from the Pledge of Allegiance — is still unaffordable for those who need it most. Bill says we’ve “turned a deaf ear” to the hopeful legacy of Gideon vs. Wainwright, the 50-year-old Supreme ruling that established the constitutional right of criminal defendants to legal representation, even if they can’t pay for it.
Watch Bill’s conversations with civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson and journalists Martin Clancy and Tim O’Brien for more insight and context on Gideon, as well as in-depth exploration of current inequalities in America’s criminal justice system.
http://billmoyers.com/segment/bill-moyers-essay-the-hypocrisy-of-justice-for-all/
Bill Moyers Essay: The Hypocrisy of ‘Justice for All’
http://vimeo.com/62923488
Bill Moyers Essay: The Hypocrisy of ‘Justice for All’
March 29, 2013
Bill reports on the hypocrisy of “justice for all” in a society where billions are squandered for a war born in fraud while the poor are pushed aside. Turns out true justice — not just the word we recite from the Pledge of Allegiance — is still unaffordable for those who need it most. Bill says we’ve “turned a deaf ear” to the hopeful legacy of Gideon vs. Wainwright, the 50-year-old Supreme ruling that established the constitutional right of criminal defendants to legal representation, even if they can’t pay for it.
Watch Bill’s conversations with civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson and journalists Martin Clancy and Tim O’Brien for more insight and context on Gideon, as well as in-depth exploration of current inequalities in America’s criminal justice system.
http://billmoyers.com/segment/bill-moyers-essay-the-hypocrisy-of-justice-for-all/
March 29, 2013
from In These Times:
Can You Trust Big Banks With Your Money?
The lesson from Cyprus: Your hard-earned savings can vanish in the vault.
BY Leo Gerard, United Steelworkers President
It’s hard to believe considering what happened in 2008 on Wall Street and in Washington, but banking is built on trust.
A worker hands his hard-earned dollars to a teller and trusts the money will be deposited and available for withdrawal when needed. Despite the crash on Wall Street, workers still trust bankers to safeguard deposits from robbers and reckless investments.
Granting banks a little less credulity might be wise. Just consider what happened in the past two weeks. A U.S. Senate investigation revealed that the 2010 Dodd-Frank banking reforms utterly failed in the case of the $6.2 billion “London Whale” gambling loss at JPMorgan Chase. Then a U.S. House committee passed seven measures to weaken Dodd-Frank. And there was the European Union’s demand that Cyprus expropriate money from depositors to prevent that nation’s big banks from failing. That means no depositor can trust that a government won’t dip its hands into savers’ accounts to bail too-big-to-fail banks. The trust is gone, baby.
Last week’s bad banking news began in Cyprus. It’s a cautionary tale about trust in both politicians and bankers. Cyprus is a tax haven for wealthy Russians the way the Caymans are for wealthy Americans. The Cypriot financial institutions, which made bad bets on Greek debt, are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and were closed last week to stave off bank runs. .................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://inthesetimes.com/article/14784/banks_betrayal_and_bankruptcy/
Can You Trust Big Banks With Your Money?
from In These Times:
Can You Trust Big Banks With Your Money?
The lesson from Cyprus: Your hard-earned savings can vanish in the vault.
BY Leo Gerard, United Steelworkers President
It’s hard to believe considering what happened in 2008 on Wall Street and in Washington, but banking is built on trust.
A worker hands his hard-earned dollars to a teller and trusts the money will be deposited and available for withdrawal when needed. Despite the crash on Wall Street, workers still trust bankers to safeguard deposits from robbers and reckless investments.
Granting banks a little less credulity might be wise. Just consider what happened in the past two weeks. A U.S. Senate investigation revealed that the 2010 Dodd-Frank banking reforms utterly failed in the case of the $6.2 billion “London Whale” gambling loss at JPMorgan Chase. Then a U.S. House committee passed seven measures to weaken Dodd-Frank. And there was the European Union’s demand that Cyprus expropriate money from depositors to prevent that nation’s big banks from failing. That means no depositor can trust that a government won’t dip its hands into savers’ accounts to bail too-big-to-fail banks. The trust is gone, baby.
Last week’s bad banking news began in Cyprus. It’s a cautionary tale about trust in both politicians and bankers. Cyprus is a tax haven for wealthy Russians the way the Caymans are for wealthy Americans. The Cypriot financial institutions, which made bad bets on Greek debt, are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and were closed last week to stave off bank runs. .................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://inthesetimes.com/article/14784/banks_betrayal_and_bankruptcy/
March 28, 2013
Corporations Are Robbing Us Of Our Right to a Fair Trial
If you've been gouged by your bank, discriminated against, sexually harassed, unfairly fired, you'll most likely find that you're barred from the courthouse door.
March 27, 2013 |
Being wronged by a corporation is painful enough, but just try getting your day in court. Most Americans don't realize it, but our Seventh Amendment right to a fair jury trial against corporate wrongdoers has quietly been stripped from us. Instead, we are now shunted into a stacked-deck game called "Binding Mandatory Arbitration." Proponents of the process hail it as superior to the courts — "faster, cheaper and more efficient!" they exclaim.
But does it deliver justice? It could, for the original concept of voluntary, face-to-face resolution of conflict by a neutral third party makes sense in many cases. But remember what Mae West said of her own virtue: "I used to be Snow White, then I drifted." Today's practice of arbitration has drifted far away from the purity of the concept.
All you really need to know about today's process is that it's the product of years of conceptual monkey-wrenching by corporate lobbyists, Congress, the Supreme Court and hired-gun lobbying firms looking to milk the system for steady profits. First and foremost, these fixers have turned a voluntary process into the exact opposite: mandatory. Let's look at this mess.
That adds up to a kangaroo court! Who would choose such a rigged system? No one. Which is why corporate America has resorted to brute force and skullduggery to drag you into their arbitration wringer. .................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/corporations-are-robbing-us-our-right-fair-trial
Jim Hightower: Corporations Are Robbing Us Of Our Right to a Fair Trial
AlterNet / By Jim HightowerCorporations Are Robbing Us Of Our Right to a Fair Trial
If you've been gouged by your bank, discriminated against, sexually harassed, unfairly fired, you'll most likely find that you're barred from the courthouse door.
March 27, 2013 |
Being wronged by a corporation is painful enough, but just try getting your day in court. Most Americans don't realize it, but our Seventh Amendment right to a fair jury trial against corporate wrongdoers has quietly been stripped from us. Instead, we are now shunted into a stacked-deck game called "Binding Mandatory Arbitration." Proponents of the process hail it as superior to the courts — "faster, cheaper and more efficient!" they exclaim.
But does it deliver justice? It could, for the original concept of voluntary, face-to-face resolution of conflict by a neutral third party makes sense in many cases. But remember what Mae West said of her own virtue: "I used to be Snow White, then I drifted." Today's practice of arbitration has drifted far away from the purity of the concept.
All you really need to know about today's process is that it's the product of years of conceptual monkey-wrenching by corporate lobbyists, Congress, the Supreme Court and hired-gun lobbying firms looking to milk the system for steady profits. First and foremost, these fixers have turned a voluntary process into the exact opposite: mandatory. Let's look at this mess.
— Unlike courts, arbitration is not a public system, but a private business.
— Far from being neutral, "the third-party" arbitration firms are — get this! — usually hand-picked by the corporation involved in the case, chosen specifically because they have proven records of favoring the corporation.
— The corporation also gets to choose the city or town where the case is heard, allowing it to make the case inconvenient, expensive and unfair to individuals bringing a complaint.
— Arbitrators are not required to know the law relevant to the cases they judge or follow legal precedents.
— Normal procedural rules for gathering and sharing evidence and safeguarding fairness to both parties do not apply in arbitration cases.
— Arbitration proceedings are closed to the media and the public.
— Arbitrators need not reveal the reasons for their decisions, so they are not legally accountable for errors, and the decisions set no legal precedents for guiding future corporate conduct.
— Even if an arbitrator's decision is legally incorrect, it still is enforceable, carrying the full weight of the law.
— There is virtually no right to appeal an arbitrator's ruling.
That adds up to a kangaroo court! Who would choose such a rigged system? No one. Which is why corporate America has resorted to brute force and skullduggery to drag you into their arbitration wringer. .................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/corporations-are-robbing-us-our-right-fair-trial
March 27, 2013
via truthdig:
More Than Half of U.S. Rivers in Trouble
Posted on Mar 27, 2013
More than half of the country’s rivers and streams are unable to support healthy populations of aquatic insects and other creatures, a survey of nearly 2,000 locations by the Environmental Protection Agency reported Tuesday.
The study found more than 55 percent of the rivers and streams “in poor condition, 23 percent in fair shape, and 21 percent in good biological health,” The Associated Press noted. High levels of nutrient pollution—phosphorous and nitrogen from farms, cities and sewers—were found in the waterways. Phosphorous was found in 40 percent of rivers and streams.
Land development along waterways was found to have enabled erosion, flooding and the introduction of pollutants as well. ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/more_than_half_of_us_rivers_in_trouble_20130327/?ln
More Than Half of U.S. Rivers in Trouble
via truthdig:
More Than Half of U.S. Rivers in Trouble
Posted on Mar 27, 2013
More than half of the country’s rivers and streams are unable to support healthy populations of aquatic insects and other creatures, a survey of nearly 2,000 locations by the Environmental Protection Agency reported Tuesday.
The study found more than 55 percent of the rivers and streams “in poor condition, 23 percent in fair shape, and 21 percent in good biological health,” The Associated Press noted. High levels of nutrient pollution—phosphorous and nitrogen from farms, cities and sewers—were found in the waterways. Phosphorous was found in 40 percent of rivers and streams.
Land development along waterways was found to have enabled erosion, flooding and the introduction of pollutants as well. ....................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/more_than_half_of_us_rivers_in_trouble_20130327/?ln
March 27, 2013
T-Mobile to ‘Stop the Bullshit’
Posted on Mar 26, 2013
Not minding his corporate manners, the CEO of the nation’s fourth-largest carrier announced that his company plans to take much better care of its customers than any of its rivals.
T-Mobile has officially killed the 2-year contract that is the norm of U.S. phone buying and leaves many consumers feeling like indentured texters. “Carriers are really nice to you ... once every 23 months,” said CEO John Legere, quoted by The Verge. T-Mobile will still let customers get a good deal on a new phone—the iPhone is coming in April and will cost $99 plus $20 a month for 24 months—but subscribers can walk away from the service agreement at any time.
Not only is Timo changing business models, it’s slashing prices. For $70 you will get unlimited talk, text and data, with a little bit of tethering. Compare that with $110 on Verizon for four gigabytes of shared data a month.
.....(snip).....
Aside from cost, T-Mobile deserves some credit for resisting government requests for private user data. Perhaps that’s owing to its heritage as a European-owned company. Of course such benefits have always been paired with, shall we say, not the best service. .............(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/t-mobile_to_stop_the_bullshit_20130326/?ln
OK, this makes me feel somewhat better about being a T-Mobile customer.......
T-Mobile to ‘Stop the Bullshit’
Posted on Mar 26, 2013
Not minding his corporate manners, the CEO of the nation’s fourth-largest carrier announced that his company plans to take much better care of its customers than any of its rivals.
T-Mobile has officially killed the 2-year contract that is the norm of U.S. phone buying and leaves many consumers feeling like indentured texters. “Carriers are really nice to you ... once every 23 months,” said CEO John Legere, quoted by The Verge. T-Mobile will still let customers get a good deal on a new phone—the iPhone is coming in April and will cost $99 plus $20 a month for 24 months—but subscribers can walk away from the service agreement at any time.
Not only is Timo changing business models, it’s slashing prices. For $70 you will get unlimited talk, text and data, with a little bit of tethering. Compare that with $110 on Verizon for four gigabytes of shared data a month.
.....(snip).....
Aside from cost, T-Mobile deserves some credit for resisting government requests for private user data. Perhaps that’s owing to its heritage as a European-owned company. Of course such benefits have always been paired with, shall we say, not the best service. .............(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/t-mobile_to_stop_the_bullshit_20130326/?ln
March 27, 2013
The Violence of Neoliberalism and the Attack on Higher Education
Posted on Mar 27, 2013
By C.J. Polychroniou and Henry A. Giroux, Truthout
This translation of this article first appeared at Truthout.
Henry Giroux “Youth and the Politics of Disposability in Dark Times”: Dr. Henry A. Giroux argues that with the rise of market fundamentalism and the ensuing economic and financial meltdown, youth are facing a crisis unlike that of any other generation. Young people, especially low income and poor minority youth, are no longer seen as a social investment but are increasingly interpreted as a social problem and burden.
Chronis Polychroniou: How do you define neoliberalism?
Henry Giroux: Neoliberalism, or what can be called the latest stage of predatory capitalism, is part of a broader project of restoring class power and consolidating the rapid concentration of capital. It is a political, economic and political project that constitutes an ideology, mode of governance, policy and form of public pedagogy.
As an ideology, it construes profit-making as the essence of democracy, consuming as the only operable form of citizenship, and an irrational belief in the market to solve all problems and serve as a model for structuring all social relations.
As a mode of governance, it produces identities, subjects, and ways of life free of government regulations, driven by a survival of the fittest ethic, grounded in the idea of the free, possessive individual, and committed to the right of ruling groups and institutions to accrue wealth removed from matters of ethics and social costs.
As a policy and political project, neoliberalism is wedded to the privatization of public services, selling off of state functions, deregulation of finance and labor, elimination of the welfare state and unions, liberalization of trade in goods and capital investment, and the marketization and commodification of society. .................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_violence_of_neoliberalism_and_the_attack_on_higher_education_20130327/
The Violence of Neoliberalism and the Attack on Higher Education
The Violence of Neoliberalism and the Attack on Higher Education
Posted on Mar 27, 2013
By C.J. Polychroniou and Henry A. Giroux, Truthout
This translation of this article first appeared at Truthout.
Henry Giroux “Youth and the Politics of Disposability in Dark Times”: Dr. Henry A. Giroux argues that with the rise of market fundamentalism and the ensuing economic and financial meltdown, youth are facing a crisis unlike that of any other generation. Young people, especially low income and poor minority youth, are no longer seen as a social investment but are increasingly interpreted as a social problem and burden.
Chronis Polychroniou: How do you define neoliberalism?
Henry Giroux: Neoliberalism, or what can be called the latest stage of predatory capitalism, is part of a broader project of restoring class power and consolidating the rapid concentration of capital. It is a political, economic and political project that constitutes an ideology, mode of governance, policy and form of public pedagogy.
As an ideology, it construes profit-making as the essence of democracy, consuming as the only operable form of citizenship, and an irrational belief in the market to solve all problems and serve as a model for structuring all social relations.
As a mode of governance, it produces identities, subjects, and ways of life free of government regulations, driven by a survival of the fittest ethic, grounded in the idea of the free, possessive individual, and committed to the right of ruling groups and institutions to accrue wealth removed from matters of ethics and social costs.
As a policy and political project, neoliberalism is wedded to the privatization of public services, selling off of state functions, deregulation of finance and labor, elimination of the welfare state and unions, liberalization of trade in goods and capital investment, and the marketization and commodification of society. .................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_violence_of_neoliberalism_and_the_attack_on_higher_education_20130327/
March 26, 2013
(Bloomberg) Margaret Hancock has long considered the local Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) superstore her one- stop shopping destination. No longer.
During recent visits, the retired accountant from Newark, Delaware, says she failed to find more than a dozen basic items, including certain types of face cream, cold medicine, bandages, mouthwash, hangers, lamps and fabrics.
The cosmetics section “looked like someone raided it,” said Hancock, 63.
......(snip)......
Disorganized Stores
A thinly spread workforce has other consequences: Longer check-out lines, less help with electronics and jewelry and more disorganized stores, according to Hancock, other shoppers and store workers. Last month, Wal-Mart placed last among department and discount stores in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, the sixth year in a row the company had either tied or taken the last spot. The dwindling level of customer service comes as Wal- Mart (WMT) has touted its in-store experience to lure shoppers and counter rival Amazon.com Inc. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-26/customers-flee-wal-mart-empty-shelves-for-target-costco.html
Customers Flee Wal-Mart Empty Shelves for Target, Costco
(Bloomberg) Margaret Hancock has long considered the local Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) superstore her one- stop shopping destination. No longer.
During recent visits, the retired accountant from Newark, Delaware, says she failed to find more than a dozen basic items, including certain types of face cream, cold medicine, bandages, mouthwash, hangers, lamps and fabrics.
The cosmetics section “looked like someone raided it,” said Hancock, 63.
......(snip)......
Disorganized Stores
A thinly spread workforce has other consequences: Longer check-out lines, less help with electronics and jewelry and more disorganized stores, according to Hancock, other shoppers and store workers. Last month, Wal-Mart placed last among department and discount stores in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, the sixth year in a row the company had either tied or taken the last spot. The dwindling level of customer service comes as Wal- Mart (WMT) has touted its in-store experience to lure shoppers and counter rival Amazon.com Inc. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-26/customers-flee-wal-mart-empty-shelves-for-target-costco.html
March 26, 2013
from NYT:
BOSTON — Later this spring, Bostonians eager to flee to Cape Cod for the weekend will have an option other than sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 70 miles and fuming along with everyone else.
Starting May 24, they can hop a train to Hyannis, where regional buses, ferries and rental cars will await to whisk them out to the beaches, islands and wind-swept dunes.
The train, the first passenger service to the cape since 1995, is one small piece of a major $13 billion transportation overhaul envisioned by Gov. Deval Patrick. That overhaul is aimed chiefly at repairing and upgrading worn-out bridges, roads and commuter lines in Massachusetts, but about 20 percent of it would go toward reviving train service to the cape and elsewhere in the state.
Mr. Patrick said that upgrading these in-state routes would spur economic development. It would also provide important links for Amtrak’s long-range plans to establish high-speed train service throughout New England. ...............(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/us/massachusetts-plan-starts-small-for-big-upgrade-to-rail-system.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
Massachusetts Plan Starts Small for Big Upgrade to Rail System
from NYT:
BOSTON — Later this spring, Bostonians eager to flee to Cape Cod for the weekend will have an option other than sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for 70 miles and fuming along with everyone else.
Starting May 24, they can hop a train to Hyannis, where regional buses, ferries and rental cars will await to whisk them out to the beaches, islands and wind-swept dunes.
The train, the first passenger service to the cape since 1995, is one small piece of a major $13 billion transportation overhaul envisioned by Gov. Deval Patrick. That overhaul is aimed chiefly at repairing and upgrading worn-out bridges, roads and commuter lines in Massachusetts, but about 20 percent of it would go toward reviving train service to the cape and elsewhere in the state.
Mr. Patrick said that upgrading these in-state routes would spur economic development. It would also provide important links for Amtrak’s long-range plans to establish high-speed train service throughout New England. ...............(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/us/massachusetts-plan-starts-small-for-big-upgrade-to-rail-system.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
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Member since: Fri Oct 29, 2004, 12:18 AM
Number of posts: 77,073
