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RadioWhoWhatWhy: Police Becoming Sixth Branch of US Military?
by Jeff Schechtman
Is President Obama’s recently announced order seeking to reverse the dramatic over-arming of police forces nationwide too little, too late? We all saw—in Baltimore, in Ferguson, in Boston—how civilian law enforcement has turned into a virtual sixth branch of the military. Where is this going? Our guest, author of a new book on the topic, shares his research.
WHO
Scientists Discover Sudden Melting in the Antarctic
Antarctic glaciers have lost 72 cubic miles of water since 2009. That’s enough aqua to fill 350,000 Empire State Buildings. Rapidly warming waters are melting away the ice shelves that underpin the glaciers. It’s a little like putting an ice cube on a water slide. This new data comes on the heels of Obama’s proclamation that climate change is a national security threat… which is odd because the CIA just closed down its “Medea” research program that focused on the fallout from climate change. Go figure.
William Kristol: We Were Right to Fight in Iraq
Old Neocons don’t die. Sadly, they don’t seem to fade away, either. To wit, Neocon Number One just tried to convince America—and maybe himself—that the illegal invasion of a nation that didn’t attack it was, in fact, a good thing. The real problem is that Obama “threw it all away” when he refused to “finish the job,” not the fact that the American people were jobbed by his cronies… and the future of the Iraqi people sacrificed on the altar of Neocon vanity.
Don’t Blame Islam: Al-Qaeda and ISIS are Products of US and Saudi Imperialism
Jacobin takes a “slightly” different view of the “threat” Kristol & Co. have turned into a full-on industrial complex. David Mizner traces the roots of al-Qaeda, ISIS and so-called “Lone Wolf” attackers back through decades of geopolitical games by the US and its Saudi partners. It began during the embryonic stages of the Cold War, took flight when the CIA gave birth to al-Qaeda and unleashed The Furies when the US destroyed Iraq.
America Owes Martha Stewart an Apology
Remember when America threw the book at the hostess with the mostess? She spent five months in a low-security hoosegow because she lied to investigators about an insider-sourced stock tip from her broker. Fair enough. But what about the banks that are now, in essence, convicted felons after admitting market rigging? Will the execs of J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Barclays, UBS or the Royal Bank of Scotland spend any time looking over their shoulders in the shower? Nope. And that’s why the DOJ should send Martha an artfully-arranged gift basket brimming with homespun goodies.
WHAT
Silicon Valley Is a Big Fat Lie
This must-read piece in GQ punctures the bulging tech bubble around Silicon Valley and dispels the myths that shroud it in a money-making mystique. News Flash: Silicon Valley is not a meritocracy, it isn’t bringing us together, it isn’t saving the world and youth isn’t everything. Instead, it’s just another capitalist creation and, like Wall Street, it just wants to make money. And keeping that in mind is the start of keeping its self-serving aspirations in check.
WHY
Does the Octopus Have a Soul?
According to a new book—The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness—the slippery invertebrate comes as close as any other animal on Earth to exhibit the type of playful consciousness that humans believe separates them from the rest of the animal kingdom. Octopuses have been known to paint, play with balls and use their suckers like opposable thumbs. They can even “see” with their highly-adaptable skin. And its demonstrable adaptability in the face of predators, according to the book’s author, demonstrates an ability to postulate the thinking of its opponent. And that’s a clue to the extent of its consciousness.
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