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Why Conservatives are Still Trying, And Failing, To Prove Income Inequality Is A Myth

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<h2>Why Conservatives are Still Trying, And Failing, To Prove Income Inequality Is A Myth</h2>
<span>Why Conservatives are Still Trying, And Failing, To Prove Income Inequality Is A Myth</span>
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<div>This article originally appeared on <span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/" rel="nofollow">Los Angeles Times</a></span></div>
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<p>As it becomes ever more clear that income inequality will be a defining issue in the upcoming presidential race – if not the defining issue – conservative economists and pundits are pulling out all the stops to persuade us that there's no there there.</p>
<p>The middle class, they say, has been doing just fine over the decades since 1970. In fact, they've done great. If American politicians felt comfortable about cribbing a catch phrase from the British, you might be hearing echoes of Harold Macmillan's 1957 slogan, "You never had it so good," on American airwaves. Of course, that might undercut Republicans' argument that it's time for them to take over the White House, so maybe not.</p>
<p>Then what's the goal of these efforts to prove that inequality is a myth? It's to justify those policies that have been widely blamed for inequality. These include tax cuts favoring the wealthy, union-busting, and the reclassification of employees as independent contractors.</p>
<p>So let's take a closer look at these studies. The most prominent author is Martin Feldstein, who was Ronald Reagan's chief economist and is now a professor of economics at Harvard. In a recent commentary, Feldstein urged his readers not to "lose sight of how well middle-income families have actually done over the past few decades." Their gains, he asserted, have been concealed by "misleading statistics that grossly understate these gains."</p>
<p>Feldstein cites government statistics showing that "the real incomes of those at the middle of the income distribution [that is, the median income] have increased about 50% since 1980." He says the increase is even higher if one expands the definition of income beyond cash wages and includes near-cash benefits like food stamps and in-kind benefits like health care," and subtracts federal taxes, which have fallen for middle-income taxpayers from 19% of pre-tax income in 1980 to 11.5% in 2010.</p>
<p>Finally, he wants to add gains in the standard of living, largely from the wonders of the Internet and lower prices for appliances. "If the gains have been worth just 1% a year, over the past 30 years that would cumulate to a gain of 35%."</p>
<p>A few points: first, by defining the "middle class" as those earning the median income, Feldstein is putting his thumbs on the scale. If you define this group demographically, as two economists from the St. Louis Federal Reserve did recently, what were once thought of as middle-class households have slipped well down the income ladder.</p>
<p>What about benefits and taxes? Feldstein seems to think that food stamps are a middle-class entitlement. Under federal rules, however, the maximum gross household income for food stamps for, say, a family of four, is $31,000. Middle class?</p>
<p>Healthcare costs, of course, have been rising; those obtaining employer-sponsored insurance have been consistently shouldering more of the premium cost, while in many cases benefits have been shrinking. And out-of-pocket payments have run well ahead of inflation over the years. Americans spent $25 billion out of pocket in 1970, according to government figures; by 2013, that figure was $339 billion, more than half what it would have been if it rose by the same rate as consumer inflation.</p>
<p>Feldstein's figure for gains from technology are particularly nebulous. How does he know they're worth 1% a year? How does he account for the fact that access to advanced technology declines as one slips down the income ladder. According to the Pew Research Center, for instance, 91% of households with income of $75,000 or more had access to broadband Internet service. For households earning less than $30,000, the figure was 52%.</p>
<p>Taxes? Feldstein employs a familiar sleight-of-hand by limiting his analysis to federal taxes, which are still progressive. Factor in state and local levies, and the middle- and working classes are getting socked. The average share of family income paid in those levies was sharply regressive overall, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The lowest 20% of households, earning $19,000 or less, paid 10.9% of their income in state and local taxes. For the middle fifth, it was 9.4%. For the top 1%, it was only 5.4%.</p>
<p>Another widely noted study by Robert Z. Lawrence of the Peterson Institute for Economic Analysis argues that since overall labor income has kept pace with productivity, the crisis in middle-class incomes has been misunderstood. Lawrence acknowledges that there's a widening gap between productivity and compensation, but says it's only appeared since 2000, not the 1970s. He acknowledges that "production" workers have suffered over the long term, but says it has little to do with the ebbing of worker bargaining power thanks in part to the weakening of unions, and more to do with the rising cost of goods and services such as housing and education.</p>
<p>Lawrence makes several adjustments to statistics to support this conclusion, but one key to his method is to track all income, from CEOs down to the factory floor. As several critics have noted, if you do that it's not surprising that income has kept pace with productivity. The issue isn't whether productivity produces income; it's who pockets the income.</p>
<p>The trends are indisputable that an increasing share is flowing to the very top: supervisors and executive ranks. Production and nonsupervisory workers have been consistently shortchanged since the 1970s. That distinction disappears if you put all compensation in the same pot. As economist Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research put it, "progressive economists had long known that the story of wage stagnation was overwhelmingly a story of redistribution among workers, from factory workers and retail clerks, to doctors, bankers, and CEOs...The fact that average compensation had kept pace with productivity was hardly news to any of us."</p>
<p>These are reasons why you should be wary of declarations from conservative think tanks that middle-class incomes have doubled over the last thirty years. These arguments are designed to make middle-class Americans believe that they're not suffering as much as they thought. But the middle class probably knows better.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-conservatives-income-inequality-20150803-column.html#page=1" rel="nofollow">Originally published by the Los Angeles Times</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/gop_on_income_inequality.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/gop_on_income_inequality.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/food-stamps-corporate-welfare.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/food-stamps-corporate-welfare.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/hanlon_testimony_image1.jpg.png" rel="nofollow"><img alt="" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/hanlon_testimony_image1.jpg.png" /></a></p>
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<p>America has experienced "gush-up" rather than "trickle-down" – now the shame is on the adherents of unregulated free-market capitalism who have assaulted us with winner-take-all wealth over the common good.</p>
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<p>"I never would have thought I lived in a country where I could theoretically be under surveillance and I could go to jail for my work."</p>
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<p>A new report shows how much food and biotech companies increased their lobbying expenditures in 2015 – mainly to support the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act, which the House passed last month.</p>
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<p>Newly released documents show Canadian officials are doing more than ever to monitor opponents of oil pipeline development, demonstration organizers and First Nations people involved in related activities.</p>
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<p>From terrible company management to supporting the Iraq war to giving away astronomical sums to corporations, here's a cast of candidates who should be dropped from the ledgers.</p>
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<div><span><em>3 days 4 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<div><span><em>4 days 20 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<p>Studies show that debts prevent former misdemeanants and felons from escaping poverty and moving on with their lives – not only because of what’s owed but also because of the accompanying stress and surveillance.</p>
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<div><span><em>3 days 3 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<p>Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are agents of a revolt, from the left and the right, fueled by anger at those who have had power over our economic and political system since the start of the 1980s.</p>
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<div><span><em>2 days 4 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<p>According to financiers, the only way out of the island's economic mess is to eliminate the minimum wage, sell off public assets, lay off teachers, shutter schools, cut workers’ vacation and benefits, and raise sales taxes.</p>
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<div><span><em>2 days 4 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<p>Social media are monitored and controlled by large corporations – so can they also facilitate the kind of self-organization that defines radical politics?</p>
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<p>The rules are expected to trigger a “tsunami” of legal opposition from states and utilities who oppose the plans, which will significantly boost wind and solar power generation and force a switch away from coal power.</p>
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<p>A new report shows how much food and biotech companies increased their lobbying expenditures in 2015 – mainly to support the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act, which the House passed last month.</p>
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<p>"Politicians and parties whom the electorate condemned for their efforts to turn Greece into a protectorate are now persecuting me. I wear their accusations as badges of honor."</p>
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armageddon news revolution Why Conservatives are Still Trying, And Failing, To Prove Income Inequality Is A Myth

Why Conservatives are Still Trying, And Failing, To Prove Income Inequality Is A Myth Why Conservatives are Still Trying, And Failing...

Great Embarrassments of an Unequal Society

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<h2>Great Embarrassments of an Unequal Society</h2>
<span>Great Embarrassments of an Unequal Society</span>
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<div>This article originally appeared on <span><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/04/09-3" rel="nofollow">Common Dreams</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/field/image/1percent1.jpg?itok=LqCGytWk" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/styles/slide_narrow/public/field/image/1percent1.jpg?itok=LqCGytWk" /></a>
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<p>America has experienced "gush-up" rather than "trickle-down." The shame is on the adherents of unregulated free-market capitalism, who have assaulted us with the message of "winner-take-all" wealth over the common good. George Will perpetuates the neoliberal myth by quoting one of his idols, John Tamny: "Income inequality in a capitalist system is truly beautiful...it provides the incentive for creative people to gamble on new ideas.."</p>
<p>But in the realm of reality, there are many reasons for embarrassment:</p>
<p><strong>1. Just Because They're Rich, Billionaires are Trusted to Design Our Education and Health Systems</strong></p>
<p>Bill Gates leads the way here. He got rich in questionable ways from technology, and as a result much of America feels he's qualified to be a great humanitarian. Because of his corporate-endowed foundation, says Arundhati Roy, Bill Gates can "find himself designing education, health, and agriculture policies, not just for the U.S. government but for governments all over the world."</p>
<p>In addition to Gates, education "reformers" include Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow billionaires Eli Broad and Michael Bloomberg and Rupert Murdoch and the Walton family, none of whom have much educational experience, and all of whom are promoting education reform with lots of standardized testing and little accountability to the public.</p>
<p>In agriculture, wealthy western philanthropists decide the future of African farmers from a corporate point of view, with a sense of disdain for traditional methods of small farming.</p>
<p>Much the same in health care, with World Health Organization director Margaret Chan summarizing the role of money in global decision-making: "My budget [is] highly earmarked, so it is driven by what I call donor interests."</p>
<p><strong>2. A Prime Destroyer of Low-Income Homes is Awarded for His "Contributions to Society"</strong></p>
<p>As part of the 2015 New York University's 183rd Commencement, hedge fund billionaire John Paulson received an award for his "Outstanding Contributions to Society." The commencement program addressed him: "..Your influence is felt throughout broad sectors of society..your commitment to..a better quality of life for people across the world."</p>
<p>In 2007 Paulson had conspired with Goldman Sachs to create packages of risky subprime mortgages, so that in anticipation of a housing crash he could use other people's money to bet against his personally designed sure-to-fail financial instruments. His successful bet against American households paid him $3.7 billion.</p>
<p><strong>3. As America Adds $30 Trillion in New Wealth, 6 Million More Kids Go on Food Stamps</strong></p>
<p>The number of children on food stamps grew from 9.5 million in 2007 to 16 million in 2014, at the same time that U.S. wealth was growing from $52 trillion to over $83 trillion.</p>
<p><strong>4. 40% of Food Wasted.....and 40% of Households Food-Insecure</strong></p>
<p>According to Feeding America, almost 50 million households, or about 40 percent of American homes, experienced food insecurity at some point in 2013.</p>
<p>At the same time, the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that 40 percent of food in the United States goes uneaten.</p>
<p><strong>5. Graduate Students Work 6+ Years for a PhD, then Need the Safety Net to Survive</strong></p>
<p>Businesses need less high-tech workers than just 15 years ago. Netflix, for example, serves 57 million customers with less than 2,200 employees, and much of the photo processing once done by Kodak with 145,000 employees is now done by Instagram with 13 employees.</p>
<p>Available jobs are well below the skill levels of college-trained adults. According to the New York Federal Reserve, 44 percent of recent college graduates were underemployed in 2012, holding jobs that are normally held by high school graduates.</p>
<p>New college graduates face their worst prospects in academia, where adjunct teachers now make up over 3/4 of instructors. One-quarter of part-time college faculty and their families are enrolled in food stamps or one of the other public assistance programs.</p>
<p><strong>The Greatest Embarrassment</strong></p>
<p>That would be Congress itself: Allowing Americans to go without health care. Blowing off jobs bills. Ignoring infrastructure. Privatizing education and other public needs. Doing nothing about student debt. Cutting the IRS even though every hour of auditing returns $9,000 from large corporations. And on and on and on.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/08/03/great-embarrassments-unequal-society" rel="nofollow">Originally published by Common Dreams</a></p>
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<p>America has experienced "gush-up" rather than "trickle-down" – now the shame is on the adherents of unregulated free-market capitalism who have assaulted us with winner-take-all wealth over the common good.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
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<p>"I never would have thought I lived in a country where I could theoretically be under surveillance and I could go to jail for my work."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p>A new report shows how much food and biotech companies increased their lobbying expenditures in 2015 – mainly to support the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act, which the House passed last month.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
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<p>Newly released documents show Canadian officials are doing more than ever to monitor opponents of oil pipeline development, demonstration organizers and First Nations people involved in related activities.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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<div>
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<p>From terrible company management to supporting the Iraq war to giving away astronomical sums to corporations, here's a cast of candidates who should be dropped from the ledgers.</p>
</div>
<div><span><em>3 days 4 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<div><span><em>4 days 20 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<p>Studies show that debts prevent former misdemeanants and felons from escaping poverty and moving on with their lives – not only because of what’s owed but also because of the accompanying stress and surveillance.</p>
</div>
<div><span><em>3 days 3 hours</em> ago</span></div>
</div>
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<p>Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are agents of a revolt, from the left and the right, fueled by anger at those who have had power over our economic and political system since the start of the 1980s.</p>
</div>
<div><span><em>2 days 4 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<p>According to financiers, the only way out of the island's economic mess is to eliminate the minimum wage, sell off public assets, lay off teachers, shutter schools, cut workers’ vacation and benefits, and raise sales taxes.</p>
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<div><span><em>2 days 4 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<p>According to financiers, the only way out of the island's economic mess is to eliminate the minimum wage, sell off public assets, lay off teachers, shutter schools, cut workers’ vacation and benefits, and raise sales taxes.</p>
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<p>Yep, we have one helluva all star creative activist lineup for you this week!</p>
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<p>The majority of money raised for the 2016 presidential race has come from those giving $100,000 or more.</p>
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<p>If you make the right to strike so much harder to realize, you change the balance of power between the employer and employee.</p>
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<div><img src="http://www.occupy.com/article/great-embarrassments-unequal-society" /></div>
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<p><sub><i>-- Delivered by <a href="http://feed43.com/">Feed43</a> service</i></sub></p>

armageddon news revolution Great Embarrassments of an Unequal Society

Great Embarrassments of an Unequal Society Great Embarrassments of an Unequal Society This article originally appeared on Common Dr...

Netzpolitik Scandal Embroils Germany As Press Freedom Challenges Surveillance State

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<h2>Netzpolitik Scandal Embroils Germany As Press Freedom Challenges Surveillance State</h2>
<span>Netzpolitik Scandal Embroils Germany As Press Freedom Challenges Surveillance State</span> <a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/field/image/fb_1200x.jpg?itok=RxCyUVIt" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/styles/slide_narrow/public/field/image/fb_1200x.jpg?itok=RxCyUVIt" /></a>
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<p>Two German journalists are demanding that authorities drop a treason probe against them in the wake of officials sacking the country's top prosecutor for his role in what has become a national scandal about privacy, government secrets and press freedom.</p>
<p>"There's no information about when this crappy proceeding is going to be scrapped — there is no talk of that," said Markus Beckedahl, editor-in-chief of the Netzpolitik blog, speaking this week before a packed crowd in Berlin's cyperpunk-esque hacker space, c-base.</p>
<p>Chief federal prosecutor Harald Range was investigating whether Beckedahl and fellow Netzpolitik journalist Andre Meister revealed state secrets when they published stories about a plan to expand Germany's online surveillance. Range was also investigating an unnamed source who allegedly leaked them confidential documents.</p>
<p>In two articles, the blog reported that Germany's domestic intelligence agency was seeking funds to expand its online snooping program and set up a new department to monitor social networking sites. But the case appears to have fallen into disarray after Range, the man overseeing the investigation, was put out to pasture by the government.</p>
<p>German Justice Minister Heiko Maas fired Range on Tuesday, saying he lost confidence in the prosecutor following the prosecutor’s role in initiating the potentially unwarranted treason investigation into Netzpolitik and the journalists' source. The investigation is now on hold, but technically has not been closed.</p>
<p>Justice Minister Maas said on Monday that he doubted this case involved treason. Under German law, to be found guilty of treason, prosecutors must demonstrate intent and prove the revealed state secrets would seriously harm Germany or benefit a foreign power and compromise German security. The leaked documents had the lowest possible security classification.</p>
<p>For the Netzpolitik journalists, however, Range's sacking is not enough.</p>
<p>According to Beckedahl, Range was a "sacrificial lamb" who was slated for retirement next year. "We have the feeling there's a lot more dirt here with some of those responsible than is currently known,” said Beckedahl.</p>
<p>“We want to know exactly who is responsible."</p>
<p>Range launched the probe in mid-May following a complaint by Germany's domestic intelligence agency. The justice ministry allegedly knew about the case early on, but officials claim they expressed doubts about it.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the domestic intelligence agency chief, Hans-Georg Maassen, claims his initial complaints weren't directed at the Netzpolitik journalists specifically, but rather were alerting prosecutors to a potential government leak and security concern.</p>
<p>The ministry notified the two journalists about the probe at the end of July. They immediately blogged about it, sparking widespread criticism of Range and Maassen throughout Germany.</p>
<p>In recent days, thousands of Germans have taken to the streets to protest the prosecution and investigation. A legal fund to protect the journalists raised €50,000 ($54,500), and opposition parties have called for an official inquiry.</p>
<p>Chancellor Angela Merkel has distanced herself from Range, claiming her office found out about the probe only when it went public. Media and advocacy groups have decried the treason allegations as a direct attack on the press.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/1000.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Netzpolitik, Netzpolitik leaks, privacy laws, Internet freedom, Markus Beckedahl, Andre Meister, press freedom, European Digital Rights, whistleblowers" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/1000.jpg" title="Netzpolitik, Netzpolitik leaks, privacy laws, Internet freedom, Markus Beckedahl, Andre Meister, press freedom, European Digital Rights, whistleblowers" /></a></p>
<p>"It is really unacceptable and a serious threat to press freedom," Christian Mihr, head of the press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders in Germany. "I think the underlying scandal is that this is really an attempt to intimidate not only journalists, but even whistleblowers, [who] are really essential for press freedom and for an independent press."</p>
<p>Range continues to defend his actions, telling reporters recently that freedom of the press is valuable but not "limitless." He also labeled government requests for him to cut staff from the team conducting the probe "an intolerable encroachment on the independence of the judiciary."</p>
<p>But critics have accused Range of hypocrisy. He opened an investigation against the U.S. National Security Agency for allegedly tapping Chancellor Merkel's phone, but cut that probe short, citing lack of evidence.</p>
<p>"They weren't really free of influence…when they dropped the NSA [investigation] in Germany, saying there was a lack of proof," said Kirsten Fiedler, managing director of the NGO European Digital Rights and an occasional Netzpolitik contributor. "Now they are investigating journos who uncover violations of our right to privacy."</p>
<p>Press freedom is a sensitive topic in Germany owing to the country's dictatorial post. But the Netzpolitik case is not the first time post-Nazi Germany has gone after journalists on treason charges.</p>
<p>In 1962, reporters at the weekly magazine Der Spiegel were apprehended on charges of high treason for publishing an article about West Germany's defense forces. The major scandal that ensued cost then-Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss his job.</p>
<p>German prosecutors are more likely today to use copyright law to crack down on errant journalists. Last year, the country's interior ministry took public watchdog website Frag den Staat, or Ask the State, to court for violating copyright by publishing an internal ministry report. The court ruled against the ministry.</p>
<p>But that decision didn’t dampen officials' zeal to litigate. Germany's third-largest newspaper and magazine publisher, Funke Mediengruppe, is embroiled in a court battle with the defense ministry for publishing documents concerning the German army's mission in Afghanistan. The media group violated copyright law, the ministry claims.</p>
<p>"Germany, which always holds up press freedom so highly, when it comes to protection of sources, is more like a developing country," said Beckedahl.</p>
<p>"I never would have thought I lived in a country where I could theoretically be under surveillance and I could go to jail for my work. I don't want such a thing to be possible and I don't want that to be possible in a country where press freedom is valued."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/_84670165_84670160.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Netzpolitik, Netzpolitik leaks, privacy laws, Internet freedom, Markus Beckedahl, Andre Meister, press freedom, European Digital Rights, whistleblowers" src="http://www.occupy.com/sites/default/files/medialibrary/_84670165_84670160.jpg" title="Netzpolitik, Netzpolitik leaks, privacy laws, Internet freedom, Markus Beckedahl, Andre Meister, press freedom, European Digital Rights, whistleblowers" /></a></p>
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<p>America has experienced "gush-up" rather than "trickle-down" – now the shame is on the adherents of unregulated free-market capitalism who have assaulted us with winner-take-all wealth over the common good.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
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<p>"I never would have thought I lived in a country where I could theoretically be under surveillance and I could go to jail for my work."</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p>A new report shows how much food and biotech companies increased their lobbying expenditures in 2015 – mainly to support the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act, which the House passed last month.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p>Newly released documents show Canadian officials are doing more than ever to monitor opponents of oil pipeline development, demonstration organizers and First Nations people involved in related activities.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p>From terrible company management to supporting the Iraq war to giving away astronomical sums to corporations, here's a cast of candidates who should be dropped from the ledgers.</p>
</div>
<div><span><em>3 days 4 hours</em> ago</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div><span><em>4 days 20 hours</em> ago</span></div>
</div>
<div>
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<p>Studies show that debts prevent former misdemeanants and felons from escaping poverty and moving on with their lives – not only because of what’s owed but also because of the accompanying stress and surveillance.</p>
</div>
<div><span><em>3 days 3 hours</em> ago</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p>Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are agents of a revolt, from the left and the right, fueled by anger at those who have had power over our economic and political system since the start of the 1980s.</p>
</div>
<div><span><em>2 days 4 hours</em> ago</span></div>
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<p>According to financiers, the only way out of the island's economic mess is to eliminate the minimum wage, sell off public assets, lay off teachers, shutter schools, cut workers’ vacation and benefits, and raise sales taxes.</p>
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<p>Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are agents of a revolt, from the left and the right, fueled by anger at those who have had power over our economic and political system since the start of the 1980s.</p>
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<p>A new report shows how much food and biotech companies increased their lobbying expenditures in 2015 – mainly to support the Deny Americans the Right to Know Act, which the House passed last month.</p>
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<p>Yep, we have one helluva all star creative activist lineup for you this week!</p>
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<p>According to financiers, the only way out of the island's economic mess is to eliminate the minimum wage, sell off public assets, lay off teachers, shutter schools, cut workers’ vacation and benefits, and raise sales taxes.</p>
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<div><img src="http://www.occupy.com/article/netzpolitik-scandal-embroils-germany-press-freedom-challenges-surveillance-state" /></div>
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armageddon news revolution Netzpolitik Scandal Embroils Germany As Press Freedom Challenges Surveillance State

Netzpolitik Scandal Embroils Germany As Press Freedom Challenges Surveillance State Netzpolitik Scandal Embroils Germany As Press Fre...

VIDEO: Muslims Kidnap Christian Man And Say That If Egypt Does Not Release Terrorists From Prison In The Next Two Days, ...

<img alt="isis ch copy" class="attachment-large wp-post-image" height="317" src="http://shoebat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/isis-ch-copy1.jpg" width="640" />
<p style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 15px; width:240px; height: auto;"><img src="http://shoebat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/isis-ch-copy1.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;" width="240" /></p>
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<p><a href="http://shoebat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/isis-ch-copy.jpg"><img alt="isis ch copy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-83573" height="508" src="http://shoebat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/isis-ch-copy-1024x508.jpg" width="1024" /></a></p>
<p><strong>By Theodore Shoebat and Walid Shoebat</strong></p>
<p>A video has just been released of ISIS holding as hostage a Christian man from Croatia named Tomislav Salopek. ISIS says that if Egypt does not release Islamic terrorists in the next 48 hours from prison that they will behead him. Here is the video, in which Tomislav speaks in English about his two children and his wife, Natasha. Just hearing his voice is heart wrenching:</p>
<p><iframe width="660" height="440" src="http://shoebattube.com/player/embed_player.php?vid=1025&width=660&height=440&autoplay=no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>Tomislav worked for a French geoscience firm. The Croatian government is “making all the efforts to resolve the difficult situation of the Croatian citizen T.S.,” <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/05/us/isis-croatian-hostage/" target="_blank">said</a> the Croatian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.</p>
<p>When I look at this man, I see Christ; I see the Crucified Savior; I see one in union with the Divinity; I see one who bears “the marks of the Lord” (Galatians 6:20); I see one from whose very soul the rivers of truth flows with the words of the Apostle: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). It is easy for us to write about such things, and I saw this not without sadness; but what we can say with confidence is that the martyrs know more about God than any one of us on earth ever will; for they are one with God, being united in the much strived for theosis, and are completely absorbed in the Beatific Vision, so much so, that all thought of self is utterly nonexistent in the realm of eternal bliss.</p>
<p>They have entered the Ark of the Holy Cross and sailed across the ocean of death, and have reached ascension upon the eternal Mount Ararat of Heaven. The saint may find death a million times, but a million times will he find resurrection. No matter how many wounds his body bears, his soul still lives, and when the blade cuts him from the strings of life, the soul soars upward into the realm that has no beginning nor end, as the bird flies out of the hanging cage.</p>
<p><em>Before the flower blooms in the spring,<br />
Before our eyes behold its beauties,<br />
A seed must die in the callous soil,<br />
Dead in the dirt,<br />
It escapes our cares.</em></p>
<p><em>Before The tree can bear its luscious fruit,<br />
Before we can taste of its sweet nectar,<br />
A seed must die in the fecund but ruthless earth,<br />
Perished in the loam,<br />
It escapes our cares.</em></p>
<p><em>The source of life dissipates in the winds of our earthly pleasures,<br />
And when death arrives from its voyage,<br />
When death is near,<br />
The wicked waste away in their slavery,<br />
And never find liberation.</em></p>
<p><em>The righteous carry their cross,<br />
they bear the marks of the Holy One,<br />
They outstretch their arms and embrace the nails,<br />
They bow before the will of Heaven,<br />
And ornament their heads with the crown of thorns,<br />
And as they hang from the wood,<br />
They are assumed in the love of God,<br />
For they are one with God,<br />
And they say with the Apostle,<br />
“O Death, where is your sting?<br />
O Hades, where is your victory?”</em></p>
<p><em>Though death may find us a million times,<br />
A million times will we find resurrection,<br />
For this is the strength of the martyrs</em></p>
<p><em>Before the eyes can enjoy the beauties of the sun,<br />
Before we can behold its splendid light,<br />
As its orange hue glows with the endless sky,<br />
Before we take delight in the rays of heaven,<br />
We must endure the darkness of the night,<br />
Death is all around us,<br />
And yet this too escapes our cares.</em></p>
<p><em>Before a mother may take joy in her child,<br />
Before the bliss of new life may grab ahold onto our heart,<br />
Great pains must be endured,<br />
Great agony must be endured.<br />
But after the birth pains are done,<br />
True peace springs.</em></p>
<p><em>The source of life dissipates in the winds of our earthly pleasures,<br />
And the source of life is Christ,<br />
He is the Seed,<br />
That crushes the serpent,<br />
He died so that we may find life,<br />
He died that we may become trees,<br />
Bearing forth sweet fruit for the soul.</em></p>
<p><em>Before we could obtain salvation,<br />
Before the doors of Heaven were open to us,<br />
Before we could enter the ecstasy of glorious paradise,<br />
Christ had to endure the greatest of agony<br />
Love was crucified, so that we could have love,<br />
Mercy was crucified so that we could have mercy,<br />
Justice was crucified so that we may know justice</em></p>
<p><em>When death arrives from its voyage,<br />
When death is near,<br />
The wicked waste away in their slavery,<br />
And never find liberation.</em></p>
<p><em>As the prophet say,<br />
“No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,<br />
And no one has power in the day of death.” (Ecclesiastes 8:8)</em></p>
<p><em>So do not wait for death to be near,<br />
Do not remain in the prison of sin,<br />
‘Be angry, and do not sin.<br />
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.<br />
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,<br />
And put your trust in the Lord.’ (Psalm 4:4-5)</em></p>
<p><em>Though death may find us a million times,<br />
A million times will we find resurrection,<br />
For this is the strength of the martyrs</em></p>
<p>I ask you to please give what you can to the persecuted Christians. We are working very hard to help Christians in Iraq, and we ask you to please help us in this mission.</p>
<p><a href="https://ffmu.webconnex.com/rescuechristians" target="_blank"><strong>THERE ARE SO MANY CHRISTIAN SUFFERING IN PAKISTAN. HELP US RESCUE CHRISTIANS FROM ISLAMIC PERSECUTION. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION THAT WILL SAVE CHRISTIAN LIVES FROM MUSLIM TERRORISTS</strong></a></p>
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anonymous armageddon isis islam war VIDEO: Muslims Kidnap Christian Man And Say That If Egypt Does Not Release Terrorists From Prison In The Next Two Days, ...

By Theodore Shoebat and Walid Shoebat A video has just been released of ISIS holding as hostage a Christian man from Croatia named Tomi...

ISIS Seizes Major Town Where Tens Of Thousands Of Christians Live, And They Will Butcher Them Like Animals

<img alt="behead copy" class="attachment-large wp-post-image" height="569" src="http://shoebat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/behead-copy-1024x569.jpg" width="1024" />
<p style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 15px; width:240px; height: auto;"><img src="http://shoebat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/behead-copy.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;" width="240" /></p>
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<p><strong>By Theodore Shoebat</strong></p>
<p>ISIS just seized a major town in Iraq, called Qaryatain, where tens of thousands of Christians are living,and they will slaughter Christians. According to <a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2015/08/06/isis-captures-syrian-town-that-is-home-to-thousands-of-christians/" target="_blank">the report:</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>ISIS militants have captured Qaryatain, a key Syrian town populated by tens of thousands of Christians and a monastery.</p>
<p>The superior of the town’s Mar Elian monastery, Fr Jacques Mourad, was kidnapped by extremists in May along with a lay Christian, Boutros Hanna Dekermenjian.</p>
<p>Before his abduction Fr Mourad had taken in dozens of families and 100 children who had sought refuge from the fighting.</p>
<p>The town, 65 miles from Palmyra, is home to 40,000 people, both Sunni Muslims and Christians.</p>
<p>According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ISIS overwhelmed Assad forces after a wave of suicide bombings targeting army checkpoints.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://ffmu.webconnex.com/rescuechristians" target="_blank"><strong>THERE ARE SO MANY CHRISTIAN SUFFERING IN IRAQ AND SYRIA. HELP US RESCUE CHRISTIANS FROM ISLAMIC PERSECUTION. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION THAT WILL SAVE CHRISTIAN LIVES FROM MUSLIM TERRORISTS</strong></a></p>
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anonymous armageddon isis islam war ISIS Seizes Major Town Where Tens Of Thousands Of Christians Live, And They Will Butcher Them Like Animals

By Theodore Shoebat ISIS just seized a major town in Iraq, called Qaryatain, where tens of thousands of Christians are living,and they w...

Texas Forces Planned Parenthood Under Criminal Investigation For Crimes Against Humanity

<img alt="Gun-right-rally-Austin-Texas-courtesy-toledoblade.com_" class="attachment-large wp-post-image" height="556" src="http://shoebat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gun-right-rally-Austin-Texas-courtesy-toledoblade.com_.jpg" width="800" />
<p style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 15px; width:240px; height: auto;"><img src="http://shoebat.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Gun-right-rally-Austin-Texas-courtesy-toledoblade.com_.jpg" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto;" width="240" /></p>
<div class="pf-content">
<p><strong>By Theodore Shoebat</strong></p>
<p>Texas is forcing Planned Parenthood under criminal investigation for its crimes against humanity. I did a whole video on this:</p>
<p><iframe width="660" height="440" src="http://shoebattube.com/player/embed_player.php?vid=1024&width=660&height=440&autoplay=no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p>According to <a href="http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/08/harris-county-da-opens-criminal-investigation-into-houston-planned-parenthood-clinic.html/" target="_blank">the report:</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>The Harris County District Attorney’s office announced Wednesday that it would open a criminal investigation into the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Houston.</p>
<p>The investigation, which was ordered at the request of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, comes just one day after the release of an undercover video taken from within the clinic showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing aborted fetal tissue donation.</p>
<p>“It is not clear at this time what, if any, crimes have been committed at the Gulf Coast facility,” Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said. “That is why I am initiating this investigation.”</p>
<p>Anderson’s office hopes to collaborate with the Texas Rangers and the Houston Police Department on the investigation. The first step, Anderson said, was to obtain a copy of the unedited video.</p>
<p>“I want to assure everyone in Houston that I will use every resource allocated to this office to conduct a thorough investigation and should we find that laws were broken, we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” Anderson said.</p>
<p>The heavily edited 15-minute video–and accompanying 119 page “full transcript”–released Tuesday is the fifth released by The Center for Medical Progress, an anti-abortion group aiming to take down Planned Parenthood.</p>
<p>Fetal tissue donation for research purposes is legal in Texas, but profiting from donations is not. Clinics can be reimbursed for the costs associated with tissue procurement.</p>
<p>The video released Tuesday is edited to make it seem like clinic officials are willing to change abortion procedures slightly to keep fetal tissue intact. Physicians are prohibited from straying from best practices when procuring tissue to avoid risk to the woman.</p>
<p>Anderson’s office will collect evidence and could eventually present it to a grand jury to determine if charges should be filed against the clinic or its employees.</p>
<p>The group releasing the videos aims to prove Planned Parenthood is make a profit from fetal tissue donation reimbursements. Planned Parenthood has repeatedly denied the allegations.</p>
<p>The Texas Attorney General, Health and Human Services Commission and a Senate panel are conducting separate, ongoing investigations into Texas Planned Parenthood clinics as well.</p>
<p>Of the five Planned Parenthood abortion clinics operating in Texas, only the Houston clinic has participated in tissue donation. The clinic is not currently involved in a donation program.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://ffmu.webconnex.com/rescuechristians" target="_blank"><strong>THERE ARE SO MANY CHRISTIAN SUFFERING IN PAKISTAN. HELP US RESCUE CHRISTIANS FROM ISLAMIC PERSECUTION. CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION THAT WILL SAVE CHRISTIAN LIVES FROM MUSLIM TERRORISTS</strong></a></p>
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anonymous armageddon isis islam war Texas Forces Planned Parenthood Under Criminal Investigation For Crimes Against Humanity

By Theodore Shoebat Texas is forcing Planned Parenthood under criminal investigation for its crimes against humanity. I did a whole vide...