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SEARCH UNDERNEWS   SEARCH REST OF PROGRESSIVE REVIEW SUBSCRIBE BACK TO TOP JUST SEND US YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS PROGRESSIVE REVIEW 96 Maine Street #255 Brunswick ME 04011 202-423-7884 Editor: Sam Smith © The Progressive Review, 2011 An American Agenda BACK TO INDEX   Corporations Three ways to take on corporate personhood   Democracy Building little republics in a collapsing empire AMENDING THE SENATE BALLOT INITIATIVES DEVOLUTION OF POWER ELECTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ENDING CORPORATE PERSONHOOD LOCAL DEMOCRACY GETTING THE VOTE COUNT RIGHT INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING URBAN STATEHOOD   Drugs ENDING THE WAR ON DRUGS   Guns LEAVING THE SECOND AMENDMENT ALONE   Healthcare SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE   Justice Jury rights Notes of a nullifier Restorative justice & community courts San Francisco introduces neighborhood courts   Local Building little republics in a failing empire   Money Alternative currencies Credit unions Ending credit card usury War War abolition movement   Essays APOLOGY TO YOUNGER AMERICANS. . . AUTISTIC CONFEDERACY THE CORPORATE CURSE CRASH OF AMERICA FOOTBALL AND EMPIRE LETTER TO THOMAS JEFFERSON RAFTING DOWN THE MAINSTREAM. . . WHO'S AN AMERICAN? REFLECTIONS ON PATRIOTISM LISTENING TO AMERICA UNPLUGGED. . . THE WORST & THE DUMBEST: THE ESTABLISHMENT THAT BROUGHT DOWN AMERICA'S FIRST REPUBLIC .. . Bush watch BACK TO INDEX Bush memoir: Borrowed & lifted decision points Putting Bush in bookstore crime section Ex German chancellor says Bush not telling the truth BUSH NEWS, ARTICLES & LINKS THE BUSH INDEX BUSH FAMILY TIMELINE BUSH NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WATCH BUSH WHACKS BUSH ART DC News BACK TO INDEX For 45 years the Review was published in Washington DC. Here are some of our still popular DC links. WASHINGTON AT HOME: THE CAPITAL TOO FEW KNOW DC ALMANAC DC STATEHOOD DC ESSAYS SEX AND CRIME IN DC BLACK DC HISTORY THE CLUB: HOW WASHINGTON REALLY WORKS BARRY, MARION DC HISTORY PETEY GREENE STORY ON FILM GUNS IN DC DC MOMENTS WASHINGTON IN QUOTES WHY WASHINGTON DOESN'T WORK LEAVING DC WASHNGTON: WHERE SMART PEOPLE GO TO DO STUPID THINGS Health & science BACK TO INDEX Another reason a national electronic health data base is dangerous Life expectancy map by county Where life expectancy is falling 30% of employers ready to drop health insurance when Obamacare goes into effect One in fifteen British patients in hospitals there for drug reactions Medicare in huge trouble: just read the media How Obama has damaged patient privacy Health plans Vermont healthcare battle isn’t over yet GOP healthcare plan could cost you $182,000 Vermont health plan not single payer Raising Medicare age would hit younger seniors and businesses hard How liberals misread the healthcare law Health care plan provision timeline Health & science Disease clusters found in 13 states Study: high fructose corn syrup does make you gain more weight Pharmas pushing adult drugs on little kids And why a single checkout line in a store is best Nearly a third of advanced cancer patients receive more aggressive treasetment than they may want More news HEALTH & SCIENCE NEWS & LINKS NEWS ON THE DRUG INDUSTRY NEWS ON HEALTHCARE POLICY HEALTH INDICATORS SWINE FLU   Essays WHY THE NEW MEDICAL RECORDS ACT IS A MAJOR PRIVACY THREAT A PAGE FOR BIG PEOPLE   Health inurance NATIONAL HEALTH PLANS ARTICLES ON NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE FEDERAL HEALTH CARE MANDATE UNCONSTITUTIONAL? CANADIAN HEALTHCARE MYTHS   Groups PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM Homeland insecurities BACK TO INDEX TSA had "Mexican hunters" at Newark airport FEMA says totally destroyed house has "insufficient damage" to get aid Homeland Security testing system that claims to predetermine whether you have a crime in mind Mozilla fights Homeland Security censorship TSA thinks complaining about procedures is a sign of terrorism TSA badly misled public on scanner radiation Homeland Insecurity declares itself exempt from Constitution More homeland insecurity news One never knows, do one? FEMA and the Constitution Why more security doesn't work Idea mill BACK TO INDEX The real Ayn Rand Research: Being alone isn't so bad GOOD THINGS TO DO IN A LOUSY TIME THE SPIRAL OF SILENCE COMMUNITY ENDOWMENTS AMERICA'S INDIVUALISM MYTH DO KINDER PEOPLE HAVE AN EVOLUTIONARY ADVANTAGE? Hidden issues HIDDEN ISSUES BRINGING DEVOLUTION TO THE 'HOOD IDEOLOGY OF SCALE PRESERVING CULTURE & COMMUNITY AS WELL AS WE DO HISTORY AND PROTEST WHAT LAWYERS & JUDGES WON'T TELL YOU ABOUT JURIES WHERE'S THE COUNTER CULTURE WHEN WE NEED IT? WHY BANNING HUMAN NATURE DOESN'T WORK   Ideas CARE & FEEDING OF THEORIES ESSAYS ON A VARIETY OF THINGS INVENTION PRACTICING ANTHROPOLOGY WITHOUT A LICENSE POCKET PARADIGMS: A few words about a lot of stuff WHAT'S A HUMANITIES? HOW MUCH DO WE LEARN FROM EVIL? IN TECHNOCRACY WE TRUST LETTER TO THOMAS JEFFERSON MORE IDEAS   Surviving post constitutional America GETTING THROUGH THE BAD TIMES GLOBAL DUMBING: THE POLITICS OF ENTROPY HANDLING THE BULLIES LOSING TIME, LOSING SPACE THE AUSTISTIC CONSPIRACY OPPOSING & CREATING PARIAH ECONOMY AND THE RISE OF SOCIAL BIGOTRY QUIET STORM: THE COLLAPSE OF OUR CULTURE RUNNING OUT OF CHANGE   Media ARTS & LETTERS DAILY     Immigration BACK TO INDEX Study: Low skilled immigrants have small effect on native born wages THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF IMMIGRATION STUDIES FIND IMMIGRANTS GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY, CEOs BAD FOR IT THE PHONEY IMMIGRATION CRISIS BY THE NUMBERS ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW MEANS BIG BUCKS FOR SOME MOST EFFECTIVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION POLICY: DOING NOTHING Review articles IMMIGRATION WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME A MEXICAN CUT YOUR PENSION? WHO'S AN AMERICAN?   PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM BACK TO TOP Your editor has been a musician for many decades. He started the first band his Quaker school ever had and played drums with bands up until 1980 when he switched to stride piano. He had his own band until the mid-1990s and has played with the New Sunshine Jazz Band, Hill City Jazz Band, Not So Modern Jazz Band and the Phoenix Jazz Band. NOTES ON THE MUSIC Here are a few tracks: SAM SMITH'S DECOLAND BAND SHINE JELLY ROLL Bob Walter, trumpet; Jimmy Hamilton, clarinet; Paul Hettich, bass; Sam Smith, piano. Bob Resnik, drums, trombone unknown   PHOENIX JAZZ BAND led by Bob Walter APEX BLUES   George James sax WISER MAN  Sam piano & vocal OH MAMA  Sam piano & vocal   HILL CITY JAZZ BAND led by Bob Walter SIT RIGHT DOWN & WRITE MYSELF A LETTER Sam piano & vocal WHEN YOU'RE SMILING Sam piano, Bob Walter vocal The recording of the Phoenix Jazz Band was made at the Central Ohio Jazz Festival in 1990 and features George James on saxophone on 'Apex Blues', band leader Bob Walter on trumpet, Coleman Hankins on clarinet and your editor on piano, among others. The sound effects come from the audience.

DONATIONS & SAM SMITH'S BOOKS DONATIONS WHY BOTHER? $12 AN UTNE READER STAFF PICK A POWELL'S BOOKSTORE STAFF PICK WORKING ASSETS RECOMMENDED READING Why Bother, in a wonderfully engaging and erudite manner, addresses the great question confronting democracy, community and justice -- and that is civic motivation. Prepare to be motivated. Sam Smith is an antidote to mindless speed reading. He makes you pause between paragraphs in order to mull over the captivating morsels he is placing in your imagination. - RALPH NADER Sam Smith puts it to us straight in these essays about finding meaning and hope - JAY WALJASPER, UTNE READER An American original. . . He's got a big old cussed independent streak that keeps you guessing and hence keeps you reading. - CRISPIN SARTWELL GREAT AMERICAN REPAIR MANUAL $15 Published by W.W. Norton, New York & London. "Lucid . . . Keep going, Sam" -- Mario Cuomo "Desperately needed" -- Roger Morris, author of Partners in Power "Smith's book is a toolbox for hacking a corrupt system. It is also funny as hell . . . There are butts that need kicking in this country. . . Sam Smith is handing out the boots." -- Alex Steffen, The Stranger, Seattle weekly "Must read. . . combines laughter and trenchant critique to a degree seldom seen" -- John Rensenbrink, Green Horizons "The Tom Paine of the Nineties" -- Chuck Stone "Truly independent journalist" -- Patrick Mazza, Cascadia Times "Phenomenally interesting. . . recommend it highly" -- Michelle Laxalt, co-host of Newsmakers "You'll be enlightened, challenged, even entertained" -- Chuck Harder on the Talk America Network. Featured in Utne Reader and on Weekend All Things Considered.  Indicators & statistics BACK TO INDEX 28% of rural residents - or about 19 million Americans - still lack access to broadband Internet service. For the first time, reports the Census Bureau, non-white babies are the majority of new borns. Stats on the end of the American dream TV ownership declines for first time in twenty years For first time, a majority of Americans have lower hopes for their children THINGS THAT HAVE GOTTEN BETTER & WORSE THE RELATIVE COST OF POLICIES & OTHER BIG THINGS AMERICAN STATS Iran OUR STRANGE HISTORY WITH IRAN ISRAELI GENERALS AND INTEL CHIEFS OPPOSE ATTACK ON IRAN OBAMA CHICKENS OUT ON A DEBATE WITH AHMADINEJAD IRAN AYATOLLAH WANTS TONE DEAF RELIGION SAUDI ARABIA GIVES ISRAEL CLEAR SKIES TO ATTACK IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES More news IRAN NEWS   Esays HOW NOT TO DEAL WITH IRAN Iraq BACK TO INDEX How many have been really killed in Iraq Pentagon can't account for most of Iraq reconstruction funds Iraq: From U.S. military to U. S. corporate colony British officials met with oil companies before invading Iraq Source of Iraq bio-weapons claim admits he lied Legal advisor says Blair mislead Parliament on legality of Iraq War HOW THE NEW YORKER, NY TIMES AND OTHER LIBERALS HELPED START THE IRAQ WAR More news IRAQ NEWS, ARTICLES & LINKS   Media ELECTRONIC IRAQ ELECTRONIC INTIFADA   Essays IRAQ WAR ONE THE REVISION THING: Iraq war told entirely in official lies SIGNS ON THE ROAD TO ABU GHRAIB COSTS OF THE IRAQ WAR SENATOR BYRD'S WARNING THE COALITION OF THE SHILLING HOW TO TELL WHEN YOU'VE WON Israel & Palestine BACK TO INDEX Israel lobby hires U.S. political strategists Israel to attack Iran? Israel: A dysfunctional relative, not an ally REVIEW STORIES ON ISRAEL & PALESTINE TIME TO STOP BEING AFRAID OF ISRAEL AIPAC OUTSOURCING FOREIGN POLICY TO ISRAEL MIDEAST WATER AN ALTERNATE 9/11 REPORT Labor The facts on prison slavery Hyatt uses heat lamps on protestors in already blazing Chicago Trumka sends a warning to Democrats A quarter of workers can't afford a vacation this year How the AFL-CIO has failed the labor movement Union contract allowed housekeeper to blow whistle on DSK Unions make major cut in donations to national Democrats Democratic governors turn on unions More labor news Why labor unions are essential One reason we have a labor movement   Organizing a general strike Latino 28% of nation latino or black Nearly two thirds of latino voters sat out 2010 election Latino population growing in the suburbs California latino population up 28% Latinos now majority of students in California's public schools... MORE THAN ONE IN SEVEN LATINOS WOULD LEAVE U.S. IF THEY COULD Groups NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LATINO POLICY Libya BACK TO INDEX Al Jazeera finds foreign troops on the ground in Libya Obama's illegal war Libya: Humanitarian neo-colonialism U.S, aided Qaddafi with billions in loans through a covert banking operation The CIA in Libya More Libya news Localism BACK TO INDEX Good things one town did and others can do 125 communities take on corporate personhood Local business spurs growth Vermont considering its own healthcare plan Indiana government wants to cut drug crime sentences More news LOCALISM & DEVOLUTION   Communities COMMUNITY PRESERVATION NEIGHBORHOOD DEVOLUTION GETTING NEIGBORHOOD COMMISSIONS STARTED LOCAL DEMOCRACY AS WELL AS LOCAL LETTUCE   Essays Building little republics in a failing empire COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH BRINGING BACK THE DEVOLUTIONARY LEFT BRINGING POLITICS HOME SECURING THE HOMELAND   Info CITY, STATE & COUNTY DEMOGRAPHICS REPORT CARD OF STATES STATE AND COUNTY STATS STATE & LOCAL GOV INFO ZIP CODE DEMOGRAPHICS Men BACK TO INDEX WHY WHITE MALES SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BUY CONDOS NEAR THE WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE THE END OF MALE DOMINANCE IN THE MARKET PLACE? More news NEWS OF ETHNIC & SEXUAL GROUPS   More essays A FEW KIND WORDS FOR THE WHITE AMERICAN MALE   Mid East BACK TO INDEX   The untold story of a big change in the Middle East   How Bush and Obama strengthened Al Qaeda   Guardian: Pakistan agreed to Bin Laden deal a decade ago. . .complete with simulated outrage Just the facts. . . . Actual civilian casualties of Al Qaeda 1992-2008 as compiled by the Nonproliferation for Global Security Foundation. Since some journalists are comparing Bin Laden's death in importance to that of Hitler, it is worth remembering that various experts estimate that Hitler was responsible for 10-25 million civilian deaths outside of the military battles of World War II. In another comparison, over 20,000 Londoners lost their lives in just 76 nights of bombing by the Germans. The unnoticed, unreported part of the Bin Laden story   Bin Laden cost us $3 trillion   Bin Laden: The monster America built   Oh shucks, Bin Laden not quite the cause of all our problems What Bin Laden was really up to Forgotten tales of Bin Laden   Now that Bin Laden's dead, can we have our country back again? Proportional representation key to a new Mid East MORE MID EAST NEWS AF-PAK WAR IRAQ IRAN ISRAEL & PALESTINE MUSLIM PAKISTAN Music BACK TO INDEX The recording industry is not the music industry RIAA pays its president $3 million: We forget. . .what song did he write or record? Obama lawyers support RIAA copyright ripoff before appeals court Former RIAA lobbyist, now judge, rules on file sharing cases I can't hear the music. . . There's a lawyer in my ear Why we love music More news MORE MUSIC NEWS   Essays MUSIC & CHANGE ESSAYS ON MUSIC PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM - Sam Smith's Decoland Band & other gigs   Muslim BACK TO INDEX Why Pastor Jones didn't cause deaths in Afghanistan MUSLIMS PRAY 80 FEET FROM PENTAGON 9/11 SITE GALLERY: STUFF THE SAME DISTANCE FROM GROUND ZERO AS THE PROPOSED MUSLIM CENTER ANTI-MOSQUE CROWD ALIGNS ITSELF WITH AL QAEDA Mysteries BACK TO INDEX UNSOLVED MYSTERIES: BCCI, OKC, and all the other acronyms of uncertainty.   WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER?   THE CRASH OF TWA 800 Peace BACK TO INDEX A high school of peace jammers  The phony anti-war movement: opposed only to Republican wars The United States ranks 85th in the International Peace Index, squished between Macdonia and Angola. More news PEACE MOVEMENT ARTICLES   Essays TECHNIQUES OF MEDIATORS EIGHT HOURS IN A BASEMENT FOR PEACE STUDY: NON VIOLENCE WORKS BETTER ROLE OF RESPECT IN PEACE EIGHT HOURS IN THE BASEMENT FOR PEACE TIME FOR A WAR ABOLITION MOVEMENT BACKING OFF OF HATE ESSAYS ON WAR, PEACE & IN BETWEEN ALL WAR ALL THE TIME: THE PENTAGON'S PLAN IS WAR INEVITABLE? THE ANTIWAR SPEECH C-SPAN DIDN'T LIKE DOCTORS & DESTROYERS   Groups American Friends Service Committee A.N.S.W.E.R. Antiwar.com Campus Antiwar Network Code Pink: Women for Peace Friends Committee on National Legislation Iraq Veterans Against the War Troops Out Now Coalition Veterans for Peace   Politics & government BACK TO INDEX Postal Service threatens to cut service to three days a week The grim truth about the Gang of Six plan The GOP's uncivil war Pseudo Christian Bachmann doesn’t even belong to church Democratic Leadership Council: Mission accomplished. . . turning the Democratic Party into GOP Lite More news POLITICAL NEWS MORNING LINE - LATEST POLLS   Essays Mob politics vs. political movements On the care and feeding of theories How to bribe a politician without anyone knowing it Why Republicans are acting so crazy What's new with me (and with you) THE ISSUE THAT'S KILLING THE LEFT ALL IN THE FAMILY: POLITICAL INCEST WHEN THE TOP CAVES IN POLITICS IN THE TIME OF MYTH THE END OF POLITICS WHY WASHINGTON DOESN'T WORK THE REAL POLITICAL SPECTRUM ESSAYS ON POLITICS WHERE'S THE COUNTER CULTURE WHEN WE NEED IT IF YOU WANT TO BE CORRUPT, DO IT RIGHT The importance of non-politics   Centrism America's most dangerous extremists: the muddled, myopic, miasmic middle The extremist center The rise of the moderate extremists   Clintons Clinton's next stop after Hope HILLARY CLINTON PUTTING THE CLINTON SCANDALS IN CONTEXT THE CLINTON LEGACY ARKANSAS CONNECTIONS: HOW WE GOT INTO THIS MESS THE CLINTON MYTH BILL CLINTON: OUR FIRST POSTMODERN PRESIDENT CLINTON & THE KILLER BLOOD THE LONELIEST MILE IN TOWN  WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT MENA ARKANSAS AND DRUGS THE CRIMES OF MENA MORE CLINTON STORIES   Congress CONGRESSIONAL RECORD CONG RESEARCH SERVICE THOMAS [LEGISLATIVE INFO] VOTES IN HOUSE VOTES IN SENATE   Democrats HISTORY'S HINTS FOR THE DEMOCRATS WHAT IF DEMOCRATS ACTED LIKE DEMOCRATS? (1982)   Elections COUNTING THE VOTES FUN WAYS TO STEAL VOTES WHAT'S WRONG WITH CAMPAIGN FINANCING   Government FILIBUSTERS   Green Party NY Times pretends Green Party doesn't exist GREEN NEWS & COMMENT GROWING GREEN RAFTING DOWN THE MAINSTREAM THE GREENS WERE RIGHT FINDING GREENER PASTURES & GREENER VOTERS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN 2000 HISTORY'S HINTS FOR THIRD PARTIES WHAT THE MEDIA DOESN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE GREENS   Liberalism The death of liberalism and what to do about it Brain drain: The hazards of grad school politics What happened when real liberals were in office Waiting for Leftie: How liberals and the left hold up change (1997) How liberals and progressive are different   People JOE BIDEN WESLEY CLARK HOWARD DEAN AL GORE MIKE HUCKABEE BOBBY KENNEDY JOHN MCAIN EUGENE MCCARTHY SARAH PALIN RONALD REAGAN ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER   Populism WHAT POPULISM IS ABOUT WHAT A POPULIST REBELLION MIGHT LOOK LIKE   Progressive politics HOW PROGRESSIVES & LIBERALS ARE DIFFERENT WHAT'S KILLING THE LEFT HOW TO JUMP START THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT SOME PROGRESSIVE ISSUES WHERE CHANGE REALLY COMES FROM AMERICA 2.0 A COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH GETTING THROUGH THE BAD TIMES OPPOSING & CREATING TAKING IT FROM THE TOP AGAIN THINGS TO DO IN THE BAD TIMES WHERE'S THE COUNTER CULTURE WHEN WE NEED IT? ACTIVISM WE NEED SOLUTIONS PEOPLE CAN SEE & FEEL BRINGING DEVOLUTION TO THE 'HOOD LOCAL DEMOCRACY AS WELL AS LOCAL LETTUCE BRINGING BACK THE DEVOLUTIONARY LEFT NON-POLITICAL SIDE OF POLITICS BRINGING POLITICS HOME MUSIC & CHANGE   Reagan The real costs of Reaganism The Ronald Reagan myth   What to do now AMERICA 2.0 A COOPERATIVE COMMONWEALTH WHAT TO DO NOW BRINGING POLITICS HOME GETTING THROUGH THE BAD TIMES OPPOSING & CREATING TAKING IT FROM THE TOP AGAIN THINGS TO DO IN HARD TIMES     Elections BALLOT ACCESS NEWS INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING NATIONAL BALLOT INITIATIVES ROCK THE VOTE Government oversight CTR FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY CITIZEN WORKS GOV ACCOUNTIBLITY PRJCT OPEN GOVERNMENT PROJECT ON GOV OVERSIGHT PUBLIC CITIZEN   Green Party GREEN CHANGE GREEN PARTY OF U.S. GREEN HORIZON Groups MOVE TO AMEND RECLAIM DEMOCRACY PROGRESSIVES UNITED   Meda PROGRESSIVE POPULIST   Voting records PROGRESSIVE PUNCH Polls BACK TO INDEX Culture 78% dissatisfied with nation's direction Gallup finds that 53% of Americans support same sex marriage 69% oppose eliminating funding for PBS 58% of Americans say legalize marijuana 77% support DADT repeal Economics Poll: Americans blame Bush for economy 41% of Likely U.S. voters say they are at least somewhat likely to boycott all companies that have been bailed out by the government A Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 43% of adults say they are going out to eat less often than they were six months ago. 29% of Americans say it's difficult to afford food. 48% say it's hard to pay their heating and electric bills 84% of workers say they'll be looking for a new job Sixty-one percent of Americans say that increasing taxes to the wealthy should be the first step toward balancing the budget. 88% of Americans say bonuses at banks should be banned or taxed at 50% 80% say don't cut Social Security   Environment 77% of Americans think that "Congress should let the EPA do its job" and 61% of Republicans feel the same way. What's more, the majority of Americans feel that the EPA should do more, not less   Foreign affairs 60% of Americans look upon the UN favorably, with 85% saying it is important for the U.S. to be active at the UN. 69% of Americans support paying peacekeeping dues on time, and in full 58% of Americans want us to leave Afghanistan Americans favor lifting Cuban embargo   Justice Interpress Service - A clear majority of U.S. voters - 61 percent - would choose a punishment other than death for murder if given a choice,   Politics 79% support constitutional amendment to reverse Supreme Court campaign bribery decision More Americans view socialism favorably than they do the Tea Party   Religion 67% support separation of church and state   Taxes 74% of Republicans Think Some Tax Increases Are Necessary To Lower Deficit Americans support higher taxes...   Population BACK TO INDEX How population growth is affecting Egypt How slowing population growth pays off World population may grow over 40% by end of century Nearly one in five American women now ends her reproductive years without children, up from one in ten in the 1970s.. . . Global birth rates dropped from six children per woman to 2.9 between 1972 and 2008 as people migrated to cities. . . And the sheep-to-human ratio in New Zealand, which currently stands at 10 to 1, seems sure to increase, since a staggering 18 percent of adult men there have elected to get vasectomies. - Details Population stability is possible in a few decades Birth rate change varies markedly by country More news POPULATION GROWTH NEWS POPULATION INSTITUTE POPULATION MEDIA CENTER NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC VIDEO ON POPULATION GROWTH Recovered history BACK TO INDEX Muhammad Ali takes on the Vietnam War How Ken Burns misread the Civil War America's grim experiments in eugenics Lyndon Johnson orders some pants from Joe Hagger Why King talked about his dream and why Kennedy didn't want him to More recovered history RECOVERED HISTORY INDEX Religion & its alternatives BACK TO INDEX More would vote for gay presidential candidate than for an atheist Religious left becomes a bit more active 61% of Americans wouldn't vote for an atheist Becoming an atheist improves your sex life Catholic church blames Sixties for priests' sex abuse Catholic and evangelical women like contraception just like others Religion may become extinct in nine nations MORE RELIGION NEWS & LINKS SEVENTH DAY AGNOSTICS ARISE WHO OWNS FAITH & VALUES? WHERE DID ALL THE COOL PREACHERS GO? A CONVERSATION WITH GOD SEPARATING FAITH & REALITY FALSE FAITH VS LOUSY WORKS THINGS IRISH-AMERICAN PROTESTANTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IRELAND Schools and the young BACK TO INDEX Telling third graders about school budget cuts Obama jacks up suits against student defaults School superintendent asks governor to make school a prison. . . to improve its budget Public schools charging students through fees Tax dollars for school vouchers fund religious lies The war on public education NYC plans to fire 4100 teachers but spend $1 billion on education consultants How did Bill Gates get to decide what's good for our children Questions the test tyrants won't answer Infographic on the for-profit education scam Massachusetts ups war on teachers A third of charter schools run by management corporations THE WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION NEWS OF SCHOOLS & THE YOUNG   Essays APOLOGY TO YOUNGER AMERICANS WHERE BAD PUBLIC EDUCATION REALLY COMES FROM BACK TO SCHOOL: Memoirs of a parent association president GRADUATION SPEECH HOW TEST OBSESSION HURTS EDUCATION SAM SMITH TALKS TO STUDENTS ABOUT ACTIVISM A STANDARDIZED TEST FOR YOUR SCHOOL SCHOOL 'REFORM' IS ABOUT CLASS NOT CLASSROOMS THE ROAD TO LITERACY IS PAVED WITH WORDS, NOT TESTS LET 'EM PLAY SMALL SCHOOLS   Media NOT WAITING FOR SUPERMAN SUSAN OHANIAN RETHINKING SCHOOLS SUBSTANCE NEWS WIRETAP   Groups PARENTS ACROSS AMERICA YOUTH RIGHTS ASSOCIATION Seniors The Social Security Trust Fund con Many may have to work into 70s or 80s to afford any retirement How to solve Social Security's long term problem in one easy step Pete Peterson now out to miseducate school children about Social Security & Medicare Everyone wants to save Social Security except Washington politicians Nearly half of seniors will experience at least one year in or near poverty FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, NO COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY STUDY FINDS $6 TRILLION RETIREMENT INCOME DEFICIT NEWS ON SOCIAL SECURITY Media THE UNSILENT GENERATION ENTITLED TO KNOW   Groups ENTITLED TO KNOW RETIREMENT USA STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SECURITY GRAY PANTHERS   Essays CATO & EB WHITE ON THE VIRTUES OF OLD AGE Spooks BACK TO INDEX CIA spied on professor who criticized Iraq war Why Mueller shouldn’t be reappointed as FBI director Petraeus will be great for covering up, not finding out, facts PHYSICIANS GROUP SAYS BUSH REGIME CONDUCTED ILLEGAL EXPERIMENTS ON PRISONERS US STILL USING PRIVATE SPY RINGS More news SPY NEWS ARCHIVES   Essays LETTER TO A SPOOK Stats BACK TO INDEX INDICATORS AMERICAN STATISTICS Survival notes BACK TO INDEX Hangover cures Sustain yourself BACK TO INDEX How to delate a social media website From bikeways to greenways What your bike says about you ST PAUL TESTING COLLECTION OF COMPOSTIBLES CAR DESIGNED TO RUN ON HUMAN EXCREMENT VERTICAL FARMING GETS SERIOUS SUSTAIN YOURSELF NEWS   Essays & media Check your gas guage Tree Hugger Torture BACK TO INDEX Obama seeks end of Spanish trial of Bush regime torturers Supermax torture in America From the 1949 Geneva Convention Attacks may be made solely against military targets. Parties to a conflict must distinguish between civilians and combatants, and civilians may not be attacked. It is forbidden to kill or wound an adversary who has surrendered or who can no longer take part in the fighting. Prisoners are entitled to respect for their life, their dignity, their personal rights, and their beliefs. Torture, cruel or degrading corporal and other punishment is forbidden. The only way to extract information was more physical pain. - Army pssychologist at GItmo An Italian court upped the sentences for 23 CIA agents convicted in absentia of abducting an Egyptian imam in one of the biggest cases against the US "extraordinary rendition" program. . . The 23 CIA agents, originally sentenced in November 2009 to five to eight years in prison, had their sentences increased to seven to nine years on appeal in what one of the defense lawyers described as a "shocking blow" for the US. They were also ordered to pay 1.5 million euros (2.0 million dollars) in damages to the imam and his wife for the 2003 abduction. Washington has refused to extradite the agents, who all remain at liberty but now risk arrest if they travel to Europe. - AFP MORE TORTURE NEWS War Department BACK TO INDEX   How the Pentagon classifies whatever it wants   Missing Pentagon Iraq money could be as high as $18 billion   $6.6 billion in Pentagon cash headed for Iraq missing; could be largest US theft in history More news WAR DEPARTMENT NEWS THE LENGTH OF AMERICAN WARS Essays THE MATH OF TERRORISM WHY MORE SECURITY DOESN'T WORK MISSION CREEP: THE MILITARY & POLITICS THE MILITARY AND MARTIAL LAW HOMELAND INSECURITIES TIME FOR A WAR ABOLITION MOVEMENT ESSAYS ON WAR, PEACE & IN BETWEEN WHY WE LOST THE WAR ON TERROR HOW TO TELL IF YOU'VE WON THE REAL WAR: BETWEEN MYTH & REALITY ALL WAR ALL THE TIME: THE PENTAGON'S PLAN IS WAR INEVITABLE? THE MURDER CAPITAL OF AMERICA AN ALTERNATIVE 9/11 REPORT   Wikileaks BACK TO INDEX Obama ignored advice on Afghanistan Julian Assange says that he is holding back "insurance files" which could embarrass Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation and his international media empire at News Corporation. Assange's lawyers worried about execution or rendition to Gitmo Wikileaks in financial squeeze Obamites harassing Icelandic Parliament member over Wikileak tweets US embassy proposed hit list against countries that opposed GM crops Exposing a culture of impunity as well as secrets MORE WIKILEAKS STORIES Women Norway best place to be a mom South Dakota finds a way to ban abortions Catholic and evangelical women like contraception just like others HOW THE RIGHT MAKES IT HARDER TO GET ABORTIONS THE END OF MALE DOMINANCE IN THE MARKET PLACE? THE DRAMATIC DROP IN WOMEN'S SPORTS COVERAGE More news NEWS OF ETHNIC & SEXUAL GROUPS   Media SINGLE WOMEN MS MAGAZINE WOMEN'S E-NEWS   Groups FEMINIST ACTIVISM FEMINIST ECONOMICS FEMINIST MAJORITY FOUNDATION INTNL ASSN FOR FEMINIST ECONOMICS MS FOUNDATION NARAL NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN NATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER NOW UN DEVELOPMENT FUND FOR WOMEN   Words & writing BACK TO INDEX Colleges locking away books and images out of copyright fears Why we still need libraries Kindle sales surpass print books at Amazon America's libraries under attack University of Denver plans to dump 80% of its books in storage New York public library selectively archives New Yorker's writer's papers, then threatens to dump the rest Entopy update: OMG, FYI, and LOL enter Oxford English Dictionary At a loss for words: why Facebook and Twitter are less than they seem More on writing and books   Essays POST LITERATE AMERICA WORDS AND MEANING CLICHE CHALLENGE THE RISE OF 'FUCK' WHAT'S A HUMANITIES? SomeRulesForWriting L.L.C. (SRFW)!   Sites Center for Plain Language BARTLETT QUOTATIONS (1901) QUOTELAND SAM'S FAVORITE QUOTES SLANG SEARCH TRANSLATIONS HUMANITIES RESOURCES LIBRARY OF CONGRESS World. . . BACK TO INDEX Bilderberg and the decline of western democracy Britain’s great anti-democratic celebration How the Cuban story might have been different Study: India & China to have nearly half of world's middle class population by 2030 British singer refused General Wesley Clark's order to attack Russians. . . backed up by his superior, General Sir Mike Jackson, who told him, "I'm not going to have my soldiers be responsible for starting World War 3." Mark Ward, president of Tallaght's student union, says that 1,250 students are leaving Ireland every month. One in five graduates is seeking work outside the country. The Union of Students in Ireland believes that 150,000 students will emigrate in the next five years GLOBAL HUNGER DECLINES More news WORLD NEWS Facts GLOBAL STATISTICS COUNTRY REPORTS COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD EXCHANGE RATES CIA WORLD FACT BOOK