October 12, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: One Comment
American schools have been many things over the centuries: the world’s first true universal public education system, a decentralized municipal forum for sincere ambition and hopeful good efforts, indoctrination channels, oases of political correctness, the envy of the world in science and math, edge-leaders in social progress, the root-structure of the most vibrant university culture in the world, and now, largely insufficient, as competing with the world’s best.
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August 28, 2008 :: J.E. Robertson :: No Comment Yet
As is usually the case in a presidential election year, we are hearing non-stop talk about cutting taxes. The Republican candidate, as usual, relentlessly accuses his Democratic opponent of conspiring to “raise taxes” and “punish” American businesses for success. And as usual, we are being deprived of an opportunity to really examine the facts of the matter. The truth is, both Obama and McCain are proposing their own tax-cut plans, but we might be better served by thinking about tax-credits, and what they should be aimed at achieving.
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May 22, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
22 May :: The US House has quickly overridden Pres. Bush’s Veto of the $307 billion farm bill… The price of oil has hit a record for the 3rd consecutive day, now topping $135/barrel… McCain campaign aide resigns, honoring pledge not to campaign against Obama…
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May 16, 2008 :: jr3o :: One Comment
16 May :: At least 50,000 people are believed dead in China’s Sichuan province, as the rescue mission extends beyond 72 hours; the massive quake, which included 8 to 10 aftershocks of roughly 5.0 on the Richter scale, caught many small cities unprepared; Chinese authorities have been quick to respond, and civilians are helping to [...]
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March 8, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
8 March :: US pres. George W. Bush has vetoed legislation that would have barred the CIA from using harsh interrogation techniques classed by critics as torture, such as “waterboarding”, a form of simulated drowning; the New York Times reports the veto is affirmation of Bush’s “legacy” as jealous defender of expanded executive power: “The [...]
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February 14, 2008 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
14 February :: Record-high grain prices will cause an untenable 35% minimum increase in poor nations’ expenditures for cereals imports through July 2008, reports UN Food and Agriculture Organization; prices have increased rapidly due to record oil prices, dramatic deterioration of arable land in China — turning world’s most populous nation into net importer of [...]
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December 14, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
14 December :: New Jersey Assembly has passed death penalty ban, Gov. Corzine says he may sign within one week; 8 men currently awaiting execution will have sentences commuted to life in prison, observers comment some states may begin to follow suit, after DNA evidence has demonstrated high rate of erroneous convictions… The Bush admin. [...]
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November 15, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
15 November :: US House of Representatives has passed $50 billion in Iraq war spending, conditioned on starting withdrawal in coming weeks, ending combat role for US by December 2008, before Bush leaves office; president has already begun troop-level reductions, in part under pressure from Republicans seeking reelection to Congress, but opposes Congressional mandate or [...]
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November 14, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
14 November :: Pres. Bush has vetoed a spending bill for education, healthcare and job training, while signing record Pentagon budget; IHT reports “President George W. Bush vetoed a major spending measure on Tuesday that would have funded education, health care and job training programs, saying it contained too many special projects, even as he [...]
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November 8, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
8 November :: Musharraf forces beat and tear-gassed demosntrating lawyers before taking them into custody; reports suggest intimidation has been widespread, with int’l press reporting security forces “charged” a group of more than 1,000 lawyers chanting anti-Musharraf slogans in Lahore; deposed supreme court chief Chaudry calls on lawyers to step up demonstrations nationwide, as demands [...]
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November 3, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
3 November :: Senate subcommittee approves America’s Climate Security Act, legislation aimed at capping greenhouse gas emissions, now to be voted by full Environment and Public Works committee; bill touted as milestone in US climate policy; Sen. Lieberman has said it is the “Manhattan Project” for climate change that activists have long called for, bill [...]
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November 2, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
2 November :: 60 Minutes reveals WMD intel fraud, Iraqi emigré known as ‘Curve Ball’ by spy agencies said to have lied to officials about involvement in WMD work in Iraq in order to get asylum in Germany; US later used his false claim as support for invasion of Iraq; program to air Sunday in [...]
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October 19, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
19 October :: US att. gen. nominee Mukasey has told Senate panel he believes so-called ‘unlawful combatants’ are not entitled to Geneva Conventions protections, a view contravened by existing law and jurisprudence; US Supreme Court has already ruled the Conventions govern US treatment of prisoners, not which prisoners enjoy protections; HRW reports “In Hamdan v. [...]
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October 11, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
11 October :: China plans to relocate some 4 million additional people to curb ecological fallout from massive reservoir, “irrational development”, ecological collapse around Three Gorges Dam; move comes after top officials, engineers at site warned gov’t the project could lead to “environmental catastrophe”; ENN reports “Environmentalists have long criticized the project, saying silt trapped [...]
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October 6, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
6 October :: Guardian reports “Craig Venter, the controversial DNA researcher involved in the race to decipher the human genetic code, has built a synthetic chromosome out of laboratory chemicals and is poised to announce the creation of the first new artificial life form on Earth“; if achieved, breakthrough will spur heated ethical debates on [...]
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October 4, 2007 :: admin :: No Comment Yet
4 October :: North and South Korean leaders to call summit to establish formal lasting peace to 1950-53 conflict; analysts say “hermit” regime in North still appears unwilling to make necessary concessions to bring about re-unification, end to dictatorship; North signed new pact to dismantle nuclear facilities one day before… Burmese military junta reported to [...]
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