In 2010, the Supreme Court handed down one of the worst decisions in its history, Citizens United v FEC. With a narrow 5-4 vote, the Court swept away almost 100 years of precedent in campaign finance law and opened the floodgates for big corporations and wealthy individuals to pour unlimited amounts of money into our elections.
On October 8, the Supreme Court will hear a case that many are calling the “next Citizens United” -- a case that could completely dismantle what minimal campaign finance regulation we have left and pave the way for unlimited direct contributions to candidates by those wealthy individuals.
I urge every American to speak out for the need to restore our democracy for the people. That’s why I have introduced the Democracy is for People Amendment (S.J. Res. 11) to amend the U.S. Constitution, and make it clear that the right to vote and the ability to make campaign contributions and expenditures belong only to real people, not big money and corporate special interests.
Grassroots support from organizations like People For the American Way and its members is absolutely vital to my work to move legislation forward to undo the harm of Citizens United and related cases. Thank you, and let’s keep up the fight.
Sincerely,
Bernard Sanders
United States Senator (I-VT)
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
“casualty averse” public opinion
Using more mercenaries, unmanned vehicles and elite forces could make the British public more willing to support future wars, given such
losses do not rile the press as do deaths of regular soldiers, a
strategic unit of the Ministry of Defence suggests.
In an internal discussion paper on how to sway “casualty
averse” public opinion, the MoD development, concepts and
doctrine centre (DCDC) also recommends lessening the public
profile of repatriation ceremonies for war casualties.
The document, written in November 2012 and obtained by the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act, regards how public opinion of wartime casualties can be manipulated. It also recommends the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have “a clear and constant information campaign in order to influence the major areas of press and public opinion.”
The document, written in November 2012 and obtained by the Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act, regards how public opinion of wartime casualties can be manipulated. It also recommends the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have “a clear and constant information campaign in order to influence the major areas of press and public opinion.”
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Common Core meeting
A Baltimore parent was forcibly removed from a school meeting and arrested on September 19 for challenging a new Common Core state curriculum. At the meeting, Robert Small voiced his concern that the Common Core standards do not prepare students for top universities and may misuse data on students. Small was escorted from the question and answer session and arrested on charges of second-degree assault on a police officer. On Monday the Baltimore County State Attorney's office dropped all charges against him.
The incident has contributed to a growing debate across the country about state standardized testing.
School Superintendents receive an F grade for Common Core meeting
Dr. Dallas Dance, Superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools, and Lillian Lowery, Maryland Superintendent, had the opportunity Thursday night to make minor amends at an MSDE-sponsored informational meeting after a three-plus year information blackout on Common Core, the new federal curriculum for Maryland schools.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Greenpeace activists
Published on Sep 20, 2013
At least 27 Greenpeace activists have been arrested by the Russian coast guard after trying to disrupt work on an oil platform in the Arctic. Security forces boarded the environmentalists' ship after it ignored warnings and refused to stop. The authorities say the actions of the activists were dangerous and threatened the lives of the rig crew. RT's Tom Barton has the details.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
The Future of American Power
Published on Jun 17, 2013
Latest new lecture by Professor Noam Chomsky at the Left Forum (June, 2013) on "The Future of American Power".
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
$1 billion to get rid of Syria's chemical weapons
By Patrick Rucker
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday it would cost about $1 billion to get rid of Syria's chemical weapons under a U.S.-Russian deal reached last week.
In an interview on the Fox News television channel, Assad said his government would dispose of its chemical weapons arsenal and it would take about a year, Assad said.
"I think it is a very complicated operation technically and it needs a lot, a lot of money. Some estimated about a billion for the Syrian stockpile," he said.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad said on Wednesday it would cost about $1 billion to get rid of Syria's chemical weapons under a U.S.-Russian deal reached last week.
In an interview on the Fox News television channel, Assad said his government would dispose of its chemical weapons arsenal and it would take about a year, Assad said.
"I think it is a very complicated operation technically and it needs a lot, a lot of money. Some estimated about a billion for the Syrian stockpile," he said.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
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