~Benny Hill (1924-1992)
Taking a hard look at some of the self-sabotaging behaviors of the left in Occupy
US Increasingly Dominates Global Arms Trade: Congressional Report Military.com
The game is completely rigged: The 1 percent has more than ever — and the system is too broken to deal with it Salon. Less repetitious than the headline would suggest.
It’s official — benefits and high taxes make us all richer, while inequality takes a hammer to a country’s growth Independent. Maggie, Ronnie: Take a bow! Along with both legacy parties for the entire neo-liberal dispensation, of course
Vladimir Putin’s bank needs a $24.7 billion bailout Sydney Morning Herald
Old Totalitarian Habits Die Hard: Poland’s new government cracks down on state media Financial Times
Good news, yes, but…think about it…(NYT). The topic is the FDA and bureaucratic self-interest
The
Beats me .. MIE: first Kosher marijuana to go on sale in New York
ATO's sacking of a debt collection manager with almost 30-years' service has been upheld by the FWC after it found her failure to lodge personal tax returns over four consecutive years amounted to serious misconduct that warranted dismissal. The Tax Office has fired a single mother with a history of domestic abuse and depression for repeatedly failing to lodge personal tax returns ATO Employees
DoJ shuts down asset forfeiture program after Congress slashes its budget Boing Boing
The reindeer that glow in the dark BBC
How Bad Are Things? Slate Star Codex
A history of farting for money. Those old service sector jobs…
Cato on Oregon. Better background than I’ve seen from any other media source.
Brazil’s Antipoverty Breakthrough Foreign Affairs. Bolsa Família.
At Theranos, Many Strategies and Snags WSJ. “Snags.”
Where Your Unwanted Christmas Gifts Get a Second Life WSJ
The hobbit approach to the sharing economy FT
Fintan O’Toole: A toast to the luck of the Irish, second time around Irish Times
China adopts first counter-terrorism law Xinhuanet. Bill B:
“Under the new bill, telecom operators and internet service providers are required to provide technical support and assistance, including decryption, to police and national security authorities in prevention and investigation of terrorist activities.”
The alleged heroic defenders of privacy in Silicon Valley will likely opt to “obey the law.” The Chinese market is simply too lucrative. Officials complain that Apple’s end-to-end encryption is impregnable. Noise for rubes who’ve never implemented a backdoor: security is a branding mechanism. Open your wallet…
Leslie Book, NY Times Article Today Highlights Why People Pay Taxes as Well as Some of My Favorite PT Posts of 2015