Japan to Shift Its Military Toward Threats From China

Japan has realigned its military to be more mobile in order to be able to react to China's growing presence in the Southernmost Islands. The United States is using this as an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with our Ally Japan. Washington has proposed to create a three way tie including their ally, South korea.

The proposal of three-nation drills has already met resistance in Japan, whose military is severely constrained by its pacifist, postwar Constitution, and also in South Korea, where bitter memories of Japan’s brutal early-20th century march through Asia still run deep. However, Japan has slowly begun to shed some of the postwar phobias against a larger Asian role for its military, known as the Self-Defense Forces, one of the largest and most technologically advanced in the region.

It's hard to forget the brutality of World War II. Japan still struggles with the limitations put on their military by the postwar Constitution, but hopefully over time they can show us and South Korea that they have changed for the better and can be trusted as an ally. I think its a great step forward if we are able to create a three way tie between these two countries, for it will allow us to create a stronger force of defense in Asia.

Sweden Begins Terror Inquiry After Bombing in Stockholm

Swedish authorities are calling the bombing in the heart of Sweden's Capital an act of terrorism. Investigators believe the suicide bomber was a 28year old Swede of Iraqi origin, and who had been carrying pipe bombs and a backpack full of nails. They had also received e-mails minutes before the blasts of a guy making statements in English, Arabic, and Swedish.

He read haltingly from what was apparently a prepared script, and said that Swedes had brought “these actions” on themselves. The message singled out Lars Vilks, a cartoonist threatened repeatedly with murder since publishing a derogatory cartoon of the prophet Mohammed in 2007, and demanded that European nations withdraw their soldiers from Afghanistan. Then, with the sound of the turn of a page, he addressed his wife and children. The man confessed to them that trips he had made to the Middle East were not for business, but for “jihad”.

It terrifying to know that there are terrorist threats that go around all the time. Its also very upsetting that Countries like the United States and Sweden are targets for these terrorist groups because of actions we have  

Mental Health Break- How the Midterms Will be Remembered 1,000 Years From Now

A Secretive Banking Elite Rules Trading in Derivatives

Once a month an elite team coming from the huge giants like JPMorgan, Chase, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, come together to protect the interests of big banks in the market. But they actually come together to ensure no other banks come into the market.

But big banks influence the rules governing derivatives through a variety of industry groups. The banks’ latest point of influence are clearinghouses like ICE Trust, which holds the monthly meetings with the nine bankers in New York.

Today our government is controlled by these banks. They control the market, trade and the prices of our fixed rates. If we continue on this path the Government will loose all sense of control and hand all the say in our country to the banks.

Hackers Attack Companies That Hindered WikiLeaks

On Wednesday, a small group of hackers came up with a campaign to hack companies against WikiLeaks that had released classified American Documents. Mastercard, Amazon and PayPal were targets by these group of Hackers. For they had hindered WikiLeaks by cutting of donations, revoking server space and cutting off commercial cooperation. These companies websites are dealing with heavy traffic and slow access caused by the hackers.

Mr. Housh, who has worked on previous campaigns with Anonymous but disavows any illegal activity himself, said it was the first time the group had enough firepower to bring down well-secured blue chip companies like Mastercard. “No tactics have changed this time,” he said, “but there is so much support and there are so many people doing it that sites like that are going down.”

Its odd to see these big cooperations struggling with these anonymous hackers that are hindering their web sites to work. You would expect for these companies to have a strong security team of hackers that would have no problem protecting their web sites. This proves that our privacy such as credit card numbers and social security numbers may not be as well protected as we may think.

Mental Health Break- How the Midterms Will be Remembered 1,000 Years From Now

House fails to extend unemployment benefits

Yesterday, on November 17th, the house failed to pass a bill that would have extended the jobless benefits for another three months. The last extension which lasted six months costed the government $34 billion, adding more to our deficit and also causing huge debate.

Both House and Senate Democrats have said they would have liked to extend the deadline by a year, but the House settled on three months in hopes that it would pass more easily.

I can understand that their are a lot of different opinions that causes debates. For the fact that millions of families are dealing with the hardships of not having a job, but also the fact that its digging a deeper hole for a our deficit which we are trying to dig ourselves out of. Its a hard call to decide wether we should help our nation in the long run or help our citizens in need now.

 

A Second Group of Experts Calls for Cutting Military Programs to Lower U.S. Debt

A bipartisan group of budget experts are putting the pressure on the Pentagon to reduce the spendings and reduce weapon programs. If this proposed five year plan to freeze Pentagon spendings, it would save $5.9 trillion dollars by 2020.

“Would this be easy? No,” said Gordon Adams, a professor at American University who led a team that prepared the group’s recommendations on military spending.

But given that the Pentagon accounts for more than half of the government’s discretionary spending, “We think it’s a reasonable plan,” he said.

Although its an on going debate about who's the problem, I believe that even though this will cut down the defense budget its a step in the right direction. If we continue on this path we can slowly work our way out of this deficit.

Caffeine and Alcohol Drink Is Potent Mix for Young

The caffeinated and alcoholic beverage that is known as Four loco has been putting students and young adults in hospitals. The caffein masks the affects of the alcohol making it difficult for people to judge how intoxicated they are.

“This is one of the most dangerous new alcohol concoctions I have ever seen,” said Dr. Michael Reihart, an emergency room doctor at Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pa., who said he had treated more than a dozen teenagers and adults over the last three months who had been brought there after drinking Four Loko. “It’s a recipe for disaster because your body’s natural defense is to get sleepy and not want to drink, but in this case you’re tricking the body with the caffeine.”

Since anyone can mix alcohol with caffeinated beverages, the fact that officials want to ban the drink is ridiculous. Students and young adults who drink the beverage are responsible for what happens to them and if they end up in the hospital its their fault. 

Military wants to scan communications to find internal threats

The Pentagon wants to create some sort of system that can detect potential internal threats by looking through emails that are sent out. This system should cut down threats but is being questioned by privacy and security experts. 

"Each time we see an incident like a soldier in good mental health becoming homicidal or suicidal or an innocent insider becoming malicious, we wonder why we didn't see it coming," DARPA says. "When we look through the evidence after the fact, we often find a trail -- sometimes even an "obvious" one. The question is: Can we pick up the trail before the fact, giving us time to intervene and prevent an incident."

Although this does invade peoples privacy, if the Pentagon can come up with a stable system that is affective  and will cut down crime rates I believe that a system that can detect threats through emails will be worth it.

Mental Health Break- Call Me Senator

The Corrosion of America

In the United States underground sewage and water pipes are corroding and bursting every several minutes. These pipes are simply not getting the maintenance they should be getting because of our trembling economy. Which is not fair to the American people who are receiving polluted water from their faucets.

“For decades, these systems — some built around the time of the Civil War — have been ignored by politicians and residents accustomed to paying almost nothing for water delivery and sewage removal. And so each year, hundreds of thousands of ruptures damage streets and homes and cause dangerous pollutants to seep into drinking water supplies.”

If we can somehow come up with the finances to give new jobs to people to work on our nations water systems, it can give thousands of unemployed people living in America jobs. The funds we are throwing away to fight over in the middle east is the main cause our nation is struggling financially. 

When a Cancer Therapy Puts Others at Risk

Thyroid Cancer is treated by swallowing radioactive iodine which kills the malignant cells. Patients are radioactive afterwards and are potentially dangerous to others that they associate with.

In 1997, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission dropped a requirement that such patients be quarantined in the hospital. Instead, patients can be released right after their treatment, when they are at their most radioactive.

I dont understand how the government can get away with this. Its the Governments responsibility to be  overlooking such problems. In the preamble of the Constitution it states that they will "promote for the general welfare." But the Government isn't doing so, its just another small flaw of hundreds that the Government  neglects.

Bankers Ignored Signs of Trouble on Foreclosures

Bank employees are saying that they are signing foreclosure documents so quickly that they don't even have time to read what they are signing. Important paperwork is being thrown in the garbage because of  worn out workers that are being outsourced. These problems are caused because of the booming years when everyone was taking out loans to buy houses.

When borrowers began to default in droves, banks found themselves in a never-ending game of catch-up, unable to devote enough manpower to modify, or ease the terms of, loans to millions of customers on the verge of losing their homes. Now banks are ill-equipped to deal the foreclosure process.

These operations that these banks ran were unorganized and inadequately staffed. Now the people of America are being punished because of the banks  irresponsibility. 

What's my party

The Quiz

The following are your scores. They are based on a gradual range of 0 to 12. For instance, a Conservative/Progressive score of 3 and 0 will both yield a result of social conservative, yet 0 would be an extreme conservative and 3 a moderate conservative

Conservative/Progressive score: 5 

You are a social moderate. You think the progressive movement is overall well meaning, but sometimes it goes too far. On issues like abortion and affirmative action, you see the negatives of both extremes on the issue. You probably value religion, but at the same time you think it should still stay separate from the government

Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist score: 8
You are a Moderate Capitalist. You support an economy that is by and large a free market, but has public programs to help people who can't help themselves or need a little help. Pretty much you believe in the American economy how it currently is.

Libertarian/Authoritarian score: 7 

You're a Moderate. You think that we all have certain inalienable rights that must be protected, but that sometimes laws need to be made to protect the majority's lives or quality of lives. You might think that the 2nd amendment isn't necessary anymore because letting everyone a gun is extremely dangerous to the community. You might also be against illegal drug use or public pornography because of its possible harmful effects to society.

Pacifist/Militarist score: 2
You're a Pacifist. You are angered that the United States thinks it should dominate the world through its military force. You think that the only time war is necessary is when we are in direct danger of being attacked. You also believe the US spends way too much of its money on defense, as we can practically cut it in half and still easily defend ourselves, and use that money to fix all our economic problems.

Overall, you would most likely fit into the category of Moderate

Chile Rejoices as Capsule Brings Miners to Freedom

In August, 33 Chilean miners were trapped half a mile beneath earths crust. Only now have rescuers been able to emerge these miners because it took them two months to bore a hole down to where the miners where trapped. The miners are hoisted out of the mine through a small capsule that barley fits an adult. 

“All okay!” 48-year-old Dario Segovia, the 20th rescued miner, shouted to his rescuers right before they lifted him out of the ground. Once freed from the cage-like rescue device, he thanked God and walked to hug his wife. Workers then wrapped him in a blanket and took him to triage for medical treatment.

Its fascinating to know that these miners were able to survive under ground for two months. The Chilean government is really impressive to have gotten  down to the miners that quickly.

Offshore Wind Power Line Wins Backing+

A $5 billion transmission backbone for future wind farms is being invested by Google and New York Financial firm. Its a 350-mile underwater spine that will follow the Atlantic Seaboard.This potentially could change the electrial map along the Atalantic Seaboard and offers new locations for wind power.

“Conceptually it looks to me to be one of the most interesting transmission projects that I’ve ever seen walk through the door,” said Jon Wellinghoff, the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees interstate electricity transmission. “It provides a gathering point for offshore wind for multiple projects up and down the coast.”

These are the inventions and ideas the United States needs to continue to be a powerhouse country. If we continue on this path to going green we will set an example for others countries to follow.

Stop spread of illegal guns from states with weak laws

There are a few States with weak gun laws, these states are the major contributors of gun trafficking to the United States. Approximately 12,000 people are killed with guns a year in the United States.

Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alaska, Alabama, South Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Nevada and Georgia were the 10 states that supplied guns used in crimes at the highest rates -- each of them supplying such guns at a rate more than twice the national average. 

Not only do they supply a disproportionate amount of crime guns, but these states are also more likely to be the source of guns recovered in crimes within two years of the original sale, which the ATF said is a key sign of illegal trafficking.

If the laws on guns ar'nt taken seriously, crimes and deaths will continue to rise in our country. And if the few States that allow these small gaps to happen, our rights to own firearms might be taken away.

Judge orders military to stop enforcing 'don't ask, don't tell'

The military is being sued on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.  A federal judge is attempting to put and end to the policy and the ban on openly gays. 

U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips' permanent worldwide injunction -- praised by gay rights organizations -- orders the military "immediately to suspend and discontinue any investigation, or discharge, separation, or other proceeding, that may have been commenced" under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. 

The judge, a Clinton appointee based in the Central District of California, previously ruled that the policy regarding gays serving in the military violated service members' Fifth Amendment rights to due process and freedom of speech, but had delayed issuing the injunction. 

People who want to join the military shouldn't be forced to hide who they are. If they pass basic training and all the requirements to join the military then their sexuality shouldn't make a difference.

A Wave of Addiction and Crime, with the Medicine Cabinet to Blame

Police Departments are claiming that crime rates are rising because of painkillers and prescription drugs. Since the elderly citizens have many prescription drugs and painkillers in their homes, their the ones being targeted in the burglaries.

“We’re seeing people desperately and aggressively trying to get their hands on these pills,” said Janet T. Mills, the attorney general in Maine. “Home invasions, robberies, assaults, homicides, thefts — all kinds of crimes are being linked to prescription drugs.”

In Harpswell, Me., a masked man broke into the home of a 77-year-old woman in June, knocked her to the ground and snatched her Oxycontin pills at knifepoint. And in Hyannis, Mass., three men armed with a knife, a bat and a revolver broke into a home in 2008, bound the owner’s hands and feet with duct tape and tore through drawers and cabinets until they found her husband’s Oxycontin.

The battling rate of crimes in the United States is caused by the addiction through these drugs. We must make more people aware of these crimes in order to protect the innocent and their homes.

Republicans promise to repeal Obama's healthcare law?

Republicans seem like they are trying hard to gain control of the House and Senate. But their idea of repealing Obama's health care law seems pointless since Obama can just veto it.

Heading off disaster, one tweet at a time

FEMA chief, Craig Fugate, was not aware about the San Bruno explosion until later and used his android phone to sign on to twitter to read more about the local disaster.

After a few minutes he says he determined the gas explosion and ensuing fire, though horrible, was a localized event and wouldn't spread to other communities.

"I got better situational awareness [from Twitter] before we got official word," he said. "Four or five years ago I wouldn't have gotten that quality of information."

With the Worlds growing technologies, the government should easily be able to make people be aware of local disasters and spread it around the United States. People shouldn't have to rely on twitter, facebook or other internet sites to read and get news about disaster such as the one in San Bruno. When people find out about disaster before the government does, theres obviously a problem with their awareness within the country

Terror threat against America diversifying, security officials say

The United States is becoming a more targeted country for terrorism. More threats and the diversifying methods that are being used to attack the United States are making it more difficult to prevent attacks.

"It is diversifying in terms of sources; it is diversifying in terms of tactics," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told the Senate Homeland Security Committee. "The results of these changing tactics are fewer opportunities to detect and disrupt plots."

These increasing threats are proving our growing objections towards our involvement in the World. If things don't change within America, the World will soon seek a new Superpower and we will no longer be on top.

Exploded gas pipeline wasn't on utility's list of risky segments

On September 9th a gas line in San Bruno exploded causing injury to many as well as killing 4 civilians. The segment of pipe that had erupted was not on the Pacific Gas & Electric's top 100 risky pipeline segments even though it had been laid in 1948.

"That segment of pipe?" PG&E president Chris Johns said, referring to the San Bruno segment. "It was not on the top 100 list."

"We were not aware of anything in this particular area that met the criteria of what would have put it on the list," Johns told reporters.

Johns said the list is used for planning purposes and can change.

"In some instances, all we are doing is monitoring that segment," he said.

"The list is in flux. Some items will move up on the list, some items will move down. And this is not unique to us."

Potential threats like these should not be exposed to the public. The Preamble states that it will "provide for the common defense", but clearly if the government was so concerned with the publics safety the gas line would not have exploded.

Poverty in the U.S. spikes

Since 2009 the poverty rate in the US has jumped to 11.3% to 14.3% . Last year was a grueling year for many Americans, especially the thousands who had lost their jobs and found themselves in poverty. This crisis is the wort since the Great Depression. Obama's words about the rising poverty rate was:

"The Census Bureau released data that illustrates just how tough 2009 was, " President Obama said in a statement.

"Even before the recession hit, middle class incomes had been stagnant and the number of people living in poverty in America was unacceptably high, and today's numbers make it clear that our work is just beginning," the president added.

President Obama shows he is aware that our poverty level is high and that he is ready to tackle this crippling economy. If things cant get better we will soon see a new Superpower in the World.

Once Wary, Obama Relies on Petraeus

In Washington President Obama was informed by  Gen. David H. Petraeus that things in Afghanistan and Pakistan were progressing. Our growth in control over Kabul is increasing, which is increasing the access to their oil.

The general said that the American military would have substantially enlarged the “oil spot” — military jargon for secure area — around Kabul. It will have expanded American control farther outside of Kandahar, the Taliban heartland. And, the aides recalled, the general said the military would have reintegrated a significant number of former Taliban fighters in the south.

It seems as though President Obama is still seeking to control oil in the middle east in order to nourish the publics cravings in America. If the United States could start following a more energy efficient path, oil wouldn't be needed as much and securing "oil spots" wouldn't be seen as great accomplishments. 

Imam at center of controversy named in lawsuit

The imam who has proposed the Islamic center to be built two blocks from ground zero, is now also fighting a law suit against two buildings he owns because of maintenance issues. 

From 1996 to 2010, the city responded to no less than 30 complaints from tenants predicated upon various health and safety concerns, including lack of heat, mold inside apartments, garbage issues, bed bugs, foul odors, dirty hallways and the lack of utilities/heat," the filing says.

If Feisal Abdul Rauf's company and Sage Development cannot even maintain proper legal codes to insure the safety of the residence, how do they expect to maintain an Islamic Center.