Are Fire Retardants Safe?
So-called long-term fire retardants—those usually dropped from airplanes over forest fires—are comprised of water mixed with a slurry of chemicals, thickeners and corrosion inhibitors designed to prevent plants on the ground from igniting, keep the ingredients from separating and dispersing during targeted drops, and ensure that the harsh chemicals on board the plane don’t endanger the flight’s safety.
Modern US Presidents Act Like 'Thugs,' Says Historian Michael Parenti
President George W. Bush is “the biggest thug” ever to occupy the White House, writes historian Michael Parenti, adding that most post-World War II U.S. presidents have also acted like “thugs.”
Health Care in Crisis: Who's Listening?
About 22,000 people died in 2006 in the US because they didn't have health insurance, according to an estimate by the Urban Institute.
War for Empire
There are many ways to view the War in Iraq, and by extension, much if not all of the so-called War on Terror. I’m interested here in talking about two different ways that the War in Iraq can be viewed simultaneously, that is, without excluding each other—however oppositional they appear to be at first.
Bush in the Heavens
In this reflection I will go by the news received from different sources, including international cable services – without specifically recognizing any of them as the information source, but strictly abiding by the text of the news – books, documents, the Internet, and even questions asked to well-documented sources.
Small Business Forced to Close by Gov't. Subsidies to Wal-Mart
Small retailers the nation over are being pushed out of business by government subsidies to chain competitors such as Wal-Mart and Target through a variety of “corporate socialism” schemes, taxation authority David Cay Johnston says.
We Can't Afford John McCain's Health Plan
As the health care crisis has worsened over the last seven years with 47 million people now going without health care coverage American working families are repeatedly citing health care as among their top concerns this election cycle.
Why Right-wing Pundits Don't Like Obama's 'Race Speech'
Packing hundreds of years of US history into a 38-minute speech, Barack Obama last Tuesday responded to criticisms about his relationship with his controversial former minister by addressing the issue of race and racism, a question few national politicians have ever had the courage to directly address.
Parrots Gone Wild
At least three dozen different parrot species are now considered threatened or endangered in their quickly shrinking native tropical and sub-tropical habitats (mostly in South America).
Building an Activist Movement to End the Occupation of Iraq
Robert Dreyfuss's presentation that I now have to follow was tremendous and I learned a lot, but I disagree with his pessimism. I am fond of the saying 'Let's save our pessimism for better times.' It's a choice to be a pessimist, and it is a wrong one, always.
