Reference: Self-Inflicted Wounds–Understanding Islamic Factions

Very important CTC study on internal frictions within the Salafi movement Very important CTC study with a number of high profile and experienced contributors. It should be read by anyone dealing with Islamist movements.  The study is a landmark endeavor–a model to be followed–and hopefully will generate additional studies. Phi Beta Iota: The US Military …

Reference: Citizenship Versus Transpartisanship

TRANSPARTISANSHIP AND MOVING BEYOND PARTISANSHIP by Tom Atlee What is “transpartisanship”?  In its most common usage, “transpartisan” seems to refer to partisans from across the political spectrum coming together in civil conversation. I love the term, but find myself thinking of it as a transitional phenomenon.  A partisan is a strong (even militant) supporter of …

Reference: The Fraud-Based US Economy

The attached blog,  “Failing to Prosecute Wall Street Fraud Is Extending Our Economic Problems,” is a cut-and-paste accumulation of a variety of outlooks. Most are  based on analyses or accumulated wisdom, but some appear based on hunches, ideologies, etc.  Taken together, however, they paint a horrifying picture of the American political economy and our prospects for …

Journal: US Gap Between Rich & Poor Widens by Factor of 10

Gap Between Rich and Poor Follows Geographic Lines, U.S. Census Data Shows By Timothy R. Homan – Dec 15, 2010 Bloomberg The gap between the haves and have- nots in the U.S. is being drawn along geographic lines, Census Bureau data showed yesterday. The number of counties where median household income decreased is almost 10 …

Reference: Wikileaks Bag of Words, Personal Democracy, More Authentic

Personal Democracy Forum’s flash summit on Wikileaks Video archive of Saturday’s Wikileaks discussion, which was quite compelling… quite a bit about the new world of journalism and Wikileaks’ place in it. These are truly chaotic and “interesting” times. Mark Pesce on Wikileaks: “Everything feels more authentic.” Wikileaks is a big deal; Mark Pesce’s written the …