Jean Lievens: The Do It Yourself Maker Movement

“In this chapter, we investigate the maker subculture and its manifestation in fabbing ecosystem. In other words, how the love of making things, hacking, tinkering, circuit bending and doing/making everything so-called DIY is a significant peculiarity of Fab Labs. We first look at the meaning and the emergence of the maker subculture and the development …

Mother Jones: Latin American Nations Distance Themselves from USA, Debate Legalizing Marijuana

Latin American Nations Debate Legalizing Pot —By Josh Harkinson Mon Jun. 10, 2013 At last week’s annual summit of the Organization of American States, Latin American leaders distanced themselves from the United States’ drug policies and agreed to consider the widespread legalization of marijuana. The OAS summit “was really a tipping point for this movement” …

Allen Roland: Honoring Chalmers Johnson, Prophet of Truth + Empire Meta-RECAP

Prophet for a Dying Empire Every dying Empire has its truth telling prophet and America had its own with Chalmers Johnson. Johnson correctly compared the decay of the American empire, with its well over 600 overseas military bases, with the fall of the Roman Empire whereas the Senate becomes a wealthy corporate club and irrelevant …

Search: Development at Gunpoint – Why Civilians Must Reclaim Stabilization Aid

Development at Gunpoint – Why Civilians Must Reclaim Stabilization Aid Michael Young Foreign Affairs, December 19, 2010 The current multibillion-dollar campaign to counter transnational terrorism, defeat insurgencies, and stabilize fragile states blends diplomacy, defense, and development. A principal tool in this vast effort is humanitarian and development assistance — what has come to be known …

Jim Dean: Syria — Deception & Disaster — Time for Truth or Consequences

Syria – Deception and Cover for Disaster US  sinking down into the Syrian quicksand “…I think it [intervention] is a mistake in Syria, even if we had intervened more significantly a year or six months ago. We overestimate our ability to determine outcomes.”  …former Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates America sank down another foot this …