Jean Lievens: Gerry Mooney on Open Scotland — Hybrid Grassroots Activism Empowered by Social Media

Social media and grassroots activism have taken Scotland to the brink of independence Gerry Mooney The Conversation, 8 September 2014 EXTRACTS If you wanted an explanation for the momentum that has carried the Yes campaign to the brink of victory in the Scottish referendum, you have to look at what’s happening on the ground. The extent …

Berto Jongman: Greenwald on ISIS, Rothkopf on National Insecurity Plus Spinney, Polk, Cockburn, and Steele on How ISIS and Hamas Have Won and Everything We Plan to Do Will Deepen Our Losses

Americans Now Fear ISIS Sleeper Cells Are Living in the U.S., Overwhelmingly Support Military Action Glenn Greenwald The Intercept, 8 September 2014 EXTRACTS What kind of country goes around bombing people with no strategic purpose and with little motive other than to “flex muscles” and “show toughness”? This answer also seems clear: one that is …

Berto Jongman: The Costs of War — Human Costs, Economic Costss, Social + Political Costs with Alternatives and Recommendations

Over 350,000 Killed by Violence, $4.4 Trillion Spent and Obligated The wars begun in 2001 have been tremendously painful for millions of people in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, and the United States, and economically costly as well. Each additional month and year of war adds to that toll. Moreover, the human costs of these conflicts will …

Jean Lievens: The Sharing Economy Will Thrive Only If Government Doesn’t Strangle It

The Sharing Economy Will Thrive Only If Government Doesn’t Strangle It R. J. Lehmann Reason.com, 2 August 2014 We’re unlocking unthinkable amounts of capital and lawmakers stand in the way. The so-called sharing economy is many things to many people. To Wall Street and Silicon Valley, firms like Uber and Airbnb offer tantalizing market capitalizations, …

Robert Steele: Rebuilding National Intelligence – A 12-Step Plan

Rebuilding National Intelligence – A 12-Step Plan Why Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Chuck Hagel Need to THINK….now. Robert David STEELE Vivas OpEdNews, 27 July 2014 DOC (21 Pages): Steele Rebuilding National Intelligence 1.9 SHORT URL: http://tinyurl.com/Steele-12-Steps As we begin the final two and a half years (less seven days) of the Obama-Biden …

Chuck Spinney: Saudi Arabia Funding of Islamic State

This is an informative and important report written by one of the best reporters covering events in the Middle East.  I reformatted it slightly and highlighted it to emphasize points I think are important.  If you find this distracting, this link will take readers to the original. Iraq crisis: How Saudi Arabia helped Isis take over the north of …