Last July, I visited the US on an academic tour and, as a part of my stay, participated in a Tucson, Arizona, conference of the type that would not fit with the expectations of a…
Tag: US
Last June, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange took shelter in the embassy of Ecuador in London after being granted political asylum by the government of R. Correa. Assange explains that the plan shared by the Swedish,…
Let’s Define Our Terms This is a serious discussion, so let’s be sure we are on the same page by ensuring we apply the same meanings to our words. “Democracy” is NOT government. It is…
I am a Blackfoot Indian. There are maybe 45,000 or so of us left. Most are mixed-race and that is important in that we are defined by our occupiers by blood-quantum. It takes 25% blood-quantum…
NAM: Towards Breaking Western Stranglehold of Power Despite the West’s deliberate inattention to and willful disregard for Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Tehran, there is no denying the fact that the summit has occasioned extreme chagrin…
NAM Summit: Ban Ki-Moon in disgraceful show of US puppetry Seated alongside Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the day that Iran took over presidency of the NAM of 120 nations, the presence of Ban…
Federal Reserve To Crash Markets Before Launching QE3? Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailleul: Desperate to print Wiemar-style to fight off the most viscous Kondratiev Winter on record, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke may not satisfy ‘inflation trade’…
In June-July, the Akula-class submarine, an attack warship capable of carrying long-range ballistic missiles, travelled in the Gulf of Mexico patrolling the US coast. The US satellites and hydro-acoustic sensors failed to spot it….
“Only 17 percent of the all-volunteer force serves for more than 20 years, and they are endowed with a lifetime benefit. The current US military retirement system does not compensate for those in high risk situations or extenuating circumstances (e.g., combat duty, hardship tour, and separation from family).. The current military retirement system is unfair. For example, 83 percent of those serving in the US military will receive no retirement benefit. US military personnel serving 5, 10, or 15 years will depart from service with no benefit or pension. This cohort includes the majority of troops who have engaged and will engage in combat. Retiree healthcare (TRICARE) is significantly more generous than civilian programs. For those serving more than 20 years, the retirement contribution is 10 times greater than the private sector: average private sector pension contributions range from 4-12% per year; military retirement benefit equates to 75% of annual pay per year for those who retire; and immediate payout after 20 years has no comparison in the private sector. In light of the budget challenges DOD is currently facing, the military retirement system appears increasingly unaffordable.” Defense Business Board
How would you like to live under someone’s boot? That’s not a reference to a brute for a husband or a bitch for a bride. It’s a question motivated by the behaviour of the mindless…