Archive for February, 2011
Franken: Net Neutrality “Biggest Issue Since Freedom of Religion”
Republicans vote to eliminate net neutrality
Reply-To: info@alfranken.com
Dear FUTUREPREDICTIONS.COM,
By now you may have heard the news: Republicans in the House of Representatives voted last week to block the FCC from enforcing its new net neutrality regulations.
As I’ve said before, these regulations weren’t nearly good enough to ensure that the Internet remains free and open. But they were a step in the right direction. And by voting to eliminate them, House Republicans declared their willingness to let big corporations control the Internet.
We know what this could mean for American consumers — less diversity of viewpoints, less access to independent content through services like Netflix, and higher prices for Internet service.
The good news is that the Senate still has a chance to stop this special interest power play. I’m working as hard as I can to build support for net neutrality in the Senate — but I’m not the only one talking to my colleagues. These corporations have lobbyists of their own, lots of them, and they’re descending upon Capitol Hill en masse.
The only way we’re going to save net neutrality is if ordinary Americans make their voices heard. I’ll update you soon — but for now, please forward this email to your friends and ask them to join our campaign by linking up with me on Twitter or Facebook.
Thanks — and stay tuned.
AlPaid for and authorized by Al Franken for Senate 2014
Julian Assange and his lawyer Jennifer Robinson arrive for his extradition hearing at Belmarsh Magistrates’ Court in London, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2011.
A British judge approves Swedish prosecutors’ request to extradite Julian Assange
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
ACCESS THE TED INTERVIEW BY CHRIS ANDERSON CLICK PICTURE ABOVE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Julian Assange’s Internet-based outfit: Is it journalism or espionage or something in between?
Justice, State and Defense Department lawyers – it might be possible to prosecute the WikiLeaks founder and others under the Espionage Act, a senior defense official said Tuesday
Is Julian Assange Guilty of Espionage?
techcrunch.com reports on Julian Assange on Interpol Most Wanted List Sweden authorizes INTERPOL to make public Red Notice for WikiLeaks founder:
LYON, France – INTERPOL has made public the Red Notice, or international wanted persons alert, for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange 
Espionage Act of 1917 made it a crime:
To convey information with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the armed forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies. This was punishable by death or by imprisonment for not more than 30 years or both. To convey false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies when the United States is at war, to cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or to willfully obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States. This was punishable by a maximum fine of $10,000 fine or by imprisonment for not more than 20 years or both.
“ECHOSYSTEM OF CORRUPTION”
Possible target major U.S. bank per Huffington Post article!
WikiLeaks war logs posting ‘will lead to free speech ruling’ US supreme court likely to have to rule on issue of balancing national security and freedom of speech, says judge Sonia Sotomayor!
Photograph: Ed Andrieski/AP
Source: guardian.co.uk
CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW TO IMPEAD FREE SPEACH
LET’S GET REAL
“The U.S. is bankrupt,” claims Laurence Kotlikoff (Bloomberg) as he states that neither spending more nor taxing less will help the country pay its bills. “U.S. is Bankrupt and We Don’t Even Know It:” War is expensive as the wars will cost all of us over $3 trillion and much more…
U.S. SPENDING ON IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN BY MONTH, WEEK, DAY, HOUR, MINUTE, & SECOND
(based on adjusted DOD FY 2007 obligations)
| Iraq | Afghanistan | Total | |
| Per Month | $10.3 billion | $2 billion | $12.3 billion |
| Per Week | $2.4 billion | $469 million | $2.9 billion |
| Per Day | $343 million | $67 million | $410 million |
| Per Hour | $14 million | $2.8 million | $17 million |
| Per Minute | $238,425 | $46,296 | $284,722 |
| Per Second | $3,973 | $771 | $4,745 |
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SOURCE: Data from Amy Belasco, “The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11,” Congressional Research Service (updated February 8, 2008). Totals may not add due to rounding. |
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The U.S Defense Department spends $1.2 million per year on each person deployed. Of course, the least of that is wages or salary for the soldiers themselves. Most of it is due to the sheer lack of infrastructure in Afghanistan; its geographical position as a landlock nation. And the biggest single item in this? Fuel costs. Per troop deployed: $200,000 to $350,000 a year just in fuel costs. With all this heavy stuff that’s coming in now, that number’s probably going to go up as the oil prices are going up.
Source: Stephan Richter, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Globalist with his analysis of the 2011 Defense Budget .PDF Download
Joseph Stiglitz speaks on how the Iraq war ruined the economy, is the Nobel prize-winning economist discussing the war’s impact on global finance.
Source: Cost of War Since 2001
By the 2020s, the U.S. Navy estimates, that a free-electron laser will be mounted on a ship.
It needs to get to 100 kilowatts to be viable to defend a ship, the Navy thinks. The Navy doesn’t yet have the systems to divert the amount of power from its ships’ generators necessary to operate the laser, but anticipates it will by the 2020s.
Navy FEL megawatt laser to be tested in a maritime environment as early as 2018.
Operating at the speed of light, the FEL will be able to detect threats. An incoming missile won’t outrun it, out maneuver it or escape it. It will defend the fleet of the future and the Office of Naval Research is supporting the technology to build it right now.
