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Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Have Cost Americans $3.7 Trillion, $12,000 Per Person

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:36:18 +0000

US War Costs Reach $3.7 Trillion
Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Have Cost Americans $3.7 Trillion, $12,000 Per Person

A study conducted by Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies found that over the past 10 years the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost United States taxpayers a total $2.3 to 2.7 trillion, with a final tally being at least $3.7 trillion, an average of $12,000 per American citizen. According to the study, titled, “Costs of War” (www.costsofwar.org) in 2011 the United States Congress has given $1.3 trillion to the Department of Defense for war spending. Projected costs do not include care for wounded US veterans and interest on the war debt. At the end of April 2011 average costs of the combined military occupations of Iraq and the Afghanistan amounted to $9.7 billion per month, a figure equivalent to the annual budget for the Environmental Protection Agency. Republican and Democratic lawmakers remain divided about cutting the military budget even as federal spending in almost every area far exceeds funds taken in by the government. Part of the confusion concerning military costs is related to the Pentagon’s inability to pinpoint specific war costs. Further, despite excessive military spending, the US how has a smaller set of armed forces that are inefficiently trained and poorly equipped.
Sources:
“Report: $3.7 Trillion for U.S. Wars, $12,000 Per Person,” Global Research, August 16, 2011
Author: Nancy A. Youssef
URL: http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=26039
“U.S. War Costs Reach At Least $3.7 Trillion and Counting”
Author: Reuters via Huffington Post
URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/29/us-war-costs-3-trillion_n_886879.html

Student Researcher: Joanne Marszal, Florida Atlantic University
Faculty Advisor: James F. Tracy, Florida Atlantic UniversitySimilar Posts:

Zero-Tolerance Education Policies Are Destroying Young People’s Lives

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:45:41 +0000

In the year 2006, 3.3 million students, or one in fourteen, were suspended or expelled. This is due to the Zero-Tolerance Policy that has been in effect since 1994. In recent years this policy has negatively effected many students in the school systems. The Zero-Tolerance Policy was first implemented to expel any student for a year that brought a weapon to school. Now this policy has been put into regular use for minor infractions made by students such as profanity, talking back, defiant behavior, and bringing over the counter medicines to school. Punishing students is doing more harm than good. Instead of giving these troubled students the services that they desperately need, schools are referring them to juvenile courts to address behaviors that can and should be handled by school administration. Since students are introduced to the judicial system at such a young age, they are more likely to drop out of schools and encounter the judicial system again.

This Zero-Tolerance Policy is having a more direct effect on the African American population in the United States. Students of color are targeted by school officials more than white students and receive harsher punishments like suspension and expulsion. Currently, the United States has the highest incarceration rate. There are more African American men living in jail cells than in college dorm rooms today.

As the ESEA bill is up for reauthorization, now is a crucial time in which the American public should speak up to local lawmakers in order to abolish the Zero-Tolerance Policy.

Sources:

LaMarche, Gara. “Zero-Tolerance Education Policies Are Destroying Young People’s Lives”, AlterNet.org, AlterNet, 13 April 2011. 15 April 2011. .

Michigan State University. “Zero tolerance ineffective in schools, study finds.” ScienceDaily, 11 May 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2011

Yanoff, Shelly. “‘Zero Tolerence’ failed city schools”, AlterNet.org, AlterNet, 11 April 2011. 14 April 2011. .

Student Researcher: Anna Prasch, Addie McDonnell and Hannah Weigel

Faculty Instructor: Kevin Howley

Evaluator: Jamie Stockton Ph.D., Educational Studies

DePauw UniversitySimilar Posts:

The Employability of Autistics

admin — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 03:15:07 +0000

Wired’s Smart List 2009 documented 12 Shocking Ideas That Could Change the World. Of the twelve ideas the most intriguing is “Thorkil Sonne: Recruiting Autistics.” With the gradually decreasing amount of jobs, it is expected that employers are looking for people with good communication and social skills. Although, some jobs require extreme concentration and total memory recall. Thorkil Sonne believes that these jobs could use the qualities that Autistic individuals have, and this creates an ethical dilemma because he is using Autism as a selling point, and possibly implying that he is more likely to hire individuals with Autism.

He reached this conclusion about six years ago, after his youngest son was diagnosed with this developmental disorder. In Sonne’s home land, Denmark, Autistics are viewed as unemployable. But because Sonne is familiar with IT (information technology) a field more fitting to people with Autism and other social and communication disorders, he learned that Autistics excelled in this area. What makes Information Technology such a good field for Autistics is the fact that it requires extreme concentration. Also, working in Information Technology requires one to be able to find even the smallest details in a quick, timely manner.

According to Sonne, Autistics are good at following structure and routines. They have excellent memory and pay strong attention to even the smallest details. They make far fewer mistakes, than most employees. According to research, employers found Autistics to be five to ten times more precise in their work than others. Although, the employee – employer relationship may be a little unusual, both companies and those with this developmental disorder will benefit greatly.

Student Researcher: Rachel Lounsbury 
Faculty Instructor: Professor Elliot Cohen Indian River State College 
Sources:
 Bennett, Drake. “Thorkil Sonne: Recruit Autistics.” Wired.com. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. .

Khaleel, Zenifer. “Sonne Shines with Company for People with ASD.” Gulfnews. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. . ”Specialisterne.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. .

“Thorkil Sonne | Ashoka.org.” Front Page | Ashoka.org. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. .
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Powerful Interests Behind Alliance of Youth Movements

admin — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 02:12:29 +0000

The Alliance of Youth Movements mission statement claims it is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping grassroots activists to build their capacity and make a greater impact on the world. Upon examining those involved in “Movements.org,” a dark agenda is revealed of such reprehensible intent. Movement.org’s “team” includes Co-Founder Jared Cohen, a CFR member, Director of Google Ideas, and a former State Department planning staff member under both Condoleezza Rice and Hilary Clinton. Founding Movements.org with Cohen is Jason Liebman of Howcast Media which works with mega-corporate conglomerates like Proctor & Gamble, Kodak, Staples, Ford, and government agencies such as the US State Department and the US Defense Department, to create “custom branded entertainment, innovative social media, and targeted rich-media campaigns.” He was also with Google for 4 years where he worked to partner with Time Warner, Fox News, Viacom, Warner Music, Sony Pictures, Reuters, the New York Times, and the Washington Post Company.

While the activists attending the Movements.org summit adhere to the philosophies of “left-leaning” liberalism, the very men behind the summit, funding it, and prodding the agenda of these activists are America’s mega-corporate combine. These are the very big-businesses that have violated human rights worldwide, destroyed the environment, sell shoddy, overseas manufactured goods produced by workers living in slave conditions, and pursue an agenda of greed and perpetual expansion at any cost. The hypocrisy is astounding unless of course you understand that their disreputable, self-serving agenda could only be accomplished under the guise of genuine concern for humanity, buried under mountains of feel-good rhetoric, and helped along by an army of exploited, naive youth. What we see is not a foundation from which all activists can work from, but a foundation that has a very selective group of activists working on “problem spots” the US State Department would like to see “changed.” Wherever protesters and movements are working to undermine governments non-conducive to corporate America’s agenda, you will find Movements.org supporting their efforts.

Title: Google’s Revolution Factory- Alliance of Youth Movements: Color Revolution 2.0
Author: Tony Cartalucci
Faculty Evaluator: Elaine Wellin
Source: HYPERLINK “http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23283″ http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23283

Student Researcher: Chante Noel, Sonoma State University
Faculty Evaluator: Elaine Wellin, Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Create a State Bank: Novel Solution to the Budget Crisis

admin — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 23:01:38 +0000

States across the nation are in debt and needing to make drastic spending cuts, as well as hiking taxes, as well as privatizing public assets and some are discussing bankruptcy. However, if we look to one of the more financially secure States in the country we may find an easier solution.

North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the country. In 2009, when other states were floundering it had its largest budget surplus. Currently, it has the only public-owned bank in the nation, and has a 92 year history of safe, secure, and highly profitable transactions. The Bank of North Dakota allows the state to keep its money local, flowing into the state treasury and local economy.

Eight other states have bills pending to form their own state-owned bank or to conduct studies that would determine their potential: Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, Maryland, Illinois, Virginia, Hawaii, and Louisiana. Washington and Oregon have already commissioned a detailed analysis which concluded in both states, a state/public bank would have a substantial positive impact on employment, new lending, and state and local government revenue.

“A Choice for States: Banks, Not Budget Crises”, Ellen Brown, Yes! Magazine, March 25, 2011. HYPERLINK “http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/a-choice-for-states-banks-not-budget-crises” www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/a-choice-for-states-banks-not-budget-crises

“Washington State Joins the Movement for Public Banking”, Ellen Brown, Yes! Magazine, January 24, 2011. HYPERLINK “http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/washington-state-joins-movement-for-public-banking” www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/washington-state-joins-movement-for-public-banking

Student Researcher: Allison Gill, San Francisco State University

Faculty Evaluator: Kenn Burrows, San Francisco State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Will a State of Emergency Be Used to Supersede our Constitution?

admin — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:56:21 +0000

A program dating back to the Eisenhower era of emergency measures for an America devastated in a nuclear attack, is now converted to bestow secret powers on the president for anything he considers an emergency. The National Emergency Centers Establishment Act (HR 645), recently introduced in congress, calls for the establishment of “national emergency centers” in major regions in the US. The stated purpose of these centers is to provide “temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency, major disaster” or to “meet other appropriate needs”, determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Recent “Continuity of Government” planning has quietly removed time-honored constitutional protections, and increased the militarization of civilian law enforcement. For the first time in US history, military troops are allowed to do police actions (vs local law enforcement) in US cities. There is good reason for the constructive friction between existing law enforcement agencies so that power is distributed in a democracy, and local law enforcement is responsible to local citizens.

Recently the US Army established an active-duty brigade trained to manage civil unrest and crowd control. Historically this has been illegal according to the longstanding Posse Comitatus statues. It should concern us all that there has been a loss of local authority and sustained preparations for the possibility of martial law.

Sources:
“Continuity of Government: Is the State of Emergency Superseding our Constitution?” Peter Dale Scott, Global Research, Nov. 24, 2010. www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=22089

“HR 645 / U.S. PREPARING FOR CIVIL UNREST.” Allen Roland, Thepeoplesvoice.org, Mar. 16, 2010. www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2010/03/16/hr-645-u-s-preparing-for-civil-unrest

“Establishing Martial Law in the US.” SourceWatch. Center for Media and Democracy.
www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Establishing_martial_law_in_the_United_States

“War, Martial Law, and the Economic Crisis” Excerpt from: “The Global Economic Crisis: The Great Depression of the XXI Century” by Peter Dale Scott, Global Research, Feb. 23, 2011 http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=23354

Student Researchers: Robert Usher and Brittney Barsotti, San Francisco State University

Faculty Evaluator: Kenn Burrows, San Francisco State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Southern Poverty Law Center Study finds Immigrant Women Workers Face Daily Sexual Harassment, Rape and Wage Theft

admin — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:50:57 +0000

Findings in the SPLC report, “Injustice on Our Plates: Immigrant Women in the U.S. Food Industry,” intimately connect the food Americans eat to the abuse of women. The study documents the experiences of 150 immigrant women who came from Mexico and other Latin American countries to work in the food industry across the United States. There are four million undocumented women living in the U.S. These women came to this country in most cases to escape extreme poverty and to help their families. But here they live on poverty wages and face violence, sexual harassment, wage theft, and unsafe working environments. Farm workers are routinely exposed to pesticides on the job, many suffer acute symptoms of exposure, and have given birth to deformed babies as a result. Many women reported near constant sexual harassment and violence in the workplace. The women find it difficult to fight for safer working conditions, or to seek recourse for grievances because of threats from employers with being turned into the authorities for immigration status, or told they can just quit and will be easily replaced by other immigrant workers. These women are providing essential work in our country and their exploitation is not only a human rights crisis, it undermines wages and working conditions for all workers.

Title: The Injustice on Our Plates

Author: J. Richard Cohen, President of SPLC

Source: Huffington Post.com November 24, 2010

URL: www.huffingtonpost.com/J-richard-cohen/the-injustice-on-our-plat_b_787665.html

Title: Why Women Who Pick and Process Your Food Face Daily Threats of Rape, Harassment and Wage Theft

Author: Jill Richardson

Source: Alternet.org January26, 2011

URL: http://www.alternet.org/story/149693

Title: Injustice on Our Plates: Immigrant Women in the U.S. Food Industry

Author: The Southern Poverty Law Center

Source: splcenter.org

URL: http://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/downloads/publication/Injustice_on_Our_Plates.pdf

Student Researcher: Amy Ortiz, Sonoma State University

Faculty Evaluator: Dr. Lena McQuade, Sonoma State UniversitySimilar Posts:

Is Public Television’s News Hour Serving the Public?

admin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:06:49 +0000

A new FAIR study suggests that the PBS NewsHour is not living up to Public Television’s promise to “reflect the pluralism of our society” and address “the needs of the unserved and underserved.” The study shows that the sources drawn from on the program are heavily dominated by elite white males while women and minorities were severely underrepresented. FAIR determined that five elite occupations represented a majority of the sources (74 percent) with government officials overwhelmingly being the most frequent (44 percent). The study also indicates that NewsHour may not be free of political influence since the partisan voices heard seem to shift depending on which party controls Congress.
One reason that NewsHour is presenting a narrow perspective may be that PBS NewHour’s major underwriters are some of the largest and most powerful corporations in the country. The list includes Chevron, Bank of America, Intel, and United Healthcare. Another reason the program is not serving the public’s interest may be that 64 percent of program is owned by Liberty Media, a for-profit conglomerate controlled by media mogul John Mallone. With political pressures, corporate funding, and private ownership, can NewsHour maintain its independence and serve the public?

Student Researcher: Ryan Ferraro
Faculty Evaluator: Elliot D. Cohen, Ph.D.
Indian River State College

Sources

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Appropriation Request and Justification [Online] // CPB.org. - http://www.cpb.org/aboutcpb/financials/appropriation/justification_11-13.pdf.

Current NewsHour Funders [Online] // PBS.org. - http://www.pbs.org/newshour/aboutus/funders.html.

Editorial Standards [Online] // PBS.org. - http://www.pbs.org/about/editorial-standards/.

Fortune 500 2010 [Online] // CNN Money. - May 3, 2010. - http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2010/full_list/.

Jackson Janine What’s ‘Public’ About Public TV’s News Flagship? [Article] // Extra!. - New York : FAIR, 2010. - November. - 11 : Vol. 23.

Rendall Steve and Morel Michael Does NewsHour ‘Help Us See America Whole’? [Article] // Extra!. - New York, NY : FAIR, 2010. - November. - 11 : Vol. 23.

The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 – as amended [Online] // Corporation for Public Broadcasting. - http://www.cpb.org/aboutpb/act/text.html.Similar Posts:

Reproductive Rights & Dignity Violated in Namibia

admin — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 01:18:31 +0000

There are women in Namibia whose reproductive rights are being violated. Women with HIV and being forced to get sterilized, despite there being no sound medical basis for the procedure. At least some women have been sterilized without full understanding of or agreement to the procedure. Three of the women are suing the Namibia Ministry of Health and Social Services for “alleged violation of their right to dignity, non-discrimination and the right to start a family.” In June 2010, hundreds of protesters rallied behind the women to end the practice of forced sterilization of HIV-positive patients.

Source: Clyde, Don. (2010, Jun 3). “HIV-positive women sue Namibian government over forced

Sterilization.” Newsdesk.org http://newsdesk.org/2010/06/hiv-positive-women-sue-namibian-government-over-forced-sterilization/

Student Researcher: Ashley Benoit

Faculty Instructor: Dr. Christina Knopf, Department of English & Communication, SUNY Potsdam

photo from sourceSimilar Posts:

Violence and the New Face of Homelessness in America

admin — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:54:56 +0000

In 2009, violence against the homeless was at an all time high, with reports of injuries, vandalism of property, and 43 deaths among homeless persons across the nation. The stressful experiences of becoming homeless and then being victimized create extremely high levels of trauma, leading to elevated rates of mental illness among homeless individuals.

These and other factors have contributed to a significant shift in the profile of homelessness. Homelessness is no longer the unique experience of addicts, the severely mentally ill, or the chronically unemployed. In recent years, homelessness has been on the rise due to soaring unemployment rates, increased levels of poverty, the foreclosure crisis, and a shortage of affordable housing and social services, all of which accompanied the recent economic downturn in the United States. The recent recession has left thousands of formerly hard-working, middle class people without a roof over their heads. Six million Americans have lost their home to foreclosures, leading to the recent surge of tent cities throughout the country. For example, an estimated 1,534 people are living in Los Angeles encampments and 900 in Sacramento, California.

We are currently seeing, for example, an increase in the number of homeless veterans. As of 2007, one in four homeless people were veterans. Veterans often become homeless due to mental illness and/or substance abuse for which they receive inadequate, if any, professional treatment. According to Pete Dougherty, director of homeless veterans’ programs at the VA, forty-five percent of people who use their programs have a mental illness, while three out of four have substance abuse problems.The most common mental illness, and one of the leading causes of homelessness among veterans, is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, living on the streets itself leads homeless individuals to experience the kinds of victimization that lead to PTSD. A study published in 2004 inChild Adolescent Psychiatry found that eighty-three percent of youth living on the streets were physically or sexually victimized. Among these homeless youth, eighteen percent showed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Thus the cycle: homelessness leads to PTSD, while PTSD and other mental illnesses make it even more difficult for homeless people to improve their situation.

Unfortunately, violence against the homeless is not always frowned upon; sometimes, it is, instead, celebrated. In recent YouTube videos, young males are showcased physically and verbally abusing homeless men under the name of “BumHunters” or “Bum Fights.” In some jurisdictions, local police play a role in victimizing the homeless. In one reported instance, a homeless man was approached by a police officer who slapped him on the back and called him names like “punk” and “homeless bitch.”
Sources:

Biagotti, L. & Davis, T. (2008). The Changing Face of Homelessness. Oct. 27th 2010 Retrieved from http://www.coping-with-life.com/2008/05/changing-face-of-homelessness.html

Chen, M. (2009, October 16). Homelessness and the Recession: An Unimaginable Crisis. In These Times. Retrieved from http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5052/homelessness_and_the_recession an_unimaginable_crisis/

Dobnik, V. (2006, July 5). Homelessness a Threat for Iraq Vets. CommonDreams.org. Retrieved from http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0705-04.htm

EducationNews.org. (2010, March 19th). Economic Crisis Devastates Rich & Poor- Tent Cities in America. EducationNew.org. Retrieved from

http://www.educationnews.org/mobile/political/political_releases/76201.html

Student Researchers: Emily Waterman, Jessica Starr, Sara Fitzpatrick, Siena College

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mo Hannah, Siena College

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