The Game Is Rigged

May 16

shortformblog:

Euro zone fears lead to massive Greek bank exodus

As fears of a Greek exit from the Euro zone grow, investors across the country withdrew hundreds of millions of Euros from Greek banks on Monday and Tuesday. As thousands of customers closed accounts, or transferred to euro-friendly banks in neighboring countries like Cyrus, analysts began to fear that a “bank run” was on the horizon. Bank runs take place when large groups of customers withdraw their holdings from banking institutions, fearing that the bank will soon be insolvent. As more people withdraw from the bank, the likelihood of insolvency increases, further increasing the number of customers who withdraw. Essentially, closure transforms from a possibility to self-fulfilling prophecy.

• €800 million pulled from Greek banks Tuesday — nearly $1 billion in U.S. dollars
• €72
  billion pulled from Greek banks since January 2010 alone source

» Attempting to calm “bank run” fears: President Karolos Papoulias announced the staggering total during a speech before heads of Greece’s Panhellenic Socialist party. Papoulias admitted that analysts estimated similarly high withdrawals on Tuesday, but assured party members that there was no need to fear a “bank run”. Analysts seem to agree for now, with Mediobanca analyst Alex Tsirigotis telling Reuters, “We have witnessed periods of tension before when the banks experienced large outflows. In my view, the majority of people with these concerns would have done so by now.” (Photo via dullhunk)

(via socialuprooting)

Qualified Virginia prosecutor not allowed to be judge because he's gay

[video]

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What you see happening in Europe is really going to happen in December [in the U.S.], because in December all of these things come together,” Graham said, referring to the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and payroll tax cut, the approach of the debt limit, and the kicking in of automatic cuts mandated by the previous budget deal, which will all coincide with the new year. “If in December, we run for the hills as a nation, what’s going on in Europe is coming to our doorstep.”

But politicians are fooling themselves if they think some sort of centrist consensus will save their jobs, said Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.). “European elections should remind politicians here not to worry about the approval of pampered, pompous Washington pundits who think the middle class just has it too good,” Miller said. “Washington pundits love austerity, and they’re all clucking with disapproval for European voters. The pundits always think someone else’s belt needs tightening, and it’s always someone who doesn’t go to the same cocktail parties they go to. But there are a lot more middle-class voters than there are Washington pundits.”

U.S. Politicians Eye Europe Warily As Austerity Fatigue Ousts Governments

(via socialuprooting)

(via sinidentidades)

Libérate.: 5 Mindblowing Facts About Student Debt -

occupyallstreets:

1. The number of students who have to go into debt to get a bachelor’s degree has risen from 45% in 1993 to 94% today.

2. There is now more than $1 trillion in outstanding student loan debt in the United States.

3. Over the last 10 years, tuition and fees at state…

Latina Activist Calls Judge 'White Racist Pig,' Gets 10 Days In Rikers -

nezua:fuckyeahmarxismleninism:

Christina Gonzalez, an activist protesting the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk tactics, was held in contempt of court on Friday, and sentenced to ten days in jail, after she called Judge John H. Wilson a “white racist pig.”

In 2006 Judge Wilson penned a children’s book called Hot House Flowers, which was an allegory for illegal immigration that depicted immigrants as dandelions that should be “weeded out.” A man videotaping the exchange was also handcuffed, and had the contents of his camera deleted by court employees.

Tell ‘em. You can erase the footage but not our knowledge.

(via humanformat)

“The issue of Hezbollah’s weapons goes back to the question: Does Lebanon deserves to have a deterrent to U.S.-Israeli aggression? That’s not abstract. The current invasion of Lebanon is the fifth in the last thirty years. Everyone has been disruptive and violent. One of them, in 1982, wiped out a large part of the country and killed probably twenty thousand people. This is not a joke. So, do they have a right to a deterrent? If nobody has a right to a deterrent against U.S.-Israeli aggression, the answer is clear: they don’t. The United States and Israel are allowed to invade anyone they like. If Lebanon does have a right to a deterrent, what is it? It can’t be the Lebanese army, which is much too weak and penetrated by the United States. One credible deterrent would be a U.S. Commitment to stop any Israeli invasion. Maybe an asteroid will hit the earth tomorrow, too. That’s our problem. If people like you and me and others in the United States cannot provide that deterrent, it doesn’t count.” — Noam Chomsky, What We Say Goes, p. 20
(via humanformat)

(Source: arielnietzsche, via humanformat)

“For the first time, Yemen’s army is receiving direct help from U.S. troops, who are operating from a desert air base near the main battle zones to help coordinate assaults and airstrikes, according to Yemeni officials.” —

Yemeni army kills 29 al-Qaida fighters

Apparently we have boots on the ground in Yemen now. Sorry, I meant advisors (another meaningless bit of Newspeak, much like the word “terrorism”, or the compound “safe haven”).

(via theamericanbear)

(via humanformat)

“

“This is not a reflection of who we are or what we stand for.”
— Jeff Gearhart, Wall-Mart general counsel, on the firm’s Mexico bribery

[Torture] “is not the norm.”
— Mike Pannek, Abu Ghraib prison warden.

“This is not who we are.”
— Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the US massacre of 16 Afghan villagers.

“This is not who we are.”
— General John Allen, commander of forces in Afghanistan, on Koran burning

“This is not who we are.”
— Secretary of State Clinton, also on troops posing with enemy body parts

Spying by the New York Police on Muslims in Newark, NJ, which the Newark Police Chief was alerted to, is “not who we are”
— Newark Mayor Cory Booker

“This larger notion that the only thing we can do to restore prosperity is just dismantle government, refund everybody’s money, and let everyone write their own rules, and tell everyone they’re on their own — that’s not who we are.”
— President Barack Obama

(via humanformat)

“The problem isn’t what women wear but how men look at them”

Hadia Tajik, a member of the Labour Party in Norway, addresses the parliament.

Some more American Deceptionalism

Smashing windows: Bad
Shooting a van full of unarmed civilians: Good