ENVIRONMENTAL
2014 UN Scientific Panel On Climate Change Sounds Alarm (Huffington Post, 3-30-14)
This report states that if action is not taken soon, global warming could spiral out of control. The author of the climate report has said, "We're now in an era where climate change isn't some kind of future hypothetical...We live in an area where impacts from climate change are already widespread and consequential." (Read The Report Here)
Study: We've wiped out half the world's wildlife since 1970 (VOX, 9-30-14) World Wildlife Fund Living Planet Report 2014 (WWF Global)
The Green Revolution: A New Debt Against The Future: (World Future Fund)
A report on harmful practices from the modern world of agriculture. This includes the modern use of pesticides that is launching a holocaust against the populations of bees, bats and frogs.
The Huge Drop in America's Commitment to a Safe Environment: EPA Budget as a Percent of Total Federal Budget (World Future Fund Report)
America's commitment to a safe and clean environment has declined drastically since the 1980's. There has been a 75% spending drop (as a percent of the federal budget) for the EPA in the last 3 decades. In Obama's recent budget proposal for 2014, funding for the EPA has been decreased 5% below 2013 levels. Clean air, water and the management of hazardous chemicals are a serious matter that deserve real funding. Not pocket change.
FINANCE
Record Global Debt (RT, 9-30-14) REPORT
A picture of the world's global debt.
Richest 1% to own more than half world's wealth by 2016 - Oxfam REPORT
A report from Oxfam discusses how the richest 1% will own more than half of the world's wealth by 2016.
What Argentina’s Sovereign Debt Dispute Means for Global Finance (NACLA, 11-18-14)
Argentina’s debt dispute with U.S. holdout creditors sparked a global conversation on debt restructuring, and may determine the fate of how debt restructuring is resolved in a future crisis.
Economic Class Size Around the World (Economix New York Times Blog, 9-11-09)
U.S. DOMESTIC
Totalitarianism in America: (World Future Fund)
A comprehensive report on America's unprecedented move towards totalitarianism since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. This report includes America's covert drone wars, the bill that allows the U.S. to detain anyone indefinitely without trial, Guantanamo Bay, the lies about weapons in Syria, NSA's unlimited and warrantless data collection of millions of verizon customers and the fact that Obama has charged more people with espionage today, than all past presidencies put together.
The Real U.S. Economy (World Future Fund Chart) American wages have gone down in 40 years. Minimum wage is below where it was 50 years ago. Labor force participation is at record low levels. This is not a healthy economy.
More Evidence That Half of America Is In Or Near Poverty (Truth Out, 3-24-14) There are more Americans living in poverty than what the official numbers indicate. The official poverty threshold reflects living standards that prevailed in the mid-1950's. It needs to be adjusted for the current day standard of living. Food costs have doubled since the 1980's, housing has tripled, medical costs are six times higher and college tuition is eleven times higher. Not to mention that half of Americans own NOTHING. 47% of Americans on the bottom own 1.1% of America's net wealth. What all this means is that HALF of Americans are in poverty!
The Globalization of Hypocrisy (Common Dreams, 5-20-13)
The corporate world's relentless drive for profits has destroyed key aspects of American society: health care, education, as well as access to safe water and food.
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine Crisis (World Future Fund)
It's time to give peace and democracy a chance in Ukraine. The Ukrainian people deserve a chance to determine their own future. A new cold war would be a disaster for both America and Russia. Economic war against Russia is a threat to the entire world economy. Read more to see our solution for a lasting peace in Ukraine.
Obama's Drone Attacks (World Future Fund)
America's drone war is a war that follows no international law or boundaries. Rather than making America more safe, this drone war is creating more terrorists with every "precision strike." It's also not very clear that these drone strikes are precise or accurate at all.
The War in Syria (World Future Fund)
While this article needs to be updated, it does contain several key articles about the start of the Syrian war and America's connection to funding and arming insurgents.
Current Death Toll in Iraq: Around 1.5 million (Just Foreign Policy)
GLOBAL POLITICAL THEORY
China and the Authoritarian Model: The Relationship Between Economic Growth and Economic Freedom (Academia.edu Report)
The conventional wisdom in international relations has been the best model for political growth. Yet this report finds the opposite and claims that authoritarian regimes maintain high economic output and are actually better than their Democratic counterparts at achieving economic growth.
Commentary: U.S. fiscal failure warrants a de-Americanized world (Xinhua Net, 10-13-13)
After World War II, The United States emerged as the economic and military powerhouse of the world. Since then, the United States has been spreading its values around the globe. Not only does the United States have military bases in almost every country around the world, but they have also gotten involved in several regional conflicts and tampered with the economic policies of several countries abroad. While America is claiming to bring peace and prosperity to the rest of the world, many countries are beginning to question America's right to rule. As economic and social problems begin to unravel in America, other countries are beginning to wonder if the world needs a new center of gravity.
Europe's Promise: Why the European Way is the Best Hope in an Insecure Age (Paperback book)
"The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom" by Evgeny Morozov (Paperback book)
In the West, there has been a surge of optimism at the emancipatory role of the internet. Yet Evgeny Morozov (journalist and social commentator) counters that there is a darker side to internet freedom. He argues that people have overlooked the internet's power as an Authoritarian tool. Morozov argues that dictators now have the internet at their finger tips to threaten dissidents, crush opposition and further monitor the private activities of their people.