International News

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Time For The Wealthy To Pay Their Share Of Taxes
Imagine being the owner of a fancy restaurant. One day a small group of people come in to your establishment. They demand much more food than the other customers, and enjoy the prime fruits of what your business has to offer. But when they leave they either don’t pay their bills, or pay only a fraction of what they should pay to cover your basic business costs.Now imagine they do this every day, day after day …Would that activity be your path to riches, or would it eventually send you rocketing to the poor house?A recent Oxfam report has pointed…
- US News
Are Public Election Funds Becoming A Thing Of The Past?
How ‘big money’brought corruptionback to presidentialpolitics.Are Public Election Funds Becoming A Thing Of The Past?By Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 23rd, 2007America’s public financing system for presidential campaigns, a post-Watergate initiative…
- US News
Should America Reconsider The Welfare State?
A leading think-tanksays ‘Old Europe’could teach us a fewthings.Should America Reconsider The Welfare State?By Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 22nd, 2007The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), a liberal think-tank,…
- US News
‘Advisors’ And Contractors Increase UNder Bush’S Newest Iraq Plan
Who will really benefit from Bush’s new Iraq plan?’Advisors’ And Contractors Increase Under Bush’s Newest Iraq PlanBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 19th, 2007The White House intends to more than double…
- CIA & Intelligence
Military Spying On U.S. Citizens
The DefenseDepartment hasbegun looking intothe lives of ordinaryAmericans.Military Spying On U.S. CitizensBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 18th, 2007The Defense Department has been exploiting a little-known power to obtain banking and…
- CIA & Intelligence
Lawmakers Ordered Probe Of Data Mining Project
Just what privacy protections does the U.S. government’s ‘data mining’ efforts provide?Lawmakers Ordered Probe Of Data-Mining ProjectBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 17th, 2007Congressional appropriators ordered the inspector general of the…
- US News
Consumer Group Says ‘Terrorism Insurance’ For Insurers UNnecessary
Are insurancecompanies fleecingAmericantaxpayers?Consumer Group Says “Terrorism Insurance” For Insurers UnnecessaryBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 16th, 2007On Jan. 8th, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) issued a study showing that property-and-casualty…
- Science
What Are China’S Space Hopes?
A 2006 ChineseGovernment whitepaper helps providethe answers.What Are China’s Space Hopes?By Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 15th, 2007On Oct. 12th, 2006, the Information Office of China’s State Council issued a white…
- US News
Dems Try To Keep From Producing Fiefs In Congress
Can Democratsescape themistakes which costthem Congress in’94?Dems Try To Keep From Producing Fiefs In CongressBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan.12th, 2007One of the first actions performed by new House Speaker Nancy…
- CIA & Intelligence
Privacy Watchdogs Demand Probe Of Spying Program
Many experts saythe ‘Civil LibertiesOversight Board’ isfailing its fellowAmericans.Privacy Watchdogs Demand Probe Of Spying ProgramBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 11th, 2007On Dec. 5th, civil liberties groups urged a federal advisory…
- US News
Congressional Study Shows Tax Cuts Favor Wealthy
Why do Bush’s taxcuts so favor therich?Congressional Study Shows Tax Cuts Favor WealthyBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 10th, 2007Economists have long known it. For years, neo-conservatives blindly denied it.Families which…
- US News
Defense Investigators Find Major Flaws In Inter Agency Contracts
Why doesn’t theDefenseDepartment holdanyone responsible?Defense Investigations Find Major Flaws In Inter-Agency ContractsBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 9th, 2007A recent Defense Inspector General (IG) investigation into interagency purchases placed through the…
- International
U.S. Considered Sunni Offer To ‘Clean Up’ Iraq’S Pro Iranian Militias
The U.S.ambassador to Iraqnegotiated with thereligious groupwhich backedSaddam Hussein.U.S. Considered Sunni Offer to “Clean Up” Iraq’s Pro-Iranian MilitiasBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 8th, 2007U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad negotiated with Iraqi…
- US News
UNdisclosed Pentagon Report Cited Further Detention Concerns
Is the BushAdministrationrunning an AbuGhraib in SouthCarolina?Undisclosed Pentagon Report Cited Further Detention ConcernsBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 5th, 2007According to the summary of a previously undisclosed 2004 Pentagon report obtained…
- US News
How The Democrats Can Enforce Proper Congressional Oversight
Will a DemocraticCongress curbincreasingExecutive andJudicial powers?How The Democrats Can Enforce Proper Congressional OversightBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 4th, 2007The American Spark welcomes the Democrats taking over both houses of the…
- US News
Personal Data Breaches Hit Record High
Are corporatesecurity groupsmore interested inprotecting us or theirbottom line?Personal Data Breaches Hit Record HighBy Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 3rd, 2007After reaching a record high on data breaches, the Cyber Security…
- CIA & Intelligence
Can We Still Trust National Intelligence Estimates?
Why our NationalIntelligenceEstimates may notbe as reliable asmany think.Can We Still Trust National Intelligence Estimates?By Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 2nd, 2007How important are National Intelligence Estimates, those “white papers” produced…
- CIA & Intelligence
Is The Defense Department Conducting Its Own Covert Actions?
The DefenseDepartment may begetting dangerouslyclose to becominganother CIA.Is The Defense Department Conducting Its Own Covert Actions?By Cliff Montgomery – Jan. 1st, 2007Is the Defense Department creating something of a covert…
- US News
Government Report Says Federal Building Security Inadequate
If land Securitycan’t adequatelyprotect our federalbuildings, how can itprotect us?Government Report Says Federal Building Security InadequateBy Cliff MontgomeryThe land Security Department division which helps provide security for federal buildings is…
- CIA & Intelligence
Is America ‘Drowning In A Sea Of Faux Secrets’?
The current veil ofWashington secrecyis hurting us, athome and abroad.Is America ‘Drowning In A Sea Of Faux Secrets’?By Cliff MontgomeryA March 14th, 2006 hearing before the Subcommittee on National Security,…
- Science
Congressional Report Discusses North Korean Nuclear Ambitions
One Congressionalreport dares to askwhat North Korea’snuclear bombmeans for the world.Congressional Report Discusses North Korean Nuclear AmbitionsBy Cliff MontgomeryAn October 24th, 2006 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report discusses the “big…
- Science
Just How Safe Are Our Chemical Facilities?
America’s chemicalfacilities may not beas secure as youthink…Just How Safe Are Our Chemical Facilities?By Cliff MontgomeryA Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, Chemical Facility Security, was updated and released on August…
- CIA & Intelligence
Army Outsources Interrogator Duties
Should privatecompanies whichanswer to no oneinterrogateAmerica’sdetainees?Army Outsources Interrogator DutiesBy Cliff MontgomerySince the start of the second Iraq war, the U.S. Army has quadrupled its yearly output of soldiers trained to…
- US News
Army Fails To Provide Iraq Contractor Census
Why is the Armyafraid to produce acensus on Iraqcontractors?Army Fails To Provide Iraq Contractor CensusBy Cliff Montgomery An Army effort to count the number of contractors currently in Iraq has…

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