Readers, as you may already know Chris Hedges is a favorite of mine for several reasons. This article makes a good compliment to the David Harvey article just below.

as we go, Tadit

NEW YORK CITY—Jon Friesen, 27, tall and lanky with a long, dirty-blond ponytail, a purple scarf and an old green fleece, is sitting on concrete at the edge of Zuccotti Park leading a coordination meeting, a gathering that takes place every morning with representatives of each of Occupy Wall Street’s roughly 40 working groups.

Readers, this article is no particular challenge content wise, it does not necessarily contribute very much to the target discussion(s), and it is a useful framing of the current related discourse. Visited an Occupy Halloween gathering this weekend with the Re-Imagining Economics trifolds which were given a mixed reception, though with a few significant possibilities which may develop to the positive. As we go, Tadit

A few weeks ago, England erupted with protests that many saw as tied to the global economic crisis. What began as a peaceful protest against the police, who had shot dead a suspect in Tottenham North London on August 6, rapidly spread across London and then to other parts of the country. Over the space of the next five days, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester all experienced a wave of rioting and looting.

Readers, relatively speaking much of Europe seems quiet, and of course the corporate media will tell the tales that benefit their profits foremost. The "quiet" part is compared to where the process is likely to go before the real political change that will support balanced trade. All of the clash and crashing has been in the name of dysfunctional fiscal policies as if they embodied sacred wisdom, though lacking much of any corroborating results.

Readers, sorry for being a bit lax lately. Lots of processing going on relative to the local contexts. The interesting point here other than the persistence of the Spanish left and the alliance of the Basque region with the nominal "centrist" acceptance of the neo-classical articles of faith based economics. There is an interesting layer in the running aground of the EMU, that the installed "sovereign" politics are still controlled by interests by those who benefit from the technical economic interests. This includes the tax evading class.

At last, the first signs that politicians are heeding popular anger at the austerity measures imposed to pay for bankers' greed.

When the current economic crisis hit, the Obama campaign blew away Bush and McCain by promising hope, change and a solution that would overcome this crisis and prevent future crises. Likewise, some governments in Europe came to power based on public fear reacting to the global meltdown. Ongoing crisis, mass economic pain and deepening public anger keep shifting political winds.

In fact, America needs more than 1 N.A.P. But will we take it? What kind of N.A.P. are we talking about? We are talking about National Austerity Protests. The Wisconsin protests, as valid and inspiring as they are, are shortsighted and do not address the causes of the state's deficit problems. By not addressing the main causes, winning to maintain collective bargaining rights alone is shallow.

You can tell a great deal about a nation's anxieties and aspirations by the discrepancy between reality and popular perception. Polls last year showed that in the US 61% think the country spends too much on foreign aid. This makes sense once you understand that the average American is under the illusion that 25% of the federal budget goes on foreign aid (the real figure is 1%).

Interview with Professor Noam Chomsky, renowned American author and political analyst UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also censured the Libyan government's severe suppression of Libyans and called for an end to the “bloodshed” in the North African country. To learn more on the latest developments in the Arab world, Press TV has conducted an interview with renowned academician Professor Noam Chomsky who says the US and its allies have vested interests in stable dictatorships in energy rich countries rather than real democracies.

Here is the transcript of the interview:

Readers, be sure to read the comment attached at the end of the article, I will come back to this. Too many tasks demanding attention right now. Tadit

So, let’s be clear: it’s not about the budget. As the facts have emerged in the 2011 Wisconsin crisis with Governor Scott Walker’s move against public service unions, it is not about Wisconsin lacking funds. There is no credible way that Walker and his clique can argue that eliminating a worker’s right to collective bargaining saves the state a dime. Each time that this is raised it becomes a laughable moment.