Man held after packets of painkiller Nurofen Plus found to contain antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia A man has been arrested by police investigating a case where packets of pain relief medication Nurofen Plus were discovered to contain antipsychotic and anti-epileptic drugs. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a safety alert in August after packets of Nurofen Plus were found containing Seroquel XL 50mg. A 30-year-old man from Bromley, south-east London, has been arrested, Scotland Yard said. Four packets of Nurofen Plus, believed to have been sold by separate chemists in south-east London, were discovered containing Seroquel XL, a prescription-only anti-psychotic drug used to treat conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Another contaminated packet, containing an epilepsy medicine, was found in Northern Ireland. It was feared at the time that a total of 500,000 Nurofen Plus pills may have been involved in the tampering. The brand contains codeine and ibuprofen. The contaminated packets were distributed in April, June and July this year, and had 2014 expiry dates. Seroquel XL can lead to extreme drowsiness and dizziness. Users are warned against driving or operating machinery. It was initially suggested the tampering had been done by animal rights activists because Nurofen tests some products on animals, although the company does not test Nurofen Plus on animals. Nurofen’s PR representative Siân Boisseau said in August: “There has been a suggestion that the packets were deliberately put in the wrong boxes. “It was not discovered until the packets arrived in store. It was not in the manufacturing process or supply chain. It is not a mix-up and is still being investigated.” Each packet of Nurofen Plus, which has silver and black packaging, contains 32 tablets. Seroquel XL tablets are 50mg and come in gold and black packaging. London Police Health Healthcare industry Drugs guardian.co.uk
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Pair admitted cruelty charges after two-year old girl and four-year old boy were rescued crossing A38 in Birmingham A couple whose two young children were found wandering on a busy dual carriageway in Birmingham during the morning rush hour have been spared jail. The two-year-old girl and four-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found trying to cross the A38 in the city earlier this year. The older child was barefoot and the younger one’s clothes were dirty. The children’s parents – who are in their 20s – were sentenced after they admitted child cruelty charges. Birmingham crown court heard that CCTV showed a driver – Linda Young – pulling over and rushing to move the children to safety. Police later visited the children’s maternal grandmother’s flat, where they had been staying for the night. Their parents were asleep there and had not realised the children were missing. The parents pleaded guilty to two counts of child cruelty at Birmingham crown court at an earlier hearing. Madhu Rai, prosecuting, told the court the boy had bare feet while his sister was dressed in an all-in-one pink suit. When officers searched the children’s bedroom at the flat they found a knife, half-eaten food and a bag containing raw meat on a bed, along with a bottle of liquid paracetamol. “In the living room, they found carrier bags with empty butane gas canisters and loose cans,” said Rai. The father was given an 18-week sentence suspended for 12 months while the mother was given an 18-month community order. Judge Elizabeth Fisher told the parents: “By the grace of God a member of the public stopped her own car. “Certainly CCTV footage in the area shows exactly the risk in which the children were placed. “When the police first came to the address, you were both still asleep.” The court heard how the children tried to cross the A38 shortly before 9am on 27 March and were close to cars. Young said she stopped after she’d been struck by how young the children were and by the fact that there was no adult with them. When questioned by police, the couple admitted they had no idea the youngsters had left the property. They assumed they were in another bedroom. The children’s mother told police she had put her son and daughter to bed and assumed that was where they were as she lay with her partner in another room. She was adamant she knew nothing about the presence of the knife, the paracetamol or the raw meat. There was no suggestion that the couple had been drunk or abusing drugs. The children’s father is said to have admitted that he had previously abused aerosol sprays but insisted he had never done so in front of the children. Joseph Keating, in mitigation for the father, said he was remorseful and making significant attempts to address his addictions. Sophie Murray, mitigating for the 24-year-old mother, said she loved her children and suffered from low esteem and low self-confidence. The children’s paternal grandmother said they were now under the care of social services. “My son’s agreed that he won’t see the children until after he’s completed a drug programme he’s on,” she said, adding that he loved his children. Claude Knights, director of the Kidscape charity, said: “This is a very disturbing case which could so easily have ended in tragedy.” Birmingham Crime Children Helen Carter guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The Boobs at Nightline Investigate Breast Enlargement Epidemic in Venezuela
September 23, 2011 No Comment
In what can only be described as ABC's attempt to show endless shots of large breasts, ABC's Nightline on Wednesday investigated the growing number of women in Venezuela who are having surgery to become more well endowed. It was the outcry of the country's socialist leader who brought the story to Nightline's attention. Reporter Matt Gutman explained, ” Five years ago yesterday, he called President George W Bush the devil in an appearance at the United Nations. But now [Hugo] Chavez has managed to say something that's got him in real hot water on his own turf, in his own country .” [See video below. MP3 audio here .]
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Activists wave fake meat cleavers and chant anthems outside adult entertainment industry summit in London Dozens of feminists have staged a protest in central London to protest against the “meat market” of the pornography industry, as adult entertainment executives attended an international trade summit in Bloomsbury. Dressed as butchers in aprons smeared with fake blood, the activists waved pretend meat cleavers and chanted anthems outside the Radisson hotel in Bloomsbury. “You’re not welcome in our city,” they sang. “Pornographers go home!” The three-day XBIZ EU conference, which opened for the first time in London on Friday, is billed as an “international digital media conference” for the adult entertainment industry. Speakers include Michael Klein, president of Hustler, the pornographic magazine and website, and Berth Milton, chairman and chief executive of Private Media Group, a producer and distributor of pornography. Its website says it is “designed to deliver cutting-edge educational seminars, engaging technology workshops, special guest keynote presentations and high-energy business-networking and deal-making opportunities”. But to the men and women protesting, the conference’s slick image conceals a disturbing reality of misogyny in 21st-century pornography. Julia Long of the London Feminist Network said: “This summit is being presented as a lavish, respectable corporate event, when in fact it is a brazen opportunity for the porn industry to plan new ways of profiting from the exploitation of women.” Watching the protest, Claire Wigington, head of marketing of Television X, said this argument was “simplified”. “It’s easy to say ‘porn degrades women’ but the women in the industry know what they’re doing,” she said. In recent years the multi-billion dollar industry has become a focus for the feminist movement as fears grow over the impact its pervasive influence is having on society at large. Activists claim that viewing pornography can lead to greater acceptance of rape myths and attitudes supporting violence against women. Gail Dines, academic and author of Pornland: How Porn has Hijacked our Sexuality, said it was “central” to the fight for equality. “You cannot have a massive industry built on the sexual torture and dehumanisation and debasement of women. If you want any gender equality in a society you cannot have this industry steam-rollering into men’s psyches, sexuality and identity,” she said, adding that there was an “immeasurable” difference between the X-rated industry of decades ago and the kind of “body-punishing, hardcore” material available now, which she says has become the “major seller” in the industry today. Not all feminists agree, however. Catherine Stephens, an activist for the International Union of Sex Workers, said opposing pornography as a whole did not make sense as there were so many different kinds. “This porn summit represents pimps in suits … meeting to plot how to push the boundaries of porn even further to increase their profits,” said Anna van Heeswijk, campaigns co-ordinator of the activist group Object. “It is their aim to make the sexual violence of porn appear normal and acceptable. It is our aim to stop them. Our message is clear: ‘Women are human, stop treating us like objects.’” Pornography Protest Feminism Women Lizzy Davies guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Warning of a stock market rout on Monday unless a eurozone rescue package is found
September 23, 2011 No Comment
Obama urges France and Germany to move quickly to find a solution to the eurozone crisis, while UK chancellor George Osborne claims Britain is ‘ahead of the curve’ EU leaders were under renewed pressure today to agree immediate steps towards a full-scale rescue of ailing eurozone economies or risk a stock market rout when exchanges open on Monday. Fears that months of debate over how to resolve the Greek debt crisis had brought the world economy to another “Lehman’s moment” led several prominent analysts to warn that the situation could spark a run on bank stocks next week. President Obama and the US treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, welcomed a commitment by the European Central Bank to step up its efforts to boost growth, which could mean a cut in interest rates at its next meeting in October, but pressed France and Germany to move quickly with a rescue package to prevent further turmoil. George Osborne warned that the leaders of the eurozone had six weeks to end their political wrangling and resolve the continent’s crippling debt crisis. Eric Wand, a gilts strategist at Lloyds Corporate Markets, said: “If we come in on Monday with nothing on the table, then we’ll be back to the races.” Wand warned that loans from the ECB would be more sticking plaster and unlikely to satisfy investors. “[They] are hoping for a co-ordinated policy response. If we get that, then risk assets could rally, but for how long? More liquidity doesn’t really cut the mustard,” he said. Stocks rallied today after G20 leaders said they would do all in their power to prevent another crash. The FTSE rebounded after the assurance to finish the day up 25 points at 5066 while the German Dax and French CAC both ended the day marginally higher. But a week of speculation that several eurozone banks could be wrecked by defaults in the peripheral countries without further ECB support and large capital injections has helped knock $3.4tn (£2.2tn) off global stock values since Monday. The FTSE had its second worst week this year and French and German exchanges remain at two-thirds of their value in July. Commodities fell to a nine-month low as silver, copper and nickel tumbled. The Standard & Poor’s GSCI Index of 24 commodities fell as much as 2.2%, leaving it 7.8% lower than at the start of the week. Speaking in Washington, Osborne said that the turmoil in the world’s financial markets meant there was now “a far greater sense of urgency” and mounting pressure on Europe from the G20 group of developed and developing nations. “There is a sense from across the leading lights of the eurozone that time is running out. There is a clear deadline at the Cannes (G20) summit in six weeks time,” the chancellor said. “The eurozone has six weeks to resolve this political crisis.” He added that “bad politics” were leading to “bad economics” in the eurozone. “We need political solutions that can help resolve the economic problems.” Osborne said the package of measures agreed in July to provide financial support for troubled members of the single currency needed to be implemented, as well as ensuring banks had enough capital to withstand market pressures. “I wouldn’t say all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place,” Osborne said, adding that the members of the eurozone had to supplement monetary union with closer fiscal ties. While the government had no intention of joining monetary union, the chancellor said it was in Britain’s interests for the eurozone to work. “The break-up of Europe would be bad for Britain.” The chancellor said Europe needed to show that it had enough firepower to convince the markets it was getting ahead of the curve, and made it clear that the €440bn European Financial Stability Facility needed to be beefed up. “I am not sure it is adequate,” Osborne said. He refused to speculate on whether Greece would be forced to default on its debts, but said the government had contingency plans in the event that the worst-affected eurozone country did capitulate. “I have made it a priority for the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England to make sure that the UK banking system is adequately capitalised and have sufficient liquidity to deal with all eventualities. We have stress-tested sovereign writedowns.” Osborne admitted that the darkening international economic outlook would have repercussions for the UK but insisted that he had no intention of amending his tough deficit reduction plans. It was up to the Bank of England, he added, to support demand over the coming months. “A credible fiscal plan allows you to have a looser monetary policy than would otherwise be the case. My approach is to be fiscally conservative but monetarily active.” His comments come amid signs from Threadneedle Street that it would restart its quantitative easing programme over the coming months. The Bank pumped £200bn of electronically created money into the economy between early 2009 and early 2010 in an attempt to lift the economy out of recession. Asked how bad the situation in the UK would have to get before he would consider changing course, Osborne said: “The UK is taking appropriate action. It is very clear what has got to happen. We are sticking to the plan. These discussions in Washington are about the eurozone and the challenges there, not about market pressures on the UK. We have got ahead of the curve and have credibility.” The chancellor said the heavily indebted state of Britain meant that he could not simply “pull a lever” to boost demand. “This was a different sort of recession and it is a different sort of recovery,” he said.He added that there was a certain amount of flexibility built into his budget plans because weaker growth would allow the automatic stabilisers – a bigger budget deficit caused by higher benefit payments and lower tax receipts – to kick in. The government would announce supply-side reforms of the economy to remove obstacles to growth over the coming months, Osborne said. Global economy European debt crisis Financial crisis George Osborne G20 Phillip Inman Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Warning of a stock market rout on Monday unless a eurozone rescue package is found
September 23, 2011 No CommentObama urges France and Germany to move quickly to find a solution to the eurozone crisis, while UK chancellor George Osborne claims Britain is ‘ahead of the curve’ EU leaders were under renewed pressure today to agree immediate steps towards a full-scale rescue of ailing eurozone economies or risk a stock market rout when exchanges open on Monday. Fears that months of debate over how to resolve the Greek debt crisis had brought the world economy to another “Lehman’s moment” led several prominent analysts to warn that the situation could spark a run on bank stocks next week. President Obama and the US treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, welcomed a commitment by the European Central Bank to step up its efforts to boost growth, which could mean a cut in interest rates at its next meeting in October, but pressed France and Germany to move quickly with a rescue package to prevent further turmoil. George Osborne warned that the leaders of the eurozone had six weeks to end their political wrangling and resolve the continent’s crippling debt crisis. Eric Wand, a gilts strategist at Lloyds Corporate Markets, said: “If we come in on Monday with nothing on the table, then we’ll be back to the races.” Wand warned that loans from the ECB would be more sticking plaster and unlikely to satisfy investors. “[They] are hoping for a co-ordinated policy response. If we get that, then risk assets could rally, but for how long? More liquidity doesn’t really cut the mustard,” he said. Stocks rallied today after G20 leaders said they would do all in their power to prevent another crash. The FTSE rebounded after the assurance to finish the day up 25 points at 5066 while the German Dax and French CAC both ended the day marginally higher. But a week of speculation that several eurozone banks could be wrecked by defaults in the peripheral countries without further ECB support and large capital injections has helped knock $3.4tn (£2.2tn) off global stock values since Monday. The FTSE had its second worst week this year and French and German exchanges remain at two-thirds of their value in July. Commodities fell to a nine-month low as silver, copper and nickel tumbled. The Standard & Poor’s GSCI Index of 24 commodities fell as much as 2.2%, leaving it 7.8% lower than at the start of the week. Speaking in Washington, Osborne said that the turmoil in the world’s financial markets meant there was now “a far greater sense of urgency” and mounting pressure on Europe from the G20 group of developed and developing nations. “There is a sense from across the leading lights of the eurozone that time is running out. There is a clear deadline at the Cannes (G20) summit in six weeks time,” the chancellor said. “The eurozone has six weeks to resolve this political crisis.” He added that “bad politics” were leading to “bad economics” in the eurozone. “We need political solutions that can help resolve the economic problems.” Osborne said the package of measures agreed in July to provide financial support for troubled members of the single currency needed to be implemented, as well as ensuring banks had enough capital to withstand market pressures. “I wouldn’t say all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place,” Osborne said, adding that the members of the eurozone had to supplement monetary union with closer fiscal ties. While the government had no intention of joining monetary union, the chancellor said it was in Britain’s interests for the eurozone to work. “The break-up of Europe would be bad for Britain.” The chancellor said Europe needed to show that it had enough firepower to convince the markets it was getting ahead of the curve, and made it clear that the €440bn European Financial Stability Facility needed to be beefed up. “I am not sure it is adequate,” Osborne said. He refused to speculate on whether Greece would be forced to default on its debts, but said the government had contingency plans in the event that the worst-affected eurozone country did capitulate. “I have made it a priority for the Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England to make sure that the UK banking system is adequately capitalised and have sufficient liquidity to deal with all eventualities. We have stress-tested sovereign writedowns.” Osborne admitted that the darkening international economic outlook would have repercussions for the UK but insisted that he had no intention of amending his tough deficit reduction plans. It was up to the Bank of England, he added, to support demand over the coming months. “A credible fiscal plan allows you to have a looser monetary policy than would otherwise be the case. My approach is to be fiscally conservative but monetarily active.” His comments come amid signs from Threadneedle Street that it would restart its quantitative easing programme over the coming months. The Bank pumped £200bn of electronically created money into the economy between early 2009 and early 2010 in an attempt to lift the economy out of recession. Asked how bad the situation in the UK would have to get before he would consider changing course, Osborne said: “The UK is taking appropriate action. It is very clear what has got to happen. We are sticking to the plan. These discussions in Washington are about the eurozone and the challenges there, not about market pressures on the UK. We have got ahead of the curve and have credibility.” The chancellor said the heavily indebted state of Britain meant that he could not simply “pull a lever” to boost demand. “This was a different sort of recession and it is a different sort of recovery,” he said.He added that there was a certain amount of flexibility built into his budget plans because weaker growth would allow the automatic stabilisers – a bigger budget deficit caused by higher benefit payments and lower tax receipts – to kick in. The government would announce supply-side reforms of the economy to remove obstacles to growth over the coming months, Osborne said. Global economy European debt crisis Financial crisis George Osborne G20 Phillip Inman Larry Elliott guardian.co.uk
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Former deputy editor received £25,000 from News of the World publisher after starting work as consultant with police force The relationship between the police and the News of the World has come under fire again amid revelations that Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, was paid by the paper’s publisher for “crime exclusives” while working for the Metropolitan police. Wallis was secretly paid more than £25,000 by News International after he left the paper and got a contract to work two days a month as a PR consultant with the Met. One story earned him a single payment of £10,000. The Daily Telegraph claims that internal records obtained by Scotland Yard show that he was paid for providing News International with details of a suspected assassination attempt on the Pope during his visit to the UK last year. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the contract it had with Wallis’s PR firm, Chamy Media, “had a confidentiality clause, a data protection act clause and a conflict of interest clause within it”. He added that Wallis did not have access to the Met’s IT systems. The revelations that Wallis received money from News International while working for Scotland Yard will raise questions about conflicts of interest. Last month, it emerged that Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, continued to receive payments from News International as part of a severance deal after he was employed by the Tory party as its director of communications. Wallis’s solicitor has made a complaint alleging that the police had leaked the information regarding the payments. Metropolitan police Police News of the World News International National newspapers Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk
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Former deputy editor received £25,000 from News of the World publisher after starting work as consultant with police force The relationship between the police and the News of the World has come under fire again amid revelations that Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, was paid by the paper’s publisher for “crime exclusives” while working for the Metropolitan police. Wallis was secretly paid more than £25,000 by News International after he left the paper and got a contract to work two days a month as a PR consultant with the Met. One story earned him a single payment of £10,000. The Daily Telegraph claims that internal records obtained by Scotland Yard show that he was paid for providing News International with details of a suspected assassination attempt on the Pope during his visit to the UK last year. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the contract it had with Wallis’s PR firm, Chamy Media, “had a confidentiality clause, a data protection act clause and a conflict of interest clause within it”. He added that Wallis did not have access to the Met’s IT systems. The revelations that Wallis received money from News International while working for Scotland Yard will raise questions about conflicts of interest. Last month, it emerged that Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, continued to receive payments from News International as part of a severance deal after he was employed by the Tory party as its director of communications. Wallis’s solicitor has made a complaint alleging that the police had leaked the information regarding the payments. Metropolitan police Police News of the World News International National newspapers Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Former deputy editor received £25,000 from News of the World publisher after starting work as consultant with police force The relationship between the police and the News of the World has come under fire again amid revelations that Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, was paid by the paper’s publisher for “crime exclusives” while working for the Metropolitan police. Wallis was secretly paid more than £25,000 by News International after he left the paper and got a contract to work two days a month as a PR consultant with the Met. One story earned him a single payment of £10,000. The Daily Telegraph claims that internal records obtained by Scotland Yard show that he was paid for providing News International with details of a suspected assassination attempt on the Pope during his visit to the UK last year. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said the contract it had with Wallis’s PR firm, Chamy Media, “had a confidentiality clause, a data protection act clause and a conflict of interest clause within it”. He added that Wallis did not have access to the Met’s IT systems. The revelations that Wallis received money from News International while working for Scotland Yard will raise questions about conflicts of interest. Last month, it emerged that Andy Coulson, the former editor of the News of the World, continued to receive payments from News International as part of a severance deal after he was employed by the Tory party as its director of communications. Wallis’s solicitor has made a complaint alleging that the police had leaked the information regarding the payments. Metropolitan police Police News of the World News International National newspapers Newspapers Newspapers & magazines Lisa O’Carroll guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Despite the overwhelming din of right-wing noise, the President gave a speech. It’s one worth watching. Speaking to a fired-up crowd in Ohio at the Brent Spence Bridge, the President gave his best shot at getting people to understand the value of shoring up our crumbling infrastructure, while bringing back echoes of Ronald Reagan’s speech at the Berlin Wall. The gloves are off in this battle, and anyone who doubted this President’s will to fight should rethink that idea. No more compromising, no more calling out of “Congress”. It’s all about Republicans and Republican (lack of) leadership. Here’s the snippet of the transcript where he calls them out by name: So my question is, what’s Congress waiting for? Why is it taking so long? Now, the bridge behind us just happens to connect the state that’s home to the Speaker of the House — AUDIENCE: Booo — THE PRESIDENT: — with the home state of the Republican leader in the Senate. AUDIENCE: Booo — THE PRESIDENT: Now, that’s just a coincidence. (Laughter.) Purely accidental that that happened. (Laughter.) But part of the reason I came here is because Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell, those are the two most powerful Republicans in government. They can either kill this jobs bill, or they can help pass this jobs bill. (Applause.) And I know these men care about their states. They care about businesses; they care about workers here. I can’t imagine that the Speaker wants to represent a state where nearly one in four bridges are classified as substandard — one in four. I know that when Senator McConnell visited the closed bridge in Kentucky, he said that, “Roads and bridges are not partisan in Washington.” That’s great. I know that Paul Ryan, the Republican in charge of the budget process, recently said that “you can’t deny that infrastructure does creates jobs.” That’s what he said. Well, if that’s the case, there’s no reason for Republicans in Congress to stand in the way of more construction projects. There’s no reason to stand in the way of more jobs. Mr. Boehner, Mr. McConnell, help us rebuild this bridge. (Applause.) Help us rebuild America. Help us put construction workers back to work. (Applause.) Pass this bill. It’s past time, in my opinion, for us to stand up and get this President’s back. We can either let him give these speeches and pretend he isn’t, or we can start trying to get past the ridiculous right-wing nonsense flooding every airwave in the land and put some eyes and ears on what the man is saying. We need this bill. We need these infrastructure projects. The right-wing took right on off today on how the Brent Spence Bridge wouldn’t be eligible under the President’s proposal. So what? Republicans are in charge of the House, let them amend it to include it! If the damn bridge needs to be rebuilt, then they should be responsible enough to include provisions to rebuild it. For way too long, Republicans have owned all of the narratives about spending and the economy, but narratives aren’t fact, and the facts are pretty clear on who is responsible for keeping it suppressed. This isn’t a question of Keynes versus Friedman at this point. It’s a question of supply and demand, which will remain low until jobs are available. Infrastructure spending is one way to create jobs and create them rapidly. As Robert Reich pointed out, we could actually do an entire remake of the WPA right now and it probably wouldn’t be enough, but still, it would stimulate the economy. Here’s another classic moment: Now, the Republicans, when I talked about this earlier in the week, they said, well, this is class warfare. You know what, if asking a billionaire to pay their fair share of taxes, to pay the same tax rate as a plumber or a teacher is class warfare, then you know what, I’m a warrior for the middle class. (Applause.) I’m happy to fight for the middle class. I’m happy to fight for working people. (Applause.) Because the only warfare I’ve seen is the battle against the middle class over the last 10, 15 years. I would have stretched that back farther, but I’m guessing he didn’t want to step on Bill Clinton. Clinton, by the way, had this to say about the ridiculous austerity “screw them all” tea party nonsense: You know, there’s not a single solitary example on the planet, not one, of a country that is succesful because the economy has triumphed over the government and choked it off and driven the tax rates to zero, driven the regulations to nonexistent and abolished all government programs, except for defense, so people in my income group never have to pay a nickel to see a cow jump over the moon. There is no example of a succesful country that looks like that. President Obama is doing what everyone said he should have done during the debt-ceiling debate. I am of the opinion that there was a broader strategy to what he did there and what he is now doing here — a carrot and stick strategy. But we are past the debt ceiling debate and onto one that will, in my opinion, be a make-or-break debate. He can’t stand out there and call for people to “pass the whole bill” or “rebuild this bridge” if we’re not behind him. If his speech doesn’t inspire you, and the insanity of the last three Republican debates don’t do it, maybe John Dean’s warning about the resurgence of Nixonian politics on the right, and their efforts to game American democracy will convince you, beginning with his analysis of how the media has been gamed via advertising revenue: There is a second reason for the disinterest, too—and an even more troubling one. Today’s mainstream news organizations are largely controlled by major corporations, which are profit-driven like never before. Most members of corporate management lean toward Republican views, and while top corporate executives typically give their news editors and producers great leeway, news organizations do not go out of their way to annoy their corporate bosses. The big money that is involved in reshaping America’s political processes has been, and will continue to be, a wonderful source of revenue for these organizations. News organizations need advertisers, and they love all the disingenuous advertisements that this political undertaking is generating. To those of you who might be inclined to say that I am writing from a purely partisan standpoint, rest assured that indeed, I am. Because I see absolutely no reason to give these insane, power-hungry, greedy people any more traction than they already have. You don’t have to love everything this president has done to understand that we’re on the precipice of a very, very deep, dark chasm, a place where no bridge will save us.
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