The 'progressive' Western political elites and the establishment journalists who act as PR agents for them would like us to think that they are unequivocally opposed to neo-Nazism, homophobia, racism and far-right political extremism.

But how genuine is their opposition? The current disturbances in Ukraine and the western response to them, suggests that it's highly selective to say the least.

Let's imagine for a moment that there were violent demonstrations led by ultranationalists and neo-Nazis in a Western European country, and that those demonstrators held up posters of figures who had collaborated with the Nazis during World War II. That they had shouted neo-Nazi slogans and their leaders had made anti-Jewish and homophobic statements. That these same protesters had used violence to try and topple the democratically elected government - and that they had seized government buildings. We can expect the western elites and establishment journalists to fiercely denounce the protesters, who would definitely be labeled "rioters," that they would call for "law and order" to swiftly be restored and for the leaders of the demonstrators to be arrested, and for them to be prosecuted under hate speech legislation.

Yet this is exactly what has been happening in Ukraine, and far from condemning the far-right protesters, the Western elites have been enthusiastically supporting their cause.

Before Christmas, Senator John McCain, the US's leading neocon politician, flew to Kiev and dined with opposition leaders, including Oleh Tyahnybok, leader of the extreme far-right Svoboda party. Later, McCain stood alongside Tyahnybok at an anti-government rally. In 1999 a report from Tel Aviv University, cited by Britain's Channel 4 News, called Svoboda "an extremist, right-wing, nationalist organization which emphasizes its identification with the ideology of German National Socialism." In 2004, Tyahynbok claimed that Ukraine was run by a "Muscovite-Jewish mafia." Although the party has tried to clean up its image since then, the far-right extremism and ugly ultranationalist rhetoric remains - but that doesn't seem to trouble too much the western elite figures cheering on street protests, in which Svoboda and other ultranationalist groups have played such a leading role.

The same hypocrisy is shown in relation to the issue of gay rights.

The resolution calls on on Republican members of Congress to enact amendments to the Section 215 law that currently allows the spy agency to collect records of almost every domestic telephone call

In the latest indication of a growing libertarian wing of the GOP, the Republican National Committee passed a resolution Friday calling for an investigation into the "gross infringement" of Americans' rights by National Security Agency programs that were revealed by Edward Snowden.

The resolution also calls on on Republican members of Congress to enact amendments to the Section 215 law that currently allows the spy agency to collect records of almost every domestic telephone call. The amendment should make clear that "blanket surveillance of the Internet activity, phone records and correspondence - electronic, physical, and otherwise - of any person residing in the U.S. is prohibited by law and that violations can be reviewed in adversarial proceedings before a public court," the resolution reads.

The measure, the "Resolution to Renounce the National Security Agency's Surveillance Program," passed by an "overwhelming majority" by voice vote, along with resolutions calling for the repeal of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act and reaffirming the party's pro-life stance, according to Reince Priebus, the RNC chairman.

The Pentagon has discovered a gap in the defenses of Washington, D.C., and it's about to test a solution.

But depending on your point of view, the solution is either vital for national security or a threat to American privacy.

Starting this fall, two blimps will float at 10,000 feet over the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland in an attempt to develop a defense for the nation's capital against cruise missiles fired from ships offshore.

Two blimps will float over the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Russia already has a large arsenal of cruise missiles - essentially low-flying unmanned aircraft - and other countries like Iran are developing them.

"As it stands today, we have practically zero capability to detect it, much less defend against it," one military officer said of the cruise missile threat.

The blimps carry radars that can search for hundreds of miles to detect the launch of a cruise missile and relay the data to interceptor missiles which have been positioned around Washington since Sept. 11, 2001.

Naomi Klien's book The Shock Doctrine explains the origins and objectives of 'disaster capitalism'. This documentary, directed by Jonas Cuarón, is an investigation of disaster capitalism, based on Naomi Klein's proposition that 'neo-liberal capitalism' feeds on natural disasters, war and terror to establish its dominance.


'Neo-liberalist capitalism', of course, is merely the ideological veneer masking pure naked greed - psychopathology writ large.

Venezuela's currency controls including its fixed exchange rate are among the most controversial of Chavez-era policies. Under former president Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's currency was fixed, and exchange controls were imposed. The initial objective of Chavez's currency policies was to stem capital flight amid the 2002-03 oil strikes, but they are now a well established part of the government's economic policy; particularly aimed at controlling inflation and sheltering domestic industries, among other goals.

It's important to note that this isn't the first time Venezuela has seen a fixed exchange rate. After coming off the gold standard in 1930, Venezuela's currency was fixed. Until 1983, Venezuela's currency was widely perceived as among the most stable in the region. From 1983-89, the country had a multiple exchange rate regime, with room for a parallel exchange market. However, by the time controls were lifted in 1989 there was around a 132% difference between the official and parallel rates.

Argentina appears powerless in the face of the hemorrhage of the peso, as the central bank reported Thursday it had burned through $2.1 billion in reserves in January alone.

The government is struggling to beat back a mounting rush into dollars that has stoked 26 percent inflation despite price controls on many items and pressure on businesses to avoid price increases.

Foreign reserves, crucial to service foreign debts and pay for needed imports like fuels, have tumbled from $52 billion at the beginning of 2011 to $28.5 billion as of January 30, according to Central Bank data.

Just in case you had any lingering doubt about how hopelessly screwed the world's monetary and financial system really is, all you have to do is learn that in a series of ceremonies (because that is so appropriate with a record number Americans on food stamps) celebrating Ben Bernanke in recent days incoming Fed head Janet Yellen likened Bernanke to Obi-Wan Kenobi, the wise, experienced Jedi Knight mentor to his protégé Luke Skywalker in Star Wars movies.

There's nothing that makes you feel more warm and fuzzy inside than the recognition that the soon to be most powerful person in the world thinks that printing trillions of dollars and giving it to criminals at zero interest qualifies as attributes of a intergalactic Jedi Master.

On the flip-side, this right here is what 95% of Americans think of Bernanke and his criminal cartel.

© SkynewsHogan apologised to his victim's family before he died

A man is executed in Oklahoma by a lethal injection that includes a drug used to euthanise animals and leaves the "body burning"

Oklahoma has executed an inmate with a lethal injection of a drug that is usually used to euthanise animals.

The drug has sparked controversy over pain the prisoner may suffer while dying.

Kenneth Hogan, 52, admitted stabbing 21-year-old friend Lisa Stanley in 1988, but said he did so in self-defence after she lunged at him with a knife.

Prosecutors said Hogan stabbed the woman more than 25 times in the back, neck and chest, then knocked over several objects in her Oklahoma City apartment to make it appear as though she had been robbed.

Hogan finally confessed.

"I am guilty for what I'm here for, and I take full responsibility for my actions," Hogan said in his final statement in the death chamber.

"And to Lisa's family, I say I'm sorry that I can't undo it.

"And I'm sorry to my family for all the pain I've caused," he said.

DONG ENERGY, Denmark's biggest utility, needs capital. For a long time, the state-controlled power producer's plans to sell a 19% stake to Goldman Sachs, an investment bank, alongside smaller sales to two pension funds, flew under the radar. But this week, the plans suddenly erupted into a public controversy that nearly brought down the left-leaning government. The sale had been approved - but it cost the ruling coalition the left-wing Socialist People's Party, which left the government. (It said it will still support the government from outside.)

Denmark's centre-right won three elections in a row until 2011. Then Helle Thorning-Schmidt's (pictured) Social Democrats and allies finally won a small majority, and she assembled a government with the Social Liberal Party and the Socialist People's Party. Danes on the left looked forward to a partial rollback of the centre-right's agenda. This is why they were so surprised to see one of Denmark's state-owned companies raise money from a sale to Goldman Sachs.

Five years into the Obama presidency, the American economy is finally showing some momentum.

The Commerce Department reported on Thursday that the economy grew by 3.2 percent in the final quarter of 2013, echoing the even stronger 4.1 percent pace of expansion in the summer months and providing the White House with a rare bit of good news despite dismal public approval ratings.

But even if 2014 turns out to be what the president called a "breakout year" in his State of the Union address Tuesday, the country will still have a lot of catching up to do before the gains recorded under Mr. Obama match those of his two predecessors in the White House.