Society's ChildS


Snakes in Suits

Snakes in Suits: The hedge funders and billionaires who pillage under the shield of philanthropy

Lynn Stuart Parramore
Alternet
Wed, 29 Jul 2015 00:00 UTC
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Steven Cohen, the chief of the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors, in Miami, Dec. 7, 2007. SAC Capital Advisors has agreed to plead guilty to insider trading violations and pay a record $1.2 billion penalty, becoming the first large Wall Street firm in a generation to confess to criminal conduct. (Elizabeth Lippman/The New York Times)
For every dollar they give, they take 44 from the rest of us.

America's parasitical oligarchs are masters of public relations. One of their favorite tactics is to masquerade as defenders of the common folk while neatly arranging things behind the scenes so that they can continue to plunder unimpeded. Perhaps nowhere is this sleight of hand displayed so artfully as it is at a particular high-profile charity with the nerve to bill itself as itself as "New York's largest poverty-fighting organization."

British novelist Anthony Trollope once wrote, "I have sometimes thought that there is no being so venomous, so bloodthirsty as a professed philanthropist."

Meet the benevolent patrons of the Robin Hood Foundation.

Robin Hood in Reverse

The Robin Hood Foundation, named for that green-jerkined hero of redistribution who stole from the rich to give to the poor, is run, ironically, by some of the most rapacious capitalists the country has ever produced — men who make robber barons of previous generations look like small-time crooks. Founded by hedge fund mogul Paul Tudor Jones, the foundation boasts 19 billionaires on its leadership boards and committees, the likes of which include this sample of American plutocracy:

-Hedge fund billionaire Steven A. Cohen, who, when he is not being probed for insider trading (his company, SAC Capital Advisors, pled guilty to securities and wire fraud) is busy throwing parties for himself worthy of a Roman emperor at his Hamptons palace and bragging about his $700 million art collection. He suspends a 13-foot shark in formaldehyde from the ceiling his office, perhaps as an avatar of his business practices.

Comment: It might be a good time to review Dr. Robert Hare's work, whereby he discusses 'The Psychopathic Corporation -- A Clinical Diagnosis (PCLR)'.

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Stormtrooper

Ferguson protesters report police opening fire on wall of protesters

S. Wooten and M. David
Counter Current News
Mon, 10 Aug 2015 02:11 UTC
ferguson police shooting
© Reuters/Rick Wilking)
It sounds almost reminiscent of the Kent State University massacre in 1970. But this is not a protest from the Civil Rights Era, it is happening as we speak. Two protesters have just been shot in Ferguson, and many activists on the ground say the police are to blame.

The demonstrators had gathered to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Mike Brown murder at the hands of Officer Darren Wilson. But in the middle of a late-night confrontation Sunday night between police and protesters, two activists were gunned down - apparently by police officers.

Police said they were just "trying to disperse a crowd" after some of the protesters were accused of "blocking traffic."

Apparently police believe that the appropriate way to disperse a crowd is by firing live ammunition at them.

The Raw Story reports that "anniversary commemorations for Michael Brown had begun with a quiet march through the St. Louis suburb following a moment of silence for 18-year-old Brown, whose slaying on Aug. 9, 2014, ignited months of demonstrations and a national debate on race and justice."

But then cops with helmets and body armed moved in and confronted what formed into a line of protesters. The police ordered them to disperse, and when they did not, the cops opened fire according to reports on the ground coming in from several demonstrators.
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Black Magic

Father fights off lifeguards attempting to rescue drowning daughter - 20 year old died to save her 'dishonor' from contact with 'strangers'

Muna Ahmed
Emirates 24/7
Sun, 09 Aug 2015 21:46 UTC
Beach Incident
© Emirates 24/7
A father of a 20-year-old girl let his daughter drown, stopping life guards from rescuing her.

He preferred that his daughter die rather than she be touched by a strange man, according to a top official.

Speaking to Emirates 24|7, Lt. Col Ahmed Burqibah, Deputy Director of Dubai Police's Search and Rescue Department said that this incident took place at a beach in Dubai.

"This is one of the incidents which I cannot forget.

"It shocked me and many others who were involved in the case.

"The Asian father took his wife and kids to the beach for picnic and fun.

"The kids were swimming in the beach when suddenly, the 20-year-old girl started drowning and screaming for help.

"Two rescue men were at the beach, and they rushed to help the girl.
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Attention

Colorado counties declare state of emergency, Navaho Nation to sue over toxic Gold King Mine spill


RT
Mon, 10 Aug 2015 18:52 UTC
mine waste, gold king mine
© EPA / Reuters Yellow mine waste water is seen at the entrance to the Gold King Mine in San Juan County, Colorado, in this picture released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) taken August 5, 2015.
Three million gallons - not one million, as first predicted - of toxic mining sludge has leaked into the Animas River from a mine in southwest Colorado, the EPA says. The Navajo Nation plans to sue, as the toxic water is running through their territory.

The US Environmental Protection Agency had originally reported that one million gallons of waste product from the abandoned Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado had spilled into the Animas beginning on Wednesday. The EPA determined the updated amount using a stream gauge, according to the Associated Press.

In addition to arsenic and lead, federal officials said the spill contains, cadmium, aluminum, copper, and calcium.

Comment: Protecting the environment? EPA triggers spill of toxic mine waste into river in Colorado

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Light Sabers

Missouri declares state of emergency over Ferguson protests; Cornel West, other activists arrested in St. Louis


RT
Mon, 10 Aug 2015 19:20 UTC
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© Manuel RapaloDemonstration happening outside St. Louis federal court house.
About 40 protesters, including prominent activist Cornel West, have been arrested during the rally in front of the federal courthouse in St. Louis. The rally was organized on the anniversary of Michael Brown's killing.

The 'Day of civil disobedience' march started at Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral in St. Louis and ended at the Thomas F. Eagleton federal courthouse, where dozens formed a living chain.
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They were chanting 'No justice, no peace', and 'The people united shall never be defeated,' while standing in line in front of the police line for around an hour.

The marchers told RT's Manuel Rapalo they were "expecting to be arrested."

Also arrested were Black Lives Matter activists Deray McKesson and Johnetta Elzie, who were filming the protests.

Thousands gathered in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis, over the weekend to mark the anniversary of the fatal shooting that claimed the life of Michael Brown. Brown, 18, was shot multiple times by Ferguson PD officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014.

Meanwhile, St. Louis County has declared a state of emergency, authorizing Police Chief Jon Belmar to "exercise all powers and duties necessary to preserve order, prevent crimes, and protect the life and property of our citizens."


Comment: The murder of Sandra Bland and America's 'color revolution'

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Heart - Black

Virginia college demands rape victim provide entire sexual history to prove she was traumatized and wasn't a virgin

Tom Boggioni
Raw Story
Mon, 10 Aug 2015 08:19 UTC
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© Shutterstock
A private liberal arts college in Virginia being sued by a woman who claims she was raped on campus is demanding she provide them with her entire sexual history — including partner's names — in a motion filed in Norfolk Circuit Court.

Virginia Wesleyan College wants the woman, identified as "Jane Doe," to name any individual she has had sexual intercourse with "at any time" and provide them with names of all her boyfriends since August 2012, when she was allegedly raped by a male classmate.

WAVY reports that the woman's attorney, Jonathan Halperin, is stunned by the request, calling it "neanderthal and offensive."

"The school's attorneys' attempt to question a rape victim on this private and sensitive matter is neanderthal and offensive," he said. "Jane Doe was raped by a stranger. Her sexual history is irrelevant."

The school is challenging her assertion that she was traumatized by the incident and is unable to have sex now, while also questioning her assertion that she was a virgin before the sexual assault.


Comment: The fact that she may or may not have had sex before she was raped has no bearing on whether her rape was traumatic. She shouldn't have to defend the trauma of rape by any means.


According to the filing, attorneys for the school state: "VWC acknowledges the Plaintiff's sexual history is a sensitive subject. However, as noted above, Plaintiff has put her sexual history at issue by arguing she is unable to have sex, does not have any interest in sex, and has experienced sexual difficulties in romantic relationships due to her inability to and sex and lack of interest in sex. Given the significance of these claims in a case where $10 million is at issue, VWC feels compelled to explore Plaintiff's sexual history."

According to the woman, on the night in question a peer counselor employed by the school gave her an alcoholic drink that may have been drugged and she was raped by a fellow student afterwards.

Comment: Rape Culture in America - How the system protects the rapists and fails the victims

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Megaphone

Parents of Zachary Hammond, teen killed by cop, speak out


RT
Sat, 08 Aug 2015 15:32 UTC
Zachary Hammond
© Eric Bland / RTZachary Hammond.
The family of a white South Carolina teen who was shot twice by an undercover cop is calling for a full investigation and justice. Police officials have not released the officer's name or shared any details with the family about their son's death.

"I think the officer should be charged. And something has to answer for my son being gone," Paul Hammond, the boy's father, told RT.

Zachary Hammond was shot and killed by an undercover police officer on July 26 after a drug sting went wrong in South Carolina. His family has been demanding answers as to why the officer used deadly force.

"He's only 19-years-old and the rest of our lives we are going to live with this," Paul Hammond said. "We are never going to be able to celebrate anything again with Zack. And every celebration that does come up is will be tarnished because Zack is not with us."

According to police in Seneca, South Carolina, an undercover officer shot Hammond "in self-defense" when the teen allegedly tried to run him over with a car during a drug arrest. An official autopsy confirmed Hammond was shot twice.

Hammond's family arranged for an independent autopsy, however, which showed the teen had been shot from above and behind, suggesting the police story was inaccurate.

The Hammonds and their attorney Eric Bland have begun their own investigation.


Comment: Everyday we see more cops out of control and killing unarmed men, women and children. The outrage should fill the streets over this unjust taking of human life, but the mainstream media will cover these stories only when it serves an agenda - one that seeks to further divide and conquer. With Zachary Hammond's murder we also see another tactic being used. The police say they are refusing to release the name of the officer who killed the teen with the claim that it was actually the officer who was the victim of attempted murder. Never mind that the ballistics don't support this narrative. More likely, this department is protecting their own and blaming the victim for what they are doing themselves. Hold on tight because things aren't slowing down anytime soon. With 118 fatalities, July is deadliest month for police killings in the U.S.

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Ambulance

Four families voluntarily move to 'Sleepy Hollow' village in Kazakhstan


RT
Sun, 09 Aug 2015 23:08 UTC
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© RT
The village notorious for the mysterious 'Sleepy Hollow' disease has got new residents: four families moved there to improve their living conditions, despite the area being plagued with a strange illness that causes people to fall asleep in broad daylight.

Other symptoms include amnesia, hallucinations, nausea, motor dysfunction, and dizziness.


Comment: They have also reported blinding headaches. Though blood tests were performed, and some form of outgassing from the uranium mine may be likely the symptoms don't add up. It is curious that the above symptoms can also be some of the signs of opiate use and also symptoms of some sort infection like Lyme disease.

From an earlier RT article:
"I'm weak, my legs feel heavy, as if I'm wearing a hundred pairs of boots, and my head is spinning," a woman told RT. Other patients may behave "like they're drunk."

and

"While children are being treated for toxic encephalopathy (a brain malfunction), adults are said to have suffered strokes"
Those too, are signs of opiate use and possibly an infection of some kind:
  • Lethargic or heavy limbs - "heroin and other opiates can make the limbs seem heavy and long". (This is also a symptom of peripheral neuropathy which can be caused by a bacterial infection like Lyme disease.)
  • Stroke
  • Headaches - "It is common to experience pretty severe headaches when you stop taking opiates. These headaches may range from being constant and mild to severe, painful migraines." (This too can be caused by a bacterial infection and various other microscopic bag guys.)
  • Encephalopathy - "When Lyme disease first affects the nervous system, one may see symptoms of meningitis, encephalitis, or cranial neuritis." (Drug induced encephalopathy can also occur from opiates.)

"This step has been taken by the families voluntarily, they decided to improve their living conditions in such a way, getting their own land instead of cold flats in half-destroyed buildings elsewhere," Vladimir Alfyorov, an official at the local Krasnogorsk rural district, told the Interfax news agency.

The Kalachi village had a population of about 600 people, but many of them moved after the symptoms appeared.

The village is just 600 meters from the town of Krasnogorsk, where between the 1960s and 1990s there was a uranium mine, which some officials blame for the deteriorating health of the locals.
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© Guardian UK
"Occasionally it [the mine] released carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon [sic, presumably methane] in high concentrations... That is when these 'sleepy disease' outbreaks happened," Kazakhstan Deputy premier Berdybek Saparbayev said last month.


Comment: This is a certainly a strange situation. It's saddening to read that four families are moving here just to 'improve' their living conditions when it's obvious the powers that be have no idea what is going on there. Some of the symptoms these people report aren't known or listed radiation sickness symptoms or uranium exposure symptoms. Radon gas doesn't cause those symptoms. Lead poisoning doesn't cause those symptoms. Does radiation cause symptoms similar to opiate use and/or withdrawal? Is this some sort of unknown amoeba infection or other type of brain infection?

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Handcuffs

Israel detains 9 in Jewish terrorism 'crackdown' after arson attack on Palestinian family


RT
Sun, 09 Aug 2015 19:58 UTC
idf
© Ronen Zvulun / Reuters
Israel's security forces conducted raids on several West Bank homes on Sunday morning. At least nine people were detained. The authorities said the arrests were linked to an ongoing investigation into a terror attack on a Palestinian house, which left a toddler and his father dead.

The Israeli police added that a unit that handles nationalistic crimes made the arrests, but full details of those detained can't be released as a gagging order has been implemented.

The far-right legal organization, Honenu, said that separate raids had taken place in the Kohav Hashahar settlement and the Vivat Habaladim outpost, with a further seven people arrested. The settlements are not far from Duma, where the firebombing took place on July 31.

Comment: So Israel has a super-secret team to go after extreme nationalist terrorists. How about a fully transparent team to go after IDF terrorists, like the sniper who murdered these 17-year-old 'suspects'?

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Bulb

Man unveils revolutionary shipping container housing project in San Francisco


RT
Sun, 09 Aug 2015 20:26 UTC
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A young entrepreneur in San Francisco has created a new housing project, in attempt to circumvent skyrocketing rents in big US cities. He is now ready to share his ideas with others, he told RT.

Luke Iseman, 31, rented some warehouse space, and installed shipping containers to create 11 original residencies.

"We shouldn't have to live in the middle of nowhere to afford to build our own house. We should be able to do that in the middle of the most expensive cities in the world,"Iseman said.

"We were tired of paying our rent, so for less than rent on two-bedrooms, we're renting this whole half-acre, and [told] the landlord, 'We're just going to build small houses here, and you're going to get an automatic payment of rent every month, so don't worry about it," he said, explaining how the project started.

The profit isn't huge, but the main goal is to share it with others and trigger housing perception changes, Iseman told RT.

"We make a little bit of money from it, not a ton, but we're also able to share what we're doing, and encourage others to copy it. For me, success in this project is how to change people's ideas about housing," he said.

"Everyone should be able to experiment with the roof that they put over their heads. We can change that if we create that norm, and we'll see much more innovation in housing, and it will be much more interesting houses if they are made of shipping containers and all sorts of other objects," Iseman added.

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