The War on Democracy

Synopsis (from Wikipedia):

Set both in Latin America and the United States, the film explores the historic and current relationship of Washington with countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Chile. Pilger says that the film "...tells a universal story... analysing and revealing, through vivid testimony, the story of great power behind its venerable myths. It allows us to understand the true nature of the so-called "war on terror". According to Pilger, the film’s message is that the greed and power of empire is not invincible and that people power is always the "seed beneath the snow".

"The Public Overwhelmingly Wants It: Why Is Taxing the Rich So Hard?"

When even the New York Times, the supposed bleeding heart of the liberal media, is asking whether it’s more “perilous politically” to accept tax increases for 3 percent of households or benefit cuts for everyone, you’d assume that even Americans who aren’t rich are are opposed to raising taxes on those who are. But you’d be wrong: nearly three-quarters of Americans support raising taxes on the wealthy. So why is raising taxes on the wealthy so hard—or why do we think it is?

The obvious answer is that rich people have political clout—but can it really be so simple? A growing mound of evidence suggests that while wealthy people’s preferences may not be the only factor in political decision-making, it’s a worrisomely important one. In a recent study, Princeton political scientist Larry Bartels found that senators outright ignored the views of their least advantaged constituents while catering to the preferences of the wealthy. Princeton’s Martin Gilens has also found that policy changes reflect the preferences of the most affluent, while the preferences of poor and middle-income Americans have almost no bearing.  

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Ralph Nader on mainstream political parties

"Programmer under oath admits computers [can and do] rig elections"

Rich vs. Poor

Infographic: Tax Breaks vs. Budget Cuts

Inequality

Today there is a higher Gini-Coefficient (which measures the wealth disparity in a nation) than [during] the Great Depression. The US now ranks 42nd from the worst in the world in terms of the gulf between rich and poor, slightly worse than Iran, Nigeria, and Cambodia.

Source: http://newsjunkiepost.com/2011/02/06/the-disastrous-legacy-of-ronald-reagan-in-charts/

None Shall Pass

(Astro)Turf Wars

Duration: 90 minutes

Synopsis: From the Tea Parties to the healthcare and climate wars, America’s conservative citizens have revolted against the Obama agenda. But are these grassroots actions in fact examples of ‘astroturfing’? – The practice of manufacturing citizens groups for the purpose of delivering corporate messages. Curious to find out, Australian filmmaker Taki Oldham went undercover to investigate. What he found was astroturfing on a scale greater than he could have imagined, threatening not only the heath of American democracy, but that of its citizens and the planet as a whole.

Number of Americans living in poverty 'increases by 4m'

One in seven Americans was living in poverty in 2009 with the level of working-age poor the highest since the 1960s, the US Census Bureau says.
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The bureau defines poverty as any family of four living on less than $21,954 a year.
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The official US poverty rate in 2009 rose to 14.3% from 13.2% in 2008. In 2009, 43.6 million Americans lived in poverty, up from 39.8 million the year before, the third consecutive increase, the bureau said.

"We Tolerate The Cultivation of Opium Poppies"

Geraldo Rivera visits a giant poppie field used to produce opium in Afghanistan.

"Mind Control"

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtOcKv7Z5O0&feature=related

Interesting segment from the documentary "Fall of the Republic" that focuses on TV, propaganda, and mind control techniques.

Jimmie Vaughan - "Shackles On Me"

"Food: The Ultimate Secret Exposed"

Alex Jones goes over a few of the known poisons and additives that are put into many foods that have adverse health affects. (He leaves out 'high fructose corn syrup', 'BPA', and a few others.)

United We Fall

A 2010 documentary that discusses the negative effects of globalization and NAFTA in North America.

"Google Goes 'Evil' "

[Google] announced a new policy recommendation that would kill the Internet as we know it, if implemented by FCC Chair Julius Genokowski and other policy makers. [...] And they're now asking the public to accept two Internet experiences -- a great experience for the old Internet that will soon cease to exist, and an experience filled with discrimination and lack of a level playing field for the entire future of the Internet.

And another editorial: "Google-Verizon Pact Proves Need for Real Net Neutrality":

Now, Google and Verizon come along like wolves in sheep's clothing--developing a proposal to very narrowly define net neutrality, and with enough built-in intricacy and double-speak to leave the door wide open for industry players to interpret net neutrality to fit their needs. Putting "net neutrality" lipstick on that pig didn't really fool anyone, though, and ultimately Google and Verizon helped the FCC cause for real net neutrality and did the general public a favor by proving why it's needed.