We kid you not

Murdoch likes compliant politics

“Only met PMs when asked ... and NEVER asked for anything”.
Rupert Murdoch on Twitter, reassuring us that Australia’s political leaders are so compliant, he hasn’t had to resort to hacking.
― February 5

Rinehart's bid to nuke Oz

“It’s a pity it didn’t happen”.
Gina Rinehart lamenting that her plan to use nuclear explosions in open cut mining never radiated.
— Australian Story, May 1997

Banker greed

“An opportunity for the customer to get ahead by paying more than they need to.”

Britain: Living standards deteriorating

“Almost 40% of households saw their finances deteriorate between July and August, according to a survey by the financial information company, Markit.

“The study, of 1,500 adults, showed finances worsened at their fastest pace since February 2009, in the middle of the last recession.

“Many reported a rise in debt levels and a fall in savings and income.

“Just under 6% of households reported an improvement in their financial situation.

British inequality growing

“A detailed and startling analysis of how unequal Britain has become offers a snapshot of an increasingly divided nation where the richest 10% of the population are more than 100 times as wealthy as the poorest 10% of society...

“The report, An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK, scrutinises the degree to which the country has become more unequal over the past 30 years …

United States: Land of the 1%

“The upper 1 percent of Americans are now taking in nearly a quarter of the nation’s income every year. In terms of wealth rather than income, the top 1 percent control 40 percent. Their lot in life has improved considerably. Twenty-five years ago, the corresponding figures were 12 percent and 33 percent …

“One response might be to celebrate the ingenuity and drive that brought good fortune to these people, and to contend that a rising tide lifts all boats. That response would be misguided.

US right-winger: Gay bullying 'healthy peer pressure'

“Anti-gay bullying is not bullying at all; in fact, it is 'peer pressure and is healthy.' That’s according to Rich Swier, an activist with the Tea Party Nation.

“Swier was responding to a report from a Florida group that showed that '77% of all bullying victims are picked on due to sexual orientation, gender identity, or the perception of either.' The report also pointed out that 'LGBT youth are up to five times more likely to commit suicide than their straight counterparts.'

US man robs store to get health care in prison

“A North Carolina man robbed a local store for a dollar just so he could get health care in prison, he said.

“James Verone, 59, handed the teller a note demanding $1 and claimed he had a gun … He then walked away and sat down, waiting for police.
 
“[He said:] 'I wanted to make it known that this wasn't for monetary reasons, but for medical reasons.'
 

US: Activists arrested for feeding homeless

“Orlando [Florida] police arrested five more activists from behind a makeshift buffet table at  Lake Eola Park  on Wednesday evening, bringing to a dozen the number charged in the past week with violating city restrictions on feeding the homeless.

“Factories making sought-after Apple iPads and iPhones in China are forcing staff to sign pledges not to commit suicide, an investigation has revealed.

“At least 14 workers at Foxconn factories in China have killed themselves in the last 16 months as a result of horrendous working conditions.

“Many more are believed to have either survived attempts or been stopped before trying at the Apple supplier's plants in Chengdu or Shenzen.

“Appalling conditions: An investigation by two NGOs has found new workers at Foxconn factories in China are made to sign a ‘no suicide’ pledge ...

US-backed dictators have ‘moral scruples’

“[P]ro-American dictatorships have more moral scruples. The comparison is akin to what happened in the 1980s when U.S. allies led by authoritarians fell peacefully in the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan, even as Communist regimes proved tougher.”

— February 16 WSJ editorial.

Supporting its dictators

“The [Obama] administration has submitted a proposed budget for fiscal 2011 that included military assistance increases for Bahrain, Libya, Morocco, Oman and Yemen.”

“About 15 per cent of US households — 17.4 million families — lacked enough money to feed themselves at some point last year, a US Department of Agriculture report says.

“The study also found that 5.6 million of these households — with as many as 1 million children — had continuing financial problems that forced them to miss meals regularly.

“The number of these ‘food insecure’ homes … was more than triple the one in 2006, before the recession brought double-digit unemployment.