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<title>Corruption</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/tags/Corruption</link>
<description>New posts about Corruption</description>
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<title>The Dying American Dream</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/The-Dying-American-Dream.373381</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>As always as this rescission only deepens and hurts America's hard working laborer's, and people in all sectors of economic industry, the one thing American's have to think about is their general welfare. Social security, Welfare acts of the 70s, National labor unions, Medicare, and Medicaid that have drained our country wealth and deepened our debt both domestic and abroad overseas to our foreign investors. As to maintain a good booming economy we need to honor the Nelson &amp;amp; Bitter men act which brought gold in to back our dollar again, also making it making so state banks could have gold reserves, and people could cash in their dollars for gold. The eradication of the Federal Reserve would bring in congress to coin &amp;amp; issue money having it on the gold standard, plan a government budget based on gold reserves, a Tariff to protect American industry, nothing nationalized, and no privatized banking allowed what so ever. Sure Capitalism brings new horizons of how much it can benefit a nation or if it's just some sadistic mega industrialist out for their to expand wealth or even political influence in foreign countries around the world thanks to lobbying the politicians in congress. Gold &amp;amp; silver can keep the politicians in check when there can be only so much to spend, and there is plenty more opportunity to mine for platinum, copper, zinc, and thus have reserves for all state banks.<br /><br />Privatization need's to be revised as providing good opportunity to all people you wish to either start their own business, individuals merely wishing to get a job, and not having to worry about your savings all the time since the money is strongly backed by gold &amp;amp; silver. As the old saying goes people save the day, cops only create crime senses.<br /><br />Our entitlements from government are worthless &amp;amp; deceitful promises that our not sincere, and the one thing America can easily do is be charitable and let private foundations &amp;amp; the church take care of the poor, homeless, sick, and the weak into helping them build better life's for themselves.<br />Government will seduce the public into grand &amp;amp; good looking luxurious services that will eliminate terrible problems, but will slowly enslave into their ideals &amp;amp; they will make you depend upon them.<br />Wars are only fought for accumulating wealth, annexation of power, and money!</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FThe-Dying-American-Dream.373381"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FThe-Dying-American-Dream.373381" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Dec 2008 04:43:54 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Take Back Your Power</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/Take-Back-Your-Power.309273</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>I am writing this because I am appalled at the forces tearing this country apart. For one thing, there is the fierce partisanship between the two major parties, as well as between our elected representatives in Washington. Mendacity and anger fill the air and poison our ability to communicate with each other, creating distrust and alienation. Our elected officials seem to be out of touch with our needs, and worse yet, not even interested in hearing our input. Besides that, too many of them have become overly self-serving, forgetting why they were elected to office in the first place.</p>
<p>No one wants to take responsibility any more for their mistakes. It always has to be someone else's fault. We all must recognize that a country divided against itself cannot stand, just like a house cannot stand.</p>
<p>This state of affairs has got to stop, and only the American electorate can make that happen. Otherwise, we are headed for a serious fall.</p>
<p>The American electorate has foolishly given its power away to our politicians, some of whom are corrupt and many of whom are plain avaricious. We expect that they somehow know what is best for us. Why would anyone expect such wisdom from a bunch of self-serving people? They are there by our permission to serve our needs, but they too often behave as if they have some divine right to do as they please and ignore us.</p>
<p>We nervously pray that these same politicians are really looking out for us, or at the least, not harming us. With each election, we pray that the one we choose to send to Congress or to the White House will honestly work on our behalf. And you know what? Your elected officials by and large are praying, too &amp;hellip; praying that you won't notice his or her outright betrayal of your best interests; that you will continue on remaining ignorant and inattentive.</p>
<p>We are the people, and the American government is charged with representing our interests, not anyone else's. The Constitution does not start out by stating, &amp;ldquo;[w]e the wealthy corporations of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, &amp;hellip;&amp;rdquo;. Rather, it states: &amp;ldquo;[w]e the People of the United States, in order to &amp;hellip;&amp;rdquo;. We have every right to expect that our interests are being served, not the interests of others that work to our detriment, or the interests of illegal people who should not be here.</p>
<p>But many of our elected representatives do harm us. Witness the recent economic debacle. First off, we are suffering because of deregulation, the worst idea ever dreamt up by negligent politicians. No one is watching the banking industry, the airline industry, or Wall Street. And for sure, under these circumstances, no one is watching out for you and me.</p>
<p>On top of that open wound, Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, told us just two short months ago that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were financially sound. Nothing to worry about from that quarter. We all now know the truth.</p>
<p>What about Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate finance committee, who accepted a sweetheart deal from Countrywide Credit before that entity sunk into a black hole?</p>
<p>When executives at big investment houses such as Merrill Lynch and Lehman Bros. badly mismanage their companies and walk off with golden parachutes, leaving their stockholders and investors to suffer, and Congress votes to throw more billions of dollars at them, as if rewarding them for bad management, is that not misuse and abuse of our tax dollars, the dollars we work hard for to send to the government? And to add insult to injury, the President and the Congress want to give those same executives our tax dollars without any oversight, and without putting into place stricter rules and regulations as to the management of those companies. Does betrayal get any more egregious than that?</p>
<p>How about our government allowing the importation of foreigners in order to take our jobs away? Not only that, our government gives more rights and privileges to illegal persons in this country than to us. They can go and get free medical services at our hospitals, take our jobs away, and burden our school systems and social services. If you and I walk into any hospital and ask for free medical attention, guess what happens?</p>
<p>And we have to pay for all those services.</p>
<p>When the President of the United States has the gall to look right into the tv camera and say that there is nothing he can do about the people streaming illegally into this country, he is lying to you. And when he goes on to state that they are only working at jobs Americans refuse to do, he is pouring salt into your open wound.</p>
<p>If we do not demand our rights and exercise our power, as we have a right to do, then we have no one to blame but ourselves when we sink down into third-world status, or possibly even get taken over by some foreign government.</p>
<p>Democracy is dying in this country, and attention needs to be paid. One reason it is dying, although not the only one, is because of well-funded, very powerful lobbyists who have easy access to our elected officials. They ply these officials with money and gifts while you and I go unheard and unheeded. Such a situation amounts to bribery, and when legislation is enacted on that basis, democracy dies. And helping to shovel it into an early grave are corrupt politicians, dishonest politicians, avaricious politicians; along with too many children graduating from school who do not even know how to read and write properly, and who do not know our history or how our government operates; and very definitely too many of us who sit on our hands and grumble.</p>
<p>We are not paying attention as we should, but are too involved with our own lives and problems to be bothered. But we need to be bothered, to wake up and take notice, because otherwise, for sure, we are going to lose this wonderful country.</p>
<p>You may ask, "What am I suppose to do?" You could send faxes and e-mails, and better yet, call your Congressperson and Senator at least once a week and voice your opinions.</p>
<p>A better suggestion would be for groups of Americans to get together in their own neighborhoods and meet every couple of weeks. Each person would have spent the past two weeks watching the Congress and their local representatives, and how they propose or vote on issues, as well as watching what the President is doing. Then a vote would be taken at the meeting as to whether the President and representatives are acting in your best interests. If something is disliked, telephone, fax and call these people and let them know. If something is liked, let them know about that, too.</p>
<p>The point is to inundate your elected representatives with e-mails, faxes and telephone calls. Let them know they are being watched by an observant electorate who will no longer tolerate inefficiency and insensitivity. Believe me, I think it will have a powerful effect. When they know that their re-election is in jeopardy, they may well straighten up and start acting like the servants they really are.</p>
<p>Further, I maintain it would not hurt if large numbers of us marched on Washington from time to time, voicing our demands. Also, for sure, any representative who you feel has failed you should be voted out of office.</p>
<p>We need to pay much more attention to what is going on in government, and to seek redress when we are being harmed. Democracy only works when the people remain involved. You've heard it said that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. It's a mistake to believe that your representatives are sitting in Washington, doing the right thing on your behalf, while you are looking the other way. Too many of them are so obviously not doing the right thing, and have to be held accountable.</p>
<p>But as things stand now, they are counting on you to remain apathetic and ignorant, and so far, they are right.</p>
<p>Forget about politicians looking out for you, as they should. Forget about them coming to your town to tell you what they promise to do, which promises are too often quickly forgotten once they get into office. They instead need to hear what we expect them to do. Remember, they represent us, not the other way around.</p>
<p>Stop giving your power away to them. Politicians are not royalty. They do not automatically have any kind of divine right to anything. I believe that if enough Americans stood up to them, they would back down in a hurry.</p>
<p>It is true that one person alone cannot accomplish much, if anything at all. Power is in the numbers. Enough people have to stand up and make their voices heard. I know there are many angry people out there, angry about the loss of jobs in this country, angry about the debacle on Wall Street, angry about the price of oil, angry about the onward march of illegals into our country, angry about the bailout, angry about the war in Iraq, and angry about a host of other issues as well. We all need to get together and communicate our feelings to a president and Congress that right now is so out of touch.</p>
<p>So here we go again! Another election over a bunch of politicians telling you whatever you want to hear, and ignoring issues that really need open discussion, such as the loss of jobs and the downfall of the middle class, not to mention a few other pressing issues. They're at it again, promising way too much and unlikely to deliver even a modicum. And you are listening and getting sucked in just as they want, when, in truth, you have the power at any time to turn the tables and make them listen to you.</p>
<p>When are you going to raise your voice?</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FTake-Back-Your-Power.309273"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FTake-Back-Your-Power.309273" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:46:09 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Political Advertisement, Parody</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/Political-Advertisement-Parody.294529</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>If this article was about me telling you how to vote I should be running for president! Anyone who tells you how to vote should be running as clearly they are willing to infringe rights! Just a thought. I am considering airing the following advertisement on the radio.<br /><br />Communist leader: Hello North America, how is your day today!<br /><br />Green party: What are you talking about?<br /><br />Communist leader: I like to get to know the people!<br /><br />Green party: That is not the goal of the election! The goal is to lie and get them to vote!<br /><br />Communist leader: Oh, pardon me then, North Americans I will lower taxes, reduce housing costs and ensure your retirement! I will waste less money on useless things and give it to you!<br /><br />Green party: There is no way you can do that! That would be the promises we have all made for years! It is about who can talk about doing them best, whoever has the best talk gets the votes! We can't fix those problems or new ones would come in and affect the elections! This way it is simple for us politicians at election time as we can reuse speeches!<br /><br />Communist leader: That makes sense, so I should leave health care the way it is and just talk about how I COULD fix it! Then I will sound smart and people will vote for me! Meanwhile I can save my speech and use it again for the next FOUR elections! I like the way you think!<br /><br />Green party: Well yes, see I talk about the environment that way all the hippies join me and vote instead of not voting, that way in 300 years when there are enough hippies I can start to win elections! I will never have to change platforms, never have to debate, never have to have a real plan! It will all come to me!<br /><br />Communist leader: I like the idea of residual leadership, but how do the people get taken care of? If no improvements are made? How do people keep voting for you?<br /><br />Green party: It is simple really, we have an inside deal to change things around each time we are in power, that way someone will look bad so they will vote for the other party each time! See we just wait for someone else to make a mistake, such as removing sports from school, going to war, upping carbon tax, screwing single income families, destroying trading relations with up and coming super powers!<br /><br />Communist leader: Well realistically what if someone comes to power and they don't make amazingly large mistakes like that?<br /><br />Green party: You are truly foolish! Since our platforms are always almost identical to last time and are mostly lies anyways! We simply spend millions of dollars from the people to libel against the other party, see I try to bend their words to sound bad or I generally tell them how much better I am because last election I promised better health care and he didn't! If that doesn't work I can always search his elementary school records and see if he ever beat anyone up or had any racial slurs accrued on his record!<br /><br />Communist leader: Okay, I think it makes sense now. You don't have to change you platform because election promises are lies? The MAIN thing though is that if someone looks better then you, you simply make fun of them and degrade them anyway you can? Doesn't that violate human rights, or at the very least the basis of you running for office? If your goal is to be the leader of a continent should you not have the peoples welfare in mind?<br /><br />Green party: We call people like you extremists, we kill people like you!<br /><br />Communist leader: I think the government is FOR the people isn't it? If I was in it for the paycheck doesn't that make me a user and abuser of an entire society? Isn't that the very thing you are SUPPOSED to be running for office to avoid?<br /><br />Green Party: Well when the documents about government were originally draw up it was by fools who didn't see it as an income potential to run the country. They did it simply to help, fools! Now we have fully monetized it so that the leaders make maximum money without actually doing anything other then show others how bad the other parties are!<br /><br />Communist leader: OK, so you spend the peoples money to lie to them? Your actual JOB is to act like a 3 year old and call someone else a wienie? Your goal is the paycheck? Your job is to make sure nothing improves in a country? To throw money at problems like idiotic banks breaking the law?<br /><br />You my friend are the luckiest person alive!<br /><br /><br />NOTE: This article has absolutely no actual relation to either party/leader used as examples! They are simply examples! The Communist leader being displayed as the intelligent human is by random draw and I am in no way supporting either cause! I stand by my comments of politicians acting how they do, anyone over the age of 5 saying, he said she said, should not be running my country! Power to the people, displayed properly through he government, how it is supposed to be!<br /><br />I will accept all criticism happily! Also see <a href="http://www.socyberty.com/Economics/Our-Tax-Dollars.286191" target="_blank">Our Tax Dollars</a></p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FPolitical-Advertisement-Parody.294529"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FPolitical-Advertisement-Parody.294529" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:58:43 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Arroyo Faces New Impeachment Complaint</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/World/Asia/Arroyo-Faces-New-Impeachment-Complaint.294105</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is set to face a new impeachment complaint beginning Saturday, exactly a year after the last impeachment complaint against her was filed at the House of Representatives.<br /><br />Jose "Joey" de Venecia III, the son of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, said Friday he will file a new impeachment complaint against Arroyo beginning on Saturday. He said he will repeat the filing of the complaint on Sunday and Monday.<br /><br />Saturday, October 11, marks the exact date when the one-year immunity of filing another impeachment complaint against Arroyo will expire.<br /><br />De Venecia said the new complaint accuses Arroyo of betrayal of public trust after she approved the national broadband deal with the Chinese firm ZTE Corp. De Venecia testified in the Senate blue-ribbon committee that the deal was overpriced by at least $130 million.<br /><br />The complaint also accuses Arroyo of culpable violation for approving a railway project and numerous human rights violations; bribery for her role in the ZTE-NBN deal; and graft and corruption for her administration's involvement in various irregularities including the 728 million-peso fertilizer scam, 2 billion-peso swine scam and alleged ballot-switching in the 2004 presidential election.<br /><br />Congressmen Satur Ocampo, Luz Ilagan and Teodoro Casi&amp;ntilde;o are set to endorse the complaints which are also being supported by civil society, human rights and left-leaning groups.<br /><br />However, Malaca&amp;ntilde;ang officials said they are confident that the impeachment complaints will be dismissed with dispatch by the House of Representatives.<br /><br />Arroyo political adviser Gabriel Claudio said the complaints are not surprising since they came from "certified Arroyo-haters."<br /><br />"The case will not fly for at least two reasons: One, it is bereft of any legal grounds. For example, the President cannot be held legally liable for any of the issues raised; two, the proximity of the 2010 elections and the current global financial turmoil make such a move look absolutely unnecessary, distractive and destructive," he said.<br /><br />He said Congress and the public, including those against the administration or identified with the opposition would prefer to wait for the 2010 elections to effect changes in the national leadership.<br /><br />House Speaker Prospero Nograles welcomed the filing of the complaint and said he will ask the House secretary-general to be on standby even on the weekend to receive the complaint.<br /><br />Rep. Satur Ocampo said he will endorse the complaint even if the opposition does not have the one-third votes needed to automatically transmit the complaint to the Senate.<br /><br />He said filing the complaint is still important to make a statement against the President. "Whether or not we get the one-third endorsement is not central now. What we need is to register it at the House and let the people know about it," he said.<br /><br />He also said he does not support one aspect of the complaint, which accuses the President of violating the Philippine Constitution in crafting the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FWorld%2FAsia%2FArroyo-Faces-New-Impeachment-Complaint.294105"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FWorld%2FAsia%2FArroyo-Faces-New-Impeachment-Complaint.294105" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:20:27 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>$700 Billion Dollar Blunder</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/700-Billion-Dollar-Blunder.291183</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>I roll out of bed this morning, grab my morning cup of coffee and turn on the news. As I sip the rather harsh instant coffee (can't afford real coffee right now) I see a story about how some top executives from the insurance giant AIG just took a nice little jaunt to a posh resort in California to the tune of $440,000. This little get away included such things as spa treatments, banquet meals and round of golf. Now, isn't this the same company that our own government just bailed out with an $85 billion loan to save them from bankruptcy? The answer, quite simply, is yes it is.</p>
<p>That's $85 billion of your taxes that was given to this company to save it from bankruptcy. You would think that the top executives at a major corporation such as AIG would be a little smarter than to go and spend extravagant amounts of money on a jaunt to a posh resort a mere week after the news of their bailout was all over the front pages.</p>
<p>This kind of behavior really brings into question the logic behind the $700 billion bailout by the government of the financial system. When I first heard about this proposal one glaring point that caught my eye was the fact that this whole deal was outlined in a 3 page report. I've written high school papers that were longer than that and this is suppose to cover the reasons and the justification for spending $700 billion? If this doesn't sound like a recipe for gross corruption and misuse of government funds on an unprecedented scale then I don't know what does.</p>
<p>Rather than pumping all of our hard earned taxes dollars into a corrupt system and paving the way for President Bush's friends to line their pockets and the already grossly rich of this country, who are to blame for the current recession, to get even richer why aren't these people being arrested and dragged into federal court where they belong. They should be standing in front of a senate hearing committee and facing long stretches in federal prison.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2F700-Billion-Dollar-Blunder.291183"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2F700-Billion-Dollar-Blunder.291183" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:38:00 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>The Freedom to Lie</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/Politics/US-Politics/The-Freedom-to-Duck-Questions.288823</link>
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<![CDATA[<p>In the V.P. Presidential debate held last week in St Louis, MO the true cause for our disaster economy, endless unjust war and our country&amp;rsquo;s overall lack of resemblance to the U.S.A of lore was on display for the entire world to see. And yet no one seemed to notice.</p>
<p>One of the most obvious cases of obstruction of justice masquerading as democracy in action took place there in front of millions.</p>
<p>The cause of which I speak, which has lead to this a failure in democracy, was the complacency of the media or in this case mediator Gwen Ifill to do her job &amp;amp; expose the VP candidate Sarah Palin as the truly dangerous fundamentalist pig in sheep&amp;rsquo;s clothing that she is along with her anything but Maverick running mate John McCain.</p>
<p>The brazenness with which she avoided topics she didn&amp;rsquo;t feel necessary to respond to even when asked a direct question even though she is seeking the 2<sup>nd</sup> highest ranking position in the most powerful nation on the planet was typical at best, criminal at worst .</p>
<p>Even more disappointing was the failure of the Ms. Ifill who was admittedly handcuffed by the standard the media are held to, to ask tougher follow up questions &amp;amp; insist she not ignore the topic at hand once presented with a specific subject. While she did attempt to reign in Palin&amp;rsquo;s assault on the hearts &amp;amp; minds of ordinary Americans once or twice, it proved to be too little too late as the true believers watching at home were probably already mesmerized by her lack of candor &amp;amp; loose approach with the facts.</p>
<p>Sen. Biden several times alluded to the record of McCain not being in confluence with the &amp;ldquo;Maverick&amp;rdquo; image of the past &amp;amp; also of McCain being in nearly full support with the disastrous policies of Bush Jr. not just in 2001 but also still remains so today and Gov. Palin refused to respond to those queries. Instead she talked about whatever she damn well pleased even at one point going so far as to say she would not respond and that she wanted to talk straight to the American people.</p>
<p>How does ducking questions about your running mate&amp;rsquo;s obvious sullied &amp;amp; spurious past amount to straight talk ?</p>
<p>Biden to his credit did attempt to refute any misleading statements Palin made about Obama including the one where she said Obama voted 94 times against tax breaks for Americans which was revealed on air to be untrue.</p>
<p>The problem does not rest alone on this stewardess posing as a VP candidate. The fact is that there is zero expectation that the moderator in this case, the media in every other is not only expected but required to make sure the candidates are allowed to frame the debate in any way they see fit and respond only to the questions they feel safe to answer. It was obvious that while Biden did attempt to go back to previously covered subjects, Palin would often veer off into territory which had nothing to do with the subject at hand. These were obviously from her pre-arranged notes probably presented to her backstage by Karl Rove himself.</p>
<p>In a true democracy the media would be the representative for the people who would defend against politicians who aren&amp;rsquo;t fit to answer tough questions about their records or policies. This failure of the media to insist upon straight answers from those in power is the reason we have a failed democracy. The politicians do not represent the interests of the people because we do not insist upon it.</p>
<p>For instance, McCain does in fact have a long history of supporting deregulation, as Senator Biden attempted to point out several times, which has played a large part in our present financial crisis. This should have been made more apparent during the debate. McCain also has a long history of siding with Bush on key issues including tax breaks for the wealthiest 1% and support for the war. Don&amp;rsquo;t the Americans who don&amp;rsquo;t pay much attention throughout the year deserve to at least know these things now prior to an election when it is most important ?</p>
<p>What would these debates look like if someone with balls, who did not fear for losing their job, and who has a history of challenging politicians in interviews were given that job ?? Say someone like Bill Maher. Would our democracy improve if politicians were not allowed to wiggle out of tough questions? If they were exposed for who they were then only politicians like Obama would be allowed to lead &amp;amp; we would be living in an entirely different America.</p>
<p>The only journalists who were ever allowed into the room with President Bush are those who had already acquiesced to the system &amp;amp; had proven themselves more than willing to go along.</p>
<p>What if Bush had to face someone&amp;rsquo;s tough questions at any time in the last 8 years &amp;amp; was not allowed to pick &amp;amp; choose who would interview him ?? Might disaster have been averted ?</p>
<p>The entire American mindset would have changed dramatically had truly honest journalists whose jobs were guaranteed been allowed access to President Bush week after week. Every lie would have been further exposed until it could not have been ignored. As it were the only interview I saw one on one was done by the late Tim Russert who apparently was quite cozy with the power structure in Washington. Being grilled by Tim Russert is like being grilled by your little sister.</p>
<p>Imagine if we the American people insisted that positions of political power should also carry a level of transparency on level with some of our celebrities ? What if they were followed into restrooms with cameras or were given no barrier between themselves &amp;amp; the people ? What if no stone were left unturned ? What kind of politicians would we be left with ? Maybe more politicians like Obama ?</p>
<p>The brazenness of Palin, to decide which questions she&amp;rsquo;d like to answer and which she&amp;rsquo;d prefer not to answer should be an indicator of the contempt she has for the truth &amp;amp; is not something the American people should ever tolerate.</p>
<p>Why after Palin pronounced her love of all things American several times during her speech were there no questions regarding attending a secessionist meeting of the group her husband (the separatist wackjob) belongs to.</p>
<p>Why not question her shady political past regarding her botched job as mayor where she mismanaged her city&amp;rsquo;s finances to the tune of $1.6 million. Or have her admit she did not sell the Alaska Government plane on eBay as she had previously stated but instead sold it at a $600,000 loss to a former campaign supporter who is now seeking $10,000 in restitution ??</p>
<p>Or her Bridge to Nowhere debacle which she did fully support in her campaign to nowhere &amp;amp; only backed out when the feds said no dice although she did still keep the money. When Charles Gibson confronted her in a televised interview about her having lied in the first place she refused to answer that question as well spewing some mumbo jumbo that didn&amp;rsquo;t reveal any way or another what her true answer was. She lied about Bridge to Nowhere. It&amp;rsquo;s as simple as that. Yet Charles Gibson could not continue to question her about that bcuz it would&amp;rsquo;ve been &amp;ldquo;rude&amp;rdquo; by American standards.</p>
<p>And why after accusing Obama of wanting to raise taxes (which is misleading bcuz he only wants to bring about fairness by raising them on those who make $250,000 or higher) was it not brought up that Palin ended up paying for her mismanagement of funds thingy as mayor with a 25 percent increase in the city sales tax. Instead Palin is allowed to present herself as the enemy of tax increases.</p>
<p>Further evidence was presented in Matt Taibbi&amp;rsquo;s excellent piece in Rolling Stone about Palin&amp;rsquo;s checkered past:</p>
<p>&amp;ldquo; In addition to being ensconced in a messy ethics investigation over her firing of the chief of the Alaska state troopers (dismissed after refusing to sack her sister's ex-husband), Palin also reportedly fired a key campaign aide for having an affair with a friend's wife. More ominously, as mayor of Wasilla, Palin tried to fire the town librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, after Emmons resisted pressure to censor books Palin found objectionable.</p>
<p>&amp;ldquo;Then there's the God stuff: Palin belongs to a church whose pastor, Ed Kalnins, believes that all criticisms of George Bush "come from hell," and wondered aloud if people who voted for John Kerry could be saved. Kalnins, looming as the answer to Obama's Jeremiah Wright, claims that Alaska is going to be a "refuge state" for Christians in the last days, last days which he sometimes speaks of in the present tense. Palin herself has been captured on video mouthing the inevitable born-again idiocies, such as the idea that a recent oil pipeline deal was "God's will." She also described the Iraq War as a "task that is from God" and part of a heavenly "plan." She supports teaching creationism and "abstinence only" in public schools, opposes abortion even for victims of rape, denies the science behind global warming and attends a church that seeks to convert Jews and cure homosexuals.&amp;rdquo;</p>
<p>In this short time she has lied to the media repeatedly &amp;amp; we are expected to put up with it because this is America <br />&amp;amp; Gosh Darnit that is what we do ?!</p>
<p>The fact is that the average American is not intelligent enough to discern which things are true about a candidate and their record and which are not. If a spoiled millionaire party boy son of oil wealth who didn&amp;rsquo;t have the courage to serve in the military claims to have suddenly found God &amp;amp; that he is in fact a &amp;ldquo;War President&amp;rdquo; they will believe him. If he then says the only response to one of the greatest tragedies in American history is to attack the wrong country &amp;amp; secure their oil reserves, they will believe him. And if WMD&amp;rsquo;s he assured us were there are never found then that&amp;rsquo;s ok too because we are spreading democracy though war &amp;amp; their children are going to love us for it.</p>
<p>If McCain claims to be a friend to the common people though he owns 9 homes &amp;amp; 13 cars and at the same time paints Obama as elite though he grew up poor and owns but one home &amp;amp; one car, they will believe him. If he also claims to be a &amp;ldquo;Maverick&amp;rdquo; despite having supported almost every failed policy of the previous 8 years which has obviously had disastrous consequences, then Americans will believe him.</p>
<p>They want to believe him of course. They have to believe him. The only other option is voting for a black man.</p>
<p>And the America of today may not be ready for that even if the alternative is a pig in lipstick.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FPolitics%2FUS-Politics%2FThe-Freedom-to-Duck-Questions.288823"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FPolitics%2FUS-Politics%2FThe-Freedom-to-Duck-Questions.288823" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:17:22 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Really, Mr President!</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/World/Africa/Really-Mr-President.280809</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>The USA and Venezuela are not the only countries in the world to have been led by presidents given to eccentric and sometimes catastrophic folly. Among the outrageous have been the following:</p>
<h3>MALAWI</h3>
<p>This little known African state recently came to public attention when Madonna decided to adopt one of its many orphans (who had a family of his own!). Its other claim to fame is that it was led from 1964 - 1994 by the eccentric Doctor Hastings Kamuzu Banda, known also as the Ngwazi (Lion) or simply &amp;ldquo;His Excellency&amp;rdquo;. A qualified medical doctor, elder in the Church of Scotland and the only Black friend of pre-democratic South Africa, Banda was a bit of a turnip when it came to passing laws.</p>
<p>After visiting swinging London at the end of the 60s he decreed that no woman in the country should wear mini or even midi skirts; nor should they appear in public wearing trousers. Men were forbidden to grow their hair long or to wear beards, moustaches or tight shorts. The penalty for disobedience was imprisonment for Malawian citizens and immediate deportation for foreigners.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/01/365611_0.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>When the good doctor travelled around the country he did so in the presidential cavalcade, complete with sirens, flashing lights and motorcycle outriders. During his perambulations all other road users, without warning, were supposed to stop their cars, get out and wave. Anyone who failed to stop before the first of the outriders drew level with them was called to court to answer charges that were a mixture of disrespect and breach of security. The penalty for this one ranged from a fine of anything between ten shillings and ten thousand pounds. Or you might go to jail.</p>
<p>Then there was the vexed question of language. Kamuzu came from the central region of Malawi where the main language was Chewa. By presidential decree this language became the official one along with English, replacing the much more common Tumbuku and Nyanja.</p>
<p>These were Kamuzu's more bizarre gifts to the nation, but add to them political assassinations, internment without trial and the usual dictatorial extravagances and you end up with quite a sinister character to contend with. Like many leaders his strength was in leading the country to independence and getting rid of the English. Like most freedom fighters he should then have stepped aside to allow a more sensible person take up the baton. Alas there were none others so equipped.</p>
<p>Pressured into holding free elections in 1993/4, Kamuzu, for some reason, was thrown out of power at the ripe old age of about 99 (no-one knew his exact age) and we never even got to the bottom of the rumour that the bachelor president had a son living in the USA!</p>
<h3>FRANCE</h3>
<p>Many eccentrics have occupied the seat of power in this roughly hexagonally shaped European country, and many brutes as well, but the one that most endears himself to my feeling for the melodramatic is the fondly remembered General. Just the General, but if you still don't know who is referred to let me spell it out: G&amp;eacute;n&amp;eacute;ral Charles de Gaulle, born in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises and named after the international airport outside Paris. Coming from a village with a name like that the general had a lot to live up to.</p>
<p>Now here is a General not afraid to mince his words. His most famous gaffe was uttered during a visit to Canada in 1967. The Canadians were rightly worried that he might mix himself up in Canadian domestic affairs, notably with the separatist movement in Quebec.</p>
<p>On a state occasion he flew not to Canada but to of St Pierre et Miquelon, islands off the coast of Newfoundland which are still considered to be an integral part of France, sending deputies to the National Assembly in Paris. From there he sailed to Canada.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/01/365611_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>In a speech given from the Town Hall in Montreal the unpredictable General uttered the words &amp;ldquo;Vive le Quebec&amp;rdquo; and then added &amp;ldquo;libre&amp;rdquo;, &amp;ldquo;long live free Quebec&amp;rdquo;. The embarrassment was rather acute and the old duffer had to be coaxed back to Paris amid grave international consternation.</p>
<p>De Gaulle's other hallmark was his huff taking. When things didn't go his way he used to retreat to his home in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises (where he was later to be buried). There he would brood until France saw sense and called on him for redemption. Eventually they stopped calling, but the French took the name of the village to their hearts and dictionaries, and referred to such activity as &amp;ldquo;taking to Colombey&amp;rdquo;.</p>
<p>Vive le G&amp;eacute;n&amp;eacute;ral's what I say. When died his successor, Georges Pompidou, announced to the nation &amp;laquo;&amp;nbsp;France est veuve&amp;nbsp;&amp;raquo;, France has just been widowed. Unlike many another President, de Gaulle is buried unpretentiously in a simple grave in his home village, the inscription on the headstone reading only &amp;ldquo;Charles de Gaulle. 1890 - 1970&amp;rdquo;.</p>
<p>CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC</p>
<p>Forget eccentricity or the buffoonery of an elderly, doting, Santa Claus type uncle, we come now to one of the big boys of presidential vanity and villainy. This man came to the seat of power as a president but elevated himself to the rank of Emperor, nice work if you can get it.  Jean-B&amp;eacute;del Bokassa came from humble beginnings in the Central African Republic and joined the army, rising through the ranks and serving eventually with the forces of France in Indochina. There he procured for himself a bride of seventeen summers and in due course a daughter, who he left behind to return to Europe. In fairness, he assumed that he would be returning to Indochina, but that was not to be.</p>
<p>Leaving the French army in 1962 he joined the forces of his native CAR and started to become a bit of a thorn in the side of his cousin David Dacko, the President. Time passed, loyalties changed and a coup put Bokassa in power in 1965. That's when the fun began.</p>
<p>Keen to enforce his own brand of government, Bokassa passed laws requiring men and women between the ages of 18 to 55 to provide proof that they had jobs; the alternative was a fine or prison term. He banned begging and established a &amp;ldquo;morality brigade&amp;rdquo; to keep an eye on dance halls and bars in the capital Bangui.  He promoted himself up the army ranks and sought international recognition which foreign states granted since CAR is rich in uranium and diamonds - they needed him.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/10/01/365611_2.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Not satisfied with being President then Life President, Bokassa eventually proclaimed himself Emperor at a lavish ceremony costing $US20 million, consuming one third of the C.A.R.'s annual budget and all of France's aid that year, and despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the celebrations.</p>
<p>French support for the regime soon evaporated with increased extravagance and oppression. In April 1979 100 school children were massacred when they protested against having to buy and wear expensive school uniforms.</p>
<p>With French political and military support, the ousted ex-president Dacko took back power in a coup, and Bokassa fled to Paris via the Ivory Coast and was granted asylum!!! From there he returned to CAR having been sentenced to death in his absence. (But why???)</p>
<p>At trial on his return Bokassa was accused of cannibalism, treason, murder and embezzlement. He was cleared of cannibalism but convicted of the rest and sentenced to death - again.</p>
<p>Death was reduced first to life imprisonment, then to twenty years, and in 1993 he benefited from a general amnesty to be allowed to live on in Bangui till his death at the age of 75.</p>
<p>Mixed in with all this was his self-declaration to be Christ's 13th apostle and his claim to have met secretly with the Pope.</p>
<p>And he more or less got away with it!!!</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FWorld%2FAfrica%2FReally-Mr-President.280809"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FWorld%2FAfrica%2FReally-Mr-President.280809" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:28:45 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Wad the Dogs</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/Wad-the-Dogs.277915</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>Oops we did it again. and again. and again. and I don&amp;rsquo;t think we will ever stop. <br /><br />What happened few days back in the parliament is not shocking as what happened after that - the silence during the storm. Not before, not after...right in the middle of the storm. <br /><br />This is a rare phenomenon that can be witnessed frequently in India. It stems from our indifference and cynicism that endorses those famous ancient adages - nothing will change, they are all the same, what can one man do? <br /><br />Perhaps not a lot in the present India, but that should not stop us from making a humble beginning. That should not stop us from raising our voice against the degeneration of our institutions. That should not stop us from letting a mere 541 people insult, embarrass, exploit and hurt the remaining 1.1 billion people living in this country. <br /><br />By now, it should be clear as the light of the new dawn, to all of us that our fate, our future and our country is not in the hands of people who put national interest before themselves. It should be clear to all of us that these people are no different from any one of us. It should be clear to all of us that presently, if any one of us is given a chance and that much power then we will do exactly the same as they are doing.... <br /><br />unless Ofcourse we stop believing that ONE man can not make a difference and start believing in what one of us said a long while back - " become the change you want to see in others"- Mahatma Gandhi.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FWad-the-Dogs.277915"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FWad-the-Dogs.277915" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Sep 2008 02:56:28 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>World Suffering and Governmental Influence</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/World-Suffering-and-Governmental-Influence.276087</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>It breaks my heart to know that so many people now suffer, have suffered and will certainly continue to suffer in the days to come, due to the fact that the American people truly have no say over what their leaders do.</p>
<p>The American people, as a whole, still believe that their vote actually counts for something. The greatest and most powerful nation on the earth and the people actually still believe that the global powers&amp;hellip;the ones who really run the country, along with the rest of the planet, are truly going to leave the fate of the nation and it's leadership to the vote of the people. How na&amp;iuml;ve is that?</p>
<p>&amp;ldquo;We the people&amp;rdquo; only know what we're told&amp;hellip;for the most part. People get up in the morning, they eat breakfast, get dressed, go to work and try not to get mugged, killed or fired. If they make it through the day unscathed, they then go home, read the paper&amp;hellip;(manipulated information intended mostly to entertain and amuse than truly inform), listen to the kids fight, the dog bark, eat dinner and send off a few checks to the creditors (BILLS) before watching a little television, also meant to enthrall, hypnotize and manipulate the majority, before drinking a little warm milk to ease the heartburn and go to bed.</p>
<p>All we know about the war in the Middle East is what we are told by way of news paper and T.V. The truth exists in the reality of those who are having to live the nightmare and for the time being&amp;hellip;that is NOT the American public&amp;hellip;although that is about to change.</p>
<p>A truly unhappy woman left a comment on my &amp;ldquo;Who Is Obama&amp;rdquo; article that caused me some serious discomfort. First of all she clearly did not understand what I had written or she seriously misinterpreted it and I am sorry.</p>
<p>Outside of those who have suffered most, there are few people as unhappy with the state of the union as I presently am. Our Presidents have done unconscionable, unspeakable atrocities and then lied through their teeth or just plain outright denied the truth to the people.</p>
<p>In 1998...if I'm not mistaken, the UN Summit Conferences held in Turkey, were kept totally and entirely from the American people. Bill Clinton and his charming wife Hillary, along with her miscreant Women's Caucus, deliberately kept this conference from the people and then sought to pass one law after another, which would directly effect the lives of every American man, woman and child, not only in America but around the world! Laws on abortion, laws on marriage, laws on family and household income, laws on daycare. The American people are suffering, thanks to our conscienceless government, along with the rest of the homeless, orphaned and afflicted world populace!</p>
<p>There are very few who are happy with the Clinton administration or either of the Bush administrations and we fear with great trepidation, doubt and social conflict, the next administration to take office. No one dares to vote because there isn't anyone worthy to take office and we all know it! Those who vote&amp;hellip;their votes don't mean crap anyway and the rest of us&amp;hellip;the silent majority, have no power and so refuse to advocate either of the two evils. To do so would only result in a black spot upon our own souls, as our party goes to and fro upon the earth terrorizing, dominating and killing whomever they so choose at will.</p>
<p>When people look at the U.S. and think evil and hatred upon it's hardworking, if not totally ignorant population, who only seek, for the most part, to do an honest day's work for an honest days wage and see to the needs of their families, I am sorry for you because clearly you are as ignorant to the facts and the truth as we are. Nothing would please our world leaders more than to have all of us blue collar laborers, in every country, rise up in hatred and kill of the majority of the worlds population. It's what they've been trying to do for decades now! How much easier would it be if we all just killed each other without them having to invent new ways to do it themselves?</p>
<p>Wake up people! I don't care what God you worship or from what land you hail&amp;hellip;.WAKE UP! The United States is not the enemy and neither are her people! It's all the governments in all the lands&amp;hellip;the UN is the enemy, the Illuminate is the enemy, the super wealthy around the globe who want absolute autonomy over all people are the enemy. The people in every land, who are just regular people, trying desperately to survive and leave something worth remembering to the next generation are NOT the enemy. Get your facts strait people and begin placing blame where it belongs in the Whitehouse&amp;hellip; not in the little run down ranch homes that dot the land or the slums where people are making and selling drugs in order to feed their families. We are also suffering. Maybe we haven't been attacked with bombs and troops with guns from other lands but we suffer disease without relief, we suffer homelessness and starvation just like the rest of the world. &amp;ldquo;We the People&amp;rdquo; Just want peace and there is none to be found. We're not the bad guys Sara. We're victims JUST LIKE YOU.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FWorld-Suffering-and-Governmental-Influence.276087"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FWorld-Suffering-and-Governmental-Influence.276087" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2008 07:20:32 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Who is Obama?</title>
<link>http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/Who-is-Obama.269217</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>It has come to my attention that many people are gunning for Barrak Obama. They want him in office because he represents change people feel they need in the US.</p>
<p>Does anyone take time to really research the type of changes Obama truly represents? Have any of you researched partial birth, live baby abortions lately because that's what Barrak Obama and his lovely wife, not only endorse and promote, but are fighting tooth and nail to protect!</p>
<p>They induce labor, and this procedure can be performed at any gestational stage of the pregnancy, then deliver all of the baby's body but the head. Leaving the head inside the vagina, the baby is alive and moving at this point&amp;hellip;perfectly fine&amp;hellip;the doctor then takes a pair of scissors and stabs them into the brain stem of the baby at the back of the head and shoves the scissors up into the baby's brain. If this doesn't kill the child the doctor then inserts a powerful suction tube and sucks out the baby's brains. Many of these live birth abortion victims are actually tossed into the trash while still breathing, still alive to suffer and die in a trash can!!!</p>
<p>Since when is this type of barbaric and brutal activity legal, acceptable and ethical? A drug addicted mother can give birth and toss her baby in the trash can, still alive at least for a while and then she is sentenced to prison for murder but as long as you go and have a doctor pull your child from the womb and then cram scissors into your baby's brain that's ok!!!! Baby's that would live, if taken to the nursery and loved, are tortured, mutilated and discarded for trash by doctors who have taken a solemn oath to do no harm!!!</p>
<p>When people like Barrak Obama are actually preferred to the likes of George Bush&amp;hellip;a barbarian and tyrannical dictator in his own right but still a far cry better than Barrak Obama, then we as a people are in BIG, BIG trouble! When a society that is supposed to be the most advanced and civilized on the face of the earth says to Pharaoh, &amp;ldquo;Come&amp;hellip;.take our babies and murder them we don't care!&amp;rdquo; you can expect great plagues and destruction to follow.</p>
<p>So people&amp;hellip;.when we hear about the Avian Flue pandemic, Aids, the Ebola Virus along with others&amp;hellip;when we sit in our homes trembling with fear for our lives against foreign bodies and violent enemies&amp;hellip;just be aware that God is teaching us what it feels like to be these innocent little babies we are butchering at will on a daily basis! It's called the killing of the innocents and we have the Romans and the Egyptians beat hands down in barbarism and butchery now. When we hear of these terrible things which are surely coming for us, just know that we have brought this upon ourselves with blatant corruption and disregard for the sanctity of human life. As you lay in your beds writhing with pain and illness, know we've brought this upon ourselves and die.</p>
<p>The world has become an ugly awful place and we have built that great and spacious building of wickedness, corruption and destruction with our own self centered, irresponsible hands! If you don't want to get pregnant then try being virtuous, modest and observe a wiser, more mature code of moral ethics. Stop droppin' em for anyone who wants a little&amp;hellip;or a lot! It's not these innocent little children who are to blame for our lust and perversion! They should not have to pay the ultimate price for mommy's immaturity and irresponsible behavior!</p>
<p>There are thousands of people out there who desperately want newborns to love and raise but people, of less than no conscience, would rather torture and mutilate these sweet little babies rather than face the consequences of their own immorality, give birth then hand the baby healthy and happy to people who will love it. How ridiculously barbaric and nonsensical is that?! And we actually dare to make claims as to being the greatest nation on the Earth? OH PLEASE!!!! We are about to find out just how God truly feels about that and those who don't believe in God? Hold on to your panties sweetheart!!! It get's painfully bumpy from here for you. Stop Barrak Obama at any cost! Stand up and fight for something pure, moral and righteous for a change and keep that monster from taking office&amp;hellip;.if we can.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FWho-is-Obama.269217"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsflavor.com%2FOpinions%2FWho-is-Obama.269217" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:38:57 PST</pubDate></item>
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