||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DRUG BUSTS
RADLEY BALKO, REASON - The DEA triumphantly announced last week that
American Express Bank International's customers (fixed for accuracy)
will pay a $55 million fine because the bank hasn't taken sufficient
steps to monitor its customers' behavior for signs of drug-related money
laundering. Among the measures the government expects your bank to take
(and, ultimately, to charge you for): "Under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks
are required to establish and maintain an anti-money laundering
compliance program that, at a minimum, provides for: (a) internal
policies, procedures and controls designed to guard against money
laundering; (b) the coordination and monitoring of day-to-day compliance
with the Bank Secrecy Act; (c) an ongoing employee training program; and
(d) independent testing for compliance conducted by bank personnel or an
outside party. Banks are also required to have comprehensive anti-money
laundering programs that enable them to identify and report suspicious
financial transactions to the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial
Crimes Enforcement Network." This is nothing new, of course. But it's
always good to remember that in order to make it marginally more
difficult for Americans to get high, not only are you footing the $1.9
billion bill it costs the DEA to raid homes, pay snitches, arrest
doctors, spray poison across Latin America, and storm medical marijuana
clinics each year, you also pay your bank to spy on your financial
transactions on behalf of the U.S. government.
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/121927.html
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MIDEAST
GUARDIAN WRAP - The death rate of British troops fighting in Afghanistan
is the highest since the Second World War and will, if current trends
continue, top that of US soldiers in Vietnam, the Mail reports. "One in
36 do not survive a six-month tour of duty - a more chilling toll than
experienced in the Falklands or Korean war."
(
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_
article_id=475213&in_page_id=1770
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OUTLYING PRECINCTS
AL KREBS, THE CALAMITY HOWLER - Examining the Democratic candidates for
the residency in 2008 some four and one-half months prior to the various
state primaries and caucuses one is struck by the desire of the
candidates --- save two --- of their attempt to appeal to the voters as
a party that resembles more their opposition than what we've come to
know as the Democratic Party. In the estimate of this publisher one of
those candidates --- John Edwards of North Carolina --- stands out for
not only saying what he means but means what he says. At this point he
clearly believes in the populist message as a blue print for the future.
His stands on labor, the gap between rich and poor, health care,
eliminating the special interests in influence in Congress and the
Executive branch, replacing armed conflict with diplomacy and the
Jeffersonian dictum that you can't have political democracy without
economic democracy are all issues that commend him as a genuine 21st
century populist. On the other hand --- New York U.S, Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton and the apparent leader in the national polls --- in this
publisher's estimation would not only be a disaster for the country but
also what is left of the Democratic Party as well. The last thing this
nation needs at the present time is a cold, calculating politician that
cares more about their own political power than the common good. To date
Sen. Clinton shows every intent in furthering the demise of the Party, a
task her husband so ably initiated during his two terms as President.
GUARDIAN WRAP - David Cameron's frontbench MPs and peers hold more than
115 paid directorships and other outside jobs, in addition to their
political roles, research by the Financial Times concludes. "The sheer
scale of outside interests is sparking concern within the party that
Tory 'part-timers' lack the discipline needed to defeat Labor," the
paper says.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cbd0aab0-49fe-11dc-9ffe-0000779fd2ac.html
ELLEN PERLMAN, GOVERNING - Now that Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G.
Thompson has dropped out of the race for president, I guess breast
cancer is going to remain a health threat. During his campaign, Thompson
had pledged: "I'm vowing right now to end breast cancer by the year 2015
for all the women in America.". . . Any of the other candidates want to
take up that task?
http://governing.typepad.com/13thfloor/2007/08/promises-promis.html
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DRUG BUSTS
RADLEY BALKO, REASON - The DEA triumphantly announced last week that
American Express Bank International's customers (fixed for accuracy)
will pay a $55 million fine because the bank hasn't taken sufficient
steps to monitor its customers' behavior for signs of drug-related money
laundering. Among the measures the government expects your bank to take
(and, ultimately, to charge you for): "Under the Bank Secrecy Act, banks
are required to establish and maintain an anti-money laundering
compliance program that, at a minimum, provides for: (a) internal
policies, procedures and controls designed to guard against money
laundering; (b) the coordination and monitoring of day-to-day compliance
with the Bank Secrecy Act; (c) an ongoing employee training program; and
(d) independent testing for compliance conducted by bank personnel or an
outside party. Banks are also required to have comprehensive anti-money
laundering programs that enable them to identify and report suspicious
financial transactions to the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial
Crimes Enforcement Network." This is nothing new, of course. But it's
always good to remember that in order to make it marginally more
difficult for Americans to get high, not only are you footing the $1.9
billion bill it costs the DEA to raid homes, pay snitches, arrest
doctors, spray poison across Latin America, and storm medical marijuana
clinics each year, you also pay your bank to spy on your financial
transactions on behalf of the U.S. government.
http://www.reason.com/blog/show/121927.html
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MIDEAST
GUARDIAN WRAP - The death rate of British troops fighting in Afghanistan
is the highest since the Second World War and will, if current trends
continue, top that of US soldiers in Vietnam, the Mail reports. "One in
36 do not survive a six-month tour of duty - a more chilling toll than
experienced in the Falklands or Korean war."
(
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_
article_id=475213&in_page_id=1770
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OUTLYING PRECINCTS
AL KREBS, THE CALAMITY HOWLER - Examining the Democratic candidates for
the residency in 2008 some four and one-half months prior to the various
state primaries and caucuses one is struck by the desire of the
candidates --- save two --- of their attempt to appeal to the voters as
a party that resembles more their opposition than what we've come to
know as the Democratic Party. In the estimate of this publisher one of
those candidates --- John Edwards of North Carolina --- stands out for
not only saying what he means but means what he says. At this point he
clearly believes in the populist message as a blue print for the future.
His stands on labor, the gap between rich and poor, health care,
eliminating the special interests in influence in Congress and the
Executive branch, replacing armed conflict with diplomacy and the
Jeffersonian dictum that you can't have political democracy without
economic democracy are all issues that commend him as a genuine 21st
century populist. On the other hand --- New York U.S, Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton and the apparent leader in the national polls --- in this
publisher's estimation would not only be a disaster for the country but
also what is left of the Democratic Party as well. The last thing this
nation needs at the present time is a cold, calculating politician that
cares more about their own political power than the common good. To date
Sen. Clinton shows every intent in furthering the demise of the Party, a
task her husband so ably initiated during his two terms as President.
GUARDIAN WRAP - David Cameron's frontbench MPs and peers hold more than
115 paid directorships and other outside jobs, in addition to their
political roles, research by the Financial Times concludes. "The sheer
scale of outside interests is sparking concern within the party that
Tory 'part-timers' lack the discipline needed to defeat Labor," the
paper says.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/cbd0aab0-49fe-11dc-9ffe-0000779fd2ac.html
ELLEN PERLMAN, GOVERNING - Now that Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G.
Thompson has dropped out of the race for president, I guess breast
cancer is going to remain a health threat. During his campaign, Thompson
had pledged: "I'm vowing right now to end breast cancer by the year 2015
for all the women in America.". . . Any of the other candidates want to
take up that task?
http://governing.typepad.com/13thfloor/2007/08/promises-promis.html
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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