THE STORY: American Democracy is Owned by the Rich | Al Jazeera America

In a study of Senate voting patterns, Michael Jay Barber found that "senators' preferences reflect the preferences of the average donor better than any other group." In a similar study of the House of Representatives, Jesse H. Rhodes and Brian F. Schaffner found that, "millionaires receive about twice as much representation when they comprise about 5 percent of the district's population than the poorest wealth group does when it makes up 50 percent of the district." In fact, the increasing influence of the rich over Congress is the leading driver of polarization in modern politics, with the rich using the political system to entrench wealth by pushing for tax breaks and blocking redistributive policies.

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American Democracy is Owned by the Rich | Al Jazeera America
http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/2/new-evidence-suggests-that-the-rich-own-our-democracy.html
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"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

Local Food With a Big Twist: Oregon Super-Cooperative Takes Aim at the Corporate Food System by Mary Hansen and Liz Pleasant — YES! Magazine

http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/local-food-with-big-twist-our-table-sherwood?utm_source=YTW&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20150220


"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

The Crackdown on Little Free Library Book Exchanges - The Atlantic [feedly]

The Crackdown on Little Free Library Book Exchanges - The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/02/little-free-library-crackdown/385531/
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"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."

Nice analogy noticed by a LOVESalem foreign correspondent

"Let's live on the planet as if we intend to stay."
>
> http://www.theautomaticearth.com/2015/02/sucking-beer-out-of-the-carpet-nicole-foss-at-the-great-debate-in-melbourne/
>
> She likens the use of unconventional oil (tar sands, fracked oil, ... all the very expensive and low-flow stuff) to sucking spilled beer out of carpet, compared with conventional cheap and high-flow oil. I've not heard this before from her.

> I'd rather suck wine myself, nearly spewed mine when she made this remark. I have her to thank for getting me interested in the finance angle of Peak Everything, . . . . Meanwhile, I'm hearing regular reports on NPR of layoffs throughout the unconventional oil businesses, including biggies like Halliburton and Schlumberger (oil service companies). Setting the stage for future shortages.
> cheers
> Tooj
>
> p.s. After downloading, go to around minute 33 for her 10 minute segment.