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Germany Votes, Wins and Losses

Victor Grossman portside
Yes, Angela Merkel wins. Her 42 percent vote, impressive as it was with many parties contesting, left her with the biggest bloc of 311 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag, but five seats short of a needed majority. So instead of the previous more-or-less like-minded partner, further to the right on most issues, she must try to forge an alliance with her main election opponents, the Social Democrats.

Destroying the Right to Be Left Alone

Christopher Calabrese and Matthew Harwood Tom Dispatch.com
Tomgram: As Christopher Calabrese and Matthew Harwood indicate today, however, gigantic as the NSA’s intrusions on privacy might be, they are only part of an uncomfortably large story in which many U.S. agencies and outfits feel free to take possession of our lives in ever more technologically advanced and intrusive ways.

The Banality of Systemic Evil

Peter Ludlow The New York Times Opinionator
Has the younger generation lost its moral compass? No. In my view, just the opposite. Clearly, there is a moral principle at work in the actions of the leakers, whistle-blowers and hacktivists and those who support them. I would also argue that that moral principle has been clearly articulated, and it may just save us from a dystopian future.

Detroit Emergency Manager Created Black Out To 'Teach A Lesson'

Diane Sweet Crooks and Liars
If you ever had any doubt that Michigan has been taken over by a group of dangerous, radical extremists, what happened in Detroit on September 11th, 2013 should be enough to wake you up. On September 12th, 2013, Bill Nowling casually stated that the city’s power outages were intentional to “send a message” to the people of Detroit. Many believe the deliberate power outage was carried out because Orr’s office has been pushing for the privatization of the city power grid.