Erkan in the Army now...: “the disastrous Bush presidency told in 24 charts.. An Americana roundup…

The magnitude of the disastrous Bush presidency told in 24 charts from Boing Boing by Mark Frauenfelder In 24 charts, the Washington Post reveals how George W. Bush‘s presidency screwed up the country and the rest of the world for many years to come. Health, employment, the GDP, public services, the Middle East, and almost every other measurable condition of civilization’s health and welfare were severely damaged by Bush’s policies, all of which were enacted to make rich people richer. In achieving that goal, Bush’s presidency was a resounding success.   US-aided electronic spying in Mexico’s drug war from Boing Boing by Xeni Jardin In the Washington Post, an extensive report by Dana Priest on the changing role of the U.S. in Mexico’s intelligence war on drug cartels. The article includes extensive details on how closely intertwined the CIA and other US agencies have become with Mexican law enforcement entities:     Truly working-class politics in America from open Democracy News Analysis – by Jerome Braun Government always claims they are protecting the downtrodden by monitoring the powerful, though nowadays through standards often written by the lobbyists of the powerful, which has a remarkable resemblance to catering to their almost every whim.   Boston Marathon bombing: beware the multi-million dollar Islamophobia industry from open Democracy News Analysis – by Chloe Patton This time around we have not seen the same wave of violent attacks on Muslims that gripped the US in the wake of 9/11. Nevertheless we should be vigilant.   A Venn diagram of Tamerlan Tsarnaev terror watch lists from FP Passport by John Hudson     The motivation of the Boston Bombers from open Democracy News Analysis – by Susan Richards The ethnic background of the Tsarnaev family must provide some clues to mass murder.     What legal rights should Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have? from Boing Boing by Xeni Jardin   How technology factored into the Boston bombing investigation from Boing Boing by Xeni Jardin If you read one article on the role science and technology played in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation, make it this one in today’s edition of The Washington Post:   Your guide to the Tsarnaev family from FP Passport by Elias Groll   Boston marathon bombers: terrorist motives in doubt? from open Democracy News Analysis – by Yuri Zhukov and Monica Duffy Toft If they are responsible for last Monday’s bombings, the Tsarnaev brothers are mass murderers. Whether they are terrorists is less clear. One dead, one captured. This sums up the fate of the Boston Marathon bombers. But an important question remains: were the Tsarnaev brothers terrorists? If we use the traditional definition of terrorism as an act of political violence directed against civilian targets, the answer is far from straightforward. By itself, the killing of civilians does not necessarily distinguish the Marathon bombings from recent mass killings in America’s school campuses, movie theaters, or strip malls. To classify these events as terrorism, we must ask what political ends they thought could be served by killing civilians in the United States.   Pentagon Discloses Budget for Hacking Operations from Mashable! by Nextgov   The Pentagon has for the first time detailed $30 million in spending on Air Force cyberattack operations and significant new Army funding and staff needs for exploiting opponent computers.   Expectations Run High With Immigration Reform in the United States from Global Voices Online by Anna Williams Blazing temperatures didn’t deter protesters, activists and community leaders from taking to the streets of Washington DC earlier this month in a show of support for immigration reform that would legalize some 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States. Their cause seems to have been heard by a bipartisan group of senators who proposed a new immigration bill this week.   Russian Conspiracy Theories About Boston Bombings Abound from Global Voices Online by Daniel Alan Kennedy Conspiracy theories flourish in times of confusion and uncertainty. Claims that the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings were part of some sort of US government-led false flag operation were circulating on the English-speaking internet before the dust had literally settled, particularly on conspiracy forums and social media groups like the Citizens Action Network.   The Odd Collection of Books in the Guantanamo Prison Library from Open Culture by Dan Colman   RuNet: What Does Boston Mean for Chechen Cause? from Global Voices Online by Andrey Tselikov In the days since the arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, ethnic Chechen and “Suspect #2″ in the Boston Marathon bombings, there has been surprisingly little cogent analysis of the situation from Chechen bloggers active on the RuNet. Of course, some have commented on the matter, but mostly to link to viral conspiracy theories (some of these were alluded to in RuNet Echo’s original article [GV]; a more in-depth look is to follow). Related posts: In the mean time, Czech ambassador clarifies that Czech Republic is not Chechnya… An Americana roundup… Boston explosions, social media usage and journalism.. a roundup The Stream: Netizens react to news of Boston explosions… Americana roundup… Americana roundup: Report says U.S. Muslim Terrorism Was Practically Nil in 2012 “7 other treaties the U.S. hasn’t ratified”…Theda Skocpol explains why the upcoming presidential election is one of the most important in US history and an Americana roundup