A student of mine recently did his weekly listening report on this article here:
Developing countries seek more mining revenues

Many 3rd world countries are actually rich in natural resources, but the people in those countries remain poor because the natural resources are all managed by private companies, and so the wealth continues to stay concentrated in just a few powerful, well connected hands.
Around 3.5 billion people live in developing countries that are rich in natural resources. But most don't get the benefits from their nation's mining booms, as conflict and corruption often see the returns go to the powerful rather than the poor.

Although the point of this article was about corruption in the 3rd world, it made me think actually....The United States obviously doesn't have the same problem with extreme poverty, but all the profit from our natural resources also goes into private hands.  (Am I wrong on this?)

 I know this is the way things have always been done, but when you step back and think about it, isn't it a little crazy that only a handful of people get all the financial benefit from the natural resources that are in the country that belongs to all of us jointly?


Here's a crazy proposition: what if all the natural resources--coal, natural gas, oil, lumber, et cetera, was all nationalized, so that every citizen got the benefit of the development of these resources?

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On a completely different note entirely, from Salon.com
5 things you need to know about government spying

After a flood of new revelations on government snooping, here's what you need to know

From Salon.com
How Guantanamo affects China: Our human rights hypocrisies The U.S. uses the ideology of human rights as a political tool, embracing -- or ignoring -- it when convenient 

And on a different note:
Despite Obama’s claim, FISA court rarely much of a check

Records show that the court meant to oversee the government hasn't denied an application in almost four years

From Slate.com
AP CEO: Sources Are Reluctant To Talk After Phone Records Probe

And from Matt Bors
PRISM Thoughts

From Salon.com
When the IRS targeted liberals: Under George W. Bush, it went after the NAACP, Greenpeace and even a liberal church 

On on a different note, from cracked.com

The 4 Types of People on Welfare Nobody Talks About

From the Huffington Post

Obama War Powers Under 2001 Law 'Astoundingly Disturbing,' Senators Say 

And on a different note, from Salon.com
“Now we are all persons of interest”
NSA whistle-blower Thomas Drake tells Salon why the Verizon surveillance is the new normal, and may never be undone

George Takei Responds To "Traditional" Marriage Fans

Yet another reason why George Takei is awesome!

And on a different note, from Salon.com
Security expert: All Occupiers’ phones were logged
Steven Ramdam said everyone who attended an Occupy protest with a cellphone had data tracked

From the Guardian

CIA requested Zero Dark Thirty rewrites, memo reveals

Document shows agency requested removal of interrogation scene with dog, and shots of operatives partying with AK47

And on a different note, from Salon.com
Fox News is spoon-fed a scandal — and blows it
Fox is still too busy focusing on fake scandals to cover the real one