From Nic Forster There are good reasons why we don’t tax religions: 1. They would mostly claim charitable status anyway 2. It opens up the possibility of a government making discriminatory or punitive anti-religious policies 3. As tax-paying institutions, they would earn the right to engage in politics 4. It undermines the separation of church Continue Reading →
Source: Al-Monitor As the civil war in Syria officially draws to a close, the imperial states withdraw with much media fanfare. Their influence, though, remains in the form of corporate armies paid by national governments to maintain the pressure where their interests demand. Russia maintains a significant corporate army in Syria, though it has stepped Continue Reading →
The level of atmospheric carbon dioxide we observe today is the minimum level we’ll see for at least the next 1000 years Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Global warming has passed a “tipping point” and that habitat loss associated with the warming of the planet will condemn the human species to extinction within 20 Continue Reading →
The John James Newsletter 209 9 December 2017 The level of atmospheric carbon dioxide we observe today is the minimum level we’ll see for at least the next 1000 years Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Global warming has passed a “tipping point” and that habitat loss associated with the warming of the planet Continue Reading →
Over the course of 2017, India made a vigorous attempt to drive its diverse population toward a cashless society. Prime Minister Modi was regularly quoted as claiming that it would support his overall objective to reduce corruption and improve transparency in the economy. This is widely seen to have failed. Arguments abound about the pros Continue Reading →
The John James Newsletter 208 3 December 2017 The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close…. We are entering a period of consequences Winston Churchill If net neutrality is eliminated, they will restructure how the Internet works, creating information superhighways for corporate and political elites Continue Reading →