HSBC bank managers admitted to laundering billions in drug money, paid a fine and received no prison time. A "Bit coin" dealer faces prison time for the same offense on a smaller scale. What kind of justice system allows big banksters to walk while sending small time players to prison? Tune in today Live at Five to Occupy The Microphone as they discuss this and more. Sponsored in part by Yellow Mama Music.
Three Democrats and one Republican in the US Senate have introduced legislation to get control over the NSA. Congressional hearings begin today on a proposal the senators promise will not be "cosmetic" reform, but offer real protections to the US. Brazil? Not so much.
The Republican leadership in Congress has threatened to bring the national political process to a halt in an "I'll hold my breath until I am blue" move over funding the Afordable Care Act. Just around the corner is the "debate" over raising the national debt ceiling. Threatening a government shutdown, some Republican leaders seem prepared to run us over an economic cliff to score points. Is this what we need from Congress?
Finally, with close to a hundred billion dollars a month being poured into banks and corporate profits as big as they have ever been, it seems impossible to imagine a different economic future. The way we are headed we may have almost no control over our food, jobs, money supply or much of anything else. Even projects we may like, such as solar power projects, can turn into a nightmare because they are so big. Is it actually possible to have an economy "too big to fail", or are we headed for more economic hard times?
DOWNLOAD MP3 Guest: Local entrepreneur Carolyn Bourassa joins us today to discuss Natural Choice Apothecary. Ulrich and Carolyn are the brains and brawn behind The Natural Choice Apothecary. They are a crunchy, vegan, hippie family that makes an assortment of organic bath & body products. They are also involved with a local domestic abuse shelters and want to tell you how you can help them "Pay It Forward" with their fundraising efforts.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives which is supposed to be enforcing the nation's gun laws is being accused of enticing over 1,000 individuals to commit drug related crimes with promises of a huge payoff. Undercover agents seek out individuals with prior low-level criminal convictions and entice them to participate in plots to rob non-existence drug houses. Some prosecutors have refused to participate in these operations and judges state the expensive sting operations border on entrapment and have resulted in several suspects being killed.
The Kurds in Syria have tried to stay out of the war, but Al Qaeda seems determined to punish them and force them to get involved. Al Qaeda is said to bombing entire Kurdish villages, men, women and children. US allies, the Turks are more than likely thrilled to see genocide practiced against the Kurds. Al Qaeda weapons are being supplied by the Syria opposition who in turn are being supplied by the US and Europe. How can we support the opposition while simultaneously demanding justice for Kurds?
JP Morgan Chase is facing criminal and civil investigations related to allegations that they defrauded investors with shoddy mortgage securities. The United States attorney’s office for the Eastern District of California has “preliminary concluded” that JPMorgan Chase flouted federal laws with its sale of sub-prime mortgage securities from 2005 to 2007. Skeptics doubt if the bank, like many other banks, will face true justice. Other investigations have not resulted in any prosecutions of bank officers and one commentator says these "criminal investigations" will amount to nothing more than insignificant punishments and petty fines will be levied after no-contest pleas have been negotiated to protect the guilty. If the federal regulators were serious, top-level individuals would have already been prosecuted, finance monopolies would have been broken up and Congress would have already reinstated Glass-Steagle.
Call the show at 864-751-0115 or 864-751-0116 Listen By Phone: 1-724-444-7444 Call ID 124529#
Get the smartphone App for iPhone & Android from our audio blog Catch us in the Upstate of SC on 105.7FM & 910AM To advertise on the show email Gregg: info@occupythemicrophone.com
