Archive for United States
5 Random Things About the Federal Reserve
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A lot has been made about the actions that the Federal Reserve could have/should have made to ensure the economy did not almost implode. Since the near-collapse of the financial sector, there’s been even more scrutiny about the role of the Federal Reserve in giving preferential treatment to certain financial firms in regards to the bailout. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the Federal Reserve is hear to stay, so you might as well learn a little bit more about them.
- Around the turn of the century, the American economy was marred by a series of panics and recessions, some of which were man-made. Thus, the Federal Reserve System of the United States was created in 1913 in order to prevent manipulation by individual investors. The Reserve banks would open for business on November 16, 1914.
- The Federal Reserve System is the third central bank of the United States. The First Bank of the United States existed from 1791-1811, and the Second Bank of the United States existed from 1816-1836.
- The Federal Reserve is actually a group of privately owned banks. The only portion that is governmental is the Board of Governors, which is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. As such, the Department of the Treasury actually holds an account with the Federal Reserve. As Dennis Kucinich put it, “The Federal Reserve is no more ‘federal’ than Federal Express.”
- According to the Federal Reserve, its duties fall into the following four categories:
- Conducting the nation’s monetary policy by influencing monetary and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates
- Supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation’s banking and financial system, and protect the credit rights of consumers
- Maintaining stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets
- Providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions, including playing a major role in operating the nation’s payments system
- There has been much opposition to the existence of a central bank of the United States. Thomas Jefferson opposed the concept of a central bank for the United States. So did Andrew Jackson, who famously refused to renew the charter of the Second Bank of the United States. In Congress, Louis McFadden, Chairman of the House Committee on Banking and Currency from 1920–1931, accused the Federal Reserve of causing the Great Depression and financing the Bolshevik Revolution. Finally, Ron Paul has introduced a bill to make the Federal Reserves actions more transparent (see more at www.auditthefed.com).
Feel free to add any facts in the comments!
On This Day: Nazis at Nuremberg
Posted by: | CommentsWith the close of World War II came an international military tribunal which sought the prosecution of 24 of the most prominent German Nazi officials in the areas of military, politics and economics, according to newworldencyclopedia.org. This tribunal, or trial rather, was officially set into motion November 20, 1945, and was held in Nuremberg, Germany at the Palace of Justice. The offenses brought to the court included waging a war of aggression, violating the customs of warfare, and committing crimes against humanity. Though the “Trial of the Major War Criminals”, as it was called, was only one of thirteen to take place during the four years of the “Nuremberg Trials”, it was the most famous due to the importance of the leadership involved.

Defendants in the Dock at Nuremberg
According to the BBC, the court’s judicial bench was composed of the war’s three major wartime powers – those being the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union – with France being awarded a seat as well. Each country also provided an alternate judge as well as comprising the prosecutorial membership.
Justice Geoffrey Lawrence, the British representative who presided, opened the trial stating it was “unique in the history of the jurisprudence of the world and of supreme importance to millions of people all over the globe”.
The proceedings are unique and relevant in history as they were done under unusual conditions. International wars quite normally end with a peace treaty in which stipulations are placed to allow for the individual states to prosecute their own countrymen. Because Japan and the German Armed Forces surrendered unconditionally, this meant there were no provisions held by the Axis powers that would keep an international body from prosecuting those suspected of war crimes.
In all, Nazi Germany egregiously affected the lives of millions across Central and Eastern Europe. This trial was an attempt to bring to justice those who were responsible for the atrocities witnessed throughout WWII and the Holocaust. The symbolism of the trial being held at Nuremberg cannot be overlooked either – the city is considered to be the ceremonial birthplace of the Nazi Party.
To learn more about this and the Nuremberg Trials, check out the History Channel documentary “Nuremberg – Tyranny on Trial“.
Why Isn’t the U.S. on the Metric System?
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Countries on the metric system shown in green
The metric system was first proposed as a daily use system of measurement by Flemish mathematician Simon Stevin, in his 1586 pamphlet De Thiende (“The Tenth”). At the time, different regions had their own units of measurement, along with their own arbitrary methods of measurement. However, it did not catch on, and it would be 200 years before France would become the first country to make the switch in 1791. The rest of the world slowly followed suit until the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures created the International System of Units in 1960. Over the course of the last 50 years, every country on the planet has adopted the metric system as its official unit of measurement except for Burma (Myanmar), Liberia, and the United States.
Now you might not think this is such a big deal, and is solely a matter of convenience, but here’s what happens when everyone is not on the same page.
The use of two different systems was the root cause in the loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter in 1998. NASA specified metric units in the contract. NASA and other organizations worked in metric units, but one subcontractor, Lockheed Martin, provided thruster performance data to the team in pound force seconds instead of newton seconds. The spacecraft was intended to orbit Mars at about 150 kilometers (93 mi) altitude, but the incorrect data meant that it probably descended instead to about 57 kilometers (35 mi), burning up in the Martian atmosphere.
I was wondering why the U.S. hadn’t adopted the metric system when I came across a Wikipedia article about it, so i didn’t have to write one myself. It’s an incredibly in depth article, and if you’ve ever wondered about this, you should check it out.
Metrication in the United States via Wikipedia
10 Questions You Should Have Asked About 9/11
Posted by: | Comments“Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.” -Ben Franklin
The above quote is one that my grandmother repeated almost daily during my formative years, although I didn’t fully understand what it meant until I reached adulthood. I’d probably never fully understand it if not for the great disaster that was 9/11 that happened during my 20th year on this planet. Like most people, in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 Incident, I was shocked, hurt, and most of all, full of vengeance. As that subsided, however, I came to realize that we, the American people, may have been duped. The greatest crime of all time may very well have not been perpetrated in the manner in which we’ve been told. Now, I’m not saying it was an inside job because I honestly don’t know. That is why I’m posting this; 8 years later, the greatest crime in American history shouldn’t have so many unanswered questions. This post is not meant to disrespect the victims of the 9/11 attacks, it is merely a quest to shine light where there is darkness. There are countless more questions that could be asked, but here’s a few that I hope will get you started.
- Why were plans finalized on September 10, 2001, to attack Afghanistan and remove the Taliban from power? Both Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell admit that without 9/11, there would be very little domestic support for an incursion against the Taliban.
- Why did World Trade Center towers 1 and 2 collapse so quickly, so cleanly, and in free-fall speed? The first plane struck Tower 1 at 8:46 AM, and it collapsed at 10:28 AM; 1 hour 42 minutes later. Tower 2 was struck at 9:03 AM and collapsed at 9:59 AM; 56 minutes later. Once the towers fell, they each took approximately 10 secs to collapse in on their own footprint. It was the first time in history that a steel-trussed building collapsed from fire, and it hasn’t happened since.
- Why did 7 World Trade Center collapse at all? 7 World Trade Center was a 47 story office building located across the street from the World Trade Center Plaza, tall enough to stand out in just about any other city’s skyline. It collapsed at 5:20 PM, supposedly from fire and debris from Towers 1 and 2. This one is decidedly more suspicious because only 8 floors were on fire, only 2 of which were visible from outside the window. However, it too collapsed in on itself at near free-fall speed. Here’s a side-by-side comparing a controlled demolition to the collapsed of WTC7: Interesting Note: The NE Regional Headquarters of the Securities and Exchange Commission was located at WTC7. The SEC was in the midst of its investigation into Enron, one of the biggest corporate accounting scandals in history. Enron was George W. Bush’s biggest political backer, former CEO Kenneth Lay was a close friend of Bush, and Bush frequently flew on Enron’s corporate jets during his 2000 campaign. With the collapse of WTC7, most of Enron’s SEC filings were likely lost.
- Why wasn’t there more extensive damage at the Pentagon? A photo of the immediate aftermath at the Pentagon shows no scars or skid marks on the lawn immediately in front of the impact site. Also, that hole in the building is awfully small considering a Boeing 757 has a wingspan of 124 ft. 10 in.

- If the hijackers were such terrible pilots and opted not to learn to land, how did they strike the Pentagon in such a manner as to be able to penetrate to the 3rd ring of the Pentagon without skidding the ground?
- What’s the deal with Flight 93? We’ve all heard the heroic story of the passengers taking it to the hijackers, whereby the plane crashes in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It really is a powerful, emotional story, but it obscures the facts. Where were the bodies and the debris? Every plane crash in history, even the fiery, explosive ones have left behind bodies, yet Flight 93 only yielded bone and tissue fragments. As the Shanksville Medical Examiner put it, “I stopped being coroner after about 20 minutes because there were no bodies there.” And what of the debris. Here’s a view of the Flight 93 crash site (notice the lack of debris, lack of flames, and the single, relatively small crater):

And here’s one from the 1988 crash of Pan AM Flight 103 in Lockerbie Scotland:

- How come the FBI never changed the suspected hijackers’ list despite the fact that none of the hijackers’ names were on the passenger manifests, and at least 7 people are alive who claim ownership of those identities?
- If Osama bin Laden is responsible for 9/11, why isn’t he wanted for it? Bin Laden is on the FBI’s most wanted fugitive list, as well as the most wanted terrorist list for the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings, not for 9/11. Here’s the exact text from his wanted poster:
Usama Bin Laden is wanted in connection with the August 7, 1998, bombings of the United States Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. These attacks killed over 200 people. In addition, Bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world.
On September 12, 2001, Al Qaeda denies involvement in the attacks. On September 16, Osama bin Laden personally addresses the accusation against him and denies involvement. On September 28, in an interview with a Pakistani newspaper, bin Laden again denies involvement in the 9/11 Incident.
- Why hasn’t there been a criminal investigation into 9/11? The closest thing was the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, more popularly known as the 9/11 Commission, which was made up of politicians appointed by George W. Bush and Congress. It was only meant to tell the story of 9/11 and provide recommendations for the future. Of note, it completely ignored the collapse of 7 World Trade Center, and had other serious omissions, including the testimony of former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds, that there were serious cover-ups at FBI Headquarters. Furthermore, Bill Clinton, Al Gore, George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney refused to testify under oath, Bush and Cheney testified together, and Condoleeza Rice, then National Security Advisor, was not required to testify.
- Would elements of the government kill me in order to foster international support for a war? Ever heard of Operations Northwoods?
“It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts… For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it.”
-Patrick Henry
50 Years of 50 States: The Grand Finale
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It’s been a remarkable journey, even though we’re pulling into the station a little late. But it’s not the destination, it’s the journey, right? Along the way, we’ve found out that Ohio was actually the 47th state, the first opera performed in America was in Charleston, South Carolina, and that there is an association that exists solely to judge the flags of the states and provinces in North America (the North American Vexillological Association). It has been an amazing project, one that I have enjoyed immensely, and I hope you have, too. And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the final question. This one is for all the marbles, and everyone can participate, even previous winners. So, here it is:
What is the significance of the order in which I posted these states?
First one to get this one right wins a $50 gift card to Amazon.com! Simply submit your answer in the comments section, and if you’re the first to get it right, you win! You’ve got until noon on Thursday (9/10) to submit your answer. Good luck!
UPDATE: Here is the order in which the states were posted:
Wyoming
Maine
South Dakota
North Dakota
Idaho
Montana
New Hampshire
West Virginia
Alaska
Vermont
Kansas
Delaware
Mississippi
South Carolina
New Mexico
Utah
Rhode Island
Hawaii
Arizona
Virginia
Maryland
Connecticut
Kentucky
Arkansas
Oregon
Wisconsin
Tennessee
Missouri
Iowa
Nebraska
Nevada
Oklahoma
Louisiana
Colorado
Michigan
Alabama
New Jersey
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Florida
Indiana
North Carolina
Washington
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Texas
California
Georgia
New York
Illinois
UPDATE 2: You can find the answer on the 6th most popular website on the Internet. Search for United States state lists.
50 Years of 50 States: New York
Posted by: | CommentsNickname: The Empire State
Date Ratified: July 26, 1788 (11th)
Capital: Albany

Map of New York
- With a population of nearly 8.5 million, New York City is the most populous city in the United States. The New York metropolitan area, which includes parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, was also the first in the world to reach 10 million people.
- The first state park in the U.S. was established at Niagara Falls in 1885.
- The First U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court each assembled for the first time in New York City, and George Washington was inaugurated there. Also, The Bill of Rights was drafted at Federal Hall, on Wall St.
- Central Park, created in 1857, was America’s first landscaped park.
- The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Staten Island and Brooklyn, was the world’s largest suspension bridge when it was completed in 1964. It was surpassed in 1981 by the Humber Bridge in the United Kingdom, but it remains the largest suspension bridge in the U.S.
- The Holland Tunnel, which connects Jersey City, NJ with Manhattan, was the world’s first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel. It also has the distinction of not being named for a local hero, politician, or historical person of interest, rather being named for its first chief engineer.
- The New York Post, established by Alexander Hamilton in 1803, is the oldest running newspaper in the U.S.
- The state flag of New York bears the state’s coat of arms, which was adopted in 1778. The modern flag, which was adopted in 1901 is based on the Revolutionary War flag, with the only difference being that the field is blue.

Flag of New York
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