Daily Archives: May 2, 2017

Smoking Weakens a Gene That Protects Arteries – Newsmax

Posted: May 2, 2017 at 10:33 pm

People who smoke cigarettes may boost their risk of clogged heart arteries by weakening a gene that is otherwise protective of these important blood vessels, US researchers said Monday.

The findings point to a genetic explanation for how smoking can lead to the plaque buildup that stiffens arteries and causes heart disease, said the report in the journal Circulation.

"This has been one of the first big steps towards solving the complex puzzle of gene-environment interactions that lead to coronary heart disease," said co-author Danish Saleheen, assistant professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Researchers pooled genetic data on more than 140,000 people from more than two dozen earlier studies, with a particular focus on regions of the genome that have been previously associated with a higher risk of plaque buildup in the heart's arteries.

"A change in a single DNA 'letter' on chromosome 15, near the gene that expresses an enzyme (ADAMTS7) produced in blood vessels, was associated with a 12 percent reduction in heart risk in nonsmokers," said the report.

"However, smokers with this same variation had only a five percent lower risk of coronary heart disease -- reducing by over half the protective effect of this genetic variation."

Follow-up lab studies showed that in cells that line arteries of the human heart, the production of the enzyme ADAMTS7 dropped significantly when the cells contained this single-letter DNA variant.

Another experiment showed when coronary artery-lining cells were exposed to the liquid extract of cigarette smoke, the cells' production of ADAMTS7 more than doubled.

If researchers can find other ways to inhibit this enzyme, they might be able to help smokers and others at heightened risk of coronary heart disease, said co-author Muredach Reilly, director of the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Columbia University Medical Center.

Cigarette smoking is known to cause about one in five cases of coronary heart disease, and is linked to approximately 1.6 million deaths worldwide each year.

"Through these large-scale genetic studies, we're beginning to understand the genetic variations that drive risk in response to certain environmental exposures or lifestyle behaviors," said Reilly.

"Not everyone reacts the same to the same exposures or behaviors. For example, some people who don't exercise develop diabetes while others do not," he added.

"So, instead of saying there are rules for everybody, we can specify which interventions will be especially beneficial for specific populations or individuals and focus our health resources more efficiently."

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This is the direction direct-to-consumer genetic testing needs to take – MedCity News

Posted: at 10:33 pm

The recent FDA approval of 23andMes direct-to-consumer genetic testing is an interesting and inevitable milestone in the dissemination of medical knowledge to the public. However, we must proceed with caution to ensure that this information is understandable and not anxiety provoking.

Over the past two decades, we have seen a dramatic increase in our knowledge about the genetic basis of many diseases. Most of the clinical use of this genetic information has been to counsel selected populations that were deemed high risk based on family history or other features. The information was conveyed to patients under the guidance of medical professionals who are skilled at interpreting the prognostic implications of the test results and who can advise patients about treatment options.

Recent advances in technology permit the whole genome to be screened for serious diseases at reasonable costs. Given the thirst by consumers for access to health information, direct-to-consumer testing was bound to happen.

Overall, I believe that readily accessible genetic information has the potential to improve public health if also accompanied by access to medical interpretation and counseling regarding test results.

For many, the implications of genetic mutations are quite complex, as they may only indicate increased risks of disease, not the inevitability of disease occurrence. Additionally, implications for social and family consequences of test results must be addressed. It is interesting that the first set of diseases chosen by 23andMe are diseases with public fear factors such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons rather than the more lethal conditions that can be identified by genetic testing. For example, the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) has published a list of 56 serious diseases that may be incidentally found during genetic screening (during research studies or exams for other conditions). These include genetic predispositions to cancer, heart disease, and neuromuscular diseases. Careful medical counseling is required when these genetic alterations are identified.

It is not a question of if but rather when the public will demand over-the-counter access to screening for more serious diseases, including the BRCA breast cancer genes or hereditary colon cancer genes.How the public will handle this information is unclear, but most studies on medically supervised genetic testing have been favorable. And based on the feedback I hear from patients and their families in my oncology practice, they would all encourage greater public awareness and testing for these conditions.

But even before we reach that stage, the current lack of required professional counseling regarding the interpretation of test results is troubling. The cautionary concerns that have bubbled up in recent years around Dr. Google and the surge in self-diagnosis from sites such as WebMD will need to extend to genetic testing. For example, some individuals may welcome the reassurance that they do not carry high-risk genes. But a positive test result could be met with great angst without understanding that for some mutations the risk of disease can be high, but for other genes the risk can be low. This is where counseling is critical.It will be incumbent on test manufacturers to provide access to genetic counselors so the results can be placed into proper context.The public must be properly informed that merely carrying a certain gene does not doom an individual to developing a disease, but similarly must be counseled when medical actions are appropriate.

Although direct-to-consumer advancement and FDA approval should be celebrated, it is by no means an endorsement to open a floodgate of genetic testing. When we consider the growing consumerization of medicine and the reduction in genetic testing costs, this was a logical progression. I hope that we will see more in terms of increasing access to medical advances and that more private enterprises will step up to satisfy the publics thirst for credible medical information. Other advances in technology including healthcare monitors and wearables, home diabetes monitoring and medication reminders will place consumers in more control of their own health. Changes in data exchange, including greater access to electronic medical records and direct transfer of laboratory results, will also help patients stay aware of their diseases.

The increased benchmarking of doctors and hospital systems will also help consumers make more informed choices about where to receive healthcare. What the medical community learns from these advancements and how consumers respond will we all be willing to give more for science or vice versa? could easily accelerate our path to moonshot. Or perhaps we will see a recoil and consider this a time of oversharing of too much information. Time will tell. But in the meantime, I look forward to the next logical step: More channels and greater access to counseling so patients are not interpreting these results in a vacuum.

Photo: DrAfter123, Getty Images

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Meet The Minefield Girl: A ‘Politically Incorrect’ Modern Feminist – Huffington Post

Posted: at 10:33 pm

Where can modern women look for inspiration thats truly authentic?

If youre like me, you may have become a bit tired and even bored of the modern feminist narrative. Its too safe, too neat, too polite and painfully politically correct.

Maintaining some form of prim perfection seems to remain the new normal despite neo-feminist proclamations and the glorious body baring antics of Lena Dunham and all her Millennial Girls

Sofia Ek is that kind of woman, and her best-selling memoir on Amazon, The Minefield Girl http://a.co/az4mus5, is the transformational narrative women need to hear today.

When she became disenchanted with her 20-something-self, the Swedish native jumped at the opportunity to present Muammar Gaddafis Libya to the western world of big business via the pages of The Wall Street Journals former monthly publication Smart Money.

As she learned to navigate Gaddafis military dictatorship she realized that nothing was what it appeared to be and that she was watched at every turn. However, Sofia was determined to succeed and to be part of something bigger than herself, oblivious of the minefield she had walked into.

Where most stories like hers center around the trials and tribulations of negotiating with the Devil Wears Prada-like dictators of fashion magazines or fending off married Wall Street men, Ek ducks danger daily, negotiating with criminals and dictators even becoming dangerously close to Gaddafis proposed heir, Saif Al Islam Gaddafi, and navigating cultural norms that are polar opposite to those she grew up in. Along the way, she finds new powers within herself to lift her head high in a culture where women are punished for doing so.

Doing this intimate act of self-exposure would be a risk for any woman, but for Ek its even greater.

Shes married to one of the worlds most prominent tech visionaries, Spotify founder Daniel Ek, and with that she carries the crown and burden that being the wife of entails.

A burden of self-censorship at best and paranoia at worse, where one cannot fully express themselves at the risk of doing something to hurt their partners career. One only needs to look to American politics or most of todays top TV shows to see this marital dynamic play out.

As someone also married to a prominent man, Im even more inspired by The Minefield Girl and the authentic, fresh voice Sofia Ek presents to the world.

When I begin to censor myself, I now think of Sofia. Shes a reminder for me to stand out and fearlessly challenge the small boxes people want to shut women in. Read her fun and modern interview below and I think you will agree with me.

Then go read The Minefield Girl http://a.co/az4mus5 because you wont be able to put it down.

Natalia Brzezinski: Why did you write this book?

Sofia Ek: Getting that ten-thousand-foot perspective was exactly what I needed to move past the dark memories and on to a much lighter and more positive attitude towards my Libya experience.

Until recently I considered it a failure, but as I read the book from start to finish it dawned on me that it wasnt. I mostly succeeded in accomplishing the goals I set out for myself. I have a sense of pride about it now.

What lessons do you hope your daughters will take from your book when they read it one day that will help them navigate modern challenges?

My story is authentic. Were living in a world where everyone is glorifying their lives. This is dangerous because its not real. I wanted to show with this book what trying to succeed no matter what really looks like.

Its brutal, amazing, exciting and draining, all at the same time. Just like life. Its exciting to have a purpose, a mission and that you can find a new context to exist in if you dont like the one youve been placed in.

As a mother, whats the most important thing youre trying to teach your own daughters about?

To stand up for themselves and to not let the fear of not fitting in cripple their ability to dream big.

What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?

Remembering all the risks I took for the adventure. Even though Im very thankful that I didnt end up in a more compromising situation than I did, its still hard to reel those suppressed emotions in and lay them bare on paper. Not just the bad ones, sometimes, happy memories can be as painful.

What has been your greatest life challenge thus far, and how have you overcome it?

The value of the present. Its a work in progress.

What did you learn about yourself while living in Libya?

That my lack of patience is a good thing. I would never have been able to climb to the top with that weight in my knapsack. Sometimes patience is just another word for Its not going to happen.

I learned to always keep my ear to the ground and my eyes on the prize. To know when to quit and who to ask for favors and when to follow up on their promises.

How have you changed from that young 20-something in Libya to the woman you are today?

I used to nurture my restlessness with drastic twists and turns because thats what I thought I needed to keep it in check - but it turns out that the antidote to my restlessness was the exact opposite. Smooth sailing is of course more enjoyable if you just went through a storm.

Is there anything we can learn from Libyan culture? What was your favorite thing about living there?

In Sweden we are not proud of our elderly. We are almost ashamed of them. In Libya they were valued and appreciated within the family. They were considered a source of knowledge and comfort and I liked that. I also loved Libyan bread. So much sugar.

How has Sweden shaped you as a woman?

Im opinionated and Sweden protected and allowed me to be that way. In my world gender equality in free countries are mostly circumstantial. This is why its so important that every single woman stand up for themselves in any given situation where they might be disrespected.

We need to start doing what men have done since the beginning of time; look out for ourselves.

You raise a brutally honest point that most women are afraid to state: You used your looks and charisma to get ahead. How do you view the power of femininity in the modern workplace?

If your femininity and charm is part of your artillery then use it -- and if its not, make sure you sharpen the other tools you might have. However, pretty and charming as isolated attributes are useless in the long run, unless they are backed up with something of substance.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Dont let yourself get worked up over absolutely everything. Pick something to be pretty freaking upset about and then do something about it.

Are you a feminist? If so, what does that mean to you?

I cant believe I must answer this question in 2017.

All women should be feminists. In case someone still doesnt know what it is, here we go: Women should have the same obligations, rights and opportunities as men. This includes the same social, political and economic rights.

How do you hope people view you and your story upon reading this?

What they think of me is irrelevant but if my story inspires someone to take that new job, make that trip, meet that stranger, mission accomplished.

Watch the awesome book trailer below:

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Blogger Vidyut Kale on being politically incorrect – Femina

Posted: at 10:33 pm

Mumbai-based homemaker and blogger Vidyut Kale's Twitter bio reads, "I am that part of you you fear to voice. Follow at own risk. Changes in world view/loss of pink glasses non refundable." Over the years, hers has been recognised as one of the most fearless voices in India's online space, chiefly for her politically satirical spoof websites on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other bigshots such as Rahul Gandhi and Kapil Sibal. The spoofs, Kale says, were born of anger at how politicians fail at delivering on promises. Though she received a take-down notice for one of the sites, Kale maintains none of it had dire repercussions, "Unless you count the occasional trolls."

The blogger-commentator, who started Aamjanta.com to bring us 'the perspective of the common man' writes tongue-in-cheek pieces on various socio-political issues. "One of the reasons I started the site was to voice things beyond the dominant narrative of people with voice. And there is so much about India that is vanishing quietly out of sight, as we change and grow as a country," says Kale, who also works with People's Archive of Rural India, a project, started by veteran journalist P Sainath, that 'documents the people of India'.

So, when did she start blogging full-time? "When I had my son in 2009 and was staying at home a lot, I started taking more of an interest in news and realised that the country, at large, was a group too," she says. "So I started blogging from that perspective - the nation as a shared space and the dynamics that impact its actualisation, with issues of hostility, xenophobia, opportunistic polarisation, denial of rights and so on."

The 41-year-old says the space for public debate is shrinking in India. "Celebrity voices tend to dominate what public ethics should be and there is an overall stupidification of the country - it basically tells you that lots of people aren't thinking for themselves, because it is simply impossible for unconnected people to come up with identical nuanced stands," she says.

Kale believes that though there's a lot of social censorship going on, a good trolling attack actually helps. "The first thing to realise is that if you are getting trolled, you probably said something that upset a lot of people who'd rather shut you up than look at what you said. A good trolling attack enhances your reach to people who'd never be exposed to your views normally." And there's a comical irony to the hate too. "I often joke that I grow my follower count on the trolling budgets of others. I mean, it is one thing to oppose, it is quite another to use the money spent to shut me up to improve my reach, yes?"

PHOTO: Vinay Javkar

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Trump Campaign Accuses CNN of ‘Censorship’ – LifeZette

Posted: at 10:32 pm

The Donald J. Trump for President campaign accused CNN of engaging in censorship andepitomiz[ing] the meaning of fake news Tuesday by refusing to air a Trump campaignad on its network.

The ad, titledFirst 100 Days, began airing on networks across the country Monday.It touts President Donald Trumps bold actions taken in his first 100 days to restore prosperity, keep Americans safe and secure, and hold the government accountable. In particular, the ads narrator noted, you wouldnt know about the presidents accomplishments from watching the news.

The mainstream media mislead, misguide, deceive, and distract. CNN epitomizes the meaning of fake news and has proven it by rejecting our paid campaign ad.

The mainstream media lies. Dont let fake news dominate the truth, the adsays. President Trump promised to make America great again, and he is fulfilling his promise to you.

CNN declined to air the ad, citing objections to the depiction of thefake news media.

CNN requested the advertiser remove the false graphic that says mainstream media is fake news,' the networks communications department tweeted Tuesday. The mainstream media is not fake news, and therefore the ad is false. Per our policy, it will be accepted only if that graphic is deleted. Those are the facts.

Its no secret Trump does not hold CNN in particularly high esteem. During a campaign rally held Saturday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the president singled out CNN, MSNBC and The New York Times as"fake news" thatcover him and his administration unfairly.

In response to CNNs rejection of the ad, the Trump campaign blasted the network with a press release Tuesday titled, "Fake News Station Refuses to Run Ad Highlighting the Presidents First 100 Days." The statement noted that the campaign "was stopped by the mainstream media from running a new television ad on CNN."

"It is absolutely shameful to see the media blocking the positive message that President Trump is trying to share with the country. It's clear that CNN is trying to silence our voice and censor our free speech because it doesn't fit their narrative," Michael Glassner, the campaigns executive director, said in the statement.

Later in the afternoon, the campaign issued a secondstatement in direct response to CNNs tweet, titled, "CNN Epitomizes the Meaning of Fake News, Censors Trump Campaign Ad."

"This is censorship pure and simple. By rejecting our ad, CNN has proven that it supports censorship is biased and fears an opposing point of view," Glassner said. "President Trumps loyal supporters know the truth: The mainstream media mislead, misguide, deceive, and distract. CNN epitomizes the meaning of fake news and has proven it by rejecting our paid campaign ad."

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A Look at Government Censorship in the Age of Facebook – Fortune

Posted: at 10:32 pm

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the annual Facebook F8 developers conference in San Jose, Calif.Stephen Lam REUTERS

Censoring the Internet is easier than ever. In the past, governments tried to rely on technology to stifle online dissent, but now they have another option: They can just use trolls and social media to rob protest movements of their power.

That's the view of Zeynep Tufekci, a sociologist and computer programmer, who joined law professor Tim Wu at Columbia University on Monday on a panel titled, "Free Speech in the Networked World." It was hosted by the recently-launched Knight First Amendment Institute and the Tow Center for Journalism.

"Its very rare theres not a way to circumvent censorship tools," said Tufekci. "We're now in a censorship environment where they're not going to block you, but will disempower you through ... too much information and distraction."

As an example, Tufekci pointed to Turkey where she says Internet access is not a problem for activists who are challenging the emerging regime of President Recep Erdogan. Instead, she says these activists complain of an onslaught of fake news and social media disinformation that makes it impossible to share reliable information or figure out what is authentic.

Tufekci points to a similar phenomenon in China and Russia, described in her new book , where the governments pay an army of Internet trolls to wear down dissenters and distract citizens with other stories.

All of this distraction, say Tufekci and Wu, amounts to an insidious 21st century censorship built on the back of Facebook and other platforms that manipulate emotions.

"The architecture of Facebook promotes things to make angry, or to distract us with cuddly cats," said Tufekci. "Facebook has cracked the human code, and used edgier content to drag us down a rabbit hole."

The social network also poses a special danger because of personalized advertising, she claimed. According to Tufekci, the Trump campaign and others have used personalized ads to secretly spread misinformationa tactic that has proved successful because, unlike a TV commercial, a Facebook ad is not public, so it's hard to challenge false claims.

So how did we get to this point in the first place? Wu, known for coining the phrase " net neutrality ," said the problem is less the technology of social media but the business model behind it. In particular, he and Tufekci argued that Internet publishersnot just Facebook but news sites toohave little incentive to care about accuracy since they make money based on clicks. In this environment, an incendiary or even false story will flourish (and make money), meaning few publishers will press very hard for quality control.

The race for clicks makes television look dignified by comparison," said Wu, who makes this case in his new book The Attention Merchants.

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Taken together, this online environment of distraction and propaganda combined with a toxic business model, risks sapping democracy. In Tufekci's view, it's also why recent protest movementssuch as the women's march on Washington or Hong Kong's umbrella revolutionfeel so ephemeral. Unlike the original 1963 March on Washington, the more recent demonstrations did not come together after years of organizing, but were spun up with hashtags and dissipated soon after. Tufekci claims this is why governments, even repressive ones, are less afraid of street demonstrations since they see them now as the product of fleeting Internet dross.

If all this sounds bleak, well, that's because it is. Wu and Tufekci, who are part of a fledgling intellectual vanguard confronting social media distraction, concede there are no legal solutions for Facebook's rabbit hole. And Tufekci argued one obvious answersuch as putting down your phone and reading a bookcan be salutary on an individual level, but will do little to fix a broken Internet culture.

All these warnings, though, might prove more persuasive if Wu and Tufekci also took time to acknowledge the many upsides of the Internet, flawed as it might be. For instance, it's thanks to Twitter , I and many others discovered Tufekci's ideas in the first place. Without social media, it's unlikely her influence would have spread far beyond her North Carolina classroom.

And while Wu is technology savvy, his views of BuzzFeedwhich he denounced repeatedly as nothing more than a gimmick for attentionhad a get-off-my-lawn tone, which will be off-putting to a generation for whom the website, which now invests heavily in serious reporting, is a favorite news source. Such a critique is not just grouchyit also fails to acknowledge how older media brands likewise pander with stories that can distract from "real" content. (Even the New York Times, for which Wu writes, publishes fluffy fare like its "Vow" section.)

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Trump Campaign Accuses CNN of ‘Censorship’ in Rejecting Ad: ‘Epitomizes’ Fake News – Mediaite

Posted: at 10:32 pm

The Trump campaign is calling it censorship pure and simple that CNN is refusing to air their ad celebrating the first 100 days of Donald Trumps presidency.

Trumps team put out a statement earlier today blasting CNN as fake news again when the network wouldnt let the ad run on their airspace. CNNs public relations division responded by saying that they took issue with the commercial for featuring a graphic decrying them and other news agencies as fake news:

The Trump camp took notice of this, and they offered this response:

In response to a claim today by CNN that it refused to run a TV ad by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. because the mainstream media is not fake news, executive director, Michael Glassner said, This is censorship pure and simple. By rejecting our ad, CNN has proven that it supports censorship is biased and fears an opposing point of view. President Trumps loyal supporters know the truth: The mainstream media mislead, misguide, deceive, and distract. CNN epitomizes the meaning of fake news and has proven it by rejecting our paid campaign ad.

And theyre now promoting the video as the ad CNN refuses to air.

[Image via screengrab]

>> Follow Ken Meyer (@KenMeyer91) on Twitter

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Dubai, a City Known for Censorship, Launches Typeface for Self-Expression – Hyperallergic

Posted: at 10:32 pm

From ultramodern skyscrapers to artificial islands, Dubai is known for unveiling buzzworthy projects that promote it as a placeof innovation. The citys latest endeavor to brand itself isDubai Font, a set of type commissioned by the the Crown Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, and launched by the executive council of Dubai in partnership with Microsoft. Its available for anyone to use free of charge, and you candownload it online in 23 different languages.

Dubai is now the first city to have a specially designed Microsoft font although it is technically a typeface, available in four weights.The projects website crowsthatits so much more than just a newcomer to the world of typography; itwas honed to reflectthe modernity of the city. It was designedto create harmony between Latin and Arabic, reads a description. It is an embodiment of a vision one of promoting literacy, unity, and forward-thinking laced with tradition, carrying within it aspirations beyond its outlines. It is young, dynamic, and full of passion and energy.

Dubai Font is also supposed to be a new global medium for self-expression which is a pretty peachy claim when you consider the citys history of censorship. The executive directors of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth and Andrew Stroehlein, were quick to point outthe irony of the typefaces purpose on Twitter, noting that the initiative very likely represents anempty promise of free speech for Dubais own citizens. The campaigns hashtag, #ExpressYou, has also predictably been deployed on social media to highlight the hypocrisy of a government known for detaining artists and activists for expressing themselves.

Notably, the Crown Prince has urged government institutionsto adopt the typeface in all official correspondence so anyone punished for their opinions will receive asentence spelled out in forms celebratingthe voice of our brave new world.

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Ron Paul: Save Liberty, Shut Down Government – FITSNews

Posted: at 10:32 pm

AMERICA ENTERING LAST STAGES OF THE WELFARE STATE

Congress ended the week by passing a continuing resolution keeping the government funded for one more week. This stopgap funding bill is designed to give Congress and the White House more time to negotiate a long-term spending bill. Passage of a long-term spending bill has been delayed over objections to Republican efforts to preserve Obamcares key features but give states a limited ability to opt out of some Obamacare mandates.

This type of brinkmanship has become standard operating procedure on Capitol Hill. The drama inevitably ends with a spending bill being crafted behind closed doors by small groups of members and staffers and then rushed to the floor and voted on before most members have a chance to read it. These omnibus spending bills are a dereliction of one of Congresss two most important duties allocating spending. Of course, Congress long ago abandoned another primary duty preventing presidents from launching military attacks without first obtaining a congressional declaration of war.

The uncomfortable question raised by Congresss abrogation of these two key functions is whether a republican form of government is compatible with a welfare-warfare state. The answer seems to be no.

Congresss dysfunctional spending process is an inevitable result of the governments growth. It is simply unrealistic to expect Congress to fund the modern leviathan via a lengthy and open process that allows individual members to have some say in how government spends their constituents money. The dysfunctional spending process benefits the many politicians eager to avoid accountability for government spending.

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The rushed process allows these politicians to say they had to vote for the spending bills. Often, these big spending bills include a promise to cut spending in the future. Like tomorrow, the promised spending cuts are always a day away.

If government continues to expand, the economy will continue to stagnate, social tensions and violence will increase, and more power will be concentrated in the hands of the president, bureaucrats, and a select few members of Congress. The only way to avoid this is for Congress to shut down most of the federal government, starting with bringing the troops home and drastically cutting the military-industrial complexs budget. Congress must also close all unconstitutional federal agencies and programs, and wind down federal entitlement programs. A good place to start is the Department of Education. The Federal Reserve must be audited and then ended.

The root of the current crisis is neither political nor economic but philosophical. Too many have bought into the lie that government can protect us from lifes misfortunes and stamp out evil around the world without endangering our liberty, our safety, and our prosperity. Convincing a critical mass of people to reject big government is key to our success.

The breakdown of the congressional appropriations process, combined with hyper-interventionism via the Federal Reserve and foreign policy, suggest we are in the last stages of the welfare-warfare state. Whether this systems inevitable collapse completes our descent into authoritarianism or leads to a restoration of limited, constitutional government and free markets depends on how effective those of us who know the truth are in spreading the ideas of liberty.

Ron Paulis a former U.S. Congressman from Texas and the leader of the pro-liberty, pro-free market movement in the United States. His weekly column reprinted with permission can be foundhere.

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Ron Paul: Fed actions to cause long-overdue correction – WND.com

Posted: at 10:32 pm

Former Texas Congressman Ron Paul, whos run for president several times, is predicting that the Federal Reserves actions will have serious consequences for the stock market, just as the latest growth figures suggest the economy may have hit a soft patch.

According to government figures released on Friday, the nations gross domestic product fell to 0.7% in the first quarter the lowest rate in three years as personal spending slid to its worst level since 2009. That data came on the heels of a jobs report that showed the economy created far fewer jobs in March than the prior month, even as the unemployment rate fell.

Paul told CNBC a correction is inevitable, even as investors cheer the Nasdaq Composites new record highs.

We spend too much, we borrow too much, and we distort the markets, said Paul on Trading Nation this week. The bigger the distortions have lasted, the bigger the bust will be.

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