It appears that the military-industrial complex has complete control of the government of the United States, which recently voted to give the Pentagon roughly a trillion dollars of the tax-payers money. This was done

by cutting back on social programs which would have helped poor working families.

Recently Joan Roelofs published a book entitled “The Trillion Dollar Silencer: Why There Is So Little Anti-War Protest in the United States” (Atlanta: Clarity Press, 2022). In this book, she points out that the U.S. military-industrial complex has located military bases in regions where the local economy is entirely dependent on them. The vast river of money flowing into the pockets of the military-industrial complex implies that very many people earn their living, directly, or indirectly, from the manufacture or use of weapons.

The high-profile and sudden failure of Silicon Valley Bank, which hid huge losses from its depositors, investors, and regulators, highlights the dangers of corporate fraud for our financial system. It confirms the kind of problems highlighted by a recent study published in the Journal of Financial Economics estimating that only one-third of corporate frauds are detected, with an average of 10% of large publicly traded firms committing securities fraud every year. This means that the true extent of corporate fraud is much larger than what is currently being reported. The study also estimates that corporate fraud destroys 1.6% of equity value each year, which equals to $830 billion in 2021.

 Strong commitment to freedom?

The March 2023 Free Press Second Saturday Cyber-Salon happened on Zoom and Facebook Live on March 11, facilitated by Free Press Board member Mark Stansbery.

Watch the salon video here.

International Women’s Day was March 8 and Mark pointed out how women are the backbone of all peace organizing and he talked about women organizing in Sudan.

Cathy Cowan Becker spoke on the timeline and issues surrounding the East Palestine train derailment in Ohio. She mentioned a group operating in East Palestine, River Valley Organizing, a labor and environmental group who wanted the area called a disaster area, but Biden has not done it yet. She showed a detailed Powerpoint presentation on the timeline from the day of the derailment.

She noted that the rail industry blocked safety regulations that may have prevented the derailment for many years. The cover-up after the derailment has been obvious, especially when a reporter at the scene was arrested and charged with trespass, though charges were finally dropped.

Sandra Kienzler (Léa Seydoux) is a widowed young mother raising her daughter Êlodie (Sarah Le Picard) alone, while also caring for her sick father Michel (Pierre Meunier). She’s dealing with the loss of the relationship she once had with her father, while fighting to get him the care he requires. At the same time, Sandra reconnects with Clément (Melvil Poupaud), a friend she hasn’t seen in a while and, although he’s married, their friendship soon blossoms into a passionate affair.