Welcome to Speaking Truth To Power—a website owned and managed by Carolyn Baker. Carolyn is an adjunct professor of history, a former psychotherapist, an author, and a student of mythology and ritual. This website offers up-to-the-moment alternative reporting of U.S. and international news, articles containing information and opinion, and a venue of support and connection for awake individuals who want not only to be informed, but to organize their lives and communities in ways that most effectively assist them in navigating what current events are manifesting.

Carolyn’s Mission: “The Chinese proverb and curse says, ‘May you live in interesting times’.” In the first decade of the twenty-first century, we live in profound uncertainty, faced with issues unprecedented in the history of the human race. Truth To Power seeks to provide readers with a ‘fixed point in a changing universe’ that both informs and supports humanity’s efforts to remake the world—both our personal worlds and our planet. My intention is to offer a beacon of light in the smothering darkness with which we seem to be engulfed, making available information and specific ideas and strategies which we all might utilize as we experience the life/death/rebirth process inherent in the inner and outer realms of our current reality.”

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Web Link Hits      SUBSCRIBE TO TRUTH TO POWER--IT'S FREE NOTE: Starting August 6, the Daily News section of this site will be discontinued, but old stories will be archived. Daily News stories will be sent to paid subscribers. Watch website for details. 92      WHAT ARE THE REAL IMPLICATIONS OF PEAK OIL IN A CULTURE WHERE COMMON SENSE HAS BEEN SUPPRESSED BY CONSUMERISM? 130      THE ECONOMIST: 6% U.S. INFLATION IS COMING 95      DEUTSCHE BANK WRITEDOWNS EXCEED ESTIMATES 72      ONE IN SEVEN U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONSIDERING A FOUR-DAY SCHOOL WEEK 56      BUSH & CO.: LET THE INFRASTRUCTURE ROT MORE SO WE CAN PRIVATIZE IT My comment: They can do that only as long as the oil lasts. 52      CATHERINE AUSTIN FITTS: THE U.S. MILITARY HOLDS UP THE VALUE OF THE U.S. DOLLAR 52      CONGRESS SHOOTS DOWN SOLAR TAX CREDIT 44      CREDIT CRUNCH HITS A CRITICAL MASS "The credit crunch is not only pervasive, it has now reached critical mass where it will start feeding on itself. The Fed is powerless to stop it." 64      THE GREAT AMERICAN YARD SALE: BIG BANKRUPTCIES ARE PILING 43      AMERICANS USING CREDIT CARDS LESS, CREDIT CARD COMPANIES WORRIED My comment: Paying with cash or a debit card?????? For at least five years, I've been ranting about this and have been called "old fashioned" and "eccentric" for doing so. I no longer need to rant because...well, read the article 34      OIL AIMING BACK UP TO $135 38      EVEN THE FINANCIAL PRO'S MAY BE STUFFING THEIR MATTRESSES 34      AMERICANS ARE NOW FACED WITH AN EXTREME REALITY MAKEOVER "Every day, we are greeted with fresh evidence of the great American fire sale....it was wrong to think there was something wonderful about watching shows where people got houses for nothing, and then expect them to live happily ever after." 52      PRIVATE SECTOR ADDS 9,000 JOBS IN JULY My comment: Oh, you mean part-time pizza delivery, motel maids, bus boys, and telemarketers? 23      U.S. RESTAURANT CHAINS CAN'T PICK UP THE FINAL CHECK--THEY'RE CLOSING LIKE THERE'S NO TOMORROW BECAUSE THERE ISN'T FOR THEM. My comment: Oh you mean there won't BE restaurants for people to works as wait staff and bus boys? Oops, there goes those 9,000 new jobs! 51      HIDDEN TOLL ON EMPLOYMENT--FULL-TIME JOBS CUT TO PART-TIME 39      HUGE CHUNK SNAPS OFF ARCTIC ICE SHELF 37      BANK OF CHINA RIPS PAULSON A NEW ONE 57      BUS RIDERSHIP EXPLODES IN THE HINTERLANDS 30      OBAMA AND MC CAIN SUCK UP TO THE BANKERS 24      AIDE OF VIRGINIA SENATOR JIM WEBB FOUND DEAD FROM GUNSHOT WOUND 160      DHS ON HEIGHTENED TERROR ALERT FOR THE NEXT YEAR??? 108      KARL SCHWARZ: THE WORLD'S FOREMOST TERRORIST: THE UNITED STATES 146      ICSC PREDICTS 144,000 STORES WILL SHUTTER IN 2008 172      ONE OUT OF FOUR U.S. BRIDGES CLASSIFIED AS STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT 62      HOME PRICES PLUNGE AT STEEPEST RATE EVER 49      CHARLES HUGH SMITH: OVERSUPPLY AND COMPRESSION: HOW THE MEDIAN HOUSE PRICE WILL FALL FROM $215k TO $70K 82      NYC FACING $2.3 BILLION SHORTFALL 32      NEW YORK GOVERNOR WARNS OF ECONOMIC CRISIS 61      FINANCIAL TIMES: THE WORLD CANNOT GROW ITS WAY OUT OF THIS 63      BIGGER LOSSES FOR MERRILL ON THE WAY 30      BLACKWATER GOT OBAMA'S GIG See also: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2008/07/29/blackwater_protected_barack_obama_in_afghanistan 28      IMF SEES NO END IN SIGHT FOR WORLD CREDIT CRISIS 28      PRESIDENT OF IRAN: THE BIG POWERS ARE GOING DOWN 67      EXPATRIATES: GROWING TREND OF LEAVING AMERICA 82      HUGE LOSSES FOR JAPAN'S TEPCO ENERGY COMPANY 19      BREAKING: HIRED CROOKS AND LIARS--ALASKA SENATOR TED STEVENS INDICTED 80      BANKS HAMMER THE DOW, S&P 114      MIKE WHITNEY: BAD NEWS AND BANK RUNS 149      BANK FAILURES SO FAR 98      MERRILL HAS $5.7 WRITEDOWN, SELLS SHARES 64      CHARLES HUGH SMITH: OUR EMPIRE OF DEBT IS COLLAPSING 104      DALLAS MORNING NEWS INTERVIEWS KUNSTLER "I would answer the naysayers by saying, "How do you like The Long Emergency so far – gasoline at $4.25. An onion at $1.50. ..." 67      BARBARA EHRENREICH: THE SUICIDE SOLUTION My comment: In this article Ehrenreich comments on a phenomenon we're going to see increasingly as people unprepared for collapse are devastated by it I highly recommend Kathy McMahon's site "Peak Oil Blues" at: http://www.peakoilblues.com/blog/ 78      MALLS ARE SO OVER--MANY FORECLOSURES ON THE WAY 90      U.S. BRIDGES NEED $140 BILLION IN REPAIRS 19      U.S. HEADED FOR RECORD DEFICIT IN 2009 25      U.S. HEADED FOR HEIGHTENED ALERT TERROR STAGE? 52      CHALMERS JOHNSON: THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX--IT'S MUCH LATER THAN YOU THINK 74      10 STEPS IN 10 YEARS TO 100% RENEWABLE POWER My comment: IF we have 10 years???? Where will the money come from in the throes of economic collapse, global famine, and climate change? 26      THE SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION OF VOTING RIGHTS IN AMERICA, PART 1 24      HALF-TRILLION U.S. BUDGET DEFICIT FORECAST 21      THE LOST AUDIENCE "What is expected of cultural product in an age when that product is almost totally created by corporations?" 32      PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS: NO FUNDS TO LEND 40,000 STUDENTS My comment: I believe that over the next 5 years we are going to see jaw dropping downsizing of colleges and universities except for the very well-heeled and ultimately mass closings of these institutions at a rate we cannot now imagine. 37      YOU NEED TO KNOW: WHY OBAMA WANTS TO "REFOCUS" ON AFGHANISTAN 186      EXCELLENT: JANE MAYER--A BATTLE FOR THE COUNTRY'S SOUL Jane Mayer is a staff writer for The New Yorker. This essay is based on her book "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals", which was published in July by Doubleday. (August 2008) 121      COMING TO A STORE NEAR YOU, EVEN HIGHER PRICES 136      LIKE THE LITTLE SATANS WE ARE 172      POLICE: RISING FUEL COSTS ARE A MAJOR PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE My comment: At what point in collapse will government be unable to protect citizens, put out fires, operate emergency rooms, etc.? Each day makes clearer that we have no government; we are and have been for a very long time, quite simply, on our own. 37      FUNDS FOR HIGHWAYS PLUMMET My comment: In five years there will probably be no police or fire services, and many roads and bridges will have collapsed or be unusable. This is why those who have already begun implementing strong local economies will fare better than others. 83      DOCUMENTARY "STEALING AMERICA VOTE BY VOTE" RECOMMENDED BY GREG PALAST--INCLUDES SCREENING SCHEDULE 28      FANNIE MAE BAILOUT: TAXING AMERICA'S POOREST TO HELP AMERICA'S RICHEST 25      BAILOUTS ARE TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION 22      WHY THE HOUSING BILL WON'T HELP THE HOUSING MARKET 28      FOOD PANTRIES CAN'T HANDLE THE HUNGER 32      THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING DOLLAR 39      WHY THIS OIL SHOCK IS DIFFERENT "And while the cost of crude has surged before, this oil shock is different. There is little prospect that drivers will ever again see gas prices retreat to the levels they enjoyed for much of the last generation." 93      HOW HOSPITALS ARE KILLING E.R. PATIENTS FOR PROFIT 110      DON'T COUNT ON THE "SAFE AND SOUND" RATINGS OF BANKRATE.COM 89      WORKING LONG HOURS AND PAYING A PRICE 114      KUNSTLER: WE'VE CREATED PLACES IN AMERICA THAT AREN'T WORTH CARING ABOUT 215      U.S. HOUSE PRICES STILL OVERVALUED BY 20% 35      BANKS BRACE FOR MORE PAIN 78      FEDERAL REGULATORS CLOSE TWO MORE BANKS 91      FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA CLOSES DOWN 88      NAB WILL SHOCK WALL ST. "The National Australia Bank's decision to write off 90 per cent of its US conduit loans will have dramatic repercussions around the world. Wall Street will be deeply shocked when they understand the repercussions of what NAB has done." 171      STRUGGLING COLLEGE STUDENTS TURN TO FOOD BANKS 53      A FREE MARKET FOR FINANCIAL CRIMINALS--WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE? 44      CONGRESS HELPS BANKS BUT WHAT ABOUT HOMEOWNERS? 37      ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL RACE BETWEEN TWO PRO-WAR CANDIDATES 32      OBAMA WOULD ENDORSE MISSILE STRIKES ON IRAN 33      HUMAN BEINGS FACE OBLIVION FROM GLOBAL WARMING 52      TASED UNTIL DEAD: THE EPIDEMIC OF TASER-HAPPY COPS 37      STEALING AMERICA, VOTE BY VOTE DOCUMENTARY 87      FORD POSTS $8.7 BILLION LOSSES 56      JOBLESS CLAIMS RISE ABOVE 400,000 60      THE U.S. BANKING SYSTEM IS TEETERING ON THE EDGE OF COLLAPSE 161      MIKE WHITNEY: CRYSTAL BALL GAZING--VISUALIZE THE DOW AT 6000 150      CREDIT CARDS: THE NEXT FINANCIAL CRISIS 61      IT'S ALWAYS DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN OF AN ECONOMIC DEPRESSION "The financial system will collapse before 'zero-hour' actually occurs." 138      2.2 MILLION VACANT HOMES FOR SALE 37      FORECLOSURE FILINGS UP 120% 25      WHAT THE HOUSING BAILOUT IS REALLY ABOUT 51      THE PENTAGON AND OIL My comment: OK, let me get this straight. The U.S. military consumes mega-quantities of oil to go get oil to consume more oil to go get oil? Hmmmm. 35      JOHN PILGER: OBAMA, THE PRINCE OF BAIT AND SWITCH 37      BLACK AGENDA REPORT: OBAMA WILL MAKE THE WORLD SAFE FOR THE RICH 28      IF YOU MUST VOTE, VOTE FOR BLACK, BROWN, GREEN, AND TRUE My comment: If you think a vote for McKinney is meaningless, check out the news stories on this site about Obama during the past month and then tell me a vote for him will mean anything except support for empire. 29      HOW WALL ST. WRECKED YOUR RETIREMENT 45      DOCTORS SWITCH TO CONCIERGE MEDICAL PRACTICES "The practice typically involves charging an annual fee in exchange for better access, longer appointments, more emphasis on preventive care and other medical perks." 32      YOU KNOW THE BANKING SYSTEM IS UNSOUND WHEN... 143      FINANCIAL SPINSTERS ARE AT IT AGAIN--THIS CRISIS IS JUST BEGINNING "The information presented above should clearly put to rest that the worst is not behind us by any stretch of the imagination." 159      NEWSWEEK: WHY IT'S WORSE THAN YOU THINK "For months, economic Pollyannas have looked beyond the dismal headlines and promised a quick recovery in the second half. They're dead wrong." 165      BOB CHAPMAN: SUPER LOSSES, SUPER LAYOFFS, SUPER BAILOUTS I have chosen to publish this article because I agree with most of it. I do not agree that Ron Paul is our savior. No political candidate nor party can prevent the collapse of Western civilization, nor do I hope anyone or anything will. 99      THE POWER BEHIND THE THRONE TO BE "It is hard to sort through the hype and heat of Obamania, but one thing is clear: who’s pulling the strings." 87      BARACK OBAMA PROVING HIMSELF TO BE JUST ANOTHER POLITICAL HACK 43      OBAMA UNDERSCORES HIS COMMITMENT TO U.S. MILITARISM 27      WILL SOARING TRANSPORT COSTS REVERSE GLOBALIZATION? 44      NEW YORK TIMES PROFITS DROP 82% My comment: Perhaps this speaks not only to increase of people getting their news online, but also the hunger people have for real-deal news rather can corporate media yah-yah. 23      WALL ST. JOURNAL: THE FANNIE MAE GANGSTERS My comment: Mussolini said that fascism is quite simply the corporate state. This story ends all speculation that we are living in a fascist empire where it is impossible to determine where corporations end and government begins and vice-versa. 25      CATHERINE AUSTIN FITTS ON ECONOMIC MELTDOWN Must read: "Financial Orwell Unpacked" 128      JAMES TURK: THE LAST PLANE ACCOUNT "The federal government is out of control, spending money it does not have and has no prospect of ever obtaining." 55      FOOD STAMP USE SOARING IN MASSACHUSETTS--ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST STATES IN AMERICA 27      MERRILL LYNCH: BRUTAL WINTER FOR UTILITY BILLS COMING 41      AL GORE'S FANTASY ENERGY CHALLENGE (BASED ENTIRELY ON GROWTH, NOT SHRINKING) "Sorry, Al, real sacrifices will have to be made if you want to solve the climate and peak oil problems." 25      JEREMY SCAHILL: BLACKWATER IS HERE TO STAY "Despite reports that the company is leaving the mercenary business, Blackwater’s future is secure" 21      DEAD ZONE IN GULF IS NOW BIGGER THAN EVER 36      IS AFGHANISTAN A NARCO STATE? DUH????? See Mike Whitney's article on "Afghanistan, American Drug Colony" http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney09082004.html 33      WOMAN SUICIDES OVER FORECLOSURE 26      ARNOLD TO SLASH THE PAY OF 200,000 STATE WORKERS TO MINIMUM WAGE 51      NEWSWEEK: SEEING SHADES OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION 187      DOLLY BECOMES A HURRICANE AND IS HEADING FOR TEXAS 72      PEAK ENERGY AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR FOOD 73      UAL AND US AIR PLUNGE INTO THE WILD RED YONDER 91      PANIC ON WALL ST. IS BUILDING 200      JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: PRETEND-O-RAMA "Thus, the credibility of all the authorities in American finance, including the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Paulson, the head of the Federal Reserve, Mr. Bernanke, the director of the SEC, Mr. Cox, takes on the aroma of week-old dead carp..." 101      FRAUD AND THE SUBPRIME BUBBLE, PART 1 40      ABC HAS OBTAINED A LIST OF TROUBLED BANKS 92      WASHINGTON MUTUAL SLAMMED WITH $3.3 BILLION LOSS 37      YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE FDIC? LOOK AT THIS: THEY'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM! THEY'RE CROOKS TOO!! "It turns out that the U.S. government itself was one of the lenders giving out high-interest, subprime mortgages, some of them predatory, according to government documents filed in federal court." 38      FINANCE PROFESSOR SAYS FORD AND GM ARE ON THE VERGE OF BANKRUPTCY 56      CHARLES HUGH SMITH: EXCELLENT SNAPSHOT OF WEALTH INEQUALITY 73      COST OF A FANNIE & FREDDIE RESCUE: $25 BILLION 20      HENRY LIU: DEBT CAPITALISM SELF-DESTRUCTS, PART 1 48      BLACKWATER EXPANDS ITS FLEET OF AIRSHIPS 24      BLACKWATER TO LEAVE SECURITY BIZ My comment: If you believe that, I have some wonderful oceanfront property for you in downtown Phoenix. 28      PAIN FROM THE OIL CRUNCH MAY SOON BE UNIMAGINABLE 75      SF GATE: NONE OF US IS PREPARED FOR PEAK OIL 34      PEAK OIL CRISIS: THE BLACKOUTS SPREAD 38      CALIFORNIA MUST WAKE UP TO LOOMING FUEL CRISIS 29      CALIFORNIA'S WATER CRISIS MAY MEAN THE END OF THE STATE AS IT HAS BEEN KNOWN 32      WE DON'T TORTURE; I REPEAT, WE DO NOT TORTURE 17      PLACES TO VISIT BEFORE THEY DISAPPEAR 73      GEORGE MONBIOT: GLOBAL WARMING IS A BRUTAL TRUTH 36      HALF THE AMAZON RAIN FOREST TO BE LOST BY 2030 My comment: The Amazon rain forest is the "lungs" of the planet. Gee, what do you suppose will happen when earth's lungs are gone? 27      SHARON ASTYK: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER... 47      PEAK AIR TRAVEL 42      BREAKING: DOLLY BECOMES A HURRICANE AND IS HEADING FOR TEXAS 65      TEXAS OIL REFINERIES IN DOLLY'S PATH 91      IN YOUR DREAMS: MOST BANKS ARE SAFE, AND SO IS THE FDIC My comment: This article is pure propaganda. Its intention is to reassure you that your money is safe in a bank, but you need to assume that it isn't and act accordingly. The following stories make that very clear. 112      CONCERN MOUNTS ABOUT FDIC DEPOSIT FUNDS 92      BANK "PROBLEM LIST" IS GROWING 53      8500 U.S. BANKS: MANY WILL DIE SOON 67      ABOUT THOSE 32 COMMERCIAL BANKS AND THRIFTS... 102      WACHOVIA IN ICU ON LIFE SUPPORT 52      WALL ST. REVERSES DIRECTION AND HEADS DOWNWARD AGAIN 36      AMERICAN EXPRESS HAMMERED 45      UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND CLEANS OUT MAJOR FOOD STORAGE SUPPLIER 86      DUMPSTER DIVING: WHY PAY FOR FOOD? 32      A LOCALLY GROWN DIET WITH NO FUSS, NO MUSS 63      FOOD IRRADIATION PLOT: WHY THE FDA WANTS TO STERILIZE FRESH PRODUCE AND TURN LIVE FOODS INTO DEAD FOODS 54      EXCELLENT ADVICE FROM THE "PEAK SHRINK" ABOUT COLLAPSE PREPARATION 92      CHICKEN OR EGG? AS MOTORISTS CUT BACK ON DRIVING AND BUY MORE FUEL EFFICIENT CARS, THE U.S. IS TAKING IN LESS GAS TAX My comment: This is VERY bad news for America's rotting infrastructure. 32      HOMEOWNERS MARCH AGAINST FORECLOSURE 30      PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS: VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA ECONOMICALLY GROUND IN THE DUST 62      BILLIONS NEEDED TO REPAIR CANADA'S ELECTRICAL GRID 30      BIG OIL SPENDS ON SEARCH, SPLURGES ON INVESTORS--WHAT DOES THIS REALLY MEAN? A Truth To Power reader comments: "That's telling me they aren't really concerned with exploration and know its time to pay back investors and close shop and the goddess help humanity." 28      THE DYING NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY--THE INTERNET IS NO SUBSTITUTE 28