Britain's biggest Supermarket in huge property scam.

Sadly the only one who is running this story at the minute is Murdoch's rag The Times so unless you're a paying member of their site (or have parents who refuse to end their subscription) you wont see this story at the minute. The best I can do is a retail news site linking to the story.

In essence what has happened is that Tesco used a front company to buy up a city centre, deliberately ran it down, forced potential rivals out of business etc and then won the regeneration contract to repair all the damage they inflicted. Fans of The Wire or The Sopranos may find this story somewhat familiar.

If this story goes anywhere I'll keep you updated.

Had a bit of a revelation

I realised (in the shower albeit with no shout of eureka) that the reason the holocaust is condemned uniquely among the vast array of western atrocities is because the holocaust is pretty much the sole incident where the abhorrence occurred without a profit motive, the final solution to the Jewish problem was an ideologically pure act.

In short it was a crime against capitalism and thus intolerable for the elite and perfectly acceptable for the general population to know about it and think it terrible. Had the victims of the holocaust merely been worked to death as slaves the condemnation would be much milder; note how little mainstream condemnation there is for major collaborators such as hugo boss, Coca Cola and IBM (without whose custom designed and directly operated Hollerith tabulators the holocaust would've been logistically impossible) because they aided evil for profit.

Unpaid internships are illegal, ubiquitous.

Not much to say about this one, just a UK graduate ranting about how bad the situation of the necessity of unpaid internships is especially because it is illegal.

Read here

thanks RPS

Global problem of biased medical research

One of the more trumpeted argument against UHC in America was that without gouging the sick and needy there wouldn't be enough money for research. This was proven to be wholly false with Pharmaceutical companies pending twice as much on advertising as they do research but it seems pharam companies shouldn't be involved in research at all. Not I imagine a especially surprising to anyone but it seems over 50% of drug trial results aren't published so as to make drugs seem much more effective than they are. When filthy lucre is involved it seems reality takes a distant second place in drug company's considerations.

Doesn't capitalism own?

The cost in blood of precious metals.

Something thats quite well known in environmental circles and indeed among the media classes (albeit seldom reported) is that in order to maximise profit most tech companies use precious metals acquired from the DR Congo which were mined by child slaves. This is not the only source of precious metals of course but they aren't as cheap (note the stalwart Australian media reporting on African suffering when it affects national profits).

Huffpo reports a fairly cheap looking video is trying to alter people's perceptions, still its something easy to forward and related to pop culture that it might get some notice:

British firm deliberately poisons Iraqi Children

A British chemical firm bribed Iraqi officials so as to keep them buying a lead based petrol additive which has been banned since the 70s in the west. The consequence of inhaling lead fumes to for children is decreased intelligence and increased hyperactivity. Truly the people of Iraq should be grateful for us freeing them.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jun/30/octel-petrol-iraq-lead

Just in case you were wondering who runs America...

Oil companies have gotten the drilling ban overturned lord knows an ecological catastrophe isn't nearly enough to justify some old white guys making huge profits.

Vindication sucks

thanks jonny