bloomberg started the group mayors against illegal guns which is lobbying for stricter gun enforcement was and the group even ran an ad during last night's super bowl festivities an age when federal and state lawmakers are trying to find new and creative ways to arm the nation and get in bed with the n.r.a. it's nice to see mayor bloomberg trying to stop the needless and totally preventable violence that plagues our country the ballot box so-called news on fox and friends this morning host eric bolling steve doocy and gretchen carlson actually suggested that the bureau of labor statistics was cooking the books when it came to the new unemployment figures here's what the talking heads had to say. are they playing around the numbers look it's the bureau of labor statistics it's supposed to be nonpartisan but that's the department of labor hilda solis heads the partner of labor hilda solis works directly for obama you know our goals are kind of what i'm saying there's there's room for error there's room there's a but when you talk about four million people how do you know how do you how do you

know how to make it and i don't think anything anyone should be surprised e-mailing us you know your articles french openly suggesting that the obama administration's engaging in a propaganda like campaign just doesn't seem very fair and balanced and the very very ugly u.s. senate candidate pete hoekstra books throws running against incumbent debbie debbie stabenow in michigan or as his campaign calls are spend it now and during last night's super bowl his campaign aired this ad continuing the mispronunciation of her name hello. thank you michigan senator debbie stand it now debbie stand so much and managing many more and more for much of your economy get very weak eyes get very get your job thank you defend it now i think this race for u.s. senate is between debbie spend it now and keep spending i'm pete spend it not books and i approve this message. the ad has garnered

a great deal of negative press since last night with many calling it racially insensitive and just think about the national g.o.p. consultant even called the ad really really dumb here we'll just call it very very . well press is reporting that there was an incident at the occupy d.c. movement a brick thrown at a cop. parenting court they said it was just a plastic bottle but you combine that with the recent activity and alyssum in oakland and you wonder what's going on you know is this with this occupy an incident is there a flaw in this model of general assemblies frankly i think not but what we're seeing here is a core battle and the battle lines that are being drawn with the in the occupy

movement as it grows is as it moves along is between whether it's going to be a liberal in the classic sense movement or whether it's going to be a conservative movement talking rush limbaugh versus me on the radio here talking classic sense or is it going to be a revolutionary movement or is are going to be a reactionary movement that's the question this is a primary question that is literally thousands of years old i mean socrates three thousand years ago was supported the revolution of the four hundred than the revolution the forty people got so upset when they said no thanks mr socrates drink your hemlock commit suicide the romans you know sounds like a good idea but only if you live in rome can you vote in only if you're roman citizen and so is the empire spread all over europe is very small number of people who are actually voting the catholic church was asked this question can people govern themselves so this is the essential question of the of the assemblies can people govern themselves. and their answer was catholic church his answer was no

only god can govern us and since he's not shown up too often the the pope will speak through him and then of course you've got kingdoms which actually were always started by warlords and those warlords you know were ruling by power again they were saying no show guns and emperors you know in japan and in china for example the mayans the aztecs the you had kingdoms all of this stuff all through history everybody said no people can't people can't govern themselves that was the core belief which is the core conservative belief then in the seventeenth seventy's american democracy is great experiment as alexis de tocqueville called it was started and it has an interesting genesis the whole the whole american experiment the small d. to mark received and it started out with thomas hobbes back in sixteen fifty one he wrote a book called leviathan and leviathan and it contains the seeds of both today's

modern conservative and modern liberal movements you can trace both of the roots to this book and there are two central arguments the conservative argument is that people can't govern themselves because they're essentially evil and dysfunctional and therefore they need strong leaders and the liberal argument that hobbes also made was that people can govern themselves it's a very interesting debate that happened back at that time know why can't people govern themselves one of the reasons that's been proposed for a long long time is that even eight that damn apple she screwed up everybody born has is born with the original sin. and so the question is what is the natural state of humankind you know whether you take the the religious story or not havs thought that the natural state of humankind was the same thing that he thought he saw nature animals ate each other he said if we did not have the iron fist of church or state controlling us then in such condition there is no nature and no knowledge of

the face of the earth no account of time no arts no letters no society and which is worst of all continual fear and danger of violent death and the life of man is solitary bru poor nasty brutish and short and this is the core conservative worldview people are evil and therefore you need these constraining forces and this is why you know chris matthews old joke republicans are looking for a leader democrats are looking for a for a meeting is true because you know this is the conservative view then john locke came along and in sixteen eighty nine john locke suggested that the state of nature might not be what hobbes described it might be different than other animals why because we have reason the ability to reason is what separates us from kwan fang now actually modern sure so is that of the whole kwan fang thing and all that true that that there is democracy in nature but nonetheless this is the evolution of democracy and what and what john locke wrote in his state of nature was men

living according to reason without a common superior off on earth to judge between them and that is properly the uniquely human state of nature right now there is reason that idea of locks was taken by risotto and voltaire and and turned into the enlightenment a truly revolutionary period of time the end and this was when we saw the real clear definition of liberal and conservative the british were the conservatives the kingdom the liberals were the revolutionaries here in the united states and oddly enough you had a. americans who fundamentally were conservatives alexander hamilton john adams and you had americans who were fundamentally liberals john james madison and thomas jefferson the most well known and what the difference between the two was that these guys thought the people were basically evil and therefore you had to have the appearance of democracy but not too much and that therefore the compromise for

example when they wrote the constitution that the senate would not be directly elected or you know on the other hand you had jefferson and madison say no all the power has to be with the people and they were so emphatic about that that the constitution read article three section two it says even the supreme court shall function under such regulations as the congress shall make in other words everything a subordinate to congress why is that because congress stands every two years for election it's the closest to the people it's the way that you make sure that the people's will is is followed which brings us to today's occupy movement the question that they're facing is are they going to be a liberal representative democracy functionally are they going to. operate on the assumption that everybody can participate or are they going to turn into a more authoritarian top down organization i remember the weather underground i was in s.d.s. when the weather underground came out it was an authoritarian top down organization

by and large. we saw the same thing in oakland in oakland is really interesting you had in fact we had we had a guest on the show who said you know we were the oakland occupy movement we marched to this bill and we had no idea where we were going because the leaders in secret decided where we'd go that's conservative not liberal that's reactionary not revolutionary so in a way we live right now in revolutionary times and we're seeing the same battle it was played out between jeff jefferson and adams right now in the occupy movement my hope personally is that they don't go the direction of an arthur authoritarian movement that they that you don't see leaders emerging but instead it's if there is anything it will be representatives that individuals will say ok you're you're the collectively they you know if anybody's going to be a spokesperson they'll be elected if anybody's going to be a leader they will be elected because as they say in the occupy movement the whole world is watching. that's it for the big picture tonight for more information or to

see any segment of the show check out our website at thom hartmann dot com and don't forget democracy begins with you get out there get active tag your it sort of . wealthy british style. sometimes. markets why not canada. find out what's really happening to the global economy with max concert for a no holds barred look at the global financial headlines tune in to kaiser report on our.

peacemaking mission a delegation led by russia's foreign minister heads to damascus bloodshed in syria gathers momentum against a backdrop of diplomatic clashes. three sacrifices fifteen thousand more jobs in the to meet its international creditors as well still to ravage population state is another general strike. to libya and this isn't sue the former head of britain's m i six spying agency every corporation with any gadhafi internet to new case relationship if they take back in the spotlight. and cold weather in europe reveals

a weakness in gas supply with stock markets shooting up to its highest level since two thousand and six the more on this and other stories. we're watching our table straight story now syria could get another chance at a diplomatic escape route from its continuing political crisis as it hosts a russian delegation later on tuesday that's a major widespread international uproar caused by clashes at the u.n. security council and swelling violence within syria. has the details. well first of all the russian delegation is syria what it was trying to achieve is for the two sides of the conflict to sit down at the negotiation table and talk now russia's delegation to syria is headed by the country's foreign minister sergei lavrov and him together with a ford intelligence chief we heil for it's called they there

a message from the president be good if the president assad message that is calling on for some serious democratic changes in the country now this comes after russia vetoed the u.n. security council's resolution on syria for the second time earlier russia had asked the u.n. security council to not rush in with voting on the resolution and give russian authorities a chance to visit damascus to talk to president assad once again however that request was ignored which russia found rather disrespectful meanwhile the u.s. has shut down its embassy in syria and british ambassador was recalled from syria for consultations and it looks like new resolutions are just around the corner for more on russia's attempt to prevent the repetition of libyan scenario in syria here's this report by sara first. started out divisive on every level syrian crisis displace opinion from the streets to the international stage the united states is disgusted that

a couple members of this council continue to prevent us from fulfilling our sole purpose here this is a doomed rosaline as well as a murdering regime there is no way it can get its credibility back internationally or with its own people. it's when you come when you realize that you see what a mistake russia is making by backing this regime too many in the west russia's decision along with china to veto the un resolution on syria is difficult to understand america's u.n. envoy described the decision is shameful and he's the countries of attempting to sell out the syrian people and of shielding a tyrant the right from the very beginning and russia has been very clear on its stance of the crisis in syria and in its continued calls for dialogue. alongside calls for the government to withdraw its troops from cities we wanted to demand the armed groups also leave the cities and stop the ongoing attempts to take all the

residential areas suggestions were vehemently rejected by the co-sponsors of the text it looks like these co-sponsors are more interested in simply finding somebody to blame drawing attention away from the armed groups that are receiving arms and other kinds of encouragement from abroad the west has leveled heavy criticism at moscow's continued arms trade with syria saying its backing the santa regime has been overlooked however is russia's continued efforts to mediate with all sides of the conflict we speak with the head to syria's internal opposition the national coordinator cancel he'd met with a russian delegation recently we asked how they viewed russia's stance russia said they're not against the will of the syrian people that they stand with the syrian people and the legitimate demand we ask that they support the syrian people under whatever will protect them from violence and killing otherwise their position should be considered a sttng with the regime with these tell you and russia's unwillingness to join the

economic sanctions most game may have a hard time convincing the west of its neutrality of course russia much more careful. because after that i do from libya will could see is a. nato country that doesn't want to form. a u.s. citizen zero a cynical process. from the libya was north but not total border as there usually on libya was. but not about syrians. and as the political tit for tat continues to play out an increasingly polarized population and watching their lives and country brought to a standstill sanctions a crippling the economy and the increase in violence is raise. tom de lay the g eight political wrangling now seems to be shattering the issue of basic human rights for the people living in fear.

continues to receive haase remarks and it's going to veto a draft resolution on syria and us being one of the most vocal times correspondent i think ask abbas's this criticism is not justified in washington repeatedly blocks un resolutions critical of israel i would start paraphrasing susan rice i would say that the international community is the real one not made to and seeks a person go monitors in the g.c.c. is this guy just it by the travesty of repeated us vetoes in a de un women ever the topic of israel cups so israel us can veto any c. regarding as well as or can keep but killing men and women and children palestine but always leave russia and china they cannot block a reason lucian that he poses regina change in syria so what are you going to see

from now want is a radical isolation and that's already happening so this means. the rebels in syria the free syrian army will keep being armed and weaponized by not only qatar and saudi arabia which is already happening for months not but specially by the united states the resolution is not blaming effect on armed insurrection that's what can you imagine if you have a mid-size city in the united states called troll but ending suresh how do you think the response of the us government would be. the e.u. and the u.s. are seeking to hit syria with economic sanctions patrick hayes a political analyst for the online magazine spiked says the sanctions were only harm the people not the president. well i think in many ways it's going to exacerbate if it does mean that dialogue gets off gets taken off the table it does

mean that the west will try and intervene in other ways you know as we've seen the last few months affectively the arab league kind of step in and to monitor and effectively become the lackeys of western interests to a certain extent so it's i think the malls or the west kind of. moves itself from syria the more pressure and we're hearing with the you know our sanctions as well the more actually i think the syrian people will suffer as a result through any western intervention you will have you know the syrian people effectively having their democratic initiative taken from their hands and effectively you know you have western countries trying to give them democracy instead which historically has been proven not to be the case but also sanctions aren't going to really affect president are sad and the kind of cronies in charge sanctions will have a direct impact upon the syrian people. to come on the program soldier of good fortune u.s. army private ryan for the nobel peace prize but that really covering crimes in

secret documents to wiki leaks the same position that. i'm in jail. and western economic warfare against iran tehran finds itself on the able to carry out financial transactions barack obama decides to solve around the central bank. fifteen thousand more greek jobs slashed is the latest blow from austerity measures adopted by athens to appease its international creditors the cuts are especially worrying given that the greek economy is in the three four countries hopes now rest for the second one to thirty billion bailout package go she asians between bankers and the government wrongdoing pre-condition austerity measures called into the professor. does get cash have no. interest.

two years now we are living through i hear the commercials over there are only a measure of that they are put all the burden to the poorest to the weakest members of our society and our did you stayed off be reduced is get inflated so i don't have any call to visit new measures it is the same as if we continue to put money into our credit goes in to drain our economy leading the league to need to even more or spare recession this massive privatization they are pushing to us actually they are nothing but a scheme to give up our public infrastructure infrastructure out public property to foreigners at especially big german enterprises school now greece is a kind of experiment for all european union they're just trying to impose to us the measures the salaries they dismantlement of the protective legislation for the workers that later they are going to try to impose rather people started from the people and the counters of the south we do not want this continuous sacrifices

sacrifices without any kind of cope. with germany or france and also call for more control over greece's finances including future bailouts follows an attempt by betting to assume control of the country's budget blueprint checked by the debt ridden nation that's one of the themes featured in today's kaiser report coming up at seven thirty g.m.t. . what they're not taking into consideration is that all of this debt is off the balance sheet and all the income is used immediately to pay off a bank in near and germany so germany has effectively to seize control of greece they've seized control of portugal they will soon be totally in control of spain and they're totally in control of the euro zone it's all legal remember they put all that bad debt off the balance sheet you don't have interest rate risk you have political risk in the countries that are not germany germany doesn't have a political risk because they are europe.

the former head of britain's m i six spy agencies he's being sued by two dissident libyans here that really helped to rest and deport to conduct two trips in two thousand and four their case again substance after the discovery that is provided to the colonel congratulating him on the return of the prisoners auntie's i think bennett has the story. yes of ducted imprisoned and tortured for six years all thanks to british government help those are the claims of two former gadaffi detainees who say they were captured by m i six and flown to libya in two thousand and four abdulhakim bell is now libya's military commander along with sami el saadi he was part of the libyan islamic fighting group they're suing a former british spy chief for complicity in their torture to me the most damaging aspect is just how much the british were involved in even just two cases of sending

senior people back to libya and then the potential damages how much they knew about the nature of gadhafi is regime and how he and his officials were torturing prisoners and that should have been obvious documents found in tripoli by human rights watch seemingly expose britain's key role in the libyans rendition within m i six counterterrorism chief says mark allen pulling the strings seven he allegedly writes in one letter sent to get daffy spy chief moose's. i congratulate you on the safe arrival of our last of deep mr hard this was the least we could do for you and for libya the papers show the cia seized bangkok thanks to an m i six tipoff al saadi was supposedly snatched by the m i six in hong kong both men were sent straight to libya and the notorious abu salim prison where they say they were

tortured there are statements from calle thirteen. that they. they do not wish torture to happen. in the context of good at. those sorts of statements that. everyone would have known that there was an extremely high risk indeed or less certainty that these individuals will be tortured but by that point the british government's love in with good daffy had already begun turning him from their sport to darling and it wasn't just good daffy you reap the rewards it's a mark alan was britain's negotiator in what was a two way deal it was in this exclusive london clubs of mark owen said to have met . his intelligence chief the alleged occasion a top secret dinner to celebrate the end of negotiations libya gets a seat at the international table in return for scrapping its weapons program and

giving britain a lucrative oil contract one worth fifteen billion pounds went to b.p. in two thousand and four the same company alan had just joined there even allegations the controversial release of lockerbie bomber macgraw he was part of the same shady deal to find them well and refuses to comment on the claims against him m i six hasn't denied complicity in torture with the government saying all actions had its approval a longstanding get out clause but maybe not now the secrets out so we know that ministers in the past were sounding off on the sort of acts of complicity that those ministers themselves should face criminal prosecution of the civil case against markel and could be just the tip of the iceberg of what went on behind the scenes between britain and get daffy police have launched a criminal investigation to see just how far up the tree complicity may have gone either bennett r.t. london. well we also have more revelations on libya's torture

networks on our web site out and out there you can find out about the demise of libya's former. died in the cause to be. much more. these are the images the world seeing from the streets of canada. trying for a chatroom today. barack obama has approved a fresh set of strong sanctions against iran's financial institutions u.s. has frozen iranian assets on transactions involving the country's central bank sharing me from the school of oriental and african studies so it is all part of a prediction political game. in terms of threats coming from the u.s.

specially this distance is sanctions against iran central bank i think that they're mostly producer director for domestic consumption in the united states as we get closer to the presidential elections in the u.s. we see that each side trying to see as being more as being tough. and this is another move by president obama to satisfy either is idols or to supporters of his campaign it's sad to see that the u.s. is undermining the work the. fantastic work that is doing with iran and iran itself is trying very hard to keep the environment professional in the face of the recent assassination of uranium scientists which really was a big blow to the relationship between iran and the i. mean iran's foreign minister says tehran wants the assassinations of its sounds just to see official international recognition you're also known to turn.