CFR Globalist: End U.S. States, Build China-style Regional Gov't

The New American
May 14, 2016

It is time for the United States of America to ditch the whole “states” thing, and for the federal government to re-organize the nation politically into massive regions with powerful regional governments fully subservient to national and even international authorities. The goal of the dystopian “economic master plan” is for America to become more like Communist China on the road toward a North American Union.

That might sound ridiculous — perhaps like the ravings of a mad man — to the average American. After all, the United States is, by its nature, a union of 50 states that have delegated a few limited and defined powers to their agent, the federal government, in pursuit of, among other objectives, securing “the Blessings of Liberty.” If globalists get their way, though, that “antiquated” notion would be tossed on to the ash heap of history.   

Writing in the New York Times last month, a mid-level globalist operative with the war-mongering, global government-promoting Council on Foreign Relations argued that there needs to be a “new map for America.” “Advanced economies in Western Europe and Asia are reorienting themselves around robust urban clusters of advanced industry,” wrote Parag Khanna, a CFR globalist and self-styled “leading global strategist,” whatever that means. “Unfortunately, American policy making remains wedded to an antiquated political structure of 50 distinct states.”

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Missouri Lawmakers Pass Sweeping Gun Rights Expansion

NY Times
May 14, 2016

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers have passed a sweeping expansion of gun rights in the state, one that would allow people to carry concealed guns without requiring permits and widen their right to stand and fight against perceived threats.

The legislation, which now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon for his signature, was among the most prominent measures passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature on the final day of its annual session on Friday. Mr. Nixon, a Democrat, did not have an immediate comment on the bill.

Under the measure, most people would be able to carry concealed guns, even if they have not completed the training currently required to obtain a permit.

The legislation would also expand the state’s “castle doctrine” by allowing invited guests, such as babysitters, to use deadly force against intruders. It would also create a “stand your ground” right, meaning people would not have to retreat from danger in any place they are legally entitled to be present.

While many Democrats denounced it, Republican supporters of the bill described the measures as reasonable approaches to personal safety.

“There won’t be blood in the streets,” said State Representative Joe Don McGaugh, a Republican. “But what there will be is more people protected by the right to bear an arm legally.”

Ten other states already have what supporters describe as “constitutional carry” laws allowing concealed guns without permits, including ones enacted this year in Idaho, Mississippi and West Virginia, according to the National Rifle Association.

The N.R.A. says 30 states have laws or court precedents stating people have no duty to retreat from a threat anywhere they are lawfully present. But Missouri’s measure would make it the first new stand your ground state since 2011, according to both the N.R.A. and Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun control advocacy group.

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Scientists Meet In Secret To Discuss Creating A Synthetic Human Genome

New York Times
May 13, 2016

Image courtesy of the National Human Genome Research Institute

WRITTEN BY: ANDREW POLLACK MAY 13, 2016

TN Note: Huxley’s Brave New World is coming to life right before our eyes. Who needs parents? Babies are created in the lab for their pathetic, predetermined existence: Alphas, Gammas, Deltas, Epsilons. Natural procreation is not allowed, and all ‘accidental’ pregnancies will be terminated. All of society is “stratified by genetically-predestined caste.” Science is god. Technocrats and Transhumans are undoubtedly doing a ‘happy dance’ right now.

Scientists are now contemplating the creation of a synthetic human genome, meaning they would use chemicals to manufacture all the DNA contained in human chromosomes.

The prospect is spurring both intrigue and concern in the life sciences community, because it might be possible — if someone were able to create a totally artificial genome — to implant that genome into embryos and create human beings without parents.

While the project is still in the idea phase, and also involves efforts to improve DNA synthesis in general, it was discussed at a closed-door meeting at Harvard Medical School in Boston on Tuesday. The roughly 150 attendees were told not to contact the media or to tweet about the meeting.

Organizers said the project in some ways would be a follow-up to the original Human Genome Project, which was aimed at reading the sequence of the three billion chemical letters in the DNA blueprint of human life. The new project, by contrast, would involve not reading, but rather writing the human genome — synthesizing all three billion units from chemicals.

But such an attempt would raise numerous ethical issues. Could scientists create humans with certain kinds of traits, perhaps people born and bred to be soldiers? Or might it be possible to make copies of specific people?

“Would it be O.K. to sequence and then synthesize Einstein’s genome?” Drew Endy, a bioengineer at Stanford and Laurie Zoloth, a bioethicist at Northwestern University, wrote in an essay criticizing the proposed project. “If so, how many Einstein genomes would it be O.K. to make and install in cells, and who would get to make and control these cells?”

Scientists and ethicists are already raising concerns about using new gene-editing techniques that could change individual traits in embryos. But it would be possible to make much more extensive changes by synthesizing an entire genome.

Professor Zoloth said in an interview that the project could be risky without any well-defined benefit. She also criticized the surreptitious meeting. “It is O.K. to have meetings that are private, but it has not been characteristic of the field to have meetings that are secret in addition to being private.”

George Church, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and one of the organizers of the proposed project, said the characterization was a misunderstanding, and that in reality the project was aimed more generally at improving the ability to synthesize long strands of DNA, which could be applied to various types of animals, plants and microbes.

“They’re painting a picture which I don’t think represents the project,” Dr. Church said in an interview. “If that were the project, I’d be running away from it.”

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