TheNextReport

The killing of three police officers in Baton Rouge yesterday morning should be a matter of grave concern for every citizen of the United States. Coming on July 17th, just a few short weeks after the shooting of five police in Dallas, Texas, it could spell the beginning of a national crackdown on freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and other constitutional rights.  Authorities fear widening unrest as African American communities across the country seek to bring the nation's attention to the problem of racial profiling and police killings of young black men. Sources close to the story said there is evidence that the Baton Rouge shooter may have lured police into a trap by placing false 9-11 calls. Promising to prevent religious fanatics, right wing patriot extremists and other demented individuals from engaging in an all out war with police, law enforcement officials plan to ramp up efforts to hunt down those who pose a threat before they have the opportunity to strike. GOP n

The greatest country on the face of the earth; a shining city on the hill; the last great hope of mankind. These unseemly boasts have often been used by American politicians in describing the United States. They have been employed so often that the people who are running for office are expected to use them. While our country turns 240 years old today, there are many signs that this arrogant facade has begun to show widening cracks. It is true that America and its educational institutes have been responsible for some of the world's most bold innovations and scientific discoveries, unparalleled in the annals of human achievement. We have landed on the moon and sent probes to the deepest parts of space; we have connected our planet with a miraculous electronic network that permits human beings to get access to information representing the totality of human knowledge; we have developed complex instruments for medical research and associated technologies designed to fight disease and