In a major victory for taxpayers in Iceland, an obscure transnational court ruled against the European Union and a similar supranational body last week, deciding that the tiny population of the island nation was not responsible for the massive liabilities of a private Icelandic bank that went bust during the 2008 economic meltdown. Establishment analysts blasted the decision as a “blow to global banking,” but Icelanders and proponents of the free market celebrated the verdict as a big win for the people and market principles — after all, they argue, citizens should not be forced to pay for the reckless and potentially criminal actions of a few bankers, widely criticized as “banksters” in recent years.

Corporate giant Monsanto, known for its controversial business model, lobbying, and its widely criticized genetically modified organisms (GMOs), has officially joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a group of powerful interests including major banks and Big Oil backing the United Nations “Agenda 21” scheme for so-called “sustainable development.” Critics, however, expressed alarm over the announcement, saying the global “sustainability” push is really a transparent plot to centralize power in the UN and enrich special interests at the expense of private property rights, national sovereignty, and individual liberty.

In an ironic but predictable development that has establishment analysts scratching their heads and human-rights organizations up in arms, brutal communist dictator Raul Castro of Cuba just assumed the rotating presidency of a regional “integration” body that touts itself as being in favor of “democracy.” Upon assuming his new role, the Marxist tyrant, who leads one of the most oppressive regimes in the world and will now be charged with running the supranational CELAC bloc, celebrated what he called "a common vision for the Latin American and Caribbean homeland.” 

A series of recent military exercises in major cities including Miami and Houston have alarmed residents and even local officials, many of whom were reportedly unaware that the drills would be taking place in their jurisdictions. The Obama administration's controversial “urban-warfare” scenarios included low-flying black helicopters firing blanks out of machine guns, heavily armed troops rappelling onto buildings, and more.

If the government were to pass an unconstitutional law purporting to ban firearms, two thirds of Americans with guns in their household say they would defy the lawless legislation and refuse to comply, according to a recent poll conducted by Fox News. Even the majority of Democrat and liberal gun owners would refuse to surrender their weapons, the survey revealed. Most Americans also believe that more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens — not gun bans — would help reduce crime.

Facing a dramatic decline in support for his party due to its continued, albeit half-hearted, support for the controversial European Union, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron finally promised British subjects a referendum on whether or not to leave the EU — in five years. However, despite the tsunami of public opposition to the union, establishment figures from around the world, including the Obama administration, are using transparent fear-mongering tactics warning Britons to stick with the embattled super state or face dire consequences.

If Americans needed any further evidence of the blatant bias and disregard for the truth displayed by the increasingly discredited establishment press, the coverage — or lack thereof — of two recent demonstrations in Washington, D.C., provided a perfect illustration. One tiny protest was seeking more gun control and was promptly plastered all over the front pages. The other march, which was virtually ignored by the press despite record-breaking attendance, sought protection for the lives of unborn children.

Summary executions and mass human rights abuses targeting innocent civilians in Mali are being perpetrated by soldiers loyal to the dubious Malian regime in a campaign supported by the United Nations, the new socialist French government, and the Obama administration. According to human rights groups and witnesses on the ground, the atrocities are increasing as the number of murdered victims continues to rise — eerily reminiscent of similar tragic interventions in Libya, Syria, and the Ivory Coast.

After Democrats in New York rammed a sweeping assault on the right to keep and bear arms through the legislature that failed to exempt police officers from the draconian restrictions, gun owners and even some lawmakers are planning what has been dubbed potentially the largest act of civil disobedience in state history. According to news reports, gun rights activists are urging everyone to defy far-left Governor Andrew Cuomo’s new registration mandate, instead urging authorities to “come and take it.” 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came under fire during and after her congressional testimony on the scandal that has become known as Benghazigate, with Republican lawmakers asking some tough questions but getting little in the way of answers. Indeed, the most serious concerns about the deadly attack on U.S. personnel in Libya remain as unaddressed today as they were before Clinton’s testimony.