One of the great themes in American politics involves national security. Right-wing hawks argue that America must increase military spending to protect itself from its enemies. This is a very common theme, and it works. America spends five dollars on military spending for every dollar that China (ranked #2 in military spending) does. It spends ten dollars for every dollar on the military that Russia (ranked #3) spends.

But this doesn’t mean that America will win the next big war.

The ghost of the 2008 candidate Barack Obama haunted Netroots Nation 2012 in Providence, Rhode Island. He hovered over every panel — at least the 10 or so panels I attended — and pervaded the general assemblies and closing session in which Van Jones gave the final pitch for progressives not to give up.

Call Buffalo Public Works Commissioner Steven J. Stepniak, Mayor Byron Brown and the Buffalo City Council to demand that they immediately return the property of the Occupy Buffalo protesters before their offices close for the weekend. Their high-handed thuggery on behalf of the NFTA, Governor Cuomo and fat-cat developers is endangering people’s lives.