This Week in National Insecurity

DOD photo / <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_soldiers_stuck_in_sand_in_southern_Afghanistan.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>

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Whichever side of the fence you land on, chances are you agree that America’s not a very secure nation these days: economically, electorally, or physically. So we grabbed our lensatic compass, rucksack, and canteen, then mounted out across the global media landscape for a quick recon. Whether you’re scared because our military isn’t good enough—or you’re scared because it’s too good—here’s all the ammunition you need, in a handy debrief.

In this installment: Zombie ants may spell your doom; explosives with no regard for your feelings; the Manchurian Obama gets a cash infusion; we “leave” Iraq, “blast” Afghanistan, and “talk” with WikiLeaks; and the Brits invent Terminator Crotch Pants!

The sitrep:

The United States government’s national threat level is Elevated, or Yellow. You’re welcome.

  • In its search for a better way to blow junk up, the Army is spurning TNT for a new explosive that “only detonates on command,” which sort of sounds like a not-bad thing. It’s called an “Insensitive Munitions Explosive,” so apparently even though it will listen to you most of the time, it still refuses to cuddle. (Wired‘s Danger Room)

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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