Thugs in the Philippines have killed 700 people in the past three months, without trial.

Supposedly they were drug dealers, or drug users. Maybe some of them really did that. Maybe others didn't -- the thugs could not know. Besides which, is the penalty for using drugs supposed to be execution?

The death penalty is wrong even when applied to someone convicted in a fair trial.

The US needs to transfer spending from military to other uses, but neither Clinton nor Trump wants to do that.

Military contractors have bought the support most members of Congress, and given them a convenient excuse for that support by distributing the work throughout nearly all the congressional districts in the US. Congresscritters can simply say, "I support this military program because it makes jobs in our town."

Clearly, their constituents would be better off if we spent that money on something they could actually use.

A couple that worked in plastic factories, then opened their own, then saw it close as manufacturing was moved to Mexico and China, now support Trump.

What fools the voters who believe what Trump says he will do. What fools the Democrats that voted to nominate Clinton.

Shane Bauer reports on Damien Coestly, a prisoner in the private prison where Bauer worked as an undercover journalist. Coestly was considered suicidal, and later did kill himself.

It appears that the prison covers up wrongdoing and does an inadequate job of saving depressed prisoners from suicide. However, doing "suicide watch" in the "correct" manner may not be a good thing, because it is something close to brainwashing. Should we consider the practice proper care, or torture?

Damien Coestly appears to have been somewhat crazy, but when he decided to commit suicide rather than spend 20 more years in prison, should we consider that crazy, or rational and sane?

Trump claims there is a plan to rig the next election, which is true. But he claims it's to be rigged against him!

As we know, Republicans plan to rig the next election through voter suppression, using voter ID laws and explicitly removing blacks from the electoral rolls.

Trump also suggested the US should compete with PISSI in vicious treatment of captives.