One of the mysteries of life in these curious times is that millions of Americans are enjoying the benefits of government — but are either unaware of it or in denial.

A 2008 study found that 40 percent of Medicare recipients, 44 percent of Social Security beneficiaries, 53 percent of people with student loans, and 60 percent of homeowners with taxpayer-subsidized mortgages answered “no” when asked whether they were using a government social program.

But whatever their confusion, at least they're not running for president. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, is. And on the campaign trail he's disparaging Americans who turn to government to get what he calls “free stuff.”

He cites his experience as a private sector executive as proof that he has the managerial chops to run the government like a business. For evidence, he touts his stint as CEO of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, when he adopted cost-saving tactics, such as moving the Olympics' Washington office from a ritzy K Street building to a modest flat squished between a burrito shop and a hair salon.

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On July 26, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled PA Act 13 unconstitutional. The bill would have stripped away local zoning laws, eliminated the legal concept of a Home Rule Charter, limited private property rights, and in the process, completely disempowered town, city, municipal and county governments, particularly when it comes to shale gas development.

The Court ruled that Act 13 "…violates substantive due process because it does not protect the interests of neighboring property owners from harm, alters the character of neighborhoods and makes irrational classifications – irrational because it requires municipalities to allow all zones, drilling operations and impoundments, gas compressor stations, storage and use of explosives in all zoning districts, and applies industrial criteria to restrictions on height of structures, screening and fencing, lighting ...

Excited about turning 18 during a presidential election year, Jenna Johnson registered to vote with her high school classmates and cast her first ballot. She canvassed her local Minnesota neighborhood as a volunteer signing up voters. Then four years later, while sharing stories with other Korean adoptees who remembered their naturalization ceremonies, Jenna couldn’t recall ever experiencing her own. A few days later, she phoned what was then the Immigration and Naturalization Service to check on her status and was shocked to learn that she was not a U.S. citizen. Her green card, which she kept as a memento from her adoption as a 2-year old, had expired.

As a permanent resident, she had unknowingly committed voter fraud, a crime punishable by deportation.

The story of Jenna Johnson (name changed at source’s request) might sound unusual. But she’s actually one of thousands of adult adoptees who were not grandfathered into the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (CCA), which as of February 27, 2001 grants automatic citizenship to children who arrive in the United States on IR-3 visas. Parents whose children travel on IR-4 visas, which in recent years constitute almost half of all inter-country adoptions, finalize procedures by re-adopting their children in their states of residence at which time ...

On November 29, 2011, Rocky Anderson – former Democratic Party Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah – announced he’d be running for President of the United States.

Though the majority of his adult life a loyal Democrat, in recent years, Anderson’s criticisms of the Party have been sharp, never mincing words in describing his displeasure. For example, Anderson once stated, “I don't know what people were expecting, all this hope and change nonsense...There's no question that we're seeing a continuation [of the harm to], and even in some instances a worsening of our republic under this administration.”

Anderson’s discontent with the Party and, in particular, the first term of incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama, has moved him not only to run for President in 2012 as a third party candidate, but to form a completely new third party, the Justice Party. Anderson hopes the Party will not merely serve as a one-and-done venture for the 2012 election, but rather, a long-term vehicle for social justice movements of all stripes, as well as a viable electoral outlet for the 99-percent.

I had the opportunity to interview Rocky Anderson over the phone on March 2 to talk about, among other things, his stances on civil liberties and the Constitution, his motives for running for President of the United States even though the electoral game is rigged against independent challengers, why he broke from the Democratic Party and formed the Justice Party, his jobs platform, his climate and energy platform, his foreign policy platform, and his plans for getting in the debates.

Steve Horn: What motivated you to run for President of the ...

When Egyptians stood up to Mubarak they were met with tear gas and clubs. Once upon a time America had freedom of assembly, speech and protest. Even now, as long as protests don't take on the 1%, they are OK. But in today's America-for-the-1% protests, assemblies and speech against plutocatic, 1% rule are met with tear gas and police batons to the head.

Occupy Movement camps around the country follow strict practices of nonviolence and democracy. As with any diverse community of people, there are troublemakers who take advantage of loose organization and predators who prey on others. This is why we have police departments in every city and town. But plutocratic government response is to discourage the Occupy Movement, so government services are denied these citizens. Instead of helpfully serving communities, the frown of disapproving authority is cast upon their activities.

Disgust and fear are powerful propaganda tools, and there has been a remarkable "soften up public opinion" media drumbeat using repeated accusations of bugs, thugs, drugs, muggings, disease, rats, filth, and other disgust and fear-invoking imagery. (Perhaps worst of all in the "shame them" index, even beards and general non-consumerism and non-conformity are described!) So with the ground prepared and the way paved for police actions, Occupy camps in Portland, Oakland, Chapel Hill, St. Louis, Albany, Salt Lake City, ...