We might be on the verge of an unprecedented global economic meltdown. But if you watched the Republican debate and are really, really gullible - you might think there's an easy fix to all our troubles. From the European debt crisis - to the jobs crisis here at home - to the health crisis - to the looming energy crisis - to the housing crisis - to the student loan debt crisis - you name the crisis - there's a one-size-fits-all solution to it - and all the Republicans on stage last night didn't shy away from talking about it. That solution - let the so-called "free market" work. 53 million people uninsured? The free market will fix that! Greece and Italy are about to drag the entire global banking system into a depression? The free market will fix that too! Student loan debt topped a trillion bucks for the first time? Leave it up to the free market to fix it. Republicans have one talking point - just one solution to all our problems - and that's by hyping up the power of the so-called free market - or in Herman Cain's case - hyping up the power of his 9-9-9 plan AND the free market. But let's think about that for a moment - what exactly does it mean? What does "let the free market work" really mean? Does it mean to remove government - and deregulate everything? So when the Republicans talk about letting the free market work - they might as well be saying let the free market fairies wave their magic wand and everything will be just fine.

In this week's Geeky Science - the TSA says that their porno-scanners have less radiation than a banana, but some top scientists are casting new doubts on that claim. Personally - I think I'll take my chances with the fruit

Count the voters - or down for the count? An Ohio voter is recovering today - after a poll worker attacked him on Tuesday and nearly bit his nose off

Joshua Holland, AlterNet & Yvette Felarca, Participant-Occupy Cal (Berkeley) & Sarah Seltzer, Alternet all join Thom Hartmann. A new video of police brutality at another 99 percent protest in California has surfaced. And we'll be joined by a patriot who was caught in the middle of it all. More video surfaced today of police brutality against peaceful patriots. Those were young women in the crowd who were having nights stick violently shoved into their stomachs. Meanwhile in Oakland - where police brutality was taken to another level two weeks ago when two-time Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen was critically injured and sustained brain damage after police fired a tear gas canister into his head - there are fears that another violent police crackdown could be looming. Yesterday - members of the city council - joined by the local chamber of commerce - held a press briefing - bashing the Occupy Oakland movement - and calling for it to be broken up immediately. With all the violent police action against American patriots who are exercising their first amendment rights around the nation - sadly - Thomas Jefferson is rolling in his grave.