15 Oct, 2022
Democracy is an act of moral imagination
Shortly before he died, Congressmember and human rights activist John Lewis wrote a farewell to his fellow citizens, declaring: “Democracy is not a state.
5 Oct, 2022
My zero-sum hummers
I adore "my" hummingbirds, arguably the best in-close flyers in the world, with reaction times so fast they zip in next to angry defensive bees to score a sip of sugar water despite the bees coming at them in a bee fury that would dissuade virtually any other critter, including me.
19 Aug, 2022
Elections and the threat of uncritical political discourse
Tuesday's primary elections are a routine occasion of frustration for many Americans. August 16th, 2022 continued this trend.
11 Aug, 2022
Unworthy victims?
The invasion of Ukraine and the war that it initiated led to widespread coverage of the struggles of ordinary people in a zone of conflict that’s surprisingly rare.
9 Aug, 2022
Conspiracies or disinformation plots?
Some time ago, several millennia in fact, a wise man known as Confucius admonished the Chinese people to "call things by their proper names" in order to better perceive and grapple with reality, and to avoid disorder.
8 Aug, 2022
Why should war criminals operate with impunity?
The issue of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine highlights the decades-long reluctance of today’s major military powers to support the International Criminal Court.
23 Jul, 2022
Back to the Future: Biden in the Middle East
President Biden has now completed his first visit to the Middle East. The trip was billed as an opportunity to reset relations, especially with Saudi Arabia, promote respect for human rights, and reaffirm traditional US policy on Israel and the Palestine question.
21 Jun, 2022
Dear mainstream media: Please retire the word “conservative”
Leave politics aside for a moment, if you can. What does the word “conservative” mean to you, outside of that cursed arena?
23 May, 2022
A reckoning for workers this November
Among the issues facing voters in the coming midterms are ones all too familiar to working people.
6 May, 2022
Putin’s war will not be on the ballot–but democracy will be
Historical memory can fade over time. Born in 1942, I've watched it happen. We lost sight of the cruelty of fascism and authoritarian rule and how indispensable free democratic societies are to world peace and well being.
23 Apr, 2022
Take the gloves off
Many of you have no doubt watched a video of Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow’s forthright response to a far-right colleague’s attempt to paint her as a “groomer” for the LGBTQ community and a supporter of pedophilia.
12 Apr, 2022
‘The Godfather’ turns 50
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the first “Godfather” movie. Celebratory retrospectives are ubiquitous.
11 Apr, 2022
The case against the GQP is worse than you think
My doctorate in Political Science ought to have included a section on gaslighting. Currently Russian leader Vladimir Putin is demonstrating one version of this; he is calling his invasion of Ukraine, massacre of civilians, and wanton disregard for human rights (that some are calling genocide) a “special operation.”
20 Feb, 2022
Not your champion
Donald Trump is no more your savior than Hitler was Germany’s savior. Regain your consciousness.
14 Jan, 2022
Destroying Democracy: China in Hong Kong
On July 1, 1997 the United Kingdom formally handed Hong Kong over to China under an agreement that was supposed to give Hong Kong 50 years of autonomy: “one country, two systems,” Deng Xiaoping promised.